FIST PUMP FRIDAY!!

Happy Friday and Happy New Year!! Shana is spending the holiday in San Francisco so I am filling in her today. Though she wanted to share these two songs with you this week. One is Ellie Goulding covering Elton John's "Your song," which I have been rocking all day just reminding me of all the memories 2010 holds. The second is a "Get Some" by Lyyke Li, which just makes me so excited for tonight. I'm looking forward to some good times, good friends and a great new year! Enjoy these tunes this week and have a safe and amazing new year! 

Attitude is everything

Hello! I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!!With news years right around the corner and the guilt of over indulgence on brain, most people are thinking about what their resolution will be for 2011. In fact studies show that 2009 about 40-45% of Americans made new years resolutions. Fitness falls at # 2 on the list of top 10 resolutions. In 2001 of those fitness related resolutions 55% promised to eat healthier, 50% resolved to exercise more and 38% wanted to lose weight.

The numbers are insane! Why do we have so many people wanting to work on their fitness each year? Why do they have the “ I will wait till tomorrow attitude” when it comes to their health? The answer is simple, its mind set. Losing weight doesn't happen overnight, in fact it takes constant, persistence and hard work. Not to mention if the results aren't there, it can become down right discouraging AND easy to put off till next year.

Many friends and family members ask me what my best piece of advice is when they are trying to get in shape. My answer is simple: set goals, make a plan and stick with it. Attitude is everything and having a plan is key. Weather its hiring a trainer, having a workout partner or even doing it on your own its important to stick to your routine!

Below I have included a funny story I received. Not only is it good for a laugh, but it illustrates the effect that attitude has on outlook and experience. Notice this poor guys metal toughness go down in flames from beginning to end. I challenge you to stay positive, make fitness a lifestyle and accomplish all of your goals in 2011!!

Cheers,

Nicole Renna/Invictus Fitness

WEEK AT THE GYM: ONE MAN'S STORY

If you read this without laughing out loud, there is something wrong with you. This is dedicated to everyone who ever attempted to get into a regular workout routine.

Dear Diary.

For my sixty fifth birthday this year, my wife (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am still in great shape since playing on my college tennis team 45 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try. I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My wife seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress

MONDAY

Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. She took my pulse after five minutes on the treadmill. She was alarmed that my pulse was so fast, but I attribute it to standing next to her in her Lycra aerobic outfit. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring! Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, all though my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!

TUESDAY

I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air -- then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!! It's a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY

The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying on the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for early in the morning and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.
My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other shit too.

THURSDAY

Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late, it took me that long to tie my shoes.
Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the men's room. She sent Lars to find me. Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.

FRIDAY

I hate that bitch Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it. Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps . I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the M----- f----- barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.
The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

SATURDAY

Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her made me want to smash the machine with my planner.
However, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

SUNDAY

I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my wife (the bitch) will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a vasectomy.

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand - strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO - What a Ride"! Party on Dude

Happy Holidays!!

It's amazing how fast the time goes, Christmas is Saturday and the next thing we know it will be 2011. I love this time of year though because everyone is nice. There are a few scrooges but they ALWAYS come around.

All of us here at Bruonis want to wish you a happy holiday season and are looking forward to great new things this coming year. Post your holiday photos to our facebook wall, and let us know what Santa brought you!

Also, don't forget! If you are in the mood for some holiday music, click here to listen to the Bruonis Holiday Station on Pandora.

Fist Pump Friday - M83 - We own the Sky

Ahhh, Friday is here again. It's the best time of the week, during the best time of the year. The energy's so good you can almost taste it. The streets are filled with holiday cheer, the air is cool and crisp (well, as good as it can be in Los Angeles) and Mammoth Mountain is calling my name. I'm getting my board waxed this weekend, and from that point on it's only a matter of time until I'm out on the slopes for the real thing. I can't wait to get out and shred, and whenever I think of the most beautiful, flawless run down the mountain, M83 comes to mind.

Their song, We own the Sky gained popularity when featured in the Quiksilver Snowboarding flick, That's it That's All featuring Travis Rice. To me, this song is everything that's perfect about snowboarding, and just when you think it couldn't get any better, it does.

Check it out, and get ready for some fresh powder!!


M83 - We own the Sky

Intensity

With new year resolutions just around the corner, many of you folks will be hitting the gym for the first time in awhile. While its good to pace yourself, you also want to be sure to maximize your time spent in the gym. Intensity is the name of the game when it comes to results and we all know it. Body sculpting happens when you are working at your peak ( generally 80-90% of your max HR) Aside from your heat rate monitor, there are a few other physical indicators to be aware of to ensure you that you're on the way to the body you want.

- The burning sensation in your muscles while working out is another guideline. I tell clients all the time, “If it’s not burning, it’s not working.”

- It is not necessary or even recommended, but if you throw up you know your workout has been intense. I call it working outside your comfort zone. If you ever ran the quarter mile in high school you know this sensation.

- Soreness is another ultimate indicator of intensity and results. You don’t have to get so sore that you need to hold onto the rails of stall to sit down on the toilet, but if you are not moderately sore EVERYTIME you workout, you are not body sculpting.

Remember what you put in is what you are going to get out. Be sure to warm-up properly and rock it out!!

Nicole Renna / Invictus Fitness

This week in Sports

Things I liked:

• I'm not a fan of the Lakers, but Ron Artest is planning to donate his 2011-12 salary to charity. I can get 100% behind this.
• The Flyers beat the Penguins to end their 12 game win stream in overtime.
  
• Brett Favre broke his playing streak (297 games) this weekend because of a hurt shoulder. Did anyone see his hand on Monday night?

Things I didn't like:

• Cam "my daddy did it" Newton won the Heisman. Thank God he's not the top rated QB in the NFL draft!
  
• FIFA has not only pissed off the US, but now also the gay community
• A Jets coach tripped a Dolphins special teams player on Sunday. He has since been suspended.

Things that surprised me:

• The Giants couldn't get to Minneapolis to play the Vikings because of this weekend's blizzard, then because of wind and the weight of the snow, the roof of the Viking's field collapsed. The game was moved to Detroit and Monday night. The Vikings will be playing at the Univ of Minnesota's stadium this coming Monday (outdoors) instead of at the Metrodome when the Bears come to town.
• Cliff Lee shocked the sports world today when it was announced that he was not signing with the Rangers, nor was he signing with the Yankees, but he was signing with the Phillies. Basically, he bypassed the most money to go to the team he liked the best. Good for him!
• Oakland (who?) defeated number 7 ranked Tennessee - can you say upset?
  

Is it just me or does it seem like every sport is supposed to have a lock out next year?

Help us name the new year challenge.

So as you know I like challenges. Last week I challenged myself to leave work at a certain time every day and this week I am challenging myself to not eat out, every meal is cooked at home.

For the new year Bruonis is going to launch a weekly challenge for the entire year. Every challenge will be different, one week might be about fitness and the next will be about challenging yourself to try something new. All we ask is that you submit a photo of you completing the challenge by 11:59PM PST the Friday of that week. The winner of the weekly challenge will be our fan of the week with your picture representing our FB fan page profile pic.

We are still ironing out some kinks and trying to come up with a name for the challenge that will last all year long.

If you have an idea for the name, comment on this blog post. If your name is chosen we will send you some Bruonis vinyl stickers.

fist pump fridays

Woohoo it's Friday! The weekend is soon upon us, we are plowing through this December, and wrapping up what has been pretty awesome year in Music.

This week's track comes from Lupe Fiasco. I've been rocking this jam all week and especially love it to get me excited for a fun night out with good friends. If you're a Modest Mouse fan, you should be able to recognize the tune.

The Show Goes On is sure to get you ready for a great Holiday weekend, and keep your own show going all night!

Enjoy!

The Show Goes On - Lupe Fiasco

Heart Rate Monitors

After working out with a heart rate monitor, I will NEVER go without. This tool is one of the most important, yet simple devices I have found when it comes to exercise. Not only does it help gauge your intensity, but it also can tell you how many calories you have burned. This information is useful because it is important to workout at the proper intensity and makes weight loss a simple math equation. If you keep a food log and use a heart rate monitor you will be able to tell with accuracy your calories in vs. calories out. Doesn't seem hard, right? Take this advice to heart. Get one today, strap it on and prepare to be amazed!

Recommended brand: Polar (www.polarusa.com)

Recommended Model: FT4

Check out Amazon.com .. they usually have great deals!

Nicole Renna/ Invictus Fitness

This Week in Sports

Apparently there's not much this week that I liked, and there's quite a bit that I didn't like. Turns out I'm a pessimist.

Things I liked:

• Tiger Woods lost to Graeme McDowell on Sunday in a playoff round.

• Texas' Offensive Coordinator, Greg Davis, is. outta. here!!! This is the most excited about college football news I have been all season!
  

