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Let Go of Your Cardio(It’s not helping you anyway)

February 23, 2010 in Fitness by admin | No comments

bored-girl-on-treadmill

Cardio, cardio, cardio

“If I do tons of cardio, all the time, I will lose weight and be thin and un-bulky like all the movie stars! I will be svelt and toned and thin, thin, thin.  Weights are ok occasionally, as long as they are light so I don’t build too much muscle, and the reps are high so I burn more calories.”

Does this sound like your workout mindset?

You’re wrong, and you’re wasting your time.

People, women especially (sorry, it’s just a fact- men’s goals usually aren’t to be thin) have this notion that cardio is what will melt the fat off and leave them with the thin, toned body they crave.

Does this sound like you? Are you the gym goer that has never stepped foot into the free weight room? Do you have your designated cardio machine, and don’t leave it until you reach a certain amount of minutes or burn a certain number of calories, and then stretch and maybe do a few crunches?

YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME.

Yea, you are burning calories, but you are burning them slower than you could be, and in that same time, you could be building lean muscle which will help you burn more calories every second of every day so you aren’t shackled to a machine for hours a day, only doing half the work.

How can you magically burn more calories in less time, and get more noticeable results, faster? A pill? A new gadget? A diet?

Resistance! Weights!

Weights will not make you bigger. We’ve been over this before. What they will do is get your heart rate up higher than any conventional cardio machine, and simultaneously build muscle to give you a firm, toned look. If you burn off fat, with nothing firm underneath it, you are still going to be squishy.

Strength train. Don’t be afraid. It will give you the body you dream of while you are wasting hours on the eliptical, and it’s a hell of a lot more fun.

Eat Clean and Workout Dirty

February 19, 2010 in Fitness, Motivation, Nutrition by Dave | No comments

Eat clean and work out dirty.

Say it again.

Eat clean and work out dirty.

The secret to success.

Eat clean:  No junk.  No extras.  Think fresh, natural, unprocessed and in it’s natural state.  If you can’t pronounce an ingredient in it, it’s not clean.  If it comes wrapped in cellophane, sealed in a bag(most of the time) or a box  or is microwavable, your aren’t eating clean.  If you can pick it from a plant, from the ground, or if it was once attached to an animal, you are eating clean.  Eat like a caveman.  Cavemen didn’t eat sauces, add cheese or have a dinner roll before their meals.  They didn’t bread, dip, smother, drench or fry their food.  They didn’t eat sugar, bleached flour or trans fats.  They ate when they were hungry and stopped when they were full. Eat ingredients not things made from ingredients.

Workout dirty:  Get nasty.  Sweat.  Grunt.  Yell.  Swear. Let it all hang out. Success is cooked in a messy kitchen.   You aren’t supposed to look good working out- working out is supposed to make you look good.  If you don’t have pit stains, smell like crap, messed up hair and a beat red face that’s grimmacing more than smiling, you aren’t working out dirty.   Using the mirrors to check your appearance instead of your form, you aren’t working out dirty. Get on the floor, get off the floor, faster, jump up on benches, drop dumbbells from exhaustion, test yourself, see what you’re made of. Make a bet, push yourself and encourage others.  Don’t worry what people will think. Don’t be intimidated- You’re an animal act like one.

Eat clean and workout dirty.

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Find Your Comfort Zone- and Stay Out of it

January 29, 2010 in Fitness, Motivation by Dave | No comments

I was reading on LATimes.com about Dr. Jeffry Life, and his prescription for a life long exercise regimen.

One of the things he said made me want to jump out of my seat and shout it from the rooftops…

Find your comfort zone, and then stay out of it.”

If intensity is the key to results, then your comfort zone is your worst enemy.

Your comfort zone comes in many forms: doing exercises you are familiar with, training methods you are used to, the same time every week, pushing yourself just as far as you think you can go, or as far as you went your last workout. 40 minutes on the treadmill because you did 40 minutes the day before- sound familiar?  Routine, routine, routine.  Staying in your comfort zone is going to keep you in the same size pants and with the same body fat percentage. 

Doing the same thing each time and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

Pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone also takes many forms: trying new exercises, new ways to break a sweat, doing more and lifting heavier than you ever thought you could, working out more often, pushing yourself as far as you can go, and then pushing a little further.  That is how you get results.  You challenge your body.  You continue to grow, change, improve.

Comfort is complacency.  You should not be comfortable when you work out.  You should be uncomfortable, exhausted, sweating and out of your element. 

How can you grow if you don’t challenge yourself?  How can you know what you are truly capable of if you never try?

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Guest Post: Is Your Scale Lying to You?

January 19, 2010 in Fitness, Motivation by admin | 1 comment

black-scale

It’s me again.

It’s the same old story: You’re standing on the scale, watching the digital numbers tick by, wishing you could have peed one more time, until, finally, the scale settles on a number.

Love it or hate it, can you trust it?

There are a lot of different factors that can affect your scale’s reading, either by adding a few pounds or taking them away.

Next time you fixate on tenths of pounds every morning, keep a few things in mind:

When did I last eat?

If you just have a big meal, all that food hasn’t had a chance to digest yet, and is just sitting there in your belly. It’s just like you were holding that meal in your hands when you stepped on the scale; the food has weight and that weight gets added to yours.  Meals take anywhere from 6-12 hours to digest.

What did I last eat?

Often, the healthiest foods are the heaviest in terms of weight. Fruits and veggies are great for your health and your waistline, but because they are so full of water and bulky fiber, they can temporarily add pounds to the scale.
If you ate a salty meal, like canned soup or a frozen dinner, the scale may also take a temporary jump. Your body retains water after you eat a lot of salt to dilute the excess sodium in your system, which can cause you to bloat.
Going light on carbs could explain a false lower reading. Carbohydrates, your body’s number one source of energy, are like a sponge- they hold water in your body. If you cut carbs, you risk dehydration, as there is nothing to prevent water from going straight through your system. The scale may read a bit lower, but it’s just because you are missing water, not from fat loss.

What did I have to drink?

If you just polished off a bottle of water, the weight of that water will show up on the scale. A liter of water weighs about 2 pounds, so if that water hasn’t had a chance to get through your system, it’s going to add to your weight.
If you had a few drinks last night, or a few cups of coffee this morning, you are probably dehydrated, as both are a diuretic, and you may be weighing in a few pounds less that your actual weight. Once the missing water is replaced in your system, your weight should return to normal.

Water is one of the biggest causes of inaccurate scale readings. It takes 3,500 calories to gain or lose a pound of fat; that’s nearly impossible to do in a day.

So, if you get an unexpected scale reading, take it with a grain of bloat-inducing salt. And remember, it’s just a number. Don’t let it make or break your day.

Body fat is the only true way to measure the composition of your body, and track real progress, so to get your body fat checked, make an appointment.

Guest Post: Meet Kelly Turner. Gasp! A Girl!

January 12, 2010 in Fitness by Dave | No comments

Female_weights

Yeah, that’s not me.


Ahhh, time for some estrogen up in here.

My name is Kelly Turner, I am an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and health and fitness writer.  Dave asked me to post on the blog every so often to offer a fresh, female perspective on everything fitness, to which I happily agreed (cause you know you can’t say no to Dave, right?)

To start things off right, I’m going to complain about fitness for a bit.  Yes, I have devoted my life and career to fitness and healthy living, but there are a few things about the fitness industry that drive me insane, especially as a woman.

I mainly blame the misinformation about fitness on women’s fitness magazines.  You know who you are.  First, they assume that every woman wants to lose weight, which I find insulting. I’ve stopped reading you, magazines, because even though I do not need to lose weight, you keep telling me I do.  Therefore, you are not allowed in my house.  I get enough of that from the TV and internet and I will not let anyone tell me how I should look.

My biggest gripe with those magazines, though, is that they shove all women into a box, and then give them The Perfect Workout and Diet Plan (even though they have no idea what your goals, injuries, health, weight, age and attention span is) which goes against what, you know, actually works. They shout “cardio and cutting calories!” with every article and whisper about strength training, or their version of it, which usually caps at 5 pound dumbbells.  Or a towel.  How the hell do you work out with a towel?

Ladies, weights are your friends.

Do not be scared of weights.

Weights are what gives you that awesome tricep line that will have you wearing halter tops in the winter.  Weights are what will lift your butt higher than any surgery could ever hope to.  Weights are what will get your metabolism running it’s fastest, your heart rate up higher than any treadmill, and give you the satsifaction of knowing you can carry your kids, the groceries and your purse all while fighting off a would-be attacker.

And guess what? The heavier the weights, the better.  But what about bulking up!?  What about building so much muscle I can’t fit through a doorway straight on?   Short answer: what crack pot gave you that idea, and anyways you don’t have enough testosterone.  For my mildly professional answer: click here.

Here is the truth:

Cardio will burn some calories, which may result in weight loss, but you are just going to be a smaller version of your soft self.  Soft is not attractive.  Firm and ripped and confident are attractive. I’m 5′6″, 120 pounds but, while I have a smaller frame, I love me some heavy weights and it shows.  Not to toot my horn, but I have the 6 pack, I have the Kelly Ripa arms, and I can lift more than most people think- and I can tell you, cardio had nothing to do with it.  I fell in love with weights because they are the only way you can truly change your body shape, which is actually what most women who say they want to lose weight are looking for.

