Sit Ups, Bad Posture, Wonder Woman & My Fave Core Exercise

I HATE sit ups but I love the Dead Bug. 

Also- I hate the dead bug.

Ok- why do I hate sit-ups?  First off it's personal.  My parents were killed by a sit up.

Sit ups suck because:
- You only work for half the exercise. 
- They put a ton of unnecessary torque on your spine and neck.
- They encourage crummy posture.  

Who has great posture?  Wonder Woman.

I don't own that pic, but screw it.  The image police probably aren't reading our newsletter yet. If they are, well hey, I'm impressed.  Sue me.  Take half.  

Back to WW.  She stands tall.  Shoulders back.  Chest proud.  Everything she is doing is the exact opposite of what you're doing in a sit up.  Did you know there are studies that prove Wonder Woman posture benefits your self esteem and job performance.  WHOA!  What was that sound?  Apparently a few bullshit meters just went off so HERE's a link to back that up.

How ya like me now?

The S.A.I.D principle tells us that the body Specifically Adapts to Imposed Demands.  You're already adapting for bad posture when you sit hunched over your screens, hunched over your steering wheel, or hunched over on your couch watching Netflix.  But go ahead, add a few thousand setups to that postural nightmare.  They won't affect you at all.

But Steve my abs burn when I do sit ups.  I can feel I'm burning belly fat.

Riiiiiight.  Let me cure you of that common misconception.  I'll let Dr. Allen Conrad explain the muscle burn:
"When you exercise very intensely, your muscles can't get all the oxygen needed to break down glucose for energy quick enough, so lactic acid accumulates in muscles and spills over into the bloodstream."  That's your burn.  Lactic acid.  Not fat
.
Also-  You can't control where you body burns fat from.
That's called spot reduction.  If it were true 90% of us would be fatter on our left side.  Now that you know this you can call BULLSHIT on every trainer you see claiming their workout targets belly fat.  

Want to know what makes me want to scream?  The word Chillax.  Absolutely the worst "word" ever created.  Know what else wants to make me scream?  When some good looking insta fitness model with a million more followers than me claims he's designed a program to target your belly fat.

Let's bring it full circle.  Wonder Woman is great.  Sit ups suck.  We deserve more insta followers and If anyone says chillax while in Train they're getting chucked.  Try me.

That brings us to Dead Bugs.  The exercise, not the bugs.  Like sit ups Dead bugs suck, just not in the same way.

Dead bugs create a strong core without placing undue pressure on the spine.  You'll even feel a burn in your abs (hence the suck).

I'm not going to waste any time describing how to do a dead bug.  Instead I've gone through the trouble of making some videos depicting my favorite dead bug variations.  Who loves you more than me?

Basic Dead Bug
Dead Bug w a press
Banded Dead Bug
Dead Bug with a block

 It is simple.
It is elegant.
There are dozens of variations and they'll work you harder, and safer, than those useless sit ups.

And you know who does Dead Bugs?  None other than Wonder Woman herself.

Boom!  Full circle!

If you need any help with posture, or learning how to Dead Bug our Trainers will be more than happy to help.  Click the button below and let's get moving.

What's your Where?

The first step is the hardest...

The first step of a run is the hardest to take.  You give yourself a thousand excuses about why today isn't your day.  It's too hot, too cold, too rainy, your knees hurt, you have a meeting to prep for.

What gets me out of the driveway?

I run the southwest corridor, cut through Bussey Brook meadow, and climb Watchtower Hill in the arboretum.  I cut through a maze of paths to climb Peter's Hill.  I know the names of these places, I know the trails, I know which paths to avoid when it rains, I know where the high school kid's congregate in the summer to smoke pot.

Or maybe I head east; Savin Hill, cross Morrissey Blvd and run the Umass/Boston loop.  If the tide is high enough I'll jump off the wooden dock across from the JFK museum (pic) and cool off mid run.  Maybe I go long, extend the effort to Castle Island and then home via Southie, or maybe I just loop back home.

This is what gets me out the door: Visiting my city.  It's like checking in with old friends.  If I don't run the Charles River between Arsenal street and Elliot Bridge for a few months I miss it.  I watch certain neighborhoods grow up before my eyes (Hello Brookline avenue/Fenway).  I watch the graffiti get updated in others (BU Bridge I'm looking at you).  Some remain defiantly the same (Jamaica Pond to Olmsted Park) and I remember a particularly good run; or when I walked there with the Wife and she decided we had to live nearby (mission accomplished-we moved 2 months later).

Where you work out matters.  Your where inspires you to get out the door, go a little farther, stay a bit longer.

I can motivate to get out the door and run someplace uninspiring, but it gets tiresome.  Just a work out.  Breath and movement.  

But If you can attach an intention, a deeper meaning, to the mundanity of the breath and movement you're not working out anymore.  Sometime the where brings it out of you.

I write that sentence and remember running under towering pines lining Oak street during high school.  I'm training to win my league championship.  It's been driving rain for the last hour.  The rain stops; the temperature dives 10 degrees colder in an instant.  The road ices, as do the pine trees.  They sparkle in a way I can't forget 26 years later.  It's mile 10 of 10.  My soaked cotton sweatshirt (it was the '90's) freezes solid but I feel like I can run forever.  

When I get home the sweatshirt won't come off.  It's frozen solid. I have to break my way out.  My skin is red, rashed, chafed; bleeding in spots.  

Sounds terrible.  And yet.

Let's take it indoors.  I'm teaching heated yoga on Temple street.  It's dusk; lightly snowing.  The neon signs on Cambridge street mingle with falling snow.  I'm sweating.  'Feel it All Around' by Washed Out pulses from the stereo.  I'm trying to push the students deeper; into the poses; into themselves.  They're definitely breathing, definitely moving.   The snow, the light, the music wash over us.  

Do they feeling it?  Are they on Oak street with me?  Is this more than a workout?

That night's never far from mind as we build out Train.  We've worked so many hours in box gyms that going there to work out felt like going to school on Saturday.  We were committing to spend thousands of hours in this space.   We want to build a church.  A place you come to move, and breathe, and sweat; but if you come with intention...

Maybe it Transcends.

Then it happens.

I'm downstairs at Train.

It's 7:45 am and Ben Klein is 90 seconds into a hellish 2 minute all out jump rope interval.  Sweat pours from his brow.  The stereo is blasting deep 70's disco cuts like 'It feels like I'm in Love' by Kelly Marie or 'Do You Wanna Funk' by Sylvester.  Niche tunes, but tunes that Ben chose, tunes that chase him through his next pain barrier.  

The space is ours.  We're as loud as we please.  Truly private training.

'10 seconds to go.' I warn him.

'3 minutes,' he shouts, adding an extra minute.  His eyes close, his forehead knots.

Ben's on Oak street with me.  This is more than a workout.

Church is in session.  You're never more alive than Ben is right here.

And all I can think is you can't get this in a box gym.  

Losing weight is hard. This habit may make it easier.

Q: What habit do most thin people share?

A: Fidgeting.

Burning calories while not exercising.  

Forget Netflix and Chill.  Let's Netflix and fidget. 

(The above photo is supposed to convey that I'm constantly moving while watching Netflix, surfing the web, and texting.  Ya know... fidgeting.  And top right that's a Netflix promo for Molly's Game so get your mind out of the gutter.)

From a Harper's Bazaar article:
"Multiple studies have confirmed that fidgeting throughout the entire day can burn ten times more calories than just sitting still; one study from 2005 clocked the number at 350 calories per day, enough to lose 30 to 40 pounds in one year. It makes sense: constant motion, even while sitting, is a form of cardio."

Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis:  NEAT.  Now that it has a fancy science name you can believe.

The bigger takeaway: small things add up.
A 3,500 calorie deficit loses a lb.
At 100 calories a day that is 35 days.
That is 10 lbs a year.
That ain't that much fidgeting.

10 lbs of body fat is about the size of a pair of size 10 Men's sneakers.  

That's a lot.

In fact a lot of people who think they need to lose 10 lbs might not have 10 lbs to lose.

Go ahead right now and fidget away.  Scratch your ears, comb your hair, walk to work, take the stairs, stand up at your desk, tap your feet.

Quick aside- I tap my feet constantly.  Bugged the shit out of my sisters.  The fact that they hated it made me do it even more.  Jamie & Lyndsey- you inspired me to be fit.  Not all heroes wear capes.

Now what if you fidget with purpose.  Do 5 air squats, jump rope for 60 seconds, 5 pushups, walk to work, take the stairs, do 3 Sun salutations.  

Now imagine you work out with a Trainer 2 x's a week.  Each time you burn 150 calories, get a 50-100 calorie after burn (the Body's gotta repair).  On top of that you're getting 8 hours of sleep and chucking all the processed food out of your fridge!  You're getting stronger now.  You have a little more muscle mass which boosts your basal metabolic rate (how many calories you burn while sitting/sleeping).  

Now you're running downhill.

Losing weight is hard, small things add up and we here at Train are here to help.  Just imagine what you can accomplish with our help.

Keep it moving.

5 Exercises, 5 sets, 5 reps, 5 days a week

This May we make getting in shape easier.

5 X's easier.

May is approaching.  And being that May is the 5th Month of the year it seems the appropriate time to roll out one of my greatest fitness creations.  This is a workout I created by accident.  I misread a chapter in a book by a guy named Pavel.  He's a Russian kettlebell master who can do splits.  He seems like a good guy and that just goes to prove my long held theory that not all Russians are evil.

Russians who ARE in fact evil: Ivan Drago, Joseph Stalin, Rasputin, Yakov Smirnov, Putin.

I thought Pavel wrote 'Do 5 sets with 5 reps of 5 exercises 5 days a week for 5 weeks.'

Never mind what he actually wrote.  I went back, found the page, and apparently my reading comprehension sucks.

So somehow I read 5x5x5x5x5.  5 exercise, 5 sets, 5 reps, 5 days a week, 5 weeks.  So that's what I did.  Here are some additional rules.

- You can do this as your main course workout, or on your days in between your tougher workouts.  I.E. if you're working with your trainer Monday and Thursday you can throw this one in on Tues, Weds, Fri.  You got your 5 days.
-It is a good maintenance workout; or a good beginners workout.  If you're reasonably fit you'll get strong/stay strong, but you're not gonna drop 30 lbs or bulk up.  It's about getting something done, and getting it done quickly.  Time is money, am I right?
- It's supposed to be somewhat easy.  The ask of the 5 is so low that even when it's 10 pm Friday night, and your wife/husband is screaming at you, and your kids are going nuts, you can still get it done.
- You're performing 25 reps, and again, the point of this workout is convenience.  If you want to do all 25 in one set then be my guest.  You'll save time and add in a cardio aspect.
- When programming your 5 you want to consider equipment you have access to during the week.  If one of the 5 is a chin up you're committing to installing a chin up bar in home or in the office.
- It doesn't have to be 5 consecutive days. 
- When programming your 5 you want to include all of the functional movements, of which there are 7.  

What's that?  Smoke coming from your ears?

Don't worry.  We can combine some of the 7 movements,  The 7 moves are:
-Push
-Pull
-Squat
-Hinge
-Lunge
-Rotate
-Gait
-Dasher
-Dancer
-Prancer

Hey!  That was 10!  And three of them are flying reindeer.  
I'm making sure you're not falling asleep and creating your own amazing workout by accident.  That happens I'm out of a job.

Where were we?  Combining foundational movements.  Yes.  Gait is walking.  Chances are you'll do that somewhere else in your day.  So we'll just chop that one for time, unless you want to do some farmer carries as one of your 5.  Farmer Carries are suitably evil.

And rotation can be added to almost any of the other 5.  Do a pushup with rotation, or a rotating step back lunge.  

I'll do a sample 5 piece for you right now.  You can do this at home in your living room with minimal equipment.  Ready?  Hyperlinks lead to demos that I worked "hard" on.
Push- Push up (creative I know)
Pull- Band Row
Hinge- Single Leg Deadlift
Squat- I'm gonna go with Air squats here.
Lunge- Step back lunge... with a rotation

Walk to the gym or get your 10k steps and BOOM.  We're home.

You wanna break a sweat?  Do it without stopping.  Just crank it straight through.  You won't die.

Quick aside... My teammates and I used to say things like 'I was doing great and then Diiiiiied in the 4th mile.'  Then I was at a road race and a guy actually did die in the 4th mile.  So I stopped saying that until I wrote the above.   I'm keeping it so I can share this story.

The dead guy made it btw.  The woman running next to him was a nurse.  Lucky SOB.

Seems to simple to work?  Well once upon a time yours truly did the 5 exclusively for 5 weeks.  I lost 2 lbs (from a lean frame) and gained a bit of muscle.  Read all about it HERE.  Complete with semi nude pictures.

Simple works with fitness.
Repetition works.
Showing up 5 days a week works.
This will work.   But...

Will you do the work?

Sit back, be amazed! Strength & flexibility gains that are MAGIC!

Life is a contact sport...

(Click on hyperlinks for more in depth videos/blogs)

Life is a contact sport.  Day in, day out your body takes a beating.
Your muscles.  Your bones.  Your ego.  The whole shebang.
Today we're gonna focus on joints.
And on something called arthrokinetic dysfunction.  (Yes I looked up how to spell that before moving on.)
Arthrokinetic dysfunction is a ten cent phrase I throw out there when I'm wearing my glasses and want to sound smart.
It is also an important concept that you should know a little bit about so you can impress  your chiropractor next visit, or Wow your friends at your next get together.  

I'm actually serious.  Stay tuned.  I'm gonna show you some magic.

What does Arthrowhateverconjunction even mean?  Here's the easy way of describing it:

Jammed joints= global weakness/inflexibility.

You have 360 joints in your body.  They are constantly getting jammed.  By gravity, by activity, by mistake.  Now If those joints get jammed your body slows you down and makes you less flexible.  Why?  Because your body is designed for the sole purpose of keeping you alive, and when a joint is jammed the body freaks out and slows you down so you don't do anything stupid and get hurt.

And now for the magic trick.  That wasn't bullshit.  Sit back be amazed, click HERE as I illustrate the concept of jammed joints with Surgeon extraordinaire Pete Weber.

And scene.  A round of applause for my lovely assistant Pete.  

Ha!  I've rewatched this a few times and can't get over how utterly surprised Pete is at the end.  Definitely worth a couple rewatches. 

So do you think you may have some jammed joints in your body?  Here are a few of my favorite joint drills to create:
Hip mobility
Hamstring flexibility
Spinal length

Cool stuff huh?  This is part of the fun of working with a Trainer. We all know a little magic.  I've seen all the Trainers here at Train pull a rabbit out of their hat to help clients.  It's the best part of the job.  You should train with us!  Click the button below, tell us about yourself, and then be amazed as we find new and magical ways to improve your strength and flexibility.

Weight loss advice from someone who has recently lost some.

At the start of 2022 I was 216 lbs and 16% body fat.  These were both personal highs.  The kind of record you don't want.  My pants were fitting snug. 

