A Resolution For All of Us

Okay folks it's that time of year again. Everyone takes stock of their health and their appearance and decides January 1st to take on the health quest. It's time to lose that unwanted weight, build that sought after muscle, quit smoking, cut out the drinking, shy away from the desserts and pick up the weights and hop on a treadmill. Well good for you and I wish you the best.

This isn't your standard resolution write up. While I want everyone to succeed at their fitness goals, this is directed at the already dedicated and initiated fitness buff. We are about three days away from the annual influx of well intentioned fitness newbies and hopefuls embarking on their journey in every gym across this country. For some if not many this will be their introduction into the world of resistance training, weight lifting, bodybuilding, and it is important that we as fitness enthusiasts, gym rats, bodybuilders, power lifters, strong men and women welcome them with open arms. 

Remember back, if you can that far back, to your first day in a gym. You probably felt a little out of place, unsure where to start or what to do. And if you were lucky maybe somebody pointed you in the right direction, or you had someone you could watch and learn from. We are going to see all types of people entering our sacred grounds. Those who are uninitiated to the ways of the gym, those without athletic prowess, people who are heavy, and really heavy. Realize that in all these instances it takes a lot of courage to walk into that environment and try not stand out and attempt to succeed. Help them, offer assistance, offer information - and if it's met with a negative reaction, be nice, smile and go about your training. You can't help everyone.

Please realize that any snicker you make, any sigh, any under your breath snide remark you direct at the awkward or heavy...they've heard it all before.  Why do you think they are trying to make a change? You will add nothing original to the dialog by being negative. Smile, be helpful to these new folks and think bigger than, "they are in my way and I can't complete my superset". Understand that this is not only the right thing to do, but it also helps our image. 

Sure, there are negative inferences with being heavy, but there just as many negative connotations with being overly built and big. Muscle heads are dumb, they are all on steroids, they fly off the handle cause they roid rage, they are narcissistic, they are all fighting an inferiority complex of some sort, etc.  Believe me when I tell you that if these newbies first experience with an overgrown, shaved gorilla of a human being is that he smiled and offered a helping hand, or that an attractive fitness female complimented something they were wearing, that it will leave a lasting impression. If that person never steps foot in a gym again after March 1st they will always remember the muscle bound guy who smiled and was nice to them, or the nice fitness girl who was complimentary. 

So please treat all these newbies with respect and patience, it's the right thing to do and will in turn help more people maybe be a little more understanding and open to our culture as well. Thank you, have a wonderful New Year and lift hard.

- Ty

Why I Love Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding is an endeavor I fell in love with almost 25 years ago. Oldest story in the book, skinny kid wanted to be bigger, I was strong and fast, but not big. How could I be?  My mother is 5' and 90 pounds soaking wet, and my dad was around 5'9" and 170 pounds. Plus, I've had Ulcerative Colitis since I was 5 years old, and with that my appetite has always been small. Being big wasn't in the cards for me.

But when I got to high school, I had begged my mother enough and finally got her to give in to letting me play football. There I was introduced to the weight room. A place full of guys not much older than I was, but these "kids" looked like full grown men to me. These guys looked huge, had muscles and veins popping out everywhere, and were way stronger than I was. I wanted to look like these guys, so I started watching what they did and how they did it. I tried to emulate it, and at first it worked like gang busters. My muscles started popping, my veins were poking out everywhere. That was mostly 'cause I was so skinny in the beginning, my veins had no where to go but up when my muscles got bigger. Then admittedly after a while my progress halted. 

This is where most people give up. This is where I sat down and tried to figure out what happened. Why did my gains slow down and even stop? I was doing everything the same as before. So I changed my food. I changed my water. I wasn't savvy enough yet to know to change my training. And that worked a little. But not like I wanted. 

I lucked out in my early 20's and had the opportunity to meet some uniquely qualified individuals that taught me a lot about power lifting and bodybuilding, and how the two were so different and yet how one could assist the other. I learned more and grew more. I learned that food was more important than I had once thought to growth. So I started to eat more, but I always ate so clean that I could never put down enough calories to really grow like I wanted. 

