RossTraining.com Blog

Have a happy and safe holiday!   

I can’t believe another year has passed.  2008 should be fun however.  I have another child on the way! 

I’ll catch back up with the blog next year!

Ross

In a past entry, I mentioned a few worthwhile interval timers.  Many readers then listed additional options within the comment section of the blog.  You can catch up at this link:

http://rosstraining.com/blog/?p=38

To those looking for another Tabata interval timer, take a look at the link below.  I was recently contacted by the developer.  In his words, the timer is available for Windows, Linux, Mac and in an alpha-release for
mobile-devices that support java-me.  Check it out.

http://tabata.sperker.de/

Train hard,

Ross

Merry Christmas to all!!!

It’s been a hectic week, and it’s time to spend some time with my wife and son for the holidays.  I’ll catch up with everyone later this week.

Have a happy and safe holiday!

Ross

Michael Secrest gives us yet another example of tremendous physical condition at the young age of 54. In a recent test, his maximal oxygen consumption, EKG, and blood pressure all scored in the SUPERIOR category.  And while this may not sound too impressive, his scores were in the superior category for men ages 18 to 29!  At age 54, Michael is still in tremendous physical condition.  Who said that age matters?

Secrest is certainly not new to fitness however.  Just last year he rode over 500 miles on a bike in 24 hours.  Not too shabby…

534.75 miles in 24 hours

And for those interested in other age defying stories, be sure to browse through the past blog entries below:

http://www.rosstraining.com/blog/?p=199

http://www.rosstraining.com/blog/?p=189

http://www.rosstraining.com/blog/?p=159

http://www.rosstraining.com/blog/?p=158

http://www.rosstraining.com/blog/?p=156

http://www.rosstraining.com/blog/?p=123

Enjoy,

Ross

This entry is not training related, but as a long time baseball player and fan, I thought some may enjoy reading through the actual Mitchell Report.

400+ page Mitchell Report

If you haven’t heard of the report, you can catch up at the link below:

Big Names Connected To Performance Enhancing Drugs

And here is an editorial regarding the latest news:

Gossip, Not Solutions

As for my thoughts, I’d like to believe that it isn’t true.  Perhaps some of the players are innocent.  I honestly don’t know.  We never will truly know what has happened behind the scenes.  It is unfortunate however.  That is one truth that will always remain. 

I met Roger Clemens back in the late 1980’s.  I always admired his play on the field.  He was known for his work ethic and toughness.  I looked up to him.  I would hate to think that so much of his success came from a needle. 

Ross

Several months ago, I posted the following blog entry:

Steroids In Vitamins

Within ^ this entry, the following report was referenced:

Drugs In Sport

Unfortunately, it appears that this trend has continued.  Below is a more recent news report which tells the exact same story:

Supplements Contain Steroids

As stated within the most recent study, steroids are often found in over the counter dietary supplements. 

What does this mean?  Well, as a coach or athlete, you need to know what you are taking or prescribing.  Your career can be RUINED by taking what you believe to be a legal supplement.  No one will care whether or not you knew.  You’ll always be labeled as a cheat.

If you don’t know what you are taking, don’t take it. 

Stay clean and stay strong,

Ross

I can’t say it was a surprise.  Floyd Mayweather defeated Ricky Hatton on Saturday night via a 10th round knockout with a beautiful check hook counter.  Afterwards, Floyd changed his tune and expressed his respect for Hatton (something that wasn’t seen leading up to the fight).  My question is this… 

Did Floyd need to piss everyone off to draw excitement for the fight?  Like it or not, but kids look up to world champions.  I respect the hell out of Floyd’s talent, but it would be nice to see the Pound for Pound champion carry himself with some dignity and respect.  He may not want the title of role model, but that’s what you get when you are on top.  I see young kids trying to imitate Floyd and that is a problem.  If my son ever came home talking to me the way Floyd spoke leading up to the fight, he would have big problems.

Sugar Ray Leonard didn’t need to talk trash to become a household name.  Ricky Hatton didn’t need to talk trash to generate an entire nation of support.  No matter what Floyd will ever say, Hatton had more support in Floyd’s own backyard. 

You don’t need to be a bad guy to attract fans.  Boxing had a great comeback year in 2007, but it would have been even better if Floyd carried himself in a way that would attract NEW boxing fans.  Forget about the hardcore fans who will always tune in.  Boxing needs to keep attracting NEW fans.  Aside from Oscar de la Hoya, there aren’t many household names in the sport of boxing.  Most boxing fans couldn’t even name the heavyweight champion.  Can you imagine that happening back in the 1970’s?  The heavyweight champion used to be the most revered title in the sporting world. 

