Today's Breakfast plus some Food for Thought.

This is a picture of my breakfast this morning. Here's how I made it.

1/2 cup whole wheat pancake mix

1.5 scoops vanilla protein powder

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 egg

Add milk and mix in to desired thickness

Below is a piece of an interview with Dave Tate. Dave is a world class powerlifter and entrepreneur.

"I've volunteered in my son's kindergarten class most of the year, and it's been a great time. I was there yesterday, walking down the hallway listening to the morning announcements. I heard something about a fire and donations for the family.

So I go to the classroom and I'm sitting there not even thinking about it. At the beginning of reading time, the teacher brings up one of the kids in the class. Well, it's the kid who just lost everything in the fire over the weekend. You could tell the kid wasn't in the highest of spirits.

The teacher's explaining to the class that the important thing was that nobody was hurt. She's doing exactly what she should do because the kids have questions, you know?

"Did you lose your clothes?" "Did you lose your toys?"

He starts talking about how one of his cats ran off because it was scared of the fire, and his two dogs are now in heaven. And it's just killing this kid to sit up there and talk about it.

All of a sudden these little kids start saying things like, "You can have some of my clothes" and "you can have my dog" and "you can stay at my house." Every single kid in this class is willing to give this kid their toys. He looks up and says that everything's fine and he has everything he needs right in front of him.

I had to get up and fucking walk out of the room.

All these kids know the most important things in life are friends and family. And I'm standing in the hallway and it just dawns on me. Where did we get so fucked up? Because we're really starting off okay. It was one of the most inspiring moments I've had in my entire life, seeing the strength and resolve of a five-year-old kid. "

Have a great weekend,

TSull

Tips for the Travelling Business Person.

Friends,

This post has been sparked by a project I am currently working on catered to the business professionals out there who are interested in pursuing and maintaining an impressive physique. This is an important demographic to speak to in my opinion for the following reasons:

1. Many are former athletes without much direction when it comes to training.
2. Many are type A personalities who need to constantly push the envelope in all areas of life.
3. Whether you like it or not, the people you are doing business with are passing judgment on you based on appearance. When everything else is equal, the lean guy or gal will get the deal over the fat guy or gal.

For you people who are sales professionals, brokers, etc, I know there are some serious obstacles in your way when it comes to carving that rock. You don't have the luxury of working out whenever you feel like it because often times your schedule is dictated by someone else. So let me give you a few common obstacles and how to maneuver around them and keep your belt buckle in one piece.

Obstacles

1. Business Dinner/Lunch/Breakfast with clients. Typically this one is on company coin so its tough not to absolutely gorge on this occasion.

2. Catered event on site. I know that on many occasions you are at a networking event or an on site meeting that is catered.

3. Events. Christmas Parties, Red Sox/Pats/B's/Celts games.

Solutions (these correspond with the number above)

1. Order a fresh seafood appy instead of bread at lunch and dinner. Read: Not fried calamari, think shrimp cocktail. Follow it up with the 9oz fillet Mignon with grilled veggies. At Breakfast eat an omelet with as much stuff in it as you can stomach with whole wheat toast. Stay away from pancakes, home fries, french toast, and gallons of sugary juice.

2. Catered event. This is a tough spot because usually it is some pizza, sandwiches, or some other food not on your training table. Stay away from pizza and grab two pieces of sandwich on whole wheat wraps with grilled chicken if possible.

3. Events. These events happen occasionally and also are usually important. Sometimes taking a client to a red sox game can be the difference between closing business or losing business. In this case, my advice would be to not really hold back here. Drink beer, have a hot dog, and show your client a good time. But guess what? Drag your ass out of bed before work the following day and get in some interval training before breakfast to limit the damage.

So there you have it friends. Lots of solid, small decisions equal big success.

Go get em,

TSull

tssullivanjr@gmail.com

Tuesday's Workout of the Day

There has been some confusion about some of the training methods that I have written about. Some of the girls following along think that the workouts are developed specifically for the manimals following me here. My intention was to develop training for both sexes and I still believe that I have done that, I just wasn't very clear about it. So today I will post a workout for everyone. Like a lot of the training I talk about, it won't take very long but you should be able to work up a pretty good lather. Here it is:

Perform a good warmup then:

T-Pushup 2x each side
Goblet Squat 4reps 30-50lb dumbell
Around the world plank 2x around the world

Complete 8-10 sets as quickly as you can.

T Pushup


Goblet Squat


Around the world Planks

Mighty Sub Friday

Happy Friday Everyone. In case you can't really make out the above picture, let me tell you a little story.

