Highland Village PM Boot Camp - Boot Campers of the Day

Tuesday, December 20th

Boot Camper of The Congratulations to Mary, Tricia, Diane & Amanda!!!! You guys all gave it your all last night. Congrats on surviving one of my best mental toughness workouts. You guys ROCKED!

Coppell Boot Camper of the Day

Congratulations Nova & Lauren for being our Coppell Boot Campers of the Day!

Lauren & Nova had amazing focus and intensity the entire workout. They were pushing each other on every station and maintained level 3 variations on most exercises. Outstanding job the ENTIRE CLASS on the core exercises. Those arms were way forward of the shoulders on inchworms. Way to work those abs ladies!

Highland Village PM Boot Camper of the Day

Congratulations to Mary Boyce for being the Highland Village PM Boot Camper of the Day. Mary's fitness level has continued to increase during her short time as a member. Awesome job on your push ups Mary and congratulations for taking the 10 pound challenge and passing with flying colors. Way to go!

Highland Village AM- Boot Campers of The Day

Thursday, December 15th

All these dedicated ladies deserve BCOD!!! Dawn for her FULL range of motion pushups, Jaime for her fast paced core squats with 15s, Daryl maintained high intensity through the high knees finisher and Kalpana for her military shoulder press with 12's. Way to finish the phase ladies!

Coppell AM Boot Camp - Boot Camper of the Day

Wednesday , December 14th

Congratulations to Sheena Styger as Boot Camper of the Day!!

Sheena's squats were LOW LOW LOW on the tough Braced Core Squat and her intensity on her other exercises was great. Sheena is also making a great effort outside of class with her nutrition efforts. Way to go Sheena!!

Highland Village AM - Boot Camper of The Day

Tuesday, December 13th

Boot Camper of the Day Congratulations to Sheila Mahoney !!

Sheila dug deep today and forced herself to win. She had many moments of personal confrontation during today's workout but each time decided to push rather than quit. Congratulations Sheila!

Coppell Boot Camp Body Transformation Success

Coppell Boot Camp Member Body Transformation Success

Adriana makes headway in her mission to banish the mommy belly and reclaim sleek, slim abs. She is off to a great start and excited about finishing up her goal of having a tight, toned midsection. Come back to watch her video and find out what she has to say about her boot camp body transformation journey so far.

Highland Village PM - Boot Campers of The Day

Monday, December 12th

We had 3 outstanding Boot Campers Of The Day - Tina, Tricia Duhon and Aleya McGill!!

All these ladies gave their all tonight. Tricia and Tina used 15ld weights for squat to press deadlifts, burpee/upright rows and side lunges.

Aleya held her wall sit while doing shoulder presses in spite of her burning legs and rocked the spiderman climbs!

Coppell AM Boot Camp -Boot Camper of The Day

December 12th
Congratulations to Boot Camper of The Day Adrienna!! She was very focused with big improvement on form and intensity!!!

And kuddos to all of the ladies today...I bumped all of them up to level 2 and 3 on warmup exercises. All of these ladies can do the pushups on thecalf/hamstring/pushup hold.

Coppell AM Boot Campers of The Day

Friday, December 9th

Megan & Adriana share the honor of Boot Campers of The Day !!!

Megan is always pushing herself to do better than her last performance. Way to go giving higher level variations of the exercises a go at every station. You will continue to get stronger and more fit with that attitude and approach.

Adriana had a great workout today but just as important, she takes her time outside of boot camp very seriously. Over the past month,Adriana has been true to her eating and supplemental conditioning plan and has great one month results to show for her dedication. Keep going Adriana- you are unstoppable!

Boot Camper of The Day

Thursday, December 8th

Congratulations to Boot Camper Of The Day Daryl Currie for cranking out military presses!!!

Shout outs also to Beth for a great job on the high knee finisher, Kalpana for single leg push ups and Valerie for her determination to stick with level 2 push ups until her arms gave out!!

Boot Camper of The Day

Wednesday, December 7th

Congratulations to Adrienne as Boot Camper of the Day. Awesome intensity and focus the entire workout. You definitely brought your A game today. Great job increasing your weight on the deadlifts and conquering the mental toughness surprise!

Special shout out also to Leslee for doing level 3 variations on the mental toughness surprise

Highland Village AM- Boot Camper of the Day

Tuesday, December 6th

Congratulations to Boot Camper of The Day Sheryl Dorsey!!

Congrats Sheryl on moving on up to the 12# club. Sheryl braved the crazy Giant Sets workout with her new, heavier weights, survived all of the rounds and still gave a great effort during conditioning. See Sheryl... we knew you could- now you did. Keep it up!

Highland Village Boot Camper of The Day

Monday, December 5th,

Congratulations to Boot Camper of The Day~Shelley Pierson!!

Shelley doubled the weight she used for squat to presses and deadlifts. She used 15 lbs for both and handled it like a champ! Outstanding job!

Coppell AM- Boot Camper of the Day

Monday, December 5th

Congratulations to Boot Camper of The Day Carla McElRoy!!!
She was full on beast mode!!! She always pushes through. The Dumbell burpee rows were rocked out by everyone!!! Wish I had had a camera.

Coppell AM Boot Camp -Boot Camper of The Day

Friday, December 2nd

Congrats to Boot Camper of The Day Lauren Johnson!!

Lauren has improved so much since joining boot camp just a few months ago. Especially impressive today were her level 3 running toe taps and plank elbow crawls. You tore it up Lauren. Those elbow crawls make me think you are ready to join us on one of our upcoming obstacle course races. I am proud of you!

Highland Village PM- Boot Camper of The Day

Thursday, December 1st

Congratulations to Boot Camper of The Day- Tricia Duhon!!

Tricia's intensity and high spirit is contagious.Tricia pushed herself and classmates to work hard while keeping everyone laughing with her banter. Love it!

Boot Camp Transformation - Mother of Six Banishes Her Muffin Top in Six Weeks

Mother of Six Lose 1/2 Inch Off Her Belly Every Week with Boot Camp Challenge

Time to be inspired. Check out this amazing SIX WEEK BOOT CAMP TRANSFORMATION.

Julie Egan, mother of 6, loses over 3 inches off her belly measurement in just six short weeks with the Great Shape Fit Club Challenge and shares with you below just how she did it. BE INSPIRED!

Julie's Interview

What brought you to boot camp? What was your main motivation for joining?

I found Concita's boot camp through an online Groupon deal. I had been wanting to start exercising for several months (since my 40th birthday) and the Groupon seemed like a good way to get started.

What did you expect from boot camp when you joined?

I expected to get a good workout two days a week, but was so happy with how GREAT of a workout it was. I had no idea I would also receive nutrition counseling.

How did you feel after your first workout?

I could definitely tell that I'd had a workout! My muscles hurt, but the hurt let me know that I was working parts of my body that hadn't worked out for a long time!

What kind of nutrition recommendations and help did you receive?

I loved the one-on-one coaching call with Concita. She was able to look at my food diary and give me specific guidelines tailored just for me and my lifestyle and goals. She outlined a very specific eating plan and gave me the encouragement I needed to stick with it.

What was the nutrition program like? How did you eat?

The first two weeks of my specific nutrition plan were very strict... only green vegetables and proteins. After that I was able to slowly add in other vegetables and gradually add back in fruits and some healthy grains. I have found that I don't miss my carb-heavy eating that I previously had and crave the fresh produce.

What was the most challenging part of the program?

Changing my diet was definitely the most challenging part of the program. I NEVER thought I could make such drastic changes and stick with it.

What kind of support system did you have?

Concita was great to check in with me about my progress, both at class and through emails and phone calls. She was very honest about how hard it would be to make changes, but also very encouraging that I could do it!

What is a typical day like for you?

I am a stay-at-home mom of six kids, ages 5 - 17. The kids are all in school and my days are spent keeping up with the dynamics of running a busy household.

What tips could you give someone about making time for fitness?

Concita let me know that getting out of shape is easy and getting in shape is hard. She was honest with me that I would need to put in some hard work to get my body where I want it. You need to have a set routine for exercise and eating - when things are planned out they are so much easier to stick to. Find a time that works into your schedule - even if it means getting up at 5:00 a.m.

What changes in habits are you most proud of?

I am most proud of my new eating lifestyle and how "clean" my body feels now that I'm eating so healthy. The healthy eating combined with exercise has helped see some great results already.

What were your results like?

The boot camp workouts, combined with healthy eating and cardio workouts helped me lose 15 pounds and three inches off my waistline in less than 2 months! I've already dropped a jean size and can wear shirts that are more form-fitting now that I don't have my "muffin-top" anymore!

What aesthetic change are you most proud of?

My new waistline! Can't wait to see how much more I can lose!!

Julie's story is extraordinary but it can happen for you too. Ready to transform? We can help! Contact me today to find out how you can become our next success story.

Boot Camp Transformation Contest Winners Announced

Fall Fat Loss & Fitness Frenzy Winners Announced

CONGRATULATIONS!

Aesthetic Division Winner

Julie Egan

Julie lost 3.25 inches off of her belly measurement as well as 1.375 inches off of her hips in just 6 short weeks. Overall she lost a total of 10 pounds on the scale during the contest and as you can see above looks dramatically different. Congratulations Julie. You are an example and inspiration. If you can raise 6 children and do this- we can all do it. Thanks for shining!

CLICK HERE to check out her complete story.

Athletic Division Winner

Lori Eden

Lori improved her single leg deadlift by 40%, her curl & press by 35%, her skier swings by 3.5%, and her burpee to high pull by 27%. Way to go Lori! You are one STRONG woman and getting strong mentally and physically is what Fit Club is all about. We are proud of you!

Highland Village AM - Boot Camper of The Day

Thursday, December 1st

Congratulations to Valerie Cooper as Boot Camper of The Day!!

Valerie's first day back and doing level 3 push up holds and threaded lunges! Great job! Shout outs also to Karen for single leg military presses with her 12's and Sheila for excellent full range of motion pushups on her toes. Awesome workout this morning ladies!

Coppell AM Boot Camper of The Day

Wednesday, November 30th

Congrats to Boot Camper of The Day Sheena Styger!! Way to go with your intensity today. You just keep getting better. Awesome job on the High Knee Run finisher!

Highland Village AM Boot Camper of The Day

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Boot Camper of the Day Congratulations go to Daryle!! Awesome job embracing the burpees. Great first day back!

Highland Village PM - Boot Camper of The Day

Monday, November 28, 2011

Congratulations to Boot Camper Of The Day Aleya!!! She did an outstanding job on her wall-sit with shoulder presses. This is an alternative to squat presses due to knee concerns. Also a shout out to Jess for doing the side plank with twist...with abduction!

Coppell AM Boot Camp -Boot Campers Of The Day

Monday, November 28, 2011

Congratulations to the entire class: Karla, Adrienna, Adrienne, Krista, Sheena as Boot Campers of The Day!!I've never seen them push so hard!! Sweat, determination, hardwork ...it was all there today from everyone!!

Cyber Monday Boot Camp Specials

In honor of the holiday season and the fun shopping deals that come along with it, I am offering TWO Cyber Monday specials.

Special #1: Half Priced Boot Camp Punch Cards!

From now until Friday December 2nd at noon you can buy a boot camp punch card for half price. Purchase a 4-Class Card for only $39 and a 8-Class Card for only $54. Purchase a punch card (one per person for personal use and unlimited gift purchases) between now and then and you only pay half price. Normally $79 and $109 for 4 and 8-class card respectively. Buy now to save!

Send me a message at greatshapefitclub@gmail.com to capitalize on this amazing deal (By the way, they make excellent stocking stuffers!!!)

Special #2: Membership Upgrade Special - Save $120!

Current bootcamp members, get more Fit Club in your weekly schedule to take your results to the next level! From now until Friday December 2nd at noon you can upgrade your membership from the Busy Woman Membership to the Rapid Results Membership and save $120. That’s $120.00 off the regular price for 12 month memberships for the life of your membership!

And if you are not a member of our bootcamp program, don’t worry, you can still get the same savings. Get 3 weekly sessions of Fit Club for only $150 per month which is $120 off the regular price!!!

Send me a message at greatshapefitclub@gmail.com to capitalize on this amazing deal.

You won't see these specials again. They are the biggest bargains you will find on the highest quality training for women in Coppell and Highland Village. Contact me at greatshapefitclub@gmail.com to sign up. Do not comment on this blog post to sign up, you must email me.

Happy Holidays

Coppell AM Boot Camp - Boot Camper of The Day

Friday, November 18th

Congratulations to Boot Camper of the Day Sheena Styger!!!

She is definitely Boot Camper of The Day. She was determined to get her dumbells up for the side plank reverse flies and she never gave up. Shout outs also to Carla, Leslie, and Lauren for awesome integrated slider push ups and to Randy for full range of motion cross grip pushups on her feet.

Coppell AM Boot Camper of The Day

Wednesday, November 16th

Congratulations to Boot Camper of the Day Sheena Styger!! Slow and deliberate with her movements...her form was spot on!

Highland Village AM - Boot Camper of The Day

Tuesday, November 15th

Congratulations to Boot Camper of The Day Jaime Fechter!! She stepped it up with her 15 lb dumbells and did single leg plank ups! Shout outs to Sheryl for her single leg wall-sits, Kalpana for single leg plank-ups and Sheila for plank ups on her toes!

Highland Village PM - Boot Camper of The Day

Monday, November 14th

Boot Camper Of the Day Congratulations to Tina Johnson!!!

She has no fear of breaking in those 15 lb weights and she managed to squeek out a few burpees with jumps at the very end of such a tough workout.

Shout outs also to Diane for pushing through the pain and doing push up rows on her toes all 9 rounds and Amanda for completing the workout with 15 lb weights as well.

Coppell AM Boot Camp 1 - Boot Campers of The Day

Monday, November 14th

Boot Campers of the Day congrats go to Lauren and Carla!! They both rocked out the Bulgarian split squats and then fought through the mountain climbers with grunts of determintaion.

How to Fit In Your Workouts During the Holiday

How to Fit in Workouts During the Holiday Season

You can stick to your action plan to transform your body, mind, and life even during the busiest time of the year. After all, if there is any time you want to feel, look, and function your best, it would be during the busiest (and most likely to be photographed) time of the year. Here are my top three tips on getting workouts in during this busy season.

#1: Get your workout off of the” to do” list and on your calendar.

Schedule a workout appointment to increase the chances of doing your workout. Whether you go to boot camp class, meet with your trainer, or work out with a buddy. Scheduling the number of workouts you want to do in your calendar ensures that there is room for them in your daily plan. For greater chances of success, schedule your workout first thing in the morning even if it means getting up 20 minutes earlier. Very few emergencies will happen before the day gets started so you are more likely to get your workout done.

#2: Experiment with shorter, more intense workouts.

If you are short on time, a quick 5-15 minute workout really can be just enough to get your heart pumping and sweat flowing while keeping you mentally in the transformation game. Getting your workouts in, even if they are super short, can help keep motivation and dietary compliance high so give one of the short workouts at the end of this post a try.

#3: Make it a family affair.

Informal “playercise” with your family is a much better option than skipping your workouts. Play tag, chase, or hide and seek with your children or organize a game of flag football or active Wii game tournament.

Short Holiday Workouts

Start each workout with this shortened warm up.

Short Warm Up:

Repeat this circuit twice with no rest.

10 Bodyweight Squats

10 Pushups

10 Reverse Lunges

Workout #1

Do as many rounds of this each superset as you can in 5 minutes. Rest only as long as needed to catch your breath. If possible, continue for the entire 5 minutes without rest. Rest 60 seconds before going on to the second superset.

Superset #1:

Squat & Press (8 reps)

Deadlifts (12 reps)

Superset #2:

Pushup Row (5 reps each arm)

Hip Bridge and Overhead Press Combo (10 reps)

Workout #2: Equipment Free

Do as many rounds of this each superset as you can in 5 minutes. Rest only as long as needed to catch your breath. If possible, continue for the entire 5 minutes without rest. Rest 60 seconds before going on to the second superset.

Superset#1:

Y-Squats (overhead squats without weight- 12 reps)

Plank Jacks (10 reps)

Superset#2:

Burpees (10 reps)

Alternating Lunge Jumps (5 reps each leg)

NOTE: If you are short on time, do only one of the supersets in the workout for a 5-minute workout. If you have extra time and want a challenge, do all 3 or 4 of the supersets for as much as a 20-minute workout.

Coppell AM Boot Camp - Boot Camper of The Day

Friday, November 11th

Congrats go to Adrienne Causey-Boot Camper of The Day!! She did an awesome job on the ladder workout with her bigger weights.

Highland Village AM - Boot Campers of the Day

Thursday, November 10th

Congratulations to Boot Campers of the Day: Sheryl Dorsey and Daryle Currie for awesome pushup reachouts. Also to Kalpana for the fastest high knees inb the west... I mean class(HaHa)!!

Food Pressure - How to Deal With It This Holiday Season

How to Deal With the Press - Food Pressure That Is!

Food pressure, feeling compelled to eat something or a quantity of food that is not supportive to your health or fitness goals, can be manifest in countless ways. Whether perceived or real, food pressure can make the holiday season prime time for unwanted weight gain but it doesn’t have to be that way this year.

External food pressure is when someone is unrelenting in insisting that you eat a certain dish or a certain quantity of food. This person may be well meaning but the pressure can often come in forms of hurtful remarks (“oh so you are dieting AGAIN) or guilt trips (“I really worked hard to make this special dish. I can’t believe you won’t eat it.”). Internal food pressure is the pressure we feel when are compelled to alter our food choices based on what we believe those around us think or feel about our food choices.

4 Tips for Dealing with the Pressure

Tip#1: Offer to bring a few healthy dishes along to share. Your plate won’t look empty because you will have plenty of supportive options to choose from and maybe no one will notice you didn’t go back for your usual second serving of mom’s cornbread dressing.

Tip #2: Decide in advance when and how much you will indulge. Be polite yet stern when others try to influence you and focus on non-food parts of the celebration to turn the attention off of you and your dietary choices. Stick to your guns. Self-determination is one of the most powerful tools you have. If you go into a social situation with the thought, “I MAY have some dessert, a drink, etc”, you absolutely WILL have an indulgence and you will most likely feel bad about it since it was not part of your plan. This perceived failure then leads to more indulgences because the “I already messed up and I will start again tomorrow” mentality kicks in. You have the power and responsibility to remain in control- decide in advance.

Tip #3: If someone keeps pressuring you about your food, explain why you are choosing to eat what you have chosen and be enthusiastic about it. You just may inspire someone.

Tip #4: Realize that in most cases people really don’t care deeply about what is on your plate as long as you don’t make everyone else miserable because you feel you are missing out on the fun. Come to the gathering prepared with a game plan. Stick to it and most of all be upbeat and fun- no one may even notice what you ate.

Whether you experience external or internal food pressure during the holidays, the key point to remember is that you and only you have the power and the responsibility to create the health, look, and fitness that you desire. If you consistently give your power to others, you will never attain the health and happiness that is within your reach. At the end of the day, only you will live in your skin and you owe it to yourself to make the choices that will make you comfortable in that skin. Have a happy holiday season!

Coppell AM Boot Camp 2 - Boot Camper of The Day

Wednesday, November 9th

Boot Camper of The Day congrats go to Sheena Styger!! Awesome intensity. You have improved so much in such a little time. Way to go!

Coppell AM Boot Camp 1 - Boot Camper of The Day

Wednesday, November 9th

Congratulations to Boot Camper of the Day Chantrell Lacy!! Awesome form and intensity on heavy overhead squats.

Highland Village PM - Boot Campers of The Day

Tuesday, November 8th

Congratulations to Boot Campers of The Day

Wow it's a tie between: Stephanie for single leg wall sits and plank ups,Tina for stepping it up with her new 15lb dumbells and not being afraid to use them...on everything,Aleya for outstanding plank ups on her toes and deadlifts with 20 lbs and Beverly for motivating herself and her partners (Payel and Nicole) to do their plankups on their feet!

Lots of energy and a great workout last night!!!

Coppell AM Boot Camp 2 - Boot Camper of The Day

Monday, November 7th

Congratulations to Boot Camper of The Day Janis Townsend!!!

You had a great workout today but most importantly I am proud of how you have reclaimed your control and put your fitness plan back on your list of personal priorities. Great job!!

Coppell AM Boot Camp 1- Boot Camper of the Day

Monday, November 7th

Congratulations to Boot Camper of The Day Adrienne!!!

Adrienne pushed herself, especially on the mountain climbers. I could see her fighting to finish them. Way to go!!

Highland Village AM - Boot Camper of The Day

Wednesday, November 2nd

Boot Camper Of The Day goes to Lynn Fleming!!

Lyn used her 15lb weights on her sumo squat hammer curls and upright row to press. She, Jaime, and Sheryl also had impressively high - high knees.

Shout outs also to Daryl for doing step ups on the high step as well as Kalpana and Jaime for giving the integrated push up reaches on their toes a try.

Coppell AM Boot Camp 2 - Boot Camper of the Day

Wednesday, November 2nd

Congrats to Janis Townsend as Boot Camper of The Day. So glad you have your fire back. Congrats on your consistency. Keep going!

Coppell AM Boot Camp 1 - Boot Camper of the Day

Wednesday, November 2nd

Congrats to Boot Camper of the Day Krista Thorsen !!!You are doing such a great job. Way to go with your intensity today. Especially impressive were your level 3 plank jacks. Nice job!

Coppell AM Boot Camp 1 - Boot Camper of the Day

Monday, October 31st

Congratulations to Boot Camper of The Day Megan!!!

Megan rocked out her Bulgarian split squats with a deeper range of motion and much more stablility!!!

Highland Village AM - Boot Campers of the Day

Tuesday, November 1st

A special shoutout to Karen,Kalpana, Jaime, and Daryle. Great effort on your workout this morning. Thanks for digging deep and going along with me on today's conditioning work. More of that in your future for sure but you girls are tough enough to handle it. Congrats!

Highland Village PM - Boot Camper of the Day

Monday, October 31st

Congratulations to Boot Campers Of The Day Diane Thrasher for doing single leg wall sits like a champ and Mary Boyce for increasing her intensity by adding 10lb dumbells to her level III Bulgarian split squats!!! Go ladies!

Coppell AM Boot Camp 2 - Boot Camper of the Day

Monday, October 31st

Congratulations to Boot Camper of The Day: Jennifer Killam

Jennifer you are doing such a great job with not just your workouts but your mindset as well. Great effort in class today and I am so proud of how you are managing the "lifestyle" part of this journey outside of your workouts and letting go of the all or nothing mentality. Way to go!

Coppell AM Boot Camp 2 - Boot Camper of The Week

Friday, October 28th

Congratulations Sheena Styger as our Boot Camper of The Day.

Sheena you push yourself more and more with each workout. Training you today was a joy. Congrats on killing it with my wild card workout today.

Highland Village PM - Boot Camper of The Day

Friday, October 28th

Congrats to Tina. Tina you have really evolved into one Fit Mama- not just in deed but in attitude!!!

You ROCKED the level 3 plank jacks for four rounds straight on your FIRST ATTEMPT. Watching you train last night, I saw that the only difference between "can't" and "can" is an attempt. Congrats on being brave enough to make the attempt.

Special kuddos also to Candace and Stephanie for giving level 3 plank jacks an effort. Way to overcome the fear and EMBRACE THE BURN!

Nice job to the entire class!

Coppell AM Boot Camp 1 - Boot Camper of The Day

Friday, October 28th

Congratulations to Boot Camper of the Day Charae!!!

Charae your intensity has grown so much over the six short weeks you have been with Fit Club. It is inspiring to watch you embrace and own the power you have to train hard. It made me smile to watch you train today. Congrats on the "boy push ups". This is just the beginning!

Highland Village AM - Boot Camper of The Day

Thursday, October 27th

Congratulations goes to Dawn Leath as Boot Camper of The Day for keeping up with one of our long time veterans, Sheryl Dorsey.

These ladies did super high step ups, level 3 push up reaches and awesome cross grip pushups. Shout outs to Julie and Susan for their effort in spite of recently overcoming colds and the upper respiratory junk that's been going around. Also, to Jaime and Kalpana...always an inspiration to watch their determination.

Coppell AM Boot Camp 2 - Boot Camper of The Day

Wednesday, October 26th

Sheena Styger congrats to you as Boot Camper of The Day. You had an outstanding workout. Way to put forth a great effort on a difficult workout.

Coppell AM Boot Camp 1 - Boot Camper of The Day

Wednesday, October 26th

Congrats to Boot Camper of The Day Nova Broome.

