Fitness Farming and Results!

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Hi Friends,

Today I want to speak to you about patience and farming.  Patience and farming?  What the heck does that have to with fitness?

Patience and farming have everything to do with fitness! Obtaining results in the fitness world is not something that gives us instant dividends.  We all want results instantly, actually we all want results yesterday.  But fact of the matter is, whether we want to hear it or not, reaching optimal fitness levels takes enormous amounts of patients coupled with extremely hard work. Period!

I started thinking about this process of patience and farming recently because it is about this time of year when people begin to get frustrated with the exercise process in terms of seeing results.  It reminded me of an article that I read years ago by a very successful strength and conditioning coach, Mike Boyle.  I went to the wonderful land of Google and have included this article below for you to read.

In the article Boyle uses the farming analogy in regards to fitness, but I also like to think of farming in regards to our attitude and our thoughts.  Our brains are like a farm.   I often tell my clients that every day they have to wake up and “chose your attitude”.  We all have bad days, don’t get me wrong, but we still have a choice to how we respond to those bad days.  If you chose to “plant” negative seeds in your head every day, negativity will eventually sprout.  And that will not only affect your outlook on success but it will also affect the people around you.  We need to make a practice of planting positive seeds into our brains on a daily basis.  Positive seeds of thought grow positive actions.  Alwyn Cosgrove summed it up best by saying, “Psychology trumps physiology every time”.

“Plant the seeds. Feed and water properly.  Wait for results; they will happen, not in days, but in weeks and months.”

Living Life with No Excuses… No Regrets!

Scott

"Training is Like Farming"

I think I remember Stephen Covey in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People making reference to what I believe he called “the law of the farm.” The reference was meant to show that most of the truly good things in life take time and can’t be forced or rushed. Covey described the process of farming and alluded to how it requires patience and diligence to grow crops properly. In addition, farming requires belief in the system. The farmer must believe that all the hard work and preparation will eventually yield a long-term result.
 
As a strength and conditioning coach, business owner and personal trainer, the concept has always stuck with me. The process of exercising is much like farming or like planting a lawn. There are no immediate results from exercise and there are no immediate results from farming.

First, the seeds must be planted. Then fertilizer (nutrition) and water must be applied consistently. Much like fertilizer in farming, too much food can be a detriment to the exerciser. Only the correct amounts cause proper growth. Overfeeding can cause problems, as can underfeeding. As I sit and wait for my lawn to sprout or crops to grow, I feel many of the same frustrations of the new exerciser. When will I see results? How come nothing is happening? All this work and — nothing.
The key is to not quit. Have faith in the process. Continue to add water and wait. Farming and exercising are eerily similar. Continue to exercise and eat well and suddenly a friend or co-worker will say, “Have you lost weight”? Your reaction might be, “It’s about time someone noticed.” Much like the first blades of grass poking through the ground, you begin to see success. You begin to experience positive feedback. Clothes begin to fit differently.

When my friends or clients talk to me about their frustration with their initial lack of progress in an exercise program, I always bring up the farm analogy. We live in a world obsessed with quick fixes and instant results. This is why the farm analogy can be both informative and comforting.
An exercise program must be approached over a period of weeks and months, not days. The reality is that there is no quick fix, no easy way, no magic weight loss plan, no secret cellulite formula. There is only the law of the farm. You will reap what you sow. In reality, you will reap what you sow and care for. If you are consistent and diligent with both diet and exercise, you will eventually see results. 

However, remember, much like fertilizer and water, diet and exercise go together.
Try to grow crops or a lawn without water. No amount of effort will overcome the lack of vital nutrients.
The law of the farm.
Plant the seeds.
Feed and water properly.
Wait for results; they will happen, not in days, but in weeks and months.

Learn More about Mike Boyle:


http://www.FunctionalStrengthCoach3.com
http://www.OnlineBodybyBoyle.com

Urban Legends of Fitness- The Fat Burning Zone

Hey Everyone,
This post is for all you treadmill walkers that think you are burning copious amounts of fat while strolling leisurely on the treadmill in the "Fat Burning Zone".

