Chew The Fat

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend Professor Tim Noake's seminar in Durban.  As much as we have read, researched and heard about the Prof's philosophies it was a privilege to hear him speak.  Now I think we are all in agreement with the fact that his findings have caused some major controversy in the nutritional world.

How could high fat and high protein possibly render fat loss?

Those of you who know me and my way of thinking with regards to kicking the food pyramid out the window, know that my philosophies surrounding nutrition correspond in many areas.  Tim Noakes has highlighted countless flaws in today's beliefs and I think there is something for everyone to take from it.

We are all very different and no cookie cutter advice can be applied to us all successfully, however there are demons lying amongst our favorite foods that should be eliminated from our diets whether we are prone to weight gain or not.

The Prof prescribes and endorses a grain free, fruit free, protein and high fat diet for weight loss based on his findings. Research it you will be gobsmacked.  There are many alternate doctrines out there and they are all based on some good knowledge, it is up to you to decide where to apply it.

In my opinion any professional who disagrees with the basics and encourages a diet of fruit and low fat eating should be smacked in the face with a pineapple. Unfortunately I have seen too many of my friends and clients bring home expensive eating plans built by "diet professionals" littered with processed food recommendations.  Professionals who charge real cash money for their "educated" advice.

The likes of "fat free" "low fat" dairy, or processed carbohydrates in the forms of cereals or "muesli" should be eliminated from everyones diets not just those struggling with weight management.  The toxic chemicals added to foods to make them "free" or "low" are detrimental to us all.  Sugar is in no way a healthy element to our diets in whatever size, shape or form.  Replacing your sugar with sweetener is not moderating the addiction, and replacing your chocolate afternoon snack with a fruit salad is no wiser.  Fruit contains fructose (natures sugar) still spiking your insulin levels, still causing the same disability to weight gain that the chocolate bar was.

Another phenomenon of today's "experts" is the insistence to encourage grains, whole grains, wheat filled wraps and breads, and every other form of insulin spiking mediocrity that should never be put near the human body.  Natures hellions provoke imbalances in our hormones and taxing of the digestive system, alongside a string of carcinogenic chemical properties these crops thrive on.  Grains should be eliminated based on this alone.

I say eliminate grains, eliminate sugar, and bin the white and processed carbohydrates.  Thrive on protein and tasty healthy fats for optimal living.

Take what you can from the professionals, eat from the earth and live vigorously through the foods that fuel you.

Taking back control

Every day the proverbial "I cant" rushes to our lips based on some notion that something else is more important than our health.  One hundred daily tasks make it to the top of our "to do" lists, over taking care of ourselves, quickly forgetting that without our health the trivials become obsolete.

We seem to bound ourselves to impossibilities, restrictions and diminutive burdens leaving us settling for average.  We are quick to accept mediocre as part of our lives.  Fitness, strength and athleticism may not be the first priority for everyone, but surely health, vitality and well-being are right up front.  In this case you cannot have one without the other.  

Overweight? tired? weak? unfit? Everybody wants to be in shape, but nobody is willing to work for it, nobody is willing to act.  Wake up, man up, and take back your life.

Nobody cares where you want to be if you not willing to commit to getting there.  In this modern day world everybody seems to be "too busy" to take the time out to exercise, "too busy" to whip up a healthy meal, and "too busy" to commit to anything, but never "too busy" to watch the next episode of Greys Anatomy, or "too busy" to stop at the drive thru window and pick up their 2000 calorie heart attack.

Not only have you settled for less but you have embraced it.  Why is it so prevalent in our society to see a goal but not attack it, we give up before we have even started and without even acknowledging the limits we place on ourselves.

The only thing standing in your way of achieving your goals is you.  Not your busy schedule, 2.5 children or old high school injury.  These excuses are created and controlled by only you,  you allow these rationalizations to justify your unfit, out of shape self.

Do not be affected by the world around you, you need to strive to effect the world, your world.  

Here is my advice.  Take back control of your life.

Own your shortfalls, there is no moving forward without accepting what has set you back.  Do not pass blame, do not point fingers and do not allow excuses to control your journey.  Take responsibility, your body is the one thing you will always have, the one thing that is owned and piloted exclusively by you.  Take care of it. 

Healthy eating is not rocket science.  What you put in, is what you get out.  I cant say I have met anyone who wants and chooses to be an oily, fatty, hyperactive alcoholic.  Doing one million ab crunches, and grunting like a troll for two hours on the pec dec is not going to out train your burger buns and sloppy joes.

Train and eat like your life depends on it,  because it does.

Muhammad Ali hated every minute of training but he said "Don't quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion"

Building Men on Jungle Gyms

I recently read an article on whether or not bodyweight training is effective for building muscle.  I have heard this time and time again, I have been hammered, battled and disputed on this very subject.

Besides science proving that it does, besides the hundreds of Internet based blogs and millions of books by some of the top strength coaches in the world recommending it, besides the genuine blatant truth of it. I have tried and tested it.

I have been a contender of the bar for a few years now and have turned boys into men using their bodies as their gyms.  Facing the ground with nothing but your own weight is perceived by many as child's play, until they thrown into challenging push ups and pull ups like its day one at military base.

Bodyweight training is an effective muscle builder, if you know what you doing, or your coach knows what they doing.  A fly by night trainer dishing out ugly pull ups and thousands of push ups with no knowledge of programming and progression is just going to waste your training time and money.

I don't care if you can do 40 chin ups and 100 push ups, if you want to hit those muscle fibres with the most growth potential and gain size and strength you need the correct loading and tension.

Military push ups become easy, your body adapts to the stress and you are no longer challenging your body - you are no longer gaining in strength or size.  You need to present a new challenge. What most don't realize is that bodyweight training is tough and demanding as hell.  It is much easier to walk into a gym and move from a 40kg dumbbell to a 45kg weight to progress those rows than it is to go from a push up, to a pike to a handstand push up.  These methodologies require patience and discipline.

