Dad Fitness » Dads

Super Smoothie For Super Dads

Sean Barker — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:44:58 +0000

Here is a super quick smoothie recipe that is great anytime of the day as either a meal replacement or a healthy snack. Well, the only time it’s not great is when trying to use the blender really early in the morning when your family is still sleeping…trust me on that one!

This super smoothie is packed full of cancer fighting antioxidants, muscle building protein, complex carbs, filling fiber and heart-healthy fats to give you lots of energy to get through work AND your Dad Fitness workouts.

It is also cheap to make and you know it only includes the healthy ingredients YOU add, unlike Joe bodybuilder behind the counter with all the powders and potions making smoothies at your local gym…

Click here to view the embedded video.

DISCLAIMER: This smoothie has a secret muscle building ingredient that will give you huge arms like Popeye!

The anchor tattoos on the other hand is your decision…

Give this one a try and let me know how you like it by posting a comment below!

3 Minute Workout

Sean Barker — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:40:55 +0000

What can you do in 3 minutes?

You can make your bed…

You can update your Facebook status…

You can cook 3 batches of Minute Rice…

OK maybe there is a lot of things you can do in 3 minutes.

But one of the biggest obstacles we have as busy dads is finding the time to stick with our workout routine.

But in reality we all have the same amount of time in a day, so it’s really about how we MANAGE our time.

No matter what your situation, there are other dads out there juggling a lot more than you when it comes to family and fitness.

So for those days when you are about to write your scheduled workout off because of no time, I got you covered.

The 3 Minute Workout.

This bodyweight workout can be done anywhere at anytime without any equipment.

No, this shouldn’t replace your regular workout, despite what the TV infomercials want you to believe, you won’t get abs in 7 minutes!

But for a quick metabolic boost that will give you some energy and burn up some calories, put this workout in your training toolbox as an Emergency Workout.

So you now have NO EXCUSES. But you do have 3 minutes…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Do you have an Emergency Workout? Let me know by posting a comment below.

The REAL Secret To Transforming Your Body

Sean Barker — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:04:36 +0000

Do you want to know the REAL secret to transforming your body?

It’s what EVERYONE uses to be successful to lose weight and gain lean muscle in the shortest amount of time…

Athletes use it…

Bodybuilders use it…

Brides to be use it…

and busy dads like us, use it to get that beach body for summer…

It’s a DEADLINE.

If YOU want to be successful with anything in life you need a deadline to keep you accountable to your goals.

Changing your body is no different.

So that’s why I am excited to announce the Dad Fitness 60 Day Challenge!

The deadline to enter is this Monday, October 26th at midnight so you better hurry.

I am looking forward to seeing your Dad Fitness success story!

It cost’s nothing to get started and you can check out the rules and prizes in the link below.

Just think… you can be leaner, stronger and $1000 richer before Christmas Eve.

Click Here For The Dad Fitness 60 Day Challenge

==>http://www.DadFitness.com/rules.html

Interview With Best Selling Fitness Author: Lou Schuler

Sean Barker — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:25:32 +0000

I am really excited to share with you a Dad Fitness exclusive interview with best selling fitness author, Lou Schuler.

As a fitness book worm I personally get every book Lou puts out because they are always top notch and full of the latest information in regards to effective workouts and healthy eating.

Lou has been in the game a long time and seen a lot of the fitness fads come and go.

So I asked him to give me his thoughts on fitness, family and fatherhood…

SB. For people who don’t know, tell us a little about yourself Lou, and how you got started in the fitness industry?

LS. I’m a journalist who’s also a fitness professional. Before I started at Men’s Fitness in 1992, I’d had a fairly conventional journalism career, working at daily and weekly newspapers and regional magazines. I worked at MF for six years, the last three as fitness editor, and then moved to Men’s Health for the next six years, first as fitness editor, then as fitness director.

The Testosterone Advantage Plan, my first book as an author, came out in December 2001. That was followed by Home Workout Bible, Book of Muscle, The New Rules of Lifting, and The New Rules of Lifting for Women. The third book in the New Rules of Lifting series will come out in January 2011.

