Fitworx Training Blog

What I did on my Summer Vacation

2011-08-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

I tried to think of several ways to start this article in a funnier or more reflective way, but I just couldn't do it, and am left to just say this simply;

This Summer was really tough for me.

While many of you were at the beach, or at a vacation house, or enjoying trips all over the globe, I spent mine in and out of doctor's offices and hospitals receiving opinion after opinion about treatment options, surgical procedures, and being forced to reconsider my future as not only a combat athlete, but as an active person in general.

At the start of the Summer I attended a training camp in Boston where I started going numb in my hands and arms, all while experiencing excruciating pain in my neck and mid-back. This was similar to my neck injury from last year, but far more painful.

After returning home, my doctor's told me that I had badly re-herniated a disc in my neck and that my degenerative disc disease had advanced to the point that I would need to take 3 months off if I was ever to return to a grappling mat again. I was to receive cortisone injections in my neck to help the pain, and was urged by several doctors to consider a spinal fusion (I refused this operation). And while I was devastated to have the competitions I had trained and prepared so hard for scratched from my 2011 calender, I ended up seeing this whole injury as a great opportunity to take everything back to formula and start fresh.

I proceeded to rest up and plan how I would rebuild myself once cleared to train again. I read book after book about spine health, back and neck pain, natural motion and different kinds of exercise. I researched different types of nutrition plans and dietary models and put together what I now consider to be the best possible way to eat to lose bodyfat, aid muscle growth, and prevent inflammation. I watched online tutorials, educational dvds, and probably close to 100 YouTube videos to really advance how I was training myself, as well as my clients and friends.

I really got to a place where I was happy with the plan I had put together, but something wasn't entirely right. I wanted to show that this could really work for anyone looking to start a training plan, not just someone coming from a high level of fitness, so I decided to do something extreme, I got fat.

For the past month I have worked hard to eat terrible food, snack excessively, and otherwise treat myself terribly. I ate ice cream, burgers, chips, candy, and anything else I could get my hands on. I watched the physique I had worked so hard to months ago slip away as I gained over 10 pounds during the month of August. I haven't lifted a weight or punched a bag in the past 2 months, and can comfortably say that I am probably in the overall worst shape I've been in in years.

While this may seem rash to many of you, I really wanted to show that with the diet and exercise program I have put together, it is truly easy to change your physique and performance with hard work and dedication. I will be putting up my training diaries, intake journal, and anything else I think could help anyone trying to lose weight or get in shape.

This is a very special project for me, and I hope you will follow my progress, as well as spread the word about this ongoing journey. I plan on making my return to competition on December 12th for Grapplers Quest World Championships, and will need to lose around 20 pounds before then. I am excited to make these changes, and am excited to think that some of you will make them along with me.

Let's do this.....

Acceptance, not denial

2011-08-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days, I feel as though I have seen or heard a plethora of stories on the news, in the paper, and on the radio regarding negative stereotypes about overweight or obese Americans. These stories talk about how our society has a negative impression of obese people, and that the media is discriminatory towards the overweight population.

The story that truly blew my mind was on NPR last week, and included a snippet of an interview with Glee's Ashley Fink, who plays Lauren Zizes, an obese student who participates in the Glee club as well as competes on the school wrestling team. Ashley is also famous for her role as Carter Mcmahon on Huge, a program that followed teens at a weight-loss camp. Lauren was criticizing how programs like The Biggest Loser exploit fat people for entertainment value, parading them around without shirts like livestock for the amusement of the viewing public. She went on to talk about her role on television, stating;

"This is who I am, I'm what America looks like"

In attempting to be rateable, Fink perfectly highlights the problem in America. At last check, over 60% of the population is overweight, a large percentage of which are obese. The rates of obesity related illnesses in this country are not just rising, they are skyrocketing, adding to our much-complained about health care systems woes. One in every 8 deaths in the USA are caused by obesity-related illnesses, and over 10% of all health care spending is on obesity related issues.

Now, Ashley Fink has clearly used her weight to her advantage, landing several roles in movies and on television that are all related to her size. And while she could be commended for using her obesity as a tool rather than a handicap, to claim that there is "nothing wrong with being obese," is completely irresponsible.

As a reasonably overweight kid and teen, I certainly understand how depressing it can be to be left out of activities, made to feel strange or bad, and even ostracized due to one's size, but we need to be careful as a society about how we approach this issue, and how we go about "accepting" it.

