How Bad Is Your Goal?

A Quick Problem with the New Year's Resolution and Goal Setting

So here we are, about to enter the New Year, where you decide this is your year and you delude yourself into believing you're really going to pull it off; you're going to reach your goal this year because this is your year. If your resolution resembles the failed goals of years gone by, NEWSFLASH, this one will fail too. And the worst part will be all the anger and frustration you have because chances are, your goals are results driven.

If what you want to accomplish is actually important to you, you're not going to delay until some special day where miraculously, everything you set out to accomplish will come true. What makes you think that waiting for January 1st will instantly make something you couldn't accomplish the other 364 days of the year doable? Whether you set out to do it on January 1st or on July 17th, the day you start is DAY 1. You have to, in the words of Clint Darden, "go all in or quit." Make no mistake, I want you to succeed. I want you to achieve your goals and I want you to be healthy.

But it won't be easy. It won't be fast. You're going to have days where you want to quit. You're going to have days where "it's just a donut." crosses your mind. I could tell you it's all about goal setting, stick-to-it-iveness, and the power of unicorn farts. I've written about why we fail to achieve goals (Find Your Why) and spoiler alert; it isn't because it's a bad goal or a bad plan. Instead of just regurgitating the same old speech about goals, motivation, dedication (because we've heard it all before, right?), I'm going to break down goal setting my way and then tell you how to make it work. Hope isn't the answer.

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When I was writing the December Newsletter (If you haven't subscribed, please do. It takes a second and we will never spam you.) I came across a quote that inspired a whole new thought process about goal setting. Sure, you've heard about SMART goals and tried your hand at goal setting to have failed. You're not alone. We all set goals that we don't achieve. It isn't unique to fail. It's not unique to move beyond some goals. It's a fact of life; you're going to choose a goal you really want at the time, you're going to bust your ass trying to achieve said goal, and you're going to fail, sometimes through no fault of your own. What happens when we fail to meet our goal, that is up to us. We can get upset, create an excuse or belittle ourselves, and we can give up in frustration, unhappy. And then I read the quote:

"Happy people plan actions, they don't plan results."

- Denis Waitley

Go ahead, read it again, maybe even a third time. Let it sink in. We plan goals and for the most part, we plan results, results that we have damn near no control over. And when we don't meet the result, we are unhappy.

While Waitley doesn't directly mention goal setting, I believe he is referring to how we choose goals and how we go about achieving them. Since 1981, SMART goals have been the way to go. We spent time studying and writing SMART goals in my Sports Counseling classes. The more we worked with them, the less adequate they became. Here’s why: take 30 seconds and reflect on a goal you had this year. Was it a good goal by the framework? Now, was the goal a process or a result? Did you have control over all the aspects of your goal or just a few pieces?

I had a goal to finish the home renovation by September; here it is, almost Christmas, and it isn't done.

By the SMART framework, I chose a good goal.

Specific - Finish Renovating three rooms

Measurable - Completed the walls, flooring, and carpets

Attainable - There were a full 8 weeks, so there's definitely enough time

Realistic - Again, it's been done before, so it's possible

Time - 8 weeks, done by September

It had all the planning, the intentions, and a specific time-frame, but that doesn't make it a good goal on more than paper.  There were some glaring flaws in this goal:

1. It's an old house, nothing is going to be square, level, or easy to modify
2. I am not an army of construction workers
3. I am not a contractor and my contractor is volunteering his expertise when he has time
4. Weather

Right there, I have four reasons my goal was poorly chosen. I was frustrated and unhappy because my goal was a result that I had 20% control over instead of a plan to accomplish what I did have control of. Had I chosen a goal that passed the PACE test I'd have been better off.

Back to you.  How often have you picked a goal that you can't 100% control, 100% define, 100% act upon, and could change as life dictates?  How often do you allow it to stress you out, to discourage you, ruin your positive energy, and make you unhappy?  Are you about to do it again? Maybe it's time to forgo the standard goal setting, move beyond SMART goals and give PACE goals a try.

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What are PACE Goals?

Looking back at Denis Waitley's quote we can make two observations which we'll use in defining PACE:

1. Planning your action steps will lead to happiness
2. Planning results will not

First and foremost, set a REAL goal, not a bullshit, lip-service goal that's so vague even you don't know what it really means. This goal should be about Actions, not results. Further, choose a goal around something that you can actually control. Finally, make the goal one that can evolve with you. If you're going to take the time to make a goal, make sure it passes the PACE test.

A goal that passes the PACE test is clearly defined and places all the success or failure clearly on your shoulders.

PACE stands for:

Process

Action

Controllable

Evolving

We begin with Process. If we listen to Waitley, we are happier when we plan actions, not results. Is your goal a process or a result? We all have ideal results, but a results goal without a process is worthless. In a similar manner, you could do everything right with a results goal and not achieve the desired result. This is the primary reason I believe goals should focus be based on completing a PROCESS. When you choose a process goal, the goal will pass the "what does that mean?" and "what do I have to do?" tests.

--We'll start with a standard goal, "I'm going to lose 20 lbs." This is a result, so we need to answer "what do I have to do?". The process could be "I'm going to eat better and be more active." (what does that mean and what do I have to do?) We redefine the process as "participate in activities that will help me lose weight." Again, what does that mean and what do I have to do? "I have to be intentionally active more than 4 hours per week and reduce my intake of sweets to only 1 serving per week." Aha! A clear process!

Next comes Action. Your goal must require conscious action on your part. This is where we should spend the most time evaluating if our goal is good. Plan the steps to accomplish the result you want and know the action steps you need to take. If our goal does not require conscious action on our part, it will most likely fail the next qualifier in PACE. 

--Action goals for our example are something like "I will train after work on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday" and "I will eat my sweets only on Saturday night."

Controllable is as obvious as it sounds. Do I have control of the process and actions? Again, it's about actions, not results. You can't control results like winning a contest, losing weight, or being healthier any more than you can control which way the wind blows. You can, however, plan and control the actions you take, which if done to the best of your ability, hopefully produce the desired result. Again, it is your goal and you are responsible, therefore it needs to be something you can control.

--"I will train with weights for 45 minutes on M, T, Th, Fr and I will not keep tempting food in my house so I will have to go out to get it on Saturday."

Lastly, any good goal should be Evolving. We need to be willing to re-evaluate and change our goal. Sometimes life cooperates and allows us to complete our action goals. Other times, life dictates a change. Either way, we need to be flexible with our goal. As we achieve, our goal should grow; as we realize certain aspects are unachievable in our time frame, we should modify. Notice I'm not saying give up. Forgoing a goal is a last resort and something only you will know when it is time to call in.  Some times this means allowing more or reducing the number of servings of sweets.

--"I have not been able to train as much as I like. I will train as much as I can and allow myself a serving of sweets only after I have trained 4 days for 45 minutes."

While I moved away from losing 20 lbs as the focus of the goal, the likely result of completing my PACE goals will be better health and weight loss. By creating an action goal that I can control and will evolve as needed, I have a better chance at success and a happy journey.

As we embark on our new journey, consider Waitley's advice with a little bit of hard earned wisdom.  Set your sights high and challenge yourself. Test your goal against the PACE framework. Ask yourself if you are in control of all the pieces that lead to your goal.  If you don't have 100% control, you can still have that goal, but be aware and accepting that you can give your 100% and still not receive the result you are looking for.  Most importantly, execute the planned action and be proud of the accomplishments along the way. 

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The quick list for goal setting:

-What does your goal really mean? Why do you want to do it?  You have to keep asking why until you have a single, solitary reason that can't be defined as anything other than your "purpose."

-Where does your goal rank in your life?  Is it essential or non-essential?  If you aren't willing to give up something you love, you'll be willing to give up on your goal unless you can give it enough weight.  Finding the right reason is paramount.  It needs to be a deep seated reason too, not something like "just because."  If your goal isn't in your top 5, you'll probably say fuck it at some point when it gets tough or it drags on.  Just an observation. Sometimes this means only having 1 or 2 goals at a time.

-Stop telling EVERYBODY.  Tell a few people that matter, the people that give your goal weight, the ones that can check you back on track.

Think of your goals like a car

The car is the complete package

The engine is the motivation, the reason you want to accomplish the goal.   Big engine, higher motivation.  Little engine and your car doesn't mow the grass.

The wheels are the things that keep you grounded when you get carried away.  Cheap tires you slide off the road, you blowout at trouble.

