Mr Olympia...

... should have been HIM. The one and only!

When I lose track of where I'm going...

... I remind myself of where I come from, of where I was standing when I began this journey, and of all the things I couldn't do then.

And I see how far I've reached and how strong I've become!

Pilates and Pilates Reformer

The gym's 3-year anniversary party was outdoors this year.

The instructors taught various classes in the field area: Therapy-Dance, Pilates, Pilates Reformer, Cardio, Extreme Cardio, etc. There was a fixed schedule and you picked your favourite classes beforehand. Each class lasted approximately 30 minutes.

I had sprained my ankle two days before, so I couldn't dance or do cardio. I just did Pilates and Pilates Reformer. Thank Joseph Pilates for a new gymnastic discipline which seems to be in vogue. In spite of that, even the unfit can do some kind of low-intensity and moderate exercise.

BTW, Yamil was missed by everybody. We lost the soul of the party in December last year, and such charismatic instructor left an empty spot which nobody will be able to fill.

That said... We had fun.

Personal Best at the Gym

I've been to the coast for a whole month, and  I trained in my favourite gym there.

I hit more than a few PRs, and I couldn't avoid being noticed by the guys - especially by the ones who train hard!

This is me leg pressing 100 lbs (3 sets, 15-12-10). I didn't dare to try repeating it - my right tibia paid the price for my reckless fitness euphoria!

Anyway... who can take away my pride and my sense of accomplishment? N.O.B.O.D.Y.!!!

BACK PAIN

I had to stop training between February and July due to an injury in my back. It was not fun!

5K (Running among the trees)

Cold morning in May, outside the mall in Canning. 

The running team was there. We held our own warm-up. The instructors assisted us all the time, and checked if everybody was okay after they crossed the finish line.

I'm holding the gym's flag in one of the pictures. And there's another one of the whole running team, we're doing Bolt's famous posture in that one! :)

JUMPING

The second class I tried at this gym... Jumping!

Jumping happened to be incredibly challenging. The exercises on the trampolin offered some kind of variety within the , yes, but after repeating the same interval four times, every exercise performed exactly in the same order, you definitely learnt how to cheat and slow down or pretend you're working hard when the toughest one began. I guess the exercises were good enough, it was the sequence what made them boring.

The mini trampoline ruined my calves and my hips, too. As we say in Spanish, "debut y despedida" (or "hello and goodbye")...

SPINNING

I tried two new classes in a local gym (3 blocks away from my place).

Spinning was... histerical! Hyper-active, crazy, loud music, the room looked like a disco, and the instructor was... something like a spinning guru. He kept us motivated, on our legs and busting working our asses off in outbursts of HIIT for a whole hour! He even made us sing and scream and... sweat like heck!

I loved it, but... it ruined my lower body. My calves were swollen on the following day. 

Next time I want to shake my butt or feel my hips, I'd better take a hip-hop class at a dance studio...

CrossFit!

I called and got into a cab two weeks ago. It took one of the main roads to leave my town. When it turned round the corner to take the road, I made an amazing discovery. In an huge building where there was a church some time ago and a Gym many years ago, now there was another Gym! And it had a sign sayin "CrossFit" in front! Wow! Unbelievable!

So I made some time on Monday last week to find out what kind of Gym it was. CrossFit landed in my country as recently as last year, and I couldn't believe I was as lucky as to have a CrossFit Gym so close to my own house, when it's clear to me that there are only a few CrossFit Gyms all over the entire country!

But - yes! They do CrossFit there! And you can take a free session to try it out. So that's what I did. Gosh, it was soooooooooo tough!!!

I happened to found a guy there, he was a private student of mine ten years ago. He told me he'd lost 9 kg in 2 months - with CrossFit!

W.O.D. 01/16 - For time

Dumbbell single arm snatches

Burpees

10 each side - 1 - 9 - 2 - 8 - 3 - 7 - 4 - 6 - 5 - 5 - 4 - 7 - 3 - 8 - 2 - 9 - 1 - 10

Time: 26' 10''

And this is a photo of the place:

5K Ezeiza Extreme!

I ran my second cross-country & third 5K (for this year) on November 18th. Wow, man! Didn't I sweat!

I was wearing u$s150 running shoes - the well-known Reerun Reebok - and... I couldn't believe my eyes! I slipped and almost fell off a ridge!

But in the end, I got my medal. And I had to be rescued afterwards!

Who came to the rescue? A brave knight on a pale... whooops!, IN a white car! :)

Cross-country 4K

My first cross-country run! So much fun!

Mc Donald's 5K 2012

Such a great day! And a GREAT run, too! Whoooaaa!

