Candy

Candy candy candy...

Take it easy today, treat yourself to a little...A LITTLE.

Get that workout in.

I'm not too crazy about Halloween. Might have something to do with how I sprained my ankle really bad one Halloween when I was a kid and had to go to the emergency room dressed as a Mummy. Ever since then it kind of lost it's appeal to me.

Being a shy kid, I didn't like going up to stranger's houses. And being a spoiled kid, I could get any candy I wanted just by asking my mommy.

I don't like dressing up, haven't done it since probably 11 or 12 years-old. But I do like how excited my daughter is getting about dressing up as a "dancing princess."

Lately, she's been doing her version of push-ups whenever she sees me exercising, which is usually everyday. She says, "Daddy, I workout with you?" And I say, "Sure baby, let's go." And she hits it. Push-ups, squats, jumps, even stretching at the end (I taught her that yesterday.)

I make sure she sees me doing it. She'll grow up thinking it's a part of everyday life. It will be normal for her to exercise everyday. She'll want to do it. She won't feel right if she doesn't. That's my goal. And it appears to be going as planned. It's one of my gifts to her to help her live a long, healthy and productive life.

Don't worry, I'll let her have a little candy tonight. All in moderation.

Train smart,

RL

You Look Marvelous!

Who cares what people think?

All too often I see people who are afraid to exercise because somebody might see them. I still don't understand this phenomenon.

People, ladies (I see this almost exclusively in women, sorry) why does it matter if someone catches a glance of you while you are exercising? So you might be red and sweaty. Your make-up might not be perfect. SO WHAT?! If you want to look your best later you might have to look your worst for 30 minutes a day.

I had a client once who had all her make-up and jewelry on while "working out." I put that in quotes because this particular client never pushed herself, as soon as she might start breathing heavy she would tell me she needed a break. And even if I said, "no you don't" she would still just go through the motions and not push herself.

I was happy when she quit.

I see people at their most vulnerable and "unattractive" states. I think that's when you can see a person for who they truly are. All the other stuff is stripped away and you see them, the person at their core. They either give it everything they have, or they don't. There is no in-between.

Maybe you've never seen yourself like that, maybe you should. Find out what you're made of and forget about how you look to others. It doesn't matter. You matter. Go exercise and get all red and sweaty...it's a good thing.

Train smart,

RL

Logs

I was digging through my old files and I found one of the first articles I ever wrote. It's okay I suppose.

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Fitness One Log at a Time
By Ryan Linderson


I’ve always had a thing for log homes. Something about them just really appeals to me. The warm family atmosphere they portray perhaps. The connection with nature. It could stem from my quality time spent with Lincoln Logs when I was a boy. Whatever it is, I like them.
I was flipping through my favorite log home magazine when I got struck with an idea. Building a log home is similar to building your body, you need to do it one log at a time.
Some might say one brick at a time. Same analogy. But I like mine better. Logs are bigger, heavier, harder to manipulate and more costly than bricks. And that’s the way most people think about exercise.
Getting started on a new course in life is intimidating. I don’t care who you are. Everybody has fears. One log at a time. One repetition at a time. One meal at a time. One workout. One day, week, month, year at a time.
There’s an exercise I do regularly. I consider myself an expert at it. The first day I attempted to do this exercise, several years ago, I could barely do 15 repetitions in a row. I was upset. I wanted to be able to do 500 in a row. So I had room for a little improvement.
One log at a time.
I busted my hump. After about two months of practicing this exercise everyday, the moment came. The walls were built, the roof was on, the plumbing and electrical were all hooked up. I nailed 500 straight repetitions. I felt on top of the world.
On that first day of 15 repetitions the thought of 500 straight seemed downright impossible. The only thing that kept me on focused on that number was the knowledge that other people had done it in the past. Therefore it is humanly possible.
I broke it down to one repetition at a time. And to my surprise, the strategy worked. I have gone on to do over a 1000 repetitions in row since then. The sky is the limit when you approach a fitness goal in the correct way. People who run marathons don’t get up one morning and decide to go pound the pavement for 26 miles. The build up to the big day slowly.
People get discouraged. They don’t realize how out of shape they are until they try something and it whipes them out. They are shocked and embarassed. They give up, ignoring the problem. Putting their heads in the sand and pretending they’re still in the shape they were in high school.
I encourage you to take that first time. Think of it as the first log and go from there. Beginning is the hardest part. I’ve heard it said, once you’ve begun you’re half done.
Take fitness one small step at a time. Build me the log home of my dreams. Eventually with hard work, time and dedication you will have a beautiful structure waiting to be shown off to the world.

