Guest Post from Mr. Renegade Himself

Today's post is from Jason Ferrugia. Jason is someone whose work I have come to love and his message is always very clear and precise. While we differ on approaches, fat loss for example, the take home message from this should slap most people in the face and serve as a wake up call.

 

I hope….

 

"Not surprisingly, a lot of people get offended by the fact that I am not in the business of promoting fitness. When I post something to this effect on FaceBook or Twitter some people get very upset and even call me mean names. (I have feelings, ya know)

 

Now I know this may come as an odd statement, considering what I do for a living and the fact that I am a part of the fitness industry. But I really don't care to "give the gift of fitness" to people. I'm not going to be showing up at your front door dressed as Richard Simmons and telling you to pull your fanny of the couch because "it's time to get fit!"

 

I don't give a shit.

 

Before I go any further I should point out that I am not talking to most of my regular readers because, obviously you wouldn't be here if you fit the description. Rather, I am pointing out the fact that people have often mistaken me for the wrong guy and I am trying to clear that up.

 

If you want to sit around and eat donuts all day why would that possibly bother me? And why would I want to motivate you? I'm not Jenny Craig or Matt Foley the motivational speaker who lives in a van down by the river. What you do is your choice. Sure I will make fun of you, laugh at you and encourage others to do the same; but it's your life, not mine.

 

If you are too stupid to realize that regular exercise and a healthy diet is a necessary part of life I'm not going to waste my time telling you. Get on some prescription drugs, order a sausage pizza and watch another episode of Friends.

 

People ask me all kinds of questions when they find out what I do for a living.

 

"How do I lose this?" (grabbing a handful of a 48 inch waist)

 

"I don't know."

 

"How long should I do the stair climber for?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"I can't give up carbs but I want to get lean. What should I do?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"I only have twenty minutes to train, twice a week. What should I do?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"I know you're into all that heavy lifting but I can't do that. What can I do instead?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"I'm a girl and I don't want to get too bulky so how should I lift?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"How do I get motivated to go to the gym?"

 

"I don't know."

 

You either want to do something or you don't. I'm not in the business of motivating people. Sure, I'll shout some words of encouragement to serious trainees before they attempt a new squat max, and may even question their manhood in an attempt to get them even angrier. And I'll cheer a guy on during a grueling conditioning finisher, but if you are not internally motivated already, you're looking toward the wrong guy for help. I just don't care enough to waste my time on those types of people.

 

Often times people will tell me that they want to train with me and that I if they hire me or come to my gym I really need to push them. No, I don't. You need to push yourself. You're hiring me for my program design skills which are based on 16 years of experience. I am not a cheerleader. Any nitwit can yell at someone like a drill sergeant. Just because a workout is hard doesn't mean it's effective. Just because a coach yells loudly it doesn't mean he's smart.

 

If you can't find it within yourself and are not driven to excel, there is nothing I can do for you.

 

I'll give hard working, motivated, intelligent people everything I have. But for everyone else I have no time or patience. I know this offends many people. But it's just me being honest.

 

If someone needs to lose 15 pounds of fat in order to compete at a higher level in a weight class sport I'm all for helping them. If someone needs to lose 150 pounds I don't have a clue what they should do. All I know is they shouldn't have gotten into that situation in the first place. And allowing themselves to do so shows me they are undisciplined and lazy. I have little tolerance for these types of people.

 

There's nothing I like more than helping guys get bigger, stronger and faster. Taking a new guys squat from 225 to 455 is a lot of fun for me. I know how to do that. But I don't know what fat people should do. I don't know what lazy people should do. And it doesn't interest me to find out.

 

I told some fat people recently that they couldn't out train a bad diet. Some were offended. They thought that as long as they trained hard on some high intensity circuit type workout a few days a week they would get lean.

 

They won't. Nobody gets lean from doing kettlebell swings and burpees. If you're eating clean, these will help, but unless your diet is spot on you aint losing an ounce. All the exercise in the world will do you no good without eating properly. These are the cold, hard facts, my friends.

 

So before you send me another email telling me that I am discouraging fat, lazy people from even trying to get fit in the first place, please realize that I don't care. These are not my kind of people and that is not my market.

