So, here’s the quick background on dad, he’s 68, newly retired and to my knowledge never actually worked out. Sure, he’s done yard work, construction, moved furniture, wall papered, painted, laid tile, I mean just about everything and done it well, but has never been inclined to actually strength train.
I really impressed that at 68 he has the awareness that his strength and muscle mass are on the decline and that he’s displaying the open mindedness to take some direction ( dad, I know you think you know everything )
Anyway in this first installment I wanted to impress upon him the importance of the internalization of movement by incorporating simple postures to immediately strengthen and lengthen. Also of importance is to incorporate proper technique early to decrease the risk of injury.
Dad, I will be checking your progress-there will be a test
I was lucky enough to spend a full week at a yoga retreat in costa rica, it was beautiful, ate vegetarian, did yoga each day, took surfing lessons and was in bed by 9:30 every night. Know this was certainly the way to live! “When I get back I’m gonna make some changes” I thought, but reality, patterns and ingrained behaviors smacked me in the face like the cold wind at Newark airport.
I’ve been feeling depressed, stuck in the same old routine, frustrated and thinking that I’m unable to change.
While in costa rica there was ample opportunity to meditate and relax and at the beginning of each day , Mary, one of the owners would haphazardly toss a deck of cards on the table face down. They were called the ‘power deck’ and had little messages, inspirations, meditations on them that I would try to keep with me throughout the day. I wrote one down and it certainly applies. One morning I chose COURAGE, here is what it said:
Action takes courage, we often feel like fish out of water, seperate and different from the world around us. Fish out of water can learn to swim in a new air of consciousness with a new purpose in life. Perhaps it is identification with objects and clinging to addictions that keeps you feeling seperate and keeps you from finding the source of your power: not only dependence on drugs, sex or alcohol, but also addictions like fear of failure, the need for approval, or fear of desertion. Discover your own power and meaning by having the courage to give up your addictions, the live your power with courage.
One of my friends always says, “I can’t think my way into right acting, I have to act my way into right thinking”. This statement pertains to my whole life, not just working out. I’ve strayed from my personal spiritual path as of late which causes turmoil in all areas, just like a rock being thrown into a calm lake, those rings of discourse flow outward. What do I mean by my spiritual path? Real simple, doing the right things for the right reason, paying attention to an uneasiness in my gut when I make certain decisions, paying my bills on time is part of my individual spiritual practice.
So, what does this have to do with working out and my job as a trainer? Everything. When I go to these places of confusion and inner turmoil my ability to help others ceases, my own isolation draws me away from people and in turn away from myself. I don’t want to continue to grow as a trainer because I begin to question the ability of others to teach me anything (you can’t graft new ideas on to a closed mind). So, today I made a decision to start my day right, I went to the gym, where the attention to my physical self sets me on the right path to tend to my emotional and spiritual one. I can begin to find gratitude in my ability to show up and for all the things that I have and for the things I’m capable of achieving. I’m not speaking of monetary or career things, although those things are nice, they don’t give me peace and serenity which is most important to me.
this is all i can right today as there’s certainly no little bow to tie this altogether as the process is on-going and lifelong. Hal Miller - NYC Personal Trainer
I haven’t written in my blog in a week and I’ve made a commitment to myself to myself to keep writing and posting instructional videos, which I haven’t done in about 3 weeks. At this point training is easy for me, it’s a habit, but working on my business just isn’t, it’s work. I’m sure many of my clients regard exercise in the same way, they haven’t developed a habit of doing something, that’s why it’s so hard for them to get into the gym. So, here I sit just posting thoughts, no nutrition, no new exercises (today), just keeping my commitment to myself. I figure if I post this stuff on the internet I’ll be accountable, whether anyone ever reads this or not is really not important, it’s how I feel at night when my head hits the pillow. And I really like to sleep well.
Since my career began as a NYC personal trainer 8 years ago I’ve had the great opportunity to train many novice clients and usher them into fitness, some are excited and others, well………not so much. Either way I find it an honor to introduce them to the thing I’m most passionate about, especially the people that ‘hate’ the gym, I look at it as a challenge and want to get them hooked like I am.
Many challenges face the novice, endurance issues, technique and developing neuromuscular coordination, these all take time, but there is one that they can control immediately and that one thing is being properly fueled for a work out. Some people will show up for an evening work out and the last thing that they’ve had was a cup of coffee at 1 and can’t even remember what they’ve had for breakfast, this is a recipe for failure. There is no gas in the tank and you’re going to get stranded, frustrated and sick. A trainer can do a lot of things for you, but he can’t stand by and make you eat.
Let’s keep this really simple, and just address food regarding your work out. Optimally you should eat 1-2 hours before, consuming a meal of about 40% protein, 40% complex carbohydrate and about 20% fat ( these are only estimates). These can be comprised of almost anything, but try and stay away from those deli bars, as you don’t know what’s used in there preparation. Please also understand that this is a process of trial and error and it will take time to figure out what agrees best with your body.
Post workout meals for my clients are dictated more by time. if they’ve trained in the morning or afternoon, I’ll use the formula above, If training took place in the evening I’ll modify the carbohydrate intake depending on the intensity of the workout. To be a little more clear, if you hit the weights hard, you can eat more good carbs, but if it was more cardio intensive, or a light weight circuit, I’d cut the carbs in half and add more protein. See it’s getting complicated already, don’t get discouraged and remember, ‘progress not perfection’.
Perhaps New York City is a bubble, at least I think of it that way at times, I wonder if the struggles with food and lifestyle are the same in the rest of the country. Being a NYC personal trainer and owner of Fixed Gear Fitness i’ve trainer hundreds of people over the last 8 years and there are quite a few stumbling blocks to becoming fit, but the one I’m addressing today seems to be a common one. It’s the balance between enjoying what you are eating and maintaining balance.
I should really speak for myself as this is a major problem for me in maintaining my weight, it’s important to me because I just feel better being on the leaner side of things and it is of course my business, I am essentially a walking advertisement. I’m a person that cannot just have “a little bit” or a “taste” when it comes to certain foods. I literally feel as if my body chemistry has been altered and find I cannot stop eating, the two big ones for me are pizza and ice cream. Ok, so I know this about myself, then what should I do? Not eat pizza and ice cream? If I want to achieve certain physical goals this may be what I have to do, I know this may sound simple to most, but for those who find simplicity in maintaining balanced eating they may not view food as the comforting sedative that I do, the escape.
The main thing that I’m trying to get at here is that it’s ok not to eat certain foods if you feel they will put your balance in jeopardy. If you’re like me, you can’t have just one bite. I’m learning it’s ok to not eat certain foods for awhile and have come to accept that this is how I’m wired and is a challenge that I face.I also know that nothing is forever and I’ll certainly be eating ice cream and pizza again, but if I can lay off for awhile these treats will taste even sweeter the next time.