Eating in Threes is Still the Nutrition Win for Me

Dinner post fasting meal of steak, nuts and seeds and some vegetables. In my nutrition program I teach the concept of “eating in threes”. No dumbass not eating in trees. Koala bears do that. 😀 

Eating in threes simply means that you create your meals around the three main macronutrients of protein, fat and carbs. In this example the steak is the protein, the nuts and seeds are the fat and the vegetables are the carbs. And yes vegetables are fibrous carbs. 

Based upon your goals, you adjust the ratio of these macronutrients to meet your needs. For most people it is easier to understand and visualize this concept by using the plate method as shown here. 

Using this method of meal preparation allows your body to receive appropriate amounts of all three macronutrients based upon your goal. This also prevents huge blood sugar and insulin spikes and dips which cause a number of problems, especially around the diabetes and weight loss topics. 

Also getting in the appropriate amount of good fats allows your body to absorb and metabolize fat soluble vitamins and facilitates the mechanisms which oxidize storage fat while maintaining lean body mass. 

So figure out the healthy foods that you like in each category of protein, fat, and carbs. Then pick one from each category to create a meal. Repeat as necessary. There is your meal plan and now you know what has to go on your grocery list. Go get it, prepare it and eat it. Then hit the gym and start jacking steel. 

Do the work, reap the rewards. 

In the end it comes down to eating the right amount, of the right stuff, at the right time to support your goals. So go eat and hit the weights!

Eric Dempsey 

MS, NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist,

NESTA Sports Nutrition Specialist 

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I lost 15.5lbs in 6 weeks. What was the secret?

So I hired a certified master trainer and weight loss specialist to help me combat my obesity problem. 

My BMI number indicated that I was in the obese category so I knew I needed to take action. 

6 weeks later I’ve lost 15.5 lbs. 

What was the program that I followed from this trainer? 

It was the “get off your ass and go workout and stop eating garbage” program. 

And who is this trainer?

It’s me of course. 

All kidding aside, I really have lost 15.5lbs over the last 6 weeks. This is the lowest weight I’ve been at in the last 5 years. 

The kicker is that this was not a deliberate weight loss program. It was just a side effect of what I was doing. 

Did I starve myself? No, I actually have been eating as much as I can including cheat meals. 

Did I follow a strict diet plan that focused on calorie deficit? Nope, I loosely did a paleo / keto meal plan with intermittent fasting. 

Did I do hours of long useless cardio? Nope, definitely not. I hit the weights. 

Was I trying to lose weight? Definitely not! 

So if you are having trouble losing weight, there are specific reasons which cause this difficulty. 

There are many variables that you have to look at such as total calorie intake, macronutrient ratios, sugar and sodium, high glycemic carbs, hormone issues, medications, stress and sleep, hydration, exercise type and frequency, and alcohol consumption. 

Odds are that you will find your problem and answer in the variables listed above. 

Stop eating and drinking crap, go eat healthy food and go hit the weights.

Should You Use Belts, Gloves, Sleeves etc…

Entering the arena to face the beast on a Monday night. Never Let Monday Win!

Putting on my armor before the great battle of the bench press begins. All of the gurus say you don’t need or shouldn’t train with gloves or gear of any kind. 

Real men or women don’t need such things. Only those who are weak use such things. 

Well, comrades, I’m here to tell ya that is BS. 

Had I been smart and not listened to the macho gurus and used this stuff or something like it 30 years ago, I wouldn’t have half of the problems that I have today. 

The real gurus were using stuff like this 30 years ago.

So I recommend using all of the gear in training to protect your body and enhance your performance. 

And the gear I use now, pictured, is worth its weight in gold to me. 

Train hard and protect yourself. There is nothing wrong with it. 

Even the CrossFit crowd got smart. There is nothing brave or bold about your hands being bloody pulp or your joints being destroyed. It’s just stupid. 

Train hard and smart. That’s how you win in the long game of life.

New Age Performance 6DS Heavy Lifting Mouthpiece 

How Often Should You Check Your Weight and Body Fat Percentage?

I did my weigh-in and I was checking my body fat percentage with my bioelectrical impedance device. I use an Omron, it's a standard BEI device you find in a lot of gyms and used by a lot of personal trainers, strength coaches and different fitness people. It's non-invasive and gives you a general ballpark figure on your body fat percentage. People always get wrapped up about the level of accuracy. 

