New YEars Eve --- Here's to an incredible 2015 !

New YEars Eve  --- 9 pm


While some of you are running around with Chex Mix crumbs on your face and 1/2 full drink glasses in your hands,  i am pounding out a few words


I really wanted to get this in before midnight for symbolic reasons

Purpose of this is to simply thank the FCP faithful for their readership, tips, techniques --- and in some cases, criticism

Its been a somewhat wild year and its hard to go over all the ups n downs in one end of year summary --- but let me say, it has been a year of growth and great experiences

    As of now, we're not public, so if you receive this blog, you are a part of the core readership and i appreciate you for that
    The growth has been good , -- with no external advertisement - no facebook forwarding - no nothing---
   This is by choice.  
        The 'ol figurehead of  FitClaimsPro.com is not ready for public consumption unless someone decides to share through word of mouth ---    I am chock full of personal failings and flaws myself and everyday, i deal with the same or more struggles that everyone else does, -- and i never thought of this as much above a private venture

--but that said

              For those who have spread the word and shared this labor of love through email, Facebook, Instagram, etc -----  I thank you so much.   It is so cool that some of you have faith that this can venture a bit beyond a small , private consultation venture !


This New Years Eve and the day, -- i wish you luck and the discipline to be true to yourselves.  

In the coming year,  ------ be strong, rely on your knowledge and training and if you need a little extra support, love , and an ear to bend ---- we will be here


In extending my gratitude and thanks --- i also want to encourage you to seek us out when you need to

            I am ready for 2015 to get fired up so we can address more challenges - vanquish more enemies, and climb more of our personal mountains!


   Again --- thank you --- and may God's blessings shine on all of us throughout the upcoming new year and beyond



Happy New Year folks ------  time to kick it off and celebrate in a slightly irresponsible manner !  ;)




   

Its that time of year again

December 26, (this time around its 2014)


One more big festival night, then its time to tighten up the 'ol belt and get serious with those resolutions right?

I have  spoken of this earlier in the year ,  but in case you didnt get it , here's the link

Re-set the meter - Then peg the meter !!

So you didnt take my advice from September to heart and start in on that pesky "resolution" early, huh?   (Some of you did, - i got the feedback   :)  thanks for charging hard)

No matter

I'm not big on encouraging the setting of resolutions per se',   but the setting of short term and long term goals can be done at any time ---   IF its done around NEw Years, that is characteristically called a "resolution"
      Around this time last year, i also covered the fact that 80% of well meaning resolution setters begin breaking them within a month, and by March, those P90X DVD's and gym membership cards are already starting to gather dust  ----  the gym reverts back to the 20 or 30 muscleheads who are always there, week in and week out.


     What's your 'ol trackie here planning on doing as far as New Years Resolutions?

Although i have already stated that the idea of a New Years Resolution is fundamentally flawed, i will add this one thing that i will be striving for --

-its a big one, yet a small one too

MODERATION

Yes, this new years i will be striving for even more moderation

Moderation in drink, late nights , "dumb decisions"  - over training , under training, - counting calories, being a nutrition nazi

Whatever the sin, you can moderate it -------  Your New Years party does not have to be "Paleo Perfect"  - loosen up -- its one day - you have 360+ to show your discipline ---  that doesnt mean to shotgun the margarita mix followed by the Cuervo -- that is not moderation.
      Moderation just means its ok to have a couple of cocktails on a holiday, ----- or on occasion, stay in bed for a couple more hours on a weekend and watch some TV  with the spouse


             If you currently have a late night lifestyle that rivals Mickey Rourke's  , you are probably not going to dial it down to the level of a competitive Olympic level athlete,  -- but make small changes

strive to go to bed a bit earlier , - Be a bit nicer to the people you care about,  watch the booze, and pick a day to enjoy your food ! --- But spend another 4 or 5 being disciplined -- depending on your needs

Most of my readership is comfortably in the "Masters Category"  (above 30)  and i have a tip that might sound a bit odd, or even unobtainable to many -
  -- but for the past 6 months or so, i have been fairly diligent about adhering to a nap schedule when i can as well

          This doesnt fit into everyone's schedule to be sure --- but if it does, please reap the benefits.    I drive a ton -- and i have pulled over at 3 pm at a rest stop or truckie stop for a little designated "Me Time"
     I throw in some ear plugs put on a mask (much like an eyeless Lone Ranger mask ) -- and then Hi-Yo Silver ! Lay the seat back and snooze for a bit

   
      If your just tuning in ,  check some of my previous blog entries,  but if you've been on board for a while,  you know that i try to speak out for the harried, the flawed, the excuse makers, and the binge diet failures
       -------  these are common maladies when you have a schedule that is written in Erasermates and you have to be up for any malady ----You have to be there for your customers , internal or external ,  and they do not give a flip about any of this stuff i am talking about --- they just want you there with a minimum of drama

                                       Again, and i will speak it in bold letters

                                                          MODERATION

We have the ticket to our own success or failure --- because as folks running our own small businesses' ,  oftentimes we make the schedule.

