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!!

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.

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

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!

Until I joined ASF, I always thought a Burpee was something you did at the kitchen table when Mom wasn’t looking! Nope, apparently a Burpee is some sort of human torture where you squat then throw your legs out and plank then stand up and jump. After my first class I was convinced Tony had made up this exercise after watching too many Walking Dead episodes while drinking an adult beverage. Picture this: Zombie gets into attack mode by squatting down then quickly pushes its legs backwards and then forward, jumps up and devours its prey.
I decided I am pretty good at researching obscure stuff and there is this nifty thing called Google. I type in “Burpee” and Boom: Here’s the Proof I received – a Burpee is a brand of seeds for growing plants and vegetables for home owners. I knew I had seen that name somewhere before. So Tony must have been forced to pick soy beans as a young boy. I can see it now, he squats down goes to pick a bean and all of a sudden a zombie jumps out. He kicks back then forward, jumps up and scares the zombie with those teeth and the Tony glare. No, no, no I don’t think there are zombies in bean fields and Tony is way too good looking to scare anybody.
I contacted the Burpee seed company and they don’t know Tony and apparently they don’t employ any Zombies. Their customer service people are not very friendly either. They would only answer my first 15 questions and they refused to comment on Zombies. Now we know how they get all those seeds in those little pouches. One thing I know for sure is the Burpee is a Royal Pain in the butt. Back to Google and I am afraid I have bad News folks: We cannot blame Tony or Zombies for the Burpee, but we can challenge Tony to attempt to break the world record for the most Burpees in 24 hours. He only needs to complete 10,106 Burpees. Turns out the Royal pain in the Burpee is exactly who invented the Burpee.
Believe it or not, the burpee is actually named after someone! In the 1930s, Royal H. Burpee created a test to measure agility and coordination for the U.S. military. The test was included in his book, “Seven Quickly Administered Tests of Physical Activity” and included the movement that would thereafter bear his name. So Royal Burpee must have been insane. I started thinking to myself he must have been in a padded room and trying to get out; squat, kick back, kick legs forward, and jump. Surely doing that 100 times would convince people he wasn’t crazy? Nope, wrong again. Mr. Burpee was a physiologist and “created” the Burpee while working on his Ph.D. thesis. One question though, how did he do this while chasing Zombies in the insane asylum?
So what in the world was Burpee thinking when he created this “exercise”. I still can’t figure out how this has anything to do with Zombies. But we can thank WWII and the U.S. Armed Services for adopting the Burpee as a way to assess the fitness level of recruits. The greatest generation does it again. Now we know why there are Zombies in Call to Duty…if you hit and hold R1, Triangle, L2, and spin in a circle, the Burpee move wipes out Zombies COD. On a serious note the Burpee is a much disputed exercise. After reviewing two web sites I clearly see no one really knows how to perform a Burpee. It’s not that hard, you grab a bag of seeds, tear it open and dump them in the ground. Wait, sorry I am so confused; the zombies and vegetables have me all confused. Not to mention the padded room I sleep in every night.
I did find the original hand written instructions from Mr. Royal “Pain” Burpee: The Burpee is done in four counts. A Man (sorry ladies apparently Mr. Burpee was not very diverse) first assumes a stand position, with arms at his sides, and feet a couple inches apart. At the count of “one” he goes down to a squatting positions with hands flat on the ground and arms inside his knees. At “two” he throws his feet back and assumes a Plank position; all of his weight is resting on his toes and hands. At “three” the zombies come out (just kidding) he quickly assumes the squatting position again. At “four” he stands up.
For the one or two of you that love Burpees, screw you, but I have good news. There are endless variation of Burpees, including: Box-jump burpee, Burpee broad jump, Burpee push up (also known as a “bastardo”), Dumbbell burpee , Eight-count push up or Double burpee, Hindu push up burpee (Dave’s Favorite), Jump-over burpee, Jump up burpee, Zombie Burpee, Knee push-up burpee, Rug Burn burpee, Long-jump burpee, Muscle-up burpee, One-armed burpee, One leg burpee, Parkour burpee, Pull-up burpee, Shitee (this is what I do after every Rep), Radish Burpee, Side burpee, Squat Thrust, Tuck-jump burpee, and my Favorite the Burpee pull and push up (body blaster).

No Burpees were harmed while writing this blog……………………and if you are sick and want to see some videos of Burpee’s go here.

Brian Macdonald – 7th in age group (20-29)

Ben Helmers – 3rd in age group (35-39)

Brian Keto – 3rd in age group (40-44)

Brian Shearan – 5th in age group (40-44)

Jim Hahn – 8th in age group (40-44)

Tony Poggiali – 6th in age group (45-49)

Amanda West – 2nd in age group (30-34)

Becky Parnell – 1ST IN AGE GROUP!!!! (40-44)

Click here for the ASF blog with archived posts.