Anonymous Thank You...

I receive 'thank you' notes a lot from clients when they reach goals. Weight loss goals, strength training goals, all kinds of goals. I don't post them online or tell others about the thank you because it is a personal message. The post below was a recent message I received from a client. This is not saying that any other thank you that I have received in the past didn't mean the same to me as this does. But, the last few lines of this note, are the reason why I am so passionate about educating others...


"So I am sitting with some of the girls at lunch today talking about food and "diet" and what kinds of foods they should be eating and if it werent for you I would be probably agreeing with them but instead I am looking at them and thinking "You have no idea". Mind you these are woman who are already over weight and probably will stay over weight for the rest of their lives. I did try and add some of my knowlege I learned from you, but I felt like they just didnt want to hear it.........I wanted to yell at them and say WAKE UP. Thank you for your knowlege in Nutrition and teaching me how to eat better and be more healthy."


This makes it all worth it :-)

... you haven't truly helped someone, until you have helped them help someone else

Getting a Trainer...

Happy New Year! Where did 2011 go? It seems as if yesterday that we were ringing in last year. I hope that everyone had a safe, happy, and (un)healthy new year's! Now, back to business :-)

Like many other fitness professionals, I have seen a spike in people's Facebook & Twitter feeds, as well as received messages about New Year's Resolutions. The most common new year's resolution is involving fitness. While many people have a resolution to lose "X" number of pounds, some have goals that include activities such as marathons, races, various exercise competitions etc. The corporate fitness industry has realized this a long time ago, and has taken full advantage of the idea of people willing to spend more money around the first of the year on their health. Gym memberships change their rates, exercise clothing costing a certain amount, even personal trainers are getting involved in the hype.

Which leads me to my, what will seem like to some if not many, rant...

BE CAREFUL

I have received a lot of messages lately about people inquiring about my training services. I have also received just as many messages from people about my suggestions on hiring a trainer. It can be very confusing and frustrating when you are new into the fitness world to find that right person. So here is my long and short on the matter. If you don't like it, then why are you reading my page?

Education 

The ugly truth is, it doesn't take much to be a personal trainer/fitness coach. In fact, most training certifications simply require a high school education (or equivalent) and to pass a written exam. Even more so, if you fail the exam, you have sometimes up to 5 more attempts to pass (with passing being a 60-70%). Additionally, to give yourself the title of Fitness Anything (coach, consultant, professional, etc), you don't need to present any certification. 

On the same note, a fitness certification does not mean that the person always knows what they are talking about. Now, before all of the trainers reading this throw a hissy fit, I am putting myself into this category as well. A few letters behind my name on a business card aren't the reason to consider myself a good fitness coach. Over the course of my fitness career (coming up on 10 years, wow I am getting old), I have acquired 7 different fitness certifications. I am going to be completely honest with you... I studied for 1 (one) of them. And, I'll be very upfront on this... it wasn't my CrossFit Certification. I attended the weekend seminar for CrossFit and took the exam with almost a year between the two. Now, not all of my certifications are relevant to the current fitness profession that I am in, but, nevertheless I still have them. Would look pretty fancy if I had B.S. NASM C.P.T., P.E.S., C.E.S., ISSA C.P.T., ACE, ACSM, NESTA, CSCS, L1, OLY all behind my name, right? No, it's a waste of space. Some certifications can be taken online as well. Remember when you took an online exam in school? And you "swore that you didn't look up any information on the Internet while taking the exam." And I am sure none of us ever had someone take an online exam for us. Who would ever do that in their right mind?

So, in terms of education, what makes someone creditable? 

Experience in the field of health & wellness need to be taken into consideration when choosing a trainer. What's their reputation and track record? Are they keeping up to date with the current health and fitness education? Do they continue to educate themselves? Do you know someone who has used them AND succeeded? Additionally, and probably more so, practical application of knowledge is the best way to see if someone knows what they are talking about. I am not saying you should ask your trainer a million questions about Golgi apparatus or muscle spindles (although they should know both by the way). However, you want to make sure that they AT LEAST have a strong educational base of how to help YOU. It doesn't matter if they rushed for 1,000 yards in college (or insert any form or former athletic achievement you want) if you're interested in strengthening your core, losing 10 lbs, gaining more muscle tone, or whatever. They should know You, inside and out.

Which leads me to my next point...

