My Nutrition Plan (Workout Days)

I have mentioned in the past that I was looking into the Intermittent Fasting Protocol for fat loss.  I actually attempted to go though a 2 day trial of this approach over the weekend and I really felt good both days.  I am going to tweak this protocol to fit my needs and my schedule. After reading tons of  literature on the benefits of carb-cycling (higher carbs on lifting days)  I realize that I should have different nutrient breakdowns for my daily activity level.

So here we go, this is my Routine for today:

3:55am Wake up
4:10am Drink Big glass of water, one green tea capsule
4:15am Mini-warm up (10 overhead squats, 10 push ups, 10 lunges) perform 2 sets
4:25am Drink Greens +
4:40am Drink 1 cup black coffee w/cinnamon (on the way to work)
8:00am Meal 1 (Grass fed sirloin filet, 1 cup broccoli, 1 small grapefruit, 2 fish oil soft gels)
9:30am 2 cups of organic green tea
10:30am Meal 2 (2 grilled chicken breasts, large green salad, olive oil, one cup of strawberries/blueberries)
2:30am Meal 3 (shake- 2 scoops whey/casein protein)
4:00 workout (Pre-workout - Green Tea Capsule, L-Tyrosine / During - Drink BCAA drink)
5:30, 5::45 Meal 4 (3 organic eggs, 1 cup egg whites, 1 cup spinach, 1 apple, saute in coconut oil / 1 large sweet potato / 2 fish oil soft gels)

This my first time trying this particular eating method and I really like the way it looks on paper.  I have to see how today's lifting session goes to determine if I need to make a few changes for Wednesday.

I am all for trial and error when it comes to what works best for my body.  By Friday I will have a good indication on what adjustments need to be made for the following week from a performance stand point. 

I have 2 weeks to my wedding, so I want to look and feel great!  I will be going to NYC after the wedding and I'm really looking forward to celebrating St. Patrick's Day in an AWESOME location! SOOOO, any type of regimented eating will be thrown out the window - but I will try to keep myself from looking like Jabba The Hut dressed in green. 

In June I have a 7 day cruise booked to the Caribbean, so depending on how I feel after experimenting with this eating method- it could be something I continue leading up to summer time.  The key for me is ENERGY! I need to be able to get through the day with a little intensity and enthusiasm. If I can do that and stay (get) lean(er), this 2 week experiment may make me start to rethink years of being programed to believe the 6 meals a day theory is the holy grail of eating for leanness .

If my little experiment doesn't go quite so well, so what? It's only 2 weeks........

End of the week thoughts.........

I didn't get a chance to do my "End of the week thoughts" last Friday.  I took the day off from school because I had to get a lot of wedding stuff done, train 6 sessions at the gym, get my "lift on", and cook an awesome dinner (cedar plank mahi).

Although I would have rather been at the beach, I did happen to get a lot of important stuff accomplished.  Most importantly, my marriage certificate- yes, I am really getting married (and extremely happy about it!).  

So here are some thought that have been brewing since last week, hope you enjoy......

-Training Schedule (me).  I had a great training session on Friday, lifting at 10am is a lot better for me than 4 or 5pm. I can't wait until summer is here so I can train at my convenience .  Lifting heavy things after spending most of my day outdoors, running around with the kids for 4-5 hours is a lot different then training when I am physically fresh.  Did I mention that I am up at 3:45am???

If I lifted at my ideal time every session, I am sure I would be achieving better strength gains then I am making right now.  I hate to make excuses, so I just have to keep busting my ass and bring some built up energy to the gym every time I lift and realize that any gain is a good gain.

I actually posted a typical "work" day in my life a few weeks ago, I am a pretty busy guy, and I make it a point to get to the gym and try to improve every time I train.  It amazes me how lazy and pathetic some people are when it comes to getting in better physical condition.

