Prices for a 3 day a week camp are ONLY $125. That’s 12 sessions for only $10 each! The cost for a 5 day a week camp is ONLY $175, that’s 50% OFF!! 20 sessions for only $8.75 per class. Purchase one for you and a friend.

Currently there is a 3 day a week camp at the Eagleville Park Location at Level Rd in Collegeville. 5 day a week classes will start up again in March/April at Black Rock & Eagleville Parks. New sessions at Eagleville Park start January 3, 2012!! Register today!

Gift certificates can be ordered as late as December 23, 2011 by 4pm. Limit 1 per person, may buy 1 additional as gifts. Limit 1 per bootcamper.

Email us at phillybootcamp@gmail.com with your order. Payment can be made by Paypal by going to our registration page or by check. Payment can be mailed to:

Epic Boot Camp
233 Baxter Dr.
Phoenixville, PA. 19460

Better Fitness, Better Health, Better Life

Strategy #2: Focus on Negatives
Each time that you do a weight lifting repetition you are using three types of strength.
Positive strength: lifting the weight.
Static strength: holding weight in a contracted position.
Negative strength: lowering the weight.
Most people completely miss the benefit of the negative in each repetition by allowing the weight to drop quickly with little control. It is understood that the negative portion of each repetition is just as important as the positive portion, possibly more important.
Focus on the negative portion of each repetition by lowering the weight very slowly. Concentrate on the negative contraction, and make each repetition count.
If you are advanced, then use a training partner to assist you in moving heavier-than-normal weight into a contracted position, then lower it very slowly.
Another way to utilize negative repetitions on a machine is to lift the weight using two limbs but then lower it with just one. For example, use both legs to lift the weight on a leg extension machine, but then lower it back down slowly using only one leg.
Strategy #3: Use Active Rest
Every minute of your workout is an opportunity to increase intensity and to burn more fat. Don’t waste precious minutes with long rest periods.
While it is important to catch your breath if you feel winded, most of the time you would benefit more from an active rest. Do one of the following activities for 30 seconds between exercises and turn your regular workout into High Intensity Interval Training.
High Knees with Alternating Punches: Alternately bring each knee high to your chest in a quick jumping movement while alternating forward punches at shoulder level.
Burpees: Start in a sanding position and bend at the waist. Once your hands hit the floor, push your entire body back, extending your legs until they’re straight and you’re in the push-up position. Go down for a push-up, and when you push yourself up, jump slightly to bring your feet back near your hands. Finally, jump in the air with your arms fully extended over your head.
Side-to-Side Jumps on Bench: Stand on one side of an exercise bench. Place the foot closest up onto the bench, jump up and switch feet, then land on the opposite side of the bench.
Mountain Climbers: Place your hands wider than shoulder-width apart on the ground in a push-up position. Bring one knee to your chest and then back to the starting position, alternate each leg quickly.
Side-to-Side Ab Twists: With feet close together, jump and twist your legs left to right – holding your abs tight. Keep a bend in your knees and swing your upper arms with each twist.
Jump Lunges with Pop Squat: Start in a lunge position, lunge down then quickly jump up, switching your leg position in midair, land in an opposite leg lunge. Once you’ve done both legs, jump straight into a squat.
Medicine Ball Squat Jumps: With feet wider than shoulder-width apart hold a medicine ball at chest level. Squat down until your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Explosively jump up, raising the medicine ball straight over your head.
Strategy #4: Modify the Exercise There are certain exercises that are considered ’staples’ in the gym.
The squat. The lunge. The chest press. The shoulder press. The bicep curl. You get the idea…
While you shouldn’t throw these exercises out the window, find creative ways to modify the familiar motion in order to challenge your muscles. Try these exercise modifications:
Squat on a Bosu ball or balance board.
Place a weighted bar across your shoulders and do walking lunges.
Use an exercise ball for chest presses instead of the bench.
Do a full squat between each repetition of shoulder presses.
Do a shoulder press between each repetition of bicep curls.
Transform From “Before” to “After”
Have you ever seen a really impressive “before” and “after” photo on a weight loss product?
Well, there’s something that the diet industry doesn’t want you to know. There is more involved than just the diet product, and it’s the same across the board.
Look into the eyes of any person in their “before” picture and you’ll see that they are deeply disturbed. The body they have is no longer in sync with the body they are able to accept.
They changed the body that they accept, and became disturbed.
Now look into their eyes in the “after” picture – see the sweet satisfaction? They now live in the body that they decided they could accept. What an amazing feeling that is.
Why are you still living life in your “before” body?
Sure, you have obstacles that get in your way – your schedule, your job, your kids, the weather, your knee injury from college.but ultimately you have the body that you accept.
I’m going to repeat that so it will really sink in.
You have the body that you accept.
Transform from “Before” to “After”
You may not realize it, but you already posses everything you need to transform your body, and it all starts with taking responsibility for the body that you have today.
You are in your current shape because, until this moment, you’ve been OK with it.
Oh I know you aren’t thrilled with it, and you even talk about losing weight and getting fit – but you haven’t changed what you’ll accept.

