Albert K. Park

     
"The Value of a Man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving."
 - Albert Einstein




"If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one." - Mother Teresa 


                     When the grey rain clouds break and the Sun makes a pleasant cameo in the city of Renton, you can often find me going for a run through the downtown streets. I love getting the opportunity to be close to the community I am directly involved with and there is no better way than taking it to the streets.  About a month ago on one of these stress relieving runs, I came across an unforgettable sight that has been burned into my memory.

                      The homeless shelter in our city is split between two locations that take turns hosting the responsibilities. Transitioning locations requires all the individuals who depend on the shelter to move as well. That sunny afternoon, in mid stride, I saw a young boy no older than 10 years carrying everything he had. His small black backpack was overstuffed to a point where the zipper couldn't close. A small, dirty green sleeping bag was squeezed tight under his left arm and a large duffle bag leaned his small body over to his left. The other hand grasped the even smaller hand of his little sister, as they walked down the street. The sight drew me to a dead stop. My heart was broken.


                    In the midst of a shattered economy, I have fallen into the same selfish "What about me" mentality that a lot of businesses and individuals have come to live by. We get blinded so easily by our own needs we forget that there are other people out there. People who may need more help then ourselves. That day "What about me" turned into "What about them". 

                   The past month at Hocevar Performance, life has been much bigger than just training. Our main goal of helping individuals reach fitness goals has shared the spotlight with helping "our" community. We have always strived to be a business that gives back but there has never been a cry for help as loud as now.

                   A chance meeting with a like minded individual at another local business offered the perfect opportunity to start immediately. Her small request of "Would you like to donate some food for our local food drive?" couldn't have come at a better time.

"I will do something even better," I told her with a smirk on my face. 

                  That Saturday we hosted a charity bootcamp at our gym and invited all our members to attend. Admittance was a minimum of 3 non perishable food items. It was an opportunity to get a great workout for an even greater cause and the attendance was overwhelming. The food never stopped piling up in the corner. We immediately jumped on the momentum and devoted Saturday mornings to Charity Bootcamps. Why stop with one weekend when we could help every weekend.


                   Her expression said it all as I waddled in balancing over 15 bags of donated food and I'm not talking about the leftover cans of gross stuff you avoid all year. I'm talking about the good sh*t. I think at that moment, we both knew we were on to something. She broke her silence and said "thank you!" but really I should thank her. Thank you for not thinking about yourself when everyone else is.



                Each Saturday has been an effort to lend out a much needed helping hand. Whether it is breast cancer, Make a wish, or even our local food drive the members of our team have gone above and beyond. This article is not written to make you feel guilty by any means but to open your eyes. To motivate you to give a little in a world of a lot of taking. I know if we start small and locally we will soon see the rain clouds break over us all.

Check out what a Charity Bootcamp looks like: Hocevar Performance Charity Bootcamp

     If you want to come participate at one of our Charity Bootcamps, they are held every Saturday at 9 am. Check my Facebook Fan Page or email me for the charity and admittance details.

Hocevar Performance
101 Burnett Ave
Renton, WA 98057



                  

                  

                    Have you ever been asked the infamous question "How much do you Bench?" This question can commonly be followed by the word bro and is usually asked by a guy who looks like Conan the freaking Barbarian and bench presses 5 times a week.


                   It's gotten to the point where I just stare blankly and say " I dun speak Enggrisshh!" and walk away. No matter what my answer is I know he will one up me because A, he weighs 200 pounds more than me, or B, he will just flat out lie. I have better things like reality t.v. shows to waste my time on.



                  So in an attempt to even the playing field I have derived two tests that truly measure how strong you are relative to you body weight. One comes from the labs at Hocevar Performance, my home away from home. The other comes from the Warrior Fitness Master, Martin Rooney.


Hocevar Performance Challenge


100 pushups as fast as you can. 

Grading
2 min or less = You are a Warrior
2 min - 3 min = You are Warrior in Training
3 min - 4 min = You need to get stronger before you can enter into Warrior Training
4 min or more = Please Try Again


Martin Rooney 3 min Pushup Test 






Instructions: Do as many pushups as you can in 3 minutes.

The Rules: 
- Rest whenever you want but the time must stay running the entire time.
- For a counted rep, you have to maintain perfect form. This means that elbows are locked out at the top, the chest comes 2 inches off the floor, and the hips don't sag or knees touch the ground.

Grading:
< 55 pushups = below average
55 - 74 pushups = average
75 - 99 pushups = Good
100 - 110 pushups = Excellent
111 or more = Extraordinary

Do you Need to Get Better? 


If you need to improve your score, here are some quick tips and a training regimen to start. 

Tips 
- Strengthen your Chest by doing high rep Bench Press training. Aim for the 12-15 rep range.
- Strengthen your Triceps by performing cable pulldowns in the same High rep range.
- Improve your core strength quickly by performing planks.


Sample Plank Workout 
Front Plank 30 sec, 15 sec break 
Side Plank 30 sec, 15 sec break
Other Side Plank 30 sec, 15 sec break 
Pushup Position 35 sec

Martin Rooney Suggests this Pushup Protocol to Boost your Score

Week  Sets  Pushups  Rest between Sets
1           4           20                 2 min
2           6           15                 1 min
3           4           25                 1 min
4           3          Max               2 min


                Now you don't have to ever deal with that stupid question "How much do You Bench?" anymore. Test and continually challenge yourself with improving your relative strength for you weight. Become a Warrior, Become Extraordinary.

