Week 4!

Week 3 came to an OK end. Met 10 hours of continuing education requirements online today. Waited until the very last day to meet the final 10 hours. Maybe that'll explain to you how much I dread physical therapy continuing education. New Jersey's finest lawmakers decided to require 30 hours of conitung ed every 2 years from all licensed PTs. Althought most PTs can go under the State's radar and never get caught, it would be a gamble. I already got busted once and learned my lesson. I hope they pick me again to do the random audit!! Bring it on!!!!!!!!

Today was all about completing the 10 hours and doing some proposal work for a real estate client of mine. Oh...and I watched the last few minutes of the grammys. Enjoyed Lil Wayne and Eminem's performance. A bit tired of seeing and hearing about Taylor Swift. I don't get it! She is an ok singer at best..can't dance at all..and can't act (really tired of the "surprised I won speech"). Hey, but who am I to criticize her for winning pretty much every music award in 2009 and prob 2010. She must be doing something right. Beyonce and Alicia Keys make her look like an amateur.

Have had a kink in my neck region for the last 2 days. Woke up with it on Friday morning. It's usually s a sign that I need to replace my pillow. The online courses just made it feel worse. I'm contemplating going for a massage tomorrow. Hopefully, it'll be gone tomorrow and I'll be ready to face a kick ass week without any annoying kinks.

Had a hard time sleeping through the night on Friday...woke up at 5:20 am. Since I couldn't fall back asleep, I decided to attend Joel's boxing class at BD. I usually don't attend since I like to get started later on Sturday mornings. It was a good class...the warm up was 30 minutes though. I did like the end when all of us had a chance to hit focus mits. Contrary to what non-fighters tell you, it always feel great to punch things. After the class, I did some push ups, abs, and shoulders.

My diet on Saturdays/Sundays are not as strict as the rest of the week, but is still pretty lean and natural.

I apologize for the ESL level grammer and spelling...have to write the posts in the morning. The late night postings stink!!

Last night turned out to be a maven staff workout!

Was it the fact it was Friday night and I was the only one without dinner plans? Is the training taking its toll on the crew?? Is it me!!! =) It worked nicely...haven't had the maven crew join in on a workout in a long time. Even Dr. Yoo carved out 40 min in his busy schedule to flex his triathlon muscles! Dr. Murphy and Bhairvi made me proud to call them members of TEAM MAVEN! The gym was empty which allowed us to to do half the workout in Studio 2. My other business partner Rob Gromb joined in at the 30 min mark of the training session. He's going to join me every other Saturday for some intense training. I'm excited to have someone so exprerienced in intense military style training as my buisness partner for Jato Fitness cencept.

Now for one of my random ramblings...
I keep having the same conversations with guys. It starts with them saying "Uhhh...yea I think your workout is good for cardio BUT...". I can't help but chuckle. That statement pretty much means this to me "Uhhh...yea I think I don't like getting my ass kicked that badly...I don't know if I can hang with these women". Yes, I've concluded that this common assumption is true...majority of the men out there are not as tough as women. That's why they stick with 5 minutes of rest in between sets and lift heavy things rather than train their bodies/minds.

It definitely seems to be harder for guys to change their perspective from a body-build LIFTING regime to an actual TRAINING program. If they were to switch, their goals would actually be obtained. They would no longer need to compensate with useless supplements and excuses. Instead, there would be discipline, consistency, and actual long-term results. Yeah yeah...a bit harsh huh? Waaahhh...get over it and start TRAINING!! The ability to lift heavy things only impresses contractors and female neanderthals (not many of these walking around in the metro area). I believe this has both mental and physical reasons....Mentally, it's tough to accept the fact that we don't need to lift heavy symmetrical things to increase strength, muscle endurance, and overall fitness...Physically, cross-training programs are grossly more taxing on our systems (basically, it's another level of "burn" which is tough to deal with). Unless you are an aspiring body-builder or an aspiring "meathead" who simply can't get themselves to use lighter weights and sometimes no weights...cross training is for you. It's the best way to obtain overall fitness safely, effectively, and efficiently. I've come to this conclusion after 15 years of trying every program out there and studying the science of fitness/exercise. For those of you who still feel there is an argument to dead-lifting the front end of cars for overall health/fitness...please come speak to me or put that talent to use and try out for the worlds strongest man contest! I will gradly help you realize your faulty thinking and rationale. =)

Yesterday's MAVEN workout!
-Warm up: 3 min each of the following - TM/VC/Bike
-IN STUDIO 2:
1. Full Plyo push ups: on the up cycle...hands and feet leave the floor (15-15-10)
2. Burpees: (15-10-10)
1. KB swing alt hands squats: (15-15-10)
2. Push up crunches: (15-10-10)
1. Sumo squats with opposite weighted ball lifts: (15-15-10)
2. Pushups with under body reach: (15-10-10)
1. Push up plus for serratus on dip bars: (15-10-10)
2. Suspension knee to chest abs TRX straps: (15-15-15)
3. Triceps extensions rope cable: (15-15-15)
4. Leg lift progressives abs: (15-15-15)
5. Dips progressives: (15-15-15)
6. Planks crunches with 25 lbs plate on butt/back: (15-10-10)
1. Bicep progressives 30 lbs: (15-15-10)
RPE: 15 TIME: 70 min

Meals:
Breakfast: super shake and fish oil
Lunch: Korean (eel and rice and salad)
Snack: raw meal bar
Dinner: Japanese (east): sushi
Snack: Protein shake
Tons of water!!!

Training group is growing...

It's been fun training with people who are so motivated and driven. Everyone gets into a zone as soon as a new cycle begins during the workouts. It's been taking a bit longer due to the learning curve when a new program/exercises are taught. The group is really starting to click and feed off each other...it's been fun. David joined us for the first time today and did well. He's been on a new program and has been wanting to see what all this buzz is about. Hopefully, I didn't disappoint! =) Dave, stay consistent and stick to the diet program. We need to get your metabolic rate back up to par with your body. A few of the guys who have been sticking to the workouts told me recently that they do feel the improvement in muscular endurance and recovery. Great feedback! I'm almost done with week 3 and still feel awesome.

Yesterday was packed with meetings and business stuff...thus no postings and no workout. Today definitely made up for it.

The TRX suspension straps are really drawing some good attention. I'm catching the members and trainers at the gym eyeing my new toy. You could see the curiosty in the glances and stares. It'll be kind of fun to start seeing people bring in their own TRX straps to supplement their workouts! Love starting things!

As I was leaving the gym, a few of maven staff (smurphy and mihee) were using the TRX straps and drawing a crowd...gotta love it! Hopefully, all maven staff begin training consistently. Go Maven!!!

Today's workout:

Warm up: Treadmill 5 min/Bike 5 min/Stairmaster 5 min

1. Suspended rows TRX Straps (attempted as many fully suspended rows then feet on ground rows): (15-15-10)

2. Lunges (two 25 lbs plates): (15-15-15)

3. Standing striaght bar row/twists 42.5 lbs: (15-15-15)

4. Modified deadlifts 30 lbs DB: (15-15-15)

5. Pull-up assisted on dip bars: (15-15-15)

6. S/L 10 lbs reach overs (hams): (15-15-15)

1. Suspension horiz abduction TRX straps (VIDEO CLIP-Ginette) (arm straight): (15-12-10)

2. Shoulder presses 25 lbs DB: (15-15-15)

3. Lateral raises 10 lbs plates: (15-15-15)

4. Thera band flashers (yellow): (15-15-15)

5. Rope bicep curls 25 lbs: (15-15-15)

6. Arm circles with 5 lbs DB: (15-15-15)

1. Advanced reverse crunches "screws" (VIDEO CLIP-Scott): (15-12-12)

2. Suspension maintain ab crunch on elbows with oscillations/twists TRX Straps: (15-15-15)

3. Knee to outside elbow "pissers": (15-15-15)

1. Relay stairs (6x)

2. Cycle through knee heavy bag/hold bag for partner/push ups (switch every 30 sec): 5x

RPE: 16 TIME: 90 min

Meals:

-Breakfast: Super shake and fish oil

-Lunch: Japanese (sushi bento box)

-Dinner: Seaweed soup/rice, meat/veggie dish, some side dishes

-Tons of water!!

