Eat better, eat less, move around more

I'm not a nutritionist. I've taken one college class in nutrition, and I've read a few books on the subject. Just wanted to make myself clear here. I'm not even pretending to be an "expert" on the subject, but I do have some thoughts on the matter.

-I like moderately high protein, reduced fat, reduced sugar eating. Protein, especially animal protein, tends to be satisfying. It's easier to not pig out on starchy, sugary foods if your usual food intake is satisfying.

-I say "reduced fat" rather than "low fat" because fat is not the enemy. It's a good idea to keep an eye on saturated fat intake, especially if you eat a lot of animal protein. Saturated fat can jack up your cholesterol rate.

-Eat some damn vegetables. No, the lettuce on your Whopper doesn't count. Vegetables provide fiber. Eat enough fiber and you won't be full of shit.

-There's no such thing as "good food" and "bad food". However, there is such a thing as "too much food". Probably the single biggest mistake people make is EATING TOO MUCH. Just because it's on your plate doesn't mean you have to eat it all. It's probably a bad idea to eat a pound of anything in one sitting.

-I've had real good results with eating small meals every 3 hours. Snack on something like an apple and some string cheese; it's easy and satisfying.

-Portion sizes: I like the no-brainer approach of protein the size of your palm, carbs the size of your clenched fist, and all the vegetables you can eat. If you want to be totally ripped you'll have to be more specific than that; you'll have to measure everything (unless you're one of those genetic freaks. You know who you are, and I hate you).

-I like to eat "clean" six days a week, then have a free day where I can indulge with no restrictions. Sometimes you need pizza, right? Plus, after six days of calorie restriction it's good for you to bump the calories up. That way your metabolism will adapt more slowly to your caloric intake. Fewer calories will slow down your metabolism (you'll burn calories more slowly).

-Don't take in liquid calories if you can help it (soda, juice, etc). Solid food is much more satisfying.

-Whole grains are better whenever possible, but personally I don't like eating bread that tastes like a bulletin board. Really fresh whole-grain bread is good, though.

-A multivitamin wouldn't hurt you a bit.

The ONE RULE you must ALWAYS follow in order to reach your fitness goals!

Nah, just kidding. If you pay attention to online fitness sites you recognize the hyperbole of this title. You, free-thinking individual that you are, recognize the stupidity of such statements. Remember Sturgeon's Rule #1: nothing is 100% true for everyone all the time.

Here are some extreme examples of this principle. Bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger built his massive, prize-winning physique by doing epic two-hours-twice-a-day workouts. One of Arnold's peers was Mike Mentzer, the first man to win Mr. Universe with a perfect score. Mentzer built his body to Herculean proportions with brief, intense workouts three times a week. Yet another legend from the so-called golden age of bodybuilding was Serge Nubret, who preferred extremely high rep sets (like 30 to 50). So which of these guys was right?

You see my point. Here's what I recommend: go out and play. Try all kinds of stuff, whatever makes sense and appeals to you. Don't get too comfortable with one way of exercise, either. At least every month go try something you've always wanted to try. Lots of fitness-related clubs offer "try one free" deals. Take 'em up on it, the price is right. That's how I ended up joining a boxing gym this month; it's a hell of a fun workout, and it's something I can now cross off my bucket list. BTW don't worry about silly crap like "I'm no good at this". I'm about as athletic as a 200 lb. sack of potatoes, but I sure enjoy trying new ways of strengthening my mind, spirit, and body (my preference is activities that involve hitting and kicking things).

Some pictures inside Outlaws

Bruce Lee watches over us all.

Me doing standing Russian twists with an Olympic bar.

A few photos of Outlaws World Headquarters (my humble home gym). Did I mention that I can come to your house or apartment and work with you? We just need some open floor space with no animals that will be underfoot; I'll bring mats, weights, and other implements of destruction. (503) 475-0867.

So who is this guy?

First of all, welcome to my blog. My name is Jim. I've been teaching Olympic-style taekwondo since 2000 under Grandmaster B.C. Kim (five world championships, including an Olympic gold medal in 1992). I hold a third-degree black belt. I am also a fitness coach (I hate the term "personal trainer", it just sounds so...). I've worked for several big-box chain gyms, and now I'm hanging up my own shingle.
My certifications? Currently, none. I've held three different certs, and they all have something in common: they're bullshit. Any semi-literate humanoid with the testing fee can get a certification. Being certified doesn't mean a person can teach, or that they know what the hell they're doing. The fitness business is full of sanctimonious would-be gurus who have a big fat opinion about "the only way to get fit". Let's get this straight: there are many paths to personal excellence, and it's our job to discover our own personal truth. My truth might not work and play well with your truth. That's okay, I won't take it personally.
When it comes to exercise, most people need a coach for optimum results. That's why the big-box gyms are full of people who plod along for years without making much progress after the first 3 or 4 months. Most of the people in any given gym simply don't push themselves hard enough, or don't have enough knowledge, or (most likely) both. By and large, the people who hire trainers get better results than those who don't. There are some very good trainers at the chain gyms, but eventually they get sick of splitting the money with the stockholders (usually the trainers get less than half of what the client pays per session, sometimes less than 25%) and start their own business. Now I'm one of them.
Why would you spend your money hiring me instead of the guy down the street? I have a wider range of experience than the average trainer. I won't piss in your ear and tell you it's raining. I will challenge you, encourage you, threaten you if necessary to get you moving and keep you moving. Right now I'm offering one-on-one coaching; in the near future I will offer small-group classes (no more than ten at a time).
Outlaws coaching is based on the kind of conditioning training preferred by combat sports: circuits, intervals, and an ever-changing arsenal of calesthenics and free-weight exercises. I'm also well versed in dynamic flexibility, so the post-workout rigor mortis will be somewhat kept in check.
Sound good to you? If so, and you're in the greater Portland Oregon area, call me at (503) 475-0867 to schedule an appointment or just chat.