Fitness Philosopher

Making Memories

Saturday night was spectacular.

In what should be considered the party of the century (ranked under "Surprise Parties With Fewer Than 20 Guests"), my friends and family helped surprise my pregnant, unsuspecting wife, Sara.

The highlights?  There were many -- the food, the company, the ambiance.

For a large fee, Bill Finnegan can prep one hell of a party. . . .

But the "SURPRISE!" at the beginning of the party was unlike any other that the guests had ever experienced.

My wife managed to walk into the apartment, talking to the party's co-host, without noticing a single person in the kitchen two feet away.  Maybe pregnancy completely eradicates a woman's peripheral vision -- I'm not sure -- but Sara greeted Bill (the party's host) and conversed for at least 20 seconds, while also flashing her growing tummy, before turning around for the heart-stopping surprise:

Careful Sweetheart, your face might freeze that way. . . .

I'm very happy with the fact that I "got her" and I'm reminded of the many blessings that Sara and I have in our lives.  This party was a great testament to good friends and family -- and a reminder to live life in the moment and take the time to make beautiful memories.

Think Strong. Be Strong.

You're at the tail end of a grueling workout.  Exhausted.  Thirsty.  And staring at a heavily loaded barbell that I've just told you to deadlift.  What are your thoughts? 

"There's no way in hell I'm lifting that!" or the contrary, "There's no way in hell I'm losing this battle!"

You can have all the physical strength in the world, but if your mind is weak, if you cultivate negative thoughts or lack the ability to focus, you'll fail.  Even the most fleeting, seemingly insignificant thought of uncertainty will make the difference between success and failure.

In the most trying times of a workout, be AGGRESSIVE, not apprehensive.

Be DETERMINED, not doubtful.

Have RESOLVE, not reluctance.

Cultivate a strong, positive mindset in the face of adversity and you'll find yourself consistently reaching your goals.

"The battle is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave." -- Patrick Henry

Fitness for an UNhealthy Lifestyle?

Yeah, you read the title correctly.  And if you're scratching your head with a confused look on your face, you're not alone.  I do the same thing every time a hear a gym member or client proclaim to train so that they can eat crappy food, drink more liquor or . . .(insert mode of self-abuse here).

What's going on here?  I can understand an athlete training herself to withstand the physical punishment from practice and competition.  And the average individual training to increase performance and make daily activities easier.  But exercise to warrant perpetually unsound nutrition and drug habits?  When did people start viewing exercise as a crutch for lack of self-control and not as an important part of a healthy lifestyle?

Deciding to train so that you can chronically abuse your body with drugs, alcohol or poor nutrition is like saying that you're going to wear a helmet so that I can hit yourself over the head with a hammer.  Or that you're going to wear a seatbelt so that you can run your car into a brick wall.   It doesn't make sense!

Training and nutrition work hand-in-hand.  It's difficult to achieve your goals, let alone maintain your current condition, if you regularly abuse your body.  As a matter of fact, you can easily take your body in the opposite direction -- despite your commitment to the gym -- because of excessive eating, malnutrition and chemical abuse.  Our body may be an amazingly resilient machine, but it's a machine nonetheless.  And, if abused long enough, it will break down, leaving you fat, injured or sick.

Use your head (NOT for the hammer) and consistently treat your body with the respect it deserves.  View exercise as a synergistic component of a healthy lifestyle, not as a crutch to merely prop you up so that you can systematically wreck your body.

Addendum to "Squats and Deadlifts for a Moving Experience"

The importance of proper planning, rest and recovery can't be overstated.

I foolishly "forgot" that I would be helping out with the simple moving job . . . and trained my legs on Friday.

Come Saturday morning at 11:30 am (and only half of the truck loading completed), I was wishing I had fresh legs.

Two take home points:

Take your daily activities into account when you plan your workouts.  You don't want to train so hard that you negatively effect the performance of "other" activities.

Muscles targeted in a workout should be given at least 48 hours rest and recovery before being retrained.*   

It'd sure be nice if I ALWAYS practiced what I preached -- my legs aren't going to be happy for the next few days.  OUCH!!

*Longer rest may be required, dependent on the size of the muscles trained and the intensity of the training session.

Squats & Deadlifts for a Moving Experience

"Nikita" flashed on the LED of my cell phone at 2:30 Tuesday afternoon.  "Here it is," I thought.  "The call I've been waiting for. . . "

"What's up buddy?" I asked.

