3 reason why food challenges are stupid

Been seeing so many posts on the line about these "food challenges".  For anybody that doesn't know these are generally 30 day challenges of some kind of "healthy" eating.  I'm not trying to say getting people to eat healthy foods isn't awesome.  Just getting people to eat this way for 30 days is stupid.  Here are my 3 main reasons for despising food challenges.

1.  Generally these challenges are done by some sort of gym or group of people.  Little do they know that whoever is putting this together is making a cut of the money they are paying and pretty much doing nothing for it besides saying they are "doing it with you".

2.  The yo-yo.  Awesome you show somebody they eat this way for 30 days and maybe they drop a few lbs. Could be upwards of 10 pounds depending on how shitty they ate before.  Generally all water they drop and maybe a pound or 2 of fat if that.  The first thing these challengers do after the 30 days is go hammer down as much shit as possible they missed out on during the 30 days.  Then it's right back to there shit diet after that and guess what the pounds go back on.  Then lo and behold another challenge comes up and they are right there on it again.  Up and down up and down.  This shit wrecks havoc on your hormones and your metabolism.

3. Thirty days is not enough time or commitment to make an actual change in someones eating patterns.  In the eyes of the challenger it's to just get through 30 days.  These challenges in my mind do more harm than good.

Why not get someone to commit to 90 days.  From my experience 3 months is an adequate time frame to make an actual change in someones diet, daily routine, life and mind frame. Find someone that actually knows something about nutrition, how much you need to be eating and of what and let them guide you and hold you accountable. Every person is different, has different goals and needs different things.

Yes, yes I know all you out there that are furious reading this, there can be some good to come out of these type of things.  All in all, in my opinion for the few that may benefit from these there are way more that do more harm than good.

There you have it.  My take on these stupid ass food challenges .

The Grind

Over the last week or so I have really thought about what I would write about next.  There were a lot of things that came to mind, but top on my list was what I really think makes the difference in training.  I'm not talking about nutrition, and even though I 100% believe that Westside is the best side, there is one thing that is at the top of my list.  This one thing separates good from great.  Attitude. mindset and the ability to, what we call, love the grind.

I believe there are 2 types of mindsets.  One is a fixed mindset.  A person with a fixed mindset is someone that tells them self they are no good at something and no matter what they do that it will never get better.  This is also the person that when you try to help them and coach them, they have an excuse.  Excuses like, well I've never been good at the squat, or I've never been fast off the floor on my dead lift. In there mind no matter what they do or how much the work, they will never get any better.  Bring in the "Growth Mindset".  People with this mindset know that the more work they put in the better at something they can get.  They don't let limitations of not being good at something or something not coming easy to them stop them from getting better.  People with a growth mindset, can learn to love the grind.  Now looking at those two, you should be able to pick out which one is you.  You should really strive to be a growth mindset and if you aren't, guess what?  You can be!  All you have to do is stop living inside your little box.  Use the power of your own mind to learn to push.  

Now that we have that out of the way and you can see if you are a fixed or growth type we can move on.  Let's get into what the grind is.  The grind, or grinding is not giving up.   Not allowing yourself to say, that's enough.  You must learn to push yourself harder and longer than the average person does.  When they say that's good, you say nope and press forward.  When they want to quit early and cut everything short, you don't stand for that shit.  These people may get slightly better at doing something but they will never, ever be great.  Learn to love the Grind and it will reward you.  

If I told you that there was a way for you to get just 1% better each day would you take it?  I sure as hell hope you would.  Shit lets even say .25 of 1% better each day.  You better fuckin say that you would.  This is what is possible for you if you can learn to grind, push hard, have a positive mindset, and quit with all the fucking excuses.  

Now that you know what's possible, set yourself on the path to make it happen.  Learn to love the grind.  It will reward to 10 fold.  I will leave you with some quotes.  Maybe you have already seen them maybe you haven't, but after readying this I hope you can relate them to your own training and life a little more.  

"People need to quit looking for the easy way out and get to work" 

Dave Tate

"Get your head right.  Training isn't east and won't always be a walk in the park.  There's more to getting strong that just lifting the weights.  You have to get an attitude with the weights and bust your ass.  Louie once told me that he would NEVER train with anyone that didn't scare him in one way or another.  This is the best advice I've ever heard.  I'm not saying that you should be a dick, but there is a HUGE difference between "training" and "working out"." 

Dave Tate/ Louie Simmons 

Better sign up now.... only 2 spots left

Hello out there world wide websters.  I've been slacking on the blogging, but lucky for you I'm coming back at you with the heat! I'm sure this will make some people get all fired up, that is if they actually read it, but IDGAF.

Now, I'll start off by saying who am I? Who am I to say what I think and have people actually listen to it.  Hhaha, I'm nobody.  Yes, I own a gym.  Yes, I train people.  Yes, some people listen to me.  Yes I do write/coach some clients on the line.  Yes, I have some papers that hang up on the wall... not a shit load but some.  I am a tiny 165er that is reasonably strong.  I have been training for about 15 years now, helping people for the last 4, and owned a gym for the last 2.  Over that time I feel like I've learned a lot of shit from a lot of people that I highly respect and know a shit ton more than me.  Does that give me the right to say what's right and wrong.  Well, I have no idea but I sure as hell am going to give you my opinion on this matter that really burns me up whenever I see this shit online.

I keep an eye out there to see what's shakin on-the-line.  Twitter, Istagrams, Facebooks, Youtubes etc. and there seems to be this one common thing I see.  These online programs and eBooks.  Everywhere you look, every shit-wit out there on-the-line has some 30 day, 12 week or some other bullshit program they are peddling all over the net to anyone that will take the bait.  Here is where it gets good, the bait.  This line right here gets me fired up every time... "Sign up now! Hurry only 2 spots left!"  You know what... Fuck you.  One, don't think people are that stupid that they haven't seen you peddling your shit for the last months in a row and there is always only 2 spots left. Two, if your program is so good and your eBook is so next level, you would't be using tactics like that and plastering the web trying to get people to get on your shit.  If you are one of these guys, please just stop.  Your work should speak for itself without having to resort to that kind of douchebaggery.

In closing on this subject I will say, by no means am I saying everyone out there on the net is full of shit or offering shitty programs.  Hell I even write programming for online clients.  Guess what?  I sure as hell wasn't out there baiting them into anything.  Those people find me. Shit maybe my next writing should be about this great trend of all these "fitness pros" whoring themselves out.  That would be a good one....