Feminine Warfare

Intimidation, that near paralyzing feeling that literally stops all of us at one time or another in our tracks. We feel as if we haul more baggage than Ebenezer Scrooge’s partner, Jacob Marley, dragging chains through the afterlife. And then, upon hitting the end of our rope, comes that ill-fated moment when we stand up and decry the line made famous in, "Network", the motion picture, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”

All too often, the gym-floor bleeds intimidation, as I spy, (generally speaking), males doing battle, (myself included), with the free-weights, whilst the females relegate themselves, (generally speaking), to what I deem, “cardioland".

Here’s the problem: Those performing weight-resistance exercise with regularity, will, in fact, enhance their physiques in a noticeable way; i.e. leaner, tighter and more defined muscles, while those limbering around in cardio-land might lose weight, (fat, muscle and water), BUT the composition of their bodies remains fleshy! Here’s the solution: Cardiovascular exercise is defined as anything performed for 20 minutes or longer without cessation and involving the heart and should be interpreted not in burning calories, (the majority of which will be replaced, once the ravenous individual ingests them with his/her next meal), but rather in speeding up the metabolism for the duration. Furthermore, cardio, (for fatburning purposes), is best performed either first thing in the morning on an empty stomach or following the completion of one’s resistance training, but never before, (for too depleted will the purveyor be).

If anything, I see far more women training just as hard or harder than their male counterparts every day, yet claiming little in the way of results. When pressed, I am often told how their diet is perfect, how they are hardly eating, and still the fat just sits there! Following their thoroughly frustrating and cathartic tirade, I explain the common two blocks in their path: overtraining and under eating. And right there, I lose their vote. Yes we can turns into uh, no and goodbye, within seconds.

My heart goes out to you ladies for I love you, believe me. It is you who allows entry for future generations on our planet, it is you who taught me both communication and sensitivity and yes, it is you who struggles with naturally having to carry a higher body part percentage than we, it is you who has to a pay a monthly bill that take decades to fully mature and yes, it is you who struggles on a day to day basis with managing more excessive water than perhaps even the once unsinkable Titanic! Alas, is it US that must approach YOU in hopes for a date…but that’s a whole other article.

We all have a dream, and aside from seeing my clients achieve their physique goals, I want to see more women on the actual gym floor routinely performing weight-resistance training and less of you on the cardio machines on your phones and sprinting to warp speed that even Scotty can't beam you up, for you are traveling too fast!

I want you on the floor and enthused, (once again), about your workouts! Of course weights can be intimidating, for all of us! Even I once started with the naked 45-pound Olympic bar whilst performing bench presses until one day, (some years later), working up to sets with 405 pounds!

Please, if you have a question, come up to either myself, or someone else in the know, (just as long as they are not grunting and groaning or have not forgotten to apply deodorant that day) and ask us. We men love to help solve problems! Yes, I know, you are not looking for problem solvers, just a willing ear to listen. But again, that’s another article…

What follows are, what I see as 10 common mistakes, or myths many women may associate with the gym and its varying modalities. Let’s turn those untruths into knowing smiles and arm you in how to go about doing and holding your own on the gym floor. No longer relegate yourselves to the sidelines, only enlisted in battle can you win the war! Remember, you can be with fit, or you can be with fat! Now hit the trenches!

1. MARATHON CARDIO – With so much cardio performed on a daily basis, it’s a shame we cannot harness its collective energy to power Los Angeles. Perhaps solar panels on your leggings? I chafe just looking at the over-energyexpended daily. 30-45 minutes, tops, for keeping a sluggish metabolism going, per day, 30-45 minutes, tops, and performed at a moderate pace.

2. WEIGHTS MAKE ME BIG – No, all the fat, sugar and wine you are consuming are making you fat. Aside from improving your posture and bone density, resistance training is making your muscles firmer. Wanna get big with all that estrogen running through your body? You would need to lift heavy weights for low reps, eat a lot of food regularly, and be genetically suited for dense muscle accumulation over a period of years. Like a sequel to Ishtar, it ain’t gonna happen. Want to give up enhancing your natural genetic shape by minimizing the flawed and maximizing your strengths? Then avoid weights, for only through them will you achieve a silhouette that would make even a Disney animator drop their stencils mid stroke. Remember, the only thing separating a "lean and toned" physique from a "bulky" model is the body fat surrounding the muscles. You must burn fat to show muscle.

3. GOTTA LOSE WEIGHT – Put down those magazines proclaiming skinny and emaciated is in. Forget the numbers. Change your thinking. It’s not the size, it’s the quality. Get your mind out of the gutter! Use the mirror, your clothes and photos to tell you where you are, not your Aunt Pearl who says you’re too skinny and not eating enough.

4. I'M BARELY EATING – You’re right on that one. Sugar-laden coffee concoction for breakfast, leafy salad thing for lunch and finally, the whole fridge for dinner. Calorically, it probably doesn’t add up to a whole lot and in actuality is not enough of the right things to keep you running and shedding fat! Small and frequent meals throughout the day will always be the ticket.

5. GET IN THE CORNER – So the thought of lifting weights seems impossible? Perhaps hire a trainer, go with a friend or simply occupy your own area where you are comfortable and seemingly off other peoples' minds, if that’s constantly your concern. I can tell you that here in Los Angeles, no one is looking at you, they are looking at themselves. Go to your corner and get it on!

6. DRESSED FOR THE OSCARS – Remember people, we are in the gym to look good out of it. Feeling confident is one thing, but getting overly done up just to look fabulous in cardio-land seems futile to me. Suit up with your own gears of war, (hat, iPod, sports bottle), and get to work!

