Pro Football Player Using X!!

David Akers gets a kick from new regimen

By Matt Gelb

Inquirer Staff Writer
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - David Akers acknowledged he was embarrassed. The Eagles kicker is a perfectionist. He keeps diligent track of his statistics in practice, games and training camp. That's why his 2-for-10 clip from beyond 40 yards last season made him desperate to change something.

Then one day, while in Dallas during the off-season, Akers saw an infomercial for a new training regimen called P90X.

"I said, you know what, it looks legit because it's not some gimmick," Akers recalled. "It [involves] actually working hard and changing the regimen all the time."

He tried it for the sake of change. He did not intend to lose weight, but he ended up dropping 20 pounds and 6 percent of his body fat.

And his leg feels stronger. He has shown that in camp. Akers, out to prove last season was a fluke, has made two 60-yard field goals, including one yesterday.

"I'd be real happy if I was able to keep this type of power and consistency through the season," Akers said.

Last season, Akers lacked on deep kicks for the first time in his career. For a lifetime 68.1 percent kicker from beyond 40 yards, 2 for 10 was like a slap in the face.

Akers, though, was not overly disappointed with last season. He made every field goal under 40 yards that he attempted (22 for 22). Of the field goals he missed from beyond 40 yards, many were near-impossible kicks, he said. Plus, he was working with a new holder, Sav Rocca, which caused some headaches.

"You don't lose it just like that," Akers said.

The distance was not the problem. A 57-yard attempt in Week 14 against the New York Giants that would have tied the game banged off the right goalpost. He did not think he had a shot at making it from there, anyway.

Still, Akers questioned himself in the off-season. The 33-year-old cannot regain the strength he had as a younger player, but he wanted to do something new.

That's when he saw the infomercial for P90X, which boasts on its Web site that users can "get absolutely ripped in just 90 days."

"I liked it because it really worked a lot with the explosion of the legs," Akers said. "Jumping, cardio aerobic, push-ups, pull-ups, jumping back and forth, it's crazy. Yoga, stretch, tempo . . . it's all kind of mixed into one."

He convinced Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder, who said he lost 30 pounds on the regimen. "And he was standing on a chair doing it at first," Akers said. Burkholder has the injured Eagles doing parts of the training system.

Special-teams coordinator Rory Segrest sees a different Akers, who now weighs 183 pounds.

"He's showing really good leg strength right now," Segrest said. "He's hit them in warm-ups. He's hit them during our team reps."

The first day Akers came to camp, he was playing around with Rocca and long-snapper Jon Dorenbos. He said he nearly hit a 70-yard field goal. That's when he realized that maybe this regimen could pay off.

"There's something to it," Akers said of his new training technique. "It's not like, 'Hey, take this pill, you're going to lose 40 pounds of fat.' You bust your butt. It's tough."

Where did the GoFitCoach Newsletter go?

Good question! Actually we have simply changed our method of delivery for the newsletter. It will now only go to the people that we "officially" coach. If you have any questions, please email me!

One Can of Red Bull May Increase Risk of Heart Damage, Study Says

Red Bull might “give you wings” but new research suggests just one can of the popular energy drink may increase the risk of heart damage.

A study of university students between the ages of 20 and 24 years old found that drinking one sugar free can of the caffeinated energy drink increased the "stickiness" of the blood and raised the risk of blood clots forming.

The Australian students, who were targeted in the study, showed a cardiovascular profile similar to that of someone with heart disease after drinking one can.

Red Bull emphatically denied that the drink, which is distributed to 143 countries worldwide, was dangerous.

In a statement, it said it had been proved safe by "numerous scientific studies,” and it had never been banned from anywhere it had been introduced.

However, Dr. Scott Willoughby, of the Cardiovascular Research Center at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Adelaide University, said he was “alarmed” at the results of his survey.

“After one can it seemed to turn the young individual into one with more of the type of profile you would expect to see with someone with cardiovascular disease," he said.

“People who already have existing cardiovascular disease may want to talk to their physician before they drink Red Bull in future."

The results shocked the 30 students tested, some of whom drank up to eight cans per night to help them stay awake to study, and many now refuse to consume the energy drink again.

A Milestone Has Been Reached!

This is from Carl's (Beachbody's CEO) blog!

"We have reached a very significant milestone: Yesterday we recruited the 10,000 coach in the Beachbody Coach Network! Congratulations to all our coaches who are driving this initiative forward, and capitalizing on the incredible demand for helping people make health and fitness a priority.

My goal is to build a network of one million coaches within five years. We needed to get to 10,000 first - and here we are ahead of schedule!"

