Hello Everyone, I am very excited to announce the launch of BootCampConnect.com, a FREE online community for health-conscious WOMEN. It will share information, education and inspiration relating to the areas of Strength Training, Yoga, and overall balanced, healthy living. BootCampConnect.com will provide the users with unique and interesting workout routines, exercise videos, wonderful recipes and inspirational reading materials. It offers blogs, forums on hot topics, connections to holistic health options, and so much more. So if you have a moment, give it a gander and get connected! Wishing you the best in your heath and fitness, Adam Brewer

These days it takes more than an apple a day to keep the doctor off your back.The good doc is going to pester you about your blood pressure and cholesterol levels - apple or not. And who can blame him? According to the American Heart Association, 105.2 million adults have borderline to high risk blood cholesterol levels. In addition, nearly one in three adults suffers from high blood pressure. And these numbers grow every year. So what do you do? Pop a pill and try not to think about it? Or maybe you don't even bother to have your blood pressure and cholesterol checked – what you don't know can't hurt you, right? Whether you've had your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked lately or not, these conditions are deadly and sneaky - many people are unaware of the danger lurking in their own arteries.

What's so bad about high blood pressure and cholesterol levels? In a nutshell, these conditions raise your chances for having a stroke, kidney failure, heart disease or heart attack. Here's the lowdown:

Blood Pressure is recorded in two numbers. The first describes your systolic blood pressure. This is the pressure when your heart is squeezing blood out. The second is your diastolic blood pressure. This is the pressure between heartbeats, when your heart is filling with blood.The ideal blood pressure to have is 120/80 or lower. Blood pressure that falls between 120/80 and 140/90 is considered to be prehypertension - meaning that your blood pressure is higher than normal. If your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher then you officially have high blood pressure.

Cholesterol is also recorded in two numbers - high - density lipoproteins (HDL) and low - density lipoproteins (LDL). The distinction between HDL and LDL is actually quite important - LDL delivers cholesterol to your body while HDL removes cholesterol from your bloodstream. In other words, HDL cholesterol is good and LDL cholesterol is bad.When there is extra cholesterol in your bloodstream it lines your arteries, causing them to narrow. These deposits can block an artery that flows to your heart - resulting in a heart attack, or they can block an artery that flows to your brain - resulting in a stroke.The ideal cholesterol level to have is a number less than 200. Between 200 and 239 you are considered to have borderline high cholesterol, and 240 or higher puts you in a danger zone.

Will exercise really help lower your high blood pressure and improve my cholesterol levels? It sure will - and here's how:

Weak Heart Muscles pump little blood with lots of effort. By exercising you strengthen your heart muscles and train them to pump more blood with less effort. The stronger your heart is the less pressure will be exerted on your arteries.

Exercise Increases HDL levels in some people - this means a decrease in your risk for heart disease. Other heart disease risk factors such as weight, diabetes and high blood pressure all show improvement with regular exercise.Let's be totally honest for a moment. Sure, you may be taking medication, but you need to fix the problem rather than simply hold it off.If exercise isn't currently part of your lifestyle you will be amazed at how it will improve your health once you start. I'm sure your doctor could share a myriad of success stories involving people just like you who dramatically improved their blood pressure and cholesterol through exercise. Exercise is the answer.

You know that exercise promotes better health. Your doctor tells you to get more exercise. The government puts out official exercise recommendations for you to follow. And I'm always ranting about the importance of regular exercise. So you go on a walk and then pat yourself on the back. Exercise accomplished-right? This begs the question:

Can you get fit by walking? A research team at the University of Alberta took this question on in a detailed study. They compared a group that took part in a walking program with a group that did a traditional fitness routine at moderate intensity.The results? The fitness level of the walkers was significantly lower than those who did traditional exercise at moderate intensity. Here is what the lead researcher, Dr. Vicki Harber, had to say: "Generally, low-intensity activity such as walking alone is not likely to give anybody marked health benefits compared to programs that occasionally elevate the intensity." Harber went on to say that, "You've go to do more than light exercise and move towards the inclusion of regular moderate activity, and don't be shy to interject an occasional period of time at the vigorous level." Hmmm, so walking for exercise won't give you the health benefits that more challenging exercise delivers.What does this mean for your walking routine? Is there any place in fitness for walking?

What walking can do for you...Don't get me wrong-there is a place for walking in fitness. If you are brand new to exercise then walking is the first activity that you'll need to master. Walking is a wonderful activity for you if your body is overweight, under conditioned and simply unaccustomed to moving much. Look at walking as a stepping stone to fitness. It transitions you from the couch to the gym. Walking is just a notch above not moving-you'll burn a few calories and warm up unused muscles. The problem comes when your exercise routine begins and ends with walking.You see, like the study above pointed out, walking just won't deliver results. Your body is so efficient in its ability to adapt that you have to increase your exercise intensity in order to see results.