7. PATIENCE – Axl Rose sang at least two brilliant things, “worrying’s a waste of life” and “Patience.” It takes weeks to see even subtle changes in your body. Trust me. Whilst preparing for competition, back in the day, I wouldn’t even pose for my nutrionalist for weeks into the diet for we both knew it was too early to see the effects. Only until weeks 5 and 6 did I come in and pose.

8. SUIT UP - In screenwriting, (my other passion), there is something in action movies called, “the suit-up scene.” In this quick montage accompanied by cheesy synthesizer music, (at least in the 80’s – see, Rambo: First Blood Part 2"), the hero gears up, or prepares for war, whereby he or she, dons the usually military arsenal that couldn’t possibly fit on one person in the hopes of taking out the enemy whilst staying alive and thusly ensuring the sequel… Grab your weapons and gear up. For me it’s my pre-workout caffeine, iPod complete with Pantera, Megadeth and 2Pac and my blood red headphones, a Superman shirt and equally loud Superman sneakers and it's up, up and away!

9. STEPS – "I’ll get to weight training just as soon as I melt this fat off", is commonly and falsely believed. Oh brother! Finally attack the weights when you’ve sacrificed precious muscle tissue, energy reserves, and strength? That’s about as good an idea as another, "Harry Potter" movie – don’t get me started! Sometimes when we go shopping, we have to get what we need and not what we want. Now you may WANT to perform endless hours of cardio, read your magazine, and text your friends but you NEED resistance training now, sister for it will bring about change we can all believe in!

10 FLUX CAPACITOR – Doc Brown had the one idea in, "Back to the Future", that through the Flux Capacitor time travel was possible. His fixation on this one item, (along with stolen Plutonium and dog Einstein), allowed him to conquer the impossible. Find something to focus on in the gym that will get you away from cardio-land and into the pit. For me it’s the smith-machine on leg day. Or the power rack on back day. Or the incline press on chest day. Find something on the gym floor that you want to attack, (non-human), and go to it!

I'll be looking for you at the gym; on the floor with your brothers. Keep proudly rocking your summer body!

PT Magazine Cover Model & Contributing Writer

I am super proud and honored to be a featured story, cover model (Feb. 2015) and...a future contributing writer to PT Magazine! Make sure to pick up your copy today. http://www.ptmagazine.co.uk

The Story of Lucy

Normally this channel is reserved for exercise/nutrition/motivation videos, but today I am posting something different and special. This is a speech I gave on 1-24-15 on Lucy, my Hairless dog. Enjoy and please rescue a pet. Humans have a choice. Animals do not.

Peak Physique Author Signing (Part 2 of 2)

The Official Peak Physique book launch/author signing at the Santa Monica, CA Barnes & Noble on 1-10-15. Awesome reveal right here!

Peak Physique Author Signing (Part 1 of 2)

The Official Peak Physique book launch/author signing at the Santa Monica, CA Barnes & Noble on 1-10-15. Be sure to view Part 2 for a very special surprise!

Remotivation: 2015 have you flustered?

Happy 2015!

It’s a brand new year. The slate is clean, the cache emptied and the reset button has been pushed. Now that you have your blueprint for success firmly in your hands, inPeak Physique, 2015 is finally going to be your breakthrough year.

It would seem every January is a somewhat reoccurring groundhog existence in your renewal and vows for a healthy lifestyle and physical excellence. In the days prior to January 1st, and of course with the holidays occurring, we often load up on processed foods in excess just before beginning our New Year’s Resolutions and thus our decision to reinvent ourselves for the coming new year.

And like many, what often occurs is failure and early failure at that. We simply set the bar too high and are too extreme in our methodologies and executions of arriving in peak shape. The result is often many attempting to cross the bridge, but few actually making it to the other side. Well, this year is going to be different. 2015 is the year of you!

These 10 tips will kick-start and help to ensure that 2015 will indeed be different. 2015 will be your break-through year in which a change of former habits will now result in desired and long sought after results.

1. EVENT PLANNING – The first step to the new-and-improved 2015 you is to clearly define your destination. Perhaps your goal is to be bikini or board short ready come the summer. Beginning in January will give you plenty of time to bring about a major change in your physique. Starting a journey without defining one’s destination is akin to driving the car to nowhere – you may never get there, when ‘there’ is not defined.

2. AVOID SELF SABOTAGE - The voice that says you can’t is not telling the truth. Living in the era of instant gratification, it’s all too easy to self-medicate with sugar and fat-laden processed foods when feeling down or to skip a workout to feel at best temporarily better. The self-defeating voice can be silenced and you and you alone have the power to do so. You have the power to keep clean and nutritious foods stocked in your kitchen and you and you alone have the power to walk into any gym and give your all and improve your physique.

3. CLEAR THE WEAK LINKS – Be it a non-supportive friend or non-supportive garment, it is imperative to keep a team in your life that shares your goals, beliefs and methodologies. This goes a long way to actually getting your goals accomplished. Hanging with positive people that are also working on bettering themselves creates a safe and friendly, “got your back” atmosphere that is completely supportive. Trim the fat, not just from food, but also from your life.

4. THE MIRROR IS YOUR ONLY COMPETITION – Besting the image in the mirror is your foremost goal. Not starving or attempting to achieve by any means necessary the images that the media deems desirable. Since you only have control over yourself, it’s best to keep your focus there. 2015 is about adopting new positive lifestyle changes and making them work for you – over the long-term.

5. DON’T SHOOT FOR THE STARS – Many 2014 resolutions fell short of reaching the mark because they were too severe, too extreme and too unrealistic in terms of maintaining them with regularity for any length of time. While you should be looking to become your best, realize that it takes steps and time and a consistent, measured approach to achieve. Saying you will work out every day for hours and eat perfectly and not drink is simply too unrealistic. Better to say, I will have a few wonderful workouts per week, do my cardio and eat mostly clean with a splurge here and there. You’ll be pleasantly surprised over the long-term how much more you will accomplish this way.

6. PACK AHEAD – You know the saying “failing to plan ahead is planning to fail.” Though most of us tend to live fast lifestyles today, leaving the house to go to work without packing foods to support your healthy lifestyle is almost sure to derail you. Taking the time each evening before work the next day to grill some chicken, steam some veggies and prepare some yams/sweet potato really doesn’t take too much time and will empower you in this ‘all or nothing’ society we tend to exist in. By bringing meals with you, you are also less likely to eat poorly and skip gym sessions since you will be properly fueled for performance.

7. WORKOUT PARTNER - For many, a workout partner ups the ante and makes it a commitment. Someone else is depending on you to get a common goal accomplished, as a team. If you find someone who shares your common need of improvement, latch on to that person, and make it a double. A workout partner can even create a friendly sense of competition.

8. PHOTOS/CHECK-IN – For me it has always been about showing a clear-cut progression, and nothing says progress more than visual proof. Taking photos of yourself at the start of your transformation, although perhaps highly personal and sensitive, is an amazing tool to show improvement and sustain motivation well into the New Year. Today, take photos of yourself from the front, side and rear and then put them away. I guarantee you that 12 weeks later following the Peak Physique Challenge you will see non-refutable change that will make you beyond proud. Additionally, perhaps try on a garment that is tight or too constrictive at the start of your 12-week program. I also guarantee that it will fit better, sometimes far better after the completion of your 12-week program.

9. CHANGE – The same thing day in and day out can thwart goals and challenges. That is why, armed with change, you’re suiting up not for a sprint, but for a marathon – for the long-term. Be it a different outfit to the gym, a different routine, a different spice on your meal, make it desired and interesting. For some, seeing the almost weekly changes in the mirror or improvement in exercise performance is more than enough change to keep you motivated and progressing.

10. A PROMISE – To yourself that this year, 2015 will indeed be different. You will achieve more than you have before. You will best the image in the mirror. You will adopt a lifestyle, not a fad. It has helped some to make them accountable by posting on social media one’s goals. Saying you need and will make a change in writing is a lot more powerful than wanting and trying to make said change. Your word, in the end, it’s all we have. Make your words turn into actions that count and make a difference.

2015 is about becoming the change you have always wanted to be. Now that you have Peak Physiquefirmly in your corner, you are not alone. You have a plan and most importantly, you have yourself. The creation of Peak Physique was my own challenge and call-to-action to get myself into top shape (it had been a while), and then to help lead others on this amazing journey to self-transformation.

We want to see your transformations. Post on social media #peakphysiquechallenge to show your progress and inspire others. Remember, transformations do come true, it just depends on how much you want them. Make it so.

Fatal (Mastication) Attraction

Having been in the (iron) game for so many years and therefore an O.G. (original guru), I can see the expression on their faces well before they’ve even entered the gym. That embarrassed, soiled grin. The knowing, telltale facial contortion that identifies guilt. Worse than being caught picking a nose or wedgie, this is the face that quite often refutes an entire passage of gym progress. This is the face far too often more guilt-ridden than being caught at the Bunny Ranch with a zero balanced Debit card and explanatory measures back home to the wife and bank examiners. And as the sodium-induced, heavy-eyed round face looks up and it can bear its silence no longer, its lips verbalize, “I cheated on my diet again and it’s because of stupid!”

We’ve all been there. Often, a relationship brings comfort, security, routine, and, far too often, laziness. Aside from perhaps less actual scheduling allotted for personal upkeep due to tighter time parameters, the need for dressing up and always presenting your best lessens. As the months and years roll by, your jeans feel tighter, extra loose flesh hangs where once was a flat plain, and perhaps an avoidance in sitting down in public, for fear of splitting now delicately stretched garment fibers.

Until one day, as you catch your gaze in the mirror while passing, you ask yourself, who is this person, now resembling John Goodman following a Katz deli (the best!) splurge? Why, would it seem, sometimes on our own we are strong, yet together we are weak, when it comes to good nutrition? Indeed many a night I have turned to the immediacy of a quad-stacked In-n-Out burger (4x4) instead of the comforting embrace of a significant other, thusly replacing sweaty passion with a sweaty complexion from indigestion.

No longer can we blame others for our own (I include myself from past relationships) lack of self-discipline for if we can’t love ourselves (through glutinous behaviors) then how can others profess to love us? While it is important to celebrate some of our greatest moments through the company of others and sometimes rich, heavy foods, we must hold up the proverbial shield and turn our defensive (comfort eating) into offensive (healthy patterns) in order to sustain not only ourselves, but our relationships for the duration.

What follows is my Top 10 list of behaviors, actions and modalities that you and your significant other can partake in TOGETHER to stop the insanity, declare war on fat and lessen your total combined weight!

1. You’re on Your Own – The King of all options. Simply stated: You eat your way, (fattening) and I’ll eat mine, (healthy). But that doesn’t ever seem to last long, does it? Eventually, you may find yourselves eating at different times completely. I personally spent many lonely early mornings with egg whites and oatmeal while my ex would indulge in a bean and cheese burrito later that day. Extreme yet effective, this may be the last alternative; the red button if you will that is only to pushed when all else fails and the nuclear launch codes are obtained. Read below for other effective alternatives.

