Affiliate overload and opting out
Written by Mike Cheliak on November 26, 2009 – 7:33 pm -I am guilty as the next person when it comes to learning about new fitness, nutrition and health ideas. I often purchase programs and products just to learn more. I don’t always or even often vary from my current schema but it’s always good to know more, learn more and adapt your plan if something new and improved comes along.
All this being said, I am (or was) an affiliate junky. I generate quite a bit of traffic on my sites and have always had a large number of affiliate links. I have also blogged and emailed affiliate information.
I have now decided that enough is enough. Over the last week, I have received 8 emails from 8 different people that I have done business with offering the SAME PRODUCT. I understand the dynamics of viral product marketing, affiliate crash marketing and all the other vehicles to sell more stuff. I have just decided that I am not going to participate any longer. The only thing I am keeping is Google Adsense because that only works if you see something you want more information about and you HAVE to click it to get it.
An email from a friend and online nutrition guru Brad Pilon was the reason. Brad spelled out that he was also tired of getting tonnes of identical emails from everyone he knows in the fitness industry. I also was an affiliate member of Brad’s program but have now opted out. I know he doesn’t mind becuase Brad is first and foremost a great guy. He also doesn’t sell other peoples stuff.
On top of me “opting out” of my affiliate memberships, I am also unsubscribing from every person that sent me that same old drivel over the last week. If I want information on something, I can data mine with the best of them using conventional search methods, some diligence and common sense.
Forums are a fantastic place to find info. There are millions of people just like yourself who share and learn just as you do. My suggestion is that you ditch the email subscriptions and go for the forum for information exchange.
I mean no disrespect to the people who sell their ideas and information…it’s something I may do one day. What I do object to is the constant interlink of emails that attempt to lure you into another program. Some of these link emails are actually for products and ideas that compete with and even contradict the person that is referring them.
Money is nice…but it isn’t everything and it certainly isn’t worth alienating the people that purchased your program in the first place.
In happiness and health as always,
Mike C
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Kids, Sports and Photos
Written by Mike Cheliak on November 20, 2009 – 4:24 pm -Not everyone is cut out to do Sports Photography and there are even fewer people who are able to meet the demands of Kids Sports Photography.
The dynamics of league photo days are extremely demanding and require your A-Game every time. As the photographer, you have to keep a 
captive audience of children ranging from 3 years old to 18 years old. The transitions you go through during the course of a large league photo day are numerous.
Being there, giving instructions and taking photos are about 1/10th of what you need to have when you are shooting. The other 90% of your duties range from drill Sergeant to goofy goober to comedian to pretty cool dude (or dudette as it were).
It is really a great feeling to accomplish a day where you shoot maybe 800 kids and everything happens according to plan. The only way to accomplish this is to have about 99 hats in your bag and the willingness and ability to wear anyone of them at any time.
The single shot of any child under the age of 10 (and some a little older than that), is a challenge in several ways. Some kids don’t feel comfortable smiling, some don’t like showing their missing teeth, some are cranky, not feeling well, tired, overactive, underactive, goofy, silly or REALLY upset and crying.
You MUST be prepared to react immediately to each and every child and to make adjustments on the fly. I can count (literally) on one hand how many shots I have to bypass each year due to a really upset, scared child. Sometimes I just have them step aside for a bit to watch stuff happen but in the end I can usually coax a smile or at least a “non-crying” photo from the little one.
That skill is not taught in a book, in a class or anywhere else for that matter. You either have it, or you don’t. If you don’t…go take wedding photos, nature photos, food photos or photos of anything else, but don’t bother doing sports, school or dance studio photos.
One of the keys to successfully shooting a large number of kids on schedule is the ability to set the tone right from the start. Be in charge, be funny, be happy and be VERY clear with your instructions. Get everyone’s attention, give them the rundown, get the coach to help “herd cattle” and then start shooting. The worst thing you can do is to be poky. Get to business, get the subject in position, focus and shoot.
People are amazed and sometimes shocked at how fast I shoot. I literally don’t give them time to think. In they go, stop, shoot, and move on. If you leave too much time fidgeting and messing around trying to be perfect, you will miss numerous opportunities. You have a very narrow window to keep a child’s attention and the younger they are, the quicker you need to be.
Sports league photography isn’t for everyone, in fact it is really for very few. You have to love working with kids, have the patience of Job, and have a quick mind, quicker wit and also the understanding that sometimes you have to crack the whip to keep control.
It’s fun, it’s challenging, it’s rewarding and it’s a big part of what I do.
In happiness and health as always.
Mike C
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The value of junk food in a nutritional plan
Written by Mike Cheliak on November 18, 2009 – 9:32 am -Most fitness and nutrition experts are staunch supporters of cheat meals in any nutritional plan. It goes without saying that even though our best intentions are always there when it comes to our health; we still end up with some kind of craving at some point.
In today’s world, we are bombarded with constant push and pull advertising about what you should eat, what you shouldn’t eat…I’m Lovin’ it…I’m hatin’ it…Total insanity!
Anyone who follows any kind of fitness and nutritional plan can most often point out and avoid (most of the time), things that don’t “fit” in their food choices. Whatever type of plan you follow, there are numerous common types of food that everyone knows are just plain and simply bad for you.
As I am in a phase right now where I am leaning out, I have been regimented about my eating. I have completely eliminated grains & processed foods (except my protein shakes) and I have spread out my eating over 6 smaller meals.
The plan is good and works for me. I did however mention “cheat meals” and the need for them. When you are restricting your food choices and being faithful to a leaning out process, you really should limit your cheats. 10% of the time during normal phases is acceptable but you really should limit yourself as much as possible.
How is junk food valuable to a nutrition plan? Last night I was doing my usual running the kids around, shooting some hockey photos on ice and running around. I didn’t have enough time to complete dinner so I told everyone that it was take out fast food/cheat night.
Of all the choices for my cheat meal of the week (once a week is pretty much it), the LAST place I would choose is McRaunchies. As a member of a semi-democratic household, I capitulated to the wishes of the other members.
We haven’t food from that place for a long time (the kids had it in the summer). We all had various selections of burgers and fries. I had something that rhymes with SMORTER SHMOUNDER (no cheese please) and fries.
Here is where the value of junk food finally comes in. It sucked! Yep, my one and only cheat meal this week was wasted on absolute garbage. I could have had a few slices of carnivore, hot pepper pizza, some fish and chips, a gyro, a “toasted” sub or ANYTHING ELSE.
I wasn’t the only one as my son even said his stomach didn’t feel great after eating. Needless to say it will be a LONG time (never say never) before we ever grab a quick “bite” from the house of McRaunch.
And so the value of junk food in a nutritional plan is that is truly does display how crappy food becomes when it has been killed of any nutritional value, processed beyond recognition, covered in grease and trans fat and served to BILLIONS every year.
The house of McRaunch isn’t the only place you can find this type of food but it is the poster child for it.
In happiness, health and a little cheeky fun!
Mike C
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The value of a recovery week
Written by Mike Cheliak on November 9, 2009 – 8:51 pm -It’s time to take a recovery week. I likely should have taken this week before starting my 30 runs in 30 days but I found myself “inspired” and didn’t do it. Add a very long 13 hour day of crouching and taking photos of little hockey players…and you get a silly soft tissue injury (lower back and groin). It was a silly little off-balance thing where someone bumped me while I was squatting down and “TWEAK” there it was.
I have blogged about recovery weeks before but this is a different way to look at this often overlooked training tool. Yes you heard me right…a training tool! Recovery weeks don’t mean just sit and do nothing but rather take a break from serious fitness. Take a walk, light stretch an easy bike ride…something light.
Think of your body as a machine. When we are active in our fitness pursuits whether it be endurance, sport specific fitness, power lifting, body building or anything in between; we stress our bodies.
Stressing your body by working out rigorously is the only way to achieve results in whatever category you fall into. Running, lifting, intervals, plyometrics and the higher stress exercise regimens that we follow are challenging our body’s ability to recover after each and every workout.
A planned rest/recovery week is not only advised; it is critical to your success! Our body needs a chance to “relax” and “recharge” in order to ensure we are maximizing our gains during our training weeks. Every 12 weeks is the standard accepted period of time, however you can take it earlier if you are feeling burned out. Don’t confuse “burnout” with “lack of motivation”. You should really push yourself to do your best for the 12 weeks and then plan your rest week.
Another side of this is recovery is the mental side. When we are truly focused and training hard and with intensity; our minds are under stress to keep that mental edge and to force our body to perform at a higher level. A recovery week allows you to relax a bit and to focus your thoughts on other things.
The benefit of a recovery week is also a good time to revisit your nutritional and fitness plans. During this week, you are going to need a lot less food due to the decrease in output. You need to use this time to adjust, tweak and try new things to help you refocus on your nutrition.
You can also use this week to plan out your next 12 weeks of workouts. Ideally you should be practicing a good method of periodization which will change your routine at regular time intervals.
This practice helps to keep the body from adapting (we do that VERY well) and can be anything from varying your exercise selection, weight load, rep count, set count, rest period or any combination of those. Your periodization can be based on a weekly switch, a daily mix up or just a nice complete change every 4-6 weeks.
If you are like me, often times you make an excuse to keep going without a rest. I just started a new routine or I have to look good in the bridesmaids dress or I am ALMOST at 405 on the bench or I am doing this 30 runs in 30 days challenge and I feel INSPIRED!
The trick is..PLAN your week off, plan your workouts, plan your periodization an most of all plan on having a well deserved rest so you can start fresh in only 7 days!
In happiness and (rested) health as always!
Mike C.
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