You had an amazing workout. Your new confidence in your training abilities is so evident. Congrats on levels 2 and 3 for the entire workout. Especially impressive was the undertaking of the famous FROGGER BURPEES. Way to go!

Coppell AM Boot Camp 2 - Boot Camper of the Day

Monday, October 25th

Boot Camper of The Day goes to Mary Beth - Great focus on today's workout.

Today you really exhibited your ability to use your mental muscle to get even more out of your workout. I saw you mentally fight through those wall sits and make it the entire time each round. Way to mentally engage to get better physical performance.

Highland Village PM- Boot Camper of The Day

Monday, October 24th

Boot Camper of The Day goes to all the dedicated ladies who were willing to sacrifice the first inning of the Rangers' game for an awesome workout. A special shoutout to Mary for sticking with the mountain climbers at the end...she was struggling but she kept going. Great job to all!!

Highland Village AM Boot Camp

Thursday, October 20th

Shout outs to to these ladies for their great work: Katelyn for joining us and kicking BUTT, Erica for coming back and mastering the side lunge and Kalpana, Jaime, Dawn, Laurie, and Karen for their pushup incorporated into the reach outs! WAY TO GO!!!!!

Coppell AM Boot Camp 2 - Boot Camper of the Day

Monday, October 19th

Tonya McGill congratulations as Boot Camper of The Day. Tonya had nice focus and intensity throughout the entire workout today. Your squat form was perfect and your intensity on our conditioning moves VERY IMPRESSIVE! Way to go!

Coppell AM Boot Camp 1 - Boot Camper of The Day

Monday, October 19th

Congratulations goes to Carla McElroy as Boot Camper of the Day. Way to rock out the entire workout. Your resolve on the plank jacks during conditioning was especially impressive.

Highland Village PM- Boot Campers of the Day

Monday, October 17th

Congratulations goes to ALL the ladies last night as Boot Campers of the Day for working hard and making do with every inch of space we had!!!

WELCOME to all the newbies and THANK YOU to all the veterans for helping everywhere and everyone they could. We had lots of energy and lots of fun!!

Coppell AM Boot Camp 2 - Boot Campers of the Day

Monday, October 17th

Congratulations to our Boot Campers of the Day: Tonya McGill,Sheena Styger,and Mary Beth McGehee.

All of these ladies gave a really great effort on a tough workout. Way to start the phase off with a bang ladies!

Coppell AM Boot Camp 1 - Boot Campers of the Day

Monday, October 17th

Congratulations to our Coppell Boot Camp 1 Boot Campers of the Day Charae Wheatley and Nova Broome. They were both on fire! I saw the determination and self talk they used to get through the mountain climbers!

Boot Camper of the Day

Coppell AM Boot Camper of the Day

Congratulations Charae!


Charae executed our Spartacus workout with intensity and focus and.... Charae used the 10 pounders for the entire workout. She more than tripled her poundage used in the workout from what she started with just 4 short weeks ago. Check out Charae's picture above with her original weights and the ones she used today. An increase in both strength and confidence. We are proud of you Charae!

Boot Camper of the Day

Highland Village PM Boot Camper of the Day


Congratulations to Amanada Thrasher!

Amanda absolutely DOMINATED the Spartacus workout. Not only did Amanda execute this workout using her 15 pounders, she even created her own level 4 of the jumping lunge variations and finished 60 seconds of WEIGHTED jumping lunges. Gooooo Amanda!

Additional shout outs go to Aleya for using 12 pounders the entire workouts and to Tina for bumping up to 10 pounders for the entire workout.

Boot Camper of the Day

Highland Village AM Boot Camper of the Day

Congratulations Julie Egan!

Julie for stepped it up and did all her sets of squat to presses, deadlifts with rows and side lunges with her 10 pounders. Way to go!

Shout outs also to Dawn for using a 12 pounder on upper body twists and Joni for facing her 'fear' (ok concern) of doing squat to presses with 10pounders instead of 8 pounders. Jaime continued to be an inspiration with her intensity and "high" high-knees. Great job to all this morning.

Coppell AM - Boot Camper of The Day

Wednesday, October 5th

Our Boot Camper of the Day is Brittan Dunham. Congratulations on stepping up the intensity today. I was especially impressed with your start jumps. Way to go!!

The entire class gave outstanding effort today. Kuddos to Charae and Megan for giving the 15 pounders a try for various exercises. Congrats to Nova for stepping up to consistently using 8 pounders. Lacy welcome to the 15 pound club. Demetrice kuddos for consistently using 10 and 12 pounders for all of your exercises. Teressa awesome job with the high step ups today. Megan kuddos on stepping up to give the star jumps a try. Way to go ladies!

Highland Village AM - Boot Camper of the Day

Tuesday, October 4th

Congratulations to Boot Camper of The Day Sarah Combs.

Way to go Sarah. Level 3 on nearly the entire Fit Club Spartacus workout. Way to work it girlie. Nice star jumps too! You are on FIRE!

Coppell AM Boot Camper of The Day

Monday, October 3rd

Congrats to Boot Camper of The Day - Nova Broome. She killed her mountain climbers and her form on everything was perfect.

Highland Village PM- Boot Camper of The Day

Monday, October 3rd

Congratulations to Boot Camper Of The Day Amanda Thrasher. Amanda stepped it up with doing squats with 20lb dumbells!!! Way to take advantage of the 'big girl' weights! It was a great workout last night from all.

How to Avoid and Alleviate Knee Pain

How to Avoid and Alleviate Knee Pain for Exercise Enthusiasts

If you think the throbbing pain in your knees is just part of leading an active lifestyle and transforming your body, think again. Check out my top five tips to avoid and alleviate knee pain.

Tip #1: Pay attention to form on lower body exercises.
In general, when you squat and lunge your knees should stay just above or behind your toes and the heel of your supporting foot or feet should stay in contact with the ground. Allowing your knees to cruise too far forward or taking your heels off the ground (and thereby putting pressure on your toes) puts undue stress on your knee joint and loads the join instead of the muscle. To ensure you are stressing the muscle rather than the joint, stick your hips out and back as if reaching for a chair as you lower yourself toward the ground and press through your heels as you are standing back up to starting position. Keep your toes and knees pointed in the same direction.

Tip #2: Stretch and foam roll DAILY (twice daily if you have time).
When you exercise, you place demand on your muscles that causes micro tears in the muscle. When you recover (take a day off from training that area), those tears are repaired. Sometimes however, you get scar tissue (much like you would from tearing anything else on your body) called adhesions that need to be broken up to ensure that your muscle continues to function as normal. Foam rolling will break up these adhesions which will allow you to get the most out of your static stretching and subsequent exercise sessions. For optimal knee health, foam roll all of the muscles around the joint including your quadriceps, hamstrings, illiotibial band, adductors, adductors, and peroneals (the front, back, outside and inside of your thighs as well as your calves and outside of the lower leg).

Tip #3: Get a deep tissue massage as often as is feasible for you.
If you are very tight and have lots of adhesions, foam rolling and stretching may not be enough at first to regain muscle tissue health and optimal, pain free performance. If you have joint pain but have never had a fall or accident, it is likely that getting a deep tissue massage would expose and eliminate a lot of the tightness and adhesions that may be causing unusual muscular force on your joints which leads to the pain you are experiencing.

Here's an analogy that will probably resonate with most busy women. Most of us have a daily or weekly cleaning regimen that we follow for our house. Now imagine if you neglected that routine for months on end. Did you get a visual of how messy and dirty the house would be? I hope so. Now how many of us would simply restart our old routine with hopes that our house would look and smell great? None of us! You would either take a few days to do a deep cleaning or most likely hire a cleaning crew to give you a "reset". Getting a deep tissue massage by an experienced therapist who specializes in orthopedic body work or Active Release Therapy is the "reset" your body needs to make your daily stretching and foam rolling routine effective.

Tip #4: Use footwear appropriate for your chosen activity and replace them when they are worn out.
For boot camp class, running or cross training shoes are optimal. If you are using fashion sneakers, it is likely that they won't provide adequate foot support. Also you don't want to use "shaping shoes" as they will lift your heels and make it hard to execute lower body exercises with proper form. Those shoes naturally push you forward when you want to be able to place your weight on your heels during lower body exercises. Some of our clients even enjoy training WITHOUT SHOES. There is research that shoes "barefoot training" to be beneficial because there is more proprioceptive feedback from the nerves in the feet thus improving your balance and glute activation during exercises and nonexistent heel lift that could encourage improper form on lower body exercises. In my opinion, it is better to train without shoes than with the wrong type or badly worn shoes.