Things I didn't like:

• Ben Roethlisberger definitely broke his nose...and stayed in the game.
• After determining Cam Newton is safe because his Dad was the person acting immorally (yeah effing right he didn't know), he has gone on to become a finalist for this year's Heisman. Lame.
• The Heat beat Cleveland for "the King's" first return home. And seriously, how is this news?!? Who cares?!?
• The Penguins have won ten consecutive games with help from Sidney Crosby's dirty antics.
• The Islanders had a 14 game losing streak (boo!) and then they won (yay!) and then they lost 4 more games.
• The Yankees and Jeter settled on $17MM a year for 3 years with a fourth year option. Ugh - he's old and not that good anymore, wth?!
• This hit was really, really bad, but I can't believe for a second that he did it on purpose. The NFL has fined him $40K. I'm anti hits like this, but still anti fining for hits since they're part of the game and whether they're intentional or too rough is sort of a subjective call.

Things that surprised me:

• After saying Josh McDaniels would remain for the rest of the season, the Broncos have fired him.
• New England beat the shit out of the Jets last night. Total spanking.
• FIFA announced its picks for hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup - Russia and Qatar, respectively. Qatar?! Wtf?! You can't even drink in public there - all people want to do at the World Cup is get wasted and rowdy in the streets. Who wants to go there, you might get locked up and disappear! Also, will Qatar still be a country in 2022??

Not sure where to put this, but Oregon and Auburn are playing in the National Title name - did TCU get screwed?

A New Week A New Start.

Mondays are good for something, like a fresh start. No matter what happened yesterday or a week ago, Mondays present a feeling of a blank slate. Some people make goals at the beginning of the New Year, but I make them every week. My goal this week is to leave the office by 6:30pm at least twice this week and by 7pm the other three nights.

Make a goal for yourself this week, and celebrate it by getting 15% off your entire Bruonis order this week with promo code: BOOMON. Offer expires Saturday, 11.Dec.10 at 11:59PM PST.

fist pump fridays

Who doesn't love Chromeo? Who doesn't love La Roux? And most importantly, who doesn't love a good old fashioned hot mess? This week's fist pump friday track, Hot Mess comes from Chromeo featuring Elly Jackson of La Roux.

I don't know if you are planning to be a mess this lovely December weekend, but if you are, you might as well be a hot one. And you are going to be a hot mess, you might as well listen to this song first.

Check it.

Chromeo featuring Elly Jackson - Hot Mess

The Dreaded Scale

Hey, hey all you active people. This week I thought it would be appropriate to talk about that lovely device we call the scale. Sometimes its our worst enemy, others times its our best friend. Before you let your routine weigh in get the best of you and control your entire day, I think its important to separate fact from fiction.


With a history of striking people with despair, the scale has been causing people to give up on themselves since it was invented in 1874. We all have been personally affected by the scale at one time or another. Years ago while in my prime, competing in soccer at the college level I saw my weight constantly fluctuate 2 pounds or more in a day! All I did was practice, compete, lift and run like it was going out of style, this depressing news would baffle me every time! After some research here is what I found.


The body can hold up to 15 pounds of extra water and waste depending on any number of variables. Changes in food habits, increases in exercise, not drinking enough water, lack of sleep, sodium intake, women’s cycles, medications, illnesses, etc… Things all started to make sense.


This is the important thing to remember:

We have to eat 7,000 calories over our natural metabolism to gain 2 real pounds of stored fat,

AND we have to burn 7,000 calories over our natural metabolism to lose 2 real pounds of stored fat.


If you are 176 lbs at the first weigh in and the next day you are at 171, that is almost all going to be attributed to water and waste release, AND if you are 178 the next day the same principle applies.


The scale is just an indicator. Make sure you are taking into account other factors as well such as how your jeans fit, your body fat percentages and what you're putting in your mouth. IF you are following the suggestions, the process is happening biologically, and the 4 week measurements will prove it.


DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THE SCALE. Understand the science and set yourself free!


Nicole Renna/ Invictus Fitness

This Week in Sports

Things I liked:

• Sports Illustrated announced today that their sportsman of the year is Drew Brees. Glad they picked someone who seems like a legit good guy. He led the Saints to the Superbowl early this year, seems like a great guy and does a ton of philanthropy in New Orleans. Good pick.
• The Celtics claimed their fourth straight win when they beat the Cavaliers. Rondo led the team with 23 points.
• The Blackhawks apparently fended off a St. Louis Blues rally and won 7-5. I didn't see this game, but I read in two places that they rallied, so it must be true. :)
• There was a ridiculous interception in the Oklahoma v Ok State game this weekend:

Things I didn't like:

• Bill's receiver Steve Johnson dropped a game winning pass in OT. Does he really think being mad at God is going to fix the fact that he can't catch?
• Texans receiver Andre Johnson and Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan got into a fist fight during the fourth quarter of the game this weekend. Both were ejected. Neither were suspended. Both were fined $25K. That's the same amount players are being fined for hits that are determined too rough. Accidental helmet to helmet contact vs. lack of self control fist fight...hmmm...almost the same.

• Boise State lost in OT this weekend to Nevada, ruining their undefeated season. Their kicker missed a game winning field goal...twice! Once at the end of the 4th quarter and once in OT. No chance he got laid that night.
  

Things that surprised me:

• TCU has joined the Big East. Wait...what?! But the Big East isn't good at football, you might say. TCU has a basketball team, you might ask? Hmm...TCU can play UConn in the fall and then at least get some airline miles commuting up to where the conference is during basketball season. Why didn't the Big 12 try harder on this one? They still need a team to replace Nebraska.
• A Charlotte Bobcats player was suspended for verbally berating a ref. Wait...Charlotte has a basketball team? Didn't the Hornets move to New Orleans in 2002?
• The Broncos coach has been fined $50K for his staff filming the San Francisco 49ers practice before they played each other in London. This was apparently done without his knowledge and he refused to view it when it was presented to him, but it doesn't seem to matter, it was done on his watch and he should have control of his team and staff.
  

And to end with a couple of entirely random thoughts:

Apparently college basketball is in season again. I always thought that was March...no?

Is anyone else shocked that it was only a year ago that Tiger Woods crashed his car into a tree running away from his (now ex) wife who was, understandably, trying to kill him with a golf club? (Love the irony! - Hah - Iron-y -- Iron = Golf Club)

Does anyone know what ever became of Dennis Rodman? Yeah, me either.

Cyber Monday!

Bruonis is offering 20% off your entire order through Tuesday 30.Nov.2010 11:59PM PST. So get online and get you some gear. Use code: CBRMON at checkout.

Also, since it is officially the holiday season, we want to see some decorations. Whether it's a tree, a house a menorah, or Santa on skis, show us how you do the holidays. Post your pics to our facebook wall at http://www.facebook.com/bruonis

fist pump fridays

Hey All!

Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving - and are well rested and ready for the real weekend to begin!

This week's track comes from an an old favorite of mine - Sweedish babe, Robyn. Robyn has continued to reinvent her sound and style over the years and has certainly come a long way since her Show me Love days (not saying those days weren't totally awesome).

This week's song, Dancehall Queen is a remix off her latest album, Body Talk featuring Diplo, and it is sure to get your body talkin'!

Check it.

Hope you have a good weekend everyone!

Peace.

Robyn - Dancehall Queen (Diplo Remix)

You are what you eat!!

Hello everyone! With Thanksgiving just around the corner there is no doubt that food is on the brain. Before you beginning shoving all those mashed potatoes and pumpkin pies down your throat, here are a few things to consider. Getting results is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. Often times people put in the work at the gym and neglect to pay any mind to what they are putting in their body, how absurd right?! This is the equivalent of doing your bills without balancing your check book.

If you wanna get that rock hard body you see on the cover of Shape Magazine you must pay attention to not only the amount of calories that you are putting into your body, but also the amount of fat, carbs and sugar. Losing weight is a math equation of calories in vs calories out. The way to solve the equation is to move more and eat less. There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. So for example, if you wanted to lose one pound of week, you must have a 500 calorie deficit each day. If you want to insure you are losing body fat vs weight in general make sure to stick to the follow tips.

10 things to consider:
1) Stay focused on your goals.
2) Stick to these nutrient percentages : Protein 30%, Carbohydrates 40%, and Fat 30.
3) Eat 5-6 times a day and always within 30 minutes after your workout.
4) Keep a food log (calorieking.com works great). This is the way to ensure results and know for certain what you are taking in.
5) Water is key. You should be having 6-8 (8oz) glasses a day. This helps flush toxins from the body and speeds up the metabolism.
6) Avoid fruit and dairy. I know your mom probably made you consume both in mass amounts while growing up, but they are full of sugar.
7) Avoid eating less than 2 hours before bedtime.
8) Keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum. This is a killer of any weight loss program! 9) Avoid refined carbohydrates and simple starches and have protein at every meal.
10) And remember if you have a less than stellar day, don't dwell on it keep a positive mind set and start fresh the next day.

If you are not sure how many calories you should be eating visit http://www.invictusfit.com/invictus-fitness-tools-and-resources.php and check out your daily caloric needs estimate calculator.