The whole thing is to consistently do it like I do mine with my clients and myself. I try to do it every Friday at the same time between like three to six pm. That consistency using the same number is the whole goal. Is doesn't matter how accurate it is. I want to make the number go down. It is the same thing when I used to use skinfold calipers. 

Back in the day I also used the measuring tape, especially when I was a weight control NCO in the army. I used to run the weight control program and the remedial fitness program for the different companies I was in with the army. I've been doing this for a long time and I've tested a lot of people. 

I don't recommend checking it more than once a week and doing it at the same time, not every day. I'd take my clients and check them, for the past couple of decades on Fridays, at end of the week at the same time whatever their appointment time was. So they knew every Friday that they were checking their numbers. 

Once you see every your numbers every Friday and you're checking it consistently, that number is either going up or down. You can then make necessary adjustments for the next week. Don't worry about it week to week. Don't worry about it day to day because if you check the numbers every day you'll drive yourself insane. Your weight can easily flex two to five pounds up or down every day.

 

I get on my scale every day just to prove the point. Today my weight was like 233lbs. A couple of days ago it was 238lbs. I'm not trying to lose weight. I'm actually trying to gain weight so I'm failing miserably. The whole point is don't don't worry about it. Check your stuff consistently on a weekly basis and make the necessary adjustments after you get your numbers. Then hit the next week hard and you'll achieve victory. Stay at it my friends, be consistent, and never quit.

Watch the video here:

 

Calculate Your Calorie Requirements with the NASM Calorie Calculator

Many weight loss and fitness gurus tell you that you don’t have to track calories in or out. And when you are experienced in these things, you do not have to. 

But the average person is not experienced in these matters at all. There is a time and place for you to listen to your body and go with how you feel. A beginner starting a fitness and nutrition program doesn’t fit that scenario. You need data and the more the merrier.

While everyone tells you to simply eat less and exercise more, your body has a specific list of requirements in order for you to safely and effectively reach your goals. 

Calculating your calorie requirements is a way to sift through the madness and see what is really going on with you. 

There are numerous ways to calculate your calorie requirements. You can go old school and do it by hand using a formula and simple math. Or you can use one of the many online calculators or apps which are readily available. 

I like to do mine by hand and then spot check it with an online calculator. I use NASM’s online calculator on their website. 

NASM calorie calculator link:

https://www.nasm.org/resources/calorie-calculator

First I find out what my BMR or basal metabolic rate is. Your BMR is the baseline number of caloric requirements which you need to be able to be alive and functioning. I can guarantee you that most people’s BMR is more than 1200 calories. 

Here is my BMR. This is what I need to take in just to be alive. I won’t keel over and die if I don’t eat this much. But nothing good will happen if I’m under this amount consistently for any length of time. This is my first requirement. 

Then I have to determine my maintenance calories or total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).

Based upon a moderate activity level, my TDEE or maintenance calories are 3005. This is what I would consume to maintain my present body weight. 

But say I want to lose 5 pounds or a 3-5 % body fat, in the next certain number of weeks or months, then I have to calculate things based upon that goal. 

The calculator then takes into account your desired macronutrient ratio. 

Let’s say I’m going to use 40-30-30 for my macros.

I punch that in the calculator and designate a desired goal date. The calculator with then provide me with my “deficit calories” or what I need to cut down to. 

So I have to cut my intake down from my maintenance calories of 3005 to 2943. This is a massive 62 calorie drop. - (sarcasm). So now I know what I need to do. 

The important part of all this is that I need to know what I’m actually doing right now so I can tell if I need to increase or decrease my caloric intake to reach my designated numbers. 

As you can see, this is much more complicated than just “Eat less and exercise more”. And the caloric requirements are way higher than the “1200 calorie diet” my doctor would put me on to lose weight. 

Now here is the reality check. I have to track my numbers at least once a week so I have an idea of where I’m at. So after tracking a recent day’s calorie intake, I took in 2150 calories. 

This is way lower than my deficit calories of 2943. So I’m already in a deficit that is too big. And, (wait for it…), I have to eat MORE not less to reach my deficit calorie requirements. 

