Some of you may have noticed the subtle change in the subject line for this week’s newsletter, from Wellness Wednesday to Wellness Weekend. No need to be alarmed, it’s just been a couple of busy weeks. We sponsored a great seminar on May 20 and I started teaching a brand new course at Villanova that is requiring a tremendous amount of prep time, but nothing that a few 14 hour days can’t solve…

I am not sure if I will resume sending out the newsletter on Wednesdays, or stick with the weekend. The weekend option seems to offer more flexibility.

FT Seminar

Anyway, first I would like to talk a little bit about the seminar. Dr. Joe Capista, one of our clients at Newtown Square,  gave an inspiring talk titled “It’s All Mental: Harnessing the Power of Your Mind, Body, Spirit to Achieve Total Health and Wellness”. Joe pointed out the importance of balance in your life, as well as the need for goal setting and commitment to those goals. His success professionally and personally is a testament to the power of his words. Joe has also had great results since joining FT, and shared those results with the audience. I want to thank all of you who attended the seminar, with a special thanks to Dr. Capista and to Kathy, the sales manager at Terrazza. Terrazza provided a great setting for the event, and we plan to offer more seminars in the future.

Benefits of Cardio Fitness

Getting in shape really does help you live longer, new research says. The study, published in the May 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, concluded that people with high levels of physical fitness, called cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), have a lower risk of dying from all causes of death, including coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease, than people with low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness.

Researchers analyzed data from 33 previous studies that included 102,980 participants and 6,910 deaths from a variety of causes and 84,323 people with coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease and 4,485 deaths caused by those conditions.

To have adequate CRF, men around 50 years of age must be capable of continuous walking at a speed of 4 m.p.h. and women at 3 m.p.h. (more info)

Guess Who This is?

He rises early and immediately hits the gym. He still lifts weights and swims, mixing up his routines every 30 days to keep himself fresh and interested. His workouts last about two hours, and, while he admits that he can’t work out like he used to, he doesn’t let it bother him, telling himself to “forget about what you used to do and focus on today.” As for days off, he dismisses them, saying he can’t remember a day since he was 15 that he didn’t work out somehow.

If you guessed 94-year old Jack LaLanne, you are correct! If you are too young to know who Jack is, he is known as the “Godfather of Fitness”.

“Anything in life is possible,” he says. “You control your life-it’s all up to you. The food you eat today is walking and talking tomorrow. You have to ask yourself, ‘What can I do to help myself?’ ” LaLanne took his own advice, illustrating what exercise could do for the body by performing thousands of pushups, chin-ups and star jumps on his TV show. Anything was possible if you just applied yourself, he told the watching public.

In 1954, at age 40, he proved his point by captivating the entire world when he swam the length of the Golden Gate Bridge with 140 pounds of equipment strapped to his body. A year later, he swam from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco while handcuffed; something deemed humanly impossible by local law enforcement.

If life has taught him anything, he says, it’s that a strong will and a belief in yourself are all it takes to achieve whatever goal you’ve set for yourself (quite similar to the message Dr. Capista offered at the seminar!). In 1984, as his show was entering its final year, LaLanne, then 70, cemented his status as a legend when he swam 1.5 miles while towing 70 boats with 70 people from the Queen’s Way Bridge to the Queen Mary Bridge… while handcuffed and shackled, of course.

Jack concluded his interview with Success magazine with the following quote: “I’ll keep doing what I’m doing,” LaLanne says, before offering up one of his patented lines. “I can’t die; it would ruin my image.”

94-years old!!! Wow, I need to step it up…

Closing quote, from Will Smith

“I will NOT be outworked. Period… You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might be all of those things. You got it on me in nine categories. But if we get on the treadmill together, there’s two things:  Either you’re getting off first, or I’m gonna die. It’s really that simple.”

To your health and happiness.

So you think are workouts are pretty tough?

How about this exercise: walk on all fours like a bear, each hand dragging a 20-pound weight. When you reach the end of the crawl (250 yards) with the dumbbells still in each hand, do a push-up, then while holding the plank position lift each weight once before jumping into a squat, standing up and raising the weights above your head. Do 10 of these (they are called, somewhat chauvinistically, man-makers) without a break, then go back to bear crawling for 250 yards.

Such is the type of exercise that takes place at Gym Jones, private, invitation only” exercise facility in an unmarked building in Salt Lake City. Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal recounted the story of one of its reporters who signed up for an $1,800, two-day seminar at Gym Jones. The seminar was a mix of lectures on the primacy of mental training (“accept and embrace and enjoy suffering”), nutrition (“If you can’t pronounce it, don’t put it in your mouth. If it wasn’t food 100 years ago, it is not food today”), fitness theory, and gym work. The price also includes includes energy bars and bananas.

There are no weight machines or mirrors or towels. Exercises are done with free weights, emphasizing full-body workouts during intense, heart-pounding circuits.

The idea is to develop functional fitness that will translate into high performance. The goal isn’t to build huge muscles, but more efficient ones, increasing the power-to-weight ratio. The founder of the gym is Mark Twight, who is famous for transforming a bunch of out-of-shape actors into ripped Spartan warriors for the film “300.” Actor Vincent Regan lost 40 pounds after a month training with Mr. Twight.

Each exercise has to be done in good form or it doesn’t count, and you have to keep going until you get it right. On the box jumps, for instance, the reporter watched one of his seminar-mates repeatedly leap onto the box but forget to stand upright. “Doesn’t count,” his coach said again and again as he hurled his body atop the box. “Doesn’t count.”

And when the reporter lurched too far forward while dragging a sled loaded with 245 pounds of iron from one side of the gym to the other, Mr. Twight suggested that he carry a 25-pound weight above his head in each hand to improve his posture — while dragging the sled.

One other exercise worth mentioning is called the Tailpipe. You race through 250 yards as fast as you can on a rowing machine while your partner hugs a 53-pound weight to his or her chest. Then you switch positions and repeat three times without pause. The look of anguish on your partner’s face encourages you to go faster.

Finally, there is the recovery, which Mr. Twight explained was perhaps even more important than training hard. Unfortunately, Mr. Twight’s idea of recovery didn’t involved watching TV and eating ice cream. A Gym Jones recovery exercise means a half-hour bike ride or run after your “real” workout.

Once you are finished your cardio, then there’s the recovery shower, which, as athletes know, helps flush toxins from the muscles. It starts off well enough: five minutes of hot water. Then you turn the water to as cold as it will go for several minutes. Repeat at least once, ending on cold water. To me, this would be the worst part of the entire day…

Many of you reading this may be thinking that you have done similar type exercises at our studio, and that is correct. I have seen many of you doing the bear crawl, push-ups and planks with dumbbells, squats followed by an overhead press, box jumps, and sprints on the rowing machine. Rest assured that our trainers are up to speed with the latest and most effective training techniques, and know how to adapt those exercises to each individual’s specific goals and abilities.

So next time you are asked to go all out on the erg, grin and bear it. At least you don’t have to take a cold shower afterward.

Studio Updates

1. On May 20 from 6:30-8:30 at Terrazza (right across the street from our Newtown Square studio) we will be hosting a seminar offered by Dr. Joe Capista. The topic for the seminar is “It’s All Mental: Harnessing the Power of your Mind*Body*Spirit to Achieve Total Health & Fitness”. For over three decades, Dr. Capista has dedicated himself to the study of the power and impact of the mind and spirit in creating your reality. Dr. Capista’s success philosophy is simple; combine your deepest passion, develop solid business principles while striving for balance in all areas of your life. Dr. Capista travels throughout the United States sharing his messages with audiences who are eager to learn proven success principles. Click here to find out more and to register for this free seminar.

2. We are offering special personal training packages this summer for high school and college students. This is a great opportunity for student athletes to work on their off-season conditioning or for other students to develop good training habits and lay a foundation for a lifetime of health and wellness. Contact us for details.

To your health and happiness,

“Gym” Borden

P.S.  Chris has also just added another great new blog post – “A Day in the Life…”, where he describes in great detail exactly what, when, how, and why he eats the ways he does. Be sure to check it out!

P.P.S. Special thanks to Joe Manion for referring me to the Wall Street Journal article noted above. If any of you ever come across a story that you believe would be of interest to our readers, please let me know!

“Can you just tell me exactly what you do on a daily basis?”

I’ve heard this several times the past week, so I have no other choice…..

