Navy Flyboy Nate & the PP Mobile

Teammates, a Perfect Team member gave a Perfect Pushup Mobile to Nate, a friend who is a Naval aviator: his letter is below. Since we can't share his last name, picture or location, we're borrowing Hollywood's most famous Navy flyer! Perfect Fitness has donated Perfect products to every ship in the fleet and it fires us all up to hear from our sailors -- so please fire off a message to
CHARLIE MIKE. AMM

"Thank you sincerely for the Perfect Pushup travel set that you gave to me - I use it every day and love it! Like everyone else, finding time to work-out seems impossible sometimes, and the convenience of the PP set solves that issue to a great extent. I've had multiple friends who have seen it at my house and subsequently gone and purchased their own. Also, the travel set has been great for working out on the aircraft carrier (I'm in the Navy) because of it being so light and compact.

Additionally, as a pilot, I try to focus on core muscle groups to help with G-tolerance, and the PP has helped a lot. Again, I really appreciate your generosity and will encourage others to use your product any opportunity I get."

Thanks Nate! Teammates, I'm re-running my thirty day/lose 10 pound plan on Twitter @aldenmills -- why wait for 2010 to get in shape?

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

Twitter Perfect Pushup Contest

Teammates -- If you are on Twitter, check out our Friday the 13th Twitter Retweet giveaway! My handle is @aldenmills. Here's the message:

RT TODAY to win 1 of 10 Perfect Pushups! Get Fired UP and check out Perfect Online http://bit.ly/VyJKe #followfriday

Good luck!

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

Deck of Cards Workout

Using a deck of shuffled cards is a great way to break up the boredom of working out while getting a great workout - I used to do it all the time in SEAL Team - and still do from time to time when travelling or looking to change up my current routine.

Here's a couple of ideas to keep your deck of cards workout interesting while ripping up your chest for an even better workout with the Perfect Pushup:

Spades: Wide position
Hearts: Close position
Clubs: Regular position
Diamonds: Wide position but reverse the rotation (i.e. rotate out on the way down to the ground)
When you draw an Ace - conduct your set with your feet on a chair.

[See your PPU workout chart for details on positions]

Travelling light? A deck of cards + the Perfect Pushup Mobile = an on-the-road workout of just over two pounds!


CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

Picture of cards used with permission of Puzzle Me This.

Lacrosse Player Nicky Polanco on NBC

Teammates, Perfect Athlete Ambassador, Major League lacrosse player Nicky Polanco, was on the Today Show on NBC yesterday morning, 04AUG09.

Professional lacrosse player Polanco is the captain of the Long Island Lizards, a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) team. Check out how he stays in Perfect condition. HOOYAH Nicky!

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

TGIF: Around the world in Perfect Form

Guest blogger: Sean Glass, Dateline: Somewhere in the Aegean

In the last six months, my life got turned a bit upside down as my wife Kellee and I decided to move back to the United States and then spend six months traveling around the world. One of the things that has sustained me was an increased focus on physical fitness. Some of my early childhood memories are of playing soccer and basketball on teams coached by my father (being from South Africa, he knew a lot about soccer, but very little about basketball).

I played soccer from when I was very little -- with my dad as the coach we didn't lose for something like 4 straight years -- and continued through high-school and into college. Before I played at Yale, I spent a month training with Nottingham Forest, a professional football club in England. At the time, they were in the English Premier League and I trained with numerous players who had played in the 1998 world cup. It was an unbelievable experience. Not only did I get to train with such gifted players but I travelled to England by myself and looked after myself in a foreign country. I even learned to hold down a pint (or two)!

Think I'm beginning to see a pattern here! How to thrive and enjoy myself -- at home and abroad.

Sean Glass

Picture of the Perfect Pushup mobile on a Danish modern hotel room floor.

