That’s Hot


 
A client gave me this week’s nail polish, La Paz-itively Hot.  Indeed, our clients at Punch give us a great deal, especially when they benefit from what we do.  For example, I was thrilled to see that same client flip a tire for the first time, after which she flexed her muscles in celebration.  An hour later, she sent me an email still excited about it.  Her achievement made me almost as happy as it made her.  When she had first started at Punch, she said she hated to workout.  “I never stick with anything.”  Well, this time she did.  Now she’s going to be coming four times a week. 
 
It makes me feel good that I could help her to come to love exercise and to be healthier, and this example is not unusual. We often get what I call the avid exercisers who workout frequently but unsure about kettlebells.  They may think that kettlebells are like a condiment, just a supplement to their regular workout.   For example, one such fellow started out with us saying he wanted to come in only once a week.  A few weeks later, he asked to come in everyday and forget about his old workout.  Now he is a true, all-out kettlebeller (plus our other stuff). 
 
His revelation is typical of our other clients to one degree or another.Everytime it happens, I get a sense of happiness and satisfaction.  It tells me that I’m doing the right thing.  That is when any sacrifices and setbacks seem insignificant. 
 
A young woman came in dissatisfied with what she had been doing at a traditional gym.  She was using kettlebells, but she instinctively could tell that she was being trained improperly.  She was being told to do the wrong things, and the movements just didn’t make sense to her.  For example, doing the Turkish get-up, she was merely told to just “get up.”  Upon training at Punch, she was shocked at the difference.  She immediately responded to proper  technique.  Unfortunately, she had to drop out due to scheduling, but it was still rewarding for me to see that our training methods were effective and to know that the client had developed a new outlook on fitness.
 
What happens when most gyms or trainers implement some kind of kettlebell program, usually doing it wrong, they give kettlebells a bad rep.  People can get hurt.  People can get turned off, keeping them  from something they need. Punch Gym is the antithesis of this. We try to overcome this damage and give our clients what they need.  The satisfaction for me is in doing something constructive and beneficial that clients can appreciate. 
 
It often happens that when clients first come in, they are eager but concerned, perhaps about getting bulky or hurt, about whether the program will be too advanced for them, or about what kettlebells can do for them.  It’s natural for them to be nervous because it’s something new.  What I enjoy is seeing these clients progress very quickly in strength and endurance. 
 
I love their reactions when they flex their new muscles in the mirror or when they tell me that running or bike riding has become much easier.  I noticed that when clients see their results, they develop a confidence and find their own style of moving.  They develop their own efficiency, the best way for them to do the movements.  This is learned.  When I see it, I feel satisfied that the client has gained the understanding I had hoped for him or her.  It makes me feel that I have passed along the inspiration to love and stick with exercise that is geared more for health than for appearance.  AOS is an art, not the cranking out of mindless exercises.   I want clients to grasp its beauty, form, and value.  If they do that, I feel that I’ve taught them well. 
 
At Punch Gym, I enjoy giving clients an intense workout that’s safe, useful, and fun. I get to see people do things they didn’t think they could do.  The biggest impact we have on their lives is that we help them to feel good about themselves.  I believe that Punch Gym and Art of Strength can change lives.  I’ve seen it.  And this is the pleasure I get from clients – now that’s La Paz-itively Hot! 
 
 
ARTICLE
 
I’m writing this article on July 6th, just a few days after celebrating our Country’s independence. Amidst the celebrations, fireworks, cook outs…it hit me just how much has been sacrificed and continues to be sacrificed in order for us to be FREE. I thought about all the brave men and women putting their lives on the line at this very moment so that we can be “FREE”. I thought about our forefathers and the signing of the declaration of Independence, and I thought that we live in the greatest country on the planet! I’m not writing this to give you an American history lesson, but more to encourage you to acknowledge all the freedoms we exercise every day and sometimes take for granted: the freedom to worship, the right to free speech, the freedom to vote (and have it count!), the right to be a strong and powerful woman and share equality with men. And these are only a few!
 
Sure, Americans are struggling right now. We’re all feeling the stress and hardship of this recession. Unemployment rates are up, people are losing their jobs and losing their homes. Women - just like you, and just like me are unsure how they’re going to feed their families. We’re living in uncertain times and It sometimes feels like our Government has “got our backs”, while other times it feels like were being stabbed in the back. But even so, we still live in the Greatest country on the planet! We’ve got to stick together. Show your patriotism by spending your money in your local community. Support local, family owned businesses and local family owned farms. Get involved in local charities or causes that you have passion for. And please, please purchase items that are MADE IN THE USA.
 
The workout below is what we did on the 4th of July at Punch South Bend. Check it out and reflect on these words: Freedom, Patriotism, Honor,
 
sacrifice…. 
 
ARTICLE 
 
MILK does a body good…or does it?
 
The American Dairy Association and milk processors invest millions of dollars each year to get us Americans to drink milk and eat dairy products. Everyone is wearing the Milk mustache! Gorgeous models, movie stars, professional athletes, even a United States President has posed for the milk advertisement. We’ve all been duped into thinking milk and other dairy products are healthy; essential even, to a healthy lifestyle and meeting daily Calcium requirements.   
 
