Are You SERIOUS?????

Working out in South Florida is an interesting experience. I have trained at quite a few commercial gyms and not a day goes by that I don't ask myself "Are you serious?" I don't know if we have more idiots that populate gyms and fitness centers here, rather then other areas, but I'm willing to bet that we are pretty close to the top. When I've lifted during traveling it's usually at a strength and conditioning conference so most of the attendees pretty much have their head on straight and have a clue on weight training etiquette. The majority of my lifting does take place in South Florida at local/commercial gyms and some of the stuff I see makes me want to stab myself in the eye with a dull lead pencil! Here's a short list of the absurdity:

1- Training with sunglasses on. I mean, come on, what the hell are these people thinking. I've seen dudes that look like they are auditioning for the next Jersey Shore performing endless sets of tricep kickbacks while wearing their designer sunglasses. I know it's sunny in Fort Lauderdale, but dude, you are inside! What makes it worse is when these idiots are wearing bandannas or stocking caps and skin tight tank tops.

2- Throwing weights down so hard it sounds like an earthquake. Okay, I get it "You're Strong". Honestly to throw your 80 pound dumbbells down (not that heavy dude, by the way) and stand up, give a double fist pump and then look around to make sure everybody see's you??? Ugggg- I just want to vomit just thinking about it! Want to impress people, do a full depth front squat with 315, or deadlift 5 plates for reps, your partner assisted shoulder press doesn't cut it! What I find crazy is when these idiots throw their weights down it's always during an upper body movement - because they don't train their legs and if they do, they fall into #3.

3- Loading up the leg press with 10 plates on each side and grunting like you are giving birth. First of all, the leg press- do a squat you sissy! What makes it worse is when these idiots are wearing knee wraps and doing 1/4 reps. In all honesty, my fiance can squat more than these fools. You will never see a leg press competition, Why? Because it's not an adequate indicator of real strength.

4-Wearing all your "gear" while training. I love to see those fools with their knee wraps, belt, gloves, elbow sleeves, and wrist wraps on performing and intense set of cable curls. Unless you are powerlifter or training near maximum effort on a squat or deadlift, you can leave the belt at home. For you those fools that think they need a belt because they "have a bad back"- read a book by Stuart McGill, it will blow your mind.

5- Here is one for the ladies- sports bras, tube tops, and spandex- if you have a muffin top, don't even think about it! I don't think this topic need any elaboration.

Hope you enjoyed the list. Next time you're in the gym I guarantee you'll see one of these morons, just remember they are there for your amusement- enjoy a good laugh while your getting in better shape.

Back to Reality.......

The first Monday back after a Holiday break is usually something that we all dread. It's time to get back to work, to a regular exercise routine, and back on track with your diet. Today should be a stepping stone to improving yourself physically and mentally before the next holiday break (which is roughly 4 weeks away). How are you going to do that? Are your lifting days planned out and structured? Did you grocery shopping and prepare some of your meals for the week? Well it's time to devise a plan should start today! If your like me, your "binge" eating lasted for more than your Thanksgiving meal, and probably more than you want to admit. There is no use looking back at those extra calories that you put in your system, it's time to get a positive mindset and get some achievable results in these next 3-4 weeks.

To get started, you should have a goal of how many workouts you are going to get in from now the new year. December 31st is about 5 weeks away, with Christmas about 4 weeks away. If you have a goal of 20 workouts between now and New Year's you are on the right track. That is an average of 4 a week, which doesn't seem too far fetched. Make sure you get at least 3 resistance days in per week, and perform some interval training after lifting at least 2 of those days. Your best bet is total body workouts and changing your rep ranges and exercises often. If you can get some extra cardio in for additional calorie burning, go ahead- just make sure your resistance training takes priority.

As far as nutrition goes, if you stick to the 90% rule you should be fine. Basically if you eat perfect 90% of the time, and have a "slip-up" 10% of the time you should be okay. So if you eat 5 times a day, 7 days a week that gives you 35 meals for the week. That will allow you around 3, maybe 4 "slip-ups" a week. NO MORE! Now, a "slip-up" isn't an all out binge. It's more like going out for dinner and having some flatbread as an appetizer or fulfilling your sweet tooth and having a cookie for desert. If you really add up the calories from 3-4 "slip-ups" it should not exceed 100-300 calories per meal and about 500-700 per week. If you can go the whole week with only 1 or 2 'slip-ups"- more power to ya! They are there for social events, work luncheons, and a little holiday sanity.

Hope you have already begun mentally planning how you are going to end 2010 in a successful way, and you should be off to a good start this morning. I have already written up my lifting program for the month and ate 2 perfect meals and it's only 9:30am. Now is the time to challenge yourself, finish this year better than you finished last year, think about looking good and feeling great on New Year's Eve.

The sweat before the feast....

Yesterday I discussed some nutritional strategies that will help fight the dreaded weight gain that comes with the holidays. Today I want to talk about some exercise suggestions that will kick start that metabolism into high gear. You need to workout Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday- but perform different routines then you normally do on those days. The key is to not miss a workout. I know Thursday has the Macy's Parade in the morning, football at mid-day, and Stuff-yo-face-feel-like-crap time during late afternoon. The workouts won't ruin your day or take up too much time, they will actually improve your overall mood and energy levels. I will begin with the Wednesday workout and follow-up tomorrow with Thursday and Fridays routine.