That’s what I struggle with daily. Eating enough of the right stuff at the right time is the challenge. Because clean healthy food is rich in nutrients but low in calories. So you gotta eat huge to meet your numbers. 

Never starve yourself or suffer on a diet again. Use this information and take charge of your nutrition plan. 

Bottom line is that the eat less and exercise more mantra, and the doctor’s 1200 calorie diet, are garbage. 

Eat the right amount of the right stuff at the right time in order to reach your desired goal. 

Eric Dempsey

MS, NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist,

NESTA Certified Sports Nutrition Specialist,

NASM Weight Loss Specialist 

Active and Dynamic Warmups for Older Adults

Into the arena to face the beast on a Monday night. Never Let Monday Win!

Standing band chest press using a wooden short staff. 

Your active and dynamic warmups should mimic the activity that you are actually going to do in your workout. 

This is different than doing general physical preparedness training which many perform as a warmup. 

As we get older, specific warmups become more important. I use the standing band chest press for the bench press because it warms up the actual muscles and joints used in the bench press.

Increased blood flow and synovial fluid production are important to reduce the risk of injury. The bands also are less painful than the first set on the bench. I also use my first set on the bench and all exercises as an additional warmup set. 

This also allows you to dial in the correct muscles that you will be using during the workout. Muscle activation training is a side bar benefit of specific warmups. 

Warmup and go hit the weights!

New Age Performance 6DS Heavy Lifting Mouthpiece Review

 

When I first started reading about the 6DS heavy lifting mouthpiece from New Age Performance I was skeptical. They claimed that by using their mouthpiece during your workouts that you could increase your performance. New Age Performance also claimed that their mouthpiece is designed specifically for maximum strength sports and fitness. They recommend this product for all heavy weights, powerlifting and strongman etc. Of course this caught my attention as I'm very interested in all aspects of strength training.

Their FAQ section states that with better body alignment, it takes several restrictions away from the body, which will allow you to: square your shoulders, open up your rib cage, allow for better oxygen flow and allow your hips to align giving you better rotation. With the end result being, increased strength, better flexibility, balance and an increase in endurance.

So I bought one and started using it immediately. The box arrived in a couple of days and it contained the mouthpiece, carrying case, and fitting instructions. The fitting process was quick and easy. During the first week, I started using it on the bench press, trapbar deadlift, Bowflex seated chest press, lat pulldowns, and leg extensions. Positive effects were noticed immediately on all of these exercises.

To my surprise and astonishment the mouthpiece worked in amazing ways. I noticed an immediate increase my strength, stability, and repetition endurance. And because of it's alignment properties, I was amazed that it eliminated my common joint pain associated with exercise. This part was huge for me as I have old Army injuries and arthritis which leave me with daily joint pain. 

With that combination of positive results, I was a believer. I liked it so much that I decided to become an affiliate of New Age Performance to sell the mouthpieces through my social media sites. I only sell products which I have tested myself and approve of. This is one of the products that I wish I had 30 years ago. It really works.

The heavy lifting mouthpiece description includes the following:

Enhances non-contact physical sports, workouts and more!
Placed on the lower jaw and used for athletes that are not required to wear a mouthguard for the purposes of protection such as: Strongman, Powerlifting, and heavy weight.
Designed to instantly stabilize 6 dimensions of your jaw including; Anterior Posterior, Protrusive, Pitch, Yaw, Roll, and Lateral.
Improved air flow.
Lateral stabilizing walls to ensure minimum movement in the jaw.
Able to drink fluids while wearing the 6DS mouthpiece.
Providing instant results – an overall increased level of performance!
Not for use with braces / works with retainer.
For ages 13+.
One size fits all.
Comes with a free mouthpiece carrying case.

Available in a variety of colors.

It comes with simple yet detailed fitting instructions.

You can get one at a time or order them in bundle packs.

The mouthpieces are made from 100% POE Dental Boil + Bite Food Grade BPA Free Material.

You can return it within 30 days for a full refund on the product.

The mouthpiece is recommended to be replaced after 3 months of use. 

Here is my video review after using the mouthpiece on the bench press.

Visit the website here to view their selection of mouthpieces. 

New Age Performance

Metabolic Effects of Intermittent Fasting: A Review

Here is an interesting review on Intermittent Fasting which I found on PubMed. 