Be prepared for the most boring read of your life. First, I have to give credit where credit is due. One of my employees at Frazer introduced me to the Warrior Diet. Up until this point, I have not been happier with any diet I have tried. Don’t get me wrong I do get my fair share of ridicule. People think I am crazy for eating this way. My mother looks at me, shakes her head, and say’s, “I dont know how you are doing this.” Then she panics and thinks I look to thin and am not eating enough. My father wonders where he went wrong raising me. (jk) My girlfriend thinks I’m weird, and always asks me what I’m eating for dinner immediately followed by making jokes.  With all that said, the great thing about the diet is you can manipulate it to your own preferences, and once you find a routine it’s really smooth sailing. I can’t stress that enough. The simplicity and routine are VITAL for me.

My mornings typically start around 6:00 am. (Now everyone is going to find out I actually work… A LOT)

6:30 am – 1 Banana. I start every day with a banana. I like bananas so this works. I also make sure I finish a bottle of water with the first meal. I try and get through a bottle every hour. It never really happens.

7:30 am – 1 Orange.

8:30 am – Things start to get real fun now. 1 Apple

9:30 am – This is when I start to have a little trouble because I have already exhausted my three main fruits I eat. I may eat half a grapefruit, or pear here.

10:30 am – Back to the Apple

11:30 am – This is when I get close to working out so I introduce a little bit of protein and carbohydrates sometimes. I will usually have a small protein shake, some almonds or peanut butter, maybe some carrots. If I am doing something intense I will throw some oatmeal in my protein shake to get some extra energy.

<<<< WORKOUT>>>>

12:30 am – Post workout is always a protein shake. I usually will do a spoonful of whey protein powder, skim milk, and a tablespoon of peanut butter.

1:30 pm – I start to eat more veggies and add some “good” fats in the afternoon. The first meal of the afternoon is usually the second half of the grapefruit, though.

2:30 pm – I will eat some raw veggies here. Let’s say squash, broccoli, cucumbers, cauliflower

3:30 pm – See above

4:30 pm – I usually have another protein shake here, just to ensure that my protein intake is high enough to promote muscle recovery and growth.

5:30 pm – I start to get closer to dinner now so I am very conscious of what I eat. I probably will eat an apple here.

6:30 -8:30 – Depending on the day sometimes I do not eat until close to 9:00 pm. So now you’re saying, “OHHH that’s bad, that’s too late!” I’m not really worried about it. I would prefer not to eat this late, but I cannot change my schedule. I would say on average I eat around 7:30 pm on weeknights. My dinner is my feast. I have a huge salad first. The salad is full of greens and veggies, with a light… LIGHT dressing. (Oil and vinegar, balsamic. Anything with low SUGAR.) Next, I will have my cooked vegetables. I am fortunate enough to have grown up on vegetables so I like most of them. My mother is just exceptional at preparing veggies, so she taught me well. I mix up broccoli, spinach, squash with onions, eggplant, green beans, and sometimes black beans throughout the week. Usually, there is olive oil involved in the preparation. My portion sizes are huge. The plate probably weighs around 5 lbs when it’s all said and done. Then I move to the meat. Typically, it’s some kind of grilled chicken with seasoning. I also eat lean red meats, pork chops, and turkey meatloaf. Again, the portion sizes are HUGE. I usually finish with a huge sweet potato.  Depending on the circumstances of my workout day I may have some more carbohydrates or some nuts after all of this. Like I said before, once you get the hang of this diet you can manipulate it to what your body is telling you. After going through the entire day, the “undereating phase”, you go into the night thinking you could take down Takeru Kobayashi the hot dog eating champion. Unfortunately, you can never eat as much as you think or want!

Friday night, after playing basketball, I usually have a treat for dinner. I will usually eat a huge container of chicken salad on Friday night. I love chicken salad. I’ll have my salad, then the chicken salad and some hot and sweet peppers. This is my treat of the week.

Obviously, life gets in the way and events ruin your schedule. Don’t let that worry you. As long as you are consistent, you can have a day when you deviate from the program. I have found great results with this diet and feel better than I have in a long time in just 4 weeks. I was originally planning on doing it for just 6 weeks, but now I think I may stay on it longer. My luck, some study will come out that says it’s bad for you. That’s always the kicker. We may never really know. There will always be studies that come out that say this and that. Look at recent history; Atkins diet, low fat/high carb, vegan, Mediterranean. WHAT WORKS? No one really knows for sure. You have to find out what works for you. The diet that gets you to where you want to be physically and leaves you feeling great.

