10 ways to triumph over holiday weight gain

Did you know that the average American gains 1lb over the holidays according to wikipedia?  Some studies have even gone so far as to state an average gain of 7-12lbs over that period.  This weight gain has also been shown to become permanent from one season to the next.  You could be adding 1lb for every adult year that you have celebrated the holidays.  You can do the math.  With Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaching, I felt obligated to write this blog post.  I know many of my clients struggle with this and often times it is noticeable.  The holidays are a time to give thanks and enjoy time spent with the family.  By no means, am I  telling you not to have a good time and enjoy this season.  Here is D Watts' guide to avoid gaining those dreaded holiday pounds.  These are not ranked by importance!

1.  Leftovers-  I know that leftovers are plentiful with my family!  If you are the one doing the cooking, try to unload as much food to your guests as possible.  If that food stays in the house, you will eat it!  If you are the guest, keep the leftovers to a minimum!  The longer that you continue to snack on the leftovers, the longer it  takes you to get back to your normal eating routine.  Leftovers are one of the best things about the holidays but be smart and cautious.

2.  Don't pig out-  If you eat 5 meals a day normally, don't eat 8 during the holidays!  Even if they are just snacks at a minimum of 300 calories, then you just added 900 calories to your daily intake.  You know what it takes to burn 900 calories?  Just because there is an abundant amount of food doesn't mean you should become a garbage truck.

3.  Portion control-  This is critical!  Don't build a mound of dressing on your plate!  You can taste everything in moderation.  Make sure not to eat until you are overly stuffed!  You know what portions that you are used to.  Don't increase them over the holidays.

4.  Cut back on dessert-  Enough said!

5.  Stick to the turkey-  If you have to eat in excess, make it protein!  Don't overload on all the carbs unless you plan on running a marathon the next day.  The turkey might make you sleepy but you can't eat while you  sleep.  Turkey, ham, or whatever the protein source is usually lean.  I say usually because I have seen some interesting recipes.

6.  Alcohol consumption-  You are already adding calories with the food.  Don't continue to add calories with alcohol (empty calories at that)!  This could be the thing that takes you over the limit into the red zone.  Portion control is crucial when drinking as well.

7.  Don't be lazy-  For some reasons, the holidays give people a reason to be lazy.  Don't take two months off from working out for the holidays.  If you want to take 5 days or so off, fine!  Keep those workouts coming to keep your body burning calories!  If you don't workout, the holidays are a good reason to start.

8.  Travel well-  I often get asked, "What do I do when I travel?"  Traveling is hard and it takes you out of your comfort zone, but should not be an excuse.  Pack your workout clothes with you.  Find a gym, park, or just workout at the family members home where you are staying.  Somebody other than you in your family exercises.

9.  Partner up-  Partner up with another family member that is dreading the holidays because of weight gain. Partner up with the husband/boyfriend, wife/girlfriend, or childhood friend.   Be each others trainer or motivation to keep the weight off.  Partner up to go for an early morning run or go to the local gym.  Give yourself a maximum amount of food that you eat or how many times that you eat.  If you know Aunt Carol's casserole is fattening and she brings it every year, stay away from it!

10.  Stop online shopping-  Get up, get out, and do your shopping!  Walking around the mall burns calories.  Sitting in front of the computer doesn't!  At least, not nearly as much as walking does:).  I love online shopping as well to avoid the holiday rush.  When it comes to weight gain, every little bit helps.

These are all easier said then done but will definitely help you to not be part of the statistic.  Do your best to follow these simple steps and you will thank me for it later.  Especially,  when you see all the new year resolution peeps.  I hope everyone has an amazing holiday!  We all have a lot to be thankful for.  As always, Be functional, Be inspired, Be transformed, BeFIT Chicago!!  