Obviously no person should be made to feel inferior just because of their appearance, and it is truly unfortunate that there are kids, teens, and adults walking around that feel bad about themselves because they are overweight. Also, it's important to acknowledge that losing weight and developing a healthy lifestyle are two of the hardest things to do once one has gone without doing so for any extended period of time. I myself still find it difficult to pry myself out of bed after a Sunday of junk food, television, and general over-indulgence. No one in Earth can honestly claim that losing weight and living healthy are easy things to do, however, they are completely and absolutely necessary.

Claims like the ones made by Ashley Fink are very dangerous, as they imply that people are who they are, constant and unchanging, and that putting pressure on them to look a certain way that is unlike how they currently look is wrong. I agree that it is unrealistic to expect the entire population to sport washboard abdominals, chiseled legs and sculpted shoulders year-round, and that the media does have an obsession with waif-like models and uber-skinny people. However, asking people to take an honest look at themselves and improve the way they live their lives is far from oppressive, in fact, it's necessary.

"Accepting" obesity as a lifestyle is a very dangerous game. For one, it means that being overweight is much like being another race or sexual orientation, and that treatment that does not accept and celebrate obesity is the same as discriminating against someone because they are black, or gay, or handicapped. This is a bold and offensive claim, as obesity is a condition brought on by active behavior (I should note that there are people who for reasons medically or otherwise cannot help their weight gain, but those people are the small minority of the obese and overweight population). Obesity is not something one cannot change, and heaping the call for healthy lifestyle changes in with the baseless oppression of minorities is not only completely nonsensical, it's also abhorrent.

No one should be made to feel inferior for who they are, but being obese should not be one's sole identity. Ashley Fink is a talented performer, but also famous due to how she has exploited her own weight issues. Celebrities like Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, and Al Roker all started their careers as overweight people, but have all gone on to embrace healthy lifestyle changes, and continue to stress healthy changes for themselves, as well as others. All of them had the confidence, self-esteem, and gumption to establish successful careers, but acknowledged the need to improve their own behaviors, as well as set an example for others. They did not claim that being obese was completely acceptable, they showed how you can still be successful despite size, but went on to show that their size did not determine who they were as people.

In addition, losing weight and establishing a healthy lifestyle is one of the most rewarding, enriching, and self-esteem building things that one can do. Conquering personal demons and breaking bad habits are incredibly enriching, and by claiming that people should just embrace who they are and not work to improve themselves would rob so many of the chance to better themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Our society does not need to better embrace obesity, as it is killing people left and right, and making the others sick. Instead, our society needs to teach people that it is ok to be yourself, but also important to be healthy. How about better outreach programs for obese and overweight Americans? How about health care incentives for being a healthy weight and body composition? How about getting all of the processed crap out of our schools and making a return to whole food diets for our kids and teens? How about throwing the XBox out of the damn window?!? By merely accepting obesity as a normal thing, we not only ignore these important issues, but we short ourselves the chance to make a healthy change for the better.

FitWorx Training Blog 6/11

2011-06-11T05:14:00.000-07:00

Good Morning to all, I hope everyone out there is avoiding this awful heat as much as possible, unless of course you're into that sort of thing, then more power to you.

I am a week into training for my first tournament of the Summer and I am feeling ok for the most part. I am already down from around 191-192 in the morning to 188 this morning. I would like to be in the low 180s, if not 180, within the next 4 weeks. My approach to losing the weight has been two-fold, and is going as well as I'd hoped it would.

First of all, I have altered my diet greatly and have once again cut out most all of my starchy carbohydrates. No wheat, rice, potatoes, or grain of any kind. While these can be a great supply of short term energy, I dinf that they typically prevent me from being as lean as I would like to be, and once used to going without them, find that through fruit, nuts, and nut butters, I am getting plenty of energy without "carb-loading." I will still do one day a week where I will allow starchy carbs for now, but will probably cut that out after next weekend in order to ensure that I make the 181 pound limit for the South Jersey Challenge easily.

My eating pretty much looks like this;

Breakfast- Shake with Almond Milk (unsweetened), Protein Powder, Peanut Butter, Banana, Flax Seed Oil, and Ice

Snack- Muscle Milk Light bar

Lunch- Mixed Green Salad with Chicken and Nuts, light dressing, and an apple

Afternoon Snack- Apple, Peanut Butter or a large handful of nuts anda banan

Dinner- Some Lean Protein and 3-4 cups of vegetables.