... And this is our traditional ritual before we get to the start line. I know it was Vero (the head of the Gym) who invented it. I'll never understand the meaning of 'what the heck' we shout every time! :)

Functional training with Mariano

Mariano is the best! He's my coach and we're doing functional / circuit training (strength, endurance, mobility, agility, balance, etc) 3 x week. 

He's a "preparador físico" for various clubs (football soccer & other sports) and I'm lucky to have him on my team!

Mariano is training me so thoroughly... that he's giving me heck! He seems to love torturing me! But it's already started to pay off! :)

We usually work on ten stations, 3 sets, some exercises are 20 sec HIIT x 20 sec rest while others are for active recovery (same timing). We use the med ball (4 kilos!), resistance bands, step bench, box, mini-trampoline, mini-bosus, hurdles, mat, etc. 

I can't believe it! I did burpees on Friday! Arrrgggh!

(So hard to be a wannabe athlete!)

Working out with music is so much fun! :)

Marianooooooooo, please say time is up!!!

Tai Cheng

I've just discovered Tai Cheng, by Beachbody... So much to learn, practise, enjoy!

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Tai Cheng™ is Beachbody's newest and perhaps most comprehensive fitness program.




Based on the movements, concepts, and theories of traditional Yang-style Tai Chi, the Beachbody® Tai Cheng workout program was created by Tai Chi master, Dr. Mark Cheng.

The Mandarin Chinese translation of Tai Cheng (as we've conceived of it here at Beachbody) is the "Supreme Accomplishment" in whole body health.

The Tai Cheng™ workout is based on classical Tai Chi techniques, ancient Qi Gong practices, and modern corrective exercise patterns designed to both rehab and "prehab" the body, as well as improve the body's metabolism, joint function, stress management, and athletic performance!

The Tai Cheng program is a workout that feels good, challenges your body, gives you energy, and can help improve circulation, straighten posture, open your joints, reduce painful trigger points, and promote balance and flexibility to help improve your health as you age.

From "Tai Cheng FAQ" at

http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/tai-cheng-workout.do

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Meeting "the" Shi Fu

I found the master teaching Kung Fu, Taiji and Qigong classes at an institute on Camargo Street.

Such an honour to (finally) meet him in person!

Master Guo's biography mentions many of his remarkable deeds. He learnt and practised Tai ji Quan, Xing Yi Quan, Bagua Zhang, Qi Gong, Shaolin, Chang Quan, Cha Quan, Ba Ji, Nan Quan, Kung Fu... He belonged to the Wu Shu Olympic delegation. He was sent by China to teach martial arts in Hong Kong, Japan, USA and Canada. He arrived in our country in 1993.

I'll start taking Taiji lessons with him soon. Again: such an honour!

CX WORX

I've just discovered CXWORX (aka CX30) by Les Mills / Body Systems. It's described by the Australian fitness chain as "revolutionary", and I wonder why, since functional training has come to stay and has been among us for quite some time now.

(The following sounds like an ad. Well, it is!)

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Looking for a short, sharp workout that’ll inspire you to the next level of fitness, while strengthening and toning your body? CXWORX™ is for you!

- Based on cutting-edge scientific research

- Brand new 30-minute format

- Combines the best of personal training with the energy of a group fitness class

- Choreographed routines and chart-topping music that’ll bring you back for more

CXWORX™ really hones in on the torso and sling muscles that connect your upper body to your lower body. It’s ideal for tightening your tummy and butt, while also improving functional strength and assisting in injury prevention.

It’ll help you run faster … play harder … stand stronger!

No ordinary workout, CXWORX™ hits many of the top fitness trends:

- Core training  

- Strength training  

- Functional fitness  

- Educated and experienced fitness professionals  

Highly-trained instructors explain the science behind each exercise and challenge you to reach beyond your limits. Like all LES MILLS™ programs, a new CXWORX™ class is released every three months with fresh music and choreography.

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Well, well... Promising, isn't it?

Here are the facts:

Now I know I'll give it a try! :)

But --- hey! Look at who its director is! Dan Cohen himself! Doesn't it remind me of Body Combat?

Nothing is perfect, huh?

Anyway, let's have a look at CXWORX...

GYM

One of my two Gyms... I got in a GREAT workout here last night.

Training there is awesome!

HAVING FUN WITH NEW GEAR!

My new fitness gloves...

New device for assisted pull-ups... Designed by me.

I hope these ones work, the previous ones didn't. :(

I hang myself from these bars!:

And Tabata will never be the same! New chronometer!