"Soski," he replied.  "I'm moving into my new home on Saturday and you'd offered to help me if I needed it.  I need it.  Can you make it?  It'll be really simple -- a quick job."

Quick?  Simple?  If quick and simple was anything like Nikita's version of an "inexpensive" (min. $125 a person) dinner, this move was going to be freakin' hard.

There was also the issue of snowboarding -- I'd intended to go one last time for the 2006/07 season.  But I'd also given my word a month earlier.  It looked like I was going to be hauling furniture to Westchester County -- instead of hauling ass down Killington Peak -- on Saturday.

"It'd be my pleasure to help you.  See you Saturday morning."

As I hung up, all I could think was, "thank God I've got strong legs and an even stronger trunk."

Unless you've got a strong back and pair of legs, I'd run away if this man approached you with a request to help him move his furniture.

As a fitness professional, I'm amazed at how many people fail to acknowledge the importance of exercising their legs -- muscle-bound lifters with chicken legs come to mind.

And I've lost count of the clients who (initially) don't understand why squats and deadlifts are such an integral part of their workouts.  Among the protests that are commonly heard:

"They're so hard!"
"They're so boring!"  (Because variations of squats and deadlifts are emphasized so often.)
"Why do I have to do these anyway?  Can't I do something else?"
"How are these movements significant in my daily life?"

How are squats and deadlifts important?  Allow me to give a few examples:

• You know, we're bipeds.  Training the legs that carry us back and forth -- and the trunk which stabilizes and supports our spine --  is rather important, don't you think?
• Squats and deadlifts are two of the basic movement patterns we use to survive -- along with pushing, pulling, twisting, bending over, lunging and walking/running.
• They're incredible tools for efficiently strengthening the entire body, while promoting intermuscular coordination (ability for muscle groups to work together).
• The lifts demand lots of energy. So, from a metabolic perspective, squats and deadlifts are great tools for fat loss.

One of the primary reasons to train is that it provides us with strength and energy reserves; i.e. it makes "everyday activities" easier to perform.  Walking.  Running.  Standing for hours.  Dodging sidewalk traffic.  Getting in and out of beds, chairs and cars.  Playing sports.  Picking up and playing with our children.    Squatting and deadlifting (as well as variations of these lifts) play a significant role in improved performance of these activities.

Of course, they also make the once-in-a-blue-moon activities easier.  You know, like helping your friend move from his classic Brooklyn 3rd floor walkup to beautiful Westchester County -- and a house (on a steep hill) with more stairs.

Message From My Unborn Child.

I'm going to be a father.

"Wow!"
"Exciting!"
"Surreal!"

I know, tell me about it.  I can't believe it myself.  What an emotional journey.  And I'm getting to experience all of those "you'll never fully understand these feelings until you're a parent" feelings for the first time.  It's nice to finally understand what parents have been talking about over the last 16 years of my adult life. . .  but I digress.

Leave it to my unborn child, womb age 19 weeks, to leave me a message after the completion of our first sonogram.  (Did I mention yet that that was amazing?  The child is well developed (BIG feet!) and has a strong heart -- 154 beats per minute of flawless pumping action!. . . but I digress again.)

My wife and I had just finished our sonogram when I turned around to see this on the wall:

Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

Truer words may never been spoken by a tinier person, regarding life or, of course, personal training.    What's your mindset as you begin your fitness program? 
Have your thoughts become tangible words (written or spoken) that you can look at/listen to and use as motivation to reach your desired outcome?
Have you taken action, and given those actions time to develop into lifelong habits that will provide a healthy body and strong character?
Heed the advice of my unborn child, and commit to building a physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually stronger you -- today.

Thou Shalt STEAL (And Be Proud of It)

"Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom." -- Proverbs 4:7

Now, please be advised that the above title is only meant to get your attention.  I do not condone stealing in any way, shape or form.  No holding up banks.  No taking candy off the shelves and secretly tucking it away.  And definitely no stealing somebody's words/ideas and claiming them as your own. . .

So, what's with "Thou Shalt STEAL"?

Replace "STEAL" with "learn," "acquire," "obtain," "sponge," "tap into" or "fill your cup".  The idea is, use all resources available to learn as much as you can, to become the finest you can be in your profession of choice (strength and conditioning, in this case).  Who are we kidding?  We surely don't know everything.  And the trainers who we think know everything, didn't always.  We've got to get our information from somewhere.  And what we learn won't just come into our minds as an epiphany, it's got to come from a source.  That source is more than likely going to be another human being -- whether it be a college professor, a mentor or our peers in the fitness industry.

