Are you FIT for the job?

There are many career's in the world today that encourage you to stay or get into shape.  I recently read an article written by a police officer about the physical condition of cops these days.  I dont even know where to begin.  I am not a cop, I am a trainer.  I dont understand how so many in the field of law enforcement can be so ridiculously lazy.  I have trained some amazing athletes and to see them physically excel and push themselves is incredible.  They do it because they want to train, they want to lose weight, get stronger, just be better.  Chances are that their fitness is not going to be a deciding factor as to if they get to go home and give their kids a goodnight kiss or be able to climb into bed with their wife.  It is not going to determine at the end of the night, whether they get to go home or not.  That is not the case with being a police officer, your life truly depends on your ability to survive and lets face it, fat and lazy is good prey.  In the article it talks about 4 really bad guys that are either cop killers or have assaulted a police officer.  These guys are not your run of the mill gang bangers, they trained and were ready to kill anything that threatened them.  Going up against a class of criminal like that unprepared is not just risky its stupid, and when asked why they attacked to police officers the answer was common among them.  Sized him up and knew I could take him. They all spoke about the officers either being fat, lazy, no commanding presence, and it got those cops assaulted or killed.  What is it that makes, in my experience, police officers so lazy?  Hard times on the job, hours suck, make a decent paycheck and buy toys. Could being in better physical condition have helped these officers?  I think so.  Is it always going to save your life? No, its a dangerous job, but I would rather build my arsenal to the best of my ability.  Dont let your physical weakness be a deciding factor in whether you live or die.  Its like what Mark Riptoe says "Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general".  

This is all to common nowadays

Family, Fitness, and Christ

It has been one week since my birthday binge.... for those of you that think I am talking about drinking you are vastly mistaken... No my binge was on food... I had doughnuts and whatever else sounded good throughout the day from pizza roles to sushi that night for my big birthday dinner.  It was a lot of fun and I had a ton of people there with me to celebrate.  So how have I been doing since then.... Great... got back on the following Monday and not looking back.  I have hit a little plateau now, I am staying in the mid to upper 220s.  No biggie, I am going to up my work load and see what that does for me.  I have a little less then a month, until my 7th wedding anniversary and that will be my next cheat, so lets see what kind of progress I can make till then...


When I started this blog out a long time ago I wanted to make it just for fitness and leave my family and my faith for other things, but I have come to realize that all of these things are part of a bigger picture...LIFE...and in my case they are all very much an integral part of my life effecting one another every step of the way and all improving one another along the way as well.  I love my family more then I know how to express and my fitness is as much for them as it is for me.  With that I have to make sure that I do not let my quest for fitness and success hinder what is more important, my family.  As much as I love my family I love my God more, and just as Christ influences me on how I am with my wife and children I have to let Him influence my fitness as well.    Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God-1 Corinthians 10:31....You see it is not about me, it is about God, even in the gym.  He is the reason that I got my PR or that I survived murph..  The Crossfit Games is on its way with just a few short weeks left to go.  Returning champs will defend their title and other athletes will be fighting for it.  In my region our top 3 men competitors are all Christians and give glory to God when ever they get the chance.  The worlds fittest man has the reference for this verse ¹⁴ But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.- Galatians 6:14,  tattooed down his right side arm pit to hip.  It is how they are showing the world the glory of God... Thank you to Rich Froning, Dan Bailey, and Graham Holmberg amazing athletes and awesome examples.

Beauty in Power

All that can be said is wow... After a day like today you gain a different view on "fit".  I had the privilege of witnessing the fittest in the world compete for their spot at the 2012 Reebok Crossfit Games in California.  The spectacle was nothing short of amazing and its only the first day.  Thats right, the Central East regional's is on its way with day one down.  Performances were awesome and records were broke left and right, but to me that wasn't necessarily the coolest part, dont get me wrong it was really cool but something that caught my attention was the demonstration of power vs strength.

As an athlete, it is one thing to be strong, and Crossfitters are strong.  It is another thing entirely to be strong and  powerful.  When you combine those two attributes you are creating an animal, and If they can breath on top of that, then you have a monster.  Since I already know that Crossfit makes you better at all physical attributes what separates the elite?  I believe it is the ability to generate power... It is a learned skill to be able to generate power.  What I see all the time and today was no exception, was athletes who looked strong, and I mean really strong,  after all, if you look like that and have made it into the regional event, its not just "pretty" muscle you are strong.  Then I see these athletes who look great, smaller in stature but still very built, throwing weight around so much faster then the bigger guys.  Why?  Power.  They generate power more efficiently, and that in the long run is what will win.

