CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 5/27/16

My wife and I are approaching the “final countdown” of our European Extravaganza…currently en route (via train) to Copenhagen, Denmark.

When it’s all said and done we will have put foot to ground in five different countries over the course of five flights, two trains, and zero Batmobiles.

Hopefully you’ve been keeping up with Lisa travel blog – HERE – and if not, I hate you. You’re ruining my life!

[slams door]

Just kidding.1

I’d like to offer some of my own candid thoughts on the trip:

1. Europeans know how to squat.

Culturally speaking I think many European countries – particularly Eastern European – spend more time in the squat position compared to North Americans. The also smoke a helluva lot more, but that’s besides the point.

Too, I believe, if we consider anthropometrics, there are segments of the Eastern European population who have shallower acetabulums (hip sockets) and shorter femoral heads compared to North Americans, allowing for greater squat ROMs.

Pretty interesting.

2. Despite speaking in two different countries – Czech Republic and Norway – where English is not the first language spoken, I found there wasn’t as much of a language barrier as I had originally thought there’d be.

While I’d love to chalk this up to some secret superhero power which allowed me the ability to communicate with anyone at any time, I don’t feel it’s such a secret “thing.”

Besides…that would make me Aquaman, and that’s lame.

It was just a matter of slowing down, not talking over people’s heads, and making sure to stay open to other ideas and mindsets.

One of the best compliments Dean and I received while in Prague was that we were both very approachable, we didn’t make anyone feel stupid2, and that we were open to other ideas and methodologies. NOTHING we discussed was meant to be concrete or interpreted as the ONLY way to do something.

It’s an approach I wish more fitness pros who educate would adopt.

3. Along the same lines I’ve heard from several attendees from the workshops over here that many fitness professionals in Europe are “behind the curve” compared to American trainers. That they’re “behind in the research and trends.”

I think this is BS.

I find that because European trainers seem to be less transfixed or wooed by the latest “trends,” that their approach is more basic and less laborious.

There’s very little fluff.

I see nothing wrong with this.

In working out in several commercial gyms since I’ve been here, I can say that I’ve seen more trainers utilizing the free-weight area and having their clients deadlift, squat, perform KB swings in addition to various movement/dynamic drills than I have ever seen in most commercial gyms in the States.

Just calling it like I see it.

4. Europeans are chill. In Prague I rarely, if ever, heard someone beep their horn. There was a liiiiitle bit more of it in Stockholm, but Stockholm is a bit more of a modern metropolis.

Still, compared to places like NYC or Boston, where you’re suffocated with a cacophony of horns and angry pitchforks if you don’t move your car within 0.02ths of a second of a light turning green, Europe is a welcome reprieve.

Dr. Robert Sapolsky, author of the book “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers,” likens this phenomenon to a phrase he coined called toxic hostility.

We all know someone in our lives who is a proverbial hothead. No matter what they’re always “on” or in a rush. The slightest thing – taking too much time at a stop light, a long line at a grocery store, putting too much creme in their coffee – is an opportunity for them to flip-the-eff-out.

In my travels abroad I don’t find this happening nearly as much. People seem to be calm, cool, and collected.

And kind.

This is not to insinuate that everyone in the States is a major league a-hole. However, this is to insinuate that there are A LOT less of those types here in Europe. It’s amazing.

5. The food in Europe, seemingly, is, well, food. As opposed to what Michael Pollen,  author of favs of mine, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “In Defense of Food,” refers to as Frankenfoods (that we’re used to here in the USA).

I’m not one of those people who operates in a dream world where total calories don’t count. I saw Alan Aragon put up a Tweet the other day from another nutritionist who said something to the effect of “you need a carbohydrate/sugar deficit to lose weight not a caloric deficit.”

That made me – and the internet – LOL a little bit.

However, people CRUSH bread over here. And dairy. And beer.

Sure, people are more generally active here which counts for the lack of obesity…but what both my wife and I have noticed is that there’s no added “anything” in any of the food here.

Bread isn’t “enriched” with anything. It’s just, you know, bread.

And it’s SO good.

While I can’t speak for all of Europe, I know in Germany (and I have to assume Prague?) there are strict rules on how beer is processed. It can’t have more than 3-4 ingredients.

This is in stark contrast to other beers – particularly in the States – where it’s not uncommon to see an ingredients list that would rival a Breaking Bad episode.

I could keep going, but I’ve rambled enough. Lets get into this week’s list of stuff to read…

1) Regular Cardio Will Make You Fat – John Meadows

Taking away the sensationalistic title, this was an awesome article by John. I’ve always operated under the guise that the bulk of one’s “cardio” should be either brutally short and intense or very, very low intensity (or what I like to call Zone 2 work).

The middle ground – or cardio purgatory – is where many (not all) people tend to lose their way.

2) How Intense Workouts (and overtraining) Can Ruin Your Results – Dr. John Berardi

Speaking of intense exercise…It is necessary for continued gains and adaptation.

That said, not every workout or training sessions needs to be a balls to the wall battle.3.

This was an excellent article by John and the Precision Nutrition team shedding light on the importance of mixing things up, having fun, what’s the right “activity level” given your goals.

3) 3 Reasons Coaches Aren’t Respected Like the Old Days – Chris Fore

This was such a good read.

All the points made by Chris in this piece were on point. #2 in particular, sadly, happens quite a bit.

CategoriesOff Topic

Day 13: Mayo, Salmon, Lebanese!

The Palace

Day 13: Mayo, Salmon, Lebanese!

