You know you go to bed early when you have to take "Night-Time" medicine at 7:30 so that it kicks in in time. And totally unnecessary to individually wrap them in plastic/adhesive that is used by our military. I was practically breaking a sweat and 2 seconds away from making a scene. Yes, I have the patience of a 7 year old....and that drops a couple years when I'm sick...
This morning was a rough start. My head was so foggy that I could barely hear my 6am clients when they spoke. I was trying to read lips, but my eyes were watering so badly that I finally gave up on that strategy. By 7:30 I was fairly certain the universe was stacked against me and I was just going to have to suck it up through a long day.
My workout felt ridiculously hard today, and cardiovascularly I was panting like a smoker. I hit chest, biceps, and finished on the treadmill. When it comes to being sick and working out there's a couple of "rules" to go by:...if you have a fever, no go until the fever has broke for 24 straight hours,...if its stomach-related (vomiting/diarrhea), no go,....head cold or anything like allergies without a fever is fine but remember you won't be 100% so don't expect any PR's. Set the 'ol ego aside, and just do the best you can. I definitely get frustrated when I'm sick, and more annoyed then anything...way too much drainage for my liking...
I had a client today say "You know its about to be swimsuit season,...can we focus more on THIS" (as she puts both hands on her stomach). Ha,...ok,...hear me loud and clear: YOU CANNOT SPOT REDUCE. When your body burns fat, it burns it all over your body and the extent to which is burns it in your midsection versus your butt is completely different person to person. Believe me, if I could instantly zap fat off someone's size 14 rear I would, but it doesn't work that way. Too bad it doesn't because I'd be retired and say to hell with getting up before 4:30 in the morning. And there are no specific exercises that are going to take fat off of a certain area of your body. Its a combination of diet and total-body exercise that puts our bodies in a state to lose fat. And don't go to your trainer (or ME for those of you who are my clients) and expect them/me to magically help you shed fat in a 1 hour workout while you go home and eat crap. You'll quickly undo any progress you make if you have that mindset and put it in practice. Over 80 percent what you put in your mouth. 80 percent.
So on that note, yes, swimsuit season is just around the corner...but don't think for a second that thousands of crunches will flatten that stomach. You'll give yourself whiplash before that happens...and then I'll be forced to watch some of you do squat jumps in a neck brace. No sympathy. None.
Along those same lines, I read an interesting article today about cravings and how more and more studies are being done on this area. The findings debunk many preconceived notions about where they come from and how to control them. The thing that fascinates me the most is the correlation between a pregnant woman's diet and her fetus. Bottom line: whatever you eat during a pregnancy DIRECTLY effects that child...his/her likelihood of developing diabetes, being obese, and even individual tastes. Wake up call moms, your child will feel and ultimately live the consequences of your dietary habits, both good/bad.
Ah yes, medicine is kicking in. Got to love sinus medicine strong enough to induce a nose bleed. That's modern medicine baby, and I'll take the nasal menstruation over congestion any day.
Well, its about that time. I am beat. I am pumped for Tuesday,...another opportunity to improve. Heads up people :)
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Bullseye!
I am currently devouring my salmon-squash-cottage-cheese concoction, but struggling to breath in the process. I've developed a nasty head cold in the last 48 hours, and I've reached the point where I have to chew with my mouth open so I don't suffocate. I refuse to suffocate while eating fish. Its not heroic.
If I blow my nose one more time there is a slight chance a major organ comes up. There cannot possibly be anymore fluid up there.....hope none of you are eating while reading this...
It was a fun-filled weekend in spite of the facial-drainage. I headed to Charlotte to hang out with some dear friends from high school, which turned into a night of sushi and some serious dart slinging. And I do find it ironic that someone invented a game involving sharp objects being tossed by people who technically cannot even drive home. Nonetheless, we threw like our lives depended on it....and of course I got a little carried away. I may have torn something in my shoulder. Kidding, but I did get a little too into it. When I won you would've thought it was the Superbowl. I had the tight pants and the victory dance.....so it pretty much was.
The best though was this guy playing by himself a couple boards down from us. He was at a whole new level of serious that I simply was not ready for. And ok, if you're over there nailing the bulls-eye like a dart monster, fine. But when you're not and darts are flying like lisp-spit, I truly cannot help but laugh...and stare....laugh and stare. I was intrigued. But the icing on the cake was when he turned around and pulled an over-the-shoulder-Robin-Hood move. At that point there was a 97% chance I was going to be forced to leave for wetting my pants.
What a great night.
After a heavy dose of coffee and protein packed fare-well breakfast, I was hitting the highway like a convict. Somehow I got home well over 25 minutes faster than the drive down there. I must have blacked out on the gas peddle somewhere between Rowan and Guilford County. Right when I got home I had to get my butt in the gym to squeeze in cardio before my afternoon client. Let's just say that cardio session felt like a brick to the face. My heartrate was through the roof, I was pouring sweat, and my body was just hating me. Completely expected, but I was glad to get it over with. I will definitely be ready for tomorrow's normal routine and workout. While its healthy to let lose every now and then and allow some down time, its just as important to get back in the saddle asap. Its way too easy to keep slacking if you let yourself do so. Make no room for excuses ;)
As you may have noticed, I changed my blog a little bit! Yes, I nearly lost my religion during the whole ordeal, but in the end I was pleased with the result. I still have some modifications to make, and I hope to start including more pictures soon. Although, I'm not quite sure what they'll be. I'm not going to take a picture of all my food, mainly because most of it looks like vomit and it would be the same thing everyday. I'll have to get creative. We shall see...
Have a great Sunday night people,...almost MONDAY...get your mind right!!
If I blow my nose one more time there is a slight chance a major organ comes up. There cannot possibly be anymore fluid up there.....hope none of you are eating while reading this...
It was a fun-filled weekend in spite of the facial-drainage. I headed to Charlotte to hang out with some dear friends from high school, which turned into a night of sushi and some serious dart slinging. And I do find it ironic that someone invented a game involving sharp objects being tossed by people who technically cannot even drive home. Nonetheless, we threw like our lives depended on it....and of course I got a little carried away. I may have torn something in my shoulder. Kidding, but I did get a little too into it. When I won you would've thought it was the Superbowl. I had the tight pants and the victory dance.....so it pretty much was.
The best though was this guy playing by himself a couple boards down from us. He was at a whole new level of serious that I simply was not ready for. And ok, if you're over there nailing the bulls-eye like a dart monster, fine. But when you're not and darts are flying like lisp-spit, I truly cannot help but laugh...and stare....laugh and stare. I was intrigued. But the icing on the cake was when he turned around and pulled an over-the-shoulder-Robin-Hood move. At that point there was a 97% chance I was going to be forced to leave for wetting my pants.
What a great night.
After a heavy dose of coffee and protein packed fare-well breakfast, I was hitting the highway like a convict. Somehow I got home well over 25 minutes faster than the drive down there. I must have blacked out on the gas peddle somewhere between Rowan and Guilford County. Right when I got home I had to get my butt in the gym to squeeze in cardio before my afternoon client. Let's just say that cardio session felt like a brick to the face. My heartrate was through the roof, I was pouring sweat, and my body was just hating me. Completely expected, but I was glad to get it over with. I will definitely be ready for tomorrow's normal routine and workout. While its healthy to let lose every now and then and allow some down time, its just as important to get back in the saddle asap. Its way too easy to keep slacking if you let yourself do so. Make no room for excuses ;)
As you may have noticed, I changed my blog a little bit! Yes, I nearly lost my religion during the whole ordeal, but in the end I was pleased with the result. I still have some modifications to make, and I hope to start including more pictures soon. Although, I'm not quite sure what they'll be. I'm not going to take a picture of all my food, mainly because most of it looks like vomit and it would be the same thing everyday. I'll have to get creative. We shall see...
Have a great Sunday night people,...almost MONDAY...get your mind right!!
Friday, April 27, 2012
White Spandex = Horrible Idea
Friday morning.
After 4 cups of coffee one would assume that I'd be awake, alert, and pretty much ready to grab life by the horns. Yeah,...not so much. As tired as I've been all week, I did not sleep well at all last night. My throat is killing me and at 2am I was lying in bed sucking on a cough drop hoping I wouldn't choke. That's not how I want to go down. Mainly because there's the common sense element of why would you lay down with a cough drop in your mouth? Eh, I get it. But at 2am everything seems like a good idea at the time. No? Examine your college years. My point exactly.
My workout yesterday ended up being much better than I anticipated. Generally, Thursday workouts hit me like a ton of bricks because I'm tired from the week and its Back-day, so lots of heavy, compound lifts. I was pleasantly surprised though, and finished with some cardio on the treadmill. I was worn out from my ipod, so I threw on the tv and watched mindlessly until it was over. Certainly helped the time go by faster, but daytime commercials are the worst. If I saw one more advertisement for Depends I was going to lay my face on the treadmill belt.
The highlight of my day came in the afternoon.
Brian's triathlon suit came yesterday, so naturally he was like a kid at Christmas and was eager to try it on. If you've never seen a man's triathlon suit, imagine the tightest pair of bikers possible with a giant maxi-pad in the crotch, complimented by a sleeveless spandex top with a chest zipper that could easily fit any 12 year old girl. On a 6'3" male, this thing was a sight. And not only that, it was white...why on earth would you make that in white?! I was so entertained/freaked out - it was great. There is absolutely no way I could have gotten one thigh in those shorts...much less run in them. And how are you supposed to run as fast as possible with an accent pillow sewn in the crotch? Forget that. I will simply support from the sidelines.....and take pictures of this freak show to post on the internet...
Well, my cleaning is done. I am fully prepped to teach hip-hop class tomorrow. Now I just need to write up my workout for today and take care of a few odds and ends. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is hitting hamstrings today. They were sore for 5 days after my last leg workout, so I've only enjoyed about 2 days worth of sanity in the regard. I will probably beat them up pretty good and then complain about it tomorrow. Hey, whatever it takes to get it done!
Here's to Friday and a jump start to the weekend :) Have a great day folks!
After 4 cups of coffee one would assume that I'd be awake, alert, and pretty much ready to grab life by the horns. Yeah,...not so much. As tired as I've been all week, I did not sleep well at all last night. My throat is killing me and at 2am I was lying in bed sucking on a cough drop hoping I wouldn't choke. That's not how I want to go down. Mainly because there's the common sense element of why would you lay down with a cough drop in your mouth? Eh, I get it. But at 2am everything seems like a good idea at the time. No? Examine your college years. My point exactly.
My workout yesterday ended up being much better than I anticipated. Generally, Thursday workouts hit me like a ton of bricks because I'm tired from the week and its Back-day, so lots of heavy, compound lifts. I was pleasantly surprised though, and finished with some cardio on the treadmill. I was worn out from my ipod, so I threw on the tv and watched mindlessly until it was over. Certainly helped the time go by faster, but daytime commercials are the worst. If I saw one more advertisement for Depends I was going to lay my face on the treadmill belt.
The highlight of my day came in the afternoon.
Brian's triathlon suit came yesterday, so naturally he was like a kid at Christmas and was eager to try it on. If you've never seen a man's triathlon suit, imagine the tightest pair of bikers possible with a giant maxi-pad in the crotch, complimented by a sleeveless spandex top with a chest zipper that could easily fit any 12 year old girl. On a 6'3" male, this thing was a sight. And not only that, it was white...why on earth would you make that in white?! I was so entertained/freaked out - it was great. There is absolutely no way I could have gotten one thigh in those shorts...much less run in them. And how are you supposed to run as fast as possible with an accent pillow sewn in the crotch? Forget that. I will simply support from the sidelines.....and take pictures of this freak show to post on the internet...
Well, my cleaning is done. I am fully prepped to teach hip-hop class tomorrow. Now I just need to write up my workout for today and take care of a few odds and ends. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is hitting hamstrings today. They were sore for 5 days after my last leg workout, so I've only enjoyed about 2 days worth of sanity in the regard. I will probably beat them up pretty good and then complain about it tomorrow. Hey, whatever it takes to get it done!
Here's to Friday and a jump start to the weekend :) Have a great day folks!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Toss the Twinkies
Hump day is always rough.
