Elliptical Marathon For A Cause

MEDIA RELEASE

Hollywood Personal Trainer Sets Elliptical Record For Charity

Erik Flowers, a Hollywood-based gym owner and personal trainer exercised on an elliptical machine for 24-hours for ALS research. . .

(Sept. 10, 2007) Los Angeles, CA
He called it “ElliptiSize for ALS,” and fitness expert Erik Flowers went 24-hours on an elliptical machine during the 43rd annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. The event was designed to bring awareness and funds to “Augie’s Quest,” an organization that raises money for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease).
It may not be a recognized record by organizations that sanction such events, but it is the first time anyone has ever attempted an elliptical marathon.
Fact is Flowers went the equivalent distance of three marathons at a walking pace. He burned over 10,000 calories while maintaining a heart rate of barely over 100 beats per minute. Flowers trained six months for the event.
“This was my tribute to Augie Nieto, a fitness industry icon and role-model,” says Flowers. Nieto invented the Lifecycle and started the Life Fitness company. He developed ALS about two years ago, at 54 years old. Flowers raised $4,000-5,000, with contributions still coming in.
Earlier this year, Flowers was named one of L.A.’s most innovative personal trainers. His gym, Body Builders Gym, is located in Silver Lake, between Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles. Flowers lives in Orange County, CA.
He is also a certified mental game coach, which he says helped him during the more boring a.m. hours.Learn more about Augie’s Quest at: augiesquest.org. Read more about Erik Flowers at: athletewhisperer.com.

Celebrity Rehab Advice

You're an instant celebrity, a hot, young actor or actress, a rising pop singer, or perhaps an emerging filmmaker. Success looms large, and so do the choices you have to make. With success comes pressure, pressure creates stress, stress breeds doubt-in yourself and those around you.
That's how it starts. One day you wake up on top of the world, but in a fog, unable to put your finger on right choices. The choices have gotten easier, but that's when you're hooked.
As a Personal Trainer, I've worked in health and fitness for over 25 years, in Sin City, the OC, and the last ten years in Hollywood. I've seen my fill of "users." I've been around deteriorating health, relapses and suicides. Alcoholics, meth addicts, coke-heads, sex addicts, speed-freaks, and drugs simply identified with a single large letter. I've also witnessed addicts turn it around and become spiritually fit and mentally sound. How do some users make the change?
Get physical. Make exercise your new addiction.
Here are ten sober choices you can make to change your habit:
1. Exercise and add years to your life; or have your life stolen from you by your addiction
2. Impress yourself by getting physical; or depress yourself by remaining inert
3. Exercise can help prevent illnesses; or become a breeding ground for constant mystery sicknesses
4. Use your body wisely and be admired; or abuse your body and become a joke
5. Breath or choke
6. Finely tune your machine; or become a Pick-a-Part
7. Sleep well; or sit in front of the mirror and watch your face (and life) melt away
8. Exercise and feel good about yourself; or remain in an addiction that doesn't give a damn about you
9. Exercise and prevent neuromuscular diseases; or invite strokes, heart attacks, palsies, and other disabilities
10. If you are in recovery, which if you are you always will be, you need to exercise because it will add quality to your life; or you can search the word "Depression" on the internet and see your picture come up.
Get back to making the right choices you're capable of making. I say you need to re-train your addiction. But then what do I know, I've never had one.
Erik Flowers is a Personal Trainer and co-owner of Body Builders Gym, Los Angeles. He has been called "The Athlete Whisperer," and the L.A. Times named him one of L.A.'s most innovative trainers. Reach him at: http://www.athletewhisperer.com

How Many Exercises You Can Do With A Chair

Cancel your gym membership. I'm going to list 21 exercises you can do with a common chair. You'll be able to exercise your entire body, for free, with these:
1) hands on the seat, face down, legs stretched out and on your toes--pushups;
2) butt off the seat, hands behind you, raise and lower--back of the arms;
3) sit, put your hands on the insides of your knees, try closing your legs as you resist with your hands--thighs;
4) stand, hold chair, lift up a straight leg to the side, then switch--hips;
5) sit, hold sides of chair, bring knees up, hold for two--abs;
6) sit, straight arms out to sides, rotate in small circles--side shoulders;
7) sit, long arms in front, then hide straight arms behind your back--front/back shoulders;
8) on floor, feet on chair, hands reach for ceiling, bring shoulders off floor then back down--abs;
9) on floor, feet on chair, long legs, lift heels off chair six inches, up and down--lower abs;
10) sit, squeeze your cheeks and hold--butt;
11) sit, knees flared out to the side, raise knees up--side abs;
12) sit, face in, raise shoulders up to your ears and hold for two--neck;
13) stand, curl the chair--biceps;
14) lying on floor, lift chair over head, then all the way over your head until it touches the floor behind you--high back;
15) stand, hands on seat, bring your knee to your chest, then kick back like a donkey--butt;
16) sit down, stand up--front thighs;
17) stand, hold chair, raise only your toes twenty times--shins/ankles;
18) same thing, this time raise your heels and hold for two--calfs;
19) stand, hold chair, kick your heel to your butt--back of legs;
20) hold chair, curl it by flexing your wrists up and down--forearms/wrists;
21) walk around the chair twenty times, then reverse, and hop to make it harder--cardio; Bonus: sit on chair and take a moment for yourself, you did it--meditation.
Just these will help change your attitude, your body and your energy level. Email me your additions to the list.
Erik Flowers is a Personal Trainer and co-owner of Body Builders Gym, Los Angeles. He has been called "The Athlete Whisperer," and the L.A. Times named him one of L.A.'s most innovative trainers. http://www.athletewhisperer.com