    If we can't manage time for rest, exercise, and proper nutrition -- we may be able to wrangle another 15-20k per year out of the time we are saving by burning the candle at both ends --- but are we saving anything by making a deal with the devil?

           
One last time --- for my New years  DECLARATION, -- (not a weak kneed and pitiful resolution) -- I will be practicing moderation

           epilogue:  resolution, declaration, moderation   --  all words that end with "tion"


In short -- put down the martini glass, the PBR, or the plate of brisket and kick this mess straight in the ass and rejoice while you follow a better schedule and get plenty of rest !


Thanks all

Doug

_______________________________________________________________


disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

       



         

Work smarter !........ not harder (myth for today)

Work smarter !  -- Not harder !


I love this slogan -- and who wouldnt'?    Just bone up on the procedures , --- make some sensible choices , then reap the benefits!

On the flip side, we have all heard the tales of woe from the sorry sacks who do it the other way

Maybe someone gets smug satisfaction from "working smarter"   --- but the guy in the 12 hour cycling marathon with ruptured blisters in bad places and blood running into his cycling shoes because his previous longest ride is a trivial 5 hours is laughing at you

       Work smarter?  -- I like that.  --- But i think working smarter opens up more opportunities to work harder !

          What is the allure of anabolics? -- Why do "steroids" work ?  EPO , etc etc ?  
Its not like these substances allow  you to pop a pill, then sit on the couch  for 3 months watching The Family Guy , -- then you can win your club championship or local physique competition

                   These substances work because they mute and blunt your natural inclinations to stop -- and they encourage what would previously have been over training and push you further
   ----
   No --- you will not get much effect on a 3 day, 35 minute a sesh program when you're on the juice  ----  You will receive some benefit to be sure as long as you dont get fat,  but the pandora's box of gains gets tripped when you are training 15-20 hours a week, and getting plenty of rest

Was it Thomas Jefferson who said  "The harder i work, the luckier i seem to get"  ??


                 Lets take your job for an example - and bear with me ----    You're the type of guy with a  a parrot at home -- your a Jimmy Buffet uber fan and you love to let loose at 4:30 on Friday -you and mother value your alone time          -   -- but your also pretty good at your job and you hate to see youngsters get promoted ahead of you ---

--------   Your big opportunity to get the corner office comes up -- but guess what??

All of a sudden, your making an extra 17k a year,  but you have to work a couple of Saturdays a month ,  and 4:45 happy hours are a thing of the past.    You also wear clothes to the office you formerly thought were "too stuffy" ,  instead of a "YOLO Man,"  or "LEgalize It !"  sweatshirt and dungarees

   Congratulations!!!     You got what you wanted   ----

But guess what?    -- The concept of "Work smarter, not harder"  - is completely gone now -- you are simply going to have to work hard

   You have a sweet lease on a Buick Enclave now,   so long 8 year old Hyundai

 and you and the missus are contemplating moving to a bigger pad in a better part of town, --

To this                                                                        From this

- but deep down, you liked the rut you were stuck in and working harder makes you uncomfortable  -- a "sell out"

Let mediocrity slide over you like death's cold embrace as you take a lesser position across town with less stress   -- its too embarrassing to ask for your old job back when you fail

You just got sucked in by the   "Work smarter, not harder"  mystique

Guess what?   --- There are not many free lunches out there 

Tom Brady   --- he's a fun guy for "regular guys"  to make sport of because on the outside looking in, his life looks perfect

    A recent SI article details Brady's routine    -------    Brady succeeds because he is more boring than you ----  he is more dedicated than you , ---   10 generations of his offspring are taken care of , --- but still , the guy wakes up unhappy and wanting to improve every day

Hours in the film room , hours of drills and practice as well as base fitness work.       Beatiful wife?  Beautiful house?   ---  Who gives a flip  ---  This is the business we've chosen, -- and Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck and Peyton are also working just as hard 

I'll admit i'm not much of a pro football fan, although i keep up with my alma mater in college -- but i'll switch gears and reference a couple of guys' i'm much more familiar with

Arnold Schwarzenneger and Lance Armstrong

In their respective disciplines, - these guys would stop at nothing to dominate their sports, -- despite already having a genetic leg up on most of their competition

    Arnie was an immigrant -- he overcame the language barrier and used his early bodybuilding winnings to invest in real estate  and was reportedly a several times over millionaire before he even made his first movie back in the 70's    --

