First Fitness and Sports Post

This is the first fitness and sports post

Remembering Coach Kenneth Gibler

Kenneth Gibler was my college football coach at Missouri Valley College, and (next to my father) inspired me the most to be the best that I could be. “The Gib” was the name we all attributed to Coach Gibler when speaking of him in private, but in person it was “Coach” or “Coach Gibler,” because that is the kind of respect he deserved from all the young men who played for him. Coach was a stickler for discipline and doing the right thing both on and off the field. He wanted you prepared for the games, but more importantly, for anything that came at you in life. I know, personally, he made me a better player just because I didn’t want to let him down on or off the field. His constant reminder of “you’re only as good as your word,” was an honor he wanted to instill in every individual he was ever associated with. This is how I have insisted on living my life, and realize I owe so much to my former coach.

Coach treated everyone with respect, unless you disrespected him or your word, and would think little of anyone who so chose to go that route. I still find myself remembering him when times are tough, and contemplate how he would have handled things. Personally, my respect and admiration for him only grows as I get older and wiser, trying to deal with what seems like insurmountable theft, greed, lies, and cowardice. Gib’s prayer before the game, imploring God to give us the strength, courage and desire to
do the best job we are capable of doing, has never been lost on me.

Catch phrases such as, “Pal, you’re gonna be a good one” and “he’s a dandy,” still bring a smile to my face. We used to joke about it as players, but I used the same connotations and prayer when I became a coach. Coach Gibler was able to bring about the best in those who wanted to succeed, and made those who adhered to his ethics both good athletes, and even better human beings. Everything filtered down from the Gib, and when I was a freshman I had great athletes and individuals to inspire me to grab hold of what coach was teaching. Guys like Marty Riggs, Pete Erndyll, Dan Kratzer, Tony Chandler, Dan Wendt, Phil Willard and Gerald Mansfield were a few of the exceptional athletes who inspired me to keep excelling. All had tremendous character besides their athletic ability.

It was not hard to figure out that Coach Gibler was the common denominator for making us strive for success and help others achieve the same. On my recent move to North Carolina, I met a neighbor who was a former coach and played college ball in Connecticut. He informed me that he had a roommate from my home town (Staten Island, N.Y.) who played on the football team with him. It turned out his roommate was a kid I coached while he was in high school. The kid is now coaching the lineman for Lou Saban at Alabama. When my neighbor told him about meeting me, the coach said, “That’s the guy who made me as tough as I was in football.” This made me feel fantastic because that is what life is all about, helping others!

We miss you, Coach Gibler. You were the “Good One” and “the dandy” combined.

By Coach Reilly

Lose Your Beer Gut Forever

When males gain unwanted fat weight, it is mostly in the stomach area; hence, the nomenclature, beer gut. Over the years I’ve often heard females asking if potential dating prospects have a gut or beer gut. It is not a thing of beauty, and I often find myself tightening my stomach isometrically to make certain a gut is not in my immediate future. My wife Cindy warned me before we tied the knot that if a gut ever materializes, I am out the door. Just looking at the individuals who strut around with this type of unwanted body part inspired me to make my midsection the focus of my workouts. From a young age I developed a routine to keep me gut-free forever. The fact that I was involved with athletics on a professional level gave me a decided edge when it came to exercise theory and application.

Trunk flexion and trunk rotation are necessities and have to be thoroughly addressed to excel in these sports. The prime mover is the rectus abdominis, to initiate trunk flexion. The origin of the muscle is the symphysis pubis, and the insertion is by portions into cartilages of the fifth, sixth and seventh ribs. The external and internal abdominal obliques are the prime movers for trunk rotation. The lattissimus dorsi, semispinalis, multifidus, and rotatores are the assistant mover muscles. There is no need to know these unless you are taking an anatomy class, so just remember these as various muscles located in the abdominal region. However, at Absolute Intensity we feel it is imperative to remember that a posterior pelvic tilt is spinal flexion. If you flex your hips before you flex your spine, you can compromise your lower back. To optimize chest work you would stay in retraction, but that is for another day.

Absolute Intensity takes all of the science out of doing the proper exercises for losing your beer gut forever. After forty years of competing in athletics, coaching sports teams, initiating athletic competitions and doing every core exercise imaginable, I have come up with a program, so you can be guaranteed to lose your beer gut forever. Coach Reilly “The Fighting Fireman” is living proof because I’ve had a 32 inch stomach since I was sixteen. Not bad for a heavyweight of 220 pounds.