SB. I hear you are also a busy dad and husband as well. How many kids do you have and what is your favorite part of being a dad?

LS. I have three kids, who are 13, 11, and 9. My favorite part of being a dad is not being anything like my own dad, who was a wreck physically and disengaged emotionally.

SB. Lou, how did your fitness philosophy change once you became a father?

LS. Most of the changes in my approach came about because of the research I was doing for the books I wrote. My diet changed from low-fat to one with balanced macronutrients while writing Testosterone Advantage Plan. I also got my CSCS in 2001, and that coincided with more of an emphasis on training for strength and performance. Coincidentally, I found it was more efficient to train that way.

SB. As a fitness author, what are the 3 biggest mistakes you see busy dads trying to staying fit make with their workouts?

LS. I can’t really say what other guys do or don’t do. I really just see the guys in my own gym, and most of them seem to have pretty solid workout programs. And I also hate to criticize the minority of adults who’re actually making an effort to stay in shape. I could find ways to improve most of the routines I see, but I’m sure at least a few of those guys are thinking the same thing about my workouts.

SB. What do your workouts currently look like?

LS. I do full-body workouts every time in the gym, so if I have to miss a workout because of an unforeseen problem, I don’t have to worry about unbalanced training.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, I’ll start with a lower-body exercise — a squat variation one workout, a deadlift variation the next, and a lunge variation the next. My upper-body work alternates between bilateral and unilateral movements. I like to do almost every exercise from a standing or kneeling position, to keep the core muscles engaged.

I also move pretty quickly from one exercise to the next. I’m not trying to add size — in fact, I’ve lost a few pounds in the past year — so I minimize rest periods and aim for more of a conditioning effect.

SB. What are some of your favorite healthy meals and snacks?

LS. My favorite is one I got from TC Luoma of TMUSCLE: natural peanut butter mixed in a bowl with low-carb chocolate protein powder and low-fat milk. Really hits the spot, and satisfies my hunger for hours.

SB. Why do you think it’s important for us dads to stay fit?

LS. Our kids should see that fitness is a lifelong pursuit. If they see us make time for it, and invest energy in it, they’ll understand that it’s an important part of life.

In our parents’ generation, there wasn’t much of an organized structure for fitness activities. You played outside as a kid, then maybe you played on sports teams through high school or even college, if you were one of the lucky ones. Many of our dads also did physical training in the military, where it was used as a punishment as much as a tool for activity-specific performance. Once you were out of the military, and presumably finished with sports, there wasn’t really any structure in place to encourage lifelong fitness.

But with our kids, everything is structured. There’s almost no such thing as backyard sports, or neighborhood games. If you play something, you play it on a team. If you do pure exercise, it happens in gym class. So it’s important for them to see their parents using those same structures to pursue lifelong fitness, and doing it voluntarily.

We all know as parents how important it is to read to our kids, and to have lots of books around the house. But it’s also important for kids to see their parents reading books for pleasure. That helps them understand that they aren’t just reading because adults say they have to. They’re reading because it’s such an important part of a fulfilling life.

Now we apply that to sports and fitness. At a certain point, I think kids start to ask themselves if they’re playing sports because they enjoy it, or because their parents expect them to play. If Dad is still playing something in middle age — golf, bowling, slow-pitch softball, or anything else that involves competition and some degree of coordination and focus — it reinforces the idea that sports are something you do for yourself.

If they understand that Dad goes to the gym three times a week because he enjoys it and considers it important, it sends the message that structured exercise isn’t just something you do in gym class because the school says you have to.

SB. Anything you would like to add? Any favorite tips you learned from other experts over the years?

One thing I’ve learned from experience is that you have to place as much importance on your wife’s fitness program as you do on your own. That is, you make sure she has as much opportunity to get to the gym or get outside for a run as you do. You can’t pressure her to train if she doesn’t want to — I think that’s obvious. But you have to make sure there’s equal opportunity within your household. Sometimes that means skipping your own workout when something comes up, rather than forcing her to miss hers.