Too Busy to Eat Healthy?

Shopping & Cooking Tips for People on-the-Go
-- By Tanya Jolliffe, Nutritionist

Whether you're overworked or just plain overstressed, time is valuable to all of us. When making a lifestyle change, it can easily seem overwhelming to include new habits like exercise and healthy eating into your jam-packed days. Between work, school, family and just keeping up—how are you also supposed to find time to prepare healthy meals and read all those labels in the grocery store? These tips will help you spend even less time in the grocery store, emerge with healthy ingredients, and cook diet-friendly meals in minutes.

Time-Saving Grocery Shopping

Keeping a grocery list may seem like a waste of time in the moment, but it will actually save you time while shopping. While any old list is better than none, here are some tips that will turn your list into time well spent.

1. Keep a running list. One of the best places to keep your grocery list is in the kitchen—on the fridge, on a bulletin or wipe board, or even on the pantry door. As you run out of items, add them to the list so you don't have to remember them later. Then when you're ready to shop, you'll have a complete shopping list ready to go with you.

2. Organize your list. You can get through the store quickly if you organize your list in the same order that you typically navigate the grocery store. If you always start in the produce section, then start your list with these foods. If you hit the dairy section last, then add those foods to the bottom of the list. By listing items in order of the store layout, you can avoid retracing your steps to pick up things you missed.

3. Shop during "off" hours and days. You can usually get in and out of the store more quickly if you shop between Sunday and Wednesday, later in the evenings, or during the middle of the day, such as your lunch hour.

4. Avoid shopping when you are hungry. Studies show that when hungry people shop, they are more likely to purchase items that aren't on their lists. When your belly is growling, you're more likely to stray off of your list, notice other foods that you didn't come in to get, and spend extra money overall. Try shopping after a meal or a small snack to stay focused and on track.

5. Use caution with single-servings and bulk items. Many times when you shop, the choice of individual or bulk sizes means the difference between time and money. Individual serving items (such as yogurt, instant oatmeal, 100-calorie packs, frozen entrees, etc.) and pre-cut foods (chopped veggies and fruits, whether frozen or fresh) tend to be more expensive than larger packages or bulk quantities, but they will save you time and help with portion control.

If money is of greater concern then time, select standard food packages (such as a tub of yogurt, a canister of oatmeal, a box of crackers, etc.). With just a few food storage containers of various sizes, you can portion out your snacks and meals for later convenience. It only takes a few minutes to prepare snacks and portions for a whole week, but you'll save lots of money in the end.

Healthy Meals in Minutes

Now that you have the ingredients on your list, here are some quick and healthy cooking ideas. These meals pack fiber, veggies and protein into a quick-cooking (and flavorful) meal. Whether you're cooking for one or a family of four, you can adapt the quantities of ingredients to suit you.

* Lightly sauté fresh vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, peppers and eggplant and simmer with spaghetti sauce.
* Top frozen pizza with extra tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli and onions.
* Add diced tomatoes, shredded carrots, raisins and pine nuts to quick-cooking brown rice or couscous. Season with a dash of balsamic vinegar.
* Add canned and rinsed black-eyed peas, thawed and drained okra, diced tomato and sliced green onion to reduced-sodium tomato soup.
* Stir-fry chopped vegetables and serve with rice and beans.
* For breakfast, top a cinnamon raisin bagel with light cream cheese and apple slices.
* Heat fat-free refried beans in the microwave. Add veggies and salsa and roll the mixture in a tortilla.
* Add frozen corn, steamed and diced green and red bell peppers and cilantro to a can of reduced-sodium black bean soup.
* Stir-fry cooked rice, chopped vegetables and leftover meat with low-sodium soy sauce.
* Add grapes, chopped celery, walnuts and dried cherries or golden raisins to pre-washed salad greens; toss with your favorite low-fat dressing.
* In the morning, place chicken, vegetables, broth and spices to your liking into the Crockpot to come home to a wonderful stew that evening.
* Top a baked potato with nonfat yogurt, barbeque sauce, low-fat cottage cheese, chives, sautéed onions and vegetables or chili for a super spud!
* Add canned or fresh fruit to muffins, quick breads, pancake batter, or cold cereal.
* Puree fruit and top your pancakes, waffles, oatmeal or roasted chicken.
* Marinate raw or cooked veggies in a non-fat Italian dressing for a quick, cold salad.

Getting healthy doesn't have to be time-consuming or expensive. With a little planning and a few meal ideas, you can easily find the time to make nutritious, home-cooked meals that you and your family will love.