The Monday Fitness Challenge

As the year turns the corner, it’s time to start thinking about getting back into shape. There are a number of reasons why people stop working out through the long winter months, not the least of which are mostly practical. Who wants to exercise when it’s freezing outside? Go for a run? Not a chance. And with sun doing its best bear impersonation and hibernating for long daily naps, we miss the Vitamin D that it provides to help invigorate us. The result, of course, is a downward cycle. We workout and exercise less, and so we have less energy. And as we lose energy, we find it difficult to work out.  Fortunately, the days are getting longer again, and while the weather isn’t exactly welcoming just yet, you can feel the changes coming.


This week, I posted the Monday Challenge on my other site. The idea came from something I've used for years with my clients regarding fitness and getting back into shape. The idea is simple. Pick one thing, one good habit that you want to establish. Or conversely, one bad habit that you want to address. The plan involves only the next seven days. That's it, just one week. Your plan can include anything. Cutting out red meat. Choosing to use the stairs instead of the elevator. No dessert. A walk each night. An extra glass of water each day. Keep it simple to start, and if you have a day where you forget or can't resist that chocolate bar, don't worry about it. NO GUILT IS ALLOWED. Just get up the next morning and try again. Reassess at the end of week. If your new habit is working for you, choose it again. (Up to maximum of four weeks, at which point you can keep doing what you're doing, but you have to pick something new.) Or you can choose something else. The idea is to be conscious of what we put in our bodies and becoming aware of how much we're exercising. The self-awareness alone is usually enough to jump start some great changes in our life.

Feel free to email me or comment and let me know how you're doing. I'd love to hear your story! Good luck, and have fun with it!

-Steve

Authour’s Note: My apologies for not posting in a long time. I’m in the midst of writing a fantasy novel, a process that started over three years ago, and has taken up a great deal of time, along with my regular training programs. As we move along from here, however, I hope to have more for you on a somewhat regular basis. Cheers!

The Key to Better Fitness Habits

"Why isn't it working? I'm not getting any results!"

I won't tell you how many times I've heard that as a trainer, because I'm not sure that you'd believe me. I've seen so many people come and go in the gym that after a while it's easy to get jaded and cynical. Not just about your new clients, but about people in general. Our tendency to play the victim is especially made manifest when it comes to health and fitness. And yet, a number of people, at various times in their life, will believe that changes need to be made, and they will find their way to the gym or start eating healthier. Unfortunately when results don't come after a week or two, they get upset.

Last June I wrote an article about the importance of working out to feel better, as opposed to looking good. It isn't that I don't understand the motivation of looking good, but as a motivator, unless you're one of those rare people who are already in great shape, it's a terrible place to start. No one looks the way they want to look. Not even the celebrities you see in movies and in magazines. Movie and TV insiders will tell you about the transforming effects of hair and makeup specialists, not to mention our ability to digitally, err, enhance photos. And even if we finally get the build we want, what then? Too much hair on our body. We don't like our hips. Our ears are too high. Pretty soon we're lost in an egocentric world that revolves around us turning ourselves into a doll. The human experience should be more than that though, shouldn't it?

One of the first questions I ask my new clients is this: Why do you want to be fit? Why do you want to watch what you eat, spend hours cooking your own food, walk past the chips section in the grocery store, and get up at 5:30am on a cold, fall day to go for a run? If you can't answer the 'why' question, there's no point in starting a new fitness routine. You'll only end up being disappointed and bitter towards people who are in shape. And then you'll end up starting the blaming game. "That person has better genetics." "That person is not as busy as I am." "Of course they look good. They can afford to eat healthy! The rich always look good." And the blame game spills into other areas of our life as well. If we're not careful, pretty soon everything will be everybody else's fault and we'll have ceded control over our life completely. It sounds like I'm exaggerating, but I've seen it many, many times. I'll meet people I haven't talked to in years, who are thirty pounds heavier and truly bitter about it. Hey, there's nothing wrong with putting on weight (It's not healthy, but it's not like a crime or something.) Just don't blame others for it. Accept it. Accept control of your life. If you don't accept responsibility, you won't be able to address it.

