Feeble to Fit - Los Angeles Personal Training

The Truth About Dental Insurance

2012-02-15T16:57:00.000-08:00

So is getting dental insurance really worth it? My dentist told me it's not worth it. Is she just trying to make more money off of me? I doubt it. Being a personal trainer, I get it. Whether I come in or not she will still work the same amount of hours every week. So why did she tell me this? Is dental insurance really worth it?

Article About Diet

2012-02-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

Are We Supposed To Be Vegan, Vegetarian, Carnivore, Omnivore, Herbivore, Or Paleo?

It's something my personal training clients often wonder and discuss with me during training. As a nutritionist as well as a personal trainer, I thought I would write an editorial on the subject matter. Read more here: The Best Diet For Human Beings.

Genetically Modified Foods

2012-01-31T15:05:00.001-08:00

After reading about President Obama appointing the former VP of Monsato as the senior advisor for the FDA and how some Monsato campuses have removed GMO foods from their cafeterias, the battle over GMO foods and our right to either be aware of it or ban it has become widespread.

Some of the pro arguments:

Cheaper food
Food resistant to pests
Ability to make edible pharmaceuticals

Cons:

Unintended harm to organisms (like organisms that transfer pollen)
Gene transfer to non-target species
Deadly food allergies
Unknown effects on human health.

If nothing else, we the consumer should be given a choice to be aware of what kind of products we are purchasing. One site I found that does just that is Non GMO Project.

Because of my own views of living and eating in a way more akin to our ancestors, I avoid anything modified or processed.

About the Author:

Sam Y. is a Personal Trainer, Coach, Performane Enhancement Specialist, Corrective Enhancement Specialist, Pilates and Yoga instructor, and holds multiple certifications. He is also an avid Martial Artist, training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing, Boxing, and MMA. He is also the author of the popular fitness blog All Out Effort as well as the popular martial arts blog Inner BJJ. You can find him in the Los Angeles area personal training his clients, or at home annoying his wife, or on Facebook at his personal fitness page.

One Life

2012-01-29T10:15:00.001-08:00

Training Miss California Contestant Jona Xiao

2012-01-20T05:21:00.001-08:00

I was very proud to train Miss California Contestant Jona Xiao. Out of over 5,000 girls, her just being selected was a major milestone. She looked great and though she didn't win she made everyone who supported her along the way proud.

The thing that was best about working with Jona was, it was so easy! She did everything I asked, never whined, showed up, and trained like a mad woman! I thought being a beauty pageant contestant, she would be hard to work with and a bit of a diva. No way. I don't think she missed even one day of training. I told her what to do, and she just did it. If everyone trained like her, well my job would be easier, and they would get this kind of result. She was all business!

Jona has a bright future ahead of her.

Read about her experiences in her own words here:

When I was selected as an official representative for the Miss California USA pageant (My title was Miss Melrose 2012), I furiously looked around for THE best personal trainer so I could confidently wear a bikini for the millions of viewers that would be watching. I am so fortunate to have found Sam Y, as I achieved this goal, and so much more.

Knowledge. Inspiration. Unparalleled trainer of both the body and mind. And I've worked with several personal trainers, most of whom use a one size fits all approach. When I would inquire about kettlebells, tabatas, greasing the groove, or other exercise programs, most of the trainers I interviewed would either give me blank stares or mumble that they weren't as familiar with these fitness concepts. Sam's immense fitness and nutrition knowledge is so expansive that it feels like he can field any array of questions pertaining to these subjects to a degree that instills so much confidence in him as a trainer and the regiment he puts you on. He answers the WHY that gave me confidence in what I was doing.

In a mere 7 weeks of training with Sam, not only did I transform my body, but also my level of fitness in the areas of cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength and power. When I first started with Sam, I would feel slightly tired jogging up a flight of stairs. About a month into our training, I did a late night jog at Griffith Park with a former marathon runner, and barely felt tired during the uphill portion of the run. I was shocked to find out I had been jogging over a mile uphill to start out. Sam and I hadn't even been doing any treadmill or running work at that point, but it was the eclectic power, strength, and muscular endurance exercises that helped me get from "feeble to fit" (one of Sam's goals for clients).

