Work:Rest Rations don't matter....??

I'm gonna keep this pretty simple, but since everyone right now is on the holiday edge it would seem appropriate to promote a little way to reduce stress.

First of all, when it comes to program design everyone's worried about what cycle/phase their in. I will tell you some pretty great advice given to me by Paul Chek once, and it was that there is only one cycle to worry about, until that is mastered nothing else will matter, and that cycle is the Circadian cycle. Circadian rhythm is what gets thrown off when you travel long distances and get jet lag, and is based on sunlight. Get it?

So until you get the daily cycle and what you need to do during that daily cycle it is absolutely pointless to move on from there. So you need food, sleep, exercise, recreation, work, and relationships. Missing any one of these and you're missing out on life.

This is NOT me but he does a good job of backing me up. So in the end, eat whole foods that taste good, sleep, stay social, and enjoy relationships, exercise, work while you're at work then leave it there, and get outside and partake in something enjoyable. We may live in the midwest where it happens to be a nice and cozy cold and snowy, but there's plenty to do. Take your kids out and pull them on the sled. It's a great workout and your kids will love it.

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Call me crazy, this breakfast was good

I get quite a few questions as to how I eat on a regular basis and to be honest my typical breakfast is the same almost everyday.

• 5 eggs
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 big bowl of oatmeal(I do change what goes into the oatmeal periodically based on what's around.)

You might call me crazy, but I hardly ever cook the oatmeal. I just throw it together, pour some milk on top and leave. It takes me less than a minute to make breakfast and be out the door. I take my oatmeal with me and eat it in the car. So next time you try and tell me that you didn't have time for breakfast, just go ahead and save it. I find both of these recipes pretty good. Sometimes I'll spruce them up a bit more but this is pretty typical.

I have two go to oatmeals:

Oatmeal #1

• 2 cups thick cut oats
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp cinnamon (by the way cinnamon is an incredible spice, it has huge implications for dealing with blood sugar regulation. I often add them to my teas as well.)
• And I'll throw some fruit as I feel like it. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.

Oatmeal #2

• 2 cups thick cut oats
• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp flax seeds
• and some granola (don't ask me how much I add, really it's morning and I just throw it all together.)

However, Lately I've been getting close to doubling my vegetable intake (one of my new goals, I'm kinda quarky). One way I've been able to do this and not feel like I'm constantly chewing, flossing my teeth, and withholding certain 'obscenities' (we'll call them that to be nice) is by using the blender. Drinking my veggies has become an extremely useful tool. I've also been taking more in during my second and fourth meals of the day. This lets me space things out a bit.

So, this morning I'm grabbing all the goods and I just happen to set it all right beside the blender. So.......My mind starts churning, and like all things that I do, I seem to take everything a bit further than it's supposed to (understatement, I do everything completely over the top).

I'll save the incident that occurred in my kitchen this morning and just give you the product of the process instead of the other way around.

So here you go. A crazy look at smoothies, but I liked it.

• 1.5 cups of snapped peas (like I said, quarky)
• 2 cups of mixed frozen berries
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 cups oats
• 5 eggs (raw).....I know, I know. Buy free range and your chances of food poison reduce to almost nothing. Your chances are extremely low to begin with anyway. By the way, I put two of those eggs in shell and all. Calcium.
• Chia seeds (there is actually some fantastic research buzzing around this little guy. It seems what used to clutter retirement communities has been found as an incredible little super food.)
• 1.5 tbsp Cinnamon

Sounds amazing right? Well no, actually it sound disgusting but I'm not gonna lie, I liked it. I was almost full, of which hardly ever happens. This is probably the healthiest breakfast I've ever made. It satisfies every corner that is pivotal for health: essential fatty acids, micronutrients, high antioxidants, polyphenols, catechins, soluble and insoluble fiber, this list could go on for a very long time. Mainly is satisfies my macronutrient needs while also being very antiinflamatious (therefore helping me be healthier and recover faster, as well as age slower, and make up words like antiinflamatious).

This recipe could also probably feed a small family so I wouldn't suggest the exact measurements. But that's part of the fun, play with it.

Response to my eggs

I guess my recipe is catching a little flack. I actually saw this coming but wanted to wait and see what people said.

The main problem seems to be that I ate 6 eggs in one setting. Well to be honest that's not that big a deal for me. In fact in high school I'd eat a full dozen sometimes, no problem. That was just me at the end of the day. I was actually way more active then than I am now, and I'd still do the same now without thinking about it. If I wanted to that is.

Okay, yeah, I get it. Most people don't sit down and eat 6 eggs at a time. It seems like a lot but really you need to stop and realize I weigh 230lbs and sit around 9% body fat. That means my body has around 209lbs of lean mass and all of that is metabolic, meaning it burns calories. So my personal diet is probably much larger than most people simply because I need more calories to operate. I also have a very active lifestyle and career. I'm lifting 4 days a week and working out with clients 5-6 days a week. Then on off days I'm typically off doing something else. So in order to function and maintain my body mass I need a high calorie intake. This was actually a pretty small meal for me.

