Tire Flips

In these two videos my client Zach & myself are flipping a 200 pound tire using a reverse grip, where we grab the inside of the tire. In one explosive movement we flip the tire up with the focus being on flipping the tire in one attempt only.





Zach and I do "tires" twice a week. Unorthodox is our approach to his personalized training program. And we have a blast working out!

Little Things

Okay I admit I follow the philosophy of go big or go home and progress happens not in steady small increments but rather big jumps and then followed by plateaus to adapt. Conversely, I hope for merely small setbacks vs. catastrophe for obvious reasons- face it, they do happen. But I digress.

Life in general can be evaluated (on either plane of success or failure) as the accumulation of all the little that went into molding your story. While this opens up a huge discussion on various aspects, let's limit it to your health. But first a reality check on the ever evolving world of our health care system. Costs are being shouldered by the companies we work for and the backlash is starting. Employers are evaluating employees and new applicants as to whether that individual is going to be costly from a health insurance aspect based on their health check-ups and lifestyle. Companies are refusing to hire smokers and the obese. Some companies are penalizing employees for not taking care of their health (i.e. smoking, obese, and other unhealthy habits that have been proven to decline one's health). They are deducting money from each paycheck as a fine. The message: don't lose your job because you're a slob.

The little things that add up to you being in great shape:

• Unless you have little tykes to escort to the store, park towards the back of the parking lot. Enjoy the stroll. Look at it as car shopping without the sales people.
  
• Take the stairs instead of elevator. Count the steps for each flight. Maybe useful when carrying bulky items so you know which step is that last step going down.
  
• Eating out, avoid the fast food joints, the documentary movie "Supersize Me" clearly paints the picture of that lifestyle as it is- a slow miserable death.
  
• Eating out at restaurants. Nothing breaded or fried. Pasta only on rare occasions- watch the scene in "Big Daddy" where they go to an Italian restaurant.
  
• Choose your sides wisely. Opt for the side salad with (non-fat- free) dressing on the side. Steamed vegetables compliment any meal. For the kids get applesauce or baked beans.
  
• Plan on bringing a third to half home from your dining experience.
  
• That stuff that is used by automotive enthusiasts to clean the battery terminals and also to remove tar from the wheel wells… Soda! Should not go into your stomach.
  
• Water, teas and milk (if tolerable) should be your main beverages of choice.
  
• Desserts are meant to be savored, not inhaled.
  
• Do you really need that sweet treat? Look, one once in awhile is fine. But really, grazing on a container of sweets only adds unsightly inches and pounds to this finely tuned body that you have committed to working on.
  
• Eat more protein and fewer carbohydrates for breakfast. And YES HAVE BREAKFAST ROUTINELY. Skipping breakfast triggers a calorie catch up (Check out my blog on Breakfast) response that usually occurs at night.
  
• Big dinners such as Easter, July 4^th, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Game plan should be one plate of meats, fruits and vegetables followed by a 20 minute wait before making the decision to go for seconds. This is a magic time period where the body needs to process what just happened to your diet. Typically you won't want a second serving.
  
• If you think you are hungry but not starving, drink a glass of water. Sometimes the body tells you its hungry when really it's thirsty.
  
• Schedule your workout times and stay true to it as you do with any other appointment.
  
• Get enough quality sleep. Sleep deprivation has been shown to increase obesity.
  
• Get out and play. Take the pets, kids, friends and so on to the park, playground, fields, trails or whatever. Just go play.
  
• Be thankful for the body you have and take care of it. You're going to have to be in it and live with it for a long time.

CURRENT RATES & SERVICES

CORMAX WEST SPECIAL

From NOW until December 31, 2009 - we will be waiving the first month start-up cost ($500.00) for all 6 month contracts! All other contracts (3 & 1 month) will receive ½ half off the first month ($500.00 will be $250.00).

PERSONAL TRAINING SERVICES

• Start-Up (First month) $500.00
  

Contract Training

• 6 Month Contract $125.00 / month [$500 1^st month Start-Up fee waived]
  
• 3 Month Contract $250.00 / 1^st month [$150/ month next 2 months]
  
• Month to Month Training $250.00 / 1^st month [$175.00 / month after]
  
• Weight Loss / Training $250.00 / 1^st month [$250.00 / month after]
  

• One-On-One Training $75.00 / hour
  
• E-Mail Training $60.00 / month
  

  
  

  
  

Change Begins with Choice

As the Holidays approach us, we need to make sure we are staying on track with our resolutions from nearly a year ago. Reflect on this past year. How did you survive the Holiday Season last year? How are you doing with your New Year's Resolution commitment? Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.

We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.

We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.

And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life - and it all begins with your very own power of choice.

Lack of Sleep

You're doing all the right things for peak physical performance- working out, taking in plenty of protein, consuming the right fats, eating complex carbs and taking quality supplements. But still you have a hard time moving beyond that plateau in your training.

What's the fix? Like many people these days, you maybe missing out on an essential piece of the performance puzzle- restorative sleep.

Research shows that the average American sleeps only about 6.9 hours a night rather than the 8.1 hours most experts say we need- a figure that has declined steadily in direct correlation with our transformation to a 24-hour society. That is to say, as companies increasingly expand their hours of business and various entertainment venues are available around the clock, hectic work schedules and social lives add up to chronic sleep deprivation for many.

Just because you can deal with less sleep doesn't mean you can avoid the consequences for this loss. Just as overeating can lead to obesity, lack of sleep can lead to health problems too. Name the body function and sleep is a part of it. Research has linked lack of sleep to:

• Weight gain
  
• Diabetes
  
• High blood pressure
  
• Heart problems
  
• Depression
  
• Immune system weakening
  
• Substance abuse
  

  
  

Tips for better sleep:

• Establish a regular bedtime and wake-up time, even on weekends.
  
• Make the association of your bedroom primarily with sleep vs. working, reading or TV.
  
• Keep your bedroom dark, cool and quiet.
  
• Avoid caffeine, nicotine or alcohol late at night. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants which can cause problems falling asleep. Alcohol sedates you so that you can get to sleep, but it interferes with deep sleep stages resulting in poor quality of rest.
  
• Finish eating several hours before bedtime. Can cause heartburn or even discomfort with large meals. Personally, I sleep better with something light to eat right before bed.
  
• Avoid workouts close to bedtime. This is a mixed bag depending on the individual- some are more energized from a workout. While others maybe so fatigued that sleep is no problem.
  
• Take naps if drowsy during the day but no more than 20-30 minutes.
  
• If your mind races at night before bed either due to next day's schedule, to do list, ideas or worries- write them down. This act of physically writing things down will "shelve" the mental clatter so you can get some rest.
  
• If problems persist get help. Consult your doctor or a sleep disorder clinic. There may be an underlying cause.
  

  
  

Restorative sleep is exactly what it sounds, the body heals when you have sufficient sleep quality and quantity. Take care of yourself and get your rest. Everyone around you will appreciate it.