Day 55, The Envelope Please...

As I said on day 53, thank you everyone who applied to do the PCP. We were overwhelmed with applicants, and it was hard to choose. We're thinking of opening another cycle in a few weeks so stay tuned if you weren't selected this time.

So, here are our first three Peak Conditioners (besides me)

First up, Sean!

Sean has a background in karate and fits the definition of what the PCP is all about... taking someone in good shape and getting them to top fitness levels. Plus, to keep Chen on his toes, Sean is a vegan! So we'll see how mighty Mighty Soy really is. For his target physique, Sean has chosen Stephew Chow of Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle fame. Why is he doing the PCP? In his own words :

"Beyond the goal of just looking good without a shirt on (which is definitely a nice side effect to the project) my ultimate goal and the reason I've been so interested in taking part in the PCP ever since Patrick posted his very first entry is very much the same as his goal. The idea of being at my very peak condition and the strength and overall great health and confidence that it will surely bring is reason enough to be a part of this. I think my ultimate goal with all of this will be to Be Better Than I Was Before, something that I plan on going into in more depth when the project officially starts."

You can follow Sean's progress on his PCP blog, here.

http://thepeakconditionproject-sean.blogspot.com/




Next, David!

David is kind of our control group. He's about the same age as me, and we are both pescetarians, meaning he can follow my diet closely. With David, we'll see if I'm just a freak or if the PCP really works. His target physique is Brad Pitt as seen in Fight Club. Why did he sign up for The Peak Condition Project? His explanation:

"The Peak Condition Project is more than an achievement in fitness. Focus, energy, perseverance, confidence - these are all elements that I desire for a better "me". This project is not an escape from an old life, it is a catalyst for a new one."

You can follow David's project on his PCP blog, here.

http://thepeakconditionproject-david.blogspot.com/


Finally, Corry!

We were so glad to have several women apply for the PCP. We chose Corry because she is in good shape, runs and does yoga often, and just needs some structure and assistance to get into peak shape with her busy family life. Plus, she is local to Chen and I so we can check her progress on the ground. Her target physique is that of Gabrielle Reese, the beach volleyball player and model. Corry joined the PCP because:

"I am really after being strong without bulking up. I want to be lean and strong and flexible too, so that I can be the genki vibrant mom, wife, woman, and friend that I long to be!"

You can follow Corry's journey on her PCP blog, here.

http://thepeakconditionproject-corry.blogspot.com/

It's going to be a wild ride, please support our little band with your love, support, and comments! And don't worry if you weren't chosen this time. Chen and I will make all of our mistakes on this unlucky lot, and the PCP will only be better next time we open it to the public.

Thanks everyone, and good luck! (not that luck has anything to do with it)

-Patrick, Peak Conditioner number "0"

Day 54, Newton's First Law of Motion

For those of you who missed or slept through physics class, that would be the law that states:

An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion.
Where did Newton get his hair done? It's so Fab!

This law applies to all matter, from the orbit of planets to the atoms in our bodies. It is also very true for something like The Peak Condition Project. I do some sort of training every day, seven days a week, and I wouldn't have it any other way. For me, days off are not helpful to being in peak shape. The reason is that after taking a day off it's even harder for me to get back out there and resume my training.

Today I was sorely tempted to not do any exercise. I felt terrible. My body was aching from a physically taxing video shoot the day before. It was cold and rainy outside, and I had work to do inside. I sat in my chair and debated for a good 15 minutes whether to just pack it in for the day and do some extra stuff tomorrow. But I told myself, "This is what you do now, Tarek (when talking to myself I still use my Berber name) you get out of the apartment and train. You jump the damn jumprope and pull on the rubber bands and lift your body weight repetitively. This is not an option. This is what you do now."

So I made it out to the studio, and started jumping rope. The first few hundred were painful, my calves were tight and I got a side-stitch immediately. But after that, something wonderful happened. I could feel the heat of the exercise slowly going down into my legs, and up into my shoulders. I started feeling good. I put in 1500 jumps and was psyched to work the bands. I was really good about my form and did some extra sets.

Now, here's where the magic of Newton's first law kicks in. After my workout, I was feeling much better and still wanted to keep moving. So I went to the bank and did a transfer I had been putting off, paid an electric bill, did the grocery shopping for the week, got home and cleaned out my bookcase. All of this energy was completely absent as I sat in the chair wondering whether to even workout earlier that morning... where did it come from? Newton baby!

Sometimes we rationalize laziness, thinking "well, if I get good and rested now I'll have a lot of energy later and get more done." This doesn't work. I think about how I feel after one hour of yoga, vs. after one hour of watching TV. Technically, I should have more energy after sitting passively, "resting" in front of the TV, but we all know that's not the case. How many times have you said "Well, that was a fine hour of programming, now I'm really ready to get on with my day!" Usually it's, "I guess I have time for one more episode..." Am I right or am I right.

So, when feeling lethargic and unmotivated, remember Newton. The hardest thing is getting the ball rolling. After that you will happily tend to stay in motion.

No days off.

