Fat Energy & The Low Calorie Energy Drink

The prevalence of so called "energy drinks" in the market today leave many in a state of confusing. Are these beverages healthy, do the provided energy as proclaimed by their aggressive names and flashy packaging, can they be both low in calories and still provide energy? The answer is yes and no. Energy drinks can provide energy since, by definition they contain calories and calories are the fuel that provides energy. But this fuel is primarily is the simple form of SUGAR! Clearly sugar is not the best energy source for the body, *except in certain situations, as it rates high on the Glycemic Index and does not provide for prolonged physical endurance. Oddly enough, dietary (healthy) fats provide far more energy than sugar, in fact healthy fats contain more potential energy than carbohydrates and proteins combined. Healthy dietary fat sources include:

• Olive Oil
• Vegetable Oils
• Nuts & Seeds
• Cold Water Fish (Salmon, Mackerel)

When was the last time you looked on an energy drink's container and saw dietary fats included in its ingredients? It is taste and hope that many are slave to. The addiction to sugar and belief that drinking a caffeinated beverage will give one some magical boost of power. The only magic that occurs when consuming one of these drinks, is the magic of convincing one to pay two and three times as much for what basically amounts to a soda. Sodas average about 140 calories, and energy drinks do as well.... at least per serving, and most mega sized drinks contain 2-2.5 servings. So technically you do derive energy, but consider the sugary source. As for low calorie energy drinks, by definition this makes little sense when considering that again energy is fueled by calories. Thus, if there are very few calories in a drink, how can it then provide an ample amount of energy to deem itself an energy drink. A rocket can only be propelled by rocket fuel! You want energy? GO EAT!

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*Nutrient timing accounts for the exception to the rule. There are specific times when high glycemic foods should be consume in order to speed recovery and aid protein absorption. 

Insane Training, Insane Results: How training hard can impact your life (True Story)

ASP Moment

"I went to Europe for the holiday and for some reason I was subject to numerous "random" searches which involve an intense frisk. In France they pulled me and made me put my hands out in the Jesus position and proceeded to do an intense frisk. When the guard ran his hand over my rear deltoid area he freaked out and called out that he "got one." Of course numerous guards ran over and began to grill me about what I was hiding under my sweatshirt. I was a little nervous having no idea what they were talking about. Turns out that he thought my rear delt muscle was some sort of foreign object. They didn't believe me when I told them that I had nothing under there. After taking off my shirt to  reveal a wife beater tank top in the middle of the airport I got a swift apology. You may want to warn people that your circuit routines may cause problems at the airport. This just happened in France on Saturday. I don't know what they might have done to you my friend. I am only a galo (126lb fighter)." -David Zwanetz Grappler Lawyer

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The Talent Syndrome

Are you too talented to train hard? Odd question, but unfortunately many emerging and highly talented athletes consciously or subconsciously subscribe to this philosophy. Having worked and consulted with world class athletes, I have seen this mistake time and again. I found myself holding an impromptu lecture with a team mate of one ASP alum/team member #38 Marcus Dowtin LB for the University of Georgia on my recent visit to watch the Bulldogs take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. We spoke about some nagging injuries he had with his hamstrings, to which I responded that most people fail to train their posterior chain and thus suffer such injuries. His response to that was that that made sense, but because of his natural talent he did not see the purpose of training legs..........the classic, "I Hate Training Legs!" My challenge to him was what if by failing to comprehensively train his legs, he might actually not be taking full advantage of his performance potential. I took it a step further and proposed, what if by simply failing to train your hamstrings that you lower your draft status and thus cost yourself millions of dollars? It was funny to watch his face freeze up as he considered the prospect.

This example just illustrates how the perspective of highly talented athletes view their training and performance. Most athletes with a superior level of talent wait until they have suffered injury, or their talent begin to diminish before their take a serious look at their conditioning program. Think about professional athletes that are drafted high but quickly wash out of their respective leagues, as compared to those taken in later rounds but work hard to become stars for years to come. Consider athletes that peak on the amateur level and because they did not put in the work to refine their abilities, are quickly forgotten? When deciding whether you want to train today think about how many millions of people across the world aspire to the same goal that you seek to achieve? Are you working harder than them? Are you studying as diligently as they are? Have you reached 10,000 hours as proposed by Malcolm Gladwell in the book Outliers?