Wednesday. Begin with a dynamic warm-up for upper and lower body (about 10 min). Once you are warmed up you will perform these exercises, in order for 1o reps, no rest between exercises, and 1 minute rest between each round- you will do three rounds.
-front squats (comfortable weight for 10 reps)
-push-ups (or clap push-ups if you are more advanced)
-reverse lunges (alternate legs-10 on each/20 total)
-seated rows (or TRX rows)
-jump squats
-dumbbell curl to shoulder press (both arms at same time, keep elbows in/thumbs up)

Once you are done, get on any cardio equipment (treadmill, bike, stepmill, or elliptical) and perform intervals. 60 seconds medium pace/30 seconds as fast or as hard as you can go. Those 30 seconds should be exhausting, to the point you couldn't last for 5 more seconds. The 60 second portion should be enough to keep your heart rate up, but allow you time to catch your breath.

Tomorrow I will give you some examples of workouts to perform on Thursday and Friday. Even though its holiday time, it's no excuse turn into a lazy sack of turd. 30-45 minutes or exercise a day, at the most is not too much to ask-You will be thankful on Monday.

It comes down to balance......

The "old wise tale" say's that most Americans gain 5-10lbs. from Thanksgiving to the new year. Whether that's true or not really doesn't matter. Mainly because if you are exercising and eating right, you are doing better then most Americans. However, with the holidays coming up it is almost impossible to stay on track with extremely clean eating. Exercise on the other hand can be accomplished whether you want to admit it or not. The key is to balance out the working out and negative eating so you can actually make progress during the time of year where most people take a few steps back.

To be completely blunt, there is no reason that this weekend you have to eat bad from Thursday to Sunday. No reason at all. Save your caloric surplus for Thursday afternoon and that's it- no more! Now that we have that out of the way let's talk about how to eat leading up to Thursday. Starting today reduce your calories by about 100-200 per day. Keep the protein the same, but cut out some carbs first, and then some fat. Something as simple as cutting out some fruit (normally I don't recommend this- its only temporary) or cutting out a serving of nuts. If you feel hungry add in non-caloric veggies such as cucumber, lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, peppers to your meals where acceptable (salads, omelets , wraps).

On to Thursday, my first suggestion is to eat a high protein, high fat breakfast. Something like red meat or eggs and a serving of nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews). After that meal eat every 2-3 hours and have green fibrous veggies and lean protein (chicken and broccoli, or asparagus) Don't drink anything but water, unsweetened green tea, or black coffee.

Around 3, 4, or 5pm- whatever time the eating begins, enjoy yourself. But do so in a systematic manner. Eat protein first, followed by veggies, then indulge in the stuffing-sweet potato pie- or whatever else is loaded with "non-ab getting" calories. Chances are you will probably eat less of the bad stuff if you fill up on protein and veggies first. If you have appetizers even better, a lot of times their will be a vegetable tray- just avoid the dip or dressing. If you drink alcohol- avoid the calorie mixes, stick with club soda. Chose wine over beer, and light beer over regular beer. If you have desert and coffee, drink the coffee first then eat desert. The caffeine might reduce your appetite.

Hopefully by this point, you enjoyed stuffing your face, and maybe you feel a little bloated and disgusting. Now would be a good time to go for an evening walk and let your food digest. Have nothing but water for the rest of the night. I will discuss some exercise tips tomorrow that will help burn some more calories during this time of gluttony.

Random football thoughts.....

One of my favorite things about the weekends during the fall is college football. The atmosphere and competitiveness that surrounds college football is like no other in sports (at least in my opinion). When I look at my life now I really wouldn't be where if I am today without the game of football. Now that I think about it, I honestly don't know what I'd be doing for a living if I wasn't involved in football throughout my life.

I started lifting weights in high school to improve myself on the football field. Ever since then I have been in love with the "iron game". Lifting with teammates and pushing each other to our physical limit helped developed a passion to train and coach people to achieve a wide range of fitness goals. I have people that I train that are athletes working to develop peak power output and I have people that I train that are over 60 and could care less about how much weight they lift. But, it all goes back to football, that's where this passion began.

I realized that through physical conditioning not only do you improve your body but you also improve your mind and your outlook on life. I know its tough to relate training a 45 year old mother of 3 to an athlete performing heavy hang cleans with a room full of sweaty yelling teammates. If you look at it from my perspective, there is a definite relation. Everyone who goes to the gym or enters weight room wants to get better. They want to get stronger, get learner, improve the condition of their cardiovascular system, or develop more self-esteem- the list goes on forever.

That's why I got into this profession. To make people, better. I look back at the days of doing hill sprints in full pads in nowhereville, Iowa and I really do miss it. Pushing yourself to be in the best physical condition of anyone at your position is something I always took pride in. I also look what I am doing today and I wouldn't trade it for another profession in the world. There are so many ways I can improve myself professionally, it really comes down to dedication and hard work, the same things that improved my ability as an athlete. What I did on the football field, in the weight room, running up and down hills, made me into the type of trainer and coach that I am today.

I always want to get better, whether it's in nutrition, strength training, or business/client relations- I want to improve. I also want my clients/athletes to get better- if they don't improve, I feel like I've failed. If I don't get better I also feel like I've failed. Its about pushing yourself to your limits, over coming adversity, and striving for excellence- all things I learned on the football field.

I also love going to CANES games. This weekend UM plays Virginia Tech and I can't wait! Throwing some meat on the grill and hanging with my dad and some friends before the game are times that are irreplaceable. Walking into the stadium and getting ready for the game to start still give me goose bumps. When kick off comes, all of the physical preparation, the long hours in the weight room, the days of running endless sprints in the summer heat, are forgotten. It's time to buckle up your chin strap and play! May the best team win- GO CANES!

