A UBC letter to Duncan

Duncan,

I am just finishing up the 4^th week of classes and I just wanted to let you know how great these last 4 weeks have been. I love the intensity, the energy, and most of all the support the instructors give.

Rhea is a little dynamo, I have fondly knick-named her “Satan”.  She seems like such a nice woman before class starts, but she must stay up nights dreaming of ways to punish our muscles…but I wouldn’t change her classes one bit. She really is an amazing.

Adam is also fantastic. He has a certain knack of pushing you past your comfort zone, but in such an encouraging manner, that you don’t even realize that you are doing something you didn’t think you could do. He is very knowledgeable and always willing to listen and help.

I am looking forward to seeing the progress I am making next week.

Thanks,

Ellen

Yoga Mat for Sale- $1 Bellevue

This is the most hilarious thing I've read in a long time. It's was a craigslist ad for a "Yoga Mat for Sale- $1." Unfortunately, the link has already been flagged for removal. Fortunately, I was able to retrieve it in my cache, and paste it here.

Something else that is unfortunate, is that the author for this ad get's no credit since his name is not listed anywhere. Ah well... enjoy!

****

Yoga mat for sale. Used once. - $1 (Bellevue)

Yoga mat for sale. Used once at lunch hour class in December 2009. Usage timeline as follows:

11:45a
Register for hot yoga class. Infinite wisdom tells me to commit to 5 class package and purchase a yoga mat. I pay $89.74. Money well spent, I smugly confirm to myself.

11:55a
Open door to yoga room. A gush of hot dry air rushes through and past me. It smells of breath, sweat and hot. Take spot on floor in back of room next to cute blonde. We will date.

11:57a
I feel the need to be as near to naked as possible. This is a problem because of the hot blonde to my left and our pending courtship. She will not be pleased to learn that I need to lose 30 pounds before I propose to her.

11:58a
The shirt and sweats have to come off. I throw caution to the wind and decide to rely on my wit and conditioning to overcome any weight issues my fiancée may take issue with. This will take a lot of wit and conditioning.

11:59a
Begin small talk with my bride to be. She pretends to ignore me but I know how she can be. I allow her to concentrate and stare straight ahead and continue to pretend that I don't exist. As we finish sharing our special moment, I am suddenly aware of a sweat moustache that has formed below my nose. This must be from the all the whispering between us.

12:00p
Instructor enters the room and ascends her special podium at the front of the room. She is a slight, agitated Chinese woman. She introduces me to the class and everyone turns around to greet me just as I decide to aggressively adjust my penis and testes packed in my Under Armor. My bride is notably unfazed.

12:02p
Since I do have experience with Hot Yoga (4 sessions just 5 short years ago) I fully consider that I may be so outstanding and skilled that my instructor may call me out and ask me to guide the class. My wife will look on with a sparkle in her eye. We will make love after class.

12:10p
It is now up to 95 degrees in the room. We have been practicing deep breathing exercises for the last 8 minutes. This would not be a problem if we were all breathing actual, you know, oxygen. Instead, we are breathing each other's body odor, expelled carbon dioxide and other unmentionables. (Don't worry, I'll mention them later.)

12:26p
It is now 100 degrees and I take notice of the humidity, which is hovering at about 90%. I feel the familiar adorning stare of my bride and decide to look back at her. She appears to be nauseated. I then realize that I forgot to brush my teeth prior to attending this class. We bond.

12:33p
It is now 110 degrees and 95% humidity. I am now balancing on one leg with the other leg crossed over the other. My arms are intertwined and I am squatting. The last time I was in this position was 44 years ago in the womb, but I'm in this for the long haul. My wife looks slightly weathered dripping sweat and her eyeliner is streaming down her face. Well, "for better or worse" is what we committed to so we press on.

12:40p
The overweight Hispanic man two spots over has sweat running down his legs. At least I think its sweat. He is holding every position and has not had a sip of water since we walked in. He is making me look bad and I hate him.

12:44p
I consider that if anyone in this room farted that we would all certainly perish.

12:52p
It is now 140 degrees and 100% humidity. I am covered from head to toe in sweat. There is not a square millimeter on my body that is not slippery and sweaty. I am so slimy that I feel like a sea lion or a maybe sea eel. Not even a bear trap could hold me. The sweat is stinging my eyeballs and I can no longer see.

12:55p
This room stinks of asparagus, cloves, tuna and tacos. There is no food in the room. I realize that this is an amalgamation of the body odors of 30 people in a 140 degree room for the last 55 minutes. Seriously, enough with the asparagus, ok?

1:01p
140 degrees and 130% humidity. Look, bitch, I need my space here so don't get all pissy with me if I accidentally sprayed you with sweat as I flipped over. Seriously, is that where this relationship is going? Get over yourself. We need counseling and she needs to be medicated. Stat!

1:09p
150 degrees and cloudy. And hot. I can no longer move my limbs on my own. I have given up on attempting any of the commands this Chinese chick is yelling out at us. I will lay sedentary until the aid unit arrives. I will buy this building and then have it destroyed.
I lose consciousness.

1:15p
I have a headache and my wife is being a selfish bitch. I can't really breathe. All I can think about is holding a cup worth of hot sand in my mouth. I cannot remember what an ice cube is and cannot remember what snow looks like. I consider that my only escape might be a crab walk across 15 bodies and then out of the room. I am paralyzed, and may never walk again so the whole crab walk thing is pretty much out.

1:17p
I cannot move at all and cannot reach my water. Is breathing voluntary or involuntary? If it's voluntary, I am screwed. I stopped participating in the class 20 minutes ago. Hey, lady! I paid for this frickin class, ok?! You work for me! Stop yelling at everyone and just tell us a story or something. It's like juice and cracker time, ok?

1:20p
It is now 165 degrees and moisture is dripping from the ceiling. The towel that I am laying on is no longer providing any wicking or drying properties. It is actually placing additional sweat on me as I touch it. My towel reeks. I cannot identify the smell but no way can it be from me. Did someone spray some stank on my towel or something?

