If you’re looking to challenge yourself in your workouts, and I mean REALLY challenge yourself, than look no further than the Olympic lifts. Most of you know these as the heavy, explosive lifts you see the athletes perform every four years when the Olympics are on TV. The ones where super-human strength and power culminate in a quick, one time, all out effort to move some very heavy weights. These include but are not limited to the clean, clean and press, clean and jerk and the snatch. These exercises can be done from different positions (from the ground or a hang) and can also be performed in various ways (full or power). The Olympic lifts, or O-lifts for short, are a tremendous tool to have in your exercise arsenal, if you know how to perform them and use them in your workouts correctly.
Since the O-lifts are some of the hardest exercise movements to master, you must first ask yourself if you are ready for such a technical and challenging movement. First, you should be very familiar with the squat, deadlift and overhead pressing and be able to execute these with excellent form. You should also be fairly flexible in the shoulders, hamstrings and hips. If any of these movements are hard for you, or you have poor range of motion through the shoulder capsule, then the Olympic lifts may not be for you. If however you have no limitations in these areas, then adding some O-lifts could really benefit your current training program, no matter what your fitness goals are.
The benefits of the O-lifts are numerous. Since you are taking a heavy load and moving it over a vast distance in a ballistic manner, the energy you are expending is enormous. Most of the O-lifts will have you bringing the loaded barbell from the ground to all the way above your head. This is a farther distance that the bar must travel than any other exercise I can think of or that you would probably be performing in your program right now. That translates into a large number of calories being burned in a very short amount of time. The lifts like the clean & jerk and the snatch are mainly designed however to train for power output, explosive strength and speed (Power = strength x speed.) The faster you are with the weight, the faster you can create momentum and elevation on that barbell, and the more powerful you become. The more powerful you are, the stronger you will be. This is a cycle that can be highly addictive and rewarding. And the carry over to other exercises is very useful when trying to gain strength or get that new personal best.
So if you’re interested in testing yourself in a way you never have before, and seeing how powerful you really are, then I challenge you to learn an O-lift. It will not be easy to learn, and it takes a long time to become fluent and competent with these exercises. But with the help of a good trainer or coach, you too can learn how to do Olympic style weightlifting. And I promise it is worth the hard work to learn them. Remember: start slow and use light weights at first. Then you can slowly progress as you get better and better. Then you can achieve more speed and strength faster than you thought possible. I mean let’s face it, who doesn’t want to be a stronger, faster, more powerful version of themselves? I know I do.
Nick Johnson
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
What is it that make's a person great at what they do? Is it a genetic predisposition? Is it their life experiences? Or is it some sort of internal drive to be better? We all have our advantages in life without question, but as the saying goes "You reap what you sew." About two months ago I was meeting with a potential client to try to convince him why he should join our ChrisFit family. When he walked in I could immediately tell he had the spark to do what was necessary to become the best he possibly could. When I asked him what he wanted to do his exact answers were "I wanna be bigger and stronger. But at the end of it all I'd love it if I could built like you man." That's always flattering to hear but it got me thinking about the answer.
As a general population we are constantly comparing ourselves to some sort of "ideal." I know for Steve and myself we are constantly comparing our selves to a bodybuilder's standpoint, and most women compare themselves to a hyped up media supermodel/actress that is defined as having the best body. The truth of the matter is there is no reason to compare yourself to someone else. I say compare yourself to yourself, and then never be satisfied!
That's right I said it...NEVER BE SATISFIED! Whatever kind of shape you're in, congratulations for pushing yourself and coming so far, but the simple truth of the matter is you are not done yet! Everyone out there can be better. You can still be stronger, or have better endurance, or be more flexible, or be leaner. Whatever it is you can still be better.
So back to my original question. The answer is not in front of you. The answer is choice D all of the above. We all have some form of genetic gift, life experience or internal drive that allows us to be better in some way shape or form than someone else; for instance Steve's body structure makes him perfectly suited to perform a deadlift (genetic), before becoming a trainer he worked landscaping where he was constantly picking up heavy stuff and putting it down (life experience) and finally he enjoys doing it and so he works harder and harder every time he does it to be better at it (internal drive). That why he pulls 550 off the floor, not because it's easy but because he can.
And don't tell me that nobody is perfect, because quite frankly I don't want to hear it. If you give 150%, pushing yourself beyond your limits, safely of course, and you only get back 100%...Congratulations you're perfect.
