The beauty of perseverance

View for me, if you will...

From this point forward we will be at http://www.prosportconditioning.com/ a twice weekly e-magazine that will have plenty of other contributors.

Determination, desperation, realization, dedication and heck even hospitalization, are all words that can be used to describe what finally made you make the move to finally start you off on your path to fitness.

The two biggest players in all successful physique transformations are “Inspiration” and “Motivation” and they’re two intrinsically intertwined forces. One begets the other.

Finding your Inspiration is a usually the trigger which flips the switch and can a powerful tool to focus your efforts on your ultimate task at hand. A mere 14 years ago, I sat on my lazy boy rocker a whopping 308 pounds, and saw a commercial that changed my life forever. It was the Nike “I CAN” commercial.

This literally set a goose-bump rampage throughout my body and a cascade of tingles down the back of my neck.

The mere thought of it this day, brings on the same effect. And it’s the reason I have kept this 108 pounds off for this long.

If you rely on your inspiration to be the fuel for your motivation, then chances are, you won’t ever be running on empty. It’s a limitless reserve and one heck of a kick in the pants when complacency rears its ugly head.


Take Kerri Strug for example, she was a member of the “Magnificent Seven” the gymnastics team that represented the United States at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, and at gut check time, when the odds were stacked against her, performed the vault despite having seriously injured her ankle.

She did a spectacular vault, and amazingly landed on one foot before collapsing in pain and clinched a gold medal in the women's team competition…as well as every heart of the Nation.

Overcoming all odds and challenging yourself to get better every day, to break and establish
personal bests is a daily personal battle.


But when done -the powerful feeling of accomplishment and "known ability" allows women in particular a secondary confidence that is remarkable and a wonder to behold.

Grab on, you're in for a ride.
















Overcoming all odds, and challenging yourself to get better every day, to break and establish personal bests is a daily personal battle.

So what’s it going to take for you?

Chris, after slapping away a helping hand....

The workout was 30 Cleans, 10 pushups – 20 cleans, 20 pushups, 10 cleans, 30 pushups

As I sat watching Chris attempt to complete his last 10 pushups, it occurred to me that he was on the verge of an all out collapse… Eric, the Crossfit Trainer stepped in


“Chris, that’s ok, switch to “Pushups on your knees”

He looked up, gasping and said… “BUT I ONLY HAVE 8 LEFT!”

(astonished faces)

“Fine then, get down there a grind out them damn pushups!”

It was a great scene to behold. A newbie trainee who after losing twenty pounds via on-line support ( in 8 weeks) was now laying in his own very own sweat angel.

Even more impressive, was, given the opportunity to take an olive branch to the easy way out, he declined and slapped it right out of his hand. This, to all of us there, is an amazing thing.

Cause, well, we’ve been there.

And when someone gets “THAT” for the very first time, it is an overwhelmingly empowering feeling.


My shock came about an hour later when I received a text message..

“Man, I feel kind of lame with those pushups”

I explained that what had happened was not a bad thing, but an amazing display of courage and perseverance.

Willingly taking the hard road and smashing through that barrier is truly an amazing thing.

It’s the gutty performances like the one above that tend to build the most character in the gym, and help you along further in your quest for ultimate fitness.


I have been inspired on more than one occasion in the last week. By the grueling and mind numbing performances within the confines of the 4 walls, we know as CFM.

The workout was…

“Badger”
800 meter Run
30 Cleans
30 Pullups

3 rounds

It was hot and sweaty. And this ball buster of a workout is one shitty workout ( that means it’s good and hard).

I watched a girl destroy her personal best, and put in one of the most courageous workouts I’ve ever been witness to…

During the grueling second round, she obliterates her left hand and a callous near her ring finger for lack of a better term "explodes:…. Yet...She continued to rep out by using only three fingers on her left hand! ( this was determination at it’s finest)…and left her hand a bloody mess.

Towards the end of THAT 30 pullups, she tears another callous off her right hand!

Battered and brutalized… she kept on going. Squealing in pain every time she remounted the pull up bar…

Most people would have given up at the end of the round…

Not her.

She did the whole last round and beat her personal best

Absolutely Amazing.

