I'm not sure how many people know that my wife of 20 years has had a heart condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy along with Microvalve Prolapse with marginal regurgitation. From birth, she has had an irregularly shaped heart where a ventricle doesn't sit correctly on the chamber below.

She noticed that something wasn't correct when she kept getting up and getting really dizzy.

Fast forward to the timeline, after a number of cardiologists and stress testing out the yin-yang, they all came up with the same diagnosis... To be put on ace inhibitors for now and down the road look into a valve replacement to ultimately a pacemaker.

You have to understand, my wife IS the "crunchy" Northern California type of woman. "All natural, gluten-free, no GMO, organic as all get out. So being put on a drug for the rest of her life didn't sit well at all.

After the fourth or fifth round of Xio patch testing, we decided to do it the way I have always spoken about. Instead of treating the snapshot photograph or treating the symptoms, we should look at the motion picture of her life and change the "lifestyle".

I revamped her entire training protocol to include a 50/50 split of Strength Training AND Conditioning, adjusting BOTH with Maximum Efforts and Dynamic Efforts along with Long Slow Distances as well as High-Intensity Interval Training, keeping a watchful eye on proper heart rate monitoring.

On the other side, we employed a well-thought-out Adaptogenic program with the help of a REAL Doctor who also believes in the "holistic" approach with both supplements as well as (and more importantly) REAL foods.

While appeasing the Medical Doctors so we could continue monitoring her heart with stress tests and Xio patches we worked hard on what we could do on our own without pharmaceuticals.

Two years and graphing her progress, my wife has worked her heart's shape back to almost "normal" according to the Medical Professionals, and has reduced the ejection fraction rate to the "normal" range.

You might be wondering why I'm sharing all of this. Well, she mentioned to me that while she was at her Beekrum (sp?) Yoga this weekend, she looked down at her watch/heart rate monitor and it read 50 BPM. FIFTY BEATS PER MINUTE??? Yes, the average heart rate at rest is normalized at 70-75 and her's is 1/4 of that. That means her Oxygen uptake value is much better than the average person.

What's so amazing about that? She is the first to tell you that it's because she has a World Class Strength and Conditioning Coach and a Doctor that believes in looking at the entire motion picture.

Why do I think it's so amazing? SHE never works ALL OUT!

Don't get me wrong, it's not that she's lazy. No, no, no...far from it! She is simply disciplined to do the RIGHT THINGS without making excuses. But, she doesn't "live for the burn" of weightlifting. She doesn't like the "Delayed onset of Muscle Soreness". She doesn't want to feel the "Runner's High", nor does she want to compete like she did when she was seeking Olympic Dreams as a figure skater when she was younger.

NO! She is simply consistent as a metronome when it comes to Strength and Conditioning.

She doesn't go "Commercially Hard" but she doesn't miss a day EVER!

When everyone else is having a piece of cake for dessert, she'll opt out for fresh fruit.

She isn't going to squat 4 and a half times her weight, (but does squat 315@104 lbs) but she is going to squat every squat day!

She's not running marathon distances nor is she going sub-5 minutes per mile, but she is doing 3-5 miles daily with her dog in tow or she's pushing a prowler or doing sprints.

All of what I am writing about is to simply state, How hard must you train to be in shape? It's a LOT less than what everyone is making it out to be, as long as you are consistent with your plan.

No excuses, just results!

Don't be lazy...AMF!

Today's Training:

AirDyne: 10-10-10

Cycle: Commute

Prowler: 10x80 yds

Deadlift: 4 RM

GHR: 4x12

Shrugs: 4x10

Dead Hangs: 40 seconds

Cycle: Commute