Brendan and Justin, two juniors at Milton High who train with me, offered to pick me up some lunch after their exam on Thursday. I agreed. And the two of them walk in carrying my "lunch". Well my lunch consisted of one $8 sandwich from "Mighty Subs" in Needham. If you are having trouble getting a feel for the size of this sandwich, that would be my leg on the table. I put my heel at one end of the sub and the other end came halfway up my quad. This was hands down the biggest sandwich I had ever seen. I ate half of the thing, which took about an hour and then almost slipped into a coma. Brendan was able to eat his whole sandwich, which he explained to me was due to superior mental toughness.

This would be the opposite thing to take part in if you are trying to lose bodyfat. Here is some video for you guys. This is a circuit I put the athletes through yesterday. They went for 15 minutes continuous. Go ahead and have a great weekend.




Best,

TSull

Video Blog: Episode 1

Today I wanted to post a YouTube link for everyone to check out. I shot some video last night in the basement at my parents house. This was the perfect scenario for having about 20 minutes to train and still getting an effective workout in. I had just returned home from training some clients and was headed out to Dedham to train the Boston Patriots 11 year old team in about a half hour. The film quality isn't great, but I hope you can still get a feel for what I was after.

Workout Details:

50lb DB Swings
Ring Chinups
Knee UPs
Clap Pushups

15 minutes continuous

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVcnN7bWcrY


Go Get it,

TS
tssullivanjr@gmail.com

Short on Time?

It's another one of those days...maybe its Thursday and you are going out to a business dinner or its Friday and you are going to meet friends for some after work drinks. You sit there at your desk and have this mental battle, "I know I should really try to get a training session in today, but its 4:30pm on Friday and I don't want to go through the whole procedure of going to the gym, warming up, setting things up, training for 40-50 minutes, showering and then heading out." So you decide to forgo the workout and then beat yourself up either that night or the next day when you are saying, "Man, I really wish I got in the gym yesterday." Well here is your solution:

For starters, if you aren't already, keep a set of workout clothes in your car so you can never use that as an excuse. Next, get yourself into the gym for a quick workout that will have you in and out in 18 minutes or less. Here it is:

Bench Jumps x 3(with two feet spring up onto a bench, then step down)
Pullups x 3 (any grip you want, if you cant do real ones, do assisted ones on the machine)
Bodyweight Bulgarian Split Squat x 3 each leg

Set a stop watch or ipod or cell phone for 15 minutes and try to keep moving for 15 minutes. Work hard then play hard.



Best,

TS

PS. As always use YouTube for any video demonstrations you need.

Happy Fat Loss Friday. 5 Quick Tips

1. During your workouts, rest period between sets may be the most crucial factor in training for fat loss. Effective rest periods do not include checking your BlackBerry, messing with your Ipod, or flexing in the mirror when you think no one is looking. A good rule of thumb: when you start your next set you want to breathing a little heavy still, typically 30-45 seconds is good. Wear a stopwatch, you will be shocked how quick that actually is.

2. Pick exercises that require you to move your whole body, they burn the most calories. As always I recommend squatting variations, deadlift variations, pull ups (not pull downs), rows, and presses.

3. When doing cardio, sprint. You shouldn't be able to chat or read a magazine while doing cardio. You should want to punch someone in the face if they try talking to you mid cardio session. Put headphones on to discourage chatty Cathy from approaching you. Sprint for 30 seconds, go slow for 60 seconds. Repeat 8 times, go home.

4. Typically with people our age, it is easy to stay on track during the week and then just have the wheels fall off the wagon come Saturday and Sunday. Most of it is due to alcohol. My theory is that booze doesn't make you fat, it is the things that happen when you drink that makes you fat. Think about it, do you eat salads with grilled chicken or fish when you drink? or nachos and wings? I eat nachos and wings. How can we fix this? Well if you aren't interested in sacrificing 10 cent wings and $10 pitchers, then beat the piss out of yourself in the gym on Sunday. You will crank the metabolism back up and set yourself up to get right back on track come Monday.

5. Put a stop to eating after 8pm. If you live with other people tell them about this habit you are trying to develop and seek their help. Tell them not to offer you anything or eat in front of you after 8pm.

Lastly, how are you doing on your goals? This week has been a solid week for me in my quest for 190 pounds and single digit bodyfat. I hope you are staying on track as well.

Let me know if I can help.


Best,

TSull

PS. I had an awesome marketing professor at Babson who used to finish class on Thursdays with the following: We would be packing up ready to head out thinking he forgot to give us an assignment for the weekend and he would say "Oh yeah kids, one more thing. Your assignment for this weekend.....I need you to go ahead and have the greatest weekend you ever did have." Always caught us off guard, and always felt great when he said it. I want you guys all to do the same.

3 Stupid Things in Men's Health

As we speak I am sitting in the library up the street from the gym returning some emails and doing other busy work. I decided to pick up the latest Men’s Health. Generally speaking I really enjoy reading MH for most of their content. I really like the articles that feature recipes, how to make the perfect cocktail, what to wear on a first date, and most of their other articles that relate to me not being a bumbling fool when it comes to women. However, some of the advice articles and even some of the workout programs are really stupid. So I am going to take this opportunity to address some of the random things I see in Men’s Health that you should avoid. Am I saying you should get all of your training and nutrition advice just from TSull’s World? You bet your ass. (kidding there are other good sources out there).

1. Here is an actual question from a reader. “Every time I do shrugs, it kills my neck. Help!”

Now I won’t call out the trainer who answered the question because he is far more accomplished than I am. But his advice boils down to using lighter weights. Here is how I would answer that. “Stop doing shrugs. Why are you doing shrugs anyway? People bitch about not having time to get the gym and when they finally do, they pick shrugs? Build your program around big boy moves like squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, bench press, rows, and sprints (you too girls). This question might as well be: “Every time I slam the car door on my hand it kills.”

2. Here’s another. “Why do I pace when on the phone?”

This question was fielded by a guy with about 15 acronyms following his name, so he must be smart. He actually does a great job describing the lack of visual stimulation leading to an expression through physical action. If it ended there, I would be perfectly OK with that. He finishes his answer with, “Don’t fight it. Studies show that fidgeting and pacing can lead to greater caloric burn than exercise.” I guess the next time I go to the gym, instead of picking box jumps, medicine ball slams, and pull-ups, I am going to warm up and fidget for 30 minutes. This may be the secret in getting super lean.

3. In the weight loss bulletin it reads, “People are likely to eat 85% more bread when it is offered by the server. Blame social pressure. It is harder to decline an offer when it comes directly from another person.”

So you go ahead and polish off another 4 rolls at dinner, but don’t worry, just blame your fat ass on the poor waitress. Blame yourself tubby, no one was holding you down force feeding you. When you go out to eat, decline the rolls in the first place and get a shrimp cocktail.

I really do like Men’s Health but I just want you to be a little more aware of what you are reading in health magazines. Next time I will tackle a Women’s magazine, these are usually way more stupid. And remember these people are in the business of selling magazines, not the health business.


TSull
tssullivanjr@gmail.com

Happy Friday. Quick Breakfast Recipes.

Happy Friday to everyone.

Quick Breakfast Recipes
I want to give everyone a couple of good recipes for breakfast for a couple of reasons.

1. Breakfast is absolutely crucial in building a respectable physique. It primes your metabolism for the day and will fuel your workout later that day as well.

2. I am sick of listening to people bitch that they don't have time to cook breakfast before work.

TSull's Sensational Smoothie (no giggling)
Ingredients:
1 cup frozen mixed berries
8 oz cold water
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 cup almonds

Directions:
Throw it in a blender and smash it up until it is the consistency you desire (really tough to F this one up). I can literally get this one done in 2 minutes. All kinds of great stuff going on in there and it tastes delicious.

Oatmeal Concoction
Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats (not the instant crap)
1 cup water
Microwave
1 scoop vanilla protein
1 cup frozen berries

Directions:
Throw the oats in a bowl and cover with water. Toss it in the microwave for 2 minutes or until it looks like its all cooked through. Mix it up, then toss the protein in. Mix that until the protein disappears, then add the berries and stir those in. The berries will defrost and cool the oatmeal so it doesn't burn the roof of your mouth like a slice of Domino's pie at 3am sophomore year of college.


Have a great weekend everybody,

TSull
tssullivanjr@gmail.com

The Men of Exercise RX.

I would like to dedicate this post to the men of Exercise RX. For those of you who may not be aware, this is the New England Senior League Hockey team that I currently signed a long term deal with for the winter. Right now I believe we are 9-4 in league play. Last night we had a huge 10-5 win over the Griffs that turned out to be a real confidence builder. We are so hot right now that as long as we "just show up and lace up the skates" we are almost guaranteed victory (Tilli).