Happy Thanksgiving!

NR

This week in Sports

Things I liked:

• Jimmy Johnson is overshadowing Carl Edwards' race win on Sunday with his fifth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship.
• Detroit is back at number one in the NHL Power Rankings
• The Coyotes beat Vancouver on Sunday for their sixth straight win
• Ben Roethlisberger fell on the ground like a child after an open handed punch to the face mask on Sunday by Oakland Raider's defensive end Richard Seymour. Seymour was ejected and later apologized. Roethlisberger sexually assaults women in bathrooms...what's a hit to the face every once in a while?

Things I didn't like:

• Jeter is old. Jeter is getting worse at his sport. The Yankee's offered him a very generous contract for his stats, but he wants more because it's worth less than they gave him last time. Jeter, take your $15 million a year and go buy yourself a big fat taste of reality!
• College football is still boring and Texas probably isn't going to become bowl eligible
• Vince Young lost his shit on Sunday. He has been removed as the Titans' starting QB. He threw his shoulder pads into the stands and walked off the field without a press interview. And now he has been told not to come to practice and by "told not to," I mean asked to leave the Titans facility. I'm really rooting for him, but damn!
  

Things that surprised me:

• The Vikings fired their coach. Maybe I'm the only person who didn't see this coming, but shouldn't they fire Brett Favre instead??
• Illinois and Northwestern played each other at Wrigley Field this weekend with only one end zone because padding on the wall of ivy apparently could have killed someone. Must have sucked to be sitting on the ivy end of the field and never get any action.
• Marion Barber needs a haircut. (Marion Barber needs a barber?)
  

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

One of the greatest Thanksgiving movies ever. 

November is almost ova! That means turkey and shopping and decorating for the holidays. We want to make sure that you are staying warm this holiday season, that's why this week we are giving you 10% off all you have to do is use the code: GIVETHX when you check out.

Some things that Bruonis is working on:

Bruonis Holiday Pandora Station - We are loading up all the favorite holiday tunes onto one Pandora station and releasing it this Friday. If you have any holiday favorites comment on this post and we will be sure to add them in. 

Training for the P.F. Chang's Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon in Phoenix, AZ 16.January.2011 - We are going to kick the new year off right. 2011 is going to be full of a lot of just doing. We aren't even going to make resolutions. There is no reason to talk about something . . . as Nike says, "Just Do It."

We are always interested in hearing what you are up to as well, drop us a line at getsome@bruonis.com.

Fist Pump Fridays

You can say what you want about Kanye, but he definitely has an ear for fresh talent. This week's track, Blazin', comes from Nicky Minaj featuring Kanye West. As Nicky says about herself in the song, "I'm the best now - Anybody with some money should invest now." I really can't argue her there. She rocks.

Nicky is guaranteed to get you pumped for this weekend, and like Kanye, you should keep this spicy little rapperista on your radar. Enjoy!



Blazin' - Nicky Minaj featuring Kanye West

Fitness for your Wednesday

A little bit about me.

Hey folks my name is Nicole Renna, I am the owner of Invictus Fitness here in good ol' Austin, Texas! Bruonis asked me to share my expertise about fitness so hello and welcome to my blog! I will be joining you every Wednesday to share with you the latest and greatest information in the fitness world... motivational quotes, diet advice, random thoughts,workouts, tunes to sweat to.. anything that I find interesting really.

To share a little bit about my background, I played college soccer and rugby at the University of Oregon, have delt with injury and have been personal training for about 5 years now. I got into the field of training because I enjoy helping people, love being active, and was inspired by a strength coach that helped me through a tough injury while I was in college ( Thank you Coach Ginther). These days I enjoy playing soccer and hitting the gym regularly. I think its always good to have goals, and explore new challenges. Cycling is mine. Believe it or not, I don't know a thing about it. Going on my first road ride this week... wish me luck!

See you next week!!!

Nicole Renna/Invictus Fitness

If you wanna find out more about me visit www.invictusfit.com

This weekend in Sports

Source: Fred Beckham/Associated Press

Things I liked:

• The UConn Women's basketball team has an 80 game win streak - does this mean they're really good or that everyone else is just pretty terrible?
• Eagles wide receiver, Deshawn Jackson, told the Monday Night Football crew before the first play of the game, "Shh... first play, we're goin big," followed by an Eagles opening record play - an 88-yard touchdown bomb from Michael Vick to Jackson.
• The Nascar championship race is the closest it has been since the Chase was started in 2006
• The Lakers ended their 8 game win streak in a loss against the Denver Nuggets 112-118
• The NY Rangers trounced the Edmonton Oilers 8-2
  
• Kyle Busch was penalized for speeding, so next time he entered pit row, he flicked off the NASCAR official. He was fined $25K.

