UFC 154 Preview and Predictions

So here we have it, just a few days out from UFC 154 on Montreal, Quebec, Canada! This is also the much anticipated return of the French Canadian UFC Welterweight Champion George St-Pierre or GSP after very lengthy hiatus due to a torn ACL in his knee.

As a bit of a disclaimer I am a Canadian myself and as such there might be some favouritism towards the Canadian fighters on the card.

Let's get started!:

Featherweight: Steven Siler (USA) VS Darren Elkins (USA)
They kick off the show on the prelims shown on facebook. I think most of the audience first saw Siler during the entry fights for TUF 14 where Silar fought and beat Micah Miller (Cole Millers brother) in order to earn his spot in the TUF house. Elkins first UFC appearance was at UFC: Verra VS Jones where he fought Duane Ludwig and won via TKO when Ludwig sustained a serious ankle injury. Most of Siler's wins come by way of submission and decisions. Elkins is a solid wrestler with knock out power, he started out his career in the 155 lb weight class and I expect him to use his size advantage to hold and beat up Silar enroute to victory. I see this going to a decision with Elkins coming up the winner.
Winner: Elkins by Decision

Bantamweight: Ivan Menjivar (El Salvador) VS Azamat Gashimov (Russia)
I have a feeling this bout is going to be a war! Menjivar is a training partner of GSP and trains out of Tristar in Montreal. Gashimov is Russian, and they are tough as they come! I think this is going to come down to the experience factor, Menjivar has a record of over 30 fights where Gashimov is making his UFC debut with only 9 bouts under his belt. I see Menjivar taking this via KO/TKO.
Winner: Menjivar via TKO/KO

Welterweight: Matthew Riddle (USA) VS John Maguire (UK)
Ok, I first saw Riddle on TUF7 when he knocked Dan Simmler out cold and ever since I have always liked him. Big strong welterweight with dynamite in his hands. He has his hands full with the brit, John Maguire. Maguire brings tons of experience and pretty solid ground game. But I have to say this one is going to go to Riddle.
Winner: Riddle via TKO

Featherweight: Antonio Carvalho (Canada) VS Rodrigo Damm (Brazil)
Here we have Carvalho who holds a black belt in BJJ and Shotokan karate and a green belt in Judo taking on a very skilled Brazilian grappler in Damm. I think this is going to be a pretty text book Striker versus Grappler bout. If Carvalho can keep his distance and pick his shots I see him taking this with striking.
Winner: Carvalho via TKO/KO

Now on to the Preliminary card on FX.

Lightweight: Sam Stout (Canada) VS John Makdessi (Canada)
This has all the makings of a hell of a fight! Both men have very strong striking backgrounds. My first exposure to Stout was during the first fight with Spencer Fisher at UFC 58. Makdessi is another Tristar fighter and he's from the Maritimes (wooo!). I think this one might actually to close for me to call it. But I'm going to just put a prediction, though I see this one being a war and going either way.
Winner: Sam Stout via decision.

Lightweight: Mark Bocek (Canada) VS Rafael dos Anjos (Brazil)
Boceks most recent loss was to current Lightweight champ Ben Henderson and he has since been riding a three fight win streak. Both Bocek and dos Anjos have great ground games and I see this going the distance to a decision after a chess match grappling marathon.
Winner: Not sure. Leaning towards Bocek by Decision

Light Heavyweight: Cyrille Diabate (France) VS Chad Griggs (USA)
The biggest guys on the card! The 205ers are going to put on what I think will be a one sided striking clinic in favor of Diabante.
Winner: Diabante via TKO or Decision.

Middleweight: Patrick Cote (Canada) VS Alessio Sakara (Italy)
Cote was the first man to take Anderson Silva out of the opening round before Sonnen, I actually had Cote pegged to win the title before the knee injury happened. Now both of these men are solid boxers, but I see this going in Cote's favor.
Winner: Patrick Cote.