Abstract

The objective of this review is to provide an overview of intermittent fasting regimens, summarize the evidence on the health benefits of intermittent fasting, and discuss physiological mechanisms by which intermittent fasting might lead to improved health outcomes. 

A MEDLINE search was performed using PubMed and the terms "intermittent fasting," "fasting," "time-restricted feeding," and "food timing." Modified fasting regimens appear to promote weight loss and may improve metabolic health. Several lines of evidence also support the hypothesis that eating patterns that reduce or eliminate nighttime eating and prolong nightly fasting intervals may result in sustained improvements in human health. 

Intermittent fasting regimens are hypothesized to influence metabolic regulation via effects on (a) circadian biology, (b) the gut microbiome, and (c) modifiable lifestyle behaviors, such as sleep. If proven to be efficacious, these eating regimens offer promising nonpharmacological approaches to improving health at the population level, with multiple public health benefits.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28715993/

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How I Create Unplanned Improvised Late Night Workouts

Last night while getting ready to workout, the allergies came out of nowhere. I was about to tap out but I slammed some preworkout and staggered into the gym instead. 

With no plan I decided to show you how I make it happen. Follow me through an unplanned improvised midnight workout. 

The key is to get in the gym and start moving. I usually go right to my sanddune stepper. I warmup with 2 minutes of marching in place. 

I do one minute facing one direction followed by one minute of facing the other direction. This gets the cardio going and lights up the calves, quads, glutes, and hamstrings. 

Then I will pick a core exercise to let the legs recover. In this case I picked modified back extensions. My back and hip are my old injured problem areas so I try to keep them strong. I knocked out 12 reps. 

Next was a lower body / leg exercise that I haven’t done recently. I went for the trapbar deadlift for 6 reps.

From there I hit another core exercise. I chose the flat bench 1/4 crunch for 20 reps. This version of the crunch protects my lower back, minimizes hip flexor involvement, and isolates the rectus abdominus or abs. 

My final exercise was for the upper body and went with 20 reps of elevated bar push ups. This exercise works the chest, triceps and anterior deltoid or front shoulder. 

I tried to keep the rest periods as short as I could and then I did a second round. It was a full body workout that hit all of the major muscle groups. Not bad for having no workout planned. 

And I was seriously contemplating not working out at all. So get in the gym even without a plan and make it happen. I used a simple warmup, core, legs, core, upper body guideline. 

Here is the workout video.

Remember the key is to get in the gym and do something even if you don’t feel like it and have no plan. You’ll be surprised at what you accomplish .

If you want some detailed muscle and strength building info and workout plans to follow, check out my ebook package here: Muscle and Strength Building 

Kale Kissed by Ginger Green Smoothie Recipe

Green smoothie recipe number 5, Kale kissed by ginger, from the Green Smoothie Lifestyle collection. Watch the video below for the ingredient list.

Green smoothie e-book package deal available at the link here: Green Smoothie Lifestyle

The Gym is more that just a place to workout for many

Catching my breath in between sets, in front of the fan. It was hot and humid. Yet I was able to pull off a decent slingshot bench press workout. It was a 4 sets of 4 reps night. So I managed 135x10, 225x4, 235x4, 245x4, 255x4.

It’s usually nighttime when I workout, when everyone else is asleep. And I’m always alone, except for Jesus, who is my spotter, and Joey, the cat, who is my strength coach. 

The gym is peaceful and calming. Like my survival site, the gym is one of my safe spaces where it doubles as a church, a sanctuary, a place of therapy, and as a place of challenge. 

I’ve always preferred small or private gyms to the big, crowded, noisy franchise gyms. I’ve spent a lifetime in both settings as a trainer and a trainee, depending on the time and place throughout the ages. 

My first gym was a room down in the cellar of my family’s house. My Dad rebuilt it and helped me create a gym / martial arts dojo. Yard sale weight sets and exercise gear with heavy bags, mats and old boxing gear started the journey of a lifetime. 

I started fitness training when I was ten. I started martial arts training when I was 11. I ran my first training class when I was 12, as an apprentice/intern assistant instructor. 

The first training experience came early. 

I started training the tiny dragons and little tigers kids (ages 5-7) class. That would progress over the years until I was running almost all of the classes for youth, teens, and adults. 

