Albert K. Park

                 After a couple days of research, eating with a woman and reading about women’s diets I have compiled a list of awesome foods. This isn’t a list for a hardcore diet or a body builders meal plan. These are foods for real women who live in a real world and want to see real results. It’s not all about “skinny bitch” starve my ass off diets or 40 day grape fruit juice cleanses. It’s about educating yourself on healthier choices and improving the quality of your life.

            So, the next time you swerve into a drive through or reach for those chips, think about your next workout. Your nutrition can directly influence your performance in your workout. Every training session is an opportunity to make yourself better and every time you eat can control the quality of that training session. Read through this pile and know what your going to eat before the next time you go workout.

                        Not all fat is bad and if you want to burn fat, you have to eat some quality fat. Try this cholesterol lowering power monounsaturated fat in order keep your body strong and pain-free. Studies have found that low fat diets weaken muscles and joints so try eating just a few slices a day to boost fat for you.

                        Carbs? Yes, carbs. With protein focused diets flooding the diet scene people forget that when you eat can be just as important as what you eat. Take in this complex carb prior to an intense training session. The complex grain will provide you with a slow digesting steady flow of energy instead of a one-punch sprint.

                        Remember when your mom told you to eat a banana for potassium and to prevent cramping, well she was right! Bananas are packed with nearly 400 miligrams of potassium and can help with muscle cramping. You can also eat a banana to load up on carb-fueled energy, a banana can contain up to 20 grams of carbs, which is as much as 2 slices of whole wheat bread.

                        This is a great way to get in some energy, protein, and keep the stomach feeling easy. Have you every skipped out on a meal before working out in fear of getting an upset stomach? Yogurt digests quickly and can offer you that quick punch of energy.            

                        Raw carrots pack a huge punch as an ideal snack. These complex carbs have the ability to provide energy to muscles and potassium to control blood pressure. Best thing is that a half-cup is only 35 calories.

                        Cereal is not just for breakfast anymore! Researchers have found that consuming a bowl of this complex carb mix with nonfat milk 60 minutes prior to working out has the ability to provide you with the perfect exercise fuel. Look for cereals containing muscle building protein and complex carb energy.

                        Low levels of iron and zinc will lead to a zap in your energy. Chicken or turkey has the ability to deliver both of these vital elements into your system. They are a low fat option to get iron, zinc, and b vitamins that women need in their diets.

                        Albert, did you say chocolate milk? Yes I did! Milk is a lot more than just calcium and strong bones. It has the ability to give you a lot of energy while keeping the calories low. Chocolate milk has a unique ability to deliver calcium, vitamins, and minerals just as well as a post workout shake. Drink this yummy drink to help replenish muscles.

                        If you’re big on texture like me, this one may be challenging but there are too many benefits to ignore this power food. For a ½ cup serving, low fat cottage cheese can contain up to 14 grams of protein, 75 milligrams of calcium and 5 grams of carbs. If you need a protein boost, this is the perfect snack.            

                        Urinary tract infections don’t stand a chance if your consuming the proanthocyanin packed fruit. Consume these dried before or after your workout to aid with energy and recovery.

                        Egg yolks are packed with lecithin, which is crucial for brain health. Make sure to gets these protein packed items in early in the morning too boost brain function when you need it.

                        Digestive problems call for fiber and Flaxseeds are there to deliver. Try ground flaxseeds to regulate your digestion and keep you healthy. They contain both soluble and insoluble fiber that will continue to keep you from running to the bathroom during your workouts. That just sounds like it sucks.

                        Hummus is no longer for hipsters, go green activists, and sorority girls. This is a protein rich, complex carb, and unsaturated fat that packs a mean punch for staying healthy. The fact that it is usually made with olive oil, which contains vital fats for fighting breast cancer and weight gain, also helps. Time to jump on the hummus bandwagon.

                        My mom preached about vitamin c day in and day out. Well, she was right again. Thanks mom. 1 orange contains 75 milligrams of vitamin c, more than enough for what a women needs each day. Plus, they are easy to carry around and smell good when you peel them. Sorry, I am all about the small details.

                        Help spare your glycogen stores during a workout by snacking on some peanuts before training. The fats from this small snack will help fuel you with high energy so you can put forth a 100 percent effort when your training. Take advantage of the fact that they also contain high amounts of protein as well!

