Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Food for the spirit
Every day I educate my outdoor fitness participants about the importance of fueling their bodies with the proper nutrition. Today as I watched the womans gymastic competition that I TIVOed from last night, I remembered why the olympic competition is so important to our country and to me. I watched the faces of each young American athlete filled with determination, their nerves like steel and their bodies trained for perfection. And I thought about their paths to the Olympics. They are so young, yet they sacrifice all semblance of normal lives to reach those goals and live their dreams. Many of them don't go to regular school, or workout like regular people. Their training is their life. As an American, living my American dream, I understand that drive as many entrepreneurs do. And I am inspired by it. The dedication of these athletes and sheer will to win nourishes my spirit and reminds me to keep working hard . So today and for the rest of the month, I will watch the Olympics and take every bit of inspiration and fuel that my spirit can handle and I will put that in every thing I do. I challenge every American to do the same! Ladies and gents of the 2008 Olympic team, thanks for the inspiration!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
A taste of my own medicine
I wanted to recount an experience I had this morning at Chastain Park with each of you to remind you how awesome you are at what you do and how you constantly change peoples lives. Thank you for everything you do!
So this morning I got my butt kicked at Chastain Park, by a 23 year old instructor with a quiet demeanor and a mind like a serial killer. Oh, that’s Erin by the way – the Fuller’s Park lead instructor currently filling in at Chastain.
When I got to the park for my Thursday workout, I thought, “Oh, Fartlek – this should be fun (and in the back of my mind I also thought, fun and easy). Well I asked about what the span of the fast group was and she said the slowest was 7:15 for a mile. I thought…hmmm I might be right past that, but I’m a sprinter, I can hang…ha! That was my first mistake.
Then I say HER – my nemesis. She is a machine. I love her and hate her at the same time. She has three kids, can hold an ab bridge for 8 minutes and wins her age group (older than me) at triathlons. Amazing. Well anyway, I see her and think, “Today’s the day. I feel strong, I can beat her. (Or at least hang)”. HA! That was my second mistake.
So off we go. Erin at the front, Tiffany at the back. We did a normal warm-up down the hill and then an Indian run and then continued down the hill. Well that was the third error in my “easy fartlek” thought pattern. Guess what? Oh you know, you’re all torturing boot camp instructors. Yes, we had to Sprint back up the hill and then do some crazy frog hops and then back down for more fog hops. Shist. So I think. Ok, I got this and I take off, sprinting up the hill. Well this particular hill at Chastain is the VERY steep twisting U-turn hill that used to be pitch black, but now has lights – wonderful. (If you can’t sense the sarcasm, you should start to soon). Four repeats, pushups, squat turns and tucks jump later, I was toast. But that was only 20 minutes into the workout.
At that point I remembered how awesome support instructors can be. If it wasn’t for Tiffany, I would have gone home or sat down at least. But she was right there with me (and I wasn’t the only one – actually there were 1 or 2 dudes that took turns eating my dust –ha! At least someone did). So the next set of torture came in the form of suicides. Now I am bizarre - I hear that word and I think – I can do this. I LOVE to sprint. So off I go. Sprint 1 – I won! I beat HER! HA! Sprint 2 – She beat me down and we tied coming back. But unfortunately that is when I discovered why SHE participates in boot camp. Because she has 2X the endurance that I do. As an instructor this is where I normally stop and rest while the campers keep going. (Mental note in plan to beat HER – do one more than I want to next time). Then the pushups got harder and then next sprint got slower and then I couldn’t breathe. But that was when I heard the voice of an angel – Tiffany was right there encouraging me to keep going. And I did!
But that wasn’t it, folks, we also did more sprints, shuffles, dips, crossovers and even an Indian run on the way back. This is where I realized how awesome The AMERICAN Boot Camp Company is! Because as I was getting my butt handed to me on the way back up the hills for the final 10 minutes, my instructors wouldn’t let me quit. Oh I wanted to! But they didn’t and I didn’t and I feel Awesome today because of that. But the workout doesn’t end here. NO, remember I said Erin was a serial killer. So we get back to the lower field and that is where she destroyed me – bear crawl backwards up hill. My body wouldn’t do it. I saw stars and I actually had to stop and go forward. I officially had my butt kicked! AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
So this morning I got my butt kicked at Chastain Park, by a 23 year old instructor with a quiet demeanor and a mind like a serial killer. Oh, that’s Erin by the way – the Fuller’s Park lead instructor currently filling in at Chastain.
When I got to the park for my Thursday workout, I thought, “Oh, Fartlek – this should be fun (and in the back of my mind I also thought, fun and easy). Well I asked about what the span of the fast group was and she said the slowest was 7:15 for a mile. I thought…hmmm I might be right past that, but I’m a sprinter, I can hang…ha! That was my first mistake.
Then I say HER – my nemesis. She is a machine. I love her and hate her at the same time. She has three kids, can hold an ab bridge for 8 minutes and wins her age group (older than me) at triathlons. Amazing. Well anyway, I see her and think, “Today’s the day. I feel strong, I can beat her. (Or at least hang)”. HA! That was my second mistake.
So off we go. Erin at the front, Tiffany at the back. We did a normal warm-up down the hill and then an Indian run and then continued down the hill. Well that was the third error in my “easy fartlek” thought pattern. Guess what? Oh you know, you’re all torturing boot camp instructors. Yes, we had to Sprint back up the hill and then do some crazy frog hops and then back down for more fog hops. Shist. So I think. Ok, I got this and I take off, sprinting up the hill. Well this particular hill at Chastain is the VERY steep twisting U-turn hill that used to be pitch black, but now has lights – wonderful. (If you can’t sense the sarcasm, you should start to soon). Four repeats, pushups, squat turns and tucks jump later, I was toast. But that was only 20 minutes into the workout.