At 17, I was selected to become the head instructor of the Kenpo Karate school that I had attended daily from the age of 11. 

Then I joined the Army instead and went in a very different direction. But of course, fitness and martial arts where always with me during that 20 year adventure. 

For the past 15 years, the Iron Garage has been my main gym despite working simultaneously at several other gyms and locations over the years. 

One of the biggest and simplest takeaways that I can give you is this: you must conquer your mind and emotions in order to play the long game in fitness and health. 

Nobody cares so work harder. There is no excuse. You either benefit or suffer from what you choose to do. You reap what you sew. You and only you are responsible for all that you do or fail to do. 

So with that being said let’s go hit the weights!

Biweekly Performance Biorhythm in Fitness

Biweekly performance biorhythm.

It’s a strange thing but it actually happens. 

The Iron Garage has been my science lab for the last 15 years. 

It’s amazing what you can learn when you track data. 

Watch the video below and see if you have ever experienced this.

Pickle Juice and Yellow Mustard for Muscle Cramps

The heat wave has cranked up muscle cramps after workouts. Once again I used my proven instant cramp relief items (pickle juice and yellow mustard). They still work great and I recommend everyone who suffers from cramps to give it a try. 

Why does mustard and pickle juice work to instantly relieve cramps? Some say vinegar, electrolytes, or turmeric are the reason. 

Scientific research has shown that acetic acid may be the reason. Acetic acid is postulated to mitigate cramping by decreasing alpha motor neuron activity through oropharyngeal stimulation and inhibitory neurotransmitter production, while aiding in the role acetylcholine plays in muscle contraction and relaxation. 

Here is a link to a research study: 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32459412/

Regardless of why it works, the point is that it does work. Give it a try.

Why Warmups are even more important as we get older

As we get older our joints and connective tissue become more vulnerable to injury before the muscles do. 

The joints and connective tissue require extra attention in order to facilitate the stress of lifting heavier weights. 

Warming up the joints with a set of light weights and higher repetitions will increase heat, blood flow, and synovial fluid. 

This will aid in preventing injury and facilitate the transition to moving heavier weights during your workout. 

5 Tips to Help You With the Bench Press

Mud stomping a hole in Monday’s attempt to bring me down. 255lbs on the bench is probably light work for you, but it’s heavy for me. 

So getting 5 good controlled reps without ripping or breaking anything in my body is an accomplishment for my dinosaur butt. 

Here are 5 key points I teach / follow on the bench press are:

1. Proper grip, not too wide, not too narrow. Knuckles face the ceiling as you try to crush and pull the bar apart.

2. Body alignment on the bench, eyes under the bar, shoulder blades even on the bench, slight arch in the lower back, butt remains in contact with the bench, legs squeeze into the bench as heels drive into the floor. 

3. Lower the bar at a controlled pace to touch your shirt, never bounce the bar off your chest. Then explode in the push or concentric phase to get the bar up twice as fast as it came down ( in your mind anyway).

4. Inhale on the way down, hold and brace during the transition and then vigorously exhale on the push. Animal screams are authorized and encouraged.

5. Keep your core and legs braced and solid. Don’t let your body move under the weight. Drive the legs into the floor. Keep your butt on the bench. If a foot raises off the floor or your butt raises off the bench even for a second you are a no-go on that rep. 

My bench tutorial goes on but that is what people pay me for. I’ve had dozens of clients raise their one rep max by up to 25lbs just by receiving my class and implementing the instructions. 

Education and experience matter. My two key learning points that I teach are that 1. People think they know and 2. People don’t know what they don’t know. Always be open to learning from someone even if you think you know it all cause 1. You don’t know and 2. You’d be surprised at what you could learn. 

I’ve had the most problems/ resistance to learning over the decades from military clients and former athletes. 2 type A groups who definitely think they know. Then I teach them something they didn’t even know existed (so how could they possibly know that they didn’t know it?) and their minds get blown. 

And yeah I was that guy too until I learned stuff that I didn’t even know existed. Now I learn everyday because I’m acutely aware that I don’t know! Go learn something and hit the weights!

Do you feel some anxiety and fear before the next set of your workout?

When you are in the iron arena facing the beast and your next set is rapidly approaching, it’s normal for there to be a little anxiety, fear, and dread. 