A fast buck in fitness.....

Yesterday I was contacted by an old co-worker and was asked to become a part of the "greatest and most cutting edge" development in the fitness/weight loss industry. I was told that I could actually get paid designing nutrition programs for people (really dumb ass- I could probably get paid for training people as well....). The great part is I would come in as an "executive" and once I had a few of my clients buy into the program and become "distributors", they would be working for me.

This "ground breaking" development is a computer based nutrition/diet program, where "a computer does all the work". All clients have to do is choose what diet they want and their goals and a computer will tell them everything they need to do to get their results. Oh yeah, people will be sent text messages when they should eat. So, if you're in a business meeting and you get a text from this program, tell your boss "Sorry, I have to leave, I got a text that told me I need to go eat chicken and broccoli". Are you for real???? Once I heard the statement "People aren't gonna lose money on this, all they have to lose is weight", I had to start laughing. This is f'in ridiculous I told myself, but I had to keep listening, the guy wouldn't shut up.

The best part of the conversation was when I was informed that in 3 weeks I would be driving around town in a "black beamer" (sorry, but I'm a truck guy). Of course, I finally had to cut this conversation (sales call) off, I had a client waiting. I could not help thinking how I just wasted 20 minutes of time listening to this garbage. The fitness industry is full of gimmicks, idiots, and schemes designed to make a fast buck and people are desperate so the believe in this crap. Getting people to follow a nutritional/diet plan is not that simple. A lot of time, thought, and consideration needs to occur before you can actually determine what a person should be eating to achieve their goals. NOT just clicking on a few icons on a computer screen!

I really wish situations like this didn't occur. It really makes me feel bad for all those people buying it to this stuff, literally, and waisting a lot of money. The best part of it all is when I got home and turned on the TV, I saw a commercial for the "Shake Weight", I'm just glad I didn't throw my remote against the wall! Hopefully through educated, professional personal trainers and strength coaches people can achieve a healthier life without falling for this type of stuff.

Super Size Me

The other night I re-watched the movie "Super Size Me". It's a documentary about a guy, Morgan Spurlock, who decides to eat nothing but McDonald's for 30 days. During this time he weighed-in on a weekly basis, had blood work done, and was under strict medical supervision. Obviously he gained a ton of weight and his blood work results were to say the least, unhealthy.

This movie was made years ago. The fast food industry is still thriving. There is something wrong with this picture. We have full control to avoid making fast food a staple in our diets, but some people chose to put that garbage in their mouth's and in the mouth's of their children. It was disturbing for me to watch someone consume McDonald's for 3o days and encounter all of these , pretty much well known, negative health effects. What is more disturbing is that the movie was done to prove a point, to show America you need to avoid this crap, but every morning when I drive by McDonald's the drive-thru and parking lot are packed, by personal choice.

People can chose what they want to do with themselves. Eat what you want, drink what you want, and sit on your ass as long as you want. What kills me is when these habits are passed on to children. I have 250 sixth graders throughout the day, some active, some obese. Is it their fault? When I walk thorough the cafeteria, with around 600 kids, and I see packed lunches that are loaded with unhealthy calories, I wonder what were these parents thinking??? When I get to school in the morning and I see the same students with McDonald's cups every morning (who are obese, by the way) I feel like I should talk to the parent about better food choices. But that wouldn't be right, right? I might hurt someone's feelings and in our society it's more important to "not offend" somebody than improve someone's health.

I realize I'm not the only one who feels this way. There are many people who chose to eat and have their children eat nutritious foods. I applaud these people for not giving in to the easy way out. Cooking breakfast, packing a quality lunch, and making a healthy dinner takes time and preparation. The good thing is that time will be repaid in the amount of "healthy years" you and your children will enjoy in life. Take 30 days of your life and eat quality, nutritious, prepared at home food- you will feel such a positive difference both physically and mentally. You were only given one body, take care of it and it will take care of you.

For more fact on fast food check out this link: DON'T EAT IT!

Joe Kenn's Research

I was fortunate to meet Joe Kenn at a Hammer Strength Coaches Clinic Last March. If you are in the strength and conditioning field or even the personal training field, Joe Kenn should be one person that you take his advice to heart. Joe operates Big House Power and speaks at several clinics/conferences throughout the country. If you get a chance to see him speak, don't pass it up. He is extremely motivational and puts stuff in perspective when it comes down to getting stronger and in better physical condition.

You may be asking yourself, so what's your point? Well, I've been reviewing a lot of the information that I have gathered over the years from clinics/conferences and other literature and Joe's one hour lecture made just about more sense then any other piece of training advice. When It comes down to it, it's about the basics, the foundation. However, some people have "research" that leads you toward other methods of training. Kenn's quote "I AM THE RESEARCH", has been repeatedly running through my mind as I train my clients and work with my students.

There is research out there that can prove everybody wrong and everybody right. So many people love to quote research and focus on a group of individuals that lost 2.3 lbs of body fat vs. 4.2 lbs of body fat doing intervals on a bike vs. intervals on a treadmill. What does this really tell us? I know some research, test studies, and statistics are vital to the strength and conditioning field. When it comes down to it, if we are getting positive results with our athletes and clients, isn't that research.

