How to get 6-Pack-Abs....That Actually Work

The gym that I train at here in Toronto doesn't have any foam rollers. So, prior to my squat and deadlift workouts, I have to head over to the "abs & stretching" area of the gym to use a medicine ball to knead out my glutes & IT bands.

Without fail, every time I get to the open floor area, I've got to step over or around some poor trainee trying to chase his abs by doing crunches (or even worse, sit-ups) until he "feels the burn" - what is this, 1983?

If only he knew that there was a better way to get those six-pack-abs and burn fat that is actually safer, less boring and more effective.

I wish I could have told him to use big, bang-for-your-buck exercises like squats, deads, lunges, chins, rows & dips that require more abdominal work than your average crunch or sit-up.

I wish I could have told him that his 6-pack will come a lot faster if he were to limit his sugar intake and eliminate all junk food and just focus on eating fruits, vegetables, lean protein & healthy fats.

I wish I could have told him to make sure he gets enough rest and manage his stress to reduce the amount of cortisol (a belly fat loving hormone) he produces.

I wish I could have told him all those things, but I made a pact to myself never to give advice to another trainer (yes, he was a trainer that works in the gym that I go to) unless I actually know him or unless he asks....long story short, the last time I "made a suggestion" to another trainer, I almost got my a$ kicked because he thought I was being arrogant.

So, in dedication to all crunch-happy gym-goers who are in search of that "burn", here is a great ab exercise circuit "finisher" that I did on Friday after my squat workout.

It's called a "finisher" because...

1. You should always do your ab exercises at the end of your training session and

2. After you do a few of rounds of this circuit, you will be "finished".

Make sure to give this one a try and let me know how you feel tomorrow! If you do this right, I guarantee you'll be so sore that it'll hurt to cough.

FitAndBusyDad Intermediate Ab Finisher

1a. Ab-Wheel Roll Outs x 15









1b. Lower Ab Reverse Curl x 15









1c. X-body Climbers x 20 total









Repeat the above circuit 3 times with NO REST between exercises, then finish with...

2. 100 x KB or Dumbbell Swings (Complete the swings in as minimal sets as possible resting 45s between sets...remember to brace your abs HARD on these)













This circuit should take you about 6-8 minutes to finish and uses so many muscles that it could be considered a workout by itself!

Tack this onto the end of one of your FitAndBusyDad workouts and you'll be shedding the fat and getting 6-pack-abs that work in no time.

Chris
The FitAndBusyDad

P.S. Stop wasting your time with useless crunches and sit-ups. Stop buying $50 ab-gadgets. Stop looking for the magic bullet. Work hard, train hard, eat REAL FOOD - and use FitAndBusyDad Workouts!

=>Get started with the FitAndBusyDad Lifestyle

Injury Management for Busy Dads: How to Make Yourself UNBREAKABLE- An Interview with Physical Therapist, Keith Scott

I don't know about you guys, but as a result of years and years of competitive sports, I've got some nagging ailments that have really annoyed me over the past 5-7 years.

My right shoulder is incredibly volatile from about 15 years of playing indoor and beach volleyball and being a baseball pitcher (with a wicked fastball, I might add...although my mound dominance ended when I was about 14:-).

My left knee has a tendency to get a little sore every now and then because of some degeneration due my obsession with being able to dunk a basketball...that obsession still continues today (in highschool I dunked once in a game and several times in practice...I haven't dunked a basketball in the past 11 years).

And just recently, since I've been dabbling a little on the "interwebs", my upper and lower back haven't been feeling as strong...probably from sitting at my computer for hours on end.

Sound familiar? I know it does. Nagging injuries are something that plague us as busy dads.

Before I really started to educate myself on how to alleviate (and then prevent) my nagging injuries, I used to just "LIVE WITH THE PAIN" thinking that it was just a part of life and of getting older.

All of that changed when I met Keith Scott, a physical therapist from New Jersey, at conference a while back. Keith convinced me to pick-up a foam roller and taught me how to incorporate soft tissue, mobility and injury prevention techniques INTO MY CURRENT LIFESTYLE AND TRAINING PROGRAM.

Since then, I've managed to stay (relatively) injury and pain free and in the instances that I do start to "feel" anything, I know exactly what to do.