During those times when you simply need to train more often than she needs or wants to train, you have to negotiate the opportunity to do that, rather than just assuming you deserve it by virtue of the fact you’re more ambitious or disciplined.

The benefits come back to you in two major ways. First, of course, is the health and stability of your relationship. You don’t want your wife resenting your desire to be healthy and fit, or to see it as a wedge you use to shift the priorities of the marriage in your direction. Second, your kids see that fitness isn’t just a priority for one individual in their house, but for everyone. If Mom and Dad have fitness pursuits that make them happier, that’s the most positive message we could possibly send to our kids.

SB. Where can people find out more about you and your books?

Website: www.louschuler.com

New Rules of Lifting Books

http://www.amazon.com/New-Rules-Lifting-Women-Goddess/dp/1583333398/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

http://www.amazon.com/New-Rules-Lifting-Maximum-Muscle/dp/158333338X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

SB.Thanks Lou for showing us that as a busy dad and fitness author you also practice what you preach!

LS. My pleasure.

Lou Schuler is an award-winning journalist, certified strength and conditioning specialist, author or coauthor of many popular books about diet and strength training. His books include The New Rules of Lifting for Women (with coauthors Cassandra Forsythe and Alwyn Cosgrove), The New Rules of Lifting (with Alwyn Cosgrove), The Book of Muscle (with Ian King), The Home Workout Bible (with Mike Mejia and many other contributors), and The Testosterone Advantage Plan (with Jeff Volek, Mike Mejia, and Adam Campbell).

Would you like to see more interviews like this? Let me know who you would like to see by leaving a comment below!

How I Lost 8lbs Without Dieting

Sean Barker — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:11:28 +0000

I am on vacation from work for a couple weeks so I thought it would be a great time to get some household projects completed.

…What I didn’t expect was to run into more problems!

Read on to find out what happened at our house and how I lost 8lbs without trying..(and no I didn’t saw off my arm if that’s what your thinking)

After repairing some boards in our patio deck and installing a new heater in our hallway, my dad and I tore down an old greenhouse in the backyard (that was falling down on it’s own anyway) so we can have more room in the yard for Matea to run around and play.

…7 trips to the town dump later, we had things cleaned up, raked and seeded.

Then the ice maker in our freezer gives out, and a couple days after that… our dryer stops working!

Both appliances are only a couple years old, so I guess the saying is true, “They REALLY Don’t Make Things Like They Used To”

We are still trying to get hold of a repairman…

The current project we are working on is installing a new shower kit downstairs in place of the old one which was all cracked up. Luckily we have another shower and tub upstairs so we don’t become the Smelly Barker’s during these renovations.

Anyway, lets hope the roof don’t fall down on me while I write this, even though it was redone 2 years ago.

…But maintaining a home is a lot like maintaining your health and fitness.

If you don’t take care of yourself and maintain a strong and fit body, you will eventually break down and need some major repairs; arthritis, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer, ring a bell?

So make sure you know your numbers and get at least a complete medical checkup once a year. I had mine last week and everything was “perfect” as the nurse said, EXCEPT

…I am 8lbs lighter than last year. (175lbs) Maybe my workouts for dads is working too good!

Eating REAL naturals foods 90% of the time, and doing SHORT high intensity workouts 3 times a week is all it takes for me to stay in great shape all year long.

I even had a dental cleaning and checkup the same day and at 31 years old kept my streak alive, still NO cavities or fillings!

So make sure YOU keep your body finely tuned by getting a regular checkup, eating right and exercising, or you just might end up with some major repairs that the doctor won’t be able to fix…

Your family is depending on you.

Get Started TODAY at ==>http://www.DadFitness.com

How are YOUR numbers? Is there something you would like to improve? Blood pressure, Cholesterol, Weight, Waist Size?