Scenario:

Let's say Mr. X is a 38 year old banker that is 6' tall, weighs 180lbs, has a body fat of 18%, and works out 3-5 days a week. Not too bad. But, Mr. X has around 147lbs of lean mass that is burning calories and he sits behind a desk 5 days a week. The 3-5 workouts that he gets a week are going to need to be fed but for the most part Mr. X is probably not going to need to eat 6,000 calories a day, of which I probably do most days.

The whole 2,000 calorie thing doesn't work for very many people. It's just a number the food label uses to calculate it's percentages.

The point is to eat for your body. Same as lifting and training. You don't need to be taking a diet plan written for someone else and try using it. It doesn't work. A 150lb woman going for fat loss isn't going to be successful using a diet plan written for Robert Gallery. She also wont be successful using his workout program. Just doesn't work that way. Just a side note, but she wont be successful athletically using that program either, cause it's not built for her and she's not ready for it because he's a professional athlete, and professional athlete's are the freakest of athletes.

Your typical 150lb woman is not this freaky.

Food industry crap, Probiotics, and a Total Eclipse of the Heart

I am in complete agreement. In every way he says it. Just watch.

This guy hits it right on the head, and as far as that goes pretty much anything that you buy from the store is going to be that way. In case you missed it in the video, I'm saying almost everything you buy from the store is shit. Shit with really good marketing.

I'm gonna throw out a number and say 1 out of 50 of a similar item in stores actually do what they are supposed to and are even half way good for you and even less likely are they to be worth your money. Sucks enough to want to rip the heads off all the top ass wipes of the food industry. Too bad the rest of them don't get the hate that the tobacco industry does. We'd be much further ahead that way.

I'm also gonna throw this in here. 1) to lighten the mood and 2) cause it's hilarious

Using what you have

Typically I buy groceries on Sundays, but I don't go until about 9pm due to the ridiculous amount of people shopping at the same time. See I'm one of 'those' people that goes grocery shopping and even though I don't have to I still find myself going through each isle. I'm also not the most patient person in the world when it comes to standing in line so for me it's a much better experience to go later.

Not a good time to go for groceries.

The trouble usually comes at the end of the week when I'm running low. Usually I have some back up plans and go to's for when I get in a bind but the past week food was running short for sure. For one of my last meals of the day I ended up trying to use what I had. Which happened to be: my last 6 eggs, 1 green pepper, 1 tomato, and the last of a bag of spinach.

This is what came out.

I ripped up the spinach, cut up the pepper, and scrambled it together with the eggs and about 1tbsp of evoo, some salt and a lot of pepper. I love tomatoes so I left that out of the skillet to add later. I actually planned this cause I like contrast and the cold tomato vs the hot eggs is really good.

I had this and after I was done happened to find some almonds to chew on. It was really pretty perfect for what I needed. I wasn't working out that day, and my activity level in general wasn't real high so I needed to take in fewer carbs, of which the tomato was my largest source. There's about 37-40 grams of protein and a solid micronutrient content. The only thing in question would be the amount of arachadonic acid (very inflamatory acid) intake from the eggs, of which is not a huge deal for me since I have a large intake of EFA's daily in the form of fish oils, Evoo, pumpkin and flax seeds, as well as a large vegetable and fruit intake. Plus, eggs are great. They're a very inexpensive protein source and have many healthy benefits.

Compliments, kettlebells, and farm machinery???

I really wondered how the day would start today. I had a absolutely awesome weekend, monday was not a typical monday at all it was grrreat but last night was interesting. I actually somehow ended up back on the farm where I grew up helping my dad practically rebuild a planter. Which means laying in dirt, rolling around positioning yourself while holding odd shaped and awkward heavy pieces of machinery while trying to somehow get a free hand to use. By the time I was done my back was happy to be finished. I'm lucky I am in my deload week.

This is actually the exact same planter.

So, I wondered how things would go in the morning. Well I woke up, back felt great. Which is awesome considering I grew up feeling like my back could pretty much go at anytime. So that was a good realization. Learning functional anatomy, Abdominal bracing, Muscular Activation Techniques and kettlebells have really changed my life.


Then I get to work and a new member decides to retake my kettlebell class. GREAT! That really got me going. She had taken one class before and this class is not for everyone. It's hard, and you get sore and all that. So I usually worry that I'll never see people a second time. Then at the end of class she happens to give me possibly the greatest compliment I think I've ever received. I had told her that I worried she'd never come back, and she replied,"No way, it's the best workout I've ever had." That was awesome to say the least.

So there you go, throw out the planter and it's been 5 phenomenal days right in a row. I love it!

7pm rule=BUNK!!!

I've heard it too many times before, and I'm sure I'll hear it again, but this is getting beyond old. On top of that, people are really hurting their bodies and their chances for nutritional success by following this simple age old rule as if it came straight from "the book" itself.

It seems to be that most people are accepting the idea of eating frequently for good health and fat loss, which is great. But, for some reason, this stupid 7pm rule is still sticking around. Some people don't necessarily follow this rule but most people are still not getting food after they eat supper (or w/e you call your evening meal).

