And so it begins....

Welcome to the live Applied Strength blog and website! It took a bit longer than expected to be up and running due to some technical issues but we are live and ready to roll.

Through this blog I will be sharing information with you on various aspects of fitness and strength. When you go to the AppliedStrength.com site and look at my bio you will have the dates and events that give you a picture of my background and work experience - however - philosophy and personal experience cannot be communicated by dates and specifics.

For example - What lead me here to the creation of appliedstrength.com? You can look at my bio and see a Bachelor's of Science in Sportsmedicine and a Master of Science in Rehabilitative Science but those are only pieces of the puzzle. These pieces lay down a great base of knowledge but knowledge is not power! Knowledge that you apply is power. (hint - this belief is where the applied strength name comes from)

Would it surprise you to know that in early 1998 I had a 40" waist??!! That's right a 40" waist. I had a great mass of knowledge regarding anatomy, physisology, nutrition etc... and ended up fat and out of shape. There was not one scrap of that base of knowledge that I was applying to my own life.

And it wasn't until I took out a tape measure and put it around my own waist that I realized where I had arrived. It was a true epiphany. Confronted with the facts - I took action and made immediate and dramatic changes. High Intensity Interval Training three times a week combined with bodyweight exercise (pull-ups and pushups mainly) formed the physical side of the assault on my waist. A complete dietary reconstruction was the other part of the equation. Sugars and refined carbs were eliminated and protein, healthy carbs and water were my dietary world.
The results: In less than three months I was down from 185+ pounds to 160 pounds and my previously 40" waist was now 32".

So I am not one of those "always been fit and thin" types - I have earned what I have achieved.

It was a harsh reality check and immediate action (application of knowledge) that lead to great changes in my life. So now you have a small bit of insight as to my passion of fitness and why "applied" strength has great meaning!

Future blogs will continue to expand on the Applied Strength philosophy and examine current fitness information. You can be a part of this by commenting and asking questions - otherwise I am left to ramble and guess at what you would like to read. I look forward to this sharing of and application of information.

Brett Jones