Last week I measured 204 and 9%.

I changed 3 habits.

Disclaimer: Weight loss is personal.  These 3 habits worked for me.  They may work for you, they may not.  One size doesn't fit all and there's more than one way to skin a cat.  Read this, try out what fits, discard what doesn't.  Your friends at Train are here to help.

Change # 1: Massive amounts of cocaine and pills.

That disclaimer was boring.  Just making sure you're having fun.  Let's try again.

Change # 1: Intermittent fasting (IF).  I read about this, watched a few videos on YouTube and decided to give it a go.  I restrict eating to bw noon and 8 pm.  I do allow myself coffee and water in the am.  Sometimes a scoop of Peanut Butter as well.

IF is calorie restriction.  It's cutting out boredom eating.  It's stopping eating early enough that eating doesn't affect bed time.

I thought that at 11:59 every day I would desperately watch the second hand on the clock, waiting ravenously for the moment I could eat.  Not so.  Turns out I like feeling fasted in the morning.  It makes me sharper mentally and physically.  Restricting like this wasn't hard but...

Initially- I lost no weight.  Why?  Because I committed to the smallest possible change.  I restricted the eating window but I learned that wasn't enough.  Time to step it up a notch.

Bring on Change #2: I cut out processed sugar.

Now there's no way you can cut all of it out.  Sugar is everywhere.  I successfully cut out the processed foods that are LOADED with it and didn't sweat the small stuff.  For example I mentioned eating a scoop of peanut butter above.  That has a gram of sugar in it.  Turns out 5-7 scoops of peanut butter per week aren't enough to crush my dream of becoming an underwear modeling at 43.

Some things I want to share about cutting processed sugar.
- Berardi's law: if you are in possession of an unhealthy food you or someone you love will consume that food.  Purge your pantry before you start.  
- You don't crave sugar after day 3.
- Your taste buds change.  You notice subtle tastes.  Fruit and slasa are more amazing than ever.
- I allow myself slip ups and even the occasional treat. 
- It's not as hard as you think.
- When you do have a sugary treat you KNOW IT because you feel like sh********t.

(*= i in case you couldn't tell.  The extra*'s are for effect, so you know how shiiiiiiiiitty I felt.  Big headache and a major energy crash.)

This has always been an effective weight loss method for me.  Here are the blogs from when I cut it for:
-30 days in 2016
-40 days in 2018
I went further than ever before.  3 whole months with almost zero processed sugar.  Now the scale began to move.  Let's let the numbers tell the story:

1/1: 216 @ 16%.  
3/28: 204 @ 9%.  
My Actual body fat total went from 34 lbs to 18.4.  

I gained 4 lbs of muscle during the 3 months.  I had not been working out consistently at the end of 2021 because 1- I was injured (knee and shoulder issues) and 2- I was building out the beautiful studio you all want to come train with me in.  I also made excuses, skipped work outs, ate comfort foods and told myself that on January 1st I was going to change.

Change #3: I decided to LOVE my body.  
It's well documented that women compare themselves to unattainable ideals in fashion magazines.  Turns out plenty of men do as well.  I was always comparing my body to professional athletes, or models, or who I used to be.  99% of the thoughts concerning my bod were negative.
Thoughts become things.  If your thoughts are consistently negative it will show up in your body.
So I started to thank my body.
For being fast.
For when I looked and felt good.
For it's strength, flexibility and resilience.
And the body responded.

And most importantly I thanked it by feeding it well.  

Results came slowly until they didn't.

It all started January 1st.  I'm a resolutionary.  A cliche.  I'm kind of embarrassed, but hey, Whatchagonnado? 

And I'm telling you the truth:  It feels so good.  I'm more energetic, my sleep is better, food tastes better, and I recover quickly from workouts.

Early in my career I suffered from a bit of impostor syndrome.  I knew how to lift, I knew the basics on diet but I never had a chance to put what I knew to the ultimate test.  Now I have.  Again.  I've lost weight by
- cutting sugar (10+ lbs)
- fasting (12+)
- following the 5 simple habits I outlined in a recent newsletter. (10+)
- running 70+ miles a week. (10+)
- getting mono (5+)
- cutting my hair (5 oz)
- Taking a dump (2-3 lbs)

I've walked the walk.
And so have the Trainers we work with at Train.  I've seen my peers lose baby weight, Dad bods and get lean for physique shows or summer fun.

So if you're reading this, and you're thinking about hiring a coach or a trainer I know a Guy (or Gal) who's been in your shoes.  I can make the introduction.

What happens to burned Fat

Exercise and you burn calories. Some of those burned cals may even come from stored body fat. What exactly happens to the fat once it burns?

It does not turn into muscle. I hear that a lot.

Knowing what happens to burned fat may change the way you view/perform 2 important daily functions. Let’s cut to the chase: what happens once fat is burned?

Your body disposes of fat through a series of complicated pathways. The byproducts of fat metabolism leave your body: 

• As water (16%), through your skin (when you sweat) and your kidneys (when you urinate).

• As carbon dioxide CO2 (84%), through your lungs (when you breathe out).

Let’s improve our metabolism by doing two simple things more efficiently: breathing and hydrating.

Take a mouth breath. Your chest and shoulders expand; your belly not so much. This breath stays in the upper, narrower portion of the lungs. Breathing here is like sipping air through a straw. Your diaphragm doesn’t have to move much.

Now breath through your nose. The air is filtered through your nostrils (good), then lands in the more voluminous, lower lungs (also good). You’re getting more O2, purging more C02, and your diaphragm muscle is moving more. The diaphragm acts like a pump (and not just for air). Belly breathing pumps more air, and hence more waste, from your body. For more on how to improve your breathing read this Blog Post.

The second habit- drinking water. How about a great quote about hydration from a massage therapist I met:

“Dehydrated muscles feel like beef jerky; hydrated muscles feel like beef wellington.”

So do wanna be made of jerky? Or are you grade A, top choice meat?

How much should you drink? There’s a simple formula:

• Body weight (lbs)/2 = ounces of water you should consume daily.

Proper hydration creates healthy, viscous cells which allow nutrition and waste (CO2) to pass easily through in and out of your cells. Those same materials back up, and move sluggishly when you’re dehydrated. Let’s grease the tracks- drink some water. You’ll have to pee more often, but you’ll feel so good you’ll get over it.

Boom! Two easy ways to optimize your engine. Who loves you, Baby? Train does!

Bonus tip- when you work out you’ll breathe heavy and break a sweat! Fat Loss Baby!

Even if you’re a dehydrated mouth breather you can still be top choice meat. Tweak your system. Drink water; breath through your nose. Perfect these two tasks and you’ll need a needle and thread…

Because you’ll be soooooo ripped.

Whoooooaaaa! That last line. Too much. I was going for a ‘so bad it’s actually good kind of finish’. Whatever. ‘Til next time.

How much weight can I lose in 5 days

How much weight can you lose… FAST!

The #1 most googled fitness question is (some version of):

How quickly will I see results?

We here at Train aren’t the con artists who promise you’re going to melt belly fat (spot reduction-impossible) or lose 10 lbs in a week (I can help you to lose 10 lbs in 2 hours but it’s all gonna be water and it’s all coming back). No- we are going to give you the answer you hate:

It’s going to take time.

We may even throw in the old ‘you overestimate what you can do in a day, and underestimate what you can do in a month’ cliche.

Just because it’s a cliche doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

Let’s settle it then. How much weight will this Trainer lose if he lives active, eats clean, manages portions (stop eating before I’m full) without resorting to any extreme measures (starvation/sauna sweating)…

for 5 days.

