We must eat. Many of us love to eat. Eating is part of life. We think about eating many waking hours of our life. These are all true statements about eating. How much you eat and what you eat are topics of discussion that can be found in every home, office, and social setting today. One of the popular topics of discussion today is – keto. This diet trend   – along with many others – fuels a billion-dollar health and wellness industry. Sadly, a portion of that income is generated by people paying to learn how to eat less, while in other countries they are trying to find a way to eat.  Instead, we are trying to stop eating because we have an abundance, and put limitations on what we “can eat.” Let’s dive into this topic of going keto and see what the hype is all about.

First, let’s ask a few questions about food and what is considered “healthy.” What foods are best for you? What foods should I avoid? What is healthy eating? All these questions have answers that contradict each other. People experience changes in their bodies when they change how they eat and all a sudden they have found the answer to losing weight or being healthy! The excitement that comes with change excites us and we want you to know about it. Instead of talking about the 1000’s of options that can or can’t work for you, let’s talk about one method that has been gaining popularity: the ketogenic diet. (I try to never use the word diet but rather meal planning and eating.)

What Going Keto Looks Like.

Ketogenic meal planning and eating teach your body to use fat for fuel.  By changing your eating habits, you can begin to burn the fat stored in your body by eating a low carb, low protein, and high-fat diet. This type of meal plan produces great results. I’ve tested it firsthand and can tell you it works. Let me walk you through the dos and don’ts of going keto.

Here are the things you can’t consume:

• No refined and white sugar
• No wine or beer
• No bread or pasta
• No grains
• No potatoes
• Most dairy is off-limits
• No fruit
• No chips
• No popcorn
• No soda
• No snacking
• No breakfast
• No juice

Here are the things you can consume:

• Fatty meats like bacon
• Cheeses
• Hotdogs
• Heavy cream
• Butter
• Olive oil
• Black coffee or cowboy coffee(with butter)
• Sugar alcohols
• Stevia
• Ribeye steaks
• Salmon
• Coconut products
• Dark chocolate (with no sugar)
• Nuts and nut butters
• Avocados

Add-On Recommendations

Now you know the things you can and can’t consume when you go keto. Here are a few additional recommendations to follow. Add intermittent fasting for 16 hours and eating in an 8-hour window for greater gains in weight loss. Do fasted workouts as often as possible adding high-intensity work for greater gains. Satiate hunger with green teas or strong black coffee. Eat one huge meal or 2  moderate meals a day only during your fasting window to receive the benefits of autophagy.

Fat Benefits the Body

Let’s go a step further and break down the truths of keto, healthy keto,  ketogenesis, and unhealthy keto. There are so many forms of keto being delivered to the public. The target audience is people trying to lose weight. The attraction is you can change how you eat without having to work out too much and lose weight after three weeks of perfect eating on the ketogenic meal plan. You become fat-adapted, so your body uses fat for fuel. Fat is a very efficient fuel, and your brain prefers it over carbohydrate-based fuel. When you consume this much fat it is recommended to move your body daily to build muscle and use the fat.

Additional Results of Going Keto

Other benefits of the keto diet are the lack or loss of hunger. This is great for weight loss, but it’s just not that fun if you love eating. You will have to eliminate the taste of sweet from your life! You no longer experience blood sugar changes from high carbohydrate-based diets means you can sustain clean, consistent energy the whole day as your body taps into its limitless fat stores. I have also experienced elevated mental clarity which is why I retain many ketogenic principles in my eating habits today. One more benefit of eating less carbohydrate is that you feel leaner- as you retain less water almost immediately.

As an athlete, coach, and health & wellness specialist, I’ve tried it all. The ketogenic meal plan has its advantages over all the other options. I will confess that I miss sugar, beer, and eating pizza, but when I consume these foods I have an immediate negative response: I feel poorly, have an upset digestive system, and feel bloated. Do I look and feel better not eating these foods? Yes!!! I am confident that I can maintain a balanced diet indefinitely, and going keto is balanced for me. The benefits of eating fewer carbohydrates have been one of the most impactful takeaways from the ketogenic meal plan. My bodyweight and fitness form are very consistent without the addition of fruit, alcohol, and grains. I feel remarkably better than my pre-keto days.

Keto Has Inspired Me to Go Low Carb Indefinitely

As an athlete, I have become a dual fuel organism that uses any form of fuel during a workout. When carbs are added it boosts my energy quickly and powerfully, which is what my body expected. I have limited my carb intake down to no more than 50 grams a day and will remain low carb indefinitely. This has resulted in eating less food overall. The food I do eat is of the highest quality and purest form, which is now very expensive: therefore, I’m eating less.

The results from my keto diet are: I feel great, my focus is off food, my energy is better, my thoughts are clearer, and I don’t fear extended periods of not eating. As an aging athlete who needs to get most of his gains through efficiency, the ketogenic meal plan is the solution to that need. I would suggest trying everything once and then concluding what works best for your body.

Book an appointment with us so we can discuss your health and wellness or if going Keto is right for you.

The post A Personal Trainer's Perspective of Going Keto. appeared first on Aspen Pro Fitness.

Growth, balance, strength, and health. I think about these concepts every season.  I consider how I can grow every year, quarter, month, week, and day. I try to follow my own rules by taking these concepts and applying structure + consistency to get the change I’m planning. Some years it works great, other years pose challenges I never could have anticipated.

How do I manage to get stronger each year without burdening my life? 

I approach my goals together with a team. 

Getting stronger together is something I teach, preach, and practice. These are my steps to achieving this goal:

• I work with my family to allocate time for training.
• I allocate funds in my budget to hire coaches every year.

Both my family and coach help me with getting stronger in ways I can’t on my own. Like many aspects of life, friends, family, and coaches all have a different perspective that allows them to see things we can’t. And just when I think I have it figured out I learn something new from someone else’s perspective.  That’s the greatest part of being coached and being coachable.

Like many great accomplishments in life, there’s benefit in letting go and trusting in another authority to take the reins and lead you.  As a coach I find it’s the hardest thing for me to do, but how else will I grow? Osmosis? No. I trust others and work with them.  This also applies to my family.  I must listen and trust them to help me weave another great training and racing season into our year.  I embrace my family’s and coach’s feedback. If my season doesn’t turn out as I expected, there’s no huge loss but rather an opportunity to learn and grow for the next season.

