Have some FUN!

Myself, The Grass Man, and Hoss at Warrior Dash 2011

This afternoon I took off to a local park and ran through the woods, splattering mud and water, ducking tree limbs, and trying not to bust my ass (successfully I might add!).  While there was a specific reason I did this, in all honesty it was really quite fun.  A gorgeous day, the sun shining through the trees, no one blocking my path, and just moving along at my own pace.  It’s kind of sad sometimes that so many people are stuck behind a desk, or in a car, or on the phone, or coming up with a million other things to do instead of getting out and enjoying the world.  When we were kids we couldn’t wait to go play outside, ride our bikes, and goof around in the mud.  Now we call it “exercise” and loathe the thought of it.  

Think about the last time you did something so fun you thought “Wow, I feel like a kid again!”  As long as it’s not stealing your mother’s car for a joy ride, or sneaking out of class to go smoke behind the bleachers, find some time this coming week to do something truly fun.  Ah hell, steal your mother’s car…she won’t even know it’s gone!

THE Fitness Ninja-Solving the world’s problems one pushup at a time.

CRAZY!!!

Remember Martin?  He literally went crazy!

When is the last time you did something crazy?  Like, really crazy, enough that when you told your friends they looked at you with the turned head look that your dog gives you.  For many of us, it’s been a while.  Yet at some point in life, most of us were pretty fearless.  I watch my 4 year old using my living room as a jungle gym, jumping off the arm of the couch and onto the floor into a perfect tuck and roll.  Or busting out into an impromptu bear crawl in the middle of Target.  If you want a great workout, just follow a 4 year old around a playground for 30 minutes.  You will be sufficiently worn out!  So what happens to our sense of adventure when we get older?  Is it the sitting in a classroom for 13-17 years in a row?  Is it the fear of injury because we know our head can’t take a bump the way a small child’s can?  Or is it trepidation holding us back because we’re just not sure we’re capable anymore?  In all aspects of life, too many of us allow fear to keep us from doing the things we truly want to do.  Those nail on the chalkboard words “I can’t” come out faster than an insulin spike in Paula Deen’s bloodstream.  Often times the best thing we can do is just get out of our own way, and let it happen.   

There are boxes that we jump on in the gym.  It’s possibly the biggest fear I see in training.  Clients that I KNOW are fully capable of jumping on top of the box just can’t get past the fear to do it.  It’s that little voice of doubt, the cautious adult we’ve grown into, the fear of failure holding us back.  But the only true failure in life is failing to try in the first place.  

So what crazy thing do YOU want to do?  And what is holding you back from doing it? It may not be something you can go out and do today or tomorrow, but take a moment, write down a CRAZY goal, and make a plan to get there!

THE Fitness Ninja-Solving the world’s problems one pushup at a time.

STFU and Do It: The C-Word series continues...

Have you ever woken up and felt like going back to bed…but didn’t?  Ever walked into the kitchen to make your kids breakfast and didn’t really feel like it…but you did it anyway?  Ever go to your trainer and look at him like he has two heads because he just asked you to do 250 pushups…then knock them out regardless?! (I KNOW some of you can relate to that one!)  And WHY did you do these things, even though you didn’t FEEL like it?  One word: commitment.  Prior to that moment you had made a commitment to do those things.  It didn’t matter whether you felt like it or not, it needed to be done.  If we waited in life until we felt like doing things, I’m fairly certain not much would ever be accomplished.  In January, people everywhere commit themselves to healthier eating habits and exercising more.  But when they don’t FEEL like doing it anymore, or that eating healthy is just “too hard”, they quit.  Those that know me well understand that I LOVE food…correction, I’m IN LOVE with food.  I love a good bowl of pasta and brownies just as much as the next person and I don’t always feeling like having a chicken salad for lunch or no bread with my dinner.  But I made a commitment not only to being healthy, but to being an example for my clients to show it CAN be done, and the desired results can be achieved.  

If you are looking for a change, don’t wait until you feel you’re ready.  Commit, and the feelings will follow.  It seems as though the times when you really don’t feel like doing something are the ones that end up being the most rewarding.  I never EVER felt like changing horrid smelling diapers when my boys were little, but fortunately or unfortunately it’s the promise I made of being a parent (BLEH!).  So stop dragging your feet, shut your pie hole, and DO IT!