Why 5 days? Because I got this idea 5 days ago. Let’s roll some highlights.

Day 1: Starting weight: 204.8

I have a small portion of eggs for breakfast, a yogurt/blueberry smoothie for a snack, and a 2 small bbq sirloin pizzas (prepped by my Wife) for dinner. I lift weights pretty hard for 45 minutes.

I do not sleep well (Why? my Son is 2 months old).

Day 2: Weight: 204.8.

And after what I would deem a near perfect nutrition/exercise day I am the same weight. I work pretty hard (8 appointments) and don’t have time/energy for a workout even though I work in a gym. The struggle is real.

I have a super-shake for breakfast, a yogurt smoothie snack, 2 turkey burgers and a salad for dinner.

I do not sleep well (this time the culprit is Pepper (my Dog) who wakes me up twice for bathroom trips).

Day 3: Weight: 204.3

Now we’re moving the needle. I measure my body fat percentage. If you believe Jackson/Pollock 3 site caliper method I have 8.86% body fat. If you go by the Jackson/Pollock 4 site caliper test I am an even 12%. The truth is somewhere between the two. Both are good enough. I’m not going to obsess.

This Jackson/Pollock are a couple of nutritionists who devised a fairly reliable method of measuring body fat; not to be confused with the abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock. As far as I know he did not care about body fat; just painting squiggly lines.

Side note- I’d like to remind everyone that I had my BMI measured on my birthday 2 weeks ago and the minute clinic told me I was obese. Obese with 8-12% body fat. I think this meme aptly expresses my emotions:

Thank you Doctor Evil.

Super shake for breakfast, 45 minutes of weights, 2 more Turkey burgers for lunch, and an Armenian protein salad from Anoush’ella (You should check this place out).

I sleep very well.

Day 4: Aaaaand Baby boy was up just as I was getting ready for work. In the ensuing chaos I forgot to measure my weight.

35 minutes of yoga followed by Maple Walnut oatmeal (I could have eaten more) and a supershake. 30 minute run (Pepper pushes me at 6:15 pace). Light salad with protein for dinner.

I weigh myself before bed. 205.8.

Day 5

Test out: 202 lbs

Body fat: I’m still bw 8-12%.

I ate clean, I was active and I tried to get my rest. I lost 2+ lbs. That is an AMAZING result.

How did I lose over 3 lbs overnight? 2 main reasons.

1. I peed twice. Water weight.

2. I tape my mouth shut at night. This ensures I’m breathing optimally. Our body’s main method of purging body fat is respiration. Taping my mouth shut night after night has turned me into a ruthlessly efficient breather. My lungs are a furnace and science backs this up.

Let’s recap: My eating this week was between good and great. My exercise was okay. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: you can’t out-train a bad diet.

Eat mindfully, breathe well, move your body and leave the workouts feeling invigorated.

I could have worked out harder and eaten less; but life is too short to measure your food portions on a scale or run 15 miles a day.

Make small changes. Be disciplined. Give it time. You overestimate what you can do in a day, underestimate what you can do in a month. It ain’t sexy but it is the truth.

Unsolicited Advice

Unsolicited advice is the same as criticism. I mention this because:

• I see people making tons of mistakes in the gym.

• I learned not to try and correct those mistakes (unless asked to directly).

• I’m about to share some unsolicited advice. On fitness. On life…

You ready?

Most common mistakes I saw and had to overlook (no unsolicited advice) in the gym are:

• people foam roll their IT band (it’s a band, not a muscle. Rolling it destabilizes it, makes it worse).

• People stretching before their workout (this decreases neural recruitment of muscles and makes one weaker and less flexible).

• Poor form on the lat Pulldown. Your back should be straight, your chest proud. Don’t round forward as you pull the bar to your chest.

If you run loudly on the treadmill you need to shorten your stride (180+ per minute) and/or roll out your feet, calves and shins. I’ve seen 250 lb men run quieter than 90 lb women. It’s mechanics not body weight.

I’ve seen about a dozen people fall off the treadmill. A bunch of people will run to their aid and the fallen will act like they are not even there. Every. Time. It’s hilarious. I can joke about it because I fell off the treadmill and didn’t acknowledge anyone either.

If one move can get you into pain then one move should be able to get you out; unless you’re inflamed. Then you need RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).

The shortest poem of all time came after Muhammad Ali gave a speech at Harvard. He’s leaving the stage and someone from the audience shouts ‘give us a poem’.

Ali turns on a dime, points to himself and says ‘Me;’ Points to the crowd ‘ We’.

Great poem. Uplifting. Meaningful. Lean. No extra words. Your workouts should be like that. Meaningful (towards a goal), lean (don’t do more than you have to), and uplifting (feel better at the finish than the start).

Train with someone who looks like you want to look, or does what you want to do.

Private training is expensive, but Nothing is more expensive than being unhealthy.

There’s throw away line from ‘Good Will Hunting' when Will asks if he can smoke in the therapist’s office. Pay attention and you can hear Robin Williams say, ‘ya know those things would be a lot healthier for you if you shoved them up your ass.’ Pretty sure that was both an ad lib, the truth, and the way I’ll talk about smoking when Aidan (Sonny boy) is old enough.

If you want to immediately improve your balance roll out your feet. And put them in some good shoes.

The gym can be intimidating if you don’t know what you’re doing. Rest assured that 90% of people in the gym don’t know either. The other 10% won’t/can’t tell you what you don’t know (unsolicited advice) unless you ask.

Want to eat healthier and don’t know where to start? Try cookieandkate.com (my fave food blog). Start with any of her enchiladas (my fave are the spicy sweet potato ones) and definitely make her granola.

My favorite quote: ‘The race doesn’t always go the swift but to those who keep on running.’

Keep on running, swimming, flowing, biking, and lifting my friends… and don’t hesitate to ask us questions.

Steve@trainyogastudio.com

alan@trainyogastudio.com

I try for one day of “Perfect Nutrition”

When I was a kid I read a book called ‘How to be Perfect in just 3 days’. The hero follows a plan to become perfect only to discover that perfection amounts to nothing more than staying up late, reading the paper, drinking weak tea and judging those who aren’t him.

The moral of that story: being perfect ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. Not that I would know.

Instagram (my only social account) has figured out I’m a trainer. I log in and I’m instantly barraged with new gadgets, new programs and body after perfect body selling their product: Follow my plan, use my gadget, learn my method…

And you can look perfect too.

Perfection means you’re sitting under 10% body fat. Here are some sacrifices you should make according to the cost of getting lean info-graphic from Precision Nutrition.

• You will have difficulty socializing in most typical situations where food is involved.

• may lose out on fun with friends.

• Big time commitment to measure and weigh foods.

• Exercise time may crowd out all other pursuits and interests.

Yay! Fun! Let’s try it for a day.

Quick disclaimer: there is no such thing as '“perfect”. It’s a hard word to pin down. Some will say I should go Paleo, some vegan, some Atkins. Perfect means different things to different people.

My Perfect: I’m following Precision Nutrition’s playbook. A perfect day (described in Gourmet Nutrition):

• Eat 5 times (3 meals, 2 snacks).

• The meals (from Gourmet Nutrition) are categorized as AT (eat them anytime) or PW (post workout). Precision advocates “earning your carbs” so it makes sense the PW meals have more carb calories.

• Drink half my bodyweight (lbs) in ounces of water. Bodyweight is 200, so I’ll consume 100 oz of water, or 3 full nalgenes.

• Eat balanced. Precision advocates using your hands to measure portion sizes. Every meal should have protein, veggies, carbs and healthy fats. Use the size of your hands (Man or Woman) to ballpark how much.