In the end, she laid in a “stigmata” like heap on the ground….


Beaten and Bloody,

but Victorious ....

The third time I was left slack jawed and in awe… The workout was

“Two Four”

24 Burpees
24 Clean and Press
24 Burpees
24 Power Snatch

To witness this tiny person, do 24 Power Snatches of a new one rep max was….well….

Breathtaking…

It took her 34 minutes to get it done… and some of the snatches were shades and views of pure unadulterated effort and determination…

Literally…. A snatch should take about 1 second…

She had battles of 4 and 5 seconds trying to get that bar up….and sometimes failing completely….

But she soldiered on, determined not to fail..

She actually smiled when she went to do the burpees….

And well… nobody does that.

It's all within us, there comes a point where you actually choose not to perform or push through.

It's those times, when you stop negotiating with your internal terrorist and push through, that you will feel invincible, empowered and accomplished... if but for a brief moment.

Taking off the Blinders.

Taking a look at the bigger picture….


A lot of times, I try to express that in my years of doing this, that there rarely is a black and white answer to any given task, problem or challenge in the way of fitness. I mean, yes, it’s ALWAYS diet, but that varies person to person and goal to goal… so to speak.

Shade’s o Grey.

Nowadays many people blindly follow one thing or another and turn a blind eye to the science staring them right in the face. I will start with Paleo types, which, I preface by saying is an absolutely amazing way to eat for health and longevity and the diet I recommend the most. But even the authors of “The Paleo Diet” realized that they were kinda missing the beat with regards to human performance and went back years later to write “the paleo diet for athletes”

In one book…..

No dairy, no sugar, no beans, no lentils, no grains, no potatoes, no nightshades


In the next book, they realize that “IF” performance is the goal, that the studies provided show a true barometer of what is needed.

It’s simply too hard to get in enough carbs/quality proteins to fuel and recover from the types of exercise we do today than it was in the caveman era…

in which, surprisingly you will be shocked to learn , that the average lifespan was THIRTY…. Yep 30.

If body composition ( fat loss) is the key goal then I skip the PWO Carbs and simply try to get protein and maybe some glutamine,( which has been shown to do not much of anything even in excessive doses*) but may help replace muscle glycogen and help you with a “calorie free” recovery.

Different Strokes for Different Folks, Andrew thrived on a dextrose/bcaa concoction, wheras Bianca thrived on dried fruits... .Same results, different routes to get the the goal.

*In a 2001 study by Candow et al, they concluded that 0.9g of supplemental glutamine/kg/day during resistance training had no significant effect on muscle performance, body composition or muscle protein degradation in healthy adults. At my current weight, that is 75g of glutamine a day!


Not exactly worth it your supplement dollar, however.


The other theory is the Fat Adaptation Theory, one, that I had some opinions on, as I can thrive on fats as an energy source. But not when intensities rise into the upper echelon.

The Studies are many…

http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/research/fat_adaptation


So,

Yes, fat is wonderful for health and for ultra endurance events as a heavy duty fuel source

First, let's use "more than 120 minutes" to define the beginning of "endurance" and leave the duration beyond that open.

For the purpose of this post I restrict the effort to a single, steady-state event of two to 24-hour duration.
Endurance efforts are largely fueled by fat oxidation.

To be sure, fats require the background catabolism of carbohydrates for conversion but (in well-trained, endurance-adapted athletes) at levels of work 70% of MVO2 or below the predominant source of energy is fat.

Those less adapted to endurance will fuel mainly with fat up to about 50% of MVO2.

For efforts at greater than 70% of MVO2 the primary source of fuel is carbohydrates. Many mixed, circuit workouts force the athlete to operate at 100% of MVO2, and even higher during interval sessions. The body naturally chooses the fuel source most appropriate to the level of effort demanded by the brain with no regard for how long the supply will last.

This is why; I still give performance types, a healthy dose of fats during the day, but not around training times at all.

