Just Another Day @ The HIT Center

Tired of jogging on a treadmill, come check out the HIT Center in Mesa, Arizona for more than a twist on the typical cardio!

Click here:Brandon does crazy obstacle course

VO2 Tested and Approved

Brandon willingly allowed us to test our newest equipment at the HIT Center. The test gave us not only a fitness score in relationship to Brandon’s demographic, but also some heart rate zones to use…just to make sure he is getting a hard enough workout

Hit Center Transformation – Part 1

Brandon started at the HIT Center just a few weeks ago. After spending just one session with him I knew he had the desire and motivation to make some great changes in his life.  He is excited to allow us to let you all in on his journey at the HIT Center. In the months to follow we will be tracking his workouts with pictures and videos, but more importantly we will be documenting his progress and sharing it with all of you. His desire is to be a role model for everyone out there who shares his struggles. Here is a snapshot into the life of Brandon up until this point.

Brandon Broschinsky, 22 years old.

So let me start this out by telling you a little about my background. One of the hardest challenges in my life from age five on has been my weight. I started really putting it on at that age and it has continued to play a huge role and control factor ever since. My tendency to gain weight has always been in my biology. My body naturally holds on to fat and it makes it very hard to control my weight. I struggled all through Junior High and High School with my weight and it was very tough because not only did I feel like I was not able to fit in, but it also stood in the way of my love of sports. I have loved sports for as long as I can remember. I got my first basketball hoop when I was two or three years old and have been addicted to everything sports since then. My weight issues though kept me from being able to really be competitive and that was extremely tough for me to deal with. After High School I went to a boarding school in California where I was able to get control of my weight and lose 112 pounds. This was amazing; I could finally do what I really love to do.

Then one day I was running back from the gym and my foot broke. I stress fractured it and the only way out was to have a plate and six screws surgically implanted. I had the surgery and as a result of being bed ridden for a while the weight began to come back. Well, 40 pounds heavier I started working out again. Things were looking up, then bam, one night when I was playing basketball, a guy fell on me and dislocated my kneecap and tore my MCL, surgery yet again. This time I was out for two months before I could even begin rehab. Six months later I was back, but so was my weight. From there I just couldn’t regain control of it and struggled like never before.

Two surgeries within six months and my world was really turned upside down. However unhappy I was with my weight I couldn’t let it stop my love for sports, especially golf. I spent the next 16 months at The Golf Academy of America. Though it was fun, I knew I was still unhappy, and had to make some changes. I had to somehow regain control of my weight. I went back out to the school in California and lost nearly 100 pounds in 5 months. A great accomplishment for sure, but I still have a long way to go before I am satisfied with my weight. I am back at home now and needed to find an answer that didn’t require being isolated from life. The best program I could find that could help me continue to progress and reach my goals was and is the Hit Center in Mesa, Arizona.

What are your fitness goals?

My fitness goals are pretty simple. First and foremost I want to reach my goal weight of 220 all the while becoming faster and stronger. I would like to start doing some endurance running and possibly do some triathlons. My ultimate dream though is to be a professional golfer.

What have you achieved so far (prior to the HIT Center)?

I have accomplished a few things. I graduated from high school having played 3 years on the school golf team. From there I went on to graduate with my associate’s degree from The Golf Academy of America with certificates in teaching, club building and fitting. Most recently though I have lost 90 pounds and started my transformation yet again.

What are your motivators?

My motivators are my family, my girlfriend, and myself. Also I want to be able to play all of the sports I love and not let my weight hold me back anymore.

What are your stumbling blocks?

My stumbling blocks have always been associated with food. I would say fast food has always been a killer for me and I have really worked hard to gain control of my tendencies when it comes to fast food.

What brought you to us?

My mom found an ad in the newspaper for the Hit Center and it looked really fun. For example, where else can you do basketball drills or run football routes for cardio. Of course they have me spend time on traditional cardio as well, like a treadmill, rower, or elliptical, but being able to be trained in an environment that has some sport aspects mixed in as well has been really great for me. The HIT Center makes working out a lot of fun.

What has been your experience here so far?

My experience so far at the Hit Center has been great. The trainers push you really hard and try to make the workouts fun. The trainers really care and make you feel welcome. They are dedicated to helping you see results, and show it in their personal training. They set benchmarks with their fitness testing, and are able to reevaluate you so you can see the improvement in black and white, which in turn pushes you even further. The trainers really try to motivate you, and do a great job of mixing things up so that it never gets boring.

Once you achieve your goals, is there something you have always wanted to do?

I have always wanted to compete in triathlons, maybe an Ironman, even though you have to be a little crazy for that. Most of all I want to play professional golf. There would be nothing better than being able to do something I love for my occupation.

Is there anything you would like to say to others who struggle with weight issues?