C'est en août at the Chinese Quarter!

Celebrating my birthday at the Chinese Quarter.

Rice, chicken, chopped veggies and curry sauce. Delicious!!! :)

WATER TIME!

I've started taking swimming lessons. Wooohooo! So much fun!

"SKY IS THE LIMIT TO YOUR DREAMS"!

My 5K - SUCCESS!

I got there! Wooohooo!

Stone Age life - Paleo style?

I decided to eat Paleo style (like our ancestors ate during the Stone Age) as a strategy to keep my body guessing. I just did it for one day, but it's been a successful move. Why am I so certain about it? My next weigh-in will take place in a few days, and surely the scale won't be able to tell the difference made by one single day of Paleo lifestyle. Nope. But it's been a successful move in a different way: it's helped me have some discipline. 

Stone Age means: only meat and eggs are cooked (and I haven't eaten any red meat for quite a long time), veggies are raw, no salt, no vinegar, no Stevia, nothing processed at all, and nothing cultivated, either (no starchy carbs like potatoes or rice).

Quite an interesting experience, I must admit. And it was nice to see that my connection with that genetic atoms that link me to my ancestors, the primitive me, is still there.

Here's a good review of the Paleo diet (by courtesy of Tom V.):

The "paleolithic," "stone age," "cave man," or "neanderthal" eating plans have been around for a while and there are quite a few books that have been written on the subject.

In general, with a only few minor constructive criticisms, I think they are right on point, and will benefit your health and definitely your fat loss efforts.

A "Paleo Diet" is actually quite similar to my Burn The Fat program, only with the starches and grains (and dairy products) removed completely.

In fact, a "paleo" or "cave man" diet is very, very similar to the "contest" (bodybuilding or physique) diets I recommend in Burn The Fat and this is most definitely a great way get very lean, very fast.

On physique competition diets (bodybuilding, fitness, figure, etc), you leave the lean proteins, lean meats, nuts and seeds, the green veggies (fibrous carbs), and some fruit in the diet, while reducing or removing ALL processed foods and SOME of the grains and starches (usually the dairy products go too).

When it comes to MAXIMUM FAT LOSS, the removal or reduction of grains and calorie dense starchy carbs in favor of lean protein and veggies will definitely help speed the process - even if that's only because it reduces caloric density of the food intake, although there are other reasons.

Lean protein (fish and meat) + good fats & nuts + lots of green veggies + some fruit = LEAN!

And that's basically what the "paleolithic" diets recommend, because the principle there is to eat like our "stone age" ancestors did - before there were fast food restaurants, soft drinks and other junk food.

The premise is that since our genetic code (the human genome) has changed less than 0.02 percent in 40,000 years, this means that our bodies are still expecting to get the same foods and nutrition they were getting 40,000 years ago.

By eating what our "stone age" hunter and gatherer ancestors ate, say the paleo diets, we will rid ourselves of the health problems and the obesity problem that has only recently begun to plague us as a result of modern lifestyle and processed manmade foods.

Forty thousand years ago, you had to eat nature-made food. There was no food in cans, boxes or packages was there? The packaging was peel, a skin or a shell!

There were no TV dinners. There was no drive in fast food. There were no convenience stores.

There was no corn syrup. There was no white sugar. There were no hydrogenated oils. No chemicals. No preservatives. No artificial anything.

There was only what could be hunted and gathered: Meat, fish, nuts, seeds, plants, vegetables, fruits.

My only real constructive criticism is that some of these programs not only recommend removal of all grains and starches (and even dairy), they outright condemn them - sometimes unfairly, I believe.

They say that agriculture arrived on the scene only 10,000 years ago so foods produced as a result of agriculture should also be on the "banned" list and that includes 100% whole grain products and even rice, potatoes and other starches which are not manmade.

The truth is there are some starchy carbohydrates and grains which are very minimally processed or completely unproceseed (the only processing being cooking).

Also, some people can metabolically handle starches and grains just fine, while others cannot. The same can be said for dairy products.

This is known as metabolic individuality. Because this individuality exists from person to person, I don't believe it's necessary to recommend that "EVERYONE" cut out "ALL" the starches and grains "ALL" the time.

I do believe that many people are getting an overdose of refined carbs and sugar and that moderating intake of concentrated carbs almost always accelerates fat loss.

However, the nutrition program you choose should depend on your metabolic/body type, your current body composition and state of health as well as your goals (maximum fat loss vs. muscle growth vs. maintenance, vs. endurance athleticperformance).

I don't believe that "agriculture" and everything that came with it is "evil."

I believe that highly processed and refined and packaged foods are the "nutritional evils" we should be aware of.

