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July 26, 2010
I’ve recently come to the conclusion that motivation is the make-or-break factor in a client’s success (or lack thereof). I’m not talking about those initial goals or even making the commitment. Most of us can get there on our own. And for the most part, we all know what to do to achieve our goals. Granted, you might not know why you need to eat more fiber or more vegetables, or why it’s important to strength train as well as run. But you still know you need to do it. And so you set goals for yourself and what you want to accomplish with your body, and you go about achieving them.
Nope, I’m talking about that moment – it could be two weeks into your new fitness plan or two months but either way, it will happen. That moment when you make the choice to stray from your plan and give into temptation. What exactly do I mean? How about those five seconds after your alarm goes off and you decide to press snooze or shut it off rather than get your butt out of bed for a morning run. Or on your way home from work after a long day when you know a workout will help alleviate some of that stress but you still drive past the gym exit anyway. And inevitably that downfall leads to another, then another… and pretty soon you’re off the wagon entirely.
Yes, my friends, we’ve all been there and it won’t be the last time. It’s the nature of the beast, I suppose – some days it’s simply easier to give into those urges, sleep in late, or eat half of the brownies you just baked. The real challenge is motivating yourself beyond it. Don’t let that one slip up affect the rest of your day, your week, or your entire goal. Don’t let those excuses take over in that crucial moment! You know the ones I mean… all the excuses for hitting that snooze button or eating that cake. The irrational, over-the-top reasons your brain has invented to keep you from doing what you’ve set out to do. That logic you listen to even though you know it makes no sense and you will regret it later. So how do you ignore it?
Finding the inner strength to shake off those excuses and just do what it is you’ve set your mind to do isn’t easy – but it is the difference between your current self and the “you” you’ve set out to become by setting those goals in the first place. You set those goals with a purpose in mind, some initial motivation that got you off the couch and into the gym. What was it? An event, a frustration, an outfit, a new diagnosis, a desire to be healthier?
Whatever motivated you to set those goals and demand more of yourself, grab hold of it. Write it down and visualize yourself achieving your goal. As simple as this exercise is, it is an extemely powerful method of motivating yourself. It’s one thing to have a personal trainer to push you through those last few reps or to call you when you start blowing off appointments. But it’s another thing entirely when you tap into that inner desire to be better, stronger, and healthier than you currently are. Motivation like that is unstoppable!
Of course, the right workout plan and a healthy diet are important. But if you’re having trouble reaching your goals, it’s time to haul out that inner cheerleader of yours and put those excuses to shame. Find out what really motivated you in the beginning and tap into that source. Visualize your success and know that one slip-up doesn’t matter. You can still reach those goals as long as you don’t let negative thoughts cause a downhill spiral of excuses. You can do it! Rah, rah, rah!!
January 4, 2010
It may sound cliché to talk about “the new you” or “new year’s resolutions” in my first January posting, but the truth is we all have hopes for this year. Dreams about what we’re going to accomplish, goals we’ll finally reach, and anticipation for what we only hope will be a fantastic 2010.
 I have my own list of to-do’s started already and my own resolutions to pursue. In all honesty, this is one of my favorite times of the year because of this hope for a “new beginning” (I know, cliché right?). But at this point in the year, we can accomplish all of our goals. Nothing is out of reach, the sky is endless, etc, etc. And hopefully (knock on wood) we will achieve and conquer in 2010.
In the spirit of the new year, I’ve put together a series of posts on how to reach your health and fitness goals (the series is fittingly titled “New Definitions”). We’ll cover everything from the beginning stages of goal-setting, to creating a workout routine, keeping a food journal, and finally tracking your progress.
Besides writing for TC, I spend the majority of my days working full-time at a corporate gym, doing everything from personal training to health education lectures to teaching group exercise classes like kickboxing and boot camp. The posts that I’ve put together for this series include everything that I do with my clients at the gym – from the first time we sit down together to talk about their goals to our training sessions and beyond.
My ultimate goal with this series is to make exercise easy and accessible for you, no matter where you work out. You don’t need to spend lots of money on gym memberships or equipment. Everything I put on the site can be done at home, and that includes the posts in this series.
So sit back and think long and hard about what you’d like to accomplish for your health in 2010. Really define your goals and think about what obstacles stood in your way of accomplishing them last year. How can you change your patterns? Taking just a few minutes today to answer these questions is the best way to prepare yourself for achieving ALL of your goals this year.
I’m looking forward to achieving “New Definitions” in every aspect of my health this year, and I hope this series of posts will enable you to do the same! Enjoy, and as always, let me know your thoughts!
Happy 2010!!
Nicole
October 7, 2009
Dear TC readers,
The month of October is already upon us and as we speed forward towards that inevitable chain of holiday parties, dinners, and desserts, it’s a good idea to stop and re-assess our health and fitness goals. Take a few minutes today and ask yourself the following questions:
- Am I where I’d like to be health-wise?
- Am I taking time for myself every day?
- Am I finding new ways to minimize stress and prioritize my health?
These next 3 months are typically the most stressful of the year – because just when we need to take better care of ourselves, we find we have less time than ever.
In fact, a study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) found that most Americans gain at least a pound during these months. While that may not sound like much, the majority of people won’t lose the weight after January… which can lead to significant weight gain over the years. NICHD Director Duane Alexander, MD suggests that developing ways to avoid holiday weight gain could be a strong factor in preventing obesity and the diseases associated with it.
Taking a moment to reflect honestly on your health can help you address any shortcomings and move towards a solution that is effective and doable – often without having to adjust your routine at all!
Here’s to a healthy holiday season!
Nicole
August 24, 2009
Q: Due to my crazy work schedule I only have time to do strength training for about one hour once a week…. is that even worth it?
A: Taking the time to do something good for your body is always worth it! Physical activity in general has enormous health benefits – everything from lowering blood pressure and cholesterol to fat loss and stress reduction. And these benefits won’t just add years to your life, they’ll increase the quality of the years you have by making daily activities easier and work less stressful. Therefore any time you can devote to exercise throughout your week will benefit you.
 Ideally your workouts should include a balance of cardiovascular exercise and strength training, but if your schedule is tight that’s not always possible. In this case I suggest incorporating strength training into your workouts first, as this is the most efficient way to burn calories AND boost your metabolism. A higher metabolism means you’ll be burning more calories every minute! If one of your goals is weight loss, then strength training is essential for seeing results.
The good news is that you only need about 30 minutes to perform a good weight training routine – you don’t need to devote an entire hour! And if it’s possible, try to split your one hour per week into two non-consecutive workouts. Significant changes can be seen in both muscle strength and endurance, as well as overall body composition, just by increasing training frequency from one day per week to two… which means you’ll be doubling or tripling your results with no added effort!
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a strength training program of at least eight to ten exercises, hitting all of the major muscle groups: gluts, hamstrings, quadriceps, core, pectorals (chest), back, triceps, biceps, and shoulders. Each exercise should be performed for a minimum of one set of eight to twelve repetitions, bringing the muscle to fatigue (when you can’t perform the exercise any longer). Because you only need to complete one set of each exercise for strength gains, you can fit your workout pretty much anywhere in your day! And if you’re extra short on workout time, just split your strength training routine into 10 or 15 minute segments. You can space the segments throughout one day or perform one segment every day of the week, eventually totaling two sets of each exercise per week.
Although you can strength train more frequently and/or perform additional sets, these practices aren’t necessary to see results. Strength training for 30 minutes just two days per week will produce about 80% of the strength gains seen when training three days per week – not bad when you’re short on time!
Ultimately, your workout routine should be a marriage between your goals and the time you can realistically commit towards reaching those goals. If you’re able to, aim for two days per week – or split a strength training routine into small segments and fit them in throughout the week. Either way, you’ll see greater strength improvements and faster weight loss than with just one day per week. But if you only have one day, make the most of it and try to incorporate some strength training into your routine. Something is always better than nothing!
Looking for some exercise ideas? The three workouts below contain a progressive selection of movements, complete with pictures and how-to instructions. They are grouped into beginner (Fitness Freshman), intermediate (Avid Exerciser) and advanced (Training Pro), so you can progress at your own pace. And of course, every exercise can be performed at home with no equipment. Good luck!
Fitness Freshman Workout
Avid Exerciser Workout
Training Pro Workout
August 14, 2009
Every day, I create workout programs for clients looking to achieve their goals, be challenged, and receive extra motivation. But for every one client I train, there are 4 long-time gym members on the floor doing the exact same routine they were doing last week, last month, or even last year. It’s the routine procedure, the familiarity, the “comfort zone” that they are uncomfortable stepping out of. Unfortunately, they also won’t see results.
When To Update Your Workout
 Muscles must be continually stimulated in order to produce changes, and our bodies get used to movement patterns very quickly. If you continue to use the same program with no added challenge and no new exercises, then you will stop seeing results (also referred to as a “hitting a plateau”), you put yourself at risk for overuse injuries, and you increase the probability that you’ll give up on exercising all together. If I wasn’t seeing results and had the same routine to look forward to day after day, month after month, I’d get bored and give up too! This is why workout programs should get updated every 4 to 6 weeks (yes, you heard me right). I know that sounds like a lot of work, but there are lots of ways to change up your routine without a lot of effort.
Cross-Training For Results
Cross-training, by definition, is the use of a variety of exercises to stimulate strength gains, reduce injury risk, increase motivation, and drive results. You can cross-train just within the aerobic category or between both aerobic and strength training disciplines. With aerobic cross-training, you would vary the type of aerobic activity that you perform. For example, if you are an avid runner, you should cross-train with swimming or biking – two equally beneficial aerobic activities that will also allow your joints to rest and recover from the wear and tear that running can cause. Balancing your routine this way allows your body to recover while you continue to exercise. This is called “active rest.”
Likewise, it would also be beneficial for a runner to balance his/her aerobic program with some strength training. One to two days per week would add considerable strength, agility, and power to the running routine. The strength training in this case could also be called cross-training, since its purpose is to support the main goal of improving his/her running. Additionally, adding cross-training to a runner’s routine adds variability and a change of scenery. Going swimming or attending a sculpting class is something new and unexpected that a runner can look forward to a couple times per week, allowing him/her to return to running stronger and more refreshed.
I encourage my clients to have at least one secondary activity on their workout plan – even if it’s only done once a week. This way they have something to fall back on if they get bored or don’t feel like performing their “scheduled” exercise (I know we’ve all used that as an excuse, so this practice actually encourages adherence to your workout routine).
So don’t get stuck in a rut with your workouts! Remember to change your exercises or pattern of exercises every 4 to 6 weeks to ensure continuous progress toward your goals. Balancing your routine, both on the aerobic and strength sides, will bring you faster results, prevent overuse injuries, create a more well-rounded physique, and eliminate your excuses for not working out.
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