Teammates, it takes a Team and Perfect Fitness has some of the best Teammates on the planet! AKO, I appreciate you fielding some questions from Jeff, a new Perfect user. Folks, stand by for AKO’s Warrior Workout — it’s coming next month and it’s intense! AMM

Jeff wrote in, “I have purchased one Perfect Pushup and one Perfect Pullup. The directions of the workout, says that it is a “2 MINUTES DRILL”.  Simple question: I do 20,12,8 on pushups. Do I have to do all those reps in 2 minutes max? Which will give me like 20 seconds max for rest each reps, or do I rest 2 minutes every rep? My other question, I was training with weights for triceps and biceps. Will doing the Perfect Pushup also train my triceps? Should I quit the weight training?  Does the Perfect Pullup training work my biceps? Will I still get ripped if I train only with the Perfect Pushups and Pullups for my arms?

AKO’s answer: The 2-minute drills call for each set of pushups or pullups to be done within 2 minutes.   As the chart says, good form for a Perfect Pushup or Perfect Pullup means that you go through the full motion of the exercise, taking one second on the downward movement, and one second on the upward movement. 

This means that, if you tested at a Max of 30 pushups and 15 pullups, you would do 20, then 12, then 8 Regular Perfect Pushups per set within 2 minutes, and 15, then 10, then 5 Regular Perfect Pullups per set within 2 minutes.  (The numbers for the other exercises are listed on the workout charts, each set being conducted in the same manner.)   

At 2 seconds per repetition (one second up, one second down), this would mean that it would take 80 seconds to complete the forty pushups you are doing in the pushup set, leaving you with 40 seconds of rest time between the 20-12-8.   Concomitantly, it would take you 60 seconds to complete the thirty pull-ups you are doing in the set, leaving you with 60 seconds to rest between the 15-10-5. 

Now some of the exercises, like standing rows, and some of the Power 10 exercises, would cause you to go over the 2 minute time limit, but as long as you use proper form, proper timing, and don’t over-break, you will still be maximizing your workouts. 

I hope this clears up any confusion.

AKO

Teammates, Mike Ryan, CEO of Intensity Nutrition, is weighing in on creatine. You can post follow-up questions here or on twitter @InNutrition. Here’s a link to Part I, which ran last week on CHARLIE MIKE. Thanks Mike! AMM

“Every body is different, and everyone trains for different purposes and at different intensities. So here is what I recommend:  start with a relatively small amount, monitor the timing of your supplementation and the effects during training, and revise your intake accordingly.   It’s that simple. 

I’ll admit, several years ago I had some less than positive experiences with creatine.  My greatest complaint was that creatine seemed to adversely affect my endurance workouts.  My muscles were just getting too ‘pumped” and occasionally my legs felt ‘heavy’.  Having said that, I was gaining lean muscle, recovering better, and getting stronger.  Rather than modifying my approach, I just stopped taking creatine altogether.  Stupid move. Later, as I focused less on endurance and more on strength and speed training, I revisited creatine and started to experiment with both the amount and timing of my supplementation.  By modifying my intake, I was able to experience the benefits of creatine without compromising performance in other training areas.  The results have been terrific. 

As with other supplements, creatine augments my normal nutritional routine.  Because I get some creatine from other protein sources throughout the day, I skip the ‘loading phase.” I have found that my optimal dose is 2.5g daily taken about 30 minutes before training.  As always, I ensure that I am optimally hydrated and consume some good carbohydrates prior to any training session.       

Considering the overwhelming scientific evidence supporting the ergogenic benefits of creatine, I believe it merits serious consideration as part of your overall nutritional and supplementation strategy.”

Teammates, Intensity Nutrition CEO Mike Ryanis here to answer all your questions about creatine.  He knows his stuff! Thanks Mike. AMM

What’s the deal with Creatine?

I can’t tell you how many questions I get regarding the safety and efficacy of Creatine.  Hopefully this quick blog will help you understand some of the truths and misconceptions about Creatine – and my take on the matter. 

What is Creatine? 

Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that is naturally produced in the human body.  Creatine assists in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a major source of energy for the muscles.  It’s found in many foods, particularly animal protein.  However, many animal sources of protein contain high amounts of cholesterol and fat. For example, one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of raw round steak contains only four grams of creatine, but 119 grams of fat. Porterhouse steak has a bit less creatine, but 325 grams of fat per kilo! 

Is Creatine safe? 

Creatine is unquestionably one of the most scrutinized supplements on the market – over 200 studies have examined the effects of creatine on athletic performance. After years of analysis, current consensus within the sports nutrition community confirms the effectiveness and safetyof creatine. According the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition: “In our view, the most effective nutritional supplement available to athletes to increase high intensity exercisecapacity and muscle mass during training is creatine monohydrate.” (Kreider et al. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2010, 7:7)  The position paper goes on to state; “There is no compelling scientific evidence that the short- or long-term use of creatine monohydrate has any detrimental effects on otherwise healthy individuals.”

How much should I take?  

The average person uses about 2 grams of creatine per day just to maintain normal energy metabolism. (This is more than twice the amount of creatine found in the average person’s diet.)  According to the JISSN, the quickest method of increasing muscle creatine stores appears to be to consume ~0.3 grams/kg/day of creatine monohydrate for at least 3 days followed by 3-5 g/d thereafter to maintain elevated stores. Ingesting smaller amounts of creatine monohydrate (e.g., 2-3 g/d) will increase muscle creatine stores over a 3-4 week period; however, the performance effects of this method of supplementation are less supported. 