Here’s how to transform your body in 3 steps:

Step One: Feel Disturbed
It has been said that emotion creates motion. This is essential when it comes to personal transformation. Just like those folks in the “before” pictures, to transform your body you must first decide that you can’t live another day in the body you currently have.
Get your emotions stirred up. Make a list of all the reasons that you’re ready to lose weight and get fit. Get disturbed.
Step Two: Decide What You Want
Without clarity you’ll never get where you want to go. Now that you’re disturbed with the body you have, decide what the body you can accept looks like.
Think in concrete and specific terms. Just like the captions under ‘before” and “after” pictures – “Shannon lost 50 lbs,” “Matt lost 8 inches from his waist,” “Catherine went from a size 20 to a size 4.”
Get a clear picture in your mind of what you’ll look like in your “after” picture and decide what the caption will read.
Step Three: Take Action
The time spent between your inspiration (now) and taking action determines whether you will succeed or fail. Don’t allow yourself to get stuck between inspiration and action – there is always something that you can do immediately.
Take action by emailing or calling me now to set up a fitness consultation.
I am here to take you from your “before” picture to your “after” picture. What will your “after” caption read?
Get Disturbed
You have to get disturbed with your current shape before you’ll take the action needed to transform your body. How do you get disturbed? Try these:
Go shopping for a swim suit
Try on all of your “skinny” clothes
Look at old pictures from when you were in better shape
Go to the doctor for a physical
Healthy Recipe
Salmon and Broccoli Scramble
Salmon, broccoli and egg whites combine for the perfect protein-packed breakfast. Add a side of avocado for healthy fats and a serving of fruit for a delicious start to your day.
Servings: 2
Here’s what you need…
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup fresh broccoli, cut into small pieces
5 egg whites
8oz grilled or smoked salmon, separated into small pieces
dash of salt and pepper
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 225 calories, 7g fat, 557mg sodium, 6.5g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, and 33g protein.

Motivate your friends, family and co-workers!  Forward this newsletter.

Find Your Motivation
Motivation comes from having a goal. What is your goal? Why do you want to get into great shape?
Take a minute to really uncover the reason that you want to lose the weight. Don’t say something vague like you want to ‘Be thinner’ or ‘Look more attractive.’ Dig deeper – there is a very specific motivator in your life, you simply need to uncover it.
Here are some possible motivators…
I want to have more energy to keep up with the kids.
I want to improve my health through weight loss to extend and improve my life.
I want to lose 15 pounds before my vacation.
I want to restore my confidence to wear sleeveless shirts.
I want to regain my figure to impress and attract my significant other.
Reduce Your Sodium Intake
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day – or 1,500 mg if you’re age 51 or older, or if you are black, or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
According to Dr. Gary Null, [e]xcess sodium in the diet causes the body’s tissues to retain water, which can lead to edema.  This excess of fluid can lead to inflammation of the connective tissues in the joints, which inhibits motion and causes pain similar to that of arthritis.  Once the inflammatory process begins, you gradually lose full mobility in the ankles, wrists, knees, elbows, and other joints.  By lowering the salt content of your diet, you can avoid the strain that too much salt puts on the body.  Beware of soy sauce and miso, by the way, because they’re loaded with sodium.
You can learn how to regulate your sodium intake by being able to recognize foods high in sodium.  The following list consists of some of foods high in sodium:
Lunch meats
Sausage
Dehydrated foods
Crackers
Canned vegetables
Canned Juices
Most cereals
Luncheon and cured meats
Cheese
Salted snack foods