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Train smart,

RL

86,400 Seconds

While trying to decide on what I should write today I was thinking about some of the most common questions I'm asked. One of them is, "what time of day is best to exercise?"

My answer, "Whenever you can."

Sometimes when I give people that answer they think I'm being sarcastic. I explain to them that I am serious. It doesn't really matter what some doctor or researcher tells you about what time of day is best for you to exercise. What matters is that you do it.

Morning, afternoon, evening, late night. Whenever you can fit it in.

I workout at all different times of day depending on my schedule. Sometimes morning, sometimes late at night, and sometimes inbetween.

It's all about action and doing it, not using scheduling as an excuse to get out of it.

I've had people tell me, "well, I have no time in the morning so I just can't exercise because I've read it you can't get it done in the morning there's no point." First of all, where the heck are they reading that?! Second, I ask them if they watch TV at night, they say yes, I say, exercise instead. Make the time.

I've also had people tell me they can't workout at night because they have trouble falling asleep if they exercise late. Let me tell you as someone who does it regularly, that goes away once you get used to it. I can do a hard workout for an hour, then fall asleep for the night right after if I have to. Just like anything you just need to get conditioned to it.

So don't use your busy schedule as a crutch. Get that exercise in...or suffer the consequences.

Train smart,

RL

Plateau Destruction

Plateaus are a natural part of training. Everyone experiences them and everyone feels frustrated by them.

There's debate as to why plateaus happen. I subscribe to the most logical and common sensical explanation. Our bodies adapt to what we've been doing, especially if we do the same thing over and over. They get to the point where they've gotten as many results as they're going to get with that particular training regime.

This is why I'm constantly mixing things up, following the variation principle of fitness training.

If you find yourself hitting a plateau try this: vary the duration, intensity, frequency, or even the style of your training. Getting burnt out on jogging? Try jumping some rope. Getting sick of lifting weights? Do some body weight calisthenics (they're better for you anyway.) Get the idea?

Everyone can get burnt out on one thing. Keep it interesting and mix things up a little, and blast through those plateaus.

Train smart,

RL

Do you Mind?

The mind and body are one.

Now don't get worried, I'm not going all new agey on you. Is "new agey" a real term? Well either way, you know what I mean.

When I say the mind and body are one I mean I believe they are more connected than we realize in the US today.

I've heard people say, "I'm not in great shape physically, but my mind is still sharp as a tack." Okay fine, but I offer up the argument that you would be even "sharper" if your body was fit.

Focusing the mind is important, but so is focusing the body. When you train your mind, you're training the body. When you train the body, you are training the mind.

Nothing proves what you have upstairs more than practicing the discipline and fortitude it takes to push your body through a tough workout. Your body might be telling you to stop, but your mind tells you to keep going. Being able to command things of your body with just the power of your mind will lead to the power to accomplish great things in other aspects of your life.

I've had some of my best ideas in the middle of a hard workout.

The next time you're doing a tough workout I want you to think about some other goals you have, career, love, whatever it is. I want you to focus that same mental energy you are using to push yourself through the exercise routine into those goals. Breath life into them. Make them real in your head. You're mind and body will then naturally do what it takes to obtain these goals. Sometimes without you even realizing it. It can be a little freaky. But I've experienced it time and time again.

The mind and body are one, train them, focus them, and use them. That's what they're there for anyway.

Train smart,

RL

Take the Steps

One step at a time. That's the best way to make any change in your life.

All too often someone will say, "That's it! As of today I am eating right and exercising every single day!" Only to fail after about 12 hours.

Why's that? Because they bit off more than they could chew, all at once.

It's been my experience the best way to incorporate anything new into your life is one tiny step at a time. So you want to eat better? Take it in small steps, step one: ditch the soda and drink only water. Once you have a handle on that, take another step, get rid of the late night sugary snacks, so on and so forth.

Changing your entire eating style all at once is almost guaranteed to fail. So increase your chances of success and make it a gradual process if need be.

