Dad Fitness » Matea

How to get tight abs AND eat chocolate

Sean Barker — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 15:53:39 +0000

Everyone wants TIGHT lean abs…and

Everyone wants to eat CHOCOLATE…especially today

(except our little daughter Matea who wanted her heart shaped candy lolipop for breakfast!)

But you can have your chocolate and abs too…here’s how…

Stick to a piece of antioxidant rich DARK chocolate that contains 80-90% cocoa.

I usually have a piece of 90% dark chocolate for a healthy dessert 3-4 days a week after supper with a glass of blueberry wine or a cup of peppermint tea.

As for the abs, you are luck, cause it’s Ballantyne’s Day!

Everyone’s favorite holiday, right? Exactly.
That means a big Ballantyne’s Day SALE is necessary, and fitness expert Craig Ballantyne is giving you huge savings on one of his best products…

…so for the next 3 days you’ll get access to the complete 12-Week TT for Abs DVD follow-along workout program, PLUS all of the bonus DVDs & manuals for only $97. That’s $200 off the regular price.

And not only that, but you get free shipping ANYWHERE in the world!

Here’s what you’ll receive shipped right to your doorstep:

1) Full body metabolic resistance training workouts for fat loss
2) The scientifically proven best abdominal exercises
3) The Simple Nutrition Fat Loss manual & DVD (filmed in my kitchen!)

Here’s the link to save over $200 off the TT for Abs DVDs:

=>http://www.TTWorkoutDvds.com

But the sale ends on Wednesday of this week.

And here’s what you won’t get: Useless exercises like crunches or dangerous situps or rotational exercises.

As Men’s Health magazine recently reported, your abs are designed to resist motion, not create it. Therefore, you MUST avoid bending or twisting your spine. That means eliminating crunches, situps, and russian twists for good. That’s why those exercises are not in the TT For Abs DVDs.

Here’s the link to save over $200 off the TT for Abs DVDs:

=> http://www.TTWorkoutDvds.com

And of course, you have Craig Ballantyne’s Canadian-Strength, Gold-Medal guarantee that you’ll love these workouts.

If you don’t, just send Craig an email and he’ll refund your $97 investment immediately.

Looking forward to hearing about your improved ab workouts.

Get ready to workout with Craig in the comfort of your own home,

=> http://www.TTWorkoutDvds.com

PS. Hope you have a great VALENTINES Day with whoever you wish to spend it with. I am taking my wife out to dinner, then we are going to see The Goo Goo Dolls perform live here in town!

Enjoy your abs AND chocolate!

=> http://www.TTWorkoutDvds.com

Short At Home Fat Burning Workouts

Sean Barker — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 14:00:40 +0000

Well, it looks like the craziness of the big move the last few months has caught up to me…

Yesterday afternoon it hit me like a ton of bricks! Chills, body aches, sore throat and the energy of a turtle.

…and I am not the only one, our 2 year old daughter Matea has it and is up half the night coughing and “asking Daddy, why am I coughing?”

Plus, my sister in law has it and the neighbor’s kids has it. We’re surrounded!

Anyway after lying in bed for 12 hours, I got up to gargle salt water for my throat (which really gave Matea a good laugh!) and then mixed up my Superfood Smoothie to flood my body with flu fighting nutrients to get me back on track.

Superfood Sick Smoothie

2 cups of ice cold water

1 scoop of Greens powder

2 Tbsp of ground flaxseed

2 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder

1 banana

handful of frozen mixed berries

2 nuggets of frozen spinach

3-4 chunks of fresh pineapple

2 Tbsp of plain Greek yogurt

Blend and enjoy!

I never had a workout scheduled for today and might have to pass on tomorrow’s workout if I am still feeling sick.

But that’s the great benefit of following a 3 day per week workout program, you have the flexibility to move a workout around when things come up, because in life, things always do… You just have to workout around them;-)

So here’s one program you absolutely NEED to have in your possession because it will help you LOSE fat over the holidays (while in the comfort of your own home – so you save money on gas and parking, too!).

=> Fat Burning Home Workouts << get this today because the price doubles tonight

This is THE ONE at-home fat loss system you can use anytime, anywhere during the busy holiday season to burn off all those amazing meals.

The TT at-home fat burning program costs less than a giant KFC family meal and the workouts are still a smaller investment than another box of chocolates that you don’t need!

Here’s to a fat-free and guilt-free holiday season,

But hurry, this special workout is only available until Thursday.

=> Fat Burning Home Workouts

PS. However, just like the holidays, this offer won’t be around forever…so don’t miss out on this PROVEN fat burning home workout solution:

=> Fat Burning Home Workouts<== Price doubles at midnight

And you can get started with these workouts IMMEDIATELY. Enjoy!

