And we danced! Big thanks, 15 000 views was cracked!

My entire body is pumped up right now. Always deciding to vary workouts I opted for a 1000 rep challenge to myself. Who doesn’t like a challenge, one that pushes the floor farther and then leaves a pile of your bodies tears to be mopped up. These tears of course are sweat. Tears of joy. Here is what today’s lactic acid adrenaline  rush of a workout entailed. 

1. Bench Press (60 kg) – 100 reps
2. Inverted Row (BW) – 100 reps
3. Air Squiat (BW) – 100 reps
4. Full Sit-up – 100 reps
5. Standing Shoulder Press (30 kg) – 100 reps
6. Ab Rollout – 100 reps
7. Deadlift (60 kg) – 100 reps
8. Pushups (BW) – 100 reps
9. Barbell Curl (20 kg) – 100 reps
10.  Barbell Extension (20 kg) – 100 reps

                                                = 1000 Reps of mayhem 

Instructions are to complete 100 reps of each exercise. Must finish 100 reps before moving to the next exercise. Do this all for time.  My time: 36 minutes

Onto something less serious, work. Every day I am thankful for the opportunity to do what I am doing. As the less than 0.01% of the world population to work the way I do. Sometimes it can be shitty, like a look book I had the other day with an asshole photographer/stylist. Fortunately those are few and far between.  This week I managed to work 4 jobs; a lookbook, a Burberry Event, L’Officiel Magazine shoot, and an incredibly fun Supersports shoot (remember Golferman?).

The casting for L’Officiel was a few weeks ago. This is a high end fashion magazine that seldom uses men. Written off I was shocked when I received a message from my booker at 12:30 am. The client had just contacted her (no rest for the wicked).  2pm the next day I was to shoot in the Penthouse of Sofitel Luxury Hotel.  3 shots and 45 minutes of shooting and I was done.  Great styling and an awesome photographer (good communication) make a big difference. There is a really cool shot of me checking my beard in the mirror after a shower.

I must say I quite like Supersports and they like me too. My build very much fits the athlete specs.  Golf, tennis, and football (no longer in north America so can’t call it soccer, were my sports of the day). Also it was great to work with other models. On set I can be a bit of a goofball and like to have fun, including dancing. Here are a few shots. 

Oh yeah and this is how I felt walking down sukhumvit the other morning: 

Every Jump! Jump! Jump!

Jump at opportunity that it. Currently 37 000 ft up, I plan to take advantage of every opportunity I can during this trip to Toronto. It’s been a significant amount of time since I last visit the centre of the universe. Last time I was here for an extended period of time was actually the same time Kris Kross was popular.

After a hectic day of running around getting more things set for Korea, I look forward to a new set of scenery.  Also it really shows the necessity to be prepared for International travel; 3 weeks away I am making all efforts to have my ducks in a row and my departure to occur without a hitch. The Korean Consulate in Vancouver had me running around the city today, as the next week will be a wash. Fill out Visa Application Get money order for $30 (which costs another $7.50 to get done)  Passport type photo (fortunately I had some mugshot type photos from my last Visa application kicking around)  Prepaid postage to and from passport office. And of course I had to get some new snapshots for the Korean agency and a couple videos as a sharp-dressed man.

With yesterdays workout behind my rest today was greatly appreciated by my hamstrings, as they prepare for further insanity.  With the coming weeks I have changed the style of my workouts to be more focused on HIIT (High intensity interval training). These types of workouts have been well documented for both increasing your cardio vascular endurance and the ever-desired fat burn. For those that are sensitive about these issues please turn back.

Just about everyone I have met (there are a few exceptions) has mentioned or asked “how do I burn fat?”. Well HIIT is certainly up there on the list. Utilizing big muscle groups you bring your heart rate to near max (sometimes actually exceeding the textbook max) then following that with short periods of rest to bring your heart rate down. These exercises maximize your body’s production of heat. Since calories literally burn to provide energy, heat is one of the by products. At higher intensities you will see and feel a much higher level of heat produced.

I am also excited, as I will be trying out the New ReebokCrossfit Liberty Village in Toronto. After firing off an email to them and receiving a prompt reply from the owner, things are looking to get set up nicely. 

For those that don’t know Crossfit, it produces some of the most physically fit and intense athletes on this planet. Diversified by Olympic lifting and functional movements and combining high intensity, over exertion can easily be achieved on many of these workouts.

Years ago, in my final year of university I was very active in the Crossfit HFX community.  My favourite workout being the “hero workout Murph”:

Run 1 mile

100 pushups

100 pullups

100 situps

100 squats

Run 1 Mile

For Time.

Keep pushing, you can do it!

That line sticks in my head. I don't think I can ever forget Sean T, shouting that in my ears over the thumping of feet on the ground and dripping of sweat on the floor during insanity workouts. Yesterday, a conversation with a coworker Insanity came up, as well as the question "how can I eat healthy?"

Likely the most popular question I get asked when someone discovers my background and also a nearly impossible question to answer in one sentence. While I can't hit the nail directly on the head instantly a book I read a few years ago certainly does. His answer (not exactly just one sentence).

"Eat food. Not to much. Mostly plants." - Michael Pollan Food Rules


Simple and easy to understand. With the way North America and much of the developed world is heading, waistlines are expanding and food is becoming, well less food-like. Generally speaking, I like to say if you can't find the ingredients in your mom's kitchen pantry, you are probably best off to stay away.

I have been very easily distracted today, bouncing many ideas, from left, right and centre field. Back to my topic at hand, Keep Pushing. I finished the insanity workouts last year while I was in Singapore, and while they were tough and I sweat a lot, and even pushed myself very hard nothing compares to the feelings of todays workout. Its been a few years since I felt the intensity, the leaping of your heart from your chest, the pulse racing through your neck and palpable at every point of your body. This is over exertion at its finest. Few people let themselves get to this level and even fewer enjoy it. I do enjoy this though.

I am chock full of quotes today, here is likely my favourite quote I have come across. Written by a man who received a Nobel prize for Literature.

"Only those who will risk going to far, can possibly find out how far one can go" - T.S. Eliot

Chris at 2110 wrote up this insane workout for me. I nearly spilled my cookies (gluten free of course), almost fell countless time jumping and in the end felt pure bliss knowing I pushed myself to my limit. Here it is:

10 minute Dynamic Warm-up

Airdyne sprint - 800 watt, 5 sec rest x3 10 Pushups, 10 Situps, 10 Jump Squats (Repeat circuit for 9 reps, 8,7,6... to zero. No rest.

Rest 5 minutes and set up equipment for complex.

Complex

25x Pullups
50x Pushups
50x Deadlifts 135 lbs
50x Floor wipers (per side)
50x 24" Box Jumps
50x One Arm Dumbbell Snatches 55 lb DB
25x Pullups

Complex For Time: _17:56____

While the complex certainly presented a big challenge for me it was that damn Air dyne. By around the 7th round nausea set in, and the last 2 sprints yakking seemed inevitable. I fought through and survived to tell this tale.

Pull it up. Another tough pre fatigue

Another shot from Renee Jansen

As I continue on my journey, I continue with my daily workouts. Tuesday was another chest day, and I decided I would take a quick video of the start of my jungle gym workout. This one just tore apart my chest, and gave a nice little pump for my back. Of course I had fun, and had the right sound track.

This time I did: 

5 minutes (actually 4 min and 49 seconds to be honest)

As many rounds as possible 

5 wide grip pull ups 

10 dips 

Rinse and Repeat 

Athletes work hard

I have a few other updates coming your way but just finished GSP Rushfit assessment. In my ever going ever to continue to push myself and try new things, I have decided to adapt the Rushfit training regimen. For those of you that don't know GSP. He is the second ranked pound for pound MMA fighter. A canadian to make things better. George St. Pierre is widely know for his superior ground and pound, epic take downs at will and as showcased in recent fights before his injuries awesome boxing. George has incredible versatility in hits training and is considered the most fit by some. He is my favourite fighter, a close second goes to bones jones.

Here is the video for the assessment, give it a shot yourself. You may be surprised how well/poor you may do.
GSP Rushfit Assessment

Sorry guys it won't let me embed the video. Anyway your goal is to do as many as possible air squats, pushups, sit ups and burpees.  Here are my results and those listed for GSP as well.

Exercise		GSP	Zach	You
Air Squats		75	70	Kicked butt
Pushups		57	50	Killed it
Situps		55	58	That all you got?
Burpees		22	20	Finish Strong

I think I may have Sean T and the insanity workouts for this. Although I think you get to a point where its just not physically possible to get higher. We will see in 8 weeks once I am done. Here is a song to help pump you up: