Confessions of a Personal Trainer: Just turned 34, best health in my life!

I really wish I had some drastic before and after photo and some Mike Chang 6 Pack Shortcut style advice.  That is not me. But this is me.

A tale of two photos. The first photo is of me at around 21 years of age. That is me, with a cigarette! An entire picture of beer?!?!? About to eat chicken wings? 

Second photo 33, after a half marathon, non-smoker, seldom drink, vegetarian?!?  What a difference 12 years makes.  I got a bit retrospective this month.  I just turned 34 and feeling a bit down about all the things I wanted to accomplish, but trying to focus on what I have accomplished.  What is my secret 13 years of slow incremental progress with plenty of setbacks…. Yeah!

I know. This does not sound like a lot of fun. Being as health conscious as I am is a fairly new development.  I was not born a personal trainer, nor did I start with fitness in high school. In fact, I skipped gym as much as possible. I ate vegetables by accident mostly and enjoyed a sedentary lifestyle. As I got older, did not get healthier at first. I was addicted to stress, my work/life balance was a mess and I was really losing a grip. I slowly started using exercise as a way to manage stress. With support from my wife, I finally was able to start focusing on my health.  Cutting out the unhealthy parts of my life and replacing them with healthy positive activities.

So, just like my recent accomplishment of running a half-marathon, I did not take a shortcut. Not a sprint, but a journey of one step at a time.

-Don’t chase fads: they lead to disappointment.

-Do it for yourself: this is your work and your benefit.

-Don’t beat yourself up for setbacks: Be compassionate to everyone, especially you.

-Most rewarding work is from the neck up.

-Find support where you can.

-Don’t look back: Like the song, you know. Learn from the past, but do not live there.

The last bit of wisdom I have after my 34^th birthday is from Henry David Thoreau

“None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.”

So I hope the enthusiasm I bring to my clients will keep me young!

What Coco Chanel can teach us about fitness.

Coco Channel was driven and ambitious.  Her vision and designs created a business, then a brand, then an empire.  She did this all in a time when society did not associate women with traits like ambition, creativity and competiveness.  What would it look like if Coco Chanel was a performance athlete?  Let’s look at some of her quotes.

“Women have always been the strong ones of the world.”

-Don’t let dudes rule the weight room.  Women have a place there too.  You have real strength.  The greatest strength you can have is your attitude. You have a courage that is more important than the number on the side of the dumbbell.

“Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty.”

-That is kind of harsh! The point I like to focus on is that when you are younger, natural physical gifts make you feel healthy and strong.  I had a bad diet when I was younger, and did not really have to workout. Younger people at the gym seem to be able to really pack on the muscle quick.  I feel the difference from 20 to 33.  The idea is, if you keep going, keep working you can fight rapid ageing and have a healthy body regardless of you number. I have seen fifty-year-old ladies in some fitness classes that are in great shape and are doing about the same work as me.  Their secret, they have kept working out after nature’s gifts have left. These women have worked passed the gift and have the body that merit creates.

“Success is often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable.”

-I was talking to someone about my attempts to train for a half-marathon.  I am not sure if I will be able to pull of a half-marathon.  She immediately said, “You can do it.”  She had no idea about my flat feet and my troubles with my hip and back.  Just, you can do it.  The point is I was talking myself out of even trying.  I can run a half-marathon, and end up having to walk part or even aborting the run all together and quit if my body disagrees.  I can still train for the half-marathon, and if I feel like my body is just not up to it, I can change my plans.  I am not thinking about “winning” the race.  How much do you think you can do in your life if you did not know that you would fail at some point? You will always fail at something. It is the effort, tiring and experience that make you who you are.

 “Gentleness doesn't get work done unless you happen to be a hen laying eggs.”

-I talk a lot about being gentle to your body to prevent injury.  Always keep in mind that you want to be safe.  But, to get results, you have to kick your butt a little bit.  Work hard, give it your all safely.  If you have been doing low reps, low weight and have not been sweating, you are being too gentle.  Your efforts will produce results.

“Hard times arouse an instinctive desire for authenticity.”

-I feel you learn the most about yourself on the bad days.  The days when you are not into what you are doing but still press on.  The big goals and big dreams are the authentic you.  The days when you want to quit or give up and don’t, when you dig in deep and work harder are examples of your authenticity. You forget what others are doing and find out who you really are.  Some days I have really crappy workouts, everything goes wrong, I had a bad week, I am way too busy; but I do what workout I can anyway.  Anyone can do a great workout on a great day, but overcoming the bad day proves how strong you really are.  Don’t you feel so much more accomplished when you overcome adversity?

“How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.”

-This gets concept gets lost so much in the gym or on the track.  We all focus on some superficial goals from wanting to look a certain way or accomplish some fitness feat.  Do not let this confuse or stand in the way of the person you really are.  Your goals support the person you are and are becoming; don’t let them over take you.  You are a whole person, mind, body and spirit, not just going to weigh 130 lbs in 6 months.

So if Coco Chanel was an athlete, I don’t think she would “do fitness,” she would “be fitness.”

A great interval workout for the weekend.

I did this with a client today and it seemed very effective.  A nice interval workout for a Thursday. First round is a bit of a warm up.  Feel free to substitute other exercises as well.  Some may find the work/rest intervals not right for them and may need to adjust accordingly. 

Round 1 (1 time)

18 squats 8 push ups

16 squats 6 push ups

14 squats 4 push ups

12 squats 2  pus ups

10 squats 1 push up, (slow)

Round 2 (3 times)

Up right row with dumbbell for 25 sec.

rest for 8

Reverse Lunges w/ overhead dumbbell press for 25

rest for 8

rear deltoid fly with resistance band for 25

rest for 8

Round 3 (4 times)

Squats for 60 sec.

Rest for 20

Wall Sits for 60

rest for 20

Lunges for 60

rest for 20

Round 4 (4 times)

Hip Lift for 25 sec

rest for 8

Plank for 25

rest for 8

crunches for 25

rest for 8

dumbbell floor wipers for 25

rest for 8

What Survival Training Teaches us About Fitness.

What Survival Training Teaches us About Fitness.

I had the pleasure of taking Introduction to Wilderness Survival and Compass Navigation courses at Survival School Canada http://www.survivalschoolcanada.com/

Paul Cobham has so much knowledge to pass on, but I found one of his lessons in particular had a great correlation to my view of physical fitness and health.  He described a pyramid of priorities (like the food pyramid we are familiar with).

Graphic by Leona Graham http://www.leonagraham.net/

In this graphic, Mr. Cobham says the most important thing is the WILL TO LIVE.  Your attitude is the most important thing.  He described an event where one of his former students was stranded in the Arctic with no gear other than what was on his back in a horrible blizzard.  All he could do was sit and wait for rescue.  What kept him alive was thinking about coming home to his wife. 

So what does this have to do with fitness?  Your attitude is the most important part of your fitness and health.  That is what will get you through the pain and obstacles.  If you don’t have the will to press on, your fitness pyramid will crumble.  I encourage everyone to FIND THAT FIRST.  Whatever it is.  Living longer for your kids, feeling better in the future, the attention of the opposite sex, or what ever you need to keep you going on the 7^th kilometer of your 10k.  That is the real reason personal trainers and us odd fitness folks keep going on about motivation.  If you have that, building on everything else is easy.

Then you will be inspired to find knowledge.  For fitness and survival, this means learning the proper way to execute a task and the reason why these tasks are important and effective.  Mr. Cobham was excellent at that for survival, and I hope I can help you with that in fitness.  Then, you need to apply this with practice.  The application of knowledge with practice develops SKILL!  In fitness and survival training we intend to develop skills and grow.  Take home for this, don’t get frustrated quickly.  You are learning and practicing.  JUST KEEP WORKING AT IT.

And what is the smallest part of the pyramid.   KIT.  That is all the crap you buy.  Does this hit home with anyone?  Think about all that exercise equipment you have at home.  All of those tv and magazine adds.  Mr. Cobham described our consumer society as being overly focused on kit, so most people’s pyramid looks like this:

Look familiar.  You buy the latest thing, try to practice, but you fail because you don’t have the knowledge, and this really does not help your attitude at all.  Take home:  kit is great, but is worthless if you do not start with THE WILL TO GO ON.  Without will all your kit is just expensive clutter.  All these items are ephemeral, your attitude can be eternal. 

So start between your ears.  Find your motivation, you will stumble and fail and run into adversity, but you will also succeed and have personal victories. 

I had a great time at Survival School Canada  http://www.survivalschoolcanada.com/

and the setting in the Willow Retreat http://www.willowretreat.com/ was a great opportunity for me to get some mind, body and health balance. Check out their pages for some great health related opportunities. Anne Cobham does Reiki and Meditation in an old-fashioned peace and quiet environment.  I have a feeling that may be my next adventure.

           

Killer Bosu, Dumbbell, Kettlebell High Intensity Interval Workout.

I found this great workout on Zenest Fitness facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=490481551018691&set=a.437647369635443.100178.208545935878922&type=1&relevant_count=1

I thought about it and decided to modify things and make a High Intensity Interval routine.

