Monday – 10-29-2018
Tuesday – 10-30-2018
Wednesday 10-31-2018
Strength – Wednesday 10-31-2018
Thursday – 11-01-2018
Friday-11-02-2018
Saturday – 11-03-2018
Sunday – 11-04-2018
Just a short couple of years ago, John (left) was flattened by a serious ski accident. It was a long journey back, but he’s been on the other side now for so long that it’s easy to forget the dark days. Let John be your inspiration if you’re fighting back from an injury. Put in the work, keep the faith, and you can be like John!
This week, I’m kicking off a VLOG for my weekly content! Check it out, and please give me feedback! Also, we now have a TJ’s Gym YouTube channel, so be sure to check out all of our videos there.
It’s ALMOST Rodeo time! See flyer for updated details.
REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE FOR GOOD THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28th! Just click on the image to register. We will create evenly-matched teams of THREE to compete in THREE workouts over the course of 90 minutes. ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME! We will design the workouts so every team member has something to contribute, and every team member has a specific role.
You are all welcome to come to the party afterwards, whether or not you compete! Please RSVP here by October 28th:
Every year, we grant priority registration to TJ’s Gym members for our sell-out NorCal Masters event. Please email allison@tjsgym.com ASAP if you want the top-secret link, because registration opens to the public this Monday! 
Join any time! Start dates are rolling!
Please keep spreading the word about our TJ’s Gym Legends fitness program, a new curriculum designed for the needs of 60+ people. We include work on strength, balance, mobility, stamina, and general functional life movements.
*Wednesdays and Fridays, 10:30-11:30am at TJ’s Gym San Rafael.
Email jessica@tjsgym.com to register.
Congratulations to SR/OG Jason Ford who was integral in the re-opening and upgrading of the San Rafael Goodwill Store. Jason sits on the Board of Directors for the Bay Area Goodwill chapter.
Kelly McLain completed a rim-to-rim hike of the Grand Canyon!
We just wrapped up preseason training with the Drake Wrestling team and wish them the best of luck in their season ahead!
CM superstar, Doug Griffin, is back after nursing some ailments.
Lance Martinez and Sean Weatherill both turned 50 and you’d never know it.
We’ve got lots of success stories in our Make-It-Happen Program, which we will share before Thanksgiving.
If anyone in your family needs (or wants!) a new soccer ball, please consider buying this one. 100% of profits go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Just click on the image above to order yours from our great friends at All Season Soccer, THE place to go for all of your soccer needs!
If you’re on Facebook, please request to join the TJ’s Gym Members Facebook Page (current, active members) for all of our most up-to-date announcements and offerings. You can also follow us @tjsgyms on Instagram.
Monday – 10-22-2018
Tuesday – 10-23-2018
Wednesday 10-24-2018
Strength – Wednesday 10-24-2018
Thursday 10-25-2018
Friday-10-26-2018
Saturday 10-27-2018
Sunday – 10-28-2018
Barbell Club – Sunday 10-28-2018
Cole (17) has been a TJ’s Mill Valley member since 2015. He recently completed a 65-mile backpacking trek as part of his high school TEAM program, a super-cool option in the Tam High District incorporating outdoor education in a big way. Congratulations, Cole, and way to crush it with your hard-earned functional fitness!
The Past:
I realize that I’ve pieced together little parts of my story over the past 25 years or so of experimenting with various nutrition plans, but I haven’t told the whole story. I’m telling it now, because it ties in with my recent article about how we get sick and, hopefully, how we get well.
My goal is to update this story every year at this time. Over the past 25 years, I’ve tried lots of different things. I’ve used myself as a bit of a guinea pig, sampling various diets, nutrition systems, and supplements. I’m not sure why, but I’m sort of an extremist, for better and for worse.
I need to make myself uncomfortable, even though I don’t enjoy it.
This is a weird part of my personality about which many people have offered opinions, and they’re all probably right to some degree. For now, I’ll keep it on the tracks by just talking about what I’ve learned in the past, what I’m doing now, and what I plan to do in the future.
Back in my 20s, I went through phases of hammering high-protein, high-carb, low-fat diets as often as I hammered all-you-can-eat hot wings and bottomless pitchers of beer. You might be shocked to know that this unhealthy regimen caused dramatic swings in weight (and mood!) that I chalked up to whatever phase of fitness I was in. If I was getting ready to run my one-and-only marathon or training for a triathlon, or in a a body-building phase or even a Stairmaster slog, I tended to be a little cleaner. But when a well-defined goal was met, you could find me at the Sizzler buffet. It’s in Colma by the dump. I loved that place.
