Driving Force!

KB Squat and Dynamic band runs, Litinov Conversion type stuff.

I'm all over the place today. ..

Well, to take all the credit for developing a program and and system would be easy, but in reality, it came from trial and error and for the most part, the fact that I trained with several types of people.

The biggest influences in the trenches of my training design and development, believe it or not, came from three individuals, all women, with three very different driving factors with regards to their goals.

Motivation comes from many angles, and it rears it's ugly( or pretty depending on which side of the fence that you sit) head usually very early in your training career.

Either you are bitten by the bug, or are told you need to be bitten, or you are worried for your health. Usually.

These are the only candidates that I actually allow to be part of the program. There is no guaranteed acceptance, no free ride and no gimmes... without a doubt a certain core competency must be in place with regards to fitness before acceptance.

So what types of trainees are usually successful?

Type A - Vanity Lovers

Michelle, an admitted Vanity Queen! Obviously it works for her!

So what drives you to the gym? Health?

In most cases it's vanity - and - believe it or not, it's one of the most powerful divers there is. Granted, some may say it's a selfish one and is practically one of the seven deadly sins, but those who use it to their advantage can unleash it's powerful force.

Getting your booty into your skinny jeans is a victory to you, as is the endless compliments that you get on your physique regularly. You LOVE the fact that you work hard and you wear the results of your commitment on your physique every time you put on a mini t and low rider jeans or get invited to a pool party.

It's powerful and it drives you to succeed.

Type B - Competition/Goal Types

Steph Metzger, goal driven type, as her destruction of personal records continues.

These are a special group, and likely my favorite types of trainees. These people who are goal oriented usually get listless and demotivated quickly unless there is a true and real goal or end date.

They actually CRAVE/NEED it.

But once they have this very real goal... back the f#$k up, cause they are going at it full force! :)

I know a few of our readers actually crave the next run, the next contest, the next challenge.

For these types, without the end date, goal or competition- workouts become monotonous and tedious.

Other competitive types like the crossfit style philosophy, and need to be the clock, set personal records or break PR's on every lift.

Sharon C, a true competition type.. "gimme the next anything!!!!"

C: Fear of Regression Types.

Megan T

Working in the transformation business for the last decade or so, I've seen my share of yo-yo dieters. I've seen some people ( Alex ) go from fat to shredded on a seemingly annual basis. But those who usually win or are very successful in their first attempt at getting in shape, usually use the fear of regression as their main driving force.

I speak from the heart here, as this is still my driving force to this day- 11 years and 100 pounds later - I still fear going back to that old fat person, who had three chins and a whole lotta rolls!


So how can I use these factors to help you get in shape/stay in shape or have world class fitness?

When the actual SRX warehouse gym opens, each member will be forced to pick their goal and work their way towards it. It will be on the wall, so that every time you come in, it will be staring you in the face on the marker board. You will be monitored and timed during the MDT portion of your workout, and you will break records regularly.


The SRX program will not be cheap, and it will be limited in it's membership. I am not looking to get rich, but to only train with highly motivated individuals, who, when steered in the right direction, can achieve miraculous things...

Workout for Sunday

25 minutes 8 second sprints/12 second recoveries

then

3 Deadlifts
3 Power Cleans
3 Squats
3 Push Press

As many rounds possible in 20 minutes @135 pounds /girls at 75lbs

Then Delts

Seated DB Shoulder Press 5-5-5-5-5
Seated Side Lateral 8-8-8-8
Seated Front Lateral 8-8-8-8-
Face Pull/Scare Crow Combo 8 -8-8-8

I'd say, a pretty darned good case for heavy powercleans...

As Good Friday is upon us, many of the local gyms are closed. Lucky for us, we're looking at double digit temperatures this weekend ( Hey, a man can be optimistic!) :) So getting out for some activity, may be in the cards.

Training Philosophy:

The training philosophy at SRX is one that is truly unique but is a hybrid of others previous hard work. Blending in all aspects of exceptional fitness, extreme conditioning and well, nice looking muscles was a bit of a hard nut to crack.

What we have taken is the best of all worlds, and mashed it into one fun hour and 15 minute workout. Hopefully providing you all the tools you need to be strong, functional and for lack of a better term, beautiful.

Based on recovery, the typical session looks like the following:

Phase One - Cardiovascular Conditioning
Interval Training - 20-25 minutes
These intervals can be from as short as 8 seconds, to 2:00 minutes.

