Where Are You?

People, I hope this post finds you all doing well! My eyes have been opened further with the help of my beautiful partner and side-kick, Mrs. Jami Lynn McCormack.  She has again shown me more evidence as to the importance of optimal nutrition and a functioning, healthy, steam-engine body.
I recently, under Jami's instruction/persuasion/motivation, completed the Whole30 Challenge
( http://whole9life.com/category/whole-30/ ), a month-long nutrition lifestyle eliminating all sugar from your diet unless it comes from fruit or vegetables.  Maybe this seems somewhat easy to you, but my friend I'm here to tell you, so many products out there have man-made, artificial sugar, sugar-cane, sugar in the raw, whatever....sugar, to make it sweet and taste so good to our impressionable palates.  Like you I'm sure, I like sweet, I like things that taste good, and once I opened my mind to this challenge, I discovered that there was a lot for me to eat (really).  And, frankly, very happy about the food I was throwing down.  I still had access to my bananas, my sweet potatoes, all of my proteins, but quickly discovered I needed to make sure I had my good fats too.  I would get hungry pretty quickly after my meals and Jami helped me understand I needed to be consuming good fats like:  avacados, nuts, olive and coconut oils with my meals to insure satiation.
I took away from this experience the fact that this way of eating really works for me.  Physically, I felt very good with my energy and my body responded very well (I've never really been this lean and cut in all my years of working out).
Mentally, my clarity and focus seemed generally good on a daily basis and I feel like my quality of sleep was consistently good.  I could expand on this more, but these are highlights.

There is a lot of talk out there about sugar and it's negative effects on our health, and I'm not going to get into that here, but what I can say pretty confidently is that sugar is something I need in my diet on a very seldom basis.  I know my self-experimentation was only for a month, but I'm gearing up for another run at the month-long challenge.  Here lately, I've been doing my best to string along days of no sugar here and there.  I feel like it's going well too.

Doing this challenge, I feel like I've opened up, put myself out there a bit, and discovered something new and very beneficial for my own health and well-being.  I had the benefit of Jami's instruction, motivation, education, and coaching.  For whatever reasons it has taken me a while to listen to her words, but I'm where I am now and the results speak very loud and clear to me.
Jami and I come from different backgrounds - me:  I played sports growing up and now am a personal trainer; fitness is my passion and she draws from that - Jami: did not grow up with sports and fitness but her strength and passion is in the nutrition and Holistic Health arena, and I draw from that.  We are a team, a partnership, and I feel lucky for that.  Because she didn't have a sporting background, she struggled with the fitness stuff.  I write her programs and help keep her motivated and supported there.  My struggles over the years has always been the nutrition side of things.  My thinking in the past was that I could always eat whatever I wanted as long as I worked out (typical dude thinking).  Oh how wrong I was on this; so, I lean heavily on her knowledge when it comes to the nutrition aspect of wellness and she leans on me for the fitness.  With that being said, know and recognize where you need help and don't be afraid to ask for it.

So, I asked the question in the title, "Where Are You?".   Is there something that's been on your mind in relation to your nutrition or fitness? Listen to these words you're reading in this message and just get started with figuring out what works for you.  Take my stepping out there as a jumping point for you.  These cookie-cutter models out there set people up to fail, and it's going to take courage and self-experimentation to figure out what works for you.  Find an accountability partner, use Jami and I as your motivation/inspiration, whatever you have to do to get started.  The ultimate goal for us as people is to function at our most optimal, healthy way on a daily basis.  We want to feel our best so that we can get the most out of ourselves and be the best for those around us.
I hope you get started on your journey to figure out where you are and where you're going.  Find what works for you and your unique body.

Take this quote to heart:

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."     Lao-tzu

Be Well,
Keith and Jami

You Wanna Get Shredded, Work Your Legs!

Back in the day, I fell into the trap of hitting up the local gym with my bros and working the hell out of my "mirror muscles".  You know those muscles:  chest, biceps, and abs.  We hit it hard because that's what you saw in Hollywood and of course all the ladies loved those attributes on a man....That's what we thought anyway.  We'd hit the gym, workout, talk in-between sets, stay there for 30 minutes, leave and decide where we were gonna meet up later to drink beer and put the results of our "hard work" on display.  Outside of running, I totally neglected my legs.  Maybe you had a routine like this in your past too..?

