Recurrent Resolute

Superbowl Sunday was, beyond a great game and time spent with family, an amazing cheat day. Monday’s workout was hard with sweat induced. Here comes President’s Day and then Valentine’s Day. After dinner and chocolates, a trip to the nearest cardio machine, will be imminent. I’m sure that, soon thereafter, some unpronounceable foreign holiday will appear and be cause for gluttony once again.

Here in month 2 of 2012, gym memberships have more than made their first quarter’s numbers in new, and renewing, members. However, whereas in early January, an empty flat bench was as rare as a Unicorn’s Horn, they are now as barren as a buffet after a Celo Brown appearance.

Every New Year, trainers are approached with a burning query from would-be newbie clients, whom have every intention of starting a physical program. In the latter days of December, their minds flash off vivid pictures of egg whites, oatmeal, zero alcohol, hours of cardio per day, and a weight training routine so intense it might even make Arnold himself crawl back up into the womb.

“Slow it down. The car must hit 40 MPH before hitting 80,” is my usual reply. “Come in and we will go from there. Step foot in the gym, shake my hand, take in the sights, sounds and sometimes smells. Let’s formulate a plan and then hit it.”

Hard economics aside, no price can be put on health. If you have it, you are rich. Without it, flat line. I want you to come to the gym. You need not love it. You need not look forward to it. You may even view it the way I viewed Hebrew School upon growing up with a, “Why do I have to do this?” Just get it done.

Of course it helps to actually want to come to the gym and maybe set a new record, or accomplish something within its domain that you have never done before. In my competitive days it was to get an extra rep or lift a tad extra weight each and every week that kept me hungry. It was never for a trophy or punch line but rather the journey or day-to-day being in the trenches that drove me.

Maybe Nike has a new pair of sneakers that you know you’d look great in whilst running on the treadmill. Perhaps that fitted Under Armour dry wear would look great on you while performing lat pulldowns with more than your bodyweight. How about Dr. Dre or 50 Cent’s booming, thunderous headphones, amplified in your ears while curling until your arms are numb? An inspirational photo you saw in a fitness mag on the checkout line? The vivid image of an attractive body you glimpsed in the mall? Wherever, whatever, the motivation to get to the gym, make use of it!

The greatest way one can set one up for success, in the pursuit of a better body, is in maintaining a slow and steady pace rather than burn out like a NASA fuel pod only to plummet back to earth. Gaining bodyfat did not happen in one day, nor will it be removed in one day, (unless with a scalpel, but even then fat often returns with a vengeance.)

I want you to stay the course and better your physique over the long haul. Not merely to peak for an event, say a reunion or party, only to return to one’s former tubby state.

I want you to set realistic goals and adhere to them.

I want you to not make false promises to yourself, like no more alcohol, or a diet of seaweed and egg whites, followed by hours of cardio and training.

I want you to succeed and here is how you are going to FINALLY do it in 2012.

1. IF THE SHOE DOESN’T FIT, MAKE IT – Find a piece of clothing that once fit, but is now less than flattering. Your goal is to make it fit and fit well. Not in two weeks but rather in an 8-10 week slow cook-off fat melting campaign.

2. TOSS IT – All garbage foods, and empty calories, in the trash. Thusly, if you are having a split decision to cheat, you have to get dressed to do so. Or at least put on your underwear and hit the drive through.

3. TELL EVERYONE – The people close to you care to listen of your new goal. Guarantee they will not only keep tabs on your progress, you might even motivate them to make the shoe fit once again in their own lives.

4. IMAGERY – For me it’s the long and lonely journey John Rambo takes in the First Blood Movies. Nothing motivates me to adhere to my training goals moreso than Sly Stallone in ripped form battling some other entity. I am serious. If it’s not the Rambo movies, (on blu ray), it’s the movie scores or even the script.

5. GET IT DONE – We all have busy lives and all live within the 24-hour time parameters that is the day. While some of us may be fortunate to be in the gym most of the day and thusly easily able to hit the iron, make it your business to conquer that day’s workout. If I am not training a client, you will see me in the gym busting my rear.

6. NEGATE THIS – Someone doesn’t believe you will once again make the shoe fit? Great. I love it. Use that as motivation to stick that shoe right up…

7. CHECK IN – Regularly attempt to put that shoe on. It may not yet fit, but in the weeks to follow, whilst on your program, you will wedge in a toe, and that my friends, is progress.

8. MONKEY WRENCH – No-one is perfect. No one will eat and train perfectly all the time. If you are on the brink of overtraining, skip that day and come back tomorrow. If you are starving and would trade your right arm for a bowl of ice cream, do it, and then get right back on track.

9. ACCESSORIZE – Your old shoe may not fit but who says you can’t buy a new one, or a new gym outfit, and tan, or any number of things, that will instantly make you feel good about yourself, now.

10. GURU - See a fitness professional, those whose job it is to regularly get clients to fit into old shoes. If you've seen my business card, it says, "Training + Cardio + Nutrition = Results". Have a pro lay it down in a systematic plan that yields results.

Until the next Holiday and Gym Day,

Hollis 

Myth Busting

Consider, if you will, this edition a sequel to my previous newsletter, (see issue #22 in the Newsletter Archives section of holliswashere.com), that could very well spawn enough further installments to possibly rival that of McDonald’s in terms of sheer franchise size. It would seem, in regards to the realm of fitness, that debunking one myth or untruth almost immediately turns up another. And so my work is never done.

And, much like Batman donning his tights and utility belt whilst patrolling his seemingly doomed Gotham City, I sip my protein shake, affix my lifting straps and strap on my weight lifting belt in an effort to gallantly thwart the enemy that is misinformation. My foremost task is in minimizing time spent in the gym while maximizing its results.

Indeed, the gym would seem a likely place that is for many a myriad of opinions passing as fact. After all, there are differing body types to consider, genetics and goals specific to each individual. For example, we all know the guy who can take down an entire 4x4, fries and Neapolitan shake from the local In-N- Out burger and still display prominent abs year-round. Or the girl who has more God-given twists and curves than a Christopher Nolan film, who always looks beyond great, despite her codependence on Pinkberry and wine. In a nutshell, what works for these folks will not work for you and I.

There are however, some definitive truths that exist and apply to even the genetically gifted, or at least to those less blessed, who can truly benefit from the forthcoming knowledge in this newsletter. Consider this a continuation and further deciphering in the eternal war that is, "The Gym Myth!"

1. MYTH - Caloric halting is the best way to lose weight!

FACT- The human body is the ultimate chess match and often knows your move before you do. Refuse to feed it and it will jettison muscle tissue as its primary energy source first and horde its precious fat stores for later. The trick, in leaning up, is to follow a staggered intake approach. That is, low calories one day, medium the next and high on the third. The body, now unable to maintain a state of homeostasis, (constant state of being) will be forced to shed fat as fuel in order to adapt.

2. MYTH - Muscle turns to fat upon cessation of training!

FACT - If one ceases training altogether, but maintains the same caloric intake as while exercising, the result will be smaller muscles, (think of nails removed from a house - the house crumbles), but the quality will be the same as fat cells and muscle cells are two completely different entities and thusly one can not transform into the other. Now, if one were to cease training AND introduce a higher caloric intake, the fat cells would grow. Furthermore, fat cells and muscle cells never multiply as one is born with a finite number of each.

3. MYTH - Weights make me bulky! (Women)

FACT - If only that were the case. If only after years and years of lifting literally tons of weights and consuming enough chicken to make Perdue a very wealthy man, if only just touching a weight would have grown me into the dense 230 behemoth I am today! In truth, what many women perceive to be bulk is actually fat covering their muscles. Weights or resistance are the main stimulus that will keep women firm, while the proper application of cardio and nutrition will melt away the fat, thusly effectively showing their hard-earned musculature.

4. MYTH - Crunches for prominent abs!

FACT - Crunches for functional strength and athletic performance? Absolutely! Crunches for abdominal prominence? No way – not unless this individual’s diet is lean in refined sugars.

5. MYTH - Pre-workout stretching is a must!

FACT - Consider this faulty practice to stretching frozen chicken right out of the freezer – the distinct possibility for a tear rises exponentially. Thaw the body, then stretch both during, and after exercise, in an effort to develop more lean muscle tissue and improve one’s energy levels.

6. MYTH - Pre-workout eating!

FACT - Depends on what today’s workout entails. Are we burning fat via cardiovascular activity and attempting to utilize stored adipose, (fat), as fuel? Empty stomach. Are we about to partake in a resistance workout, raise our lean body mass and rely on stored glycogen, (energy used for anaerobic exercise), for said activity? A meal rich in protein, and moderate in fats and carbs will provide sustained energy for this task.

7. MYTH - Eating at night will make you fat!

FACT - Depends on what you’re eating, how much and one’s physical expenditure during this time. Furthermore, consuming food later in the day, that is higher in protein as opposed to carbohydrates, is less likely, (though not improbable), to be stored as body fat beyond one’s caloric maintenance versus current activity level.

8. MYTH - You have to sweat, and be sore afterward, to have had a productive workout! No pain no gain!

FACT - I don’t know about you, but I choose to not walk around sore and tired from my workouts. What is truly important is temporary muscle failure in the gym; that is, performing a set to positive failure and increasing one’s poundages (in good form), over time. Weight training, by definition, is progressive resistance training. I am not concerned with soreness in a muscle, following my training, for it indicates nothing more than it’s time to pop more Advil. Stimulate, don’t annihilate.

9. MYTH - Machines are more effective than barbells and dumbbells!

FACT - For conducting an easier workout perhaps? For getting less bang for your buck and not training ancillary, (helper), muscles such as the abs during most exercises? The truth is, it requires more force, balance and overall exertion to lift free weights than it does machines and for those of you who train with me know machines are the exception, not the rule.

10. MYTH - One must lose weight from diet before starting resistance training!

FACT - This is one of the most common myths, specifically believed amongst women, whom many ascribe the sheer number of their plummeting body weight to positive results rather than its composition. To many, if the number on the scale is going down, they must be doing something right. In truthful application, the proper combination of aerobics, weight training and a sensible nutritional protocol is far more effective, than by diet alone, which will result in less fat and muscle, as well as a smooth and soft appearance to the touch. Attempting to garner results from diet alone is like driving a long distance with plenty of gas in the tank but not enough oil and other such vital components for the proper running of said vehicle.

If this newsletter has been helpful please pass it on or have your contacts request this ongoing and free newsletter by dropping me an email at: hllpac@sbcglobal.net

ATTENTION: As of late, I am receiving queries as to persons wishing to utilize my services but distance may have set us apart. Not to worry as I offer ONLINE TRAINING offering your complete training and nutritional needs!

I hope you are all having a fun and healthy summer!

Flight of the Geriatric

Living and working in Los Angeles, one is hard-pressed in whipping one's head around in surprise with regularity. On display daily, are hard bodies, (both iron forged and cosmetically carved), waif-like models, A-list celebrities; even the local Rabbi looks like he hits the stair-master at least a few times per week. Yes, beauty and youth are as common here as guilty paternity test results on Maury Povich.

But, other often forgotten people exist here too. Yesteryear's model relegated to the sidelines and too often, the Island of Misfit Toys. They, with their thickening waists and thighs, slower metabolisms and once smooth and tanned bodies, now fraught with thickening course stray hairs and the beginnings of a mustache, liver-spotted crowns and silly-putty skin: they are the 50+.

Make no mistake, they are here, and standing up, (before a walker is needed), and reversing or slowing down the aging clock, that inevitably awaits us all. And proving nearly every day, their gym efforts are far more effective than surgery in the long-term. The 50+ populace now knows that just as one must regularly service a car for optimal performance, the human body requires no less than the same.

One of the most satisfying experiences, that I, as a trainer, can receive, is in seeing medication replaced with good nutrition, a cardio workout instead of a procedure, and an older client taking to weight-training instead of weight-gaining. Many of my clients are well into their 50’s and beyond. Some have never picked up with regularity weights until now, and rave daily about walking with more ease, feeling less wear and tear in their joints, and having an overall better feeling of well-being.

As many can agree, as one ages, the importance placed on aesthetics, (the way in which you look), severely lessens in regards to functionality, (the way in which you feel and perform.) Of course, we all want to look fit well into our latter years, but if one struggles to tie one’s shoes, or perform other every-day tasks, you may want to check your priorities.

On a personal note, my bodybuilding past relied on a physique and training that made a strong visual impact, but required little in regards to the actual performance of my physique. Currently, I am balancing the aesthetics of my body with endurance and athletic capability. And you may be surprised to know that this was not out of desire, but rather, need. The need to carry grocery bags and hold my dogs is far more important than my desire for big arms. And although my clients know this well, we can all benefit from training both ends of the spectrum for the ultimate in living well via Anti-Aging. But just what exactly is Anti-Aging?

The wildly popular term, “Anti-Aging”, is used to move tons of products annually in an effort to keep the person the same, which is an impossibility, as everyday of our lives we are all slowly aging. But one can keep their body and mind in the best working order for as long as possible. Many equate being healthy with being able to move around and function. And while on the outside, for many years to come, this may be the case, one’s insides require regular maintenance in order to truly function well. For many who are unenthused or seemingly unable to workout, medication, and cosmetic surgery, offers at best, a band-aid over a giant wound in the hopes of controlling an uncontrollable situation.

For those of you who may be rolling your eyes, thinking yourself too young to lend cause for concern over aging, maintenance and so forth, take heed. Imagine being less than two decades into life on this earth, returning from a gloriously productive, record-setting day at the gym, and unable to stand up from your bedside due to intense lower back pain and direct negligence of the core muscles. Oh how silly we all once were.

Now, where was I? Oh yes, keeping one’s body fat relatively low, practicing good nutrition and exercising regularly, are the true keys to “Anti-Aging” and as such, are cost effective, manageable and far less painful in the long-run.

What follows are my top 10 suggestions for the over 50 citizen who chooses fight over, "I've fallen and I can't get up."

1. Positive Mind Set - empathy goes a long way. If you can see yourself in a person close to your age but in better shape, then you can become that person.

2. Time Management - whether it's completed before or after work, get it done. I don't care how busy I am, I always make time for my workout. To not do so is akin to not brushing my teeth - unacceptable.

3. Energy management - some of my older clients are at their best in the early hours of the day and fade as the day progresses. Know when you're at your best and train then.

4. Weights - yoga, Pilates, and the like, are fabulous, but nothing will change your body for the better, (and help to prevent osteoporosis), than resistance training. That is, unless you don't desire improved posture, metabolism and an enhanced and shapely contoured body.