 

You must have the wrong guy."

Simple is not fast and fast is not easy.

There is a quote by my friend and mentor Alwyn Cosgrove that I read recently regarding fat loss but I can't remember exactly how it goes. So instead of completely butchering a wonderful quote, today's post is all about trying to capture the idea of what he was trying to say.

When it comes to fat loss there are two ways: Simple and fast. Fair enough? Now let's really break it down so we can understand exactly what AC was trying to get across.

As a society, we are lazy and complacent. We don't want to work hard and we don't want to eat right…..we just want that magic little pill or that perfect infomercial to get us to our goals. Even Taco Hell is now jumping on the bandwagon saying that instead of eating their shitty normal menu, you can now order off their less than shitty menu to lose fat.

Whatever happened to doing it the old fashioned way?

I will tell you what happened, people finally realized that fat loss wasn't not simple, fast or easy. See, when it comes to fat loss, you can have one or the other, but not all three.

If you really break it down and get all scientific, fat loss is truly very simple: eat less, move more. Really, it is that simple. The problem is that people come up with these ridiculous excuses as to why they can't eat less and move more. The best excuse is "I don't have enough time". Let me be frank here, eating less takes less time and to move more does not take more time either. Try parking your car 5 spots further from the grocery store or take the stairs. Either will take 30 seconds out of your day. Think you can spare that?

Now, fat loss can truly be very fast, but it sure as hell isn't easy. Don't believe me? I have personally tried two of the, in my opinion, hardest diets on the planet. One is called The Velocity Diet and the other is called Warped Speed Fat Loss. Both are 28 day programs that will push you past your own psychological limits, as well as push your body to the limits of what you thought was physically possible. AND THEY ARE BOTH HARD AS HELL! They will both strip the fat off your body in less than 30 days and give you that shredded look you so desire. Again, these are two of the fastest diets around but they are also two of the hardest; fast but far from easy.

As for easy, when it comes to fat loss, there is no such thing. To lose fat, you must watch what you eat, you must do some high intensity interval training and you must lift weights. All of which are a recipe for hard work and determination. The good thing is, that when you are done, you CAN have that body you want and you CAN have that look you want. Just remember, if you want fat loss fast, it ain't easy, if you want fat loss made simple it ain't fast and lastly if you want fat loss made easy, go to some other trainer because he will be as full of shit as your excuses are.

The silent assassin strikes again!

I never really realized how much alcohol can play in the lives of people who drink until recently. I had an epiphany today. It hit me square in the chest while I was screaming in pain while doing the exercise formerly known as Bulgarian Split Squats. Sleep has not been coming to me lately and since I am now performance training (I'm training for a triathlon), I need my recovery sleep more than ever. Problem is, is that I can't get more than five hours of sleep a night and if I do, I wake up every 2 hours or so and can't fall back asleep.

I was looking at everything as a possible suspect and I started with my food intake. I wrote down what I had been eating just to make sure and after reviewing, it really wasn't off the norm of what I had been eating. It wasn't my training because I was kicking my ass in the gym and on the road running and biking, which had been leaving me exhausted at night. Still, that sweet feeling of going into la-la land was evading me.

Then I realized something: I haven't had a drink in 19 days. While that might not be earth shattering to some, I knew immediately that I had my culprit. See, the human body revolves around a 21 day cycle: it basically takes 21 days to either make or break a habit. Drinking had been a habit of mine for a very long time and I am trying to change that. Week one was easy as I was in the ether of happiness and my body was reacting well. Then week two hit and the grind began and sleep became a rarity. I would stare at the ceiling for upwards of an hour before falling asleep and then I would be up at the crack ass of dawn, before the birds.

Alcohol is a poison and that is how the body treats it. Your kidney's and liver will do whatever they can to rid the body of such a toxin and while doing so, the body starts to react in funny ways; mine started to reject sleep. It's funny how much of an effect alcohol can have on the body and on the mind. If you are in a fat loss phase, instead of focusing on using your body fat for energy, it will try and get rid of the alcohol first and the same goes for trying to build muscle.