Carbohydrates are supplied immediately before and after training. It’s the hope that your diet has you adapted enough to switch through each fuel as necessary… The typical ratios I like are 40-40-20 (protein, fat, then carbs)

This will usually help keep the athlete full and performing at a high level, and still help keep/get lean, cause the calories can still be balanced. And enough fats are supplied to allow the body to use them for some energy when the glycogen runs out at lower intensities.

So…

In conclusion.

IT DEPENDS!

Who holds you accountable?

What a ridiculous verticle jump looks like.

As I "stood" there hunched over.....trying to catch what little breath I had.... I hear from a distance....

"LETS GO JAMIE! GET IT GOING"

Argh! FINE!! I got up and finished it off.

Workout was:


5 reps - 155 pound jerks
7 Reps pushups
Sprint 40 yards (there and back)


As many as possible in 15 minutes.... I got...6... and paid the ultimate price of tossing ones cookies on the way to work.

Now, as I have always said, training is the easy part. It's fun, people like to do it. But put a stop watch on you and things get a little...intense. And, well, flat out hard.


Humans are, as we know, inclined to take the absolute least path of resistance in any walk of life.

From what I see, there are only a few true atheletes who can "push themselves" to true and honest maximal effort.

The same goes for diets.... Client 069 had a ridiculous 11 pound drop in a week and a half. She's in constant contact with me throughout the day and sometimes for just a one word answer.

She claims that she's never had this much success before this fast, and that "knowing I had to report to you every day is holding me in check"

People who have failed in diets and losing weight, almost invariably try to do it on their own.

Thing is, you can't, or you wouldn't have got big in the first place. Sorry, and I'm not trying to be a jerk, even though I can be quite good at it.

Hire someone. Ask a buddy to do a weight loss challenge with you. Get a kick ass training partner.... Anything that has built in accountability.

Belive it or not, this is the very foundation of Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and Dr. Bernsteins....

They hold you accountable, albeit in different ways. But all of them are successful.... all of them.

It's when these people "quit" the above groups that they go back right to where they started.

I personally witnessed a former boss lose in excess of 60 pounds on Bernsteins, only to quit because "it's expensive and I will just eat the exact same way and won't break the diet!"

At this point, I knew she was destined to fail.

You see, the weekly "urine sample" that you had to give would show two things without fail.

Ketones or No Ketones.

(ketones are a by-product of fat being used for fuel)

If you had Ketones in your urine, it meant you were sticking to the diet. If you didn't, well they would call you on your crap.

And fail she did...Within months she gained all her weight back.

Thing that most people don't realize is... MOST OF YOU ALREADY KNOW HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT.

You just choose not to - or are helpless to overcome the food cycle.

It wasn't the eating that lead to her diet success; it was someone checking up on her.

This is why the top figure contestants in the world all have trainers. They know what they are doing, but need someone there to call them on their bullshit.

Who doesn't know ... Chicken... Broccoli....Egg Whites.... repeat?

Eat that for 3 days and tell me about the double digit weight loss you have.

Anyway....

With weight watchers, it's the same thing as Biggest Loser, where you have to weigh in infront of everybody. And the group cheers in your successes...

A VERY powerful motivator non?

Self motivated...




VS

Being cheered on and being held accountable..

EGGS ARE A SUPERFOOD!

Protein > carbs for hunger, what a novel discovery***

Nutr Res. 2010 Feb;30(2):96-103.Consuming eggs for breakfast influences plasma glucose and ghrelin, while reducing energy intake during the next 24 hours in adult men.

Ratliff J, Leite JO, de Ogburn R, Puglisi MJ, Vanheest J, Fernandez ML.Department of Nutritional Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 06269, USA.We hypothesized that consuming eggs for breakfast would significantly lower postprandial satiety and energy intake throughout the day. Using a crossover design, 21 men, 20 to 70 years old, consumed 2 isoenergetic test breakfasts, in a random order separated by 1 week.

The macronutrient composition of the test breakfasts were as follows: (EGG, % CHO/fat/protein = 22:55:23) and (BAGEL, % CHO/fat/protein = 72:12:16). Fasting blood samples were drawn at baseline before the test breakfast and at 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes after breakfast.

