80% of what YOU are looking for with your body and health comes from our nutrition and lifestyle protocols – real food, setting circadian rhythms, addressing sleep, getting sun exposure, grounding, and experimenting with meditation & mindfulness. when you throw in a functional fitness modality such as CrossFit, especially from a box that has expert instruction and expert programming such as The CrossFit Combine, your health, your body composition, and your life take on a whole new trajectory. take Eric for example. . .
Eric Mason is one of my greatest inspirations. I can still remember the first time I met him at another CrossFit gym, exactly this same time last year. shortly after, he joined us at The CrossFit Combine and immediately enrolled in our first Combine’d SuperHuman Transformation challenge. since then, he’s just never been the same.
Eric followed the nutrition and lifestyle progressions DURING the challenge TO THE T. he was extremely diligent and saw tremendous results. even AFTER the challenge, he continues to remain diligent! by following my rotational calendar, attending seminars and events to stay engaged, and taking advantage of my periodic maintenance program emails, he has 100% completely transformed into a lifelong SuperHuman.
on the fitness side, Eric is one of the most dedicated athletes I’ve ever seen. committed to excellence, committed to form, rarely misses weekday classes, and it all shows. his body looks ridiculous, his performance continues to get better and better, and all the things we expect to see are also there – high and consistent energy levels, clarity of mind, mental focus, emotional stability. . . and all these things just keep getting better and better.
here’s what Eric has to say. . .
“I began exercising with my father at a young age. I grew up in the gym with my father teaching me everything he knew about good form and proper nutrition to hit my goals. I would read muscle magazines, buy books, and I would spend hundreds of dollars on the latest and greatest muscle supplements. I had an image in my head of what I wanted to look like. I was a bodybuilder in a non-bodybuilder body. I struggled with consistency, I would change workout routines, and I would follow the next big diet tip I could find. I would become easily frustrated and defeated when I wouldn’t see the results I wanted, and I would start and stop going to the gym like a yo-yo goes up and down. My resolution was to try one of the most popular workout programs being offered on television today. In 90 days I looked good and I was somewhat feeling good, but as soon as the program was over, I stopped working out for over a year.
“A year ago I thought I would try out CrossFit at PFC CrossFit. This is where I first ran into Paul. I would see him interact with other members at the box, but I didn’t really know what his gig was. After 30 days, my trial membership was up. I decided to continue training, but chose a box closer to my home – The CrossFit Combine. When I arrived on my first day, I was surprised to see that Paul was one of the coaches. I recognized him, he recognized me, and that day became the day my life was about to change in ways I would never imagine were possible. I signed up for Paul’s 56-day SuperHuman Transformation challenge. As I was learning the basic elements of CrossFit, Paul was tackling the one area that had always been challenging for me in all of the years I have been working out. This area was the nutritional aspect. Notice I did not say “diet” because the truth is “dieting” is restrictive. Paul’s program went against everything I was ever taught in bodybuilding nutrition and what I learned growing up. I kept saying to myself, “Eric, you have to trust the process.”
“What I learned in the process of this challenge is how to eat properly with foods that were nutrient-dense and not processed. Paul walked me through nutrition seminars on the weekends that taught me that low-fat was not the healthy route, most foods are filled with refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup, and most foods have been so processed that the nutrients that are good for you have been completely stripped from the food product. As I continued through the challenge, I continued to trust the process, I showed up each day for the CrossFit workouts, and most importantly I stayed off of the scale. It wasn’t about the numbers; rather the focus was on how I felt.
“After the first 30 days, I noticed I had more energy, I was in better moods, my skin was softer, and I began to look I healthy as I felt. I used to struggle mentally with eating. I would beat myself up after each meal, and I could never sit down and actually enjoy what I was eating. This was no longer true for me. I was eating, and I was eating guilt free.
“I continue to follow Paul’s program today. I refuse to eat toxic foods that others try to convince me are good for me. I eat foods that are in their most natural state, non-GMO, and are full of nutrients. I continue to eat guilt free, and I continue to CrossFit regularly. My life has changed forever. Today I can say that I look good, but that is not really what is the most important. What is most important is that I feel better than I have ever felt….EVER! At 44-years old, I can tell you that I don’t worry so much about trying to keep up with the young fire breathers. They worry about keeping up with me!”