We know now that eating every 2-4 hours (and I like every 2-3 hours even better) is the best way to eat for health, fat loss, and for building muscle (funny how those all work together huh?). The theories make good sense, and it has been proven over and over again. (theories would include topics of metabolism, nutrient absorption, insulin sensitivity and other hormone regulations, along with others.)

Okay, so how does that connect with the 7pm rule? Well, lets do it the easy way.
Example: Lets say you eat at 6:30pm, go to bed at 10pm, wake up the next morning at 6pm and get breakfast right away. You are supposed to eat every 2-4 hours, but you have just gone 11 hours without food. In that eleven hours your body's metabolism slowed to a screeching halt, used up all its glycogen stores and then started breaking down your muscle for energy to stay alive. You also just told your body to get ready for the next time you decide to starve and so it responds by turning more of your food into fat to get ready for next time.

All that is just the short term. You also lost some muscle mass, which means your metabolism is lower and you are less able to deal with your normal calorie intake, in turn you eat more calories than you need and guess what, you got skinnier while you also gained fat. Not so cool. (Ever seen an overweight guy with hardly any muscle on his arms? That could be you if you like.)

What's the anwer?
Eat before you go to bed. Yes I know, I said it. Crazy huh? You are right, there is plenty of crazy here. Not saying I'm Galileo or anything close, or that I came up with these theories of eating, but you get what I'm saying. Everyone thought Galileo was crazy too.


What you eat is important. I am not saying eat pasta before bed, or any other form of high glycemic carbohydrate either. You cannot do that, it will be very very bad. You should be eating complete protein and vegetables that is as simple as I can get. Do this within an hour of sleep.


High glycemic carbs good before workouts, but BAD before bed


Complete protein and vegetables great before bed.


In the end all forms of 7pm rule suck. Try eating before bed for a week, I think you will like it, and I know your body will love it.

Till next time.

-Adam Rees

"Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond to it."

PS. By the way, for those with acid reflux issues, I know people that have had good success with alka seltzer and other forms similar. Good luck.

Sup? Supplements: Vitamins

Today I was asked a few times about supplements, and as I am now realizing how foolish I've been for not devoting some time to articles on the subject I do believe its time to start going over some of them with all of you. 

First thing, supplements are not all harmful, some are actually very beneficial, though which ones you take and and how are huge players in that game. With that said not all supplements are right for you eitehr. The trick is to get ahold of someone who has already done the leg work for you (in this case yours truly), ask questions (sound familiar?) and go from there. 

Second, supplements are not all steroids, they are not performance enhancement drugs, and they are by no means cheating (unless they are banned by your sport of course). Most supplements are made to improve health, making your body operate more efficiently therefore making you able to perform better in your sport and daily life. They are made to improve upon (or 'supplement') your diet. This may seem like a pretty ridiculous statement but you would not believe the number of clueless people I hear talking about this stuff, of which many are very highly educated, some even doctors and physicians. Yeah, completely ridiculous isn't it? 

Another thing I run into alot is quote "Oh, I'm getting all my supplements at my local coop." As if the "all healthy coop" is the overseer of all that is good for you. I also hear Walgreens, Walmart, grocery stores and even gas stations. When was the last time gas stations had healthy stuff!?!? And yes, it is all I can take to not just about go bizerk (unsure of spelling) and start ripping heads off, but I try to remind myself that its okay they just don't know. 

Just to let everyone know I have broken down countless vitamins and mineral supplements and explored too many proteins, PWO's (pre+post workout drinks), amino acids, and fish oils to remember. In my findings there were very few supplements worth ingesting.

I have a gauntlet of tests that supplements have to go through before entering High Impact Training's line. One of the vitamin and mineral tests is putting the vitamin in a solution of water and vinegar, and another one is baking the vitamin in the oven. I found that out of all the different vitamins not one tablet was even close to being worth ingesting. Even top brands like Metagenics (a vitamin you can only get from physicians). Actually OneADay and Centrum were a couple of the worst. Crazy huh? Especially since these have been by far the highest selling vitamins in america for the last few years.

So what was so bad about them? Well, the majority of them didn't break down enough in the water solution which shows that they wouldn't even get a chance to be digested, and on top of that I don't remember having one that got close to passing the Oven test. Try it out, put one of your vitamins in the oven and turn it up to 400 and come back in about 15-25 minutes. You'll be able to see all the gunk come out of it that is holding it together. Know what that is? It's a bunch of glue and tar. MMMM, Right?

There are tons of different vitamins and minerals but your are quite literally flushing your money down the toilet when your taking most vitamins. There were bunches of vitamins that went through High Impact's process and there were only two that really stood out. I have no problem suggesting that everyone get on our Vital Core supplement. This is one that everyone can and should be taking. 

Expect some more information on supplements in the future. Vital core is not the only staple supplement that everyone should be taking, so you can bet I'll have a follow up here pretty soon. Until next time. 

Go hard or go home!