1:30p
Torture session is over. I wish hateful things upon the instructor. She graciously allows us to stay and 'cool down' in the room. It is 175 degrees. Who cools down in 175 degrees? A Komodo Dragon? My wife has left the room. Probably to throw up.

1:34p
My opportunity to escape has arrived. I roll over to my stomach and press up to my knees. It is warmer as I rise up from ground level - probably by 15 degrees. So let's conservatively say it's 190. I muster my final energy and slowly rise. One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. Towards the door. Towards the door.

1:37p
The temperature in the lobby is 72 degrees. Both nipples stiffen to diamond strength and my penis begins to retract into my abdomen from the 100 degree temp swing. I can once again breathe though so I am pleased. I spot my future ex wife in the lobby. We had such a good thing going but I know that no measure of counseling will be able to unravel the day's turmoil and mental scaring.

1:47p
Arrive at Emerald City Smoothie and proceed to order a 32 oz beverage. 402 calories, 0 fat and 14 grams of protein -- effectively negating any caloric burn or benefit from the last 90 minutes. I finish it in 3 minutes and spend the next 2 hours writing this memoir.

3:47p
Create Craigslist ad while burning final 2 grams of protein from Smoothie and before the "shakes" consume my body.

4:29p
Note to self - check car for missing wet yoga towel in am.

Does eating organic reduce your risk of cancer?

Somebody asked me the other day, "Duncan... I haven't seen a blog post from you lately. Is everything okay?" Well, not exactly, but I'll be okay. When two loved ones are fighting cancer simultaneously it can take a major emotional toll on the body.

Within 3 months I've learned more about glioblastoma multiforma & adenocarcinoma than anyone should ever have to know. My feeling is, if you're learning about it, you've either got it or know someone who does.

I am going to apologize in advance for oversimplifying a topic that is highly complex. In fact, I'm going to challenge everyone to educate themselves on one of the biggest things you can do to protect yourself against cancer. That "thing" is what you eat and what you drink.

Too long have we accepted the ideology that, "If it is sold in a store, it must be okay to eat." We trust that someone is watching after us. Hmmm... doesn't it seem odd that the United States now has the highest cancer rate. Does it seem odd that 1 in 4 people, in the United States, will die from cancer. DIE from cancer! Do you understand what that statistic means? It doesn't mean 1 and 4 will get cancer. It means that within the 3 that live, it's because they either won't get cancer or they will get cancer, but will win the battle and die from something else.

Do you ever wonder why or how a seed that was genetically modified to resist Round Up was deemed safe. It's an ingenious invention, actually. Simply plant your corn or soybeans, don't do any traditional tilling or weeding, then douse the crops with Round Up and everything dies except the plant. In the meanwhile, you've got crops that have been soaked in Round Up. Corn in the cob anyone? Must be safe right?

Do enough research for yourself, and you'll discover that many of the things we put into our mouth have multi-billion dollar companies standing behind them. But, the government looks out for us, right? I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I do enjoy listening to them on Facebook while they rally their like minded enthusiasts. The truth is, the government consists of everyday individuals. Some of them have integrity, and some lack it like the Sahara does rain. What I'm saying is, a multi-billion dollar company can find many ways, using the right channels, to get their product to the end consumer.

There are literally hundreds of things that we do, blindly, that have been proven to cause cancer. The defense that most companies use is that there is not enough of this substance to cause cancer. In other words, the results are negligible. At what point does something no longer become negligible? And, what if we add up all the things we consume in a day that are "negligible", now we definitely have something that is no longer negligible, but now circumstantial.

Here are a dozen everyday items that you may expose to your body without ever considering the long term effects due to the ingredients that would be considered "negligible":

Chlorine in water

Mercury in teeth

Charred barbequed burgers

Raspberries

Soymilk

Salad

Eggs

Chicken

"Moderate" air quality

Refined sugar

Deodorant

Lotion

These items either contain carcinogens, pesticides, harmful chemicals, or the animal in which you are consuming was loaded with antibiotics, growth hormones, and put on a diet that actually gives the animal health problems.

Again, I encourage everyone to do their own research so that you can become equally disgusted and invoke change for yourself, your loved ones, and everyone around you.

The change does not come from trying to regulate companies, and what they put in products. That's about as effective as printing out, and marking up a "Terms and Conditions" agreement from Google and sending it back for them to consider revising it. The most powerful way to make a difference is simply to support companies that use "Natural Farming" techniques or are labeled "Organic."

What sucks right now is that naturally grown or organic product is expensive. To switch over, you will spend 1.5 to 2x more on grocery shopping. This is why we're in this mess. Foods have been created to sit on store shelves for a long time. Farming techniques have been modified to pay less workers. Pastures are too small for the number of cows in the field, which leads to infection (thus leading to more antibiotics). Forget having any grass for the cows to graze on when their standing in 6 inches of their own fecal matter and mud, therefore they are fed a genetically engineered product. The same goes for the chickens!

The more people buy natural and organic products, the more these companies will become competitive and will be able to offer a better price. For the sake of our lives, our children's lives, and our grandchildren's lives, make the decision to support the right companies. Once these companies become more supported, they too will become competitive and their prices will go down.

In fact, it's already starting to happen. Mega giants like Wal-Mart and Costco are selling tons of organic products. Products you had to pay out the nose for at organic grocery stores. Believe me, these companies didn't decide on their own that selling natural and organic product that was more expensive was a brilliant idea. They did it because they are listening, and responding to the momentum that is being started by people like you and me!

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson

Vice President of Bodies in Motion

Chief Master Instructor of The Academy of World Taekwondo

Ph: 208.381.0587

http://www.BodiesInMotionIdaho.com

http://www.facebook.com/bodiesinmotion

http://www.facebook.com/academyofworldtaekwondo

Losing Muscle Mass?

