5 Missing Elements to a Training Program

The more I talk to people about their fitness programs the more I see the missing elements below. If you want to keep maximizing your results, make sure you are implementing the tactics below.

1. Lack of proper warm-up:

(This is not what a warm-up should look like. It will not prepare these athletes for their workout/race)

If you have a lack luster warm-up your workout will be the same. Incorporating a thorough dynamic warm-up will aide in better workouts because you are preparing the body to perform at a high level. It is always good to start with soft tissue work to create blood flow. Tools that can be used are a foam roll, tennis ball or massage rolling stick. For five minutes, simply roll your muscles out, especially in your tighter areas.

(Check out this video where Jesse (CFA Certified Fitness Coach) talks about soft tissue work)

After this, you will run through a series of movement drills that improves mobility, flexibility and stability. These dynamic movements create blood temperature in your body and “awakes” the nervous system.

(A quick description of a few movement drills in this video)

Next, add in “heart rate elevation” drills to elevate your heart rate and prepare if for the bulk of the training session. Examples can be running high knees, butt kicks, skipping, lateral shuffling and tempo runs. If running is not an option, you can do a few quick sprints on a bike or elliptical to achieve the same objective.

2. Correct “Core” Training. First, let’s define the core. The core is not just your abdominals. The core of your body is from your mid-thigh, all the way to your shoulders and starts in the deepest part of your body, your spinal muscles.

Core training is not busting out hundreds of mindless crunches. In fact, if you want a healthy back, you should eliminate repetitive crunching from your program (Stuart McGill Video). You want to incorporate your hips, glutes, deep core muscles, lower back muscles and pelvic floor and get them to work together. Birddogs, hip lifts, planks, core pressouts, chops and lifts and carrying variations are “core” exercises that anyone can implement into their program. (Please email me and I can give you videos of all of these exercises.)

(Ok, not everyone has to do heavy Farmer Walks like this, but this could be one of the best "core" exercises that we prescribe and CFA because of the stability it reinforces on the body; Even our general fitness clients are doing Farmer Walks)

3. Nutrition for peak performance. Nutrition is the missing link for most people. They train hard and do not skip workouts but they go backwards because their nutrition is off. You can train all you want but if your nutrition is not in line with your training objectives, it can derail you from your goal. Create and stick to the plan. Your training levels will increase, you will reach new heights of performance and your energy will be power packed.

(Remember Julie Moss in the 1982 Ironman completely hitting the wall. She was fit and prepared for the race but did not execute the proper nutrition program suited to fit her goal)

(And it still happens today, as you can see Normann Stadler in the 2010 Ironman "hitting the wall" and not finishing the race.)

4. Recovery. You can train all you want but if you are not allowing your body ample recovery time you will force overtraining and lack of performance gains. When you workout, the body is broken down and needs replenishment and regeneration to repair and improve. If you are consistently training (4-7 days/week), recovery becomes a component that cannot be over looked or you will be at more risk for injury and/or burnout.

5. Balance.

(This is not the type of balance I am talking about)

I am talking about your body having symmetry in the posterior (back side) and anterior (front side) chains of the body.

(This guy does not have balance. Notice his posture: sunk in chest, rounded shoulders, neck pushed forward. This type of imbalance can send signals down the rest of the body and create injury)

For your next 10 workouts, make a list of your exercises, one list for work on the front side (push-ups, abdominal work, quadriceps work, etc) and one list for work on the back side (glutes, calves, hamstrings, low back, and upper back). After these 10 workouts see if your lists are balanced. If not, you risk asymmetry and injury down the road. Create a more balanced program to aide in building an athletic and functional body.

Knee Dominant Moves: Bodyweight squats, 1-leg squats, Split squats, Foot elevated Split squats

Hip Dominant Moves: Kettlebell swings, Deadlifts, 1-leg deadlifts, hip lifts

Pressing: push-ups, bench press, alternating DB bench press

Pulling: Chin-ups, pull-ups, any variation of rowing, face pulls

Make sure you have a balance of these main exercises in your program.

Food Habits

Are you really eating healthy??

First off, I have a great deal for you. The first 10 people to comment on this blog will receive my ebook for free.


Are you really eating healthy???

On a daily basis I always ask my clients how they have been eating. The answer I get is "good". Then I say ok, well tell me what you have been eating the past two days. Come to find out it was a bad two days, but before that they were eating "perfect"! So, I then tell that person to give me a food journal for the next 5 days with everything that goes into their mouth. When I see their food journal we come to the conclusion that they need some help.

Healthy nutrition is a tough task. It takes thought, preparation, time and organization. If you do not put thought into it you will never know what is going in your body. If you do not prepare there will be times when you do not eat or you will make a bad choice. If you do not make time you will rush to a fast food because you do not have time. If you are not organized then you will not be able to put in thought, you will never be prepared and you will never have enough time.

The first list are things you should be thinking about daily. I got this list from a former athlete that I used to train. His university gave this "checklist" to him on the first day of camp. We all need to concentrate on checking these things off the list on a daily basis.

Performance Nutrition: The Inside Edge

Consistent High-level performance requires that healthy nutrition be a high daily priority. Performance nutrition is about eating to optimize energy production, maintain a healthy body composition and accelerate recovery and healing. A true edge is gained by eating for health and performance EVERYDAY!

THE PERFORMANCE CHECKLIST:

Do you eat breakfast 7 days a week?
Do you eat 3 balanced meals at approximately the same time everyday?
Do you eat 3 nutritious snacks in between your main meals everyday?
Do you eat at least 3 pieces of fresh fruit daily?
Do you eat at least 5 servings of fresh vegetables daily?
Do you choose high fiber breads and cereals? (Not corn pops!)
Do you eat a large serving of lean or low-fat protein at each meal?
Do you eat adequately to maintain your body weight (unless on a fat loss or weight gain program)?
Do you eat a pre-practice snack within 1 hour of beginning exercise?
Do you eat a post-workout snack within 30 minutes of completion?
Do you eat a balanced meal within 2 hours of completing your workout?
Do you drink at least 72 ounces of water daily?
Do you sleep 7-8 hours each night?
Do you go to bed at the same time at night and get up at approximately the same time each morning?
Do you take a multi-vitamin on a daily basis?


So look at these questions on a daily basis. You will see huge results in your energy levels, your physique and your performance if you are answering yes to these questions.

Next I am going to show you your calorie needs. Here is a formula for you to figure out your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). The BMR formula uses the variables of height, weight, age and gender to calculate the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This is more accurate than calculating calorie needs based on body weight alone. The only factor it omits is lean body mass and thus the ratio of muscle-to-fat a body has. Remember, leaner bodies need more calories than less leaner ones. Therefore, this equation will be very accurate in all but the very muscular (will underestimate calorie needs) and the very fat (will over-estimate calorie needs).

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Example: 35 years old, 155 pounds, 55 inches
=655+674.25+258.5-164.5
BMR for this individual = 1423 calories at rest

Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )
Example: 50 years old, 175 pounds, 65 inches
BMR = 66 + 1090 + 825 - 340
BMR for this individual = 1641 calories at rest

So, once you figure out your BMR you need to know how much activity you are putting in everyday. The Harrison Benedict forumla will help you out:


If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9
We will use the male example above. His BMR is 1641 and we will say he is moderately active.

1641 x 1.55 = 2543 calories/day

NOW, you are asking "what do I do with that number"? Good question. If you want to lose weight you deficit that number by 500 calories. 500 calories a day will equate to 3500 calories a week which is 1 pound, a good healthy number to lose in a week. If you want to gain weight you add 500 calories to that number. If you want to maintain weight you eat right at that number.

So if that same man wanted to lose weight he would take that 2543 and subtract 500 which leaves him at 2043 calories a day. And vice versa if he wanted to gain weight.

Your daily calories CAN NOT be below your BMR. If you have these days it is detrimental to getting results. You will do nothing but eat away lean muscle mass and store body fat. You must eat enough food to spark your metabolism.

Final Tips:

• majority of your food needs to come from fresh vegetables, fruit and lean proteins

• eat smaller amounts of food every 2-3 hours during the day

• water intake should be at least 65 ounces; the more active you are the more water you need

• everyone, even weight loss individuals, needs a protein supplement; most people do not eat adequate protein sources throughout the day

• if you do not cook, you need to learn

• prepare your meals before you step out the door

• alcohol will stagnate results; limit to 3 servings a week (12 oz beer, 4 oz wine, 1 oz hard liquor)
  

If you have any specific questions feel free to email me anytime at justinlevine03@hotmail.com.

Bodyweight Strength

The Importance of Bodyweight Strength

If I had to choose 1 fitness “tool” to work with, do you know which one it would be? Nope, not a dumbbell. Nope, not a medicine ball. Nope, not a Kettlebell. Do you give up? My answer is your body! Our body is the best tool in the fitness world. You can become more athletic, build explosiveness, increase your functional strength and reduce your chances of injury by just learning how to strengthen your ability to move and control your own body. When you think about the beginning of time, when we were running around trying to hunt, gather and feed our families, we didn’t have access to artificial, man made equipment like the ones mentioned above. We used our own body. This is how we used to work. As training tools like dumbbells, ropes, medicine balls, barbells and kettlebells are important to maintain variety in a program, it’s not the “end all be all” of fitness.

Way too many individuals lack their ability to move and stabilize their own body but yet those individuals are the ones lifting weights and using other pieces of equipment. Why you ask? Well, it’s the resources that are shoved in our face. Walk into any mainstream gym and the first thing you will see loaded in the floor area are machines, free weights and cardio equipment. Again, these are necessities in the fitness world but if you cannot do regular push-ups, chin-ups and bodyweight single leg squats correctly, why should we be digging into free weights and loaded machines?

Take 10 high school football players. See if they can do 10 perfect bodyweight pull-ups, 25 perfect bodyweight push-ups and 10 perfect single leg squats, I highly doubt if every kid can do this feat. But yet, we can walk into the high school weight room and see these kids performing heavy bench presses, squats and Olympic lifts. This is a recipe for sore shoulders, knees and lower backs. Because they can’t control their own bodyweight, but yet forced to lift external loads, they are creating more dysfunction in their body, which leads them down a path of chronic injury and pain later in life.

This video is a prime example of how high school weight rooms focus on machine based exercises. Except the crunches (which have no function), I didn't see one bodyweight exercise being performed.

Try it out for the next few weeks in your fitness program. Take out the majority of your equipment and focus on more bodyweight exercises. You can do push-ups, chin-ups, 1-leg squats, shoulder touches (push-up position and you tap your opposite shoulder with your hand), planks, side planks, and push-up walks (stay in a push-up position and slowly walk forward, back and side to side). The list goes on.

The positives of doing this will give you more shoulder, core and hip stability, you will enhance your kinetic (full body) awareness and your weight training lifts will get better. You actually limit your absolute strength when you limit bodyweight strength. It’s that important!

Crossfit, Is it a Safe Program

Crossfit, Is it a Safe Program?

With the increase in popularity the past few years, Crossfit gyms are opening everywhere. People watch the “Crossfit Games” on ESPN and are intrigued by the great looking, physically gifted athletes that are competing. I have received numerous emails, texts and questions on my views on Crossfit and their workout protocols. Here’s my answer:

First before I get into it, I am in this business to create smart and efficient training programs for people. My job is to give sound information about fitness and nutrition to the athletes, general fitness enthusiasts and children I train. It is my duty to study, research, and gain deep education on a very broad spectrum of information. My program is far from perfect and can always get better. But it’s a solid and functional program. My program is designed to improve the trainee’s movement, athleticism, stamina and way of life.

The fitness industry is loaded with material, opinions and information that can influence the minds of the mainstream market. Before I give opinions on specific programs or studies I do my research first. I have studied Crossfit, listened to CF podcasts, watched many videos, talked to many former and current CF members and have been able to form my educated opinion.