I will post instructions on the form of all of these exercises later, and maybe even a video.

I am sick, should I go to the gym?

I don’t know what is going on this week.  I was in Halifax last week working on a couple of shows, then came back home to work on another show and teach some first aid classes.  I probably was getting a little less sleep, and food, and maybe the change in the weather is getting to me.  At any rate, I have a stuffy nose.  My nose is only for decoration at the moment, I cannot really use it to breathe.   But I have not gone to the gym in almost a week(!)  Should I tough it and kick my own butt?

Well Edward R. Laskowski, M.D. is quoted:

“Mild to moderate physical activity is usually OK if you have a garden-variety cold and no fever. Exercise may even help you feel better by opening your nasal passages and temporarily relieving nasal congestion. “

Ok, so a receded intensity workout may help me feel a little bit better and not kill me.  If I had a fever or anything more serious, I am just asking for trouble.  This would also be a bad time to try my new killer workout or reach a new bench-press max.

If I had a fever,could I still workout?  Can I ‘burn off’ my fever?  Swimsuit season is right around the corner, I need to work out as much as I can.  What is the worst that can happen?  Dr. Lewis G Maharam says:
“if you're running a fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3degrees Celsius) or higher, skip it. If fever gets too high, you break down proteins, maybe in the kidneys or liver (Reuters 2013)"   Ok, that sounds bad. Dr. David C. Nieman quoted in the same article: "If you have flu or virus with fever and pain, the best remedy is bed rest. The worst thing is to sweat it out with exercise. (Reuter 2013)"

Summarizing the Men’s Health and Body Building .com’s articles:

I can workout if at MODERATE to LOW intensity:
Clogged, runny or sneezey nose, mild scratchy throat.

I should NOT workout at all if:
I have any fever, cough, muscle soreness, or stomach issues.  In fact, bed rest would be best.

So what does this all mean?
Keep in mind, when you are ill, you body is spending resources to make you well again. When you have a good workout, you do minor damage to muscle fibers in order to achieve “hyper-compensation.”   Your body responds to stress of exercise by attempting to make you stronger than you were before to deal with even more exercise.  So attempting to trigger hyper-compensation while already taxed with an illness can be dangerous and counter productive.  That being said, if you are just a bit sniffled, LIGHT physical activity may help relieve some symptoms, give you a more positive attitude and keep you on track with your physical goals. 

So what am I going to do?  Well I just have a stuffy nose that can be cleared up temporarily with some nasal spray. Nothing else really hurts. But I should still take care of myself no matter how buff I want to look.  So I am going to stay at home, do some nice YOGA stretches.  If I feel up to it, I may do some free weights, but lower than my usual 10 rep 3 set weight.  So today, I will focus on my workout being restorative, not a boot camp beat down. 

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/AN01097

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/11/exercise-with-a-cold-work-out-while-sick-flu_n_2660465.html

http://news.menshealth.com/are-you-too-sick-to-work-out/2012/01/17/

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/maia20.htm

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/exercising-when-sick

Edit Walking for the Mind, Body and Spirit. Part 2.

Emily Forrest http://www.localtastingtours.com

In part two of my interview(rhymes) I would like to point out something Ms. Forrest said to me.  She was talking about her school lectures and how she promoted walking as a healthy activity for those who are self conscious about starting exercise. If you feel like everyone is looking at you and don’t really want to get dressed in shiny gym clothes, you can just go for a walk.  People don’t have to know you are working out.  You just have to enjoy going from point a to point b.

Emily Forrest is a local performer, foodie, and long distance walker.  Emily acted professionally on stage for a number of years in the Maritimes and had several of her plays produced before she got the travel bug.   She is an out spoken advocate for a daily walking lifestyle and exploring new places on foot. In 2004 she walked the 1000 km perimeter of Prince Edward Island, and in2010 she completed a 3000 km trek of the Nova Scotia coastline to promote the Heart and Stoke Foundation’s Walkabout program.


AA:  You describe yourself as “always being a walker,” what do you find so unique about walking as opposed to other activities.

EF:  I believe our bodies were made to walk long distances - it is proven that it is the exercise which causes the least amount of stress on your body. I believe one should endeavor to accomplish the goal which appeals to them, and not someone else's goal, and then it will be truly rewarding.

AA: Describe your feelings at the end of your walk.

EF:  I was ready to come home to my own bed at the end of three months. But my excitement to start out on my new route each morning at 6 am was the same on day one as it was on day 88. I loved each route.


AA:  Did you ever feel unmotivated orlike you just did not want to get out that day?  If so, what did you do?

