Have you seen my packages?

I was informed that I have not updated my training packages recently. All of my materials and internet doo-dads are currently in a state of upheaval.

I am toying with package titles and fees. Let me know what you see that is good.

Here goes nothing. Also if you want to follow me on Twitter take a peek over to the right. The link should take you where you want to go. Have a great day everyone!

T


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PACKAGES:

Cub Package: Core Building and Brain Training For Young Athletes

Avoid injuries, Build Core Strength, Knee Strength / Balance Training

Mental Skills Sharpening - Be Yip-less

$219 – 5 one-hour sessions




WolfBlast Package:

23 point Range of Motion and Posture Assessment

Cardio, Resistance and flexibility prescription for your goals

Personal Training Information Binder

$489 - includes 5 one-hour fitness sessions




Wolfhaus Package: Elite In Home Personal Training –

State of the Art Body Composition Assessment: your Personal Lean Mass,

Hydration, and your Metabolic Rate Accurately Calculated

Nutritional Caloric Recommendation

23 point Range of Motion and Posture Assessment

Cardio, Resistance and Flexibility prescription for your goals

Personal Training Information Binder

$649 – includes 7 one-hour sessions

Criticism Sucks. Postivity is its killer.

This requires repeating.

“I always take more pleasure in liking something than in disliking something. That’s not to say there aren’t some things that deserve to be liked and some things that deserved to be disliked, but I’m never fond of disliking something.

The lesson I’ve learned is to be wary of those who are. The ones who seem to think that being critical is the same as having good taste. Those people almost never have good taste, so their opinions don’t matter. There’s no particular sophistication required to be a critic. We know this, because children often dislike foods they learn to love as adults.

So, even if what you’ve done isn’t so great, just remember that those who can’t say so with grace, those who seem to take pride in criticizing you, their opinions don’t matter. It may very well be that you’ve created a masterpiece, and they’re just children. If you can learn to be a fair judge of yourself, you won’t feel the need to rely on other people’s opinions.”

-Chris Shifflet

Highs and Lows, Mental Skills are Handy

I have to say that I am very fortunate in that I learned quite early on that getting worked up about things doesn't make them better. Life has many hurdles. If you focus on the negative to motivate yourself you will have a surge of energy, but very often is misdirected. Things will get done, but will they help you move in the right direction.

No, I am not proposing being an automaton. Getting upset is normal and healthy. Staying there and using it as a motivational force is, however, misguided. Very few people need this type of stress in their lives to move forward and grow. An exception would be MMA fighter or boxer. As you can see, they would be short term focused. Your life is not, or should not be short term focused.

So, what to do. It is normal to get upset, but take the time to think about why and what the next step would be. This is not taught to many people. I've worked with hundreds of people who react the moment they are "wronged". A few even notice later that it felt good at the time, but in the long term it made the problem worse. Even fewer realized that it was their responsibility to react in a healthful way. Most felt that it was necessary to react swiftly and harshly.

The Art of War would blow their mind, if they stopped to learn about the many ways to approach a problem they have at their disposal. The 36 Strategies of Ancient China is also a simplified, equally as effective breakdown of ways to approach problems with your future goals in mind.

Well, if you've read this far you are interested in personal growth and problem solving, without the anger. :)

I recommend you find these books and give them a read. They just might change your life, for the better.

If you want a really light read, try Samurai Strategies.

Thanks for your time, everyone. Have a fantastic day!

Todd

The Time Has Come - Post Apocolyptic Rantings

Hello all,

In case you haven't noticed, I've been off the grid for a while. Big changes around here. And I wanted to let you know I am back with only a few dents in the armor.

Since change is natural, and inevitable in this business, it was only a matter of time my turn was up. I've been in the fitness biz for a while. I experienced a bit of floundering but with time and experience came new and different choices and opportunities.

This blog is where I will be detailing these changes and the new direction. So, on the topic of keeping up with the goings-on around here, if you haven't subscribed already, You can follow along with one of my accounts.

