Oct 30th: Sunday Funday!

Time for another installment of the “Deadlift Diaries.” Being a high rep day I was 100% ready for the action ahead.

After a quick warm-up set worked into deadlift.

250-30 reps (with straps)

-legs were SCREAMING.

Incline Log Bench (Log+60)-7 (log)-40

One Arm FG Row (65)-5 (35lb)-30 per arm

Finished with a 10 minute walk.

8:30-P3 Pre Workout

10:30: 10g BCAA

11:30-Cup Fage, ½ cup cottage cheese, 2 F1 Caps

2:30-Chicken sandwich, handful fries

4:30-Dried Mango

6:00-Golden Grahams with Fage yogurt, banana, chicken breast, 2 F1 Caps

Did so much today. Crashed at 8:30. Slept like a baby.

Oct 22nd: Cardio Fun

October 22^nd: Saturday

Today was a cardio day. I used the Pure Powder from HPN about 20 minutes before. Felt great and ready to go.

Sandbag Circuit (Arion Sandbag): 3:00 minutes: Alternated through: deadlift, row, clean, front squat as many times as I could

Plate Circuit (45lb plate): Alternated through: Front Raise, Press, Curl, Front Press (killed the shoulders!)

Moved into intervals

4:00 minutes per station (15 on/15 off)

Sprint Bike

Prowler Push

Heavy Jump Rope

This was actually a blast. Hard as hell but got me sweating and my heart rate was through the roof!

This is the first weekend I’ve REALLY, TRULY honed it in. I’ve always been a little lax on my weekends and this plan is actually changing my mindset (you don’t change your way of acting by thinking differently, you change your way of thinking by acting differently).

10:00 AM-10g BCAA, Pure Powder

12:30 PM-1/2 chicken, large salad

3:00 PM-1/2 almond butter sandwich (low carb bread)

6:30 PM- 4 eggs, 4 slices turkey bacon, cheese, cup of broccoli

9:00 PM-2 light beers

11:00 PM-1/2 cup Fage, ½ cup cottage cheese, 2tbsp almond butter, low carb jam

Till tomorrow.

Oct 20th: REST DAY

October 20^th: Thursday

Today was a complete rest day. Feeling strong. It’s so great to be on a solid program that mixes conventional with the unconventional. Why?

My main lifts going up = getting stronger = bigger kettlebells = more power and “unconventional strength” = main lifts go up higher = bigger kettlebells for longer workouts = even stronger and more muscle!

Amazing how the math just adds up.

1:15- 3 eggs, 4 slices bacon, 2 oz cheese, 1 cup broccoli

4:00- 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 oz Chia seeds, 2 scoops Biochem whey

7:00-6oz ribeye, mixed veggies

7:30-small piece of bday cake (couldn’t resist! Well, I could have but I just didn’t want to)

10:00-1/2 cup milk, ½ scoop Casein, ¼ cup Fage yogurt.

Being low carb, high carb every other day has it's advantages. It means you never go too long being low carb. Keeps you honest.

Oct 18th: Training Journal Series: REST DAY

October 18th: Tuesday

Decided to change my schedule to lift every other day making today a rest day. Which also means it’s a low carb, high fat, high protein day.

Today I’m shooting for

200g protein

75g carbs

130g fat

This was fairly easy. I know I work better on fat and protein. The key thing I’m honing in on during the program is to become my own expert. Learn everything I can about myself so I know exactly what I need to do, eat, how much I need to rest etc to get EXACTLY the results I want. This is a valuable resource for the rest of my life. Treat yourself as an experiment where you are CONSTANTLY tracking, assessing and reassessing.

Had a GREAT meeting with Sean Torbati from HPN about the MB8 program we are putting together. Way more detail coming soon, but this program is going to be amazing! We’re in the process of writing the book based on his background in nutrition and training and my background in training athletes to help give people amazing results for the chosen sport and life in general. Can’t wait! You know you’re excited about something when you wake up in the middle of the night to work on itJ

1:00 PM: 6 oz ground beef, 2 eggs, cheese, large salad, 1 piece of gluten free bread

4:00 PM: cottage cheese with Biochem whey

8:30 PM: 6 oz chicken breast, 2 large sides of steamed broccoli (next meeting with Sean will involve Sprinkles Cupcakes, that I promise)

10:30 PM: ½ cup 2% milk, 1 scoop Casein protein, 1 oz raisins

Oct 6th: Training Journal Series

October 5^th: Wednesday

Today was a MUCH needed rest day. Most fitness enthusiasts/athletes do not take their rest days seriously enough. A rest day is as needed if not more than a proper diet, training, etc. A rest day (where you do nothing except maybe a walk) will allow your body to recover and train harder your next session.

Rest days pump me up for training! They give me a mental break from the rigors of my training and allow me to come back harder and stronger the next day.

Use this day to recoup, hit the Indian clubs, foam roller, spa, whatever. Just rest. Resting is crucial!

12:45: 10oz Chicken thigh filet, spinach salad, salami with cheese, tomatoes (basically a giant salad) 8oz pineapple

4:00: ½ cup cottage cheese, 2 scoops biochem whey protein, Chia seeds

9:00: 4 eggs, cheese, spinach, cooked in butter.

Rest days (or non lifting days) goal is 2200-2400 calories

180-200g protein

130g fat

80-100g carbs

This is why tracking is so vital. You can’t expect to spend carelessly and then have an exact knowledge of how much money is in your bank account. Budget your calories and you WILL see results

October 6^th: Thursday

7am: 198.9

Today’s workout was a fun one. I was looking forward to it all day! I love those days.

Military Press Day (I use the log because I like the neutral grip position)

55% @ 93lbs (log weighs 88)-7

65% @ 106- 7 (felt tough)

75% @ 123lbs- 7 was all I could do. This was definitely my 7RM. Started to see stars!

-2.5 minutes between sets

Ring Pull up (Dead Hang)( 20kg kettlebell)-5,5 (BW) 9

Incline Bench Barbell Shrug (225)-8,8,8

-90 seconds between sets

Double Snatch (28kg)-5,5,5

Lateral Raise (25lbs)-12,10,10

-90 seconds between sets)

Finished workout with a brutal cardio set.

Prowler-30 seconds

Weighted Jump Rope-30 seconds

Deck Squat to Jump-30 seconds

Rest-30 seconds

--8 rounds.

Broke fast at 12:30 with HPN P(3)

Trained with 10g BCAA

1:45-Flame Broiler Beef Plate with white rice

5-1/2 cup cottage cheese, 2 scoops Biochem, ½ cup chocolate almond milk

8-1/2 Chicken, sweet potato fries, and little coleslaw (mayonnaise-less)

10-1/2 cup 2% milk, scoop Casein protein, ½ cup frozen cherries

This day brought me to 45g fat, 202g carbs, and 202g protein

Amazing dinner. Didn’t stuff my face. Just ate till I felt comfortable. That’s the beauty of Intermittent Fasting. Larger meals (within reason, of course)

Training days:

180-200g protein

40-50g fat

240-260g carbs

Oct 2nd: Training Journal Series

October 2^nd: Sunday

Woke up bright and early and hit the trails, Runyon Canyon in Hollywood to be exact. Used my MBody Plate Vest with an additional 20lbs in it. That was a fun idea:) I’ll post the video for it soon.

Since I did this fasted, I drank my Pure Powder from HPN 20 minutes prior and had a 32oz Nalgene bottle with 10 g of BCAAs throughout the hike. After, I had a coffee and that was it until about 2. We started hiking around 8:20 and got back to the car around 10 something. I didn’t run straight through, but I did some sprints at different points especially the steep parts.

The thing about fitness is that is has to be enjoyable. I don’t care what the studies and research says about the latest and greatest. The plan that you can stick to is the plan that is right for you. Enjoy your training and it will take care of you. Hate it and will destroy you. Was that dramatic enoughJ

8: HPN Pure Powder (pre hike)

9:00 10 g BCAA. (during and after hike)

10:00-coffee with light cream

1:45-8 oz roast beef

3:30-2 slices whole wheat bread, cheese, salami, bowl of cereal with chocolate almond milk and a little chocolate dessert (carbing up after that brutal hike/sprint/run.