The gas is the effort you put into accomplishing the goal.  Shit in, shit out, etc.

The brakes are there to stop you from going out of control

The steering is to keep you on target

Now PACE.

Process

Actionable

Controllable

Evolving

10 Survival Tips for Fitness this Holiday

If you're like many of us, the holidays are a challenge to your fitness routine, the routine you've worked so hard to turn into habits and the diet you finally have control over. You've made your fitness a part of everything, from eating healthy meals that are appropriately sized for your goal to being active daily. And then here comes the holiday season with it's time for joy, celebration, family, mouth-watering meals, parties, and the potential to undo all the progress you've made. Instead of throwing your hands up in defeat or making yourself sick with stress over how to get through the season without gaining 10 pounds, relax, do a little planning, and follow these 10 simple rules for enjoying the holidays without wrecking your progress.

1. Adjust your goals. If you know the season is going to make sticking to your eating and training plan a challenge, make an adjustment to your goals. If you add stress to an already stressful time just to hit your goals, you run the risk of burning yourself out, having a miserable time, and still missing the goal.
2. Go to the party / event / gathering. Avoiding them because you're afraid to go off plan will leave you feeling like an excluded loner and a little more likely to swallow the sorrows with empty calories.
3. Never go anywhere on an empty stomach. Whether it's an office party, the family meal, or out for the shopping, eat a healthy snack before you go. Something as simple as beef jerky or a salad can give you just enough to keep you from eating every appetizer in sight while waiting for the meal.
4. Don't skip meals. It seems like it makes sense to skip lunch if you know you've got a party, but you inevitably end up snacking on calorie-dense, not-so-healthy food before the real food comes out.
5. Drink water at a rate of one glass for every hour you plan to be at the party. If you are hydrated, you are less likely to munch or drink high calorie soda. If you're going to drink alcohol, beware of mixed drinks. Even though the alcohol can have some bad effects for you, most mixed drinks are loaded with sugars, which we all know have negative effects on body composition. For example, one cup of Egg Nog has 343 calories.
6. Sample the desserts, don't pick up an entire plate. The first bite will be the best bite and by the fourth bite, they'll all taste the same.
7. If you happen to miss Rule 3, this rule can save you...don't be afraid to leave food on your plate. Really, you won't hurt anybody's feelings.
8. Don't "compensate" for yesterday's eating. Yesterday is done, aim to get back on plan with today. Even if you went off plan for an entire week, the best thing you can do is return to eating on plan instead of overreacting by starving yourself the next week.
9. Keep active and train if possible. Lots of gyms will give you a day-pass and if you can't find one close, there's always bodyweight work. Even if you're schedule is packed with activities, you can do the 8 Minute Monster (at the bottom) and burn calories and get your heart pumping.
10. RELAX and ENJOY! While we all have goals for health, failing to enjoy our loved ones, stressing out, and not enjoying these special times can be worse for us than any food or drink. Everybody needs a break, a chance to shut off mentally and just recover. If you've been going non-stop, all year, this may be the perfect time.

Most importantly, have a little perspective about what this time of year really it. At the end of the season and for years to come, you won't look back and think about how your weight or your waist changed over the month; you'll look back and remember how you enjoyed the company, the laughs, and the special moments that no fitness goal could ever replace. Make your friends and family, smiling and laughing, and enjoying the season the priority.

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8 Minute Monster

Perform each exercise for 30 seconds for max repetitions.
Repeat each quadset 2 times.

Push-ups (Hand Release, Divebomber, Clapping, Regular)
Mountain Climbers
Shoulder Taps (Push-up position)
Knee Hug Crunch

Bodyweight Squat (If this is too easy, do single leg squats)
Toe Touch
Lunge (or Split Squat)
RKC Plank

Getting Married, Taking a Break from Health and Fitness, and Compensation

If you follow us on any of our social media you know there were some big changes for Erin and I in the month of October. On October 10th, we tied the knot in a small ceremony on the beach in Cape May, NJ. It was a small ceremony, and aside from the wind, it was absolutely wonderful. Following the ceremony, we went across the street to the Union Park Hotel for the reception. Let me tell you, if you ever have the chance to go there for a meal, they are amazing. After another day in Cape May and a few days in Ocean City, NJ, Erin and I headed for our honeymoon cruise from San Juan, PR to New Orleans, LA. It was wonderful weather in St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Martin, Grand Turk, and Jamaica. The best part of it all was we got to relax. We didn't count calories, restrict ourselves from what we ate, or even train that often. That isn't to say we ate any and everything or we sat in a lounger by the pool the whole time, but we didn't act like we do at home either. After being away from home for 17 days and away from our gym for 19 days, we returned home. When we got settled back in, we realized a few things.

First, our health and fitness didn't collapse. Any time there is a disruption to a nutrition or training plan, people develop a fear that everything will collapse around them, that they will gain weight at an unbelievable rate, that their strength will leave them as though they don't even lift, and that they won't be able to get back on the horse. Let me tell you, none of it is true. Your body responds to stress, whether it's from your work, school, or training. Taking a break from everything to take a true vacation truly relieves stress. Your body NEEDS the break, it wants the break, and when it gets it, it will respond amazingly. The reduced stress of the break will allow your body to recover and compensate. Instead of being worse, you may actually return better, seeing results your body couldn't produce because it was so stressed. You may actually be more energized and have a greater desire to train, just like that newbie phase without all the awkwardness.

Second, our bodies felt better. Yes, we feel good when we train and eat right. However, taking the break from our normal diet to enjoy wonderful food from different countries, eat dessert, and even have a few drinks allows our body the chance to recover and refuel, to de-stress. Also, with limited equipment (50 lb dumbbells as the heaviest weight, some machines, and a jogging track) our muscles and joints had almost three weeks to recover with our workouts taking less than 35 minutes to complete. Most of our days were spent walking around ports, snorkeling, sight seeing. When we did head into the gym, we did "Metabolic Training", which is essentially three quadsets (a group of four exercises done one after the other) to move the muscles, get the heart rate up, and burn calories. On other days, we jogged a few miles while we waited to get into port. The end result, happy muscles and joints.

Finally, we came back energized. We can say we get enough sleep, enough rest, and feel great when we're at home, but as long as you're on the go, your body doesn't really get to reset. On vacation, we woke up when our body wanted to, fell asleep when we wanted, and could take naps if we wanted. For the first few days, we were asleep early and sleeping late. Finally, we got back on a more normal sleeping schedule. A few days later, we woke up with energy and held strong throughout the day until we turned in for the night. No midday dip, no post-dinner crash, just level energy from the time we woke up til the time we went to sleep. Now we're home, and the pattern is continuing.

So the point of this brief post is simply: take a break! If you've been training for over a year without any real time off; if you've been following a strict nutrition plan without any extended breaks; if you're burning the candle at both ends and not seeing results... take a break. It doesn't have to be three weeks, maybe not even two, but take time away, allow your body to recover and compensate for all the hard work you've been doing, I promise, you'll be better off for it.

Control Your Mind

If you don't control what you think, you can't control what you do.
--Napoleon Hill

Training is as much a mental endeavor as a physical one. I'm not talking about the habit of training and the discipline of doing your best each session. I'm talking about handling the self-doubt, the little voices, and all the fears that come with getting better. Whether you're training to be a powerlifter, an elite level competitive athlete, a weekend warrior, or just the better-than-average Joe or Jane, getting your mind in-line, or more accurately, out of the way is critical. No lifter is unique; no runner excused. We all have voices and self-doubt.

As a beginner, we've all pushed ourselves and thought we reached the edge because we allow our mind to say so. We thought we would pass out if we did any more. If you haven't run so hard you see stars or ground out a rep that you thought could kill you, you are either a freak in the training world or you've got more in the tank. We all have to find ways to control the voice that stops us from pushing harder and tells us to quit long before the muscle does. We have to quiet our minds if we want to push our limits. How we do it may be unique, but doing it is crucial to becoming our best.

Some people will work themselves into a frenzy with music. Others will sniff some nose tork, get slapped a few times and yell. And then there are some that go to a calm, quiet place, and visualize the machine doing exactly what it needs to do. The one thing all these people have in common is they have found a way to control the voice that tells them "you can't" or "it's too much"; the one that causes fear and makes you back down. They've found a way to ignore the discomfort that comes with pushing the limits and make the movement automatic. They're determined to make progress, and when it's time, they get out of their own way.

I used to think I knew what it really meant to push myself. I thought I knew how to silence the voices, but that can only come with experience. I was fortunate enough to train with some tremendously strong and extremely knowledgeable people. They taught me a lot of cues and techniques and how to get out of my own way. They also pushed me to the point where I continued to work far beyond my self-doubt. To make a long story short, I thought I had reached the top weight for my working sets and was ready to do my back down sets. Instead of dropping weight, my training partner had me put more on. It didn't matter that I had doubts I could do the set; it didn't matter that I thought I was done; it only mattered that somebody with more experience was teaching me a free lesson. The lesson that "I've got more." I did the set despite feeling like I could collapse at any time with the doubts and fears. At some point in that set, there was no more voice; no more "I can't" or "I'm too tired" or "I might get hurt"; it was just silent. That was when I learned the power of a quiet mind and that I had much, much more. After that day, and with a lot practice, I've been able to reach that state with great frequency.

We all have that little voice, that self-doubt, the momentary "oh shit" where we question ourselves. It's the one that makes us give up on a grinder, slow our pace when we're running, or not even attempt a weight. It's the voice of our comfort zone holding us back. It's the voice of fear stopping us from progress. If you really want to get better, than you'll find a way that makes it happen for you. For me, I go through a 6 step process to clear my mind, calm the voices, and take a step towards progress.

1. Acknowledge the Fear - There was a company called "No Fear" a few years back. It isn't that you can't have fear, but that you learn to control it. No matter how good the technique, how good the spotters are, how far you've run, or how strong you are, injury is possible. Everybody has fears, acknowledge them and move on.
2. Deep Breaths - I take 3 to 5 full calming breaths before I even approach the bar. It's the same when I go run 5 miles. It slows my heart and as I focus on my breath, my mind starts to clear.
3. Visualize - The mind is powerful. Visualize a failed lift and it's bound to come true; visualize success and you are more likely to find it. See the technique, from addressing the lift all the way through completion. Allow your body to feel the rhythm.
4. Go - As soon as you finish it in your head, get set under the bar with the same positive view, take those deep breaths, brace, and go.
5. Stay Blank - Keep the mind free. Don't think about the weight or the number of reps, just do them. Keep pushing and finish.
6. Be Proud - Yes, this is important. You just did something that you might not have done if you listened to the voice, so be proud that you not only did the deed but that you controlled the voice.

Work hard, be present in the moment and remember, "you've got more."

Practice Discipline Every Day

"Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day" - Jim Rohn

There are a lot of articles about how to choose a good trainer but few on how to be a good client. I understand that not everybody reading this email is a former or current client of a trainer, but if you're planning on becoming a client or are a client, this could help you out. There are two basic roles, the trainer and the client, which we all know. In many ways, the trainer is held responsible for the success and failure of their clients. Whether it is choosing the wrong type of programming, the wrong nutrition, or just being a bad match, the trainer is most often the one to take the blame. At the same time, when things go alright, the trainer takes some credit. Nothing new here so far, right?

 

Here's the twist, we all want you to be successful. Surviving in the fitness industry is done by marketing a successful product, so no trainer wants to see you fail. A failure for you means bad publicity for us. Sometimes things don't work out and the trainer doesn't get you where you want to be. Sometimes they make a bad choice. Sometimes they are "too busy" for their own good and neglect you. Sometimes is has absolutely nothing to do with them.

 

Like I said, we want you to be successful and here are 5 simple things you can do to get the most out of your trainer:

1. Communicate! I've had clients tell me they feel like they're bothering me. Nonsense! It's my job, so send me that text, e-mail, or posted message when you have a question. I'd rather you ask so I can plan and advise you then you guess and sabotage yourself.
2. Be Honest! Not just with me, but with yourself. Our relationship and your success depends on it. Now that you're communicating, make it count so I can adjust to give you the best I can.
3. Give your Best Effort! This is pretty self-explanatory. If you give your best effort, you get the best results you can get.
4. Follow the Plan! Unless your trainer is flying by the seat of their pants or has no progression laid out to reach your goals, improvising or including things they don't know could not just hinder progress, it might stop is altogether. Wanting to participate in your plan is great (and goes with Rule No. 1), but questioning and redesigning every single step is not.
5. The other 23 Hours Count! I get 1 hour to help you get better. You have 23 more hours to rest, recover, eat, and take care of yourself. Use them wisely.

If you're doing these 5 things, you can honestly say you've given your trainer what they need to help you be successful. Now it's time for them to uphold their end.

Today, Not Tomorrow

"What you do today can improve all your tomorrows" - Ralph Marston

I once read a book on handling anger.  One of the activities was to remember the event that caused the anger and to re-live it over and over again, each time trying to see the event as an outsider, not a participant.  Each time, the goal of the drill was to alter our feelings a little more by overpowering our memory.  As humans, we have the ability to create memories and use them to our advantage.  We also have the ability to use the memories to create a seemingly insurmountable disadvantage.  Dave Tate, the founder of EliteFTS, talks about how our minds cause a lot of our lifting problems because we condition ourselves to miss at the same point of a lift.  In a similar way, our attempts at changing to healthy eating can be hindered by what we believe about ourselves.

I've talked with family members, friends, and clients that were all looking to change their eating and the vast majority tell me "I've tried eating healthier, but I just keep messing up."  I've worked with athletes that won't even make attempts because "I always miss."  These statements are the ones that drive me crazy; the future action and potential success is controlled by our memory of a passed event.  Our memories don't have to be an angry memory, a failed memory, or a celebratory memory, they just have to be "memories."  And if we can de-personalize the memory with practice, we can put it to work for us, especially in the gym and in the kitchen.

It seems hard, and it will take some practice, but each day, reflect on how your journey went today.  Every time you encounter a bad memory, look at it as an outsider (not Uncle Bill that thinks dieting is crazy or your mom that thinks you lift too much) that knows how to accomplish your goal.  Use those eyes to detach yourself and acknowledge what you can do better.  And then when you wake up the next day, make that action happen.  I do this in about five minutes before bedtime.  It's that fast to walk through a day as it pertains to health and fitness, and really, it could even be done in a commercial break.

We've all heard the sayings about the past, present, and future, but really, none of us "forgets."  With practice, we can take a potentially damaging memory and just make it a memory.  Doing something today to improve tomorrow isn't just forgetting the "bad" things, it is maintaining good memories of things we've done right, correcting the actions we know we can fix using other's eyes, and giving ourselves a clean slate when things go horribly wrong.  We fight enough battles to change our habits; we don't need to fight our memories as well.

Give it a try tonight...better yet, do it right now.  Reflect back to yesterday and if there is something you don't like, push away from it, see it from the outside, visualize the right action, and put it in the game.  It's going to take practice, but trust me, it will be worth it.

Handling Failure

We all have bad training or nutrition days. As Dan John said, "Of five workouts, one will be great, one will suck, and three will be right in the middle." How we react to them can be the difference between progress, standing still, or going backward. I've previously talked about confidence being part of the solution and false-confidence being part of the problem, but this goes beyond that. We can be well within our confidence range and have everything go wrong. Even the most confident of us can go into a little tailspin as a result. Today was that day for me and inspired me to write about the process I go through.

With my experience as an athlete and in training, I have seen my share of bad days, whether it's missed sessions, missed reps, or just flat out misses. I've had perfect plans, prepped to the plan, and still seen failure. There are really only a few paths that can be taken after a really bad day, and which ones your choose can make all the difference. It may seem like this only applies to training, but I can assure you, it also applies to nutrition and dieting. Think of the days or weekends where you take an unscheduled detour from your nutrition plan. It happens, even to the most diligent tracker; you go out to eat, there's a family gathering, you forgot your meals. You can ignore what happened, evaluate and continue, evaluate and adjust, let it get you down and blame everything, or let it get you down and quit. In any case, our suggestion will always be the same; don't beat yourself up over it and don't try to compensate without taking the time to think it through. We prefer that, just like training, you acknowledge and evaluate what happened.

Yes, you can completely ignore your failures and possibly have the same avoidable slip-up happen. Or, you can take a few seconds and evaluate what happened, why it happened and decide it's 100% OK. I'm not advocating perfection, but I am promoting self-awareness. Whether you want to be strict, choose to allow detours, or decide it's too much at the moment is up to you, but you have to be aware of what is happening and why before you can make a conscious decision.

• Ignore that it happened. Basically just shake it off, think nothing of it and continue. This is the same as putting on blinders where somebody else loads the bar for you; ignorance is bliss. Having that short-term memory loss is great when you're still in the training session or competition, but  that's it. If you are ignoring how a training session went, it's probably one of the reasons you're experiencing failures or stalling. In order to improve and not plateau or regress, it is important to have an understanding of why the day was bad and what caused it. This means taking off the blinders and being actively involved in improving. For me, this is an in-session only option, and even then, it is rare.
• Evaluate the plan and the failure. If my workout was less than great, I will end up here at some point. Sometimes it comes after the self-loathing, anger, and disappointment, but in the end I always come back to evaluating. Once I have the chance to relax and look at the plan, the failure, and the circumstances, I have one of two paths. 
• Decide it is viable and continue. This is where logs are great and can really help open your eyes to the progress. When something goes wrong, like the reps are slower than they should be or I barely miss a lift, I look at the events that led up to the training session. Did I sleep well? Did I not eat enough? Did I burn out a supporting muscle group the day before? Have I seen improvements in ANY part of my training? Will a deload help? If any of those is a yes, chances are, it isn't the plan and I continue on knowing that the plan will be a success.
• Decide it won't work and make adjustments. This is a hard one because you have to honestly know your capabilities and use them to evaluate the plan. Could you have made the weight, even on a near-perfect day? Are you going to have "better" days where you are more rested, prepared and can complete the training as written? Am I stalling in other places? Can a deload fix it? If the answer is "No" or "Probably not", then something needs to be adjusted. Constantly having failures in your training is draining, both mentally and physically, and will most likely lead to stalling or backsliding. There is no shame in admitting the time isn't right to run a program or the intensity is too great and needing to back it down. Sometimes the best progress comes from taking a step back so you can get momentum.
• Feel disheartened, blame yourself, the program, or the trainer. Every now and again, all the stress catches up and I end up here briefly. It's common to get frustrated when things are going well and then a bad failure happens. In this state, there are three paths.
• Acknowledge that this isn't helping and take a step back and return to evaluating instead of living in woe-is-me.
• Program / trainer hop. I see this most commonly with newer trainees. When you haven't experienced success following a failure, it is a huge challenge to overcome. You question the program, the trainer, and you might even believe the grass is greener. Even when you have had positive experiences, it can be a challenge to slow the thoughts down and rationally evaluate after an ego-crushing failure. This goes back to having confidence. The self-confidence to know it isn't the end of the world and that if you can just pull it together and take the deep breath, you'll be able to step back and return to evaluating. Sometimes the answer is change programs, but you won't know if you don't go back and evaluate.
• Quit. We're not even going here because this is not an option. At this point it doesn't matter who takes the blame, there can be no progress when you quit.

We all have less than perfect days and how we handle them will dictate our level of success. The only sure way to find success is to evaluate honestly and choose the right path. Many people turn to external motivation and communities to keep them going, but when the details are ignored, the result may be akin to banging your head on the same wall. Take a moment, acknowledge, evaluate, and decide...and get back to making progress.

Are You Confident or Just Convincing Yourself You Are?

Confidence - A feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities

There is a thin line between displaying false confidence to cover insecurities and demonstrating confidence. More often than not, if it is loud and boisterous it is because of the former. Confidence will get you through challenging situations; false confidence can help you tackle new challenges or it might put you in an even worse predicament. Progress comes from a delicate balance of faked and real confidence. Unless you don't have any social media, you were bound to see the Ronda Rousey / Bethe Correia meme with Correia screaming in the face of Rousey at weigh-ins. As many pointed out, "Confidence is silent. Insecurities are loud." Rousey was confident in her abilities and proceeded to finish the "fight" in 34 seconds.

As an athlete and a coach, I have witnessed confidence in action and the false confidence train wreck. I've been on both sides as a player and as a coach. Now as a Personal Trainer, I see it on a daily basis. It's easy to fall into the trap; it's all over Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and other social networks with a fitness twist. There's a verbal diarrhea of words, Ronnie Coleman and CT Fletcher sayings, and Fitspo meant to pump you up. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, it won't be hard to find examples. You're going to go "Beastmode" on the meal prep, "HAM" on the squats, be a "monster" on the bench, and train like an "animal." While things are going well or you're just training to get better, these sayings may be great, keeping you going and pushing you to focus even harder on your journey. And there is nothing wrong with using a little talk to create motivation. However, when you rely on the false confidence and never back it up with accomplishment and experience, disaster is only a stumble away.

Some of you that use these terms and sayings think I'm just being melodramatic or "hating" on you, but let me run you through a scenario I see on Fitocracy at least three times each week.
You're new to training and eating healthy and you're pumped! You want to emulate all the people that have inspired you, so you buy all the Tupperware, the scale, gym bag, wraps, straps, belt, and sleeves and you're ready to go. You start with the talk, the tagging because that's what you're surrounded by. The "confidence" grows bigger just by talking, but it hasn't even been a week. You start the program and you're on point for the first week or two, maybe even a month. And then, you get punched in the mouth by something, whether it's a "cheat weekend", a holiday, or your first injury. As Mike Tyson said, "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." Now you're reeling, you don't know what to do because you've never been knocked down on this journey and all that "confidence" you built by talking big is shaken. You're embarrassed because you look bad. All the big talk and the pumping up is now spiraling the other way. You're caught in the flood of negativity and harsh self-judgment and you don't know if you can get back on the horse.

The only thing that could help is falling back on your experience overcoming obstacles, but do you really have the experience to fall on? Have you done this long enough to recover from this challenge? What happens if you don't have the experience behind the boasts? What if you are a beginner? What if it was all hot air?

You can fall back on your friends and the community support to re-inflate your confidence. You can watch some inspirational videos and stare at some fitspo to help you forget the failure. You can attempt to pump yourself back up with those same terms that let you down before. You have a few options, but in the end, it all comes back to you and your mental toughness. Whether you are a beginner or you have some experience, you need to earn your confidence through more experience. If you always rely on the confidence you haven't earned, it will let you down. Just like if you get it stuck in your mind that you will fail, you are bound to fail. You need to have a foundation and balance.

Because of my experience always being the smallest person in my lifting group, I spent a lot of time watching, learning, and listening. The experience developed some basic tenets that have helped me continue to make progress even after reality pointed out I wasn't an "animal" going "beastmode."

1. Be confident, but be humble. Much like the true alpha, a truly confident person does not need to have loud talk; they're actions will speak volumes.
2. If you use false confidence to build yourself up, be sure to back it up so you can turn the experience into real confidence. It might not be today or tomorrow, but it has to happen.
3. Acknowledge your successes and failures and then build off of them. See failure as an opportunity to have a new success. See success as a stepping stone to greater success.
4. Know your strengths and weaknesses and be wise enough to ask for help when you are having a moment of weakness.
5. Be realistic about your progress and your next step. Getting cocky can lead to bad choices and more setbacks. Don't mistake luck for accomplishment.

It's easy to get caught in the moment and want to join in with the crowd, emulating what we see everywhere, but none of us wants to be the 34-second knockout. We're all bound to trip up and get smacked in the face by a reality punch every now and then. How we prepare for the punch and how we react after can be the difference between success and failure. If you work hard, stay humbly confident, and replace your false confidence with the confidence earned through experience you can be successful in changing your life.

The Lunchbox

It isn't often that watching a 15 minute speech given by a strongman / powerlifter can inspire me in more than lifting. Similarly, it rarely happens that I tell people they need to go and watch the same presentation because of how powerful the message is about our lives. About a month ago, it happened, the rare message that made me think about training, nutrition, and life from a different viewpoint.

"Fill your lunchbox with something you love" - Clint Darden

If you haven't seen Clint Darden's presentations from the PLEXP2, you need to take 15 minutes and watch it (here's the youtube). I truly believe his 15-minute presentation could be the best 15 minutes you spend on the internet this week.

I could make this all about my lunchbox, but you really aren't here to hear me tell you about life. You're here because we have one big thing in common. Fitness.

Your fitness plan shouldn't be worse for you than being un-fit

How many times have you heard somebody talk about their new "diet" or their training program and it sounds like it's so miserable that even they don't enjoy it?  I seem to come across this at least once a week where somebody wants to make a change for the better proceeds to make radical changes which are so different than what they're used to they have no choice but to be miserable.  Creating a newer, healthier lifestyle doesn't have to happen all at once and it doesn't have to be monotonous and miserable.  In fact, we're far more likely to stick with the changes if they aren't boring and miserable. AND THIS IS THE KEY; find a plan you enjoy and you can stick with.
Why? Because we are learning more every day about how the mind can be the most powerful force in our routine. From the placebo effect all the way to general well-being, our mind has control and when we don't enjoy something, everything else seems to go downhill.

For example, I spoke with a lady the other day that was convinced she needed to give up her long runs and do HIIT training in order to burn fat.   While HIIT is effective, eliminating long runs had several negative effects for her.  By completely taking away something she loved and replacing it with something she didn't, it was mentally draining.  Instead of becoming healthier, her diet went astray, she became disenthused, and began missing sessions. The "all in" mentality she had with distance running was gone and replaced with an "eh." While the HIIT may be good for her, taking away everything she enjoyed was not.

The same applies to diets. Making massive changes to your eating style or your diet is likely to lead to non-compliance. Eliminating foods in one cold-turkey move can lead to cravings and for some people, sleep-eating. Changing your meal timing can have a similar effect. Any time you change how you eat, you expect changes in hunger, changes in energy, and moments of weakness. While most diet books and plans can tell you how to eat once you're on their plan, very few give you ideas about how to transition into the new style.

It's about loving what you're doing

So, if you want this journey to be fruitful and last you deep into old age, look back to Clint Darden's presentation and its relevance to health and fitness -- we all want to be the best we can be and while we should be "all in," "be the tortoise," transition slowly, and keep a little something you love in your lunchbox.

Measuring Progress with Repetition Maxes and Indicator Lifts

The other day I received a message from a new strength client asking about testing strength since my style of programming rarely, if ever, calls for one rep maxes. He was quite confused as to how I could guarantee he was getting stronger if he didn't test his maximal strength every few weeks. As a newer lifter, he was seeing quick gains in strength as his body adapted and he wanted the undeniable feedback of pushing a one rep max every few weeks. I understood his concerns because I made the same mistakes before I knew any better, before I really understood Personal Records (PR's). There's a secret in strength training that isn't very secret; strength doesn't come from a one rep max. Strength comes from the accumulation of our efforts and there are many ways to demonstrate the gains we make.

I understand the desire to say "I squat xxx" or "I bench yyy" and I know the high you get from nailing a new PR, limiting progress with the idea that increases in maximal strength progress comes only from a one rep max is erroneous thinking. Simply, one rep max tests take a lot out of the body, can be dangerous without proper spotters, and can actually hinder progress if done too often. At minimum, I have 12 weeks of training before scheduling a test week. If I can move a weight faster, if I can do more reps, if the weight feels lighter, or if I can recover faster, I have demonstrated increased strength expect some impact in my 1 RM as well. More and more people are catching on to the idea that a PR is a PR, whether it's a 5 RM, a 3 RM, or a 1 RM. Strength isn't just one all out effort, but is defined by how we use it. Think of a mover; they may not have a tremendous squat max, but they can run up and down stairs with furniture all day long. Or consider a warehouse employee that is shifting, lifting, and moving boxes eight hours a day. We would all agree they are strong, but their 1 RM means nothing.

Instead of programming one rep max tests during cycles, I use two elements to measure progress and strength gains with my clients and myself. The first element is the repetition max. The second element is an indicator lift.  The combination of rep maxes and indicator lifts provides valuable information about your training, your progress, and ultimately, your strength. Because both of these occur over time, a good workout log is essential in recognizing the changes.

Repetition Maxes - By now, most people understand rep maxes. Briefly, a rep max can be either the most weight you can do for a set number of reps (2, 3, 5, etc.) or it can be a weight done as many times as possible. The first option is primarily used by self-regulating programs that allow you to push as hard as you can for that training session as long as you don't miss. The second option is seen in programs like Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 series. Either version can indicate strength increases. Think about it for a minute; if you benched 225 pounds for 6 and then a month later later hit 225 pounds for 8, you got stronger! Or maybe you're doing 3 sets of 5 and last month you did it with 315 but this month you just did it with 340. You'd agree you got stronger, wouldn't you? And if you want to relate back to a one rep max, it can be done. With repetition maxes of eight or fewer, we can estimate our 1 RM using a simple formula: weight x reps x .0333 + weight. Example:  225 x 5 x .0333 + 225 estimates a 265 pound max.

Indicator Lifts - These take some experience to identify, but everybody has them for each major lift. An indicator lift is another lift that correlates to your "tested" movement. Sometimes they are trained in place of the actual lift or they are done as the first assistance lift. The indicator lift uses many of the same muscles as the main lift, which is why the two are related. For me, when my Incline Bench increases, so does my Flat Bench. For some, it may be Front Squat indicating Squat increase. Whether you are aware of it or not, we all have them. This is where the workout log is so important. The longer you have been training, the easier they are to find. Go back and look at how you were training when you were getting stronger. Find the assistance lift that you were doing that also got stronger. That's your indicator. If you're newer to lifting, this may be harder, but it certainly is possible as long as you keep records of everything.

So if you find yourself always testing your one rep max and never making progress, maybe it's time to step back from test mode and start looking at other PR's using the rep max and indicator lift method of analyzing your strength gains. Your body will thank you for it and I'm willing to bet that you will see more from it in the long run.

The 1,200 Calorie Myth

The other day I encountered another poor soul led to believe that she must eat 1,200 calories per day in order to lose weight. After explaining why she was incorrect and how she'd been misled by the internet, I decided it was time to see how many cases actually line up with 1,200 calorie diets. Before I dive into the math behind this, I freely admit there are exceptions to every rule in fitness. The odds of someone being one of the exceptions is very small.

Weight loss can be simplified to a single statement, "eat fewer calories than you burn." Whether you perform exercise to raise your caloric burn level or you reduce your intake, weight loss occurs at a deficit. The bad news is that too big of a deficit results in muscle loss, hormonal damage, and metabolic slowdown. The end result is making weight loss harder. There are always exceptions in health and fitness, but chances are, needing 1,200 calories to lose weight isn't because of their body, but because of what they have done to their body.

It is suggested that the caloric deficit not exceed 500 calories below maintenance. Under the assumption that one must eat 1,200 calories to lose weight, that would mean the number of calories needed for maintenance is 1,200 + 500 = 1,700. With the simple multipliers used to convert RMR into TDEE, we can determine the corresponding RMR's.  The following table displays the five measures of activity along with the corresponding RMR that matches a TDEE of 1,700.

Activity	Multiplier	Calories
Sedentary	1.2	1,417
Light	1.3	1,308
Moderate	1.55	1,097
Heavy	1.625	1,046
Very Heavy	1.9	895

This simple analysis gives us two cases where 1,200 calories is below RMR. This is exquisitely bad over a long period of time as it is typically not sustainable, slows metabolism, slows growth and repair of tissue, and negatively effects hormone levels. The remaining three demonstrate an RMR highly unlikely to be found by anybody working out at the required level to reach a TDEE of 1,700.

In order to test large amounts of hypothetical data, I created a program to calculate RMR and BMI based on a set of conditions. The program was run with the following limitations:

Age: 18 - 64
Height: 4'11" - 6'0"
Weight: 103 -250 pounds

The test program reported no instances of a sub 1000 calorie RMR that would not be considered "Underweight." Further, of the 97,384 potential combinations based on the restrictions, there are 8% (7,703) cases of RMR between 1,000 and 1,200, with approximately 2% having a BMI classified as "Overweight" and .05% considered "Obese." Of those 2,030 cases, all of them are under 5'4" and older than 34 with the "Obese" starting at age 54. The lightest bodyweight meeting these qualifications is 129 pounds for a 4'11", 34 year old ranging up to a 146 pound, 5'4", 64 year old. If we look at RMR from each factor, RMR decreases with age and increases with weight. As weight typically increases with height, it can be seen that as height increases, so does RMR.

Again, the chances that the average female looking to lose weight falls into "1,200 calorie diet" are very slim.

As the calculations found, there are some exceptions to the "1,200 calories is not for you" rule, but chances are you aren't one of them. One exception is the person that has already damaged their metabolism by chronically under-eating. This metabolic slowdown may result in needing to eat 1,200 calories, but through proper diet, this can be reversed back to a more sustainable level. Another exception would be someone on a prescription medicine that impairs metabolic rate. The only other exception I will mention is under the direct care of a medical professional and they will have very specific reasons and guidelines for using the 1,200 calorie diet.

