Christmas Time Rant and Rave!

Let me start by saying that this will not be one of those Christmas time messages where “healthy people” tell you all of the things you should do over the holidays to avoid gaining weight. I sort of think that is always so cliche how people think that imparting some words of wisdom during this time of year related to diet and exercise is in some way helpful. What really annoys me is when I see people trying to “be good” during the holidays. It just makes me think that they are just practicing a form of deprivation which we all know eventually leads to indulgence and over-indulgence. It’s a big picture people and you have to live a little. At the same time, going crazy during the holiday season doesn’t do you much good so I guess the message is moderation … moderate your control and moderate your allowance.

But enough about me, how about me? I have recently shaved a solid 10 lbs. off and much more importantly lost a good inch or more off of my waist. I figured I would get a jump-start on the New Year by starting to take care of business now rather than later. Nothing earth shattering about how I did it … just portion control, smaller and frequent meals, limiting my carbohydrate intake (to about 150 to 200 grams a day), moderating my fat and making sure it is mostly healthy fat, and trying to get as much protein as possible. Add to that great workouts with weights followed by some cardio almost every day and it has been relatively easy.

On to more important matters. Many of you know I now work with a medical facility. Being around the medical system more (also because I have had to go to the doc for a rare foot injury) has made me think a bunch about what is happening in our medical care system. No, this is not a diatribe on health care insurance matters so keep reading. What I have observed is that there is a LOT of people getting health care. And a lot of them are of course over weight and/or not optimally healthy. Of course I think to myself that if these people would just get into the gym and practice better lifestyle habits then so many of them would be able to avoid the doctor. But that is simplifying things. There are some REALLY unhealthy people out there. There are some people that are practicing eating habits that are absolutely insane. I have heard of people engaging in daily diets that drive their insulin levels through the roof and gorge their circulatory systems with “gunk”! And often these people think that they aren’t eating that badly. It seems to me that there is still a massive amount of misunderstanding about what proper diets should look like.

And then I go to the gym. And there I see that other population of people who abuse their bodies’ daily. Not by what they put into it but by what they do to themselves through exercise. I think I should of gone into orthopedics or pain management so then I could go to the gym and just hand out my card left and right to people performing exercises improperly. It is absolutely amazing how many people I see misusing equipment and performing exercises that are slowly but surely injuring them. Again, I say. Ask 10 random people in your life if they have some sort of nagging injury or ailment that keeps them from living optimally. I believe you will find that the ones who go to the gym will tell you that the have to work around it to keep from injuring things further and the ones who don’t will tell you why that injury means they can’t go to the gym because of how limited they are.

I haven’t even touched on all of the abuse that goes on with regards to drugs and alcohol … and especially of late, prescription drugs. Plus you have all the people that are dealing with psychosomatic issues that drive them to believe that they need things that they don’t. It all get’s overwhelming to me and makes my head hurt. (Maybe I should see a doctor … just kidding!) I guess what I mean to convey with this post is that it feels like we live in a nation of people that misuse and abuse their bodies left and right and then seek treatment from a system that is, from what I hear, a little out of whack but depends on repeat customers. Well if what I have seen lately is a representation of what is going on all around the country, then I think doctors are going to be doing just fine for many years to come.

All I want for Christmas ...

Christmas is almost here. Every year I make a list for my family. This year I am going to make a list for my blog. So in no particular order this is a list of the things I would like for Christmas as they relate to training:

1. I would like for people to stop using poor form in the gym. Every single day I go to work out I see perfect examples of poor form. What is maybe most unnerving about this is that often times the people exhibiting poor form look to be in halfway or even great shape. Listen, if you take someone with good or even great genetics and put him or her on a weight training protocol … chances are their bodies will respond pretty well. BUT! If that person is using poor form to work with the weights they are most likely causing accumulative stress to their joints and musculature that will eventually result in an injury. Do NOT confuse a good-looking physique with knowledge of how to attain it!!!

2. Personally, I would like to finally be able to put a diet plan in place for myself that compliments all the hard work I do in the gym. My cardiovascular training is on point. My weight training is especially on point. But I am a living example of how if you do not have the right dietary strategies in place, all that hard work you do in the gym can be almost totally nullified. The most infuriating thing about my situation is that I know what to eat, how much to eat, when to eat it, and all that good stuff. But I hate/don’t know how to cook and I love to go out and eat (and maybe even drink a little). Sometimes I think people look at me and think, “Why does a personal trainer not practice what he preaches”? Well in almost all cases I do. But when it comes to eating, that is my Achilles heal. Plus it is always easier to “diagnose and treat” someone else’s problems than your own!

3. This year for Christmas, I would really like to stop hearing people use injuries and or ailments as excuses to avoid appropriate exercise. I would guess if you asked ten random people in your life whether or not they had some nagging issue like a bum shoulder, bad knees, bad back, elbow pain, or something along those lines … 9 out of 10 of them would tell you about one or more of those. I do not work with a client that does not complain of some ailment. And that is okay – for whatever reason we are a society of people who neglect and mistreat our bodies. My job is showing these people how they can work to alleviate and maybe even correct those “problem areas”. But I am constantly amazed at how often people will tell me about a problem they have and then follow that up immediately with a statement about why the “can’t” do certain exercises. What is even more amazing is the rationale they develop for some of the exercises they do in place of what they supposedly can’t do!

SO for this Christmas, I will continue to try and spread the message of educating as it relates to these issues and as far as I am concerned, I will just wish for a little more discipline … and maybe some cooking lessons???

Thanks for reading

Andy

Are you "Special Needs"???

I am on a roll here - 2 blogs this week. Some of you may know that in my former life I was a special needs educator. What I mean by this was that I was a teacher that worked with students that had been identified as having special needs. My areas of emphasis were kids that had been identified as learning disabled or behavior disordered and often times - both. My students appeared to have normal levels of functioning on the surface but usually had one or more "deficits" that impacted their ability to do work. For those kids with learning disabilities it was maybe the ability to process numerically or logically - a lot of them had language deficits like being unable to put their thoughts into writing and of course quite a few of them struggled to read. My behavior disordered kids - aka "emotionally disturbed students" - often had a behavioral issue (that most likely stemmed from an emotional issue that was a combination of environmental and biological causes) that impacted their ability to participate appropriately in classes and thus affected their learning. I am really watering this down as many kids were a complex blend of a variety of these issues and other disabilities that all worked together to make it difficult for them to reach their full potential.