If you struggle with your weight the only advice I have for you is to never give up. For some of us it truly is a life long battle and eventually we have to accept that. But the joy that comes with getting in control is worth giving up some things. Just keep pushing forward, there will be good and bad days but if you keep your goals in mind you can make it.

Dining Out With Your Personal Trainer

Installment #9 Chili’s

So Chili’s doesn’t have the best low calorie meals on the block, but if you are a faithful customer of the restaurant here are some options.

Option 1

Try Chili’s Guiltless Grill Salmon if you’re in the mood for seafood. With this entree, you get an 8 oz. salmon fillet that is lightly seasoned and seared. The salmon comes with black beans and seasonal vegetables topped with parmesan cheese.

Caloric Value – 480 calories

Option 2

Order the Guiltless Black Bean Burger when you crave a burger from Chili’s. This is a vegetarian black bean patty topped with low-fat ranch dressing, tomato, pickle, lettuce and onion. The Guiltless Black Bean Burger comes with a side of seasonal veggies topped with parmesan cheese.

Caloric Value – 650 calories

Option 3

Choose the Guiltless Chicken Platter at Chili’s if you feel like chicken. This entree is a grilled chicken breast served with sweet corn on the cob, rice and steamed vegetables topped with parmesan cheese.

Caloric Value – 580 calories

Dining Out With Your Personal Trainer

Installment #8: Tips for dining out

You can eat out and eat healthy, too. Many restaurants offer delicious meals that are low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. That’s good news for your health because a diet high in saturated, trans fats and cholesterol raises blood cholesterol. High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, and it’s also a risk factor for stroke.

Don’t be shy about making special requests. Most foods on most menus will probably fit into a heart-healthy diet if prepared with low-fat ingredients and less salt. Ask your server if the kitchen can alter preparations to meet your needs, or call ahead before you choose your restaurant. If your food isn’t prepared as you requested, send it back.
Equally important is the portion size. Help control your weight by asking for smaller portions, sharing entrees with a companion, or putting half of your meal in a to-go box to enjoy another time.
• Fried, au gratin, crispy, escalloped, pan-fried, sautéed or stuffed foods are high in fat and calories. Instead, look for steamed, broiled, baked, grilled, poached or roasted foods. If you’re not sure about a certain dish, ask your server how it’s prepared. You can request that visible fat be trimmed from meat and skin be removed from poultry before cooking.
• Request that your meal be prepared with vegetable oil (made from canola, olive, corn, soy, sunflower or safflower) or soft margarine instead of butter. Ask for soft margarine for your bread.
• High-sodium foods include those that are pickled, in cocktail sauce, smoked, in broth or au jus or in soy or teriyaki sauce. Limit these items. Ask that your food be prepared without added salt or MSG.
• Have gravy, sauces and dressings served on the side, so you can control the amount you eat or skip them completely.
• Ask if the restaurant has fat-free or 1 percent milk instead of whole milk.
• Even if they aren’t on the dessert menu, many restaurants can offer you fruit or sherbet instead of high-fat pastries and ice creams.

Dining Out With Your Personal Trainer

Installment #7: Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill

Are salads your deal?

Chicken Balsamic & Roasted Veggie Salad
Grilled chicken, fire-roasted corn, rajas-style grilled peppers and onions, avocado slices, cotija cheese, romaine and spring mix lettuce, red and green cabbage, drizzled with light balsamic vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil.

Caloric Value – 310 calories (including dressing!)

-Or for you taco lovers-

HealthMex Chicken Taco
Grilled chicken, roasted chipotle salsa, salsa fresca, crisp lettuce. Served on your choice of a soft corn or thick flour tortilla.

Caloric Value – 130 calories (can even get two!)

As a side you can add pinto beans

Caloric Value – 110 calories

Just stay away from the fountain drinks and chips, it’s not worth it!

Dining Out With Your Personal Trainer

Installment #6: Alcohol

Not that I am promoting the consumption of alcoholic drinks, but for many they impact a night out on the town, often times unaccounted for. Alcohol can significantly increase your caloric intake in one shot or just a few sips. They are typically just as high in calories as sugar-laden sodas. This guide will help you understand the approximate caloric content of selected alcoholic drinks.
200 Calories or Less
• beer (12 oz.)
• rum (2 oz.) and Coke (5 oz.)
• Tom Collins (1.5 oz. gin, mix, and 2 oz. club soda)
• hot buttered rum (6 oz.)
• margarita cocktail (3 oz.)
• whiskey sour (2 oz. mix and 1.5 oz. whiskey)
150 Calories or Less
• martini (2 oz. gin and .5 oz. vermouth)
• bloody Mary (6 oz.)
• brandy (2 oz.)
• most light beers (e.g., Bud Light (12 oz.)
• daiquiri cocktail (2 oz.)
100 Calories or Less
• red wine (4 oz.)
• white wine (4 oz.)
• sangria (4 oz.)
• champagne (4 oz.)
• gin (1.5 oz.)
• rum (1.5 oz.)
• vodka (1.5 oz.)
• whisky (1.5 oz.)

