Uncertainty, Stress and Exercise

I do not proclaim to be any Wall Street whiz. But you do not have to be Warren Buffett to know these are uncertain times in many respects. I recommend you increase, not decrease, your commitment to physical activity at this time.

Personally, I have used exercise as therapy many times in my life. One time in particular was much more serious than any financial uncertainty. When my Dad passed away a year and a half ago, I hit the gym more than ever. For me, it did not make anything go away but it did make me feel better, allowed some time to pass and gave me some perspective on the situation.



As I look back through my life, I have felt the most stress when my physical activity was lowest. Tons of research also supports the emotional health/exercise connection.

If you have business or personal stress, don't wring your hands. Do something about it. Hit the gym, track, or field for a good workout.

Do Not Kid Yourself

If you want to lose body fat, you have a couple of choices:

1. Train for a marathon and plan on training for marathons the remainder of your life;
2. Change your eating.

To me, #2 is a much quicker success path. There are problems with using endurance activity as your primary weight control method-injuries ruin everything, busy work and/or family demands ruin everything, lessening response over time, negative endocrine implications for extended distance activity, and overuse problems.

By changing your eating for the better, all these variables are eliminated. If you control your food intake, you do not have to worry about the issues with distance activity.

The only real variable with controlling food intake is preparation time. Give yourself one time per week on Sunday to prepare lean protein, vegetables, and other good foods. Keep it in the refrigerator for eating throughout the week. If you eat 80% of your meals this way, you will lose body fat even if your exercise routine is not perfect.

I show you exactly how to do this in my book, Never Get Old, at www.jeffblairfitness.com.

Loving College Football!

right now I am looking at espn360 and Ole Miss is beating Florida (and the great Tim Tebow) 31-30 with two minutes remaining. This will be a huge upset if Ole Miss hangs on.

Yes, I absolutely love college football. Pro-not so much. I really never watch pro until maybe the playoffs.

What is the difference? They are both football, right?

College football is just more fun to me. It looks like the players are loving every minute on the field. Pro players often look like they are doing a job (which they are).

I was thinking about this at the gym this morning. Some people look like they have to be there-almost like they are serving a sentence.

Have some fun with your exercise. If you are there just to complete a task, you are missing the journey. This is a big part of my exercise philosophy-you will be more likely to continue if you enjoy the specific exercise.

I explain this concept in my book, Never Get Old. Get yours at www.jeffblairfitness.com.

And support fun by watching some college football today. :-)

Eat Something "Bad" This Weekend

From my experience, many people eat better during the work week than on the weekend. Why? I don't know.

Maybe it is the structure of the work week, more weekend temptation (parties, etc), or maybe people just like to "let loose" on the weekend.

If your weekend eating is not so great, try this: give yourself one (and only one) "cheat meal" on the weekend. You have to be strict with the one "cheat meal" (cannot be 1.5 or 2 or 3) rule, or this will not work.

If you allow yourself one cheat meal, you will not feel deprived and your other meals will more than offset your one "cheat meal." You can still progress in body fat loss while being "realistic".

Try it and tell me how it goes.

Have a great weekend

Squatting is Hard to Beat

Did you know squatting, or a variation, is the primary exercise utlized for knee rehab in physical therapy clinics? I am happy to share this information since I love the squat exercise.

Yesterday I had a great training session. Some deep squatting was the cornerstone of the workout.

I squatted 290 lbs for 5 reps for several sets. Today, I can feel I challenged myself yesterday, and I feel great.

Squatting works glutes, quads and obliques(abs), and the small low back muscles extremely well. The deeper the squat, the more the glutes are utilized. Since the glutes are the movement engine of the body, we all need stronger glutes.

I typically start people with body weight but utilize a fairly deep squat. Extra resistance is added quickly while still aiming for depth.

Front squats, back squats, and dumbbell squats are a few variations available. I rotate my exercises and pay close attention to form.

For some with knee problems, squat variations may be necessary. But squatting can actually strengthen knee tendons and ligaments in addition to surrounding musculature. That is why physical therapy clinics utilize the squat.

Make some time to squat this week! Your performance, strength and physique are sure to improve as a result.

Jeff

Consistency is Key

Whatever your goal, being consistent is going to be one of the most important factors in achieving it.

Too many people work hard for a week, drop off for a week (or two), then come back in week 4.

I constantly harp on doing something, anything, every day toward your goal. Over time, the little things really add up.

If you have set your goal for the remainder of the year, work at it daily. You can even place a reminder on the refrigerator or your bedroom mirror reminding you to take action every day.

As you develop the consistency habit, the necessary action will become easier.

One of my goals is "Never Get Old" was to help people establish lifetime habits. Pick one up today and start establishing habits now.

Jeff

Did You Set Your Goal?

Last week I wrote about setting one goal for the remainder of the year. Whether you want to drop 10 pounds, increase your deadlift total, or enter a competitive event, now is the time to set a goal.

When you set a goal, your training changes. You become more energized. You develop a better focus. For me, training even becomes more fun.

So if you did not set a goal last week, you still have time. Set your goal, take some immediate action on the goal, and keep working.

Keep me updated on your progress!

Jeff