It was a no-brainer, then, for me to interview the man, Keith Scott, himself and get him to divulge some of the secrets he gave me that's allowed me to be a FitAndBusy - and Injury Free - Dad for the past few years.

Read on and learn how to be UNBREAKABLE...

CL: Keith, having chronic or nagging PAIN (as in low back, neck, hip, shoulder, knee, etc) is so common today that people think it is normal. Why is this such a dangerous way of thinking?


KS: First of all, people have to stop playing the “victim”, where they think they’re supposed to have pain and that it is just a “normal part of life.” Once you give in to that kind of thinking, you lose the ability to do the things you want to do, because you are a prisoner of your body.

Having pain is a normal thing when you have physical issues; however living with it is not.

When people “give up” and just figure they have to deal with it or ignore it, more problems are sure to begin. For example, if you hurt your lower back, and just think “well, I am getting older, this is just part of getting old” you will automatically stop doing anything that causes low back pain, or might cause low back pain. I see dads do this all of the time. They can’t play with their kids, they have to stop working out, and they just wind up living on the couch. Pretty soon, they lose important strength, lose their mobility everywhere, sustain other injuries and the cycle continues. In no time at all, they just feel “old!”

Most dads just want to be healthy, look decent and take care of their families. You can’t do that unless you are physically healthy. I work with dads that come to me just because they want to be able to play with their kids, work in the yard and look good too. Their knees, low back, shoulders, etc… are hurting them so badly, they had to give up on doing all of those things. There is no need for that, and no need to think that way. Within a month of working with my UNBREAKABLE system, they get their lives back and can start doing all of the things that are important to them.

CL: OK, so one of the obvious symptoms of being injured is PAIN. What is pain really? And why is popping pills for pain not a viable solution to the problem?


KS: Pain, simply put, is just your body’s way of telling you that you’ve got a problem. It's a signal that is put into place so you don’t do anything to mess yourself up more. The important thing to remember is that pain is also the body’s way of letting you know that you need to do something to correct this issue. Some people tend to skip that part. They feel pain, and just stop doing things and never address the problem.

The solution for a lot of people out there is to just pop some over-the-counter medication until the pain goes away. There are many problems with doing this, but the biggest problem is that taking pain medication is only treating the symptoms, and doing nothing about the problem. Even if they do take away some of the pain, the problem(s) is still there and will eventually come back…usually worse.

The other problem with using pain meds all of the time is that it will start to mess up your stomach and cause other side effects that are very serious. Not something anyone wants or needs. Finally, I have witnessed many people use so much pain medication that it totally masks the pain to the point where the person injures him or herself even more because they could not feel anything. Remember, pain is there for a reason. Without it we would be hurt all of the time. You have to address the issues.

=>Click HERE to become pain-free and UNBREAKABLE

CL: One of the biggest things that plagues us is having bad posture. Why do you think that is and what can we be aware of/fix in our everyday lives to help us stand/sit more erect and alleviate the strain that bad posture has on our bodies?


KS: I think the biggest reasons are sitting so much. Dads tend to sit at work all day, come home and then sit some more. Go to bed and repeat. The low back and hips get tight, the shoulders get rounded, and those things pull the body into really bad posture. Having bad posture is a marker for a lot of pain and problems.

A big way to correct some of these issues is just to get up from your desk every 20 minutes and stretch. It doesn’t have to be long either. Just a quick break to stretch out the back, hips and shoulders, and that can prevent a lot of the stiffness and tightening that occurs. The other thing that dads can do is to make sure they are aware of their postural problems in the first place. You would be surprised at how many dads out there think they have NO issues with their posture, until you do an assessment on them and show them just how bad it is.

Until you become aware of it, you cant fix it. That is the biggest step. I have fixed a couple of postural things in some dads and in a matter of minutes pain started to disappear.

It is really that simple sometimes.

CL: OK, last question. A lot of guys, when they think about "injury prevention" work, they think that they have to put everything else (ie. their muscle-building and/or fat loss goals) on hold. Is there any truth to that? Can you prevent injuries and still go hard with your goals without suffering any set backs in either?