The reason this happens so often is that people refuse to ask the "why" question. A healthy perspective goes a long way towards a consistent lifestyle change. One of my clients wants to be stronger so she can be more active with her young children. That's a great reason to get in shape! You see, if your 'why' answer has long term implications, and isn't completely vacuous, you will worry less about the results (what others see) and more about the process (how you feel). And when that happens, you'll be on your way to a very different life.

-Steve

Boot Camps, Fitness and Sex

As you all know, this past week I completed our first boot camp. By any measure, it was an outstanding success (according to the participants) and a great time for everyone, including me. Everyone worked very hard, and I think we all learned some things along the way. (I'll be posting some of the comments on this site in the next couple of weeks) Moreover, it cemented that running these boot camps is something I want to pursue in the future.

I was fortunate this week to meet up with Zack Sandor Kerr, a friend of mine and PR specialist who took time to sit down with me and help me set a vision for this new enterprise. Zack gave me tons to absorb and think about, and so you'll be seeing some changes to this site over the next few weeks, along with a new site specifically reserved for the boot camps. Even for someone who is relatively tuned in to the tech world and social media, when you talk to a professional, it's quite startling to realize how little you actually know.

The same is true of the fitness world. When I first started training a few years ago, I spent the majority of my first six months playing catch-up. At least, that's how it felt. Despite two decades in the gym and years of coaching and working as a strength consultant for various teams, there was a seemingly endless amount of information to process. These days, I feel relatively caught up, and it helps to have married someone who knows more than I do about fitness and nutrition.

The purpose of a boot camp is not only to kickstart your drive towards being fit, but also help you 'catch-up' in a field that is much deeper than it appears. In many ways, it's like taking a course, albeit a fun one. (Gotta be fun!) A number of people at the last boot camp were amazed at what they were able to learn, sometimes simple things that really helped put other things in perspective. I think is especially helpful in a culture where we are overwhelmed with information.

Fitness and Sexuality

For those of you who visit my regular website, you've already seen some of the firestorm my article caused this past week. It was an article aimed at finding Mr./Mrs. Right, in which I admonished singles who refused to put in the hard work to be fit that they shouldn't complain when other people found them unattractive. A great deal of the complaints came from married women with children, who were not the target of the article. Obviously, life demands change when we have kids. Perhaps the real problem is the tie between fitness and sexuality. People were upset, I think, because the article felt like I was rudely suggesting that a women needs to be "hot" to be loved. And when she has children and is no longer hot, perhaps does not need to be loved?! I know how it sounds, but that wasn't the point at all. So let me be blunt.

I'm tired of people, specfically women, being put so low on their own priority list that they can't find time to work out or go for a walk or a bike ride because everyone else comes first. Self-care is a must for everyone. If your wife/girlfriend/partner/mom has no time for herself, make an effort to give her some time. This is especially true with mothers, who are so giving with their time, they tend not to take the time they need. Can we all agree to honour their commitment by helping lift some of their burdens so they can have time for themselves.

I'm tired of people making excuses for our obese society. Obesity is not only a killer, it's a life changer. Especially for children. We're too caught up in being politically correct (so we don't say anything), or we're just too rude (and we make fun of others), to simply be honest, without inflection or condemnation.

Fitness is not about looking like the skinny girls on the cover of magazines. They aren't fit. Fitness is a healthy, whole, balanced lifestyle that requires neither arrogance or wealth. Not everyone can afford to buy organic food (we don't), but we can all slow down a bit, turn the TV off, and do some stairs.

Fitness is about you. Ultimately, it's about taking care of what God's given you. It's learning to have a good time and being honest with ourselves about how we look and some of our habits. It's not about changing overnight, but working towards a healthier journey.

I wrote a follow up to the first article about Finding Mr./Mrs. Right, and imaginatively named it Part II. Mostly it's about fitness and sexuality. If you're interested, you can find it here.

Thanks, everyone. I'll keep you up to date on the boot camp developments.

-Steve

Ten Minutes to a Perfect Body!

We've all seen those commercials, haven't we? Seven minute workouts, or ten-minutes a day. We know that they're absurd and yet we don't completely ignore them. Not unlike that old adage that if someone invented a pill for the perfect body, they'd be richer than Bill Gates. What that speaks to is not laziness, but our wrong conception of both fitness and happiness. And yes, the two are linked.

The reason fitness brings contentment is not simply the image staring back at us in the mirror (Megan Fox, perhaps), but the knowledge of what we have had to do, and will do in the future, to maintain it. The reward then, is in the process. The happiest people are inevitably those who work hard to achieve their goals, people who are not fooled by a society that insists they need only consume just one more thing to be happy. Consumption leads to laziness, which leads to self-pity and the quick fix, which leads to a decreased self esteem, REGARDLESS of the person's weight.

Fitness, like happiness, is about work. About expending energy and giving of ourselves, even when it gets difficult. This sounds absurdly simple, but I can tell you in my years as both a trainer and counselor, the anecdotal evidence is difficult to ignore. The difference betwee the ones who give up after four weeks at the gym and the ones who stay and fight through the illusion of a quick fix.

As to the advertisements, don't be fooled by the picture on the cover, by the model who has spent the past ten years working out and eating right. Forget the picture. The only thing that's true about most gym advertisements are the smiles. Hard work can be fun, and when you're a beginner, ten minutes a day may be all you can do. That's okay. Don't be discouraged, just keep at it. The days will pass and soon you'll be able to work out harder and longer. More importantly, you will start to see changes, especially in how you address difficulties in other areas of your life. Ten minutes a day will not bring you a perfect body, but it will move you one step closer to fulfillment, and that is an ad we should all be willing to answer.

-Steve

Look Good. Feel Better.

I guess it's the ads we see first, the ones with the ridiculously well conditioned athletes -- the woman with jutting abs and the man with rippled shoulders -- that draw us in. There's a deep exhale and sudden longing to look something like them. Something better than we do at the moment at least. There's nothing wrong with this initial jump into a life of fitness, so long as it is only the propellant.

There is an increasing divide between 'looking good' and 'feeling better', and it can be incredibly demotivating for many people. We live in a society of instant gratification (I remember writing that in my Grade 6 Social Studies essay) that has only increased in both speed and expectation. Even in a recession, cosmic surgery is on the rise. Like everything, we want to fast track to the perfect body we see on the fitness ads, and don't realize that overcoming twenty years of less judicious eating and exercise habits does not happen in a month or even a year. The real shame in all of this is that people decide fitness is not for them. That they can't make it to the gym six times a week. They resign themselves to the extra weight and sadness and health problems that come with it.

When the goal is primarily to "look good", we run the risk of high expectations and short term disappointment. But when the goal is to "feel better", we are far more likely to stick it out for the long term and find the results we are looking for.

The goal of fitness should not be "Look Good. Feel Better." but "Look Better. Feel Good."

Think of it in terms of relationships. The ones we cherish tend to be individuals who make us feel good about ourselves. The same is true of everything in our life. If we are only working out to look good, we will tend towards the disappointment upon comparing our bodies to those around us. But if the goal is to feel better about ourselves, both physically and psychologically, than we are in a great position to see change in our life.

A life of fitness is not easy. It requires work and consistency. That said, there is a great reward for those who are willing to adapt their lives towards one of exercise and careful (not crazy) eating habits. Don't be afraid to wade into the water. Take baby steps if you must. Use the stairs, not the elevator. Jog with the dog instead of walking. Join a gym. No matter what it takes, find a way to make fitness part of your life. We only go around this planet once. Much better that we're healthy enough to enjoy every step of the journey.