This can be done on the air dyne, treadmill, with a kettlebell, tire flipping, skip rope, bike etc. I prefer running myself.


Phase Two - Metabolic Disturbance Style of Training ( Crossfit/gym-jones etc) -20-25 mins

This is where the fun and creativity come in. A varying degree of jumps, climbs, rows, lifts, Olympic lifts and calisthenics all done in a circuit style..

The key here is extreme muscular fatigue, fun and a ridiculously high heart rate.

This phase is timed and you will be expected to break records often!

I consider this the meat and potatoes of the program, it's what will give you the unique blend of strength, endurance and conditioning that will keep you head and shoulders above the competition.

Phase Three Body-Part Training: 20-25 mins:

No program I recommend would skimp out on the "beach muscles"! I mean, anyone who says they don't want to "look good" is simply bullshitting you. In the last 20-25 minutes you would usually attack one/two body part(s), with rep ranges that start with singles and triples, and work all your way up to volume/pump style of exercises.

The programming of this body part usually coincides with the MDT in Phase two.


The philosophy is that women and men train exactly the same and records need to be broken often!

Groups of 3-5 people of similar levels of fitness will be placed together, and the program will run in succession.

The first 8 case studies of this program will likely be starting in June ( we still have one or two spots open) But I'm cutting it off at 10.

If you are interested in joining, please contact me at nuggett@rogers.com


Diet will be a huge factor, as, well, it is the determining factor of fat loss/weight loss.

We will provide measurements, weight gained and lost, performance improvements and before and after pictures. And as stated, I will be adding more about diet in these notes next week.

The group that I have selected already, has a strong fitness base, so improvments will be even more impressive, given their experience.


More testimonials:

Lina Z (30+ pounds lighter)

From Lina Z

How many times have I tried to lose weight?

Well lets just say I lost count!

Only when I had Jamie on my side was I successful. He knew exactly when to switch up my diet and my weight training. He was very motivating and always kept me on track.

I can honestly say I was never hungry on my diet and the exercise program was something I never experienced before. I actually enjoyed working out!!

I went from a size 12 to a 3 and most importantly, I have kept the 30+lb off for over 3 years now.

Jamie helped me achieve my goal and also gave me the knowledge to keep it off.


Thanks Lina!



Alex Short:



Before working with James, my workouts were unfocused and inefficient. While I was spending time in the gym, I became demotivated as I did not see weight-loss I expected.

After working with James, with a training program including both gym time and diet, I finally because to see real results. James advice and coaching are things I continue using to this day.

I highly recommend him as a trainer if you are looking for someone to get you in the best shape of your life, keep you highly motivated and deliver results!

Testimonial Week!

Michelle lost 15 pounds, (off an already lean frame) broke several in house lifting records and placed third in her very first figure contest.

Michelle:

All my life I have never had a real weight issue. However, I was never the type to be satisfied with just being ‘thin’. Since the age of 16 I have always been a member of a gym.

Working out was something I thought I always knew how to do very well. I mean I was an expert at pressing ‘quick start’ and running for twenty minutes on the treadmill at a 5.0 speed, followed by another twenty minutes of weight resistance training.

In my own mind I was an expert, but boy was I ever wrong.

As soon as I surpassed my twenty-fourth birthday things slowly began to change. While my low rise jeans still fit, I had acquired an extra layer of skin that pinched over my favorite jeans.

I was devastated and thought that increasing my cardio was the only way to rid myself of this layer. However, the only thing increased cardio caused, was a stress fracture followed by direct instructions from my doctor to stay out of the gym for several months. After my recovery and 8-pound weight gain I was determined to look leaner and harder than I ever had.

I admit some people may think that this number may not sound so alarming, but for me it was.

After being friends with Jamie for many years and listening to his philosophy on diet and weight training (but never taking any of it) I decided to enter a figure competition with his help of course.

It has now been 2 and a half years and I haven’t been the same person since. While training for a figure competition can be a daunting task with many emotional lows Jamie was there through it all. There were many days were I couldn’t even walk up a flight of stairs let alone walk into a gym. If I needed any sort of push whither physical or mental he was always there providing constant guidance. He taught me that whenever you enter a gym, you should always leave behind your blood, sweat and tears on that gymnasium floor, something I still do today!