Have you ever heard you have to work out your legs to get big arms? Sounds weird I know, but there is a point to this saying.  For all of those individuals out there skipping lower body exercises in their workouts, you are doing your fitness a huge disservice.  Think about it, our lower body is made up of HUGE muscle groups.  These muscle groups are begging to join the party in the gym.  Why would we neglect working these muscles? Answer:  Most leg exercises are hard as hell! We shy away from things we perceive as "hard".  That stops now in the gym, ladies and gents.
Two "classic" family favorites for instance:  Squat and Deadlift work massive muscle groups across multiple joints in large ranges of motion.  These are functional movements - meaning they translate over to the real world very well.  We squat and deadlift in our daily lives all the time:  picking things up, sitting on the toilet, in a chair, getting up off the couch, etc....Why wouldn't you want to keep these muscles strong and performing at an optimal level? Sane person's answer = Of course I wanna keep these muscles strong.  So, you need to be squatting and deadlifting.......young, old, man, woman; it does not matter.
You're asking, "Keith, how the heck can leg exercises make my arms massive and strong"?
A little science here, stay awake.

When we perform these leg exercises (Squats and Deadlifts) in an intense manner in our workouts our bodies have a surge of beneficial hormones that flood into the blood stream.  This surge of stress hormones is to supply the body with blood sugar to fuel the intense movements.  Intense movements quickly max out the body's aerobic energy pathway forcing the body into anaerobic energy production.  It is in the Anaerobic energy pathway where things get fun!
This metabolic stress produces muscle fatigue and an important little compound known as Lactate, which improves metabolic efficiency and has potential to act like a hormone.  Lactate is important because it is a chief promoter of 2 powerful and well known muscle building and fat burning hormones: Growth Hormone (GH) and Testosterone. Muscle building and fat burning is a recipe for getting shredded.   
Growth Hormone (GH) is an anabolic (building up) agent increasing muscle mass and strengthening the mineralization of bone tissue. GH loves to burn fat as its preferred fuel source.   
Testosterone is a steroid hormone that is also an anabolic agent that increases muscle mass and strength, as well as, increases bone mass and bone strength.  It is produced by both men and women but to a far greater degree in men.  This hormone is a necessity for optimal health in both men and women.  You produce it by lifting heavy things.  We MUST lift heavy things!  
Another important lesser talked about hormone is Insulin-like Growth factor-1 (IGF-1).  GH stimulates the liver to produce IGF-1, which has growth promoting effects on almost every single cell in the body.  It causes skeletal muscle hypertrophy (increase in size) by inducing protein synthesis and blocking muscle atrophy (wasting away).
The release of these hormones is the body's neuroendocrine response to the physical stress of exercise.  These hormones make the body stronger, rev up body metabolism making it a more efficient energy burner protecting hard-earned lean muscle tissue and burning unwanted body fat. 
But you won't get these results standing around between sets talking and watching t.v.  You have to be moving an intense load (for your unique body) at a good rate.  We want to keep lactate levels in the blood so that we have large amounts of GH on board.  Training this way, exhausting the aerobic system and stressing your anaerobic pathway by lifting heavy things multiple times with minimal rest periods for a specified time gains you benefits that cardio training alone just cannot give you.  You want lean muscle, strength gains, strong bones, a fast metabolism, and a more efficient body that you can move, then you have to include leg exercises in your routine.  This will allow you to train your whole body.  Most leg exercises have you challenging your grip to support weight, engaging your core to protect your spine, and calling upon many of the synergistic/helper muscle throughout the whole body to help you move the load in a controlled motion through the desired range of motion. 

My training has reached a point now that if I'm pressed for time in a workout, I make the limited things I do that day in the gym leg-centered exercises.  That's the kind of respect we need to have for these strength-generating exercises.

I'm talking about things like:
Squat Variations:  Back Squat, Front Squat, Overhead Squat, Goblet Squats, Bulgarian Split-Squats,
                               Jump Squats

Lunges:  Front, Reverse, Lateral Lunges

Deadlift Variations: Standard DL, Romanian Deadlift (or Stiff-Legged DL), Sandbag Deadlift,   
                                  Suitcase Deadlifts
(This is of course not every leg exercise out there, but a good start for rookies)

Guaranteed, any given workout I do will involve at least two of the above exercises.

