It's All In Your Head

We get so caught up in following the right diet or the right nutrition program that we forget to make sure where our head is at. Being successful at exercise begins with how you "think" about exercise. I can tell within a minute or less if a new client is going to be successful by how they talk about their exercise and diet failures to date. Every day that you don't work out is a day lost from you taking control of your health.

Here's a short list of some of the things your brain might be telling you.

* I'm too tired.
* I don't feel like it.
* I've got too much going on right now.
* It's too hard.
* I need my sleep.

Do you realize everyone of those is just an excuse? Excuses are whatever you tell yourself so that you don't have to apply yourself. There's a million excuses and a million stories to be told. It's akin to giving yourself permission to NOT do something and not feel guilty about it. It's just "your story".

But the story that has yet to be written is your success story. The one that you get to write about your triumph over food, bad habits, laziness, making excuses, needing more sleep, etc. etc. etc.

You see, no one is going to show up and take you by the hand and walk you though this. It's a journey that needs to be taken by each one of us. It's often a challenging journey too. If you want to be successful at anything in life you've got to show up and be accountable.

Whether you want to be a psychologist, an actor, an entrepreneur, or whatever you decide you want to be or "do", the point that links all of this in common is "making a decision".


You can have anything you want, be anything you want, once you decide to "be or do". So if it's a lean and healthy body you want, first you have to decide. Once done, you have to prioritize things in your life so that you make time for this to become a reality. If you are spinning your wheels it's because your priorities are out of order. You start and stop, start and stop, and then all you are left with is the same body you started with.

The question you need to ask yourself is "WHY do I always STOP?" There are many reasons, but the only one that matters is this: Anyone who STOPS making progress towards their goals and dreams stops because they don't have powerful reasons in their mind reminding them WHY they need to keep going. They value other things more and prioritize others people and things before themselves. And that's a crutch of sorts too!



Simply put, you don't have a big enough WHY. And Why is that? The answer is also fairly simple. Finding one's WHY is just a mechanical process. But as easily as one can create their WHY, some people crash head-first into theirs. Life can be pretty harsh and sometimes our painful experiences drive us to positive outcomes. But the answer lies in personal pain or "being disturbed" on an emotional level.

When it comes to fitness, all some people have to do is look in the mirror when they are naked, get on the bathroom scale, and get dressed. These three events of the day can throw a person into a downward emotional spiral. But what are you going to do about it?

A) Do Nothing - No change, things stay the same and may get worse.

B) Commit to making a change -Unlimited potential. The skies the limit.

The bottom line is that whatever you are doing with your life that is supportive or not is all in your head. You and you alone have the ability and the power to change everything in your life, if you just "decide" to do so.

Why Too Much Cardio Makes You Fat!

Steve Maxwell, age 56

This is a great article from my colleague Steve Maxwell, who at 56 years old is in better shape (and I mean true genuine, functional fitness, not just appearance / bodybuilding nonsense) than most of us could ever dream to be.

In this article Steve explains in detail why performing too much aerobic activity is counter productive and can actually be bad for you. In fact, he gives us ten very compelling reasons why he doesn't do any aerobics himself.

There's a group of individuals I have come to refer to as "over aerobicisers". In my ten years of experience as a personal trainer and coach I've run into many people who are addicted to their aerobic activities. And the more they do the better. There's often a pattern for many where they evolve from casual joggers into marathoners and triathletes. I keep seeing this more and more with adults over age forty as well. In my observation there's also been a pattern that they share. It's not completely consistent, but generally these are some of the common traits.

- Are happy with their scale weight.

- Look good in clothes, but they have fat deposits in places they can't get rid of.

- Crave starchy carbs and justify eating them because they believe they can burn off the extra calories.

- The women prefer not to wear bathing suits, especially the two-piece styles.

- Are frustrated as to why more aerobic activity is not working for them.

- Love the way they "feel" from their time spent running, biking, or swimming.

- Feel "off" when they can't run, bike, or swim.

- Are very often resistant to the idea of changing their fitness program to one focused on resistance training without their aerobic activities.

In my fitness programs we've always focused on "muscle first". But if strenuous exercise is too challenging for you, I recommend walking as a great way to burn fat, especially if you have the time.

I enjoy hiking as not only a great way to burn fat, but a wonderful way to experience nature, slow things down a bit from the hectic pace of the work-week, and also a way to enjoy the company of friends. That's why we hike every Sunday as part of our program. If you live in the area, please feel free to join us! http://www.meetup.com/Body-Basics-Burn-the-Fat-Hiking-Group/

So, if you perform a lot of aerobic activity, and in spite of it you're still fat, please read what Steve Maxwell has to say in the article below. And you just might want to pass this on to some of your friends too!

Press on!
Larry

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10 Reasons Why I Don't Do Aerobics
By Steve Maxwell

I spend my days at a corporate gym. It's a sweet gig and a temporary livelihood.

One morning, while observing a female member endlessly running the treadmill-to-nowhere-fast, I realized I see the same people returning day after day, iPods silently blaring or, worse, mindlessly captivated by one of the ten wall-mounted television screens, while grinding away on those steppers and treadmills.

The drudgery of their *Sisyphean tasks compels their attempts to lose self-awareness by inundating themselves with external stimuli. Often, their bodies reflect this lack of self-awareness in skewed gaits and other imbalances. (Editor's Note: *Sisyphean task - This phrase describes any seemingly interminable or impossible job.)

These same people come in religiously to get the feel-good fix, believing somehow their mindless, movement addiction is in some way benefiting them. Interestingly, they stay fat, show no progress, and sometimes even get fatter, especially after holidays. Most of these people are loathe to touch a weight, much less engage in any kind of productive strength-training. You see this same phenomenon in gyms all over the country.

Some will say, "Well, some exercise is better than none." But I say, if you're going to spend the time, why not produce something worthwhile?

But first, what is aerobic exercise?

Any steady state locomotion elevating the heart rate into the zone for twenty minutes or more. The zone is determined by formulas based on age and resting heart rate. Now, ten reasons why it not only doesn't work but is a poor use of exercise time:

1. Oxidative Stress
Which causes a breakdown of tissues. It also predisposes one to cancer
and heart attack.

2. Elevated cortisol production
Which causes a breakdown of muscle tissue and increases fat storage or depot fat. People do aerobics to alleviate stress yet end up creating more stress.

3. Lowered testosterone and HGH levels
For men, aerobics are a form of chemical castration. Low T-levels are associated with lowered libido, depression, anxiety, increased body fat and decreased muscle tissue. This contributes to muscle-wasting and lowers the basal metabolic rate.

4. Increased appetite and a tendency toward binge eating patterns
Aerobic exercise makes people hungry!

5. Excessive Muscular Fatigue
Making it difficult to do other more productive forms of activity. Aerobics creates muscular weakness.

6. Conversion of fast-twitch muscle fibers to slow-twitch
The loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers contributes to aging and the loss of explosive power and speed. People become slower and slower.

7. Burns a relatively small amount of calories vs. the time spent
One large meal completely offsets the pitiful amount of calories burned in an hour aerobics session.

8. Overuse injuries to the feet, ankles, and knees from excessive,
continual force transmitted throughout the body
This is exacerbated by over-engineered running shoes which cushion the feet in such a way to create a neural amnesia.

9. Shortening i.e., deformation, of the muscle tissue from repetitive
mid-range (partial range) movements
This creates inflexibility, immobility, and muscle imbalances. Besides being tight, the bodies postural alignment becomes compromised. Aerobics create tight, inflexible bodies that are in chronic pain.

10. Adrenal burnout
A consequence of the "feel good" neurotransmitters which also stimulate the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline is the fight or flight hormone. Excessive adrenaline creates an addictive response and people going routinely for the so called "high" of running end up with adrenal burnout, e.g., chronic fatigue and depression.

Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the father of aerobic exercise (and the person who coined the term) completely recanted his assertions regarding aerobic exercise. After observing a disproportionate number of his
aerobic-enthusiast friends die of cancer and heart disease, he reversed his ideas on the benefits of excessive aerobic exercise. He now claims anything in excess of 20 minutes has greatly diminishing returns. In fact, he's now an advocate of scientific weight training.

In strength and health,
Steve Maxwell

To contact Steve Maxwell go to - http://www.maxwellsc.com/

Your Health and the Economy - 8 Things You Can Do To Stimulate Them Both

Our President is working hard to make an impact that will stimulate the economy and get this country back on it's feet. He tells us in his speeches that it's time to act responsibly and that we need to change our habits. Every time I listen to him speak I can immediately relate his message to the same message that I write and speak about. It takes the same thought process to change one's habits to stimulate muscle if you want to be lean and fit. After all, isn't health and fitness about taking responsibility for our lives? You bet it is! So at this trying time in our nation's history, I think we should also make an effort to take responsibility for our health.

Got stress?

Yeah, me too. If you find yourself indulging your senses with food or alcohol or anything else that creates a temporary escape, then you are simply avoiding and prolonging making positive changes. You are moving away from improving your life and your health. That's not good, and it's probably just making you feel worse in the long run. Look, I'm not going to paint you a rosy picture and tell you this is easy and that everything is going to be all right. What I can tell you is this. If you want a healthier life...live and be healthy. If you want a happier life...live and be happy.

The quote for the day:

"There's no way to happiness. Happiness is the way." ~Buddha

You can substitute health or wealth or anything in place of happiness for that matter. It gets down to three very simple and repetitive tasks that we all do, all day long.

The three things that we do are:

What we think about - thoughts
The choices we make - feelings
What we do as a result - actions

Now that sounds really simple. On a conscious level it is. But most of the time we are on auto-pilot. We go through the motions thinking the way we think and doing things the way "we do" them. Because that is who "we are". But all of a sudden we realize that we are over weight, malnourished, we see the bags under our eyes, we've got a rash, our teeth are yellow or coffee stained, our hair is dull, our nails are brittle. Sounds attractive, doesn't it? Well, it doesn't have to be this way.