Every weigh in for the UBC always brings in mixed emotions and sometimes confusion. I wrote a blog post a while back to explain what the different weight losses mean. I also offer an explanation as to why you feel better, look better, and clothes fit better, but then the scale says the same thing. Check it out- http://ultimatebodychallenge.blogspot.com/2009/02/i-havent-lost-any-weight.html

In that blog post I talk about the loss of muscle mass. So far, everyone in the past who lost muscle mass was a direct result of not getting enough protein to support muscle growth. In this UBC, I have two people who were adamant about getting enough protein, but still saw a decrease in muscle mass. At the same time, they saw outstanding decreases in fat: 10 lbs and 15 lbs. And, we're not talking about overweight people to begin with either.

First, let me explain how the skin fold calipers work. If you weigh exactly the same amount after 10 weeks, but your skin fold measurement was less, then you replaced 100% of your fat loss with muscle mass. Make sense?

Now, let's say that you weigh less and your skin fold is also less. We don't know anything until we know just how much less and how much less the skin fold is. The caliper method uses a formula to determine the percent body fat. Then, the remaining portion is your skeleton, organs, and muscle. Since the skeleton and organs are non-variables, with regard to weight over 10 weeks, we simply refer to this remaining weight at "muscle mass." Any decrease or increase will be the difference in muscle mass.

Here is the Excel formula for you nerds- =IF(B5="male",(0.27784*((C7+D7+E7)/3+(C8+D8+E8)/3+(C9+D9+E9)/3+(C10+D10+E10)/3+(C11+D11+E11)/3)-(0.00053*((C7+D7+E7)/3+(C8+D8+E8)/3+(C9+D9+E9)/3+(C10+D10+E10)/3+(C11+D11+E11)/3)^2)+0.12437*C5-3.28791),(0.41563*((C7+D7+E7)/3+(C8+D8+E8)/3+(C9+D9+E9)/3+(C10+D10+E10)/3+(C11+D11+E11)/3)-0.00112*((C7+D7+E7)/3+(C8+D8+E8)/3+(C9+D9+E9)/3+(C10+D10+E10)/3+(C11+D11+E11)/3)^2+0.03661*C5+4.03653))

So, how do we lose muscle mass when we eat enough protein, and more importantly- get stronger? Because, the body is absolute amazing piece of work. Unlike an inefficient car, our body learns how to adapt to become more efficient. Athletes, especially ectomorphs, such as myself, experience this all the time.

When I fought competitively, I would be at least 40% more powerful with my kicks at competition time, than non-competing times. My 3 rep max on squats and bench press were higher, but I weighed the same. So, it is possible to condition muscles for strength without experiencing hypertrophy.

Okay, what about losing muscle mass. I still think it's possible to condition muscles for strength, and have your muscle mass decrease. I think it's rare, but possible. Think of professional boxers Manny Pacquiao or Oscar De La Hoya. These are boxers that are skinny little things, but pack a punch hard enough to put you flat on your back.

How do these boxers keep from losing muscle mass while training? They supplement their protein intake. I can't speak for these individuals regarding their method, but I can tell you what I did. I decided that I could not stay at the weight that I was at when I was competitive because I was at the bottom of my weight division (heavy weight). It was already difficult for me to gain more muscle mass, no matter how intense I made my weight training routine when it was coupled with endurance training.

For the 1999 Us Open Taekwondo Championship, I was able to increase my muscle mass by 9 pounds from the year before. I did it by increasing my protein to almost that of a body builder. I was eating 1 1/2 times my muscle mass in protein (bodybuilders are often 2 times their muscle mass). For me, it was roughly 255 grams of protein a day. I ate 5 meals a day PLUS protein shakes after workouts and at night. There was no way I could've physically eaten more protein. Instead, I had to drink it.

So, the moral of the story is... If you're getting stronger, feeling better, losing bodyfat, but experiencing a few pounds of muscle mass decrease, who cares. The workouts in the UBC are not necessarily designed to build muscle mass. They're intense and require you to endure it for an hour. I would say they are similar to my competitive Taekwondo workouts where there is such a high calorie expenditure. This is when your body performs that amazing feat of adapting to become more efficient.

Cheers!

Duncan Richardson
http://www.bodiesinmotionidaho.com/body_challenge.html

My Take on Volumetrics & Energy Density

The other night, I was watching some show that had Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser Trainer), the CEO of Weight Watchers, and some other person. They started talking about nutrition, so automatically, my ears perked up.

Immediately, I found myself griping to Rachel about the crap they are talking about. Okay, crap is probably the wrong word. What's crap is that everyone who is not so versed in this stuff is going to think that this is what they need to be doing because famous people are talking about it. It really bummed me out, because I like Jillian Michaels too. No worries for you Michaels fans... I will explain where she is coming from later.

Here is what they are talking about, and what is also becoming a huge trend right now. They are using fancy terms to describe nothing new, like- "volumetrics" or "energy density". To cut to the chase, the hip thing to do right now is to eat low energy dense foods that are high in volume. In plain english, food that takes up a lot of space, but has low calories.

The philosophy is that you will consume less calories, but yet feel full because you ate a lot. I even saw a commercial for popcorn that is totally riding this trend. They showed a handful portion of almonds next to a large bowl of popcorn and basically said, for the same amount of calories, go for the choice that gives you more food. The philosophy behind this method says that you will feel more full, therefore eating less calories down the road, and you'll lose weight because of it.

Here is where I come in with all my griping:

1. "Volumetrics" should mean nothing to you. Trust me... this is my turf now when it comes to math & science! Yes, popcorn has more volume than almonds, but the stomach doesn't care. The stomach sees 2 different types of food with relatively the same "mass." Mass should be the term used, not volume.