Strength training whether under the barbell or hanging from the bar demands intelligent training, it requires programming based on rep manipulation, resistance, force, progressive loading etc, not a coach barking orders for random reps and obscure exercise combinations.

Do not be afraid to put the weight down and challenge the bars in fear of losing hard gained muscle, this method of training will keep you strong and add significant mass to your size with correct training and guidance.  Do not be afraid of only using this style of training to reach your physical goals - the gains speak for themselves

Bodyweight training builds strong lean muscle, it is healthy on the joints, it allows for a full range of motion and can be performed everyday.

I have clients that have spent their lives weight lifting and are tending the bars with lifting induced injuries, with every rep and every set, their ligament, tendon and joint strength has improved and that carry over to the weight room has been remarkable.

Bodyweight training is personally my preferred method of building strength, endurance and size. Don't get me wrong, I love the pathos of lifting a heavy weighted barbell, there is possibly nothing more empowering than the feeling of moving something over twice your bodyweight off the ground, but the challenge of bodyweight training stimulates your mind.  That feeling of achieving a movement that has taken months to perfect, facing a fear and developing the strength to get you there.  That moment, that feeling, that achievement is momentous and pivotal.

At the end of the day combining the two methodologies for building muscle and size is in my views thee most effective.

Does bodyweight training build muscle?  Hell yes

Justification Nation

-  A guest post by Terence Mitchell

We are living in a world were many people constantly feel the need to justify their failures, short falls, unhappiness, lack of motivation, lack of progress and just about any personal issue they can think of.  Myself and a good friend recently coined the term ‘Justification Nation‘ and I believe that is exactly the kind of ‘nation’ most of us are living in.

I get it. We all mess up, I mess up, you mess up, shit gets messed up.  But does every single action and subsequent reaction need a thorough justification? Does it really?  Could we all not learn to own our failures and weaknesses? Then once we take ownership, take responsibility and then commit to do something about it?

Not too long ago I was a resident of Justification Nation. In all my years of lifting, I’ve had an ongoing hate/hate relationship with the barbell bench press (hate/hate because there was NO love) As a result of old injuries from various sports in my younger years, my ability to bench press pain free was severely hindered and before I realized it I was justifying to all who would listen as to why I was so awful at the bench press. 

One day I realized what I was doing and feared the monster I had created.  The first thing I did was ‘own’ my weakness.  I really did not want to become one of the guys who I always seemed to meet who ‘if it weren’t for this or that, would be so incredibly strong’ so without further ado I accepted whole heartily that I sucked and needed a plan.

I stopped justifying, almost overnight.  I told people my shoulders had never been injured and that I was just weak and pathetic and needed to fix my bench press or hand in my man card, eat soy and watch the entire 5 seasons of ‘Glee’ back to back.  So I literally began benching with an empty bar and started from scratch. 

I began implementing advice from powerlifting coaches and reading all I could about correct set up and bench technique as well as correct assistance and rehab exercises.

But what really happened?

1.  In the words of Jamie Lewis I “stopped bitching and started benching“ 

2.  I owned my weakness.  If you tell someone you weak and you suck they can’t really call you out can they?

3.  I began taking responsibility.

4.  Because of point 3, I began educating myself, finding out what works, what does not. I found a way to set up correctly, use a technique that did not cause any shoulder impingement's or pain.

5.  By no longer justifying failure I was now making room for future success.

So what are you justifying? Do you think that your own unique condition makes you a special snow flake? Are you the only person who is ‘busy’ during the day, are you the only person who has even been injured? Are you the only one who ‘finds its such a mission to eat correctly’? I got news for you, you are not.

Move far away from Justification Nation, Its a slippery slope and before you know it, it could be too late to make a change.

Strength Fiction

Strength [streNG(k)TH]- The quality or state of being strong.

Strong[strO^NG] - Having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks.


Now these are words that are grossly misinterpreted  in gyms across the world.  Along side 'functional' and 'tone' there are no words thrown into sentences more often that highlight more distortion than these.

Lets put a little truth in our fiction.

Lifting a weight of 20kg and putting it down again, in no way can be seen as physically demanding.  Your baggage allowance on flights is 20kg and everyone moans about how little that is.

Lifting a weight in relation to your bodyweight and how the lift is performed can separate the boys from the men when talking strength in the gym.  The best thing about lifting is the blatant truth and genuineness of the iron, it is what it is.  You cannot lie about your lift and nor can the iron falsify your strength, its a perfect measure.

A few goals for the aspiring lifter, and for those who want to be taken seriously when it comes to lifting, you want to work your way to lifting some considerable weight before you can justify calling yourself strong.

The deadlift, the king of all lifts in my books personally: You got to lift a solid 2.5 times your own bodyweight before you can jump on the 'strong wagon' and even then you are only just beginning.

The benchpress, the exercise every man must compare to "What do you bench hey?" this question can either strip or crown a man of his 'hood':  A good bench starts at 1.5 times your own bodyweight.

The squat, the father of all lower body exercises: A good measure is a solid 2 x your own bodyweight to hit the ground running

The weighted pull up, My personal favorite : A solid goal is to work to 66% of your bodyweight as an addition to your pull.

I could list 10 more standards that are applicable to considerable strength in the gym, but I think my point is pretty clear.

Strength is something that is aspired to, strength is a skill that time is devoted to not just something acquired after a couple sessions in the gym as a recreation.  Strength is trained for, specifically.

Do not be afraid to realize how much potential you have within you, discover it, fight for it and unleash it.  You will love your body and embrace its capabilities while breaking down barriers and ascertaining new heights.

