Archive for Fitness
Be an Exercise Chameleon!
Posted by: | CommentsWhy are we so afraid to change? Its the question I ask myself whenever I go to a “commercial gym”. What is a commercial gym, you might be asking? Its the gym you pay a monthly fee to use. I don’t do commercial gyms often but when I do, I always see the same thing. I bet you have seen this and if you haven’t you probably will at some point. Hell… the person I am going to describe might even be you! Here goes… I almost always see the same person doing the same workout they have been doing for months sometimes even years. This same person will inevitably complain about not seeing any results. I usually think “duh”… you are not going to see any results until you change your program and do something different. Why is that?
In case you didn’t know it, your body Will start to adjust to a workout the very first time you do it. This is why your workout actually starts to get easier unless you add more weight, more reps, or sets. I don’t care who you are, this is going to happen. This just doesn’t happen with the weight you lift, it can also happen with your diet. You may need to “tweak” your diet depending on caloric expenditure. You might try to rotate carbs, cutback on carbs, or even add more protein to your diet depending on what you are trying to accomplish. I guess you are getting the picture now, right?
Boooorinnnggg is what I call the same gym routine everyday! Mix it up a little bit. Did you know there aren’t just barbells and dumbells for exercise? You can use resistance bands, sandbags, and tractor tires. All of these methods are unconventional and require your body to adjust and in turn, you get better results. You don’t even have to use barbells or dumbells… what about bodyweight? Yup… those pushups you did in your high school gym class can help you shape a lean frame! There is so much which exists in the fitness world its ashame to waste it on a boring bench press and a barbell curl. I always change my routine and am always looking to challenge myself with something harder and the results are always good. Don’t be afraid to “switch your pitch up” every now and then. Have you changed your routine and got good results? I would like to hear about it. See you on the lean side….Dee
Darren McDuffie
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Nutrition Education and Weight Management Specialist
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Exercise Training for 2010
Posted by: | CommentsHere is a short video I did while watching the Steelers vs. Dolphins game this past Sunday. The Steelers won by the way!!!! In the video, I talk about why people will fail at their fitness goals and what they can do about it. This can also pertain to everything not just fitness. Enjoy!!!! See you on the lean side!
Darren McDuffie
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Nutrition Education and Weight Management Specialist
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
5 fitness Questions
Posted by: | CommentsHappy Holidays!!!! I wanted to wish you and yours the very best for 2010! I have a couple of questions for you that you should seriously thing about…
When are you going to make a commitment to get fit?
When are you going to change your diet?
When are you going to stop making excuses?
When will you realize that tomorrow may never come and you need to start now?
What is your greatest fear?
Until Next time…See you on the lean side!!!!
Happy Holidays to You and a very Happy New Year!!!!!
Darren McDuffie
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Nutrition Education and Weight Management Specialist
Be thin in 2010
Posted by: | CommentsWhat’s up? What are your resolutions for 2010? Do you even have any? Resolutions are a clever way to say goals. So let’s rephrase it, ” What are your goals for 2010?” Now… do you have any of those? I would be willing to bet that over half the people reading this post have no clear defined goals for 2010. I hope I’m wrong!
One of the first jobs I had out of college was in sales. For those of you who don’t know anything about sales, it’s a tough career choice. I think of sales as Life 101 as it certainly teaches you how to deal with rejection and overcome ups and downs. I’ll never forget these words from a sales manger I had early in my career, ” If you get into a car to go on a trip, and don’t have any directions chances are you’ll end up anywhere”. Now, just think about that for a second and then think about a time you wanted something so bad you would do anything to get it. How did you accomplish it? Did you get it? I bet you did! Here is where the magic formula lies… when you focus enough on the “thing” you want, you usually end up getting it. So why don’t most people set goals? Here is what I found scared me away from goals for a number of years and see if anything rings a bell with you:
- It caused me to be committed and accountable- I never wanted to be committed to anything much less be accountable for my actions. It was always better to have an excuse!
- Lazy- why do I have to write anything down? I knew what I wanted in my “head” so there is really no need to write it down
Ever wonder why you see all the reduced rates to join gyms during the month of December and early January? Most people join during this time because their resolution is to get back in shape and lose weight. They start like bats “outta” hell only to quit by mid February less than two months after they joined. This is because they had no well defined goals in mind when they stepped into the gym. Always write your goals down and be specific! What do I mean by that?
- How many pounds do you want to lose? Pick a realistic date to want to lose the weight—deadlines give you something to work for and keep you motivated
- How many days are you going to work out?
- Pick an eating goal—make a commitment to change your diet
See what I mean? When you look in the mirror, the only person responsible in the end for your success is You! Set some written goals and then strive to achieve them, it’s a simple success formula! What are your goals? I would like to hear them! Feel free to leave me a comment. Until next time… See you on the lean side!!!
Tip the scale in your favor!
Posted by: | CommentsI have been very busy with some upcoming surprises I have for the blog, but I wanted to “post” today for you. I am constantly bombarded by questions from people regarding resistance training, diets, etc. but there is always one question that constantly comes up: Why am I gaining weight when I am suppose to be losing weight, or why is there no change in my weight when I workout? There is a very simple answer to this. Pay attention!
Many trainers will tell you muscle weighs more than fat, but this isn’t necessarily true. Muscle is more dense than fat which means by volume, it seems to weigh more but it really doesn’t at all. In fact, a pound of muscle actually occupies less space then a pound of fat, hence it is possible to maintain the weight you have or gain more even though you are working out. Is it making sense now?
It is very essential to build muscle because the more muscle you have, the more your fat burning furnace is “revved up”. This will help in the long turn to keep the weight off! Remember…muscle occupies less space than fat does, so you’ll see the difference in the way your clothes fit and a change in the way you look! Don’t worry so much about the scale as scales only measure total body composition and not the components of that composition such as lean body mass. Does this make sense? Leave me a comment! See you on the lean side…Dee
Darren McDuffie
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Nutrition Education and Weight Management Specialist