How Can I See Where I Am?

First, we need to find our RMR. From there, we can find our TDEE. Many calculators refer to BMR which is a very strict hospital monitored  measurement of the RMR and is typically slightly lower than RMR formulas estimate. In my opinion, BMR is not relevant unless you literally sit in bed and do absolutely nothing all day. While no formula is perfect for everybody, there are two that have the best RMR predictions for the largest population. Mifflin-St Jeor is the most recent formula developed and demonstrated a greater accuracy than previous formulas. Harris-Benedict is the second formula and is still used by many of the online calculators. In order to calculate the TDEE, the RMR is multiplied by an activity quotient. You can use the Z Strength Calculator to determine your RMR and TDEE and save yourself some time.

Now that we know our minimum (RMR) and maintenance (TDEE), we can create our deficit. The deficit should not force you below your RMR and should be no more than 500 calories below TDEE. I'm willing to bet fewer than five people reading this will calculate 1,200 calories as an appropriate deficit and remain above their RMR. In a perfect world, we would increase the space between our RMR and our TDEE by increasing activity, allowing us to lose weight while eating the most calories possible.

Again, if we eat too far below our TDEE, we risk slowing our metabolism, making it harder to lose weight. When this happens, the standard response is either a) eat less or b) be more active. Both options create a bigger deficit forcing the body to slow metabolism further. Remember, the human body has learned to survive over thousands of years and it will compensate to survive.

Regarding the Program Used to Gather Data

Using the limitations, the program calculated more than 97,000 combinations, finding fewer than 8,000 that resulted in an RMR of 1,200 or lower. In an attempt to relate these numbers to a common factor, it also calculated the BMI (Body Mass Index) for each of the combinations. The majority of these combinations resulted in a BMI below 22, which is well within the "Normal" range. While many of us agree BMI is a bad tool because more muscular people rank as "Overweight" or "Obese", it is a useful tool for the less muscular developing weight loss goals.

Not All Free Information is Good Information

Seems like an obvious statement, but for the fitness newcomer there is so much information out there that it's hard to decipher what's good and what's guru. Over the last few weeks, I have read, heard, and seen some terrible advice given to fitness novices as they try to learn about training, develop technique, and improve themselves. I'm not talking about "bad information" that says there is only one way to build arms. I'm talking about legitimately dangerous information. Some bad information comes from forums, some from the local broscientist at the gym, and some from well-meaning but ill-informed novices that perpetuate myths. Regardless of where it originates, somebody without knowledge or a bs-o-meter for fitness is at risk.

I won't be the first to say it, but there is more than one way to accomplish any fitness related goal, and while the paths may be more or less efficient, given the correct information, they will lead to the ultimate goal. So, the goal of this post is to help you learn to identify good and useful information while discarding (and maybe even battling) the bad information while increasing your own knowledge. I'm not talking about controversial or less than optimal information; I'm talking about blatantly wrong information.

As an example, a gentleman is seeking advice on his deadlift technique, so he posts a video to be checked. Despite glaring technique issues, he gets the thumbs up and a host of "attaboys" just because he pulled more weight than the people watching the video.

 Another example is a lady asking a diet / nutrition based question as she has not been able to lose weight for several months despite her high 4 days of activity and her low calorie diet. Instead of relevant and educated responses, she receives "cut your calories" and "add HIIT to your training" as advice.

These ignorant responses lead people into potentially dangerous situations where they risk injury or other health problems. With more and more people turning to forums for advice, form checks, programming and nutrition advice, it's hard to know who is and who isn't giving you qualified advice.

Some of you may be wondering what's wrong with the answers. In the first example, a knowledgeable lifter sees poor technique despite the made lift and provides critical feedback while others convince the lifter he's doing it right. If the poster chooses to accept the compliments of the masses over the criticisms, he runs the risk of injury as the weight increases. With the second case, the lady is already under-eating for her activity levels. If she chose to follow the standard advice of "eat less, do more," she will most definitely tank her metabolism, which we all know is worse than gaining a few pounds over time to improve her metabolism.

While forums and social media provide us fast access to free advice, the fast and free advice can also be one of the worst parts. Before the explosion of fitness forums, you had to know somebody, pay somebody, or spend hours experiencing in order to find the answer to fitness questions. Because the community was so small, it was easy to identify who was providing legitimate information and who was not. With large internet forums and the "community" of social networks, Brosef is now out in full force, providing information read in some rag, heard in some rumor mill, or picked up at a Holiday Inn Express. This isn't to say all information in these forums are bad, but being able to sniff out crap makes them much more useful.

This brings me to the heart of this post, identifying good information versus bad information and how to filter what you need. Some will say only coaches and certified trainers should be giving advice. I've even seen a person claim you should listen to them solely because they are "certified." Bull! I've seen my fair share of ignorant coaches and certified trainers giving bad advice online and doing stupid stuff in the gym. The certificate doesn't mean you're good; it means you passed a test. I learned more from training with non-certified people that had years of experience than I did by reading the book for the CPT test.

The first rule, and this one trumps them all, if they demand you listen to them because of their piece of paper, move along to somebody with less fake alpha-ness.  The truly knowledgeable will always put the information out there with their rationale when the fakers just tell you to do it and resort to some form of "because I said."

If the information giver passes the first test, there are a few more steps you can use to sort the useful from the bad:

1. Know who and where you're getting advice from.
• Experience is king, everything else is second (certifications, degrees, staying at a Holiday Inn Express).
• Check the content on the site you're using. If a site caters to bodybuilding, asking questions about triathlons may result in horrible information.
• If you're on a site related to infomercial products (Beach Body, the Wraps, Detoxes), find at least 2 more sites with no ties to those products before accepting the information.
2. Ask yourself if the answer makes sense.
• If you're doing an exercise and it hurts but somebody is telling you it's perfect form, clearly, it's not perfect.
• If you already exercise hard and don't eat a lot but aren't losing weight, it makes no sense to eat less and train more.
• If the answer applies to a different situation than yours, disregard the response because they couldn't even take the time to answer your specific question.
3. Research your question and whatever answers you're considering for some form of consensus before accepting the advice.
• If you're looking for technique, there are a lot of youtube videos out there for instruction of movements.  Video yourself and compare the two. If you're computer savvy, you can use kinovea to do side by side analysis.
• If you're looking for programming or diet advice, stay away from popular mags (Men's Health, Women's Health, Oxygen, etc) because while they may provide some good information, often times they provide partial solutions.
• If the article is trying to sell you a product, re-read the article without the product. If the answer still makes sense, use it, if not, move along.

The next time you're looking for fitness advice, take a moment to analyze what you're seeing, reading, and hearing. Consider asking for resources to help you learn because while it's easy to just ask and accept, it is far better to learn and know. Anybody giving solid advice will be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

To your education!

March Q&A

Kettlebell Workouts... do they really burn more?
Theoretically, a kettlebell workout could burn more calories than a standard workout. Given the majority of kettlebell workouts incorporate full-body exercises (swings, cleans, snatches) with periods of higher intensity exercise, the potential to burn more calories exists in the same time frame when compared to a standard barbell or dumbbell workout. HOWEVER, if one were to perform barbell complexes or super / giant sets with minimal rest, a similar training effect could occur. An ACE Study showed an equivalent calorie burn to a 6 minute mile (http://prn.to/1eC0hOR).

As a training tool, especially for somebody that needs to develop muscular endurance or that wants to have the body composition benefits as well as cardiovascular benefits, performing kettlebell workouts are a great addition to your training program.

Does it matter, weight versus reps, if enough muscle fiber is engaged?

Like all other answers for training questions, it depends on the goal. Quick science, there are 3 types of muscle fibers (Type I, Type IIa, Type IIb) that are trained during our workouts. Type I fibers are the slow twitch, or endurance fibers. Type IIa fibers are a "hybrid" fiber that can demonstrate both slow twitch and fast twitch properties. Type IIb are fast twitch and prone to fatigue quickly.

One of the first principles of training explained to me was simple, "the body will only use as many muscle fibers as it needs to." Sounds simple enough, right? The second was "a muscle is either on or off." The body uses the smallest fibers first (that's Type I) before moving to larger fibers. So when we lift a weight, the body does just enough to lift the weight, whether it's 1 rep or 20 reps. This creates the dilemma about weight versus reps and maximal muscle engagement. Old school convention says heavier weight is the only way for more muscle engagement. However, our fast twitch fibers exhaust quickly, which means training with heavy weights for higher reps isn't possible, which provides little training stimulus for the Type I fibers.