"If we did all the things we were capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison
                                                                                                                             

Man VS Poison

You will never catch me promoting the latest weight loss miracle or elaborating on the newest nutriment out there.  Never mind the crash diet that my neighbours, best friends, daughters, school teacher lost 40kg over in two weeks and lived happily ever after.

Its fair to say I express straight up truths, no pink tea cosies and fluffing of the facts.

I have been covering a lot on the realities of our beloved staple crops of late and thought it time I get it out there that eating healthy could in fact be silently destroying you.

A year ago I terminated wheat, gluten and soy from my diet where ever humanly possible.  I am not obsessive in any sense, I do slip the bad in with the good every now and then like most humans.  However I can identify what is quietly turning me into a bio hazard on the inside.  I eat clean wherever possible and my body reaps the untold benefits of separating the sinful foods from the saints.

For those who know no better, wheat is not what it was 50 years ago and has been genetically modified far beyond what is safe for human consumption. Wheat undergoes sterilisations that are toxic to humans.  If you don't suffer from celiac disease or suffer an intolerance towards this crop it should still be avoided.  The trendy 'love handles'  worn by 80% of our population is a clear cut result of love for the malt.

This portent crop that we are adoringly shovelling daily leads to obesity.  Its that simple.  Overweight? suffer from IBS? Stomach pains? acid reflux? fatigue?  Its your best friend the burger bun.

Wheat increases your blood sugar more than any other food, it contains an appetite stimulant gliadin which spikes your sugar levels more than a chocolate bar would. Leaving you craving more of this vicious tripe, and causing a roller coaster ride of sugar highs and lows.

The moment you go cold turkey on the wheat bar your blood pressure will reduce, improved cholesterol values have been shown, relief from arthritis, increased energy, increased sex drive and the all important weight loss.

Put the wheat back on the shop shelf and notice how you snack less and crave less.

Another "health" marvel that is taking the world for a ride is soy "the perfect food". Sorry society but you are being blind sighted by the "health experts"  We are being told that soy has been used for thousands of years and its foods provide complete proteins.  This in fact is a myth.  It once was used in the 11th century by the Chinese who quickly discovered its radical compounds and gave it up for the rice paddies.

Organic soy where fermentation takes place over a long period to reduce 'anti-nutrients' is the only soy the markets should be pushing, yet this somehow got confused with the 'soy' we all know so well punted across every cereal, nutriment and food on our shelves.  Dive a little deeper and this unregenerate little phenomenon will leave you with not only a bad taste in your mouth but a an inside that will despise the hand that feeds it.

We all know soy contains phytoestrogens, if that were not enough to stop you from pulling the box off the shelf let me enlighten you.  Yes this plant compound does decrease testosterone levels and increase estrogen,  causing 'moobs' in men (the infamous man boob) and literally kills sperm cells, whilst also reducing the assimilation of copper, calcium, iron and other important minerals.

Being someone who trains regularly, a hardgainer and someone who excitedly indulges in protein to keep my muscle happy, the biggest concern for me, is that soy interferes with protein digestion and absorption.  So downing that protein shake after training (made from soy) is as pointless as taking a bikini to a ski lodge.

99% of soy beans are genetically modified and the pesticides that are laden over the crops are packed with carcinogens.  Would you like digestive distress with a side of thyroid dysfunction whilst we top that with cancer causing compounds?

Soy increases your vitamin D requirements and it blocks the synthesis of thyroid function.  With all this information out there for the masses and coaches, dietitians and nutritionists warning clientele on a daily basis why do we still choose to consume these diabolic foods.

The perfect health food? Science agrees that perhaps only for lab rats.

Evo Fitness: Cape Town

Capetonians, you are painfully fortunate.  Home to some of the most epic sporting events, a gastronomic paradise and some of the countries top performance facilities.

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to train at, and visit one of Cape Town's finest gyms, Evo Fitness.

David Cross, co-owner of Evo, invited me into his world of strength and offered me a taste of the EVOlution.  David is an all round strongman, power enthusiast, nutrition buff, exercise critic and British bulldozer.

Drawing from a life in corporate finance and reconditioning himself from a colossal 137kg to a lean and fit 86kgs, and again later 105kg's of solid muscle (give or take a donut), he discovered his passion for active, strong living and enrolled himself into varsity and qualified as a personal trainer.

David's devotion to strength, nutrition and transforming lives is evident in every element of this performance facility. Training to the modern day man has evolved from pure raw power to today's 'functional' fluff, but not at Evo.

Evo boasts old time strongman training that includes log pressing, prowler drags, farmers walks, super yoke and rope pulls amongst their array of methodologies.  Evo is not about flash, these coaches and this athletic playground pulls from the oldest tools, blends in today's science and drives results through precision programming.

I don't think there is a training mindset quite like this one elsewhere in the Western Cape.  Evo is not just a gym full of strength tools, its galvanized by esteemed coaches, specialists and athletic competitors.  Many of the gyms littered around our countryside are bursting at the seams with trainers, but very few boast coaches.

Evo's in house exercise specialist Rolandas Mensikovas having trained under Charles Poloquin, Jarryd Firmani and Jarryd Roos, two of the strength coaches both being competitive powerlifters, to name but a few.  The team running  this show are not just brawn but brains too.

If you are local to the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, a keen sportsman, strongman competitor or just a weekend warrior looking for a gym that offers great equipment, knowledgeable trainers and a powerful atmosphere get in touch with the guys at Evo.

They most certainly will evolve your training into a result driven way of life.

Visit their website at www.evofitness.co.za

Getting back to the grind

Its the season,  the warriors are getting their gear on for the summer vibes.  Vacations are planned, bottle stores are being raided and all hell is about to break loose on every beach across the South African coastline.

Enter December.

We know what this month is about, we know debauchery is about to be unleashed on our prized physiques that we've trained all year to obtain. Yet a quick 3 weeks down the line you waking up on the bathroom floor staring at the ceiling with a second heartbeat in your head.