Presidential helicopter squadron stays fit

Guest blogger: Mark Friedman, President, Perfect Fitness

In March, we donated Perfect Pushup Originals, Mobile Units, and Perfect Pullup handles to the Marines of HMX-1, better known as Marine One. This is the helicopter squadron responsible for flying all US presidents since Dwight Eisenhower back in the 1950s. The 700 Marines and contractors in the squadron have put the equipment to good use, helping keep themselves fit on their base in Virginia, and during their many deployments around the world. We recently received some cool pictures taken at their base and from an undisclosed hanger. In one picture you can see a cargo box carrying the presidential seal. Very cool! This is our way of giving back to the people who serve and inspire us.

For more info on HMX-1 link here.

Perfect Fitness is proud of its support of the US military, and local fire and police agencies. Late last year, we made our biggest donation ever to the US Navy. Now every ship in the Navy fleet carries Perfect Pushups. We love reading emails from crew members telling us how much they enjoy adding the Perfect Pushup to their workouts. If you have a story and/or a picture, we'd like to hear from you at getfit@perfectpushup.com.

Mark Friedman

Marines Pulling 'Em Up in Iraq

Teammates -- Are you Fired UP to reach up and pull up some Perfect Pullups when you see these Marines? They are "Get Ripped" in action.

HOOYAH to this Marine Unit, currently deployed in Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, with the Counter IED (roadside bomb) section. Teammates, here's a picture from a few months back showing them working out with the Perfect Pushup Mobile Units.


CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

p.s. If you are serving overseas, send us your pictures and your story and let us share it with the CHARLIE MIKE Teammates -- getfit@perfectpushup.com

Where in the World is PERFECT? China!

Guest blogger: Mark Friedman, President, Perfect Fitness

Greetings from China! I am writing from Xiamen Island on the east coast of China during a visit to the factory that makes many of our Perfect Fitness products. This picture was taken in front of one of the many tall buildings under construction in the area. If I had to guess, I’d say there are over 50 high rises going up at the same time in this city. The sign behind me says “Xiamen” and it surrounds the construction site. Xiamen is in the Fujian province, the homeland of the many of the Chinese people who immigrated around the world. It’s also the area of China closest to Taiwan, the large island shown on the map below.

Xiamen is a very refined and prosperous city that reminds me of Santa Monica, CA with its many restaurants, galleries, public artworks, and high rise condominiums. It’s also an important center for commerce and trade.


Behind me is a large sculpture of running horses placed on the bluffs above the local tidal flats. The tide rises and falls a huge amount, about 15 feet each day, leaving fishing boats about ¼ mile away from the water at low tide.

Mark

Teammates, do you have a picture of PERFECT in a foreign locale? Send it, and your story, to getfit@perfectpushup.com -- we are particularly looking for pictures from Africa, Australia and New Zealand!.

Around the World in Perfect Form

Guest blogger: Sean Glass

Thirty-three countries in half a year: that's the current rough itinerary for my wife Kellee and me. We leave in less than a month.

Over the last year, I’ve been completing a masters program at the University of Pennsylvania in the field of Positive Psychology. A class this fall focused on physical health and the various connections between physical health and optimal functioning. It turns out that fitness helps you function better mentally and emotionally. Better yet, the return on investment is substantial as being fit helps you live many more healthy years. Exercising 30 minutes a day can add 16 healthy years to your life, I worked this out as an ROI of close to 400%. If you’re interested in learning more about these findings, I’d encourage you to read Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. Since that class, I’ve changed my lifestyle. Kellee and I both run at least three times a week, and since I’ve moved to Key West, I lift weights three times per week as well. It keeps me feeling great, and helps me be more productive.

