Another guest post, this time from an effortlessly strong coach and friend of mine, Adam Glass. Clients of mine reading this, you know we discussed how your grip may limit your performance when the rest of the “machine” is still capable. Here’s in-depth article you can all benefit from, going beyond some of my knowledge (I am not afraid to admit), on many levels, without having to turn your forearms into Popeye’s

I am sure you have heard the popular claim of kettlebell training as an outstanding method for increases grip strength.
Maybe you have even experienced some benefits yourself?
Are you interested in getting greater results?
My name is Adam Glass. I am 29 years old, I live in Minneapolis. At 6’2” and 218 lbs, I am acknowledged as one of the best grip athletes in my weight class and as having some of the strongest hands on the planet for the things I do. I excel at heavy partial pulls, fatbar lifting, and pinching. I am a certified Captain of Crush, a very good steel bender, and I believe I am the best in the world at tearing decks of poker cards.
I share all that with for two reasons. First I want you to know this is not another grip article like those popping up all over the web written by someone who just closed their first 50 lbs gripper. Second I am not someone who was built to do this. I had friends who were 260 lbs in high school with massive 9.5 “ hands. When I first started on this stuff, I was nothing special. My success is the result of proper training, dedication, and being willing to change things when they were not working.
Do you know what one of the keys was to my hand strength foundation?
Kettlebell training!
However it is not accurate to say kettlebell training, done as it is currently taught will allow you to build similar levels of strength. There must be some modifications, and that is what this article is about.

Grip Strength and Kettlebell Training
An area of interest with many kettlebell lifters and trainees is grip strength. The primary lifts of swings, cleans, and snatches demand finger endurance and a sustained hook position. Those of you who enjoy high rep sets of snatches and swings know the incredible forearm popping pump that comes with the rapid loading of the tendons from these outstanding total body movements.
It doesn’t matter if your KB training is centered on endurance or fat loss, you are going to experience the limitations of grip at some point.
So how can we make this situation better?
I will tell you what will not work well – adding more and more support grip work. That is the most common advice I see passed around when this question comes up. Frankly that advice sucks.
If you told me running 7 miles every morning was hurting your squat numbers, would it make sense if I asked you to keep running, add in leg pressing and squat even more?
Most people would agree that is a bad answer.

What is the problem?
KB training employs a tightly closed hand position, which grip focused athletes call “support grip” or holding grip. The hand is not moving, the weak point is the strength and endurance of the finger flexors from a fully flexed position. The hand is very strong in this position.
The problem is this is only one of many hand positions and motions of the hand. The only other motion that is commonly used in KB training is an open hand with slight wrist extension at the top of snatches and pressing motions (depending on who teaches you the KB kung fu).
Let me ask you a question; what happens if someone ignores their shoulders and back and only bench presses? That’s right they become a mullet. Well, that and their posture is terrible. Shoulder pain, rotator cuff pain, mid spine pain.
What is wrong there? Too much benching?
NO.
Too little rowing. Too little overhead.
If the trainee adds in those, we find they can typically INCREASE how often they press now as they achieve greater proportionate balance.

So back to the KB grip. The problem is not actually the tight fist support grip, nor is the solution to do MORE support grip with a closed hand. .

The solution is at the tip of your fingers.

The Basics Of Grip Training
We can look at the structure of the hand and classify exercises according to position and motions.
First function is support grip, which you KB lifters know well.
The fingers and thumb are flexed around an object and held in position. In terms of gross weight moved- support grip is the strongest quality of hand movement which allows the most quantity of weight moved. When you do swings, you are using the support grip.

The next form of the hand is closing, or crush grip
This is what people are doing when they squeeze a torsion gripper such a captain of crush. The crushing strength of the hand is inferior to its gross supporting strength. I will add from examination of my personal training, and the training of other accomplished grip athletes: A powerful crushing grip does not automatically equal a strong support grip. It’s really a specific quality. I know some people who routinely one hand swing 48 kg bells for sets of 25-30 reps without breaking a sweat who struggle to mash a COC #2 (Captain Of Crush, the #2 gripper is one difficult one to close, FYI). They are not weak people, they are simply untrained to that task.
The opposite is true as well – closing tough grippers does not equal exceptional hand endurance…unless the task is closing grippers. It is that specific.
HOWEVER – if you add in some crushing, you will likely find a benefit to your support grip. That is provided you continue to train both characteristics.
Specific to kettlebell trainees, I believe more crushing strength is the lowest pay off for more grip strength. Most people figure out that crush gripping the bell burns out the hands faster, allowing you to do less work. The support grip used in KB training is a softer type of hold. Heavy gripper training in particular is very intensive on the recovery systems of the body and demanding on the tendons. Add in crush grip training at your leisure, but cut back if you find your hands are excessively sore or tired from it.