He not only changed the way I viewed weight training and cardio he always altered the way I looked at diet and nutrition. Truthfully, it would have been impossible for me to train for a figure competition and shed 15 pounds without him. With his knowledge and help and life lessons I am now able too keep a six-pack all year round.

Instead of the being labeled ‘thin’ its now been replaced with hard, lean and most importantly fit!

If you are seeking to just lose a couple of pounds than any cookie cutter nutrition plan will do.

However, if you want to change your quality of life and alter the way you look at diet, nutrition, and strength training altogether than Jamie is your man.

Thanks Michelle!

Jamie R

One of the most remarkable athletes you'll ever meet

I met Jamie a year or so after he lost all his weight. I actually started working out with him in his old apartment in Port Credit. I met Jamie through a good friend of mine that already worked out with him. The facility was an apartment bedroom with a bench that could lie flat and adjust to one incline position.

There was a rectangular Zellers mirror to look into while you worked out, some floor mats, a couple of medicine balls and weights (I think some may have been sand filled – no joke!). At that point I was 21 years old and weighed a buck twenty five. It was at this point in my life that everything changed.

I began taking Accutane for my acne and started working out with Nugget. This was very early in his training days but he still managed to develop a diet and workout routine for me.

Since the inception of that apartment gym, he has given me countless workout routines. Over the course of time, I would change my routine to fit my desired outcome, whether I was trying to get in shape for football season or just trying to bulk up. I always had Jamie develop the routine because they were always intriguing and as long as I stayed with them, they worked!

I credit Jamie with giving me the necessary tools to sculpt my body into any form I want. His recommendations in terms of diet and programming were always safe and in many cases cutting edge.

Thanks to his program I gained 50 pounds, most of it being muscle (body fat % = 11 %)

About seven years ago, while working out in his basement dungeon, Jamie said to me “[paraphrase] You should eat foods with a high DHA content or supplement DHA in your diet as it can help with cognition amongst other benefits. You watch, it will be in baby food in a few years.” I laughed, as I often do with Jamie's presentation of material.

A couple of years later, my pregnant wife is being told to take pregnancy DHA supplements by her doctor and pharmacist! Like I said, cutting edge!

Jamie "JDAWG" Rusynyk

Third Grade Teacher

Nadia P

8th Grade Teacher

If you're looking for a stellar, highly motivating, innovative, and overall, exceptional trainer, Jamie is your person! Having become bored with the monotony of working out, James was a life-saver! He provided me a kick-ass program that reconfirmed why I love working out and my results were amazing! Interested in working out in a completely new and unique way? This is the only way to do it!

James' workouts are fresh, fun, totally challenging, and results are guaranteed!

Thanks nadia!

Now that we have those testimonials outta the way, let's move on to today's training.

If you're gonna train SRX style, you're gonna squat....A lot! ( but you'll thank us later)

25 minute Sprints 8 seconds on/12 seconds off

Then 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Bench Press 135

Box Jump

Ball Slam

Squat

Floor Wipers @135

Then

10 rounds

3 inverted row

6 Wall Ball

9 Step ups

Then

Biceps and Triceps ( beach work) Reps in the 8-12 range

An excellent way to start the day!

Next weeks posts will mostly focus on performance nutrition and common misconceptions.

Easy Schmeasy!

Sabba before...

Sabba AFTER!!

A testimonial:



Testimonial: Sabba Naserian

No one ever really tells you you're putting on weight. "Oh its just
water weight, you're bloated", or "you're putting on muscle" is the
typical response:

Muscle?

Really?

20 pounds of it?

When I finally hit 140 pounds, my life as I knew it was over! Little dramatic yes, but here's a girl that's worn the same size 2 jeans since she was in high school, barely fitting in a size 5!

It WAS dramatic! All body image issues and many many tearful nights aside, I refused to buy a whole new wardrobe! If that wasn't reason enough for me to ask Jamie to whip my sorry ass into shape, here's a list:

Anyone that I had ever seen training with Jamie looked absolutely ridiculous.

It looked like a crazy workout whenever you saw Jamie in the gym training with someone, but it
was nothing compared to these girls' perfect figures!

He pushes and pushes and pushes. Not the annoying drill sergeant pushing that makes you want to accidentally drop a dumbbell on your trainer's foot kind of push. But he motivates you to the point where you're not half as worried about letting yourself down as you are about letting Jamie down.

