Fitness saves lives
'“It’s kind of semi-dark and I’m alone, and I’m old,” Willie Murphy, 82, said of her home. A man knocked on the door one night, begging for help; he heard her older feminine voice and decided the coast was clear.
He broke in.
‘He picked the wrong house,’ said Murphy
Train- We’re not #1; oh wait I lied. We’re numbers 1,2,3,4 and 5!*
He discovered the hard way that Willie, at 82, is a championship weightlifter who goes to the gym everyday. She turned the tables on her assailant; literally.
“I took (my) table and I went to working on him,” she said. “And guess what? The table broke… He was happy to get into the ambulance”
Gym life 1, Street life zero.
Fitness saves lives. How so? A partial list:
lower risk of falling and stronger bones in the event of a fall.
better metabolic health and reduced inflammation.
reduced muscle atrophy.
Increased resiliency from injury/disease.
Clobbering would be attackers.
There is a 100% guarantee that getting fit will positively impact your life. You know this. You want better balance and stronger muscles. You want to break a folding chair over the next thug who tests you. But something’s keeping you. You're intimidated, you don't know where to start, you've been hurt in the past…
Maybe you need a Coach?
Michael Jordan had one.
Tom Brady had one.
Willie Murphy has one. She only started power lifting 7 years ago.
Your turn. Just think about what you’ll accomplish if you click that lil button down there.
The Power of 1%
Want incredible life changing results? Get 1% better.
Small improvements accumulate according to the Aggregation of marginal gains theory (AOMGT), a thesis taught in B schools across the world. Dave Brailsford, (MBA Sheffield Hallam University) applied it outside of business with astounding results.
Train- Let’s get 1% better.
Dave became the head of British cycling in 2002. The team hadn’t medaled in 76 years. Instead of making giant, sweeping changes Dave applied his business training to cycling. “The whole principle came from the idea that if you broke down everything you could think of that goes into riding a bike, and then improve it by 1 percent, you will get a significant increase when you put them all together,” he said. He focused on minutia (hand washing (illness avoidance), bicycle maintenance, proper sleep, nutrition) and kept investigating small ways to improve.
His team won 70% of the gold medals in the 2008 Olympics.
This is exciting news. We can all get 1% better. The prevailing question is what should we attempt to improve? Let’s try 4 things.
Sleep- How much do you sleep? 6 hours? An added 3.6 minutes gets you 1% better.
Hydration- How much water should you drink daily? Take your weight and divide by 2. That’s how many oz of water you should drink. Not there? 1% improvement is an extra sip of water.
Nutrition- The average American consumes 2250 calories daily. Get 1% better by either cutting, or increasing the quality of 22.5 calories.
Movement- The CDC recommends 150 minutes of weekly activity. Not there? Can you jump on the treadmill for an extra 1.5 minutes?
Start small. Keep improving. Get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done. People will notice.
Let’s open it up to questions. You sir with your hand raised.
How do I get 1% better at work?
Focus on the above. You’ll be well rested, fitter, more energetic and happier. People like you get promoted! Next question. Down in front.
How do I get 1% better as a parent?
It’s too simple. Focus on the above. Your kid won’t know what to do with all the happiness and energy you bombard them with. Next question. You, sir.
How do I become 1% better as a husband?
I don’t know. Try becoming a mind reader.
Will hiring a Trainer get me 1% better?
If you hire someone from Train you will get 2% better. Guaranteed.
Mind over Matter
Just how powerful are thoughts?
Let’s look at 2 experiments. In the first experiment school children were given two plants. They were told to compliment the first plant and to insult the second. A month later the compliment plant thrived, and the insulted plant was dying.
A similar experiment by Dr. Masaru Emoto found him saying thank you to one jar of rice, calling a second jar an idiot, and ignoring a third. Jar #1 fermented and gave a pleasant odor, jars #2 and 3 rotted.
Train- Building muscles and Minds since ‘22.
What others say about us has a huge effect, but I can’t think of the last time I called someone an idiot to their face. Actually wait, I did it this morning. Picture a quiet, serene city street, 5:45 am. I not so elegantly try to put something in a trash barrel and knock it over with a LOUD boom.
‘You idiot,’ I said. To myself. For dropping a barrel.
The person who insults us to our face most often is… ourselves.
While there may be ample evidence that from time to time I act like an idiot study after study proves that negative thoughts NEVER improve outcomes. So why do all of us have so many negative thoughts? Why are we such idi…. Caught that one.
