Pizza vs Treadmill

Here is a funny video illustrating the fact that you can never, ever "out exercise" bad eating habits. It doesn't matter how much cardio you do- good nutrition is THE deciding factor for fat loss.

Enjoy!





Rick Mayo

"What One Man Can Do, Another Man Can Do"

It was a rainy weekend in the ATL so I was inside most of the time. I watched the boob tube for a while on Saturday while doing some mobility work on the foam roller.

I caught part of "The Edge" with Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin. The story goes something like this: Alec Baldwin is doing horizontal aerobics with a wealthy investor's (Anthony Hopkins) wife. They are in Alaska to shoot a movie and their plane goes down in the Alaskan wilderness. They are then stalked by a huge man-eating bear that eats one of their buddies in front of them (this scene is actually graphic and hilarious at the same time - weird).

At one point Anthony Hopkins decides that enough is enough and that they should just kill the bear. Not surprisingly, Alec Baldwin accuses him of smoking more crack than Whitney Houston and doubts that killing a 1800 lb bear is possible (c'mon Alec, it's a freakin movie).

Hopkins eventually convinces Baldwin by recounting the stories of American Indian boys that would slap bears in the face and escape death as a right of passage into manhood. He also tells stories of Masai boys who kill lions at a young age to which Baldwin replies, "WTF are you talking about!"

Then comes the magic. They begin chanting, "What one man can do, another man can do" until they are all fired up and ready to do them some bear huntin.

That got me thinking. They are right! I have always believed that. If one person can do something, it is certainly conceivable that the next person can do it. Everyone wakes up in the morning, pulls up their britches, brushes their teeth- no different than the next person. If another mere mortal can accomplish a great feat, why not me? Or you?

Here are a few cool feats of strength from Rosstraining. I particularly like the single-arm roll outs with the weighted vest. I'll make sure and post a video when I am able to master these (breath holding is optional, but it may be a while).









RM

Is your Gym Like McDonald's?

The following is a great post by Glenn Kemp,a trainer in Australia. Our gym has a program design department that designs the workouts for all of our clients. this ensures consistency in programming and guaranteed results. It makes no sense to have one trainer that does bodybuilding, another that teaches Pilates and another that specializes in "functional training". You need a gym where you get a consistent message and a solid program every month. It's the only way to ensure success!

Glenn says:

You know what I like about McDonald's? It doesn't matter which one you go to, or which staff member builds it, THE BURGER IS THE SAME. Their quality controls are good.
What are the quality controls like at your gym? Are the trainers on the same page? If you want a beginner strength program that gives foundational strength and rectifies common postural issues, will each trainer give you the same program? Probably not. So what, everybody has different ideas on what works best. Right?

This leads to the next question, if they all work at the same gym, what is the gym's philosophy regarding exercise programming? This is where it generally starts to fall down. Does your gym even have a philosophy? What do they stand for? Do they professionally develop their trainers and have a system of exercise progression that they believe in?

Most gyms don't. Let me re-phrase that, 99% of gyms don't have a philosophy that guides their exercise programming. Ask 5 different trainers the best strength training exercises and set/rep schemes for fat loss and you will get 5 different answers! The difference between McDonald's and your local gym is that McDonald's understands their product (hamburgers) and have CONSISTENT SYSTEMS in place that deliver REPEATABLE RESULTS. Does your gym understand their product (exercise)? If they don't and you want results, consider why you are wasting your hard earned on them.

McDonald's is also the most successful franchise in the world and are fairly reliant on repeat customers!

Well said Glenn.

RM

Basic Kettlebell Circuit

Here is an example of a great, basic kettlebell circuit. You can use this as more of a strength workout with more load and less reps or you can increase the reps and really get your ticker going. This is great for beginners and it can still challenge more advanced KBers, if you use heavier bells.



RM

The Ideal Male Physique?

Kai Greene- winner of the 2009 Arnold Classic


















I have to admit, I was hooked on muscle magazines when I was a kid. I can still remember the day my dad brought home our first weight bench- rickety steel, concrete filled weights and a huge fold-out chart of exercises to make you buff like Arnold. We tore into those weights with reckless abandon, completing every single exercise listed (3 times). Neither of us could scratch our butts for a week after that workout, but I was hooked.

Fast forward a few years, testosterone in full affect, and I was still pumping away. While it turns out that achieving Arnold's build was a little tougher than I anticipated, I was still scouring the muscle mags for any secret workout or supplement that could make me look like a superhero.

I really had two main motivators for weight training at that time. First, I wanted to be bigger, faster and stronger for football. Second, and more important than I'd like to admit, I wanted to impress the lady folk. Strangely enough, the typical bodybuilder physique that I was trying to emulate doesn't accomplish either of those goals.