I love Sam's take on building strength through MOVING weight rather than LIFTING weight, which is much better for the body, and you see incredible results. When we first started training, I would complain that my body wasn't "feeling" certain exercises as much as other exercises. I think we often are under the false pretense that an exercise is only effective if we are in severe physical discomfort. Not so. I built strength and endurance without feeling like I was about to pass out or my muscles were going to give out every second. Makes the sessions much more enjoyable as well.

I had never actually looked FORWARD to going to the gym or working out with a trainer prior to Sam. Nothing ever felt stale because we did a variety of workouts, ranging from kickboxing, to kettlebells, to weighted Indian bats, floor exercises, endurance drill competitions between clients, and much much more! He was very available via phone and email, proactively checking on my progress, both physically and mentally.

At the very least, do the personal assessment with Sam. His keen eye for detecting bad form and habits will provide you new information about your body and the way you use it. If certain habits aren't corrected (if you aren't aware of them, how can you begin to change them?), they could lead to very debilitating injuries in the near or distance future..." Read more.

Here's a testimonial she shot at the contest:

About the Author:

Sam Y. is a Personal Trainer, Coach, Performane Enhancement Specialist, Corrective Enhancement Specialist, and holds multiple certifications. He is also an avid Martial Artist, training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing, Boxing, and MMA. He is also the author of the popular fitness blog All Out Effort as well as the popular martial arts blog Inner BJJ. You can find him in the Los Angeles area personal training his clients, or at home annoying his wife, or on Facebook at his personal fitness page.

What's Most Important

2012-01-10T15:48:00.000-08:00

I had a client come in. Wanted to get fit, and also use my coaching to help her with her anxiety. She's tried everything. She performs classical music and the amount of stress and pressure of performing and auditioning and competing at a high level were wearing on her and she felt something physical would help her fight this, along with building confidence, and work out some stress.

She told me she felt she needed a hardcore teacher. A bad ass who was in her face screaming. That's what she needed. Tough love. I asked her why she felt this way? She said her teachers tell her that's what she needs, that's already what she's used to, and its the only way to get good performances out of her. I asked her who told her that? Her teachers. I saw where all this anxiety was now coming from. I told her that's not the type of coach I was, and that's not what she needed.

I handed her a stick. I told her to hold on to it. Then I tried to rip it out of her hand aggressively. Every time I did, she braced and clenched. Even when I pretended to grab it, and feinted, she still clenched. When I came at her slowly, more politely, more respectfully, she relaxed and allowed me to move her around with the stick. I told her when people come at her this hard way, that's her natural reaction. Freeze, clench, stress, and react also aggressively. When I came at her respectfully and controlled, she allowed me to move her, we created a mutual bond of trust. I told her then that people will come at her in life this way, but she is also coming at herself this way as well, she is coming at herself without respect, impolitely, aggressively. She needed to be easier on herself.

I asked her what's the most important thing she needs to learn from this? What's the first thing she needs to learn? What does she need to get out of today?

She gave me varied answers. From relaxation and breathing, to learning how to exercise on her own, to maybe some martial arts moves as well. She thought martial arts seemed like a good form of exercise, that it may help her.

I told her all those things were important, but to me the most important thing is learning how to get up.

I told her to lie on the ground, and asked her if she knew how to get up without having someone kick her in the face? She realized she had no idea. The simplest thing, the thing taken most for granted.

I then demonstrated a way to get up without taking any damage.

I asked if she knew what I just showed her? She said I showed her how to get up.

I said no, I showed you how to rise against duress. Duress of any kind. Physical or mental or situational.

I showed her the same move again, this time holding weight. There was only one way to get up against direct pressure.