With one full day in Stockholm only, we had a full itinerary!

Tony wanted to get a lift in, so we found the nearest SATS gym, and had a good bench day together.

NOTE from Tony: kudos to the staff at SATS Odenplan for their professionalism and general level of awesomeness.

I observed many of the trainers working doing some lovely things with their clients. Frankly, it was a breath of fresh air to see the bulk of them utilizing the free weights area and having their clients deadlift, perform KB swings, and perform a plethora of movement/mobility drills.

A hearty slow clap to you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAryFIuRxmQ

 

Afterward, we were in search of breakfast.

Did you know that Swedes eat sandwiches for breakfast? Did you also know that Swedes are obsessed with mayonnaise, and other creamy condiments? We didn’t know! So after popping into and back out of 12 different cafes, we decided we had to just do as the Swedes to, and have a sandwich for breakfast.

Tony found a “chicken Caesar” sandwich, which is essentially the American salad classic, between bread. I wanted to try something Swedish, so I got a Skagen. An open-faced sandwich with lots of little shrimp. Here’s our breakfasts:

Sandwiches for Breakfast

I was not aware of the Swedish love for mayo! There was a freaky amount of mayo underneath those shrimp. I spent about five minutes taking globs off the bread.

For me, it was a little on the gross side. I couldn’t help but laugh, thinking of my best friend Susie, who is horrified by mayonnaise… I think she would have had to sit at a different table!

We popped back to the hotel for a shower. It was much cooler and overcast today, so once we had on some layers, we were ready for our day!

We decided to hop on the Hop On Hop Off Boat, which scoots all around Stockholm:

Hop on hop off boat

We made our way over to the Vasa museum.

The Vasa was a MONSTER ship that was built early in the 17th century. The ship made it a little over a mile before capsizing and sinking in the Stockholm Harbor, and sat in the bottom of the harbor for 333 years (until 1961) before being rescued, restored, and placed into it’s very own museum.

Both gorgeous and fascinating, the Vasa is still actively being restored and preserved. Here are a few pictures:

vasa 1

vasa 2

vasa 3

We hopped back on the boat and enjoyed the scenery as we made our way over to Gamla Stan:

Hop on hop off view

Once in Gamla Stan, we made our way to the central square, and then found a little place for lunch.

Gamla Stan lunch 1

Tony had some Swedish meatballs, and I had the BIGGEST and most delicious piece

of Salmon ever! Check it out:

Gamla Stan lunch 2

Lunch was amazing.

We explored Gamla Stan a bit more, and then spent the afternoon in the Royal Palace. First, we walked around in the Royal Apartments, checking out the gorgeous surroundings:

The Palace

The large collection of Clocks:

Royal apartments clocks

And then finally some of the grand bedrooms and meeting rooms in the royal apartments:

Royal apartments

Then we took a tour of the old, medieval part of the palace. We were the only two who booked the tour! So we had a private tour with a lovely Swedish woman, who spent almost an hour with us, describing the history of wars and the difficult ways of life, and the legit Game of Thrones that used to go on.

It was fascinating.

The lighting was very low, but Tony took a few pictures… take a look:

Royale Palace - Sweden

We then took at look at the museum of Antiquities, which housed a collection of Roman art that one of the princes of Sweden put together and then made public:

Lisa with Antiquities

After some more walking around, we made our way back to the hotel.

Tony had enough of Swedish cuisine for one day, and had a hankering for some Mediterranean food.

After some Google map and TripAdvisor searching, we found a Lebanese (my favorite) place up the block.

It was AMAZING!

The restaurant was called Underbar and I highly recommend to anyone. Here’s my dinner, complete with grilled meat, salad, and plenty of meze:

Lebanese Dinner

After dinner Tony went down to the lobby to use the Wifi and get some work done, while I packed up and got ready for tomorrow’s travels.

We’re off to Copenhagen!

Can’t wait… talk to you then!

Lisa (and Tony)

CategoriesOff Topic

Day 12: Stockholm

Stockholm

Day 12: Stockholm

5:00am Sharp!

That’s when our alarms went off. We popped out of bed and headed down to the Oslo Central Station. Once on our 6:00am train, Tony and I settled in for a five hour ride to Stockholm. Here’s some photos of the view:

View from Train

Tony working diligently catching up on emails and what not.

View from Train 2

Since we were up so early, no breakfast was had.

There was a pathetic little “kiosk” with nothing (really) worth eating or drinking. So we swayed and we fasted, and as the hours past, we got very tired, and a little nauseous.

Dehydrated, sleepy, and woozy, we slithered off the train in search of caffeine. Tony does not drink coffee, but is a sugar-free energy drink drinker. You may curl your lip, but don’t judge. We all have our vices.

One sparkling water and Sugar-Free Monster later, we made the 10 minute walk to our hotel!

We’re at the HTL Upplandsgatan, a “smart” hotel, which apparently means no drawers – or furniture actually. But we don’t mind – with barely 48 hours to explore, who’s got time to unpack?!

Pic of our hotel

So off we went, in search of lunch. We were directed to the nearby Vete-Katten, where we enjoyed a delicious salad:

Pic of lunch.

Vete Katten 1

Vete Katten 2

We were pleased to see the prices for food and drink return to normal, and actually Vete-Katten also provided water, coffee, bread, butter, and cookies along with all lunch orders:

Vete Katten 3

After some sustenance and more caffeination, we were ready! Map in hand, we made our way down through Norrmalm (the “new city”, where our hotel is),

New Town Stockholm

To Gamla Stan (Old Town)

Old Town 1

Old town 2jpg

And then down and over another bridge to Ostermalm (“Hipster” town), where there were amazing views of the rest of the city:

Lisa Stockholm

Here you can see most of “Old Town” in the background…a breathtaking view of the city overlooking the harbor.

