Hey Guys,
Summer will be here before you know it. Make this year different by setting your fitness goals, attaching them to a deadline, and getting after them!
I'm excited to announce that I'm going to be running an 8 week boot camp class starting the first week of May! This is something I'm really passionate about. Over the years I've had the chance to learn from some of the best people in the fitness industry and have wanted to share what I've learned with my friends for a long time.
Because this is a group class, I'm able to make this more affordable to more people.
The plan is simple. One night a week, we meet at 6:30 PM at Eden Park and workout as a group for 45 to 50 minutes. We'll work hard, we'll get results, and we'll have fun in the process.
In terms of scheduling I need to know what works for the majority of you. If there's enough demand I can add another class to the schedule. So drop me a comment or a Facebook message and let me know if you want Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday night.
In addition to the classes you'll also get:
workouts to do on your own to help you burn fat, tone up, and get in the best shape of your life
basic dietary guidelines to help you jumpstart your metabolism and not go around feeling hungry
workouts to train your core and avoid injury
ideas to help you get the most out of your cardio workouts
I'm looking forward to seeing you guys in the park in a couple of weeks!
Charlie
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Rock Star (part 1 -learning to play covers)
Hey guys,
This is as much me talking to myself as it is coaching and inspiration.
The title of this post is learning to play covers. Everyone starts with covers whatever the goal/discipline/medium. No one starts off drawing strictly from imagination and some secret muse within themselves. We start off imitating others, and in the case of music, it's learning covers. (In addition to scales and other exercises that instill solid basics.) There's a lot less angst in sitting down to learn a song/practice scales/copy a picture, whatever, as a new artist/musician/etc. than to try to just pull something out of your hat that is some perfect expression of your innermost self. It doesn't happen and the pressure pretty much kills any chances of doing well.
Starting my own business, and putting all my goals out on the table is proving to be one of the most educational things I've ever gone through. There's no boss to blame, there's no one looking over my shoulder or hindering me, it's just me with a blank canvas and figuring it out as I go.
And that's where many people (myself included) come up short. We do it all ourselves. We reinvent the wheel (often poorly) we try to psyche ourselves up, and we do it all in and of ourselves.
No wonder so many people quit and settle in for a long run of quiet desperation.
I've officially had to quit doing that, and saying so in a public forum makes it that much more official.
Most people can't do much as one person against the world. Anyone acting alone in their own strength and on their own wits is a closed system. Closed systems tend to devolve, run out of energy, and trend towards disorder and entropy.
I'd challenge you to start at the core level, whatever you're background to connect with something bigger than yourself. For me, Crossroads church has been the place that has helped me to connect with friends, it's challenged me, and has provided some great opportunities to get outside of myself and grow. It's been a place that has helped me let go of a lot of half-thought limiting beliefs about God and about myself.
That's at a core level. I've still got a lot to learn, and I will post on this as this series evolves.
On practical level, when you've dealing with nuts and bolts issues specific to whatever task or goal you're trying to achieve, it's way more effective to learn from experts and imitate greatness. For me with work, that can be experts who are respected within a specific community of trainers and who have a proven track record. It's simplifies things. Learn their systems, use them for training my clients, and make adjustments as necessary.
This is a world different than starting from scratch. Now I've got a big picture of what I'm going to do with my clients for the next 16 weeks. Anyone can show up week in, week out, without really knowing why they're doing what they're doing, and never making any real progress.
I used to think this was cheating when I did this with my group classes and personal training sessions, but not in the Pilates studio. In Pilates, you learn the system, you learn the progressions, the various series, and where they all fit together, and for the most part each workout was the same for 75 percent of the exercises. The other 25 percent would address the person's specific needs. This lends consistency, the clients really learn what they're doing, and it saves your career as a teacher because you aren't spending all your energy at work improvising one workout after another and going home with nothing left for yourself.
I don't know about you, but I'm all for not having to improvise every hour of work, every important task, and feeling like I'm performing live and without a net. It's too much angst for too little payoff.
I hope you are up for this as well.
So in short...
Connect with something bigger than yourself. Get fresh energy. Get challenged. Be about more than just you. Learn from people smarter than you. Quit reinventing the wheel and put some systems in place. That could be as simple as using a calendar, balancing your checkbook, and keeping things organized. Don't despise small beginnings. Don't knock covers and practicing the basics. They'll take you far.
This is as much me talking to myself as it is coaching and inspiration.
The title of this post is learning to play covers. Everyone starts with covers whatever the goal/discipline/medium. No one starts off drawing strictly from imagination and some secret muse within themselves. We start off imitating others, and in the case of music, it's learning covers. (In addition to scales and other exercises that instill solid basics.) There's a lot less angst in sitting down to learn a song/practice scales/copy a picture, whatever, as a new artist/musician/etc. than to try to just pull something out of your hat that is some perfect expression of your innermost self. It doesn't happen and the pressure pretty much kills any chances of doing well.
Starting my own business, and putting all my goals out on the table is proving to be one of the most educational things I've ever gone through. There's no boss to blame, there's no one looking over my shoulder or hindering me, it's just me with a blank canvas and figuring it out as I go.
And that's where many people (myself included) come up short. We do it all ourselves. We reinvent the wheel (often poorly) we try to psyche ourselves up, and we do it all in and of ourselves.
No wonder so many people quit and settle in for a long run of quiet desperation.
I've officially had to quit doing that, and saying so in a public forum makes it that much more official.
Most people can't do much as one person against the world. Anyone acting alone in their own strength and on their own wits is a closed system. Closed systems tend to devolve, run out of energy, and trend towards disorder and entropy.
I'd challenge you to start at the core level, whatever you're background to connect with something bigger than yourself. For me, Crossroads church has been the place that has helped me to connect with friends, it's challenged me, and has provided some great opportunities to get outside of myself and grow. It's been a place that has helped me let go of a lot of half-thought limiting beliefs about God and about myself.
That's at a core level. I've still got a lot to learn, and I will post on this as this series evolves.
On practical level, when you've dealing with nuts and bolts issues specific to whatever task or goal you're trying to achieve, it's way more effective to learn from experts and imitate greatness. For me with work, that can be experts who are respected within a specific community of trainers and who have a proven track record. It's simplifies things. Learn their systems, use them for training my clients, and make adjustments as necessary.
This is a world different than starting from scratch. Now I've got a big picture of what I'm going to do with my clients for the next 16 weeks. Anyone can show up week in, week out, without really knowing why they're doing what they're doing, and never making any real progress.
I used to think this was cheating when I did this with my group classes and personal training sessions, but not in the Pilates studio. In Pilates, you learn the system, you learn the progressions, the various series, and where they all fit together, and for the most part each workout was the same for 75 percent of the exercises. The other 25 percent would address the person's specific needs. This lends consistency, the clients really learn what they're doing, and it saves your career as a teacher because you aren't spending all your energy at work improvising one workout after another and going home with nothing left for yourself.
I don't know about you, but I'm all for not having to improvise every hour of work, every important task, and feeling like I'm performing live and without a net. It's too much angst for too little payoff.
I hope you are up for this as well.
So in short...
Connect with something bigger than yourself. Get fresh energy. Get challenged. Be about more than just you. Learn from people smarter than you. Quit reinventing the wheel and put some systems in place. That could be as simple as using a calendar, balancing your checkbook, and keeping things organized. Don't despise small beginnings. Don't knock covers and practicing the basics. They'll take you far.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Today's Cardio Strength Class
We had a little bit of a late start this morning. Last night was Charlie McGinnis' birthday and everyone stayed a little late at the dojo last night.
I've been on a little bit of a kick lately, doing 10 station workouts. Rachel Cosgrove designed a program for the actors in Spartacus: Blood and Sand (It's kind of like 300 -the actors are extremely fit). Their program is a circuit of 10 exercises performed for 1:00, with :15 between them.