Yet it's the psychological effects that alcohol has on the body that is now starting to intrigue me. My body hasn't felt right, my mind has felt right and even my girlfriend has started to notice a change in my behavior (sorry honey). With two days left to break my habit, I am hoping that my body will start to adjust to a time period without alcohol.

What a way to start the new year!

If you are having the same start to the new year as I am, than you can probably feel the excitement in my words because I am extremely fired up for what I am about to say. Now, I don't normally talk much about my actual business, which is training clients, because I like to keep what I say here to what I give my clients separate. See with this blog, I use it to help point you and guide you in the right direction. When you are a client of mine, I hold your hand to guide and help push you towards your goals. I am an agent of change and that is why people come to me; they want help, they want change and they want it now.

What all of you don't know, is that I haven't done what I am about to do in over 4 months. I like working with a small number of clients because from a customer service standpoint and from evaluating my core values, the attention I can give helps my clients reach their goals.

The good news is this: I can do more. After looking at my schedule and my life goals, I have made the decision to accept 8 new clients. Now let me say this: I am not for everybody. If you do not want to change the way you look, feel or perform, then don't waste your time.

I do not accept just anyone. I had only been working on a referral basis before I stopped taking on new clients and even then there was an application process. Well, nothing is changing with this.

For the next 3 weeks, I am going to be accepting applications for new clients. I WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTING 8 NEW CLIENTS! I REPEAT… I WILL BE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS BUT THERE ARE ONLY 8 SPOTS OPEN.

If you live in Santa Barbara, this is an opportunity that will not come open again soon. Please send all inquiries to chris@phoenixtrainingfitness.com. I will email you a copy of my application and other information regarding the process to become a new client.

Remember, this open application process is only open for 3 weeks. Please forward this message to your friends, family members, co-workers…..anyone who you feel needs a catalyst for change. Sometimes it's that little push that can help save someone's life.

Here’s to 2009!

Well, it's finally here.

It's a day that you either loathe or love and it seems like there is no middle ground for this day. I have been trying to think of why some people love this time of year or why they hate it and I have come to no conclusions whatsoever.

So I won't stress over it.

One thing I am not going to do with this, the final post of the 2009 season, is what every other person has done with their posts: top 10 things I've learned. BLAH!

Instead, I am going to do what I will call "My top discoveries of 2009". There will be no limit to what I think of but as soon as I get bored, I will stop. Also, make sure to read the whole post as I have a couple big announcements that will come at the end.

Let's begin shall we?

MY TOP DISCOVERIES OF 2009

MUSIC

• Mudvayne – While this band has been around since 1996, I just recently discovered the amazing power of this band, thanks to satellite radio. The amount of power and fury that is conveyed in their music is amazing. From blistering guitar licks, to throat destructing screams, if you like your music hard and heavy, you can do no wrong here. I highly recommend their latest two releases: A New Game and the most recent release, a self-titled album Mudvayne.
  

  
   

• Five Finger Death Punch – The only way to describe the best new band I have heard in years is holy s***. This band was another discovery courtesy of XM radio and I am thinking of sending Kayla (Octane dj) roses since she was the on the radio when I first heard this. When I downloaded (yup, I downloaded it) their album, War is the Answer, I nearly came out of my skin. The first song hits you like a punch to the stomach and it doesn't stop for the entire album. I recently introduced a friend to them and the first thing she said was "ahhhhh, angry music". If you are in need of some good, hard leg day, blow your colon out your ass while squatting music, do your butt a favor and get this album.
  

  
   

FOOD

• Goji berries -- I first heard Tony Gentilcore talk about these little morsels on The Fit Cast. They are these tiny little red things that pack quite the nutritional punch. While they look like skinny versions of dried cranberries, these little guys pack a ton of good carbohydrates to your nutritional quiver
  

  
   

• Greek yogurt – I have been listening to people talk about this form of yogurt for a couple years now and this year decided to dip my toe into the craziness that is Greek yogurt. With less carb's and more protein than normal yogurt, the addition of this power packed mini snack to your every day food intake will do nothing be help you reach whatever fitness goals you set for yourself.
  

