Things that make you go #?/&%$

So this week I'm going to talk about something that just really gets under my skin concerning fitness. People that say, “I can't.” I'll be training someone who is just going through their reps relatively easy and all of a sudden say,

Client: “I can't do it!”

Me: “What!? You can't do it!? You're doing fine. Look, you're still going.”

Client: “I know, but my arms are hurting.”

Me: “Ok. Is it a muscle hurt or an injured hurt?”

Client: “A muscle hurt. It burns!”

So in this situation it's not that the client can't do it, it's that they don't want to. The way I feel about it is (in the words of Jillian from The Biggest Loser) “If you choose to be less that what God intended you to be then don't tell me that you can't. Tell me that you choose not to!” There's no room for excuses when it comes to fitness, but that's what I hear every day. You either do it or you choose not to. That's it! The word “can't” should never come into play. This is also true with nutrition. I'll look over a client's food log and they're either not eating enough or they're not eating enough and what they are eating is junk. It usually goes something like this:

Me: “You're nutrition isn't looking too good here. What's going on?”

Client: “Well I'm at work all day so I can't eat 5-6 times a day” or “I have kids” or “I just wasn't hungry.”

Really? I work all day, I have kids and you know what, sometimes I'm just not hungry either. Millions of people are in the same situation, but they still make it happen. Then when it comes time for their monthly assessment and they don't see very good results they want to look at me like I'm failing them when they're the ones who aren't working out like they should and/or eating like they should. I can only do so much. I can't force anyone to do 5 more reps, although sometimes I try. And I can't follow clients home and force feed them or prepare all of their meals while they relax. Oh you want to look like Jessica Simpson? Quit eating freaking cookies and ice cream and try a few carrots and apples. You want to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger or look good in a bikini this year? Quit complaining that you're muscles burn or that the weight you just did 12 reps with is too heavy. It's called responsibility and determination people, try a little bit!

The bottom line is it all depends on how bad you want it. If you really want it you'll do what it takes to make it happen. Something else that gets me is when people look at me and say, “You can probably eat anything you want and not gain a pound. I wish I was like that.” Are you freaking kidding me!? I've busted my ass EVERY day in the gym and at the dinner table to get where I am. I'm no supermodel or the next Mr. Olympia, but I work for what I do have. I don't sit around complaining that it's too hard or it's not convenient cause you know what, it IS hard, it IS inconvenient, but that doesn't matter because I can see the goal line. I can see where I am now and where I want to be and I know what I have to do to get there. You're damn right it's hard and anything worth having should be! So suck it up people and see your goal line. How far away is it? What do you have to do to get there? Got a trainer? Need one (hint, hint)? If you're paying someone money to help you get to where you want to be then listen to them. That's why they're there. To help you. Not baby you!

The Exercise Prescription

A woman walks into a doctor's office for a check-up. After running a few tests the doctor tells here that she has high blood pressure, high cholesterol and is on the verge of type 2 diabetes. He then prescribes a series of medications to treat all of these problems and tells her about the importance of getting these things under control by taking her medications to prevent further damage to her body.

Now imagine what would have happened if instead of prescribing a list of drugs to "cure" the problems if he instead would have written her a prescription for exercise. I'm sure the lady would have been shocked as would have anyone else that she told about her experience; however, that doctor would have done the best thing imaginable for his patient had he done that.

The benefits of exercise don't end with looking and feeling better.

Heart Disease and Stroke - Daily exercise can help prevent heart disease and stroke by strengthening your heart muscle, lowering your blood pressure, raising your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (good cholesterol) and lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (bad cholesterol), improving blood flow, and increasing your heart's working capacity.

High Blood Pressure - Regular exercise can reduce blood pressure in those with high blood pressure levels. It also reduces body fat, which is associated with high blood pressure.

Noninsulin-Dependent Diabetes - By reducing body fat, physical activity can help to prevent and control this type of diabetes.

Obesity - Daily exercise helps to reduce body fat by building or preserving muscle mass and improving the body's ability to use calories. When physical activity is combined with proper nutrition, it can help control weight and prevent obesity, a major risk factor for many diseases.

Back Pain -. By increasing muscle strength and endurance and improving flexibility and posture, regular exercise helps to prevent and/or lessen back pain.

Osteoporosis - Regular weight-bearing exercise promotes bone formation and may prevent many forms of bone loss associated with aging.

Psychological Effects - Regular exercise can improve your mood and the way you feel about yourself. Researchers also have found that exercise is likely to reduce depression and anxiety and help you to better manage stress.

Millions of Americans suffer from illnesses that can be prevented or improved through regular exercise!

• 13.5 million people have coronary heart disease.

• 1.5 million people suffer from a heart attack in a given year.

• 8 million people have adult-onset (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes.

• 95,000 people are newly diagnosed with colon cancer each year.

• 250,000 people suffer from a hip fractures each year.

• 50 million people have high blood pressure.

• Over 60 million people (two thirds of the population) are overweight.

• 33% of the adult population are considered obese

• An even scarier statistic, 15% of children over the age of 6 are considered obese!

So if you ask me, the doctor in the story above just took the easy way out. Instead of prescribing exercise and holding his patient accountable for her own health he just whips out his pad and signs over prescriptions. The scary part is that is what's taking place in our world today. No longer are people responsible for ensuring they live to see their grandchildren. They put their faith instead in the drugs that are pushed by the doctors who are paid by the drug companies who are making billions each year. I find it sad that the CEOs of these drug companies whom people will never meet are sitting on a goldmine while personal trainers in every gym are barely able to make ends meet. I'll close in saying that the next time you visit your doctor and he pulls out that trusty old prescription pad tell him you think you'll try a different route first. Then if you really apply yourself and try to fix it the right way via exercise and nutrition and that doesn't work then, and only then, turn to the prescription!

Time

"I don't have time to exercise." How many times have you heard that? How many times have you been the one saying that? Well do I have some good news for you. There is always time for some type of exercise. There's no golden rule saying that you must be in a gym and be there for at least an hour for it to be considered exercise. Most of us get an hour lunch break right? But it doesn't take that long to eat assuming you've packed a healthy lunch for the day. Use the extra time to do some light stretching. Sitting at a desk all day actually lets some of your muscles shorten and tighten up and they won't just magically go right back to normal when you stand up. You've got to stretch them back out. You can even get some benefit while you're driving. Research has shown that repeatedly tensing a muscle, letting it relax, tensing it again, etc. is almost as beneficial as strength training. Now you no longer have an excuse for not exercising at least a little each day!

Motivation

So you're ready to get in shape huh? Well it's not going to be easy. Actually it'll be pretty tough. It will require strict self discipline, dietary changes, schedule rearrangements, sweat and hard work. But with the proper motivation it can easily be accomplished. An easy way to get and keep yourself motivated is if you're browsing through a magazine and see a picture of someone you want to look like simply cut out the picture and tape it up on your mirror. That way you see it everyday and it gives you that little extra nudge to drag yourself down stairs or to the gym and get your workout done.