2. One for You, One for Me – Take turns being the key master. After all, it works in group therapy and mental health, why not in regards to your physical health too? One night one party prepares (healthy) dinner and the other, the next. That way you are both looking out for nutritionally sound, yet palatably satisfying fuel that each party appreciates!

3. Pre-Prepare – Trader Joes has made some aspects of my life easier. Brown rice that’s already cooked. Chicken breast strips all ready to go and asparagus that’s just a microwave away from working its natural diuretic magic. Costco, on some levels, is even better. Bought in bulk and just as prepared, makes it a snap to organize meals for two and they even carry those cute Tupperware sets for packing!

4. Garments, Pictures and Visualization – oh my! I have always believed in knowing the target intended instead of shooting blindly. How do you envision YOUR physique to look? A pair of jeans you’d love to squeeze into, a picture of your favorite celeb complete with chiseled midsection or the clear metaphorical visualization emblazoned in your brain of how you will ultimately look in a bathing suit, will pay dividends in actually bringing you there.

5. Other Rewards – I used to tell my ex when the urge for me to eat everything in sight would hit, punish me with sex. Her reply was, “What do I get out of this?” Oh well, it was a good try, so I thought. Part of my process was turning to food (a readily and willing commodity) whenever I needed it in the abandonment of physical comforts. The unfortunate reality was with my (at the time) ever-expanding gut, I myself, could almost pass for a couple. Instead, I turned toward other positive deterrents: a hike, music, a movie, a book, shopping. Since then I have jettisoned both the excess weight and the relationship and have bettered myself in a myriad of dividends.

6. Realism – While giving up a behavior taken to the max, (drinking anyone?) may in actuality be a bit unrealistic, agreeing to cut back to say once or twice per week to ingest said empty calories will do much to keep both of your waistlines in check and make truly special those times to completely let go.

7. United We Stand – I always loved those episodes in my youth of G.I. JOE or HE- MAN in which both protagonist and antagonist would team up to rid that universe of a common foe. When in doubt, be there for one another! The foe in this case, body fat, will be overcome on a continual and long-term basis if both parties work together in proclaiming a lean and healthy body worth fighting for; therefore, make it a dual effort in achieving such!

8. Johari’s Window – is a cognitive psychological tool that essentially shows us as we see ourselves, as others see us and how we really are. Sometimes, the “how we really are” conflicts with the other two selves and as such, per our endeavors here, to quote Carlito Brigante, “"If you can't see the angles no more, you're in trouble.” Know thy true self and where you’re at.

9. Limit Thyself No More – Know that good nutrition is not a confined term that must equate to tuna straight out of a can and brown rice only. There is so much great information out there, the popular “Eat This, Not That” book series for example. Therein exists many diverse, tasty and quality meals that you and your partner can explore together.

10. Mass Carbicide – There’s a time to be strict and a time to dine. Might as well go to hell together. Make it count, enjoy and perhaps get a head start on that cardio session later that night (after the bloating subsides.) Proper nutrition is like a party, an all-nighter once in a while is a great escape but a party every day will yield a tired and jaundiced you!

Please be sure to Like the official holliswashere.com Facebook site for even more enlightenment:

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And, a complete listing of all previous newsletters (spread the word!) from the 3 time fitness editor and teen national heavyweight champ, can be found now and forever at: http://www.hollisliebman.com/Archives.html

Q & A with Hollis

Here we go! Presented are 10 questions submitted to me by you, my loyal readers and their respective answers, from me, your coach and scribe, to you.

1. I hear about all the benefits to weight training, but I don't want to get bulky. Why can't I just stick to cardio?

While cardio is absolutely a necessity in helping to keep your heart healthy and for speeding up one's metabolism and thusly burning body-fat, weight training simply has too many benefits to ignore. In addition to working your heart and aiding one's metabolism, it improves posture, bone density and is the main stimulus for actually enhancing the shape of your body by making your muscles firmer. It takes years of heavy weights, a lot of food and genetics to build any appreciable amount of muscle mass and it's even more difficult in women due to their naturally low testosterone levels. Bulk is mostly about a poor diet and excuses.

2. All I want is abs so I'll stick to crunches. That'll get me a 6 pack, right?

The only way you'll acquire a 6 pack is to buy one at your locale liquor shop. Spot reduction is a myth. You can target your midsection all day long, but core work, while it does indeed strengthen a midsection internally, simply does not burn enough calories as compared to working other muscle groups in ridding the stored body fat in your belly. There are 3 keys to a prominently displayed muscular midsection: A clean nutritional intake, resistance work and cardiovascular work all performed over time.

3. I want results but can't keep up this multi-hour pace for much longer. What can I do to speed results?

For one, train smarter not longer. Think of your training as if you were a skilled carpenter. One or two well placed whacks with the hammer, and the job is done. If you give your all to each set (excluding warm-ups), then you will more efficiently work your body in less time. Perform weight training intensely and cardio moderately and (coupled with good nutrition), you will burn more fat and preserve your lean muscle tissue.

4. My understanding is if something is fat free, it may contain more sugar, and if so, doesn't sugar turn to fat in the body?

