How much willpower do you have?

A lot of people tend to think that trainers are this weird group of people who like nothing better than to spend all their free time in the gym.

I've got news for you. That's often the case.

But, I'm not most trainers.

Like most everyone else, I have people I want to keep up with, things I want to do, and on top of that I like going out and doing physical stuff like playing sports or taking classes at aikido. Which means I'm pressed for time, and I don't want to spend my days too sore to move. (That will be the subject for another post)

The last few weeks have seen a few changes to my schedule and I've been struggling to consistently get in three quality days of resistance training. Not every day has to be super hard, but I have to balance the demands of my schedule, along with saving energy so that I can have a good aikido class later on.

The point is to find times and environments that work well, so it doesn't feel like you're beating your head against a wall every time you work out. Take steps ahead of time (IE eating, drinking enough water, getting enough sleep) so that when you do have a good time slot, you can get in a good training session and not have it feel like it's a job.

For the last few weeks I've worked out in the afternoon on Fridays and it's killed me. I drag through it, I feel mentally run down, and then later it takes a lot to get me out of the house. So I'm making a couple of changes. I'm making sure that I'm hydrated and that I've had enough to eat that morning so that I can knock it out at 11AM. (I start early and that's my first break in the day) It's just that simple.

Maybe for you that means recording your shows and going to bed at 10PM so that you can get in a training session before work. Or mixing up your routine. Or trying a new class. Like the ones I teach. :) (Hey, I had to throw in a promotion somewhere!)
The point is that every workout shouldn't be overly taxing on your will power. You only have so much of it.

You know what works and what doesn't, and hopefully I've sparked some ideas for you.

Best,
Charlie

Is your gut telling you something?

No, not that gut.

Your intuition, your gut feelings.

Years ago I started feeling really uneasy going to the gym. I didn't know any better, but I kept going, and pushing myself through workouts I didn't like in an environment I didn't like and I paid for it by running myself down pretty badly. (This was in addition to going to school, working 20 hours a week, and trying to do everything else in between on 6 hours of sleep a night.)

I paid for it by continuing that habit of not listening to my gut, just telling myself to "cowboy up" and ignore that voice, and going to work at a place that sucked the life out of me. The examples abound, and I'm determined not to let that trend continue.

This summer I stopped training at the gym where I worked. It has all the cool toys, but I couldn't make myself be there any more than I absolutely had to. Instead, I bought a few kettlebells and a few weights and worked out in my driveway or at a soccer field. If something or someplace felt "off" I paid attention to that and made changes accordingly.

I still wanted to train hard, but I had to find a different environment.

Maybe you can relate to that.

One place that has always felt like a great training environment is Aikido of Cincinnati (pictured below), and I am extremely grateful to be able to teach classes there in the morning.



Doesn't the dojo kind of look like the training program from The Matrix?

If you want to work hard and get out of the gym, if you want to get in a workout that gets you results in half the time of traditional training, then stop by and check out my classes.

Class Schedule and Location

Monday
6:30 -7:15AM Bootcamp
8:00 -8:45AM Pilates Fusion

Wednesday
6:30 -7:15AM Bootcamp

Friday
11 to 11:45AM Bootcamp (for the month of December 2009)

Bootcamp:
A mix of dynamic flexibility, strength and interval work. Each group of 3 to 8 exercises takes about 3 to 5 minutes to perform, with a minute of rest between rounds. This workout is hard and can be adapted up or down depending on your fitness level. You’ll get results and still be able to get through your work day.


Pilates Fusion:
A mix of Pilates, yoga, and strength. Fill in the gaps left by traditional workout routines. No reformer, no funny breathing, no excuses.

Location:
Aikido of Cincinnati
4727 Red Bank Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45227
513 561-7202

Click here for a map

Tame those raging hormones

One of the most overlooked strategies for taming bellyfat and staying ahead of holiday weight gain is keep those hormones from getting out of control.

It's fairly well known that insulin is one of the biggest culprits in weight gain. Foods that cause a spike in blood sugar levels (IE processed white flour, sugar, potatoes, chocolate, etc) are linked to weight gain, and even more insidiously, to insulin resistance, if exposed to them often enough.

One way to tame insulin is to take in a moderate amount of vinegar (about two tablespoons) before meals. Another way to get that might be to make a salad with a vinaigrette dressing and have that as your first course.

Another way to tame insulin is to add cinnamon to your meals. In addition to helping keep insulin in check, it also helps with brain function, cholesterol and it tastes great.

I already know I'm going to hear about how Cincinnati chili has cinnamon and it is therefore a health food. Au countraire, mon frere. Cinnamon helps. It's not a "get out of jail free" card.

You can add cinnamon to coffee, tea, oatmeal, etc.

Healthy fats like fish oil and coconut oil help because they act as anti-inflamatories and help check the effects of cortisol, the major hormone associated with stress.

Coconut oil? Yes, coconut oil.

Not the partially hydrogenated stuff that while it once came from coconuts, has been denatured and rendered toxic, and stable enough to give those snack cakes a three year shelf life.

I usually get Nutiva, and I shop at one of the major grocery stores. It's a great source of healhty fats, has anti-inflamatory and anti-fungal properties, and it stands up to heat so it doesn't go rancid when you cook with it.

Fish oil.

I use Trader Joe's largely based on the recommendation of my very smart holistic friend Janet, and I can definitely tell if I keep up with it or not.

Are you ready for 9 x the fat loss in half the time?

Seriously. If you want to quit doing cardio penance, then this is for you.

There was a study done at the japan institute of sport and fitness comparing steady state cardio work versus high intensity intervals. These have come to be known as Tabata's after the researcher heading this up.

The plan is simple. Four minute rounds, alternating between :20 Hard, :10 easy, and taking a minute rest in between them. Three to five rounds should suffice for most people, six or seven or seven if you're really fit and ambitious.

Preferred methods



Air dyne (air resisted) stationary bike
Body weight/DB exercises (IE Squats and push ups, combined squat + shoulder press)
Sprints


Not preferred:


Treadmills/Elliptical/Etc -these take too long to change resistance/intensity and the elliptical in particular may not provide enough intensity

The key principles are to work hard and transition quickly between working hard and resting.

If this is 9 x more effective, why don't more people train like this? Because it's hard.

Try this the next time you work out.

Or, if you want to work out with a group and have someone else design the workout and coach it up for you, then stop by and check out my bootcamp classes.

6:30AM M/W/F at Aikido of Cincinnati near the corner of Redbank and Madison.

What if?

What if I quit looking back at missed opportunities and instead look at the lessons I've learned and who I've become in the process?

What if I quit using those things, even subconsciously, as excuses?

What if I choose to act and believe along the lines with who I feel I truly am instead of continuing all the habits and beliefs that feel like they don't belong to me anymore?

What if?

Getting Started!

After several fits and starts, I am finally ready to get classes going next week!

Starting these classes has been a dream of mine for a long time. Ever since I began teaching Pilates back in the day. (January of 2002 -it's been a while!)

I thought if I could take close to 30 people through a good Pilates workout which is really complicated, then I could make quality personal training available on a larger scale as well. (And without having to track 20 something workouts on a clipboard!)

Since then, I'd seen trainers take huge groups of people through some great workouts, so then I knew for sure that it could be done.

I was extremely lucky in that I learned several styles of training at the same time. (Pilates, strength, sports, and some yoga). I was able to see their strengths and weaknesses, where there was overlap, and where I could make my teaching more "both/and" in order to offer the best training possible.

Now I get to do that for more people, and I am stoked!

Classes are a blast to teach, and the team environment definitely makes them more fun than one-on-one training or working out alone. The energy of the group helps in pushing everyone a little harder, and lends more focus to the workout.

I'm offering everyone a two week free trial and I thought it might be a good idea to help everyone get a two week head start to get ahead of Halloween. Monday October 19th is our start date.

The same offer applies to Pilates classes.

You can do it. Set the TiVo to record your 10PM shows, set the coffeemaker a little earlier and come on out. Besides, the beginning of your day sets the tone, so start out on a powerful and positive note.

Here's the vital stats:

Bootcamp Classes
M/W/F 6:30Am

Pilates Fusion
T/Th 9:30 AM

What to Bring:
A yoga mat
A set of weights (women 5 to 10 pounds/ men 10 to 15 pounds)
A towel
A water bottle
Anything you need to get ready (we have changing rooms and showers, but only one hot water heater, so please be considerate)

Talk to me, send me a message on Facebook, or send me an email at charlielevine7@gmail.com