-Training Schedule (clients)-  I have a full schedule with clients these days.  If there were more hours in the day I'm sure I could fill those hours with clients, which is definitely not a bad thing.

I am looking forward to the summer so I can spend more time training at the gym.  I am going to incorporate group training and focus on building a reputation for getting people results that exceeded their expectations.

The more I have been learning about training and customer service the more passionate I have become about improving my business skills and creating my brand of personal training/coaching in South Florida.  It will be all about getting results through real training NOT all the gimmick BS and fancy stuff. 

This make me want to stick a pencil in my eye!

-Intermittent Fasting. This is something that I've been reading about for the past year.  I was a little skeptical at first because we are all brainwashed to believe 6 meals a day, eat every 2-3 hours is the ONLY way to get shredded. 

After looking more into this type of eating plan and seeing some amazing results, I realize that this strategy might be something I should seriously consider.  There is a lot of good information out there with this approach to eating, check out leangains.com for the most comprehensive information backed by research. 

Other information can be found from people who used this approach such as John Romaniello, as he outlined here.    Plenty of reputable fitness professionals have tried this method for fat loss with great success, I might have to reprogram my own way of thinking and jump on the bandwagon.

Although, skipping my gourmet breakfast will be a real challenge- I'm hungry in the morning!

Have a great weekend, stay tuned for some updated workouts and my 2 weeks til marriage nutrition plan.......

No program - No problem

There are a few different types of people that go in to gyms these days.   Check that, there is a WIDE variety of people that go into gyms these days.  I am going to discuss 3 groups of gym-goers that you might or might not be a part of.  The 3 groups that I will discuss usually are the people that walk by the cardio equipment, won't even consider a yoga class, and head straight to the free weights to get their swole on. 

Group 1, The Program Followers.  These people have their workouts written down to the specifics.  The exercises, sets, reps, and weights are all properly programmed sequentially written.  If this group of people is following any "half-decent" program they will usually get pretty good results.  If it's a program out of Muscle and Fiction, that includes Bicep Blast Friday- It's probably a crock o' turd!

This is usually the smallest group of people in the gym.  I would say that maybe 5% of actual gym-goers follow a decent program that has good exercise selection and a logical set/rep scheme.  The members of this group usually have worked with a trainer or have adequate knowledge in regards to lifting and they usually have a pretty good b.s. filter on stuff NOT to do in the gym.

Sometimes these programs might be more advanced such as Liner Periodization or a Percentage based set / rep scheme.  Other times they might just be basic exercise templates with the exercises, set, reps, and weight based on very little background data or strength testing. As long as there is NO BOSU ball squats, Abductor machine, or 10 drop sets of tricep kickbacks- you might be following a suitable program.

Group 2, The "I feel like doing" group.  These people usually walk in the gym, look around the free weight area, do a few arm circles and go right in to ANY exercise they feel like doing that particular day.  Maybe they'll do chest (usually the case on Monday), sometimes they'll do arms (very typical on Friday).  They hardly every do squats or deadlifts- the main reason they're in the gym is to get their PUMP ON!

This group might spend 45 minutes on their upper chest, 30 on their bicep peak, and 15 on their lower abs. You can almost guarantee that every member from this group does curls in the squat rack!

Group 3, The "Auto-Regulation" group.  I really don't know how or why we decide to use a fancy word for this group, I thought instinctive training worked just fine.  This group knows what exercises they are going to do, and pretty much has an idea with the set and rep scheme is going to consist of , but nothing is written in stone.  They might add in some extra single leg work, or maybe a few sets of chin-ups between a shoulder press.  Instead of 3 sets of 5, maybe they decide to hit a few singles because they feel like Killin' it that particular day.

This group usually will stick to the basics, maybe add or take away some assistance lifts, but they are in the gym to get strong and lift heavy.  One of the problems with this group is if they feel like killin' it every week, sooner or later they might face "burn out" or end up getting injured.  The good thing is that if you're feeling off one day, you can adjust your sets/reps/exercises to fit your energy levels.