Former Athletes DO NOT = Fitness Professionals

Just because someone was once a talented athlete, that does not give them current credibility in the fitness industry. I am no different in this category as well. I come from an extensive athletic background, one of which I am very proud of and love talking about, but that doesn't mean I know what I am talking about in terms of fitness. While I believe that former athletes understand what it takes to achieve a goal better than some, it does not give them the knowledge needed to call themselves a fitness professional. There are times (and I myself am guilty of this before) that a former athlete will think "Well, I did it this way, and it worked for me. So this must be the only way to do it." Someone who lost 10 lbs in order to move better on the court doesn't mean that someone that wants to lose 10 lbs to not be so winded on the stairs should go through the same program. 

While I do not believe that a person must be in the best shape of their life to be educated on health and fitness, if they look like they need a trainer themselves, you may want to consider other options. I do not expect my trainer to be the best at everything they coach me through. But I don't want someone that has trouble climbing the stairs talking to me about cardiorespiratory endurance/efficiency. I don't want someone that can't, or no proven record of, lift weights coaching me on how to properly weight train. And I especially don't want advice on how to eat from someone that looks like they just robbed a Dairy Queen.

And on to...

Nutrition

You trainer and/or fitness coach needs to have a solid background in many different nutritional plans. The statement above of "worked for me" doesn't always cut it. There is no lack of nutritional information available these days. Simply type in the word 'FOOD' in a search engine and you can get lost for days. This diet, that diet, eat this, don't eat that, cut this out, don't eat after this time, GOODNESS!

Often times a trainer or coach will have one or two nutritional plans that they feel work best for the vast majority of people. But you, the client, MUST be upfront with what your goals are. Nutrition is 70% of the work that goes into fitness. Your trainer should know the difference between a diet and a nutritional plan. Too often I see or hear about trainers writing "diets" for their clients and it makes me want to grab them by the neck. You cannot live your life by eating on a 'diet.' Nutrition is not a 3 week fix. Nutrition (and exercise) are a life-long journey. Your trainer should have an understanding of food and how it fuels the body. Also, how fuel can improve things such as immune system, organ function, the central nervous system, and often times take the place of improperly used supplements. Which leads me to the next section...

Supplements

You are going to have a hard time these days trying to find a trainer that isn't connected to some supplement company. Granted, there are a few that completely swear against any and all kinds of supplements, but they are few and far between.

I myself endorse certain supplements and the companies associated with them. You need to do your research first and foremost and figure out what the supplement is that the trainer is recommending to you. Why this supplement? Do I really need to take it? What happens if I don't? And any other question you can think of. Additionally, you need to find out why the trainer is recommending a certain brand (if any). At the end of the day, if a trainer tells you one brand over another, there is a god chance they are paid to do so. This DOES NOT mean that the supplement is bad. I repeat, just because a trainer makes a profit from a certain company, does not mean that it is a poor supplement. I endorse certain supplements because I BELIEVE in what they do. My clients will tell you, I am very upfront about supplements, all of them. I encourage questions about all supplements, endorsed by me or not. There are no lack of companies in the supplement industry, good companies too. On the same token, there are companies that do not put as much time, research, or funds into their product. Ask your trainer why they are recommending a certain brand. Also, ask them if they themselves use the product - that is often a good indicator if the trainer trusts the product. I have had many trainers over the years, and when the topic of supplementation comes up, my first question is "Do/Would you take it?"

Trust

At the end of the day, you need to trust your trainer. It doesn't matter how many people they have helped lose weight, or how much stronger they made someone. If you don't have a trusting relationship with your fitness coach, it won't work. You can build trust with them any way you seem fit. But if you don't, then you just spent a lot of money to be really upset. 

If you have any questions about finding a good trainer, please don't hesitate to ask. I have many friends around the country and would be more than happy to help in finding a good, trustworthy trainer. Remember, hiring someone to help you reach your fitness goals is not cheap. Good training (exercise, supplements, nutritional consultation, advice, help) isn't cheap. Cheap training isn't good.

For those who are reading this and consider themselves fitness professionals: If I have upset you, then remind me to not come to you for training advice. You're probably in the above mentioned.

The 13th Month...

The longest and most difficult month of the year isn't even on the calendar. It is the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's just one thing after another! It's cold outside = less motivation to go to the gym. It starts with an epic meal = Food Coma. Holiday party after holiday party after holiday party = COOKIES!

For those of you that are doing the holiday challenge, keep up your hard work! I love getting texts and e-mails and phone calls about how you have lost weight, felt better, Prd and so forth! You're all doing great!

