The Olympus Project – Experiments in Fitness, Nutrition and Lifestyle

What started as a conversation about the audacious claims of almost unthinkable physical feats made by Timothy Ferriss in his book 4 Hour Body, became the plan of two men to see just what the human body is capable of…

 

 

Today begins a 12 week journey of physical and nutritional experimentation.  In my quest to inspire my patients and readers to pursue positive life choices, I’ve decided to share mine and my associate David Francis’ experiments with fitness and nutrition which have affectionately become known as The Olympus Project.

Fitness

The fitness portion of the Olympus Project stems from reading Tim Ferriss’ best seller The Four Hour Body.   His experiments in lifestyle design led him to research endurance training techniques with Brian Mackenzie of Cross-Fit Endurance.  I was intrigued by the workout program listed in his book which claimed the ability to run from 5k to 50k following his 12 week training program.

 

Taking a look at the workout program, it’s heavily laden with weight training, speed work, and emphasizes high intensity–low volume work.  As a former collegiate sprinter, not too fond of distance running, I marveled at the possibility of making serious endurance gains without the traditional, bone grinding, high mileage training regime.

 

Olympus Project Exercise Plan

 

So, we’ve decided to follow the program–documenting our successes and failures all in a real-world scenario (Work, kids, etc.).

Nutrition

Knowing one can’t achieve physical goals without proper nutrition, we are following the NRG Diet and Lifestyle Compass nutritional plan.  My patient’s often ask, do you eat the way you preach?

 

The answer is yes, mostly.

 

We strive to maintain a healthy diet, rich in organically grown proteins, essential fats, and vegetables.  During the Olympus Project,  we will be following a “Real food” program as closely as possible to maximize our physical potential.

 

So combining a speed and  strength focused, low-volume training technique with a whole food, real food diet what can we expect to happen?

Goals, Baseline Measurements and Before Photos

While we are deviating a little from the exact claim that one can run 31 miles after twelve weeks, our goals are still audacious, especially considering that conventional wisdom states more mileage is the only/best way to prepare for an endurance race.

Dr. Curtis (Age 40)

Goals

1.  Run a 5 K in 24:00 min

2.  Run a 1/2 Mile in 2:30 sec

3.  Complete a 1/2 Marathon

4.  Regain my six pack

5.  Drop my body fat below 16%

6.  Achieve better flexibility in my lower back and hamstrings

Pre-Measurements

12-10-2012

waist 92 cm

Hip 101 cm

Left Bicep 33 cm

Right Bicep 32 cm

Right thigh 58.5 cm

Left thigh 57 cm

Chest 99 cm

Neck 39 cm

Weight 183.2 lbs

Body Fat  18.9%

 

 

David Francis (Age 30)

Goals

1. Run 1 mile in less than 5 minutes

2. Run a marathon

3. Gain 5 pounds of muscle

Pre-Measurements

12-10-2012

waist 82 cm

Hip 92 cm

Left Bicep 28 cm

Right Bicep 28 cm

Right thigh 51 cm

Left thigh 53 cm

Chest 96 cm

Neck 35.5 cm

Weight 142.6 lbs

Body Fat  16.5%

 

 

 

Regardless of age or current health, I hope this project inspires my patients and readers to undertake their own experiment, overcoming obstacles and improving their health in ways never previously realized.

 

So here goes….nothing ventured, nothing gained!