I can't say I know a girl who thinks a pro bodybuilder has the ideal build. My informal polls suggest this guy may attract a few more women. (Relax ladies. I'm sure he's gay. No, I am not jealous. Am not)























Additionally, building muscle just for show does nothing to enhance athletic ability. If I had known then what I know now, I would have spent much less time working on my "mirror muscles" and a lot more time on dead lifts and squats.

So, how do you build the ideal male physique? Easy- train like an athlete.






















Focus on full body movements, not muscle isolation.

Examples:

Do- Push-ups
Don't Do- Machine Flyes

Do- Squats
Don't Do- Leg Extensions

Do- Dead Lifts
Don't Do- Hamstring Curls

Do- Pull-ups
Don't Do- Bicep Curls

Run some sprints. Get out and let it lose once and a while. Nothing is more athletic than running at top speed.

Play a sport. What are you building those muscles for anyhow?

If you really want to look like a freak of nature, call the guys at Balco and get on a strong "supplement" program coupled with an isolated muscle group, drop-down, multi-body part split routine. Oh yeah, don't forget the speedo.

Now, if you want to look lean and athletic, have someone design your program accordingly. Do not simply pluck your routine from the latest muscle magazine!


RM

PC Fat Loss? It doesn't work that way.

I have had the opportunity to present three times in the last two weeks. While all three presentations were to completely different populations and on varied topics, the questions I received afterwards were all very similar. Can you guess what most of the questions were about? That's right- Fat Loss.

You see, while everyone has different specific goals, most of the adults I speak to/with have at least a secondary goal of losing a few lbs. so most of the questions revolved around this topic.

It was clear the most of folks had done some research or at least received some advice on how to lose weight. What really dawned on me by the end of the third presentation was how most of the information that these guys had been given suggested that making very small changes over a long period of time was the ideal way to lose stubborn fat.

Based on my experience, I'd say the opposite is true. Read our success stories and you'll see a pattern of success- You must attack your stubborn fat with a vengeance!I don't think losing .5 lbs a week over a 1 year period is really an effective strategy. The progress is simply too slow and you run the risk of losing focus and motivation.

A better plan is to focus a solid 30-45 days and execute a full-out assault on your fat stores. Eventually, you will level off and reach a maintenance stage or a small plateau. At this point you can reevaluate and make the necessary changes to your exercise program and nutrition.

Let's face it- weight loss sucks! It's hard work. You may actually be hungry at times or a little fatigued. The mainstream advice is so warm and fuzzy. "Just change the sweetener in your coffee, switch to whole wheat bread and walk for 20 minutes a day." While all of these changes are positive, they won't be enough to produce the kind of change that you desire.

Here's my plan:

Choose a period of time (30-45 days) and attack your fat as if your life depended on it. Don't skip a workout, quit eating out for lunch, get to bed on time and etc. This is not the time for moderation and excuses. Remember, it's only a brief period of time and then you can return to a maintenance lifestyle that includes a little more wiggle room. I have been in the fitness business for 18 years and this is the strategy that 99.9% of my clients have used in their success.

Oh, by the way, it's spring. The year is 20% gone and bathing suit weather is fast approaching.

Are you ready?


Rick Mayo

Joylita Ladson's Success Story

Jolita's 8 week accomplishments:

Lost 26 lbs!
Went from a size 12 to a size 8!
Increased her strength on SL squats from 0 to 20+!


Here is the story as told by Jolita.

I started exercising for the first time “EVER” on December 21, 2009. I decided on a personal trainer, because I had no idea how to exercise. I figured maybe some jump and Jacks, Sit-ups, and running, but I wasn’t sure. I just knew that I had just given birth to my third child and my body did not want to cooperate like it did with the other two. I had been working out twice a week, but I increased to 3 times per week starting. March 1. When I’m at home, I try and squeeze a little exercise in, but it’s difficult with the kids.

There are several things that keep me motivated. First and foremost, there is my trainer Ross, who always checks in with me and notices all the changes. When I start to get pooped in the middle of a work out he reminds me why I started and what my goals are. Sometimes I think he purposely schedules me with “In shape clients” just to make me work harder. Secondly, there are all the swim suits that I bought for my anniversary trip to Miami in 23 days{and counting}. Finally, my biggest motivation is my 5 year old who always manages to try and get me to buy every weight loss product on the market. Whenever a commercial comes on, she screams at the top of her lungs calling me from the other sides of the house to tell me if I buy xyz product I can look like the person on TV. Personally I think it’s her way to get me to do some extra cardio by running through the house like a mad woman.

When I first started with NPPT, my diet wasn’t bad but it was far from good. I sat down with Natalie and made a few minor adjustments and now it’s become a way of life for me. My entire family is eating healthier and not even complaining about it….. f course I still have to make pit stops for Happy meals, but over all, we’re eating healthy together. Stay tuned for pictures from Miami.

Great job Jolita!

RM