THE Fitness Ninja-Solving the world's problems one pushup at a time.

Put down the carbs...and slowly walk away

 

For almost 30 years now the recommended American diet has been centered around a low fat/fat free concept.  For almost 30 years now our great nation keeps getting fatter and fatter.  Last time I checked, almost 70% of our population is overweight and obese.  And I promise you not all of them have a thyroid issue.  The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.  Well this low fat model is getting us nowhere, and it’s time for a DRASTIC change.  Carbs are everywhere, cheap, and easily accessible.  Chips, cookies, crackers, bread, all so very easy to shove in your mouth.  The “free” carbs…bowl after bowl of chips brought to the table and the never-ending supply of warm breadsticks.  Pasta, rice, potatoes, all staples of a “hearty” meal.  And let’s not forget all the yummy sweets like that bowl of M&M’s on your co-worker’s desk that you swipe a handful from everytime you walk by, or your inability to just say no to the donuts in the breakroom.  So many items that many see as harmless, are killing us.  

Here is the science in a nutshell (not literally).  Your body can only store and combat so many carbs at any given time.  Long term, excessive carbs will eventually be stored as fat in your body.  Not only that, but since your insulin has to work overtime to regulate your blood sugar levels, you put yourself at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and numerous other maladies.  That bowl of pasta you just HAD to have at 8pm, followed by a brisk walk to the couch with a bowl of ice cream, will be migrating its way to your ass momentarily.  

We are a food obsessed and addicted nation.  It’s the hardest part of a healthy lifestyle, and the hardest part of my profession.  People say they want to lose weight, lose body fat, FEEL better, but far too few are willing to put their words into action.  If your fat free meal plan isn’t working for you, ask this guy right here for some help.  We all deserve the best quality of life possible, and the tools are at your fingertips. 

THE Fitness Ninja-Solving the world's problems one pushup at a time.

The "C-word"

One reason people usually seek out fitness professionals is to get that push, that extra umph, to be forced to do things they wouldn’t normally do on their own.  But what always strikes me is that so many people have so little belief in their own abilities.  It’s amazing how quickly the words “I can’t” come flying out of someone’s mouth, letting fear grip the moment instead of allowing the challenge of something new to drive the ship.  Fortunately I forbid the “c-word” from being uttered during training.  I never ask anyone to do anything they are not capable of doing, and if I’m not sure, I’ll let them know.  All I ask is the willingness to try.  So often the ones that are quickest to doubt themselves are the ones that are capable of achieving the greatest things…if they can just get out of their own way.  Whether you are working out with a trainer or on your own, somewhere deep down inside you must believe that your goals are achievable, otherwise what’s the point?  Why would you be working hard to achieve nothing?! Eliminate “I can’t” from your vocabulary, in all aspects of life, and watch what amazing things come your way.

Instead of a quote, please enjoy this great caloric definition...

 THE Fitness Ninja-Solving the world's problems one pushup at a time.

New Years Resolutions

Today is February 19^th, so you may be wondering why this is titled New Year’s Resolutions.  Did you know 80% of people who start a new exercise program stop within 6 weeks?  If you count from the first of the year, Valentine’s Day seems to be the cutoff for all those newbies with big aspirations and little motivation.  The time the regulars can reclaim “their” treadmill and don’t have to worry about whether or not there will be fresh spinach at the grocery store.  Unfortunately, most people don’t understand the science behind how their body will actually respond to a consistent exercise program.  And if you’ve been sitting around on your keister for the better part of a decade and ordering dinner (and breakfast…and lunch) thru the clown’s mouth, it may take slightly longer than 6 weeks to see significant change.  

Take a moment today to reevaluate your fitness goals that you were all fired up about on January 1^st.  Are you still taking steps to insure your success?  If so, GREAT! KEEP IT GOING!  If not, drop your favorite Fitness Ninja a message, and let me know how I can help you.  It is never, EVER, too late to start working on a new you.

And here’s a client quote, after I gave an alternative to an exercise they didn’t like…

“In this case, I bet the grass is just as brown on the other side.”

Fitness Ninja-Solving the world’s problems one pushup at a time.