Archive for Fitness
Pimpin’ for Profit: Any difference between a drug dealer and a personal trainer?
Posted by: | CommentsThis is a true story…nothing I write is fabricated and I always bring the real! What’s the difference between a drug dealer and a personal trainer? I say there is no difference and here’s why.
The Metamorphosis
Posted by: | Comments“Everyone wants change but few people want to change.” -Dan Kennedy
I started my fitness journey after my mother died in 2005. I remember it like it was yesterday because she passed away the day after Thanksgiving. The reason why I remember it so well was because my mother was the organizer of the family. She told everyone what to cook and what time we would eat and made sure the dinner ran smoothly. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who felt unorganized on Thanksgiving day with her not being there. I looked around at my other family members and something just wasn’t right. I could only think to myself, “My mother is in the hospital and she’s not doing well.” The day after a day which was supposed to be filled with gratitude I couldn’t seem to be thankful for anything because my mother was taken away from me. I’ve always been one of those people who believe things happen for a reason and now that I look back on it, I firmly believe my mother’s dying wasn’t in vain.
I am perfect… you should be too!
Posted by: | Comments“When you aim for perfection, you discover it’s a moving target.” ~George Fisher
This post is inspired by a recent email I received from Sarah Ripple. Sarah is the owner of Ripple Effect Fitness in Baton Rouge Louisiana. You can take a look at Sarah’s BLOG. Sarah tells it like it is and doesn’t sugarcoat anything so consider yourself warned!
Me at my Perfect Weight
Is perfection attainable or is it just marketable? I happen to think it is marketable and I’ll tell you exactly why. If you look on the cover of magazines, you’ll find a society obsessed with perfection. Things just look better perfect, don’t they? For instance, have you ever seen a celebrity and your image of them is what you see on the cover of a magazine? You finally get a chance to meet them and they look nothing like the magazine. They are either too short or had tons of blemishes on their face that were “photoshopped” out. How did you feel? I have experienced this myself and I can tell you I was thoroughly disappointed. Do you see now why I say perfection is a marketable thing? People want to believe things are perfect but if you’ve spent any amount of time on this earth you know nothing is. I like to say things are perfectly “imperfect.”
The perfect trap
Yup… nothing is perfect and if it is, we spend loads of time looking for the one imperfection. For instance, Chris Brown was the apple of every female’s eye until they found out he allegedly beat Rhianna. The tabloids had a field day with this because they could finally poke a hole in his gold plated armor. I don’t condone what he did, but I think it made him human. To be human is to be flawed either physically or emotionally. The same can be said about Tiger Woods and any other star. The question should be why do we promote perfection and
why do we buy into it?
The Perfect Trainer in 2004
The perfect trainer
Is their a perfect fitness trainer out there? People would like to think so but I don’t. I’ll never lie to a client and tell them I eat “clean” all the time. I like cakes, cookies, and pies just like they do and at times, I do indulge. I want people to see me as human and vulnerable just like them. Oh, and your superhuman personal trainer might be on steroids or might be going home “scarfing” down pizza like it is going out of style. This is just the reality of it, but keep this in mind: you are what you do consistently! I don’t consistently eat alot of junk food and I don’t consistently play into the “perfect” trainer image although those around me perceive me that way. Hell… I have seen people gasped when I pick up a cookie like the world was “gonna” end. I ‘m sorry I had to blow their image of me but I prefer to be human and I gots to have my cookies! 
. Be careful of the “superhuman” trainer because it can lead to issues. In my opinion, if a trainer can’t see himself or herself as imperfect, they will have a hard time relating to a client who is. This leaves the client feeling less than good enough and ensures the client- trainer connection will be “short circuited” before it even begins. Everyone likes to know a person walked a day in their shoes and can relate to them.
Pushback from Perfection
My take on perfection is twofold. The illusion of perfection will always keep you from taking action. It will keep you paralyzed! I talk to people all the time who want the perfect diet and workout. There is none. The object is to get going and take action! My other issue with perfectionism is it can kill someone’s self esteem because they can’t and won’t live up to being perfect. The idea is to build up and not tear down. Here’s an idea : accept your flaws as they bring confidence and make you wonderfully human. It’s as simple as that. Accept your imperfections as they are uniquely yours and what might be looked at as a “flaw” by you might be a strength in another eyes and you never know who’s watching you. This can be said for client and trainer. Until next time, see you on the lean side!
Darren McDuffie
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Certified Nutrition and Weight Management Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist
Exercise Training: Is Walking Enough?
Posted by: | CommentsI live in paradise. South Florida is warm almost all year round and its a great place to live if you are health conscious like I am. One of the things I notice in my neighborhood every morning before I head to work are people walking. I see them walking along the street, walking in the parks, walking everywhere. Get the picture? I had a thought the other day and I wanted to share it with you. Is walking enough? What do you think?
The body can adapt to exercise very quickly. You have to vary the stimulus on your body over time to see results. If you are walking at the same pace every day, chances are you aren’t varying the stimulus enough to see greater results. I see most “walkers” going the same pace all the time and over a period of weeks they still look the same. There is no fat loss and there is no overall improvement in cardiovascular health. Walking at the same pace every day is just “maintenance” at best, but at least it is exercise. If you want to vary the stimulus on the body, then walk a further distance and vary your walking speed or even your weight. How can you vary your weight when you walk? You can carry a set of dumbbells or even buy a weight vest to increase your weight. You might also try varying your walking elevation by walking up hills or if on a treadmill changing the incline. Walking is enough if all you want to maintain is your present levels of fitness, but if you want to improve you need to add something to it. Until next time, see you on the lean side.
Darren McDuffie
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Certified Nutrition and Weight Management Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist
Exercise Training: Women and Exercise… 1 hour?
Posted by: | CommentsI rarely watch the News. Why? I think the News is negative and I want to stay away from negative things. I do think things happen for a reason. I happened to be watching the news the other day and saw a report which commented on women and exercise. The report was quite disturbing as it put a negative spin on women and weight loss. In the report, it explained how women are likely to put on weight as they age. Hello! Men and women are likely to put on weight is they age. I know women may have some special circumstances such as childbirth and hormones that might work against them but maintaining and losing weight is realistic.
For the most part, we all live sedentary lives. Exercise is more important as we grow older and for women it can be the difference between gaining pounds or maintaining an ideal weight. Women will gain weight as result of childbirth and this is unavoidable but I think the female population suffers from a lack of knowledge when it comes to fitness. What do I mean by this? For example in the report I watched and later read, it made the point of convincing women an hour of exercise is too much. You might even think so as you are reading this but the fact is it really isn’t too much time if used wisely. How do you use it wisely?
As a woman ages, “strength training” becomes important. Many women are afraid to pick up a weight or lack the knowledge to use weight machines in an effective manner. This is why females are more susceptible to all the crazy diets. Here is the truth in simple terms. If women participate in a progressive strength training program it is much easier to maintain weight or lose weight if so desired. Women and men need to be educated about the right foods to eat and sadly most don’t have a clue when it comes to this. An hour a day is not too much to exercise if you have a plan and know exactly what to do. Time is a four letter word but when the time is spent wisely and not haphazardly its not a waste. We can find the time for anything we want, it just has to be made a priority. Until next time, see you on the lean side.
Darren McDuffie
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Certified Nutrition and Weight Management Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist
