Coach Tran's Blog

Long Cycle/ Jerks

coachtran — Mon, 25 May 2009 03:33:13 +0000

Hell Kitchen warrior camp

coachtran — Fri, 01 May 2009 02:37:35 +0000

This summer I am holding outdoor Hell Kitchen warrior camp. Are you down? The first TEN (10) who sign up Now will get in for FREE. However the first 10 who get in for FREE must do it three times a week or pay the full price of my services. Requirements: A doctor’s letter, a Polar Heart Monitor, you carry your own equipment, and a solid commitment to burn body fat the health first way.

My workout Wednesday 29/April

coachtran — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:15:31 +0000

I did level 3 of the world kettlebell club fitness protocols. I am using the 16k bell and 12k bell.

The exercise selection:

1. bottom up cleans

2. bottom up Arm Press

3. Snatch

Doing the bottom up cleans and arm press is a challenge for me. My hands and forearms screamed with failure. The snatches were relatively easier than the bottom up exercises. I am noticing how much snap and fluidity I have in my snatch when I worked on my right hamstring residual tension and density. Thankfully my prasara yoga practice is helping me overcome this limitation.

I did another round with 12k bell and it was easy. My technique is was much better with the 12k bell.

I waited 10 mins then I did my strength circuit (based on the Circular Strength Training system, which I developed to enhance my performance of the sport specific Kettlebell long cycle training. I do not want to give out the details about my workout because it will give out my secret weapon, but here were my results:

World Kettlebell Club Fitness workout with 12k/16k bell: (00:23.1 Time/ 149 Calories Burned/ 55% fat burned/ 77% of my THRZ, 145 Max HR, 108 Avg HR.) CST Circuit: (00:22:75/ 227 Calories burned/ 50% fat burned/ 85% of my THZR, 160 Max HR, 134 Avg HR.) Total: 00:45:55 total time/ 375 calories burned.

Today’s Workout

coachtran — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:35:16 +0000

Coach Tran crushed another workout. My High Intensity Day! Kettlellbell Training (20:28 Min. Total/ 97% of my Target Heart rate Zone (THRZ), Max Heart Rate (HR) 183, Average HR 166/ 291 Cals Burned/ 25% fat burned). After that my KB, I did my Clubbell Circuit, (21:36 min/ 93% of THRZ, Max HR 175, Avg HR 159/ 284 cals burned/ 30% fat was burned!!!) So my total was 575 calories burned, 55% body fat burned from those calories, and I was exercising between 93-97% of THRZ!

Iced Tea

coachtran — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:51:26 +0000

I am home making tea so I can have a beverage to drink when I am at watching TV, reading a book, and/or having a meal. It just dawned on me that I am doing what I was taught by my parents. My parents are very practical and frugal people, but I am grateful for their lesson. I think making my own drink saves me money and it is a healthier choice than buying the conventional drinks in the stores.

Here is my recipe for my iced tea that I drink at home.

Here is what you’ll need:

1. One glass or ceramic pitcher
2. Four bags of herbal tea bags (I like Bija Deep Defense: Caffeine Free/Herbal Teas)
3. slices of lemon
4. Vit. C powder

Add the tea bags into the pitcher then add hot water (use distilled or spring water). Let the tea steep for 10 mins, then take out two bags but leave two bags inside if you like a stronger brew. Then add the slices of lemon and two tablespoon of organic Vit. C powder. Put this pitcher inside your refrigerator. In a half hour, you have a nice cool or cold tea to drink.

I have added Vit. C to my tea because I like it bit sour. You can add agave to it, but I like the tea flavor by itself.

Drink in good health!

Your Coach,

Bao Tran

On Being a Mensch (free draft)

coachtran — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:31:01 +0000

Christians are called to live by adding more value into the world. This is a radical idea for me. Christianity teaches one can achieve happiness through serving others instead of becoming a master over others. This is very counter intuitive to our modern sensibility; however, a self aware and spiritually mature adult is daily challenged to add more value to life than subtracting from it.

What do I mean, my dear friends?

Jesus added more to life during his brief ministry and he only took away our sickness, fears, ignorance, hate, and sins. Metaphorically, he added more truth and beauty to the world and decrease its ugliness. We can only hope to live such a noble ideal as human beings.

Individuals who live like the Christ are known to us as saints or mensch: “A person having admirable characteristics, such as fortitude and firmness of purpose: “He radiates the kind of fundamental decency that has a name in Yiddish; he’s a mensch” (James Atlas)”

Please understand there are many spiritual teachers besides Jesus of Nazareth who has taught the same message. I am using Christianity as my example because it is what I know best culturally and feel intellectually comfortable with it. I am sure if I was born and raised in the Middle East, I would be using Islam as my example of what it means to be a ‘mensch’. I do not want to exclude my friends of different faiths or NO faith.