We've got to lose any defensive feelings we experience when we see information that we don't initially agree with and denounce it as pure BS.

We've got to lose our feelings of insecurity when we meet other professionals who seem to know more than we do, where we wonder, "why do they know all of this information and I don't?"

In other words, we've got to lose our egos and be open to absorbing every bit of information that's out there, no matter what the source.

(Side note -- Of course, this doesn't mean that we lose our sense of reasoning of and logic.  There is a lot of lousy information out there mixed in with the good.  But just as you can't denounce things that you don't initially agree with, you shouldn't just accept the information that's thrown at you as gospel.  Apply your brain power to each scenario you face/each piece of data you obtain.  Test the new information against the "foundations" that you know exist (if you don't know them, learn those first. . . :) ).  And accept it/deny it as you develop and share your philosophy.)

I think there's a fear that exists amongst younger trainers, i.e. "I don't want to learn from/talk to/ support X trainer" because it's admitting that he/she might know more than me, that he/she might be better than me.  Admitting that you don't have all the answers, that you seek knowledge from your peers is not a sign of weakness or lack of intelligence.  On the contrary, it's indicative of great strength, confidence and intelligence because you're doing everything you can to make yourself better.

What is one of the common denominators of the most prolific, well-respected fitness professionals?  They openly talk about how much they seek out and learn from the experts.  They aren't above gathering information from professionals who may even be their direct competition for business.  They see that bettering themselves for common good, for a united purpose, is just as (if not more) important as the business side of things.

And for many of them, it wasn't always that way.  A few weeks ago, I was at a Perform Better Seminar in Boston when a highly recognized, respected trainer told me, "I've learned more from ages 40-47 than I did from 22-40."  This revelation came amidst the other oft uttered phrase of that day, "The more I learn, the less I know."

Look, our journey along the path of intellectual growth takes us through some pretty common stages:

1. When we're younger, we obtain a foundation of knowledge and think we have all the answers.  Anybody else with contradictory opinions is wrong.
2. We happen to keep learning (if we're lucky) and realize we didn't know as much as we thought.
3. We become walking encyclopedias of theoretical and applied knowledge (if we're lucky), but feel more so like we know nothing, because "there's so damn much to learn." (As if we've lost sight of our foundational knowledge and now wonder, "Which is my head, which is my ass?")
4. Once again, we stand firmly on our foundation of knowledge with the wisdom to be open to ideas, and the ability to find common ground amidst differing opinions and philosophies.
   

This message really comes from the heart, because I used to be that trainer who consistently felt insecure around my competition.  I wanted to be known as one of "the best" trainers around and I wanted others to come to me -- there was no way I was going to have to ask a peer of mine for advice.  Thankfully, I've become wiser with age.  I claw my way into seminars to learn from "experts" in my field.  I make a point to ask fellow trainers (more, less and/or equally experienced) their approaches to various topics.  I have learned more in the last 5 years, than I had in the 12 years prior and, because of that, I know less now than I did before. . .  and becoming a wiser, more polished practitioner every day.

I wish the same for you, as you grow in your career.  Dig in.  Get lost in all the theory and practical experience. . . and then find your way out of it again.  Fearlessly build on your foundation of knowledge.  Just don't forget to give proper recognition to those individuals who helped you along the way.

Are you Consistently Consistent?

We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. -- Aristotle

Slow and steady wins the race. -- Aesop

Ask any well-versed personal trainer or avid fitness enthusiast what it takes to get in shape and you'll more than likely get a list that includes something like this:

• Set specific goals
• Lift weights
• Do cardio (High Intensity Interval Training preferred for fat loss)
• Follow a good nutrition protocol
• Drink Water
• Get adequate rest and recovery

These requirements, of course, do provide the foundation for obtaining that healthy, fit body you're searching for. . . but there's something even more important.

                                                        CONSISTENCY

You've got to get to the gym on a regular basis.  (Preferably more than "regularly, once a month.")

When training, you've got to be consistently focused and actively involved in the process.

You've got to consistently eat 5-6 balanced meals per day, consistently minimize the amount of processed foods you consume, consistently drink half your bodyweight in water.

You must consistently give yourself  good nights of sleep.

Most important, you've got to strive for consistent manifestation of positive energy and positive mental attitude.  Being positive will provide you with the environment to consistently develop new, good habits, as opposed to falling back into your old, undesirable ways.