Its mid-week, lack of adequate sleep has caught up with me, and the to-do list from Monday and Tuesday has inevitably spilled over into today. But I have to say that this particular morning started off on a very glorious foot. A dear client shows up at 6:45 with a small porcelain jar wrapped in cling wrap, but I could literally smell that thing coming. It was freshly ground South American coffee, and I was like a moth to a flame. I could have snorted that stuff right there. If you've never treated yourself to freshly ground you are missing out and I'd have to reconsider our friendship. Stop depriving yourself. That made my day. I am easily pleased,...to the point its a little ridiculous. I love gifts. Anything. Wrap up a fart and I'd get excited. But don't. That's weird...
But honestly, I am going to attack that coffee like a wildebeest tomorrow.
I had a client today say some of the most dreaded words a trainer could hear. It goes to the effect of "I like to workout so I can eat whatever I want." Ahhhh!! This is the most misleading, ridiculous thought people let seep into their heads, and I hear it way too often. Let me put this very simply....NO AMOUNT OF WORKING OUT CAN MAKE UP FOR A CRAPPY DIET. Read it again. One more time. Embrace the suck that it is, but its true. Your nutrition habits, good or bad, are over 80% of the equation. You can workout until you bleed, but a poor diet can undo all that hard work quicker than anything. So get your hand out of the cookie jar after a workout. Stop "rewarding" yourself with food. You're not a dog.
Is that to say you cannot enjoy splurges every now and then? No. But there is a difference in a slice of birthday cake on a special occasion and a bowl of ice cream every night. Work hard in the gym, clean up the diet, and enjoy the results.
And I will step off my soap box now...
My own workout was fairly quick today. 45 minutes of cardio and 15 minutes of abs. Since I split up my leg training this week, hump day = cardio day. It actually worked out great because I was a little pressed for time and extremely tired. I threw on the ipod, jacked the volume up to either keep me awake or bust an eardrum, and started moving. I was glad to be done today. Seriously.
My ride home into the neighborhood was met with a two year old with his pants down. Standing there in his yard with his butt turned towards my car and apparently unaware that have his rear was hanging out. Who am I kidding,...that was his greeting. Pretty fitting for the end of my Wednesday. We lower the bar around here when it comes to acceptable social behavior...
Alright people, my bed is calling. Another day in the books....get ready and focused for tomorrow. Make it a great day.
Its mid-week, lack of adequate sleep has caught up with me, and the to-do list from Monday and Tuesday has inevitably spilled over into today. But I have to say that this particular morning started off on a very glorious foot. A dear client shows up at 6:45 with a small porcelain jar wrapped in cling wrap, but I could literally smell that thing coming. It was freshly ground South American coffee, and I was like a moth to a flame. I could have snorted that stuff right there. If you've never treated yourself to freshly ground you are missing out and I'd have to reconsider our friendship. Stop depriving yourself. That made my day. I am easily pleased,...to the point its a little ridiculous. I love gifts. Anything. Wrap up a fart and I'd get excited. But don't. That's weird...
But honestly, I am going to attack that coffee like a wildebeest tomorrow.
I had a client today say some of the most dreaded words a trainer could hear. It goes to the effect of "I like to workout so I can eat whatever I want." Ahhhh!! This is the most misleading, ridiculous thought people let seep into their heads, and I hear it way too often. Let me put this very simply....NO AMOUNT OF WORKING OUT CAN MAKE UP FOR A CRAPPY DIET. Read it again. One more time. Embrace the suck that it is, but its true. Your nutrition habits, good or bad, are over 80% of the equation. You can workout until you bleed, but a poor diet can undo all that hard work quicker than anything. So get your hand out of the cookie jar after a workout. Stop "rewarding" yourself with food. You're not a dog.
Is that to say you cannot enjoy splurges every now and then? No. But there is a difference in a slice of birthday cake on a special occasion and a bowl of ice cream every night. Work hard in the gym, clean up the diet, and enjoy the results.
And I will step off my soap box now...
My own workout was fairly quick today. 45 minutes of cardio and 15 minutes of abs. Since I split up my leg training this week, hump day = cardio day. It actually worked out great because I was a little pressed for time and extremely tired. I threw on the ipod, jacked the volume up to either keep me awake or bust an eardrum, and started moving. I was glad to be done today. Seriously.
My ride home into the neighborhood was met with a two year old with his pants down. Standing there in his yard with his butt turned towards my car and apparently unaware that have his rear was hanging out. Who am I kidding,...that was his greeting. Pretty fitting for the end of my Wednesday. We lower the bar around here when it comes to acceptable social behavior...
Alright people, my bed is calling. Another day in the books....get ready and focused for tomorrow. Make it a great day.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Google Chaos and Juvenile Bootcamp
I hate it when I sit down to blog and out of nowhere Google pops up to tell me the entire format of my blog/site has changed and all of a sudden I'm the blind kid playing dodgeball. I have no clue what's going on and spend the next 15 minutes wandering like an internet nomad. Yes, it took me about that long to get to this point right here.....so I will marinate in my bitterness for a moment....
But seriously, this must be what my dad feels like every time he turns on a computer. His inbox has been full for over 7 years. Doesn't matter,...there's a 98% chance he doesn't remember the password.
On to other things...
My day was fairly typical for a Tuesday.
I had a client this afternoon who I constantly have to challenge this whole notion of "good enough." When it comes to fitness and health, he is the epitome of settling for mediocre. He has good genetics, is fairly active but nothing over the top, and is not challenged physically in his job on a daily basis. Thus, average health has actually allowed him to live the life he desires because weight and hereditary health concerns have never been a major issue. Ahh! Why do we settle for anything less than our optimal health?! He jokingly said "I'm not going to be a professional athlete Meredith." No, definitely not, BUT why would you not strive to just lay it all out there for that hour knowing that you will only benefit from it - far beyond the actual gym setting?! What is it within us that is OK with less than our best? And what's worse, is when we want the results of giving everything we have, but are only willing to give 50%. Give me a break. Genetics will only get you so far, and at some point we're all faced with the reality that when it comes to your health, you get what you put in. And if you give nothing, expect nothing but the consequences of your choice to do so.
For my client, it was another workout in the books and another opportunity to improve and fight his own tendency to give less than 100 percent.
My own workout today felt pretty brutal. I'm still battling this fatigue. I was that weird tired-drunk by 9am. Its the strangest thing,...you're exhausted...sober...but feel 3 sheets to the wind and longing to pass out somewhere. I just needed to start my workout and not think about it. I did shoulders, triceps, and quads today. It was the first time in about 5-6 weeks that I've done back squats. I've certainly worked my quads, but I've really worked to streamline my legs and unfortunately I get a little squat-happy sometimes. Sooo, I needed to back off for a few weeks. My legs will probably be killing me tomorrow. My strength has decreased pretty significantly on that lift, and by the 4th set I wanted to crawl in a corner and mourn the loss of my quad strength like a true meathead would. Eh,...I got through it....and no cardio today. Awesome.
I had a 7 year old evaluation this afternoon.
I never know what to expect with these. I'll get kids whose parents firmly believe they are pro-bound at the age of 9, and I have to break the news that little Johnny has 2 left feet and the body-awareness of someone on speed. I couch it a little differently, but you get the point. Then, I'll get kids who practically came sprinting out of the womb, jumped to the floor, and whipped umbilical cord pull-ups like Rocky. Today, I was pleasantly surprised. At first glance, I was a little skeptical. 47" tall...47 pounds. I could have shot-put that kid. But as he got warmed up and I started testing his foot work, mechanics, and power I was pretty amazed. He held his own. Then it came time for push-ups. That bugger rocked 30 legit push-ups like it was nothing. Little Rudy's apparently been practicing in the basement. It was great, and truly made my day. Some of you better step up your game. He may have wet the bed within the last 2 weeks and still believes in the tooth fairy, but he pumped out more push-ups than the average man. FACT.
Ah, its about that time. I can't see straight. Have a great night folks....hump day here we go...
But seriously, this must be what my dad feels like every time he turns on a computer. His inbox has been full for over 7 years. Doesn't matter,...there's a 98% chance he doesn't remember the password.
On to other things...
My day was fairly typical for a Tuesday.
I had a client this afternoon who I constantly have to challenge this whole notion of "good enough." When it comes to fitness and health, he is the epitome of settling for mediocre. He has good genetics, is fairly active but nothing over the top, and is not challenged physically in his job on a daily basis. Thus, average health has actually allowed him to live the life he desires because weight and hereditary health concerns have never been a major issue. Ahh! Why do we settle for anything less than our optimal health?! He jokingly said "I'm not going to be a professional athlete Meredith." No, definitely not, BUT why would you not strive to just lay it all out there for that hour knowing that you will only benefit from it - far beyond the actual gym setting?! What is it within us that is OK with less than our best? And what's worse, is when we want the results of giving everything we have, but are only willing to give 50%. Give me a break. Genetics will only get you so far, and at some point we're all faced with the reality that when it comes to your health, you get what you put in. And if you give nothing, expect nothing but the consequences of your choice to do so.
For my client, it was another workout in the books and another opportunity to improve and fight his own tendency to give less than 100 percent.
My own workout today felt pretty brutal. I'm still battling this fatigue. I was that weird tired-drunk by 9am. Its the strangest thing,...you're exhausted...sober...but feel 3 sheets to the wind and longing to pass out somewhere. I just needed to start my workout and not think about it. I did shoulders, triceps, and quads today. It was the first time in about 5-6 weeks that I've done back squats. I've certainly worked my quads, but I've really worked to streamline my legs and unfortunately I get a little squat-happy sometimes. Sooo, I needed to back off for a few weeks. My legs will probably be killing me tomorrow. My strength has decreased pretty significantly on that lift, and by the 4th set I wanted to crawl in a corner and mourn the loss of my quad strength like a true meathead would. Eh,...I got through it....and no cardio today. Awesome.
I had a 7 year old evaluation this afternoon.
I never know what to expect with these. I'll get kids whose parents firmly believe they are pro-bound at the age of 9, and I have to break the news that little Johnny has 2 left feet and the body-awareness of someone on speed. I couch it a little differently, but you get the point. Then, I'll get kids who practically came sprinting out of the womb, jumped to the floor, and whipped umbilical cord pull-ups like Rocky. Today, I was pleasantly surprised. At first glance, I was a little skeptical. 47" tall...47 pounds. I could have shot-put that kid. But as he got warmed up and I started testing his foot work, mechanics, and power I was pretty amazed. He held his own. Then it came time for push-ups. That bugger rocked 30 legit push-ups like it was nothing. Little Rudy's apparently been practicing in the basement. It was great, and truly made my day. Some of you better step up your game. He may have wet the bed within the last 2 weeks and still believes in the tooth fairy, but he pumped out more push-ups than the average man. FACT.
Ah, its about that time. I can't see straight. Have a great night folks....hump day here we go...
Monday, April 23, 2012
Squeeze the Fat
Mondays are a trip. And by trip I mean they can often be the slap in the face immediately following a knee to the crotch.
Honestly, I could put my head on the table and be out cold in about 30 seconds. It was an exhausting day to say the least, and I truly thought that after yesterday's nap and early bedtime, I'd feel like a million bucks today. Not so much. I was that dirty, crusted nickel you find in your pocket that's been smothered in a combination of gum, comet, and fungus. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open until it was time to workout...
Garrett took my bodyfat this morning. We use the 3-pinch caliper method, and he seemed to grab my thigh fat like his life depended on it. I'm pretty sure I have a bruise. Before today, I had not taken my fat in quite awhile simply because my weight/measurements stay pretty much the same outside of when I'm competing. However, I'm having some fitness photos done pretty soon, so I wanted to sort of know where I stand. Given that I still have a cheat meal and some wine here and there if I want it, I was fine with 13.5-14%. By the time I have the pictures done, I'd like to see 12.5ish, but if my sanity starts to go out the window then I'm fine with 14.
