Recently, I have switched my focus to finding clients and my training. I apologize for not posting in a while. Between my current job, my training, and trying to find clients in a new area it has been quite difficult to find the time to get online to blog. Also, unfortunate for my blog, right before I stopped posting, I reevaluated my priorities and realized that the blog was not as high as it was before. It is still quite important to me but I will not be post as frequently for the time being. Right now I need to focus on some of the more important things going on in my life.
With that said, I have been keeping up with my marathon training and just ran 7 miles the other day! I am a long way off from being ready for the marathon but I am very excited to see the day that I complete it. I have also been maintaining the resistance training program and have been seeing a little strength gain already. My diet hasn't been the best and I still struggle to stay on track with that part of the program but I am making small strides to seeing improvement.
Personally, I find it quite difficult to maintain a healthy diet when getting more exercise. When I exercise more, my body craves more food which wouldn't be a problem but with added time constraints (due to more time per week being spent on my training regimen) it is much easier to grab something quick and unhealthy than to seek out something healthy. There are some ways to battle this one of which is to create one or two big meals on Sunday or Monday and eat the leftovers for however long they last. It makes it convenient to grab something to eat and keeps it healthy. Also, plan your meals the night before so you can get them ready for easy eating when the time comes. Finally, when planning your meals, be realistic. Some people may want to be ambitious and plan a very low calorie diet for tomorrow when they know they are going to be hungry half the time which increases their chances of grabbing something unhealthy and unplanned along the way. Try to find that area in which you are keeping yourself full but still restricting calories enough to lose some weight.
Along the lines of keeping yourself full, it is also smart to eat several (about 5) small meals a day. This helps tweak your metabolism in your favor, allows your stomach to shrink a bit over time so less food can fill you up, and helps keep you from getting too hungry.
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
This Week's Goals
Last week, I'm happy to say, I kept up with all my goals. I did not have any high calorie sodas, I only had sweets once (a mini dessert while dining out), I stayed away from fast food places, and I got in my three bouts of exercise that incorporated the resistance training for all my muscles.
I have to say, it was nice following my own advice in dealing with exercise. I really changed it up this week. I walked Buddy, I played some basketball, and I got in some time on the treadmill. Luckily, I recently got a gym membership so the facilities offered up a lot. The only thing that I did wrong was push myself a little too hard during the resistance training. It had been a long time since I had worked out my legs thoroughly and with that in mind, I should have started out pretty light. Instead I simply went in line with the intensities that all the other muscle groups received and have been paying the price the last couple days.
Though soreness is almost inevitable (especially when starting out a resistance routine), if you push yourself too hard too soon, the level of pain can get pretty high. In starting out a routine, you want to receive as many positive feelings from the experience as possible in order to increase the likelihood of future adherence. Being extremely sore for a couple of days after a workout is just another potential excuse for not continuing with an exercise regimen. Granted, you probably shouldn't do any resistance training on those muscles for that couple of days but it's no real excuse to avoid exercise altogether. You can continue with your cardio and continue resistance training on other muscles.
What I'm trying to say is that do not be afraid to take it easy in the beginning. I would actually suggest focusing more on setting up habits rather than worrying about seeing improvements. Once it has been a solid month or two of simply doing it, then you can think about bumping up intensities. This advice is for those of you that are simply trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Those that are training for an event or need/want to lose a certain amount of wait by a specific date, may not be able to afford such a gradual increase in intensity and I completely understand this. However, in these cases, there should still be some sort of progression and hopefully the goal at hand will be the extra motivation to keep them going.
Anyway, on to this week's goals. The goal that I want to add on to the dietary side of things would be to only eat out once a week. On the exercise side. I will be starting marathon training on Monday along with following the same guidelines for resistance training.
Wish me luck!
I have to say, it was nice following my own advice in dealing with exercise. I really changed it up this week. I walked Buddy, I played some basketball, and I got in some time on the treadmill. Luckily, I recently got a gym membership so the facilities offered up a lot. The only thing that I did wrong was push myself a little too hard during the resistance training. It had been a long time since I had worked out my legs thoroughly and with that in mind, I should have started out pretty light. Instead I simply went in line with the intensities that all the other muscle groups received and have been paying the price the last couple days.
Though soreness is almost inevitable (especially when starting out a resistance routine), if you push yourself too hard too soon, the level of pain can get pretty high. In starting out a routine, you want to receive as many positive feelings from the experience as possible in order to increase the likelihood of future adherence. Being extremely sore for a couple of days after a workout is just another potential excuse for not continuing with an exercise regimen. Granted, you probably shouldn't do any resistance training on those muscles for that couple of days but it's no real excuse to avoid exercise altogether. You can continue with your cardio and continue resistance training on other muscles.
What I'm trying to say is that do not be afraid to take it easy in the beginning. I would actually suggest focusing more on setting up habits rather than worrying about seeing improvements. Once it has been a solid month or two of simply doing it, then you can think about bumping up intensities. This advice is for those of you that are simply trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Those that are training for an event or need/want to lose a certain amount of wait by a specific date, may not be able to afford such a gradual increase in intensity and I completely understand this. However, in these cases, there should still be some sort of progression and hopefully the goal at hand will be the extra motivation to keep them going.
