Life's Not Easy...And That's Ok

"Often, life is not easy. But then, it doesn't really have to be easy to be great.

Meaningful achievement is never easy. And yet, as difficult as it is, that achievement will bring great satisfaction, value and inspiration to your life.


Relationships are not easy. However, those relationships can bring immense richness to every aspect of your existence.


It's not easy to stay disciplined or focused or physically fit. It's not easy to manage dozens of conflicting priorities.


Even so, when you choose to deal with life's challenges and difficulties as they come, you are able to transform them. You have the opportunity to transform those ups and downs, those frustrations, discomforts and inconveniences into genuine fulfillment.


Yes, many times life is not easy. And yet it is precisely because of the difficulties that you're able to make life great."

-- Ralph Marston


Read more:http://greatday.com/index.html#ixzz10suG5i4J


Hope you are having a great week!

Gettin' it Done!

Cassie at the top of the KB swing

Emily knockin' out some KB pushups

I am so proud of my bootcampers! They have been working so hard all summer long and have seen some amazing results! As I get their success stories ready, I want to give a little taste of some things I've overheard lately in class:


"My pre-pregnancy pants are now too big!"


"I've had my work pants taken in 3 times now- I guess I gotta get new ones!"


"I shaved 20 minutes off my triathlon time from a year ago!"


And the best one:


"My husband said he'll pay double of whatever you charge so I can keep looking hot!"


Come join us for bootcamp on Thursdays 6:30pm at Barton Hills Elem. and on Saturdays 8:30am at Ramsey Park.  Contact me for more details at KatGrosshaupt@me.com!

Yea Burpees!

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I have been challenging my Bootcampers to do 25 Burpees at the end of each class as a "cool down" (ha!) The first few times there were a few groans, a lot of breaks taken, but tonight they did an amazing job!

A big shout out to Cassie who did all 25 unbroken! (picture coming soon...)

The Benefits of Burpees (taken from www.TheArtofManliness.com)

The burpee is the ultimate full body exercise. There’s a reason why football teams, CrossFit practitioners, and elite military forces use the burpee in their workouts. Just one simple movement tests both your strength and aerobic capacities. Below we go into a few more details on the benefits of the burpee:

Strength. The burpee is a full body, strength training exercise. With each repetition, you’ll work your chest, arms, front deltoids, thighs, hamstrings, and abs. Trust me. Your legs will feel like they’re pumping battery acid after you complete a set of burpees.

Fat burning. Because you’re using your full body when doing burpees and because they’re such an intense workout, the burpee is one of the best exercises to burn fat. Studies have shown that high intensity exercises, like burpees, burn up to 50% more fat than conventional strength training exercises. They’ve also been shown to speed up your metabolism which helps you burn more calories throughout the day. If you’re looking to get rid of that spare tire, step off the elliptical machine and start doing burpees.

Conditioning. Many men today spend hours a week in the gym sculpting washboard abs and bowling ball biceps. While those muscles look nice, they don’t do much for you when you have to split a giant pile of wood or even save your own life. Burpees are an effective exercise for developing the conditioning and endurance, the manly vim and vigor to tackle any challenge. They’re also a great exercise to include in football conditioning drills.

Free. There are no fancy gizmos, classes or gym memberships required to perform a burpee. All you need is your body, a floor, and an iron will.

Portable. You can do this exercise anywhere. On the road? Bust some out in the hotel room. Don’t have a gym membership? Get your burpee on at the park. In prison? Do them in your cell.

Read more: http://artofmanliness.com/2010/01/27/the-burpee-the-one-exercise-to-rule-them-all/#ixzz0z5fvZoEe