We meandered through streets and stopped to chill in the small square in Gamla Stan, just outside of the Nobel Prize Museum:

Nobel Prize Museum

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped for a drink (I stopped for a drink, and Tony joined me) to enjoy the sunshine and watch Swedes leave work and meet up for a Carlstad.

AFternoon drink

At this point, we started to feel weary! But, a fan of Tony’s recommended a restaurant to us, and made us reservations for 7:30pm. We began to wonder how we’d stay awake…

Luckily, the lady at the front desk of our hotel called and changed our reservation from 7:30pm to 6:00pm (I know! We are early birds!).

The Grill was amazing. A funky place with live jazz and edgy décor:

The Grill

Tony had the Tenderloin of a Swedish cow, and I had grilled lamb with grilled veggies.

Afterward, we were in search of ice cream for Tony, and came across Organic Gelato. There were even a few Vegan flavors! I had dairy-free peanut butter, which was somehow better than Tony’s creamy cookies and cream:

Gelato

We were back at the hotel by 8:15pm, and ready for bed just about an hour later! Tomorrow, a FULL day in Stockholm! See you then,

Lisa (and Tony)

CategoriesAssessment coaching Motivational personal training

3 Questions to Assess Your Clients’ Willingness to Change

You may have heard I’m traveling in Europe.4

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Canadian health and fitness professional, Dave Smith. He shares some excellent advice on how we can better assess our clients’ willingness to change.

Have you ever had a client who was extremely eager to jump into the health and fitness lifestyle?

They’ve bought their new fancy running shoes, pedometer, sweat pants, and they’re ready to go.

You sense this eagerness, and to help them, you construct an intensive diet and training plan that will help them achieve their goals.

1 week passes – everything is going well.

2 weeks pass – they’ve missed a training session.

3 weeks pass – they’ve missed 3 training sessions and only followed the diet plan for 2 days of the week.

4 weeks pass – they’ve given up. Dieting and training just “isn’t for them.”

We’ve all had these types of clients in the past, and it can be very misleading – one day they’re inspired and motivated to be healthy, the next day they’ve given up and are back to their old ways.

It’s important that when you’re working with new clients, you assess the stage that they’re at regarding to how willing they are to make changes.

You have to see past the initial excitement that they may have, and make a proper assessment of their level of dedication to changing.

The 5 Stages Of Behavior Change

The Transtheoretical Model is a handy little tool that you can use to assess your clients willingness to change – in this case, a change in their training and eating habits.

These 5 stages are:

  • Pre-Contemplation: The person is not planning on taking action at all
  • Contemplation: The person is aware that their behaviour is problematic, and is beginning to educate themselves on the changes necessary
  • Preparation: The person is preparing and is ready to take action in the near future
  • Action: The person is making changes to their behavior
  • Maintenance: The person has now made those changes a habit and is a part of who they are

Using these 5 stages, we are able to assess our clients and their willingness to change.

The Reason Why The Stages Of Change Are So Important

Understanding the stages of change is crucial for being able to properly assess a new client’s ability to build new habits.

For example, let’s look at a new client that we’re working with named Jimmy.

Jimmy’s a cool guy. He’s 32 years old – wife and two kids, works a standard office job.

Jimmy wants to make some real gains. He wants to put on some muscle.

So Jimmy comes to you looking for a training and diet plan that will help him with his goal. He seems extremely eager, energetic and ready to go all out with the new plan that you’ve written up for him.

But you’ve seen this too many times.

Too many times clients have come to you with the energy of a kid in a candy store, only to have that energy drained after a mere three weeks.

Not only have they upset themselves, but it can also can give the impressions that the service you’re providing is sub-par.

The reason why it’s important to recognize the 5 stages of behaviour change is because it allows you to see past the initial excitement and assess your client’s willingness to change in a long-term perspective.

So now when Jimmy comes to you ready and wired, it’s your job to ground his excitement and assess where he’s really at.

Not only will it prevent him from being upset in the future if he decides to drop off at the three week mark, but it also prevents the chance that your reputation is tainted.

3 Questions For Assessing Your Clients

To do this assessment, here are three questions you can ask Jimmy that will bring down the initial wavering excitement levels and decide if he REALLY is ready for change.

1. Have you tried anything previously to make progress towards your goals?

If Jimmy tells me he’s tried everything from calisthenics to Olympic lifting, there’s a good chance that he’s probably in the preparation stage. He’s searching for answers but hasn’t figured out an appropriate action plan.

This is shown by Jimmy’s inability to pick a path and stick with it. This might also tell you that Jimmy is looking for a “magic pill” to solve his problems. Maybe he’s looking for the quick fix rather than sticking with one plan.

2. What, specifically, has stopped you in the past from reaching your goals?

This is where you get to see if Jimmy comes up with an external excuse or not.

If Jimmy tells you he hasn’t had enough time because of work, or because his wife and kids have kept him too busy – you can recognize that he’s probably in either the Contemplation or Preparation stage.

While he sees value in adding more muscle to his frame, his priorities lie elsewhere.

Throwing him into an intensive program is doomed to fail (at this point).

Jimmy needs to be introduced to change more slowly.

3. Using a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being “there’s no way” and 10 being “definitely will do”), would you be able to exercise for _minutes for _days this coming week?