You want to get stronger? You want to do better? How do you do it? To be honest there are so many online resources. You can sign up for an online degree in training by taking a few programs, meal plans, and how-to’s.  I did and, I achieved so much but at a slower pace than my competition that was being professionally coached.  When the studying got tough I had to spend hours researching for answers. When I hired a coach, they had the answers. I had to give each coach an honest season of hard work and decide if it was fruitful.  In my extensive experience in managing goals, that’s all we can do.  Each of us has an idea of what we want, how we want to achieve it, and what the action plan looks like.

I encourage each of you with big lives, big goals, beautiful families, friends, and even furry friends to try something new this season. Trust in a professional to lead you to greater successes! Aspen Pro Fitness has been in the business for almost 12 years now and we’re getting results!  We are in the coaching business but more importantly in the people business. We put you first.  At Aspen Pro Fitness we want to see you achieve your goals more than signing you up for a program you can’t execute.  We focus on integrating health and fitness into your life and adjust monthly, weekly, and sometimes daily to get you to your greatest health by getting stronger.

Book an appointment with us or call to schedule a meeting. Let’s discuss how you can get stronger, together with Aspen Pro Fitness!

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Let’s break down these terms: Omad & Nomad.

Omad: One meal a day

Nomad: a person who does not stay long in the same place; a wanderer.

During your training season, there are so many rules to follow, workouts to execute, structure to put in place, and micro/macro splits to study. You must be structured, disciplined, and stable. A nomad is NOT this way. This may be completely opposite to eating routines during a normal training season, but OMAD works. During training, I like to eat six meals a day which contradicts many theories. It’s nice to switch things up and experiment with habits like a nomad.

Why Omad Nomad?

Because I need some time to do things differently. I like to wander throughout my day without timing my workouts. Maybe I’ll run as hard as I can at lunchtime, or sleep in and do a weight workout during a rest day.  I let the metrics and planning rest before I plan to train more effectively and efficiently than in the previous season. Personal experience has taught me, if I fail to let go of structure for a controlled period, then there are consequences. More on this thought, below. Overall, this is why OMAD is a great decision for my post-season lifestyle. It allows rest for my body by scaling back the training, in effect, means scaling back my eating.

Personal Experience Defines this Lifestyle Choice

This is a temporary lifestyle change that benefits my overall training. The first result is, I will perform great at the beginning of the training season only to be followed by an extended period of lackluster performance. The second result is, I will not get another opportunity to indulge, relax, and have a loose schedule once the pre-season and race season starts. I will try to find opportunities to indulge and lack structure which then creates a rubber band effect in my schedule.

Something different and beneficial.

I cannot do this lifestyle, OMAD nomad, once the heavy lifting of the preseason training begins. It involves, rest, relaxation, and the unknown! Many studies and great athletes have reported that the central nervous system (CNS) will become tired with extended durations of training, high-intensity training, and overtraining if NOT given proper rest.

Lack of Rest

I have experienced this ‘tired’ result in the form of loss of motivation, lack of physical adaptation, and poorly executed workouts. At the time of this realization, it was week number 6 that I had been on the couch watching TV, enjoying a few adult beverages each day paired with extra-large portions of authentic Mexican food.  I started my season 4 levels behind my target, 10 lbs. overweight and working harder than I can remember.  I asked myself, “Why didn’t I rest more in the postseason?” and, “Why not become an Omad Nomad?”

OMAD Metaphor

I have also concluded through experience, scientific study, and interviews with world-class coaches that your physical body will not cease to move at a high level regardless of the state of the CNS. I compare the response of OMAD to your car breaking down 100 miles from your destination, and with no way to get help. You will walk, walk, and continue to walk regardless of hunger, dehydration, fatigue, or mood until you find help.  The physical body keeps moving. Just like the body will keep moving until it arrives at its next mealtime.

How is it possible?

One meal a day?? I have studied and practiced this method extensively and I promise you that you will not just survive, but you will thrive with OMAD.  Here are some things I consume that help me get through the day till my one big meal:

• Bulletproof coffee
• Hot tea
• Seltzer
• A plant-based protein shake before that one meal.

Then the fast is broken with dinner at 6:00 pm (OMAD) and back to fasting again for 16 hours.

THE MEAL

1lb of broccoli+ cauliflower

1 tablespoon of olive oil

3 eggs

8 oz of 80/20 ground beef

4 oz salmon

Some salad

1 small avocado

Many doctors agree that most of your daily energy comes from the meal you ate the day before, which supports OMAD at 6 pm. Some electrolytes and carbs can aid in immediate energy, but most are being drawn from energy stores in the body. If you have acquired more than 8% body fat (I’m guilty), you have plenty of stored energy! That means you will make it through your day until the next meal without a problem. If you have only one meal in which you get all of your calories something happens in your physical body during its fasted state: autophagy.

 AUTOPHAGY

Let’s define autophagy. The consumption of the body’s own tissue is a metabolic process occurring in starvation and certain diseases. The process of starvation-induced autophagy has been extensively researched. Autophagy is the destruction of damaged or redundant cellular components occurring in vacuoles within the cell. This is an amazing way to restore your body naturally. OMAD can help you achieve this state of starvation and ultimately see the results. It will take a few days to feel the effects, but it is truly amazing. Terry Crews shares his experience with autophagy.

In Conclusion

Your postseason is a time to take the training chains off! DO NOT STOP what you’re doing, just do it differently aka OMAD. What is the best way we discussed to retore your body? Rest!

• Give your brain a rest.
• Give your physical body a rest.
• Give your digestive system a rest from the constant process of churning, creating enzymes, assimilating nutrients, and evacuation.

Rest now before the season so that you are refreshed, excited, and hungry to do your best this season! Do your research with reputable resources to gain their knowledge on OMAD, intermittent fasting, and Keto-type diets.

If you have questions or need help with what you should do this season, give us a call or book an appointment to talk with me today!

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All of mankind is drawn towards efficiency. Wouldn’t you agree? In the 1970s many automakers embraced the American muscle car that was built with huge heavy motors. Efficiency in vehicles came with growth in technology, years of research and development, and a lot of trial and error. Out of the trials came countless victories! It takes time to achieve efficiency.  The same goes for your body. It’s a similar process that took place in vehicles. There is a process of training to make your body efficient.