Anyway, on to this week's goals. The goal that I want to add on to the dietary side of things would be to only eat out once a week. On the exercise side. I will be starting marathon training on Monday along with following the same guidelines for resistance training.
Wish me luck!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Day 13: Help Preventing Injuries
One of the most devastating things that can happen to someone that is in the midst of turning their life around is a exercise related injury. Not only can it significantly hinder or even halt your exercise regimen but it can alter the way a person relates to exercise in a very negative manner. Therefore, doing what you can to prevent injuries should be a top priority.
In my mind, proper technique is the most important thing in preventing injuries. Here is where a personal trainer is worth their weight in gold. They can watch your technique and make subtle improvements that can help to prevent catastrophic injuries. Unfortunately, each exercise has its proper technique so I can not create an exhaustive list on this blog about how to perform each exercise. However, here are some tips on how to help with this issue:
Preventing injuries is definitely an area that you should research more on your own and if you are working with a professional, an area in which you should ask a lot of questions. Thanks for reading!
In my mind, proper technique is the most important thing in preventing injuries. Here is where a personal trainer is worth their weight in gold. They can watch your technique and make subtle improvements that can help to prevent catastrophic injuries. Unfortunately, each exercise has its proper technique so I can not create an exhaustive list on this blog about how to perform each exercise. However, here are some tips on how to help with this issue:
- When starting out, use light weights to assure your technique is spot on before moving to heavier weights.
- Do not be ashamed to check yourself out in the mirror or ask someone to watch you to make sure your technique is correct.
- Practicing technique regularly will help you to perform the correct technique even when you aren't thinking about it. After a while muscle memory tends to take over. Just make sure your muscles remember the proper technique.
Preventing injuries is definitely an area that you should research more on your own and if you are working with a professional, an area in which you should ask a lot of questions. Thanks for reading!
Day 12: Getting Out to Exercise
Sorry for the late post, I could not get my internet to work last night so here's the post I was going to do.
Gyms are very useful in the fact that they have a variety of equipment and facilities available to their members. However, I am also a big advocate for getting outside to exercise whenever possible. It's just nice to get out and breathe the fresh air but it's also beneficial since the terrain offers training benefits. When running or biking, it is practically impossible to avoid any sort of incline or decline, which is obviously beneficial in recruiting a wider array of muscle. Sometimes parks have workout stations set up which can help to expose you to exercises that you wouldn't otherwise think of. In exploring ways to get exercise outdoors, you tend to come across exercise that you can't find in a gym or wouldn't think to do.
Yesterday, I was researching exercise regimens to prepare for a marathon. What I got were charts that displayed how many miles I should run on each day leading up to the marathon. Well, that's pretty straight forward, however, I thought it would benefit me most if I could run as much as I could outdoors. Not only does it help to battle the boredom of being on a treadmill all the time but it helps me prepare for the outdoor terrain that I will be having to deal with during the actual marathon.
My old way of figuring out the mileage of a run was to get in my car and drive the route. However, when I have to find routes that range from 3 miles to 22 miles this could get a little ridiculous. Well, in an effort to find an easier way, I ended up on the maps feature on Google.com. It started off simply by putting in directions in order to track mileage along various routes but the tools the map has are so user-friendly that it got even easier. I was finding routes for various mileages quickly and easily. Therefore, if you are planning to do a lot of running or biking outdoors, I would suggest toying around with this tool so that you can easily track your mileage.
There are many technologies out there that help to make achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle easier, more enjoyable, and more convenient. If you come across a few that really don't do that for you, do not get discouraged. You can definitely find something out there that works for you. Hope this helps. Thanks for reading!
Gyms are very useful in the fact that they have a variety of equipment and facilities available to their members. However, I am also a big advocate for getting outside to exercise whenever possible. It's just nice to get out and breathe the fresh air but it's also beneficial since the terrain offers training benefits. When running or biking, it is practically impossible to avoid any sort of incline or decline, which is obviously beneficial in recruiting a wider array of muscle. Sometimes parks have workout stations set up which can help to expose you to exercises that you wouldn't otherwise think of. In exploring ways to get exercise outdoors, you tend to come across exercise that you can't find in a gym or wouldn't think to do.
Yesterday, I was researching exercise regimens to prepare for a marathon. What I got were charts that displayed how many miles I should run on each day leading up to the marathon. Well, that's pretty straight forward, however, I thought it would benefit me most if I could run as much as I could outdoors. Not only does it help to battle the boredom of being on a treadmill all the time but it helps me prepare for the outdoor terrain that I will be having to deal with during the actual marathon.
My old way of figuring out the mileage of a run was to get in my car and drive the route. However, when I have to find routes that range from 3 miles to 22 miles this could get a little ridiculous. Well, in an effort to find an easier way, I ended up on the maps feature on Google.com. It started off simply by putting in directions in order to track mileage along various routes but the tools the map has are so user-friendly that it got even easier. I was finding routes for various mileages quickly and easily. Therefore, if you are planning to do a lot of running or biking outdoors, I would suggest toying around with this tool so that you can easily track your mileage.
There are many technologies out there that help to make achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle easier, more enjoyable, and more convenient. If you come across a few that really don't do that for you, do not get discouraged. You can definitely find something out there that works for you. Hope this helps. Thanks for reading!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Day 11: Do Toning Shoes Work?
ACE Fitness recently did a study that researched the effects of wearing those now famous "toning shoes" that are on the market. Below is a link to their findings:
Will Toning Shoes Really Give You A Better Body?
You should definitely read it before buying. Hope you find it helpful.
Will Toning Shoes Really Give You A Better Body?
You should definitely read it before buying. Hope you find it helpful.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Day 10: Making Cardio Fun
When people think of cardio they often think very unpleasant things. This is usually the thought of dragging themselves to the gym to get on a treadmill and have a boring run which eats up (with the drive included) an hour or more of their time for very little immediate reward. Yes, some people find a treadmill run fun and well worth the effort but I would think that most people are not like that. So what does a person who does not like a treadmill do to get their cardiovascular workout in?
My answer... Experiment, experiment, experiment. Try something new regularly. Gyms often offer a lot of ways to get your cardio in, such as: treadmills, stationary bikes, basketball courts, a swimming pool, row machines, stair climbers, racquetball and tennis courts, and a variety of classes. Also, do not be afraid to look for things going on in your community that involve some sort of exercise.
One thing that I would suggest, is to give each mode of exercise you experiment with a fair chance before writing it off. The reason I say this is because if you start any exercise that is foreign to your body, it may not be the most pleasant thing the first week or so. When you go from someone that has been pretty exclusive with the treadmill to trying to play basketball two times a week, your muscles are probably going to be sore and you will probably find it difficult to perform the sport in general. Therefore, once you get pretty good at it and are not hurting as much after a game, you may have found that it is what you have always been looking for.
A great way to get your cardio in and make sure you are motivated to stick with it, is joining some sort of league and/or team. Not only does it make it fun by including some camaraderie and competition but it includes a sense of accountability (discussed in my previous post). When a team is counting on you, it provides that added push to show up and participate.
Yes, some of the time you spend working your cardiovascular system is not going to be all that fun. However, making your regular cardio workout as fun as possible will make it much easier to stick with. Therefore, you need to get creative, try a variety of things out, and give it some time before giving up on anything.
Thanks for reading!
My answer... Experiment, experiment, experiment. Try something new regularly. Gyms often offer a lot of ways to get your cardio in, such as: treadmills, stationary bikes, basketball courts, a swimming pool, row machines, stair climbers, racquetball and tennis courts, and a variety of classes. Also, do not be afraid to look for things going on in your community that involve some sort of exercise.
One thing that I would suggest, is to give each mode of exercise you experiment with a fair chance before writing it off. The reason I say this is because if you start any exercise that is foreign to your body, it may not be the most pleasant thing the first week or so. When you go from someone that has been pretty exclusive with the treadmill to trying to play basketball two times a week, your muscles are probably going to be sore and you will probably find it difficult to perform the sport in general. Therefore, once you get pretty good at it and are not hurting as much after a game, you may have found that it is what you have always been looking for.
A great way to get your cardio in and make sure you are motivated to stick with it, is joining some sort of league and/or team. Not only does it make it fun by including some camaraderie and competition but it includes a sense of accountability (discussed in my previous post). When a team is counting on you, it provides that added push to show up and participate.
Yes, some of the time you spend working your cardiovascular system is not going to be all that fun. However, making your regular cardio workout as fun as possible will make it much easier to stick with. Therefore, you need to get creative, try a variety of things out, and give it some time before giving up on anything.
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Day Nine: Accountability
Sometimes a great motivator for meeting a goal is if you are being held accountable in some way. Following are some ways to keep yourself accountable:
- Involve your family and friends. Make sure they know what you are trying to do and ask for help. If you can receive their support it can do wonders. Also, one of the biggest ways for them to support you is by joining you in your journey. That way, you can learn from each other by sharing triumphs and missteps. If nothing else, ask them to talk to you each day about what's going on so you know that when the end of the day comes you will have to fess up to any missteps you may have taken.
- Provide yourself with incentives for staying on track. A lot of people like to use food incentives but I would lean more toward things that you want that are not food related. Striving to meet your goals for the week so you can treat yourself to an expensive show rather than treat yourself to your favorite double cheeseburger, is obviously better suited for a healthful set of goals.
- Personally, this blog is really helping to keep me on track with my goals. I remember right before posting the entry that talked about my long term goal of running that marathon, I looked over at my girlfriend and gave her a nervous but excited look. Because I knew that once I posted it, I would have to follow through with it. Now I'm not saying that everybody should start a blog but finding some way to put what you say you're going to do down "on record" so it can be provided as proof and as a reminder of what you sought to accomplish. This is one of many reasons that it may be worth it to get out and find a personal trainer. They should be setting goals up with you and holding you accountable for them.
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