Improve Your Fitness Mindset
Do you have a winner’s mindset when it comes to your diet and exercise?  Probably not.
What does a winner’s mindset look like?
The answer? – Change your thinking from unrealistic TV Diets which are forcefully sold to make creators rich, to a mindset of eating the right foods continually. Eating Healthy is a lifestyle choice, not a fad which comes and goes. Let me say that one more time so it sticks. Eating healthy is a lifestyle.
What comes with a mindset of eating right?
*Always, and I mean always read the nutritional value on foods you purchase. This truth alone will help you lose weight drastically.
*Don’t ever think that eating less will make you lose weight, you are starving your body from essential nutrients, and you will end up catching up next meal. Eat quality foods.
*Watch the oils you use in your foods, canola and olive oils are great.
*Never skip breakfast, your body is like a car. The food you fuel it in the morning helps you get started and running for the rest of the day.
*Stick to the essentials – Breads, Cereals, Vegetables, Fruit, Nuts etc.

Move It or Lose It
Do you have trouble climbing stairs?
Do you become winded when you are playing with your children?
Do you spend time searching for the closes parking space?

Did you know that by performing simply acts during the day such as parking at the farthest point in the parking lot, taking the stairs, and walking throughout the day can greatly improve your health?
Lack of exercise is one of the factors that is causing our obesity rate to soar.  Most people believe that obesity is caused by overeating but this is only a small part of the problem.  Inactivity causes the body to burn few calories and the metabolism slows down dramatically.  As the body’s metabolism slows down, fat starts to accumulate around the muscle fibers.  Then muscle is incapable of burning fat at the same rate.
The solution to the problem is to start exercising when you exercise you keep fat deposits from forming.  You should also incorporate weight training into your exercise program because it helps to build lean muscle.  The more lean muscle you build the more fat you will burn.  In addition, making adjustments to your diet will help you to maximize your effort.
Just think how great you will feel after losing excess weight and improving your health!

Couch Potato Workout!
If you are a devout couch potato, and you love vegging-out in front of the television, then commercial break exercise bursts are right for you. While you are watching, do some curls with five or ten pound weights. When a commercial comes on, get up for a burst of intense exercise. Do some sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, or crunches. Get your heart rate up. When the show comes back on, you can go back to the light exercise. Continue the cycle throughout your shows”| every little bit counts! You will hardly realize that you are getting a workout.

The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity released a report called “Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation.” In the report they list endocrine-disrupting chemicals as a possible reason for increased obesity in the country and describe how scientists have coined a new term for these chemicals — “obesogens” — because they “may promote weight gain and obesity.”

What does this mean for you? It means that weight gain is not just about calories-in versus calories-out.

No, America’s obesity crisis can’t entirely be blamed on too much fast food and too little exercise. We have to consider a third factor: the obesogens. They’re natural and synthetic compounds, and many of these chemicals work by mimicking estrogen — the very hormone that doctors DON’T want women taking anymore (as a large clinical trial linked hormone therapy to increased risk of heart disease, breast cancer, stroke, blood clots and abnormal mammograms).

Why traditional diets don’t work anymore

Because high school biology was likely a while back, here’s a quick refresher: The endocrine system is made up of all the glands and cells that produce the hormones that regulate our bodies. Growth and development, sexual function, reproductive processes, mood, sleep, hunger, stress, metabolism and the way our bodies use food — it’s all controlled by hormones. So whether you’re tall or short, lean or heavy — that’s all determined in a big way by your endocrine system.

But your endocrine system is a finely tuned instrument that can easily be thrown off-kilter. “Obesogens are thought to act by hijacking the regulatory systems that control body weight,” says Frederick vom Saal, Ph.D., curators’ professor of biological sciences at the University of Missouri. That’s why endocrine disruptors are so good at making us fat — and that’s why diet advice doesn’t always work — because even strictly following the smartest traditional advice won’t lower your obesogen exposure. See, an apple a day may have kept the doctor away 250 years ago when Benjamin Franklin included the phrase in his almanac. But if that apple comes loaded with obesity-promoting chemicals — nine of the ten most commonly used pesticides are obesogens, and apples are one of the most pesticide-laden foods out there — then Ben’s advice is way out of date.

