If you’re hoping I tell you to stop having fun on the weekends I’ve got some disappointing news for you.

I love my weekends. I work hard and I play hard. I go to parties, concerts, festivals, spend time with family, occasionally Imbibe, enjoy my hobbies and go out to eat. What I do not do is lose my self discipline over the weekend and undo all my hard work.  Below I will be cover 6 key points to a successful weekend.

#1 Who you surround yourself with.

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”-Jim Rohn

You become who you surround yourself with. Sometimes we outgrow friends in life, or our lifestyles are no longer congruent with those who we spend our time with. Make friends and surround yourself with those who have a similar vision and goals on life as you do.

Ask yourself.

*What kind of person do I want to be?

*Are the people with who you spend the most time with congruent with who you want to be?

#2 Prepare.

“If you fail to prepare you prepare to fail.”

Have a game plan for your weekends. Just as you do for you weekdays, except the weekend has more freedom! Its up to you how you use this freedom.

Reprogram your subconscious mind for success. Every Thursday night(or every night) before going to bed visualize what you want your weekend to look like.  Be specific and your subconscious will help you get there faster.

You’ve sold yourself on showing up to work Mon-Fri, now you’ve gotta sell yourself on eating healthy and being active. You’ve lost the accountability and schedule of a work day, so this has to be your idea, and you have to mean it! You will find your weekends a lot more enjoyable and full-filling when you have a game plan and you will have a lot more energy if you eat healthy and plan your meals as well.

Check out www.amplifiedfitness.net/recipes for lots of great and easy recipe ideas!

*Do you struggle with meal prep or would you simply like to buy your time and have someone do it for you? Great, Amplified fitness has got your back. www.amplifiedfitness.net/nutrition

 #3 Alcohol

This could be an entire blog post on its own. Good thing I’ve already written one.

http://amplifiedfitness.net/2015/07/getdrunknotfat/

www.getdrunknotfat.com

 #4 Social events

Here’s a little tip for you. Eat your healthy planned meal before leaving. (Remember you plan your weekends now.) Socializing doesn’t have to be about eating. This way you won’t be going to the party wanting to stuff your face, or you can order a very modest portion if you are going to a restaurant.  I often drink a protein shake before going to a restaurant to avoid arriving hungry, otherwise, game over.  Bring on the unlimited basket chips and butter rolls!

That bowl of chips and dip laid out on the counter won’t be teasing you all night and you won’t be having a mental tug-a-war if you leave not feeling hungry. “But what about all the people that offer me drinks and food?” The cool thing about nutrition is you are in control. If you want to accept, accept. If you don’t want to then don’t. You are not a people pleaser. You are a focused individual, that is relentless about their goals and dreams! If someone gets upset for you not accepting their food then they have their own issues to deal with.   Don’t live by other people’s values. Set your own values and expectations of your life and meet them.

 #5 Do you work out?

Working out, not just for the weekdays. If you struggle with bad habits on the weekends then you need to start working out on the weekends.  I know it helps me knowing I have a workout at 9:00A.M Saturday morning to help me stay focused and prevent me from drinking too much alcohol or eating too much crappy food. You will learn that the hard way if you show up to workout after a crappy night of eating and/or drinking.

#6 Don’t deprive/under-eat during the weekdays.

This one could an entire blog post itself so I won’t go into too much detail here.(new content idea!).

You should be training to fuel your body, not deprive it. Eat enough calories and small indulgences so by the time the weekend comes you are not mentally vulnerable and ready to ravage and entire pint of Ben and Jerry’s. If you’re finding yourself super disciplined during the weekdays then feeling very vulnerable during the weekends that is a sign you are under eating and depriving yourself.

*Our coaches can get you on a done for you meal plan specific to your body and goals.

www.amplifiedfitness.net/nutrition

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Good Timber

by Douglas Malloch

The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease:
The stronger wind, the stronger trees;
The further sky, the greater length;
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth,
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.

Wow another amazing month!  Its going to be hard to keep this short.

Chris doing her first workout with a barbell!

