Category: Rob Terlizzi
I have, over the last year and a half, been throwing Insanity into my workout cycle. It is just what I need to kick start my body after the holidays, or right after a full cycle of P90X. I am not going to sugar coat it. The first 30 days are BRUTAL! Then the next 30 days DESTROY you. If you are looking for a “never gets easy” and super effective workout routine. This is it.
The biggest reason I like Insanity is because I am the weight. It is an “all you need is you” program. [Shoes or barefoot, I now do the workouts in Vibram 5 Fingers shoes. Fantastic for HiiT training] If you have limited space (10 X 4 is all you really need space wise. And a 8-10 foot ceiling is good.) and no weights, you are good to go.
You will need a towel, water, and recovery drink. I say you need a good recovery drink because this program will crush you. Get used to being sore. And not just muscle burn sore. You will be, “If I don’t get a good nights sleep tomorrow is really going to suck” sore. You will be forced to fuel your body right, not drink, and get on a good sleep cycle. If you don’t align everything, you will have a very hard time completing the program.
Like anything else, what you put in is what you get out. So, put in the sweat equity. Be prepared to leave a puddle on the floor, and be sure to clean the rug at the end of the 2 months.
For more reading:
-Rob
http://beachbodycoach.com/fitlifesfrob (If you want to purchase a Beach Body Program)
Thanks to everyone for visiting our site. We had our biggest day ever, 25,000 hits in one day! You all rock!
Now back to my regular cynical look at the world of fitness. We received a number of emails the other day defending several of the bullshit fad diets that are being presented to the general masses. People, please. Stop it! Don’t waste your hard earned cash on unproven supplements, diet pills, diets that promise quick results, or really stupid fitness equipment.
Let me elaborate. Unproven supplements: The health and fitness supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar business. For every good health supplement out there, there are 100 crappy ones. Do your homework, there is REAL information out there. Just because it says it is full of antioxidants or has some new super herb in it does not mean it is good for you. (See Phenfen, see any hormone inducer that gets decimated in that vat of hydrochloric acid you call a stomach, or any product only that has validation from marketing companies and bloggers.)
Diet pills: it’s a tool not a crutch. If you take them not to eat, and try to eat less than 1200 calories a day, you had better be 35 yeas old and 3 foot 5 inches tall. People need to fuel their bodies. That is what food is. Take responsibility. Track everything you eat, and make sure you are eating within you calorie range. If you do this, spread your eating across the day, you probably won’t even need the diet pills. These things are dangerous, and if you do them, tell your doctor you are using them.
Fad diet: Pick the latest and greatest. There are always a number of them claiming great results. If you think a shake, a cookie, cabbage, some insane cleanse or whatever is going to get you to lose weight and keep it off, you need a shrink. To lose weight you need to fuel your body with good food, in the proper ratio of fats-carbs-protein, and maintain a net calorie deficit. (what you burn to what you consume). This isn’t rocket science. It is resolve.
Stupid fitness gear: I don’t care if you shake it, slide it, squeeze it or swing it, stupid is stupid. What will get you fit is pushing and pulling weights (body weight or added weight). For the most part, when you see ripped people working a stupid workout device and the tiny words “results not typical” popup on the screen. RUN AWAY! (same holds true about supplements, mascara, and crap the drug companies try to get you to ask your doctor about.). Only spend your cash AFTER you have done your research (and don’t ask a nut job MLM marketer about it.)
Look, getting fit is a decision. A decision to build proper HEALTHY habits and a fit lifestyle. There is nothing easy about it. To get fit, you will sweat, you will feel discomfort and pain, and in the end, you will be WAY better off.
Life is tough, we are tempted to overeat all the time. If you do, adjust your eating and workout. For every action there is a reaction. Get used to it. Accept it. And if you fall down, get back up and start again. We are in this for the long hall.
And it DOES NOT get easier with age. So build those healthy habits now. The earlier the better.
-Rob
Hello Everyone,
Smurf and I have just gotten back from a 1.5 week vacation, and are getting into the normal swing of things. More on the vacation later.
Pre-vacation weight for Rob = 196.7 lbs. Todays weight = 199.0 lbs. Not bad.