A quote from a former CF member when he used to do Crossfit:

“I love Crossfit, the workouts are intense, I get my ass kicked and I feel great afterwards. I will continue to hit these workouts up.”

A quote from the same individual 6 months later:

“Crossfit sucks. I ripped my rotator cuff and have not been able to do anything the past few weeks. The workouts are out of control. I am ready to regain my health with smarter options.”

Unfortunately this is what happens to many CF members. They jump into Crossfit style workouts without a long-term plan. They enjoy the intensity, the competitive nature and the tough workouts. This is very common. But months down the road, when their body is trashed, overworked and injured, they begin thinking, “is this for me?”

Crossfit should not be an exercise program. Crossfit is definitely not for a serious athlete, someone with a current injury, and anyone over 35 years old. There are far too many limiters in this random exercise routine that will exacerbate an injury or cause a new injury down the road. It might not happen today or next week but eventually the body will breakdown. There is no progressive plan of action. Today’s workout of the day (WOD) will not progress you to next week’s workout. There is no deep concentration on initial assessments, warm-up strategies, corrective exercise, and functional training. Very few CF coaches have a broad understanding of biomechanics and human movement to assist their clients. Their weekend certification process gave them the bare essentials to training humans. So they get “certified”, open up their gym, charge inexpensive rates and start running their clients through the workouts of the day (WOD). I did say “very few coaches” just in case you missed that part. There are some knowledgeable CF coaches that actually care about tissue quality, flexibility, technical proficiency, proper progression with their workouts and functional movement in the gym.

Here are the last five Crossfit WOD’s:

Three rounds, 21-15- and 9 reps, for time of:
95 pound Thruster
Pull-ups

Three rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters with a 45 pound barbell
15 foot Rope climb, 3 ascents
135 pound Thruster, 12 reps

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
10 Pull-ups
75 pound dumbbell Deadlift, 5 reps
135 pound Push-press, 8 reps

For time:
Run 2 miles
Rest 2 minutes
135 pound Squat clean, 20 reps
20 Box jump, 24" box
20 Walking lunge steps with 45lb plate held overhead
20 Box jump, 24" box
135 pound Squat clean, 20 reps
Rest 2 minutes
Run 2 miles

Five rounds for time of:
135 pound Deadlift, 9 reps
135 pound Hang power snatch, 6 reps
135 pound Overhead squat, 3 reps

Looking at these workouts in the eyes of a non-educated fitness enthusiast and I think, this looks pretty cool. I like the variation and the intensity. It would be fun to do these workouts. Looking at these workouts as an educated fitness professional and I think, this is terrible program design, poor workout structure and not enough detail to the functional elements that needs to be implemented into a program. For a “non-educated” fitness enthusiast it is not their job to research, study and stay well informed of the cutting edge and new training methods. That is why they decide to jump in Crossfit because it’s the new thing on the block. It’s fun. It’s competitive. It’s on TV. Why not?

1. Olympic lifts should be kept under 6 repetitions. I like Olympic lifts when done correctly. I hate Olympic lifts when performed incorrectly. I spend weeks with athletes on technique work before we even start an Olympic lift. I sometimes drop the Olympic lift if I feel there is better options, which there can be with some populations like adults over 35 years old, poor moving athletes and young children.

2. In an exercise program, one of the main goals should be to enhance movement capabilities. When you become a better mover, whether you are an athlete or an “average Joe or Jane”, you become more functional in your sport or your every day life. You reduce your chance of injury, increase your range of motion, increase your functional strength and you become more athletic. Crossfit does not promote these traits. Crossfit promotes ass-kicking workouts that yes, will get you sore and burning calories and it might even get you to look better in your bathing suite but what’s the point if you have a dysfunctional shoulder and hip and you limit your way of life. There are smarter options to get you to your goal.

3. There are some staple exercises in Crossfit that I cringe when I watch being performed. “Kipping” pull-ups is a forceful pull-up variation that you will kick your legs up before pulling up to the bar. This is a sure fire way to cause havoc and friction on your gleno-humeral joint when done with high repetitions, which are definites in Crossfit. Unfortunately the video explains why “kipping” pull-ups are great for explosiveness and power, which is false. Any pull-up variation will be at a much higher demand and give you more benefit when done perfectly without momentum. The purpose of this exercise is to build upper body posterior strength and stability.

Push-press is a great lift. I actually have it in my program for a softball team I am training. But it’s another abused exercise in the Crossfit world. There is no attention to the details of the lift. The goal for Crossfitters is to just lift the weight up over the head. Again, a recipe for injury. As you can see in the video below, if you understand Olympic Lifts and what they should look like, every exercise being performed is sloppy and performed poorly. There is no attention to clean movement. It's about "hammerin out, hamerin out", as you can hear the coach in the backround saying.

4. Crossfit Endurance is a very poor selection of strength work for endurance athletes. Multi-sport athletes are some of the most driven and hardest working athletes. They will do almost anything to improve their performance. Well, Crossfit should not be on that list. As an endurance athlete, strength work should be spent on clean and functional movements that will enhance balance, symmetry, stability and bio-mechanical movement in their specific sports. With the high amounts of volume for any endurance athlete, overtraining becomes very prevalent. We should not exacerbate that training load anymore with high repetition and erratic CF workouts. Time in the gym should be spent building the body back to take on the demands of the sport or sports.

5. Crossfit is definitely not an athlete specific training program. There are too many risks of injury with CF style training. If you are an athlete, it is mandatory to choose better, more efficient training protocols. Do not get caught into the trap of "just because it's hard, it's good" thought process. Hard training doesn't mean smart training. Anyone can throw together a series of exercises and make someone sweat. Not everyone can progressively take an athlete to achieve their ultimate goal.

We will see where this Crossfit craze goes in the next five years. I wouldn’t be surprised if it faded out and people came back to smarter, more functional training methods, I guess time will only see. I do advise any CF current members, or anyone interested in CF that you need to take a step back and think about the long haul of training. Performing a Crossfit workout once a week to hit that metabolism or to implement some variety into your routine will not hurt you. Doing Crossfit everyday as your exercise “program” will eventually hurt you. Again, maybe not tomorrow or next month, but your chances of injury go through the roof with erratic exercise selection. If you are a CF coach, and want to stay under the CF affiliate, at least attend Perform Better Workshops throughout the year so you can become more educated and offer your clients better training. Just remember, it’s important to look ahead in your life. You don’t want chronic pain that affects who you are as a person. A workout should leave you feeling better, opened up and your functional movement has been increased. If you are sore after every workout, and almost every training session is the hardest, most grueling thing ever, I would choose another program.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading my blog. If you are a CF fan, and having fun, keep doing what you do, just understand that there could be harmful repercussions later in life from what you are doing right now. Hard, aggressive exercise selection is not the remedy. Smart, consistent and functional training will improve your life and your performance.

Choosing a Fitness Coach

If you are serious about changing your body and getting big time results you need to hire a fitness coach. When choosing a coach to guide you to better health, fitness, conditioning and nutritional habits, there are many aspects to look at. The right trainer can help assist you to better levels of performance. When looking for a trainer use these guidelines below to help you make this important decision:

1. Positive and Passionate Attitude. This is the most important trait you are looking for in a fitness coach. “It doesn’t matter how much you know until they know how much you care.” Fitness coaches need to care, be passionate and enjoy coming to work everyday. And the first time you meet with a trainer you must sense this attitude.

2. Education. As attitude matters, being educated is just as important. With so many weekend certification courses available it is too easy to get on line and “get certified”. So beware of the trainer who took a weekend course and began training clients. Fitness coach education is on going and the industry has changed. The degree or certification is just a stepping-stone and your trainer must stay on top of his or her education. Does your trainer attend national workshops and seminars throughout the year? This is a big red flag if your trainer never attends continuing education classes. Don’t be afraid to ask your trainer some important questions: “What was the last fitness book you have read?” “What was the last seminar you attended?” “What college did you go to and what is your degree?” “What certifications do you have?” “How many clients have you trained?”

3. Experience. A true expert in the field has put in 10,000 hours of training clients. That is training at least 25 hours a week for 7 ½ years. You do not want some “person” who read Men’s Health magazine and decided to start training people. Experience is huge.

4. Appearance. Fitness coaches need to look the part. They do not need bulging muscles ripping out their shirt but they must be physically fit, showing that they practice what they preach. You want a coach that dresses nice and clean, stays neatly groomed, is respectful and walks the walk.

5. Workout Design. Does your fitness coach have a system? Or is it just a hodge-podge of exercises thrown at you. A proper workout must have a proper workout flow and design. Your coach should educate you on his or her system and philosophy.

6. Day 1. What you do on day 1 will tell you a lot of about your trainers’ experience. Day 1 should consist of a thorough, health history and physical assessment and education on the trainers’ system and workout design. The first workout should be moderate exertion and should leave you wanting more. A little soreness is ok but if you can’t walk after your first day, find someone else.

7. Fitness Mentors. There are a few individuals that every fitness coach must follow and learn from. Ask your perspective trainer about these fitness innovators: Mike Boyle, Gray Cook, Mark Verstegen, Todd Durkin, Sue Falsone, Charlie Weingroff, and Martin Rooney. These are the top dogs in the industry and if your trainer does not know about them, find another trainer.

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A Reflection of 2011

I sit here with a few days left of 2011 and as I start looking back at the year, I start thinking to myself what a year it has been. Sometimes, we get caught up in the busyness of life and forget to reflect and learn from the past. I want to learn from this year, I want to become better from this year, I want to grow from this year. So, I am writing this blog to express 8 important happenings from the year and what I learned and took away from them. You might pick up on some valuable lessons as well....

1. The death of Scott Nelson, August 17th: Scott was a very close friend that tragically was killed in a cycling accident up at Rocky Hill. Scott's death really took a toll on many people that were close to him, including myself. When someone so young and full of life dies, you start asking questions like why him? and how come? This death hit the community hard. People who didn't even know Scott were affected. As time passed and we were able to somewhat get back to normal, I started growing as a person after his death. Scott lived his life for others. His humble personality and charismatic touch were very infectious to be around. We need to live more like Scott. We need to treat others like Scott did. We need to challenge ourselves everyday like Scott did. It's so critical to live life to the fullest, each and everyday, because you just do not know. You do not know when your last day will be. Also, you must treat others good. Treat them like you want to be treated because again, you just do not know when it could be their last day. Why live life knowing you could have treated others better or lived at higher levels? We can not live like this. In 2012, decide to live everyday, to treat everyday magnificent, to enjoy the people around you, because you just never know. And if you end up living till your 90 or so, just imagine the lives you will touch with this approach.


2. The birth of my daughter, February 15th. It's pretty ironic that my first 2 lessons on this list are about death and life. These life changing events truly do change your life. Watching the birth of my daughter humbled me as a man. Watching my daughter, my own flesh, be born is a magical experience. Watching my wife the past 9 months sacrifice her body and emotions taught me about respect. And holding my daughter after the birth was emotional and taught me that love is pretty deep! As death is a hardship, Life is spectacular. We must cherish our life because we only get ONE! That's right, one life. We must put our focus on the positives and learn from the negatives. Don't dwell on what could of been, instead focus on the next positive decision. As I am watching my daughter grow up, she is so concentrated on the little intricacies that life brings. The colors, the sights, the sounds, everything around her. As adults, let's learn to do the same. Let's slow down a bit and really concentrate on the important things. Our relationships, our family, our friends.....each day!
   