KS: Absolutely! That is the whole point of my UNBREAKABLE system. Too many people separate the rehabilitative side of things with their regular fitness programs. I don’t know too many people that never have pain or physical problems. So when they do, most people stop their program completely until the pain goes away and then resume in a few weeks, only to have the same issues again. Why? Because they never really solved the problems in the first place.

Its important to understand that you can continue to train AND work on your physical issues at the same time. Actually, this is the best way to go about things as long as you do it the right way.

Lets say you have a shoulder issue. Why should you have to stop training completely just because one joint in your body is injured? You shouldn’t...and it really doesn’t make sense to do that. However, this is exactly what most people do. My system is set up so you can address the shoulder problem AND continue to workout, around your problem. That way you are still burning fat, still building muscle and you are taking care of your issues at the same time.

I spent 15 years dealing with athletes and their injuries. Athletes don’t have the luxury of taking a lot of time off…the season is only so long. It was my job to find a way to get them back in the game as fast as possible, while keeping them strong and fit. I was able to do that by combining a sports medicine approach with a conditioning approach. They were training while rehabbing. There is no reason that “non-athletes” cant do the same.


CL: Awesome info, Keith. Man, I'm glad I sat beside you during that conference! I think I learned more chatting with you than I did during the actual presentation that we were there for!

Chris Lopez
The FitAndBusyDad

P.S. If you're looking to 1. Take care of those nagging injuries that keep on flaring up on you and 2. Stay on track with your Fat Loss Goals, then using Keith's "plug and play" UNBREAKABLE system in conjunction with your FitAndBusyDad Workouts is probably the best and safest way to stay healthy and get lean for the summer.

=>Become an UNBREAKABLE DAD!!!

Who's Got Your Back?

If you're a busy parent then you can understand the importance of having a great support system.

We have 4 kids. All are relatively low-maintenance in that they enjoy playing with each other, are independent in their own little ways and each is incredibly self-sufficient.

***Case in point...When my 18-month-old, Mikey, is hungry she has now taught herself how to get a bowl (our dishes are in a low cupboard), open the door to the pantry and grab herself a snack of Whole Grain Cheerios. And she is able to do that with minimal collateral damage.***

Back to my point....Sometimes, trying to do everything can really take it out of you and you'll need a break. You'll need to go into the bullpen because your starters are getting banged around or are just on short on fuel from having to pitch on minimal days rest (how's that for a baseball analogy!?!).

If that's the case, then we go to our support system (our bullpen, if you will) - my parents and in-laws.

This weekend, the kids stayed over at my parents house and that gave Rozanne and I time to catch-up on laundry, housework, reading, sleep and R&R. So now today, we feel refreshed, rejuvinated and ready to take on the organized chaos that has become our lives!

So let's apply this support system to your fat loss goals and take a look at its importance.

Who do you have in your bullpen?

Days will (or have) come when you don't feel like getting out of bed 30-minutes earlier to do your workout.

Or when the kids the don't finish their chicken nuggets and you're tempted to not wrap them up for later but to eat them all yourself.

Sure, we're grown adults and we make our own decisions. But it helps us that much more when we're accountable to another person (or people) whose goals are congruent with ours.

Fat loss is easier in a household when both partners are involved in the process. When both you and your wife have each other's back.

Fat loss for dads is a lot easier when you can share your experiences with other dads who also want to lose weight.

So with summer right around the corner, isn't it about time that you took control and made sure all your stars are aligned?

Get your fat loss workouts together and know what you're doing in the gym today.

Plan your meals and snacks for the week so that your better prepared if you get thrown a curve ball.

AND

KNOW who your support system is and don't be afraid to call on them for help if you feel you're getting knocked around too much.

We've got 2 months left until the official FIRST DAY OF SUMMER.

That's more than enough time to get your butt in gear and be confident when you take your shirt off at the beach.

Need help, encouragement and support?

We can be your bullpen....

=>Sign-up for the FR*EE FitAndBusyDad Community on Ning

Chris Lopez
The FitAndBusyDad

p.s. With 2 months left until summer, do you have your workouts all lined-up?

=>Get started with FitAndBusyDad workouts

4 Reasons Why You Will NOT Experience a Set-Back If You Ate Too Much This Weekend

I hope you enjoyed the Easter/Passover Break.