Its funny how women often correlate weight gain with fat, but I'm the same bodyfat now, at 129lbs, that I was at 110lbs a few years ago. Its not about the weight. Its what kind of weight it is that matters. That's why BMI is a poor measurement. Athletic folks will always throw the numbers off. (Here's a little body-fat guide for women: 33+ = obese, 27-29 = average, 21-24 = "fitness" range, 17-20 = athletic/lean, below 16 = very lean athlete)
Workout today was a struggle, but went ok. I hit chest, biceps, and cardio. My hamstrings are still killing me from last week's workout, so I tapped out at 13.5 incline on cardio. Everything was pulling, and at one point I wanted my mom. Not that she could do anything about it, but for whatever reason when things get hard sometimes you just need the madre. Instead of picturing her being all nice about it and providing positive, encouraging words to get me through, I'd like to think she'd be all bad-ass about it and say something to the effect of "I went through labor with your massive forehead,...I'm pretty sure you can get through 45 minutes of cardio you pansy." That would probably make my day. Freak me out, yes, but totally make my day.
For those of you who know my mom, she would never say that....but don't kill my dream...
Ok, its way past my bedtime. I am done for the day, and need more than beauty rest tonight. I need to hibernate until June....
Honestly, I could put my head on the table and be out cold in about 30 seconds. It was an exhausting day to say the least, and I truly thought that after yesterday's nap and early bedtime, I'd feel like a million bucks today. Not so much. I was that dirty, crusted nickel you find in your pocket that's been smothered in a combination of gum, comet, and fungus. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open until it was time to workout...
Garrett took my bodyfat this morning. We use the 3-pinch caliper method, and he seemed to grab my thigh fat like his life depended on it. I'm pretty sure I have a bruise. Before today, I had not taken my fat in quite awhile simply because my weight/measurements stay pretty much the same outside of when I'm competing. However, I'm having some fitness photos done pretty soon, so I wanted to sort of know where I stand. Given that I still have a cheat meal and some wine here and there if I want it, I was fine with 13.5-14%. By the time I have the pictures done, I'd like to see 12.5ish, but if my sanity starts to go out the window then I'm fine with 14.
Its funny how women often correlate weight gain with fat, but I'm the same bodyfat now, at 129lbs, that I was at 110lbs a few years ago. Its not about the weight. Its what kind of weight it is that matters. That's why BMI is a poor measurement. Athletic folks will always throw the numbers off. (Here's a little body-fat guide for women: 33+ = obese, 27-29 = average, 21-24 = "fitness" range, 17-20 = athletic/lean, below 16 = very lean athlete)
Workout today was a struggle, but went ok. I hit chest, biceps, and cardio. My hamstrings are still killing me from last week's workout, so I tapped out at 13.5 incline on cardio. Everything was pulling, and at one point I wanted my mom. Not that she could do anything about it, but for whatever reason when things get hard sometimes you just need the madre. Instead of picturing her being all nice about it and providing positive, encouraging words to get me through, I'd like to think she'd be all bad-ass about it and say something to the effect of "I went through labor with your massive forehead,...I'm pretty sure you can get through 45 minutes of cardio you pansy." That would probably make my day. Freak me out, yes, but totally make my day.
For those of you who know my mom, she would never say that....but don't kill my dream...
Ok, its way past my bedtime. I am done for the day, and need more than beauty rest tonight. I need to hibernate until June....
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Locked Out
Rainy Sunday.
I had every intention of staying in bed longer than 6am, but I woke up unable to roll over and get comfortable again. My side of the bed was invaded by a 200lb man and a feline.....I was practically on the floor. So much for sleeping in. I was baking chicken and boiling eggs by 10 after 6.
After 3 cups of coffee and an hour-long bake fest, I was ready to get my cardio over with. I just wasn't feeling it this morning. No, I don't love my workout all the time. That's ridiculous. But when I have days when I'm either mentally or physically "not there", I just don't think about it too long. Sounds so simple and perhaps silly, but the longer I focus on how tired I am or how much I don't feel like doing it, the closer I am to making an excuse not to. And I don't think that's just me....its something we all battle at some point. Discipline is not natural. Its learned, practiced, and developed along the way. I'm always amazed by the number of people who think that it should be second nature. If that were the case, the obesity rate would not be skyrocketing and this country would not be in the health crisis its in. Do yourself a favor, be realistic and accept that "healthy" is a choice, a practice, a culmination of daily decisions to often refuse whats easy and embrace responsibility for your own body/mind. In the moments you are tempted to quit, those are the MOST critical moments that you must press on.
With all that said, it seemed like an eternity on the treadmill, but I got it done.
Quick story from my Saturday morning...
I was up by 5:45...(shocker)....and started my cleaning ritual. By 7:30 I moved to the outside of the house and was watering the plants. It dawned on me about 10 minutes later than I'd locked the door behind me. Awesome. I checked all the doors/windows and even my husband's car to see if I could hit the garage button and get in that way. No such luck. So there I am banging on my door and ringing the doorbell like an over-zealous Jahovah Witness. My knuckles were practically bleeding. I soon realized Ryan was probably in lala land with Carrie Underwood and I would be ignored on the doorstep for the next 2 hours. I had to go old-school with my plan. I found a few small rocks and headed to the back. After a couple of arm swings, I started tossing those things at the window in rapid-fire fashion. After the first 7 or 8, I was prepared to go threw a full wind-up and worry about the broken window later.
He finally woke up. I definitely got the look of what-were-you-thinking-and-its-7:30-in-the-morning-and-this-is-absurd. Whatever....I am used to that look. I was just glad to be back inside. What a way to start a Saturday morning....
Well, its going to be a low key day.
Get yourself prepared for the week. Remind yourself of your goals, get a game plan, and don't look back. Despite their bad reputation, I like Mondays. It a fresh start,...a new week. Treat it as such. Bring your A-game. :)
I had every intention of staying in bed longer than 6am, but I woke up unable to roll over and get comfortable again. My side of the bed was invaded by a 200lb man and a feline.....I was practically on the floor. So much for sleeping in. I was baking chicken and boiling eggs by 10 after 6.
After 3 cups of coffee and an hour-long bake fest, I was ready to get my cardio over with. I just wasn't feeling it this morning. No, I don't love my workout all the time. That's ridiculous. But when I have days when I'm either mentally or physically "not there", I just don't think about it too long. Sounds so simple and perhaps silly, but the longer I focus on how tired I am or how much I don't feel like doing it, the closer I am to making an excuse not to. And I don't think that's just me....its something we all battle at some point. Discipline is not natural. Its learned, practiced, and developed along the way. I'm always amazed by the number of people who think that it should be second nature. If that were the case, the obesity rate would not be skyrocketing and this country would not be in the health crisis its in. Do yourself a favor, be realistic and accept that "healthy" is a choice, a practice, a culmination of daily decisions to often refuse whats easy and embrace responsibility for your own body/mind. In the moments you are tempted to quit, those are the MOST critical moments that you must press on.
With all that said, it seemed like an eternity on the treadmill, but I got it done.
Quick story from my Saturday morning...
I was up by 5:45...(shocker)....and started my cleaning ritual. By 7:30 I moved to the outside of the house and was watering the plants. It dawned on me about 10 minutes later than I'd locked the door behind me. Awesome. I checked all the doors/windows and even my husband's car to see if I could hit the garage button and get in that way. No such luck. So there I am banging on my door and ringing the doorbell like an over-zealous Jahovah Witness. My knuckles were practically bleeding. I soon realized Ryan was probably in lala land with Carrie Underwood and I would be ignored on the doorstep for the next 2 hours. I had to go old-school with my plan. I found a few small rocks and headed to the back. After a couple of arm swings, I started tossing those things at the window in rapid-fire fashion. After the first 7 or 8, I was prepared to go threw a full wind-up and worry about the broken window later.
He finally woke up. I definitely got the look of what-were-you-thinking-and-its-7:30-in-the-morning-and-this-is-absurd. Whatever....I am used to that look. I was just glad to be back inside. What a way to start a Saturday morning....
Well, its going to be a low key day.
Get yourself prepared for the week. Remind yourself of your goals, get a game plan, and don't look back. Despite their bad reputation, I like Mondays. It a fresh start,...a new week. Treat it as such. Bring your A-game. :)
Friday, April 20, 2012
Dirty Digging...
I could literally crawl in bed right now....at 7:45....while its still light outside and kids are playing in the street like they've lost their minds. I am drained. Of course I still woke up at an ungodly hour even on my day off. By 7am then house was clean and I was already working on the hip-hop routine for tomorrow's class. I need to chill out,...
The day rolled from one thing to the next...workout (which was a brutal shoulder/core day), client at noon, and then I made my way to Lowes. I love picking out plants, BUT I always seem to walk out of there with half a forest. Poor Edna was ringing me up, practically giving herself a hernia trying to lift the potting soil. I went a little plant-happy and ended up with over 40 things to get in the ground. After the first 6 flowers I was pretty much covered in dirt. And by "covered" I mean I had dirt in places that one should never have anything that was once home to a worm. Needless to say, it was a long afternoon...
In the gym...
My client today is recently getting back into a routine after a hiatus that was a little too long, but laced with a couple of injuries. She has moments of what I can only describe as mental-defeat because she allows self-doubt to simply rob her of any physical success she may experience in the gym. Instead of focusing on the steps she's making, she gets caught up on the long term and the poor choices she made that brought her to this point. I see this all the time. Its a crossroad of sorts. There is the past and an unhealthy lifestyle, and then there are 2 directions you can take. One leads to further self-destruction, and one towards health in every aspect - physical, mental, emotional, etc. Yes, people often take steps in the right direction and then its like they freeze. They realize its not always going to be easy, it will require 100% effort, and will more often than not push them outside their comfort zone,....and they look back. It's that moment when you can still see where you left in the rear view mirror....you've got to get further down the road. Keep moving,...looking forward.
She ended up feeling a little more empowered by the end, and knew she was one step ahead of where she was. Honestly, I get excited just to watch the whole process unfold. Yet another reason I love what I do.
Well, I can hardly function at this point. Time for some shut-eye so I can be ready to roll for hip-hop class tomorrow. I've got a couple of newbies coming to drop it like its hot bright and early.....nothing like a few hip rolls to start the weekend off right.
Have a great night folks,....weekend here we come.
The day rolled from one thing to the next...workout (which was a brutal shoulder/core day), client at noon, and then I made my way to Lowes. I love picking out plants, BUT I always seem to walk out of there with half a forest. Poor Edna was ringing me up, practically giving herself a hernia trying to lift the potting soil. I went a little plant-happy and ended up with over 40 things to get in the ground. After the first 6 flowers I was pretty much covered in dirt. And by "covered" I mean I had dirt in places that one should never have anything that was once home to a worm. Needless to say, it was a long afternoon...
In the gym...
My client today is recently getting back into a routine after a hiatus that was a little too long, but laced with a couple of injuries. She has moments of what I can only describe as mental-defeat because she allows self-doubt to simply rob her of any physical success she may experience in the gym. Instead of focusing on the steps she's making, she gets caught up on the long term and the poor choices she made that brought her to this point. I see this all the time. Its a crossroad of sorts. There is the past and an unhealthy lifestyle, and then there are 2 directions you can take. One leads to further self-destruction, and one towards health in every aspect - physical, mental, emotional, etc. Yes, people often take steps in the right direction and then its like they freeze. They realize its not always going to be easy, it will require 100% effort, and will more often than not push them outside their comfort zone,....and they look back. It's that moment when you can still see where you left in the rear view mirror....you've got to get further down the road. Keep moving,...looking forward.
She ended up feeling a little more empowered by the end, and knew she was one step ahead of where she was. Honestly, I get excited just to watch the whole process unfold. Yet another reason I love what I do.
Well, I can hardly function at this point. Time for some shut-eye so I can be ready to roll for hip-hop class tomorrow. I've got a couple of newbies coming to drop it like its hot bright and early.....nothing like a few hip rolls to start the weekend off right.
Have a great night folks,....weekend here we come.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Short and Sweet
Hump day, you win.
Its pretty predictable that every Wednesday morning I wake up wondering Where am I? What day is it? Why do I get up this early? And why are we crammed in a queen size bed like a couple of convicts? Like clockwork, every week...
