Brand New, highly scientific stuff

So I'm going to try something over the next couple weeks just to prove a point to people. When talking to people about the benefits of lifting heavy weights and metabolic conditioning, people are extremely hesitant. They say stupid things like "I don't want to look like a body builder" or "I don't want to be one of those fitness models".

Well guess what morons, couple things: A. bodybuilders do steroids, you don't and B. fitness models and bodybuilders have the most insane, strict diets you could imagine and finally, besides amazing genetics, C. they train their asses off usually twice a day and have been doing it for YEARS!

I feel better now.

With all that being said, I am doing a little personal, highly scientific research on none other than myself.

What I'm going to do is record my heart rate during my lifting sessions and compare that to results from steady state cardio. What I am trying to prove is that lifting heavy weights can do more for your body than only doing steady state cardio.

Today was my first recording session. So here is what my training with heart rate looked like:

core
dynamic warm-up

A1. Single Arm Kettlebell swings - 6x7 -- 30 sec rest, 26kg bell
B1. Barbell Split Squats - 6x4 -- 40 sec rest, 175 lbs
C1. Snatch Grip RDL - 4x7 -- 15 sec rest, 225 lbs
C2. Double Leg Hip Extension Leg Curl -- 4x7 -- 90 sec rest, BW

Avg heart rate = 120
Max heart rate = 160
Total time lifting = 24 min, 56 sec.

So in 25 minutes, my heart rate was in a zone considered to be decent for steady state cardio but I was also stimulating more than just nothing. I was lifting heavy shit and getting my heart rate up, as evidenced by my max HR hitting 160 bpm.

Keep in the loop regarding this as I will post once a week or so my training for the day and my results from my heart rate readings.

Updates camp schedule and going independent, so to speak

Okay, so after taking a generous poll of individuals that plan on attending the bootcamps next week, I have decided to NOT do the 6 am classes. Nobody seemed stoked on the idea of waking up that early in the morning to train.

Gee, I wonder why?

So, not to people out there in SB land: NO 6 AM CLASSES NEXT WEEK

Also, as a way to get amazing free marketing, I need everyone and I mean EVERYONE to go to this website:

http://www.independent.com/

Once there, look for the icon that says something like "vote for best of SB". Its the Independent's annual Best of Santa Barbara, where the people vote on the best of everything that is in SB.

Under the option of Best Outdoor Fitness Program, type in Phoenix Training & Fitness.

Its that simple. For those of you who do not live in the Santa Barbara area, you can still vote too. Just put in this number for the area code: 93109

I really appreciate all your help.

CLASS SCHEDULE UPDATE

Next Wednesday there will be 3 classes:

6 am, 6 pm and 7 pm

Next Thursday will only have one class:

6 am ONLY

Bootcamp schedule, product review and nothing else worth a darn

So I have been working on the format for the new bootcamps and I am super excited to unleash these next Monday morning. I even took a metabolic conditioning class yesterday and was able to pull away some really good idea's that I might add in as well.

Anyways, here is the schedule for the FREE bootcamps that I will be doing next week. By the way, you didn't read that wrong, I am doing 14 ABSOLUTELY FREE bootcamps next week:

Monday - 6 am, 6 pm, 6 pm
Tuesday - 6 am, 6 pm, 7 pm
Wednesday - 6 am
Thursday - 6 am, 6 pm, 7 pm
Friday - 6 am, 6 pm, 7 pm
Saturday - 5 pm


I will post the new location here in the next 48 hours. So tell your friends, tell your family and I look forward to see all of you there!

NEXT

Okay, so if you don't know, I'm going to lay it out for you. I love Biotest. That company pretty much saved my life and I will always buy their products, its the least I could do. But for the first time in a really long time, I think its been at least 5 years, I bought protein from another company.

I recently bought Black Star Labs Ultra Peptide Whey protein. I went with chocolate flavor because I love chocolate and since everyone and their mother makes a chocolate protein, its usually a good gauge as to flavor.

I had read a lot of review's of the product and everything I heard was positive. So I went for it and I must say that I am pleasantly surprised. It mixes well in a shaker and has a really light chocolate flavor. Honestly it reminds me of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate in its flavor. I use it a lot in my PWO shakes and in my pre-bed meal (cottage cheese, protein and peanut butter) and the flavor is amazing. For $34.95 for a 5 pound tub (71 servings) the price is super reasonable.

So, if you are looking to try out a delicious new protein or just add one to your quiver of supplements, give it a try and you will not be disappointed.

RANDOM THOUGHT

Anyone else as excited as me to see that football season is already here? I mean I got goose bumps last night watching the Hall of Fame game highlights on Sportscenter. This is seriously my favorite time of the year. Football and the end of summer....awesome.

I think I have officially lost my noodle

I have been thinking about this for a while and I can't believe I'm about to say this but I am about to do something that my business coach is going to kill me for doing.

Starting Monday August 17th, 2-weeks from today, I will be doing 14 free bootcamps over the course of 6 days.

That's right, I said FREE. No charge, no nothing. Show up, train hard, meet some new people and have some fun.

