A new machine

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

5-1-13

June 2011 --heading for 300#

January 2013

July 2012 team teaching Group Ride with Coach Becky Holcomb

In May 2011, I weighed 270 lbs and smoked a pack of cigarettes a day.

I had been overweight for most of my life and hated myself. I've tried

all the quick diet pills and quick fixes and had more failures than I

can remember.

Late June 2011, the light bulb went on and I decided to arm myself

with knowledge on getting healthy. I studied nutrition and started

exercising.... the only way to accomplish body transformation is to

master caloric deficits. ACCOUNTABILITY IS KING.

This blog will show my intense journey to quit smoking and dedicate

my life to being physically fit. If I can inspire some more people to do

the same, my journey would be even more meaningful.... this has

become my higher purpose.

Thank you to Alan Hirsch and Joe Stierwalt for their guidance in

getting this blog rolling.

Interesting to see my instructing style

evolve. Hadn't really

hit me until this morning, but some

healthy anger has crept

into my teaching. What a blessing it is

to have an outlet.... to

positively channel anything negative

is a wonderful

approach.

My workouts are the best possible

form of escapism. Stress is

universal -- it can eat the best of us

alive. Lots of work to do

on how to better handle stress outside

the gym, but once I

walk through those doors at Genesis,

every burden is lifted. I

am free to LEAD.... to ATTACK.... not

only have I found my

life's calling and I know I am damned

good at it..... I know

I have just barely begun tapping into

my potential.

My number one frustration is self

induced.

Great exercise program? Check.

Supplements all figured out? Check.

Eating clean? Nope. Crash and burn on

that one.

The good news is that every morning

is another opportunity

to right the ship. Every workout is

another opportunity to

improve. Every class I instruct is

another opportunity to lift

someone up.

At the end of the day, what matters

most is that I am having

the time of my life when I teach and I

hunger for more

after each class I lead. What more

could a man ask for? Truly blessed.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

12-13-12

May 2011 -- no will to live

6-10-12 --Filmed for getting certified as a Group Ride instructor.

In May 2011, I weighed 270 lbs and smoked a pack of cigarettes a day. I had been overweight for most of my life and hated myself. I've tried all the quick diet pills and quick fixes and had more failures than I can remember.

Late June 2011, the light bulb went on and I decided to arm myself with knowledge on getting healthy. I studied nutrition and started exercising.... the only way to accomplish body transformation is to master caloric deficits. ACCOUNTABILITY IS KING.

This blog will show my intense journey to quit smoking and dedicate my life to being physically fit. If I can inspire some more people to do the same, my journey would be even more meaningful.... this has become my higher purpose.

Thank you to Alan Hirsch and Joe Stierwalt for their guidance in getting this blog rolling.

This entry is dedicated to 2 members of my Genesis family, Becky Holcomb and Joe Stierwalt...... and to my amazing students (with a special shout out to Annie Bass).

As I did earlier this year in Group Ride, I am chasing a dream. Despite having written about this goal (and having told my students and a number of other friends about it) , I have spent the last week making excuses for why I should back down from Group Centergy training when it is offered :
-- I'm clumsy, not graceful
-- My folds are awful ....very limited flexibility
-- may have to cancel one day of my G-cycle class to attend training.....
-- what if I fail?

.....and on and on and on. Funny how easy it is to wimp out of chasing a dream.

This morning was different, though. I had just hung a sign for my students to see when they walked into my class today, "NO LIMITS" . What kind of hypocrite would preach that doctrine , but not live by it?

The clincher : yesterday in Vinyasa Flow Yoga, we listened to Rod Stryker on CD during Relaxation. He asked the listener to picture a goal ....and to picture its completion. The result of picturing myself getting certified in Group Centergy was tears. Yes, I LOVE Group Centergy and I want this desperately.

No promises that I will pull this off, but, if I do, wouldn't that score another big point for the Underdogs? Was there a more unlikely candidate for Group Ride instructor than the 270+ # chain smoker in the before picture?

So funny..... roughly 90 minutes after I dropped the last of my excuses, I was informed that Group Centergy training is coming up February 8-10. I can't think of a single reason not to go.

Friday, November 16, 2012

11-16-12

With Graham for Military Appreciation Zumba

Working 3rd shift tonight and I have some close friends facing some very tough things so I want to thank some loved ones for something positive going on in my life.

Remember that fat, ugly, uncoordinated kid who really, really, really wanted to be an athlete? The one who was bad at everything but watching baseball and football on TV?

He grew up to be a depression addict, hooked on drugs and alcohol. By all rights, he should have been in jail or the grave.

Had to be divine intervention that gave me a son, as I can't picture any other reason I would have gone clean. Even if I'm wrong on that, SOMETHING magical had to take place several years later, as I finally broke my chains to depression and self loathing in 2011.

With tons of help from my teammates, I soared at Genesis in 2011. I was into all kinds of workouts, but remember being equally fascinated by and terrified of the zumba classes.

1st person I turned to was Rex Byer. Seeing Rex after he had sweated gallons in Zumba made me want to see how much I could grow if I added it to my mix. For stupid reasons going back years and years and years, I was still afraid. I turned to Cheri Mullen-Hastert to help me break through my list of excuses. Cheri is in my inner circle of friends at Genesis and her encouragement got me into a zumba class (after a couple weeks of last minute excuses).

I hid waaaaaayyyyy in the back corner and would have been terrified were it not for the fact everyone was so nice to me. Cheri had the girls give me an ovation after class. Very touching. I went a few more times, but was relieved when my fiancee Nita started going to zumba. With the excuse of "I should stay out of her way and let her do her thing", I was zumba free again.

Next up was a Military appreciation class. Nita and I got shirts designed by Angie Davis. Honestly, the only reason I attended was because Cheri's son Graham was there. Like his mom, Graham has been nothing but a blessing to me since the day we met (in a Hot Yoga class -- awesome!!).

My plan after that event was to wear the shirt, support Cheri and the rest of Team Zumba..... and all would be well as long as I didn't have to go more than once or twice a year. My plan fell apart when Nita talked Zumba & Group Power star Jenn Galloway into trying my Group Ride class. If Jenn could come to my class, I really had no choice but to go back to Zumba.

Happy ending : I was hooked by the 2nd class and am now a monday and friday morning regular. Cheri's energy is off the charts. I am also a big fan of Cheri's partner in crime Jill Chisam. I'm awfully impressed with instructors Chris Smith and Samantha Hildebrand, too. Even more impressive, though, is the fact that so many of the students are as talented as they are dedicated.

I am stronger than ever in Group Ride and G-cycle because I trusted in Cheri and co. to get me out of my comfort zone and, let's face it, I am walking, talking proof that muscle confusion works wonders. The joy Cheri has for attacking her workouts led to me practicing G-cycle after Zumba. I had a really wonderful group of students today. I have never felt stronger at the front of Studio B. My students and I crushed a very, very tough set. Blame Cheri for my extra energy today.

Zumba is offered in many places. I am thankful we all have freedom of choice. Cheri and Jill are my choice. I won't do zumba without them.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

11-13-12

Another day to celebrate. As I was walking to the car after receiving the news that my freestyle class,
G-cycle, goes back on the schedule Fridays at 915 AM starting January 11th, my 1st thought was that 3 classes a week is a pretty big step up from what began 11 months ago as 1 class every other week.

How about a bigger step than that? I began my journey with a 3 mile walk in June 2011. That 3 mile walk was honestly at least a mile longer than what I should have done that day. I had to back off for the rest of that week.

I spent my 1st 6 months of exercise as a smoker. I was up to a pretty heavy class load at Genesis by month #4, but smoking was short circuiting my gains. Like many smokers, I considered myself physically fit. Nonsense. It took a life changer named Joe Stierwalt, my 1st personal trainer, to show me the truth : If I wanted a shot at living my dream of becoming an instructor at Genesis, smoking wasn't an option.

Did becoming an ex smoker pay off? I became an instructor 3 weeks later.

I'm going to keep this entry short and sweet, thanking God for my Genesis family and the opportunity I have been presented.

No guarantees come with the addition of G-cycle to the schedule. It is being added on a trial basis and I need good attendance for it to stick. What more could I ask for, though? I am blessed to be on a team that believes in me.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

8-18-12

270+ pound smoker headed for an early grave May 2011:
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/578824_143080525829879_1788907322_n.jpg

Smoke free and team teaching Group Ride with Coach Becky Holcomb July 2012:
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/483380_135909586546973_329895146_n.jpg
In May 2011, I weighed 270 lbs and smoked a pack of cigarettes a day. I had been overweight for most of my life and hated myself. I've tried all the quick diet pills and quick fixes and had more failures than I can remember.

Late June 2011, the light bulb went on and I decided to arm myself with knowledge on getting healthy. I studied nutrition and started exercising.... the only way to accomplish body transformation is to master caloric deficits. ACCOUNTABILITY IS KING.

This blog will show my intense journey to losing over 85 lbs in the past 8 months, while quitting smoking. If I can inspire some more people to do the same, my journey would be even more meaningful.... this has become my higher purpose.

Thank you to Alan Hirsch and Joe Stierwalt for their guidance in getting this blog rolling.

Interesting to be on a cut, NOT losing weight thus far, but still pleased with the results. Definitely getting leaner. The easy part is maintaining an aggressive exercise program :
A. Doing so is FUN
B. Super easy to stay motivated when I work out with a bunch of badasses in group fitness classes

I truly believe this has been my best week as an instructor. I have found my calling in life. To be in a position in which I am able to not only share my passion for fitness, but to help and encourage others sure paints a strong picture of how much I have grown as a person this past year and how blessed I am. When I see my students believing in themselves..... pushing themselves.... having fun..... and, best of all, the times I can see fire in their eyes ......that same fire my instructors see in my eyes.........

it makes it hard to leave Studio NFL after class. Even after class, there is such life to the atmosphere of the room. The effort my students put forth makes my class life affirming.

I'm going to pick on a student, Annie Bass. Just want her to know how proud I was when she told me she wants to become an instructor. Annie is going to start practicing with me next week and I guarantee she will make a great instructor in any class. She looked like a natural in her 1st Group Ride class ..... that is shockingly rare.

Annie's talk + my intro to Pilates from Abby Hurst + inspiration in Group Centergy from Diane Ravenstien (thursday night) and Becky Holcomb (friday morning)
set the stage for one hell of a Group Ride practice session Friday morning. It wasn't just any set of music I was practicing -- it was the October 2011 release, a very special set for me. The set contains my favorite Intervals track (can't wait to unleash it on my students!) and a climb track that makes me sentimental.

11-25-11
Group Ride class instructed by Krazy Kirby Kerschner :
Jade and Alex Carvalho were there. My son Jerry was beside me. It was my 2nd day as a nonsmoker. Climb track was a historic first for me. As a smoker, I was gasping for air by climb track. I remember how ragged my breath would get. I had to strategize to make it through the track, specifically the last 10 seconds, the point I felt my heart and or lungs were going to explode. I used rage to get me through the track. Looking back, I wonder what the person next to me in class had to be thinking as I was growling or whatever it took to get me through the track. The things I had to yell inside my head were not pleasant.

11-25 was different.... I could BREATHE through climb track. It was the 1st time I felt like Superman in Group Ride. GOD BLESS JOE STIERWALT FOR HELPING ME QUIT SMOKING.

Next week will feature planning for my new class that begins in October. My workout week will begin Monday with a session with my personal trainer and will end Friday with Group Ride practice. I will have 3 opportunities to lead my students in between. I have a couple things in mind I hope they will enjoy. One goal for my week is more detailed coaching in options during my class. I talk about options, but know I have a tendency to get caught up in the excitement of class. I just need to make sure I make enough emphasis on options for my newer students.

