Mindful Repetitions

Welcome to afitnewyou!  This week I would like remind you of the importance of recognizing the connection between the mind and body, and how much of an impact it has on your workouts.  The connection between the body and the mind is well studied, well documented, and valued in so many different areas from religion to fitness.  From a western science standpoint, we know that the brain controls our voluntary muscles; they are called voluntary because we have to think about moving them in order for them to perform.  In Chinese medicine, we say “The Li, proceeds the Qi”; meaning that you have to have the thought before you have the action.  And from a Buddhist perspective, you need to focus on your breathing to be in the here and now.  If you combine these concepts through their relevant relationship, you will get a workout that is good for both your mind and body.

In the gym, you need to both be focused, and use proper breathing technique to get the most out of your workouts.  If you go to the gym without a plan for the day, you will not reap the benefits of a proper and efficient workout.  Yes, it’s better than doing nothing at all, but you will not get the most out of your workouts, and you will slow the progress to reaching your fitness goals.  Similarly, if you do not breathe properly during your exercises, you will not perform optimally, and therefore again, you will diminish the potential of your workouts.  On the other hand, if you go into the gym, mindful of what you need to do, and breathe correctly during each exercise you will get maximal results and reach your fitness goals much sooner.  And this intentional movement should apply to more than just your workout; it should apply to each and every single repetition.

Each repetition that you perform in the gym could be and should be beneficial.  If you are there to get results, you should want to get the most out of each and every single repetition that you perform.  To make each rep have its biggest impact, you need to think about the movement, perform it with perfect form, and breathe properly during the movement.  Before you start the set, visualize the movement.  Visualization has been shown to increase physical performance, and it will do so even with basic exercises.  It also gets your mind thinking about what it needs to do, before it does it…the Li before the Qi.  Thinking about the movement, both before you perform it and while you’re doing it will also help you keep correct form.  Proper form will not only allow you to get the most out of the movement, but it will also help you avoid any injury.  Personal trainers and instructors are not there just to make you perform the movement, but are there to ensure that your movement is correct for these reasons.  And breathing properly is just as important as is maintaining proper form…in fact it is part of the proper technique.  Each repetition should be done with both the proper inhale and exhale.  I teach my clients to inhale on the “rest” part of the movement and to exhale on the exertion, the “ex on ex.”  Breathing properly will keep your blood chemistry in an optimal state, maintain a healthy blood pressure during the movement, and allow for proper timing of each repetition.  Breathing appropriately while exercising for these reasons will allow for maximum performance, each and every repetition.

The connection between what we think and what we do is easily accepted and understood.  Giving focus and attention to what we are doing clearly makes us perform that task better.  The same is true when we are mindful while we are exercising.  Thinking about what we are doing, and truly focusing on each individual repetition will get you the most out of each and every movement.  Being mindful of your action and breaths will help you reach a fit new you!

Make NO excuse!

Welcome to afitnewyou!  This week I would like to tell you that its time to stop making excuses in the gym.  Being in the gym for as long as I have, both in the number of years, and the number of hours a day, I hear people come up with excuses all of the time about why they wont do an exercise.  It boggles my mind sometimes, because they are there in the gym to work out.  It is hard enough to find the time and energy to get into the gym; those who don’t make it to the gym probably had an excuse to not be there.  So for the people who are already there, stop making excuses and get exercising!

My friend John Buatsi is in my opinion one of the best personal trainers around.  Its not measured in the number of formal awards and accolades he has won, but he will constantly have someone asking his advice or looking to train with him, especially other trainers.  I had the fortunate pleasure of learning to lift with him when I was young, and his lessons are to this day priceless.  One of his greatest lessons to me was to not make excuses in the gym.  When he and I trained together, we worked out at a bare bones, hard core gym that often had people literally “throwing weight around”.  Sometimes people would even put plates back on racks in no particular order.  One time I remember a 45 pound plate I needed being buried on a rack by several 25 pound plates.  Instead of removing all of the 25 pound plates to get to the 45 pounder, I was going to use the lighter plates instead and just not “go up” as heavy for my next set.  When John caught me doing that, he was incredulous, and told me to stop making an excuse and to dig out the 45 pound plate I should have been using.  His friendly mocking helped instill the lesson, that I was there in the gym to lift, so moving some plates to get to the one I needed shouldn’t have even been a thought.

While that example is specific to me, and might not happen everywhere, I do see similar examples of people choosing to not do an exercise when they are already in the gym due to some silly excuse.  I frequently see this in the cardio area.  I will often see someone walk into the cardio area all geared up to do a session and then they stop in their tracks and turn around.  When I ask them why did they stop and choose to not exercise, they say because someone else is on “their” machine.  It’s pretty silly to me, particularly when there are plenty of other machines open, particularly the same exact type of machine.  I also see this when people are finishing their workouts and have one other exercise to do.  But, when they go to the machine and see that someone else is on it, they decide to just end their workout right there and then instead of “working in”, waiting patiently, or choosing to do a comparable exercise.  Again, this excuse is unacceptable when almost every exercise ever thought of can be done in another way.

One other excuse that keeps people from doing an exercise is the thought that "I can’t do that.”  This is one of the worst excuses to ever be used, because it keeps people from ever trying something new and holds them back from reaching their goals.  While it’s true that not everyone can do everything, it is also true that every exercise can be modified so that almost everyone can be successful at it.  Its one reason that weight machines have so many different plates to select from, and there are racks of different size dumbbells in the gym.  Don’t let the thought that you can’t do something be your excuse to not even try.  Even if you think you cant do it, I am sure it can be modified so that you can.  You can also find a personal trainer like myself or John to help you with new ways to reach your goals.

There are so many reasons and excuses that people come up with to not have the time to get to a gym to exercise and become healthier and fitter.  So, once you have made the effort and have actually gotten to the gym, leave all excuses to not exercise at the door.  You have already advanced past so many others just by getting their; don’t let anything else hold you back.  If you are one of the ones determined enough to take charge of your health and get to the gym, don’t let any excuses in the gym keep you from reaching a fit new you!

Mirror mirror

Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to remove some of the intimidation some people sense when getting into the gym when you feel you aren’t in your best shape.  We all know that getting into the gym is a great way to get ourselves into the best shape, but unfortunately, sometimes people become intimidated of getting into the gym because they are out of shape.  In fact, some big chain gyms market that they are accommodating to the non-gym rat types to make it less intimidating.  Sometimes, instead of going to the gym and working out, people become demoralized about what other people in the gym will think and then decide to not start working out at all.  It can become a very bad negative cycle.  But what everyone should realize is that 99.99% of the people who are working out in the gym are much more concerned about how they themselves look, as opposed to how anyone else looks.  Heck, its one of the reasons why gyms have so many mirrors.

Sharon is a client of mine who started training with me when she needed to lose a significant amount of body fat.  She had gained the majority of weight after having been in abusive relationships, and suffered from a few debilitating injuries as well.  These factors combined, contributed to Sharon having a fragile psyche and held her back from joining a gym.  She had become so afraid of what other people would think of her appearance in the gym that it intimidated her from ever getting started.  Sadly, this contributed to her gaining more weight, and held her back from gaining the strength to overcome her injuries.  However, Sharon and I were able to find times to train when the gym was “slower”, which helped her feel more comfortable and allowed her to get started on the path to reclaiming her health.  While this is a more dramatic example of how one’s self-image can hold someone back from improving their own health due to what they think others will think, it does illustrate the point that your own self-image, the one you are trying to improve upon can hold you back from doing just that.

The primary reason mirrors are use in gyms is so that an individual can watch their own form as they exercise.  Yes, those mirrors are also there for people to check out their own results.  The key here is that they are mirrors, not windows, used for people to look at themselves, not others.  And this is my point.  People exercise for many reasons as the benefits to exercise are numerous.  But the people who are exercising for vanity are doing it for their own vanity.  They are sweating and working hard because they are so concerned with their own appearance…not yours.

Starting an exercise routine is one of the most beneficial ways to improve your own health.  Exercise has so many health benefits that it becomes a no-brainer to start a training routine.  Looking better is just one of the beneficial side effects of improving your health with exercise.  It is a shame that in today’s society appearance has become at times more important that one’s health.  No one else is able to affect your health and appearance better than you can.  So get in the gym and start exercising for you.  After all, everyone else there is more concerned with who they see in the mirror, not you.  Recognizing that the person you see in the mirror is the one most responsible for your health is the first step to achieving a fit new you!

Limiting Factor

Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to give you some advice on how to get past fitness failures and get on the right track to reaching your goals.  In my experience, I frequently find people have similar excuses for why they haven’t been able to achieve their fitness goals.  Not having enough time and or money are usually at the tops of this list.  Having been there myself, I can understand how these very valid reasons can seem insurmountable; however, they can be overcome!  The first step in overcoming what is holding you back from reaching your fitness goals is to recognize what your limiting factor is.  When you can put your finger on what is holding you back, it is much easier to come up with a plan to overcome it.

Jeff is a former client of mine that I trained for a short time several years ago.  He was originally referred to me by his wife who I had been training for a number of years.  While she herself was quite active, training a few times a week for many years, he had “let himself go” and used the excuse that he just couldn’t find the time.  I don’t remember why he had stopped training with me back then, but I recently ran into him at a gas station, late at night, on my way home from training.  As could be expected, he was out of shape again, carrying more than a few extra pounds.  I started asking him why he wasn’t training anymore and he started giving the typical excuses.  He pointed out that he was with his work truck and only just getting home from work.  I replied that the gym was still open for a few more hours and that he should stop there on the way home.  When he said that going at night would be difficult because of his long day, I suggested that he go in the morning.  Still looking for excuses, he said that he couldn’t because he is out of the house too early.  I asked him what time, and when he said 6am I suggested that the gym is open at 5am and he can get a workout in before his workday starts and not have to worry about it for the rest of the day.  He was surprised to learn that the gym was open that early and said that that might be the solution he needed.  While I would have to follow up with the gym’s front desk to see if he starts coming, opening his eye’s to what was holding him back was the first step to finding a workable solution.

            In order to come up with a solution to what is holding you back from reaching your fitness goals, the first step has to be the recognition of what is the limiting factor.  When you know exactly what the problem is, it becomes much easier to find an appropriate answer.  Maybe an injury is the factor that is keeping you out of the gym…the solution would be to take care of that injury first.  Maybe you have young children that need to be cared for…the solution would be to find one of the many gyms that offer childcare.  There are a number of gyms that are open very early, close very late, or are open 24 hours to accommodate the people whose limiting factor is feeling there isn’t enough time in the day.

            Even if the excuse you have has some validity, you have to remind yourself of the importance maintaining your health.  In order to overcome the reason you haven’t been reaching your goals and falling off of the track, you must first recognize what that limiting factor is…what is it that is holding you back?  It is much easier to find a solution to a problem when you know exactly what the problem is.  Be honest with yourself about why you haven’t met your fitness goals.  Fortunately, there will be a workable way to overcome that roadblock.  Recognizing the limiting factor can be the first step to designing a plan to help you achieve a fit new you!

Your Motivator

Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to talk to you about finding your motivator.  Everyone who exercises usually has some goal they are trying to attain or some inspiration to start working out.  Whether it is the New Year, an upcoming wedding with a dress to fit into, a school reunion, or simply to change your health for the better, there is usually a good reason to get started.  And while I often argue that “getting your foot in the door” and taking that first step is usually the hardest obstacle to overcome, for those who have been training, the longer we train something else will come along that wants to slow us down.  And that too comes in different forms, such as fatigue and even boredom.  So there has to be some sort of push, some “kick in the pants” to keep you going.  I call this nudge a MOTIVATOR.  It is especially helpful when its tied directly to your fitness goal.

When I was attending a major fitness convention I knew I would be amongst some of the fittest individuals in the world.  So my goal was to be in the best shape that I was ever in when I attended.  Although I pride myself on being in pretty good shape, I had this extra bit of motivation to keep me going and push me to the next level.  I changed my diet; and when I found it hard to stay on the diet, I just remembered this new goal, being in my best shape ever.  I knew I had to eat better than I ever did in order to meet that goal.  I couldn’t do what I had been doing all along which brought me to my current level, I had to do more to reach the next level.  If I missed a workout during the week for whatever reason, I would do a double workout when I had more time.  I was motivated by the upcoming convention to be in my best shape.  Its often when we have a major event in our life that we can find this motivator to get us up and keep us going.  Like I said before, many people work their hardest at the start of the New Year or, when they have a wedding, vacation, or fitness test coming up.

The motivator can come in other forms too.  Although I don’t find myself to be a particularly vain person, I do love getting compliments on either the fitness shape that I am in, and/or on the intensity of my own work outs.  I work hard in the gym, and who doesn’t like to be complimented when they work hard and it pays off?  Ask any athlete if they feel better after winning a championship.  So now, on a daily basis, when its back to the regular routine and I don’t have anything specific up and coming, I need another motivator.  Now my motivator is to simply get a compliment every time I am working out at the gym.  To help me reach my goal, I know I have to train harder to reach that level.  So I remind myself during each set, when I’m starting to fatigue, to complete another one or two reps by saying to myself “One more for me, and then one more for the compliment.”  I will even make little motivational deals with myself before a set.  I will tell myself, “If I can do X number of pull ups on this set, then I get…”  There is no real reward 99% of the time, but the though is enough motivation for me to work that much harder.  You can do the same thing.  For example, you can envision that extra set dropping your dress size.  Or, that extra day in the gym helps in lowering your cholesterol level by so many points.

Everyone needs some form of motivator.  I would imagine most of us get up and go to work everyday because we are either motivated by the paycheck, or what that paycheck can enable us to do.  Working out is just the same.  You put the time, and energy in, to get something in return.  And exercise as a science adheres to the balance of the fact of what you put in you get out.  Think about that as a motivator when making food choices!  Finding that specific motivator will help you stay on track.  Remaining motivated will help you reach your goals and attain a fit new you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year!  

What better time than now to start your path to reaching your fitness goals!

Make NOW, the present moment, the time that you start living a lifestyle filled with fitness!

With the holidays behind us, and the New Year ahead, let's be prosperous in attaining health together!

No matter where you judge your current level of fitness to be, it can improve!

Let's take 2017 as the time to reach A FIT NEW YOU!

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