Psychologists call this the negativity bias. We are trained to scout for and fixate on threat. Why? Because we are wired to survive, and the world is filled with things that can kill us.
Can we evolve beyond this? Yes. But it’s going to take some work with those usual suspects: Meditation, gratitude, self compassion and yes, physical activity and exercise are all proven to help us overcome negativity bias, but In the words of Gordon Morton, ‘Familiar hells are preferred over strange heavens.’
Gonna Make you sweat
It’s hot. Damn Hot. Real Hot. 4th of July weekend was THE HOTTEST weekend recorded. Ever.
We have AC, Central Air, wicking clothing and we’re still dropping like flies. Western Europe saw some 20,000 deaths in a recent unrelenting heat wave. It could happen here.
And the heat will wreak havoc on your workouts too.
What can we do to beat the heat?
Train- Our Trainers are hot. Our gym is ice cold.
To beat the heat you gotta sweat. Moisture (sweat) is pulled to the surface of our skin, evaporates and that keeps our temperature down. Humans are far and away the best designed animals when it comes to sweating; but not everyone sweats equally.
Like this guy. This guy sweats like a pro.
Don't be ashamed of how much you're sweating. In addition to temperature maintenance sweating is one of the chief ways our bodies dispose of body fat. Bet you're wishing you were sweating right now.
Your size affects how much you need to sweat. “One runner might lose a liter per hour during a marathon while another might sweat twice as much in the same event under the same conditions. Smaller, skinnier people need to sweat less than taller, heavier people because they have more surface area relative to their size, and thus their sweat evaporates better,” writes Bill Gifford in Men’s Health.
Adaptation plays a role in your ability to regulate your temperature. Bodies raised in hot climates handle heat more efficiently. Need to improve your bodies heat response? The answer, shockingly, is to work out in the heat more; but just a little more. Take baby steps.
Here’s the Catch 22. Sweat enough and RISK dehydration and the loss of critical electrolytes. Being 3-4% dehydrated can lower your work performance by approximately 25-50%. So replenish. Replace 110% of the water you lose during exercise, and make sure to infuse that water with some electrolytes. Your body will thank you.
HERE’s none other than Tom Brady talking about the importance of drinking water.
Don’t let the heat stop you from working out. Pick times and places that let you stay cool.
Going for a run? Make it a destination. Run at 6 am, at the Beach (Nantasket Beach is THE BEST for running). Beach too far away? Try a shady route (like the Emerald Necklace).
Lifting weights? The Basement workout station at Train is kept at a nice crisp 42 degrees. I’m exaggerating; but it is ice cold. The clients are loving the temp, and the trainers are all wearing sweatshirts, we’re all getting fit and no one is over-heating.
The Best way to lift (to gain size or not)
Their findings:
Any strength training is good as long as it is done consistently.
High reps/lower weights prioritizes gaining muscle mass.
Lower reps/bigger weights prioritizes gaining strength.
People can benefit from any strength training program.
Simple programs work.
Train- When are gonna work out together? One day?
Or day one.
Circling back to #2. All I have to do is a bunch of reps at a low weight to get huge? Not quite. This is good news. Why? Because there are two types of people in this world:
-Those who clean the house before the cleaners come and sane, rational adults?
Yes. I’m talking about two other types of people:
-Those who lift for health reasons (see the pic), and those who are looking for gains.
Surprise! Not everyone who lifts wants to get bigger. Good news for them: everyone who lifts will get stronger (#4), but don’t clean out your closet and start buying new clothes just yet. How much muscles grow depends on a few factors.
1- Body type: There are three basic body shapes. “Ectomorphs are long and lean. Endomorphs are rounded, with lots of muscle and body fat, a stockier structure, and a slower metabolism. (Think of football linemen.) Mesomorphs are athletic and muscular, capable of gaining weight or losing weight easily thanks to their efficient metabolisms.”
Your body type is inherited from your parents, so genetics dictate how much and how quickly you’ll gain muscle.
2-Diet: Protein is key. “Common bodybuilding advice suggests eating one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight to support muscle growth, however, the science behind this recommendation varies depending on age, fitness level, and overall body composition goals.” You can calculate your recommended protein intake by clicking HERE.
You can lift lighter weights all day long, but muscles won’t grow bigger without adequate protein.
3- Testosterone- Testosterone is a hormone responsible for protein synthesis and muscle building among other things. Not every body produces it equally. Males produce more than females (duh), and there’s also great disparity in testosterone production among male bodies. T production is determined by sex, lifestyle (workouts, sleep, nutrition, alcohol use), age, genetics, and pituitary health.