Do the same with exercise. Start with something small and doable for you at your current level. 5 minutes of nothing but deep breathing exercises is fine to start. Before you know it you'll be up to a great kick butt workout everyday.

Make those changes. Make them one step at a time. And make them permanent.


Train smart,

RL

Stay on Target

Stay on target.

All too often we get distracted by life. The everyday stuff gets in the way of what we should be and want to be doing.

I have a pretty busy weekend this weekend. But you better believe I will find the time to get my workouts in. It is a priority.

Flipping the switch in your mind, turning exercise into a priority, is essential.

You can't go through life with the idea that exercise is something you would do...if you had the time. That is a recipe for failure, I see it all the time.

So stay on target this weekend. Promise yourself you will handle your priorities first. And make a good workout high up on that list.

Welp, I got some new workout goodies from my favorite fitness equipment company last night so I'm off to play with them a little. Yes I said fitness equipment, true you don't NEED any equipment to get in shape, but it's always fun to mix it up some and try new things. Besides this equipment is like nothing you've seen in a gym, it's used to enhance the functional fitness exercises I do. Anyway, have a great and fit weekend.

Train smart,

RL

Talkin'

I had a business association meeting last night. It was my turn to give a 10-minute talk for a "business spotlight." Basically I just winged it. I got up there and talked about myself and my business.

For most people the thought of doing that terrifies them.

Public speaking doesn't really bother me, just as long as I'm confident in what I'm talking about.

One of the things I'm big on in my business and my personal life is getting over fear. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of criticism, etc..

Fear stops so many of us from doing what we want in life. Why? Because of some bad thing that MIGHT happen. And so what if it does? Odds are it won't be as bad as you think.

I have several strategies I use to get over fear, and I teach some of them to my clients. What is paramount however, is just that you understand your fear is holding you back. You must confront it. And conquer it.

If you don't you will never do anything with your life worth being pround about.

Train smart,

RL

Keep Your Friends Close?

Friends can be dangerous things. They can be great things as well. But when you're trying to make a positive change in your life, they can be dangerous.

Why?

Because without even knowing it or trying to, they become what I call Infectors. They'll say a comment like, "Are you crazy, do you know how much work that will take? You'll never do that." They plant that idea in your mind and project negative energy towards you. And yes, that definitely makes a difference as to wether or not you're successful.

I see this all the time. Someone wants to train with me to get into shape. One of their "friends" says it's pointless to waste the money, or they can do it on their own, even though they know deep down they won't. Sometimes it's even a spouse that does it.

I think it's because we like the people we're close to to be at the same station in life as we are. It makes us more comfortable. So if one of our friends tries to improve their lot in life in anyway we try to hinder them so they stay at our level. Mostly subconsciously I hope.

You don't see too many millionaires who are best friends with people making minimum wage. You don't see many super fit people who are best friends with morbidly obese people.

What's my point? If your friends are hindering your progress, first you must recognize it. Perhaps ask them to stop. Ignore them. Or, if it's really bad, cut them out of your life. At least temporarily.

The people you surround yourself with contribute greatly to your degree of success in life. Albeit fitness, career, love, what have you. Ignore the Infectors and find some true friends who will encourage and support you. You will carry each other on the path of success in all your endeavors.

Train smart,

RL

Streeeeeeeeetch

I'm going to give you a little tip. This tip seems to blow people's minds sometimes. To me it's always just been the way I do things. It doesn't seem so profound to me but, it could to you.

Here's the deal: You NEVER want to stretch first thing during a workout. Get your body warm first. Or just stretch at the end of the workout.

Notice I did not say, "Always stretch at the end." Sure you can do that if you want. But some people, especially runners like to stretch before the run. Before you do that move around a little and get your body warm, maybe a little sweat going. Just a little jog in place or some jumping jacks, something along that line. Then stretch. Or just do the little warm up, go into the meat of your workout, then stretch as a cool down.

Why?

Because if you stretch before you are warm you are mostly stretching your tendons and ligaments alone. Not good. If you wait until the muscles are warm you are mostly stretching the muscles, which is what you want to do in the first place.

I've had very little if any pulled muscles with my wrestlers since I started do this with them, which was my first year of coaching.

Always stretch after you're warm!

Train smart,

RL

Balancing on Skinny Legs.