Performance training to me is all about being able to get up, rise to the occasion, or keep picking yourself back up, against any stress, pressure, or attack. Whether it be mental, physical, emotional, financial, spiritual.

I told her she would perform as she trained. If I screamed at her, she would just be good at taking orders. And then out there, she would only be good as the orders I gave her. She would be the best example of a cog on a ship. Not the captain of the ship. It's not about taking orders, its about mastering yourself. To master yourself, you need to learn to rise against any adversity.

Get up.

About the Author:

Sam Y. is a Personal Trainer, Coach, Performane Enhancement Specialist, Corrective Enhancement Specialist, and holds multiple certifications. He is also an avid Martial Artist, training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing, Boxing, and MMA. He is also the author of the popular fitness blog All Out Effort as well as the popular martial arts blog Inner BJJ. You can find him in the Los Angeles area personal training his clients, or at home annoying his wife, or on Facebook at his personal fitness page.

What Are The Best Basic Exercises For Beginners

2012-01-04T15:09:00.001-08:00

For anyone starting a fitness program or routine, they should consult their doctor first to make sure they are cleared for physical activity.

Your first goal and the goal of any personal trainer or training program should be to keep you safe and injury free. Every other goal is secondary to that primary goal of doing yourself no harm. Make sure you properly warm up prior to activity.

There are 5 basic exercises or lifts or concepts that are important for beginners. They are the squat, the deadlift, the lunge, a pulling exercise, and a pushing exercise. All of these are compound movements. Meaning instead of isolating parts of your body, you are using your body as one whole unit. Which is ultimately the way your body was engineered to work. Isolating body parts is a sports specific way of exercising for the sport of body building. For a beginner or someone just looking for fitness and weight loss, compound movements are recommended.

From the perspective of toning or weight loss, you will recruit more muscles doing compound exercises as well as increase your metabolic rate (burning calories as some people call it). Think about it in the instance of cardio, would you get more benefit from running up a hill, or standing in place and swinging your arms in a circle? One uses your whole body, one just uses your arms (specifically your shoulders). So then with that same thought, would you gain more benefit sitting down and doing some bicep curls, or holding weights and doing a squat?

1. Out of the 5 exercises I have mentioned, the squat is the most important. The idea is simple, we are mimicking something we do every day. The most important act, one of our first acts. The attempt to lift ourselves off of the ground, sitting and standing. Something we are designed to do. You look at a lot of cultures and they still squat instead of sitting on the ground, and this is completely comfortable for them. It's even how we originally used to go to the bathroom. You look at modern day people, and when they sit or stand up from a chair, they no longer squat. They basically fall down into the chair, and fall forward out of the chair. We need to bring the squat back. If we want to look like our fit ancestors, we have to train like they did. So what's more basic than something we've been doing since we've been around? There are many variations, from behind the back squat, front squat, dumbbell squat, goblet squat, kettlebell squat, overhead squat but for a beginner I recommend the body weight squat. I won't allow any of my clients to have weights until they have mastered the body weight squat.

2. The next exercise is the deadlift. The act of picking something up from the ground. It's roots? We had to hunt and gather right? We picked things off the ground, or hunted things that ran on the ground. Or we needed to pick up tools or pick things up to create tools. Its part of the foundational movements that make us human. It's all about hinging at the hips. With all the back problems people suffer from now, we have lost this ability and we need to bring it back. You look at how bad people's postures are, how rounded their backs get. They don't hinge at the hips, in fact they start bending from the middle of their back. We were born with a S-curved spine for a reason and if you round it out while bending over, under load or constant repetition, something will pull or snap! People because of this will tell you to avoid the deadlift. Well you will deadlift regardless. I guarantee it. While tying your shoes, picking up something off the ground, picking up your child, etc. Would you rather do it without any thought and poor technique? Or correct it and do it under a controlled environment so you become conditioned to a movement you do already? Make sure you master the idea of the hip hinge while maintaining a neutral spine. Look at yourself in the mirror. I use a stick with my clients, they hold it behind their back. One hand behind their head, one hand behind their low back. Throughout the whole movement they have to maintain three points of contact with the stick, at the head, the upper back and the low back.