-Got home a bit too late for another snack.

Suspension training def adds some fun to the training!

Pouring rain! Gotta love the down pours in Jersey...

It was another great day...love kicking off a week this way! Good energy, productive, and balanced. One of the biggest self challenges I've faced during most of my professional career has been maintaining balance. As people who know me well can attest, I've been more extreme and passion driven than balanced. What I realized is I can be passionate, highly motivated, and productive while maintaining balance in my life. In fact, I've been even more productive since changing my perspective on life, work, money, and people. I still have ways to go and will continue to improve myself. Going to the extremes of workaholism and "vacation-phobia" was very detrimental to my mental, psychological, spiritual, and physical well being. Believe it or not, I used to see people's need to take vacation as a sign of weakness...basically, the weakness which seperated the leaders from the followers. Man, was I wrong. The extreme work ethic and drive to succeed WAS my weakness. My insecurities and fears basically drove me to out-perform everyone anywhere I worked. However, long term happiness was completely absent. My life was work and the pursuit of success. Am I not pursuing success anymore? No way! I view success a bit differently now...success is reaching my potential in more ways than $$, positions, toys, and respect. I feel strongly that money will be the least of my problems as long as I strive to reach my full potential and do what I'm suppose to do. 2010 will be a year to remember for I know many things will become clearer to me. I must stop myself before I go off rambling a bit too much...

Today's workout video clip:

-Warm up: Treadmill 5 min/Bike 5 min/Stairmaster 5 min

-Training:

1. Incline push ups (legs up): (20-15-15)

2. Plate squats (25lbs plate): (20-20-20)

3. Suspension push ups (VIDEO CLIP-Me)(TRX straps): (15-15-10)

4. Box jumps (16 inches): (15-15-15)

5. Ball push ups (VIDEO CLIP -Alain)(medicine ball): (15-15-15)

6. Lunges: (15-15-15)

1. Plyo bench push ups: (15-15-15)

2. Suspended pikes (VIDEO CLIP-Me)(TRX Straps): (15-15-10)

3. Push up plus (hit up serratus anterior): (15-15-15)

4. Leg up-medicine ball lifts-crunches: (15-15-15)

5. Cable straight bar/arm trunk rotations (VIDEO CLIP-Alain) 25 lbs: (15-15-15)

6. Side hip pikes (obliques): (15-15-15)

1. Stairs: 2 up and 1 down (8x)

1. Biceps: Bilat DB curls 30 lbs/Alt DB curls with tricep extensions 20 lbs/forearm DB twists at shoulder ABD of 45 degrees 15 lbs/Thera tube suspended preacher curls (15-10-10)

RPE: 17 (maintained HR of 150-165 bpm for 70 mins) TIME: 75 min.

Today's Meals:

Breakfast: Super shake and fish oil. Have gotten some requests on what the ingredients are for the super shake I drink. Here is it: 2 tablespoons of gogi berries, 1 tablespoon of pure cocao powder, 1 heaping tablespoon of hemp powder protein, 2 heaping tablespoons of hemp seeds, 1 heaping tablespoon of raw sunflower seeds, 1/2 serving (25 g) of whey protein isolate, 1 banana, 1/2 cup of frozen berry mix, 1 serving scoop of green vibrance (packed with greens and good bacteria), and fill to top with coconut water. Wait 15 minutes and take fish oil capsule with glass of water. Love my magic bullet! If you don't have one...get one!!

Lunch: Greek food (chicken souvlaki??spelling/greek salad and split pea soup)

Dinner: Cod, some lean beef (leftovers from weekend), vegetable soup, and herb salad. Took a serving of pure glutamine a great protein supplement (equivalent to a few egg whites) an hour after dinner.

TONS of WATER!!!

Happy for my parents!

As of last night, my parents are in Seoul, South Korea. As some of you know, they moved there after 26 years of living in the States. I dropped them off at JFK on Saturday night and got a call from them last night...as they settled in their new apartment. Although we'll miss them very much, I'm really happy for them. They get to finally take a "vacation" after about 2 decades without taking one. My father has worked so hard to support us for the last 35 years and consistently led by example as all men should. My mother has given us nothing short of her very best every day and is the epitome of strength. They are without a doubt the best parents anyone can have and I owe them more than I can ever give. Thank you mom and dad...love you!
I know what you're thinking..."didn't know Taylor had feelings...". For my family, close friends, and a few select causes, I'm like jello. Yeah, I got feelings but no tear ducts...they closed up 2 decades ago due to lack of use! =)

This weekend was a bit odd as you can tell by the lack of posts. I trained on Saturday morning without a set program. I basically improvised and took it relatively "easy". Wrapped my hands and put on some 16 oz boxing gloves and gave the heavy bag a good ol fashioned beating. The poor bag got some real nasty kicks to the liver and spleen too! Did a bunch of different push ups and crunches.
To my ego's surprise, my wife finally let one of her friends know that I'm looking better already! She never tells me this stuff to my face...I guess to protect me from my huge ego! Thanks hon!?!? Muscle memory is beautiful thing.

Overall, I still maintained an excellent diet over the weekend. Had some beef on Saturday and Sunday night. I'm definitely getting leaner by the week. Lastly, just wanted to add that my buttocks are making a come back as well! Pants are starting to feel a bit looser at the waste but tighter around the hips.

Looking forward to another kick ass week. Plannning on training at Paramus on Monday (bet 5-6pm), Wed (bet 5-6pm), Friday (bet 5-6pm), and Sat (bet 8-9am). Cliffside Park on Tues (bet 3-4pm).

If anyone is interested in joining in any of the days this week, text me the day of and I'll let you know a more exact time. Thanks!

Workouts picking up some steam!

The workouts are definitely picking up in intensity. The group training is helping to motivate the guys. We need some gals representing! Anyone?? It might be just me but I doubt it...I really feel and see a difference after only 2 weeks of consistently sticking with my program. Next week will begin the incorporation of the TRX training straps. It's going to get fun!



Today's workout team: Andre, Victor, Scott, and Alain


WORKOUT:
Warm-up: Treadmill 5 min/Jump rope 5 mnin/Versaclimber 5 min/Bike 5 min (level 8 maintaining over 90 rpm)
Training:
1. Burpees (VIDEO CLIP-Alain): 5x5
2. MMA kicks to heavy bag: alternating 6x20
1. Bent over barbell rows (VIDEO CLIP-Scott): 95 lbs (15-15-15)
2. Jumping pull-ups: (15-15-15)
3. Lying pull-ups: (15-15-15)
4. Bent over alternating rows: 10 lbs plates (15-15-15)
1. Incline hip extensions: (12-12-10)
2. DB modified deadlifts: (15-15-15)
3. Leaning bilat heel raises (VIDEO CLIP-Andre): (20-15-15)
4. S/L line toe jumps (VIDEO CLIP-Andre): (15-15-15)
1. Plate rotations around head (VIDEO CLIP-Me): 25 lbs plate (15-15-15)
2. Ant delt raises with DB (VIDEO CLIP-Me): 25 lbs DB (15-15-15)
3. DB lateral raises: 10 lbs DB (15-15-15)
4. Thera tubing lateral raises: Yellow (15-15-15)
5. Thera tubing bicep curl progressives (Bilat/Bilat twists/Alt twists): Red (25-25-25)
1. Stairs: 2 up and 1 down (x8)
Abs:
1. Supine leg twists: (10-10-10)
2. Reverse curls: (12-12-10)
3. Knee to same side elbow with crunch: (15-15-15)
4. Crnches: (15-15-15)
RPE: 17 TIME: 90 min

MEALS
-Breakfast: Super shake and fish oil
-Snack: Protein shake with frozen fruit, banana, and water
-Lunch: Korean rolls (kim bap)
-Snack: Raw meal bar from whole foods
-Dinner: kim bap covered and cooked with 3 egg whites, kim chee, and spinach soup
-Snack: Trader Joe's granola and veggie chips (just a little)
Tons of water!!

