Happy Father's Day To All My Dads! (An upcoming gift for you! )

 HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DADS!

I wanted to make sure I wished you all a wonderful Father's Day. If you are like me, you probably feel like you aged another 10 years in just this past 8-10 months alone.

This is why I want to take the time to make this post. I know a lot of you might be struggling. I get it, because I am there.

Having 2 infants, a business to re-grow and a constant need of my attention at home and work...my brain sometimes feels like it's going to explode. 

Can you relate? I've slacked in my fitness, my ability to be a good role model for my kids, and a mentor for my staff because of the stress and anxiety that was built up this year.

Being a dad is unlike any other job. You feel like you are loved, appreciated, and looked up to. Heck, some days I work out and flex in front of my boy just so he says "Daddy you are so strong!"

That feeling melts your heart.  Even more so when they mimic or follow you around because they want to be like you, look like you, and act like you! It's so rewarding, whereas many other things in our lives this past year haven't been.

So take a second to let that sink in! You are a remarkable individual.  I learned quickly how dadhood changes our lives.  It's funny to now look back at "meatheads" who post being at the gym all day and have BRAND new content on their social media every day...

While here I am trying to fit workouts in between clients, naps, and Elmo. 

Then getting a video from my wife is like asking to see and talk to the President because of her trying to manhandle to little ones and a camera is just comical sometimes.....

So I apologize for the lack of content I've been unable to get to this year, but my priority is LEARNING first, sharing second.  I want to be the best coach and trainer in the world, so making sure I learn and get smarter is more important to me right now than posting content every day.

My clients benefit the most, which is why I wanted to even share an idea with you that could truly help you.

I have been getting A LOT of messages from dads and busy guys who have "lost themselves" and are wanting to reclaim their bodies. They feel stuck, lost and just have no time to be spending 6+ hours a week in a gym....so I have a plan come September and I would love to see if you would like to join in!

I want to coach and work with busy guys/dads! One on ONE!  I want to get back to my roots of what makes me great and have set times and a structured program for you to get LEAN and STRONG!

Not to mention the best part.....THERAPY! 

The best part about this will be the time we get to hang out, throw weight around, chat about life and get strong together!

I want to be your leader, your coach and your "dad therapy."

Sound Good? 

I haven't gotten much of the details together but I will offer up to 5 days a week to train with me and I will be capping the group at 25 people so if you are interested and want me to add you to the list just send me bac a message and say HI too! I would love to hear from you!  I will personally be taking you through proper lifting blocks to get strong, then cutting phases to lean out.

No more guessing and wondering how to do alone. 

Best of all, you can even join in if  you are NOT local. I will be have a personal group page where we can all talk, get ideas and work to get healthier together, so if you are not local you can still train with me as I would have the programs online as well!

Being a dad is HARD work, and it requires you to be a role model and also be strong! There is nothing worse than feeling too tired to play with your kids when they ask....

Or even worse....

Be unable to physically. I don't want that for you or anyone, so this Father's Day...I hope you get some time with your family and time to think about your health and where it is currently and where you want it to go....

If it's UP, I can be your man. If you are new to knowing about me....you can even head here to see a bit of what I do.

Anyways, I am wishing you all the BEST Father's Day ever and truly hope you get everything you ask for this year!

If you are open to training this fall, shoot me a message....

And if you even just want to check in and say hi, let me know! I would love to hear from you! Us dads need to stick together and I would love some small talk with you all! 

If there is anything at all I can do, just let me know! 

Okay, time to go watch Mickey and get breakfast going! Then maybe some cardio today before I eat something yummy!

Are you guys getting 16oz STEAKS? Pizzas? What's on the menu? 

Maybe a good shot of bourbon! LOL

Happy Father's Day!

Coach Mikey 

PS - If you want a FREE kick-butt KB workout to do today, click here. I got you covered! 

Or knock out this Upper Body Day:

• UPPER BODY WORKOUT

• A1. Arnold press, drop-set
• A2. Dumbbell overhead press, drop-set
• B1. Rear delt flye, drop-set and partials
• B2. Front plate raise
• C1. Reverse cable flye, with partials
• C2. Lateral dumbbell raise
• C3. Dumbbell front raise
• D. Face-pulls

Coming End Of Summer/Early Fall....You Can Reserve Now.

 Hi everyone!

How was you weekend?

The heat arrived, and it certainly makes me wish we had a pool to be by!

Noah and Ellea are great, although Ellea is teething quite a bit which makes her cry and Noah doesn’t understand why so then thinks it’s okay to also 🤦‍♂️…


But we couldn’t be more blessed and are living the chaos stage best we can!