We cannot ignore awesome multi-joint compound movements such as: snatches, clean and jerks, and thrusters.  These definitely have a place in my personal training and can be highly technical.  They all use great amounts of leg strength and I encourage everyone to properly learn how to do them correctly and adopt them into their own training.

Working out your lower extremities is very important and offers benefits to the rest of your body.  The hormones released alone all promote benefits we want well into old age.  It will make you stronger not just in the lower half, but your core will get stronger, your grip will improve, you'll burn more calories having to use more muscle to keep the whole body stable, and you'll burn unwanted fat while developing lean muscle tissue getting your body shredded. I know from personal experience that these things are true.  I am stronger now from regular lower body training and my running has improved over the years from my new found leg strength.  Working out your legs will get you where you want to be with your fitness faster and may be the secret to gaining HUGE strength gains.

For God sakes you don't wanna have Chicken Legs Syndrome like this guy.  It looks ridiculous.

Have Fun Lifting!

KM

  

"I Don't Work-Out for Vanity, I Work-Out for Better Quality of Life: Part 2"

The Clensing Aspect of Exercise

Yeah, sweating to the oldies!

"Come on let's sweat, Baby. Let the music take control, let the rhythm move you........"
Alright, alright; thank you for taking us back, C&C Music Factory.  I actually heard that song the other day, and it's still pretty catchy in my opinion.  You know you'd dance right now if you heard it....be honest with yourself.
Here, let me help you with that.

Man, I just found myself dancing a little bit while posting this.  That's strong!

This time of year it is definitely not difficult to develop a good sweat while exercising.  One great benefit of a regular exercise regimen is the clensing effect it has on the body.  Sweating through exercise can remove fluids, toxins, and unclog skin pores.  Sweating regularly can just make you more comfortable in your own skin.  There is something about getting a good sweat going that just makes you feel better overall.  Oh, and then there's that saying, "gotta sweat out the bad stuff" (or something like that).  We know that there is benefit to generating our body to sweat.  We physically exercise, we sit in saunas, etc.  But what really are the benefits?
The jury in the scientific community still seems to be out on the issue of how cleansing sweating really is for eliminating toxins.  Webster's defines Toxins as :  A poisonous substance, especially one produced by a living organism and can be products or byproducts of ordinary metabolism, such as lactic acid, and they must be broken down or excreted before building up to dangerous levels.
I read that we have 60 or so of these "undesirable byproducts" floating around in our bloodstream.
When we look at sweating, which is actually know as Perspiration, it is controlled by an area of the brain known as the hypothalamus, which is our body's natural thermostat.  We have 2 types of sweat glands.  One type, the Eccrine Glands are used mainly to perform the main beneficial function of the Perspiration process - to put moisture on the skin, cool the body, and allow us to control our body temperature.  The second glands are the Apocrine Glands, and they are located in certain areas of the body, like the naval and armpits, and are active during the body's response to stress and stimulation.
That's what your exercise routine is classified as, a stressful stimulus, but it's a beneficial stress to strengthen your body.  We perspire mainly water, but also minerals, lactate, urea, ammonia, sugar, etc.
Some scientist feel we excrete a minimal amount of toxins out through our sweat; that's fine, I don't really know.  I'll let the white coats with the clip boards worry about the percentages and what have you.  I know that when it comes to eliminating toxins, the 2 powerhouses in the body in charge of that large job are the Liver and Kidneys.  I have read of the benefits that exercise has on Gastrointestinal tract mobility and know this correlates with better liver health.  These benefits specifically are that exercise can positively affect the elimination of gallstones and constipation.  I know exercise is good for the kidneys, and you do too, go look at your urine after a workout.  It may be darker, evidence of ridding the body of unwanted byproducts thru body metabolism.  Exercise makes you (or it should) intake more fluids, hydrating your body.  This is a good thing.  A point here that should be extremely clear to us all, this time of year when it's hotter than the deepest depth of hell, you have to absolutely drink water before, during, and after you exercise.  Stay hydrated; dehydration can quickly happen with the type of heat we've been experiencing.  Be smart!