5. Cardio - should always be completed after your weight training, (unless performing a brief warm-up), and is not about calories burned, but rather enhanced nutrient absorption, strengthening your heart AND raising your metabolism.

6. Food - clean, largely unprocessed, small, frequent meals consumed throughout the day to fuel you for optimal movement, energy and metabolic efficacy.

7. Stretching - to help lengthen muscle tissue, improve performance, and save wear and tear on your body.

8. Supplements – your Doctor will know for sure where you fall short. Supplements are supplemental to food but do wonders to fill in the gaps. The mental ease, knowing that I've covered all the bases is worth the price alone.

9. Books - never stop in your quest to learn more about your fascinating machine that is your unique body.

10. People - that are positive, that believe in you, should be your hangers-on. Leave the doubters to their doubts - you and I have too much that is positive, to accomplish.

I would like to thank everyone who has pre-ordered my new book and DVD, Anatomy of Fitness Core, NOW available at holliswashere.com via the secure PayPal website. May it help you achieve the toned and functional midsection that it has me.

Remember, I am always available to help you via a pre-scheduled on-line training session. I want YOU to be proud of YOU, to feel better, look better and perform better!

Label This!

I hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving :)

Today’s world runs so fast, (can you believe it's almost December?), that a product must convey to the consumer pertinent information instantly. At its best, a mere image is all that is required. Generally, if you see a partially eaten white apple you associate it with computer excellence, pushing the envelope, and frequent software updates. Golden Arches belie familiarity, youthful dreams, bloating and fullness for hours on end. A product must demonstrate its appeal, what it can do and do so in a way that makes you want to buy it, now.

Unlike most non-edible purchases, food must not only contain information about what ingredients are in it, but its nutritional (or lack thereof) characteristics, so the consumer knows exactly what he/she is putting inside his/her body. Yet with so many differing nutritional components and suggested percentages, all those numbers and their respective roles are often confusing. Sometimes even misleading.

Take for example a package of gummy bears. Now you shouldn't be looking at or be familiar with Gummy Bears except as a mid 80's Disney Cartoon on Saturday mornings, but assume that you are. A typical serving shows zero fat grams, more than half of its carbohydrate content clocking in in the form of sugar, zero fiber and protein. What do these figures mean? Little to no long-term nutritional value.

Back in 1994, while dieting down for my first bodybuilding competition, I was eating yams as one of my main carbohydrate sources straight out of a can. The can showed zero fat and even some fiber, so I thought fantastic! As the weeks progressed, I noticed I wasn't getting as lean as I could have. It was then that I discovered that the yams, (by themselves very healthy or clean), were heavily immersed in a syrupy water, thusly negating their "burn clean" benefits. Once I switched to the raw and unprocessed variety, the abs came in.

I am not saying canned foods are bad. Tuna is a somewhat regular staple in my regime. I simply run water through it (to rid excess sodium intake), and add Grey Poupon instead of mayonnaise for taste. What I am saying is labels, while important, simply provide the blueprints for food. Without being able to properly decipher the meaning behind the numbers, you may not be getting the most out of your food and therefore, your body.

With all of the myriad of diets out there, it can be extremely confusing deciding what to follow. But some of the constants that I live by are to eat the majority of my foods clean or un processed. And in doing so, the need to look at labels dissipates. But in the real world we live in, sometimes the desire and/or energy to cook clean food is just not there. Instances like the other evening when I arrived home from work and simply microwaved prepared chicken breast strips from Costco, Brussels sprouts from Trader Joe's and garlic brown rice with quinoa from Wholefoods. It took but minutes to nuke and I washed it down with a caffeine-free diet Pepsi and felt good about my choices on that particular evening.

I would like to make clear that I personally eat more for the aesthetics of my body and performance rather than sheer taste (unless a cheat meal is in progress). That things used sparingly like salsa, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and worcestershire sauce can make an otherwise bland meal seem almost indulgent. Since people tend to buy the same foods, it is important to know what is going into your body regularly.

Before getting to what I do look for on food labels, let me tell you what I personally am not terribly concerned with.

Calories - It is the macronutrients, (the parts), rather than the whole (calories), that I look for. It's the quality of those calories, not just the quantity that is important. I want unprocessed protein, carbohydrates and fats in my body. If you know how many grams of each are in a meal, then you will know the calories. Protein and carbs contain 4 calories per gram while fat clocks in at 9.

Serving Size - I've never even come close to the amount of servings a manufacturer claims the consumer will yield out of a particular food product. Additionally, I have more lean muscle mass than the average person and didn't get this way by getting 4-5 servings out of a product like they say, but most probably 1-2 (of clean food.)

Cholesterol - Again, to me, not something I spend time on. If it's clean or as little processed as possible, and contains little saturated fat, the chances are good that it's low in cholesterol. Of course exceptions such as shrimp, which are naturally higher in cholesterol, do exist.

% of Daily Allowance - If I followed the recommended daily allowance of what they say my protein intake should be, I'd be left with the lean muscle mass of a tuna roll. A lot of these guidelines are for thin, moderately active to sedentary persons, not for those wishing to build their ideal physique. That goes for women as well as men.

Fat Free - Generally, if a product says fat free it may, in actuality, be higher in sugar. In order to provide taste, if the fat has been removed or lowered in a food, sugar is often added. I'll take low fat or trace elements of fat any day over fat free. Fat Free to me is like Free, seeming almost too good to be true, and nothing in life is free.

The things that I look for in regards to food labels are:

Protein - the true magic of muscles. I couldn't maintain my right toenail on the recommended daily allowance. I need more and if it’s canned, for me it's tuna or chicken breast. At least 1 lean gram per pound of body weight for those looking for lean muscle mass.

Sugars - aside from protein, it's probably the first thing I look at. Carbs (low-glycemic) don't concern me, actually I need a lot of them to keep my body moving. But it is the slow burning kind - quinoa, oatmeal, etc. that I want, not the insulin spiking type such as canned (baked) beans, candied yams or canned fruit in syrup that I wish to avoid. Limit.

Sugar Alcohol - Although not straight sugar, considered empty calories or filler and does effect blood sugar levels and can cause bloating and diarrhea. Definitely not clean fuel for your body or physique. Limit.

Fats - essential for maintaining healthy skin as well as providing essential fatty acids (EFA’s). Saturated as found in vegetable shortening, can clog your arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Unsaturated fats as found in salmon, reduce the risk for clogged arteries. I do try to keep it at between 75-85 grams daily of unsaturated.

Sodium - sodium's role in the body is to help maintain fluid levels in various parts of the body. Too much will cause you to retain water and thusly bloat and soften even the leanest of physiques. Since most foods naturally possess sodium, there is no need to add more. Instead of salt, I use Mrs. dash, Garlic Powder instead of Garlic Salt, or some other substitute. I don’t count it, I just limit it.

SPEEDY DELIVERY:

I was recently asked my opinion about meal delivery services. I think if one has the extra bread (pun intended), will help to keep one on a fitter lifestyle, offers lean and clean variety and is palatable, I'm all for it.

FUTURE FORMAT:

As we close out 2012 and head in to 2013, I'd like to turn the tables and have YOU write my last newsletter of the year. Please send your questions, no matter the fitness topic to: liebman.hollis@gmail.com

Questions and comments are anonymous and chances are that if you have specific questions, at least a dozen or so folks have the same question.

Last month’s response to my giveaway was overwhelming and so, I offer to you again. My Special Pre-New Year Holiday offer to you is a FREE training session to the first 10 persons who have not worked with me before to be used before January 1, 2013. Just send me an email with the subject heading “Free Workout”. Get a head start on becoming the person you wish to be in 2013!

Yours in fitness,

Hollis

Pay It Forward Holidays

For the many that have written to me, I thank you for your continued support as well as your questions and opinions. I strive to pen a newsletter once per month and am always-available 1-on-1 for consulting and above all, to help. In my absence these last few months, I was penning my third book, "Anatomy of Core Stability", as well as prepping for the release of my second book, "Anatomy of Exercise for 50 +: A Trainer's Guide to Staying Fit Over Fifty", coming soon to fine bookstores and an amazon.com near you:

http://www.amazon.com/Hollis-Liebman/e/B008SLXL8G/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1350593986&sr=8-1

Although it was an unusually hot, (and somewhat continual), summer, the fall holidays are upon us. It is not uncommon for many to write off the end-year with their fitness goals. After all, New Year's is right around the corner. You may even think that you'll pick it up come the first of the New Year. But, ask yourself, are you where you wanted to be today in terms of physique as compared to the same time last year?

What we know is this: Of course the holidays are happily upon us. Of course we will all indulge somewhat from now until December 31, 2012. And of course, we must continue on the course and make our gym efforts and eating choices thus far pay off for us.

The human body is our car and as such, requires consistent maintenance in order to run properly. Ceasing to work out until the New Year, is to me, akin to driving around with expired oil. And while it is perhaps unrealistic to expect to run at full capacity year-round, the car is good to no one, especially its owner, garaged for an extended time period. If you lack the requisite motivation as we enter the 2012 holiday season, this newsletter IS for you.

Even trainers can't floor the pedal all the time. In the last year, I had to get my body into shape three times for various projects. And although I do personally train year round, my body fluctuates in both its’’ composition and scale weight. When it comes time to once again return to shape, I clean up the food, perform more cardio and up the weight training intensity by X amount of days in order to peak.

It is common for many to find themselves in a vicious cycle of weight gain and muscle loss come holiday season. Treats at work, (even at the gym), are commonplace and for some, taken in moderation, pose hardly a blemish to one's physique. I am not one of these people and I suspect some of my readers are as well. Place one cookie in front of me and if I indulge with your kind gesture, please be armed with a Noah's arc of goodies because I absolutely will not stop eating until all that remains is an empty plate.

It is often, at this time, that quick fix solutions, in the form of equipment, supplements and unrealistic programs bombard us in every form of media conceivable. And time and experience has shown us that quick fixes never work. It is the bricklayer that places a brick a day consistently that yields a sturdy house. Those that starve themselves on super restricted low calorie diets, workout for hours a day and amp themselves up with stimulants, although clearly not lazy, are doing too much with too little and too late to make any lasting, (and healthy), impact. Indeed, cramming overnight for physical fitness is akin to poor results.

Now, those of you that are maintaining a somewhat regular pattern of healthy eating and exercise, up to, and through the new year, I applaud you. But even those, and I include myself, who are tired of starting over every Monday, looking in the mirror and not loving the image that glares back, this newsletter is also for you.

So the question remains: How can I keep realistically motivated about my body for the much needed remainder of the year? Since, most of us are renewed and ready to really do this every January, it is the last three months - October, November, and December that we must stay on course in order to cross, and not stumble, into the New Year.

What follows is my Top 10 List to brave the year-end holidays and not have to play catch up, (too much), come the first of 2013.

1. Set the Syllabus - Admittingly, the amount of cardio you'll be performing during the New Year will outweigh your current output. Set a minimal work schedule. Perhaps you'll perform weight training your usual 3-4 times per week, (or less for some), and lessen the cardio from 3-4 to 1-2. Set a minimal baseline before revving it up in 2013.

2. Mini Peaks - Use each holiday party to peak, (as best as you are able), for your body so that you can indulge when being social.

3. Maintain the Realm - I find it easier to maintain healthy eating during my Monday through Friday work schedule when I am at the gym and with my clients. It is during the weekend that quite often, fast food enters into my life and digestive system. And so I flip through a fitness magazine, read about new supplements or even perform yard-work with my shirt off; anything to keep at least my eye on fitness.

4. Allow for Fluctuation - Not even striking distance, allow yourself to relax a little over the holidays. If you're used to having 1 or 2 cheat meals normally during the week, and come the holidays, you feel the strong urge for another cheat, indulge and then get back on track. But do not allow one meal to lead to a full day, or days. You've worked too hard!

5. Fat Clothes at Bay - while the holidays definitely allow us to loosen the belt, literally, they should not mean rotating to the extra size or two up jeans and shirts that we all have in the back of our closets. Relax the reigns but don't fall off the boat.

That's great Hollis - all of this positive mind setting but how can I eat cleaner over the holidays and not wreck my body?

1. Simply Indulge - if you're at a party is it realistic to eat carrots and broccoli spears while others dine on fried everything and sugarcoated heaven as well as drink alcohol of every make while you sip water? Not even close to happening. Eat one rich meal until you're feeling good and then get back on track.

2. Give it Away – hoarding, made for you cookies and the like, is not an excuse to indulge. If you are one of those persons who can take a bite out of evil and be done, more power to you. I don't understand your kind.

3. Dining Out - those restaurant calories certainly do add up. Know that there's a healthy choice for you wherever you may roam. Chinese food? Steamed chicken and vegetables with brown rice and sauce on the side. Italian? Chicken breast salad with balsamic vinegar. Mexican? Grilled shrimp over beans and a whole-wheat tortilla with salsa.

4. Fiber - fill up on vegetables and water, which make a dent in the stomach minus the calories.

5. Natural vs. Processed - if you consume food as close to its natural state without processing, chances are it's clean and won't stick around long after you've consumed it.

My Special Pre-New Year Holiday offer to you is a FREE training session to the first 10 persons who have not worked with me before to be used before January 1, 2013. Just send me an email with the subject heading ““Free Workout””. Get a head start on becoming the person you wish to be in 2013!

Yours,

Hollis

The Art of the Peak: Part 2

Wasn’t it just that holiday, with the blooming roses and chocolates, and now stuffing and turkey, that are gluttonously thrust upon us? And as such, the holidays are an easy time to write off the remaining portion of the year, in regards to keeping our waistlines in check. Of course, you’ve put in a diligent year. Of course, the holidays are a time to celebrate, reflect and indulge. And of course, New Year’s resolutions are, quite literally, around the corner.

But what happens when one maintains not merely maintenance, but peaks their physique for a special day? What can happen when one harnesses all that strength and knowledge into one ripped and ready weapon of mass appreciation before year’s end?

Very recently, I had the honor and duty of whipping myself into stellar shape for an upcoming project, (TBA), that occurred around the commencement of the holidays. Upon acceptance of said project, I expressed my gratitude and thanks, but had to cite the true reason I was excited about this challenge. For upon its’ completion, the first stop I would make was to go to Katz’s Deli, on East Houston Street, in NYC, my original home and sight of my last meal on earth if ever granted one!