3. Ironman Arizona, November 20th. Training for this massive event was the tough part. It took sacrifice, time and much energy to prepare myself for this event. During the training , the death of Scott happened, I expanded to a new facility, my daughter was a new born, I was still running my business and tri club, we took in a foreign exchange student and I still needed to find time for family...I would say it was a busy year. I needed organization, time management and very productive days. Because of the tools I learned from personal growth coaches Brian Tracy and Jim Rohn, I was able to schedule all of my priorities into my day. Ironman not only taught me about challenge and humility but in order for me to complete this event, I needed to become obsessed with organization and time management. Every Monday morning I write out my "to do list" for the week. This includes work stuff, family time, personal things, workouts, reading/writing, anything that needs to be accomplished. I also have a time management sheet that I follow. It is a 30 minute breakdown from 4:00 am till 9:00 pm. I write in everything that needs to be accomplished for the upcoming week and try my best to follow the plan (some days just do not work out because of things that just come up). I even go as far to write in my naps, my reading time, my family time. I am very serious when I say this, I could not have been prepared for Ironman if I was not organized! It's not just about putting in the training. As that is a big part of it, if you do not have the organizational tools, you will not get the training in. It goes hand in hand. And this goes for any big task or goal. Ironman was a personal achievement that I wanted to accomplish. I did it! But what I got out of the experience is life changing because it taught me to be more organized, a more humble person, more patient, to truly enjoy my family and friends and to always challenge myself to become better. And not just in my athletic life but my family, my work, my personal life. Personal development is the motivation to live life at high levels. We must continue to grow, educate and become better people as long as we are living!



4. California Fitness Academy's expansion, September 3rd. First off, I would not be in the position I am in today if it weren't from some valuable people in my life. I had a few "secret angels" that helped me get started with my business. I am so humbled and appreciative of these people in my life. To me, life is about taking risks. Business, especially in these tough economical times, is risky. My first few years were more about just putting in the work. When I first got into business, I didn't really have a true understanding of goals and setting up my future. I was a hard worker and knew how to get people in shape, that's what I did. But I quickly realized that I can not just spin my tires and work hard. I needed challenges, I needed goals, I needed structure, I needed to realize what I wanted in the future. I needed to become a businessman. I needed to work ON my business in order for it to be successful. A good friend of mine, his name is Brian Hyde, one day gave me "Eat that Frog" by Brian Tracy. It was an audio CD. I listened intently to the lessons and tools Tracy was explaining. This was my first experience to Goal setting and I became hooked. I have read the likes of Brian Tracy, Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, Dale Carnegie, John Maxwell and many other personal development coaches. The lessons I have learned have become a big part of my daily living. And I am still going. I am on a mission to learn, educate and observe from the best. The resources are out there. If you are on a mission yourself to start a business, to complete a specific event, to get a promotion, whatever it is, the key is personal development. Jim Rohn says, "You can't change anything around you until you change what's in you." The cool thing is, is that we can dramatically change how we work, how we live and how we grow. It's just about putting in the work. Back to the expansion of my facility. After 5 years at my first location, a 2600 sq. foot medical building, we were able to grow and fill our facility with loyal and committed clients. Again, very humbling knowing that these people intrusted in my program. First off, I love my job! I love coming to work everyday. I love my clients. I love my staff. This is a big help. But in terms of putting in the time, I put in the time and am still putting in the time. Eight hour days are for business owners who want to fail. Business growth does not just happen. Every successful business owner works! It's not a "luck" thing. Most successful people create their own luck by putting in the work. I am still climbing the mountain to where I want to get with my business but being able to expand to a 6700 sq. foot facility was remarkable. I am in a time of "growing pains" where we are getting used to a few new expenses and paying off of new construction bills. So we still have lots of work to do, but 2012 will be a big year for CFA. It's important to push yourself. Sometimes to the point to where you are stretched beyond your means a bit. It will force a sense of urgency, to get the work done, to become better in every aspect of your life. In 2012, set your goals just past what you think can get done. Challenge your body, your mind, and see what you can do!



5. Taking in a foreign exchange student, August 16th. Ten days before we actually met Linda, we add no idea we were going to do this. I get an email from her exchange organization in the beginning of August. Since Linda put that she is an avid triathlete on her bio, they contacted me knowing I was the President of the Visalia Triathlon Club. They wanted me to email my club to see if anyone was interested in taking in a student. Well, I went home that night, mentioned it to my wife and we decided to be the host family. Hey, moving facilities, the birth of my daughter, Ironman, and everything else, why not!? When I grew up, my parents took in over 40 individuals to live with our family. From foster children to relatives, to friends of the family to people living on the street, our house was open to assist someone with a friendly and loving home. I guess that I found that trait my mother had. My wife probably was a bit skeptical at first but is now really good friends with Linda. We met with the exchange organization pretty much the day after the email, signed all the paperwork and by the weekend we were assigned Linda. That next week, Linda and I chatted a bit through Skype and email, finalizing all the details and getting to know each other a bit. She arrived on August 16th. And right into the craziness of our life. As you can see from my first point above, Scott died the 2nd day Linda was here. Yeah, nothing like a teenage girl coming to California and finding out about our very good friend dying in a bike accident. She was able to take it all in and handled the tragic news and her first few weeks with us pretty well. Sometimes, I fill my "life" plate up too much. I spread myself thin and work myself to the grind. But it's who I am. Like I have mentioned, Life is about living it to the fullest, no regrets, nothing to do over. Because we just get ONE! Linda is now part of our family and she will always have a place in our hearts. And just by taking the risk to open our house, spread ourselves a little thin, we now have a very good friend and another part of our family!