              --- The work ethic instilled in growing up modestly and then overcoming language barriers carried over and gave the guy a tenacity to succeed that other competitors with more comfortable backgrounds didnt have

Lance Armstrong --- yes, the guy has some very serious personality flaws -he turned into a megalomaniac  -- But in his prime , nobody put in more time than he did.    He was the highest paid guy, sure, but he also put in more work  , more research and more obsessive detail

        The result was 7 Tour de France wins  

Yes, we all know the rest of the story, and he does have a ton of personality issues,  but i do believe the playing field was equally juiced up during that time frame   ------  If he had not tried to come back for 2 more  in 09 and 10, he would have rode off into the sunset a national hero forever

----------------------------------------------

Schwarzenneger, BRady, Armstrong -----  all big names in sport  -- all huge workaholics 

Dont be these guys   -- they have to take viagra and can't bench press their way out of a wet paper  sack

As far as the "Work smarter not harder" premise    ----   kick that crap back into the dank hole it deserves to be in and recognize that you need to 

"Work smarter --- So you can work  HARDER " 

you lazy sacks of garbage ! ( kidding about the garbage part---- or am i?) 

  -----    Prioritize your time,  put in the hours --------

      

Synergy !!!! WTF???

Last post was 10/2 -- this one is 11/4  --- That means i'm slacking a bit (but the piece from 10/2 was solid enough by my standards to last a month -- LOL - i just re-read it )

I am not a writer, but writing gives me an outlet for the things that bother me -----Evidently i havent been bothered much in the last 3/4 of a month (yeah right)

The 'ol day job - My Rock of Gibraltor and the principal financing backer  of FitClaimsPro.Com
has been busy with a lot of miles racked up

-------------    Thats good ----     My prime objective originally was to  lessen the effects of stressful day to day insurance work by applying some common sense nutrition principles

Along the way, i have discovered that my plight is one shared by many working people - long hours - lots of miles- jet lag - poor exercise facilities  -------



---------

When blowhardy office types try to give motivational speeches for their slack jawed interns , they use phrases like "synergy"   ---   "We have a unique synergy !! "

        Well , synergy oftentimes means the sharing of ideas --- not just to congratulate ourselves on how cool we are, but to compare, contrast, and share

                 My thoughts do not just rumble from my magnificent head, as if planted there by the Gods ---- my thoughts come from research and trial and error ---- Bill Starr is an important motivating figure for me --  lately, i really like the stance that Rippetoe  (Mark Rippetoe , Starting Strength and the Aasgaard Company ) is taking with his training principles ---- and there is new  blood(well, sorta new compared to Bill or Rip )   , like Jim Wendler - who give hope for future generations

                            Apart from my collected training volumes and teachings gleaned from years of training,  i also draw from outside influences a good bit

We all do - there are very few original ideas -- but we can apply old ideas in original ways

---- That said, i am proud to say that in addition to the other sources i draw from , i will now be referencing Dave Draper a bit  --- I also encourage my readers to drop by his website at Davedraper.com  -- it is quite a bit more advanced than my own , and i encourage  everybody to subscribe to his weekly IronOnline newsletter

           Although i consider myself a hack, -- Dave can write!    And furthermore, his  words on finding motivation to hit the iron , despite your age, weight, or circumstance -- are powerful

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On a personal level,  i almost envy people who things come easy to now at my age.

We have all heard the stories about people who just cut out their daily Snickers bar, or soda, -- and voila --- 30 excess pounds come off  just like that

Yes  Yes  --- take the stairs instead of elevators,  cut out soda ---- blah blah blah

These are low level changes that do work for some people

If you have been entrenched in bad habits for years ---- you may need to dig a little deeper though

My goal all along is to focus on whole body wellness, --- The outward presence does hinge on mental well being as well for some of us
    Sure, there are people all around us who are built like NFL Wide receivers and exist on beer and chicken wings and they still can run circles around  average 35-50 year olds, -----thats called genetics and   something nobody can get away from

    If your genetics are wonderful -- embrace life !  Rejoice and eat right

If they are not though -------  my advice is the same --- Embrace life!  Rejoice and eat right ! --- but its going to take a little more work -- and in some cases a lot more work
   

             If you have a stubborn situation - dont be afraid to make a drastic change or two to get you out of your comfort zone --- Force yourself to hit a treadmill for 20 minutes a day
 --- get a mountain bike and use it for something more than a clothes rack
 ---  join a fitness or nutrition support group so you can bounce new ideas off each other

Your not alone --- enlist your family and friends to help

 ------   If they are  not helping --- realize that not everybody shares your passion and intensity on personal betterment -- or maybe they just need to see results from you and me to get 'em on board, who knows

Its getting close close to holiday season, and for those of us who are "nutrition sensitive" ,  we have to stay en' garde , ---- but its do-able and i am hoping we can all have some fun in the upcoming 3 or 4 months !