Things I didn't like:

• Despite not being conditioned to play all four quarters of a football game, Donovan McNabb has been offered more money.
• Michael Vick played like a video game this weekend. He is now the only player in NFL history with three touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns in the first half of a game. He is also the first player in NFL history with at least 300 yards passing, 50 yards rushing, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game. I just cannot get behind this guy. Good news for him is he's going to become the QB the NFL wanted Donovan McNabb to be.

Things that surprised me:

• Eva Longoria filed for divorce from Tony Parker today. Apparently he cheated with a teammate's wife who has yet to be identified.
• The Los Angeles Kings are now the number one team in the NHL replacing the St. Louis Blues who are suffering from multiple injuries on their roster.
• Wisconsin beat the shit out of Indiana 83-20. Sounds like a Mike Leach score.
• The NY Islanders fired their coach after a 10 game losing streak. The surprising part here is that they've replaced him with minor league coach Jack Capuano who has no previous NHL history. Maybe they need new owners instead of a new coach?
  

I have almost no college football highlights, because lets face it, while Oregon, TCU and Boise State totally deserve to be 3 of the top 4 teams and I'm very happy that they're finally being recognized, it's boring.


In completely un-sports related news:

• Prince William and Kate Middleton are engaged. He gave her Diana's 18 carat Saphire ring.
• Girl Talk released a new album on Monday and subsequently broke the internet. Download it if you haven't. It's free and effing awesome.
  

Monday Monday

Today has flown by so incredibly fast and it's the last full work week of November! Last thing I knew it was July and I was getting ready for the Summer Strip Down.

To celebrate Monday being over this weeks deal is 10% off your entire purchase. Since it's getting cold, I've started to break out the hoodies. My favorite, since I'm loud and it is too, is the red and yellow logo hoodie. It's thick, soft and cozy. Just because it's fall/winter doesn't mean you can't wear bright colors.

Use code: BOOMON at checkout. Offer expires Sunday 11:59PM PST.

Fist Pump Fridays

I am happy to announce that it’s that time of the week again. You all know what I’m talking about. It’s Friday. The afternoon is soon upon us, and for the majority of us, that translates to one, solid thing. 48 hours of pure, untainted freedom. I don’t know about you, but that thought alone gets me pretty pumped up. But for those of you who still need a little extra weekend motivation, that’s where I come in.

The nice (and very smart) people at BRUONIS were cool enough to ask me to guest post on the blog to provide you with some tasty tunes to get you excited for the weekend.

Some songs, familiar. Some of them, not so much. But all of the songs I post should make you feel good. And hey – if they don’t, that’s what the comment box below is for. Let me know the type of tracks you are into and I’ll do some of my own human Pandora work to bring you guys new tunes to get you weekend-ready.

This week, I have two songs for you. The first song is from a Kiwi band I stumbled upon called The Naked and Famous (yes – that is their name). The song, Young Blood has been in a heavy rotation on my iPod, in my car, on my computer – you get it. I dig it.

The other song is a fresh new track from Big Sean ft. Chiddy Bang and Hockey. You should note that anytime I reference Chiddy Bang, it’s worth a listen – they do not disappoint. And if you are into the chorus of this song, I recommend you look into some of Hockey’s other tracks. This hot Portland band has a fresh sound that doesn’t compare to any alt rock bands out at the moment.

So here you go. Enjoy the tunes. Enjoy the weekend. And comments are always appreciated.

See you guys next week. Laterz!

The Naked and Famous - Young Blood



Myspace

Big Sean – Too Fake ft. Chiddy Bang

This weekend in Sports

This weekend I had quite a few moments that went something like this:
Internal dialogue: wtf?!
External action: Reach for remote, hit rewind, rewatch, repeat thought, rewind again, rewatch again
Did anyone else experience this? Oh, and baseball is finally over. Woot!

(See my first "What Surprised Me" for the explanation of this picture)

What I liked:

• Zetterberg scored the winning goal for the Detroit Red Wings against the Phoenix Coyotes last night in overtime making the final score 3-2.
• One of this week's biggest stories - yesterday, Wade Phillips was fired by the Dallas Cowboys. Who didn't see this coming? Seriously? (Oh, and the interest in this news apparently crashed the Cowboys' website...damn the bad luck!)
  