Tip #5: Follow a balanced training program.
So many people train the muscles they can see and ignore the ones they can't. Many exercise enthusiasts are very quadriceps dominant having strong quads (front of thighs), tight hip flexors and overstretched, weak glutes and hamstrings. Make sure your training program involves exercises that work the back side of the lower body to avoid this muscular imbalance that can cause knee pain. Common exercises that work the glutes and hamstrings are deadlifts, hip bridges, step ups, and swings. At Great Shape Fit Club, we do plenty of exercises each class to work the glutes and hamstrings to ensure our members are just as strong on the back side as they are on the front side... that is also the secret to our signature Fit Club Booty (round, tight, and high).

Use these tips to avoid and alleviate knee pain so that you can stay active and achieve and maintain your body transformation results.

Coppell AM - Boot Camper of the Day

September 30th

Congrats to Boot Camper of the Day - Trixie!!!

Trixie's amazingly upbeat attitude lights up the class. Not only did Trixie give a great effort during the Wildcard Workout- she managed to still donate some of her energy to keep the whole group smiling and laughing with her spontaneous "dance breaks". Viva La Salsa! That's the spirit Trixie!

Highland Village PM- Boot Camper of The Day

Congratulations to Boot Camper Of the Day Diane Thrasher!!

Congrats on joining the 15 pound club. Diane has grown in strength, stamina and confidence since joining Fit Club just 3 months ago. Today she made a stellar showing by bumping up to 15 pounds from 10s - even on a tough Wildcard Workout. Way to go Diane! You are proof that hard work and consistency pay off. She has also never missed a single class during her entire time at Fit Club... a true example!

Coppell Boot Camp - Boot Campers of The Day

Wednesday, September 28th

Congratulations to Boot Campers of The Day : Chantrell Lacy & Teressa Parham!!

Lacy- Way to handle the Wednesday Wild Card Workout. Not only did you keep your intensity high the entire time, you joined the 15# club today. Way to kick it up a notch! Very inspiring to watch!

Teressa- Your tenacity and determination are admirable. Way to go with an outstanding workout today. Good work!

Overall amazing effort by the entire class today. You ladies did a great job!

Highland Village AM - Boot Camper of The Day

Tuesday, September 27th

Congrats go to Melanie Ortler- Our Boot Camper of The Day!!

Melanie did an awesome job in class today. I threw out a wild card workout and her determination and intensity was unprecedented. I asked her after class what sparked her intensity today and she replied, "I decided I could take it up a notch". The power of decision is remarkable. Way to go Melanie!

Highland Village PM - Boot Camper of The Day

Monday, September 26th

Congratulations to Boot Camper of The Day Jennifer Garross. Not only did she crank out squats with 20lb dumbells at chin height but she encouraged and helped everyone she could throughout the workout.

Special shout outs to Mary for killer mountain climbers her first class, Dawn for super deep squats, and Amanda and Diane for buzzing through the finisher...their last round had even more energy than their first round. Great Job Tina on your level 3 variations on all the exercises in the finisher.

Coppell Boot Camp - Boot Camper of The Day

Monday, September 26th

Congratulations to Boot Camper of The Day Teressa Parham.

She rocked it!! She did what she had to do to finish! Awesome focus.

Shoutout to everyone there today.Fabulous partner work. When I asked the group to make a form modification on mountain climbers, ALL of them did it the first time! Also everyone went up to level two bridges and did great!!!

Coppell Boot Camp - Boot Camper of The Day

Monday, September 26th

Congratulations to our Boot Camper of the Day-Teressa Parham!!! She rocked it...She did what she had to do to finish! Awesome focus.

Shoutout to everyone there today. Fabulous partner work!! When I asked the group to make a form modification on mountain climbers, all of them did it the first time! Also everyone went up to level two bridges and did great!!!

Coppell Boot Camp - Boot Camper of The Day

Friday, September 23rd

Congrats to Boot Camper of the Day Cecilia Davenport! You did an awesome job today.

With only two weeks of boot camp under your belt, you attacked the Spartacus workout with great form and "the big girl weights". Way to complete your second week with a bang. Congrats!

--

Highland Village AM Boot Camper of The Day

Thursday, September 22nd

Lori Eden congratulations as Boot Camper of The Day.

Lori came in still feeling a little under the weather from fighting a cold and showed how much fight she has in this workout. Her form on the stiff legged deadlifts with rows was perfect and she challenged everyone during the finisher. Great job Lori!!

Shout outs also to Sarah, Megan, Amanda and Kallen for super intense high knees and Karen for doing the upper body twists with her 12lb weights.

Boot Camp Body Transformation Behind the Scenes

Boot Camp Body Transformation Before & After

Jaime's 6-Week Boot Camp and Jean Drop Challenge Transformation...The goal jeans fit!

Enjoy going behind the scenes of Jaime's boot camp body transformation. The entire series including all of her boot camp journal entries and her video interview are right here.

Jaime's First Week Journal Entry
http://greatshapefitclub.blogspot.com/2011/08/boot-camp-transformation-behind-scenes.html

Jaime's Week Three Journal Entry
http://greatshapefitclub.blogspot.com/2011/08/boot-camp-transformation-behind-scenes_15.html

Jaime's Week Four Journal Entry
http://greatshapefitclub.blogspot.com/2011/08/boot-camp-transformation-behind-scenes_1457.html

Jaime's Week Six Journal Entry
http://greatshapefitclub.blogspot.com/2011/09/boot-camp-body-transformation-behind.html

Jaime's Video Interview
http://greatshapefitclub.blogspot.com/2011/08/boot-camp-transformation-behind-scenes.html

Boot Camp Body Transformation Behind the Scenes

I apologize for the late post. I wanted to be sure to share Jaime's last entry from her series where she takes you behind the scenes of her body transformation. She has since shrunk even more, not to mention how strong and fit she is, through her continued participation in boot camp and Jean Drop Challenge. She recently placed in the top three of our last transformation challenge. My bet is she has her eye on that $500 prize for our upcoming challenge too. Congrats Jaime! We are proud of you!

Jaime's Week 6 Journal Entry

Week 6 already…it never ceases to amaze me how fast time flies. This has been an empowering week for me. Since my goal jeans are now wearable I tore apart my closet looking for smaller jeans. I came across a bin buried in the back corner labeled “Jaime’s Hopefuls”. I pulled it out and went for a wild ride down memory lane. These clothes haven’t seen the light of day since my early college years. I wish I could say I tried everything on and it all fit; it didn’t. But here’s the surprising part, a lot of them, especially the tops, were not that far off from fitting. A little more work and keeping up with what I’m already doing and I will actually be able to wear these things! Watching the numbers on a scale drop can be a lot like watching paint dry, so it is especially rewarding when you discover progress in other ways. At least the numbers are dropping, I’ve hit a weight I haven’t seen since before my last pregnancy and that feels so good.

On Tuesday evenings after my JDC workout I come home and tuck my older daughter into bed. She always asks the same thing “How was your workout, Mommy? What moves did you do?” She listens intently as I tell her about how we used a fire hose or were flipping a tire back and forth across the floor. She participated in a soccer camp this week and the coach had the kids running drills through a ladder. When I told her that sometimes I have to do that at my workouts she said “wow, soccer must really be a lot of hard work!” because she knows how challenging my workouts are. Later we did some stretching together and she was so excited when I let her use my foam roll. I am proud that I am able to teach my children about being healthy by example. I am walking the walk.

So even though these six weeks are coming to an end, my journey is not. My husband and I were having a conversation about things we’d like to do “someday”. I have always really wanted to go to Hawaii; so I threw it out there. “If I get down to my goal and am looking fine, will you take me to Hawaii?” He said if I can keep this up that “yes” he will take me to Hawaii. Here it is in writing and I’m going to hold him to his word. I have signed up for 2 more JDC sessions so next time you see me say “Aloha!”

Coppell Boot Camp - Boot Camper of The Day

Wednesday, September 21st

Congratulations to Boot Camper of The Day Allison McAuliffe!!