I was especially tired this morning because I didn't turn off the tv early enough last night. No, I was glued to The Real Housewives of Orange County. I am no smarter for having done so, but on some sick level I enjoy it. I have very little pity for a woman "stressing out" with a 7 carat diamond on her hand, no job, 2 nannies, and enough botox to prevent blinking for the next decade....but darn if I can't change the channel. And so here I am, exhausted the next day. Surprise surprise.
Leg workout went well today. I mixed things up quite a bit with supersets and various exercises I haven't done in awhile. I have a feeling that the straight leg deadlifts will come back to haunt me for the next 4 days. People often think that being sore is a bad thing or means that you're out of shape. Eh,...not necessarily. I'm sore somewhere on my body everyday. Yes, when you initially start a routine after being inactive for a long period of time you might hate life for several days, but it subsides and your recovery time eventually decreases. But to think that one day you'll wake up and be the fittest specimen alive and never have aches and pains or be sore is ridiculous and I'm about to kill that dream right here. You're welcome. Know that being sore is truly OK and to be expected. Push through,...move on.
This is going to be fairly short tonight. Apparently, I exceeded my word limit today. It may have happened on the phone when someone called asking about services and barely spoke what sounded like broken English. I did my best to explain what I interpreted to be a question about fitness programs, but instead of enunciating, I just spoke louder. Yes, I am that person. I'm still not sure where in my train of thought I justified increasing my volume on the basis that their English was horrible. Don't judge me,...chances are 98% of you do the same thing.
Well, on that note I am headed to my queen-size-should-be-a-king-size bed in hopes to be in hibernation-like sleep by 9:30...
Here we come Thursday.
Its pretty predictable that every Wednesday morning I wake up wondering Where am I? What day is it? Why do I get up this early? And why are we crammed in a queen size bed like a couple of convicts? Like clockwork, every week...
I was especially tired this morning because I didn't turn off the tv early enough last night. No, I was glued to The Real Housewives of Orange County. I am no smarter for having done so, but on some sick level I enjoy it. I have very little pity for a woman "stressing out" with a 7 carat diamond on her hand, no job, 2 nannies, and enough botox to prevent blinking for the next decade....but darn if I can't change the channel. And so here I am, exhausted the next day. Surprise surprise.
Leg workout went well today. I mixed things up quite a bit with supersets and various exercises I haven't done in awhile. I have a feeling that the straight leg deadlifts will come back to haunt me for the next 4 days. People often think that being sore is a bad thing or means that you're out of shape. Eh,...not necessarily. I'm sore somewhere on my body everyday. Yes, when you initially start a routine after being inactive for a long period of time you might hate life for several days, but it subsides and your recovery time eventually decreases. But to think that one day you'll wake up and be the fittest specimen alive and never have aches and pains or be sore is ridiculous and I'm about to kill that dream right here. You're welcome. Know that being sore is truly OK and to be expected. Push through,...move on.
This is going to be fairly short tonight. Apparently, I exceeded my word limit today. It may have happened on the phone when someone called asking about services and barely spoke what sounded like broken English. I did my best to explain what I interpreted to be a question about fitness programs, but instead of enunciating, I just spoke louder. Yes, I am that person. I'm still not sure where in my train of thought I justified increasing my volume on the basis that their English was horrible. Don't judge me,...chances are 98% of you do the same thing.
Well, on that note I am headed to my queen-size-should-be-a-king-size bed in hopes to be in hibernation-like sleep by 9:30...
Here we come Thursday.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Busted Peacock...
So, I had to replace the salmon in my salmon-concoction with turkey this week. My house was starting to smell like a fish market. Oscar was basically running around slipping in his drool, and quite frankly since I already scoop his feces and clean up his vomit, I didn't need one more bodily fluid to deal with. So here I sit with my turkey....still, oh so good.
Today was pretty normal. My early Tuesday morning crowd is always so happy...either they are all full of crap or just extremely high on life. I won't complain. Its 6am and I'm sure on their list of top-10-things-to-do you will not find squat jumps with me standing there saying "get your butt down" over and over until those last 2 inches feel like hell. Definitely not, but they work hard and come faithfully each week. THAT, I can work with.
I shared a very cool moment with a client this afternoon...
She's over 60 years old, obese, and truly striving to not only make lifestyle changes but celebrate victories along the way, (she's got well over 100 pounds to lose). We focus a lot on functional movements that directly effect her balance, stamina, and strength. She was so excited to tell me that over the weekend she was coming down the stairs and missed the last step, BUT instead of falling (like has often happened in the past), she was able to catch herself and regain balance/control. She literally lit up just talking about it. It was great, and just such a reminder that EVERYONE'S fitness journey is different. Goals, abilities, motivation, genetics, etc all play a role and are all very unique person to person. For her, making day-to-day living more doable and easier in some sense, is extremely important. Growing older and living alone is in itself challenging with health concerns,...so to improve functional movements is a major victory. Very cool.
My day rolls on...
By the afternoon, there is no telling what Brian, Garrett, or myself might do for the sake of "Oh I saw this on the internet and I think I can do it.." Ok, not always the brightest ideas and have ended in a few bruises and face plants, but nonetheless sometimes the risk is worth it. Today, mine was the "Peacock" yoga pose. No, I am not a "yogi" by any means. I got into it a little bit in college, but this machine is not built for stretching limbs around and over other limbs. This fact became very evident by 7th grade when I spent 7 years taking dance lessons and was still unable to do a left split...or center split....and my right split hurt too much to talk about. At that point I knew I had no future in the circus or as a pole dancer. What a disappointment.
Anyway, Brian snapped this shot just before my wrists began to scream:
For the record, it is not normal for a body to be in that position. Ideally, your elbows are supposed to touch under your body. That's supposed to be before your wrists snap or you eat floor....its a lose/lose.
Speaking of, I had a great workout today. I hit shoulders, triceps, and finished with cardio. Everything felt pretty darn heavy on shoulders, but doable. I incorporated several drop sets and supersets to hit fatigue pretty quickly. Overall, solid lifting session....tomorrow = leg day. Ah yes, every time I turn around its leg day. I have the urge to go really heavy, but my legs have been shaping up nicely with my current routine, so if its working ya gotta roll with it!
If you follow me on twitter you know that I recently discovered that I spend over $250 a year on gum. That's beyond absurd. If my mom smacked me for that it would be completely justified. We'll discuss that addiction later at some point...
Bed time for me. Holy crap I will hit the sheets before 9!...I am easily pleased...its sad actually.
Night!
Today was pretty normal. My early Tuesday morning crowd is always so happy...either they are all full of crap or just extremely high on life. I won't complain. Its 6am and I'm sure on their list of top-10-things-to-do you will not find squat jumps with me standing there saying "get your butt down" over and over until those last 2 inches feel like hell. Definitely not, but they work hard and come faithfully each week. THAT, I can work with.
I shared a very cool moment with a client this afternoon...
She's over 60 years old, obese, and truly striving to not only make lifestyle changes but celebrate victories along the way, (she's got well over 100 pounds to lose). We focus a lot on functional movements that directly effect her balance, stamina, and strength. She was so excited to tell me that over the weekend she was coming down the stairs and missed the last step, BUT instead of falling (like has often happened in the past), she was able to catch herself and regain balance/control. She literally lit up just talking about it. It was great, and just such a reminder that EVERYONE'S fitness journey is different. Goals, abilities, motivation, genetics, etc all play a role and are all very unique person to person. For her, making day-to-day living more doable and easier in some sense, is extremely important. Growing older and living alone is in itself challenging with health concerns,...so to improve functional movements is a major victory. Very cool.
My day rolls on...
By the afternoon, there is no telling what Brian, Garrett, or myself might do for the sake of "Oh I saw this on the internet and I think I can do it.." Ok, not always the brightest ideas and have ended in a few bruises and face plants, but nonetheless sometimes the risk is worth it. Today, mine was the "Peacock" yoga pose. No, I am not a "yogi" by any means. I got into it a little bit in college, but this machine is not built for stretching limbs around and over other limbs. This fact became very evident by 7th grade when I spent 7 years taking dance lessons and was still unable to do a left split...or center split....and my right split hurt too much to talk about. At that point I knew I had no future in the circus or as a pole dancer. What a disappointment.
Anyway, Brian snapped this shot just before my wrists began to scream:
For the record, it is not normal for a body to be in that position. Ideally, your elbows are supposed to touch under your body. That's supposed to be before your wrists snap or you eat floor....its a lose/lose.
Speaking of, I had a great workout today. I hit shoulders, triceps, and finished with cardio. Everything felt pretty darn heavy on shoulders, but doable. I incorporated several drop sets and supersets to hit fatigue pretty quickly. Overall, solid lifting session....tomorrow = leg day. Ah yes, every time I turn around its leg day. I have the urge to go really heavy, but my legs have been shaping up nicely with my current routine, so if its working ya gotta roll with it!
If you follow me on twitter you know that I recently discovered that I spend over $250 a year on gum. That's beyond absurd. If my mom smacked me for that it would be completely justified. We'll discuss that addiction later at some point...
Bed time for me. Holy crap I will hit the sheets before 9!...I am easily pleased...its sad actually.
Night!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Sandy Vows and Polio Cure
Well, I made it back from the beach in one piece.
I'm a little darker and perhaps still in much need of more sleep...story of my life. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, and we all had a blast afterward shaking what our mama gave us....however, we were quickly put to shame by a man with a hip replacement doing pelvic thrusts on the dance floor like his life depended on it. I couldn't stop watching. I was like a moth to a flame. The entertainment was priceless and a reminder that I need a video camera asap.
Here's a few pictures:...
The last one is my favorite. Yes, one day I will show their kids with the caption "...and this is what happens if you stare at the boobies too long."
Yesterday was a blur. I returned home by 10am and spent the next 3 hours unpacking, doing laundry, cleaning dishes, etc...By 2pm I was asleep on my bed. A nap sounded like the best idea I'd had all weekend. I had to get my mind right before heading to my parents house for a late Easter celebration. Well, that was only part of the celebration. Its official, my little brother is engaged! We are thrilled, and I am honestly amazed that both my brothers ended up with the only women I've liked. I've put up with some raging idiots over the years, and I'm happy to retire from being the "final clearing house" of the family. I'm protective. I can't help it. I'd like to think they are that protective of me, but I'm pretty sure they think I can fend for myself. At 5'7" and a combined weight of less than 300, I might as well just throw on a helmet and give it all I've got...
So it was a full afternoon to say the least, and a much needed day of rest for yours truly. I didn't want to move.
Monday came like a rushing bull.
I woke up pretty darn tired with a packed day ahead of me. The only thing I was pumped about at 5:15 this morning was my coffee and the fact that I finally approved myself for wearing shorts to work. It only took about 4 baking sessions in the sun and some Loreal bronzer so I didn't look like I had polio. Yes, I refuse to wear shorts without a tan. Its for the sake of everyone. You're welcome.
It was a great morning with clients, and a few I had to get on about splurging a little too hard over the weekend. Its one thing to enjoy a meal you love, its another to make it a weekend-gorge-fest. Yes, just a couple of days can undo a weeks worth of work. Go "overboard" about 500 calories each day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and in just one month we're talking a couple extra pounds....that's over 20 in one year folks. And we wonder how did this happen??...Sometimes the answer is right in front of you.
There are occasions when I have to really show some tough love and be a little harsh to get a client's attention, but for the most part its more about making them aware of their own poor choices and habits. I'm honestly amazed by how many people are simply uneducated when it comes to nutrition. BUT, once you do know, there is no excuse. Its about the day to day choices...they are each important and impact your health. Until we TRULY get that, embrace it, and make positive changes, we'll continue to eat ourselves to death. Period.
On that note, I was ready to hit the weights hard today. Such a meathead. I had chest, biceps, core, and cardio. I want to hit more strength-reps this week, so I went for sets of 6-8 on my compound lifts (flat and incline press), and then reps 10-12 on isolation moves. The first couple of sets felt pretty darn heavy, but it was a good burn my the end. I was pleased.
My body hates me right now.