8-10 oz NY Strip steak with green drink.

Training Journal Series: Wednesday 9/22

Sept 21th: Wednesday

I'm not a big fan of working out in the early AM. The only time I do it is if I absolutely have to. Today was one of those days.

Training ended up being great (as expected.) Went in with my plan, dominated and called it a day. Worked on Bench and Reverse Grip Rows, had some fun with arms and then worked on some Swiss Ball training like in my "Paddle Board-Inspired Core Workout." All in all it was a great workout. Kept the intensity high and the workout fairly short. I've been supplementing with BCAA and Creatine as well as some coffee pre-workout but I've been talking to a great company called HPN. I found out about them and wanted to find out a little more. From talking to the owners and seeing what they're about I'm pretty excited to give it a shot.

Of course, I'll be posting my results. No recommendations here until I see/feel something!

Diet today was nice and "clean." (I use quotations because there is no real definition of what clean means)

6:30-Pre workout supps (BCAA+Creatine)

8-post workout shake

12-salmon salad

3-can of sardines (great source of Omega 3)

5-handful almonds

9-3 eggs, organice sausage link

Great (long) day today. Exhausted, but feel accomplished. Got a lot done and training was spot on. Upped my numbers from last week which is progress which is why I can't stress keeping a journal enough. More to come tomorrow.

The Law of Accumulation

I met a client of mine, who is also a very successful business owner, for lunch one day and we just happened to start talking business. Go figure.

I asked him what the key to his success was. How did he build his fortune in an industry that seemed to be over-flowing with competition?

While most people would be expecting some insane marketing ploy or sales strategy he just told me one thing:

The Law of Accumulation.

He wasn’t trying to sell me some long drama of how he fought his way to the top and stood over his empire like Caesar over Rome. He just said, “Everything counts.”

There was a lot of power in that statement. It seems so simple and it is. Every single thing counts. This applies to all areas of life. Great books written took a page at a time, great fortunes built started with a dollar. Every journey begins…you get the picture.

How this applies to fitness is simple. Every single meal counts. Every training session made or missed counts. Every late night counts. It all adds up just as in a business’ balance sheet.

If you are not where you want to be start keeping a detailed journal of everything. Not just training sessions where you killed it or days when your diet was spot on, but everything! The workouts missed, the nights you stayed up late, and the amount of beer you drank. It all counts in moving you in one direction or another. This will give you a clear picture of where you stand.

This is not news. It’s just a reminder to take inventory of everything that you do. That everything counts whether it’s building your business, your body, a relationship, etc. The more you make this a part of your life the less likely you’ll be the person that says, “Why can’t I ever get down to the weight I want” or “Why can’t I ever hit my target body fat?”

We’ve all been guilty of brushing a thing or two under the rug, but now is your chance to take a stand! Take inventory of yourself on a daily basis. If you were a business are you thriving or about ready to close your doors? Start right now because of every second counts, but you already knew that.

Racking up your strength.

Are you a looking for tons shoulder strength and endurance without the wear and tear of constant shoulder pressing? Then the kettlebell rack is one of the best exercises for you.

The kettlebell rack is one of the simplest exercises, or should I say static holds, there is. You simply clean the kettlebell into the rack position and hold it. How much easier does it get?

The list of benefits from this exercise range from a great fatiguing drill pre shoulder presses for a great pump or for the more functional, killer core strength and shoulder endurance. You want to be careful if you have back issues because it puts a lot of strain on the back.

While using one kettlebell works, two is amazingly difficult. This is also a great shoulder conditioner for you Girevoy Sport nuts. While the point of the rack for GS is rest it’s also very smart to practice the position to learn to get comfortable. Jason Dolby once put me through a GS workout and made me hold the rack for what felt like an eternity. Trust me when I say, treat the kettlebell rack with respect! I learned the hard way.

I use the rack on clients, particularly my MMA fighters as a great way to force them to keep their shoulders up. A few minutes of hell is a solid rack with a pair of heavy kettlebells, followed by jerks and then some Indian clubs as active recovery.

If you’re new to the game then just use one kettlebell. Don’t bring the hips too far forward. Keep the emphasis on the shoulders rather than the GS rack. As you progress work your way to two bells and enjoy the pain! And by enjoy I mean do everything you can to not cry.

Try this simple routine for your shoulders with a pair of moderately weighted bells

1. See saw press: 60 seconds
2. Hold Double Rack: 60 seconds
3. Max Pushups (preferably on rings or Jungle Gym)

-Rest 60-90 seconds and repeat 2-3 times

Brutally effective (probably one of my favorites, both routines and pair of words.)

Enjoy!

Save Money and Even a Life or Two...

Most of you reading this are in great shape, most likely in the upper echelon of the strength and conditioning community. But this, my friend, is not for you. This is for the people you know and love. This is for those who are if not already fighting with, on their way to being diabetic.

I was at the pharmacy and saw a line (long line) of products from blood testers to testing strips and more. The cost of these things was crazy! Now, this is obviously not geared to those with genetic, you were gonna get it no matter what, type 1 diabetes, but for those that are teetering on the edge due to over-consumption.

The most amazing part is that it’s completely reversible! The dangers of diabetes are nothing new, but leave everything out of the equation except the price. There’s always a price for everything. In this case there’s not only a physical price your body pays, but also the actual money spent on an ongoing basis on the medication, testing machinery and refills. That adds up! That’s a lot of money over the years that could be spent on far better things. There’s also the price that we all have to pay due to increased health-care.

This to me (again, not for those who were born with diabetes) is the equivalent of a smoker paying for cigarettes. Cigarettes cost money, but that flow of disposable income to Phillip Morris is gone as soon as the addiction is kicked. The same goes for those with adult-onset type 2 diabetes. You kick the habit of over-indulging and your sedentary lifestyle and guess what goes out the window: the cost (physically, mentally, and monetarily).

So back to us fitter folks. How can we help those who feel this is something they have to battle for life. Get them to start moving AT ALL COSTS: A walk, a tai chi class, or an extreme kettlebell circuit. Well maybe not the last one, but the point is they need you. This is not a revolution started by one person. Whether you’re in the fitness business or not, you need to do something about.

Again, going back to your wallet, you’re paying for these people one way or another so it might as well be through time and encouragement. This has been a friendly reminder. Think of it this way. You help one person and by their example will in turn help someone else and someone else and…you get the idea.

So help them (and yourself in the long run) save some money and you just might be saving a life or two.

Summer's a-coming...are you ready?!

It dawned on me this morning that summer is QUICKLY approaching. And I mean quickly. Which leads me to the point of today's email...

Are you where you want to be with your body? If so, kudos. If not, well, why not?

I'm going to share with you a few tricks to help you lose some stubborn body fat and get you well on your way to your summer look.

1. LIFT HEAVY! I know, not really a trick but focus on lifting heavier weights even if you're used to circuits. Lift heavier kettlebells, barbells, sandbags, whatever it is, it don't matter. Lifting heavier not only increases your strength (duh) but also will help you burn a ton more calories in your workout. And I swear if I get one response saying "won't I bulk up??" from any of you ladies I just might scream:)

2. Cycle your Carbs. While I am NOT a fan of low carb'n, strategic carb'n is an awesome tactic that will help you increase your strength in your sessions while dropping unwanted body fat. The cool thing is no matter what plan you're on you can start incorporating asap!

**On your training sessions (not cardio sessions but lifting days) increase your carb intake. Try keeping your carb intake at about 40% and only cardio/rest days at 20-30%. Use Livestrong.com for an accurate look at what you're eating. Which brings me to the final number...

3. Track calories! Ok, this can be a pain in the ass....BUT...and it's a big but, IT WILL TAKE THE GUESSWORK OUT OF THE EQUATION. Of course, this rule only applies to those who want a majorly defined, ripped, physique.I don't care if you're Paleo, Neanderthal, Caveman, I only eat grass and berries, if you don't track you are most likely eating more than you should. Simple as that.

There you have it. A few simple things you can start doing ASAP to start seeing results ASAP!