High Leverage Fitness

A Constant Struggle

2010-11-04T08:45:00.007-05:00

I have been training people in different settings since 2004. I have trained them in private settings, semi-private, and groups like the boot camps I am doing now. One thing I have learned is this..WE ALL STRUGGLE to stay consistent with our approach to our health and fitness.

I hear things like:

I am not motivated.

It is too cold to get up.

I am a little sore.

It is too hard to make good food choices.

The workouts are too hard.

This list could go on and on this is just a few of them. I think I have the answer to why we are like that at different times in our journey to better ourselves to have a healthy and fulfilling life. It is actually a simple answer...are you ready??

We have a constant struggle, because it is HARD!!

That simple...it is journey that makes us uncomfortable in the process and then we feel guilty for not following the process then all of sudden we are taking the 'two steps back' approach. It can become a vicious cycle.

I believe people would be better off if they learned how to implement simple strategies that allowed them some peace of mind. I guess what I am trying to say is this. Work on and master one part of the process before you move on to the next. What does that look like? Here are some examples:

If you aren't currently eating breakfast...Start!

If you aren't strength training regularly...Start!

If you are doing the above things correctly...how is your nutrition? Do you overeat in the evening? Do you over eat healthy foods? Are you snacking throughout the day? This is a tough one and you will have to ask yourself why? Once you learn the why you then become aware of it and change can happen.

If all this is mindless chances of someone changing is going to be hard. Conscious awareness and effort will help you get on the straight and narrow road...as we all know it is traveled by few.

Always Motivating!

2010-03-16T07:56:00.000-05:00

Walk against the grain!!

2010-03-15T20:28:00.002-05:00

What do I mean by that? As I was walking through Costco today at about 2:30...after I checked out I was walking out so they could check my receipt and low behold, what did I see?

I saw the concession stand that is so conveniently located on the way out. On any other day I wouldn't have even noticed but today was different I couldn't get to the receipt checker because the line to the concession stand was blocking cart traffic. As I finally make my way through I look to the left and what do I see?

I see people at every table eating pizza, hot dogs, drinking soda. They all had one thing is common besides the fact they were partaking of nothing but junk food. The all seemed to be overweight. After thinking about this I said to myself....David don't do what the masses are doing. Do the opposite of what you see everyone else doing. You will probably be doing your health and fitness a favor, not to mention your waistline!

Made in 1951...not much has changed

2010-01-17T16:18:00.002-06:00

Transformation Tip #2

2010-01-12T06:49:00.002-06:00

Track your progress and results. This is the only way you will know if what you are doing is working or not.

Transformation Tip #1

2010-01-11T12:27:00.006-06:00

Eat your calories...do not drink them..they add up and will hold you back from getting the body you want and deserve!!

Simple Healthy Tips

2009-12-17T12:56:00.003-06:00

1. Eat complete protein.

2. Keep Blood sugar stable (Eat small meals throughout the day)

3. Eat healthy fats.

4. Don't drink your calories.

5. Exercise regularly

6. Plan ahead

7. Eat a lot of vegetables

8. Short intense workout sessions

9. Challenge yourself...if form is good error on the side of heavier weights (females need to especially embrace this...no 5lb dumbbells)

10. You are the average of the 5 people you hang around with...hang around people that IMPROVE YOU!!

11. Try to be stress free. Ask yourself this...In 5 yrs. is this really gonna matter?

12. Make time for your family and friends...enjoy yourself!!

Guest Post- Chris Shugart

2009-11-27T09:27:00.007-06:00

Hope you're enjoying a little Thanksgiving break. I am, so here's a re-run of an article I wrote a few years back.

I thought about reposting a nice, sentimental piece to match the holiday spirit, but then I thought, "Nah, let's get some T flowing instead." Enjoy.

Little Men, Big Women

Jessica was fat. Not a little heavy, not pleasantly plump, certainly not big boned -- fat. Marriage, career and kids had overwhelmed her. And one day she woke up and realized she was no longer the attractive college girl who'd had her choice of boyfriends.

Jessica didn't like herself, but for a while that's as far as she got. She was too busy with work and kids to think about it too much. She asked me about some TV weight loss pills, I told her they were garbage, and that's as far as it went. A couple of months later, she told me she was doing some ridiculous housewife tabloid diet. She lost a few pounds then gained them back plus a couple extra. She told me about this, I told her why the diet had failed, and she went away again.

A month later she said her youngest daughter had told her she was too fat. Jessica had cried. I said nothing. Her daughter was right.

Finally I get a call at 10:00PM and it's Jessica, mad as hell. She ranting and raving, pissed at herself and ready to do something drastic. Jessica wasn't sad any more, she was mad, and that's just what I'd been waiting on. Now she was ready to be helped. Now she deserved my time.

I don't charge for diet and training advice when people I know ask for it, but I don't waste my time either. Everyone wants to get into shape but very few will do a damn thing with the advice I give them. I've been burned so many times that I've learned to wait until they're ready. And most of the time, they're ready when they get angry.

So I did what I always do: I sent her to TMuscle with a list of articles to print out and read. I met with her to discuss nutrition, then later I met her at the local gym to show her the basics of resistance training.

Jessica was on her way. The fat began to come off, her mood improved, her energy levels skyrocketed and an hourglass figure began to replace the shapeless body that had been there before.

And then her husband set out to destroy her.

Sleeping With The Enemy

It started out subtle, the old "Honey, I love you no matter how much you weigh" ruse. I call this Step #1, because it's the first step small men use to control their wives and girlfriends.

When that didn't work, he moved to Step #2: tempting her with bad foods, telling her she deserved a treat -- very polite sabotage.

I'm not sure what Step #3 involved in Jessica's case, but she quit exercising and dropped the healthier diet. Sometimes these small men, these toxic husbands and boyfriends, will use money as an excuse and not allow their wives to buy supplements anymore. Sometimes it involves verbal manipulation: barbed comments, no longer subtle, no longer polite:

How dare this she try to look better. What, is she looking for another man or something? Does she think she's better than me? Does she expect me to lose weight now and turn into a fucking health fanatic?

Think I'm exaggerating? Think I'm making a bad joke? I'm not. I've seen it happen a dozen times. When some women try to improve themselves and lose weight, it's their husbands or boyfriends who make damn sure they fail.

Why? Because they're insecure. They'd rather have a fat wife than a wife who might turn the head of another man. Maybe they think there's safety and security in a beaten down, verbally abused, fearful woman. Convince her that she's poo and she won't think she's worthy of being treated any other way. Then she'll stay. Then she'll put up with your shit.

I don't get it. Never have. These men are "small" -- emotionally small, psychologically warped, developmentally stagnated. Label it however you want, but it pisses me off to no end.

The whole situation reminds me of a murder investigation. When a woman disappears, the first person to come under suspicion is the husband or boyfriend. Some people don't understand why. The poor guy's wife disappeared and now he has to deal with being accused of foul play?

Well, the reason for this suspicion is obvious to investigators: the fact is that when a woman disappears or is murdered, it's usual the husband, boyfriend or an ex who's responsible!

Well, if a woman drops her diet or stops working out, you can often point your finger at her significant other. These small men are diet killers, either subtle saboteurs or overt control freaks determined to keep their women fat, out of shape, socially suffocated and securely pinned under their thumbs.

And I'm not going to be quiet about it anymore.

Real Men vs. Small Men

From now on, when I see ample evidence of this going on with someone I know, I'm going to call them on it. Maybe these men don't even realize what they're doing, at least in the first stage or two of their manipulations. Maybe all their insecurities can be wiped out if they too were trying to make lifestyle changes. (There's nothing so difficult as one member of a pair bond trying to diet and exercise while the other eats Oreos and sits on the couch.)

Or maybe they just need a few teeth knocked out if they're in the last stage?

Yes, I know there are plenty of men out there who do everything they can to get their spouses or girlfriends to adopt a TMuscle lifestyle. These men love training and want to share it with the women in their lives. And if you're one of those, great. Getting your reluctant girlfriend to go to the gym with you and eat better is tough, and it deserves an article all to itself.

But I'm not talking about you guys; I'm talking about small men. In fact, if this pisses you off as much as it does me, then maybe you can step up and join me in calling these bastards out. Maybe we can help them, show them the way, tell them that being in a good relationship with a woman isn't like owning a dog. (Hell, come to think of it, good men treat their hounds better than small men treat their women.)

And if that doesn't work? Hey, that's up to you. Maybe slip your female friend the business card of a good divorce lawyer or a marriage counselor, because I guarantee that any man determined to keep his wife fat and emotionally whipped has other problems and the marriage isn't a healthy one. In my observations, if physical abuse isn't already part of the marriage, it will be some day.

Real men don't behave this way, real men don't treat women this way, and real men don't stand around and watch women being treated this way.

Small men, be afraid of real men. We're watching you.

This is gonna be "Uncomfortable"

2009-11-17T08:08:00.007-06:00

I think this says a lot to everyone. Let me give you some examples

I am overweight...Your fault

I eat like crap...Your fault

I hate my job...Your fault

I do not make enough money...Your fault

You get the point right...You fill in the blanks...it is uncomfortable WE all need to take ownership for the situation we are in. We live in a society where it is easy to blame others for the situation we are in....be it physically, mentally, emotionally. That is bull crap...you know it and I know it.

2010 is right around the corner...do not wait to start a New Year's Resolution on January 1st...start now and before you know it your list will look like this!!

I am in the best shape of my life...Your fault

I am eating healthy...Your fault

I love my job...Your fault

I make enough money...Your fault

End 2009 STRONG!!

Simple Not Always Easy

2009-10-30T08:16:00.002-05:00

Here are a few tips that will help.

Write your goals down. The goals need to be exact.

Tell people about your goals. The more people know the more it will hold you accountable. It will also help these people support you. You will need this as you get into what I call “the grind”.

Have a plan. Bottom line is this…we do not get in our car and just drive. We have a plan and direction on where we want to go. This is no different when it comes to our health.

Follow the Plan… All nutrition and exercise programs work to a point…what happens is that we don’t sometimes follow the plan. The plan is a map..use it

This is stuff you obviously know. Like I said at the beginning…very simple yet not always easy!

Good luck to you and let me know if you have questions or need help with your plan!!

Do you think this will catch on?

2009-10-28T18:04:00.001-05:00

Are you Pissed?

2009-10-22T07:40:00.005-05:00

What causes people to begin a transformation? Is it disgust? Disgust with the way they look? The way they feel? The way people view them?

If I was a betting man I would bet that the first step in change is that the person gets angry. I mean pissed off for letting themselves get that way in the first place. I call this PAIN. They have so much emotional pain that they have two options.

Option # 1 – They keep doing what they are doing which will not lead to any kind of improvement physically, emotionally and probably most of all aesthetically. I mean…the main reason most of us work out is for reasons of vanity!

Option #2 – They make drastic change. They do what ever it takes for them to get the body and health they want. They will be anal when it comes to their food intake, their exercise program. Their commitment is over the top. They tend to put other things in their life on hold, they don’t hang out friends that derail them and their progress, they have binders on and all they see is that goal and nothing will stand in the way!

Is that what it really takes to change? It does take that kind of commitment. That is the truth. I am not beating around the bush. Life happens and we can all be derailed. What separates the people that meet their goals and the people that don’t? It is a combination of things. The top of the list would be….Social Support, Preparation, Following the Plan, and if you do fall off the plan getting back on the plan asap…not turning a screw up into something that gets out of control.

My question to you is this -

How much Pain do you have? Only you can answer that and only you can answer this…What are you willing to do to make that pain go away?

Stay tuned…next week we will talk about simple strategies you can implement to help you get to your goal. You have goals, RIGHT?

Weekend Baby!!

2009-10-16T06:48:00.002-05:00

The weekend is here and many of us use this time to do things around the house, unwind, spend time with family and hopefully relax.

In my experience this is also the time people think they can "cheat" on their nutritional plan. But let me ask you this:

If you eat well and follow your plan all week are you doing damage or are you taking steps towards your body comp goals. Some would say I am taking steps towards the goals...because psychologically this helps me get back after it Monday morning. In some cases this can happen (I think this person would have to already be in a fairly lean state). In other cases what happens is this: a bad day of eating turns into two, three, and then the dreaded..."I WILL START MONDAY" syndrome.

I would like to encourage you to continue to follow your plan. Enough of the 5 Steps forward 5 steps back plan. Look at your plan and you caloric intake in a weekly snapshot vs. a daily snap shot. Once you do this you will see how the extra calories derail you from the progress you are so hard trying to make.

I am a firm believer if you stick to the plan 90% of the time you will see significant progress. For example: If you eat 5 meals a day for 7 day this comes to to 35 meals for the week. Out of those 35 meals you can eat 4 meals of anything you want. Plan those 4 meals around your social schedule.

Have a great weekend and remember the 7 P's..Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance

Who is David Felix?

2009-10-08T11:13:00.000-05:00

Where was I born and where did I grow up? I was born in KCMO (St Lukes on the Plaza) I spent most of my childhood living in Arizona. My dad like 90% of my family worked at the Copper Mines. Whenever they went on strike we came back to KC so my dad could work.

Veteran? Marine

How old am I? 36

How many kids? Derek 16. Jonathan 13, Micaela (Kylie) 11

How many brothers and sisters? I have 3 brothers and 1 sister. I am the 2nd oldest.

Am I married? Yes. Debbie and I have been married since 1992…do the math, I was 18 she was 19. We are going on 18 yrs. Crazy to think I am 36 and have been married half my life.

What are my hobbies? I love to fish. I don’t do it very often. I also love to coach youth baseball. Even though growing up basketball was my favorite sport I have learned a lot about baseball and enjoy watching my boys play.

Favorite Healthy Food? I really like raw cauliflower and broccoli with spicy hummus!!

Favorite Cheat Food? Mexican food from back home

Favorite Exercise? Dumbbell Bench Press

Worst Exercise? Curls (I hate working my biceps) that is probably why they are so puny

Best Core Exercise? Ab wheel roll out

Passion? My passion is first and foremost my family…I am very passionate about helping people with their fitness. I know it is hard and if I can motivate someone to a step in the right direction I am happy.

Do I offend people at my boot camp? I like to call it controversial. I am always talking about something crazy or causing controversy to get a reaction from someone. You gotta do something to light the fire...5:30 am is early. We NEED ENERGY!!

How many surgeries? I have had my knee, shoulder and foot operated on.
Does it hurt to workout? Yes. I have to rub my knees with icy hot and use bands (braces) on them. My warm up consists of about 15 minutes of movement prep before I even pick up a weight. Oh yeah, my foot hurts all of the time.

If I left something out…drop a comment and ask!!