What is and isn’t beyond our control
A memory popped up in my timeline, from the second or third time I saw Arnold working out at Gold’s Gym Venice. Not the first time I saw him, but it was the only time in my life I felt sorta star-struck. Now, I didn’t start having heart palpitations or follow him from machine to machine, but I did do way too many sets of deadlifts across from him while thinking, “Holy shit, thats really Arnold.”...
Learning from client frustration during the holiday season
The holiday season is upon us. Hell for some it kicked off last month with Thanksgiving! It's a time for rest, relaxation and family. Many folks find diets (or healthy eating plans) tough to follow this time of year. I know I do and I don’t even have a social life! It often leads to feelings of frustration, even cases of “what's the point of even trying to follow a diet and exercise plan?” which...
We all need validation
Every so often I'll break my own rule and enter one of THOSE online discussions. You know the type. Someone asks a question about their diet or exercise program, sometimes even posting it and asking for "feedback please." Yet every suggestion or bit of feedback actually just puts them on defence. ME: "You say low carb diets get you lean faster than moderate carbs. Are you counting your...
A note on burnout
So I ran a coaching push to get set for the New Year. The response was great (thank you) but I was surprised by some of the applications. Some folks, especially some of the women I talked to, are way too overtaxed for even a moderately intense diet and exercise plan. Now, note that I didn’t say too stressed for a structured plan. Structure actually lowers stress. They need a break from too many...
You might not have a “motivation” issue
I had a client who signed up for coaching a few months ago but then went dark. I finally heard back from him: "My motivation is low right now. I have no real excuse, I just can't bring myself to do all the work." I get this more than I care to admit — a sign it's partly my fault. Because it's NOT a motivation issue. It's a frustration and overwhelm issue. As much as I try to start people at a...
Coaxing vs. forcing your body through a fat loss plateau
I stole this classic expression from coach Scott Abel: "Force the body and it reacts, coax the body, and it responds.” The gist is that if you take aggressive steps to lose fat, such as slashing calories or add hours of cardio, your body will react against the deprivation, for example, by making you feel tired and stressed. But when you gently coax it, say, by reducing daily calories by 100 or...
Testosterone is criminally misunderstood
Testosterone is criminally misunderstood. On one side are morons and the media, who vilify the hormone and blame it for nearly every random act of aggression, from road rage to Black Friday brawls. On the other side are bodybuilders and biohackers, who almost worship T or at least attribute it way more power than it really deserves. The correct answer is in the middle, though definitely slanted...