myfitnesshut

There is a myth about personal trainers: since we love to work out (well, most of us do), we never have to “make ourselves” workout! Trust me, that is not true. There are some days that I just don’t feel like working out. Actually, when you are around something all the time, you have to be creative sometimes to keep it interesting. After I have designed tons of workouts for clients, what will be MY workout routine? For instance, this summer I started a routine that I will workout in the heat as much as possible. This sounds crazy but I love to be drenched in sweat and 100 degree heat accomodates me!

Life happens. Sometimes the events of life make it tough to do your job or anything else. Personal trainers are motivators. There are some days that I don’t feel like motivating people. But guess what? I find a way to do it and I ALWAYS feel better.

So, what’s the point? The point is this: we all have days when we have to make ourselves workout. Depending on your situation in life, you might have alot of days that you have to “will yourself” through. The commitment to fitness will get you through it. You will feel much better after that tough workout. I know I ALWAYS do!

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This question was asked by a BuddySlim fitness buddy!  She can tell you who she is if she wants!

Client Q: Mark, I have a question? What do you struggle with? I think of you as this fitness god, but let’s know you better…. ya know.

Mark’s Q: Great question! I’m definitely not a fitness god! But I made a commitment to fitness years ago and that’s the key! But, I had alot of help! Let me explain:

1) I grew up in sunny New Mexico so I played outside almost everyday. That leads to an active lifestyle of games, walking, running, etc. Fun exercise is the best exercise. Even today, I do exercises that I like (there are tons to choose from)!

2) I participated in organized sports from age 5 to age 21. Along with genetics, that’s how I shaped a lean, athletic body. From there, all I basically had to do was maintain what was built.

3) I didn’t own a car until I was 23 years old so I walked and biked alot. Again, this helps lead to an active lifestyle (OK, I bummed alot of car rides too)!

4) I grew up in a time when kids came home from school, did their homework (well some of the time anyway) and then went outside and played games til dark (now kids are on MySpace and FaceBook til dark).

So, I kinda indirectly fell into the “fitness lifestyle.” Stated another way, I had alot of “social support” to help me stay fit. Social support is a leading indicator that you will stay on the fitness track!

The commitment to a fit lifestyle will lead to the body changes you want and give you lifetime health. I always tell people to commit to this lifestyle first and the health and “hot body” will follow!

Anyway, one of my weaknesses is sweets. I love sweets! I try to find replacements for them. So, instead of soda, I will drink water or unsweetened tea. And candy! Instead of eating a whole bag of M&Ms, I try to eat a few! And, some days I just flat out cheat. If you make the commitment to fitness and hold to good nutrition about 90% of the time, you will be just fine.

Unlike some trainers, I stress health and commitment first because that’s really where the problem issues are! The commitment to a fit lifestyle trumps all other fitness commitments and will help you to overcome the obstacles and failures along the way.

A fitness god I am not—I am committed to fitness! Stay tuned for parts 2 through 5 of this series and I’ll let you know about other weakness that “this trainer” has!

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Two days ago, I heard yet another advertisement for a quick weight loss pill or powder! It promised results “the easy way!” After 100 years of weight loss history, doctors and fitness professionals agree that the best solution for fat loss and weight loss is proper nutrition and regular exercise.

How about common sense? Name one thing in life worth having that didn’t take alot of hard, smart work? Is your health worth the hard work? So, the next time you hear about one of these new weight loss pills or powders, just ask yourself the simple questions. You will come up with the same answer every time! Have a good workout today!

Many times, people are trying to “get into shape” and they just start lifting weights and running. There is no set program to achieve fitness results. Well, this often leads to little or no results and a host of injuries. Look at this client question:

Client Q: Some muscle areas on my body are more developed than others. How can I correct this problem?

Mark’s A: We all start with a body type due to heredity. A fitness assessment is important because the personal trainer identifies postural weaknesses and muscle imbalances. The fitness program is then tailored to fit the individual’s needs. Without this assessment, you are “shooting in the dark.”

Achieving optimal muscular fitness requires flexibility, strength, endurance, power, and speed. These components should be included in an integrated training program. Because of lifestyle habits, the dominant side of the body develops more than the non-dominant side. And, if certain patterns or muscular actions are performed repeatedly, muscles develop more in either the front of the body or the back of the body. As a result, some muscles become tight, lengthened or weak.

An integrated training program focuses on 3-dimensional muscular balance. This will help overall strength, prevent injuries and enhance everyday living. Opposing muscle groups should be in balance. For example, the quadriceps group/hamstring group should be in balance (or the quads should not be significantly stronger than the hamstrings). Research has proven that inadequate hamstring strength contributes to knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.

To avoid developing muscle imbalances or to correct muscle imbalances, you should do the following:

1) Have a postural assessment performed by a fitness professional. This assessment will indicate where your muscles are tight, weak or lengthened. It will also indicate patterns of postural dysfunction called postural distortion patterns. Distortion patterns occur because the structural integrity of the kinetic chain (human movement system) is compromised due to the misalignment of one or more of its components.

2) Develop a comprehensive flexibility routine.

3) Weight training should focus on the total body to avoid muscle imbalances.