Closing note concerns my practice yesterday. Before I started practicing the Oct 2011 set, I warmed up with tracks from the set I taught Tues and Thurs. I had intended to just do the 1st track for warmup, but ended up doing the 1st 5. Track 5 is my favorite Chase track, Kickstart My Heart. If I could bottle, market and sell the explosiveness I had at that point in my workout, there would be plenty of $$ for everyone in my Genesis family to quit their "other" jobs and just work on fitness and fun.

Thank you to everyone who is helping me become stronger every day.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

8-15-12

No more Intermittent Fasting. Aiming for startling results, I read up on I.F., running with it for 13 days. My food intake was to be kept within an 8 hour time frame. I selected noon to 8 PM. The 1st 5 days were pretty easy, but each subsequent day grew more difficult.

Today was the end of my experiment. My personal trainer Becky Carder saved my ass towards the end of a training session, running to the front desk to get me a banana so I could get something in my stomach. Wasn't sure whether I was going to be sick or pass out... neither was an acceptable option.

I work out hard, burning a ton of calories. I.F. may be great for some, but it simply doesn't work for me. My body will not grow stronger if I refuse to listen to it. The results I want are within striking distance. Slight modification -- adding a light breakfast -- will make a big difference. All I have to do is continue working out hard and eating right.

Rule #1 in fitness :
Everyone's body is different. What works for me may or may not work for you.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

8-4-12

I am not playing around with this cut. Wrapping up a creatine cycle and I certainly added bulk, though not in optimal fashion. Started the cycle at 188#, finishing in the 198-200# range (198 this morning).

I learned some valuable lessons on some BPI brand supplements. A-50 did NOTHING for me. A-HD and Solid were OK, but not worth the $$. These were touted as game changing supplements on a creatine cycle. Not even close. Not surprising, as most supplements are overhyped. Every now and then, I stumble across an exciting supplement. I went 0-3 this time.

Feeling puffy and bloated was not what I wanted out of my creatine cycle. Better eating discipline would have helped and I am OK....just OK.... with the cycle. The water weight will vanish quickly. Though I am not "fat", nor will I ever be again, I FEEL fat. I do not like my midsection at all. Unacceptable, but easily correctable. My personal trainer will take my measurements again August 15th. I'm very upset at my waist measurement and body fat % from my July 30th measurements. I have only myself to blame if I fail to get better measurements on the 15th.

I started Intermittent Fasting today. I.F. = selecting an 8 hour window for food intake. That means my discipline has to be better than it has ever been before. What I will allow myself in the mornings :
HumaPro protein in water or juice
Zija in water
Recelerator or AfterShock (both contain protein) in water postworkout

Using a thermogenic capsule : MusclePharm Shred Matrix. I will add another Zija product, Zija XM AM capsules, August 13th.

Shred Matrix and sipping on coffee and Zija XM+ in water are keeping my appetite in control this morning.

The key to this cut is to not ruin a well disciplined morning by being a glutton in my 8 hour food window. I will eat a healthy lunch each day. My main course for supper will be a protein shake : 1 scoop of a protein blend (Dymatize XT is the low cost blend I will rotate with another brand -- haven't selected the other brand yet, but Syntrax Matrix 2.0 is very intriguing) plus 1 scoop of either Universal Pro and Oats or Optimum Nutrition Oats and Whey. Healthy snacks each day, including greek yogurt, fruit, veggies and spicy almonds.
Casein shake at 730 PM or so to close my 8 hour intake window.

HumaPro is going to be my primary protein : 4 scoops per day workout days. Runs only 55 cents per serving, which is outstanding. Predigested protein, thus the unpleasant after effects are greatly reduced. Flavor is interesting -- Apple Cider took a little getting used to. Directions for use are very unusual : it is to be taken on an empty stomach -- 2 hours after any food or anything containing amino acids..... and 25 minutes before food or amino acid intake. I'm having 2 scoops when I wake up and 2 scoops 2 hours after my mid afternoon snack.

The lowest weight I hit this past year was 179#. It was the best I had ever felt in my life. I know that 179-185# is a good range for me. Don't be surprised if I'm back to that range in 3 weeks. Where I go from there..... we'll see. My next creatine cycle starts September 26th.