Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Monday, November 28, 2016
Sunday, November 27, 2016
BLOG 88 CT FLETCHER
BLOG 88 CT FLETCHER
About a month ago on Netflix I searched through my
“Recommended for Megan” movie titles, and came across, CT Fletcher: My Magnificent Obsession. Having heard the name I was
intrigued so I went ahead and watched it. Boy of boy what did I find?? CT
Fletcher is quite an interesting man in the fitness world, so let me share his
story with you. And fair warning, the man uses the “F word” about as much as
you and I use the word “and” if you get my drift haha.
Cuss words aside, Fletcher is most well-known for being the
3x World Strict-Curl Champion. His record still stands today of 225 pounds. And
just in case, “Strict curl dictates that your head, back and arse must be in
contact with a wall at all times during the movement – Fletcher claims to lift
over 300lbs without the wall!” (http://www.gym-talk.com/c-t-fletcher-the-strongest-man-youve-never-heard-of/).
Fletcher is also one of the few “drug free” lifters still to this day. He might
be one of the strongest men you have never heard of. And then one day a young
producer saw some footage of CT’s glory days of lifting, and thought to himself
why he had never heard of this man. The result…. this producer made CT a
YouTube star almost overnight. In 2013, Fletcher went viral instantly.
CT Fletcher is a survivor, motivator, and man who puts up
with nothing. He grew up in Compton, CA with his loving mother and father he
can’t stand. His dad was strict and abusive to the point that he once broke
CT’s nose, resulting in CT purchasing a gun to protect himself from his own
father. He has nightmares to this day from his upbringing.
From years of extreme exercise with heavy weight lifting,
eating whatever he wanted to bulk up, and his genetic make-up, CT got the scare
of his life in 2005. He had open heart surgery during which he flat-lined 3
times. He stayed in the hospital for months after. Exercise was out the door. He
now takes about 6 medications per day, eats extremely clean (not 6 McDonald’s
double cheeseburgers anymore), and continues to workout and coach others.
What I like about CT is his realness. He tells it like it is
and knows that no 10 min or 20 min workout or diet is going to get the job
done. His “no excuses” attitude calls people out to get off the couch. If he
can die on the table 3x, then you can workout is what he believes. His dream of
opening his own gym has come true. Iron Addicts is located in Signal Hall, CA.
No nonsense is allowed inside his training walls. His in your face and drive to
make you better will push you to your limits for sure.
I have an appreciation for CT Fletcher’s story. He opened his
own business like me and has his family in his corner to help him out. His
style is intense, but he means well. I wasn’t expecting to discover this man,
and definitely wasn’t expecting the “F word” haha. However, I was pumped up to
lift weights after for sure especially being in competition mode at the time. Check
out his YouTube channel and site if you are interested (you will be pleasantly
surprised and it is R rated for profanity I’m sure). https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBDWo0g9N8pL8c9QhE8Lxxw
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Friday, November 25, 2016
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Monday, November 21, 2016
Sunday, November 20, 2016
BLOG 87 RED MEAT
BLOG 87 RED MEAT
Eating red meat has been a controversial nutrition topic for
many years. Is it good or bad for us?? And let me tell you in my research there
didn’t seem to be an unbiased opinion; so I will just have to present both
sides. Like anything, there seems to be benefits and risks so let’s look at
both.
Our ancestors definitely ate red meat, but we have to admit
the meat we eat today probably is not the same as what they had. The roaming
cows of today are certainly not on an all-natural diet like they used to be. And
now not all red meat is created equal. Various types include processed,
organic, grass-fed, and then the conventional farm raised.
Red meat has a lot of nutritional value. In fact, “It is loaded with
vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and various other nutrients that can have profound effects on health.- Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 25% of the RDA.
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin): 37% of the RDA (this vitamin is unattainable from plant foods).
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): 18% of the RDA.
- Iron: 12% of the RDA (This is high quality heme-iron, which is absorbed much better than iron from plants).
- Zinc: 32% of the RDA.
- Selenium: 24% of the RDA.