• Stop eating before you’re full.

• Lean protein at every meal.

• Minimize processed foods.

• Don’t drink any calories.

Day 1: Up early. Clients from 5 to 8 am. I drink 33 oz of electrolyte water.

8:30- I go for 3.5 mile run with my Dog. She pushes the pace. Water at the finish. I’ve earned my carbs.

9:15- I’m on a mission in the kitchen. I eat a PW meal of Maple, Apple, Walnut oatmeal for breakfast. This is the best oatmeal I’ve ever tasted. So far we’re rolling. More water.

11- Snack time. I mix yogurt, blueberries and protein powder for my AT snack. Delicious and VERY easy to make. I use Arbonne Protein powder (also used it in the oatmeal): it’s plant based; my friend Tara sells it; it doesn’t make me fart. Seriously. I tried another brand… it was a problem.

12:45- Lunch- Precision Nutrition Anytime Chicken Taco Salad. What’s in CT salad? Chicken, spinach, onion, corn, tomato, cheese and a sprinkling of crushed tortilla chips. Takes 20 minutes to prep. I stop eating before I’m full. I drink more electrolyte water. Back to work until 8 pm.

5- I skip the second snack and have a coffee. I’m an imperfect man and my options weren’t great. I guess this means I can’t pass judgement on the plebians. Rats.

8:15- Dinner- The CT salad recipe makes a lot of salad. I finish a second portion, stopping before I’m full.

All in all I call it a perfect day. My energy is good. I never crashed from starvation or from eating sugar. I feel nourished, never bloated. I sit down next to the wife as she crumbles a few tortilla chips onto her portion of CT salad. We get to chatting. my hands slips into the tortilla bag. I start munching on a few before I catch myself.

Damn.

I was so close.

But hey, being perfect sucks.

But this wasn’t too bad. Let’s see how long I can keep it going.

I am the new face of obesity

The results are in:

6'2"
204 lbs
My waist is 33 (up from 32 in high school).
My body fat % hovers between 12-13%.
I can still run a five minute mile (if only when I'm being chased).

I am overweight.

The wife and I are buying life insurance so we signed up for some minute clinic physicals. My Doctor was a nice. Polite to a fault. She measured me, took some blood; then sat me down and politely explained I am still 6'2", my blood markers were looking solid...

And according to her BMI (Body mass index) charts I am overweight.

I'm pretty sure I remember her saying I was obese. Or close to it.

Come again?

What is BMI?

Body Mass Index is a simple calculation using a person’s height and weight. The formula is BMI = kg/m2 where kg is a person’s weight in kilograms and m2 is their height in metres squared.

A BMI of 25.0 or more is overweight, while the healthy range is 18.5 to 24.9. BMI applies to most adults 18-65 years.  It is a standard measure of health in adults (used by insurance companies apparently).

My BMI is 26.2.  I am in the overweight category.  This measure is complete BS.  

BMI was developed in 1832 (yes, almost 200 years ago!) by Belgian statistician Lambert Adolphe Quetelet, who was called on to create a description of the “average man” to help the government estimate obesity numbers among the general population.

The problem with BMI: Anyone with muscle (which is denser than fat; throwing off the equation) will be unfairly categorized.  

Tom Brady:  Overweight.
Usain Bolt: Overweight.
Me: Overweight.

You're thinking one of those names above doesn't belong with the two.  Fine.  Brady never ran track.  He's out.

So obviously I'm a little worked up over a useless standard of health/beauty with no scientific or emotional value.

Sound like anyone you know?

Questions around bodyweight and obesity are emotionally loaded.  I don't care who you are you'll be told you're overweight, or unhealthy, or you could lose that last 5 lbs; even when you become your peak healthy, fit, beautiful self.

You're told this so someone can sell you their weight loss program, their diet plan, or their workout.  Advertising digs for pain/insecurity.  If they told you you're healthy why would you buy their program, plan or workout?

Train is a fitness business, and business needs customers.  How can we sell what we do without contributing to this negative and misleading copy? 

Seriously.  I'm asking.

I feel shady if I push the you're overweight and need to lose 5 lbs angle; disingenuous if I push the whole 'you're perfect the way you are' angle.

How 'bout this: Getting fit has been the most powerful experience (aside from my son's birth) of my life.  As Bill Bowerman (played by Donald Sutherland) says in the film Without Limits: 

'Running, one might say, is basically an absurd past time upon which to be exhausting ourselves; but if you can find meaning in the kind of running it takes to be on this team chances are you'll find meaning in another absurd pastime: Life.'

Sub in Fitness/training/yoga for running: they're all "absurd past times".

Set a goal.  Lift, run, stretch, breathe.  You might find something out about yourself.  It might add meaning.

Whatever the goal is one of our trainers has done it.  We're here when you need us.

That's #facts coming from an obese trainer.

A new study shows new studies are needlessly complicating nutrition and wellness

Nutrition advice changes every 10 minutes.

One minute a study shows eating eggs will kill you.
The next minute a study shows the opposite.

Same goes for Red Wine, Red meat, smoking pot, coffee...

They're all bad. And then some study comes along...

EvenFunny or Die noticed how prevailing nutritional wisdom changes like the tide.

It's tough. We all have that moment we decide to eat healthier; then give up because that healthy target keeps moving.

Everything is so damn complicated. Will someone just tell me what to eat so I can look good and feel better? It seems unless I'm eating broccoli straight from the organic farm and drinking water filtered through Icelandic fjords then there's a study showing me that I'm slowly killing myself with pathogens, pollutants, and processed crap.

We have the desire to eat healthier; none of these studies can agree on what that means.

Enough.

Why do we even listen to these studies in the first place? Two reasons: Hope and Novelty.

Hope- they promise a world where one or two small changes will make a huge difference. Hope like this drives the economy.

Novelty- they offer something new. New stuff also drives the economy.

If they didn't offer anything new there would be nothing to report, right? We'd have to watch or read another report about how eating clean, whole foods, rainbow salads and lean protein are the way to health.

BOOORING!

If you're eating well (following the boring basics) most of the time you're doing better than 99% of people out there. These instructions have withstood the test of time. Follow them and you'll be so happy, healthy and energetic you won't care what the latest study says.

Can you do even better? Can you do nutrient timing? Or cleansing? Or eating açaí berries? Well studies have shown that adhering to what some recently published study recommends might make you better.

Might make you worse.

Master the basics. Then worry about the next new study.

Or talk it over with a Trainer. The professionals we work with aren't dieticians, but I'm betting on some level they look the way you'd like to (or else why hire them). Studies show they can tell you how they eat, what studies they've read, and can help you look good and feel better.

No more DBS

Oh my God Becky.  Look at her butt.  It's dead.

Maybe we can help her.

Definition: "Dead butt syndrome", also called lower cross syndrome, gluteal amnesia or gluteus medius tendinosis, occurs when the gluteus medius (one of the three main muscles in the buttock) weakens due to sitting all day."

Is this you?

Do you suffer from DBS?

There are hundreds (maybe thousands?) of songs about rear ends, but never the dead/flat/nonexistent kind. We work out so we can feel good and look better naked, amiright? If a booty can die, that means we can revive it.

We have 3 options:

1. Call 1-900-Mix-Alot (90's kids know)

2. Learn to engage your glutes via exercise

3. It's a surprise- scroll to the bottom to find out

What causes DBS? A few weeks ago I wrote about Bill Gates ideal employee: a lazy person. Why? Because Lazy people find the most efficient way to do things. Efficiency leads to profitability.