The third form of the hand uses the forceps power of the thumb in the pinch grip
When we look at pinching, we find dynamic pinching and static pinching. The closing and holding strength of the thumb plays little role to the support grip, especially a closed hand support such as when you hold the kettlebell.
Do you know what that means?
Pinch Training is critical for your hand health!

Back to our bench pressing mullet friend. He is always doing the same motion, he ignores the opposite patterns. He starts having some problems. He then begins to train the balancing movements, and presto he finds not only does he feel better, but his bench begins improving.
A moderate amount of pinch training will be a big pay off for you. The objective here is to make you better with KB’s not turn you in to a grip athlete. You will only need to add in a minimal amount to see a large return.

Ok you sold me, what do I need to do?
I am going to recommend 3 very easy-to-do pinching movements. Try them out, and do these twice a week after your primary work load. You will not manage too much volume, so take it easy on the reps and load. The key thing here is training the motion which you currently are not getting rather than working towards a huge pull.
Two of these can be done with a hex dumbbell. Hex bells are VERY common, and are actually awesome to have around. The shape of the bells allows you train these two movements which are great for thumb strength.

Two Hands Neutral Grip hex Lift and Two Hands Hex Curl
Watch this video

This is a powerhouse hand strength movement. Very simple, I know. Simple doesn’t mean ineffective. Very simply – try this out.

One hand plate bouncing
This is a great way to build your dynamic thumb strength, the motion of squeezing the thumb towards the fingers. It also requires very little resistance.
Take a few small plates, try out three to four 5lb plates or three 10lb plates and stack them on a platform about waist height. Sandwich them smooth-side out and place one hand on top of the stack. Your fingers will be on one side, your thumb on the other. Now pinch them and lift them 1 inch off the platform, then set them down fast and immediately pinch again and lift. Do this over and over. You will be getting many reps per set. The key is the rapid gripping and regripping of the plates.
Do not drop the plates on yourself. Be safe about it.

This will help with my kettlebell training?
Yes it will. Even a moderate amount of thumb training will increase your support grip.
If you could increase hand strength by 15% over the next 4 weeks, how many more reps would you get in your swings and snatches each training day? How would that extra work total up at the end of the next 3 months?

Compounding interest!
Try this out. It will make your hands healthier and stronger. I can tell you one for certain – not a day has past in which I was not finding a use for a stronger grip. I have not had too many situations in life where a 500 lbs squat was the fix, or where a big bench would have helped. I find stronger fingers and thumb make life easier. From pickle jars to cleaning out garages, I am never sorry my hands are strong.

Adam Glass is chief trainer for Movement Minneapolis and competes in both Grip Sport and All-Round weight lifting. He has trained thousands of people to build strong healthy hands. You can learn more about grip training at www.IndustrialStrengthGrip.com and his training blog www.AdamTGlass.com

Receiving a diagnosis of cancer, such as mesothelioma or another type of life threatening disease, can be an extremely difficult and emotional time in your life. Once you’ve had time to speak with your medical team about the best course of treatment for you, it seems that everything in life suddenly becomes about the treatment. However, taking care of yourself physically and mentally by moving your body can effectively contribute toward your well-being. A recent study conducted at Penn State University states that fitness during and after cancer treatment could provide you with benefits that affect you mentally and physically. Use these tips and suggestions to help you easily incorporate exercise into your day.

Walk a Little Further

When you’re just not up to any formal method of exercising you can still get some activity in by walking. Park a little farther away at the grocery store, or walk down the street to run local errands. Over the course of the day, this kind of activity can add up and give yourself a workout that is easier than heading to the gym and walking on a treadmill.

Bike Indoors

If outdoor activity is out of the question due to a weak immune system, set up a stationary bicycle near a large picture window or in front of the television. Enjoy the view as you bike and allow your mind to wander. You heart rate will increase without you even really having to break a serious sweat; however, the rewards of keeping your body in motion are way more beneficial for your body than remaining sedentary.