6. Reading the 4 Agreements, February. Be Impeccable with your word. Don't take things personal. Always do your best. Don't make assumptions. These four "Agreements" transformed my life. Reading this book by Don Miguel Ruiz taught me to really think about the way I live my life. To not just go through my day to day actions without applying these 4 principles. Now, of course I am not perfect and follow these to the "T" but I am constantly thinking about them. Be impeccable with your word applies that what comes out of your mouth can truly affect people. Your words can affect people in a very positive way and in a very negative way. I choose to use my words to create optimism and healthier living for people. I choose to surround myself with people who live by these same values. Life is better this way. Don't take things personally means that if someone is bashing you, verbally beating you up, or talking behind your back, it's them, not you. This is definitely easier said than to do. People can be outright vulgar and vicious. And like the "Be impeccable with your word", words can drastically affect people. Here's an example. I was very excited to get an article posted on the Active.com website this past year. Active is one of the leading multisport educational resources there is in the world. My article was posted and I was stoked. I received some positive feedback, people really enjoyed my article. But I get this one email from, we will call him "Joe", and Joe writes how horrible my article was. He bashed me! After I read the email, I admit, I was a bit down. This guy, named "Joe", never met me, didn't know what I do everyday, just read an article and decided to personally attack my personal philosophies and methods. But, as I thought about it for awhile, I soon began to realize that it's ok. His words do not have to hurt me. For some reason, he decided to take the time to bash something positive, he must have something going on in his life that caused this pessimistic/egotistical attitude. This is where the 4 Agreements altered my thoughts. I didn't take the email personally. In fact, my thought process quickly turned around and I was motivated because of it. I wanted to be better, write better and continue doing what I was doing. People can be mean. They can gossip and talk behind peoples' back but we can choose to use our words in a good way. We can hype people up and give them confidence and improve their self esteem. That is how powerful our words can be. We must learn to get rid of the "vampires" in our life that will suck the positive energy out of our lives. It is up to us to eliminate negative people from our life. It is up to us to mold our lives and our thoughts and our actions. It just takes daily practice and mental conditioning to develop our daily lives the way we want. Always do your best is a core value of California Fitness Academy. We follow this principle on a daily basis. If you are putting in effort, you might as well strive to your best efforts. Read the books, study the material, train the correct way, eat the right foods. If you have a goal, put in the work and go for it. Do your best! It's a daily tactic that everyone needs to focus on. Last but not least, Don't make assumptions. This is a difficult "agreement" to live by. We get caught up trying to assume what people are thinking. We might here what "someone else said" and then we quickly assume. Those assumptions could be entirely incorrect. Get the facts first before you start assuming because it turns into "negative poison" and will affect your life. So remember these 4 Agreements. Be Impeccable with your word. Don't take things personally. Always do your Best. Don't make assumptions. They will change your life!



7. Death of "Junior", a CFA client, October 8th. Unfortunately I have two deaths on this reflection list. Death is a touchy subject and a tough pill to swallow but it can be a time of growth as well. Junior was a motivational human being. He began working out at California Fitness Academy in 2010. He was committed, showing up to his workouts ready to work hard and give his best. He was a young business owner who had tremendous work ethic and character. We became very close and connected to Junior. When I got the call on Sunday the 9th that Junior was killed in an automobile accident, I was sad. Just when I was starting to recover from Scott's death, I hear this news. How tragic this was. A 26 year old, positive person, business owner, son, brother, hard worker....the question is again asked, why? Well, here is my reasoning...as we grow through life we start realizing the true meaning of LIFE. Unfortunately some people wake up each day and accept being average and methodically get through their days. For them, days run into each other and excuses are made of why they aren't where they should be. We may not be in control of some things, like tragic bike or auto accidents or our genetics or how our family and friends act or the economy or the views of the President, but we are in control of ourselves. We have capability to wake up and think a certain way. We have capability to live a certain way. We have the capability to set goals and work to achieve them. We have the power to change who we are today to make for a better "me" tomorrow. We have the capability to not make excuses and just get it done. It just takes work. I decide to have a positive mindset. I decide what food goes in my mouth. I decide how I react when a road block is set in front of me. I decide how to treat others. Junior lived everyday. Some people spend their lives dying and it's sad. But Junior was unique and wanted change and growth and leadership and personal development and health. He lived! Let's learn from Junior and wake up tomorrow morning and decide to live life to the fullest! Junior: "You were the epitome of what we will try to emulate."
8. Bike ride to San Luis Obispo and Run from Avery to Angels Camp, July/December. Why you ask? Because I can! These two special training days are definite learning experiences. The bike ride was an adventure that started in Coalinga, Ca and took me through the coast to San Luis Obispo, 106 miles. The run was an epic conclusion to my Christmas vacation. I would start heading "home" as my wife, daughter and Linda (foreign exchange student) would leave a few hours later and pick me up on the way. 20 miles and 3 hours later, I made it to my destination. With both situations I had studied in detail my routes beforehand, I knew exactly the direction I needed to go to get to my destinations, hence the first lesson is about goal setting. It works the same way for any objective/goal. You have a starting point, which is "A" and the goal is to get to "B". There are long and extra "mileage" routes that could have you lost and frustrated, there are short and quick fix routes that might not give you the end result. But then there is the efficient route. The one that can get you to point "B" safely in the allotted time. Quick fixes are not good, they are not maintainable and not having a plan of action will get you lost and frustrated so planning and preparing the most efficient way to get to "B" is the best remedy. As you embark on this journey, this goal, road blocks are destined to be in your way. Whether it's a steep hill to run or bike, a dirt decent that's rough on your bike, an angry boss, a tough financial situation, sore knees or ankles, or a change of plan (death in the family, newborn child, etc)....how will you handle the road block? What direction will you take? My idea, take it head on. Take the challenge, the goal, the journey head on. But be prepared. Do the research. Know the path to your destination. Know your destination. If you do not know where you are going, good luck finding your way. Start constructing your 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 year goals. Just write a list, call it your "BIG LIST" and write down everything you have ever wanted. And start working to get it. Create your "bike route". Expect road blocks and frustrating times but keep going. These adventures gave me much time to allow my mind to be turned off but I also did lots of thinking. I thought about everything, family, work, fitness, life, and whatever else my mind was on. As I was cycling down the coast or running through the Avery hills, I came to the conclusion that life is what you want it to be. You can either sit on the couch each day with no goals or aspirations and die while you are living or you can get up and be active and be unique and strive for your best. You can not set limits on yourself. You will never reach maximum capacity with these self set limits. Fly I tell you. Fly high and keep going. Why you ask? Because you can!

