Albert K. Park

New Year = New Website -> A Place for Your Fitness Lifestyle

2011-01-15T16:12:00.000-08:00

This Blog has a Brand New Home!

www.TheTrainingLifestyle.com

Please bookmark the new page and sign up for the Newsletter so you can get Live updates on New Posts and Tons of Free Content.

Chaos Christmas Shopping, Brand NEW Website, and An Anti-Holiday Fat Gain Workout

2010-12-18T21:07:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Albert here and I hope all of you are doing well…

I just wanted to talk to you about my new website that is about to launch in January (this is why there haven’t been many articles recently) and share this kick ass anti-holiday weight gain workout but first, I need to get something off my chest…

If you are out battling the Christmas shopping population and getting your list finished in primetime mayhem, do me a favor and keep your horror stories to yourself. I don’t need to hear about things I already know.

Yes, I’m sure the parking lots were crazy...even the below average driving population need to buy gifts.
Of course there was someone dragging their kids around with those doggy leash backpacks. (Please don’t leash your kids, people are making fun of you)
I already assume that you ran into that one other shopper that ruined your day by fu*king you and everyone else over by asking dumb questions, causing a scene and backing up the line out the door, or brought their confrontation inducing inner diva mentality with them to the mall.
And lastly, I probably could have already told you that the stores would be packed like a FREE Krispy Kreme donut giveaway inside of a summer Fat Camp (All jokes aside, obesity is not just a concern it’s a frickin epidemic people!)

But don’t get me wrong, I’m by no means an Ebenezer Scrooge. I’m just a man seeking some “joy to the world” this time of year.

I know that chaotic mass consumerism during the holidays can only lead to domestic war and in an effort to maintain mental health, I strategize my contribution to boosting our dog sh*t economy by shopping last minute alongside my fellow male species.

There is nothing like getting your Christmas shopping done with only a handful of frantic males at the mall trying to figure out how to get the “right” gift for their significant others without setting the bar to high for next year in an honest attempt to avoid financial suicide.

Again, I am no scrooge. By all means get the girl you love a kick ass gift! I am just trying to say, I have my shopping strategies for a reason and they have been tried and tested over time to be successful. I am hoping to 4-peat this year!

Okay now that I have fully vented and got some things off my chest, let’s continue…

For the past couple years of my personal training career I have maintained this blog mainly as a means for me to keep track of everything I was learning. I never expected this many people to follow my articles…to tell you the truth I didn’t think that anybody would read it.

Over time a ridiculous amount of people started sending me emails with questions on everything from fat loss, muscle gain, and even relationship advice (save your jokes). All these people were not only reading the blog, they were following it.

The blog I kept mainly for myself quickly transitioned into a go to information hub for fitness enthusiasts and people seeking real fitness results. It got to the point where I had a sh*t ton of article requests and needed to do something…

So…

I decided to get a Brand NEW blog based website deisgned that would allow me to more effectively share FREE content and my passion for fitness. But in the brainstorming and designing process I realized that everyone who frequented the blog shared one major commonality.

Fitness meant more to them than just going to the gym and working-out, it was a vital lifeline in continually improving the quality of their lives.

Fitness? A lifeline?

Yeah! A Lifeline!

“Fit” wasn’t a new years resolution or temporary life stage phase to any of you, it was a lifestyle.

My new website is zoom focused and catered to the individual who is passionate about living THE Fit Lifestyle. This website is being made for YOU.

New features on the website include:

All NEW look and design for easier navigating and improving overall experience!
Tons of Brand NEW and FREE content on fat loss, supplements, nutrition, muscle gain, workouts, groundbreaking studies, and all about living the fit lifestyle!
I will have the sh*t load of Viewer requested articles coming out as I was finally able to write them!
More Pictures, Videos, and multimedia elements.
Guest Posts and interviews!
More FREE content including E-books and newsletter! (make sure you sign up for the newsletter)

The goal for this project was to design a place that you could go to and be understood. I wanted to offer you a destination where you could escape reality for a slight moment and get into your zone, our zone (because there is more of us who live the fit lifestyle out there than you think).

This is a site where you can read and learn, find out more, and be entertained by everything the fit lifestyle has to offer.

I promise to keep to New site entertaining...Okay hmmm... maybe not quite like this.

I quickly found out in my reading career, which probably started post-college to be honest (please refrain from laughing), that I only read things that entertained me. If it didn’t keep my attention, there wasn’t a chance in hell I would finish it.

Center for kids who can't read good!

So when I write now, I write always asking myself if I would read this shit. What I’m trying to say is, I’m no distinguished writer. I just know that like you, I love reading and learning about fitness but I don’t want to have to read a damn textbook to get the info.

Conclusion

I will sum it up with one sentence.

Come to my New website next month at the start of the New Year, sign up for the FREE newsletter, and prepare to finally have a place to go where you can nourish your fit lifestyle!

Okay, one more thing.

I promise to keep it bad ass as long as it is in existence! (That’s quite a serious commitment!)

Now onto the last matter at hand…your anti-holiday weight gain workout!

With the increasing amount of bullsh*t we have to face during this holiday season (Christmas shopping-cough, cough), I find that I can continually depend on training to loyally offer a means to stay level headed, offer an effective form of stress relief, and bottom line make me happy.

For me, training is like a roller coaster…it can make you throw up sometimes but the majority of the time you can count on it to give you a damn good thrill and if you do choose to go for the ride, you won’t ever regeret it. (Insert Albert’s evil smile here)

Alright on with the show…

I am going to share with you a workout that will viscously fight back relentless holiday FAT that strategizes sly attacks in the form of delicious eggnog (no, spiking your eggnog does not make it okay), carb overloaded Christmas smorgasbords, sweet but bad intentioned little gingerbread men, and any other joyous snacks you can justify eating with the phrase “But it’s Christmas!”

This isn’t Christmas... This is SPARTACUS!

This is the infamous SPARTACUS workout my Elite Small Group Personal Training members have a love-hate relationship with. It’s a High Intensity Interval based workout that is the perfect remedy for a case of Holiday weight gain.

What you will need to perform this workout is a visible clock or timer, a small open space (enough for you to do a burpee and lay down), a resistance band or a pair of dumbbells, and yourself.

Directions:

You will be performing all the exercises following a 50 second work period and than a 10 second break. Follow this time template through all 10 exercises.

So, for the work periods you will perform as many reps with good form as possible in 50 seconds, break for 10 seconds, and then start on the next exercise for another 50 seconds, followed by the 10 seconds break. Repeat this pattern all the way until your done.

Note: You get out what you put in, and intensity will be the x factor here. Push an uncomfortable pace for each work period. Pretend I am right next to you continually gauging your level of intensity. (p.s. I can tell when people are giving a bullsh*t effort)

If you’re going to train, train hard!

Also, make sure to follow the order of exercises as listed. I received an email one time from a guy who said he tried one of the barbell complexes I posted and wasn’t impressed. I was a little shocked because even our top-level athletes struggle with this workout but later I came to find that he changed the order of the entire program. The program was specifically written in a way to increase difficulty and maximize total effort. What an idiot!

Conclusion = Follow the program

After you complete 1 round, rest 1-2 minutes. (1 round = 1 time through all 10 exercises) Repeat for 2-3 rounds.

I have also added progressions to increase difficulty for appropriate exercises. So if you can perform the standard exercise with proper form fairly easily, step your game up with the suggested progressions!

Spartacus Workout - 50/10

1. Body weight squats (Progression = Body Weight Jump Squats)

2. Pushups

3. Reverse Alternating Lunges (Progression = hold dumbbells for added resistance)

4. Bent over rows with resistance band or dumbbells (Progression = add a 3 second hold at the top of row)

5. Squat Presses (Progression = single arm squat press, make sure to do other arm the next round)

6. V - sits

7. Burpees (Progression = hold onto the dumbbells the entire time)

8. Lateral Lunges (Progression = hold dumbbells)

9. Mountain Climbers

10. Side Plank (switch half way)

So there it is, Spartacus, chaos Christmas shopping, and the first announcement of My new website launching next month!

I would love to hear how your Spartacus experience went, email me: albykennethpark@gmail.com. Let me know if it wasn’t difficult enough, you really liked it and want more workouts like this, or have any other questions or comments.

Don’t forget to come check out my NEW website launching in January (new website address will be posted on this blog or check out my Facebook Fan Page AlbertPark'sCompleteFitnessExperience

Also when the New website launches make sure you sign up for the FREE newsletter so you can receive even more FREE content and updates for NEW blog posts.

See you all in January!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas & Happy New Years!

Burn Body Fat and Get Lean Fast

2010-11-17T14:35:00.000-08:00

Hey there, it’s Albert and I hope everything is going good for you… this is the article where I am going to reveal 1 kick ass workout that is going to get your body to burn body fat and get lean fast.

I actually just got done doing some weighted chain pull-ups for max reps in between training two of my favorite small groups. The second group has one of my clients that “love’s” this workout and I think he may have thrown up doing it last time.

Despite his weak stomach he really does train hard but there is one thing that bugs me about him. He has this cousin and his cousin is a douche bag. One thing that gets under my skin is when people put others down for being successful and reaching their goals.

Let’s call my client Zanzabar (sorry I didn’t ask him yet if I could use his real name so I just gave him this sweet ass name) and through hard training, Zanzabar lost about 20 lbs in around 4 weeks earlier this year. Pretty awesome right? His cousin didn’t think so and has been trying to put him down and make him feel inferior to his “Bodybuilding, bench press on Monday, and finish every workout with bicep curls” training style.

After Zanzabar told me about this I got a little crazy and told him that I wanted his cousin to come in for a free training session with me! It’s been 5 months and I am still waiting.

Anyways… On to how to Burn Body Fat and Get Lean Fast

Let me get one point across, your body is amazing in the sense that your muscles will respond to nearly any kind of training as long as it’s challenging and not the same workout you have been doing for the last 3 months.

What is the workout?

It’s called Escalating Density Training or EDT for short. What the workout calls for is performing all the exercises for the set amount of reps as many times through for the set amount of time!

One thing you will notice… This is completely different from what you are used to. Don’t underestimate the simplicity of this workout. Intensity will be the X factor here.

Level 1 Workout

Perform all exercises back to back with no rest for the entire time period.

Time period: 10 min

Exercises:

Pushups x 10 reps

Alternating Reverse Lunges x 10 reps each leg

Inverted Body Weight Row x 10 reps

Prisoner Body Weight Squats x 10 reps

Level 2 Workout

Perform all exercises back to back with no rest for the entire time period.

Time: 15 min

Exercises:

Explosive Pushups x 8 reps

Weighted Alternating Reverse Lunges x 8 reps

Elevated feet Inverted Body Weight Row x 8 reps (feet on a bench)

Prisoner Jump Squats x 8 reps

This workout will get you pushing past your usual comfort level and if you bring the intensity, I guarantee you this will be a fat shredding and lean muscle-building workout. If you are looking to top your workout off with a crazy ab finisher, try this – 2 minute ab finisher.

I know that all of you are going to go out there and crush this workout and I really want to know how it went and how you got through it, post a comment, it really does mean a lot to me. While all of you are out there training to burn body fat and get lean fast I will still be waiting for Zanzabar’s cousin to come in and get his ass kicked.

My Secret To Losing Weight and Staying in Shape: If you don’t like it, I don’t care – Attitude!

2010-11-10T15:15:00.000-08:00

The quality of your workout is influenced before you even walk through the doors to your gym. Believe it or not your training starts the moment you decide that you even want to workout. Your attitude towards your commitment, training, and the workout that particular day can set the pace for your results. So ask yourself, can you already tell what kind of workout your going to have before you’re even at the gym?

This is Real Attitude

Okay, I know that this sounds like another self-motivational book or a Tony Robbins seminar but I am only bringing this to your attention because we can all so easily get lost in Bad attitudes. I’m talking about Bad attitudes like a teenager dealing with roller coaster hormones, pro active worthy acne, and a serious identity crisis. But unlike teenagers, we don’t have a parent, teacher, or coach to tell us to “Check our attitudes.” So, here is your chance.

One of my favorite fitness coaches, Todd Durkin – trainer to Drew Brees and owner of Fitness Quest 10, says, “Your attitude can reflect your altitude.” Damn, isn’t that the truth. Your perception of your training easily effects how successful you are in reaching your goals. If you are dreading your workout and have to keep writing it down on your to-do list, chances are your progress is going to be suffering from a serious lack of results.

Here are some ways to overcome bad attitudes..

Write your Goals down

For a lot of individuals, (men, cough, cough) commitment can be a scary thing. In fitness, this is no different. Everybody wants to lose weight, get lean, and look great but when it comes time to seriously commit, people quickly shy away.

Verbal commitments don’t count for much these days, I’m sure you have a sketchy friend who says they will always be there, if you don’t, you probably are that friend. I see the same dry verbal commitments in fitness. So, the first step to the right attitude for training is writing your goals down. Write it down the old fashion way with a pen and a paper. Yes, Microsoft word will spell check it for you but there is something about writing it by hand that makes it so much more official.

Another thing you should incorporate into this hand written document is “BE SPECIFIC”. Writing down I want to get in shape is not enough. Sit down with a cup of coffee and seriously think about what you want to achieve. How much weight do you want to lose, when do you want to lose it by, and why do you want to lose this weight are all great starting points for you.

Put Your Goals Somewhere You Can See Everyday

This step is easy because the hard part of writing your goals down is over. Now, you need to put this piece of paper somewhere you can see it every single day. It’s not only going to be a reminder of what you committed yourself to but it’s going to be an attitude check system whenever you start acting like a punk ass teenager.

Just because you wrote your goals down doesn’t mean your going to remember them. It’s like that ab crunch machine you purchased on a TV infomercial that promised you a 6 pack in 3 weeks. It doesn’t work if it’s sitting in your closet, out of sight, and out of use. So make sure you put this attitude check system paper somewhere you can “REALLY” see it. I mean really see it.

Spread The Word About Your Goals

Before you take this advice to heart I will share a small story to put the main idea into perspective. I used to always run into this guy at the gym I worked out in college. He was a nice guy but every time I talked to him he rambled on about how he was trying to bulk up and hit PR’s on the bench press and bicep curls. His rant was endless and made me want to shoot myself in the face. So when I say tell people about your goals, I want you to tell people in the less annoying way possible. Don’t be the douchebag at the gym everyone goes out of their way to avoid.