When a carb is ingested, your blood sugar levels increase as the carbohydrates are broken down into sugar. As blood sugar levels increase, insulin is released. This fat storing hormone will convert sugar to fat. By decreasing the amount of sugar (high-glycemic carbs) we take in, we can lessen the body's release of insulin. Any extra calories beyond one's bodily maintenance can be converted to fat, but carbs, specifically sugar, are more apt to turn to fat than say protein due to the body taking more time to break down protein nutrients. Unsaturated fats like nuts and fish oils are less likely to turn to fat than sugar because these are "clean" fats that your body can process and utilize for various functions. In essence, avoiding or lessening both fat free and high sugar products, can help to keep you lean. Keep your foods less processed and you are not only going to run better, but be leaner too.

5. How do I go to a holiday party and not overheat or drink?

This is probably the number one question I receive around this time of year. Since we all indulge from time to time, (yes trainers too), either join the party for one meal on this special occasion or think and plan ahead. Sometimes I will have a protein shake and a small handful of raw nuts just as I get to a party to keep myself somewhat satiated and my blood-sugar levels stable. Although eating clean at a party can be difficult, it's not impossible. Look for leaner food choices. Perhaps cold cuts like turkey breast, whole wheat bread, raw nuts and some vegetables at the veggie spread - just watch out for the dip. A diet soda or even a glass of wine or light beer won't hamper your diet.

6. How do you know what you'll make me do next in our workouts?

My standard answer is I view our training sessions similarly to how a professional wrestler views his/her matches. I know my beginning and ending while taking an educated, experienced and yet malleable approach to getting there while always making it about the individual and their goals and possible limitations. I never make it cookie cutter!

7. Now that I'm training with regularity, I'm afraid that if I stop, it'll turn to fat, right?

A muscle cell and a fat cell are two different things. If one ceases training, then the stimulus now removed will cause the muscle cells to shrink. If one still eats healthy, the results will be a smaller yet still lean person. It is when exercise is both ceased and too many junk calories are consumed that fat cells will increase in size. And although one's number on the scale might stay the same or even decrease, the actual quality of those pounds will decrease if healthy habits are not maintained.

8. Stretching - should I and if so when?

Like resistance training, stretching simply has too many benefits for it to be excluded from your current fitness regimen. Amongst those benefits, are improved nutrient absorption which can lead to a more efficient metabolism and an increased range of motion which can also lead to more lean muscle mass. Stretching prior to any warm-up is ill advised as the muscle must first become warm and pliable before it can be manipulated. I like to stretch both during and after my workouts, just a few basic holds per muscle group, and I never force the range but rather hold steadily.

9. Cardio before or after my workout?

Cardio work should be an integral part of your exercise plan for your heart, your stamina and for keeping body fat levels low and in check. Its source of energy is in the form of adipose or fat, while weight training runs off of glycogen or stored carbohydrates. If one performs cardio (excluding a warm-up) prior to weight training, the result will leave one near too tired to properly complete the resistance portion of one's workout. Weights and then cardio for a muscular, yet hard and lean body.

10. Who has the time?

We all share the same 24 hour pie when it comes to time. And while we all have differing levels of responsibilities, where we differ is in our management of those hours and responsibilities. It comes down to how bad you want it. Want to see some change in your physique, not wake up in pain and actually be able to see your equipment when you pee? Make some time for your health. 3 days at the gym per week is good, 2 is okay and even 1 can make a difference. Go before work or after or at lunch. Perhaps hire a trainer to maximize workout and nutritional effectiveness in minimal time and commitment. It comes down to one thing: How motivated are you?

Please send your questions, comments and opinions to: Liebman.hollis@gmail.com

Looking for some Christmas presents?

My new book, Anatomy of Fitness Core makes a great stocking stuffer and belly leaner :) pick them up at: http://t.co/e

In addition, I also offer personal trainer gift certificates and half hour stretch sessions. Be the spark that can change someone's life through health, fitness and wellness. Send an email to: Liebman.hollis@gmail.com

I truly wish each and every one of you very happy holidays and an even better and brighter 2013!

Hollis

Bully Begone

Issue #49 was to follow the new format of 10 questions and their respective answers. I do have those 10 questions, submitted by your emails and texts, and then I saw a documentary entitled, "Bully". The subject matter is of course, what one might expect to see, following youths as they encounter various degrees of bullying throughout their elementary days.

The movie hit a nerve and I had an urging to do more. So, I went to Iopposebullying.org, bought a shirt and wristband, and signed up as a volunteer speaker. The thought of going to a school and speaking to kids about bullying is a powerful, positive thing to do. I wish someone had taken that opportunity when I was bullied all those years ago.

What follows is my bully story, perhaps not worse than others, but harsh to me and I am better for having lived through it and had the perhaps rare privilege of having closure with my bully. I believe beyond the obvious physical abuse, the cornerstone of bullying is the mental torment one goes through, day after day, like a Groundhog Day that occurs seemingly forever.

By the way, how does this pertain to fitness? What better way to reinvent oneself, improve the way one stands and feels, from the inside out, than through exercise and good nutrition? What better way to let out negative energy and become emotionally un-paralyzed, than leaving it all at the gym? What better way to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride, than by ducking under a loaded squat rack and being drilled into the ground only to rise up?

What Happened:

Having moved from New York to New Jersey back in 1984, by coincidence, I befriended the most popular kid in our school. He lived but a few houses from me. We hung out just about every day and he introduced me to a world of new possibilities. New friends, new hiking trails, sports and girls! I liked them all but could not grasp the concept, nor get excited over team sports. Number 1, I was not athletic, and could not keep up with the guys, Number 2, although I had trouble catching a football and could not throw it, I had difficulty accepting that if I was truly trying and giving 100 percent while others slacked, that didn't seem to me to be a team effort. My friend loved sports. I loved Transformers and GI Joe. There was a non-agreeing look in his eye.