thanks again for reading




Doug






____________________________________________________________________

 Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

---- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________________

disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

A fine line between great and average

Car racing --- open wheel indy style ---   An average ---  "Average" -- Formula One race car driver banks between 8 and 10 million a year -- its Europe and its much more popular over there, yada yada yada

   A Formula -V driver, which is the developmental league does not make quite as much --- 50-60k is a stellar --- stellar year -- That is only one step below  ---- think pro sprint car driving vs. Nascar

Some drivers never rise above Formula V -- such is life -- but almost all drivers rise through the formula V ranks

Care to guess what a lap time difference is on the same track of a Formula V driver who has graduated to the "big show" ,  and a journeyman Formula V racer who stays in the class forever?

     2/10th's of a second per lap on the same course  in the same class

Doesnt sound like much does it?   ---      2/10ths equals 1 second after 5 laps and 20 seconds after 100 laps  ----  In racing, that is a generation apart (and a few million bucks)




In American football --- a high school wide receiver who runs a 4.7 40 yard dash may be the fastest guy in his school

----4.7 can be a productive speed in college as well - not flashy - but do-able

But the veteran 4.7 receiver might slide to the 7th round in the draft, - or maybe not even have the chance to go pro at all
     The guy who runs 4.5 is going to get a shot somewhere though ------- again ,  2/10th's of a second

2/10th's is the difference between a multi millionaire and someone who is struggling to make a practice squad

So bummer ---- we dont all make it ---- boo hoo   --- but  there becomes a time to get over it and start making the most of what we have

These are parables from sport that have direct application to your  life

• 
  
• Have a plan
• Have The discipline to execute a plan
• Have the ability to adapt when things change
• Put a great team around you and be the leader of your personal team 

Fall short in these areas and if you dont have that theoretical "4.5 speed" - your going to falter

What is one of my takeaways from this?

It is that you can dramatically improve your circumstances in life with small changes

You dont have to be a Mensa standout --- just be a little bit smarter or more cunning than your competition , - (even if your competition is yourself from last week)

Have just a little bit more discipline this week than last --- you dont have to be Ghandi,

But  Exercise a little more self control


The elite race car driver is faster because of a number of small things he does different -- he brakes a little later ,  stretches his time between shifts just a little longer , - and maybe cuts 6 more inches out of a corner than an also-ran,
   but using my 2/10ths of a second ideology, after a few laps at the speed those cars go, he is out of sight


Kind of like my cookie theory -- what is the toll for one toll house a day? 140 calories -- not much right?  
   140 calories a day is 980 per week , and 980 per week times 52 weeks = 50,960 -- and if we divide that by 3000 calories, which is the generally accepted calorie number for an extra pound ,  you have 17

17 pounds  --- that is how much extra your body has to process for just a little bit of flour, shortening, sugar and chocolate chips each day

I'm never going to say an occasional cookie or 2 is  bad for you  --- but think about that next time   you order an appetizer  at your next restaurant outing,  or polish off a bag of chee-tos at Subway ,  if its the bigger bag, there are actually 2.5 servings of chips in there

What are you really there for?  -  If its a restaurant , you are likely there for some good company and a real meal, not a mess of artichoke dip and fried onions  ----  at Subway or anyplace similar, your there for a quick meal to get you through the next cluster of hours , nothing more , nothing less --- eating a sack of chips just adds empty calories to the experience


What do you need to add to your personal life to get big time results?   I'm talking outside the box about everything
  -- this blog is centered around healthy lifestyles,  but its my experience that many people who can manage a positive lifestyle tend to kick butt in a lot of other areas too

I'll bet its not 50% more,  30% more or even 15% more   ---- start with a 5-10% improvement in your problem areas and see where that leads you

I fully realize life is not an Open Wheel car race , or a 40 yard dash to determine your NFL contract,  --- but keep that 2/10th's of a second thing in mind

There is not a lot separating great from average  --- sometimes its just that extra little kick ---  like sprinkling a touch of horseradish in your next bloody mary ,  or a gymnast finishing a routine with a dismount just a bit better than everyone else

I'm closing with this photo of the finish  from the 1983 Professional Road World Championship bicycle race in Altenrhein Switzerland
  ----  Greg Lemond was already  somewhat of a known quantity , but he had not elevated himself to greatness yet

  At the end of a long road race when everybody is dying inside --- he is attacking !   Compared to Stephen Roche  (in the green) and  Adrian Van Der Poel , in the red ,  this expression says it all

The margin of victory ? ---- not much more than 2/10th's of a second , over the course of 150 + miles

This became a tipping point for Greg Lemond that led to better and better rides and ultimately culminated in 3 Tour de France championships in the pre doping era and he is now a household name


Fractions of a second -----  You've never heard of those other 2 guys and they rode the race just as fast


These are the things that fire me up and get me motivated to put out a little extra --- give it a try yourselves


Thanks for reading again

_______________________________________________________________________

Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

---- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________________

disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

Cross Fitters- act like you've been there before

Where do i start?