Main Card

Featherweight: Mark Hominick (Canada) VS Pablo Garza (USA)
Both of these guys are coming off losses and really need a win. Hominick is a tough guy who went the whole way versus Jose Aldo. If Hominick can overcome the reach and height disadvantage and outwork Garza I see him working out a decision.
Winner: Hominick via decision

Middleweight: Nick Ring (Canada) VS Costa Philippou (Greek)
Battles of the boxers!
Winner: Nick Ring via TKO/KO or Decision

Middleweight: Francis Carmont (France) VS Tom Lawlor (USA)
Our last middleweight bout of the night. Carmont is training and fighting out of Montreal and his is another training partner of GSP. He has a solid ground game and a good stand up base.
Winner: Francis Carmont via Decision or Submission

Welterweight: Martin Kampmann (Danish) VS John Hendricks (USA)
This is a welterweight title eliminator bout. This is going to be impossible for me to pick a winner. Both guys are tough as hell. Solid stand up and ground games and both come to fight.
Winner: ??? Maybe Kampmann.

MAIN EVENT

Weightweight Championship: Georges "RUSH" St-Pierre (Canada) VS Carlos "Natural Born Killer" Condit (USA)
I am so excited about this fight. GSP has been gone from the UFC for over a year due to tearing his ACL. However, Condit has not fought since winning the interim title against Nick Diaz in Febuary of this year. So I think ring rust might be a factor in this one. I will not lie, I am a huge GSP fan. I do see GSP taking this one in a dominant fashion by outworking Condit using his wrestling and striking. But, of course to count Condit out would be foolish.
Winner: GSP via Decision.... maybe TKO.

So there we have it, my picks for UFC 154 I am really pumped to see if I made the right calls. Enjoy!

Finding a Good Trainer, and How to Avoid the Bad Ones. Part 1

A LOT of folks get ripped off by personal trainers and athletic coaches.

We all know people who have used the services of trainers. Some have had awesome results and others have gotten screwed over. Stuck in contracts with really sub par personal trainers who have no business training themselves let alone anyone else!

So, without further ado.....

1) Education
- The most important factor in finding a trainer isn't what they know, it's what YOU know. Do your homework; Know about WHAT you're about to embark on. READ SOME SHIT- find out what's bullshit and what's real, effective exercise. Know what your goals are, and what you're willing to do to get there.

Look at it this way: You're about to drop a TON of cash on someone's expertise- shouldn't you at least know what you want?

As a bonus, it's very well possible that, in doing all this homework, you'll come to understand that, so long as you have the motivation, achieving and maintaining a general level of fitness really isn't that hard, and that basic fitness training doesn't require a $60/hour personal trainer, and that your ton of cash is best spent on some quality workout gear.

AGAIN, KNOWLEDGE IS YOUR GREATEST ASSET.

2) The Great Divide
- Most folks don't understand that there are two types of mainstream trainers; those who are sales-driven, and those who are results-oriented. For one, the sale is what's important- there are quotas to be met, after all. Once you get the sale, the slower the results, the more lessons you are likely to get. All a sales-driven trainer NEEDS to do is get JUST enough progress to get you to keep buying more lessons. Actually getting you to your goal is simply bad business, because then you stop buying lessons.

The other end of the spectrum is the results-oriented trainer, more commonly known as "The Network Trainer". For this trainer, efficient customer results- and therefore satisfaction- is the best way to make more money, because the trainer is aware that a happy client will tell their friends/neighbours/business colleagues/etc about how well they've done, thereby generating a "network" of people who know how good the trainer is, and who will want to use them. This works especially well with suburban housewives who socialize in consistent groups. If one drops 30lbs in 8 weeks, her friends WILL notice.

One cares about short-term profit, the other about growing his business. One will milk you for everything you're worth, while the other will get you your desired results ASAP, and send you off with a stack of business cards, a good experience, and a simple request to "tell your friends".

Which one do you want?

3) Babysitter/Nanny/Doctor/Dentist.... Trainer?

I'll take, "People You Don't Just Hire Randomly" for $500 please, Alex.

Really, does anyone just randomly pick a doctor or babysitter out of a phonebook?

Of course now- YOU DO YOUR FUCKING HOMEWORK, AND PICK THE BEST ONE AVAILABLE.

Now, the big question is this: If you're about to put your physiological health in someone hands, why the fuck would you stroll randomly into a place that is BLATANTLY trying to sell you an image, and take whatever "trainer" they thrust at you?

