Punching is Easy....Boxing is Tough

The instructors at Krav Maga, Inc. have taken a well deserved vacation until September 12th...which leaves Carrie and I without a means to kick, punch and generally get some serious conditioning done. At least that was what we thought until three nights ago.

Our gym, The Rock, in Astoria has an entire room filled with a full-sized boxing ring, heavy bags, speed bags (which look really cool....but I have no idea how to work them), gloves and even kicking/kneeing pads. Basically everything we need to carry on our efforts to get in shape and kick ass at the same time is located conveniently around the corner from our apartment. Not only is this convenient....but it also gives us a chance to work on the Krav Maga moves (so we can get a higher belt like all the other big kids). Yellow belt here we come.

Not those to simply go the easy route (at least lately) we wanted to take this fitness journey to the next level. Why not enroll in one of the boxing classes offered Monday through Thursday nights? So we did...and our bodies have not let us forget this fateful decision over the last two days of recovery. One hour and fifteen minutes of weighted pushups, situps, squat thrusts, medicine ball routines, jumping jacks and various punching & moving routines left our bodies drenched in sweat, twitching from exhaustion and left us amazed that we made it through the entire workout alive. It was awesome. My legs are still so incredibly sore, my back is sore, my arms are sore...but my pride....oh, believe me my pride is still intact!

Actually the first time we wrapped our hands up with the boxing handwraps I felt immediately like a different person. Somewhat like when one puts on a suit to become a businessperson...the wraps made me feel like a boxer. It must be noted however that a high level of body fat, lack of conditioning and clumsy punching technique keep me from embodying the real "Boxer" status...but it felt pretty great for that one hour and fifteen minutes. I have to recommend this type of exercise to anyone looking for a fairly extreme cardio experience and also a little confidence boost as well. Trust me...everyone looks pretty cool in their fighting stance with hands wrapped, squinting their eyes at the opponent in the mirror...snapping out quick jabs and combinations as if they were the next Ali...be it Laila or Muhammad.

The hardest part about the boxing experiment for Carrie and I wasn't even the exercise itself...it was getting up the confidence to walk into a new class, without any knowledge of what would be asked of us, and still giving the appearance that we were in the right place. My tip....walk in, wrap your hands in full view of classmates (who will be doing the same), punch the bags lightly a few times and stretch out. Everyone will just assume you know what's going on already....just avoid an invitation to spar...one punch and your secret will be out! When considering confidence I tend to subscribe to Muhammad Ali's thought on the subject, "To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you're not, pretend you are. " Enough said...the man was the greatest after all.

Krav Maga Kicks Tuchas!

In our journey from Fatness to Fitness Carrie and I have recently discovered something Israelis, more specifically the IDF or Israeli Defense Force, have known about since 1948. Apparently under British rule then, the Israelis needed to create a means to defend themselves - man, woman and child - without weapons (because they were banned from owning them). Thus came the butt-kicking, take no prisoners, defensive explosion known as Krav Maga. Krav Maga Inc. provides a better history and explanation of the defense system...but I've provided the basic overview.

I should also quickly give you the six principles of Krav Maga...just in case you wonder about these kind of things.

1. Avoid injury
2. Devise drills that take advantage of natural reflexes
3. Defend and attack in the minimum time required
4. Use of vulnerable spots on the human body
5. Use of the natural weapons of the body as well as ordinary objects that may be nearby
6. No Rules, use everything you have

When I say Carrie and I recently discovered Krav Maga....I mean, we just attended our first class last night at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. After our first one hour session (offered 5 times a week), dripping with sweat and out of breath, pumped up from punches, kicks, grabs and bites (yes....I said bites) Carrie and I were hooked instantly. On the subway ride home we couldn't stop talking about what we learned, how intense the training could get...if we wanted it too, and also sharing observations about technique and form from class (like we know what we're talking about). This class is not only made for anyone, regardless of body type, size or shape but should be seriously considered as a mandatory service to yourself....to defend your favorite thing...your life. Not to shift this any further into infomercial mode...but we really got into this thing.