   

BeFIT Tip #2: The Kettlebell Swing

Hi everyone!  Hope you had an amazing weekend!  I will let you know how mine was depending if I win in fantasy football:).  I promised to piggy back off of my last post and give you some kettlebell exercises to incorporate into your routines.  I love this exercise!  I use this with almost all of my circuits to really amplify the calorie burn.  It is the kettlebell swing!  I observe a lot of trainers trying to use this with their clients often, more times then not, the wrong way.  Kettlebell swings can be very effective if done properly but if done incorrectly can cause injury.  It is very important to learn or be taught the correct posture for this exercise as with any other exercise.  Form is critical!  I see clients using the wrong mechanics and engaging muscles that should not be the agonists.  For starters, this is not a shoulder workout!  If you are feeling the kettlebell swing primarily in the shoulders then you are doing it incorrectly.  The cause of this is that you are not engaging from the true root of this movement primarily glutes and hamstrings.  You are not generating enough force to build momentum and therefore you feel the need to raise the kettlebell with your arms.  The arms should be nothing but an extension of the kettlebell.  They just guide the bell from start to finish.  This is not a lower back exercise!  You should definitely not feel this exercise primarily in the lower back.  This is where injury can happen.  I understand that beginners to this exercise might get a little soreness or tightness in the lower back just because of inexperience.  The cause of this is trying to create the extension phase of this exercise from the lower back and not from the hips.  Learning how to extend from the hips contracting your glutes is critical in order to perform swings.  Males and females alike rely much to heavily on their erectors for extension and not enough on the much larger, stronger gluteus muscles.  Now that I have pointed out some common mistakes when doing swings, let me explain how to do them correctly.  I'm going to break the swing down into two phases.  The prep phase and the extension phase.  In order to execute the prep phase correctly, you should familiarize yourself with the deadlift.  Doing the prep phase, the bell should be close to your body between your legs.  Legs should be based hip width apart or a little wider.  I like to tell my clients to lead with their hips keeping their chest high and let the knees follow what the hips are doing.  If you are quad dependent, you will often want to lead with the knees.  This creates more of a vertical line when what you are trying to create is horizontal.  Lead the hip flexors through passive flexion and try to maintain a flat back.  A very slight arch in the back my occur.  Make sure that you can see yourself from a side profile in the mirror in order to get this.  Also, if you have the correct posture, you will notice that the shoulder, knees, and ankles all stack on top of each other.  The hips are the furthest away from that center line or center of gravity.  The further away a joint is from the center of gravity, the more torque is created in that joint.  You want to create torque and build momentum through the hips so it makes sense that they should be furthest back.  Practice getting this prep phase continuously before executing the next step.  Once you have mastered that, you are ready to move on to the extension phase.  During this phase, you will perform the most work or put out the most energy.  Always start by building momentum and slowing rocking the hips to start the kettlebell into motion.  This allows you to start the bell safely and create a rhythm with your hips.  With each thrust or ext from the hip, you should notice the kettlebell going higher and higher.  For beginners, only attempt to swing the kettlebell to about mid chest height or directly to eye level.  If done correctly, you will experience a sense of weightlessness of the bell at the top of the motion.  Another thing that I tell my clients is to give a big exhale on the ext phase and inhale into relaxation on the prep phase.  Just make sure to hit that good posture every time on the prep phase!  You got it!  You can now do these swings for reps or timed intervals.  Try to build up into swinging for one minute straight!  Talk about building a strong core!  Your glutes will definitely thank you!  Maybe not right away because they will be screaming at you but in the long run:).  Swings burn about 20 calories for every minute that you do them.  Impressive!  That equates to 1200 calories/hour!  That's more than most people get out of 11/2 hours of bikram yoga at 105 degrees.  Even more impressive!  You will be truly adding some intensity to your workout as well.  Just make sure that you are getting the proper results.  If anything doesn't feel right, stop and ask!  Here is to that stronger, fitter you!  Right before the holidays.  Be functional, be inspired, be transformed, BeFIT Chicago!

