“…a Caveman Could Do It?” (Part I)

By on October 26th, 2011 in Captain Quinn's Fitness Boot Camp, Flexibility and Stretching, Fun Fitness, Healthy Eating, Running, Strength Training, Walking | 40 Comments

Mark Sisson is an athlete, coach, and student on a “lifelong quest for exceptional health, happiness, and peak performance.”

He’s in many ways the embodiment of where I’d like to be 15 years from now. At 55 he weighs 165 pounds with 8 percent body fat, eats as much food as he pleases, and rarely gets sick. He also says he’s healthier, fitter, happier and more productive than ever.

So what is Mark’s secret (beyond the fact that he lives on the beach)?  In his words, “Modeling your 21st-century life after our primal hunter-gather ancestors will help you greatly reduce or eliminate almost all of the disease risk factors that you may falsely blame on genes you inherited from your parents…Weight loss does not have to involve the suffering, sacrifice, and deprivation we’ve been conditioned to accept but instead is a matter of eating the right foods (plants and animals), avoiding the wrong foods (processed carbs—including grains—and trans and partially hydrogenated fats), and exercising strategically, for far fewer hours than you might assume, to reach your desired fitness goals.”

He breaks his blueprint into “Ten Primal Blueprint Laws.”  I’ll hit you with five this week , and five next week, along with a few thoughts of my own.

Law #1: Eat Lots of Plants and Animals
The bulk of the caveman diet is animal protein (organic, free-range, or wild sources of meat, fowl, and fish), a plethora of colorful veggies and fruits, and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, their derivative butters, certain oils, and avocados).

I’m still on the fence with this one (the meat part) as I believe there is plenty of evidence out there to suggest that an entirely plant-based diet may be the best way to go.  However, he makes a strong case for animal protein in the book.

Law #2: Avoid Poisonous Things
For the caveman this meant staying away from poisonous plants. For you this means staying away from sugars, sodas, chemically altered fats, processed, packaged, fried and preserved foods. It also means cutting out grains. Grains? Yes.  I know. This was a hard one for me too. But we’re evolutionarily not built to digest grains according to Mark and more harm than benefit comes from consuming them. Eating grains is a relatively recent development in humanity’s journey.

Law #3: Move Frequently at a Slow Pace
The caveman spent several hours each day moving around at a low-level aerobic pace. This helped develop strong bones, joints, and connective tissue. Meanwhile, most of us are sitting on our backsides all day. This goes back to my ongoing mantra: “just get off your can and move around…as regularly as possible.”

Law #4: Lift Heavy Things
Frequent bursts of intense physical effort were a daily part of the caveman’s life. Biochemical signals would be triggered that prompted improvements and adaptations in muscle tone, size and power.  Since most of us don’t have reason to do this during an average day at the office, it is essential that we create or find exercise programs that make us lift things. We have to stress our muscles or we’ll lose them.

Law #5: Sprint Once in a While
For the caveman a fast sprint meant the difference between being eaten and staying alive. Little did he know that those sprints were helping to increase his energy levels, improve athletic performance and minimize the effects of aging by promoting the release of testosterone and human growth hormone.  Remember all that stuff I’ve been saying about high intensity intervals? There’s a reason we love to hate burpees…

That’s it for now. We’ll get to the final five next post.

In the meantime, think about how you can incorporate the above in your own life and let me know if I can be of any help in doing so.

The Royal Family Taught Me Everything I know…

By on April 28th, 2011 in Captain Quinn's Fitness Boot Camp, Exercises, Fun Fitness, Healthy Eating, Marathon, Strength Training | 59 Comments

“Unquestionably the person that can get lowest down in cringing before royalty and nobility, and can get most satisfaction out of crawling on his belly before them, is an American. Not all Americans, but when an American does it he makes competition impossible.” – Mark Twain

 

Now that we’ve finally ended our nearly four year ordeal surrounding the true birth place of our President (What a relief! I was pretty worried there for a while), we can get on to the far more pressing matter at hand: the long awaited wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Unable to get more than 15 seconds into any media article or broadcast without seeing something about the Big Event, I was struck by the fact that very little has been said about the subject nearest and dearest to my heart: how do the members of the Royal Family stay fit or, (in some cases) unfit?

Fear not. Captain Quinn is here for you! Bringing together all the wisdom of four trips to the UK, five years in the United States Air Force, four years in the fitness industry, and hours upon hours of exhaustive research, I give you…

Five Things the Royal Family Taught Me About Health and Fitness….

1. When You’re not working, stay active…and have a codename.

While at school and college Prince William played several sports, including soccer (he was captain of his house team at Eton College), swimming, basketball, cross country running and water polo. All of these sports require a high level of physical fitness. In 2004 while studying at St. Andrews University he represented the Scottish National Universities Water Polo Team during the Celtic Nations championships. His codename was Steve during the tournament, and the press never caught on to the fact that he was Prince William of Wales. Smart crowd.

Is there a sport or active hobby you enjoy? Get out and do it!

2. “Chose” a  “job” that keeps you active.

Sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day just simply isn’t good for us.  Nevertheless, it is simple fact of life for most of us. Prince William, on the other hand, was able to somehow land a postion in one of the Royal Air Force elite para-rescue units. Must have had a connection.

To be clear: I have no doubt that Prince William is doing his part. There’s simply no choice in the matter in his kind of work. I knew a few guys who flew para-rescue in the USAF and the RAF.  Here’s ONE PART of their regular workout routine – required just to keep coming to work each day:

Supersets to work pushups and situps up to 300 reps each and keep pullups between 50-100 reps.

Repeat 10 times:

Pullups – 5-10
Pushups – 10
Situps – 10
Wide pushups – 10
Reverse crunches – 10
Tri pushups – 10
Double crunches – 10

Give this one a try and let me know how it works out. After this they’d take turns trying to drown each other in the base swimming pool. Don’t try that one at home.

3.  Date a Prince

Kate Middleton has always been an active person, playing hockey and rowing about. However, she became much slimmer (rapidly and not in a healthy way) after she started seeing Prince William.

As if the constant onslaught of images of “skinny’ women in the media weren’t enough, the press began to harass her post-college. Between the stress, the attention, and the actually running away from the press she went through a bit of a physical transformation. The good news is she developed healthy habits (and took legal action against the press – you go, Kate!) after the ordeal.

Kate fuels her body well with healthy low glycemic index carbohydrates, lean proteins and healthy fats, and exercises regularly in her gym (see #4), cycling, rowing (she once trained to row across the English Channel), and doing yoga.

Eat healthy and exercise regularly. In know I heard that once or twice before…

4.  Ask Your Boyfriend to Build You a Private Gym

Prince William arranged for a home gym to be built at Clarence House, so that his Kate could exercise in peace and quiet. Kate’s sister also trains at the gym, and there were reports that both Prince Harry and William enjoyed working out.

Now I know WIlliam has a couple of bucks (pounds), and most boyfriends (or girlfriends) might have trouble finding money in the budget to build a private gym, but it certainly couldn’t hurt to ask. Worst case, you could always ask him/her to buy you a free week at Captain Quinn’s Fitness Boot Camp. The results are just as good…if not better!

5.  If You Don’t Like the Rules, Make Your Own

At the 1908 Olympic Games in London, the marathon distance was changed (after 2500 years of history) from 24 miles to 26.2 miles to cover the ground from Windsor Castle to White City Stadium, with the 2.2 miles added on so the race could finish in front of royal family’s viewing box. This added two miles to the course, and is the origin of the Marathon tradition of shouting “God save the Queen!” (or other words relating to the Queen) as mile post 24 is passed.

I was supposed to run a four mile race in Central Park on Saturday morning. When I woke up it was 37 degrees and raining. I called the race organizers to see if I could have it moved but got no answer. So, instead, I waited until the rain stopped that afternoon and created my own personal race through Brooklyn. Not only did I add four miles to the distance but I was able to finish my race with the cheers of friends at my friend Gaia’s new store: By Brooklyn. More on Gaia’s inspiring story in an upcoming post but for now I’ll simply say: “God save the Gaia!!!”

 

 

I could never do that…

By on April 18th, 2011 in Goal Setting, Marathon, Motivation, Running | 9 Comments

As I type, I’m watching live web coverage of the 115th running of the Boston Marathon. I love the marathon. My favorite day of the year in NYC is NYC Marathon Day. If I’m not running it, I’m doing my best to be the loudest fan everyone of the 40,000 runners has ever had.

 

I think that’s what is most inspiring about the sport. Everyone runs or wheels the same course on the same day. From elite runners who finish in just over two hours, to people like me who take more than twice as long, to people with physical and/or personal challenges that would make getting through an average day difficult for most of us – but who still cross that finish line, everyone is unified by one common purpose: Reap the benefits of months and months of training and give it your very best for 26.2 miles to cross that finish line.

 

You’ll hear me talk about marathon running many times in these posts. Today my point in writing is to address a sentence I hear spoken far too often from far too many people when I mention that I’m a marathon runner. I was guilty of saying it more than a couple of times once upon a time. Five simple words:

 

“I could never do that.”

 

Now when it comes to marathons, I understand not everyone has an interest. Maybe you don’t enjoy running. Maybe you enjoy running but have no desire to for hours at a time.  I get that.

 

Its why I always immediately ask my follow up question: “You WOULD never do that or COULD never do that?”
Its when I hear “I think I would like to do that but I never could,” that I go to work. I try to explain that if you can walk (or wheel!) from one side of a room to another, you can run a marathon. All you need are two things: commitment and time.

 

Make the commitment to train for 4-6 months and go do it…one step at a time, one mile at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time. The race itself is simply the culmination of all that time spent training.

 

I’ve trained for five marathons but, due to two unrelated (and very annoying) injuries and a schedule conflict, I’ve only actually run two.  Nevertheless, I made a commitment to myself three years ago that I would run the NYC marathon every year for the rest of my life and every year around this time I begin the months of training that lead up to Marathon Day in early November.

Each year it becomes more and more clear to me that 90% of the satisfaction of marathon running comes from the training. Gradually taking my – ehem – relaxed  winter body and transforming it over the summer and fall months to a body capable of running safely and comfortably 26.2 miles in one day reminds me that I’m capable of doing anything I want to as long as I put in the time and effort.

This lesson applies to all of us in every endeavor of  life. Whether starting and maintaining an exercise program, committing to a healthier lifestyle, learning a new skill,  starting a new job, improving an important relationship, or facing just about any challenge, when you commit the time and energy to succeeding and remove the fear of failure from your mind, the joy and satisfaction you will gain cannot be taken away.

 

Why? Because you create it yourself – just like training for the marathon one mile at a time, one month at a time, one summer at a time. I have had and will again have bad days running. Days when I’m just not in the mood. Days when I don’t have the energy. Days when I don’t think I can complete that final mile. But, when marathon day comes – even if life throws me a curve ball and I don’t get to run the race – I still have a body and, more importantly, a MIND that is ready to run a marathon. Nothing can take that away…except maybe sitting around on my duff all winter…but that’s a story for another day.

 

What is your mind, heart, and body capable of doing if you simply stop saying “I couldn’t do that,” and dedicate the time and the effort?

To close, you absolutely MUST WATCH this video. I’ve sent it to some of you before but whenever I’m really in need of inspiration for a hard day or a long run, I watch this video. It never fails to give me a little kick in the backside…

Barefoot Running

By on November 8th, 2010 in Fun Fitness, Marathon, Motivation, Running, Weight Loss | 7 Comments

New Year, New You?

By on January 1st, 2010 in Fun Fitness, Goal Setting, Marathon, Motivation, New Years Resolutions, Running, Strength Training, Walking | 4 Comments

Some thoughts on how you can transform your “resolution fever” into real and lasting change for the better.

1.    Do something TODAY. Act first. Purchase and plan later. Strike while the spirit of change and renewal is strongest. Don’t put off working toward your goals because you “need to find the right running shoes” or you “need to talk to the people at the gym first” or you “want to see what my schedule will be like and plan accordingly” or you “have to read a little bit more online about how to begin an exercise program.” Don’t get me wrong: a proper fitness program may require an investment in proper gear, a trainer, a fitness boot camp, or in a gym membership. It certainly will require you to create a plan and integrate it into your schedule. However, don’t let “analysis paralysis” (as we say in the corporate world) delay taking action.  Go out for a walk or a relaxed run or a local yoga class today.  Get on the floor right now and do as many push-ups as you can in 60 seconds. Turn off the TV and the computer.  Go do something.

2.    Make a real plan with real actions and dates. Don’t just say to yourself “I’m going to workout more starting today” or “I’m going to lose 15 pounds.”  Break those aspirations in to small attainable goals. Make the time in your calendar and actually stick to it. It takes about three weeks to create a new habit. If your new plan has you getting up to workout every other day at 6 AM, then adjust your schedule accordingly and follow though. Even if you simply wake up and go out for a 20 minute walk before breakfast, get yourself into the pattern.

3.    Get off your ass more often and simply move around more.  Find ways to find regular movement a part of your everyday life. Park your car farther away. Get off one stop earlier if you take a train or bus to work. Take your conference calls standing up. Walk outside once an hour and take fresh air breaks when others might be taking smoke breaks. You’d be surprise at how sedentary we are – even those of us who exercise regularly.  Physical fitness is about having the muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, and cardiovascular health to function properly and efficiently, respond to stress, resist fatigue and disease, and to enjoy life AT ANY AGE. If you can bench press your own weight but you get winded walking up a flight of stairs then you’re not exactly fit in my mind. For more on this, check this great article (with thanks to our Los Angeles research team).

4.    Get closer to now. How do you feel at this very moment? How does your body feel? Your mind? What kind of mood are you in? What could be better? What could be worse? What could you change in the next moment? What is completely beyond your control? Are there actions you could take and changes you can make to strengthen your appreciation of “now” a day from now or a week from now? The only thing we truly control is our action now. We can’t change the past and we cannot predict or control the future. But, a decision to exercise now or chose a healthier snack or meal now is yours and yours alone.  Did you make a less-than-ideal decision? Give yourself a break, let it go and try again…right now.

5.    Be accountable. While you’re getting “closer to now,” find someone to hold you accountable for your decisions. Tell a friend, a family member, or co-worker what your goals are. Ask him or her to check on your progress. Or, maybe join an inexpensive group fitness class or work with a personal trainer. It really depends on what you think will work best for you and your personality.  Do you need positive re-enforcement? Tough love? A pain in your ass? Be honest with yourself and be open and honest with the person or group you chose to hold you accountable. I’ve trained for three marathons. The ONLY WAY I was able to stick to my training plan was through accountability. As soon as I registered for each marathon, I asked everyone I knew to help me raise money for various charities.  Each training run then became a fulfillment of my commitment to my generous sponsors and to the charities we were supporting.  

© 2013