I've done research on myself pretty much my entire "training" life. Over the past year, I was a little more specific. I decided to documented my own training and my nutrition plan. I know what set and rep scheme is best of for me to gain strength, to put on size, and to lose body fat. I know what foods I should eat to stay lean or to put on a little size. I know certain foods are not right for me, even though they are though of as "healthy". I know what to do in terms of interval training, complexes, or cardio to get the results I want. Isn't that research. More importantly, I know that most of the research I conducted on myself can be manipulated to fit different individuals and passed on to the people that I train and they can get the results that they want.

I really had a great time meeting Coach Kenn and discussing effective ways to make athletes/clients stronger and logical and effective methods of progression. I will continue to do my "research" and focus on doing what is worthwhile and reject what is useless. I will also look at studies and statistics on various topics which might influence me to implement changes or validate what I am currently doing in terms of training and nutrition. All in all, conduct your research and determine what will bring the best results to your athletes and clients- that is what it all comes down to anyway.....

Begin Positive.......

It's Monday. The beginning to a new week and a day that most people dread. Instead of thinking about all of the negative things that come along with Monday's, tasks that need to be done, waking up to the alarm clock for another 4 days, and having to go to work or school for an entire week. Think about all of the great things that can be accomplished this week. Look at Monday as a positive beginning to making your life better than its ever been. Try to focus on things that you can do physically, nutritionally, and socially/professionally. Here are some ideas;

Physically- Don't miss a workout this week (actually, that should be a given). Set a physical goal you would like to achieve this week. Try to add weight to a couple compound lifts, do more reps than you normally do, perform a few more sprints than normal, rest less between each sprint, the list goes on and on..... Or you can change things up. If you normally back squat, perform a front squat, instead of a conventional deadlift- perform a sumo or snatch grip deadlift. Whatever you chose to do different, look at it as an improvement. Get in the mindset of getting physically better this week today, and by Friday you will have surpassed your expectations.

Nutritionally- Don't eat anything that you shouldn't (okay, another given). Plan your meals in advance so there is no room for error. If you haven't done so, make sure you have your food shopping done for the week and a few days of food prepared. Try to add a new healthy food to your diet, switch your normal meals up (eggs for dinner???), or try a new recipe to a food you are currently eating. If you make it until Friday without a slip up in your nutritional plan, you will feel more energized and have better outlook on life in time for the weekend.

Socially/Professionally- Smile at a stranger. Hold the door for someone. If someone holds the door for you say "Thank You". Little things can make a big difference in the way you carry yourself throughout the day. Reach out to an old friend you haven't talked to in a while. Make a new friend by striking up a conversation with someone you normally see but haven't exchanged words. Think about way's to make your job more enjoyable. What can you do to make your place of employment better? Think about the good things pertaining to your job each morning this week and go into work with a better attitude, you will accomplish more and the day will go by faster.

This was just a thought going through my mind while I was on my way to work at 5:10am. I've got my mindset right. I'm gonna dominate this week, good things are gonna happen, and everyday is going to be better. I am already off to a good start! What great things are you going to do this week?

Mistakes.....

As much as I hate to admit it, I've made a lot of mistakes as a personal trainer/strength coach. Actually, I'm proud to admit the things I've done wrong or could have done better. I've learned from each mistake and I have become a better trainer and my clients and athletes have had much better results. The more I thought about the mistakes I've made, the longer the list seemed to get. I thought to myself, "man, I sucked at this when I first started!" I'm gonna list and describe a few of the mistake I've made and trust me, there have been many more, and there will be many more, but that's how I will get better.

1- Not focusing on continuing education. I know I mentioned the importance of this several times and I will keep repeating myself, I feel continuing education is that important. Once you attend a seminar or conference you will be influenced to keep gaining knowledge in the fitness field. Buying and reading books is almost just as addicting. I've spent a lot of money at amazon.com on books relating to movement, nutrition, and strength training as well as some books on business and relationships. I really wish I would have done this during my first year as a trainer, I could have been so much better at client relations, writing programs, and discussing nutrition with clients.

2-Having a one track mind. Steady state cardio is out - you need to do intervals. Doing exercises on the stability ball is the only way to activate the core. There is no need to perform static stretching. Carbs are bad. You should always train until failure. Those are just some things that I read or heard and I took that advice and ran with it 100% , and didn't look back. Now that I'm older and wiser I realize there are "many ways to skin a cat". I think just about everything has its place, and too many trainers rule things out completely or add thing in without clearly thinking on what is best for the client or the situation. Don't rule everything out and don't think the newest thing is the best thing. Oh yeah, and research can prove whatever you want it to prove, you just have to find the right research.

3-Reading/Buying Muscle and Fitness type magazines. If I had saved all that money instead of wasting it on bodybuilding magazines, I would have my own gym by now. I wasted a lot of time following "bodybuilding" routines and getting wrapped up in the Joe Weider philosophy. Being in great shape should focus on movement, not just getting the "pump". Following these routines that involved 6 different exercises for chest was really useless when trying to improve the way the body should function. A side from that, the steroid influenced physiques really were not realistic to obtain. The worst part is, I had some of my early clients follow those routines. (I can't believe I wasn't fired).

4-Working at a commercial gym for 8 years. When I think of all the bad habits I picked up from training at a commercial gym, I really want to kick myself in the head. The gym itself is basically a "sales and marketing" compound. Everything that is done that looks like the goal is to get the clients/members in better condition is sales driven. I'm all for making money, but at what expense. I once saw a trainer sell a 60 year old women Muscle Milk and Creatine so he could make his supplement goal. We were given "cookie cutter" routines to follow that involved machine based circuits which could create more muscular imbalances to the already posture challenged client. I have been through several fitness managers at commercial gyms, and they should all read my #1 mistake. None of them attended a seminar that wasn't put on my the gym we worked for, and they thought they knew all........ I wish would have found a private gym earlier in my training years. I work with great people and we are driven through client success.

