I want to give up

Have you ever said that phrase either out loud or to yourself when it comes to things like weight loss or strength goals? Do you think you are so far gone that there is no way of achieving the ideal you?

Jason and I were talking today in the gym and reflecting on our own experiences and we have both at one point or another said enough. When I was done playing college hockey I was so burned out between the schedule and training that I did not step into a gym or look at a weight for almost 3 years! Yes, you read that right. This guy who now founded a performance gym stepped down and essentially said I am out. Jason was the same way with his fighting career.

There are some of you reading this right now that say that phrase all too often. You feel overwhelmed. You feel defeated. You feel a whole bunch of emotions. The truth is we all have a choice. We can easily say I am done. We can also easily say I want better. I say easy because it is. Just say it. The aspect that requires more attention and energy is what comes after you say it. It is easy to say I want to look and feel better. I want to lose weight. I want to jump higher or run faster. That part is easy. The real test is what you actually do after you say it. Do you make a plan for your nutrition for the week if you want to lose weight? Do you find a gym to train at? Do you seek the help of a professional to guide and direct you? Do you have a plan that shows you if you do these things your outcome is in your favor?

I invite you to make a new statement for yourself and LIVE it.

Plan for it and execute it.

If you need help, ask.

*P.S.– SUMMER YOUTH STRENGTH & CONDITIONING for 10-14 year olds starts June 8th – August 22nd. There are two sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information on times and schedules please reply to this email.

Climbing the Mountain

I just got back from a week in Arizona with the baseball team. At the end of the week we chose to climb a mountain as a team. It was a beautiful day. Sun was out, light breeze and clear skies. We parked and all set up the mountain. As we were climbing the summit looked just the same distance away from us as it did when we parked the car. We kept going up then down then looping around. Finally we started asked people who were on the way down just how much further this was going to be. We were an hour into this trip and still never felt like we were making any progress. Everyone that we ran into said 15 more minutes and you will be there. Eventually we just stopped asking people because it was always the same answer.

After an hour and forty five minutes we finally had trekked 5.1 miles and made it to the top. It was a brutal climb. It was frustrating. It was absolutely exhausting. And in the end, it was a huge victory. It was a accomplishment. It was a test. It was overcoming parking in the wrong lot and having to climb more then double the distance to get to the summit.

We all have our own mountains that we climb daily. Some of us keep hearing people say only 15 more minutes over and over again. Some of us want to stop. Some of us do stop. I encourage you and invite you to take a moment and take a breathe and continue the climb because the top is amazing. It is life changing.

In two weeks, we are hosting our annual Competition for a Cure, a 5k run or 1 mile walk raising funds and awareness for breast cancer. We honor those women that are currently facing their own mountain or have faced the mountain already in the name of breast cancer. Please join us in the climb and in their support.

This is our Facebook link which contains all of our updated information:
https://www.facebook.com/comp4acure?ref=bookmarks

This is our sign up page for the race:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/competition-for-a-cure-5k-and-1-mile-fun-run-tickets-15887474865

The Game Changer

What is the one thing you would desire more of as a athlete? Would it be speed? Would it be strength? Why not both?

Explosive power is just that, the sum of speed and strength put together. In other words, power gives you the ability to move heavy things fast. A heavy thing could be your own body as in a sprint or it could be another person like a tackle in football or it could be an object like a baseball or golf swing.

Power and more specifically explosive power is the game changer. It gives an athlete the ability to separate themselves from the pack. Explosive power can be the difference between the fastest man on earth and someone you never heard of.

Before anyone promises you the world and says they can get you to new heights, I want to take a moment and take a clear look at what goes into power development. Power includes working on the two skills above speed and strength, but what it does not speak to is what you were born with or your genetic make up. Some of us have a greater tank to fill with power or I should say greater potential to fill. We all have some. My job is to help everyone use their own tank more effectively and efficiently. For example, person A was born with a bigger tank for power genetically then person B. However person B is much more effective and efficient in using what was given to them and therefore beats out person A.

Next Saturday the 21st from 9-10am we are hosting an Explosive Power Clinic for athletes 11-14 years old. Our goal is to instill a skill set combining speed and strength to help fill their tank. It is $10/athlete and all money will be donated directly to the Libertyville High School Athletic Department.

If you, your child or any friends would like to come to this clinic please RSVP to this email to reserve your spot.

How prepared are you?

