Bringing Intention and Purpose to your workouts

I see the same mistake happen day in and day out at the gym.  People come to workout  with the intent to do something with purpose, something worthwhile, something to make a positive change. The problem? Although they have all the best intentions in the world...  they are treading water, not seeing results, not making the most of their time.  I  observe people coming in to work out, they are in a good mood usually, knowing that they are making an attempt to do something worthwhile and with meaning... but the second they hit the floor, a clueless expression hits their face. They look around at all the people lifting weights, doing classes, and wander into the cardio area.

"What are you gonna do today?"
"I think I'm just gonna do what I always do, maybe  some cardio on the elliptical or treadmill   and then abs, I don't know?"


Walking into a gym can be intimidating. There's lots of equipment, machines, gadgets, guys grunting,  that can make your experience overwhelming. But this is no excuse to bee line it to the nearest elliptical, pop on your headphones and zone out for an hour on a few episode of Friends.  Sure there's a few benefits to zoning out on cardio, it's a good stress reliever, great for a recovery workout, it lifts your spirits, and it's good for those who are just starting off. But most of us go to the gym for more... at least that's what I'm told when people come up to me asking questions and saying things like:

"How can I lose my belly?"
"I want to do 10 pushups from my toes,  but I'm too weak to do even one!"
"I want to lose this last 10 lbs, but I just can't!"
"How can firm my butt?"
"I want to do a pull up!"
"I workout for an hour a day, why aren't I seeing results?"
"I'm trying to improve my 5k time from last year, what should I do?"
"How do you get a six pack?"
"I just had surgery on my knee, how can I get my strength back?"

Ask yourself, why do you workout? What is your purpose and intention when you come to the gym?

Here's my answer.   I workout because it makes me feel better, I like to feel challenged. I love putting my body to the test, and pushing farther than I thought I could go. I like to feel and look fit, healthy and in shape. I like to feel like I'm getting stronger, faster, more flexible. I could go on and on... but you get the picture. We all have our reasons of why we exercise and workout, the point I'm trying to get to is that you must bring that purpose and intent with you to the gym, to every workout!

Before I head out to do my workout, I set aside a few minutes to think about the intention of my workout that day.   If it's a strength day,  I have my workout either printed out, written down or on my phone....
If it's one of my running days,  I have my speed work planned, or my mileage/time  goal set.  If I'm trying to get in my cardio and strength at the gym, I have a HIIT, Tabata etc workout planned and mapped out.  If it's a recovery workout, I decide on a light to moderate workout, and make time for stretching and using the foam roller, or doing some Yoga.  My point is.... don't waste your time aimlessly  when you get to the gym!
Have your game plan ready before you get to the gym!

What if you don't even know where to start in the first place? You've been doing the same thing for months, not seeing results, and it's getting frustrated right? Don't you want something to show for all that sweat?

Here's some advice that will help you get out of that rut, and bring some purpose to your workouts!  Break out of your comfort zone and back each and every workout with intention!

• Try taking new classes! Group exercise classes are a great way to break out of your routine. Being in a group dynamic pushes you, and it's a great opportunity to learn new exercises that you can incorporate in your own workouts.  If you want to improve your cardio endurance, try a Spin Class. If you want to strengthen your core, do an Ab class or Yoga class. If you want to tone up and lean out,  try a strength training class.  If you are looking to step it up to the next level, try  boot camp or Cross fit. There's so many classes out there now, there's sure to be one you find that suits your style and goals. 
• Hire a personal trainer to teach you how to safely work out efficiently and effectively. Most trainers will be more than happy to put you on a weekly routine, push you, and monitor your progress.
• Use an application like NTC for your smartphone, which guides you through simple, yet challenging workouts. http://www.nike.com/nikewomen/features/ntc?locale=en_HK
• Create a specific goal and train specifically for it. For example, if you are training for a half marathon, use a mapped out training guide such as Hal Higdon's plan and follow it... http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51131/Half-Marathon-Novice-1-Training-Program
• If you plan on running on the treadmill, incorporate hills, sprints, interval training instead of doing the same level and same pace day in and day out.
• If you want to lose weight and lean out, then try HIIT, Tabata or Circuit training workout that maximize your time, burns calories, and build lean muscle. 

Bringing purpose and intent to your workout  will benefit you by maximizing your time,  having a game plan will keep you focused on your goals, and you will reap the rewards of training effectively. 

So, the next time you go to the gym or prepare for a workout, think about what you intend to accomplish that day or even that week for that matter.Write down your workout and game plan for the week, and then execute each day! Mapping out your week, and daily workouts  will keep you on point, help you manage your time and help you get to your next level of fitness! 

Good luck!

Training towards your ideal body when working with a trainer

Everybody has individual goals, tastes and desires. Being a trainer means you really have to listen to what your client's goals are. Some clients want to get faster, build muscle, lose weight, improve flexibility.....  it varies immensely from person to person. We also have different ideas of what our desired body shape is. Some people like a lean look, others curvy, some like to be muscular.... it all depends on the person. That's why it's really important to have good communication with your clients and make sure you are on the same page as far as what you are working towards.