4- How you lift. Covered above; but if lifting huge weights for low reps is intimidating, and lifting smaller weights for endless reps doesn't feel like enough work, you can lift in that moderate range without fear of unwanted adaptation. Gaining size (hypertrophy) is a conscious choice.
So lift away. Lift without worry that your clothes won’t fit; or you’ll turn into a West German Olympic swimmer. Once you understand your body and how it will react to training some aspects of physique change can happen by design.
Get jacked, or get healthy. We do both.
Better Balance in :30 seconds
Results take time. Weight loss. Muscle gain. Skill development. All of them require time and patience.
It doesn’t take as long when you know what you’re doing.
Train- Today is the youngest day of your life. Seize the day. Get healthy. Have fun.
Let me show you. What’s a top request I hear from clients?
‘I want better balance.’
Yes! Let’s improve that in :30 flat.
Step 1- test your balance. You can test your balance by:
Performing a heightened Rhombergs test (linked here).
Now that we have a baseline let’s improve it.
Here’s the drill:
Stare at the smiley face. Trace three infinity loops in each direction with your nose (keep your eyes on the face). Remember the eyes don’t move.
Now point your nose at the smiley face. Trace three infinity loops in each direction with your eyes without moving your head or neck. Remember the head doesn’t move.
Retest your balance.
I’m willing to bet your balance is a little (or a lot) better. You’ve just sharpened up something called your VOR (vestibulo ocular reflex).
I didn’t create this test. I just know it works.
You can work on your balance by standing on one leg, or unstable surfaces, while you exercise, but those drills take more time and I’m yet to see appreciable improvement from them.
It doesn’t take as much time when you know what you ‘re doing.
Need to step up your work outs? Do you have specific goals to lift a ton or complete a race? The Trainers we work with have done it. They’ll show you the exact steps.
Experience matters. You can get there by trial and error.
Or you
Feeling blue?
Netflix has a new doc on Blue Zones out this week. Blue Zones, for the uninitiated, are places where life expectancy and quality of life are on a different level. People routinely live over 100 years and stay mentally sharp for the entire ride.
Sounds like great places to live. Blue Zones can be found in Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), and Loma Linda, California.
What’s working here? Is everyone crushing hiit workouts, slamming green drinks, and injecting supplements from the local Pharma lab?
No.
There are commonalities between the various blue zones (despite their geographic distance) that should inform our health more than instagram any influencer. Let’s have a look at a couple.
Train- A Blue Zone right in the South End.
Diet plays a role in this vitality. There is an emphasis on home cooked meals, fresh, local ingredients, and plant based recipes. How the food is prepared and consumed is also note worthy. People walk to the local market, chat with clerks, workers, and friends along the way, buy their ingredients for the day (no bulk- sorry Costco fans), walk home, cook it up, enjoy it with loved ones, and stop eating before they’re full. For some Blue Zone recipes check out The Blue Zones American Kitchen. I’m about 10 recipes deep into this book and loving it (though a few recipes are hard to shop for).
Outlook is also important. ‘Always have fun. Don’t get angry. Have fun with everyone. Make everyone happy.’ suggests Umeto Yamashiro, a centenarian from Okinawa featured in the doc. She’s in the Doc for about 4 minutes and laughs about 100 times.
I try to be this happy, but I also drive in Boston so…
How about exercise? There’s no emphasis on marathoning, lifting heavy or fancy programming. I would argue that smart, intense workouts early in life position your body for later success, but consistent, moderate intensity activity wins the day for centenarians. Exercise for Blue zoners is simple: from sitting down on the floor and getting back up (Okinawa), or constantly walking up hill (Sardinia). Members of an American Blue Zone population in California swim, play pickle ball and walk to stay fit. Enjoyment and socialization through sport is more important than winning, intensity and calorie burn.
Staying out of the Docs office is more important than the cutting edge drugs, or expensive medical treatment received once there.
Now we have a blueprint (pun intended) to create our own zone. What’s keeping us? Time, stress, work, tempting junk food, social media and prestige TV are just a few of the many things that get in our way. Everything is sped up: Fast cars, fast food, speed work outs, connection speeds, instant gratification.
Everything about the Blue Zones emphasizes connection: to others, to food, to our bodies, to fun…
to life.
It’s slow; It’s genuine; and maybe it’s the key ingredient to our blue zone.
Is will power innate?
What is it with will power? Sometimes you feel locked in; sometimes the Dairy Queen staff know your first name. Is it a character trait, or can it be developed?