By telling your friends and family about your goals, you are creating a personal accountability circle for yourself. The next time you see them, if your not ranting on about your fitness goals all the time, they will probably ask to see how your training is going. I am always adamant about doing something I said I was going to do and when people know about it, I go out of my way to get it done fast.

We have all heard “Have a positive attitude!” all our lives that a lot of us are desensitized to the intention behind the overused coaching slogan. In fitness, it’s not just having a “positive” attitude but an attitude that is serious about training and seeing real results. This has truly been the secret to my results. Ice cube said it best in this case, “Check yo’self before you wreck yo’self!”

5 Reasons to Train in a Group: Join a Wolf Pack

2010-11-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

“You guys might not know this, but I consider myself a bit of a loner. I tend to think of myself as a one-man wolf pack. But when my sister brought Doug home, I knew he was one of my own. And my wolf pack... it grew by one. So there... there were two of us in the wolf pack... I was alone first in the pack, and then Doug joined in later. And six months ago, when Doug introduced me to you guys, I thought, "Wait a second, could it be?" And now I know for sure, I just added two more guys to my wolf pack. Four of us wolves, running around the desert together, in Las Vegas, looking for strippers and cocaine. So tonight, I make a toast!” – Alan (from the Hangover)

When a group comes together to achieve a common goal, each individual increases their chances at getting closer to achieving their ambitions. In fitness this couldn’t be truer. Group training stretches far and wide including: military forces, professional sports teams, and even chemotherapy patients all train together. The group dynamic offers such key elements to becoming successful in obtaining your goal; I can’t believe that people still train alone. It’s like seeing somebody with a box Nokia cell phone playing snake, (I loved that game by the way) it’s just outdated.

The Elements of training in a Wolf Pack

1. Atmosphere

I remember in college my friends and I headed down to Mexico for spring break. (Don’t judge me) As we walked the streets in search of any kind of cheap alcohol, it seemed as if every single business was promoting this club called Iggy’s. Being the 19-year-old testosterone raging college males, we instantly got excited. That night we walked into a giant club, only to see 15 people. The place was deserted and we were heartbroken and vowed to never return.

The next night we sifted through a huge crowd on our way to the beach in search of, yes you guessed it, alcohol. The line was so huge that we had to ask what the hell was going on, it turned out that the line was for none other than club Iggy’s. We were confused but immediately got into the line deserting our plans for the beach. With some 2000 people packed into the club we found out that Young Buck from G unit (again, please don’t judge me) would be performing. The night was epic.

The level of fun, performance, and effort you put into an activity or workout can depend on the atmosphere. Training in a group that shares the same fitness passion that you have can provide an environment ideal for intensity and obtaining results. The difference can be as drastic as Iggy’s with 15 people in it and Iggy’s with 2000 people + Young Buck.

2. Competition

Are you competitive? If not, maybe it’s time to try it out. I see athletes hit performance levels they never could have ever dreamed about when they are competing. It’s inevitable to not compete a little when you are training in a group setting. Don’t think of it as who is the best but how can I push myself and others in my group.

3. Accountability

The easiest person to convince is you! Imagine coming home after a long day at work after your boss just chewed your ass out and all you want to do is grab a beer or glass of wine and sit. You know you need to go to the gym but you want to sit on your ass. Finally, you tell yourself that working out can wait until tomorrow. Pattern repeats throughout the week.

Not going wouldn’t even be a choice if you had a training partner or group you were suppose to meet at the gym. Accountability is something that we all need in many areas of our lives and finding people who keep us chasing our goals is vital to our success.

4. Safety

Safety is first. A lot of trainers and gyms will share this rule, rule #1 don’t get hurt. When your hurt not only does it suck but it means that you can’t train anymore. By training in a group you have the valuable asset of a spotter if not multiple eyes watching you all the time. I don’t know about you but the more people making sure I don’t get hurt, the better.

5. Results

Numbers 1-4 are all great but number 5 is what it all boils down to. If there are no results then there is no reason to even be in the gym. Training in a group straight up produces results. You push harder, stay consistent, and see results. Get in a mother freaking group.

18 Best Foods for Women

2010-10-28T02:03:00.000-07:00

After a couple days of research, eating with a woman and reading about women’s diets I have compiled a list of awesome foods. This isn’t a list for a hardcore diet or a body builders meal plan. These are foods for real women who live in a real world and want to see real results. It’s not all about “skinny bitch” starve my ass off diets or 40 day grape fruit juice cleanses. It’s about educating yourself on healthier choices and improving the quality of your life.

So, the next time you swerve into a drive through or reach for those chips, think about your next workout. Your nutrition can directly influence your performance in your workout. Every training session is an opportunity to make yourself better and every time you eat can control the quality of that training session. Read through this pile and know what your going to eat before the next time you go workout.

1. Avocados

Not all fat is bad and if you want to burn fat, you have to eat some quality fat. Try this cholesterol lowering power monounsaturated fat in order keep your body strong and pain-free. Studies have found that low fat diets weaken muscles and joints so try eating just a few slices a day to boost fat for you.

2. Bagels Whole Grain

Carbs? Yes, carbs. With protein focused diets flooding the diet scene people forget that when you eat can be just as important as what you eat. Take in this complex carb prior to an intense training session. The complex grain will provide you with a slow digesting steady flow of energy instead of a one-punch sprint.

3. Bananas

Remember when your mom told you to eat a banana for potassium and to prevent cramping, well she was right! Bananas are packed with nearly 400 miligrams of potassium and can help with muscle cramping. You can also eat a banana to load up on carb-fueled energy, a banana can contain up to 20 grams of carbs, which is as much as 2 slices of whole wheat bread.

4. Yogurt

This is a great way to get in some energy, protein, and keep the stomach feeling easy. Have you every skipped out on a meal before working out in fear of getting an upset stomach? Yogurt digests quickly and can offer you that quick punch of energy.

5. Carrots

Raw carrots pack a huge punch as an ideal snack. These complex carbs have the ability to provide energy to muscles and potassium to control blood pressure. Best thing is that a half-cup is only 35 calories.

6. Cereal (Whole Grain with Non fat Milk)

Cereal is not just for breakfast anymore! Researchers have found that consuming a bowl of this complex carb mix with nonfat milk 60 minutes prior to working out has the ability to provide you with the perfect exercise fuel. Look for cereals containing muscle building protein and complex carb energy.

7. Chicken

Low levels of iron and zinc will lead to a zap in your energy. Chicken or turkey has the ability to deliver both of these vital elements into your system. They are a low fat option to get iron, zinc, and b vitamins that women need in their diets.

8. Chocolate Milk (low-fat)

Albert, did you say chocolate milk? Yes I did! Milk is a lot more than just calcium and strong bones. It has the ability to give you a lot of energy while keeping the calories low. Chocolate milk has a unique ability to deliver calcium, vitamins, and minerals just as well as a post workout shake. Drink this yummy drink to help replenish muscles.

9. Cottage Cheese (low fat)

If you’re big on texture like me, this one may be challenging but there are too many benefits to ignore this power food. For a ½ cup serving, low fat cottage cheese can contain up to 14 grams of protein, 75 milligrams of calcium and 5 grams of carbs. If you need a protein boost, this is the perfect snack.

10. Cranberries

Urinary tract infections don’t stand a chance if your consuming the proanthocyanin packed fruit. Consume these dried before or after your workout to aid with energy and recovery.

11. Eggs

Egg yolks are packed with lecithin, which is crucial for brain health. Make sure to gets these protein packed items in early in the morning too boost brain function when you need it.

12. Flaxseed

Digestive problems call for fiber and Flaxseeds are there to deliver. Try ground flaxseeds to regulate your digestion and keep you healthy. They contain both soluble and insoluble fiber that will continue to keep you from running to the bathroom during your workouts. That just sounds like it sucks.

13. Hummus

Hummus is no longer for hipsters, go green activists, and sorority girls. This is a protein rich, complex carb, and unsaturated fat that packs a mean punch for staying healthy. The fact that it is usually made with olive oil, which contains vital fats for fighting breast cancer and weight gain, also helps. Time to jump on the hummus bandwagon.

14. Oranges

My mom preached about vitamin c day in and day out. Well, she was right again. Thanks mom. 1 orange contains 75 milligrams of vitamin c, more than enough for what a women needs each day. Plus, they are easy to carry around and smell good when you peel them. Sorry, I am all about the small details.

15. Peanuts

Help spare your glycogen stores during a workout by snacking on some peanuts before training. The fats from this small snack will help fuel you with high energy so you can put forth a 100 percent effort when your training. Take advantage of the fact that they also contain high amounts of protein as well!

16. Potatoes

When I say potatoes, I mean baked or sweet potatoes. Not mashed potatoes smothered in gravy. If you are looking to make sure your muscles perform properly and you are able to stay hydrated, try taking in this electrolyte balancing food. It is loaded with potassium and sodium that will maintain fluid balance. Skip the gravy.

17. Salmon

Have you ever complained about your midsection and how that is the only place you can’t lose weight. Look no further! Recent studies have shown that the monounsaturated fats and omega 3 fats found in salmon help lessen abdominal fat. Damn, I think it’s time to start eating more salmon.

18. Whey Protein

If you are looking to gain lean muscle and tighten everything up, this needs to be on your list. This actually should be number 1 on your list. Whey protein is packed with amino acids that play a crucial role in building and recovering muscle. Also it digests fast and gets to muscles fairly fast, allowing you to recover and go hard again the next workout.

Wrong Turns: Getting Back on Track to Finish Strong

2010-10-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

I truly believe that I have an innate ability for direction and refuse to use navigation systems and GPS applications. Give me the directions and I am going to find it. I’m sure most of you men out there will share this mentality with me. In our heads we are all Bear Grylls, in reality, well fu*k reality I want to be Bear. Unfortunately, when it comes to locating “baby showers” my powers are thrown off and wrong turns happen.

While I was navigating dark residential streets desperately hoping for a main road I couldn’t help but think how much getting off track sucked. You lose time, motivation, and it’s a little bit embarrassing especially for a self-proclaimed navigational expert. Even with the small goal of attending an event, not knowing where the hell I was had my mind running down a list of doubts.

1. Why am I even going?

2. What else could I be doing?

3. Will this even be worth the time?

4. Baby Shower? Really?

Wrong turns on the road are one thing but wrong turns in life can make you want to give up. Giving up has never been in my vocabulary I didn’t say it when I was a kid, I didn’t say it when I had a final the next day and didn’t go to class even once or buy the book, and I won’t say it now. Your success depends on your perseverance and ability to navigate back to the path you were once steam-rolling on towards results.

Wrong Turns in Nutrition

For any individual who has ever tried to get in shape, Nutrition is war. It is a relentless battle that never goes away and will always be ready to attack when you are weak. The truth is you can’t always be strong. Understanding that you will fail every once in awhile is important. So don’t go drink yourself into obliteration because you ate a slice of pizza. Just get back on track with your goals.

If you really want to think about it, your chances for wrong turns with nutrition are quite high. They are even higher if you have a lot of friends. Consider what you and your friends usually do when you get together. Eat? Drink? Happy Hour? All of the above? See, there will be casualties in this war. Will power isn’t enough because friends are too damn good with peer pressure and it’s so hard to pass up a good time. What you need to do is strategize.

Strategies can win wars. Instead of going out with your friends 3-4 times out of your week for happy hour, limit yourself to 1. Invite them over to your place so you can control what is available to eat and drink. Strategies will always be more effective then will power. Also, drop the friend who has convinced himself that he is the next roommate on jersey shore.

Wrong Turns in Training

The main problem I have seen with training is a lack there of. For 2 or 3 weeks you go 110% because you are excited about the goals you have set for yourself. By week 4 you start trading training days for other things. Your friend is having a birthday, you need to go grocery shopping, and whatever else you can think of. You have to realize that training for goals is not a sprint; it is a long and testing marathon run. Consistency will prove to be your best friend but wrong turns can trigger a barrage of other problems with training, the main one being not training at all.

Anyone who trains at Hocevar Performance, has heard me say “How bad do you want it?” once in their life if not a 1,000 times. It’s simple but honest and real. This is why I love saying it. How bad do you want to see your results and watch your quality of life improve?

It won’t take Sherlock to figure this wrong turn out. If you’ve stopped training get back on the road the gym and start getting active.

Wrong Turns in Life

A great thing about life is that nothing is for certain. You can sit and plan all you want but there is no guarantee it’s going to happen that way. Odds are they won’t. When you get thrown a curveball, adjusting and adapting is what makes the process truly an art. It’s not about going by the book and following instructions; it’s about carving your own damn path. If you know where you’re going, it doesn’t matter how you get there, as long as you don’t give up on the way.

I remember in college I was registering for classes online and I couldn’t get into a class I wanted. I emailed the professor, updated the registry page in hopes of someone dropping, and even got onto the waiting list. Getting into this class became an obsession. It wasn’t because the professor was great or the class was interesting, it was because I didn’t want to stray off my path! (Someone has to do seriously do something about this registration process, ridiculous!)

I never got into the class but ended up taking the same class with a different professor at a different time. The professor ended up being awesome and I was 1 of 3 guys in a class filled with 40 girls! Nice! Even though I strayed off my path, I took the opportunity and made the most of it. Turned out to be a pretty good opportunity.

Conclusion

After reassuring people on the phone that I wasn’t lost, even though I was, I finally made it to the baby shower. Wrong turns and all, I finally made it. The Baby Shower was executed perfectly and I had a great time. I never knew how much society instills color preferences between genders until now. Fu*kin Pink, no comment. In all seriousness, I was thankful for the wrong turns I took on the way because it reminded me of how things don’t always go according to plan and how we respond to these situations will ultimately determine our ability to achieve goals.

Oh yeah, I got lost on the way home too. Lesson learned again.

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.”

– Confucius

2 Minute Ab Finisher

2010-10-19T00:48:00.000-07:00

As much as it hurts, people want to feel the “burn”. Are we all just crazy? We all complain about being sore but complain even more when we’re not. Clients come back like addicts to the gym looking for another ass kicking workout. Is this a phenomenon or just plain insanity?

