That’s a wrap - Go fish filming is long done

I have been almost entirely MIA for the month of August. This is partially due to the fact of filming and also putting in extra hours at the bar.  After just under a month of work, all the filming has come to a rest. I would like to share a big thanks to all the crew and cast for the experience and adventure that is creating a television show.  

Behind the scenes teaser 

My previous experiences in television have all been in the commercial side of things. This was much more fun for me in a sense.  Although I didn’t get to drive a convertible through the Thai mountains or hang from the side of a building, I found the joy of taking on a character and developing my own background rather satisfying. While filming I was no longer Zach, but I was the handsome neighbour. With several character overlaps between myself and my character it made it that much easier to be him during shooting.

Other than the information I have already shared about the show Go Fish, there isn’t much more I can tell you without spoiling.  Although I can lock it down a little further as to when you can set those PVRs and grab the popcorn.  

First week of October Go Fish will be airing on ShawTV (that’s channel 10 in Calgary). When I find out the exact date and time I will be sure to update you further.  

With no current destination or plans to model overseas I have decided to adjust my gym goals. Rather than remaining lean and relatively small (current weight 167 lbs), I will continue to stay lean but try and bulk back up again. There isn’t a plan to be 220 lbs anytime soon, but I would like to crush some steal on the trip back up to 180-185. In the past I have hung out around that weight and been quite satisfied, which also holds a bonus of muscle memory. This of course is your body’s ability to adapt and return to a previous musculature. Other than doing my Superman Star complex, I will also be piling on the calories.  Jumping from about 3000 per day to 4500.  

This workout involves a principle of overload as well as the dynamics of plyometrics. Here is an exert taken from the chest portion; the full workout is here on TNation. 

	Exercises	Load Types	Reps
1	Top-half bench press	Overload	3 - 5
	This is a very effective activation movement for the rest of the complex, but it's also one of the most effective triceps exercises you can do!
2	Bench press	Strength	3 - 5
	Focus on keeping the traps shrugged up when doing this movement (for added safety, stability and raw performance).
3	Speed bench press, as fast as possible with 60% of max	Strength-Speed	5
	Focus on two things here: 1) move as fast as possible (accelerating throughout the movement) with 60% 1RM, and 2) perform a quick turnaround between the lowering and lifting phase.
4	Medicine ball chest throw	Speed-Strength	8 - 10
	You can either perform this one standing and throw it in front of you, or lying on your back and throw it straight up. If you do the latter, make sure to throw it straight up or have a partner catch it for you!
5	Plyo push-up	Explosive	5 - 10
	No need to drop your chest all the way down. Just as in jumping, we want a short and rapid dip and minimal transition time before the projection upward. Stop when you lose your "pop."

Time is on my side

 The other day I read about a study about the most stressed people are the ones in the years following university. That 22-30 age group, is not entirely sure where they are, challenging themselves to discover this.  Situated dead smack in the middle of this group, I fortunately am not succumbing to the pressure anymore. These tendencies do pop into my head when I think about after modelling (which I am sure is coming soon). For the moment, the time being, time is on my side.

I am fortunate not to have the big financial burdens of student loans (very fortunate) and do not have a car loan or mortgage right now. The car loan lesson I learned early, with little repercussions (long story short, just because you can afford the payments, doesn’t mean you can afford the car or anything for that matter). Time can be on my side to allow me to travel and enjoy life.

There is a modeling community where people frequently ask questions, not being afraid to pipe in about nutrition related stuff I have found myself a resource for many people lately. I thought lets give some insight on what I got up to today (and ate). 

Except I must be on Canada Time

Last night I had a terrible time falling asleep. Second time in the past week. 

Wake up: 9 am and chatted with a lovely girl in my life back in Canada

Morning exercise: 10-12 I was only planning on 1 hr on the treadmill doing intervals but got sucked into the latest season of top gear. Immediately following I did round of cold plunge and steam for 10 minutes.  Immediately after I had box of Green Tea soymilk.

Breakfast/Lunch: 12:30 2 cups of mixed rice, 3 eggs, 1 tbsp PB, 1 apple, ¼ cup of soymilk (all mixed together into a porridge with cinnamon and some brown sugar) 

Snack on the run: Casting started at 2:30 for FCUK so en route I had an apple and a birdseed bar (sesame seed and sunflower seeds held together by a bit of honey)

After casting:  Around 4 pm I was hungry on my way home so bought some fresh mango from street vendor (this is like candy for me)  When I arrived at home I had some rice crackers with 2 tbsp peanut butter (I can’t get enough of it)

Dinner: 6:30 hunger started to creep in. I cooked close to 4 cups of mushrooms, kale, onion, garlic, carrot with dried thai chili powder and lime. With the meal I had 2 chicken breasts cooked with Montreal steak spice and sirachi (maybe a little too much).  

Before bed: Its now 10 pm and I am starting to get hungry again. Will have to check the fridge but I think there are some strawberries and maybe some almonds. 

This is an example of my day. An average day? Likely not the case. This is just an example of what today looked like. When I do strength training my appetite is significantly larger.

Exercise Canadian Style

June last year I returned to Canada from my first trip to Asia. From that point forward, I was in the gym 4-6 times per week. Personally the gym is an oasis for me. The airdynes, the battle ropes, and the plates of steel relax me and make me happy. Results reinforce the activity and the actions reinforce the results, this continues forward. 

In Canada we have been blessed with a large dynamic landscape with varying climate. Climate has provided an excellent source of exercise than people in many countries never experience and those that live in high rises cannot appreciate. Of course I am talking about snow. That beautiful white powder; coated over the landscapes makes everything elegant. With snow comes a little work. In the past 3 days I have easily spent 2 hours shoveling snow. This is an excellent form of exercise. While light and fluffy, the accumulation and repetitiveness of the duty leaves you in a big ball of sweat even in negative twenty-degree weather. 

With all that said I come to my absolute favourite form of exercise known to man. Snowboarding! For me the cool breeze of mountain fresh air, coupled with the rush flying down the mountain at 80 + km/hr leaves me with a feeling of enrichment. A shot of champagne powder as you kick up a rooster tail while laying fresh tracks down a flawless slope. It may not sound like much using gravity to float down a mountain but the amount of work is enormous.  At minus twenty I wear little more than a shell and a long sleeve t shirt and find myself sweating more often then not. Of course it comes down to intensity. The steeper the pitch, the deeper the powder, the crazier the run the harder I work, likewise the happier I am.

Notice the trend here? Cold weather and sweating perhaps. Not all Canadians, as a matter of fact there is likely very few that share my appreciation of hard work in cold weather. At the point of exhaustion however, the cold isn’t even recognizable. 

Of course if cold wasn't enough. Here are a few shots from  January Luel Magazine.

Practice what you preach

The ideas floating around my head lately are driving me crazy. I have so much I want to say, but I am not taking the time to write about it.  Let’s start with this title though.

As both a member of the health and fitness industry for a number of years and being fully immersed in a disordered eating ridden industry I think this is a subject worth bringing up.  And as the title says, practice what you preach.

This came to me while I was entering the gym the other day. Of all places the gym would be one where you expect to see an environment that encourages healthy behavior. But to my dismay, not all the staff are on board. As a matter of fact walking through the entrance the manager and of the personal trainers were smoking, and eating a chocolate bar.  Now as I have previously mentioned if you want to cheat do so within reason.  This is a league of its own though creating an image contrary to what you are selling. 

Tell me if I am wrong, but would you like to see the person training you partaking in such activities? These vices are human, but choose a time and place to do this. 

It’s well known and documented that the modeling industry is chock full of eating disorders and obsessive eating habits. While this is changing it is still in a brutal state. Korea is no exception to this, as a matter of fact looks and your waist size are very important to people here. So these habits are likely more pronounced here. 

Most of this relates to terrible agents saying terrible things. The result: Half a tomato for breakfast and a chocolate bar for dinner. I kid you not this is the diet of some models.  I cringe when I discover this and put in huge efforts to help educate these girls (many of which come from uneducated backgrounds).  For men its frequently cutting carbs and working out tons with an end result the same, malnourishment.  Of course malnourishment will lead to a number of health problems, but the tell tale signs are chronic fatigue, brain fog and moving forward with women amenorrhea (loss of or irregular period).

I hope to do whatever I can to help change both these images. Sometimes the message gets across and other times its ignored. Usually its because some friend lost 10 lbs (which didn’t need to be lost) drinking cayenne, lemon juice and maple syrup or some other ridiculous snake oil. 

The best tool that I use and we can all use is leading through example. Frequently I will share experiences of new recipes or new foods (my next post will be a total Korean culture explosion). Creating a healthy relationship with food through example I personally feel is one of the best methods to stem change. Activity is crucial to long term health but no one needs to lock you into the gym to achieve that, we all find something fun be it boxing, ballet or yoga, your method matters not.

Let’s take a look at goals once again, I like looking back at my progress as you should as well:

-       well I am sitting in a coffee shop in Seoul drinking an incredible tea (it tastes like Swedish berries, my favourite candy and I can’t even buy it here.)

-     -   I managed to get my hikes in and even ventured through a park here in Korea

-      -  My body fat didn’t get to where I set my goal. That’s okay though, I will strive to improve because evidently decreasing the food wasn’t the smartest move (altered eating habits turned thing negatively)

Weight loss can and is without a doubt a challenge. Sometimes because we are trying to unnecessarily lose something that need not bed lost. Other times, we aren’t ready for change and sometimes we just don’t have the tools yet.  Of course if you don’t have the right tools for the job, you can always ask.

There are always hypocrites out there, ones that will tell me I don’t know what it’s like. Well you are right, I have never struggled with being over weight myself.  But saying I don’t know is completely false as I have put in the time to understand and motivate close to a thousand people towards the changes I feel so strongly about. Many of them check in or even this this blog themselves.

The reason I don’t struggle could be a good metabolism, but could the biggest reason be, I practice what I preach?