Fitness Ninja

It’s the middle of April, the temps are finally reaching the 80’s, and everyone and their momma is having allergies issues…which of course means Spring is in FULL effect.  Every year people talk about doing a “Spring Cleaning” to purge all the excess from their homes, only to inevitably clutter it up once again with more junk.  Have you ever done that to your body??  You have every intention of FINALLY being good on your diet, resisting the urge to order food thru the clown’s mouth, pushing away that oh so tempting cake, and being consistent in the gym…and you succeed!!...but for only so long.  Then right when you are on the brink of true success, right when you are about to break through the plateau, right when your friends are about to say “WOW, what have YOU been doing?!?!,” you cave in.  You let your old habits sneak up like a ninja and force you back to your old ways.  And what do you end up with? Again?  A cluttered house, in need of another desperate cleaning. 

So what are you going to do different this time to make your Spring Cleaning last?  Will you allow the junk to pile up again, or will you throw it out with the rest of the garbage never to be seen again??  Can you visualize your health and your body the way you truly want it, or have you throw your hands in the air, resigned that the junk drawer will never go away?  In the wise words of Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you are right.”

Now I will leave you with some client quotes from the past week:

“I don’t wanna sweat cuz my tan will come off”

“I think your idea of fun and mine are two different things”

And probably my favorite one of the bunch, said by a client when instructed to move the treadmill up to a 10% incline...

“Can I just stay at 5%? I’m afraid of heights.”  HAHAHA!!

NO EXCUSES, JUST RESULTS!!

I want to take a moment to thank all my wonderful clients who make my job worthwhile.  Every fitness professional wants their clients to see amazing results.  (I’ve seen my fair share of Cracker Jack Box “Certified Trainers” who have no passion when it comes to training.  They are the glorified workout buddy.  I’m not talking about them.)  I’m talking about the personal trainers who realize the position they are trusted with and truly care about their clients.  And the greatest reward a trainer can receive (in my opinion) is a client who embraces the opportunity and not only WANTS to change, but PROVES it!! I love those people!! In the past month or so, I have worked with:  a woman who reached a weight she hasn’t been her entire adult life; a man who hasn’t been as light as he is right now in 15 years; a man approaching a 150lb weight loss; and a woman who just this morning walked in, hopped on the scale, got off, and said “That’s 100lbs!!”  WOW!! 

We are blessed to work with so many dedicated people.  All these clients achieved their results by hard work and discipline.  Nothing fancy about it.  I truly believe anyone can accomplish their health and fitness goals, you just have to want it bad enough. 

Have a great holiday weekend!! I will now leave you with an email I received from one of my clients after a “highly effective” workout…

“I’m gonna need you to come clean my house and do some laundry.  I can’t move.  Just using one finger to type this hurts.” (THANKS Lil’ Jon!!)

NO EXCUSES, JUST RESULTS!!!

Ahem.  That sound you hear is me stepping onto my soap box.  So listen up!!! (LOL!!)

I’m not one to comment on political issues much, nor will you find me expressing my personal opinions of such issues in this arena very often.  However, the big news this week is the newly passed Health Care Reform bill.  It may be the single biggest piece of legislation put into action in the past 50 years, and will seemingly affect almost every single American.  I do believe everyone should be afforded some sort of minimal healthcare, and I don’t believe people should be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions in most circumstances.  But more important that either of those things, I believe people, ALL OF US, need to take…ready for this…PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for their actions regarding their physical health and well being.

In case you didn’t know, 70% of our population is currently overweight or obese.  The CDC reports in 2008 that 20% of the adult population smokes.  Throw in the millions of people addicted to prescription drugs, illegal drugs, alcohol, etc., and you can see why there is a health care crisis.  Companies lose billions of dollars a year due to employees missing time from work for health related issues.  Premiums continue to rise every year, and the cost on society as a whole is astronomical!

Maybe, just maybe, if more people took a proactive approach to their health and made an attempt to live a healthy lifestyle, our great nation wouldn’t be in this predicament right now.  Healthy people miss less work, are typically more productive, and have less insurance claims every year.  I know there are things out of our control (environmental factors, heredity…), but we should at least take advantage of those things we DO have control over.  Nothing we do will ever completely eradicate disease or rid us of health related complications that simply come from life itself, but it certainly could not hurt for all of us to live a healthier lifestyle on a daily basis. 