SO what the heck does any of this have to do with what I currently do??? Well! One of the themes of being a "special educator" was inclusion. And part of inclusion meant giving kids the least amount of accommodations and modifications necessary to make them successful. Basically - don't give them too much help or then it becomes a crutch but give them exactly what they need to be successful. Sometimes these kids would "ween" themselves off of the accommodations we would give them. Some would not. Some would do better for awhile and then need to come back.

SO! - what does this have to do with fitness and personal training. Probably much to the chagrin of many of my peers - I feel like personal training should be viewed as anaccommodation with modifications made periodically. Training is a tool. I think a trainers professional responsibility is to educate their clients as much as possible so they have all the possible tools to take charge of their own training. For some people this means a great deal of accommodations at first. You may need to work with a trainer for every workout for the first weeks or even months. This way you have all the support necessary to do things safely and appropriately. When I work with my clients at first - it is all about finding out exactly about what works for their bodies, what is happening with them bio-mechanically, what deficits they have and also what strengths they have.

Of course there are those clients that need to work with a trainer pretty much weekly or even more than once a week even after the initial education process occurs. For whatever reason - those people need the accommodation of having a trainer - or in many cases - simply want it. This is just fine. It is actually a really smart way to get the most out of your workout regimen. But a trainer and a client must reach a agreement that if at any point the trainee is to reduce his "accommodations" then careful attention must be paid to making sure they have all the tools to go out and exact their program on their own without the support of the trainer. Modifications are changes that can be made periodically with the trainer once the client has moved towards a more independent (but not totally independent, as a trainer as a consult periodically is a hugely valuable tool) program. Often with my clients modifications of existing routines are a chance for me to follow up, see what progress has been made, talk about new challenges they would like to implement and reassess goals. Again, a truly fit person more often than not has taken full responsibility for their program and put time and energy into learning everything that does and doesn't work for them. It's called taking OWNERSHIP of your program and it is very similar to what we wanted our students to do ... take ownership of their educational program.

The truth is WE ALL HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS. We are all unique individuals with unique bodies that should have a specific program designed for us. A great part of my job is the chance to help accommodate, modify, and see my students ... er, clients grow and change!!!

Thanks for reading,

Andy

Whatever Works ... Work it!

Going to be a little all over the place here. First - I have to address something that I have been confronting lately. A couple of clients of mine haven't really been getting as much accomplished as they have wanted to and have struggled to respond to the training protocols I have set forth for them. Upon further review - I started to think that it could be actually something that I wasn't doing or maybe something I was doing??? I had talks with them both and the same issue reared it's head. That issue being that at some point the friendship part of our relationship had somewhat superseded out trainer/client relationship. This is a very fine line to walk. Some trainees and I are able to walk it easily for whatever reason. But for others, there comes a point where individuals stop responding to me as a trainer because the friend part of the equation seems to distract. This is NOT a bad thing because I like having these people as friends. BUT it is important for them and I to understand - that is imperative that we communicate through the issue and if we are not able to switch roles when hanging vs. training then they need to move on. My point is - any trainer worth their salt should be more than willing to say "you know what - your friendship is important, but I want you to get results as well and if you can't do that with me, then go to a trainer that you can be more driven by". Again, not a knock on anyone involved - it is about being emotionally mature and secure enough to look each other in the face and be honest about what is best.

Okay - for rant number two. Most people know by now I really focus on "men's fitness". And in a lot of my conversations lately I have found myself repeating a specific set of principles. Much of this comes from what I gained when I got my newest certification. But in my own words it goes like this.

1. Your body works together kinetically - if one or two pieces of the puzzle are off kilter - then it affects everything else.

2. You have to be cardiovascularly fit, strong, flexible, and nutritionally sound to really have your fitness in check.

3. Weight training is numero uno with regards to importance in my book - but without a adequate flexibility program that is closely aligned with the strength training protocol - you are not covering your bases.

4. Leg training is freaking important and if you neglect it or think that your cardio training will take care of that you are selling yourself short. My new favorite phrase is this. "When you are 60, 70, 80 years old and beyond ... I don't care how far you could run or how much time you spent on the elliptical ... if your foundation is weak and non-limber, you will not have the quality of life you might of had if you had trained your legs appropriately"

5. Whatever comprehensive program you can find that will motivate you and work for you - stick with it. And if you don't know what that is - continue to work with someone to help you find it - because if it isn't working then it won't work! Ya know?

Thanks for reading,

Andy

A Confession and Some Pleas

A Confession: First I have to start with this. A while back I talked about my goal to be down to 200 lbs. by the end of summer. Well summer is here and I have not reached my goal. If anything I have backtracked some in the last couple of weeks. Why? I have this theory that psychologists/therapists/counselors have some of the greatest amounts of baggage of most people. Though they can have brilliant insight into others lives and give great advice and coaching, their lives can still be completely screwed up (not in all cases of course). I think trainers can be a little like this as well. Even though we can work with and “diagnose” people and give them great tools to fix their fitness regiment – the application of those principles to us is sometimes the greatest challenge. I think it may have something to do, in both cases, with having so many strategies and so much knowledge up there (in our heads) that we have trouble self diagnosing and treating if you will. So back to my issue. I know what I did wrong. I can give excuses like my trips or my tattoo that kept me from working out for a few days or my new schedule. But that is what they are excuses.
SO what now. Well, trying to look at what I would tell someone else in my shoes. It is time to reassess my goal. I need to analyze what went wrong and how I can more effectively approach it this time. Also I need to modify my goal. SOOOOOO! My goal now is to be at 210 lbs. by Christmas. I will set the bar a little lower and if I reach it early then great. In the meantime, I need to focus my energy again on my diet as that was and is my Achilles heel. But the point is I have acknowledged that I didn't reach my goal and accepted it and now I have to strive on towards a new goal that is attainable and appropriate.

A plea: In short I would like to make a plea to anyone who has thought about group training, specifically my group training, to give it a try. I really believe it is an awesome deal and the folks that have participated and stuck with it I think really see the value. It is a really good deal and I believe that the instruction and workouts are super effective and important. I have seen several of my participants improve by leaps and bounds in just a few sessions. The class setting is sometimes the best place to learn and achieve.