3 Tips for a Healthy Holiday This Summer

Sean Barker — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 03:11:49 +0000

Hope you’re having a super summer!

For you folks on this side of the border, Happy Canada Day! …and to my wife, Happy Birthday!

I told her she is that important that our whole country celebrates her birthday;-)

We are in Quispamsis, New Brunswick right now on vacation. It might have a funny name but it’s a beautiful place just outside the main center of St.John. It’ so nice we are actually looking at some of the real estate here;-)

We are staying at my wife’s sisters and Matea is having a ball and was quite the travelling trooper during the drive here.

A lot of people seem to worry about what to do with their healthy living routine when they go on vacation.

So I took the time out of my vacation to share with you 3 tips that I have used over the years to have a guilt-free vacation this summer while not erasing all of your hard work in the gym and in the kitchen
this winter.

1. Forget Food & Fitness

Personally this is the option I prefer, but it might not be for everybody. Once a year I allow myself to break free from healthy eating and exercise for up to 2 week for our summer vacation. I basically eat whatever I want when I am hungry and drink whatever I want whenever I am thirsty. Any other intermittent breaks during the year last only a few days or are for unexpected events. Eating REAL food and doing efficient exercise 90% of the time allows me to do this and actually get stronger and leaner year after year. Yeah, you might put on a couple pounds of water as you won’t really gain any fat in 2 weeks but that will leave you even more motivated to get back on track when you get back. So earn this time and enjoy it!

2. Daily Dining

Pick one meal or snack during the day that you will enjoy the most depending on your planned activities for the day and have it guilt-free.
Brunch breakfast with the family, ice cream at the park or wining and dining in the evening. You don’t have to make it pure junk everyday, take the opportunity to try fresh local recipes wherever you are staying. I just had the local Lobster with Thai Noodles and it was amazing! With your activity levels not as high as normal one large meal and small healthy snacks of nuts and fruit during the rest of the day will keep your hunger and calories on track and you on the move without craving the next meal.

3. Relish the Routine

If you feel the guilt from straying from your Dad Fitness workouts are worst than the food itself then stick with it. Living the Dad Fitness lifestyle is super simple to maintain anyway by eating real food most of the time and having a “treat” meal once a week along with 3 short weekly workouts. Sprints on the beach or bodyweight workouts at the park are great ways to add spice into your workouts while combining, family, fitness and fun.

Because those things are something we don’t want a vacation from…

Happy Canada Day!

Cool New Leg Exercise To Try This Summer

Sean Barker — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:39:13 +0000

I am EXCITED!

…because first I have a NEW exercise video to share with you that builds strong legs, with a cool new twist on an exercise that I bet you haven’t tried;-)

…and second I am OFFICIALLY on vacation!

My wife and I both finished up work today and we are packing up the Murano with Matea and all her “stuffed” friends and hittin’ the road on Sunday to the beautiful East Coast of New Brunswick here in Canada.

We will be gone for a couple weeks, spending some time at Kathy’s sisters as well as taking Matea to Magic Mountain waterpark and Crystal Palace amusement park.

I am also looking forward to hitting the most beautiful beaches North of Virginia as we have a cottage booked for 3 nights in Shediac during the Lobster Festival.

I hope we have better luck in New Brunswick this time around than we did when we bought the car 2 years ago there and got rear ended at a stop sign by some guy on a motorcycle…

Luckily our accident wasn't this bad!

Did you know Shediac, New Brunswick is known as the “Lobster Capital of the World”?

…and I intend to get my hands on the famous 36 ft Lobster…even if he is a cast-iron crustacean!

As for my 3 workouts a week, personally I like to take 2 weeks off from my workouts once a year during our summer vacation to rest my body and mind.

After another year of consistent Dad Fitness workouts and natural eating I will take this time to relax with my family and enjoy some fine food.

If you are heading out on vacation this summer remember,

“It’s not what you do from June to July that counts, it’s what you do from July to June that really matters;-)

I will stay in touch with you guys on the road the best I can but before I get busy getting the car packed with Dora and Barbie, I have a cool new exercise video to share with you that will help you build lean, strong legs so you can keep up with the kids this summer.

Have a FIT and FUN Summer living the Dad Fitness Lifestyle!

Now…what did I do with that Lobster bib?…

Click here to view the embedded video.

The New Way To Workout In The New Year

Sean Barker — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:34:09 +0000

I hope you have been having an awesome holiday season with your family!

Christmas morning was so fun as our 19 month old daughter Matea is finally old enough this year to open her gifts and dig into all the goodies from Santa.

That’s the real joy of being a dad during Christmas is seeing your child’s face light up when they tip toe out to see what Santa left under the tree Christmas morning.

…and of course she had just as much fun with some of the boxes than the gifts themselves!