Do you have a fitness question? Just email it in! People want to know the answer to your questions!

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July and early August are traditionally heavy vacation months for many people (gas is $4 a gallon!)! Your workouts don’t have to take a vacation! Just be a little creative and you can have fun on vacation and still workout. Here’s a good goal: try to at least maintain your pre-vacation body fat and weight upon return from your vacation!

The picture above is my vacation condo location in Kissimmee, FL. It was easy to run in this location (just watch out for the alligators)!

Sometimes the location of your vacation can make working out fairly easy. For instance, if you are going to the mountains, hiking is an ideal exercise activity. And, if you are going to be close to a beach, running in the sand is a good exercise. If you are staying in a hotel, most hotels have exercise rooms. Just plan your workouts along with your vacation. Afterall, you want health and fitness to be a part of your lifestyle.

Here are some more pointers for your workouts during vacation:

1) Take your stability (swiss) ball and a set of dumbbells with you. You can get in a good 30 minute workout anywhere with these two pieces of equipment.

2) If you don’t want to take any equipment, then you can always do a bodyweight workout.

3) Take a jump rope with you. A 30 minute jump rope workout always works.

4) Plan fun games (such as water basketball, water polo, relays) with the family. The best exercise is fun exercise.

5) Visit the local health club where you will be vacationing. Some health clubs have agreements with your health club. A new workout atmosphere can be great motivation.

6) Plan a family hiking expedition if the vacation location allows for this type of activity.

7) Take your workout DVDs with you. They will probably work in your hotel television!

Stay on your nutrition plan at least 85% of the time! This is a tough one but you can do it!

I think you get the idea. Have a great vacation and stay safe!

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There is no doubt about it: 60% to 70% of your exercise goal success or failure will depend on a good nutrition plan! I can give you a great menu plan to follow day to day. It is up to YOU to follow the nutrition plan!

Here is another fact: research has proven that you will have a better chance of succeeding with your nutrition plan and fat loss if you keep a food journal! By logging your actual food choices, you are holding yourself accountable throughout the day. You will also be forced to plan your meals better.

In your food journal you should note:

1) List food, calories and serving sizes for every snack or meal. List details such as meats, drinks, vegetables, fruits, etc. For each meal, list why you ate–such as you were angry, sad, happy, hungry, etc. This is very important because moods can affect food choices! You need to know your motivations for eating!

2) Did you eat at home, at a fast food joint, restaurant, etc. Eating on the go can wreck your nutrition plan! Include this information with every meal.

3) Compare your food journal with your nutrition plan every day! This is the ultimate check on yourself and your eating habits.

A food journal will also help protect you from binge eating.

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I can’t tell you how many times I have seen it: people “goofing off” during their warmup before the workout. What do I mean by this? Well, let me think:

1) Terrible running mechanics: little or no arm swing, lazy feet and terrible body position. Those bad habits carryover into the workout.

2) Inadequate duration of the warmup. One to 2 minutes for a warmup is not enough to get your body ready for the workout.

3) If you only do static stretches for your warmup, that is not enough. It is better to warmup your body with a dynamic exercise such as running or jumping rope to warm your muscles and get the blood flowing. Do your static stretches after the workout to bring your muscles back to normal length.

4) Talking with your friends for 5-10 minutes is not a warmup! Don’t laugh because I have seen this happen.

5) I saved the best one for last: Your 5 minute warmup is not your workout! Again, don’t laugh because I have seen this happen too!

Here is a good warmup tip: use the warmup to burn calories. I use my 10 minute warmup to burn 125 calories. I do this by using a low-level interval routine (about 65% effort). If my goal is to burn 600 calories during my workout, then I have already accomplished about 20% of my goal. This type of warmup also insures that my body is ready for the tough 50 minute workout to follow. Have a nice warmup and workout today!

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Enjoy your cookouts, barbeques and tailgates tomorrow and this weekend! I know I will! And, that includes eating good food! But, I won’t skip my workouts! The workouts keep everything in check! Here are some tips to help you navigate through the holiday food minefield:

1) Don’t stop or slack off on your exercise program this July 4th weekend! And, if you aren’t exercising, then this would be a great time to start. I have a goal of at least trying to maintain my pre-holiday weight during the long weekend (1 week vacation for some).

2) Go easy on BBQ sauce and other sauces. They are loaded with calories.

3) Stick to your normal nutrition plan as much as possible during the holiday. Go back to your normal nutrition on Monday!

4) This rule always applies to any day—if its fried, let it slide!

5) Alcohol has calories too—7 calories per gram to be exact. Don’t tank it too much!

6) You don’t have to eat until you are stuffed! Just eat enough to satisfy yourself.

7) Don’t spend all of your time eating during the holiday. Walk around the mall for a couple of hours, walk the pets everyday, play pick-up games, cut the lawn, etc.

Drink lots of water and you will eat less.

9) Allow yourself one dessert a day (or a sample of a few) It’s okay since you are going to exercise tomorrow—-right?

10) Here’s something that also works for the July 4th holiday: start your day with a workout and toward the end of your day take a long walk in the park or at the lake.

Happy 4th! Be careful out there!

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