Traditional martial arts are nice to watch, with the graceful moves and accepted forms (think Tai Chi)...but Krav Maga is ugly, fierce, fast and nasty...just like the dudes looking to rough you up and/or take your wallet/iPod/Life would be. Our Instructor Rhon Mizrachi (yes..I was tempted to joke about the less intimidating Isaac Mizrachi) led us through basic self defense techniques, such as breaking choke holds, kicking genitals (really, really hard), biting sensitive areas of the neck, delivering quick elbows to attackers and breaking bear hug type holds. Carrie seriously delivered some lethal blows far too close for comfort (I happen to be her partner of course) which would have severely disabled any guy...regardless of size (it must be noted that I dutifully wear my protective cup for just this reason). Watching the other men and women, of all different ages, punching, kicking and defending was incredible. Bad guys should seriously look out...the guys are deadly...but the women are like dynamite. I pity the body of anyone trying to hurt these women. There goes the option of domestic abuse in my house (just kidding...unless Carrie's planning on beating on me).

The fitness portion of Krav Maga, particularly the cardio portion, rests on the importance of having a strong body to withstand the punishment of a fight and more importantly truly deliver a defense that renders your attacker either senseless, disabled or dead (depending on the seriousness of the threat). I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that Krav Maga is really, really hardcore....but that's what makes it so great. After the first lesson you walk away with confidence and a better defense system than curling up in a ball, screaming for help and hoping a good samaritan will intervene.

The Instructors aren't shy about telling you to walk away if possible...the best fight is not to fight at all...but if the fight happens, as Rhon gleefully exclaimed, "You kick their f***ing ass!!!!" So as mentioned before, we were out of breath and dripping with sweat...pumped up from the punches, kicks, grabs and bites...but loving every minute of it. As a result, now we're preparing for at least 3 months ($275.00) more of ass kicking, fat burning, punch throwing and kick delivering. Once again the NYC subways will be safer with Carrie and I on the watch....or at least smellier as we take the subway home after training....sorry N & W passengers but if you don't like it we may just kick your "Tuchas".

Fat Kids Need Love Too....Just Less Candy

I must admit that I wasn't really a "fat kid" growing up, not a "husky kid" or even a "pudgy kid"....or at least that is what I've led myself to fully believe all these years. I think that around 12 years old I got a paper route which enabled me to spend my newfound fortune each payday at the local Dairy Queen and/or candy store (The Washington Market if you're ever in Yuba City, CA and need a "Melonheads fix"..if they still make them). This is where the carb loading, junk food gorging, chocolate addicted side of me truly began to gain its monstrous form.
Candy is crack for kids...this is a universal truth in my experience. And I was hooked on this stuff...I mean...somedays I thought that I'd quit that damn paper route if it weren't for the sweet, sweet taste of candy waiting for me each payday. One day however while finishing my 6th Reeses Peanut Butter Cup in a row, licking the sticky melted chocolate and peanut butter grease off my fingers (only I could make a glorious peanut butter cup sound gross) it hit me....."I wonder if all this is candy is bad for me?" The paper route soon ended.
Needless to say...I got better, became addicted to the opposite sex instead of candy (possibly just as dangerous if not more so in the long run) and started becoming more active in sports at school and with friends. Around 16 or 17 years old the baby fat (and I'll admit..Candy Fat) started to melt away and finally full blown interest in the opposite sex grew to become an all consuming addiction...which I still look back on with genuine fondness....and unfortunately embarrassment for all the mistakes I made (Remember this was before the media blatantly paraded sex over the airwaves during Prime Time...and I really could've used the help damn them). But food, particularly candy wasn't ruling my life....I shook that sweet chocolate monkey off my back for good...or so I thought.
Fast forward nearly 12 years later and that damn monkey is back! My tastes are more refined now, Melonheads have been replaced by Carrie's brownies (legal ingredients...just because we're from California doesn't make us dirty Hippies), dark chocolate and gourmet desserts. I'm supposed to be a "manly man"...working out, swearing when appropriate and appreciating sports...yet I still love candy. So now as I sit and look at my apple (wishing it was covered with caramel) and grab my turkey sandwich (wishing it was an ice cream sandwich) each day I realize that I'm a "junkfood junkie"....and only watching what I eat, hitting the gym and avoiding these sweet temptations will keep me from early retirement in Fat City, USA. Acceptance is the first step..I think...or maybe it's calling everyone I've hurt by my candy addiction? Either way I'm on the road to recovery....mmmmm...Rocky Road.