In thinking of a way to tie this back into health and fitness, it really wasn't too hard. If you take a look around the locker room, as a squad, we really are not a "beacon" of physical health. This is a team full of ex-Hockey east, NESCAC, and ECAC hockey guys who have gotten pretty out of shape since the glory days (sorry boys). If I had to guess, I would say that this specific population is so used to structure in their training programs in the way of practice and team lifts, that when released into the wild they walk around the gym aimlessly without a plan. Because of my man love for everyone on the team, I am going to put together a small program that should get you on the right track.

When thinking about a program for this population, there are some important things to consider:

1. Most guys have some left over nagging injuries from years of abuse.

2. Most guys have good jobs where they spend the better part of the day sitting down at a desk.

3. Most guys could use some tweaking in their diet.

4. Most guys are interested or should be interested in some fat loss.

So here is what I am thinking:

Monday: I know you guys had a monster night Saturday where you had 12-15 beers at the local watering hole (chances are, so did I), so we need to get some work done here.

Go to the gym, get a good warmup in, and perform the following.

1. Stationary reverse lunge with 25 lb DBs in hand (3 reps each leg)

2. Pullups any grip you like (use the assisted machine if need be) (perform 3 reps)

3. seated russian twists with medicine ball or light plate (5 reps each side)

taking as little rest as possible complete 8 sets.

Tuesday: We usually have a game on Tuesday Nights, so as long as you don't eat like an idiot, this will be enough of a workout.

Wednesday: Go to the gym and perform the following.

1. Pushups (5 reps)

2. Dumbell Row (5 reps each arm)

3. Side planks (30 seconds each side)

taking as little rest as possible perform 8 sets.

Thursday: Get back in the gym.

1. Standing DB overhead press (5 reps)

2. Pullups (different grip than Monday) (5 reps)

3. Step Ups on a bench (bodyweight only, 5 reps each side)

taking as little rest as possible, perform 8 reps

Friday, Saturday, or Sunday

Jump on a bike or a treadmill and do some intervals. 30 seconds of work followed by 60 seconds at a recovery pace for 10 reps.

So boys, there you have it. These workouts will take 30 minutes to perform (maybe less) and will be a hell of a lot harder than what you usually do at the gym.

Anyone else who may be following along, these workouts will work for you too. If you want a more individual approach I would be happy to help. My online coaching offering is $49 dollars per month (mandatory 3 month commitment) for personalized diet and training plans.

Let's Get After it,

TSull

PS. You can youtube most of these exercises for a video demonstration.

Lead from the front...

Any leader worth anything knows that you have to lead from the front. You can't hide behind words and inaction. This entry will be about how I plan to set an example for my clients. I really hate it when I hear someone giving advice or sharing some insight on a subject that they have no business advising on. Some examples:

1. Fat Personal Trainers. Trainers who have their clients performing things that they couldn't do if their life depended on it. For this reason alone, I make sure I can perform the tasks I am asking of my clients and athletes at a high level.

2. Business Consultants who have never been in business for themselves. Why would I listen to a guy tell me how to run my business when he gets a guaranteed paycheck from a corporation every two weeks? I want advice form a guy who once was eating Ramen Noodles, sleeping in a shitty apartment, driving a 93 Corolla, and now is eating at Abe and Louie's, owning a condo downtown, and driving a beautiful sled because he built his business to support his lifestyle.

3. John Clayton. This guy is an NFL analyst (see picture above) whose opinion comes highly regarded from sports fans everywhere. I mean this guy is an authority on a sport played by the world's greatest athletes? Look at him.

Where am I going with all of this?

Well this holiday season I would guess that I probably put on 8 or 10 pounds of body fat by eating and drinking pretty much exactly what I wanted, when I wanted. Did I have fun? You bet I did. But now it is time for me to dial it back in and get really lean again. Here is how I plan on doing it, and how you should plan as well.

1. I will be eliminating starchy carbs altogether except at breakfast.

2. I will drink a gallon of water everday.

3. I will lift heavy weights 4 times per week to preserve the mucle mass I have built.

4. I will add 3 sessions of high intensity cardio during the week.

5. I will make sure my carbs come in the form of a variety of fruit and veggies.

6. I will make sure I consume a lean protein at every meal.

7. I will eat 6 meals per day.

8. I will take a break from my diet every Sunday.

I realize that not eveyone has the luxury of owning a gym and spending most of your time there, but I do believe you could implement a lot of the changes I am making and see some serious progress.

By March 31st, I plan on being 190 lbs of twisted steel. Where do you plan on being?

Let me help you get there.

Lets Get After It,

TS

tssullivanjr@gmail.com

781 831 3901