                                   With protein products flooding the market, deciding to pick one can be harder than finding a job these days.  Where do you start? Chicken breasts, tuna fish, Muscle Milk, Protein Powder. I can definitely see why some people can be turned away from protein completely. If you have friends like I do who don't know sh*t about this kind of stuff but love giving advice. Things can get a little messy even though I am allergic to bullsh*t. In this article, I am going to give you a quick synopsis of protein and hopefully make it less intimidating for you.

1. How much do I need? 
  
         The average adult is recommended to intake about 56 grams of protein daily. Remember this is for the "average" adult. Reality is you can benefit significantly from taking in more than this. Protein has some unique and beneficial qualities. Some include a reduction of hunger, prevention of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

          The amount you need really depends on your weight and your level of exercise. Here is an opportunity to be real with yourself. Step on a scale, look in the mirror, and be real. The individual training like an athlete can thrive on .77 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So a 180 pound man would be intaking 139 grams of protein. For an individual working out 5 days a week will thrive on .55 grams per pound of body weight.

         What if I am trying to lose weight? The main concept to grasp here is maintaing and preserving calorie burning muscle mass. So an increase of protein won't put on extra weight but you will instead burn excess protein as energy. It is vital to increase protein intake with a decreased calorie diet.

2. Timing, Timing, Timing 

          Protein synthesis occurs every time you eat around 30 grams of protein. Your body triggers an explosion of protein synthesis that lasts about 3 hours long. In order to supplement and fuel muscle growth, you need to be consuming protein throughout your day. A common tendency is for individuals to take in a large portion of their protein at dinner. This only gives them one opportunity for synthesis.

          Instead, spread your intake throughout your day. By eating protein in your major meals and snacks - such as cheese, jerky, and lowfat milk- you will be able to curb your hunger and maintain muscle growth throughout your day. Studies show that consuming a protein rich breakfast led to consuming 200 less calories per day than those who wolfed down carb overloaded breakfasts.

3. Isn't all Protein just Protein? 

           Yes, a lot of foods like beans, nuts, and plants contain protein. The best sources of protein actually come from dairy products, eggs, meat, and fish. Protein derived from animals contain vital proportions of amino acids your body can't synthesize on it's own.

            Beans and other sources of protein similar contain carbs! This is a factor that create more difficulties in trying to lose weight.

         I have a friend who thinks just as the title of this section asks. He thinks that any protein is good, since it's protein based. This includes buffalo wings because it's chicken, chicken nuggets, country fried steaks, and anything else that is deep fried or battered in bread. The truth is calories still count. Weed out carb dense foods and start focusing on lean proteins such as eggs, low-fat milk, lean meat, fish, and yogurt. He will remain nameless, but you know who your are!

4. Protein Powders are not just for Meatheads! 

          Protein supplements have the upper hand in providing a quick shot of amino acids. It allows you to get in a certain amount of protein without having to spend a fortune on lean meats and other groceries. Another benefit is that it's super convenient. You can bring it with you anywhere and can use it as a meal anytime in your day for quick fuel.

         Whey Protein - This is a fast absorbing, high quality protein derived from milk. You can see it absorb into your bloodstream nearly 15 min after ingestion. It is also a great source of leucine. This hormone like amino acid is an agent that actually triggers protein synthesis. Whey powders can contain nearly 10 percent of leucine where animal based products are around 5 percent.

         Casein - This is a protein supplement that has a slower absorption rate. The slower absorption rate makes it vital prior to going to bed. With no food and protein intake during your 8 hours of sleep, muscle breakdown can become an issue. By consuming casein protein, you can build muscle while you sleep. Sounds pretty damn good to me.

          
              This is a very general breakdown of protein to help you get started. If you take one thing from this article I hope it is the realization that you need to consume more protein. It's not only for Jersey Shore meatheads or beer bonging college tools. It's for anyone looking to gain lean muscle mass, lose weight, and stay healthy. If you have any questions on protein, brands of powders, supplementing for specific goals, feel free to email me or post a comment. Don't worry you can stay anonymous.

Protein MVP Starting 5 



1. Tuna Fish, Turkey, Chicken 
12-25 grams of protein. Half a can of tuna fish can contain up to 22 grams of protein. They don't call the Chicken of the Sea for nothing.



2. Chocolate Milk 
About 16 oz of this childhood favorite can contain up to 17 grams of protein. A study in the Journal of American College of Nutrition showed that chocolate milk may be the ideal post workout beverage for building muscles. Not ideal for individuals with goals of weight loss. It can have up to 330 calories.



3. Eggs 
3 eggs contain 19 grams of protein, and 232 calories. Hard boiled eggs are tasty, convenient, and can be taken anywhere!



4. Whey Protein Powder 
Average 30 g scoop can contain up to 24 grams of protein for only 110 calories. Quick absorption to rapidly promote protein synthesis, muscle growth, and muscle repair.



5. Greek Yogurt 
One of my personal favorites. Can contain up to 15 grams of protein for only 80 calories. Replace your the sugar packed Yoplait in your fridge with your local supermarket's brand of Greek Yogurt.