Dedicate..

I am in a constant state of self-evaluation and assessment. How can I be better? Am I on the right path? What can I be doing differently? Who do I want to be? Physically I'm in a pretty good place and I have some fairly specific goals and plans laid out. But that's the easy part for me. It wasn't always, I had to come a long way to get where I am today. I had to make some difficult decisions and pass some difficult tests to get here. It always came down to how badly did I want it and how far was I willing to go to get it. Can I dedicate myself to the level necessary to make it happen? 

It took a complete transformation. Every single person, thing, or activity in my life that was going to hold me back from getting where I wanted to get was immediately cut. Everything. There are people that I used to hang out with and talk to on practically a daily basis that I haven't spoken with in years. I haven't touched a drop of alcohol in over 4 years. I workout daily. I read books written by people that I can learn from. I don't read fiction. I don't watch TV.  I don't waste time. I eat super clean about 90% of the time and that's because I don't have to be super clean 100% of the time. If I had to lose weight then you can guarantee that I wouldn't have the occasional burrito or bowl of ice cream, but I burn an extra 10,000 calories a week exercising so I can make a few exceptions in my diet. The result of all of this is a level of confidence, self-esteem, health and happiness that many will never achieve. It doesn't mean that it's unachievable for others, it just means that most are not willing to go to the lengths necessary to get there. I train people on a daily basis who are willing to do it, but for every person like Dawn or Sue that have made incredible lifestyle adjustments and completely dedicate themselves to a complete transformation, there are a thousand others who don't have the balls to do what it takes. If you want to lose 50 pounds, yet refuse to cut processed carbs and alcohol out of your diet and won't find an hour a day to get some activity in then, I'm sorry, you don't want it badly enough. 

I don't care who you are, if you want something that you've never been able to achieve before then you need to become a different person. I spent years of my life repeatedly taking the same path expecting to end up in a different place. I eventually realized that  pretty much all the bad shit that ever happened to me was my own fault, (as was the good shit). The good things that happened weren't luck, I earned the good things.. As for the negative experiences, some of which ended with a massive fucking mushroom cloud, I could have affected the outcome of every single one of those experiences with different behaviors. Once I accepted the responsibility of all of my actions I was able to move forward and I continue to move forward. 

The mental component of the transformation is the biggest. Your mind will drag your body wherever it decides to, sometimes kicking and screaming. Developing a level of mental toughness to stay true to your goals is a very difficult thing to do. Lack of mental toughness results in failure. We train mental toughness at Dynamic all the time. If at the end of a 6x30:30 AirDyne set you are able to carry on a conversation then you're missing the point. The more you challenge yourself at a mental level, the better you get at it. This has a direct benefit on your ability to handle difficult situations as they arise in daily life. The more mental toughness you develop, the better equipped you are to stick to the goals you set out to achieve. 

Set goals and figure out the barriers that have prevented you from getting there in the past. Train your mind. Dedicate yourself completely. Transform. 

The Gift...

I'm not one to intentionally use dramatic overstatements to prove a point.. Sometimes my passion for things comes across as a little over the top to people that don't share the same level of appreciation for a certain topic as I do. But that doesn't mean I'm over-emphasizing a point, it just means that you may not appreciate it as much as I do.... yet... So when I say that what we do at Dynamic will change your life, there are people who haven't worked out with us that will shake their head and say "he's taking himself way too seriously", as they head off to Gold's to do 3 sets of 10 biceps curls, followed up by 3 sets of 20 minutes at the water cooler. But for most of the people that work out with us, they get it, and they know I'm not overstating it. Let me give you an example. Jay and Nancy had Michele and I over their house a week ago for a Christmas get together and both of them couldn't say enough great things about what working out with us has done for them. I kept hearing, "It changed my life", as Jay would tell stories to his friends about the transformation in his life since working out with us. Here's a guy who is now running Dynamic-style workouts at lunchtime in a garage outside his office in Hampton where he gets 75% participation from the office of 32 workers! The people at his office love coming to work because they can't wait to see what Jay's got in store for them at lunchtime and they are feeling better than they ever have. His passion for what we do has now transformed the lives of the people he works with. His son, Jack, who also works out with us, wrote a paper for school. Topic was "a moment that changed your life".. He chose the day his father ran into me at Home Depot, we talked for about 10 minutes, and he decided he was going to work out at Dynamic. Jack chose this topic because it changed his father's life so much that it had a direct and substantial positive impact on his own. Jack also started working out with us almost 2 years ago. He just finished his first season ever playing organized football and won the MVP on his high school team. This is not an isolated event. Ask some of our trainers, like Niko, Nicole, George and Chris.. They became so passionate about what we do, that they made a commitment to share the passion by becoming trainers at the gym.

