The job of a fitness coach isn't to provide every client with the same program. Each person is different. They have a different lifestyle, a different set of goals, and a different mental framework that they view the world with. Usually our 1:1 online clients prefer to lift weights and diet intelligently in order to create the proper caloric deficit for fat loss. We don't require "cardio" in anyone's routine. That isn't because there is anything "wrong" with cardio. Cardiovascular … [Read more...]
Was 2016 The Worst Year Ever? It Depends On Your Perspective.
So, when I glanced at the calendar, I made a startling discovery. I realized that it's 12/29, and I have yet to pen an "end of the year" article! Oh, shit, does this mean I am no longer a "blogger"? You may have noticed my frantic blogging pace that I've kept up in the last few years has slowed a bit. Nah, that doesn't mean I have stopped putting out content, or I am busy with my head buried in a plate of white powder. It just means I've.......well..........changed a few of my … [Read more...]
Stop Sugarcoating Fitness: It’s SUPPOSED To Hurt A Bit
As a child, I was a pushover. I didn't know how to stand up for myself. Admittedly, I was a "Momma's Boy", and in many ways, I still am. (Does that mean I'm "beta"? Oh Lord............) I have vivid memories of being bullied and pushed around, and not having the self-confidence to stand up for myself. Once, as a 7-year old, a neighorhood friend hit me and I ran home crying. When I reached the front door, my Dad was standing there. He asked me: What are you crying for? After I told … [Read more...]
4 Skills 100 Times More Important Than Macros, Calories, or Anything Else
Working with "normal folks" in our online fat loss program gives you a completely different lens with which to view the word “optimal”. What is optimal for one person may not be optimal for another. Black and white topics quickly blur and become 50 shades of grey. Without all of the bondage and sadomasochism, of course. While us “fitness pros” like to debate the pros and cons of scientific approaches to “optimal”, it’s become blatantly clear that “optimal” means nothing if … [Read more...]
Two Girls, One Cup (and a Turd)
Sometimes we need to have in-your-face, terrifying, anecdotal, and personal evidence before we heed the warnings that others give us. --------------------------------- When my daughters were younger, we often bathed them together to save time. As any parent knows, you will do ANYTHING to save 15 minutes of your precious day. And another fact any parent knows: Bathtime is a disaster waiting to happen before your children are properly potty trained. (Foreshadowing of what's to … [Read more...]
Crush More Calories By Working Out Less With This Strategy (Guest Post By Robbie Farlow)
“Robbie, don’t be late. We have family dinner at 6 pm tonight. Make sure you’re home in time to shower after the gym and that you’re dressed before people start coming over.” It was about 3:30 pm when my wife gave me that reminder. The gym was a 25-minute drive away. On average, my workout lasted about an hour. That left me about a 30-minute window to get home, get showered, and change. Plenty of time, right? The clock showed 4 pm as I put the car in park and exited into the … [Read more...]
Losing 10% Of Your Body Weight Is Much Easier Than You Think
The fitness industry loves to sell you on the idea of an unattainable goal. Whether you're talking about glossy 6-pack ab shots, fake before and after pictures, or photoshopped-to-death glamour pics, there's an excellent chance that you won't be able to look like the image you have in your mind. This is one of the problems with fitness. We see an ideal and we think we are less of a person if we can't accomplish this ideal. Never mind the fact that the images you see are often flat-out … [Read more...]
4 Reasons Parents Of Young Children Often Gain Weight (And What To Do About It)
Raising children is one of the most selfless things you can do. At times, it may just be so selfless, that you question your decision to have kids in the first place. You are literally giving your life away for a decade, perhaps longer if you're Catholic. By the time your children are finally dependent and able to exist on their own, you'll be at the stage of your life when you're eating dinner at 4 pm and munching on Werther's Originals in Florida. Okay, maybe it's not THAT bad. … [Read more...]
6 Stupid, Little Rules That Help You Lose Weight
This is the part where I tell you I’ve been lying all along. There actually is “One, Weird Trick” that will make all the trainers HATE YOU because you’ll put them out of business. The current trend in fitness is to have a “moderate, sane” approach. If you try telling someone they shouldn’t eat sugar, they’ll respond with: WAT? IIFYM, BRO! YOU CRAZY! Yes, calories matter, in fact, they matter more than anything else, pretty much. But that doesn’t mean all those “stupid, little … [Read more...]
Is Overeating Our Way Of “Checking Out”?
Our society is a fabrication of thousands of years of evolution. Slowly, over time, certain aspects of the world have grown and morphed into almost unrecognizable entities. As we have continued to grow and prosper as a civilized nation, there have been trade-offs made. Maybe we don't need to toil in the field for 16 hours per day in order to provide food and nourishment for our family. But this doesn't mean that we aren't paying the price for it. The Industrial Revolution paved the … [Read more...]