Training Spot Acquired. Now What?

Hey! Way to go! Way to get active! 

Seriously though, it doesn't really matter how you go about it. It's the fact that you started something. Anything. To be more active. Don't worry about your food intake just yet. I'll get there.

One freaking baby step at a time. You are a fool to make any attempt at starting more than one new habit or lifestyle change at the same time. Quitting, not failure, but quitting, is highly associated with having multiple new life strategic changes.

Slow. The. Hell. Down.

Progress is slow. Remember, it didn't take you just six weeks to gain however many extra pounds your packing. EXPECT months to years of much needed dedication, discipline, hard work, and setbacks for it to come off. 

(Remember: If you're going to cut weight quickly with a diet. Expect weight loss from fat and muscle. There's a difference between weight loss and fat loss.)

If the gym you signed up for isn't your thing, find something else before you opt out of the current choice. Have a backup plan.

Wherever you end up, be proactive in getting a solid assessment done. You need a baseline and goal(s) to reflect the baseline.  Bottom line, without an assessment, you'll likely struggle, become frustrated, and quit. Again. 

When you find your baseline, work on improving your baseline, or personal records (PRs). It doesn't matter if you can't do a push up. You will if you put in the work.

Assess. Reassess. Reassess. Success!

"You can't manage what you don't measure." - Martin Rooney

Measurements I consider critical information to a client's progress include but is not limited to:

Mobility Screening

Body Fat Calculation

Max Deadlift 

Max Bench

Max Back Squat

Max Front Squat

Max Strict Press

Max Sitouts in 2 minutes

Max Pull-ups in 2 minutes

Max Push-ups in 4 minutes

That's not even an exhaustive list. And notice I didn't say a damn thing about scale weight. Your scale lies. It fucking lies right to your face. Throw that shit away, it will only bring you down.

I urge you. Even if you're going to hit the big box gym, carry the latest issue of your favorite muscle magazine, and reference your training program from it. You still need to measure and re-measure. 

It's the only way to know you are making any positive changes. If you haven't, don't bitch and moan and don't beat yourself up about it. Don't just quit because it's not working.

You have to take the time to learn about you...more specifically, your body. You MUST have patience. It's trial and error until you get it right.

Learn from it. Understand what you have done between the initial assessment and reassessing isn't working to your benefit. Make changes to the programming and bust your ass until the next assessment.

If you need a professional to help you measure and re-measure, with programming, or both, email me. We'll make it happen.

Where to Start...

Now that you're convinced to get started at living life better. How do I start? Do I start a detox? A cleanse? Or what about one of those diets like Isagenix, HerbaLife, or Shakeology?

I don't. And neither should you.

Seriously. Listen Up.

The problem: Every single one of you has the best intentions to better your health and performance. However, most of you are pounded left and right with shit from the corporate world.

The corporate world is after one thing only. Money. YOUR money. That don't give two shits what they throw at you. They'll create some fucking powder, pill, injection, surgery, or starve you to death. Pay thousands to millions to name it ToxicDeathMax 5000.

"SPECIALLY FORMULATED WITH A PROPRIETARY BLEND OF THE POWER RANGER'S OFFSPRING, NUCLEAR WASTE, AND A PORTION OF ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER'S BUTT CHEEK."

"SHREDS FAT." "GETS YOU JACKED."

Which sounds to me more like:

"PEE FUNNY COLORS"

"SHIT YOUR BRAINS OUT FOR A MONTH"

"STRAND YOURSELF ON A DESERTED ISLAND WITHOUT FOOD BUT BUY AND USE THIS POWDER."

Yes, you may have lost some fat doing some over advertised shit product. Every product, whether a preset program everyone follows or a scoop of death a day per the directions, is temporary.  

Do you think any company selling a product is going to give you something that delivers life long, lasting, results?

No. It's all temporary. So, yes, you may get immediate results, but you'll likely repurchase or try some other designed powder for the same exact thing, temporary results.

The solution: Every single one of you is so overwhelmed by the advertising, marketing ploys, and what your friends tell you. You fail to believe the science.

The science is says...

Eat food.

Lift free weights.

Be more active than inactive.

To be clear. Start simple. Baby steps. One at a time. Two if your ambitious. And build from there.

Most people will benefit from simply eating more lean protein. I mean adequate amounts. Getting active, dudes should look for 40-60 grams and ladies are more like 20-30 grams, of lean protein per meal.

Example: My lifting and activity levels require 1.8 grams per pound of body weight. At 196 pounds, I'm looking at roughly 350 grams of protein in a day. That's SEVEN meals a day with 50 grams of protein on each plate. 

That's to maintain. Not lose. Not gain. Main.Tain.

If that many meals, or that load of protein isn't realistic for you. Quit your excuses and find something else realistic for YOU. Most people...need to grab a peice of steel and learn to lift.

Find. A. Professional. 

Following some Instagrammers and YouTubing "Back Squat" isn't going to teach you a damn thing about proper mechanics. Likely, this sexy looking individual isn't certified to offer advice.

The Start

A new job. A new city. A new home. A new experience. New. Something you've never done before. Somewhere you've never been. Someone you've never spoken to. It can be a scary thing.

We humans love patterns and repetition. Thousands of years ago, humans survived simply for being able to recognize patterns. We've basically evolved to rely on them, for a world without patterns would be chaos.

Patterns help our lives run smoothly. Patterns keep our stress levels down. Have you ever driven to work, pulled into your work's parking lot, and find yourself parking in the same spot? Or order the same food from the same restaurant? Sit in the same chair in class? Use the same workout routine time and time again (cough cardio rats cough)?

Then one day your parking spot is taken, your favorite food is no longer on the menu, someone is sitting in your seat, and all the cardio equipment is in use.

Now you have to do something different, something new, and it's weird.

You either adapt, fight, or flee. Those are your choices. Choosing can be a scary process. The amount of variable possibilities make it easy to avoid new things in people's lives.

Even more so, the idea of failing is incredibly horrible to some people. The majority of people are not confident enough to grab some weights and move for a hour (60 on a treadmill doesn't count).

If you want to change your body, you have to lift FREE WEIGHTS. Every day you talk yourself out of it, is another the other guy is doing hook grip deadlifts. The hardest part of something new is the start.

START. NOW.