  
   

• Almond butter – I love peanut butter. LOVE IT. Yet just recently (like within the past 5 weeks or so) I was turned onto the all powerful taste of almond butter. I was at my girlfriend's house and she had no PB and gave me some almond butter instead. Needless to say, I have not bought peanut butter since. While loaded with the all important fats that people need in their diets, it also houses good carbs and a taste that only nut lovers can enjoy.
  

  
   

TRAINING

• Renegade rows – This is a row variation that I have come to love for a couple reasons. First, it hammers your rectus abdominus and oblique's and is what I consider to be one of the best ways to train your 6-pack without actually training your 6-pack. Second, it's a row and anytime you can throw a new type of rowing movement into your training, you will only better your physique and your postural health. Finally, it acts as a shoulder stabilizer and helps work those lovely little assistance muscles. I personally love doing these with kettle bells but if you are in a pinch or have no access to them, dumbbells work just as well.
  

 

• Front squat grip reverse lunges – I believe I got this one from Eric Cressey's Maximum Strength program. This movement covers the best of both worlds: front squats and lunges (yes, I'm a little sadistic). What I love about this killer variation is two-fold: you get to work your core and stabilizers while hammering your legs. Again, this movement is what I consider a best bang for your buck type movement. By holding a barbell in a front squat style grip, you are automatically engaging your core and abdominals. Yet you will be pleasantly surprised at how hard doing a reverse lunge with this style grip actually is. The fact that you have a barbell on your chest makes this subtle little movement twice as hard as holding a pair of dumbbells. Try this movement and you will find the results are quite impressive.
  

  
   

MISCELLANEOUS

• Satellite radio – I talked about this a little under the music section but without the addition of this to my new truck, I would go insane. I hate radio and haven't listened to it in years. The DJ's sucked and talk too much and the music they play is horrible. I get sick and tired of hearing the same 3 songs over and over again. Satellite radio is quite the opposite. The dj's don't talk hardly at all and the music is ever changing and completely random. In my opinion, this is the best way to discover new bands, minus Pandora radio.
  

 

That's about it. Honestly, I just can't think of anything else off the top of my head and am going for a hike with my doggie. So with that, I will close this post with a couple little announcements.

First, this is the first year I have actually had a resolution and stuck to it. Today is the last day of the "year without fries". Yes, I have gone 364 days without French fries. Was it hard? Kind of but not really. I actually can't wait until tomorrow when I go to In & Out and get me some fries! For next year, I plan on going with no red meat, i.e. no burgers, steaks or anything else that comes from a cow. If you are wondering why, read Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma. It will make you think twice about eating red meat.

I have actually contemplated not saying anything about this subject but I figured I live my life like an open book so I might as well talk about it.

Everyone knows that I drink and that I love the taste of alcohol. I love how wine can, when paired correctly, make any meal that much better. There is also nothing better than an ice cold beer on a hot summer day to quench that dry pallet. Still, alcohol is a poison to the body and I can honestly say my stubbornness and lack of ability to not drink has hindered me on my journey to reaching my physique goals.

Alcohol also impairs your judgment and your ability to make rational decisions and two weeks ago I made a choice that is going to drastically change my life for the next 10 years. Upon leaving a concert I was driving home and got a DUI. While I was lucky not to go to jail, I now have a battle in front of me that is going to be long and expensive. I think this couldn't have come at a better time, as I was drinking and driving more than I should have been doing.

It's funny the effect of getting a DUI can have on someone. Since it's happened, I feel that people now look at me like I have killed somebody, like I have done something so bad, that I can never be forgiven. Now I don't normally care what people think of me, but this is having a huge effect on me. It's very humbling to have to tell someone what happened and it is a definite learning experience, one that I don't wish on anyone.

So, with that in mind, it's about time I take a little bit of a break from the sauce. I really don't have a problem doing so right now either. It's time and it's been long overdue.

What a way to end 2009.

Here's to 2010!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do something, anything because I said so

If it seems like I'm a little random today, I'm blaming it on the fact that I slammed my head hard playing softball last night. Today my head hurts, I have the brightness of the screen turned down, loud noises really suck and the only thing that is making the pain behind my left eye go away is coffee. There are probably a host of other homeopathic remedies I could try and I plan on trying some of them later in the day, but as of now, crack in the form of coffee is doing just fine.