I view my job as a personal trainer as being responsible for teaching clients everything I know about fitness so they can weed out the crap information they get other places, go into a gym setting and be comfortable because they know exactly what to do, how to do it, and where to go from there once it becomes too easy.  I feel women struggle with this most because they get a watered down version of what true fitness looks like.  With my next upcoming posts, I will smash common fitness myths and misconceptions that have women chained to their treadmills and calorie counters with nothing to show for it.  Maybe you guys will even learn a little something, too.

Kelly Turner is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and health and fitness writer from Seattle, WA.  Her writing has appeared in numerous magazines, and she currently blogs for Breathe Magazine, Kidglue.com is the Health and Fitness Expert for Twirlit.com and feature fitness writer for FitPeeps.com.  To contact Kelly with any questions, you email her at kellycturner@hotmail.com.

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The Best of The Body Firm 2009

January 1, 2010 in Club News, Fitness, Motivation by Dave | No comments

large_HappyNewYear2

Happy New Year!

If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you behaved yourself last night because it’s hard to look at a computer screen with a splitting headache.

2009 is over, and one of the most exciting things about it for me was starting this blog.  I wanted a place where clients and the public as a whole could come and find inspiration, motivation and helpful, reliable information about health and fitness.

Lace up your walking shoes, and let’s take a stroll down memory lane, visiting the best of Body Firm Blog in 2009.

We learned how to set ourselves up for success by not testing our will with unnecessary temptation

The Alcohol Survival guide is the key to being able to party while remaining calorie conscious

Morning Training- It’s just so good

Low on motivation?  Never again.

Ready, Fire, Aim!

You can control time

Are you a slave to your body?

Get slapped across the face with some hard truths about weight loss

Could you run 100 miles? He did.

Choose the right partner

Blast fat fast with a big HIIT

Quit blaming muscle for not losing weight

Are you even thinking about making an excuse?

Reward yourself right


The Big Hairy Audacious Goal- what it means for you in 2010.

December 29, 2009 in Fitness, Motivation, Tips and Tricks by Dave | 1 comment

Who is this post for?
If you’re in decent shape. You’ve reached you initial goals that got you off your butt in the first place. You’ve been training for a while maybe even a long while. You’ve got a handle on your eating and while training isn’t exactly easy you’d like a bit more motivation. Lets call it the “what’s next?” question.

It’s time to set your Big Hairy Audacious Goal(BHAG). I stole the BHAG from business management but it works for individuals too. The BHAG is something far from easy but reachable with much effort. You’ll use what you have now and build upon this foundation to get to the BHAG.
Examples of BHAG’s-

1.Triathlons: any distance is a challenge. Combine Swimming, Cycling, and Running and you’ve got a goal you can believe in. Type A+ personalities do this at your own risk of addiction.

2. Road Races: 5ks- Marathon’s(Cowtown Marathon is right here!) to Marathons in Europe(couple of clients did these in 2009 and loved! the travel and adventure).

3. Ultra-Marathons: got a marathon under your belt? Go longer like 50k or 50 miles to start. The El-Scorcho 25k and 50k is right here in Fort Worth during the summer. I do this one myself. And I get nausea just thinking about it! Good Times!

4.Trekking, Mountain Climbing- You can put these trips together yourself or go to a trusted provider like Backwoods Adventures(Fort Worth) and hike Yellowstone National Park or Utah parks or Trek on one of 4 different Continents.

5. Adventure Vacations: where you have to show it off like Hawaii. Or a Vacation where you have to use it or lose it like Scuba Diving, Skiing, or Snow Boarding

7. Adventure Racing, Mud Runs, Urban Races: all different terrains and all require you to adapt to ever changing environments and challenges.

Two big factors actors make the BHAG so effective to reaching the next level.

First you have to tell others about the event or trip. These type of events can’t be done in private. This is the accountability factor. In a good way. “I’ve already told everyone” will get you out of bed many many mornings.

And the second big factor is the deadline element.It’s the forcing mechanism behind the goal.You’ve made the investment in registration, travel and hotels.
You cannot move the date of the trip or the start of the race back. It’s your deadline. You will surprise yourself at what adjustments you’ll make to be ready on time.

Chose your BHAG. Set the dates. Make the reservations. And tell your friends.

BTW you will never “be” ready. And there never is a “right time”.
So
just
do
it
NOW.

Hope this helps some of my veterans and those coming in that need that extra motivation. 2010 is your year baby. Let’s make it a good one!

Dedicated to Your Success,
Dave

P.s. I know you’re thinking “What about the cost?” A very smart friend of mine says “Collect Experiences Not Things”. With this philosophy he lives a life most people only dream about. Because he got it right. This is an investment in you. To see how good you can really be. I think you’ll surprise yourself.

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My Wife Likes to Travel on the Heaviest Travel Days of the Year. I don’t know why.

