Albert K. Park

           They say Life can take you anywhere but I would have never thought that it would bring me to Kentucky. How many Asian people do you know in Kentucky? My point exactly.  This last month, I was given the opportunity by my unbelievable mentor Luka Hocevar, to take part in a business trip straight into the South. I would discover amazing like minded people that share my passion in fitness, true chaos hurricane training, and a much needed inspirational kick in the butt.

             The business conference was packed with speakers from 9 am – 5 pm on subjects ranging from strategic business marketing to branding yourself as a celebrity. Information overload was a constant struggle each day but to hear the excitement and passion from each speaker kept me focused. The main idea I got from this trip was passion can take you further in life than any education, amount of money, or will power. Passion dominates all.

            The heat and humidity lingered around every corner like a stalker. It was relentless and merciless. A cool breeze was as rare as a girl that can cook these days. (no offense ladies) But somehow we were able to find a perfect location for a workout.

            We strolled down to the local Louisville YMCA, a 4 story tower filled with swimming pools, weight rooms, and exercise machines. Unaware of the 8pm closing time we walked in at 7:35pm. In a deep southern draw the lady made clear that we needed to be done by 8.

            Luka just wrote an article on The Power of Deadlines and I am now a firm believer. When you have a limited amount of time it is amazing on what you can accomplish. Our workout lasted 20 minutes and the intensity nearly made it a spiritual experience.

Barbell Complex 2 rounds Non stop

Oh Squat x 8

Lateral Lunges x 8 each side

Muscle Snatch x 8

Cross over Lunge x 8 each side

Sotts Press x 8

This was all done with no breaks by incorporating supersets.

1a. Clean and Press 4 sets x 5 reps (155lbs)

1b. Pull up variations 4 sets x max reps

Straight into…

2a. 1 arm DB rows 3 sets x 25, 20, 15 reps

2b. Dips 3 sets x max reps

3 rounds of 3 Body Weight Exercises followed by a sprint after each round/set of work. A total of 9 sprints.

3 rounds – Box Jumps

3 rounds – Pull ups

3 rounds – Spider man Pushups

             The intensity was at a maximum level because of our time restraint and there was absolutely no time for breaks. We had a constant reminder of this from the Janitor’s verbal harassment. The facial expression of the on lookers in the gym reassured our insanity and motivated us to go even harder.

            Walking back in the heat was the cherry on top of a complete hurricane training session. A hurricane destroys everything in its path and that is exactly how my lungs and body felt. Demolished!

            Even on a business trip, we can’t get away from what we love to do. Train hard. Being around a conference room packed with individuals who all share a passion for the fitness industry, it’s hard to ignore the contagious epidemic of inspiration. What better way to release this inspirational adrenaline rush than a hard training session! 

           After you decide you want to head to the gym there is a process of preparation. You grab your gym bag and start filling it up with your supplies. I have a friend who brings everything you would need to survive a nuclear attack from hand chalk to 2 or 3 pairs of shoes. Your checklist may look something like this.

- I pod: You definitely need some workout tunes, DMX, Tool, Metalica, Justin Bieber or whatever you like.

- Sweat towel: You don’t want to look too nasty.

- Workout clothes: Those shorts that make your butt look bomb or that cut off tee that shows off those pipes.

- Water Bottle: Have to stay hydrated right?

- Protein Shake: For muscle recovery and growth.

            All these items are tangible and necessary things that can ensure a quality workout. The question now is “Are you bringing the really important things?” These things are not tangible nor can you put them in your bag of goods. They are characteristics in you that can separate a hard training session from just another trip to the gym. Character traits that can push you to do 1 more rep, 1 more set, and train harder for 1 more minute. They are the very things you absolutely need to bring with you every single time.

            Gyms today are disguised and sugarcoated as an environment for socializing, showcasing fashion, and listening to music. It’s an atmosphere that has transformed from training hard to looking like your working out. Yes, it is easier to get distracted than stay focused and I too have fallen victim to the tantalizing seductive nature of woman working out in skin-tight spandex. It’s not easy to ignore. So here are some tips to help you stay focused.

            Self-discipline is your gasoline because it truly fuels your results. Like a stalker it follows you everywhere you go creeping, lurking. It doesn’t find you only at the gym but follows you home and every time you eat. It determines whether you even initially make it to the gym, if you decide to eat those carbs or vegetables, and whether you get up early before work to go run.

            How consistent you are with training and eating right will be a direct reflection of self-discipline. You have to work equally hard at becoming more self-disciplined as you do in the gym. Don’t let your hard work slip away instead stay consistent and watch yourself reach all new levels.

            Although I may not be a chemist I know that if training was an experiment, desire would be the catalyst in reaching your goals. The million dollar question is “How bad do you want it?”