E coli is also a risk when eating red meat, especially those hamburgers. Bottom line is that when you are having a burger you might be eating a little meat from up to 10,000 cows. Imagine the risk of E coli. There are additional risks for women: “Hormones added to red meat boost breast cancer risk, according to a large study of more than 90,000 women published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Women who ate more than 1.5 servings (approximately 6 ounces) of red meat per day had nearly double the risk of developing hormone-sensitive breast cancer than women who ate 3 or fewer servings per week” (http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/10-reasons-to-stop-eating-red-meat/slide/11).
Moderation is the key as we have learned on our fitness
journeys. I grew up not eating red meat and still don’t to this day. I don’t
think I have ever even had a steak haha, and that’s just because mom and dad
made ground turkey everything. So there’s an underlying factor that makes me
not eat red meat, I just never have so why start now. Protein and iron are good
for us and quite everything has its risks these days. So you can make your red
meat decision and whatever it may be, just stick to portion control and it
seems like you should be just fine.
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Friday, November 18, 2016
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Monday, November 14, 2016
Sunday, November 13, 2016
BLOG 86 REST DAY
BLOG 86 REST DAY
As much as I like to go-go-go, having a rest day is an
important element of a fitness program. The body needs recovery especially as
we target and train specific areas. The amount of rest needed is different for
every BODY (as you know), and there are different factors that play into this.
So let’s discuss the rest component on your fitness journeys.
When we exercise, we are actually putting stress on our
bodies. Certain movement patters involve our joints and weight baring exercises
add resistance to challenge the body. Repetition also comes into play. We want
to avoid over training the same areas so giving the body time to recuperate is
vital. I have to tell myself that it’s better to have a rest day then to over
train, get hurt, and then not be able to exercise or have to modify constantly
until healed. Generally, it’s about a 48 hour rest period needed for specific
body part training. Again, this varies BODY to BODY. Here’s a good synopsis: “Rest days are actually implemented in many
professional training plans, even those of Olympic athletes, in order to allow
the body time to recuperate. As we work out, we place greater strain on our
muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and joints. Our immune system is activated
when there are muscle tears or joint strains, but if the body doesn’t come out
of continual practice, this system doesn’t have the time to catch up and start
patching everything back up. Thus, if you’re building muscle, you should take a
day off from lifting the same region so the body has time to repair the muscles
you’re working” (https://www.wellbridge.com/fit-like-that/give-it-a-rest-its-ok-to-skip-your-workout).
I also want to throw in the fact that having a mental break
from exercise helps too. Just stepping away from the activity can reinvigorate
your attitude and motivation. You may even miss it!!!! It’s just like getting
away from work; you need to step away from the environment in order to return
with a good attitude. Otherwise, burn out can occur. I’d rather be working out
of course, but maybe the weights need a break haha. How about this example:
“Picture your body as an electrical socket that powers all of your daily
activities. The activities, no matter how intense, are the appliances you plug
into that socket. If you plug in a 64” Plasma TV, sound system, blender, lamp,
microwave, electric guitar, and treadmill into the same socket what happens?
The system shorts out. Your body isn’t much different” (http://www.builtlean.com/2012/06/05/overtraining/).
Over training can lead to lack of motivation, stress
injuries, poor results, and chronic soreness. Your BODY speaks to your mind. As
a trainer, I know that we all have complaints and that me holding you
accountable is certainly important. So there is a fine line between are you
just not feeling like doing this or are your truly needing to rest?? There also
begs the question of living in the moment and finishing all the repetitions through
the pain versus having the humility to stop and tell yourself it’s not for my
BODY today.
Truth be told, a rest day will actually help you run
faster/longer, lift heavier, and overall feel better. The entire bodybuilding
experience has certainly taught me this lesson. I take Sunday as my rest day
and by Monday I honestly do feel better. And I have been extremely hard headed
about this concept even though I know I am right to take that break. Our
metabolism and body systems need a little break too. And we don’t want to wear
down the immune system from the constant demand of exercise.
So incorporate that rest day into your fitness journey. It
is best to try to keep the same day each week in order to commit to your
routine and schedule. Don’t let one day to another and another though. Listen
to your BODY and take care of the one you have. Remember the journey not the race
of these lifestyle changes you are making. And remember that your BODY is worth
every effort you are making.
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