My Fall 60 Day Challenge Goals

The Summer 60-Day Challenge just ended.  Although I didn't actually compete in it I was happy with my results as I was able to get leaner over the summer than I was in May at my Physique Show.

For the Fall 60-Day Challenge I will compete and it is timed well as the Northern States Natural Classic Physique Show is one week after the final weigh out for the 60-Day.

For the 60-Day my goals as are follows:

1. To win the Employee Division of the 60-Day Challenge.
2. To place better and be in better condition at my physique show the following week.
3. Most importantly, I want to be a really good example for my clients to follow for the next eight weeks.

I will keep you posted on how things are going!

Motivation Monday 7/18/16: Use a Countdown as a Motivator

Taken from http://www.wpsmartcounter.net/

One simple tool you can use for initial motivation as well as keeping motivated for a goal is a Countdown. 

Whether it is a Countdown App to use for an upcoming event or simply using a calendar, it is a great way to keep you moving towards your goal.

All you need to do to make it effective is to set a date you want o accomplish a goal by and make sure you see the countdown on a daily basis.

It is amazing how much it can keep a person on track to moving towards their goal if they look at it on a daily basis.  It enhances the sense of urgency.

Give it a try the next time you have a goal you want to accomplish.

Fitness Tool Friday: The BOSU

For this weeks post on Fitness Floor Friday I will go over the BOSU.

The BOSU was designed by David Weck in 1999 and is an acronym that means "Both Sides Up"[1].  It is a fitness tool that is similar to a Stability Ball but one half of it is flat to offer more stability.  This may be beneficial if you want to use lower body exercises to stand or step on while offering instability.

Regarding personal use, I use the BOSU either for Core exercises or as a Squat "Finisher."  For training the core I use a four exercise circuit that includes the (1) Abdominal Crunch, (2) Side Lying Crunch on each side, (3) Back Extension and (4) Seated Abdominal Rotations.  When I use it for legs I will do squats or 1.25 squats at a slow, consistent, and constant tempo done for time at the end of a leg workout.

When I use it for clients I do both the above exercise examples.  In addition I use Hip Raises and Push Ups with the flat side up.

In the future I will have video examples of some of the above BOSU exercises.

Training Tip Thursday 7/7/16: Monitor Work to Rest Ratios

People are getting more and more interested in High Intensity Training or High Intensity Interval Training as a form of cardio training.

Unfortunately most people when doing this form of cardio do what Strength Coach Martin Rooney calls the "Illogical 4" in his book Warrior Cardio.  As a result they fall short of achieving their performance goals.

The "Illogical 4" are:

1. Novelty
2. Coolness
3. Ability to produce soreness
4. Ability to produce fatigue

To avoid these in higher intensity cardio training like High Intensity Interval Training make sure to monitor the Work-To-Rest Ratio.  Rooney describes two ways to monitor this in his book:

1. Work/Rest:  An example would be 1:3.  In this example you would exercise hard for 1-minute and rest for 3-minutes before you start over again.
2. Recovery Heart Rate:  In this example you would use a Heart Rate Monitor.  During the work period your heart rate would increase quite a bit.  One you are done with the work period you would rest until your heart rate gets to a certain number.  Once you get to that number you would start the interval again.

To make cardio more effective in the future when doing aggressive intervals make sure you use a Heart Rate Monitor to track heart rate and start with longer rest periods (i.e. 1:4 Ratio).  Over time try to gradually decrease the rest periods by 15-seconds every other workout until it gets to a 1:2 Ratio.  Once you get to that point you can raise the work times by 15-seconds every other workout. 

Give this a try and see what happens.

Workout Wednesday 7/7/16: Incorporate Opposing Muscle Group Supersets Into Your Program

In many of my personal workouts and training programs as well as those I design for my clients one method I often use is using supersets for opposing muscle groups.

I wanted to take this time to give Jim Stoppani a shout out as he has a well written section on the benefits of this in his book Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength.

Here are five of those benefits listed in his book:

1. Greater strength and power.  I won't cite all the studies to support this but it seems like doing supersets can activate the muscles better.
2. Greater fat burn in the workout.  Stoppani lists references for this as well but doing two exercises for opposing muscle groups will increase the caloric burn during the workout.
3. You will hit muscles you have probably neglected.  The main muscle group that people miss is back and this technique allows you to train that more as you have to match the volume of the chest.
4. Time management.  This is a no brainer as you will be doing work while you are resting.
5. Change.  Changes are you have not done this before.

Regarding the fifth point, if you have not tried opposing muscle group supersets in the past give them a try in the future as they can be a really nice change in your program.