Great job on the workout today. You give your best during every workout and it is nice to see how you have progressed and changed so much in just a few short months. Way to be an inspiration and show others what is possible with a little hard work and dedication!

Highland Village PM - Boot Campers of the Day

Tuesday, September 20th

Congratulations to Jaime Fechter & Kalpana Kelkar .Congrats on rocking Feet Elevated Pushups for all 3 rounds. Awesome!

Dawn - Great effort and intent on the finisher. I like the way you were determined to finish YOUR set. Me saying done meant nothing to you and that is exactly the type of attitude it takes to get the body and performance you want. Way to go!

Highland Village PM - Boot Camper of the Day

Monday, September 19th

Congrats to Boot Camper Of The Day Powerhouse Rookie, Tina!!

She bumped up to Level 3 on all four exercises in the finisher and did an outstanding job during the strength portion of the workout as well.

Shout outs also go to: Tricia for her perfect push ups, Aleya for tearing up some X Body Mountain Climbers and Tanya for her deep deep squats!

Great job to all last night!

Simple Body Transformation Approach

Making Body Transformation Simple – The Four Factor

If you want to transform your body by losing fat and increasing muscle definition, it can sometimes be challenging to channel all of the advice, excitement, and anxiety into a simple, effective plan of attack. Here are the four areas you need to have nailed down to enjoy a simple and effective body transformation- without the unnecessary stress.

#1: Weekly Regimen
First determine how many strength and cardio workouts you need to complete each week. In general, you will need 2-3 strength workouts and up to 3 interval workouts. Once you determine what your weekly workouts will be, schedule them in your week- ideally with at least a day between strength workouts. Put your workouts on your calendar like any other important appointment and now all you have to do is show up.

#2: Nutrition Approach
How are you going to approach nutrition? Will you be eating 4 meals a day or 6? Will you be having starches with all of your meals or only some? Which meals will you have starch with? How often will you splurge? Define your nutrition plan. Don’t leave anything out. Once you know what your plan is, you won’t have to wonder how you are doing in the area of nutrition. You are either following your plan or you aren’t. The simplest place to start is by eating meals that contain protein and produce every 3-4 hours, eliminating refined starches and added sugar, and drinking plenty of water. Once your results slow down following this approach (our Phase 1 nutrition approach), it may be time to look at carbohydrate timing and other more advanced nutrition strategies.

#3: Food Prep Strategy
Now that you know what you are going to be eating, you have to make sure that you have the right foods available at the right time. Without a food prep strategy, you are destined to fall off the nutrition wagon quickly. There are many food prep strategies that you can employ. A few popular ones are the Sunday ritual, the Twice Weekly Ritual, and the Cook Double Ritual. For the Sunday Ritual you cook all of your meals and snacks for an entire week, package them in individual containers and then store them in the fridge and/or freezer. The Twice Weekly Ritual is similar to the Sunday ritual only you prepare less food since you will complete the ritual twice. The Cook Double Ritual is where you cook twice the amount you need at each dinner and pack the leftovers for the next day’s lunch. Your personality and food preferences will determine which ritual works best for you but the most important thing is to pick one and stick to it. If it doesn’t work for you, pick another.

#4: Tracking Method
To reduce the severity of your ride on the emotional rollercoaster that can sometimes come along with a body transformation, pick at least one tracking method for both your actions and your outcomes. This helps you minimize the amount of times you will find yourself saying, “I don’t know I just FEEL like I’m not doing so well. I mean I haven’t cheated or anything but I just FEEL like I could be making more progress faster”. Tracking what you have done and the results your actions have produced makes it a lot easier to determine if you are getting results and what actions are contributing to your rapid results or lack thereof. You can use a journal to record your meals and workouts to easily assess how closely you stuck to your plan or use our Boot Camp Scorecard to get your total daily points based on your workouts and nutrition. To measure your outcome, you can watch our Self Measurement Video on the member blog and track your circumference measurements and weight or have your boot camp coach take your progress pictures every 4-6 weeks. One of my personal favorite outcome tracking methods is the “jeans method”. Get a pair of jeans that are too tight (preferably ones that don’t button). Try those on every 2 weeks and note how the fit changes. Regardless of what the scale says, you will know you have made progress when you can confidently rock those jeans outside.

Now you see, losing fat and transforming your body can be a simple and manageable task when you use our Four Factor approach.

Coppell Boot Camp - Boot Camper of The Day

Coppell - Monday Boot Camper of the Day


Congratulations to Chloe Fernandez. She rocked out the cardio portion....even doing it by herself!!!

Boot Camp Transformation Challenge

Another boot camp transformation challenge coming your way!

Fall Fat Loss Frenzy Transformation Contest

Jaime achieved these results following our Phase 1 (least restrictive) nutrition plan in six weeks. What could your six week results look like? Get involved in our challenge to find out!

Register Now!

6-Week Boot Camp Transformation Contest
Registration: September – 19th – 29th
Contest Period: October 1st – November 12th
$59 covers your registration for the contest even if you want to compete in both divisions!

Two Ways to Compete

Division #1: Lose the Fat - Have extra pounds you want to shed? Get involved in our Fat Loss Frenzy contest today to give yourself the extra accountability and support as well as a deadline to get serious about losing the fat now.

Division #2: Get Fit - No weight to lose or want to get better athetically? Compete in our performance division of the contest. Complete our boot camp challenge workout at the kickoff meeting. Train hard in the weeks to follow. Complete the same workout again at our finale meeting. The person who improves the most is the winner.

What You Get:
Personalized Nutrition Approach
3 Saturday Boot Camp Challenge Workouts
Chance to Win $500* Cash Prize for Best Aesthetic Transformation
Chance to Win $500* Cash Prize for Best Athletic Improvement
Chance to Win Additional Weekly Prizes During the Contest
Plenty of Inspiration and Incentive to Do Your Best

Rules:
All contest pictures will be taken in a sports bra and mid thigh length shorts or 2-piece bathing suit (contestant choice).

Boot Camp Challenge workout will be used to determine the best athletic improvement. The same weight and exercise progression with each exercise must be used for the first and last workout to ensure proper scoring.

Before and after pictures and/or before and after performance stats of contest winners will be published to Fit Club blog and Facebook Fan page and used in other marketing materials.

All other contestant before and after pictures will only be posted to Fit Club blog and Facebook Fan Page with permission.

Permission to post pictures is not required for participation or to be eligible for prizes during the contest (however as stated above Grand Prize winner pictures and/or performance stats will be posted).

Contest will be judged by Fit Club coaches and panel of anonymous judges.

Attendance at bonus Saturday workouts is optional and not mandatory to be eligible for prizes.

Fit Club reserves the right to change dates and times of contest meetings and will make every effort to provide ample advance notice of such changes.

*$500 cash prize is contingent upon getting a minimum participation of 35 contestan

Boot Camp Transformation Challenge Winners

Boot Camp Transformation Challenge Winners

Kuddos to all of the boot camp transformation challenge participants who completed the challenge. Our top 3 boot camp transformations were:

Amanada Thrasher (pictured above)

Jaime Fechter

Lynn McCoy

I have cash prizes for you ladies. Can't wait to see you in class! Congratulations!

Coppell Boot Camp- Boot Camper of the Day

Congratulations to Leslee Johnson!.

Leslee you ROCKED this morning. You rocked the Spartacus workout and your level 3 Jumping Jacks & Star Jump combos were extremely IMPRESSIVE. Way to end your first week with a bang. Great job!

Coppell Boot Camp - Boot Camper of the Day

Coppell- Wednesday Boot Camper of the Day

Congrats to Jada Burton!! Way to go with GREAT effort in the workout. Also GREAT job on getting your friends to join you in class!

Highland Village Boot Camper of the Day

Highland Village - Tuesday Boot Camper of the Day

Congratulations Sheila Mahoney!!!

Great workout Sheila. The one word that can describe your workout is TENACITY. Way to see it through until the end. Good job!

Highland Village PM Boot Camp - Boot Camper of the Day

Congratulations goes to Boot Campers Of The Day Tina and Heika.

They picked up on form corrections and absolutely killed this workout. They had some of the deepest squats from newbies I've ever seen.

Awesome job to all last night! The energy was outstanding.