-Jack Lazarus
As a general population we are constantly comparing ourselves to some sort of "ideal." I know for Steve and myself we are constantly comparing our selves to a bodybuilder's standpoint, and most women compare themselves to a hyped up media supermodel/actress that is defined as having the best body. The truth of the matter is there is no reason to compare yourself to someone else. I say compare yourself to yourself, and then never be satisfied!
That's right I said it...NEVER BE SATISFIED! Whatever kind of shape you're in, congratulations for pushing yourself and coming so far, but the simple truth of the matter is you are not done yet! Everyone out there can be better. You can still be stronger, or have better endurance, or be more flexible, or be leaner. Whatever it is you can still be better.
So back to my original question. The answer is not in front of you. The answer is choice D all of the above. We all have some form of genetic gift, life experience or internal drive that allows us to be better in some way shape or form than someone else; for instance Steve's body structure makes him perfectly suited to perform a deadlift (genetic), before becoming a trainer he worked landscaping where he was constantly picking up heavy stuff and putting it down (life experience) and finally he enjoys doing it and so he works harder and harder every time he does it to be better at it (internal drive). That why he pulls 550 off the floor, not because it's easy but because he can.
And don't tell me that nobody is perfect, because quite frankly I don't want to hear it. If you give 150%, pushing yourself beyond your limits, safely of course, and you only get back 100%...Congratulations you're perfect.
-Jack Lazarus
Saturday, January 14, 2012
The Secret to My Success *OR* Why I am NOT Superman
As I write this blog, I have just walked in the door from my daily trip to the gym. I'm drenched in sweat, smell like a foot and my legs feel like rubber. Today I trained my legs with heavy squats (ATG!!), leg presses and romanian deadlifts, followed by some tough cardio work. I'm eating my post-workout meal of plain oatmeal, blueberries, and whey protein. I've lost about 9 lbs in the past three weeks and feel great. And I've decided to let you in on the 3 secrets of my success!
1) Hard Work
2) Consistency
3) Discipline
That's it.
There's no magic pill. No super-advanced uber-program designed by NASA. No secret fat-reduction food known only to Hollywood stars and trainers. Its not my genetics, my age, or education. I don't derive super powers from Earth's yellow sun. It's just those three items. Hard Work, Consistency, and Discipline.
I bust my tail lifting heavy and doing my cardio day in and day out. I eat a clean diet of complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and lots of protein. I don't drink or eat junk food. That's the "secret" everyone is after.
You see, often times I try to lead by example and show my friends and clients that it's not really rocket science to achieve the healthy, fit body that they want. But this is often met with resistance (read Excuses), as they cite that I am somehow different from them. It's said that we trainers are somehow unique and blessed and that our fitness is some kind of gift. It's not. We aren't comic book heroes with superhuman genetics. We work long hours, crave bad foods sometimes, have homes to care for, responsibilities to friends and family, and don't always feel like working out. We experience stress and have bad days. We are just like each and every one of you. But, if I can buckle down and do my workouts and eat clean, so too can every single person reading this.
By taking little steps every day to get yourself closer to the body you want, you too can become one of magic, lucky, fit people. Prepare your healthy meals in advance. Log your nutrition. Go the extra mile and break a sweat when you do cardio. Get a PR on a big lift. Throw away the junk food, and leave the wine in the cellar. And for heaven's sake, stop telling me "I'm Italian, I have to eat/drink that!" It's not always easy, but I am telling you right now that it's worth it. Nobody is perfect, but we can all make strides every day to be better than we were the day before.
Since this has hopefully negated most every excuse you have readily available in your arsenal, I suggest you get ready to put in some hard work and Get S**t Done starting NOW!
-Steve Decker
1) Hard Work
2) Consistency
3) Discipline
That's it.
There's no magic pill. No super-advanced uber-program designed by NASA. No secret fat-reduction food known only to Hollywood stars and trainers. Its not my genetics, my age, or education. I don't derive super powers from Earth's yellow sun. It's just those three items. Hard Work, Consistency, and Discipline.
I bust my tail lifting heavy and doing my cardio day in and day out. I eat a clean diet of complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and lots of protein. I don't drink or eat junk food. That's the "secret" everyone is after.
You see, often times I try to lead by example and show my friends and clients that it's not really rocket science to achieve the healthy, fit body that they want. But this is often met with resistance (read Excuses), as they cite that I am somehow different from them. It's said that we trainers are somehow unique and blessed and that our fitness is some kind of gift. It's not. We aren't comic book heroes with superhuman genetics. We work long hours, crave bad foods sometimes, have homes to care for, responsibilities to friends and family, and don't always feel like working out. We experience stress and have bad days. We are just like each and every one of you. But, if I can buckle down and do my workouts and eat clean, so too can every single person reading this.