Team Lloyd Irvin lives by the philosophy, "Hard work always beats talent, when talent refuses to work hard!" This statement sums up how important it is to constantly improve. As I always remind my clients, there is no maintaining. You are either improving or moving backwards as the world/competition surpasses you. Never take talent for granted and always remember that there is some one somewhere working to take you spot.

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Inspiration

Whether you know it or not, you are someone's inspiration. Your actions can inspire someone to doing something good or bad. So, being an inspiration to others entails immense responsibility. Simply choosing to being committed to yourself and your fitness goals can greatly impact those around. If only to encourage others to live a healthier lifestyle, proper health and nutrition can be your vehicles for change in others. Many are often inspired by athletes, but everyday people provide just as much inspiration for those that need to see examples of transformation from the neighbor, coworker, or friend.

So, go and be inspiration. Be an inspiration for your family, friends, but most of all for yourself. You just might change someone's life while shaping your on.


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Pills & Potions II

The most full proof way to cut body fat and improve your health and fitness is proper diet and exercise. Pills and shakes, etc do not teach you the healthy habits that will transform your life. Hydroxycut in particular is another gimmick. If you want to know the truth of any product, read the fine print. The common denominator with all of the weight loss products or fad machines is proper diet and exercise. Hydroxycut can be dangerous when you consider that its active ingredients work to speed up your heart rate (which is worse when you consider an already elevated heart rate during a workout), even though it claims to speed your metabolism. By the same token beware of the diet suppressants as well. They claim to curb your appetite.........Right? Well, what is the point of "curbing your appetite" aka encouraging you not to eat aka starving yourself, when this course of action does not contribute to speeding up your metabolism. Be sure you are not sending your body the wrong signals. HYDROXYCUT ONLY WORKS ON YOUR WALLET! Eat clean, eat often, and train consistently....The secret is, there is no secret.

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Weekend Food Woes

Does this sound familiar? “I eat well during the week, but on the weekends my diet seems to fall apart.” Surviving the weekend eating challenge is key to achieving your fitness and physique goals. People often find it easier to stick to a healthy eating regimen during the week, as the days are pretty well structured and we are occupied by the daily duties of life and work. But the free form nature and periods of idle time present during the weekend offers the opportunity for people to stray from the healthy nutrition track. In many ways it seems odd that this phenomenon occurs considering that it would seem that we would actually have more time to focus on our eating.

Sleeping in and lounging around the house can lead to overeating and bad snacking. As with everything else in life, weekend eating is all about conditioning and the development of healthy eating behaviors. Whereas a bowl of oatmeal with almonds and a small glass of juice may suffice during the week, many automatically switch into pancakes, sausage, eggs, bacon, syrup, butter mode.
To beat the temptation of “weekend food disasters, remember to make a plan. Planned eating does not allow for much deviation. Also, do not allow events (parties, dancing, movie, going, etc) to dictate your eating. Remember to indulge in moderation. And last, make the best choices from the foods that are available. When eating out remember your healthy food principles, and stick with water instead of a soda.

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Strength: A State of Mind

I am often asked, "what do I need to do to get stronger?" My answer is always the same, "Lift heavy weight!" Sounds simple, and it is. What isn't simple is developing, achieving, and maintaining what I like to call a Champion Mindset. You will never improve your strength without first mastering the mental approach. Many allow doubt and fear to hold them back. Many coaches, trainers, and fitness enthusiasts use strict increments and percentages in their approach to achieving greater strength gains. My unconventional approach employs what I call the "WHY NOT PRINCIPLE." After being sure that first and foremost a lift or movement is safe and well supported, I prefer to throw weights on the bar or machine......If you can go up 5lbs, WHY NOT increase it by 10lbs or 20lbs? I find that in an attempt to reach one's maximum potential for a particular lift in a slow and methodical manner, most reach a point of fatigue before reaching their heaviest potential load. So instead of a "light" warm up on a bench press, then increasing the load in gradual increments........... I simply throw weight on the bar (COUNT PLATES NOT WEIGHT!). I usually warm up with 20 reps of 225lbs, then progress to my first working set of 275lbs, then second working set of 315, third working set of 365, and topping out at 405lbs (I also alternate with a back movement between sets........ I'm an opposing muscle groups proponent versus the classic chest and triceps fan. But more on that late, because when I say classic I mean SUCKS!). But the key here is not the routine, but the state of mind!



I was asked recently by a rather large individual, "How much should I be able to lift for my size?" My answer, "Are you strong or are you weak?" Lifting 300lbs sounds impressive, but if you weight 300lbs..................NOT! I call that doing push ups. If you have failed to dedicate yourself to improving your performance, strength, endurance, etc each time you set out on your particular field of competition, then you are not strong. One must cultivate mental strength as they also work to increase their physical strength.



So how do you increase your strength? CHALLENGE YOURSELF! Trick your mind. Set a goal that you once thought was ridiculously inconceivable, and try to reach it anyway. I was criticized/questioned by a trainer some time back for a training protocol I like to call the 100 Rep Workout, because they noticed in a video that some of the athlete's form was improper. This makes since after rep 60. But what this trainer missed was the fact that I was building mental strength in the team, while simultaneously training their bodies. The goal wasn't 100 perfect reps, but the mindset of pushing past fatigue, then pushing more. I know that 100 perfect reps is ridiculous, but the team pushed through. If I instructed the team to stop as their form began to fail, as was suggested by this critic, I may have only gotten 20 reps out of them. (NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN! ) But by demanding 100 reps, I will get 50+ reps.... More than twice than what those imprisoned by thoughts of what believe is possible. Again this is why for my clients and team members.... YOUR WORKOUT IS OUR WARM-UP! But again this is a Champion Mindset... A World Champion Mindset!



Want to get stronger today? Here are a couple of ways you can begin to challenge yourself and get stronger right now.



Blind Sets- Have a training partner randomly select loads for you to lift during your next training session. Close your eyes and have your partner add or reduce the load at their whim. They should play with your mind by slapping the plates or quietly adding weight while telling you its the same weight. You will be surprised how the anticipation can dictate how much you are able to lift.

I have done this routine countless times with clients. Sometimes changing a person's mind about weight is the only ting necessary to get them to move to the next level.



REAL High Reps- Think you've done a high rep routine? Try this during your next session. Take the number of reps you would normally perform, and double it. Easy!.... actually no, its probably the worse burn you have ever felt.



Champion Mindset---> Change your mind, change your body!



Dedicated to the dedicated... -ASP

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Part II: Interview with D’Angelo Kinard, Strength and Conditioning Coach

Strength and Conditioning Trainers – How Do You Choose The Right One?

Superb strength and conditioning trainers are hard to come by. It seems like just about anyone can put “personal trainer” on a business card and get to work. Nowadays, a person can even get certified without leaving their home through various online programs. There is also an ever-increasing, yet perplexing trend of out-of-shape personal trainers—how can you help someone get into shape if you don’t even have the drive to stay fit yourself?

So how can you wade through the sea of synthetic strength and conditioning trainers to find the one that can take your fitness to the next level?

Here are some qualities that seasoned strength and conditioning trainers possess:

* Dedication -- An effective trainer is one who is completely dedicated to the improvement of your conditioning and well-being.
* Produces Results -- Before you hire a personal trainer, make sure they can produce REAL results. Check for testimonials or find someone who’s worked with the fitness coach before.
* RESOLUTE -- Strength and Conditioning trainers must be tough and determined. Getting in shape is NOT easy. It takes gallons of sweat and tears, wrung out through hours of HARD WORK! You’re going to need someone who won’t be easy on you during the grind.
* Encouraging - This one is HUGE when it comes to finding the right coach. Strength and conditioning trainers need to be experts in encouragement and positive reinforcement. Getting in shape is all mental, you need a trainer that will say the right thing, at the right time, to motivate you to reach your full potential. It is easy to quit on yourself, so you need to find someone who can go to war with your inner-voice and push you past the limit.
* KNOWLEDGE -- This is a no-brainer. Strength and conditioning trainers need to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the human body, specific workouts, warm-ups, cool-downs, stretches, and nutrition.
* Personable -- You must have a solid and friendly relationship with your trainer for maximum efficiency

Hopefully you’ll be able to find the right personal trainer that suits you!

Luckily, at Team Lloyd Irvin we have a coach that puts all other strength and conditioning trainers to shame. D’Angelo Kinard possesses all the aforementioned qualities and then some. No-one can motivate an athlete better than D’Angelo, no matter how tired or sore they may be. His unique, innovative, and creative approach to fitness is unrivaled. He is a part of the TLI Family and we are all extremely blessed to have him conditioning the professional fighters and competitors.



Reprinted from: http://www.teamlloydirvinusa.com/blog/

Exclusive Interview with Strength and Conditioning Coach, D’Angelo Kinard

Fire Your Trainer Now!

Have you ever been told by your trainer that you can't do something? Has your trainer ever tried to limit the heights of your progress? FIRE THEM! Is your trainer holding themselves to the same standard as they hold you? FIRE THEM NOW!!

There are no limits!
You could not imagine the standards that I hold myself, my team, my clients, my athletes to!

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What they don't see: Behind the scenes of MMA

The rise of MMA in the last few years, particularly the UFC, has inspired many to dream of one day fighting in the octagon. MMA fans, with their branded t-shirts and hats, have helped the sport grow by leaps in bounds, yet many fail to appreciate what it really takes to reach the elite level. WHAT THEY DON'T SEE is the sacrifice and struggle of most MMA fighters.



Having had the privilege of working with both professional and amateur fighters I can appreciate the dedication necessary to accomplish the ultimate goal of competing on the highest level. I was reminded of what it takes this past weekend as I got lost following my GPS on a drive up to small town USA (I won't trash anyone's hometown). While navigating past diners and small shops, single lane roads, warehouses, and slew of dingy non-descriptive buildings, I found my way to a small venue where one of the guys I train was set to take battle. Upon entering the "unique" smelling place I took note of the collection of twenty or so competitors draped in the gear of their local academies, along with a number of dies and oddly configured haircuts (obviously borrowed from their favorite MMA stars). No fancy sponsor billboards, no lights, no cameras, no throng of fans, no reporters; just a group of hungry fighters looking to prove themselves in hopes of one day being featured on a big pay per view event. Guys willing to bleed for no money, no fame, just a chance to build their records with the aim of reaching the next level.



After being shown to our dressing rooms, which doubled as the locker room for some sort of sports team, with its broken down benches and dank floors, I was reminded that this is what true competition is all about. MMA or any competition for that matter is not about the plush accommodations of some luxury hotel. It has little to do with signing autographs and becoming a media and marketing darling, but with testing your skills and training against an opponent. Television stardom is merely the payoff for the long car rides, cheap hotels, and backyard sized venues.



This goes out to those athletes willing to toil in obscurity. To those fighting for peanuts, or no money at all. To those whose names you have never heard of, and those whose names you will hear in the future. To those that have shed gallons of sweat and blood only to get knocked out and tapped out in a matter of seconds, yet are willing to do it again and again. To those that train fro 8 weeks and cut weight only to have their opponent not to show up on the night of the fight. RESPECT!



So, to all those that aspire to be a MMA superstar, RESPECT THE GRIND and appreciate what it takes.



GOAL PLAN SACRIFICE


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On Dedication

What is dedication? What is desire? What is commitment?: To reach the pinnacle of any field of endeavor dedication, desire, and commitment are all absolutes. The Advanced Sports Performance creed is Goal Plan Sacrifice, yet many still don't comprehend the meaning of this philosophy. Most want to achieve by default rather than through effort. Dedication is more than a word, it is an attitude.



A few months back I was contacted by a young man regarding improving his conditioning. He remarked that he has seen the great results of the athletes that I have worked with, and sought to upgrade the strength and conditioning aspect of his training. Despite being a brown belt and Jiu Jitsu player that has competed around the globe, he recognized (and was humble enough to admit) that his conditioning was lacking. Sight unseen, except via videos, he decided that it was imperative that he train the Advanced Sports Performance "Your Workout Is My Warm-Up!" Addicted 2 Results way. Did I add that this gentleman lives in London?!? Through careful analysis, only through videos and emails, I designed a plan that has produced good results for him. But its not the plan that has made the difference, so much as his dedication, desire, and commitment to adhering to the plan. Pushing himself through grueling workouts. Its one thing to make it through the rigorous training sessions with me yelling PUSH!, and quite another in a gym by yourself, while onlookers try to figure out why you put yourself through so much torture. I expect big things from this young man in the future, and look forward to crossing the pond one day to meet him in person.



How dedicated are you!



So to the dedicated, I commend you! To those that have yet to reach the necessary level of dedication........... Join the movement, or MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!

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True Champions

I have been a witness to champions in the making. I have seen many of the individuals I work with win world championships and hang medals around their necks. It is to them that I say congratulations. But it is the collection of champions that have fallen a bit short of their ultimate goals, that make me most proud. For they are the ones that take missteps in stride and continue to work harder the next day. It is far easier to find inspiration to continue to train hard following a victory, than when things don't go your way. This is the true test of one's mettle.

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