Enter January. 

I’ll be honest with you, January and I have never quite seen eye to eye.  The start of a new year seems to automatically put everyone under pressure, as five minutes ago you were lazing on the beach by day and shovelling turkey and champagne by night.  

The fireworks die down and the sun rises on that dreaded first day of the month, which wants you to start being awesome when all you want to do is bury your head in a cushion on the couch, kick up your feet and take a much needed break from your break.

January expects you to start fresh, set new goals and establish new habits when your mind is still in the chill zone.  My modus operandi to this annual situation is to approach with caution, and ensure that you are mentally prepared for the transition well before it encroaches on your holiday swagger.

When the new year’s work week starts, diving head first into your reality of corporate meetings, rush hour traffic and pin stripe suits is going to leave you more exhausted than you were when you packed your holiday suitcase.

Getting back to the grind after the holidays is never an easy task.  I'm not going to sit here and bore you with the mundane cliches society dishes out in the back pages of their suburban newspapers "Get home a few days before the alarm clock strikes 5am on Monday morning" or "Prepare your to-do lists for your first week back a week before you leave"

Just writing that made me cower in shame it’s such commonplace and banality, what I can suggest, is to not rip the ass out of your holiday.  Taking a three week break over the festive season is not a hall pass to drunken binges, overindulgence and physical abuse.  You have worked all year (or at least the last three months to get that body, beach ready) to throw it all away because its ‘the season to be jolly’ besides the physical side effects of debauchery, the new year’s guilt is enough to send you spiralling back into old habits.

In no way am I suggesting you spend your vacation feeding off rabbit food and sipping luke warm water.

You deserve a little luxury and a little personal spoil; after all, you’ve worked your ass off all year to look good for the next few weeks.  I am merely suggesting you do things in moderation, not only for your physical well being but to aid you in a smooth transition from holiday to office boardroom.

Using your holiday as a break from your realities ensures that when it’s time to get back to the grind stone, you are rested, energized and even amped to grab the bull by the horns come first day back at the office.   Nine times out of ten we set ourselves resolutions that entail goals in health and success in one way or another, which reminds me, gym owners, brace yourselves, the new years resolution gym members are coming.

Why not kick off your year of new beginnings in a healthy state of mind, rejuvenated, restored and determined as opposed to hung over, jaded and exhausted.

Got Juice?

We are all aware of the ongoing saga surrounding doping internationally, Lance Armstrong being made the most recent example.

Everyday, all the time, athletes are being ripped of their medals and egos.  Everyone is using and everyone is denying.

Look, in my personal opinion, Livestrong's Armstrong is still an incredible athlete, he beat cancer and went on to compete in the Tour De France many a time, whether he won it or got stripped of his titles, the fact remains that this man fought and incredible fight, and won that hands down.

However whether we agree or disagree with abuse, the truth is, steroids are illegal in the sporting world.  If they were legal and every single athlete was a user, well then the playing field would be fair again.  However choosing to use when you know that you shouldn't, is cheating.  Its that simple.

It all boils down to respect for the game.

Those who know me, know I feel strongly about users.  If using is going to help you score that winning touchdown and earn you another $50 000 000 at the end of the season, well then hell that's your personal choice.  That is a choice with motivation.  I know many a power lifter and many an athlete that do use, they know that I disagree but what I will give them, is their choice to use is at least justifiable, whether it is wrong or not, they use with reason.

If you are going to use, so that you look good in boardshorts on the beach, well then, you're a complete minion in my books.  There is no justification for misuse of performance enhancers, when your performance is just strutting your stuff on the sidewalk.  Steroids have their place in medicine, as do they arguably have their unfortunate place in sport, however if you are not suffering from anything that requires the use and are not competing in something that could change your life, you just look ridiculous with your weak backbone, and fragile mind.

The long term side effects of abuse, namely cardiovascular problems, liver failure, neurological issues, blood pressure and cholesterol issues, increased organ size (amongst many other fantastic issues) are not worth the trouble caused later in life.

If you have turned to the gym and chosen training for your physical wellbeing, for absolute strength, for health, for vitality and for longevity and even just to look great aesthetically, cheating your way to hotness just cannot be equalled to the empowerment you feel from reaching those goals based on your own hard work.

The choices are simple.  Albert Einstein said "Try not to become a man of success, but a man of value"

Interview with Andy Craig at CrossFit Durban

CrossFit, whether you love it or hate it, is on the rise in South Africa.  This method of training, and approach to fitness is quickly becoming a known entity by everyone and anyone who's listening.

The community and culture of their members across the board is evident.  The training environment incorporates a sense of family, trust and belonging whilst the work involved is constantly varied, highly intensive, functional movements with the addition of power and Olympic lifts.

Over the last year I have come to know who I would consider the ambassador to CrossFit South Africa, Andy Craig.  Despite my highly opinionated character, criticism and despondence towards his training styles, Andy, being the gentleman that he is, set aside my indifference, and encouraged a friendship.  This trait, I have come to learn is definitely a strong reason behind his prosperity.  Needless to say we have got on like a house on fire ever since.

Him and his business partner Dean Ridgeway are the guys behind the flagship 'box' in Gateway, Umhlanga, and have set their new venture a light with the recent success of the UWS games.  When the dust had finally settled surrounding the grand opening, the games and business commenced, I got five minutes of the busy mans time to bring Andy to you.

1)  CrossFit has taken South Africa by storm, being in the US since 2000, it is still in its infancy in our country, where do you see your ‘CrossFit culture’ going to from here locally?

Provincially, nationally and globally CrossFit and the sub culture you talk of will only grow in size and interest.  I have often taken a step outside of what we do to really try and grasp what it is I am involved in.  It is actually mind blowing when you think of what CrossFit is globally and the wider CrossFit community that is such a big part of CrossFit. 