That's huge coming from someone who's biggest fear is failing her own expectations. I'll be the first to admit, I am any trainer's worst nightmare. I need to know why..all the time. Why 3 sets of 15, why 45minutes of cardio instead of an hour. It takes a lot of patience to deal with me.

But whenever I didn't understand something, Jamie patiently explained.

And there is research behind everything - from how he gets you to do your workouts to what you eat and when you eat.

If I didn't like it, he changed it. He followed up with me constantly. The weight that I had kept on for over a year, Jamie was able to take off my body in 4 to 5 weeks. And it stayed off.

I have always been in shape but I it has never compared to what Jamie has been able to make of my body. Call it fluff, call me dramatic, but I can say with 99.9% certainty that I wouldn't look the way that I do today if it wasn't for Jamie. (and that 0.1% is only because...well..never say never). whenever I'm asked about my body, the conversation always starts with

"Well, I had an amazing trainer."

Thanks Sabba!

Tuesday...

Me at a hefty 290!

Me, at a too skinny 190

Today was a "slack" day for me, as I get ready for my basketball league championships tonight.

25 minutes of skill work ( shooting hoops)
15 minutes of steady state cardio

Then
10 rounds
3 reps - 135 pound power clean
6 Bar Pushups
9 Squats

Then
10 rounds
3 DB clean and press
6 KB Swings
9 DB Deadlifts

Then
Push Press 4x8
Side Raise 5x5
Bent Raise 5x5
Front Raise 5x5

To be honest, this was a easy workout.... Doesn't look that way on paper though!


Looks can be deceiving however, program details always look good on paper...

It reminds me of a time I went to Crossfit Mississauga...the workout written on the wall was...

30-25-20-15-10-5
Deadlift 135lbs
Pushups

I laughed as I chalked up my hands and got ready to rip em out. "pfft, this is an easy one"

In fact, the first 30 reps were easy for each. I looked around, seemingly unimpressed...

I quickly learned though, that I was going to be in for trouble, as by the time I got to doing pushups the third round, I could only do about 3-4 at a time, and this subsequently went down to about 1 at a time by the fourth round.

It.
Was .

Brutal.

The next three days afterward, I was wearing a self imposed Jacket Of Pain :) and every time i had to get up, raise my arm or click my turn indicator, I was reminded of that "EASY" program...

Needless to say.. I've never looked at a program again and said "that looks easy"


Anyways, I will be looking for a couple of volunteers to undergo an 8 week rapid transformation in the next little while.

Absolutely Free.

If you think you've got the chops, and want to get out and actually train with the SRX group email me at nuggett@rogers.com

Specificity, don't take it for granted.

( General Physical Preparedness) or GPP... What Does it mean? Well according to one of the greatest minds in the iron game history, Dr. Mel Siff, it is a preparatory phase of training that, "…is intended to provide balanced physical conditioning in endurance, strength, speed, flexibility and other basic factors of fitness.


Now, I fancy myself as one of the most GPP'd people I know. The type of training that I employ allows me to have unlimited cardio, flexibility and good strength numbers. (No I won't post, but if you are interested, I will tell you.) haha

With that said, I found myself on the Gridiron last Friday for a brutal 3 hour session of practice and scrimmage at the U of T dome, complete with AstroTurf/Feild Turf.

Now, as I was forced to play Offense and Defense, I learned really quickly, that I have been neglecting lateral work all winter. Probably due to the fact that I am no longer in a private gym, where we had agility ladders and could work on dynamic lateral runs.

I found that I could run fast, in a straight line. Asked to go sideways, I was a mess.

I found out as well that I had been neglecting"Starts"..my off the line explosion was awful.

When I got to full speed, I was bouncy and quick ( as I was asked to continulousy run fly patterns)

So, what does this tell me?

Cardio - Great
Top Speed - Great
Starts - Awful
Side to Side Agility - Horrendous.

Point being, you can run all you want on a treadmill. Eventually you are going to have to focus on the skills you need for the given sport or goal.

Game speed, can only be improved "In -game" or at least on grass/turf/ice... whatever. And not on a treadmill.

Be specific.

If you want to get better/maintain skills of a sport, be sure to add it to your program in the offseason.