Part II: My Recommendations

PEOPLE magazine, July 5, 2010, asked some A-listers “what infomercial product do you own”? Perfect fan Mario Lopez said, “The Perfect Pushup. But it’s not like I’m selling it.” If you’ve seen Mario in action, you’ll agree that his physique speaks for itself.

From Malibu to Main Street, we’re Fired Up that people are motivated to share their Perfect success stories! Keep ‘em coming.

Teammates – it’s World Cup time – when the best 32 teams from around the world come to compete – HOOYAH! What could be better?? I know! Working out while watching the best of the best duke it out for the top honors in the world. You guessed it, just like we’ve done for the Super Bowl or March Madness – get ready for the World Cup Workout! 

Okay, here’s the deal – it’s three exercises: Pushups – Squats – and 8-count body builders. You have your choice of regular/wide/close pushups and for squats you must touch your hands to floor (between your feet) – as for 8 count body builders, check out this link to understand how to do them correctly. 

Now for the workout rules:

For every GOAL scored: 20 eight-count body builders

For every SHOT on goal: 10 pushups

For every YELLOW CARD: 20 squats    

For shoot outs: 

1. Take the number of goals your team scores and multiply by 3

2. Take that number (the product) and knock out corresponding number of 8-count body builders

Example: USA beats England in a shootout by scoring 5 goals (England only scored 4 – sorry).
5 goals x 3 = 15
So you do 15 eight-count body builders while yelling HOOYAH after each one! (Yelling HOOYAH is optional – but if this happens, just know that’s what I’ll be doing!) 

Go USA – GO WORLD CUP! 

MAY THE  BEST TEAM WIN – CHARLIE MIKE – ALDEN

Hey John – Great to hear from you!  Yesterday John said, i like adding sounds to workouts. thanks i think ill try HOOYAH

Send us your workout.

If you have a cool unique workout that involves a Perfect product, share it with us and you could be featured on the Daily Workout.

Perfect Fitness fan Joe Saliga shared his  Blitzkrieg 15-Minute Workout with us and got his 15-minutes of Perfect Fitness fame. 

Send us your fitness story.

We want to hear about your fitness success!  If you’ve accomplished a fitness goal, let us know!  Email getfit@perfectpushup.com and inspire others to do the same. We would like to feature you on our company blog, CHARLIE MIKE. 

CHARLIE MIKE is all about inspiring others to set goals and achieve them and a great way to do this is through personal stories. To see what we mean, check out Andre Fredrick’s story.  Andre lost 130 pounds—thanks to his Perfect Fitness products—and reached out to tell us of his amazing transformation.  Change some lives with your personal story of fitness success!

Team Perfect

Teammates, what’s your rallying cry as you head into the weekend? That’s a question we often pose to the Perfect Fitness Facebook community. We have asked, “How are you getting a sweat on this weekend”? The answers ranged from chasing down a goat on their farm to taking a spin class to heading up a mountain trail on a bike. What do all those activities have in common: Fun! You are so much more likely to get out and “Do It” if doing it puts a smile on your face. If you can do it with a team, so much the better. A team can be you and a friend kicking a soccer ball to joining up with a group of runners you “met” through the bulletin board at your gym. A teammate keeps you showing up and pressing on. Now’s the time to get in-active muscles in gear: check out our Daily.Workout for a blueprint for getting ready for your favorite summer sports.

I bet you can’t recognize the sensational water-skier in the picture. Here’s a clue: she’s the voice of Perfect Fitness on Facebook and she does it all: finds great stories to share, answers questions from newbies and even throws in an inspirational quote or two. Longtime readers of CHARLIE MIKE know how much we love great quotes! 

Julie, thanks for sharing this quote from Edmund Burke with the teammates, “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do only a little.” 

Get your sweat on gang: that’s an order from Julie and Team Perfect.

Olympic-sized pool, Melbourne, Australia (Commonwealth Games, 2006)

Teammates, Mark Friedman here, president and co-founder of Perfect Fitness. It is my pleasure to introduce Matt Elmborg, who contributed today’s super swim workout. Matt is a US sales director for Perfect Fitness and lives in Madison, Wisconsin with his wife, two kids and two huskies. During his high school and college years, Matt played tennis, football and wrestled. He has become an avid swimmer as of late due to hip limitations. Thanks Matt! Mark Friedman

“All you cardio studs should try swimming for a cardio workout. I am excited about what a difference swimming and Perfect workouts have made in my life.

First a brief background on me. I’m 50 and last year my doctors told me I’m going to have to get both my hips replaced or resurfaced due to the loss of cartilage. I have been active all my life and have played competitive tennis for years, so I am in no hurry to go under the knife. I decided I would adjust my lifestyle, to put off the surgery as long as possible. Now I have stopped all competitive tennis and my search for a good cardio workout, that will not cause hip pain, has been challenging.

Over this past Christmas I swam and did some water training with my brother and realized this would be the best chance at having a cardio exercise which would be challenging and have the least amount of strain to my hips. Little did I know what a great and challenging workout swimming would be! I have a whole new respect for swimmers! I’ve been swimming 3-4 times a week now for almost 4 months and I love it! Great TOTAL BODY cardio workout and no pain in your joints!Between swimming and doing my Perfect Pushups, Pullups and Situps, I am set with a great functional workout regimen. I am seeing great results and I am pain free!!! I have found new life in my workouts!

Questions? Post them on the Perfect Fitness Facebook fan page and I’ll do my best to answer them. See you on deck!”

Matt Elmborg