             When training get’s hard and repetitive and you start to lose sight of the long term goals you need an extra boost. Something like a supplement. Well, desire can be that for you.

            Your half way through your metabolic circuit and you have 6 more minutes of the EDT workout. Pushups, Jump lunges, Med Ball Slams, Pull ups, and Sprints. It doesn’t seem possible for your glands to produce this much sweat but it’s evidence of how hard your working. The remaining time crushes your morale and everything in you wants to stop and go home to watch an episode of Sportscenter or Real Housewives of New York. If you didn’t bring persistence with you, that’s exactly what your going to do. You are going to quit.

            If you have it, your going to push through the end. Persistence is going to help you grind out the last 6 minutes, sweat even more, than feel great about yourself because you know nobody else at the gym is pushing themselves as hard as you. This is why you didn’t forget persistence.

            I used to consider myself a lone wolf in the gym. My mentality used to be that training with other people would slow me down. I have come to the realization that if you can find like minded people who share a passion to reach their fitness goals, a support group can be the best tool you have. They offer accountability in and out of the gym. Just having them around can push you harder.

In his book Lance Armstrong talked about the importance of a group. From training for the Tour de France or chemotherapy, everything was done in a group. They push you harder than you could push yourself and offer you support even when you refuse it but truly need it. Find a group. Find support. 

All these things can't fit into your gym bag but are vital to your training. If your wondering why you have been stuck in a plateau or haven't seen the results you've been wanting, see if any of these things are missing. Find them and refocus onto your goals. Good luck to you all. 

                 Through the mazes of our urban concrete jungles and insect like infestation of fast food joints, we search for the Holy Grail like secrets of fat loss. Obesity and excess fat, plague our general populations and now we are backed into a corner with many surrendering to the relentless pursuit of weight gain. The hostile take over has even begun to attack our next generations of youth. Nobody is safe. Have you noticed yourself gain excess weight? Do you want to make a change?

            It is astonishing how so many people know that they are gaining weight but don’t know how to stop it. Is eating healthier enough? How about exercising? I hope with these basic but very effective strategies I can offer you a little light at the end of the tunnel. It’s time to start fighting back against weight gain and melting the fat away. You deserve it!

               They sure weren’t lying when they said that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. Especially when your goal is fat loss. Don’t think I haven’t heard every excuse in the book for not eating breakfast. Feel free to laugh at them until your excuse comes up.

            If your goal is fat loss, you need to make time for a quality breakfast. After starving your body for 8 hours, what you eat is going to set the bar for the entire day. Eating a meal packed with protein, quality carbs, and healthy fats can have the effect of calibrating your metabolism to burn more calories throughout your day.

            When you have hit a plateau going for a light jog or walk in the morning before breakfast can have the effect of boosting your metabolism. Your metabolism is ultimately responsible for how effectively you burn calories so shaking it up every now and then can be vital in reaching your fat loss goals. Make sure you return to your normal training after using this method.

            I remember telling one friend about incorporating cheat days into his fat loss plan in order to boost his metabolism and recharge his system. This was a big mistake. I found him buried in a sea of Twinkie wrappers and empty bags of chips, barely conscious from a deep food coma. When I first saw him all I could think was that I should have taken my online CPR class more seriously. Can you say Lost in Translation?

            This technique also jumps on the bandwagon in jump starting your metabolism. With fat loss, a decrease in calories is usually common especially when you’re cutting unhealthy carbs, which your usual diet may have used for a majority of its calories. This decrease in calories will cause a slight decrease in your metabolism and Leptin levels. Since it takes only a week for your Leptin levels to reset, a high calorie day can help boost this and your metabolism. Be cautious if you easily fall off a meal plan. If this is the case a cheat day may not be ideal.

            This is something I live by: “The number one tool for fighting fat is lean muscle mass.” It’s a simple fact that the more muscle mass you have the higher your metabolism is. Have you ladies ever wondered why guys can lose more weight and faster? This is partly due to the fact that they naturally have a higher level of muscle mass.

            No, you don’t have to put on tons of muscle and look like that scary guy in a string tank top at your gym. You just need to make an effort to train with a goal of putting on lean muscle. This means weight training.

            A lot of my clients wake up, eat breakfast, then 5 or 6 hours go by at work before they can get another meal in. Then another 5 hours go by before they eat dinner. You need to make sure that you are constantly fueling your body and keeping your metabolism high. You can do this by eating every 2-3 hours. Make your body work by making it continually process foods and not survive on its own.

            When you starve your body for prolonged periods of time it goes into survival mode. Since your body doesn’t know when the next time it’s going to eat, it stores energy in the form of fat. Keep feeding it so it doesn’t do this.