First off, before i ruffle too many feathers --- I hate wasting ink on this subject-- its all been written, good , bad , ugly and indifferent ---- but these people continually keep entering my orbit on this planet as well for some reason  -- part of it is because the equipment they use is similar to the equipment an athlete in training needs , --- so they frequently inhabit my space, -- and on occasion, i inhabit theirs -
 i have no qualms about hitting up a cross fit  "box" for a workout if i'm  out of town and the only alternative is some globo gym  --- i pay my fee and as long as there is not an active class in session, i do what i want there


Crossfit has gotten a lot of slack jawed yokels into better shape than they've ever been in -- so not knocking it there

Crossfit has generated renewed interest in the basics - Olympic lifts plus squats and dead-lifting (which really arent basic at all)

          This to me is all outweighed by the moaning and the noisemaking that goes on down there -- followed by clapping
   LAst night i witnessed someone in the squat rack with 135 on his shoulders furiously banging out squats ---- at the same pace one would do an air squat ---  he was banging the bar against the safety catches every single rep

This boy did this perhaps 15 times to wild applause ----  i was thinking - "What are you geeks clapping for? -- the squat should be done in a controlled fashion, even if the weight is light -  there are instances where the push is done briskly with lighter weight to generate greater fast twitch neuro-transmitter firing,  but the recovery is typically done in a slower, controlled fashion, -- not bouncing the weight wildly off the stays -

I cant say he was really hurting the equipment, but its an unnecessary distraction  ---  i mean, if you are 6 reps deep into an 8 rep set with an appropriate quantity of weight and you spazz out and bang the bar against the uprights, - so be it  --- but this celebration of noise making was ridiculous

The problem was --- in someone's mind's eye -- they looked like this 

But the truth was something closer to this

 Or even this (but at least this guy has 295 on there )

When you are seeing this -- and you look at the gym mirror and wink at yourself -

Everybody else sees this  --- 

Another peeve is when Cross Fitters (or anybody really)   hit the Olympic lifts with gusto --- before they can even execute the base movements properly
      Why do i single out the beginning cross fitters? - Its because they are the only beginners silly enough to incorporate these into their system --
 -- the average new years resolution gym duffer usually putts around the gym in a state of confusion for the first month or two trying to figure out what to do ---  plus most "normal" gyms physically dont have the space for the Oly lifts  -- heck i worked out at a gym where the power racks and smith machines and everything else was stacked close enough that even pulling a bar out to do some deadlifts off the floor was a problem


     But the average national or olympic level weightlifting trainee usually has at least  a couple of years of powerlifting and strength building experience as a base before moving into the complex stuff with heavy weights

--- spend some time learning the hang clean, basic power clean and deadlift before trying to master the clean and jerk or snatch   ---

                Why is the deadlift important when it is incorporated into the movement itself? --- because a person who can dead 400 is always going to have a better clean than someone who can dead 250

       The full clean and jerk, likewise is a specialized lift comprised of several different components that can be trained separately to boost  the strength necesary to handle more weight
 --- the squat is another movement that can be done separately to boost strength

If you try to boost your strength doing full clean and jerks all the time -- yes, i'm sure you will get stronger , but results will lag behind someone  separating the complimentary lift training and training for strength first, then power --- as the olympic lifts are all about power  (the rapid application of force)

Am i saying dont do Olympic lifts? --  No -- work on mastering them with some light  bumper plates first, - but  initially focus on the lifts that feed and support these movements  -- deadlift, squat and hang clean    --- it will work out better for you in the end if you ever advance past novice stage in your lifting

     A quick word about novice , intermediate and expert stages of weightlifting

I wont go into beginner status, because that is self explanatory

A novice should have about 6 months experience minimum and should progress to where they can handle decent working loads  executed with acceptable form  ---- lest you consider the "novice" label a knock -- its not .
     A lot of athletes who are training for other sports stay at the novice weightlifting level because they do not lift weights to be weight lifters, they are lifting to improve their sports performance and weightlifting is just one tool in the arsenal to get there ---
 -- and novice has nothing to do with strength -- some guys can walk into a weight room and deadlift 405  or bench press 250 their first day -- the world is full of people like that  -- but just look at what they call a rep at NFL 225 challenge in the combine --- guys literally bouncing the bar off their chest and belly to eke out a few more reps
   -- i'd be more impressed if they had powerlifting judges there to tell them it doesnt count if they start bouncing it, or doing half reps
       