Walter Mischel tested will power in 4 year olds. He gave them a cookie and then told them he had to leave. He would be back in 15 minutes. If they didn't eat the cookie while he was away he would reward them with a second cookie.
Only 3 out of every 10 kids held out.
He monitored the children as they grew and found the level their restraint strongly indicated future success. The Children who held out had SAT scores over 200 pts higher, higher self worth and feelings of contentment later in life. “Self-discipline, the researchers found, was more important than IQ in predicting academic success.”
You can see how I’m linking this to fitness, right? To remain healthy you need to say no to the cookie aaaand get your a** off the couch to workout a few times a week. Will power will determine your health, and sadly it is fickle.
Sometimes I drive by DQ, sometimes I stop. What’s going on?
Train- If you’re unable to will yourself to the gym try setting an appointment… with a Trainer.
Is it all an act of will?
The experiment didn’t go far enough. Why did the 3 out of 10 refuse the cookie?
Self discipline? At 4? Please.
Did they eat a big breakfast?
Maybe they just didn’t like cookies.
What about the other 7? Are they mentally weaker?
Or did they not sleep well the night before?
Were they in need of a pickup after watching their parents argue?
Did they get a healthy breakfast?
Does the same environment that creates strong willed children also create smart, motivated young adults?
Increase your will
There is reverence for people who exhibit will power: athletes who push themselves; regular people who will themselves to lose weight. When our will loses out and we order a DQ blizzard, we beat ourselves up for not having that same backbone. 2 things:
Negative self talk has never improved anything, ever. This is scientific fact.
Outside factors have profound effects on our will.
Control your environment and you may find your willpower increasing.
Let’s try an experiment. I’ll give you a glass of water, and promise $20 bucks if you don’t drink it for 45 minutes. Which version of you takes home $20?
One who just ran for an hour in the blazing sun and has to wash up before heading to work?
Or the one who just woke up, had a light breakfast, relaxed and was about to read a book?
How you showed up for this test informed your answer. How you show up for everyday will inform your level of compliance with your health and fitness goals. When rested (will power peaks with rest), well fed, and committed to work out with friends or a trainer (appointments = accountability) it’s much easier to avoid temptation.
The discipline isn’t just about saying no to the wrong things, it’s about cultivating a version of yourself that can. Eat well, rest well, work out in a positive nurturing environment (ahem) and you may just find yourself scoring 200 points higher on the SAT after driving past a DQ.
A fitness Oasis
If I had million dollars…
I’d start my own Canyon Ranch. I’d put all the workout and nutritional savvy I’ve picked up over 20 years and I’d create an Oasis. My own little ‘Corner of the Earth’.
Ok… it’ll probably take $10 million. What would a day there look like.
Train- Your oasis in the city.
Wake up
Wake up time comes after at least 8 hours of sleep.
How much should you sleep? We’d take a week or two and figure how much your body needs (on average) by letting you go to sleep when you're tired, and wake up when your internal clock dictates. We’ll time out the interval. Once we know how much sleep your bod needs (everyone is different) we’d make sure to protect that sleep by limiting blue light (cell phones), making sure your room is very dark and silent, and watching what we eat 2 hours prior to bedding down. We’d at least talk about setting a consistent bed time/wake up time to help you find a rhythm. Our bodies love rhythm.
Workout
Let’s go for a walk first thing. It doesn’t have to be far, just enough to get the blood pumping. Just you, on your own (or with your Pup), in nature, thinking about your day.
We’d follow that with some yoga. How much? How hard? We’ll meet you where you are. Once you're minimally proficient in yoga you’ll find that somedays you’re going to push it (Ashtanga), and some days you’re going to be more passive (Restorative).
We want you to move like Chadwick Boseman in ‘Black Panther’, aka someone who is comfortable in their body.
Breakfast time
To keep from repeating myself we’ll handle our breakfast, lunch and dinner plan right here.
You’re shopping and you’re cooking. All meals will be made with whole foods, have a balance of protein, carbs, veggies and healthy fats (This BOOK will give you an idea of our menu). There is a way to eat well, feel nourished, and it won’t take hours.
We’ll eat slowly, stop before we feel full, and make sure to enjoy time with others as part of the meal.
Meditation
After breakfast we’ll take :20 minutes. Tune out. Unplug. You can take a guided meditation, or just sit in silence.
Workout #2
Want to strength train? Hike? Go for a run? Maybe a swim? We have amazing places for all of these workouts on our $10 million ranch.