Eating like this limits my calories, as well as my carbohydrate intake, and steadies my blood sugar levels so I do not have energy peaks and valleys, rather I stay at a more consistent energy level throughout the day.

My training has been made up of 4-6 grappling sessions a week, alternating between hard rolling sessions and flowing drills and positions. I also have been working through some TRX Circuits and Cardio Intervals that have helped me to get my weight down and my cardio up. I will post some of these workouts online this week.

Make sure to check out my YouTube Channel- http://www.youtube.com/user/nehrli1

I have been updating it with workout videos and training circuits, check them out and subscribe!

- Nick

Training Blog- 6/3

2011-06-03T04:50:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!

So, my friend Josh turned me on to a very cool thing yesterday, and I wanted to put it out there so other people could enjoy it too. There is a free droid (and possibly iphone, I don't know) app that I downloaded and tried yesterday called The Spartacus Workout. This application takes you through a workout that targets all of the major muscle groups in a very comprehensive and functional way (it actually reminds me of my good friend Billy Delorbe's boot camps). Each exercise is shown and described if you don't know how to perform it, and a timer is set for each exercise, letting you know when to stop and rest. All exercises and rest intervals are timed for you, making it easy to have a great workout.

I was pressed for time yesterday, and feeling a bit lazy in the afternoon, so rather than design my workout that day, or go to one of the programmed days I have been putting together, I gave it a whirl, and I was amazed at how much it pushed me! In less than 30 minutes I was dripping in sweat, breathing like Dom Delouise, and had completed a total-body resistance (and cardio) workout!

Bottom line, get this app if you want a great workout on your phone. You don't need to go to the gym either. If you have a few dumbells in your home, you could do it there instead. Great workout, free program, what's more to say?

Now, the version 2.0 is updated and improved, and it only costs $1.79, but if you just want a simple free workout, download The Spartacus Workout today!

Also, the FitWorx YouTube channel is up!!! Check it out;

FitWorx Training on YouTube

This channel will contain competition footage, training programs, workout and diet tips, as well as some other cool MMA and functional training goodies. Make sure to check it out, I will be updating it frequently!

Starting my journey....

2011-06-01T04:30:00.000-07:00

Whaddup.

After a long Memorial Day weekend, and having just gotten over most of the cold I was suffering from throughout said holiday, I am finally ready to start my training blog for the upcoming tournament season, all ending with Grapplers Quest World Championships in December. I hope to keep this current with my training and nutrition plans as I prepare myself for several upcoming tournaments, and hope this will help people train themselves for grappling, MMA, or just general fitness.

My Tourney Schedule;
July 9- The Good Fight's South Jersey BJJ Challenge
August 6- NAGA Battle at the Beach
August 13- US Grappling MD
August 27- IBJJF Boston Open
September 24- US Grappling Submission Only Philadelphia
October 1- IBJJF No-Gi Pan Championships
October 8- NAGA Maryland
November- IBJJF No-Gi World Championships
December 10- Grapplers Quest World Championships

Writing it all out, I feel a bit psychotic thinking I can manage to compete in all of these tourneys without injury or fatigue setting in. I am realistic that there will be a few of these dates that I will not be able to make, and I will sacrifice any of these dates to stay healthy for what I consider to be the 3 most important competitions (Pans, Worlds, and GQ Worlds).

All of these events will require me being in the 175-180 range, meaning I will have to lose around 12 pounds from where I am sitting right now. I have taken the past few months to focus more on my strength and explosion by incorporating some heavy olympic lifting and cutting back on my road work and cardio. As I switch back to my circuit style training and increase my aerobic work, I suspect that I will return to the 180 pound range rather quickly, and hopefully do so while maintaining some of the explosion I have been working on the past two months. My friend and co-worker George Petrides made me a great power lifting schedule a few months ago, and I am feeling much stronger as a result. He is a great lifting and strength coach, and I will attempt to keep doing one or two power and strength workouts a week as I go in order to keep some of the progress I made, thanks George!

So hopefully I will be able to keep this updated and current with my training, and I plan on also keeping a Vlog at the same time, so hopefully those two things will be able to provide a good look into how a training camp goes when you're training for events like these.

Lose 5 Pounds by June 1st.......

2011-05-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

People are always asking me how to lose weight in a hurry for one reason or another, and I always tell them that there isn't really a way to do so without crash dieting or fasting, both of which tend to result in losing weight temporarily before shooting back up once regular foods are re-introduced.