This is the ultimate test of Jimmy’s willingness to change.

In this case, Jimmy says that he’s probably at a 6 when it comes to exercising 45 minutes, 4 times per week: He’s got a lot of commitments next week, but he’s ready to “try his best.”

Is a 6 rating really that convincing?

Do you really want to give a client a task that has at least a 40% chance of failure? (I say “at least” because most clients overestimate their ability to take on change in the beginning!)

Identifying a Willing, Ready, and Able Client

Question #1 gets the ball rolling. It lets you see how new or experienced your client is with training and nutrition, and also his level of interest in these two areas.

Question #2 throws a curve ball to the client. He is perhaps thinking you’re just asking a basic question, but really you’re screening the client to see his attitude and willingness to change.

If your client blames the reason of not reaching their goals on external factors – deflecting the reason to things such as not enough time, too busy with work, the wife not cooking healthier meals or the kids bringing home junk food – then this is a sign of someone who’s in one of the earlier stages of change.

Again, the notion of wanting change is there, but perhaps not at the expense of other enjoyable things in life.

However, if they take responsibility for their actions or lack of, then that’s a good sign of someone who could possibly be ready to get started.

Question #3 is the true test of a client’s willingness to change. “Action speaks louder than words”, and we’re about to find out how loud their actions really are.

Any number they give you shows their level of commitment to following a training and nutrition plan.

  • Any number between 1 and 3 is a sign that they’re probably not ready for much of a change.
  • A number between 4 and 6 is an okay, mediocre response. A small change may be possible.
  • A number between 7 and 10 is a good sign that they’re ready to go. Let’s take them into Action.

Changing Your Plan For Different Behavioral Stages

You can’t give a client an intensive, thorough training and nutrition plan when they’re not ready to change, so it’s important to identify which stage your client is at and adjust their needs from there.

Remember, the majority of them are going to say “they’re ready for everything right now” when their excitement levels are high, but it’s your job to assess how willing they truly are.

Clients that are in the Precontemplation stage need help finding their “why.” Help them see why it’s important to work out and eat healthy. You can relate it to having more self-confidence, living longer so they will be able to spend more time with their family etc.

Once you find their why, keep tapping on that pressure point.

Clients that are in the Contemplation stage will benefit by showing what they can achieve as well as the sacrifices they’re going to have to make to achieve it. Also a basic level of the how to achieve their goals will help them.

 

Clients that are in the Preparation stage will benefit from organizing a custom plan for them. Sorting out times that they’re able to exercise, recipes that are healthy and they also like etc. Anything that is customized for them and moves them towards taking action.

When the client has reached the Action stage, they’re now to start working on the fitness plan that you’ve customized for them. Remember to not jump the gun and start with extreme exercise sessions to begin with. Gauge where your clients fitness levels are at and work your way up from there in small steps.

Once your client is in the Maintenance stage, you’re now able to just keep the ball rolling and help them so they don’t fall back to their old ways. Spice things up every now and then with different exercises, challenges; perhaps increasing their training frequency or adding some extra healthy snacks.

Remember, you’re the professional. You’re the leader. It’s up to you to properly assess a new client and then deliver a program that has the highest likelihood of success.

About the Author

Dave Smith is a professional fitness and weight-loss coach who was chosen as “Canada’s Top Fitness Professional” in 2013. He shares awesome health and weight-loss tips through his blog and podcast that you can find at makeyourbodywork.com.

CategoriesUncategorized

2 Things to Check Out. Because I Said So

Lisa and I are currently on a really fast moving train en route to Stockholm (<– that’s in Sweden) to embark on leg #2 of what I’ve been referring to as the “Scandinavian Triangle,” Trademark pending.

  • Leg #1 = Oslo, Norway.
  • Leg #2 = Stockholm, Sweden
  • Leg #3 = Copenhagen, Denmark

(And then back to Oslo, to complete the triangle, and to catch our flight back home to Boston).

It’s been an amazing trip thus far, starting in Prague well over a week ago and now spilling into Scandinavian territory.

NOTE: If you haven’t already, check out Lisa’s travel blog – HERE – which has been growing in popularity over course of our trip. I’m starting to get the feeling everyone wants Lisa to start taking over the website permanently.

I hope everyone’s been enjoying all the guest posts I’ve had lined up in my absence. Not to brag or anything, but Travis Hansen’s article, 5 More Scientific Reasons Athletes Should Eat Carbs, was named “Top Nutrition Article of the Week” on the PTDC’s weekly reading list.

Congrats Travis!

I have a few more posts lined up for later this week, but in the meantime I wanted to take the opportunity to direct towards some other content.

1) New Podcast – Respect the Process, Not the Outcome

I had the pleasure of being invited onto Joe DeLeo’s podcast recently. Joe’s a trainer located in the Providence, RI area and we took an hour or so talking about the industry, my reasons for leaving Cressey Sports Performance, and, of course, deadlifts…among other things.

If you have some time to kill or would rather listen to my silky, sexy voice rather than the people on the train or the person you share a cubicle with…than have it. I’d be honored!

2) 6 Posture Drills That Will Change the Way You Do Absolutely Everything

Jen Sinkler is back with some more killer (FREE) video content for the promotion of the upcoming Lightning & Thunder project.

All six are simple to implement, provide a lot of bang-for-your-training-buck, and are the perfect fit for those with limited time in the gym.

The video is free. There’s no spamming (because Jen’s not an a-hole), and don’t forget to check out and download the PDF attached too!