So can we get recruit our largest fibers (Type IIb) along with the Type IIa and Type I fibers? Thankfully, somebody with far more knowledge confirms my belief that we can. Dr Ralph N. Carpinelli, of the Human Performance Laboratory at Adelphi University did an exhaustive review of the scientific literature regarding muscle fibers and weight and reported his findings in the Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness, volume 6, number 2, 2008. One of his main points discussed that effort of action is the key factor in determining the number of muscle fibers recruited. Carpinelli's conclusion was simple, whether it was a 5, 10, or 20 rep max, the most important factor in maximal muscle recruitment is being at "maximal-or near maximal-effort" at the end of each set.

And back to the "it depends" part of my answer. If I am training for a competition, whether it's weightlifting, powerlifting, rowing, or cycling, it will be more beneficial to train in a way that mimics your event. On the other hand, if training to be healthier. I would recommend a variety of weight and rep schemes following the principle of near maximal effort at the end of each set.

Follow up from last month: I've been reading "periodization training for sports". In reading about the maximum strength phase it suggests that the maximum load method should not be used before a minimum of 2 years of general strength training. Of the ms methods reviewed this seems like the only one accessible to me. How hard and fast is this rule? Is there another alternate maximum strength method I can use in the interim? I've only been lifting for about six months and during that time only in a somewhat body building style. Finally the edition of this book I have is from 2005. Is it totally outdated?

The 2005 edition is the 2nd edition of the book, so while some parts may have been updated, I don't believe the book could be considered "outdated." Here's where I disagree and my experience working with youth and new- to-training athletes effects my perspective. I don't believe you need to train for 2 years in general strength before attacking maximum strength. While I do believe there is a prerequisite level of experience and conditioning to be met, I don't believe it has to take 2 years. Training maximal strength takes a toll on the body and developing a solid base is key to avoid preventable injuries that come from jumping in too fast.

The NSCA Periodization model (http://bit.ly/1FoaFZx) also contains the same basic cycles. A deeper explanation of the block methodology can be found on EliteFTS (http://bit.ly/1ChzyRP) with Jeremy Frey's videos. While there is a lot of information directly related to powerlifting, it is easily applied to multiple disciplines. And here's another link to explore (http://bit.ly/1HpvOCq) about maximal strength training through periodization.

I honestly believe if you have a high enough level of GPP you can do block periodization. If you feel you need more GPP, I recommend training at least 6 weeks with the focus purely on GPP. So that begs the question, what is "enough"? For each person it is different and there are millions of opinions. For me, GPP is being able to complete an entire workout without needing 10 minute rest periods on non-ME days or being able to run a sub-10 minute mile or sprint and change direction like playing a sport. For others it may be different, like running 6 minute miles or swimming 500m, or performing 100 kb swings, unbroken.

Lifter Levels and Program Selection

After the last post on dieting I received a message asking my opinion on different lifting plans and how they align with the different levels of lifters. There are so many programs out there that this could take days to list each program, so instead of labeling each and every program, (and then dealing with combating opinions) I'm going to give you a similar breakdown for the level of lifter and how I would define a training program.

Some people consider strength a measure of level, and I call bullshit. It's easy to fall into the trap that just because somebody moves a lot of weight, they must be a high level lifter. I have seen 17 year old high school students squat and deadlift over 500 pounds. I have watched a 6'6” 320 lb sophomore bench over 400. Their strength had nothing to do with their level; they were just strong. I've also seen very experienced and very knowledgeable people that can barely bench their bodyweight. Before judging level on the amount of weight lifted, you have to consider different body types (short limb-long torso, long limb-short torso, long limb-long torso, and short limb-short torso) and how their leverages make certain lifts harder or easier. You also have to consider what the person is training for before judging their strength.

A good starting point for determining the level of a lifter is time under the bar. (ExRx has a sample here) For most lifters, we learn by doing; we learn technique, we learn rep ranges, and we learn by paying attention. However, there is a huge downside to only considering time and I see it every day. I see the same people come in and do the same routine week after week, month after month, year after year, and make zero progress. If someone is training for five years and they aren't stronger, fitter, or more aesthetic, their five years of experience is as good as the person walking in the gym after three weeks. Months and years don't always equate to the level of the lifter.

We could also consider knowledge in determining the level of the lifter, but with a similar problem as experience. Tremendous book knowledge doesn't equate to a higher level lifter. Consider somebody that has studied books and watched videos on engineering. Does that make them qualified to build your house? A similar thing happens with lab research performed by non-lifters. There are countless studies by people with tremendous knowledge but with very minimal experience actually training. Do you rely on their book knowledge in a controlled environment to match up to your situation?

In my opinion, the only way to rank a person as a lifter is with a combination of time under the bar and knowledge. Typically, the longer a person participates in training, the more knowledge they will acquire from being under the bar, training partners, reading, and watching. And in the debate of knowledge versus experience, I'll take the experience every time.

Lifter Levels
Novice
Typically less than two consistent years of training. Knowledge of the basic lifts, but doesn't know much about how their body responds to different training protocols and in fact, their body responds to just about any training protocol.

Intermediate
They have a combination of research knowledge and several years under the bar. They've made it beyond the newbie gains and have reached their first true plateau. They are in a position where they have to be educated in structuring their program and choosing their assistance programming if they want to continue making progress.

Advanced
The advanced lifter has formal and informal education about lifting. They've spent time reading, attending seminars, and multiple years training. They're capable of demonstrating and explaining the lifts and have a good knowledge of how their body responds to different set / rep schemes. Their body requires varying stimulus and training methods to make solid progress and they can correlate assistance programming to gains in the main lifts.

Based on the above definitions, we can identify several training programs that will work for each level, but first, to identify the three main types of training progressions. By knowing the type of program, you can narrow down the appropriate programs that matches your level as a lifter.

Programs By Level

Novice	Intermediate	Advanced
1 set of 20 Bill Starr's 5x5 Stronglifts Starting Strength	Mad Cow Juggernaut Hepburn 5/3/1 Texas Method	Cube Sheiko Smolov Conjugate

Progressions
Linear Progression – These programs are characterized by their consistent and incremental increases. Each week, a consistent increase is applied to the lifts from the week before, whether it is increasing the number of repetitions or the increasing the weight. These are ideal for new lifters because their nervous system is learning to fire the muscle and they will see quick gains in strength and muscle growth. At some point these programs will fail to create progress because new muscle growth will slow and the weekly increases will exceed capabilities. If these programs could work indefinitely, an 18 year old benching 50 lbs and adding a mere 2.5 lbs per week would be benching over 960 lbs by the time he was 25.

Undulating Progression – After completing a linear progression, many typically move on to an undulating progression. This concept is similar in that there will be a change in the intensity and volume that can occur daily (DUP) or weekly. The variants most commonly seen increase intensity (weight) while decreasing volume (number of reps). Other versions decrease the weight while increasing the number of repetitions. After a multi-week cycle, the lifter “de-loads” for a week in order to let the body heal and prepare for the next cycle with a larger starting weight. These programs have greater potential for growth because they allow your body to adapt and to the increased load slowly over a period of weeks.

Non-Linear Progression – For those that move beyond linear progression and are typically more advanced there is the non-linear progression. It would be impossible to list all the variants of non-linear programming, but many popular powerlifting programs implement this technique. These programs vary in intensity (how heavy), volume (how many reps), and speed (how fast the bar moves) to create optimal strength, hypertrophy, and explosiveness. By using multiple training styles in the same week, the lifter is also minimizing the repeated stress on the central nervous system and connective tissue that takes a beating when training in only one fashion.
While this is how I look at programs based on level, there are always exceptions and varying opinions.

Programs By Progression Type

Linear	Undulating	Non-Linear
1 set of 20 Bill Starr's 5x5 Stronglifts Starting Strength Mad Cow	Juggernaut Hepburn 5/3/1 Texas Method	Cube Sheiko Smolov Conjugate

While there are many different opinions on what type of program will work best, I believe that there are some truths that cannot be debated.