And while all of the above is the truth, it may not be the entire truth......

There are a few things you can do to lose weight in a hurry that are effective, but they are not easy, and they need to be somewhat permanent changes in order to work effectively. The following is a list of 4 things you can do to be 5 pounds lighter and leaner by June 1;

1. Don't Drink Your Calories

If you want to gain weight in a hurry, have a few sodas every day. One can of soda contains around 150 calories, and while not being a deal breaker in itself, spread out over time can cause a serious mound of extra calories. One extra soda every day means you are consuming an extra 1050 calories every week, and that's a can, not a bottle (a bottle brings it closer to 1500 a week).

This also goes for sweetened teas, lemonade, juice, and any other sweetened beverages. Alcohol can also add a serious log of calories, in addition to retarding the speed at which calories are metabolized by the body, stalling weight loss or even causing weight gain. One beer can have anywhere from 180-240 calories depending on the kind of beer it is, but either way adds calories to your day just the same.

Let's look at someone who has a soda with lunch or in the afternoon and two drinks in the evening after work or with dinner- (Calories in Soda- 150)+(2 beers- 320)= 470 calories (x7 days a week)= 3290 calories!

So someone who has one soda and two beers (or glasses of wine, not that big a difference) every day takes in almost an extra pounds worth of calories every week! Cutting that out can result in a loss of almost 2 pounds in two weeks!

Cut out all Beverages with Calories!
Savings- 6580 Calories for 2 weeks!

2. Pack a Lunch Instead of Going Out

Most people do not bring a lunch or snacks with them when they go to work or school every day, forcing them to buy something or scavenge while at work or class. The problem with this is that restaurant food is typically much heavier than food we make or bring on our own. Packing food to bring with you for your day ensures that you will save money and calories, both are precious commodities these days anyway!

The average person saves over $1400 a year and around 400 calories a meal by not going out to eat for lunch and snacks!

Bring healthy food with you every day or eat at home, stop going out to eat
Savings- 5600 Calories for 2 weeks!

3. Walk More

More and more people are getting together to form walking groups at work, with friends, or even at their local gym. 20 minutes of walking upon waking and/or at lunch can burn an additional 200-300 calories a day, and is easy to do without having to plan too much. Get up a little earlier and hit the road, and do so again on your lunch break after you eat your (brought) lunch.

Two quick walk breaks a day can invigorate and help to jump-start your metabolism.
Savings- 3500 Calories in 2 weeks!

4. Sleep!

People who sleep 7+ hours every night have shown a greater ability to lose weight, and stay healthy. While there are no calorie savings to speak of here, sleeping has been directly linked to successful/unsuccessful weight loss.

Sleep more to lose more bodyfat!

5. Play with your friends

Whether you're joining a soccer or softball league, shooting hoops with a bunch of people, or just meeting up at the gym with a buddy, 45 minutes of activity 4 times a week can burn around 350 calories a session, and is a fun and healthy way to stay in touch with friends, as well as make the time exercising fly by.

Meet up with some friends and get your play on!
Savings- 2800 Calories for 2 weeks!

Totals for 2 weeks of changes- 18,400 Calories! Over 5 pounds of calories saved!

The best thing about all of these changes is that not only can they result in quick and easy results, but with a little bit of planning and sacrifice are COMPLETELY MAINTAINABLE! There are very few reasons that one could not live this way, save for a few days here and there for special occasions and holidays.

Implement these changes, track your weight, and I am sure you will see a change on the scale soon!

YouTube Channel

2011-04-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

Yo yo yo!!

So I don't have anything new tonight, but I do want to announce something cool I will be starting soon.

I will be uploading workout videos as well as fitness and nutrition tips onto my YouTube channel and the blog that should be both entertaining as well as beneficial.

As of now, I have my channel up, but it's pretty much videos of my grappling competitions, feel free to check them out!

The FitWorx YouTube

Happy Monday Core workout

2011-04-04T03:32:00.000-07:00

Goooooooood morning!

And what a great morning it is, you see it's not just any old Monday morning today, it's the Orioles home opener at Camden Yards! Especially exciting giving their level of play so far (3 games).

Before heading downtown to engage in all of the normal opening day festivities, some Ground Contol teammates and I have a little date with a hardcore functional core circuit before we give ourselves the ok to head over to Pickles Pub. I have created a little home or gym version of the same workout for you to go through on your own, try it out and let me know what you think!