Make it Fun

Physical fitness activities should never feel like drudgery. Make your fitness time enjoyable by picking an activity you truly enjoy. Use a mini trampoline to jump or jog indoors. Pop in an old favorite exercise DVD and get into it with having fun. Play an active game on your Wii or PlayStation if you choose to remain indoors. When exercise is enjoyable you’re more likely to want to do it daily.

Exercise as a Social Activity

Ask friends, children or your partner to commit to exercising with you. The social activity is great for your mind and soul, and exercising together can be a fun and effective way to bond. Exercise outdoors or take a class together at your local fitness center.

Include Your Mind

Exercise such as Yoga or Tai Chi can help to calm your mind and relieve stress. These slower, more calculated forms of exercise might provide you with a mind-body connection that helps strengthen the body while relaxing the mind. Even 10 minutes each day of yoga can prepare you for a more positive day.
Keep in mind also that any form of resistance training, be it power lifting or kettlebell training also have slower, controlled total body movements that help you strengthen the body, boost your immune system and increase joint mobility. The RKC school of strength training differentiates drills between ballistics (fast, explosive) and grinds (slower, controlled lifts). The Turkish Get-Up is a prime and perfect example of strength, elegance, flexibility and mobility all at once, like Yoga but with a load.

The benefits received from physical activity help increase your energy, elevate your mood and enable you to fight cancer. Enlist the help and support of family members and friends so you can enjoy time together while taking care of your body, as well as your mental health. Although doctors once told cancer patients to rest and take it easy, the enormous benefits of physical activity now make it clear that fitness can be an important tool to promote your well-being.

No mental as in “you’re crazy for doing it”, mental as in mental resilience. I saw people of all shapes and sizes “git up and go”! Team work, misery loves company in a masochistic way of enjoying pushing your limits.

I didn’t find any of the obstacles particularly difficult. Maybe under fatigue, losing grip, or getting shocked (that one sucked a bit) and one I thought was unnecessarily dangerous (walking and balancing on a 2×4 and if losing balance, falling into a shallow water pit with a hard landing. I almost sprained an ankle there, and I only fell because a big guy behind me fell and made the 2×4 wobble like a wire).

I was in my groove, my zone, by about mile 3. Then it’s just about getting there and truly enjoying the scenery. Even a slow-paced run felt easier than a walk at times, less work. Seriously.

My approach of pushing for high reps, low rest then adding some heavy lifts in the 3RM range worked really well for me. The obstacles were what I was looking forward to to break up the monotony of the run, nice scenery aside. Narrow ridges would provide unscheduled breaks in slowing down because of the amount of people in front of you (without whom my time would have been better, but who cares).

So, I confirm it: no need to kill yourself. Your training should get you there if you train intelligently. I wrote more about it in my pre-race post.

For the detailed course outline I ran and its obstacles, check it out on the Tough Mudder official site.

I submit there should be a third category, that of Sustained Fatigue. It is closely related to sustained strength, but IMHO refers to the mindset one has when training under exhaustion. For the record, I believe in “Easy Strength” and not always killing yourself Crossfit style everyday. I do also believe in testing your own limits periodically, going outside your comfort zone. It not only redefines who you are, but it sets the threshold of performance to a new peak that you can then measure your progress from. You get an adrenaline kick that can boost your strength past a plateau.

I am at the time of this blog entry less than 5 days away from running the 11-mile Tough Mudder obstacle course at Vail Lake Resort. I prepared myself by not really preparing for it, as a “test”. I have been following four 6-week programs of varying and increasing intensity, density, reps and loads. The programs weaved into one another, managed my fatigue and increased my resilience. Unlike others who would gradually increase their running distance as in “traditional marathon training”, I decided to focus on sprints, high volume snatches, jump squats (with cat-like landings) or swings, mixed in with elements of strength (3RM heavy lifts), essentially mimicking “snack-size” versions of the race. On occasion, I would go for a long run, in hills of various incline, one time even carrying a 70-lb sandbag.

Why so few runs? Simply because I don’t have time to ruin and fix my joints. Instead, I focused on the feeling of “this sucks my wind” and got comfortable with it. Active visualization (“this too shall pass”) was the next pattern I’d engrain.