Weights Are Heavy....And So Am I

Recently I've added weights to my exercise program, begun supplementing my diet with Nitro-Tech protein and started hitting the Creatine for a "loading" phase which has both been encouraged and dismissed by critics all over the Internet. Regardless...I'm doing it my way. I've been focusing the diet on more protein than carbs and fats (of course) than anything else and have begun to drink more water than I usually do. I'm told that it's vital to get the Arnold size I'm looking for....in addition to incredible amounts of steroids (which for the sake of living a long and healthy life I chosen to avoid this time around).
The 20-minute cardio warm-up, stretching and the supplements seem to be working...at least I've convinced myself of this fact. I can actually feel myself getting stronger, tighter...and if you press hard enough into my belly I swear you can even feel some abs (although Carrie is convinced that I'm merely stabbing at my poor liver). I'm not even getting the typical soreness I used to have years ago after a hard lifting session...and trust me I'm lifting some serious weight (although some of the women at the gym probably will giggle at the sight of me lifting my weight next to some of the resident Roid Monsters) Regardless, I feel good and it feels great to lift again after so many years of lifting primarily pizza slices, beer bottles, candy bars and super-sized meals.
Don't get me wrong though...most days of the week you'll still find me and Carrie on the Elliptical Trainer with all the ladies and stringy long distance runner dudes (or girly-men as Arnold would say) running our never-ending races toward exhaustion. Cardio is still the primary activity to get us back into the shape we're hoping for. I just hope to minimize the muscle loss that comes from the weight loss process and also get my muscles back into action.
I could be doing this all wrong...I could be missing some small piece of the physical training puzzle...but as long as I stay focused on where I want to be, focus on getting my whole body into the lifting program and keep well nourished....I think I'll be alright.
Seriously...if a stringy little Von Trapp looking guy like Arnold could build himself up to be both Mr. Universe and Gov. of California....I can at least loose a few pounds and get some muscle action going on here. In closing I'd like to say, "Arnold for President...and Greg for Vice-President".

Eating Is A Sport?

While I may not be able to eat 49 glazed donuts in 8 minutes like competitive eater Eric Booker.....yes, there is such a thing as competitive eating....I can put away some serious food on a good (or bad depending on how you look at it) day. I'd have to say the worst situations for an eater like myself seem to have always revolved around all-you-can-eat buffets....such as Brazilian restaurants or Sizzler (do they even exist anymore?) and also BBQs. The all-you-can-eat is a no brainer....but the BBQ is a slow, progressive eating frenzy. Laughing, drinking and eating yourself half to death. Isn't it great?

First its the picking at this and that, chips, dips, vegetables, salads (potato, egg, chicken, tuna...basically the artery cloggers full of mayo) and then comes the meat. Juicy red meat, sausages, chicken with BBQ slathered all over it. I'm actually getting hungry as I write this...incredible! Don't forget the dessert of some sort...some jello, whipped cream topped dish, or a pie, or a cake...don't forget the ice cream...it is summer after all.

Basically I've just recently realized that my favorite summer pastime, the big BBQ, is killing me on the inside and fattening me up on the outside. The upside however is that I don't have to stop the eating frenzy....just change some foods and use some moderation on things I know I shouldn't be training for competitive eating with....like cake, ice cream and pies. Although Peach Pie is grrrreat! Oh...the beer too...maybe moderation wouldn't kill me once in a while.

Eating hummus (Carrie's new enemy since it turns the breath into a weapon) with vegetables instead of chips and dips, eating garden or mesclun salad with Carrie's incredible olive oil, garlic and vinegar dressing instead of my favorite potato salad and just taking to time talk to my friends instead of trying to beat them to the biggest piece of steak would be better. Fish, chicken and even pork tenderloin all seem to make me just as full and just as happy when put on my plate...and they're better for me than the greasy sausages or dripping burgers.

