I’m a little late in posting this, but last month, I was contacted by a really nice reporter who said she was interested in interviewing me for iParenting.com. I was being featured as Dad of the Month for June.
By far, one of the most common emails that I receive on a weekly basis is “HOW DO I ELIMINATE BACK PAIN?”.
No more than 6 years ago, I was plagued by annoying back pain. At the golden age of 26, I remember constant visits to the chiropractor, physical therapist & sports massage therapist trying to find a solution to the problem.
It was quite embarrassing, seeing as I was the one of the best trainers in the gym, for me to be hobbling around holding my back like a fragile 92 year old. Finally, I stumbled upon a book that changed my thinking, the way I train and how I approached training both myself and my clients.
Based on what I learned and from first hand experience, there were 4 simple steps that I took to make sure that my low back didn’t bother me anymore. I suggest you take look and try to apply these and see if your low back pain goes away.
I remember being at a health conference a few years ago and walking around the expo/trade show checking out the different exhibits.
I spent a lot of time watching kettlebell demonstrations and all the new, funky exercise gimics that were coming out. I think I even saw the reincarnation of the fat shaker (remember the one where you wrap that belt around your waist and stand on a vibrating platform and it’ll jiggle your jiggle away?).
Anyway, back to the story.
So I’m walking around and I see these 2 people who are ridiculously thin, have almost grey colored skin and looked – well, to tell you the truth – unhealthy. I approach their booth and take a look at the banner over top and it says “Live Healthy, Live VEGAN”.
That pretty much set up my initial thoughts of vegetarianism. I mean, who wants to look grey, skinny and weak?
“When I get out of here, I’m going for a hamburger…with bacon”, I thought to myself.
In retrospect, that was pretty stupid and ignorant of me to think of vegetarians that way. To let the unhealthy appearance of, what was maybe my first encounter of the vegetarian lifestyle, mold my thinking for years without really doing any further research or information digging.
I got up early and did some writing. The girls made me breakfast. We found out the sex of the baby. I got cards from each one of the kids. I even got to do a little bit of work on the deck…oh yeah, and I played “Mani-Pedi” outside on the porch and had a water fight for all the neighbors to see.
I had a great time, got a lot of sleep and feel awake and ready to tackle the week! Bring on Monday!
Now that I’ve completed a couple of projects and am relatively stress-free, I’m starting a new training program for myself.
Prior to writing any program, I always make sure to check that I am in-line with creating a time efficient, results-oriented plan that leaves me (or my clients) feeling energized and ready for the rest of the day.
Here is a version of the checklist that I go through when I’m writing a program. How does your program or exercise routine stack-up?
Make sure to leave a comment below and let me know if I missed anything…
The FitAndBusyDad EXERCISE HACKS: 17 Ways To Get Results FASTER
I hope my wife is reading this post. I know, I know. Father’s Day is about spending time with your kids and family and loving every minute of it (which I do, believe me).
We’ll do Sunday brunch (which is, by far, my favorite meal of the week). AJ and I may run hills on Sunday morning (weather permitting). I may even get to watch my Michael Jordan DVD set since there are absolutely NO SPORTS on TV now that basketball and hockey are over (sorry, I just can’t get into Canadian football and I watch Tiger, not golf).
But the materialistic part of me actually wants stuff too. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t want things just for vanity or for the sake of just “having stuff”. I will actually put these things to good use. There is a functional purpose to my “wants”.
Remember, today is the last day to grab this program and the 2 other EXCLUSIVE Bonuses for the 2009 FitAndBusyDad Promo! These 3 bonuses (The Kettlebell Crusher, The FitAndBusyDad 300 and the REAL Food For REAL Dads Meal Plans) go back in the vault at midnight tonight.
This afternoon we go to the hospital for that very special ultra-sound to see the new baby for the first time. For those of you who are parents already, you may be thinking “Big Deal”? Well, not this time around…
See, being the father of 4 girls, and being the only male in a highly ESTROGENIC house, I can only hope that our “final addition” will be a boy. Don’t get me wrong, as long as he/she is healthy is all that matters, but I need someone else in this house who can pee standing up.
Someone who can share the blame of leaving the toilet seat up every now and then.
Someone who I can have belching contests with that isn’t a sassy-4-year-old with the nickname “Sparkles”.
Having a boy this time around would mean a lot to me.
For one, it’s about namesake. My brother and I are the last of the Lopez name. And even though he’s the best chance of carrying on our name, he’s nowhere close to getting married or having kids.
Second, I think I would raise a “good man”. I strive everyday to be a hero in my daughter’s lives. It’s my job to set the bar high and for them to know that they don’t have to settle for the first “joe schmoe” that comes knockin’. By me being there as often as I am and sharing the child rearing and household duties (almost) equally with my wife, my girls have come to expect daddy to deliver consistently.
Without adding any pressure to “him”, I would teach my son the same responsibility and lead by example showing him what a REAL MAN is all about – strength, honesty, confidence, perseverance, determination and the ability to (clog and then) unclog a toilet like no other.
It’s a tall order, raising kids is. But I’m up for the challenge (obviously).
That said, I’m really looking forward to later in the summer when my kids can play in our new backyard which will hopefully double as an outdoor gym. Here’s our progress so far…
Enjoy Your Day!
Chris
The FitAndBusyDad
P.S. If you haven’t picked up your exclusive bonuses for my Father’s Day 2009 Promo, then you can pick them up HERE! Remember, you only have until tomorrow at midnight and then they’re gone for good. Act now!
I haven’t gotten much sleep over the past few weeks. And as a result, my gains in size and strength have kind of gone down. I’ve been eating relatively clean, but I just haven’t been eating enough to maintain a certain amount of muscle mass.
What can I say? It’s been BUSY!
We’ve had 2 BIG Birthday Parties over the past 3 weeks – Joey turned 6 and Frankie turned 4.
I’ve been busy with AJ’s soccer team, handling their strength & conditioning duties.
I’ve been busy teaching Joey & Frankie how to ride a bike so that they can develop their confidence on a 2-wheeler (they both got bicycles for their birthdays).
And I’ve been busy getting all set up to give my subscribers and readers an early Father’s Day Present.
You see, with Father’s Day right around the corner (it’s next Sunday), I’ve been working putting the final touches on the 2 new workouts and New Meal Plan Guide that I’ve been working on for months…
It’s been a long time coming for some new F&BD programs and a stress-free way of eating for us busy dads. So what better way to celebrate Father’s Day than to have a little celebration and give these programs away!
You’ll have until Wednesday, June 17th @ 11:59pm to get these EXCLUSIVE bonuses, so if you haven’t bought yourself a Father’s Day Present yet, why not now!?!
I know the new barbeque was looking good over at Home Depot and we could all use a new power drill. But why don’t you do something for yourself this time around and make a vow to lose the last 10-20lbs that you’ve been struggling with? There’s no better tool to lose that weight with than a program written by a busy dad (that’s me) specifically engineered for busy dads (like you).
All the programs can be done at home and take less than 21-minutes to finish.
Make the choice to change and to start this week. Don’t wait for another week to pass by.
I hope my wife is reading this post. I know, I know. Father’s Day is about spending time with your kids and family and loving every minute of it (which I do, believe me).