“It is not the fear of failure rather the lack of preparation that scares me the the most.”

I was watching TV the other night and I heard Mark Wahlberg speak that sentence. I took a moment to step out of my TV zoned mind and thought about it. It struck home for me and I am sure for many of you reading this as well that preparation can lead to your light at the end of the tunnel.

Take various aspects of my life or yours, like rest, nutrition, health, strength, mindset, careers, school etc. Being prepared in all the various aspects leads to a certain confidence level. The confidence level leads to a certain mindset. The mindset leads to a way of executing the task at hand. If you have the confidence and mindset based on the preparation you completed then that in itself has been proven to increase your results. If you think of it on the other side of a lack of preparation which leads to a lack of confidence and mindset your outcome drastically changes. We have all been a student at one time or another. How did you feel when you were prepared for a test versus when you were unprepared. Based on that, what was the outcome.

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of seeing 6 football players sign letters of intent to continue their careers in college with others to follow after baseball season. As exciting of an honor and opportunity it is to have earned the right to play in college they need to start their preparations shortly for the upcoming season. This includes rest, mindset, nutrition, strength, conditioning and sports specific drills based on their position.

This is a time of the year when staying inside is a necessary evil. Where we are in Chicago, there is no way you can enjoy much of the temperatures when the wind chill levels are in the negatives. It is a time that we can make preparations for when the weather is better and we want to go out and enjoy it with family and friends. Make the doctors appointment now that you have been putting off. Call the dentist. Get the bike tuned up. Take care of all the stuff you do not want to do when it is nice out and you want to be enjoying yourself doing other things. It is also always good to prepare the week for food. Some places due to weather are unattainable multiple times a week because you can not even get out of your neighborhood from snow. Make one trip a week and plan out your week. It will save time, gas and keep you from over indulging as you will have to find a way to make it last.

Speaking of preparing, here is what we have upcoming that we are preparing for at the gym:

Saturday March 21st @9am Explosive Power Clinic ages 10-14
Tuesday April 7th @430pm Incoming Freshman Strength and Conditioning programming-Tuesdays and Thursdays for 8 weeks
Tuesday April 7th @530pm Youth (10-14) Strength and Conditioning programming-Tuesdays and Thursdays for 8 weeks
Wednesday April 8th @530pm Pelvic and CORE Stability Workshop-Wednesdays for 8-12 weeks

Career Day

This Friday, tomorrow, I accepted an invitation to present at Career Day at a local elementary school. The way the story goes is one of my clients is a teacher at the school and asked me if I would be interested in being a part of it. Before I even thought, the word absolutely spilled right out. Later, as I began to process my decision I just jumped into, I realized I may have made a bad one.

Kids test you in ways I can not comprehend. I do not have the greatest patience and in full disclosure I am not the most fun guy around kids. I admittedly have to work on my level of play with them. I am used to the high school through adult stage. Also, I have been known to drop a swear word or two or TEN around the gym and I most certainly do not want to be caught doing that around the kids. Finally, there is some major competition. I have a guy from the Navy that blows $%#& up for a living. There will be firefighters, SWAT dogs, vets, pilots, etc. If I was a kid and I had all those choices the Navy would be calling my name. So… After hearing all of that, some may question the choice as well. Did I mention the newspapers and superintendent will be there too?!

With that said, I made a commitment and I am going to stick to it and make sure I make the presentation the best it can be because in reality I am very proud and beyond happy with what I get to do. I get to help athletes. I get to help people in the game of life. I get to help people get rid of pain. I get to be a part of amazing teams and development. I get to be around tremendous coaches. This is an absolute gift.

So if you are wondering what this email is for, it is about going with your gut instinct. My first gut instinct was to say yes. I had no magical plan. I had zero answers or vision as to what the presentation would look like or feel like, I just took some action and said yes. All too often we hold back that inner voice out of fear. Fear of loss. Fear of failure. Fear of disappointment. It can be very crippling. As Kramer said on a episode of Seinfeld, “We all have a little man inside Jerry, listen to the little man.” After you listen to the little man then you have to trust and if you think making the decision is tough, trusting is even harder. Trust that it will work out the way it is supposed to at the right time. All this would not happen if you did not decide to do anything. You must take action. Good luck with your little man or woman and wish me luck tomorrow.

Have you already “failed”?

