Thursday, November 30, 2006

Something significant to say...

Sit down and make sure you are safe when you read this...

I have not been practicing what I preach!

I'll give you a moment to collect yourself and decide whether or not you want to continue reading.

If you have visited the Applied Strength home page and seen the logo and read about what it means - then you will understand that I believe in a balanced approach to fitness that includes: Power, Endurance, Flexibility, Movement/mobility and a center of Strength. Now I have been doing a great job on the strength end of things (a look at my training log on dragondoor.com will show this). However, I have not been doing a good job on the other aspects of the method. And to add to that I have let the transition to a new home and new "routine" take far longer than it ever should have.

There is a thought out there in the world that trainers are somehow different from everyone else. I cannot count the number of times I have had people say things like: "You can eat anything you want." Or many other of the "this doesn't apply to you" comments. Au Contraire!

If anything trainers (speaking for myself) are able to identify what their clients should be doing because we/I have made the mistake(s) MANY times myself. For those of you new to the blog I wrote previously about having a 40' waist. (check the archives if interested) And if I continue on my current path I could have one again!

As I have also written - The only day you have to make a change is today! So I am establishing a new "routine" today!

Issues to address:
Water intake: Horrible at the moment- I am going to buy a nalgene bottle for work and correct this now. I think this explains a good deal of ending up over trained - that along with the next issue.

Nutrition/Dietary habits: Horrible at the moment - In the process of moving and working at multiple things at once I have fallen down on my eating plan. Too much sugar, caffine and crappy convenience meals - No more - I am buying a blender for protien shakes and going to the store for veggies and meat. Your habits will determine you outcomes and your lifestyle and habits are choices. I can get away with crappy eating for a time - but then it catches up with you like a wave and crashes on you - Well - I got caught and crashed upon.

Flexibility/Mobility: While in California I had been teaching between 2-5 classes a day and doing joint mobility and flexibility with all of them. That came to a screeching halt when I moved - and it actually felt good to back down from that volume of mobility work but that time has passed and it is time to return to a good level of it. I am actually going to a YogaFit workshop in a couple of weeks and will be incorporating Yoga into the mix.

Endurance and Power - I have not been training with my KBs! There I said it! So 15 minutes or so a day will be dedicated to Get-ups and Swings.

Strength - I was doing great here - just need to balance the rest of it and this will continue along just fine.

So there - Now it is out in a public (very public) way and I have admitted my human flaws it is up to me to address them and continue.

Oh and I have a "bet" with a friend that I have not forgotten about - Terrance Thomas - you know what I am talking about!

9 comments:

Franz Snideman said...

Brett, great post brother! How true it is that people think trainers are immune to the problems that most people have. We have them to and fall prey to the same undulgences and lazy patterns like anyone else. Only we know better.

Thank you for the post because it has made me reflect on my own habit "challenges" as well. Amazing how the "transperency" of another can lift others to do the same. So on the same note I am here to say that I am failing in these areas:

1)Too much Caffeine. I have never been a coffee drinker until that least year and a half. I can blame my wife for this one (those Coffee crazed South Americans!)

2)Not enough meals. I have been working too much and not scheduling my routine meals. In other words I have failed to plan which mean I am planning to fail.

3) Very little flexibility work and mobility work.

4) And I need to organize my damn desk :)
There we have it. Thanks again for your transperancy! Keep up the stretching!

Anonymous said...

ah yes! confession is GOOD for the soul! you are now back on the right track. nothing like writing it down unless you are writing it down in public,lol!
nothing makes us stronger than staring down our weakpoints straight in the eye and moving towards them. well done brett.

Brett Jones said...

Franz,
Thanks - habits and patterns dictate a lot! The failing to plan is a big one. Let me know how that desk comes out.

Rif,
Nothing like stipping down in public to bare the soul and get perspective. Hope you are well.

Anonymous said...

Hey coach, does this mean that you're human? All along I thought of you as a super-human action hero ;-)

In any case, the content of your post, you're willingness to articulate and expose your own foibles, is exactly why I wanted to work with you.

I can really identify with your situtation. (And you can identify with my situation.) As a result, I know that you personally have *lived* the advice that you give me.

p.s. please post some good protein shake recipes after you get your blender up to speed.

Brett Jones said...

Hawkeye,
Thanks - we all fight the same battles at various times! BTW - I am very boring with my shakes - water, ice and powder.

Franz Snideman said...

Hawkeye,

here is a protein shake recipe I love:

8 oz. water
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1 scoop Jay Robb Whey Protein
1 TBS Flax oil
1 TBS Organic Almond or peanut butter

Very tasty and healthy!

Anonymous said...

Franz,

Thanks for sharing your protein shake recipe! Like Brett's, my shakes have been "plain vanilla," so to speak.

I'm going to try your recipe this weekend (and I'll leave on comment on your blog about it).

Hawkeye

p.s. congrats to you and Yoana on moving in to your new place.

Franz Snideman said...

Thanks Hawkeye! Let me know how the protein shake works for you.

We are still pinching ourselves every day in our new house!

Anonymous said...

Self reflection is perhaps the hardest vision to obtain. And yet no true progress...spiritualy, emotionaly and physicaly can ever be made without it.
Great insight Brett...and even greater courage to not only look at your habits honestly, but to share it as well.
Thanks,
Ericc

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