Furthering my fitness goals

So here I am again. I actually just wanted to let everyone know,that besides being a Certified Personal Trainer,  I am now an official Team Beachbody Coach. I'm not writing this to try to recruit anyone. It is for the purpose of letting everyone know that there is assistance and groups out there to help them with their fitness needs.

For those of you who do not know, Beachbody is the creator of:

and many many more of the top exercise programs on the market. Adding this to my CPT status will help me reach more people in the hopes of helping others get into great shape. 

 

If anyone is interested in learning more about all of Beachbody’s programs and supplements simply go to my page www.beachbodycoach.com/TeddyCrouch . Feel free to join with a 100% FREE membership (paid Club Membership is optional) and utilize all of the great tools and support groups.

Also feel free to come join my support group, to help you with your fitness goals. You will find me and other Coaches there, as well as members that Pushing Play everyday. It's the perfect place to get your motivation.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/339436406091716/

I personally plan to try out the new Les Miles Pump that is getting some GREAT reviews. 

So if anyone wants to join us then we are here for you. Feel free to ask any questions you might have as well.

Be Safe!!!

Product Review - Vibram FiveFingers

I thought I would do another product review. This time it is for something that I was really skeptical about, so I feel this makes me an ideal person to do a proper and fully unbiased review. This review is on the Vibram FiveFingers. FiveFingers are the shoes that “started the barefoot revolution”.

Vibram FiveFingers® (VFF) were developed by Robert Fliri and Marco Brimani (grandson of Vibram’s founder Vitale Brimani). They are considered to be a healthy alternative for your feet, when living an active life and not a replacement for all of your shoes.

In August of this last year (2011), while I was still in Southern Sudan, my wife and I were discussing buying both of us a pair of Vibram FiveFingers shoes.  I thought they might be interesting but wasn’t completely sold on the comfort level or how I was going to feel about having my toes separated and wrapped. But I thought it might be kind of cool to walk around with that feel of being barefoot. After all, when we were kids we always ran around and played outside with no shoes on and it was great. Plus, I was working in Africa at the time and was reminded that shoes were not necessarily needed to survive. Many of the Africans are still going barefoot and it doesn’t seem to bother them. Believe me the environment over there is much harsher than it is here.

So as my enthusiasm grew I continued to research and saw many different styles, some of which are very odd looking and do not look very appealing but some very cool looking.  I also learned the health benefits of the “barefoot” fitness and lifestyle.

Well my wife decided she could not wait for me to get home before she went to buy hers. I can’t say I blame her. It was still over a month away. When all was said and done, she had bought 2 different styles that look totally different. The Jaya were a slip on style with just enough sole to let you know there was something on your foot and the Speed, which has laces like a traditional shoe. (The ones pictured below are the exact styles and colors)

 

She immediately fell in love with both. Even with how much she seemed to really love her new shoes, I was still skeptical. It wasn’t just the toe thing or a matter of comfort but also sizing a shoe that had to be a precise fit. There is no wiggle room when it comes to the FiveFingers and I mean no wiggle room (at least not for me).  

Shortly after getting home in September, I decided it was time for me to get my shoes. I went from store to store searching but could not find any that fit me. Vibram has a sizing chart on their website with instructions on how to properly measure your foot. I followed their instructions and found that my foot had the exact size on the women’s chart but was in between sizes on the men's. This kind of explained why I was not happy with the feel for the few I had tried on the stores. In learning this I decided to just take a chance and order straight from the website. Well you might have guessed it. I actually order from the WOMEN’S section. I’m secure, plus they seem to have more colors to choose from and after all, I had an exact size match, so why would I go with an off size?

After a few days of searching, I also decided on the Jaya. (These are the exact ones I chose)  

It took me a little while to get used to them, for the same reasons I was skeptical. When you first start wearing them it is VERY different. They feel like nothing I have ever worn before. It is weird walking flat on the ground with no thick soles but feels so good to do so. Now the Jaya’s are not made for high impact but I enjoy working out in them on a daily basis. At first, I had a little discomfort wearing them for several hours at a time but now I forget I have them on and even tend to hang out in the house with them. I have already decided that I will be getting a second pair this year; it is just a matter of deciding which style and what color.

So it is my opinion that you cannot go wrong with a good pair of VFF. I am a firm believer in them. For more information on them go to their website: http://www.vibramfivefingers.com

Am I too serious about my fitness?

Well as many as you may know, aside from being a career police officer and international adviser, I am also a certified personal trainer. So many of the articles I write are fitness related. I see my time spent in other countries as a chance to reach my peak fitness level. As many of us know, that is sometimes a huge challenge. Some missions/duties provide us with great gyms and good healthy foods, while many leave us alone with barely enough food to survive.  If this sounds familiar to you, how did you cope? Did you just ignore health and throw caution to the wind or did you focus on your goal and gut it out no matter what?

While I was in Sudan, I was faced with the frustration of having to struggle to stay in shape. I loved my job and really enjoyed the people I was working with but food and fitness situation had a lot to be desired. I had only a bench with about 250lbs. worth of weight, 1 – 1 inch diameter bar and a couple of small ones for dumbbells. I was confined to space not much larger than that room needed to hold the bench. My food choices weren’t much better. Everyone else in my camp ate whatever and whenever but with me being strict and dedicated it was a little different. We had to beg for meat to be brought to us once a month or so and had to make regular trips out to the market area for things like eggs, onions etc. Fruits and vegetables were NOT available about 90% of the time in our region. I basically ate the same things over and over for 6 months. It wasn’t easy but it was my choice and I stuck by it.

So how does everyone else do it? One thing I do is go prepared. I take my P90X and bands with me to each mission, just in case I don’t have anything else to work with. I load my suitcase with vitamins, supplements, protein powder and whatever else I need.  I remember in Sudan, dragging my duffel bag, which I loaded with 3 cases of water, around after my workout for a nice added burn.

So I am interested in hearing what everyone else does. Am I just the freak that does this or am I the norm?

Are you fitness motivated during your mission time?

There is one thing that kind of bugs me about living in mission. Well, actually more than one thing but for the purpose of this article, we will say 1 thing.J.  When I am in mission I take the opportunity to get into the best physical condition I can. I see it as a chance to focus my energy (negative or positive) on being productive toward something that will not only benefit my future well being but also help keep me alive in the present. I will admit that it sometimes takes a huge amount of drive to do this but once you get that train too moving, it gets easier. Now, I understand that this is easier said than done in some situations.

When I was in Kosovo we had a nice little gym. It was tiny but it had what we needed and served its purpose. In Afghanistan, our FOB (forward operating base) had a makeshift gym that was part weights with few “homemade” pieces and a few treadmills. It worked very well but sometimes there just wasn’t enough to go around. I appreciated and respected the fact that MANY felt the way I did, and saw staying in shape was a good way to prolong their life (especially in a hostile environment). On the opposite side of that spectrum was Southern Sudan. Apparently fitness was NOT a concern and most of the people around me thought it to be pointless. While in Southern Sudan I had VERY LITTLE to work with, so as I always did, I went prepared. Each time I go into a new country, not knowing what type of workout facilities will be available; I take by workout bands and my P90X set. P90x really hit the spot for a good workout to start my day out with.

I know this might be an abrupt end to the story but tell me how you stay in shape while in mission. Is it a priority?