Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
You're Not Too Old or Too Out Of Shape
I have a personal training client who started out as a real novice. She'd never participated in sports or been very active. She works hard (because she knows she has to or I'd fire her as a client :-) ) and in the few months she been working with me, her fitness level has improved tremendously.
Unfortunately, she can be a whiner. (I'm not telling tales out of school; it's actually kind of a running joke.) The other day I wanted her to finish up her workout with a bodyweight circuit rather than cardio intervals. You'd have thought I'd suggested she run a marathon.
Anyway, one of my gym members happened to be finishing up her strength training and I asked if she wanted to do the circuit with my client. I thought it might help the client to have some company in her "misery". I also hoped that the fact that the member was 77 years old and was willing to give it a go might decrease the whining.
These are the 4 exercises in the circuit:
* Prisoner Squats
* Standing Medicine Ball Shoulder Press
* Lying Hip Bridge
* Mountain Climbers
To make it a little easier, I set my GymBoss for 20 second intervals (rather than 20:10 Tabatas). So, they did as many Prisoner Squats as they could in 20 seconds (with good form, of course), rested 20 seconds, did 20 seconds of Standing M.B. Shoulder Presses, rested 20 seconds, etc.
They both completed the circuit 4 times straight through and got a great cardio workout in just shy of 11 minutes.
The kicker? Janet, my 77 year old member, asked me to review the circuit with her because she wanted to do it again today! Go Janet!
Here she is in action...
Prisoner Squat
Medicine Ball
Shoulder Press
Lying Hip Bridge
Mountain Climbers
Tell me again why you're not exercising regularly.
Unfortunately, she can be a whiner. (I'm not telling tales out of school; it's actually kind of a running joke.) The other day I wanted her to finish up her workout with a bodyweight circuit rather than cardio intervals. You'd have thought I'd suggested she run a marathon.
Anyway, one of my gym members happened to be finishing up her strength training and I asked if she wanted to do the circuit with my client. I thought it might help the client to have some company in her "misery". I also hoped that the fact that the member was 77 years old and was willing to give it a go might decrease the whining.
These are the 4 exercises in the circuit:
* Prisoner Squats
* Standing Medicine Ball Shoulder Press
* Lying Hip Bridge
* Mountain Climbers
To make it a little easier, I set my GymBoss for 20 second intervals (rather than 20:10 Tabatas). So, they did as many Prisoner Squats as they could in 20 seconds (with good form, of course), rested 20 seconds, did 20 seconds of Standing M.B. Shoulder Presses, rested 20 seconds, etc.
They both completed the circuit 4 times straight through and got a great cardio workout in just shy of 11 minutes.
The kicker? Janet, my 77 year old member, asked me to review the circuit with her because she wanted to do it again today! Go Janet!
Here she is in action...
Prisoner Squat
Medicine Ball
Shoulder Press
Lying Hip Bridge
Mountain Climbers
Tell me again why you're not exercising regularly.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Forget The !@#$% Scale!
Prepare for a rant.
This morning, on a private forum I belong to, I saw a post from a woman upset by the fact that she's only lost 2 1/2 pounds a month even though she's been been faithfully following the exercise and nutrition program she's on.
It's understandable that someone who is only eating 1500 calories of healthy food and regularly engaging in challenging workouts would be frustrated at those results, if that were the whole story.
But it's not.
The poster also reported that...
* she's gone down 2 dress sizes
* her body shape has changed and she's lost lots of inches
* loads of people are commenting on her new body
She used the words frustrated, despair, fed up, and despondent to describe her feelings about the number on the scale. She went on to say that she was sure that she could have lost the same amount of weight by sitting on her butt and just dieting.
She probably could have lost 2 1/2 pounds in a month just through eating right. I'm the first person to remind members, clients and anyone else who will listen that you can't out-train a bad diet but there's no way her body would look as good as it currently does had she skipped the exercise. (And that's not even going into the other mental, physical and emotional benefits of regular workouts.)
I honestly don't understand why women insist on getting hung up on the scale.
If you're overweight, isn't your bottom line goal to get smaller? To improve your body composition (less fat, more muscle)? To fit into clothes you haven't worn in a while? To take pressure off your joints and internal organs? To comfortably sit in theater and airplane seats, etc.
If that's happening, why obsess over the number on the scale?
This woman is doing great.
She's down 2 sizes and lots of inches!
Loads of people are noticing her improvements!
Why would she possibly be "despondent"?
Although it may sound like it, I'm writing this not just to beat up on this forum member. I hear the same thing from people far too often and it frustrates and confuses me.
When you get down to it, would you rather be a size 18 and weigh 125 lbs. or a size 6 and weigh 140?
Forget the scale.
This morning, on a private forum I belong to, I saw a post from a woman upset by the fact that she's only lost 2 1/2 pounds a month even though she's been been faithfully following the exercise and nutrition program she's on.
It's understandable that someone who is only eating 1500 calories of healthy food and regularly engaging in challenging workouts would be frustrated at those results, if that were the whole story.
But it's not.
The poster also reported that...
* she's gone down 2 dress sizes
* her body shape has changed and she's lost lots of inches
* loads of people are commenting on her new body
She used the words frustrated, despair, fed up, and despondent to describe her feelings about the number on the scale. She went on to say that she was sure that she could have lost the same amount of weight by sitting on her butt and just dieting.
She probably could have lost 2 1/2 pounds in a month just through eating right. I'm the first person to remind members, clients and anyone else who will listen that you can't out-train a bad diet but there's no way her body would look as good as it currently does had she skipped the exercise. (And that's not even going into the other mental, physical and emotional benefits of regular workouts.)
I honestly don't understand why women insist on getting hung up on the scale.
If you're overweight, isn't your bottom line goal to get smaller? To improve your body composition (less fat, more muscle)? To fit into clothes you haven't worn in a while? To take pressure off your joints and internal organs? To comfortably sit in theater and airplane seats, etc.
If that's happening, why obsess over the number on the scale?
This woman is doing great.
She's down 2 sizes and lots of inches!
Loads of people are noticing her improvements!
Why would she possibly be "despondent"?
Although it may sound like it, I'm writing this not just to beat up on this forum member. I hear the same thing from people far too often and it frustrates and confuses me.
When you get down to it, would you rather be a size 18 and weigh 125 lbs. or a size 6 and weigh 140?
Forget the scale.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Try This Upper Back Stretch
A lot of women hold their tension in their upper back.
Here's a post I recently ran across on fitsugar that might help.
After all those push-ups and side-arm raises you do, I'm sure your shoulders and upper body could use a nice stretch. This one is really easy to do, and it targets your upper back instantly. All you need is a sturdy chair with four legs. If you're at work or sitting just on the couch, why not give this a try?
* Sit on the very edge of a chair. Separate your feet so your knees are a little wider than your shoulders.
* Lean your torso forward and bring your arms inside your legs. Wrap your hands around your calves and try to reach your fingertips in front of your ankles.
* Use your hands to gently pull the torso though your legs to open your shoulders and stretch your upper back.
* Hold there for 30 seconds then lift your torso up to a seated position.
Let me know what you think of this stretch. - Mickey
.
Here's a post I recently ran across on fitsugar that might help.
After all those push-ups and side-arm raises you do, I'm sure your shoulders and upper body could use a nice stretch. This one is really easy to do, and it targets your upper back instantly. All you need is a sturdy chair with four legs. If you're at work or sitting just on the couch, why not give this a try?
* Sit on the very edge of a chair. Separate your feet so your knees are a little wider than your shoulders.
* Lean your torso forward and bring your arms inside your legs. Wrap your hands around your calves and try to reach your fingertips in front of your ankles.
* Use your hands to gently pull the torso though your legs to open your shoulders and stretch your upper back.
* Hold there for 30 seconds then lift your torso up to a seated position.
Let me know what you think of this stretch. - Mickey
.
Friday, October 24, 2008
68 Year Old Grandma Chases Down Thief
Another Reason To Get and Stay Fit. Yea, Janet!
Granny Janet Lane runs teenager to ground over snatched pension
The Times
Simon de Bruxelles
It was an unequal chase: a 68-year-old grandmother against a teenage thief who had just run off with her bag.
The bag-snatcher had no chance.
Janet Lane was sitting on a park bench when three teenagers grabbed her handbag containing £100 in cash, her mobile phone, an umbrella, a first-aid kit and a present that she had just bought for a friend.
What the thief did not know was that Mrs Lane had won the Yorkshire cross-country championship as a schoolgirl in 1953 and had kept herself in shape ever since.
As he and his two accomplices ran away, Mrs Lane set off in pursuit, chasing them 100 metres across a park and into the grounds of a hotel. Despite wearing sandals, the 5ft 6in (1.68m) tall grandmother managed to catch up and grabbed one of the youths by the collar. The youth, aged about 15, dropped her bag and begged to be let go. All three escaped empty-handed.
Mrs Lane, a retired nurse, said: “Those boys saw a little old lady and thought I was easy pickings, but there was no way I was going to sit there and let them get away with it. I was so angry when they took it. I had been to collect my pension and I had water rates to pay with that money.
“My first reaction was, ‘They are not having my bag'. I used to be a very good runner when I was younger so I just got up and ran after them.”
Mrs Lane, a divorced grandmother of two, had her bag stolen as she sat on a bench near the Riviera International Centre in Torquay, Devon.
She said: “I had my shopping bag with me by my side and I turned around, looking for my friend, Sue, who would be coming around the corner. The boys came up to me and asked for a cigarette but I said no. They must have been checking if I had anything worth stealing. They must have come back and I felt a whooshing movement and I saw a boy in a grey hooded top take my bag.”
A spokesman at the Inglewood Hotel, in Torquay, where Mrs Lane chased them to ground, said: “There was quite a commotion outside as the lady ran by chasing the boys. Her shouting alerted two waiters who were putting up decorations and they tried to stop them as well.”
However, Devon and Cornwall Police warned members of the public against following Mrs Lane's example. A spokesman said: “Generally, for safety reasons, we do not actively encourage this kind of behaviour, as you never know what could happen. But we understand this woman is a former cross-country runner and did not feel able to let it go.”
The police are continuing their inquiries.
Granny Janet Lane runs teenager to ground over snatched pension
The Times
Simon de Bruxelles
It was an unequal chase: a 68-year-old grandmother against a teenage thief who had just run off with her bag.
The bag-snatcher had no chance.
Janet Lane was sitting on a park bench when three teenagers grabbed her handbag containing £100 in cash, her mobile phone, an umbrella, a first-aid kit and a present that she had just bought for a friend.
What the thief did not know was that Mrs Lane had won the Yorkshire cross-country championship as a schoolgirl in 1953 and had kept herself in shape ever since.
As he and his two accomplices ran away, Mrs Lane set off in pursuit, chasing them 100 metres across a park and into the grounds of a hotel. Despite wearing sandals, the 5ft 6in (1.68m) tall grandmother managed to catch up and grabbed one of the youths by the collar. The youth, aged about 15, dropped her bag and begged to be let go. All three escaped empty-handed.
Mrs Lane, a retired nurse, said: “Those boys saw a little old lady and thought I was easy pickings, but there was no way I was going to sit there and let them get away with it. I was so angry when they took it. I had been to collect my pension and I had water rates to pay with that money.
“My first reaction was, ‘They are not having my bag'. I used to be a very good runner when I was younger so I just got up and ran after them.”
Mrs Lane, a divorced grandmother of two, had her bag stolen as she sat on a bench near the Riviera International Centre in Torquay, Devon.
She said: “I had my shopping bag with me by my side and I turned around, looking for my friend, Sue, who would be coming around the corner. The boys came up to me and asked for a cigarette but I said no. They must have been checking if I had anything worth stealing. They must have come back and I felt a whooshing movement and I saw a boy in a grey hooded top take my bag.”
A spokesman at the Inglewood Hotel, in Torquay, where Mrs Lane chased them to ground, said: “There was quite a commotion outside as the lady ran by chasing the boys. Her shouting alerted two waiters who were putting up decorations and they tried to stop them as well.”
However, Devon and Cornwall Police warned members of the public against following Mrs Lane's example. A spokesman said: “Generally, for safety reasons, we do not actively encourage this kind of behaviour, as you never know what could happen. But we understand this woman is a former cross-country runner and did not feel able to let it go.”
The police are continuing their inquiries.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
5 Things I Learned From Jillian Michaels by Margarita Bertsos
I recently ran across an article that contained some good advice from Jillian Michaels. While I disagree with her that running melts the pounds off, based on how I've seen her train on The Biggest Loser, I'm not sure that her complete thoughts were printed.
Why don't I think running is the key to losing weight? If it's such a great fat burning exercise, why do you see so many overweight people participating in races, including marathons?
Anyway, I like the rest of Jillian's comments so here's the article.
For the original post, with all the live links:
5 things I learned from Jillian Michaels
by Margarita Bertsos
I met Jillian Michaels yesterday; she's one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser--and my new favorite person.
Here's what she had to say.
1.) DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR SELF-PRESERVATION.
I told Jillian that some of my habits--flushing rice down the toilet so I won't eat it, bringing my own high-fiber bread to brunch--stirred some controversy on the blog. "Why?" she asked. "Why should we apologize for the practices that help us manage the symptoms while we deal with the real reasons we eat? I pour candle wax on my food at restaurants," Jillian admitted. "Not wanting to 'waste food' is a poor excuse for ending up far worse off later on, dealing with all the health problems that come with obesity." (Here are a few restaurant do's and dont's to help you maintain your healthy eating goals while dining out.)
2.) RUN.
I asked Jillian if running really is the best form of cardio for weight loss. "Absolutely," she said. "There are lots of great ways to get your heart rate up, but if you want to see the pounds melt off, running is the fastest way. But I get that not everyone is built for it--knee problems, tight IT bands, heel spurs; I get it." Whatever you do, she said, "Don't forget the weights! The more muscle you build, the faster your metabolism will run."(What's better running outdoors or on a treadmill?)
3.) THE BIGGEST LOSER IS NOT REALITY.
"You don't watch the Olympics and think, Hmm, I should swim for 6 hours a day like Michael Phelps, do you? But you might think about joining a pool and swimming a few times a week," she said. That's what Jillian wants people watching TBL to think, too: "If these people can lose ten pounds in two weeks, maybe I can lose ten pounds in a couple of months." She adds: "I want people to realize their own potential; I meet people all the time who never thought of themselves as athletic, but now? They truly are athletes."
4.) FORGET WILLPOWER.
"Losing weight is not about willpower--it's about moments of bravado, like the moment when you ask your waiter to take the bread away from the table right away."
5.) JUST SAY THANK YOU.
When I told Jillian how much weight I've lost, she congratulated me. And then (as I always do), I added, "But I still have a long way to go." "Stop," she said. "What does that do," she said, "apart from negate everything you've already accomplished? You're being self-deprecating and disempowering, and that doesn't serve anyone-and especially not you. Be proud of what you've done for yourself."
Got it, Jillian. Thank you! :- )
What do you guys think--is weight loss about willpower? I happen to agree with Jillian and think it's NOT. It's not about gritting your teeth and finding the strength "deep within you"--I think that's B.S. and will leave many people feeling really bad that they can't find it. They key, I think, is to set up your environment and make decisions so that you can succeed even when willpower is nowhere to be found.
Margarita Bertsos
Why don't I think running is the key to losing weight? If it's such a great fat burning exercise, why do you see so many overweight people participating in races, including marathons?
Anyway, I like the rest of Jillian's comments so here's the article.
For the original post, with all the live links:
5 things I learned from Jillian Michaels
by Margarita Bertsos
I met Jillian Michaels yesterday; she's one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser--and my new favorite person.
Here's what she had to say.
1.) DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR SELF-PRESERVATION.
I told Jillian that some of my habits--flushing rice down the toilet so I won't eat it, bringing my own high-fiber bread to brunch--stirred some controversy on the blog. "Why?" she asked. "Why should we apologize for the practices that help us manage the symptoms while we deal with the real reasons we eat? I pour candle wax on my food at restaurants," Jillian admitted. "Not wanting to 'waste food' is a poor excuse for ending up far worse off later on, dealing with all the health problems that come with obesity." (Here are a few restaurant do's and dont's to help you maintain your healthy eating goals while dining out.)
2.) RUN.
I asked Jillian if running really is the best form of cardio for weight loss. "Absolutely," she said. "There are lots of great ways to get your heart rate up, but if you want to see the pounds melt off, running is the fastest way. But I get that not everyone is built for it--knee problems, tight IT bands, heel spurs; I get it." Whatever you do, she said, "Don't forget the weights! The more muscle you build, the faster your metabolism will run."(What's better running outdoors or on a treadmill?)
3.) THE BIGGEST LOSER IS NOT REALITY.
"You don't watch the Olympics and think, Hmm, I should swim for 6 hours a day like Michael Phelps, do you? But you might think about joining a pool and swimming a few times a week," she said. That's what Jillian wants people watching TBL to think, too: "If these people can lose ten pounds in two weeks, maybe I can lose ten pounds in a couple of months." She adds: "I want people to realize their own potential; I meet people all the time who never thought of themselves as athletic, but now? They truly are athletes."
4.) FORGET WILLPOWER.
"Losing weight is not about willpower--it's about moments of bravado, like the moment when you ask your waiter to take the bread away from the table right away."
5.) JUST SAY THANK YOU.
When I told Jillian how much weight I've lost, she congratulated me. And then (as I always do), I added, "But I still have a long way to go." "Stop," she said. "What does that do," she said, "apart from negate everything you've already accomplished? You're being self-deprecating and disempowering, and that doesn't serve anyone-and especially not you. Be proud of what you've done for yourself."
Got it, Jillian. Thank you! :- )
What do you guys think--is weight loss about willpower? I happen to agree with Jillian and think it's NOT. It's not about gritting your teeth and finding the strength "deep within you"--I think that's B.S. and will leave many people feeling really bad that they can't find it. They key, I think, is to set up your environment and make decisions so that you can succeed even when willpower is nowhere to be found.
Margarita Bertsos
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
How To Get The Most From Your Interval Training, Part 2
If you've visited No Pink Dumbbells before, you know I'm a big fan of challenging strength training and cardio intervals for fat loss.
The other day, I wrote about a member whose intensity was not high enough during the hard portion of her intervals. On Sunday, I ran into kind of the opposite scenario.
One of my male clients, who I only see once every month or so for a new workout routine, mentioned that his performance really falls off by his 3rd or 4th interval. As we discussed it more, it was obvious why- he was not performing the recovery portion of the intervals correctly.
I see this often on internet forums. Someone reports that they run at 8.5 mph for 30 seconds or a minute and they "recover" at 5.5 or 6.0 mph. Wrong.
It's called recovery for a reason.
If you are running, recovery should be a walk, probably no faster than 3.5 mph. If you are walking fast during the challenging section of the interval, slow down significantly for the easy part. If you're using a stationary bike, lower your resistance. You should be ready for your next interval when it's time to go hard again.
The challenging part of the interval should feel like an 8 or 9 on a scale of 1 to 10; recovery should feel like a 3.
If you don't allow your body to recover properly, you will not be able to push yourself as much and you will not get the best results from your session.
For a more thorough description of how to perform cardio intervals correctly, go here.
The other day, I wrote about a member whose intensity was not high enough during the hard portion of her intervals. On Sunday, I ran into kind of the opposite scenario.
One of my male clients, who I only see once every month or so for a new workout routine, mentioned that his performance really falls off by his 3rd or 4th interval. As we discussed it more, it was obvious why- he was not performing the recovery portion of the intervals correctly.
I see this often on internet forums. Someone reports that they run at 8.5 mph for 30 seconds or a minute and they "recover" at 5.5 or 6.0 mph. Wrong.
It's called recovery for a reason.
If you are running, recovery should be a walk, probably no faster than 3.5 mph. If you are walking fast during the challenging section of the interval, slow down significantly for the easy part. If you're using a stationary bike, lower your resistance. You should be ready for your next interval when it's time to go hard again.
The challenging part of the interval should feel like an 8 or 9 on a scale of 1 to 10; recovery should feel like a 3.
If you don't allow your body to recover properly, you will not be able to push yourself as much and you will not get the best results from your session.
For a more thorough description of how to perform cardio intervals correctly, go here.
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