As I got through my 20's and into my early 30's, I really started reading everything I could find on general health, weight training, nutrition, and (yes) steroids. The ugly word in bodybuilding that most don't like to discuss publicly. So let's tackle it. I will start with, I don't use steroids. Not for some 'holier than thou' moral stance. I don't have anything against steroids - they are designed to help people. I don't see a need for them for me because I don't cash a check off my body's look or performance. Sure, I am a personal trainer and a certain look comes with that moniker, but I have that look through hard work and proper nutrition. I don't need to be jacked through the roof to acquire clients. I believe that if you have the opportunity to have a professional career in sports, modeling, or as any public persona, there is a look associated with it. DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO. I defy anyone to turn down 1.5 million a year for the next 5 years guaranteed. But, you had to utilize a substance that made you bigger, faster, stronger, feel younger and recover quicker, and the catch was there might be side effects down the road that lead to health problems. You also might get off scott free and be health problem free after your use, it's simply a gamble. I doubt most would put down the pen and not sign that contract. 

"Bodybuilding is this introspective personal journey into what you find artistically pleasing, and figuring out how to build that into your body and present that to the world."

But I digress.  The full steroid conversation will come later, I promise. With all my new found knowledge I am constantly reinvigorated in my training, and what I can teach people who want to learn. Bodybuilding is this introspective personal journey into what you find artistically pleasing, and figuring out how to build that into your body and present that to the world. And I'll be honest - the more I learn about the past, and the ancient history of this discipline, the more I find things that truly work for me. There is something to be said for the golden age of bodybuilding and what those people did to look good. What's that they say...'to know where you're going you have to know where you've been.'?  Take a look at the training methods of the 50's, 60's, and 70's, and try some of it. It may have some more pertinence than first thought. Back then the words "over training" didn't exist, at least not in the same sentence. Today's biggest concern is over training. 

"I am, and will always be a work in progress."

I know over training is a popular term thrown around today by guys who do a set, then take 5 minutes to update their Facebook status, snap chat a shot of themselves taking a drink and toweling off. The guys who hit arm and chest pump sets Friday at 6 pm before clubbing. But I assure you there is no such thing as over training, and certainly not those by guys. These are the same guys who quote science findings saying that training any longer than 45 minutes will kill your gains. I'm sorry, but bodybuilding is a personal journey and my destination is not to look the same as those guys. I don't see many guys who train for 45 minutes who have the look that I want. And yes, I say "I want" because there are still things I want to change, shrink,  grow on my frame. I am, and will always be a work in progress. That is what I love about bodybuilding more than anything else.  More than the science, more than the desire to push yourself so far past your perceived limits that you can't see what you thought was your ceiling. It's the ability to critique yourself objectively, and realize no matter how perfect you, or others, may perceive your physique to be, there is always room to improve. And then finding the information to help you in that next step and applying it. Bodybuilding to me is the ultimate exercise in observation, application of information based on said observations,  and self improvement through discipline. And the best part is everybody can do it, just get a picture in your mind and start striving to look like that.

-Ty

Is Traditional Cardio Necessary for Fat Loss?

Walk into your local corporate gym around 6 am or 6 pm and you will probably find about 50 or so people walking, running, step-milling, cycling, spinning, elipticalling (if that's even a word)  their way to leanness. Now take a good look at the bodies on these machines.  Do they possess a good amount of muscle?  Do things look taught as they move in that repetitive motion? Are they as in good a shape as you wish to be?  While traditional cardio has a place in achieving a fitness goal or look, it is mistakenly overused and misplaced in peoples programs.

What if I told you that skinny people should do cardio and heavy people should avoid it?  Goes against everything you have been told, but it is the truth. Take a look at the physiques that the bodybuilders had back in the 70's.  It is a look widely accepted today as "good looking" and "healthy". Now ask any of these guys what they did for cardio and they will laugh at you - there was no cardio.  Look at the vintage pictures of the Gold's gym at Venice beach, the Mecca of bodybuilding, and find a single treadmill or a bike - you can't.  These guys trained much harder, and much longer, and at a higher pace than is done today, and they watched what they ate. That's it. That's all you need as well.

"These guys trained much harder, and much longer, and at a higher pace than is done today, and they watched what they ate. That's it. That's all you need as well."

One more thing before I leave you to attack the weights with a new found vigor. The science of target heart rate and your VO2 max is really fancy, and there are a lot of trainers out there that will pitch you the numbers and the data. You want the truth. Walk into a gym with a full range of motion in all your joints and muscles, wearing dry clothes and full of breath. Leave the gym with out being able to take a step with out feeling like something might tear cause its so tight from the pump, soaked through with sweat and unable to catch your breath. Do this via resistance training and tell me you don't see a huge difference in you physique within 2 weeks.