So, in review, Yes, exercise is definitely cleansing.  It stimulates our sweat glands, our GI system and kidneys to help eliminate toxins.  Drawing on the last post in Part 1, exercise has a mental clensing aspect as well.  Even though it's very hard at the time, exercise will make you feel better after you've finished.  Once you get into a regular routine, you may find that skipping makes you feel badly both physically and mentally.  There are two people in this house ( a small subject group) and it's unanimous, exercise makes me feel better, I'm a nicer person because of it, and it makes Jami feel better too.  Believe me, Jami is definitely easier to deal with if she's got some exercise in, and I don't think she'll mind my releasing that info to the world either.  There is definitely something to generating a good sweat.
We have the cool option as people to experiment with our own bodies; go exercise, see if it makes you feel better overall.
Happy cleansing people.  I hope you danced a little bit to the old school jam; if not, go back to the top and hit play at once.
STAY HYDRATED!

"I Don't Work-Out for Vanity, I Work-Out for Better Quality of Life: Part 1"

We've all been there, you just have one-of-those days where things go wrong starting right out of the gate when you wake up and just stay that way for the remainder of your day....
We live fast-paced lives.  A lot of times we're in a hurry and when you compound that with stress from work, school, or whatever the source, your day can spiral out of control with no warning at all.
Now, before you call your buddies to haul you up to the ole watering hole to numb the pain, or before you go for a session of retail-therapy, why don't you read the rest of this and see how exercise can calm your mind and allow you to better handle stress.
Let's get something straight, we cannot, I repeat, cannot completely eliminate stress out of our lives. As much as we may feel like we're in complete control, there are other players and other variables at work around us.  What we must do is implement a plan of action that allows us to better manage those stressors or uncontrollable variables around us.  After all, we like a little excitement in our lives, don't we? It just feels better knowing that we can get ourselves through situations when necessary, and it starts with OUR minds.

This post is going to discuss exercise and it's psychological benefits.


When I was in college I ran as my source of exercise, and I told everyone it was my stress relief.  It really was.  It became a great thing for me to do during a study break.  I just hit the pavement and let my mind wander, no worries.  I looked forward to my runs.  It was the perfect time to unwind, reflect, and let my body do the work of what it instinctively knew to do.  There's a good reason this benefited me, research has shown for years now that exercise is a natural stress reliever.  Exercise releases a flood of hormones like endorphins or the "feel good" hormones that improve our mood.  And on the subject of mood, exercise is a great alternative to Antidepressant medications as it has been shown in studies to decrease depression.  To be specific here, we are talking about people who adopted a regular exercise routine of at least 30 minutes per day, 3 to 5 days per week.

Exercise is a great outlet to release frustrations that may pile up.  Remember earlier, instead of 12 ounce curls at the pub, do some real curls at your favorite local fitness establishment.  It's more fun to let out some frustration in there than it may be creating new frustrations with the splitting headache you may be dealing with the next morning after the bender.
An active body has been directly linked to an active mind.  People who have a regular exercise routine have better clarity, focus, and concentration.  Why is this? Well, consistent exercise makes you less prone to grogginess and lapses in concentration.  Exercise also releases a hormone called epinephrine (adrenaline) that increases blood flow, which increase oxygen to your brain, which makes you more alert and able to deal with stress efficiently.
Since I mentioned your brain, exercise has been shown to stimulate the formation of new brain cells and specifically stimulates the areas of the brain in charge of memory and learning.  Damn! Exercise can make you smarter..........Yessir! And without the reading and studying stuff.
Exercise has also been shown to improve sleep.  You fall asleep quicker with longer durations of uninterrupted sleep and wake up feeling more refreshed. Who doesn't want or need that...

With the benefits of an alert, energized mind brought about through a regular exercise program, the days can be a little easier to handle.  So, when you're in the gym, let's think of that noodle between your ears as being a muscle that we'll call your "strength of mind".  A strong mind can dictate the attitude that we are going to carry with us throughout the day.  I feel better knowing my strong mind will allow me to handle the ups and downs of life a little easier.   It's also great to know there are other benefits to you busting your ass in the gym that may not be as physically evident. Oh, and that make you smarter thing too, that's pretty cool.  So, what are waiting for? Go hit the gym, hit the water, hit the road, whatever....Exercise and make your mind stronger by tapping into the great psychological benefits of adopting a regular exercise routine!