……………Coach Reilly two months ago………………………………………………………Coach Reilly 15 years ago

The secret to my success is the ability to stimulate the muscle properly. There is a proper warm-up with intensity exercises that work in conjunction with losing the beer gut forever. It is not the quantity of the exercises, as much as it is the proper progressions and how they are initiated. You will be astonished as to how all the exercises interconnect to work all the helper muscles involved. We have added exercises (which you can do while sitting at work) to make you feel more empowered about your new midsection. Sign up and we’ll send you our free Absolute Intensity “Lose Your Beer Gut Forever” program. It is not difficult, and you will be happy you lost your old stomach.

Sign up in the “Contact Us” section of website.

Yours in health,
Coach Reilly

Alexa Soars For The Stars

I’m always searching for talented athletes who I think have the opportunity to excel in their field. I’ve trained professionally ranked boxers, N.F.L players, college football prospects, elite high school athletes, and select individuals who want to be in top notch physical shape. There are certain qualities that shine when you see someone work out for the first time. Anyone who has participated in my fitness classes, or trained with me in a one on one, knows they are in for the workout of their lives and no nonsense will be tolerated. When I do spot that exceptional athlete, I make a note to look for them as a smashing success in the future.

Some individuals have the talent, but not the attitude; while others have the attitude, but not the talent. Recently, I put a young 13 year old through a workout, and am pleased to announce she has all the tools and the exceptional attitude for great success in any sport she so chooses. At the young age of 13 she is a top notch rock climber. Her name is Alexa Russell and she trains in Morrisville. Rock climbing is a sport in which you must have tremendous upper body and core strength, great balance, agility, exceptional focus, and a one track mind to succeed.

I put Alexa through a ninety-minute workout, which included a circuit type warm-up to hit all the major muscle groups, and she never missed a beat. Most individuals cringe at the mention of burpees and walkouts, but Alexa wasn’t fazed. After a quick twenty minutes of getting loose, Alexa performed sets of bar hangs and pull-ups to perfection. Most guys can’t do five pull-ups, and I rarely see women do them at all, but she was pumping out sets of ten with no problem and could have done many more, if warranted. Between sets of chin-ups Alexa did medicine ball work, body weight squats, cross-over lunges, heavy band work, core progressions, and compound exercises with light weights. She finished up the ninety minutes with three two-minute rounds of a boxing routine. Alexa hit the heavy bag for three, and sparred with the focus mitts for three. I was shocked when Alexa mentioned she never did a boxing workout before, because she punched like a “mule kicking downhill.”

We finished up with some abdominal work and stretching, in which her dad Peter joined in. Alexa was making Pete look bad with the exercises, but he did run a half marathon the prior day, so I gave him some slack. Enclosed are some photos from Alexa’s latest competition in Lynchburg, N.C., where she finished first in her age category and was the highest scoring female overall. From watching her train, I can see that Alexa attacks everything she does with reckless abandon. She would be a number one pick on any team I coached, and is a future star. We’ll keep you updated on the future competitions of Alexa Russell.

ALEXA IN ACTION: VIDEO OF 11/19/11 COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS – 1ST PLACE IN CATEGORY + 1ST PLACE OVERALL FEMALE

By Coach Reilly

Be Your Own Fitness Book

After 46 years in the exercise business, and now co-owner and chief writer for the Absolute Intensity fitness website, I have seen all the Christmas and Thanksgiving holiday promotions imaginable. The newest at the local gym of which I am a member is the Black Friday holiday promotion. This constitutes a personal training promotion, but rather than explain such details on the posting, you are directed to contact the personal training staff. This is a fantastic and common ploy for sales management, because once you are unfortunate enough to initiate contact, you will be badgered to the point of thinking you might just have one foot in the grave if you don’t sign up for the personal training they are offering.

Most health clubs have smartened up and now offer all-in-one fitness lifestyles that includes athletic wear and gear, nutritional products, health and fitness videos, and fitness newsletters and books. This gets me riled up, because at Absolute Intensity we ask our members to be their own book. There is no charge for our service, and we provide the best and most comprehensive fitness advice in the world. I say this with confidence because I have lived, practiced, and studied this field my entire life. If you read my book, “Jobs Heroes Zeroes and Thieves,” in which all proceeds totally benefit the UFA Widows’ and Children’s Fund and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, you will learn firsthand how to become fitness oriented.

