Let's Give Those Legs Some Love

If you asked the average gym-going guy what his weekly routine was it would probably look something like this:

Monday: Chest (international bench press day!)
Tuesday: Back and Abs
Wednesday: Arms and Shoulders
Thursday: Chest
Friday: Chest and Abs

Certainly when you see television shows an movies the guy are always doing bench press as well. What about the wheels? They might say "my legs get enough work on the treadmill". To that I would ask if their arms got enough work brushing their teeth!

Not only are your legs your foundation, but they contain the largest muscle groups in the body so training them burns the most amount of calories, triggers the most amount of anabolic(muscle building) hormones, builds total body strength, and doesn't make you look like this silly guy.

A strong pair of legs keeps you able through your entire life so don't neglect the pair you stand on!

Move It And/Or Lose It + Cardio Combos!

In our world today you could practically live your entire life without breaking a sweat.  Just about everything is automated and if it isn't, you could surely find someone else to do it for you.  This has become very apparent to me after a mission trip with my church to the nation of Haiti.  Everything in life is hard down there and very, very physically demanding.  I told my wife that if proper nutrition was in place, just about every person there would be walking around looking like a fitness model.

I took a college class on science fiction literature to fulfill and English credit a few years back.  There was a story I had to read and i don't remember the name of it, but it was about a guy in the distant future who lived in some sort of colony.  Everyone lived in this colony and they were supposed to be very happy because everything was catered to them.  No one had to move a muscle; everything was done for them including feeding.  This guy wanted to know if there was more to life than what he had even though his mother told him he was crazy.  Here's what fascinated me, the man reports that in order to get out of his room and escape the colony from a hatch, he spends weeks strengthening his body by lifting his pillow many times each day!  That is how non-physical life was in this story.

We aren't near that point at all and I don't think we ever will be, but isn't it easy just to not use your body?  Many have dreams of one day having a body to be proud of at the pool, why not start today?  You can't get the butt you want by sitting on it!

Ask yourself where you could have been if you would have gotten serious about this 8 weeks ago.

Maintenance for Your Body

For some people, the though of exercising might invoke painful memories of 8th grade gym class, or maybe the the though of sweating sounds repulsive.  For others, exercise has become more of a hobby than a have-to.  What's interesting to me as that our ancestors never had to set aside time out of their day to work their bodies as most of them got plenty work just living.

When we were kids, we were interested in playing and not much else.  Bath time was a hindrance.  Sometimes dinner was the same.  As we grow to see the importance of these things then over time they become a familiar and comfortable thing.  I love taking a shower and I love eating dinner.  I'm hoping some day that flossing will make the list too, but I won't hold my breath on that one!

I think a lot of folks see exercise as being a tool to achieve a certain look.  While this can be true, a healthier way to view it would be to compare it to taking a shower or brushing your teeth.  Maintenance.  We brush our teeth to keep them healthy.  We wash our bodies for the same reason and so we don't stink.  The lifestyles of yesteryear which kept our bodies active is scant for most so we exercise to provide that.

We were created to be in motion, so it's no wonder exercise is healthy.  If I told you the best way to keep your car in good shape is to drive it regularly and regularly beyond it's comfort zone you'd laugh at me; but the human body is this way.  We were just plain made to use our bodies!  What's more, we feel better when we exercise.  There's a sense of accomplishment just like there is a sense of fullness when you eat a good meal, cleanliness when you step out of the shower, and love when you hug those who are important in your life.  There's a certain key to every lock and exercise a key to living a longer active life.

Weights and Measures

The majority of people who seek out personal training have the primary goal of losing weight.  While it might seem as easy at calories in and calories out, that usually only works on paper.  It's often discouraging when a person puts in the hard work in the gym and in the kitchen, but the number on the scale doesn't move.  To this frustrated person, i offer this argument: the scale versus the tape measure

The scale is seems to be the tell all about a person in these United States, and perhaps the world.  It can tell you anything from how much you had to eat this morning to how the rest of your day will go.  The problem is, we put far too much emphasis on what is displayed on that little screen or where the needle ends up. Truth be told, the scale can't tell you how much of you is composed of muscle, water, organs, bones, or fat (at least not accurately).  It can't tell you how healthy you are, how well you're doing at work, or how your kids will turn out.  All it can tell you is to what degree Earth's gravity affects you.

Somewhere along the way, society has attributed this number to a person's self worth, and suddenly there's a goal number created in which the doors of happiness and fulfilment are thrown open to the scale's rider when reached.  I'm not saying it's wrong to have a weight goal but the sad, sad faces i see when the number isn't right tell me that maybe there's too much riding on that number.

For this person and for every person, i suggest another tool for measuring success: the tape measure.

Now the tape can't tell you how awesome you are either or how much money you will make in your lifetime, but it can give you a glimpse of what's happening in your body when the scale has abandoned you.  As I said earlier, I see a lot of folks interested in weight loss, but what they really mean is fat loss.  I have never heard of anyone eating unhealthy and accumulating unwanted muscle that they want gone.  Resistance training, especially to the novice, elicits a hypertrophic effect (increase in muscle size).  This effect will taper off unless further training variables are present to continue its existence.  With that being said, an increase in muscle size leads to an increase in weight, however the number on the scale very often stays the same.  What is happening here?