👉🏼But my point for today’s email is to reach out and see how many of you might be interested in training with me this fall…

You see, if you’ve come to know me, you know I am greatest when I’m coaching carefree! It’s my true passion and why I opened OAF!

Over the years, the gym grew so quickly which had me take other roles to better serve the members which unfortunately included me not coaching as much.



👍But with COVID I’ve had the opportunity to basically restart and learn so much more! I now write for many national magazines, and have been featured on a few TV segments!

What does all this mean?

💯I’m bringing my knowledge and expertise to YOU, at a much less cost than it would to train with me 1-1.

I’m thinking 3 days a week and I want those serious about getting their best bodies.

I will take you through mesocycles that will be programmed and structured for your success with no random bootcamp stuff or training that serves no purpose.

This will be the real deal for anyone:

• Wanting to reclaim their health
• Get strong, as well as work into my fat loss cycles for maximum leanness
• Nutritional strategies to maximize results
• Personal communication and training by ME all 3 days
• Private group access with more knowledge than your brain can handle!😂
• Weekly structured programming for maximizing results

The time for random GROUP workouts is out. Structured training is in, and I’m gearing up a fall plan to kick off cycle one, and if you are interested you need to send me a message today.

Once spots fill I’ll be capped til I know what or how much more I can handle myself once I start.

So if you are ready for some structure, programming that is efficient and effective without silly pointless workouts that do nothing but jack your heart rate up, then message me now.

Training has evolved, and yours should to. If you’re serious about looking and feeling better, this is for you.

Otherwise, close this email because I only want people dedicated to change and come 3 days.

👌🏻That’s why I’m starting my reach out this early. If you are interested, message me back:

“I’m Game”

And I’ll get you more information as I create this masterpiece.

Talk soon,

Coach Mikey

PS - If you want my NEW playbook for this month, click here.  -- 



If you need a QUICK workout click here! It's 100% free and just with some kettlebells!

5 Ways To Not CRASH COURSE on Memorial Day Weekend

Heading into Memorial Day weekend...

It's been a long year, and with schools getting out and summer in our reach, many of you have already checked and ripped those masks off in route to your desired destination!

I have to admit, I feel like a new person being able to walk around the stores without a mask now! Like a God of some sort, I feel empowered and that I could shout from the top of a mountain about how happy I am!!

But it really hasn't been that way for me as of late. I won't bore you with details, but soon enough we will get out of the trenches, right? Currently, I am on antibiotics for a cyst on my neck! WHO GETS THAT? ....but honestly, it's very painful, and urgent care wasn't amused and tried digging it out, and on top of my scream, it didn't seem to do anything...

So more pills it is. I am more frustrated because I can't put a barbell on my back because on the darn thing! I was lucky enough to have great skin my whole life, but somehow get this terrible cyst on my neck, go figure!

Anyways, back to my point about vacation time and Memorial Day Weekend....let's have a gentle reminder to be FORGIVING.

I am sure most of you will be eating a bit more than you are used to, and drinking one of those new Truly's with a big smile at some point over the weekend, so I am going to give you a few "Mikey" tips so you can make sure you come back next week still alive and not wanting to live in sweatpants for 2 weeks.

1. Movement is medicine. Research has shown enough studies on how bad inactivity is. Pair it with poor eating and sleep schedules for a few days and you can make next week seem like climbing Everest to come back. Simply walking 30-45 minutes every day and trying to get up and move throughout the day will be your best bet! Don't sit and drink and eat mindlessly. 

2. Pick your poison. I tell a lot of my clients that overindulging is okay, but I'd rather you pick your vice and stick to that. EIther drink or eat like fools, not both. 

3. If you overdo it, don't punish yourself. Just because you ate and drank one night doesn't mean you need to spend 2 hours on the elliptical the next day. Just get up and get back on track normally and focus on eating more fruits and veggies the following day, not starving yourself. 

4. Schedule a workout. Do it FIRST thing before you open your computer or cooler for the day! You can check out my FREE kettlebell conditioning workout to try one of these before you venture out for the day. 

5. ENJOY your time, don't obsess over what you eat and drink....it's  VACATION. Some of you need this time away from more for your own mental and physical health. We are all worn down, grouchy and in need of time off, so stop flipping stressing over some pizza and ice cream and enjoy yourself. The few days of enjoyment isn't what will ruin your progress...it is the delayed action in staying consistent and getting back once you return. So have fun and get back to it!

I hope these tips help and I truly am wishing all of you a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! I think Meggy and I will shove down a shandy or two while the kids(insert prayer emoji) NAP....🤷🏼‍♂️

But I am finding that by the time we pack up and get everything set up to leave the house, either WE crash and are too tired of our babies begin a "mood" of their own!

I just have to keep reminding myself I am only 31, so I have all the reason to be tired! 🤣

Have a great night!

PS - If you can take a second to fill out this form! It would mean a lot! 

PPS - If you are interested in taking a coaching spot I have 5 open for a new test I am starting next month! If you want info apply here 

Catch ya later!

Mikey

My Top Oblique Exercises....Wait, What are the Obliques?

 🔥My Top Oblique Exercises!💯 - Wait, What Are the Obliques? 

The obliques sit on both sides of your rectus abdominis muscle, also known as the six-pack muscles. Together with the transversus abdominis muscle, they make up the four main abdominal muscles.

Two sets of oblique muscles are situated along the sides of your upper body: the external obliques and the internal obliques.

Your external obliques run diagonally from your lower ribs to your pelvis. They aid in bending your torso toward the same side and rotating your trunk toward the opposite side. 

Your internal obliques are between your external obliques and transversus abdominis muscle. They flex your torso and rotate your trunk toward the same side. 

Toned obliques look good, but there are also functional benefits to strengthening these muscles:

- Ease low back pain! 

- Better Posture!

- Better Core Strength!

👍Training the anterior sling obviously has its benefits, from rotational speed and power to lateral strength and stability to protect us from injury.

👀Not to mention it’s badass to see a sweet set of ripped obliques and serratus, so try some of these out.

1. TRX Scissors (with or w/out weight): killer and awesome for incorporating some upper bodywork.

2. Lateral Sliding Plank(regular or elevated): This guy doesn’t take much to feel! Try resisting the drop of your hips and start with only a small range of motion. Increase as you get stronger.

3. Suitcase Carry: what isn’t there to live here! Grip, Anti lateral flexion and gives your trunk some serious stability and strength work! 💯

4. Windshield Wipers(bar and rings): I find the bar tougher on the shoulder, yet the rings are tougher to stabilize the hips...making them MUCH harder. Both options is great, and all you need are a few clean crisp reps to really feel this guy. To take the grip out as a limiting factor, use straps, or use it as a grip builder also!

5. Side Oblique Press Out(regular and with overhead reach): This 🔥guy is always tough! Moving the weight away from the center of mass makes your obliques work OT, and adding the overhead reach takes it up another notch!

6. V Sit Single Arm Press: Much harder than it looks, working the hips(Psoas) while pressing with one arm makes stability come into play while one side getting lotsoooo work!🤙🏻🙌🏻

7. Low to High KB Chop/Swing: Although this guy serves nicely as a chop, I like using the KB and making it a combo from a chop/swing to make it feel a bit more natural. It won’t take long to feel this working as work to bring it back up!

8. Plank Pass Through(transfer): A old-time staple. Probably one of the longest-used exercises I do for myself and clients! The effectiveness of its use to provide anti-extension and lateral flexion make this awesome...the key 🔑 is taking it slow as I see many people rush this too quickly to even have your core know what’s going on!😜

9. High to Low Half Kneeling Cable Chop: A staple, long-used exercise for anterior sling work! Exhale as you come down and allow the ribs to pull down for peak engagement.. We all need more pulling in our lives, so this cross-body action fits the bill 💵 and gives your obliques some solid work! Pull toward the leg that is not up at 90 degrees.

10. Circle Plank: 😜Looks simple, yet one of my favorites for firing up the obliques!!🔥 The bigger the circle, the more your core works. While making them, focus on squeezing your abs as hard as possible! Add a weighted vest as you progress!

11. Side Plank Band Pull w/ Leg Raise: similar to the side plank leg raise, but the added pull adds to make this more of a core exercise rather than glute. You can start by adding a slight dip to each rep to cue your obliques each repetition.

💯There you have it...my top 11 Oblique exercises to add to your workouts!

Give them a try and remember, only targeting the front portion of your core is like training quads and no hamstrings! Most of you don’t ONLY squat...so don’t miss a key 🔑 component to build your lateral speed, strength and power!

Like this post? Leave me a comment!

Happy Sunday!

 How’s everyone’s Sunday!?

It was a great wake up for myself! Got right to some work, training and then got to take my kids to Caledonia for a hike!

Noah got on the big boy swing for the first time! It was so amazing to see, and he’s growing up so fast so times like this are truly ones I never want to miss.

I’ve come a long way in trying to balance work and family, and I still struggle daily but today was a big step!

Anyways, I hope you all get out and enjoy the weather today and I just wanted to make sure I mentioned a couple things to remember...

1. We are HIRING! Currently, looking for someone with marketing, sales and administration work. If you or someone you know is interested please have them email me directly!
2. You can train for a FULL WEEK at OAF for free! Our group training is firing up and we are even back to some outside work! If you want to see what we are about and how you can kickstart your weight loss this spring, message me today!
3. Inquire about a free personal training session! I am offering free sessions to local residents interested in getting exclusive, custom help on their health goals. Rates start as low as $50 a session afterward, and the free workout could be just want you need to know if it’s meant for you.
4. Buy a hypervolt and get a FREE month at OAF! Offer ends April 30th! Message me today to order yours at nearby 40% off retail price!

Hope these great weekend days and deals bring you some joy!

Have a kick butt afternoon!

Coach Mikey

Top Three Things Slowing Metabolism

 Top Three Things Slowing Metabolism 

1. Sitting too much

We live in a world of ass to chair work. Recent studies not only have proven sitting to stem increased rates of cardiovascular and heart disease, along with diabetes.

While most of our jobs require sitting, there can be ways to combat it to increase your NEAT(non-exercise activity thermogenesis). Simply standing every 45-60 minutes, going through some dynamic yoga flows, and setting a goal of 100 squats, push ups and band pull aparts can do wonders for your metabolism and posture! 

Remember, the less we move, the less Thermic our bodies become so you burn less at rest. The more muscle you carry, the more thermic you are!

• Ways to increase NEAT: clean, laundry, take stairs, walk, hike, garden, or pick up the thousands of toys your kids leave out...multiple times a day 😂  

Dont forget also about excessive dieting....Essentially, the body senses that it is in an energy deficit, and adapts by downregulating (lowering) the amount of calories you burn through a combination of decreasing your resting metabolic rate as well as your non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). So the harder you diet, the worse your NEAT becomes and the harder it is to burn calories! 

 

2. Not lifting and only doing cardio 

Big mistake here! As mentioned above, your body’s ability to burn calories relies largely in part to not just your activity but your muscle. 

Muscle is much more dense and thermic than its counterpart. Also as we age, metabolism naturally slows and muscle breakdown increases. Aging also tends to go hand and hand with more sedentary lifestyles. Add these factors together and you’ve got the perfect recipe for unwanted fat gain. Adding weight training will increase your body’s ability to burn more at rest and even up to 38 hours after you train. Cardio work can burn more while you do it but the post-workout effect isn’t as great.

Research has shown that EPOC(the after calories you burn)...is great after your weight workouts. Add in the amazing benefit of your muscle-burning energy and you could soon plop on the couch and binge watch Netflix and burn more calories in a day than someone who works a 9-hour deal job and runs 3 miles after work! 

3. Lack of sleep

Many of us think the early bird gets the worm. We’ve been driven to the extent that you MUST get up early to be successful, in actually...it couldn’t be further from the truth!

Think about it. For example, right now I am not getting the best of sleep with two babies. My 445am alarm hasn’t been set for over a year consistently(I do maybe 2 times a week)...but this largely in part is due to the sleep deprivation over the last 2 years.

Sure, I can get up and try to train and work...but will it be “productive?” Will I be getting the most out of it? 

Absolutely not! So getting the sleep you need makes your productivity MUCH better! 

Now, if you are in bed by 9-10...430-5am is great! But it’s all about the sleep you get! 

Not sleeping can wreak havoc on your immune system, cortisol levels, and other hormones. Research has shown that when individuals don’t get enough sleep, levels of the hunger hormone (ghrelin) increase while levels of the satiety hormone (leptin) decline.

 

Basically, when you don’t get enough sleep, you feel hungrier during the day, and you’re less likely to feel full following a meal.

Sleeping is your way to recharge the engine, so if it’s not charged and you try running it...you only will wear down quicker.

Sleep helps insulin sensitivity which basically means it allows you to handle carbs and stress better...not sleeping will make fat loss near impossible!

I know I wanted to highlight my top three, but other ways you can mess with metabolism would be not eating enough(especially protein), alcohol, and too much stress! 

In other words, prolonged dieting forces your body to burn fewer calories at rest, and it also starts to do less activity overall (tapping your fingers, fidgeting, walking from one room to another, etc.) So cutting out calories can also lead to your metabolism getting slower if you do it for a prolonged period of time. 

While all these seem plausible circumstances for someone like myself (😜👉🏼🍼) ...managing them can keep you on a linear path to success. 

I know I have days I struggle in one of these categories...and quite frankly, it’s more than a couple days a week!

But what makes the difference is that I am consistent and make strong efforts to do the best in each area! 

What about you? 

Where is your struggling point? If you need help balancing and figuring out how to be the best version of yourself you can message me today. I would love to help and can relate on so many levels! 

Have a GREAT Week!

Coach Mikey

References: 

Schmid, S. M., Hallschmid, M., Jauch-Chara, K., Born, J., & Schultes, B. (2008). A single night of sleep deprivation increases ghrelin levels and feelings of hunger in normal-weight healthy men. Journal of Sleep Research, 17(3), 331–334. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2008.00662.x

Schuenke, M.D., Mikat, R.P. & McBride, J.M. Effect of an acute period of resistance exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption: implications for body mass management. Eur J Appl Physiol 86, 411–417 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-001-0568-y

When life with two under two....HITS you.

 Well, it's been a while since I've updated my friends and followers on life with two under two.  You've seen me post about my fitness stuff, and I truly love writing...but the juicy stuff is what most of you like to see and hear about.

I'm convinced that someday I will write a book on my life and the chaos it entails, because I am pretty sure it would be a best seller.

In the mean time, I'll enjoy enlightening you all on my life and the fun that happens! 

How did you parents in my situation make it out alive? Seriously...I thought I had it "finally" together with Noah and was adapting to being a dad of one...then Ellea came into the picture and basically put my mind in overload. 

Some days I feel like my boy is the most amazing kid....and the world is a happy place...

Then there are others where I want to jump off a cliff.....

It's truly comical when I run into people outside the confines of our locked down home that we seem to never get out of(and no, it is not just due to covid). I sometimes forget what it is like to sit in a restaurant or walk walk somewhere without hearing babies whining, because venturing out with two babies is harder than trying to find toilet paper the night before a snowstorm and a COVID surge! However, when we do get out...for that brief moment, we get the same questions asked:

Them: "How are you guys....I'm sure it's hard!"

Me: Chaos

Them: Aw, yes. I get it. It will get better!

Those four words seem like a dagger to the heart. Simply because the fact that for us, it seems like it never will. The days of enjoying meals sitting down, cooking, and having a verbal conversation with my wife seem impossible. Add in the fact that I am trying to virtually restart my business and be there for the shit show of a mess for Meg's job...and you might as well pour gas on the flame burning on both our brains. 

Don't get me wrong, we LOVE our kids. They are the best thing that happened to us, but in the midst of a pandemic, both of us are struggling to keep afloat with our jobs...and the fact that even if we wanted venturing for a date or trip would consist of research to find what and where to go that is even open, then risk the chance of it not working out(and for those of you who know us....those chances are VERY high). 

Most of our days go the same: 

During the week I have had to forgo my "morning routine" that I now find comical to be able to be "zero'd in" to work at 4 or 5am....for entertaining my son who wakes up at the butt crack of dawn regardless of how late we put him to bed. Usually it's reading, Elmo, or his banana with Suntella(a dangerous combo). 

I hobble over to my laptop to start work while Meg is frantically trying to get Ellea fed, doused in 5 different lotions to calm her rash issues she is having, and then get dressed, packed up and out the door by 7am. 

We both work endlessly all day to grab them and rush home for dinner at 5...we shove it in when we can and then get cleaned up, bathed and in bed by 7:30.  Then we both can finally sit and work until our eyes are glazed over.

I can't tell you the last time something was on TV that wasn't sesame street.....

I'm sure this all sounds familiar to most of you. I want no pity, it's truly entertaining some nights. Trying to balance 3 jobs with many clients and my family is a tough task...and Noah can be quite the handful when he wants.

But at the end of the day, we know it is a small portion of our life. We know it will get better, and we know the chaos we are in the midst of....but some days I feel "allowed" to vent my frustrations about it.

So that next time you see Meg or I in the store without kids, don't feel the need to stop and ask us about our chaos you already know....

Instead, have a glass of champagne ready and lets pop the cap and celebrate the 5 minutes of freedom we are experiencing together, because let me reassure you....

There is NOTHING better than that feeling of busting out of the house and blaring music, feeling free, and doing SOMETHING other than baby care....which 9 times out of ten is grocery shopping.

So let me push my cart with pride and feel like I'm pushing a prowler with 1000 pounds and give me that ego boost I need...even if my cart is filled with diapers, formula, yogurts and wine!

Until they are both 3 or more....lets embrace the stress, lack of sleep, and inability to travel....then the 3+ stage will bring a new sort of fun I am sure!

Either way, I love being a dad....

But I flipping HATE COVID and what it has done to the situation and our jobs. Send us good vibes as Meg heads to Hershey Monday for Ellea to get testing done for her skin. We have tried cutting out nearly everything, and our poor daughter is itching and scratching so bad everyday.