"The Routine"

Rou-tine

[roo-teen]

-noun

a customary or regular course of procedure.

Now that I have used dictionary.com to define this word, lets dive into the concept and how you can apply it towards a healthy lifestyle. 

Whether you workout religiously, sporadically or are inactive and don't know where to start, hear is a simple way to motivate and hold yourself accountable. 

Now programming can be simple or complex. It's what you make of it. Because my audience varies, let me set a general fitness guideline I would love people to adhere by based on your activity level: 

Don't work out - Shoot for 2x a week at 30 minutes

Sporadically workout - 2-3x a week for 30 minutes

Good and honest commitment levels - 3x a week for 60 minutes

Athletes/Goal Oriented/Gym Freaks - Email me and we can talk about what you are trying to accomplish and program accordingly.

Regardless of your age, height, weight, etc., the world would be a happier, healthier, and more productive place if everyone committed to 3 hours of training a week. That is 3 out of the 168 hours. I think everyone can manage that. 

The problem is that in today's busy, fast-paced world, people don't make the effort to find the time, nor do they monitor their health. Here is a SIMPLE way to manage yours. 

Print a free calendar of the internet and tape it somewhere where you will see it every day. Bathroom mirror, bedroom door, office desk, your dog's back, I don't care. 

2 things will go on this calendar: Number of times you workout and if you ate well that day or not. 

Here is an example: 

For everyday you get at least a 30 minute workout, mark an X with a fat, black permanent marker.  The same one you would use to draw all over your friends who passed out drunk in college.

In the corner of each day simply put a + or a - on whether you felt you ate well or ate like that drunk friend in college (chips, cookies, McDonalds, etc).

This is simple and a 4-year old could to it. More importantly, it gives you a visual glimpse as to what you are doing with your life as it relates to wellness.

Say this calendar above belongs to me. In week one, I got 3 workouts in and at well 5/7 days. Pretty good week. However, the following week I only got one workout in and ate well 3/7 days. No bueno. With that visual reminder, this was enough to motivate me to get in 4 workouts and eat well everyday in this week.

No trainers, coaches or dr. needed. Just a big fat X or lack of to remind me, "hey, I need to do something."

Now even if your calendar only has a few X's (like my bowling scorecard), at least commit to those +'s. What gets you a +? Here is a general nutritional rule: 80/20

80/20 simply means eat well 80% of the day. What's well? Common sense people. Fruits, veggies, lean meats, dairy, good fats (olive oil etc). All, which exist in the same egyptian structure the USDA published in 1941 compliments of President Roosevelt. AKA the food pyramid.

If the average American (even with no nutritional knowledge) used the current food guide pyramid %80 of the time and worked out 2-3x a week, we would be relatively healthy, happy and productive. Plain and simple.

Hey, I love the simple pleasures in life like pie, ice cream sundaes and beer. However, I can limit these to %20 and so can you. Plus, if you cook it right, healthy food taste awesome and is nutrient dense and calorically slim.

I am almost guaranteeing that you will see changes if you can give this a shot. Just keep in mind, you can have more X's on that calendar than the Montreal red light district, but if you don't have any +'s you will likely not have many results. Nutrition 1st.

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes.

ps- I picked the name of my company with purpose. Be Elite Performance Training. Everyone can "Be Elite." That has nothing to do with being an athlete, rather it means everyday you can feel accomplished and everyday you can have the passion, drive and physical abilities to live life to the fullest.


With that said...


Be Elite my friends

Vegas Recap

Figured I would shoot out a quick blog about what I learned this weekend in Vegas.

1. Great place to network

I met some really cool people and hopefully will get some opportunities out of it. Regardless, I befriended 2 kiwis (slang for people from New Zealand) and now have people to party with in NZ when we go in September for world cup.  Definitely a win.

2. The Buffets are not what they are cracked up to be

I will admit, I did indulge a bit and definitely consumed more calories than appropriate. I eat well more than %80 of the time, so I can do that a few times a year. People who do not frequently exercise and workout on a regular basis should not. The food at these buffets are mostly fried or processed. No bueno, especially for $27 a seat. Though the pie and gelato selection was out of this world. All kidding aside, it was tough to find healthier options at the buffets, especially with all the sweets lurking in the middle.

3. World-class rugby players are the best athletes on earth

I am not just saying this because I am now a huge fan of the sport, rather they simply are. There is not a skill you can name across any sport that doesn't apply to rugby. These were the fastest, most agile athletes I have ever watched. Their change of direction made Reggie Bush look like Warren Sapp. Though Reggie's c.o.d is insane, especially after dodging all those NCAA investigators.  Lastly, I'm not going to even waste time talking about physical toughness of rugby players. Also big ups to South Africa, who simply dominated everyone.

4. Drink prices are just stupid

Come on Vegas! $8 for a pint of beer?! Let me put on lipstick and high heels before you screw me. Big props to the guy who invented the hip flask though. Made our paying $6 for a coke at the concessions justified with a flask of Jack waiting at our seats.

5. I love Apple

On the way up to Vegas my phone just breaks while charging. Thinking I am starting my trip $500 in the hole puts a damper on your day. However, I head to the Apple store in Vegas and 20 minutes later I leave with a new iPhone. I had 3 days left on my warranty. Those people are awesome and the customer service is phenomenal.

Thanks for tuning in. I promise educational posts to come.

Cheers.

Viva Las Vegas!!!

Im heading off to Las Vegas in about an hour, and I was itching for a blog post while waiting for my ride (you were right Kfed!).  Btw, Kfed is short for Kara Federowicz not that white trash TV reality guy.  Kfed and I interned together at AP and she's my home girl doing work out in the Boston area. I have a tremendous amount of respect for her and owe her a personal thank you for training inspirations. Check her out at www.kfedfitness.com


Since I am on it, let me give another few special shout outs. They go above and beyond the Thank you's in the last post because they helped launch B.E.P.T.


-Randy Phillips my Rugby Teammate and Owner of Think! (http://www.thinkpro.net/) for making filthy business cards and some kick ass posters
-Brittany over at Explosion Sports (http://www.explosionsportswear.com/) for custom gear
-Drew Browne for the logo design (Brownestudio.com)
-Megan Brown for being a kick ass client and also introducing me to her husband Drew
-Eric Daninberg aka dirty hippie, aka Bear Grylls. Dberg is a performance coach at AP and a mentor. He's also single ladies, so I can hook you up. 


And back to Vegas. I am heading there for the World Rugby 7's tournament. 

Now, I am heading to this for part business - part pleasure. I'm definitely going to network myself because I'm interested in in training Rugby players at that level.  But at the same time, I am not going to be afraid to let loose a bit. 


Thankfully, I have a good knowledge of human anatomy and should be able to spot out a tranny if one tries to hit on me. Regardless, I have the girl at home so I can only "read the menu and not order." Fair enough. 


Moving on to Rugby. In my opinion this is one of the greatest sports. It is a true test of athletic ability with speed, agility and contact rolled into one. Rugby players are some of the most elite specimens I have ever encountered. I owe Obi some love for convincing me to play. He played at Villanova and was a beast. Here's Obi kissing a snake:

Now Rugby is essentially soccer combined with football and with no pads. Since playing, I have had a few minor injuries, obviously common following a test match. I was asked a good question and it made me think about both the answer and my own training program. The question was:


"How do you train to take a hit with no pads?"


If you have never seen rugby, it looks a bit like this:

That is a great question, and I continue to research it. 


I do know that I am not going to let Gilbert, our 240lb 8 man (like a linebacker) from Tonga (or as he likes to call it "The Kingdom") run 10 meters and flat out blast me with hopes my body will learn to "take the hit."  That is ridiculous. 


However, here are a few pointers to consider:


1. Have Good Form
Reducing your chances of injury in contact sports starts with good technique; in this instance going into a tackle with the ball and/or making a tackle on the ball carrier. This is the responsibility of your skills coach. The better the technique, the smaller the chance of injury. Hmmm, maybe the NFL has a point when they say it's the coaches responsibility to teach proper tackle form to reduce injury?!!?!


2. Strengthen your Core 
In addition to learning the and perfecting the form involved in performing your sport, you can certainly prevent injury in contact sports by strengthening and learning to engage your core (obliques, pelvic floor, transverse abdominis, etc). Having a strong pillar (essentially hip girdle to shoulders) will certainly minimize injury when your body encounters a heavy blow by stabilizing and at least protecting some of your major organs. 