After 180 minutes, subjects were given a buffet lunch and asked to eat until satisfied. Subjects filled out Visual Analog Scales (VAS) during each blood draw and recorded food intake the days before and after the test breakfasts. Plasma glucose, insulin, and appetite hormones were analyzed at each time point.

Subjects consumed fewer kilocalories after the EGG breakfast compared with the BAGEL breakfast (P< .01). In addition, subjects consumed more kilocalories in the 24-hour period after the BAGEL compared with the EGG breakfast (P < .05). Based on VAS, subjects were hungrier and less satisfied 3 hours after the BAGEL breakfast compared with the EGG breakfast (P < .01). Participants had higher plasma glucose area under the curve (P < .05) as well as an increased ghrelin and insulin area under the curve with BAGEL (P < .05).

These findings suggest that consumption of eggs for breakfast results in less variation of plasma glucose and insulin, a suppressed ghrelin response, and reduced energy intake.

Shocking.... I know.....:)

Your Own Lent...

Proof that a diet of Ravioli and Beer did not pay off for this man!

Sometimes you can be your own best friend -if- you acknowledge your known weaknesses ahead of time.

NOTE: I have just opened comments section up. Have been closed for a year, without knowing.

Give yourself some time.


40 days, and 40 nights.



When’s the last time you dedicated yourself to anything fully? I mean really immersed yourself into in and made it your driving force behind all that you do?

When you do catch that fire, it’s a beautiful thing to behold. Focus and intensity are two HUGE factors in your success. And when you are dedicated – those are the inevitable traits that follow.

Dedication comes in many forms, as I have written before.

My current crop of trainees - are all at different points in their life. But, each came to me with a different request and goal, per se. Before I take on any new client, I need to know that it won’t waste my time or their time. I don’t do this for my main source of income;

I do this to help people, so I deserve to be picky.

Client 067 - Already in great shape, but is finally ready to take her final stab at getting abs and maybe getting her beach photos that will last a lifetime. Her physique looks very good already, surprisingly, given her protein sparse - yet grain heavy diet. Dedication and Focus are already there, and you can see it as plain as day.

Being a successful endurance athlete showed me that those two needed traits are there. So I've decided to take her on.


Client 068

A man, nearing his mid 30’s father of two – was horrified to see a picture of himself - and realized that he needed help. His diet was an atrocity and he knew this. Also, a recent visit to the doctor helped him to realize that he was in piss-poor shape.

And most of all, his comment to me sealed the deal.

“Look I just don’t want to wear a t-shirt at Disney land when I’m in the pool with my kids :(”

This hit me right in the heart, and being formally so overweight, I know and feel his pain.


So in response to his plea for help… I stated

"Ok. I will help.

The good news is...

You have a great family.

The bad news is...your diet is horrible.

The good news is, you can only go up from here.

Let’s get started "

( a very successful 4 lbs in the first week)

" Maybe Nobody will notice my Man Boobs is I wear plaid in the water!"

Client 069

When a Classic Cardio compensator, who exercises like a freak, finally realizes she can’t outwork a crappy diet, well then, I’m there to help. Having the wherewithal to go to the gym an hour sometimes two a day and bust your butt only to gain (I promised not to mention the exact number here.. so lets say more than 15 and less than 35 pounds) in two years can be quite demoralizing.

And a living testament to putting the wrong efforts in the wrong places…

I don't care how long you're on there for, you did NOT earn that Big Mac Combo!

Client 070

Former fitness competitor and actually a fitness professional has fallen off the wagon and suffered from burnout (simply by training too many other people) has forgotten the importance of having a “third party” take a look at her goals and diet. As a fitness professional, this can happen to the best of them.



The point is - four people, four different goals, all four failing in the same location.

DIET

DIET IS EVERYTHING

I cannot express it enough. And have said it countless times to countless people.

It’s my first goal, when working with new people to impress the importance of having a phase shift mentality regarding what the gym is for and what diet is for.


Your DIET is THE KEY to weight/fat loss. 100%. Not 90/10 Not 50/50

100%

The gym is where you go – To get in good cardiovascular shape and to Build and Maintain Muscle.

Diet = Fat Loss
Gym = Condition + Muscle

Read it again. And then again.


