In his book, “The Perfect Day Formula,” author Craig Ballantyne discusses what he calls the 5 Pillars of Transformation. These are common threads across hundreds of success stories – whether that’s something like success in one’s profession or finances or spiritual growth or, in our case: success in physical and mental transformation. Reading through these pillars: Which ones are […]
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Can’t quite do a Push-Up? Try THIS, not that.
A Push-Up is one of those coveted exercises that, if you’re not able to do one, is usually a milestone goal. It’s one of the ultimate bodyweight moves since it not only strengthens your pushing muscles (chest, triceps, front of shoulders) but, when done properly, is really a total body workout. You may have been taught language like “real push-up” […]
Do you like to win?
Winning or losing isn’t just the outcome of a series of activities. It’s not about simply winning or losing at a competition. Winning’s about winning behaviors. When we switch our mindset to behaviors we can win, the outcome takes care of itself. It could be as simple as: Setting your clothes out the night before so […]
3 Unconventional Ab Exercises (SWAP YOUR SIT-UPS).
If you hear ‘ab exercise,’ you may think of the dreaded Sit-Ups or Crunches. What if we told you you could have rock hard abs, a flat stomach and (most importantly) a strong, functional core….without doing a single Sit-Up? Our members know that at Valeo, we rarely (if ever) do sit-ups or crunches. Why, might you ask? We train the […]
Establishing healthy routines when you don’t really want to. :P
Many of us enter a new year set on getting into the groove of healthy eating or exercise or just plain trying to get back on a routine again. For some, the word ‘routine’ is exciting and signals a sense of relief. For others, it bubbles up aversions where we think confinement and robotic living. And the rest of us, we […]
When holiday splurges become set patterns…recognize & regroup.
HABITS EITHER HELP OR HINDER. This statement was like a little gut-punch when I first read it. This holiday season, we all have things we’re doing that might not be in our norm. A few more cocktails than normal. A few later nights than we’re used to. An extra helping (or three) of Aunt Kathy’s […]
Getting back into the groove of healthy eating? Start with a SCRAMBLE.
We all too often overcomplicate healthy eating and when we start looking at all the recipe books, diet plans, Pinterest boards, friend’s recommendations and other info flying at us every day, it can cause paralysis by analysis. Anyone ever been there? You’re not sure where to start or you know creating a lavish meal with specialty ingredients just isn’t […]
…but what do you do for CARDIO?!
Being a weight training-focused facility, some people have asked “but what do you do for cardio?” You see, we don’t have rows and rows of treadmills or spin bikes or ellipticals. All those things can be useful to a degree (if you like them) but science and our own experience tell us that spiking the metabolism and improving the cardiovascular system *with weights* […]
Should you exercise when sick? (handy Infographic inside)
‘Tis the season we tend to see more sore throats, runny noses, body aches and fevers roaming around our homes and communities. Blame it on the colder weather hampering our defenses, an increased number of people inside sharing warm air spaces or the fact our seasonally-increased sugar consumption results in weakened immune function, but viruses […]
Travel Workouts: 1 Bodyweight & 1 Kettlebell
It’s that time of year when many of us travel and our normal exercise regimens get thrown for a loop. It’s totally ok for your training to take a backseat for a bit, but the savvy athlete can easily maintain his or her gains with quick, simple workouts (that can be done anywhere). Members, ask for […]
When the journey feels messy…
Mike and I just returned from California from an an incredible weekend masterminding with some of the top gym owners in the industry who, like us, are on a mission to change the way fitness is done. While listening to their stories, I was reminded again and again how success, in really any endeavor, may look (to us on […]