In Cape Town and Johannesburg we are seeing boxes open almost quarterly and in Natal I think we will have another 4 boxes open with in the next 2 years at least.  I know of 2 people already down the road to affiliating.

2)  How does CrossFit separate itself from other forms of training currently available on the market, and what led ‘Andy’ to being an ambassador to the brand in South Africa?

CrossFit is unlike any other training.  I’ll be the first to admit we didn’t invent exercise.  We didn’t invent the squat, deadlift or pull up, but what CrossFit has done is package a program of fitness that uses variety and pretty bad ass training to allow the general public the opportunity to build a level of fitness and skill most didn’t think possible. I like to think of ourselves as exercise bandits.  We will use whatever works to develop better health, strength and fitness.  If it works use it, if it doesn’t get rid of it.  This is why we use Olympic lifts, power lifts, rowing, strongman training and kettlebells in our program. 

From when I can remember I always wanted to do everything.  If I saw other kids jumping off a bridge I wanted to do it.  If I saw someone climb a rope I wanted to be the next one up there.  I played every sport at school, did nearly every event in athletics and was pretty good at most of it.  I’m sure most of us are like that and that is what is so attractive about CrossFit – you get to try everything.  It introduces people to lifts and disciplines that they may otherwise never of had the opportunity or drive to do.  I know of a guy in the UK that only got into weightlifting through CrossFit and recently competed in a competition to get to the Commonwealth games. This is what sets us aside from other forms of training, we get to do all the fun shit.

I was essentially made redundant from my day job in the UK because of CrossFit.  I was running my gym and working a day job and when the recession hit they let me go.  In Hindsight it was the kick up the ass I needed to step in to coaching full time.  My wife is from Durban originally so in February 2010 I flew out to see if it would take here and in September 2010 we got off a plane and started our affiliate.  Maybe it was blind stupidity because no one knew me or CrossFit at the time but I had a belief that it would work and it seems to have paid off.

3)  CrossFit is not only a training methodology but a growing culture with an ever increasing community, what is the drive behind this, that separates the average gym goer from the CrossFitter?

CrossFit’s whole beginning stemmed from a desire from coach Glassman to move away from the globo gym, mass membership, limited service model with a view to providing open source free information to the masses.  This is still the case today and  the community has grown around that

The CrossFit community while global in it’s entirety, really grows from each individual box.  Every box has a distinct community that seems to have been lost in today's busy climate and this is a deciding factor for many when getting in to fitness again or taking on a new challenge.  Due to the group environment people feel part of something greater than just a workout

It is very difficult to explain to people just what CrossFit provides for you both physically and emotionally.  You have to do it and be involved to really understand. CrossFit can be tough and at times mentally as well as physically exhausting.  It isn’t for everyone and those that do it are the kind of people in life as well as in the gym, are willing to get stuck in.  CrossFit is a lifestyle.

4)  There is a lot of contention surrounding CrossFit's approach to training, me personally in the past having held a high opinion of it, how do you separate yourself from the controversy and dispute that encompasses this practice of training?

I don’t!  Why would I separate myself from the very style of training I love and practice just because other people think it’s dangerous or doesn’t work?  It works for me and my members.  With all due respect to you Lil,  there is also much contention as to whether kettlebells can really provide absolute strength to someone once they are passed squatting with 2 x 32kg bells, would this mean you would try to separate yourself from this training style?

Louis Simmons broke his back twice power lifting.  Has he tried to separate himself from that style of training? No.  Do people still do power lifting? Hell yes. Has Louis addressed the reasons he broke his back? Definitely. 

I’m a CrossFitter.  If I only wanted to be strong I would do strength work.  If I wanted to be a runner I would just run.  If I wanted to be good at lots of different things, be relatively strong and also conditioned I would do CrossFit.

5)  CrossFit aside, you are a certified trainer, Olympic lifting coach, and sports massage therapist amongst some of your other vast extent of certifications,  and like the rest of us, have a burning passion for physical strength and well being, what are some of your own personal goals in training and how do you go about achieving them?

To get better at the things I'm crap at.  CrossFit encompasses so much that you will always find something that you are less capable of doing.  Take ring handstand push ups, I can do them but not with the greatest of ability and if they came out in a workout I would be in a world of hurt.  So, I must work on them. 

I love strength work.  I love to squat and deadlift and throw heavy stuff around.  I will continue to work these while still trying to work on my weaknesses.  As long as I am constantly progressing then I am happy. 

How do I go about constantly getting better? Programming which includes nutrition and rest.

6)  What led you personally to this industry and what motivates you on a daily basis to keep doing what you do?

I have always been involved in sport both playing and coaching.  At school they literally locked me in a room and only let me out to play sport and represent the school.  It's all I really knew and understood growing up.  It's a miracle I even made it in to mainstream corporate society but I did and it paid the bills and paid for me to study my qualifications and run my gym when I first started.

I reckon mid life crisis had something to do with it.  I was coaching teams and putting programs together for guys at the gym before I studied and qualified.  It was and still is my passion and I wanted to follow that passion.

Being able to coach people and give my knowledge to them is a special thing.  Watching every day people learn and develop and be able do things they never thought possible makes me get out of bed in the morning.  Sure they pay me to do it but it's fun for me.  I have seen shy people come out of their shells.  Overweight people shed incredible weight, and people do amazing things that they thought were out of reach for them when they first started.  CrossFit is who I am.  It defines how I live my life and how I mould other peoples.

7) What is the greatest advise you can give to any aspiring coaches in your field?

Practice what you preach and never stop learning.  Never discredit anything before trying it and have the balls to admit if you make mistakes. 

 Andy, thank you so much for your insight into your work and the world of CrossFit.  

Photos by Tanya Olsen

Fight for your life

It's all good and well having goals, and aspirations.  I want to be fit, strong and look good naked. 

The cliche's that flood our timelines, the motivational pictures, the quotes from people who truly lived and the everyday affirmations we mutter to ourselves while we put the kettle on.

I can appreciate that we need reminders, I can appreciate the motive and the drive.  A picture of a perfectly defined physique on our fridge doors to affirm our direction. Awesome.

Yet when it comes down to actually applying ourselves, it's half arsed.  Those people who are exceptionally strong, those who do look incredible naked and those that are achieving their personal goals on a day to day basis, didn't get there by talking about it.

It all boils down to mental fortitude, its about seeking the challenges and overcoming adversity.  You are only truly strong when your mind has overcome its fears. That fear for some may be that last rep of a set in training, you can either fight through the anguish or throw in the towel.  I always say it, and I'll say it again, your mind gives up before your body does.

The heart of training is in being mentally tough. Those personal aspirations you have, that extra 50kg to your deadlift, another 5 reps on the pull up bar or simply fitting into the skinny jeans you bought 5 years ago.  You not going to get any of it if you don't get through the gruelling work, this perseverance is what makes your goals an achievement and not just a vision.

There is a direct relationship with your mental toughness in the gym and your personal life.  Overcoming a trial in physical strength or fitness can transpire into you taking back your life.  It's not just about being able to push through when your body thinks it cant, its about the backbone it takes in getting there.

The most important thing I could tell you in gaining mental strength is to not lose focus. There is no excuse in the world that could justify a weak mind.  Everyone has their burdens and afflictions, we all use our vindications as reasons as to why we could not overcome something, but only you are standing in the way of you taking back control.

It's the mental game that gives the biggest reward.  

Let the young run free

Martina Hingis, Lebron James, Tiger Woods and Pele are just some of the people, that whilst under the age of 13, had already taken the world by storm.

This is where it all starts, these are the years that can determine the rest of their lives.  Children are too often subjected to Playstations, iPads and Mylie Cyrus when they should be climbing ropes, playing on jungle gyms and standing on their heads.

Many parents today are under the impression that exercise and training can be detrimental to their little snowflakes.  I agree, 5 days a week of heavy weights and constant stress on the body, can be adverse to the bodies of our developing youth. However functional bodyweight training, mobility, flexibility, and motor skills are only going to benefit the little people physically, socially and mentally in the long term.

How many Olympic gymnasts started their training at 21 years old?  These incredibly versatile athletes were exercising their muscles from the age of 3 whilst increasing bone density, improving cardio vascular function and promoting their motor skills.  No detriment caused there later in life, that's for sure.

The word that seems to send most parents over the edge, causing a complete state of anxiety and rapid breathing is 'strength'.

Lets break this down, strength: The quality or state of being strong, having physical power and energy.

Oh goodness no, we wouldn't want that for our children.  Yes, I'll admit, I am not a parent, but I am a professional who has spent time studying the cause and effect of stress on the human body, both young and old.

Firstly lets not confuse strength training with weight lifting or powerlifting, this definitely can put strain on young developing muscles, tendons and developing cartilage that hasn't yet turned to bone, when being done in the incorrect manner.  However at a very young age, when exercising using their own bodyweight, this will increase their muscle and endurance whilst strengthening their joints.  Remember that children recover quicker from stress on their bodies, faster than you EVER will again in your life.

Supervised, practical exercise is going to build a foundation for a healthy life, and focusing on flexibility exercises are going to help children perform better in all aspects and help them avoid injury.  Whilst strength training through bodyweight exercises will increase their bone density, develop a natural power, and promote healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, the list goes on and on of benefits surrounding your child's growth and the advantages of training and exercise in the earliest days.

Make the switch, encourage your offspring to get physical, not just in sporting activities but get them involved in practical exercise that will get them hooked on vibrant living.

Let your children start their life, how you always wished you could.

Cardio, I love to hate you

Those who know me, know that I loath cardio.  I don't just hate its being, I despise the word.  It's conditioning, cardio sounds like its covered in fairy dust and nothing this ugly deserves such treatment.

My body has never responded well to high intensity exercises, purely based on the fact that I merely need to walk across a room and my metabolism begins to demolish every form of energy I have consumed.  As a hard gainer I need every ounce of calorie my body takes in.

This is why I have such a hatred for it.

However I strongly recommend it and always ensure that I do it, your strength needs to be powered by fuel, and conditioning is your fuel.  Your muscle is useless if you run out of gas.

Nonetheless there is still a large portion of the population not combining their strength with conditioning, and visa versa.  Then there are those that misconceive the difference between the two entirely.  I cringe at what some perceive as strength training as much as I cower at the thought of those spending an hour in the gym on the treadmill.

You need to train intelligently.  Firstly strength training involves heavy weights at low repetition, so 5 reps of 4 sets with a challenging weight, with a longer duration of rest in between,  where as 100 overhead presses with a 15kg dumbbell, with little or no rest in between develops endurance, and is a form of conditioning.

Know that difference first and foremost, when planning your training.

Variable	Training goal
	Strength	Power	Hypertrophy	Endurance
Load (% of 1RM)	80-90	45-55	60-80	40-60
Reps per set	1-5	1-5	6-12	15-60
Sets per exercise	4-7	3-5	4-8	2-4
Rest between sets (mins)	2-6	2-6	2-5	1-2
Duration (seconds per set)	5-10	4-8	20-60	80-150
Speed per rep (% of max)	60-100	90-100	60-90	60-80
Training sessions per week	3-6	3-6	5-7	8-14

Conditioning on the other hand is what increases your energy and endurance, and is what works your cardio vascular system.  Applying a stress to your body through high repetition drills for long periods of time or at intervals is what exercises your metabolism, this is conditioning.