Once we get that impression cemented into their foreheads, only then can we really begin to help them understand the philosophy.

When Studies show, that resistance training as little as twice a week can yield all the health benefits of improved strength and blood lipid profiles, only then can you start asking the right questions.

What is more important?

Well, without question, diet.

If you had to skip one for the day, I would say skip the exercise.

Don’t get me wrong. Exercise is an absolute MUST. And I recommend it 4-6 times per week given the goals.

The emphasis is always predominantly on strength training with a mix of metabolic conditioning.


SOOOO…..


The original point is, find your goal, and make manageable, tangible and attainable. Don’t be afraid to set the bar high.

My personal lent is on day 3, as I try to whittle myself down to a paltry 185 lbs for football season, and I have been absolutely training with vigor and reckless abandon. My diet has been exceptional and the Barley and Grape concoctions that made up the bulk of my diet this winter has been eliminated. J

So have at it! And dive in head first. 40 days to a new you.

Lift Heavy and Eat Light!

The importance of low rep strength work is often underappreciated

Especially it's effect on your physique and it's appearance of "tone"

Lift Heavy, Eat Light.

In my now 10+ years experience and helping people (mostly women) get ready for physique contests and transformations, there has always been an underlying current to the different successes had and missed. But if I had to put a definite finger on the usual culprit for short circuiting success it would be not paying enough attention to the lower rep ranges, and getting caught up in the “lifting weights to lose weight” routine (reps of 15 etc) .

This is a huge error, and usually ends up leaving the competitor frustrated with their lack of progress.

You lift weights to maintain/gain muscle!

Michelle and Megan were unique cases, that really started to take off once we added in the heavier weights. Megan is super ripped here and that's why she looks "bigger" She was about 110lbs. haha.

You do cardio/intervals/complexes/calisthenics for your conditioning (cardio respiratory)
You DIET to lose weight.

If you keep these things top of mind when designing your current routine, you won’t fail.


I’ll give you an example.

Take a 130 pound woman. Have her run 6.0 mph (ten minute mile) for a full hour.

Calories Burned 590. Not too bad. But look.



1 measly cup of peanuts
828 Calories.

3 cans of Ginger Ale
750 Calories.

5 tablespoons of Peanut Butter
500 Calories


It’s ridiculous to think that working out is a key to anything other than “physical” and Mental fitness. Which is GREAT, don’t get me wrong!

But it’s not ideal for losing that last little bit of fat on your tummy, or getting your ass a little tighter!

I roll back to people that I speak to often, that say things like

“I’m joining a boot camp so I can lose weight”

Heavy Cleans do more for your upper back and shoulders than most isolation excercies. Bianca was an expert!

I cringe.

Nowadays I usually bite my tongue, because it’s this type of mentality that has plagued these people forever, and yes, they will be healthier and may lose a few pounds, but over and over again they will fail when the diet fails.

You can’t bootcamp your way to ultimate fitness, if your diet is wrought with poor decisions, or even worse, if your cardio compensating…. Trying to out exercise your diet.

This is a colossal fail. You never will. EVER!

I worked at a company for a decade, where we had a private gym, with 24/7 access and healthy options everywhere, free supplements etc… Yet these same people, who trained as much as 10 times a week, would only start to get in real shape when their diet was made their priority.

Granted, most were in better shape than the average bear, but even those people who worked out like fiends, still had to keep their diet in check, or that pesky little muffin top would start creeping out the sides again.


So when you are designing your program, be sure to include the following variables

Some low rep work – heavy in the 3-5 rep ranges a couple of times per week.
Some moderate rep work – in the 6-10 ranges a couple of times per week
Some conditioning work-3-5 times per week

A good base program would to start every day with a heavy movement as recovery allows – 3-5 reps

Move to something with a little more volume – one or two movements in the 6-10 range ( 2-3 sets)

Then on to your Crossfit/metcon/circuit training etc…


The strength movement should not interfere with the conditioning movement.

How heavy is too heavy?

No such thing .

Surrounding yourself with a great community.

Not exaclty your ordinary gym...

Surrounding yourself with a strong community….