-Rob
This isn’t a “How-To” post, or a politically correct commentary about how you should look in the mirror and find out “why you are happy with you.” This is more of a “What the HELL?!” commentary, made by me, Rob Terlizzi aka, FitLifeSFRob. (These comments are in no way representative of Smurf, or any other FitLifeSF contributors. Just me, a loud mouthed nitwit)
I am sitting on the couch, watching “Killer at Large” on NetFlix Streaming. It is a decent show which is presenting a number of “reasons” and “personal profiles” about why people became over sized. (for the sake of this commentary, I am just going to say “Fat.” And instead of Obese, I am going to say “really fat.”) I suggest you watch it. Some of these people have put themselves through hell. (I have watched a number of like shows. Super Size Me, Food Inc., etc.)
And no, I have not worked out yet today. Heck the toughest thing I did today was help a friend move a Nordic Track Treadmill up a 2 flights of stairs.
Ok, my first “What the hell comment.” Who the hell let’s their 12 year old kid get to 218 lbs? Are you kidding me? First you try to kill your kid by loading them up full of crap, THEN, THEN, you let them get LIPO at the age of 12, and 18 months later that same kids is HUGE again. What the HELL kind of parent are you? Someone take that child from these asshats! This kid in now screwed up even more than before. Notice I didn’t say, “for life,” as at some point that kid may get control of her life and do something. (Hell I hope so)
Another WTF. If you are fat, and you don’t want to be, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! If you are REALLY FAT, and you are not happy with yourself, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! And I don’t mean sit around and watch infomercials or “The Biggest Loser” for inspiration. Start simple. ASK SOMEONE FIT “HOW THEY DID IT!” When I say, fit, I mean fit. Not ripped, not an elite athlete. Ask someone who doesn’t look rotund and can go for a walk without panting. That person who can play tag with their kid without passing out. Someone who can go on a hike, just because, and not have to worry about their ankles or knees hurting because they are too damn heavy. (And yes, there are “fit” heavy people. To me, you are no longer FAT if you are working on becoming fit! (Stomach staples or the lap band do not count to me. Unless you are completely mental, get some self control. YOU DON”T NEED TO EAT SO MUCH!)
My last “Are you kidding me” for the day. “Kids are fat because there is no physical education in schools.” Bullshit. Kids are fat because they don’t know how to eat, and they don’t get the exercise they need. This isn’t the fault of a school or government. It is a fault of the parents. It is way easier to blame someone else, not teach your kid what they should or should not eat, and then let the TV/Game System/Computer be the baby sitter. Get involved. Please. If you don’t know what to do, ask someone who doesn’t have round children. If you are broke, if you don’t have time, I get it. It is hard. I grew up being broke. My broke ass parents did what they could, got food stamps and bought local produce from the West Side Market in Cleveland OH because it was WAY cheaper than buying from ANYWHERE else. We had fresh fruits and vegetables in the house all the time. We had to eat everything from city chicken to fried bologna to liver, and it was dependant on what we could afford. (and lots of pasta with home made sauce, I am Italian.) It took me years to understand why we didn’t eat pizza all the time, or have sugar loaded cereal in the morning. It is because my Mother thought it was not good for me, and it COST TOO MUCH. (When compared to what we were eating.) Oh, and guess what. WE PLAYED OUTSIDE! Until I left the house for college I was always out with friends, playing soccer, football, basketball, doing martial arts, running around playing vampire tag at midnight. Get your kid out of the house! Introduce them to the real world. Limit their time on the TV/Computer/Game console, and be a PARENT! It starts with you.
Rant on hold for now. I have lots to rant about, and I am going to exercise my right to put these rants on the Internet!
If you have issue with what I say, great. Comment section is below. If you feel the same way as I do, again, the comment section is below. And if you want to get fit, need help getting your kid/kids fit, or have any fitness related questions… One more time… THE COMMENT SECTION IS BELOW!
-Rob
BTW: From the CDC State-Specific Obesity Prevalence Among Adults — United States, 2009
Results: Overall self-reported obesity prevalence in the United States was 26.7%. Non-Hispanic blacks (36.8%), Hispanics (30.7%), those who did not graduate from high school (32.9%), and persons aged 50–59 years (31.1%) and 60–69 years (30.9%) were disproportionally affected. By state, obesity prevalence ranged from 18.6% in Colorado to 34.4% in Mississippi; only Colorado and the District of Columbia (19.7%) had prevalences of <20%; nine states had prevalences of ≥30%.
FUCKING SCARY!
I met up with a buddy of mine today to catch up and shoot the shit. During our conversation which touched on work, common friends, and general insanity, he mentioned he just joined an adult dodgeball league. Let me repeat that, an ADULT DODGEBALL LEAGUE. Bad assed!
He tells me it is run by the San Francisco Recreation Department, and will go for 10 weeks starting tonight. It goes from 7:30-9:00 on Friday nights at the newly remodeled gymnasium about a mile from my house. So, of course I had to look it up online. Low and behold, it was not only NOT FULL, but it only cost $27.00. You got it, $2.70 a week to run around like a kid and throw balls at people. AWESOME.
Now here is the part that blew me away; I went to the Parks and Recreation website and was stunned. They offer all sorts of great classes for kids through seniors. Everything from art classes to fitness classes to sports to ballroom dancing to theatre. Again…AWESOME. And they do it cheap! All you have to do is join the parks and recreation site (Free to join) and then start choosing places and classes. You pay for the classes you want to take.
I HIGHLY recommend anyone in SF who is looking for something fun to do, to visit this site.
Because of a conversation with a friend, tonight I was throwing balls at strangers and having a great time. And the other people playing had as much fun as I did. Good times. Very good times. (and rather spontaneous)
I wonder what I will try next?
-Rob
I saw this today and had to pass it on.
We are often telling people to track their calories, but tracking your measurements are important as well. If you want to be sure that all the hard work you are putting forth is really working, grab a scale and a tape measure. DON”T TRUST YOUR PANTS! (Well new pants. If your old tight pants are no longer tight, YOU ROCK!)
You are reading this because you are one of the normal people who wants to get more fit. I say “get more fit,” because some people want to lose weight, some want to add definition, and some of you want to put on muscle mass. All of you want to improve your fitness level, and are looking for that “magical something” to make it happen.
Well, here’s the secret. 99% of you already have what it takes to get more fit. You are reading this, and this shows me you have the desire to make a change. Now we have to make that desire an action, then a habit.
Sometimes it is the wacky and odd that can help us achieve new goals. I happen to like challenges and contests with my friends… So, I have just started a new fitness challenge with 2 of my buddies. These guys are already “fit,” though we all want to see how fit/ripped we can get in the next 90 days. This ISN’T a P90X challenge. It is a “Get Fit” challenge. We all have to choose our plan of attack, we all have to watch our diets, and we all have to kick ass and take name. This time around both bragging rights AND a creepy pair of fleece SAMBO shorts are the prize.
Here is what we did to start:
Thursday July 1st we all took our measurements and did the first of 2 fitness tests. The following Tuesday (After the July 4th weekend) we did the more brutal of the fitness tests. (Test 1 = P90X Fitness Test. Test 2 = Insanity Fitness Test) I must say, we all did really well and are not making it easy for the final test.
The 3 participants of this craziness are Aaron (Pound for pound, one tough SOB. Aaron leaves it all on the floor every time. He wants to add size and definition), Ben (One of the best fighters and most agile guys I have ever met. He wants to lose some lb’s), and me (Rob. I think it is time I got ripped!) We all have been training/fighting together for the last 3+ years, we are all friends, and we will workout together at least 2 times a week. The rest of the time we are all on our own.
The winner will be based on the following criteria:
- Visual changes in physique
- % Body Fat Lost/Gained
- Initial weight compared to final weigh in
- Improvements in both Fitness Test Results
The losers have to buy the winner the creepy fleece style SAMBO shorts, and have to live with the fact that we were bested. (Oh, and none of us are competitive. No way. heh)
To me, this is not only fun, but a great way to keep several friends motivated. In the end, we all really win with this kind of event!
Here are some really uncalled for pics for your amusement!
Times like the 4th of July, parties, family events, heck, just the weekend can be a MAJOR crimp on your “Fit life.” You need to understand that is OK. We all have setbacks, the thing we all have accept that we are human, and we can get back on track. We just can’t be disheartened.
The week before the 4th, I made it through my first week of full food tracking with pretty good results, and I am very confident that I’ll be rocking 6 pack abs in 2 months. Last Monday I was at 201.3 lbs, and I am now 3lbs lighter, even after a crazy weekend of 3000 calorie days. (eeeep) When I am being diligent it is easy to eat right. But beer and cocktails are my downfall. (And late night papusa runs.)
I know that the basis of this blog is that you can live fit and still enjoy good food and drink. I stand by that 100%, but to be ripped, and super fit, then you have to record everything you eat. You have to maintain a good workout program, and you have to decide how long you want to maintain being super ripped.