Upon arriving with my oversized gym bag in one hand and extra pair of sneakers in the other, I pondered, this must have been what Columbus felt like upon discovering America. Only my finding had rows of corned beef, brisket and pastrami instead of corn husks and land. This was indeed the holy meat trinity that, (no offense Los Angeles), 7 plus years living in LA, I was missing. After my friend and I stuffed ourselves, silly, and as I looked down upon my now distended belly with blurred definition and rippling garden hose vein running through my biceps, Hollis had indeed come home.

Okay, the food was good, but nothing feels as great as being in shape, nothing. Many of my past columns have touched on nutrition, supplementation and even peaking, but this time, I wish to take, with your kind permission, you, the reader, on a strange journey into what exactly I did the final week to ready myself. Although there exists many unique body types and we may respond differently to stimuli, (some react to lower carbohydrates, some higher fats and some must rely on countless hours of cardio and lower carbs to peak their physique), there are indeed lessons for all herein.

Having been involved in the physique game since 1989, I chose to stick with what brought me to the dance in the first place. It always amazes me the lack of patience many exhibit in regards to changing their physique. Never reverse thyself by resorting to would-be quick-fix artistry. If I was to get into proper shape, I was to call upon the old standbys.

About a week and a half before the shoot, a friend grabbed my midsection and voiced concern. Although I admit 6 weeks was not much time to allow for optimal condition, I voiced no audible concerns for the base work had been completed and by adhering to my 10 proven commandments, a decent peak was achieved. 2012 will bring about a return trip, (and subsequent shoot), and I have vowed to enter onto my sacred home ground in even better shape, right before heading to Katz’s Deli for round 2!

1. Time – As mentioned, I allotted myself about 6 weeks to get into shape. This was exactly half the time I devoted in the past to getting myself into competition shape, which differs from photograph shape, whereby both goals call for differing degrees of muscular separation to the body. For this challenge, I needed to look aesthetically pleasing while displaying some semblance of abdominal definition without being deemed overly muscular for more of a mass audience appeal.

2. Pic on Fridge – I have cited this advice for years now and it applies just as well to teachers as to students. When the job calls for me to get into my best possible shape, a pic of an athlete who has achieved this condition, (and then some), in this case, Flex Wheeler, circa 1998, goes right up on my fridge.

3. Up the Cardio – My normal cardiovascular baseline is 5, 30 minute low intense cardiovascular sessions weekly and generally year round to keep my body fat levels in check and help to keep my heart strong, pumping blood more efficiently, thusly improving blood flow to all parts of my body. But maintenance and peaking are two different beasts. I upped my daily sessions to 45 minutes (low intensity) and added a sixth cardio day on Saturdays’ also for 45 minutes, the extra exercise allotted to burn excessive adipose, (fat), stores.

4. The Cut Back – Anyone who knows me knows that Wednesday’s and Saturday’s are holy days whereby I allot myself one cheat meal on those days, (in addition to my regular meals), to become the human vacuum cleaner, devouring any high-caloric entity in my way. Peak shape calls for one of those meals to be jettisoned. Alas, my one and only weekly cheat meal on Saturday remained and I made it calorically count!

5. Posing – Or Isotension as it is called, not only allows one to have more control over their muscles, (perfect for a long photo shoot), it also hardens the physique. I would pick a 5 minute song every night, (usually “Pantera” or “Megadeth”), after work and put my body through the paces. The remaining 5 action items were completed the very last week to bring about optimal definition and I do not recommend them but am simply providing an overview of things I did to achieve a temporary and extreme condition.

6. Sodium Overload – Since I am not prone to high blood pressure, the addition of excessive sodium in my diet, (temporarily), does not pose any threats. The idea being that by heavily introducing sodium for a few days and then restricting, along with moving it out of my system with at least a gallon of water per day, helps to make for optimal definition in my muscles by a flushing effect from the body. I salted from Monday through Wednesday and removed all condiments and the like from Thursday through show day on Saturday.

7. Diuretic/Asparagus – An over the counter natural peaking supplement, (the diuretic), and naturally occurring vegetable, (asparagus), which I take three days before an event and with plenty of water. I wake up Saturday with my skin tight and my veins prominent. Alas, once sodium and carbs are re-introduced, the super cuts disperse.

8. Flying with Food – Perhaps my one major concern regarding travel for this event, (LAX to Newark Liberty International Airport), would my diet food, (chicken breasts, yams, asparagus, protein powder and brown rice cakes), be allowed on board? Survey said, solids: yes, liquids: no.

9. Post Pics on Facebook – That night upon arrival, I snapped a few pics and posted one on Facebook for opinions and approval, (which we can all use), and the response was overwhelming and kind. Thanks everybody!

10. Relax – High levels of cortisol can actually smooth out muscular definition and inhibit an otherwise peaked physique. Relaxation is key to keep levels in check. Since all of my prep work was complete and I arrived in my hotel room the day before the event, all I needed to do was relax and let my deep cuts shine through.

FUTURE TENSE

What can be done differently to bring a tighter package to the next photo shoot? Plenty. I will allow for a few more weeks dieting for starters. 1-2 pounds of fat loss per week is optimal. The extra few weeks will allow me to lose extra body fat while retaining precious muscle tissue. I may also decide to stagger the cardiovascular work; that is, instead of 6, 45 minute sessions, I may split the cardio up into 2 daily sessions of say 25-30 minutes so my body has two bridge points instead of one for keeping the fat burning furnace going steadily throughout the day. No additional resistance work will be added. 4, 1 hour sessions weekly has always served me very well, efficiently breaking the muscles down so they may grow back stronger without the onset of overtraining rearing its’ ugly head.

Keep yourself on track through the holiday season with consistent training and nutrition. Do not undo what you have accomplished through the calendar year.

A block of pre-paid training at holliswashere.com for friends, family and yourself makes an excellent holiday gift and a great leap toward a head start on 2012 now!

Happy and Safe Holidays

The Quiet

They are the ones to whom little, or no, sympathy is garnered. He/she is often spoken behind his/her back with little, or no, regard in terms of having the ability to seemingly eat whatever they desire and nary gain an appreciable amount of fat for their efforts. They are the ones that can continue to wear Abercrombie well into their later years whilst the rest of us add words to our vocabulary like, “loose fitting”, “plus size” and “elastic.” In short, we have strong dislike for “them.”

The “them” we are talking about is the Ectomorph bodytype, defined as, “characterized by long and thin muscles/limbs and low fat storage; usually referred to as slim. Ectomorphs are not predisposed to store fat or build muscle.”

In this year-end closeout of 2011, I wish to cite our ill-addressed brother/sister the “skinny-fat” physique, which, in actuality, causes many a self-doubt just the same for the possessor of said bodytype. Although these persons may seem lean or skinny from the outside, an unclothed look often reveals a soft midsection much like anyone else might possess. Although their slender frames and slight bone structures may mask well the advancing obesity epidemic, their struggle is much the same, and although their war, a quiet one, can use diagnosis and assistance as well.

While it is true that many of us may have cursed them under our breath for allegedly eating whatever they want and nary putting a dent in their physiques, they pay a price for continual poor nutritional choices just as the rest of us do. And the question remains: Just what can I do to lean up and show my muscle tone as an already skinny person?

Proof, yet again, that the scale should never have been invented. (At least when discussing the composition of the human body.) For while a thin person may showcase a slight number in actual weight, his/her composition may be composed of a bodyfat percentage too high entirely. Even clothes can mask this person’s true conditioning. Making, by default, the mirror, this person’s greatest ally in establishing the truth.

What follows are my top 7 action items for you, the Ectomorph in both gaining lean muscle mass and shedding unwanted bodyfat; your ultimate physique goals:

1. Forget Numbers/Sizes – The main key is to dismiss all measurements and numbers in accordance with your physique. Forget about supposedly measuring progress by the measurements of your body. If you can see your abdominals, you are lean. If your weights are going up consistently, you are gaining muscle.

2. Eat Macronutrient Specific – The Ectomorph, or “Hard gainer”, can typically get away with more fats in their diet than the rest of us. Mind you, these should be good fats in the form of lean beef, fish oils, olive oil and nuts. In keeping muscle AND losing fat, be sure to consume enough good fats and protein whilst keeping refined carbs and sugar low.

3. Drink when you can’t chew – Another issue generally associated with this bodytype is appetite. Yes, I know you are eating all day and can’t possibly get any more food down. But, oftentimes, if the macronutrients were explored in the actual composition of these “meals” you may be surprised to find them both low in protein and high in refined carbs. Of course you will not build muscle and lose fat on this type of “diet.”

4. Label Thyself Accordingly – You are an ectomorph. You are a hardgainer. You need more sources of good fats than your other bodytype counterparts, coupled with progressively heavier weights in order to gain any appreciable amounts of muscle mass. No, you do not need to give up your hopes of actually building a physique many would desire to own. No, you need not resort to MMA, (Mixed Martial Arts), training only, in hopes of attaining just a skinny, yet functional, body. Look at Bruce Lee, a pure Ectomorph if ever one existed, who achieved not only a perfect harmony and balance in his physique, but he was also one who’s muscles could actually do what they looked like they were capable of doing.

5. Still Weights – Fat burning is, and will always be, the result of cardiovascular activity, solid nutrition, and weight training combined. All higher reps coupled with lighter weights will accomplish is in losing muscle mass, not in sculpting actual cuts to your physique. You must stick with what brought you to the dance.

6. Do Not Switch Tracks – All too often the greatest obstacle I encounter with Ectomorphs is reversing their goals all too often before actually achieving one. One week they wish to add muscle, the next refine it. Again, one must build the house before painting it. Allow ample time allotments and go about it with consistency and precision and continual goals attained shall be yours. Furthermore, this results best when a 7 days per week (nutritional) persistence is employed, not 5.

7. Marketing – In the fast paced society today in which we live, and with the flurry of images presented to us upon waking to hitting the pillow, we are bombarded with perfection, which translates to many as the impossible suit of perfection. Why do most that aspire and set out to achieving this level of physicality often come up short in their quests? Perhaps because we far too often shoot for an ideal that does not genetically suit us. Far better to find someone to whom your physique can compare with, or at least empathize with, on a physical level and shoot for that.

I wish to send to you my best wishes for a truly joyful and blessed Holiday Season and a safe and happy New Year’s.

If you, or a loved one, need help getting back into shape, please let me know! I am looking for a few more dedicated clients. I'd gladly accept anyone who comes via your recommendation.

Here’s to your best 2012!

Diabetes: A Love Story

In the global scheme of things, chances are you’re one of two people: A “Gonna Do” person, as in I’m gonna do this or that, or a “Do Person” as in I deVinitively will accomplish this or that. Others label it differently. 2Pac cited himself a “Ryda”, as in getting goals accomplished, and those less capable as “Bustas”. As it pertains to the realm of health and Vitness, I myself often ask clients, Are you a sugar or grease person? More often than not, the answer is sugar, especially when it comes to females. Many opt to forego the heavy meats and such but quiver with anticipation when it comes to breads, mufVins and the like. Why exactly are carbohydrates, speciVically high glycemic carbs, so hard to resist?

Of the three macronutrients found in food: protein, fat and carbohydrates, carbs are most efViciently utilized as fuel and speciVically high-glycemic carbs as immediate, short-term energy sources. This is why Gatorade is commonly used in sports for its immediate energy uptake.

A problem exists, however, when one’s carb intake throughout the day resides mostly, (as in the American diet), from high-glycemic carbs, (fruits, breads, processed foods), instead of long-term energy sources, (oatmeal, yams, beans, quinoa and brown rice), which provide more sustained energy for longer periods of time minus the ups and downs often associated with sugar and sugar-induced energy drinks; which, at best, provide fumes, rather than a full tank of gas to arrive at said destination.

Aside from lack of performance in day-to-day life associated with a high sugar intake, and its obvious aesthetic side effects, (namely obesity), a real danger exists regarding this lifestyle, in the long term. It is a disease, nary to be heard, in malls across the country where sugar, in its many forms, can be purchased right next to your local Hello Kitty kiosk: "Diabetes".

Diabetes is a near incurable disease, in which a person has high blood sugar, generally because the body does not produce enough insulin. Insulin is responsible for regulating both carbohydrate and fat metabolism within the body. Some diabetic signs are increased hunger, thirst and frequent urination, as well as blurred vision. The normal blood sugar measurement is between 65-140. A high number is between 250- 350 and anything over 350 is considered very high.

In addition, if blood sugar falls too low, the body will react by releasing a hormone from the pancreas called, "glycogen". Glycogen can be converted back into glucose in the regulating of blood sugar. Furthermore, protein can also be broken down into glucose.

There are generally two forms of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 requires the person to inject insulin as the body fails to produce it on its own and can affect both children and adults alike. Type 2 stems from insulin resistance, also known as Adult-onset diabetes in which the cells are unable to properly use insulin. Type 2 is, as it exists, is the most common form.

The maintenance for diabetes is in keeping blood sugar levels as close to normal and can be achieved with close dietary management via eating at regular intervals, consistent exercise and the use of medications when warranted. Further unhealthy activities such as smoking, drinking, high blood pressure, a sedentary lifestyle and elevated cholesterol levels are all further contraindicated behaviors regarding this disease. Since Type 1 can affect both the lean and obese populace and is often inherited, this article is directed primarily toward Type 2, which is largely attributable to lifestyle.

What follows is my top 10 action item list for ways to control, not cure of this disease and live a quality of life if you are currently diagnosed with Diabetes.

By the way, when I myself am posed the question if I am a grease or sugar person I always answer, “Both!” However, since Diabetes runs in my family, I make it beyond my job, but my life, to stay informed and take care of my body and those I come into contact.

TOP 10 DIABETES CHECK LIST:

1. LOW-GLYCEMIC INTAKE – Those of whom derive their calories from lean protein sources, healthy fats and long-acting carbohydrate sources, that do not spike insulin levels, is the primary ticket for not only in keeping lean, but keeping yourself alive. Be savvy of what goes into your prepared food and look for hidden sugars.

2. EXERCISE – Will lower not only your body-weight, (adipose tissue), but also an elevated blood sugar level as well as improve your heartbeat and circulation.

3. FIBER - Studies have shown that an increased Viber intake, (slowly and with plenty of hydration), can lower blood sugar levels significantly with those with type 2.

4. LIFESTYLE – Those who make exercise and nutrition their lifestyle or long-distance journey rather than fad, (sprint), are more likely to keep diabetes in check.

