Archive for Gyms
Be an Exercise Chameleon!
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Why 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
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!!!
Time Magazine bashes Exercise
Posted by: | CommentsIn the article “Why Exercise Won‘t Make You Thin”, the author’s main point for why he is not losing any weight is exercise stimulates hunger. He states after exercise he gets hungry. The next question out of my mouth would be, ” What are you eating when you’re hungry?” I would be willing to bet it wouldn’t be considered “clean eating!” I did a blog post a few weeks ago titled ” You can’t out train a bad diet”. Go read this post if you haven’t and you’ll get an understanding of what I am talking about now. Diet and exercise must go hand in hand if you are to accomplish your weigh loss goals. You cannot eat hot dogs, pizza, and wash it down with soda pop and expect to lose weight. If you do this after working out, I promise you you’ll either gain weight or at best maintain the weight you already have. The equation is really quite simple: to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume. Those calories need to come from fruits, vegetables, and good carbs!
I’ll end on this and I said it last post; beware of what you see and hear…always look for facts. For instance, in the article the author tells the story of some friends jogging who complain about losing weight. Guess what they are eating after they finish their run? Muffins! I cannot believe this. Exercise and diet are synergistic catalysts for weight loss, one without the other just won’t work. See you on the lean side…Dee
Click here to read Time Magazine article
Darren McDuffie
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist
Ceritifed Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Nutrition Education and Weight Management Specialist
Michael Jackson’s death blamed on exercise?
Posted by: | CommentsI had to write about this as it struck a nerve with me! Michael Jackson was finally laid to rest a week ago. I happen to be combing the internet and noticed several articles linking exercise to Michael’s death. I couldn’t believe it! The articles I saw said Michael was pushing himself too much to get into shape for his upcoming tour. How the hell could they blame it on exercise?
Lou Ferrigno who played the Incredible Hulk, was enlisted as a personal trainer for Michael to get him ready for his upcoming tour. Lou claimed Michael couldn’t even lift the lightest of weights and his body was too frail. This was before exercise, what could have been done during exercise that may have contributed to his death? It has been my experience that exercise doesn’t cause death, preexisting conditions do. Most people don’t know or don’t even care to do a physical exam before they exercise. Physical exams are good for detecting hypertension and heart conditions amongst other things. Hypertension and heart condtions can definitely be detrimental when combined with exercise. This is a no brainer! Apparently, MJ had a battery of tests that cleared him to engage in exercise. I wonder what the tests were and furthermore did his physicians know the effects of exercise on the body? You’ll be suprise to know most physicians don’t know what happens to the body when it encounters excercise. From a personal training standpoint, did Lou Ferrigno perform his own tests to make sure Michael was fit for exercise? A good personal trainer’s job is to be a “suspectician” by performing additional tests such as blood pressure and observing the client and noting any changes in heart rate, etc.
I seriously doubt Michael Jackson’s death had anything to do with excersise. I won’t speculate what it may have been… its not my job. I can tell you one thing.. believe half of what you see and none of what you hear. See you on the lean side…Dee
