Frequently Asked Questions

What is OZN training?

OZN training is blindly focused on helping you achieve optimal health.

To become "optimally healthy," we believe you must have balance across ALL aspects of health (mental, emotional, spiritual, social, PHYSICAL and financial).

OZN's unique training method is the most complete, effective, efficient, and safest way for you to achieve balance over all ten aspects (cardiovascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, coordination, balance and accuracy) of PHYSICAL health. This type of training is the fastest way to decrease bodyfat and improve all aspects of health while improving fitness across broad time and modal domain. In other words, through proper exercise and nutrition you will be completely fit for the long and short term while being supremely capable of the known and unknown physical stressors and challenges your life may present.

It is not lost on us that many who enter within strive for more than improved PHYSCAL presence and capacity. We believe with mastery of the physical you will have new skill sets that you can use to become more successful across all other aspects of "optimal health."

What if I am under a physicians care can I still do the workouts?

You should obtain clearance from your physician to workout with us. Please have your physician contact us so that we can explain this program to him/her. Make your physician understand that this is a priority to you and that you would still like to work out. Many expert physicians will help you find a way to continue.

How many times per week should we do OZN workouts?

We need you here 5 times per week. The programming at the OZN is designed to improve your health and fitness over 10 different aspects of fitness (cardio, stamina, strength, flexibility, speed, power, agility, balance, coordination, accuracy). There is no way to program all of these aspects into ONE or TWO workouts per week. It takes five. Missing even a single workout per week will slow progress.

What about rest?

The globo gym standard of resting body parts for several days after working them out in isolation is an ancient concept that is single handedly responsible for bogging down more well-intentioned efforts in health and fitness than few other concepts.

OZN workouts stimulate muscular and metabolic systems in ways that mimic day to day life. Day to day life cannot be rested from several times per week and neither should your workouts. Can you imagine pioneers walking across the plains in the 1840's saying to the trail boss, "Hell, we walked all day yesterday, shouldn't we rest our legs today?"

Working SYSTEMS daily is a healthy way to increase capacity for your day to day challenges, both seen and unseen.

What if we go on vacation?

The point of a vacation is to get away from the stresses and haggles of everyday life. If you have put enough effort into your nutrition and OZN workouts, then you have earned a break. Take one.

If you are the type who vacations for a week every month…you may take one week of exercise off per quarter.

Measurements?

You cannot know how far you've come, unless you know EXACTLY where you started from.

As you are putting in the effort to complete your daily workouts and to dial in your nutrition daily, how will you know if you are progressing or not? You cannot know unless you have something to compare it to.

Refer to the "Motivation" tab on the home page of Ozonefit.com for info on effectively obtaining baseline measurements. This includes info on how to weigh yourself (there are secrets), how to measure and how to take effective photos. The title of the document is "Obtaining a Baseline."

Many veteran Ozone Fitrs can be heard to lament the fact that they did not collect a baseline measurement. Many of them wish they knew how far they have come.

What if I can't lift the Rx'd weight?

Don't try for a while. Your first goal with the OZN workouts is to simply make it through all the rounds while doing all the reps with proper form. The weight you can lift is secondary in importance to these things.

What is the "Rx?"

Rx simply means "as prescribed." Your goal as a Ozone Fitr should be to someday be able complete workouts as they are written, or "as Rx'd." In other words, Rx'd workouts are done with ALL the weight, ALL the reps, ALL the rounds suggested and the movements should be done perfectly as instructed. Where there is a time component the Rx applies to this, too.

What is the best way to progress to the Rx?

Methodically. Remember, beating the hell out of yourself is not the goal here. Any idiot can do that. Progressively adding intensity to your workouts should follow a process. The process is as follows:

1. Scale everything. This means to decrease all Rounds, Reps and Weights (RRW).

• Generally beginners should scale all RRW by 2/3.
• Intermediate exercisers may want to scale RRW by 1/3 to 1/2.
• Advanced exercisers should scale less or more depending on experience with these workouts.

Just because someone has been working out for years does not make them an "advanced exerciser" with OZN workouts. OZN workouts are usually much more rigorous than other workout styles.

2. Add ONE thing back at a time. Making broad sweeping adjustments to your workouts will only serve to confuse and frustrate and will not help you progress. Think about it, if you change two or three things, meaning you went up in weight on the same day you added reps and weight, which one is responsible for making you miserably sore (if you get sore)?

3. When adding back work while progressing to the Rx, do it in the following order:

• Rounds - Your first goal is to complete all rounds suggested. For example the workout "Oliver" is written with 7 rounds. Before you add reps or weight to "Oliver" we suggest you progress to where you can do at least a few reps at a scaled weight over ALL 7 rounds of this workout.
• Reps - Once you have gotten to where you can complete all the rounds of any workout on a consistent basis over several different types of workouts, you should then try to progress to doing Reps as Rx'd. For example: "Oliver" is written for 7 rounds of 20 reps of thrusters; 20 reps of high sumos; 20 reps of situps; and 20 reps of back extensions. Begin now to add back reps gradually until you are able to complete all reps of any given workout at a scaled weight.
• Weight - The last thing you add is weight. This must also be done gradually making sure that your movements are done with proper form as demonstrated.

What should I do if I am injured?

You should never exercise against a doctor's orders. If injured, you should obtain medical clearance before working out again. Trust me; your progress will be much swifter if you listen to good medical advice.

From there, it should always be your goal to work out within your PAIN FREE range of motion. In other words, if it hurts your injury – don't do it. Or, modify the movement so that it does not hurt. Your experts at the OZN can help you determine how to modify a movement so that you get most of the benefits of the movement while staying clear of further injury.

What if I don't know how to do a movement?

Don't guess. We have movement standards that are for your benefit and safety. Following these standards will ensure your immediate and prolonged success. To learn these movements, please ask one of our experts or refer to the site.

Also, each workout you do should be done with the greatest integrity. Each workout you do should stand as a testament to your commitment and dedication to better health.

How hard should I push on my first day/week?

Half or less of the Rx. OZN workouts are by design extremely rigorous. These high intensity workouts are responsible for your success on a level that is unmatched. However, the very efficacy of these workouts can also make them very dangerous to the beginner. The beginner who makes the mistake of getting caught up in competing for time, rounds, reps or weight in the first couple of weeks of doing OZN workouts is subjecting him/herself to needless soreness, injury or death.

When will I stop being "wiped out" after workouts?

Hopefully never. It should be your goal to put 100% effort into every OZN workout you do. You should be wiped out after every workout. Don't worry, after several weeks this feeling only lasts an hour or so.

The incredible thing about your OZN workouts is they never really get easier. In fact, as you get into better shape you will begin to think that we are programming the workouts to be harder on you. It is a weird phenomenon. As you get into better shape, your ability to handle higher loads at faster speeds with less rest increases dramatically. This exponentially increases your work capacity during a workout. Increased work capacity means harder workouts AND increased health and fitness. This is why there is a profound lack of ego at the Ozone Fit Nation. All who leave here, no matter what level they are at physically, will leave here just as tired as one another.

What can we do about soreness?

You should try to limit soreness from workouts. Ease your way into your workouts over several weeks of steadily increasing rounds, reps and weights. Take breaks, drop reps and sets and lower weight when needed. There may be evidence that increasing water intake and stretching affected muscles after a workout will mitigate soreness once induced.

Soreness is not a necessary component of exercise. It is simply a by-product. You should never strive to be sore, as it is not a good indicator of increased fitness.

What if I am very over-weight can I still do the exercises?

Yes. And you, especially you, should. Look, you may not be able to do each exercise as it is written. In that case, you should modify it in a way that still provides effectiveness while staying true to the purpose of the exercise. Use your OZN experts to help you with this. OZN experts are available either online or in your classes.

Are there special workouts for the very young or the very old?

The path to optimal health is universal among humans. This path will differ only by degree; not kind.

Can I still do other workouts in addition to my OZN workouts?

Um…if you have that kind of energy, knock yourself out. Here's the thing though: if you are robbing effort from your OZN workouts to save energy for other types of activity, you probably won't get effective results from either.

OZN workouts are programmed to be your main workout of the day. If giving your max effort 5 times per week you should have no need for ANY other type of exercise. However, it is highly encouraged that you participate in activities that require you to move your body. Activities like, running, biking, hiking, playing sports and the like are not considered exercise under the OZN definition of the word. These are considered healthy activities that you should be engaging in anyway. After all, why achieve such a high level of functionality if you aren't going to use it?

Can I do 2-a-day workouts?

This is not generally recommended. Some people mistakenly think that exercise is like math. They think that if one workout is good, then two must be better. It is NOT. Sometimes two workouts will TAKE AWAY from the one that would have been good enough and you end up with nothing for your increased effort.

When it comes to working out; ONE effectively performed and programmed workout is all that is needed or recommended.

When do we do some cardio/shouldn't we be doing more cardio?

Your body cannot tell the difference between breathing heavy while doing your OZN workouts and pounding the stairmaster at your local Globo gym. The fact that the work we do doesn't resemble the typical cardio workout doesn't mean your body will not increase cardiovascular capacity. In fact, the type of cardiovascular stimulation you get from your OZN workout is exponentially more effective.

Which meal plan is right for me?

Weight loss works best when you find a good meal plan or diet that you can dial into over the long term. Our meal plans come in four different caloric values. We suggest you eat only enough calories to support activity and lean body mass. This will be much lower than conventional protocol. To find your specific caloric value multiply your body weight by 10 – 12. Correlate this number with one of the meal plans on this site.

Why are there no meal plans above 1800 cals?

Because, generally 1800 calories would be the most you might need. Yes, even if you are VERY large.

Can I alter the meal plans to suit my specific tastes?

Generally, NO.

It is our experience that altering meal plans is the first step to failure. Unless you have specific allergies to foods on these meal plans or diets – do not alter them.

Will one of the OZN experts modify a meal plan to suit my particular and specific needs?

No. YOU do it. We have found through sad experience that unless you actively learn how to build a nutritional program that suits your particular needs, you are likely to fail at your goal of improved health.

Understanding proper nutrition is a fundamental principle for achieving optimum health. To have someone else do this for you will block your complete understanding of this principle and undermine your success.

Ozonefit.com has meal plans and diets that you can use to get started.

Do you believe in supplements?

Absolutely. It is our firm belief that one cannot create a natural diet that will satisfy ALL your nutritional needs. Add this to the fact that nutritional supplementation is a more convenient way to ensure optimal health and fitness and you have a fine argument for using supplements.

Should I eat before my workouts?

This is highly individualistic. Some people claim they cannot eat before a workout. Others find it helps immensely. Take the time and figure out what works for you.

Should I eat a post workout meal?

The only people who should be concerned with a post-workout meal are highly competitive athletes. The rest of society should concentrate on simply eating what is on their meal plan. Nothing else.

What is the best time to workout?

Whenever you can swing it is the best time.

What if I am not losing weight?

Then you are probably cheating. Or you may misunderstand some aspect of this program. We suggest you refocus and rededicate yourself to your goal and learning all aspects of this program.

Are you sure 20 min is a long enough workout?

No. Some days your workouts will last 4 min. Other days they will go for 45 min. The magic is not within the time you spend working out. It is in the quality and intensity of your workout.

What if I become injured?

Your new goal should be to mitigate the effects of that injury ASAP. You should have your injury checked by a doctor. Then alter your workouts so that you are not continually aggravating your injury. Remember, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

Also, if you are working out at the OZN please let you instructor know you are injured so that she may help alter your program or give you modifications for movements.

Will you calculate my BMI?

No. BMI charts are bogus and can give you no meaningful information that would help you in any way.

Should I bring my family?

Only if you feel that improving their health would be important.

What are multi-joint (compound) movements?

These are the types of movements that humans naturally do outside of gyms. These natural movements involve multiple joints and several different energy systems. For some reason the fitterati of the world believes that you should do single-joint movements using only one energy system inside of gyms to become healthy. They then wrongly assume that these single joint movements which use only one energy system will somehow benefit the totally different (compound) movements we do naturally in daily life.

What about proper form?

Some people (mostly the fitterati) become very upset with us when they see that we encourage you to execute most movements at higher speed using momentum and other joint factors. This is totally against the grain with how the fitterati learned to exercise and to teach others to exercise. They believe: that one should "unnaturally" isolate joints and muscles; that each movement must be done at slow controlled speeds; and that you should never cross planes of motion or use momentum otherwise you risk potential injury.

We question the validity of this thinking. If the above were true, as they say, then how did anyone ever…in the entire history of earth, throw a ball without injury? This movement (ball throwing) is done at high speed, using momentum, crossing all planes of motion and is not isolated to one single joint or muscle group. For that matter neither is kicking a ball, or swinging a racket, or swinging a golf club, or running/walking/sprinting, or jumping, or water skiing, or snowboarding, or mountain biking, or mowing the lawn, or gardening, or getting in and out of your car/bed/chair, or picking up your child, or…I think you get it.

Wouldn't it make more sense to train your body in a way that it actually moves? Doesn't it also make sense that if you don't train your body for how you actually use it…it would be more prone to injury during activities of daily life? I ask you…who then is potentially responsible for more injuries?

Where should I keep my heart rate?

For optimum health, we don't train using heart rate anymore. Neither should you.

What about the "fat burning zone?"

It is a silly myth that never made sense in the first place. I believe more people have gotten fat while in the "fat burning zone" than while doing any other type of exercise.

Does "spot reduction" work?

Not really.

Is caffeine bad for you?

Caffeine is a gift from God. We should never question gifts from God.

Aren't deep squats bad for your knees?

Quite the opposite. What most people don't realize is that your hamstrings are primarily responsible for supporting the structural integrity of your knees. This is especially true when you are active.

The problem is that most people don't sufficiently work the hamstrings. Hamstrings and glutes are active mainly when in the deeper portions of your squats. By doing shallow squats you rob the hams and glutes of valuable resistance and exercise. This has the effect of overdeveloping the quadriceps (muscles on the front of your thigh). Over developed quads creates imbalance at the knee joint. This simple imbalance alone creates problems with the knees. Then when you become active it creates more problems and increases the potential for catastrophic injury due to weakness of the hamstring.

By doing deep squats (below parallel) we effectively work the hams and glutes. This creates balanced knee joints and healthier, more functional knees. Therefore it decreases potential for daily knee pain and for potential catastrophic injury.

Should I workout if I am sick?

Generally NO. You should wait 3-5 days or longer for your body to get over the initial stages of an illness before you attempt a workout. This will aid in your healing and ensure you do not infect others.

What supplements should I consider using daily?

First off, it is paramount that you try to eat in a way that is natural and balanced. Nutrition from natural foods is always best. On top of that we suggest you look into supplementing your natural diet with:

• Antioxidants (green tea, super fruits, ALA's, Resveratrol, etc)
• Anti-inflammatory (Fish oil, Vit E, Vit C, Flavonoids, B complexs, etc)
• Protein
• H20

OZN has formulated and created several excellent daily supplements which you may consider using for improved health. We have gone to great lengths to ensure their safety and efficacy. We created them with your specific needs in mind as they relate to what you will go through with our workouts and lifestyle. See them in the "store" of this web-site.

"But, I tried the OZN recommended meal plans and/or diets. I found myself hungry ALL THE TIME, so I had to go off of them. Shouldn't I be less hungry when dieting?"

Dieting makes you damned hungry.

Most people forget how much pain they had to go through to gain weight and become unhealthy. They forgot how many times they gorged themselves to the point of extreme un-comfort. They forget how miserable they felt the whole next day. They also forget how crappy their ongoing heartburn and indigestion feels. Add that to the aching bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments they experience daily, and then add the fatigue they constantly experience from their poor fitness and added weight. When you stop to realize how much pain occurred in becoming unhealthy and heavy, it is hard to think that reversing this process would take anything less than the same amount of pain.

Folks who say "dieting shouldn't make you hungry" are FLAT OUT lying. Generally this lie has a pretty steep price tag for both your wallet and your time wasted.

When will these workouts get easier?

They don't. They shouldn't. OZN workouts are like golf. There is ALWAYS another level of difficulty that occurs within each workout. If you find you are beginning to breeze these workouts, you should know: You are probably CHEATING yourself of the benefit of these workouts.

When/if these workouts become easier you should step up your intensity by forming up your movements; increasing your speed; decreasing your rest time; or increasing your weight.

After I have gotten into shape should I ever add reps or sets to the workouts?

No. Simply work harder during the workout. We suggest you add weight, speed of movement and/or limit rest.