1. If you are new to training, learning proper technique is paramount. All of these programs will tax your body, and poor form will inevitably result in an injury at some point.
2. Skipping to a more advanced program then you are ready for can result in nagging pains or severe injuries.
3. Every program has strengths and weaknesses. Don't just switch to a program because it's popular. Do your research to see if it matches your goal.

If you're having trouble choosing a program that matches your goals, or would like a custom designed program to meet your needs, contact us and we will be glad to help.

The Three Types of Dieters

The other day I was rolling through Facebook and saw a post about the three different types of dieters and it made me think about the battle that every person trying to change their weight faces. There are training programs written for each level of lifter and tagged as such, but what about diets? With so many books and so much free information on the internet it can shut down even the most capable of us and we could be in way over our head in a hurry. Whether we want to gain lean muscle (because who wants to gain flab) or trim the fat, we've all heard “calories in versus calories out.” And never fail, shortly after, some rocket math appears with crazy equations, calculators, and scales and immediately tells you to count calories and macros.

But why are we making it complicated? Because this is what the pros do?

Does it need to be this complicated? No, it needs to be appropriate for the type of dieter.

If we want to be effective in creating or implementing diets, we have to know where the dieter stands. For most beginning their weight transformation they are hammered with terms they don't know or can barely define; macro, protein, carbohydrate, and fat are just a few. They're told to measure everything and prep perfect meals, or the big kicker, eliminate foods. But there's a problem with this, and I want you to think back to when you were in school and you first encountered that subject you didn't understand (you know, Algebra, Spanish, Econ) or that you didn't want to take and answer one question... would you have continued with it if you didn't have to? If you're starting a diet, I encourage you to communicate with your coach so they know how to help you the most, whether it's just making good habits, or giving you a set of macros to meet your goals.

Remember that kid that couldn't do something because it was too complex or too restrictive and wanted to quit?
This is the first type of dieter, The Novice.

The novice has never been on a real diet. They've never seen a nutrition plan. They don't own a food scale and have likely never thought about prepping meals for an entire week. They have gotten this far on luck, but have no idea why the changes happen. They try extreme restrictions and believe the infomercials about fasting and detoxes a long term solution. They're ready for guidance, but not the over-complication of equations, percentages, and measuring. Many just starting on the journey will throw their hands up when it isn't working or quit before they even start because it's a hassle or they can't defeat the cravings because they're “too restricted.”

Then there are the other “simpler” diets. They look easy on paper, but in reality, it may be harder (and less healthy) in the long run. These diets mislead with promises of drastic changes by a simple elimination of a food. We've all seen the diets where a food group is eliminated because some wizard promises instant change (not for allergy or medical reasons)...and typically it does happen for the first few weeks, but if that's the only change, the transformation will stop and then the cravings hit hard...and then we're back to step 0.

For the new dieter, giving in may be the hardest “mistake” to overcome. They tend to have this perception that they must be perfect. Nothing can be further from the truth and nothing can be more detrimental to progress. Sweeping change is very hard and right now, making small positive steps is what it should be all about. Remember, these are the dieters that have never done any sort of diet before and now we've given them a pass / fail test if we make it too complex and say “YOU MUST.”

These dieters do best with simple, straightforward advice:

• Reduce the amount of soda from 5 12 oz cans to 2 12 oz cans per week.
• Drink a glass of water before every meal.
• Increase protein consumption by eating a hardboiled egg every day as a snack between breakfast and lunch.
• Switch your yogurt from Chobani 2% to Oikos Triple 0.

They are small, yet effective changes that are building in good habits that are sustainable. And more importantly, they aren't hard changes to make and they don't require extra effort.

Now you've grown enough that it isn't so miserable, but it still isn't easy. You still need help, but you're ready for more advanced topics.
The second type of dieter is The Intermediate.

The intermediate has tried to diet before. They can kind of define macros and how the body uses them, and they may even have tried some food prep. They may be more advanced than the novice, but they have no idea how to design their own meals or time them. They benefit greatly from specific meal plans with measurements and timing and from more advanced tactics like fasting, carb backloading, or carb cycling. These dieters are ready for some basic math, and this is where a program like FatSecret or MyFitnessPal comes in handy. These programs track and total the calories and macros for almost all common food and allow you to enter new foods for tracking. In addition, they show you the percentages so you can track progress based on how you are eating as well.

While these dieters have moved beyond the wholesale elimination of a food, they still have potential for making poor choices that can be counterproductive. Going back to the “calories in versus calories out” concept; we all know to lose you need a deficit and to gain you need a surplus. But there is debate over achieving the surplus / deficit. There are some that claim what you eat is crucial. And there are others that mistakenly believe IIFYM means you can eat any food you want if you just leave a space in your macros, whether it's Twinkies, Cinnabon, Ice Cream, or Bacon. **News Flash** It doesn't mean eat whatever you want all the time just because it “fits.”

An example of a poor use of IIFYM: a person trying to lose weight leaving space for carbohydrates in their macros by not eating post workout and proceeding to stuff down a bowl of cereal right before bed. I understand that Nutrient Timing has proven inconsequential for a lot of people, but by not understanding how insulin effects weight loss, the benefit of IIFYM can be lost. Eating a carbohydrate right before bed has a different effect on the body than eating right after a training session, just like High GI is different than Low GI.

These dieters have started to make healthy choices but now can use that extra direction with creating healthy meals or more complex strategies:

Meal 2 -
6 oz chicken breast or white fish
150g brown rice
80g green beans

Post Workout-
20 g protein shake made with water
1 medium apple

By providing examples of what and when, the dieter can learn to make smarter choices without all the stress of figuring out each meal. Many dieters are content to stay in this level, but if you get bored of eating the same meals over and over, I recommend making a conscious effort to learn.

You've made it to the point where you can make a lot of your own decisions, but there are still some things you struggle with. You have good habits and are consistent, but now you have shown you can have some freedom.

You've made it here, The Expert.

The expert is the most experienced of all the dieters. They know what macros are and they have an understanding about counting calories and matching macros. They accept that it will take time to see a progress and will stay with the plan long enough to see it happen. They have all the Tupperware, the slow cooker, the high tech scale, and the software to count all the macros with exact percentages, but they aren't sure what percentages would be best for them or their goals and still struggle occasionally to make good choices.

These dieters can take a little more self-direction with their plans:

Calorie Target – 2355 kCal
Protein Target – 42%, 250 g – Strive for lean meats (chicken breast, white fish) in all but 1 meal
Carb Target - 21%, 125 g – Majority to be consumed Pre and Post Workout
Fat Target - 36%, 95 g

These folks know their stuff. They know portion sizes, meal prep, can do substitutions with ease, and rarely miss their macros. While the experts tend to make good decisions, samples of meals that when consumed during the day, match the macros are typically included.

So how do you know where you are?

Look back through each of the types and see what seems most like you. Just because you become a certain type doesn't mean you can't struggle with the stages before. There is no shame in going back when things go wrong.

Novice – Never dieted before. Just trying to make healthy decisions. No knowledge of macros or counting calories. Unknowingly restricts self and causes more problems. Gets duped into things like fasts, detoxes, and wraps.

Intermediate – Has tried to diet, but never much beyond swapping out “bad” foods. Knows of macros and calories and knows about surplus and deficit but struggles to find the sweet spot. Just starting to meal prep and following a meal plan exactly. Can measure foods but still needs guidance to hit calories and macros.

Expert – Has dieted and knows about macros and calories. Only eliminates foods when absolutely necessary. Has the scale to measure food and can be left to just having macro numbers with basic meal examples. Can make intelligent substitutions and stays on point 90% of the time.

Pro - Not talked about because these people have made the lifestyle change necessary to keep making progress and have learned when to go back and make changes.

When choosing your diet (or working with your coach) be very realistic about what you are capable and confident in doing. Be aware of radical changes to your eating (elimination of foods) and understand,how they could effect you. Finally, choose a diet you can live with. Choosing a diet that requires strict measurements and timing when you don't like meal prep and you eat when you want won't work for you. If you choose the plan that matches your skill level, work hard at it, and continue to learn about how to make your diet better for you, you will continue to see progress and will develop that lifestyle we all talk about.

The following is just where I place some popular diets in terms of effort and skill to make them work for you.
Novice Diets: Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Body for Life, etc.
Intermediate Diets: Mediterranean, South Beach, Atkins, Renegade, etc.
Expert Diets: Keto, Paleo, IF, IIFYM, CBL, Carb Cycling, etc.