Amazingly Motivating Picture

I am not one to post sexy  pictures, but I think both men and women will agree this is a motivating picture.

Michele Levesque is the model.

I understand why, I really do…..

I am not immune to the needs for motivation to exercise.  I too have days that I am tired, scheduling problems, lack of good sleep, missing meals, etc.

Getting it done on the days that you can, hitting as many days as you can in a week with a freed up schedule allows for future hiccups without making them into disaster areas. 

Push yourself when you can, so you don’t have to feel guilty when life deals you a crap hand!

Seriously…..

I just read another article about hand wound care after intensive workouts.  Seriously, if you have to worry on a regular basis that you hands are going to need a trauma surgeon after your done, maybe your workout isn’t just intensive, maybe its also poorly conceived!   Intensity to the point were you are wearing out parts of your body during a single workout, smart?  Think about it…..

Interesting eating perspective

Calorie intake according to energy expenditure, translation:  Eat now according to how much work you are going to do in the next 3 hours.  Think about it and try and apply it to your calorie distribution throughout the day

I’ll make the diet think even more simple….

a simple shopping list. Eat off of this list you can’t go wrong

Protein:

• Eggs
• Chicken Breast
• Top Round Steak
• Cottage Cheese

Carbs:

• Oatmeal
• Fruit: Apples
• Blueberries
• Bananas

 

• Vegetables:
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Onions
• Sweet Potatoes
• Brown Rice

Fats:

• Olive Oil
• Fish Oil Capsules.
• Almonds
• Natural Peanut Butter

Diet and High Intensity Exercise

An interesting research article, concerning lowering carbohydrate levels in the diet coupled with high intensity interval training.  The interesting part of the article is the diet did all the major work as far as bodyfat loss, the role of the exercise was lean muscle mass protection (protecting the amounts of lean muscle means the participant thus loss bodyfat instead of the metabolically useful lean muscle).  This study just re-enforces what I said in the last post, both diet and exercise are necessary to provide a sustainable lower bodyfat levels, and leaner overall body composition.

Diet

I have had multiple conversations this week about food, eating, nutrition, weight loss, etc.  All of these conversations come back to the same place, nutrition is 80% of maintaining or discovering your healthy weight balance.  YOU CAN NOT OUT WORK A CRAPPY DIET, unless you are under the age of 30 for males and 20 for females, that is just how it is!

I don’t make the rules, I just observe and follow what I see.  All the talk about different exercise protocols takes for granted that the diet is dialed in.  News Flash:  Overeating of carbohydrates and fat will accumulate as bodyfat, its a fact. 

High protein, low carbohydrate and moderate fat diets coupled with high intensity exercise decreases bodyfat!

Calories matter, but only if the macronutrient (protein, fat, carbohydrates) balance is correct.  a good target for women would be 1500 calories, and for men around 2000 calories.  If your energy expenditure is high eat a 500-1000 more calories according to how hard you work, otherwise stick with these guidelines.  That's it.

Eat more protein, vegetables and good plant based fats.  Avoid processed foods, and starchy carbohydrates. 

End of sermon.

Abandoning Crossfit Games 2011…because its really silly!

I talked a while ago about competing in the 2011 Crossfit Games, and over the last couple of months of training, I and other strength coaches have put out a multitude of articles about the completely unusable nature of the crossfit system.  With a “take no prisoners” intensity everyday, the inevitable central nervous system burn out is my main reasoning.  Its really not  fun or interesting to have to talk yourself into the same intensity of workout everyday, unless you have nothing other to do  or any other responsibilities  your life.

My training will continue as an on going experiment on bettering the programs I write for my athletes and soccer moms.   That means looking for new approaches that allow them to live and compete in a state that  is ready to take on the challenges that they aspire to accomplish, not be hurting and burned out indefinitely.

As I have said many, many times, it doesn’t take a genius to beat someone into the ground everyday.  A moron can shout random exercises at a student until they puke.  It’s how you program your conditioning around their life, not their life around the effects from your conditioning that makes a professional.  If a mom can’t pick up her kid because of her constant beaten down state, it doesn’t improve her life, and thus isn’t productive. 

End of sermon.