End of Summer Sale at Perform Better

Hi Everyone!
Perform Better, the equipment company that we get a lot of the equipment that we use in the personal training studio is having a great End of Summer sale.

Many of the items that we use daily is on sale for up to 50% off.  If there are pieces of equipment that you would like for your home now might be a good time to buy it.
JAM!
Scott

Click the link below:

Core Stability Series: Paloff Press- Cable Resistance

Hi Friends,
This is another great "Core" exercise.  The focus of this exercise is anti- rotation of the torso.  This exercise can be modified in the tall kneeling or half kneeling stance.  The Paloff press is much harder than it appears in this video.

Enjoy,
Scott

Core Stability Series: Tall Kneeling Stability Ball Roll Out

Hey Friends,
This is one of my favorite "Core" exercises.  The focus here is stability of the entire upper torso.  Only roll out as far as you can so that you can maintain stability all the way back to the start position.

Enjoy!
Scott

“Rest Breeds Rust"

Hi Friends,

I have a confession to make.  As I sit here writing this on Friday morning, I just completed my first training session of the week.  Even worse, this is only my second training session over the last two weeks! I know , I know… I suck!  I am wasting away one day at a time as my muscles atrophy.  With the exception of my flexor digitorum and flexor pollicis longus muscles, I am a sinking ship. (how many people just googled those muscles? J)

The cool thing is, I actually feel stronger than I have in a long time.  As a matter of fact I recently took some measurements and I gained 5 pounds. “What!”  “You sloth!”  My body fat percentage however, has not changed at all.  That means one thing people.  I have added lean body mass (muscle) and have gotten stronger… all with a 2 week break.

 How does that happen?  Won’t I lose my level of fitness if I take time off?  The much overlooked art of recovery is the key to our training success.  We now know more than ever before that the most important part of your training is actually that time spent in between training sessions.  Rest, recovery, sleep, nutrition.

“You mean you are telling me not to exercise!”  Don’t get too excited, that statement is far from the truth.  What I am saying is that we need proper recovery.  What I am NOT saying is that it is ok to sit around on your hands and watch the grass grow because, “I am in my recovery phase”.

 Recovery phase or what we sometimes call “de-loading” is built right into your program.  When we design training programs for our clients we periodize our programs.  What that means is, we train through different phases such as strength phases, power phases, and hypertrophy phases.  “Periodization is an organized approach to training that involves progressive cycling of various aspects of a training program during a specific period.”  It is a way of alternating training cycles based on a desired outcome (result). The aim of periodization is to introduce new movements as one progresses through each cycle to help maximize results at specific times while minimizing plateaus and overtraining.

 

Often times we organically create our own recovery phases by “life” getting in the way.  Traveling for business, taking vacations.  In addition to the predetermined de-loading phases that your personal trainer has already built in, the above events often times fills that recovery period.  The last thing you want to do during your “de-loading” phase is sit around and do nothing.  This is your opportunity to get that massage that you have been talking about for months.  We will often mix in different aspects of fitness that you might not get on a regular basis.  Like throwing in some basketball or cycling.  Include more mobility, and flexibility work into your program.  Active recovery is a huge key to success.

 So, sorry to get you excited about taking time off from training just to find out that we sneak those recovery phases into your program.  There are still a lot of things that you need to do to maximize recovery and regeneration.  You need to continue to eat clean, drink plenty of water, utilize soft tissue work such as massage therapy and get more than adequate amounts of sleep.

 Great job with everything you all have accomplished to this point in 2013.  Let’s keep cranking it up and continue to move the dial!

"Rest breeds rust" -Proverb

 

"Leisure is the time for doing something useful.  This leisure the dilligent person will obtain the lazy one never"- Benjamin Franklin

 

Living Life with No Excuses… No Regrets!

Scott

Time to "Go All In"

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Do we have any pokers players out there?  Going “All In” is a phrase used when you bet all of your chips on a specific hand.  The goal, of course is to win the hand and become the most successful poker player in this game.

Recently, the Personal Training Team Leaders and I have been reading a book title “The 10X Rule”, by Grant Cardone.  In short, this is a book about taking massive action and being successful to the 10^th degree.  We discuss the book every week during our team leader meeting and I personally have taken many great tips and strategies from this book, but there was one specific thing that stood out to me today while reading and it made me think about fitness and getting results. 

This specific section was listed as number 14 on the list of 32 ways we should act in order to be successful.

“Go All the Way”

“As they say in AA, “Half measures achieved us nothing.”  For members this meant that you can’t get sober if you are drinking- even a little bit.  In the world of success and achievement, half measures achieve nothing in terms of results- except for tiring out the person engaging in half measures.”