Fit Tip: Starting The Week Off Right

Well, the weekend is over.  How was yours?  Did it involve a lot of unwanted calories and laziness?  For me, not so much this weekend because of the Spartan Race.  Usually, there are a  fair share of unwanted calories.  It is crucial for you to get the week started the right way to burn those unwanted calories off.  It's a new week and time to try something new to really rev up that metabolism!  My beFIT tip to you this week are kettlebells.  If you haven't already tried kettlebells, now is better than never.  Kettlebells are an awesome way not only to burn calories but to utilize your core.  What are kettlebells?  They are iron weights that have a handle at the top and a round mass at the bottom.  They differ from dumbbells because the mass is not centered horizontally but vertically.  This in itself makes it harder because the mass of the kettlebell is working with gravity as you are trying to lift it.  I would say however that kettlebells should be taught to you by someone who has experience using them.  I'm not talking about your friend who saw someone use them at the gym or your trainer that uses them on occasion.  I'm talking about someone that uses them consistently and knows how the movement should be executed.  Kettlebells should not be used in the same fashion as dumbbells!  Please don't let me see you on a stability ball pressing kettlebells.  Learn the basics first and take it slow.  You will then become more comfortable with them and then you can start to learn more complicated movements.  You will burn more calories doing a moderate kettlebell workout than you will doing an intense dumbbell workout guaranteed.  After you have learned the basics, try stringing the movements together into circuits.  Kettlebell circuits are very challenging and really get the heart rate up there so be careful.  Once you have experienced a good kettlebell workout, you will want to use them all the time.  After you have become acquainted with the circuits, you can then start to incorporate other things like plyos, power lifting, and agility into the circuits.  This always keeps the workouts interesting and keeps your body guessing.  So get to it!  Start to research kettlebells and learn the movements.  I will post some movements later and then give you a killer circuit to try.  Looking forward to a better, fitter you!  Have a great week!  Be functional, be inspired, be transformed, beFIT Chicago!! 

Defeat Cancer!!!

 October is all about pink!  I want to take this time to just pay tribute to all the breast cancer survivors.  I also want to acknowledge all of the family members that have lost someone to breast cancer.  We all need to do our part to increase awareness and help find the cure for cancer.  I don't know many people that have not been touched in some way by cancer.  We all know people or have family members that have experienced this horrible disease.  I lost my grandfather to cancer when I was young but I still remember seeing him in the hospital weak and confused.  For me, that was very difficult because my grandfather was the strongest man that I knew.  I recently competed and finished the sprint Spartan Race this weekend.  It was very interesting to say the least.  Some of the proceeds for the event went to breast cancer research.  Everyone was wearing pink.  I even saw a group of ladies in pink tutus running the race.  If you don't know what the Spartan Race is, make sure to look it up at spartanrace.com.  It is not for everyone and it makes most obstacle races like it seem easy.  The sprint is about 3.6 miles of trail that consists of mud, leaves, sticks, and water.  Obstacles are thrown into the mix.  Some of the obstacles are crawling under barb wire, carrying a bucket of gravel up and down steep hills, throwing a spear, jumping over fire, dragging boulders, and getting out of a pit of heavy mud up to your hip.  It is very intense!  I didn't expect how messy and challenging the event would be.  It was very special to me to finish the race.  I was already signed up to do it for our Powerade Zero team but had no idea that I would be running it for dedication.  Over the weekend, in fact, the day before the race my cousin passed away due to complications from breast cancer at the age of 37.  I was hit head on by the breast cancer demon that plagues many women.  I decided to dedicate the race to the memory of my cousin, Denise Lear.  I wore a pink wristband that read "RIP Denise Lear Forever in our hearts."  Although, the course was never at a point difficult enough to consider stopping, I thought of my cousin every time I slopped through dirty nasty smelly mud.  Thanks to the Powerade Zero team, Ashley Bond, and Tina Franceschina for helping me complete the race.  It was amazing!!  My family will always remember Denise for her strength and love for her three sons.  Let's all do our part and find a cure to defeat breast cancer and all other forms of cancer.  Together we stand! Together we can!

To my cousin,
You will be missed
You will be forever in our heartsYou are loved

You are home!
RIP Denise Lear

The CrossFit Phenomenon, Is it right for you?