It’s purely a mental battle but you still have to address it and drive on to the next set. A simple technique I use to overcome the mental battle is by using timed rest periods between sets. 

The general rule of thumb is heavy sets require longer rest periods, lighter sets require shorter rest periods. A lot of it has to do with ATP cycle rejuvenation. 

If you don’t experience this mental battle, then you should reevaluate the level of challenge and intensity of your workouts. 

An age old saying is “if you aren’t scared of your next set, then you aren’t working hard enough”. There is a lot of simple truth in that concept. Now on to the next set!

Intermittent Fasting doesn’t mean starvation

Post fasting meal: sirloin steak, smokehouse almonds, sweet potato, and red grapes. 

After my daily fasting window ends, I’m ready to eat! I use the 16/8 method daily. The fasting window is 16 hours and the feeding window is 8 hours. I usually have 4-6 smaller meals during my 8 hour feeding window. 

Based upon the best fit for me, I picked this fasting protocol after testing the most common 4 methods over a span of 8 months beginning in 2011. 

I tested these methods again in 2012 and decided to stick with the 16/8 protocol. 

There are many different fasting protocols. Use the one that fits your daily routine the best. 

One of the common flaws that occur with people who try to lose weight with intermittent fasting is that they do not eat the required amount of food in the proper macronutrient ratio. 

Intermittent Fasting (IF) is not about starving. It is simply a more disciplined and structured schedule of eating and not eating. 

The goal for body composition change is to lose fat while maintaining or building muscle and lean body mass. The number on a scale is irrelevant. The process has to be done correctly for optimal results. 

Most people can benefit from Intermittent Fasting. But it takes some learning, knowledge, and experience to do it right.

I have a package deal of 4 digital books on Intermittent Fasting which take you through all of the relevant information needed to be successful with IF. 

Right now this IF package is on sale for a ridiculously low price. 

I’ve made these books in PDF format so you can immediately download them and start reading. 

If you are interested in learning more about Intermittent Fasting and how to successfully implement it into your lifestyle, 

visit my online book store IF direct link here:

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Back Extension Variation Eliminates My Back Pain

I do these back extensions this way to modify it so it doesn’t aggravate my old injuries. 

I still get full range of motion while avoiding dangerous hyperextension. 

And the band adds resistance to add challenge to the movement. 

My back always feels so much better after I do these. When I do the back extensions regularly, lower back pain disappears for me. 

When I slack off and don’t do them, inevitably the lower back pain comes back.  

Keep your core and your lower back strong to minimize pain and injury.

Turning Can’t into Can Do with Heavy Kettlebells

Tonight’s workout was 5x5 kettlebell goblet bench squats. My days of heavy lifting on any type of squats are long over because of my (totally not service related according to the VA) back and hip injuries. 

After the warmup it went from 45, 55, 62, 70, and 79. Then I decided to try the monster, the 106lb kettlebell of doom. I haven’t touched the monster in awhile. Waiting till the end of the workout to pickup the heaviest thing is never a good idea. So I was like, why not? 

I knew it was gonna be a short lived bad idea as soon as I picked it up. It was heavy after too long away from it. I managed to get in 2 reps and I quit while I was ahead. 

But it brought about a positive note. I overcame the mental deterrent that it’s too big and heavy to even try. 

It’s heavy but with a smarter approach, I’ll be able to eventually get 3,4 and 5 reps. It’s not impossible. Your mind will fail you long before your body does most of the time. And if you don’t face your fears, they will always win. 

Entering the arena to face the beast is the mental challenge. If your training doesn’t scare you a little bit, you probably aren’t challenging yourself enough. So in that regard, there was no failure, there was a lesson relearned.

Understanding Rates of Progress with Fitness and Nutrition

Have you ever heard someone say “it’s only been a couple of weeks, we have to give it time”. It’s a classic line (excuse) in the fitness and nutrition industry. 

When you are on a fitness/nutrition program and you don’t see the progress which you hoped for, people throw this line out there to cover for it. 

First, you have to understand what realistic expectations are. Most people don’t know or understand and are way off on both ends of the spectrum. 

Doctrinal rates of healthy progress in the weight loss/ fat loss realm are normally around 1lb per week or 1% body fat loss. That means generally 4lbs or 4% body fat loss per month. 