For those who missed it, you can also check out THIS video from Jen showcasing some awesome partner drills to help improve reaction time. Includes hilarity.

CategoriesOff Topic

Day 11: More Rain in Oslo

Day 11: More Rain in Oslo!

Today is Tony’s only full day and our last day in Oslo. We’ve got a full itinerary.

Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating at all.

Nasty, serious rain, all day!

But that didn’t stop us. We got up and went right to the gym (where Tony and Dean just completed their workshop) for a lift. Tony squatted, I did a little RDL & glute bridge thang:

And then we hit up breakfast, for the last time! (We’re so bummed).

Showered, dressed, and out da’ door!

It was so rainy that one umbrella just wouldn’t do. On our way to the pier, we came across a metal fence and many, many military people. We made it to the other side of the street just before they blocked the way, and decided to watch for a few minutes to see what was going on.

Can you see the street lined with military?

Mlitary 1

It was serious!

Military 2

We couldn’t figure out who was coming, but since the street leads directly to the Royal Palace, we assumed it was someone important. Lo and behold! A few minutes later, many police cars, a few SUVs and a gorgeous limo with two fancy-looking military men in the back cruised by.

Who could it be? Since we can’t get anything out of Norwegian news, we figured we’d probably never know, and just went on our way, happy to have seen someone important get, literally, the royal treatment.

On to the Viking ship Museum!

We needed to take a water taxi to get there. Here’s ours:

Our water taxi

It was raining so hard! We had a good 10-minute walk off the boat to the museum, but man, it was worth it! This modest museum holds the remains of four Viking ships, dating back as early as 800AD??!!

W.H.A.T.?

Viking Ship mu 1

Viking ship mu 2

Viking ship mu 3

These boats had been used in the water, but after a time they were used for the burials of VIP Vikings. Along with the VVIP’s (get it?!) were all kinds of neat gadgets and artifacts. After checking everything out, we took a fifteen minute walk to another museum, called the Fram Museum.

Fram 1

Fram 2

This little museum houses the very large, very serious “Fram” ship, which sailed many voyages, most notably to the South Pole and the North Pole. We got to go around, on, and down in the boat! Check it:

Tony with Fram

Just outside this museum was another dock with people waiting for the water taxi, so we walked over to get back to the city. Here’s how it was looking:

Tony walking to water taci

Me waiting for tax

When we returned, it was 1:30, and time for a bite of lunch. Two caesar salads, one glass of house red, one Coke Zero, and one side order of fries… $75.

No joking. (Thank goodness we have not had to pay for meals here! It’s outrageously expensive).

After lunch we made our way over to Akerhus Fortress/Castle. Much like the Prague Castle, Akerhus dates back to the 13-14th century and very much emulates a scene out of Game of Thrones.

Here’s a few photos:

Fortress:castle 1

Fortress castle 2

Fortress Castle 3

Fortress Castle 4

We couldn’t find the way into the castle, so after some walking around we went into the info center to inquire. The woman within told us, “Sorry, the castle is closed today because the President of Poland is visiting today and has a special tour.”

BOOM!!!

That’s who we must have seen in the stockade earlier! Tony was super bummed we couldn’t go into the super-medieval looking castle, but we took a deep breath and moved on.

Back in the city, we decided to pop into Parliament.

All we did was check our coat and bag, go through a metal detector, and walk upstairs. We got to sit IN the main chamber of Parliament and watch some Norwegian government in action! I wish I had pictures to show, because the room was gorgeous and we were totally close to the people working and speaking on the Parliament floor. But, I couldn’t bring my camera up. So here are two much less cool photos of the outside of Parliament:

Parliament 1

Parliament 2

By the time we made it back to the hotel, we had been damp and a bit chilly for a little over five hours. We needed a hot shower and dry socks! Then it was time for a little dinner – our last free and delicious meal here at the hotel! A cod stew with salad and amazing bread.

We spent the evening packing up and getting ready for our super-early departure tomorrow. I booked us tickets on the express train to Stockholm!

Talk to you then!!

Lisa (and Tony).

CategoriesOff Topic

Day 10: A Rainy Day in Oslo

Botanical Gardens

Day 10: A Rainy Day in Oslo

Tony and I woke up bright, early, and ready for that insane breakfast. We hit the little gym at the hotel, and got downstairs in time for Tony to eat before heading out for Day 2 of the workshop. I managed to sneak a little photo of breakfast:

This breakfast

Afterward, Tony headed out, and I got ready for the day. It’s rainy and kind of gross, so I tried to dress accordingly.

First, I made a game plane with one of the front desk girls, which involves looking at a map and torturing the front desk girl, because I am the most direction challenged person to walk the earth. So I terrorized this young, gorgeous blonde over the map and made her draw lines with arrows and tell me things three times, and right before she was ready to lose her Scandinavian cool, I thanked her and headed out.

Here is a plan for the day:

Screen Shot 2016-05-22 at 10.08.50 AM

I set out for the National Gallery first, stopping to check out the National Theatre:

National Theater

The doors opened at 11:00am and the collection was small, but impressive. There were some Norwegian artists I had never heard of, and a few others that I knew. There was an entire room with Munch (the best-known Norse artist), and people crowded The Scream and took their picture with it like it was the Mona Lisa.

My favorite was called September, by Erik Werenskiold (1883)

I got myself a few postcards and started the long walk to the Botanical Gardens.

I made my way though a different part of town that seemed more every-day than touristy, and could easily tell I was approaching the Botanical Gardens, as runners, strollers, and happy off-leash dogs started to lead the way.