Let me know by leaving a comment below so I can help you get the numbers you want.

Muscles In Minutes

Sean Barker — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:54:17 +0000

15-Minute Bodyweight Workouts For Busy Dads

One of the most common requests I get from busy dads is for short bodyweight workouts that they can do anywhere at anytime.

So I dug into my training “tickle truck” and created Muscles In Minutes, 15 Minute Bodyweight Workouts For Busy Dads.

The envy of every Canadian kid growing up: Mr. Dress Up's "Tickle Trunk"

Finally you have no more excuses for skipping workouts and getting in great shape!

With The Dad Fitness Muscles In Minutes workouts you can lose that gut and build rock hard muscle anywhere at anytime.

Whether it’s before work, after work or even during work! (it’s better than coffee and donuts during your break)

You can always find 15 minutes to squeeze in a quick workout so you can start looking better and feeling better.

•   You don’t need an expensive gym membership.
•   You don’t need crappy home workout equipment.
•   You don’t need a lot of time.

Thanks to a marvel of science we call gravity all you need is your bodyweight to get fitter and stronger despite being a time-crunched dad.

Here is a sneak peak at Day 1 of Muscles In Minutes.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Muscles In Minutes is now available and is included for FREE when you get the Dad Fitness System.

Click Here To Get Started TODAY!==>http://www.DadFitness.com

8 Reasons Why You Keep Falling Off The Diet Wagon

Sean Barker — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:12:13 +0000

With these hot and humid days we’ve been having, I got in and out of the gym this morning fast and furious.

Was finished my workout by 10am and here is what I did.

Barbell Squats

DB Lunges

Chinups

Chest Supported Barbell Rows

Barbell Curls

Cable Curls

Standing Calf Raise

2 sets each, 4-8 reps

If you are like a lot of busy dads you are probably wondering why you can’t stick with eating healthy this summer with all those tempting backyard bbq’s, weddings, and vacations.

Well my friend and fellow fitness expert Tom Venuto send this along just in time for the weekend.

8 Reasons Why You Keep Falling Off The Diet Wagon

By Tom Venuto
www.BurnTheFat.com

Clearly, we have an obesity problem in America and many other countries across our planet. Yet, I propose that we do not have a weight loss problem today. In case you’re confused at this apparent contradiction, consider these statistics:

According to a study from Oxford University published in the International Journal of Obesity, within 3 to 5 years, about 80 percent of all ‘weight losers’ have regained the lost weight, and often gained back a little extra.

According to research by the National Weight Control Registry, that relapse rate may be as high as 95 percent.

For comparison, relapse rates for drug, alcohol and tobacco dependency have been reported in the range of 50-90%.

This means that lots and lots of people have “successfully” lost weight. But not many have kept it off. Therefore, we don’t have a weight loss problem, we have a weight-relapse problem; we have a “not sticking with it” problem. Wouldn’t you agree?

In fact, the fall and subsequent weight-regain usually doesn’t take years. Many people have abandoned their new year’s resolutions within weeks. By the time the Super Bowl party rolls around, their diet is history!

If this is true, then shouldn’t we put more of our attention onto figuring out why you haven’t been sticking with your program, and what you should do about it?

I put together this new list (below) of the top 8 reasons why you fall off the wagon.

Rather than worrying about the minutiae of your diet plan, like whether you should be on low carb or high carb, Mediterranean or Okinawan, vegetarian or meat eater, I propose that if you simply focus on these 8 issues, you’ll start getting more lasting results.

How? By being able to stick with whichever plan you decided was best for you! After all, even if you have the best nutrition program in the world – on paper – it doesn’t do you much good if you can’t stick with it in practice!

THE 8 REASONS

1. No focus: you didn’t set goals, you didn’t put your goals in writing, and/or you didn’t stay focused on your goals daily (by reading them, affirming them, looking at a vision board, etc.)

2. No priorities: you may have set a goal, but you didn’t put it on or near the top of your priorities list. For example, your goal is six pack abs, but drinking beer and eating fast food on the weekend is higher on your priorities list than having a flat stomach.