I’ll step off my soap box now J

NO EXCUSES, JUST RESULTS!!!

Those of you who know me know how passionate I am about health and fitness.  It’s all I’ve ever done professionally in my life.  So when I see blatant disregard for human life, it really gets me riled up.  I was watching the news the other day and heard a story about a woman who is TRYING to set the world record for fattest woman ever.  Um, yeah, I’m going to type that again in case you think you misread…TRYING to become the fattest woman ever!! Here’s a link to the story to read the details if you’re interested.  This just appalls me on so many levels.  She has kids, is spending each week what many of us spend in MONTHS on groceries, and, in my opinion, is committing a slow suicide.  Absolutely disgusting!! I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.  Please read the story and reply if you feel so inclined.

And to end on a positive note, I will leave you with my client quote of the week:

“Come on dude, this is f***ed up!!”

NO EXCUSES, JUST RESULTS!!!

Like many of you, I’m busy.  We’re all busy.  There’s always something.  Isn’t that one of the inherent issues of life, trying to fit it all in everyday???  I hear the excuse often from people who are NOT my clients…”I just don’t have time to workout.”  Yeah you do, you just don’t want it bad enough.  I understand.  There are things I keep saying I’m going to do, but it just isn’t happening.  Apparently I don’t want those things bad enough either.  I do, however, want to be more consistent with this blog.  So I am publically vowing to do this at least once a week.  I KNOW I have time for that.  I waste a plethora of hours now playing Words with Friends on the iPhone (for those of you who know the game, you feel my pain!!), so there’s no good reason I can’t update this blog regularly. 

Now I will leave you with these, various things clients have said to me over the past few days while training.  ENJOY!! J

“This sucks”

“I hate these motherf***ers!!” (referring to a specific exercise)

“But that’s harder!!” (um, yeah, it’s supposed to be!!)

“I don’t want to do that” (Ain’t gotta wanna, just gotta!!)

“I’m still sore from Friday” (you’re welcome)

And one of my favorites that I have the pleasure of hearing from time to time…”Thanks for kickin’ my ass!!!”

Till next time…NO EXCUSES, JUST RESULTS!!

It’s that time of year.  A time dreaded by youth all over the nation, and rejoiced (well, sometimes) by parents everywhere…BACK TO SCHOOL!!!  Often, back to school means a return to some sense of normalcy, at least as far as schedules go.  Those of you with children are forced back into a routine, whether you like it or not!!  I have found most people function MUCH better with consistency in their life.  (See where I’m going with this?!?!)  Yes, that includes exercise as well.  The most consistent clients I’ve had in my career are those that have made exercise part of their daily routine.  Not an afterthought, not something to try and “squeeze in” at the end of the day, but something that is a priority in their life.  Amazingly enough, those clients are the SAME ones who see the results they are looking for.  AND those are often the people who accomplish more and push further than they ever thought possible.  I love the look on people’s faces when they lift a weight they never dreamed of before, they do a couple hundred pushups during a workout before realizing how many they’ve actually done, they run a sprint faster than ever before, they do things that “other” people do…those are all a result of being consistent and being WILLING to push their own personal limits. 

Everyone typically has goals for weight loss, body fat loss, increased cardiovascular endurance, etc, and those are all great things to strive for.  But when people can DO more than before, they can function in everyday life more efficiently, they can climb a flight of stairs without being winded, they can play with their children and tumble around on the floor without throwing out their back…THOSE are the things that really matter.  And staying consistently focused on the bigger picture of overall health and wellness can many times keep you from falling out of your routine, no matter what time of year it is. 

Do you have an exercise routine? If so, fantastic!!  If not, what’s keeping you from it?? Lack of time? Most of you can find the time if you really want.  Not “feeling” like it?  Just commit, the feelings will follow.  Lack of knowledge?  That’s when you hire a professional to lead the way (hint hint).  Lack of motivation?  Guess what, we can handle that too!!  We really do provide no excuses to living a healthier life.  Call it a sales pitch, guilt trip, whatever you want…but at StaYoung Fitness we love what we do, and we are committed to helping anyone we can become a healthier, happier person. 

“If you don’t take care of your body, where else are you going to live??”