December 24, 2009 in Fitness, Motivation, Tips and Tricks by Dave | 1 comment


Out of town for the Holidays!

If you can’t tell from the pics above We (Tracy, Baby Girl, Gracie, and The Boy) traveled overnight to meet-up with family for Christmas.

Travel events to date.
1. Left an entire suitcase! in the car at DFW.
2. One Stuffed Dog left at luggage pick-up.
3. One GPS unit destroyed.(Don’t ask)

Not a bad start all and all.

What’s this have to do with fitness?

Well if you want to travel with small children. You better be in good shape . Because it’s Exhausting!

Seriously combine travel and the Holidays and you get all kinds of workout consistency problems.

I can give you a couple tips for pulling off flying and travel and not destroying your progress.

(Pro-Tip: plan where you’ll train before you leave town. Google your destination address and the word fitness or gym. That will give you the closest facilities available. Call ahead and get the details on visitor passes and holiday hours.)

1. For a flight, stock up on healthy snacks for the road. Air. Whatever. While you might love your airline pretzels, they aren’t going to hold you over for long.

2. Flying will dehydrate you. Carry an empty water bottle through security and fill it on the other side. Drink plenty of water. Pass on sodas, and especially alcohol(that’s for later), and opt for sparkling or regular water when the drink cart comes around.

3. Best tip is the simplest. Workout before you head to air port. Travel can be, even for the best prepared, stressful. Getting your workout in early can help you deal with airline stress, and help make your trip a smooth one. It will be one less thing to worry about. And you’ll have done at least one thing to preserve your health that day.

Here’s to your safe travel!

I Hope You All Have a Great Great Holiday!

Dedicated to Your Success,
Dave

Fort Worth Running Company: Run Strong Presentation

December 9, 2009 in Club News, Fitness, Q and A, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized by Dave | No comments

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Great night last night!

Thanks to Jim and James for letting me speak to their training groups last night.

Thanks to Ryan Valdez for talking about what the program has done for him and his running.

Here’s the bottom line for runners and resistance work.

To be a better runner, the first and most important element is to run more.

The question isn’t whether to do resistance training or do more miles. The reason to strength train is to be able to do more miles without injury. And then to use that strength to run faster and/or farther than before.

Dedicated to Your Success,
Dave

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Hard Truths about Weight Loss

October 20, 2009 in Fitness, Health, Nutrition by Dave | No comments

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Losing weight, in theory, is easy:  eat less, move more and cut the crap.  Actually doing this, however, can be more difficult.  Change is hard.  Changing habits is hard- especially habits you find enjoyable: ie. eating sugary and fattening foods.

The truth hurts- losing weight is going to be uncomfortable, its going to take work, and its going to be hard.  No tiptoeing around it- you are going to have to make decisions everyday you don’t want to make.

This is why the fitness fad industry is so huge: people don’t want to work hard- they want quick results.  This is also why we are still a morbidly obese country- people want results without putting in any work or making any changes.

So, sorry, but its time for some hard truths about weight loss.  No more excuses, and no promises on my end that its going to be easy.  These are the facts when it comes to weight loss:

You have to exercise more than you think.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week.   While this is great for heart health, if you are looking to lose weight or maintain weight loss have to do more—about an hour a day.

Things like taking the stairs, walking the dog, and gardening are great ways to boost your activity level, but losing serious weight means exercising regularly for an hour or so. Its all about intensity- don’t fool yourself into thinking your everyday activities will equal weight loss.

A 30 minute walk doesn’t equal a cookie.

If you exercise, you do not deserve a treat, for two reasons. One: the whole reason you are exercising is to create a calorie deficit so you can lose weight. If you eat back those calories, that workout did you nothing. Two: People overestimate the amount of calories you burn. A 30 minute walk will burn about 100 calories- and that’s if you are pushing yourself hard. Chances are, if you “reward” yourself with a treat, you are going to eat more calories than you burned, causing gain.

Eating more won’t help you lose weight.

This is a marketing ploy. You hear this most about calcium- usually milk and yogurt, but eating more of these things will not help you lose weight. Eating more of anything is not going to help you gain weight. Eating more is what got you into trouble in the first place. There are no magic foods. You need to eat less, period.

There is no end in sight.

You hear it all the time: this isn’t a diet, its a lifestyle. It’s true. You are never going to be able to eat whatever you want. You are never going to be able to eat crap and feel good and not gain weight. Whether you are just losing weight, or have a lost a significant amount of weight 10 years ago, you are never going to be able to go back to your bad habits. Everyone has to eat healthy, no one can over eat, and everyone has to exercise for the rest of their lives. Get used to it now, and find a way to enjoy it, because whether you are fat or thin, hit your goal or far away from it, you have to eat healthy and exercise.

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