It seemed like the girls, Rozanne and I were everywhere over the past 3 days spending time with family and friends and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine...after all, that's what a long weekend is about isn't it?
(To the right is a picture of my protein-junkie 18-month-old, Mikey, enjoying a hard-boiled egg...don't worry, she had about 6 chocolate eggs after!)

Amidst all the pizza, pasta, ham, dessert and all the little chocolate eggs that I ate, I still managed to get to the gym couple of times and stayed on track with my workouts.

Even though there was a lot of distraction (my in-laws have this knack for breaking out the poker chips at just the right time), I stuck to my schedule and was disciplined enough to cut out from the family stuff for a quick 45 minutes (traveling time included) to get to the local YMCA.

And even though I got kicked off the Smith Machine while I was doing Blast Strap Push-Ups because a trainer wanted their 40-something-out-of-shape-female-client to do some Smith Machine bench presses (!?!?!), I was still able to get a great muscle building workout in...


1a) 3 sets of weighted Chin-Ups
1b) 3 sets of Standing Military Presses

2a) 3 sets of DB Rows
2b) 3 sets of Blast Strap Push-Ups





Holiday eating can really throw you off your stride if you can't quickly get back on the horse. I’ve seen many a client just throw away all their fat loss efforts and completely fall off the wagon because of one indulgent weekend.

But that’s not going to happen to YOU (or to me)…

4 Reasons Why This Past Long Will NOT Set You Back From Your Fat Loss Goals
1. The weather is getting better. It's spring time and that means more family bike rides, hikes, playing in the park and NO STUFFY GYMS that make you feel trapped and clausterphobic. Being outdoors and doing your fat loss workouts outdoors will make you feel vibrant and alive. Your body relishes the Vitamin D that it's been missing over the winter. So get outside, take a kettlebell and and head over to the playground and do some chin-ups with your kids! ***Remember, no kettlebell swings while the little ones are around.
2. You will stick to your plan. The best part about your FitAndBusyDad workouts is that it allows for flexibility. If you miss a workout, it's not that big a deal because you can stack the missed component onto the end of another workout. And with each workout only being 20-minutes of less, you won't be caught in the gym or away from the family for very long at all.

3. Your diet could use the break. Chances are, if you've been eating well for the past few weeks, you're body could be reaching a plateau. Just like how our workouts need to be changed every few weeks to give our body a different stimulus to change, the same holds true for our diets. If you've been eating a lot less than normal lately, then a sudden "re-feed" could be just what your body needs to say, "whoa, what the HE** was that?" and restart your fat loss metabolism! Just make sure to go back to your clean eating ways starting today.

4. Don't sweat the small stuff. Truthfully, if you enjoyed yourself this weekend - spending time with the kids and your friends, family and loved ones - then in the big picture of things, if you ate a little too much this weekend, IS IT REALLY THAT BIG OF A DEAL? The answer of course is NO. We just need to jump back on course and continue with the healthy lifestyle that we've been living and teaching our kids. One long weekend of indulgent eating will not hinder our results if we've committed a lifetime of healthy habits to ourselves and our family. Now, it's just a matter of getting back on track and continuing what we started.

I hope you guys had as enjoyable weekend as I did. I'm off to the farm now (it's my day off) for a children's birthday party. Then it's off to the gym.

Enjoy your day!

Chris Lopez
The FitAndBusyDad

P.S. Speaking of indulgent eating, my good friend and fellow author Joel Marion just finished recording some REALLY eye opening videos on the pitfalls of dieting and how you can actually use your favorite foods to lose fat *faster*. I'll be sending you a direct link to check out these powerful videos tomorrow, so make sure to keep a close eye out on your email. Believe me when I say you're definitely NOT going to want to miss these!

Wednesday Workout & The Problem That I Have With Training Child Athletes

I survived a crazy-busy day yesterday.

Morning clients, some writing and then taking the remainder of the afternoon off to take Joey, my 5-year-old, to the dentist.

Joey had to get 3 cavities filled. After a brief discussion, it was determined between myself and her dentist, Dr. Laurel, that the best route to go to help Joey through the agony of getting cavities filled was LAUGHING GAS.

After it all, she felt nothing and just remembered feeling like she was floating on a cloud. Too bad :-), I had brought my Flip Camera hoping that the experience would be something like this...



After the dentist we headed home and then my night really began.