5-Not assessing and analyzing client movement. A lot of people have movement deficiencies, not understanding way to evaluate them or correct them is a big problem. We are dealing with peoples health, they should not hurt or injure themselves when going through a workout. I am a big fan of Gray Cook and Eric Cressey when it comes to advice on what to look for and how to progress when analyzing a clients movements.

Those are just some things that I think were mistakes that I could have avoided during my first years as a personal trainer/strength coach. In Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers, he focuses on the 10,000 hour rule. Basically devoting 10,000 productive hours of time to be truly successful at any endeavor. I think I'm getting there. Everyday I am one step closer to getting better at what I do, and making and learning from my mistakes is just part of the process.

Veterens Day

Today I have the day off from school, which is much needed after the lockdown situation we had in Broward County yesterday. I was able to work longer at the gym this morning and train a few clients I haven't seen in a while. It's great to see people that put fourth the effort to physically change and improve their health and physiques. Around 10 years ago on my day's off from school I would cancel my clients, go out the night before until around 2am, recover most of the day, not go lift, eat like crap, and then feel like a sack of turd. How times have changed..........I figured today I would give a little description on how I spend my time on a day off, well kinda.

The thing is, I really enjoy working. I feel I have the best and most rewarding jobs I could possibly have. Once I am done work today, I will unofficially still be working. The rest of my day I will practice what I preach and I spend a lot of time reading and continuing my education. I'm going to go grocery shopping for grassfed beef, organic chicken, almonds, cashews, eggs, broccoli, lean ground turkey and organic apples. A little later today I will grill the meats, steam my veggies, and pack my food for tomorrow.

Around mid-afternoon I'll go to a park near my house and do one of my "sprint" workouts. Probably run some 100's and 60's, pretty much the routine I mentioned in this post. I will spend a good amount of time warming up (form running/hip mobility) and take full advantage of the beautiful weather. Since I began implementing sprint workouts into my program, I feel rejuvenated. It's kind of hard to explain but getting outside and running fast (well, trying to) is a lot of fun for me.

I will try to get some reading in today as well. I would like to finish a book that really has kept me entertained, Talent is Overrated. It's a great book on methods of success and it focuses on the theory of "deliberate practice". This is something I will elaborate in the future, it's an interesting topic that puts a lot of things in perspective. I will also catch up on some of my favorite blogs (see right) and go to a couple of my favorite websites TMuscle and Elitefts and read some cutting edge information, training logs, and some Q&A forums.

I know it doesn't seem like an exciting day, but it is my ideal Thursday off. If I can do what I love for a living and get better at what I do for a living by doing the things I love, my life is pretty damn good! I'll also get to spend some time with my fiance which make everything even better......

On a side note, a BIG thanks to everyone who has or is serving in the US armed forces- your hard work is truly appreciated.

Haters! (I hate that word, Negative People.....)

Everywhere you go in life and everything you do, you are going to encounter negative people. There are some people that will always tell you that you can't do something or achieve certain things. There are some people that will question the reasons that you want to better yourself, your health, and your relationships. When trying to get in better physical condition, people love to make negative comments or try to persuade you to make unhealthy food choices or question the reasons you go to the gym or go to a hill to do sprints when you could be doing something "more fun". For me, pushing myself to physical exhaustion is fun! (ok, I'm a little crazy). Now back to the topic....

Dave Tate touched on this subject and I found it almost humorous because it occurs in my life and many other peoples lives who are trying to get leaner, stronger, or healthier. Tate spoke of a group dinner which he went to a restaurant with some friends and when it came time to order he was criticized for ordering a healthy meal, something like grilled chicken and broccoli. His friends made negative comments trying to justify their lack of disciple and make themselves feel better. Meanwhile his friends ordered chicken wings, cheeseburgers, onion rings, and fries. Of course, they probably were all overweight and some of them probably could be mistaken for an attraction at Sea World. I've been it this situation numerous times and I don't get it, wtf? Just cause I'm trying to eat a healthy, clean, "leanness" promoting meal I "need to live a little" "I am ridiculous", "I am vain/shallow" and "I need to let loose".

There are plenty of times in my life where I let go and enjoy a few meals that aren't even remotely healthy. I was in Vegas for my 35th and I had pretty much every type of food that I don't normally eat. I had a great time and it was great to "let loose" but at the same time I knew when I got home I would go back to my "normal" way of eating. There is a time and place for "cheat meals". Just because it's the weekend and it's football season, it doesn't make sense to eat like crap Saturday and Sunday so I can feel like crap on Monday.

You will encounter negative people everywhere you look. Take the grocery store for instance, people have actually made comments about the food I have in my shopping cart. A person questioned why I was buying "free range organic eggs", basically I was told that I was wasting my money and regular eggs are just as healthy. Sorry, didn't know you were my financial advisor.....

As far as your personal achievements go, don't expect a complement or a congratulations from the negative people in your life. If you get a promotion, get a raise, or decide to take on other endeavors in your career path, don't expect anything positive from these people. If you get in better physical shape and achieve your weight loss goals, yeah the negative people will take notice, but don't plan on getting a compliment!