Whether you choose to sprint hills, flip tyres, snatch kettlebells or pound something with a heavy hammer, you are feeding your levels of fitness, and your abilities will grow and thrive to endure an exercise over a longer period of time, without gasping for air and coughing up a lung.

Conditioning will fuel your fire.

You need to assess your goals, and implement the right methodologies.  Personally, I'd like to add a few extra kilos to my deadlift and a couple extra reps to my pull ups, over getting an extra 50 reps on my kettlebell snatch.  If your goal is to excel in GS (kettlebell sport) then your focus needs to be on those additional reps, your game plan needs to involve maximal conditioning.

Bare in mind that you cannot have ultimate strength and ultimate conditioning, it would be like driving a Lamborghini Murcielago and a Hummer at the same time, if you want to be an Olympic lifter and achieve maximal muscle the other qualities will suffer.  To the average gym goer, do both separately and reap the benefits of both strength and conditioning.

It all depends on what your objectives are, one always has to suffer.

If you are not a competitive athlete, I would recommend 50/50 of both your strength and conditioning.

The most important factors are that in order to lose weight, gain strength, mass, or fitness you need to implement both imperative factors into your training, keeping your goals in mind and apply both according to your needs.

Keep these training methods separate, if you have the time, do them on different days and never go overboard just for the sake of doing more, your sweat does not determine the intensity of your workout.

If you want to see swift gains in your size and mass then strength is your primary goal and you should take a 70/30 approach to your conditioning.

Conditioning is valuable, but just how imperative depends on your goals, your weaknesses and your sport.

Remember that if you not training for a marathon, or preparing for a competition, or you not trying to set a new record or trying to impress anyone, your health, fitness and strength will save your life.

Legs: The forgotten apendages

It's that time of year again, the gyms are roping in the masses, low fat products are flying off the supermarket shelves, and competitive figure athletes are fifty shades of Dorito.

Two things: Summer is knocking on our doors and its competition time in the fitness and bodybuilding world.

Athletes, fitness models and bodybuilders have been working towards these few weeks for months and the weekend warriors are filing into the gyms in hopes of making some changes before they strut their stuff on our beach fronts.  The common trend here is that the guys are hitting the gyms.

However there seems to be a trend in the world of the weekend warrior and a drift amongst some men, like a secret society.  Your secret is out I am afraid, we have noticed, you are not training your legs.

The reason I aim this at men is that genetically a women's fat deposits sit from the navel to the buttock to the thighs.  We know this.  We train our legs, to avoid this, amongst other things.  Men on the other hand tend to focus their training on those pecs, biceps, and abs. Those 'show' muscles.  It is the area that the opposite sex seems to be attracted to, well, so the men think.

I know men personally who have in fact never trained their legs.  Yes.  Never.

I know men who train their legs daily, then there are those men who dedicate one training day a week to the deadlift and squat.  Now, these guys who focus on the deadlift and the squat alone, are few and far between.  These men are the ones who know what immense gains are attained from performing big exercises.

Don't get me wrong, athletes and sportsmen have their chosen exercises for their legs that are effective to their needs, the squat and deadlift do have many holes in translating into everyday sports.  The topic here is training those legs in general.

90% of the figure athletes out there are doing what needs to be done to perform at their best on stage, however there are those few who somehow filter through the cracks and make it onto that stage without a leg day logged.  I shake my head in shame.  The competition is tight at this level and one should know better, as for the warriors, I take this opportunity to enlighten you.

There is nothing more monumental in your regiment then focusing a workout on the lower body weekly.

Firstly, and the most obvious reason of all, aesthetically you want to be in symmetry, which will never exist if you have a mammoth upper body and hosepipes for legs. Your balance will be completely off and more over you just look ridiculous.

Your legs consist of some of the biggest muscles in your body, by working these large groups your body impulsively excretes more natural growth hormone.  Your body needs to produce more of this to assist your recovery, which in turn aids the rest of your bodies growth, knowing this just reinforces the relative stupidity of the bicep curl/crunch kind of guy.

When training the lower body, because of the size of muscles recruited you burn a higher calorie percentage, these large muscle groups also require longer recovery periods.  Due to the length of recovery your metabolism is raised for a longer period.

In simple terms the bigger the exercise the greater the hormone production.  It's that simple, the deadlift and the squat will do more for you simultaneously, the same way a bench press will kill a chest fly, more muscle recruitment, more hormone production, more gains, bigger results.

Strong legs are the foundation of an amazing body, and friends certainly don't let friends skip leg days.

Don't be that guy!

- A guest post by Terence Mitchell 

1.  Be the man who honors his debts and pays his bills.  Fuck deadlifts and squats, real men pay their way in the world.

2.  Stop trying to get things for free, actually do the opposite and pay more. Become someone who is prepared to pay for value and not a back street hustler trying to save a penny.

3.  We live in a world of science, which is cool, for now I guess, but this has made people obsessed with the minor details and not the big picture.  Every where I look on social media there are people arguing and debating crazy shit like carb back loading, nutrient timing, perfect post work out nutrition.
Don't fall for that!  Instead get your technique sorted on the big lifts and leave the rats and mice for the birds. Don't be that guy with all the scientific gear but no real training idea.

4.  The best program for you is the one you stick to.  The funny thing is even an average program with very basic exercises will get great results over time.  The thing is, every person truly believes he is a special snowflake who is the exception to all the proven rules.  Don't be that guy.  I have lost count of how many online programs I have made for friends, and after two weeks they are onto the next one.  Don't be the program hopper.

5.  In my gym a saying has been coined "The best assistance exercise for the squat, deadlift, press and bench is TIME"  People listen to me!  There is NO magic combo of assistance work that is going to propel your deadlift from 180kgs to 270kgs or bench from 120kgs to 180kgs in a year of training.