To remove brown rice, 100% whole grains, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, legumes and so on for healthy carb tolerant people, especially those who are highly active and or already at a normal body fat level doesnt make a lot of sense to me.

In particular, for athletes with a high energy expenditure, eating the concentrated complex, starchy carbs and grains - from natural sources - can be quite important.

Sure, there are some "renegade' nutritionists who prescribe high fat diets for endurance athletes and claim that will provide high energy and high performance, but that is controversial.

Also, an explanation for athletes successful on such plans may be that they are metabolically suited for more fat and protein to begin with, so that conclusion shouldn't be generalized to everyone.

Tha'ts the trouble with so many programs -- the creators might say, "It worked for me and for some of my clients, so this is the way EVERYONE should do it."

Everyone is different, so the true inquiring minds will inquire about what is best for THEM, not the other guy... In the case of highly active healthy people and athletes, I would lean towards a decent amount of natural carbs forperformance goals (and pull back on starches and grains when goals change to maximum fat loss).

The key word here is NATURAL!

There is a HUGE difference between natural starches and grains and refined starches and grains.

For example, look at old fashioned unsweetened oatmeal versus sugary, white flour cereal grains. How can you throw those together into the same category??? They are no where near the same, but often they get lumped together by those who are adamantly "no-grain" or "no-cereal" allowed.

What about sweet potatoes? why cut something like that out of your diet? They are not processed or man made at all are they?

Aside from that minor quibble I have with some of these programs being too strict with their "Absolutely no grains or starch allowed," there is a lot anyone can learn from the "paleolithic" eating concept.

The questions raised from these programs and books are good ones:

"What were we eating tens of thousands of years ago?"

"What are we genetically and environmentally predisposed to eat?"

"What has gone wrong with the modern day diet that has led to so much disease and obesity which didn't exist thousands of years ago?"

I believe that too many people get caught up in low fats or low carbs or whatever the trend of the month is, but the real source of our problem is neither fat nor carbs, it is an excess of processed, refined man-made food! (combined with a serious shortage of exercise).

If you study and understand the concept of eating according to your personal goals and your unique body/metabolic type first, which I discuss in chapter 5 of my book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle, then I believe you will get even more benefit from the further study of the "paleo" eating concept, as you will be informed and flexible enough to adapt it to your personal situation.

Loren Cordain and Ray Audette have written two of the more notable works on the subject (the Paleo diet and Neanderthal). 

ANY good nutrition program - for health or for fat loss - is going to be focused on natural foods and it will teach you how to get the processed food OUT and the natural food IN.

When you analyze ANY diet or nutrition program, keep in mind what ageless Fitness Icon Jack Lalanne has always said,

"If man made it, dont eat it!"

THAT is the essence of eating how we're supposed to eat!

CrossFit?

It was Sherilyn, my friend who lives in Texas, who actually planted the idea in my mind. She's been doing CrossFit WOD for some time, and she says it's been keeping the numbers (LBM and BF) moving in the right direction.

At this point of my fitness journey, Tabata, HIIT, functional training and CrossFit -all of them- have a lot to offer to me. I see my future success there!

Of course there are some movements I cannot perform due to the risk of hurting my joints. And my arms are not strong enough to perform pull-ups. Anyway, all I have to do is follow the basics.

Can't wait to give it a try!

From crossfit.com:

"CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide."

"The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs."

"The needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree not kind. Our terrorist hunters, skiers, mountain bike riders and housewives have found their best fitness from the same regimen." 

CrossFit chicks do look sexy!

However, CrossFit is not perfect for specific training.

From a review at the IC:

"Tom recently posted something else about Crossfit in the forums. He said, 'Crossfit makes claims about bodybuilding, but no one will successfully compete in bodybuilding using only CrossFit from start to finish. You would at least need the bodybuilding foundation first. If you are a competitive level bodybuilder, you need to use bodybuilding training first and foremost, not CrossFit. Bodybuilding is specialized training.'

CrossFit admits that they train to prepare people for as wide a variety of activities as possible. Their goal is not specificity, but to generalize training. Essentially, their goal is to get better at most things, but not to get really good at one or two things. I think they are succeeding in this area. Their clients are getting fitter, feeling healthier, enjoying physical activity, and feel mentally prepared to take on almost any challenge. However, put a CrossFit athlete in virtually any competitive arena, and his results will be shamefully lacking. Just like you won't win bodybuilding competitions with CrossFit training. Likewise, a CrossFit athlete will likely not be the best powerlifter, olympic lifter, triathlete, or MMA fighter."