Tasty Tuesday 7/5/16: Steamed Vegetable Option #1

I often get asked questions on how I have an easy time eating vegetables.  One way is a simple recipe I am going to share with you.

Regarding cooking equipment all you need is a Steamer - nothing fancy, just a good basic Steamer for vegetables. 

I call  this "Steamed Vegetable Option #1."  Regarding ingredients/food all you need is the following:

• 1 Bag of Vegetable Medley.  In this photo I use Broccoli/Cauliflower.
• Olive Oil
• Lime Juice (I use the Organic brands)
• Celtic Sea Salt
• Pepper

Here are the directions:

1. Once the water is boiling, empty the bag of vegetables into the steamer and steam them to the consistency you desire (I like to steam them for 6-minutes). 
2. Once steamed, put the vegetables in a large bowl.  Most of the time I will put a pre-cooked, cut up chicken breast at the bottom of the bowl and put the vegetables on top. 
3. Add 1-2 TBSP of Olive Oil, 1/2-1 TBSP of Lime Juice, 1/4-1/2 tsp of Celtic Sea Salt, and a pinch of Black Pepper for flavoring.

Give it a try and let me know how it tastes.

Workout Wednesday 6/29/16: Increase Reps First, Resistance Second

Workout Wednesday Tip:  Increase Reps First, Resistance Second

If there is a simple fix for most people's resistance training programs it is proper progression. 
 
The first step to improve this is to choose a rep range for the exercises you are going to use for 4-6 weeks. Some examples include 12-15, 10-12, 8-10, 6-8, etc. After you determine the rep range you are going to use, multiply it by how many sets you are going to do in the exercise.

For illustration, let's say you are going to do the Barbell Squat for 3 Sets X 10-12 Reps. When you multiply 3 X 10 and 12 respectively you get 30-36 total reps - this is your range.

If you didn't get 30 total reps after 3 sets of the Barbell Squat you picked a resistance that was too heavy. If you are between 30-35 total reps after 3 sets you picked the right resistance. Once you can perform 36 or more you can bump the weight up.

Give that simple tip a try going forward as it is effective.

Grenz's Bookshelf 6/27/16: Strong & Sculpted by Brad Schoenfeld

I just recently finished the book Strong & Sculpted by Brad Schoenfeld.  It is a book that is for women who want to resistance train. 

Here are some of the things I liked about the book:

1. It is simple to read and simple to follow.  It is only 216 pages long with 127 pages geared towards exercises and their descriptions.
2. It does a nice job of explaining the science behind exercise without making things confusing or overwhelming.
3. It has four different easy to apply training phases for different levels of fitness enthusiasts.  In fact women of all levels can start at the first level and work their way into the forth level over the course of a year and get good results.

Regarding topics I wish it would have covered more:

1. In the warm up section it referenced and used examples of the General and Specific warm-ups but only talked about dynamic warm-up/movement prep briefly.  It would have been nice if it would have covered that type of warm-up more as more people need it because they are more sedentary than before.
2. Like most books on resistance training it only spoke briefly on cardio.  It talked about Hight Intensity Interval Training and Steady State Cardio but did not go into too much detail on how to apply them.

If these two topics would have had a little more meat to them a good book would have been a great book.

To conclude this post, for women who want to get into resistance training this is a good, simple to read and apply book.  I would recommend it.

The Six Pillars of Nutrtion: A Simple Nutrtional Template That Works

I recently listened to a podcast from Mike Robertson of Robertson Training Systems and he interviewed Mike Roussell, PhD.

I am familiar with Mike through his articles on T-Nation, Men's Health, etc. and I forgot how applicable his nutritional information is in addition to being really good.  One tool he uses with his clients is The Six Pillars of Nutrition which can be found in a quick video found here or his book found on Kindle found here.

The Six Pillars of Nutrition are for people to be used as a pre-req. before they start more advanced and individualized nutritional templates.  They are:

1. Eat multiple meals/day.  Ideally breakfast, lunch and dinner with one snack.
2. Reduce processed food.  Try to avoid or limit white processed sugar, flour and food that comes out of packages.
3. Try to get fruits or vegetables with each meal.  This is pretty self explanatory, however be cautious of getting too many servings of tropical fruit like bananas, pineapple, grapes, etc.
4. Drink water.  Drink more water and limit liquid beverages that contain sugar and/or lots of empty calories.
5. Consume lean proteins.  Make sure you are getting servings of lean proteins at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
6. Be strategic with starches.  Ideally have them either at breakfast or right after the workout.

