Interview with Rick Seedman

It is with pleasure that I post my most recent interview I conducted with Rick Seedman.

Rick is a personal trainer from New York. I found out about him after watching his entry video for G4’s American Ninja Challenge on YouTube. I was amazed at the amount of strength he displayed in the video and requested an interview.

Enjoy!

1. Could you tell us a little about your background and how you got started in fitness?
   Since my earliest memory, I have been exceptionally physically active. Everyone in my family is an athlete; even my grandmother has won gold medals in the Senior Olympics. Strength & conditioning, flexibility, visualization, meditation, running, biking, swimming, surfing, kayaking, rock climbing, acrobatics, kickboxing, boxing, wrestling, grappling and martial arts are activities that I engage in on a regular basis. I also have a background in music and art.
2. What is your current workout routine like?
   Grappling- 3 x’s per wk.Running- 3 x’s per wk. distance 1 x per wk.Swimming- 2 x’s per wk.Biking- everyday, sprints and long distance 2-3 x’s per wk.Body weight exercises- 4 x’s per wk.Rock Climbing- 1x per wk. (4 hours)Kayaking- 1x per wk. (8 miles)Flexibility- Everyday keep up front splits and hamstring stretches. Work on middle split and butterfly stretches. Work on back and shoulder flexibility.Body Weight Circuit (No breaks, 2 circuits)- Planche, two finger assisted method for one arm chin-ups/dips, Squats with weight vest, Flags, Leg ups parallel bars/hanging finger grips, Upside down hanging iron cross with weights, one leg squats with weight vest and Pull-up variations with weight vest.Studying- reading, mental exercisesOther workouts- Jump rope, boxing, kickboxing3. Could you describe your diet? Do you take supplements as well?
   Only clean fresh food. Having a busy schedule keeps me from eating home less than I would prefer. However, I watch what I eat and stay completely away from sweets, fats, and junk food. I eat lean meat, fish, vegetables and fruit. I don’t add any sugar, salt or cheese to anything.
   Not too many supplements; nothing replaces real foods. I take fish oil capsules, flaxseeds and Amino Vital energy gels as needed. I drink at least a gallon of water a day.
3. You display an amazing amount of strength in your video for the American Ninja Warrior contest. Could you briefly explain how you’ve developed your strength?
   Here is the link to the entry vid. http://youtube.com/watch?v=ffV5wtjhDQUHere is some extra footage http://youtube.com/watch?v=9gOkYqjuEdg
   I’ve been fortunate to have a great work ethic, and my strength dates back as far as I can remember. At five years old in Karate class they would hold handstand and pushup contests. The sensei used to tell the other students twice and three times my age, “Give up now because Rick won’t”. I was able to outlast teens, black belts and anyone in the class. This gave me confidence that I could do anything in fitness. I attribute much of my success to attitude, friends and family as well as my workout routine. I thrive on a challenge and will always push myself further mentally and physically. I’m goal driven and when training for Ninja Warrior I have fun and enjoy myself without thinking of the pain, strain, or what obstacles lay ahead. You always have to be challenging yourself. Oh, and a lot of fingertip pull-ups. Sorry, that wasn’t too brief. Hahaha
4. In your opinion, what is the first thing a person should do when attempting to lose weight?
   Do subtraction rather than addition. Pick the worst thing in your diet and take it out, rather than adding anything new. Consistency, commitment and control are needed to reach goals and dreams.
5. What is your advice for staying motivated to workout?
   You have to be enthusiastic to succeed. You have to enjoy what you are doing.
6. Is there a fitness myth that you would like to debunk?
   Yes, everybody is capable of being in great shape. No excuses. Stop finding reasons not to do it. Look up Kyle Maynard for inspiration and motivation if you think you have a good reason.
7. What are some things to keep in mind to help avoid injuries when exercising?
   Once you begin to worry about getting hurt you may end up getting hurt.
   With exercise everything is progression. If your working out with 20 pounds don’t think you can all of a sudden do 50lbs.
   Do not over train. When I was younger I actually trained 7 days a week for 8 hours a day hard! It burns you out mentally and physically. It made me tough in the long run but it’s not healthy. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. “You have to work extremely hard, then work hard on recovery.” Dan Gable (ice, rest, relaxation, meditation, massage, studying) Rest and recovery are as important as exercise.
8. I’ve read that one of your future goals is to compete in the Ironman. Have you already begun training?
   Yes! Rarely do I take a day off. I do 100M bike rides often. I have the A1A Marathon in Feb. 2008 and am training extensively in swimming.
9. Is there anything you would like to add?
   Be self-motivated! Enjoy yourself!!!
   
   Performing supersets is a great way to work a lot more of your muscles in a lot less time. It is commonly performed when interval training. Supersets are a really efficient way to workout and if you read up on interval training, you’ll discover that it burns fat more effectively than typical cardio sessions. Actor Jason Statham used intervals to lose 17 pounds in 6 weeks. He states that he never achieved results like it before. The best part is that by using supersets, you can get in a very good workout under an hour.
   Definition of a superset:Alternating back and forth between two exercises until the prescribed number of sets is completed. (Read more on common fitness terminology.)