Normally I charge $49 per week for 3 session, so you are instantly saving fifty bucks right off the top.

Now, I know what you are prolly thinking, and no I haven't gone completely off the reservation. I am just about half way there.

So, I say again, starting Monday August 17th, I will be doing 14 COMPLETELY FREE bootcamps.

Bring friends, family or whoever. I will keep blogging with updates, times and location (hint, we are going someplace new). If you are interested, just post a comment here or send me an email.

Anyone seen me lately? I think I might be lost....

Nah.

I'm not lost just busy.

First things, I hate Cox and not just because I'm a heterosexual male. I prefer women and that's the way I like it. But I do not like the cable company Cox right now. The internet at my house has been out for the last 2 days and it's intermittent with the connection right now. Not that that has kept me from posting, but that's one good reason.

The other, is that I took off down to Los Angeles for a little event you may have heard of. Its called X-Games. I got the pleasure of hanging poolside at The Standard hotel with Adriana from some show called The Hills, drank some beverages with some pro skaters and the owner of DC Shoe Co, and watched some rapper guy named Fabulous perform. It was a grand time. The 100+ miles of traffic on the way home did suck though.

Tangents over. Back to business

Today is Day 1 of my Skinny Jeans challenged and I'm excited for the group. While I didn't get as many people in the program as I would like, the one's that are in are very excited to get going and these next 8 weeks will push them to their limits, with the hopes of getting down 2 pant sizes.

Also, a couple announcements. The return of my bootcamps is here. I will be doing a new format, with new toys (can you say kettlebells and blast straps), new location and finally new pricing format.

Secondly, I will be offering free bootcamps for people interested in donating money for the American Heart Association, Heart Walk here in Santa Barbara. Details forthcoming.

Last but not least, I should have my website up and running by this time next week. It has taken me a while to get here but if everything works out, it should be ready. Keep your fingers crossed.

Oh, I almost forgot. In case anyone cares, I bought a new truck last week thanks to the government and their Cash For Klunkers deal. I am now styling in a '09 Toyota Tacoma.

I love the smell of a new car......

THREE THINGS TO WATCH FOR IN A PERSONAL TRAINER

If you have spent any time in a weight room you will know there are certain ways that things are done – and certain ways things should absolutely not be done. You’ve probably seen them, heard them said or done them and didn’t even realize it. Example: barbell biceps curl in a squat rack? Seriously? I know it seems miniscule and possibly even a little bit nit-picky, but no true lifter in his right mind would ever try such a dastardly thing. After all, it is called a squat rack for a reason.

The same thing can also be said about personal trainers and how they work with their clients. After 17 years of weight lifting, training as a client, and now training my own clients, I have seen and heard some absolutely moronic advice from personal trainers. With that in mind I came up with my top 3 things that if seen or heard by a personal trainer should have you finding the nearest exit and running your little rear end off.

1. “You feel that? Nice.” This definitely tops the list but I’m not even sure this one deserves an explanation because of the basic stupidity behind it. As a personal trainer, we are taught how to design programs to stimulate fat loss and/or generate new muscle synthesis (aka get yourself swoll). With that in mind, no personal trainer worth his weight in gold should ask a client that question. If he does, I’m sure this person can’t even properly do their ABC’s.

Not only does it show complete lack of knowledge of kinesiology and basic anatomy, but it also tells the client that you aren’t quite sure the exercise you have them doing is the right one to help them reach their goals. It also sends them the message that they aren’t doing the movement correctly, thus uncovering your inability to coach them to do said movement correctly, and forever searing in the mind of your client that you are a moron.

2. Unstable surface training. If you see a trainer having his client do more than 1% of a program on a Bosu ball, Swiss ball or other type of unstable surface, the only thing he is having them work on is their next injury.

Don’t get me wrong, working on an unstable surface has its place when it comes to the world of physical therapy and injury rehabilitation. Your clients aren’t paying you to re-hab them, they are paying you to get them leaner, sexier and stronger. Doing Swiss ball crunches does not have the same training effect as a 60 second prone plank hold or set of ab wheel rollouts. Also, if your trainer tells you that by using the ball it will help “strengthen auxiliary muscles”, ask him to stand on one foot and close his eyes. Then proceed to bash him over the head with the pink dumbbell he probably has you using.

3. I have saved the most important one for last: programming. In the most simplistic of terms, a program is the written plan of attack that a trainer creates for his client based on the client’s wants and needs. This is where most trainers fail because they have no concept of programming. Instead, they give their clients “workouts.” In my mind a workout is a set of exercises put together for no rhyme or reason. A program, however, has all the important factors built into it: mobility and muscle activation, core, pre-habilitation, resistance training, metabolic conditioning and self re-generation. It is a written plan of attack to give you the body you want in the shortest amount of time possible. If your trainer says “for today’s workout we are going to…..” I suggest leaving the gym and saving yourself the time and money of doing something that is not going to get you want you want; and that’s results.

There you have it, three simple and effective keys that will save you thousands of dollars in useless training expenses. Remember, not all trainers are created equal - some of us actually care about helping our clients reach their goals. Just make sure your trainer has your best interests in mind, not theirs