Time to Celebrate

Often when we start a fitness and nutrition program, we have a set goal in mind.  And more likely than not, that goal is a new weight we'd like to be.  Maybe you've talked with your trainer, and came up with a goal that's both appealing, and frightening.  One that will is attainable, but will require commitment and work.  Great!  Off you go!

Depending on what your goal is, and the time it will take to achieve, the finish line may seem so far off in the distance.  And that's ok...you've got your trainer to help you out, maybe you've got friends/family on the journey with you, and you're ready to take it on.  'Eye on the prize', right? But you do know that the goal sitting far off at the end of the journey isn't the only victory?

When we work toward a fitness goal it is easy to start strong, but lose steam, as it is slow process.  Maybe losing 30 pounds doesn't sound so bad, but if you're losing at a pace of 2 pounds a week, then it seems like a snail's pace to the finish line, right?  It's going to take some time to get there.  As it should.  So...how do we keep ourselves from going from the mindset of 'I think I can' to 'I can't' or 'It's taking too long'?  

One thing that helps is setting smaller goals along the way.  Let's take that same scenario.  Your goal is to lose 30 lbs, and you start losing 2 lb per week.  Why wait until the end goal to celebrate.  You will keep you spirits and motivation up if you celebrate the 2 lb losses.  Maybe you don't have to celebrate every week, but certainly pat yourself on the back along the way.  And try not to quantify everything into numbers.  Yes, we can measure our weight loss by the number on the scale.  But how about those pants that now require a belt?  Or making better food choices without feeling like it's a sacrifice.  Or - and we all love this one - when someone you know asks you 'did you lose weight?'

Those are all reasons to celebrate.  Heck, sometimes I celebrate getting through one of Ty's workouts, lol.  And please know that 'celebrate' can mean whatever is appropriate for you.  Maybe buying some smaller pants, trying some new healthy recipes, or just knowing deep down that you've accomplished something.  Whatever will make you feel good about yourself - and whatever will keep you on that path to success.  

~ Bonnie

New Location!

Hey everyone!  It's been a while since our last post, as we have been busy, but we're back on track now.  Have you heard the news?  Custom Symmetry has moved into our very own, permanent location.  All of the amazing one-on-one training you know and love (ok, sometimes you might not love it when you're here, but you're always glad after, right?), but now in a much larger space, just for us.  If you haven't had a chance to see it yet, we would love to set up an appointment for you to check us out.  You can find our contact information at the end of this post.

About our new space...we love that we now have more room to move around.  Ty was able to move in a lot more equipment, adding even more variety to workouts.  He spent many, many hours laboring before we opened - cleaning, painting, organizing.  And it looks great!  Want a sneak peek?  Take a look:

What do you think of the colors?  We are really digging the red and grey.  And there is room for everything!  And that is only the back part of our space!  You really have to come see it in person.  Know what?  Now is a perfect time to set up an appointment to meet with us.  As always, our commitment is to work with our clients and support them in meeting their fitness and health goals.  How do we do it?  We have truly individualized personal training, and work with you to develop eating plans designed around your needs, tastes and schedule. Come see for yourself. 

We can be reached at trainmety@gmail.com or by calling (602)469-6160.  We would love to hear from you!

~ Bonnie
 

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

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