Just don't hold me to any sort of coherent thoughts and/or statements.

Let's begin.

I've really been thinking about life activities lately and the role the play in the life of individuals who are fit and healthy. There is a key acronym floating around our industry called NEPA, or Non Exercise Physical Activity. Basically NEPA is anything you can do to get some sort of extra exercise without actually doing any exercise. Confused perhaps? Let me provide you with some examples: parking far away from the entry to any sort of shopping store, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, disabling the automatic pull function on your lawn mower, walking a round of golf instead of using a cart and my favorite of them all…..surfing.

I am lucky to live in a place where it's sunny 330 days a year, so the option of being outside and doing something is always there and it show's with the people who inhabit this city. As I type, its blue sky and sunny with temperatures climbing up into the 70's. Yet there are people who aren't so lucky. The Eastern seaboard is getting hammered right now with horrible weather and odds are it's going to drive people in doors and on their couches. It's these times where you need to get creative. Can't get out of your house because you are snowed in? Here's a suggestion: during the next commercial break, do walking lunges across the room. Got a set of stairs? Do reverse lunges off the bottom step before you go to the bathroom (or after if you can't hold it). Got little kids? PLAY WITH THEM! Set the example that even though the weather sucks worse that Jake Gyllenhaal's acting, you can still stay active inside your house.

For those that CAN get outside during the winter, there is really no excuse not to do something active. Walk on the beach, take a hike into the hills (urban hikes are fun too if you have no wilderness), take your kids to the park and teach them a new game or sport. Whatever you do, don't waste the opportunity to get outside away from the monotony that is the television and video games.

Take in some much needed Vitamin D from the sun (if it is available), start a snowball fight with your neighbor or shovel their driveway. Do something to take your non-gym activity level up a notch. It's during these times of winter where you can set the foundation for a newer, healthier you come spring time.

Only One Body

Guest post today courtesy of Mike Boyle:

Imagine you are sixteen years old and your parents give you your first car. They also give you simple instructions. There is one small hitch, you only get one car, you can never get another. Never. No trade-ins, no trade-ups. Nothing

Ask your self how would you maintain that car? My guess is you would be meticulous. Frequent oil changes, proper fuel, etc. Now imagine if your parents also told you that none of the replacement parts for this car would ever work as well as the original parts. Not only that, the replacement parts would be expensive to install and cause you to have decreased use of your car for the rest of the cars useful life? In other words, the car would continue to run but, not at the same speed and with the efficiency you were used to.

Wow, now would we ever put a lot of time and effort into maintenance if that were the case.

After reading the above example ask yourself another question. Why is the human body different? Why do we act as if we don’t care about the one body we were given. Same deal. You only get one body. No returns or trade-ins. Sure, we can replace parts but boy it’s a lot of work and it hurts. Besides, the stuff they put in never works as well as the original “factory” parts. The replacement knee or hip doesn’t give you the same feel and performance as the original part.

Think about it. One body. You determine the mileage? You set the maintenance plan?

No refunds, no warranties, no do-overs?

How about this perspective? One of my clients is a very successful businessman. He often is asked to speak to various groups. One thing he tells every group is that you are going to spend time and money on your health. The truth is the process can be a proactive one or a reactive one. Money spent on your health can take the form of a personal trainer, massage therapist and a gym membership or, it can be money spent on cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and plastic surgeons. Either way, you will spend money.

Same goes for time. You can go to the gym or, to the doctors office. It’s up to you. Either way, you will spend time. Some people say things like “I hate to work out”. Try sitting in the emergency room for a few hours and then get back to me. Working out may not seem so bad. Much like a car, a little preventative maintenance can go a long way. However, in so many ways the body is better than a car. With some good hard work you can turn back the odometer on the body. I wrote an article a while back ( Strength Training- The Fountain of Youth) that discussed a study done by McMaster University which showed that muscle tissue of older subjects actually changed at the cellular level and looked more like the younger control subjects after strength training.

Do me a favor, spend some time on preventative maintenance, it beats the heck out of the alternative. Just remember, you will spend both time and money.