3. Good Movement Patterns
Having good foundational movement patterns will always limit injury. Clean up your movement patterns (running, squating, jumping, etc) and train them consistently. In addition, selecting strength exercises that have strong similarities to the sport will not only improve your performance, but strengthen you movement pattern within that skill.  For example, a scrum looks a hell of a lot like a sled push. 


4. Hypertrophy
Add some skeletal muscle. If I hit a Skreetch from Save by the Bell as hard as I can, then hit AC Slater (State Champ Wrestler who only sits in chairs backwards), who is less likely to be injured? Add some muscle. Yes, they will be sore, but having extra muscle will protect bones and organs. I'll take a muscle contusion over a broken arm of punctured kidney any day. 


Wish me luck. I may throw the my brother's rent check on black.  

Welcome and Thank You!

Hello and thank you for taking interest in reading my blog!!! This will certainly be the lengthiest of blogs.  And I'll be keeping them short and sweet (hopefully) after this because 99% of Americans suffer from W.A.D.D (Website Attention Deficit Disorder).  With that in mind I've broken this particular blog up into 4 sections for those who only want to read what they are interested in. Human propensity and guilty.

Areas:


1. Blog Intentions/Purpose
2. Expectations/Disclaimers
3. The 411 on Me
4. The Thank You's




1. Blog Intentions/Purpose


The intentions of this blog are a way to provide general and accurate information that can help improve your lifestyle.  As most are aware, there is an incredible amount of information out there that pertains to health and fitness from TV to the internet - and information is endless.  There is good information and bad information and this blog will attempt to help educate.

Since entering the fitness industry, a lot of my friends have begun to ask me, "what do you think about this?" or "how do I accomplish this?" or "can you write me a program?" A lot of these people were close friends, family, or former teammates (most college athletes as well), which leads me to believe that (1) -they value and trust my opinion, (2) they desire to learn and (3) - I have a responsibility to those who I care about to provide truthful and effective information to help them.  All of these challenges I enjoy and am blessed to have.

While training at a mainstream/corporate gym, I held up to 35 clients. I mean they just kept coming. And I didn't "pitch" anything for all of you who know what I am talking about. If I wanted to sell I'd sell Pharmaceutical Drugs and drive a BMW. So, what was I doing differently? People can clearly tell I truly cared about helping them.

With that said, this blog was created for a way for all those people in my network, from friends to past clients, to stay in touch with me and learn a thing or two.

My blog will contain a combination of the following:

Exercise tips, program help, and demonstrations.
Nutritional information and recipes - this guy can cook ; )
Myth and Buzz Busting - Educate accurately on hot topics
Fun & irrelevant content (I like to have a good laugh)
Q&A

That's pretty much it in a nut shell. Basically, I am going to post a lot of useful things.

2. Explanations and Disclaimers

Let me explain something:

I DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING.  I like to think that I have a good grip on things, though. What I do know for a fact is that I have had a great journey thus far and have been able to learn from some of the world's best.  I also take an open-minded approach to learning and if I am going to open my big, Bostonian mouth, I usually know what I am talking about. Usually.

Regardless, at the end of the day, the human body simply consists of bones, muscles, energy systems, a nervous system, a respiratory system,  etc. Basically, we all are computers with almost identical hardware and usually software (unless you are from the deep south).

The information I post will be accurate.

The information I post will help you.

If I do not know the answer to something, I will seek out the answer from some of the best and highly intelligent/qualified people around (WebMD). I am blessed to have some in my network. I'm kidding about WebMD, though at times not the worst source of info.

Some disclaimers:

There will be a tremendous amount of grammatical errors. I actually just spelled grammatical wrong and used Mac-spell check.

I'll try to limit my sarcasm as it is difficult to understand my personalty via the internet.

3. The 411 on me

Over the last few years I have had the pleasure to befriend, work with, train, de-friend, coach and educate a lot of people.  Therefore, I thought I'd give you a snapshot of what's been good in the hood.

Most know that I moved to Tucson, AZ from the Boston area, taking a $30k pay cut to coach at the University of Arizona for a incredibly small stipend. Dad was thrilled. I learned a lot in Tucson like don't eat mexican food from a cart outside a bar.

I've relocated to the Phoenix area and still am coaching lacrosse. I spent the first 4 years at the college level and I am currently (for the 1st time) coaching HS. Pray for me.