There was actually a study done on Auto-Regulation that you can check out HERE.

Based on the study, the Auto-Regulation group increased their bench press and squat more than the the Linear Peridozation group in a 6 week period.  Does that make Auto-Regulation superior for every body's exercise goals? Not at all.

So, Which group do you fall under?  I hope not Group 2 (that is Jersey Shore wanna be all the way).  If you fall under Group 1, and are achieving adequate strength and fitness gains, keep it up.  There is no reason to change to the next best thing, unless you feel like you need a break from the program mentally. If you are wondering which program is best for you?  I like the advice, "The best program is the one you're NOT doing". Actually that's not fair advice, the best program is challenging, corrects/strengthens your weak links, and produces desired results. That should be common sense.

If you fall in group 3, make sure you base your workouts around the basic movements, focus on getting stronger, and set up a DELOAD week once a month.  Limit your workouts to around 45 minutes and perform some single-limb movements as well as having an equal push/pull ratio for upper body.

The best advice I can give is to have a program (GROUP 1), follow it until you feel you mentally and physically need a change.  Before you begin your next program go through a few weeks of Instinctive training (GROUP 3), but do so with a purpose and a basic plan.  Perform a deload week, then retest your strength in the basic exercises and begin your next program.

Having an efficient well written training program is a valuable component when beginning a strength training and conditioning routine.  Keeping track of your progress is very important.  However, if you need some time just moving heavy weights based on the way you feel, change things up a  bit and get back to going to the gym with some intensity- maybe joining Group 3 for a few weeks isn't a bad idea.

It's not complicated - It's consistency

When I train a new client I am extremely optimistic that they will reach their fitness goals.  I honestly don't think a trainer should demonstrate anything but a positive attitude and try to instill a success driven mindset for a client when beginning a personal training program.

Some clients standout and demonstrate amazing potential during the first few sessions. If these clients are consistent in their approach to achieving their fitness goals great things will happen.

People who will be successful with getting stronger-leaner-and in better shape will continue to put fourth maximum effort for any improvement in regards to fitness, no matter how challenging the training session or how strict of an eating plan they are following. 

Sometimes you can visibly see the motivation and the "hard working" mentality of a client slowly start slipping away.   As far as I'm concerned, my job as a trainer or coach is to educate, inspire, and motivate my clients.  If my clients aren't motivated have I done my job?  If they aren't inspired, have I failed?

That's a tough question to answer.  I feel that some people are driven for success and others let distractions and excuses derail them from the body they want to achieve.  The one's who are driven don't need someone there to be a "cheerleader" to get them through that extra rep or last set of an exercise, they push hard when no one is around.

People that I see have the most success in the areas of fitness and body transformation are consistently doing the right things,  no matter the circumstances.  They make time for exercise.  They don't make excuses like "There was nothing healthy to eat". They know it's about what THEY do, and the stuff that is going on around them is no excuse to throw in the towel. 

Here's a newsflash- Everyone can improve in the areas of health and fitness.

You can gain strength.

You can get lean.

You can gain muscle.

You can improve endurance.

You can improve flexibility and balance.

You can improve mobility and stability.

Whatever your fitness and health related goals are, they can be achieved if you are willing to put fourth the time and effort. You can go in this journey alone, with a friend, or hire someone to help pave the way.  It doesn't matter. Of course there are many advantages when working with a trainer or coach  (accountability, proper form/technique, exercise selection, programming).  But the key is consistency.

Being consistent with diet and exercise is nothing new and exciting.  It's sure as hell is not "ground breaking" research.  To some it's boring, to others it's a necessity to achieve the body they desire.

There is really nothing complicated about it, no fancy machines, no sophisticated eating approach- just plain consistency.   Of course you have to exercise and eat nutritious foods, but that seems pretty simple.