                        When I say potatoes, I mean baked or sweet potatoes. Not mashed potatoes smothered in gravy. If you are looking to make sure your muscles perform properly and you are able to stay hydrated, try taking in this electrolyte balancing food. It is loaded with potassium and sodium that will maintain fluid balance. Skip the gravy.   

                        Have you ever complained about your midsection and how that is the only place you can’t lose weight. Look no further! Recent studies have shown that the monounsaturated fats and omega 3 fats found in salmon help lessen abdominal fat. Damn, I think it’s time to start eating more salmon.

                        If you are looking to gain lean muscle and tighten everything up, this needs to be on your list. This actually should be number 1 on your list. Whey protein is packed with amino acids that play a crucial role in building and recovering muscle. Also it digests fast and gets to muscles fairly fast, allowing you to recover and go hard again the next workout. 

                  I truly believe that I have an innate ability for direction and refuse to use navigation systems and GPS applications. Give me the directions and I am going to find it. I’m sure most of you men out there will share this mentality with me. In our heads we are all Bear Grylls, in reality, well fu*k reality I want to be Bear. Unfortunately, when it comes to locating “baby showers” my powers are thrown off and wrong turns happen.

                        While I was navigating dark residential streets desperately hoping for a main road I couldn’t help but think how much getting off track sucked. You lose time, motivation, and it’s a little bit embarrassing especially for a self-proclaimed navigational expert. Even with the small goal of attending an event, not knowing where the hell I was had my mind running down a list of doubts.

                        Wrong turns on the road are one thing but wrong turns in life can make you want to give up. Giving up has never been in my vocabulary I didn’t say it when I was a kid, I didn’t say it when I had a final the next day and didn’t go to class even once or buy the book, and I won’t say it now. Your success depends on your perseverance and ability to navigate back to the path you were once steam-rolling on towards results.

                        For any individual who has ever tried to get in shape, Nutrition is war. It is a relentless battle that never goes away and will always be ready to attack when you are weak. The truth is you can’t always be strong. Understanding that you will fail every once in awhile is important. So don’t go drink yourself into obliteration because you ate a slice of pizza. Just get back on track with your goals.

                        If you really want to think about it, your chances for wrong turns with nutrition are quite high. They are even higher if you have a lot of friends. Consider what you and your friends usually do when you get together. Eat? Drink? Happy Hour? All of the above? See, there will be casualties in this war. Will power isn’t enough because friends are too damn good with peer pressure and it’s so hard to pass up a good time. What you need to do is strategize.

                        Strategies can win wars. Instead of going out with your friends 3-4 times out of your week for happy hour, limit yourself to 1. Invite them over to your place so you can control what is available to eat and drink. Strategies will always be more effective then will power. Also, drop the friend who has convinced himself that he is the next roommate on jersey shore.

                        The main problem I have seen with training is a lack there of. For 2 or 3 weeks you go 110% because you are excited about the goals you have set for yourself. By week 4 you start trading training days for other things. Your friend is having a birthday, you need to go grocery shopping, and whatever else you can think of. You have to realize that training for goals is not a sprint; it is a long and testing marathon run. Consistency will prove to be your best friend but wrong turns can trigger a barrage of other problems with training, the main one being not training at all.

                        Anyone who trains at Hocevar Performance, has heard me say “How bad do you want it?” once in their life if not a 1,000 times. It’s simple but honest and real. This is why I love saying it. How bad do you want to see your results and watch your quality of life improve?

                        It won’t take Sherlock to figure this wrong turn out. If you’ve stopped training get back on the road the gym and start getting active.

                        A great thing about life is that nothing is for certain. You can sit and plan all you want but there is no guarantee it’s going to happen that way. Odds are they won’t. When you get thrown a curveball, adjusting and adapting is what makes the process truly an art. It’s not about going by the book and following instructions; it’s about carving your own damn path. If you know where you’re going, it doesn’t matter how you get there, as long as you don’t give up on the way.

                        I remember in college I was registering for classes online and I couldn’t get into a class I wanted. I emailed the professor, updated the registry page in hopes of someone dropping, and even got onto the waiting list. Getting into this class became an obsession. It wasn’t because the professor was great or the class was interesting, it was because I didn’t want to stray off my path! (Someone has to do seriously do something about this registration process, ridiculous!)

                        I never got into the class but ended up taking the same class with a different professor at a different time. The professor ended up being awesome and I was 1 of 3 guys in a class filled with 40 girls! Nice! Even though I strayed off my path, I took the opportunity and made the most of it. Turned out to be a pretty good opportunity.

                        After reassuring people on the phone that I wasn’t lost, even though I was, I finally made it to the baby shower. Wrong turns and all, I finally made it. The Baby Shower was executed perfectly and I had a great time. I never knew how much society instills color preferences between genders until now. Fu*kin Pink, no comment. In all seriousness, I was thankful for the wrong turns I took on the way because it reminded me of how things don’t always go according to plan and how we respond to these situations will ultimately determine our ability to achieve goals.

                        Oh yeah, I got lost on the way home too. Lesson learned again.

As much as it hurts, people want to feel the “burn”. Are we all just crazy? We all complain about being sore but complain even more when we’re not. Clients come back like addicts to the gym looking for another ass kicking workout. Is this a phenomenon or just plain insanity?

            We identify being sore and feeling the “burn” with evidence of hard work. It’s like a pat on the back for working out and without it, sometimes we get down on ourselves. Have you ever thought that you didn’t workout hard enough if you weren’t sore the next day? Okay, so you know what I’m talking about. When your not sore it doesn’t mean that you didn’t train hard by any means but I have a workout for you to make sure that you feel a burn.

            After being hounded by clients for an ab workout, I finally gave in. I guess front squats weren’t emphasizing the abs enough. The ab workout comes in the form of a “finisher” (finisher = to end a client’s session with immense muscle burning) and the best thing is it only takes 2 minutes.

Directions: Perform as many reps with good form as possible in the 30 seconds for each exercise. Do not rest until you finish all the exercise. Perform 1-3 sets if desired. 1 will be enough.

            At first glance this doesn’t even look like much of a challenge. Well check yo’self before you wreck yo’self. This workout will only give back as much as you put in. This means that if you are slacking in form or intensity, you won’t get shit from the workout. On the other hand, if you push yourself to blow past your pain threshold and dig out reps until you start seeing a bright little light, you will be well on your way.

            I can distinctly remember back to Mrs. Grahams’ 4^th grade class sitting in 4 desk pods pretending to be paying attention. First was the pledge of allegiance, than some multiplication tables, and who knows maybe throw in some stuff about planets. The truth was I did two things. Doodle on paper and look forward to recess (sorry mom and dad). Doodling took care of the boredom during class until our teacher got up and opened that glorious door, our portal to an endless supply of fun.

            Every time that door swung open and she said those magical words that still bring chills down my spin “Class, you are excused!”, I would walk calmly to the door (only because running was prohibited in class) and than break out like a wild ass spider monkey once my foot was outside.

            Compare this childhood excitement for physical activity to what you feel like before you go to the gym. Is working out something you dread? Does it feel like a chore? Do you break out like a wild ass spider monkey when you know you are going to go workout? Training and fitness is a choice we make. It is a choice to improve the quality of your life and make things better. It’s needs to be exciting! An important aspect you have to consider is how much fun you are having working out because even though I am not in 4^th grade anymore, if it’s not fun, I still won’t do it.

            For me, recess was a smorgasbord of sports and activities. It was filled with things like soccer, basketball, wall ball, and random shit that we would just make up. Yes, think back and remember how creative you used to be. Did you ever play chicken wrestling on the monkey bars? Two kids would start on each end of the monkey bars and move towards each other until they were close enough to wrestle each other with their legs. The loser would fall to the ground, laugh, and get back in line. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, don’t judge me.

            The important thing is that no matter what the activity was, recess was fun and we played our little hearts out. I would come back to class literally dripping with sweat and ruining whatever outfit my mom made me wear. To this day, I can’t even look at a turtleneck without squirming. The point is that when an activity becomes fun, you lose yourself in it. Like the 9-year-old Albert, who searched for glory at recess, you need to search for your ability to have fun in a fit lifestyle.

            Before you go back to the gym or go workout, you need to ask yourself if you are having fun. Are you enjoying each opportunity you have to improve the quality of your life? Challenge yourself, switch your routine, or try an activity that has been on your bucket list. Honestly, the clients at our gym that see the greatest results discover the fun effect. The switch goes off in their head and they realize that facing the challenge is part of the fun and not torture.