The National History Museum lives inside the Botanical Gardens. I did not visit that museum today, but did check out the Gardens. Have a look:

Botanical Gardens

Botanical Gardens 2

Botanical Gardens 3

The Munch Museum was… well… different.

The idea is to change the exhibit regularly by comparing and contrasting Munch’s work to another artist’s.

Munch Museum

Currently, the artist of comparison was Robert Mapplethorpe.

munch and mapplethorpe exhibit

Mapplethorpe is… well… a colorful person, to say the least. I don’t mean his works – they’re mostly black and white photographs – I mean him.

Please Google Mapplethorpe if you get the chance. I’m not sure the American version of Google will have his pictures available to view, but just know that he was mainly interested in (male) sexuality, sexual identity, and nudes.

One thing I loved was to see all the families, young, old, conservative-looking and otherwise, all viewing the exhibit without embarrassment or awkwardness. (We Americans could learn a lot from Europeans). I will not include a photo with a penis here – mainly because my Grandmother (HI MEEMS!!!) might be reading this. But here’s a tame example:

Mapplethorpe - Lyons

I especially liked the many photos he had of this subject, Lisa Lyons (pictured above), because she was the first woman to win the International Federation of Bodybuilders World Pro Championship.

So in her day, she was considered insanely muscular and “masculine”. Today, wouldn’t you agree that she looks like your standard “fit” actress or fitness model?

Anyway, after the museum I headed back home, this way taking a different route, and making my way to Central Station in Oslo. Tony and I have a crack-o’-dawn train to catch on Tuesday morning! So I wanted to know exactly where to go while were still in Zombie mode and schlepping our luggage.

I made my way back to the hotel and enjoyed an afternoon espresso and sparkling water.

Tony made it back around 6:00pm, and we popped up to the lounge for our free-hotel dinner.

Delicious! Again, my favorite bread ever.

There are pieces of carrots and sunflower seeds and it is so heavy and chunky it barely stays together. Also there was this fresh cabbage and fennel salad and a fabulous chili that had chunks of beef and pork.

After dinner we digested a bit, and then met up with Dean and Lindsay for dessert and goodbye.

D&L head back to London tomorrow, and home on Tuesday. They’ve been great traveling companions and we’ll miss them!

We returned to the hotel just after 9:00pm and were beat. I told Tony we should go to bed, because I have a FULL itinerary planned for his one and only free day in Oslo, tomorrow!

See you then,

Lisa (and Tony)

Categoriescoaching Nutrition

DON’T Put the Cookie Down

Oh, hello…I’m in Europe being all fancy pants.

Luckily, I lined up some excellent guest posts for you while I’m away. Here’s one from San Antonio based trainer, Jonathan Acosta.

“Put That Cookie Down!”

– Arnold

You hear that all the time from nutrition zealots. Shit, the legend himself, Arnold, said it and the interwebs even created a meme out of it.

But what if I told you rather than putting the cookie down……….Eat it!

Yes eat that cookie! Follow your dreams man!

No this isn’t the beginning of an Instagram supplement commercial.

Don’t worry I haven’t gone bat shit crazy….YET.

Listen: nutrition is one of my favorite topics. Fitness and nutrition is my profession. Im all for buckling down and getting your nutrition in check. You have a show or a competition you need to get ready for?

Cool, lets buckle down and get your nutrition in check.

I’m all for meal plans and strict adherence. My brother’s girlfriend likes to joke that we can eat the same thing day in and day out.

If you have an important goal or deadline, then hell yea I recommend a detailed plan and strict adherence…………….

But the reality is, most people don’t need that kind of strictness. At least not in the real world, or at the beginning of their journey.

A funny thing happened when I started training and working on people’s nutrition.

I would write a detailed plan out and by Week #2 it was out the door and back to old habits. Only my competitive clients would grit through it and last through the plan.

You see, this is the real world. And in the real world habits are king.

Most people juggle their jobs, families, kids, and everything in between. Just starting a workout plan alone is stressful enough.

Life happens and building better habits keeps you on point.

It’s not realistic to change your entire eating patterns to almost a robot like state and expect to hit your goals and stay like that forever.

Working on better eating habits works wonders.

Search Google for nutrition tips and what do you hear?

Cut out the sweets, eat chicken and broccoli, don’t drink alcohol. You name it.

You probably read that while rolling your eyes thinking duh we know all this.

Which brings me to my point.

All the above tips are practically common knowledge now. So why isn’t everyone rocking a six-pack or first in like to take part in a shirtless volleyball game at the beach???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmfd9etbXGE

 

The answer to that is two fold.

Habits and consistency.

Creating habits that ensure this whole “nutrition thing” is life long.

All while being consistent. Day in and day out.

That’s what its all about. That’s the real secret.

It’s not about what diet plan you follow. Or if you’re paleo, warrior diet, or intermittent fasting. It’s about finding something that WORKS FOR YOU AND YOUR WORLD.

Right now the cool thing to do is follow what these peeps on the grams of Insta are showing.

Meal prep consisting of nothing but chicken and broccoli – CHECK

Taking selfies with meals – CHECK

Repeating the steps above – CHECK

Get paid – CHECK

That last step is for the Instagram peeps.

That step for most folks looks more like this….

Realizing that this isn’t realistic and its boring. Throw the meals away, go back to old habits and eat what you used to eat.

I’m gonna pause right here. All of this depends on your goals and the amount of time you give yourself for your goals and its urgency.

If you have a wedding or something that is a necessity then yes by all means, bite the bullet and have a PROPER plan of attack and go for it.