On the same note, don't cut yourself away from society. I am a big fan of the no sugar plan, believe me. However, that doesn't mean I am going to be 'that guy' who doesn't try one of Tess Brown's cupcakes!

Enjoy yourself during the holiday season, just don't go overboard with it. Treat it like any other time of the year: Have a realization that this Saturday or next Friday you have a party that you're going to. Make smarter choices more often, so you can allow yourself the cookie :)

Being Healthy...Online??

Over the past 6 weeks, I have had a lot of time to become catabolic. For those of you that I just lost with the big word, stay with me. Being in a state of "catabolism" aka - catabolic, is when your body is no longer producing muscle. In fact, it isn't even retaining muscle, it's going in the reverse direction. The other end of the spectrum is called being anabolic. When the body is anabolic, it is producing muscle. The point at which the body has reached a level where it can no longer produce any more muscle (for various amounts of time - a workout, an event, sometimes longer) is called the anabolic threshold. This is where the highest point at which lactic production exceeds lactic acid removal (our bodies cue to stop). Athletes will train their anabolic threshold to withstand longer durations of intense activity, to optimize their performance.


What's my point? 


In an interview at The 2011 Reebok CrossFit Games, Greg Glassman, founder and CEO of CrossFit, proclaimed that years back he assisted Dr. Barry Sears (www.zonediet.com) in a study on the effects of nutrition and training being independent of one another. They found that in terms of being catabolic, you could group people into one of two categories. One group were those that did not eat correctly, but they trained and exercised (at different levels of volume and intensity). The other group did just the opposite: They ate correctly, but did not exercise. What he said that they found, was that both groups found themselves at the same level of catabolism. 


Still...what's my point??


Sometimes we find ourselves in ruts. We train as hard as we can (or think we can in most cases) but we aren't getting the results that we want. I found myself in the opposite circumstance but same situation. I ate right, but still lost muscle mass over the past 6 weeks (technically it's been close to 3 months). While I understood the necessity of strength training, I was somewhat in disbelief at the velocity at which catabolism has happened.


With this being the age of the internet, there is no lack of knowledge out there on health & fitness. Countless tips, pieces of advice, recipes, workouts, you name it. It is so easy to get caught up in it all. On the same note, there is no lack of CRAP that gets put out there too! Countless tips, recipes, pieces of advice, workouts, you name it! You have to be careful what you read - in any endeavor. Find a trusted source, and stick with them.


On November 28, our 5 week Body Transformation Challenge will begin. I too (yes, you got it - Mr. Health and Fitness needs a boost) will be partaking in the challenge. I am looking forward to putting my mind and body to work once again, getting myself back on track.

New Perspective...

The month of October has got to be one of the most interesting months of my entire life. Many times, when a statement like that is made, it is followed with "Where do I begin?" Well, I know exactly where I will begin... the beginning of the month.

Early in the month of October (the 6th to be exact) I underwent major back surgery. At 25 years old, you think you are invincible. Young, fit, handsome (you really thought I would leave that out?), and above everything else - naive. The surgery itself went extremely well, and I am recovering quickly. The first few weeks post-op were what you would call a 'learning experience' if anything else, for I relied on family and friends for almost everything. I can't thank them enough for helping me, they are truly remarkable and I am proud to have them as a support system.

October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I am proud to be associated with a non-profit organization called 'Mammograms in Action.' MIA raises money for uninsured and/or financially unable women & men under the age of 40 to receive a mammogram. It's a fantastic organization. You can visit www.mammogramsinaction.org to learn more information (and to DONATE!). During the month of October, MIA hosted the 'Pink Bra Tour' as part of their Barbells For Boobs (B4B) project. The Pink Bra Tour started with a single fundraising event in Southern California, and consisted of the B4B team driving across the country, stopping at over 17 different events, raising money and awareness all in the name of breast cancer. Grants were presented at different locations to local cancer centers, for funding towards mammograms. The end result was over 1/2 million dollars raised. 

My association with the tour was two-fold. First, my local gym, CrossFit New Albany, hosted the 14th registered stop on the tour. This was such an amazing experience to be a part of. Helping plan an event like this gave me not only a new appreciation for the work that goes into event planning, but also a sincere devotion towards the organization. I wanted to badly for our event to be a success, and became engulfed with finding as much information as I could about how we can help in the fight against breast cancer.