            If you want fat loss, you need to train like it. Walking on the treadmill for 20 minutes than going home is not going to get you the results you want. Incorporate High Intensity Interval Training that will challenge your metabolism and shred fat off your body. Walk into the gym knowing your going to challenge yourself because you know you’re serious about your goals.

            Getting in shape can definitely be a dreaded task. It often comes disguised as a hassle, a chore, and something you just don’t want to do. You will quickly realize that achieving good health is something where the juice is worth the squeeze. Eating healthy and workout starts to transition into becoming a part of your lifestyle.

            Fitness and health is my passion so it is easy for me to say this but it doesn’t mean it’s wrong. By incorporating healthy nutrition and consistent exercise, you really do improve the quality of your life. Learn to love it!

                        Crazy new age fads and intimidating strongman-training methods are pulling fitness into a get with it or fall behind industry. If I could get paid every time someone asked me about P 90X, Crossfit, Kettlebells, and Tire Flipping I would be making it rain like Steve Pool. (Local weatherman in Seattle) I’m not going to down talk any of these styles of training because all of them can be very effective methods of working out. They are all merely different tools you can use in achieving your desired goals. Do they all complicate what we love to do, working out? Yes! Don’t get scared and not workout. Do a little research and keep reading this article.

                        To make things easier for you I am going to give you a game plan or checklist for you to utilize in your training, regardless of it’s title. All of these are vital elements to help you reach your goals. Read them, write them down, and then reread them.

            I see too many people and hear too many horror gym stories about dreaded plateaus. Every time you walk into the gym, it is an opportunity to get better and improve. This is what you should be striving for. Don’t forget it!

            Make sure that you are adding a little more weight or more reps in order to continually challenge yourself. The human body is such an incredible thing in the sense that it can adapt to the slightest of change very effectively.

            Yes training for muscular endurance can be very challenging. I mean who wants to rep a lightweight to complete failure. The mistake is that a lot of people are convinced that low reps are only for bodybuilding and big muscles. Yes, the adaptation to continual low to moderate volume can produce bigger muscles but what people don’t know is that it can also burn tons of fat and promote lean muscle growth.

            By cycling different levels of volume you can continually challenge your body to grow and become better.

            I often hear too many trainers emphasize weaknesses. “Stop training what your good at it and start drilling exercises that target your weaknesses!” This is a good perspective but what if the exercise your good burns fat and promotes muscle growth.

            If what your good at it is a vital tool to achieving your goals don’t ignore it, make it your go to. As long as the exercise continually produces results, keep plugging away.

            These three elements are the building blocks of getting big, getting lean, and getting stronger. There’s no secret here. Push some big ass weight over your head with presses. Deadlift some heavy weight off the ground and I guarantee you will grow and get stronger. Please don’t ignore the squat, it is the ultimate exercise that has helped me reach all new gains!

            Body weight, Body weight, Bodyweight! If you can’t effectively train your own body weight, why the heck would you load excess weight on a bar. Movements like pull ups, push ups, sit ups, and body weight squats are all exercises that you need to drill and become efficient at. They produce high yielding results that guarantee strength and conditioning.

            If you learn to love these exercises you will never be away from a workout no matter where you are. Never again will you be able to say that you can’t get a workout!

            It has the ability to rip fat off your body, promote muscle growth, and just make you feel damn good. Sure you can work up a good sweat on a stationary bike or bouncing on one of those elyptical machines but you have to really think about your goals. Are you trying to maintain or see gains.

            Try running sprint intervals to push you to the edge. Tap into the awesome effects of post exercise oxygen consumption to stimulate your metabolism to burn more fat and calories. You can do this by hitting high intensity training.

            You can also push the prowler, pull a loaded sled, perform a conditioning circuit, superset your entire workout.

            Regardless of all the fads that may come and go, these guidelines will never fail you. This is the reason why they have been utilized for as long as fitness as been a part of our lives. There are no phone numbers to call, credit card numbers to dish out, or googling that has to be done. Follow them and find yourself closer to your goals. 

                        In the movie Troy, there is an epic moment before Achilles and his men reach the shores of Troy. The sounds of deafening war drums accompany the battle ship tearing through the ocean.

He yells, “Let no man forget how menacing we are, we are Lions!”

                        I was reminded of this quote last night when I had the honor and true privilege in attending the induction of the new President for the local Renton Lions Club. This is not a group of menacing men but rather the antithesis of citizens devoted to servicing the community. A truly unforgettable group but like Achilles and his menacing warriors they shared a similar spirit. It was an unwavering spirit to fight. In this case they were relentless in the fight to help and serve. They were relentless like the Lion that represented their organization.

Their battle cry may have sounded more like “Let no man forget how relentless in serving we are, we are lions!”