If your goal is similar but isn’t as urgent then you’re better off not worrying to much about your short game.

Think about your end game.

  • In the grand scheme of things, what makes more sense? Following a strict diet for 2-3 weeks then “relapsing” and go to F-it mode for 1-2 weeks. Then starting all over again.

OR

  • Gradually working on habits and cutting back on a few things here and there until eventually we’ve completely changed our entire nutrition approach.

I first learned about habits through John Berardi and the crew over at Precision Nutrition. I’ll be completely honest and say that when I first read a few articles and saw how they approached things I was dumbfounded.

How were their clients getting crazy results and they weren’t even following a strict diet?

They didn’t even know their macros!

There is no way adding in a small habit here and there bi-weekly created all that change.

In my defense I was young and naïve. The older I got, and the more people I worked with, the more I started realizing that habits are the cornerstone of everything.

Turns out Berardi really hadn’t lost his marbles after all. (I dived right into the Precision Nutrition certification the moment it became available)

In reality, what seemed so simple was actually pretty ground breaking.

Sure you can give someone a diet plan and they may or may not follow it. But if you change someones habits, I mean really rewire them from the inside.

That’s when you start changing lives.

So what can you do TODAY to improve?

Here are some action habits I’ve used with clients:

1) Add in Two Protein Shakes a Day.

One of the first things I see in peoples nutrition habits is lack of protein. For the sedentary person that doesn’t workout, this isn’t a huge priority. But if you workout frequently then this habit will go a long way.

2) Cut back slightly on starchy carbs.

Lets say you eat four meals a day and normally 3-4 of those meals contain carbs. Then cut back slightly by replacing starchy carbs with veggies for 2 meals.

3) Take notes on how you feel after a meal

Although this doesn’t directly help your results, finding out what foods make you feel like crap and which ones make you feel energized goes a long way in helping you make better food choices.

4) Save the reward.

Save the rewards for the last meal of the day.

I don’t know about you but come evening time I’m starving!

No matter how many meals I’ve eaten I’m ravenous. So saving a reward treat for the evening helps curb whatever cravings I have. If you’ve got a sweet tooth than this works especially well for you.

The trick is to make sure the rest of the day is on point and aligned with our goals.

This means making sure your protein intake is good, you’re mindful of the starches, and you workout. If all things go right then a small reward wouldn’t be too harmful. Remember this is temporary while were weaning off per say.

Bonus:

Finding less goal harming treats is even better. Some of my go to’s are:

  • Cool whip (a small serving is super low)
  • Almond butter, protein powder, heavy whipping cream pudding
  • Proscuitto and mozzarella (don’t ask me why but a slice of each kills any sweet or salty cravings I have, maybe itll work for you)
  • Sugar free chocolates (Be mindful on these as some people cant handle the sugar substitutes well and have G.I. issues. Bloating sucks.)

Small habits that build up to amazing results. Nothing fancy. No drinking a protein shake made with fresh milk from a grass fed intermittent fasting cow who was born on the summer solstice.

Just practical habits that cater to you in the real world. Habits that dont require you to sacrifice your social life and over stress about everything else.

So get your habits in check and eat that cookie if you need it.

Until you level up and its time to PUT THE COOKIE DOWN!!!!!

(Please eat responsibly).

About the Author

Jonathan Acosta is the founder of Underground Performance Center and head trainer at Get Sexy San Antonio and is a certified personal trainer though both ISSA and the NCEP, as well asPrecision Nutrition Level I certified.

He likes lifting heavy things, reading books with big words in them, his steaks rare, funny stuff, writing stuff, hanging out with friends, and laughing.

CategoriesOff Topic

Day 9: Oslo: The Near-Future Utopia

Photo Credit: Mariano Mantel

Day 9 Oslo: The Near-Future Utopia

You know how they make those movies about the near future Dystopia? In which we’ve destroyed the environment, we treat each other like shit, and no one is able to shower any more? Well, just imagine the inverse of that.

Kind of like Star Trek, only sooner to now.

And also less spandex and more normal hairdo’s.

That’s basically Oslo.

Everyone speaks multiple languages – most notably English. The streets are pristine, and old royal-looking buildings are routinely and momentarily blotted out by passing trams, trolley cars, and slick looking German cars that don’t make any noise.

Tony set out for his 8-hour Shoulder-palooza Seminar, and I went for a little joggy-jog. (If you’ve been reading, you’ll remember that my ‘jog’ involves bouncy walking with very frequent stops for photo-taking). Here are some highlights.

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Once the jogging was over, I hit the mini-gym in the hotel (which has taps for still AND sparkling water!!!) for a little upper-body biz-nass. Then a quick shower and on to the free and amazing breakfast!

Now, seriously. I know about breakfast. I’ve had lots of breakfasts. I consider myself an authority on what constitutes an impressive breakfast.

Let me tell you: #1 breakfast of all time.

And. It. Was. Free.

I was too overwhelmed to take any photos. The name of the restaurant in the lobby where breakfast is located is named “Paleo”; needless to say, there were 37 kinds of meat and eggs. I’ll try to capture it tomorrow.

Did I also mention that there are industrial-sized Nespresso machines EVERYWHERE in this hotel?

I love espressos, and own a Nespresso, but I have never seen machines this size; not I was not surprised, being in the near future Utopia and all.

Only second to espresso is my love for fizzy water.