Busy day...

Yesterday was quite busy for me. It's funny how things end up pulling you back in when you try to focus on other ventures/jobs/projects. I guess it's a good problem to have, but it can get a bit confusing. If January is any indication of how 2010 will go for me, it's going to be a fun sporadic year. I've had the privilege of meeting some wonderful people in the last few weeks. It's true what people say...when you least expect things or take a step back from the situation, things begin to natural unfold. Without boring you with my rambkings, it's becoming clearer to me that life is very short and it's essential for all of us to make the best of our relationships and to maintain a broader perspective on life as we know it. Sometimes the "meaningless" and "trivial" things in our lives are what ends up tranforming us and bettering us. Like some of you, I'm always in search of the "big" moments in life to define who I am. There is no doubt in my mind my perspective is changing...


Yesterday's workout: Scott, Kent, and Chris joined me.
Warm-up: TM 5 min/Versaclimber 5 min/Rowing 5 min/Jump rope 5 min
Training:
1. Dips: (20-15-10)
2. Push-ups: Legs up on bench and flat (20-15-10)
3. Bench Push-ups: (20-15-20)
4. Railing Push-ups: (20-15-10)
1. Box Jumps: (20-12-10)
2. Plate Squats: (25-20-20)
3. Lunges: (15-15-15)
1. Dip progressives (25-20-15)
2. Tricep narrow push-ups (20-15-10)
3. TB tricep extensions (15-10-10)
1. Stairs: Up 2 and down 1 (x8)
Abs:
1. Leg lift progressives: (15-10-10)
2. Obliques-side plank raises: (10-10-10)
3. Crunches: (20-15-10)
RPE: 16 TIME: 75 min

MEALS:
Breakfast: Super shake and fish oil
Lunch: Japanes (Sushi lunch box)
Dinner: Korean food (some beef and pork) and korean side dishes
Snack: korean rolls (kim bap)

Maven Seminar today at cliffside park..

Decided not to work out yesterday..but I did eat very well and will be ready for a great workout today (it's 12:44 am Thursday). The last ten days have already improved my strength, muscular endurance, and aerobic conditioning signifcantly. Week 4 will be when the real fun begins. Ordered my TRX system today. Looking forward to incorporating it into the workouts. My gluts are quite sore today...they're making fast comeback! Noticed the pants are getting a bit tight around the buttocks. Rest of the body feels great!

TODAY'S MEALS:
-BREAKFAST: Super Shake and fish oil
-LUNCH: Chicken/egg white, vegetables, and lentil soup
-LUNCH 2: Same as lunch (smaller portions)
-SNACK: Protein bar
-DINNER: 5 egg whites, fish, korean rolls, and spinach soup
-TONS OF WATER!!

These are some pictures from the seminar today.

Professor Yoo flexing his brain & me flexing my gluts!

Maven PT spread & Professor Murphy demonstrating stretches

Bhairvi (Grad student) presenting

The topic was low back pain. For it being the first monthly seminar to be held at our Cliffside Park office, we had a great turn out. Ten attendees signed up for the complimentary rehab screen. Jerry (my business partner and brother in law), Scott, and I had a great manager's meeting after the seminar. It's a challenge successfully growing a company, but we all seem to agree maven has so much potential to explode and set the standard. We're on our way!

Rob Gromb (my business partner for Jato Fitness) is due to join me today for my workout. He and I have been close friends for about 6 years now. He was the head drill instructor and physical training instructor for the Passaic County Police Academy for 15 years before moving on to the county court. Prior to Academy work, he was a detective (CSI) and saw some crazy crazy things. He pretty much graduated every law enforcement class to come out of PCPA in the last 15 years. He's definitely a badass...and hundreds of cops thoughout passaic county can back that statement.

Today's workout is going to be one of the toughest! I can't wait!

Good job guys!

Today's workout was one of the more intense sessions I've had since the launch. Alain, Scott, and Sean decided to join me in a kick ass workout. Today's program focused on the "pulling" muscles of the body (mainly the back muscles, hams, and biceps). The guys stuck it out and drew some attention from the other members as we rotated from exercise to exercise with minimal rest in between sets! It was intense and motivating as everyone was looking to give it their best. Let's just say the guys made me proud! Hopefully, they had a great workout and will join me again soon...

TODAY'S WORKOUT:
-WARM-UP: Treadmill 5 min (start at 6 degrees at 3.8 mph then increase by a degree every 30 seconds)/Speed jump rope 5 min/Versaclimber 5 min/Rowing 5 min
-TRAINING:
1. Mid-grip pull-ups then jumping pull-ups for set 2 and 3 (15-15-10)
2. Standing cable bilat rows 20 lbs then seated alt. lat pulldowns 27.5 lbs (20-15-15)
3. Straight bar vertical standing alt. rows with trunk twists 35 lbs (VIDEO CLIP-Taylor) (20-15-15)
4. Dip bar pull-ups (VIDEO CLIP-Alain)(assisted going up and eccentric non-assisted going down) (15-10-10)
1. Lunges 25 lbs plates (15-15-10)
2. Deadlifts 30 lbs DB (VIDEO CLIP-Sean)(15-15-15)
3. Kettle bell S/L alt ham/hip extensions 25 lbs (15-10-10)
4. S/L heel raises then S/L line jumps (15-15-15)
1. Bent over DB rows B then alt. 20 lbs (VIDEO CLIP-Scott)(15-15-15)
2. Standing DB upright row 25 lbs plate (15-15-10)
3. DB shoulder press 25 lbs (20-15-15)
4. Lateral raises 10 lbs (20-15-15)
5. Bicep DB curl progressives 20 lbs (Bilat curls-Sup curls-Alt. curls) (15-10-10)
1. Stairs (UP 2 steps at a time..DOWN 1 step at a time) approx. 10 times 2 flights of stairs
ABS:
1. Dip bar KTC with posterior tilts (very hard exercise but we tried) (10-8-6)
2. Alt KTC on mat (15-10-10)
3. Plank crunches (15-10-10)
RPE: 17 TIME: 1 hr 30 min (tougher with a bigger group but we managed)




TODAY'S MEALS:
-BREAKFAST: Super shake with fish oil
-LUNCH: Greek (salmon steak, rice, and greek salad)
-SNACK: protein bar and natural energy drink
-DINNER: Fish, some rice, arugula salald, and lentil soup
-SNACK: Egg white protein shake 25 g of protein
TONS of WATER!!

Productive day!

Plowed through a stack of bills for Maven, a few phone calls, emailing, and had a few meetings. It's definitely easy to fall behind when there is so much on the plate...or not. Actually, I fall behind because I choose to not be as productive. It's so easy for us to blame our seemingly stressful lives as the reason for not doing this or that. When it comes down to it...we just choose to not make time for what we supposedly have no time for. It really is about prioritizing what needs to be done and being efficient actually getting it done. For most of my professional career, I loved being busy for the sake of being busy regardless of how little I was getting done. I guess this is something most of us struggle with...efficiency and productivity while maintaining a balanced life both professionally and personally. Is it impossible? Absolutely! Is it easy? Absolutely not! It takes tons of conscious effort, discipline, and practice to create new habits. Unfortunately, most of us quit or get distracted way before habits can be formed and engrained. Even before good habits can be formed, there has to be a perspective change. For example, if we continue to see our lives as out of hand and out of our control, it will be. However, if we train our minds to think of our lives as our lives, we regain control of it and are able to reorgainze and manage it. I'm getting there. It's been a rough inconsistent road, but it's finally beginning to click and 2010 looks to be a pivotal year for me. Hopefully, some of you will choose to regain control of your lives and develop new habits, which will likely enrich and enliven you daily as you begin to live out your dreams...instead of simply hoping for them.