And then one year at my birthday he brought me a He-Man figure. I thanked him but (as kids are typically honest until taught not to be), I told him I already had that particular figure. I hurt his feelings and apologized, but by then something had transformed in his personality.

The next day as the bus doors opened, my life would never be the same. Perhaps if I knew that, I'd have walked that day. A loud chorus of song centered about my family and me that lasted that whole trip - all 2.5 miles, which felt like 2500, to school that day. Kids that were my friends now would either ignore me, put deodorant in my hair, signs on my back, flip books out of my hand, fart in class in front of girls I liked and get me blamed and on and on, for years. And the mental abuse was far, far worse.

One day a new kid moved 2 doors down. We hung out everyday. And then he asked why we didn't wait at the bus stop at the top of the hill. I couldn't tell him that's where the bully and his henchmen waited. And so the next day he went. And we were never friends again. He was elevated to Henchman # 2 status.

Through it all, there was one kid, who was friends with both the bully and me. I was distrustful and even called him a spy. Instead of flattening me, he seemed to have a sense of understanding, and would never succumb to peer pressure and would stay my friend. To this day, he knows who he is and that I love him and that he is my non-biological brother 4 Life and I know he will arrive impeccably conditioned at his first bodybuilding competition later this year.

I can imagine what this does to the parents, who themselves must feel angry and powerless. Another day, my father had had enough. He yelled for the bully to come over and settle this right now. I cried and tried to enter the house. My father shut the door and stood by as the bully and I did battle. My mother tried to hold back the tears. Outside, you'd never seen so many people gather on a front lawn in all your life.

The bully retained a fighter's stance, that was taught to him, I am sure, by his older varsity brother. The only skills I had we're transforming into a vehicle and rolling out or shooting off my pretend laser rifle. So I river danced around the bully and he decked me in the nose. I bled, I cried, I ran into the house. And though I "stood up" to the bully, it didn't mean a damn thing.

And then one day, the bullying simply phased out. Like a discontinued line at the local Macy's there was no more name calling, songs or the like. During this time I discovered weight training. Oh my goodness - you can actually change your body and get strong and big muscles? I was hooked.

But it wasn't to get revenge or beat down the bully or any other such nonsense. Quite simply, I had fallen in love. To have found a solo activity that brought brilliance and illumination to my life, was always there and nonconditional was better than any Nintendo game or visit to Benihana or cancellation of Hebrew School or snowed in delayed opening of public school. The iron was truth, justice and now my way.

What I did:

In 2011, my friend alerted me that the bully was on Facebook. Thinking not too much about it, he thought maybe I should contact him since it is still on my mind from time to time and I even wrote a script about it for Will Ferrell entitled, “The Eagle Scout.” That night I found myself contacting him and the next thing I knew we were on the phone. The bully nervously asked, "Do you want to kick my ass or something?" Of course not. Although I had envisioned permanent vengeance many times, it was behind me now. Especially with his Facebook profile pic of his then newborn son. I only wished him well and that he would raise his son to be a person of good value, and not a bully.

But I had to know why. Why all the torture? He said he too thinks about it from time to time and was pushed to do so by an unyielding mother who I must have pissed off somehow. When he wanted to stop or his conscience kicked in, he explained that his mom would renew the rage. I asked him if there was anything he wanted to say. And for a moment he became the bully again. And said, "You mean like an apology?" I simply repeated the question. And he said. "For any pain or suffering that I caused you, I am sorry." I thanked him, teared up and hung up knowing that we would never speak again.

Lessons learned:

The most important thing I learned is to find a passion and invest in it. Devote yourself to your craft and make the most of your life. Sometimes kids are unable to ace up to the bully and I don't think they should have to. I think that is up to principals and other adults. But listen to the bullied and do not confuse them with the bully. Do not think that a forced shaking of the hands will make it all better. Because it won't. And the bully will double his/her efforts.

My message is simple:

I got closure and had the bully beat because today I am thankful for everything I have: honesty, drive, truth and determination. I have the most beautiful, talented and intelligent fiancée. My book is currently in Costco, Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Shortly, I am to begin my fifth book, a giant training encyclopedia. I have the most amazing clients, get to wear pajamas (basically) to work and do what I love. And it was through the bullying that I discovered a sense of independence, urgency, self-reliance and to never give up.

Special thanks to The Blood Sugar Wizard, Chris Golightly, for having me as her guest on her fabulous blogtalkradio:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bloodsugarwizard/2013/02/19/hollis-liebman-trainer-to-the-stars-starting-out

Yours in Fitness,

Hollis

There and Back: A Gym Goer's Journey

It is my privilege to officially announce the forthcoming release for my first book and DVD training program entitled, “Anatomy of Fitness: Core”, set to be released this August. The Core Program comes packaged with a high quality Swiss-Ball, book, and companion DVD program. You will be able to find it in wholesale chains, major bookstores, and order an advanced signed copy direct from me! Stay tuned for more release details.

This issue was purported to be a Summer Shape Up Spectacular. I was going to share a personal story from year’s past whereby the cold and stagnant machine lay silent and rusty, before dusting off the remnants, revving up the engine and then proudly cruising along the PCH, (Pacific Coast Highway for my non-Los Angeles based readers.) In short, it was to be my Memorial Day Blowout special.