3. The lunge is next. What else do we do all the time? We walk, we move, we stagger our legs. This is conditioning us to stay balanced and strong in a staggered stance. In all sports, martial arts, dancing, or basically 99% of the time you are up right, you will have one leg in front of the other. It's a safe way to work our balance without all the difficulty of exercises that require us to stand on one foot. But once you get good at the squat and the lunge, single leg exercises would be your next progression/evolution.

4. The pulling exercises. In our past, when we worked, we worked. We were constant pulling things. Pulling ourselves up, pulling carts, pulling ropes, pulling weeds, etc. We are so rounded because we constantly shrug forward, even our shoes make us lean forward. This has become a problem. Pull yourself together! Pull! Correct and align your posture. Whether its the row, a pull up, a pull down, a cable pull, etc. Just pull.

5. The pushing exercises. So what do I mean by that? It's any exercise where you push something away from you. Think about it, what do you do most of the day? You reach for things in front of you like keyboards and cellphones, you push doors open, your shelve something, you lift yourself out of bed, etc. So a pushing exercise can be anything from a push up, bench press, or my favorites, any overhead presses. Pick something up and lift it over your head. Bring that range of movement back and unfreeze your shoulders. We hardly ever lift our arms above our heads anymore as an adult. We stopped doing that once we stopped raising our hands in school. And even in school your arms got burned out raising them so you had to try to hold it up with your other arm or set it on top of your books. Besides the back where do people have the most problems? Shoulder and neck. We have nearly the same design as apes and monkeys. They have no problems raising their arms over their heads, they cling and climb trees all day, and are much stronger than us. Do they have our shoulder and neck issues? No. We were born to move our arms about. They are in a socket after all, designed for full range of motion.

I've given you a common sense explanation of why these exercises and routines are important. There are still many of you who are all about the weight loss and will think, well cardio will help me lose more weight. Wrong. If you think about it and go down that train of logic, it is absurd. What burns fat? Does fat burn fat? No. Muscles burn fat! Does cardio build muscles? No. What builds muscles? These compound exercises build muscles. What burns fat? Muscles. What do I do if I want to burn fat? You need to build muscle.

These are universal concepts really and there are many variations of all of these exercises. Some things that are general rules, maintain a neutral spine throughout each of these movements. Maintain most of your weight on your heels (except on the lunge where one of your feet will be on the ball of the foot), if because of your heels you can't feel where the weight is on your sole, wear less bulky shoes. Squeeze your glute and engage your core. Breath in and out during effort. Constantly breath, breath like a predator. How do they breath? Deep. Don't breath like prey and get winded and eaten up by these routines. Make sure your knees track your feet. With the squat, deadlift, and lunge: instead of just coming up, think about pushing the ground away.

For examples you can find plenty of demonstrations online but better yet because these exercises take time to master, seek out a professional. No not your buddy or your dad who thinks they know a thing or two. A personal trainer, maybe a personal training class or fitness class. They may be walking around your gym with nothing to do, ask them a question. These moves are simple but you don't treat them with respect and you will get hurt. So get guidance.

About the Author:

Sam Y. is a Personal Trainer, Coach, Performane Enhancement Specialist, Corrective Enhancement Specialist, and holds multiple certifications. He is also an avid Martial Artist, training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing, Boxing, and MMA. He is also the author of the popular fitness blog All Out Effort as well as the popular martial arts blog Inner BJJ. You can find him in the Los Angeles area personal training his clients, or at home annoying his wife, or on Faceboo

New Site

2011-11-02T17:01:00.001-07:00

Go to: www.allouteffort.com

A Guide to Healthy Living

2010-10-16T17:42:00.001-07:00

Health Guideline

Goal: Increase immune system and white blood cells. Creating better health at the cellular level.

Think no carcinogens. Think organic, nonrefined, nonprocessed, simple (not only food but for everything). Food eaten in combination. Caveman lifestyle. Ask yourself could people over a hundred years do this before you dry clean something or get too fancy with your cooking. Active lifestyle and stress reduction through ancient methods e.g., meditation, breathing, exercise, martial arts, etc.

Physical Activity:

30 mins a day 6 days a week or 50-60 mins a day 3 days a week. Based on health level can be walking, yoga movements, tai chi, qi gong. For the more fit, athletic movements and exercises, running, combative martial arts.
Avoid sedentary lifestyle or sitting for prolonged periods.

Stress Management (stress increases noradrenaline and cortisol which lowers immune system):

Meditation
Breathing exercises
Yoga or tai chi movements
Mental imagery
Relaxation and massage
Group meditation, prayer, chant, rosary, or individual (must be said out loud to get into breathing rythmn)
Support at least once a week. Getting together with friends or family or being part of a bigger group that shares a hobby
Avoid isolation, despair, anger – use support, calm music, serenity, quiet, calm light, candles, incense, laughter, lightheartedness, prayers, cards, pictures
Feeling of control over stress is more important than lack of stress in studies
Helplessness promotes cancer

Dietery Needs (foods with high glycemic index increase insulin, which promotes inflammation and cancer growth and lowers immunity):

Avoid traditional western diet (proinflammatory) – use Mediterranean, Indian, Asian cuisine (anti-inflammatory)
Principally made of vegetables and legumes, accompanied by olive oil, garlic, herbs, spices. Meat and Egg optional. Balance and variety.
Vitamin E, C, D (especially for people with little sun exposure), Selenium
Omega 3 fatty acids (not omega 6 which is already in heavy abundance in our foods)
Variety of fruits and vegetables (27 or more) – preferably in natural state
Oily fish – Salmon, small mackerel, whole anchovies, sardines, eel, cod liver, occasional white albacore. Canned in water or olive oil, catfish. Can even be farmed.
Different types of soy – tofu, tempeh, miso, soy steak, soy sprouts, soybeans, soy milk, soy yogurt (can be eaten raw or with other foods)
Organic red meat that has been grass fed or flax meal fed no more than 3x a week
Unprocessed pork only and red meat, and poultry, eggs, organic in moderation.
Vegetable protein – lentils, peas, beans, chickpeas, mung beans, legumes
Japanese green tea – pour hot water (only let it rolling boil then let sit for a bit to cool then pour) over bag or leaves and let sit for 8-10 minutes before drinking. Tea only has lasting effects for 2 hours so no use reusing leaves after that. 3 – 5 cups a day. Can be sweetened with agave nectar. Best when taken with a soy product.
Garlic, onions, leeks, shallots, ginger, chives, endives, mixed with foods (should be mixed into food whenever possible). Garlic is released when clove is crushed or minced and dissolved in oil. Chopped garlic and onions can be gently fried in oil mixed with steam or stir fried vegetables and combined with curry or turmeric. Can also be consumed raw, mixed in salads, or eaten in a sandwich.
Turmeric (found in yellow curry) in conjunction with black pepper or ginger and tofu dissolved in oil. Mix ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder with ½ of olive oil and generous pinch of black pepper. Add to vegetables, soups, salad dressings, tofu. Adding a few drops of agave nectar removes bitter taste.
Mushrooms – shiitake, maiitake, kawaratake, enokitake, oyster mushrooms, enokidake, cremini, portobello, turkey tail, thistle – soups, vegetables, broths, oven grilled, stir fried.
Seaweed – Nori, kombu, wakame, arame, dulse (can be cooked with legumes to shorten their cooking times)
Carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkins, persimmons, apricots, beets, bright colored fruits and vegetables (orange, red, yellow, green)
Scallions
Brussels sprouts
Broccoli
Asparagus
Berries – Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries
Cherries
Cranberries
Walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans
Stone Fruits – Plums, peaches, nectarines
Spices – mint, thyme, marjoram, oregano, basil, rosemary, cumin
Tomatoes – need to be cooked in oil to release phytochemicals
Herbs – need to be infused in teas, soups, and made into stock, added to flavor water.
Do not boil broccoli or cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, bok choy, turnips, radish, daikon – Cover and steam briefly or stir fry rapidly in a wok with a little olive oil.
Avoid freezing fish, steam or slow oven bake at low heat.
Ginger root – Add grated ginger to a vegetable mix while it is cooking in a wok or pan. Or marinate fruits in lime juice and grated ginger
Citrus – Oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruit – Skin can be grated and sprinkled over foods, cereal or added to teas or hot water.
Pomegranate Juice – One glass a day with breakfast.
Probiotic – organic yogurt, kefir, enriched soy yogurts, sauerkraut, kimchi

Things To Avoid And Alternatives:

Deodorant - deodorant with no aluminum, parabens, or phthalates. Organic.
Cellphones - Use sparingly, check at regular intervals instead of constantly. Use a headpiece.
Shampoo, conditioner – White organic soap
Scented soaps – White soap
Household cleaning products – White vinegar, white soap, baking soda, scrubbing harder
Scratched teflon – flawless teflon or stainless steel
Pesticides - Natural pesticides: Beer, coffee, lady bugs, seaweed, volcanic rock, diatomaceous earth, or made with garlic, essential oils, boric acid.
Cologne, lotions - organic lotions with no parabens, or phthalates. Toilet water AKA Eau de toilette or cologne spray which is much less concentrated.
Lip balm or chapstick – organic lip balm
Hard plastics (BPA), PVC, plastic receptacles, plastic tubs, platic bowls, delivered water such as arrowhead – glass, dishware, recycled type 1 plastic, ceramic
Warm plastic, water that smells like plastic, bottled water left in the sun or warm
Microwaving in anything other than glass, dishware, or paper covering
Aluminum – Even skin contact
Carcinogens of any kind
Soda cans and soda
White flour – multigrain flour
Red meat from industrially raised animals – organic meat from grass fed or flax meal fed animals
Oils rich in omega 6 (corn, vegetable, sunflower, safflower, soy) – Omega 3 cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, flaxseed oil, canola oil, linseed oil, CLA supplements, omega 3 butter
Regular Dairy – Dairy from grass or flax meal raised animals, (free of hormones) soy milk, almond milk, soy yogurt
Evaporated milk (especially in foods like ice cream)
Eggs raised from corn or soybean fed hens – Omega 3 eggs or hens raised in a natural environment or fed flax meal
Atmospheric pollution (smokers, cleaning products, dry cleaning) – smokers must air out, house must be aired out when cleaned, dry cleaning opened out doors and left outside for 4 hours before being brought in.
Wheat – multigrain (with at least 3 other cereals oatmean, flax, rye, etc.) or sourdough
Commercial breads and pastries – Locally baked
Sugar (white or brown), honey, syrups (corn, maple, fructose, dextrose, etc) – natural sweeteners: agave nectar, stevia, xylitol, wisteria, dark chocolate (70% pure cocoa or more), acacia honey, coconut sugar (do not abuse sweeteners), cinnamon
White rice, overcooked white pasta, muffins, bagels, croissants, puffed rice cakes – mixed whole grain cereals, basmati or thai rice, brown rice, multigrain pasta, noodles cooked al dente (firm), quinoa, oats, millet, buckwheat, farro, bulgar, barley, spelt
Potatoes – lentils, peas, beans, sweet potatoes, yams, legumes
Sweetened or bleached breakfast cereals – oatmeal, muesli, All-Bran, Special K
Jams, jellies, fruit cooked in sugar, fruit in syrup – fruit in natural state, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, use agave nectar for sweetening if needed
Sweetened drinks, industrial fruit juices, sodas – Water flavored with lemon, thyme, or sage
Avoid in between meal snacks and candies - eat in combination with vegetables, fruit fibers, good fats.
Processed pork – meat labeled rich in omega 3, unprocessed organic pork
Hydrogenated/transfats like pastries
Ready made foods
Fried foods, chips – hummus, olives, cherry tomatoes, sliced fennel
Poultry skin
Skins of nonorganic fruits and vegetables – peeled fruits and vegetables or organic skin (skin can be rich in nutrients)
Tap water – Filtered tap water, spring or mineral water provided plastic bottles have not warmed or smell of plastic.
Alcohol – Red Wine (pinot noir) from Burgundy, France.