Do all stations for 30 seconds

Seated Core Rotations to the right and back to middle (with ball or weight)
Crunches withe legs straight up and ball on chest
Seated Core Rotations to left and back to middle
Prone Leg Lifts
Seated Rotations to both sides
V-ups

Run through this circuit with 60 seconds rest time when completed, then complete a total of 3 times. This is sure to give those abs the wake-up call they've been asking for. Have a great Monday, and if you're headed to opening day today, I will see you later!

WOW!

2011-04-03T06:37:00.000-07:00

I just saw this video that my friend Nick posted of one of his 72 year old clients crushing out some agility ladder drills. I could not believe that she was in her 70s, I wish I could move that quick!

Check out this clip, I dare you not to get motivated. I will see you this week, I'm going running now!

2011-03-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

Taking the Hard Look......

2011-03-30T04:53:00.000-07:00

Go in any job interview as an adult, and at some point you will be asked two questions.

"What are your biggest strengths in the workplace?"

This question is usually met by a slew of answers easily highlighting one's best attributes and characteristics at length and with specific examples. Countless stories depicting tales of office heroism where the ability to keep a level head and think outside of the box saved the company millions and got the biggest project in history done on time. Even the resumes we turn in to apply for these positions are nothing but lists of achievements and strengths that we assemble to present our capacity to achieve, citing specific times and places where we have done so in the past.

However, the question that usually follows our favorite one to answer, while being arguably more important, becomes much harder for people to answer;

"What is your greatest weakness?"

We stammer about having poor handwriting or being bad with Microsoft Office, or even try to load answers to make it seem like our flaws are secretly incredible attributes, calling ourselves "workaholics," or, "perfectionists" to the point that we look like the perfect candidate.

The fact of the matter is, we tend to spend plenty of time in life looking at and working on our strengths, and almost none assessing and improving on our weaknesses. We find jobs that play to our strengths, watch and listen to news that agrees with our opinions, and interact with friends who compliment us.

And while playing to one's strengths is not always a terrible thing, doing it in the gym will ensure that progress is either slow, or non-existent. Too many people go to the gym to do what comes easiest to them, lifting weights, getting on the elliptical, taking a short ab class, and bypass the things that are difficult, like intense circuit training, running, or looking seriously at the way that they eat.

(Joe Decker, one of the most well-rounded athletes in the world, and also a good friend and mentor of mine)

The trouble with that is (when weight loss or muscle growth is your goal) that playing to your strengths doesn't push your body outside of it's "comfort zone." The human body is very good at adapting to behaviors after a while, and therefore starts expending very little energy doing so. Have you ever seen a person with 20 to 30 extra pounds who can still bike 20 miles at a time? Their body has probably adapted to their high level of activity, and no longer puts the same effort into the exercise that once would have provided excellent cardiovascular training and significant metabolic output.

In order to keep weight loss or fitness results coming, one needs to shake up their routine periodically to include exercise that they are "not good at." Changing up a stale routine to include exercises foreign or difficult for the body can greatly increase muscle activity, metabolic rate, and even neurological activity, thus providing a much greater rate of return on your exercise investment. If you lift weights and always use a high-rep routine, try switching it up to a heavy weight, low-rep routine and get your heavy lifting on! Get off of the elliptical machine or recumbent bike and try an outdoor jog or hike, maybe even a swim or boxing class (wink)! It may be difficult or awkward at first, but you will be rewarded for it down the road.

It may not always be fun, and may not always be pretty, but playing to your weaknesses is the only way to truly acheive results. I've heard it said that a Man's character can be judged by the number of awkward conversations he is ready to have. I think this is true, and can also be applied to fitness. The measure of a champion can be judged by the amount of times they have pushed themselves outside of their comfort zones, and away from their strengths in an effort to progress.

Take the first steps toward becoming a more well-rounded person today, and start thinking, "what are my greatest weaknesses?"

What a Weekend!

2011-03-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Atlantic City this weekend where I witnessed the wedding of my brother-in-law Will and his beautiful new wife Melissa! They looked positively thrilled to be together all evening, and I feel very lucky to have been included in their special day.