I know you are probably feeling bad about all the eating and drinking you have been doing over the holidays.

But guess what…It’s OK.

Trust me I know how you feel. I ate and drank too much as well. But I am not worried and I don’t want you to worry either.

What I want you to do is turn these feelings into ACTION. Today is the last day of the year! Let’s put 2009 behind us…

I know you still have New Years Eve to contend with but you don’t have to wait until the clock strikes 12 to make a commitment.

Start TODAY and ask yourself.

“What are my goals? What are my behaviors?

Do my behaviors match my goals?”

What you did in 2009 doesn’t matter – the year is GONE. Just be aware of how effective your behaviors were in reaching your goals.

The real question you should ask yourself is what will the next year hold for you?

So lets get to work on making this your best year ever!

Want to know what workout routine has been working better for me as a busy dad than anything I have been doing all year?

With a new year upon us we all try to start off with a sense of renewal regarding our health and happiness.

Regarding the Dad Fitness System, I have been experimenting with a new approach to being a strong and fit dad.

With feedback from you living the Dad Fitness lifestyle and my personal experience I have been tweaking the program to give you even faster results.

Let’s just call it Dad Fitness 2.0…

The biggest mistake you can make with your workout routine is to keep doing what you’re doing.

You are right in thinking that consistency is the key to long term results, but preventing that dreaded plateau where your body shaping results come to a screeching halt is the real key to life long fitness.

Workouts are all about pushing your body a little harder than it’s is comfortable with so it can adapt by burning fat and building stronger muscles.

But none of this means anything if you can’t adapt your workouts to your lifestyle.

Do you want to know how to stay consistent with your workouts while getting results week after week, month after month?

Be like water!

I will let the great Bruce Lee explain…

“Don’t get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water.

Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Water can flow or it can crash.

Be water, my friend.”

This is what the NEW Dad Fitness workouts is all about in 2010, being like water and adapting the workouts to our evolving role as busy dads.

So stay tuned in the new year as I help you lose your gut and build lean muscle and share with you the New Way To Workout from Dad Fitness,
The Ultimate Fitness Plan For Busy Dads.

Happy New Year!

Share your GOALS and BEHAVIORS to become a fitter dad in 2010 by posting a comment below!

Dad Fitness Recipe of the Week: Multigrain Fusilli with Sausage

Sean Barker — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:24:59 +0000

We spent all weekend going back and forth to the hospital as our 17 month old daughter Matea who has had a bad cough the last little while has come down with a lung infection and an infection in both ears!

I even have a touch of it myself but I am a big boy so I can handle it…

Thankfully she is now on a stronger antibiotic that is doing the trick as she is feeling better already.

So when family and life gets in the way, eating well don’t have to take a back seat if you have some tasty tricks up your sleeve.

Here is another nutrient dense meal that is great for dinner or refueling after your Dad Fitness workouts.

It’s also easy to prepare and tastes even better the next day when it soaks up all the flavors.

Trust me, you will be looking forward to the leftovers!

Multigrain Fusilli with Sausage

1 box of multigrain fusilli pasta

6tsp of olive oil

1 onion chopped

2 cloved of garlic

1 bell pepper chopped

6 sundried tomatoes chopped

4 Italian sausages diced

a sprinkle of salt, pepper, oregano, parsley and chili flakes

grated romano cheese

Boil pasta for 10 mins and drain

Heat oil in skillet and saute garlic and onions for 5 minutes

Add peppers, tomatoes and sausage and cook through

Add cooked pasta to mixture and stir

Top with Romano cheese

ENJOY!

Got any easy recipes to share? Leave a comment below…

5 Tips For Faster Fat Loss

Sean Barker — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:51:04 +0000

I hope you and your family are staying well during this swine flu craziness.

We have been having some late nights with our little daughter Matea as she has come down with a runny nose and a tough cough which is keeping her up at night.

There is nothing worse than seeing your child sick and there is not much you can do but keep them comfortable…

If you are getting too comfortable with your workout routine, remember that there are ONLY 8 weeks left in this year!

With the Dad Fitness System, 8 weeks is plenty of time to get in shape for the holidays.

The key is to try to get better EVERY day with your workouts and your healthy eating.

Here are 5 Tips For Faster Fat Loss.

1. Break Records

Push for progress and not perfection and challenge yourself by pushing for one extra rep or a couple more pounds every week in your workouts. Use the smallest plates you have available, (usually 2.5lbs) to keep stimulating fat burning muscle.

2. Fun Food

Experiment with a different fruit or vegetable each week by eating the colors of the rainbow. Get your family together and try different recipes, some you will love, and maybe some you won’t. Keep food fun by trying new recipes with foods you haven’t tried before because no one gets fat by eating more fruit and veggies.