I think we need to reflect how we can embody this ideal into our daily life. I believe everyone can become a “light to the world” and become the “salt of the earth” through very a simple and practical method.

It is called, “appreciation”.

What is appreciation?

1. Gratitude, thankful recognition
2. The act of estimating the qualities of things and giving them their proper value
3. Clear perception and recognition
4. An increase in value

When you can honestly give daily appreciation to someone else, you are in effect adding more value into the world and deceasing its ugliness. I challenge you to always offer appreciation when you can. Here is a goal. Find 7 people (strangers) and honestly find something you admire about them and offer your appreciation. You will see the power behind this and I promise you that your life will attract more wonderful things. I do not understand why or how it works, but beautiful things happen when you add more truth and beauty to the world than adding more darkness and negativity upon it.

Will you become a “light to the world”?

May the Principles of Our Ancestors live through us Forever and Forever…

Your Friend,
Bao
PS: Jesus had only three years to add more light to the world. Imagine what you can do?!

Coach Tran’s Spicy Tuna Recipe

coachtran — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:27:12 +0000

Here is what you will need to my make this healthy “spicy tuna”.

Two cans of tuna (in olive oil)
Spectrum Canola Mayonnaise
Cholula Hot Sauce (Chili Lime) imported from mexico
red onions
one tomato

Empty the tuna into a bowl. (Two cans for men. One can of tuna for the ladies.) Add chopped up red onion (3oz) and tomato (3oz). One or two tbsp of the canola mayo, which is rich in mega-3 fats (good fats). Please be aware that one tbsp of canola mayo is 100 calories. Add Cholula Hot Sauce according to your taste and tolerance. Finally add a dash of kosher salt and black pepper and mixed it up. This is really a simple high protein and low carb meal.

The Nutrition Facts for this Spicy Tuna:

300-400 calories
25-45 g of protein
less than 3g carbs

You add this Spicy Tuna to brown rice, mixed green salad, and/or Nacho chips like Ken Yim.

Coach Tran’s Black Russian Metabolic Milk Shake

coachtran — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:25:09 +0000

Coach Tran’s Black Russian Metabolic Milk Shake

On my cheat days I indulge in forbidden drinks/foods. I believe in a moderate approach to health and fitness. You must have a 90/10 principle. As long you are good 90 percent of time, you can get away with cheating 10% of the time. So here is one of my favorite deserts on my cheat days. It is an alcoholic protein milk shakes.

I don’t encourage underage drinking. This shake is for responsible, active, and fit adults. If you work hard and eat 90/10, then you should reward yourself. I also don’t recommend drinking this shake daily or for you alcoholics. By the way I have a very low alcohol tolerance as my friends can confirmed from watching me get drunk easy. (I am a very happy and fun loving person when I drink from Bacchus’ cup.

Here is my recipe for Coach Tran’s Black Russian Metabolic Milk Shake:

· 2 glasses of milk
· 2 oz (2 tbsp/30 ml) of Starbuck’s Coffee Liqueur
· 1 oz of Georgi premium Four Time Distilled Vodka
· One scoop of BioTest Metabolic Drive ™ Vanilla flavor Protein powder
· Half a cup of ice

Add these ingredients into a blender for 30 sec and pour into nice glass cup and enjoy it. I hope you enjoy this Black Russian Metabolic Milk Shake. It goes well with Coach Tran’s Spicy Tuna or other spicy foods.

Drink in Good health!

Coach Bao D. Tran
Certified Circular Strength Training Coach
Certified and Licensed Master Trainer Kettlebell Coach

PS: Tell me what you think. Please use BioTest metabolic drive protein powder. There will be a difference in taste if you use other brands.

Coach Tran’s Favorite All Natural Sweeter

coachtran — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:24:00 +0000

There is a sweeter, which I personally love and think is a great healthy choice for health conscious individuals. Most should know that if you want to keep lean and mean, you should avoid refined sugar like it is a STD. So instead of using sugar (white, brown, cane, fructose, corn, honey), try USDA Organic Liquid Sweeter (Sweet Cactus Farms’ Blue Agave Syrup: Light mild taste).

This brand has been scientifically tested and it’s GI index is 19, which means it won’t spike your blood sugar level and it is suitable for diabetics, cow loving vegans, and God approved “Parve” (Kosher). Agave comes from the core of the cactus-like plant from Mexico. It is a natural sweeter and much more sweeter than refined white sugar. So you don’t have to use a lot of it. 90% of the fruit sugar from this plant absorb slowly into the body, decreasing the highs and lows in your blood sugar level. This make it a reasonable healthier sweeter over the other options.

What I like about this brand is you don’t have to use a lot of it to sweeten your beverage or foods. You have use a half tsp for your hot beverage or one tsp for your oatmeal. It is low in calories, sugars, and carbs. Plus it is all natural straight from mother earth!

Here is the Nutritional Facts for Sweet Cactus Farms’ Blue Agave Syrup: Light mild taste:

· One Tsp
· Calories 15
· Total Carbohydrates 4g/ Sugar is 4g
· Protein: 0 g
· Fat: 0 g
· GI Index: 19 (low)

I hope you can see the advantage of using this brand.

I hope you use this in good health.

Just don’t abuse it.

May your life be as sweet as Agave.

Your Coach,
Bao D. Tran
Certified Circular Strength Training Coach
Certified and Licensed Kettlebell Coach/Master Trainer

Coach Tran’s Nutty Power Snack

coachtran — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:21:51 +0000

The Almond is probably the best snack food for your dollar. Instead of processed and refined junk foods without any nutritional values as your snack, try eating nuts from mother earth. I recommend eating two ounces of nuts daily. I have read many books on weight and body fat lost and most nutritional experts all agreed that eating nuts (unless you allergic to it) is an excellent food source. Just remember to not consume more than two ounces a day if weight and body fat lost is your dietary goal. I have found protein, carb, and mixed metabolic types can do well eating nuts.

Before I give you my simple, cost effective, and healthy snack recipe, I recommend that you get a food scale to measure the weight and calories of your food. I use “Polder: 18oz Diet Utility Scale” at home. One of the best investments you can make in your dietary health. You will need this scale to weight the amount of nuts or other foods I will recommend in the future.

Here is my recipe:

· One ounce of raw almonds or walnuts
· 10-20 grams of dried blueberries or Goji Berries

Nutritional facts on Coach Tran’s Power Snack:

Almonds 1oz
· Calories: 180 calories
· Carbs: 6
· Protein: 6

Goji Berries 10 grams
· Calories: 40
· Carbs: 12
· Protein: 1g

Total
· Calories: 220
· Carbs: 18 grams
· Protein: 7

(If you want to drop weight faster, than leave out the dried fruits. Just have one ounce of almonds by itself.)

Measure your nuts and dried fruits on your food scale then add the proper amount into a eco friendly small sandwich bags, which you purchase at Wholefoods or your local health food store.

Please try to recycle your sandwich bags and save mother earth!

You can make 10 bags in advance and grab two bags with you when you leave the front door.

I always carry two bags with me daily. You can have these snacks in between meals.

The best part of this snack is really simple, healthy, low GI food, low calories, and has plenty of good fats to keep you healthy and lean. It is cheaper than buying chips and junk snacks. It is truly a very cost effective snack and it doesn’t need to be store in a cold icebox to stay fresh.

Here the data on Almonds:

Raw (not salted or roasted) Almonds are one of my favorite nuts to eat because of these health benefits:

· It may help to lower the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. They do this by lower the LDL (or bad) cholesterol in the body by significant amounts.

· It contains magnesium. Magnesium helps to improve the flow of blood, nutrients and oxygen throughout the body.

· It contains potassium, an important electrolyte. It helps with nerve functioning and also aids in the contraction of the heart muscles.

· A study in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders showed that a low calorie almond diet helped people lose more weight faster than those on a low calorie diet high in complex carbohydrates.

· A quarter cup of almonds contains more protein than a whole egg.

“We found that eating two servings of almonds can have a significant impact in blunting the glycemic and insulin responses of the body when fed with a meal high in carbohydrates,” said co-author Dr. Cyril Kendall from the University of Toronto. He added that including almonds in the diet may have implications for helping in the management of blood glucose levels. The health consequences of high blood glucose cause an estimated 3 million deaths worldwide annually, according to research published last year in The Lancet. A 1-ounce handful of almonds is an excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium, a good source of fiber, and offers protein, potassium, phosphorus, iron and monounsaturated fats.”

People have asked me how bout the sugar in the dried fruits. Dried fruits have plenty of vitamins, but yes it is high in sugar. This is why I only consume 10-20 grams of it, but almonds have been shown to slow down the sugar in the dried fruits. Look below.

“Further research shows that eating almonds along with a high glycemic index food significantly lowers the glycemic index of the meal and lessens the rise in blood sugar after eating. (Jones AR, Kendall CW, Metabolism)”

Enjoy it.

Eat in good health!

Your Coach,
Bao D. Tran

Book References/ Sources:

The Paleo diet
The TNT Diet
The Body Fat Solution
Cracking the fat Lost Diet
The Carb Cycling Diet
Good Calories/ Bad calories
Nature’s First law: The Raw Food Diet
and more books I have read but I cannot recall right now…