After a little hiatus from blogging, I am back for Season 2. Of course, I have been meaning to get back to this sooner, but things have been busy with both studios.(A good thing!) Down to business. After finding some success in my first season, I have begun a NEW program and a NEW diet. I really didn’t get the results I was seeking in Season 1, but I will take what worked and carry it over to Season 2. The great thing about the first season is I did see some improvements, but more importantly established some good habits to carry forward. Understand that physical changes, such as weight loss and strength gains don’t happen overnight, and more often than not, it takes many “experiments” to find out what works for you as an individual. Don’t get suckered into what celebrities say, put some effort into finding out what fits you.

Season 2 is marked by a drastic diet change. If you look at the blogging on this website, how much is written about diet? Are we starting to understand the importance!!?? I am using a published diet for Season 2. In a very short time, I have become an advocate of this diet, and should probably get a cut for the free advertisement I am giving right now. The Warrior Diet is a very extreme diet that lives up to it’s billing. Long story short, it is derived from the idea that ancient man(our ancestors) traveled, hunted, and fought for survival throughout the day leaving them no time to sit down and eat a large meal until the evening. They would pick at fruits, vegetables, and nuts until dinner. Once the stressors of the day were over, they would sit down and have a feast. Obviously, there are a lot of restrictions on what you can eat, and you are mildy torturing yourself, but your body adapts fairly quickly to the change. Previously, I was eating six meals a day and always concerning myself with, “what do I eat next?”, “am I getting enough protein?”, and “am I eating too many carbs?”. Finding the right diet is HARD! This really simplified things for me. I stick with a weekly routine, which has made my life so much easier. The problem is many of you have families, thus making diets like this very tough. As I mentioned before, I have found success with the diet in just 3 weeks in the main areas of body fat reduction and strength improvement. It has remarkable cleansing effects, too. I don’t want people to think this transition was simple. The first two weeks were brutal. The “undereating” phase is very challenging. The diet has been a revelation for me. Please feel free to ask me questions when you get to the studio. I will be posting more detailed accounts of WHAT I am actually eating in blogs to come.

Just so we are completely clear about something…..

Clients of our study think that we (Dan, Julie, Sam, myself etc) are some kind of superhuman breed that does not enjoy eating, drinking, and being merry. You couldn’t be more wrong. Dieting takes discipline. It takes strength, and it’s a sacrifice. I eat fruits, vegetables, and nuts throughout the day. I’d rather have a cheeseburger. I’ll go through a day having eaten a banana, apple, orange, hard boiled egg, and a pear then go to a meeting where pizza is being served. Ummm…. you don’t think I want to eat pizza. I am starving and there is pizza and hoagies right in front of me. It takes will power, it takes strength. People’s lives revolve around eating. It consumes them, they don’t consume the food. When you can conquer this mental infatuation with food, and are not tied to eating emotionally only then can you succeed. Every single person has the strength to do this…..

My training will now have to incorporate biking and swimming. I am still posting the 300 workout as a benchmark for strength and cardiovascular ability. The biggest difference in the upcoming weeks will be the addition of swimming to my training. I have procrastinated like none other on this part. I need to kick it into gear around mid-May. My basketball playing has dropped off significantly so my cardio has declined. It’s time to get back in the game, literally. I started Season 2, April 13, 2009. It will run until the end of June. I will post more numbers this time around to give people an idea of the impact this diet and workout regimen has on me. I wish everyone the best of luck with their journey to physical success, which in turn breeds mental peace. I’ll be back in a week!

Sometimes you just have to tell it like it is.

A recent study of more than 500,000 Americans has provided the best evidence yet that our affinity for red meat has exacted a hefty price on our health and limited our longevity. The results of the decade-long study were published in the March 23 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine. The study was directed by Rashmi Sinha, a nutritional epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute.

The study found that, other things being equal, the men and women who consumed the most red and processed meat were likely to die sooner, especially from one of our two leading killers, heart disease and cancer, than people who consumed much smaller amounts of these foods.

The increase in mortality risk tied to the higher levels of meat consumption was described as “modest,” ranging from about 20 percent to nearly 40 percent. But the number of excess deaths that could be attributed to high meat consumption is quite large given the size of the American population. Extrapolated to all Americans in the age group studied (50-71), the new findings suggest that over the course of a decade, the deaths of one million men and perhaps half a million women could be prevented just by eating less red and processed meats, according to estimates prepared by Dr. Barry Popkin, who wrote an editorial accompanying the report.

To prevent premature deaths related to red and processed meats, Dr. Popkin suggested in an interview that people should eat a hamburger only once or twice a week instead of every day, a small steak once a week instead of every other day, and a hot dog every month and a half instead of once a week.