80% of your workouts should feel easy, like you could have done more. The other 20% we’ll push you, but we’ll always have an eye on heart rate to ensure you don’t push to hard. Workouts should leave you invigorated.
Lunch
See above.
Recovery and cleaning
It’s important to schedule in some down time during the day. Spend some time with your legs in a pair of our normatec boots, or take an ice bath in a nearby stream. This is a good time to play a board game with a friend or read a book.
Take a few minutes to clean up around your room, or organize a room of my $10 million dollar ranch. Having a clean and ordered living environment is great for your headspace.
Dinner
See above.
Enjoyment
Take some time before the end of your day to unwind. Play games, socialize, watch a good TV show. Connection is a key to living a long, purposeful life. This is your chance. Whatever you do, try to share the experience.
Wind Down
Set a bed time. Stop eating 2 hours before. Put down your phone an hour before. Right before you sleep take time for one last meditation. Whatever thoughts are kicking around in your head as you sleep will likely be there for the next 8 hours. Would you rather be thinking about grievances, or something wondrous. I love to listen to THIS before bed.
For this complete, immersive day experience we’ll charge $1,000 a day. We’ll take all major credit cards.
Space must be booked out months in advance.
Why?
Because you’re more likely to pay me a ton of money for this 2 week experience than you are to take time out of your day to do this for free at home. There’s a mythology that you need a special place and a wisened guru to get healthy when in fact YOU have all the ingredients to make every living day a paradise of health, connection and vitality.
But something has you stuck on your hamster wheel. You’re convinced that there’s not enough time; or you’re not good at yoga; or you’re not a good enough cook; and all I can say is someone else with more excuses figured it out, got it done, and can’t wait for you to join them at their next meal.
If I were starting from scratch
Greetings from Vacation in the town of Bath, North Carolina (one time home of Black Beard). Plenty of laughs, board games, shopping trips and authentic North Carolina food.
Speaking as your friend you should eat at Yoder’s.
Speaking as your trainer DO NOT go to Yoder’s! Just keep driving.
I've been “eating well” to put it mildly.
My fitness has taken a week long step back. These things happen. After that trip to Yoder’s it felt like I stepped all the way back to square one. It got me thinking… if I were actually starting from scratch what would I do?
Then I decided to actually do it. Since I’m in need of a reboot here are some simple ideas on how you too can start from square one. Follow all, or part, of this advice and you’ll love the changes you’ll see in 2-3 weeks.
Train- Just You. Your goal. Your coach. Let’s get it.
SMART goals
Two SMART goals I'm committing to when I return to normal life. Beginning September 25th (National Quesadilla day it just so happens) I'm done living the easy life. Let’s dial in on 2 goals.
110 days of no processed sugar
We eat too much sugar. The negative effects are well documented. The benefits are it tastes good. Let’s cut it out.
It sounds more daunting than it is. I’ve done 3 months in the past. Once you get into a groove it is actually very manageable. Some notes.
Cutting out 100% of processed sugar is impossible. Don’t beat yourself up when you inadvertently have some. We’re aiming for better, not perfect.
What is processed sugar? Any food that can't be sourced back to the earth or an animal in 1 or 2 steps is processed. Anything that comes in a bag or a box, from a refrigerator, or doesn't expire is processed. Limit these with 80%+ effectiveness and you’ll feel the result.
Non processed sugar is A OK. Where do you find that? “Natural sources like apples, bananas, low-fat milk, Greek yogurt, carrots, beets, and sweet potatoes”.
Natural sugars are complex carbs. “Natural sugars are processed more slowly, meaning your blood glucose level stays elevated for a longer period.” Carbs aren’t the enemy- simple carbs are. The low carb ads aren’t lying, but they ain’t quite telling the truth.
Wine has processed sugar. I don’t drink, but if this is a non-starter let’s allow 1 glass a night, 5 days a week. Fair?
Coffee drinker? Maple syrup/honey not sweet enough. We’ll allow 1 sugar packet/day. Fair?
20 minute workouts twice a day
Let’s try an experiment.
There are 4 workouts/mindful exercises I want to do daily, but I only have so much time.
Yoga
Running
Strength
Meditation
If I squeezed all 4 of these in every day I’d be… exhausted. I already have a 1 year old at home.
A recent study suggested that workouts as short as 5 minutes a day provide physiological benefits. 20 minutes should be sufficiently long to sharpen me up.
So the goal is to do at least two (or more) of the 4 workouts above for 20 minutes (tops), 5-6 days a week.
