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Feb 02

Toby McGrail on 2/2/2023 12:02 PM

So as we head into the second month of 2023 are you hitting your goals or just going through the motions. One thing that will help you is the perspective Do you show up even when you are tired and are you focusing too much on the results?

Consisency is the key to creating a lifestyle that is attainabe. Push yourself a little harder each day and if you do you will begin to see the little changes in your mindset to because the best version of yourself possible.

Push Harder to see that person you visualize in the mirror. Its a daily process and every if its a struggle just push a little more and it will become the lifestyle Keep chosing you and your lifestyle and results come. One thing about it is Consisestency = Discpline. Discipline in turn will be your lifestyle.

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Jun 22

Get After It

Toby McGrail on 6/22/2022 2:15 PM

Are you struggling with Consistency? Are you burnt out or just need some extra motivation? Some days and more importantly some workouts are like that. So the saying Get After It is not always the easiest thing to do. Lets Go back to the first question. Being consistant is more important than just showing up and going through the motions.

Consistency is where the biggest changes happen. The saying about brushing your teeth once a week literally will do nothing but brushing your teeth three times a day, flossing them and using a water pick day in and day outwill keep them healthy strong and bright white. Being healthy is the exact same thing.

Are you going to be your best every day? Absolutely not but being consistent with your workout your eating habits will take you to the next level. But not only getting it done but pushing yourself to be your best everyday will come once you are consistint.

Talk is talk and action is action. You got this so Get After IT!

"Be Your Best Today as Yesterday's Best is Just Average Today!"

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Sep 18

Weather the Storm

Toby McGrail on 9/18/2018 10:27 AM

Whether its life, work, home, friends or fitness we all go through times in life where we have to weather a storm. We have ups and downs and how we handle this storm defines us as a person.

In regards to fitness we all have days sometimes weeks sometimes months where we are really in the zone and killing those workouts, sticking to our nutrition but then there are those times where we struggle.

Are you hitting your goals or are you struggling to stick to your nutrition plans. Dont worry it happens to all of us even trainers. Sometimes we get stuck in a rutt and we dont know how to get out of it. Here are a few tricks to help you get focused and get back on the track.

Change your routine up! Do something you dont normally do! It might be take a different kind of fitness class that you are not use to..
Go to a different gym where you dont know where any of the equipment is or just go to a different location
Find a workout partner who is going to push you and challenge you even if its for a short time
Find a trainer or fitness coach who can push you to your limits
Try some new foods that your body is not use and dont eat the same thing your body is use to.

Breaking out of the routine and shocking your body is the best thing you can do for your body so it is challenged and constantly seeing growth. It is not easy sometimes but if you follow these easy steps you will be rewarded in full I promise you.

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Jun 21

Fasted Cardio

Toby McGrail on 6/21/2018 1:28 PM

So there is a new term that a lot of people use and its called "Fasted Cardio" but what is that term and does it work? We will break it down below:

Fasted Cardio is misconceived as it doesnt just mean doing cardio on an empty stomach but it means doing Cardio at optimum speeds to build muscle burn more fat and get that heart rate up

So now that we know what Fasted Cardio is how do we burn the most fat as possible while building muscle at the same time. One thing to remember is that everyones body is different and muscle growth varies from each other. For myself I run on an empty stomach and do lots and lots of fast sprints, stairs, and run sprints faster every interval. In between each interval I do jump squarts and burpees. They help burn the fat that I am trying to burn. Be very careful here and y9ou dont want to crash the heart rate and over due it.

Intervals are the key for me and keeping the heart rate up while running faster on a higher incline works for me. It doesnt always work for everyone though.

Some people I know use slower intervals and do intervals of kettlebells and work for them very well. Be very careful whatever you are trying to achieve as it can cause injury if not done correctly. If you have a trainer consult with them first and foremost as they know your routine and what will work for you. If you dont get a coach to help you push yourself to the limit.

This is not just for runners but anyone trying to burn more fat and become the fittest person they can.

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Apr 17

Supplements - What is right for you

Toby McGrail on 4/17/2018 12:45 PM

So we have all heard that magic word called Supplements. They are suppose make you this super hero and you expect them to work right away without putting in the work. Not at all most of them are made with a specific goal in mind. Some of those goals are weight loss, lean muscle, muscle mass, increase your fitness level. So the question you may be asking yourself is what is right for me and what should I take. For all of those who don't know me I love to do cardio. Yes I know I am a bit insane but there is a reason that I do love it. It changed my life. Dont get me wrong I use to despise it like the rest of you but it is my relief from everything. When it comes to cardio preworkout and BCAAs are fital. In this blog I am goiing to layout some of the ones that I stand behind.

The Supplement industry has gone wild but their are a lot of the, out there how do you know which ones are best for me. That one is so simple to answer and here are my Top 5 to look for.