I made some choices in my life that require a lot of dedication. I am very passionate about getting stronger and staying lean. I would prefer not to let my body fat get over 10% while maintaining, what I feel, is an adequate level of strength. Since last January, my fiance and I have lost between 20-30lbs, have gotten physically and mentally stronger, and we have had fun in the process. We are in this thing together and we encourage each other to make better food choices and we hit the gym to train together when we can, even though our schedules are extremely busy. Why do we do this? Because our best years are in front of us, we realize that we have never felt better and our outlook in life has never been more positive. One of the reasons people might be negative toward your achievements is because their best years are behind them.

Negative people will try to make themselves feel better by trying to make you eat worse and exercise less. Just remember "nothing tastes as good as being in great shape feels". Make choices that will effect your life in a positive way. Eat the right foods, go to the gym, exercise outside, do the opposite of what the negative people in your life do on a daily basis. If you are doing something that is beneficial for your health, your relationships, and your happiness, don't let any body or anything stand in the way of what you are trying to accomplish. Be positive, be dedicated, and every now and then-live a little and let your guard down- you deserve to have a little fun.

If we take closer look on what's important to us we should focus on the positive things in life. Be passionate about what makes you happy and don't let negative individuals bring you down. When I start my day, I know what is important for me to accomplish and the things i need to do that will make my life better. At the end of the day, when I look in mirror, I understand that I am the way I am because, to me I feel that "average is just unacceptable!"

Breakin' it down.......

One of the first things you should do when it comes to nutrition is keep a log of what you are currently eating and get a baseline of how many calories you are taking in along with the percentages of carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Once you do that you need to be honest with yourself and remove all the foods that aren't necessary. Some examples would be processed carbs, sugary drinks, pizza, chicken wings, and anything fried. Now you should add in foods that are necessary- lean protein, healthy sources of fat, and lots of veggies. Notice I didn't say fruit, that is because I once had a co-worker take that statement too literal and she was eating 1,000 calories of fruit for lunch, with no protein! If you are not eating at least 2-3 servings of fruit a day add that to your list and if you are extremely active eat around 3-4 servings of fruit a day (Fresh fruit, not the crap from a can).

Now that you corrected some things, its time to add your calories, fat, protein, and carbs back up and see what your break down looks like (protein has 4 calories per gram, carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram, and fat has 9 calories per gram). Without creating too much controversy , a beginning strategy for body fat loss that I recommend is 12 calories per pound of body weight. So if you are at 200lbs. a daily caloric total would be 2400. If you are at 112lbs. around 1350 calories will be a good starting point on your road to leanness. This should not be done forever, once you drop a little body fat, body weight, or can tighten your belt a little tighter its time to reevaluate your caloric needs. Hopefully this occurs within 4-6 weeks of clean eating.

To shock your system and create a metabolic change I would have a different caloric total for non-lifting (rest/cardio) days and lifting days. I would drop your calories by around 100-300 on non-lifting days. To take it a step further, if bigger changes are needed, I would alter the nutrient breakdowns on days with different activity levels. As far as carbs, fat, and protein, I recommend a 20% carbs/40%fat/40% protein split on non-lifting days and 40% carbs/20% fat/40% protein on lifting days. The percentages don't fluctuate a whole lot, and those extra carbs should be taken in during morning, pre, and post workout meals. Good carb sources would be sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and fruit. Make sure you know what size sweet potato you are eating and measure out your oatmeal.

Trying to put everything in perspective requires a calculator, a food scale, a measuring cup, and a system like fitday (which I mentioned before) would be helpful. Try to eat 5-6 times a day, some meals some and some snacks. If you look at our 112lb. individual taking in 1350 calories a day trying to shoot for snacks/meals in the 200-300 calorie range 5-6 times a day. If you look at the nutrient break down on workout days we have, 100-130 grams of protein/100-130 grams of carbs/and 30-40 grams of fat). That comes to around 20 grams of protein/20 grams of carbs/6grams of fat per meal at 6 meals a day. I don't think that is too much to ask anyone to eat a day, or too little. Obviously, non workout days would have more fat and less carbohydrates, you can figure out the breakdowns.......

This is just a starting point, an introduction on how to set up an eating plan that is realistic and doesn't neglect any food groups. If you look at the big picture keeping a food journal and documenting your caloric and nutrient intake is one of the most basic strategies you could take to improve your physique. When shopping for food try to buy mostly organic (a whole blog altogether), it's a little more expensive but tastes better and much healthier.

Sit down, begin looking at your current food intake, and decide what changes you need to make to achieve your goals with health and leanness. There are more specific and more drastic changes you can make to get rid of the stubborn body fat once you reach and acceptable level (around 18% for females and 10% for guys), those recommendations will come at a later date. Now get to the grocery store!

"What about.......??????" (Part 1- Nutrition)

That is the most asked question I get when I am discussing nutrition with someone. "What about yogurt?", "What about cereal?" , "What about orange juice?", "What about pasta?" Okay, you get my point. I try to point out a few things someone can do to improve their food intake and almost everyone wants to question what I suggest to improve their current nutritional intake. I realize people like to hear what they are already doing is going to get them the results they want. Most people just want me to reinforce their way of eating by saying,"What you're doing with your food is really good, just keep it up and the results will come....." I hate to say it but the majority of people I encounter have no clue on what they should do in terms of proper eating, and the ones who who know what they should do- lack the disciple to follow through.

I can't blame people for not having adequate knowledge on nutrition, we as the American public have been mislead and steered in the wrong direction so many times. We were told to follow the food pyramid- which included 6-11 servings of grain. We were told that red meat has too much cholesterol and saturated fat and that would lead to heart disease. There are commercials for high-fructose corn syrup, letting us know its from corn- it's healthy (WRONG).
So to help people out with some of the questions and misconceptions, I recommend they read some literature from Dr. Johnny Bowden and Michael Pollan. These gentlemen are "wicked smart" when it comes to nutrition and can describe stuff in a way that everyone can understand.

Now, I understand people take recommendations far to literal and use them as the "holy grail". I agree with a lot of these guys say and discuss, but I like to take things and make them my own. I have my own opinions regarding nutrition and what works for me and what can work for others. No one is the same and nothing works for everyone and nothing works forever. Take a close look at these resources and determine what changes you can make to improve your current nutritional plan. Focus on improving your health first and improving your physique second. These improvements can actually go hand in hand but make sure you eating good, quality foods before you drop your calories or drastically reducing or increasing one you your nutrients (dropping your carbs or loading up on protein). Don't forget to drink plenty of water throughout the day and avoid chemically altered food and beverages.

Tomorrow I will give some calorie and nutrient recommendations and breakdowns. Once again, these are just somethings that have worked for me and for my clients. When it comes to nutrition and exercise, everyone claims to be an expert. I just claim to know a little bit, and that little bit can get big results!

What makes my stomach turn.....

I really didn't want to be negative on a Friday, but I honestly can't keep the filter working anymore. Personal Training has turned into a disgrace. There are trainers out there who don't know their ass from their elbow and they are stealing peoples hard earned money. I witness it everyday and it really pisses me off! I wrote a blog "3 reasons your trainer sucks" and I will soon elaborate on that list, but for now I'm going to describe some things to look for when hiring a trainer.
1) Watch them train someone else. I know you might look like a stalker, but get on a treadmill or bike and act like you are exercising and keep your eyes glued to the trainer or client. If they are doing something stupid, such as endless sets of leg extension or performing one leg squats while doing tricep kickbacks on a bosu ball, run for the hills!
2) Check their certifications. There are so many bogus personal training certifications out there. I actually heard of a top strength coach getting his dog certified through an online course. Look for NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association), ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine). The first two are a little more reputable, once you get the NASM CPT the more advance certs can be taken online (which means someone smart can take them for you).
3) Do they have a college degree? I know there are good trainers that majored in Business or Finance in college, but at least they graduated college which shows a level of intelligence and dedication. Preferably you would look for someone with exercise science, exercise physiology, human movement, physical/health education, or kinesiology.
4) What was the last book they read pertaining to health/fitness/nutrition? How many seminars and conventions have they attended? Continuing education is extremely important. If someone tells you they read Muscle and Fitness every month, that does not make them a fitness professional. If you are serious about your profession and making yourself and your clients better you will try to learn from people smarter than you. Pick up a book by Dr. Mel Siff, Gray Cook, Dr. Stuart McGill, or Mike Boyle if your trainer doesn't know who at least one of these people is- walk away.
5) Ask them about their training philosophy. Yes, it might seem a little odd, but a good trainer will be able to describe why the personal train and what they would like their clients to achieve. If a personal uses the fancy terms "functional" and "core" ask them to describe these in detail and how will it relate to your results.
Extra Credit- *Ask them to name 3 of the 4 muscles in the rotator cuff. *Ask them to describe the mobility/stability continuum *Ask them to explain reciprocal inhibition.

I have to admit I'm not "World's Best Trainer" and I don't claim to know it all, there are a lot more people smarter then me out there- that's who I steal and learn from......

I want people to think twice on who they pay to try to improve their body. It could be dangerous and you could get injured if you are working with someone with the intelligence of a box of rocks. Most importantly if you are getting training for your children be extremely cautions on who you hire. I've seen trainers doing ridiculous things with teenagers that could lead to movement problems later on in life. I try to educate myself to be best of my ability and I wish other people in my profession would do the same, clients would get in better shape, move better, and be healthier if trainers held themselves more accountable and became more professional.

Have a great weekend everybody!!!

3 weeks away........

Thanksgiving is only 3 weeks away! Where did 2010 go? I can't believe it is almost turkey time and in around 8 weeks we will be celebrating the holiday's and the new year. A lot of people set goals for themselves every new year, the resolution people. I would say many of those people set goals in fitness, health, and weight loss. As you can probably imagine most people don't achieve their goals, not trying to sound too negative, but many people go ass backward. They actually look worse and are less healthy then they were a year ago.
There are many reasons for people failing to achieve their goals, and that will be another topic entirely. Here is a suggestion on how you can "kick start" your path to a leaner healthier life. Start now! From now to the new year have 3 "binge" days. Eat clean, maybe not perfect, but clean from now until December 31 with 3 days set up for eating whatever you want.
I suggest those 3 days are Thanksgiving, Christmas or a day during Hanukkah, and New Year's eve. Everyday except for those 3 days are "crap free" no pizza, chicken wings, ice cream etc. Keep high intensity exercise to a maximum and try to achieve great things during this time period in terms of strength/endurance gains and body fat loss. Later in this blog I will discuss ways to make that those "binge" days work in your favor, by doing post binge warfare. Stay tuned....

Some calorie burning ideas.......