We shall see how I do. If it pays off, there is no need for anyone to kill themselves trying to get ready for such an event. It’s all in the head if you are well conditioned daily, ready for everything, anything, anytime…

I know it.
You know it.
Most people know it (those that don’t either don’t care or are not “our” demographic).

NOTHING’S LOST, NOTHING’S CREATED, IT JUST TRANSFORMS.
There are no new ways of doing things. While I do think there are better ways of doing things, it’s all relative anyway to your individual approach and point of view. Even then, the better ways are not new and unique, but they may be new to you or me. One of the reasons I don’t think there are new ways of doing things is simply because we still are designed to move the same. Unless we suddenly inverted how our joints operate, started literally seeing out of our fingertips, sprouted wings out of our ankles and developed an exoskeleton, we’ve pretty much covered all angles to do what we can with what we have.

WHAT AM I GETTING AT?
Maybe I’m just being clever in trying to market a product I spent years developing in my mind, and the past 10 months putting it on paper and having a physical prototype built. Make no mistakes, I didn’t reinvent the wheel. I just put a new tire on it, changed the hubcap maybe, improved the tread IMHO.
James Neidlinger, a great trainer and friend of mine paraphrased a quote for me, which I in turn will paraphrase as I remember it ” if you steal one thing, you’re a plagiarist. If you steal ten things, you’re an educator”. Every so often, somebody organically comes up with an idea that is new (at least to that person). The idea itself is spawned from observation, education and experience. It’s the result of maybe “cumulative conclusions”. Success in marketing new products is grounded on the principle often advocated by Donnie Deutsch (advertising executive and TV personality, The Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch) of “there’s got to be a better way”. But the idea is not new, it just appears in a new cycle.

OLD AS NEW
Everything’s already been done, the wheel’s already been invented, the screenplay’s the same story with different characters and settings. When things are presented as new, it’s usually because there might be new evidence or research on a particular subject, no matter the field. It can be linked to a trend, like going from high tech to low (or no) tech, from flashy to austere, from exercise machine to kettlebell.
Through my years of training and coaching, I have cycled through a variety of approaches, gleaning what I found effective and discarding what I found inefficient, via trial & error, as well as education & experience. All of it led to a path I continue to refine, funneling information I pass onto others. I may not have created anything new, but the process is no less creative. When a musician puts together notes and chords on a sheet, he/she creates a new melody (itself potentially inspired by the author’s influences). Same goes with an artist putting together colors and shapes on a canvas, giving his/her own interpretation of what their mind/eyes see(s). What matters is getting there. What matters is what you get out of it and what it does for you.

SERENDIPITY
That’s what it comes down to. Leaving a gym filled with negativity a year ago allowed me to focus my mind and creativity to hone in on developing something that’s already been there all along, not metaphorically in my mind, but physically in the real world. Words on paper, hands on body, tools in existence, obvious to a few and oblivious to many. While no work is ever finished, the artist still needs to deliver, or “ship”, as Seth Godin defines it in his book “Linchpin”. While I can’t unveil what I am alluding to in this blog, I promise you “a better way” for something “new” (to you). Stay tuned!

The Sun provides a luteinizing hormone, a precursor to testosterone. I already spoke about it in a previous entry on how to boost your “T”.

Testosterone levels peak in the morning before 9AM, spike again around lunchtime, then go back down.

Knowing that, I went for a run yesterday morning. Not because it was January 1st, not because I want to look more cut (cardio’s not the way to go, and if you don’t know it by now, shame on you). I ran because I am gearing up for a race and I need the body to see what it’s like to run moderate distances in various terrain. I also chose the time because I knew I’d get the most amount of natural light, and my body would act as a solar panel and absorb that luteinizing hormone which in turn would help me manage fatigue, burn fat and boost energy. I ran for about 7 miles, uphill, across construction zones, dirt paths, in unusually hot January weather. I did it shirtless. No cardio fatigue (I don’t run, btw, I swing or snatch as part of my “normal routine”), just some muscular fatigue actually (uphill, uneven floor made my legs work, plus they’re used to short bursts so blood was pumping quickly before realizing they were supposed to take it easy).

I felt like a million bucks.

Now, it seems we instinctively all have the answers to how our body is meant to be operated. We never read the manual, really. As infants, toddlers, children, our bodies are near optimal in flexibility, necessary strength, mobility and intelligence (special needs not taken into account, just generalizing here). We are pure instinct, pain avoidance, desire an need driven at once. Then comes knowledge, education and also misinformation and bias. That’s where things go wrong.