But then, a funny thing occurred: Life. Real life. Removed from the modelesque and ripped physiques of my adopted L.A., I saw a cross-stitch of America, all in plus-size clothing. Real life, whereby workouts are the first to be jettisoned when long commutes, changing diapers and a myriad of other responsibilities make up a person’s schedule and are less than ideal, but as routine as routine gets.

I speak, today, not merely to the dedicated, part-time, or even bicentennial gym-goer, but to the person who hasn’t passed through a gym door since High School. The one who has never waited to work on a machine. The one who equates diet to ordering a diet coke at the local fast food joint. The one who takes a handful of prescription drugs instead of multi vitamins upon waking. And finally, to the one who must regulate carbohydrate intake and insulin for each and every meal often as a result of living in denial: Denial of exercise and good nutrition and acceptance of lethargy and sugar as fuel.

I reach out to the one deemed too old or whose condition is too severe or irreversible to previously warrant taking attention. I want you to know, and believe that, it’s far better to be an aged car that is cranking up the miles, rather than be a polished shell that resides in a garage, idle in its own memories.

In my own case, I took up weight training not because I wanted to compete, but to build confidence for myself and rally against the bully who claimed my self-esteem and happiness. What keeps me training today is the simple fact that I want to live, be healthy and functional.

For many newbies, it can often be a difficult road to enter the gym for the first time, for it can be an intimidating place. But the way I see it, the gym is one of the last places in one’s day to day where you can take time for yourself. The gym is a shop whereby one hones one’s body for improved performance and aesthetics. It is never about you vs. the other guy, but rather you vs. you.

What follows are 10 action items to get you, (back), into investing in yourself. If you regularly go to the gym, congratulations! You are maintaining a fabulous lifestyle. I ask that you pass this newsletter to a loved one, friend, co-worker or anyone in need of empowering their physical well-being. My goal, for that person, is that they one day say what George Zimmer of Men’s Wearhouse fame says, “You’re going to like the way you look.”

MOTIVATION – Step 1 is simply to have an image of roughly where you’d like to go. One of the key steps to staying motivated involves keeping your best interests at heart. For some that means telling others, for others, that means telling no one. BUT the mainstay is finding something with which to empathize, (see yourself), with. A picture of someone’s physique that I aspire to, has always worked for me.

PICTURES – Of you and how you look right now. For your eyes-only. Unyielding, unforgiving and unrelenting images of you and how you look at the start of your journey.

GOODBYE – All unhealthy food jettisoned. Get rid of it, now. That way, in the moment, (that we all face), of possibly cheating on our diet, we make it less accessible; one must leave the house in order to fill one’s belly unhealthily.

CALENDAR – A single sheet of paper, showing one month at a time. An “X” for a completed healthy day of eating and a big “C” for a cheat. At the end of the 30 days or so, we should see a lot more X’s.

THE BIG O – As in “Occasion”. Goal setting is always more in the here and now when a time frame is introduced. Wedding, Bar Mitzvah, Class Reunion or some other occasion coming up? This is the catalyst needed to get you going, to get you invested.

CLOTHING NON-OPTIONAL – Go now and buy a piece of clothing that is physically impossible for you to fit into right now. Hang it up at home in viewing sights. Imagine how it’s going to feel when it conforms to your body.

ENTER – While many view the gym as a social environment, pickup spot and sometimes fashion show, our concerns are more holistic: we go to the gym to look and feel better OUTSIDE of it. Of course, for many, this is outside our comfort zone. Of course wear clothing that is non-restrictive and comfortable to move in. But remember, you are going not for others’ approval. You are going for yourself.

PERISHABLES FIRST – Meaning, start with the most important action items first: resistance training. Cardio has its place and is not only healthy for the heart, but aids in speeding up the metabolism; however, resistance training offers these benefits and more such as actually enhancing your body’s composition. (Less fat, more muscle.)

GO TO THE CORNER – Or wherever you feel comfortable in your new home. If you feel confident battling the iron front and center, then by all means engage there. Others’ comfort-zone initially may extend to just beyond the front desk. Go where you can breathe easy and do the work.

RECRUITS – Be it bringing in a friend, coworker, Personal Trainer or any such help and support system that will not only help to keep you motivated, but also get you faster to your goals. We are looking to make lifestyle, longdistance positive changes, not short-term, sprint style temp fixes.

You matter to me! I want to be part of your strength and motivation. Remember, I am only one e-mail away. If you truly have an aversion to going alone to the gym for the first time, I can also offer you classes via e-mail. Please know, “IF I CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU! LOVE WHAT YOU DO AND DO WHAT YOU LOVE.” There is nothing better than to look in the mirror and see your progress, as well as actually physically feel better. I wish you good luck and please remember that I care!

Until our next positive intervention,

Hollis

Beyond Principles

For many of us, “Principal", was akin to a four-letter word growing up, for to be called to the Principal’s office was often the sight of ill-fated news to the attendee. To this day, it is why I change my name at a restaurant when leaving reservations, for to hear “Hollis” spoken aloud, has conditioned me to believe I am to receive a Saturday detention, rather than the grilled steak, they would have otherwise thought.

“Principle”, suggests an idea or concept that has been more or less proven to work. An action taken that has often been thrust into the trenches, experienced, tested and its final result to be accepted as nothing short of fact.

A long time ago, in a New York/New Jersey far, far away, (from Los Angeles), I was in the Boy Scouts of America. Our troop had a merit badge aptly named, “The Paul Bunyon Woodsman.” Other troops had sought varying leadership and sporting badges, while I was singularly fixated on the Bunyon award. Since it required the merits of one motivated Boy Scout to claim it, coupled with the fact that up to that time, no one else in the history of our troop had ever taken it, I decided that is was on, big time!