I have been updating my Twitter account, Facebook account, LinkedIn account and Google Buzz. I use Seesmic, a program that updates them all in one fell swoop.

Go to LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Google Buzz and type in my name. Find me and join or follow me. There will be (almost) daily updates there!

And here is where I will be able to dive deeper into topics, rant on the bizarre goings on in the fitness world, regale you with tales from my own business and training, and blow your mind with my terrible spelling.

Let's do this!

BTW: you can subscribe to this blog as well. RSS feed it if you know what I am saying. Thanks to everyone who waited. This is going to be fun.

T

Physical Intelligence

Physical intelligence...

Like the mind, if you park it you can plan on some serious atrophy kicking in.

Keep moving.

Take it from one who knows. I went from very active to an unplanned corporate gig that added stress, wonky hours, and poor eating times for a decade.

Two guesses how my first run went once I realized I needed to get more active.

I had always been active, or so I thought. In reality there was about an 8 year gap in there.

Let's just say that when someone says they used to be very active or that they used to be an athlete I shift gears and approach them in a slightly different way than Joe or Jane. There is an ego to be handled as well as a physical component. The reintroduction of activity to a body that has a history, a memory of what it used to be able to do. And it will get frustrated with itself when it can't achieve the high water marks it was used to.

It's like cracking open your grade 11 math book, and you know you knew this. But you sure wouldn't want to write a test at that moment. Some practice would be in order.

But the upside, of course, is that it won't take any time at all to get back to where you were. You are not doomed. It takes time and patience, but a high level of fitness is achievable. Mental and physical.

So have at it you retired fitness fanatics. Just be smart. Use the wisdom of your years and the patience you have gained to make gains again. Oh, you know I am leaving that sentence there just to bother the grammar police.

Have a wonderful day all!

Be sure to check out my Altius Fitness Facebook group. It's getting started and could use some joining!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_214436551930376

todd at altiusfitness dot com

Semi-Private Training

Altius Fitness is back! Have you been looking for professional personal training for you and your friends? Private or semi-private training?

GET RESULTS:
Learn what gets results that stick for my clients. 9 years of experience means you can cut the excess and do what works for you.

MONEY!
If you and some of your friends want to challenge and motivate one another to amazing results, there is a program for that. Small group training at your home is available now.

It's' a great way to get lean and keep your pocketbook fat and still get top level training in your own home.

Contact me for more information!

Todd at altiusfitness dot com

Still here ;)

Oh my goodness, you wouldn't believe the twists and turns life's road can take. Actually... you probably can.

Well in the meantime, I am mid hairpin turn. I am continuing to learn and I will be sharing my new lessons with you in the very near future.

I want to welcome the new people who have begun to follow my posts and thank the ones who have stayed with me.

We'll all be rewarded handsomely for our patience! lol

Have a wonderful day everyone.

In health,

Todd

I'm Alive (And here is why)

Choose a goal!

As you get a few years under your belt you begin to notice some patterns. And much to your chagrin, they are patterns that friends, family and loved ones may have told you a long time ago.

And here it is. Something every productivity "guru" out there espouses.

Choose your goal.

Choose it wisely. Make it clear. Define it. Make it realistic. Make the smaller goals one of many that will progressively get you closer to the largest of your goals.

I can't stress it enough.

This applies to your fitness! Without a driving force, to get out of bed, or to work hard every day or every workout, not much is going to happen. Perhaps you'll start but inevitably it will taper off.

Define your goals.

IT has become more and more clear to me that this is critical to success.

Not only that, but the goals need to have an emotional impetus, something that grips you by the heart (not just the noggin) and absolutely propels you to get up, move, and take action.

So start thinking about it. It may be the most important thing you do today.

I'm not going to drag this one out. If I keep talking it will loose it's punch. Just take your time and really put some thought into it.

I can't wait to hear about the results!

Time is flying

Hello everyone.

I didn't realize how long it has been since we last talked.

Due to an illness in the family I have been rather sidetracked and away from my posting. I will be picking up the blogging and the newsletter again next week.

Thank you for your understanding.

Miss you all and we'll talk soon.

In health,

Todd

Obvious much?

Ok, you've heard me go on about sleep and all it's narcoleptic goodness.

Now, how about the things that give it trouble. All the things that we love to do that knock our sleep patterns out of whack.

Let's start with coffee. Ouch. Ok, coffee in the morning has the net effect of pushing our sleep patterns forward. Hmm. So the next morning you wake up before you are "done" sleeping. Feeling tired. Oh well, another coffee will fix that. Right? Oh, except it continues to push your sleep rhythm forward. And on and on, with every morning coffee. Every morning, tired and caffeinated. That's not optimal, is it?

Coffee, midday, not so bad. Make it the best coffee you've ever had, but make it part of a meal. It should not be the sole source of energy at any time. That's the role of food.

Now, #2. Alcohol. Sounds nasty like that, doesn't it? But a Brown Cow... C'mon. How bad could that be? Well, as it turns out

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8208212.stm

Alcohol disrupts REM sleep. REM brain patterns do not get established properly until the alcohol has been metabolized. D'uh. The brain is drunk. Go figure.

Now, without a good fix of REM sleep we wake up restless and, because of a little alcohol, perhaps a little dehydrated. Let's hope you don't reach for a coffee to fix that.

Ok, now the third biggest offender. Not enough sleep. We'll watch a movie for the third or fourth time instead of going to sleep. It's time to prioritize your sleep much higher. Get more. You may not need 8hours. But take some time to find out how much you need to wake up rested and energetic.

Here is something that might help you along as well. If you've been sleep deprived for a long time, don't expect to just fall into a fantastic sleep pattern right away. Usually the longer the sleep pattern has been out of sync, the longer it takes to find the groove again. So, be patient.

Go forth and sleep! Have a good nights rest and enjoy the benefits.

In health,

Todd

You have to be unconscious

Kind of.

I will say it again. Time and time again the benefits of sleep are underestimated.

If you want to get bigger, stronger, lose fat or lower stress (which impacts all of the above) you need to increase your sleep.

I say increase because I feel I can safely say that none of use get the optimal amount. We all live like we can make it up later. Go ahead, tell me you couldn't get enough sleep. I believe that you haven't, but not that you couldn't.

For example, I have been spending an inordinate amount of time on the business lately and I didn't think I could get my workouts in. For an embarrassingly long time. Then it struck me just how much my body needed the movement, and I found an hour every day to be active. Sure sometimes it's 40 minutes, but it is 40 minutes more than I was doing every other night before that.

Then I started sleeping better and eating better. That is to say eating less and better choices.

The results?

10-lbs in three weeks.

Anyone out there want to lose 10 lbs? It's not rocket science... no wait, it could be. My point is that it shouldn't.

Don't be paralyzed by analysis. Just get of your can, commit to yourself, and get it done. Make the commitment to yourself.

Anyone interested in finding out more drop me a note. We can compare.

Have a fantastic day!

In health,

Todd

More than just you here!

You can spot a "gym rat" a mile away.

Strong? yes

Un-coordinated? yes

Is this what we want our kids to become?

As a studier of the human body and movement I find it insulting to the possibilities of the body. We can do so much more.

Shoving a kid into a weight room does a disservice to the learning potential of young body and .

Machines isolate but the world does not. It demands all the muscles working in unison. We have critical periods for development. None of which involve going to the gym at 6 years of age (or even 14 for that matter). Non of which involve playing a single sport 11 months of the year. Non of which involve coaching the same movement over and over again.

Play, have fun and try different things. Go have fun. Some serious fun. Play hard and smart. Get a coach who is looking out for your best interest and not the "W". Those will come.

Oh, by the way, injuries for kids working out in the gym are the same as kids out in the wild. No difference. Go ahead, look up the statistics of both. So unless you plan on bubble wrapping them, let them run, jump, push, pull, play as long as they want to.


Todd

Get smarter! Sleep!!

Boost your recovery with sleep.

I have run into this thought many times. The thought more is better.

Distance runners running 5/6 days a week. Gym rat mentality that you have to be in the gym every day of the week.

Not only does it hinder recovery but it may even stunt progress, sometimes even sending people backwards when injuries occur.

You see, injuries don't just stop progress, they set you back.

This is why it is very important to be well rested.

Sleep is one very significant component to getting stronger, faster, leaner or bigger.

Here is the kicker. The more sleep you get, the clearer you think and more productive you become.

AND it helps you solve problems!!! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8090730.stm

So, not only are you resting and recovering, you are thinking more clearly and setting yourself to be able to solve problems. This would reduce your stress levels, which are also counterproductive for your results!!!

So get yourself some deep sleep. Deeper the better, also known as REM sleep or the "dream stage".


So get make yourself comfy and have a good night rest. That's an order! :O)

In health,

Todd

It's not just about you.

Partnering up is very important. There might 1, maybe 2% of people who are driven in a particular way that they succeed with no support.

Odds are, then, you and I are not one of those people.

It's not a bad thing. It just is.

Don't take it personal. Make plans knowing this.

So if you have a 5 or 10k road-race coming up, gaff someone (like minded) and make a plan to meet up and do your thing.

This, of course, applies to many other aspects. Making money. Running a business. Cooking or planning meals.

This is not gender or "anything" specific. But know it and take advantage of it.

So no surprises. Get healthy by partnering up. Succeed through partnerships. Take advantage of the knowledge.

This is an opportunity to meet friends you don't see often or invite others you would love to learn from to join you.

Now you know they are thinking the same thing about their goals. "Why can't I keep going?"

Have a great day!

In health,

Todd

Pop might not be good!

Who knew.

Pop is not good for you.

I know this first hand. I was on a bit of a roller coaster a while back. For some reason I had difficulty stopping. Being "off" pop has made a huge difference in my quality of life. Not to mention alertness. Of which I am a *huge* fan.

Recently and article popped up on the negative side effects of

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090519075420.htm

Full disclosure: I can vouch for the soreness. Not proud of it either.

But sometimes you get caught up. The details get overlooked as to what we are *really* doing everyday.

It's part of the reason I ask my clients to do food trackers for the first two weeks. It's a real eye opener. We believe we are trying very hard, and often are, but what is actually happening may be quite different.

Chalk it up to being human. Nothing more.

So if you or someone you know is a big pop consumer, please check out the article. I hope I can get a few people to switch of the stuff.

Oh, couple things, get ready for a headache that *could last a few days* and be ready to start craving real food. REAL food. All that sugar has been a substitute up to this point. And not a good one either!

Have a great day all.

In health,

Todd

A Lack of Dynamic Movement!

Here is what I think.
And it ain’t pretty…
Training these days has been reduced to isolation.

A hamstring curl, a leg extension, and a calf raise machine all wait for the next client.

And they should wait (and collect dust) because a squat is far superior for complete leg strength. Hands down.

It blows my mind… that’s not quite right… it bothers me, that I, at a ripe old age, can move better than teenagers I have had the opportunity to train. It bothers me that I am more flexible than every teenager that I have ever met… to this day. I know they are out there.

Full disclosure: I am not saying I am a better athlete! (Not by a long shot!) There are lots of things these athletes can do better than me. But moving smoothly, changing direction fluidly and flexibility are not those things.

Sure it’s my job to be in shape and to have pretty good flexibility. But I shouldn’t have such an upper hand on so many.

And that is my point: why so few?

Well here is a kettle of fish. It’s partly because there has never been a more sedate generation. When they do go to the gym they are most likely met with a trainer who’s idea of “leg training” is hitting the leg curl, leg extension and calf raise machines. (Scary!) A little bit because flexibility is quite undervalued.

So little time is spent on dynamic movement. And I don’t mean gymnastics. More like chasing, climbing, jumping, crawling.

When an adult joins my class it is immediately apparent whether or not they were active as a kid. I can even take a pretty good guess at what they played or martial art they took. Just by their ability to move, change direction and range of movement they still possess.

The good news: we are a pretty trainable bunch. With some time and attention a lot can be overcome.

This is from a complete thought but I just had to say this much. There is more to follow, you can be sure.

In the meantime, move and be healthy. And while you’re at it, have some fun!

Have a great day.

Todd

90% Mental

Despite what people tell you, I am not. Mental, that is.

As Yogi Berra famously, and accurately put it, "Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical."

This, to me, is accurate for all things physical.

I have seen clients bust their butt and get amazing results. Others, mail it in and get nothing.

Most are somewhere in between.

They mean well. They want results. They know what they want.

WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE?

Mental attitude towards themselves and the importance of their activity in the achievement of their goals.

they know they have to do this. They embrace it. They commit to the movement. they are focused on the moment and the future.

So, I guess the question is, what DO you want?

And what are you prepared to do to get it?

Suddenly I feel I have to go do something!

I think it is going to be a 3K run followed by shooting hoops for 20 minutes. Nobody said you can't have fun along the way.

Care to join me?

Have a good one!

Todd

Don't hork down your food!

Remember when your parents used to get on youh about eating so quickly. Don't rush. You might choke! Taste your food!

Yeah. Turn out they were on to something.

Unbeknownst to them it is correlated with obesity.

I can't say that it is causing obesity. But when you look at this chart below, from the New York Times, you have to think. No really.

http://tinyurl.com/ckbrho

It seems to have some strong relationship. Pace of life. Where you live and the importance social connections.

I just had a friend return from a trip to Europe and a lot of the stories centered around food. Lots of food. Really good stuff to. So how do they pull off staying so lean?

These meals go on a long time. There is no rush. There is a lot of talking, no texting or checking email or calling the office. None.

Food for thought (groan)!

Now, if you find yourself stacking a couple extra pounds on, here is a quick workout you hcan work into your routine or start out slowly with.

Warning: PSSA (Poetential Sweaty Situation Ahead!)

Dumbell squats 3x45 seconds with speed
Upper Extremity Walkouts (walk out and back, repeat) 3x45 second with speed
Plank 3x45 seconds (engage bum, quads and hamstrings before you even think of lifting off the floor!)

Start by doing one thing at a time. A break between each.
Progress to doing all three back to back and take 60 seconds to recover and start over.

Ok folks.

Have a great day. Take your time eating! And breathe.

In health,

Todd

Fitness Wheel

I am not trying to reinvent the wheel.

But I am interested in what you would liek to see in a fitness product. A DVD, CD, e-book, bootcamp.

You name it. I'm curious.

That being said, here is a suggestion for a min-workout. Something to get you moving. Boost your energy!

Burpees- 30 second
Speed Squatts - 30 seconds
Pushups - 8
Lunges -30 Seconds
Break 30 seconds

Repeat 4 times


This is all it takes, 3 times a week to convince your body that you mean business. In about 3 weeks come up with a new combination that is fun to do and just as energy intensive. OK?

Ok, remember. I would love to hear what your ideas are. Thanks for the feedback!

BlahDay Workout

It is an atrocious day out. It got me thinking.

What if you cant' go out to workout. Stuck in the house.

Here is a workout you could do at home.

Do these 4 things in a row.

1. As fast you are comfortable: your stairs in the house for 45 seconds
2. Pushups: however you do em, 12, s l o w
3. Lunges: 45 seconds
4. Supermans: 45 seconds (lay on your tummy and lift legs and elbows off the floor and hold)

Just getting started. a. check with your physician first before you start! b. Do this 2 times
Experienced, go for 5

This will wake you up, help you forget the blah day that is outside.

Make some notes about what you would like to do the next time it is nice out. Keep a smile on your face and envision the fun you'll have.

Where I am writing from it is foggy a lot more often than I would like. I need to be "up" and this helps.

Have a great day everyone!