5. NON-SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE – For those in an ofVice setting, it may prove even more important to make an attempt to keep moving. I recall my days as an editor sitting for extended periods of time experiencing lethargy and sluggishness. Take stairs instead of an elevator; make an effort to be more active. For you gamers out there, (myself included), the X-Box Kinect, or PS3 Move or Wii are radical ideas in getting our populace moving through video gaming.

6. COFFEE – Studies have proven that caffeine boosts metabolism. I’m in.

7. SPICES - Cinnamon can possibly lower blood sugar as well as help the body to increase its natural production of insulin. That and the fact that it goes very well with oatmeal, make it a no-brainer.

8. RELAXATION – Stress leads to elevated blood sugar levels and relaxing activities will help promote a mental feeling of bliss or satiety and keep your nerves and blood sugar in check. Try daily allotments of yoga, reading or some other enjoyable activity.

9. SLEEP – Studies have shown those with less than 6 hours of sleep per night doubled their diabetes risk. Generally avoiding caffeine after 4pm, or other such stimulants, will help you to achieve a good night’s rest.

10. REGULAR BLOOD TEST – A blood test will definitively tell you if you are at risk as many of the symptoms remain silent. Diet and exercise additions may even prevent a lifetime of medications!

Remember that those diagnosed with diabetes face a lifelong monitoring of healthy eating, exercise, blood sugar monitoring and medications (when warranted.)

Wishing you all very happy holidays and an even more wonderful 2011.

Remember, year-rounders don’t need resolutions – do a good dose daily!

If you’ve worked with me and/or enjoyed these newsletters please take a moment to visit both the Fitness Factory yelp review sight and my own to cast your review:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/Vitness-factory-west-hollywood

http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=sKn3ddKRzYnzgoL2A9VgvA

Train of Consequences

Megadeth tune, “Train of Consequences”, was blasting in my ears. Maybe it was its hard-hitting intensity, or perhaps its guttural lyrical display that caught my attention, or maybe the ricochet sound of drums pulsating through my brain, that helped me drive up each rep. Nope. It was, I had deduced, its title that blazed through my body like the rendition of, "Judgement Day" as portrayed in 1991’s T2.

Consequences, as it were, are usually thought of as some final destination following a negative act. And then I thought if its dual meaning. After all, I was in the gym and training and surely the outcome of a successful workout always produces consequences; good ones, in the form of an ever-improving body, if and only if, the bearer deems it to be.

I have always viewed the journey as it pertains in the realm of fitness as a tangible, doable and above all, attainable goal. Having been exposed to the best in the world in regards to bodybuilding at a very young age, and then later on as an athlete expeditor in the professional division, the very same division I might add that produced Arnold’s then record of 7 Mr. Olympia titles, the theorem was delivered that no matter the limitations, be they genetic or what have you, a single, pure and focused drive that would nary negate itself, could and would produce the goods, time and time again.

Far too often we grow impatient and complacent in life. Results are not happening quick enough and we want it yesterday. Didn’t widescreen TV’s just come out and already they’re pushing the 3-D model? Thoughts of adding a magical elixir, or different protocol altogether, are introduced and rarely are the results favorable. At best, one is settling for a piece rather than arrive at a whole.

Take the 1987 movie Full Metal Jacket whereby the senior drill instructor asks his recruit his belief in the Virgin Mary. When the recruit denies believing, he is stricken and then asked again. Another beating follows another denial and the drill instructor is left befuddled but is quickly placated when the recruit explains were he to reverse himself, the drill instructor would beat him even harder. It’s difficult, if not impossible, for this D.I. to not be impressed by his new recruit and his staying the course.

Fact is what helps to create results. A detailed plan between two distinct points along with a reasonable amount of time and the correct variables in place will in fact produce outstanding results in the gym if the train is not reversed or switches its tracks in the midst of said program completion. The main thing that prevents gym goers from reaching the finish line is time itself; not investing in enough to achieve the desired results. 

Aside from the individuality of sport I found in competitive bodybuilding, what most appealed to me was in fact time. I thought it to be the fairest thing and often to this day wish it applied to most aspects of life. I knew that win or lose, on a given day there would be an outcome. Were I to plan my contest approaches around a tangible time frame in order to properly bring me into contest condition, the outcome could very well be in my favor and often was.

What follows are my Top 10 Consequence Commandments, if you will, designed to keep you on track, wherever your journey may take you.

1. Thou shalt not reverse thyself - Gut instinct drove me to a National trophy, not gym gossip and popular opinion. Have a plan and follow through to the end.

2. Thou shalt do what they always done to get what they always got - If following the same steps, (adding a new brick each day to one day build a house), brought you success, continue the formula. If the desired results were not yet achieved, tweak the equation until X is equal to victory.

3. Thou shalt stay motivated - By any means necessary, remember exactly what it is you are trying to achieve in the gym. What is the threadline that wills you each day? Identify and pursue.

4. Thou shalt abide by thy seasons - There is a time to build and a time to refine. Do not stay on a permanent road to nowhere. Every highway leads to an exit. Set clear time allotments to define your goals. Remember, there is a time for building and a time for sculpting.

5. Thou shalt stick to fact not myth - You heard from someone who heard that your abs will show if you work them for hours on end? The fact is, you may have a sore tummy from such rigorous output, but nary a defined ab to display without first melting the fat through a proper combination of nutrition, cardio AND training.

6. Thou shalt perform as if someone is watching - Half-assing a given set and not giving your all, is as common in the gym as breathing. And yet when we have an interested audience, anything is possible. Give more to the iron and receive more in the mirror.

7. Thou shalt be open to new experiences - It’s true a good student is always learning. Although I’ve always been open to learning more efficient ways to build lean muscle and burn bodyfat, I saved all experimenting, (especially concerning my nutrition), for the offseason when I had ample time to correct theories that quite simply, weren’t worth their weight.

8. Thou shalt call in reinforcements - We all get stuck, but if there’s one thing I learned from the Batman show starring Adam West, it was there’s always a way out, even it old Bats was stuck in a giant cake and doomed to meet his maker! We all need some help sometimes. A course, a nutritionist and especially your friendly neighborhood trainer will get you back on track.

9. Thou shalt prioritize - We all share the same 24 hour time- frame pie. Whether you’re the guy on the street or Donald trump, we can all schedule priorities accordingly. Make your physique endeavors a tangible slice of your daily pie.

10. Thou shalt use weapons of muscle-mass construction - Be informed as to what constitutes change. Cardiovascular activity alone will lean you out but will not harden the muscles. Add resistance training and proper nutrition to the mix for complete results.

ATTENTION: Through the month of October, refer a new ongoing client and receive a FREE training/nutrition session!

Not in the Los Angles area? Activate your own personalized complete program today with online training at holliswashere.com

When It's Not Working

“I’ll start again next Monday and that’s it, this time, results!” We’ve all said it; lied to ourselves, uttered false senses of hope, even allowed self-brainwash that after this last plate of indulgence, it’s on. Things will change. We’ve thrown away or at least hidden away our fat clothes, cleaned out the garbage from the fridge, purchased amazing new adipose-burning supplements, subscribed to every fitness magazine and even committed to 30 sessions with a trainer.

And then that next fated Monday comes and we haven’t lost a pound of fat, our jeans seem even tighter and online shopping at the fat store may actually become a reality. Our mood is down, our dreams unreachable and a solo trip to the movies coupled with concession goodness seems to be the closest thing to a hug.

Why the two steps back, one-step forward eternal dance? Why the yo-yo syndrome of repetitive gaining and dropping of weight? If indeed the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, why then are we running in circles?

I’m here to remind you that this negated confusion happens to us all. Even the greatest trainers in the world at one time or another suffered from chaos and confusion as to achieving our physique goals. Again, it happens to us all. It has hit even me as your personal trainer/guru and one very prominent example that sticks out in my mind was back in 1995 when I was finished with competitive bodybuilding. Yes it’s true that at 19 I “retired” from the sport that I held so dear. After coming off the high of winning a national title, following my week-long binge of food, I did what I had always done – constructed my plan for next year’s contest season. Weak points were targeted, diets including more quality calories (to build new tissue) were etched in stone and absolute precise workouts based on fact, not theory were my brick and mortar. But then one day, I put a big X through the plan as I realized, competitive bodybuilding and my assault on the Mr. Olympia title had passed me for another passion.

And yet, after all of the years of eating high amounts of protein (to build and hold onto lean muscle tissue), low-fat and moderate low-glycemic carb intake (to fuel and harden my body), the marathon cardio sessions (I’m chafing just thinking about it) and the tons and tons of weights lifted (which I knew would either toughen my skeletal structure like that of Wolverine or crush it like Terminator tanks rolling over skulls – nice imagery, I know), I didn’t know how to carry on, or rather eat. And so I ballooned up.

Yes it’s true; One day I would eat enough fuel to run Los Angeles county and then hardly a crumb the next. My body, in desperate need of homeostasis (a constant state of being) simply made a decision to store the excessive energy as fat and so I was! Looming questions haunted me daily: How do I eat? How do I fit in my jeans? How do I get a date?

And then after clearing the fat section in my closet and looking down at my ongoing collection of published articles, I realized I have control over this situation. In fact, my body is perhaps the one thing I do have command over in this universe. And so, the wheels (previously stuffed with fat) began to turn and I constructed my plan of regaining my body and becoming lean! I decided to up the ante when I put the challenge to my then boss (publisher for 3 fitness magazines) at the time that if I could indeed arrive in condition that he provide a layout in the magazine with me as its subject instead of its author for a change.

It felt as if Master Yoda himself was telling me “You must unlearn what you have learned.” And so a new plan based on less food, circuit-based training and so on was forged. The result was a shirtless body that anyone walking the highly competitive West Hollywood area would be proud to display.

And then about 5 months later, it happened as my boss called me into his office to show off the final product. And indeed the layout was very good, more than generous in space allotted and photographs assigned, and except for the fact that the entire article was bordered with a pink background, I was truly happy.

By now you may be wondering three things: pink – doesn’t surprise me, why stop competing and HOW CAN YOU HELP ME?

The first thing I want each and every one of you to accept (as I once did) is that it is your doing. That’s right, your current state (physically speaking as it pertains here) is a result (or lack of) your efforts in the gym and dinner table. It’s not the magazine’s fault, your trainer’s fault, the economy, etc. All of us are the ones that turn actions into results.

I absolutely love the fact that (barring genetics) we have complete mastery over our bodies and needn’t accept our current selves (if unsatisfied.) Each and every week I encounter new persons who seem to go through the motions in the gym or simply spend too much time there in an effort to tighten up for that weekend’s trip to Palm Springs or Vegas or what have you. And I remind them, though their intentions are good, they are akin to cramming for a big test where chances for a passing mark are, slim.

What follows is my top ten list of actions that are guaranteed to change your mindset and get YOU back on the path toward physique achievement.

1. CHANGE – “If you do what you always done, you get what you always got” says Ronnie Coleman 8X Mr. Olympia. Not happy? Change something!

2. INCREASE – Put maximum effort into each set in the gym, hammer the nail in the wood with just one or two swift and accurate strokes and the job is done. Then do your cardio and get out of the gym.

3. FACT – Get your facts right. Is a banana really the best breakfast for creating long-term energy or will something that burns slower like oatmeal provide more sustained energy for your workout?

4. PLACEMENT – Weights first, cardio after. Why? Cardio depletes too much energy for proper completion of the weights. Cardio should be thought of as elevating one’s metabolism throughout the day, not in burning calories. Weights are used to firm and strengthen the body. Using only one is incomplete and foolish.

5. ROUTINE – Routine is just that. If you’d rather go to Hebrew School or the equivalent instead of completing your workout, at least in my mind, there’s a problem. A new body part split, new exercises, new equipment, and new ipod track list will help prevent stagnation. In short, your physique efforts must not be routine.

6. SINK THE TITANIC – That’s right, stop lying to yourself and over promising only to ALWAYS come up short. Set short-term, realistic goals for yourself AND add a cheat meal here or there or purposeful indulgence will be guilt-free and much appreciated on your body and mind-set.

7. ROSES NOT WEEDS – Surrounding yourself with good food, good equipment and good people will support your gym efforts infinitely.

8. FIND YOURSELF A HOBBIT – As a child, the animated Lord of The Rings movies spoke to me for one line of dialogue in particular. As Samwise desperately seeks to reunite with his master Frodo, Gandalf the Wizard over voiceover tells us, “He would try over and over, 1000 times if necessary to free his beloved Frodo from the tower of the Orcs.” Another phrase that motivates me is a line taken from a 2Pac song, “If you choose to apply yourself, go against the grain and you’ll get the riches and the fame.” And lastly Rocky himself who uttered in the last rendition of the famed series, “If you know what you’re worth go out and take it.” The power and motivation embedded within those quotes flow through my body like blood, providing everlasting strength and clarity.

9. TELL THE TRUTH – Is your methodology truly working? Have you arrived at the pearly gates of physiquedom? Listen not to what you may falsely tell yourself or even loved ones who mean well, but rather the mirror-mirror on the wall who is compelled to always reveal the truth. Are you using too much weight such that ancillary muscles take over the lift? Is your range of motion shorter than A Hobbit? Tell the truth.

10. FIND A CASINO – For me a viewing of this 1995 De Niro/Scorsese collaboration was literally an epiphany and my answer to what to do after my bodybuilding career was over. I’ve been penning movie scripts ever since and am now on my 8th feature. For those of us lucky enough to be blessed with a passion, you owe it to yourselves to go after it. As I’m sure many of you can relate, I’ve been lied to, stolen from, used and the like but no matter what, I will achieve my lifelong dream of one day having my screenplay produced!

The Fat Exorcist

It’s Summer, 2011, (at least here in beautiful Los Angeles), and you’ve failed yet again. Yes, YOU! Right before New Year’s rolled around, we as a collective, were at our heaviest weight and promised ourselves, and anyone within earshot or text message, that in 2011 it was indeed on! (Or off, the fat, that is.)

And right on cue, come every Summer, like a youth preparing for a test via cramming, once again, the weather is right and you are not. You’re about as ripped as Chunk, circa 1985, from The Goonies. As ripped as Precious at a Hometown Buffet. As ripped as the balloons in Pixar’s Up. In reality, ripped off would be the more appropriate axiom. Ripped off, that yet again you spend your summer covered up.