1. Always Read the Label - Never buy any supplements before without reading the label. This will tell you a lot about what is in a supplement. Pay attention to what is actually in them. The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) and the AI (Adequate Intake) are the amounts of a vitamin or mineral you need to stay healthy and stay nourished.

2. Cerification - Make sure they have a certification and how they are approved. Be sure to check for USP (which stands for United States Pharmacopeia),” “Under the USP certification, look for GNP (Good Manufacturing Practices) These indicate strength, purity, potency and how the product will dissolve in your body.”

3. The Price Tag - Never ever go with the cheap supplements A price tag says a lot about the supplement. If its really cheap most likely you are just going to be wasting your money. The higher quality ingredients are going to cost more but not a ridicolous amount of money.

4. Other Ingredients - Pay atthention to the other ingredients cause they can get you away from your goals. Avoid the ones that are from added sugars, colors, dyes and artificial flavors and colors.

5. Allergens - Check for possible allergens because the high quality ones which are the ones you want to use have these listed out.

Now that we know what to look for lets talk about a few types of supplements.

1. PreWorkout - This is most likely the #1 type of supplement a majority people take because this is what enhances your workout. It not only makes you stronger gives you energy and the pump in order to get the most of your workout.

2. Recovery - Recovery is vital to seeing changes in the body fastest but you have to put the work in. Make sure you have Amino Acids and BCAAs in them for best results.

3. Protein - Like any supplement Protein is vital to muscle growth but be very careful when chosing this because therir are many kinds. The two most popular are Soy and Whey Protein. Make sure its 100 Pecent Whey Protein Isolate because if its not it most likely wont be beneficial for you.

4. Creatine - This is the one that is most underated in my opinion because this gives you muscle growth. Many people over take this because they want to see muscle growth faster but let your body do the work.

So what kinds do you take. I stick with one company and that is Nutrithority. Click here to check them out

1. For Preworkout I use Mr. Fusion. This one is loaded with all the good stuff and a little kick for those days you need that Butt Kicking

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Jul 28

Race through Adversity

Toby McGrail on 7/28/2017 12:52 PM

So I ran my first Spartan Stadium Race this past weekend at Nationals Stadium since my injury about 11 Months ago. Before I talk about that let me talk about the injury. I pretty much shredded my ankle in pieces in the 1st mile of the race. IN case you were wondering yes I finished the race on a messed up ankle and according to my doctor that was not the smartest thing I have done. But hindsight is 20/20 right? She also told me that it would have been better if I had broken it cause it was just hanging by a limb. I was in a hard cast for a few weeks and a walking boot for 5 more weeks. It was a long road to recovery.

So now lets talk about the race. It was about 110 degrees with lots of steps and at times I thought about giving up because I was so scared at messing up the ankle again. She told me if I do it again I would have to have major ankle surgery with having to have screws and plates in my right ankle. Thats why I picked a staduim race because the terrain is concrete and no rocks, mudd and other stuff. I definitely will miss that terrain but I am a runner first and a spartan second.

The race was filled with bear crawles up staduim ramps which was hell in itself. Add more stairs then most people prolly walk up and down over 6 months while carrying sandbags, water jugs, rope climbs, rings, cargo nets and did I mention stairs. It felt great to finish but I wasnt happy with my time but it was still in the top 20 for my age group.

So the point of this blog is to dig deep and dont let your fears define you as a person, athlete but press through whatever you are facing and be the best you can be. Believe in yourself and you can accomplish great things. So to wrap this up I will leave you with the words of Shaun T , "TRUST AND BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!"

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Jul 17

Intermittent Fasting

Toby McGrail on 7/17/2017 12:06 PM

One of the lastest trends and popular things to do for weight loss and lean up is called ,"Intermittent Fasting" Does this really work and what is this all about.

Many studies show that it can have powerful effects on your body and brain, and may even help you live longer.

What is Intermittent Fasting though?

Intermittent fasting (or “IF”) is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. It is a very popular health and fitness trend, with research to back it up.

That is the short version and more details can be found here Intermittent Fasting

Now that we know what it is lets talk about how do I do it to be the most effective. There are three methods that are really popular and all of them are very effective.

1. The 16/8 Method: Many refer to it as the Leangains protocol, it involves skipping breakfast and restricting your daily eating period to 8 hours, Then you “fast” for 16 hours in between.

2. Eat-Stop-Eat: This one is the one I like the best and I find most rewarding and it is based on fasting for 24 hours, once or twice a week, for example by not eating from dinner one day until dinner the next day.

The 5:2 Diet: On two non-consecutive days of the week, only eat 500-600 calories. Eat normally the other 5 days. More details here. This one is by far the hardest one to do but it also is the fastest way to get leaner in my opinion.

Which one is best for you? This is a really tough question to answer because it is dependant on a few things such as your goals, what you are targeting and your fitness level as well.

Try them all and find out which one is best for you!