Manny’s 1 year anniversary at Amplified Fitness was at Amplified Fitness this montht!  He’s lost 64lbs and is an absolute beast in the gym. Its been amazing and a privilege to be apart of his journey. More importantly he’s created a lifestyle change. He has definitely worked for it and embraced the Amplified Philosophy.

One of our March reviews!

*Fit for spring 4 week challenge starts Monday April 11th.  Click the picture for more information

Amber hit her 6 month Gymniversary and has lost 53lbs! Even more important, more important than the lbs lost, the weights lifted and the personal records set is her commitment to making a fitness lifestyle and the habits she has developed.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Our member of the month for March was Katie Prawitt!  I could make an entire highlight real of just for her 😉  You can read her story here.

http://amplifiedfitness.net/2016/02/march-member-month/

Another March Review.

Jason got his double unders down!  There’s a video out there of it somewhere 😉

Susan was announced as member of the month for April.  We are all very proud of her and so is her family!

You can read her story here.

http://amplifiedfitness.net/2016/03/april-member-month/

Another March Review

Nicole, 4 months pregnant and lifting for two!  She’s stayed consistent through her pregnancy.  So inspirational!

I decided to add this to the highlight real because we are all at different stages in our fitness level. Maybe you just set a personal record on your 6th ultra ironman. Or maybe you have lost enough weight and gained enough energy to clean your entire house! Either one you should be incredible proud of yourself. Celebrate every amount of progress no matter how small or large. Embrace the journey and the hustle.

Another March review

Denise has been working really hard in our beginners program and this month she deadlifted with a barbell for the first time!

Michelle mother of 4 showing hard work does pay off!

Our fit for spring challenge starts April 11th click the picture to learn more.

Coach and owner Thomas Went out to the Fitness Business Summit in Irvine California and brought back a wealth of knowledge to keep Amplified Fitness on the cutting edge of the fitness industry.

We kicked the month off with a jump rope challenge!  Anyone that completed the challenge had their proceeds donated towards the humane society of Utah.  Here are a few of the challenge completions!

April’s member of the month is Susan McHenry!

Which charity have you chosen for Amplified Fitness to donate to and why? 

Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (my brother-in-law is suffering with this).   This affects the young and old and slowly kills those who have it.

A brief history at Amplified Fitness.

Tell us how you got started and your experience.

Over two years ago, I knew that I needed to do something to improve my quality of life then and for the future.  I had never exercised, play sports, etc. I looked and felt like a “little butter ball”.  When looking at KSL.com classified ads I  saw Amplified Fitness several times, but didn’t call.  One day I told myself if I saw the ad again I would call.  I did see the ad and called.  I started with Tom doing one-on-one training for six months.  I was uncoordinated, and had no strength or flexibility.  I know I frustrated Tom(no you didn’t!) because I was so uncoordinated, I was a mess.  However, slowly I made progress and tried a group class.  I only attend three times weekly.   However, in the last months I’ve tried to go at least of four or five times a week, workout in the early mornings and this is working for me.  I’ve raised myself to a newer level and feel great!

I’ve lost almost 50 pounds, many, many inches and have gained more strength, flexibility and the most important part is that I feel so much better.  Also, a new wardrobe hasn’t been bad either!!!

Favorite movement(s)?  I would say bench press, because I just recently added chains and that seems cool to me!  Silly I know

Least favorite movement? Least favorite workout?  Wall Balls and the assault bike.

Current goals?

 Keep up my attendance to 4 or 5 times weekly and doing the best I can in every workout.  Working out is also a mental workout and keeping myself in the right mental frame of mind is always a priority.  My example, has an impact on my husband, children, grandchildren and friends and I want to always set the example.

Anything else you want to share about yourself: what you do for fun, what you do for work?  For fun I enjoy quilting.  I’ve made hundreds of quilts, to me I see beauty in fabric and what I can do with it.  I also love reading and road trips with my husband.  I currently work only to keep me in fabric at a Charter High School (AMES) and work with students in the Counseling Office while they apply to college, and scholarship applications.  I love working with the young people!

What keeps you keep coming back for more?

I never want to lose the ground I’ve gained in the last two years.  I’m going to be fit, and strong for myself and family for the rest of my life.