It just hit me how tired I really am...booo. Time for some shut-eye. I just did a major typo with the word "shut".....the "i" key is just a little too close to the "u"....would have completely change the meaning of that sentence...ha.
I'm a little darker and perhaps still in much need of more sleep...story of my life. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, and we all had a blast afterward shaking what our mama gave us....however, we were quickly put to shame by a man with a hip replacement doing pelvic thrusts on the dance floor like his life depended on it. I couldn't stop watching. I was like a moth to a flame. The entertainment was priceless and a reminder that I need a video camera asap.
Here's a few pictures:...
Yesterday was a blur. I returned home by 10am and spent the next 3 hours unpacking, doing laundry, cleaning dishes, etc...By 2pm I was asleep on my bed. A nap sounded like the best idea I'd had all weekend. I had to get my mind right before heading to my parents house for a late Easter celebration. Well, that was only part of the celebration. Its official, my little brother is engaged! We are thrilled, and I am honestly amazed that both my brothers ended up with the only women I've liked. I've put up with some raging idiots over the years, and I'm happy to retire from being the "final clearing house" of the family. I'm protective. I can't help it. I'd like to think they are that protective of me, but I'm pretty sure they think I can fend for myself. At 5'7" and a combined weight of less than 300, I might as well just throw on a helmet and give it all I've got...
So it was a full afternoon to say the least, and a much needed day of rest for yours truly. I didn't want to move.
Monday came like a rushing bull.
I woke up pretty darn tired with a packed day ahead of me. The only thing I was pumped about at 5:15 this morning was my coffee and the fact that I finally approved myself for wearing shorts to work. It only took about 4 baking sessions in the sun and some Loreal bronzer so I didn't look like I had polio. Yes, I refuse to wear shorts without a tan. Its for the sake of everyone. You're welcome.
It was a great morning with clients, and a few I had to get on about splurging a little too hard over the weekend. Its one thing to enjoy a meal you love, its another to make it a weekend-gorge-fest. Yes, just a couple of days can undo a weeks worth of work. Go "overboard" about 500 calories each day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and in just one month we're talking a couple extra pounds....that's over 20 in one year folks. And we wonder how did this happen??...Sometimes the answer is right in front of you.
There are occasions when I have to really show some tough love and be a little harsh to get a client's attention, but for the most part its more about making them aware of their own poor choices and habits. I'm honestly amazed by how many people are simply uneducated when it comes to nutrition. BUT, once you do know, there is no excuse. Its about the day to day choices...they are each important and impact your health. Until we TRULY get that, embrace it, and make positive changes, we'll continue to eat ourselves to death. Period.
On that note, I was ready to hit the weights hard today. Such a meathead. I had chest, biceps, core, and cardio. I want to hit more strength-reps this week, so I went for sets of 6-8 on my compound lifts (flat and incline press), and then reps 10-12 on isolation moves. The first couple of sets felt pretty darn heavy, but it was a good burn my the end. I was pleased.
My body hates me right now.
It just hit me how tired I really am...booo. Time for some shut-eye. I just did a major typo with the word "shut".....the "i" key is just a little too close to the "u"....would have completely change the meaning of that sentence...ha.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Hotel Ninja
Someone mark this date. Its 8:20 in the morning and I woke up only 20 minutes ago. Unbelievable. I NEVER wake up to sunlight....ever...
I am in zombie-mode and taking my coffee to the face like a champ. Hotel coffee,...practically motor oil, but it does the trick. Whatever buzz I get at this point is welcome with open arms.
The week absolutely flew by and I was not prepared in the least bit. Yesterday went from one thing to the next as I was trying to prepare to come to the beach for my dear friend's wedding. I had all intentions of leaving by 2pm, but before I knew it it was 4:00 and I was creeping down the highway in what cannot even be considered "driving". My car was farting down the highway....4 lanes of traffic and we were maintaining a solid 10mph. After exhausting 2 CDs and downing a bag of carrots, I was seconds away from pulling an Evil Kenevil and jumping people like Hot Wheels. Patience in traffic is not a strong suit of mine...shocker. And its even worse when there's NOT wreck or traffic stop, or anything else that would remotely justify going 55mph under the speed limit. When it turns out to be nothing and we're simply cruising because at least one person decided to have a bucket-list moment and slow down hundreds of cars so they can "take it all in", just know that I am slowly losing my mind marinating in bitterness towards an '92 Pontiac that I don't even know. Some of you are feeling my pain. Others of you are part of the problem....understand its called a speed LIMIT, meaning that you can actually go within 10, 5, and even up to that number (ah amazing)....
Whew, and that was my Saturday morning vent...after only 2 cups of coffee.
So let's talk some fitness stuff really quick.
I was able to squeeze in my workout yesterday before leaving, and hit shoulders, triceps, and some cardio. It was a great end-of-the-week circuit, but I could definitely tell I was still tired from staying up late Wednesday night. Heck, I slept until 8 this morning, I'm still recovering! Ridiculous.
My plan today is to get in a workout before I go bake by the pool for a little while. Tough life, I know. But this is a mini-vacation for me so I am going to milk it for what its worth. I'm going to do an INSANITY/P90X style workout in my room that I'll design and be jumping around like a ninja for 45 minutes. Yes, I am that person, and no, you don't have to have any equipment to get in a good workout. I actually think this type of workout is extremely hard because I don't understand the concept of "pacing myself." I will go balls to the wall and probably end up passed out before the wedding. Last time I did this I nearly threw up. This ought to be interesting...
Of course I packed all my food. And seriously, the amount of grub I have to pack for a 2 day trip is absurd. I am pretty much ready for Armageddon in my hotel room. I've got egg whites, tuna, grapefruit, chicken, ground turkey, broccoli, milk, protein powder, almonds, vitamins, water, lettuce, tea, and extra coffee just to name a few. I come prepared to say the least. But seriously, if you want to continue healthy habits and prevent having to eat out the entire time while on a trip, you HAVE to get a little organized and pack some food. Yes, you have to get creative sometimes, but if it works then it works. No excuses. Everything is made convenient nowadays, so there is no reason not to.
Alright, coffee kicked in,...I'm sweating. Time to get this day rolling. 9am and I'm still in my pajamas...what is this? I feel like I'm 7 years old and about to fight David for the toy in the cereal box....which is always a let down and probably made with lead, let's be honest.
Make it a great day folks.
Stay focused on the important things, and enjoy your weekend!
I am in zombie-mode and taking my coffee to the face like a champ. Hotel coffee,...practically motor oil, but it does the trick. Whatever buzz I get at this point is welcome with open arms.
The week absolutely flew by and I was not prepared in the least bit. Yesterday went from one thing to the next as I was trying to prepare to come to the beach for my dear friend's wedding. I had all intentions of leaving by 2pm, but before I knew it it was 4:00 and I was creeping down the highway in what cannot even be considered "driving". My car was farting down the highway....4 lanes of traffic and we were maintaining a solid 10mph. After exhausting 2 CDs and downing a bag of carrots, I was seconds away from pulling an Evil Kenevil and jumping people like Hot Wheels. Patience in traffic is not a strong suit of mine...shocker. And its even worse when there's NOT wreck or traffic stop, or anything else that would remotely justify going 55mph under the speed limit. When it turns out to be nothing and we're simply cruising because at least one person decided to have a bucket-list moment and slow down hundreds of cars so they can "take it all in", just know that I am slowly losing my mind marinating in bitterness towards an '92 Pontiac that I don't even know. Some of you are feeling my pain. Others of you are part of the problem....understand its called a speed LIMIT, meaning that you can actually go within 10, 5, and even up to that number (ah amazing)....
Whew, and that was my Saturday morning vent...after only 2 cups of coffee.
So let's talk some fitness stuff really quick.
I was able to squeeze in my workout yesterday before leaving, and hit shoulders, triceps, and some cardio. It was a great end-of-the-week circuit, but I could definitely tell I was still tired from staying up late Wednesday night. Heck, I slept until 8 this morning, I'm still recovering! Ridiculous.
My plan today is to get in a workout before I go bake by the pool for a little while. Tough life, I know. But this is a mini-vacation for me so I am going to milk it for what its worth. I'm going to do an INSANITY/P90X style workout in my room that I'll design and be jumping around like a ninja for 45 minutes. Yes, I am that person, and no, you don't have to have any equipment to get in a good workout. I actually think this type of workout is extremely hard because I don't understand the concept of "pacing myself." I will go balls to the wall and probably end up passed out before the wedding. Last time I did this I nearly threw up. This ought to be interesting...
Of course I packed all my food. And seriously, the amount of grub I have to pack for a 2 day trip is absurd. I am pretty much ready for Armageddon in my hotel room. I've got egg whites, tuna, grapefruit, chicken, ground turkey, broccoli, milk, protein powder, almonds, vitamins, water, lettuce, tea, and extra coffee just to name a few. I come prepared to say the least. But seriously, if you want to continue healthy habits and prevent having to eat out the entire time while on a trip, you HAVE to get a little organized and pack some food. Yes, you have to get creative sometimes, but if it works then it works. No excuses. Everything is made convenient nowadays, so there is no reason not to.
Alright, coffee kicked in,...I'm sweating. Time to get this day rolling. 9am and I'm still in my pajamas...what is this? I feel like I'm 7 years old and about to fight David for the toy in the cereal box....which is always a let down and probably made with lead, let's be honest.
Make it a great day folks.
Stay focused on the important things, and enjoy your weekend!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Thank You Daniel...
Its 9pm and I am finally sitting down to eat dinner.
My day started with 3 cups of coffee and a serenade from Alanis Morissette. After only 4 hours of sleep, a partially-enraged-female was the obvious music of choice for my morning commute. I honestly don't remember the majority of that ride, and by the time I made it to work my left eye was twitching and I was ready to basically inject the rest of my coffee.
Yes, its my fault I was so tired. I was up until after midnight because I went to see Daniel Tosh in Durham. He is absolutely hilarious, but a 9:30 show on a Wednesday meant one thing: Thursday would be a kick in the face. I was right. It basically was....but worth it. I laughed so hard a couple of times my face started cramping and I was questioning my own line of decency. Eh, life is a trip...if you don't laugh along the way you'll go crazy. Needless to say, it was a very long night and I practically fell in bed when it was over.
Despite wanting to lay in fetal position on the floor, counter, or pretty much any horizontal service, I had an awesome workout. My heartrate was higher on my cardio than normal (expected when tired), but other than that I felt great. I think it was just mind over matter...I had to get moving and not think about it. Too often we underestimate ourselves when we don't feel 100%. Ha,...that's life. I'd say that I feel "100 %" only about 60% of the time. There's simply always going to be something that isn't up to par, whether its physical, mental, or emotional. But for that 90 minutes I seriously try to let it go. That's MY time. MY workout. MY opportunity to either improve or not....its always a conscious choice...for everyone.
We had a teenager come in the other day with a freshly cut mohawk. I asked him what his parents said,....he laughed and said his mom hated it. Expected. For whatever reason he was being rebellious, and thought it was the "cool" thing to do. Sooo, I had to do my own civil duty and tell him he looked like a tool. I'm fairly certain that's what his parents were thinking, but perhaps a different word choice. Eh, same message. People can appreciate a good mullet. No one appreciates a mohawk on a cocky jock. Sorry kid.
Well, I am hurting. I can hardly keep my eyes open. Time for some much needed rest...Night!
My day started with 3 cups of coffee and a serenade from Alanis Morissette. After only 4 hours of sleep, a partially-enraged-female was the obvious music of choice for my morning commute. I honestly don't remember the majority of that ride, and by the time I made it to work my left eye was twitching and I was ready to basically inject the rest of my coffee.
Yes, its my fault I was so tired. I was up until after midnight because I went to see Daniel Tosh in Durham. He is absolutely hilarious, but a 9:30 show on a Wednesday meant one thing: Thursday would be a kick in the face. I was right. It basically was....but worth it. I laughed so hard a couple of times my face started cramping and I was questioning my own line of decency. Eh, life is a trip...if you don't laugh along the way you'll go crazy. Needless to say, it was a very long night and I practically fell in bed when it was over.