An expert in my opinion would be someone who is actively engaged in weightlifting as a sport, -- has received professional coaching and may be a coach themselves ---- but sadly, not all coaches are "experts" - and neither are all the competitors at an average powerlifting meet
           --- those guys' arent reading my blog (well, a couple of them are actually) -- they have other forums and conversational outlets where they can discuss the idiosyncrasies of different grades of lifting chalk ,  and how much better their old Inzer bench shirt was than the new one and so on

And regarding the Cross Fitters who gallavant around my gym space for an hour or so every other night

Act like you've been there before  --- the moaning and the nosemaking and clapping is irritating to the guys that are there to do some work in a silent, grim and determined fashion





Look at the guys in the background here ----- nobody gives a flip that this guy is kissing the floor with his butt with a sizable load across his back

 Bodybuilders arent very strong either because they are only interested in vanity  ---- LOL

Thats it for this week --- 

Eat clean, keep training and always remember Rome wasn't built in a day  when your goals seem far away 

Shoot me an email if you have any specific questions  (link below)  - and thanks for reading again !

  Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

---- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________________

disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

The $280 workout ! (and other tales of woe and distress)

Very quick photo tour of the Oklahoma City National High Performance Center

When i dont work out at home, i work out at a very special place  --- the Oklahoma City boathouse

This place is an Olympic and paralympic training center for rowing and kayaking activities --- and hosts many different regattas and events --- 

And i will share a few more pics of this awesome place

There is also an Olympic caliber free weight room on the first floor that shares space with the boat storage area

This place boasts a static rowing tank and an altitude chamber  ---=

Disclaimer ---- I am not a competitive rower, and do not have a helluva lot of interest in competitive rowing --- that said ,  for some reason i have cultivated a love of rowing as exercise ----- 

 -- there is not exactly a surplus of high end facilities in Oklahoma City that cater primarilly to elite athletes   --------   I have a Concept 2 in my personal gym and it is a valuable tool in many different programs  ---- Concept 2 is a training partner here as well  as they furnish all the rowers , oars and other things for this facility 

For me,   --- the free weight center is what makes this place worth the price of admission alone -- it is straight out of a Rippetoe playbook 

I think that if you are planning any time in the Oklahoma city area for work or visits, etc,  -- and if you are a workout guy or gal --- (or if your not - its worth it to tour an Olympic facility) -- a workout here can be a memorable experience

I have spent meaningful time in the Olympic facilities in Colorado Springs and Chula Vista --- and they admittedly have some things OKC does not,  but i am proud to call this place my workout home

But with my vocation as an insurance adjuster and travelling man about town,  i have become a bit of a gym tourist and it is fun to seek out the best and most inspiring places to get in a workout or three when you are on the road  --- places like Bev Francis's Powerhouse Gym in Syossett NY,  as well as the Parisi Speed and Agility Center among a couple 

             Doesnt that sound like a better way to spend your off time than what you would normally be doing ?    (maybe yes, maybe no -- your mileage may vary )

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The $280 workout

                       

            But ............... the tale of woe begins when i went for my workout tonight ---

I rarely swipe a card or any of that business to workout here, but i do have a security card to use places like the altitude chamber, and some other things.    I do pay some dues to use the facility though - there is nothing free in life   - unless you are one of the resident athletes here , - but their membership isnt free either -----  i may owe the facility a few shekels here and there for access,  but these young men and women training for nationals and world cup level events owe them results  

----- Its easier - much easier - to pay your dues with a credit card than it is with  sweat, effort and results  -   (hmmm - cool saying - i should patent that ) 

           So i go in for an altitude workout and swipe my security badge --   red flashing lights  

   repeat 3 more times with the same results   so i run to the front to have them re-program it

"Doug, -- your dues are in arrears several months --  you didnt know?"

              How would i know? --- i didnt get any notification or a phone call and sadly, i dont look at my credit card statements that close  (the card this went on had expired a while back) 

           So after a short pause where i stood there with a dumb look on my face -- i said     "How much?"

          280 bucks !   -- thats more than just a month or two -- LOL 

It was at that cross roads where i could have either walked off in a huff  grumbling and complaining ------ or decide then and there to take full advantage of my very expensive altitude chamber workout 

-- so thats what i did  ---  10k of LSD rowing followed by a few minutes of 30 sec on / 30 sec off intervals   pretty basic stuff really,  but as my lungs were burning from oxygen deprivation ,  and my puny little glycogen depleted muscles were protesting in agony, i started to feel really good, and really positive

Plus , if your not good with math -- you can look at it as if the rest of the month is free !    (never mind the 4 or 5 months of use you didnt pay for at the right time - LOL)

So -- in retrospect -- it was my pleasure to pay almost 300 bananas for one workout  -  (although i was also paying for 60 or so workouts previously too )

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Discipline 

I write a lot about reinforcing disciplined behavior

Why?