Let me ask you this, how many people do you know have ever said to you, "You have to check out Best Fitness, it is incredible, I'm in better shape than when I was playing college football. No shit, this place has changed my life!". I'm going to go grab another cup of coffee while you think about that........ OK, I'm back. Anybody? Didn't think so. But I'm not here to blast Best or Gold's or any of the other Chrome and Fern palaces. This is about the gift that I gave myself the day I stopped going to places like that. I gave myself a gift of life.. Overstatement? Not if you "get it". As much as what we do will transform you physically, the mental transformation is far greater. Working out on machines and doing bodybuilding type workouts is relatively easy and doesn't get your body ready for the real world. That's why so few get positive results from it. If it's not that much of a challenge, it's boring, and it doesn't get you significant results, then it doesn't do much for you mentally.. Managing your own bodyweight, lifting heavy loads, working at maximum heart rate, and pushing yourself to your limits is hard. When done right, it's also exhilirating. It makes you physically strong, but it makes you mentally stronger. And it makes you feel so damn good that it's like a drug and you can't get enough of it. When you feel that good, you start to look for other ways to feel even better. You start eating better, you start sleeping better, you make better lifestyle choices. You get stronger, leaner, more energetic. You want to share it with everybody you know and get them hooked on it too. This is the gift. Mentally and physically, I am stronger at 43 than at any other time in my life, I continue to get stronger, and I am on a never-ending mission to give this gift to everybody who wants it. There was a time when I shared in the exasperation that I get from the people who are at their wits end. "I need something different! I can't take this anymore! I have to bite the bullet!" No more. That will never be me. It will never be Jay or Nancy or Jack. It'll never be Niko or Nicole. Once you figure it out, you will never go back either. Once you get the gift. This isn't an overstatement. It is, quite simply, the result of what we do.

Thanks for reading, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

kevin

Relax...

Last race of the year yesterday. Over 8000 miles and 500 hours on the road and trails. 38 road, MTB, and cyclocross races. 2010 is in the books. My focus this year was sharper than ever. My efforts had more purpose. My goals were specific. I came up short. I saw major improvement over previous years, and came very close to reaching my goals, but still came up short. Now that it's over, it's time to relax, reflect, and reset. I wanted to write about how it went and where it's going, but honestly, it's all too fresh to do anything coherent right now. It's like suffering a loss. Empty. Aimless. But it all starts again in a week with a re-focused sense of urgency, passion, and energy. Today there is no race, there is no prep, there is no.......... The ice is good. I'm going skating.....

Commit..

It's that time of year again. The time of year that a lot of people give themselves a free pass on taking care of themselves because the holidays are here and there's so many get-togethers and parties to attend. We're being pulled in too many different directions trying to get the kids where they need to go and getting our Christmas shopping in. We're too busy to workout. Too busy to eat healthy. "But it's OK", we rationalize, "January 1 is coming, and with it I have another fresh start to achieve everything that I meant to achieve this year.". I know from experience that this is how it is for many people. I used to do it myself years ago. I was thinking about this last Friday as I headed out for my bike ride in 18 degree weather to do short intense intervals as "openers" for my cyclocross race on Saturday. Coming out of the house the first thing I hit is always a steep, relatively short downhill that gets me close to 40MPH. So with my eyes starting to shatter from the ice cold wind pouring in around my glasses I had two thoughts.. I should have worn ski goggles, and, what is so different about me now than 10 years ago, that I would be subjecting myself to this in the middle of December? Trust me, 10 years ago on a Friday in the middle of December I would have been wondering where we were going for a couple beers after work.

The short answer can be summed up in four words. Priorities, goals, planning, commitment. I wrote recently about priorities, and I've also written about goals. You can find those entries here and here.. With this entry, I'd like to focus on planning and commitment. Once your priorities are in order, and you've set your goals, the success of reaching those goals lies in your commitment to making it happen. Just as important, you have to have a plan in place. 

Everybody needs to understand that there are going to be many days where you just don't feel like sticking to the plan. Tough shit. These are the days where you find out what you're made of. Tough day at work? Spouse giving you a hard time? Kid got sent to the principal's office? Lose a big contract? I can list 1000 things that are going to jump out at you that can derail your commitment to your goals. "Ah, lighten up Kevin, it's just one day.". Really? Every time you give in it weakens your resolve. The path of least resistance is the logical path for people. The body likes "easy". It's human nature. Working hard at anything is a lot of effort and the mind is more than happy to convince you to just relax and do what you want. It's easy to eat fast food. Mmmm, saturated fat tastes good! It's easy to have too much to drink at a party, it makes it more fun, right? It's easy to skip that group ride or run on Sunday afternoon because the Patriots are playing the Jets. It's easy to sit down for four hours eating nachos and drinking beer while watching your favorite football team. A lot better than working hard, that's for sure! The thing is, every time you give in it makes it that much easier to give in the next time. Anybody who has tried quitting anything knows this is true.. For example, you're going along fine for 2 months, and bang, you have a bad day and you give in to watching Grey's Anatomy.. You're like, no biggie, I'll start again tomorrow. But then next week, you're thinking, "well I did it last week, it's not like I've been clean for 2 months or anything. And I think Callie is going to leave her husband for that new female doctor, Arizona. Screw it, I'm watching!"* You get my point. 

*references to Grey's Anatomy pulled from Wiki.. The author has never watched a single episode of Grey's Anatomy. Honest!

So you've got your priorities in order and you've set your goals. And please, do this now. Do it sitting down with a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning. Don't do it after a half dozen margaritas on New Year's Eve when 90% of the world's outrageous resolutions are made. Put your plan in place and commit to it. Without a plan, the commitment can be easily derailed. If you're winging it on a week to week basis, then it's going to be really easy to give in on the bad days when you really didn't have anything planned anyways. Some of us can be successful putting our own plan in place. Your own success in doing it this way will depend on what your goals are, how well you understand what's required to get there, and your level of commitment to your goals. In my own personal experience, I used to have a hard time sticking to any plan without continually tweaking it. This would lead to subpar results because I wouldn't give anything an honest chance to work. Not only that, but I would tend to work too hard too often and not do the recovery part properly. This often led to over-reaching, which sometimes advanced to overtraining which resulted in injury and/or illness. I fixed this by hiring a coach. I worked with my coach on focusing my goals and he put a plan in place to get me there. And I can honestly say I'm in better shape and racing stronger than I ever have before. Having specific goals and a training program developed for me by a professional takes all the guesswork out of it. My job was to do what he told me, work my ass off, and stick to the program. There were so many days when I had so much going on and it would have been easy to bail on a workout, or decide to do something quick and easy instead, but I didn't. I had my priorities and goals set, I had a plan in place, and I was committed to it. 

OK, so you've decided that being healthy and active is a priority for you, that getting back in shape and restoring that vitality that has eluded you since you were young is important to you, that you are going to age youthfully and not allow your health (or bank account) to be held hostage by doctors and prescriptions. I know I'm stating the obvious, of course this is what everybody wants. Then why doesn't everybody have it? Mostly, it's because they don't know how to get there on their own. Everybody has tried the big box gym route. Everybody's tried the "6 weeks to 6-pack abs blockbuster program!!!" that they've seen in magazines or on TV. Getting in shape and staying in shape is hard. Doing it on your own is harder. This is why we're in the middle of a nationwide obesity epidemic and insurance and drug companies are making record profits. Look around you at work, in restaurants, at airports. You can see it. We all desire to be healthy and fit, but most of us aren't. Priorities, goals, a plan, and commitment. If you want to be healthy and fit, then these 4 things need to be in place.

If this is what you desire, if this is a priority for you, then we're here to help you get there. We'll help you with goals. Our dynamic fitness programs are second to none in helping you get in the best shape of your life. Come to Dynamic Strength and Conditioning and the plan is dialed for you. The commitment is, in large part, going to be up to you, but the motivation and camaraderie of our group training goes a long way towards getting you through the door on days when you just don't feel like it. Ask Marc who, never ran before, but is now keeping a 6:30/mile 5k pace. Ask any number of our clients who are in completely different wardrobes because they no longer fit into their old clothes. Ask Roni who's taking up new sports and competes in about 20-30 different events per year. Ask Chris who found the fire to start competing again in long distance running and completed his first ever 100 mile ultra this year. Ask Tom who's blood pressure, cholesterol, and resting heart rate are at lower levels than they've been in 20 years. The amount of success stories we have are so inspirational. Write your own success story, it's time to make the commitment.

The Expansion - Part II

Just got back from the new location and it is getting closer to becoming a reality every day :) We're about 3 weeks away from being open barring any more unforeseen delays. This is the second entry detailing the programs we'll be offering in the new space come January 1. If you missed our newsletter you can view it here. For more information regarding our Small Group and Semi-Private Training or our drop-in based Dynamic Functional Performance Training, click here.


The most exciting thing about the expansion is what the larger space is going to allow us to do with our programs. Having a 3000 sqft area of artificial turf for speed and agility work is going to be awesome. Having power lifting stations will allow me to build maximum strength and power work into training programs that just can't be done with kettlebells. I am very psyched about the opportunity to really customize programs for each person's goals in a small group setting and to offer these programs at pretty much any time of any day. Here are more details regarding some of the special programs we'll be offering at Dynamic in the new facility.


The 90 Day Challenge will continue to be our program for those who are ready to get back in shape. It is an incredibly succesful and popular entry level program that focuses on dynamic movement, joint mobility and flexibility, enhanced cardiorespiratory function, with increased strength and muscular endurance. The 90 Day Challenge is a structured, progressive training program with nutritional guidance that meets 3 days per week and costs $495. We will be offering this in the morning or in the evening based on your schedule. 


The 90 Day Challenge is the first step in realizing huge increases in energy, strength, and muscular endurance while losing body fat and increasing lean, functional, muscle mass!

Strength and Conditioning for the Endurance Athlete is a program I am very excited to offer. As a competitive cyclist I have a deep understanding of the strength and conditioning needs of an endurance athlete. I also know that many endurance athletes either avoid strength training or just have no idea what will best complement their sport-specific training program. We need to build strength that can be applied in a way that translates to our sport. We need to generate speed and power. We need to increase our rate of force development. We need to develop a solid core which is the foundation for our force production. We have to do all of this without building any unnecessary body mass. Additionally, a well-designed strength training program is key to injury prevention. 


Starting January 1, Dynamic will be offering both Off-Season and In-Season strength and conditioning programs for endurance athletes. The Off-Season program is focused on maximal strength production, increased rate of force production, maximizing strength to weight ratio (i.e. getting stronger without getting bigger), increased VO2max, muscular endurance, and exercise economy. There will be 2x, 3x, and 4x per week options and the schedule is flexible in order to coincide with your availability. Pricing for the off-season program is as follows:

8 weeks @ 2x per week: $295

8 weeks @ 3x per week: $395

8 weeks @ 4x per week: $495

Anybody who enrolls in an off-season program with us will also be eligible for our in-season program for strength maintenance. This will be 2 workouts per week that will be focused on maintaining full body functional strength in such a way that it will complement your endurance training. The schedule will be completely flexible and the cost will be $45 per month. This can also be set up as an on-line program that you can do on your own.

                                                                                                                 photo by Rob Bauer

For the high school, college, or professional athlete we will be offering the Dynamic Sports Performance Training program. This program is designed for the athlete who is looking to get stronger, faster, and more powerful with a reduced risk of injury. The focus is on building a solid athletic foundation through linear and lateral speed development, agility, explosive power development, and functional strength training. A low coach to student ratio of no more than 1:8 ensures that the athlete will be closely supervised for proper technique and safety. The athlete that takes part in the Dynamic Sports Performance Training program will see increased performance in competition with a reduced risk of injury.

Dynamic Strength and Conditioning is offering in-season, off-season, and pre-season training programs to meet each athlete’s individual needs and goals. Programs are offered after school as well as during holiday breaks and Summer vacations.

The off-season and pre-season strength and conditioning sessions are 2, 3, or 4 days per week, 90 minute intense workout sessions that include dynamic warmup and joint mobility, speed/agility work, strength and power development, and full body functional conditioning. The in-season program is a 2 day per week 60 minute session that is focused on maintaining sports-specific strength for the athlete during their competitive season. 

                                                                          photo by Karl Gehring, The Denver Post

Fall/Winter/Spring, pre-season program is 90 minutes per session, in-season program is 60 minutes per session. 8 Weeks 

2x per week: $295

3x per week: $395

Summer 2011, 90 minutes per session, 10 weeks

2x per week: $295

3x per week: $395

4x per week: $495

  Special Team Pricing is Available!

From the person who has decided that it is time to get back in shape to the professional athlete, Dynamic Strength and Conditioning has a program perfectly suited to your goals. You will get stronger, faster, leaner. You will have more energy and your confidence and state of mind will be soaring! 

We are taking reservations in all programs now. Email me to let me know what program you would like to join and what times and days you would like to train. If you have any questions about what's the best option for you I will be able to steer you in the right direction :)

This is a very exciting time for your gym. Make no mistake, without your desire to get in the best shape of your life, none of this would be possible. On behalf of myself, Michele and the rest of the Dynamic staff, thank you for being a part of our expansion!

Best,

Kevin

The Expansion - Part 1

With the release of the details of the upcoming expansion there was definitely a lot of excitement, and also a lot of questions. (If you didn't see the newsletter, you can find it here). Here's part 1 of a more detailed explanation of the upcoming changes at Dynamic.

At Dynamic Strength and Conditioning we have created an energy that is unsurpassed at any fitness facility. The people who workout with us have become family, to us and to each other. They receive the best training and get better results than they've ever gotten at any other gym or in any other program. At the same time, not a day goes by that we are not trying to figure out how to make it better. I know that we can offer you so much more than we already are and that is the driving force behind the move and expansion. The 9000 sq ft facility at 115 Northeastern Blvd will be a state of the art strength and conditioning facility that will allow us to do amazing things with the training programs. 

One of the things that we are very happy to be able to offer again is a low cost, unlimited drop-in based membership like we started out with at Dynamic over 2 years ago. The Dynamic Functional Performance Training is going to be offered every day of the week with sessions at 6am, 9am, 12pm, and 6pm on Monday through Friday. There will also be weekend sessions on Saturdays at 8am and 10am, and Sundays at 4pm. These are going to be high intensity, full body functional training sessions that work every muscle in your body, challenging you at the highest level both physically and mentally. The unlimited drop-ins are going to be at the lowest price we've ever offered for training at only $95 per month with no long term commitment or contract. You will also have the option to receive 2 months free by paying up front for 10 months. 

The pay-as-you-go option is $10 per session. There will be no 10-visit passes or other packages. The first week of DFPT is always FREE with no obligation so you owe it yourself to come check it out :)

This led to the top question I received after the newsletter went out. Does this mean I can't train at 5p (or 7p, or 5a, or whatever time you currently train in one of our programs)? The simple answer is, of course you can still train at those times! We will have small group (groups of between 4 and 8) and semi-private (groups of 2-4) training available at any time of any day! I've said this before, Dynamic Strength and Conditioning was created to offer a premium training program and get people in the best shape they have ever been in. As a trainer and coach with 20 years of experience working with athletes, I know that the best route to the best performance is to train in small groups with a low coach:student ratio in a structured, progressive training program. The Dynamic Performance program that we've been running has been a phenomenal program, but I can assure you that the small group program we've been running has been at another level completely. With the lower coach:student ratio you get better instruction, you get more customization, you get a better training program with a wider variety of exercises since there is no space or equipment limitations, you are less susceptible to injury because you get more instruction and attention to form, and ultimately, you will push yourself harder in a smaller group. Trust me, I see it every day. Put all of this together and you get the best results possible, without question.

The scheduling for small group and semi-private will be completely flexible. For example, if you want to work out on Monday at 7am, Wednesday at 8am, Friday at 5pm we will be able to accomodate that. Tell me when you want to to work out, and we will make it happen. If you have to miss a session, then there will be tons of other time slots that you can make it up during the same week. If you are away and simply can't make it up, then we will credit the sessions towards your next block of sessions, just like personal training. You won't pay for anything you don't use.

Obviously we are still in tough economic times and I am doing my best to make small group training accessible to as many people as I can, because I feel that strongly about its benefits. So I have priced it at a point that is well below what small group training has cost at our current facility. Here's a breakdown:

Small Group Training (groups of 8 or less)

8 weeks @ 2x per week: $295

8 weeks @ 3x per week: $395

8 weeks @ 4x per week: $495

To put this in perspective, you can now train 3x per week in a small group training program at the cost of what 2x per week currently costs. To look at it another way, you are getting a personal training experience for between $15 and $18 per session depending on how often you're coming. 

If you want to take it to the next level, get full customization as needed, and an even more effective coach:student ratio, then semi-private is the way to go with groups of 4 or less:

8 weeks @ 2x per week: $545

8 weeks @ 3x per week: $745

There will be a special early bird rate for those who want to work out at 5am. In addition, you can bundle any of our small group or semi-private training programs with the unlimited drop-ins for an additional $25 per month!

We also offer several discounts and referral bonuses...

Firefighters, police force, and military put their lives on the line for us on a daily basis. In my opinion, the type of training we do at Dynamic, and the brand of physical and mental strength that our training develops, benefits first responders and military more than anybody else, since this is exactly what they require to overcome incredible challenges successfully and return home to their families. To show how much we appreciate their service and how strongly we feel that we can help them get in the best shape possible to be successful in their mission we are offering a 50% discount to all firefighters, police force members and active military personnel. Additionally, if a serviceman or servicewoman is home on-leave, they are invited to workout at Dynamic for FREE while they are home on holidays.

We are also offering 10% discounts to students, family members, military veterans, and 65+. Referral bonuses will be given to anybody who refers a friend or family member. Once your friend or family member has worked out with us for 3 months, you will receive a $50 training credit in the program that you are enrolled in!

In the next entry, I'll talk more about the special programs that we'll be offering like the 90 Day Challenge and our programs specifically tailored towards Sports Performance and Endurance Athletes. I am incredibly excited to be able to offer the type of programs that an athlete or team would only be able to get at a Division I University!

All of us at Dynamic are really fired up about the positive changes coming. We should be in the new space towards the middle of December and all new programs will be implemented as of January 1. I would like to personally thank each of you who have been with us and I'm excited to welcome the people who have been waiting for the opportunity to work out with us. I want you to know that we will never stop looking for (and finding) ways to help you achieve your goals, adopt a healthier more active lifestyle, and get in the best shape of your life!

Priorities...

I've been away from blogging for quite some time, and I don't really have an excuse other than lack of time and other priorities. And it's not that everything else has higher priorities, it's just that I've set my priorities in a way that my time to blog has been squeezed. I really need to change that because I find that the best thing about blogging is that it gives me the opportunity to hash through issues and thoughts that are important to me. Like setting priorities properly.

I want to start out by saying that I believe everybody needs to be selfish. (Insert meditative pause here while you think about what an ass I am for suggesting such a self-indulgent priority). When I say "be selfish", I mean it in the sense that your own health and happiness needs to come before all else. The reason for this is really fairly simple when you think about it. Without your own health and happiness everything else in your life, and everybody else who depends on you (family, friends, co-workers) will be negatively impacted. So if being there for your kids is the most important thing in the world to you, then taking care of yourself needs to precede that so that you can be there for them. Common sense, right?