Now is when we get out the tape measure and see what we get compared to the original testing.  What I find most of the time is a decrease in body circumference.  You may have heard is said "muscle weights more than fat".  That's bologna. A pound of muscle weighs just as much as pound of fat like a pound of lead weighs as much as a pound of feathers.  What is meant to be said is that muscle takes up less room than fat.  More than 50% less actually.  So when the tape measurement is down, fat is being lost, and if fat is being lost then we are on the right track.  If muscle is being lost, then we need to reevaluate our nutrition plan.  A loss in muscle decreases your ability to use energy, thus hindering the ability to drop weight.  This is the reason why diets, especially diets devoid of exercise and proper macronutrient ratios, don't work.  As soon as the diet is over, you have a person who has lost weight in fat and muscle and they are more likely to gain all the weight back and then some.

To sum all of this up, instead of just focusing on what the scale says, look to the tape measure and to how your clothes fit you.  As it takes time to get big, it takes time to get smaller.  Learn to enjoy the journey and see the rewards beyond weight loss!

Bodyweight Only #2

Who says you can't get a good workout without equipment? Try this new workout today! As a side note, the horizontal pull up can be done under a kitchen table if you can't find anything else to hang from.

Strength + Speed

This workout focuses on power production and explosiveness

When speed is applied to strength, power is produced.  This is especially important for athletes as all physical sports demand a certain degree of power production.  The average joe will find power useful for expending a great amount of energy in a short amount of time.  If you need a gasser and don't have much time, exercises requiring power are your go-to.

New Workout and Thoughts on Injuries

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and your parts don't want to work like they should for awhile.  The doctor will tell you to stay off that leg or not to lift more than ten pounds (how much does your arm weigh?).  Whatever the matter, if physical therapy doesn't happen, you might find yourself with limited strength and mobility.  We tend to favor on arm, one leg, or one side because we know the other is weaker and has been injured before. 

Now sometimes there's not much you can do about that, but what I've seen is that years of favoring one side creates a great imbalance that a person could mistake as being a "bum leg" or whatever the part is.  From what I know about bums, they don't want to work and don't try, and that's what happens to appendages that don't get used.  Instead of working them and rehabilitating them like we ought to, they are neglected and protected and an imbalance is created.  So now what has already healed is now weak and getting increasingly weaker as it doesn't get any work.

The answer to this is, of course, work!

Exercise what is weak, even spend extra time on it to bring it up.  It would be sad to settle for impairment if full fuction is available, albeit with a little effort. 

Thoughts on Strength 1

In a one hour session I tend to do a lot of strength work with my clients. The reason being is that everything we do begins with strength. An increase in strength leads to greater ability to perform work. A loss of strength leads to a loss of independence and ability to operate in this world. This is the reason why many elderly folks need assistance in daily tasks.

Taking the steps to increase and maintain strength at any age is paramount to personal vitality. What's more, it is important to train in such a way to build a level of strength beyond what is applicable to daily tasks. In this, daily activity is not as taxing because there is more strength in reserve.

So whether you're just starting to exercise or you're well seasoned,  make increasing strength a priority.  Pick up something heavy and start getting stronger!

       

New Additions and New Workout

Many thanks go out to Lloyd Zimmerman for building us this wonder shelf for most of our fitness gadgets!

And here's a new video for your at-home consumption!

The Purpose of Exercise

Sometimes I think about what kind of reaction I would get if I were somehow able to go back in time and tell George Washington about what I do for a living. How would Moses react to hearing that I make people do hard work an they pay me for it?

Yes, when you think of it on terms like this, it is strange that we exercise at all. Our machines, knowledge of physics, and need for instant gratification have created a world in which many, including myself, require time each day to work our bodies the way they were designed to work. Those who came before us probably never would have dreamed it possible they their children would need more activity that what comes natural each day.

When you look at routine exercise in terms of health improvements, the rewards speak for themselves. Lowered resting heart rate, lowered blood pressure, increased work capacity, increased bone density, increased strength, decreased of injury occurance, improved flexibility, better proprioception, improved aesthetics, and a host of other physical and mental properties. Basically if you are not getting regular exercise then you are robbing yourself of a better life.

I like to think of exercise as an investment in the greatest asset you will ever have: your body. I can't think of anyone who would trade their eyes for any amount of money. No one would trade the ability to walk for a steak dinner or tickets to the Super Bowl. Plenty, though, would trade more years on earth and more time being able-bodied for more time on the couch and more hours at work. "I have no time" is both the oldest and worst excuse. You can tell what is important to a person by how much time is devoted to it. Where a man's treasure is, there his heart will be also.

Whether it be a lot or a little, I encourage you to be a selfish and invest more time in your physical well being. If you don't, some day you'll wish you had!

10 Minutes at Home

From time to time I will be uploading workout videos that my clients and anyone else can follow for a quick workout while on vacation, or if you can't make it into the gym.  Most are easy to follow and require minimum equipment!