The most efficient manner in which to become a fitness guru is to become your own book of knowledge by living the lifestyle. Please don’t buy a book to help the gym’s bottom line when you can surf the internet, ask questions of fellow gym members, practice and invent your own exercises and theories (physical fitness is mostly theory, nothing is absolutely set in stone), or tune in to Absolute Intensity and we’ll assist you free of charge. I’m wishing I had this type of service when I was starting out, and I especially like the part it won’t cost you a penny!! Sign up on site or just ask a question, and we’ll respond within 24 hours or I’ll eat my hat.

Yours in health,
The Fighting Fireman

Tribute To Smokin Joe Frazier

Smokin Joe was a fearless competitor inside the ring, and a humble and respectful man when outside of it. He just kept coming at opponents from all angles, and his signature left hook was feared and guarded against by all opponents. [Ali learned the hard way] just what Smokin’s vicious left hook could do to you. Joe gave back more heat than what he received on most occasions, and is my most revered fighter of all time. I fought a heavyweight bout on the same card as his son Marvis, and met Joe at the weigh-in. His most dominant feature was his unusually strong thighs, and I could tell he unleashed every morsel of power from his trunk when he threw the vaunted left hook. We only smiled and said hi when we locked eyes at the New York City Athletic Commission that afternoon, but you could sense the respect he gave everyone who participated in his beloved profession.

I watched Marvis’ bout, which was before mine on the card that evening, and though he was knocked down by journeyman Roger Troop in the first round, he went on to his first professional win. You could see the love and pride emanating from Joe Frazier’s eyes when Marvis was declared the winner. Marvis would go on to fight for the championship and lose, which says a lot for the young man, though he didn’t have the talent and determination of his dad But then again, who did?

Joe opened his own gym in Philadelphia, and helped so many young, aspiring fighters that you can’t measure the good he has provided in this world. He worked hands-on by donating his own invaluable experience to his chargers. Anyone can donate some money and sit back and take praise, but it takes a great man to invest his own sweat and life in other individuals.

Many claim Ali is the greatest fighter of all time, but I’ll take Smokin Joe Frazier any day of the year. Joe wasn’t a talker, but a doer. Ali could talk trash, and most of the time backed it up in the ring; but it was his behind sitting on the canvass after he taunted Joe for months before their first fight. I think Joe won the second fight also, but didn’t get the decision. What I remember most was that Joe helped Ali when he got out of prison, and Ali turned on him for his own benefit.

“A man is only as good as his word,” and Joe Frazier was always true to his. We’ll miss you Joe Frazier, for you are the greatest!

By Coach Reilly

Compact Workouts Enable Extreme Results

I’ve tried every workout imaginable which I viewed to be beneficial. Early
in my personal athletic career, I found that quality surpasses longevity in a training
session. Speed, power, and efficiency are the fail-safes when it comes to the sports
of boxing and football, in which I competed professionally. When my playing days were
over I stayed active in recreational sports, but learned quickly that nothing beats competition
when it comes to staying in condition, no matter the venue. Whether you are a professional
athlete, individual on a mission to lose weight, weekend warrior, arthritic sufferer, ordinary
gym rat, model, firefighter, or regular person who just wants to look great, compact workouts
will do you the most good.
Being compact means to keep the workout short and intense, just as would be required
in the field of competition. The physiological benefits will astound those who insist that long and slow
are the way to go. If you choose that route benefits will occur, but not to the extent of the compact
and intense workout. You need to have some intensity to flush out the bad cholesterol, keep the blood
pressure down, improve your blood flow redistribution, and add some zing to the fast twitch fibers.
Most people don’t like short and intense exercise because you have to remain at your aerobic threshold
for a span of thirty to forty minutes, but the benefits far outweigh the slow and steady.
Some added benefits will be an increase in your muscle definition, and the fact you will be burning
many more calories at rest, thanks to the huffing and puffing you endured during exercise. The only thing
worse than the long and slow workout is the short and slow routine. The compact workouts, which you can
receive for free at absolute intensity by signing up, will enable extreme results, just as the title states. Remember this slogan: “At Absolute Intensity, we don’t tolerate slow, we’re like Elvis, Go man! Go! by “Coach Reilly”

Absolute Intensity Salute To Veterans

A special salute goes out from Absolute Intensity Fitness to our fantastic veterans, who stay fit in both mind and body to keep us safe, and secure our freedom. My favorite charity is the Wounded Warriors Special Operations Foundation, and we donate the profits from our book “Jobs Heroes Zeroes and Thieves” to this cause. It’s a good read and our veterans deserve all the assistance we can give them year round.

Thank you, veterans, you deserve the best!!!!

Ace Reilly
“The Fighting Fireman”

One Legged Squats

I wanted to get this one out there today because it is such a formidable exercise, and really hits the butt and the quads. Throw in some cross-over lunges and a minute of mountain climbers, and you will make your butt sing. For the single leg squat, I recommend keeping your hand of the non-working leg on a support and simply squat to ninety degrees. All other applications of the squatting exercise apply. Making sure the knee doesn’t go in front of the toe is imperative, since this is such an isolated exercise. Ten repetitions for each limb as you alternate for three sets is sufficient. If time is extremely scarce, just complete one set to failure. Remember, failure is when your muscle cells are so exhausted you couldn’t possibly perform another repetition without using good form. At Absolute Intensity good form and posture is a must when working out.

If time permits, add some cross-over lunges to this routine (to increase definition in the legs and work your hip rotation). No equipment is needed — other than a support — and at Absolute Intensity we offer and encourage the least time consuming, most beneficial exercises available…on account of the due diligence of our instructors. We guarantee a perfectly sculpted butt, or we’ll give you your old body back.

Yours in health,
“The Fighting Fireman”

Bulldog Larry’s Turkey Ride Nov. 20th

Once again “Bulldog Larry Dean” and beautiful wife Blanche are promoting the Turkey Ride to combat Multiple Sclerosis. Blanche has battled MS for 19 years, and she once again takes to the trails to help others in their fight against this formidable disease. Larry promises to make this a Turkey Ride you will never forget… OR he will clean your house for a week! I’m predicting no houses will have to be cleaned, and that you’ll be feeling euphoric when the course is completed. Sure, you’re legs will be screaming for mercy, but isn’t that what it’s all about? The date for the big event is Sunday, November 20th, at Earth Fare, Briar Dale Shopping Center – 10341 Moncrieff Road, Raleigh NC 27617

For 50 mile distance: sign in 9am roll out 10 am
For 25 mile distance: sign in 10 am roll out 10:30 am

Cost $30 before November 10……..$40 after November 10 and day of event
Registration fee includes: Police Department support, stocked rest stops, DJ Merv and Pumkin Pie.
Bring 4 non-perishable food items and be entered to win Thanksgiving Turkey.

To sign up, please go to TEAM MSFITS 3RD ANNUAL TURKEY RIDE REGISTRATION

Larry “The Bulldog” Dean available for photos, if time permits.

This is a fantastic event that I highly recommend.

By Coach Reilly

Why Dieting Doesn’t Work

I finished reading an article on carbohydrate cycling and found that
most of it made sense, but that the average person was not going to follow
this type of regimen with any consistency, so it is all for naught. Most individuals
have what is called “real lives”, and want to be successful in this world, so they
won’t be able to measure their carbohydrates while charting the days they should
and shouldn’t load up. The shocking of the bodies systems, while a good idea, isn’t
what strength gain and weight loss is all about. Self discipline and a “never say die”
attitude to succeed, is what will give you the body you crave. Of course you have
to watch what you eat, but you can achieve success by making simple healthy
eating (maybe some a tad unhealthy) choices, and still achieve a lean muscular
physique.
The grapefruit diet, watermelon flush, meat and water, fish and water,
low carbohydrates and high fat, high fat and low carbohydrates, weight watchers,
lean cuisine, Jenny Craig, and all the rest of these fads will be relegated to the dust
bin, after a few days, weeks, or months. Just like carbohydrate cycling, you will find
these methods too boring and unrealistic for you to enjoy life, and experience success
while doing it your way.
Your body craves variety, and with absolute intensity exercise and a healthy diet,
you can guarantee yourself success. People are shocked when I inform them I don’t diet,
yet still weigh 220 pounds, have only 8 percent body fat, and a 33 inch waist. Pizza is
my favorite food, and steak, fish and salads are staples for my physique. I’ve been following
the absolute intensity diet and workout program since I was 16 because I invented it, and
have tweaked it to perfection over the years. Intensity, duration and frequency of exercise,
together with developing a “set point ” you can live with, while still eating the enjoyable foods
we all want, is what absolute intensity is all about. Throw away your diet, stop reading
and buying the hype, and get on board with “the absolute intensity program”. I guarantee
your success. “The Fighting Fireman” Your comments are welcome and will receive response.

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