This person could be a week out of the 2 day "Personal Training Certification Seminar" the company has thrown them into, and not know a bloody thing. Hell, Goodlife Fitness, Canada's "leading fitness" corporation allows folks to train clients WITHOUT YET HAVING COMPLETED THEIR TRAINING. When I took my CAN-FIT-PRO PTS cert course, there were five-yes, FIVE- as yet un-certified folks (in a class of TWENTY-FIVE) who already had clients. ALL of them couldn't coach or train their way out of a paper-bag, and ALL had a client list of active people they were training.

What people fail to understand is just how big of a shit-fest the Personal Training business is. Its about sales, NOT results. Therefore, it attracts people who talk a good game, but VERY seldom have any real skill at anything other than selling you the goods. They are, as their moniker suggests, the "Used Car Salesman of the 21st Century".

Knowing that about the industry, WHY THE FUCK would you let them thrust a trainer OF THEIR CHOICE- one that's about to be in control of your physiological well-being- YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH- into your lap?

4) YOU are in charge

You know when you start with a trainer, and have that first meeting? When the two of you sit down, discuss your goals, set up a plan, and the trainer tells you an estimate of how much this will cost?

If you're smart, this is, at the very least, the SECOND meeting with that trainer, and at least the fifth or sixth time you've sat down with a trainer in general.

NEWSFLASH: YOU are in charge. Hiring a trainer is YOUR choice. You are- quite literally- putting your well-being in their hands. They can, if they're a retard or a moron, fuck up your shit.

The first meeting, YOU interview them, then you thank them for your time, get up, and walk the fuck out the door. No sales pitch, no contract to sign, no bullshit. This is not the time for them to pitch you on their rate plans, how they can work out a payment plan that is right for you, or how much towel rental costs. THIS is YOUR TIME to find out if the person in front of you is a competent trainer who can get you what you want in a slick motherfucker with no training who wants your cash.

5) Ask The Right Questions

So, you're at the first interview, and you are in charge.

What in hell are you asking this person?

Well, here are 8 basic questions that would be helpful in figuring out your potential trainer:

I) "I have this stubborn belly-fat that won't go away- Can you help me get rid of that? And how will you do this?"

- The opener, the dummy-shot, and the easiest way to get rid of the salesman and the idiots. We all know that spot-reduction is a myth, but you'd be surprised just how often it's used as a sales pitch by cash-driven thieves looking to sell clueless people on the idea that they can get you a six-pack. It's STILL being used on infomercials, to great effect (Ab-Circle, anyone?)

PLUS, It makes you look stupid and un-informed, and will cause trainers to under-estimate your knowledge, giving you the advantage.

If you get anything other than "Spot-reduction is a myth-Its all about a clean diet and hard-work", be VERY wary. If you get "Of course- We'll strengthen your core, and it'll burn out in no time!" Immediately stand up, AND WALK THE FUCK AWAY.

II) How long have you been training?

- Experience isn't everything; someone who's been a shitty trainer for 15 years is STILL a shitty trainer. However, if they've been in the game for awhile, they're either solid skill-wise, or VERY good at selling their bullshit. Either way, its a solid first question.

III) Do you have a University degree in Physiology, Exercise Science, Human Kinetics, or a related field?

- Its not the mark of a good trainer- My degree is Psychology, and I chose training as a career after college- and I know MANY elite trainers with only a high-school diploma, but what it DOES show is that the person in front of you is interested enough in exercise and physiology to have invested a LOT of time and money into studying the field they're currently in.

IV) Do you have an athletic background (Did you play sports in college, or highschool? If so, what were they?)

- Other than the obvious, this will tell you a LOT about the person in front of you. Dedicated high-end athletes seldom make good coaches and trainers, at least when they're young; it takes a certain "me-first" mindset to excel in sports, because you have to put the demands of your sport ahead of the rest of your life. In terms of training, that means YOU come second to THEM. I see a LOT of trainers who believe that how ripped or muscular they are translates into how good of a coach or trainer they are. In reality, it's a matter of WHAT you know and WHETHER you can apply it to your client. One's physical appearance is actually irrelevant- in fact, it may be argued that a trainer that plays several high-level sports, trains everyday, and is concerned exclusively with how he or she looks isn't fully concentrating on you, and getting you the results you want.