The obesogen effect is the reason why traditional diet advice — choose chicken over beef, eat more fish, load up on fruits and vegetables — may not work anymore. This is why we’re calling for a New American Diet.

See, while digging up all of this research on obesogens we’ve discovered some good news: There’s no reason why all of our favorite foods — from steak to burgers, from pasta to ice cream — can’t be part of a reasonable weight-loss program. We just need to get rid of old thinking. We can reverse the obesogen effect if we simply adopt these four simple laws of leanness:

Leanness Law No. 1: Know When to Go Organic

The average American is exposed to 10 to 13 different pesticides through food, beverages and drinking water every day and nine of the ten most common pesticides are EDCs. But according to a recent study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, eating an organic diet for just five days can reduce circulating pesticide EDCs to non-detectable or near non-detectable levels.

Of course, organic foods can be expensive. But not all organics are created equal—many foods have such low levels of pesticides that buying organic just isn’t worth it. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) calculated that you can reduce your pesticide exposure nearly 80 percent simply by choosing organic for the 12 fruits and vegetables shown in their tests to contain the highest levels of pesticides. They call them “The Dirty Dozen,” and (starting with the worst) they are celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries (domestic), nectarines, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale/collard greens, cherries, potatoes and grapes (imported). And you can feel good about buying the following 15 conventionally grown fruits and vegetables that the EWG dubbed “The Clean Fifteen,” because they were shown to have little pesticide residue: onions, avocado, sweet corn (frozen), pineapples, mango, sweet peas (frozen), asparagus, kiwi fruit, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe (domestic), watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potatoes and honeydew melon.

Leanness Law No. 2: Don’t Eat Plastic

This ought to be a no-brainer. Indeed, you’re probably already thinking, Well, I don’t generally eat plastic. Ah, but you do. Chances are that you’re among the 93 percent of Americans with detectable levels of bisphenol-A (BPA) in their bodies, and that you’re also among the 75 percent of Americans with detectable levels of phthalates. Both are synthetic chemicals found in plastics that mimic estrogen — essentially, artificial female hormones. And like pesticides, these plastic-based chemicals trick our bodies into storing fat and not building or retaining muscle. Decreasing your exposure to plastic-based obesogens will maximize your chances both of losing unwanted flab and of building lean muscle mass. Here’s how: 1) Never heat food in plastic containers or put plastic items in the dishwasher, which can damage them and increase leaching. BPA leaches from polycarbonate sports bottles 55 times faster when exposed to boiling liquids as opposed to cold ones, according to a study in the journal Toxicology Letters. 2) Avoid buying fatty foods like meats that are packaged in plastic wrap because EDCs are stored in fatty tissue. The plastic wrap used at the supermarket is mostly PVC, whereas the plastic wrap you buy to wrap things at home is increasingly made from polyethylene. 3) Cut down on canned goods by choosing tuna in a pouch over canned tuna. And get any canned and jarred foods from Eden Organic, one of the only companies that doesn’t have BPA in its cans.

Leanness Law No. 3: Go Lean

Always choose pasture-raised meats, which, studies show, have less fat than their confined, grain-fed counterparts and none of the weight-promoting hormones. Plus, grass-fed beef contains 60 percent more omega-3s, 200 percent more vitamin E and two to three times more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA, a near-magic nutrient that helps ward off heart disease, cancer and diabetes, and can help you lose weight, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) than conventional beef. If you must choose a conventional cut of beef, choose lean cuts top sirloin, 95 percent lean ground beef, bottom round roast, eye round roast, top round roast or sirloin tip steak. Bison burgers and veggie burgers are also great substitutes when grass-fed beef isn’t available. And select sustainable lean fish with low toxic loads (meaning low levels of toxins like mercury and PCBs). A study in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that even though the pesticide DDT was banned in 1973, the chemical and its breakdown product DDE can still be found today in fatty fish. Bigger fish eat smaller fish, and so carry a much higher toxic load.

