The Terror Within

The Real Killer: Obesity.

No Excuses

Some people wonder why they never get results. This article may be a bit blunt but it’s the truth. A lot of people see little or no results because they are full or EXCUSES. This article may slightly offend some people. I am ok with that though because to be honest I’m offended by how many excuses I hear from people. I’m tired of hearing the following:

• I don’t have time.
• I’m too old.
• I have bad genetics.
• I looked good until I had kids.

You get the idea. So now I will examine a few of these excuses and explain why they are total B.S. in my book.

I don’t have time.

This one is great. You don’t have time do you? Well there are 168 hours in a week. So there are 168 hours in my week, your week, his week, her week, everyone has the same amount of hours in their week. Its how you utilize these hours that really matter. I understand everyone is busy in this day and age. They have jobs, husbands and wives, kids, and many other commitments. People get the idea that because I am a trainer I work out all day long. I wish it was that simple. I am a trainer not a pro athlete. People pay me to work them out, not pay me to work out (as a pro athlete is). I schedule 40 hours+ a week with clients, drive to and from Murray at least 10 hours a week, take classes 12 hours a week, study at least an hour a day, check email and keep up with the latest in the fitness industry daily, cook and prepare all my meals for the day each night, see my girlfriend daily, sleep 7-8 hours a night and somehow still find time to lift weights 3 hours a week and run sprints/strongman training 2 hours a week. Some days I may be deadlifting at 6:00 am or doing squats at 9:00 pm but I make time for it. The key word is MAKE time for it. Everyone has the time there, its just what they choose to do with that time that’s the problem.

I’m too old.

This excuse drives me crazy. Too old? How can 30 something years old be too old? I don’t care if you have a full head of gray hair and get a senior citizens discount your still not too old. I have a client in his 50’s who trains harder that most teenagers and 20 somethings I know. I have a client in his 70’s who trains harder and is more disciplined that most athletes I know. He is still losing bodyfat and building muscle and he is in his SEVENTIES. No one is too old! You know why your think your too old? Because you sit around watching tv, eating and talking about how old you are. That’s why. You create your own destiny. If you think your old, tell yourself your old and even better act like your old then damn soon enough you sure will feel old. George Foreman won a world title in his forties (considered old for an athlete). He defied the odds and you know how? He trained hard and ate right. He trained when he felt tired, weak and even “old”. Look at LL Cool J. He was on the cover of Men’s Fitness just last month and has a build better than any 20 year old I see on a daily basis. Age is just a number. The reason 50, 60 and 70 year olds are making progress and defying the odds is because they tell themselves they are still young. They choose to be that way.

I have bad genetics.

This is one that drives me crazy. Bad genetics you say? No one is meant to be fat. There are different body types and shapes and sizes do vary but the body is not meant to hold large amounts of fat. People want to exercise a couple times a week then complain because they are still fat. These people need to take a look at the pizza and ice cream they eat for dinner a couple nights a week. Pizza and ice cream ARE NOT genetics. The fact that you’ve ate that way and did little or no exercise is what causes excessive fat gain…not genetics. If you want to lose fat you need to be getting 5 hours of exercise a week and eating right 90% of the time. Sound like a lot? Make a decision, how bad do you want it? Then you know what to do. If not then be happy being overweight and don’t blame your genetics. Realize it’s your lifestyle.

I looked good until I had kids.

Don’t blame your kids for this one. Now I do understand that women gain weight during pregnancy and the body goes through a lot of changes. I have experience training pregnant women. However if you kid is 10 years old guess what? That’s not baby fat around your waist and hips. If your baby weighed 8 pounds and you gained 80 guess what? You ate like shit. I have the perfect example. I have a client who became pregnant and continued working out all through the pregnancy. She gained a normal amount of weight and had her baby. Within 8 weeks post pregnancy she was back to her pre pregnancy weight. You know how? She didn’t live off ice cream and brownies. She ate good 90% of the time and exercised.

I hope you all understand I didn’t write this article to offend anyone. I just wanted to point out common excuses and if one offended you should probably look at why? Is it because I pointed out the brutal truth? You are never too old to do something. You where not born overweight, but you let yourself become overweight. If you are already there then make the change. Exercise regularly and change the way you eat. If you can’t give up your junk food daily, stop making excuses, complaining and blaming it on your genetics. Don’t blame your innocent kids, get off your butt and do something. If you think you have no time realize everyone is busy. Everyone has a ton of responsibilities. The difference is we make time.