So, while its certainly beneficial for a trainer to have a ripped, muscular physique (and NO ONE is willing to listen to someone who obviously can't or won't take care of themselves), its not a requirement to be a capable and effective trainer, nor should it be when you sit across from this person.

V) Show me your certs.

- EVERY trainer should be able to give you a detailed background of both their primary education, AND their continuing education credits, AND provide proof of certification. One of the most common things I hear trainers say is "Clients don't care about what certs you have."

My response to this is that "NOT ENOUGH clients care about what certs I have."

I WANT a client that is interested in my education. It shows me that the client is wholly invested in finding the right trainer for them, which means they're wholly invested in getting the results they want. When someone asks me for my certs, its a pleasant surprise. Conversely, if I'm a bad trainer who's only done the minimum for continuing their education, it will unnerve the fuck out of me if someone asks me what I've done, and all I can say is "CAN-FIT-PRO online courses".

If a trainer balks when you ask what certifications and Continuing Education Credits (CECs) they have, or has none, WALK THE FUCK AWAY. EVERY trainer should be proud of what they've taken, and every trainer should pore a significant amount of their free cash into expanding their abilities. It's EXACTLY like a hairstylist- its not just an option, IT'S FUCKING VITAL.

Oh, and because you followed point one and DID YOUR HOMEWORK, you're going to know whether or not the certs the trainer has are bullshit and worthless, or quality and money.

VI) "What is your opinion of Functional Movement?"

- Welcome to the great separator. You've done your homework, and if you've spent ANY time at all in places of repute, these words will have come up. Basically, its training the body to move the way its designed to- movement patterns, screening, analysis and correction, and a whole host of other things. At its most basic level, it's how to squat properly. However, for you, as either a sports athlete or just an Average Joe trying to get fit, it will tell you a LOT about the person sitting in front of you. Someone knowledgeable in functional movement and its applications will, by the very nature of understanding functional movement, know their shit, although whether they can apply it in training is a whole other ballgame.

Basically, what will happen is this: You will ask the question, and one of three things will happen:

A) You will get a blank stare, an uncomfortable silence, and/or some sort of derisive snort.

B) You will get a glimmer of recognition, followed by confusion, and a bunch of bullshit.

C) The person across from you will either a) Nod, and inform you that its a valuable tool, at which point you ask when the person would teach you to squat ("Early" or "Right Away" is the only acceptable answer) or they will begin talking, spewing forth a great gush of cool shit concerning hip drive, posterior chain development, and a whole bunch of other stuff that your homework will only marginally prepare you for.

One of these is acceptable, the other two are not. For general fitness, understanding how we are designed to move is integral to getting you generally fit. If all you want is big arms, then not so much. But, if you intend for healthy movement to be a part of your everyday life, its important that your trainer know how to teach you to move properly.

BTW: Core stability is NOT functional movement. Its a bullshit buzzword that now encompasses everything from Zumba to Sports Conditioning. If all a trainer talks about is Core Stability or conditioning, unless the person happens to have "Chek Exercise Coach" as one of their education certifications, RUN THE FUCK AWAY.

VII) What facilities have you worked at?

- This is a great way to get a solid understanding of where someone's been, and why they are where they are. Good trainers get hired by good institutions. Depending on where you live, this could be a University gym, a well-known strength & conditioning facility, or a good micro-gym/Crossfit facility. VERY rarely is it a mainstream facility.

If a trainer is at a mainstream facility, and is good, there could be a few legitimate reasons why, such as the facility he was at closed, or she works at both places, or he's there because he knows his skills set him apart from everyone else, and he gets all the high-end clients and sports types and makes a ton of cash doing it. Its even possible that the person used to own a facility, and got tired of the stress (but be careful here; its also possible they lost the facility because they are a shitty trainer). You could also have yourself a young up-and-comer on your hands, a highly-skilled and serious trainer who needed a way to get his feet wet and a foot in the door. At this point, you're going to have a good idea of what's going on, and looking at the whole picture should be enough to decipher that mystery (asking might work, too).