Prior to my wedding, I dropped to 190 pounds by consuming Diet Coke and Jell-O. My brother quipped, “Allison, you’re marrying a cadaver?” Good times.
In the two years that followed, we bought a house, opened a gym, and had our first kid, sending me down a rabbit hole of excuses and bad attitude that would last for the next few years. I was fat and unmotivated, and everything hurt, from my knees to my head. I would fake it in the gym; the most real activity I got was when I played in the weekly pick-up basketball games at Sleepy Hollow. Just your friendly neighborhood gym owner. What a great example.
Within a period of a month, I had a full blood panel done by a nurse practitioner who was using me to launch her business of identifying food allergies and healing your “gut.” The panel targeted markers of sensitivity or allergies to various foods, which I was told I should be avoiding. It basically listed every food a North American could eat. Green was good, yellow meant “watch out,” and red was bad news. From nearly top to bottom, in every food category: red, red and more red. My results suggested I shouldn’t even eat chicken. Rice, olive oil, and green vegetables with some turkey and fish was basically the only items I was “allowed.”
This lovely woman tried to tell me that she had never seen a panel come back like this, but the good news, according to her, was that my shopping list would be pretty easy. I’m pretty sure I had a beer in my hand when she said this. Remember, at this point, there was a healthy dose of Miller High Life and Ben & Jerry’s in my life, mixed in with 4-5 broken hours of sleeping-with-a-newborn every night.
At the same time, I was reading about this program called CrossFit. The next thing I knew, I was all-in on Paleo, thrusters, and sleep-training my kids.
It wasn’t a smooth ride, though. As I’ve written in the past, I initially lost a ton of weight following a Paleo plan, but then that B.S. led to my eating a pound of cashews per day and making almond flour brownies every night, on top of eating more red meat than most families of five. After I got fat again, I dabbled with a Keto diet, but since I didn’t know what I was doing, I found myself eating a brick of cheese driving from gym to gym.
That’s just a bad look.
Next, I started playing around with cleanses, where I would drink Cayenne-pepper lemonade, morning noon and night for a week, which essentially made me want to kill someone. I would lose 15 pounds over the course of a week and gain it back on a Sunday afternoon of binge eating.
The other factor to my story is that I happen to live at the perfectly wrong time. As most of you know, I love craft beer. I drink hazy IPA with a great deal of love and affection.
I often speak about your day of reckoning. I had mine. The reality is that I had to come face-to-face with that reckoning. What was I trying to do? Lose weight? Get Healthy? Be Fit? Be Happy? Live long and prosper? For me, it came down to ALL of the above. I realized that I had focused on one of those at a time in the past, instead of spreading the love across goals, leading to a much more moderate, sustainable, and thoughtful plan. Once I figured that out, I had to develop the perfect plan for ME.
While living in the perfectly WRONG time of hops, malt, and barley, I have to admit that I’m living in the perfectly RIGHT time for access to information. The Internet is a pretty cool place sometimes. Experts, charlatans, showmen, and people who just want to help are all more than willing to heap upon you their stories, facts, and opinions.
I love this.
I love to read about something, then find the origin, then find the counterpoint. Finding out the driving force behind someone who is offering an opinion is as much fun to me as figuring out what they are saying.
The best part of my journey is that I’ve finally figured out my goals and why I have them. I’ve figured out my plan, for now, and I’m compiling the data so I can show someone else why it worked for me. At the same time, I’m really enjoying the research I’m doing to figure out how to help other individuals with their plans.
Next week: The Present. I’ll talk about my plan and my execution.
TJ
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
It’s ALMOST Rodeo time! Lots of people are jumping on board. You should, too!
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd, 2018 at TJ’s San Rafael.
Start time TBD, but it’ll be 8/9am to 1pm, with a big chunk of that being a PARTY!
REGISTRATION IS LIVE! Just click on the image above to register before October 22nd to give us enough time to make teams and plan the workout. Register on your own–we will create evenly-matched teams of THREE (one woman, two men) to take part in THREE workouts over the course of 90 minutes. ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME! We will design the workouts so every team member has something to contribute, and every team member has a specific role.
Participating the Rodeo is a great way to get out of your comfort zone in the safety of a loving community, and that will be especially true this year. Even if you don’t compete, you’re still welcome to join the community party (RSVP avenue coming soon).