Saturday's workout

10 rounds of (Grab one db and don't put it down)
3 clean and press ( touch the floor and over your head) per side
6 KB swing
9 Plie Squats

Then

10 rounds
3 ballistic pushups
6 chin ups
9 box jumps

Then Back work

Power Cleans 3-3-3-1-1-1

Pulldowns 12-12-12-12

One Arm Rows 5-5-5-5-5

Face Pull/straight arm pullover combo 12-12-12-12

Machine Row 8-8-8-8

(yes, this was a great workout)

Friday!

Oh boy! Get me to a private gym ASAP!

Sheesh!

Workout for Friday!

30 minutes of Sprintervals on the treadmill. 8 seconds on/12 off.

then

3 Push Press @145
6 bent Rows @145
9 Box Jumps ( 18") box

10 rounds

( brutal)


Then
Bench Press 5x5
Hammer Machine 5x5
Wide Grip Hammer Machine 5x5
Ballistic Pushup 5x5
Cable Cross 5x5

Wednesday - Pairs

Megs, enjoying some outdoor activity.

Michelle, 190 Deadlift.

One of the most explosive athletes ever ( when he is in shape!), the one and only

Mark Miles Levene

Greg N, in my opinion, one of the best receivers in TFONT

After an evening of outstanding basketball,( if I do say so myself).. somehow my legs bounced back into from for today's workout, even though I didn't need them :)

Recovery comes in many forms...

For me, a spirited game of 3- on 3 brought my legs out of the self imposed rut they were in from the self applied assassination that was Sunday's workout.

I feel, as noted earlier that many people pull out the "need to recover" card more often than need to. Sometimes movement and active recovery is the perfect RX to help get yourself together.

Sometimes, I believe, that going through the motions is better than nothing at all.

Some would( and do) say otherwise.

For me, daily activity and exercise is non-negotiable.

It's simply part of who I am.

I have met others like this, who push themselves tirelessly only to be chastised and mocked from people who don't understand the true "gym rat" mentality.

Of note, even the most hardcore of cross fit trainers usually take a day off every 3/4th day.

I generally disagree with the premise of any scheduling of days off too far in advance.

Workout often and let recovery and performance be your guide as to when you take your days off.

If I walk into the gym and A: I don't want to be there and B: I'm struggling... the workout is off.
I have pulled the plug one minute into workouts on more than a couple of occasions.

True perseverance though, shows on days that you wanted to call it in and push through.

I, unlike most actually do believe that "more is better" with regards to fitness.

Train hard, train often and break when your body demands it.

The mental aspect of this is quite intriguing... I usually end up taking a day off completely every 8 days or so.. and I am usually forced to, by my ailing and fatigued body.

I feel that there are plenty of habits and vices out there. We all have them...

But the "NEED" to train is in most cases probably the healthiest of them.


A true gym rat though, is certainly a sight to behold.

I have seen you, watched you and admired you from afar. ( not in the super creepy sense though.. haha)

Yes..I saw you, training right beside me on Christmas Afternoon, running 800 meter sprints, followed by "Christmas in the Hills" crossfit program that almost left you for dead as you lay on the floor.

Yes, I saw you, the day after winning your physique contest, running on the treadmill.

Yes, I saw you on your birthday, doing power cleans and push jerks till you almost fell over with exhaustion.

Yes, you asked me to let you go in the gym early on the weekends before 7 am!

Yes, I noticed that you have been in here twice today...


And in most cases like these, outsiders would say

"they are just crazy/obsessed/stupid!!"

I, on the other hand, commend these people for their commitment, perseverance and dedication.


And when some people read this they will, no doubt, be thinking in their heads...

"why don't they get a life?"

In this instance, I answer for them:

"This is our life, thanks"

Workout today

25 minutes 8 second sprints/12 second recoveries.
15 minutes recovery climb


Arm/AB partner workouts

One Person does the arm exercise while other continues with abs.... It can be quite painful.

Alternate Dumbell Curls 4x8
While person a does curls, the other holds a front plank, a right plank, then a left plank, then a right plank

Tricep Press Downs 4x8
While person a does curls, the other holds a front plank, a right plank, then a left plank, then a right plank

Ez Curls 4x8
Floor Wipers. While one curls, the other does floor wipers till the set is done

Rope Pressdowns 4x8
Swiss ball abs... ( partner keeps doing them till finished)

Cable Curls 4x12
ab bicycles

Single Arm Pressdown
Floor Crunches