This past weekend was the big northern trip to Vermont I mentioned a few weeks ago. We go up mainly to go apple picking at this one particular orchard I used to go to with my grandparents when I was a kid. I get annoyed when people ask me, "Why go up there to pick apples? There are orchards around here." They just don't get it.

Anyway, as you can imagine, I'm always looking for ideas for this blog, and just my writing in general. Anything that has to do with health causes my eyes/ears to perk up.

So, today I want to bring your attention to your balance in training. No I don't mean actual balance, like balancing on one foot. I'm talking about making sure you do not neglect areas or your body, or energy systems.

This came to my attention this past weekend. We (my wife, daughter and I) were walking into the fitness club/spa at the resort we were staying at. We were bringing my daughter to swim in the indoor Olympic size swimming pool, which she loved by the way.

As soon as you walk in there' s a weight room. Even though I spend no time in weight rooms I glanced over to see what they had, and to see the people in there. One man stuck out to me.

He was doing biceps curls. He's upper body was very developed, he was obviously a Mesomorph (look back to my posts about body types.)

I saw him later on in the locker room. While he had a big, puffed up, chest, arms and shoulders, his legs were as skinny as broom sticks. If only he spent as much time training his legs as he spends on the bench press, or better yet, ditch the weights and do some functional exercises for his whole body.

You have to make sure you exercise your whole body. Functional training is the key to a strong, healthy, productive body.

Train smart,

RL

Humbug

I wrote this article about this time last year.

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I’ve Got Winter Blues
By Ryan Linderson

I love this time of year, always have. The colors, the smells, the cool air. Never been much of a heat person, in fact I can say flat out, I hate the heat. Football season is great. Thanksgiving is just around the corner with my mom’s sausage stuffing (all things in moderation) and right after that is wrestling season. Being a wrestling coach makes that an important time of year for me.
Something else begins to happen around this time of year. Some people begin to feel rundown. They have less energy. The days seem to go by faster and they get less and less done. They basically feel terrible. Perhaps some of you have experienced this. It’s sometimes refered to as the “winter blues.” I know it’s not really winter yet but this is the time of year it usually starts.
It’s called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. There is some debate in the medical world if this actually exsists. I’ve said before and I’ll say again, I am no doctor. But, I do think there is at least some merit to this because I tend to have a little bit of a harder time getting in gear in the winter months. I still do, it’s just a smidge tougher.
The consensis amoung those who think this is a real disorder is that SAD is caused by lower serotonin levels in the brain. People suffering from depression have low serotonin levels as well. Also migraines, aggression, sleep disturbances, mood shifts and anxiety have all been linked to low serotonin.
There have been bonafide scientific studies suggesting serotonin levels are at their lowest during the days with the least sunlight and highest during the days with the most sunlight.
Let’s recap: Fall/winter means less sunlight, less sunlight means lower serotonin levels in the brain, lower serotonin in the brain could lead to depression, hence the blues. The winter blues. That not-so-great rundown feeling. Along with that comes a less of a chance you will be able to motivate yourself to exercise.
This is a good time to recommit (or commit) yourself to fitness. The winter blues can be a bear. A big, fat, smelly bear getting in your way and keeping you from exercising. Scare that bear away with some loud yelling and a poke with a stick. That stick is your own determination. Forget about playing dead.
Exercise can increase serotonin levels. Again, some people will debate this and I am no doctor. There have been some studies suggesting the exercise and serotonin link. It just makes sense. My own personal study is: when I exercise I feel better. That’s all the proof I need.
There are other ways to beat the winter blues. In fact, these two ideas are good to do all the time. Eat less sugar. Drink less caffiene. While these seem to “give” you energy they really don’t. Temporary sugar highs and chemical caffiene buzzes are not energy.
“Exercise makes me tired! How can something that makes me tired give me more energy?!” Common question. The actual biology of the situation is not in the scope of this article. I’ll challenge you to prove me wrong. Try it out for yourself and see how you feel.
Beat those ol’ rundown winter blues with a nice dose of exercise with a side order of a determined attitude. As a bonus you’ll burn off some of those extra holiday calories you’ll be consuming soon. Don’t lie, you know you will.