Take my case for example. I spent 2 1/2 years training under a crossfit coach. A few of my goals when I started with him were to learn Olympic lifts, learn kippers ( a type of pullup in crossfit) and lean out, I felt like I was too bulky. I told this to my coach.... What I should of done was show him photos of what I wanted to work towards. To my coach, bulky had a different definition.  Muscular didn't mean bulky to my coach, and in hind site,  bulky meant too muscular to me.

So, my coach had me putting on a ton of muscle....  Did I lose fat? Yes I did. But did I look like I wanted to? No, I looked like the incredible hulk!  I naturally put on muscle pretty easy, and yes I was shredded and strong, but it was not my ideal body type. I wanted a leaner and feminine look.

This experience taught me a lot about truly communicating with my clients and specific training towards specific goals. If you want to have a body like a body builder,  well train like one! If you want to have the strength and flexibility of a ballet dancer, train like a dancer...... We can't fight genetics, some of us will never look like skinny fashion models etc, but  by training realistically and specifically we can come closer to achieve the look we want.

So when you hire a trainer, just like when you go to a new hair stylist, you might want to bring a few photos of your desired look. Make sure your trainer really listens to what your goals are and your motivation behind training. If one of your goals is to do an unassisted pull up, are you doing the appropriate exercises that will get you there? If you want to improve your tennis game, are you doing agility drills and exercises to improve explosive rotation? If you want to lose fat, is your trainer pointing out the importance of diet and nutrition? You also want to do your research and see what your trainer's background is in. If they are an experienced marathoner and their main focus is on training endurance athletes, and you want to get into body building, you may not be the right match.  Look at the condition of your trainer..... I know that someone may have all the knowledge in the world, but it's not a good sign if their job is to motivate and teach you, and they are not practicing what they preach.  If your trainer looks out of shape, don't hire them. Training with a personal trainer shouldn't be all about looks,  it's also about learning to train smartly, safely and improving your health.... but I  can't lie, it's also about getting the body you want.   There's nothing wrong with trying to improve your physique, it boosts your confidence and self esteem and the way others perceive you.

                                               

 

                                                        This was my idea of leaning out:

The photo below was my version of bulky and my trainers idea of what lean was.

Everyone has different interpretations. 

If you want to look like you lift heavy weights, then lift heavy weights!

If you want to look like a long distance runner, train like one. If you want to look like a Sprinter, train like a Sprinter.

If you like the lean look of a dancer or the look of someone who practices Yoga, well train accordingly.

If you want to look like a  beast! Train like Arnold.

Learning to Love Yoga and Embracing our Weaknesses

This past month, I've finally begun the journey of one of my life long goals,  learning to enjoy yoga. I've taken yoga classes off and on for the past ten years.... on average of about twice a year. I was never able to be consistent with it,  I didn't feel like it was worth my time compared to other athletic endeavors I wanted to pursue. I also had a terrible time focusing, slowing down and felt kinda silly and awkward in the classes that were really "spiritual". I sort of always knew in the back of my mind, I'd know when the time was right for Yoga. Maybe  I needed to mature? Become a bit more centered? It's taken some time, but I'm ready to slow down and embrace Yoga and incorporate it in my weekly routine.

I'm not sure why I feel like I'm clicking now with Yoga. It might be that over the past  few years my workouts have been very body weight focused, and many exercises I'm doing demand full range of motion, which has improved my flexibility tremendously. I like feeling limber and lean, and not stiff and bulky, which I've  experienced as a result of heavy lifting and crossfit type workouts I did in the past. I also think I was missing something in my life that was relaxing. I've definitely slowed down over the years, if you know me personally, I'm a  "Go Go" type of person. I have type A tendencies, and have to feel like I'm productive and doing something all the time. I can be a workaholic, and I'm always thinking of how I can make things better, improve,  and keep moving forward. I don't slow down to enjoy the now, and what's going on in the present.

Yoga demands you to slow down, breath and really become aware of your body, and keeping your mind quiet. This is hard for me, but I have to take my own advice that I always say in my classes. "When something is hard or your dislike it, it's usually your weakness. Work on your weaknesses!"

  Flexibility has never been a strength of mine and I definitely needed to work on worrying so much about the future. I needed to take a few steps back, and enjoy what's going on around me right now, instead of worrying about what's next. Yoga is helping me find a bit more calmness in my life, which is something very new to me. Yoga is also improving my posture, balance and flexibility, which carries over to my current workouts.

It's important for us to look at our weaknesses head on, and make an honest attempt to conquer them. It can be scary, it can be frustrating and challenging.... but that will only make us stronger and well rounded.  With every yoga class, I feel more comfortable in poses, I feel the breathing becoming easier, and I feel like it's a little easier to quiet my mind. I'm still struggling with not filling every breathing moment with something productive, and realizing it's important to stop and smell the roses every so often.

This yoga experience had made me think about other weaknesses in my life. Looking at them head on, can be daunting, but that's the hardest part. Admitting our weaknesses, addressing them, and attempting to improve on them can only help us become better human beings.