VIII) References, please.

- Lastly, if you like what you've seen, ask for references. They can be faked easily (friends, relatives, people who owe you favors) but, since you've done your homework, its easy to devise a few simple questions to ask those references that will tell you whether or not they're full of shit.

********

BTW: Take notes at the interview.

Then, go to a different gym- or find another trainer at the same gym- and interview them. And again. And again. Then sit down and compare. If you haven't found one that suits your needs or quells your fears, keep looking.

Why the fuck would you invest several thousand dollars on someone you're not 120% sure will be right for you? Take your time, and do it right.

Now, let's say you find a trainer, and are willing to give him a shot. DO NOT, REPEAT, DO NOT, by into a long-term training contract.

Buy 3 lessons.

Those 3 lessons are step 2. This trainer has passed the interview, now you're going to see if he can actually apply what he knows. Tell him/her you want a broad overview/sampling of what she's capable of, as related to your needs/goals. If they don't understand what you're talking about, tell them directly you're finding out if they really do know their shit (this will aggravate bad coaches, and earn the respect of good ones), and ask them to explain how they'd go about a workout with you, and to coach you on some basic moves. If they lead you to the machines, tell them no, something that involves actual coaching, like the squat. If they lead you to the smith machine, begin to worry, and tell them "no, teach me the air squat/squat basics." If they can't, you have your answer, and can move on.

If the lessons go well and- having done your homework- you can tell that the trainer is competent, buy something a little longer: Say, 10-20 lessons, depending on how often you plan to go. What you want is to cover 60-90 days, depending on what kind of shape you're in (longer if you're unfit, shorter if you're fit). The trainer will get you a program, and start you on it.

Now, after 60-90, you'll have either reached your goals, or you haven't. If you're still interested in having a trainer, you enter Phase 3; Adaptation and Evolution.

The last component of an effective trainer is whether or not they can adapt to your progress and keep you from stagnating/plateauing. For general fitness, a very good trainer will cycle the training so well that adaptation is impossible. Its the principle of constant variation, and its still a new concept to most in fitness.

If you get to a plateau, and your trainer can't effectively adapt your program to get you past that, its time to find a different trainer, because the one you have currently has reached the limits of their abilities. There's nothing wrong with that- after all, they've gotten you this far- and they should be happy that they've fulfilled what they were hired to fulfill, and should be able to recommend someone else to you.

Then the process begins again.

*******

5) If a trainer comes to train in dress pants and a polo, he's not ready to train you.

- I get that places have dress codes. But how a gym dresses their staff directly reflects their approach to training. A facility that has their training staff dress in gear that is inappropriate for getting dirty and demonstrating exercises conveys the message that they'd prefer their training staff to look good rather than to properly show people stuff. AND, since they don't want their staff coaching people, you can safely assume that the folks they aim to hire don't put training- and your needs- first.

I once saw a male trainer dressed in khakis, a polo shirt, and patent leather shoes train a client. He carried his blackberry with him, was looking at it more than his client, and never once demonstrated an exercise. Now, I'd give this person the benefit of the doubt if it was perhaps an elite athlete that was being trained in a program they were clearly familiar with, but the client was an obese woman struggling on a machine circuit.

Some of the best coaches I know train their clients in shorts and a T-Shirt, and some of the best powerlifting coaches I know teach in hoodies and cut-off jeans. Hell, Dave Tate's customary work attire is a hoodie and track pants, and Louie Simmons wanders around in a ripped and dirty T-Shirt.

They ALWAYS get dirty.

If your trainer is dressed like a salesman at Best Buy, RUN THE FUCK AWAY.

6) You are the focus

- When I'm training a client, the building could come crashing down around me, and my focus wouldn't waver. Hot women, a big lift, dropping weight, the PA system, or a guy dropping dead behind me- nothing matters unless my client mentions it, THEN- and only then- will I acknowledge it. If one of my other clients see me, and ask me something, I'm polite but curt; I'll apologize the next time I see them. If they're dumb enough to interrupt in the middle of an exercise, they get the "Just a Minute" finger until the exercise is completed, then they get the curt and polite "Go away till I'm done" response. I've NEVER had a client be angry with me for that, because all of my clients have my undivided attention, and they KNOW.