In the future before you try to get all crazy with your nutrition plan, give these six behaviors a try.  You may be pleasantly surprised by how well they might work for you!

Fitness Tool Friday 6/24/16: The Dumbbell

The fitness tool that will be feature this week is the Dumbbell.  As much as I would like to start out with Body Weight or Resist-A-Bands as you can take those pretty much anywhere (Body weight isn't an issue, bands you still need to pack), I choose to feature the dumbbells.  The reason for this is if you can at least master the use of Dumbbells you will be able to do lots of different programs not only in a commercial gym but a hotel or apartment gym as well (Most now have dumbbell pairs that go from 5-50 lbs.). 

Here are some basic exercises using dumbbells that will allow you to have a good training program for all body parts just about anywhere (Especially if you travel and need a hotel gym):  

1. Dumbbell Goblet Squat
2. Dumbbell Step Up
3. Dumbbell Lunge
4. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
5. Dumbbell Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
6. Dumbbell Single-Leg Standing Calf Raise
7. Dumbbell 1-Arm Row
8. Dumbbell Flat Bench Chest Press
9. Dumbbell Flat Bench Fly
10. Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
11. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
12. Dumbbell Side Raise
13. Dumbbell Biceps Curl
14. Dumbbell Flat Bench Skull Crusher

Give these exercises a try sometime. 





Workout Wednesday 6/22/16: Today's Energy Systems Workout

Here is the workout I did today.

It was an Energy Systems Workout.  After the Dynamic Warm-Up I performed the following:

1. Sprint 10 yards/walk back
2. Sprint 20 yards/walk back
3. Sprint 30 yards/walk back
4. Sprint 40 yards/walk back
5. Sprint 50 yards/walk back
6. Perform 10 regular burpees
7. Rest for 90-120 seconds

*I did this for five total rounds. 

**At the end of each round I increased the burpees by 5 reps (10, 15, 20, 25, 30 reps respectively).

Give it a try as it was great to do outside.

Contenders vs. Champions

I just recently read The Champion's Comeback by Jim Afremow.  In the book he talks how there are two people who show up in sports and life:  The Contender and the Champion.  Here is the difference between them as stated in the book.

• The Contender:  They are threatened by the prospect of competition and faiure.  They either refuse help or expect others to do the hard work instead of doing it themselves.
• The Champion:  They look for tough challenges and use them as opportunities for growth.  They also look for support and feedback (From coaches, teammates, etc.).

As Afremow states, "A champion, unlike a contender regroups after inevitable setbacks and emerges stronger.  A champion embraces difficult and demanding situations and learns from both triumphs and failures."

"The ability to step up to challenges is important in all aspects of life, and it's a key ingredient of happiness and success."

Going forward decide if you are a Contender or Champion.  Hopefully after reading this you decide to be a Champion and you take risks, learn from them (Good or bad) and keep moving forward.

Thursday Training Tip 6/16/16: Two Simple Progression Tips

In order to get results in the gym progressing either resistance or reps is important when it comes to resistance training.

However, people usually don't progress enough, try to progress to quickly or are confused on the topic in general.

Here are two tips to help you get the most out of progression. 

1. Single Rep Number:  An example of this would be 5 Sets X 5 Reps using the same resistance.  If you take 5 X 5 it equals 25 total reps.  So if you are performing the Barbell Bench Press with 185 lbs. and you complete 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 reps respectively (25 total) you get to increase the resistance.  The following week you increase the resistance to 190 lbs. and complete 5, 5, 4, 4, 3 reps (21 total) you would want to keep the weight the same the following weeks until 25 reps are completed.
2. Rep Range Number: An example of this would be 3 Sets X 10-12 Reps.  If you take 3 X 10 it equals 30 reps (This is the low range).  Multiplying 3 X 12 equals 36 (this is the high range).  If you perform a Barbell Biceps Curl with 65 lbs. and completed 15, 12, 10 reps it equals 37 total reps.  You get to increase the resistance the next time you lift.  If you did 10, 8, 6 it equals 24 reps and you used too much resistance.  In the future you may want to lower it a bit.

I hope this makes sense in your workouts in the future.

Give one of these methods a try and see how they work for you.

Workout Wednesday 6/15/16: F.I.T. Class Workout for Tuesday, June 14th

Here is the format for F.I.T. that I taught at Life Time Athletic/Target Center on June 14th.  The equipment is in the photo and below is the workout in case if you missed it.