We identify being sore and feeling the “burn” with evidence of hard work. It’s like a pat on the back for working out and without it, sometimes we get down on ourselves. Have you ever thought that you didn’t workout hard enough if you weren’t sore the next day? Okay, so you know what I’m talking about. When your not sore it doesn’t mean that you didn’t train hard by any means but I have a workout for you to make sure that you feel a burn.

After being hounded by clients for an ab workout, I finally gave in. I guess front squats weren’t emphasizing the abs enough. The ab workout comes in the form of a “finisher” (finisher = to end a client’s session with immense muscle burning) and the best thing is it only takes 2 minutes.

The Workout

Directions: Perform as many reps with good form as possible in the 30 seconds for each exercise. Do not rest until you finish all the exercise. Perform 1-3 sets if desired. 1 will be enough.

30 seconds – v sits

30 seconds – toe touches

30 seconds – Russian twist

30 seconds – front plank

At first glance this doesn’t even look like much of a challenge. Well check yo’self before you wreck yo’self. This workout will only give back as much as you put in. This means that if you are slacking in form or intensity, you won’t get shit from the workout. On the other hand, if you push yourself to blow past your pain threshold and dig out reps until you start seeing a bright little light, you will be well on your way.

The Fun Effect: Living Happy, Training Hard, and Loving it!

2010-10-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

I can distinctly remember back to Mrs. Grahams’ 4^th grade class sitting in 4 desk pods pretending to be paying attention. First was the pledge of allegiance, than some multiplication tables, and who knows maybe throw in some stuff about planets. The truth was I did two things. Doodle on paper and look forward to recess (sorry mom and dad). Doodling took care of the boredom during class until our teacher got up and opened that glorious door, our portal to an endless supply of fun.

Every time that door swung open and she said those magical words that still bring chills down my spin “Class, you are excused!”, I would walk calmly to the door (only because running was prohibited in class) and than break out like a wild ass spider monkey once my foot was outside.

Compare this childhood excitement for physical activity to what you feel like before you go to the gym. Is working out something you dread? Does it feel like a chore? Do you break out like a wild ass spider monkey when you know you are going to go workout? Training and fitness is a choice we make. It is a choice to improve the quality of your life and make things better. It’s needs to be exciting! An important aspect you have to consider is how much fun you are having working out because even though I am not in 4^th grade anymore, if it’s not fun, I still won’t do it.

For me, recess was a smorgasbord of sports and activities. It was filled with things like soccer, basketball, wall ball, and random shit that we would just make up. Yes, think back and remember how creative you used to be. Did you ever play chicken wrestling on the monkey bars? Two kids would start on each end of the monkey bars and move towards each other until they were close enough to wrestle each other with their legs. The loser would fall to the ground, laugh, and get back in line. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, don’t judge me.

The important thing is that no matter what the activity was, recess was fun and we played our little hearts out. I would come back to class literally dripping with sweat and ruining whatever outfit my mom made me wear. To this day, I can’t even look at a turtleneck without squirming. The point is that when an activity becomes fun, you lose yourself in it. Like the 9-year-old Albert, who searched for glory at recess, you need to search for your ability to have fun in a fit lifestyle.

Before you go back to the gym or go workout, you need to ask yourself if you are having fun. Are you enjoying each opportunity you have to improve the quality of your life? Challenge yourself, switch your routine, or try an activity that has been on your bucket list. Honestly, the clients at our gym that see the greatest results discover the fun effect. The switch goes off in their head and they realize that facing the challenge is part of the fun and not torture.

As a trainer, a big aspect of program design with everyday people is considering the question, is the workout fun? If people don’t enjoy it, they won’t do it.

Some ways to make your workout fun

1. Time Challenges: Time yourself to see how long it take you to finish a 1mile run or a Body Weight challenge? Attempt it again in 1 or 2 weeks and try to beat your time.

2. Try an activity you have been wanting to do: If hot yoga, mountain biking, or riding horses has been on your mind, stop bullshitting and go do it. Life is short, do what you love. Take this opportunity as a wake up call because if your not careful, 10 years will have gone by with you saying that you have been wanting to try “X”.

3. Change up your program: Who likes going into the gym and always doing the same thing. 3 sets of 8 reps of the same damn exercises every week. 45 min walking on the treadmill for cardio, (oh and putting it on incline doesn’t count as enough variation. Heard it probably 768,391 times, or something like that)

4. Start training with a partner or in a group setting (read warning prior to taking this step): Training in a group atmosphere can be an amazing experience. The intensity is contagious and will take your performance up another level. WARNING: Training with a meathead/douche bag or an individual not so serious about training can reverse the effects of a positive experience. Make sure to pick a group or another individual who can at the very least match your intensity. I repeat stay away from the d-bags and d-baggetes. (Yes girls can be douche bags too)

The fun effect can be the catalyst to helping you achieve your results. Diversify your training to include activities you enjoy. Life is short, enjoy every single moment, even working out. I see too many shows dragging obese clients through a gauntlet of humiliating physical activities. Those people do not look like they are enjoying one second of it. Is this the only way to get results? Heeeellllll no! . Take the 9 year old Albert’s enthusiasm and go do something you like, been wanting to do, or just feel good doing and I promise the results will come.

Want Bigger Arms? Sure you do! - Train with Bands!

2010-10-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

I made an attempt to dedicate this morning to some reading but ended up getting lost in the depths of youtube watching everything from 50 tyson videos (You need to see this) to clips of the world’s strongest kid. Don’t judge me, we all do it. After realizing an unproductive hour had gone by I got up off my ass and made it to my gym, for some activation/stretching drills.

50 tyson video - Try not to laugh.

15 minutes of forced stretching is no fun especially after doing a lower body intensive workout the night before so, I decided to treat myself. Some people treat themselves to some sweets or extra carbs, I treat myself with an arm day!

Last week, I remembered reading an article by Dave Tate on the Band Man, Dick Hartzell. It covered the incredible benefits of training with bands and had a sample arm workout that could, in 4 -6 weeks, add an inch to your pipes. Anything Dave Tate says, I usually shut up and follow. So I dropped the usual barbell curls and skull crushers for this short but intense arm-blasting workout.

With a medium sized band, I worked both biceps and triceps in 2 supersets. The first was band hammer curls with tricep pushdowns and the second was band palm up curls with overhead tricep extensions. By the time I was done, I had a crazy pump and my veins were popping like a junkie after their first relapse out of rehab.

Before you start, you need to find one good overhead anchor point for the tricep pushdowns and the overhead tricep extensions. A pull up bar will work perfect. For the curls, your feet in a shoulder width stance will work as a great anchor point.

The Workout

Perform each exercise with fluid motions and go immediately to the next exercise in the superset before taking your rest. Rest 1 min before repeating. I recommend an active recovery rest, planks worked awesome for me.

Remember that although you are performing each rep with a fast and fluid motion you want to contract all your muscles so your body stays rigid. You will quickly realize how much muscle recruitment working with bands requires.

I performed both supersets for 3 sets. Try 2-3 sets.

1a.) Band Hammer curls x 20

Grab the bands in a neutral grip and perform full motion reps. Full motion means all the way down to your lap and all the way up to about your shoulders. Be sure to move from the elbow and not let the elbows move backwards.

1b.) Tricep Extensions x 20

When performing this exercise make sure to squeeze your ass and abs in order to stay in full control. Lock the arms out completely at the bottom of the movement.

2a.) Band Palm Up Curls x 20

This time, the grip will be holding the band with your palms facing up. Again complete a full range motion while squeezing your butt tight.

2b.) Tricep Overhead Extension x 20

Perform the tricep extensions in a split stance making sure to keep the abs contracted. This is one movement that can get out of control if you don’t keep your entire body contracted.

This is an opportunity for you to try an effective training style and get a real pump. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. You have been doing dumbbell curls for the last 5 years, one workout is not going to take you away from them.

Not only do bands require an intense amount of muscle recruitment, it will allow you to hit full muscle fatigue. You have to continually look for different ways of adding resistance in order to improve. Here is one to help you take it to that next level.

What is All This Worth To You? - How to avoid Gym, Tan, Laundry!

2010-10-07T02:28:00.000-07:00

As a trainer it is important to sit down and pick the brains of potential clients. Why are they training? What goals do they have? What is the motivating factor behind why they came to me? All these are pretty much standard questions that I ask in an initial consultation. Most answers usually start off with I want a six pack, I want to lose 10 pounds because I’m going on vacation in a month, or the most common and vague answer, I just want to get in shape. I love this last one, gives me so much insight into the individual.

I will admit sometimes I get so caught up in my client’s progress and being on their team I forget to ask myself the same questions. I was reminded of this today when I met with a new client for a meet and greet. As we got to know each other, I asked one of my go-to questions. What is getting in shape and the results worth to you?

I will tell you right now that it’s not easy for me to get lost in a moment (epic movie scenes don’t count) and let my mind start running off into the labyrinth of my imagination, especially during a client consultation but it did. I couldn’t stop it. It just took off like tiger woods making his getaway in the escalade. What, too soon? Don’t worry I love the guy. In the middle of her response, I was asking myself the same thing. What is all this training and fitness worth to me?

We trainers often get a bad reputation. It’s not all about the beach muscles, hair gel (I sport a buzz cut by the way), and yelling “1 more rep”. For me, my health/staying fit is worth all the money and hard work in the world. By continually striving to improve, I am practicing what I preach so I can lead by example and help more people. My fitness is going to determine how much energy I have for everyone who believes in me to help them and it’s going to motivate me to work just as hard in the other areas of my life. So I need to be at the top of my game!

My mind took off so fast, I was thinking about being healthy in order to offer my unborn kids a father who would have enough energy to always be there for them. This was an instant red flag for me to come back to reality (although it was true). Earth to Albert, what the fu*k are you thinking about these days.

As we concluded our assessment and she went home, I was left alone with my thoughts again. I got real philosophical at this point. Life comes at you fast and often times we get caught up in all the bullshit and end up going through the motions like zombies. We lose sight of the purpose and let the passion leak until the engine light comes on.

If you’re looking for a fire to be lit under your ass or you’re an individual who relies on hits of motivation to keep you high. Try just stopping everything for 5 minutes to just sit and think. What is this all worth to me? It will either be a punch in the stomach or a pat on your back (gold star for you). Either way I bet you will think back to when you started and get reunited with the things in your life that motivated you to start changing.

Fitness is definitely a path with tons of ups and downs. Kind of like a jersey shore episode. In the midst of all the chaos, it is imperative to revaluate your goals and think about what being fit is worth to you. I bet you come to realize that it’s worth a lot more than you thought. Without stopping to think, you may find yourself just going through the motions and repeating Gym, Tan, Laundry.

Race Against Time: Training for Time vs. Rep/Sets

2010-10-04T16:18:00.001-07:00

We can all get burned out training with the traditional rep and set schemes. Does 8 reps of 3 sets sound familiar or how about 6 reps of 4 sets? Yes, we were all taught to weight train this way and if you walk into any gym in the country you will find people working out this way. The problem is that without increasing resistance and continually changing exercises the results stop coming.

Dan John (Strength & Conditioning Coach) says in Never Let Go, “programs will be effective for 4-6 weeks, you need to change it up.” So how long have you been training with 8 -10 reps? If you’re not monitoring maximum rep percentages and training with a specific program you can be slowing down your progress. A lot of us will get done with an exercise feeling you could have done more weight or one extra rep. This is an instant red flag that something needs to change, more resistance. Weight and reps are not the only ways you can increase resistance. You can make the workout more difficult by experimenting with tempo, complex movements, supersets, and more challenging exercises.

Are you feeling a little lost yet? No worries just breathe and keep reading. At Hocevar Performance, my clients use a variety of training methods. One method that is great for fat loss and gaining lean muscle mass is training with time. Training for time ensures a full out effort without the guesswork of how much weight to use, since we will be incorporating body weight exercises, and offers an opportunity to continually improve.

Training with Time….

For most exercises I start clients off with 40 seconds of work and a 20 second break or 50 seconds of work and a 10 second break. This basically means that you will be working hard, performing as many reps as you can in the work period and then resting for the specific amount of rest time. We will usually work with 2-3 rounds without stopping.

Training with a specific time schedule will be a rude wake up call. Kind of like your alarm clock after the third snooze. Take the opportunity to track your progress as well. See how many reps you get the first time you do the workout, than after a week try it again. I bet you that you will see improvement. There is nothing like training with goals.

5 minute Fat blasting Sample Workout

Try this full body workout that utilizes a 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of break time.

1. Body Weight Squats

2. Pushups

3. Lunges (alternating)

4. Band Rows or Pull Ups (Some kind of horizontal Pulling movement)

5. V-sits

This is a 5 minute Rapid Fat Loss Circuit that will allow you to push yourself to your full potential. The workout will also give you an opportunity to set some goals (beating your previous number of reps) and go after them. An important note is that when you train with time, you really do get out what you put in. Intensity is everything and you are the only one who controls how great your workout can be.

Pushing your tempo and intensity can be a difficult aspect in training especially if you are training with rep and set schemes. I warn you now that when you train with time not only will you fatigue your muscles, you will be sweating. I often get cursed out, evil stares, and sometimes a physical threat when I put my clients through these timed training sessions. Don’t worry, they aren’t crazy, they’re just working hard. Please feel free to curse my name when your trying this new training method out!

We Are Truly a Rare Breed!

2010-09-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

As much as I want to believe that everyone is compelled to live healthy and active lives, this is not the truth. In fact, individuals like us are the minority. Most of us fitness heads are alone in a group of friends. Think about how many friends you have. Now ask yourself, do you have to sift through all of them to find that one other friend who likes to workout to go to the gym or on a run with you? Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. We all have done it. The reality is that we are in fact a rare breed but possess an incredible ability to positively influence others and welcome them into our unique tribe.