Workout
Heavy Snatches 8x2 reps

Then 185 Bench + Sprints

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Reps for 185 pound bench press
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 50 yard sprints

So, you do 10 reps, then 1 sprint, 9 reps then 2 sprints, 8 reps then 3 sprints….etc.


They say in life, you become the friends you surround yourself with and the people that you choose to have in your life. This can be a very powerful influence, either positive or negative.

The same can be said about who and where you train....

I can say that over the last 2 years, this is something that I have realized was happening to myself...

The Ymca is no place for me.

This last two months, I have been rejuvenated by an enthusiastic training partner and the community at the local Crossfit.

It truly is an exceptional and encouraging environment that cannot be explained...

It can only witnessed.

I have my fundamental problems with their programming, as I have said before, and say to them – but – you simply cannot deny the impact of people with common goals.

Nobody goes there and simply “goes through the motions”….There is simply too much effort going on around you to sit idly bye and wade your way through a softie workout.

I love the community, but the book above shows you my feelings about "SOME" of the programming at Crossfit - A la 315 pounds..."for time"

Workout for Saturday
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Power Cleans @135 pounds
Pullups
KB Swings 50lbs


Diet Philosophy.

"I don't undestand, I NEVER eat anything dirty!"

Best quote ever..

"if you put fat people in a cage and feed them what they SAY they eat, you would end obesity"

Anyway....

It’s easy to tell people what to eat, but when they hear “Eat what your grandma told you” they kind of turn a deaf ear. That’s usually not catchy enough. But if I called it “Ultimate Amazing South Shredded P90!!!” they would certainly perk up in a hurry!

I also realize, that most people need an actual plan, as opposed to “free-range” lean eating – so….. for one rarified occasion I will leave a cookie cutter plan on the table here.


Breakfast
3 eggs mixed, scrambled, cooked with olive oil and peppers/onions/mushrooms
1 Cup of mixed berries


Snack
1 apple + 12 almonds

Lunch
Chicken Salad, no croutons, use full fat dressing ( olive oil is best)


Optional Snack
Orange or Apple + nuts


Dinner
Chicken or Beef or Fish
3 cups cooked spinach + onions+ mushrooms ( or ANY other mix)

SNACK
Protein Pudding

"SRX PROPUD"Ingredients:3/4 cup of fat free yogurt1 scoop of Butterscotch Maple Fudge AllWhey, from ALLMAX1 tsp of fat free/sugar jello pudding chocolate mix.8 Walnut halves/pecan or AlmondsPut in one bowl, stir, and until fluffy...Put in the freezer for 10 minutes...

Plenty of protein, fruit and vegetables..... kinda....like....grandma.....used....to....say.... :)

Workout

JACKET OF PAIN

500 Meter row
100 push press @ 75 lbs
500 Meter row
75 push press @ 75 lbs
500 Meter row
50 push press @ 75 lbs
500 Meter row
25 pushpress @ 75

21:39

Favorite Quote:

The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength.

Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.

The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you’re a god or a total bastard.

The Iron will always kick you the real deal.

The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black.

I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs.

Friends may come and go.......

But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds. –

Henry Rollins.

The cost of effort..

Ron let me hold him accountable last year... and in the suffering lies the salvation.

As I went head-to-head against a very formidable opponent in a workout that can only be described as "lower back hell"

50-40-30-20-10 Reps of

30lb wall Ball
20 pound sledge hammer hits

I realized I was in for a tougher than normal match-up. As I pounded out the first 50 ( or so I thought) wall balls..... I went to move over to the tire, when I heard...

"50>? You did 50?.... ok bro.... if that's how this is gonna play out!"

I realized at that point, I was at 40 and miscalculated....

It brought me back to a conversation I had. As you train, and gain knowledge you invariably become a "Crafty Veteran" and sometimes you can't help but cheat to win. It's an bread-in mentality.


So basically, I'm like Orel Hershiser..... The man who played so many games past his prime by learning the system, doctoring the baseball and using the infamous "spit ball"

The point is...

Hold youreself accountable, and, if that's too much to ask.... Have a cognizant training partner.

Yeah, just like me.... The Crafty(shady)vet....