Hey there it’s Chris, hope life is Kicking Ass for you…
I have a confession to make and I’m not exactly 100% sure how to deal with it… and you being a fitness professional might have some good input on the situation… I REALLY value your input as a fitness expert and want to get some ideas from you in a minute…
but…
… first of all, I just got back from Bedros’s 7-Figure Mastermind and it was awesome… me, Bedros, Hochman, Vince Delmonte, Craig Ballantyne, Josh Carter, 7-Figure Sam and a small handful of other really high level fitness marketers all sitting around swapping ideas… and Bedros went all out… it truly was a first class event.
When I was there Vinne and Craig ( Vince Delmonte and Craig Ballantyne… two of the most successful fitness gurus in the world and both way cool bros ) convinced me I was doing a disservice to the fitness industry but keeping the doors closed on my Market Annihilator program, they badgered the hell out me and insisted that I MUST open it back up so others in our industry can experience the same kind of success we’re all enjoying.
Here’s me, Vinnie and Craig on my lap top re-opening the Market Annihilator ( If you’re not already on board and you wanna get tons of fitness clients from the internet practically on auto-pilot and make an extra six figures… then here’s where you can join )
Ok… I’ll make this quick cuz I’m super busy at the moment and getting ready to fly out to Joe Polish’s 25k Mastermind with Bedros… lot’s of heavy hitters in the room…. some dudes are doing like $100 Million a year… my kind of place… Joe is one helluva an amazing dude and he’s assembled a group of some of the highest level info marketers anywhere on the planet… it’s gonna be cool as hell
Alright… here’s what I want your help with…
Right now in my life I feel like I’m firing on 9 out of 10 cylinders
The family is doing awesome
I’m making good money doing what I love…
I’m great at what I do… I help fitness professionals get to high six figure incomes like it’s nothing… that shit is easy… I can get sites to the top of Google pretty much overnight… I can get people to buy and buy again and buy again… when it comes to marketing a fitness business I can confidentally say I’m bad-ass
My blog is super popular
I’m surrounded by amazing people
Life rocks Van Halens first album
BUT… I’ve let myself get pretty damn out of shape and I ain’t happy with it… it’s crazy… I own a training business by the way which is pretty ironic… but I have other trainers doing all the training… and I’m friends with most of the top fitness gurus in the world… and I know a helluva lot about working out and nutrition… I’ve studied Charles Poliqiun and Louie Simmons like a madman
This is the one area of my life where I’m dropping the ball and I could really use your help and feedback
Here I am about seven years or eight years ago when I lost 143 pounds… most of it in 15 months…
Now I ain’t as big now as I was in that before pic, but I’m a lot closer to the before pic than I am to the after pic
Right now I’m a little over 320… I look and feel great at 240… at 240 I have a six-pick and veins popping out everywhere… 240
Back then when I was all ripped up I worked a part time job making minimum wage… and had a TON of free time to dedicate to fitness…I spent my freetime eating like a scientist and doing heavy powerlifting style workouts.
Fast forward to today… and I’m pretty busy dude… between spending time with my wife and daughters… owning multiple businesses… flying ALL OVER the country at all hours of the night pretty much every week making the documentary… you could say I’m slammed right now
I’ve found it a much more challenging to keep a regular regimen then when I was 30 and had all the free time in the world. ( I actually DO have a lot of freetime these days… I just have a bad habit of building businesses in my freetime)
My weak point is night time carbs… I LOVE carbs late at night… they help me relax… night time eating is the most challenging part to me… MUCH more challenging than keeping up with the workouts
Cardio is usually pretty easy for me to stick with… but weight training is another area I seem to lack discipline in… I’ll go strong for 2 or 3 weeks and then miss a workout or two and then… well… you know.
I just wanna feel better… ok… I wanna look better too… but I REALLY wanna feel better
Here’s some changes I made…
- I just hired personal trainer Sako Yakinian… who I feel is one of the best in my area ( I know how to workout properly… I mostly want the accountability and motivation and have someone to make each workout as effective as possible )
- I stocked up on healthy foods AND I’ve been eating them
- I started hitting the weights and cardio again as of Sunday
- I’m writing this blog post to get YOUR input
From years of powerlifting I do have some pretty gnarly and nagging injuries ( you name it… it’s jacked up.. elbows, knees, shoulders, back… all of it… but I’m pretty good at working around it)
So as a fitness expert I want you to know I value your opinion… if you were me ( super-super busy right now, 6’6” over 320 pounds, some pretty nagging little injuries) what would you do?
You don’t have to answer all of these… I’m just really curious to find out what YOU would do…
What kind of training regimen would you follow?
What kind of cardio would you do?
How would you fit it into a super-busy traveling-all-the-time schedule?
What would you do to offset the nighttime carb cravings?
Would you blog about your progress on here on say a weekly or bi-monthly basis? I have a following of thousands of trainers here on this blog… so maybe reporting my progress on here on a regular basis might be a good idea… what do you think about that?
How you would you make sure you stick to the routine?
What words of motivation would you give me?
Please let me know in the comment section below
I’d LOVE to hear your input… like I said, in matters of family, relationships, money, spirituality… I feel like I’m kicking ass
Health and Fitness is where I feel like I’ve dropped the ball and it’s bugging the living shit out of me… I wanna be around to see my little girls grow up… I want more energy… I wanna feel light on my feet again… I wanna look like the taller-cockier-funnier-better-looking Mathew Mcconaughey or Jason Statham (= … and not WWE”s The Big Show
And most importantly, I wanna feel better and be around for along time to see my daughters grow up.
Thank you so much, I really value your input.
Chris
P.S. Market Annihilator is NOW OPEN… click here to learn more.
Chris,
There are a lot of good tips on this thread man.
One of the things I would suggest is to include some sort of strength training focus in there, whether it's powerlifting, strongman, or grip training. The reason I suggest this is because going for strength keeps my head in it way more than the bodybuilding/cutting up type of training.
Plus, your hands are freakin' huge and I think it would be a big advantage to get into grip training, but I am partial to that…
All the best man!
-Jedd-
Chris,
Not a 7 figure fitness expert, but (really close) to a 6 figure fitness blogger
Love to see that you are doing so well as far as family and business goes!
As you know, there are a zillion ways to drop this weight. Since you are friend with Craig and Vince, you must know a bit about Brad Pilon of Eat Stop Eat.
The reason I would recommend his approach of Intermittent Fasting, is that it works well for someone like yourself who enjoys night time carbs. I'm not saying that you can eat all the night time carbs you want, but this eating approach does give you more "wiggle room" than traditional 6-meal per day approaches.
Since it seems that you are on the road a lot, Craig Ballantyne's "body weight circuits" routines are outstanding.
Before my blog was making a full-time income for me, I was running a men's suit store. During the holidays this year, I was putting in 60-70 hour work weeks and then spending another 25-30 hours per week on my blog and building links to my site, etc. I honestly was averaging 85-90 hours per week of work (not including commute time). Needless to say, I simply didn't have time to go to the gym.
From November to January I did nothing but this body weight circuit to keep me lean (video of the circuit).
http://fitnessblackbook.com/workout-routines/body-weight-circuits-are-kickin-my-butt/
This was a hard deal for a "gym junkie" like myself, but it worked wonders. These days I continue to mix in these body weight circuits on days when I'm lacking the time to workout…or simply don't want to go to the beach instead of the gym.
For someone like yourself, this would be a good routine to mix in with your active lifestyle. It would be easy on the joints and would probably be kind of rough, since you are a big guy. Bottom line…you would get good results. Obviously it sounds like you have the gym workout covered, I would recommend learning how to workout when you are on the road, or lacking time…and this is the workout I would recommend.
I have no doubt you will get ripped again!
Rusty
Meant to say…"…or simply want to go to the beach instead of the gym".
Rusty
Hi Chris,
I will make a list and try to be short and to the point.
1. Find your "why you want to do this" and make them so powerful failure is not an option.
2. Try to find intrinsic reasons as well as extrinsic reasons but for me the one intrinsic reason makes me keep improving.
3. Make the workouts short, progressive in intensity AND something you can do forever. Personally I work out 1-2 hours a week and that is what I do with my clients as well. "better is better not more is better"
4. It is a journey not a destination but you need to improve gradually.
5. Reward yourself every time you reach a large goal and with your financial success you could really make some cool ones…
6. Relate your continual business success and goals to fitness success and goals. When you reach a certain point you are not going to stop.
7. Because you are a leader you will do just fine:)
Yo dude.
Yeah lots of good shit here..
Its all about the Valslides! hah
Good luck with everyhting.. lets def hit a workout when I get back to Cali
Keep up the great shit man. Hope to get out on that pickup bootcamp soon as I'm there too..
Talk soon bud
Hi Mr McCombs,
It looks as if you have a ton of great ideas-so I just want to say Good Luck-I know that you can do it. If you blog about your training and eating every day-that accountability will be very helpful.
I am a big fan of you-Bedros-Steve Hochman-Dr Sam B.-etc. All of you guys have been very helpful and inspirational in my quest to become a better person- better personal trainer and better boot camp instructor.
Thank you and Good Luck-I know that you can do it!!!
Wow Chris,
Looks like alot of good info. The only thing I would add is to do a good cleanse/detox NOW.
I start all my clients with this and it is the best way to get your body primed to lose weight quickly and consistently.
Shoot me an e-mail and I will send it to you for free as a way of saying thanks for all youve done to help those and myself in this industry.
first up Chris,
well done mate. You need to be doing this and going public there's no turning back. That's the best way to do it. Social support.
Now, you have to blog it like most people here are saying. Set up a seperate blog and take photos and post em before & after.
But the biggest thing is to do it so you can see your girls grow up. My Dad died 4 years ago when I was 27 and it kills me that he won't be there when I get married in november. He was 53 and had a heart attack.
Like Zach mentioned bodyweight is your key that way you can still do it in your hotel room. No excuses.
Night time carbs? My fave is frozen mixed berries and throw on some Nut spread. Or try a frozen banana with the same nut spread on it.
As for your knees – mine suck too. I hate running so I do hill sprints – less contact time between the foot and the ground and no strain.
Alternatively swimming and pool sprinting on the spot like a tabata set. no impact there. Anyway you're in Cali and it's summer – no excuses.
c'mon champ, make it happen and be an example of what busy people can do. I see a new info product in the making for you…
Respect your body as much as you respect the business you have built! Get out and start moving!
Wow, I am blown away by all the positive support… thank you so much
Had a great training session with Sako today, he's a great trainer, and I ate clean all day… I'm pretty stoked to be getting lean again
Weighed in at 327… was pretty strong… barbell rowed over 200lbs for reps like it was nothing… not bad for not working out in so long… all those years of powerlifting left a nice baseline of muscle on me… now when I lose the 80lbs of fat we'll be able to see it (=
Got my assistant making me veggie juices all the time
I REALLY appreciate all the kind words (=
hi Chris,
glad to see your getting back into it, i've 2 studio's in manchester(uk), and we've doing bodyMoT, to find all the problems,about hydration( you want to be a fat burner),and what minerals and vits your have and need to support your body with exercise(and life style).
In the studio we're also using your systems now,just getting 6 clients a months at the moment, which is improving.
Sorry back to fitness!
I've got a great machine that burn 500cals in 10 mins ( Vibrogym)
its a vibrating plate , but we've been using weight training on it, it burns cals, tones, and even burns cals 2 hrs after training session.
It great, keep the training going.
Hey Chris,
Timed circuits using 3-4 movement patterns will get the fat off you real quick. Drop the starches and work like a mofo.
My girls are dropping 11-12 inches a month doing this! The guys are getting great results too.
Train Hard, Ea Smart!
Marc
I Think a nice superset circuit including all the compound exercises. Then Smash it With the Kettlebell. Think They would be Ideal for you as so portable could do at home etc. Art Of Strength have also made a fill your own Plastic that you could even take on plane on your film trips.
Dear Chris,
First of all I want to say that I think you have made the 100% RIGHT decision to hire a trainer! There is NO ONE who can NOT benefit from having a trainer at their side to help give them with that extra push…NO ONE! Everyone, including Craig B., Bedros K., Steve H., Vince D., Joel M… and every other trainer that is reading this blog.. Myself included… Everyone should have a trainer! Lucky you that you are able to afford a trainer!
Now I also hope your trainer reads your blog and I hope that he sold you a HUGE 1 year commitment package using Bedros’ Close 9 out 0f 10 Clients system! Lol…
I’ve been reading your blog for a long while now and I really feel like I know you even though we have never met so I am just going to speak like we’re best buds or that your one of my very own clients.
First question you asked, what kind of training regimen would “I” have you on. Based on your list of injuries I would start you out on a full body workout three days a week. I’d have you train the 10 major muscle groups with just two sets of 15-20 reps for each group with lighter weights with a minimal rest period of 30 seconds between each set to keep your heart rate up. I’d start you out with many compound movements in a circuit and move into interval training after about three months. For the intervals I’d have you do boxing and other body weight exercises that keep your heart rate up between weight exercises. I would NOT start you out with any weights because of your injuries and I’d want to make sure those were addressed first, but instead I would have you do a lot of body weight/gravity exercises and eventually progress you to light weights with higher reps as those old injuries shows signs of rehabilitation.
If you want to lose weight and you want to lose it fast we need to keep you in the target heart rate training zone right? Get yourself a heart rate monitor and put yourself in the zone! That combined with a good nutrition plan… and I’d recommend that you follow either Joel Marion’s “Cheat you way thin” plan or Vince’s plan. Both of those guys have some great nutrition tips to follow!
One of my specialties is in post-injury-habilitation and there is TONS of research to show that the light weight higher rep type workouts will get you the results you need in the shortest amount of time with a very low chance of injury. Seriously, I would avoid heavy weights for a few months and just stick to functional training exercises. I know, I know… Us guys LOVE to pick up those heavy things and then slam them back down on the ground! But let any ego you might have go and you will make faster and more importantly safer progress.
As the weight comes off you may want to start integrating as many balance exercises and core stability exercises as you can. There is nothing sadder to me than the big body builder guys at my gym who can toss around huge amounts of weight but can’t balance on one foot for 30 seconds or the guys who have great “looking” abs but buckle over when I jab them in the belly. (and I LOVE doing that!) Worse yet are the guys who work WAY to much on the top parts but not the bottom or WAY to much on chest and not enough on back. A well balanced program should be the cornerstone of your plan.
With as much time as you have been spending at your computer I’d be willing to bet your shoulders slump forward and that your hamstrings are tightened a bit just because these are common postural deviancies with people who spend a lot of time at a desk or driving. Even if they are not, I’d make sure your program also involves postural correction, which is another of my specialties. In this day and age most of my clients are coming to me with serious imbalances that MUST be addressed in order to get the most benefit from my exercise programs. You can have the biggest chest in the gym but if you slouch or you have a but that makes you look like a frog that was taught to stand up you are just not going to look that great.
Let’s keep in mind that right now I weigh in at a measly 143lbs. BUT I am strong as an ox and lightning fast. I was an avid marathon runner for years and I used to weigh around a buck O’ five… I got into mass building for a while and was up to 170. Then like you I let things go and the next thing you know I was up to 20Olbs!!! I’m now an avid martial artist and would not give up my flexibility, agility and speed for bulk or anything else.. But I do train with weights quite regularly. My FAVORITE is the kettle bells and light weight high rep dumbbell and barbell exercises. Try it! You will like it!
As far as how to fit your workouts into your schedule. Well Chris, you claim to be the stickler for time management. So start managing your time so that you can fit your workouts into your busy schedule. You may have to give up something else in order to fit it in. What are you willing to give up? What is it worth to you?
The following is my own quote from my on web site.
“There is ALWAYS going to be a reason for why you can't make it to your workouts. We can always come up with an excuse. We can always find something else to do and claim we just don't have time. The truth however is that you have time for the things you feel are important. Finding the time to workout now will ensure you don't have to take time to visit the hospital later. They key to making that time available is to post it on your calendar just like you would your work schedule or any other appointment. Make it a habit that becomes part of your life now and you can't lose, well anything but body fat that is…”
As far as traveling and working out… If you have not heard of or used the TRX system. You NEED to get one. That little strap will KICK YOUR ASS! It fits in a suit case and you can work your whole body with it. Also, get a jump rope. Every time someone tells me they don’t have time to exercise I remind them that 10 minutes of jumping rope will burn the same number of calories as thirty minutes of jogging! You could always get some elastic bands as well. They may not look like much but you can get a killer workout with the elastic bands. And when you go on a trip, make sure you schedule some time to get your workouts in. You can always try out the 100 rep workout or the 10 minute workout systems, but try them out when your traveling and away from your trainer. I’d be willing to bet that Vince, Joel, Craig and Bedros and everyone else you go to meet with would be more than happy to go to the gym with you and I bet they would all kick your ASS anytime you meet with them!. I would LOVE for the chance to workout with any of you guys and pick your brains to death on workout tips! If you’re not going to take advantage of THAT opportunity then move out of the way and let me! LOL….
As far as your cravings go. I’m certain you know this already but craving carbs is usually a signal from your body requesting “more energy.” I’d be willing to bet that you are skipping a meal from time to time and your body is being forced into starvation mode. In starvation mode your body slows the metabolism and stores whatever food it can. Leaving you sluggish and low on energy and craving carbs for the “fast fix” energy they provide. Knowing this… just make sure you are eating the right foods at regular intervals. Again…. Follow either Joel or Vince on this!
I can’t believe I just typed up a friggin essay! But when I get a thought my fingers move faster than I can see…
Yes, please post a blog about your progress!
JJ Brawley N.C.P.T.
San Diego's Fitness Specialist
Helping People Look Better Naked Since 2003.
Inner City Boot Camp Program Coordinator
http://www.InnerCityBootCamp.com
Chris!! Man, lookin' studly in the after pic for sure! My best approach for mysef as well as my clients is keeping it simple. You are a man that has developed and delivered excellent systems to implement into life to live better and happier–put this knowledge to work to best leverage your time in your workouts & meals. It took work, but look at you now. Keep the diet simple & clean, workouts entertaining, challenging & fun and incorporate interval work and circuits. You can still hit the good ole' fun traditional stuff like bench, squat, deads, rows and pulls as well.
Kick it hard man!
-Hollister "StrengthByStruck"
200lbs for reps like it was nothing….you're a strong mo fo man
Set yourself a time limit and hit it hard mate whether its 20 or 40 minutes you got the time, bodyweight and big bands if you're travelling and dumbells, kettlebells and sandbags at home.
Start simple with supersets and work on to complexes, timed sets and TABATAS
Daxs elimination diet is awesome and simple for fuelling yourself the right way.
Will be great checking your progress dude, all the best with it
Glad to hear this Chris. As for accountability post progress pics weekly on you blog. Do what you say and not say what you do.
Best of luck
Hi Chris:
Thanks for sharing—Great to hear what you're up to w/your health! You're off to a good start with letting your audience know what's up; I have no doubt you'll DEFINITELY succeed. You've got my support, and it's so obvious your followers want you to succeed with your weight loss goals! You've done it before, and you can do it again.
Of course, make sure your WHY is big enough; this will keep you on track. Being there for your girls and feeling better are great reasons to lose the weight. It's all you, Chris. You have to do it for yourself b/c nobody else is going to do the work for you. The other thing is STRATEGY. "Difficulty is relative to preparation," is what my colleague always states. That being said, I think you've got the training aspects covered. I've always found that the circuits using total body movements, combined w/60 second cardio intervals makes a great short, effective and fun workout. In fact, I find that I only need to do this type of workout 3 days a week instead of 5 or 6! Having lots of war injuries from gymnastics, this type of training is kind to my joints and I don't go into overuse mode!
Being on a schedule is always helpful. Pencil in your workouts and meals like your business meetings. Anticipate busy weeks, too, and get back on track if you fall off the wagon. Prepare your menu for the week and cook some meals on the weekend. Have some meals frozen, packaged or ready to go for those instances where there's a time crunch.
I found that when I journaled my nutrition/workouts/sleep/water intake every day, it really made me THINK about what I put in my mouth and made me AWARE/PRESENT to what my mission was. Basically, it keeps you honest.
I also think it'd be cool if you'd take photos, measurements, % body fat, heart rate, blood pressure at 3 or 4 week intervals until you get your goal achieved. That would be motivating for you as well as anybody else who wants to lose weight and get healthy!
Best wishes; great start and looking forward to your progress!
Cheers,
Teri
Chris, I won't offer training/nutrition suggestions. This is not the main thing, plus you know your stuff. It's all in your mind.
but still – maybe focus less on powrelifting and more on bodybuilding/bodyweight/yoga-type stuff (good for your bod)
You can do it, big guy – you've done it before and this time it will be much easier, cuz:
-you got less weight to lose
-you know the road, you've already travelled it.
It takes balls to be open like this – props buddy!
Yavor
Good on ya bro…
Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training is a great option if you have little or no time. And it is awesome if you are away on business because as you probably know most of it's bodyweight stuff and the workouts are short and sharp.
Good luck pal
Tom Bold
London UK
I would say that taking that first step to create a change in your life is the important one. With that being said, as a Licensed Athletic Trainer, I would first have any muscle/ tendon / ligament issues that you may have, evaulated by a health care provider who can give specific exercises to help with any musculoskeletal you may have. Next, I just developed a training system that offers rehab type exercises within a fat burning workout. The system is called the Muscle Recovery system. It utilizes the M.A.S.S.I.VE principle where each exercises used is designed to aid in the recovery the pumping action of the body as a whole. This system creates less muscle soreness, greater heart and lung function and results quicker. Good luck in your goals and thank you for all your doing for us as fitness professionals.
Come to San Diego and let me kick you ass for two weeks bro!
Hey Chris,
I know the challenges you having with schedule and keeping your workout up. Being an actor, I deal that chaos quite often. However, what I have found that has worked for me is short intense aerobic workouts several times throughout the day if you have the time or at least once a day. Something is always better than nothing.
I teach a class called Aerobokick which is a combination of boxing, kickboxing,aerobic dance and exercises which I have found are effective for a total body aerobic workout which includes high rep exercises. When training, I break the class up into segments and use whatever segment that applies to the needs of each particular client. The URL above is my facebook site. Check out my video. "The 1000 Punches Workout" which comes out of my hour and a half aerobic class. Try it a leave a comment.
You tips have been more than useful. Finding consistent clients has been a problem for me. More about that later.
God bless,
Fitz
Chris!
Pretty old post, but I'll chime in anyway.
THE easiest thing you can do to get on your way is to cut out the carbs at night time.
Easier said than done, of course.
Those carb cravings come because your brain desires sugar. What you can do to counter that is simply take 6 teaspoons of GLUTAMINE when the craving arrives.
Now whats so crazy about this supplement is that it'll cure your craving, immediately. Even a small dose under your tongue, and you'll soon feel the craving disappear.
Hope this helps you on your journey.
-Jin
You posted this awhile back, but I just found your site today and I'll give you my ideas (in case you haven't made all the progress you want yet). I've kept of 50 pounds of fat loss myself for 17 years and counting so far. Great before/after photos of you, by the way! Here's my ideas:
What kind of training regimen would you follow?
High-intensity strength training. As hard as you can go each session. Short HIT workouts 2-3 times a week.
What kind of cardio would you do?
If you want to do cardio, I'd recommend HIIT.
How would you fit it into a super-busy traveling-all-the-time schedule?
High intensity workouts don't take much time.
What would you do to offset the nighttime carb cravings?
Don't buy or have any refined sugar sweets in your house. Instead have fruits that are sweet for you, and eat those when you crave something sweet. Your cravings will adjust to appreciate the fruit.
Would you blog about your progress on here on say a weekly or bi-monthly basis? I have a following of thousands of trainers here on this blog… so maybe reporting my progress on here on a regular basis might be a good idea… what do you think about that?
Accountability is HUGE. (Being a personal trainer is one of the reasons I've been able to keep off 50 pounds of fat for 17 years — I need to look like I'm walking the walk.)
How you would you make sure you stick to the routine?
Everyday visualize yourself just a bit leaner than you currently are, and how that would feel for yourself.
What words of motivation would you give me?
Staying lean is not easy (otherwise everybody would be lean), but many people do it and are successful keeping fat off. Judging by the volume of work on your site, you're a hard worker. There's no reason you can't be one of the people who keep it off.