- Ty

Let's Talk Chicken

So you're ready to bring some healthier food to the mouths of those you love.  Awesome!  Let's talk about chicken. Here are a couple of recipes to try, and where you can look for more ideas.

We cook a lot of chicken in our house. Especially according to my kids, lol.  If you asked them, they'd say the number one answer to 'what's for dinner?' is chicken.  Gone for me are the days of preparing chicken topped with rich, creamy (though delicious!) sauces.  But, I still want flavor.  I want all of us to enjoy what we eat, while keeping it healthy.  The most common chicken I make is probably also the easiest chicken dinner I make.  One baking dish, two ingredients.  Yes, it's that simple.

Cajun Chicken

Chicken breasts (I use boneless, skinless organic breasts)
Louisiana Cajun Seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat the chicken with the seasoning - vary it according to taste.  I use more for my husband and I, and less for the kids, since they don't like theirs so spicy.  Place chicken in 11x13 glass baking dish and bake for 35 minutes (or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees).

That's it!  It always comes out moist and delicious, and is good hot or cold. The seasoning is a little high in sodium, but I am very mindful of having very little salt in our diet otherwise.  I often bake a batch of this at the beginning of the week for lunches, or the times I'm looking for more protein in my day.  I serve this with vegetable/ grain sides, or it's great over a big, healthy salad. 

Another chicken dish we enjoy is Greek Chicken.  You can find the recipe here.  Again, a super easy and flavorful dish, made with chicken and spices you are likely to have in your pantry.

If you need inspiration or ideas, you can also look on Pinterest, blogs and the internet. Try searching 'clean eating', 'healthy recipes', 'family friendly recipes'. Pick up some healthy recipe cookbooks, talk to your friends, and talk to your TRAINER.  Look for recipes you're comfortable making. And I look for ones that require few ingredients (that I hopefully have on hand).  Eating healthy doesn't have to be hard. Like most things in life, it will take some effort, but if you have a positive approach to it, the results can be delicious. 

What are some of your favorite chicken recipes?

~ Bonnie

Is there a set and rep number that is optimal?

You warm up - 10 minutes on the treadmill, manual setting. You move to the first exercise - 1 warm up set, 3 working sets of 10 reps. Exercise 2 - 3 working sets of 12 reps. And so on and so forth.  A cookie cutter routine, taken from some magazine or book and followed to a tee. Finish with a cool down and some stretching and you have yourself a recipe for an unchanged physique. 

Sure, initially your body will respond to this routine but the body adapts quickly, finds a homeostasis, and then rests comfortably in this state if unchallenged. So how then do you achieve the look you want the washboard abs, the tight round butt, the detailed full arms?  Whatever your ideal body image is can be achieved no matter your starting point.  You simply have to go above and beyond what traditional training has laid out for you. Don't be afraid of playing with set and rep numbers that surpass the norm. Training to meet a rep count limits your progress...you have simply hit a numeric goal that doesn't necessarily represent taxing the muscle to the point of adaptation. Remember that all muscle is, is a physiological adaptation to stress. Simply put, your body builds muscle after a stressful encounter with resistance training or activity, so the next time the body is presented with a set of circumstances like those again it is prepared to handle it. So it stands to reason that if the exact scenario were presented again, the body would go through it unscathed and not be forced to adapt any further i.e. no new muscle. 

 "the optimal set and rep range for you to preform is the one that forces you body to take one step closer to the finished product you have envisioned in your head"

Traditional training logic says that you go back next time and add more weight. This is not wrong, but at some point this will not be practical either.  If this could continue infinitely, everybody in a gym would be benching 500+ pounds and squatting a 1000+ pounds. But they are not, because at some point you will hit a weight that is to heavy to move properly.  A new plan of attack is now needed. Something that will allow you to grow and change but not put you at the risk of injury that continuously increasing weight might do. Differences in reps, sets, lifting cadences, ranges of motion, and angles should all be explored. So to answer the query presented atop this article, the optimal set and rep range for you to preform is the one that forces you body to take one step closer to the finished product you have envisioned in your head. 