Time to make 2012 the biggest year yet. When others are resting and not moving forward, be the person to take big action steps in the right direction. Decide right NOW that you want a big year. Decide right now how you want to live. Decide right now that you can and you will be a better person.

Happy New Year and Let's Make It Happen!

Ironman Arizona - A Magical Day

As I rolled around the corner to see the finish chute, the one thought came into my head was, "It's over, I finally did it!" The thoughts that go through your mind during an Ironman Triathlon are pretty amazing. I ran down the finish chute hard, comfortable and relaxed knowing I had just achieved a lifelong goal. Here is my story...

Training for an Ironman is a commitment. You must dedicate yourself to the training program and the preparation. They say, "The success is just showing up to the start line of an Ironman." The journey is long, arduous and grueling. There are many sacrifices you must make in order to train and prepare for this epic day. And when you cross the line, it becomes all worth it. Leading up to Ironman, my training hours/mileage for this year added up like this:

3100 miles on the bike
745 miles running
150,000 yards swimming

which equates to approximately: 450 hours of training time

This doesn't add in the time driving to and from workouts, cooking and eating for training, traveling to races and stretching and foam rolling. It is definitely a job in itself.

It doesn't take weeks to get ready for this 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run, it takes months and years of consistent work. Going into this Ironman, I was ready for the adventure to come to a conclusion. My mind was made up that I was not doing another Ironman, this is it, one time and out. I was ready, prepared and anxious for this long awaited day and it was time to see what I could do....

We drove to Arizona on Wednesday, got into town around 5:00 pm, settled into our rental house and relaxed before bed. The next morning Eric Blain (My good friend who I have been coaching for the past year) and I headed out on a easy 1 hour spin on our bikes. We rode into the main location of the event and cruised around the scene. We got familiar with the roads and were able to see some of the run course. It was good to see this before the actual race. The rest of the day we chilled and stayed off our feet. We woke up Friday morning and drove the bike course. Seeing the layout before you race is important. The course had a false flat heading towards the first turn around on the bike, so we were prepared for that. But the way back was slightly downhill and fast. We then headed towards the main location of the triathlon, parked and ran a small portion of the run course to get our legs moving. We were both feeling fresh, sharp and ready.

Tapering should be a well planned layout of decreasing training volume the last 3 weeks of the training plan. I always advise athletes to be very disciplined during this taper as this is the time to allow the body to fully adapt to the months of training. If you do not allow recovery these last few weeks, the body will have residual fatigue and you will not perform on race day. So, our taper was well planned out and both Eric and I were feeling ready.

Friday night the excitement started to escalate as we went to the mandatory meeting. Race directions were given to the 2900 signed up athletes. Eric, myself and Eric's cousin Kevin drove home that night all in anticipation of the big day ahead.

We woke up Saturday morning, hopped on our bikes for 40 easy minutes just to get our legs up and moving. It felt good. We were now 24 hours away from one of the biggest events of our lives. The rest of the day was filled with eating good food and relaxing, getting all of our gear checked in and situated and mental preparation. The time was now here...

After a solid 7 hours of sleep, my alarm woke me up at 4:00 am, normal for me, so I was up and showering. I started the coffee, ate a whole wheat english muffin with peanut butter and jelly and had a banana. I sat on the foam roll for a few minutes then went outside and went through a good warm up to release any nerves and prepare the body for the big day ahead. We headed down to the "hot spot" at 5:30 am.

Here's where the first road block of the day happened....

As we were walking to the transition area, a quick thought came into my head, "Did I put my timing chip in my gear bags?" See for Ironmans, you have gear bags and special need bags for the day, you do not put your transition bag by your bike. Well, I made a big mistake and left my timing chip in my transition bag, which was still out the house! Ok, it was 5:50 am and I was calm and knew it was enough time to have my wife, Stephanie, drive back and pick it up for me before the start. I put everything together for the morning, turned in my special needs bags, put my fluids on my bike and made sure everything was good to go. I called Stephanie, "Where are you." (very calmly) She said, "I am not even at the house yet, the roads have closures so I am on the freeway." The time is now 6:10. Ok, we still have time, I told her, "Steph, this is all my fault, but if I sound a little agitated, I am sorry, but please try and hurry." I went back to my bike, pumped up my tires and then started to put on my wetsuit. The time is now 6:25. I called Steph back, "Where are you?" She said she was on a road that had closures and couldn't get through. I started to walk back to her, probably about 1/2 a mile from the transition area. I had her on the phone, "where are you babe", I kept saying. I admit, I was freaking out a bit. The time was now 6:35, we have to be in the water at 6:50 and race starts at 7:00 am. She finally says, "Ok, are you by the parking structure?" I said, "just keep driving, I am right past it." I saw her, hopped a fence to get to the car, grabbed my chip, told her she was the hero of the day and ran back to the transition area, just in time to find Eric and Kevin and enter the water! Talk about cutting it close.

Ok, now back to the triathlon...


The swim was a one loop, 2.4 mile swim in Tempe Town Lake. The water temperature was a chilly 61 degrees but when I jumped in, I was warmed up and the water didn't feel too cold. We had to swim about 200 yards to the start line, which was good to get the arms moving. We waited in the water for about 5 minutes before the big cannon suddenly went off and the race started. 2900 athletes all starting at once is a bit chaotic but the first 10 minutes went by fast and wasn't too bad. I was able to find some space and get into my rhythm. Randomly during the swim, there was traffic and swimmers all around you fighting for space and then it would clear out. I dealt with this and continued on with the swim. For me, the 1st half of the swim was a warm up, just getting going and loosening up. Once I made the turn around, I was able to put in a few hard pick ups and upped my pace. I did this throughout the second half of the swim. I would settle, let the heart rate come down and then pick up the pace again. I felt my best on the last 15 minutes of the swim. Once we made it back to the bridge where we started, I knew we just had about 300 yards to go. So I kicked my legs out to wake them up, started to mentally prepare for the bike and I gave a big underwater "YES"....the swim was over.