Its because i need the reinforcement too   --- I dont look at working out as disciplined behavior, - because the things i generally do most to work are also fun for me  ---  i mentioned above , mountain biking and  the occasional motocross or cross country oriented dirt bike ride,  plus rowing   --- these are all enjoyable activities 

    That said --- sometimes a weight workout can be drudgery ---  a few sets of squats, high rack pulls, deadlifts and others can get to be real work   --- this aspect requires some disciplined behavior ,  with the payoff being that you should be stronger in your more recreational and sporting pursuits

Even though hitting the weight pile requires discipline ---- its nothing compared to the eating schedule 

weights require some mustered up discipline maybe 3 or 4 times a week  --- but diet requires some focus and discipline every day , several times a day

Weight loss is one aspect , and it is by far the biggest problem a lot of people face,  --- but the folks who take their athletic performance seriously have to deal with this too 

   planning , preparation, and taking the time to eat at appropriate intervals can be a part time job  --- the resident athletes at places like the Olympic Training centers struggle to eat enough during the day , -- because shovelling in pasta and veggies every 3 hours gets old after a while

Its equally tiresome for weight loss clients to eat small portions of Orange Roughy , or bland chicken, and broccoli every 3 hours 

 Like i said -- although i am writing this, it is just as much for me as it is for you   -----  i've had a number of 5 and 600 mile work days lately and it is so easy to forget to eat -----  and as i've written before, if you forget to eat for 9 hours , you have already missed 3 meals and may be ravenous

-----  if you dont have a well stocked cooler , at that point, some not so great roadside haunts can look appealing

But if you pick carefully, you can get decent food at these places 

but if you stumble into a certain bastion of American fast food --- even the Hamburglar will make fun of you

Speaking of the Hamburglar--- what the hell is he doing to the burger here?   

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I heard someone exclaim recently --- "I dont have time to lose weight"  

I can empathize with the time quotient ------ but it doesnt require training 6 hours a day like an Olympic level athlete --- eating is by far the largest quotient for many

IT requires more time than drive ins and beer parties at Applebees, --- but the time you spend on it is an extension of your discipline

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I'll close it out with this cool Jeter commercial if you haven't seen it yet -- its un-related to any of this but Jetes is rounding the bend towards being another footnote in Yankee history 

     Even people who are not baseball fans like the idea of the New York Yankees --- and Jeter, - to his credit, has not been caught in the behaviors that have shed negative light on baseball   ---  

         

Derek Jeter gatorade commercial

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  Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

---- Doug

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disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

Re-set the meter --- then PEG the meter

No cute pics this week ,  just dialog

I am reinforcing a couple of principles i have brought up earlier this week, because its good to do that occasionally
   --- much like the guy who buys a new Honda motocross bike or a new LExus will buy up all the enthusiast magazines with articles about their new aquisitions , ---- then they can smugly slap themselves on the back and say "Nice job" as they look in the mirror and nod their head in approval of themselves ---


--- that is, until one lone writer/tester who does not depend on Honda or Lexus for their advertising dollars actually exposes some flaws in their new toy -------  then that guy must be off his rocker ! -- LOL .  We can be dumb and predictable animals at times



Its September,

And right now in most parts of the country , it is hot still

There is a bright side though, and that is the days are still long - but they are getting shorter

You see, too many times ,  well meaning resolution setters put off till New Years what they should be attending to in the Spring, summer or fall -----

   Lets see ---- Want to quit smoking or drinking too many adult libations? --  When your soul, psyche and spirit are weak, short days and long nights at home or out and about are likely not the best time to do this

Want to take up an exercise program to gain fitness or lose weight?  ---  Again , lots of pro athletes even go into hibernation mode in the deep dark recesses of winter --- its called the off season.  
      A lot of holidays are clustered around this time period -- days are short , --- temptation to drink is strong -- sometimes motivating yourself to bundle up and trudge to the gym can be problematic even

How about we start on those "New YEars Resolutions" before New Years?   ---- slide into the holiday season lean and mean --- with a few months of hard training under your belt, --- you can look at the holiday training table now several ways


  1)  - you've packed in a little more self discipline by this point , and can more easily sidestep the pitfalls of gastrointestinal distress brought on by parties, buffets, and well meaning relatives

2) -- You're not going to be a weirdo standing around the Christmas table  with nothing on your plate but 1 slice of turkey and a couple of asparagus stalks claiming to be God's gift to self discipline.   --- You can have some food --- you have put in enough time under the weight pile or out on the mean streets to know how much effort its going to take to burn this stuff off
   - So you have some mashed potatoes , and maybe a small slice of pie (just not the whole pie)

3) You'll be a little leaner , so your body can better handle a few "cheat meals"


