Amazing Four Days!

I had an amazing four days in Arizona. I heard presentations on fat loss, cardio training, balance training, shoulder issues, strength training, recovery and soreness, nutrition, psychology of exercise to limit stress, preventing joint pain, and several others.

I also had a lot of fun-people from around the world attended. One man came from China and several were from Europe. Erin and Ashley came from Michigan, and we became quick friends!

I will share some of the information over the next few weeks.

Here is a quick one:

Most shoulder issues are worsened by sleeping on your side.

If you sleep on your side, you can cause or worsen shoulder issues.

Changing positions is a great way to decrease your shoulder discomfort.

Smallest Action Fitness

"The smallest action is more powerful than the greatest intention".

Man, I love that quote.

Have you ever wanted to do something important but could not quite pull the trigger to get started? Maybe you had a "big goal" or a "great intention", knew your life would improve if you met the goal, but somehow could not get started? I know I have.

When I get in this situation (in fitness and in life), I pull this quote into my mind.

Remember you do not have to set the world on fire your first day.

Just start TODAY. How about NOW? Walk for ten minutes TODAY if you have not done anything in a while.

Take some action, any action, but just start....

Somehow, once you start, the second day is just a little easier. And the third even more so. One day you look up and your life has changed by a series of "smallest actions."

Will you take a "smallest action" today?

Recent and Future Publications and other Projects

Last month, I had an article published on elitefts.com. Elitefts.com is the top strength-training site in the world.

In April, I have a resistance-training article being published in the Spectrum Quarterly Magazine. Spectrum is the tenth-largest fitness chain in the country and is a top club in Southern California.

I am working on several other articles for potential future publication later this year. I am also working on a resistance-training DVD to be completed this year.

Headed to Phoenix

I am to off to Phoenix for three days of lectures on the latest in fitness and health.

I think I have spent nearly $15,000 this year on education. Wow, that is a lot of money!

But I am committed to being a top resource for anyone wanting to thrive after 30 years old. And that takes investment.

When I return, I will be better at what I do. And that means I can make others lives better.

Simple. Fun.

I have a great job!

My Story...Cliff-Notes Version

I was working in an office and miserable.

Out-of-shape. Tired. Felt twenty years older than I really was.

I decided I had to make a change.

I started to exercise again.

I ate better-slowly but surely.

I started to look better! My energy increased.

First my body changed.

Then my life changed.

Now I spend my life trying to do the same thing for others.

That's it.

That's me.

Food Preparation

For many years, I used running as the primary method of controlling my weight. I found that to be a losing battle.

If I was training for a race, I usually was okay. However, I found it hard to make good eating choices when running a lot since I was always so hungry.A few years ago, preparing my own food became my primary method of controlling my weight.

I try to have one time-block of about two hours (usually on Sunday) where I prepare chicken breasts, vegetables, some pasta, lean beef, and fish. I eat brown rice when I take the time to prepare it. I eat oatmeal almost daily. I eat lots of apples and bananas.I tupperware the food and heat it up during the week as needed.

I usually take at least one tupperware bowl with me to work.

"Never eat anything from a bag" is one good food key. Chips, cookies, etc. may taste good, but they have mega-calories and little nutritional value.

I also eat hard-boiled eggs frequently. I drink lots of water. Eat a little better every day and the little things can add up to success in the long-term.

When I speak to people about eating, I tell them they are better off skipping the gym one night to spend one night preparing food. It is not that hard and it pays huge benefits! :)

Of course, I still exercise, but I never achieved a consistent weight until I began preparing the majority of my meals myself. The bottom line is you will feel much better if you do!

So schedule yourself a time THIS WEEK to make your own food, or bad things will happen! :)

Opportunity Knocks...or I Help You Get What You Want?

As I was thinking how I can best utilize my skills within the fitness industry, I thought some of the questionable marketing tactics in this industry are really an opportunity.

I base all my ideas, suggestions, programs on proven ideas that help people live better after the age of 30 and try to limit the hype.

There is no greater professional honor than when someone trusts and relies upon your opinions, programs, etc. because you have built trust with that person. It is a very fulfilling experience! It is also why I spend tons of free time going to seminars, scouring research, studying anatomy, advancing my education, practicing my communication skills, etc.

Oh yeah, the power of resistance-training to improve lives is amazing. One example-75 year old men can make better strength gains than men around 25 years old on the same program! (Journals of Gerontology Series A-Biological Sciences & Medical Sciences. 55(11):M641-8, 2000 Nov.).

Good Fat, Low-Fat, No-Fat??????

"Good fat" vs. low-fat is an area of confusion for many. Should I eat low-fat or should I eat good fat?

One recent study shed some light on this topic. One group of women was placed on a low-fat diet and another was placed on a high "good fat" (monounsaturated) diet.

While both had similar weight-loss results, the "good-fat" group retained more lean body mass (good for long-term fat-burning) and had a better "good cholesterol" (HDL) number. Good HDL is considered helpful in preventing cardiovascular disease.

Take-home message? Good fats may help you maintain muscle even when losing weight. Since there was no specific exercise intervention used in this study, weight-training could preserve even more lean body mass while dieting than the good fat diet alone.

Clifton, et al., Very Low-Fat (12%) and High Monounsaturated Fat (35%) Diets Do Not Differentially Affect Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight, Nondiabetic Women, The American Society for Nutritional Sciences J. Nutr. 134:1741-1745, July 2004

Real-World Strength Training

By Jeff Blair M.S. (Summer 2008)
C.S.C.S.

“Strength training” may evoke images of huge people lifting hundreds of pounds. Maybe you think “strength training” is only for young athletes, or it seems impractical for you. In reality, few things can increase your quality of life like strength training.

First the bad news: As we age, muscles atrophy and weaken. With muscle atrophy comes less mobility and a reduced metabolism. The result is usually fat gain and reduced heart health.

Strength training combats the effects of aging in the following three ways:

• Strength training can stop the muscle atrophy process. When your muscles are strong, you can stay mobile and fit. ·
• Over half of all women over 50 experience an osteoporosis-related fracture. These fractures lead to long periods of immobility. Since bone is dynamic tissue much like muscle, its mass increases from strength training. Maintaining bone mass helps prevent osteoporosis. ·
• The greatest health benefits occur when someone improves from low strength to moderate strength. You do not need to lift hundreds of pounds to reap the benefits of strength training. One caveat about strength training: you should be properly instructed prior to beginning. So get with a personal trainer and get started today!