I was thinking about this the other day on my bike. It was on a day that I didn't particularly want to be on the bike because I had so much other stuff to do. Trying to get the new gym open while running the current location takes a lot of time and energy. On this particular day I had sessions to run in the morning, meetings with architects, contractors, and city hall, a soccer practice to run that evening. Every minute was accounted for and I was feeling really overwhelmed with everything. These are the days that things like exercising and eating healthy usually take a back seat to everything else. But that hasn't been an option for me for many years. I had a healthy breakfast of eggs, fruit and granola in about 10 minutes before walking out the door to the gym. I ran the sessions with enthusiasm and intensity, I left the gym, grabbed an espresso and a healthy snack of apple and almonds. Made a clockwise circuit through Nashua hitting the architect's office, City Hall, and the new gym to meet with the landlord and some contractors. I got taken out of schedule by having to run a couple unforeseen errands. Had a grilled chicken, tomato, lettuce, mustard sandwich. I was stressed out because I still had so much to do and my training schedule called for a couple hours on the bike and I still had soccer practice to run to cap it all off. By the time I got home my window was really getting squeezed for the ride. I got kitted up and headed out the door on the bike. I didn't have two hours, but I could get in 90 minutes, I just cranked up the intensity to compensate for the lack of volume. Got home, recovery drink, quick shower, and out the door with bag of soccer balls and cones to coach the GU12's.. Home by 7:00 for dinner, grilled chicken and veggies. 14 hours of non-stop and I managed to get in a 90 minute ride, which to be honest, cleared my head so completely that it was singularly responsible for allowing me to complete everything else. Without that release I would be a mess and everything else that I have responsibility for would be negatively impacted. I finished the day in bed reading a book by one of the top coaches in the world, Dan John, because learning something new every day is another of my highest priorities.

My top priority is getting my exercise in because it makes me better at everything else in my life. And by "exercise" I mean exercise that works the body and the mind. For me, it means being on the bike, or working the whole body with intense kettlebell and bodyweight routines, or nordic skiing, or competing. It needs to be active and with purpose, it needs to work my body and my mind, it needs to be meaningful.

There was a time when this wasn't my top priority. My workouts were lame. Go to the "gym" at lunchtime, back and bi's on Monday, leg day on Tuesday, you know the drill. It didn't make me better at anything. Absolutely nothing. I'd go back to my life-sucking job, leave at 5:00, get home and have a few beers or a bottle of wine, get up feeling like ass and do it again. Sometimes I'd skip the lame-ass workout, which honestly had no appreciable effect anyways. I had pretty much stopped making gains in weights since I had the same stale routine that I'd been doing forever. On weekends I would rather watch football and drink beer than actually compete in anything. I was weak, mentally and physically.

Contrast that with the present. I missed three workouts this year. Three! They were on consecutive days last May when I was coughing green shit up from a chest infection that I believe came on because I had worked out the previous week with such high intensity that my immune system had nothing left to fight it off. I'm stronger than I ever have been on the bike. I can do more pullups than I've ever been able to do in my life. I can do turkish getups with light adults. Mentally, there is no challenge or problem that I can't overcome.

When somebody says "I'm not going to workout today because I don't feel like it" or "I don't have time" I wonder how much time they spend texting lol's and omg's to their bff, or on facebook or watching TV. Instead of spending 15 minutes on facebook, use the time to do 10 burpees, bear crawl across the room, and repeat as fast and as many times as you can for 15 minutes. That's more effort than you would put in on a treadmill in 90 minutes. And it will do more good for you physically and mentally than anything else.

I don't have to tell you how good an intense workout makes you feel. I have people at Dynamic on a daily basis that move literally thousands of pounds or do close to 1000 reps of different bodyweight exercises in less than 30 minutes. It tops off their life-force. They eat healthier to get more out of their workouts so they have more "good" energy so they can do more stuff that they like to do. So that they can make a positive impact in their family's and friend's lives. The passion is amazing, the transformation complete!

Is it hard work? Well, yeah. If it wasn't then everybody would be in great shape, healthy and happy. It takes desire, dedication, and discipline. Do you have what it takes? Start with your priorities. Think about what's really important to you and if you have really dedicated yourself to it. Do your lifestyle and actions complement or contradict your priorities? If you need help, I can introduce you to some of the folks over at Dynamic that truly "get it".

I'm going to ride my bike now. I have a race tomorrow that I need to get ready for :)