Your brain/body are like that. Efficient with a touch of lazy. If you do not use a specific muscle your brain/body conveniently forget how to use it and dedicate that brain space to something more profitable. If you never use your rear end muscles, why would the brain prioritize their strength?

So if you sit too much and don't use your glutes, or if they are injured and you can't use them, then you get something called sensory motor amnesia. You forget how to move certain body parts. Other muscles take over (synergistic dominance) and you end up with DBS (and some problematic gait issues).

Luckily there's plenty you can do to re-activate your glutes and put some junk in your trunk. Here's a mini buns of Steele class for that A**. Three exercises you can do any time, and any where that will turn on your glutes.

Bridge pose- Lie on your back. Lift your hips. Squeeze your glutes. This pose is basically the exact opposite of sitting. Your glutes are engaged and your hips are open. Do you sit every day? Good. Do this every day as well.

Bridging may be a little too boring. Try theSingle Leg bridge.

85% of adults experience low back pain. These two exercises are a safe warm up for the back, demand you activate your glutes, and are staples to any warm up sequence I do.

Bird Dog- Your glutes are responsible for extending your leg behind you (propelling your forward). There are many different versions of this one so check out the video for some options. Basically you start on all fours, squeeze your glutes, and kick your legs behind you.

This is a simple/safe exercise that engages the glutes and lower back. Another staple of my warm ups.

Side note- If your glutes extend your leg behind you, and the motor on a treadmill does that for you, then we can conclude that while the treadmill doesn't cause DBS it certainly doesn't help.

Squat- And finally the exercise that if done properly will give any persistent gym goer a booty: The squat. I don't recommend doing heavy squats every day, butbodyweight squatsandgoblet squatscan be done several times a week.

Barbell squats are the fastest way to create strength and muscle mass in your booty, but let's face it, not everyone likes to put a heavy bar across their back. If you love your barbell squats get on it. Don't love it- stick with the bodyweight version. I did bodyweight squats daily for a month and had to stop because none of my jeans fit.

And finally option 3: You can work with a trainer. We have a few here at Train who know how to progress you from engaging the glutes, to doing heavy barbell squats if that's what moves you.

Click the button and I'll set up a meet. We'll bring your glutes back to life.

To Roll or not to roll

That is the question.

DO NOT STRETCH FIRST THING.

Stretching before workouts it"reduces force production and thereby reduces training performance".

What do you do then? Try foam rolling. Foam rolling enhances performance and aids recovery without any drawbacks*. Need to warm up? Foam roll. Feeling stiff after a hard workout? Foam roll. Hung over? Foam Rolling (seriously).

Just put your sore muscle on the roller, put some body weight on it and roll back and forth. It should hurt a little. It should hurt so good (sometimes love don't feel like it should). Comfortably uncomfortable. The more a muscle hurts under the roller the more you need to roll it (if you can stand the discomfort).

Wanna see something cool. Watch thismobility demonstrationbefore/after a brief foam rolling session.
Or this one.
Don't forgetthis one.

I could go on... buuuuut you get the point.

Foam rolling makes you more flexible pretty much instantly. It reduces stiffness and soreness post workout as well. The reason it works is up for debate. Some think the roller releases adhesions between layers of fascia; some think the roller moves fluid through your cells (why it may help hang overs); some say it's trigger points; some say it has to do with Golgi tendon stimulation.

I honestly don't care why it works as long as it helps me keep dancing.

Foam rolling isn't for everyone though. Some of us aren't tactile; do not respond well to touch therapy. You recoil from massage work; don't like to be touched or manually manipulated. To quote the avid foam roller Socrates, 'Know thyself'. If you ain't tactile then foam rolling ain't your jam. Keep searching- there will be something that works for you.

Hey Steve- is there anything you HATE about foam rolling?

Great question! Yes.

I hate when people foam roll their IT Band. This is a band, not a muscle. Rolling the IT band increases instability and makes knee/hip issues worse. Why does it irk me so much? Because I see people do it ALL THE TIME.

Top 3 fitness irks:
- stretching before workouts
- rolling the IT band.
- Calling any race shorter than 26.2 miles a marathon.

Wrapping up- foam rolling is a great warm up and recovery tool for people who are tactile.

Just don't roll your IT band.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional

Pain is a mystery.

Someone took shoulder MRI'S of twenty Major League Baseball players. 15 of them had enough structural damage to warrant immediate shoulder surgery.

But only 10 of those 15 had pain.

Hmph.

Pain doesn't make sense. In a nearly 100 year old Harvard study of lower back pain in Men the only common symptom they identified was.... drum roll please...

Stress at work.

Now I am not a doctor, but 20 years in this biz has given me some insight. Pain isn't straightforward; and understanding a little about pain has helped several people when nothing else was working.

So let's talk about pain.

I train clients with back pain every week. The flareups rarely coincide with doing anything athletic (like heavy lifting). More often their back goes out when they lean down to pick up a quarter or some other equally unimpressive task.

Back pain may not just be about the back. It may be about stress, or nutrition, or unresolved trauma. In their book 'Pain Explained' David Butler/Lorimer Mosely write "We believe (authors) that even if problems do exist in your joints, muscles, ligaments, nerves, immune system or anywhere else, it won't hurt if your brain thinks you are not in danger.'

It makes sense then that stress brings out the back pain. Or that Major Leaguers can have significant structural damage and no pain. I would go so far as to say the majority of us have some undiagnosed injury that causes no pain for that precise reason: we are blissfully unaware and the brain hasn't prioritized it.

So why are you in pain?

In Z health there is a concept called the threat bucket. Everyone has a bucket, and into that bucket goes all your stress: physical, emotional, familial, corporate bs. When your bucket overflows your brain thinks you're in danger and BOOM!

You're in pain.

Back pain. Shoulder pain. Wrist pain. Whichever type of pain your brain thinks will slow you down and get you to address what's in your bucket.

Too often we address our pain, but not the bucket.

Pain is the signal. Take a moment and decode it. When your back or knees or shoulders hurt definitely give them some attention, then take a minute and ask yourself:

What else could my body be telling me?

Pain refers out. Sometimes you get hit in the knee and your knee hurts; but sometimes the knee hurts because your ankles aren't flexible enough, sometimes your knees hurt because you drink too much or eat crappy food. Sometimes your knees hurt because you hate traffic and miss your kids.

It all lands in the threat bucket. Did you see above how stress can drastically restrict blood flow? Do you think that will effect a healthy body?

So what can we do?

First off see your Doc. If your pain is serious don't get cute about treating it. See a pro, get a pill. Don't stop there. Manage the stress in your life. Therapy comes in many different packages, and remember, I am not a Doctor, but here are the four stress killers I can share without getting sued.

Stop being such a Bit... Oh wait. My lawyer says I can get sued for saying that.

Move well- Go for a walk, take yoga, lift weights, go for a run. Movement is medicine and every little bit moves the needle in your favor. Now if you can't move without pain...

Sleep well- How many times have seemingly insurmountable life problems crumbled after a good night's rest. Sleep is when your body repairs itself. Sleep is when your body regulates hormones and balances your weight. Prioritize sleep and you will feel better.

Breathe well- Dr Arthur C Guyton writes " All chronic pain, suffering and diseases are caused from lack of oxygen at the cellular level." Look again at that capillary photo above. Cells receive oxygen two ways: breathing well (we did a blog post about this), and from eating right. Which brings me to my final recommendation:

Eat well- In his book 'Eat to beat depression and anxiety' Drew Ramsey shares that an absolutely shocking number of patients symptoms drastically improved when they ate some version of the Mediterranean diet (lots of greens, fish, nuts, rainbow salads). Eating right oxygenates your cells from the inside out and destroys inflammation (a HUGE hidden pain culprit).