I was reminded of our minority status while grabbing some dinner with a friend of mine. He had invited some of his friends who were visiting from out of town and I got the opportunity to get to know them over dinner and some microbrews. We talked about everything from Jersey shore (love this show) to BP’s oil catastrophe and the night was entertaining. Eventually fitness popped up as we learned about each other’s careers and I was instantly thrown into the hot seat. (Insert the Hot Seat music from “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” here)

Before I could ask for the check, I was getting grilled like a burger on the 4^th of July. They couldn’t stop criticizing the training lifestyle. No aspect of fitness was safe as they went on to talk about how gross protein shakes were and voiced negative opinions on the growing obsession people had with working out. Although I do agree with them on the dangers of societies negative pressures in obtaining an ideal body image, I had to let them know that I was part of a different genre of fitness freaks.

I am part of a unique tribe that has “healthy” and “fit”, engraved into their DNA. It’s not a hobby and no it’s not a phase I’m going through, it is a lifestyle. No, I’m not alone. We are running in the streets, hiking on trails, taking over gyms, and training in our homes. The growth of this group is exponential because the passion for a better life is contagious.

This isn’t something you can read about and comprehend; you have to catch the feeling to truly understand. The feeling ignites a new vigor for life and opens your eyes to an unlimited potential. I truly do feel that we owe it to ourselves and others to live dedicated to longevity and health. We owe it to our kids, our co-workers, our friends, our families, and everyone we come into contact with to be able to give them our best. We can’t let something we can control, like our fitness and health, hold us back from giving our best.

Let me get one point very clear. Do not mistake us for the annoying gym hooligan. You can spot them out at any gym, just look for the “socializer”, usually dressed in color coordinating workout clothes and has more gym accessories than sweat on their shirt. Their workout includes a warm up on the treadmill, 35 minutes of socializing, 1 machine exercise, and then an unnecessary post workout supplement drink.

To the outsider, what we do, how we live, how we train, and how we eat is completely foreign and weird. It’s crazy! All we can do is smile and think about the next time we train. We are everyday people that live everyday lives but train like psychos and eat like cavemen.

It’s a part of me and I can’t stop it!

It was too hard for me to organize the rest of my thoughts so I just started listing reasons that make us a unique tribe dedicated to being fit and healthy. See if any of these describe you and if you have any more you would like to add, please post them or email me, I would love to see more.

1. We can’t help but live a training focused life, it’s not a chore or hobby, it’s a lifestyle.

2. Our results reflect our hard work and nobody can take that away from us. Calloused hands, is something we are proud of!

3. Training doesn’t stop at the gym doors, it overflows into every aspect of our lives. (That’s why we are carrying water jugs and eat prepared meals)

4. Our passion for health, fitness, and longevity in life is what unites us and makes us who we are.

5. It’s not working out, it’s called training.

6. It’s not about the muscles and abs, well not all the time, it’s about improving the quality of our lives and those around us.

7. We are everywhere. We are mothers and fathers, we are doctors, we are lawyers, we are athletes, we are science geeks, we are the ones checking out your groceries, we are the ones selling you your shoes, we are corporate, we are manual labor. We are everywhere. (This isn’t a reason but it’s so true)

8. There are no initiation fees or contracts to sign. You just know when you become one of us. You may find yourself just going for a run because you love it.

9. We are not the ones with color coordinated gym outfits or shiny new gym shoes. Our shirts are torn, our shoes are worn down, and we are in the gym for one reason. To work hard and make ourselves better.

10. There are no excuses and obstacles for us, only reasons to train harder and challenges to overcome.

Do You Have What it Takes?

2010-09-21T23:56:00.000-07:00

As a personal trainer and strength coach I always have individuals coming up to me to stir up conversation on training and fitness. I love what I do so I am happy to oblige. Then comes the curve ball. Wherever the conversation may head it always comes back to that individual and their pursuit on fitness and “talking” about coming in to check out the gym and see what we are all about. Many “talk”, few actually make the leap.

Lately I’ve been getting a lot of emails and comments about articles for guys and training for individuals, not just guys, that want to take it to the next level. Well here it is. This is an opportunity for you training nuts who are in a never-ending search for the ultimate workout to push yourselves and for all you individuals who want to come in and train (Now you can get a taste without having to come in). In this article I will save you the banter and give it to you straight with no chaser. For you guys out there, save yourself the cold shoulder from me and stop bragging about your bodybuilding training sessions that get you nowhere. Try these workouts and then we’ll talk!

Warning: These exercises are not for the “talkers”. You either train like this or you don’t.

Workout 1 – Barbell Complex

Directions: Complete all exercises for the listed reps before dropping the barbell. This is a training method I use for all my clients whether your an athlete or an individual striving for fat loss goals.

Load the barbell up with a weight you can perform the hardest exercise for the amount of reps. This exercise will probably be a military press! There is no room for ego’s here because it’s better to get through the workout than STOP and give up because you thought you had big enough guns but forgot the ammo.

Complete 8 reps for all exercises, then 7, 6, 5….1. Rest 1-2 minutes as necessary.

Make sure not to bounce with the knees and squeeze the glutes to assist with spinal and core stability. It’s not a rep if you don’t lock out the arms and make sure to finish slightly behind your head.

1. Hang Clean

2. Front Squat

3. Standing Military Press (You know what a good rep is, arms locked out without help from the knees. This is not a push press)

4. Back Squat

5. Bent over rows

6. Lunges (each leg)

7. Bicep Curls

8. Dead lifts ( Just to mid chin)

Albert’s Advice: Make sure to pick a weight that you can perform the most difficult exercise for the listed amount of reps. It will only get harder. Remember, you do not drop the bar until all the exercises are completed. Can you say Time under Tension!

Workout 2 - Bodyweight 500

Directions: Perform all the bodyweight exercises back to back with no rest as fast as possible. Although time is a goal, it does not allow you to sacrifice form. Be honest with yourself and make sure you perform a complete rep for each exercise.

Everyone has heard of the Bodyweight “300” challenge, I’m sure many of our bootcampers are cursing me right now and yelling into their computer screens. This is an advanced version of the “300”, just for you individuals who knock bodyweight training. (especially all you body part split guys out there) Get through this workout without being sore the next day and I will congratulate you while I call you a liar. Good luck.

Jump Squats x 25 reps

Body Weight Squats x 25 reps

Pushups x 50 reps

Lunges Left Leg x 50 reps

Lunges Right Leg x 50 reps

V sits x 50 reps

Tuck Jumps x 25 reps

Narrow Pushups x 50 reps

Toe Touches x 25 reps

Mountain Climbers x 50 reps

Jumping Jacks x 50 reps

Burpees x 50 reps

These are two challenging workouts that should put your fitness level in perspective. This isn’t easy for anyone, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t complete it the first time. Work up to it and keep training hard! Let me know how each workout goes, I would love some emails and comments.

Fitness tips made SIMPLE!

2010-09-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t been following the fashion trends for men lately, let me give you a quick update, shit has hit the fan. Skinny jeans, bedazzled t-shirts, shirts with more buttons then areas to close up, and 400 dollar jeans guard the outskirts of any men’s section at any given store. Your “style” can get so complicated that you forget what you want and start wearing things you don’t even like or whatever the pretty girl working at the store told you looked good. With a trip to the mall last week, I left empty handed and more sure of my style and training methods than ever, t-shirt and jeans for life, simple.

(Yes, this is a guy. Hahaha)

Just like fashion, fitness has a trend of making things more complicated than they really are. After you decide you want to get in shape you are then forced to face the industries barrage of marketing and bullshit.

In a persistent wave of Booty Burn 5000 dvd’s, crazy fad diets, orange juice cleanses, and other infomercial worthy products you have to sift through and find what works. All I can say is step back for one second. Ignore your friends who have been raving about how they have only been drinking grapefruit juice for the last 3 weeks and lost 10 pounds, and breathe.

Okay, now you’re ready for the ground breaking training and nutrition advice. Keep it simple! The clients at my gym that see the most results learn how to adapt into simple.

Simple Nutrition Strategies

1. Drink Water and nothing else

2. Eat every 2-3 hours

3. Eat protein at every meal

4. Prepare your meals

5. Don’t have crap in the house

Simple Workout Strategies

1. Work your entire body every workout

2. Incorporate rest days

3. Change your program every 6 weeks

4. Run sprints

5. Train with intensity! Your training doesn't mean anything if there is no intensity!

Use these simple strategies to keep your training and nutrition simple. You have enough things complicating your life, training and nutrition shouldn’t be one of them. These are basic and simple strategies to get the momentum going for your transformation. After you develop some good habits than you can look into the booty burn 5000 dvd’s and whatever else that floats your boat.

The last pair of clothing I bought were some plain Nike sweatpants and I can’t stop wearing them. They are simple, fashionably acceptable, and get the job done. No skinny jeans for this guy! The same is with my training methods. There is no need to do dumbbell curls while balancing on a bosu ball and practicing breathing techniques. Dan John, amazing Strength & Conditioning Coach says in his book “Never Let Go”, “7.) Keep it simple. Less is more, 8.) You have to put the bar over your head. 9.) Put the bar on the floor and pick it up a bunch of different ways.”

Less is More!

Full Body Workout in 15 minutes or less!

2010-09-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

Your time is valuable! So, why would you waste extra time in the gym? I am going to show you how you can get a great workout in 15 minutes and build a beach ready body in the fall!

Last week, I sat down with a client who was really concerned about the upcoming months and being able to train.

“ I have so much on my plate!”

She rallied off a to do list that made me literally cringe in disgust. When our lives get busy, who really organizes their schedule to give themselves more time in the gym? Working out usually falls to the bottom of our list of priorities and often times gets bumped off of our to do list. This doesn’t have to happen because time is not a measure of the effectiveness of a workout!

After riding out her panic attack, we got down to strategizing a way to fit training into her busy life. The clients that see the most results at my gym workout following a High Intensity Interval Training style that focuses on intensity. This would be our tool in helping her see even more results.

So in between dropping kids off, making dinner, and work; we found a 15-minute window for her to get a workout in. She was skeptical at first, (I always love a skeptic) but she soon became a believer!

The Workout

Perform all the exercises in a circuit. Do 10 reps of each exercise and as many sets (times through) as possible in 15 minutes. Rest shortly, when you need to. Resume exercises and keep working until the time is up. As your fitness level increases, increase reps for each exercise.

1. Knee to Elbows

Start in a perfect pushup position with your knuckles aligned with the tops of your shoulders and your body straight. Next drive one knee towards the elbow on the same side, than bring back to start position. Repeat on the next side. Make sure to wait until the foot is back in the starting position before raising the other knee. The count for this exercise is both knees equal one rep.

2. Body Weight Squats

Start with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel with the floor making sure your knees stay over your ankles and not over your feet. Pause at the bottom, than stand back up.

3. Dive Bombers

Start in a pushup position with your feet slightly wider than hip width and your butt elevated. You should look like an upside down v. Lower the front of your body by bringing your chin close to the floor. Next, bring your hip down to the floor as you raise your head and chin towards the ceiling. Then reverse the movement, back to your starting position. I like to pretend I am going underneath a bar about a foot off the ground.

As your schedule becomes more hectic and packed with brain busting tasks, don’t let training fall to the bottom of your priorities list. If you tell me you don’t have 15 minutes in your day your lying, but don’t worry I have workouts that you can do in 4 minutes. Email me if you don’t believe me! Good luck!

Fat Melting Cardio in Minutes!

2010-08-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

Think about the word “cardio”, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Did you just cringe visualizing yourself pounding pavement, enduring an agonizing lactic acid nightmare? Or maybe you didn’t even get to the visualization and just started laughing a little to yourself. It can be really easy to skip out on cardio activities; I am amazed at the level of creativity in some clients when coming up with excuses. The biggest one of course is some variation of not having time.

Client: “I don’t have 30 extra minutes let alone an hour to do cardio.”

Albert: “Well that is perfect!”

Client: “Say What?”

I have discovered that clients at my gym achieve the fastest results with the shortest cardio workouts. It’s pretty self explanatory, the higher your intensity in training, the more calories you burn every minute. This is unlike long-aerobic cardio; an intense pace can jack up your metabolism for hours even after you workout. This means your burning blubber even when you’re sleeping.

To tackle your creativity with excuses on time, I am going to give you the shortest cardio workouts ever! These are highly effective and what we call “finishers” at my gym. Try incorporating one at the end of your workout because they do live up to their name. An important aspect to consider is intensity. Your intensity needs to be at an all time high because of the short length in these workouts. You get out what you put in.

Use these exercises to start melting fat off your frame!

Leg Matrix

Perform all the exercises back to back until finished recording how long it takes you to finish. Rest 40-70 seconds and keep track of your rest time as well so you can slowly start to lower it as you progress. After your rest, repeat the Leg Matrix trying to beat your previous time.

1. Body Weight Squat x 36 reps

2. Body Weight alternating Lunges x 20 reps each leg

3. Jumping Jacks x 40 reps

4. Body Weight Jump Squats x 36 reps

Squat Sample

This finisher is one of my favorites and is also known as the “Booty Blaster” at my gym. Repeat all the way through with no rest for 2-3 rounds.

1. Body Jump Squats for 20 seconds.

- Lower your body until you see your thighs parallel with the floor. From this position jump as high as you can.

2. Body weight squats x 20 seconds

- Lower your body until you see your thighs parallel with the floor. Return the standing position and make note of finishing all the way through with your hips.

3. Isometric squat and hold x 30 seconds

- Lower your body until you see your thighs parallel with the floor, and hold. Hold this position for the complete 30 seconds, focusing on keeping form tight and staying down in the squat.

Climb Your Way Down

Alternate between option 1 and option 2. Go from exercise 1 directly to exercise 2 without resting. For the first round, do 10 repetitions of each exercise. For round two, perform 9 reps. Then do 8 reps for you third round. Try to go as low as you can, or until you reach zero. Don’t rest until you go as low as you can. Once you are able to get down to zero fairly easy, start with 11 reps for the next week.

Option 1

1. Tuck Jumps

- From a standing position squat slightly and jump straight into the air. Try to bring your knees to your chest while in the air. Land with knees slightly bent.

2. Burpees

- Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms just at your sides. Next, push the hips back, bend the knees, and lower your body as deep as you can into a squat placing your hands in front of you on the ground. Your next move is to kick your legs all the way back so you’re in a pushup position. Quickly bring your legs back to a squat and stand up. Repeat quickly.

