INTRODUCING: “The Blue Collar Sessions”

My dad worked as a line worker at a Xerox photocopier plant when I was growing up.

He has a degree in Marketing, but as an immigrant who was trying to master the language, working a line was a steady and secure way to make an income.

For 30 years of his life – and all of my childhood – my dad would wake up at 4:45am every morning, prep his lunch and jump in the car for a 45minute drive to the Xerox Factory by the airport just outside of Toronto.

He did this when there was 6 feet of snow on the ground.

He did this in 40-degree (104 Farenheit) heat when the AC was out.

He did this even when I know he didn?t want to?

?just so that he could make enough money to put his 2 sons (with enormous appetites, I might add) through college.

My dad Did The Work.

He was an OPERATOR.

There were no questions about ?feeling inspired?.

There were no questions about taking ?time for himself?.

In fact I don?t remember a single day when he called in sick.

My dad didn?t complain? he just ?shut up and did the work?.

My dad was the essence of what it meant to be ?Blue Collar?.

I?m damn proud of that and to call Titus Lopez (that?s his name) ?My Dad?.

So this is dedicated to him?

There are times in our training and in our lives when we don?t have enough time.

When we just conceivably CAN?T be on a program.

When life gets in the way and you?ve got a sick kid, and a presentation you have to prepare for, and then coaching duties for another kid and making time for that other important thing called ?marriage?.

It?s these times in our lives where we have to approach our health AS A PROFESSIONAL? as an OPERATOR.

Where we can dedicate just 20 minutes twice per week, ?punch the clock? and just DO THE WORK.

Where we have to take a ?Blue Collar? approach with our health and just get done what we need to get done because it?s important.

Like putting food on the table.

After all, it?s our health.

Even if we don?t want to, even if we don?t have time? because we only have 15-20 minutes.

And we ALWAYS have 15-20 mins.

In my experience as a father, husband, entrepreneur & fitness professional, the minimum effective dose (M.E.D.) for ?working out? is twice per week.

It?s not ideal, but if you?re able to do something at least TWICE per week, you can still make progress.

So every Monday and Thursday on my #AlphaDAD website I?m going to post what I call ?Blue Collar Sessions? or ?BCSs?.

Here’s your first one…

BCS #001

You?ll need a single ?Prime Kettlebell?.

***A ?Prime Kettlebell? is the kettlebell you feel most comfortable using. It?s not heavy, but it?s not light. It?s the kettlebell where, if you had to evacuate a burning house and could only take one kettlebell with you, this would be it. I?m guessing for men it would be a single 20 or 24kg – maybe a 32 if you?re really strong. For a woman it would be a 12kg or a 16kg.***

Set your timer for 15 or 20 minutes and do the following.

1. Perform a ?Deep 6?. That is?

• Swing x 1
• Clean x 1
• Press x 1
• Squat x 1
• Snatch x 1
• Get Down, then Get Up x 1

2. Then don?t rest and do a ?Cook Drill??

• • Overhead walk x 20m
  • Rack walk x 20m
  • Suitcase walk x 20m

(If you don’t have 20m of space, then I’d like you to march with high knees for 20 reps)

Park the KB, rest if needed and perform the entire thing on the other side.

Do as many rounds as you can within the 15-20 minutes.

And don’t forget…PERFECT TECHNIQUE is King.