Garage Gym

So, I've been inspired.  Jami has talked for a while about having a gym in the garage.  We have a great space out there that facilitates gym equipment nicely.  Over the years I was reluctant.  I couldn't see it.  Like so many, we had cluttered out garage with "stuff".  It's so easy to "just put it in the garage".  So, we cleaned it out finally, and over the past few months I have been accumulating gym equipment for our garage space gym.
Here, take a look.....

 My CrossFit adventures over the past year have helped my garage gym vision become a little bit clearer.  I finally realized the same scene that Jami had seen in her mind years ago.....She is so wise.
I still have a few more items that I MUST have for this garage gym.  But, soon after I save a few more $$$ and solicit carpentry help from a buddy, we'll have all we need.
Of course, now we have plenty to keep us busy in our workouts.

Here's todays workout:
Cleans     5 x 5 x 5
Burpees   12 x 12 x 12
____________________
Thrusters     15
Pull-Ups      15
400 Meter Sprint
[Circuit thru 3 times]

Also, a nice motivational quote from the national CrossFit website:
"Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but true."
                                                       Honore de Balzac

Winter Blues?

Hey, Jami and I were talking and we both understand that there is usually a huge drop-off in the average person's desire to maintain a physical fitness routine over the cold, wintery months.  There are so many excuses to latch onto:  it's too cold, it gets dark too early, I'm tired, I like to put on a little fat for my "winter body", it's not bikini weather, I don't have the desire or want to workout, I'm depressed and don't care, or no one is gonna see me naked anyways in the winter time.....Whatever the case may be, two things:  You are not the average person and it's easier to maintain a fitness and wellness routine if you keep it consistent all year, all 4 seasons.  You owe it to your overall health to stay active in the winter time, and guess what, you don't even have to workout that long or even leave your house.

Here's some tips that we have found helpful for ourselves:

Now, first off, numerous studies have shown that exercise is a natural mood enhancer; so, remember THAT when you're feeling low and wondering if you should get outside or do something active.  It will probably do you some good to move your body, get some blood circulating, and let some natural endorphins kick in.
Like I said earlier, you don't even have to leave the house and your routine could take as little time as 20 minutes.  Sometimes we just take a walk and jog/run a little bit to get the blood pumping.  You can stay indoors and get a bodyweight routine going with some good ole family favorites like:  bodyweight squats, pushups, jumping jacks, lunges, burpees, and I could keep going........
Another important tip for these shortened days is to remember to schedule time for yourself/put yourself down in your scheduling books.  You have to have time for yourself to breathe, smile, close your eyes, let it be quiet, and relax.
Also, if you are one of these people who only feel like you've done some "work" when you actively sweat and have trouble doing that during the cold, schedule some time in your nearest Infared Sauna.  That baby will do the trick for you.  It will heat you up real nice.
Most Americans are walking around our fine cities and towns deficient in Vitamin D.  We synthesize Vitamin D in our bodies when sunlight hits our skin.  We have found it helpful for us in the winter months and really all year long to take a Vitamin D supplement. Of course, consult your healthcare physician.
Winter is the natural time for hibernation, it's like we are wired to slow it all down during this time of year.  Under these conditions, psychologically it is harder to be active.  We all have these feelings.  That's why we are giving some tips here for things we've found helpful.
Now, when you're not being active, remember to spend time with the ones you love, get around a warm fire, drink plenty of water each day, eat a healthy, balanced diet, and get plenty of rest.  Stay active, healthy, and happy all winter long.  ENJOY LIFE!

Istanbul/Constantinople: Which Is It?

Keith Here.....Aloha!
Hopefully you don't have that crazy, old song in your head now........
Forget about trying to figure that out and concentrate on perfecting one of the best total-body exercises know to man.  This exercises works best with a Kettlebell, but if you don't have that, use a dumbbell.
Form is the key here (watch the video above), keep your arm extended, eyes on the prize (so to speak), and don't get too fast with this movement.  Like I wrote above, this is a total-body exercise that will work numerous muscles at the same time, get you sweating, and torch unwanted fat. 
Start slow, do a reasonable amount of reps and build yourself up, and keep tight form.  Learn it and perform it right for your own safety and reaping optimal rewards for your body.

If you need assistance with your fitness goals and desires, call or email me:
Keith @ 501.351.7609 or kmack423@yahoo.com

All the best to your physical and mental fitness throughout the Holiday Season!
Sincerely,
Anthrofit