All exercises are done in for 15-20 reps in a large circuit format (One exercise done after another in a row with minimal rest in between) for 2-3 rotations based on how much time you have:

1. Figure-8-Band Tube Walk
2. BOSU Hip Raise (1 or 2 legs)
3. BOSU Push Up
4. BOSU Squat
5. Resist-A-Band Seated Row (Sit on the BOSU)
6. BOSU Lunge (Front or rear foot on BOSU)
7. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
8. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift (1 or 2 Legs)
9. Resist-A-Band Biceps Curl
10. BOSU Side Crunch
11. Dumbbell Standing Overhead Triceps Extension
12. BOSU Abdominal Crunch

Give it a try!

Tasty Tuesday Tip 6/14/16: Nuts ARE NOT a Source of Protein!

Many people say they get "Lots of Protein." 

When I ask them where they are getting the majority of their protein from a common answer is "Nuts."

I hate to break the news to everyone but nuts ARE NOT a significant source of protein.  They are a significant source of fat.

Most nut variations (Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, etc.) contain about 5-7 grams of protein/serving.  In the same serving they contain about 6-8 grams of carbohydrates and about 14-17 grams of fat.  Based of this example 50% or more of their calories are from fat.

I am not saying you can't eat nuts, just make sure you get plenty of protein from actual protein sources like meat, eggs, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, protein powders, etc. 

Nuts make a great additional "Secondary Protein" (i.e. one serving can add 5-7 grams of protein to a protein from the list above) or a healthy snack between meals.  However, keep the amount you eat in check.  If you eat four servings of nuts in a day you will get 56-68 grams of fat for 20-28 grams of protein - the fat can add up fast!

Keep this in mind in the future.

Motivation Monday: Adopt a Growth Mindset

One of the keys to having optimal success is to maximize your mindset.  In the book Mindset by Carol Dweck two mindsets are discussed:  Fixed and Growth.

The Fixed Mindset has these characteristics:

• Avoid challenges
• Give up easily when obstacles are in the way
• See effort as fruitless
• Ignore useful negative feedback or criticism
• Feel threatened by the success of others
• As a result they plateau early and achieve less than their full potential
• All this confirms a deterministic view of the world

The Growth Mindset has these characteristics:

• Embrace challenges
• Persist in the face of obstacles or setbacks
• See effort as a path to mastery
• Learn from criticism
• Find lessons and inspiration from the success of others
• As a result they reach ever higher levels of achievement
• All this gives them a great sense of free will

To get optimal success in fitness, finance, friendship, etc. it is important to choose the Growth Mindset.  Always look for ways to get better and if you fail, learn from it and move forward!

60-Day Transformation Tips 1-5

The last five days I have been sharing tips for the Life Time Fitness 60-Day Challenge.  The goal is to give people a tip each day for sixty days on my Facebook Page.  Here are the first five tips:

1. Design your training program ahead of time.
2. Log your food in a nutrition journal.
3. Use the "Jeans Test."
4. Increase your daily steps.
5. Try the "Meat and Nuts Breakfast."

Stay tuned for posts in the near future that describe the above in more detail.

Training Tip 6/10/16: Experiment With Tempo When Lifting

When most people lift weights they usually just lift the weight for the sake of lifting the weight.  If they focus on anything it is usually on how much weight is being lifted and how many reps they are doing.

An easy opportunity to improve your performance in the gym is by experimenting with different lifting tempos.  I give credit to Charles Poliquin for making fitness enthusiasts more aware of the positive impact it can have on resistance training.

He uses a 4-count model for tempo (i.e. 4021 for Barbell Biceps Curls) that goes as follows:

• The "4" represents the eccentric motion.
• The "0" represents the first isometric pause.
• The "2" represents the concentric motion.
• The "1" represents the second eccentric pause.
• *Using the Barbell Biceps Curls exercise as an example you would lower the Barbell for 4-seconds, don't pause on the bottom of the motion (0), lift the Barbell back up for 2-seconds and pause on top of the movement for 1-second.

To get a practical start using tempo on your lifting focus on either the eccentric count or one of the two isometric pauses initially as it is less to think about.  Once you get good at using those focus on continuous reps at tempos of 2010 where you keep the weight moving 2-seconds down and 1-second up with no pauses in between.

Give it a try the next time you lift.

Workout Wednesday 6/8/16: Tuesday's F.I.T. Class

For Workout Wednesday, I am going to give you the workout I did in my F.I.T. Group Exercise class on Tuesday, June 7th at Life Time Athletic/Target Center.

Equipment is shown in the photo and included a Mat, BOSU, Long Resist-A-Band, Figure-8 Band, and 2-3 pairs of Dumbbells.