Prefer Organic – Apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, grapes

Organic optional – Bananas, oranges, tangerines, pineapple, grapefruit, melons, plums, kiwis, blueberries, mangoes, papayas

Prefer Organic – Peppers, celery, green beans, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, squash, pumpkin

Organic optional – Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, onions, eggplants, peas, radishes, avocados

Things to Consume Daily:

Pomegranate Juice

Green tea several times a day

Vitamin D (if required)

Garlic, turmeric

Note - A lot of people have asked me the best way to eat. Looking at my own nutritional background, or the work of other nutritionists and diet experts I have found nothing as good as the book ANTICANCER: A NEW WAY OF LIFE. Most of this guideline was inspired by the work. It's talking about eating and diet that will affect you at the cellular level. Not only will it help you become fit, lose weight, have nicer skin. More importantly it will increase energy, longevity, and immunity. It may be a book about cancer but its also the best diet and lifestyle book I've read. We all want to look good. The goal though is to look as good as you can for as long as you can.

The Value of Knowing Your Body

2010-06-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

A common error most people make when starting a work out program is to not do a proper assessment. They make the mistake of jumping right into a work out and from there just making it harder and upping the ante. That is unreasonable and not based on any science. How can you get to your goals if you have no idea where you are physically today? You are trying to accidentally get in shape. Now let's say due to just probabilities, 1 out of 100,000 gym go'ers will somehow get results blindly without a proper assessment. Now from there, how will they maintain their results when they have no idea how they got their results in the first place? What if they start to lose the results and have no idea why? Because they never knew where their body was, what it needed, and what it responded to in the first place nor did they assess more along the way. It's like running a lab experiment without any data, it would drive scientists crazy. They would be baffled.

And baffled is where most people at the gym are and most trainers are when someone doesn't see any results. Assessments, it's how you will personalize a program for the individual and create a road map to their goal.

If you want to take a trip to NY, how will you get their unless you figure out what your starting city is? A client might just say, I'm fat, or I'm out of shape. That's like saying I'm somewhere in the west coast. The better defined your assessments and goals are, the more realistic reaching your goals become.

For martial athletes, when trying to get into shape any old conditioning program will not do. What if your weak in stability but strong in explosiveness? You will get your least gains working your explosive muscles. What if you are strong but have no muscle endurance? You can't train to your peak without discovering the answers to your body.

A Word on the Importance of Practice and Repetition

2010-02-08T22:00:00.001-08:00

So inside of our bodies are muscles. Inside of muscles are muscle spindles. Inside of those are cells. Our cells are constantly moving, it's what helps us heal, function, and basically live. With enhanced microscopes you can even see cells moving like glow in the dark worms.

When muscles contract, the cells move even more, in a frenzy. Uncoordinated and wild. Now the more that muscle contracts in the same manner, the better the cells move. It moves smoother, carries better signals, creates patterns. This is the scientific act of muscle memory. Something trainers and martial artists always throw out but have no idea what it really boils down to. The more you practice something, the more your cells remember, the more they remember the better they perform. Scientists have been trying to figure out ways to make cells move, especially to help with healing. All they have determined thus far though, is the best way to make cells move is through constant repetition.

