Want a "leg up" on core training?

If you are looking to get ahead with your core training, instead of adding more reps, additional sets, or an "as seen on TV" piece of abdominal equipment, first start by looking down at your feet. That's right.....the question is: How much core "work" do you do in your routine before adding in crunches, balls, or bands to target your abdominals?

When we train the core at a conscious level (sit-ups, back extensions, etc.), we often forget that this is not how it is used in everyday activities. In fact, in order for us to truly find the functional benefit that added core strength can provide, it must be an "automatic" response based upon the training that it receives.

For example, a client of mine recently was standing out on her elevated porch in preparation for a walk with her dog on a leash. Unexpectedly, her dog bolted after a neighborhood cat while she was still attempting to zip her jacket. Both the physics and the "gravity" of the situation propelled her down three steps to the ground--at which point, she found herself shaken, but surprisingly upright due to a barrage of balance and stability training which I incorporate into our bi-weekly sessions.

Do I spend excessive time on balance boards and stability balls with her? You might be surprised to find that the answer is "no." I do, however, require her to perform rather simple exercises, such as a bicep curl, while standing on one leg; and somewhat more complicated exercises, such as a lunge, while walking down a piece of masking tape.

One might argue that there is some compromise of strength and/or one's total weight-bearing capabilities with regard to functional training--i.e. I wouldn't have my client attempt to squat her max weight (or anywhere near it, actually) while standing on an unstable surface. Certainly, there is a time and a place to add stability training to one's workout. However, the next time you are considering increasing your weight on a particular exercise--for example, a seated bicep curl--first ask yourself whether or not you could perform your specific reps/sets while seated on a stability ball. Then decide whether you could perform this exercise with good posture while standing. Finally, could you do it with good form and posture while standing on one leg or safely on a stability device?

These are the questions that will eventually point you in the direction of a properly trained core. Developing strong abdominal muscles is important, but a well-trained core will have benefits that will last long after the six-pack fades.

You are never too old to keep a diary...

...a food diary that is!

Without question, behavior modification has proven to be paramount for long-term weight loss success. The latest infomercial, dieting craze, or fat-burner pill may provide some marginal victories in the short-term, but let's face it, a diet of grapefruit juice and bilberry extracts should waive red flags from your department of common sense with regard to you long-term health.

So place your ab-chair-thigh-buster-bun-lifter (as seen on TV) aside, and instead, pick up a pen. That's right, a food diary is the number one tool used by nutritionists and dietitians for behavior modification-specific weight control. The real questions are: Do you trust yourself to write down every morsel of sweet, salty, or fatty delight that passes through your lips on a daily basis; or more importantly, can you commit to finding the time?

Please take a moment and respond with your successes, struggles, thoughts, and/or opinions on keeping a food diary. What has worked for you?

The World's Greatest Last-Place Finisher

Traditionally, the last competitive event of the summer Olympics is the men's marathon. At the Mexico City Olympics in 1968, the marathon had been over for more than two hours. The journalists were finishing their stories and the TV people were breaking down their equipment.
Into the stadium hobbled a lone runner. He ran around the track, crossed the finished line, and got down on his hands and knees and kissed the ground. The journalists, sensing a great story, surrounded him.
All of a sudden someone yelled out, "Who are you?"
"My name is John Stephen Akhwari"
"Where are you from?"
"I am from the country of Tanzania."
"The race has been over for more than two hours. Why are you still running?"
"My country sent me 10,000 miles to run in the Olympic marathon. They did not send me 10,000 miles to start the race - they sent me 10,000 miles TO FINISH THE RACE."

Don't Procrastinate

Did you know that IDEA, the International Health and Fitness organization, released a statistic that found 75% of people who exercise are not getting the results they want? But out of the 25% of people who are getting results, 90% of them are working with a Personal Trainer. Here's a story that I've adapted from one of the stories of Dr. Rob Gilbert, one of the most motivating individuals and the best Sports Psychologists of our day.

On the wall of a runners' store in Princeton is an Adidas poster..."Sweat, pain, and exhaustion are all temporary - finishing Boston is forever."
This poster refers to the Boston Marathon. Even if you're not a runner, this poster refers to you as well because you're in a marathon too. Achieving your health and fitness goals is a marathon - not a sprint.
Whether it's an athletic marathon or a personal marathon, there are two things you have to do to cross the finish line:Number one is start.Number two is continue.
Sounds simple... but it's not that easy. As a matter of fact, according to a fitness industry survey, only 75 percent of individuals on an exercise program are getting the results they want.
Start: It's the start that stops most people. Most people plan on getting started. They hope to get started. They want to get started. But they never get started. Why? Because they procrastinate. Procrastination is a killer. Procrastination is getting ready to get ready. The secret is that you don't have to feel like getting started - you just have to start. Don't wait until you feel like doing it... just do it and then you'll feel like it! So today start walking, work out at the fitness center, plan your meals, cook a healthy dinner, go to bed early- whether you feel like it or not.
Continue: In other words, "Keep on keeping on." Why do so many people fail to continue once they get started? The number one reason for quitting for marathon runners is pain and exhaustion. The number one reason individuals stop exercising is discouragement. In the long run, it hurts more to quit than to continue.
Question: How do you fight discouragement?Answer: With success.
Let me explain... Nothing succeeds like success. When you actually start seeing results, your whole world changes. Results change attitudes. When you actually start seeing results, weight loss, increased energy, more definition, better attitude, better mood - these results are powerful motivators. Nothing succeeds like success.
Start. Continue. Cross the finish line! The tassel is worth the hassle.