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