Attitude is everything – Neil Platt

Posted on February 12, 2016 by adrensf

The first two parts of this three part mini-series brought us two important topics: habits and values. While these two topics are important when it comes to living a happy, healthy life, there is another equally, if not more, important topic to discuss: Attitude. Attitude is defined simply as a way of thinking or feeling about someone or something that is typically reflected in a person’s behavior. It is our attitude that determines the world we live in. Think of the outside world as a mirror reflecting our internal attitude. A positive attitude generally leads to a positive experience in life. A negative attitude can lead to a gloomy, “woe-is-me” existence. Put another way, your attitude is the driving force behind your journey in life. We all have a desire to live a long, healthy, happy life full of great experience’s with great people. However, most people fail to realize we hold the key to a successful life-it is our attitude.

dextersuccess
The world we live in is a reflection of the attitude we present to the world, not the other way around. Most people adopt the notion that the world treated me a certain way so my attitude will reflect that. This line of thinking is backwards. The world doesn’t play favorites. It does not care who “wins” or who “loses.” It simply moves forward one day at a time regardless of how we feel about it. The truth is, the world around us, the people we come into contact with, our successes or failures in life are a direct reflection of our attitude. Think about those whom you come into contact with on a daily basis. The ones who have a better attitude tend to be those that are more successful (not just financially, there are a lot of rich people out there that have awful attitudes). If we want to change the environment in which we live, we must first change our attitude towards our environment. It is foolish to expect something to change if we continue to do the same things. Life is a pretty simple system of cause and effect. If I want a promotion at work, I need to step up and work harder. If I want to lose weight, I need to get off the couch and stop eating bon-bons. A great attitude that says I expect to be successful will most likely lead to a successful outcome.

RobinSharma
I recently read an article about the great NBA legend Larry Bird. For those who don’t know, Larry Bird is one of the best basketball players of all-time. He is also one of the most confident individuals to ever walk the planet. Part of what made Bird so great was his affinity for clutch time performances. He had a knack for always making the big play when his team needed it the most. When most people would feel pressure from big time situations, he had no problem rising up and making the big shot. When a reporter once asked Larry how he knew all of the clutch shots he took would go in, he responded, “Cuz I was the one taking ‘em.” His attitude was one of confidence and expecting success. He expected nothing less than a successful outcome, and more often than not, he got it.
A great attitude can lead some great things in life. Most successful people have great attitudes. Try building a spaceship and flying to the moon with a poor attitude towards your work. It isn’t going to happen. The great thing about your attitude is just that, it is yours and you are 100% in control of it, much like your effort. Like most things, building a great attitude starts with practice. You should start developing the habit of having a great attitude in any situation. Don’t allow the world to frustrate you, remember it is a reflection of your attitude. Don’t dwell on past failures, or regrets. Instead, start today moving forward with a positive attitude towards life. Expect to be successful in whatever it is you do. Greatness will not just be handed to you. You have to work for it and it starts with a great attitude.

Values – What do you stand for? – Neil Platt

Posted on January 19, 2016 by adrensf

Part two of this three part blog series covers another important topic: values. Your values are the principles or standards you live your life by. They should play an integral role in determining what is important to you and what decisions to make devilangel when faced with difficult life choices. When your actions are aligned with your values, life is generally pretty good. Overall, you are a much happier and content person. When your actions and behaviors get out of whack with your core values, things can go wrong. Unhappiness is usually the result of your actions not reflecting your core values. Being able to identify your values and having the inner fortitude to live them out are crucial to being happy. Having a firm understanding of your values will allow you to confidently answer life’s tough questions.
Identifying your values can be a difficult thing. How many of you actually know what your core values are? We all have a general sense of what is right and what is wrong but your decisions need to be guided by more than a general understanding of good and bad. What I consider to be a core value may be different than what you believe in. These slight differences can lead to different outcomes in a given situation and can lead to happiness for one person, or distress for another. To identify your values you really need to dive into the nitty-gritty of what makes you tick. Think back to different times in life when you have had to make a difficult decision and figure out what about those decisions made you the happiest, most proud, and most fulfilled. Be totally honest and transparent with yourself. Self reflection can be uncomfortable but it is important to get to the root of what makes you unique.
Once you have established the nuts and bolts of what makes you tick, there is another major step: You must articulate your values as verbs, not nouns. Saying that you are trustworthy is great, but it is not actionable. If instead you say you are someone others can rely on as honest and truthful, you have taken a word and given it a life of its own. Turning your values into a set of action statements makes them much richer and provides more context. It helps you truly understand what is at the root of who you are and what you believe in. Action statements allow you to apply your values to any situation with more conviction and it gives you a better understanding of why you feel a certain way. One of my core values is to practice what I preach. I want everyone to live a long, healthy life and as a strength coach and trainer, I preach it all day long so I better practice it. I have days when I do not want to train and I fall off the diet wagon but I do my best to get back up and try again because it is something I truly believe in. I can’t just say “don’t be a hypocrite”- instead, practice what you preach.
Here is my challenge to you: take some time, sit down and really think about what it is you hold dear to your heart. What do you really believe in? Don’t come up with the Miss Universe answer, but be completely honest and transparent with yourself. Once you have done this, make your core values actionable. Take the time to write them down somewhere. Put them down on paper, tell your spouse or loved ones, tell me if you want to, I would love to hear about your journey on this one. I hope you find this useful and as always, if I can help you in any way please do not hesitate to ask!

