Integrity, Owen 2, and Muhammed Ali

The other unique aspect of Owen's workouts are his Integrity days. Integrity is a word I've been thinking a lot about. A quick google search brings up this definition:

in·teg·ri·ty
inˈtegritē/
noun
1.
the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.
"he is known to be a man of integrity"
synonyms: honesty, probity, rectitude, honor, good character, principle(s), ethics, morals, righteousness, morality, virtue, decency, fairness, scrupulousness, sincerity, truthfulness, trustworthiness More
antonyms: dishonesty
2.
the state of being whole and undivided.
"upholding territorial integrity and national sovereignty"
synonyms: unity, unification, coherence, cohesion, togetherness, solidarity

Muhammed Ali exemplified Integrity in and out of the ring:


The idea as it pertains to fitness has more to do with definition two. Owen's Wednesday workout focuses on smaller, more injury prone areas- specifically shoulders and knees. I've added PT exercises also. In November 2012, I injured my scapula, which is a back muscle behind the rhomboid. It wasn't a tear but some sort of nerve pinch involving dead lift to high pull and pull-ups, outlined in a hypertrophy workout from Alwyn Cosgrove's New Rules of Lifting. Joe and I had teamed up just before to start the podcast and had completed the entire book of New Rules of Lifting for Abs- which is another awesome book focusing on building core strength. I defintiely got stronger on that workout and we met 2x a week in Altadena at the 24 Hr Fitness there. We did lifts and metabolic conditioning, and it was cool to have a workout partner. Since the injury though we went our separate ways. Obviously, I've been surfing a lot and Joe has been doing Crossfit.

I really like Owen's Integrity workout though. Oddly the M, F workout is called the Core workout, so they don't quite match up. One theme through the book though is how Owen has gone straight from his party days in USC and after, and met his wife on the beach. She basically told him to clean up his act or they had no shot and he did. They got married and had a son, Blaze- and in the book, from 2003, the kid is a baby that Owen says he runs up the Stairs (a Santa Monica fitness mainstay) and up the Hill with. So maybe the Integrity workout was about that, and also strengthening some of his weaker areas to integrate fitness throughout (or make whole). He talks about how he views injury as an opportunity to concentrate on other areas- and also pool exercises he's done to improve, when injured. So this book was totally useful to me through that period- and even still (as in NOW), I use it to focus and get back on track, and use Owen as a role model.


Owen McKibbin with his family (How many workout books have a whole redemption story built in?)
(From The Cover Model Diet, by Owen McKibbin)

As far as the first definition of integrity- re: strong morals and being honest, standing up for your principles; that's a good one to work on too- though a little harder than a shoulder workout. So many amazing role models there- yeah, Muhammed Ali and also my grandfather, Judge Max Rosenn comes to mind.

Anyway here's today's workout. Been rope-skipping every morning (1000 skips) before coffee, reducing alcohol, etc.



Sample breakfast:


Love this. Thought of this while rope-skipping today:

Two Week Tweak

So it's a two week countdown to my birthday- and I'm trying to reign in my excesses. I always like to feel like I'm getting better with age. Every year, I try to get in "the best shape of my life" for my b-day. It's a little foolish since I end up partying that night usually anyway. But my long- term goal has been to stay in shape for life. Along those lines, one of the first fitness books I really dug was (wait for it) Staying Hard, by Charles Gaines.



Gaines was a writer in the 70'ss/80's and friend of Schwarzenegger and helped produce the film, Pumping Iron. Staying Hard (1980) is a total classic and is basically about not "losing your hard" over time. Gaines was not a bodybuilder but just a bad-ass writer who stayed in shape. He was lean and cut and his routines are still worthwhile. I once dated a personal trainer and brought the book along on a lunch date at the Grove to get her opinion. I think she thought it was endearing and cute in a dated way... One important tip Gaines recommended was "make water your beverage of choice". He also advocated chewing your food. It's a very cool book- though one I don't consult much anymore. (There's all kinds of esoteric advice for "keeping your hard" like studying the Plains Indians and eating butterscotch over other candies). Definitely worth the $1.99 or whatever on Amazon. (and for the longest time btw, I wanted white short shorts to work out in).



My current favorite book though is (gulp) Owen McKibbin's Cover Model Workout. It's a Men's Health publication from 2003 and McKibbin is one of MH's most used cover models (hence the name of the book). More than that, he's a pro personal trainer, former USC volleyball player, and soccer player. He's had a ton of injuries (which is how I discovered the book after my shoulder injury last year) and his book rocks for motivation. It even has a chapter: Family- Friend or Foe..(think I know the answer to that one).



Owen comes through as a guy that's been around (a former "party dog" as he says); the kind of guy you'd like to get a smoothie with (jk). He used to arrive hungover to modeling shoots, and somehow stumbled upon clean living. Most of my workouts these days are modified from that book. When you cut out the booze and get to bed at a decent hour, Owen's plans work. His version of the "Two Week Tweak" however is for real. It's only in the hardcover edition of the book, but it's basically doing morning interval training and ab work (empty stomach) and afternoon lifting. His lifts aren't easy and there's plenty of unusual rep schemes like doing 20 hammer curls. Many Crossfit people (I won't name names) look down on workouts like this thinking it's bodybuilding type stuff- but no joke, his workouts deliver (and fyi- guys like Mark Wahlberg and Hugh Jackman do high rep- arm workouts). His diet does allow for some "dry carbs"- mostly in the morning (toast or oatmeal)- and also the book recommends cutting egg yolks and chicken skin (along the conventional "fat makes you fat" line) but it's easy to just eat Paleo and train like Owen- who's in his 50's and still killing it.



Posted above is Owen's Fat Loss- Phase 4 workout which I'll be doing for the next two weeks while ditching all my vices (except Thai masages). I'd suggest buying the book off Amazon if you're into it and starting from the beginning. This workout is not one to just jump into (rope-skipping intervals are tough). So raise your protein shakes to following through...and to being fit for life, whatever route you want to take.

Paleo thoughts- Art De Vany's New Evolution Diet

"To call a diet on which humans lived for millenia a fad is just ignorance. In fact, it is the modern fad of eating a high-carb, high grain, high-sugar diet that is harmful." p50, The New Evolution Diet, Arthur De Vany



The New Evolution Diet continues to be the book that I come back to when I stray from "Paleo" eating. Art De Vany has a blog he maintains and is considered the grandfather of the Paleo movement- though he doesn't use that term. He simply began a personal study of what foods reduced insulin levels naturally in his diabetic son and wife in the 70's. He was an economics professor so studying data came naturally to him as did publishing papers. His first paper with his thoughts on Fitness and Diet was "Evolutionary Fitness". You can google it. His approach is very straight-forward and the book, the New Evolution Diet, expands upon it and makes it more palatable to general audiences.

I'm still sort of baffled by all the "conventional" thinking about health and nutrition. Specifically- the issue of calories. The mainstream thinking- which I see all the time in Men's Health publications has to do with the "Calories in, Calories out" equation. "Eat less and exercise more" is supposedly the recipe to losing weight. Gary Taubes addressed this extensively in his paper- What If It's All a Big, Fat Lie? and his book Why We Get Fat; and What We Can Do About It. That book is actually denser than DeVany's and more science-oriented, though less science-y than Taubes' tome- Good Calories, Bad Calories.

So calories are one issue that stick around....and another is about red meat. I know several people now who are moving forward with a vegetarian based diet- thinking it's healthier. I just got an invitation to a barbecue from my friend who's very overweight- and the main selling point was that they'd have grilled pineapple. Grilled pineapple is delicious, yes, but the sugar content is high- especially versus grilled steak or hamburger. The Nurse's study published by Harvard last year seems to have really hit the national media hard- and it's a drag.

I eat a lot of calories primarily from a high protein, low carb diet ( a lot of meats, eggs, and fish) and have very low cholesterol, low triglycerides, no diseases, more energy, strength, and stamina than ever. I credit the Paleo diet and my habit of 4-8 week weight lifting routines- as well as adopting sports I'm interested in (surfing, tennis). Getting adequate rest and drinking water have also been important.

There's a lot of temptation in our society. I don't watch tv so commercials don't get to me- but, just in shopping at grocery stores, there's always candy by the register, and happy hour specials, and yeah, it gets to be laborious explaining your dietary habits to incredulous people (often women). They often are freaked out that you're having a salad or think they're "foodies" by being into baked goods like pies and cakes. Friends too can sabotage you just by not understanding- just by being ignorant. They think you only eat meat.



The Paleo diet is about eating whole foods; nutrient-dense foods; not eating processed foods loaded with sugars or that trigger insulin spikes... The idea isn't to be a caveman. It's to eat foods that humans evolved on. This is a great a article on the subject from Nerd Fitness:
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet/

Paleo on the Cheap

A lot of friends have told me that they'd go Paleo but can't afford it. So here's a typical weekly shopping cart for me. Typically it costs around $40.

Eggland vegetarian-fed Eggs- $4.89 for 18 (scramble in pan in butter)

Jennie's Lean Ground Turkey- $4.89 (use for turkey burgers or chili)

Wild Caught salmon filet- $5 (wrap in tinfoil and put in the oven in butter for 30 min)

Grass-fed hamburger meat or steak- $6.99

Organic vegetarian-fed chicken drumsticks- $3

Tuna in cans- 2/$3

2 avocados- $3

2 tomatoes

scalllions

organic spinach- $2.99

blackberries or blueberries- $2.99

2 apples or pears- $2-3

Kerrygold grass-fed butter- $5

Coconut milk (I don't buy this often, but it's good in protein shakes)- $2.99

From time to time I get Chioban yogurts 2/$3 or 4% cottage cheese

Unsalted Pistachios or almonds- $4.99

I'll sometimes get some red wine or whiskey (Bushmill's is cheap and good) too- $10-12

Between meals I'll typically have a protein shake from Muscle Milk which I'll get once a month at the gym or GNC for about $20.

Typically I shop at Ralph's, Trader Joe's or Vons. Sprouts is good too.

Cheers-
Gabe

The Absolute Minimum

I haven't totally gotten back into the gym routine since coming back from Hawaii. I've gone swimming in the pool and I've developed a very difficult sauna to hot tub to steam room circuit, but not too much besides. I was thinking, I wonder what the minimum is one could do to stay in decent shape and retain my Derek Zoolander-like physique? This is what I came up with:

1- Eat a nutrient dense diet with an absence of sugars, grains, starches, that emphasizes naturally fed protein sources, have healthy fats (like avocados, coconut, etc). Stay away from processed foods and the middle of the supermarket no matter how appealing the packaging is. Drink less alcohol. (Drink no soda btw).

2- Do this workout 3x a week- (3 sets, 8-12 reps, 60-90 sec rest)
Push-ups (or sub a chest exercise)
Pull-ups (or sub a back exercise)
Squat (or sub a compund leg exercise)
Reverse Sit-up (or substitute core exercise...planks are popular now)

3- Walk 3x a week, 20- 30 min (or swim or surf or whatever feels good and gets you moving)

4- Do some stretches like:
Toe touch to sky
Arm circles
your basic gym class stretches

5- Watch your posture too...especially when sitting or driving. Art de Vany has an interesting posture suggetion in his book, New Evolution Diet. It's to walk with your head aligned over your stomach like you're wearing a cape. He calls it the abdominal brace. Whenever I do it, people think I look taller. GIve it a try.

There you have it...the Absolute Minimum. Actually, an Absolut Minimum sounds like a tasty drink...D'oh!

Best,
GPR

Drink Lots of Water

Sounds obvious, right...It's ridiculous how little most people drink. Many people want to lose weight or get in shape but miss the connection between drinking water and being fit.



Here's the connection as I see it:

1- 90% of hunger is actually dehydration. Having water satiates your appetite.

2- Water feeds the fascia in your muscles allowing them to operate smoothly.

3- According to trainer, Owen McKibbin, the more water you drink, the less your skin retains underneath. If your body is retaining water, it's because it needs it. If you have an abundance of water in your system, more is flushed out.

4- You function better, feel more awake with water. I actually find sometimes a cold water wakes me up more than coffee.

The FDA recommends 8 glasses a day...That's basically a glass every two hours. What if you try doubling it?

Best,
Gabe

Make Awesome Eggs

Thought I'd take a moment to praise eggs and let folks out there know how I make them...The non-Paleo world seems to view eggs with skepticism. There's a worry about cholesterol and about fat content in the yolks. Don't worry about it, I'd advise. Eggs are a great source of protein and easy to make. I eat them or a protein shake for most breakfasts whereas I used to be a cereal junkie.



#1- Buy vegetarian fed... Pay the extra buck vs. grain fed. Typically $2.89 vs. $1.69. Sometimes there are 18 packs for $5 too. Look for specials at Vons or Ralph's.

#2- In the pan, use grass-fed, non-salted butter. Kerrygold is the standard.It's delicious and a good source of fat. Butter's another cholesterol boogie man. If you're not eating sugars, your body will fuel off these fats.

#3- If you insist on not using butter, coconut oil is also good. I like the spray from Trader Joe's.

#4- Let the butter melt. Crack the eggs in the pan (I usually have three). Scramble them in the pan with a rubber spatula while they heat. Add pepper and basil.

#5- Add lemon juice (just a little).

#6- Optional- Add half and half...This fluffens them up and makes em extra- creamy.

#7- Don't let them cook too long. I like them a little runny.

#8- Eat them.

Other variations involve changing up the spices or adding vegetables like spinach or tomatoes, onion, or garlic. You can also try cajun spices or tobasco. Beyond that, sometimes I'll hardboil six eggs at a time to have ready for snacks or quick meals.

Enjoy!