"Some people think that to be strong is to never feel pain. In reality the strongest people are those who feel it, understand it, and accept it."- unknown

What does all of this have to do with Training? Trainers have to know a little bit about pain. Life is a contact sport and our clients often come to us in various states of disrepair. We aren't Docs, but those of us who have lasted in this industry can usually get you moving safely and comfortably for 30-60 minutes; and know when to refer out. This level of sophistication comes with experience, and here at Train we attract the best, most experienced fitness professionals.

That saves us a lot of pain.

Have some pain issues, but want to get healthier? I can't guarantee we'll help, but I can guarantee that every trainer we work with will have a myriad number of ways to try.

Why you should work out as little as possible

Google Query:

How long do you have to work out in order to get a workout?

Answer: It depends.

There's a line in the movie 'Chinatown' where Jack Nicholson's character is asked what he did when he was a Cop back in Chinatown.

'As little as possible.' he deadpans.

Seems like a harmless quip from a lazy ex cop, but the line is nuanced.  I'll let screenwriter Robert Towne explain:

"The title came from a Hungarian vice cop, and he'd said he'd worked vice, and he'd worked in Chinatown.  I asked him what he did, and he said 'as little as possible'.  And I said what kind of law enforcement is that?  He said 'hey man, when you're down there with the different dialects you can't tell who is doing what to who, and you can't tell if you're being asked to prevent a crime or you're inadvertently using the law to help commit one'." 

As little as possible.  Savvy.

Let me circle back to my point.  The ideal length of a workout: as little as possible.  

It's not lazy; it's smart.  

Nuanced.

The industry disagrees.  Their overwhelming answer is 1 hour.  Classes and sessions are inevitably an hour long.  Why 1 hour?  Commerce.  We can sell 1 hour blocks.  It's a nice round number.  You can pack some value into a one hour session.  It's simple.  It's clean.  Most people never question it.  Some numbers just make sense, like top 5 (not 4 or 6) or top 10 (not 9 or 11).  1 hour fits. 

But let's face it.  Not everyone is ready to work out that long.  And just because you can work out for an hour doesn't necessarily mean you should.  Take that from someone who is a serial over-trainer (of myself).  I often work out for :30 or :45 minutes and wonder: was that enough?

Science says it is.  A recent article in the Washington post says that even 10 minute workouts are worthwhile.

Distance runners know about the law of diminishing returns.  Your running improves drastically when you graduate from running 10 miles a week to 20.  A little less when you move from 20 to 30.  Each time you step up your mileage you will improve, but each improvement is a smaller than the previous until you reach a point where you no longer improve.  You're just running empty miles.  They aren't making you faster, or sharpening your speed.  

You want to find that sweet spot.

Another analogy: Movement is medicine.  When taking medicine you take the minimal effective dose.  One oxy gets you out of pain, 10 oxy...  You get my point.  

Same concept for exercise (with much less dire consequences).

You're not lazy.  You're smart.  You're not working out to make the 2024 Olympics.  You're working out to feel good, get strong, and look better naked.  Sometimes that means you work out for an hour, sometimes that means 20 minutes.

Find the sweet spot.  No need to overdo it.  The most important thing is that you workout.  

As little as possible...
and consistently.  Do something, however small, every day.  

And now for my shameless business plug.  When I worked in a box gym I sold hours (for reasons detailed above). 70 year old arthritic client- 1 hour.  Post surgery client- 1 hour.  There were several clients who were overworked because the biz mandated we sell hours.

Independent trainers (like the ones I work with/for at Train) can adapt their schedule to accommodate your ability level.  Our focus is on the quality of the session, not the billable hour.  Every week I put clients through :30, :45 and :60 minute sessions.  

We do what is right for the client.

It sets you up for success.  It sets us apart.  

Hard won fitness wisdom

You were born 9-5-22

Already I have no idea what I'm doing with you.  So let me talk about something I do know.

When it came time to choose a path your Dad asked himself what the most powerful experience he ever had was (before meeting you of course).

It was getting fit.

I thought if I could share the experience with others that maybe it could be powerful for them too.  I could have a career I felt good about.  

Be it running, lifting, or yoga, fitness made me feel better and taught me a few lessons along the way.  Set a goal, do the research, do the work, your world changes for the better.  You become stronger, more flexible, more determined.  You make friends, rivals, travel a bit, surpass goals and hopefully enjoy yourself.  The lessons of fitness apply everywhere.  School, work, friendship.  

Hopefully I've even learned a thing or two that'll empower you. Here are a few of the good ones.  Some are simple,  some may become more profound as you age.

1-I can't want it for you-  If you decide to play hard I'll be at every practice and every game, but it has to come from you.  The NBA, NHL, NFL etc would look a little bit different if the parents' desire were at all important.  I know enough to help make you special, but you have to love it.

And if you don't care about fitness I still love you the same.

2- Working out is hard, but being unhealthy is harder-  This is the reason I want you to be fit.  Winning games and setting records are great, but I love the process.  I love the way a ten mile run feels.  I love hitting new yoga poses.  I love the confidence that comes with achievement.

There will be days when you don't want to practice, or work out, but trust me when I say you never feel worse after.

If you sit still too long you will feel much, much worse.

3- Your body follows your eyes-  When you're running, biking, skiing or driving look to where you want to go.  Instinct will take you there.

There's a metaphor about life and goal setting here as well.  Eyes up!  Find the horizon.

4- The best athletes have coaches- If you coach yourself you'll end up only doing the things you're already good at.  

Let go your ego and work on what challenges you.  It is OK to be bad at something.  It is not OK to accept that.

Everything can be taught.  Everything can be learned.  Seek out Coaches who are intelligent, honest, kind, and unmerciful (not cruel) when called for.  

5- Pain refers out- in the event of an injury the problem is rarely where the pain is.  Its usually a joint above, below, or from something higher order. 

This applies to people too.  Pain doesn't sit still, it gets passed.  Keep that in mind as you deal with others.

6- You can't out-train a bad diet-  This can set you apart from day one, or catch up to you by age 30.  

7- The race doesn't always go to the swift, but to those who keep on running-  Life is a marathon.  Some get a head start, or a ton of natural ability.  Persistence evens the field. 

That's the best I got kid. 

Welcome to the world Aiden Stephen Allison.

The best exercise for posture (is surprisingly easy)

70-93% of communication is non verbal

Want to send the world a powerful message?  Stand up straight.  Posture says something about you.

Threat (shoulders rounded, back stooped) posture says tired, defeated, weak, stressed.
Great posture signals confidence, smarts, and strength. 

Not to mention your physical and mental states are a two way street.  Are you standing tall because you're confident, or are you confident because you're standing tall?

Bill Gates described his ideal employee as naturally lazy.  Why hire that guy?  Because the lazy guy streamlines systems: they find the most efficient way to do something to avoid work. Your brain is like that lazy employee.  Posture is under reflexive muscle control meaning that it is something your brain (usually) regulates automatically.  Your brain defaults to whatever posture you're typically in to save time and effort.  

What cues are you constantly giving your brain? 
Let's do an exercise.  
Stand up.
Find a mirror.
Stare at your phone 12" from your face.
Read a few paragraphs or watch a quick insta video.
Look at your posture in the mirror.

I'm betting your slouched forward to pay attention to the screen.

Our vision is our most important, most dominant sense.  Where our eyes go our bodies follow.  Remember this if you're skiing or mountain biking (if you stare at the tree you'll see it close up- trust me). When you stare at something close to you your eye muscles constrict to allow better focus on close objects.  To aid your eyes your head will jut forward, your shoulders will round and your spine will flex forward.  Focusing on something extremely close to you gives you bad posture.  