It has been about a week since I made my declaration of real fitness, and I have to say so far so good.  Its amazing how when I say that I want to do this or I want to do that, it is so hard for me to actually do it.  However when I post on the internet where anyone and everyone (all 4 or 5 people that actually might read this but hey who cares).... can hold me accountable, it gives me a completely different mindset.  Here are my before pics as I said I would post....I am now down to 230lbs its about 5lbs in a week...

A change is needed...

 

I have been a Crossfit coach now for over 4 years.  In these last 4 years I have tried many different “diets” with little success.  Is it the diets fault?  No! All of the different eating methods that I have tried work, they just didnt work for me.  I mean I would eat “good” most of the time but then I would allow a little cheat here and there.  There is a local coffee shop that sells gourmet chocolates and they have chocolate covered graham crack....ers.  They are so addicting.  I would stop by and buy one or two or 4, whatever the craving called for.  I had no control....ADDICT!!!  How is that any different then the guy down the street going and buying a pack of cigarettes every day?  Easy answer is, my addiction kills more people.  Was I really following a proper eating plan when I was committing this kind of offense?  Looking back on my behaviour during this time and even more recently it has become more clear to me what the problem is, and it is not just a simple one thing.  I am addicted to food.  Better yet, I am addicted to carbs. I catch myself wanting sugary cakes and cookies or one of the hardest things for me to pass up is doughnuts.  Comfort food.  I know that I am weakest at stressful times and that is when I eat.  Comfort eater.   I tell myself that I can beat this addiction, and I still believe that I can but it is hard and there is more that I had to realize.  I have found my identity in being big,  235lbs at 6’1” is not a little guy.  I enjoy, to some extent the recognition of being a big guy that can move well.  People dont expect it from someone my size.  Most people out there my size cannot do things that I can but If I was to truly tighten up my food and eat exactly like I should, I know that I would drop down to around 215-220, maybe even a little less, and then I would look like I could do all that cool stuff.  No more surprise.  I am scared to change who I am, scared to change my identity so I sabotage myself to keep me comfortably uncomfortable, to  Keep myself right where I am and not have to eat 100% all the time. Change is scary and  A change is exactly what I need.  It will not be easy, it will not be smooth.  It will be a bumpy road, and my life and my families life will be better because of it.  As May 1st quickly approaches I set out a challenge not just to those of you reading this but to myself as well.  It is time for a change.  I will be 31 in May. The challenge does not stop after my b-day, it will continue on until I reach my goal of 12% BF.   I will, from here till then, refrain from making poor food choices.  I will find my Identity in my God and my family, and by the end of the summer I will do a WOD with my shirt off.   These are some of my goals... What are yours?

I will share updates on a regular basis and try to update it on Facebook as well.  Will post before pics in the next couple of days.

New Year 2012!!!

2012 brings us a lot of opportunities.  Weight loss is usually at the top of most peoples list of resolutions.  And like most people out there it will fall by the wayside and be forgotten once February comes around.  Awesome you made it a month.  Where fitness is always something that is on my list this year it is just going to be.  It is not really going to be a goal, it is just going to happen.  My challenge to you is the same thing. Very few resolutions ever really come full circle and get completed by the time the ball drops the following year.  So instead of just making a resolution, make it happen.  I posted on another blog a few days ago about being held to the worlds standards.  Here is a news flash for you, the world has very low standards.  Figure out what you want to do/be/or where you want to go by this time next year and just make it happen.  That is not to say the this year will be easy, on the contrary, if you are trying to better yourself be prepared for opposition.  Opposition from family, friends, and even that stranger who overheard you talking and thinks that eating meats and nuts is stupid.  These are merely a few of the issues that you are bound to run into this year.  I am excited to hear what 2012 brings to your doorstep and how you overcome what ever challenges may rear their ugly heads.  Keep in mind that there is a community out there of people trying and succeeding at the same thing you are trying to do.

This was a little promo vid for an amazing event that Practice Crossfit put on back in Oct... Loads of fun and will be doing it again this year.