Option 2

1. Body Weight Squat Jump

2. Pushup or Explosive Pushup

- In a pushup up position, make sure your knuckles are aligned with the top of your shoulders. Check your body to make sure there is straight line from your ankles to your head. Lower your body until your chest is 2 inches off the floor. Push yourself up with enough force that your hands leave the floor.

So, how much time do you have again?

Have you been getting your buffalo?

2010-08-16T23:47:00.000-07:00

Trying to meet your protein requirements everyday can be a challenge. Your daily protein shakes can only satisfy your hunger so much, right? Well I got one dish that is packed with protein and is guaranteed to make your taste buds run wild like the buffalo you will be eating!

   Here is what you will need:

1. 1 lb of organic grass fed Bison or Buffalo
2. Green Peppers
3. Mushrooms
4. 4-6 eggs
5. Onions
6. Feta Cheese
7. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8. Whatever else you like in a breakfast scramble

   Directions:

   1. Cook the ground bison over medium heat using extra virgin olive oil in the pan. Lightly season as it cooks and be carefully watch the meat because bison cooks fast!

   2. In a small bowl mix up 2 whole eggs and up to 4 egg whites. Lightly season with salt and pepper.

   3. In another pan over medium heat sauté green peppers, mushrooms, onions, and any other ingredients you like for a just a few minutes.

   4. Put all ingredients into pan with cooked bison. Now scramble all the goods together.

   5. Last step is to sprinkle a little feta cheese over the top.

   Now enjoy!

   This buffalo/bison scramble is a protein rich meal that you can enjoy anytime of the day. One of my favorite meals is breakfast, why not enjoy it as a post workout meal or your dinner. Here's a little rundown of the protein facts. Each egg contains about 6 grams of protein and your bison will contain about 23g for every 4 oz! Nothing like a protein boost to help promote lean muscle mass and shock your metabolism.

  Fact you should know: You burn about 30% of the calories in protein from digestion.

   Try this recipe out and please share any cool new twists you add!

What's On My I Pod Playlist!

2010-08-05T22:55:00.000-07:00

Let me get one thing clear, I’m not that guy in the gym with the cut off t-shirt and the Bicep I Pod holder doing nothing but curls. Well not anymore, now I do have the ability to pump the music from our Bose I Pod deck, one awesome piece of machine that packs a hell of punch. Music is pretty important because it has the ability to set the atmosphere for your training session. So here it is, my workout playlist. Please don’t judge my style.

1. Cinderella Man & Love the way you Lie – Eminem

2. Hero Will Drown – Story of the Year

3 Hit the Floor - Linking Park

4. Memories – David Guetta

5. Hit em Up & California – 2 pac

6. Let the Bodies Hit the Floor – Drowning Pool

7. Way Away – Yellowcard

8. Anything Nirvana (Lance Armstrong trains to this too!)

9. Where da Hood at – DMX

10. Fireman – Lil Wayne

11. Mad World – Gary Jules

These are some of the songs that will always be on my I pod. Let me know if there are any I should add that are your favorites!

2 Moves to Stay Toned for Women!

2010-08-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that women are ambitious in achieving fitness goals. Once they decide that they want to improve their bodies and fitness levels it’s hard to slow them down. I consistently get asked which exercises they can do to accelerate results. I break it into one upper body and one lower body movement that requires no equipment but works the entire body.

The upper body movement is the traditional pushup and the lower body movement is the single leg squat. These two exercises combine for a powerful tool in gaining lean muscle mass and shedding excess pounds. After learning and incorporating this dynamic duo of strength work into you training, you won’t be able to workout without them.

I know what you may be thinking I can’t do a pushup and I don’t even know where to begin with a single leg squat. Count backwards from 5 and woo saa because I am going to give you regressions for each exercises to begin before moving onto these two movements. Perform the two regressions for 2 weeks around 2-3 times in the week. Then move on to the variation for the following 2 weeks for the same frequency. After the 4 week transition, you will be rockin these two exercises out in a lean and toned body that you’ve earned.

Pushups

Variation #1

Wall Pushups

This is a great regression to start with if you haven’t done a pushup since Full House was the hottest show. Stand facing a wall about 2-3 feet out and extend your arms in front of you. Lean forward slightly until you can place your palms flat against the wall surface. Bend your arms until your nose comes pretty close to touching the wall and push out. This will be one rep. Repeat for 15 reps up to 2-3 sets.

Variation #2

Knee Pushup

After you have mastered the wall pushup you are ready to graduate up to the knee pushups. In a pushup plank position lower your knees to the floor. Lift your feet back and make sure to align the tops of your knuckles with your shoulders. Your hands should be close to or a little wider than shoulder width apart. Lower yourself bending your arms close to 90 degrees. Push up back to the start. This is one rep. Again repeat for 15 reps up to 2-3 sets.

Graduation

Push Up

Both those variations are for you to get to this point and turn into an official pushup machine. A lot of my female clients make pushups a fitness goal and in being eager to reach them they jump to quickly to the real thing. One problem is that they don’t get the form right or get discouraged in only being able to do a few reps. The variations above will help you progress at a consistent pace while developing all the necessary strength components that will help you do real thing.

From the pushup plank position bring your feet so they are close together. Lower down toward the floor, just as you would in the knee pushups, but now with the knees up and the legs extended. Push up back up to start. This is one rep. Repeat for 2-3 sets for reps of 15. You can decrease the difficulty level by spreading your feet apart.

Single Leg Squat

Variation 1

Static Split Stance Lunges

Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, take a big step back with your left foot. Lower yourself straight down until your right knee is 90 degrees, then push back up. Remain in this split stance position while lowering yourself. This is one rep, repeat for 8-12 reps and for 2-3 sets.

Variation 2

Straight Leg Lunges

Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Take a step back with your left and sink down until your right knee is 90 degrees. Keep the left leg fairly straight, use a slight bend if you need. Keep your back straight and chest up while trying to reach down and touch your ankles.

Graduation

Single Leg Squat

Some trainers will require you to balance on one leg and do the squat. I think that this is dangerous and super hard. My solution is an elevated single leg squat. For this you will need a bench, a box, a log, anything that is about knee height.

With the bench about 1-2 feet behind you, lift your right leg and place it on the bench, toes facing down. Lower yourself straight down until the left leg is 90 degrees then push up. This is one rep. Repeat for 8-12 reps and for 2-3 sets for each leg.

You now have the 2 workouts that will help you stay toned, get lean, and most importantly reach your goals. It’s your body, keep it lean and healthy!

You Think Your Training Hard?

2010-07-27T02:26:00.000-07:00

Hands can reveal a lot about an individual. Scars will have stories, nails can express personalities, and ashy knuckles will scream “lotion”. When you flip them over they can be a gateway into the truth. I can’t help but laugh every time someone suggests I wear workout gloves in order to protect my hands. Not only do they make you look like an 80’s break dancer, why the heck would I want to hide the evidence of my hard work. Calluses become an accessory in gym attire among our members. They are worn proudly with the exception of the few that still think they are gross but trust me when I say they will soon have a change of heart.

I get it! Some day’s you wake up and your just not feeling it. Yeah, you might have told yourself you were going to get up early and go for that run or make it to the morning boot camp but you find something to tell yourself to get you out of it. Have you noticed how easy it is? Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep or you promise yourself,

“I’ll workout even harder tomorrow!”

Alki Beach, Seattle

Today was one of those days for me. Maybe it was relaxing in the sun and laying out on the beach, I just lost my killer instinct. I didn’t get my usual surge of energy until I started to train my evening clients and the PM boot camp. They came in, got down to business, and killed it. Without this training I may have found another excuse to skip another workout. After my 7pm group, we have an elite athlete group that I train with. 8:30pm sharp, they would probably laugh if they read this, but we do try to start at 8:30pm. With a new surge of energy flowing through me from the contagious atmosphere of boot camp, I was ready to go.

This group goes through every program in the book. 5-3-1’s, experimental Tabatta training, Joe De Franco’s built like a bad ass, Pavel’s Kettlebell training systems, Steve Cotter’s Mobility work, Eric Cressey’s Power training, Robert Dos Remedios Conditioning, and Martin Rooney’s Bodyweight training. The list truly is endless. The one thing that we do bring every time regardless of the training is intensity.

Over time and after going through countless programs, I have come to one very important realization. If you give your training everything you have and bring the intensity, you are going to get one bad ass workout. It isn’t always about the program, if you are pushing yourself to the edge the results will come.

Train like a mad man or woman! Zoom focus in on your goals and keep asking yourself how bad you want it. I promise that your mental determination will crush any physical pain and any thoughts of giving up. This elite athlete-training group has been unlike any I have ever been apart, simply because every single individual understands how important “intensity” is. It’s everything.

My clients and bootcampers will often think I’m crazy. A very sweet but tough as nails lady asked me, “How do you have so much energy all the time!”

It’s simple, your atmosphere can influence how much you are willing to perform and that adrenaline rush of energy is contagious. They see me running around correcting form, yelling “Don’t slow down, speed up!”, performing exercises with them, and basically going nuts. I am there to train you and make sure that you brought your intensity with you. My energy comes from the pure desire to create the most training effective atmosphere for everyone.

The first and most important thing to understand is that I truly care about their results. I want them to reach their goals more than anything. My motto is their success is my happiness!

Secondly, I know that passion and energy is contagious. If I can create an atmosphere where hard work and intensity is a staple in our gym, I know if they show up they’re coming prepared to train their ass’s off! Literally. Don’t forget to bring intensity with you to the gym along with your i-pod.

At the end of the night, you won’t face anyone but yourself. Take a long look in the mirror and really ask yourself “Am I really training hard?” Be honest because there are days that I know I could have pushed for a couple extra reps or danced with the edge a little more. Never get done with a workout saying, “I could have given it a little more!” Use this article as an opportunity to sit and be truly honest with yourself.

My Hands

Luka

Anthony

Rich

Armin

Tes

Damir

Dennis

Shake anyone of our elite athlete group member’s hands and you will notice that they are rough to the touch. Calluses are consistent and reflect the relentless training we do. Take a look at your hands if you can’t face yourself in the mirror. What are they telling you? So now, Do You Think Your Training Hard?

Curls to Get Girls-Train for Big Biceps

2010-07-24T01:46:00.000-07:00

With a good streak of weather approaching in Seattle, there is still time to impress the ladies. It’s not too late guys! There is nothing like a strong pair of arms for women to imagine themselves being held by. Unfortunately big biceps are not always easy to come by, especially if genetics are working against you but worry no more.

One of my clients is 6”4, 175 pounds, and lean. The term lean can also be translated as skinny. His main goal has been to put on some muscle mass but a focus has been on his arms. He had a preconceived notion that his genetics would never allow for big biceps. “Everyone in my family is skinny. Skinny waists, skinny legs, and skinny arms! I don’t think I will ever be able to get big arms.” Nothing like a doubtful client, of course I was up for the challenge.

If small biceps have been plaguing you, call me genie because I’m going to make your wish come true and share 2 of my favorite bicep workouts to get you mountaintops peaking on your arms. We are going to focus on strength, intensity, and fatigue. This will act like a miracle grow agent on those pipes of yours but of course you get what you put into it. That means focusing on nutrition, consistency, and intensity.

I know that I preach functional training and total body workouts but every now and then when you come across a weak point you need to zoom focus on the area. This is exactly what we are going to do in order to promote big fu*king biceps.

What are we aiming for?

1.) Increase in Strength

2.) Developing a Peak in the Biceps

3.) Fully develop the short and long heads of the Bicep Muscle

4.) Avoid overtraining the muscle group as this can reverse effects of growth.

5.) Play with different techniques including volume, weight, and tempo to achieve the desired effects of fatigue.

6.) Keep intensity high!

Workout 1

1.) Barbell Curl with strict tempo

3-4 sets x 4-10 reps (2 second negative on the way down, 1 second up)

2a.) Double DB Hammer Curl with strict tempo

3-4 sets x 8-15 reps (4 second negative on the way down, 1 second up

2b.) EZ Bar wide grip Curl

3-4 sets x 8-12 reps

Note: 2a and 2b are performed right after each other so a total of about 10 seconds for a transition period. Allow 2 minutes between each set for all these exercises, as you will be lifting quite heavy.

3.) 40/20 Supinated Grip DB curls at the same time.

Perform as many curls as possible in 40 seconds followed by a 20 second break. Repeat nonstop for 2 rounds = 2 minutes.

Workout 2

1a.) Chin Ups

4-5 sets x 8-12 reps

1b.) Alternating DB Hammer Curls

3-4 sets x 8-10 reps

1c.) Barbell Curl with strict tempo

3-4 sets x 8-12 reps (3 second on the negative down, 1 second up)

Note: All 1a, 1b, 1c, are performed back to back with about 10 seconds of transition time in between. Rest 2 min before repeating entire set.

2.) EZ Bar Burnout/Bicep Blaster

5 sets x 8 reps light warm-up

Pyramid down with this rep scheme while increasing weight each time.

12/10/8/6/4 and end with a last set of 20-25. This may be just the bar depending on your level of fatigue. (Burn Out)

Utilize both of these Bicep Blasting workouts to jump start your way to bigger arms. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the rep and set schemes along with increasing or decreasing weight. In order to ensure steady progress you will have to continue to add resistance either in the form of more volume or more weight.

My skinny, I am sorry I meant lean, client followed a program of strength and intensity to help improve the size in his arms. We focused on heavy low reps and big sets coupled with lots and lots of chin-ups first. After a back off week we increased frequency to 2 times a week with more volume. The X factor in his gains was getting stronger overall. We increased his Squat, Deadlift, and bench press all by over 40%. Now I’m sure he’s holding women all over the greater Seattle area.

I want to leave you with some quick tips to go over before you head into the gym.

Albert’s Tips:

1. Utilize the method of tempo change!

2. Lift heavy but with tight form!

3. Increase your training frequency of biceps from 1 time a week to 2 to see a quick change.

4. Chin ups! Chin ups! Chin ups!

5. Avoid overtraining and allow proper time for recovery and a back off week.

6. Strong Biceps won’t mean jack sh*t if everything else is weak!

Lose Weight and Train the Right Way with these 5 Steps!