Every Monday I have clients that come in and tell me how their nutrition is totally derailed by the weekend.  I’ve always wondered what it is about Saturday & Sunday that tells people it’s time to eat and drink and ruin all their hard work in the gym.  I’m not trying to be a Nazi about it, and I’m not against anyone having a drink here and there, or enjoying some Tex-Mex from time to time, but GEEZ!!  I watch these people work their tails off to get in better shape, and then they tell me they had 2 Mambo Taxis and an enchilada platter.  Some of those drinks have 500-700 calories EACH!!  For a lot of people, that’s more than they burn during a day’s workout!!  So a couple of drinks here and there, some chips and queso, and a chimichanga, and a person can effectively destroy everything they worked hard for during the week.  Someone on Biggest Loser once said “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.”  And I think it’s SOOO true.  Everyone has SOMETHING they are working for in their exercise regimen, and it disappoints me to see someone ruin it so quickly.  It all starts in someone’s head though.  You have to want it, and I mean REALLY want it.  I’ve said it before, there are people who SAY they want to lose weight, and there are people who really DO want to lose weight.  If given the option, I would assume that most people who are overweight would chose to lose those excess lbs rather than keep them.  But the problem is people just don’t want it bad enough.  People become content and settle for the way they are.  Only those who make a MENTAL decision to change for the better ever achieve true, lasting success. 

So how bad do you want it?!  Bad enough to forgo that margarita?!  Bad enough to make a healthy decision when you dine out?!  Bad enough that you’re tired of the way those jeans fit and you’d rather be a few sizes smaller?! 

Bad enough that you’ll let the weekends count too???

“Fitness Ninja”

Well, you know how the rest goes.  But it’s oh so hard to resist sometimes.  There you are, 1am in the morning, flipping through the channels, and lo and behold, the answer to all your health and fitness needs are staring you in the face.  Chiseled pecs and rock hard abs.  Long, lean legs leading up to a firm backside.  “For only $99.99…$49.99…three easy payments of $19.99, you too can have the body you’ve always dreamed of!”  “Call now, and we’ll cut the price in half!!”  “This _______________ (fill in the blank with any of the following):  revolutionary new training technique, secret that the stars have been using for decades, program that people have paid thousands for, system once unavailable to the public…is now available to YOU!!”  Goody goody!!  So you hop on the computer, order right away, and 2 weeks later when the thought of actually DOING SOMETHING isn’t as appealing anymore, it shows up at your door.  Now what???

Can you really get the body you saw on the infomercial??  Did you pay any attention to the VERY small print at the bottom of the screen that flashed across for all of 2 seconds??  “Results not typical.  Results vary.  These results achieved along with a proper diet.”  I don’t know about you, but doing the Bowflex for 30 minutes, 3 times a week and looking like the people on the commercial seems awfully fishy.  You know why??

BECAUSE IT IS!!!  I think what many people fail to realize is that individuals we see on the commercials (along with magazine covers, etc) are more often than not PAID fitness models.  It’s what they do for a living!!  If that was your job, you’d look like that too!! But this is reality, and in reality, we have jobs and kids and other responsibilities.  I’m not saying you can’t have that amazing body you see on tv, I’m just saying it’s probably not gonna happen with the gimmick that is presented before you.  I know what will get you results.  You ready??  Wait for it, wait for it…

HARD WORK!!  The bodybuilders and fitness models you see in the media got their bodies from hard work and clean diets.  Hard work means hours (yes hours) in a gym, lifting weights, doing cardio, and pushing themselves to their limits.  And clean diet doesn’t mean only drink on the weekend, or I’ll just eat Tex-Mex once a week.  It means clean.  The clients I’ve had that made dramatic changes in their bodies didn’t do it overnight, and most didn’t do it in “only 6 short weeks.”  I’ve seen people get back their abs they thought were never attainable again.  I’ve seen people reach weight milestones they haven’t seen in a looooong time.  And it was all from consistently putting forth the effort to have a healthy lifestyle, no gimmick needed. 

So pull out that Thighmaster/Bowflex/Total Gym/Billy Banks Taebo video, put it up on Craigslist, and go do something REAL!! 

Aaaannnnndddd GO!!!

The Fitness Ninja

6/5/09

So it’s Friday, and Friday’s at StaYoung Fitness are what I like to call “FUN FRIDAY.”  It’s really no different than any other day because we ALWAYS have fun here.  (Although my definition of fun in relation to others may differ slightly, but I’ll get to that in a minute)  There is something about Fridays that makes people a little more at ease, a little more relaxed, and a little more willing to push themselves in the gym.  The weekend can do that for people, even though many people I know work on the weekends too, so the week never really “ends.” 

But I digress…do you have FUN during your workouts?  And not the “fake it till you make it” fun, but the real, genuine, “love to be alive and healthy” fun.  Do you truly enjoy working out and appreciate the process of getting (and staying) in shape.  CLICHÉ ALERT!! Rome wasn’t built in a day, and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t built in 30 days either.  Did you know that 80% of people who begin a new fitness regime stop within 6 weeks?  And 90% stop within 6 months.  So I think the problem lies in expectations of what is really going to happen when embarking on a new workout routine.  If someone’s goal is to lose weight, let’s say 70lbs, and they’ve had that extra 70lbs for a decade, why would they expect it to come off in 6 weeks?  Or 12 weeks?  And when it doesn’t fly off like it did on Biggest Loser, why do they quit so quickly?  If someone is consistent in making healthy, positive changes, there is always progress, even if the scale doesn’t always reflect it. 

If you are setting out to truly change your life, to LIVE a healthy lifestyle, then I think you HAVE to have fun.  You have to be able to take pride in the small accomplishments along the journey:  the first “real” pushup, the first jog with no knee pain, the first time you do something that you told yourself “I’ll never be able to do that.”  Those are the great things about getting a healthy body, and it SHOULD be fun.

I tell my clients this: EVERYTHING is fun, there are just different levels of fun.  So specific exercises can either be high on the fun scale, or low on the fun scale, but it’s ALL funJ  (I may have some opposing client views on that one, but they learn quickly to just agree and move on) 

Anyway…my point of all this incessant rambling is this, HAVE SOME FUN!!!  Whatever you are doing for fitness, keep it interesting.  Switch up your routine.  Do something you LIKE to do instead of just going through the motions.  Bring a friend with you.  (Because who doesn’t like to see a good friend suffering…um…I mean having FUN right beside them)  Enjoy what you are doing, and think about the great sense of accomplishment in just being healthy.

Have a great weekend folks, and enjoy my closing quote…

“It doesn’t have to be fun, to be fun”…go figure that one out

Fitness Ninja

It’s raining here in lovely Frisco, TX.  I love the rain, always have.  And there are so many clichés and sayings that come along with the rain:  “it’s raining cats and dogs” (which I’ve never seen, but I could possibly get a free puppy out of the deal if it ever did), “when it rains it pours” (usually true here in Texas), "don't rain on my parade" (I don't think wet balloons would be THAT big of a deal), and my favorite “that rain sure is coming down!!” (as opposed to…??, but I guess it does rain sideways here sometimes). 

One thing I do know, is that rain makes for a slow day in the gym.  I’m not sure what it is, but anywhere I’ve ever trained, if it’s raining, less people show up.  It seems strange to me.  People go to work when it’s raining (at least I assume they do, but we know what assumption can do), people go grocery shopping and run errands and attend other events.  So what is it about the rain that keeps people from working out? 

In my years of training, I find often that it’s constantly raining for some of my clients.  It happens to us all, and I am no exception.  “When it rains, it pours”, right?!  It rains financial troubles.  It rains scheduling issues.  It rains kids and spouses and meetings.  It rains poor nutrition, bad habits, and lack of motivation.  We all have our struggles, and I don’t know of too many people who don’t have SOMETHING raining down in their life.

BUT, remember when you were a kid and you wanted to go outside and PLAY in the rain??  Wasn’t that the best?!  Jumping around in puddles, getting soaked and dirty, without a care in the world.  I used to ride my bike through puddles to see how much water I could splash up.   It was great!!!

So when it rains, what do you do?  Do you curl up inside, waiting for the storm to pass?  Do you let the rain ruin your parade?  OR, do you frolic in the raindrops, taking what is given to you, and soaking up every bit of it? 

The sun is out now, which reminds me that there is ALWAYS a brighter side, but sometimes we have to make it through the rain to get there.

“Fitness Ninja”