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May 28

Stretch it Out Baby

Toby McGrail on 5/28/2017 9:01 AM

You always hear this over and over again so why not hear it again like a finely tuned guitar right? Wrong instead of telling you that you need to stretch before running, lifting, group fitness class I want to start by giving you the benefits and end with what could happen to you if you dont. The older you get the harder it becomes to recover and hit the goals you want to.

As a runner and biker my body gets really sore so when I strectch it not only loosens all the muscles that you use intensively but it also reenergizes them at the same time. Now lets look at some benefits:

Faster recovery time
Revitalized Muscle and Growth
Not waking up the next day sore and cant move!!
Avoids major injuries
Improves Performance
Increases Flexibility

Now that we have laid out some of the benefits of this lets talk about when should you stretch. Some experts say before and after which is partly true but over stretching can actual cause issues. For myself I stretch for about 3 minutes before and then really stretch after my workout. In addition I try to stretch before I go to bed. This has helped me tremendously the last couple of years.

Here is an article about 30 Second Stretches so definitely check it out! http://www.runnersworld.com/stretching/make-every-minute-count-30-second-stretches

I dont consider myself an expert in stretching

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Apr 25

Food Prep or Not to Food Prep

Toby McGrail on 4/25/2017 11:20 AM

One of the biggest topics is Food Prep or like I like to call it Quality Leftovers. Many of us grew up with parents who were not only extremely busy but couldnt spend time cooking full meals every night so on the weekends they made some food to last through the week. Our diet is the same way. The business of this thing called life and finding the time to cook quality meals are harder these days too! So in the next few paragraphs we will go over the reasons why Food Prep is important and what kind of food should be in those meals/

Why Should we Food Prep?

For a Majority of people who have set goals such as loser weight, gain muscle, lean down, train for a race, or just want to get into better shape those who meal prep accomplish their goals faster and more effectively then the ones that dont. Food Prep helps you with setting your lifestyle of the balanced life more effectively.

The Things you need to know?

1. Pick Your Food Prep Day - Food Prep all starts and ends with having a plan. Pick the day and keep it consisntant. For me I typically food prep on Sundays mostly because that seems to be the day that always has the most free time in it. For me its hard to always prep if I dont have it in my schedule. With kids busy schedules Sundays is where they have the least going. Block out time in your day so you can do this.

2. Know your Numbers - You shouldnt start to meal prep untiil you know your numbers and what you intend to accomplish. Before you start prepping know how many meals you are prepping for and remember to know your Macros. We wrote a blog on this and so you dont have to find it here is the link! Know Your Macros

3. Keep it SImple - So when you are cooking your meals try to mix it up instead of having the same thing meal after meal. Why you ask is because you dont want to burn out because your tired of the same thing meal after meal. Remember the vitals and what to eat is key. This day and age there are so many options to keep it healthy but do not over complicate it. Here are some hints for you to remember:

Protein:

Carbohydrates: Oats, quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, whole-grain tortillas and flat bread
Healthy fats: Almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanut butter, almond butter, olive oil and no saturated fatsl

4. Grocery Shopping - This may be a given but plan out your meals before you shope. Make a list of everything you need and the number one thing to remember to stick to what you know. Be very specific in your list and remember go after you have eaten. A majority of people that go shopping hungry make bad choices

When you Food Prep you have a plan in pl;ace and you have everything you need to eat healthy It is also good to line this up with your workout plan so you have balance. Also remeember give yourself a cheat meal every now and again so you have something to look forward to. This also avoids the Burnout!

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Mar 21

Spring is Sprung -- How Bad Do You Want it?

Toby McGrail on 3/21/2017 10:04 AM

So we have recorded another winter hit the books. The best part about that is Winter is Officially over and it will start to warm up and the humidity of the east coast rolls in like a Blizzard or NorEaster!

Now that the warmer weather is upon us you may have noticed more people at the gym, more people on the running and walking trails. Its like a second wave of those New Years resolutions. This is one of the reasons why I love this time of year. People going after things they strive for and there are a few reasons behind it:

1. People want to get in better shape by eating better, exercising more consistantly.

2. Clearing there mind and releaving some of the stress that is consuming their life.

3. Dont know where to start and trying a new lifestyle! (This is exactly what got me started in the fitness industry as I started my lifestyle change)

So one of the important questions you need to ask yourself on a daily basis and be honest with yourself is : "How Bad Do I Want it" When you ask yourself this tough question make a list of Pros and Cons. What do I need to do to go after it? What do I need to change and/or give up to accomplish this feat? Read this list to yourself every day when you wake to remind yourself on the goal at hand. Make a goal and this may be the most important part of goal setting. Tell someone who you trust and can keep you accountable.

If you need help with this please reach out to us as we are here to help you accomplish not only your fitness goals but your life goals as we believe you cant have one without the other.

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