And so, like Captain Ahab armed with his harpoon in search of the elusive Moby Dick, I grabbed my Rambo headband, “suited up” and was off in search of the coveted prize. What followed that gloomy afternoon was this: I taught, “Totin’ Chip” - the Scouts’ knife leadership program to a fellow scout, and sawed through two fallen logs, (that took forever), only to be left with the final task of wood chopping through a group of small, upright logs.

As I raised my axe, tears fell from the sky, and within minutes the campgrounds were soaked. Try as I might to continue, my group leader took my axe mid swing and told me the challenge was over, that the weather would not permit continuance. I was so very close, and begged for a few paltry minutes for completion. By now, a group had stood by cheering me on. I was ordered off the challenge sight, leaving with my jaw clenched, my fists tight and an idea of what to do to his hammock later on that night after rehydrating myself.

I felt he, acting as the “Principal”, was conflicting with my, “Principles", of combat, and, from that point on, swore to always do things my way if I felt them just.

The next day I went home, never claiming what had been rightfully mine and would forever be associated with my troop as the guy who came that close to receiving the first ever Woodsman Badge. But, a few years later, my hand was raised as the best, "Teenage Heavyweight Bodybuilder" in the entire Nation, and I did it my way!

As it relates to our sphere and scope of training, there are no rules, only recommendations. What works for one person, may not work for another. That is why I never, ever, repeat the same workout twice with different clients for each is unique, like a snowflake.

But sometimes, affirming results, need the help of a “cleaner”, the one who will fix what has been broken or engaged in the law of diminishing returns whereby little is given for maximum effort. Allow me, if you will, to be your, "cleaner".

What follows are another superstar set of my top 10 Training Principles for shaking things up in your world and perhaps even getting you excited about training once again. Many of you may already be employing these terms and just didn’t know what they were called, until now. Some of you may liken them to special sushi rolls that are worth a look but like to stick to traditional fare, and yet, hopefully, all, or most of you, will try them.

Credit must be given to Mr. Joe Weider who attached names to what he saw countless gym-goers performing with regularity decades ago in bringing human development to a new level, and thusly developed the Weider Principles. Thank you, Joe.

1. Rest-Pause – By far, my favorite and most frequently used principle. The brain is programmed to complete a given set at all costs, but by temporarily ceasing the set before other muscle groups take over and allowing a few seconds for a temporary recovery, the body can safely complete the given task at hand, while keeping the tension, where it belongs, for the entire set.

2. Muscle Confusion – As your Trainer, one of my most valued assets, as the body does indeed adapt quickly to a continual stimuli, is to keep it off guard and constantly being forced to work. Exercises, sets, reps and the like, are continually spun to keep one progressing and excited about their workouts.

3. Holistic Training – Utilizes varying repetition ranges, speeds and angles, in an effort to stimulate differing muscle fibers that respond to unique training origins.

4. Peak Contraction – Is the final squeeze, or accented portion of the repetition, which can bring about more muscle control and definition.

5. Progressive Overload – Those whom lift the same, look the same. In my competitive days, my chest was much fuller when performing bench press sets at 405 pounds than it was at 315 pounds. (All in good form, of course.) This also was why I used my diet and cardiovascular activity to peak myself for a competition for I knew if I did not continue to do what brought me to the dance, (the heavy lifting upon which my foundation was built), it would be like taking the nails out of the house and thusly crumbling the foundation. Self-implosion? No thank you.

6. Pre-Exhaustion – The body is so smart that sometimes a challenging weight is simply not enough. What might normally follow a squat, the leg extension, sometimes should actually precede one’s workout in an effort to pre-fatigue, or increase blood-flow, to the quadriceps prior to the multi-jointed squat movement.

7. Negatives – Like your fine China, to be used sparingly. This is an advanced technique that actually works your muscles beyond failure, which might be called for when attempting to stimulate new growth. An example of negatives would be resisting the downward portion of the bench press until it touches your chest while your partner will lift the bar with just enough force to get one past the sticking point

8. Cheating – A definite no-no when it comes to marriage, exams and a pre-contest diet, but in the gym a completely legitimate action. It is perhaps the polar opposite of the Rest-Pause Principle, and calls for a slight swinging and increased body momentum near the end of the set to garner a few more repetitions and thusly further stimulate growth.

9. Muscle Priority – Let’s be honest, most of us try to always show our best and hide our less than stellar. The Muscle Priority Principal states that one begin each workout-week with his/her weakest body parts first in order to bring them up to symmetrical harmony with one’s more outstanding features. The most famous example is that of a young Arnold Schwarzenegger, who having first arrived in America had very underdeveloped calves. By cutting his jeans to expose the weak body part and training them first thing each week with total ferocity in their own little quiet war, what was previously weak, became a strength, so much so, that it helped him win a record, (at the time), 7 "Mr. Olympia" Titles.

10. Descending Sets – or Drop-Sets are another intensity generating technique whereby the muscle can be taken beyond failure. Let’s say one performs dumbbell curls at a given weight and gets, 10. Rather than cease the set, immediately perform more repetitions with a lighter weight, in an effort to increase the burn in one’s arms.

The hardest part of the gym journey is in showing up. If you’re contemplating a return, and thusly investing in yourself again, Training Specials are now available, running from NOW until Mid- October! Send your query to: hollis@holliswashere.com

Yours in health,

Hollis

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!

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