Never Settle For Less

Yesterday a friend of mine got me really fired up.  We were having a discussion about buying a house and he spouts off and says "The Average person our age is blah blah blah".  As soon as he said average I stopped paying attention.  That word absolutely drives me up a wall.  Average has never been very attractive to me so it makes me crazy when someone quotes an average or a statistic.

I had to look at faithful www.dictionary.com to figure out why I despise that word so.  On the site the word average is described as a typical amount, rate, degree, etc. To me that reads the same as everybody else.  Never has that option been attractive.  Not in the school yard, high school, college, working, blogging, or working out.  Why do anything with an aim of being normal???
Seriously…According to statistics (depending on who you quote)

• 65% of Americans are overweight –> I used to be one of them until I decided it wasn’t for me.  The statistic is sad but it can be swayed easily.  Other countries are living healthy so one of the wealthiest in the world sure can.
• 95% of diets fail–> I won’t even touch this one.  We all know there is no quick fix for the body!
• 90% of new businesses fail –>  Yet another statistic that can depress us if we allow.  I use it to motivate me.  Somewhere out there 10% of business owners know what’s going on.  It seems to be in my best interest to find them if I want to succeed.
• 70% of Americans hate their jobs–> One time I had a job I wasn’t too fond of.  My manager was indirect, the tasks weren’t mentally stimulating, and I felt stagnant.  I did the only thing I knew how….I sucked it up, found a new position, and moved on with my life.
• The average credit card debt is 9,000USD–> No sir I don’t like it.  If backing myself up 9 grand is how I fit in I think I’ll pass.  No really I’m serious I’ll pass.

Far too many of us hide behind averages and statistics to make us feel better.  Saying things like

• If 65% of people are overweight then its ok right?
• If 70% of people hate their jobs then its ok if I rot away in mine too right?
• If my first business venture fails then I should just hang em up because 90% of new business fails anyway right?
• If I have 6,000USD in credit card debt I’m good since the average is 9,000 USD right?

Whenever I hear this I just want to drive a steak into my heart because I absolutely don’t care what the average is. It doesn’t relate to me in the slightest bit.  There are only a few BILLION people on this earth.  I’m not very interested in trying to emulate them all.  I’d rather exceed the average and enjoy myself in the process.

Status quo is for people who want average results.  I’d prefer to aim for something higher.  That’s why I sprint out the last 1/2 mile of a 6 mile run.  That’s why I slap on 45 lb plates when I do dips.  That’s why I consume 1 book a month.  That’s why I seek out danger and new experiences.  Being average is easy and so much less rewarding than truly extending yourself and growing.

I’d like to close with this final thought.  There’s enough average going around.  In the event that you decide to be ABOVE AVERAGE the precious "average’ won’t budge.  The law of large numbers says little ole me can’t change the average.  I can and will strive to change myself and remain above average in the weight room and in life.  Hopefully you will too.

Imagine being in a time crunch to complete your workout.  Today is chest/back day and your normal workout takes 60 minutes to complete.  You really want to get the best out of your workout and can only go for 40 minutes max.  Several options present themselves:

1. Remove      exercises
2. Reduce      Sets/Reps
3. Skip      the Workout
4. TRY      SUPERSETING

Supersetting is an extremely effective workout style where you perform two exercises back to back with no rest.  You can blast the chest and then hit the back.  You can push your triceps to the limit and follow that up with bicep work.   So many possibilities exist in the superset world.

SUPERSET TYPES

Supersetting has many faces:

• Pre-exhaustion      (Isolation then Compound)
• Post-exhaustion      (Compound then Isolation)
• Same      Muscle Compound (Compound then Compound)
• Isolation      (Isolation then Isolation)
• Antagonistic      (Opposing muscle groups)
• Circuit      (3 exercises chained together)

WHY SUPERSET?