I whipped up dinner in about 30-minutes and then AJ and I headed over to her soccer practice. I stuck around for a little bit only to watch her coach make the team run around a 400m track several times.

It was painful to watch. Partly because I can remember my old high school basketball coach force laps on us in the gym (more for punishment than for conditioning), but mainly because I don't think running around a track at sub-maximal effort for 20-minutes is congruent to the demands of soccer.

Soccer, and any other team sport for that matter, is a series of sprints and start-stop actions. You don't just run straight. You go forward, backward, side to side and every other direction.

The duration of these MAXIMAL EFFORT activities lasts only a matter of seconds. So, to force your athletes to run at slogging pace for 20-minutes is teaching them nothing.

The whole "building a cardio base" theory is a bunch of crap.

Sometimes I wish coaches would use logic when they put their practices together. Young athletes should be focusing on short sprints and agility drills to build power and speed.

Practice SPECIFICALLY to the demands of your sport.

After having enough of watching my daughter kill-off her fast twitch muscle fibers by jogging away, I hopped over to the gym for my own workout.

Here's what went down...

1a) Pull-ups (5 x 230, 6 x 230, 15 x bodyweight)*
1b) Standing BB Military Press (5 x 135, 6 x 135, 15 x 95)

2a) DB Rows (12 x 80, 15 x 80, 25 x 60)
2b) Blast Strap Push-ups (27, 22)

3) Dips (15, 12)

***I weigh 175lbs, so for the pull-ups, 230lbs = 175 (my bodyweight) + 55lbs on a weight belt

A good workout. But, I'm not used ot training at night, so I felt that my energy was relatively low. I find that mid-afternoon is my ideal/optimal time for training.

After the workout, I headed back to the soccer pitch to pick AJ up. We got home and started to bake some cupcakes for the kids in her class.

It's her birthday tomorrow!

Have a great day,
Chris
The FitAndBusyDad

12 Weeks

A young man (he was 10) asked my daughter for her phone number over this past weekend.



And so it begins. My 10 year old is in her final year of elementary school and will start middle school next September.



With middle school comes school dances, the beginnings of raging hormones, mouthy teenagers and B.O....oh the joy. I can't wait.



So now is the time for me to start putting a little more (QUALITY) weight on my 180lb frame.



When the boys come knockin', they need to know who's in charge...and it's not going to be a skinny, unintimidating push-over.



I've got goals over the next 12 weeks to put 10lbs of muscle on and lose 10lbs of fat.



I'm also going to focus on spending more individual time with my wife and each of my kids.



AND, I'm going to focus on getting to bed earlier for myself.



TODAY is the day it all begins.



What about you?



12 weeks from now, how lean, muscular and fit will you be?



Will you have dedicated time to yourself and to your family and have MADE yourself a better dad?



Will you have set the example for your kids and have shown them your new found commitment to health & exercise, thus paving the way for them to live a healthy and fit life?



Will you have taken yourself out of YOUR own personal comfort zone to force your body and mind to change and become better, stronger?



If not, why not?



12 weeks to create new habits.



12 weeks to create a new physique.



12 weeks to your wife whistling at you as you mow the lawn with your shirt off this summer!



12 weeks to BE A BETTER DAD.



Enter the FitAndBusyDad Transformation Challenge for FR*EE and transform your body and your life...



Pick-up a couple of FitAndBusyDad Workouts, get peer support and access to my advice here...



http://FitAndBusyDad.ning.com



Check out the Rules and how to win the $750 Grand Prize here....



http://FitAndBusyDad.com/Contest



Get the complete FitAndBusyDad Lifestyle Package here...



http://FatLossWorkoutsForDads.com





Chris Lopez

The FitAndBusyDad

And The Winner Is...

You guys didn't make it easy.

We received 27 total entries in the Flip Cam Contest and everyone was incredibly open and honest with their stories.

First, the HONORABLE MENTIONS...

A big shout out goes to Steve from Ohio who lost over 160lbs in 12 months while looking after both of his sick parents and grieving the loss of a brother. Steve writes...

"I did it the old fashioned way...no tricks, gimmics, or surgery. I used faith, accountability, personal responsibility, and hard work."

Great job Steve! You've secured your place in the good Karma books, man.