Anyone who worries about global well-being has yet another reason to consume less red meat. Dr. Popkin, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina, said that a reduced dependence on livestock for food could help to save the planet from the ravaging effects of environmental pollution, global warming and the depletion of potable water.

“In the United States,” Dr. Popkin wrote, “livestock production accounts for 55 percent of the erosion process, 37 percent of pesticides applied, 50 percent of antibiotics consumed, and a third of total discharge of nitrogen and phosphorus to surface water.”

source: New York Times, April 27, 2009: Paying a Price for Loving Red Meat

The article does offer some suggestions as to what to replace the red meat with, such as fish and poultry, or my personal favorite, fruits and vegetables. Here is a GREAT summary of the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, from the Harvard School of Public Health. The article looks at the impact of fruits and vegetables on cardiovascular disease, blood pressure, cancer, gastrointestinal health, and vision. The article concludes with the following recommendations:

Studio Updates

Some final reminders:

On May 9 and May 12 we will be having Open Houses at our Frazer studio. There will be free health assessments, refreshments, and door prizes. You can see the details here. If you have been sitting on the sidelines, knowing that you need to do something about your health, but not sure how to get started or what options are available, this is a great opportunity to check out the studio, find out about our programs, and get a great deal at the same time. We look forward to seeing you there!

On May 20 from 6:30-8:30 at Terrazza (right across the street from our Newtown Square studio) we will be hosting a seminar offered by Dr. Joe Capista. The topic for the seminar is “It’s All Mental: Harnessing the Power of your Mind*Body*Spirit to Achieve Total Health & Fitness”. For over three decades, Dr. Capista has dedicated himself to the study of the power and impact of the mind and spirit in creating your reality. Putting into practice these teachings, Dr. Capista has built a multi-million dollar dental practice located in Broomall, Pennsylvania. Williamsburg Dental is recognized as one of the most successful dental practices in the entire United States. Dr. Capista’s success philosophy is simple; combine your deepest passion, develop solid business principles while striving for balance in all areas of your life. Dr. Capista travels throughout the United States sharing his messages with audiences who are eager to learn proven success principles. We will be sending out more info as the date gets closer, but mark the date on your calendar now!

In celebration of Mother’s Day, I wanted to make you aware of our Mother’s Day special. If you are a mother, grandmother, stepmother, godmother, or even a fairy godmother, just let us know and we will take 5% off any training package. This offer expires May 9, so please talk with Chris or Sam about the offer, or send me an email if you have any questions. There is nothing better than giving someone you love the gift of health.

I also hope to see some of you at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this Sunday. It’s a great way to start Mother’s Day.

To your health and happiness,

Jim

P.S. I have archived all of the previous Wellness Wednesday newsletters at http://www.ftmainline.com/blog/ Just click on the Wellness Wednesday link on the right hand side. Chris has also just added a new blog post – “Season 2″. Be sure to check it out!

P.P.S. We are offering special personal training packages this summer for high school and college students. Contact us for details.

I made it through the first week without too much trouble. I’ve settled into a routine, at least for my morning and evening meals. For breakfast I have a green smoothie with 7 bananas, a heart of romaine lettuce, a cup of frozen strawberries, and a cup of frozen blueberries; for my evening meal I have another smoothie, except I replace the blueberries and strawberries with frozen pineapples. For my snacks I have been having oranges throughout the day. I have also been eating nuts on most days; it’s an easy way to make sure I am getting enough calories each day, although I must admit that on some days I eat way too many cashews. I even survived going out for dinner; we went to California Pizza Kitchen on Saturday, and I was able to order a plain salad. I just had to ask them to hold off on the candied walnuts – a small price to pay for going raw.

When I tell people that I am a vegan, and then add that I try to be a raw vegan in particular, inevitably the first question they ask is, “Where do you get your protein?” It is actually pretty hard to suffer from protein deficiency in the United States, but it is a serious health issue in developing countries. For the most part, as long as you are getting enough energy intake in the form of sufficient calories, then you are likely getting adequate protein. Here’s a brief article about protein that dispels some of the myths about protein. The one deficiency I am concerned with as a vegan is B12, so I take a B12 capsule most days.

If you’d like to read about an incredible athlete who advocates the Raw Diet, here is a link to Tim VanOrden’s web site. There is a wealth of info on the site, including his race results.

To your health and happiness.