• The highest scoring game in Big 10 history took place this weekend between Michigan and Illinois. Michigan won 67-65. Didn't the Big 10 used to be known for defense?
• The Lakers are 7-0 for the fifth time in franchise history. I want to say good for them, I just really hate this team.
  

What I didn't like:

• Lion's QB, Matt Stafford, who had just come back from a shoulder injury, reinjured his shoulder on Sunday. This is his fourth injury in two years. At least he got almost a full game in before he was put out of commission for the rest of the season.
• Texas was embarassed by a 39-14 loss to Kansas State. It was 39-0 going into the fourth quarter. (Fire Greg Davis!)
• #2 Auburn's QB, Cam Newton, is being investigated for reports of cheating, academic ineligibility, and recruitment practices. Isn't he supposed to be the front runner for the Heisman? Sounds a little like the Reggie Bush situation to me...just a little.
• This weekend when the Magic were playing the Bobcats, a Bobcats player fell and it never got wiped up. Next time down the court, Vince Carter slipped and fell in the very same place and now has a hip injury. Stan Van Gundy (coach of the Magic) is pissed.
  

What surprised me:

• I totally expect to see fights in hockey and even baseball, but NASCAR?! This weekend at Texas Motor Speedway after Jeff Burton wrecked Jeff Gordon, that's kind of what we got. I do have to say, I really really enjoyed Jeff Burton's interview afterwards. Very well spoken. Also, Jeff Gordon's pit crew was running faster and more efficiently than his teammate Jimmie Johnson's, so they immediately swapped pit crews (during the race) and Jimmie Johnson will keep Jeff's pit crew for the remainder of the season since he is in championship contention and Jeff Gordon is not.
• Sounds like ESPN wants to take the NHL from NBC
• LeBron says the Cowboys are "his team." Aren't they "America's team?" Does that make him America? Who knew LaBron was a narcissist!
• Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder is, understandably, livid after Ravens fullback La'Ron McClain spit in his face during the game this weekend. McClain says spit might have flown while he was speaking - that's not what the video shows. Disgusting. Why hasn't this guy been heavily fined/suspended? I mean, they're fining the crap out of players for hitting other players and that's part of their job!

Drama, drama.

Addition: This trick play by a middle school football team in Driscoll, Tx is awesome!

Everyone likes presents.

Remember when you were a kid and all the cereal boxes had toys in them? Everyone at Bruonis thinks that it sucks that kids (or ourselves) don't get to enjoy that anymore.

So from now on we are bringing back the good old days. The first 100 people to order something from http://shop.bruonis.com each month will get a prize mailed to them with their order. We won't ruin the surprise by telling you what it is, but each month it will be a completely new and gnarly prize.

Get. Excited.

This weekend in Sports

Hi for the first time! Uhm, a little about me, I work in advertising in New York on an account that does a lot with sports. On top of that, I went to two really big sports schools and grew up in Michigan and Texas (hello hockey and football!). Basically, I heart sports and I'm here to talk about them a little bit. Oh, also, I'm opinionated on everything from politics to Matt Leinart, so that's how I'm going to structure my posts for now. Enjoy!

This weekend was one of the rare weekends in the year where every major sport was in season. I had a tough time deciding between the San Francisco Giants v the Texas Rangers, a plethora of college and NFL football games, basketball, hockey - hell, I even had the options to watch golf and NASCAR if I wanted to. It was a good weekend in the world of sports.

Source: Getty Images/Ronald Martinez

Things I liked:

• The Giants won the World Series against the Rangers (four games to one)

• Oregon became #1 in the BCS by beating USC

• Tiger Woods is no longer the world's best golfer
  

Things I didn't like:

• Baylor qualified for a bowl game before Texas did when they beat Texas at home

• The Miami Heat lost their season opener to the Celtics - so much for their star trio

• The Detroit Red Wings started the season strong at #1, but has since handed the reigns over to the St. Louis Blues. Lame.

• Favre is hurt in like 4 different ways - he even left the game - but still can't admit to being so old he needs to retire.

Things that surprised me:

• The Minnesota Vikings cut Randy Moss after what, a month?

• Michigan State ruined their undefeated season by losing to Iowa

• Clint Bowyer won Talladega on Sunday

• A well known Seattle mountain climber died in Tibet

In other news, the MLS is in playoffs and no one cares.

And we are a go . . .

The Bruonis online shopping cart is now available! This has been a dream of mine for a very long time and to celebrate, we are offering 15% off your entire order and free shipping for the first week. Hopefully this will make Monday a little more tolerable. Enjoy.

