Did YOU Just Puke? YOU???

I have a program called “FightZone” (in case you didn’t hear) and the workouts are designed to get results…as well as work your ass off. However, the key to these training sessions is intensity, not just sweating and burning a few calories as some other dainty programs are. And FightZone works- it does. But no so well if you’re dehydrated!


On Tuesday, one of the FightZone Members when balls-to-the-wall in this week’s training session- which is what we’re after. However, he was dehydrated from traveling/flying for a week straight and not drinking enough. (Flying has been shown to dehydrate people on its own, so add to that no drinking water and it doubles.) Part of the workout is to start with deadlifts at a weight that will challenge you and he used 225. A great weight for him! I watched him crank it out for the 1st 50 reps (50 more to do later in the workout) and he moved onto the next exercises. As he started the 3rd exercise, he got light headed, sick, almost passed out and had to lay down for 30 minutes. That’s when he told me about being dehydrated as well as the traveling.

Please read the following…a little science lesson if you please…

What is dehydration?

Dehydration is the excessive loss of water from the body, as from illness or fluid deprivation. Any person who exercises on a regular basis is susceptible to the effects of even mild fluid loss. The value of the body's most important nutrient, water, cannot be underestimated.

Exercise produces body heat, and too much body heat reduces exercise capacity. As the core body temperature rises, blood flow to the skin increases, and the body attempts to cool itself by sweating. During intense exercise, the body temperature rises as high as 39 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit) and the muscle temperature can rise as high as 40 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit). These temperatures make exercise difficult because the body and muscles are competing for blood.

As the body temperature rises, oxygen becomes more of a commodity due to increased circulatory demands. Oxygen is needed to help with the cooling process, and reduces the amount of oxygen available for vital organs, which can lead to severe health risks as well as a drop in athletic performance.

When you start exercising, as much as two percent of the body water is lost. Although this amount is considered a "normal" range for humans, it is certainly not an optimum level for athletic performance. Below is a table that summarizes the effects of minimal fluid loss during exercise.




PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS AND EFFECTS OF DEHYDRATION

Body Water Lost Symptoms

1 % Few symptoms or signs of any thirst present; however, there is a marked reduction in VO2 max.

2% Beginning to feel thirsty; loss of endurance capacity and appetite.

3% Dry mouth; performance impaired.

4% Increased effort for exercise, impatience, apathy, vague discomfort, loss of appetite.

5% Difficulty concentrating, increased pulse and breathing, slowing of pace.

6-7% Further impairment of temperature regulation, higher pulse and breathing, flushed skin, sleepiness, tingling, stumbling, headache.

8-9% Dizziness, labored breathing, mental confusion, further weakness.

10% Muscle spasms, loss of balance, swelling of tongue.

11% Heat Exhaustion, delirium, stroke, difficulty swallowing; death can occur.

Dehydration can cause any or all of the following:

• Increased heart rate (beats per minute)

• Increased lactate acid in muscles (increased blood acidity)

• Increased body temperature

• Decreased strength

• Any of the following medical conditions: heat cramping, heat exhaustion & heat stroke

The best way to avoid fluid loss is often the simplest: drink plenty of fluids. Water is sufficient to replenish the fluids that are lost during exercise. However, water cannot replace the minerals that are lost during exercise-induced sweating. Sweating releases potassium, sodium and calcium, which are vital for survival. These minerals, also known as electrolytes, are not found in water. It is therefore advisable to consume a supplement, which contains these added minerals, before any strenuous exercise.

After a workout, your body needs not only fluids, but carbs as well- so drink a Powerade or a Gatorade if you feel you need to. Look, we’re not just interested in having a good day, we’re seeking ways to perform at higher levels, so it only make sense to drink up!! (No…not beer or soda!)

Get educated and get hydrated!!

Can I Have a Word With You??

I just had a great conversation today with my wife Mary in regards to the horrific excuses people make as to why they can never get into good physical shape and why all of “those” programs don’t work for them. In the 23 years I‘ve been coaching people I have the chance to see the many typical patterns of behavior (i.e.- Bull sh*t) that never seems to change over time, from generation to generation, political landscapes or social changes.