Kudos goes to Tom (who has 4 kids just like me) and is starting his own fitness business this year. A quote that stuck out from Tom's entry was...

"I feel more energy and life when I am committed to a business goal and physical goals and I can see the effect on my family in a positive way as well. I know that I am committing to the pain of discipline in myself this year because I do not want the pain of regret"

And to Ellis, the father of 11 (8 of them are daughters!). And I thought I was busy!

The Winner of Flip Video Camera is...


Andy, who wrote this entry:

"3 things I'm going to concentrate on coming into 2009:

#1. 3 words: Keep the balance. Balance is everything. Family, Work, Workouts...the whole deal. Being a father of 2 twin pre schoolers and a 1 year old isn't easy since 2004 and before that. I've been asked: "How do you keep up?"...well, starting off, I didn't. I blew up to 225 lbs (maybe more) at the time my twins were born. I focused too much on family and work and not anything else.

#2. Make the time. If you can sacrifice 45 minutes in a gym...you can sacrifice 45 minutes or more with your kid's homework, at the dinner table, at the park, reading them a story at night or just plain teaching them the facts of everyday life to a point that they would understand. We're all busy but I don't believe there isn't time for everything in life. If family gets in the way of your workouts...do your workouts in the morning or when they are tucked in bed.

#3 Focus on quality and not quantity with your family and your workouts...and everything in general. In everything you do, make it worthwhile. Savor those little moments with them...it doesn't have to be in the form or a trip to Disneyland or what have you. Give them a hug everyday...make them feel special. Your family yearns that from you. I remember going to a volleyball game just the other night and you can just see in their eyes who they look up to. Make them proud that you are their dad and live by example that healthy habits are a good thing and not all about a trip to Chuck E Cheese running around with a pizza in their hand. Introduce them to healthier eating habits such as an apple or a banana. HIt them when their young and they'll carry those good habits when they get older."

Congratulations Andy!

Please send me an email at info(at)fitandbusydad.com so that we can chat about how to get you the goods!

Oh, BTW the most comedic entry goes to Michal who said...

"And all I'm doin' in 2009 is tryin' to BECOME a dad and I think it's one of the best workouts out there !! :))"

Nice try, buddy. You get an "A" for effort.

Good Luck on your Transformations guys!

P.S. You have less than 12hrs left to get your FitAndBusyDad Deluxe Package at the Basic Package Price!

=>Click HERE to get started with FitAndBusyDad Workouts!

P.P.S. The Official Rules of the 1st Ever FitAndBusyDad Transformation Contest will be posted on Monday, February 2nd so stay tuned for your chance to win the $750 GRAND PRIZE!

The 1st Ever FitAndBusyDad Transformation Challenge - Are you "DAD" enough?

OK, I know I'm a day late with this last announcement, but I had some loose "legal" ends that I needed to tie up just to make sure that I can do what I'm about to do.

So here's BIG Birthday Announcement #3...

I am launching the 1st EVER FitAndBusyDad Transformation Challenge!

***Notice how I didn't say "Contest", I said "Challenge". A contest is something that you do to compete against other people. A CHALLENGE is something you do to compete against YOURSELF.***

There are 2 things that you need to do to enter and to make it as a finalist in the F&BD Challenge:

1. Submit BEFORE and AFTER photos (taken on Day 1 and Day 84, respectively) showing the dramatic changes you made to your physique.

AND...

2. Write a 300-500 word essay on the steps you took to BECOME A BETTER DAD throughout your 84-days of transformation.

(*FULL Contest Rules and Details will be posted on Monday, Feb 2, 2009)

That's right, guys.

THIS IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE TRANSFORMATION CONTEST.

I still believe that a lot of us ("us" being Busy Dads) still get a lot of flack for being "secondary" caregivers.

People's first instinct when they see us with our kids at the park or at a ballgame or at the mall is "Oh, that's cute. They must be babysitting." That initial reaction is changing now that more and more of us are taking an active involvement in our kids' lives, but it still happens.

(BTW, if you're watching YOUR kids, it's not "babysitting"! It's called PARENTING.)

And that's why the essay portion of this contest counts for so much.

How, in your busy life, are going to improve being the type of father that your kids will want to be proud of for the rest of their lives?