- ashley

soooo, uh, you like, stuff?!

This is my first ever blog! Awww suki suki! Basically, I'm just feeling things out, updating my profile pic, getting acquainted and what not. Little background info...I work as an exercise physiologist doing various types of cardiovascular stress testing at a cardiologist clinic in San Marcos. I also have been doing personal training at the Gold's Gym in downtown Austin for over 4 years. During the course of this year I completed my first full marathon and half ironman! I really enjoy doing all sorts of running, cycling, triathlons, and sporting events, it makes me happy!

I'm glad to be a part of the Bruonis blog. I was lucky enough to work it on the runway in the Austin fashion show this past July, and it was awweesssommmee! We had a blast! So since I love fitness and Bruonis, and they love each other, let's do this....

Tunage: Dev - Booty Bounce

So it's almost the weekend and we are getting a little antsy up in here. Things are starting to move quickly and more and more things are getting checked off the list. Sooo, in favor of getting Friday over with so we can have another weekend. Here's some tunes to get you in the mood.

Dev "Booty Bounce!"

DEV | Myspace Music Videos

Get Inspired.

I'm not sure what it is about the ocean, but for some reason it is a place of great inspiration. The crashing of the waves gives me the same feeling as cruising down the asphalt on my longboard. 

Santa Cruz was the weekend destination this weekend to meet up with some close friends and it has been great. SC is one of my favorite places in Nor Cal, it's beautiful and you can't find the type of people in there anywhere else. 

Operation Amped

Operation Amped Promo from Sicky Dicky on Vimeo.

Came across this really cool program that helps amputee veterans get back in the saddle teaching them to surf. Sicky Dicky has a nice promo video showing the program in action.

If you are interested in finding out more about this great program visit their website http://www.operationamped.com/

Where oh where are the ladies?

So we've make the rounds to action sports blogs and stay up to date on all of the competitions and we noticed that there is something missing . . . the ladies.

So we want to know what are you are doing, skateboarding, wakeboarding, surfing, skimboarding etc. Are you sponsored, not sponsored? Do you have a reel? Let us know.

We think that women are under represented in the action sports world and we want to change that.

Trying to become a verified twitter account!!

So as we begin to roll out the Fall line of Bruonis, we want to start integrating our contests and more behind the scenes with our official twitter account. Though we want twitter to verify us! That way there will be no confusion when any of our new followers are looking for the right information.

Make sure to follow us www.twitter.com/bruonis to get the latest information of Bruonis on the road!

Music Monday: From Where You Are - Lifehouse

 

Music Monday: Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

 

My buddy Mike shared this song with me on Friday . . . and I can't get it outta my head. My favorite part of the song is the banter of the husband and wife duo. It's just fun. Hope it gets stuck in your head.

Music Monday: Smoke A Little Smoke - Eric Church

I don't know what it is about those country boys, but they are doing something right. 

Music Monday: The Birthday Song

So today is my birthday! Woo! One of my friends sent this to me and I thought it would be perfect for Music Monday.

Music Monday: Bridgette Tatum: I Like My Cowboys Dirty

 

Ladies - This is my new favorite song.

Music Monday: David Nail - Feel That Way Again

 

I've heard this song on pandora twice now and like even more each time I've heard it. The thing I like most about country is that it talks about life, problems, successes, sad times and the good times. You can always find a country song that you can relate to. This is especially true if you are from a small town where everyone know you and your business.

Music Monday: Ke$ha - Blah Blah Blah

 

Ok I know I know . . . but I really like this song right now. Listen to it.

Music Monday: Love & Theft - It's Up To You

I am quickly becoming big fans of these boys.

Music Monday - On the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful - Kenny Chesney

Throwback Music Monday: Take This Job & Shove It - David Allan Coe

This song totally reminds me of the parties my parents used to have when I was younger. All of their friends BBQ'ing and dancing and just having a lot of fun.

2009 Bruonis Photoshoot.

© 2009 Bruonis &.Amy Smith & Deann Dowell Photography All Rights Reserved.

We have the pictures posted at www.facebook.com/bruonis above is one of my favorite shots taken by Amy Smith.

We are currently in the process of planning our summer event in Austin! You should get to Austin for the weekend of July 17, 2010. It is going to be a great time.

Mood Music: God Bless Texas - Little Texas

HOOOOOK EMMM HOOOORNNSS

BEAT BAMA!!

Today is the Day for the BCS Championship game between Texas and Alabama. All I can say is HOOK EM HORNS!! BEAT BAMA!!

Music Monday: We Belong to the Music - Timbaland ft Miley