Essentially, you've got to be that person that consistently "makes things happen."  When it comes to getting in shape, "the list" is important; but adhering to that list consistently will be the difference between realizing your goals or merely treading water indefinitely.

Who Are You?

When I was little, I had this poster consisting of 3 photographed chimps and a brilliant piece of writing.  The prose went something like this:

"There are 3 kinds of people:

Those who make things happen.  Those who watch things happen. . .

And those who wonder, "what happened?"

When it comes to improving your nutrition habits or beginning your strength training program, what person are you?  Are you the individual that confronts your daily obstacles, makes a decision to change and stops at nothing to make your dreams and goals a reality?  Are you the person that talks a hell of a game, but doesn't have the courage or drive to put your plans into action?  Or are you the person that just coasts through life, unconscious, and then wakes up one day -- 30 years later -- wondering, "Where's my life gone?  Where did healthy, fit body go?" i.e. What happened?

It's easy to fall into the daily routine of life, to get caught up in frivolous details, to become "unconscious" and forget how to take control of our well-being.  It's easy to fall into traps and start thinking, "I can't do this because. . . " or "I'm too busy to fit this into my schedule." or "It takes too much effort to change. . . "

These are only weak excuses.  Crutches that enable us to avoid reality.  We are not dead leaves blowing in the wind, helpless to control our destiny.  Yes, we deal with innumerable events that are out of our control; however, we are always in control of the decisions we make in response to the events that unfold in front of us.

Stop lamenting the past -- you can't get it back.  Stop worrying about the future.  It hasn't happened yet.  Become fully aware of NOW, this very second.  Make proactive decisions and take action now.  (Don't know how to take action?  Ask questions, do some research, write me and allow me to assist you. . . .)  Regarding your health, fitness and nutrition, be the person that takes control and makes things happen, and recognize the great things that unfold.

You Want Cardio with That?

Overheard yesterday while I was training on the gym floor:

Client:  "What do I need to do for cardio training?"

Trainer:  "If you're lifting weights, you need to be able to sustain activity for a minimum of 20, 30, 40 or 50 (!!) repetitions.  If you're lifting and can't do more than 10 repetitions, it's not cardio.  The activity has to be sustainable.  If you're on a treadmill, you need to be able to exercise for 30-45 minutes for it to be considered 'cardiovascular training.'"

I guess I'll have to start telling my clients, after they perform a perfect set of 8 strenuous deadlifts -- with them sweating profusely, breathing heavily and trembling with exhaustion -- that they haven't even begun to train the cardiovascular system yet. . . "Hey, you've only got 32 more non-stop reps to go!" (As I duck to avoid the flying water bottle. . . )

Now, in all fairness, I'm guessing the trainer was summarizing the training methods used to improve cardiovascular endurance, and, if that's the case, there is some validity to what was said.  Prolonged bouts of continuous exercise will build up aerobic endurance.  However, the point here is that the circulatory system doesn't only experience training stimulus through exposure to slow, long distance running (biking, rowing, etc.) and/or high repetition lifting.

Your can do heavy lifting with low reps.

Interval training utilizing short duration sprints.

Olympic lifts.

It doesn't matter what you do.  Any training that pushes the body to work hard will impose a training effect on the heart that is specific to the task performed.

So, when it comes to training (in reference to the heart), the question shouldn't be "What do I need to do for cardio?" so much as, "What type of cardiovascular fitness do I want to attain?"  Know the answer to the latter question, and you'll be able to determine the type of training you need to do.

 

Success

Here's to a successful week for all of you  --  at the office, in your personal life and, of course, in the gym. . .

Success is doing the best you can,
in as many ways as you can.
It is being just and honest and true --
not in a few things, but in everything you do.

Always look ahead and never look back,
believe you can make all your dreams come true.
Always believe in the best you can be
and have faith in the things that you do.

Forget about mistakes you've made yesterday,
the lessons you learn will prove valuable for today. . .
Never give up and think that you're through. . .
for there's always tomorrow and
a chance to begin brand new.

It is in dreaming the greatest dreams. . .
and seeking the highest goals. . .
that we build the brightest tomorrows.

There is no limit to the goals you can attain,
or the success you can achieve. . .
your possibilities are as endless as your dreams.
Whatever it is that you seek in life,
whatever your dreams and what you hope to achieve,
whatever you try to reach -- whatever you plan. . .
can all be yours -- if you only believe you can!

Author -- Larry S. Chengges