    Right now,  this online blog venture of mine is hovering around 50 entries thus far -- and it has genuinely been a fun ride ---

 I will go out on a limb and say we should have football season resolutions rather than New Year's resolutions ----

 figure out what you want to do,  point  the RPG in the direction and pull  the trigger  -------- there is no sense in putting it off any longer  ---

 what  do I suggest from a nutritional standpoint?     if you've been slacking you think this is a weak point for you, do a full system reboot

this will be a pain in the butt,     so devote 2 to 4 weeks to just cleaning up yourself

 there may be a few people out there who can withstand some heavy training and have the disciplined undertake a serious "program "    while overhauling their diet ,    but not everybody is so solid

.Do I recommend doing absolutely nothing except counting calories?  NO

 but I do recommend light aerobic work  and maybe some light work with the weights at best until your body gets used to a slightly different program

try this please  for a 2 to 3 weeks system reboot

------- 

Purge (throw away – don’t give it to anyone, they don’t need it either!) your cabinets and refrigerator of the following:

• Breads, rolls, pasta, pancakes, cereal, muffins, chips, crackers and rice cakes

• Sweets and products that contain sugar such as ketchup, honey, etc. (read the labels to ensure there is no sugar)

• Fruit juice

• Processed meats that contain sugar

• Fat Free, Skim & 2% Milk, half and half

• Fat Free or Low Fat Yogurt & Ice Cream

• Energy Bars and Energy Drinks that contain fructose

• All soda, including diet

  
I mean, fill the dumpster ---- your fridge, your cabinets, all your wife's goodies -- anything that will tempt you

Clean the system by going 2 weeks  of non starchy veggies and protein sources -- (no, this isn't Atkins, but we are testing your carbohydrate tolerance )

Eat every 2-3 hours , --- at first you may be eating too much but your appetite will go down to where  you will have to start seriously amending your serving size to stay on a 2-3 hour program

         Congratulations! --- You are now  one of the weird ones !  

You know who is normal?   I dont know - i've never really been normal so i cant chime in

Lots of people were  brought up on a 3 meal a day system  ---  ---    Its easy and its not hard to plan around =-Breakfast, lunch, dinner - with snacks in between occasionally

Some take it a step further by getting it down to 2 meals a day , or even 1  ---  the 'ol song and dance  "I'm not hungry in the morning so I just have coffee, or a danish"

------   Then by noon, our subject is ravenous and beating down the door at a luncheteria for a solid helping of fat and grease to satiate him/herself

Well, Congratulations silly ! --- You just wolfed down 1800 calories of burgers and onion rings at a single meal ----- your stomach is in such a state of shock that it naturally doesn't want anything else for a while ----- then if you go to bed, --- your forcing your metabolic system into a fat storage survival mode that wants to hold onto everything like its the last meal for a month

            Repeat the next day -- and again ,  and again -------  someone said the true definition of craziness is repeating abhorrent behavior and thinking its normal (or something like that)

I've said some of this before, but on occasion I pick up new readers who are not familiar with my whole bibliography ---- so we must continually refresh the basics

--------  Take a week (or two) and focus on your eating strategy --- keep up some light workouts and by the time your body has adjusted to eating better, you are ready to rock on the  track, trail or in the gym

And lord willing, if any of my Cat adjuster bretheren are still reading this ---- it will give you more stamina to get through a long day -- then wake up and repeat - again.............and again........and again........and again  --- as it is for you that i originally started this venture,  using lessons i have learned and experienced myself out on the road for weeks at a time

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I cant re-write 9 months of fitness and eating tips , but i'll close by refreshing just one


Thats meal prep.


        You may ask - "How the heck do i get time to prepare 4-5-6 meals a day? much less eat it? "

    Take 2 hours on your designated rest day and make most of your meals ---- chicken sounds boring - but there are a lot of different ways to use it .---  cook up one of those 5 or 6 pound family packs boneless breasts, --- keep 2 or 3 butterflied sections out if you want and chop, dice, shred the rest for use in salads, rolled up in a wrap, sandwiches - who knows
    - you can do the same with skirt steak or almost anything else -- even eggs , - scramble a dozen and partition out into 5 rubbermaid containers.   Scrambled eggs are the only egg prep variation that seems to stand up to this with no ill effects -- you cant do this with a fried egg or a poached egg

            You'll seemingly buy stock in rubbermaid , and you need a good cooler to bring on the road, but thats it  - I like the Yeti products, but you dont need a $200 ice chest just to keep a few drinks and some sandwiches in

---------- It almost sounds easy, but its not --- it can truly be a pain to carve out a couple hours on a Sunday, and then again on a thursday, but as i have quoted before, which pain is worse,  - the pain of discipline, or the pain of regret ?

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Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

---- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________________

disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted