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