Ok here is what you’re looking at: “The Double Bacon Fatty”

• Bacon-stuffed grilled cheese sandwich as bun top
• Cheese
• Bacon
• Four-ounce beef patty
• Bacon-stuffed grilled cheese sandwich as interstitial bun (a nod to the Big Mac)
• Bacon
• Cheeese
• Four-ounce beef patty
• Bacon-stuffed grilled cheese sandwich as bun bottom

I don’t know where its found, I don’t know how much it costs and I don’t care!  I just want one and I’m prepared to make it myself!!!  Perhaps after my New Years clean eating for a couple months I will reward myself with one.  Who am I kidding…there is no probably about it…THIS WILL GO IN MY MOUTH!  Anyone wan to join me???

I’m stealing a page from a friend of mine and instead of railing you with New Years Resolution speeches and all that crap I’m doing something completely different.  I want to know what you would eat if you could have anything in the world FOR THE LAST TIME.  Yup, no judgements here, I just want to know what the fan favorites are here at SPARK.  It can be something you’ve had or something you’d like to try.  Any food, any restaurant (or of course homemade) with any drink(s) and you can absolutely have as many ‘courses’ as you want.  One rule…you have to realistically be able to east it in one setting.

Have fun tonight and of course be safe out there guys.  As Sliver says - if you drink and drive you are proof that natural selection still exists.

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Sorry guys.  I was having computer difficulties and should have posted this much earlier.  Believe me I tried.  For everyone that was looking for a workout yesterday I give no apologies…you were suppossed to come in and do a Total.

We didn’t have a tonne of people show up but for those that did we had a wicked time.  I do understand though and don’t blame anyone for skipping out - we’re closed and its Christmas time. Some of us PR’d and some didn’t but regardless, everyone gave it their all and it was a great time.  For those of you that showed feel free to post your totals in the comments section.

To go along with this - Lifting is not something to be avoided people.  Its how you get stronger.  We will be doing some pretty awesome things in the New Year regarding your strength training and you’re going to have to do a Total soon regardless so be ready - your program will be based off it. 

Yes, YOUR program.  More to come.  I won’t say it here as clearly some other facilities are trying to follow our lead.  And even though they will NEVER have what we have and will NEVER be able to replicate what we do they can try but will fail miserably.  They don’t have the education and they have no where the experience we have - nope, not even close.  Where else can you go in this city and be coached by someone and get programming from someone that has worked with EVERY major professional team in Edmonton?  Uh, NOWHERE but SPARK.

I’m often asked what sets us apart from other places and its simple…EVERYTHING.  And of course I get asked why some other places are cheaper?  Even simpler.  They are showing their hand because they are charging what they’re worth - next to nothing. 

I know I should just let this slide but for those of you that know me well, you know that I put my heart and soul into SPARK.  You know that I care about everyone that walks through the door and gives it what they’ve got.  Hell I cried when I gave out Most Improved at FGB this year!  (Shut up Devlin).  It just sucks that we can do all this and get a few yahoos that try to steal what ALL of us have created.  Anyway…venting over and I feel better now.

On a happier note: YOU GUYS ROCK!  See you in the new year!

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So the year is winding down and soon the New Years Parties will begin.  The first word of advice I will give you is to plan ahead - have a DD or get a cab.  The second word of advice is to know your limits.  It should be of no surprise that at these parties (well most parties really) that a few drunken debacles will occur.  Its much funnier when they don’t involve you!

I have found a small collection of things that you may think are great ideas at the time but prove otherwise just when things are about to wind up as “Epic”.  So have a few, but don’t try this at your party!

Anyway, I could go on all day because there are plenty of idiots out there.  And you never know when there is a camera running.  Don’t get immortalized forever on the interwebz for your stupidity.  Stay safe kids!

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Is anyone else sick of hearing from others and reading facebook posts about how crappy they’ve been eating over the Holidays?  Me too.  And as a coach I hear it probably more than your average Joe.  To them I say this: So What?  Eat what you want and fix it at your next meal.

Even last week on Gregor’s show (Just A Game on the TEAM 1260) he asked what people should eat and what they should avoid over this special time of year.  I basically said to eat whatever you want.  If you like cookies that are shaped like bums that have cute icing underwear on them THEN EAT THEM.  At the end of the day you have to remember that you make your own choices and if you don’t care for a few days then you don’t care for a few days. 

What happens when someone tells you not to do something because its bad?  You’re probably going to do it anyway just to see how good it just might be.  We’re all weak with something in life.  We all have vices.  What we also know is that we must face the consequences of our decisions.

It pretty much goes like this:  if you are prone to eating like shit, the holidays aren’t going to make it any worse.  And if you eat well most of the time, your habits aren’t going to magically change just because its Christmas.  You have choices to make ALL the time, not just during holidays.  Sure you might have to make those choices more often due to the sheer amount of sugar being passed around right now but at the end of the day it all comes down to this…make good choices.

Moderation, moderation, moderation.  If you overdo it, fix it.  Don’t use it as an excuse to be an overindulgent fat bastard for the next week - thats where the downward spiral begins.

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Ok everyone, only a couple of days left so its TIME TO GIDDY UP!  For all you last minuters its time to kick in in gear and ask everyone for donations.  The online donation total is about 1/2 what it was last yuear at this time so please don’t give up and give in.

I have finished the heats and you can check them out below.  Please find your name and make sure you’re on it.  If you are not on the list email me and let me know and I’ll get you in.  If you don’t like where you are TOUGH because unless its a legit reason the heats are not getting changed.

fgb_heats_10

And just in case you need it again:

ONLINE DONATIONS

Warehouse is at 14334-121A Ave.  Its huge so invite people out to watch yell and tell them to bring some cash.  Booster juices will be there at $2.00 a cup with 100% of proceeds going into the donation pot!

And just a reminder dinner between 6:30 and 7:00 for those of you signed up.  $15.00 a head at the door and bring your own ‘refreshments’.

Less than a month and the Event is here.  Lets hit that $45,000 and help The Zebra Child Protection Centre help those kids in need of help.  These kids need more than a hug and kiss so lets help out where we can.

Online Donations:

Follow this link and give what you can:

ONLINE DONATIONS

And once again, the Donation forms for those of you collecting from others sponsorshipform2010

Fight the good fight and then come get beat up at FGB3!

Well, after a painful wait David N. and the gang at StatusFirm have bailed us out.  The individual that was working on the sponsor sheets was not holding up their end so those listed above stepped up and got it done!  We have forms at the gym but now you can download as many as you need right here: sponsorshipform2010

Details…

I’ll give you what I can for now.  Saturday, Dec 4 2010 starting at 9:00am - Finishing when we finish!  Location is still getting finalized but we are going to need lots of help with prep (cleaning), set up / tear down, transporting gear and of course you are all expected to count reps for others and cheer your asses off!

Later that evening back at the gym we’ll be having our After Party which will once again be catered by “The CareIt”.  It was phenominal last year and this year will be no different.  On the menu will be sliced beef on a bun with au jus and some sides.  We’ll get pricing and a sign up sheet in a couple weeks - price will be similar to last year in the $15 range…Easily a $25 meal in a restaurant but this is WAY better.  A great time was had by all and yes you can drink.

If any of you think their places of business might be interested in a Corporate sponsorship we have letters at the gym as well (just ask one of the coaches).  And of course if you work in such a place that can contribute prizes we are more than happy to accept them.  We’ve had some doozies in the past and want to keep getting more!  Prizes go to highest score male/female, most improved male/female and highest $ amount raised.  The rest will go as draw prizes at the After Party.

And now for some inspiration:

We only have a month guys and $45,000 is a lot of money so PLEASE start asking.  Online donations should be set up shortly (I just spoke with the Zebra Centre about 15 minutes ago so they’re working on it.

On a separate note, if you haven’t joined the Facebook Page yet please do.  THE PAGE NOT THE GROUP.  We’ve had some good banter sessions and try to post pics and announcements there as well.  Just search for SPARK Sport Conditioning in your Facebook account and you’ll see us.

Let us know if you’re planning on participating in Comments.

Ok it wasn’t really a fight…more of a disagreement as to why he needs to eat meat.  I simply told him about some scientific truths and facts and how it could benefit him.  He shot back at me with references about all sorts of studies etc.  I didn’t realize he’d come so prepared so I asked why he had all these books and studies (years and all) memorized and he said he gets ‘attacked’ for his eating habits all the time.  I then asked if he thought that might be some sort of red flag and he didn’t answer.

Anyway, one of his go-back-to’s was this book called “The China Study”.  Apparently it is some sort of earth shattering research on why we should all eat vegan - actually raw vegan I think…I didn’t get into it too deep standing at the book store.  Rather than try to explain the whole thing I’ll paste the synopsis:

“Referred to as the “Grand Prix of epidemiology” by The New York Times, this study examines more than 350 variables of health and nutrition with surveys from 6,500 adults in more than 2,500 counties across China and Taiwan, and conclusively demonstrates the link between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. While revealing that proper nutrition can have a dramatic effect on reducing and reversing these ailments as well as curbing obesity, this text calls into question the practices of many of the current dietary programs, such as the Atkins diet, that are widely popular in the West. The politics of nutrition and the impact of special interest groups in the creation and dissemination of public information are also discussed.”

It pretty much explains the negatives of protein and that by removing it you can stop cancer and diabetes and autoimmune disorders and blah blah blah.  I know, thats great right?!  What do you mean you’ve never heard of the book?  Its a breakthrough, surely you must have missed the news that all disease is over now and you should stop eating protein.  OF COURSE YOU HAVEN’T HEARD THAT ON THE NEWS BECAUSE ITS ALL A BUNCH OF CRAP!

I spent a whopping 0.3 seconds (according to Google) and found literally thousands of people - many of them legit researchers - that called bullshit on this book.  I read quite a few in favor of the book (all vegans) and probably just as many that were against - there were exponentially more in the against category.

Here are a couple entries worth noting:

“It’s no surprise “The China Study” has been so widely embraced within the vegan and vegetarian community: It says point-blank what any vegan wants to hear—that there’s scientific rationale for avoiding all animal foods. That even small amounts of animal protein are harmful. That an ethical ideal can be completely wed with health. These are exciting things to hear for anyone trying to justify a plant-only diet, and it’s for this reason I believe “The China Study” has not received as much critical analysis as it deserves, especially from some of the great thinkers in the vegetarian world.”

“The China Study” is a compelling collection of carefully chosen data. Unfortunately for both health seekers and the scientific community, Campbell appears to exclude relevant information when it indicts plant foods as causative of disease, or when it shows potential benefits for animal products. This presents readers with a strongly misleading interpretation of the original China Study data, as well as a slanted perspective of nutritional research from other arenas (including some that Campbell himself conducted).”

“I also love the observation that, despite his constant whining about the “dangers of reductionism” in science, Campbell’s entire argument against animal protein really hinges on a strongly reductionist experiment, namely the isolated effect of casein fed to rats in large doses. Snap!”

“It seems Campbell never took the critical step of accounting for other disease-causing variables that tend to cluster with higher-cholesterol counties in the China Study—variables like schistosomiasis infection, industrial work hazards, increased hepatitis B infection, and other non-nutritional factors spurring chronic conditions. Areas with lower cholesterol, by contrast, tended to have fewer non-dietary risk factors, giving them an automatic advantage for preventing most cancers and heart disease. (The health threats in the lower-cholesterol areas were more related to poor living conditions, leading to greater rates of tuberculosis, pneumonia, intestinal obstruction, and so forth.)”

“One thing you’ll never hear Campbell mention, nor have I seen other China Study skeptics come across, is the health of one unique county in China called Tuoli. Unlike the rest of China, the Tuoli ate 40% of their diet as fat, ate 134 grams of animal protein per day (twice as much as the average American), and rarely ate vegetables or other plant foods. According to the China Study data, these people were extremely healthy with low rates of cancers and heart disease… healthier, in fact, than many of the counties that were nearly vegan. (No big shocker there, but it’s something Campbell completely ignores.)”

I stole the list below off someone else’s blog (I apologize to that person as I copied and pasted and then couldn’t refind his page - I had way too many open at once and then froze up) so I’ll post it here if you want to do your own reading becasue this post could get excessively LONG.

1. The China Study exposed: actual data does not support vegetarian health claims (at Hunter-Gatherer)
2. China Study Problems of Interpretation (at Whole Health Source)
3. Polish a turd and find a diamond? (at PaNu)
4. The China Study: Junk Science and Lies (at Robb Wolf)
5. There is no justification for a plant-only diet (at Conditioning Research)
6. Rest in peace, China Study (at The Healthy Skeptic)
7. “The China Study”, Debunked (at Theory to Practice)
8. “The China Study: Fact or Fallacy?” (at Let Them Eat Meat)
9. Destroying China (the Study that Is) (at Aspire Natural Health)
10. The China Study Discredited (at Food Renegade)
11. The Study Everyone Talks About: Part 2: The Ravaging Reviews (at Feasting on Fitness)
12. Debunking The China Study (at Crossfit 1776)
13. The Debunking of the China Study (at TJ’s Gym)
14. Thoughts on Friday from the middle of the road! (at A Moderate Life)
15. A Critique Worth Reading (at For His Glory & for Our Good)
16. “T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study: Finally, Exhaustively Discredited” (at Crossfit Peachtree)
17. The China Study: Crushed by its Own Data (at The Spark of Reason)
18. China Study & T. Colin Campbell: Someone just made you their vegan bitch (at Paleo-ish)
19. The China Study: Evidence for the Perfect Health Diet (at Perfect Health Diet)
20. The China Study Has No Clothes: Smackdown Of T. Colin Campbell (at Nutrition and Physical Regeneration)
21. The slam-dunking of “The China Study” (at the shmaltz)
22. China Study Shakedown (at Natural Messiah)
23. The China Study Toppled – A Tale of the Confirmation Bias (at Lean, Mean, Virile Machine)
24. Slaying of a Hypothesis (at Animal Pharm)
25. “Epidemiology is Bogus” (at Evolutionary Psychiatry)
26. China Study Unveiled — Not Supporting Veganism (at Primal Wisdom)
27. China fiction? (at The Heart Scan Blog)
28. The China Study - A Superb Analysis (at Primal Muse)
29. Chipping Away at the China Study (at Liberation Wellness)
30. The China study: Debunked (at Food, flora and felines)
31. Buh-bye, China Study (at The Low-Carb Curmudgeon)
32. China Study Debunked (at The Red Pill)
33. Around the Fitness Horn (at x lyssa)
34. RAW FOOD SOS sobre o China Study (at Canibais e Reis)
35. Die veblüffende Biegsamkeit von Fakten: The China Study (at Urgeschmack)
36. Veganbibelns fall (at Kostdoktorn.Se)
37. Weekend Link Love (at Mark’s Daily Apple)
38. The China Study (at Kat’s Food Blog)
39. Debunking junk science: goodbye china study (at abundant brain & health)
40. China Study Unmasked (at AgingBoomersBlog.com)
41. Denise Minger Refutes the China Study Once and For All (at The WAPF Blog)
42. “The China Study” Considered Harmful (at Metamodern)
43. The China Study vs the China study (at The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D.)

Discuss if you bothered to check any of this out.

Do you ever feel like your friends are rolling their eyes at you when you start talking about the gym for the 5th time in a single conversation?  Its because they probably are.  I love that you are excited about the gym and that you want to share it with everyone but you have to remember that they might not be as excited as you are…heck you might be making them feel bad about themselves for not doing something to better their life and health.

Another reason they might be secretly telling you to F-Off in their heads is because they don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.  I will tell you that things like “WOD”, “Man Makers”, “Thrusters” etc etc etc are NOT typical gym-speak…they are CrossFit lingo and / or SPARK lingo.  Those not involved just don’t get it.  Explain it plainly and at the very least explain that it can be for everyone and no one expects them to keep up.  We go hard but we go at our own pace.  Everyone wants to feel like they belong and if they already feel like an outsider before they get going they don’t stand a chance.

Here’s where an innocent question can lead to something else.  Yes, I know Djokvic knows what a “Tweener” is, its just funny how he re-directs it.  Speak simple kids!

Discuss in Comments.

Ok so this is my version of “Who wore it best”?  In case you don’t know what that is you obviously don’t waste your time reading trashy “celebrity” magazines like someone I know does.  HA HA (By the way I think I’m in trouble for that last comment).

Anyway, its when they “catch” two different celebs wearing the same outfit and they put the pictures side by side for people to judge.  They vote on who it looks better on and then publish these oh so scientific findings in the magazine.  Whatever.  Apparently its quite a popular thing.

I decided to try something else.  As many of you know I have a pension for reality TV - so sue me its one of my guilty pleasures - and the other day I watched America’s Got Talent where I saw this amazing little girl sing.  She is so talented and for such a little thing to belt out this song will give you goose bumps for sure.  But after watching it I knew I had seen it on film somewhere else before sung by someone else…well guess what…I found it.

You be the judge…Who sang it best?

This one is kind of long but I couldn’t find a shorter one so if you skip to 1:30 you’ll see the important part and once you hear her sing go ahead and turn it off because the rest is lame.

And now number two

Who gets your vote?