A plea part II: Here is the soapbox part. I plea to anyone and everyone who uses a challenge as a reason for inaction to stop doing so. What I mean is – lately I have heard numerous people use physical limitations or perceived limitations to keep them from exercising certain areas. A common one is the legs. I have heard several people try and tell me that they have leg issues, injuries, lack of flexibility, even too good of legs – as a reason not to exercise them. Simple logic and science should tell you that inaction is not going to solve a problem. If there are flexibility issues, then not stretching is not going to help. If there is a history of injuries, then “protecting” them by avoiding is not going to help your cause. Remember people – legs are your locomotion. They move you and carry you and support you. As you get older they are all the more important. The stronger that foundation is and more limber and agile they are – the better they will serve you as you age. I don’t care how old you are or what shape they are in – they need to be challenged and taken care of. Of course – there is an appropriate strategy for doing so and if you aren’t sure what that is – then see a trainer (hint, hint). This is my example but it can be applied to any issue you hear people using as excuses not address issues.

Okay – enough for now. Thanks so much for reading!

Andy

Types of Workouts ...

Of course it has been forever since I last updated this blog so for that I apologize. I did want to write a little something inspired by my new group training that started this week. Someone told me the definition of insanity (according to Einstein I think???) is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Obviously the correlation you can make between this and working out is that if you continue to do the same workouts and/or follow the same dietary habits and expect to see different results then you are insane! Well, not really, just not thinking much about what you are doing.

So with my new group training, people have a chance to come and do something that is most likely very different from what they have been doing. IF I had to give percentages to what people do with their time in the gym I would guess that 85% of the people at MY gym spend most of their time on cardiovascular work. Of course, if you know me, I believe it should totally be flip flopped. I believe that the REASON that people do this is two fold. First, they think it is the way to burn calories and lose fat. Second, I think that people see cardio as a no brainer and weights as a complicated matter that is more trouble than it is worth.

My group training is designed for those people (that see too much complication with weights) as well as folks that see the value in weights but also in having direct instruction. With the group training model, you have the opportunity to almost go on auto pilot and get effective weight training workouts. The nice thing is that in a smaller group, I can still give individual attention to form, function, and intensity.

As far as the workouts we do. I am currently modeling the program after P90X but have obviously modified it a bit for our purposes. The fact is that it is a type of training that is very different - focused on muscular endurance, a little muscle building, and most importantly variety. This keeps your "body guessing" (sometimes called muscle confusion) and causes you to respond. Eventually the workouts will morph into other formats as I want the people who continue to come to group training to continue to be challenged and "stimulated".

Finally, a word about sets, reps, and weights. My current program has people doing timed sets that usually end up being in the 20+ rep range. Everyone I talk to concurs that those rep ranges sneak up on you and can be quite intense in the later stages. At some point we will do heavier weights (with which you could not manage those amounts of reps) and different sorts of exercises. The point of this is to cause the different muscle fibers to recruit differently and also to cause the muscles to respond differently. Thus they will always be working, changing, developing, and most importantly, working for the trainee.

If you don't know about my group training. It is at Prairie Life (Overland Park) and at this point happens 4 times a week - Tuesdays and Thursdays - 12 to 1 or 6 to 7 both days. In those two workouts we get total body workouts. Of course you can contact for more info. The first couple of sessions have been extremely successful and have had a great deal of interest.

Thanks for reading,

Andy

A Couple of Successes!!!

Every so often you have to brag on others and a little on yourself. I wanted to share a story about two of my clients that have experienced great results through training with me and following "protocols" I created for them. Joe and Jim are similar stories. One of them recruited me after observing me working with others at the gym and the other I recruited when he started at Prairie Life. Neither was in horrible shape or mis/uneducated about training and fitness. They both had a pretty good work ethic and already came to the gym and/or exercised on a pretty daily basis. So I guess what I am saying is I had a good foundation to work with in both cases.

Jim needed a structured weight training routine as he was pretty much sticking to machines and doing a lot of cardio. Joe just needed a routine that worked for him specifically. Jim's routine was more about structure and we also spent time learning about the purpose and benefits of working with free weights. Joe originally needed really effective workouts that were designed to drop body-fat and maintain/add a little muscle. We then progressed him onto a muscle building as routine as he had the 'oh so lucky problem" of losing a little too much weight. Both of them eventually moved on to more independent routines under my supervision.

At one point they each came to me and wanted to talk about diet and modifying it to enhance their results. At this point they had both been experiencing great transformations as they had been putting all the work and guidance I gave them in practice consistently. When the "diet talks' started and they applied the rules and guidelines we talked about, the results went through the roof. Again, these weren't dramatic changes - just practical guidelines that were tailored for their needs and lifestyles.

I guess my point with all this is that these individuals reinforce what I have been preaching and even applying to myself. If you create changes that are designed to promote the changes you want to happen - then you will experience said change. Now these two individuals showed considerable dedication to their fitness and diet regimens but again - these were not hard core crash diets or crazy workout routines. These were simply practices that worked for them because they made them work for them. I have had some other great success stories and I would love to share all these with you. But these two individuals have just been on my mind lately because I continue to see them day after day as they keep refining their results and achieving more. Sometimes they thank me for what I shared with them or what success they have had. But I want to thank them for reminding me that it is all about application and dedication to finding what works best for us all!

"Running ... My Struggle"

So I went running today.  I really hate running.  I can do all other forms of cardio for a decent amount of time without “hating” it.  But running … I am miserable within the first five minutes.  As soon as I start I realize that my lungs are being taxed in a way that other forms of cardio just don’t cause.  I can almost feel every joint in my body as I take each stride – pound pound pound!  To make it worse I did this outside so I had to deal with the what goes down must come up phenomena.  That is, when I find an area of downhill that is a little easier, inevitably I know that an uphill area is coming.  I always sweat more outside and I have to wipe the sweat with my t-shirt.  And if I feel like I need to walk, just for a second, I feel like everyone in their houses or cars is watching me thinking I am a slacker.   And finally, to make matters worse.  I had one of those rare mornings where I woke up and felt like jumping out of bed to take on the world, and cardio before breakfast is always a sure fire way to fire that metabolism up and make you caloric burning machine.  Of course I had lost a bit of that enthusiasm about 20 minutes into my uphill climb number 3.  And then, because I believe many people including bigger men shouldn’t run much because of our weight and as such you really need to do solid stretches after and even a little before your run, the whole ordeal took like 45 minutes.  Yeah yeah – it felt great after I was done … I had accomplished great feat for the morning …I started my day off right … I hate running.