Workout at least 4 times a week.  Cardio or Strength Training?  How about both.  What type of resistance training?  Push, Pull, Squat.  What type of cardio? Move.

Is it really that simple?  Yes, but for some reason some people like to complicate or over analyze things.  Is there a more detailed and specific plan?  Of course, but until you are consistent with the basics - don't worry about  carb cycling, HIT, Supersets, Plyometrics, etc.  Just exercise 4 times a week and eat better. 

Don't have time to go to the gym?  Well I'm sure you have 15 minutes to spare, try this workout at home:
Perform 10 squats, 10 jumping jacks, 10 push-ups, 10 lunges (each leg), and one minute of the plank with no rest.  Set a timer, when 15 minutes is up - you're done.

If its seems too easy, perform jump squats or "clap" push-ups.  If it seems too hard, take some rest or decrease the number of reps. 

As far as eating, step 1 is to keep a food journal.  Review what you eat everyday, it's pretty easy to determine if your diet is filled with garbage or quality nutrients.  Step 2- reduce garbage, increase nutritious foods.  Step 3- keep doing step 1 and 2 everyday.  After the first week make better food choices and reduce the garbage calories from the previous week.

Keep consistent.  If you want to learn or memorize something you use the repetition method.  If you repeatedly read a series of facts you should have it memorized.  If you consistently eat healthy, lifts weights, and just freakin' move more - you will start achieving your fitness goals. 

Now that I just informed you of the obvious, take the steps necessary to look better, feel better, and move better. It's really not that complicated. 

Just be consistent.

Something to check out..........

Nate Green lives by his own rules.  He is a really good writer, he know his stuff when it comes to exercise and nutrition, and he lives a pretty interesting life.  I just read his "Hero Handbook" and I found it really entertaining with a lot of good practical advice.  It is a short easy read, well worth checking out.  You can download it for free, no hassle / BS involved. 

Get it HERE.

The Squat- are your shoulders holding you back?

I love to take on new clients.  I actually like to take on "untrained" new clients rather than people who have had an inefficient trainer.  Reprogramming dysfunctional movements and reteaching just about everything when it comes to form and technique is a pretty grueling task. More times than not, that is the situation when it comes to previously trained clients.

A very important part of our job is to help correct movement patterns, assess deviations, and determine what needs to be done to make a person "feel" better.

MY BETTER CONTINUUM: Once a client moves better, they will feel better, and when they start increasing the intensity of the training they will perform better, and once they start eating right they will look better. Everything goes hand in hand, but it starts with movement. 

One of my new clients, who was working with another trainer for around 2 years, was in the middle of his movement prep / dynamic warm-up when I noticed that his shoulders looked extremely tight and incredibly uneven.  Basically, he had protracted shoulders, with very limited flexibility.

After discussing the type of training sessions he was going through for the past 2 years, I came to the conclusion that his previous trainer "loved to push".  Every exercise was pretty much geared toward pressing, and as far as any type of movement prep, it was completely ignored. 

Bring on THE SQUAT, actually the box squat.  I find box squats a pretty basic introductory exercise for new clients with adequate hip mobility and lower body flexibility.  The box squat teaches the trainee to get their hips back, keep their knees somewhat neutral, and serves as a good measuring point for squat depth.

My client looked good on the first few reps, but then he racked the weight and started complaining about the pain he was experiencing- shoulder pain.  He told me that he really never did squats because he always had this type of pain.  His other trainer just threw him on the leg press and ignored the problem.

I put a stop to the workout and began implementing some shoulder mobility work. Some of the exercises that I incorporated during our "shoulder activation" series were:
Wall Slides

Find a wall, place your back against it, slide your arms up and down for 10-12 reps 

 Band Pull-aparts 

Grab a band, Pull apart for 12-15 reps 

Y T W L Shoulder Series 

 *there were some other exercises used and some foam rolling for t-spine and lats but the above exercises were the main areas of focus

After a few more sessions of incorporating these exercises combined with some single leg work and front squats, we attempted the back squat again with MUCH success.  The pain was gone, my client was amazed how much better the movement felt, this was the first time he ever completed a set of squats without pain.