Join any time! Start dates are rolling!
Please spread the word about our TJ’s Gym Legends fitness program, a new curriculum designed for the needs of 60+ people. We include work on strength, balance, mobility, stamina, and general functional life movements.
*Wednesdays and Fridays, 10:30-11:30am at TJ’s Gym San Rafael.
Our Teen/Tween session started on Tuesday, September 4th, and we prorate for mid-session starts! Here are the details:
Session Dates: September 4th – October 28th. New Session to begin on October 29th – December 23rd.
Session Pricing – 8 Weeks
$176 (one day per week)*
$320 (two days per week)*
$430 (three days per week)*
Please reply ASAP to secure a spot. As always, we also have monthly options available for our year-round teen members.
Fall Schedule
Our current class schedule will always be posted on our schedules page HERE.
*Corte Madera – Monday/Wednesday (ages 12 – 16) 4 pm
*Mill Valley – Tuesday/Thursday (12 – 16) 4 pm
*Corte Madera -Tuesday/Thursday (10 – 13) 4:30 pm
*San Rafael – Tuesdays (12 – 16) 4 pm
*Corte Madera – Saturday (12 – 16) 11 am
*Classes expire at the end of the session. Make-ups can happen as needed throughout the session. Schedule subject to change based on registration numbers. Email jessica@tjsgym.com to register.
With so many amazing people in our community doing super-cool things both in and out of the gym, we’ve decided to start a monthly TJ’s Gym High Fives section. Please send us tips about your fellow gym members when you hear about cool accomplishments or endeavors, both in and out of the gym. Submit info to allison@tjsgym.com or jessica@tjsgym.com by the 20th of each month to ensure entry into the monthly spotlight.
****Please get us your info this weekend, so we can highlight next week!****
If anyone in your family needs (or wants!) a new soccer ball, please consider buying this one. 100% of profits go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Just click on the image above to order yours from our great friends at All Season Soccer, THE place to go for all of your soccer needs!
If you’re on Facebook, please request to join the TJ’s Gym Members Facebook Page (current, active members) for all of our most up-to-date announcements and offerings. You can also follow us @tjsgyms on Instagram.
Monday – 10-15-2018
Tuesday 10-16-2018
Wednesday 10-17-2018
Strength – Wednesday 10-17-2018
Thursday 10-18-2018
Friday-10-19-2018
Saturday 10-20-2018
Sunday – 10-21-2018
Barbell Club – Sunday 10-21-2018
Last month, Hamilton hit his 10-year anniversary at TJ’s Gym. This guys is a true model of how to be in it for your health and wellness for the long haul. Hit him up if you have questions about how he’s kept himself engaged in the process for as long as he has. He might mention that wrangling his badass wife, Jennifer, in the gym was all part of the plan. Congrats, Ham! We are all better for your presence in our community!
Cancer.
I’ve been putting off this one. I didn’t want to do the research for it. I wanted to stick my head in the sand and pretend it’s not that important, because it doesn’t fit into the storyline I’ve been telling, which is that we can correct nearly all of the chronic diseases that are killing us, just by making better lifestyle choices.
Cancer doesn’t fit into that category, because it’s genetically-loaded and therefore, for the most part, beyond our control. Or is it?
First, let me crush you with some facts.
1,600 people in this country will die from cancer every single day. 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will get cancer in their lifetime. There are 600,000 new cases in this country every year.
F@#k. That doesn’t stand for fork. This sucks. We’ve all been impacted by cancer in some way, shape, or form. Some cases are curable, and some aren’t, leaving behind devastating effects on our families.
It is arguably the disease about which we are the least educated, even though trillions of dollars per year are dedicated to figuring it out.
It is universally understood that cancer is a genetic disease. Your mitochondria (power plants of the cell) become “diseased” and help to produce cancerous cells. These cells can sometimes be controlled or eradicated by our immune system, but malignant tumors or cell clusters cause the body to supply blood to them, and this is when we are in trouble.
We also know that, while cancer is genetic, there are outside factors, like smoking, that can easily contribute to the thriving of cancer cells.
In recent posts, I have written about the chronic diseases that are killing us and that, by changing our lifestyle and nutrition decisions, we might prevent these diseases. Could cancer be one of them?
This is a super hot topic. I’m going to dispense some information without bias as best I can, because I know there are many people who are not only more educated about this than I am, but who also have been more closely affected than I have.
Thomas Seyfried is a professor with a PhD in Genetics and Biochemistry. In his book, “Cancer as a Metabolic Disease,” he argues that the current treatment protocols for cancer are all wrong and that the theory that there are no preventable measures is flawed. He claims that glucose — specifically the processing of glucose on a mitochondrial level — is the cause of most cancers. Chemo and radiation, or the sacrificing of healthy cells to kill rogue, cancer cells, is also misguided in his view; he proposed, instead, that we eradicate the food source (glucose and insulin) of cancer cells as the best way to treat tumors.
Here is a quick video:
Nutrition’s Impact on Cancer Treatment
Genetics absolutely make a difference. Your nutrition absolutely makes a difference. Your sleep absolutely makes a difference. Your fitness level absolutely makes a difference. Your bugs absolutely make a difference. The makeup of your parents absolutely make a difference.
For decades, we have known that sugar creates chronic disease. It wasn’t until 2014 that the FDA, American Heart Association, The Centers for Disease Control, and the American Dietetics Association admitted this.
If we all finally agree that excessive, insulin-sensitive carbohydrates create chronic or metabolic disease, is it preposterous to assume that, under some conditions with certain individuals, the same could be true of cancer?
I’d rather not take on that experiment for myself. My dad had prostate cancer. He has eaten plenty of shitty food in his life. He gave me my genes. I’m thinking shitty food is not good for me, because, along with cancer, he’s also had a stent and is currently on ALL the meds.
Something to think about.
~TJ
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
It’s ALMOST Rodeo time! Lots of people are jumping on board. You should, too!
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd, 2018 at TJ’s San Rafael.
Start time TBD, but it’ll be 8/9am to 1pm, with a big chunk of that being a PARTY!
REGISTRATION IS LIVE! Just click on the image above to register before October 22nd to give us enough time to make teams and plan the workout. Register on your own–we will create evenly-matched teams of THREE (one woman, two men) to take part in THREE workouts over the course of 90 minutes. ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME! We will design the workouts so every team member has something to contribute, and every team member has a specific role.
Participating the Rodeo is a great way to get out of your comfort zone in the safety of a loving community, and that will be especially true this year. Even if you don’t compete, you’re still welcome to join the community party (RSVP avenue coming soon).
It’s not too late to join, as start dates are rolling! Please spread the word about our TJ’s Gym Legends fitness program, a new curriculum designed for the needs of 60+ people. We include work on strength, balance, mobility, stamina, and general functional life movements.
Coach Nick is a perfect fit for this work, and we hope you’ll help us spread the word to all 60+ people you know who want to join (existing TJ’s members can join, as well!).
*Wednesdays and Fridays, October 3rd-November 16th from 10:30-11:30am at TJ’s Gym San Rafael. The work will continue in sessions from there…
Our Teen/Tween session started on Tuesday, September 4th, and we prorate for mid-session starts! Here are the details:
Session Dates: September 4th – October 28th
Session Pricing – 8 Weeks
$176 (one day a week)*
$320 (two days a week)*
$430 (three days a week)*
Please reply ASAP to secure a spot. As always, we also have monthly options available for our year-round teen members.
Fall Schedule
Our current class schedule will always be posted on our schedules page HERE.
*Corte Madera – Monday/Wednesday (ages 12 – 16) 4 pm
*Mill Valley – Tuesday/Thursday (12 – 16) 4 pm
*Corte Madera -Tuesday/Thursday (10 – 13) 4:30 pm
*San Rafael – Tuesdays (12 – 16) 4 pm **(New offering with Coach Nick!)
*Corte Madera – Saturday (12 – 16) 11 am
*Classes expire at the end of the session. Make-ups can happen as needed throughout the session. Schedule subject to change based on registration numbers. Email jessica@tjsgym.com to register.
With so many amazing people in our community doing super-cool things both in and out of the gym, we’ve decided to start a monthly TJ’s Gym High Fives section. Please send us tips about your fellow gym members when you hear about cool accomplishments or endeavors, both in and out of the gym. Submit info to allison@tjsgym.com or jessica@tjsgym.com by the 20th of each month to ensure entry into the monthly spotlight.
If anyone in your family needs (or wants!) a new soccer ball, please consider buying this one. 100% of profits go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Just click on the image above to order yours from our great friends at All Season Soccer, THE place to go for all of your soccer needs!
If you’re on Facebook, please request to join the TJ’s Gym Members Facebook Page (current, active members) for all of our most up-to-date announcements and offerings. You can also follow us @tjsgyms on Instagram.
Monday – 10/08/2018 (1)
Tuesday 10/09/2018
Wednesday 10/10/2018
Strength – Wednesday 10/10/2018
Thursday 10/11/2018
Friday-10/12/2018
Saturday 10/13/2018
Sunday – 10/14/2018
Barbell Club – Sunday 10/14/2018
Hey you guys! Coach Anthony is super excited about the Rodeo! Are you?
Why Stress Will Kill You…I Think.
Funny story. I couldn’t figure out what the hell to write about this week. Yes, I had some broad ideas, but I typically like to write as though I’m standing in front of a class performing one of my “homilies,” which is how one of our members describes it.
This week, the four-hour window for writing which I had scheduled in my calendar turned into a bunch of nothing. I even went to my old standby defense-against-writers-block strategy and started doing projects: painting, spackling, barbell maintenance, digging holes. Usually this works; the uptick in small accomplishments bursts the damn, and I’m ready to enthrall all of you with my brilliant prose (sarcasm).
Not this time. Four holes repaired and a wall painted, and I had still had zero clue what to write.
This stressed the hell out of me. I’ve done a great job of creating a schedule that usually works well, but it’s full. Like so many of you, I don’t have time for curveballs, especially ones that bounce in the dirt, pop up, and hit me in the eye.
I talked about this stress with my classes, and wouldn’t you know it, a good buddy came to my rescue.
He told me that he got his cholesterol checked exactly a year ago. It was through the roof. He’s in pretty good shape, but this was a problem. He demanded that his physician put him on statins to get this under control. He didn’t have time to make any changes to his lifestyle. He just knew that he needed to keep keeping on for his family, and he figured he’d deal with the other stuff later. His doc told him to wait a minute. High cholesterol for a year wasn’t going to kill him. She told him to wait a year and see what it looks like then.
This buddy happened to be going through one hell of a year. One of his parents was dying all year, and the stress of what that meant emotionally and logistically was a nightmare. When the end came about six months ago, as crushing as it was, there was also some relief. Life slowly got back to normal, as it usually does. He didn’t do anything differently in the last year. He didn’t drink more or less. He didn’t change his diet. He didn’t sleep or exercise more or less. He told me that, outside of his father’s death, he’d had the exact same year as the year before.
Last week, he went back in for his annual exam. His cholesterol dropped 90 points. That’s unbelievable.
He literally went from being in the deadly range to the normal range, simply because of stress reduction.
That story jumpstarted my brain.
How does “stress” work?
I understand that it’s bad for us, but I wasn’t interested in what the outcome of bad stress is. I already know that. I wanted to know how it happens. There is stress that is good for us and stress that is bad for us. How do we separate the two?
Nassim Taleb wrote a book called AntiFragile, which is the concept that a group of stressors can cause positive responses. We know that putting our muscles under a certain type of stress benefits our muscles and bones, but too much of that kind of stress will do harm.
How the hell does stress cause cholesterol to rise and fall?
Chronic stress is not good. Finances, bad relationships, or any other long-term stress takes a toll on the body. Through a series of messages, the brain releases Cortisol to deal with stressful events. If the stress is decades long (like being a Cleveland Indians fan) Cortisol is built up at a rate the brain can’t handle. The brain’s response is to grow certain parts of the brain while shrinking others. This leads to many different side effects like loss of memory or poor social interaction. Other hormones are affected as well, and eventually the microbiomes of the gut start to react.
Back to the bugs.
Your body creates cholesterol, and you consume cholesterol. Your cholesterol measures depend on your personal relationship with these bugs. They are the keepers of the gate. They decide how much, when, why, and how you will react towards almost everything related to your cardio/pulmonary system.
Your genetics decide how you will react. The 110-year-old who smokes and drinks whiskey every day may have died at 55 he’d eaten sugar every day. But he probably didn’t.
My body hates beer. My brain loves beer. This is my reckoning. We all have one. Your job is to research your genetics, which is not hard to do, and then have a good conversation with yourself over the course of a year or so. Then, use the data and that quality conversation to make some changes for the better.
Just don’t ignore the obvious, whatever you do.
I’m happy to talk more if you’d like.
~TJ
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
It’s ALMOST Rodeo time! SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd, 2018 at TJ’s San Rafael.
Start time TBD, but it’ll be 8/9am to 1pm, with a big chunk of that being a PARTY!
REGISTRATION IS LIVE! Just click on the image above to register before October 22nd to give us enough time to make teams and plan the workout. Register on your own–we will create evenly-matched teams of THREE (one woman, two men) to take part in THREE workouts over the course of 90 minutes. ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME! We will design the workouts so every team member has something to contribute, and every team member has a specific role.
Participating the Rodeo is a great way to get out of your comfort zone in the safety of a loving community, and that will be especially true this year. Even if you don’t compete, you’re still welcome to join the community party (RSVP avenue coming soon).
Get ready for an insanely fun day!
It’s not too late to join! Please spread the word about our TJ’s Gym Legends fitness program, a new curriculum designed for the needs of 60+ people. We include work on strength, balance, mobility, stamina, and general functional life movements. Coach Nick is a perfect fit for this work, and we hope you’ll help us spread the word to all 60+ people you know who want to join (existing TJ’s members can join, as well!).
*Inaugural LEGENDS session: Wednesdays and Fridays, October 3rd-November 16th from 10:30-11:30am at TJ’s Gym San Rafael. The work will continue in sessions from there…
Our Teen/Tween session started on Tuesday, September 4th. No worries…we prorate for late starts! Here are the details:
Session Dates: September 4th – October 28th
Session Pricing – 8 Weeks
$176 (one day a week)*
$320 (two days a week)*
$430 (three days a week)*
Please reply ASAP to secure a spot. As always, we also have monthly options available for our year-round teen members.
Fall Schedule
Our current class schedule will always be posted on our schedules page HERE.
*Corte Madera – Monday/Wednesday (ages 12 – 16) 4 pm
*Mill Valley – Tuesday/Thursday (12 – 16) 4 pm
*Corte Madera -Tuesday/Thursday (10 – 13) 4:30 pm
*San Rafael – Tuesdays (12 – 16) 4 pm **(New offering with Coach Nick!)
*Corte Madera – Saturday (12 – 16) 11 am
*Classes expire at the end of the session. Make-ups can happen as needed throughout the session. Schedule subject to change based on registration numbers. Email jessica@tjsgym.com to register.
With so many amazing people in our community doing super-cool things both in and out of the gym, we’ve decided to start a TJ’s Gym High Fives section. It’s also a great way to bring back the energy of our long-time coach, Tyler, who was everyone’s biggest cheerleader and known for his constant high-fives. Please send us tips about your fellow gym members when you hear about cool accomplishments or endeavors, both in and out of the gym. Submit info to allison@tjsgym.com or jessica@tjsgym.com by the 20th of each month to ensure entry into the monthly spotlight.
If anyone in your family needs (or wants!) a new soccer ball, please consider buying this one. 100% of profits go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Just click on the image above to order yours from our great friends at All Season Soccer, THE place to go for all of your soccer needs!
If you’re on Facebook, please request to join the TJ’s Gym Members Facebook Page (current, active members) for all of our most up-to-date announcements and offerings. You can also follow us @tjsgyms on Instagram.
Monday – 10-01-2018
Tuesday 10-02-2018
Wednesday 10-03-2018
Strength – Wednesday 10-03-2018
Thursday 10-04-2018
Friday-10-05-2018
Saturday 10-06-2018
Sunday – 10-07-2018
Barbell Club – Sunday 10-07-2018
Tatum is off to college, and we are going to miss her, big time! Come back to visit soon, Tatum! You’re a real inspiration in the gym! Have a blast, and study hard. Go make us proud!
Is Red Meat Killing Us?
Heart Attacks happen all the time, unfortunately. Sometimes they are fatal, but most victims survive. Only 15% of people die from heart attacks in the United States.
Two celebrities recently had massive and well-publicized heart attacks. Fitness trainer to the stars, Bob Harper, of Biggest Loser fame, and Director, Kevin Smith both had heart attacks. I know of both of these guys, because one digs CrossFit and the other is from Jersey.
Harper had a heart attack in a CrossFit gym, for crying out loud! He actually “died” on the floor of the gym and again in the ambulance. Both a cardiac nurse and a surgeon happened to be in class with him at the time, but they give the credit to the AED that was in the gym for saving his life.
*Side note: We have AED’s in all of our gyms and our staff is trained in CPR and AED use!
It turns out that Harper also suffers from genetic cardio myopathy. His mother and father both died of massive “widow maker” heart attacks before they were 55, so his genetic code increased his chances for an episode, despite his excellent health. Harper was 52.
Kevin Smith has directed dozens of films but also tours with a standup / Q&A act on college campuses. In between shows one night, he experienced the same kind of attack as Harper. He was rushed to the operating room and, according to his doctors, survived because of the speed with which he had been driven to the hospital. Smith was 47 and obese.
Both of these guys are currently alive and seem to be thriving. Harper has come out with a new book about how healthy carbs are king, and he’s now a paid spokesperson for the drug company that’s literally watering down his blood.
Smith has turned his near-death experience into social media gold, marketing for whatever his next project will be.
In following their journeys out of a general interest, I came across something curious:
Why were both of these guys, like most post-trauma cardiac patient, put on vegetarian diets after their surgeries?
Let’s review. Heart disease is caused by excessive carbohydrate intake (sugar), poor lifestyle (smoking, drugs, lack of sleep, stress), and genetics. Sales of margarine and low-cal/high-sugar (high-fructose corn syrup) sales are still robust, so we know some of you are still refusing science and believing in the lies created by Big Food and their “scientists” and marketing teams. I’ve covered that topic in a previous blog.
You can read about it HERE.
There is also a strong correlation between heart disease and your personal genetics. If you are relatively healthy and you’ve got high cholesterol or high blood sugar or high blood pressure, then it’s most likely the fault of your parents and grandparents. Sorry, that’s just the way it is.
If all four of your grandparents had Type 2 Diabetes, you should watch your sugar intake. Your pancreas hates it more than other pancreases.
If both of your parents were alcoholics, you should watch the booze. Your brain loves it more than other brains.
If one or both of your folks have heart issues and were neither huge smokers nor generally unhealthy, well shucks, you need to be a little more vigilant with your diet. Your heart just might hate bugs.
Wha..? Bugs?
Here is a super fast explanation of what happens when we eat red meat. L Carnitine is an essential nutrient that gets produced in our bodies when we eat red meat. It helps ferry energy around the body to help grow and repair the heart and skeletal muscle.
Recent studies have shown that some of us have a reaction to large amounts of L Carnitine. Gut bacteria (a good thing) gets carried to the liver where a metabolite called TMAO gets produced. With certain individuals, TMAO carries a different bacteria (bugs) to the heart, and as shown by these studies, it has a negative effect on the precious heart tissue.
This is why post-heart attack patients are put on vegetarian diets. Also, according to my doctor friends, vegetarian diets tend to keep the unhealthy population away from junk food and over-consumption. At least that’s the hope.
So. Many. Studies.
You could be lost in the rabbit hole of people doing studies who are are screaming bloody murder on both sides of this argument.
What kind of red meat? Grassfed, or feed lot garbage? How much is too much?
TMAO is also produced in heart healthy salmon. Shouldn’t that be on the list?
Vegetarian heart disease rates are exactly the same as meat-eater heart disease rates. Can you explain that?
Oy yoy yoy. I had to walk away, because I wanted to punch myself in the face for spending as much time as I had already on this little blog post.
Here is what seems to me to be a reasonable, sensible strategy:
-Eat a varied diet of the highest food qualities consumed at low-to-moderate volumes in equal macronutrient ratios.
-Sustain an active lifestyle void of obvious dangers (think smoking, drugs, alcohol, and seatbelts). Get sleep. Don’t live an idiot’s life.
-Know your genetics. Sorry, but you’ve got baggage. Figure it out, and try not to let that baggage kill you.
You’re reading this because you’ve chosen to not be an idiot. Please keep doing not being an idiot and using us as a sounding board. Our help moves are strong.
~TJ
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Please help us spread the word about our upcoming offerings and events!
With so many amazing people in our community doing super-cool things both in and out of the gym, we’ve decided to start a TJ’s Gym High Fives section. It’s also a great way to bring back the energy of our long-time coach, Tyler, who was everyone’s biggest cheerleader and known for his constant high-fives. Please send us tips about your fellow gym members when you hear about cool accomplishments or endeavors, both in and out of the gym. Submit info to allison@tjsgym.com or jessica@tjsgym.com by the 20th of each month to ensure entry into the monthly spotlight.
*Long-time Mill Valley member, Anna Pletcher, is running for Marin County District Attorney.
Kevin Saavedra, a staple in the 8:30/9:30 classes in San Rafael for years, is running for Tam School District School Board.
Early morning San Rafael member, Jason Ford, is on the board of the Goodwill Store and would love for everyone to come and see the new store in San Rafael at its grand re-opening day ceremony (October 11th, 8:30am).
James Coyle is back just 3 weeks after a hip replacement. His strength and hard work going into hip surgery allowed him to enjoy a speedy recovery.
Chris Ford turned 50. This Saturday at 7:30am at TJ’s Mill Valley, we will celebrate Chris’s birthday with a a “FILTHY FIFTY” workout.
A whole bunch of people are finishing week 4 of the Make It Happen Challenge.
Haydn Fischer will be kite-surfing in Indonesia for part of his Gap Year.
Tatum Robach moved on to college at UC Davis last week!
Sam Pinney crushed some crazy number of miles paddling a canoe in Molokai. Ask her about it.
Cole Ford is on a Ten-Day Trip in the High Sierras as part of his unique school program which incorporates outdoor, experiential learning. He will be testing his fitness to the max, and we’re pretty sure he will thrive!
Jeff Khowles will be doing a century ride this weekend.
We’ve got coaches and athletes getting ready to compete at the Femme Royale partner competition: Jessi Roesch/Coach Nicki Clark, Sam Pinney/Amanda Gazzalo, Coach Susan Crane/Kathy Jung, Coach Zoe/Coach Kristel, Coach Arielle/Dani Guittard.
Coach Zoe will be competing in SLO in the Battle Royale Competition at Crossfit Inferno.
It’s ALMOST Rodeo time! SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd, 2018 at TJ’s San Rafael.
Start time TBD, but it’ll be 8/9am to 1pm, with a big chunk of that being a PARTY!
REGISTRATION IS LIVE! Just click on the image above to register before October 22nd to give us enough time to make teams and plan the workout. Register on your own–we will create evenly-matched teams of THREE (one woman, two men) to take part in THREE workouts over the course of 90 minutes. ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME! We will design the workouts so every team member has something to contribute, and every team member has a specific role.
Participating the Rodeo is a great way to get out of your comfort zone in the safety of a loving community, and that will be especially true this year. Even if you don’t compete, you’re still welcome to join the community party (RSVP avenue coming soon).
Get ready for an insanely fun day!
Check out our TJ’s Gym Legends fitness program, a new curriculum designed for the needs of 60+ people. We will include work on strength, balance, mobility, stamina, and general functional life movements. Coach Nick is a perfect fit for this work, and we hope you’ll help us spread the word to all 60+ people you know who want to join (existing TJ’s members can join, as well!).
*Inaugural LEGENDS session: Wednesdays and Fridays, October 3rd-November 16th from 10:30-11:30am at TJ’s Gym San Rafael. The work will continue in sessions from there…
This will be a great forum for women to come together for a whole bunch of camaraderie and support as we bounce around thoughts on all sorts of topics related to being a woman (fitness, health, kids, work, body image, sleep, nutrition, relationships…). Open to non-TJ’s members, as well, so please spread the good word!
Email allison@tjsgym.com with questions or to register.
It’s not too late to join in on the fun and progress! Email jessica@tjsgym.com to MAKE IT HAPPEN now.
Our Teen/Tween session started on Tuesday, September 4th. No worries…we prorate for late starts! Here are the details:
Session Dates: September 4th – October 28th
Session Pricing – 8 Weeks
$176 (one day a week)*
$320 (two days a week)*
$430 (three days a week)*
Please reply ASAP to secure a spot. As always, we also have monthly options available for our year-round teen members.
Fall Schedule
Our current class schedule will always be posted on our schedules page HERE.
*Corte Madera – Monday/Wednesday (ages 12 – 16) 4 pm
*Mill Valley – Tuesday/Thursday (12 – 16) 4 pm
*Corte Madera -Tuesday/Thursday (10 – 13) 4:30 pm
*San Rafael – Tuesdays (12 – 16) 4 pm **(New offering with Coach Nick!)
*Corte Madera – Saturday (12 – 16) 11 am
*Classes expire at the end of the session. Make-ups can happen as needed throughout the session. Schedule subject to change based on registration numbers. Email jessica@tjsgym.com to register.
If anyone in your family needs (or wants!) a new soccer ball, please consider buying this one. 100% of profits go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Just click on the image above to order yours from our great friends at All Season Soccer, THE place to go for all of your soccer needs!
If you’re on Facebook, please request to join the TJ’s Gym Members Facebook Page (current, active members) for all of our most up-to-date announcements and offerings. You can also follow us @tjsgyms on Instagram.
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