Change your lifestyle for YOURSELF!!!! Don’t Worry What Others Think!!!!

On Friday, I had a great conversation with some people at my daily workplace.

They were asking me what I did to lose so much weight and get fit. I told them that I started slow with my comeback into a healthier lifestyle. I started slow: lots of stretching to get my flexibility and stability back, throw in some stability abdominal work (because I am not worried about having a “six-pack,” just a strong core and lower back), strength training, cardiovascular strength condition (for my farm work at home), and lots of yoga.

They looked at me like I was crazy. Yoga? Cross-training?

I told them when I go to the gym or workout outside, I do not give a flip what people think of what I am doing. When I first started back into this lifestyle, I did water aerobics, yoga classes, spin classes, etc. to get into shape for what I really want to do, Pure Unadulterated Strength and Conditioning. I took baby steps… started out with the bar (45 lbs) with most exercises. I still do not do pullups, I do reverse rows on a TRX system. I use a  bosu ball for instability. I do different types of pullups and hand positions to keep my body guessing.

Lots of people are saying keep the body guessing for moving forward. That’s true, at home I have farm work, that is not something easy for someone who grew up in a city.  Its always different. It takes strength and conditioning to do the work.

I want to be a healthy example for my family, I want to be around for a long time and be functional during my life. That is why I work out…. and I don’t care what people think when I am at the gym. I workout for myself and my family. That is what matters, nothing else. Be All YOU Can and Want To Be. Once you figure out what you want, make a plan to get there.

#poweroftheearthfitness

Life Happens in a flash.

Life, life can happen in a flash.

 

I was trying to mow some grass after work before the fireworks on 4th of July. I did not have any gas for my mower, so I drove the half mile to the gas station.I strap the gas tanks in the back of the truck. I was on my way back trying to take the left hand turn into our driveway off the busy highway. Traffic was coming the other direction, so I waited.

My family has a gameplan because there is a nasty turn that is behind where we have to turn into our driveway. If any one is coming up from behind and not going to stop, we drive forward and turn around at the next store.

As I was sitting there, I was looking in the rearview mirror, there was a tow truck changing lanes behind me to miss me. I look to see if I can turn and look back at the mirror, and there is a gold minivan about ten feet behind me not stopping.

I take my foot off the brake, I tried to put the truck into first gear…. BAM

I get shoot forward about 30 yards. My truck stops dead, I can’t drive forward, the van drives off.

I exit the vehicle, get the gas cans out of the bed and put them on the side of the road. Most what happens next is a blurr. I get taken to the hospital for whiplash and my shoulder that is killing me.

 

Why am I telling you this?

 

You must be prepared for anything. In life, one must have plans. When I used to fight in mixed martial arts and wrestled, I had gameplans. When you are training for a healthier life, you must have a plan, and a back up plan, and another back up plan for your back up plan.

 

Why? Life happens, you hurt yourself, you go on a business trip, family happens, and etc. I was powerlifting for the past ten years, now with a hurt shoulder and my posture being affected, I must change how I workout. I cannot do chest or shoulder exercises. I am having to do a pause at the concentration part of the exercise to get my posture and stability muscles back together.

 

I will be going back and forth from my pause workouts and my powerlifting workouts (after I get cleared from the physical therapist).

 

What kind of plans do you have for your healthy life? I can help you with that!

#poweroftheearthfitness

Plateaus……… How do you break them?

Plateaus……… How do you break them?

Plateaus are most people’s reason for slipping out of their new healthy lifestyles. You are doing everything right. You work out, eat right, and have gotten yourself in better shape…. you still have 10,20,30 pounds to go, and you gain weight, inches, or feel a little more terrible. You have hit a plateau. How do you get through it?

 

Here’s what I do: be proactive. I have a weight training program that is tailored made for me. I have tweaked it over the last decade. I do olympic style and strength training. I work out for three weeks and progress my weight by 5 lbs for upper body, 10 for lower body, and 15 for deadlifts. Then I work out for another 3 weeks with the percentages and then max out. This way I always move forward in progress.

On the eating side, I document what I eat through an online program. This way I am accountable for what I put in my body. My body is a temple. Make sure what you put in your body is for your progress. Even cheat meals are for progress… you just have to be accountable for it.

Worst Injury You’ve Ever Had

We all have had one: an injury. Some are small strains, some are broken bones, some are worse. I have had my fair share: broken fingers, toes, and my big old nose (at least 8 times), pulled and torn muscles, concussions, but the worst was my shoulder.

My shoulder was the result of football, wrestling, and Martial Arts. I originally injured it as a senior in highschool; I got hit from the side and blacked out. While going down, I stuck my arm out to catch myself, and ripped something. At the time, I was told it was fine and I got shots in it so I could play. I continued to wrestle, play football, and kickbox. Well, two years later, I was at a karate tournament that was outside of New York and I caught a kick with my left arm and he pulled his leg to the ground while I was shooting in for a takedown and something ripped.

 

I finished the tournament and got second place. I got home and went straight to the doctor’s office. I had torn the tendons, rotator cuff that was shredded, and cartilage that needed to be removed. I went into surgery within a week. I had to get physical therapy for over a year.

 

Fast forward twelve years, I am stronger than I have ever been. I took it slow with my shoulder, found a great Love for Yoga, STRETCHED, and worked on my total body.

With a goal and a plan, I worked on getting myself in a better place in small increments, then I started to make huge gains and now I am continueing to make gains.

What is the worst injury you’ve ever had?

 

#poweroftheearthfitness

Women’s and Men’s Fitness

As a personal trainer and teacher, it is very important for me to look at what both men and women want to accomplish physically and mentally. Men tend to want to get bigger, stronger and/or leaner. Women tend to want to become leaner, in general. Both sets want to become happier mentally about their self-image. That’s where I come in.

 

Men usually hear that I teach Martial Arts and do strength training. Most guys want to learn what (fill in the blank MMA fighter) knows and to get stronger and leaner. That is easy, most men do not do enough physical activity during their daily lives because of jobs, time, and/or motivation. I am the last part. I will keep you motivated and accountable. Most find that they want to feel and/or look like their younger self.

 

Women, on the other hand, have different motivations usually. They have families, jobs, and busy schedules. My wife works with pregnant women to help them get the birth that they want. Then after the birth, they have issues with getting back to where they want to be. It is hard for women, since they go through so many physical and mental changes during and after the birth. I taught Momma and Me Yoga classes for a great many of my wife’s clients. They like it because they get to workout and stretch with their babies. I still offer these classes and personal training options.

 

Most women want to tone up their bodies after they get going again. Women’s bodies are meant to be softer looking than men’s, so it is a different kind of workout and mentality. That is making their bodies strong and lean once they get into the groove of things.

 

These options are available for both men and women. I have training schedules available at where ever you can or need to train; at home, at the gym, outside, etc. the options are limitless and up to you. Contact me today!

  

Real World Training: What are you training for and how are you going to accomplish your goal?

What are you training for? Your health? Yourself? Your family? High blood pressure? Bad Cholesterol? Lift your truck? Be able to do something without feeling like you are dying?

 

Let’s get real for a minute. What are you training for? That must be something you have to ask yourself and write it down. That is your long term goal. Mine is to be able to lift 600 on deadlifts, 500 on squats, 450 on bench, and 350 on shoulder press. Why? might you ask. I want to be strong enough to lift the end of my truck if it were to get stuck in the snow again. That was such a pain. Now, that can coinside with my farming life as well.

I have to feed animals while heaving 50 lb bags of feed, bales of hay, and lots of mowing. I am also practicing for hiking, since I live in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. I want to make these things easy for myself rather than feeling like I am dying. I also have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and I always show up as morbidly obese. Now, the morbidly obese thing? I am not sweating this too much because I am a power lifter. I am 6-0 and 260. But I am moving around with about 18% body fat.

 

I am on the path of losing body fat and gaining as much muscle as possible. I am not a body builder. I am looking for making myself strong and healthy.

Now, what about you? What are you training for?

Grand Opening for Fitness! Limited times and pricing available!

 Are you looking for

Real World Fitness?
Real World Strength?

What happens to you when you are put in a situation that needs you to be engaged physically or mentally?

As we get older, we tend to get less mobile and lose strength.

Men, have you had that moment where you could not do something and felt like you let your wife/girlfriend/family down?

I have the solution to that:
I can move a tractor, deadlift a dead llama, and walk mow in rough terrain. I can do all of this and keep going. How?

I train for real world situations that come up in my life. You may not need to move a llama, but what if your car was stuck and you needed to push it a foot? What if someone fell or got stuck and you needed to carry them? What if a dresser fell over and you had to hold it so it would not fall for a short time? Could you do those things? I can get you there, no matter your current strength, fitness, or experience.

It all matters with how and what you train. I will get you overall strength, better agility, and more confidence than you have had in years!

I have open times for personal training available.

I am able to meet with you at your residence, gym of your choice, or with me at my gym.

I have limited open times available and multiple price packages available now!

Email me at sebeck.liberty@gmail.com
or
Text/call 865-548-1814

#poweroftheearthfitness

Daily meditation

The mind is the source of happiness and unhappiness

Meditate for 10 minutes
Do:
3 sets x 10 reps twisting crunches
3 x 40 standing twists
3 x 10 leg lifts

The mind and soul connection is key

#downtoearthfitness

Daily meditation

Tried and true:

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind of the present moment.

Low testosterone? Prescription Meds? No, heavy workouts!

I was diagnosed as low T about three years ago. I figured that I was getting older and that just happens. I was also diagnosed with low cholesterol and overweight. I was working a desk job and I was on the phone for about 10 hours a day. I only worked out about 3 days a week for about 30 minutes because I had to workout on my lunch break. I was going downhill quickly, health wise.

 

I had a terrible reaction to the meds my doctor put me on. I got really sick with liver issues and migraines. I had to go to the emergency room. It was bad, my liver was shutting down and they had to get me on different meds to fix what the meds my doctor was giving me….. see a pattern?

 

I decided to just stay on my blood pressure medicine and change my life. I changed jobs so I wasn’t living under so much pressure, made sure I workout the way I need to, and make sure I changed my diet.

 

I made these changes in a way that helped my testosterone. I got a job that was something I enjoy. It is so not as soul sucking as the last one. I feel better when I get home and I am not stressing out as much.

 

I changed my diet so that I was eating no gluten, fresh vegetables and fruits, and leaner meats. This is huge! Making myself enjoy new, healthier foods! Make sure that I eat proper portions and vary the type of food I am eating. I did add a generic testosterone supplement that I take one pill in the morning and evening.

 

The most important thing was the lifting. I changed to Dinosaur Training that makes me lift heavy weight. This is done from progressively increasing weight as I go along. I started out lifting an empty bar. I have worked to be stronger than I ever have been. I have tweaked my workouts slightly because I have needed to get back into fighting shape. I have added cardiovascular work that is similar to mixed martial arts.

 

I now have normal levels of testosterone and feel better than I have in years. I lift hard and heavy and can help you do the same. My body looks better than it has since high school and my energy level is almost through the roof.
What are your thoughts on Low T? or just body image in general?