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Train smart,

RL

Crack

Today I'm just going to briefly tell you about another common poison that's in pretty much all processed foods it seems. I've heard it called the Crack of the food industry.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

If it's in a food, don't eat it. It's addictive and terrible for you.

That's all I got for today, short and sweet (no pun intended) and to the point. Do some research on it yourself. You'll be amazed and probably ticked off about this addictive poison big food industry is trying to feed to us to make us more addicted to the junk they sell.

Train smart,

RL

Poison

I just saw an article online with the title, "Cola Raises Women's Osteoporosis Risk"

Duh.

That's not all it does.

If you ask anyone who knows me well they will tell you one of my common sayings is, "Soda is poison." I mean it.

Have you ever looked at the ingredients on any can of soda? It looks like the same list that came with my little chemistry set I had as a kid. And don't be fooled by "diet" soda. It's all the same, a cesspool of dangerous addictive chemicals. Don't think that just because a soda is "caffeine free" or "sugar free" with no calories that it is not addictive.

I've known people who have dropped poundage by doing nothing but cutting the soda out and adding more water into their eating plan.

Water is all you need.

It was a great thing when the soda machines were taken out of schools. Next step is the sport drinks, they're still there. And they are just as bad. I've been around sports a long time, as you know, I am a wrestling coach. I can say this with 100% confidence, the sport drinks are no better than plain old water. In fact, water is better. Your muscles are 78% water. If you want to replenish them, give them water, not sucrose syrup, glucose-fructose syrup, citric acid, monopotassium phosphate, etc...Don't let the marketing companies fool you.

If you are having trouble starting a healthy eating style begin by ditching the soda and dropping the sports drinks and fake juices. Stick to water, and lots of it. You'll be amazed.

Most people walk around dehydrated all day and don't even know it. Why? I believe because for the past couple generations we've grown up that way. We've been drinking the sodas and the like, which actually dehydrated us more, and not getting enough water. So we've grown used to it.

I had one client once who took this advice and went from drinking about 3 liters of soda a day to that same amount of water. Oh, this was "caffeine free diet" soda so she shouldn't have had any withdrawal symptoms right? Wrong. She was miserable for about 2.5 days. But it was well worth it. After she got over the withdrawal she told me she felt damn near super-human. She had never felt so, as she put it, "correct."

I like that.

Do you want to feel correct? Take some of this advice and give it a shot. Finally feel what it's like to be hydrated.

And you women out there can hold onto your proper bone density.

Train smart,

RL

Chilly Bones

It's starting to get cooler outside and before you know it the snow will be here. A lot of people have the most trouble getting themselves to exercise during the winter months. It could be Seasonal Affective Disorder, or it could just be laziness.

I think sometimes it's just hard to get yourself moving when you're chilly. Your body is telling you just to get a blanket and get warm.

The best way to get that chill out of your bones is to exercise. You can feel totally warmed up in as little as 30 seconds with the right exercise.

Too often we are concerned too much with how we feel right now. "I'm tired now." "I'm cold now." "I don't really feel like exercising now."

In moments like that you have to focus on the future. And no, I'm not talking about how in a year you could be a totally new person, I'm talking about concentrating on the immediate benefits of a good workout.

Think about how, even though you don't feel like doing it, if you exercise you will feel 100% better when you are done. You will feel energized and warm. Plus you'll just feel good about yourself.

Focus on the then, to make yourself do it right now.

Train smart,

RL

Time to Invest

I'm enjoying my last few weeks of freedom before wrestling season. Once that starts I'm going pretty much non-stop for 3 months. Balancing running my business, wrestling practice and matches, and oh yeah, a little thing called family, is a feat.

I've heard people asking why schools have so much trouble finding coaches. It used to be that the only people coaching were also teachers in the school. That's not the case anymore. Teachers are having more and more trouble fitting coaching a sport into their lives. And the truth is some just don't want to, or aren't into sports. None of the coaches in the wrestling program in my town are teachers.

The reason it's hard to find coaches is simply because it takes up so much time. And most people have a little thing called work to deal with. The ones who have a flexible enough job are pretty much the only people capable of coaching a school sport. And it's not like we're getting paid so much that it's worth it. We do it because we want to give something back. Maybe we'll get paid enough to take our wife/husband out to dinner after the season as a 'thank you' for putting up with us not being around for 3 months.