With our upcoming trip around the world, I don’t want to give up my fitness routine. I figure that it will be fairly easy to keep up the running. I’ll just need to be able to map out a route, and set off. It’s easy to do with tools such as wikiwalki.com, a site developed by my friend Steve. But what about the weightlifting? I don’t want to lose strength or muscle tone. Luckily, I think I’ve found a great solution with the products made by Perfect Fitness. I originally got introduced to the company through my friend Mark Hammond. The way Mark tells it, the company was conceived in his living room. Mark recommended the Perfect Pushup. I’ve been using it for the last 9 months, and it’s great. I always used to hate doing pushups because of the strain they’d place on my wrists. With the perfect pushup, that’s not a problem.
So, on my trip I’m going taking along the Perfect Pushup Mobile as well as two Perfect Pullup handles. Between the two, I can do chest and shoulders in a quick workout. I asked the folks at Perfect Fitness if they might be interested in me blogging about my use of their products during the trip - and took some cool pictures along the way. They said they’d love that. So, over the next seven months, I’ll be blogging occasionally about fitness on the go. I’ll also share some insights from positive psychology that might be helpful in starting, sticking to, or taking a fitness routine to the next level. It’s going to be fun - wherever I am - and I’m glad I’ll get back home in shape!

Where in the World is PERFECT? London!

Guest blogger: Paul McCabe, Fitness Professional. Paul is using the Perfect Pushup Mobile. He's on the footbridge that crosses the Thames between St. Paul's Cathedral and Tate Modern.

Said Paul, "I found Perfect Push Up to be a very effective and versatile piece of equipment - not only does the twisting motion of the handles provide an extra workout for the forearms and wrists whilst performing a press-up, the extra height given by the handles allows for a deeper press up working the chest and shoulders even further. The fact that the unit is portable is great for anyone who wishes to train when they don't have immediate access to a gym."

Meet Beth Rodden, Professional Rock Climber

Guest blogger: Beth Rodden, Perfect Athlete Ambassador

Hello fans of Perfect Fitness! My name is Beth Rodden and I am a fellow fan as well as a professional rock climber. Sounds kind of crazy, I know, but I am extremely lucky to be able to pursue my passion of climbing as my career. I spend most of my time climbing, surprise surprise or traveling, doing slideshows or clinics. And in between, I LOVE to bake, absolutely love it! Unfortunately I am allergic to dairy, so I am constantly looking for the perfect dairy-free dessert, usually including copious amounts of chocolate and sugar. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

So, back to Perfect Fitness…..the products are amazing! I always had wrist problems doing conventional push-ups, and climbers are always dealing with elbow problems from doing too many pull-ups, but the Perfect Pushup and Perfect Pullup seem to squash those problems by allowing the joints to move freely in their natural motions. Check out my workout:

30 Crunches (legs in the air)
10 Pushups
30 Seconds in Plank Position (hands on PPU) alternating each leg in the air for 5 seconds
5 Pullups
It may not seem like it from my petite appearance, but I am a total hammerhead when it comes to working out. The Perfect Fitness products allow me to exercise until exhaustion without being prone to injury. I started climbing in the climbing gyms, so whenever I am able to get into a good gym for a workout it is like going back to my roots. I have also fallen in love with the mountains, and make my home in Yosemite, which allows great access to the best climbing in the world as well as being able to live in the Sierras, the most beautiful mountains in the world.

My favorite product is the Perfect Pushup Mobile because I have perfected living out of a suitcase and the Mobile fits perfectly [no pun intended] wherever I find myself, be it hotel room or campsite. Being a climber I try to work on opposition movement and exercises, which always include push-ups. From Calgary this spring, to South Africa this summer and then back in the Sierras for the fall, I hope to see you out in the mountains or in the gym.

Good luck with your personal fitness goals. Grab a friend, put on your favorite playlist, and try a new exercise. The most important thing is to have fun with whatever you are doing, that way you'll continue doing it for a long time.

Easy Dayz Way to Eat Right

CM SEAL Team blogger: Marcus Colburn

On the road! If you Eat Right on your "PERFECT" road to Easy Dayz, maybe you'll find the "perfect" fountain of youth along the way.

