Cream of Wheat....Breakfast of Champions?

The night before last I had a nice hot bowl of Cream of Wheat I made with homemade chicken stock.  Nothing else.  I thought about putting some parmesan reggiano cheese on top...I thought about some cream, and then at least some milk, but no, it was really tasty just the way it was.

There was a time I would have thought that Cream of Wheat was an inferior product, kind of like the "junk food" version of Old Fashioned Oats.  But now, these days, simple oatmeal gets a bad rap because it's a "carb"....oh and a "white" carb at that, lol!  It may feel difficult, at times, to not jump on the various diet and nutrition bandwagons that come and go, looking for the answer to life long health, which includes weight loss and maintaining a healthy body weight.

I've felt myself wanting to believe that it was certain foods that I was victim to, instead of recognizing that it wasn't food that was the enemy, it was me.  I was the one consuming too much of it...I've never experienced food leaping from the table, forcing my jaw open and shoving itself down my throat.  Why was I choosing to over consume food?  Well, I don't really care "why" I did, (although I pretty much know why) I only care that I don't now.....or I should say, I do less and less all the time, and I can imagine the day when I never do....and that day could be today!  I feel so lucky to think this way.

I've had days in the past that I was afraid to add too much carrot to my salad because of the natural sugar in carrots is too high....same with mango.  I've had years when I did not eat corn because it's a grain....carb...same with black beans (all beans).  I've measured out 1 1/2 tbl of PNB instead of 2 full tbl in fear of those extra 50 calories, or only "allowed" myself 1/2 can of tuna (90 cal) instead of a whole can (180 cal).  It's been a solid two years since I've had pasta (and I make great pasta!), three or more years since I've had risotto or polenta....and if you know how to use a pressure cooker, those dishes take 5-10 minutes to make and they rock!  The funny thing about this mindset is that it's not 50 calories worth of peanut butter, or a bowl of risotto making anybody fat!  It's the candy dish on your coworkers desk, it's the bag of cookies you tear open while grocery shopping or friend's birthday dinner at the Cheesecake Factory!

This past year I've relaxed a great deal about corn, beans, cheese, wine, carrots, winter squash, to name a few, and oh my God, I think I'm going to make pasta this week! I happen to know a number of people that have never worried about their bodyweight or their health as it relates to bodyweight. I take notice to their relationship with food...and it's not a big deal!  We make things so much more difficult than they need to be, and then we try and defend ourselves for failing because of this fabricated difficulty.

I know there are many books written with many theories about why we are fat and overweight, but without fail, without fail, 100% of the time, for me, when I want to drop some bodyweight I cut back on portions/calories, which may include a rebalance of certain nutrients I eat, and I lose weight.  Maybe I'm the only one?

A nice big hot bowl of Cream of Wheat is not going to make me fat and/or unhealthy....it's just not.

PS "Back in the day Cream of Wheat was a bodybuilding staple and part of their formula for getting lean.....remember rice cakes? Oatmeal, brown rice, yams, baked potato  The original "slow carb" diet was invented by the sport of bodybuilding!  6 meals a day, each meal 1/2 protein, 1/2 complex carbs.  Only later did the glycemic index come into play,  The only counter was low/no fat. You can get plenty lean, very lean, eating carbs...if your calories are low enough!"--as quoted my Mark Reifkind.  Coach, training partner, friend and business partner for 9 years in World Gym Campbell, to Mr America Scott Wilson (pictured above), and 5 time Ms Olympia finalist Sue Ann McKean.(pictured below)

PPS My son Gabe purchased the Cream of Wheat that has been in the pantry for a few months now.  Although I would not buy this product in favor of some other type of hot cereal product I don't have anything against it when eaten as part of a balanced diet.

Saturday swings....24kg...one hand

After weeks and weeks of practicing for the DVD videos, mostly short sets w/12kg because of the volume, it was time to get back to longer sets, and heavier (if I plan on testing the 20kg snatch test again anytime soon!)  I was reminded of my Roundabout!  1-2 minute long swing sets (40-80 reps) laddering up heavier and heavier bells. The goal this morning?  To swing the 24kg with one hand....enter the Roundabout!


Roundabout 1-5 ladder (all 1 full minute rest period)

rndbt x 1 swings = 1 min (40 sw)
rndbt x 2 swings = 1.25 min (50 sw)
rndbt x 3 sw = 1.5 min (60 sw)
rndbt x 4 sw = 1.75 min (70 sw)
rndbt x 5 sw = 2 min (80 sw)

#1 rotation w/12kg
#2 rotation w/16kg
#3 rotation w/20kg (video demonstrates the last set with this weight.  the rndbt 5 swing ladder)

37.5 min, 900 swings  What?  Really?  Good God.

