Want To Join Us?

Dec01
2011 2 Comments

Written by hans

We are blessed to live in such interesting times. As we approach 2012, I don’t think I’m alone in my concern about the best courses of action to take to deal with our economic and moral challenges. My wife and I have stepped outside the Matrix with our partner and friend, Yaromil, to create a fitness business that is our response to the growing obesity epidemic and an increased lack of engagement and awareness among most segments of society.

In our fitness studio, we often find that putting together an exercise program is incidental to more pressing needs – and we’re finding ways of addressing those.

Our New Adventure
Despite the fear that comes with starting any business on a shoestring in a depressed economy, with little savings, and a lot of responsibilities (like children’s tuition, mortage, rebuilding retirement savings, etc.), the three of us are experiencing tremendous feeings of freedom, joy, and power. For me, part of the freedom comes with my ability to engage with people at a more honest level.

When I was experiencing my 20 minutes of fame as an educator and nonprofit leader, much of my nonprofit schtick involved kissing butt for dollars. I did it because I believed in the mission and the people I was serving and I was good at it. Still, I never felt that this was the highest and best use of my talents. Getting blacklisted by the powerful people I got “uppity” with has allowed me to recapture my integrity. Although my oldest daughter has expressed her contempt for an Ivy League-educated father who has become a life coach and “the world’s oldest personal trainer,” I pray that she will soon discover the power of simplicity and integrity.

Red Pill/Blue Pill
Those in power refuse to value the development of economic productivity over the creation of financial products. We are blind to the education bubble that our children sit on as they incur debt at places like Swarthmore College (why is Swartmore the example? Call me and I’ll tell you) with no real preparation for this new economy. Many of these high-priced institutions of higher learning do nothing to improve the thinking of students faced with increased complexity.

I played in the law and education spaces and I saw how sausage gets made. Now I have an interesting vantage point to look at the health challenges this country is facing. Our inability to effectively address our health problems may prove to be the most damaging factor in the decline of our society.

Wolves, Sheep, Shepherds & Sheepdogs
With all that’s going on – and if you’re not one of the now famous 1% – you can either prepare for the zombie apocalypse or find a new way of being. I have chosen to do both. Part of this way of being and preparing is finding a group of like-minded individuals. This is not easy because while the wolves and the sheep are many, the shepherds and the sheepdogs are few.

We could not have developed to our current level of “civilization” without a certain level of empathy, selflessnesss, cooperation, and sharing. These qualities have been replaced in many parts of our society by fear and greed. Community creation is a lost skill. We have given our power over to experts of all sorts who are leading a lemming-like rush to the brink. Those with enough money are able to buy some form of community but that leaves most of us outside the gate.

As I watched these developments and after taking account of the false friendships and the transactional camaraderie that had been part of my professional experience, I took a break from everyone except for my immediate family and a few close friends. This has been good and healing but I am now ready for my new way of being.

The Resurrection of Community
I want to take part in a discussion of what it really means to be a leader. I continue to turn my back on the cynics who are only certain of the things they don’t know – I reject that easy way out. I want to find fellow shepherds and sheepdogs so that I can pull my Quixotean lance from storage. I want to be part of a small group that will work for transformation as it seeks out problems that can be turned into possibilities. I think one of the things we will see in the next decade is an increased popularity of “intentional communities” – everything from ecovillages to ashrams to communes to survivalist retreats. Voluntary simplicity, self sufficiency, interpersonal growth, and skill development will all be part of the mix for the best of these communities. Maybe I’ll start my own version of this kind of thing but until then, baby steps.

Total Warrior
To this end, I will be participating and presenting at the Total Warrior Skills and Mindset camp organized by Marc Joseph of Spartan Training Gear. It is taking place on February 24-26. All proceeds from the event will go to the National Law Enforcement Officers Fund. The weekend is for trainers, educators, law enforcement officers, and anyone who wants to do more than worry about the wolves. It will be about developing serenity, power, awareness, fitness, and reality-based self defense skills, There are a bunch of presenters who I am really excited about meeting. Send Marc an email at marc@thespartanarmy.com for more specifics.

Marc Joseph is a fellow entrepreneur and kindred spirit. This is his effort to begin a conversation among people who are capable of fighting ennui as well as zombies. This is my effort to begin the creation of a community I want to be a part of.

How are you preparing?

“If it is good to say or do something, then it is even better to be criticized for having said or done it.” – Marcus Aurelius

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Posted in community, inspiration, mind, warriors - Tagged community, training, warriors

The Fitness Rainbow

Nov08
2011 Leave a Comment

Written by hans

If you want to get a unique perspective on our fitness boot camp, check this out.

Posted in body transformation, exercise, fitness, inspiration, women - Tagged women

Train Naked – Do You Like What You See?

Oct03
2011 Leave a Comment

Written by hans

This post was inspired by a discussion I had with a couple of colleagues about workout attire and what it communicates.  If you thought there would be more “interesting” pictures of the staff of Brownstone Fitness, you’ll have to join the contest on our membership site to see those!

There are a few ways to train naked
I’m not going to discuss the most obvious method of training this way and for safety reasons, I’m not advocating it.

Do What You Can With What You’ve Got
This kind of training has to do with simplicity and a minimalist ethic. Pavel Tsatsouline has popularized it in his Naked Warrior book. The concept is that you should be able to get stronger using nothing more than your own body.

It’s interesting how addicted some people have become to exercise machines. This affliction seems to run deeper in men. It is one of the reasons we only have a couple of guys training in our “machine-less” facility. You can fake and cheat on machines. Working with your body tells you the truth. My theory is that a lot of men can’t handle this kind of truth.

True naked training involves mainly bodyweight and things you can pull up to and jump on. It has many benefits. It saves time and money. You’re less likely to get injured. You don’t have an excuse for getting out of shape when you travel. It has a lot of meditative qualities. You’ll move with more grace. You’ll become more creative and improvisational.

You’re Exposed
Then, there’s a third meaning. Hard training can tell you a lot about yourself. We often don’t like what we find when we push the limits and do the hard thing. Exposing ourselves to ourselves is very uncomfortable and most of us avoid it. For most guys, a hard workout is a couple of extra sets of (light) bench presses and curls. For women, it’s doing an extra half hour on the elliptical machine. Where are the pull-ups, the sprinting, the deadlifts, the handstands and cartwheels?

When you actually work to reach real fitness goals, you will find out about your courage and mental toughness. You will learn about your self-discipline. You will be able to examine and display your values. Make a public commitment to do the hard thing with your diet and exercise and people will discover whether you are capable of doing what you say you will do – Oh no! That integrity thing!

Our desk-bound lives don’t provide us with a lot of opportunities for introspection and challenge. We allow ourselves to be forced into autopilot. This has inevitable consequences for all our relationships.

Figure out a way to train naked. Stand out. Do it often enough and you’ll end up liking the reflection.

P.S. At Brownstone Fitness, we don’t always train naked. We also include kettlebells, barbells, clubbells, ropes, and accountability. Give us a call to find out what this looks like in a firm but caring environment.

Posted in body transformation, exercise, fitness, health, personal trainers - Tagged exercise, Harlem, naked, personal trainers, training

“Becoming Bulletproof” – A Review

Aug29
2011 Leave a Comment

Written by hans

The Challenge
Once I hit my 50’s, maintaining fitness presented a serious challenge. There are mental and physical hurdles that arose all of a sudden and I realized that no one had prepared me for them. I also have clients of all ages who are facing the same challenges. Some of these challenges are the loss of coordination, a loss of power, a loss of strength, combined with an increase in stiffness and pain. Maintaining health and fitness becomes too difficult and most people give up. Increased immobility means we are that much closer to death.

The Book
Whether a function of age or civilization, there are things you can do to gain the function that is your birthright. The eBook, “Becoming Bulletproof: An Uncommon Approach to Building A Resilient Body” (NOT an affiliate link) is a roadmap to that goal. The authors, Tim Anderson and Mike McNiff, have created a blueprint for better movement. They use their own experience and the research of others in the field of human performance to show how we can move the way we were meant to move.

After reading the book you will learn how to (re) train your neurology through exercises that they call “Resets.” The authors present resets for your breathing, your core, your feet, and the thing that controls your balance – the vestibular system. You will also find an elegant (simple and effective) strength-training plan

Fighting Dysfunction
Our brain always moves us towards survival. What this means in the modern world is that our bodies are made to compensate for the chronically stressful situations we find ourselves in. These compensations cause our movement dysfunction. For people who still have the energy to exercise, you go to a fitness chain to get strapped into a machine that proceeds to lock in bad patterns as strength is placed on top of dysfunction; or you pound your way through an exercise DVD that has you jumping and pumping into positions that will eventually cause your connective tissue to rebel. “Becoming Bulletproof” provides a more intelligent approach.

Most people have firsthand awareness of how sedentary our society has become. Our bodies too often map our occupations and our emotions. This means that many people walk with rounded shoulders in a head-forward, stiff-legged gait. This was “learned” through too many hours at the computer and at soul-destroying jobs. Pain often accompanies the posture. There is evidence that this posture and the pain are not only a reflection of a troubled inner world but often become the source of it in a feedback loop of dysfunction.

Summing Up
I now perform a sequence of resets as part of my warm-up and on my recovery days. After several sessions, I am already feeling the difference. I have also started adding them to the workouts of my clients.

The criticisms I have of the book are that the nutrition section could have been more detailed or left for a separate eBook. I also would have liked to read some case histories of clients using these methods from Mike and Tim.

I highly recommend “Becoming Bulletproof.” Whether you are a personal trainer, an athlete, or a middle-aged person trying to fight back against life’s insults, you would do well to use this book as an organizing principle for your training. You’ll learn why and how the “warm-up” should be the workout for most people who are starting or getting back to working out. You’ll learn how your workout can actually be play and practice for living. Follow the program and I’d be willing to bet you’ll get physically stronger, improve your awareness and mindfulness, become more aware of the balance between relaxation and tension, improve your posture, and develop powerful and pain-free movement.

Posted in aging, brain, exercise, fitness, flexibility, health, mind, mobility, movement, personal trainers, workout - Tagged Becoming Bulletproof, movement, pain, workout

Food and Drugs- Bone Broth

Aug22
2011 Leave a Comment

Written by hans

A Happy Story
I have always been intrigued by the mystery of bone broth, stock, and mirepoix. So over the weekend, I made some.

The end.

Did you like my story? Ok, then I’ll tell you another one.

Once upon a time there was a person who was an awful lot like you. That person made bone broth and lived happily ever after. The end.

What if there was a magic potion that could provide you with your most important minerals, take away your joint pain, strengthen your hair, nails, and immune system, and get rid of your cellulite (yeah, that’s right – a lot of women read this blog) – would you take it?

The Process
I did my interweb research and saw all kinds of different recommendations on how to make bone broth. I just decided to jump in and use some common sense.

The first thing I needed for bone broth was some bones. I went to my favorite greenmarket and picked up some beef bones from Sunfed Beef. They have grassfed and grain-finished beef that are raised humanely and without growth hormone and antibiotics. You should buy approximately 2lbs. of bones for each 4 quarts of water (you can also use chicken bones, fish bones, etc.). On my next batch, I’ll find some hooves, knuckle bones and parts like that so that I can produce more gelatin. Once this mission was accomplished, it was back home for the rest of the process:

Place the bones in a crockpot or stockpot and cover with cool water; some people brown the bones first but I didn’t bother;
Separate and mash the cloves of a whole bulb of garlic and place in the water;
Use a tablespoon or more (to taste) of Sea Salt – use real Celtic Sea Salt for the added minerals;
Stir in one or two tablespoons of vinegar into the water; the vinegar is used to bring out the minerals from the bones;
Simmer on low for anywhere from 12-72 hours (these recommendations were all over the place on the ‘Net so I opted for 36 hours);
When you add things like carrots and onions you are making a mirepoix - and that’s another post.

Storing
When refrigerated, broth will keep for about five days. When frozen, it will keep for weeks. Once refrigerated and cooled, fat will form at the top. This can be skimmed off.

Uses

drink a cup of broth every day
use for gravy
add vegetables and other ingredients for a soup
use for a stew
added flavor when cooking rice or vegetables
a baste for meat

I’ll be drinking my first cup of broth tomorrow. We’ve already used some of the broth in a braise for a chuck roast with rice and vegetables.

The Moral
A lot of people spend a lot of money on supplements and prescription medicine when what they should be doing is taking the time to make and drink some bone broth. With bone broth, you are respecting the animal by making sure that very little goes to waste. Making broth, or stock, is a part of a lot of food cultures but is a lost art in American cooking.

I’ve got guy friends who claim they can cook. With the exception of the legendary fly fishing guide, Ian Cameron (and a couple of Italian guys), what they actually do is grill. If you can’t make stock, you can’t cook. I am comfortable saying that now.

What are your experiences with bone broth or stock?

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Posted in health, nutrition - Tagged bones, broth, food, health, nutrition, stock

Body Transformation – In A War Zone Pt. 2

Aug19
2011 Leave a Comment

Written by hans

I hope you read the first installment. Dino responded with a comment that I have used for the post below. Please send any questions you have about the process and we’ll try to get them answered. His comments about food choices are particularly interesting.

“Hello,
I am Dino the subject of Hans’s post “Body Transformation In a War Zone”. I wanted to say “hi” and to introduce myself to his readers – one, so that they know that I am real and second, so that I could provide some insight into the exercise and nutritional programs that Hans has set me up with. I will say that so far my journey has been positive, especially being able to knock off 20 pounds within a month or two of working with Hans. Prior to that I had started out on my own workout regime, but having little knowledge of the nutritional part I was not seeing the results of the exercise work that I was putting in. Well little did I know and thanks to Hans’s advice I found out that I knew very little about exercise.

To me it seemed simple – work out hard and alter your eating habits and you will lose weight and get in shape. Well that might be true if I had the metabolism of a 16 year old, but at 45 and after years of not exercising, I learned that it doesn’t work like that. If I had to pinpoint the main thing that I had to focus on from what Hans has taught me so far is that you have to work out smart not hard. I discovered that if I increased the physical energy that I put into my workouts vs. long endurance sessions, I not only got a shorter workout but that I also burned more calories.

The other point, and I have far from mastered this one, is the stuff that I put into my body. I learned you can eat, you don’t have to starve yourself but that what you eat and when you eat is very important. About a year ago I went on a fast (not under the direction of Hans). Don’t ask me why. I just wanted to see if I could do it. I went 19 days without eating food at all, just drinking water with lemon. The amazing part was that it was so easy to do. The best part is that I was able to see that most of the time when we eat, we eat not because we are hungry but because the food is there, or because its breakfast time, or lunch time. I was amazed at how I saw food and didn’t desire it.

Now, I am not saying don’t eat. The point that I am trying to make and that I need to reapply into my life is that some of the foods (pizza, chicken burrito, fried foods) that I am eating I don’t need to eat. I am eating them because being over here I say to myself “let me eat that because I don’t know when I will see pizza again”, but mostly because it is the foods that I find tasty, my happy foods, the foods I substitute to offset my current living conditions.

So workout smarter not harder (which doesn’t mean give it your all), and break free of your happy foods, learn about the stuff that you put into your body and about your body. It will go a long way. I encourage you to continue following Hans’s posts as he teaches me more about exercise, the body and nutrition, and I go for my weight goal of 170 pounds.”

P.S.
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Posted in body transformation, fitness, health, inspiration, personal trainers

Want To Join Us?

The Fitness Rainbow

Train Naked – Do You Like What You See?

“Becoming Bulletproof” – A Review

Food and Drugs- Bone Broth

Body Transformation – In A War Zone Pt. 2

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