Habits – Neil Platt

Posted on January 10, 2016 by adrensf

For most, a new year usually begins with a resolution or two. The term resolution is simply a decision to do or not to do something. Tony recently added a blog that went into great detail about New Year’s resolutions and you can check that out here. This blog isn’t necessarily about New Year’s resolutions and whether or not they’re worth it or ideas on how to stick to your resolution this year. I want to keep it simple and talk about one thing: habits.
A habit is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur unconsciously– we just do things. Some of these things are good, some are not so good. We all have a pretty good idea of what habits are good for us and what habits are bad. A New Year’s resolution usually revolves around removing a bad habit:

“This year I want to quit smoking.”

“This year I will stop eating fast food.”

Identifying a bad habit and verbalizing that you know it is bad is a big step in the right direction. However, a bad habit can’t just be removed, it must be replaced. Simply saying that you want to quit smoking or eating fast food more does not give you an actionable plan. tumblr-greatest-hits-ny-resolution-booboo

My big habit change this year is to be more frugal in how/where I spend my money. In order to accomplish this habit change I have downloaded an app on my phone that tracks where I am spending my money and lays it out in front of me to see. Rather than spending money frivolously on unnecessary things, I will be saving those dollars in a retirement account (getting older one day at a time!). I have verbalized a bad habit (frivolous spending), I am replacing the bad habit with a good one (retirement account), and I’ve got an actionable plan (phone app) to help see it through. Removing a bad habit like frivolous spending, or smoking, or being sedentary leaves a big void that must be replaced by a good habit.
Here is my challenge to you: Start small. Start with a small habit change you know you will accomplish before moving onto a bigger one. Having your big changes in mind is important but let’s build some confidence in making changes before we tackle the big ones. Here are three easy examples:

Drink more water.

Go to bed 15 minutes earlier than normal.

Add one (more) vegetable to my daily food intake.

I hope you found this somewhat helpful and I would love to hear what your plans are to make some simple habit changes in your life. Progress, not perfection!

Leave a comment for us or talk to one of the coaches in person at ASF, we’re always here to chat! If there is anything I can to do help you accomplish a habit change, please do not hesitate to ask!

New Year’s Resolutions: Are they worth it?

Posted on December 26, 2015 by adrensf

Here are a few opinions on the subject: The first one is by Burpee fanatic, Chas Brown, resident all-around good guy from ASF; the second is from a popular website called T-Nation; the third is from Tony Poggiali.

Chas Brown:

If you review the ASF Core Values, you will see the very first value is: Seek Continuous Improvement – Good Enough isn’t Good Enough.
With that in mind it is that time of year where many of us will make New Year’s Resolutions!
In case you don’t know: A New Year’s resolution is a tradition in which a person makes a promise to do an act of self-improvement or something slightly nice, such as opening doors for people beginning from New Year’s Day.
The practice of Resolutions has religious origins: Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts. The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named. In the Medieval era, the knights took the “peacock vow” at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.
Popular goals include resolutions to:
Improve physical well-being: eat healthy food, lose weight, exercise more, eat better, drink less alcohol, quit smoking, stop biting nails, get rid of old bad habits.
Improve mental well-being: think positive, laugh more often, enjoy life.
Improve finances: get out of debt, save money, make small investments.
Improve career: perform better at current job, get a better job, establish own business.
Improve self: become more organized, reduce stress, be less grumpy, manage time, be more independent, perhaps watch less television, play fewer sitting-down video games.
Volunteer to help others, practice life skills, use civic virtue, give to charity, volunteer to work part-time in a charity organization.
The Success Rate is for resolutions are low. The most common reason for participants failing their New Years’ Resolutions was setting unrealistic goals (35%), while 33% didn’t keep track of their progress and a further 23% forgot about it. A 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions fail, despite the fact that 52% of the study’s participants were confident of success at the beginning.
So how do we continue to seek continuous improvement if we are not very good at keeping resolutions? The Center for Well-Being conducted a massive study on the topic of daily actions important in well-being:

Connect…..

With the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and
neighbors. At home, work, school or in your local community. Think of
these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them.
Building these connections will support and enrich you every day.

Be active……

Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance.
Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical
activity you enjoy and that suits your level of mobility and fitness.

Take Notice…..

Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the
changing seasons. Savor the moment, whether you are walking to work,
eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and
what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you
appreciate what matters to you.

Keep Learning….

Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course.
Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an
Instrument or how to cook your favorite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy
Achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident as well as
being fun.

Give…..

Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile.
Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in.
Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be
incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.

Source: Wikipedia, Center for Well-Being, and Me

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Chris Shugart of T-Nation says….

The typical advice about goal setting goes something like this: Set a goal and then tell lots of people about it. That will keep you accountable. The problem? It seldom works. In fact, it can have the opposite effect.

Why Talking About Your Goals Doesn’t Work

Multiple psychological studies, some going back as far as 1927, back this up. But here’s the gist: When you tell someone about your goal, you get a sense of satisfaction and even a little tingling sense of achievement. Your mind becomes somewhat content, as if you’ve already achieved that goal. Announcing the goal makes you feel closer to achieving it even though you haven’t actually done any work yet.

Psychologists call this a problem of “social reality” or “social acknowledgment.” You’ve identified with an end goal and get a little smug about the thing you haven’t done yet. Now you’re less likely to do the work. This is also known as having a premature sense of completeness.

Imagine the guy with the Tapout shirt telling everyone he’s going to be an MMA champ. Makes him feel like a badass. He’s already adopted that identity in his mind, and well, he’s got the T-shirt! Problem is, he’s never even trained for it, doesn’t know even one martial art much less a mixed variety, and he’s horribly out of shape. Socially and mentally he’s a mixed martial artist. In reality, he’s just a fan with delusions of grandeur and bad taste in T-shirts.

A Better Method

First, you can keep your mouth shut. Resist the urge to talk about your goal. Delay the sense of gratification. Be the person that achieves cool things, not the person who talks about achieving cool things and never does. Or do as Derek Sivers says: go ahead and talk about your goal but do so in way that doesn’t give you much satisfaction. Two examples:

My goal is to stop drinking sodas. It’s going to suck.

My goal is to bench press 400 pounds. It’ll take a year or more of intense effort and smart programming.

Or Maybe Other People Just Suck

Another problem: people are assholes. Or at least a lot of them are. They’re dealing with their own inner whirlwind of doubts and insecurities, and when someone decides to do something great, well, that hurts their wittle feelings.

They usually won’t blatantly discourage your aspirations, but they will do it in more subtle ways: little comments or small actions that cause you to waver. Tell your coworker your goal is to lose ten pounds and sure enough she’ll shove a cookie in your face the next week because, “You deserve a reward.” The bitch.

Better to keep your mouth closed, do your thing, and celebrate your actual achievements, not your make-believe good intentions.

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Tony Poggiali opines…

I have written goals off and on for the better part of three decades. I can’t unequivocally say that writing them down had lead to a better year any more than NOT writing down lead to a bad year. Ambition comes from different sources, some written, some thought about, some at the beginning of a year, some in the middle of traffic. The point is striving toward something that leads to something! Just because you feel warm and fuzzy about your bucket list for 2016 doesn’t mean anything unless you go forth and produce. However, it may be the kick in the ass you need when you take time to write specific, tangible, and realistic goals/accomplishments/objectives and refer to them often to track your progress.

I don’t have a strong opinion either way as different people are wired to be “writers” and others “thinkers” or some combination of both. Whatever mode you choose, embrace it and make it mean something!

What are your thoughts for next year? Write down goals? Keep them to yourself? Tell everyone so you are accountable?

PS The Challenge is right the corner, so maybe that is the kickstart you need!

Mindset of Young Athletes

Posted on December 21, 2015 by adrensf

The following is an excerpt from John O’Sullivan’s excellent book Changing the Game. If you would like to see more about his book, or Carol’s Dweck’s Mindset book, links are provided at the end.

The influence of state of mind on performance has been confirmed through decades of research by world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck. She has discovered that beyond talent, intent, and actions, a person’s approach and what she calls “mindset” play a tremendous role in achievement and performance. Dweck has discovered that people have either a fixed or a growth mindset when it comes to performance. The view a person adopts profoundly affects the way she lives her life, how she performs, and what she accomplishes.
Fixed-mindset individuals believe that their abilities and qualities are carved in stone and that every activity is a test of one’s innate, unchangeable ability. Whether it be in the classroom, on the athletic field, or in a relationship, fixed-mindset individuals view every situation as a confirmation of their intelligence, ability, character, and even their personality. Challenges are to be avoided, obstacles are reasons to give up, criticism is ignored, effort is worthless, and the success of others is threatening. Fixed-mindset people do not believe in growth, only validation. You’ve either got it or you don’t!

Here are some things that fixed-mindset people say:
“I don’t play much. I am just not a good soccer player.”
“I failed the test. I won’t ever understand algebra.”
“I am not an artist. My brother got all the artistic genes in our family.”

Do any of these sound familiar? Do you know anyone whose every failure is a repudiation of his ability? Do you see a player who has potential but is not applying himself? “Why even try?” says the fixed mindset person. “I am just not good and never can be.” On the other hand, Dweck has discovered that growth-mindset individuals believe that one’s abilities are starting points and that talents are capable of being cultivated, nurtured, and developed. Effort, commitment, risk, failure, and disappointment are all components of development and not a reflection of permanent traits. Everything is a part of the journey, and every success or failure is a reflection upon where one is today, not where one might be tomorrow with some effort and application. As a result, challenges are embraced, effort is the path to
accomplishment, criticism is helpful, persistence is celebrated, and the success of others is inspiring.

Hopefully we have heard some growth-mindset statements from our kids:
“If I’m going to break into the starting lineup, I need to practice
harder and more often.”
“I got a C. I need to do some more studying for our next test.”
“Wow! That was the most challenging practice we ever had. I like our
new coach!”

Growth-mindset individuals love challenges, take risks, try new things, and focus on the process—not the outcome—of achievement activities. Through her research, Dweck has developed a series of mindset workshops and tested her theories on students of all ages. In one of her studies, she taught a portion of a class a fixed-mindset approach (the brain does not develop, skill is innate and cannot be learned, etc.), while others were led to adopt a growth-mindset approach (this can be learned, ability can be developed). Over eight sessions, both groups of students were taught study skills and how to apply them to learning challenging new concepts. Their teachers were not told which kids were in which group, but they were asked for feedback on student performance. Throughout the study, teachers singled out far more students in the growth-mindset group for making huge progress in both their motivation and improvement. At semester’s end, Dweck looked at the students’ grades in math. The growth-mindset group showed an improvement and was far more inspired to learn and put forth effort. The students in the fixed-mindset group did not improve their grades. In spite of receiving everything the growth group did, except for the growth-mindset training, their motivation to learn and apply their new study skills did not change. Their mindset held them back!
From toddlers to adults, Dweck’s results are astounding and consistent. Every study confirmed that the growth-mindset individuals learned more, demonstrated more improvement in testing, challenged themselves more often, and enjoyed themselves more than the fixed mindset groups. Every time! The highest-performing athletes are likely to have a growth mindset when it comes to sports. Of course, young athletes and even pros may perform well on a fixed mindset, but they will never reach their true potential. They will constantly seek validation and need to prove themselves instead of focusing upon improving themselves. In the long run, they will be surpassed by those athletes with a proper growth oriented state of mind.
The great news is that mindsets can be changed. Dweck has developed workshops and exercises that help students, athletes, and others adopt a growth-oriented mindset. Sometimes it is as simple as watching a short video on how the brain grows and develops throughout life. Other times it is simple statements of praise that have the desired effect. Once people are open to the possibility that nothing is fixed, they can get on with
learning and performing their best.

John O’ Sullivan’s site

Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset

Personal nutrition

Posted on December 11, 2015 by adrensf

Everybody has heard of personal training. It is ubiquitous in every gym. You join, they set up an appointment with a trainer, you discuss goals, frequency, duration, training history, time of day, etc. It is the “personal” part of personal training. You get a training card with your exact routine:

If you want to gain muscle, it is probably a body part split, with reps between 8-12, 3-4 days/week.
If you want to get super strong, it is a powerlifting style, with lower reps and heavy weight.
If you want to burn fat, it may be a metabolic style with several exercises grouped together with the goal of burning calories.
If you “want it all”, it is a total body routine that is repeated 3-4 days/week.

Could the same be said for “personalizing” your nutrition? If you read ten different books, each with their own twist on how be lean, eat healthy and look/feel your best, you would likely be more confused than ever. So, if we take the time to write up exercises, design programs and teach proper form, exercise progressions, recovery methods, etc, shouldn’t we treat nutrition pretty much the same?

Personalized nutrition is as much science as it is art. Training methodologies work for the vast majority of trainees; the same cannot be said for nutrition. It is much more about the person and how they need to eat than training. For example, Brian and myself have extremely fast metabolisms and are afforded the “luxury” of eating whatever we want. While it works for us, it is not recommended for everybody. Others simply have to look at food and they gain weight. It comes down to experimenting with several different habits, not diets, until you find the formula that works.

So, you may be wondering, “How can this work for me”? It is a two part process:

Part 1 – Develop habits.

Part 2 – Experiment, refine and repeat those habits.

Here are a few habits to consider:

In the past, I have been guilty of taking more about diet/nutrition than building habits that include nutrition, but are not grounded in nutrition. Some of the habits above (journalling, gratitude, planning) are not directly about food but about a habit involving food. They could also be about anything else in your life!

There is not a “one-size-fits-all” answer when it comes to nutrition. It is a never ending quest to learn as much as you can about your own unique physiology, brain chemistry, metabolism, genetics, and digestion among other factors. The key is to never give up the journey to find your formula to personalize your nutrition.

If you would like to chat more about this topic, let us know and we can go down the rabbit hole together until we find the answers!

Restrict your diet = restrict your life? by Brian Macdonald

Posted on December 10, 2015 by adrensf

This post is sparked by a fantastic blog post by Joe Berardi, co-founder of Precision Nutrition. I highly recommend reading his post as well. We are so accustomed to hearing what we should not eat from the fitness and nutrition industry, especially around the holidays: For example, don’t touch cookies unless they are gluten free, packed with protein, and all ingredients are organic. Better yet, just pass on that cookie and eat some kale leaves to get you through the evening guilt free! The last part of that previous sentence is what I want everyone to focus on, and unfortunately there are many people who live their lives like this on restrictive diets.

Instead of enjoying the time they are spending with friends and family, savoring each bit of sugary and fatty goodness they take, they are running the numbers through their head of how many calories that cookie is and whether or not they can afford to eat half of it. Restrictive diets are almost like blinders, as they give us tunnel vision and block out everything going on around us. Mr. Berardi puts it perfectly by simply saying “make conscious decisions”. Just slow down, eat, and enjoy those cookies consciously rather than scarfing it all down and feeling guilty for it. He also mentions that we can “enjoy our food, connect with others, and be healthy and fit.” That sums up the purpose of this rant of mine, we can do it all while still being healthy and fit. Now, I’m not saying to go and scarf down three plates of cookies, what I am saying is to enjoy the moments we have throughout the holidays, the people we love and get to spend quality time with, and yes, enjoy those cookies.

Don’t let a restrictive diet dictate the quality of your holiday season. Make conscious, reasonable decisions, and there is absolutely no reason we can’t enjoy that cookie, cake, or cocktail guilt free. Happy Holidays…the Challenge is only five weeks away!!

Men’s Health month – quick tips for the fellers, part two

Posted on November 29, 2015 by adrensf

Coach Platt:

Strength Train. The benefits of strength training are vast. They include improved body composition (more muscle= more calories burned!), stronger bones, improved hormonal balance, and an increase in your “mental energy.” You just feel better after training. All men should include regular strength training in their lives.
Get more sleep. Again, the benefits of sleep are unbelievable. Hormonal levels improve, weight management becomes easier, stress is reduced, your immune systems improves, you experience more mental clarity. Basically, everything gets better with improved sleep quality.
Practice Moderation. I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to needing to practice moderation. I have a sweet tooth that can rival anyone. I’m also a big fan of the 12oz curls. With that being said, practicing moderation with life’s sweet treats can go along way in helping to improve your overall health.
Eat more veggies. We could all benefit from eating more green, leafy veggies. No need to go total vegetarian here, just try adding something green to your plate everyday.
Drink more water. Sounds simple and it is. Being properly hydrated helps improve nearly every bodily function. It can help you feel full longer between meals and help to stave off the mid-day sugar cravings.
See the doc. I’m horrible about this. I avoid the doctors office like the plague…and my dad is a doctor. However, we as men need to realize that we don’t know everything and we need to get checked out from time to time. Allow the professionals to do their job and make sure that everything checks out.
Have fun. Too many people are unhappy. You can see them from a mile away. Poor body language, down in the dumps, stressed out, strung out, just not happy. This can take a huge toll on your health. Start adding more fun to your life and I guarantee you’ll see an improvement in your health. Having fun is the easiest thing you can do. You don’t have to go anywhere, do anything special or need any equipment. Just smile and laugh more. Trust me, you’ll feel better.
Move more than you sit. Again, nothing life changing here, just get up and move. A lot of men suffer from chronic pain that could be alleviated simply by getting up and moving more often that they’re sedentary. You’ll burn more calories by being more active (always a plus) and help reduce that lower back pain that constantly shows up. If you work in an office, set an alarm for every hour to get up and go for at least a five minute walk. If you can, get a standing desk. If you’re forced to sit for long periods of time, try adding some simply mobility exercises to your daily routine to help offset some of the issues that can be caused by sitting for long periods of time.

Coach Macdonald:

Strengthen your core, save your back. Keep in mind, your core includes the glutes, extensors, hip flexors and Abdominals.
Manage portion sizes: Avoid grabbing the bag or box of a snack, we’ve all done this and 15 minutes later, you are looking at the bottom of the container.
Use interval training in place of prolonged aerobic exercise, it’s the quickest way to burn fat and build up your overall fitness levels.
Laugh more, it improves your quality of life, period.
Increase healthy fats such as omega 3 fatty acids, and good carbs such as whole grains. Omega – 3 fatty acids are used to assist in the formation of cell walls, improve circulation, and increase oxygen uptake. Research also suggests consuming whole grains rather than refined grains may help reduce chronic diseases.

What we are thankful for – ASF Staff

Posted on November 24, 2015November 24, 2015 by adrensf

Becky: Adrenaline makes me thankful for so many things…here are just a couple:

We have the best adult and student athletes on the planet! To be able to be around people that show up and work hard is truly a blessing. The best part of my everyday is between these walls. I love seeing the brand new people find their fire among the seasoned veterans.

I have come to love all of the people in my 5:30 am family. When my alarm goes off at 4 am it’s easy to get up (well, most of the time) 5 days a week. I look forward to the brutal hour when most people are still in bed.

Brian: It’s that time of year to eat until we can’t anymore then go into a 10 hour coma from all the turkey and gravy we just consumed. Also, it is obviously a time to reflect on what we are thankful for in our lives, so here are a few things I’m extremely thankful for…
We have so much to be thankful for simply by being an American. We are incredibly lucky to have the freedoms that are given to us and live the life we do on a daily basis. That is something I think we all need to always be thankful for. So with that being said, I’m thankful for my brother in law, Staff Sergeant Drew Douthit, for his service to our country and commitment to defending our freedom.
Next, I’m always thankful for my wife, Ashley. She is my guiding light in life and always keeps me on track. She is so good at what she does as a Physical Therapist, and she inspires me to be the best I can be as a husband, son, brother, and coach. I truly don’t know what I would do without her in my life.
Lastly, I’m thankful for the relationships I have with the athletes and adults I train. That is what coaching is all about, forming relationships and being a positive influence on those individuals lives. Obviously I want my athletes and adults to succeed and get better, but if I can make an impact on an even larger scale, that is where the true success and satisfaction is found. I am so lucky to say I look forward to going to work on a daily basis, and those relationships are the main reason for that.

Brigit: I’m the new kid on the block but you’ll be seeing me more and more! I would like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all of our athletes and families at ASF and take the time to show our appreciation for your continued support and trust in our commitment to excellence. It is a true privilege to work with exceptional athletes and coaches in an environment where fun and growth is in a class of its own!

Dave: I am thankful for my God, country and family. We live in the greatest nation on the planet, which is full of opportunity and resources. My view is obviously biased by my military service and patriotism. I love my family and their support. I am grateful for my health. Thanksgiving is great time of year to reflect. Regardless of personal situations and difficulties, we can all find something in our lives for which to be thankful. I truly enjoy the ASF tribe and working with each member to improve health, reach a goal or simply train.

Neil: I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving: I’m in good health, have a supportive and loving family, have a great group of friends, and a very loving and honest relationship with my girlfriend (most you know her by now). I’m also very thankful that I have the opportunity to work where I do and with people I truly respect and care about. I’m more than grateful for the opportunity to get to know all of you on a more personal level each day and it truly brings joy to my heart to be able to work with all of you. I’ve been at Adrenaline for a little over a year now and it has flown by. I really do have the best job in the world and it is because of you guys. I truly love all of you from the bottom of my heart and I look forward to another great year! Happy Thanksgiving all!

Tony: I am thankful for:

My father for providing silent strength; my mother for tough love.
My sport coaches who taught me to enjoy the lessons of sport.
My college experience, especially Dr. Fennell and Dr. Kimiecik, who both saw something in me that I didn’t.
My first gym experience with Ken and Ruth Reynolds, who gave me a chance as their first trainer.
My support system and favorite two people in the world: Suzanne and Heather.
Dave, Lex and J, for their unwavering trust and faith.
The coaches who have helped shape ASF, both the past and the present.
The people who did not think I could make it.
YOU. If you are reading this, you are so special to all of us. There are no words to describe how important you are in our lives and I can’t thank you enough different ways for your loyalty and support!

Men’s health month…quick tips for the fellers

Posted on November 12, 2015 by adrensf

Men’s health (month) is more than just growing a beard, it is a time to bring to light the fact that we are just plain bad about taking care of ourselves. Here are some quick tips compiled by the ASF staff:

Sleep more. Among the epidemics sweeping the nation, sleep deprivation is near the top. In fact, there is a strong correlation between lack of sleep and obesity (which will make the list also). See where Ohio ranks and the connection between lack of sleep and gaining weight. Clearly, this is a big deal.
Get regular annual or biannual physicals, especially if over 40. Areas include optimal hormone levels, blood lipids, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar/glucose, prostate health, stress test, etc. Be as proactive as possible when it comes to health and longevity.
Reduce belly fat. Abdominal obesity increases your chance of heart disease and can largely be prevented by reducing/eliminating alcohol and refined carbohydrates.
Be the best son/father/brother you can be.
Get rid of your ego. We get it: Part of making a man, a man is ego. You are a bad-ass and you want the world to notice. Notice has been taken, so dial it down a few notches. Show some humility every now and then.
Give more, take less.
Include multiple days of strength training per week, every week. Forever.
Quit chasing money. Start chasing greatness.
De-stress. Stress may be a part of life, but too much can slowly eat away at your health and happiness. Meditate. Practice deep breathing. Smile. Be kind. Give and expect nothing back. Play. Laugh.
Live your legacy. Don’t wait until your funeral for people to notice your worth and contribution to the world. Do it now!
Pay it forward. Similar to the above, if you can help any one at any time do any thing, you have an obligation to do that. Pass on your knowledge and wisdom when the circumstances warrant.
Ask for direction if you’re lost.
Ask for directions if you’re lost.
Increase your heart rate via activity/exercise/movement every day for at least 15 minutes.
Stay true to your core values. If you have not thought about what they are and/or not written them down, try it before the end of the month. It was a game changer for our business and my life.
Dude, eat some vegetables!
Unplug, especially an hour before you (want to) go to sleep.

There are certainly more than the above. Stay tuned for more quick tips in a few weeks!