Coppell Boot Camp - Boot Camper of the Day

Coppell - Monday Boot Camper of the Day

Congratulations Ebony Carrington.
Great first day. Every exercise done with perfect form and lots of great questions. Way to get engaged Ebony. Good workout!

Highland Village AM Boot Camper of the Day

Tuesday, August 30th
 
Congrats goes to Daryl Currie for rocking some long lever side planks with the knee ins.  Great energy from all this morning!

 

*Amye and Sheila increased their single leg bent knee deadlifts by 10% this phase.  All four ladies increased the number of times they got through on the finisher by 10%.  Kalpana increased her burpees by 10% as well.

Highland Village PM Boot Campers of the Day

Monday, August 29th
 
Congrats Diane Thrasher & Aleya McGill!  Both of you ladies have come so far in the few months you have been in Fit Club.  It is inspiring to watch your progress.  Both of you killed tonight's workout- especially everyone's "favorite" exercise- burpees!  Way to go ladies!

 

Coppell Boot Camper of the Day

Monday, August 29th
 
Congrats Randee Ward! 
Level three with perfect form on everything...super high intensity!

Highland Village PM Boot Camper of the Day

Thursday, August 25th
 
Congrats Diane Thrasher!  This girl fights to the end.  There were at least three instances where she held either a pushup hold or squat until her arms or legs were trembling and finally gave out on her.  Her determination was contagious.  Everyone did an outstanding job last night.

Coppell Boot Camper of the Day

Friday, August 26th
 
Congrats Swathi Konkipudi...awesome intensity!  Very impressive progress in a very short time.

Highland Village AM Boot Camper of the Day

Tuesday, August 23rd
 

Congrats goes to Sheila Mahoney!.  She was moving and giving her all the ENTIRE workout.  Awesome job!

Coppell Boot Camper of the Day

Friday, August 19th
 

Congrats Randee Ward.  Welcome back to class Randee.  YOu did a rocking job on today's workout especially the clapping pushups and single leg burpees with a tuck jump.  Way to go! 

 

Highland Village PM Boot Campers of the Day

Thursday, August 18th
 

Congrats to Kelli Podeyn and Amanda Thatcher.  They both maintained a high level of energy and intensity throught the workout.  Kelli embraced all the challenges given to her and Amanda was unmatched in encouraging and supporting her teammate.  Great job ladies.

Coppell Boot Camper of the Day

Wednesday, August 17th
 

Congrats Allison McAuliffe.  Way to "take a stand" in your workout today.  You had great intensity and killed the I Go / You Go Conditioning.  Nice job!

 

 

 

Highland Village AM Boot Campers of the Day

Tuesday, August 16th
 
Congrats to All:
Kalpana Kelkar

Jaime Fechter

Daryl Currie

Katie Murph

Jessica

Kris

Amy

Renata Saldanna

Sheila

 

It was a busy morning with a lot going on but everyone worked really hard and made the most of the workout.  Veterans all showed high energy and fantastic form and the newbies jumped right in and did an awesome job all around.

Coppell Boot Camper of the Day

Monday, August 15th
 
Congrats Allison McAuliffe!
Level three with correct form on everything - she was crazy focused!
 

Boot Camp Transformation - Behind the Scenes with Jaime Fechter

Jaime's Week 4 Recap- The Going Got Tough!!

Week 4 of the JDC proved to be a difficult one. Thus far I think I have done fairly well following the nutrition plan. Friday night my husband and I had a well-deserved, long overdue date night. We went to one of our favorite Italian restaurants. Up until then anytime I had gone out (which truthfully, doesn’t happen often) I had strategically planned out where I would go and what I would order ahead of time. But Friday was a busy day and it was hard enough just getting out the door, so we showed up to the restaurant and I was not prepared. There were definitely some healthy options, but I couldn’t resist, I caved. I ordered one of my favorite pasta dishes that is covered in a delicious cream sauce and cheese. I also ate the bread, it was so good. After the first few bites though, I started to get really mad at myself. All this hard work I’ve been putting in and I’m going to un-do it with one meal, in less than an hour??? So I ate a small portion and then pushed the plate away. Next time I will be stronger and more prepared!

Tuesday morning I slept through my boot camp workout. I have no excuse, just slept right through the alarm. So I was glad that I still had the JDC workout that evening. When I got Concita’s email canceling our JDC workout due to the extreme heat, I was really disappointed. I am a little embarrassed to admit this, but the old me would have jumped for joy to have a workout cancelled. In these past few weeks I have really come to enjoy working out. Of course I didn’t have to be disappointed for long; Concita provided us a killer workout to do at home.

These changes that I’ve been making are really starting to take hold and I will continue to do my best to embrace this new lifestyle.

To see what Jaime has to say in a live interview CLICK THE LINK TO JAIME'S VIDEO NOW!

To read what Jaime said last week CLICK THE LINK TO READ JAIME'S POST FROM LAST WEEK

Boot Camp Transformation - Behind the Scenes with Jaime Fechter

Jaime's Recap of Her Experience at the End of Week 3 of the Jean Drop Challenge

So here we are wrapping up the first half of the Jean Drop Challenge already. While it has definitely been intense (my shins still ache from Saturday’s hill sprints) it has not been as hard as I expected it to be.

I am finding the nutrition plan to be completely do-able. I am eating more food than I used to and the quality of what I’m eating has definitely improved. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s easy. Friday I would have given my left arm for something either greasy or chocolaty, but I fought through the cravings and didn’t give in. Saturday morning when I tried on my goal jeans and they fit, comfortably fit, I knew that my results were worth the fight. Seeing consistent progress is a huge motivator.

Another tool that has proved invaluable is the food journal. I was leery about keeping this at first, frankly it just sounded like an awful lot of work. Besides, I had tried it before and it never worked. But, I had never before had to actually turn them in for someone else to review and provide feedback. This is key. It makes me think twice before actually putting something in my mouth. Do I REALLY want to write “one handful of potato chips” or “the leftover half of my daughter’s unfinished cookie”??? I don’t think so…I’ll have an apple and some yogurt instead! Not to mention the feedback that is given is truly helpful.

To see what Jaime has to say in a live interview CLICK THE LINK TO JAIME'S VIDEO NOW!

Boot Camp Transformation-Behind the Scenes with Jaime Fechter

Often times we browse fitness websites and see amazing before and after pictures and wonder just how that person got the results. We imagine that they are somehow different from us- that something about their lives makes it easier for them to achieve the results we want- that somehow their journey was flawless and smooth. Jaime Fecther, one of our boot camp stars from the Highland Village class has so graciously allowed us to take you behind the scenes of her transformation journey- the good, the bad, and the ugly. Stay tuned to read all about (and watch too) her amazing transformation journey.... Without further ado....I am pleased to introduce......


Jaime Fechter

Highland Village PM Boot Camper of the Day

Thursday, August 4th
 

Congrats Kelli Podeyn for her unwavering intensity throughout the entire gut-wrenching, boot camp survivor workout.  And especially for pushing so hard on the hip bridge chest presses with 20lb db's.  You could tell it was incredibly difficult but this girl fought through.  Awesome job to everyone last night.  Recovery week is well-deserved for all.

Highland Village AM Boot Camper of the Day

Thursday, August 4th
 

Congrats goes to Lynn for joining us for the first time so early in the morning and for not giving up when the squat to presses got harder than she initially thought she could handle.  Fantastic job to all the ladies this morning for the high energy.  Everyone's high knees were definitely HIGH KNEES!  I loved it!

Highland Village AM Boot Camper of the Day

Tuesday, August 2nd
 

Congrats goes to Allison McAuliffe.  She pushed hard the entire workout and then stomped on the gas pedal and gave 110% on the last two exercises in the finisher.  This girl is determined to her reach her goals!

Highland Village PM Boot Camper of the Day

Monday, August 1st
 
Congrats Jenise Cerna - Welcome to the 15 pound club Jenise.  Jenise experienced her first workout with the 15 pounders and kept great form the entire time through the tough Back to the Basics Body Blitz workout.  Way to go Jenise!

 

Coppell Boot Campers of the Day

Monday, August 1st

Congrats Jennifer Killam & Catherine Davis -  Great partner work and intensity throughout the entire workout.  Way to go ladies.

 

Coppell Boot Camper of the Day

Friday, July 29th
 
Congrats Catherine Johnston- You have improved so much over the weeks you have been in camp and today's performance was another display of your progress.  Also great job on the "dance break" today.  You got us all excited.  Way to go!