We are now day 7 out of 365 and I wonder how many people have stuck to a New Year resolution. Today I offer words of wisdom from Dr. John Berardi. I hope you find them useful…

This is the part where cynics remind us that New Year’s Resolutions are ineffective and clichéd. It’s hard to disagree.

Stats on New Year’s Resolutions — especially fitness ones — are abysmal. Packed gyms on January 2 are ghost towns on March 2.

I thought about this the other day while driving home from a family function (and while trying to keep Kid #1 from punching Kid #2).

One phrase kept popping up in my mind: "Fitness in the context of a real human life…"

Imagine:
* All 3 of your kids are sick (at the same time)…

* Your mother-in-law is in the hospital after a heart attack (and you’re visiting daily)…

* It’s Christmas — or Thanksgiving or Passover

* Because of the holiday, you’ve got a tight deadline at work…

* When you’re stressed your lower back acts up…

…and just as you’re about to head out for the 30-minute workout you’ve been looking forward to…your dog drops a diarrhea poop on the living room carpet.

THAT, my friends, is fitness in the context of a real human life. Is it any wonder most fitness resolutions fail? If you think about it, most health and fitness plans live OUTSIDE the context of a real life:

"Here’s a 30-day detox diet to follow… and a new hardcore workout DVD…"

"Why not do a fitness competition in April… and a triathlon in August…"

"It’s time to go all-in… it’s the only way to win!"

Except that it’s not.

In my experience, this kind of all-or-nothing thinking rarely gets us all. It usually gets us *nothing*.

Because that diet plan, or workout DVD, or one-size-fits-all training program you pulled from Triathlon magazine was never built to accommodate sick kids or open heart surgery or your co-worker’s 2-week vacation. And when the insane idea that you have to do all things *perfectly* takes hold, it’s pretty damn hard to shake that feeling loose.

Sure, we can play make-believe. We can imagine a life where everything is peaceful, calm, and totally in our control all the time. But that’s a sure-fire recipe for fitness failure. Real human lives are messy and complicated. They’re unpredictable. When we learn to accept this they can also be dynamic and exciting. They can push us to grow.

That’s why — with 3 children, aging parents, active social lives, and thriving businesses — my wife and I really did make New Year’s Resolutions this year. As we always do, we plan on continuing to prioritize our health, build strength and fitness, and maybe even maintain our abs. But 2015 is our year to do it flexibly — and honestly — in the context of *our* real human lives. Our children will be fevered, snotty, and barfy. Our time will be limited. And we’ll miss last call at the gym because of doggie poo.

This year we’ll plan for all that in advance.

After we’ve cleaned up the poo and sprayed the Febreeze, we might work out in that same living room. With no weights or machines maybe we’ll jump around like maniacs so we can move our bodies while keeping an eye on the kids. Or maybe we’ll be stuck eating nasty hospital food. If so, we’ll make the best choice we can within the spectrum of choices. And then do push-ups and air squats in the cafeteria, or walk laps around the cardiac ICU. And on those rare days we’re not dealing with emergencies? Maybe we’ll soothe our control-freak souls with the Perfect Workout. Or all-day Clean Eating.

Even though neither is actually required.

Every single person I’ve seen achieve health and fitness in the long run accomplishes it by simply showing up every day, not by trying to "get it right".

In the end, I have no clue what real life will bring us in 2015. But we’re committed to doing the best we can, when we can, with whatever we’ve got. Day in and day out. I hope you are too.

New Time Opened!

BeWell Fitness is passionately committed to developing the athletes of tomorrow.

Our vast knowledge and experience has led us to create a methodology for results. This comprehensive hour long program is designed for athletes of all sports.

The first part of the workout is spent on movement, which includes, stretching, activation, active warm up, linear and lateral speed development, quickness, plyometrics, and CORE strengthening.

The second part of the workout is dedicated to explosive power using the Olympic lifts, increasing overall body strength and various forms of conditioning.

January 6th- March 28th

2x/week (T&R) – $359 (monthly billing available)

3x/week (T, R & S) – $449 (monthly billing available)

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
430pm
530pm (NEW TIME)

Please RSVP to reserve your spot as space is very limited.

Call–0847.549.7200
OR
Email–info@bewellfitness.com

Proud to be the strength coach of Libertyville High School’s boys football, basketball and baseball teams!

Transformation Contest: Operation Spring Break

Believe it or not spring break is coming sooner then you think and after the holiday activities we have a tendency to pack on extra weight.

Starting January 5th, we will be running our annual Spring Break Challenge, a 10-week transformation contest.

Do you want to see a physical change but are not sure how to get it?

Do you want to see a physical change and have been working out but can not seem to find the right plan to get it done?

Are you feeling overwhelmed with where you are now and where you want to be?

Do you have the motivation yet feel like you lack the direction or guidance to achieve what you want to achieve?

Here are the logistics:

It is roughly 10 weeks long. Every step of the way you will be coached. We are here to help support you in this chapter of your life. You DO NOT have to be a current client. You DO NOT have to live in the vicinity, all can be done via email, phone or video. It is $79 for the 10 weeks. That is less then $8 a week. Is your health worth $8 a week?

To start all you have to do is say yes. Then after that we will send you everything you would need to know. To give you an idea, each week we will send out a weekly email with homework and a plan or mindset for the week. Before we start you will compile some data and send it to us. We will analyze it and set up a time to talk over the phone for our initial 30 minute coaching call. Then every 2 weeks we will talk again or as needed but at a minimum every two weeks we will check in via phone. However, every week you will send us a weekly email with what went well and what challenges you had. It is mostly a lifestyle plan that certainly would consist of nutrition and fitness. The bottom line is we are here for you.

If you are interested in this opportunity please return this email ASAP to reserve your spot.

Should you exercise if you are sick?

For my birthday my kids got me a cold, which turned into a sinus infection. It has been a long couple weeks trying to battle this. I usually do not get sick but when I do I go all out.

So what can we do to help the healing process both from a exercise and nutrition standpoint?

Do we just let it take its course or push through?

The answer is it depends. Let me explain.

Each individual is different so our approach is not a blanket statement rather a general guideline, where you can adjust accordingly to you.

Nutritional approach:
If your immune system is compromised in anyway it has a major effect on your body’s cells and its ability to function at full capacity. So, we always look at the diet and supplementation as a starting point. Our goal is to aid the immune system both on a cellular level and a tissue level, as well as protecting the cells from any further damage.

Vitamins to consider adding or increasing while sick:
Vitamin A
Vitamin B6 and B12
Thiamin
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Copper
Iron
Magnesium
Selenium
Zinc

If you are taking a Multi-Vitamin then it may contain these however when sick you might have to increase certain levels of certain vitamins based on your own individual response or needs.

Exercise to consider while approach:
When you are sick think of the letter J on a graph, where the vertical axis represents risk of sickness and the horizontal line represents exercise intensity. If you place the letter J on the graph, the lowest point, or lowest risk of sickness, is in the middle of the exercise intensity axis. So, we can interpret that in a number of ways since moderate exercise is different for everyone. The point is when our immune system is compromised doing something moderate, whatever that is for you, is shown to help your immune system recover and decrease your risk.

I’m Sorry

I have to come right out and apologize. I have been very lacking in my emails to everyone. I could make a load of excuses but I will not. Time to get back in the swing of things because there is a lot coming up and happening here at the gym. This will take 3 minutes to read so I hope you stick around to the end of the email.

This past weekend was The Bad Ass Challenge. We doubled the number of participants then our inaugural year which is great. We are just short of our $1,000 goal of donations to The Fallen Patriot Fund. So if you missed the event but still want to support our troops and veterans you can still make a donation. Make checks payable to The Fallen Patriot Fund and you can send them to 1753 Northwind Blvd, Libertyville IL 60048.

Moving forward…
Saturday December 6th we will be hosting a Speed Clinic for student-athletes. It will be an hour long and $10 entry. All entry fees will be donated to the athletic department at Libertyville High School. So if you have a athlete or multiple athletes that want to get faster this is a great opportunity to learn some skills and drills to improve as well as supporting your community.

Saturday December 13th we will be hosting a charity workout supporting a local no kill animal shelter. About 4 weeks ago we had to put our dog down after a sudden illness overtook him. Animals hold a very special spot in my heart and the fact that this is a no kill shelter is even more important. They have requested supplies instead of monetary donations. We will be posting more information about that soon.

Finally…
Starting January 5th our annual Spring Break Challenge starts. This is a 12-week transformation contest where people get weekly support, phone calls and direction with their nutrition and fitness. So if you want to start the year with a new mindset and get a head start on your spring break body this is the challenge for you.

That is all for now. I will now give you time to mark your calendars with all the above information.