Beyond walking...Once you have mastered brisk walking, you are ready for a new challenge, namely, resistance training. If you haven't tried resistance training then it may sound a little scary. Isn't resistance training just a fancy word for 'lifting weights'? And don't you have to be an athlete to lift weights? I understand your reservations about beginning a resistance training program, however the facts are undeniable-in order to achieve substantial health and fitness results you must use resistance training. Besides, you will soon find resistance training to be quite enjoyable and not something exclusive to athletes.

What are the benefits of Resistance Training? Just to name a few...

• Increase in muscle strength and tone
• Increase in metabolism (this means extra fat burning)
• Increase in bone density
• Injury prevention
• Improved posture
• Improved health (lowered blood pressure and cholesterol; lowers your risk for adult-onset diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers)
• Improved mood and self esteem

Wow-that's an impressive list of benefits. Resistance training is simply the way to go when you want to get fit. Couple a resistance training program with a challenging cardiovascular routine and you will be well on your way to achieving all of your fitness goals. If you aren't seeing results with your current exercise program then it is time you did. Let's get you started on a program that offers the resistance training and cardiovascular challenge that your body needs. To that end, you've got to check out my iPod Workouts designed to get you the results you deserve. My Boot Camp X programs are tailor made for users of the JumpSnap. They combine At-Home functional training with a jump rope. Let's get fit together!

You've probably heard of Jared Fogle - he's the guy that lost over 200 pounds by only eating at Subway. His amazing story captured the attention of people all around the world. Here it is in a nutshell: It all started March of 1998 when Jared was a college student with a problem. His weight had skyrocketed to 425 pounds. Now that's a lot of weight for anyone to handle, let alone a busy college student. So Jared made the decision to change his life. He knew the weight would come off with the help of a healthy, lowfat diet. Luckily for him there was a Subway restaurant located near his apartment. His plan was brilliant in its simplicity. Everyday he ate the same thing:

• Breakfast - coffee
• Lunch - "I ate the 6-inch turkey, tons of vegetables, including hot peppers and a bit of spicy mustard." He left off the mayonnaise and cheese and had a bag of Baked Lays® potato chips and a diet soft drink
• Dinner - Footlong veggie sub - again no mayonnaise or cheese.

I'm sure you know the rest of the story. The Subway diet, along with exercise, got Jared to shed the extra weight until he was a lean 190 pounds (the guy is 6'2"), and he became a spokesperson for Subway, sharing his story and inspiring millions of people. Subway then became synonymous with healthy eating. Ever look at a Subway napkin? It lists 7 of their sandwiches that have 6 grams of fat or less. Then at the bottom it shows you an alternative. The Big Mac and the Whopper, burgers that hold 31 and 40 grams of fat, respectively.Wow, Subway is much healthier, right? Well, yes and no.First read the small print. The 7 sandwiches with 6 grams of fat or less are calculated with only bread, veggies and meat. So if you take your sandwich with cheese, mayonnaise, and oil (and really, other than Jared, who doesn't?) then you need to recalculate the numbers. Here, I'll do it for you, using a 6" Roasted Chicken Breast sandwich as an example.

Let's not forget the tempting side items are that so often picked up in the Subway line:

And just like that your 'healthy' Subway sandwich grew into a meal with fat and calorie totals that rival a Big Mac meal. Now I know you probably don't get all of the extras when you visit Subway but, quite frankly, that isn't the point. The point is that there is danger in classifying any restaurant as 'healthy'.The truth is that you could gain weight eating anywhere, just like you could lose weight eating anywhere. It all comes down to maintaining a balanced diet with a reasonable calorie and fat intake. Jared lost weight by drastically cutting calories and fat from his diet and by starting an exercise program. You too could do this at Subway or any other restaurant. But eating at Subway does not mean that you will walk out leaner and healthier. It all comes down to choices.Everyday you make choices that directly affect your weight and your health. Should you get mayonnaise on your sandwich? What harm will one cookie do? Will skipping your workout today really make a difference? You get to decide. At some point we all reach a breaking point. For Jared it was hitting 425 pounds. For you it may be when you have to buy the next size up. Or when you find your body riddled with aches and pains. Or when you're shocked by the number on the scale. Sooner or later you will decide that you are worth it. You will decide that your health is important. You will decide that you deserve to look great. And you will do what it takes to achieve amazing results.