Sure, it's relatively easy to ignore our families, focus totally on ourselves, eat boiled chicken breasts & steamed broccoli everyday and spend countless hours in the gym trying to get our bodies better for an 84-day challenge...but who really wins in the end? If we take this approach, what do we sacrifice and at what cost? Are we really being a better dad?

This challenge is meant for you to go beyond fitness and really dissect your lifestyle. To go deep and make yourself ask HARD questions like...

Am I being a shining example of health to my family?

What kind of impact am I putting on their lives?

Thirty years from now, what will my kids remember about me the most?

Or, even more importantly...


Given my current lifestyle, am I even going to be around 30 years from now to see my grandchildren?

This isn't just a body transformation challenge...it's a LIFE TRANSFORMATION.

And if your family and your health isn't incentive enough, here is the prize line-up:

Grand Prize - $750 Cash, 1-year telephone coaching & personalized program consultation with me & LIFETIME products from FitAndBusyDad.

Runner-Up - $500 Cash, 6-months telephone coaching & personalized program consultation

3rd place - $250 Cash, 6-months telephone coaching & personalized program consultation

Prizes will also be given to the contestant who best BLOGs about his experience(s) throughout the contest AND to the contestant who best VIDEO BLOGs his experience(s).

So, are you up for the challenge?

Are you ready to step-up and be a better man, a better parent, a better DAD?

I think you'll be just fine AND you'll have my support 100%.

So don't wait, make the decision to change and get going!

=>Get Your FitAndBusyDad Workouts NOW

Your Coach,
Chris Lopez
The FitAndBusyDad

P.S. You have until Friday (tomorrow) at midnight to get your NEW FBD workouts at the promotional price of $39. Click HERE to get started FitAndBusyDad Workouts!

P.P.S. Today is the last day to enter to WIN the flip video camera. All you have to do is leave a comment. Click HERE for your chance to win.

Hitting the "RESET" Button

With the New Year fast approaching, many of us take this opportunity to make some household changes in our lives. Some of us do it by choice, some out of necessity.

Last week, just before Christmas, my hard drive crashed and my back-up failed.

I LOST EVERYTHING.

Some initially would think, big deal. What's a few family photos and some old school hip-hop mixes you downloaded off the web?

Well, it was actually a lot more than that...

-accounting records
-thousands of dollars worth of educational material (eBooks & on-line courses, etc)
-articles that I wrote or was working on for various publications
-my intellectual property bank of projects: new programs that I was writing, press releases, new workouts, my IDEA bank, my list of CONTACTS

I'm pretty much stuck as to what to do. I've taken my old drive to several Mac experts and they can't seem to do anything.

My last resort is to take it to a data retrieval company and pay an estimated $4100 to get everything back...in little disorganized pieces.

So here's what I'm doing...

Out of necessity, I'm hitting the RESET button.

I had a lot planned for January - projects, major announcements, a website redesign - and I'm still going to push forward.

The way I see it, I've got a new blank canvas to work with now.

I just created a new workout journal.

I simplified my accounting process into one logical spreadsheet that will keep track of everything.

I'm aiming at writing 1 NEW article/blog post/program per day to play catch-up on all the things that I had lost.

This'll be an uphill battle, but what better way to start climbing than at the turn of the year?

So, my question to you is...IS IT TIME FOR YOU TO HIT THE RESET BUTTON TOO?

Do you need to de-clutter the house to make room better things in 2009?

Do you need to shed that extra weight that you've always been meaning to?

Will '09 finally be the year that you pay off all the debt you've accumulated over the years so that you too can wipe the slate clean?

Whatever it is, make preparations now and don't wait (like I did) for you to be forced into RESET mode.

Make the decision NOW and make a promise to stick to it for the next 4 weeks (because after 4 weeks, it'll probably become a habit).

Like my buddy Brad Pilon says, "Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone".

Over the next few days leading into and through the New Year, I'll provide you with some tools and resources that you can use to make 2009 YOUR BEST YEAR EVER!

From goal setting programs, to online resources to track food and exercise, I'll give you some neat tricks to help you get on track with your life so that you're prepared for anything.

Have a great day!

CL
The FitAndBusyDad

P.S. CLICK HERE to get a head start on your New Year's fat loss goals.