If you've been exercising for a decent amount of time and you are ready to step up your "cardio/interval/metabolic" training, try one of these workouts. They are fun, challenging, and you can do them in the gym or outside at a park or track. Now that the weather in South Florida is finally gonna cool down, I suggest you get at least 1-2 days outside a week to break up the monotony of the gym.
Track/Park Workout:
-Perform a dynamic warm-up (Jumping Jack, Mountain Climbers, Seal jacks)
-Do some form running for about 10 yards (high knees, butt kicks, skips, dynamic lunges)
-Mark off a distance of 100 yards and 60 yards. If you're at a football/soccer field it should be pretty easy to do, if you're at a track- the straight area is about 100 yards.
-Run these at about 80-90% the first few times to get used to the distance
-Run 3 100's with 45 seconds rest between each one, Run 3 60's with 30 seconds rest
-Run 2 100's (same rest) Run 2 60's (same rest)
-Run 1 100 (same rest) Run 1 6o (Done!)
As this gets easier and you get in better shape there are a few things you can do to increase the difficulty. You can add 1 series of sprints to each distance (start with 4 100's and 4 60's). You can also stay with 3 and go back up the ladder (Instead of finishing with one 100 and one 60 you work back to finish with three 100's/60's).

Gym workout
-This is a great finisher which can be interchangeable with lots of different exercises. I'll use push-ups and squats for this particular workout.
-Perform 10 squats then 10 push ups, then drop down to 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (ok, you get it)
-Perform these with no rest, back to back, and try to keep respectable form on each exercise
-Ready to challenge yourself? Start with 5 plyometric (clap) push ups and 5 squat jumps and work down to 1. Now, go from 1 up to 10 with regular push up and squats. You'll love it!
-You can change the exercise to things like Inverted Rows (TRX rows), Lunges, Lunge jumps, Burpees, and if you're really strong good old pull-ups. Pick one upper body exercise and one lower body to give your body parts a little recuperation time.
Have fun with these workouts, make them your own. Make sure you challenge yourself each time you exercise and you will be impressed with your results.

The 180 Principle

I heard about Charles Staleys 180 principle a while back, and now I can honestly say I am a true believer in that theory. Charles is a very successful strength coach who practices what he preaches and has written a ton of educational literature in the areas of weightlifting and conditioning. The 180 principle focus on the opposite, when you walk in to the gym do a 180 of what everyone else is doing (get it-180 degrees). Basically, do the opposite of everyone else in the gym. Why? Most people don't have a clue what they are doing! Okay maybe that was harsh.... But, honestly what exercises do the majority of people perform- the easy ones, the isolation ones, and the ones they can see working in the mirror.
When I walked in my "commercial gym" to lift yesterday about 80% of the members were doing upper body exercises (Monday= "International Chest Day"), 10% were doing lower body machine based exercises, and 10% were doing steady state cardio. So for me it was easy, I programmed my deadlifts on Mondays and focus on my posterior chain. While I was in the gym, from 5:15 to 6:20 pm I was the only person in the entire gym that actually performed a deadlift. Now that I think about it, I did not witness another member doing any form of "free weight" compound lower body exercise (squat/deadlift/split squat). To be honest for as long as I've been a member at this gym I can count the number of people on my hand that can squat and deadlift correctly and actually train hard doing these exercises.
So what's the point? Next time you go to the gym and you see everyone working chest, train your back- pull some weight! Next time you see someone on the leg press, hit the squat rack- it actually will strength your lower back instead of taking it out of the equation. If you strengthen your "pull muscles" you will have healthier shoulders, and if you strengthen your hamstrings- you will have a healthier lower back. Don't fall in the trap of doing 25 sets of chest, 20 sets of biceps, and performing countless reps on the leg extension. Unfortunately, that's the way the majority of people train, dare to be different- you will soon see the benefits.

"It works for me.........."

Last week I mentioned the importance of having and achieving a goal in the areas of health and fitness. There are some people that are just satisfied with average. They go to the gym, do the same routine, and basically just "maintain". I don't see the fun in that! Why be complacent? There are so many ways to improve your strength, endurance, and body composition. So when someone says "It works for me......." what do the really mean? To be average, to maintain, to be the same person they were a year ago?
Here are a few tips to avoid getting stuck in "Average Land". Try total body workouts 3 days a week. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday would be ideal. Vary your rep ranges and try metabolic circuits at the end of the training session. Get outside and do a different type of cardio routine, run hills, do sprints, go to a park and perform body weight exercises. Get outside and enjoy the weather this time of year.
Here is an example of a basic total body routine to follow:
Monday
1a Alternating Lunge 4 sets of 8 on each leg
1b Push-up 4 sets of 10

2a RDL (Straight Leg Deadlift) 3 sets of 12
2b Seated Rows 3 sets of 10

Wednesday
1a Front Squat 3 sets of 6
2b Shoulder Press 3 sets of 8

2a Lat Pulldown 3 set of 12
2b Plank 3 sets of 45 to 60 seconds

Friday
1a Deadlift 3 set of 5
1b Dumbbell chest press 3 sets of 12

2a Walking lunges 3 sets of 8 steps each leg (8 steps in one direction and 8 steps back)
2b One arm dumbbell Row 3 sets of 10 each arm

Rest around 30 seconds between exercises a/b. Rest around 60- 90 seconds between exercises 1/2. This is not the "end all be all" or "the holy grail" workout routine. Just a simple routine that can incorporate total body training into your routine. Try it for 4 weeks. Try to increase the weight each week. Some exercise such as push-up and walking lunges are more for a metabolic factor then strength factor. However, Deadlifts, Front squats, Rows, and Dumbbell presses are there for you to really move some weight.
In my upcoming posts I will show you how to develop a program like this with a goal in mind. I will also discuss metabolic training and some ideas for interval training and sprinting. Don't settle for average, sometimes all you need to do is change what you're currently doing to be exceptional.