In the US, it’s not as ubiquitous as it is over in Europe, so it’s always a plus of traveling abroad. At the Thon Rosenkrantz, there are actually taps all over the place, so you can have some sparkling whenever you like. For example, here is the Nespresso machine and the tap in the lounge (hopefully this is what it will look like in my own dream kitchen one day…)

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Fortified by my pre-historic breakfast and many, many espressos, I was ready to explore the near future.

Based on my Norse research, and excited about having a Saturday in the city to myself, I set out for The Vigeland Sculpture Park. About a 2 mile walk, I stopped at the Royal Palace along the way:

Royal Palace

Which is surrounded by a beautiful park, open to the public:

Palace Park

Royal Palace Park

Then I continued my journey through lots of shops and people out for brunch whathaveyou on their Saturday mornings:

Walking to Vigeland in the city

Finally, I arrived at the Vigeland Sculpture Park! I will let the photos speak for themselves

Vigeland park fountain

Vigeland sculpture 5

Sculpture 4

Sculpture 3

This is a huge park, and was filled with both tourists and locals. After roaming around for a bit, I made my way to the base of the park, where the Vigeland Museum and some tennis courts were.

Then I made my way over to a Vintage and Antiques Market I read about online, called “Vestkanttorvet Bric-a-Brac Antiques Market”.

Who wouldn’t want to check that out?

Here it is!

Vintage and antiques market 2

Vintage and antiques market

A combo vintage/antique/flea market, there were all kinds of one-man’s-trash, another-man’s-treasure type things. It was fun to watch the locals buy and sell, and I did find myself a few little Norwegian treasures (at a great price!).

After the market I began to meander back to the hotel. I stopped in some shops and roamed back through the Palace grounds, and made my way down to the water. There was a cultural fair in full effect! Check it:

Cultural Festival

I then walked out on the pier to find a bit of lunch. (It was 2:30 and I was barely hungry, but I knew Tony would want to eat right after the seminar – at our FREE dinner!). I picked a spot with a little outdoor seating to watch the water, look at the Castle across the water, and people watch.

It looked like this:

lunch

A Caesar salad and Sauvignon Blanc later, I nipped back to the hotel to drop off my treasures and grab a little Nespresso. Tony asked me to arrive at the gym at 4:00pm, so I could watch him in action a bit before he ended the day at 5:00pm.

I’m sorry there’s no pictures! I didn’t want to make a scene. I was a fly on the wall, and since I haven’t watched Tony speak in a few years, I was impressed with how polished and efficient he’s become.

Bravo babe!

Good news bad news?

Tony was on such a roll, he didn’t finish until after 6:00pm! He is an animal (FYI, that’s 8:30am – 6:00pm All-Day Tony-Shoulder-Palooza).

He was beat and starved!

We went back to the hotel and enjoyed another fabulous (and did I mention free) dinner! Beef, salad, wild rice, and once again, the most amazing bread I’ve ever had (so ironic that it’s made in a restaurant entitled: Paleo).

As the last bite of dinner went into our mouths, we began transitioning into pumpkins. Tony wanted a bit of ice cream, which we ran out for, and were surprised by how quiet it was. Two out of three ice cream shops closed right before our very eyes, at 7:00pm sharp! The same area that was a beehive at lunch time was completely dead at 7:00pm on a Saturday night. Maybe all Norwegians turn into pumpkins early on Saturdays?

We made our way home and settled into bed early. Today is a record for me, 29,000 steps! Now it will be the record to break. Maybe tomorrow? Talk to you then!

Love Lisa (and Tony).

CategoriesOff Topic

Day 8: Goodbye Prague, Hello Oslo!

Day 8: Goodbye Prague, Hello Olso!

Tony and I woke up and shot out of bed so we could pack up our bags, clean out the apartment, and head over to the airport. I had one last espresso from Bake Shop, and we both enjoyed our last bowl of Czech granola.

We have loved our apartment and are sad to say goodbye!

Sad Tony

Our driver arrived promptly at 10:00am and off we went.

Once we were all checked in and seated at our gate, Tony received a text message notifying him that unfortunately there would be nothing to eat or drink on what was supposed to be a lunch flight. Apparently, restaurant and hotel workers in Norway are currently on Strike… Uh oh.

I grabbed us a few overpriced sandwiches, and on the plane we went. I think there were two flight attendants, and basically they were present just to seat us, make sure we stayed seated, and then got us off the plane.

The weather is not good. Check it out:

Bad weather in Norway

Once in Norway, we got ourselves some train tickets, into the city we went!

Every screen was digital, every surface was clean and modern-looking, and every Norwegian was tall, blonde, and fluent in English. We stepped off the train and were immediately lost, but soon approached by a friendly Norwegian who put us back on the right track.

Tony and I promised one another that we would “pay it forward” when we’re back in Boston. The next time either one of us sees a lost tourist, we’re going to stop and help.

Via Tony’s credit card points, we’re staying at the Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz, which also happens to be the #1 Oslo hotel on TripAdvisor.

It’s beautiful, high-tech, and includes FREE breakfast AND dinner!

You may have heard, Oslo is a super expensive place. Basically a city on the opposite end of the spectrum from Prague.

And it shows.

Everything and everyone is modern and gorgeous.

We had a very nice dinner with cod, peas and potatoes, salad and the best bread we’ve ever had. The dinner room is in the sexy little lounge on the top floor of the hotel.

After dinner we met Dean and Lindsay for dessert. They’ve been chilling in Oslo for a few days now, and gave us some tips and suggestions. We turned in early before Day 1 of Tony’s workshop tomorrow.

Talk to you then!

Lisa (and Tony).