Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Tuesday September 8th, 2009. End of Summer

The end of summer is now upon us. I hope you took July and August (June was a wash, literally) and really got after it with friends and family. To bring things relevant to my side of things...how was your physique? When you see pictures of yourself posted up on Facebook from the 4th of July, Labor Day, Cook outs, parties, etc...do you cringe? Or are you excited because you know you put in some serious work? Now is the time to take some stock in what went well and what didn't. In the period leading up to summer (February-May) did you get to the gym 4 times per week? Did you cut starchy carbs out of your diet during the week? Did you eat a large, nutritious breakfast everyday? Did you drink a gallon of water everyday? If you did these things and weren't satisfied with the results, you probably weren't training hard enough or smart enough. If you did these things there is a good chance you were more than happy with the way your body looked, felt, and performed.

I really believe that the Fall is a great time to dial it in for the first time or dial it back in after an end of summer binge (in my case). With kids going back to school and the weather cooling down, to me it is everything you need to start building a foundation of solid fitness, on which to build a peak level of fitness for different times of the year that you choose (almost like a bodybuilder getting ready for a show). If you stay at 80 percent of your best condition year round, it is easy to get beach ready or vacation ready. Getting your body in top condition isn't like studying for a final exam (cramming). You can't just starve yourself for 2 weeks and do endless cardio to get ready. Now is the time to begin building the foundation.

Here is a snack to use between meals to help keep your diet on track.

Chobani Greek Yogurt (buy at any supermarket. 15 grams of protein plus all kinds of good stuff).
-I sort of stole this idea from Tony Gentilcore, a Boston based trainer.

Add a 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein and a few walnuts and you have a snack designed to support your goals of looking good sans clothes.

Fall is also a time to revamp your training program if you have been doing the same thing over and over again. My work hours dwindle a little bit in the fall, so if you need help developing a program, I would be happy to help out.


Best,

TSull
tssullivanjr@gmail.com

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