Giving Thanks

It's that time of year already...Thanksgiving. A time when many of us reflect on who and what we are thankful for. While you are at it, please take time to thank yourself.  We often forget to acknowledge ourselves for all of our accomplishments, and all we have done to take care of ourselves.  Too often we look at our shortcomings, and criticize ourselves for what we haven't done.

I challenge you to really take the time to give thanks to YOU for all you do. If you've started or have continued a fitness routine, if you've thought about it, if you've had a shift in your eating habits...no matter how big or small the steps may have been...acknowledge that.  Take a look at what has worked best for you, what you enjoy the most about exercising and how you can continue with and expand upon it.  Tried something you didn't like, had trouble sticking to a routine, or found some things that didn't work for you?  That's ok.  Thank yourself for trying, and move onto something else. Every day is a chance to start over.  Everyday is a chance to recommit.  We're all different, and so we must find what works best for us.

Living a fit and healthy life isn't about one workout or one meal.  Don't let one bad meal or missed workout derail you from the progress (no matter how big or little) you've made.  Don't punish yourself for it. You're human. Balance. Focus on the good choices, forgive yourself for the not-so-good ones. And please, don't ever compare your abilities or journey to anyone else's.  Your journey is unique, just like you, and it should be celebrated. 

We wish you all a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving. 

~ Bonnie

Nutrition For the Whole Family

Eat better as a family. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Then why is it so darn hard?

For years I've said to my husband (and myself) "I want to eat better. I want our whole family to eat better".  And for years I did nothing about it. Not that we ate terribly, it was just that I knew we could do better. I did (and still do) the majority of the grocery shopping and cooking in our house.  It's a job I love to do, and I take that responsibility very seriously. But...mixed in with wanting to provide my family with nutritious meals is the desire to make them all happy with foods that they'll love to eat. Oh, and did I mention I have 3 kids?  Nutritious AND great tasting? If you're my 14 year old son, you'll argue that those two don't always mix - especially if you're talking about vegetables.

Can we do it? Yes we can. Will we do it 100% of the time? Probably not. And that's OK! I know, I know...we often hold ourselves to such high standards that anything less than perfect is unacceptable. You have to learn to let it go - the ideal of perfection. And, don't punish yourself or beat yourself up if (and when) you fall short. Life is a balancing act, and that holds true when it comes to eating.

Don't get hung on whether or not everyone likes what you make. That one might be difficult - especially of you're a people pleaser like me. Feeding a family and expecting everyone to like what you serve all of time is just not going to happen. It's not. When I shifted our meals into a much healthier and cleaner direction, my kids were less than thrilled. There were complaints, faces, and probably some tears too. But, they survived each time. It really didn't take long for my family to get used to a change in eating habit.

I think a big key is getting them involved.  My kids love learning to cook...guess the apples didn't fall far from this tree.  Letting your kids help plan a meal, and teaching them how to make is a great way to have them excited about what they're going to eat.  Of course you want to be age appropriate, but even a young child can help mix ingredients. Educate them about the food you're feeding them.
Also work on that willpower when you buy groceries! Clean out your kitchen and eliminate the foods you don't want them to eat - or you to be tempted with.  Having 'junk' food in your house for the kids is a killer when it comes to eating healthy.  If it's in the house it could end up feeding your cravings and weaker moments.  And if you have younger kids in the house, they aren't able to go to the store and get it for themselves.  If you share the grocery shopping responsibility with others in your household, ask that they don't buy junk either. It's important to have healthy options available for everyone in the house. 

Remember to be gentle with yourself. It is both a journey and a learning process.  The more you can share it with those in  your life, the more success you are likely to find.  Next week we will have some family friendly nutritious and delicious food that your family can try!

~ Bonnie

Health and Fitness and the Special Needs Child

Special needs children often are overlooked from a physical education standpoint. Special needs children can gain just as much if not more than their fully functional peers from training. Whether the child is physically or mentally handicapped there is a training program that can assist them and can be tailored to fit the specific needs of the child. While diversity should rule any good training program, routine and repetitious programs are best suited for special needs children to develop good habits.

Training children is difficult to begin with. Add in the a special need, and you have to place your patience hat on. Smile, laugh, and enjoy the fact that you are assisting a human being most people look past in the sense of physical capabilities. Training the special needs child is both challenging and rewarding simultaneously. What I find most enjoyable is the necessity to think outside of the traditional exercises and get creative with your choices. Tailoring the movements to fit the limitations presented to you. 

