As many of you know, I’m a “student of the game.”  For me this means not only training and nutrition, but business and life as well.  I have never been afraid to ask for help, and have hired several of the worlds top coaches from each of the above industries.  Not only am I confident in saying that I am one of the top trainers and nutritionists available, but I also can stand strong in my belief that I am better and more well rounded person.

With that said, this blog post is directly inspired by one of these “mentors” Vince DelMonte and his end of the year recap.  Vince is someone I look to with great respect as a trainer and person.

Perhaps this will become a yearly series like his, but for now its a starting point.

I try to be as candid as possible with all my posts, so by all means please post up your comments at the end and let me know if you have any questions.  Here we go:

1 – Failure is necessary in life, but not in training.

In my writings I often talk about “failing forward.”  Never did I know the true of meaning of this until this last year.  As a business grows, there are lots of growing pains – and naturally lots of failures.  Over the last year, I learned more from my mistakes and failures than i had in 27 previous years of successes – pretty cool stuff.  On the training end, this was also the first year of my life that I decided to adopt somewhat of a powerlifting approach.  The more I read and studied, powerlifting training takes the Central Nervous System as a high priority – therefore rarely going to failure.  It took awhile for me to get used to this, but I can honestly tell you I’ve had some of the best gains in my life this last year.  My deadlift and squat are both well over 100lbs higher (deadlift closer to 200lbs higher) and my military and bench press are almost 75lbs higher.  I love quantifiable data that proves what I am doing is working (yes I’m a nerd, you didn’t know?)

2 – Metabolic Conditioning isn’t just for fat loss

Anyone that knows me, knows that I hate cardio – heck, just scroll back through the last couple of blog posts and I’m sure I’ve blasted it at least a few times.  What I do like its metabolic training and metabolic conditioning.  Up until the last few months of 2012, I always saved this technique for a “cutting phase.”  However, since being introduced to CrossFit I can officially say that if programmed properly that metabolic conditioning (Met-Cons) can not only enhance fat loss, but lead to quality muscle gain.  Later this week I will post an update to client Mike Simmons’ progress – prepare to be amazed at what Met-Cons have done for him.

3 – When traveling, backload

One of the perks of my job and lifestyle is that I get to travel a lot.  That is also one of the downfalls.  I absolutely hate packing food (to all my clients reading this – yes I feel your pain) and am constantly being taken to dinners and events when I do travel.  Enter “Carb Backloading.”  Earlier this year I got to spend a week in San Francisco with the man himself John Kiefer.  First of all, Kiefer and the whole DH crew are some of the coolest people I have ever met – they are the real deal.  Second, I learned a lot about the application of carb backloading and how awesome it really can be.  Today I still practice a form of “backloading” although now its more caloric based, not macronutrient based…but the principles are still the same and I’ve adjusted it to my life and my schedule.  Once again:  Kiefer, you are brilliant – I’m waiting to watch DH take over the world

If you are interested in Carb Backloading ===>  BUY THE BOOK HERE  <===

4 – MAT rocks

Towards the end of the year I was introduced to my buddy Todd.  This dude is a freaking GENIUS when it comes to the human body.  Over the last couple months, he has been working hard on my body using Muscle Activation Technique (MAT) and let me tell you it has paid dividends.  As many of you know I am no supple leopard (K-Star) but even with my limitations, Todd has helped me take my performance to a  whole new level.  If you are in Florida, or heck even if you aren’t – check this guy out  www.advancedmuscledynamics.com  He truly loves what he does and would love to hear from you.

5 – Start with Why

Those of you familiar with Simon Sinek will recognize this as the title of one of his best selling books this year.  Thank you to Jana Holland for sending me a copy over the summer, and literally opening my eyes with it.  I speak about this concept a lot now, but if you know WHY you are doing something, I can assure you its always an easier and more rewarding task.

6 – The supplement scam

Over the last year I really have had my eyes opened to how much of a scam the majority of supplement companies truly are.  I won’t go into great detail here, but  I will only stand behind one company and that is Nutrabolics.  Rodney and the guys on his team are first class in terms of quality and efficacy, their stuff does what they say it does with no extra hype.  If you try something and don’t like it, contact me and Ill make sure you are taken care of – hows that for backing a company?

7 – Time, not money

“Ill waste my money before I waste my time” – not sure what rap song thats from but I know I hear it quite often while driving.  Let me tell you this couldn’t be any more true.  I value my time and structure my time these days to coincide with what I want out of life.  I wake up at 430 for a reason, I train at a certain time of day for a reason, my clients can text and call me at certain times for a reason…everything is done to maximize the efficacy of my day.  I’m not a business coach, so I’ll save you the lecture – but please give thought to this as good time management can make any of your goals way easier.

8 – Give, then Receive

Jason Phillips Fitness started as a gift.  About 6 years ago, I was just answering questions on the internet and now I have a worldwide business.  I attribute a large part of my success daily to my willingness to give.  This past year I gave more to charity than ever, and also helped sponsor a young professional golfer.  I don’t tell you this to impress you, but I do hope that you can look at your life a few things you can give to.  Not only will you make someone’s day, but you will have plenty to feel great about too.