EF:  The rain got to me a few times, butI always wanted to set out and see what I was going to see on my route eachday. I never wanted to stop, even when I was in pain. I wanted to see what was around each corner and I wanted the feeling of accomplishment at the end of each day.

AA:  What inspired you to start your Local Tasting Tours?

EF:  Local Tasting Tours was born from all my talents and passions - walking, great food, performing, research, the outdoors, meeting and communicating with new people. I feel blessed that I gotthe idea and was actually able to make it happen. My walk gave me time on the road to get creative and dream and plan out how I was going to bring it into reality.

AA:  What do you enjoy most about your Local Tasting Tours?

EF:  I love hearing other people's food stories just as much as I love telling the ones here.

Let me know what you think about walking as fitness.  Do you have any interesting stories to share about walking experiences?

https://www.facebook.com/localtastingtours

I don’t have time for your bulls#*t, or finding time to workout, or motivation part duex.

always good to keep a dumbbell next to the sink when you are doing the dishes.

I don’t know anyone who is not busy; some are just way busier than others.  Here are some tips I use to squeeze in activity.

1. Time that you rest between sets can be filled.  I workout at home sometimes because I don’t have time to go to the gym.  So, the 60-90 seconds I rest between sets, I will put a load of laundry in the machine, gather the recycling, add to the grocery list, or wash a dish or two.  I have some small tasks that I can do between sets, so by the time I am done with my weight training; I have also done some small chores.  I kinda run around the apartment and make my wife nuts though….

1. Sometimes I like to just watch TV or read to chill out.  But, taking a lesson from my ballet friends, you can stretch while you are doing this.  I remember seeing dancers doing homework or even having a quick bite to eat in the splits.  The idea is, if you are ever being just still, might as well stretch.  So I have a couple of stretches I know I can do wile watching a movie or reading.  This has the added benefit of relaxing you too, so watching a little TV in the alligator pose before you go to bed is nice. 

Relaxing, stretching and reading Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Do you like to watch sports?  I feel guilty watching athletes in their prime competing while sitting on my butt.  So how about doing some squats or curls, or getting on the treadmill during the game?

1. If you need to think about something, think about it during a set.  So before you send off that e-mail, do 15 curls and think about it.  You will collect your thoughts, and if you are emotionally charged about the e-mail, you might calm down a bit and send something more measured. 

1. Don’t wait.  RUN!  My wife gets a shower, and then I have to wait for more hot water before I can get a shower and do the dishes…. Time to run around the block.  Then I will really need that shower!

Easier said than done I know, but over the years, I have squeezed in a handful of workouts this way.  Even if you can’t get your full workout in, anything is better than giving up and doing nothing.

A little quad stretch and some star trek

Motivation, or I really dont feel like doing any of this crap.

Go out running in that? I dont even want to go to my car and drive to the gym!

Motivation!
So last week I got up to go to the gym.  I was having a bad day.  When I got to the gym I was in a bad mood.  Every guy there was bigger lifting way more weight; I caught myself in the mirror and thought, “I hate my body.”  I am just wasting my time here.  I could only think of my faults that day.  So here is the dirty secret that a lot of trainers don’t tell clients.  I have those days, I can be very insecure, and I am not always in the f’n mood for this crap!

Here is what I do.

1. Just start, give yourself permission to quit after you start.  I say, I will just do my arms and if I feel like it, I will do the rest of the routine.  After I get started, pressing on works and I feel better by the end!
2. Know not every workout is great.  Sometimes, you just have a weak or slow day, but getting through your workout at a lower weight, slower speed or only doing half the routine is better than nothing and will help you establish the healthy habit
3. Do something else active and fun.  Go for a trail run, take a zumba class, punch your mattress. 
4. Get in the habit of reducing your excuses.  Pack your gym bag and have everything ready to go.  Have Reduce the number of steps it takes for you to get out and moving.
5. Plan to fail.  Sounds bad.  But build back up plans in your schedule.  As an example, I know I want to run today, but the snow might be too bad, so I have a leg circuit that I can do at home with just body weight.  I got in the habit of working out around 1200, but  that might not work tomorrow, so I am planning to sneak away around 6, see how that works.  I might have to skip Friday, so I look for time on Thursday.
6. Getting off track does not equal failure.   Don’t have all or nothing thinking.  If you miss a day, don’t wait till next week to get back on track.  Get used to making little course adjustments.  If you are driving somewhere and you start going in the wrong direction, you just try to get back on track, you don’t go all the way back home and start over.  Let the little hiccups pass over you and press on!
7. Have some fun!  You will stick with things better if you have fun.  Take some music with you, find a supportive friend (or a really cool personal trainer), switch things up, play some games, try to have some laughs.