*Susan with head coach and owner Thomas after a tough workout!

What do you like most about Amplified Fitness?

 The feeling, that everyone can succeed and do their best.  I will never keep up with a much younger person, but I can succeed at my level.  The gym is clean.  The music has much to be desired, but that’s my age showing!!!  

If you had to, every morning before you were allowed to leave your house do 1000 calories on the assault bike or 500 wall balls?

 Are you kidding?  I guess I would do the wall balls, but I would never get to leave it would take me FOREVER to do 500 wall balls and all my strength and time.

What Would You Tell Someone That Was Considering Joining Amplified Fitness? 

I would tell people and have told people, join and take advantage of the trainers and equipment and do the best they can.  Don’t compare yourself to others.

Consideration for beginners.

#1 Take Action!

Nothing will ever be perfect.  Never will it be a perfect time to start.  Don’t be a gatherer of information only to think about it and do nothing.  The #1 tip for beginners is to get started.

#2 Mindset.

Success starts in your head.  You have to believe in yourself. The desire for change has to be greater than the want to stay the same. Ask yourself why change is important to you? Sure you may want to lose some fat and tone up, but why? To live longer? To age gracefully? To have more energy to put into your career? To see your grandkids grow-up? To attract the best partner in life? To be the best version of you? Find out what the deep motivating factor(s) is for you, believe in yourself and you are on the right path to achieving your fitness goals.

 

#3. Intensity levels.

Don’t be a wuss but you need to ease yourself into training especially the first 2-4/weeks, and especially if you’ve been sedentary for 5+ years. You may have a burst of motivation right now only to have it diminished by trying to do to much too soon. Don’t be a hero. I know this is hard, especially if we were in really good shape at one point. Jog before you sprint, maybe you need to do your pushups off your knees, maybe you need do bodyweight squats before you put a bar on your back. Save the heart bursting, lung burning, red line workouts once you’ve established a base.  On a scale of 1-10 via the rating of perceived exertion I recommend keeping yourself in the 5-7 range in your first two weeks of training and then 7-8 in weeks 3 and 4.

#4 Technique.

You’re a beginner, good! Which means you’ve developed very few bad habits in your technique. You’re a fresh ball of clay ready to be molded. I love when I have a fresh new trainee void of years of doing things incorrectly. Take this to your advantage as a beginner and learn to do things correctly.

#5 Think long term.

Fitness is a lifestyle not a short term endeavor. No one has developed a fitness lifestyle in a matter of weeks or months. The sooner that you can understand how to create a program for long term success and do the things that come along with that, such as proper nutrition, movement prep, and passive recovery, the more successful you will be.

To give you an example of proper programming here is one of many ways it can be setup. This way you see all the major muscles are being hit and allowed 48-72 hours of recovery. One workout does not significantly Hinder another.

Mon-Repetition effort Chest, triceps, deltoids

Tues-Strength lower body

Weds-Endurance/Cardio

Thurs-Strength-Horizontal and Vertical pulling Strength

Fri-Strength Horizontal and Vertical Pushing 

Sat-Endurance and/or mobility/Flexibility(We do Yin yoga at Amplified Fitness)

Sun-Rest.

January’s member of the month is Debbie!  Congratulations Debbie!  We are so grateful to have you as part of our community.  It has been a blast watching you transform!

A brief history at Amplified Fitness.
Tell us how you got started and your experience.

      I fount out about Amplified Fitness through my great friend Janna. She got me to start initially with the boot camp in February last year but I still wasn’t super confident yet until August after having looked at several different gyms, I realized Amplified was my best option and that I needed to do something quick for my health and well-being. My greatest decsion for the year 2015!

The success and struggles you have been through at Amplified Fitness?

      The struggle has honestly been just showing up and being confident in myself. I’m stronger, physically, and mentally than I want to give myself credit for.

       Success is that I finally don’t hate rowing! My confidence is growing and so is my strength!

How often do you attend classes at Amplified Fitness?

4-5 times a week

Favorite movement(s)?

Bench Press however back squat is slowly becoming my other favorite!

Least favorite movement? Least favorite workout?