Avoid ahi or bigeye tuna, tilefish, swordfish, shark, king mackerel, marlin and orange roughy — and focus on smaller fish like anchovies, Atlantic herring and mackerel, and wild-caught Alaskan salmon. Choose farmed rainbow trout, farmed mussels, anchovies, scallops (bay, farmed), Pacific cod, Pacific Halibut, Tuna (canned light) and mahimahi. Also, when you cook the fish, broil, poach, grill, boil or bake instead of pan-frying — this will allow contaminants from the fatty portions of fish to drain out.

Leanness Law No. 4: Filter Your Water

The best way to eliminate EDCs from your tap water is an activated carbon water filter. Available for faucets and pitchers, and as under-the-sink units, these filters remove most pesticides and industrial pollutants. Check the label to make sure the filter meets the NSF/American National Standards Institute’s standard 53, indicating that it treats water for both health and aesthetic concerns. Try The Brita Aqualux ($28, brita.com), Pur Horizontal faucet filter ($49, purwaterfilter.com) and Kenmore’s under-sink system ($60, kenmore.com). However, if you have perchlorate (a component of rocket fuel!) in your water (you can find out by asking your municipal water supplier for a copy of its most recent water-quality report) you’ll need a reverse osmosis filter. But for every five gallons of treated water they create per day, they discharge 40 to 90 gallons of wastewater, so make sure it’s necessary before purchasing one.

Thank you Yahoo for this article and Jolly for bringing it to our attention.

The amazing thing about this show is that it demonstrates what a difference your physical fitness makes in your overall life. When you feel and look good you have more energy to enjoy life with those you love. By taking a step toward better health you take a step toward a better life.

Unfortunately, Jillian Michaels is only visiting 8 families this season and yours is probably not one of them. On the bright side, for just $199 you can hire your very own Jillian Michaels! At Epic Boot Camp we can provide the same kind of motivation (minus the in your face screaming) and 4 week boot camp exercise program that will help you achieve results like those seen with Jillian Michaels.

At our Philadelphia and Pittsburgh boot camps you have the option of attending 3 or 5 days a week for a 4 week program that is designed to help you lose fat, inches, and improve your overall health. Register today to get on the road to your best life, we will be there with you every step of the way!

When most people hear the word diet they think of small amounts of unsatisfying food and the feeling of hunger. It’s time to change that perception to one of eating fresh, delicious food that gives you more energy, helps you feel and look fantastic, and reduces your risk for illness. Here are some easy guidelines to follow:

• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables as much as possible. Prepared, packaged, and processed foods contain chemicals, sodium, and other unwanted preservatives that can detrimentally affect you over the long term. The more fresh fruits and vegetables you can incorporate into your diet, the better.

• Reduce portion sizes. In recent years portion sizes have risen dramatically, especially in restaurants. When eating out resist the urge to eat everything on your plate just because it is there. When cooking at home, ensure that your portion sizes are as follows:

• Protein should be about the size of a deck of cards

• Serving sizes of sides should be about a cup each

• One serving of salad dressing is a tablespoon

• No Food is Forbidden. If you are craving a certain type of food, don’t forbid yourself to eat it, just make sure that you partake in any unhealthy foods in moderation.

• Eat regularly. By eating breakfast and small snacks between lunch and dinner you can actually increase your metabolism and it will keep you feeling energized.

Changing your eating habits may seem difficult at first, but remember it only takes 2 weeks to change any habit and then you will be on the road to a healthy lifestyle change. By coupling our exercise boot camps with nutritional tips such as these and the unlimited motivation provided by our certified personal trainers who will oversee your transformation, you can change the way you look and feel.

Sign up for the next Epic Boot Camp today!

You won’t find a better bikini body workout, we guarantee it! Our certified and insured personal trainers will keep you motivated to help you reach your goals. While some boot camp fitness programs place a heavy focus on running, our workouts vary day to day to keep you from getting bored while you are getting in shape. For just $299 you will get 20 hours of personal training; that works out to just $15/hour, an unbelievably low price!

If you haven’t tried our boot camp fitness classes, there is no better time to start. New campers can now get 3 classes free before they sign up. We are so sure that you will love our fitness boot camp and start seeing results that we are willing to let you try before you buy.

Sign up today, you have nothing to lose other than a few extra pounds!

There is something about friendships that make people successful. So warm up, stretch and meet up at Epic Boot Camp’s Memorial Day Bring a Friend Day.