2010-07-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

“Why am I not losing weight if I’m working out?” This was the infamous question that set the theme for the week for me. First, was the random phone call from a friend I haven’t heard from in about 5 years. She skipped the catch up conversation and the tone of her voice demanded answers. No worries, I didn’t want the catch up conversation anyways.

The next time I would sit in the hot seat would be with a bootcamp client who showed up early and on a mission. Her Honda civic screeched into the parking spot and then she B lined straight to about a foot in front of my face.

“I work out and eat right, why am I not losing weight!”

Again no hi, how’s your day Albert?, or how about this awesome weather we are having! Despite the no beating around the bush mentality from both these ladies, I was up for the challenge in helping them get to the root of their problems.

This question and their cases are so common, I thought I would share the answers I had for them to you on how they could start seeing gains and losing weight.

Here is a quick collective summary of both of their workout and eating history.

- They workout regularly, about 3-5 times a week.

- Most of their training is cardio based and either on the treadmill, running, or elyptical machine.

- They weight train random parts most of the time without a program and with high reps and lightweight.

- Nutrition is around low carb and mostly organic food, without protein supplementation.

In a calm and collected voice I told my friend on the phone “Take a big breath, relax, and have a seat.” She stopped talking at mach speeds and was silent letting me know that she was ready for help. With my bootcamp lady, I told her nicely to take one step back, take a big breath so we could get to the bottom of her problem.

Both ladies meant well with their interrogations but I can definitely understand where they are coming from. To them, they are doing everything right in order to lose weight and that should work, right? Wrong. Initially this may have been enough to see “some” results and it may work in the long run but for quick results, they needed a tune up to their regimen.

I broke it down to them in steps to apply in their race to fat loss.

1. Stop Cardio “machine” training and start running sprints.

The body is truly amazing. People don’t give it enough credit. When you train long aerobic (oxygen utilizing) cardio your body’s goal is to perform at its most effective level, utilizing the least amount of energy for the work.

So, for the individual that works out on a treadmill for 45 minutes 4 times a week. Every single time you get back onto the treadmill, your body is trying to perform the same workout expending the least amount of energy. The body is always looking to be effective!

This is counter-productive when it comes to fat loss. We want the body to expend as much energy as possible because more energy means more calories. Incorporating sprints, an anaerobic (not utilizing oxygen) workout, you require your body to continually expend energy since it is working without oxygen.

Sample Sprint Workout

4 x 20 yard sprints

3 x 40 yard sprints

2 x 50 yard sprints

1 x 100 yard sprints

Allow full recovery between each sprint so that you can provide a 100% effort sprint each time.

2. Incorporate High Intensity Interval Weight Training

This is a big one! A common stereotype that somehow still exists is that weight training is only for building muscle and not losing fat. This could not be more further from the truth. If you want to lose weight and lose weight fast, you absolutely need to incorporate weight training.

By utilizing supersets, performing 1-3 exercises consecutively before taking a break, you can tap into the anaerobic aspect of conditioning. Try picking exercises that don’t require the same muscle groups but require larger muscle groups to work. Larger muscles groups such as the chest, back, and legs will require more energy.

Another common stereotype is the idea that you have to use weights. As the old timer at my old gym used to say,“ Let’s Pump some fu*kin Iron!” This is also false. Bodyweight exercises can be highly effective when utilized in the same superset or circuit fashion. The old timer could bench 225 lbs but couldn’t do 20 push ups, do you see something wrong here? Sorry Jim, your still a good guy!

Sample Bodyweight Workout

Body Weight Squats x 10

Pushups x 12

Jumping Jacks x 20

Front Lunges x 10 each leg

Break for 1-2 minutes and repeat for 3-4 sets.

3. Have a Plan

Yogi Berra said it best, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll wind up someplace else.” You need to have specific goals so you can make a plan that’s going to get you there as fast and as effective as possible.

My friend in college would always say, “ I don’t know what I want to do, I just know I want to stay in shape.” While he was just trying to stay in shape, my other friends and I were slapping on lean muscle mass and dropping body fat because we knew exactly what we wanted.

Since the theme of this article is evolved around losing weight, here are some things to consider when devising your plan.

Make sure to train your entire body when you are working. Don’t split up your training into body parts. Expend more energy and more calories by training your entire body.
You have to increase resistance as you progress in your fitness levels. This means adding weight, increasing sets and reps, changing tempos, and trying more challenging exercises.
Do not skip your rest days. Your rest days are going to be absolutely necessary for your body to recover and rebuild. Without rest days you are setting yourself up for failure.

4. Protein Supplementation

No, protein is not just for meatheads and gym rat wannabes. Protein is vital to individuals seeking fat loss as well. It is so important; I devoted number 4 to it. Lean muscle mass is the number one tool to fighting fat, it promotes higher metabolic levels and the more muscle you have the less fat you hold.

Why protein? Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks to your muscles. Most individuals don’t get the required amount of protein though their daily diet, around 1-1.5 grams if your aiming to put on lean muscle mass and you are training, so we have to supplement it with protein powders.

Whey and Casein are both great proteins to supplement with and are both derived from milk. Utilize whey, a quickly absorbed protein, right after your workout, in the 45-minute window you have when your muscles are more apt to taking in nutrients. Use Casein during the day as a snack or prior to bed as it is more slowly absorbed in the body.

Another reason why we eat more protein then fats and carbs is because of how much energy your body expends to digest it. Your body is burning nearly 30% of the calories from the protein it digests. With carbs it burns about 10% of the calroies and fats is 0-5%. Conclusion, consume more of your calories from protein.

5. 90/10 Rule with Nutrition

This one is simple. Your fat loss and results come down to 90% nutrition and 10% training. Make sure your nutrition behaviors match your goals. This is a common question we ask all our clients at our gym. “Do your Behaviors, Match your Goals?”

Quick Nutrition Tips

- Eat a balanced healthy breakfast, no matter what! In a worst case scenario drink a protein shake.

- Utilize healthy snacks to curb your hunger and increase your metabolism.

- Eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout your day. A meal can be a protein shake, string cheese, and mixed nuts.

- Remove all the sugared drinks from your diet. Stick with water.

- Try to get protein in at every meal!

After educating both women on how they could improve their training, I was excited to see them anxious to retackle their goals. I even ended the phone conversation with my friend and I catching up on the last 5 years. I even found out that she was getting married soon. I think this was the main motive behind her goals for losing weight but I knew better than to open my mouth. My bootcamper worked harder then ever through bootcamp and left with high spirits. Nothing makes me happier than empowering a client to go after their goals.

Reaching your fitness goals is plagued with a roller coaster of emotions. Gains, plateau’s, and setbacks are common in everyone’s journey with consistency being tested every single day. I still firmly believe that your passion and heart can crush any obstacle. Stay zoom focused on how bad you want it and always ask yourself “Do my behaviors match my goals?”

Hurricane Conditioning, Kentucky, Inspiration!

2010-06-29T02:15:00.000-07:00

They say Life can take you anywhere but I would have never thought that it would bring me to Kentucky. How many Asian people do you know in Kentucky? My point exactly. This last month, I was given the opportunity by my unbelievable mentor Luka Hocevar, to take part in a business trip straight into the South. I would discover amazing like minded people that share my passion in fitness, true chaos hurricane training, and a much needed inspirational kick in the butt.

The business conference was packed with speakers from 9 am – 5 pm on subjects ranging from strategic business marketing to branding yourself as a celebrity. Information overload was a constant struggle each day but to hear the excitement and passion from each speaker kept me focused. The main idea I got from this trip was passion can take you further in life than any education, amount of money, or will power. Passion dominates all.

The heat and humidity lingered around every corner like a stalker. It was relentless and merciless. A cool breeze was as rare as a girl that can cook these days. (no offense ladies) But somehow we were able to find a perfect location for a workout.

We strolled down to the local Louisville YMCA, a 4 story tower filled with swimming pools, weight rooms, and exercise machines. Unaware of the 8pm closing time we walked in at 7:35pm. In a deep southern draw the lady made clear that we needed to be done by 8.

No Problem!

Luka just wrote an article on The Power of Deadlines and I am now a firm believer. When you have a limited amount of time it is amazing on what you can accomplish. Our workout lasted 20 minutes and the intensity nearly made it a spiritual experience.

20 minute Workout

Warm UP

Barbell Complex 2 rounds Non stop

Oh Squat x 8

Lateral Lunges x 8 each side

Muscle Snatch x 8

Cross over Lunge x 8 each side

Sotts Press x 8

Training

This was all done with no breaks by incorporating supersets.

1a. Clean and Press 4 sets x 5 reps (155lbs)

1b. Pull up variations 4 sets x max reps

Straight into…

2a. 1 arm DB rows 3 sets x 25, 20, 15 reps

2b. Dips 3 sets x max reps

Finisher – Hurricane Training

3 rounds of 3 Body Weight Exercises followed by a sprint after each round/set of work. A total of 9 sprints.

3 rounds – Box Jumps

3 rounds – Pull ups

3 rounds – Spider man Pushups

Check out the a training session clip HERE!

The intensity was at a maximum level because of our time restraint and there was absolutely no time for breaks. We had a constant reminder of this from the Janitor’s verbal harassment. The facial expression of the on lookers in the gym reassured our insanity and motivated us to go even harder.

Walking back in the heat was the cherry on top of a complete hurricane training session. A hurricane destroys everything in its path and that is exactly how my lungs and body felt. Demolished!

Even on a business trip, we can’t get away from what we love to do. Train hard. Being around a conference room packed with individuals who all share a passion for the fitness industry, it’s hard to ignore the contagious epidemic of inspiration. What better way to release this inspirational adrenaline rush than a hard training session!

5 Things You Need For The Gym But Can't Fit Into Your Gym Bag

2010-06-17T01:59:00.000-07:00

After you decide you want to head to the gym there is a process of preparation. You grab your gym bag and start filling it up with your supplies. I have a friend who brings everything you would need to survive a nuclear attack from hand chalk to 2 or 3 pairs of shoes. Your checklist may look something like this.

- I pod: You definitely need some workout tunes, DMX, Tool, Metalica, Justin Bieber or whatever you like.

- Sweat towel: You don’t want to look too nasty.

- Workout clothes: Those shorts that make your butt look bomb or that cut off tee that shows off those pipes.

- Water Bottle: Have to stay hydrated right?

- Protein Shake: For muscle recovery and growth.

All these items are tangible and necessary things that can ensure a quality workout. The question now is “Are you bringing the really important things?” These things are not tangible nor can you put them in your bag of goods. They are characteristics in you that can separate a hard training session from just another trip to the gym. Character traits that can push you to do 1 more rep, 1 more set, and train harder for 1 more minute. They are the very things you absolutely need to bring with you every single time.

1. Focus

Gyms today are disguised and sugarcoated as an environment for socializing, showcasing fashion, and listening to music. It’s an atmosphere that has transformed from training hard to looking like your working out. Yes, it is easier to get distracted than stay focused and I too have fallen victim to the tantalizing seductive nature of woman working out in skin-tight spandex. It’s not easy to ignore. So here are some tips to help you stay focused.

- Before you go into the gym, know what your workout is going to be. Have a plan so that when you walk in, you can work hard for 30-45 minutes without being distracted. Focus on your goals on the drive to the gym so that you can focus easier on the workout itself. Let your goals fuel your focus and intensity. Socialize after you get done training. Don’t ruin your workout by stopping to talk that girl/guy every time they walk by. Wait until your done and thoroughly indulge after.

2. Self-discipline

Self-discipline is your gasoline because it truly fuels your results. Like a stalker it follows you everywhere you go creeping, lurking. It doesn’t find you only at the gym but follows you home and every time you eat. It determines whether you even initially make it to the gym, if you decide to eat those carbs or vegetables, and whether you get up early before work to go run.

How consistent you are with training and eating right will be a direct reflection of self-discipline. You have to work equally hard at becoming more self-disciplined as you do in the gym. Don’t let your hard work slip away instead stay consistent and watch yourself reach all new levels.

3. Desire

Although I may not be a chemist I know that if training was an experiment, desire would be the catalyst in reaching your goals. The million dollar question is “How bad do you want it?”

How bad do you want that six pack?

How bad do you want to lose those 15 pounds?

How bad do you want to get back into shape and have energy?

When training get’s hard and repetitive and you start to lose sight of the long term goals you need an extra boost. Something like a supplement. Well, desire can be that for you.

4. Persistence

Your half way through your metabolic circuit and you have 6 more minutes of the EDT workout. Pushups, Jump lunges, Med Ball Slams, Pull ups, and Sprints. It doesn’t seem possible for your glands to produce this much sweat but it’s evidence of how hard your working. The remaining time crushes your morale and everything in you wants to stop and go home to watch an episode of Sportscenter or Real Housewives of New York. If you didn’t bring persistence with you, that’s exactly what your going to do. You are going to quit.

If you have it, your going to push through the end. Persistence is going to help you grind out the last 6 minutes, sweat even more, than feel great about yourself because you know nobody else at the gym is pushing themselves as hard as you. This is why you didn’t forget persistence.

5. Support

I used to consider myself a lone wolf in the gym. My mentality used to be that training with other people would slow me down. I have come to the realization that if you can find like minded people who share a passion to reach their fitness goals, a support group can be the best tool you have. They offer accountability in and out of the gym. Just having them around can push you harder.

In his book Lance Armstrong talked about the importance of a group. From training for the Tour de France or chemotherapy, everything was done in a group. They push you harder than you could push yourself and offer you support even when you refuse it but truly need it. Find a group. Find support.

All these things can't fit into your gym bag but are vital to your training. If your wondering why you have been stuck in a plateau or haven't seen the results you've been wanting, see if any of these things are missing. Find them and refocus onto your goals. Good luck to you all.

Secrets of Fat Loss Revealed!

2010-06-10T02:24:00.000-07:00

Through the mazes of our urban concrete jungles and insect like infestation of fast food joints, we search for the Holy Grail like secrets of fat loss. Obesity and excess fat, plague our general populations and now we are backed into a corner with many surrendering to the relentless pursuit of weight gain. The hostile take over has even begun to attack our next generations of youth. Nobody is safe. Have you noticed yourself gain excess weight? Do you want to make a change?