Despite wanting to lay in fetal position on the floor, counter, or pretty much any horizontal service, I had an awesome workout. My heartrate was higher on my cardio than normal (expected when tired), but other than that I felt great. I think it was just mind over matter...I had to get moving and not think about it. Too often we underestimate ourselves when we don't feel 100%. Ha,...that's life. I'd say that I feel "100 %" only about 60% of the time. There's simply always going to be something that isn't up to par, whether its physical, mental, or emotional. But for that 90 minutes I seriously try to let it go. That's MY time. MY workout. MY opportunity to either improve or not....its always a conscious choice...for everyone.
We had a teenager come in the other day with a freshly cut mohawk. I asked him what his parents said,....he laughed and said his mom hated it. Expected. For whatever reason he was being rebellious, and thought it was the "cool" thing to do. Sooo, I had to do my own civil duty and tell him he looked like a tool. I'm fairly certain that's what his parents were thinking, but perhaps a different word choice. Eh, same message. People can appreciate a good mullet. No one appreciates a mohawk on a cocky jock. Sorry kid.
Well, I am hurting. I can hardly keep my eyes open. Time for some much needed rest...Night!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Going Deaf...
I made the mistake yesterday of downing my green tea at about 6pm, which meant I watched nearly the entire episode of Bethany Ever After and didn't fall asleep until 11pm. In my sad world, that might as well be 2am. Talk about a foul mood...4:15 was a sight. I changed outfits about 3 times...which left me winded from battling spandex pants way too early in the morning. I finally decided on my camo hip-hop pants and pink Nike's. I have an inner thug, what can I say...
My day was fairly normal for the most part. I use that term loosely. I had an 8 year old kid this morning who was so excited to tell me that he was got first place for all his team sprints last week. It was very cool. He's truly a sweet kid and I'm sure would run until he bled if I asked him. I'm mean, but not that mean.
And yes, they can start "working out" even at that age. No lifting weights, but we work on body mechanics, awareness, speed, agility, and plyometrics. At 8 years old, you can certainly tell the kids who simply have good genes and probably came out of the womb kicking, screaming, and doing walking lunges. I love those kids. If your kids play against them, you hate them. Its ok,...we get it.
The afternoon got more interesting.
As a trainer, I am certainly used to people complaining about working out, sweating, etc. Its unbelievable but I've learned to drown it out pretty quickly. So for the record, the more you complain, the deafer I become. But, today was a little different. It went beyond the complaining...it was a personality clash. I used to take this stuff personally, but what an unreasonable burden. And if you're a trainer/coach reading this, I would encourage you not to either. The truth is, not everyone will like you, BUT if you're doing your job with professionalism and honesty, that's life. Suck it up and move on. To think that everyone will love you is a ridiculous expectation. And I would go so far as to say that if you don't have a couple here and there who "don't like you", then you're not being true to yourself. And yes, this can pretty much apply to any career. For me personally, its not about people LIKING me,...its about me doing my utmost to help them achieve their goals, seek to understand the best way to motivate them as individuals, and push beyond their comfort zone. "Like" implies a conditional emotion. Which, in the midst all that transpires in the gym emotionally, physically, and mentally, can waver on a daily basis. Yes, I want people to feel like a success, walk away with a sense of accomplishment, and desire to push even farther....and if that means "not liking" me in the process, OK. Its not about me anyway.
What a long day.
My workout plans changed a little today....I hit shoulders and cardio...which means all LEGS tomorrow. Whew, its going to get ugly tomorrow in the gym around 11:30. The good thing about leg day is no cardio. Its like Christmas....minus Jesus....presents....food...decorations...and that one family member who always smells like the bar.
Well, I am starting to dose off...time for bed around here. Wednesday is waiting...get on it!
My day was fairly normal for the most part. I use that term loosely. I had an 8 year old kid this morning who was so excited to tell me that he was got first place for all his team sprints last week. It was very cool. He's truly a sweet kid and I'm sure would run until he bled if I asked him. I'm mean, but not that mean.
And yes, they can start "working out" even at that age. No lifting weights, but we work on body mechanics, awareness, speed, agility, and plyometrics. At 8 years old, you can certainly tell the kids who simply have good genes and probably came out of the womb kicking, screaming, and doing walking lunges. I love those kids. If your kids play against them, you hate them. Its ok,...we get it.
The afternoon got more interesting.
As a trainer, I am certainly used to people complaining about working out, sweating, etc. Its unbelievable but I've learned to drown it out pretty quickly. So for the record, the more you complain, the deafer I become. But, today was a little different. It went beyond the complaining...it was a personality clash. I used to take this stuff personally, but what an unreasonable burden. And if you're a trainer/coach reading this, I would encourage you not to either. The truth is, not everyone will like you, BUT if you're doing your job with professionalism and honesty, that's life. Suck it up and move on. To think that everyone will love you is a ridiculous expectation. And I would go so far as to say that if you don't have a couple here and there who "don't like you", then you're not being true to yourself. And yes, this can pretty much apply to any career. For me personally, its not about people LIKING me,...its about me doing my utmost to help them achieve their goals, seek to understand the best way to motivate them as individuals, and push beyond their comfort zone. "Like" implies a conditional emotion. Which, in the midst all that transpires in the gym emotionally, physically, and mentally, can waver on a daily basis. Yes, I want people to feel like a success, walk away with a sense of accomplishment, and desire to push even farther....and if that means "not liking" me in the process, OK. Its not about me anyway.
What a long day.
My workout plans changed a little today....I hit shoulders and cardio...which means all LEGS tomorrow. Whew, its going to get ugly tomorrow in the gym around 11:30. The good thing about leg day is no cardio. Its like Christmas....minus Jesus....presents....food...decorations...and that one family member who always smells like the bar.
Well, I am starting to dose off...time for bed around here. Wednesday is waiting...get on it!
Monday, April 9, 2012
Easter Recap...
I just bit the side of my mouth. Nothing like bleeding during your dinner that makes it tasty and borderline unsanitary.
Everyone survived Easter I assume. Family, food, Easter egg hunts, kids running around grabbing peeps like they haven't eaten in 3 days...ah yes, another holiday. I honestly had a trip looking at pictures on Facebook. For the record, the Easter Bunny should in no-way compete with Santa. What is wrong with you people? I saw Easter displays for babies and toddlers that looked like the entire Target store threw up on the couch. That child isn't old enough to wipe after the damage those peeps are going to do,....no need for all that. Things just got a little graphic. I apologize.
The highlight of my Easter was when my grandpa rolled into the service with an American flag tie on. And not one of those ties with a tiny print of flags that just looks like dots from across the room. No, I'm fairly certain it used to hang in the front yard. Wrong holiday Pop. I didn't know whether to hug him or salute him.
Well, my Monday was slightly nutty, as we started off the day at an event called The HUB. It was a 5k race, tennis tournament, and golf tournament in honor of Blake Hubbard. Today would've been his 15th birthday. It was definitely a sad day, and yet incredible to see so many people supporting the family and celebrating Blake's life.
After a very sobering morning, we headed back to the gym to squeeze in a workout and then get rolling with the afternoon crowd. I had chest, biceps, and cardio today. Everything felt heavy. My right shoulder was acting a little "off" today, but nothing serious. Tomorrow I'll hit shoulders and quads...not my favorite combo, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Its late, and I'm exhausted.
Tuesday here we come....night folks!
Everyone survived Easter I assume. Family, food, Easter egg hunts, kids running around grabbing peeps like they haven't eaten in 3 days...ah yes, another holiday. I honestly had a trip looking at pictures on Facebook. For the record, the Easter Bunny should in no-way compete with Santa. What is wrong with you people? I saw Easter displays for babies and toddlers that looked like the entire Target store threw up on the couch. That child isn't old enough to wipe after the damage those peeps are going to do,....no need for all that. Things just got a little graphic. I apologize.
The highlight of my Easter was when my grandpa rolled into the service with an American flag tie on. And not one of those ties with a tiny print of flags that just looks like dots from across the room. No, I'm fairly certain it used to hang in the front yard. Wrong holiday Pop. I didn't know whether to hug him or salute him.
Well, my Monday was slightly nutty, as we started off the day at an event called The HUB. It was a 5k race, tennis tournament, and golf tournament in honor of Blake Hubbard. Today would've been his 15th birthday. It was definitely a sad day, and yet incredible to see so many people supporting the family and celebrating Blake's life.
After a very sobering morning, we headed back to the gym to squeeze in a workout and then get rolling with the afternoon crowd. I had chest, biceps, and cardio today. Everything felt heavy. My right shoulder was acting a little "off" today, but nothing serious. Tomorrow I'll hit shoulders and quads...not my favorite combo, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Its late, and I'm exhausted.
Tuesday here we come....night folks!
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Taxes, Eggs, and My 7i
Its 7:30 on a Saturday night and I just had a cup of coffee so I would be awake enough to go out for a late dinner with Ryan. That is sad....when you must first have a date night "pre-game" by yourself, and then for it to involve 12 ounces of coffee just to function after 10pm. I've reached a new low...
Well, I finally did our taxes this morning. I've never been so angry at 7:30 in the morning,...I was in rare form. Yes, TurboTax makes it easier, but my God I was so sick of looking at that thing. And I love how at the end, after you've spent a few hours staring at a mind-numbing screen, slowly losing your religion, they ask if you'd like to make a donation to the wildlife fund. I am not an animal-hater by any means,...nor will I chain myself to a tree for the sake of a woodpecker, but at that point I had about zero concern for anything dying in the ocean, woods, or eastern Montana. Hell, I would have donated some of my eggs if I thought my refund would increase.
Needless to say, I didn't give any money.
I know,...cold hearted. I'll probably answer for that one day.
On to workouts/health...
The past couple of days have felt extremely rushed, but I've gotten in my workouts. Shoulders, hamstrings, and core on Friday, and cardio today. Weights felt extremely heavy on shoulders yesterday, but I'm pretty sure it was because I was supersetting everything. 30 seconds rest between exercises left me sucking wind. Hurt so good.
A few hours after my workout today I had my first formal golf lesson. It was great. Not sure who cursed more, me or her. We had a great connection though, and it was honestly good for me to be on the other side of the training for once. Yes, I've worked with a personal trainer before, but its been about 8 years, so it was cool to sort of be there again....but in a different setting. I was tired but definitely encouraged by the experience. She looked at me one time and just said "you are soaking this in like a sponge aren't you!" Yes, I was. I wanted to know everything. I am always amazed by skill-based sports. The fact that YOU have ultimate control, but the mind/body must be in perfect harmony to execute the ideal shot, swing, throw, or whatever the sport may be. Its beyond athleticism. Its got to be an almost mindless-focus...second nature and yet fully engaged in the moment. Very cool.
I better start getting ready before this coffee wears off and I say to heck with going out. I think college burned me out. I need balance. I went from going out til 4am to getting up at 4am and lost my sanity somewhere in between.
Have a lovely Easter-Eve folks, and enjoy the holiday tomorrow :)
Well, I finally did our taxes this morning. I've never been so angry at 7:30 in the morning,...I was in rare form. Yes, TurboTax makes it easier, but my God I was so sick of looking at that thing. And I love how at the end, after you've spent a few hours staring at a mind-numbing screen, slowly losing your religion, they ask if you'd like to make a donation to the wildlife fund. I am not an animal-hater by any means,...nor will I chain myself to a tree for the sake of a woodpecker, but at that point I had about zero concern for anything dying in the ocean, woods, or eastern Montana. Hell, I would have donated some of my eggs if I thought my refund would increase.
Needless to say, I didn't give any money.
I know,...cold hearted. I'll probably answer for that one day.
On to workouts/health...
The past couple of days have felt extremely rushed, but I've gotten in my workouts. Shoulders, hamstrings, and core on Friday, and cardio today. Weights felt extremely heavy on shoulders yesterday, but I'm pretty sure it was because I was supersetting everything. 30 seconds rest between exercises left me sucking wind. Hurt so good.