3. No support system: you tried to go at it alone; no buddy system, training partners, family, spouse, friends, mentors or coaches to turn to for information and emotional support when the going got tough.

4. No Accountability: you didn’t keep score for your own accountability – with a progress chart, weight record, measurements, food journal, training journal, and you didn’t set up external accountability (ie, report to someone else or show your results to someone else)

5. No patience: you were only thinking short term and had unrealistic expectations. You expected 10 pounds a week or 5 pounds a week or 3 pounds a week, so the first week you lost “only” 1 or 2 pounds or hit a plateau, you gave up.

6. No planning: you winged it. You walked into the gym without having a workout in hand, on paper, you didn’t plan your workouts into your weekly schedule; you didn’t have a menu on paper, you didn’t make time (so instead you made excuses, like “I’m too busy”)

7. No balance: your diet or training program was too extreme. You went the all or nothing, “I want it now” route instead of the moderate, slow-and-steady wins the race route.

8. No personalization: your nutrition or training program was the wrong one for you. It might have worked for someone else, but it didn’t suit your schedule, personality, lifestyle, disposition or body type.

So there you have it – 8 reasons why most people fall off the wagon! Have you been making these mistakes? If so, the solutions are clear and simple: focus, prioritize, get support, be accountable, be patient, plan, balance and personalize.

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.BurnTheFat.com

The Biggest Winner…

Sean Barker — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:38:06 +0000

I am finally back to my regular workouts after battling the flu.

Still easing back into training after a week off.

Today’s workout went pretty well, here’s what I did.

Dynamic Warmup

Flat BB Bench Press

Flat DB Bench Press

Weighted Dips

Lying Tricep Extensions

DB External Rotations

Stretching Cooldown

3 sets each, 5-10 reps

My stinky old gym was very warm and humid today so I am glad I was done in 40 mins flat.

Came home and had a great lunch of homemade chili that was leftover from dinner last night.

Here’s how I make my chili.

With Father’s Day just around the corner I have a HUGE Dad Fitness Celebration going on starting on Friday at noon with 10 FREE bonuses available to busy dads who get their copy of the NEW Dad Fitness System during this time.

I also held a little contest asking my newsletter subscribers to tell me “why it is important to be in shape as a busy dad”

Well, I received lots of responses via email but I was hoping for more comments on the blog. Guys don’t be shy!

The winner will receive the entire NEW Dad Fitness System for free!

…and the winner is…Scott Vaughn

Here was Scott’s response:

It is important that I get in shape as a dad because my son’s definition of “what a man is” will come from his observation of me. If I am weak, easily winded and soft, he’ll have nothing to aspire to as a man. A boy who doesn’t value his masculinity is a confused & directionless soul. I want my son to know that being a man is a great & awesome thing.

Congrats Scott for stepping up to the plate and sharing your thoughts!

Shoot me an email at info@dadfitness.com and I will hook you up with the entire new Dad Fitness System on me;-)

Check Out My NEW Dad Fitness Blog!

Sean Barker — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:30:41 +0000

Testing, Testing 123.

This is a test…

Welcome to my NEW Dad Fitness blog!

You should have no problem remembering the address of this new blog at www.DadFitnessBlog.com

Plus, you can access all of my previous posts from my old blog here as well.

This will be the new go-to resource for you busy dads who want to balance fitness, fatherhood and family.

I will be giving you a glimpse into my daily life as a busy dad who works a full-time job as a heavy equipment operator, runs a business at www.DadFitness.com and still finds the time to stay fit and enjoy all that life has to offer.

I want to make this as interactive as possible so I can hear from all you dads and the challenges you face with family and fitness.

So be sure to leave a comment after every post to let me know what you think or how I can help.

Also if you want to stay updated with Dad Fitness don’t forget to click the orange button to the right that says “My Feed” to subscribe to my RRS feed.

As for my workout for today, here is what I did at the gym.