If you want to do something you can always find a way to make it happen. I've considered not coaching before. In fact, last year I had pretty much decided it was my last year. But then you get a away from it for a while and realize that you really do enjoy it on some level. Even though it's a lot of time and headaches.

If you really want to get in shape you can make it happen. It's not a matter of time, no matter how many times you tell yourself that. It's not a matter of not knowing what to do. It's a matter of getting off your butt and doing it.

Take 30 minutes a day out of your life and invest in yourself. If you don't, you won't be around, as long as you should, to be so busy.

Train smart,

RL

Imagine That!

Today being Friday I'm going to keep up with tradition and post an article of mine.

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Power of Imagination
by Ryan Linderson

Our minds are powerful tools. More powerful than most people think. Underestimating the power of our mind seems to be a common condition.

The ability to use our imagination is one of the things that seperates us from the animals. It enables us to see ourselves in the future doing things we want. Not just things we need to to survive. We hope and dream. We use the power of imagination.

Imagination is just one of the amazing tools encased in our skulls, but I dare say, it is the most important one. Many great athletes have said the number one reason they had such success was not their talent, or their hard work, but the ability to imagine they could do it. They could see themselves where they wanted to be and that enabled them to find a path to get there.

Have you ever imagined something you wanted? Have you ever imagined you could go somewhere or do something most people would tell you you couldn’t? Sure you have, everyone has. The difference between those who get those things and those who don’t is the burning desire to make that picture in their heads reality.

So many dream, and so few do anything more than that. I call imagination a ‘tool’ because I believe it is just that, a tool. It is something that must be used to produce results.

Life is all cause and effect. Every effect has a cause. Nothing just happens. If you’re overweight, there’s a reason it happened. If you’re terribly out of shape, there’s a cause. But here’s the best part, you can change. Use the tool of imagination to see the effect you desire. Weight loss, overall fitness, whatever is it. Your mind will find a way to get there.

Nothing worthwhile in life come easy.

Imagination is a powerful tool, but you still need to work hard. You still need to bust your butt. You need to sweat, you need to get sore, you need to cut out the junk food. You need to focus your mind.

Think you can’t? I beg to differ.

Here’s a little tip that works for me. For example, say you have a goal of completing a certain walk in a specific amount of time. Instead of imagining yourself just walking, imagine yourself celebrating after you achieve the goal. Do this while you are walking. Picture yourself nailing the time you wanted and being happy. Simple.
This tool isn’t just for fitness of course. You can use it in every aspect of your life. Career, finances, relationships, anything. The first step is seeing it in your head and believing it WILL happen.

Use your imagination to push you to the next level. Constantly strive to improve, and you will.

I would like to invite the readers of my articles to send me questions for future topics. I want to know what you want to read about. Please send your questions (or comments) to the email address below.

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Train smart,

RL

Love Your Legs

Training your legs is vitally important. The first thing to go as you get older is your legs. They're your foundation for movement.

This is why I always get my clients to do some plyometrics, even if it's just light stuff. Plyometrics are jumping, bounding, or skipping exercises. Besides keeping your legs fit and quick, they build wind like crazy.

There are endless ways to perform plyometrics. They're only limited by your imagination. One of my favorites is what I call, Lateral Hops. They're pretty basic and easy, and zap your energy quick. Which is good.

All you need is something to jump over. Depending on you current fitness level and ability this could be just a line on the floor, or something as high as a bench or chair. I usually use a boxing heavy bag laying on the ground.

Stand to one side so your feet are parallel to the object, with your feet together hop sideways over it. As soon as the balls of your feet touch the ground on the other side, hop back the way you came. And keep going. You don't want your feet to touch the ground for more than a fraction of a second. You should get 2-3 hops a second when you're good.

If you can do this for 1 minute straight, that's a good start.

I usually train intervals with this. Which means 20 seconds on, then a 20 second jog in place, then 20 seconds on etc....And I keep going like this for about 10-15 rounds. Sometimes I'll do 30 seconds. Or sometimes I'll just do it for as long as I possibly can. Then recover until I can breath and talk normally, then do it again.

There are several ways to attack this exercise depending on what you want to get out of it. And that's just one plyometric exercise. Like I said before, there are countless ways to perform them.

Don't think plyos are just for the legs. You can adapt them for every part of your body. But for now start training your legs and lungs with them and you'll soon see how you can train other body parts as well.

Build a powerful foundation for your body. Give some plyometrics a shot.

Train smart,

RL

It's Morphin' Time! 3

Okay, today is the poor poor Endomorph. Which is the category I fall into.

Endomorphs tend to be round people. They have a thick build. Their hips are as least as wide or wider than their shoulders. Our metabolisms are naturally on the slow side. We tend to hold onto fat as hard as possible and have some difficultly gaining muscle, particularly upper body muscle. Oh, and we have big legs.

If you're an endomorph than you'll have to work harder to get the same results as other more fortunate body types. That's just the way it is. But no matter how hard we train our bodies just will not get as "cut" as a Mesomorph. Our bodies just don't do that.

Being a Endomorph isn't so bad. It makes me constantly work hard, because if I let up, the weight begins to come back fast.

One natural perk for endomorphs is our legs. We usually have pretty strong hips and legs naturally.

This does not mean endomorphs can't be athletes. I'm one. And I know many many others. It just takes training. I've know endomorphs who are stronger and more athletic than any Mesomorph I've met.

It's all about how hard you work, bottom line. Your body type only limits how you will look, not how you can function. It just takes time and effort.

Now all these body types are not exact. There are variations among them all. There are short and tall versions of each.

I just want you to be aware of this, so next time some mesomorph "trainer" is telling an overweight endomorph it is possible for them to look like Brad Pitt in 6 weeks you will go slap them in the back of head and call them out on it, and watch them squirm.

Train smart,

RL

It's Morphin' Time! 2

Today we're going to discuss the Mesomorphs. These are the people we all hate (well maybe not hate but you get the idea.)

This body type has broad shoulders. Has no trouble burning fat and building muscle They have fast metabolisms and are naturally lean. They have hips that are not as wide as their shoulders and legs that are usually smaller, although with training they have no trouble adding muscle to those too. These are the "natural athletes" we all know and, um, love.

It's not their fault they hit the genetic jackpot. This is also the body type of most the trainers out there (not me though.) They just have a natural tendancy to gravitate towards fitness and athletics because that's what they naturally excel at. I think this is a problem because they don't really understand how difficult it is for other body types to burn fat and build muscle. They conclude people are just not working hard enough, which isn't always the case.

The Mesomorphs will tend to get the same, if not greater, results with half the work. It's just their bodies. No need for the rest of us to whine about it (but I kind of am aren't I?)

However, as they get older their metabolisms can slow down like most of us and they might find themselves gaining fat fast. That's why you see the jocks from high school coming to the 20-30 year reunions with big beer guts.

If you're a mesomorph, consider yourself blessed. But please, don't be so quick to call other people lazy. We just don't get results as fast as you, and can never get as "ripped" as you.

But you know what? We might be more mentally tough because we have to put ourselves though more to get the same results. Yeah that sounds good.

Tomorrow we'll learn about the last body type. Which is the most "unlucky" type, and what I happen to be. Until then...

Train smart,

RL

It's Morphin' Time!

One topic that most fitness trainers like to avoid is genetics. They don't want to tell people the truth. They want everyone to think it is possible for them to look like one of the fitness models.

Well I tell the truth.

And the truth is that not everybody has the genetics to look like a Brad Pitt or Heidi Klum. But that shouldn't be an excuse not to do the absolute best you can with the tools you have.

Over the next three days I'm going to talk about the 3 main body types. There are degrees to these but everybody on the planet falls into one of these categories.

Today let's talk about the Ectomorph.

These are the tall, skinny types. They have narrow shoulders and hips. Natural fast metabolisms, but not much muscle mass. They have the appearance of being in shape because their bodies do not hold on to fat easily. Unfortunately for them it is equally as hard for them to gain muscle. So they may not appear fat, but that does not necessarily mean they are strong or even healthy.

You see ectomorph athletes tending to practice endurance sports since there is not as much need for raw strength.

Ectomorphs are often envied because of their God-given ability to reject fat. But you must remember they equally reject muscle.

However, with the right training it is possible for them to add muscle to their slender frames. It will just be harder for them.

Are you an ectomorph? If so, don't get discouraged if you feel you are too scrawny, it's your genetics. Train your weaknesses and enjoy that naturally fast metabolism.

Train smart,

RL