My point is the following: we know we need more natural light because we set up the longest breaks for school to be in the Summer. When describing a vacation, we are mostly inclined to choose a sunny place. Even a hardcore snow fanatic prefers a sunny day over a blizzard.

It’s no surprise that there are fewer cases of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) in coastal climates, especially the West coast of the US, than the Midwest, because of the amount of sunlight. That’s where we gravitate naturally.

So, go out and enjoy some natural light. You will feel better. Who’s telling what you’ll want to tackle on afterwards.

Seriously, now. We’re about to be bombarded by fitness training specials, such as my “lock in your current rate right now before 2012″, or whatever gyms and TV ads will have, dealing with weight loss and resolutions and blah blah blah… But you can ignore it all, and as long as you realize the advertisers are targeting your reptilian, emotional brain, and are able to keep cool about it, you will realize that the only diet you should follow is one that works. I’ll reveal what that one is after a quick recap of diet FAQ’s.

ALL DIETS WORK
Yes, all diets work. Until they fail. They fail because you quit them, because you are on a diet, not following a lifestyle of healthy eating. Good habits last. Short term goals are to get you to see that stuff works, but it means you have to keep doing it.
I like the Warrior Diet for the busy professional who has no time to sit down during the day.
I like the Paleo diet because it biologically is closest to what our body needs.
I like the TNT diet because it takes Paleo and removes some of the hard core stuff I hate, like organs designed to filter junk in your system.
I have been a bit more hardcore this season because of needing to get ready for a photo shoot, so my naturally lean and low fat % body needed to get “cover lean”. During the holiday season. Because I’ve done it before, I didn’t have trouble sticking with it while others were feasting on seasonal calorie-packing meals. What made it easier is that it made me feel instantly better. No wheat, no starch, no gluten, no pastas, rice, cookies, breads = no bloat, no gas, no gut. I still feel great and recommend it. I pretty much eat that way year-round, but allow myself more forbidden indulgences when I try to pack on some extra muscle, and carbs are protein-sparing and allow me to grow thicker muscles.

THE TODDLER DIET
Looking at the little guy that runs around in my house, climbing over everything, holding on to my pull-up bar, displacing kettlebells of his own body weight, sprinting from A to Z at the park and at home, rolling around, contorting at various angles, I see what people normally see on Nat Geo watching lion cubs play fight. My toddler son is developing all kinds of motor skills, natural lifting instincts (I show him an Indian Club, he tries to swing it, a weighted bar, he tries to lift it, a pull-up bar, he tries to hang and even pull himself up). He packs an incredible amount of energy into everything he does.

How does he eat? His patterns seems to be: milk a few times a day. Light breakfast of eggs, occasionally a wheat-free gluten-free waffle. Snack: veggie-fruit combo pouch. Lunch is where he tends to eat a big amount of solid protein, with his nutrient dense rich foods like sweet potatoes. Dinner is always, always (his choice, really!) broccoli, green beans, sweet peas in big quantities. Loves fennel, loves everything home cooked and richness of flavors (not afraid of spices).

So: load up on protein early on, same with natural non-processed carbs (fruits and veggies) during the day to promote your activities and eat less at dinner (the opposite of the warrior diet), focusing mostly on veggies, and maybe a light protein shake before bed and you’re set! Energized like a toddler, and those of you who have one, or remember what it’s like to care for one, you know their energy levels can kick your ass!

MONEY SPENT ON DRUGS
According to the bureau of Labor Statistics, the average american spends 1% of his income on prescription drugs.The national median household income is roughly $46,000, so about $460 is spent per year on drugs. That’s assuming everyone takes Rx drugs. 50% of the US population takes at least one Rx drug. From cholesterol, heart disease, anti-depressants to diabetes and OTC drugs for other sorts of issues like back pain, heartburn etc. So, to be conservative, we can infer that if 50% of the population takes Rx drugs, they spend $920 a year on them.
Those who are unfortunate and take the gamut of drugs because of hypertension, cholesterol and type II diabetes run a much higher number which could be diminished, even altogether alleviated if they were on a training and nutrition program.

ESCALATING/CUMULATIVE COSTS
As the Metabolic Syndrome candidate (the “unfortunate” from the previous paragraph) ages, laziness and lack of accountability (yes, I don’t buy the poor condition they’re in as an excuse to not get healthy) make their condition even worse. I was at a public library with my toddler son recently and saw a morbidly obese woman pull out a bag full of Rx drugs. This didn’t happen overnight. Lady, you saw it coming. Now, we all have to pay for it. How much of this is coming out of your pockets to fund her drug habit?

IGNORANCE ISN’T BLISS
Many people are intimidated by the gym. So they never go back. My female clients now are confident enough to walk into a free weights room where the big boys hang, whether they train with me or not. Most women fear that room and walk away. Then they try a class, and some stick, some don’t. Usually they stop because they don’t see results, or the class is too hard and you can’t really learn anything or work at your speed or level.
If you don’t know what to do or how to do it, do not think that picking up a fitness magazine or following instructions on a machine will get you to do it correctly. Who will check your form? If the weight you use isn’t challenging “enough”, you won’t get results. If you use a light weight out of fear of injury, you won’t get results. Then you’ll quit. Exit gym, enter Metabolic Syndrome. But, you’re still locked into your gym’s contract.
Or, you stick with it, get hurt and are set back. Money spent on doctors. Money spent on unused membership. Weight gain. Enter Jenny.
Average gym membership is $50/month.

WEIGHT LOSS CENTERS
Short term fixes, no permanent solution. Do you seriously think Jenny Craig is going to help you stay thin? Of course not. She’d be out of business. All these plans sell you food that can outlast the roaches after a nuclear holocaust, stuff you wouldn’t dare feeding your dog or your child. So why would you put that inside of you? Fillers, preservatives, chemicals, ingredients you can’t pronounce necessitating a Ph.D in chemistry to decipher. I like to know that if I buy peanut butter, the only ingredient is peanuts.
So, more money wasted, yo-yo weight fluctuation.Cost: about $650/month per person. You can grocery shop and cook and feed a few people on that.

LET’S ADD SOME UP
Jenny Craig: $7800/year (what, you thought you could do it for a month only?)
Gym membership: $600/year.
Rx Drugs: $920/year.
OTC drugs: $180/year.
Total: $9500/year.
I am not calculating the cost of being unhealthy, how we’re taxed for the sick people without healthcare who go to the emergency for a cold. Nor am I calculating clothes to buy, which if you hit plus sizes are either ugly or very expensive. I am not including abstract factors like quality of life either, though IMHO it should be at the top of the list, but how do you quantify feeling like crap, having no energy to be with your kids, shortening your life expectancy, aging faster?
What about the cost of doctor visits if you get hurt not knowing what you’re doing?
That’s gotta be worth well over $15,000 right here (for the total, I mean, not just doctor visits). With deductibles, added hidden charges, I know those medical bills really add up.

NOT A MIRACLE, BUT A BETTER INVESTMENT
So, if you were to just invest in 3-4 months of sessions with a personal trainer, you can lose weight, probably get off some of the Rx drugs. You miss less work, which can result in promotions due to better performance, and let’s face it, feeling more confident and looking healthier is always better than the opposite, and any way you slice it, people pay attention to it. If you’re overweight and going for a job interview, the interviewer cannot discriminate. But how would you know? The potential employer is looking at how much the overweight person will cost them in missed sick days, medical benefits etc. There is a reason also why those sharks from pharmaceutical companies send out their arguably, societally-defined “attractive” people to doctor’s offices. When Homer Simpson grew his hair back and lost some weight, he was promoted.
Not superficial. True.

Even if you stick with your trainer for the whole year, by entering a longer term agreement, you either save money in the process by reducing other costs by improving your health or at least break even. And breaking even if your health is better actually puts you on the up-side.

If you’re a current client, or a prospective client and are reading this, lock in your rate with me right now. Prices are going up in 2012. I invested several thousands of dollars this year alone to be a better coach to you. So technically, it’s not my prices that are going higher, it’s your coach who’s getting better. I am not afraid of saying it. Because you’ll get that much fitter and better too!

Don’t know what to ask for Christmas or Hanukkah? Now you do. You have 2 weeks to lock in your rate!

RUNNING: IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, THEN CHANGE YOUR MIND!
I am not contradicting myself when I say “run for enjoyment, don’t run because you think it’ll make you lose fat” and in this post, I am recommending a sprint routine that will help you burn extra fat. Running/jogging at a steady heart rate does burn calories, yes, and does little for your metabolism and “after-burn effect”. Sprinting uses a lot more muscles and is more closely related to resistance training sets, because you’re going to get gassed after a relatively short distance. Your heart can deliver only so much oxygen to your lungs and muscles at once! The routine I am about to suggest is to be done in addition to your weight lifting program, not instead of, and have “fun” doing it, see what you’re made of. And, it’s more “functional” for sports or any physical activities.

SPRINTING HELPS DISTANCE RUNNING
The best marathoners (and by that I also mean the fittest, least injured kind) know the value of sprinting. The “burn” or “wall” happens sooner, which allows them to mentally overcome that challenge to get to their second wind faster.

SPRINTING IS EASIER ON THE JOINTS
less impact, less “overuse pattern”. And again, more muscles used, more calories burnt, more fat loss. You’ve seen overweight people on the treadmill not making progress after a while (diet factor also included), yet I bet you’ve never seen an overweight sprinter.

SPRINTING SAVES TIME WHILE BUILDING RESILIENCE
See my point above about distance running. Same extra benefit here if you’re busy.

THE WORKOUT
Constant: Pick a spot where you can run 100 meters/yards. Sprint at 50% of your maximal effort. Walk or lightly jog back to your starting point. Repeat. Several times.
Do it on a light training day or off day.

VARIABLES
Time: as many sprints as you can in “X” minutes of your choosing. Beat by one+ next time.
Performance: time each sprint and stop when your time is 20% longer than the previous run (vortex). Only use your latest run as a baseline for the next. Again, try to beat the amount of sprints by at least one next time.
Rounds: Choose a set amount of sprints and time how long it takes you to perform them.
Pick any self-limiting variable above and stick with it for at least one or two more sessions. I even do 2 variables at once (performance and time).

FINISH
After you’ve reached your time limit or your vortex, do one last sprint at 85% max effort. Record the time. You’ll notice something very interesting…

Yes, they exist! And they’re all around you. The people that attach themselves and suck the blood out of you, drain you of your energy and pollute your productivity! These vampires come in many a variety. Here’s a short list. Feel free to add some in the comment section.

The Sob Sister/Brother: this kind of vampire is always telling sob stories about how this and that goes wrong, and keep want to tell you about how miserable they are, but never want to do a thing about it.

The Drama Queen/King: similar to the Sob kind, these vampires don’t simply tell you about their misery, they constantly set themselves up in situations where more drama occurs and behave like fools (you know, repeating the same thing expecting different results).

The Constant Complainer: Another variation of the same kind. Nothing is ever good enough, nothing goes the way they want. Subtle differences if you can spot them. While the Sob tells you sob stories, the Drama goes into bad sitches, the CC just bitches and bitches…

The Blamer: it’s always someone else’s fault. No ability for self-accountability, self-introspection or even empathy towards others.

The Criticizer: this one always tells you what to do, how you’re not doing it correctly, criticizes instead of critiquing, without any regards for your feelings or how to disperse their “superior knowledge” to you. Usually, not the best listener (empath) either…

The Projector: like a giant spotlight, they make you the target for their shortcomings, not so much in a blaming format, but whatever their issues are, they try to make them yours by exposing themselves ultimately.

The Chaos Creator: If your life is in order, theirs isn’t, and soon yours won’t be any longer. Like a hurricane, the devastation will begin and will spread all over you. Boundaries are optional for that vampire.

The Damsel in Distress: always seeking to be rescued, always putting themselves in the same situation again, expecting you to rescue them (or passively-aggressively denying the need for your help, yet using indirect commands to draw your attention and making you the rescuer). Usually, the lesson is never learned and the distress continues.Btw, damsel originally designates a male. Only modern language shifted it to females. So I am not sexist here.

Just like in True Blood, you will find vampire sympathizers, usually “glamored” by them, under their spell, like the weak-minded with Jedi mind tricks. Shrinks call them enablers. They see themselves as rescuers but really hide some insecurities or fear of abandonment.

Find some holy water, get out into the sun to expose them. No need for a stake, don’t succumb to their level. In any situation, shed the stress, clean up the pollution. It can present itself in various situations like work stress, legal issues, people taking advantage of others, people who sabotage your fitness because they’re not doing it. Anything.

Take care of it before they turn you. You need the light, as I mentioned in my previous blog!