Dining Out With Your Personal Trainer

Installment #5: Starbucks (Kristen please don’t come after me in my sleep)

Starbucks is one of the biggest coffee franchises in America today. They have their share of tasty drinks, but most come not only with a hefty price tag, but are also calorie laden. Don’t drink your calories! Research shows that our bodies do not register calories from fluids, meaning that the amount of calories your drink contains has no effect on your satiety level. Starbucks is smart though, and will adapt to your healthy lifestyle by making their beverages in low-fat versions, just ask!

Best Beverage
Café Misto with Skim milk (grande)

Caloric Value: 70 calories, 0g fat

Choosing low-fat or skim milk and no cream will instantly cut your calories in half. Whole milk and skim milk have the same amount of protein, yet 1 cup of whole milk contains 160 calories and 5g of fat versus skim milk which contains 80 calories and 0g fat.

Worst Beverage
Strawberries & Cream Frappucino (grande)

Caloric Value: 570 calories, 15g fat

This drink contains as many calories as a slice of pizza. Instead of ordering regular frappucinos, opt for the light, blended versions, for a savings of over 400 calories.

Lifting Away Diabetes by Jacob

Numerous recent reports have estimated the number of people living with Type-2 diabetes in the United States to be around twenty million, with another forty-five million showing pre-diabetic symptoms. This is an alarming number since this disease is completely preventable, and is mostly caused by years of inactivity coupled with a poor diet. Type-2 diabetes is different from Type-1 diabetes, in that Type-1 is an immunodeficient prenatal disease that causes your own immune system to attack its own body’s cells that are needed in glucose regulation. Type-2, or adult-onset diabetes, stems from the person demonstrating hyperglycemic (high blood sugar) characteristics for too long, and now the cells of glucose regulation are damaged and not working properly. Many of the foods in Americans diets today include some form of processed sugar, so there is ALMOST no way to avoid ingesting any of this type of nutrient. There are many reports on the amount of activity that is essential to weight and health maintenance, but what about the effects these have on pre-diabetic and people with Type-2 diabetes?
It should be known that aerobic exercise has many benefits when it comes to helping maintain a healthy blood glucose levels. However, more and more studies coming our recently have shown that resistance training can be more beneficial in regulating blood glucose. This comes from the fact that glucose can enter the skeletal muscle without the help of the insulin signaling pathway which is damaged in people with diabetes. This increased glucose uptake has been shown up to four days after in more advanced weightlifter, to about one to two days for people who are just beginning a resistance training regiment. As the muscle is contracting it does not need insulin to move blood glucose, thus the mechanisms of the muscle automatically create a pathway for glucose to enter. Resistance training when compared to aerobic exercise has been shown to maintain fat free mass which is critical in raising one’s resting metabolic rate which overall helps the stability of blood glucose. However even without the addition of muscle mass, skeletal muscle still had a higher clearance rate of glucose. Showing us that it is not just the amount of muscle, but that the muscle is getting smarter in the way it uptakes glucose. As time goes on the body will not need as much insulin to move the same amount of glucose, and will become more insulin sensitive, moving them in the opposite direction of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. This does not mean resistance training is the only answer, as aerobic exercise helps to add to one’s daily energy expenditure which is also important; higher energy expenditure means less time for sugar to circulate in the blood, and more of it being used as fuel in skeletal muscle and other tissues of the body. Overall, resistance training may be a good transition into aerobic exercise for those who have not done so in a while. It is a more moderate way to get the body used to moving again. Resistance training integrated with aerobic exercise and proper nutrition will help reduce hyperglycemia along with many of the other health-related issues that come with diabetes.

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/25/suppl_1/s64.full

Dining Out With Your Personal Trainer

#5: P.F. Chang’s

Beverage
Sauvignon Blanc
Caloric Value – 120 calories

Appetizer
SEARED AHI TUNA – Sushi grade for the sushi fan. Served cold with spicy mustard and fresh mixed greens
Caloric Value – 320 calories (2 servings, so eat half and split the calories accordingly)

Entrée
CANTONESE SHRIMP – A light, mild blend of seafood, garlic and snow peas
Caloric Value – 430 calories (again this meal equals two servings, so take half home)

Dessert
Mini Desserts (you might have to ask for it if it is not showing on the menu)
Tiramisu or The Great Wall
Caloric Value – 100 calories each

Total Caloric Value – 970 calories (if licking the plates clean)

Total Caloric Value – 595 calories (for those who feel guilty after reading the above statement)

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