40 minutes constitutes 2.7% of my day. I think I can manage that. If I count only my waking hours it comes to 4%. Not a huge ask.
Starting 9/25
Start date is Monday 9/25/23. Come along for all, or part, or just monitor progress here.
If 110 days feels daunting that’s because it is. Try 10. Then keep going.
110 days takes us to January 13th— but I’m going to push that to January 15th so I can live a little on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It’ll be just like that old cliche promises: you overestimate what you can accomplish in a day, underestimate what you can accomplish in a month.
Imagine what we can do in 110 days.
Start where you are, with what you have. Build a little every day. The time is going to fly by. Let’s do this together.
What to do when you’re sore
It’s never free.
Like famed leg breaker Rocky Balboa used to say ‘If you wanna dance, you pay the band, understand? You wanna borrow you gotta pay the man.’
Anything of value comes with a price. You want to get fit? There are costs.
One cost: muscle soreness. To get fit you gotta work out. Working out will make you sore from time to time. The cost of getting over muscle soreness isn’t that high: if you know what to do.
Train- Is today the first day of the rest of your life?
What is muscle soreness?
Now that we know what muscle soreness is, what do we do about it.
Drink water & eat protein
Water is extremely important to recovery. Thank you Captain Obvious. “Staying hydrated is especially important if you are recovering... Optimal hydration helps to reduce inflammationand swelling after an injury, brings increased blood flow and delivery of nutrients to the injured area, and aids in the removal of waste products.”
As for protein… Working out is literally breaking your muscles down in order to rebuild stronger.
What material are you rebuilding with?
Do you want muscles built from Doritos; Or from healthy protein sources like beef, tofu, beans or eggs?
Right.
Wear compression gear
Compression gear can work during and after working out.
AFTER: Compression aids with blood/lymphatic flow. Blood is carrying nourishment to your muscles; lymph is taking out the trash. Both of these circulatory mechanisms work like a pump. Adding compression increases the power of the pump.
DURING: In an experiment ‘15 soccer players wore a compression garment on one thigh and nothing on the other. The thigh with the compression had less delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Researchers hypothesized that this was due to reduced muscle damage on the compression leg.’
The hypothesis here is that the compression gear supports the muscles leading to less initial trauma.
What kind of compression gear should you try? We talked briefly about this in THIS old post.. Start with socks or shorts for your in home collection, or come try our normatec boots at Train!
Foam Rolling
My final method to stay ahead of muscle soreness: foam rolling! Even the smart kids with PHD’s aren’t certain why it works, I just know that, personally, it works. Nothing sore muscles feel immediately better than foam rolling?
Is it working because ‘imbedded nerve receptors are being stimulated in that region… lead[ing] lead to a perceived 'releasing' effect’?
Or is it working because it flushes waste away from inflamed tissue?
Do you really care? Right. Neither do I. It feels good- to some of us (some people HATE IT). You can do it before and/or after a workout and it’s easy.
This is gonna hurt
Working out will hurt. Like I said, ain’t no free rides. Muscle soreness is part of the way we pay for a healthy bod.
With a little preparation, and a little tlc the cost gets lower.
We’ll call it a discount.
4 days down
The sugar detox of 2023 has officially begun.
Starting weight- 212
Today's weight- 210.2
4 days of no processed sugar down.
Only 106 to go.
Who's with me? Try 10 days. 5. 1. Let’s get it!
Bad Art, Politics and Training
A simple investment strategy that works: whenever members of our government make big investments, Copy them.
It's never 100% a slam dunk, but I read that more often than not it pans out.
I wonder why? It's like they have more information than we do?
Can we use thus strategy with our health?
Train- Try us out. Email us for a free assessment session.
Copy the best
Over on Instagram a guy by the handle @dougie_doge has amassed a gigantic following by finding out how celebrities train, doing their workout a few times, showing how tough they are, and then giving it the old thumbs up.
Brad Pitts Fight Club routine: did it. Chris Hemsworth’s Thor workouts: Done. Chris Farley’s Tommy Boy workout: CRUSHED IT.
This copying strategy will work when it comes to strength/athletic training but there are a few landmines you need to avoid. Let’s have a look.
Pick the correct role model
Body type matters. If you want the physiuque of someone like the Rock (endomorph), but have the body type of the Biebs (ectomorph) you are setting yourself up for failure. SMART goals are Achievable. When searching for someone to emulate make sure that you’re somewhat similar to begin with.