This weekend also included one of the most EPIC cheat meals I have ever eaten, or attempted to eat;

(After my defeat, not looking pumped)

We stayed the weekend at the Chelsea hotel on the boardwalk, right next to the Tropicana, and ate breakfast this morning at Treplitzky's, a 50's style diner in the hotel. On the menu was "The Big Treplitzky," a breakfast that included 4 eggs, hash browns, pork roll, bacon, sausage, 4 pancakes, 4 pieces of french toast, 4 pieces of toast, and coffee. Finish it in 15 minutes and it's free, and no-one has ever beaten it. Being the competitor that I am, I had to give it a go, and while I did come up short (I didn't even get to the french toast), I apparently made more progress than anyone had yet, and was comped and congratulated.

All of my clients know that I am a big proponent of taking some time off after training and dieting hard, and while this breakfast behemoth may be an overly exaggerated example of a cheat-meal (I have not eaten again yet today), it just goes to show that it is ok to let your hair down every once and a while and enjoy some of your favorite foods without guilt or worry.

I hope you all had a good weekend, and are ready to start your week off refreshed and ready to work hard!

Rainy Day!

2011-03-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

What a crappy day! I was going to try to go for a run outside today, but it was just a bit too cold and a bit too rainy, and my warm basement was too much of a temptation, especially with some good new shows on the DVR.

But was I just lounging on my couch watching tv, no way! I busted out a workout circuit in my basement that ended up kicking my butt! It goes as follows;

20 flutter kicks
50 side plank crunches per side
20 push ups
50 squats
50 band rotations on each side
10 pull ups

I did this without resting for around 30 minutes, and am feeling it already! All I needed was a resistance band and my doorway pull up bar, and I was set to go. A few simple pieces of home workout equipment can turn any space into your own private gym!

I also got to start working with Ground Control teammates Dan Root and Dave Daniecki today getting them ready for their fights at First Mariner Arena on April 30th. I never wanted to fight them before, but after watching them crush through the workout circuit I set up for them, I am even less excited about the prospect of squaring off against them. I am going to take a video of their next workout so you can see the kind of stuff they are going through, but trust me, it was killer. 20 minutes of nonstop high-intensity resistance training focusing on functional core strength, I am sore just form watching them!

I will post again soon, and try to put together a video of my pro mma fighter circuit! Talk to you soon!

WHAT A BUM!!!

2011-03-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, looooong time with no blog post, and for that I apologize. Between competing, training clients, running my new boxing boot camp, and sheer laziness, it has been a while since I last blogged. I am sitting down today to redefine this blog and how I will be using it, and hopefully you will all find it useful, motivating, or funny.

In an effort to become a more frequent poster to this blog, I will be using it on a fairly regular basis to write about my own workouts and training for several upcoming events, hopefully you will be able to use some of the information or workouts yourself, or just get a sense of how my training routine looks.

As many of you know, I have won a few regional grappling tournaments lately, the Copa Nova in January, and most recently The City of Brotherly Love tournament on my birthday in March. I have a few more regional tourneys this summer, but am aiming to compete at the Pan Am games in October, then at Grapplers Quest World Championships in December. There is a lot I have to do between now and then with regards to my weight, conditioning, and technique, and I will be chronicling it on this blog. Check in periodically to see how training is going.

I will also be posting workouts and circuits similar to the ones I am doing for you to do on your own. I will also be posting diet tips, info about supplements and exercises, and the occasional gym rant here and there.

So I promise I am back on my blog game, so make sure to keep checking in to the FitWorx training diary! Also, if you would like to become a part of my mailing list for my bi-monthly newsletter, just email me at nick@fitworxtraining.com, and I will add you to the list.

Today's Workout!!

2011-02-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

What a BEAUTIFUL day!!! As things warm up outside (I know we are still a little while away from "warm" weather, but today counts) we can finally start heading back outdoors to enjoy some exercise! In honor of today's weather, here's a routine you can do outside, or an a treadmill if you aren't quite convinced it's warm enough yet.

Go somewhere with a field and pace out 40 yards. Place cones, sticks, or anything else you can find to mark the ends and run back and forth as fast as you can. At one end, do 10 sit-ups, and a the other, do 10 push-ups. Try to complete 10 total laps, timing yourself to establish a baseline. You can always do this workout quickly when you want to get outside but don't have time for a 45 minute playground circuit or 4 mile run.

10 Push-Ups<----------40 Yard Dash----------> 10 Sit-Ups

Get up, get out, and get moving!!!!

Daily Workout

2011-02-07T13:53:00.000-08:00

Good Afternoon!

Congrats on resisting the urge to pig out completely yesterday during the Suberbowl! I'm so impressed that instead of stuffing your face with junk food and washing it down with beer you made yourself a responsible salad and had some iced tea while enjoying a great football game!

Wait, you didn't do that? That's ok, neither did I.

But now it's Monday, and Sunday's gluttony must be remedied!

Here's the workout today;

1 mile on treadmill
Circuit- complete 5 times through with little rest
-20 bench hops
-20 hanging leg raises
-20 mountain climbers
-20 back hyperextensions
finish off with another mile on the treadmill

DO THE WORK!

Heavy

2011-02-01T10:19:00.000-08:00

I have recently set my DVR to start recording the show "Heavy" on A&E. Now I will freely admit to being a total fitness nerd who is addicted to all things exercise (including infomercials), but this show is one of the best weight-loss shows I have ever seen, and should appeal to anyone striving to lose weight regardless of their target number.

"Heavy" takes morbidly obese people and follows their weight loss journey over several months. They first spend time as an in-patient of an extreme weight-loss center with multiple workouts a day with a trainer, all meals prepared by a nutritionist, and daily sessions with a therapist to focus on their issues with food and exercise. They then leave the center to continue their quest at home, forcing them to correct their previous problem behaviors on their own before returning for one final weigh-in at the resort.

While at first this may sound like your typical weight-loss show, "Heavy" strips the glamour of the workouts and effort, and instead shows how truly gritty and difficult the journey is. These people reveal themselves in an uncensored and no-holds barred way, while also opening up about their emotional baggage that has led them to be the size that they are.

It also shows more than any other program I have seen that true wellness is achieved on three fronts. First, workouts should be challenging, forcing you to push yourself outside of your comfort zone all the time, not just periodically. Next, nutrition is a large part of the fitness puzzle, and one than can make or break any workout routine. Intake should be moderate, organic, and frequent to keep burning calories and bodyfat. Finally, one needs to be mentally in tune with their diet and exercise issues, or what is preventing goals from being achieved. Only when all of these things have been addressed properly will the journey towards wellness be truly complete.

I encourage everyone to tune into this program once or twice to see what real motivation looks like. I am tremendously moved my this show, and hope that other people can watch it to find motivation for themselves.

Check it out!

Refocusing and Rededicating

2011-02-01T09:33:00.000-08:00

You know what, January is a stupid month.

First off, January is cold, really cold. I have pretty much cut out all of my outdoor activity like running, hiking, playground workouts, and found refuge in the gym, trading my road work for time on the elliptical watching Law and Order with subtitles while I slave away to finish my fourth mile. Natural sunlight is pretty much a thing of the past as gray skies dominate the so-called "daytime hours," making the outside like that of a creepy post-fallout alternate universe without sunlight or warmth. the days are short, the nights are long, and the NFL post-season is a reminder that I will probably be without football for another 8 months (the Skins won't be in the playoffs, again).

January also gets a lot of credit for being the month that people start and stop trying to get in shape for their new-years resolutions. They start off hot and heavy, joining gyms, buying equipment, and investing heavily in their fitness futures. The early-morning and after-work exercise crowds seem to double up on every treadmill and elliptical trainer, and workout pants and shirts that clearly have not seen the light of day in some day hang from the frames of weekend warriors once again. However, soon enough these gym goers tend to fall off again, leaving the same pieces of cardio equipment vacant during those morning and evening hours.

February once again finds the gym a palace where only the dedicated stay to exercise. Following a plan for a month is easy, following it for good is another thing all together. Be one of the lucky minority that keeps going with their resolution and make a new new years resolution to keep pushing on, even though the people around you have quit!

Happy February!

Keep going, you can do it!

New Diet Released!

2011-01-11T15:42:00.001-08:00

Today I sent out the Fitworx nutrition plan to between 20 and 30 people, and they are all excited to get going! Send an email if you are interested in getting with the program!

Don't be fooled!

2010-12-13T11:03:00.000-08:00

I was working out at my local gym the other day when I noticed another gym patron with a very impressive physique walking around the free-weight area. As a trainer, as well as an avid exerciser, I am always curious to see what others are doing, especially those who appear to be getting good results. I made a point of occasionally glancing over to see what this guy was up to that was giving him such impressive results, and the answer surprised me.

In the 20 minutes it took me to do my circuit workout (which was a doozie, I will post it at the bottom), this guy did seven sets of abdominal exercises, SEVEN! In-between sets he played with his Ipod, browsed the web on his phone, and flexed in the mirror. I don't even think he broke a sweat the entire time.

The point is this, we always tend to focus on those who are in better shape than us as the ones with "the answer." They know or do something that we don't, have a higher understanding of the body, or possess some secret supplement that turns the average math-clubber into the next Atlas (respect to my friend Billy, who is not only a math whiz, but also one of the most ripped guys ever). The sad fact of the matter is, that is not always the case.

In the case of this particular gentleman, and in so many other situations, there are plenty of people gifted with the right metabolism and set of genes to achieve incredible success with very little effort. These are the guys in High School who started lifting in June for football and by September could carry their car to practice. These guys will never have to work that hard for that dream physique.

As for the rest of us, it comes a little harder than that. However, we can't be fooled (as I admittedly was) into thinking that these "physique-freaks" are the guys with the answers. Looking to these patrons for advice or workouts will often prove fruitless, as the advice will be either simple or wrong. Had I followed this other guys workout, I would have woken up the next day with sore abs, but without achieving much else in the way of improving my overall health.

Bottom line, look for quality advice when planning workouts or diets, and don't just go to the first friend you can think of with a good body. They may have good advice, but you can always find the same or better by doing the research on your own and applying it to your own workout.

My circuit that day was the following;

20 underhand body rows
20 lateral hops- jumping side to side over an aerobics step
20 push-ups
20 seated ball roataions
20 squats
20 back hypers

I did it just like the circuit I posted before, setting a 20 minute timer and rotating without resting until it ran out.

Keep on trucking!

Treadmill Meltdown

2010-12-09T17:23:00.000-08:00

What's up Fitworx nation! We are very excited about all of the things going up on our website as well as some of the information we are getting ready to put out early in 2011. After a long day of training clients, training for an upcoming tournament, and taking care of stuff at home, it's nice to get some time to chill out and watch the CAPS!

I don't know if you've noticed, but it's freezing out! I'm usually a huge fan of running outside, but when it's this cold (I think it's -3475684 degrees out) and windy, taking refuge in the gym is perfectly fine, especially when you know how to use the treadmill to push yourself! I had a great treadmill workout today, and am excited to share it with you.

The easy (and less effective) way to use the treadmill is to lock it on one speed and zone and out watching the television or listening to music while you count down the minutes to completion. Instead of taking the easy way out, try this 30 minute treadmill blitz;

5 minute warm up- speed or steady walk, 2.0 inclince

4 minutes- slow jog (5-6 mph), 3.0 incline

1 minute- walk (3-4 mph), 3.0 incline

4 minutes- speed walk (4-4.5 mph), 8.0 incline

1 minute- walk(3-4 mph), 2.0 incline

4 minutes- jog (6-7 mph), 2.0 incline

1 minute- walk (3-4 mph), 2.0 incline

4 minutes- power walk (4-4.5 mph), 8.0 incline

1 minute- walk (3-4 mph), 2.0 incline

4 minutes- jog (6-7 mph), 4.0 incline

4 minute cooldown- walk (3-4 mph), 2.0 incline

This will take you 30 minutes and be far more beneficial than the boring old 30 minute jog. By going back and forth between faster jogs and slower incline walks, you will create varied and challenging intervals that will push your heart rate, and help to elevate your metabolism for the rest of the day! Also, changing your workout like this will keep things from getting too bored with things, and provide good variety to your tired-old treadmill routine.

Make sure with this cold weather to really warm-up before exercise, 5-10 minutes is best, and make sure to stretch when done. Cold weather almost exponentially increases the likelihood of an injury, to make sure to take the necessary steps to prevent this from happening.

Have a great workout!

Welcome to Fitworx!

2010-12-01T17:10:00.000-08:00

Hello, and welcome to the Fitworx Training blog!

Here at Fitworx, we believe in practicing natural forms of diet and exercise in an effort to improve the way we move, perform, and live. In these blog posts, we will show different training routines that highlight the use of natural motion and bodyweight resistance without the use of machines or weights, as well as diet and nutrition tips that help to focus more on organic, natural living, rather than the outdated and archaic bodybuilder diet plans.

Fitworx hopes to combine martial arts, bodyweight calisthenics, yoga, suspension training, and gymnastics with commonsense naturally based nutrition in order to improve your level of fitness, as well as your overall quality of life. If you are sick of the same old gym routine, and ready to take the next step to improve your life, welcome to Fitworx!