Secondly, I was invited by the B4B crew to continue with them for the final two stop on the tour. One being CrossFit Long Island City in New York, the second (and last event) at CrossFit New England in Massachusetts. I am extremely honored to be a part of this tour. Even though I was only with this team for the final weekend, I got to meet some amazing people and made amazing friends. We shared stories, laughed, and enjoyed each other's company entirely. The experience is one that I will never forget, and am already looking forward to the next one.

Having the surgery - being unable to help myself in ways that seemed so miniscule - being unable to assist with things while on the tour such as moving equipment - and just simply being able to tie my shoes for the first time all month without pain - puts many things into perspective. As CrossFitters, it is very easy to get caught up into the sport of exercise. How fast our Fran time is, how much we can deadlift, what our Fight Gone Bad score is, etc. I truly believe that you can break down CrossFit into both a type of fitness, and a sport. And there is a distinct difference between the two. This is not saying that someone that uses CrossFit as a fitness isn't able to be a phenomenal athlete, but there is a difference between playing in a basketball league 3 days a week and the NBA (one difference being that the basketball league is still in session, while currently the NBA is not...too soon?).

While I would love to be a professional CrossFitter, and believe that I have the ability to do so, I also understand that there is more to life than just the sport. I train, eat right, recover, repeat. I also want to help thousands if not millions in a positive way. I also want to be able to bend and pick up my grandchildren. CrossFit was by no way the cause for my back injury, but training will be put on the back burner for a few months. 2013 - watch out.

For everyone that was involved in my October, I thank you. There are two months left for 2011 (where the hell did all the time go???). I hope that you, just as I will attempt, make them everything you hope they will be. God Bless.

One Month Later...

So I might of had some surgery...

So, you may have been wondering where I have been this past month? Or, you probably didn't even think twice about it and got on with your life like everyone else.

The epidural steroid injection (ESI) had a 50/50 chance of relieving the pain. There was the option to receive 3 injections over the course of 18 weeks. But I was in such pain that surgery wasn't even a matter of questioning anymore, I had to have it.

The doctors operated on 3 discs (L4, L5, and S1). The procedure took about 3 hours, and I have a long road ahead of me in terms of recovery (look at least 6 months before I begin Olympic lifting/Crossfitting again).

The pain medication has put a small limit on my appetite (with the exception of my amazing friends that have brought me food). I've only been able to really eat one meal per day. The rest of my nutrition has been coming in the form of supplementation. The shakes have been a huge help, as well as the concentrated fruit and vegetables supplement and twist tube. I have been taking in a large amount of both Omega-3 and Omega-6. The Omega-3 has come from the Ocean Essentials Balanced Health and Heart Health, while the Omega-6 has come from CLA. I've also been making sure to snack on things such as walnuts, pistachios (both high Omega-3 nuts) and grapes, which are high in fiber.

While this is an extremely humbling experience (do you have any idea what it's like to ask you aunt to lift the toilet seat for you?), I am coming along and getting stronger every day.

Thank you to everyone that has stopped by. The food, movies, gifts, and well-wishes make this process all the easier. Thank you.

4-6 Weeks

Big sucker, isn't he?

Yesterday I had an Epidural Steroid Injection (ESI). No, I did not give birth to a child.

I have two severely bulged discs in my back, my L4 & L5. The initial injury happened close to 2 years ago during a rugby season. And, being the stereotypical male that I am, I thought I didn't need to get it checked out. Then, just after the injury, someone asked "Hey, have you ever tried a workout called 'Fran'?"

CrossFit is not the reason for my injury. Lack of attention to something that needed to be looked at is the reason.

So, I got the ESI. They injected the epidural steroid in-between my L4 & L5 discs. The idea behind it is to strengthen both discs and that they will fuse back together. In about a week I should be relieved from the pain that I've been having for the past year down my leg. I'm supposed to take it very easy the next few days, and I have at minimum 4-6 of no CrossFit (per injection, I may need up to 3). Push ups, strict pull ups, and some Prone Press Ups. I may need another injection in 6 weeks, but we will cross that bridge when we get there.

Rather than be all down in the dumps, why not take this time to learn some things? Particularly, with nutrition. Over the next 4-6 weeks (whichever the doctor tells me), I will be experimenting with Paleo, without exercising. I know how my body reacts when I eat crappy and try to work out. But what about eating strictly clean and not busting my tail at the same time? I am going to keep the same regime of supplements that I do, with the exception of pre-workout and post-workout.

I am interested in seeing how my body will react. I'm probably going to go nuts not being able to workout, but at least I get to do something :)