The Different Levels of Athletes

How do we make our bodies efficient? When asked this question I have to remember who I’m speaking with. I speak differently to different types of athletes.

First are the athletes or fitness enthusiasts that are new to their fitness journey. They fatigue after a good workout and require more nutrition and recovery in the early years.

The second type of athletes or fitness enthusiasts I speak to are those that have a long-standing history in their fitness journey. They have achieved proficiency (not always efficiency) in their primary sport, training, or working out as well as success in their own health and nutrition.

Aside from the gifted athletes that are able to achieve amazing accomplishments in sports with less history, I mainly speak to people that work hard.  We work with a goal in mind hoping that the hard work put forth becomes easier. We want more body efficiency.

How do you know if you’re efficient?

In the fitness world, we look at being able to do a lot of work without using all of our energy. You can start to look at your energy expenditure by monitoring heart rate, using a power meter on your bike, or while running i.e. by simply testing how fast you go from point A to point B. If you follow a training plan that is meant to make you stronger through progression, my experience reveals that you can do the same amount of work this year with a heart rate that is lower than last year.

Options of “what to do” once you become efficient in your training.

1. Find another hobby and maintain great fitness- ha!
2. Do more work and get to the next level of fitness
3. Workout for less time while achieving the same growth and adaptation you once did working out for more time

Have you ever tried to find a shortcut to work?

The answer to this question is, “Always.” Remember, we are constantly moving towards efficiency if we know it or not. Becoming efficient requires work, practice, and even strategy. Plus, working your body requires maintenance.  You’ve heard me say it many times but that race car (your body) you drive at 100mph needs tune-ups, alignment checks, and sometimes an overhaul.  As you become more efficient in your power output and workout execution you can get by with less maintenance, but maintenance is still required.  Meredith Kesseler, world champion IRONMAN athlete once quoted, “The training and racing is the easiest part of my week.  It’s the maintenance, stretching, and bodywork that is the most challenging!” This ties into my favorite example of referencing antique cars, “Antique and new cars both drive; but an antique car requires more maintenance.” – Casey Adams

Body Efficiency Examples

A renowned Tour De France rider mentioned that he equated being efficient in his cycling to being able to go to the store without filling up the gas tank in his car.  Another cyclist told the story of how his body became too efficient in his primary sport. He could do more and more work with less and less energy. His heart is able to deliver blood and oxygen to working muscles and remove lactic acid quickly! Sounds great, right? Just remember that every action has an equal and opposite reaction like Newton taught us. The result was, this efficiency lowered his metabolism. This was from decades of high-level cycling. He can now ride at a high level for 2.5 hours a day or more consuming only a few hundred calories for the entire day. Body efficiency.

Digestion and Body Function.

Let’s talk about inefficiency. A well-known Colorado Doctor explained how after each decade of life past the age of 30 we become less efficient in our digestion. Your stomach and small intestines become much less effective at their job and therefore one must consider food changes to keep up with the lack of effective digestion. The hard truth for me was that I had to eat less, regardless of the level of training I was doing. I didn’t need the calorie intake I used to in my 30’s. After 2 years of seeing the same challenges hanging around my mid-section, despite hours of hard training, I knew things were changing with my digestion. I began to eat different foods, cleaner foods, and at different times. The result of all this inefficiency was reducing the frequency of one of my favorite past times, eating, and I have become better because of it. I’m much more selective when I eat, what I eat, and why I eat. I have become more efficient.

Body Efficiency Can Be Achieved by Technique & Choices.

As an aging (not dying) athlete, I can’t outpower the younger athletes. I can meet or exceed their efforts with technique. I now work in form, I correct imbalances and can do more work with less energy: American Muscle (youth) vs a 2021 Toyota Camry (me now)! It also helps that as older athletes we spend less time at the bars, on our friends’ couches ordering pizza and tailgating (I hope).

Achieving Body Efficiency

Efficiency can come in a variety of different ways. Training in blocks is a great start. Repetition can eliminate wasted time and allow you to focus on pure movement, clear goals, and trying to grow through progression. Progressive block builds into a harder version of the previous one, then you pull back, recover, adapt and step up one level higher. Repeat this for 3 months you’ll feel the change.  Repeat it for 6 months, you’ll see the change.  Repeat it year after year and you will create a body that is efficient, strong, transformed, and fit.

Connect with Aspen Pro Fitness and we’ll do the work to build your program. Mankind moves towards efficiency. Are you doing your part or sticking with what you’ve always done?

A word from Casey about becoming Older, Stronger!

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Happy 3-year Anniversary to Aspen Pro Fitness! I want to thank everyone who has helped Aspen Pro Fitness grow to what it is today. It is three years to this month that Aspen Pro Fitness has been in business!

How It Started

APF first started as a conversation among friends. The conversation was fueled by desire, passion, and a ‘too dumb to quit mentality.’ Soon after the dream was realized, I knew I had to pursue a career in fitness but was not sure how. They say mountains are built by pressure and shortly after my last meeting with my mentor, I was fired from a wonderfully consistent desk job. Pressure.

I began to study for my personal training exam. Making a dream become a reality appeared very daunting. The other option was the local grocery store which I respect but decided to follow an opportunity to do what I love. My mentor verbalized everything I needed to do but I still was uncertain how to make this dream a reality. I wrestled with questions like,

• How can I train consistently at 14 to 21-hour training a week and not have a steady job?
• Can I mesh my work and passion together without getting burned out?
• What if there are too many trainers in town and no one will hire me?

The Hard Work

I kept studying. If I loved training so much, I knew I could inspire and encourage others to do so and make a living doing it. I kept studying. I set my exam for three months from receiving the exam materials, learning the next day that one should set aside 6 months to successfully pass the exam. I kept studying. It was easy without a job to study, but scary as heck! Elon Musk’s famous quote came to mind during that season.

“Work like hell. I mean you just have to put in 80 to 100-hour weeks every week. [This] improves the odds of success. If other people are putting in 40- hour work weeks and you’re putting in 100-hour workweeks, then even if you’re doing the same thing you know that you will achieve in 4 months what it takes them a year to achieve.”