The thought of writing a blog about CrossFit crossed my mind when a fellow trainer asked me if I was a CrossFit trainer.  I asked, What is a CrossFit trainer?  He told me that I trained in the CrossFit style and I did it correctly.  I was really shocked by this.  There is a CrossFit style?  Most of you probably would say" yes."  The reason that I don't associate myself with it is because I have been doing these things most of my life.  For those of you that don't know what CrossFit is let me explain.  CrossFit is a training style that incorporates total body movements in a circuit format often the length is dictated by time or number of reps.  They use jump roping, power/olympic lifting, ropes, sleds, kettlebells, long runs, and pullups in their circuits.  Usually they will put together a circuit with a specific number of exercises and reps.  The fastest time that you can complete it is recorded and you progress by beating previous times.  A sample circuit might be:

6-8 deadlifts
15-20 box jumps
10-15 kettlebell swings
8-10 bar to chest pullups
6-8 overhead squats

Not exact but just for example so you can get the picture.  All of these exercises take extreme coordination and use a lot of muscle to complete.  CrossFit has become so popular that it is hard not to find a studio on some corner in your city.  How about the CrossFit Games now aired on ESPN2?  Wow!  I don't want to sound like a hater but I just want to offer my opinion on the subject.  I don't want to get any comments by people that use their style of training.  I know that there are numerous success stories out there and quite sure they have changed tons of lives in the process.  My thing is that I don't see how you can put a label on something that has been done for years.

Is CrossFit right for you? If you are a person who is extremely competitive and athletic, then maybe it is.  You most definitely have to take some things into consideration although.  First, can you deal with constant soreness and muscle fatigue?  Training in this fashion is very repetitive and breaks down muscle tissue fast helping to hypertrophy the muscle as well.  Common aches and pains will accompany this transition.  Also, joints seem to break down from this repetitive stress as well.  Knee, elbow, neck, and back discomfort are common with this type of training. Are you looking to build bulky muscle or lean muscle?  With this type of training, you are moving a lot of weight especially in the power lifting exercises.  This helps to promote strong muscle but often time very bulky muscle.  So all you ladies out there that don't like big thighs and rounded shoulders, this is not going to work for you.  Anyone that is trying to lean out may want to stick to circuit training that doesn't involve moving a lot of weight.  I know people are going to say that doing a overhead snatch with 55lbs is not a lot of weight.  Think about it.  If you do 8 snatches that equals 440lbs and 10 is 550lbs total lbs moved.  That was the requirement for women in the day 1 exercise program for the CrossFit games.  I can't even get most of my female clients to lift 15lbs without complaining that they are going to get too big let alone 55.  Are you going to be able to sustain an intense pace?  It takes a lot of heart to get through some of these grueling circuits.  Most people just don't have that kind of intensity to pull this off.  I'm just being honest.  You should also be honest with yourself.  Even if you get through circuits consistently, can you continue to train consistently to keep seeing results?  For most people, that will be "no."  It's hard enough to keep people consistent with their training as it is without taking the intensity level up to CrossFit standards. 

Don't get me wrong.  I think the CrossFit games are an awesome display of athletic talent.  I am even considering trying out for next year.  I just don't think you can expect people to train in this intense, ballistic, repetitive style without injury.  I can't see the average person being able to train this way and it be beneficial to their health and well being.  I still believe that a personalized training program to meet your specific need is the best way to go.  If your specific needs requires CrossFit then so be it.  Most people are just not at the fitness level to want or need to challenge themselves in this fashion.  I most definitely use all the exercises and then some that CrossFit does but I use them with my clients in a more structured organized manner to meet their personal fitness levels.  I don't think CrossFit has a personal approach.  Form is definitely lacking in the lifts and I think too much emphasis is put on weight.  If you are doing it already, I wish you nothing but injury free success.  If you are not, make a wise decision about what is right for you.  Don't get caught up in the fad!  If there is one thing to take from them is to incorporate more total body exercises and lifts into your circuit training.  Keep the heart rate up and burn those calories!  As always, much success to everyone.  Be functional, be inspired, be transformed, beFIT Chicago!

