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Interview With Coach Eddie Lomax
Q. Can you give us some background about yourself?
A. Hi. I've been involved in sports of one form or another all my life. I've participated in swimming, football, weight lifting and my all time favorite wrestling. Of course, preparing for sports led to an obsessive interest in staying fit, losing fat and improving performance over a wide range of physical abilities. A few years ago, I decided to share my knowledge on the Internet and founded the Optimum Fitness Network LLC.
Q. What got you started in fitness?
A. Basically, an active lifestyle and the drive for self improvement. My start in fitness was for purely selfish reasons in the beginning. I wanted to look and perform better. But what I noticed is that once you reach some level of personal success in fitness, fat loss and performance improvement, others seek you out. Then it became apparent that I should use my knowledge to help others meet and exceed their fitness, fat loss and physique goals.
Q. What is it about fitness that you love so much?
A. I think we are "hard wired" instinctively to want to be fit. Regardless of what the social trend is at the time, there is always this little voice inside pushing us to improve. Our body wants us to be fit for survival (even though we don't think about it much these days). So when we satisfy that little voice by improving performance, losing fat, becoming stronger, etc., we satisfy an evolutionary desire that resides at our very core. There is no greater satisfaction than that!
Q. What adversities have you had to overcome?
A. My biggest adversity was moving to Chile with my wife to help with her dad who had a massive stroke. Not the move itself, or having to focus my fitness business on the Internet (which ultimately allows me to help more people). But my inability to help my father-in-law with his physical problems. When I see "healthy" people not doing anything to improve themselves it really makes me mad. Seeing people take their fitness for granted is tough to take sometimes.
Q. What are your favorite and least favorite exercises?
A. I like compound exercises that work a lot of muscles at the same time. I think they are the exercises that improve abilities you can use outside the gym as well as inside. My all time favorite is the Front Squat. Sometimes I make a full workout doing just the Front Squat - Overhead Press Combo. After the workout, I feel as if I can walk through walls.
My least favorite exercises are anything that force you to go to the gym. Mostly I don't like machine exercises very much. Single joint machine exercises are the worst, unless you are in rehabilitation.
Q. What are your tips for the beginner, intermediate and advanced?
A. For the beginner: start with bodyweight exercises. In today's society, you'd be surprised how many people can't move their own bodies with any level of skill. Even children need to learn how to move and work against the resistance of their own body. So, get comfortable with your own body before you add resistance.
For intermediate: Plan and Progression. Make sure you are following a plan that is designed to get the results you are after. Then make sure you are following the plan and progressing step by step towards your goals. You have to be training for something and moving towards it.
For the advanced: Variety. Use as many different training methods, bodyweight, dumbbell, barbell, kettlebell, sandbag, sled pulling/pushing, etc. as you can. Switch your routine frequently and challenge yourselves. Rotate between general fitness, fat loss, strength and size workouts as well as aerobic and anaerobic style workouts. Your body is advanced and needs a lot of variety to keep improving.
Q. Where do you stand on the use of steroids and supplements?
A. Steroids? Don't do them, period.
Supplements? I like them. But let me explain. Regardless of what your goal is, I believe your diet is the biggest factor. (Hard to admit for someone who concentrates on effective workout programs for a living.) Then your training program. Then your lifestyle. And then supplements.
If you get your diet, training and lifestyle working toward a common goal, you'll go far. Supplements can help you achieve your dietary needs and help you recover faster, so they should be added. I think too often people think supplements can replace diet, training and lifestyle, but it can't. However, it can help your diet, training and lifestyle, so they are important. I think the post workout shake is one of the most effective forms of supplementation.
Q. What are your future goals?
A. Personally, I want to keep improving. My 40th birthday is coming up soon, but I don't think I've peeked yet. So, I'm going to keep working hard and improving every day.
In business, I've got some really cool products coming out this year. I want to keep helping people achieve their fitness, fat loss and physique goals. Other great workout programs are only part of the plan. I'm working on coming up with other ways to reach more people and actually get them to dedicate themselves to self improvement.
Q. What is the toughest part about fitness for you?
A. Working against pre-conceived notions. Most people have read about or participated in some form of training, and come to a new workout program with preconceived ideas. Sometimes it is hard to get people to try something new. I always find it interesting how people hold on to some ideas so strongly, even though they have failed to produce results. They keep doing the same thing over and over again, getting the same lack of results. For me, the results of your training are what count. Did you get stronger? Did you build muscle? Did you burn fat? Some people will not change their eating habits, workout program or lifestyle no matter what. It is hard for me to see them spend so much time and effort on something that will never produce the results they want. Sad really.
Q. Is there anything else you would like to say?
A. Just, have a great workout today! Remember, no matter where you are in the world, I'm out there pushing myself to become leaner, better, stronger and more athletic every day. So, get out there and push yourselves. If you want to join me, just head over to Workout Without Weights and start realizing YOUR fitness, fat loss and physique building goals.