In my program, I expect you to achieve more than that. That is a minimum standard or guideline.

So theoretically if you go two weeks and see nothing, or very little, you are not meeting the standard. “Just keep at it and it will come in time” is absolute BS. 

No progress or less than optimal progress means that you are either not doing something that you should be doing or you are doing things in a manner which are inefficient or ineffective. 

That’s why over the decades my program evolved to using two weeks as a micro cycle for programming. Two weeks is a solid base line to reflect behavior, training and nutrition habits. 

If after two weeks of training, and you are not seeing the progress expected, analysis and course of action development are required. 

Make the necessary changes to your program and you should see progress at the end of the next 2 week cycle. It doesn’t take a month, 3 months, or 6 months to get the ball rolling. 

I give clients two weeks. Either do what needs to be done or be honest with yourself that you are not really committed to the goal / program. 

It starts with your mindset. Free your mind and your glutes will follow! 

Workout Programming Doesn’t Need to be Complicated

Knock ‘‘em out airborne! 

Sometimes the basics are all you need. 

Simple doesn’t means easy.

Here I did 10x10 on the push-up bars.

10 sets of 10 push-ups with a 2 min rest in between after the 5th set. 

It started off easy but half way through it got tougher with each set. You can adjust the variables to suite your own needs. 

Complicated and super detailed programming is not always required. 

If you are an athlete or training for a specific event, then your programming needs to be more specific and detailed. 

If you are training for general physical preparedness and daily life activities, the programming can be much simpler which doesn’t mean easy or ineffective. 

This push-up workout smoked my pecs (chest), anterior deltoids (front of your shoulders), and my triceps (back of your arms). It also provided some core stabilization training. 

And it was something that I could actually do without causing injury or further injury to the old beat up vet bod. 

The complicated and super detailed “perfect program” rarely lasts more than a few weeks unless you are training for a specific task or event. 

Create a simple plan that you can and will follow. Odds of success are much higher.

Personal Trainer Memorabilia

I found some more memorabilia for the archives. 

The top item is the first patch I had on my hat when I completed the NASM certified personal trainer course and started my fitness business 16 years ago. 

I had somehow lost this patch several years ago. Then recently I found it outside by an old stack of sandbags which I used for my outdoor fitness bootcamp in the yard. 

The second item is the WLS pin that I received after completing the NASM weight loss specialist course 10 years ago. 

And the bottom item is my old name tag that I got in 2007, while working as a personal trainer at Smith Fitness Center on Fort Benning. 

Lots of memories and lessons learned associated with these items.

The Resistance Band Seated Row

Resistance Band Seated Row: another great back exercise with many variations. 

The beauty of using the bands is that you can setup your gym anywhere. 

Here I simply found a sturdy anchor point to attach the band. Then I used my sanddune stepper as a soft, comfortable seat. I braced my feet against heavy kettlebells on the floor.

This, of course, reduces the amount of excuses that you can use to avoid your workout.

Do what you can with what you have!

As with all rows, focus on the elbows pulling down and to the rear instead of your hands pulling straight back working your biceps. 

At the end of each rep, squeeze your lats, rhomboids and lower traps and try not to let the biceps do any of the work.

You can adjust the resistance levels by using different bands and rep ranges. Heavier bands with fewer reps and lighter bands with higher reps, depending on your goal. 

Goal Setting Using the SMART Acronym

Tonight’s post fasting meal consisted of baked pepper garlic chicken tenderloins, mixed nuts, power greens and blueberries. 

Kicking off your 2022 health and fitness goals doesn’t have to be dramatic. 

Simply eating less garbage and adding more whole nutritious foods, while adding a 10 minute daily walk could be life changing for some people. Others require more in the “make healthy changes” department. 

Regardless of your needs and goals remember to follow some simple guidelines when goal setting. 

You can’t go wrong with the SMART acronym.

Make your goals Specific.

The goals must be Measurable.

The goals must be Attainable.

The goals must be Realistic.

And your goals should have a Time standard. 

I’m not a fan of the “new year, new me” crap. 

Make a plan and take action now. Modify it as you go. But start now!

Don’t wait until the unicorns and fairy dust arrives, or until Monday. Go hit the weights right now. It’s that simple. Go do it!