                        Lynn Peretti, the newly inducted President, stood at the front of the room, majestic like Achilles. Battle armor was replaced with radiant pins representing numerous service milestones. She rallied her troops for battle. “Give your time because there is nothing more valuable.” The crowd roared. It’s individuals like these that continue to put the wind in my sail. It was mind boggling to think that every single person in attendance was devoted to the greater cause of helping the community. It is true, great minds do think a like.

                         The evening took me back to reflect on how I even ended up in attendance amidst a group of such selfless philanthropists. It took me back to the moment my fire was sparked with the girl at the coffee shop aspiring to live like a lion herself. It was through her that I had the opportunity to meet Lynn and it was then that I realized she was merely passing on the flame she received from Lynn, the Lioness, to me. How do we repay such individuals like Lynn and the girl at the coffee shop for having such a contagious passion for helping others? The answer became crystal clear. Let your selfless actions exemplify the passion for service in order to inspire others to do the same. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you both.  

                        On the drive home I kept wrestling with the question, “Am I doing enough?” Sure, Hocevar Performance took part in the food drive and contributed to a great cause. But where do we go from here. It was just last week when I walked into the same coffee shop to find the same girl running another service campaign to help with the local animal shelter. These people are truly relentless in their pursuit to help.

                        I know that now is a time when struggling is more common than not. When our own problems seem to outweigh those of others. The truth is that there is someone, somewhere, in a deeper and darker hole with an outstretched hand. My eyes were opened this night to the challenge of reaching out to grab it. Whether it’s through a business or an individual effort, it all counts. When you can’t decide if you want to or get  tired of helping, remember that there is people like Lynn and the coffee girl who won’t stop. Can’t stop. They are relentless. They are Lions.

           

                       

            

I give a lot of advice to friends on how to workout for their specific goals but no matter what I tell them I always get the same response.

                        Sure it’s a simple question that I could answer with a sample workout but my answer always catches people by surprise.

 Yeah I do lift weights but strength training is only one tool I have in my bag. Once you start training, you need to have a whole bag full of different tools to help you reach your goals. The more tools the better. Here are 6 tools that I always use from my bag of goods.

            When was the last time you trained anaerobically? Pushed yourself past easy jogging on a treadmill? Well sprints are the most natural form of High Intensity Interval Training. A method that increases natural HGH and testosterone levels in the body, helps increase metabolism, and fights the storage of fat.

                Incorporate sprints into your training to start packing on lean muscle mass and shedding the excess fat on your body. Try this series of sprints with enough recovery time to make each sprint a 100% effort.

            No, protein is not just for gym rats and meatheads. Protein is the building blocks for muscle and a great tool for staying lean. Protein is packed with amino acids and requires your body to work pretty hard to digest. Your body will actually burn about 30% of the protein calories just trying to digest it as opposed to carbohydrates, which is around 10%.

            My protein intake mostly comes from lean meats, eggs, and whey protein. Hard-boiled eggs are always easy to make and take with you for a quick snack. Whey protein is an essential tool I use pre and post workout to aid in quick recovery so that I can train hard the next day.

            After hurting my back last year I always avoided this exercise. This was a big mistake. With such a vital tool like this, you need to do whatever it takes to get back to deadlifting. For me, it took drilling really lightweight with perfect form to get comfortable again. But you have to put this one in the bag.

            The deadlift is the ultimate exercise in my toolbox for building muscle and functional strength. The movement requires your body to use every muscle. It utilizes your entire upper body for holding and stabilizing and lower body for lifting. It puts the entire body under tension and promotes muscle-building testosterone.

               Sleep is really, really, important. This is the time when your body recovers, grows, and makes those changes from your training. So if you are like me who sleeps in the am then rises 5 hours later, you have to tell yourself that 5-6 hours just isn’t enough. Try to get the ideal 8 hours of sleep for maximum recovery. I know I have to work a little harder on this one.

               If you’re like one friend I have now who sleeps for 10 hours a night with no training. Shame on you! Get off your ass.

            This is a hobby of mine that I could not live without. Not only is combat engraved into my DNA it is my number 1 method for the release of stress. Hitting a heavy bag for a set number of rounds is a fantastic way to train conditioning.

            If you walk into a gym anywhere in the country, everyone more or less can look like they are working out. Everyone can play the part and go through the motions to impress others and make themselves feel better. The one thing I always bring in my bag of tools for any training session is Intensity!

            Whether it’s lifting weights, cardio, or abs I am trying to go balls to the walls because I know I am there to train. No I’m not a robot or refuse to talk to anyone but just remember what your main priority is when you walk into the gym. If it’s time for me to train that’s exactly what I’m going to do!