Along with the lower body workouts progressing at a rapid pace, my client was more impressed with his strength increases on his upper body lifts.  His bench press increased 20 lbs. in two weeks (work sets from 115x5 to 135x5).  Of course, like most high school kids, the bench press is what really counts....

It's not rocket science.  If a client has a faulty movement pattern, don't ignore it- that will only lead to more problems down the road.  It's kind of like ignoring your check engine light and trying to drive for a few more  thousand miles.  It's only a matter of time before something breaks down and usually will lead to a big repair bill.  All because the problem was ignored.  Like many great coaches and trainers have said "If your not assessing, your guessing".

*for more info on anything shoulder check out Eric Cressey's stuff - definitely the "go to" guy when it comes to shoulder health and performance.

End of the week thoughts.........

Happy Friday!  This has been a really productive week.  I (my fiance) uploaded some more videos to my YouTube channel, my books arrived from amazon, and my lifting/conditioning/diet, has been on point!  I've seen, read, and heard some things this week that made me think a little more than usual- which leads me to my end of the week thoughts.

-Diet Soda is the Devil. A lot of people have asked me if I heard "the news" about the dangers of diet soda that was released this past week.  I saw it first on an evening news program, then read an article on-line. For years there have been questions about the safety of artificial sweeteners and now diet soda is linked to stroke and other vascular conditions.

I'll be honest, I enjoy a Diet Coke every now and then, but do I think that will be detrimental to my health?  Of course not.  Too much of anything artificial is not good.   Actually too much of almost anything can cause some sort of problem. 

People shouldn't read to much into this study if you occasionally have a diet soda.  However, if you are constantly chugging the stuff, that might create some health issues.

If people are concerned about their hydration levels and achieving good health water should be the #1 beverage of choice.  Unsweetened Organic Green Tea should be second (not the Lipton or Snapple flavored crap).  If it came down to a regular or diet soda, I would choose diet because the caloric factor (shallow, I know).

-Saturated Fat.  On the same news program that informed me that Diet Soda was gonna lead me to an early death, I was also told to have only have ONE egg a day because of the saturated fat content.  I thought this myth was put to bed, but unfortunately the media likes to stick to its guns and keeps informing us of information that doesn't hold up to current research.

I happen to love saturated fat!  Not the saturated fat from Hooters Wings or Outback's Bloomin' Onion.  I'm talking about the saturated fat that was here hundreds of years ago-  organic eggs, grass fed beef, and coconut oil (actually everything was pretty much organic back then).  Those 3 foods have many other nutrients the body needs and provides a good source of protein from the eggs and beef, and MCT's from the coconut oil.  Like I said above, too much of anything isn't good- but the right amounts of quality nutrients can do wonders for your health and physique.

-Giving Advice (and being ignored).  So, I was finishing up a squat workout on Monday and the kid next to me, probably around 21, was getting starting with his calf raises- cough cough I mean squats.  Let's just say that he was not reaching proper squat depth.  I tried to inform him that to effectively activate his glutes and hamstrings he need to drop a little lower, and sink his hips toward the ground. I got the common response, "I can't because I'm a little pansy I have bad knees".

I don't know why but I went into a little detail explaining and quoting stuff from anybody and everybody who has tremendous knowledge about the squat and functional anatomy. The kid didn't look interested, so I left it alone.

Not the best source for training advice....

The crazy thing is, I heard the same kid asking one of the JUICE HEADS "What supplements do you take?"  I guess I need to pack on about 30lbs, wear a wife beater, and have an arms day before I am qualified to give advice.

Well that's all folks. Have a great weekend and STAY STRONG!