Oh, I thought about using the intermediate weights, the 14 and 18kg, instead of the 16 and 20kg....but I thought "what the hell".  If I can swing the 14kg, then I can swing the 16kg.  If I can swing the 18kg, then I can swing the 20 kg!  right?  If not, what was I doing this kind of training at all?  Knowing I really wanted to end up with the 24kg I had to make those big jumps.

It's not until this very moment of calculating my swing reps that I realize I did 900 swing reps before ever touching the 24kg!



5 sets of 1 minute long Roundabouts w/24kg (video demonstrates my very last set.)

set #1. My right hand was sweaty and I worried about the bell slipping out of my grip before the last reps.
set #2.  I chalked up pretty heavily, problem solved.
set #3.  I realized that swinging the 24kg for an entire minute (40 reps) was more difficult than swinging it with one hand...I wonder if I would have done 5/5 if it would have been easier?
set #4.  I knew I had a goal set number of 5....I kept repeating in my head "I can do it, I can do it." and in fact if I was indeed going to do it I better get my head out of my ass and finish strong.  "Keep calm and keep swinging strong" were my next thoughts.
set #5.  Knowing I was video taping this, therefore potentially sharing it, it had to be my strongest and best set!  I focused on making every rep solid.

10 min., 200 swing reps

Reviewing the video tape it appears as if I'm swinging faster (doesn't it?), but I was swinging my normal pace of 40 reps per minute!  That heavy bell fell fast!  And I could only get the bell up so high, again because of the the heavy load!  I also have to note that when I first looked at my 2 minute set using the 20kg I thought it was the 16kg!  I was quite proud that I moved the 20kg bell with such power and speed.

All in all I have to say that swinging the 24kg for 40 rep sets was more challenging that the strength and stability of swinging that size bell one handed for say 5/5...10/10 would have been really challenging for me.

It's good to be back posting workouts, and I hope to get some diet and food posts up again quickly. Lots of stuff (thoughts) going on, but the motivation to sort them all out and write has been lacking.  Thank God I have my training....that's the easy part!

Oh but the best part of my day?  I taught my 9:30am Beginning Swing class the Roundabout!  It was a ton of fun and they did AWESOME!  I can't wait to teach them more variations of this combination of swings!

PS I finished my 90  minute workout with a "Beyond Max" snatch workout w/12kg.  I think we did 470 snatches, details in a different post.

"Fave Five" My absolute favorite "No Brainer" Swing Squat workout!

I have so many favorite workouts, really I do, BUT I can't remember the last time I did the same workout every week for five weeks in a row!  It's the only way I've been able to bring myself to practice my squats every week!  (I'm being dramatic! But seriously, it's helped!)



 This workout only has 5 swing reps at a time, and a set of 1 swing/1 goblet squat x 5 reps.  The 5 swings start on the "15 sec" interval, and the sw/sq set takes 30 seconds to complete with a 30 sec rest period afterwards. It's a simple 1-5 ladder.

"Fave Five"

5 sw x 1 set (15 sec to work and rest per set of 5 reps)
1 sw/1sq x 5 reps (30/30)


5 sw x 2 sets (30 sec)
1 sw/1sq x 5 reps (30/30)

5 sw x 3 sets (45 sec)
1 sw/1sq x 5 reps (30/30)

5 sw x 4 sets (1 min)
1 sw/1sq x 5 reps (30/30)

5 sw x 1 set (1 min 15)
1 sw/1sq x 5 reps (30/30)

8.75 min per rotation, but here's the real beauty....100 swings, 25 goblet squats!  I love when that happens!

So basically it's easy to add up swing and squat reps at the end of a workout.  On average I've been completing 3 rotations for a 28 minute workout...pretty decent!  And because you are only swinging 5 reps you can use a bell appropriately heavy for squats.

The first time I did Fave Five I used three bells progressively heavier (12kg, 16kg, 20kg).  Yesterday I was more tired than I thought so I managed only two rotations, one with the 14kg and this one I've posted with the 16kg.  A couple of weeks ago I used double 12kg's and that was by far the most difficult.  Squatting with double bells seems more difficult than with a single bell for some reason?

Another reason why I love this workout so much is that goblet squats work my biceps like no other "hold", and who doesn't like a little bicep pump at the end of the day?  lol

PS I've attempted to video tape it before but the Studio I work at has been too busy for me to find a private space and set up camera.  

Experimenting with 40 rep sets....

A couple things.....

As "hard" as it was to pull back on my training the week before, in anticipation for, the 3 hour DVD video shoot this past weekend, it was equally "hard" to let myself properly recover!  I did in fact video tape quite a bit of training this morning, but after reviewing the footage it was obvious to me how tired I was.  I apologize, but I did manage to salvage a bit of video I'm not completely embarrassed about, lol!

I haven't posted workouts in a few weeks as I was practicing, practicing and practicing the routines for two DVD's that will be available for the Holiday season. I do plan on posting "companion" workouts to the DVD's and let's start here.  The next new DVD to be released is titled "Top 40".  The idea behind the progressive training is to work up to swinging sets of 40 reps.  You may or may not be at that point already, but here is a short "experiment" to keep you busy along the way.

Surprising to me I had no idea how this "experiment" would turn out until I did it!  I was reminded real quick why and how I program my progressions!  If you are not at the point of swinging 40 consecutive reps this may be the first time you do it, OR, if you are, please share with me what combinations you find more "difficult" (ie, fun!).

On your own do a fairly quick warm up of maybe:

2 sets of 10 2 hd swings
1 set of 20 2 hand swing

Here is what you will find demonstrated in the video:

10/10 one hand swings x 1 set (30 sec/30 sec)
5/5 x 2 one hand swings (30/30)
20 2 hd swings (30/30)

20 2 hand swings + 10/10 on hand swings (1 min/1 min)
10/10 on hand swings + 5/5 x 2 one hand swings ( 1 min/1 min)
5/5 x 2 one hand swings + 20 2 hand swings (1 min/1 min)

9 minutes, 180 swings

Repeat or not!  Or repeat the set you enjoyed the least!  lol  Enjoy!

PS...."Hard" is a feeling, not a fact! -Tracy Reifkind ( I love this phrase and you will hear it/read it often!)

I'm not a swing robot!

Okay...the truth came out in today's video shoot for my next two DVD's....I'm not a swing robot!  3 hours of training, pretty much nonstop, slightly over 3000 swing reps.  And I only made two, maybe three mistakes..and only two bells were dropped (not by me!)

I'm so proud of my regular students / training partners that showed up and, rep by rep, helped me demonstrate 7, yes seven (!) workouts I'm very proud of!  One of my newest students, Monica Worline, has only been training with me for 4 months!  And Meg, well if you been reading my blog or seen some of my videos you should recognize my #1 co-swinger!  Meg's been training with me for 4 1/2 years.

Here is a picture of the whole crew clockwise L to R, Brenda Tierney (training with me for 1 year), Monica Worline, Rasul Davis (trained with me for 1 day! More about Rasul later!), Meg Lloyd, Deepika Goyal, (2 years), and Maribel Medina (2 years).  They all drove almost 2 hours on a Sunday, Rasul drove up with his wife Heather from Santa Monica (5 hours!).

I know we will all be sleeping like babies tonight!  Speaking of sleep....

Don't be a Scaredy Cat!

I've got a pretty big weekend coming up.  Not only am I going to lead a dozen or more people through hours and hours, 1000's and 1000's, of swing reps but I'm going to be doing it on camera! Of course I want to look my best, or feel like I look my best!  So I've tightened the ship around here!  Every time I've gone to the market this week I've been tempted to stock up on my regular, healthy, favorite foods, no big deal.  The big deal is when I have too much of my favorites.  I can, I mean should, only eat so much, and I've gotten a bit spoiled this past year.


Buying and owning, therefore eating, too much food is probably rooted in fear...the fear of scarcity.  I say "probably" because I don't want to assume what the feeling is for you.  For me, personally, I already know that the habit of thinking this way is at the root of how I developed this behavior, and more and more I feel successful on changing how I act on it.  Everyday I feel that I react less and less to these feelings, and I can absolutely imagine the day (maybe today) that I no longer eat foods I don't need, and really don't want, just because I can, or because I'm afraid if I don't I'll never get another chance. The foods are not representative of hunger, they represent a feeling of control.  Feeling like I have to own too much, food or anything else for that matter, is a habit that I am excited to not be a part of my life.

I've been much more conscious when shopping this week.  Lots of food choices I normally wouldn't think twice about I've thought twice about!  Yogurt, crackers, sweet potatoes, salted nuts/peanut butter, foods like these seem healthy, but no foods are healthy when you overeat them.  In the past dried fruit is a food I tend to overbuy.  Raisins, dates and persimmons are among my top favorites and I can add them in almost everything I eat, sweet or savory, so I didn't buy extra this week...and it's all gone now, so what, and how much I buy in the future is something I'll be more aware of.

I don't have any food restrictions in my diet at all.  I don't believe I have any allergies, and I have very few dislikes!  However I am aware of how certain foods make me feel when I overeat them!  I can honestly say that no food, even bread, pasta or potatoes makes me feel bloated if I do not over eat them.  I believe the true culprit is the imbalance of nutrients and/or the imbalance of calories in/ calories out, which can affect me in negative ways.  I know when I feel less healthy, and I always know why. I know when I feel more healthy, and I always know why!  It always comes down to how much of any one food I eat, or don't eat, and why.

I'm not sad about this.  I'm not sad that I don't binge on sweets, McDonald's Quarter Pounders and french fries or a Meat Lovers pizza.(everyday, that is, lol)  I'm not sad that I don't start my day out with a mocha latte and gingerbread scone.  I'm not sad that I don't keep baking ingredients in my pantry.  Those kinds of things on a regular basis just don't make me feel good anymore. Eating foods I don't need or really want because I feel like a scaredy cat doesn't feel good.

Am I perfect?  I'm perfectly happy!  And that's all I want.  (Now let's do a few thousand swings this weekend!)

Here is a little bit of information I found online about this "fear of scarcity" subject that may be affecting how much and what kids of foods you choose to consume.  The link to the entire article is at the bottom.

The Fear of Scarcity

The fear of not getting enough, of lacking, of scarcity is deeply ingrained in our societies. Coming from our parents and ancestors, who experienced physical lack of several kinds (food, houses, clothing, etc.) in several wars, this is a very understandable fear. But unless you experience the lack in your situation right now, let’s take a look at where it has brought us.

What Has the Fear of Scarcity Done to Us?

1. Nutrition:

It is a known fact, that we eat too much. We stuff things inside us, and have lost all touch with our own physical feeling of hunger. We became an obese society just because we have an inner fear of “someday all the good might be gone”. That’s why we subconsciously have an impulse to store things. So we store food as fat in our bodies.

http://www.unwrapyourmind.com/release-your-fear-of-scarcity/

All You Can Eat

Trust me, if there was a diet, any kind of diet, any kind of food combining, or non food combining, whether it was "no white foods", "no carbs", "no gluten", "no dairy", "no animal products" which meant you can eat everything else, non stop, until your esophagus was backing up, I'd be the first to tell you about it!  Seriously.

Why do some of us, a lot of us, seem to think there is some kind of magic formula?  If it existed, it would have been found out by now, guaranteed!  Oprah would have been the first to had paid for it!

At this point in my life, experiencing what I have, and learning, paying attention, being more and more "mindful" of what I eat and what other people eat, I have come to the conclusion that we just don't need near the amount of food we think we do! This revelation came to me about 2 months ago during a conversation with Mark.

I am so lucky to have found Mark as my partner in life in numerous ways.  What I've learned about training, about being and experiencing my physical body through movement and exercise is beyond priceless.  But to also have a partner in life that has never had, and never will have, to worry about being overweight, or "fat", is of extreme value. Mark is not the only person in my life that has given me an example of this, but of course living with him every day reminds me that "if one person can do it, then it can be done!" And of course I know way more than one person in the world that never seems to worry about gaining weight besides Mark. (I've had dinner with Pavel numerous times and it would seem as if he eats whatever he wants....but it's probably more calculated than some of us think!)

In the past 5 years I have come such a long way in my beliefs about overeating and being part of the victimization of the food industry and what I used to believe was the unfairness of it all.  When I look back at former blog posts I've written and shared over the years I am so freakin' happy that what I once considered "compulsive overeating" was just an excuse, not a fact.  I am not a compulsive over eater.  Did I find myself overeating compulsively at times?  Yes.  But it was not who I was.  I was not a compulsive over eater just because I acted it on it every once in a while....and less and less the more I realized it was NOT who I was!

You can not eat anything nonstop or without boundaries, and you shouldn't want to.  You simply do not need that much food.  Figuring out why you want to eat so much may be part of a process, but frankly, for myself, I don't care about the whys, I only care about feeling better.  Most of the time eating more does not help me feel better, it actually feels worse, more and more....and I couldn't be happier about it.

Here is a blog post I wrote over 5 years ago....I've come a long, long way since then. I would probably still choose a buscut with pnb and jelly, but I wouldn't feel such a victim about it.

http://tracysfoodandthought.blogspot.com/2008/08/open-bar.html