No Gym No Problem

I have been personal training for almost 13 years now and one of the things that has become very clear to me is although my work revolves around the gym, most of my clients don't. Many often travel out of town on work related business. It always seems to happen as we are making headway. A little discouraging? Sure. However even the busiest of schedules can accomidate a workout from time to time. Now I don't expect my clients to travel with a kettlebell in their suitcase.(amazingly some actually do) Nor do I expect them to call me in hopes of motivation.(yes some do) What I would like everyone to do is what I like to refer to as a "Fitness Daily 1" . No gym in your hotel? It's snowing outside so you can't run? I don't understand the hotel gym machines? I have heard it all. What it all boils down to is.........................I'd rather do something else. I'm with you on that. So my "Fitness Daily 1" programs are designed for people that don't haver much time (10 min tops) when they are traveling. It doesn't take long at all. Take a series of exercises that you can perform with no weight. Just you and the floor. For the most part if you ever see a "boot camp" that has millitary calisthenics , these are the exercise they are alluding to. I was in the Navy and can tell you that at no time did we ever get physical training with any type of machine. It was just our bodies and some space(and not always much of that). It's very doable.

Take the exercises that Karen is doing. Very simple. For this demonstration Karen is doing 10 reps of each exercises. Take that numer and increase it to 20. Do these exercises 3 times through. That should take about 6 min(maybe longer). Remember "It's your only body. Take care of it." I know, kinda Cheesy.

Ahhhhh The hill. Every once in a while I drag Austin Fitness Extreme to the "ToysrUs" hill. Aptly named because it is located behind ToysrUs. It's about a quarter mile long. Pure misery. We start the morning off with a few exercises(pushups,squats,curls,crunches,jumping jax) and then work our way down to the hill. First we do a few short sprints. We culminate by doing suicide runs up the hill. I'm demented. As I videotaped this I kept wondering what is it that makes some people push themselves and others not. Is it desire? A heightened need for torture? Maybe it's guilt over the pizza they had yesterday? Or maybe it's the fact that they don't want to waste the 200.00 they plopped down for the workout. Who knows. I do believe that misery not only loves but needs company sometimes.

Group fitness classes have increased so much over the years. In the beginning they were "aerobic classes" then "step classes" then "tae bo" and last but not least "boot camps". Living in Asutin, I've watched as bootcamp classes have increased significantly over the years. There used to be only 2 or 3 outside of the gym sponsored camps. Now when you go out to town lake it looks like a asylum for fitness enthusiasts. I see group t-shirts, kettlebells, Gillberts Gazelles,rubber bands, a few tires, sprint groups,triathlon groups, mommy workouts, mommy with baby workouts, I see it all. And the truth is ......I love it. While they may not all want to workout with me , it's good to see so many people taking an interest in their own personl fitness. At the very least get in shape so you can chase after your kids.

I look forward to the months and years ahead where I can motivate groups of people as well as individuals. Misery does need company sometimes. It's helpfull to look to your right and see someone who hates the instructor just as much as you.

Ps. I saw Inglorious Basterds. Loved it.

All you men out there watch Shakira's new video La Loba. Need I say more.

Ok so I have been asked to post a few videos of pregnancy workouts. As strange as this may seem I had to wait for several ladies to actually look pregnant. The main thing to keep in mind is that as pressure on your back increases you need to find a way to support your back during exercise. No deadlifts. No deep leg presses. Try to keep in mind that your hips will expand so you should widen your base to accomidate that. Keep very aware of your form and breathing.

One thing I didn't mention before is that it is very important not to undertake any brand new style of working out during pregnancy. Not the best time to run your first marathon. Watch this video and look how she supports her back through the range of motion.

I've been personal training all kinds of people for the past 11 years. I would probably say that 60% of those are women. It has given me great insight to women . I still dont have it all figured out....Let's be honest, I'm not even scratching the surface. One thing I love watch is women as they go through the change of pregnancy. It still amazes me. I watched as my exwife went through the stages of pregnancy and in turn have watched as no fewer than 15 current and past clients have done the same. The first thing I did was go out and buy a ton of books on pregnancy and fitness. It is possible to continue with a workout regiment during pregnancy. The three most important things you can do is : first, ask your doctor if he/she has any guidlines for you as it pertains to fitness. Your blood work may show certain restrictions. Second ,tell your personal trainer. We actually need to know. It will change our approach. First off I wont scream"what the hell...10 more reps!!" Third and most important, listen to your body. Listen to your body. Listen to your body. If it hurts..STOP! A few warning signs to be on the lookout for once you have a doctors clearance to workout:

1. pain in the abdomen,chest,legs
2. Nausea
3. Abnormal bleeding
4. Heart palpatations
5. Overheating,especially during the first 6 weeks

Remember that your body changes. Don't beat yourself up about it. Your uterus grows to about a thousand times its normal size. This puts pressure on your diaphragm which can cause a change in your breathing during cardiovascular exercise. Kepp this in mind and slow down your pace. The growth in your uterus will also put pressure on your bladder so make sure a bathroom is close by. The extra weight you will be carrying will also put added pressure on your back,knee and ankle joints. You may get some swelling in those areas. Make sure your back is supported and try to widen your stance during certain exercises like squats. Go get yourself a swiss ball(big blow up ball). Use the bosu.

Overall you can continue with any workout program. Just pair it down. It is better to be over cautious. Even circuit training is still very doable. Take your weights down about 10 to 20% and cut your interval time in half.

Listen to your bodies ladies. You're beautiful no matter how you feel. Try to rest as much as possible and...........consider the name "Tom" . Seriously.

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.