While coaching at ASU I needed a part-time job and got one working as a personal trainer. I knew immediately that I didn't want to be just another trainer the "got someone a good sweat" and didn't have a plan. I wanted to be well educated and the best in trainer in the gym, a trait my coaches instilled in me. Thus, I went back to school and kept learning.

One of the best experiences of my life followed shortly after. I landed an internship at Mark Verstegen's Athletes' Performance.  If Mike Boyle is the Paul Pierce of the East (ya I'm bias and screw Lebron), then Mark Verstegen is Kobe Bryant. They are the best around, simply put (and have worked together). Having been a college athlete, just walking through his doors was a true blessing. Check out their site www.athletesperformance.com

Learned a lot is an understatement. I had the opportunity to be taught by some of the best performance coaches, nutritionists, metabolic specialist, chefs (incredible experience),  and business men in the world.  All the while, working with athletes my buddies watch on TV at Peppercinis (local 508 neighborhood joint). I became proficient in one of the best training approaches in the industry. And it's no coincidence that the best in the world all practically have the same foundations within their training modalities.

I do not live and die by AP methodologies, however it is my foundation. I trust it, it makes sense, and they pump out the best. Therefore, it's good for me.

After leaving AP, I landed a coaching job at Grand Canyon University (NCAA II) where I helped coach the team to the most wins in school history.  What was more exciting was to watch a college athlete improve his performance through the implementation of a sound and progressive strength and conditioning program (and a modified one at that!). Awesome experience.

I left GCU and launched my own company, Be Elite Performance Training LLC and built a gym.  I am also coaching a local HS. It is awesome training my clients and athletes and getting them results. Work is going well, business is growing, my clients are getting healthier, my athletes are getting faster and stronger, and hopefully my team wins a lot of games. I've even taken up rugby as a player and conditioning coach, which is the coolest sport I've ever played. 


That's about it right now. I'm healthy, happy and blessed, and I want to share those experiences with you. 


Last but certainly not least: Thank you's


4. Thank you


First, thank you to the followers of my blog! 


No really, the first people I want to thank are my coaches. I have been blessed to have the greatest coaches in the world, some of which will be hall of famers. These coaches include (alphabetical order so nobody get their feelings hurt):


Coach Arroyo
Coach Balboni
Coach Bugbee
Coach Connery (all of them!)
Coach Doherty (and the rest of the football staff)
Coach Kanavich
Coach Kitler
Coach Zanella


The things that these men taught me I could list for days. Simply put, having had the opportunity to play for them is why I have the potential to be successful at anything I do. They taught me to be a leader. I am a better man and better coach. Thank you coaches, you mean more to me than you know and the role you played in my development I strive to become for my players.

Next I would like to thank past and present clients for unbelievable experiences (some good some, not so good).

Glenn B
L'erin J
Shanidini D
Spencer R
Kim R
Steph I
Danny O
Garvin P
Roger and Liz G
Metish B
Darcie G
Jarrett N
Tracey K
Monica W
Laura C
Kelli R
Warren S
Chelsea Y
Michelle G
Tia C
Jim M
Donna, Toni and Kate Q
Cindy B
Maureen O
Julie P

The list goes on, but those pop in mind. I have learned a lot and and treasure our time together.

Next, I want to thank the people who have helped teach me what I know:

Eric D
Athletes' Performance staff
Professor Lewis
Professor Henry
Big Mike

I have a lot of mentors and teachers, but these individuals stick out. Incredibly brilliant and caring people who are willing to help others. Blessed to know them and thank you for giving me the tools to help others.

Next, my gf. She is the sweetest and most caring person around. She has supported me during the tough times. Despite the fact I call her simple mc. simpleton (because she hails from South Bend, IN) she actually is a bright gal. Plus, she's beautiful.

The best for last: My Family.

I love them very much. Thank you for the support. I have learned from ALL of you, but my mom has taught me to care about people and my dad has taught me the importance of hard work and the key to success, which I openly will share with you:

Have a good plan, make good decisions and work hard and you can accomplish anything.

Need I say more?

Enjoy my blog and email me anytime with questions, comments and concerns at pj@beelitept.com

Thank you and I vow never to write this much again.

Yours in health,

PJ Rovinelli
Be Elite Performance Training
Founder/Performance Coach