What is the secret to success? It is dedication and discipline. It is that simple. Make time to work out. Don’t miss workouts. Make time to eat healthy. Don’t miss meals. Stop making excuses, no one wants to hear them.

Congratulations Jay!

I would like to congratulate Jay Pitman on his recent accomplishment of completing the Louisville Ironman Triathalon. That is an awesome achievement.

Congratulations Laura!

I would like to congratulate Laura Duff on the recent accomplishment of preparing for and competiting in her first figure show. For those of you all that don't know it is A LOT of work for a girl to prepare for a show. It is a 24/7 job. From the strenous training, cardio and diet to the posing, shoes, hair and nails. It is not an easy process. It takes a lot of hard work, discipline and dedication. Good job Laura!

13 Reasons to Take Your Fish Oil

Thirteen reasons to use fish oils to get lean

This is an excerpt from coach Poliquin's and Dr. Houston's upcoming book on fat loss.

Serious trainers want to find a supplement that will give them an edge. For those of us interested in positively and optimally altering body composition and maximizing our training efforts, fish oils offer thirteen possible advantages:

1. Cell membrane health: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), insure that cell membranes remain healthy. The membranes are flexible and contain larger numbers of insulin receptors that are more receptive and responsive to circulating insulin. This results in decreased fat storage in the adipocytes (fat cells)

2. Fish oils turn on the lipolytic genes (fat burning genes)

3. Fish oils turn off the lipogenic genes (fat storage genes),

4.Fish oils diminish C-reactive proteins, a newly identified risk factor associated with various inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, angina, coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure and diabetes. The D.H.A. fraction of the fish oil seems to be one most responsible for that protective effect. DHA also has best ability to reduce blood pressure.

5. Increase utilization of fat stores from the adipocytes.

6. Preferential utilization for energy production once stored in the Adipocytes.

7. Reduced inflammation from physical training.

8. Pain management from the reduced inflammation.

9. EPA regulates blood supply to the brain that is essential in maintaining focus in weight training sessions. DHA is important in brain membranes, memory and cognitive function.

10. Fish oils increase serotonin levels (the happy neurotransmitter). Therefore, fish oils will decrease incidence of depression, anxiety, panic attack and reduce carbohydrate cravings.

11. Fish oils will improve your cardio-vascular risk profile by lowering VLDL, triglycerides, homocysteine, fibrinogen and increasing HDL levels. Combining fish oils with plant sterols will improve lipid levels even more than either alone.

12. Fish oils can also decrease blood pressure by several mechanisms.
These include increases in the vasodilatory compound, nitric oxide, reducing vascular inflammation, blocking the constrictive elements in the vascular wall such as the calcium channels reducing blood viscosity, and inhibiting a blood vessel constrictor (thromboxane). Lipoprotein (a) is another CVD predictor that can be lowered by fish oils (a 19% reduction was seen with natural, stable fish oils and just 4% with a highly purified fish oil).

13. Fish oils are a great stress fighter. Supplementation with n-3 fatty acids inhibits the adrenal activation of steroids, aldosterone, epinephrine and norepinephrine (catecholamines) elicited by a mental stress, apparently through effects exerted at the level of the central nervous system.

Bodybuilding

This past summer I decided to take the time to prepare for and compete in 2 bodybuilding shows since my schedule allowed. The first show I competed in was The Hub City Fitness Quest in Jackson, Tn. I was very happy with the outcome. I finished 1st place in the Men’s Open Middleweight Class. Then the next weekend I competed in the NPC GNC Central Indiana Bodybuilding and Figure Championships in Anderson, In. I was very pleased with my placing at that show as well. I walked away with two 2nd places in the Men’s Open Middleweight and Novice Middleweight. My goals and plans for competing now are to take a break (from the stage, not training) and finish up school this year. Then next fall possibly compete again. Thanks to all my clients, friends, family and girlfriend for support during my contest preparation.

Congatulations Parker!

I would like to congratulate my client Parker Shields for setting the Illinois State Deadlifting Record this past weekend in Metropolis. Parker not only lifted a personal best deadlift of 385 pounds (at a weight of 165 and 15 years old) but also beat Illinois previous record for his division. Congratulations!