Mike Boyle does a great job in this article explaining how you can be much more successful in your fat loss endeavors. Read Below.

Living Life with NO Excuses.......No Regrets!!
Scott

Is there a fat burning zone and Does it matter?


If you’ve been reading this blog on a consistent basis you
probably already know where I’m going with this one.

You guessed it. The Fat Burning Zone is another of the urban
legends of fitness.

Does anyone think that when they are in the so-called fat
burning zone that stored bodyfat melts off them like butter?

A little reality therapy is in order. The Fat Burning Zone is
a big fat lie. Here’s the truth.

1- The “fat burning zone” supposedly describes a level of
exercise that results in a larger number of the calories
burned during exercise being derived from fat. This does
not mean that stored bodyfat is the selective source. It only
describes the relative percentage of utilization of three
substrates, fat, carbohydrate and protein.

2- The fat burning zone actually describes what percentage of
calories burned are derived from fat as an energy source.

Do you know when you are burning the most calories from fat? Sorry.
The highest percentage of fat utilization is at rest. The more
intense the exercise becomes, the more carbohydrate is used as
a source.

Guess what. It doesn’t matter. The reality is that it’s about
the number of calories burned, not the number of those calories
that come from fat as a source. If the fat burning zone idea
actually worked we could get extremely lean by simply sitting still.

Guess again. That doesn’t work, does it.

Confused, let’s use a mathematical example.

Lets assume that we have two identical exercisers who are going to
exercise for twenty minutes. Exerciser one is doing a slow walk to
stay “in the fat burning zone”. Exerciser two is going to run hard
for twenty minutes. To keep the example simple we will assume that
exerciser one will derive forty percent of his or her calories from
fat. Exerciser two will move out of the fat burning zone and only
derive 20 percent of his or her calories from fat.

Exerciser one will walk at 3 miles per hour and will cover one
mile in twenty minutes. This will result in a caloric expenditure
of 100 calories with 40 calories coming from fat.

Exerciser two will run at 7.5 miles per hour and will cover 2.5
miles in twenty minutes. This will result in a caloric expenditure
of 250 calories with 50 calories coming from fat.

Hmm, seems interesting. The exerciser in the “fat burning zone”
burned less calories and less calories from fat in the same amount
of time? The exerciser working harder and leaving the fat burning
zone burned 2.5 times as many calories and, 10 more calories from fat.

I rest my case. Figures lie and liars figure. Stop worrying about
burning fat and start worrying about working harder


Yours in strength,

Mike Boyle
http://www.FunctionalStrengthCoach3.com

Is doing Abs a waste of time?

Good Morning Everyone,
Well, one day until the 5 Points of Life Marathon Relay that I have been training for. My team "Out For Blood" is ready to roll!!


I was reading a article by Mike Boyle the other day that I wanted to share with you today. This article is about the #1 questions that we are asked as fitness professionals. "What is the best exercises I can do to get that 6 pack?" I can't tell you how many times I am asked this in the course of a week, and I am always happy to answer. And my answer sounds pretty much exactly like Mikes' response. So, rather that recreate the wheel, I figured I would just re-post his article. I hope you enjoy!

Living life with no Regrets......No Excuses!!
Scott

"Is doing Abs a Waste of Time"

I can’t even tell you how often I hear someone at the end of
the workout say something like “I need to do more abs, I
want to get a six-pack.”

The truth is that passing on a six-pack is a better way to
get a six-pack than six hundred sit-ups. The key to abdominal
definition is the visibility of the abdominal musculature, not the
strength of the muscles.

You can do one million sit-ups, crunches or whatever
exercise you want and it will have no effect on abdominal
definition.

When people ask me the best exercise for abs I tell them
table push-aways.

It usually takes a few minutes for them to get it. It’s not a
joke, it’s the truth. If you want better abs, eat less and train
more but, don’t just train your abs.

The idea of working abs to get abs is one of the oldest
misconceptions in training. This goes back to the old idea
of spot reduction. Spot reduction has never and will never
work. The research has been done over and over and the
answer is always the same.

You can’t decrease the fat layer on a particular area by
working that area. That means that the guys doing sit-ups to
lose abdominal fat and the lady sitting on the adductor
(inner thigh) machine are both wasting their time.

Good total body work is, was, and always will be the key to
fat loss.

Want better abdominal definition?

Finish every workout with some hard interval training
instead of extra sit-ups or crunches. Interval training or
what is currently called High Intensity Interval Training
(abbreviated HIIT) is the real key to fat loss and the resulting
definition.

Interval training burns more calories than steady state aerobic
training and because it is s sprint program you get a sprinters
body.

Abdominal training may potentially reduce the diameter of
the waistline but, will very little to reduce bodyfat.

The truth is there are lots of good reasons to do abdominal
work or core training as we now like to call it. A strong core
(strong abs) is one of the keys in the prevention of back pain.
A strong core will help you look better and improve performance
in a host of sports but, sit-ups or any other abdominal exercise
will not reduce bodyfat. The fact of the matter is that crunches
will lead to back pain long before they lead to visual abs.

Another good tip.

Don’t do crunches. A good abdominal or core program is
a lot more than crunches. Most of your core work should be
isometric exercises like front planks and side planks or carries
like Suitcase carries.

One of the major functions of the core musculature is the
prevention of motion.

What does that mean? It means that the abdominals are
great stabilizers. Work on the stability function, not on
flexion and extension.



Regards,

Mike Boyle

"Why you can't lose weight."

Hey Everyone,
This a a re-post guest post from a guest post........... did I confuse you already? I got this from Mike Boyles blog, but it was actually written by Brandon Alleman.

This is an interesting read regarding why you might not be losing the weight or increasing your performance like you want. There are some good points here, take out of it what you want and enjoy.
Living Life with No Excuses.........No Regrets!
Scott

Here is a guest post from Brandon Alleman.
In response to e-mails requesting it, here are my Top Roadblocks to effective weight loss:

Why You Can’t Lose Weight
1. Poor relationship with food.It does not matter what you are eating or when you eat it, if you have a poor relationship with food, you are not likely to be able to lose those extra pounds. Get in touch with your Self and your food. Develop a healthy relationship with food first, then worry about the rest of this list!


2. Poor nutrition.You will never out-train bad nutrition! Stop cutting calories, stop skipping meals, stop eating processed foods, and seek the services of someone, like yours truly, who can coach you on how to determine how you should be eating. Basically, stop eating C.R.A.P. Yes, that is actually an acronym (courtesy of Dr. Sherri Rogers) which stands for C = caffeine, cola, and corn. I actually added corn to the C list. In my experience, a large percentage of people are intolerant to corn when tested accurately with blood tests. Corn is universally contaminated in the U.S. and is almost completely genetically modified at this point and is nutritionally bankrupt. It is also the most highly subsidized crop in the world. You can find corn in batteries and diapers – yes, I am serious. How ridiculous is that?! R = Refined food and white rice; A = additives and alcohol; and P = processed foods and pasteurized dairy. All of these foods will serve to make you fatter and I do not care how much ex
ercise or cardio you do – you cannot out train bad nutrition.


3. Wrong exercise.Many people are over exposing themselves to cardiovascular exercise and are simply overtraining. Remember, “work out” means that you have to expend energy to get the job done. If you are already running on empty, working “out” will only serve as an additional energy drain on the system.


4. You are doing way too much cardio.I have a previous post on the detrimental aspects of traditional cardiovascular training. An over reliance on traditional cardiovascular exercise will actually create a hormonal environment that is not conducive to building muscle and/or losing fat. You can read my post on the detrimental aspects of cardio here http://conscioushealthandperformance.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-cardio-sucks.html

5. You are cutting calories or skipping meals.Consider this when using calorie cutting to achieve your weight loss goals: Within 24 hours of going on a low calorie diet, which is defined as eating less than 2000 calories per day (according to the World Health Organization), you immediately deplete your brain chemistry and have been shown to increase fat storing (lipogenic) enzymes in the body. This is particularly important for females who already have 3 times the amount of fat storing (lipolytic) enzymes as fat burning ones. Any changes in brain chemistry will lead to cravings, usually for sugary food items. Low calorie dieting is especially damaging for anyone with a history of depression, anxiety, eating disorders or alcoholism. Remember, all of this occurs after a single day. In many cases I can run Functional Lab assessments to determine how nutritionally depleted my clients are. Anyone with a history of chronic yo-yo dieting, calorie restriction, or long-term use of most medications is likely to have severe nutriti
onal deficiencies.


6. Poor attitude and/or stinkin’ thinkin’.
You must have a positive frame of mind when making nutritional and lifestyle modifications if they are to be part of a lasting change. If you start a new exercise or nutritional program with a poor attitude and thoughts of what you are giving up or losing by making the necessary changes, you are doomed from the start.


7. Lack of Quiet Time.Quiet time is necessary for introspection so that you can get very clear about what you want and why you want it. No quiet time means you have no time for introspection, which means all you are doing day in and day out is pouring yourself out. This will lead you to being very fatigued. I recommend sitting quietly in a dark room (alone) and just breathe and be a witness to your thoughts for at least 20-30 minutes per day!


8. Adrenal fatigue.The adrenals are linked to the function of nearly every major physiological system in the body. If they are wiped out due to chronic stress of any kind, you will have a hard time losing weight despite even the best nutritional and exercise efforts.


9. Thyroid Dysfunction.The thyroid is a key regulator of metabolism. When dysfunctional, this gland will serve as a major roadblock to weight loss success. The function of the gland is also related to the function of the adrenals.


10. Hormonal Imbalances.Forget about losing weight in the presence of hormonal issues. It simply will not happen.


11. Poor Detoxification Capacity.The body stores toxins in fat. If you have a history of eating the Standard American Diet (loaded with toxins), your detoxification system is likely overloaded. With that, you are likely to not have the nutrition on board to run the primary and secondary detoxification pathways efficiently. When this is the case, the body will not allow you to burn fat to prevent the further overloading the detoxification system. This is obviously not good for your fat loss goals.


12. Poor Sleep.The body handles its physical and neurogenic/psychogenic repair during the hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Poor and disrupted sleep can lead to issues in virtually any physiological system in the body. Poor sleep can also lead to over consumption of carbohydrates, stimulant (caffeine, sugar, etc.) cravings, fatigue, and poor mood to name a few. These will all sabotage your weight loss efforts.


13. You have no purpose.It has been my observation that those individuals who view their life as connected to the world as a whole and view their life as one with meaning and purpose have a much easier time losing weight when given the correct advice for accomplishing that task. If you do not have a clearly defined purpose for the use of your life’s energy, you will be dealing with chronic stress everyday -even if you think you are not! That stressor can easily sabotage weight loss efforts.


14. You make poor choices.Many people simply do not know the proper nutrition and lifestyle choices to make when it comes to trying to lose those extra pounds. They may have no real issues in the above-mentioned areas, but they simply make lousy choices on a daily basis and no one has taught them how to make better ones. You can often find these people running from place to place, doctor to doctor, and on and on – trying to figure out what is “wrong” with them. The only thing wrong is that they have made a series of rotten choices and need to learn to make different ones. Remember, the definition of insanity according to our good friend Alert Einstein is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Well, there you have them (in no particular order I might add). My top reasons you are not losing weight. I look forward to your comments, e-mails, and posts.

Love and Chi,
Brandon Alleman, CHEK 3, HHP


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Yours in Strength,

Mike Boyle
www.FunctionalStrengthCoach3.com