If you do any travelling, then you know how difficult it can be to get a low fat, high protein meal on the road. I always like to travel prepared. I pack a chicken breast sandwich on whole grain bread and a banana whenever I jump on a plane. Once I get to my destination, I make a quick pit stop into a local grocery store and pick up instant oatmeal, some bananas, apples, or oranges, and bottled water. I pack my own "PERFECT FOOD"!

Teammates, we're on to our quest for the ""PERFECT"ion". Yes, we all know that we must do our crunches and eat right -- to Stay Lean and Healthy!

It has long been only a myth about discovering the fountain of youth -- but we have found it and it's so easy. Just stay motivated and keep on training and eating right. We'll be here to help you. By the way, be sure you use the handy carry along "Perfect Pushups" & check out this blog for motivation. It's full of great information from many experts on all of the current fitness and nutrition topics of the day. Let us know how you like it!

remember....
"THE ONLY EASY DAY WAS YESTERDAY"
HOOYAH!
NUFF SAID...

Where in the World is Perfect Pushup? Nepal!

A dawn workout atop the Shivapuri Mountains, to the north of Kathmandu, Nepal. These pictures were taken in the Himalayas on 30JAN2007, just after the Perfect Pushup Mobile release. The Perfect Pushup Mobile weighs just two pounds, making it the perfect upper body strength and conditioning tool when space and weight is at a premium. Meet Bhim Chand, a guide from Earth's Paradise Trek and Adventures.

The second picture is of Alex Webb, a LSU geologist. Webb was in Nepal researching the rise of the Himalayan mountains and he turned to the experienced Chand and his company for logistical support. Although most of their business comes from geological research teams, eco- and adventure tourists also trek through the High Himalayan ranges.
Teammates -- please send us your pictures of the Perfect Products around the globe -- and if possible, please translate "Get Ripped" or "Be Strong, Be Ready" into your native language! Send pictures and a few words about your adventure to getfit@perfectpushup.com. Where in the World is Perfect Pushup? runs on the last day of each month.

Greetings from Bhim Chand: Namaste -- "I bow to you." Thanks too for translating our company's trademark phrases -- "Get Ripped" or "Be Strong, Be Ready"- "BALIYO RA FURTILO HUNUHOS."

Getting Ripped on the Road

Lots of questions come in regarding how to get in shape while traveling. I never thought much about it in SEAL Team, because our workouts were so engrained in us that it was like brushing our teeth – it didn’t matter where we were we always did workout. Whether hanging out on the tarmac in the Azores while waiting for our C-5 ride or in mission prep mode in Sarajevo – we did a workout daily – period.


So before you go down the natural excuse list of “I don’t have workout clothes” or the “gym at this hotel sucks” or “it’s raining outside" (never a good excuse) or whatever the little demon inside your head conjures up to convince you to hit the couch instead of Firing Up your weapon’s platform (SEAL speak for your body) – understand this: you ARE in control of your body – you just need to flick the switch in your brain and get your gut Fired UP. Once you’ve decided that you’re ready to be the master and commander of your ship – then try these simple but very effective workouts (I used these to get ready for the Hornet filming since I was traveling with family up until the day prior to the shoot).

Pushup Day: 400 pushups in one day – that’s it. I used the Perfect Pushup Mobile but you don’t have to – just drop and give yourself honest pushups sets throughout the day – in my case I paced it at 20 sets of 20 reps – and alternated between regular, close, and wide positions. Once you get comfortable with 400/day – try to ramp to 1000/day – that’s what Herschel Walker was doing in his Heisman Trophy winning days (he claims to have used no weights in his earlier training days – just bodyweight exercises). If 400 sounds too much – then start at 100. Here’s a rule of thumb that I use – do your max number of pushups – in my case it was 40 that morning – then multiply by 10 and that’s the total I did for the day. As you progress, keep re-multiplying and challenging yourself with bigger pushup numbers.

Check back in – let me know about your success – and stay tuned for a whole new set of workouts (and videos!) coming soon. In the meantime, check out our new Mobile Unit TV commercial on the site.

Stay Fired UP!

CHARLIE MIKE - ALDEN