A few hours after my workout today I had my first formal golf lesson. It was great. Not sure who cursed more, me or her. We had a great connection though, and it was honestly good for me to be on the other side of the training for once. Yes, I've worked with a personal trainer before, but its been about 8 years, so it was cool to sort of be there again....but in a different setting. I was tired but definitely encouraged by the experience. She looked at me one time and just said "you are soaking this in like a sponge aren't you!" Yes, I was. I wanted to know everything. I am always amazed by skill-based sports. The fact that YOU have ultimate control, but the mind/body must be in perfect harmony to execute the ideal shot, swing, throw, or whatever the sport may be. Its beyond athleticism. Its got to be an almost mindless-focus...second nature and yet fully engaged in the moment. Very cool.
I better start getting ready before this coffee wears off and I say to heck with going out. I think college burned me out. I need balance. I went from going out til 4am to getting up at 4am and lost my sanity somewhere in between.
Have a lovely Easter-Eve folks, and enjoy the holiday tomorrow :)
Friday, April 6, 2012
Weighttraining With Wrinkles...
Well, I've been up for over 3 hours and finished my Friday morning OCD-binge-of-cleaning. Its an interesting combination of smells around here....pinesol, almond furniture polish, lemon scent kitchen cleaner, and yankee candle lavender/vanilla. My sniffer has no clue what the heck is going on. A little tid-bit for you....my favorite thing to do is turn on the jazz or singers & swing station on tv while cleaning. Perhaps because Eminem would be a little intense while scrubbing the toilet. Although, I'm not completely opposed to it...
Yesterday was a full day, which ended with a grocery store trip right after work. Worst time to go. Not because its so crowded, (I beat the 5pm crowd since I didn't get there until about 6:30), but because I am so exhausted that I sound borderline drunk trying to interact with the cashier. At that point, I've generally exceeded my word limit and become socially-challenged. The girl bagging my groceries watched me yawn and said "I feel ya." Really? You're maybe 16 years old, got 11 hours of sleep because you played hookie from school, will go make out with your boyfriend after your whopping 4 hour shift, and the greatest worry in your life right now is your parents finding out you're drinking after prom.
See, this is why I should excuse myself from public places after 5pm. To her credit, she didn't put the squash on top of the lettuce. I appreciate that.
Work yesterday was great,...I had a couple of questions about the Paleo Diet, so I'll address that in an upcoming post.
I was absolutely thrilled when my 74 year old client said she went to the doctor and they were "blown away" by how in shape she was for her age. She was very pleased and said it gave her even more momentum to move forward.
I think people often get in this mindset that as they age, especially from 60 and beyond, that they will simply decline in health and getting "out of shape" is a natural thing. Uhhh...who said that has to be the case? No, fit at 65 does not look the same as fit at 25, but its about optimizing your overall health and wellness at WHATEVER age you are. The whole idea of maintaining a high fitness level into your elder-years is to keep functional movements easy and reduce the risk of injury by increasing flexibility, balance, and strength. Life still goes on after 70....no reason to sit on your butt and watch it pass you by...
Today I have to get in my workout a little early because I'm going for my once-every-3-months haircut and then meeting a friend for coffee. One of my dearest friends whom I haven't seen in nearly a year....we just might suck all the oxygen out of that place from talking so much. Shocker.
Friday, here we go. Get a jump-start to the weekend, keep your goals at the front of your mind, and move forward....always forward!
Yesterday was a full day, which ended with a grocery store trip right after work. Worst time to go. Not because its so crowded, (I beat the 5pm crowd since I didn't get there until about 6:30), but because I am so exhausted that I sound borderline drunk trying to interact with the cashier. At that point, I've generally exceeded my word limit and become socially-challenged. The girl bagging my groceries watched me yawn and said "I feel ya." Really? You're maybe 16 years old, got 11 hours of sleep because you played hookie from school, will go make out with your boyfriend after your whopping 4 hour shift, and the greatest worry in your life right now is your parents finding out you're drinking after prom.
See, this is why I should excuse myself from public places after 5pm. To her credit, she didn't put the squash on top of the lettuce. I appreciate that.
Work yesterday was great,...I had a couple of questions about the Paleo Diet, so I'll address that in an upcoming post.
I was absolutely thrilled when my 74 year old client said she went to the doctor and they were "blown away" by how in shape she was for her age. She was very pleased and said it gave her even more momentum to move forward.
I think people often get in this mindset that as they age, especially from 60 and beyond, that they will simply decline in health and getting "out of shape" is a natural thing. Uhhh...who said that has to be the case? No, fit at 65 does not look the same as fit at 25, but its about optimizing your overall health and wellness at WHATEVER age you are. The whole idea of maintaining a high fitness level into your elder-years is to keep functional movements easy and reduce the risk of injury by increasing flexibility, balance, and strength. Life still goes on after 70....no reason to sit on your butt and watch it pass you by...
Today I have to get in my workout a little early because I'm going for my once-every-3-months haircut and then meeting a friend for coffee. One of my dearest friends whom I haven't seen in nearly a year....we just might suck all the oxygen out of that place from talking so much. Shocker.
Friday, here we go. Get a jump-start to the weekend, keep your goals at the front of your mind, and move forward....always forward!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Risking Comfort For Success
I fell asleep sitting straight up today.
If you follow me on twitter you are ahead of everyone else and know this. I'm amazed I didn't drool. It was 1:00 and I literally wanted to crawl on the PT table, get in fetal position, and dream about staying in fetal position for the next hour. My "sleepy hour" hits me like a truck and I feel like banging my head against the wall only I'm too tired to make the effort to stand up and do so. Its ridiculous. After about an hour or so I'm back to normal and operating on adrenaline...and any other legal stimulant that might work. Kidding,...sort of...
My morning was steady from 6am on. Mid-morning I was truly excited to help a woman experience the "Ah ha!" moment...made my day. She's middle-aged, overweight, but not completely inactive....and actually, more capable than she believes. I gave her an interval to do on the treadmill, 3 minutes walking at incline 15 while holding a dumbbell overhead in 30 second increments. Immediately she looked at me with the most serious, defeated look and said "I can't do that. Seriously, I can't." I knew I was asking her to do something she'd never done before, but I had to push through the moment to open a huge door for her. I just shook my head and said "Do it. I don't care how slow you have to go, but do it." I know she was hating every second of that climb, but the fact that she not only tried, but not once held on and DID IT meant that she was willing to be pushed outside of her comfort zone and dare to imagine a healthier self. (She may not have analyzed it like that, but for me it was huge). She got off the treadmill and I think was honestly amazed at herself for finishing. Why? I think in part because she's been used to operating from this notion that she's slow, fat, incapable, and nonathletic. So instead of pushing herself beyond that at the risk she might "fail" (as only she could define it), it was easier to not even try because its safer that way. No risk. However, the thing she couldn't see is that by not taking a risk, she completely closed herself off to any opportunity to succeed and prove to herself that she is in fact capable of so much more.
What a reminder that we so often challenge ourselves only to the extent we believe the odds of success heavily outweigh the chance of failure....even when "failure" is a skewed, inaccurate self-perception.
Sometimes we have the boldness to step forward on our own, and other times we have to trust the hand that is pushing. I was thrilled to be pushing this morning...
It was a great moment, and I really hope she walked away feeling empowered and allowing it to propel her even further forward.
My day continued like a typical Wednesday. I only had cardio and core for workout. Naturally, I played the same 8 songs over and over until I was borderline mad at myself for doing so. Stupid addictive personality. My workout flew by quicker than I thought it would and before I knew it, there I was nodding off to sleep sitting straight up...
Yes, one area I struggle with is getting adequate rest. Its not that I stay up late,...my God, every senior citizen within a 10 mile radius goes to bed after I do. My days are just long. But honestly, I can't imagine if I didn't love what I do...just think of the bitterness and sarcasm that would seep from this blog?! Ha. Not sure the world is ready for that...
Thursday here we come. I've got back and maybe some biceps tomorrow...pretty pumped about it. Eh, I'm more or less pumped about every workout to some degree...duh.
Alright folks, tomorrow's a new day, grab it by the horns.
If you follow me on twitter you are ahead of everyone else and know this. I'm amazed I didn't drool. It was 1:00 and I literally wanted to crawl on the PT table, get in fetal position, and dream about staying in fetal position for the next hour. My "sleepy hour" hits me like a truck and I feel like banging my head against the wall only I'm too tired to make the effort to stand up and do so. Its ridiculous. After about an hour or so I'm back to normal and operating on adrenaline...and any other legal stimulant that might work. Kidding,...sort of...
My morning was steady from 6am on. Mid-morning I was truly excited to help a woman experience the "Ah ha!" moment...made my day. She's middle-aged, overweight, but not completely inactive....and actually, more capable than she believes. I gave her an interval to do on the treadmill, 3 minutes walking at incline 15 while holding a dumbbell overhead in 30 second increments. Immediately she looked at me with the most serious, defeated look and said "I can't do that. Seriously, I can't." I knew I was asking her to do something she'd never done before, but I had to push through the moment to open a huge door for her. I just shook my head and said "Do it. I don't care how slow you have to go, but do it." I know she was hating every second of that climb, but the fact that she not only tried, but not once held on and DID IT meant that she was willing to be pushed outside of her comfort zone and dare to imagine a healthier self. (She may not have analyzed it like that, but for me it was huge). She got off the treadmill and I think was honestly amazed at herself for finishing. Why? I think in part because she's been used to operating from this notion that she's slow, fat, incapable, and nonathletic. So instead of pushing herself beyond that at the risk she might "fail" (as only she could define it), it was easier to not even try because its safer that way. No risk. However, the thing she couldn't see is that by not taking a risk, she completely closed herself off to any opportunity to succeed and prove to herself that she is in fact capable of so much more.
What a reminder that we so often challenge ourselves only to the extent we believe the odds of success heavily outweigh the chance of failure....even when "failure" is a skewed, inaccurate self-perception.
Sometimes we have the boldness to step forward on our own, and other times we have to trust the hand that is pushing. I was thrilled to be pushing this morning...
It was a great moment, and I really hope she walked away feeling empowered and allowing it to propel her even further forward.
My day continued like a typical Wednesday. I only had cardio and core for workout. Naturally, I played the same 8 songs over and over until I was borderline mad at myself for doing so. Stupid addictive personality. My workout flew by quicker than I thought it would and before I knew it, there I was nodding off to sleep sitting straight up...
Yes, one area I struggle with is getting adequate rest. Its not that I stay up late,...my God, every senior citizen within a 10 mile radius goes to bed after I do. My days are just long. But honestly, I can't imagine if I didn't love what I do...just think of the bitterness and sarcasm that would seep from this blog?! Ha. Not sure the world is ready for that...
Thursday here we come. I've got back and maybe some biceps tomorrow...pretty pumped about it. Eh, I'm more or less pumped about every workout to some degree...duh.
Alright folks, tomorrow's a new day, grab it by the horns.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Nice Gums Mima...
I just completely smoked out my kitchen while making my salmon-smothered-in-the-love-of-cottage-cheese mixture. It smells like a fish market in here and my eyes are watering from the smoke. In approximately 9 minutes, I became my own health hazard.
Amazing it even took that long.
Honestly, this meal is great. I would post a picture of it, but you might throw up. I like to keep vomit to a minimum after 6pm, and the picture would not nearly do it justice. Ok fine, here's a close-up:
Mmmm...on to other things, but since we're on the topic of food, I promised that I'd post about Slim Fast diet after receiving a question from a client.
Here's the deal...any successful "diet" plan (and I use that word loosely because its more about a lifestyle change), needs to include more whole foods than shakes or meal replacement drinks. (The only exception is if you have no teeth, in which case you need to email me a picture asap. I can appreciate this because my Mima only had 6 she could legitimately call her own, and after the age of 11 it went from creepy to hilarious). First, your body absorbs minerals/nutrients/vitamins BEST from whole foods and as close to their natural state as possible. Yes, you can supplement and I definitely recommend doing so for certain things (calcium, green tea, vit D, B12, etc), but majority of your calories should come from the real deal for optimal absorption. Secondly, changing your eating habits must be something that is SUSTAINABLE. It needs to be catered to your tastes, (I just typed in testes,...good thing I caught that), your workout program, lifestyle, and goals. There is no cookie-cutter diet that is the end-all answer for everyone. I feel like I need to shout that from the roof tops BECAUSE ITS TRUE. Yes, there will be times when you'd rather have a pizza than grilled chicken, BUT in the long run its got to be that 90% of the time your nutrition is on track. And part of being able to stay on track is having a plan that keeps you energized, incorporates foods you like, and allows you to see results without feeling deprived.
