I believe the teaching process is a two way street. There is nothing more magical than an instructor who invests in the pupil and the student who invests in the learning process. I know it is a stretch to call myself a teacher, but I get so much joy directing the 6:30 am O’Connell Extreme Fitness classes on Tuesday and Thursdays. My friends come to class motivated and determined to work hard and reach their fitness goals. This is a highly competitive group who inspire me every time with their grit and determination. The workouts have gotten much harder with each passing week and the people in the 6:30 class have gotten stronger and more physically fit. I am out of bed before the alarm clock rings on Tuesdays and Thursdays because I am enjoying everyday of their journey–they make it so much fun with their hard work and positive attitude.

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It is with a bittersweet taste in my mouth that I write this blog. My good friends Russ and Kristi O’Connell are leaving the United Sport and Athlete Gym at the end of March  and moving to a new location next to Gold’s Gym in the old APAC/Crossroads Hy Vee store building.  It’s an exciting time for the O’Connells because the new facility has much more space for all of the programs they sponsor; Taekwondo, mixed martial arts and the various exercise and fitness programs including the popular “OXF”.

The move is certainly a good one for the O’Connells because it will provide much more room for their expanding programs, but it is also a little sad. The O’Connells along with exercise fitness experts Armand and Sarah McCormick and Olympic Weight Lifting guru Jianping Ma provide the type of fitness and skilled training that you could not find anywhere–let alone under one roof. The combination of this incredible coaching talent made the USA gym a special and unique place. I believe it made the gym easily the best in the state of Iowa if not the Midwest.

United Sport and Athlete with the remaining coaches will continue to be a special place, but with a big part missing. What Russ and Kristi O’Connell brought to the gym honestly can not be replaced. Their incredible energy, passion and skill drive them and their students to be the best they can be. I admit I might be a bit biased because of the remarkable influence Russ O’Connell has had on me personally, but the true measure of a great coach or teacher is how others also feel about them. And I believe it is near unanimous that many others feel exactly like I do. Russ carries himself with great humility, dignity and with a great sense of pride. That’s why at the end of the month I will feel a little sadness leaving the building where I believe I was reborn..but I am excited for what the future holds for Russ and Kristi O’Connell in their new home.

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I can’t begin to explain how fulfilling Tuesdays and Thursdays are for me. Those are the days each week I direct O’Connell Extreme Fitness classes. My group isn’t very large..generally between 8 to10 people, but it actually makes it better for me because I get to know each person’s strengths, weakenesses and motivation.  I have to say the members of this 6:30 am class come to compete every day and the results are coming. And as the classes become more difficult I can tell that this group of OXFers is getting stronger with much endurance than they had seven weeks ago.

The key to success with anything is staying the course and being consistent; with an exercise plan and diet. For those of us who might be overweight, losing would be a good thing, but the weight in and of itself is just the symptom of an unhealthy lifestyle. Just losing the weight through some fad crash diet or starvation doesn’t make you a healthier person–now you’ll visibly look better–but you won’t necessarily be healthier. Good health is gained by eating foods rich in essential nutrients and maintaining a consistent regimen of exercise and activity to build muscle and cardiovascular endurance. Anything short of that and you are doing your body a disservice. It’s not the rabbit that wins this race, it’s slow and steady that takes the prize.  Why be in a hurry you will have the rest of your prolonged life to be at your ideal weight..just stay the course.

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It’s been so long since I had written a fitness blog, I almost forgot my password. During my absence I have still been working out, how about you? Millions of Americans made New Year’s resolutions 55 days ago and purchased gym memberships with the thoughts, hopes or wishes to get into better shape. More than half of those people are back on the couch vegetating! Most habits are formed in 28 days while someone’s good intentions can be derailed after a couple of hard workouts.

I really believe the most difficult part of the process is just getting started.  We are now halfway through our O’Connell Extreme Fitness classes and I am very impressed with the work ethic and attitude of our group. The new people have mixed in well with the returning veterans and there is good synergy in terms of attitude, drive and chemistry. 

I have now been working out regularly for more than 18 months and during this time my fitness goals have changed many times. The challenge for me now is to find new “challenges” to help me maintain my focus and intensity in the gym.  Athletes in competitive sports have it easy in this regard, because they are always training for something; a race, a game or some type of competition. And while I am training for,  something much more important, my life. It is harder to tangibly visualize adding years to my life when I am doing 20 repetitions of squat presses with weight(all I can feel is pain and fatigue). But on a daily basis I do feel stronger and more energetic because I have committed to fitness.

Speaking of daily—I am going to try and start doing this every day so check in every now and then and join the conversation.

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The first week of the “O’Connell Extreme Fitness” program is always challenging, but I must say this has also been one of the most rewarding weeks of my fitness journey. Our 5:30 a.m. class is packed! We have between 30-35 people(on the first day I was scrambling around trying to find a bag)..with at least a third of the group doing their first OXF class.  It’s a good mix of new and old friends–and for me it is especially gratifying because several new members I know very well. East High teacher Rachael Woodley is a longtime friend and the wife of KWWL Sports Anchor Mark Woodley.  Rachael is the sister of former Hawkeye kicker Brion Hurley and she herself had a stellar volleyball career at Central College.  Former Iowa Hawkeye football star Robert Smith is also with us this time around. You can see Robert running up and down Big Ten College gridirons on Saturday afternoons wearing stripes, a cap and whistle. Smith is also a high school basketball official and he dragged another referee and someone I’ve known a longtime Stacey Van Arsdale to the morning workout. I know OXF has been an extreme shock to Rachael, Robert and Stacey’s systems–but I know they are all happy to be here.

And I am happy that Russ and Kristi O’Connell have given me an opportunity to direct the 6:30 am OXF classes a couple of days a week. Believe or not they have entrusted me to lead people. I have to say in all sincerity it has been an incredibly rewarding experience. You are right if you are thinking I might be lacking some of the credentials necessary to teach a fitness class. But I will explain why after teaching two classes I realize I am very qualified. First of all and most importantly I want to see these people succeed–and I am willing to work with them to make it happen.

Russ hands me the workout plan every Tuesday and Thursday(usually the exercises we do in the 5:30 class).  The 6:30 am class is quite small..about seven or eight people doing their very first extreme fitness class. They make me excited to get to the gym(that explains to my friends why I was bouncing around like a crazy man in the 5:30 class this morning). I am the first to admit that my kickboxing technique is still a work in progress, but I have been where the new people are now and I get great pleasure in helping them reach their goals. This morning during a push up exercise I challenged several class members to try a couple of conventional push ups instead of doing it off their knees. They surprised me and themselves with what they could do…at that moment I felt so good about what I was doing. There is nothing more gratifying than helping people feel better about themselves. I understand why this is a labor of love for Russ and Kristi O’Connell.

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Okay most of us have survived and made it through the holidays in one piece! Albeit for some of us a much larger piece than we would like. Don’t feel bad, it’s inevitable that you are going to blow your Christmas budget and gain weight in the month of December. I did. Yes during a month off from my “O’Connell Extreme Fitness” workouts I put on a few pounds. Those sweets, fats and libations I consumed in abundance while I was on my extended vacation finally caught up to me. I weighed 197 pounds when I finished the fall OXF in late November–after more than 30 days of eating, drinking and being merry I stepped on the scales this weekend (my kids are my witnesses–they said “Dad is fat”–such lovely children) and I weighed 208 pounds. Guess what, after two mornings of OXF..I am back down to 199.

I’m not trying to gloat here, I am just trying to explain maintaining a healthy weight is not difficult. If I can do it anyone can. I try to eat foods that are healthy for me(Fruits, Vegetables, lean protein, fish, poultry etc…) but during the holidays I don’t deprive myself of other foods that aren’t so good for me. Just like I don’t drink alcohol until I’m falling down drunk–I don’t eat sweets or fatty foods until I’m full. Weight gain is simple mathematics: the body taking in more calories than it burns. Think of your body like a car. On day one if you fill your car and it goes 400 miles on a full tank, but you only drive it 375 miles–that’s a surplus of 25 miles of unused fuel for day one.  Excess fuel or food left in our bodies becomes stored fat. So you need to work harder(exercise or physical activity) or consume less food.

The New Year is here and we are being bombarded with fitness centers appealing to your New Year guilt. We all need to do something, bu please take your time and choose wisely. Don’t just throw your money at what sounds good. If you are like me and you know that structure and accountability is important, look into joining a fitness program. Many gyms offer these opportunities in which trained professionals put together a fitness plan designed to help with weight loss, strength training or improved cardio. Whatever you choose to do I wish you all the best.

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For those of us in our 30’s, 40’s and beyond remembers how strong your dad was even in his fifties and sixties. Today during my workout Russ O’Connell and I got into a discussion about two of his mixed martial arts fighters and the concept of “Old Man Strength” came up. Russ was describing one of his fighters who was exceptionally strong despite being in his late 30’s. The term can also be used to define Russ O’Connell himself who is remarkably fit and very strong for a man of 51.  I have heard the term before, but today since it also fits me to some extent I decided to give it a little more thought.

It is believed that men and women begin losing lean muscle around the age of 30. It’s just one of those facts of life that we all eventually endure muscle atrophy (deterioration) and Sacorpenia (decrease in muscle function) as we age.  Lean muscle loss becomes even greater due to physical inactivity. But of course you can slow the effects of muscle loss with exercise, which includes some kind resistance training.

With that being written why do you often see many older men in their 50’s and beyond who have pot bellies and don’t look like they have ever been in a gym produce feats of impressive strength. There is a guy by the name of  Mike Westerdal who has a very interesting theory. Westerdal say these men have “Real Life” strength.  Men who are really strong from doing manual labor and a variety of physically demanding chores around the house and in the yard. Westerdal makes the point that the variety of tough physical activities over the years performed by our fathers have helped to develop hybrid type three muscles. This kind of muscle not only produces strength but also endurance. So our dads have real life strength!  Most people who go to the gym(unless you are in an extreme fitness class of course) generally focus on training specific muscles.  And while the gym rats might reign supreme in bench press competitions, those with “Real Life Old Man” strength have the edge everywhere else.

After my workout with Russ, I went to my parents house to help them with their snow removal. My 77 year-old dad who has survived cancer and has a pace maker/defibrillator in his chest gave me another demonstration of “Old Man Strength”. My father, who has done physical labor all of his life, very stubbornly hauled out this huge snow blower and matched me step for step. “Old Man Strength” is nothing to mess with!!

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We are about three weeks away from the New Year, a time in which most of us hit our knees to make annual resolutions. You know to try and be better human beings by focusing on world peace, loving our neighbors and losing weight. I will save the good samaritan stuff for another day, however now I want to concentrate on the fitness issue something a person can actually get a handle on before we pop the champagne bottles on January first.

I really believe the Thanksgiving to Christmas holiday season is the most dangerous 30 day stretch of the entire year for our health. It’s a time when most of us completely let our guards down! We meet and party with family and friends and consume massive amounts of food and alcohol.  What do they say–”Eat, Drink and be Merry.” This banner is usually accompanied by a really fat dude in a emperor’s costume holding a drumstick the size of a club and an enormous mug. The poster child of what the holiday season can do to all of us.   

There’s no way we can avoid the wonderful holiday food; it’s at your home, on your job and constantly in your face. But we can limit its effect on our waistline. Most health experts will tell you one or two days of overeating is not going to harm you. It’s the excessive eating over a long period of time that sends the numbers on the weight scale skyward. Most experts advise to make sure you don’t go to parties hungry, to eat a light snack before. They also say moderation and smaller portions are the key along with drinking water to stay hydrated. One of the biggest culprits to weight gain is the consumption of alcohol. They don’t call them beer bellies for nothing.  Just one brew or a mixed drink can put anywhere between 150 to 450 calories into your system. It’s obviously best to enjoy light beer, light wines or mixed drinks that have sugar free additives to bring in your holiday cheer.

With all of the partying we will be doing over the next few weeks, it’s still imperative to stay active. Being consistent about getting into the gym will go a long way toward making that New Year’s resolution a much smaller obstacle to overcome.

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Usually the last day of anything is a time for celebration. It means, successful or not, you have completed a journey. I have to say today is very bittersweet for me as I say goodbye to my “O’Connell Extreme Fitness” classmates.  This is the fourth time I have gone through the program and each class has it’s own unique personality.  I really loved the dynamic of this group! Collectively the people in this class were driven, competitive and a lot of fun. They were constantly pushing the envelope, because no one wanted to be considered the “weak link”.  And in turn, we all pushed each other to positive results.

Through my participation in the OXF program I realized I do a lot better exercising in a group than I do by myself. First of all there is accountability; I have only missed two classes in the 48 weeks that I have been involved in the program, once for my daughter’s college graduation in North Carolina and the other because my car wouldn’t start. I felt terrible missing class–like I let Russ and my classmates down. There is really a team like atmosphere in which the other OXFers get to know and care about each other.  Reed and Lisa Pryor are holding a Christmas party at their home next week and most of the guest list are people from our OXF class.

I made modest improvements during the past 12 week session. My weight stayed in the 195 pound range, but I lost a little more body fat as I continue to tighten everything up and add more muscle. I know my mind has become a lot stronger in that I am confident I have the energy and mental toughness to take on any challenge.  We practice dealing with adversity every day in class–through endurance, strength and speed exercises and just like life–you either get tough and battle through it–or you give up. I want to thank my graduating OXF classmates for being strong–there wasn’t an ounce of quit in this group!!!

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