I quickly got out of the water and a volunteer helped me shed my wetsuit which was awesome. I told her thank you and jogged through the transition chute, picked up my bike gear bag and headed over to the changing tent. I quickly put on my bike shoes, helmet, sunglasses and race belt and hurried to my bike. I was feeling fresh, strong and ready to take on 112 miles on the bike.




Going into the bike, my whole race plan was to conserve my energy to have enough in me to put together a strong run. The bike was a 37 mile loop that was to be completed three times. The first loop for me was a warm up. I was spinning a light gear the first 17 miles, remember it was a false flat so I stayed conservative and made sure I was getting in my fluids and fuel to stay well ahead of the game. When I made the turn around, it was quickly noticed that this was going to be a fast section of the course. The wind was at our back and we were on a slight downhill. We were hitting speeds of 25-32 mph and not even working that hard. I was liking this! Very fast we were finishing the first loop of the bike. I was feeling strong. It was great because we were able to see our family and friends many times during this bike course. Seeing them really increases your energy for the next loop of the bike. The 2nd loop was a little different than the first. The wind decided to change directions and was with us on the way out. I didn't mind this because I was able to push a little faster speed on the false flat without taking too much energy. When I turned around I was still able to keep my fast pace on the slight downhill. I kept telling myself, "stay conservative, we still have a long way to go." I did and continued to eat, drink and stay fueled, maybe too much (you will see later). I wanted to get to the 3rd loop feeling fresh and ready to go, I did and was excited to have this feeling. In fact between mile 74-90 is when I was feeling the best on the bike. I was able to put in some big efforts and increase my speed without blowing up my legs. This was encouraging. Once I hit the final turn around, there was now only 18 miles to go. My energy was good, my legs felt fine but my stomach started to become a bit achy. I slowed down on the fluids only taking in water and carbo pro to see if it would subside. I knew I had saved energy and my legs for the run but as I finished the bike and dismounted and headed over to the changing tent, my stomach was full, bloated and a bit unsettled....

I sat in the changing tent, taking my time to put on my running shoes, let my heart rate drop a bit and wanted to make sure I was all good to go for the run. A marathon awaits and I wanted to make sure I did any last minute preparations for the run.

I exited the tent and immediately knew my stomach was knotted up. I had my fuel belt on with my bottle of gatorade and quickly took the bottle and tossed it to my wife. I didn't want to carry that bottle. I dealt with some major stomach cramps the first loop. I ran decent for having this problem. The 2nd loop, this problem became worse. My run slowed and walking at times became a better choice to allow the stomach to settle. My mental thoughts started to shift at this point. I figured if these stomach issues do not let up, it could make for a long, long marathon. I could be out there till 7:00, 8:00 pm. Miles 10-13 were tough because I couldn't run the way I know how and it was starting to get to me. My pace slowed to 11+/min/mile.

I came to mile 13 and decided to stop in the porta potty to let my heart rate come all the way down and allow my stomach to settle a bit. I had to make a decision right there and it ended up being the game changer for my day. I made myself throw up. This is a bit scary, because I have never done this before and the thoughts of dehydration and not having any fluids in me the rest of the marathon came into my head. But I did it. Three tough and hard vomits led to the release of approximately 25 ounces of fluids. I stood up, regained my thoughts and had an unbelievable resurrection. I came out of the porta potty, popped a breath mint in my mouth, drank some water and now it was on. My game had changed. The next 4 miles were ran fast, at 7:30 pace. I saw my parents at Mile 17 and they noticed the change and saw Stephanie and the rest of the crew at mile 19 and they saw the change. Now I was doing what I am good at.



That pace lasted to the 20 mile mark and then I slowed up a bit so I knew I needed some fuel. I took a gel, which gave me a big side ache but I was able to get that one to subside and continued running at a strong pace. I was literally passing droves of other athletes during the last 7 miles of the run. This is the best I had felt the entire day. Yes, after 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking and 20 miles of running, I was feeling my best. It was a true testament to my training program. I saw my parents and my uncle at mile 24 and was excited to see them with my new and energized spirits and running pace.



This is where I knew I would have a strong finish. I gulped down a small cup of water at the last aide station and took off for the finish. I ended up running the last 5k in sub 24 minutes, which equates to 7:40 min./mile.


The finish of an Ironman is surreal. Honestly, it seems like a dream, I barely remember the last 400 yards. All I know is that I was running hard, I was strong, I was happy, I was relieved it was over, and the crowd was cheering loud for everyone finishing. I gave a fist pump at the line and the race had ended. I heard, "Justin Levine, you are an IRONMAN!" Pretty awesome feeling.

Final time: 11 hours 14 minutes
Swim time: 1 hour 13 minutes
Bike time: 5 hours 44 minutes
Run time: 4 hours 4 minutes

All of the training, the hours on the bike, the sacrifices came down to one day. That one day of testing your body and your mind to the extreme limits. And when you crossed that finish line the emotion running through your body was magical. I wanted to see my wife, my daughter and Linda (our foreign exchange student) and wanted a sweatshirt, I was cold. I sat with my family by the finish for about 20 minutes post race and tried to take in the whole day and experience. So much was going in my head. But the one big thing that I was thinking, "What could I have done with a complete, strong marathon?" Sub 11 hours is for sure in the cards, I could do that! Low 10 hours is possible. I can push a little harder on the bike, learn from my mistakes and not drink too much and then get off and run a 3:30ish marathon, I can do that! Dangit, did the bug get me....?

Well, as for now, I want to recover, enjoy the Holidays and enjoy some time off from structured training. Next year, the goal is to concentrate on shorter distance races, build my top end speed and not commit to anything big. I want to run sub 1:20 half marathons. I will take December as an unstructured training month, doing workouts that sound fun but more importantly allow for 100% recovery.

I want to thank my wife for giving me massive support in my lifestyle. She is definitely my #1 fan and I love her very much and thank her very much. And thank you to all of my friends and family that supported me, followed me on race day and kept me in their thoughts. It is truly humbling. I would not be who I am and in the position I am in if it weren't for the people in my life.

And now to the next adventure and challenge....