Day 53, Decisions, Decisions

Chen and I are making our final choices for who will start the PCP in just 3 days. It's a really tough choice, and we both hate saying "no" to people. If we had the resources we would PCP everyone on the planet!


We're trying to find 3 or 4 very different kinds of people, to see how the system works for different lifestyles. In the next few days I'll announce and introduce the selected participants.

We were surprised and honored by how many people signed up, so thank you for everyone who did. Also thanks for all the nice comments and support everyone is sending to me personally. They really give me a lot of motivation, so any progress you see is in part thanks to you!

Check back tomorrow or the next day for the announcement.

Day 52, Wine and Cheese

Well, if you've been reading you'll know that every 15 days I choose something to indulge myself with, something not on the diet plan. On day 32 it was a chocolate chip cookie and on day 22 it was a beer. Aside from a nice reward the off-diet foods often give me weird sensations. The beer made my stomach hurt and the chocolate chip cookie aroused my libido.

15 days have rolled around again and this time I chose wine and cheese as my indulgence.



A few years ago there was a study that found eating cheese kind of short circuits the taste buds and doesn't allow the palate to make out the subtle distinctions of fine wine. A lot of people were wringing their hands about how this was the end of a wine tradition, but I immidiately had the thought that I could buy any old cheap Carlo Rossi, pair it with a strong cheese, and it would be just as good as the high end stuff. Whether this speaks to my ingenuity or cheapskateness I don't know.

So tonight I bought the smallest possible blocks of smoked cheese, parmesian, and a funky gouda that was cultured with basil, and a bottle of red table wine.

To make the evening even more sumptious, I ate said cheese and drank said wine while watching season 3 of Top Chef.

Taste
After 52 days with nothing beyond a little cottage cheese in the morning, the cheeses were too rich for me. I enjoyed them but it wasn't how I used to enjoy cheese. It felt like work to get through the plate. The wine was nice.

Effects
No weird effects from the cheese. I was pretty tipsy after two glasses of wine.

Aftereffects
A stomachache, which has been the case after every 15 day indulgence. Which is fine with me, because it makes the indulging have an overall negative connotation in my mind, which makes it all the easier not to indulge. In fact, I found that this time I wasn't really craving anything, and just went with the wine and cheese because I knew it was something I used to like. Truth be told, the PCP Pig Out which I described in Day 48 would have suited me just as well.

So, the next indulgence will be day 67. Any suggestions readers?

Day 51, Deskwork

Yesterday I was at my desk for most of the afternoon and evening, and I could really feel it today. Tight legs, a stiff back, tense shoulders. I got the kinks worked out but it took a good hour of asana to get there. I am astounded that millions of people sit at desks all day every day and don't feel in their bones that it's messing them up. I have so many yoga students come through my doors who are almost ruined by their deskjobs. And most of them don't even realize that their skeletal-muscular structures are so out of whack until they see how different their poses look from other students of regular or good flexibility.

And more and more companies aren't providing healthcare, which is funny because it is the job that makes people sick in the first place.

I'm so concerned about this that I'm going to make a video this week or next. Not one of those "Do yoga at your desk" type of things. (Although those are better than nothing) But a straight-up, no holds barred presentation of exactly what happens to your body as you spend 7 to 8 hours in a chair looking at a screen.

Look for it this month on the YouTube Channel.

Day 50, Progress Report

Well, 50 days have passed since I started this project, and in a week's time 4 new participants will start on their own Peak Condition journey.

Here's a picture from this afternoon.


Getting better! But not quite Peak Condition. I'm still not getting the flexibility levels I want. Before my birthday I am determined to get a hanging side split. If you want to see what that is, watch this clip from Shaolin Soccer, starting around 7:20. What he's doing between the two blocks of trash is a hanging side split. And then he goes on to talk about his idol, Bruce Lee! I really like that movie.

Day 49, Coffee

I love coffee and like to think that I can tell the difference between good and bad brews. But I also have a guilty pleasure for mochas, hazelnut lattes, frappacinos, and the like.

One of the important rules of The Peak Condition Project is to not drink your calories. There are few enough calories as it is, especially in the fat loss stage, and you don't want to waste any of those on a beverage, even something healthy like vegetable juice, or not so good, like beer, wine, and chocolatey espresso drinks.

Recently I was at a Starbucks for a meeting, and, out of curiosity I asked the clerk how many calories were in a tall sized mocha. She had to go to the back to consult a manager or a book or something, and came back with the answer.

384 calories. But she reassured me the whip cream accounted for 90 calories. Would I like to hold the whip cream?

I had a coffee.

But, recently, I've found some relief from the tasty coffee beverage injunction. A part of the coffee market that coffee snobs turn their noses up at. Flavored coffee.

I like this brand called Royal Kona. The plain versions aren't so great, but the flavored varieties are awesome.


Brew up a cup of Chocolate Macademia Nut, add a splash of lowfat milk, and your pretty damn close to a 384 calorie mocha, at a cost of about 2 calories.

I also like Honey Macademia Nut. The Vanilla is a little too sweet for me.