Fitness Lifestyle: The American Way

In the US, we have some staggering obesity rates.  I have a hard time accepting that we are just a bunch of lazy, non-motivated people.  So I wanted to take a look and write about the difference between the American fitness lifestyle and the rest of the world.  I always tell my clients that beFIT is a lifestyle and about incorporating fitness into your lifestyle.  I sometimes wonder if they fully understand what this means.  Now, I understand that it's easier said then done.  The American lifestyle consists of convenience, inactivity, and quantity.  Let me explain what I mean.

Convenience plays a huge role in our lifestyle.  Americans work long hours and have shorter lunch breaks.  So when lunch comes around, we look for the quickest bite to eat.  We turn to fast food.  Not to mention that its not enough to get a value meal but we have to get the bigger size value meal.  If you somehow manage to escape fast food fever on a daily basis, then I'm sure that you are stricken by going out to eat fever.  Not saying that going out to eat is wrong for you, but its about what you order when you get there.  I know people that go out literally everyday.  Some restaurants do offer healthier options but the crowd favorites are always on the menu.  Portion size has gone from large to huge in the last few years. Partly, because we think that if there is not enough food then we are getting ripped off.  Usually, dinner consists of a few drinks, appetizers, and the main course.  As a added bonus, some throw in dessert as well.  The art of cooking for yourself has gone out the window.  We use time as the excuse.  I don't have time to cook so I will just grab something quick.  I don't feel like cooking so let's eat or order out.  We can't use this as our crutch anymore!  It's all about preparation!

Inactivity is the killer!  Americans work so much.  By the time we get home, we have an excuse to lay on the couch and watch TV.  Oh yeah, that's after we picked up something quick on the way home.  Many of my clients seek rescue from the numerous types of desk jobs that they have.  Sitting in a cubicle all day in front of a computer screen does not burn many calories.  Not to mention, the added stress that comes with their jobs which makes snacking on candy all day a good idea.  This is a common thing throughout the work week.  The weekend is spent drinking, socializing, and going out to dinner.  It's like a vicious cycle! I recommend to my clients five days of physical activity for at least forty five minutes.  We must find a way to become more active.  No, weather is not an acceptable excuse!

Quantity was mentioned in relation to convenience.  We live in a bigger is better society when it comes to must things.  We have to be smart when it comes to portion control not only with food but also what we drink.  Alcohol is a huge problem and obstacle when it comes to becoming and maintaining fitness.  I will be writing a blog on this topic at a later date.

Now, let's talk about the rest of the world.  What makes them so different?  Why do they look at Americans as selfish, lazy people?  It's all about perception and lifestyle!  I just want to briefly tell you of a few regions of the world and how they live. The European lifestyle is very interesting.  They often have shorter work weeks and get more vacations.  Every time that I travel, I often see tons of Europeans on vacation.  Honestly, it seems that I see the same people on vacation whenever I am.  Their lifestyle is mainly a relaxed one.  Not everywhere but mostly.  Let's take France for instance.  France has some of the lowest obesity rates and heart related illness.  Why??

In France, meals are used to catch up on the latest world news.  French meals consist of many courses and can take hours from the first to the last course.  Heavy creams and butter is often used in meals and the French never skip out on dessert.  This have been a phenomenon for fitness and nutrition enthusiasts.  The trick is the portion size.  Courses are very small and not meant to fill you up.  Meals are also eaten very slowly giving the body time to digest and break down the food.  Wine is also consumed with meals.  Red wine has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and increase life expectancy.  Again, wine is consumed in moderation and slowly with meals.  The French are also very active.  They don't work out or go to a big box gym for exercise.  They simply ride bikes everywhere or walk.  This goes back to the very basic roots of transportation.  We can learn a few things from them.  We can also learn a few things from countries surrounding the Mediterranean.