Dynamic Warmup

Box Squats

Single Leg Press

Single Leg Curl

Hanging Leg Raise

3 sets each, 5-10 reps.

Static Stretching

On the Dad Fitness menu for today, I will be serving up Stuffed Steak.

Don’t forget to have a look around, get your FREE Fat Loss Report, “The Truth About Fat Loss”, check out my workout and cooking videos on my YouTube channel on the right as well as friend me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

Stay tuned for more great stuff to stay fit for life with Dad Fitness.

Celebrating Matea's 1st Birthday Last Week

Wishing you Health and Happiness!

Sean Barker,C.P.T.
Author, Dad Fitness
Contributor, Inside Fitness Magazine
Contributor, Fit Parent Magazine

www.DadFitness.com

18 Reasons Why You MUST Weight Train

smbarker — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:37:00 +0000

I have got to get something off my chest and I hope it doesn’t offend you…

Forrest Gump movies It seems almost on a daily basis I continue to hear from busy dads who are trying to slim down and get in shape but are only doing long boring cardio like walking on a treadmill or even knee numbing long distance running to burn fat.

First, if this sounds familiar…I applaud you for doing SOMETHING, but if you are putting in some effort I want YOU to get results.

Walking and running are still good ways to stay active but they must not be your only source of exercise if you want to change the shape of your body.

So if you are trying to lose a few pounds and you are NOT doing some type of resistance training like weight training or bodyweight workouts you will NOT be happy with your results!

Weight Training increases your body’s metabolism 24 hours a day, not just for a hour, like when you do long duration cardio like running.

More specifically it is referred to as E.P.O.C. otherwise known as “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.”

Without getting to technical, EPOC represents the process your body goes through in which energy is used to recover from exercise.

When you finish exercising, it takes time and energy for your muscle cells to return to resting levels.

Energy is also needed to replenish depleted glucose, protein and fat stores, and to remove accumulated cell waste.

The more rebuilding that needs to be done, the greater the rate of EPOC, which in turn, means more calories from your body’s fat stores are being burned after your workout.

While the primary factor in determining EPOC is exercise intensity, there is also duration to consider — just not to the same extent.

Just visualize spinning one of those Tops you used to have as a kid, as your metabolism. You want to spin it really hard so it will continue to spin on its own when you let go of it.

Studies show your metabolism remains elevated to such a level up to 48 hours after high intensity exercise like weight training.

When intense weight training exercises using your entire body are combined with intervals in the same workout, like are found in the Dad Fitness Workouts, the positive effects it will have on reshaping your body is astonishing!

Still don’t believe me? Here are 18 more reasons to weight train…

1. Weight training tones your muscles, which looks great and raises your basal metabolism, which causes you to burn more calories 24 hours a day. You’ll even burn more calories while you’re sleeping!

2. Weight training can *reverse* the natural decline in your metabolism which begins around age 30.

3. Weight training energizes you.

4. Weight training has a positive affect on almost all of your 650+ muscles.

5. Weight training strengthens your bones reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.

6. Weight training improves your muscular endurance.

7. Weight training will NOT develop big bulky muscles; just hard toned muscles!

8. Weight training makes you strong. Strength gives you confidence and makes daily activities easier.

9. Weight training makes you less prone to low-back injuries.

10. Weight training decreases your resting blood pressure.

11. Weight training decreases your risk of developing adult onset diabetes.

12. Weight training decreases your gastrointestinal transit time, reducing your risk for developing colon cancer.

13. Weight training increases your blood level of HDL cholesterol (the good type).

14. Weight training improves your posture.

15. Weight training improves the functioning of your immune system.

16. Weight training lowers your resting heart rate, a sign of a more efficient heart.

17. Weight training improves your balance and coordination.

18. Weight training elevates your mood.

If you have some other good reasons of your own why YOU should weight train please share it and post a comment below!

…and if you want a quick and easy recipe for my Mmmmmm Meatloaf, watch my latest cooking video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com