At that point I remembered how awesome support instructors can be. If it wasn’t for Tiffany, I would have gone home or sat down at least. But she was right there with me (and I wasn’t the only one – actually there were 1 or 2 dudes that took turns eating my dust –ha! At least someone did). So the next set of torture came in the form of suicides. Now I am bizarre - I hear that word and I think – I can do this. I LOVE to sprint. So off I go. Sprint 1 – I won! I beat HER! HA! Sprint 2 – She beat me down and we tied coming back. But unfortunately that is when I discovered why SHE participates in boot camp. Because she has 2X the endurance that I do. As an instructor this is where I normally stop and rest while the campers keep going. (Mental note in plan to beat HER – do one more than I want to next time). Then the pushups got harder and then next sprint got slower and then I couldn’t breathe. But that was when I heard the voice of an angel – Tiffany was right there encouraging me to keep going. And I did!
But that wasn’t it, folks, we also did more sprints, shuffles, dips, crossovers and even an Indian run on the way back. This is where I realized how awesome The AMERICAN Boot Camp Company is! Because as I was getting my butt handed to me on the way back up the hills for the final 10 minutes, my instructors wouldn’t let me quit. Oh I wanted to! But they didn’t and I didn’t and I feel Awesome today because of that. But the workout doesn’t end here. NO, remember I said Erin was a serial killer. So we get back to the lower field and that is where she destroyed me – bear crawl backwards up hill. My body wouldn’t do it. I saw stars and I actually had to stop and go forward. I officially had my butt kicked! AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Reality Check - Why Can't I lose weight
Every day, I see clients that are successful at reducing and maintaning perminant weight loss. And every day, I have a few clients that look at the success of others and say, "Why can't I lose the weight? What are they doing different than me?" These clients appear to be on the same program, following the same path. However when I look closely, there are several things that seperate the successful from the unsuccessful. If you are struggling with your weight loss goals, ask yourself these questions:
1. Are you being honest with yourself? Weight loss is actually a simple concept. To lose weight you have to eat less and move more. Being honest with yourself is the first step with weight loss. In my boot camp program, I make all new participants start logging their food several days before camp begins - even though many of them choose not to follow the food plan until camp begins. This is because it starts them on a habit of being honest.
2. Are you moving more? Do you exercise 5-7 days a week with an increased heart rate. Not only will this help you burn more calories, but it will help you have more energy to do other fun things. Exercise doesn't have to be boring! Going to the gym and stepping on a treadmill is not always the best solution. Try a group fitness class, such as kickboxing or a results based fitness program. Whatever you do, get moving!
3. Are you making excuses? I often hear from my clients that they don't feel well, or they have to help a friend, or they just couldn't get out of bed, or they didn't get a good nights sleep. All of these are excuses and often it take the tough love of a regimented program such as boot camp to help people move past their excuses. Many of these excuses are directly related to the LACK of regular exercise!
4. Do late afternoon meetings and dinner meetings inhibit your ability to stick to a routine? Try working out before the day begins. And try making an appointment to do so. Whether you sign up for an accountability based program such as boot camp, or you make an appointment to meet your best buddy at the gym, having someone to hold you accountable will help motivate you to get your workout in before the day gets away from you.
To be successfuly at long term weight loss, you have to make the decision to change your habits. You need to commit to yourself and then find a program that works for you. If you can do it on your own, you will need to eat a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein sources and combine this with a regular exercise routine. Finally, if you know you need help, ask for it! There are countless personal trainers and companys like my own that specialize in motivation. And although you might pay more for their services, it will be worth every penny in the long run. You are worth it, aren't you?
For more information on Mari Garner or The American Boot Camp Company go to www.TheBootCampCompany.com.
1. Are you being honest with yourself? Weight loss is actually a simple concept. To lose weight you have to eat less and move more. Being honest with yourself is the first step with weight loss. In my boot camp program, I make all new participants start logging their food several days before camp begins - even though many of them choose not to follow the food plan until camp begins. This is because it starts them on a habit of being honest.
2. Are you moving more? Do you exercise 5-7 days a week with an increased heart rate. Not only will this help you burn more calories, but it will help you have more energy to do other fun things. Exercise doesn't have to be boring! Going to the gym and stepping on a treadmill is not always the best solution. Try a group fitness class, such as kickboxing or a results based fitness program. Whatever you do, get moving!
3. Are you making excuses? I often hear from my clients that they don't feel well, or they have to help a friend, or they just couldn't get out of bed, or they didn't get a good nights sleep. All of these are excuses and often it take the tough love of a regimented program such as boot camp to help people move past their excuses. Many of these excuses are directly related to the LACK of regular exercise!
4. Do late afternoon meetings and dinner meetings inhibit your ability to stick to a routine? Try working out before the day begins. And try making an appointment to do so. Whether you sign up for an accountability based program such as boot camp, or you make an appointment to meet your best buddy at the gym, having someone to hold you accountable will help motivate you to get your workout in before the day gets away from you.
To be successfuly at long term weight loss, you have to make the decision to change your habits. You need to commit to yourself and then find a program that works for you. If you can do it on your own, you will need to eat a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein sources and combine this with a regular exercise routine. Finally, if you know you need help, ask for it! There are countless personal trainers and companys like my own that specialize in motivation. And although you might pay more for their services, it will be worth every penny in the long run. You are worth it, aren't you?
For more information on Mari Garner or The American Boot Camp Company go to www.TheBootCampCompany.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