Dynamic Warm Up:  10 minutes total time.  Each exercise is done for 10-12 reps.

Circuit 1:  2 Sets X 15-20 Reps

1. BOSU Hip Raise
2. BOSU Push Ups
3. Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlifts
4. Resist-A-Band Standing Pull Aparts

Circuit 2: 

1. BOSU Dynamic Plank
2. Resist-A-Band Seated Row (Sit on BOSU)
3. BOSU Squat
4. BOSU Dumbbell Fly 

Circuit 3:

1. BOSU Side Crunch
2. Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
3. BOSU Split Lunge (Front or Rear Foot Elevated)
4. Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Circuit 4:

1. BOSU Abdominal Crunch
2. Dumbbell Side Raise
3. Resist-A-Band Biceps Curl
4. BOSU Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extensions

If you missed class, give it a try.  If you want to have someone tell you what to do when you workout, come to class on Tuesdays at 12:00.

Have a great evening!

Tasty Tuesday Tip 6/7/16: Popcorn Replacement

This weeks Tasty Tuesday Tip involves what many people eat at the movie theater as a treat and that treat is popcorn.

The problem with popcorn purchased at a movie theater such as AMC is it can have anywhere between 225 calories (11 grams of fat) for a small serving to 1,030 calories (41 grams of fat) for a large serving and these servings don't even include butter! [1]

If you want something to snack on without all the calories the next time you go to the movies try Quaker Buttered Popcorn flavored Rice Cakes.  One of these Rice Cakes is around 30 calories with gram of fat.  You could eat the whole bag and get 400 calories with around 12 grams of fat tops.

For people trying to eat heathier when they go to the movies, the Rice Cakes may be the way to go.  In addition a bag of these Rice Cakes costs $2.25 compared to movie popcorn that can be $7-10 based on serving size.

Give them a try sometime.

References:

1. http://www.thedailymeal.com/how-unhealthy-movie-theater-popcorn

Motivational Monday: Sucess Habits of Weathy People

This is from the book The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes on the daily habits of what the wealthiest people in the world.

1. Maintain a to-do list.
2. Wake up 3+ hours before work (To set themselves up for the day).
3. Listen to audiobooks during the commutes.
4. Network 5+ hours each week.
5. Read 30+ minutes each day.
6. Exercise 4 days a week.
7. Eat minimal junk food.
8. Watch 1 hour or less of TV a day.
9. Teach good daily success habits to their children.
10. Make their children volunteer 10+ hours per month.
11. Write down their goals.
12. Focus on accomplishing a specific goal.
13. Believe in lifelong educational self-improvement.
14. Believe good habits create opportunities.
15. Believe bad habits have a negative impact.

As Howes says, “Following all these habits won’t guarantee that you’ll become rich or that you will immediately achieve whatever form of greatness you are after, but they can’t hurt, and they could very well be the springboard you were looking for!”

Give them a try!

Question of Supplements 6/5/16

Question:  What nutritional supplements di you use during your contest prep?

Answer:  The supplements in the photo to the right is what I used.  They included:

• Life Time Fitness Whey Protein (1 Scoop post workout)
• Life Time Fitness Pre-Workout Complex (2 scoops/day with one scoop at 6 am and the second at 8:30-9:00 am just prior to my workout)
• Life Time Fitness BCAA Recovery (2 Scoops during my workout)
• Life Time Fitness Omega-3 Fish Oil (6 Caps/Day divided up into three dosages at breakfast, lunch and diner)
• Life Time Fitness Vitamin D (10,000 i.u./day)
• Life Time Fitness Performance Multi-Vitamin (I took the 3 AM at breakfast and the 3 PM at diner)

Future posts will highlight each of them regarding what they are, what they do, dosage, when to take them, cost and where you can get them. 

These posts will usually be on Sundays and will be called Supplement Spotlight.

Stay tuned!

60-Day Challenge: Why I Am Doing It And How I Will Win My Division

Today was the first day of the weigh ins for the Life Time Fitness 60-Day Challenge.  Once thing that has been cool is there is more encouragement for Life Time employees to do the employee division and there are decent prizes for the winner.

 

I am doing the Employee Transformation Division this year.  I am doing it for the following reasons:

1. I have proven myself pretty credible when it comes to fat loss.  In addition to helping clients achieve great results, I have successfully lost 60+ pounds and have kept it off for 20+ years.  In addition to that I have won three similar Transformation Challenges as well as have competed in six Physique competitions.  I think it is safe to say that I am an expert on fat loss!
2. Although I have done well on fat loss, I want to prove to people as well as myself that I am a credible source when it comes to muscle gain.  My goal for the transformation is to gain as much muscle as possible while gaining minimal fat in the process.
3. I always joke that in the previous 90-Day Challenges the Weight Loss Division and the Transformation Division should be called Weight Loss for People Who Won't See Their Abs and Weight Loss For People Who Can See Their Abs at the end of the challenge respectively.  What I mean by that is that they are both really weight loss challenges and many LTF members who are below 10% body fat usually aren't that motivated to do the challenge because they are lean to begin with.  I want to prove someone who is already really lean can win the thing.

I also intend to win the Employee Transformation Division and this is how I am going to do it:

1. I rarely drink alcohol - that give me an immediate edge in the "Beer & Barbeque" season.
2. My average nightly sleep has only been six hours/night.  If I can up that to 7-8 hours/night it could be a game changer.
3. Even though I did well in my last physique competition, I wasn't as meticulous on nutrition and program design as I could have been.
4. Finally, as much as I hate it, doing two High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sessions/week could be big in the off-season.

Will I win?  We will see and I will keep you posted along the way.  Stay tuned!

 

 



Question of Nutrition 6/2/16

Question:  I love Potato Chips because of the salt and the crunch.  Do you have a suggestion for a snack that still has a salty taste with a crunchy texture that is a heathier option?

Answer:  Try plain Rice Cakes with Salsa.  I have similar cravings and this trick has helped me greatly. 

Regarding brands I would suggest the Quaker Plain Rice Cakes and Pace Chunky Salsa.  With the Rice cakes it doesn't matter if they are salt free or the version with the sodium in as the amount is minimal.  As far as the Salsa, I prefer the Medium flavor as it has a little more kick.

Obviously you can find heathier brands of each at places that sell higher quality food (Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Lakewinds, The Wedge, etc.).  However, what I have listed can be found at most grocery stores as well as stores like Target and Walmart.

Give it a try and let me know if this helps.

Workout Wednesday 6/1/16: Sprint Ladder

Here is a cardio workout that most people can do either indoors (Can be done on a Basketball Court in a Commercial Gym that has one like Life Time Fitness) or it can be done outside.  It is from the book Ultimate Conditioning for Martial Arts by Loren Landow.

Regarding equipment all that is needed is a flat surface (Grass, turf, hardwood floor or a running track) and four cones or markers.

Regarding procedure, do the following:

• Place the four cones on a flat surface at the 0 (Starting point), 10 yard mark, 20 yard mark, and 30 yard mark. 
• Run at 85-100% effort to the 10 yard mark and walk back to the staring point (This is the rest interval). 
• Run 20 yards to the second cone and walk back. 
• Run 30 yards to the third cone and walk back. 
• Run to the 30 yard mark and walk back.
• Run to the 20 yard mark and walk back.
• Finally run to the 10 yard mark and walk back.

The total distance is 120 yards (6 runs/walks).  After the first one is complete rest for 2-3 minutes and repeat the series of 120 yards two or more times based on how much time you have or where it is placed in your program (i.e. Week 1:  2X total, Week 2:  3X total, Week 3:  4X total, Week 4:  2X total).

Give it a try!

Tasty Tuesday Tip/Receipe 5/31/16: Pre-Cook Your Protein

One of the simplest ways to eat better is to pre-cook your meals 2-3 times/week.  When I have clients do this for the first time I usually have them focus on protein. 

In the first photo I am grilling Ground Bison and Ground Turkey.  In the second photo I place the cooked Bison and Turkey patties in glass tuber ware containers after they cool. 

I refrigerate them after that and bring 2-3 patties to work with me each day.  Once at work I can eat them cold or heat them up in the microwave. 

It is a simple tip to keep your protein intake on the higher end. It is also very inexpensive and time efficient compared to eating a similar amount of protein at a restaurant.

Give it a try sometime.

Motivation Monday: Go to the Challenge

For Motivational Monday here is a section from the book The Way of the Seal by Mark Divine:

A unique, if unfair, aspect of our beautiful human condition is that if you avoid challenge, it will come anyhow, bringing with it severe and painful lessons.  The more you try to dodge them or insulate yourself through the trappings of wealth, emotional armor, or numbing agents like alcohol, the harder the challenges become.  I recommend that you take yourself to the challenge instead of waiting for it to come to you as a way to burn off your lethargy in a controlled environment.

Use this advice in the future to look for challenges to beat so you are more prepared when real challenges come to you.  One of the best ways to get started is to try physical challenges that take you out of your comfort level.  Pick some to do on a weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly basis that are measurable.  Take the first step and do one (i.e. running a mile as fast as you can), track how long it took and try to beat that time when you do the challenge again.