Least favorite movement is front squat and least favorite workout is probably Into The Fire hahaha literally feels like you are on fire but soooo good!

Current goals?

My goals would be to get better at my front squats and jump rope oh and do a pull up before the year is over!

Anything else you want to share about yourself: what you do for fun, what you do for work?

       I work at St. Marks Hospital as a heart monitor tech. For fun I love snowshoeing, hiking and watching a great movie!

-Why you keep coming back for more?

        I keep coming back because I love the people. A great encouraging environment no matter your skill level oh and the workouts are awesome too:-D

*Debbie rocking her new gym swag.  Once you get in shape you have to buy lots of gym clothes and shoes.  Its the rules 😉

What do you like most about Amplified Fitness?

I could repeat what I said above but the other thing I love most about amplified that really helped me was the food program Thomas put together for me. Teaching me how to be healthy and mindful of what I put in and how to still live a normal life with aunts who like to cook amazing food! The recipes he puts together are legit!

Would rather do 300 burpees nonstop or row 10,000 meters?

      Oh hands down I would row 10,000 meters before ever doing 300 burpees!

What Would You Tell Someone That Was Considering Joining Amplified Fitness?

       It’s challenging but totally worth it. The strength training is amazing and the combination that Thomas uses considers all fitness levels so that your confidence and strength builds quickly!

Decembers member of the Month is Manny!  Congratulations Manny you have been spotlighted by a coach due to your exceptional work ethic and dedication.  We are lucky to have you as a member

A brief history at Amplified Fitness.
Tell us how you got started and your experience.

-On the 21st will be 9 months as a member of Amplified Fitness. I originally came in one Saturday just to try out a class. Because a certain someone kept telling me that I’d like it if I just tried it. Ended up signing up after that first class. I felt like I needed to commit to something, especially if it was to better myself.

The success and struggles you have been through at Amplified Fitness?

-A success I’ve had is how much overall stamina and strength I’ve gained. And a struggle at first I would say was my eating habits. But after the 9 week challenge it has definitely helped me notice what I put into my body now.

How often do you attend classes at Amplified Fitness?

-Besides a select few Saturdays that were closed. I’ve attended classes every day that there has been a class to go to!

Favorite movement(s)?

-I would have to say that my bench is my favorite movement. Although it’s not a very impressive bench I hope to build it up!

Least favorite movement? Least favorite workout?

-My least favorite movement would probably be the strict press. Because it’s a struggle not being able to use your legs!! Maybe I should not dsay cause knowing Thomas he’ll probably make us do it soon. But my least favorite workout would of course be 99 Problems!

Current goals?

-To pass my goal weight! Now that I’m as close as I am to my goal weight, I’m realizing that I’ve got a longer way to go..

*Photo Manny and Coach Michele.  Incredible progress!

 Anything else you want to share about yourself: what you do for fun, what you do for work?

-I would have said the gym but it’s not always fun haha I also like to play basketball for fun, go to concerts. And writing music.

-Why you keep coming back for more?

-I keep coming back for more because of the progress I’ve seen since joining Amplified! Just makes me hungrier to get into the shape I’ve never been able to get to.

What do you like most about Amplified Fitness?

-The family like atmosphere that brings out a friendly competitiveness in the members that pushes us to progress and do better on a workout. I know there has been plenty of times that I’ve been trying to keep up with someone and end up beating my last score on a certain workout

What Would You Tell Someone That Was Considering Joining Amplified Fitness?

-It’s not going to be easy. But if you are looking to lose weight, build stamina, strength and self esteem. Then you should definitely go see for yourself!

She’s lost 25lbs, gained muscle, improved on all her lifts and set a 16 minute PR on her half marathon time!  Member of the month is Brenda Adams!

A brief history at Amplified Fitness.

Tell us how you got started and your experience.

The success and struggles you have been through at Amplified Fitness.

Favorite movement(s)?

Least favorite movement? Least favorite workout?

Current goals?  

 Anything else you want to share about yourself: what you do for fun, what you do for work?  

-Why you keep coming back for more?

What do you like most about Amplified Fitness?  

What Would you tell someone who is thinking about joining Amplified Fitness?