In those countries, people eat local seasonal fruit grown in the land.  They also have a high protein diet that consists of fish and meat that are range free.  They don't have a lot of foods that are processed and sit on shelves for months at a time.  They also stay active by riding bikes and walking everywhere.  I recently had a   client of mine come back from Jordan. He complained that since being back that he lost some muscle mass and feels lazy again. 

America is the greatest country in the world hands down!  It doesn't mean that we can't burrow a few ideas from around the world.  To help raise our level of fitness, we need to become more active and watch not only what we eat but how much of it.  Simple things as walking or riding a bike instead of driving goes a long way.  Try to buy foods that are fresh and get meat that is range free.  Control portion sizes and eat more frequently to keep your metabolism at its peak.  Yes, you can enjoy a glass of wine or two on occasion. We just need to get out of the mindset that bigger and more means better.  Be functional, be inspired, be transformed, and beFIT Chicago!!  www.befit-chicago.com    

Love for boxing Love for fitness

With the highly anticipated Mayweather vs. Ortiz fight coming up tonight, I decided to write about a sport that I love and use to stay in shape.  Boxing is the sweet science. Many people assume that all you have to do is throw punches but they don't realize how much goes into it.  Speed, footwork, power, agility, and core are all present in pretty much every movement involved with boxing.  I like to include boxing in most of my client's programs.  However, it is not for everyone.  Boxing not only gets the heartrate up but burns tons of calories as well.  Have you noticed the physique on most boxers? Yep that's right.  Ripped! Believe it or not, most boxers don't really lift weights.  Not heavy weight anyway. The reason is to maximize quickness.  Have you ever tried to throw a punch after lifting weights.  You feel as though you are moving in slow motion.  Hitting the bag, doing mitt work, speed bag, jump rope, and sparring are enough to get those muscles pumped and defined.  Boxers are becoming more and more functional. The use of med balls, stability balls, and sometimes kettlebells are becoming more and more popular.  Boxing still for the most part remains old school.  I love to teach boxing because not only do you learn how to defend yourself but get a great workout in the process.  If you have never tried boxing, give it a shot.  I would love to take as many people and introduce them to one of my favorite sports.  Go to www.befit-chicago.com to schedule a complimentary session.  I guarantee you will be hooked.  If you want to try it yourself, make sure you read or youtube how to throw a proper punch.  There are tons of informational videos on boxing.  Watch some old fights of the greats: Mohammad Ali,  Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Lewis, Roy Jones Jr., and yes, Floyd Mayweather Jr.  I will also give you a circuit to try.  Guaranteed to kick your butt!  I'm looking forward to the fight tonight.  I think overall it will be a very entertaining fight to watch.  My prediction is Floyd Mayweather by TKO in the championship rounds. I know, I'm not really going out on a limb with that one.   Here is that circuit I promised:

*This is strictly a boxing circuit. Other exercises could be incorporated into this as well.  Boxing equipment is needed*

3min jump rope

3min shadow boxing

3min heavy bag work  (Repeat this three times.  A total of 9 3min rounds.)

3min heavy bag non stop punching

Simple but effective!!

 I hope everyone enjoys the fight tonight.  Be functional, be inspired, be transformed, beFIT Chicago!

Summer Deal

Get ready for the summer and that beach body ready with Trainer D and DWPT!  Burn calories away and get a great workout with Cardio Thai Box class Mondays 6pm at Hifi Fitness.  Hifi is located at 820 N Orleans Chicago IL.  It's as easy as 1,2,3!

1.  First class is FREE!

2.  Second class is 50% off. $10 when you come back.

3. Third, buy a package of 6 for $99.

That's it!!  Cardio Thai Box is the answer for that great summer workout plan.  It's a fun, innovative, and fast paced class that will keep your heart-rate up and most importantly, burn maximum calories. Come join in on the fun and invite as many friends as you want.  Unless, you want to keep how you got that great summer body a secret:).  Hope to see you there.