Here they are in no particular order:

• I tried that diet and it didn’t work for me. (I did it for 2 days)

• I read that book and it didn’t help me at all. (I never applied the principles of the book.)

• I bought those exercise DVD’s and they didn’t work for me. (the DVD’s are covered with dust)

• I joined that gym and it didn’t work for me. (I went once or twice and got bored.)

• I tried Boxing and it didn’t work. (I went for a month and it was too hard.)

• I tried martial arts and it didn’t work. (I went to a month but was afraid of failing the test.)

• I tried that spin class and it didn’t work. (I went for almost a week, but I didn’t want to get up that early.)

You get the idea, yes? You see the pattern of behavior here?

Look, I know that change is hard. Getting up early, staying disciplined with food, being consistent with training every day, training when you’re tired….I get it! I go through all of that all the time. So what’s the difference between my wife and I and those other folks? We do the work. That’s the only difference.

We’re not better than anyone else or smarter (OK, Mary actually is, but certainly NOT ME!!). We don’t come from a childhood background of healthy eating that our parents taught us. We never learned it in high school or college. We never had someone else in our lives that was super healthy and physically fit. At some point we decided we wanted to live a better, healthier life and on our own learned as much as we could about healthy food intake and proper exercise.

So the answer to the assumption most people have is: no, this is not easier for Mary and I than for others. It’s not. We get tired from work. We have long days. We get injuries. We want to eat junk food. We want to stay on the couch and watch TV. We want to take a nap instead of training.

The difference? We don’t make BS excuses…we get it done. That's the ONLY difference.

What do you REALLY Want? Results or Excuses?

I deal with a multitude of personalities every day (some even seem to have a multiple personality disorder) and I run into many of the same patterns and issues with members and clients. And here is what one common issue that comes up often looks like:


Client: “Coach, here’s what I want- I want to lose fat right here (women grab the back of their arms and men grab their love handles). I also want to increase my cardio, strength and I also want to be on the same level with the most fit people in the gym. I want to be one of the top athletes here. THAT is what I want to achieve. Can you help me?”

Me: “I sure can help with that. It won’t come over night and it most certainly will NOT be easy. But we can do it. Here is what you’ll need to do….” And I proceed to outline a whole training and eating program for them. (Perhaps you know exactly what I would say here???)

Client: “Wow, that’s great Coach! Thanks!”

4 weeks later…….

Me: “so, how’s it going? Are you eating the food I suggested? Are you doing the training I suggested?”

Client: “well, umm, ya know….here’s the thing…..I have a real busy life and I decided that I would just keep doing training the way I always have 2 to 3 times a week. Besides, I go to Planet Fitness once or twice a week and use the machines. Don’t worry, it’s a “judgment free zone” and I never set off the “lunk alarm”. And I know that I could be eating better, but really, who has time to do that? I mean I am eating breakfast now about twice a week so that’s good, right?”

Me: “It sounds like you’re really ‘taking the bull by the horns’ on this. How are the results coming? Are you reaching that level of being one of the elite members of the gym yet?”

Client: “well, not yet, but it's still really what I want. What do you think I should do to get there?”

Does anyone else see the complete and total insanity in this????

I have continually gotten this nearly every week from various people for years on end and I’ve found that it all comes down to this: people are not really interested in results. How do I know? Because otherwise they would let go of the BS excuses and try something new! So it’s at this point you need to ask yourself this question:

Are you interested in results or methods?

If results are what you want, if moving to that “next level” is truly most important and really becoming what you want to become, then you’ll need to look for a new method. Yet most people simply will not do it. Is it fear? Sure. Is it being stubborn? You bet. Do these folks have too many control issues? To a large degree, yes. They need to let go of the things that are holding them back; the excuses, the justifications and the reasoning behind why they don’t really need to change what they’re doing. Because when they let go of that crap, they begin to get the results they want!

So again, I ask you: are you interested in results or methods? Because changing your method might get you what you want.

And I also ask: are you willing to make that change and let go of your excuses? And the only way you know that you’re truly willing to make that change is when you’re actually DOING the work. Otherwise you’re full of ****.

"To get somewhere you've never been before, you'll need to do things you've never done before."