He identified what he really wanted and ordered his life around that.

From "The Art of Non-Conformity"...

..."Murakami focused on what he would gain instead of what he would lose.  He identified what he really wanted and ordered his life around that."

..."it's all about embracing life to the fullest and ordering your life around a few key priorities.  To make that happen, you'll need to look carefully at all of your current obligations to determine which ones are actually necessary and which can be eliminated."

Nothing is Permanent

"As I grow older, I see that, like the warrior, we are really not here on earth very long. Before the great warlord Oda Nobunaga set out into the battlefield he often recited the lines from the Noh play, Atsumori: "Man's life is but a 50 year span and passes like a mysterious dream. . . ."

Just like the cherry blossom, as we begin to mature we are already blown away by even a gentle breeze. All warriors understand this. But we have lost this beautiful sentiment today. I think this is why we waste so much today and take so much for granted. We never appreciate anything because we think we always have it - and as much as we want as well! If we begin to realize that nothing is permanent, maybe we will begin to appreciate everything a little more. Maybe if we realize that it is not only the cherry blossom that is so fleeting in life that we will not take so much for granted. There is only one opportunity to learn Aikido and that is now!

From the famous military classic, the Heike Monogatari: "The rise and fall of the samurai passes like the saffron blossoms and fades like the ringing of the bell at Gion Temple. . . .""

Sensei Kensho Furuya

Seth Godin

Are you serious about transformation? I’m not talking about polishing yourself, improving yourself, making things a bit better. I’m talking about the reset button, a reinvention that changes the game.
That means an overhaul in what you believe and how you do your job. If you’re up for that, then right here, right now, you can start.

 

- Seth Godin from his new book Linchpin

This is exactly what it takes to change your body too.  Make the decision.

 

Holiday Eating Tips

This list comes from my buddy and trainer Dave Quevedo...

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit.  In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately.  Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

 2. Drink as much eggnog as you can.  And quickly.  Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare.  In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch.  You can't find it any other time of year but now.  So drink up!  Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip?  It's not  as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something.  It's a treat.  Enjoy it.  Have one for me. Have two.  It's later than you think.  It's Christmas!

 3. If something comes with gravy, use it.  That's the whole point of gravy.  Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on.  Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes.  Fill it with gravy.  Eat the volcano.  Repeat.

 4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk.  If it's skim, pass.  Why bother?  It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

 5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it.  Hello?

 6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's.  You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do.  This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound  plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

 7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge.  Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention.  They're like a beautiful pair of shoes.  If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

 8. Same for pies.  Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat.  Have a slice of each.  Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin.  Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert?  Labor Day?

 9. Did someone mention fruitcake?  Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost.  I mean, have some standards.

 10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention.  Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.  Remember this motto to live by:


 "Life should NOT be a journey to the  grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a  ride!"

Is Your Personal Trainer Telling You The Truth?

Or is he or she selling you a bunch of crap you don't need?

Seth Godin makes a great point in his blog this morning.

"Watch the money

"How much life insurance do you have?"

Zig Ziglar liked to say that with that one question, you could tell if someone was a successful life insurance agent. If they're not willing to buy it with their own money, how can they honestly persuade someone else to do so?

If you're in the music business but you never buy tickets or downloads, can you really empathize with the people you're selling to?

My favorite: if you work for a non-profit and you don't give money to charity, what exactly are you doing in this job? I've met some incredibly generous people in the charitable world, but I can also report that a huge number of people—even on the fundraising side—would happily cross the street and risk a beating in order to avoid giving $100 to a cause that's not their own. And the shame of it is that this inaction on their part keeps them from experiencing the very emotion that they try so hard to sell.

Money is more than a transfer of value. It's a statement of belief. An ad agency that won't buy ads, a consultant who won't buy consulting, and a waiter who doesn't tip big—it's a sign, and not a good one."

As a trainer you wouldn't believe the amount of stuff that I am asked to sell to you.  Supplements, exercises equipment, clothes, DVD's, e-books, the list goes on and on. 

My feeling is that the only thing that I am going to promote or suggest to you is something that I either use personally or that I fully trust the company or person selling who is selling it to us.

I am totally transparent when it comes to the supplements that I use, the food or diet that I follow, and the time that I spend training.

Here is my exact day today.

Before Boot Camp

Taught Boot Camp and trained one, one on one client
  • 3 eggs with olive oil
  • 1/2 banana, 3 dates
  • 2 cups water
My workout (15 min.)
Lunch
  • chicken satay
  • greens drink
  • L-Glutamine
  • L-Arginine
  • 2 tablets fish oil
Nap (30 minutes)
Dinner
  • Beef
  • Zucchini
  • 2 tablets fish oil
  • water
So what do I want you to take away from this?

Basically, it's that true health and fat loss is maintained through discipline and habits.  There are no magic potions, no gimmicky equipment, and no other "miracle" products of any type.  Just the basics.

Stick to a smart plan and you will see results.  Always be searching for the "next thing" and you'll come up frustrated and probably have less money in your wallet.

 

Minimalist Fitness

Great quote from Minimal

"The idea is simply to look around and ask tough questions about what you really need and what you don’t. Figure out new ways to solutions that provide only what you need and nothing that you don’t. Finally, add to the greater conversation about the idea of embracing “enough” in an industry and culture that clearly believes in “more”."

It's 11:35 pm and I'm Thinking About the Next Boot Camp

Here's an email that I just sent to a new boot camper, but it may apply to you to...

"Really that's what I do.  I always want to make this the best experience for each camper.

I try to figure out what has worked the best for my most successful clients and pass that along to people like you who are just starting with me.

One of the main things that comes to mind is to trust me.  If I tell you to do something or eat a certain way...it's for your benefit.  I've been doing this a long time and I'm confident that I know what works. That's not to say that I'm not open to learning, and I spend a lot of time keeping up on the latest fitness, diet, and health related stuff.  I really do like this part of my profession... investigating stuff.

My biggest tips for you are:
Show up to each session.  At each session give it 110%
Eat clean meaning as close to nature as possible.
Sleep well and focus on "healing time".  This may mean massage, meditation, visualization, etc..
Drink water, not soda, not beer, not wine, not juice...but water.

Those are the basics that come to mind.  Focus on those.

I'll be sending out more tips as we go along, but please focus on those basics."


What Do I Stand For?

I was just asked this question by my mentor.

I stand for helping people like you experience life to the fullest by exercising and eating well.

Unfortunately my industry (fitness and fat-loss)is preying on you.  I really feel this way.  I see the advertisements for the gimmicks, pills, surgery procedures, all designed to make you feel inadequate and in need of what they have to offer.

Being lean, energetic,and healthy does not take a lot of time, nor does it need much "outside" help.

So what do I mean by this?

I don't exercise a lot.  You can check out my workouts here and see that I rarely spend over 30 minutes per workout, usually much less. (Much like you, if you are a reader of my site you aren't trying to gain mass...you are trying to get or stay lean.)  You'll also notice that I only train 3 or 4 times per week.

Next, I eat well, but I don't obsess over my eating.  Healthy or clean eating is a discipline and a habit. Either you work on creating it and living it, or you will forever struggle and be apt to try the next pill or diet.

If I can help you help yourself, then I have done my job.  

To me, exercise and health is about preparing your body to live live to the fullest.

Who doesn't want to live a long and vibrant life?

How about caving in South America?

Swimming with great white sharks in Australia?

Or maybe just playing vigorously with your kids?

Whatever it is that you desire, you can do it better when you are more fit.

Americans are Huge

I spent Saturday with my wife at her company picnic.  I was truly shocked to see how fat people are.  I'm not the type to exaggerate, but I'd have to say that 80% of the women were obese.  Not just a little fat, but 50-100 pounds overweight.

It puzzles me...what are we doing as a society to get so big?  Since I'm a trainer I wonder what am I doing wrong, or what is my industry doing wrong in that people just keep getting fatter.

I hear the common answers like...too much time sitting down in front of the computer/games/T.V. etc.  Of fast food is cheap and calorie laden.  People don't have the time, and so on.

In looking at nature I see lean, efficient predators, and even the prey is quick, muscular, and at one with their bodies.

This all just seems to go against nature.  Call it God, or what ever you believe in, but I can't imagine that our creator created us to be obese and crippled by our fat and those diseases associated with being obese.

What's your opinion?  Any ideas on why we are so fat?

 

A Special Welcome to Readers of the Pasadena Star News

I just got back from training a client this morning, and was happy to see that my article appeared in the Pasadena Star News.  Yes, even on Christmas eve I saw a client at 7am…but she’s a great client who I’ve been training for over 10 years.

So to those of you visiting me from the Star News article this morning, I want to personally welcome you to my site.

Having lived here in Pasadena since 1972, the Star News has been a consistent part of my morning routine. 

As we all know there are a lot of scams and outrageous promises with “my” industry.  These hucksters are all about promoting outrageous claims of miracle pills, or the “lose 30 pounds in 30 days diet”.

The good news is that you really can be lean and healthy.  If you are ready to stop being fooled by the next diet of the month, or similar hype, then you’ve come to the right place.  If you were hoping for miracle pills or other celebrity endorsed, cutely named fitness programs, then this site or my in-home personal training is not right for you.

You can check out my "about me" page for more details such as certifications and the like.

By all means if you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you.  I hope that you’ll consider me as a truthful resource when it comes to your fitness related questions.  You can contact me here.

If you’d like to see more articles, or would like a “Ask The Trainer” type column in the Star News, please let them know. (Contact Catherine Gaugh, the Features Editor at (626) 962-8811 ext 2479, or via email at: catherine.gaugh@sgvn.com .  I do see a need for it, as there is so much confusion and misinformation about exercise and training.

I also offer an occasional email newsletter where you can receive the latest info on what it really takes to be lean and healthy.  You can sign up right here. 

Click here.

 

I realize that you are very busy just like me, so I keep the emails to a minimum, and you can always cancel if you don’t receive value from them.

And lastly…A Very Merry Christmas to You!

Sincerely,

Stephen 

P.S. Follow me on Twitter to ask questions and get the most up to date tips and strategies on fat loss and exercise.

Paasdena Star News Dec. 24, 2008

 

Real Health

Through my years as a trainer and also someone who has been working out for a long time, my ideas of "health" have changed.  From the time that I was 16-22 years old, my idea of health was to get as buff as possible, doing everything and anything just short of taking steroids. I took countless supplements, powders, pills, everything you could imagine to get big. 

As I'm in my forties now, my idea of health is being able to call on my body to perform just like I could when I was in my twenties.  I'm happy to report that my body does respond.  I feel as strong, possibly even stronger today that I did 20 years ago.

I just sent out a message on Twitter (in case you aren't getting those updates, you can follow me here) in which I commented on my healthy afternoon snack.

Today, health for me is enjoying a snack of great tasting dark chocolate from TCHO and an Asian pear.