If I teach you a punch, will you be knocking someone out in a day? No. But maybe after years of practice you will be knocking people out professionally. If I show you how to bench, you won't go from 130 to 250 bench over night. That will take years. You don't grow more muscle fibers, your cells just move better. This is true for all physical and athletic endeavors. I apply this especially in my martial arts training. The repetition of gross movements and common movement pattern.

There is one other thing that practice and repetition does. It creates more myelin around your synapses. That means faster signals from your brain to your body. That means no matter how fast someone is, or how many fast twitch muscles they have or explosive training they do, they will never be able to compensate with someone who can send a signal from their brain faster. Not only that it also remembers efficient movement and takes the slack out of your moves, makes you perform better, faster, with less effort. Be it a golf swing to a judo throw.

Muscle memory combined with nervous system memory creates perfection in human performance. This is another secret that separates the elite from the regular Joe.

A note on reducing injury

2010-01-26T22:52:00.000-08:00

Fitness level rankings

2010-01-22T18:26:00.000-08:00

If you were to organize personal fitness into belt rankings like you do for the martial arts, this is what it would look like. As you will see, there are a lot of parallels between fitness and martial arts.

White Belt - Like 99% of most gym goers, a white belt is a white canvas. Unsure of what exercises to do, how to reach their goals, how to perform exercises properly, how to eat, how to stay motivated, how to maximized their time and effort, how to see results. Just like in the martial arts, the white belt also has a little ego, thinks they came in with knowledge...

Blue Belt - Knows a lot of exercises and how to do them well. Learning discipline and how to stay focused on their goals. This is where most people will plateau. This is where it's dangerous, where they have the most ego, know just enough to think they know it all.

Purple Belt - Knows most exercises and how to do them properly. Also knows the concepts of working out so when shown a new exercise, they can immediately do them with good form. Knows the fundamentals of diet and how to reach their goals. This is the hardest level to reach...

Brown Belt - Has an iron will. Knows most exercises, and can teach a beginner how to do them. Understands the concept of breath control and form. Understands how to use diet to shape the body or increase performance. Does not quit or give up. Does not need a lot of equipment or time to have a total body work out, and always pushes it hard each time.

BLACK BELT - The end goal that every person wanting to be healthy should ultimately achieve. The combination of mind, body, and spirit to achieve: health, vitality, and longevity. Has no ego, will learn from anyone. The true athlete. Only trains with all out effort.

Now leave your egos at the door. Tie your belt right and let's get started!

What does martial arts have to do with fitness?

2010-01-18T01:05:00.000-08:00

I have been training martial arts most of my life and have had the opportunity to train with some of the best coaches, strength coaches, and Olympic coaches in the world. I started in the traditional arts, but once I started wrestling I realized that there is a certain level of athleticism and fitness required to be a proper fighter. Once I began training in Thai kickboxing, BJJ, and MMA it only became more evident.

So in all this time, and all my training in sports conditioning and as a personal trainer, what have I learned? That the movements and stances in all sports and reality based combat are the same!

You look at an athletic stance in football, wrestling, boxing, basketball, and what do you see in common? You see everyone squatted down with their hands in front of their chest. When someone is throwing a ball, a punch, passing a basketball, what do you see in common? That trunk rotation with bent knees. Why?

Power can only be generated in two ways, through thrust and torque. Those are the only efficient and most powerful ways to generate power. You want a powerful core? You need to move in those movements! A crunch is a very weak power movement.

Also the martial arts is very good for functional training. Meaning compound realistic movements, realistic strengths, realistic flexibility. You also won't get bulky while at the same time your body will try to lean out as much as possible to become quicker and more agile.

Not only that its always evolving and never boring. I can't imagine a better way to work out. It's also the only holistic work out, that combines body and mind. Add some martial arts to your work outs and see what kind of results you get. Whether you are interested in personal training, self defense, or private lessons, the martial arts will take you from feeble gym goer to fit fighting machine.