Had a pretty intense workout today. Scott, the birthday boy from my last post decided to join me. He took a few weeks off due to various reasons (mostly fighting off a cold which he had to get on antibiotics for). I hope he enjoyed our workout and got a glimpse of what true cross-training is all about. I took a few pictures of him performing squats.

TODAY'S WORKOUT:

-WARM-UP: Treadmill 5 min (3.8 mph/begin at 6 degrees incline/increase incline a degree every 30 seconds), Versaclimber 5 min, Speed jump rope 5 min

-CROSS TRAINING:

1. Dips (20-15-10)

2. Push-up progressives (ONE SET: Floor plyo/Flat/Bench) (15-10-8)
1. 35 lbs plate squats (25-20-15)

2. 16" box jumps (15-10-10)

1. Gravitron dips 40 lbs of assistance (20-15-10)

2. Cable chest fly/press 30 lbs (20-15-10)

1. Side lunges (15-15-10)

2. 16" box S/L step ups (15-10-10)

1. Dips progressives (VIDEO CLIP) (ONE SET: legs up/legs on floor/knee at 90) (25-20-15)

2. DB tricep extensions (VIDEO CLIP) (20-15-10)

3. Railing focus push-ups (VIDEO CLIP) (emphsize horiz abduction) (20-15-15)

ABS:

1. Leg lift progressives (ONE SET: leg lifts-twists/KTC alt/KTC bilat) (15-15)

2. Pelvic tuck-KTC-Pelvic rotation (TAYLOR ORIGINAL) (15-15)
3. P-Ball crunches (20-15)

RPE: 16 TIME: 60 min

TODAY'S MEALS:

-BREAKFAST: Super shake and fish oil.

-LUNCH: Japanese (chicken teriyaki lunch box)

-DINNER: Fish, some rice, arugula salad, and a little kimchi jigae (a korean favorite)

-SNACK: 1/2 a Korean pear

I'm back!

Friday and Saturday was pretty much taken up by the continuing education course I took in White Plains, NY. Lets just say my crackberry came in handy and I was very happy at 5:35 pm Saturday as I left Burke Rehab Hospital to head back home. It was worth 12 cont ed credit hours!
I didn't get to train on Friday and Saturday but the rest was good for the body. My diet was very good for both days even though I didn't end up working out. Went out last night for Scott's (maven manager) B-day and had 1.5 Amstel lights. It was good fun celebrating with a nice bunch of people. I also had a chance to hang out with Bill...a good friend and old business partner. Got home around one but I knew I had/wanted to workout this morning. It felt great getting in the gym after a few days off! I don't know if it's just me wanting to see it, but I could already tell a difference in only a week. I'm looking forward to the month point when I'll take my measurements again and strip down for photos!!
As I posted about a week ago, my parents are moving back to Seoul, South Korea next Saturday. I'll miss them very much but I know they'll be happier there and that's what matters. Skype is awesome. It was basically the defining factor in making my parents feel relatively comfortable with the decision to "leave" us. They have both given me everything a parent could give a son without ever asking for anything back. For this, I can't thank them enough and I owe them so much. I've been blessed with the most amazing parents.
Today I had my cheat meal for the week. What was this you ask? Japanese ramen! It was my first time trying "home made" japanese noodles. Saw an episode of Man v Food where Adam hits up an authentic ramen joint in LA. According to my informal survey, there are no good places in the mtero area. So we went to the only place we knew...Mitsuwa. One word to describe the experience...SALTY!!! Probably will never try Japanese ramen again...unless it was in a ramen house in JAPAN. I've also never had such a strong adverse response to unhealthy food. Immediately after we finished eating, the salt and MSG (I assume they loaded it up since I'm pretty sensitive to MSG) gave me an intense headache and almost made me feel like I was coming down with a cold. Sudden fatigue and drowsiness hit both of us like a brick wall. We went straight to the fruit aisle to buy a bottle of veggie juice and a few tangerines. Downed a bottle of water as well. It's like the healthy diet during the last week already caused my body to have adverse reaction to crap. It's a good thing! Everyday this past week provided evidence of why it's important to have a healthful daily diet. Basically, stay consistent....whether you eat crap everyday so you have an adverse reaction to healthful foods or eat right and so your body hates the wrong. My energy level and my mood was directly connected to what I ate/drank. I'm actually looking forward to Monday when I know it begins another week of non-compromising healthful living. It's getting easier and easier to eat right.

TODAYS WORKOUT:
-WARM-UP: Treadmill 5 min/VersaClimber 5 min/Speed jump rope 5 min
-RESISTANCE TUBING:
1. Lat straight arm pull (20-20-15)
2. Straight arm horizontal abduction/Wide grip row (20-20-15)
3. Bilat bicep curls/Alternating (25-20-20)
4. Flashers (20-20-15)
1. Shoulder presses (20-20-15)
2. Lateral raises (20-20-15)
1. Bicep progressives (20-20-15)
2. Bench push-ups with crunch (4 sets of 15)
3. KTC and alt (20-15-15)

The workout was a bit shorter than usual, but felt as good.
I'll make sure to put up more pics and videos of the exercises from my workouts.

TODAY'S MEALS:
-BREAKFAST: Super Shake and fish oil
-LUNCH: Nasty Japanese ramen (felt like crap for about 2 hours)
-SNACK: Bottle of veggie juice and a tangerine
-DINNER: Fish, rice, and korean side dishes
-SNACKS: Trader Joe's granola (as you can tell, I like Trader Joe's snacks)

Weird/crazy week so far...in a good way.

First of all, thank you to the 3 of you who are actually reading my posts and supporting Jato Fitness.
It's been a good week so far. Unexpectedly met some really interesting people in meetings and have been thinking more than usual. It must be the healthy meals and crazy workouts. Overall, I feel real good and things are really starting to come together. What you ask? I'm not even sure yet...but I know I'm looking and trying to figure myself out.
I'm due to attend a continuing education course to renew my physical therapy license tomorrow and saturday. Two days of vestibular rehab education. Fun!!! Oh well, I'll try to make the best of it. This also means I won't be able to work out until Sunday. Christine (my wife) is going to a work party tomorrow night and I'll be staying home with my monkeys. On Saturday, there is a possibility I'll be going out for Scott's B-day for a little bit. We'll see.

Today's workout:
-Warm-up: Treadmill 5 min/ Rowing machine 5 min (level 8)
-Cross-training:
1. BB bent over row Bilat/Alt 40 lbs (15-15-10)
2. Pull-ups (shouolder width grip) (15-8-5)
1. BB modified deadlifts with shrug 70 lbs (15-10-10)
2. Lunges holding 25 lbs plates (15-10-10)
1. Standing cable unilat row/twist (20-15-15)
2. Lat pull-downs (20-15-10)
1. Squats (20-20-20)
2. Leaning Bilat. heal raises S/L (20-15-15)
1. Lateral raises DB 15/10 lbs (20-15-15)
2. Plate ant delt raises 25 lbs (15-10-10)
3. DB lateral raise circles 5 lbs (15-10-10)
4. Bicep progressives 40 lbs BB/20 & 15 lbs DB/Alt (15-10-10)
5. Forearm twists with slight lat raise 20 lbs DB (15-15-15)
Abs: Basic crunches (4 sets of 35)

Meals:
-BREAKFAST: Super shake and fish oil
-BREAKFAST 2: 1/2 of 3 egg white omelette and slice of white bread
-LUNCH: Turkish food (yogurt dip, 3 small slices of turkish bread, turkish beef patties, roasted vegetables, garden salad)
-DINNER: Yellowtail roll, spicy salmon roll, a bunch of korean side dishes, popular korean soft tofu soup (asked for less spice and salt)
-Tons of water!!!!

So far so good! 1st week almost done!

It's been a special week so far. I'm about to complete my first week of training as I make a return to high-level fitness and document every step. Although the training has been exciting, what has made this week so special is that I've had the opportunity to meet with some incredible people through networking and friends. Every meeting started out with discussions of business and/or real estate...but quickly moved on to more meaningful topics such as life philosophy, money/success, and the pursuit of happiness (which sounds cheesy but happens to be one of my favorite movies). I can't help it, I like happy endings (get your minds out of the gutter!). I feel 2010 will be a pivotal year for me in regards to discovering my true potential and figuring out myself. Thinking too much has gotten me into trouble before but I feel I'm actually on the right track and in a good frame of mind. Due to my tendency to be self-reliant and independent, receiving help/quidance from others has always been a struggle of mine. That's why I'm attached to my Kindle and reading books written by authors who I can't help but respect and learn from. Many of them have devoted their lives to researching and "figuring out" things for us. However, New York Times best selling authors can only do so much for my personal/professional growth and learning due to the absence of a friendship/relationship between the reader and author. I feel 2010 will be a year when I'll find a person who I can seek a life-transforming mentorship from. Many highly successful and content people I know speak of having a mentor who challenged them and guided them during confusing times. You can say I'm "hungry" for some guidance. As you can tell, I'm pretty much using this blog as my diary...but I'm trying not to ramble on and on too often.

Todays' workout:

-WARM UP: the usual (TM walk 5 min/Versaclimber 5 min/jump rope 5 min)

-CROSS TRAINING:

1. Push-ups (ONE SET: flat & bench) (20-15-10)

2. Dips (20-15-10)

1. Speed step-ups: (3 sets of 30 seconds)

2. Heavy bag MMA kicks (alternating): 3 sets of 30 seconds)

1. Railing plyo push-ups (ONE SET: plyo & non plyo) (25-20-15)

2. Cable chest press 20 lbs (focusing on full contraction of pecs every rep) (20-15-15)

1. Mini squat jumps (20-20-20)

2. S/L DB heel raises 25 lbs plate (20-15-15)

1. Tricep extensions with rope attachment 20 lbs (25-20-15)

2. Bilat standing tricep extensions 10 & 8 lbs (20-15-15)

-Abs (VIDEO clip of one cycle)

1. Leg lift progressives (15-10-10)

2. Side plank obliques (10-10-10)

3. Basic crunches (25-20-15)

MEALS:

-BREAKFAST: Super shake and fish oil

-LUNCH: Thai food (chicken/rice noodles in a light peanut sauce) & tum yum soup

-DINNER: Arugula/avocado salad with cilantro dressing, a small block of salmon steak, a little rice, alittle potato/egg salad, a bowl korean vegetable stew. Now that's a meal!

-SNACK: Trader Joe's granola and a oatmeal cookie

Amazing...

Had to give you a final update on the shoulder before bed.
With acitve ROM, I have no pain as of 12:27am. I'm simply blown away by what happened with my shoulder today. It felt 85% better after the meeting (which was just before 5pm). Right now, I feel at 100% (basically, what it felt like before the onset of pain this morning). Can do a push-up pain-free!?!? Crazy but completely and utterly true! Man....

Instant healing??

Something really crazy happened today. As I posted this morning, I woke up with intense left shoulder pain, which I believed was originating from an inflammed supraspinatus and the long head of the biceps (slept on the shoulder for ?? hours). For most of the day, the pain was very limiting and sharp. I was almost non-functional with the L arm due to the intense pain. I was even considering holding off training for a day or two until the acute pain diminshed. Then, around 3pm I headed into a 2 hour meeting. There is no doubt in my mind the pain was intense when I arrived at the meeting site...since I remember having a hard time putting on my suit jacket as I got out of the car. To my total surprise, my shoulder pain had improved 85% post-meeting. I can't explain it. I've had bouts of acute pain in pretty much all my joints at one point or another. Never have I had this happen where such acute pain was present, then without a "clicking back in" or "popping back in" episode it returns to pretty much normal. As I'm typing on my laptop right now, I keep moving it just amazed at the absence of the pain from this morning. What I'm trying to say in a very verbose way...I'm definitely happy about it!

As you can assume, I headed straight to the gym after my last meeting. My friend Sean joined me in the training session today. He's been wanting to lose a few pounds and get ready for road biking and golf season. Held up well considering he hasn't resistance trained in a long time and has been restricted due some orthopedic issues. Hope he sticks with his goal to train 3 times a week. I felt great once again and was extra careful with my exercise selection to prevent re-injury.

The following is a picture of Sean doing dips.

My workout today-DONE...

Warm-up: Treadmill 5 min (begin with 6 degrees/3.8 mph. increase incline a degree/30 sec)

Resistance Training:

1. Bench push-ups (25-20-20)

2. BB bent-over rows 50 lbs (20-20-20)

1. Seated row 35 lbs (20-15-15)

2. Hi standing unilateral cable row/twists 30 lbs (15-15-15)

1. Modified deadlifts 35 lbs DB (15-15-15)

2. Lunges 20 lbs DB (15-15-15)

Rowing machine (level 10 intense) 5 min

1. DB bicep curls (ONE SET: Bilat curls - Bilat hammer curls - Alt bicep curls) (10-10-10)

2. Dip progressives (ONE SET: legs straight - knees bent at 90 degrees) (25-20)

1. Kettlebell squats 25 lbs (20-20-20)

2. S/L KB contra floor reach 15 lbs (15-10-10)

Abs:

1. V-twists KTC (25-20-20)

2. Crunches (25-20-20)

3. Plank crunches (10-10)

RPE: 15 TIME: 50 min

MEALS:

-BREAKFAST: Super shake (30g of protein) and fish oil

-LUNCH: Cuban food (chicken steak, lentil/bean soup, salad, and some rice and beans) mmm

-DINNER: 1/2 of whole fish, 3 small meat patties, a little potato egg salad, and baby bokchoy-oyster mushroom dish

-SNACK: Trader Joe's granola (love this stuff)

-SNACK: whey protein shake (25g)

Until tomorrow!

Holy shoulder pain!!

Felt great last night, but woke up this morning with intense left shoulder pain. Woke up on my left side with my left arm folded under my body. As I tried to role over to get up...the shoulder pain was sharp and painful. Self-evaluated and I believe it's my supraspinatus and the long head of the biceps. Prognosis: a few nights of sleeping on my back should return it 100%..hopefully. I've had issues with my right shoulder in the past but the left one has held up to this point. It's amazing how the wrong static positioning of a joint for a length of time can actually cause injury. This is the case for probably the majority of low back pain diagnoses out there. My body hasn't felt this good in a very long time...except for this shoulder "injury". Will keep you posted on the progress. I'll make a last minute decision whether to train today or not. Even if I didn't train today, I'd still be on track for 5 days this week. We'll see.

Monday!!!!!

Left shoulder is bugging me a bit. Whether the workouts have been a bit too intense or I slept on it the wrong way...it's a nuisance. DOMS may be playing a role in the discomfort as well. Legs and the rest of the body feel ready to kick off the week. I'll limit overhead and exacerbative movements today when training. As you will see below, I'm focusing on pulling exercises and avoiding overhead/pushing movements. Pretty excited about my first full week of training. Other than the slight shoulder discomfort, I feel great!

Today's workout will be at Paramus around 5pm!

Program:
-Warm-up: TM incline walk 5 min, Versa climber 5 min, and jump rope 5 min (No Prob)

-Workout:
1. Pull-down Progressives (20-15-10) OK (Standing cable wide grip then alternating)
2. DB Bent over rows B/ALT (20-15-10) OK (20 lbs DB)
1. Side Lunge (15-10-10) OK (0 lbs)
2. 1 ft. B box jumps (15-10-10) OK (0 lbs)
1. Standing Uni cable row/twist (15-15-10) OK (35 lbs)
2. Self-assisted pull-up on dip bars (15-15-10) OK
1. 1 ft. S/L step ups (15-10-10) OK (box was more like 16 inches and one leg at a time)
2. Squats (15-15-10) OK (touch ass on box each rep)
1. DB Bicep curls progressives (15-15-10) OK (20 lbs DB - Bilat then alternating)
2. DB Grip twists with slight lat raise (15-15-15) OK (20 lbs DB)

-Abs:
1. Leg lifts progressives (15-10-10) OK
2. Bench plank with KTC (15-10-10) OK
3. Crunches/twist (15-10-10) OK

RPE: 15 Time: 5o min (start to finish)

UPDATE: Althought RPE doesn't say it felt much better...it did. Did not feel as nauseous as last week. The longer warm-up seems to help. I feel my body responding to everything and I love it! The shoulder felt good since I avoided exacerbative movements. Actually...it feel better already. It should settle down with a good night's rest and proper positioning during sleep.

TODAY'S MEALS:
-BREAKFAST: My super shake and fish oil
-LUNCH: Leftover mom's california rolls and mmm good chicken breast/veggie dish
-SNACK: New cliff protein bar 20g of protein (I'm not a fan of bars but tried it...it was good)
-DINNER: Fish, fish, and more fish. some rice and a mixture of healthy korean food.
-SNACK: Trader Joe's gluten free granola mix and an oatmeal cookie.
-SNACK: whey shake 25g protein.

Last few minutes of the Seminar workshop

Today's Meals

BREAKFAST: Super shake and fish oil pill
LUNCH: Japanese food (salmon box and tellowtail sushi)-I am def on a sushi kick.
SNACK: Han Ah Reum (Korean grocery store). Tried all the healthy samples.
DINNER: Mom's california rolls and korean food. very little meat.
SNACK: 1/3 of a corn on the cob (no salt or butter)
Protein Shake (25g of protein)

Didn't go too crazy with protein intake today since I knew I wasn't going to train.


These are some pictures from seminar yesterday...

Now that's what I'm talking about!!

Muscles soreness is at full force today! I love it! Decided to listen to my muscles screaming and take the day off from training. The rest should help prepare me for the week ahead...this week will be my first full week of training in a long time.
As much as consistent training is important to obtaining peak fitness, listening to your body and resting is equally essential for progress and long-term change. Most people who are kicking off a new fitness regimen go to extremes forgetting about patience and steady progress. Gradually increasing the intensity to match the current fitness level will help prevent this.
As I thought about the seminar we held yesterday, I keep thinking about how much I enjoy publicly speaking about my passions and beliefs. Once I've reached a level of "success", I would really enjoy holding seminars and conferences related to self-improvement and life/business coaching. I guess time will tell how my life unfolds!

As all of my family and close friends know, I have a hard time finding people to learn from. I guess that's where my ego and pride comes in. Often times, I feel people just don't get it. This is not to say I've figured it all out...quite the contrary. It just means I find too many contradictions in people for me to take what they say too seriously. I do find sound/meaningful advice and guidance from reading books written by people who appear to have put some deep thought into what they say. I feel people truly living out their passions and beliefs is a rarity in this life. It appears most people don't have a clue what they live for. The sadest part is that they aren't bothered enough by their lack of purpose to do anything about it. This all said, this year I hope to find an actual mentor whom I can confide in. Who is this person going to be? I guess I'll find out...

Sorry for the rambling. I've never kept a diary before...and blogging is allowing me to think things through and "speak" about what's on my mind. Can be boring but it's just me being transparent.

My friend DOMS has decided to come earlier than usual!

DOMS (Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness): A perfectly natural response to exercise. For those of you who aren't familiar with what muscle soreness signifies...it's essentially your body's way of telling you there was "damage" done via a "trauma". In this case, the planned "trauma" was in the form of exercises. Since I was relatively de-conditioned, the intensity/activities I exposed to my body caused an inflammatory response. This response is due to the exercises individually and collectively causing microtrauma to the muscles and associated connective tissues. The art is in controlling the extent of trauma/damage to ensure safe/effective/efficient net progress. Body does not increase its fitness/performance level unless it's exposed to abnormal "stresses". With more training/experience, people can hone their ability to know this threshold level in themselves and even in others. Usually for me, DOMS does not set in until after the initial 24 hour period post-workout. However, the cross-training has definitely brought it on earlier than usual. Although I definitely feel the DOMS, it shouldn't impede me from performing my program today safely, effectively, and efficiently (SEE).

I'll post my workout of the day on the day on the day of the actual workout. Then after the workout is completed, I will add the notes/comments to my workout that same evening or at the latest within 12 hours. That is my promise.

Any updates are in red text.

TODAY'S WORKOUT:
-TM Walk: 3.8 mph. 5 min. Incline increased a degree every 1/2 min from 6 to 15 degrees. OK
-Versaclimber: 5 min OK
-Rowing: 5 min OK
1. Jump-up Pull-ups: 25-20-15 OK
2. Push-up Plus: 25-20-15 OK
1. Squats: 25-20-15 OK
2. Hip Extensions: 15-10-10 OK
1. Push up with crucifix alt. DB lifts: 20 lbs. 15-10-10 OK
1. Abs-reverse crush progressives (alt/bilat/alt KTC/bilat KTC): 15-10-10 ONLY 2 SETS
2. Abs-Side plank oblique hip raises: 15-10-10 ONLY 2 SETS
3. Abs-Crunches: 25-20-15 ONLY 2 SETS
-Versaclimber: 5 min OK
-Time Goal: 45 min (ACTUAL 55 min)
-Workout RPE: 16

My partner Jerry Yoo and I are holding another seminar at our Paramus office today 12-3pm. It should be another successful one. I put together a full body workout for the participants which I'll instruct. The cool thing about this program...all you need is 5 or 10 lbs dumbbells! Lets just say they'll remember this seminar for at least a few days! =)

UPDATE: The seminar went really well. Was able to give the participants a full body workout in 20 min! They seemed to enjoy the intensity and pace...everyone broke a sweat and got a few laughes in as well. I felt very comfortable with the seminar participants and the topic of motivating people to strive for a lifestyle of fitness/health. It's great to be both a fitness & healthcare professional. Days like today definitely boosts my confidence and helps motivate me even more as I steamroll towards my fitness/professional goals.

I'll updated later. Sooner or later, I hope to get more than one (me) blogger actually following me! As always, I welcome any comments/questions.

UPDATE: Today's meals (tons of water!!)
-BREAKFAST: My super shake!
-Fish oil pill
-LUNCH 1 (12 pm): Salmon roll and Tuna roll (mmmm)
-LUNCH 2 (3 pm): Korean food (very little fat but substantial)
-DINNER (7 pm): 1/2 while butterfish, some rice, guacomole, and kimchi (mmmm)
-Trader Joe's puff ball snacks (ate a small bowl of the puff balls with my monkeys)

Day 1

Fact: A baseline fitness level must be established for such a seemingly intense program to be safe, effective, and efficient. Fatigue caused me to compromise function today. It felt great getting back into the gym but it was definitely a struggle to get through the program (as you will see below). Until my fitness level improves to an acceptable baseline, power/plyometric exercises will be reserved for the first half of the program. I'm assuming by approximately week 3 or 4, I'll be able to mix it up without such a compromise of function and performance.

Below is the program (notes are in green) I followed for today and what I ate.


Warm-up: Jump rope (5 min) and VersaClimber (5 min) Love this part and the VERSACLIMBER

4 Cycles/sets of each pair of exercises (15/15/10/10 reps respectively for each of the 4 sets)

-Kettlebell Row bilaterally & alternating Kettlebells were MIA. Used 25lbs DBs Did OK
-Push-ups: Bench plyo & non-plyo Did OK

-Barbell Deadlift-Shrug Used 25 lbs DB instead. Did OK
-Dumbbell lunge 0 weights. Did OK
By this point, I was at set # 8 of the workout without rest...Fatigue set in!
-Kipping Pull-ups Fatigue set in and I realized I was in over my head with these!! Did 10-10-6-6.
-Flat push-ups with Quadruped crunch Managed to get through these
-Kettlebell Jump Squats 0 lbs and only managed to get through 2x15
-2 ft bilateral box jumps Held off on these completely due to calves cramping up....so sad!


2 Cycles/sets of each exercise (25/20 reps respectively for the 2 sets) These were successfully done
-Flashers
-Lat raises
-Alternating bicep curls (using yellow tubing)
-Dip progressives

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSqna1UkVAI


2 Cycles/sets (25/20 reps respectively for the 2 sets) Though very nauseous at this point...did it!

-KTE with pelvic tilt


DIET:
-a cup of water upon waking up
-30 min after waking up. Breakfast (Large magic bullet serving size mixture of tbsp gogi berries, tsp cocoa powder, tbsp hemp seed, 1/4 cup hemp seed protein, tbsp roasted unsalted almonds, tbsp roasted unsalted sunflower seeds, tsp acai powder, 1/2 serving of whey 25g of protein, whole banana, a serving of green vibrance, and capped off with coconut water). A variety of this shake has been my breakfast for the last year. I believe it's helped me cut out coffee for good and kept the doctor away for a year.
-another cup of water 15 min after shake with fish oil capsule
-LUNCH was with a friend at a Turkish restaurant (half a portion of: yogurt dip with half a pita, turkish garden salad, 3 small blocks of chicken breast kabab, and 1/2 cup of rice. hand palm sized Turkish "pizza")
-DINNER: Serving of fried rice + lean meats and seasoning, a small block of slamon, and a cup of fresh salsa
-Finish the evening with the other 1/2 serving of whey protein.

It felt great to not feel stuffed after every meal. As you can tell, the meals were delicious and quite normal. Again the goal is to obtain my fitness goals while living a truly healthful balanced life. Besides, I enjoy flavors and ethnic food too much to be eating chicken and brocolli for every meal. There is absolutely no need to follow this unsual flavor-less diet followed by so many fitness enthusiasts.

Overall, I'm very pleased with how I did today. However, reality hit me and I realize how truly deconditioned I am....it just gives me more motivation knowing results are coming and they'll come fast!!! =)

Tomorrow's workout!

Warm-up:  Jump rope (5 min) and VersaClimber (5 min)


4 Cycles/sets of each pair of exercises (15/15/10/10 reps respectively for each of the 4 sets)

-Kettlebell Row bilaterally & alternating
-Push-ups:  Bench plyo & non-plyo

-Barbell Deadlift-Shrug
-Dumbbell lunge

-Kipping Pull-ups
-Flat push-ups with Quadruped crunch

-Kettlebell Jump Squats
-2 ft bilateral box jumps


2 Cycles/sets of each exercise (25/20 reps respectively for the 2 sets)

-Flashers
-Lat raises
-Alternating bicep curls (using yellow tubing)
-Dip progressives


2 Cycles/sets (25/20 reps respectively for the 2 sets)

-KTE with pelvic tilt

Need transition smoothly to high-intensity training!

Starting point!

A bunch of meetings in the morning and afternoon...won't go into them since we now have some data!

Made the executive decision to hold off on launching the workout one more day.  I know I know...I just want to make sure I'm 100% from day 1.  I promise I'm not trying to stall.

What follows are pictures I took today to show you my starting point.  WARNING!  What you are about to witness with your own eyes may cause deep disappointment and/or a loss of appetite....
=)



Front profile...simply sad.

Side profile...hmm pecs are in need of resuscitation!

V-back...more like a U shaped back!

The tris are holding up...no?

Mr. Olympia?

Got back?

WEIGHT: 172 lbs

BODY FAT:  16.6% (using the Jackson/Pollock 7 Caliper Method)

This is a good starting point.  I'm so excited to start this thing.  The same measurements will be taken bi-weekly or monthly.  Let me know what you prefer.

Went over to Rob Gromb's house for dinner and meeting.  Rob (Picture on the left) is the other partner for Jato Fitness.  He is a legend in his own right within the law enforcement community in Passaic county and throughout the state of NJ.  We were happy that Kent (Picture on the right) was able to join us tonight.  Kent is a hard working entrepreneur who will be taking NASM with us.  It's a good thing to be on a search to bring passion and skill together as a job/profession.  The night was packed with great conversation!  The time together affirmed how genuinely great these 2 guys are.  They really exemplify men who possess intuition and strength.  I hope all of us reach our full potential as we pursue excellence and self growth. 

Some pictures of the facilities at Cliffside Park...

95%!!!!

I'm just about ready to launch my transformation and my return to basics.  I realized today that what I'm about to begin is going to resemble more of a lifestyle change.  Perspective will undoubtedly be altered to reflect more of what I am.  This probably doesn't even make sense to you but it does to me.

Today was another busy one...
Met my parents and an attorney friend to set me up with a power of attorney on behalf of my parents.  As some of you already know, my parents will be indefinitely relocating back to Seoul, South Korea on 1/23/10.  The document allows me to do what I need to do for them while they are living in Korea.  They seem happy.

Our family came to the U.S. in 1984 due to my father's employment at Samsung Electronics.  Samsung essentially paid for our family to live here for 2 years while my father led a team of 11 engineers on a huge project.  Once the work was complete, we were asked to return to Korea.  I still remember my parents sitting us down and asking us if we wanted to go back.  My sister and I cried and said no since we had grown quite fond of our new home.  Being the loving/soft man who obviously cared deeply for us, my father decided to quit Samsung and start from scratch to give us a chance at the "American dream".  I remember the next decade or so being very tough on all of us as my father adjusted to working and making minimum wage.  Being that he is Ken Lee, he worked his ass off and out-performed all his co-workers to rise to a management position at a small telecommunication firm.  Basically, he did what he needed to do to put 2 kids through college and see them succeed as professionals.  My mother gave up almost everything to support my father through his early career at Samsung.  When my father decided it was best for him to quit Samsung, my mother supported him 100%.  She is truly the glue which held our family so close together during many trying times.  All my close friends know how I feel about my parents and how much I'm indebted to their self-sacrifice and unconditional love.  It is my turn to support them as best I can as life continues to impose challenges on us.  Recently my father expressed some regret of how he wished he was in a position to financial invest in my business ideas.  I told him if he had been a rich man who was able to lavish riches on me, I would most definitely turned out differently.  My intense motivation, drive, and passions developed because I had to find my own means of obtaining my goals.  For that opportunity, he did more than a son could ask for.  Just so you all know...my father would have retired recently from Samsung as a senior executive if he had decided to go back to Korea over 25 years ago.  I am only thankful to my parents for making the decision to stay.  Now, I feel my pops gets it.  He has gotten to know me recently as an adult and realized he did the best he could...which was pretty damn good.  THANK YOU!

Lunch today was with Eugene.  You will hear Eugene's name quite a bit in many future posts.  He is as close to a little brother I never had.  I also consider him my protege when it comes to fitness.  Eugene is a highly qualified personal trainer who will be an integral part of Jato Fitness.  He is also about to finish his studies in acupuncture (done in May of this year).  Our lunch discussion was mostly me rambling on and on about my blog and my human "project".  It's important for all Jato trainers to be at their peak physical/mental capacity...an informal job requirement!  I do believe you have to live out what you preach to gain true respect/acceptence from other/clients.  The other half of our lunch was talking about the his possibility of working for/with Maven Sports Medicine as an acupuncturist.  That was always a part of the Maven business model, but I wasn't sure if it was best for us to mix business with family.  I asked him to put his thoughts/plans on paper and we'll see where it could lead.  He's a great guy and I want whats best for him...

Had 3 more meetings...

Met up with a friend for a happy hour dinner.  We've had limited interactions in the past, but thought there may be some opportunities.  It was definitely great conversation.  Peter and his family will be moving to Hawaii in June.  We thought we'd talk about life, business, and our plans.  It's amazing how people always first view me as this quiet low key guy.  He seemed quite surprised to find out how driven I am and how passionate I can be in discussions about life, religion, and human behavior.  Maybe I'm one of those people who can't be judged by its "cover".  It's cool though...I like surprising people.  He expressed some interest/desire to possibly launch a business in Hawaii with me.  Would be a fun place to vacation but not sure about as a permanent destination!  I have too many places to see/visit. 

Night ended by celebrating Scott's (Scott is manager for my business Maven) 31st birthday at a local lounge/bar Blend in Ridgewood, NJ.  They've changed ownership recently and we've heard its doing well.  Fortunately/unfortunately, it still has the reputation as a cougar's den.  In addition to it being Scott's little celebration, Pete's (one of my staff at Maven) band Dark City Saints was due to perform there at 10:15.  The crowd was mostly there to support the band.  We had a good group show up from Maven and the gyms.  Low key but everyone had fun.  The band sounded great and Pete put on a show.  Froze my ass off walking to the car!  Glad to be home working on my new hobby...Blogging!    

I think tomorrow will be the launch date!!!!  4pm folks!  That just sent a chill down my back....

Had fun today telling people about this blog!

I feel 85% ready to launch my regimen. There is some lingering stuffiness in the sinus and an occasional cough. Otherwise, I'm feeling pretty damn good. Joel (an ex-golden glove boxer who I train with occasionally) agreed to participate in my workouts. He's always reluctant due to the misled belief that "weight training" slows your punch down. I told him my program will only increase his power and improve his muscular endurance. He accepted my invitation. My training groups may get a bit bigger than I'd like for them to get. We'll just have to work something out!!

Another day full of meetings. Had an opportunity to finally sit down with the president of the fitness management company running the gym Maven's Cliffside Park office is located in. Told him of my intent to start Jato Fitness and affiliate services which I feel may work well for them. He seemed open to the idea but wasn't sure about the logistics of cost and benefit. He asked me to put together a business proposal...which I will and present next week some time.  I had to stop him a few times as he compared me and my business to the average one-of-a-dozen training business. He doesn't yet fully understand what I'm capable of and what my team of trainers will help establish in a few months at any facility we end up partnering with. Overall the meeting went well and there may even be some opportunity for Maven....we'll see!

Then, it was back to Maven Paramus to have a much overdue meeting with one of our staff. It's amazing to me how relative things are in life. Some people feel a strain in personal finances is worth much worry while other people in the world live daily with the constant threat of death. As I always say...perspective defines how we decide to live our lives.

4pm - brief meeting with Matt (owner of the gym where Maven Paramus is located). There appears to be some good progress at the gym after a week of some seemingly positive changes.  The New Year is also contributing to more warm bodies and activity.  Hopefully, things will come together the way it should and 2010 will be a defining year for Matt.

Maven full staff meeting was fun, energetic, and productive. Thanks to all of you who attended. The Maven team is really coming together nicely. We recently hired a new office manager who is ideal for Maven...Lauren kicks ass and she's been here for 48 hours. I let the staff know of Jato Fitness and that I'll be kicking off my intense workouts. A bunch of them appeared interested in joining in to get themselves into form again...it's should be an awesome!  We gave a cake to Scott (Maven GM) for his 31st B-day! He seemed surprised and happy for the kind gesture. Thanks Scott for putting up with everyone's issues and HAPPY BIRTHDAY old man!

Met up with a long-time friend Myung Choi for a late dinner at Ichiban. What's so cool about Myung? He was born on the same year, month, and day. What's even crazier? He was born in the same city as me!!! Seoul, South Korea!! However, it wasn't the same hospital.  Anyway, it was cool meeting up with him and catching up. We realize how much we've both changed in the last 10 years. We will definitely be getting together more often. 

Testing photo upload...

This is a picture of me instructing a bunch of gym members at one of the locations for Maven Sports Medicine (a physical therapy business). I thought a 90 min seminar on basics of training. Went over about 20 "fundamental" resistence training exercises commonly performed in a gym by most. Maven Sports Medicine holds free monthy seminars at both its locations. What clinic does that for the public? Maven does!!!  Part of our model and one of those services which will add to Maven's standards setting mystique and buzz.

Lost my voice at min 60 of this seminar! Got a little excited....

Here it goes.....

I'm going to figure this out!!
Hopefully, all my posts will make some sense to some of you... =)
Finally getting to put this HD video cam to use! Pretty excited about this opportunity to document my progress and soon the progress of first 2 chosen "subjects". Daily posts will be made as our pursuit of fitness is documented via daily diets, training regimen, and random pictures/videos from the day. This will be kept up indefinitely and hopefully new "subjects" will be added to this blog for all to witness and observe. Please feel to ask/comment on anything posted.
My name is Taylor and hopefully this begins the most exciting chapter in my life - returning to basics! I'm an entrepreneur, doctor of physical therapy, commercial real estate broker, and a fitness professional. Hmmm...why? I get that same look and question a few times a day. The challenge is what I live for but have come to realize there are certain realities in my life which I can no longer deny. These realities will hopefully be better explained through all the posts. Somehow I feel this process will enhance the clarity of my thoughts and naturally lead me on a fun revealing journey. Yes, I am one of those who is in pursuit of reaching my true professional/life potential. Returning to basics implies my renewed sense of appreciation for what I am and the last 15 years of life.
Healthcare has taught me tremendous lessons on professionalism, human need/care, and ethical practice/thinking. It created an opportunity for me to design a business model which is of sound structure and progressive/dynamic in nature. Commercial real estate brokerage exposed me to a group/breed of very confident people and taught me the power of tact and focus. Personal training showed me how fitness and its many practiced activities can serve as an outlet for so many on the brink. Although often hidden behind a pretty face or a hot body, insecurities still drive most of us to do what we do...day in and day out.
You still ask why? On paper, I have the ideal resume for an exceptionally successful career/business in the fitness industry. However, I don't feel that's enough. Just like the other top people in any industry, there has to be more or something...a factor almost impossible to define in words or speech. It has to be felt - people just know it when they meet you. I'm hoping to discover what I need to discover.
I strongly feel this blog will be the last piece of discovery I need to begin sprinting and accomplishing in the fitness or any industry. Of course...this is how I'm imagining is how it'll pan out. As many of us have learned or are learning, life has a way of doing what it feels like doing. I guess I'll just have to start taking these first steps and let life do its thing. If it happens to be in line with my expectations...great. If it happens to lead me somewhere else...great. As long as this journey is progressive and true to me, I'm 100% satisfied.

Today started off waking up to the reality of this lingering cold sticking around for a few more days. I'm on day 3 of antibiotics and have never looked so forward to getting started again on a fitness regimen. Had a bunch of meetings at Panera Bread in Paramus, NJ and did tons more in research for Jato Fitness. Did I say how much I'm looking forward to begin kicking my own ass?? Well, I am! Began learning how to use this HD vcam and spoke to Ed Lopez on Skype about blogging a few other items of discussion. Ed is a friend & an owner of Dew Drop Digital (awesome web design company). As a "retired" google manager, he recommended blogger. Although I've known Ed for only a few months, I've gained utmost respect for his expertise and advice related to web design and online services. There is no doubt, I'll be bugging Ed with more questions!