Thursday, September 30, 2010

The #2 Reason You Don't Have The Body You Want

You are working too hard!

What I’m going to tell you will change the way you will look at exercise forever. We’ve all been told to get the results you want (fat loss for most), you have to starve yourself and workout until your tongue is dragging the floor.

Here’s what usually happens:

1. Get some inspiration to go to the gym and take control of your health.
2. Vow that this time it will be different.
3. Get a gym membership and/or personal trainer.
4. The first couple of workouts leave you sore
5. Exercise for a week or two…at most a month.
6. Start skipping workouts.
7. Quit altogether because you “don’t have enough time” or whatever lie you tell yourself.
8. Go back to Step 1.

What if I told you that you just need yourself?

Yes, a personal trainer is usually not needed.
Can your personal trainer take into account the changes in your stress level that day?
Of course not.

No more getting pushed to do more than you can because some meathead said you should.

You need to learn how to listen to your own body.

You can do this.

Thanks to biofeedback.

What is it?
Biofeedback is nothing more than taking the information your body is giving you and then using it to dictate/guide your training. This can be heart rate, range of motion, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), etc.
Exercise either makes your movement either better or worse. The choice is yours.

I want exercise to help you move better.

This gives you a way to see if that is true!

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Cost of Compliance

If you want to get in shape, you can ONLY if you truly want it.

My last blog post was about reasons that one would like to train. My thoughts were that it definitely would help out with any physical activity you like to do. For me I enjoy strength training and I found out that it transferred well to dancing. For the record, I don’t do ANY “cardio” and that will be a subject of another blog. Anyway, I know that there are people out there who may have stumbled upon this and don’t like to exercise or just won’t do it. The reason is irrelevant.

Here’s the cost of complacency.

You just hate to work out. It's painful and tiring, you stop reading this very blog. It's too much to eat right too. It's cheaper to buy potato chips, ice cream, fast food, soda, hot dogs and hamburger helper than it is to buy fruits, veggies, nuts, eggs, fish and lean steak. Besides, you enjoy the former more than the latter. So, this goes on for a while with a few, sporadic and fleeting efforts at getting in shape. Exercise is painful, after all.

Then, by age 35, you begin to shop at Causal Male XL or Lane Bryant. By age 45, you start having problems with blood sugar, causing the feet to ache and feel cold all the time. Now, you need cholesterol medication. All the while, the aches and pains of carrying around 35% Bodyfat keeps taking its toll and by 55, you have arthritis in one of your knees. That blood sugar problem transforms into type 2 diabetes. So, now you are on insulin, cholesterol medication, and a pain killer... plus something for depression. Shopping at the fat clothing store takes a toll after all.

Now, by 65 you have a heart attack. The doctors manage to patch that up, for now. The effects of all of diabetes has taken it's toll on the arteries going to the feet and now simple sores on the feet turn into septic infections requiring treatment. That arthritic knee is now bone-on-bone and needs to be replaced. Then here comes cancer…

Does that sound extreme? It happens every single day, and it’s completely preventable.

You either pay on the front end or on the back end. Your choice.

Anything we want in life requires effort. It’s ok to stumble and fall as long as you get up. I respect those that keep trying. If you stay down, I have no time for you or any excuses you come up with. There is always away.

If you need help, let me know. It’s what I love to do.

Make today your day!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Why train?

I think most people should be able to find some physical activity that they enjoy doing, and that's the ticket to enjoying getting into shape.

Why do YOU train is the question you need to answer. Some of you may to find a reason to exercise.

I know you probably want to get into shape - but can't bring yourself to workout because you "don't like exercising". Maybe you just really aren't that physical and don't like doing push ups or lifting weights. This isn't about how physical activities like dancing, swimming, or rock climbing can help you get in amazing shape. Instead, it's about how physical activities can help you enjoy going to the gym or working out at home!

Here's why:
When you find a physical activity you really enjoy, if you weren't someone physical beforehand - two things generally happen:

1. You get more used to being physical and more comfortable with exerting yourself, understanding your body etc.

2. You want to get better at the activity you're doing.

BOTH of these things help contribute to wanting to workout outside of the activity you're doing - even if you're not able to do the activity that often. You won't mind doing push ups, running, or lifting weights so much anymore because you'll be used to using your body - and you'll WANT to do it because you'll see the results immediately in whatever your hobby is. And because you'll see results quickly - you'll start enjoying it.

So in short, if you're not someone who enjoys working out, sprinting or running - find something you enjoy and you might find that the way you feel about working out might very well change.

What do you think? Am I right that having a physical activity can help people enjoy working out - or do you think there are better ways for people to start enjoying exercise? Let me know what you think!

Drop me a line and let me know!