Once, I had a fellow trainer interrupt me to complain about the noise (we were doing ball slams)- He received a stern "Fuck off- I'm working here, shouldn't you be too?" without my eyes ever leaving my client.

Any trainer you pick should always give you their full, undivided attention. Having a phone or anything else is with them is just rude, as is talking to others, staring at hot people, or watching TV.

Zombies, RUN! - A Review

So today I'm going to do a review of probably one of the best aps I have ever seen.

It's really more of a game and it is set in post apocalyptic Earth after a zombie virus has ravaged the population. I keep thinking something like Resident Evil, Walking Dead or Shaun of the Dead.

I love this ap. The is the easiest way to describe it.

I have always hated doing cardio because I get so bored and lose focus.

This ap uses the playlists that you create of your own music along with some really interesting dialogue between characters.

Basically, you are a "runner" or someone who goes out and runs to get supplies, completes intelligence missions or rescue injured people in a post zombie apocalypse world. During the missions which are broken up into segments or chapters which consist of a couple of your songs and then dialogue to move the story along. You also pick up items en route during the mission which could be anything from batteries, to underwear to food and medical supplies to weapons.

I highly recommend picking up this ap, it actually makes cardio fun and enjoyable to do.

Dear Dana White,

So as many people now know, Cristiane "Cris Cyborg" Santos, the women's 145 lbs Strikeforce champ has been suspended for testing positive for some sort of steroid after her 16 second knock out defeat of Hiroko Yamanaka. She is said to be one of the most dominant MMA fighters, male or female, in the sport today.

If it is indeed true that she knowingly took the substance in question in order to enhance her performance in the cage then, yes the suspension and $2,500 fine is completely deserved. As the willing use of PEDs is one of the worst forms of cheating any athlete can do. If you feel like you have to cheat to win, maybe it's time to retire.

Now what is just coming into the MMA news is that Dana White that all so big fan of women's mma, has stripped Santos of the 145 lb title because of the positive test. And since it appears that the likely course for the women's strikeforce 145 lb division is oblivion. Since to quote Mr White; "We were going to hold that division and just do fights with 'Cyborg' whenever there was a new contender. She's getting stripped of the title. I don't know. We'll see what happens."

So because of one woman's screw up, the entire Strikeforce Women's 145 lb division goes up in smoke. 

Hey Dana, remember when Miguel Torres made a joke about rape and you cut him? Then once the media hooplah died down you brought him right back in? Or when former UFC Lightweight Contender Hermes Franca was sentenced to 42 months in prison for unlawful penetration and the sexual abuse of an under age student at his gym? Just so everyone is on the same page, unlawful penetration is rape.

The usual course of action, sad that it's "usual", for when a champion tests positive for PEDs is for he or she to sit out while the top two contenders slug it out for the title. Then after the champion's suspension is up, the formally suspended champ and the new champ duke it out for the title. You know, when Sean Sherk was busted for PEDs then after his suspension was up he fought Penn for the title. I didn't see the men's 155 lb division go under because of one guy's screw up.

Granted there seems to be a huge lack of women at 145 in MMA. But hey, why not hold The Ultimate Fighter for women at 145? With the finals being for the Strikeforce 145 lb belt? Best case, it might just bring in more viewers and make more money for Zuffa and bring more high calibre women for 145. Worst case, Dana may not look like a total douche bag to a lot of women.

But hey, this entire situation just goes to show that currently in 2012 it is more socially acceptable for men to joke about rape than for a woman to screw up. 

You know what Dana, sign me up, I'll fight at 145. Bring it on.

Progressive Overload Theory and the Plateau Effect

This theory states that if you do not keep challenging your muscles you will not see any gains or changes.

This has to do with something called the "plateau effect". The plateau effect kicks in when your body has become accustomed with the exercises that you have been doing. During this effect you will see little to no gains either in mass, or strength and you just feel like you are going nowhere in your training.

The solution to this? Confuse them. Making changes to your routine every 4-6 weeks will help you start seeing gains again.

