Achieving Fitness through Planning, Goal-Setting, & Consistency

           I sit down in an office at a gym and meet with new people each week to discuss different aspects of exercise and training. Whether I end up working with them or not, it is always interesting and insightful to hear someone’s personal health story because each and every person is unique. My goal is to give away some knowledge that will help benefit them and guide them in the right direction. 

            Choosing a direction can be the most difficult part. If you have a goal, then you are already headed in the direction of success. Having a goal keeps your head focused as long as you keep that goal in vision. When you lose sight of that goal, you may end up veering off path for a while. I call that falling off the band wagon. Relate that to someone who once was very active with their faith and love for God. One day, it seemed, life got busy and the focus on God transitioned to focus on everything but God. The end result was an increase in anxiety and a feeling of loss of control. Once we re-direct our focus on what is most important then we begin to see, feel, and understand what is good for us.

            Okay, so we see the light. Now what do we do? Create a plan! Everyone’s plan should be different, just like God’s plan for each and every one of us is different. Be sure that your plan is something that is do-able. If it seems too hard, then chances are it will be. If it seems challenging that may be a good thing. How you create your plan is up to you. It will be based on your capabilities. For instance, if you’ve got a toe you’ve had surgery on that just doesn’t want to bend and it aches when you do bend it a plank is not going to be a comfortable exercise because it entails toe flexion. The constant flexion of the toes that takes place when you walk on a treadmill may be uncomfortable during a 30 minute cardio session, so choose the elliptical since your feet can stay flat. As part of your plan you will also want to be sure you’re incorporating activities that are both cardiogenic, meaning the activity increases your heart rate, and activities that train muscle strength.

            You have a plan, but you’re too tired or you don’t have the time. Aha! These are common excuses. You’re plan needs to be refined to something that is do-able. Remember if it seems too big then it probably is. If it’s time you’re lacking then choose six to ten exercises and perform them back to back without any rest. Give yourself a half-hour each day and don’t stop until you get through them all two to three times. Always begin with a warm-up and a cool-down.  If you’re tired, start out small. Don’t tell yourself you have to go run three miles after an eight hour day on your feet. Instead, tell yourself you can walk first and if you feel like running you can run, but you don’t have to. Exercise gives us energy, but we won’t feel it unless we do it. You will most likely feel like running after you begin walking first.

            Consistency is a key component to our health and fitness success. Without consistency it’s unlikely that you will see the results that you desire. You cannot consistently eat cookies every day and expect to lose weight. However, if you consistently eat fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats every day then over a period of just a few short months you will see changes. If you consistently sit on the couch without ever getting up to move or pick anything up then you can expect that your metabolism will slow down because it has become accustomed to reserving energy. Get up and break a sweat for twenty minutes five days a week and you will begin to feel the need to get up and move when you’re sitting down because your metabolism is beginning to work again.

            Becoming fit is both a mental and physical process. If you’re reading this, you’re in the right direction. Start with a goal or a set of small goals. Losing 100 pounds is not a smart goal because it is too big and one can easily get overwhelmed with it. Starting with a five to ten pound weight-loss is much more ideal. We have no limitations on what we can do or how far we can go in our health and fitness journey. We will fail and get frustrated, but that is part of the beautiful learning process. Keep your eye on your goals and readjust your plan if it didn’t work for you. There are a vast majority of resources out there to help you begin with an exercise and nutrition plan. Exercise Programming books are becoming more popular and I see people in the gym with them all the time. They will help you discover new exercises, what exercises strengthen and develop particular body parts, and what muscle groups are involved. You can develop your own workouts from these books. I wish you all the best of luck and make it fun!

Motivate Me

The more I talk to people the more I find that what motivates people to work out and eat right really is not all that different from one person to the next. There are general differences between men and women, but there are also similarities.

The younger generation of men and women (I find) is more about competition. Either with themself or with a partner. It could be with friends or even family members.

For myself, my sisters have been my motivation. We've never competed against one another, but we've always shared eachother's health and fitness secrets with one another.

Jennifer, my oldest sister, began figure skating when she was young. She is muscular and has the meanest six pack around. Alexis is my middle sister. She was always voluptuous, curvy and bootylicious. As she's gotten older I would actually say she's skinny, but she also has great abs. We've become an iron pumping family. When we get together we go to the gym. It's very motivating because we're all positive people and when positive people get together it creates even more positivity. Now that's a lot of +++++'s!

While working yesterday, a tall beefy young man asked what I competed in. I told him that I just like to exercise. However, it's more than just about liking exercise. It's about how it makes me feel. And it's, occassionally, about the reactions you get from other people.

Having been a chronic binger for about nine years I went up and down and up and down and up and down...you get the point...with my weight for years. I fought with the scale. I can remember my mom saying to me "Kelsey, you're getting a little big". She had no clue what I was going through as a teenager, of course. And either did I, really. I was dealing with feelings by eating food. Feelings hurt!

Eventually, I started exercising because I learned in school that it could help you lose weight. THAT motivated me! Results motivated me.

Other motives for exercise are seeing the physical changes whether it's fat loss or muscle mass. Muscles are truly beautiful. There is nothing like being able to see your own abs and the shape of your true body forming. Flex your muscles and you can see the different dimensions of them in the mirror. It sounds a little conceited. And it is. But, if you've worked hard for it, then who cares. Over time I've seen a big difference in my glutes and that's a major problem area on women because it is covered with dense adipose tissue. It's one of the best feelings to feel proud of your body. I also notice that after a few days off at the gym my muscles feel flat so that pump I get is motivating.

Intrinsic changes are incredibly motivating as well. Improved VO2 and lowered blood pressure are reasons I like to hit the gym. I know this when I go to the doctor and I ask what my blood pressure is. I can feel when I run how much easier it is to breathe compared to when I played soccer in high school.

The guy I talked to at the gym said he wasn't naturally big and muscular. He eats several meals throughout the day and works out early before work every morning. For him, it's the competition between his friends and the endorphins he gets when he works out that motivates him. The same endorphins are released during a workout that are released when a person does drugs. It's THAT good. :)

Lastly, I'd like to talk about building relationships. People often say they go to the gym to take a load off. They've had a stressful day at the office and need to blow off some steam. The gym is the place to do that. And everyone there can relate. It's not a place to be negative. It's a place to be positive. Some people go to the bar. Well, people who go to the gym mingle just like people at the bar. You've got regulars and those who haven't been in three months. But, everyone here talks to one another and there are special relationships between some that keep them coming back on a regular basis. It keeps them....motivated to workout.

So, what motivates people to exercise?
I'd say top of the list is feeling good (aka the endorphins released)
Physical results that are tangible...or you can see them
    * weight loss
    * getting bigger
    * getting stronger(could be considered intrinsic)
Intrinsic results
    *better breathing (VO2)
    *bone density
    *blood pressure
    *stable glucose levels
   *decreased appetite
Building relationships

Wacky Wednesday

Today, I feel like laughing. I think that's a good start to a Wednesday morning. Especially since I set my alarm for 3:30am to open the gym and had my face lapped by a stinky fire breathing dog with thunder paws that stomped my face.

I made my way down to the kitchen, quietly crept down the hall and closed my parents bedroom door as to not wake the sleeping dragon (my dad) from his sleep. I put the K-cup in the Keurig and something was wrong because it made about a quarter of a cup of coffee. So...I ran it again. Again...a quarter of a cup of coffee came out. So, I put another K-cup in the Keurig. Again...a quarter of a cup of coffee. I left the house with three quarters of a cup of coffee. Better than nothing right? I filled the last quarter with creamer!

Now...where did my computer charger go? Ugh. Nevermind.

I get to work and one car is parked in the lot. Mike Capone. Aka the Janitor. I hope he's reading this.

It's dark and misting. The mist is beautiful though. Who says that? Mist?...beautiful? It's been raining for six days now. It's fine as long as I'm not standing in it long enough for it to ruin my hair.

Anyway, I'm glad Mike is here because I forgot where some of the lights were and I would've been wandering around in the dark aimlessly looking for them. Also, I spent at least 10 minutes straining my neck trying to turn on the Vizios when all I needed to do was aim the remote at the Vizio symbol. Thanks Mike.

Onto another subject. People really bring me joy...Let me rephrase that. People bring me joy when they don't stand there and stare at me trying to untastefully hit on me or tell me really boring stories for an hour straight about how they used to pick up hot chicks (you know, back in the day). I greet every single person with a smile that walks in to FitNation. And I don't always get a nice response, but it doesn't really matter. 99% of the time I get a good response. I have learned never to judge a book by its cover. You don't know anybody until you've learned their story.

One lady walked in today with her service dog. She has a tendency to swear a lot at other members...for no reason at all. I greeted her very nicely and she says to me, "I don't understand why people do that to their hair". (I just died it bright red yesterday). I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. Why let it bother me. I like it! Then... she says to me, "I just got a big tattoo yesterday, take a look". I said to her, "I suppose that's not much worse than what I did to my hair". She agreed and we got to talking for a brief moment. It really made me laugh on the inside. I know how she is labeled by most members. But God only knows what she has been through.

Another lady who came in this morning ran over a skunk on her way here at 5 am. Her entire car reeked of that odor, but she didn't let her get that down.

The first lady to walk in said she loved my hair, which made me feel awesome. The first thing I thought about her was that she had great muscles and she ended up leaving early from her workout because she said she was feeling fat. I made sure I gave her a compliment on the way out.

Jeff walked in this morning and introduced himself to me. He's seen me here. We've met...four or five times. I don't know, maybe it's the new hair color. I informed him that we know eachother already and laughed.

THEN, George Brooks stopped in with an envelope and asked me to read the paper enclosed in it. It was a typed up letter explaining that for a few months of the year he and his wife went to Florida for the season. It asked if it was at all possible to freeze his membership for the time being. I knew it wasn't. However, I did need his signature on his agreement. He was very understanding and didn't mind paying the $30.00 for the months he was absent. He also explained that his wife broke her neck and was wondering if in October he could add her to his membership when she was better.

In my church I had seen a lady with a brace on her neck. Her name is Phyllis. I figured I'd ask George what his wife's name was. Surprise, he said Phyllis! I said, "Do you go to The Village Church?" and he said, "I started the Village Church". So, we got to talking for a while. I learned that getting old is not all that joyful.

We all have circumstances that we have to overcome. Some we can help and some we cannot. But it is important to hold your head up on your shoulders and not let anything get you down. Some people walk through that door feeling down, but if I can greet them with a positive attitude and help them in anyway I find that they help me too. Work has always provided me with a sense of community.
Looking back on this past week's events all I can do is laugh. My sleep at night hasn't been going well. I toss and turn. It feels like I sleep, but I'm awake at the same time so when I awake in the morning I've really been awake all night. I died my hair bright red and I had mixed feelings about it, but I decided I'm going to keep it. Often times I look to the people I love most for approval, but to be honest it's what I think that looks good that matters most. I threw a little internal hissy fit and had to talk myself out of it that day. Work could be going better, to say the least.

If there's one thing I know. I am good at making others feel good about their circumstances even if it for a moment. :)

Gyms: The ultimate judgement zone

I love how Planet Fitness claims that they're the "judgement free zone" when we all know that every gym out there...you know, where people go to CHANGE or do something about their figure...is the ultimate place to stare at people. Let's face it, we've all done it. We've looked at our neighbor and said "Damn, I want what they've got". Maybe it's the opposite....

Women: You've been in the locker room changing when the girl with the perfect body comes in and you've just spent the last hour doing cardio. Now, you feel like shit. Why not just go home and stuff your face, you'll never compare to her.

Or when you're on the elliptical working out vigorously and you look in to the weight room at another girl with great muscles and think "WTF am I doing wrong?!"

Men: You've been trying to bulk up for a year now with no results and then you see the biggest, sexiest guy (no homo) walk in and all the girls awe at him. You get jealous and angry inside, which either makes your workout that much better or sends you home discouraged.

I know because I've seen it and you can't deny one time or another you've let another person ruin your workout. But, the truth is no one person is better than the other. Take it from me. Why? Because I've trained in many gyms since I was 17 years old and its the same everywhere. Even I can't resist the urge to gawk at other girls' physiques, but I NEVER let it get me down or stop my workout from being great.

I was in the locker room changing and a heavy young woman walked in. I could feel the stare from behind me and then as I looked in the mirror I saw her watching me. She glanced away quickly, but I could feel a strong sense in the air still. Hey, I have to work incredibly hard for my body. Don't judge me.

I love it when I'm doing an intro to training and someone tells me I'm skinny... for two reasons. The first reason is that I am not skinny, I am muscular and curvy. I weigh 150lbs and I work my ass off to keep it below that. The second reason being that I am not naturally this way. I do WORK...HARD work!

If you spent a week with me living my daily life you'd see I'm not perfect. I have days I eat like shit. I sleep like shit sometimes, and I can be lazy. I've talked to too many people to know that EVERYONE has "demons" inside them that they're fighting...from the obese woman who was molested when she was little to the skinny southern girl who feels like a whale and watches every little bite she puts in her mouth. I've talked to men who say they can't lose the weight and they think their fat when they're in here training hard 6 days a week and have nothing to lose or men who are trying to pack on the mass when they're a solid, lean 200 lbs.

One of my client's attended my group fitness class with 4 other women. I could see her looking around at the other women in the class. Two days later, when I trained with her next, she said to me "you're mom is in great shape". Little does she know my mother is stiff all the time, does little to no physical activity, and was incredibly sore the next day. She always says to me "I have such a long way to go". It's important to accept the fact that the human body goes through changes in life and often times we can do something about it.

Every human being has his or her own personal battles and we must recognize that no one person is better than another no matter how big a smile they have and how confident a strut. We're equals and we should all have a little more confidence in ourselves that we are adequate the way we are because it's true. Stop feeling guilty for not looking a certain way. YOU hold the power to feel good about yourself.

If you do have goals that aren't being met all you have to do is ask. Get professional help or research online...take a deep breath and relax. Being miserable about where you are now won't make you successful. You must first accept yourself for who you are now because you're beautiful. The better you treat yourself the better others will treat you.

Workout #24

25 mins HIIT:
min       incline     speed
1           1.5          3.5
2-3       1.5          3.8
4-6       1.5          4.0
7           1.5          5.5
8           1.5          6.0

Sprinting every 30 seconds, increase the speed with time from 6.0 to 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, until you get to 9.0. On the rest periods you can drop the speed down to a steady pace (about 6.0) OR you can completely rest. This method is a little more dangerous because it involves hopping on and off the treadmill tracks while the track is still running high speed. This involves placing both hands on the handles near the end of the 30 second sprint and lifting yourself up and off of the spinning track so your feet are planted on the outer sides of the treadmill. When you are ready to begin running again at the end of your 30 second rest, keep you hands on the handles tightly, lift yourself up a little using your upper body strength and place one foot on the treadmill at a time.

For practice, start out at slow speeds doing this. It's not as difficult as it sounds, but it can be intimidating. However, as much as it is intimidating it's an amazing and exhilerating workout that doesn't exhaust the shin muscles as quickly if you aren't a typical runner.

Cool down for 5 minutes at 4.0 when you reach 20 minutes. I like to increase the incline to 3.5-4.0 during this time to keep my heart rate up. Feel free to decrease the speed during the last minute or two. Even though it's a cool down, we don't want to cool down too much because we still have a workout!

So you're muscles don't freeze up and blood doesn't just pool in your lower extremities, perform a few dynamic stretches prior to your resistance training. You'll still be sweating, I promise.

Triset 1, 2 sets:
Lateral lunge with dumbbell reach....1 minute
Stiff-leg DL....1 minute
V-sits on Bosu....15 reps

Triset 2, 2 sets:
Sumo squat with shoulder press....1 minute
Plank (on elbows)....45 seconds
Jumping Jacks.....30 seconds
Jumping Oblique Twists....30 seconds

Repeat Triset 1, 2 sets

Repeat Triset 2, 2 sets

The Dynamics of Stretching

I know, I know. Stretching is boring! It's time consuming and more than half of gym goers skip this important step in the workout process. A workout SHOULD be compromised of a warm-up, exercise session, and a cool-down, but most people don't because they don't realize just how important it is.

If you're not going to stretch any other time during the day, at least warm-up prior to your workout. You can warm-up by stretching and stretching can most definitely warm-up the body providing you do it correctly.

Unlike static stretching, dynamic stretching is a great pre-workout warm-up. Dynamic stretching, a form of stretching while using momentum or movement at the same time, not only warms the body and prepares it for exercise, but it can also be considered part of the exercise session and you will see why in a few moments.

Through a dynamic warm-up your body gradually begins to get warm. Your body begins to demand more oxygen in order to please the working muscles, thus your respiratory rate increases in order to be able to circulate more oxygen to your muscles.

A warm muscle is more elastic in nature allowing for more stretch and less chance of an injury. These physiological changes reduce overall muscle viscosity. You can think of viscosity of "thickness". Hypothetically, if blood is like butter and at room temperature it is thick and hard, then when it is warm it is more like water which is liquidy. This can describe the difference between muscle viscosity during a warmed-up muscle and a muscle that goes straight in to a heavy squat without a warm-up.

A warm-up also increases the sensitivity of nerve receptors, which ultimately increases the speed of nerve impulses. If you think that nerves have nothing to do with doing exercise, then I suggest you do a little research about the neuromuscular response. Here is a hint, the reason people see results at the beginning of an exercise regimen are due primarily because the muscles are controlled by the nervous system.

Take 5 minutes to warm-up and you will feel the world of a difference in your workout. Not only do they feel great, but the warm-up exercises you choose to do can aid in the transformation of your body as well as improve the quality and safety of your workout. Lunges are an especially great warm-up activity that help shape the legs and core. Below are a few dynamic stretches to do at the beginning of your workout. I recommend performing 7-10 stretches before you exercise. Take your time and really feel the stretch. You will notice a change!

Leading & Learning

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to one another." - John F. Kennedy

       Yesterday I took a trip to Syracuse, which is about an hour away, to talk with the Director of Personal Training (hopefully I got that right) about a possible career opportunity. I also got to briefly meet with the owner of Personal Fitness in which he referred to me as the "Watertown Girl". I didn't mind the nickname. I felt a little like a celebrity. Personal Fitness is a two-level executive gym located in the heart of downtown Syracuse serving about 300 clients a week. How can they accomplish such a huge task? By employing MANY knowledgeable, experienced, and certified trainers. Oh, I forgot to mention that they don't have any competition either.

      The night before my trip I set my alarm clock for 7 am. I woke up excited, nervous, and a little skeptical of what I would be walking into. This skepticism due to the last job I had whose business website made them look like the rock superstars of Watertown fitness. After working for them for several weeks I realized there were no opportunities in sight for career growth nor were they rock superstars. I walked my dogs, got their breakfast ready (eggs and the usual chicken stick), ate my breakfast, and got ready to leave by 9:30am. I didn't set foot out the door until 9:45am and when I set the GPS it read distance time: 1hr 35min. "Shit!" I thought the trip would only be an hour! No time for a coffee or lunch at the Mustard Seed. Thank God Andrew left me a sugar-free Rockstar in the fridge. I think I drove 77mph the entire way, making sure to slow down to 73 when passing any "No U-turn" signs.

       I arrived in Syracuse just in time, but now had to find parking. I parked in 12 minute parking for about an hour. I saw the big letters "P-e-r-s-o-n-a-l F-i-t-n-e-s-s" outside the building. I went in through the revolving doors to what looked like a beautiful hotel/bank type lobby. I entered the doors to the gym and met the Director of Personal Training. A big, muscular guy wearing a red shirt. He shook my hand firmly and showed me around the place. Then we went in his office and he told me a little about the business.

    The way their personal training works (among the trainers) is such that it encompasses shadowing, sharing, practice, experience, feedback, and affirmation. This means that the team of trainers works together so that their programs are effective. It is a continuous learning process, which is important for growth and development as both a person and trainer. The Director asked me a few questions, which both refreshed my memory and taught me something new and valuable that wasn't taught to me in school. You mean four years of college and a professional certification didn't teach you everything? Nope, sure as hell didn't! Learning and discovery are things that never end and should never end if we want to better ourselves.

      So now you're probably wondering what he asked me. He asked me to name the rotator cuff muscles in the shoulder. I named two out of four. It looks like I need to update my damn 3-D musculoskeletal quiz application on my iphone. That's all I thought about before bed last night...the names of the four rotator cuff muscles. Anywhere from 91-94% of Americans suffer from low-back pain. He also asked me what the curve was in the low back and why someone may have low-back pain. There are multiple answers, one being poor posture for long hours of the day, but weak rectus abdominal muscles is a major source and that was the answer he was looking for. He showed me a little kinesiology with his mini-skeleton and it became clear that low-back pain could occur if your form is not perfect during abdominal exercises. For example, if you're performing reverse crunches, flutter kicks, and scissor kicks (etc.) and feeling low-back pain at the same time think about pulling in your abs or strengthening them overall. The Director also asked me questions about exercise programming and nutritional recommendations, which he gave me great feedback on.

       My trip yesterday was well worth the hour drive. I want to acknowledge the fact that Personal Fitness is a great gym because they want to be the best at what they do, not because they serve about 300 clients a week for personal training alone. They are interactive with one another and as difficult as it can be to work with a large group of co-workers I'd say they're doing a pretty good job at it. The Director superseeds the quintessential boss or head personal trainer. At Personal Fitness it is as though the questions why? and how? are never left out of exercise programming and before any program is started with a client it is reviewed by someone else to be sure that it makes perfect sense.

    Yesterday inspired me to continue my education as science is evolving ALL the time and I need to know more to help my clients get results. My clients look to me as the expert so that's what I will strive to be. Thank you Personal Fitness for the opportunity to start a career with you and for the reality check! I am by no means perfect. I am inspired to continue my education and I accept your criticism with grace. Thanks again!