So why did I run?  Some may know that I am trying to get to 200 lbs. by summers end.  At this point – I might need to clarify that summer does not end until September 21^st or so.  Yes I am struggling.  Actually my workouts have been quite productive.  My issues have had more to do with “consumption” than output if you catch my drift.  I have a great workout partner and we are on a solid muscle maintaining/fat burning lifting schedule with a solid 30 minutes of cardio 6 days a week.   But those darned old weekends come along and with them comes “social gatherings”, a “drink” here and there, a nice dinner out and next thing you know I have all but negated much of what I accomplished over the week. 

My point with all this rambling is that it comes down to understanding that calories in and calories out is still very important.  If you have a desired goal – you have to have a plan of attack to tackle that goal.  We all have our struggles and even when we know the right things to do (even though a lot of us don’t) it is hard to consistently put into practice all of those principles.  However, when you feel that you have been struggling to reach your goals and even working against yourself at times, you may need to give yourself a kick in the rear and do something that you don’t really like doing just once or twice to remind yourself of what it is that you are working for and what you are trying to avoid.  And finally, don’t run unless you know how to take care of your body before and after. 

Thanks for reading

Andy

Keep Hammerin it Home ...

So I was watching Big Brother (guilty pleasure) and just in case you weren't keeping up with it, there is a former contestant competing on the show again this year.  He is a bodybuilder who actually has a really aesthetically pleasing physique.  I have actually seen this guy in person and he keeps himself in great condition and should be commended for that.  He is also incredibly arrogant and annoying a lot of the time and doesn't do himself a lot of favors with his attitude.  But I digress.   Another contestant made a comment about not working out for like 8 years and how he felt intimidated about being around this bodybuilder guy or something like that.  That made me think about the extremes we see in the "fitness world".

 I can't imagine not working out for a month much less year/s.  But I also realize this guy that made the statement about not working out for so long definitely represents a population that is out there.  This individual wasn't heavy and didn't look "out of shape" but you could tell they hadn't lifted a weight in a LONG time.  I realize there are people out there that just don't get it - they just don't do it.

          And then you have this other extreme.  The bodybuilder puts amazing amounts of effort into how he looks.  His diet and weight training and cardio have to be absolutely flawless.  Even if he was blessed with great genetics, this guy still has an upper caliber physique.  I know the difference between just a nice build and a really well crafted body.  I can guarantee you that this guy doesn't go more than a couple of days, maybe a week - without working out.  

 So you have these extremes.  You have these two guys, roughly the same age, both Americans (I assume) and both with the ambition to audition and make it on to a reality show.  And at the same time there perception/experience regarding working out that couldn't be more different.  For one, the thought of going into a gym and starting weight training probably would feel like going to a foreign country.  And for the other you have a guy who would feel as if their lifeblood was being drained if they didn't have the gym as a daily ritual.

 My take on this is that I think we have folks out there that still see the idea of exercise and especially weight training as an all or nothing thing.  You have people that feel like only big "weight lifters" or bodybuilders should be in the weight area of a gym.  Or you have the people that drift far far away from the daily habit of keeping their muscle and skeletal systems strong and functional.  And when they do "get back into it" (as I hear a lot) they have this all or nothing mentality.  Which inevitably leads to some hurdle coming along and getting them "off track".  And of course you also have the other extreme; those individuals who almost let their time in the gym consume them to a point where other thing get sacrificed.  

 I guess the point to all this is that there has to be a middle ground.  There has to be an understanding that EVERYONE needs to be doing work to keep themselves strong and functional.  That doesn't mean you have to obsess about it and spend hours a day in the gym "weight lifting".  But some resistance training at least 3 days a week is absolutely crucial.  And taking weeks, months, or (gasp) even years off from the gym is just irresponsible and lazy.   Sorry to be so cutting but I continue to run into people who I haven't seen for weeks or even months and then their responses about why they haven't been "on track" are just excuses for the fact that they have not given that part of their life the importance it deserves.  And on a final note - I will again continue to hammer home the fact that everyone needs to learn how to lift some weights properly and appropriately for their own bodies and do it regularly.  The benefits (which I need to just do a whole post on) are numerous and important.  

 Thanks for reading,

Andy

This One's for the Boys!

Okay, so I should actually state that this is for the men that I am lucky enough to have reading my blog.  We had a men's health seminar the other day and it went really well (better than I expected) and I was really impressed by how much interest the men who attended had in what we had to say.  I won't go into every thing that was talked about but I did want to summarize my take on what I saw as the biggest talking points of the event.

1.  (Per the doctor we had come talk)  If you are a guy you need to be monitoring what is happening with your prostate and having that checked out.  Taking medications/supplements seems to be a good idea just as preventative medicine.  Also, nutrition (as we all know) is hugely important and our carbohydrate intake needs to monitored.  I won't go into specifics - e-mail me if you want more on that.  Finally, hormone level checks and possible hormone replacement therapy is huge now and getting huger.  Check it out and see what that is all about.

2.  ME!  Okay so I (and the trainer I spoke along with) went about dispelling myths.  The funny thing about that is that I worked with a gentleman today who I ended up going over at least three of the things we talked about in the seminar ... I told him it was a shame he didn't make it.  Anyway, here are the big 5 MYTHS (and the realities) that I continually have to clear up.

1.  Doing cardiovascular exercise does NOT constitute working your legs.  There is weight training and cardio training (and flexibility training) and you need to do BOTH!

2.  Spot reduction does not really work.  You can't flatten your belly (much) with ab work alone.  you have to create a caloric deficit (appropriately) and lose BODY FAT (not just lbs.) to flatten your stomach and get abs.   This is my big mission at the moment  .... hard!

3.  Free weights rule and machines are just fluff.  Well that may be harsh but I really preach the "gospel" of free weight training as it's overall benefits far outweigh using machines alone.  Again - you want more - e-mail me.

4.  Your arms are not the most important part of your body to work.  You have three big groups of muscles - legs, back and chest in that order.  Work those first and focus on them and everything else will fall into place.  We can add the arms/shoulders/lower legs/and ab stuff once we get the big three under control!

5.  This one's the BEST!  Lifting weights does not mean body building and by lifting weights you will not turn into a big muscle man or look like you are trying to enter "physique contests".  Big muscular physiques take a ton of work, often really good genetics, and good food intake as well as supplementation.  Even if you have some or most of these, it is still really hard to put in the amount of time and effort necessary to get "big" or "muscly".  Point is - EVERY MAN should be doing weight training if for nothing else - to help improve their posture, strength and muscle tone.  The benefits of working with weights are so plentiful I will need to list them all in another post.  Just summarize it by saying that working with weights will enhance your quality of life for now and many years to come.

As for the nutrition stuff, I won't get into all that as it wasn't really my topic I focused on.  But I would just say that we all need to make sure we are getting plenty or protein (which is more than you think), monitoring (but not eliminating) are carbohydrate intake, and realizing that how much and when you eat is almost as important as what you eat.

Thanks for reading,

Andy

The Quest to Lose 20 lbs.

So I am on a quest.  I am sharing this for several reasons.  One is accountability.  It helps to motivate me if more people know what I am doing.  Second, I like people to understand that I deal just as much as anyone else with my diet, my workouts, my regimen, etc.  I think that is what can make a good trainer - the ability to empathize because you have been there.  Not saying that ultra ripped genetic freaks can't make good trainers - but a little struggle goes a long way in understanding where your friends and clients are coming from.

So my quest is to lose 20 lbs.  Now let me preface this by saying that I am not an advocate of making blanket statements about losing "weight".  Meaning that the scale is not the only measure of progress and body fat/body composition is much more relevant in assessing where you are at.  The fact that muscle is more dense and thus more heavy is a very important factor.  BUT the reality is that I NEED to be at about 200 lbs. Not 220 where I am currently hovering.

I have dealt with my weight's ups and downs for years.  I even was about 250 at one point while teaching and dropped a dramatic 60 lbs to 190 at one point.  I don't believe I handled this quite as appropriately as I could of and as such some of that weight was muscle. (I was doing mucho cardio and eating a hard core "low fat" diet)  I know now that there is a healthy way to do this and it comes in the form of getting the right macro nutrient (protein, carb, fats) percentages down to a science so that I maintain as much muscle as possible while losing purely fat.  NOT EASY

Obviously diet is my big hurdle.  Without getting all numerical/scientific on you - basically I had to find out how many calories I expend daily (both just to live and with exercise factored into the equation) and then determine how much I am actually consuming.  Most of you know I am now on a "meal plan" that helps me keep my calories at a certain number.  Without going into specifics - with the fact that it takes 3500 calories burned to lose 1 lb.  I am on track to lose about 1.5 lbs weekly roughly.  This would be greatly increased (to 2 or 3 lbs. weekly) if I would edit myself more appropriately during the weekends when I am not on the "meal plan" and have to fend for myself.  Of course I am working to make those changes but like many of you have said and I say often "it's hard".  

My point with all this is that when you break down your daily intake/output into numbers (even if they are sometimes rough estimates) it helps open your eyes to what it is that you have to really DO to create the change that you want to see occur.  I know my workouts are on point and I am lucky that I don't have to modify that too much.  I have also been really lucky lately to have a great workout partner (which I highly recommend) to push me in directions that I sometimes resist going - he has a strong running background and I have the weight training background so we compliment each other well.

So just some food for thought.  Thoughtful consideration and analysis of what you eat daily and weekly compared to how much you expend daily and weekly is a great way to assess what you need to do to create that change.  (Consequently the same can be said for those lucky souls who actually want to gain weight)  I am in the process of doing this and it is really helping me gauge each week where I need to "edit" my behavior so I can finally reach my goal.  

MY  GOAL IS TO BE AT 200 lbs. (give or take a pound or to) AND STAY THERE!  If I need to adjust that goal when I get there (maybe go a little lower), so be it.  Doing so is not only healthy for my body but good for my piece of mind.  

Thanks for reading,

Andy

A Little Something is Better Than All of Nothing.

I just wanted to address an issue I see happening around the gym.  It seems that this is one of the times of the year that it really starts to become prevalent.  I am talking about people taking time off from their workouts.  Every so often I will be walking around the gym or thinking about work and say to myself "hey, I haven't seen so and so lately".  Then inevitably after sometime, said person will show up.  When I ask where they have been the answer is some sort of  explanation about how busy they have been.  Maybe it's work related (often), or family obligations such as other member's of their families schedules have changed.  But it is usually some unapologetic justification for why they just took that time off.

I thought about titling this post "don't let life get in the way" or something like that.  My point being that when life's ripples come along and disrupt schedules, one of the first causalities is usually the gym.  I think this is really defeating.  The body adapts to continued and evenly applied challenges.  If we are inconsistent with how we apply those challenges (cardiovascular training, stretching, weight training, nutrition etc.) then we get inconsistent results.

I used to teach school and I will totally admit that there were times where I would take like a week or two off.  I remember how horribly out of shape I would feel and how much it felt like coming back to the gym was totally starting over.  Of course our bodies are more forgiving than that and it didn't take more than a week or so to get back into the swing of things.  BUT when I would add the week or so here and there that I took off throughout a school year and also the summer - I would realize that I had missed more than a month.  (I often see people at the gym missing months at a time - so how much of their year is actually lost?)

Our bodies were designed to be used.  Depending on who you ask, our ancestors spent a bulk of their day scavenging and hunting - using their bodies for survival.  We don't do that.  So it is up to us to challenge ourselves daily to keep our bodies fine tuned.  I suggest that everyone do a little something rather than nothing.  I would much rather see someone come to the gym and even do 10 to 20 minutes of cardio and one weight training exercise than just totally missing out.  They gym/exercise is about establishing a rhythm in your life.  You do it because it is part of your existence.  It stimulates your body just like food stimulates you to digest or air stimulates you to breathe.  I really like to think of it like that.

Of course there are times when life really does get in the way and you are forced to take more than a couple of days off.  And I think that you can justify that maybe once a year.  (Unless you are a hardcore weight trainer - then you can use some off time as more of a strategy)  Other than that, missing weeks at the gym is just another barrier that can lead to frustration with your goals.  So no matter how busy things get or what sort of "drama" you have going on at a particular time - make time to get your self into the gym for at least a little bit.  It will release good feeling chemicals, be more physically sound and for most - serve as a little therapy during those challenging times.  Also - taking time off before, during, and after vacations is also a common mishap I see.  Just because your time off is for pleasure related activities does not mean that it is any more justified. :)

Thanks

Andy

Untapped Potential and Missed Opportunities

If you have someone in your life that doesn’t work with resistance training equipment at all – I implore you to talk with you about it’s importance or direct him or her to someone who can.  The following blog was inspired by my last week.

Many of you may know that I had a death in the family just this past week.  Because of this I was forced to do some reflection.  This particular family member was around 75 and lived in a really nice community of like-aged folks.  As such, I met a lot of the friends this individual had and was able to spend time talking with them at the “celebration of life” that we held.  Before, during and after this event I reflected on what life must be like at that age and what thoughts people had on exercise in their later years.  Inevitably, at the “party” I would end up talking with these older adults about what they were doing for exercise and fitness.

            The most common thought I had as I listened is that these folks are missing a huge opportunity.  Here they are in the time of their life when often they have nothing but time and they are not seizing that moment as a chance to get and stay fit.  When I asked about what they thought about exercise I hear a lot of comments like “well I walk and that’s enough” or “I don’t want to lift weights because I am not trying to enter any physique contests”!  (Which is what I think is the funniest thing of all!   AS IF!  Do they know how hard you have to work to make your body look like that? … Well, obviously not)

            I just couldn’t believe how many men and women would say things that really showed that they felt like weight training was not for them.  One of the most common “rationales” is that they had an injury or ailment that “keeps them from being able to do much”!  WHAT?!?!  You have an ailment that you most likely got from not taking care of yourself … and your way of dealing with it is to take even less care of yourself?!?!  It just sort of drives me crazy to think about it.

            There was a lot of talk about injuries or physical limitations.  I would say over and over …”because you have an injury or limitation – you have that much more of a reason to make your body stronger and as functional as possible”.  I kept explaining that if there is something that holds you back physically like bad knees or back – then learn how to strengthen the areas around it – safely and with the aid of a trained professional who will push you but also show you the safe and most effective ways to work with your body!

            Now I would like to say that this issue is an issue that is only in the elderly population  - but it’s not!  As I reflected and looked around me, I realized that people young and old alike are not tapping into their true potential because of misconceptions about exercise.  For the last time people (not really) weight training is for everyone!!!  It makes you a stronger more functional healthy version of yourself!!!  Learn how to work with your body and work with weights till the day you die.  IT WILL IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE!!!

            My family member who died thought they were doing all the exercise they could or needed (I think).  It wasn’t near enough.  This family member was slumped over and frail for as long as I knew them.  They had no weight training in their life.   Of course I encouraged – but I live far away and didn’t have as much chance to communicate or oversee, as I would have needed to.  I am not saying that if they had that the death could have been avoided but I do think that there may have been more of a fighting chance.   At least I know in my heart that they would have experienced better quality of life in the final months.

            On the way back to home I observed lots of people in the airports and on the plane.  I saw a lot of people that from my naked eye – obviously did little to no exercise and certainly no strength/weight training.  I saw all sorts of mobility issues and postural distortions etc. that I can’t help but know and believe could be alleviated if these people would just embrace the idea that their bodies can be stronger, more functional, more resilient and longer lasting if they would incorporate weight/strength training into their lives.

Thanks for reading,

Andy

Theme of the Day!

So the theme of the day is ... change things up.  Lately I have been having conversations with people that sound similar and I am finding that I am coming to this same point:  to create change - you must create change.  (Also - I think it's important to state here that much of what I write about comes from my own personal experiences/struggles)  Anyway, what I mean is that you can't continue to do the same things and expect different results (a client told me once that is the definition of insanity).  I spend a lot of time thinking/talking about exercise and diet being lifestyle related and that you have to develop routines to ensure that you will stick to your plan and reach your goals.  At the same time - if we want to create a change - lose fat, gain muscle, gain endurance, increase flexibility, etc. - then we must change how we are approaching that goal in order to make progress.  

The most common thing I deal with is people (myself included) who want to lose body fat.  When I delve into a person's plan of attack - often it involves just making sure that they are sticking to a program and working hard.  But if they are already working hard - and/or have established a program - and then want things to change - they have to change the program.  I am not talking drastic changes but things that manipulate variables in your program.  For instance if your diet is routinely 3 meals a day and 2 meals a day on the weekends - then bump up your meals to 5 a day and 3 per weekends but decrease the size of them.  (The eating 5 to six smaller meals a day idea is tried and tested)  But again - let's say your doing that already - well then change the composition of those meals - maybe bump up protein (almost always a good idea) and lessen the carbs, change the source of fats, manipulate the type of carbs you have and when you have them (less at nighttime), or make sure your breakfast is larger than the rest of your meals.  These are just a few of the options that you have available.  

Here is the important thing with regards to losing weight:  In general - calories in greater than calories out = gain in weight; calories out greater than calories in = weight loss.  Depending on what you are currently doing to expend calories  - if you don't change how many calories you burn per day and how many calories you consume per day (and in many cases the source of those calories) then weight loss chances are lessened.  Of course there are all sorts of variables to consider in diet and exercise but the basic formula of burn more than you expend is still the number one factor.

In less common cases - I hear people that want to gain muscle - I say great!!! But still you have to understand - to gain muscle you have to gain "weight/mass" which means more calories than you expend.  Also - this is where manipulation of the types/sources of calories comes into play - the protein/carb/fat balance gets very tricky and is often different for each person.  Point is - you have to again take into account what exercises your doing and how you are doing them (which is directly related to how many calories you burn on a given day) and then how much calories you consume per day.  

Finally, with regards to any other goal.  If you want to make an improvement/change - you have to continue to manipulate what you are currently doing (if you are doing it to the best of your ability).  So you want to increase flexibility - then stop doing the same stretches and learn some different types of stretches or learn how to make your muscles more supple before you stretch.  You want to increase endurance - then change the type of cardio you do and increase the time you do it but change other variables like incline or resistance.  You want to build strength - then change your rest in between sets but up the weight.  You want to to "tone/lean" up - then change the repetition count and the rest between sets and add more variety.  I could go on and on but this is what I have been thinking about a lot lately as I talk to folks about creating "change".  Thanks for reading!

Andy

7 Deadly Sins

The 7 Deadly Sins (of working out):

So I was working with a client the other day and as I talked about a movement that he suggested I told him that specific movement is one of the "deadly sins" you could do in a gym.  Then I thought about how there are several big things that you see people do in the gym that I, and I assume most trained/educated gym goers could agree are recipes for disaster.  The list is as follows with a brief description of each:

1.  Movements behind the neck:  Flexible and highly trained athletes that have done ample pre-training for the shoulder complex (rotator cuff and surrounding muscles) are the only people that should ever do an overhead movement behind the neck.  And even those people need to be very careful.  Some might say that no one should do these movements.  Examples that I routinely see that make me cringe are lat pull downs behind the neck and/or shoulder presses behind the neck.  A majority of people do NOT have the flexibility and muscular balance to do this movement without causing some sort of issue with the inner workings of the shoulder.

2.  Knees in front of toes:  Again, there are a few highly trained athletes (bodybuilders with years of experience) who could possibly justify doing a movement that causes your knees to go in front of your toe on a squat or some leg pressing movements.  Doing so can really engage your quadriceps.  At the same time, it puts a tremendous amount of stress on the knee joint and all the tendons/ligaments etc. that are there.  Totally unnecessary to do in most cases.  Typically you see people doing this on leg presses, squats (especially on a smith machine) and also especially, lunges.  Allowing your knee to travel in front of your toe is a sure prescription for knee trouble down the road.

3.  Too much weight - too fast:  I hate it when I see guys walk in (sorry, but it is almost always guys) fresh off the street (or even worse from a sedentary work day) and go right into a heavy lift like a bench press.  Often they do this with little or no warm up.  They may do a few obligatory stretches (more on that later) and then right into it.  Their bodies are not ready for that amount of weight that soon.  Neuromuscularly there has to be a little "wake up" period before you throw heavy weights into the equation.  A little blood flow and joint lubricant is needed to help eliminate injury chances.

4.  Stretching before working out:  Now there is debate about this and I am not going to get into all that.  Suffice it to say, doing a full stretching workout before a weight workout doesn't make sense.  Stretching is a elongating and if done properly, gentle activity.  Doing a full stretch session before you workout when you are "cold" is like stretching a cold rubber band - greater chance is will snap.  Now there may be some rationale for doing a little pre-stretch or stretch after you have warmed up a little but a full blown stretching session is best saved for after the workout.

5.  Too much range of motion (or too little for that matter):  So someone sometime in the history of the gym I work at must of started doing little 1/4 rep motions because there are still people I see that do little movements on all of there lifts.  Most of these people do like way too much weight at the same time.  Unfortunately, these same people I think are genetically gifted and have a good physique that they are able to maintain with these "little wierd rep workouts" so they think it works - and it may - for them.  BUT not everything works for everybody.  Just like doing the opposite - big full range motions like a bench press with the bar going from your chest to a full locked out position or dumbbell chest presses with the arms going past 90 degrees is too much motion.  I think people lose sight of this fact.  The GOAL of lifting weights is to stimulate the muscle fibers a maximally as you want.  So any thing that takes the muscle out of the movement and transfers the load to a joint or other set of muscles is not productive and can lead to injury.  Also, any movement that is to short and doesn't elongate the muscle fibers enough also is not as productive as possible and if you are using to heavy of weight with that - then again you are prone to injury.

6.  Swinging the weights:  Why people do this is complicated.  I think there are definitely people who have athletic backgrounds that have included explosive training (like in football) that involves the whole body.  But that does not apply to a majority of people.  Swinging or using your body to move a weight is defeating your purpose and obviously (sound like a broken record here) inviting injury.  REMEMBER the goal of weigh training is maximally stimulate muscle fibers.  If you swing and "cheat" with your body the fibers you are targeting will not get the full benefit of the movement.  What's the biggest culprit here???  The barbell and dumbbell curls.  I see more swinging here than the late 70's!  (My attempt at a joke.  Good?)

7.  Not protecting the back:  The biggie!  I hear more lower back problems than anything else.  Why? - because people don't protect it.  Many ways to do this but the major things to make sure you do are avoid movements that cause your lower back to round, keep your core abdominal muscles tight during movements, work your abdominals regularly including your lower abdominals (which most people don't), and have adequate hip flexor and especially hamstring flexibility.  So much of what people complain about with regard to the back can best be avoided by practicing these preventative measures.  OF course practicing good posture helps as well.

I hope this doesn't sound like a know it all and comes off as it is intended to be - just helpful feedback based upon my experiences in the gym.  Comments always appreciated.  Thanks for reading - I know this is a long one.

Andy

My Soap Box on Working Out

One of my clients said the other day that I sometimes get on a soap box about certain issues so I guess I will prove him right by talking a little about the entire concept of working out.  I talk with people so much about working out and ways/methods to get what they want.  Often I that conversation has little to do with WHY they want what they want.  I think if we spent more time thinking about that and being honest with ourselves - it would help direct our goals.  Of course I have ideas about why people want to workout and I will list them here with my comments:

1.  To look good - Of course we want to look good or experience our version of what looking good means.  I feel like some people spend a great deal of time being hyper-critical of themselves while others don't think enough about what it is that they actually want to "look like".  It seems to me that a goal that is attainable has to be one that can be visualized.  Visualizing what it is that you want to look like and then developing a plan to do so is a great step in the right direction towards reaching your goals.

2.  To be healthy (Hear comes my soap box rant) - While I hear this a lot - I think people sometimes fail to realize what "healthy" with relationship to fitness really entails.  A healthy body is one that is strong,  that has cardiovascular fitness, flexible and functions properly.  Sometimes people focus on strength and not much else.  A lot of people focus on cardiovascular fitness alone (often with the goal of dropping lbs. and not thinking about the other benefits).  Some people (but seemingly a lot less) place more emphasis on flexibility.  And even though I think they would tell you differently, I believe a lot of people miss the whole concept of what a properly functioning body should be.  This is actually what inspired this post.  SO MANY people complain and talk about injuries and aches/pains that they have.  Most commonly in the shoulder, knees, and lower back.  All you have to do is delve a little into their daily patterns of activity and you will quickly discover that there is a gap in how they are using their bodies.  They usually have a job that has them in certain positions for long periods of time.  Then they come to the gym and do the same exercises over and over thinking that it will yield different results - and sometimes eventually quit when they don't have success.  I hardly ever hear about balance in people's routines.  When they come to the gym they may hit one or two.  Some people will do some weights and cardio (which should always be done in that order consequently) and every so often I will run across a individual who will actually get some strength training, cardio and flexibility training into their program.  But even them there is always one thing that seems to to take precedence.  I guess this all comes down to balance. People have unbalanced lives (I am speaking physically here - although I would suspect some of you would agree that applies to more than just physical health) and unbalanced bodies.  Of course everyone is different and strategies should be adjusted accordingly - but a BALANCED program is one that focuses on all components of physical health.  And when we talk about strength - we need to focus more on functional strength and even balance associated with it.  When we talk about cardiovascular fitness we need to recognize the impact of the repetitive motions and the amount of effort necessary to get the results we want.  Thinking about flexibility and implementing a program means giving our stretches due time during the workout and stretching all of our body parts - not just one or two.  And when we consider the whole body and how we train it - it is imperative that we train it as a FUNCTIONAL WHOLE - working to make sure that each limb and portion of the body moves correctly and is properly strengthened as well as flexible.  Do so will help ensure our bodies are so much more flexible.

3.  Enjoyment - I will just end with this.  If you can't find some sense of enjoyment from your workouts - however that comes - then I think that they are going to be not nearly as productive and you will lose enthusiasm quickly.  Learn how to work your body properly and completely - enjoy the process and find that balance that makes you feel like you are taking care of things in a way that will enhance the rest of your life.

Andy

My Story - A Taller, Awkward, Skinny-ish Kid with Bad Genetics

Long time no write.  I have been thinking a lot about the fact that I am a personal trainer and how sort of unlikely it is considering where I came from.  I think about this because I often get comments or suggestions that I am somehow more adept at working out or have more to work with than the average bear ... this couldn't be further from the truth.  We are our own worst critics but I am pretty certain that I just barely pull off looking like a personal trainer and will never look as good as some of my colleagues.  But of course - it isn't about how good you look (or is it? :) but really how good you feel and how healthy you are.  Okay - all that aside.  I want to talk about how I got here and what implications I think this has for everyone out there working out who feels like the odds are stacked against them.

When I was growing up I was not particularly athletic.  I tried and sort of participated in several different sports - none of which I was very successful at.  I was just sort of awkward and despite my height - I had no real potential for sports like basketball or football.  (At least that is how I remember it)  As I became an adolescent I drifted towards individual activities such as (of all things) skateboarding which I actually did for several years and got pretty descent at.  When high school rolled around I went into diving because believe it or not, I actually had a slight gymnastic ability.  I wasn't ever really good at that either and my longer awkward frame made it sort of ugly when I dove (again ... how I remember it).  I tell people this story from time to time.  When I was a sophomore, I was photographed for the yearbook with 3 other divers.  There we were sitting on the end of a diving board in speedos of all things.  The other three guys had what I wold describe as very typical mid-adolescent bodies that were being transformed by the raging hormones that we experience at that time.  They had little pecs, abs, guns, etc. etc.  And then there was me.  A longer skinnier version of those guys with a flat chest, almost concave looking arms (meaning they seemed to swoop in instead of out) and broad but bony shoulders.  Definitely not the genetic makeup of a guy with a proclivity for weight lifting.  To top all of this off - I had developed this horrible roll of belly fat right around my belly button.  A result of my mom's incredible cooking, my love of all things pasta, and a couple of years previous to that where I spent at least two summers doing nothing but watching cable.

My point is I had poor genetics.  I did not have the natural V-taper of the back to midsection as my fellow divers and I carried my body fat in the exact wrong place at a pretty early age and my muscularity was pretty nil.  The only thing I did have was a decent set of legs that I think some of which came from using them during all that skateboarding.  I read once that the one time you can really make-up for lack of genetic potential in a short amount of time is early adolescence as your body is producing tons of great hormones at that time for muscle building.

Later in high school I got involved in wrestling which again, I wasn't great at but I actually learned a lot about in a short amount of time and still kick myself to this day that I didn't get involved earlier so I could of experienced a little more success in that sport.  It was actually a sport where I could learn to use some of my length to my advantage.  That only lasted for awhile and then my lack of experience would catch up with me. 

Anyway, around the time I was 13 or 14 I started to look at bodybuilding magazines because I was fascinated by those physiques.  I really never stopped looking at those magazines over the years.  But what started as a fascination with looking at the pictures became actually reading the articles and then eventually putting them into practice; especially around the time I was 16 or so.  I found my first serious gym and because I had spent years reading magazines that preached a lot about form, set and rep schemes, developing symmetry and balance and the "correct" way to do things - I was able to start training properly.  Over the years I tried a variety of techniques and strategies to train my muscles and work on my weaker body parts.  But I always kept in the forefront of my mind the lessons from the magazines that talked about things like working your chest as much as your back and how legs are just as if not more important than your arms.  And because I looked at all those pictures and read all those articles I believe I did so with consistent proper form.  I believe to this day that this is why I have avoided injury in 16 + years of weight lifting.  

Of course I sought out the advice of others hundreds of times and experimented with different ideas of the proper way to train.  And I definitely had my slumps where I would slack on the lifting.  Also, I didn't even consider doing any cardio work until college and on into my early twenties.  But weigh training remained a focus for me and has been one of the most consistent things in my life.

So to wrap all of this up.  I still don't have the best genetics.  But looking at where I came from - I have done almost as much as I could possibly do with my genetic potential.  What was once a flat bony chest actually has a little size and definition ... it is sort of one of my stronger parts now (a testament to lot's of incline presses and work which I believe so many people neglect).  And after all these years of practice makes perfect work, feeling the muscles work and connecting with them mentally has become second nature.  But that took time - a lot of time thinking about the exercises and "toying" with them to make them work for me.  I think I now have a much more complete physique.  Of course I still want to improve areas and of course I still battle that "genetic belly syndrome" (ooh .. I should coin that term).  And I understand that these will be things that I have to work on forever.  

And this is my lesson for the day! :)  I think people should realize that they have the bodies they have and that to make real change takes years, even a lifetime of commitment.  But this should not be an overwhelming fact as the idea that weight training and exercise will be part of your life forever should be comforting.  You will always have something to work on and you will always have a goal.  It gives me purpose in one aspect of my life and I think others who choose to should look at it that way as well.  True change comes from consistent, proper, specifically crafted training programs that make the best of your assets and help you bring up those areas you need to work on.

Thanks for reading ... I know this was a long one.

Andy