Ways to do this:

• Progressively add more weight - no more than 5-10% every 1-2 weeks depending on how often you are lifting.
• Change the muscle group you start with (ie) Start with your legs one day, than chest or back the next. Again depends on what you are doing.
• Switch up your routine, add new moves or do new things. Such as classes, crossfit and etc.

There is nothing wrong with trying something new with your training if it is under the supervision of a qualified individual who can give you pointers on form and technique so you are getting the most out of everything you do. Hell, you might even find something you didn't know you liked or were even good at. Never be afraid of not doing something because you think you cannot do it, give a shot you'll either like it and do it more often. Or not like and never do it again. But the difference is, you would be one of the few people out there who got out of their comfort zone for the sake of trying something new. And that, in my opinion, is worthy of bragging rights.

One of my students asked me tonight during my kickboxing class "When does this training start to feel good?"

I thought for a moment and replied with, "When you are on the beach and you take your shirt off and you look better than every other guy out there. That's when."

Keep that in mind.

Going Through Phases

Sorry about the delay in posting. I recently landed a new job and I have been very tied up with it.

There are four main phases in the exercise world. And they are:

Foundation:
Nothing can be built if it doesn't have a solid foundation. During this phase which can last anywhere 2 to 10 weeks depending on the person. My personal recommendation, is 4 weeks in the foundation phase to weed out any muscle imbalances or instability. The exercises used during this phase go hand in hand with the 6 primal movements of a human being: Push, Pull, Twist, Lunge, Squat and Bend.

Build:
In this phase you start using weights in order to build muscle. Typically lasts about 6-8 weeks, again that depends on each person. If you are just going for general fitness stick with the 6 primal movements in weighted variations. This is also the time to start introducing isolation exercises such as bicep curls, shoulder press, leg curls, rows and etc. Weights used are typically 60-80% of your one rep max (orm), try to max out the reps at 10. If you can do more than ten, add more weight. The tempo of your lifts are 2 seconds up (explode) and 4 seconds to start position (control going down).

Neat, but how do I know what my one rep max is? Good question, you basically guess.

Burn:
In this phase, which should never last longer than 4 weeks. Because during this phase you lift faster and longer sets and you are burning off more fat reserves in order to uncover all that muscle you built in the build phase. Typical the weights used in this phase is no more than 50% of your ORM. Sets of 15-20 reps and a tempo of 2 seconds up, and 2 seconds down.

Strength:
In this phase you are building your strength through lifting your ORM. Sets are only 1 rep, and the rest is usually 4-5 minutes. Very intense phase, lasts between 4-6 weeks. Movements are typically Olympic style lifts (Clean and Jerk etc) and should be done under the supervision of a qualified trainer.

To Dana White, RE Womens MMA - An Open Letter

So as some Mixed Martial Arts fighters may know, UFC/Zuffa has bought out strikeforce back on MArch 12 2011. You can read about it here.

A couple of years ago I was watching a video interview of UFC President Dana White. The interviewer asked Mr White what he thought about a womens division in the UFC someday. White replied that he did not have any interest in Womens MMA or a Womens Division in the UFC. He has repeated this feeling in a couple of other interviews.

Now I have a question, since Strikeforce had a very active womens division and that White has no interest in Womens MMA. What is going to happen to the Women Fighters? White has said that Strikeforce will operate "as usual" which is all well and good for now. But what will happen when Strikeforce ultimately gets folded into the UFC like other Organizations before it?

Or what will happen when the Womens contracts come up for renegotations? How will the Women end up getting paid if their Boss doesn't support womens MMA? How will the division get valued? These are the questions that need to be answered.

I personally love watching womens MMA. Not just because I'm a woman. From a purely technical standpoint, the women tend to have more technique and it's more of a thinking game than alot of their male counterparts. However, you do still see a fair number of knock outs or very slick submissions.

Female fighters train and fight just as hard as their male counterparts, yet they get paid and respected far less. A comment on an article on mmafighting.com spelled out the lack of respect pretty well:

"If they were fighting in jello and wearing wet tshirts, then they'd get my $39.99."

Asides from the poster being an immature chauvanistic moron, he does hit very close to a very real issue plaguing society today. There are some younger guys that are jerks and just see women as sex objects or something for them to conquer. And perhaps the idea of women being able to fight and take back control kind of freaks them out a little bit.