Why I Compete In Pysique Shows

Corey Grenz at the
2016 Mr. & Ms. Natural Minnesota

I get asked many times why I compete in physique shows.  It is a good question and here are the answers to that question.

1. I believe everyone has a certain degree of vanity deep down inside.  I am no different I and I don't apologize that I like to see my abs, look the best I can and get compliments as a result!
2. Doing a physique show gives me a written goal with a deadline.  Signing the entry form is the written part and the show date is the deadline.  A written goal with a deadline is much more likely to be achieved than the standard goals that most people have with little or no meaning behind them and don't get achieved as a result.
3. It allows me to "Lead From The Front."  I think most people have had a coach or a teacher with the "Do as I say, not as I do mentality."  This gets old when you are the follower so I prefer being an example as it makes it easier for my clients to follow.
4. It allows me to see measurable change from show to show.  Whether it is scale weight, body composition, circumference measurements, photos or how I place, a physique show allows you to see progress and change in your body.
5. I believe if I do well and change my body in a noticeable way it will inspire others to do the same.
6. Doing a physique show is the best way I know of to stay accountable on my nutrition plan and not gain unnecessary body fat.
7. It forces me to follow a training program between the start and finish dates.  Doing random workouts are OK but following an actual training program can accelerate progress in the gym.

In the near future there will be posts to help people with the Life Time Fitness 60-Day Challenge.  While a contest like this is not as rigorous as an actual physique show (However, it can be if you are serious about winning the $10,000 prize) it is a great way to train like you are doing one and test the waters a bit.

Observations Form the May 2016 Bodybuilding Contest



Today I competed in the NANBF Mr. & Ms. Natural Minnesota Physique Competition.  After a five year lay off I stepped back on stage in the Men's 40-49 Masters Division.  These are my observations/reflections on this show and its prep as well as what I will do differently for the next show.

1.  The Peak Week techniques I did this year made a difference for the better.  Will modify them a bit but the will be very similar in the future.
2. I will get a bit darker than I was and use 1-2 more coats of Pro Tan in addition to what I used.
3. I will do 1-2 HIIT Sessions for cardio in the off-season.  Looking forward to doing outside this summer.
4. I will get one more hour of sleep each night as my average of 6 hours/night is killing my recovery and slowing my progress.
5. Even though my legs are a strength, I have to train them harder than I have been.
 



Corey Grenz 2 weeks prior to the Mr. & Ms. Natural Minnesota

I will conclude this post by saying there are four goals left to accomplish in 2016.  Goal 1 is to not gain a bunch of unnecessary post-show weight like many competitors do.  In fact I will be leaner within 2-4 weeks that I was today.  The second goal is to win the Employee Division of the Life Time Fitness 60-Day Challenge.  I will post how I intend to do that in the near future.  My third goal is to step back on stage and compete in the Northern States Natural Classic in October.  Finally in November I want to do a photo shoot in Las Vegas when my girlfriend competes in the Fitness America competition.

 

I am looking forward to accomplishing these goals!

Optimal performance starts in the mind.  Here is a section from The Mindful Athlete by George Mumford that talks about the concept of flow. 

In the book flow is described as this way: "Flow occurs when both challenges and skills are high and equal to each other."

To perform at the highest level and achieve flow in fitness, athletics and many other things in life Mumford states:

"The real key to high performance and tapping into flow is the ability to direct and channel your strengths and skills fully in the present moment - and that starts in your mind. The flip side is also true.  No matter how strong or skillful you might be, your mind can also impede that talent from being expressed, and it often does so in insidious ways if you don't take care of it.  You've probably heard before, and it's true, that the mind is a muscle.  You need to take care of it through daily practice.  It's that simple and that profound."

The big takeaway from this is train your mind as much if not more than your muscles for optimal success in fitness.

Workout of the Week: 30 Burpees

One of the simplest and most effective fat-burning exercises you can do is a burpee.  However, when most people do them the either only do a few reps or their form is terrible or both.  The next time you do them do 30 reps in a row to feel their full effect. 

I got this idea from the book Spartan Up by Joe De Sena.  When people make a mistake during the Spartan Race they have to do 30 burpees as a penalty.

The next time you work out do 30 in a row and see how you feel.  You can do it at the end of your current workout as a finisher or you can do it all by itself if you are short on equipment.  You can even do multiple sets of 30 burpees if time and energy permit.

However you want to use them just remember this important point -- go for 30 reps in a row.

Give it a try sometime and see how you feel!

