RT @GreatestQuotes: “If we are together nothing is impossible. If we are divided all will fail.” - Winston Churchill
Body Weight Fixation - I have come across this situation very frequently in my many years of training. I… http://t.co/T6wtDT6
Body Weight Fixation
I have come across this situation very frequently in my many years of training. I want to preface this blog by saying that weight loss is a valid goal in the sense you are not fixated on the scale. What I mean is you must look at all of the variables not just body weight. Think about how your clothes feel. Think about how you feel. Think about your energy levels. Are you eating better?
Many people begin a new workout plan with the idea of getting in better shape. Their main focus is weight loss, but in their mind they plan on eating better, feeling better, having more energy, less body aches, and generally becoming more fit and healthier. Within a couple of months I have seen people get so frustrated that the weight is not just falling off of them. They start thinking that all of their hard work is not paying off. They can usually point out things they couldn’t do before working out. However, fixated on the lack of weight loss they get discouraged. I remind them that often times body fat loss and muscle gain can result in no body weight loss. Some of these people even are losing inches and having to buy new clothes because they are dropping sizes.
The point is don’t forget all of your other goals. You wanted to feel better, you’re stronger, lost body fat, dropped clothes sizes, you have energy to chase your children.
Many people begin a new workout plan with the idea of getting in better shape. Their main focus is weight loss, but in their mind they plan on eating better, feeling better, having more energy, less body aches, and generally becoming more fit and healthier. Within a couple of months I have seen people get so frustrated that the weight is not just falling off of them. They start thinking that all of their hard work is not paying off. They can usually point out things they couldn’t do before working out. However, fixated on the lack of weight loss they get discouraged. I remind them that often times body fat loss and muscle gain can result in no body weight loss. Some of these people even are losing inches and having to buy new clothes because they are dropping sizes.
The point is don’t forget all of your other goals. You wanted to feel better, you’re stronger, lost body fat, dropped clothes sizes, you have energy to chase your children.
I generally ask people upon meeting them to list long term and short term goals. NONE have said “lose a lot of weight in a short period of time so they can stop working out and gain it all back”. NONE have said “get an amazing body at the risk of future knee, shoulder or back surgeries”. Your fitness and health should be an ongoing endeavor. You should think is this a sustainable lifestyle choice. Yes, there is a risk with working out, but does this compromise the safety of my joints (shoulders, back, knees)? Is this workout routine designed to correct muscle imbalances to prevent expensive surgeries of tomorrow?
Think of these things the same way many think about their cars. You put gas in it to get you from A to B. You do routine maintenance to ensure the life of the vehicle. You should think of your body in the same manner. How can I maintain my machine at it’s optimal level throughout the life span of my body.
Chika Christenson, MS Human Movement, NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist, NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist
RT @GreatestQuotes: “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” - Anatole France
RT @elitefts: Makes me want to go smash a tire and push the prowler. http://fb.me/NUNN9XLs
Holiday craze/blahs
Does this apply to you for the holiday season: stressed out, too many commitments, and of course being surrounded by tons of sweets? Do you enter the New Year feeling sluggish, flabbier, and find it hard to get back into a routine?
Get a jump on those New Year’s resolutions by following these tips:
1) Watch your sugar consumption. I’m not saying not to have those occasional sweets, but don’t eat them all day. If you have a sweet tooth you don’t have to eat the entire dessert to feel sated. For example, don’t eat the entire piece of pie, just eat half.
2) Get up and move. If you feel you don’t have the time to get to the gym, get up and walk on your 15 minute break, or when you get home, take a walk around the block with the dogs and or kids. This is a great way to get the blood moving and stave off that fatigue from sitting all day.
3) If you’re not consuming enough fiber, increase your fiber intake by eating those raw fruits and veggies typically supplied at those Holiday get-togethers.
4) If you have a sweet dessert, make sure to also have a protein source so you’re processing the sugars more efficiently. (nuts, peanut butter, organic Greek yogurt)
5) If you’re getting that tired feeling at work, stand up and do some stretches. Don’t chase the sugar crash with more sugar like sodas or more sweets.
A great way to start off those New Year’s Resolutions is to get a small jump on them this year. Moderation is a great tool to keep off those holiday pounds.
Have a safe and stress free Holiday Season!
Chika Christenson and South Congress Athletic Club
RT @IYCA: RT @mnt_sportsmed Physical Activity Levels In Kids And Young Adults May Predict Future Heart Health http://bit.ly/bFy1Ln
Casino Night Supports a Great Cause
Were you sitting around trying to figure out what you were going to do Saturday, June 12th? Were you thinking “Wow, I would like to make a difference in someone’s life while having a great time, support a great cause, and at the same time gamble in Texas”?