-Amanda

Diet Supplments, my rant about "fat burners"

One time in 2008, I bought a bottle of fat burners to attempt to make an ungodly low weight for a fight. I read the directions on the bottle, which was to take 2 twice a day for the first 7 days, and then 1 twice a day afterwards. It also said that it worked better if taken within 1 hour of working out.

So I did as the bottle directed. Then I was up for 4 days. My heart was beating so hard my chest was pulsing. Everything and everyone seemed to be going really slowly, except me. I managed to write a 15 page Canadian politics paper in 2 hours. I was incredibly jittery and easy to startle.

I immedietly stopped taking them. I also did a little research into this item, I was shocked to see the chemical equivilent of an illegal drug in it. Along with copious ammounts of caffiene and ephedra.

Ladies and Gentlemen, if you are going to take supplements please consult someone who knows about them. Try to avoid the fat burners, they put an unneeded stress on your system and sometimes they are not approved by your country's health board. These can be really dangerous products if not used correctly, or if they interact with another prescription you could be taking the effects could be diasterous.

My personal oppinion would be to avoid almost everything except a really great protein powder.

My issue with "Cardio" Boxing/Kickboxing

This is my issue with "Cardio" Boxing/Kickboxing/Thai Boxing. Like that Tae Boe crap that was all the rage a few years ago. I have two big issues with this sort of stuff.

They claim to be usefull in self-defense situations.
Guess what? When you have an attacker who outweighs you by a substantial ammount and smacks you around when you aren't trained in how to react to that. You won't be able to do anything to protect yourself. Self defense training should be carried out in a full contact setting, so you know what it's like to be hit.

Punching/kicking at the air will not lead to injuries.
No, it will if you are not properly shown the techniques. Hyperextension is a very real injury and it is not fun thing to have happen. If you are punching at full power into the air, you will end up over extending your elbow.

I have another issue but this isn't as big as the other two.

They claim to be an amazing workout.
This is true but when you are just puching the air your muscles are not having to react to making contact with a real target. That impact makes the muscles of your arms/legs/butt/core contract to absorb the impact. And thusly giving you that toned look you are going for.

My honest suggestion is that if you are looking for a really great workout to investigate your local boxing/kickboxing scene and go and try a class. If it is a credible club, they will never try to force you to spar another student if you really do not want to. However, I do suggest that everyone that tries atleast one round of sparring in their life time. It is a killer workout, and provided your opponent is not uncontrolable jerk that doesn't try to take your head off with each technique, it is really really fun to get hit and to be able to hit back. It's the ultimate stress release.

SMART Goal Setting

I think it's time I updated with how one on a fitness journey should set goals. And the method commonly used by trainers is:

SMART.

S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Action Oriented
R - Realistic
T - Timed

Specific:
Goals should be as specific as possible so that you can picture exactly where you need to be heading. Skills in questioning are really needed to set specific goals. If your current goal is to "Get in shape" or "feel better:, ask yourself how you want to feel or what you want to change. Once you ask questions like this you'll have a better idea of what you want.

Measurable:
This is a great way to get feedback on your goals. Say you want to lose weight and have more energy, well once you decide how much weight you want to lose that is a specific goal. However increasing your energy is a little tougher goal to set, but not impossible. For example, ask yourself where your energy is now on a scale of 1 to 10. With 1 being a slug and 10 being Superman or Superwoman.

Action Oriented:
When you are setting a goal, you should associate a specific action with it. If you want to lose 10 lbs then you should set a plan to meet with a trainer or your workout buddy 3 times a week and atleast once by yourself to workout for 30 minutes to an hour.

Realistic:
In my opinion this is the most important part of the goal setting process. It has to be realistic for you and you alone. If it is not realistic you will not be able to accomplish it and thusly become very uninterested in your fitness journey. And please don't do any of these "I want to lose 30 lbs in 30 days and I'm 160 lbs now". That is just far to much body mass for you to lose in that short ammount of time.

Timed:
This part is easy, this is how much time you will dedicate to this goal.
You can also use this entire SMART method to set a short term and a long term goal.