            As a trainer, a big aspect of program design with everyday people is considering the question, is the workout fun? If people don’t enjoy it, they won’t do it.

                        The fun effect can be the catalyst to helping you achieve your results. Diversify your training to include activities you enjoy. Life is short, enjoy every single moment, even working out. I see too many shows dragging obese clients through a gauntlet of humiliating physical activities. Those people do not look like they are enjoying one second of it. Is this the only way to get results? Heeeellllll no! . Take the 9 year old Albert’s enthusiasm and go do something you like, been wanting to do, or just feel good doing and I promise the results will come.           

           

                    

        I made an attempt to dedicate this morning to some reading but ended up getting lost in the depths of youtube watching everything from 50 tyson videos (You need to see this) to clips of the world’s strongest kid. Don’t judge me, we all do it. After realizing an unproductive hour had gone by I got up off my ass and made it to my gym, for some activation/stretching drills.

50 tyson video - Try not to laugh.

                        15 minutes of forced stretching is no fun especially after doing a lower body intensive workout the night before so, I decided to treat myself. Some people treat themselves to some sweets or extra carbs, I treat myself with an arm day!

                        Last week, I remembered reading an article by Dave Tate on the Band Man, Dick Hartzell. It covered the incredible benefits of training with bands and had a sample arm workout that could, in 4 -6 weeks, add an inch to your pipes. Anything Dave Tate says, I usually shut up and follow. So I dropped the usual barbell curls and skull crushers for this short but intense arm-blasting workout.

                        With a medium sized band, I worked both biceps and triceps in 2 supersets. The first was band hammer curls with tricep pushdowns and the second was band palm up curls with overhead tricep extensions. By the time I was done, I had a crazy pump and my veins were popping like a junkie after their first relapse out of rehab.

                        Before you start, you need to find one good overhead anchor point for the tricep pushdowns and the overhead tricep extensions. A pull up bar will work perfect. For the curls, your feet in a shoulder width stance will work as a great anchor point.

      Perform each exercise with fluid motions and go immediately to the next exercise in the superset before taking your rest. Rest 1 min before repeating. I recommend an active recovery rest, planks worked awesome for me.

      Remember that although you are performing each rep with a fast and fluid motion you want to contract all your muscles so your body stays rigid. You will quickly realize how much muscle recruitment working with bands requires.

I performed both supersets for 3 sets. Try 2-3 sets.

            Grab the bands in a neutral grip and perform full motion reps. Full motion means all the way down to your lap and all the way up to about your shoulders. Be sure to move from the elbow and not let the elbows move backwards.

            When performing this exercise make sure to squeeze your ass and abs in order to stay in full control. Lock the arms out completely at the bottom of the movement.

            This time, the grip will be holding the band with your palms facing up. Again complete a full range motion while squeezing your butt tight.

            Perform the tricep extensions in a split stance making sure to keep the abs contracted. This is one movement that can get out of control if you don’t keep your entire body contracted.

           

            This is an opportunity for you to try an effective training style and get a real pump. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. You have been doing dumbbell curls for the last 5 years, one workout is not going to take you away from them.

             Not only do bands require an intense amount of muscle recruitment, it will allow you to hit full muscle fatigue. You have to continually look for different ways of adding resistance in order to improve. Here is one to help you take it to that next level.

                       

            

            As a trainer it is important to sit down and pick the brains of potential clients. Why are they training? What goals do they have? What is the motivating factor behind why they came to me? All these are pretty much standard questions that I ask in an initial consultation. Most answers usually start off with I want a six pack, I want to lose 10 pounds because I’m going on vacation in a month, or the most common and vague answer, I just want to get in shape. I love this last one, gives me so much insight into the individual.

                        I will admit sometimes I get so caught up in my client’s progress and being on their team I forget to ask myself the same questions. I was reminded of this today when I met with a new client for a meet and greet. As we got to know each other, I asked one of my go-to questions. What is getting in shape and the results worth to you?