Shit takes time people.  You can have long levers, short levers, your momma could have been a hippie and your father could have been a punk rocker!  That won't help.  Time my friends... time.  
Don't become Lord of the assistance exercises!

6.  Guys this is another one for you because clearly some of you need help with your game.  I have noticed some classic schoolboy errors on my recent night time escapades in the big city of Ballito.  Remember girls want to meet guys,  as shocking as it seems most girls like guys.  So where do good times go bad?
The moment you think you can dress like a punk and somehow score with the opposite sex.  Guys, t-shirts are for gyms and loafing on the couch while watching re-runs of Monster Fish.  Instead spend some cash money on good quality dress shirts, if you cant buy off the shelf, stop cursing your poor luck and sad life and get shirts tailored.  Seriously, meeting girls whilst wearing smart, dress shirts is as easy as shooting fish in a barrel of fish.  Don't be that guy who thinks 'meeting girls is impossible' just sort your wardrobe out playa!

7.  Do you think that when a bunch of very strong guys get together they all talk about secret assistance exercises and nutrient timing?  No they talk about the only thing in the world worth talking about, bitches.  There I said it.  Ha ha

8.  A new trend I've noticed, mostly from the married men with kids is this "Ah, its so easy for you Terence, you are single, with no kids to get in the way of your training and eating act"  Now listen up, that may or may not be true BUT we all make our beds and have to lie in them so its no use lamenting over the circumstances in your life and using them as some excuse as to why you are not the man you desire to be.

Remember no matter what the hell is going on in your life, nobody is going to lift that weight for you.  That is why my life is so deeply entrenched in the iron game, because when that weight hits the ground there are NEVER excuses, you either get your ass to the gym and grind out that rep or stay at home dreaming of things that others are fighting for.  Don't be that guy who searches for excuses.  Take responsibility and find meaning in life's difficulties.  Many of my mentors in this game and some of the strongest lifters I have met, all have wives, kids and very stressful jobs.  Don't be that guy who thinks he is a special snowflake part 2.

9.  Don't be that guy who 'used to be incredible' if you were, which I doubt, forget about the past and worry about today.  I care little for the overweight, injury-riddled guy who once benched 180kgs whilst on every substance under the sun.  Today is about today men.  The past is best left where it belongs, in the past.

10.  Recently I got a few tattoos done, not for any other reason other than that I think they look nice.  The funny thing is, people say things like "You do realize that is forever don't you" to which I answer "My friend everything in this world is forever, that is what so few people realize, every foolish decision, poor choice, bad relationship, dumb move and bad date is forever!  It's done, written in life's big book and can never be taken back"

What is my point?  Everything is forever so deal with it, accept it and move on. That my friends is what I regard as living North of Vag.  Thanks JW

What women want: Not featuring Mel Gibson

Everything Oprah, women's fitness magazines and the girl next door has ever told you about 'toning' and getting in shape is as useful to the 'real' woman as eating soup with a fork.

As a coach I read a lot of magazines, Internet blogs, and articles, and listen to a lot of what is being said relating to how to get 'in shape'.  The majority of the people who know me, know that I'm a little more raw when it comes to 'training' and know as most women should that all the bullshit we are being told, is in fact, just that, bullshit.

There are some simple rules I follow in order to keep myself at my best, and the same laws apply to the ladies under my watch.

Firstly the word 'tone' is not in my vocabulary, a muscle can either be made bigger or smaller, that's it, simple.  Woman seem to run from the idea of 'building muscle' when they should be running towards it, building muscle enhances your 'definition', it also increases 'fat burn' the more muscle you have the more energy you require to feed the muscle, so this causes an increase in your metabolism and this aids in fat burn. Simple.

I've touched on this subject in previous blogs, but I still meet woman on a daily basis who claim to get big when they lift heavy, heavy cakes maybe.  Lifting weights do not make you big, eating cakes make you big.  We just don't have the hormonal profile that men do, unless we are mainlining testosterone our genetic make up just does not allow for it.

My advice as a coach is to pick up heavy weights, lifting milk bottles are not going to help you achieve anything.  If you want to see changes to your body, challenge it. Simple.

Heavy weights at low reps (8-15 for woman) builds definition, whatever you have been brainwashed to believe about shooting a 5kg dumbell around for 50 reps is going to get you 'definition' is fabricated.  Another great phenomenon I hear quite a bit of, is that if you not sweating, its not working.

Any experienced coach will tell you that it's not about what you burn in your workout, it's about what you burn in the hours following your training.  Lifting heavy increases your metabolism which forces your body to burn more calories, feather weight lifting for 100 reps does not.

On that note, lifting the same heavy object day in and day out for months on end will get you nowhere.  My next simple rule applies here, progressive overload.

It's all about adaptation, you lift a 20kg bar above your head every day for weeks and your body is going to build itself up in preparation for it, your body adapts and this no longer becomes a challenge.  Add more weight, or more sets, or shorten rest - present a new challenge. Simple

I've been lifting heavy for a few years, I have achieved feats of strength I once couldn't comprehend, yet I still do not look like a female Jay Cutler, its simple science.

My biggest rule, no matter what I've read, witnessed or have been told otherwise of is that compound exercises, big exercises give big results.  I hate gimmicks and gadgets and new ideas, balancing on balls, hanging from ceilings and wasting time on the small things when the big things are what make big changes.

We as women should not be subjected to the 'yes no' machines, ab classes, stomach crunches and butt blasters.  Its all about the fundamentals, sticking to the basics that have always worked.  If you want to lose fat and build muscle in a big way, do big exercises.  Deadlifts, strict presses, heavy squats, rows, chin ups, dips, push ups and the assistance exercises that accompany them.  I do these, I know, this works.

Personally, as a woman its not just about achieving a 'great body' there is something empowering about being feminine, being a woman and being able to lift heavy.