9 – Periodize not only your workouts, but your life

Periodization is used in almost progressive resistance program.  Its no secret that the top athletes in the world use periodization to ensure that they “peak” for their given events (olypics, fights, etc..).  If you aren’t using some sort of periodization blocks in your workouts, START!  This past year I learned the importance of a true deload, and I will never look back.  However, this is also powerful in your life.  You see I know that the first quarter of the year is my busiest, and I can vehemently say that this year I am more prepared than ever.  I took some time in December to relax, and now I’m fully rested and ready to give my clients everything they expect and deserve in 2013.  Make a calendar for this upcoming year and chart out specific events, then plan accordingly to make sure you are ready. (physically, emotionally, etc..)

10 – CrossFit is awesome

OK if I were writing this exactly 365 days ago I may have had a different choice word than “awesome.”  However, that would’ve been ignorant on my part for judging with no prior experience.  For the last couple months I have been only doing CrossFit and have never felt better.  I will blog on this in more detailed within the month, but for now I encourage you all to at least try a workout at your local box – you won’t be disappointed.

11 – Mind over body

JPF took on the “transformation through motivation” moniker earlier this year, in large part because of my realization that the mind is the limiting factor in most transformations, not the body.  We are all capable of doing the work necessary to have the body and the life that we want, but we aren’t all capable of making it happen.  2012 served as a year of proof that anything truly is possible.  JPF went from a small online business, to having a worldwide following.  One of my best friends decided to chase his dream of pro golf, and placed top 10 in first ever tour championship.  I could keep going, but this is already getting to be a  long post  The take away from this – STOP DOUBTING, START DOING!

12 – I’m not sure

There will always be uncertainty in our lives, its what makes life so beautiful.  If everything was predictable it would be boring.  I can’t tell you what the next year holds for you, but hopefully if you re-read the last 11 points, you will be well armed to do anything you want to do in 2013.

BONUS:  13 – Give Thanks

Since it is 2013, I figured we should add a 13th.  Please take  a moment and be thankful today.  I know for me I give thanks daily for such a wonderful life, but even moreso for the family I have been blessed with.  This past Christmas I was given a gift by my father – engraved on it was “my son.  my pride.  my joy”  There are no words to express what this meant to me, but I will tell you that I am overly THANKFUL.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.  Im truly humbled by the support I get from you all, and am inspired to continue to give back to you as much as I possibly can.  Heres to a healthy and happy 2013!

**Note:  If you were expecting me to be my highly opinionated self in this post then please stop reading now.  Crossfit is a very hot topic right now and I simply intend to give my .02 cents, no more and no less – and for once I’m trying the professional thing **

As my travels have taken me all over the place during the summer, it seems that the most common question I received is “have you heard of Crossfit?” or “what do you think of Crossfit?”  Well first of all, I have not been living under a rock for the last 5 years so yes I have heard of Crossfit, and my feelings on cross fit are mostly that its a good program.

Before I go further, its only fair that you understand I have only done 2 cross fit WOD’s (in an actual cross fit gym – I’ve tried a few others on my own).  One of these was “Fran,” a benchmark workout that consists of thrusters and pull-ups.  I completed it in just under 4 minutes and by CrossFit standards that is slow!  The other workout was a beginner workout that I did as part of an intro class at my local affiliate.  It consisted of a 400m run, 15 pushups, and 15 squats done for time (there were several rounds).  I will be the first person to admit that on paper both of these workouts look very easy, the completion of them is not so easy.

WHAT IS CROSSFIT

As described by the company themselves, CrossFit “delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive.”  They do not claim to specialize (although specialties such as football and endurance have developed) but rather are looking for universal scalability to make for a perfect training experience for any committed individual regardless of experience.

To be honest this seems like they are side stepping the question of what they actually do. From a 10,000 foot level it appears like a bunch of random exercise thrown together in an effort to kick your ass.  As you know, this is the antithesis of my programming where every element has a precise reason for being in the program.

PROS OF CROSSFIT

First of all, any program that gets you off your ass and moving is fine by me.  With obesity rates on the rise and our country being at its all time fattest, I just want to see people MOVE!

As I read deeper and deeper into cross fit and their methodologies, and as I watch the games on TV, I really like the athleticism that CrossFit develops.  Coming from the physique industry where I see a lot of “all show, no go” physiques, the guys in CrossFit look the part and can really bring it.  I was lucky enough earlier this year to preview the 2012 Reebok CrossFit games for Men’s Fitness and I can honestly say that the training these guys do is INTENSE, much harder than I’ve ever heard anyone say they train for a physique competition.  What is most impressive is that at 200+ pounds, each and every athlete was very functional and still possessed an insane amount of flexibility – that is something very rare for guys of that size and speaks to the efficacy of CrossFit programming.

The other cool thing about CrossFit is the environment.  If you have never witnessed a CF workout, I certainly encourage you to go to your local “box” (this is what they call their gyms) and check one out.  The atmosphere is awesome, and everyone is encouraging each other – thats the kinda stuff that keeps people committed, and commitment leads to results!  When I attended the class this past weekend there was a near 70 year old woman completing the workout (a scaled version…explained later) along side several twenty and thirty-somethings – thats pretty cool!

