4 Things You Can Learn From Fitness Competitors

Do you ever take a look at fitness competitors, and wonder how they did it?  I don't mean in terms of what additional “agents” some of them may have decided to take. ((They made the decision to do them for their own personal reasons or career aspirations. Plus, what a lot of people fail to realize is that even while using growth hormones, steroids, etc. those individuals still have to train and eat properly to attain the physiques you see on your social media feeds.))

I am referring to how they achieved the necessary mentality to go from one level of fitness to the next.  The focus it requires for new moms to take their post-pregnancy body to a work of sculpted art several months later. Or what takes the desk jockey, who has been overweight since he was a kid, to an incredible physique a year later. To me, it is impressive, and there is a certain amount of respect due to those who have committed to the process and saw it all the way through to the end. 

Here are 4 things I want you to take from the mindset of a fitness competitor:

1. When their body doesn't make the changes they want to see, they don't quit...they make adjustments
2. They trust the process, and acknowledge that it will take time
3. There is a plan in place with small goals to reach along the way
4. Most are training a year in advance for the look they want to have a year later.

I am not trying to convince you to step on stage, but I do want you to take note of the mentality of the people you look at for your inspiration. It’s definitely not the pretty bottles they are promoting or the weird little waist contraption you see some of them wearing in their pictures. It’s their commitment to the lifestyle and dedication to reaching their desired goal.

Let me ask you something...have you ever experienced the feeling of wanting something so bad that quitting is not an option? Can you imagine where you would be in your fitness journey today if you utilized these 4 tenets this time last year?

T.H.E.

This Little Thing Called..Water

Ever wonder why water is one of the key "must haves" when starting a fitness plan? Well, aside from keeping you hydrated, and assisting with the necessary functions of the body...you know, the important stuff; it also plays a part in weight loss and body fat reduction via a process called water induced thermogenesis.  Some researchers have noticed an increase in a subject's metabolic rate as high as 30%! Talk about mind=blown right?! One thing I have always noticed in most of my client's seeking weight loss is that they do not want to drink water. "Oh Coach, I just get so tired of drinking water" and "Can I just drink a bunch of [insert a more flavorful beverage here] since it's mostly water?".

Having trouble getting more water in your system? I want you to give this a try. Write times on your jug of water with a line to mark each time, for example (9:00am, 10:00am, and so forth). Whenever the time comes around, drink your water to the next line. You'd be amazed at how much water you can consume this way when you're just sitting around at work. Add in the amount of water you'll likely drink while training, and I can almost promise you the amount you consume will be much higher than what you normally consume. Just a little something to try. 

-T.H.E.

AMRAP Training...How To Do It

Training Tip: AMRAP (As Many Rounds[or Reps] As Possible)

This phrase has been made popular within the Crossfit community, so a lot of people tend to leave it there. But, this method of training is not limited to "Crossfitters"...you can use it with anything.

What is a Round? Think of this as cycles of something. For example, if you plan to do 5 push ups, 10 pull ups, and 15 deadlifts for 5 rounds...you would complete all 3 back to back (that's one round) take a brief break before starting again, and repeating until you complete all 5 rounds. 

A rep is a repetition or completing a certain movement 'x' amount of times.

So let's bring this back to AMRAP to see how we can make a workout out of all of this. Typically, the AMRAP method is used with a time frame as the goal. Let's say you want to complete As Many Rounds As Possible in 5 minutes. Going back to the example above, you would continue to do those exercises with the accompanying repetitions until your 5 minute timer says you're done.  Some pain freaks out there who frequent the gym do a form of AMRAP called "burning out", where they complete repetitions until...well they've burnt out the muscle group. 

What are the benefits of AMRAP?

If you are using the "rounds" model, this method of training can help you sneak a really good workout in with a limited amount of time. With either model, you can target both muscle groups. 

Here are two you can try based on your exercise level:

-Complete As Many Rounds As Possible in 5 Minutes

Beginner: 10 Wall Push Ups >>> 20 Jumping Jacks >>> 30 Mountain Climbers

- Good Back/Biceps Finisher. Complete As Many Rounds As Possible in 15 Minutes

Advanced: 5 Wide Grip Pull Ups [ Pronated Grip] >>> 10 Preacher Curls [Slow on Descend aka Negatives] >>> 15 Inverted Rows [ Supinated Grip] >>> 20 Neutral Grip Rope Curls

You can mix and match the exercises, repetitions, rounds and time any way you please to make an AMRAP workout. Give a try!

-T.H.E.