With all that said, I am not a huge fan of a program that is majority shakes with only 1-2 "real" meals per day. Main point,...your body were built to process, digest, and utilize actual food. Eating is certainly about fueling you body to operate efficiently and healthfully, but it shouldn't be a constant burden or struggle. SUSTAINABILITY is key.
Ok, lecture is ovaaa.
Workout today was tough, but great. I was able to hit shoulders, triceps, and quads. I was pleased with the weights and surprised my shoulders felt as good as they did. I was demonstrating an exercise yesterday and I got an immediate sharp pain in my left shoulder. It bothered me the rest of the day and was extremely painful anytime I'd merely pick up a weight. Makes my job a little problematic...
Thankfully today it was not nearly as painful and I got through the workout just fine.
Well, its 8:15 and feels like 11. I'm worthless at this point and need some serious sleep. Tomorrow is hump day....cardio and core day.
And please feel free to shoot me any questions you want me to address on here! Otherwise I will continue to rant about my toothless grandma... ;)
Night!
Amazing it even took that long.
Honestly, this meal is great. I would post a picture of it, but you might throw up. I like to keep vomit to a minimum after 6pm, and the picture would not nearly do it justice. Ok fine, here's a close-up:
Mmmm...on to other things, but since we're on the topic of food, I promised that I'd post about Slim Fast diet after receiving a question from a client.
Here's the deal...any successful "diet" plan (and I use that word loosely because its more about a lifestyle change), needs to include more whole foods than shakes or meal replacement drinks. (The only exception is if you have no teeth, in which case you need to email me a picture asap. I can appreciate this because my Mima only had 6 she could legitimately call her own, and after the age of 11 it went from creepy to hilarious). First, your body absorbs minerals/nutrients/vitamins BEST from whole foods and as close to their natural state as possible. Yes, you can supplement and I definitely recommend doing so for certain things (calcium, green tea, vit D, B12, etc), but majority of your calories should come from the real deal for optimal absorption. Secondly, changing your eating habits must be something that is SUSTAINABLE. It needs to be catered to your tastes, (I just typed in testes,...good thing I caught that), your workout program, lifestyle, and goals. There is no cookie-cutter diet that is the end-all answer for everyone. I feel like I need to shout that from the roof tops BECAUSE ITS TRUE. Yes, there will be times when you'd rather have a pizza than grilled chicken, BUT in the long run its got to be that 90% of the time your nutrition is on track. And part of being able to stay on track is having a plan that keeps you energized, incorporates foods you like, and allows you to see results without feeling deprived.
With all that said, I am not a huge fan of a program that is majority shakes with only 1-2 "real" meals per day. Main point,...your body were built to process, digest, and utilize actual food. Eating is certainly about fueling you body to operate efficiently and healthfully, but it shouldn't be a constant burden or struggle. SUSTAINABILITY is key.
Ok, lecture is ovaaa.
Workout today was tough, but great. I was able to hit shoulders, triceps, and quads. I was pleased with the weights and surprised my shoulders felt as good as they did. I was demonstrating an exercise yesterday and I got an immediate sharp pain in my left shoulder. It bothered me the rest of the day and was extremely painful anytime I'd merely pick up a weight. Makes my job a little problematic...
Thankfully today it was not nearly as painful and I got through the workout just fine.
Well, its 8:15 and feels like 11. I'm worthless at this point and need some serious sleep. Tomorrow is hump day....cardio and core day.
And please feel free to shoot me any questions you want me to address on here! Otherwise I will continue to rant about my toothless grandma... ;)
Night!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Cottage Cheese on Anything...
I just created an amazing concoction.
Now, remember that I am a freak about texture and love every shape, color, feel, etc in my mouth at one time. Its a weird party going on in there right now, but this mixture is amazing. I started with my julienne-peeled squash, roasted it with peas...meanwhile, I pan-seared salmon (house smells horrible, but whatever),...then I mixed the squash, peas, and salmon in a big bowl with a dash of garlic, parmesan cheese, dried diced onion, and cottage cheese. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. It looks like vomit, but its treating me well right now. Over 35 grams of protein and less than 9 grams of fat. Fueling the machine baby.
Oh Monday, here we are.
Today was pretty normal...we've got another wave of schools on spring break, so it effected the schedule a little bit. It seems like everyone takes these big trips....clearly, we got the shaft. My spring break meant house chores and a part time job...and arguing with my brothers to the point I'm pretty sure my mom was willing to risk the call from social services. Eh, I don't blame her.
Not sure it would have been any different if we'd been in Disney World. Just a bigger audience...
One of the highlights of my morning was when a dear client of mine walked in after having apparently getting dressed in the dark. The picture I took doesn't nearly do it justice. It looked like Rainbow Bright threw up....and I loved it. Honestly, I don't care if someone wants to workout in a unitard as long as they work hard. Shoot, show in your birthday suit...just be prepared to sprint like you mean it.
The morning rolled on, and before I knew it it was time for my own workout. I had the gym to myself, so I had to get the music near-deafening level. Here's what on the 'ol iPod right now that keeps me going:
This is War...30 Seconds to Mars
So Good....B.o.B.
Faint....Linkin Park
Glad You Came....The Wanted
Feel Good Drag...Anberlin
Wild Ones...Flo Rida
Last Resort...Papa Roach
Those are just a few, and yes, I will play a song over and over until my ears bleed. I think I listened to This is War at least 7 times during my workout. Speaking of, I hit chest, biceps, core, and finished with cardio. It was a full day, and I was completely spent by the end. Done and Done.
I'll have to finish my nutrition/fitness thoughts tomorrow. I had a client this afternoon ask me about the Slim Fast Diet...I'll leave you hanging and delve into it tomorrow. Right now I need to get my rear in bed.
Now, remember that I am a freak about texture and love every shape, color, feel, etc in my mouth at one time. Its a weird party going on in there right now, but this mixture is amazing. I started with my julienne-peeled squash, roasted it with peas...meanwhile, I pan-seared salmon (house smells horrible, but whatever),...then I mixed the squash, peas, and salmon in a big bowl with a dash of garlic, parmesan cheese, dried diced onion, and cottage cheese. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. It looks like vomit, but its treating me well right now. Over 35 grams of protein and less than 9 grams of fat. Fueling the machine baby.
Oh Monday, here we are.
Today was pretty normal...we've got another wave of schools on spring break, so it effected the schedule a little bit. It seems like everyone takes these big trips....clearly, we got the shaft. My spring break meant house chores and a part time job...and arguing with my brothers to the point I'm pretty sure my mom was willing to risk the call from social services. Eh, I don't blame her.
Not sure it would have been any different if we'd been in Disney World. Just a bigger audience...
One of the highlights of my morning was when a dear client of mine walked in after having apparently getting dressed in the dark. The picture I took doesn't nearly do it justice. It looked like Rainbow Bright threw up....and I loved it. Honestly, I don't care if someone wants to workout in a unitard as long as they work hard. Shoot, show in your birthday suit...just be prepared to sprint like you mean it.
The morning rolled on, and before I knew it it was time for my own workout. I had the gym to myself, so I had to get the music near-deafening level. Here's what on the 'ol iPod right now that keeps me going:
This is War...30 Seconds to Mars
So Good....B.o.B.
Faint....Linkin Park
Glad You Came....The Wanted
Feel Good Drag...Anberlin
Wild Ones...Flo Rida
Last Resort...Papa Roach
Those are just a few, and yes, I will play a song over and over until my ears bleed. I think I listened to This is War at least 7 times during my workout. Speaking of, I hit chest, biceps, core, and finished with cardio. It was a full day, and I was completely spent by the end. Done and Done.
I'll have to finish my nutrition/fitness thoughts tomorrow. I had a client this afternoon ask me about the Slim Fast Diet...I'll leave you hanging and delve into it tomorrow. Right now I need to get my rear in bed.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Mom, I Can Explain....
I just got off the phone with my parents answering machine. At 28, I am not above prank calling them on April Fools. I'm not too worried if they figure out its me,...my dad's voicemail has been full since 2006 because he has no clue how to clear it.
Great way to cap off my evening. I expect a phone call in approximately 17 minutes from my mom in which the phrases "what is wrong with you?.....how are you my child?....you are sick" will be interspersed accordingly.
One of the best April Fools was my sophomore year in college. It was almost 1am and all of a sudden I had "a GREAT idea." For the record, NONE of my ideas are great after 10pm, nor are any wise decisions made. Pretty much explains college for the majority of you. But at that point in my life I was a genius. There was this guy who was dating one of my suite-mates and had a voice of a 40 year old historian. It was creepy, but exactly what I needed. I had him call my parents at 1am and pose as the campus police. It took about 5 seconds before my mom hit freak-out mode. He told them that I'd been arrested for streaking and public intoxication and that I was being held overnight. I thought my dad was going to jump through the phone. I'm pretty sure at one point he wasn't worried that I was cold and couldn't locate my pants, he was just thinking what an idiot. However, I did feel bad that my mom was on the verge of tears. When "the officer" let me talk to them I was explaining the whole fake story of their only daughter baring all through campus and everyone in the room was about to lose it. I couldn't hold it in any longer. After about 10 minutes on the phone I blurted out "APRIL FOOLS!!"
Yeah, they didn't find it too funny...
Well, my Sunday started at 5am. I'm still having a hard time staying asleep at night and actually getting more zzz's on the weekend. Honestly, its left me extremely exhausted during the day, and having to take a nap around 1pm. Now its 9:00 and I'm pretty much wide awake. This is absurd.
New week folks! New MONTH! Where are you headed? What's the theme of this month for you in regards to your health/fitness? Hmmm...I'd have to say my theme is Details. I get into such a rhythm sometimes that I don't tune into the details of my workouts. I want to be mentally in the moment through every rep,...and that's a level of focus that is definitely hard on days when my body is very tired. BUT, no excuses right?!
Well, I've got to pack the gym bag, unload the dryer, blah blah...here we go April...game time!
Great way to cap off my evening. I expect a phone call in approximately 17 minutes from my mom in which the phrases "what is wrong with you?.....how are you my child?....you are sick" will be interspersed accordingly.
One of the best April Fools was my sophomore year in college. It was almost 1am and all of a sudden I had "a GREAT idea." For the record, NONE of my ideas are great after 10pm, nor are any wise decisions made. Pretty much explains college for the majority of you. But at that point in my life I was a genius. There was this guy who was dating one of my suite-mates and had a voice of a 40 year old historian. It was creepy, but exactly what I needed. I had him call my parents at 1am and pose as the campus police. It took about 5 seconds before my mom hit freak-out mode. He told them that I'd been arrested for streaking and public intoxication and that I was being held overnight. I thought my dad was going to jump through the phone. I'm pretty sure at one point he wasn't worried that I was cold and couldn't locate my pants, he was just thinking what an idiot. However, I did feel bad that my mom was on the verge of tears. When "the officer" let me talk to them I was explaining the whole fake story of their only daughter baring all through campus and everyone in the room was about to lose it. I couldn't hold it in any longer. After about 10 minutes on the phone I blurted out "APRIL FOOLS!!"
Yeah, they didn't find it too funny...
Well, my Sunday started at 5am. I'm still having a hard time staying asleep at night and actually getting more zzz's on the weekend. Honestly, its left me extremely exhausted during the day, and having to take a nap around 1pm. Now its 9:00 and I'm pretty much wide awake. This is absurd.
New week folks! New MONTH! Where are you headed? What's the theme of this month for you in regards to your health/fitness? Hmmm...I'd have to say my theme is Details. I get into such a rhythm sometimes that I don't tune into the details of my workouts. I want to be mentally in the moment through every rep,...and that's a level of focus that is definitely hard on days when my body is very tired. BUT, no excuses right?!
Well, I've got to pack the gym bag, unload the dryer, blah blah...here we go April...game time!
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