-Steve

(How to) Lose 10 lbs in 45 Days

We all have that moment when we look in the mirror and notice the extra bulge in our stomachs or hips, the moment when we think our face is a bit more round than it used to be. Believe it or not, trainers have those moments too. A few days ago I stepped on the scale to check my weight, and I was right, my weight had jumped about six pounds to 213. (With shoes on, mid-afternoon... I'll explain why that's important later) Now weight is not the best way, in fact, it is often a very inefficient way, to measure fitness levels. In my case however, knowing my body as I do, a six pound jump in little over a month is a big deal.

The past two months have seen an unfortunate array of events, not the least of which was hurting my back, which prohibited me from working out in any way. And my weight tends to fluctuate more than most people (I could weigh 230lbs very easily) Still, it was frustrating, and since I'm getting married in 45 days, I've decided to lose 10 lbs by the wedding. The advantage for me, as opposed to many of my clients, is that I have been working out for twenty years. My body retains its muscle memory, so getting in shape is not as difficult after an injury. This is something I rconsistently reiterate to my younger clients. (Between 16-24) Start now! If you wait until you're thirty-five, it becomes much more difficult to change your body's composition.

So how will I do it? Here are Five Tips:

1. Resistance training: At least three times a week. I'll probably do four. Building muscle burns fat, and while muscle weighs more than fat, I'm willing to sacrifice the extra work to lose the pounds because I want to lose fat, not muscle. Very simply, you can't get lean without resistance training. You can get slim, but not lean.

2. Cardio: I'll run three times a week. One other day of some form of cardio. I hate running, but it's the most efficient way to burn fat (unless that's all you do. Change up your cardio at least once a week) If you have issues with your knees, use the bike or elliptical instead. Go for at least twenty minutes, but try to get to thirty.

3. Grazing: Making sure I eat a small portion every three hours. No more big meals until the wedding. This part is difficult for many of my clients, especially my older ones who were raised on the "three meals a day" myth. (Confession: I've been terrible at this the past year, I usually eat twice a day, so this is a chance to provoke some good habits) You simply can't lose weight if you're eating huge meals, unless your job is hyper, hyper active (like a farmer).

4. Carb cutout: Cutting out as many carbs as I can, or keeping them to the morning where I will burn them off. My meals will be mostly meat and vegetables. No more chips. No more bread. No more (or only a tiny bit of) pasta.

5. Sleep patterns: Ensuring I get eight hours a night on a consistent basis. Your body needs the sleep to recover.

Why Measure my Weight?

As I said before, weight is generally a terrible measure. Sightlines (how you look in the mirror) and the way your clothes fit are much better indicators. In this case, I know my body well enough that the weight goal is a good fit.

When is a Weight Goal Bad?

My fiance, Bethany, who is a personal trainer with about 10% body fat (ridiculously low), recently went to her doctor for a physical. Her doctor weighed her, and told her she needed to lose weight. That, my friends, is why trainers -- and not doctors -- help people with fitness. The doctor (clearly you are not an idiot if you are a doctor) was showing signs of senility if she thought Bethany needed to "lose weight."

When should we weigh ourselves?

We are the lightest in the morning, when we are dehydrated. The important thing is to weigh yourself at a consistent time. In my case, that will be in the afternoon with shoes on. That way I'll get a consistent measure.

Final Note about Weight Loss:

Remember, the important thing is fat loss, not weight loss. Inches around the waist are more important than pounds on the scale. Since most of us do not have calipers hanging around our houses, however, we can still use weight loss to measure a portion of our fitness levels, so long as we remember it is not ALL about the pounds.

-Steve

PS Notice the chart on the left hand side of this website. I'll be posting updates there, and if anyone would like to join me, I'll put up your initials and we'll go at it together!!

Hunching - Change Your Posture; Change Your Life

"Okay, walk for me."

I watched my client walk a few strides and stopped her.

"Good. But this time, let's get your back straight, take a deep breath, and relax. Now walk."

One of the common things I see in my new clients, and one of the first things I look at, is posture. It is remarkable to me how many of us walk hunched over. There are a number of reasons for this, some of which are easy to understand. In Canada, we generally experience long, cold winters, and the natural walk is somewhat scrunched over. It is hard to walk with a free and loose stride when your teeth are chattering and your skin feels like its being razored by an arctic wind. Most of the posture issues I deal with, however, have more to do with psychology and sexuality than weather.

As a rule, women hunch over so as not to push out their chests. Women with naturally curvaceous forms tend to protract their scapula so as to make their chest less prominent. The problem with this is that it puts a great deal of pressure on the lower back. When we do resistance work for our back, retracting the scapula and keeping the shoulders externally rotated is a must to protect against injury. When we walk with a hunch, we are in effect doing the exact opposite, and all the pressure goes directly to our lower back.

Women are not the only ones who hunch. Very tall (over 6'5) men have a tendency to do it, along with people who do not feel good about themselves. When we hunch, we are communicating something beyond hiding our form. It is often an attempt to hide ourselves. It's what writers would call a 'tell.'

Notice the people around you; the ones who stride upright with no hunch. Now some of them may be full of crap, like a peacock who doesn't know their feathers are actually ugly, but they are clearly not interested in hiding. Now take a look at the people around you who do 'hunch'. What is their personality like? Do they lack self-confidence?

The great thing about the mind and body, and the way they are connected, is that the mind need not always act first to help us change the way we think.

Studies have shown that we can change our feelings by changing our physiology. In other words, you don't need to wait for more confidence to better your posture, bettering your posture will give you more confidence.

Our bodies are great indicators of who we are and what we feel. This is why fitness is important. And when we don't feel good about things in our life or who we are, our bodies reflect that. If we can change our bodies, including our posture, we can help change the way we feel. Remember, better fitness is about a better life, and most of the time it isn't about our environment so much as it is about our response. Difficulties in life are inevitable, but sometimes the answer lies in something as simple as the way we walk.

"Back straight. Breathe deep. And relax."

-Steve

Exercise Tip: Try this to help your posture. Stand with your back against a flat wall. Make sure your head, shoulder blades and butt are all touching the wall. Position your feet a few inches from the wall, so your back is flat. Breathe deep and hold that position for twenty seconds. Repeat three times. Do this about once a day, and watch your posture improve.

What's Wrong with this Picture?

There are a lot of good things about the fitness industry, but this is not one of them. (See picture) Perhaps you've been mailed some soft-core porn, errr, gym advertisement in the mail with a picture like the one on the right. As a trainer, it represents everything wrong with the industry.

We get it. Sex sells. But it can also be destructive.

As a trainer I see a number of people, not the least of which includes fellow trainers, who get so hung up on how they look that they actually become quite destructive about it. They exchange the fun, healthy aspects of fitness for mirrored vanity and high heels and illegal fat burners.

We all want to look good, and in our quest to feel better about who we are, fitness is a great first step. When we achieve discipline in one area of our life, it proves, if only to ourselves, that we can achieve it other areas.

It pisses me off that gyms appeal to the lowest common denominator, and use unhealthy motivations to help people get "healthy". It doesn't work that way. I've seen it a thousand times, and the discouragement is always greater when someone realizes they are not going to become an airbrushed photo of someone taking HGH and whatever other fatburner they can afford, while their choloesterol and blood pressure levels spike.

Fitness should be about fun and health and learning to be more human, not some grainy image tacked to the bedroom wall of a twelve-year-old boy just going through puberty. Don't be intimidated from changing your life because of these types of promotions. Get out there and start exercising and have some fun. You won't regret it.

-Steve