We're working our way up. Our first round was :30 on / :15 off, second was :40 on / :20 off, and back to :30 / :15 for the third.
Here is our workout from this morning:
Dynamic Stretching 5 minutes
1. DB Squat + Overhead Press
2. KB Swings
3. Cleans (1KB, 2 Hands)
4. DB Chest Fly*
5. Push Ups
6. Crab Walks (forward and backward)
7. Duck Under (like your ducking under a low door and stepping sideways)
8. DB Bent Over Row
9. DB Straight Leg Sit Ups (holding the weights up towards the ceiling)
10. Boxer Shuffles/Split Jumps (advanced)
*Many people do push ups as a shrug/head banger type movement. Flys serve as a way to activate the muscles of the chest and shoulders before going into push ups.
Keep moving forward,
Charlie
I've been on a little bit of a kick lately, doing 10 station workouts. Rachel Cosgrove designed a program for the actors in Spartacus: Blood and Sand (It's kind of like 300 -the actors are extremely fit). Their program is a circuit of 10 exercises performed for 1:00, with :15 between them.
We're working our way up. Our first round was :30 on / :15 off, second was :40 on / :20 off, and back to :30 / :15 for the third.
Here is our workout from this morning:
Dynamic Stretching 5 minutes
1. DB Squat + Overhead Press
2. KB Swings
3. Cleans (1KB, 2 Hands)
4. DB Chest Fly*
5. Push Ups
6. Crab Walks (forward and backward)
7. Duck Under (like your ducking under a low door and stepping sideways)
8. DB Bent Over Row
9. DB Straight Leg Sit Ups (holding the weights up towards the ceiling)
10. Boxer Shuffles/Split Jumps (advanced)
*Many people do push ups as a shrug/head banger type movement. Flys serve as a way to activate the muscles of the chest and shoulders before going into push ups.
Keep moving forward,
Charlie
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Class Schedule and Location
Monday
6:30 -7:15AM Express Fitness Training
8:00 -8:45AM Pilates Fusion
Thursday
9:00 -9:45AM Express Fitness Training
Wednesday
6:30 -7:15AM Express Fitness Training
Thursday
9:00 -9:45AM Express Fitness Training
Friday
6:30 -7:15AM Express Fitness Training
Express Fitness Training:
A typical class starts with 5 to 10 minutes of power yoga or other dynamic warm up. Then we do circuits of strength, core, and agility exercises. I have two Marines (retired) who tell me it’s one of the hardest workouts they’ve ever done. Each circuit takes anywhere from 4 to 7 minutes, with a minute of rest between rounds.
You’ll move fast enough to work hard, but not so fast that you’re just lurching your way through your workout. You’ll get a great workout and still have plenty of energy to get through your 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
Try your first week for free! Email me at: charlielevine7@gmail.com and let me know to expect you.
Cost:
One Class $15
Ten class pass $110
One Month Unlimited $120
Three Months Unlimited $300
6:30 -7:15AM Express Fitness Training
8:00 -8:45AM Pilates Fusion
Thursday
9:00 -9:45AM Express Fitness Training
Wednesday
6:30 -7:15AM Express Fitness Training
Thursday
9:00 -9:45AM Express Fitness Training
Friday
6:30 -7:15AM Express Fitness Training
Express Fitness Training:
A typical class starts with 5 to 10 minutes of power yoga or other dynamic warm up. Then we do circuits of strength, core, and agility exercises. I have two Marines (retired) who tell me it’s one of the hardest workouts they’ve ever done. Each circuit takes anywhere from 4 to 7 minutes, with a minute of rest between rounds.
You’ll move fast enough to work hard, but not so fast that you’re just lurching your way through your workout. You’ll get a great workout and still have plenty of energy to get through your 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
Try your first week for free! Email me at: charlielevine7@gmail.com and let me know to expect you.
Cost:
One Class $15
Ten class pass $110
One Month Unlimited $120
Three Months Unlimited $300
Thursday, December 10, 2009
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
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
Thursday, December 3, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
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
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
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