American women drink an average of two pounds of milk or eat the equivalent milk in dairy products per day - mainly because Doctors recommend calcium intake for increasing and maintaining bone strength and bone density. Girls we’re drinking more milk than ever and osteoporosis is on the rise! Over twenty-five million American women have osteoporosis. Drinking milk does not prevent osteoporosis. Milk contains calcium. Bones contain calcium too. When we are advised to add calcium to our diets we tend to drink milk or eat dairy foods. Such flawed thinking! In reality, Milk in an extremely poor source of Calcium because of its low magnesium content.  
 
I challenge you to find proof that drinking milk prevents bone loss.  In fact, one study conducted at the Harvard Medical School showed a direct correlation between the amount of milk a country consumed and the number of hip fractures.  Exactly the opposite of what our marketing system has lead us to believe.
 
Where do the COWS get calcium for their big bones? FROM PLANTS! The calcium they consume from plants has a large amount of magnesium… necessary for the body to absorb and USE the calcium. The calcium in cow’s milk is basically useless because it has insufficient magnesium content. Again, where do cows get the calcium required to build their strong bones? By eating plants, not drinking milk!
 
Good sources of magnesium include beans, green leafy vegetables like kale and collards, whole grains and orange juice. Non-dairy sources of calcium include green leafy vegetables, almonds, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, oats, beans, parsley, sesame seeds and tofu.   
 
But what about Calcium supplements? ….. “For the last few years American women have been buying calcium supplements to the tune of over a half a million dollars a year.  And what do we have to show for it? Not much and certainly it won’t help you if your lifestyle of poor quality food is robbing your body of calcium and other minerals.  I recommend that you think of mineral supplements in this way:  Minerals are rocks. Humans are not designed to eat rocks.  However, plants eat rocks and convert those minerals to organic nutrients that the human body can digest and assimilate.” Says Neller. 
 
The absolute BEST Sources of calcium are plant based foods, Plain and simple. Got Milk?…. I hope not! 
 
Mike Neller has a Master of Science Degree in Holistic Nutrition from the Clayton College of Natural Health, is board certified in Nutritional Wellness from the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, and holds a Master Herbalist Certification. Mike is our Nutritionist here at Punch Gym South Bend.  
 
FIT TIP
 
Round 1: Freedom
 
Heavy Snatch 10 R / 10 L
 
Heavy Swings 10
 
Heavy cleans 10 R / 10 L
 
Janda Situp 5
 
Repeat 2x 
 
 
Round 3: Honor 
 
Push Press 10 R / 10 L
 
Dragon Lunge 10 R / 10 L
 
Pushups 1 minute
 
Russian Twist 1 minute
 
Repeat 2x 
 
 Round 2: Patriotism
 
Suitcase Squats 1 minute
 
See saw press 1 minute
 
Bicycle crunches: 100
 
TGU 3 each side
 
Repeat 2x 
 
 
Round 4: Sacrifice
 
Renegade Row 1 minute
 
Hand to hand Sumo 1 Minute
 
Walking Hand to hand swings 1 minute
 
2 hands anyhow 2 minutes or Windmill 1 min. (L&R)
 
Punch Matrix 1 minute
 
Repeat 2x  
 
STACI PICK
 
Here is a must have for all you LuLu Lemon fans out there.  The Groove pant, a favorite of Staci’s, is not only one of the most comfortable pieces of training gear you could own but it’s also one of the most flattering.
 
DO THIS 
 
EAT THIS
 
Grilled Pizza with Hot Sausage, Grilled Peppers and Onions and Oregano Ricotta
 
1/2 pound Italian hot sausage
 
1 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
 
2 large yellow pepper, cored, seeded and quartered
 
2 large red pepper, cored, seeded and quartered
 
Olive oil
 
Salt and pepper
 
1 recipe favorite pizza dough, rolled into
 
4 (6-inch) rounds
 
1/2 pound grated fontina cheese
 
1 cup sheep’s milk ricotta
 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
 
Basil Vinaigrette, recipe follows
 
Insalata Caprese Salad
 
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4-inch thick
 
2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
 
1 cup fresh basil leaves
 
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
 
2 tablespoons drained capers (optional)
 
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
 
Directions:
 
Grill the sausage on both sides until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes per side. Brush onions and peppers with the oil and season with salt and pepper.
 
Grill the onions and peppers until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the sausage from the grill and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.
 
Remove the onions, separate into rings, and roughly chop. Remove the peppers and slice into 1/8-inch thick slices.
 
Heat grill to high. Brush dough with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn over and grill for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the grill and place on a flat surface.
 
Divide the fontina cheese among the 4 pizza rounds. Divide the sausage, onions and peppers over the cheese.
 
Place the pizza on the grill, close the cover and grill until the cheese has melted, about 3 to 4 minutes.
 
To finish in the oven, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
 
Place the pizza on sheet pans and bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 to 10 minutes.
 
Mix together the ricotta, extra-virgin olive oil, and oregano in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
 
Remove the pizzas from the oven and drizzle with Basil Vinaigrette.
 
Top with dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve. 
 
Basil Vinaigrette:
 
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
 
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
 
1 tablespoon honey
 
Salt and fresh pepper