CONS OF CROSSFIT

Whenever you hear someone bad mouth CrossFit, it usually has something to do with people getting injured.  I freely admit, I’m not a huge fan of taking highly skilled movements (olympic lifts) and attempting to apply speed – it can be a recipe for disaster.

HOWEVER, this is simply how it appears on the surface.  As I have dug deeper, and called several friends that are in the CrossFit “cult”, I have found out that it really all comes down to the programming.  Earlier I mentioned a near 70 year old woman completing a scaled workout.  When workouts are “scaled,” it means that different levels of progression have been built in that are appropriate to different fitness levels.  Creating different levels of the workout is crucial to maintaining safety.

Now some gym owners are lazy, and only create one workout.  In the CF community those are called “ass hole WOD’s,” basically the owner is being an ass hole and just wants to kill you.  As I always say “any ass hole can make you tired, a good trainer can make you better.”

So while the general premise of skilled movements being done for time may not be my favorite thing in the world, it does appear that there is a safe way to progress into it.

Another issue that has been brought up is that there is no focus on development.  Well for the physique industry I guess this is a huge negative, but CrossFit never claims that it will give you a great body, it claims that it will make you a better athlete (which in all fairness usually leads to a better physique).  This comes down to a matter of a choice – what do YOU want?  If you strictly care about your physique, train accordingly.  If you want a good physique and want to be able to perform, then maybe you should incorporate some elements of CF…thats an individual decision.  However, going to CrossFit strictly for physique enhancement would be like going to an ice cream parlor and expecting a world class burger, just isn’t the right place for what you want.

CONCLUSION

Like I said, this is not meant to be a rant in any way, rather to inform.

Regardless of what you think about CrossFit, its popularity and growth is undeniable.  ”Boxes” are popping up all over the place and people are flocking to them like crazy.  From a business perspective, CrossFit is very lucrative.

I will be honest and say that I am warming up more and more to CrossFit.  When it first came out several years ago, I was one of the haters.  This was youthful ignorance at best, but at least I admit it.  Now that I am more mature and I can look objectively on the programming and the sport, I can honestly see the other side.

CrossFit is neither good nor bad, its just another way of training.  However, if you choose CrossFit as your protocol – PLEASE find a good gym with an educated trainer/owner.  Do not go somewhere that only does “ass hole WOD’s”!!!!

I highly encourage everyone to check out CrossFit Hilton Head as a great example of the POSITIVE side of CrossFit:  www.crossfithhi.com.  Not only is the owner great with programming, they are very philanthropic and support several local causes – VERY COOL!

SHE CAN DO OVER 20 PULL-UPS AND MAKES THEM LOOK EASY!!!

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If I told you I knew a girl that could do more pull-ups than you, you would probably laugh.  Then when I told you she was 49 years old you would laugh even harder.  Keep laughing buddy, because I’m not lying.  Fitness expert Shawna Kaminski is a certified bad ass!  Recently I was lucky enough to hang out with her in Las Vegas, and let me tell you she knows her stuff.

As you all know I am constantly looking to challenge myself and my clients.  I use each and every resource available to me, and the latest one I have added to the collection is Shawna’s “Challenge Workouts.”  The product is so good I had to get her on the phone for an interview, which you can listen to below.  As you will hear, I have a challenge with her set for January in Miami – not gona lie, I’m a little nervous

Here is Shawna:

In an industry full of “wanna be’s”, this girl is the real deal and so is her program.  Read more about it  –>  HERE  <–

About a year ago I started working out at Cynergy Fitness in Bluffton, SC.  I was in and out, only using the gym when I went home to visit my family.  While there I would constantly run in to the same couple, two really cool people.

Time went on and we would make small talk, but never anything major.  The more I saw them, the more questions I started to get about diet, training, etc..  Well about 12 weeks ago Mike finally took action, he hacked to join my coaching program.  I was stoked (maybe more than he was) because I knew the insane potential he had.

Mike is an aspiring professional wrestler.  He just relocated to the Atlanta area and will begin wrestling school in the winter of this year.  Watch out for this beast – I am creating a monster that will be coming to a television near you soon!!!!

Here is Mike 10 weeks into his transformation.  Our goal has always been not on aesthetics but on performance.  As you can see, when you train to perform the physique follows.  He is 13lbs lighter but looks A LOT BIGGER!

WELL DONE MIKE!

More pics to come as the transformation continues!!!

His wife has a kick ass transformation too – check it out HERE

A couple days ago I asked a client to make a blog post about why he hired a coach and his experience thus far.  I knew he would provide a great blog post, but he really over-delivered on this one!!!  Check it out below, I hope you enjoy!  Also be sure to check out his blog at http://1stalarmfitness.blogspot.com.

Personal Trainers/Coaches??!!

When working with clients, I am frequently asked “what is the plan for the next few weeks?” My response – “I don’t know.”  Wow, some genius I am huh?!  Well in all honesty, yes – the fact that I don’t have a “plan” is what sets me apart.  True COACHES (note I did not say trainers) will react to the body, not force the body.  ”Force the body and it reacts, coax the body and it changes.” – I have heard this in variations from two people I have a ton of respect for, Chris Aceto and Scott Abel.