By taking little steps every day to get yourself closer to the body you want, you too can become one of magic, lucky, fit people. Prepare your healthy meals in advance. Log your nutrition. Go the extra mile and break a sweat when you do cardio. Get a PR on a big lift. Throw away the junk food, and leave the wine in the cellar. And for heaven's sake, stop telling me "I'm Italian, I have to eat/drink that!" It's not always easy, but I am telling you right now that it's worth it. Nobody is perfect, but we can all make strides every day to be better than we were the day before.
Since this has hopefully negated most every excuse you have readily available in your arsenal, I suggest you get ready to put in some hard work and Get S**t Done starting NOW!
-Steve Decker
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Make your New Years Resolution to be More Awesome!
Every year when the holidays come around and people make these resolutions to get to the gym or clean up their diets or to add intensity to their workouts. That shouldn't be a resolution, that should just be a constant. Training session after session, day after day you should do your best to be spot on so that dieting and increasing intensity just becomes natural. Now how can you increase your intensity? Lift heavier weights, do your intervals like it truly is a life or death scenario, and hit your numbers despite all odds.
Sometimes what also helps is having a friendly competition with a friend where you do your best to one up the other. Not so that it becomes an obsession and you lose a friend but just so that you're constantly pushing each other to be better. Steve and I workout together at least once a week and are constantly trying to one up each other whether its with weight on the bar or rep on the exercise. That friendly competition constantly spurs us to be better week after week. So find some friendly competition bring up the intensity an become more awesome!
-Jack Lazarus
Sometimes what also helps is having a friendly competition with a friend where you do your best to one up the other. Not so that it becomes an obsession and you lose a friend but just so that you're constantly pushing each other to be better. Steve and I workout together at least once a week and are constantly trying to one up each other whether its with weight on the bar or rep on the exercise. That friendly competition constantly spurs us to be better week after week. So find some friendly competition bring up the intensity an become more awesome!
-Jack Lazarus
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Pay your dues/Pay the price
Usually, I leave the blog posts to the training department because they do a great job and I feel I already give some insight and background about my life outside of the gym to my personal clients.
However, I want to share an experience with everyone that helped shape who I am and, without the repercussions from it, you probably wouldn't know me or be a member of this gym.
During my sophomore year of high school, one of my friends and I decided it would be a good idea to take turns "borrowing" our parents' cars. Alternating between his mom's car and my father's car, we would wake up early and drive around, returning in time to catch the bus for school. Of course, we rode the bus to school because neither of us had our driver's license :-)
For about three weeks everything was going great — until the thought of having both cars out at the same time popped into our small under-developed brains. And then testosterone kicked in. Instead of just cruising around, we wanted to race. Long story short, I crashed my father's car into a shed, bounced off of said shed, hit a tree and then an above-ground gas line! Good thing I wasn't a smoker.
The accident caused over $1,200 worth of gas to be released from the main line, not to mention damaging my father's car, destroying a shed, knocking down a tree and leaving skid marks on a concrete driveway that I had to scrub off.
I had to pay my dad to work and teach me how to build a shed. I also had to pay for materials, his time, a new tree, shovels (more on that later) as well as his increases in car insurance premiums and deductible. All of this led to my first job at the old Beef & Sirloin, an ice cream/grease pit across from the Buffalo Airport. I was not allowed to keep a single cent from my paycheck until my debt was paid off. Since I was only making $4.85 an hour, you can imagine how long this took.
The accident site was near Salvatore's Italian Gardens. One day while I was digging out the partially dead tree, I broke the shovel. When I asked my dad to drive me to Home Depot to buy a new shovel, he replied "not my problem," leaving me to walk the three miles up Transit Road.
I made it to Home Depot, paid for the shovel and made my way back to purgatory. Less than 15 minutes later, I broke the brand new shovel!
"Not my problem," was my dad's response again.
On my long walk back to Home Depot, I must have kicked every piece of stone and invented a few new swear words. This time, I bought a more expensive shovel and prayed it wouldn't break.
Eventually, I successfully dug out the old tree, payed for and planted a new one, scrubbed away the skid marks from the driveway and, with my father's help, built a new shed. I continued to work at the grease pit for over a year and gave EVERY SINGLE PAY CHECK to my dad — and still owed him money. LOL. I also picked up extra cash by going door-to-door in the neighborhood and offering to shovel snow or cut grass.
I kept paying for the increase to his auto premiums for another three years, until I had my own car (legally) and my own insurance. Finally, my debts/dues were paid off.
I am sharing this story because some people think life isn't fair, or that they can attain something great and worthwhile by not putting in the maximum effort. You need to realize the importance of "putting in the work" — regardless if that means two trips to Home Depot, a few more interval sessions, working for free or pushing yourself away from the dinner table earlier.
I have always said I can train a new client and without knowing any background on them, determine after one session whether or not they will be successful. Guess what? If you give up on yourself in a 30-minute training session, this is NOT the first time you quit.
Do the work and the results will come, whether it is inside or outside of the gym.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
The View From the Other Side of the Fence
The first time I met with a trainer I was mortified I was measured, and forced to step on the dreaded scale I did not know the difference between 10 pounds of fat and 10 pounds of muscle (umm they are the same) I could barely hold the plank for 10 seconds. I had a body fat percentage of 53.1 % and was obese and embarrassed.
The second time I met with a trainer I puked for forty-five minutes after my session, that night I got a text "How are you doing ?"
The third time I met with a trainer, he handed me back my check !!
19 Months later and countless sessions, I continue with my trainers, I read the blogs and newsletters and each one seems it could be written about me and I wonder if people understand why I have a personal trainer(s)
People always have questions when they see me... How and why? My responses have been become simple....I work hard to become the person I have never been but always wanted to be, I do this by following a simple gym rule of "Pick shit up and Get shit done" with the help of my trainer(s). But... they say " will you have to DIET and workout the rest of your life, I have learned to respond with " I will continue to live this lifestyle the rest of my life, Yes ".
So as the journey continues I drink my water, log my carbs, fat and protein, I will continue to sweat, swear and surely stink 4-6 times a week, my future is
sure to hold more puking, grunting, crying, bleeding, bruising and ass to the grass squats all at the direction of my trainer(s).
Yet what I would want people to take away from this is that the PRICELESS gift of this journey has been Steve Decker and Chris Tybor giving me live my life back and doing it the right way, those two have answered countless questions, hundreds of emails, an uncountable number of texts have been exchanged. They are the ones accountable for the blood, sweat and tears I have left on the gym floor... I have pushed them, pulled them, they have pushed my to weighted plank holds and PR on leg presses, we have trained together on some of the worst days of my life and always just like the second session a simple text "How are you doing....Sore?" Or maybe it's been a day (or two) since they seen me at the gym a text "GET YOUR ASS TO GYM" or maybe it just because they are more then my trainers Steve and Chris and everyone at Chrisfit has become a part of my "family".
SO my question to others is why don't you have a personal trainer ??
-Anonymous
The second time I met with a trainer I puked for forty-five minutes after my session, that night I got a text "How are you doing ?"
The third time I met with a trainer, he handed me back my check !!
19 Months later and countless sessions, I continue with my trainers, I read the blogs and newsletters and each one seems it could be written about me and I wonder if people understand why I have a personal trainer(s)
People always have questions when they see me... How and why? My responses have been become simple....I work hard to become the person I have never been but always wanted to be, I do this by following a simple gym rule of "Pick shit up and Get shit done" with the help of my trainer(s). But... they say " will you have to DIET and workout the rest of your life, I have learned to respond with " I will continue to live this lifestyle the rest of my life, Yes ".
So as the journey continues I drink my water, log my carbs, fat and protein, I will continue to sweat, swear and surely stink 4-6 times a week, my future is
sure to hold more puking, grunting, crying, bleeding, bruising and ass to the grass squats all at the direction of my trainer(s).
Yet what I would want people to take away from this is that the PRICELESS gift of this journey has been Steve Decker and Chris Tybor giving me live my life back and doing it the right way, those two have answered countless questions, hundreds of emails, an uncountable number of texts have been exchanged. They are the ones accountable for the blood, sweat and tears I have left on the gym floor... I have pushed them, pulled them, they have pushed my to weighted plank holds and PR on leg presses, we have trained together on some of the worst days of my life and always just like the second session a simple text "How are you doing....Sore?" Or maybe it's been a day (or two) since they seen me at the gym a text "GET YOUR ASS TO GYM" or maybe it just because they are more then my trainers Steve and Chris and everyone at Chrisfit has become a part of my "family".
SO my question to others is why don't you have a personal trainer ??
-Anonymous
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Death by Burpees!
The holidays are here again and we’re all going to behave ourselves this year and only indulge a little bit. Great theory but pretty unrealistic no matter what. Self-control is one of the hardest things to develop and quite frankly our society has done a crappy job at it. With all the jumbo sizing of everything few people understand what it means to restrain from over indulgence and the holidays are notorious for excess. Thanksgiving alone has a general caloric intake of 4500 calories from that day, and considering that it only take 3500 calories to gain a pound the excess from one day of feasting is well on your way to ruining to important physique gains you’ve made over the past few months. So unless you’re a serious metabolic freak who burns about 4000 calories a day just by sitting around I suggest you avoid the extra piece of pie.
However, I understand that it is the holidays and you want to enjoy at least something. Whether it is your aunt’s famous pumpkin pie or grandma’s homemade stuffing just realize what normal thanksgiving entails: for arguments sake let’s say a piece of pumpkin pie contain 350 calories, according to the American College of Sports Medicine doing 10 burpees a minute equals out to about 10 calories for someone around 150 lbs. In other words it would take you 350 burpees over the course of 35 minutes to create enough of a metabolic burn to work off that one piece of pie. Now granted if you weigh less or more there is a difference in number of calories burned in the process (weigh less burn less). From that same standpoint let’s say you were to intake all 4500 calories of that thanksgiving feast and still burning 10 calories a minute for 10 burpees, it would take 7 and a half hours of non-stop burpee fantastic-ness to burn off all those calories. Now I know how much everyone at ChrisFit loves burpees, and you all know that the trainers are crazy enough to make you do all 7 and a half hours’ worth of burpees, save yourself the aggravation of death by burpees.
Instead think smart and do your best to stay fairly close to your diet throughout the holidays. We all love to indulge, it’s only human, but you haven’t put in all this effort to get where you are, just to set yourself back. It’s a waste of your and your trainer’s time. So now that that’s all said and done here our my tips for keeping off the holiday excess:
• Practice portion control. Just because grandma makes the greatest mash potatoes ever doesn’t mean you need all of them.
• If you know what’s coming for the big meal eat light for the rest of the day that way it’s possible to keep your intake a bit more in check.
• Stay active. Even washing the dishes or walking around and talking is better than just sitting around eating.
• Know your limits, eat slow and controlled that way when you truly are full you’ll know it.
• Chris, Steve, Chris, and myself know all of you very well and are very capable of making you regret over eating…keep that in mind.
Happy Thanksgiving!!! And Remember….Seven and a Half Hours of Burpees =)
-Jack Lazarus, Certified Burpee Instructor
However, I understand that it is the holidays and you want to enjoy at least something. Whether it is your aunt’s famous pumpkin pie or grandma’s homemade stuffing just realize what normal thanksgiving entails: for arguments sake let’s say a piece of pumpkin pie contain 350 calories, according to the American College of Sports Medicine doing 10 burpees a minute equals out to about 10 calories for someone around 150 lbs. In other words it would take you 350 burpees over the course of 35 minutes to create enough of a metabolic burn to work off that one piece of pie. Now granted if you weigh less or more there is a difference in number of calories burned in the process (weigh less burn less). From that same standpoint let’s say you were to intake all 4500 calories of that thanksgiving feast and still burning 10 calories a minute for 10 burpees, it would take 7 and a half hours of non-stop burpee fantastic-ness to burn off all those calories. Now I know how much everyone at ChrisFit loves burpees, and you all know that the trainers are crazy enough to make you do all 7 and a half hours’ worth of burpees, save yourself the aggravation of death by burpees.
Instead think smart and do your best to stay fairly close to your diet throughout the holidays. We all love to indulge, it’s only human, but you haven’t put in all this effort to get where you are, just to set yourself back. It’s a waste of your and your trainer’s time. So now that that’s all said and done here our my tips for keeping off the holiday excess:
• Practice portion control. Just because grandma makes the greatest mash potatoes ever doesn’t mean you need all of them.
• If you know what’s coming for the big meal eat light for the rest of the day that way it’s possible to keep your intake a bit more in check.
• Stay active. Even washing the dishes or walking around and talking is better than just sitting around eating.
• Know your limits, eat slow and controlled that way when you truly are full you’ll know it.
• Chris, Steve, Chris, and myself know all of you very well and are very capable of making you regret over eating…keep that in mind.
Happy Thanksgiving!!! And Remember….Seven and a Half Hours of Burpees =)
-Jack Lazarus, Certified Burpee Instructor
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