Motivation Monday May 23rd, 2016

Here is a quote for Motivation Monday.  It is from J Robinson the Head Wrestling Coach for the Minnesota Gophers.  The image is from www.pinterest.com. Hope you enjoy it and it makes you work harder today and this week!!!

Tip #2: Keep Caffeine in Check

Most people love caffeinated beverages (I do too!).  Th problem is most people either over consume them; drink them at the wrong time or both.  Here are some simple tips to maximize the use of caffeine for exercise performance or fat loss as it works for both goals.

• Try to limit consumption to 400-500 mg/day max (The average 8 oz coffee is about 250 mg).
• Try to stop consumption after 1 pm as taking it after this time can have a negative effect on sleep.
• If possible, only have it every couple of days to maximize its effect.
• Have it prior to working out and avoid having it after the workout.
• There are lots of "Pre Workout" drinks on the market, but good quality coffee works well prior to training.
• If you train in a fasted state (i.e. early in the morning) coffee can make a difference in workout energy and fat burn.

Give these tips a try and see if they make a difference.

Another Simple Training Program

The last post I had a simple 2-day training routine that could be  done three days/week.  Here is a similar program that hits more muscle groups than the previous one.  The previous workout trained four movement patterns and this one trains eight.  It goes as follows:

• Day 1:  Squat Exercise/Vertical Pull Exercise
• Day 2:  Knee Flexion Exercise/Horizontal Press Exercise
• Day 3:  Lunge Exercise/Horizontal Pull Exercise
• Day 4:  Hip Hinge Exercise/Vertical Press Exercise

You can do the workout four days/week (i.e. Monday, Wednesday, Friday) or you can do it three days/week with the forth workout done the next week and then repeat.

Enjoy!

Stupid Simple Training Program That Works

Recently a friend of mine did really well in the Life Time Fitness 90-Day Challenge following this resistance training program:

• Day 1:  Barbell Front Squats/Barbell Standing Military Press (Done in an alternating style).
• Day 2:  Barbell Deadlifts/Pull Ups (Done in an alternating style)
• *Every once in a while he threw in Dumbbell Arnold Presses or Rows if he felt like it and time permitted.

He alternated the workouts 3-4 days/week and did light cardio and/or intervals on some of the other days.

It is a good example that sometimes less is more.

Future posts will give more details on workouts like the above.

Tip #1: Participate in a Tranformation Contest

Most people have a goal to look thier best for the summer.  However, they often fall short of thier goal because they lose motivation after a while.  

This year to stay motivated try the Life Time Fitness 60-Day Challenge.  It is $30-35 to enter and there are two divisions:  Weight Loss and Transformation.  

The grand prize for winning each is $10,000.  Even if you don't win the grand prize I have seen people make great changes (Results of 10-20 lbs or 4-6% body fat lost are very realistic) during contests like these as good competition brings out the best in people. 

Give it a try and look and feel your best this summer!

Group Fitness Teaching Schedule (5/9/16-5/15/16)

Here is my Group Fitness Teaching Schedule at Life Time Athletic/Target Center the week of 5/9/16-5/15/16:

• Monday, 5/9 @ 11:45 am:  Total Conditioning (subbing for Heather Corndorf)
• Tuesday, 5/10 @ 12:00 pm:  F.I.T. (Subbing for Michelle LaFrance)
• Tuesday, 5/10 @ 5:30 pm:  Barbell Strength
• Wednesday, 5/11 @ 11:45 am:  Barbell Strength
• Thursday, 5/12 @ 12:00 pm:  C9 Challenge
• Thursday, 5/12 @ 5:30 pm:  Barbell Strength
• Friday, 5/13 @ 11:45 am:  Total Conditioning (subbing for Michelle LaFrance)

Hope to see you in class this week!!!

My Training Goals for 2016

Here are my training goals for 2016:

1. May 28th:  Get back on stage and compete in the Masters (40-49) division at the Natural Minnesota Bodybuilding & Physique show.
2. May 28th:  Place "Top 5" in my division at the Natural Minnesota Bodybuilding & Physique show.
3. June 4th:  Start the Life Time Fitness 60-Day Challenge.
4. August 6th:  Finish the Life Time Fitness 60-Day Challenge.
5. October 22nd:  Compete in the Masters (40-49) division and 40+ Pro Qualifier division at the Northern States Classic Bodybuiling & Physique show and place "Top 5" in both.
6. November 16th:  Get a professional photo shoot done at the Fitness America/Musclemania show at Las Vegas.

In future posts I will write about these in more detail.

Stay tuned!