Floyd may not realize it, but when he pushes new fans away from the sport with his crude behavior, the entire sport pays the price.  He may be Money Mayweather, but most in his sport are not. 

Ross

The Internet attracts both good and bad.  Some seek and share knowledge, while others spread garbage… 

Unfortunately, the fitness world often operates in the latter half. 

Those who spread garbage violate a unique set of commandments.  Not the classical Ten Commandments, rather a list created by the honorable folks at St. Wilhelm’s (a worldwide sponsor of STRENGTH and POWER):

http://www.saintwilhelms.org/Commandments.htm

#5 is one of my favorites…

Don’t expect me to believe what you can’t prove.

Despite the simplistic nature of this commandment, it is often ignored in cyberspace.  Anyone can create a webpage.  Anyone can create a blog.  Keyboard warriors hide in anonymity as they feverishly peck at the Google search engine.  Perhaps they believe in an imaginary Google-Bot Trainer certification. 

Such Google-Bot Trainers (GBT’s) are easy to find.  They often throw out insults on Youtube, or perhaps Google for answers to message board queries.  Their responses are easy to identify, as they are often copied word for word from another source. 

The GBT reminds me of the youngster who cannot figure out a basic mathematical equation without a calculator.  They don’t actually understand math, but can find an answer when offered the calculator.  Google-Bot Trainers operate in the same fashion.  They don’t actually know anything, and may not even train.  Give them a search engine however and they can fool many unsuspecting readers.   

Oddly enough, these keyboard warriors would all but disappear if everyone followed the 5th commandment per St. Wilhelm’s.  If you are really such a big shot, come out and show yourself.  Stop pretending to train people that don’t exist and stop pretending to perform feats that you’ve never attempted.

Think about it, would you hire a surgeon who never performed an operation?  Hell no!  So why should anyone listen to a so-called coach, trainer, or athlete who doesn’t know jack about jack! 

For example, I recently had someone (attempt to) critique a fighter’s conditioning program that I had created.  I later learned that the individual had never fought, never coached, and had never even worked with ANY fighter from ANY combat sport.  He had never done anything, yet proudly appointed himself as a subject matter expert. 

On the Internet, people get away with this kind of rubbish.  In real life, it would be a different story.  Think about it… 

Can you imagine a stranger entering your boxing or MMA gym?  Upon entry, he tells the trainer that he is doing everything wrong.  The trainer would then glance over and say, “Who the f_ck are you?” 

The stranger would then announce himself as a Certified Online Blogger, and may even flash his Google-Bot Trainer card. 

At this time, the stranger would likely find himself laid out on his back, or perhaps thrown through the door.  It wouldn’t be pretty. 

But hey, Google-Bot Trainers operate with a different set of rules.  They don’t actually train, they just talk about training.   The don’t actually train athletes, they just talk about training athletes.  They don’t actually know anything, they just talk about knowing something. 

So, if you come across one of these certified specialists, it is always useful to reference St. Wilhelm’s 5th commandment. 

And ask yourself this simple question.  Where would the Google-Bot Trainer be if the Internet vanished?  I know that I’d still have a gym full of athletes waiting for me to train them.  Can the Google-Bot say the same?

Ross

Below is an entry from an individual who has lost 119 pounds since April.  Before I share his story however, I will first comment on a related topic.  Simplicity…

When discussing the importance of simplicity, Hans Hofmann said it best with the line below.

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.

Many in this world get lost in a search for complexity.  Complexity has falsely become an assumed prerequisite to thorough and concise work.  Those lost in this search overlook Hofmann’s powerful words.  Often times, a simple plan is actually more comprehensive and thorough than that of the complex plan, which actually lacks substance once put to the test.

As a trainer, I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the best fighters in the world.  I can say without hesitation that if a fighter trains with me, he will be in top condition on fight night.  Our plans are not complex or confusing.  Our work is straightforward and concise.  In Hofmann’s words, we eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary can speak.

There will always be skeptics to simplicity, as the endless search will always remain.  Fortunately however, more and more are starting to see the beauty and effectiveness of simplicity.  A plan must not be complex to be effective.  Bring the intensity, mix it up to keep things interesting, and target your specific goals.  The rest will be history.

For a real life example of such an approach, read the story below (which comes from a post made to my message board).  The words below come directly from the individual.

*******************

To start out with, I’ve always been “The Fat One”, “the big guy” ever since I can remember. I used to eat about every meal from a fast food sack. I decided that after my 22nd birthday in late March I would do something about it.

In March I had just finished a 6-month battle with quitting a 2 pack a day smoking habit and I needed something else to think about besides the next cigarette. I decided that a diet and workout routine would be the perfect constructive distraction.

I started out on April 1st 2007 at 6′ 5″ weighing in at 315lbs.

I began with just a simple low calorie diet and very, very light exercise. I would walk my dog around the block, or maybe do a few sit ups. It was really a joke in retrospect. I decided that I needed to up the workout and I bought a crappy Everlast punching bag and stand along with some gloves and began working out.

Enter Ross Training.

I started reading this forum along with a few other boxing forums. I also started to go 10 x 3 minute rounds with the heavy bag per day. This progressed into more intense fighting type workouts with a constant emphasis on a diverse training routine (Heavy Bag, Rope, ICT, Running)

I then started running and have never looked back. It’s been a hell of a journey. Just last week I completed a 5-mile run without stopping for the first time in my life. I then ran an 8-minute mile 5 minutes after the 5-mile run (Not fast but good for my personal record).

I weigh in daily, and I had been planning on writing this thread the past few weeks but I finally just did it today. This morning I weighed in at 196lbs.

I decided to snap some pics:

Before Picture

After Picture

I have dropped from wearing a XXXL shirt size and a 46″ waist to a Large and a “34-36″ waist. And even though the number is an arbitrary benchmark I have used BMI to calculate my progress. I have gone from a 37.3 to a 23.2.

My wife pictured in the “before” shot has also applied the same techniques and lost a total of 70lbs and looks AMAZING. Our lives have improved so much.

I wanted to thank Ross, and everyone on this board that gave me the motivation and helped give me the correct attitude to accomplish my goals. Without this community I am sure I would not have had the success that I have enjoyed thus far.

Thanks,

Mike

*******************
This story ^ is living proof that ANYONE can change.  119 pounds since April is a tremendous accomplishment.  This individual should be VERY proud of himself.  He decided to make a change and never looked back.

Hats off to Mike.

Train hard,

Ross Enamait

Below is a link to a recent study related to fitness and longevity:

Finding The Fit in Fat

A quick summary of the research suggests that cardiovascular fitness proves useful even to those who are carrying excess body fat.  This research IS good news.  Even those who currently have weight problems can realize the benefits of exercise. 

This does not mean that we should overlook the dangers of obesity however.  Do we really need Captain Obvious to save the day.  Those with excess weight must still strive to lose it!  Let’s not fool anyone and suggest that obesity is no longer an issue as long as you put in a little cardiovascular exercise. 

Unfortunately, soon after this report was released, catchy articles have appeared with titles such as:

Being Fat Is Okay As Long As You Are Fit

This is a problem, and I’ll explain why.  Many readers glance the headlines.  They don’t take (and may not have) the time to read through each line referenced within the research material.  A quick glance at the headline above suggests that being fat is okay.  Suddenly, all of the problems related to obesity vanish as long as you engage in some cardiovascular exercise.  If life were only so easy…

We as a society need to stop coddling the obesity problem.  If you care about your health, you need to recognize that being overweight is a problem.  There are several problems associated with obesity.  Let’s not try to hide these problems and make excuses for those who won’t lose the weight (note the word choice won’t as opposed to can’t).

Our society has grown soft.  Society needs a kick in the ass and a wake up call.  If you want to lose weight, lose weight.  Start eating better and start busting your ass in the gym.  No one said it would be easy.  It’s not easy for me to wake up at 4AM to train before work.  I do it.  No one holds my hand or forces me to wake up.  No one forces me to make healthy food decisions.  I make the decision for myself. 

I’m not special.  I’m just a regular hard working adult.  If you want something, go get it.  This simple truth applies to almost anything in life.  Want to get in shape?  Go get in shape!  Want a better job?  Go get a better job!  Want to eat better foods?  Eat better foods! 

We need to stop babying those who don’t want to put in the work.  We all make choices.  It’s about time that we were held responsible for these choices.  If you want to abuse your body, don’t blame me or anyone else.  If you want to nourish your body, there are plenty of us who are willing to help.  You need to make the choice for yourself however. 

Rant over

Ross