Think back to when you were a kid.  Remember when you wanted something from your parents – maybe a new video game, new clothes, or just some extra money for the weekend.  Did you just go to them and ask for it?  Sometimes yes, but a lot of times you would just randomly do extra chores, offer to help them with things around the house, be extra nice, or anything else possible to get on their good side.  Why?  You were coaxing the response you wanted from them.  You didn’t just go and demand they give you money, you buttered them up so that when you made your request there was no way they could say no.

Guess what, the body really isn’t much different.  How many times have you heard about a person starving themself – surely we all know someone (if not yourself).  Were their results good?  Chances are their body either fought back and held onto fat or they just became emaciated and looked worse than they did initially.  Conversely, think about someone trying to gain weight (muscle.)  If they ate buffets non stop for weeks on end they would look like fat bastard, not Arnold.  In both situations, its a classic situation of the body being forced, and fighting back.

Recently I had a client in this exact situation – see his story HERE

Lets look at the processes of forcing vs coaxing the body for fat loss.

Using the formula I have listed previously, lets start a person’s fat loss calories at Bodyweight x 12.  For a 200lb person this will be 2400 calories.  You start the diet, and you lose 3-4 pounds the first week – awesome.  The second week maybe you only lose 1, thats still cool.  You get anxious, you say well if my calories are 2400 and I’m losing, what if i only did 2000 calories – so you try it.  Well you lose another 2-3 pounds in week 3 – cool.  Then another pound in week 4 – man you are killing it.  Now you are ready to suffer,  so you drop the calories to 1600.  End of the week comes and your weight did NOTHING. Thats ok, you are patient, you stay the course for another week.  Weigh in time comes and you GAINED two pounds!!!  WHAT?!?!?!?  Seriously you just suffered for 2 weeks on 1600 calories and you gained weight, that can’t be right.  Sadly it is, that is your body’s defense mechanism, and its in full force!

Now let’s go through what would’ve been a better approach.  Your starting point is great, 2400 calories is a good place to stat.  Obviously your macros are based on your body comp goals and body type, but thats for another article.  Given that the first 2 weeks go smoothly, lets ride out your diet for a third.  Chances are this is a time when you very little weight loss if any.  Instead of trying to create a larger caloric deficit (via less food or more cardio), lets try to sweet talk that body into dropping fat – lets give it MORE food.  I like to do this via a refeed.  Refeeds come in several variations, they can be a cheat meal, high carb day, cheat day, or a high carb feeding post workout.  How you implement the refeed will be largely dependent on your base diet plan and body type (this is where proper coaching becomes important).  Now refeeds don’t have magical powers, so the scale will go up – thats ok, you can’t get fat in one meal or one day!  The extra weight is water, just a small osmotic imbalance following the meal(s).  Once the water is off after 2-3 days, the fat loss will resume.  So at the end of the week, you are actually down another pound or two from where you were on the morning of the refeed.  This pattern can be very useful of the course of a diet if used properly.

Now lets look at cardio.

I rarely start clients with cardio (unless they are already doing it, then its just adjusting it).  Obviously by now you know my views on cardio, so I won’t go on another rant.

The dieting process at some point requires creating a larger caloric deficit, so yes cardio can be used.  However, there is a point of diminishing returns.  Week after week, I get people telling me they have increased their cardio to nearly 2 hours a day – WHAT?!?!?!? I’m not sure I even have time for that!  So what do you do from there?  Well its quite obvious that you can try to force more fat off by going to 3 hours a day (yes i’ve heard it done) or you can coax the body by actually eliminating cardio for a few days.  Yes, I said it – DROP YOUR DAMN CARDIO for a few days.  You will feel better, recover better and your body will cooperate.  Now don’t get comfortable, there is a point of diminishing returns there too – so eventually you will have to bring more activity level back to your plan.  However, I prefer it be something other than boring treadmill walks.  My clients will attest – overall workload always decreases as the goal gets closer – for those that don’t understand that, go review human physiology!

So putting this altogether lets make this really easy.

The diet process should start simple, as you progress and the body is leaner it doesn’t want to give up that last bit of fat so we need to coax it off via the use of refeeds (and sometimes overall increased calories.)  Use these techniques properly and results will follow.

In terms of training, the beginning phases should be the most intense.  As you get closer to your goals your body fat is lower, but remember the body doesn’t necessarily like being that low on fat – it wants to maintain homeostasis.  Keeping this in mind, overall workload and intensity will have to decrease if you want to continue your results.  The take away from this – STOP THE CRAZY AMOUNTS OF CARDIO – sorry, i said i wouldn’t rant.

After reading this you probably think that it all seems backwards – it is.  Dieting and training is largely opposite of what you would expect, embrace that and you are well on your way to having the physique you want

We all know that Monday is international chest day in the gym.  Everyone and their “bro” is worried about how much they can bench, then they go tan and do their laundry.  Now don’t get me wrong, chest on a monday isn’t always a bad thing.  The origin of not being able to find an empty bench in the gym on Monday comes from the Weider Priority Principles – one of which stated that you want to train a lagging body part after a day of rest and adequate calories.  So, if your chest is a weak body part (very rare on the “bros”) then Monday is certainly a time crank out some chest work (note, i did not say test your bench press strength.)