Supersetting is great for a number of reasons

1.      Saves Time

2.      Offers a greater challenge than traditional workouts

3.      Creates variety and encourages new muscle growth

4.      Eliminates the natural tendency to rest too long between sets

My most rewarding experience with supersetting has come with Antagonistic supersets.  I enjoy the ability to chain compound exercises together.  You recruit more muscle fibers, over different muscle groups, in a shorter period of time.  What’s not to love?

The prescription below is one I used earlier this year.  The paired numbers indicate a superset.  This workout is one of my favorites as I peeled off 8 lbs in a month using it.

Antagonistic Super Set

Monday Abs/Core

(1) Hanging Leg Raises 4 x 25

(1) Ab Wheel 4 x 30

(2) Cable Crunch (Left, Center, Right) 4×15

(2) Jacknife 4×25

(3) Dumdbell Side Bends 4×20

(3) Six Inches (90 seconds)

Tuesday Chest/Back

(1) Lying dumbbell press (3 sets of 10)

(1) T-Bar Row (3 sets of 12)

(2) Dumbbell Flyes (3 sets of 12)

(2) One-Arm Dumbbell Row (3 sets of 9)

(3) Weighted Dips (3 sets of 10)

(3) Weighted Reverse Grip Chins (3 sets of 10)

Wednesday

5 Mile run

Thursday (Legs)

(1) Leg Press (3 sets of 15)

(1) Leg Curl (3 sets of 15)

(2) Barbell Step Up (3 sets of 15)

(2) Hack Squat (3 sets of 10)

Plyometric Box Jump (4 sets of 45 seconds)

Friday (Biceps/Triceps/Shoulders)

(1) Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extension (3 sets of 15)

(1) EZ Bar Curl (3 sets of 12)

(2) Dumbbell Shrugs (3 sets of 15)

(2) Plate Raises (3 sets of 20)

(3) Cable Curls (3 sets of 12)

(3) Cable Pushdowns (3 sets of 12)

This workout will challenge you unlike any straight set workout.  Using the proper weights on a combination like lying dumbbell press and T-Bar row or barbell step up and hack squat will tax you mentally and physically.  You’ll leave the gym every day exhausted, drain, and most of all better.  This clash of opposing muscles is sure to push you past your limits!

Last week’s salad was pretty good.  Everything was great with the exception of the spinach.  I didn’t let it dry properly so the salad was extra moist.  The recipe for this week is Sea Bass in salsa (Sea Bass is $35/lb so it was substituted for Tilapia instead).

The recipe is as follows:

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/4 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded, sliced

1/2 cup cooked lentils, drained

1/2 teaspoon dried-leaf oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 lb. Tilapia Fillets (LOL)

This meal was very good.  Refreshing, light, but still fulfilling.

A while ago I was discussing they gym with a friend of mine.  He constantly creates reasons to "work out" at home and avoid the 2 excellent gyms within 2 miles of his home.  I broke down his defense with these points.
1 - You are cheating yourself!

The best equipment is in your gym.  LA Fitness, Gold’s Gym, 24 hr fitness, and Bally’s are designed with fitness in mind.  Working out at home (unless you have ALL the right equipment) won’t provide the stimulus you need to create lean muscle tissue.  No weight (or bodyweight) exercises are good when nothing else is available.  To really stress your body you need weights.  The local gym is happy to have you.

2 - Success breeds success

Success is contagious no matter the venue

• Business
• Dating
• Cooking
• The Gym

If  you’re around a good business man you pick up on their acumen.  If you know someone who fairs well at dating more than likely you’ll gather tips from them.  If mom is a good cook chances are you’re a good cook.  Being in the company of fit people rubs off.  People tend to take on the patterns of those around them.  If you workout at home then you take on the patterns of your furniture .

3- People are already isolated enough

Our circle of associates and contacts can all use some expansion.  It’s good to experience other human beings.  The boss, wife, kids, and coworkers are a constant in all our lives.  Life gets stale when you experience the same 6-7 people.  Go to the gym and mingle with the people there.  If you go at the right time you can meet some VERY interesting people.

4-Gym Rats have valuable FREE Advice

Sitting in the locker room and listening to people talk is invaluable.  The really hardcore and successful gym rats discuss their sets, reps, weights, timing, and breaks in the locker room.  If you ask them they are more than willing to help.  Everybody likes to feel needed so…make the gym giants feel needed.  They’ll return the favor with their vast knowledge.  When they do PAY ATTENTION!

5-There is no reason to be intimidated

I’ve had friends, clients, and coworkers all express sentiments of being intimidated in the gym.  Whenever I hear that I get confused.  I understand that there are some fantastic looking people in the gym, but they are in the minority.  Most people in the gym are striving to meet their fitness goal just like you.

Just about everybody in the gym these days has on an Ipod.  We spend more time finding a song to rep out to than looking at other people.  Everybody is in their own little world once the workout starts.  Chances are one person is concerned with the way you are looking.  I’ll leave it up to you to guess who it is.

Since I’ve lost weight I constantly get asked what diet program I used to lose weight.  Which miracle program helped me shed all those unwanted pounds?

• Marcus are you “in the zone”?
• Marcus did you use the Atkins diet?
• Marcus do you have a south beach bod?

The answer is No, No, and not yet.

Like many people I tried and tried to use diets and miracle programs to lose weight.  I’d start with hopes of miracle results in 10 days and be thoroughly disappointed with the results.  It wasn’t until I began to lose weight that I realized why 95% of diets fail.

Diets are SHORT TERM solution (shortcut) to a LONG TERM problem.  No amount of tricky pills, widgmos, or diet cycling can compete with evolution.  Our bodies are too smart and evolved  to fall for short term over night trickery.  Long term issues can only be addressed with  true behavioral shifts.

That my friends is the #1 reason why diets fail.  Our lifelong eating and fitness patterns are out of wack.  Think of the way we celebrate.  99% of the time there is cake, wine, pizza, or beer involved.  For an entire lifetime we eat these patterns up.  Wreaking havoc on our metabolism and muscles.  Turning your attention to the matter at hand for a mere minute or 2 won’t do it.

Physically fit people (and the 5% of successful dieters) committ to the correct nourishment and physical fitness plans.  No shortcuts allowed.

What kind of ATTITUDE do have?

Do you grab life by the horns?

Do you take things as they come?

Do you lead with ambition?

Do you moan and complain at every turn or make the most out of your situations?

In the gym and in life attitude is everything.  I’ve noticed that the people who are usually on top in any endeavor have one thing…a winning ATTITUDE.

When I say winning attitude I don’t mean a cheerleader’s "You can do it" zest.  I mean the attitude that they can and will overcome all obstacles no matter how tall.  Tackle the gym, relationships, and your career with the right attitude and you can’t go wrong
!

Last week I decided to look into the Mediterranean Heart Diet.  I’m not a proponent of any miracle weight loss diet plan but I seek variety in my diet. I’ve shoveled down baked chicken, turkey, and fish 5000 times in the last year and I need something new. The diet’s focus on fruits, veggies, bread, olive oil, and lean proteins drew me in.  Every Tuesday I’m taking a dish and giving it a shot.
My first experiment with the Mediterranean Heart Diet was Apricot Chicken.  It was quite embarassing to walk around the store harassing people about my ingredient list (What’s an Apricot?, What’s cornstarch?, What is a basting brush?) but I found what I came for.  The dish turned out ok and I can only get better.
This week I’ll be making Chicken, Peach, and Berry Salad with Honey Poppy Seed Salad Dressing. The dish looks good with a good blend of proteins, veggies, fruits, nuts and light oils.  The ingredient list is as follows

Chicken, Peach, and Berry Salad
1 bunch spinach (Check)

1 celery stalk, sliced (Check)

1 cup cubed cooked chicken (Check)

1 cup fresh raspberries or strawberries (Check)

2 tablespoons toasted walnuts (Check)

Honey Poppy Seed Dressing

1/2 Cup Honey (Check)

1 tablespoon of grated lemon zest (???????)

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (Check)

3 tablespoons of Extra Light olive oil or canola oil (Check)

2 tablespoons Poppy Seeds (????????)
As you can see I am only utterly confused on 2 items this week.  Hopefully, I’ll spend 5 minutes searching for ingredients instead of 45 minutes.  Wish me luck and I’ll let you know how it turns out.  If you have any recipes you think I should try feel free to post them here.

On Sunday I submitted my 2nd article to JP for publishing to the site.  I was determined to continually submit articles until my material made the site.  When the article gets published I’ll be sure to post the link.  Writing and speaking are two of my passions so I’m very happy right now.  Have a great weekend and keep it lean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY9FI9T_84M

This is a video of me speaking about my body transformation at a Toastmasters Contest.  Enjoy and leave comments.  Thanks!

Today I was kicking back and thinking about some funny things I’ve seen and done in the gym.

The Warrior Cry -  I was a gym novice in college the very first time my ears were pierced by the warrior cry.  Georgia Tech is known for its engineers, not its physiques.  As a result anyone with an impressive body gets a lot of attention.  One of the gym mainstays was clearly head and shoulders above everyone else.  He was ripped up and looked to be about 6 or 7% bf.  Being bigger than everybody else wasn’t enough.  He had to find a way to let everyone know through what I now call "The Warrior Cry".  Every single time he finished a rep he’d give a 300 style "huuuuuuuuuuahh" or "brrruuuuuuuaaaaaggggh".  Curls, deadlifts, bench press, wrist curls, and yes even CALF RAISES got a "gyrreeeeeeeaaaah".  So the next time you get ready to burn those calf muscles to the ground let out a big "huuuuuuuaaaahh" to let everybody in the gym know what time it is.
The Supermodel Strut - The supermodel strut is another favorite of mine.  For the better part of a year I worked out in a corporate gym at The Home Depot’s Corporate Headquarters.  The gym was moderately equipped and for the most part filled with people all trying to get into shape.  In January of this year I left that gym for an LA Fitness with more robust options.  I noticed something was different as soon as I arrived.  The air seemed cleaner.  The machines were newer.  The people were also in WAAAAAAAAY better shape.

About a month into my membership an extremely well proportioned asian girl waltzed out onto the floor.  Most people hit the gym floor in their clothes ready to go.  Not her.  She had on a warm up of some sort.  She walked AROUND the weight lifting area 2 or 3 times making sure to get everyone’s attention (I looked only because I didn’t want her to waste her efforts).  Next she started to take off her clothes in super slow motion.  First she came out of the pants.  She was conveniently bent over for an extra 45 seconds after her pants were off.  Next, she pulled off her top and stared in the mirror to adjust herself up stairs. Of course she wasn’t done there.  She then whipped her hair around Baywatch style and threw it in a pony tail.  This was all ON THE GYM FLOOR!.

After her undressing routine she turned around to check on her audience.  Sure enough we were all staring.  Apparently satisfied with herself she jumped into her "routine".  So Ladies the next time you’re in the gym and need a boost here’s an idea.  Come in fully dressed and undress on the floor.  You’re sure to catch some glances.  Just give me credit for introducing you to the Super Model Strut.
Last but definitely not least is a blooper of my own.

Spin Class in Boxers -  Spin class in boxers was my very own ingenious idea.  Everyone who participates in spin class knows that biking shorts are necessary to keep everything where it needs to be.  Everyone knows that except me.  About a month into the class I learned my lesson.

The class started with the normal warm up.  Once we picked up the pace I began to worry.  I’ll be PC and just say my team was moving with every pedal stroke.  To make matters worse I had on some gym shorts that made the movement clear to anybody who cared to watch. Fortunately for me my neighbor cared to watch.  Every 2 or 3 minutes I’d look over and catch her eyes square in my lap! She wasn’t shy about looking  either.  After the class was over she followed me out of the class and tapped me on the shoulder.  She grinned and said "You should keep your team under control coach" and chuckled off.  Since that day I’ve kept the team in check.

See you soon.