I kept studying. Then came time for the exam. I had 1 minute left during the proctored exam and passed! Now what? I put on my best clothes, had just enough gas in the car, and went to interview every club and gym in town. The rest is history. Of course, this is the abbreviated version, but many great people gave me a chance and I honored them well! Thank you again to everyone who has helped Aspen Pro Fitness succeed!

Three Years In

These days my mornings are early, the days are busy, and the clients are amazing. Thank you! To make this anniversary even better, I was able to achieve my best half marathon time since 2014. This was on October 16th during the 2021 Aspen Valley Half Marathon which I was sure to withdraw from the race due to the uncertainty of running in sub 30-degree weather. With the motivation of a great coach, I was able to succeed. This has been a recurring theme since becoming a personal trainer, which I encourage the same for all my clients: try, apply consistency, structure and you will achieve change! 

Before Aspen Pro Fitness Existed

In the beginning, I fished and enjoyed a beer in between lengthy bouts of fishing (and catching). I did this consistently, caught a lot of fish, and drank beer. There was a time around my 31st birthday that I could tell something was changing- my waistline! Could it be those beers, bacon cheeseburgers, and little Debbie’s oatmeal crème pies that were having a cumulative effect on my body? My mom affirmed this and so began my fitness journey. I was never inactive thanks to her and her career in health and wellness. My mom, Regina Sachs, has been in the health and wellness industry for a few decades and taught and led me well. As a result, I never drank soda, overate, or ate cereal with marshmallows. I would get my one hour of workout at the gym 5 days a week, nothing too intense but rarely missed a day. At 31 years old, I was faced with the option of eating less or working out more. I decided to eat more, work out more, and fish a little less! The journey continued!

The Change

I signed up for the Glenwood Springs Triathlon in 2012. I trained the best I could with old sneakers, a GT mountain bike with road tires, and swam in 84-degree saltwater at the Hot Springs Pool with a snorkel. That year I achieved ‘fastest first-time triathlete at the Glenwood Springs Triathlon! A new season began! Fast forward, in 2014, I won the race overall and set a record for the fastest bike split in the 30-year history of the race!

I appreciate everyone and know that if you are reading this, you have helped me succeed in one way or another! I offer free 30-minute consultations 5 days a week after 12:30 pm to anyone interested in beginning a fitness journey and wanting results. Let’s connect and make a healthy change for your life.

A word from Casey about fitness seasons, cycles, and transitions.

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Getting fit and healthy can be overwhelming, intimidating, and confusing. There are so many opinions on how to be fit and healthy, plus the blurriness caused by marketing strategies that invade our minds daily. People find themselves in the vicious cycle of questioning before they even get started. Do any of these questions sound familiar?

• Do you really need it to become healthier?
• Do you really need it to do a workout?
• Do you really need it to eat healthier?
• Do you really need it to be fit?
• Well, maybe, so what is it that you really need?

There are wants and needs in our world, and the relationship between the two is generally a tug of war. If the marketing firms have done their job well, you’ll want it, even if you don’t need it. “If you listen to that still small voice deep down inside,  you’ll find sometimes you get what you need.” – Rolling Stones 

We will define, clarify, and remind you what you truly need to be fit and healthy versus what the marketing gurus of the world have tried to make you want.

Defining What You Need to Be Fit and Healthy

World renown bodybuilder and coach Lee Hayward says this, “You only need to: Be good enough and good enough, consistently.” What else do you need to be well, fit, and healthy? This question can be answered best in three different ways by three types of people.

1. People just starting their health, fitness, and wellness journey
2. People who are currently engaged in their journey
3. People who have been on the journey for years, if not decades

The third group has the advantage of more experience, challenges, and success. Where do you fall in the three levels of people seeking more excellent health, fitness, and wellness? Have you confirmed what you need and don’t need each day, week, month, or year to accomplish your goals? Jeff Cavalier, personal trainer, coach, and physical therapist of ATHLEAN-X posed a great question last week,

“If you walked into the gym and saw you, what would you say to yourself?”

Would you say you need to do more of something and less of another? If you were honest, could you say you’re doing the best job at staying healthy, working hard, and being good enough consistently? I find success in my journey when I can be consistent. I get the best results when I slow down, eliminate the distractions, stop tracking online orders, put the phone down, and do what is required to achieve my health and fitness goals. I would walk up to myself in the gym and say, “Casey, you’re doing well this season.”

What is Needed to Succeed

I know what I need to succeed in my journey, which is the same as what you need to succeed: motivation, movement, eating healthy, gear, consistency, and work hard.

MOTIVATION

We need motivation. Set a goal, incorporate a timeline, and do what is necessary to achieve that goal.  Reward your successes! Motivate yourself with a treat, a trip, or a small gift once you reach your goal towards a more fit and healthy version of yourself!

MOVE YOUR BODY

You need to move your body to become fit and health. Our bodies are built to work. The body craves it, but you may have to crawl before you walk. Usain Bolt is an eight-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012, and 2016). Usain also won two 4 × 100 relay gold medals and has broken the 200 meters world record twice, setting 19.30 in 2008 and 19.19 in 2009.  He had to run a 9-min/mile pace at some point in his life before he ran a 4 min/mile pace. Start by moving and keep moving. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. Yes, moving your body is what you need to succeed. This will also help when you get older, and want to be stronger.

EAT HEALTHY

If you seek a transformation, a restoration, to lose 5 lbs. or 50 lbs, 70% of your gains will come from what you eat. If you don’t believe me, listen to 45 minutes of Hollywood testimonies that share the secret to success.  If you don’t have 45 minutes to listen, I will spoil the answer and tell you: there is no secret. You need to eat healthy food.

GEAR

Yes, you need some gear. Let’s go over the things that are necessary versus not necessary. The gear itself will not make you fit and healthy, but can aid in the goal of such.

I like my trail running shoes for trails and road running shoes for roads. Do I need $175.00 shoes in 2 different colors? NO. Good gear lasts longer, but the cheap gear is cheaper to replace. Do you need a $500.00 watch to tell you how many calories you burned? Or will your most comfortable pair of jeans you bought ten years that fit just right when you’re in good form tell you the same thing?

I train with a basic watch to record distance and pace, but I know it’s a tool, not a necessary piece of equipment required to work out. Gear is good, good gear is good enough, expensive gear is not essential but is helpful. Don’t get caught up in the gear. No one is looking at you, so focus on fitness, not fashion.

CONSISTENCY

Your body needs consistency to adapt and create change; fitness requires discipline. Lee Hayward has been in the business for decades, and he says the same thing (consistently): Be good enough and good enough consistently. I tell my clients in our first meeting that we will create the perfect training plan, and life will get in the way. Missing a day is expected, but missing a week will not create positive change. Think about what you do consistently and translate those actions to working out and making healthy choices, if you really want to achieve the goal of being fit and healthy.

WORK HARD

You’ll need to do this above all else to be fit and healthy. Getting in shape is hard; being out of shape is harder. It’s all hard, and the better choice is staying healthy, being strong, living longer, and enjoying the process daily.  Not every day has to be a 10/10, but work hard to try and make it the best you can!

Experience and Consistency

My experience has taught me what I need to succeed and what I do not need. There are hundreds of elements that are involved in each person’s success. Consistency separates many successful people and athletes when getting fit and healthy. The secret for me is always consistency, understanding, and embracing what’s on the inside. For instance, these are things like: quality training miles, good nutrition, a strong mindset, and a bulletproof tolerance for being uncomfortable. I separate these elements from what’s on the outside. These elements would be caffeine, clothing, wishful thinking, less than perfect environmental conditions. Take your thoughts captive as you begin or continue to grow more fit and healthy, and ask yourself what you need to succeed!

Simple Break Down of Needs

In summary, it doesn’t take much or cost much to get fit and healthy. It really only takes the 7 needs that we outlined above. Here are my regular needs to excel at being fit and healthy.

What it takes to maintain my health, fitness, and wellness.

1. A support Team. Many successful individuals have a team behind them. Find your support team, embrace them, and use what they can offer you to succeed at being fit and healthy.
2. Gear. Gear is needed to train. My bikes are eight years old, well maintained, and in excellent condition. I don’t need new bikes with disc brakes and tubeless tires that are 5 grams lighter. Lance Armstrong will still beat me on a Huffy purchased at Walmart no matter the equipment I’m using; you can’t buy legs.
3. Diet. Eat good food that includes lean meats, olive oil, and vegetables. If the budget allows, buy organic, and if not, buy the cleanest you can afford. Whole Foods is not required or premade meals shipped to your door. I do all my shopping, food prep, and cooking.
4. Fuels, drinks, & supplements. Workout fuels, pre-workout drinks, during workout drinks, and recovery drinks with added supplements. This topic on fitness fuels will speak to the three different levels of people on their fitness journeys.  As a younger athlete, I leaned on my pre-workout fueling and recovery drinks heavily. Sometimes it was the only reason I worked out. As I have gained knowledge and experience over the last decade, I find these costly powders and beverages assist in the overall training plan are not the source of my performance. If I accidentally drop a gel during a race and run 10:00 minute miles, do you think the gel would help me reach my goal of 8:00 minute mile if I only had that gel? No, but these aid in my goal towards being fit and healthy.

Take some time to determine the answer to the 7 needs above to hone in on what you have.

At Aspen Pro Fitness, we would love to help you determine what you need to successfully be fit and healthy. Book a free consultation with us today to start achieving your goals.

The post FIT AND HEALTHY: What do you need to succeed? appeared first on Aspen Pro Fitness.

Two words: OLDER, STRONGER; one is a choice you have; the other is not!  Can you guess which one you can positively influence the most?  STRONGER.  Which word gives you less opportunity to influence? OLDER.  I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but you will get older and older and older.  The good news is that you can remain stronger or become stronger the longer you live, and become stronger with age!

How Older, Stronger Looks.

Endurance racing and training tend to favor older athletes that are stronger with age.  Their bodies have more conditioning and ability to adapt from years of the consistent and progressive movement. In that case, older and stronger can be true. In my case, it took seven years to become stronger with age and to win the Men’s B category in the Aspen Cycling Club Race series.  It wasn’t a mistake or luck; the years of training finally paid off.  In August 2021, I raced Boulder 70.3 triathlon and came within 3 minutes of my fastest time from 2014.  I’m older and faster than I have ever been, so can honestly say, “I’m stronger with age.”  I’m racing faster against my times and other people with similar fitness and age.

No Limits to an Aging Body

Additionally, this personal experience in Boulder has taught me that there is no reason to limit an aging body. I would instead celebrate it, refine it, and make it work as well as it did years prior because you can grow stronger with age. I like to use the analogy of an antique car. Antique cars have just as much value as new cars, sometimes more! They go down the road the same as new cars. The difference lies in the fact that they generally need more maintenance. My clients in their 70’s prove it to me every day as they execute 45 seconds of jump squats and 109 burpees during a  55-minute workout.  Their regular maintenance includes more:

• Massages
• Yoga
• Stretching

They still perform at high levels every day; they are stronger with age.  We all want that, don’t we? Whatever age you are now, know that you will get older and can get stronger!

Ok, how do we do it?

I like to look at a person’s history and build on their strengths by asking a few questions about what could make them stronger with age.

• What have they been focusing on for the last ten years: swimming, biking, running, weightlifting, etc.?
• Have they done the necessary work to execute the task, race, sport, or goal while rebuilding and maintaining their bodies?
• Have they built on fitness and continue to be consistent regardless of a reason, the season, or life event?

All these questions will help me paint a picture of how to direct them on a path of strength, improved health, less distraction, and most importantly, to become STRONGER with age.

What does stronger mean?

When I say stronger, I mean physically. Getting stronger with age can happen in several ways.

• One can manipulate their body weight in a variety of settings.
• One can maintain a simple weight routine in the gym without decreasing the weight.
• One can run upstairs.
• One can play 2 hours of pickleball a day.
• One can dance in competitions at 70 years old.
• One can do 40 crunches on any given day.

Having seen all of these events firsthand, I know getting older can mean getting stronger. Stronger with age.

Do you want to be stronger?

• Do you want to carry your infants in each arm?
• Do you want to complete an endurance event like the Tough Mudder in your 30’s or 40’s?
• Do you want to keep running marathons until the lights go out?
• Do you want to be stronger with age?

If you can do it, you should.

Let’s work together to become stronger with age each day, year, and decade.  Would you like to enjoy your favorite sport, be outdoors year-round, or just be on the go 24/7? It starts with good, hard work.

How Aspen Pro Fitness gets Results.

Here is our method for you to grow stronger with age.

• We add structure to your routine.
• We apply consistency to your training.
• We watch the change take place year after year.

Our healthy days are so precious, and these bodies are crying out to do more, and to be stronger with age. Instead of taking a knife to a gunfight, bring a military-grade fighter plane to a gunfight, and shake hands with your opponent.

At Aspen Pro Fitness, we would love to help you into a progression that will keep you gaining strength while gaining years of wisdom on this planet!  Older, Stronger.

The post Older, Stronger. One Is a Choice, the Other is Not. appeared first on Aspen Pro Fitness.

The best way to end a season is by taking time to stop and review your performance by asking a few questions.

• How would your season look in review?
• How was your summer season?
• Did you meet your goals?
• Did you have fun?
• What did you learn?
• What are your takeaways?

Do you have an end-of-season event planned? (Bob Roll does.)

If you haven’t already, now is the time to celebrate the challenges, victories, tired mornings, and fantastic races you participated in. Focus on what you’ve learned this year! What’s been your greatest accomplishment? I can confidently say that my greatest accomplishment has been learning how to prepare for every event I participated in. I didn’t always obtain the best result, but I was ready to perform my best; one race I flatted, another I stopped before the finish line in confusion, but I came prepared. Just recently, I was able to finish 70.3 Boulder IRONMAN within two race minutes of my best time from 8 years ago! That’s where my coin phrase comes in, “Older, Stronger.” I’m older but feeling stronger than ever before.

Older, Stronger.

Previously, I mentioned how I’m Older, (yet) Stronger, which is a great mindset to have throughout the season. How great is it to be blessed with another healthy season regardless of the outcome? Some may haven’t finished as strongly as hoped, as have I in the past, but having fun can come at a cost (like playing in the mountains.) My grandfather would say, “Time heals all!” That includes muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones, but not always the brain! Needless to say, the season isn’t over yet. Plus, Bob Roll has something special in store for cycling enthusiasts.

Season Transition, but It’s Not Over Yet.

Summer offers many fitness opportunities while the days are longer, our energy is abundant, and people are outdoors. Summer is wrapping up, but it’s not over yet – so keep moving! Consider seeking out a few more opportunities to have fun in the sun before the snow flies and the chilly temperatures set in. But please remember, it’s still August! Plus, Bob Roll has a great end-of-season event; more to come on that.

Fall Prelude

Fall is an opportunity to evaluate the previous season as a whole and examine what did and didn’t work. The best way to manage your training process is by keeping a journal to take notes. Then use next year’s calendar to make additional notes so that you can review the mistakes and successes from last year before they happen. Additionally, this will allow room to anticipate and prepare a different approach to solving recurring challenges or unexpected roadblocks. Furthermore, I love that Fall forces me to shift my training in response to cooler weather and shorter days.

The Fall Training Shifts:

• Running workouts are more concise and challenging.
• Bike rides are longer and later in the day. (Experience the late afternoon glow and the chilled air hiding in the shadows of the bike path.)
• Swimming goes from cold to colder at 8,000 feet in elevation.  (Makes me appreciate the 85 degrees water on a cool day when I trained in Hawaii.)

Preparing and shifting my training for each season reminds me I can’t hold on to my best fitness every day of the year.  I prepare to round out the end of my training season and sharpen my best fitness before putting the race car in the shop for a complete overhaul. As summer wraps up, I’m always looking for last-season opportunities to attend century rides, fall marathons, sports events, and multi-day races. This leads me to one of the best end-of-season events you can attend. (Remember how I mentioned above that Bob Roll has something planned that you can attend?)

Roll with Bob Roll

Every year I attend an annual 4-day cycling event in Moab during November. This legendary event is on its 12th year and hosted by Aspen Sports Performances’ lead Coach, Chip Chilson. Roll with Bob Roll has an incredible value, but Chip and his team always manage to add more value, experience, and education for the attendees each year. In 2020 during a group ride, I rode with Tour de France Cyclist, Michael Carter, and rode dead into a 20 mph headwind coming out of Deadhorse Point. I pedaled to a level unknown to me while Michael kept in tempo, offering intelligent, casual conversation – thank you, Michael!

Roll with Bob Roll is an opportunity to turn the temperature up, ignite your riding, and create lasting memories. Among the many offerings during the event, one being, the opportunity to ride with Tour de France cyclists, current and former pro riders, world-class coaches, and of course, you can hang with Bob Roll!

Chip Chilson Challenges You with this Question

Why “Roll with Bob Roll?”   

Why go to “Roll with Bob Roll” cycling camp in Moab every Fall, and more importantly, why is it worth your investment?

At its core, “Roll with Bob Roll” is a premier cycling event, but more so, it is four days of healthy living and lifestyle training. We bring together many of the world’s best professional coaches and trainers to give seminars and work with you, one-on-one, on how to live and train with purpose.

For those who have been to Moab before, you know about the magic of the scenic & beautiful Canyon Lands. For those who haven’t, experiencing Moab, Arches National Park, Canyonlands, and the surrounding area for the first time (as well as the 100th) is an incredible experience. Furthermore, there couldn’t be a more perfect backdrop to Roll with Bob Roll. After a year of global turmoil, pandemic, and undue stress, spending time in what is by far one of the most beautiful and scenic places in the world lends itself to developing a healthy mindset. We’ll help you learn how to manage stress, eat, sleep, and train like a pro athlete; while leading a life focused on fulfillment – straight from the saddle of your favorite bike.

At this year’s Roll with Bob Roll camp, you’ll have the opportunity to work with the best of the best, including:

• Dr. Massimo Testa: one of the leading sports doctors in the world with three decades of experience on the Tour de France.
• Dr. Jeremy James: one of the top back and spine specialists.
• Bill Fabrocini: a physical therapist whose’s resume has too many Olympians and pro athletes to name.
• Bob “Bobke” Roll: Legendary Tour de France commentator and rider.  He will share a lifetime of experience as a Tour De France rider, NBC Universal Sports Commentator, and the state of cycling.

So, why come to “Roll with Bob Roll?” Give me a reason why not to experience four days of incredible fun, riding, and education.

Simple Daily Itinerary

• Start with guided stretching and yoga.
• Your choice of a mountain or road ride.
• Evening seminars.
• Good times with good company throughout the whole event.

It’s been a long year. Let us help you rebuild and revitalize your life.

To register for “Roll with Bob Roll”, click here.

– Chip Chilson 

Final Words

Before you hang up your season to begin polishing skis and doing squats, consider that last season event. You can “Roll with Bob Roll, run down the Rio Grande in the Aspen Valley Marathon, or load up a backpack and set off to hike the four-pass loop. The choice is yours, so be sure to choose something epic.

If you’d like to set goals, maybe attend Roll with Bob Roll, and make a plan to achieve them, let’s talk!  My client’s goals are my goals. I want to help you become stronger, feel younger, and prepare for another healthy season!

The post Season Review and Roll with Bob Roll appeared first on Aspen Pro Fitness.

How do you get your best result? Can you do it on your own without a support team? Yes and no! There are three different scenarios of racers. We’ve all heard of the story of the athlete that showed up, blew the doors off the race, took first place, and was never seen again.  Scenario two, the story of the athlete who stays consistent, has good results, as well as both good and great seasons of racing and training. Then there are the professional athletes.  They look different, they perform differently, they are supported differently, and they do sports for a living, every day! Where does the support team come into play in these scenarios?

The Benefit of a Support Team

In the first scenario, we can imagine the one-time athlete training with passion and zeal for their sport! One can build themselves up with the emotional roller coaster of beating everyone or beating their own best effort using the adrenaline drawn out by a race.  It is amazing when everything is going well but bad days can be empty.  It always helps to have a sympathy hug from a support team when it’s not your best result!

In the second scenario, the athlete is more like me.  I was great on my own for a few seasons, but, ultimately,  I am better for longer with a support team.  Not having to or being able to do everything by myself was a great realization and as I brought others into my passion, my results have gained more meaning.

In the third scenario, professional athletes have a support team for every area of training.  They have a nutritionist, a massage therapist, a strength coach, a speed coach, a form coach.  They have someone to help manage their affairs and some have a sports psychologist.  Other pros have even more than that.

When a Support Team Makes a Difference.

Support is very important when it comes to competition.  It’s not enough that the athlete is expected to win, but to win consistently, all over the world! Professional Triathlete Lional Sanders battled world championship IRONMAN triathlete Jan Frodeno in an IRONMAN distance race in Germany.  Lionel spoke on how serious Jan’s support team was about setting a world record.  It appeared they took nothing lightly and approached the hopes of achieving a world record with a seriousness Lional had not seen before.  Jan went on to break the world record for the fastest IRONMAN distance that day. Was it the athlete or the support team that earned the win? Lional achieved an incredible result as well, and both athletes were completely prepared for the challenge! It truly came down to the level of the support team.

My Support Teams

We all can understand that support in life is great.  Great support is awesome, but a consistent support team is best, though also costly.  I’ve learned this through victories and challenges in my 11-year racing career.  What makes the victories and the challenges more meaningful is aided by my support team.

God is my source of peace, patience, power, and persistence.  He never lets me down and has filled me with energy today I rarely felt in my youth.  My wife supports me by managing time for my race season and finances to pay for them.  She comes to every race and knows the pre-race routine so well that we are a well-oiled machine up to the race start.  The new addition of our son Beck is encouraging spiritually and emotionally.  It’s a delight to see him (and my wife) at the start line and throughout the race day.  I do my best to make both proud.

Furthermore, I am a coach and have a coach.  He guides me with his wisdom of training cycles and their effects on the human body year after year regardless of how many times we repeat the same schedule. I remain coachable and yield his expertise, trusting he knows best. He also safeguards me against knowing I can get off track by overanalyzing the season, mix and matching workouts, and going too hard on easy days.

Additionally, I have other professional members in my team that support me in different ways. I use a massage therapist named Fitz Scott.  He is a talented therapist nicknamed ‘healing hands.’  I consult with Hammer Nutrition for all my fueling and supplements.  Theresa at MOXILife assists in my per-hour caloric intake, helps me balance nutrients, calories, electrolytes, and minerals that are essential to keep me fueled during races.  I also have friends that encourage me. I think of them as I’m about to slow down for a break on the run. Their belief in me keeps me going at an honest pace.

The Other Types of Support

The other type of support that many overlook are the participants and volunteers at races.  There is an unspoken comradery among all athletes that challenge themselves to a hard day. We all know that crossing the finish line will come at a cost and something about is worth it. I want to thank those folks for inspiring me by being part of a global community of health-conscious people.

So, can you succeed on your own?

Yes, you can succeed on your own without a support team. Can you succeed better for longer with a support team? Yes. The latter position has been a key to my lasting success and continued dedication to the sports I love.  Having a victory or sympathy hug at the finish line from a support team member is priceless. I pray all you avid trainers, entry-level racers and aspiring pros find a group of people that care about you and want to be part of your support team. These people will help you succeed and ride the highs and lows of racing, life, and will help you grow. Left to our own devices, I find the results are less desirable.

If you have sports goals and dreams that you would like to pursue, call or email me to set up a free consultation with Aspen Pro Fitness. I’d love to connect with you and help you be your best! (contact information at the blue button below)

The post Do You Have a Support Team for Your Racing Endeavors? appeared first on Aspen Pro Fitness.

I can officially say I’ve heard it all when it comes to high-intensity performance and racing nutrition:

• eat before you work out
• don’t eat before you work out
• eat right after a workout
• wait an hour after a workout
• eat fat so your body burns fat
• eat carbs so your body will burn fat but also eat protein so your body triggers fat burning
• drink chocolate milk post-workout
• don’t drink chocolate milk because it’s high in fructose corn syrup and the leading cause of pre-diabetic health issues.
• eat fruit, but be careful because fruit fiber digests slowly and can cause cramping.

Wow! Is anyone else as confused as I am after all that? I was, and sometimes still am confused on the right answer for performance and racing nutrition!

The Question and Experimentation Process

Instead of being confused, I made it my goal to test every theory, diet, method, and fuel out there to get down to the bottom of racing nutrition. Guess what, they all work, and all don’t work. With that said, how do you decide what to choose for racing and training nutrition?  Let’s go back to the basics.  How many calories do you need a day to maintain basic functions?  Do you want to lose weight or gain weight?  Do you want to maintain your fitness or seek performance?  These are all great questions. With these questions in mind, I’d like to walk you through my journey which is specific to racing nutrition. I’ve tried it all and this season have found something that continues to work race after race. Note: The statements, opinions, and suggestions I make about racing nutrition are specific to me and proved to be successful in long and short-distance races, as well as hard training sessions.  Everything must be tested. 

Racing Nutrition Regimen

While racing, the fuel and nutrition ingested are key. When I race, I ingest around 200 calories an hour. If I’m just working out in the gym for an hour, I will NOT fuel during the workout.  Racing and hard workouts over an hour are different. Think about a race car going around a racetrack.  The car needs fuel and the higher the octane the better.  For a test drive, the fuel may not be critical, but during a race plenty of high-quality fuel is necessary. What kind of fuel to use, what octane, which brand, and which additives are the questions we will answer.

The Products that Work.

I am particularly fond of products that work, and the one that I’ve found that works the best because it exceeds quality standards is a company called MoxiLife. Their product line has cut out flavors, colors, and hype while focusing on the body’s specific needs during high-intensity racing.  I can talk about why many products don’t work but I’d like to focus on why these products do work!

Five Refuel Must-Haves 

1. Magnesium: It’s the foundation of the MoxiLife product line.  Magnesium is a mineral that is depleted the quickest in the body each day and can take up to 10 cups of fruits and vegetables daily to restore the magnesium levels used.  Add a serving of HydraMag Magnesium Chelate to your water bottle during each hour of racing and additionally, one serving a day for maintenance.
2. Carbohydrates: Carbohydrate is very effective for athletes as it can be used as an immediate fuel and won’t be stored as fat. Fat as fuel is a bit different to use for high-intensity races. Can you imagine eating butter before a 5 or 10K run? Easily digestible carbohydrates are a better answer to basic energy needs. MoxiLife provides a product called Osmocarb to use as fuel during racing. Osmocarb is a low glycemic fuel that doesn’t spike blood sugar and is a pure flavorless carbohydrate in powder form.  It takes up 60 calories of the 200 an hour calorie re-fuel. It’s easily digestible and loaded with power.
3. Electrolytes: The body uses up the minerals and vitamins found in most electrolyte supplements during high-intensity exercise and racing. To replenish what has burnt, add electrolytes in the form of a powder called Phytolyte. It is a full electrolyte profile powder at 28 calories a scoop which combats cramping while replenishing vitamins.
4. Dextrose: Next a simple, fast-burning sugar.  Dextrose is a simple sugar closest to blood glucose and only takes one step for the body to break down (which is also the main ingredient in gummy bears.)  Add two servings to water and end up with about 125 calories of powder.
5. Gel: Lastly, take one gel per hour to complete refueling for a total of 200 calories per hour.

Racing Nutrition & Refueling Recap

Let’s make sure you got all that, so here’s a quick recap.

Hourly Refuel Regimen

1 serving of Osmocarb

1 serving of Phytolyte

1 serving of HydraMag

2 servings of dextrose

1 one base salt gel

Note: Mix all 4 powders in a 26oz water bottle.

With this combination, it’s a little over 200 calories per hour. This mix works well in both the heat and cold, as well as up to 12 hours on a slow day for a full IRONMAN triathlon.

How do You know the Nutrition Is Right?

How do you know when your refueling racing nutrition regimen is working?  The easiest way to know is by thinking about what happens when you eat food that doesn’t agree with you. The common sensation is feeling uncomfortably full or having gas. Feeling full generally means digestive confusion and gas means fermentation.  I won’t go into why it happens but agreement with your food applies the same way to your racing nutrition.

What you eat or drink while racing should be easy to digest, provide energy, and agree with your body. That will take some experimentation, but I offer my latest mix as a solid place to start.  On the contrary, a great local cyclist who beats me in every race never mixes anything in his water and only eats real food during a race. He has certainly tested his fueling and racing nutrition many times. While some people say, “It’s too complicated of a fuel routine and I will do what Lance does – drink a coke and eat a snickers bar.”  Well, yes that does work under certain circumstances. One circumstance would be winning your ninth Tour de France with the average race day being 120 miles and over 4.5 hours of riding at a threshold heart rate. During those efforts, coke and snickers bars do work. That is like throwing a used tire into a forest fire and watching it burn! But, you know what is a perfect source of fuel out there that competitors consume, Red Bull. The point is, find what works no matter what amount of effort it takes, then you can use it every time. So if Red Bull, Coke, or snickers does it for your racing nutrition, then go for it! Every circumstance and body is different.

Race Day Nutrition Action Steps

Let’s step back and take an overall look at how nutrition should look on race day.

• Eat 3 hours before a race.  Have an empty stomach, be hungry, and have the nutrients from the food assimilated into the body as best as possible.
• Hydrate until the race with no calorie electrolytes or HydraMag from MOXiLIFE.
• Eat a gel 10 minutes before the race to give the body fast acing fuel.
• Start sipping liquid fuel every 15 minutes (my watch timer reminds me) after the start of the race.
• Drink one 26 oz bottle an hour with the 4 different powders. (Magnesium, Carbohydrate, Electrolytes, and Dextrose)
• After the first hour eat another Base salt gel.
• Repeat the same fueling each hour of racing or training for effective racing nutrition.

Post Race Recovery

Race recovery is vital, so be sure not to skip this final step. Opt for a carbohydrate and protein mix while leaving the fat out.  4 grams of carbohydrate to 1 gram of protein.  Hammer nutrition makes a product called Recoverite, or 2 cups of skim milk is a good substitute. Then eat, sleep, train, and repeat.

Racing Nutrition Wrap-Up

You will find what racing nutrition works best for you with a little experimentation. Know and stick to the basics of healthy eating. Stay away from rich flavors and added sugars. Try liquids if you can’t take in a lot of calories. Go with solids if the liquid and gels make you sick.  Refine it, test it, and then most importantly, focus on your race effort.  If you drop a fuel bottle on course and your race crumbles to pieces, it may be more than fueling you need to focus on.  Keep up with your racing nutrition, stay focused, have fun, be fast, and stay challenged!

The post Racing Nutrition and the 5 Refuel Must-Haves appeared first on Aspen Pro Fitness.