But who says you have to train a body part on monday though?  It seems like everyone under the sun is preaching a 5 day body part split like its the only way of getting your workouts in for the week, not true!  This blog will explain several different approaches to structure your weekly training – all of which will have performance and cosmetic benefits without being “traditional.”

Full Body workouts

A full body workout is a great place for beginners, but don’t be fooled because advanced trainees can benefit just as much.  The reason I typically recommend full body training for my clients that are new to working out is so that they have plenty of time “under the bar,” learning proper form and progressively overloading the muscles.  Someone that is untrained requires much less volume to overload the muscle – so by performing 1-2 exercises per body part you will elicit plenty of response.  These routines will typically be performed 3 days per week, but can sometimes be done 4 if programmed properly.  Compound lifts like the bench press, deadlift, squat, and military press should be emphasized with proper attention to form.  This program will serve as the foundation for all future programs so proper form is essential to establish at such a young “training age.”

Advanced trainees can still perform full body training, but when I prescribe such workouts to my higher level clients they are typically in a metabolic workout.  By using each muscle group and each plane of motion, you can build FUNCTIONAL muscle – something that traditional uniplanar exercise does not offer.  An example of such a workout would be:

set 1 – 3 rounds

barbell squats x8-10

SB leg curls x 15

one arm cable punches x 15 each arm

band rows for speed x 30 seconds

set 2 – 3 rounds

bulgarian split squat x 12 each

side crunches on SB x 15

SB knee ins x 20

one arm lateral throw x 10 each

set 3 – 3 rounds

deadlifts x 8-10

barbell high pulls x 12

rotational sit ups x 15 each

walking lunges x 12 each leg

As you can see this workout will tax the entire body but because of the multi planar movements and metabolic circuit set up – the results will be much more functional than traditional methods.  This can serve as a great shock to someone who has been training for a long time and can give their body a new stimulus to spark new growth.  Obviously by looking at it you can tell that your body will become a fat burning machine so I won’t worry about explaining that part.

Powerlifting

I have purposely not included a picture of a powerlifter here, so please don’t think that training like a powerlifter requires you to look like one.  However, in terms of programming, powerlifters are some of the smartest people in the training industry.  Their schemes have been adapted for sports performance, and are now being utilized by those looking for cosmetics effect as well.

Lets look at how powerlifting can help you no matter what your goals are.

For those trying to lose weight, training should serve in attempt to help you preserve every ounce of lean tissue that you have worked so hard to build.  Remember, lean muscle is the most metabolically active tissue you have so training to preserve it is essential.  Besides just lifting heavy, a powerlifting workout will take into account things like progression and recovery.  Powerlifters have very strict weight periodizations they use when getting ready for a meet.  You can apply this to your workout by realizing that failure each week is not necessary, and in many cases it is harmful to your progress.  If a workout program is designed properly, some trainees may even experience an increase in strength while decreasing body fat to achieve the desired cosmetic effect.

Now for those trying to gain weight, being stronger over the course of more sets will lead to more hypertrophy.  As mentioned above, powerlifters are meticulous in planning their workouts in order to increase strength over a period of time.  If you are reading this, you are probably thinking to yourself – well I train my ass off and kill it in the gym everyday, i work hard too!  Please don’t get me wrong – thats awesome!  But in all honesty your extreme enthusiasm could be causing your lack of growth.  You see, most of what is talked about in reference to recovery is muscular recovery, but what powerlifters have realized is that Central Nervous System recovery is just as (if not more so) important than muscular recovery.  So your “balls to the wall” attitude might make you hardcore to your friends, but by dialing it back a notch on some days you will probably see greater results than ever before.

Recently I have been using a 5/3/1 (credit Jim Wendler) with great success on myself and several of my clients – male and female!  The progression has kept my CNS fresh and the goal to lift heavier each week provides lots of motivation (regardless of whether leaning out or growing.)

Performance Training

As I have spoken about before, true (competitive) athletes train to perform in their given sport.  Cosmetics are a byproduct of this training, but never the purpose.  If success leaves clues, we can conclude that by training to improve performance in certain areas that we will reap cosmetic benefits.

“Performance training” is a pretty broad term, so to create a template to suit your needs you need to decide what your individual performance indicators will be.  Do you want to sprint faster?  Lift more weight?  Tackle harder?  Jump higher?  Decide – then take action accordingly.

Joe Defranco (a man I will always look up to) created his Westside for Skinny Bastards Template.  While this was originally designed for his football players, he has used the basic template and revised it to suit the needs of his other athletes – including WWE star Triple H!  We can all agree that Triple H looks like a badass, but when you look at his training you will see that he trains to PERFORM, not to look good!

Conclusion

Obviously there are many ways to skin a cat.  The man that started it all, Arnold, trained one body part a day for several years and had great results – I am not denying that results can’t be achieved with that method.  However, to think that this is the only way to train is foolish at best.  Try something new, stimulate your muscles in a new way, enjoy your workouts again and watch your results go through the roof!

It’s time to get real.

YOU are the reason that your transformation hasn’t been successful.

YOU have cheated on your diet.

YOU didn’t wake up early to get your workout in.

YOU haven’t given everything you have but you still expect a return.

Lets cut the excuses:

It’s NOT your metabolism

It’s NOT your genetics

And its NOT anyone else’s fault.

But let me be real with you, you aren’t alone. Even as I sit here writing this blog, I can think of countless times that I have been less than perfect in my pursuit of change. I slept through alarms, went to dinner with friends and made poor choices, and gave a half assed effort in the gym.

None of this changed until I took control.

There came a time when I finally had to realize that no one gave a crap about whether or not I transformed. If I didn’t get off my ass and do the work, it was no sweat off the back of my friends, colleagues, or anyone else in the world.

Subconsciously I would sabotage things. I would spend thousands of dollars on a coach then not follow what they told me do. Surely it was their fault, they wrote the plan – right?!?!

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.”

It’s easy to get into a routine with some bad habits, but I’m going to give you some ways to avoid some of the major obstacles in you achieving your transformation goals.

NOT HAVING A CLEARLY DEFINED GOAL

One of the questions on my initial client intake form is “please describe your goals in detail.”  Sometimes the response I get is “lose weight.”  Now if you know me personally, you know that I probably want to write back “no shit.”  Obviously I think better of it and choose to keep my words to myself, but seriously what part of DETAIL did you not understand?

Goals need to be precise.  When I first started training I had goals:  I didn’t just want to gain muscle.  I didn’t just want to be a model.  I wasn’t out to be the local trainer at Gold’s Gym.  I knew that without a shadow of a doubt I want dot be on the cover of a magazine.  Not just any magazine – Muscle and Fitness!  In all fairness I haven’t quite accomplished that one yet, but I have been published several times over, been a featured spokesmodel for two major companies, and have appeared in local media on a regular basis.  Not a bad consolation.

Fast forward to now.  My goal is to help PERSONALLY help 100,000 people.  I don’t want to do this with some giant team, or hide behind a certification program.  No, this is me wanting to personally  interact with one hundred thousand people and change their lives.  Yes this is a massive goal, but isn’t that the point?  DREAM BIG!

So what is your goal?  How much weight do you want to lose?  How much muscle do you want to build?  What will those goals do for you?  Get exact, and let every action you take on a daily basis bring you one step closer to that goal.

GOING AT IT ALONE

When I battled my eating disorder I had two choices.  Try to find a way to eat more or actually get help.  Thankfully I had some amazing people in my life that cared enough to help (Damon Moore and Stephanie Tortorella, if you are reading this – I love you both!).  Their generosity has since inspired me to pay it forward.

Finding a coach or mentor is priceless.  When I wanted to grow my training studio in Beverly Hills I hired a coach.  Now that I have my 100k person goal, I’ve hired a coach to help me reach those people.  I want to get my golf game back to scratch so I’ve hired a swing coach.  No matter what I do in life, I find a coach.  I learn from the people that have been there and done that.

“A wise man learns from his mistakes, an even wiser man learns from the mistakes of others.”

Now that you have your goals clearly defined, find a coach to help you.  My personal coaching program has helped thousands of people change their lives.  Those clients knew what they wanted, sought out the help, and I can happily say that many of them are now paying it forward to others.  Drop your ego.  You don’t know everything, if you did you wouldn’t need goals, you would be on top of the world.

My coaching program can be found here:  Jason Phillips Fitness Coaching.

WANTING RESULTS YESTERDAY

I’m not gona sugar coat this one, results take time – period!  If you want to lose weight, the weight you are losing certainly didn’t pile on last night.  If you want to gain muscle, understand that lean tissue can take awhile to build  1-2lbs of solid muscle a month would be huge progress!

Shows like “The Biggest Loser” have sensationalized the transformation process and made it appear like something that happens overnight.  Realize that those contestants are contained in a home where they do nothing but workout, and upwards of 7 hours per day. Those results are not only not typical, but in some cases dangerous.

Transformation takes time.  Embrace the process.  It sounds cliche, but make it a lifestyle change.  When you enjoy what you do on a day in and day out basis, you will always be more successful.  Think of your job, if you like going to work everyday then I’m sure you excel.  If you feel like you are forced to drag yourself into an office you hate, I would be willing to bet your performance reflects it.  Find a path that suits you, enjoy it, and stick with it!

Wrapping it up:

Look, despite all the gimmicks out there true transformation requires effort.  I refuse to sit here and blow smoke up your ass, telling you it will be easy and the you will have a blast.  There are days you will hate it – those are the days you ned to embrace the most.  The process is simple – define your goals, find a mentor, stick with the plan!

The Olympics are awesome, I think thats universally accepted at this point.  Every four years the top athletes in the world come together and provide the rest of us with 2 and a half weeks of great entertainment.  As we are all glued to the TV watching world records get set, gold medals won, and olympic dreams achieved, there is a lot we can learn from these world class athletes.

There are five things that I have noticed during this years games that we can all apply to our training to take our own results to the next level, check them out:

1.  Consistent and Persistent

A gold medal opportunity only comes around every four years.  Think about that for a second, four long years of training for as little as 9 seconds of competition.  But what sets these athletes apart is that in those four years they dedicate each and every second to maximizing their olympic performance.  They don’t miss practices, they periodize their training schedules and they maximize their recovery.  Again, this isn’t over some crazy 12 week transformation – this is FOUR LONG YEARS!