My Fuel Source

People always ask me, "What do I eat that keeps me lean?"  Yes, my metabolism and genetic factors come into play.  I am also very disciplined with my eating.  I am not doing any competitions any time soon but I am always looking to be at my best.  People think that its some complicated process to eating healthy.  Truth be told, its easier then one would think.  Healthy food options is what its all about.  Here we go:

Meal 1-breakfast(the most enjoying and important meal of the day).
5-6 large brown organic eggs(2 yolks), one cup steel cut oats(with blackberries or blueberries, tablespoon of flax, and stevia to sweeten it up).

Meal 2-mid morning snack.
Protein bar or 40g Isopure whey protein drink.

Meal 3-lunch
2 turkey burger patties(lightly seasoned w/ bbq sauce), 1/2 sweet potato or mixed veggies consisting of spinach, carrots, green beans, and cauliflower. 

Meal 4-mid afternoon snack.
20 grams protein shake or 20 grams protein cookies(yummy)!  I sometimes do hummus or edimame here instead.

Meal 5-dinner.
Either 1 chicken breast or salmon fillet, 1/2 sweet potato or mixed veggies consisting of spinach, carrots, green beans, and cauliflower.

That's it!  Pretty simple huh?  Of course, this varies a little and you can be more creative with the food selections but I can't cook so that's the best I can do.  I just stick to the simple rule of carb loading in the morning when energy levels need to be higher and you burn calories throughout the day.  I taper my carbs as the day goes along when energy requirements are lower.  Make sure to get plenty of veggies and drink plenty of water(I struggle with this sometimes).  Yes, I cheat.  I just stick to the rule 90% on and 10% cheat.  I don't expect everyone to be this boring:) but use this as an example for your food plans.

The Mental State of Fitness

When it comes to fitness, often the physical components come to mind.  The sweat, exhaustion, and soreness are usually thought of when working out.  If I asked you what it takes for you to reach your goals, what would you say?  Would you consider your mental state?  In order for you to reach maximum results, you must be mentally prepared.  I can tell if one of my clients is going to have a good workout or not by judging their focus.  I see a lot of people come into the gym and really get nothing out of it besides going through the motions.  I am in this business because I want to help people achieve maximum results.  I try to share my knowledge of working out with my clients as well as the mental prep that goes along with it.  This could be the difference between seeing results and not seeing them.  Let's talk about three areas of the mental state of fitness where you can improve your results.

First step is mental focus.  Mental focus is crucial for your body to respond to the demands that are put upon it when working out.  From the moment you step into the gym, you must have a goal in mind for that particular workout.  Stay focused on the task at hand.  Be specific.  Push/pull, upper body, lower body, muscle groups, splits, cardio,or whatever the workout may be.  Don't look at the big picture just yet.  Just know that you are working towards it.  Don't get distracted by what may be going on at the gym.  You are there for a purpose so get it done!

Next is mental imagery.  How do you expect to get there if you can't see yourself getting there.  It has been often thought that mental imagery can even shape your muscles for you.  Arnold used it back in his bodybuilding days before acting and politics took over.  I used to read how he used to imagine his biceps as mountain peaks when doing bicep curls.  Imagine how you want your body to look or whatever you want to get out of the training.  I was taught to use if you had one person that you want to look like who would it be.  Or imagine yourself in that wedding dress walking down the aisle.  Although cheesy, this is a very powerful motivator for people.  Imagery can be used for form as well.  Imagine how the exercise should look and mimic that movement.  If it doesn't look and feel right, it probably isn't. 

Last is mental toughness.  Working out and being fit is not the easiest thing in the world.  If it was, everyone would be healthy and fit.  It takes toughness to get through rep after rep, set after set, and workout after workout.  I always tell my clients there is no such thing as fatigue.  Your body can often keep going but it is your mind that is telling your body to stop.  By being mentally tough, you can push past many thresholds that may hold you back.  One more rep, two more, three more........trust me you can do it!  Push yourself to new limits with each workout.  Staying strong mentally is the only way to do this.