 

Highland Village PM Boot Camper of the Day

Thursday, July 28th
 
Congrats to the burpee queen that wouldn't quit...Diane Thrasher!  She did full burpees all 4 rounds of this difficult workout. 

Highland Village AM Boot Camper of the Day

Thursday, July 28th
 

Congrats Allison McAuliffe- Allison has come a long way since starting and rocked out her single leg burpees- quite impressive since she started with level one burpees just a few weeks ago.

 

Boot Camp Transformation - Karen Robert

Highland Village Boot Camper Karen Roberts Describes Her Body Transformation Journey



Watch fellow Great Shape Fit Club boot camp member explain her progression from oblivious eater to Boot Camp Super Star and see her amazing transformation pictures that prove she is not all talk. We are proud of you Karen

Nutrition Self-Coaching Made Easy

How to Be Your Own Nutrition Coach
Easily Identify Your Next Step When You Want Better Results

It is inevitable that at some point during your body transformation journey that you will want better results. You may not lose as quickly as you like or worst yet you may be gaining. Experiencing less than satisfactory results can send the most level headed woman running fast in the direction of excessive workouts, an extreme diet or her doctor in hopes to discover the hormonal abnormality that is responsible for the disappointing results often before taking a really honest, hard look at her nutrition habits. Below I will share the most common causes for slow results that I see when coaching women in search of body transformation. Assuming you are already following our Great Shape Nutrition Guidelines for rapid fat loss by eating frequent, protein and produce based meals, here are the top four habits that can be holding you back.

Results Killer #1: You are splurging more than you realize.

Diagnosing the Problem: Get clear on what is allowed on your plan and then track your meals. Be sure to record every non-compliant meal. At the end of the week, tally your total number of meals and your total number of non-compliant meals. If your non-compliance meals were more than 10% of your meals, you have found your problem.

Fixing the Problem: Increasing your compliance- just stop splurging so much. Get recipes from your coach for foods you will enjoy. Prepare them in advance and take them with you. Find out what you can eat on the go. Whatever is causing you to splurge so much, fix it so that you can get results.

Results Killer #2: You are eating too much.

Diagnosing the Problem: Are you seldom hungry? Is it hard for you to accurately describe “how much” of something you ate when you write in your journal? These are signs that you may be overeating. I don’t advocate counting calories to start or even measuring all of your food but you should use some of the easy methods described in the Portion Control article to ensure you are eating appropriate portions at each meal. If you are rarely hungry when it is time to eat, you are probably eating too much. If your meals are already very small and you are still not hungry, you probably require more advanced nutritional coaching to help you get your metabolism on track as being able to eat nearly nothing without hunger is a sure sign of a sluggish metabolism.

Fixing the Problem: Eat a little less than you usually do and start by reducing your portions of starchy carbohydrates. Don’t eliminate them- simply reduce the quantity. Keep your protein and vegetable servings the same. If this doesn’t fix the lack of hunger and results issue, reduce your protein portions by a little. If eating too much was the problem, these fixes should yield noticeable results in just two weeks.

Results Killer #3: You aren’t eating enough.

Diagnosing the Problem: Are you hungry all the time- even within an hour of eating? Do you feel so sluggish that even basic daily activities feel like a chore? Do you feel that the only way to get the weight off is to eat less? If you are experiencing extreme hunger and lethargy or believe that the only way to your goal is to starve off the weight, you are probably sabotaging your progress by eating to little. If you don’t eat enough, your body will store every morsel you eat in order to survive. Although we want to look great, our body is concerned primarily with surviving and will fight to do that if you are underfeeding yourself.

Fixing the Problem: Eat a little more than you normally do. Increase the portion of your protein at each meal. If this doesn’t fix the hunger and lethargy problem, increase your starchy carbohydrate portions next. Finally, increase your intake of vegetables if needed.

Results Killer #4: Your nutrition habits vary wildly from day to day.

Diagnosing the Problem: Write down what you eat and how much for three days and then compare. Are your meal types, times, and amounts all over the map? If so, your body is staying the same because you are not giving it clear, consistent instructions on what you want it to do. The way you eat (how much, when, which nutrients) are simply instructions and you are confusing your body into homeostasis.

Fixing the Problem: Develop a routine that fits your lifestyle and then follow it consistently. This doesn’t mean you have to eat the same exact meals daily but you do want to be fairly consistent with your habits so that your body can respond to your instructions.

If you have attacked the apparent root issue of your slow results and are still dissatisfied, it may be time to get granular with your approach. Consult your fitness professional for help with estimating your daily caloric needs and your portions of meat, starch, and vegetables at each meal. Measure your food in advance and stick to your plan. If you follow this approach for more than 2-4 weeks with little to no results then it is indeed time to head to the doctor and find out if there is an underlying medical issue preventing you from having the body transformation you are working so hard to achieve.

Boot Camp 6-Week Challenge - Jean Drop Challenge PLUS

Great Shape Fit Club Boot Camp announces....

The Jean Drop Challenge PLUS

The wildly popular Jean Drop Challenge is back with a twist. Drop a jean size in six weeks with our limited time group training option. If you have let the lazy days of summer get too lazy and need to get yourself back in shape to fit the jeans in your closet in time for fall, been skipping your workouts (or just going through the motions), need more accountability with your nutrition, or just need an excuse to get laser focused long enough to get some serious results, this program may be for you! We will combine tough boot camp style strength training workouts with the crazy cardio conditioning of the original Jean Drop Challenge training program to give you an unaparalleled experience guaranteed to get you in your skinny jeans in time for football games in the fall.

What is included?

Personal Fitness and Nutrition Consultation

Individualized Nutrition Approach
Two Weekly Group Training Sessions

Off Day Workout Manuals
Mandatory Weekly Food Journal Accountability
Kitchen Clean Sweep Instructions & Follow Up
Mastering Your Motivation Video Lesson
Conquering Self Sabotage Video Lesson
Food Labels 101 Video Lesson
Healthy Fast Food Video Lesson
Celebratory Jean Shopping Trip
Results, Skills, and Empowerment to achieve any other goals you have in life

Where do we train?
Coppell Dance Centre. There may also be outdoor workouts incorporated throughout the program at various locations in Coppell. These will be announced in advance.

When do we start?
Our kickoff meeting will be on Saturday, August 27th at 8am. However, each participant will need to conduct a private consultation meeting with Concita prior to the kickoff meeting. Individual nutrition consultations will take place on August 15th – August 26th so register early to be all set to hit the ground running at the start of the challenge. The challenge runs from August 29th through October 6th. Our shopping trip will be Friday, October 7th at 6:30pm.

Workouts are Tuesday and Thursday morning at 9am.

What is my investment?
Two weekly training sessions with a fitness professional, an individualized nutrition plan, off day workouts, as well as the constant accountability built into this program could easily cost over $1000 for six weeks. However, I have no desire for you to pay $1000. Since you will train with a group and I am motivated to take a small group of action takers on this journey to inspire and motivate other women to achieve the same thing, I am offering this program for only $249 (this will include your classes, nutrition plan, and weekly accountability and feedback). If dropping your jean size and finally taking back control of your body and your life is a priority for you, then you can't afford to miss this opportunity.

EARLY REGISTRATION BONUS - TWO CHANCES TO SAVE:

Dead Serious About Results Deadline (August 4th): Register before my Grandpa’s birthday (August 4th) and receive $100 off, a personalized weekly fitness plan, and a copy of my book, Emergency Fitness Plan to use for your off day workouts or to gift to a friend.

Determined to Get in Shape This Time Deadline (August 16th):Register before my wedding anniversary (August 16th) and receive $50 off.

Times are tough…is there any way to invest less and still have this opportunity? Sure- act fast and bring a friend!

THE FIRST FAST FACT ACTING BUDDIES (1 GROUP) TO REGISTER BEFORE AUGUST 4TH WILL BE ALLOWED TO COMBINE THE DISCOUNTS AND EXPERIENCE THIS PROGRAM FOR ONLY $99! Buddy discount and early action bonuses can be combined between August 5th and August 16th.

MY GUARANTEE: I promise that if you follow this program, you will see results. I am so confident in this program that if you do not see results, I will give you your money back. I know that if you give it your all, you will get results. All it takes is your best effort.