This dedication is almost super-human, but if we took even 1/10th of their commitment and applied it to our own goals I am sure that our results would increase.  Stop taking shortcuts and skipping meals, stop half-assing your training sessions, and push with extra strength.  Surely if those athletes are capable of training up to 4 times per day, everyday for four years then you can handle your 1 hour workout for 3-4 days per week.  STOP MAKING EXCUSES and get consistent.

2.  Clearly defining goals and planning accordingly

Usain Bolt knows exactly what he wants – a gold medal.  Beyond that he knows how fast he wants to run.  I am sure that he didn’t come to the Olympics this year saying “I want to run fast.”

Why then do we create goals like “I want to lose weight” or “I want to gain muscle.”  Get real with your goals, how much weight do you want to lose? Maybe you want to get stronger – how strong do you want to be?  What specific lift are you going to increase and how much weight do you want to move?

The second phase of this is designing a program that will effectively help you achieve these goals.  Olympians all have coaches, in many cases several of them.  They train with other Olympians and are always pushing themselves to be better day in and day out.  Do you have a plan?  Do you even know how to make one?  There is lots of information on the internet these days, and while it can be a lot of crap to sift through a lot of it IS useful.  If you don’t feel comfortable or simply don’t want to research and design a program, hire a coach (not a trainer, a coach – there is a difference).  What about your workout partner, do they show up daily?  On time?  Do they shoot the shit and just talk on their cell phone the whole time?  You need someone that is going to push you to be better and wants you to achieve your goals as bad as you want them.  It may be time to review your circle of influence – remember that we are a direct reflection of the 5 people we spend the most time with.

3.  Train to perform, not to look good 

Without a doubt, Olympic athletes have some of the best physiques on the planet.  However, they do NOT train for cosmetic advantage.  If Michael Phelps showed up at the pool in the morning or in the weight room and said “I want my abs to look better”, he would probably be told to go home or shut up.

While these incredible physiques are obviously built with several years of training, I can assure you these programs are designed with function in mind.  Gymnasts need explosive movement, body control, and speed.  With that in mind they are doing lots of bodyweight training, plyometrics, olympic movements, and core work.  When you look at the human movement model you see elements of bending, twisting, and reaching.  These elements must be trained within the program if a carry over is expected in performance.  Sprinting requires lots of flexibility, strength, and power.  Posterior chain work must be the priority along with strict attention to form.

Note I did not say that they stand in the squat rack doing bicep curls or wake up in the morning to do cardio so that they can off set last nights cheat meal.  These routines are built on compound, functional movements that will provide a competitive advantage in their specific sport.

Take a look at your program and get rid of the fluff work.  Train with purpose and bust your ass.  Emphasize compound movements and progress accordingly.  ”Curls for the girls” don’t burn many calories.

4.  Train, perform, RECOVER

Recovery is an important, yet overlooked element in any program – especially at the highest level.  If you watch any of the preliminary heats leading up to the finals, athletes will “shut it down” early to conserve energy for the finals.  Regardless of how good your nutrition and training is, we all have our limits.  With this in mind, the athletes choose to expend their energy wisely.  When the events are over they go to sleep – not party.  They stretch daily, get massage, and ice or heat whenever necessary.  They take every step needed to ensure maximum performance.

Are you maximizing your recovery?  Or do you go to the gym hungover on Saturday morning from a long night of partying on Friday?  Do you get your required 7 hours of sleep per night or are you too busy surfing Facebook?  Recovery is NECESSITY.  Sure you can get by for a little while by cutting corners but it WILL catch up to you.  Get your sleep, eat the right foods, get massage or other therapies regularly and do whatever else necessary to keep your body functioning at its highest level.  The better your performance, the better the results will be.

5.  Live it, Love it

When you watch the athletes in the Olympics, you see the joy on their faces.  They are getting to do what they love to do, and to represent their country.  Sure they have all their days where they don’t want to practice or when life is difficult, but there is nothing more they would rather be doing for a living.

Oscar Pistorius, the “blade runner” with no legs is probably the best example of this.  Even though he has no lower legs, sprinting is his passion.  He lets NOTHING get in the way of this.  After winning the special olympics, he decided he wanted to compete at THE Olympics.  Instead of accepting his limitation, he followed his passion and did anything necessary to compete.  A pair of blades later and he ran his way into the semifinals of the London games by WINNING his preliminary heat.  If thats not true passion, I really don’t know what is.

Now we aren’t all lucky enough to get paid to play sports, but we certainly can live our passion.  When finding your workout routine, make sure it is something you will enjoy.  Choosing to train for sprinting when you hate running is likely to lead to failure.  We are all in control of what we do, so choose something you can be passionate about and live to the max!  ACHIEVE YOUR GOLD MEDAL!

Hopefully over the next week of the Olympics you will be able to look beyond the gold medals and see some of the qualities listed above.  Enjoy watching the games, and here’s to taking your training (and life) to the next level!

In the fitness industry, my clients are known for doing very little (if any cardio.)  In fact, the physique below was produced with absolutely ZERO cardio.

By now I’m sure you have heard how ineffective traditional cardio is.  Gone are the days of spending hour after hour slaving away on the step mill.  Not only is it ineffective, but it can also be counter-productive.