Rest assured there is someone out there with your basic shape who looks amazing.
Aside from you, that is.
Abs are made in the kitchen
Working out the same way as you role model will yield results, but mimicking their nutrition and lifestyle habits is equally important.
You can’t out-train a bad diet.
Nor can celebs.
Start Slow
If someone has an admiration worthy physique their workouts will be tough. Build up to them. Regress exercises where you need to, and remember soreness and failure are signs you’re on the right path.
Give it time
Like this Nike ad featuring Eluid Kipchoge aptly says: Patience (and persistence) get you there faster.
That was a hell of a patient 1:59:40.2 marathon he ran.
Pick a plan; put your head down; put in the work; reap the rewards.
Work with a Trainer
I always say that our bodies are our billboards. Find a Trainer who looks (and moves) the way you want to look and move. They are going to train you the same way they train themselves.
In the words of Train co-owner Alan Goldsmith ‘Train with someone who’s body you want… everyone wants my body.’
He didn’t actually say that, but I bet for a minute even he was asking himself when he said that.
Free Assessment Session
You made it this far down the newsletter. Your reward. 1 free assessment session with one of our amazing Trainers. Time to face the music. We want you, and you obviously want us. Why don’t we quit playing all these games.
2 sessions if you can name the movie???
In other news
Day 11/110 of no processed sugar.
That’s 10%.
Blink of an eye and I’m 10% done.
Down 8 lbs. Unfortunately most of that is courtesy of my Son giving me his stomach bug last weekend. Teachable moment- I expect to plateau a bit.
Why won’t the weight come off?
You’re dialed in.
You see your trainer 2 x’s a week.
You run 3 x’s a week.
You do yoga 2x’s a week.
Your waistline is NOT shrinking.
What are you doing wrong?
Train- Want someone who makes your heart race? Your legs tremble? Hire a Trainer.
Try solving your problem at a different level
I’ll add stress to that equation. Recovery, sleep, nutrition, stress: These are major roadblocks to weight loss no one addresses when they decide to get healthy. Let’s have a brief look at two of them.
Are you sleeping enough?
Sleeping an additional hour nightly is linked to consuming 270 fewer calories per day. That’s 8,100 fewer calories (around 2.5 lbs) a month; 30 lbs a year. No need to burn calories you never consume in the first place, am I right?
Are you getting the 7 to 8 hours of sleep recommended for adults? It sounds too easy, too simple to be effective but science is repeatedly telling us how important sleep is in weight management. Take your sleep seriously. You won’t regret it.
Moving on. We all equate caloric deprivation with losing weight. This can backfire when you’re working out a ton.
Are you eating enough? When it’s time to lose weight our normal inclination is to restrict calories. That is fine; but remember your exercise creates a demand for more calories. You’re restricting calories while burning more and more of them in the gym. This may lead to the starvation response. From wikipedia: “Starvation response in animals (including humans) is a set of adaptive biochemical and physiological changes, triggered by lack of food or extreme weight loss, in which the body seeks to conserve energy by reducing the amount of calories it burns.”
You’re a primitive body living in a modern world. Human bodies haven’t adapted fully to a world where food is no longer scarce. When you exercise and cut calories your primitive body’s instinct is to conserve body fat bc it thinks you’re starvating. You are wired for survival, not for fat loss.
Eat Whole Foods, minimally processed and aim for a daily caloric deficit (combining diet and exercise) of about 500 calories a day. This tallies to a pound a week of weight loss. It ain’t sexy, but it is sustainable, and it will get you the slimmer waistline that just exercising hasn’t.
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The No Processed Sugar Challenge
Day 25/110 of no processed sugar.
24% done.
Down .1 lb, .7% in body fat this week.
Fewling good. This would be a good time to examine another success I attribute to this challenge: feelings and energy.
I’ve been feeling fantastic lately. Great sleep, great energy. I don’t yell at other drivers when they cut me off.
My workouts, recovery and consistency have been really great too.
I lost 9 lbs very quickly, partly due to cleaner eating, partly due to illness; so Steady, Sustainable progress feels good.
Facts prove Nothing
What’s the difference bw God and a neuroscientist?
God doesn’t think he’s a neuroscientist.
Ba dum bum.
I’m no neuroscientist, but what little I know about neuroscience and its application to training is jaw dropping, inspirational, hopeful, beautiful. Your brain’s capacity to make you stronger, more flexible, and pain free INSTANTLY, is quite simply amazing.
But as the book ‘Pain neuroscience education’ points out, if someone is not convinced something will work they're right; and it won't. The most important factor in the success of any drill, any workout, any diet, any proposed change to your physical/mental state is this:
You have to understand what you're doing and believe it will work.
Train- Over 10,000 Calories burned per week. Add yours!
“The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him.” -Leo Tolstoy
If you doubt something will work, it won’t work. There’s little I can do to change your mind, but if I could here are a few of the weirdest things I’d convince you to believe in.
What I wished you believed
Sleeping better can lead to weight loss.
If one move can get you into pain, one move can get you out.That said, your body is the sum total of <your age> years of accumulated habits. To stay out of pain you’re gonna need to practice that one move over and over…
and over.
Chronic pain is often the product of emotional trauma. I.e. back pain has nothing to do with your back.
Taping your mouth shut at night will help you sleep better, recover faster and… lose weight.
The final thing weird thing I want you to believe in is YOU. You have the answers to every one of your problems within you. You know what to do, who to trust.
I could keep going but like I said, facts don’t change minds.
Only social media can.
I wish I was lying.
The No Processed Sugar Challenge
Day 32/110 of no processed sugar.
29% done.
My body weight range is bw 202 and 205. Down from 211-215. This has been consistent for 2 weeks.
I want to lose as bit more weight. To do so will require I change some additional habits.
It’s a Shellebration!
There’s no such thing as the greatest snack, but I love pistachios and what makes them great lets us talk about some important, albeit overlooked facets of nutrition.
Let’s get nuts!
Train- Voted Boston’s best small gym for 3 years despite only being open for 2.
Why are they great?
The most important factor here is they taste good. No one snacks on Brussel sprouts for a reason.
How about nutrition? Pistachios are packed with protein, antioxidants, healthy fats, Fiber and are sating (they fill you up). Nobody ever gained a ton of weight eating pistachios.
Pistachio ice cream… maybe.
How about some of the overlooked benefits?
Pistachios require a little bit of commitment to eat. You have to shuck the shell before enjoying them. This simple act of shucking the pistachio is akin to Fidgeting. Do you know the most common habit of thin people is?
Fidgeters burn around 300 extra calories a day. That’s about a pound every 11 days. Shucking the pistachio= fidgeting= NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis). You’re burning calories while you ingest calories!
It’s like passive income.
Want some more reasons? How about:
The thermic effect of food
The thermic effect of food (TEF) is the amount of energy it takes for your body to ingest, digest, absorb, and metabolise the food you eat. Nuts have “a higher thermogenic effect that can lead to less fat accumulation in the body.”Pistachios are the tastiest nut (imho) and are loaded with protein (highest thermic effect) so BAM! Best snack ever!
Whole Foods in general have a higher thermogenic effect. Typical processed snack foods loaded with empty calories have a very low thermic effect.
Like I said, pistachios are great? Are they the best? Who knows? Who cares? What matters is you're thinking a little differently about the food you eat.
Maybe you’re even thinking about getting some nuts.
Unsolicited Advice
Unsolicited advice is the same as criticism. I mention this because I see people making tons of mistakes in the gym and I learned not to try and correct those mistakes (unless asked to directly).
Anyways… I’m about to share some unsolicited advice. On fitness. On life.
Mostly on fitness.
You ready?
The Most common mistakes I saw (and overlooked- 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. Logically that makes no sense. I understand why people do it. Warm up by moving. As my friend Ben would say ‘Motion is the lotion’.
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. Inevitably a crowd 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 we’re done talking about this.
This is the same reaction we Trainers get when we give unsolicited advice. People act like you’re not even there. Every. Time.
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 the way you want to look, or does what you want to do. If you think they’re on steroids you’ll also have to use steroids to get that look.
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 try some vegetarian meals but 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. She goes a little heavy on the cheese.
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.
I try for one day of “Perfect Nutrition”
There’s a kid’s book called ‘How to be Perfect in just 3 days’. The hero takes a course to become perfect only to discover that being perfect ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.
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-graphicfrom 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. 20 minute food prep. 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. Light pushup/pullup workout during a brief break.
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. More water.
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’m down ten lbs).
As if…
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.
This wasn’t too bad. Let’s see if I can keep it going until Thanksgiving. I’ll keep you updated.
I am a Trainer and I am obese
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?
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...
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.
Oh My God Becky...
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:
Call 1-900-Mix-Alot (90's kids know)
Learn to engage your glutes via exercise
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 the Single 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, but bodyweight squats and goblet squats can 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.
For those who’d rather watch