As I shared with you, my loyal readers, last newsletter, (see issue #35 Dietary Smackdown!), nothing motivates one more to get back into shape than a breakup. A good 10 weeks of clean eating and hardcore training brought back into my life and physique, more cuts than any Saw movie could dare show in a darkened theater. The lines came in fast and furious, so much so that I thought a photo-shoot was in order. Aside from the lack of condiments for the last 3 days of prep, natural diuretic for drying out, (my Home Depot trip is still a blur), and applying Hot Stuff to bring about vascularity and an insane beach pump, that day was an important one, for not only what was captured in front of the camera, but inside my heart as well. There are few things that feel as good as a rebirth, believe it!

My wish for each and every one of you is that when summer arrives, you are as ready as a pale-stricken would be attorney on the day of the bar that has served hard time in the library for 6 months to a year of prep.

But what exactly ales ye? All that endless cardio that would amount to Frodo and Bilbo making three pilgrimages up Mount Mordor in destroying the accursed ring. Enough skinless chicken breasts to wake up with wings that can't fly. More reps than Will Smith’s agent. More protein shakes, supplements and fuel to sponsor Marty McFly’s Delorean from 1955 to 1985 and a trip every year to 2085. All this work and little to no results! I recently read that more than 67% of Americans are considered overweight; this is downright tragic and preventable. This fact is reinforced every time I log into my Facebook account and I see faces from yesteryear, some now barely recognizable due to sheer volume. Believe me, I know how good a Krispy Kreme, (or 5), tastes, but nothing feels better than actually fitting into shorts and a fitted T-shirt at Armani Exchange and having the attention of the entire store and not just because one has platinum card status.

What follows is my top 10 list of varying behaviors that have given the Fat Demon the message that it is indeed okay to inhabit your body. Excise him now by chanting, “The power of being lean compels you!”

1. Improper training – Both self-imposed or under the guise of your trainer can sometimes derail your progress. The various modalities I see some of my fellow trainers have their clientele perform on a daily basis, sometimes leaves me scratching my head. Rolling, stretching, bands and the like have their place but evermore Training + Cardio + Nutrition = Results. I have personally never veered from doing what brought me to the dance in the first place and that is why my national bodybuilding trophy proudly resides on my mantel.

2. Stress – In 2011, who doesn’t live with stress? But excessive worry causes the body to produce cortisol, a catabolic, fat storing hormone. Try to limit your stress by exercising regularly, writing freely in a journal, taking up yoga as I have, (once per week), and stretching. The power of cortisol is so great, I have seen ripped and ready contest prepped bodybuilders lose cuts in front of their very eyes by excessively worrying and ruining an otherwise peaked physique. Relax, it’s just life.

3. Too many cheat meals/days – The metabolism actually slows down after prolonged “dieting” due to the body’s constant need for homeostasis, (state of being). Introducing an elevated caloric intake, at least once per week, will not only get a sluggish metabolism moving, but will also renew a mentally taxing lifestyle. This is why my cheat meals are so sacred to me as any of you have witnessed first hand. We all at one time, or another, have started Monday, as THE day things will change only to find ourselves heavily indulging before day’s end and far too often sabotaging the entire week. People, it’s a cheat meal, NOT a cheat life! Use your food lifeline sporadically and leaner gains shall be yours.

4. Prescription Medications – The use of certain prescription drugs such as mood and anxiety disorders, birth control and even certain types of steroids can cause unwanted weight–gain. If you do suspect a medication you are taking is causing you to gain pounds, never stop taking said protocol without consulting your physician first!

5. Lack of patience – Believe me, I’m from New York, I have more estrogen in my body than I do patience. But when it comes to achieving something, my brain is constantly aware that a brick a day will one day yield a full wall. Too many of you are not giving a program, be it training or nutrition or both, enough time. Stay on the proven highway to success instead of veering off every inviting exit ramp you see.

6. Supplement reliance – With the advent of technology, the multi-billion dollar supplement industry is as booming as ever. Not only do protein shakes no longer taste like chalk, (Syntha-6 chocolate is delicious!), but also some sups actually work! Still, with the flood of potent fat-burners, and the like, on the market today, it is a common, (wrongful) practice, to abuse these substances and their more potent drug counterparts in the quest of an elite or beach-worthy physique. Supplements are just that, supplemental to one’s dietary intake and will always take a backseat to year-round discipline both in the gym and at the dinner table, period!

7. Too many cooks – As a professional trainer, I know the value of constantly learning more and updating less effective modalities with more proven techniques. This would explain the change in physique development from the 70’s during Arnold Schwarzenegger’s reign to today. The athletes today have achieved levels of muscularity previously impossible yesteryear. BUT, I always go off sound logic, and proven theorem, rather than what is the latest in vogue. If everyone has an opinion differing from everyone else's, what other possible results will be yielded, other than a variation of Mary Shelley’s "Frankenstein", in terms of physique development.

8. Genetic reliance – Who can’t name the person whom, eats whatever they desire and never gains an ounce of fat? Of course the grass is always greener. I know plenty of people walking around with completely visible abdominals year-round yet can’t seem to gain any appreciable muscle mass. Since they lack the heart, desire and plan, they have chosen to rest on their genetic predisposition. Training has always been, at least to me, a war between the weights and myself and I will not lose. Push your limits, and change yourself, for the better!

9. Too many distractions – We can all take a lesson from one of my favorite movies, Michael Mann’s, "HEAT". De Niro, as Neil McCauley is quoted as saying, "You want to be makin' moves on the street, have no attachments, allow nothing to be in your life that you cannot walk out on in 30 seconds flat, if you spot the heat around the corner." Now while extreme, this single-mindedness allows Neil to have a very successful career as a high-stakes criminal…until he died at the end. But that’s not the point. Stay focused on the task at hand people!

10. Darkness at the end of the Tunnel – Where is the light ? Begin with the end in mind. Know thy goal. Visualize. Believe. Practice the steps. Groundhog Day existence. Repeat.

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(Abs)olutely!

It’s that time again. The carbs are lowered, the cardio upped, the skinny jeans rotated and the tank tops on prominent display. Summer is here and it’s time to showcase your annual excursions in the gym. Only one problem persists: You have nary an ab to display. Your gut resembles the smoothness of a baby’s bottom. There’s more separation in a newly married couple than in your midriff. You’d need three promotions to appear “soft.” In a word, skin season is here and you’re plumply prepared, again.

What went wrong exactly? January 1, 2010, rolled in your new year’s resolutions, (like every other year), to physique commitment and this time was surely a union you fully intended to keep. You cut back the endless empty calories derived from wine, made that weekly pilgrimage up the canyon despite nightly displays of chaffing, jettisoned those exotic energy drinks, skipped meals altogether; in short, made sacrifice after sacrifice. But just what gives exactly? Where are my abs?

Let’s get to the bottom of this seemingly confusing musculature once and for all and bring prominence to an otherwise cushioned body part. And we can start with a simple word switcheroo: "Once again it’s on" is to be replaced with "Once again it’s off!"

Unique to other muscles of the body, the abdominals, (Rectus Abdominus), are an important postural component and responsible for varying rotations at the trunk. They are in use for virtually any exercise or activity, and in addition to the Erector Spinae, (lower back), comprise what is commonly referred to as, "the core". This is the true center of our physical self.

Unlike other muscle groups, the abs are trained for their compactness, never in hopes of enlarging the tissue, but rather, "refinement". The truth about abs are one could conceivably train them all day until blue in the face and an increase in sharpness would nary occur. For the abs to be visible, the fat must be melted away from the area to showcase truly outstanding development. It is for this reason that I, as your Trainer, shy away from a surplus of abdominal training, (as my collective knows), as this area is hit completely from a wide variety of other exercises, whereby the abs are called into play as ancillary helpers and thusly worked sufficiently. Furthermore, know that when you hear of those who perform ridiculous 1000 repetitions of crunches, this results mostly in neck or erector atrophy rather than ab usage. I assure you to complete even 100 correct reps utilizing the abs alone is very difficult to do.

The one exception to this rule is an athlete, say a baseball player or professional wrestler, for who effective direct ab training should be performed regularly, resulting in greater performance, not sharpness of the muscle. Know too that there exists no such upper or lower abs as commonly cited, but rather one long muscle running vertically down the human torso.

Still not sold? Put down the ab contractor now doubling as a coat hanger for a moment and read on non-believers.

My victory at the "1995 Teen Nationals", whereby I showed the judges ripped abdominals complete with visible obliques and serrated rows of abdominals was derived not from crunches and other such nonsense, but rather a committed and consistent diligent application of cardio, diet and weight training to showcase the very best in ab development. And folks, trophies and magazine coverage do not lie!

And here’s the thing: Each and every one of us already possess the ab development we seek. They lay just beneath whatever layer of flesh one may be holding at the moment. Yes, from the cradle to the grave, our abs are a given.

Want abs that will turn heads? Follow these guidelines:

1. Adhere to a low-glycemic, low-sugar lifestyle. This means curtailing hidden sugars you may or may not be aware of including breads, pastas, fruit, alcohol and a myriad of other hidden ab killers which do more to obscure muscular definition and cover-up an otherwise prominent midsection.

2. Use cardio to melt fat away, (increase your metabolism), not to launch yourself into outer space or done so intensely as to induce hunger and thusly immense sugar cravings.

3. Use weight training to target all the muscles of the midsection as ancillary agents while internally strengthening the abdominals.

4. Save your direct ab work after your weight training when they are warm, worked and can beneVit from a tad direct work rather than overwork yourself.

5. Taper your carbs as the day progresses so as to prevent late-night carb storage around your midsection.

6. Time is on your side. You did not put on fat in one day so give proper time as to melt the adipose away. Steer clear of the scale, which is, but a number and not a true indicator of body fat percentages. If a numbers addict you are, use a more accurate register of body fat composition in either the calipers or the ultimate in accuracy, the costly and time consuming Hydrostatic weighing. I have always used the mirror to tell me what’s really happening.

7. Have the majority of your carbs in the form of long-term, slow breakdown choices such as oatmeal, beans, yams, brown rice or quinoa, to name but a few.

8. Practice abdominal control or, "a vacuum", as otherwise known. Be conscious of your posture and the prominent usage of your ab muscles in your every day life. Hey, even during throwing up the abs play a major role.

9. When in doubt, schtoop. That’s right, I said it! During intercourse, the abdominals are indeed being handedly worked.

10. Avoid quick Vix procedures such a liposuction, for although they will remove stuffed fat cells, continue eating poorly and you may Vind new fat deposits in less Vlattering areas. Good old-fashioned hard work, intelligent nutrition and time will finally chisel your midsection.

Enjoy your (newfound) summer and Happy Memorial Day.

Newbie’s receive a free training session or nutritional consultation for the month of June. Get your shred on – for real this time!

Yours in Fitness,

Hollis

Dietary Smackdown

If you’re a long time reader of my Newsletters, then you’re familiar with my stance on words such as, “diet”, “fad” and the emaciated, “skinny.” We all have trigger words that set us off, and are cause for correction, upon their auditory delivery.

As such, these words are here to say. Just taking a casual drive around Los Angeles, the senses are pummeled with boot camp signs proclaiming, “skip lunch and get skinny”, or the plastic surgery jumbo-tron imagery of the injected lips, air bagged busts, and sucked out waistlines.

Since these catchy ads are used to attract the attention of the masses and are the catalyst in moving billions annually in product, I arm others with the knowledge that, “lifestyle”, “long-term”, and, “lean”, are positive affirmations in regards to the war on words regarding fat loss and health, rather than the former. It is this word- reassignment, if you will, that reminds me that, like Oscar Schindler, “Whoever saves one life saves the world entire.” Or in this case, if I can enlighten one person in achieving their physique goals, I have indeed made a difference. (How I linked WW2 and myself metaphorically is beyond me.)

Although well into 2011, by now, many of us have lost, or at the very least, lessened the proverbial belt on our resolutions, including yours truly. Yes it’s true. I said it. Although the weekly allotment of resistance and cardio training has gone on steadily, what was mostly fueled by chicken breasts, asparagus and brown rice was seemingly, too often, replaced by varying fast food entities too graphic in nature to go into, within these hallowed pages.

While one could attribute the ill regard for nutritional sanity to colder weather, the economy or any number of excuses, the truth was quite frankly, a relationship on cruise control finally hit an iceberg. (A Titanic reference, too?) Alas, with the relationship now over and a heart that continues to heal, nothing motivates one more than going out into the field again feeling and looking their best.

It was this forced upon breakup and the confrontation of my high school bully, now reconciled these many years later, that have reignited my inner matrix. Sometimes, the best motivation comes from an unlikely source because life is too damn short for regrets. Not a day goes by that someone does not go out of his or her way to tell me the difference is striking! And I’ve only just begun…

Now you’re probably wondering how does this relate to you, the reader, as would I. You might even pontificate, “Sorry for your loss, but how does this help me get LEAN?”

Because with all of the Gurus, diets and books out there, many of which say the same thing, there exists, amongst us, as a populace too much confusion regarding how to properly get in and maintain decent shape for the long haul.

Schools certainly haven’t a clue. Remember the old food pyramid, which listed way too many high-glycemic carbohydrates at the bottom to supposedly support a healthy and lean way to fuel one’s day? Or how about the, “healthy”, lunches we were served? Soggy fries, square pizza or the ever-popular Sloppy Joes?

Proper nutrition, that starts early, can both stay, and serve one, well for a lifetime. 

I am not a Doctor or Dietitian. What I am, however, is a top Los Angeles based Trainer, former Editor for 3 Fitness Magazines, Writer of eight feature length Movies, Creator of one television Pilot and the 1995 Teenage National Heavyweight Bodybuilding Champion and the purpose for this ongoing newsletter now, in its 35th rendition, is to debunk the varying, “diets”, currently engrossing Pop Culture and get all of us back onto track.

What follows is a list of 10 current and popular Diet Programs (in no particular order) widely used throughout the world. The list will include a brief synopsis of said Diet as well as its’ pros and cons, as I see them. Once again, I am not a Nutritionist, but rather a body specialist, whose job it is to bring bodies into condition.

ATKINS – low carb diet that uses largely proteins and fats in order to lose weight. PROS: People have lost a lot of weight on this diet; steaks and burgers are regular staple items. CONS: Not enough energy is provided in the form of carbohydrates, low in fiber, those who return to carbs usually gain all the weight they lost AND some.

ZONE – a diet that professes 40 % carbohydrate, 30 % protein and 30 % fat. PROS: Encourages eating small meals throughout the day with lots of fresh water. CONS: Limits the consumption of fiber and essential minerals and vitamins from lack of whole grains and starches, promotes food as a drug rather than for its splendor or aesthetics

VEGETARIAN – a diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and sometimes animal products such as milk, cheese and eggs. PROS: The user is following a healthy diet and lifestyle; being at lower risk for certain diseases including heart disease and a pride in knowing one is not included amongst animal eaters. CONS: The need to take certain vitamins and minerals that meats would otherwise provide, un-accommodating restaurants, cost factor.

