So the Saturday workouts continue. I overheard a new gym member tell one of our managers that she realy wanted work on her core. "do you have anybody who specializes in core work" To my disbelief this manager actually pushed them toward a certain trainer. Ok, so what is "core strength?" Very loosely put core strength, is the direct relationship in strength and balance between your back and abdomen while doing work. So, if you do a shoulder press while balancing on one leg while standing on a bosu you engage your core? Sort of. The reality of this movement is that it is not realistic. If you flip the bosu over so both of your feet are on the flat portion and then perform a shoulder press, you are actually going to engage your core in a more benificial way. So why over complicate things? I'm not completely sure. Let me say, that I love seeing people get inventive. However, you do need to be practical. Any trainer worth his weight can teach a client how to engage their core. If you are doing pushups and I tell you to pull your abs in tight then boom! your are engageing your core. What I am getting at is that all trainers know how to show clients how to engage their core. Correct form? core work Good posture? core work Keep your balance? core work. Like I've said before, don't overcomplicate things. Now if you want to try balancing on one leg ,while blindfolded, on the bosu, doing a shoulder press than have at it. Just understand it may hurt your knee and ankle. But your core will be ripped.

The Best Part of My Life

   Ocasionaly,  in the midst of working and going about my daily routine of training and listening to my clients, I forget the reason why I get up every morning. At 2:00pm when I'm done for the day it all comes back to me. At 2:01 I become Daddy. No more reps, no more weight, no more water breaks. It's now all about homework,swimming,riding a bike,drawing pictures,fishing and the art of fort making.  

   When  I found out my exwife was pregnant I was scared out of my mind. I had no idea what to do. I was afraid that I would miss out on something if I became a dad. I was a complete mess. I had just begun earning a living at personal training and in my selfishness I though having a child would somehow change all of that. I was an only child. I had no cousins that lived close. Babies were those annoying creatures in church, movies, and restaurants that made you want to get up and leave. I had an epiphany a month before Tommy was born.....My life was going to change. Well, it did. 

   I still have a great amount of passion for what I do. I wear shorts and tennis shoes all day long and get paid very well. I help people discover their inner athlete(I know it sounds cheesy). I watch people regain their self confidence. I watch people change their lives. Most importantly  my life in fitness has given me the ability to spend time with my son. I pick Tommy up everyday from school. I live to watch him come down the hallway with his class wearing a backpack bigger than his little body. I get to hear about his day. In these past 7 1/2 years the craziest thing happened. I became a "daddy". I never go out anymore, and I never feel like I miss out on anything. On the nights that Tommy is with his mom I'm restless. I can't sleep. I find myself in his room holding his pillow. It's humbling to love something so much that when your near it you are complete and in it's absence you're empty.  

    This Sunday is Fathers Day. The greatest day of the year! As it approaches it reminds me of how I got here. Doing what I love has given me the opportunity to spend time with the ones I love. So for Jenn(my savior) and Tommy(my angel) thank you for making this journey the best part of my life. 

   

Real men Use the Bosu. I know it looks like a giant blue boob. But try this: flip it over, do a push up and when come up pull the Bosu to your chest, stand up and repeat. After doing 10 do 10 pullups as well. We did this after an hour in the Austin sun doing kettlebells,pushups,hurdles and weighted jumping jax. It's all about finding new ways to push yourself. Give it a try.

So I always get asked about our saturday class. Is it realy hard?Depends on who you ask. I started the saturday class by just walking in the gym one day and grabbing a couple of guys and asking them if they wanted to try some new stuff. As the weeks have progressed a few people have come and gone.

As you can tell, I realy like the circuit style of workout. While I do enjoy doing the traditional lifts(bench,squat,curls,tri extension,bentover rows,dead lift,power clean) I have found that taking several exrecises and stringing them together has given me the best results in terms of performance.

When I first started working out I would stare at the guys in the muscle mags , and wish I could get that big. Muscles meant strength. Strength meant respect. Respect meant awe. I still see those guys in the gym whose sole purpose in hitting the gym is "getting huge". As the years have progressed a new meaning of fitness has come to light. Bodybuliders aren't considered the picture of health anymore. A new "hybrid" athlete has come to light. An athlete that can bench his bodyweight 20 times, do 20 pullups, run a 7 minute mile for 3 miles straight, swim for 1/2 a mile, and jump on a 36 inch high platform 20 times. This athlete looks fit, not bulky or skinny. This athlete can adapt his/her body to any sport they chose. They are complete athletes.

This style of workout is completely adaptable to any level of fitness. It's all a matter of degrees. In one minute will you do 10 pushups on your knees or 50 on your toes? It's up to you how hard you push yourself.If you show up on Saturday though, it is up to me. Come by.

So summer is here, and I consistantly get asked what exercise will help you get that beach bod or boat bod. We all know how important it is to feel comfortable with a swimsuit on during summer.

First off "watch that diet" don't expect to feel or look slim and trim if you are feeding off of beer and nachos all day long. Yes, I am still do the "Engine 2 diet". No ammount of exercise can make up for the horrible things we put in our bodies. So eat in moderation. Drink in moderation.

Second, make sure you get some good cardio in there. I'm not saying you have to run 5 miles a day, but get your heart rate up for an 20 to 30 minutes at least 5to6 times a week. This can be running,swimming,biking,kickboxing. Remember to mix it up a little . Jog for a minute and sprint for a minute.

You've heard me say this a ton of times. I like circuit training. I realy feel like stringing together several exercises for a minute each to realy push you bodies muscular endurance is one of the best ways to train. Now if you come in and say"Tom I realy want to be able to bench press 2x my bodyweight" than your workouts will be different. For most people however, being fit is more about feeling good about how your body looks and how it performs.

So for your workouts , try the above circuit to push your lower body in conjunction with your upper body. You can substitute exercises, and don't forget to do all exercises for at least 1 minute. This weekend I did the following workout:

bench press with 135 for 25 reps

pullups 25 reps

bicep curls with 60lb barbell 25 reps

dips 25 reps

jumping squats 25 reps

4 times through 100 reps total per exercise. Give it a shot!