Tony Dungy Red Zone Kickoff 2009

When you enter the red zone in football, the intensity and pressure increases. You find out if the training you’ve done as an individual and team comes together to put points on the board…or deny points in the case of defense. Tony Dungy, NFL Super Bowl winning Coach for the Indianapolis Colts, recently shared with area players his keys for success in the red zone.

In front of thousands of young athletes, coaches, and fans at PrestonwoodBaptistChurch, Dungy and other notable NFL players and coaches offered insight on four elements: Performance, Conditioning, Teamwork, and Character (PCTC).

Starting with Performance, Dungy made an example out of Colts back up QB Jim Sorqi. While Sorqi rarely sees action in a game, Dungy says he works and prepares as if he starts. He studies the specifics of his craft, becomes the set of eyes to see what Peyton Manning can not, and he stands confident to take over if needed. And, Sorqi himself says Performance requires a commitment to doing your job 100%.

How incredible that Dungy took the QB we know least about and made him the example of Performance. We all know what Manning can do, right? That’s the key to Performance - you give 100% no matter your position or place on the team.

Conditioning, the second key to success in the red zone,requires more than just lifting weights and attending practice. According to John Torine, the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Colts, nutrition, hydration, and adequate rest all play a major role in players executing at their best level. According to studies, sites Torine, athletes need to be in bed before midnight to be ‘training ready’. He revealed to all of the players they need 7-9 hours of sleep each night.

Physical conditioning and preparation goes without saying, but what about mental conditioning? Football, like many sports, requires a high level of mental preparation. Peyton Manning put it this way, “Pressure is something you feel when you don’t know what you’re doing.” Thus, conditioning your mind to make the proper decisions when called upon moves you past average.

Michael Irvin, former Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver, echoed Manning’s focus on decision making. Having learned from experience, Irving told the young football players to act wisely in who they hang around and who they follow, “Do not decide to give something in 15 minutes that will cost you 15 years.”

I can’t help but pause here for reflection. This is crucial in many of our lives. We feel pressure everyday at work and at home. And for many of you, daily pressure exists in regard to eating and exercising. How well are you conditioning your mind to make the right decision in 15 minutes that will not cost you 15 pounds later? How many of you physically condition well, then sabotage everything you just worked hard for by eating fast food or a dinner too high in sugar, fat, or alcohol?

Think about the situations you face that trigger you to drop the ball in the red zone so to speak. Start preparing your mind to make better decisions. Roll play in your head choosing different so you score the kind of points you want.

Teamwork, another key to success,hinges on a certain chemistry among players. Dungy says his teams have been made up of 53 guys who may not be the best in talent, but they are 53 guys who have chemistry together and will get the job done. The key, according to Dungy, is focusing on the relationships. He went back to Sorqi as an example. Sorqi may never play a down in the game, but he gets everyone ready. “When we win, I win,” says Sorqi who Manning trusts to step in at any time.

I hope all this is sounding familiar. I can not help but make the comparison between the keys to success Dungy shares with what many of you have asked with regard to weight loss and a healthier lifestyle. We’ve talked about commitment, nutrition, hydration in this blog. We’ve mentioned surrounding yourself with right people and making wise decisions in the face of tough feelings as a part of a new healthier lifestyle. But where do we derive the above things? Dungy says for football players, they come from Character, the fourth and final key to success in the red zone. I think that holds true for the rest of us.

State Championship Head Coach Randy Allen of Highland Park confirmed Dungy’s conviction about Character with the audience, “I’d rather have a player of average ability and great character than a player with great ability and average character.”

Character relates to your attitude and actions when no one is looking. It defines your work ethic and decision-making. It enables you to put points on the board or deny points selflessly and in unity with your team. You alone decide what your Character gets you. Talent alone is not enough and sometimes a barrier to the hard work and chemistry needed to define success in the red zone.

Kip Fit Tip: Ask yourself how you are doing in each of these areas. Be honest in your evaluation and change what is needed for you to achieve a healthier lifestyle. When the intensity and pressure increase in life, how well prepared are you to perform clean eating and moving? Do you give 100%? Have you conditioned yourself to respond appropriately both mentally and physically to the demands of exercising and eating right? How well does character drive your decision making? Do you cave to peer pressure? Do you surround yourself with others who are leading the kind of lifestyle you desire?

Stay inspired,

Kip #45

This week, working a conditioning camp for football players at Zoom Sports Performance, I realized I contained the secret to the fountain of youth! At 43, I demonstrated the cone drills and then the final sprint and ladder timed drill. My 21-year-old counterpart exclaimed he’d rather be in bed. And, when my friend asked him why he was allowing me to do it, he replied, ‘because she loves it and I knew she would.’ He’s right!

So what enables me to keep up with and in some ways surpass 20-somethings? What’s the secret to the fountain of youth? What gives me more energy and desire?

The answer lies in two key things which I recently shared at Eden’s Organic Garden Market Days. First, you have to answer this question: Are you ready to do whatever it takes to accomplish your goal to lose weight and keep it off.

If you answer ‘yes’, then it’s time to quit making excuses. The next 365 days will pass, what will be different a year from now? It starts now! Workout even if you don’t ‘feel’ like it. Go to the gym or head out into your neighborhood even if you feel uncomfortable and embarrassed.

For some of you who follow this blog, we started talking about ‘readiness’ back in January. So, how are you doing? Entering into the 4^th quarter of the year, you should be well on your way to a changed lifestyle. If you’re not or you’ve stumbled along the way, then consider this your chance to answer the question again and get a different result.

Family get-togethers, vacations, birthdays, and holidays are no longer excuses to indulge. Genetics, your age…nope, you can’t use those either to get you out of doing what you need to do to reach your goals. If you’re like me and the fat deposits on your body quicker than your best friend, then all that means is you have to work smarter and harder.

Taking the easy way out stops now. Drive thru fast food is not an option for you or your kids. Rain, snow, sleet no longer mean you can get out of doing what’s right.

The second key involves clean eating and moving. That should not be a shock to you. How else could I, at 43, keep up with those half my age out on a football field or sprint up five parking lot ramps during boot camp following 20 jump squats and 20 pushups?

By now I am certain you discovered diets don’t work. No quick fix or deprivation diet will yield you the results you want long term. And, whatever diet you choose, better make sure it’s something you can do for a lifetime. When you stop or go off the diet, I can pretty much guarantee the weight will return and so will your lack of energy.

Clean eating provides a healthy relationship with food, steady weight loss success, and a beautiful body. In fact 80% of the body you want directly involves the diet you employ.

Some basic principles of clean eating include:

1. 5 or 6 small meals every day

    

2. eating every 2-3 hours

    

3. combining a lean protein (chicken) with vegetables and complex carbohydrates (sweet potato)

    

4. never missing breakfast

    

5. avoiding processed, refined foods

    

6. depending on fresh fruits and vegetables

    

7. measuring your portions

    

8. drinking 2 liters or more of water per day

    

For nearly ten years, clean eating moved me an overweight housewife and mom to fit, professional athlete who engages in sports right along with her kids. The clean eating lifestyle improves and renews your body without denial and without going hungry. The cost of clean eating is no more than a regular grocery bill. There are no pre-packaged meals or supplements.

I highly recommend the Clean Eating Magazine and Tosca Reno’s series of books The Eat Clean Diet. It is easy to follow if you hate to cook like myself yet wonderfully creative if you do.

Equally important in remaining youthful is exercise. Again, if you are not seeing the results on your body you want, the first place to look is your nutrition. The second place to review focuses on the type, intensity, and duration of your exercise.

Only a small portion of us can blame metabolism and genetics as the true culprit. Inconsistent eating leave the body thinking its starving and holds the food as fat. Sedentary lifestyles decrease metabolism. Yet, metabolism is not a fixed number. You can change it. More lean muscle mass increases metabolism.

Your exercise program needs to include:

1. cardio exercise at least 5 days a week to lose weight for a minimum of 30-50 minutes where your intensity is testing you

    

2. heart rate between 60-80% of your maximum

    

3. resistance/weight training at least 3 days a week working all the major muscle groups of the body

    

4. regular stretching

    

5. changing up your exercise routine every 8-12 weeks

    

6. make sure you check with your doctor before starting any exercise program

    

Truth be told, a casual stroll through the neighborhood three nights a week will not cut it. It may sound like I am demanding perfection. No, but I do want you see how easy it is to give an excuse. And, I do want you to see the reality of life. It involves dedication, discipline, and hard work. You got this!

Kip Fit Tip: check out www.collagevideo.com or www.beachbody.com for great DVD’s to use at home. They are cost effective, provide a means to workout at home if you can’t get to a gym or rec center.

Stay Inspired,

Kip #45