VEGAN – a variant on the vegetarian lifestyle in which only plant foods are consumed. PROS: Diet is rich in fiber, protective characteristics against major chronic diseases. CONS: Eliminating dairy may impact in bone fractures; vitamin B12 deficiency can have many serious consequences.

SOUTH BEACH - a three phased diet that replaces bad carbs and bad fats with good carbs and good fats. PROS: Unlike other diets, which are low-carb in nature, the south beach focuses on the glycemic index for its carbs or GI for short, no counting or measuring just choices from certain “clean” lists. CONS: Very restrictive first phase, often categorized with many other fad or low-carb diets.

NUTRISYSTEM - individuals order pre-made meals from the, “NutriSystem” website that are specifically formulated, and proportioned, to provide the ideal number of calories, fat grams, fiber and protein for weight loss. PROS: Convenience of pre-packaged foods, constant revising of recipes. CONS: Costly, program is completely online, hence no meetings or human interaction.

SONOMA DIET - a derivation of the Mediterranean diet, consisting mainly of 10 items known as the, "Power foods". PROS: Simplicity, plate size is used for portion control, emphasis on eating slowly and savoring food. CONS: Low- calorie rigid diet, limits low-starch/high fiber vegetables due to volume.

JENNY CRAIG – program that combines individual weight management counseling with a menu of foods, which are distributed through its centers or shipped directly to clients. PROS: Pre-packaged foods control portion size, ease of usage, counseling. CONS: Cost, most of the foods are frozen, difficult to follow while traveling

GI DIET – The Glycemic Index, (GI), is a system that ranks foods based on how much they cause fluctuations in blood sugar. The GI system has spawned a GI diet that encourages those following it to eat foods with lower numbers. PROS: Blood sugar is beneficial for keeping the hunger signal in check, making it useful for weight loss and is easy to learn. CONS: Malnutrition risk if consuming only foods with low GI numbers, the glycemic index is significantly altered by the type of food, its’ ripeness, processing, the length of storage, cooking methods, and its variety.

WEIGHT WATCHERS – is based on the established principle that weight loss happens only when calories burned exceed those consumed. PROS: No foods are forbidden, encourages portion control. CONS: Cost may be a factor; lack of weekly progress may discourage you.

For even more tips (Summer is coming!) or simply to drop me a line, follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=622756210

New Year's Table: Part 2

On the road to the New Year, we all look ahead to better days, prominent results and in short, happiness. And as self-indulgence holds court in its final few days before giving way to self-discipline following New Year’s, we dare to dream, and surely, this is a beautiful thing. By next year we promise ourselves a tighter waistline, a firmer chest, less unwanted flesh to grab by our loved ones from our lower backs, and the body we promised ourselves last year will finally be delivered.

Indeed, when the calendar strikes,“1-1-New Year”,many of us do start off quite strong in running toward our goals, but for too many, the season of change starts late. In the first week of 2011, my gym was nearly empty. Save for the grunting and groaning of some very hung-over clients and trainers, it seemed many were still feeding off the residual fumes of 2010. As for yours truly, while I did not train on the first of January, (it having fallen on a Saturday), I was back in full force come that Monday, the 3rd.

Following the holidays as I was reunited with clients, friends and peers alike, many took an interest in my “new- found size.” “Steroids?” they queried. “Uh, no. Try copious Colorado omelets from IHOP with a stack of chocolate chip pancakes upgraded from regular and complete with a smiley face, thank you very much!” And so, while the extra holiday weight is nearly gone, as of this writing, there exists other challenges, for I see too much in the name of resolutions already waning.

Sure there’s the occasional neophyte stray runner who seems to lose more breath with each thud. Or the office worker, who come New Year, made the sacrifice in an early rising to complete his or her workout for the day thusly insuring its completion. The stay-at-home, whom tosses anything in the name of guilt into the trash thereby making a craving and indulgence necessitate a trip and all its steps (shower, hair, driving, etc.) out rather than a simple opening of the fridge. But these workout warriors are unfortunately few and non-representative of us as a whole.

But exactly what is it that causes our resolutions to die harder than a Tourist sequel? Perhaps, subconsciously words like, “diet”, “skinny”, “commitment”, and of course, "resolution”, are too high an undertaking, often meaning, or implying, long-term, definitive or quite simply, out of reach. More friendly and realistic substitutes, such as “lifestyle”, “lean”, “consistency” and “ritualistic”, might help make the journey more palatable, and in turn, actually lead somewhere.

While I still firmly believe that one’s results are contingent on three main components: resistance training, (to firm and strengthen muscle tissue), cardiovascular activity, (to use stored adipose as fuel), and nutrition, (to power the human machine), there may be a bit more to it. Why, for so many, are resolutions like a shooting star? Why come the 1st do they fly with the best of them only to fizzle out into obscurity rather than shine with brilliance the longer they remain in both time and motion?

Not only do I want each and every one of you to achieve YOUR desired level of results, I’d love to see these seemingly foreign persons with their complimentary one week passes hogging the incline press and smith machine (with no idea how to use them) every January, be well- versed in technique and sporting an annual pass to their favorite gym come December!

What follows are my top 10 list of do’s, and don’ts, concerning running with and maintaining the course that is resolution for the year 2011 and beyond. Know that our journey is not a sprint but a metered “lifestyle” that 10 out of 10 times will deliver results that will astound you. How elated will you feel when you FINALLY deliver the 2011 model that the December, 2010, You envisioned?

SHORT TO DO LIST:

1. Record – Verbal cues are like a non-recorded song long forgotten. Without the reinforced and written word, where exactly do you expect to go? My goals are always CLEARLY listed and detailed on my fridge AND routinely checked off when attained. Back in my bodybuilding days, I posted a picture of last year’s champion on my wall, I would repeatedly visualize myself in his place with that trophy.

2. Progress Points – If you’re looking for increasing your muscle mass, shoot for small strength increases, (in good form), regularly. If you’re looking to lean up, are your jeans fitting better? Are bodyweight exercises, (push-ups, dips and pull-ups), easier for you due to your less overall volume? Shoot for the next hurdle.

3. Patience - While I applaud that generally gym- goers openly invite change into their exercise routines, a little more in the way of patience will help deliver those results the magazines and Dr. Oz promised you. Did you put on whatever weight it is you seek to lose in one week? No. So do not expect to lose it in one week. Are you barely eating but STILL not losing fat? Hidden sugars (alcohol, refined foods), perhaps? Not enough protein (to firm muscles), perhaps?

4. Time Management – We all share the same 24- hour time frame. Stop making excuses and just get it done! Whether you have to wake up early to exercise, do it after work even though you are tired or have a trainer, such as myself, visit your home, GET IT DONE because the guilty energy you spend worrying about exercise would better be put to use, exercising!

5. Invest in you – Buying a pair of shorts one size too small will motivate you to soon wear them and wear them looking well. Perhaps a pair of sneakers you look awesome in. New iPod maybe? Actually, I might wait on that; the new one will be out next week and then another the week after that. Wear something that motivates you and empowers you at the gym and compete only against yourself. By the way, when did the gym become a fashion statement? Who cares what you look like? Only you and your trainer should! Care that soon you'll be looking better!

SHORT DO NOT LIST:

1. Friends don’t let friends drive drunk or ruin their diets – YOU are in charge of your health. Do not give in to temptation or commit carbicide. At a party and there’s nothing healthy to eat? There’s always something healthy to eat!

2. Oversaturation – No-one appreciates a guest that overstays his/her welcome. Save the marathon training sessions for never. Less is more. Get in and get out. Efficiency, not eternal.

3. Fads – Do not give in to them. There’s a reason for so many new fads; they sell magazines and products! Stick with what works and what has worked. There is nothing wrong with bettering one’s results via a streamlined PROVEN concept, but if it sounds too good to be true…

4. Weapons of Mass Distortion – The scale is evil! Face it; your weight will fluctuate day to day. But what part of the number is actually muscle, fat, or water? Use the mirror, your clothes, or even photos, which will ALWAYS show definitive progress, or lack thereof rather than just a number.

5. Support Group – One of the greatest things about exercise, I find is, the solo aspect of the endeavor. For me, weight training has always been a wonderful way to rid my body of negative thoughts, and emotions, and replace them with positive results. BUT it can he a big help to have a trainer, friend or loved one to report to charting your progress. Being held accountable by someone else will help to keep you honest and on the road to results. In my own case, it was the judges, or the photographer, whose lenses were aimed at me that ALWAYS kept me honest and insured me that I did my homework lest I look bad in my underwear posing in front of hundreds of onlookers.

Happy New Year my friends!

Three Bodies of Supplements: Part Three The Mesomorph

For those of you patiently awaiting the next enthralling installment of my newsletter series, I thank you. Rest assured that I enjoy penning said articles and will continue to bring you the very best information in attaining your physique goals.

This installment of my Fit Pro Newsletter series concludes the body type trilogy with regards to sports supplementation and gym performance. Indeed I have saved the best for last. If one could opt for near perfect genetics, this body type would be the one to pick.

The MESOMORPH is characterized by having large bones, a solid torso, low body fat levels, wide shoulders coupled with a narrow waist and is largely considered to be the most desired of the body types with its X frame and symmetrically placed musculature as well as the ability to accrue muscle rather easily and keep body fat stores to a minimum. Yes people, these are the genetically gifted. Yes, it’s not fair. One of the better-known examples of the Mesomorph would be action star JeanClaude Van Damme. Some might argue Arnold Schwarzenegger to be a prime example of the Mesomorph. After all, he did win 7 Mr. Olympia titles. Arnold was, like many, a hybrid of types. Ecto-Meso if you will, having begun his bodybuilding career with very long limbs that were at the time lanky and far from Villed out, whereas Jean Claude possesses shorter limbs and a more overall symmetrically balanced physique.

The Mesomorph list of genetic gifts reads like a someone else won the lottery and not me:

1. Small hip-to-waist ratio

2. Sustainable bodyweight

3. Near permanent muscle separation

4. Visible abdominal muscles year round

5. Can miss meals and retain near maximum muscle fullness

6. Can consume fattening foods regularly and retain a lean waistline

In short, the Mesomorph is blessed with, amongst other things, the two main goals most gym-goers are utmost concerned with: maximal muscle mass and minimal body fat.

It’s good to know, however, that while the Mesomorph may showcase a head start on us in the gym, they too must put in the time and effort in building upon an already gifted base.

Since it can safely be assumed that the main goal of the Mesomorph lies not in creating new tissue, it is perhaps training based less on aesthetics and more on functionality that best serves this body type. A diet rich in energy would be the ticket to improved performance.

With that said, what follows is my personal list of supplements regarding this particular body type and my experience with such. Please note that this article is based on what I’ve used with persons in the past in order to achieve their desired results. I do not advocate nor endorse the taking and/or overdosing on sports supplements.

1. ANIMAL PAK – No matter the goal or body type, Animal Pak by Universal Nutrition ranks atop my list of sports supplements for the simple fact that it works! Many of us each consume the same foods year round and are usually lacking in nutrients. Proper body function both in and out of the gym is contingent upon providing the body with a steady supply of minerals and nutrients.

2. DIET TURBO TEA – From American Body Building, diet Turbo Tea not only tastes like iced tea, but is sugar free and fortified with workout powering caffeine, ginseng, guarana and added electrolytes.

3. NO–X-PLODE - BSN Nutrition’s pre-workout formulation helps promote muscular pumps, focus and clarity during intense training as well as electrolytes to support hydration.

4. INTRAVOL – Sports supplementation continues to evolve with this great new product from Muscletech. Designed to be taken during one’s workout to support strength and endurance, Intravol may also expedite the healing process that intense weight training will provide at the occurrence of muscle breakdown.

5. ZERO IMPACT BAR PUMPKIN SUPREME – VPX has formulated a nutrient dense meal replacement bar guaranteed to provide sustained energy as well as satiety and is formulated with low-glycemic carbs and fiber.

6. MOVE FREE – by Schiff is an advanced joint formulation designed to improve strength, mobility and flexibility as well as decrease joint degeneration and inflammation.

7. MUSCLE ARMOR – by EAS has been shown to rejuvenate muscle, increase total body strength and expedite the muscle repair process.

As a bonus, (for the rest of us who are not pure Mesomorphs) I’m including my top 10 list of workout no-no’s, which may currently be thwarting your progress!

1. Leave the gym – Those who spend too much time in the gym either performing cardio, weights or socializing are in fact overtraining and not allowing their muscles to repair themselves. Less is more!

2. Eat more – Too little protein, skipping meals and consuming mass amounts of sugar later at night results in a Vlabby and shapeless physique.

3. Momentum – Relegated to a race or date gone well is Vine but in the gym the only thing momentum is good for is in ripping joints and muscles; slow it down and feel the muscles – stimulate don’t annihilate.

4. No fuel – Not eating when performing cardio first thing in the morning is a wise move as your body will dip into adipose stores for fuel BUT for weight training your body relies on glycogen. Without the proper fuel it’s like driving to Vegas on fumes.

5. Ego – forget about the guy doing 10 plates per side on the leg press. His range of motion is near void and his legs will not improve by this time next year.

6. Cocking the hammer – Many gym goers cock the hammer so to speak in their lives outside the gym and fire the bullet once inside. Bending over improperly to pick something up rather than squatting will one day result in a strained lower back or worse while later exercising it.

7. Not keeping it honest – As humans we exhibit the need to embrace pleasure and avoid pain. Many half-ass it in the gym in an effort to get it over with. Be concerned with making it harder on your muscles by training for intensity not volume and your results will double.

8. Not laying down a brick – Missing a workout or meal here and there is like putting down a brick one day and then skipping doing so the next. How can you hope to erect a house on such haphazard practices?

9. Wrong fuel – Why are you consuming only a banana before your workout and thusly relegating yourself 5 minutes of energy when oatmeal will burn slower and thusly provide sustained energy as well as satiate?

10. Too many targets – Ripped one week, bigger the next? Do you change shoes as often as you do workout goals? Make a choice for an allotted period of time and stick with it!

Until next time, ask yourself, are you Summer-ready or Winter-ready?