It is astonishing how so many people know that they are gaining weight but don’t know how to stop it. Is eating healthier enough? How about exercising? I hope with these basic but very effective strategies I can offer you a little light at the end of the tunnel. It’s time to start fighting back against weight gain and melting the fat away. You deserve it!

1. Eat Early

They sure weren’t lying when they said that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. Especially when your goal is fat loss. Don’t think I haven’t heard every excuse in the book for not eating breakfast. Feel free to laugh at them until your excuse comes up.

“I don’t have any time, I need to get to work.”

“I don’t like any breakfast foods.”

“I drink breakfast, at Starbucks.”

“Eating that early makes me Siiiiccckkk!”

If your goal is fat loss, you need to make time for a quality breakfast. After starving your body for 8 hours, what you eat is going to set the bar for the entire day. Eating a meal packed with protein, quality carbs, and healthy fats can have the effect of calibrating your metabolism to burn more calories throughout your day.

Good Breakfast foods:

- - Eggs/Egg Whites

- - Oatmeal

- - Whey or Casein Protein

- - Avocado

- - Almond Butter

2. Cardio Before Breakfast

Warning: This is only recommended if you’ve hit a plateau.

When you have hit a plateau going for a light jog or walk in the morning before breakfast can have the effect of boosting your metabolism. Your metabolism is ultimately responsible for how effectively you burn calories so shaking it up every now and then can be vital in reaching your fat loss goals. Make sure you return to your normal training after using this method.

3. Cheat

I remember telling one friend about incorporating cheat days into his fat loss plan in order to boost his metabolism and recharge his system. This was a big mistake. I found him buried in a sea of Twinkie wrappers and empty bags of chips, barely conscious from a deep food coma. When I first saw him all I could think was that I should have taken my online CPR class more seriously. Can you say Lost in Translation?

This technique also jumps on the bandwagon in jump starting your metabolism. With fat loss, a decrease in calories is usually common especially when you’re cutting unhealthy carbs, which your usual diet may have used for a majority of its calories. This decrease in calories will cause a slight decrease in your metabolism and Leptin levels. Since it takes only a week for your Leptin levels to reset, a high calorie day can help boost this and your metabolism. Be cautious if you easily fall off a meal plan. If this is the case a cheat day may not be ideal.

4. Maintaining Muscle Mass

This is something I live by: “The number one tool for fighting fat is lean muscle mass.” It’s a simple fact that the more muscle mass you have the higher your metabolism is. Have you ladies ever wondered why guys can lose more weight and faster? This is partly due to the fact that they naturally have a higher level of muscle mass.

No, you don’t have to put on tons of muscle and look like that scary guy in a string tank top at your gym. You just need to make an effort to train with a goal of putting on lean muscle. This means weight training.

5. Make Sure you know when your next meal is

A lot of my clients wake up, eat breakfast, then 5 or 6 hours go by at work before they can get another meal in. Then another 5 hours go by before they eat dinner. You need to make sure that you are constantly fueling your body and keeping your metabolism high. You can do this by eating every 2-3 hours. Make your body work by making it continually process foods and not survive on its own.

When you starve your body for prolonged periods of time it goes into survival mode. Since your body doesn’t know when the next time it’s going to eat, it stores energy in the form of fat. Keep feeding it so it doesn’t do this.

6. Be Serious about Training

If you want fat loss, you need to train like it. Walking on the treadmill for 20 minutes than going home is not going to get you the results you want. Incorporate High Intensity Interval Training that will challenge your metabolism and shred fat off your body. Walk into the gym knowing your going to challenge yourself because you know you’re serious about your goals.

7. Learn to Love it

Getting in shape can definitely be a dreaded task. It often comes disguised as a hassle, a chore, and something you just don’t want to do. You will quickly realize that achieving good health is something where the juice is worth the squeeze. Eating healthy and workout starts to transition into becoming a part of your lifestyle.

Fitness and health is my passion so it is easy for me to say this but it doesn’t mean it’s wrong. By incorporating healthy nutrition and consistent exercise, you really do improve the quality of your life. Learn to love it!

The Game Plan to Get Fit!

2010-06-07T02:17:00.000-07:00

Crazy new age fads and intimidating strongman-training methods are pulling fitness into a get with it or fall behind industry. If I could get paid every time someone asked me about P 90X, Crossfit, Kettlebells, and Tire Flipping I would be making it rain like Steve Pool. (Local weatherman in Seattle) I’m not going to down talk any of these styles of training because all of them can be very effective methods of working out. They are all merely different tools you can use in achieving your desired goals. Do they all complicate what we love to do, working out? Yes! Don’t get scared and not workout. Do a little research and keep reading this article.

To make things easier for you I am going to give you a game plan or checklist for you to utilize in your training, regardless of it’s title. All of these are vital elements to help you reach your goals. Read them, write them down, and then reread them.

Keep Pushing Yourself by Adding Weight and Adding Reps a little at a time.

I see too many people and hear too many horror gym stories about dreaded plateaus. Every time you walk into the gym, it is an opportunity to get better and improve. This is what you should be striving for. Don’t forget it!

Make sure that you are adding a little more weight or more reps in order to continually challenge yourself. The human body is such an incredible thing in the sense that it can adapt to the slightest of change very effectively.

Learn to Train Hard with Low to Moderate amounts of Volume.

Yes training for muscular endurance can be very challenging. I mean who wants to rep a lightweight to complete failure. The mistake is that a lot of people are convinced that low reps are only for bodybuilding and big muscles. Yes, the adaptation to continual low to moderate volume can produce bigger muscles but what people don’t know is that it can also burn tons of fat and promote lean muscle growth.

By cycling different levels of volume you can continually challenge your body to grow and become better.

Try Set and Rep Ranges in:

4 X 6

6 X 4

8 X 3

10 X 2

Don’t Ignore What Your Good at it!

I often hear too many trainers emphasize weaknesses. “Stop training what your good at it and start drilling exercises that target your weaknesses!” This is a good perspective but what if the exercise your good burns fat and promotes muscle growth.

If what your good at it is a vital tool to achieving your goals don’t ignore it, make it your go to. As long as the exercise continually produces results, keep plugging away.

Try Exercises Like:

Squats, Squat Thrusts, Power Cleans, Turkish Get Ups, Kettlebell Swings

Push Big Weights Overhead and then Pull it Off the Floor and Don’t Forget to Squat!

These three elements are the building blocks of getting big, getting lean, and getting stronger. There’s no secret here. Push some big ass weight over your head with presses. Deadlift some heavy weight off the ground and I guarantee you will grow and get stronger. Please don’t ignore the squat, it is the ultimate exercise that has helped me reach all new gains!

Get as strong as hell with BODY Weight Movements.

Body weight, Body weight, Bodyweight! If you can’t effectively train your own body weight, why the heck would you load excess weight on a bar. Movements like pull ups, push ups, sit ups, and body weight squats are all exercises that you need to drill and become efficient at. They produce high yielding results that guarantee strength and conditioning.

If you learn to love these exercises you will never be away from a workout no matter where you are. Never again will you be able to say that you can’t get a workout!

Intense Conditioning a Couple Times a Week.

It has the ability to rip fat off your body, promote muscle growth, and just make you feel damn good. Sure you can work up a good sweat on a stationary bike or bouncing on one of those elyptical machines but you have to really think about your goals. Are you trying to maintain or see gains.

Try running sprint intervals to push you to the edge. Tap into the awesome effects of post exercise oxygen consumption to stimulate your metabolism to burn more fat and calories. You can do this by hitting high intensity training.

You can also push the prowler, pull a loaded sled, perform a conditioning circuit, superset your entire workout.

Sample Conditioning Circuit:

Pull ups x 8 reps

Running in place x 30 seconds

Pushups x 12 reps

Jump Squats x 10 reps

Jumping Jacks x 20 reps

40 yard sprint

Rest after completing all exercises for 1-2 min, repeat for 3-4 sets.

Regardless of all the fads that may come and go, these guidelines will never fail you. This is the reason why they have been utilized for as long as fitness as been a part of our lives. There are no phone numbers to call, credit card numbers to dish out, or googling that has to be done. Follow them and find yourself closer to your goals.

We Are Lions!

2010-06-03T03:37:00.000-07:00

In the movie Troy, there is an epic moment before Achilles and his men reach the shores of Troy. The sounds of deafening war drums accompany the battle ship tearing through the ocean.

He yells, “Let no man forget how menacing we are, we are Lions!”

I was reminded of this quote last night when I had the honor and true privilege in attending the induction of the new President for the local Renton Lions Club. This is not a group of menacing men but rather the antithesis of citizens devoted to servicing the community. A truly unforgettable group but like Achilles and his menacing warriors they shared a similar spirit. It was an unwavering spirit to fight. In this case they were relentless in the fight to help and serve. They were relentless like the Lion that represented their organization.

Their battle cry may have sounded more like “Let no man forget how relentless in serving we are, we are lions!”

Lynn Peretti, the newly inducted President, stood at the front of the room, majestic like Achilles. Battle armor was replaced with radiant pins representing numerous service milestones. She rallied her troops for battle. “Give your time because there is nothing more valuable.” The crowd roared. It’s individuals like these that continue to put the wind in my sail. It was mind boggling to think that every single person in attendance was devoted to the greater cause of helping the community. It is true, great minds do think a like.

The evening took me back to reflect on how I even ended up in attendance amidst a group of such selfless philanthropists. It took me back to the moment my fire was sparked with the girl at the coffee shop aspiring to live like a lion herself. It was through her that I had the opportunity to meet Lynn and it was then that I realized she was merely passing on the flame she received from Lynn, the Lioness, to me. How do we repay such individuals like Lynn and the girl at the coffee shop for having such a contagious passion for helping others? The answer became crystal clear. Let your selfless actions exemplify the passion for service in order to inspire others to do the same. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you both.

On the drive home I kept wrestling with the question, “Am I doing enough?” Sure, Hocevar Performance took part in the food drive and contributed to a great cause. But where do we go from here. It was just last week when I walked into the same coffee shop to find the same girl running another service campaign to help with the local animal shelter. These people are truly relentless in their pursuit to help.

Coffee girl, what the heck is in your coffee?

I know that now is a time when struggling is more common than not. When our own problems seem to outweigh those of others. The truth is that there is someone, somewhere, in a deeper and darker hole with an outstretched hand. My eyes were opened this night to the challenge of reaching out to grab it. Whether it’s through a business or an individual effort, it all counts. When you can’t decide if you want to or get tired of helping, remember that there is people like Lynn and the coffee girl who won’t stop. Can’t stop. They are relentless. They are Lions.

6 Things Every Guy Should Be Doing

2010-06-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

I give a lot of advice to friends on how to workout for their specific goals but no matter what I tell them I always get the same response.

“Okay I will do everything you say but what do you do to workout?”

Sure it’s a simple question that I could answer with a sample workout but my answer always catches people by surprise.

Answer:

Yeah I do lift weights but strength training is only one tool I have in my bag. Once you start training, you need to have a whole bag full of different tools to help you reach your goals. The more tools the better. Here are 6 tools that I always use from my bag of goods.

1. Running Sprints

When was the last time you trained anaerobically? Pushed yourself past easy jogging on a treadmill? Well sprints are the most natural form of High Intensity Interval Training. A method that increases natural HGH and testosterone levels in the body, helps increase metabolism, and fights the storage of fat.

Incorporate sprints into your training to start packing on lean muscle mass and shedding the excess fat on your body. Try this series of sprints with enough recovery time to make each sprint a 100% effort.

5 x 20 yards

4 x 40 yards

3 x 50 yards

2 x 60 yards

1 x 100 yards

2. Consume Protein

No, protein is not just for gym rats and meatheads. Protein is the building blocks for muscle and a great tool for staying lean. Protein is packed with amino acids and requires your body to work pretty hard to digest. Your body will actually burn about 30% of the protein calories just trying to digest it as opposed to carbohydrates, which is around 10%.

My protein intake mostly comes from lean meats, eggs, and whey protein. Hard-boiled eggs are always easy to make and take with you for a quick snack. Whey protein is an essential tool I use pre and post workout to aid in quick recovery so that I can train hard the next day.

3. Deadlift

After hurting my back last year I always avoided this exercise. This was a big mistake. With such a vital tool like this, you need to do whatever it takes to get back to deadlifting. For me, it took drilling really lightweight with perfect form to get comfortable again. But you have to put this one in the bag.

The deadlift is the ultimate exercise in my toolbox for building muscle and functional strength. The movement requires your body to use every muscle. It utilizes your entire upper body for holding and stabilizing and lower body for lifting. It puts the entire body under tension and promotes muscle-building testosterone.

4. Sleeping 8 hours

Sleep is really, really, important. This is the time when your body recovers, grows, and makes those changes from your training. So if you are like me who sleeps in the am then rises 5 hours later, you have to tell yourself that 5-6 hours just isn’t enough. Try to get the ideal 8 hours of sleep for maximum recovery. I know I have to work a little harder on this one.

If you’re like one friend I have now who sleeps for 10 hours a night with no training. Shame on you! Get off your ass.

5. Hitting the Bag

This is a hobby of mine that I could not live without. Not only is combat engraved into my DNA it is my number 1 method for the release of stress. Hitting a heavy bag for a set number of rounds is a fantastic way to train conditioning.

Try going 5, 2 min rounds with 45-50 seconds of rest in between each round.

6. Crush it!

If you walk into a gym anywhere in the country, everyone more or less can look like they are working out. Everyone can play the part and go through the motions to impress others and make themselves feel better. The one thing I always bring in my bag of tools for any training session is Intensity!

Whether it’s lifting weights, cardio, or abs I am trying to go balls to the walls because I know I am there to train. No I’m not a robot or refuse to talk to anyone but just remember what your main priority is when you walk into the gym. If it’s time for me to train that’s exactly what I’m going to do!

Lose 10 Pounds before June

2010-05-22T02:43:00.000-07:00

It seems like right now, everyone is trying to get somewhere sunny. A destination where the Sun is unbearably hot but relief is a quick dip in the water away. If only happiness was this easy. With Sun bound destinations comes the stress of beach ready bodies and an exponential increase in emails from clients on how they can lose that last 10 pounds. Well I’m glad your asking because I would love to tell you.

Every Wednesday I sit at the Seattle’s Best and drink a green tea while I steal their wi-fi. I only buy the green tea so they don’t hassle me. This Wednesday was going textbook until two 20 something year old girls walked in and to my luck I had left my headphones at home. They walked in together simultaneously talking to each other and to whoever was on their I - phones. I let out a big sigh anticipating the challenge of trying to read with them in the same room.

After only 5 minutes the consistent repetition of topics drove me insane.

“I don’t have any summer clothes……I hate my boss…..that girl is a bit*h…..this girl is a bit*h…..I need to lose weight”. And repeat.

I could ignore everything except the “lose weight” part. So, I excused myself into their conversation and said I could help. Their disgusted gazes made me feel like a creep but I still went ahead to educate them. As I cleared my throat, these are the 5 pointers I gave them

1. Water Only

When was the last time you went a week or even a day with drinking only water? If you are like me, you like some flavor in your beverages. Unfortunately, most drinks that taste good also contain high amounts of sugar and calories. To increase fat loss, try purifying your system with a week devoted to only water.

It’s a lot harder than you think!

2. Drop the Carbs

Regulate your carb intake from your diet for a couple weeks. Try getting all your carbs in at breakfast and lunch. By getting your carbs in early you will be able to use the rest of the day to burn it off. Also make sure you are consuming complex carbs meaning whole wheat breads and/or fruits.

3. High Intensity Interval Training

Stop the long distance running and the 1 hour cardio machine binges. Try incorporating High Intensity Interval Training to accelerate fat loss. If you do use a cardio machine, alternate back and forth with different intensities.

Example:

1 min medium speed, 30 high intensity, 40 seconds slow speed, 40 seconds high intensity, 1 min medium speed.

Repeat for 15 -20 minutes

4. More Protein

Protein is the foundation to building lean muscles mass and the number one tool to fight fat is…….lean muscle mass. Also, protein demands more energy to digest meaning more calories burned to process protein. If everyone new this maybe more people would start eating protein.

Try getting some protein with each of your 5-6 smaller meals throughout your day.

5. Sample Training Program

Here is a sample workout to help you get started on your way to losing 10 lbs before June.

Workout A

Pushups x 10 reps

Reverse Lunges x 8 reps each leg

Mountain Climbers x 15 reps each leg

V-sits x 10 reps

Jumping Jacks x 20 reps

Body Weight Squats x 12 reps

Perform all exercises back to back without stopping. Rest 1-2 min once all exercises are completed and repeat for 3-5 sets.

The looks on their faces didn’t change too much as they jumped right back in to the monotonous repetition of topics. Their body language, shoulders turned in from me, suggested that my advice went in one ear and jet streamed out the other. I took this as the perfect opportunity to slam my green tea and leave. I made an extra effort to be quick and swift packing up my belongings.

I walked out the café that day with a smile on my face and laughing to myself. I had probably just annoyed the hell out of those girls and thrown myself into the cycle of negative topics in their conversation. Whatever, it was my attempt at helping somebody out and I just hope they wrote that sh*t down because it really does work!

If you need to lose those last few pounds before you head off on your vacations, try incorporating 1 or all of these in the few weeks we have before June. Remember, consistency is key. Even one day of binging can set you back on your effort of losing that weight! Good luck in getting your Beach Ready Bodies.

Stay Sharp

2010-05-18T02:40:00.000-07:00

Another phone call from my friend across the world, via Skype, has put things into perspective. I am truly a fan of Skype now. It is so easy to become comfortable with life. With work, finances, your “situation”, and even training. Without a doubt, becoming comfortable is the first step before you start falling backwards. Have you noticed this red flag in your life?

A couple of months ago, I received an opportunity to speak with a pretty successful entrepreneur through the mastermind networking group I am a part of. www.Young-Masterminds.blogspot.com He talked for a long time and I listened for a long time trying desperately not to stare at the Glock 9mm attached to his hip. The one thing he emphasized that was burned into my mind was the simple advice of “Grow or Die!”

Sure this may have been a little extreme in reference to training but I love that about the quote. If you’re not continually improving or striving for goals all you are doing is maintaining. In the world of fitness, it is so easy to stop or give up. We come across new clients that start off so excited to reach their goals only to give up and quit after 1 or 2 months because they settle for the results they worked for. What usually happens is that they come back to us 2 months later with twice as much weight to lose. Maintaining is not enough. When you reach your goals, give yourself a pat on the back and make new ones to achieve.

In the book “A Fighter’s Heart”, the writer finds an opportunity to train with the Militech MMA camp in Iowa. This is an elite MMA gym home to fighters like Tim Sylvia, Matt Hughes, Jens Pulver, and Robbie Lawler. He goes there to train to fight because of an innate drive for combat but also goes as a writer. In a short conversation with Jens “Little Evil” Pulver they quickly distinguish the definition of “Drive”. The author mentions that he understands he needs to be hungry in order to become a fighter. Jens simply responds “Hungry? You need to be fu*king starving!”

This definitely puts things into perspective. Sometimes you need to be starving for your fitness goals. Willing to sacrifice and put in the hard work. Ronnie Coleman says it pretty well too, “Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder but nobody wants to lift some heavy ass weight!”. Yeah everybody wants to be in shape but nobody wants to put in the work at the gym or more importantly eat right.

With the start of summer only a couple weeks away there is no more time for excuses. There is no more trying; only doing. No more excuses. If you want to achieve those goals, you can’t become comfortable with what you are maintaining. You need to strive for more.

Thank you to my bro across the world for the enlightening conversation, thank you to the entrepreneur for motivating me, and thank you to Sam Sheridan’s “A Fighter’s Heart” for inspiring me. Remember you are either the Lion or Hyena!

My Advice:

1. Write your goals down so you can stare at them. Then stare at them some more. Make sure to make them specific. An example can be I want to lose 10 lbs by June 20^th.

2. Read something inspirational that will light a fire under your ass and get you going. I recommend “Never Eat Alone”.

3. Start Immediately. Too many people want to plan things out and often times never get out of the planning stage. Sometimes it’s better to cannonball into the pool rather than slowly walk in.

4. Don’t wait for a gym membership or the perfect trainer. Get outside and start sprinting or doing bodyweight training. The sooner you start the better.

5. Make a commitment to yourself and find positive people to surround yourself with who will keep you accountable.

Load and Explode: Why "Ballistic" Training is Important

2010-05-16T01:51:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post, my first guest, but it is a pleasure for me to introduce you to my good friend Daniel Frid. A true "balla" in this Performance/Fitness game associated with Integrated Athletic Development. These guys work in the top performance training facilities with top performance athletes. All the way from youth athletes to the Pro's. When Daniel Talks I usually shut up and listen. I hope he doesn't mind the photo I took from Facebook to debut him to the Hocevar Performance world.

Dr. Bob Ward the Sports Scientist and Conditioning Coach for the Dallas Cowboys from 1976 to 1989 and speed coach legend was definitely before his time. After speaking with Dr. Ward allow me to paraphrase our conversation, “the single most important component to increasing speed and agility is explosion in weight training.” This is the methodology of explosive exercises in training, or sometimes known as ballistic training. At Integrated Athletic Development in Carrollton, TX I have heard these words over and over again from performance coaches such as, Bryan McCall, Brian Weese, and sports agents such as Scott Casterline and Adam Sattler.

Parents, athletes and coaches alike ask the same question. How do I become faster? Or, I want my child to be quick, my athlete more agile and use the fast twitch muscles and explode during competition. A position statement from the National Strength and Conditioning Association states, “Resistance exercises characterized by maximal or near maximal rates of force development or by high accelerations, usually referred to as “explosive exercises,” are effective for enhancing physical performance.” In our philosophies involving acceleration in sport, explosive exercise is a necessity for optimal performance. These functional, yet explosive movements transfer over directly onto the field, court, pitch, diamond, etc. Again, keeping in mind the NSCA, specificity in training is key for the athletes in their respective sport. Stimulation, proper movement, patterns and velocity of specific muscles are the grass roots in training to being faster.

As an athlete matures and, when properly taught, ballistic/explosive training does not involve excessive risk of injury. In fact, “reduction of athletic injury risks associated with participation in sports involving high rates of force development [such as football] or high accelerations, [such as long jump] probably require some training with exercises involving high rates of force development or high accelerations.” In other words, practice like you play, and play how you practice or train.

Appropriately lift, accelerate, and release the weight, rather than slowly moving it as in other forms of weight training. This explosive movement will require the central nervous system to coordinate and produce the greatest amount of force in the shortest time possible. Again athletes train for a purpose and explosiveness serves a purpose that will transmit directly.

This short article is just the tip of the iceberg to increasing your speed. Consistent intelligent training, technique and hard work go hand in hand in becoming explosive and fast; along with lifestyle elements such as nutrition and recovery. Few have the DNA; there is no special trick to being fast. Even then those who are born with speed need to work to maintain their gift and increase it.

Speed Up Your Workout in 5 Easy Steps

2010-05-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

I got an opportunity to meet up with a friend and his buddy who were both visiting from out of town. After catching up, our conversation steered towards fitness. Of course, Right? His buddy mentioned how he loved working out and that he and his girlfriend went to the gym 6 days a week for up to 2 hours each day.

“We lift weights for an hour than do cardio for an hour, its awesome!”

I let out an evil laugh in my head, smiled and said,

“Yeah that’s awesome “Bro”!” (Insert My sarcastic smirk here)

The look on my face was priceless as I calculated the total time that he and his girlfriend spent at the gym. 2 hours a day, 6 days a week, 12 hours a week in the gym and he definitely didn’t look like he spent half a day in the gym.

My point here is not to talk bad about him, if your reading this, I am sincerely sorry if I have offended you but you have to admit, it’s funny. HAHAHA! But I want to help you. You can get the same results in 3-4 hours a week and don’t worry I’m going to tell you and everyone else how you can achieve this. Much love for you man and next time you are in town, I would love to have you in for a training session!

1. Shorten Your Rest Periods

I had never really been conscious of my rest times when I used to train. My next set would start whenever I thought my body was capable which would often be way too long. Does this sound familiar to you? After training with more strict rest periods, my body changed and adapted quickly.

Try to keep your rest periods at a maximum of 90 sec and a minimum of 15 seconds. Slowly lower your rest time as you get better at the given exercise.

2. Lower Reps

There is a common myth in training that more is better and that you need to do 8 reps for every single set. Don’t get brainwashed by this preconceived notion. You should be changing up your rep counts every 3-4 weeks to ensure continual adaptation.

To shorten your work out, lower your reps for each exercise and add another set. Instead of 3 sets of 8 reps try 4 sets of 5 reps with increased weight. The heavier weight will stimulate more lean muscle growth and really make your muscles burn.

3. Increase Your Cardio Intensity

Don's spend another hour and a half on a cardio machine! Switch it up to higher intensity intervals which will instantly cut your time down in half. Go hard for 1 minute and then at a lower intensity for 30 seconds. Repeat this pattern changing intensity and for a 2:1 work rest ratio for time.

Also with an improvement in weather around your area, try getting outside and running sprint intervals. Allow enough rest time so that each sprint is a 100 percent effort.

4. Shut Up and Train

If you engage in a conversation for even a minimum of 30 seconds after each set and you perform an average of 3 sets per exercise, 8 exercises per workout. You are yapping for 12 min. If you train for 30 min that’s half of your workout or another 12 min tagged onto your session.

Try running sprints for 12 min instead of talking and I bet you see better results. Just a thought!

5. Start Combining Exercises

I can still walk into a big corporate gym and find people working out for 2 hours because they are doing one exercise at a time. If your goal is to gain lean muscle or even fat loss, coupling exercises is a great way to start.

Try doing 2,3, or even 4 exercises back to back with 5-15 seconds of rest in between each exercise. You will find that it is more metabolically demanding and that it fully fatigues your muscles. For increased muscles growth try coupling exercises that work the same muscle group.

5 Quick Steps to Get Back into Shape

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1. Get Intense
Forget about how long your workouts take. Your results aren’t dependant on whether or not your workout lasted an 1 hour or 2 hours. Stop looking in the mirror and socializing with that cute girl or guy and get busy busting your ass.
30-40 minutes is a perfect amount of time to fit in a full body training session. Also a shorter and more intense workout can boost your metabolism up to 24 hours after your workout is done. I will definitely take that. Remember to focus on eating every 2-4 hours the next day to aid in keeping metabolism levels hi

2. Sprint like Bolt

You can accelerate fat loss by switching from long cardio sessions to short sprint intervals. If you live in a rainy climate, don’t worry. You can do sprint intervals on a treadmill or machine.

Try this sprint interval on any machine:

Round 1: 1 min moderate speed

Round 2: 35 sec high intensity speed

Round 3: 45 sec slow speed

Round 4: 45 sec high intensity speed

Round 5: 1 min slow speed

Round 6: 45 sec moderate speed

Round 7: 30 sec high intensity speed

Repeat

3. Protein Huh? Not Again

Protein takes the most energy to break down, aids in burning more calories and repairing muscle, and increases metabolism. Try having a lean protein with each meal in your day and watch the fat melt away. Did that just rhyme? Check out the truth behind protein to learn more about what to eat.

Some good Sources of Lean Protein

- Lean Meats: Turkey, Chicken, Tuna, Lean Beef, Bison

- Fish: also a great source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids

- Lean Dairy: Cottage cheese and Greek Yogurt

4. Veggie Time

I love pasta and bread like everyone and don’t take me to the Cheesecake Factory because I can’t help myself to their awesome bread but if your goal is for fat loss try getting your carbohydrates from somewhere else.

Try substituting breads and pastas with veggies in the kitchen. Vegetables are carbohydrates that are low and calories meaning you can get a filling meal without the added amount of calories.

5. Stepping Stones

This is probably the most important and often overlooked step. Don’t try to do everything at once, it will only overwhelm you and maybe even discourage you. Start slow, incorporating one element at a time. Remember it takes stepping stones to get to the end of the path.

Don’t jump into 2 a day training sessions if you usually workout 2 times a week. Just add another day of working out and see how you feel. Once it get’s consistent add another! If you eat 3 meals a day, don’t jump to 8. Start adding a small snack as a meal and I promise transitioning to eating every couple hours will be much easier.