Is this your default?

Let's try the opposite.  
Stand up- find the mirror.
Stare at something far away on the horizon for 20-30 seconds.
Now look at your posture.

Better?

When your eye muscles widen and you look ahead your shoulders roll back, your spine gets tall and your head sits atop your neck.

That's the exercise.  Not rows, or good mornings.   Just stare at something far away.  Easy.  

Peasy.  

Lemon squeezie.

Trapped at a desk all day.  Make sure to schedule in breaks where you stare off into the distance.  Tell your boss it's posture work, not daydreaming.  

Take it next level!  Stare at something far away while walking.  This also challenges your balance and your peripheral vision.  Master this and your default posture will really change.

Posture says something about you.  Visionaries look to the future, the horizon.  Shoulders back, head up. 

70-93% of communication is non verbal.  The world takes notice.

Where your eyes go your body will follow.

What does an hour of daily yoga (35 days) do to you?

'What's the best song you ever wrote?'

Someone asked Duke Ellington what the best song he ever wrote was.  His reply:

 'I haven't written it yet.'

I try to maintain that optimism for my own future but a month ago I woke up feeling old.  I plodded into the bathroom; my feet hurt; my back was stiff.  Feeling like this is understandable if you've earned it, but I couldn't pinpoint anything I'd done to feel that way.  

Maybe I slept wrong, I thought; and then the thought that sleep could injure me made me feel even older.

What's the best song I ever wrote?  I don't write songs.  

Alright then what's the best I've ever felt.  When was my peak?

Being honest... I've woken up stiff and sore for some time.  The last time I sprang out of bed pain free was after Yoga Teacher Training.  It only took 4 months of 6-10 hours of yoga every week to feel that way.

That morning I decided I would do yoga for 1 hour every day, for 5 weeks.  

What's the best my body has ever felt?  I tell you in 5 weeks.  I have some work to do.

Why five weeks?  If you do 5 weeks of anything fitness related you'll see a major result.

The kind of result that your friends and family will notice.

The kind of result that'll enrage your ex.

As you read this I have completed 30 of the 35 hours of yoga.  To make the journey more fun I select a favorite album to play front to back while I practice.  35 hours.  35 albums.  

What have I noticed?

Would you believe I've become more flexible?
Nagging wrist and knee injuries have disappeared.
My strength low to the ground has improved.
I move better. 
I've gotten deeper into The Police, Incognito and the Brand New Heavies.

This morning I got out of bed, walked into the bathroom, and turned on the shower before I noticed: not a hint of stiffness or soreness.  I just walked into the room.  

Maybe I slept right.

Movement is medicine and you want the minimum effective dose.  I already had a strong yoga practice and wanted to feel a noticable change.  That called for a heavy commitment: 35 hours.  If you're reading this thinking of beginning your own journey start with 15 minutes.  

That's where I started 10 years ago.

Who knows?  Maybe 5 weeks from now you'll be on your mat, your favorite music pumping, deep in a pose that a month ago you didn't think was possible.  Your family and friends have all noticed how comfortable you look in your body, your ex is driving by your house an extra time every week.  People notice you're doing something and someone just comes out and asks you, 'what's your secret'? 

You tell them.

'Is this the best youve ever felt?'

'I'll tell you in another 5 weeks.'

The best you've ever felt?  Your peak?  You haven't written it yet.

3 Supplements I’m not paid to recommend

Fitness supplements are a $14 Billion industry

A market that size will have products that range from great to dangerous.  Here's a quick guide to 3 that I like and why.

I take these for basic health and quality of life, not to get extra jacked.  There are different supplements for that... and the Ladies say I'm already jacked enough... Yooooo!

One quick disclaimer: Supplements are great, but we're built  to digest real food.  Get what you can the natural way, and use supplements to fill the gaps.

Ultima- The fitness Police are always on us to drink more water.  How much should you drink?  Take your weight, measured in lbs, divide by 2.  That's how many oz of water you should drink i.e. you weigh 200 lbs you should drink 100 oz. 

Chugging all that water can feel like a chore.  Ultima is a sugar free electrolyte mix that adds nutrition and more importantly (to me) flavor to the water.  

Electrolytes are minerals that regulate and control the balance of fluids in the body. These minerals play a role in regulating blood pressure, muscle contraction and keep your system functioning properly.  They're important enough that pediatricians measure them (mine came back excellent btw).  They also make my water taste better.  Win/win.  

Kachava- Zac Efron is the current president of the 'Men who  take their shirt off  & make me want to put mine back on' club. Other members include Rocky 4 Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger (70's/80's), and Jason Mamoa.  

Zack credits Darin Olien (his costar on their Netflix show) for drastically improving his health.  Darin is one of those guys whose life revolves around eating and drinking healthy.  He's like the level 5 Vegan Lisa meets on the Simpsons:

Lisa:  What's a level 5 vegan?
Level 5 guy: I don't eat anything that casts a shadow.

I read Darin's book 'Superlife'.  Some takeaways: Darin is a picky eater.  There's a few paragraphs on why you should only drink lightly salted water from a blue (not red, yellow or gray) water bottle.  Seriously.  I guess I'll just keep my shirt on then.

Darin does co-sign super shakes (like Kachava) as a shortcut to get nutrition, vitamins, and probiotics.  This I can handle.  Take some, ice, some water, a few scoops of your powdered super shake and you're good.  Kachava is the super shake I chose.

According to their website Kachava has "all the good stuff your mind and body need for holistic health".  A quick glance at the ingredients...  It checks a lot of boxes.  I'm impressed.  

And it tastes good.

Also co-signed by my wife who loves to start the day with a glass every morning.  I make it for her because I love her and make her shakes, get her compression boots and appreciate her even when I don't expressly say so.  It's like I always say, 'if you love your wife you'll make her some Kachava this weekend'.  This may be a test to see if she's reading.

Ashwaghanda: Anyone else have a recurring case of the winter blues?  If you do you should try an adaptogen.  Adaptogens are plants and mushrooms that help your body respond to stress, anxiety, and fatigue....Adaptogens bring your body back to a steady balance by managing both physical and mental stressors.  

Ashwaghanda is an adaptogen.  I picked Ash from a host of others because in addition to the purported calm and wellness benefits it allegedly increases sperm count and I was trying to be a father at the time (The ol' put a few more rounds in the gun technique worked it's magic- Baby Allison due 9/8!).  The other reported benefits of ashwaghanda include elevated mood, stronger immune system, and lower blood pressure.  I snort lines of it at 3 a.m.

If you're flying and scared TSA might rip your Ash stash you can take it in pill form or brew tea if that's your jam. 

I did not participate in any study, or closely monitor stress while using ashwaghanda but I will report that while taking Ash I generally feel better, never fell sick, and my winter blues felt manageable.  I did find a study that concluded "a high-concentration full-spectrum Ashwagandha root extract safely and effectively improves an individual's resistance towards stress and thereby improves self-assessed quality of life."  

So there.

Quick note on adaptogens- they are like a cast.  They help you get healthy, but once you're feeling better the cast should come off.  I'll polish off a bottle of Ashwaghanda and then take several months off.  I'm thinking it may become my winter ritual to help me deal with February (the longest month of the year if you catch my drift).

There it is.  Three supplements I like.  They make me feel better, add flavor and let me walk around with my shirt off feeling beautiful.

Except when Zack or Jason are around.  There ain't a supplement on the market that'll give me the stones for that.