The old school rationale for doing cardio is to burn fat.  By keeping your heart rate in the “fat burning zone” (typically below 130bpm) you are supposedly burning calories from only body fat.  While I won’t dispute this fact, walking at such a snail’s pace means you have to go for quite awhile to reach the desired number of calories.  It is also important to note that as soon as you cease the activity, the fat burning also stops.

So what should you be doing?

Interval training seems to be the latest trend, but what exactly is interval training?  To start, it is NOT getting not the hamster wheel and pressing the interval setting.  Interval, or sprint training involves alternating periods of high intensity (maximal effort) exercise with periods of recovery.  It is measured in work to rest ratios and can include 1:1, 1:2, or even 1:3.  A true sprint as defined by energy systems will never last longer than 30 seconds, but interval training is often prescribed with work period ranging up to 2 minutes.

“Sprints” are not your only alternative to the dreaded cardio machines.  High intensity metabolic circuits will also provide a strong fat burning effect, and even better this effect lasts well beyond when you leave the gym.  These circuits use oxygen debt to increase what is known as EPOC – Excessive Postexercise Oxygen Consumption.  EPOC is a measurably increased rate of oxygen intake following a strenuous activity to erase the body’s oxygen debt.  EPOC is also used to fuel’s the bodies increased metabolism that results from the body’s increased temperature during exercise.  These circuits are in direct contrast to the old school steady state cardio.  Because of their anaerobic nature, they do not directly use fat for energy.  So minute for minute vs steady state cardio, they are actually less effective.  But when you factor in the EPOC, you realize that you are burning for up to the next 24 hours.  I will gladly take a full day of fat burning over the one hour on the treadmill any day.

So what exactly should you do?  As always, you know I have you taken care of.  Below are 4 “workouts” that will increase fat burning and keep you from the never ending boredom associated with cardio!

1. – Short duration and Long duration sprints

Short duration

always warm up for 5 minutes, a dynamic warm up is preferred.

perform 8-15 “reps” of the following:

30 second SPRINT – the word “sprint” can not be emphasized enough, this a maximal effort “exercise”

60-90 seconds RECOVER – this recovery phase should be about a 3 on an RPE scale.

always cool down for 10-15 minutes then stretch

Long duration

warm up for 5 minutes

perform 6-8 reps of the following:

90-120 second “sprint” – again this is not a true sprint by definition, but should still be max effort work

3-4 minute recovery

cool down and stretch for 10-15 minutes

2 – Barbell Complexes

Barbell complexes are quick, but intense.  They utilize compound movements done back to back with zero rest to maximize the amount of EPOC.  Metabolic carry over from these complexes is strong, and the fact that you are using core movements like deadlifts, cleans, and squats ensures positive changes to your physique as well.  Here is one of my favorite barbell complexes:

Perform the following exercises back to back, at the completion of each round allow yourself to reach approx 85-90% recovery and begin again.  Aim for 3-5 rounds:

1 – deadlift – 8 reps

2 – bent over row – 8 reps

3 – upright row – 8 reps

4 – front squat – 8 reps

5 – push press – 8 reps

6 – back squat – 8 reps

7 – good mornings – 8 reps

3 – Metabolic Circuits

Metabolic Circuits are a series of exercises done back to back with little to no rest.  A properly designed circuit will include the following:

1 – resistance exercises for the whole body

2 – bodyweight movements

3 – core movements

4 – exercises in each plane of movement

Similar to the barbell complexes, these circuits will induce a great amount of EPOC leaving you in a fat burning mode for up to 24 hours.  You will want to start slowly, and ensure proper form on all exercises.  Once you feel you have mastered each movement you can begin to add speed.  Increased speed and power will increase the metabolic carryover.  An example is listed below:

Perform the following circuit for a total of 3-5 rounds:

1 – burpees – 15

2 – barbell row – 10

3 – alt db curl to press – 12 each

4 – high cross db punches – 15 each

5 – alternating lunge with forward mb reach – 12 each

6 – full sit outs – 30 (total)

7 – lateral lunge with mb reach – 15 each

8 – db cross punches (chest level) – 20 each

9 – mountain climbers – 50 total

10 – stability ball step offs – 15 each

4 – Abs/core circuits

Similar to barbell complexes and metabolic circuits, the abs/core circuits are a series of exercises done back to back that utilize EPOC for metabolic effect.  Obviously by the name, you can conclude that the exercises included are abs and/or core movements.  Not only do these circuits serve to replace traditional cardio, they will also replace traditional ab training.  Here is a great example:

The goal with this circuit is 7-8 rounds:

1 – stability ball sit ups – 20

2 – lying leg raise with stability ball between legs – 15

3 – russian twist with stability ball – 20 each

4 – contralateral knee to elbow (from SB option) – 15 each

5 – alternating supermans – 15 each

6 – spider mans (from SB option) – 15 each

7 – stability ball hyperextensions – 20

8 – ab roller – 15

There you have it, four alternatives that will kill the boredom while still helping you achieve the fat loss you desire.  These are far more efficient, fun, and effective than any amount of time spent on the boring treadmill.

Try these routines out and let me know your thoughts.  If you still insist on your hour long bouts of stepping, i suggest you find the nearest Planet Fitness – it is probably where you belong.