Think about how we start each day. There's an opportunity to have your day go down hill right from the get-go. If you have a big mirror and you don't like what you see in your reflection, your mental state has just been affected. Heaven forbid you decide to step on the bathroom scale. If you don't like the number you see, you've just registered another whammy. Now let's suppose you take a shower and than get dressed. You either like the way your clothes fit or you don't. If you don't, strike three, you've just started your day off with three negative emotional experiences that could send you to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast!

So getting back to my point. The word for the day is "stimulus". What controls your actions is your thoughts. Pay more attention to what you pay attention to!

Here's a few suggestions.

• Watch less news. It's mostly negative
• Read the comics, not the obituaries
• Take a hot bath before going to bed to relax you
• Avoid quarreling, especially with your spouse and kids
• Take an afternoon 20 min power nap (more on this later)
• Go to bed fifteen minutes earlier than you do now
• Get up fifteen minutes earlier than you do now
• Read before bed, but no TV

In short, replace negative stimuli with positive stimuli. Think about what you are doing the moment you are doing it. Ask yourself, is this a bad habit? If you can find a way to catch yourself in the act of the things that you do that don't support you and then change your thoughts about that very moment, you are well on your way to changing the world. And the world is you!

Press on!

The "Dirty Dozen" Workout

Here's a great workout for you. What I like about this workout is once you understand the rules you can make infinite substitutions and scale it for time and group fitness level. I use this workout for boot camps classes, small group training, and one-on one training too.

The foundation is 12 exercises for a 12 minute workout. Some of the exercises require dumbbells and some require just body weight. The protocol is :45 seconds work with :15 seconds rest / transition. Scaling it back will shorten these durations.

Note: In editing this clip I cut off some of the video at the back end of some of the exercises to keep the entire movie under You Tube's 10 min limit.

Scaling For Time and Fitness Level

Depending on the group size and overall level of ability, I will scale this workout accordingly. For example, I may ask the group to perform this workout in 6 minutes instead of 12. This way each exercise is performed for :20 seconds with a :10 rest. Another option is :30 /:10 which will make this an 8 minute cycle. In a typical boot camp class we will perform this routine up to three times. First round 6 minutes, second round 12 minutes, third round 8 minutes.

You might notice in this video that some people appear to have less than perfect form. They are working to improve their form and/or they are working around an injury. BTW, don't forget to give people options for making the exercises easier or more difficult so that everyone gets a "10" experience.

Good luck and please send me your comments and suggestions!

Movement Matters

A large part of my work day is spent observing how people move when they exercise. Regardless of fitness level, there’s much more to exercising than meets the eye. I believe that everyone needs to learn how to move properly either before, or as part of their fitness program. One of my teachers and mentors, Paul Chek, HHP, NMT has written a great book on this topic that I highly recommend titled, “Movement That Matters”.

In my ten years of experience as a personal trainer and coach, I have observed that strength training with weights and jogging are the dominant forms of exercise. It’s also been my observation that the skills of balance, stability and coordination are far more important to human development in gaining strength and improving athletic performance than most people realize. The vast majority of fitness experts and exercise enthusiasts don’t realize the vital role played by the Central Nervous System (CNS).

In short, training the CNS is the most important element that a training program needs to include. A training program that does not address the needs of the CNS is an incomplete, inefficient and less than effective program. The CNS can be trained in a variety of ways, and the easiest way to work on the CNS is to include exercises that involve multiple muscle groups and that are performed while standing and moving.

These relatively simple movements will improve your balance, stability and proprioception. (PRO-pree-o-SEP-shun). That’s a ten dollar word that means the sense that you are moving properly and are aware of what your various body parts are doing.

The worst thing that a beginner can do is to try to do exercises with an “external load”, that’s another fancy term that means “lifting weights” – before learning how to move properly and developing the requisite balance and stability skills. One of the worst things that anyone can do is to just jump on exercise equipment and start cranking out reps.

I’m not a fan of most exercise machines. The problem with machine-based exercise is that the machines provide all the stability and balance for you so that your body never has to work on these skills. The pillars of human movement are pushing, pulling, bending, twisting, raising and lowering (squatting) and locating (walking, running, etc). When you combine movement patterns that require the body to use many muscles and multiple joints at one time, you are far better off than using any machine that isolates one muscle group at a time.

By adding external load (weights) and challenging balance, the CNS must adapt to the new way of doing things. This “stimulus” to the muscles and the CNS is what the body adapts to. Thus we improve our ability to move, flex, extend, and balance, and ultimately we get stronger too.

I’m a big fan of body weight exercises like mountain climbers, squat thrusts, lunges, and push-ups, etc. There are too many to list. Personal trainers and strength coaches who are doing their jobs properly will have their clients working on these dynamic and functional exercises before progressing to adding weights.

In closing, CNS training is more complicated than weight lifting, and a program that works on the skills of balance, stability and proprioception will allow people to get the most out of their exercise time and effort. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather complete my workout in less time, burn more fat and build more muscle. Wouldn't you agree?