How many times have you heard someone tell you they didn’t get results when the exercised last.  They then go further onto say that they were consistent for about 3-4 weeks before they stopped because they didn’t see results.  Or even worse, “I was going to start exercising and eating well again, but I didn’t know what to do.  I have tried in the past but didn’t see results… so why bother.”  For those people, refer them to my last article on “Farming, Fitness, and Getting results”.  All too often people actually talk themselves into NOT taking action.  They can give me a list of 10 reasons why they can’t do something… I don’t know what to do? I don’t have time? I don’t have the money?  When all they need is to believe in the ONE reason they should take action.  That ONE reason might be different for everybody.  But take massive action on it.

For those others, it is time to go all in! Jump in with both feet!  If we want massive results, we have to take massive action.  Sometimes the only way to break that planning paralysis is to live by the motto, “ready, FIRE, aim”.  What that means is sometimes we just have to take action.  You’ll figure the rest out as you go.  And even better, you don’t have to figure anything out.  Your trainer will do that for you.  FIRE! Grant mentions at one point in his book an analogy of sky diving.  When you go sky diving, you don’t step out of the plane and then decide not to go through with it… you are in the free-fall already, you better enjoy the ride (that free-fall while skydiving is incredible by the wayJ).  But all too often in other endeavors of our life we do step into something with one foot only to step backwards with the other.  I can promise you one thing.  I you don’t FIRE, you will never hit your target. Period!

Yup! That's me.

If you are reading this you have already at least stepped into the fitness world with one foot.  It’s time to go all in!  Let’s take it to the next level.  We have some new tools that can supplement your current exercise program to optimize results.  If you have any questions about stepping up your game please don’t hesitate to ask your trainer or myself.

In stealing another line from Cardone, success is “your duty, your responsibility, and your obligation”.  At Gainesville Health and Fitness we will provide all the tools and environment to be successful, so let’s take massive action.  Ready… FIRE… aim!

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

The Top 10 Qualities of World Class Certified Personal Trainers

Many people ask; What makes a good personal trainer? What should I look for when hiring a personal trainer?

This is something I have spent a lot of time looking into. As a matter of fact, we base a large percentage of our hiring process on the qualities we have identified based on our best, most successful trainers.

 The Top 10 Qualities of World Class Certified Personal Trainers

1. Knowledge- Knowledge begins with the personal trainer learning the theoretical "why" to how to write programs and train clients based on both their wants and needs.  This will always come in the form a personal training certification, as usually a 4 year Degree in some type of exercise related field.  
2. Experience- Experience might actually be the most important traits because only through "time under the bar" can the personal trainer take that formal education and put it to practical application.  There are certain things that you just can't learn from books or lectures.  The only way to learn those things is to get out, get your hands dirty and train yourself and others.
3. Confidence- Probably one of the biggest destroyers of otherwise good personal trainers.  A trainer might have all the knowledge in the world but if they can't comfortably coach clients with the conviction that they know exactly how to help you achieve success, then they themselves will never be successful as a certified personal trainer.  Confidence is king!
4. Attention- to detail and to your client.  Not much else I need to say here.  It's the little things that make the biggest impacts.  If your CPT is more concerned with his/her surroundings, rather than focusing on you and your program then find someone who cares.
5. Communication- Will make or break any relationship, professional or personal.  Your trainer must be able to communicate their plans and path for you.  Sometimes, you as the client cannot see the big picture or feel the results.  If this happens it is because the CPT has not communicated the vision and plans
6. Passion- You'll know it when you see it.  Passion will standout, emotions will spill, enthusiasm will be contagious.
7. Vision- A trainer with vision knows why they are in this industry and they know where they want to take it.
8. Adaptability- A world class personal trainer has to be able to think on their feet and create modifications to a program on the fly.  The only constant thing in our world is Change, and a CPT has to be willing and able to change based on situations thrown their way.
9. Consistency- Results are obtained through consistent actions.  A trainer must be consistent with their scheduling and availability, consistent with their programming and consistent with their accountability.
10. Commitment to their "craft/ trade"- This is a never ending,  always changing process that required countless hours of continuing education.  I call this "sharpening your saw".  Trainers need to be committed to the concept of "Kaizen" or continuous improvement.

When I interview for personal trainers I look at these qualities as a baseline for requirements.  Positive attitude, adaptability, consistency, knowledge/experience, caring, passionate, educated, detail orientated, confidence, and the eagerness to take on responsibility are the common themes for a World Class Certified Personal Trainer.

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