Myth Bustin

Billboards showcasing youth in skin-tight clothes sporting near nonexistent body fat levels. Afflliction T’s promoted toward the broad shouldered punch and kick inclined. Even references to sports nutrition supplement Muscle Milk from Wu Tang Clan famed member U-God on his latest hip/hop album; Vitness is big business. So much so that your local Costco now sells multi-annual gym memberships…for less of course.

Yet with the worldwide fitness craze and boom, one might think more clearly defined answers and solutions to ageless questions would be presented. Alas, a seemingly endless barrage of similarly phrased perplexities and assortment of different answers follow. In short, mass confusion permeates the exercise stratosphere.

I recently had the pleasure of attending perhaps the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever witnessed. And per usual at these events, I was asked my relation to the groom. My proud response was that I am his trainer. What followed was an almost immediate and contagious gut (literally) reaction. Abs were tightened, arms were Vlexed (or hidden) and chests (male) were tensed. My table’s reaction to my being a trainer was perhaps the same as if I had revealed myself to be a cop. Although instead of drugs and paraphernalia tucked away, in this case it was bread and heavily marinated meats. After reminding my peep’s that this was indeed a wedding and a time to celebrate, I asked where the butter was and was promptly handed two slabs in the painstakingly created shapes of a pair of swans. Devoured them I did and was still able to Vit into what I deem my “skinny suit.” Oh yes there exists a “fat suit” in my closet but I need not wear it ever again. It remains a bloated reminder of my past. A time when I too was confused as to food, training and cardio and just how exactly they all fit together.

By the end of the night, our table turned into an impromptu seminar on everything exercise and it was awesome to field questions, as well as one by one bust some myths. When asked for my card, I politely replied how tacky I thought it to be in bringing such to a wedding but did offer my website address for those with a good memory or command over the iphone’s notes feature. Seeing the guests leave the table with a sense of newfound knowledge and Vinal solution to whatever their own personal exercise dilemma was did my heart good in the same way surpassing a later level of Super Mario Brothers had when I was a kid. Okay, I confess, I still play…PS3 anyone?

Although somewhat covered in past installments, what I present here in this issue of my newsletter are some of the top myths or issues people face every day in their quest for physique mastery and how to positively make the most out of every lesson.

1. West Hollywood Syndrome – A term I playfully coined that I assign to the gym-goer who one day expresses his need for more muscle size and then reverses himself the next day (sometimes in the next hour) for ripped abs. PEOPLE, make up your minds! One must lay down the railroad track before crossing it. Build the house before painting it. You get the idea. The good news is that the old system of bulking up is a thing of the past. One can absolutely gain muscle while staying relatively lean but to be ripped AND grow is near impossible. Instead, designate clearly deVined periods for growth and the subsequent cutting up phase. Remember, we are growing muscle tissue here and similar to a farmer raising crops, requires time. And another thing, do not be afraid of taking in good fats during this muscle gaining period: egg yolks, salmon, olive oil, etc., in moderation of course.

2. More Than Initially Motivated – We ALL verbally say we’re gonna do it come January first. That this WILL be the year. The Virst rolls around and since it lands on a Wednesday, we decide to start the next full week. But that week is already Villed with work and a host of other things. But you do make it to the gym, nearly one month into the new year. And you know the rest. How can we stay motivated? By seeing results of course! Or at least a pathway to results. A bikini that hangs in the closet. A pair of jeans. That old suit you Vit into 10 years ago. Perhaps a trip to the Nike store for some new running shoes. An update to your itunes maybe. Wherever you can Vind motivation, use it. My own motivation was once from a competitive standpoint of beating my previous physique on stage. Now it is to stay both lean and Vit into my old suits. Of course looking forward to cheat meals on both Wednesdays and Saturdays helps as well. It also helps in knowing that you are the one lifting the weights, stepping on the stepper and grilling the salmon and that it is you who looks awesome in those jeans.

3. The Marathon – Endless streams of sweat at a super-high intensity pace for hours on end. And guess what? Now you’re ravenous. Sugar and plenty of it calls to you like blood to a vampire. Remember: Cardio is performed not in burning calories but in keeping one’s metabolism running all day long and thusly burning fat as an energy source. Keep your weight training intense and your cardio moderate for more fat burning and muscle sparing results.

4. Alternative Training – As fond as I am of bands, Bosu balls, Yoga and even the TRX system, in my mind they will never take the place of good old fashioned weight training which will build bone density and truly sculpt one’s physique in a way no other exercise modality can yield alone. What about Madonna you say? She is clearly a yoga/Pilates practitioner. Great. But guess what training she adopted that truly changed her body for the better originally? No not the Kabbalah! Weights.

5. More is Better – Whether you’re a bodybuilder or trying to fit into a single-digit dress size, more is better seems to be universal. Twice the weights, twice the cardio, twice the fat burning supplements, muscle builders or what have you. This approach always leads to the two same things: overtraining and less results than when began. Better is better. Less is more. Less volume and more intensity. Less sugar or reVined carbs and more quality energy sources.

6. Which Way is Up? – A. Do I eat before weights? B. Weights or cardio Virst? C. Should I eat right after my workout? D. When can/should I have sugar? E. Stretching? 1. Before weight training yes for glycogen (energy.) Before cardio no – empty stomach so fat is burned as fuel. B. Weights then cardio. If cardio is performed Virst followed by weight training, there is no energy left. C. Post-workout nutrition is essential as the body is in a state of disrepair and needs the proper proportion of nutrients to heal and grow back stronger in an expedient manner. D. The best time for sugar (immediate short-term energy source) is indeed post-workout when the sugar (combined with whey protein which is predigested) will shuttle the protein into the system and immediately begin the healing process. E. Stretching should occur both during and after exercise when the muscles are hot. Pre-workout stretching is ill advised, as the muscles at this time are tight and restricted. 5-10 minutes on the bike to thaw out the body followed by light stretching is the ticket.

7. Like a Vegan – The Vegan must be smarter than his/her carnivore-loving peers as his/her protein sources must be combined to create complete sources beneVicial to the body. Example: soy protein alone has only 45 % useable protein while 55% is wasted. Compare this to an egg white (a complete protein source), which utilizes 92 % and wastes a mere 8 %. Can the vegan build an awesome physique? Absolutely but he/she must combine food sources for the best nutrition. Beans won’t do it alone. But beans coupled with rice will.

8. Supplements – Have their place but will always be supplemental to food. They are great when in a rush and when unable to sit down to a full meal. Which ones are best? Re-read the Archives page on holliswashere.com for my suggestions based on the three body types.

9. I STILL want Abs! - Not this again. Didn’t we cover this? OKAY. We all have abs from our birth. They are the one muscle that is already developed and are to be trained for their compactness rather than volume. Yes I do think sit-ups and its myriad of offspring are less effective than good old weight training as the abs are used as ancillary muscles during nearly every lift. If you want your abs to be prominent then eat clean. Low carbs? NO! You need carbs! Stick with low-glycemic index carbs.

10. Is it Wrong? – Can I work just arms together? Of course you can. There are many ways to arrive at said destination. Just look at map quest. Seriously folks, if it feels right and you’re seeing results, stick with it. There are limitless ways to put exercise routines together. All I need know when taking on a new client is the answer to two questions and I can deliver them to the promised (physique) land:

          1. Any ailments or limitations?

          2. What are your goals?

Hope you’ve all enjoyed your summer! Remember to “keep it honest” by putting in your quality gym time and Grade-A fuel in bringing your physique to its fullest.

The Art of The Peak

"You can’t sprint all the way, Charlie.” Truer words were never spoken than this quote taken from the movie CARLITO’S WAY. While we strive in living a healthy lifestyle year-round, it is near to impossible to maintain a truly peaked physique for very long. One might be encouraged to think of exercise as a slow and steady race rather than a last minute sprint.

There are however, those special occasions whereby lower levels of body-fat and somewhat prominent abdominals are a must. In my role as trainer, I am frequently posed the question, “What can I do in the last week to look my best?” My retort is always the same: “It is impossible to play catch up but a tweaking or sharpening of the pencil is always possible, provided the pencil was in steady use prior.” Make sense? It will.

Is it really possible to noticeably alter your physique for the better in one week? Most deVinitely! I’ve worked with athletes whose physiques’ changed for the better in mere minutes right before their very eyes. And it wasn’t through pseudo-science, wrapping their bodies in layers of clothing, strenuous running, drinking wine or any other such nonsensical tactic in an effort to showcase more muscular deVinition that worked, but rather the application of good old–fashioned common sense.

What follows is a list of “defining actions” that I have personally used to further tighten my physique in record time. These last minute “tactics” are merely tips that have personally worked for me in the past and absolutely are not meant to replace solid and consistent healthy patterns of training and nutrition year-round. Furthermore, unless genetically blessed with very low body fat levels (Ectomorphic) it is ill advised in maintaining a perfectly peaked physique yearround. Rather, remain sharp or within striking distance so that when the time arrives to Vloor the pedal, one need not play catch up but rather coast in conVidently and effectively to being one’s best. For those of you who may be inclined to add the use of a diuretic supplement to your regimen, be cautious in not using said supplement for more than a few days, as important nutrients and minerals vital to body functions may also be Vlushed out. A steady lifestyle of diet and exercise is a more long-lasting and healthier approach to the lean equation.

1. TAN - A golden tan will result in a physique that is dramatically leaner as compared to a pale one. Whether from the sun, tanning bed or painting system, a deep tan brings out the cuts. Adequate protection is recommended. I personally used a combination of JAN TANA products and PRO TAN for my competitive wins.

2. ASPARAGUS – Acts as a natural diuretic and helps the body rid itself of excessive water as well as helping to clean out our gastrointestinal tract. I serve mine either steamed or microwaved.

3. SPRING WATER – Drinking at least a gallon of water per day will further help the body tighten up – the more one takes in the more one flushes out. Keep in mind that distilled water is essentially dead water or water devoid of naturally occurring minerals, which our bodies need for proper function.

4. LOW SODIUM – Sodium’s role within the body helps to regulate the body’s fluid balance. Excessive intake of salt is a prime factor in developing water retention. By lowering sodium for a few days prior to an event, the body will appear noticeably leaner and vascular. This combined with regular water and asparagus intake has shown to temporarily tighten up the physique. It is not recommended to maintain very low levels of sodium for long periods of time as intense cramping may occur.

5. STAGGERED CALORIES – The body attempts to maintain a state called Homeostasis – essentially a state of being. By providing the body with the same caloric allotment day in and day out it quickly becomes accustomed and may actually halt one’s metabolism. By alternating one’s calories day to day, the body will continue utilizing fat as an energy source. (Provided the calories are low in sugar and fat.)

6. CONDIMENTS – May make a meal tasty but will blur deVinition in one’s physique nearly on impact. Ketchup, Soy Sauce and other such condiments high in both sugar and salt should be curtailed when seeking maximum cuts. Limit them a few days prior to your event.

7. BLACK COFFEE/HERBAL TEAS – Have shown to cause a diuretic effect on the body and thusly increase muscular definition.

8. WEIGHT TRAINING/CARDIO – Most tend to limit their weight training and increase their cardio expenditure when attempting to “peak” for an event. This is a mistake as precious muscle is often lost as one is usually on a restricted caloric intake at this point and the over-inclusion of cardio results in a soft and Vlat appearance to the muscle. MORE WEIGHTS, LESS CARDIO.

9. THIOMUCASE – This is a product I have personally used prior to competition. A topical cream, it has shown to temporarily release water from fat cells provided I was already lean prior to its usage. Applied to the abdominal area, I did notice a harder appearance to my midsection.

10. TARAXATONE – Everyone always asks me what product one can buy from a supplement store for that last minute edge in showcasing his or her physique in its best light. Designed to shed excessive body water, Taraxatone is recommended for a maximum of 5 consecutive days and comes loaded with warnings. Adequate hydration is a must. This is a product I have personally used and do not in any way advocate its use or abuse. It is included here amongst this list of 10 actions I have personally taken in bringing my physique into ultimate condition.

For those of you who are intrigued yet hesitant to begin an exercise and nutrition lifestyle, I urge you to contact me. We all had a beginning including myself and most certainly would have beneVited from a trainer.

Thank you for your continued feedback and questions.

Happy 4th of July weekend!

Heavy Hydration

In today’s chic world, those looking to make a statement at the gym put as much thought into their choice of workout beverage as they do exercise attire. Indeed, no longer are the water fountains provided acceptable as they are deemed a nuisance to walk to and/or wait for the bottle guy to fill his/her bottle. Not to mention the temperature of the water seems to vary from gym to gym as well as its quality. In short, beverages in hand at the gym are as common as texting during a movie.

But of what to drink? With so many choices available today, it’s easy to get lost along the way when attempting to make an educated decision concerning proper hydration in the gym. These classes of beverage can further be divided into juices, teas, coffees, diet sodas, sodas, energy drinks and plain old water.

Let’s break it down Hollis-style:

A. Juice – provides some antioxidants as well as instant energy in the form of natural sugar, followed by the crash, excess stored as adipose

B. Tea – specifically green tea has been shown to expedite the fat burning process, watch out for those teas rich in both sugar and caffeine as this may cause a dehydration effect

C. Coffee – in its black form minus sugar and dairy will help to promote fat loss but may cause a dehydration effect, best complimented with a meal prior to exercise

D. Diet Soda – low to zero sugar, sometimes high in other chemicals and caffeine, may cause stomach distress, cramping and dehydration

E. Soda – pure manufactured sugar, best consumed following one’s workout with whey protein to quickly expedite the muscle repair process

F. Energy Drinks – in both their sugar-laden and sugar-free states may help one power through workouts or other athletic endeavors WITH the addition, not substitution of food

G. WATER – BINGO!

While the best time of day for sugar intake is both during and after your workout to instantly replenish glycogen stores, since most of us seek aesthetic benefits in the gym versus strength and performance, I might suggest severely curtailing one’s intake of sugar to present a more fat-free physique. Time and time again I find many of my fellow gym-goers downing a high-fructose beverage DURING their cardio session, thusly replacing what they have already burned.

A word regarding sodium. Providing one is not suffering from high blood pressure, a little sodium found in many of these drinks is a given. Sodium’s function within the body is in maintaining normal blood pressure and function of the muscles and nerves. Excessive sodium is usually attributed to a bloated or puffed up appearance around the skin. Regular drinking of pure water will help to remove excessive sodium from the body.

But what exactly are the benefits in consuming water?

Staying hydrated during workouts is essential for it provides cardiac support (easier time pumping blood), increases fat metabolism (the more one drinks the more one flushes), increased energy (production of ADP – benefits muscle contraction) and increases overall performance (keeps us cool and replaces fluids lost through sweating.)

Water will always reign supreme in its natural state. While there remains an influx of many flavored waters, the majority of which are sweetened with sugar, these will boost performance due to the body’s release of insulin and then crash due to sugar’s short-term energy effects. During sport or any other such competitive means, these drinks may serve a purpose as immediate energy is required but athletes would do well to prepare for said event with a proper meal instead.

The same holds true for the flood of energy drinks on the market today. Caffeine and other such stimulants do serve their purpose and work well in conjunction with a meal but by themselves do not provide the sustained energy one needs to power through their workout, let alone their day. Think of the energy drink like a car running on fumes – not going to get very far, are you?

We’ve all heard the varying sayings regarding water intake. Too much is never enough, 8 glasses per day, etc. The rule of thumb is if you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Remember too that the more water one takes in, the more waste one flushes out as well as achieving a feeling of satiety. Drink away!

Readers who enjoy my newsletters I thank you for allowing me to enlighten and hopefully entertain you on a regular basis. These works are 100 % penned by me and take me back to my days as a fitness editor for three magazines in my office in the Empire State Building.

For those of you in the Los Angeles area and unfamiliar with my services and have not worked with me before, I offer you a complimentary training session to be conducted at either The Fitness Factory in West Hollywood or my new locale, Gold’s Gym in Hollywood. This offer is good until June 2009. Summer is vastly approaching. Put in the work.

Empower yourselves to be better!

Anatomy of a Set

Now, nearly three months into 2010, I’m sure many of you are keeping true to your vows of gym commitment and I most assuredly need not remind you who you are, the driven and dedicated. And while I do see many gym- goers on a daily basis, what is often witnessed, (nearly three months in), is largely lackluster at best.

There’s the endless bantering betwixt friends and would-be dates, iphone texting, latest Lady GaGa video played, (or overplayed), on the LCD screen and a myriad more reasons to be less than present during one’s workout, let alone, set.

Some random observers are always surprised when they see me seemingly racing across the gym spending barely a moment at one given exercise. Their usual question is, “That’s it, just two sets?” My head tilts, my jaw tightens and a smirk transcends across my face as I reply, “Had you been present and given of yourself to each and every given set, 2 would have been more than sufficient in order to break down the muscle tissue and thusly stimulate new growth.”

Bear witness to a recent example. Just last week a rather tall gentlemen approached me inquiring what I do for my hamstrings to make them “pop” as he eloquently alluded to, or “sweep out like a bull’s belly”, as I stated. After his confusion as to my use of simile, I informed him that I probably am not doing anything different than he BUT I am squeezing each rep instead of kicking through like a bucking horse, (another simile), as most do. An hour later he hobbled over and thanked me for he Vinally achieved a pump in his hamstrings. I smiled and returned to my protein shake.

Are you doubting the importance of one given set and that it alone can truly make a difference?

A few years ago, my gym conducted a push-up contest. I was hesitant at Virst, not for fear of winning or losing, but in citing that I had nothing to prove. After all, a Mercedes Benz need not travel in the speed lane for everyone knows what it is capable of. (Another simile?) After further pondering the challenge, I thought about channeling my all into that one given set. I honestly do not recall how many pushups I completed that day, (although they were performed correctly – minus the bounce or coiled spring usually attributed to such a repetition-based exercise), but I do remember how pumped and swollen my chest was upon staggering to my feet. Furthermore, I was even sore for the next two days! Lesson learned, or in my case, applied? Give more and receive more!

Still doubtful? It is a given that a neophyte carpenter will utilize more strikes to embed a nail into a piece of wood. But an experienced carpenter will have the ability to harness all of his/her strength and accuracy to achieve the same result with less strikes thusly making the task less time consuming and more efVicient. Less is more. I believe intensity is not God- given but rather something to which we can all work up. to. Having trained since I was 13, (now 34), it is probable that I can accomplish in 1 or 2 sets what might take one less experienced with the iron 4-5 sets, and so can you!

What is at the heart of this matter all comes down to one thing: desire. Specifically, the desire for people to avoid pain and embrace pleasure; which can be found in every walk of life, including the gym. We are willing to pay almost anything in the form of pills, potions and varying surgeries that all promise the world when it comes to physique enhancement in an effort to undercut output and save time.

Fortunately, I learned at an early age the value of putting my all into a given set and exploring the possibilities of human development, begot by the simple revelation that our bodies are perhaps the one thing we truly have control over. While we are born with an inherit body type and structure, we absolutely can change the muscle size and body fat composition of our bodies. It was that very appeal that led to my national bodybuilding victory at the age of 19.

Believe me, when you are on stage in your underwear in front of thousands of people AND your parents are seated front row, you keep yourself honest and put in the training and you stay on that diet no matter what. (Especially after they’ve paid for your chicken breasts.)

What follows is my set list to help you give more and ultimately receive more every time you catch your physique’s reflection in the mirror.

THE PERFECT SET:

1. BE PRESENT – Many of us exist in the now by recalling days of yesteryear or sprinting forward to thoughts of the future. Being in the here and now and committed to the given set at hand will help to ensure that you derive the most from your set in terms of muscle stimulation.

2. BE EFFICIENT – Save the chatter for after the workout or at the very least, after your set. It takes only one incorrect rep to throw out a back, tear a muscle or worse! Like Rambo – get in and get the hell out.

3. GIVE – "Give to the set" is something I am often heard saying with my clients implying just that. In the course of say a pushup; lead not with the shoulders or an arched back, but rather the muscle at hand – the chest. Give the intended muscle to the exercise and receive (proper) muscle atrophy and renewed growth.

4. EMOTE – Be impassioned about the set at hand. Before any of my given sets, my mind has already completed it – it’s a done deal and thusly I have conquered my set. Once programmed with this imagery, the physicality of actually doing the set is like a train rampaging over previously laid tracks.

5. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS – Eliminate all distractions! Trust me, your problems and achievements will still be there after your set. Be present with your set in the here and now as you would a close friend in need of help.

6. TARGET SET – If you lift the same you will look the same. Despite the fancy terminology, (core), the fancy workout gear, (Under Armour), the fancy workout drink, (Muscle Milk), it all comes back to the stimulus. Weight training is by deVinition-progressive resistance training. Want to improve? Either lift more weight, (when able and in good form), or achieve a rep previously not attained with a given weight and the seeds of change are planted.

7. SOMEBODY'S ALWAYS WATCHING – You may not be giving your all and possibly fooling yourself, but someone sees how much, (or little), you are giving to your workouts. While this may not matter to some, it matters to me as I pride myself on my clients seeing that I am in the trenches just like them doing the good work of weight training. I am hyperaware that somebody is always watching, and whether that is for a workout tip, the selection of a new trainer, or a book of the month choice, you won’t catch me less than focused on the set at hand.

8. BE HONEST – Did you forego squats, (compound movement), in lieu of leg extensions, (simple movement), because you convinced yourself they were just as effective? That’s like haphazardly tossing your belongings in your drawer and citing your house clean. (I know.) Do right by the muscle for proper stimulation.

9. BE VISUAL – Reward or goal yourself. Week in and week out the completion and adherence to a workout lifestyle must be embraced with some sort of positive reinforcement to continue such. Yes being in shape is reward in itself, but really people, sometimes we all need a little more encouragement. Perhaps a diligent adherence of said lifestyle will be met with the reward of a cheat meal, a new pair of pants or my new obsession – a Nintendo Wii game.

10. EMBRACE PAIN (temporary) EMBRACE PLEASURE (long-term) – Just face it, face the set, use the intended muscle in strict form rather than recruitment from ancillary muscles. Place the tension on the muscle at hand. Remember, the lactic-acid buildup or burn is truly only temporary but the results…priceless. 

Committed to Commitment Part 2

The War is on! Not overseas but rather a personal battle raging in your own mind. The one that proclaimed, “I’m doing it in 2010 - for real!” is here! And here we are nary into the second week and you’ve barely stepped back into the gym (if at all) since the accursed year that was 2009. In this seemingly eternal conflict on bodyfat, I’m sorry to say, many of you will enter combat (training + nutrition + cardio), yet few of you will return, to equal (results.)

January 1, 2010 fell on a Friday and while I myself am human and enjoyed December 31, 2009 in perhaps a myriad of interesting ways, the 1st rolled around and it was indeed on.

As I downed my frothy protein shake mixed with my pre-workout adrenal supplement and cranked up Pantera (decibel loud); of all things to train that morning - it was legs! And while the gym was near vacant save for a few permanent fixtures and the usual cruising along with those sporting jaundiced eyes from exciting year-end excursions, I executed the exact workout that I had visualized in my head on the drive over with the same precision and care as if performing in front of an Olympic Committee itself!

Indeed, no-one has ever said it better than Nike with their “Just Do it!” campaign and those that act as if, do indeed receive for life. Actually one Yoda may have said it better when he ushered, “Do or do not, there is no try.”

While it may prove difficult to curtail one’s holiday festivities and head back to the gym in the hopes of adopting a clean lifestyle, it is our mental preparations that prepare us for physical success. Arduous words such as “diet” and “skinny” may be the first indicators that a change is in the works but in my opinion are simply set ups for failure. “Lean” and “lifestyle” are two such words that promote longevity and positive feelings for changing one’s body over the long distance, not merely the sprint.

In my first full week in the gym of this, our year 2010, I’ve seen a gross amount of overtraining and continued habitual practices of yesteryear. For example, there’s the guy on the leg press with 10 plates loaded per side and a range of motion 10 inches on a good day. Or the woman who literally did a marathon stair master session and this was directly following an hour of spin. Wanna know how much sugar she ate, (and replaced), somewhere after the last bead of sweat fell and the catch-up gossip with her buddy took place? Then of course there was the 135 pound guy who already looked to be a size zero doing what else, box jumps. I suppose his New Year’s Resolution was to lose more weight. Oy Vey!

Perhaps an example that will put it all into perspective went down as follows: A few years ago a friend from New York visited. It was good to see her no doubt but I couldn’t help but notice that her dimensions had changed. She basically went from a mom and pop shop to a super Wal- Mart. We were off to see a movie and I opted for the escalator. After all, it was a long way up and with all of the stair master I had done that week, the “human lifter” was indeed a heaven sent from above. To my right I noted my friend was climbing, rather running up the stairs. To this I thought, she just doesn’t get it. Had she opted to lay down a brick everyday, she would have by now had a house,(or in her case, not been as big as one) instead of attempting to erect one in a day. Don’t ask what goodies she vacuumed down during the screening, but the concession stand made a killing.

So the real issue at hand here is simply one thing; commitment which implies long-term and ongoing. Resolution, as is popular for a few weeks in January, implies just that, short term. I choose to resolve to changing my cat’s litter every so often but I commit to keeping my body running efficiently and looking aesthetically pleasing - for life.

In my own experiences, competing at a young age and culminating with a big win at the 1995 Teenage Heavyweight National Bodybuilding Championships set me up for the duration in terms of sheer commitment; but the bones or backstory can quite possibly be linked to three things:

1. The time my mother cleared out the chicken breast section as they went on sale for an unheard of 1.99 per pound to feed her son’s growing muscles. When a man arrived on the scene expecting to find chicken and found none, my mother simply pointed to her wagon and said take what you want - and he did.

2. The time my mother slept in her car the night before my first bodybuilding show so that her son could get a decent night’s sleep prior to taking the stage for the first time due to her volcanic snoring. Never mind the fact that she paid for the room, (and my chicken breasts)! The lesson learned was next time, bring ear plugs.

3. The simple fact that I would be standing in front of hundreds of people in basically my underwear and oil made it very easy to stay on my contest nutritional protocol so as to come in ripped and avoid embarrassment. Now then, onto 2010. Behold my first top 10 list of 2010 designed for you to look beyond resolutions and into the realm of commitment and results, LONG-TERM RESULTS.

1. VERNACULAR - Omit the following words from your mind such as “diet”, “resolution”, “skinny”, “low calories”, “the scale” and replace with “lifestyle”, “commitment”, “lean”, “low glycemic carbs” and “the mirror.”

2. THE GOAL - What are you looking to achieve? Sorry boys, more size one week and heavily defined abs the next doesn’t work. Pick one, stick with, work it and achieve. And then, next goal.

3. TIME MANAGEMENT - I once helped a friend move and he was more concerned with, (what appeared to me), wasting time, whereas I arrived, (as usual), ready to work. Rather than appear rude, I explained he had my help for X amount of time and we went to work.

4. CHANNELING OF ENERGIES - Put your all into weight training, maintenance into cardio, (anything performed for 20 minutes or longer to raise one’s metabolism), and exercise proper choices nutritionally in this simple, yet synergistic relationship.

5. OBSERVE ONCE DAILY - If you’re making a return trip to the gym in the evening after having been there in the morning, you’re overtraining - less is more! Furthermore, if you’re training a particular bodypart more than once per week in an effort to bring up a lagging muscle, (barring full body workouts which touch upon the body as a whole and promote a different goal and look), you’re overtraining AND most probably under- eating (the right foods.)

6. TRAVELING PROTOCOL - I always have a 5 pound jug of casein protein powder, (slow releasing vs. whey which is fast-acting), in my car lest I go too far in between meals and risk a low-blood sugar state and what’s worse - giving into sudden dietary temptation. Having said that, there exists not one place whereby one can order a healthier alternative - even in the fast food realm.

7. THE PHOTO - Immediately affix the photo of whom you wish to emulate, (physically), onto your fridge. Do it now!

8. THE CLAIRVOYANT - That dress, those jeans, the shirt that no longer fits should be removed from that drawer and hung at the forefront of your closet seemingly like a paratrooper, for it is said garment set next to jump.

9. BLINDERS - When in the checkout line, look not at the tabloids showcasing a fabulously “skinny” young starlet who miraculously lost it all in 2 weeks, for that same starlet blew up into a house shortly after those photos were taken. Stick to the truisms that remain in your shopping cart - the clean foods that both run and lean you.

10. SEE THE PROFESSIONAL - No not the movie starring a very young Natalie Portman, but rather your friendly neighborhood trainer. Even if it’s one session, pay attention, ask questions and welcome that knowledge into your arsenal. After all, we all need help sometimes. I was lucky in my physique endeavors to study with the best in the world and I gladly pass that knowledge onto you.

FREE SESSION for NEWBIES! Take advantage through January. Learn, sweat, set and achieve goals and hear a few bad jokes. Remember people, commitment, like diamonds, is forever.

Hollis