So, since I gave you the “WHEN”: Saturday, June 12th (7p-11p)
I’ll follow that up with the official “WHO”: Roll2Walk www.roll2walk.org
Roll2Walk is a local (Austin, TX) non-profit organization that works with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) patients. For more on their organization click the above link.
“WHAT”: Roll2Walk’s Casino Night http://www.roll2walk.org/casino
“WHERE”: 1109 South Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704 (South Congress Athletic Club)
click here for a map http://tinyurl.com/26wxddm
So, come out and gamble, support Roll2Walk, and have a great time!
Youth Summer Classes
Results Personal Training is proud to announce the inception of their Youth Fitness program called
PLAY 2 B FIT KIDS
Parents do you want a structured, fun, neuromuscularly sound fitness program for your children? Play2bfitkids is geared towards teaching your children aspects of fitness that they can use for a lifetime. Let’s get your children moving. Let’s teach them there is more to fitness than running and sports. Let’s teach them fitness can be fun through games. These games are designed to coincide with their neuromuscular stages of development.
These classes are structured for age groups 6-9, 10-13, and 14+. These fitness classes are great for those kids who just aren’t into sports but need a program that encompasses fitness as a lifestyle change.
For your athletes I offer B.A.S.E camps.
These camps encompass the fundamental movement patterns of all sports. We will focus on balance, agility, strength, and endurance.
This program is designed to give them a structured program to prepare them for the demands of sports, prevent injury, and build a well rounded athlete. This program is great for the off season or can be taken during the sport season to enhance their performance without over training. This program is for ages 10-13, and 14+.
For more information contact Chika at chika@austinresultstraining.com or 512-797-1891
website coming soon: www.play2bfitkids.com
“Vibrams aka “The foot glove”
You may have seen people walking around town with shoes that look like gorilla feet. This article is a review of those shoes for both the casual observer and owner of the minimalist shoe known as the Vibram FiveFingers.
Let’s start with why there is a demand for such a product. As an owner of Vibrams myself, I can attest to their comfort in everyday situations. It’s kind of like wearing nothing but underwear in public, just a bit more kosher. People still look at me funny though…
The demand goes beyond comfort of course. The contention is that by wearing Vibrams you can develop the muscles of the foot and to essentially be a healthier human being. But before we go down that trail let’s step back for a minute… What’s wrong with my $150 pair of Air Jordans?
The “modern shoe” (that nice pair of Nikes you are wearing) is so supportive that the foot rarely gains the ability to develop its own arch or maintain proper alignment. As the base of our upright nature being human and all, the foot must be able to support alignment. If the base is not solid, the rest of the body will fall out of said alignment. Being out of alignment means compensation, and compensation means it’s easier to get injured.
So by having a minimalist shoe such as the Vibram, the foot will adapt to the specific demands of not having a proverbial crutch (Air Jordans).
Now for those of you who have read this far and assume I’m a Vibram salesman and are turned off by another disguised advertisement, or if you have been wooed by my review of them and want a pair of your own, I urge you to PLEASE READ ON!
Demand comes from need, and there is obviously a huge demand for the aforementioned “modern shoe”. Why? Look around you… Concrete, stone, sharp objects, and, of course, the pressure to prove via clothing/material goods that you are a more suitable mate than the person next to you…
The “modern shoe” was bred to lessen the harsh impact on surfaces our feet have not evolved to constantly run on. That harsh impact can wear on your body even worse than misalignment. It’s a catch-22.
Humans developed to run on softer surfaces than we find here in the city, and to compensate for fewer soft surfaces we need a softer, more supportive shoe. But that softer shoe leads to collapses in alignment.
So what the hell is the point of this article if it ends with things up in the air? Fortunately it doesn’t. It ends with a nice, friendly list of dos and don’ts regarding your footwear.
1. If you decide you want to run in Vibrams, wear them around in low impact situations BEFORE running in them for at least 6 months. Your arch didn’t collapse overnight wearing those Nikes, give your body plenty of time to adjust. If you don’t, you will injure yourself.
2. If you stick with your Nikes, train (carefully!) in the gym barefoot. No impact, and you still get to develop that arch. Don’t know where to start with that arch? A Yoga instructor is much more likely to know than your trainer. Unless, of course, you come see a SCAC trainer (WARNING! SUBTLE ADVERTISING DETECTED!).
3. If you want to wear these to prove yourself a more suitable mate than the schmuck sitting across the room, knock yourself out. Nothing says “I can provide well for you” like a neon green pair of gorilla feet.
Till next time!
Gray Godwin
Certified Natural Trainer
Certified Spinal Cord Injury Specialist