There are risks to training the special needs child. Not fully understanding the disability, not having a diverse and extensive selection of exercises, not understanding the recovery time of a child's Central Nervous Sysytem can all play into injury. You have to approach this type of training with kid gloves, literally. Easing into the program and assessing constant feedback from a caregiver as well as the child is a must, and listen and pay extra attention to everything during a session.  

Understand that the training program you put together is going to benefit the child in cognitive function, aerobic activity, and coordination. This program can aid the child in their everyday function exponentially by increasing hand/eye coordination, body awareness, and strength and flexibility. Not to mention the confidence that arises from accomplishing tasks from session to session.

Please understand that the benefits for outweigh the potential risks associated with training the special needs child, and the reward is a happier healthier child.                        

- Ty

What is a calorie?  .   .   .   .   . 

 

cal-o-rie

noun

1) the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water through degree Celsius (defined as 4.1868 joules), small calorie

     

2) the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water through 1 degree Celsius equal to one thousand small calories and often used to measure the energy value of foods, large calorie 

 

 

 

     Scary stuff!  Are you on the edge of your seat yet? In all reality it's pretty simple, and yet some what complex. But nothing to be frightened of, as some "diets" and "trainers" would have you believe. Simply put do more from an activity standpoint than you consume from a food standpoint and you will lose weight. Eat more, do less and you will gain weight. Kind of.

 

     Food, while often looked at from a comfort and taste stance, should be viewed as what it is: FUEL. Fuel to run the body through a gambit of processes - from activity, thought, repair, and growth. That is foods true use. Not to say for an instant that taste shouldn't play in to choices you make on occasion, you have to enjoy your food from time to time. And here is something that you won't hear often enough, there is no such thing as a bad food. Everything you could ever think of to consume has a place, and can be used in a manner suited to a healthy eating plan. 

     The caloric value of food, the source, quality, and freshness should be accounted for when selecting you fuel. As well as your goal and current condition. You must account for all you are and do when designing your food plan. You must understand that the calories you choose can make or break your look and health, if you are to look only at food as the means to your end or goal. The backside of calories, or energy expenditure is just as crucial in achieving your goal as the intake. 

 

"obsessive misguided calorie counting must come to an end"

 

     I will leave you with this - food plans are a living breathing thing. They must adapt constantly or die. Your obsessive misguided calorie counting must come to an end, and any plan that has you counting every calorie and worrying over every misstep, will leave you wanting more and failing in the long run. Learn your body's ability to efficiently use calories, and how you can do it quicker when you do indulge, and you will be much happier and healthier. 

Getting Started

Our first blog post...where to start? Let's start with just that - Getting Started.

When you first begin to experiment with resistance training you often will ask others what they do. It's likely you will read a book or two on training, and maybe buy a few magazines on health and fitness. You often will come to the conclusion that doing 3 sets of 12-15 reps will burn fat and that doing 3 sets of 8-10 reps will build muscle. You will also think that training for 45 minutes is the perfect time frame to tax the body into changing. And finally, you will learn that steady state cardio will burn fat and give you the perfect body shape you always wanted. The problem is, you have just learned how to make minimal changes and not break through that first plateau.

Resistance training is a tool to help you achieve the look and feel you are after. And as with any great tool, it can't be one size fits all. It has to be customized to fit your life and your body. What is your goal, timeframe, lifestyle, body type, health history, athletic background, health restrictions, etc?  All of these should play into your training plan. Sure, initially what I listed above for sets and reps will work. But you will experience short lived gains, but your body will acclimate to the program and not have anywhere to go next to continue progressing. Continuously increasing the resistance week after week isn't realistic. This is where having knowledge of different training styles or a knowledgable trainer comes in. There is no perfect style or routine out there, rather the use of different styles and different routines are needed to keep the body growing and adapting.

 “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn

Read everything you can about training and nutrition. This is really the only way to increase your training IQ. Take all advice from "well wishers" and "experts" with a grain of salt. Consider your sources - does the person coaching you have the fitness level you hope to achieve? Do they have the look you desire? If so, are they a product of smart, proven techniques or are they genetically gifted and getting by on that? If you see someone in the gym with an exceptional body part ask them how they achieved it, or simply pay attention to what they do and try it if you are shy. Attempt every program, technique, split, routine and range you learn about. You don't know til you try!

Best of luck and enjoy your training journey.

- Ty