Positive Influences

I 'm a pretty lucky person.  I have met and interacted with several fitness professionals and strength coaches who have made me better at what I love to do - train people.

I also have a fiance who had developed a passion for getting strong, eating right, and living a healthy life.  I have improved as a person, trainer/coach, and lifter because of people who are the closet to me as well as people I have never met face to face.

Would I be as driven as I am today if I didn't read blogs and articles written by great trainers and coaches? NO.

Would I enjoy putting as many hours as I do into work, education, and my own training if I didn't have a fiance who was fully supportive. NO, of course not.

I have a great time working, learning, and lifting and all of those things make me a much happier person.  As crazy as it sounds, I look forward to working- not just because I get a chance to make other people better.  I make myself better.

I am, by no means, where I want to be when it comes to training and coaching, but I'm on my way.  I am not where I want to be physically and I still have a lot of strength goals I would like to achieve, but I am pretty happy where I am, I've worked hard to get here.

Some of the coaches I have met in person were really instrumental in my professional development . I admire the results they get with their clients and the way they conduct themselves professionally.  I take their advice to heart and read books they recommend and decipher the information they hand down and tailor it to fit my needs.

The first big name strength coach I met in person was Mike Boyle.  I met Mike at the 2005 ECA conference in Miami Beach, FL.  I was at the point of my training career where I was stuck in a rut with effective programming for my clients. I wasn't progressing and I needed a spark.  Mike made me think about training in a whole different perspective.  I have been at 2 other conferences where Mike Boyle was a presenter, he was very entertaining and dropped a ton of knowledge bombs on the audience.

There have been several other coaches who I have met along the way, and a lot more fitness professionals who I plan on interacting with in the upcoming years.  I really do learn something new everyday in regards to training and nutrition and it's because the professionals that I admire are constantly learning and informing others about valuable information. 

I don't want this to turn in to a name dropping post about who I've met in person and who I communicate with on-line.  My main intention is to influence my readers to find positive influences who share their passion.  It might not be exercise, it might be in a field such as finance, medicine, or law.

Get in touch with someone who is at the top of  your field of work or study. Discover how they got to the top and what it would take for you to get there. Find out what books, journals, or seminars they recommend and utilize that information to continue your education. With all of the social network sites and the ability to pretty much contact anyone through the internet, you really don't have an excuse.

Find someone close to you,  a friend, co-worker, family member, or significant other who will encourage you to reach your goals.  It would be ideal for that person to help you surpass your goals and achieve a level of greatness you did not know existed.

Like I said, I got lucky. My future wife enjoys lifting weights and is diligent about staying in shape. She enjoys various forms of exercise and she is always up for a physical challenge.  I am even entertaining the idea of bringing my fiance to a few "hands on" conferences so she can continue to improve her lifting technique and be taught by some of the best in the profession. 

If you look at the success of the top professionals of any industry, many of them had someone who helped pave the way for them reach their level of greatness.  To reach high level of success at any field it takes a huge individual effort, however motivation from others around you will make the journey more feasible. If you truly want to excel at something the more positive connections you have the greater your chances are at reaching the top tier of your profession or field of study.  

A while back I wrote a blog about negative influences.  When you look at the people you are close to, are the majority a positive or negative influence on your life?  Are they looking out for your success or encouraging you to achieve great things?  Or, do they try to bring you down to their level so they feel better about themselves?

If you are satisfied with being average there is no need to examine what type of influences you surround yourself with.  If you want to be better then you ever imagined it's time to develop a close circle of people who will encourage you to discover your ultimate level of success.

YOUTUBE

Finally got youtube up and running.  Only a few videos up, I plan on getting some more clips up during the week and get them uploaded next weekend.  Hope you enjoy...........

End of the week thoughts.........

Super bowl weekend!  Ughhhhhh, football is coming to an end, looks like my TV time will be cut down significantly......

I can't believe Spring is right around the corner- although, lately it hasn't been feeling like winter in South Florida (It's been 80 degrees and sunny pretty much the whole week). 

I've read some good articles and blogs this week and also had a few interesting conversations with my clients, which lead to some pretty good content for my end of the week shenanigans.

-Strong women. Gotta love em'.

Women who take weight training seriously are becoming more prevalent in today's society.  The fact that a woman can be strong, lift heavy weights, and still be feminine is a wonderful thing.  My fiance lifts heavy weights, really doesn't do too much cardio and her bodyfat continues to drop.  Most of my female clients are pretty strong and their physiques have improved tremondously since I convinced them to add some weight to the bar.  Not only does being strong look better, it promotes an aura of confidence and toughness that is both a little intimidating and a lot sexy.  Check out this interview to see more of what I'm talking about.

-Book purchases.  I felt it was time to buy some new stuff to read, so I picked up 3 books from amazon.com. I can't wait to open these up and absorb some knowledge.  

These books were recommended by some really smart people so I'm sure there will be a lot of information gained for a really small price (about 65 bucks). 

-Great article.  Tony Gentilecore has a really good blog.  He posted a great article about cutting through the BS and and why we should focus on getting STRONG(ER).  It's great that Men's Journal has content like this, maybe people will actually start lifting weights rather than playing on that stupid bosu ball!!!

-Conversation. The ING marathon was in Miami, FL last weekend.  One of my clients asked me why I don't run in races like that.  She said "You're competitive, and in good shape, it just seems like something you would do".  My response was polite and to the point, I said "I'm just not into stuff like that".  I could have really let my big mouth run wild but I wanted to keep it positive, and sometimes the less that is said, the better.

Once I thought about it a little more, and watched some of the news clips of people who were finishing the race, I though to myself, no way in hell...... Now I'm not going to go on a rant about long distance runners and their movement patterns, but I'm going to tell you why I'm not and will never be a distance runner=

It doesn't pertain to my goals! 

Here is what I want to achieve from exercise and physical activity- in order.
1-To be healthy and feel young.
2-To move efficiently (move pain free, have above average speed and jumping ability) 
3-To be/get strong(er)
4-Keep my body fat levels low
5-Be ready to suit up on Sunday's if the NFL has a lockout (kidding, well kinda)

Awesome Time- but not my idea of a great physique

I've tried the distance running thing, I entered a few 5 and 10k's and I got weaker and my body fat stayed the same even though I was cranking out the miles.  I can't even imagine what would happen to my strength if I trained for marathons. My knees and lower back hurt, and my movement patters looked horrible.  So basically, distance running did nothing to helping my achieve my goals.

If a person has different goals related to running a long distance, by all means run until  your shoes wear out- then run some more.  If your one of your goals is to be healthy and live injury free and you have constant knee pain from running, wouldn't you be contradicting your goal because of running? Just something to think about.....

-Super Bowl pick.  I'm going to root for the Packers this weekend.  I have no affiliation with either team, but I would like to see Sam Shields from the U get a Super Bowl ring.  The guy never really lived up to his potential in college and is now STARTING in the Super Bowl, persistence definitely pays off......

-Have a great weekend!!!

Evolving....

When I first got involved as a fitness / personal training professional, around 10 years ago, I was only familiar with training football players. Before I ever worked in a "gym" setting, I was an Assistant Football Coach at Flanagan High School, where I helped oversee the Strength and Conditioning program. Everything was focused on developing strength, speed, and power, and hoping those traits carried on to the football field.  At that point in my life I really wanted to pursue a career as a College Strength and Conditioning Coach.

A lot has changed over the years.  After my last season coaching football I really wanted to do something different, but I still wanted to be around weight training and conditioning.  I was approached by a co-worker, at the school where I taught, about personal training part-time.  My first personal training job was at a crappy gym in Pembroke Pines, FL. I wasn't even certified, but because I had a college degree in an exercise related field so I was allowed to train people right away. The gym was poorly run, the money wasn't that good, and I didn't have a whole lot of clients.  I did however love training.

I decided to get ACE certified, thought it would be an easy test, and it was.  I passed without studying and now I was considered a Certified Personal Trainer.  Honestly, that didn't mean crap! I really didn't know what the hell I was doing.  I put clients on machines, counted reps, and discussed eating better and exercising more.  I really feel bad for my first few rounds of clients, I guess I must have looked the part- because the training I was providing was less than average.  I didn't assess movement, I didn't correct imbalances, and I really didn't put together decent programs for my clients.

I realized I need to educated myself better and I began to read and study information on the human body and nutrition.  I decided to get CSCS certified, I figured that you needed a 4 year degree to sit for the exam, so it would be more respected then most of the other certifications.  I studied for the test and I passed the first time. At this point I still didn't consider myself a good trainer. 

After working a couple years at the crap hole, I was approached by the Fitness Manager at a "big name" commercial gym where I would occasionally workout.  I decided to take the job and "buy in" to their way of doing things.  Basically, I was a sales man in a personal trainer shirt.  I had goals for my training revenue and goals for supplement sales. It didn't matter how much clients lost, it's how much they bought. I could have been the WORST trainer in the world, but if my numbers were good, I was GOLD!

Working at "Big Money Fitness" taught me a lot about what is wrong with the profession.  I did, however, progress professionally and became much better at evaluating clients and understanding corrective exercise.
I started to attend conferences, became passionate about reading literature,  and enjoyed searching through "reputable" Internet sites.  My training changed, I broke free from machine based workout and focused mainly on body weight, barbell, and dumbbell movements. My clients got better results.

I stuck it out at "Big Money Fitness" for about 6 years.  I did my own thing as far as programming and training and developed a good relationship with my clients and had a lot of success with helping them achieve their goals. It really wasn't that hard to pick up new clients or make my sales goals.  I did a good job retaining most of my clients and many of  them are still with me to this day.

I started to train people outside of the gym.  I worked at parks with boot camp style workouts and I trained one of my athletes at a local high school preparing him to play college football.   I really enjoyed the intensity that people brought to the workouts outside of the typical "gym" setting.  For my clients to progress, I need to progress.

In order for me get better at training and coaching,  I need to break free of my comfort zone and begin working at a different gym with a more results driven setting.  I started working at Emery Wellness, a small private gym in Weston, FL in June 2010.   From my first day on board I implemented my style of training.  Almost every client from "Big Money Fitness" followed me to my NEW place, even though it was a further drive. I have started working with some new clients and I have heard very positive feedback regarding my style of training.

Over the past 8 months I have become even more passionate about strength development, physical conditioning, and better nutrition.  I stated to connect with people through social media sites, which I used to be totally against.  I have maintained a blog with entries on personal experience, advice, and stories about idiot members and trainers in local gyms.  Youtube is my next step and my first few videos were filmed yesterday.  My fiance is better with technology, so she will be the one getting things edited and uploaded (I also have video of her doing an awesome front squat with 135).

I have never wanted to be complacent with anything in life.  I am taking the steps that I feel are necessary to develop into a better Strength/Fitness Professional.  I have attended NSCA, Perform Better, Hammer Strength, and ECA conferences in the past and I look forward to getting back to more professional development events in the near future. Of course, at this point in my life my wedding and honeymoon are taking financial priority. I wish Perform Better would bring back to some clinics to South Florida to cut down on travel expenses! 

Working a full time job as a teacher and part-time job as a personal trainer /strength coach isn't easy.  There are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything that I would like, but my time management skills are improving.  I look back at the trainer I once was and compare that to where I am now, all I can say is "Never be completely satisfied with what you once were or where you are now. There is always new things to learn or ways to improve to make you better professionally and the people you train better physically and mentally, that's what this profession is about".