                        I will tell you right now that it’s not easy for me to get lost in a moment (epic movie scenes don’t count) and let my mind start running off into the labyrinth of my imagination, especially during a client consultation but it did. I couldn’t stop it. It just took off like tiger woods making his getaway in the escalade. What, too soon? Don’t worry I love the guy. In the middle of her response, I was asking myself the same thing. What is all this training and fitness worth to me?

                        We trainers often get a bad reputation. It’s not all about the beach muscles, hair gel (I sport a buzz cut by the way), and yelling “1 more rep”. For me, my health/staying fit is worth all the money and hard work in the world. By continually striving to improve, I am practicing what I preach so I can lead by example and help more people. My fitness is going to determine how much energy I have for everyone who believes in me to help them and it’s going to motivate me to work just as hard in the other areas of my life. So I need to be at the top of my game!

                        My mind took off so fast, I was thinking about being healthy in order to offer my unborn kids a father who would have enough energy to always be there for them. This was an instant red flag for me to come back to reality (although it was true). Earth to Albert, what the fu*k are you thinking about these days.

                        As we concluded our assessment and she went home, I was left alone with my thoughts again. I got real philosophical at this point. Life comes at you fast and often times we get caught up in all the bullshit and end up going through the motions like zombies. We lose sight of the purpose and let the passion leak until the engine light comes on.

                        If you’re looking for a fire to be lit under your ass or you’re an individual who relies on hits of motivation to keep you high. Try just stopping everything for 5 minutes to just sit and think. What is this all worth to me? It will either be a punch in the stomach or a pat on your back (gold star for you). Either way I bet you will think back to when you started and get reunited with the things in your life that motivated you to start changing.

                        Fitness is definitely a path with tons of ups and downs. Kind of like a jersey shore episode. In the midst of all the chaos, it is imperative to revaluate your goals and think about what being fit is worth to you. I bet you come to realize that it’s worth a lot more than you thought. Without stopping to think, you may find yourself just going through the motions and repeating Gym, Tan, Laundry. 

            We can all get burned out training with the traditional rep and set schemes. Does 8 reps of 3 sets sound familiar or how about 6 reps of 4 sets? Yes, we were all taught to weight train this way and if you walk into any gym in the country you will find people working out this way. The problem is that without increasing resistance and continually changing exercises the results stop coming.

            Dan John (Strength & Conditioning Coach) says in Never Let Go, “programs will be effective for 4-6 weeks, you need to change it up.” So how long have you been training with 8 -10 reps? If you’re not monitoring maximum rep percentages and training with a specific program you can be slowing down your progress. A lot of us will get done with an exercise feeling you could have done more weight or one extra rep. This is an instant red flag that something needs to change, more resistance. Weight and reps are not the only ways you can increase resistance. You can make the workout more difficult by experimenting with tempo, complex movements, supersets, and more challenging exercises.

            Are you feeling a little lost yet? No worries just breathe and keep reading. At Hocevar Performance, my clients use a variety of training methods. One method that is great for fat loss and gaining lean muscle mass is training with time. Training for time ensures a full out effort without the guesswork of how much weight to use, since we will be incorporating body weight exercises, and offers an opportunity to continually improve.

            For most exercises I start clients off with 40 seconds of work and a 20 second break or 50 seconds of work and a 10 second break. This basically means that you will be working hard, performing as many reps as you can in the work period and then resting for the specific amount of rest time. We will usually work with 2-3 rounds without stopping.

            Training with a specific time schedule will be a rude wake up call. Kind of like your alarm clock after the third snooze. Take the opportunity to track your progress as well. See how many reps you get the first time you do the workout, than after a week try it again. I bet you that you will see improvement. There is nothing like training with goals.

            Try this full body workout that utilizes a 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of break time.

            This is a 5 minute Rapid Fat Loss Circuit that will allow you to push yourself to your full potential. The workout will also give you an opportunity to set some goals (beating your previous number of reps) and go after them. An important note is that when you train with time, you really do get out what you put in. Intensity is everything and you are the only one who controls how great your workout can be.

            Pushing your tempo and intensity can be a difficult aspect in training especially if you are training with rep and set schemes. I warn you now that when you train with time not only will you fatigue your muscles, you will be sweating. I often get cursed out, evil stares, and sometimes a physical threat when I put my clients through these timed training sessions. Don’t worry, they aren’t crazy, they’re just working hard. Please feel free to curse my name when your trying this new training method out!