Take a bowl of popcorn, then smash it up. I don't mean smash it a little. Smash it down until there is absolutely no air voids left. Do you get the picture? Now you have a similar volume to that of the almonds. My question to Rachel was, "What are these people thinking? Do they believe that popcorn somehow expands back into it's original size in the stomach after it's chewed?"

2. "High energy density." What happened to saying, "high calories?" There are less words, and it flows off the tongue a little better. Anyhow, it doesn't even matter!!! Can you tell I'm a little razzled. Let's go back to the popcorn and almonds. Popcorn is not necessarily a bad food. I'll just put that out there right now. But, since when did we digress to going back to looking at just calories? This is so 1984! Oh, now it makes sense to me. People won't know we have digressed if we change the wording from calories to "energy density."

The calories that come from an almond are by way of monunsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (good guys) and protein. The calories that come from popcorn are from carbohydrates, and not a very favorable carbohydrate either (glycemic index of 75). If you're not fully getting #2, continue to #3.

3. Let's switch from popcorn to salad so it doesn't sound like I'm not giving this whole volumetrics/high & low energy density thing a fair fight. We can all agree that salad is pretty dang good for you. It's high in all sorts of macro and micro nutrients. It's got a low glycemic index and it's low in calories. According to volumetrics, you have to eat a lot of salad to equal the calories from almonds.

The smashed popcorn concept applies here too. Salad has less mass than almonds. Smash the salad up really good, until all the air is gone, then you have a mass than is much similar to an almond. This is pretty much how it looks in your stomach.

If the salad or other vegetables have a high water content, then you may get that full feeling that is being hyped here. I really don't like this term they are using, "full", because it implies "satisfied". The real term should be, "bloated." And, when you have that "bloated" feeling, you tend to stop eating for a while, at least until your digestive system can catch up.

There is a difference between "satiety" and "full". Yes, "full" may come from some foods in the volumetrics concept, but "satiety" comes from eating fats and proteins (period). A neuropeptide hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) is released and basically tells the body, "Hey! We're going to be working down here for a while, can you slow down on the eating? Better yet, stop?"

This is why you can eat an enormous salad, feel full for a 30 minutes, but then be hungry again. I know this first hand because I just finished a rather large chicken salad 45 minutes ago, and I am starving.

Everybody is different, but I seem to only feel the CCK hormone when I have a fat along with my meal. Lean protein doesn't seem to cut it. We are on vacation right now, so we don't have the normal fixings. Typically, we would've had some sort of monunsaturated or polyunsatured fat to go along with the dinner, but not tonight.

So, the point is, if you want to feel a sense of "satiety" after you have eaten, make sure you have a healthy fat & protein. Almonds are a perfect snack. It goes against the philosophy I am bagging on right now, but it will help you more, we've proven it. Take it a step further and ensure you've consumed a healthy carb as well, such as some apple or orange slices.

Now, do I think Jillian Michaels and CEO guy's information is totally useless? Not necessarily. In my opinion, the information is just not good for anyone in our programs. The information they are sharing is for obese people that are one, two, and even three hundred pounds over weight. We are trying to build and tone muscle. We are trying to burn fat in the neighborhood of 10 to 50 pounds top!

A Biggest Loser contestant can literally squat 400 pounds! Can you squat 400 pounds? Of course, I am talking about their own weight. Can you imagine the muscle mass they have accumulated over time to carry the weight they have. Jillian Michaels doesn't care about that muscle mass, nor should she. She is simply trying to get these people to lose everything! Weight Watchers is basically doing the same thing.

The Ultimate Body Challenge is not a Weight Watchers program or a Biggest Loser contest. It's a program that trains you like an althlete, teaches you to eat like an athlete, and will eventually help you look and feel like an athlete. Whether you are an athlete or not, trust me, eating and training like one will provide a longer, more fulfilling life.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html

Should I eat more on days I train extra?

Here is a good question I thought I would share-

"I was also wondering how to fit my run work outs into this plan. That is something I don't want to go by the wayside. I would like to possibly double up on some days and run on my Sport Fusion days (hopefully still getting in 4 runs a week) in addition to the classes. Will that alter my meal plan for those days? Should I be consuming additional calories? The food is where it gets tough for me. I LOVE to eat!! I love theaccountability of this program and hope that it helps me make somebetter healthy eating habits. I'm not a fast food eater, but I love to cook and I don't scrimp when I do :)Thanks for the help! Looking forward to getting my butt kicked tomorrow."

I say run! I say do it all! There are a lot of 80's & 90's mentality trainers that will disagree with me. If you take a good look at the people who look flat out awesome, they are busy bodies. They ski, they mountain bike, they run, they kickbox, they shovel their driveways and then they chase their kids for an hour with snowballs in hand.

Athletes often train several times during the day. In fact, my sister, who is a professional boxer, has a crazy training schedule. I can't recall it exactly, but it consists of something like- running in the morning, sparring at noon, then plyometrics in the afternoon.

Now, onto the nutrition aspect. Should you increase your calories on these days where you are training more? The answer is yes. For some people the answer may be no. Let me explain.

Remember the old adage- calories in vs. calories out. If you are on a fat losing quest, you have your stored energy, most likely around your midsection, butt, thighs, etc. In my opinion, you need to stay consistent with your nutrient intake. There is a concept called the "Zig Zag". There are Up Zags and Down Zags. If you are on a fat losing quest, then you will use the Down Zag concept on days you don't double up on your workouts. See the UBC manual for how to do this.

If your mission is to trim a little, and build a little muscle mass, then you must increase your caloric intake on these days. You can simply increase your activity level on your composition sheet by .1 or you can follow the Up Zag concept. Otherwise, your body will begin to break down your muscles in order to receive the nutrients it's requiring.

I hope this helps!

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com

Glimpse at some history of The Ultimate Body Challenge

Happy freezing, but yet 35 degrees warmer the next week, Holiday Season! Is it global warming, or climate change?? I say it’s Al Qaeda. Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to talk about.

Six years ago, we started a new program in our academy, the Ultimate Body Challenge. I remember the day perfectly clear. I had just retired from engineering (only working for 1 year), eating breakfast, and watching Regis & Kelly. I know what you’re thinking, why am I eating breakfast so late, and watching Regis & Kelly? If you need to know, I was working until 4 am every night, and I have no excuse why I was watching Regis & Kelly.

It dawned on me that we needed a program that goes beyond martial arts, beyond Thai-Robics, and truly helps people develop a body they can be proud of. For some reason, the Ultimate Body Challenge came together that morning.

Rachel and I pulled out all the stops when it came to marketing this program since we had a ZERO following for it. I think we signed up 20 people in the program, and that was a TON of work. We had promotions and contests stacked 10 feet high. We kept with it for 2 reasons- 1) It was an extraordinarily fun program to run. 2) It provided amazing results that left people excited about what we do, and that felt good!

Then, we began to see sort of a shift in marketing. As more and more people began signing up for the program, with or without our marketing, I noticed that I was qualifying more. I was marketing in a manner that seemed to be more selective. I was no longer interested in catering to the masses.

It’s as if our marketing was making it tougher and tougher to get in. Well… it was getting tougher and tougher to get in, especially during the January UBC. What can I say? Space is truly limited, and we turn people away every January now!

So, I’ve been working on a new marketing slogan to continue my marketing trend for UBC 2010. Tell me what you think?

The UBC is So Good… There is No Room At All This January!

Seriously… if you are interested in this program, I would follow the link provided, then pop your name into the cool looking “hover window” that will literally float into your screen. It’s about the extent of my html coding knowledge.

People that get on this list; get first dibs on a spot in UBC 2010… not that there is any room or anything:).

UBC 2010 UBC 2010 UBC 2010

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html

Weight Training vs. Cross Training Programs such as Ultimate Body Challenge

The other day, I read a comment on a YouTube exercise video, “Seriously, weight lifting is so 80’s.” The comment made me chuckle. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know. I picture leg warmers, headbands and aerobics when I think of 80’s fitness.

Anyhow, I know the point this person was trying to make. She were arguing that a cross training program is ultimately the best sort of conditioning. The gentleman was arguing that cross training programs are too strenuous. It went on and on.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to lift weights in a gym to compare my strength to how it was when I trained in a gym all the time to now. Aside from being ABSOLUTELY bored out of my mind, I realized several things by this experience-

1. Weight lifting is very linear and heavily isolates specific muscles. No, that’s not what I realized. What I realized was that when I crash skiing moguls this winter, which I love to do (ski moguls that is, not crashing), linear, isolating movements will do nothing for me.

Traditional weight training will help me very little since I do NOT crash in a very nice linear fashion. When I crash, my body is in a contorted, upside down, ski behind my head sort of fashion.

The training that helps me the most when I ski are cross training programs.

2. Did I mention that weight training was absolutely boring compared to a high energy cross training program? I couldn’t wait to get done so I could go back to our academy and do one of our routines.

3. I couldn’t handle how depressed half the people looked. One half gazed at their muscles in the mirror, and the other half just gazed in the mirror for 3 to 4 minutes between sets.

So, was I stronger? The answer is no. Was I weaker? The answer is no again! Although I didn’t increase my strength, I increased tons of other things. I used to leave the gym pretty wiped after my workouts. I did the same exact workout, with the same exact weight I used to lift, and had plenty of energy to head to our academy and do a serious cross training workout.

Somebody reading this may ask, “Then, what did I really improve besides endurance?” It’s a good question, because it’s not an apples to apples comparison, so I will just tell you.

I used to injury myself quite a bit playing soccer in high school (hamstring pulls, groin pulls, sprained ankles, etc.) Even as a competitive martial artist, when I was younger, I was always doing something funky to my lower back. And, I did extensive weight training, even under the direction of trainers.

About 5 years ago, we adopted a new training program in our facility that challenged students in completely unorthodoxed ways. Competitive soccer puts people at risk for injury because you don’t strengthen yourself for when someone takes out your legs when you’re in a feel on sprint.

For the past few years I had been playing competitive soccer again on a men’s city league. The ONLY injuries I was ever dealing with were bumps and bruises. Never pulling a muscle, twisting a knee or an ankle. Believe me, several guys on my team and other teams were fighting chronic ailments that were being blamed on “age.”

Teaching these programs and doing them on my own have tremendously improved my endurance, core strength, flexibility, and agility. I have never been out of shape, but I can tell you this… at 35 years old, I have more energy and stamina than I did as a competitive Taekwondo athlete in my early 20’s.

That’s what this type of training has done for me. Now, what it’s done for others is very, very similar, except it’s burned fat off our students bodies like crazy. Students lose, on average, 7% bodyfat in a 10 week period of time. That’s amazing, because they do it by following an athletes diet, not some sort of fad diet for birds.

What are these programs I am speaking about?

The Ultimate Body Shaping Challenge! To learn more about this particular program, visit the following link. http://www.freekaratelesson.com/weight-loss.html

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587

Body Composition Results

So you've gotten the results back from your body composition testing. Now what? First off, there are several scenarios, each providing a different strategy.

1. Muscle mass went up, body fat went down
This is the most desired result. Today, we had a couple students whose muscle mass went way up. They also mentioned that they've been working really hard at trying to get their protein. I would say they had no problem! In fact, if your muscle mass went way up, I'm talking 4 or 5 pounds in 5 weeks (female), and becoming a buffster is not what you're interested in, then you can afford to relax on the protein intake.

If your body fat went down, but only a pound or so, you're still on the right track, but we can definately improve. Remember, we're assuming muscle mass went up. I would check a couple things:
1. What is the quality of your carbs. Are they bread and pasta carbs? If so, limit them, or get rid of them.
2. What is the quantity of your carbs. Perhaps you're eating too large of portions. If so, try cutting the sizes down a little bit. If you're eating primarily greens for every meal, which I doubt with only 1 pound of fat loss, then we've got a different issue.
3. Too much fat. Are you going over board on your fats? Remember, when eating your healthy fats (nuts, avacado, etc.), you only need a little bit. Those calories add up really fast.
4. None of the ones above fit you? Then quit drinking so much beer on the weekends!

2. Muscle went up, body fat went up
I don't see this one too often, but since I spent the 2 seconds to type it, I'll write about it. Anytime muscle mass is up, your protein is good. If your fat went up, then you're overeating, most likely in the carb department. See number 1 above and take it twice as serious.

3. Muscle mass went down, body fat went down
This can be happening for two reasons- 1. Your body is going through an adjustment period, and has decided that it no longer needs the additional muscle mass to carry around the body fat you once had. If you have lost quite a bit of body fat (7 to 15 pounds in 5 weeks), this is typical. No worries!

If you don't qualify for the abundent fat loss option, then this means only one thing... not enough protein. Your muscles will only grow with building supplies (protein). Remember, the more muscle mass you have, the stronger you are and the more calories you burn simply by being alive.

See you in class!

Duncan Richardson

Halfway point around the corner!

Like I told everyone this morning, the halfway testing is nearing, you better start eating right:)!

Let me tell you the biggest mistake people make in this program. They eat like crap, or the same as they always have, then they justify it because they are doing these hard classes.

Do I need to preach? Okay, I will a little bit. Look, eating healthy is not hard, it just takes discipline. Competing in a Taekwondo competition is not hard, it just takes discipline. Give me 1 solid month of training, and I can have anyone tournament ready. My point is, we need to create habits of disciplined eating. Once it becomes a habit, it no longer requires self-discipline. It's easy, because it's a habit.

I can almost assure you that you are not going to be happy with your results if you are not focusing on our nutritional advice. I'm not trying to discourage you, but rather encourage you... encourage you to get rockin' and rollin' this next 5 weeks!

Now, I also know that many in the program are kickin' serious booty on training and nutrition. I can't wait to see your results next week!

Keep up the good work everyone, and we'll see you in class!

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
www.FreeKarateLesson.com

1,000 Pushups in a Day

Today, I pledged that I would do 1,000 pushups. A few people have asked why? Of course, I responded with, "why not?"

I'll have to admit, I became inspired to do this by a little girl in Isaac's kindergarten class. Yesterday, I was volunteering in his class and I noticed this girl would quietly get out of her chair and do 10 pushups. She did this about every 2 minutes at every single station. She didn't do it for attention nor did she disrupt anyone at the same time.

I asked her why she was doing them, of course shy as all get out, she just shrugged her shoulders. I thought to myself after that, "what an opportunity to challenge my self discipline." Besides, if a kindergartener can do it, I can too!

So here my little self discipline project...

1,000 pushups in 12 hours. I remembered an old statement, "How do you eat an elephant?" Answer- "One bite at a time." So, my plan is to do 50 pushups every 30 minutes. Now that I'm halfway through the day, I can see that I set my sights a little too low. It's funny how daunting tasks suddenly become small once you decide to take them on!

Stay tuned for when I do 2,000 in a day!

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson

Am I Eating Too Much?

After recently explaining to everyone that the Ultimate Body Challenge involves eating 5 palm sized portions a day, I recieved the question, "Are you sure I am supposed to be eating this much?"

My answer may come as a shock to you. Are you ready...? No. No, I am not sure you are supposed to be eating this much. I have a couple comments to back up this answer-
1. Unless I follow you for 24 hours will I know whether you are over-eating.
2. Just because it fits into the palm of your hand doesn't mean it's worthy of being eatened. A palmful of guacamole is too many calories. It's good fat, but you are officially over-eating.

Basically, what I'm saying is, I can't tell if you are eating too much without seeing what it is you are actually eating. What I'm going to do is arm you with some knowledge so that you can determine whether or not your palm sized portion is too many calories. Remember this, the palm size portion rule is a very, very basic rule. We choose to use it because it's simple and easy for people to catch on to. I highly encourage everyone to take it just 1 step further.

Everyone, and I mean everyone ought to know just how big their tank (stomach) is. Remember the gas tank analogy on orientation night? Do you know how big your gas tank is in your car? If you think for 3 minutes, I bet you can figure it out. You'll divide the cost to fill it up by the price of gas and you've got it. My tank is 20 gallons:).

Now, let's determine the size of tank in our body. This involves you getting up and going to get your body composition. I'll wait...

Couldn't help reading on, could you. No worries, I'm the same way. Just make sure you do it some time soon.

Look at the Nutrient Intake section. Let's say that it says you require the following in a day:

Protein- 73 grams
Fat- 37 grams
Carbohydrates- 110 grams
note- this is for a 135 pound female with 22% bodyfat

Now, take those numbers and divide them by 5 (for 5 meals a day). It now looks like this:

Protein- 15 grams/meal
Fat- 7 grams/meal
Carbohydrates- 22 grams/meal

At this point, should you ever question your palm sized portions, simply look at the nutrition facts on your food and make sure the proteins, fat, and carbs are all within a couple grams of what you figured out.

Here is a question I bet you're wondering, "What if the food doesn't have nutrition facts?" The answer is, "Do a little research." The research you do on the food you eat will be invaluable. If you eat that particular food regulary, you're going to remember exactly how many grams are in that food and you'll know the exact portion size you ought to be consuming. Do this for a couple weeks, and I can almost guarantee you'll know how many grams of protein, fats, and carbs are in all your meals.

A good site to research foods is Nutrition Data. Check out the peanuts. According to this sites information, you can eat about 14 peanuts. Each peanut is about .5 grams of fat. 14 peanuts is 7 grams of fat. Now, you will still need more protein, since 14 peanuts is only about 2.5 grams.

If you throw in a mozzarella stick, then you're getting pretty darn close. Peanuts will put you a little under on the protein, and a little over on the fat. Is it anything to be concerned about? I don't think so, at least for a snack. To make it even closer, lose the peanuts and have pistachios instead. Now we're almost right on our mark for proteins and fat. Toss in a medium sized apple and we're at 25 carbs. That's right on, in my book!

Remember, the following example is for a 135 pound female with 22% bodyfat. To recap, her snack could be:

14 pistachios (for protein and fat)
1 mozzarella stick (for protein and fat)
1 medium sized apple (for carbs)

Happy researching!

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson

1 Fat Burning Tip I Bet You've Never Heard Of

Dear Friend,

I have a fat loss tip that I bet you've never heard of, but first, let me explain a couple things. We've all heard that having a Lean and Strong body comes from exercise and good nutrition. Let me remind everyone, there are many items to the equation. It's not JUST exercise and good nutrition. If you've followed me, or have done our Ultimate Body Challenge (UBC), then you also know that I am a proponent for revving up your system... getting your metabolism working for you and not against you.

Having a metabolism that is rippin' and roarin' is like owning cash flowing rental property- your money works for you. A faster metabolism will be working for you to ensure food doesn't have a chance to get stored as fat, but rather gets burned up.

There is still another piece to the puzzle though. Let's say we get our metabolism just smoking, does that mean no matter how much we eat, we'll burn it off? The answer is a resounding no. Have you heard of "Calories IN, versus Calories OUT?"

In our Taekwondo class, I was explaining this concept to two of our teenage students before class. Yes, I preach good nutrition in all of our programs;). I explained it like this- How often do your parents fill up their car with gas? (Answer- Once a week.) So, 4 times a month? (Right.) So, that's probably 15 gallons of gas a week, or 60 gallons a month, right? (Right.) Why not just stuff the car with gas and fill it up with 60 gallons once a month? (Uhhh, because the gas will not fit in the tank all at once)

Aren't our bodies very similar to a car? What happens when we put too much gas (food) in our tank (stomach)? If we overflow our tank, guess what happens? The food gets stored as fat. A car is designed for only so much gas, just like our body is designed for so much food.

A car also has a built in mechanism to let the driver know when it's full and empty. Well, a body has one too. The problem with our body's mechanism is that it has a difficult time sensing when you slightly over-eat. Do you have unwanted body fat? Did you get this unwanted body fat overnight? Or, was it a slow accumulation over the course of 5 years, 10 years, or 20 years? Slightly over-eating mulitplied by the number of meals you have in a day, times several years equals that slow accumulation of unwanted body fat.

The answer is Cholecystokinin (CCK). CCK is your body's overflow mechanism. CCK is a hormone that is released in the presence of proteins and fats. This is why people can devour an entire pizza or large bowl of pasta when they are starving. It's pratically all carbs (undesirable carbs, too). The CCK hormone was never released, or it took too long.

The key is to include a healthy source of fats with every meal. In the UBC program, we advise students to eat some nuts or other source of "good" fats with every meal. Again, this ensures that we don't overflow our tanks when eating, and also gives us that satisfied feeling.

I hope you benefited from one of our UBC's strategic eating principles.

The last Ultimate Body Challenge Before Summer begins this Monday. To learn more about this program, visit-
The Last Ultimate Body Challenge Before Summer

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html

P.S. If you want to ask some questions right now about the UBC, call Kendal at 559-1424.

7 Days Left and Counting... Are You In Or Out?

The "Last UBC Before Summer Hits" is beginning in 7 days...

We had an absolutely awesome January UBC! Our attendance was the strongest it has ever been over the entire 10 weeks. Sure, some 6 am classes that only had 4 people made us wonder what happened, but when 15 people showed up the next day, we knew if everything was just peachy.

We're excited that so many people were happy with their results. We're even excited for those that admittedly bagged the nutrition, ate whatever they wanted, but loved feeling energized and stronger.

Now, we must have a serious talk... we're at that crucial point of knowing whether you're in or out for the next UBC before swim suit weather hits. This go around, we are offering former UBC students a discount to continue in the program. The tuition is $269.

Here is the link to follow in order to get registered and paid online.

I Love UBC... Sign Me Up Again!!!

I look forward to seeing you again really soon! Remember, the program begins again next Monday, March 30th.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/blog

8 Students Can't Seem to Find 60 Pounds of Fat

60 Pounds of Fat, Lost, Gone, Shedded Away- Family and Friends are Stunned

During our 6 am session, I did body compositions for 8 students. Collectively, they lost 60 pounds of fat. Keep in mind, these are not Biggest Loser contestants. These are everyday individuals like you and I. Unlike the Biggest Loser whose contestants start at around 400 pounds, our students range from 240 pounds down to 115 pounds.

The exciting part is, we just begun our final testing. I'm just so excited from the results so far. Here are some comments that have been made about the program over the past 10 weeks.:

"I have so much more energy..."
"I feel great and motivated..."
"I've gone shopping in my own closet..."
"Duncan, you owe me money for new pants, since they all don't fit anymore..."
"My [censored] life has improved..."(told to Rachel)
"The UBC has helped my running program..."
"My inner thighs don't touch anymore!"
"I have more patience with my children..."
"It feels sooooo good doing something for myself for once."

Alright, now it's time to relax, do some spring skiing, yard clean up, garage clean up, bike riding, or whatever, because we're back at it in 1 week. A good majority of our UBC students are saying, "I'm not quitting now..." They're ramping up for summer! This next UBC will start March 30th and will end right when school get's out.

FYI- This is the last Ultimate Body Challenge until the fall. If you want to super charge your body, chisel those arms and abs, and roast off that extra luggage in the midsection and rear end, this is it!

Visit http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html to get the whole scoop on the UBC. I hope to see hear from you soon because the last UBC is filling up.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com

A Speech I Gave

Hey there UBCer's. I presented a speech I wrote to a function last night. Check it out at our other blog.

A Speech for YPO/EO Boxing Event

Duncan Richardson

Quite Frankly, I'm Puzzled...

Quite Frankly, I’m Puzzled…

This morning, on the way to teach the UBC program, I listened to an advertisement on the radio about some drinkable crystals that are tasteless and may help you lose your love handles, tummy fat, etc. They stack the benefits of the product really, really well. But… if you listen to the advertisement carefully, you will notice that everything can just go right out the window because they strategically placed one word that releases all their liability for the product- “MAY.”

I’m puzzled that so many people are buying this stuff. I know they’re buying it because there is a new drinkable, chewable, swallowable substance out there that “may” melt the pounds right off and all you have to do is nothing. Just drink, watch yourself in the mirror, and BAM… your pants fall right off your hips.

If I were to do a radio spot for out UBC program, I would replace the “may” sentence with something like this- You’ll burn bodyfat and build muscle mass when you do the UBC program. No, "if's", no "and's", and definately no, "may's."

Are You New to The Acrostic- UBC?

Some people reading this may not know what the UBC. It stands for the Ultimate Body Challenge. I’ll start from the beginning for these folks.

What is the Ultimate Body?

We’re striving for it everyday. Even as an instructor of the program, I’m always trying to achieve the Ultimate Body. Having the Ultimate Body is much more than looking hot! Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely part of the program.

The Ultimate Body is body that is free from disease. A body that functions with a clear and refreshed mind. A body that has the cardiovascular endurance to hike mountains, ski all weekend, run circles with your kids instead of them running circles around you. It’s about feeling alive in the morning, and ready to tackle what life throws at you.

Having the Ultimate Body also means being limber enough to touch your toes, or to put your nose on your knees. It’s about having a strong healthy back because your core strength is better and your muscles are more flexible. The Ultimate Body is having greater bone density to fend off osteoporosis.

The Ultimate Body is having more upper body strength. It’s about having more lower body strength. It’s about having a body with lower cholesterol. The Ultimate Body has a strong heart that pumps blood, rich in oxygen, effortlessly to all the muscles and organs. Your Ultimate Body has more muscle mass and less body fat!

The Ultimate Body makes your spouse go, “Yeah… Baby!” We’ll just end this paragraph write here…

Now, we don’t have a lot of time. For two reasons- 1. The next UBC is just around the corner, starting just after spring break and ends right when school gets out. Talk about convenient! In fact, it’s the first UBC ever to be wedged perfectly in between two major school occurrences.

There is one more reason, why we don’t have a lot of time. You’re going to have to visit the following link though…

Why is Time of The Essence?

Ultimately,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
Children & Adult Lessons in Taekwondo
The Ultimate Body Challenge

It's Time to Start Preparing For Summer

Summer is just around the corner! Are you reaching your goals for the UBC this go around? Do you feel like one more UBC program will help tip you over the edge? Anyhow, it's time to start thinking about it because we are on week 7... Soccer!

Please let us know as soon as you can, regarding your plans for continuing in the program. We are hoping that we can retain our 6 and 9 am classes. Give us your thoughts.

Let's put it in high gear from here to the end! See you in class!!

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson

Korean Vs. American

As you know I was in Vegas over the weekend for my Black Belt test. And, while I was there, I observed some pretty interesting things. Things that I knew all along, but when you see it in such a bold fashion, it really drives a point home.

Yesterday, I had the same discussion with 2 individuals. I felt like the words were verbatim between the two people. Here is the concern- "the fat just wants to hang on no matter how hard I work..."

Do you remember the first day when I said, "Who here wants to go extreme and you're not afraid to give up certain foods to have the body you want?" Do you remember what I said? "Cut out all breads and pasta!" Then I said, "...or if you want to feel good, eat 'good', and make smaller improvements, go ahead and eat the breads and pasta, just make sure you keep it in the right proportions." I'm not anti-bread and pasta, but... it's the food that will really make it more difficult to shed that fat at the rate you might like.

I know, I know... bread is so good! We eat it as toast, we use it for sandwiches. It's the staple of an American diet! How can we get rid of two things that are so prominent in our food culture?

When I was at the Black Belt test, and when we broke for lunch, all the Korean officials had food brought in for them. I made it a point to check out what these people were eating. Their plates consisted mainly of vegetables and different meats, and a small portion of rice. Not a single one of them had bread or pasta. This is basically how the Korean people eat.

Then... there were the Americans. They were at the buffet loading their plates up with things like- bread pudding, potato wedges, pasta, self made sandwiches, etc. It was carb after carb, and not the good carbs either. Very few loaded their plate with salad and fish or chicken.

Now, let's talk about what I observed between the two groups of people. On average, the Koreans were older (officials), but they were slim. The ones that were taking the test were slim as well, and very powerful. Their flexibility, force, and execution of their techniques was amazing. Point being, they were slimmer, but they definately weren't weak.

Although, there were plenty of Americans that were in excellent shape, but on average, many of them had spare tires. I'm not talking big spare tires, well some were big, but on average, you can definately tell that there was no six pack behind that uniform.

Cutting out breads and pasta and eating more vegetables seems foreign to us because we're not used to it. As a society, we need to realize that our food, that is widely accepted, is taking us down the wrong path. By the looks of all these Koreans, they don't have the same struggles we do with fat. I don't believe we necessarily need to train harder, we just need to eat smarter.

As for me, I'm Mexican!

See you in class!

Duncan

Life After UBC

Many people have been wondering what happens when the UBC is over. My answer- "Don't worry, there is Life After UBC." I know your feeling. You feel like you are getting some good traction and you're making good progress and the last thing you want to do is let that momentum go... especially before summer! I hear ya... I'm pickin' up what you're thowin' down!

Stay posted, because I will be revealing some options for existing UBCer's and new UBCer's. Ashley... don't worry, I'm not ignoring you! I'm just trying to cram 48 hours into 24, that's all.

Talk to you all soon!

Duncan