Body Image & Societal Pressures

Powerful image isn't it? It's the true outlook we (in general) have of the human body, and it's deeper than what's on the outside. As a Fitness Professional, I learn some of the most guarded secrets of my clients. And, many of them are people you would never guess have body image issues.  It comes as a surprise to so many how someone is deemed "fit" can have issues with their bodies, or need a trainer. The same issues that plague people who are seen as fit, are the same ones which effect those who are considered overweight. Societal pressures have forced us to believe their is a specific body type which is seen as attractive. It can't be the furthest from the truth. So I have a few pointers for you:

1) Define your goal body composition based on your individual build, and your lifestyle. We have have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to our body, and you may find that you are able to perform better in one area of development than others. You need to accept this, and work to bring the weaknesses up to par with your strengths. Remember, this is about you and what you can accomplish.

2) Train with nothing else, except but your personal goals in mind. The one thing so many people allow themselves to get frustrated about is attaining the exact same physical features as their "fitspiration" (fitness inspiration for those who don't know), and while there is nothing wrong with having a role model; it can become so obsessive that you lose track of who you are. Here's what to do, understand that you have to work with and what you want to work towards. Then aim for progress and the idea of perfection you have for yourself. 

3) Know that you are the only person who has to live in your body, and YOU have to be comfortable in your own skin...literally. Nobody else has to live with your body except you. So why let someone else dictate your happiness with it? 

Societal's pressures stem from opinions of people, and you have to work on yourself to truly enjoy the value you bring to the table for yourself. Your success dealing with your fitness, health, and overall idea of who you are, is entirely up to you. - T.H.E.

Confidence & The Fitness Journey

Building confidence takes time, and it is a real investment in yourself. With fitness, it is common to lack confidence in the gym or when looking in the mirror. Even competitors battle with this.

1) Building Confidence in the gym comes as a result of knowing how to properly perform the exercises and focusing on the end goal only. Putting these two together will allow you to completely disregard the gym creepers, immature gym gigglers and most thoughts of being under a spot light. 

2) Remember how far you've come and not how far you have to go in your fitness journey. You want to see progress, and you will as long as you trust the process! Even a mindset change from being undisciplined to determined is a form of progress.  And beating yourself up or always looking for what needs improvement can be more discouraging than encouraging. If you've been on your fitness journey for a while; chances are, you've made progress somewhere. You have to learn how to be proud of every pound, or every inch you lose because its still an accomplishment.  Being able to exercise at a higher intensity than where you started is a huge accomplishment as well. And the biggest accomplishment of all is staying consistent while working towards the goal you set in place. 

Of course this is aimed at fitness, but these two tips can be applied to other areas of you life as well. 

-T.H.E.

D.W.D. Drinking While Dieting

Can You Drink While Pursuing Your Fitness Goals?

This is a question I am frequently asked as a fitness professional. My answer is always the same...it really depends on your goals and objectives.  To put it bluntly, alcohol has minimal nutritional benefits.  It contains ethanol, which consists of acetaldehyde and acetate by-products. These two by-products are what make you feel nauseated when you've had too much to drink.  

Additionally, frequent consumption of alcohol can effect your digestion, make it difficult for your body to absorb critical nutrients like amino acids and B vitamins, and impair protein synthesis. 

So, in summary: can you have a beer? Yes. Should you have several alcoholic drinks daily? No. Remember: everything in moderation, and keep your fitness goals in mind. 
Trevor-T.H.E.

How Often Should You Workout?

      Some people go into the gym and just jump on whatever machine they can find. By the time they decide to finish their workout...they've trained every body part, and they wake up sore as hell from head to toe the next day. Now they have a dilemma, when should I work out again? I want results, so should I go back tomorrow or wait a few days? If I take a break it'll mean I only trained 3 times this week...is that enough?

Another one of the biggest questions people ask is how often they should work out. You have to factor in a few things before committing to 'x' amount of training days, and possibly running the risk of stressing out if you miss a day because life happened (and it has a tendency to do that when you least expect it). Look at your work schedule, then think about traffic, preparation for the next day and family commitments. Now logically, think about how many days you can realistically make it to the gym. Then the planning begins from there.

If you have only 2 free days to work out...

It's not a lot, but it's something. Be physically active 5 days doing something, and focus on whole body or priority training on those 2 free days.  You can accomplish a lot using circuit style training.

If you have 3-4 days to work out...

This is where it gets a little easier to do "training splits".  Designate certain days to certain muscle groups so 

Training Day 1: Chest & Back, 

Training Day 2: Arms, 

Training Day 3: Legs and if possible 

Training Day 4: Shoulders.

And 5+ days means you can add a little more focus to your training.

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Understand that if your goal is to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume, and training helps with that tremendously. But, your goals and your life may not always align. The important thing is to make a solid attempt to be physically active while maintaining a nutrient dense diet. Realistically, if you safely reduce your caloric intake, and train for at least 30 minutes a day, you will notice positive changes. 

Frequency comes second to quality. Some may disagree because if you are doing any type of activity, it will burn calories. But, your goal should be to effectively train your muscles, and increase your metabolic rate. How often you train depends entirely on you.

-T.H.E.