3. Faster Not Further

Increase the INTENSITY in your fat burning cardio intervals… not the duration. Don’t just record you weight workouts. Record your cardio intensity and try to beat it each week. If you sprinted at level 7 this week shoot for 7.1 next week.

4. Fail Proof Your Fridge

Make healthy eating “Fail Proof” by picking up only the groceries you need each week. If you have no junk in your house, chances are you won’t be eating junk. Then before you put your food away, chop up your veggies and place them into containers or ziplock bags to make meal preparation super quick and easy.

5. Step Away From the Scale

Don’t get obsessed with numbers by weighing or measuring yourself everyday. I recommend to step on the scale once a week first thing in the morning because it is normal for your bodyweight to fluctuate up to 5lbs during the day due to fluid and food intake.

These 5 tips might seem like little things, but they make a BIG difference!

Stay focused and cross off each day on your calendar and ask yourself before you go to bed each night.

“Did I do everything I needed to do today to get closer to my fitness goals?”

Let’s, hope you have a lot of yes’s!

Got any fat loss tips of your own? Feel free to post a comment below!

5 Body Transformation Diet Tips

Sean Barker — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:34:39 +0000

Did you ever feel sad and excited at the same time?

That’s how I feel today…

I am sad because my wife’s parents (Matea’s nanny and poppy) finally headed out and moved away this weekend.

…Now all the babysitting pressure is on MY parents … hear that Dad? (My Dad reads the blog as well)

But I am excited because The Dad Fitness 60 Day Transformation Challenge officially starts TODAY!

If you still want to enter and lose your beer belly before Christmas you can get all the details here:

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

So with the Dad Fitness 60 Day Transformation Challenge getting under way this week, here are 5 Body Transformation Diet Tips that you can start applying to your diet TODAY.

1. High five (eat 5 times a day, 3 meals and 2 snacks)

2. Start big, end small. (Eat a big breakfast, medium lunch, small dinner)

3. Smart carbs. (Replace starchy side dishes like bread, rice and pasta with veggies.)

4. Drink up. (Drink water, tea or coffee and drop all calorie-containing beverages immediately)

5. Knuckle sandwich. (Control your portions by using the size of your hand for a guide)

And remember, you can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet. Small changes to your diet can make a BIG difference to your body.

Transform your body with the Dad Fitness 60 Transformation Challenge:

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

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.

Blackouts and Workouts

Sean Barker — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:01:06 +0000

It’s been really quiet at my house the last few days as my wife and baby daughter left to visit relatives in Newfoundland on Thursday.

I would have made the trip with them, but unfortunately I couldn’t get time off work. We are planning on taking a vacation in September anyway to attend my wife’s sister’s wedding on the rock.

I must say I certainly miss the two ladies of the house as I really look forward to little Matea running to greet me at the door when I get home from work.

Today, was especially quiet as our area was hit with an unexpected 5 hour power outage from 9am-2pm!

With a couple days off from work and some extra time to myself I was looking forward to starting the day with an early morning workout then running some errands which I normally have little time to do when I am working or home with Matea.

But when the power went out, everything was put on hold.

Any outdoor activities were also out of the picture as it’s been pouring rain all day…

With no internet to distract me I took advantage of this time by using the couple hours of power my Macbook had left to work on some writing projects for Dad Fitness.

I even surprised myself as I got on a creative roll and completed 3 new health and fitness articles which you will be seeing very soon!

Then when my laptop when dead, I did some cleaning up around the house and even got to organizing my home office bookshelf which was being weighed down by all the books I continue to read. I try to read at least 3-4 books a month on health and fitness, self improvement, business and marketing.

When the lights came back on I was charged up to hit the gym for an intense full body workout.

Today’s workout was considered a “Light Push” workout that involved a little more isolation exercises that I usually do but it was fun and refreshing and my legs were like rubber after the first two exercises. Everything was 2 sets of 12 reps except calves.

A Leg Press

B1 Bulgarian Split Squat

B2 Dumbbell Floor Presses (keep elbows tucked to emphasize triceps)

C1 DB Fly’s

C2 Triceps “Concentration” Extensions (lie on a bench with a dumbbell held overhead with one arm and lower the forearm across your chest until the dumbbell touches. Use the other arm to support and/or assist the working arm)

D1. Dumbbell Lateral Raises

D2. Overhead Barbell Shrugs

E. Seated Calf Extensions, 3 sets of 10

To refuel after today’s workout I had a chocolate milk and a banana.

Then it was “Dinner for 1″ as I made my famous Dad Fitness Quick and Easy Chili for supper with lots of leftovers for healthy meals for the week.

Finished off the meal with a little 90% cocoa dark chocolate.

Looking forward to talking with my wife this evening as I hold down the fort here at home…

The Barker’s will be at full power on Thursday when the girls return!