So to recap...a healthy BBQ is a good BBQ (although some stuff should be enjoyed once in awhile) and moderation is the key. Unless you're Eric Booker....then moderation is out of the question. If at the next BBQ and you aren't sure if you can possibly resist the temptation...simply grab a nice big fold of fat from your belly and remember why you aren't hovering over the grill for seconds...or thirds.

Exercise Hard....Sleep Good

There is no denying that exercise is hard and sleep is good. The problem, in my opinion, comes when the two are taken to the extreme....exercise seems too hard and sleep seems too good. I have faced this dilemma many times, typically rationalizing how tired I've been all week...how hard I've been working...how laying around the house will be the best thing to do. I'm not an anti-sleeper now by any means...in fact I'm pro-sleep, in full support of sleepers rights. I just have a hard time motivating past the "should I just lay on the nice, warm comfortable couch or should I go to the cold, crowded gym". Knowing well that I've already made the decision in my mind to stay on the couch.

Another thing that is difficult for me is eating fruit and vegetables. Again, I am not anti-fruit & veg...just a bit under nourished in this particular department. Carrie, coming from a peach farming family, is a big supporter of fruit and vegetables (see the picture of her modeling California Peaches in Boston). I'm more of a consumer of these things as an additive to something else. Examples of this are:
Cherries in Cherry Garcia, Lettuce on my Big Mac (you know.... Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese), Oranges.....well actually they are pretty good...but all the peeling, squirting and stuff make this orange preferrable in my opinion.

That was the old me though. I'm a peach, nectarine, strawberry, spinach, carrot, apple eating fool....when Carrie buys them of course. Being the typical male I prefer protein to just about everything else...seriously what's better than a medium rare steak cooked to perfection sitting on your plate? The red meat has been seriously cut back on, opting now for more chicken, fish and pork...but protein is still king in my eating world. Carrie used to give me a hard time about eating some form of meat with every meal...which blew me away! I mean....aren't you supposed to eat meat that way? I blame my childhood and parents that had the same type of protein based eating mantra. Old habits die hard I guess...and apparently so do people who eat meat with every meal.

To bring this thing full circle...I'm tired now, sleep does sound good....and I'm sore because exercise is hard....but I have a legitimate goal to reach and some (more than some) fat to burn. Man could I go for a burger and fries though.....doesn't that sound great?

The Starting Line

Six years of dating one another, hundreds of "dinner dates", special desserts on good days and even more special desserts on bad ones...all fantastic memories, chocolate coated and sickeningly sweet, unfortunately all of this eating has caught up to us. Six years ago we were regularly working out, eating well (at least Carrie was doing well) and feeling pretty good about our general appearances. Both of us had just coming off of being single...we were in prime condition. Oh.....those days are so long, long ago...many pounds and a few sizes have passed the both of us since.
It should be carefully noted that we are not morbidly obese by any means, in fact we're pretty fit in comparison to the majority of the United States (which may not actually be saying much) but there comes a point in everyone's life when personal health, weight and appearance should be addressed. Unfortunately for some it comes later than for others.
Not wanting to be caught in the "too late to care" situation...we're trying to change our lives, turn time back to a healthier era, and get back into prime physical condition.
The kicker here is twofold (there's always a catch):

1. We like eating great food, having nice wine and basically enjoying gourmet cuisine whenever and whereever possible (also enjoying the occational junk food binge as well)
2. We live in New York City...The Food Capital of the World...and Restaurant Week has just been extended.

I guess no one ever said that this was going to be easy. But the plan is simple, in theory anyway, which should lead us to the place we want to be. Fitnessville...or Good Lookin' Land...whichever we arrive at first will be fine. I won't be posting "before and after" pics, I won't be bragging about how much I can lift and apparently Carrie won't be sharing any of this info either...so be relieved of that. We're just trying to tell the story and keep this record of the journey from fatness to fitness.

At a weight of 225lbs. and a height of 5' 11" this is the starting line for me. This is the height and weight of the beginning for me. This is where it begins..no more Snickers for breakfast (hey...I'm often in a hurry and it satisfies), no more excuses to keep me away from the gym and absolutely no McDonalds, KFC or Taco Bell. Our SuperSized days are over...hopefully.