My Fitness Bucket List

Today's blog is courtesy of our trainer, April Crosby.  Check out what is on her "fitness bucket list"!!

Almost everyone has a bucket list, right?  Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, sail around the world, have dinner with [enter a famous person's name]....etc.  Do you have a "fitness" bucket list?  You should!  We all have dreams and aspirations of completing something fantastic, even if it is only fantastic in our own eyes.  I have a fitness bucket list and I would like to share with you 5 of my current list items.  Now remember, this list is not all inclusive and some of you may find these silly or crazy but remember...this is MY list!!

1.  Perform 10 unassisted pull-ups with proper form.
Those of you who know me or see me working out in the gym, know that this is a nemesis of mine.  I am able to do a couple pull-ups but that's it.  I consider myself to be somewhat strong in my upper body, so my big question (to myself) is, "Why can't I do 10 pull-ups?!?!?".  To me it is very frustrating and it is the number one item on my fitness bucket list.  Some day it will happen!!

2.  Do a handstand (without the help of the wall).
Aside from the fact that handstands make my sinuses and head hurt, I love the feel of my upper body strength holding me up during a wall-assisted handstand.  A friend of mine walks on his hands across the room with very little difficulty.  I have to say, I am so jealous.  This may seem like a weird thing to put on a bucket list but, darn it, I want to be able to do that!  I am tired of taking two or three tries, near a wall, to get my feet up and perform a handstand.  Once I'm up there I'm OK...it's just getting to that point that is tough.

3.  Complete a 2nd Tough Mudder event...IN NORMAL WEATHER.
If you live in Kentucky, as do I, and you were around a couple years ago when the Tough Mudder event was held near Elizabethtown, Kentucky, in September, you probably heard at least one or two people talk about that event held on Saturday.  Let me give you a little background in case you aren't familiar with what happened.  It was mid-September and the weather was beautiful...until Saturday, the day of the event.  I think the temperature dropped from the 80s to the 40s overnight.  It was EXTREMELY cold and we had to cover 12+ miles at an ATV park/course.  Let me tell you, jumping in a dumpster of ice water when it's barely 40 degrees is NOT FUN!  I know, I signed up for the race so "suck it up, April", right?  Well I did and I completed the Tough Mudder...body cramping and all!  A lot of participants were carried off on stretchers, not because of the obstacles but because of the extreme temperature.  Needless to say, I WILL do another Tough Mudder but I will choose the climate/state carefully!!

4.  Set a new PR (personal record) in a half-marathon.
I have run 6 half marathons...some good, some not-so-good.  I set a PR on a course here in Kentucky that is beautiful, yet challenging.  Oh, did I mention I never trained for the race AND I signed up for the race the night before when my friend was picking up her race packet??  That was not bragging, OK well maybe a little!  I was so proud of my time that I thought, hmmm, what if I had actually trained for that course??  It will happen because it's on my bucket list.

5.  Improve my back bends in yoga.
I have 3 herniated discs in my low back (check out my previous blog about it HERE) that limits my activity.  Yoga has been a huge help for me but I am still lacking the flexibility in my low back to comfortably perform back bends.  Now, I am not talking about rolling myself into a ball, bending backwards.  Some days, just a little extension in my low back (i.e., back bend) is painful.  So on my bucket list, I want to be able to perform some back bends pain-free.  I will accomplish this one, even if it's only a small back bend, but I am determined to make this happen.

Well, there you have it, 5 of my "Fitness Bucket List" items.  I love checking things off of lists so you can be these will be checked off at some point.  Hopefully at least one of these will be checked off in 2014!  So what's on your bucket list??

Success at Obtaining Fitness Goals (Part 6)

Closing out Brad Covington's blog on becoming successful at obtaining your fitness goals, here is the final piece to the puzzle.  Be sure to go back and check out his introduction, part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5.

F.I.T.T. PRINCIPLE

The F.I.T.T. Principle is what determines your fitness program. What does it stand for? 

• F = Frequency
• I = Intensity
• T = Time (Duration)
• T = Type

Frequency

Frequency is how often you do your fitness program.  As with any fitness program you should start off slowly and increase in duration as you become more fit to consistently challenge your body.

Intensity

Intensity is how hard you are working out.  The more in shape you get, the harder you work out. The harder you work out, the more efficient your body will become at maximizing its fat-burning capacity.

Time

Time is the amount of time you spend in the gym...excluding talking/socializing!  Pretty simple, the more in shape you are in, the longer you can go. 

Type

Type is the type of workouts you are doing, such as strength training, endurance training, cardiovascular training, or interval training.  A properly designed fitness program will have a cross-training effect that will tap into all energy systems to maximize time in the gym.

Use this principle to determine your fitness plan to help meet your goals at the gym.  Make sure to mix it up, be consistent, work hard, and have fun!!!  You will never leave the gym feeling worse than when you come in, it's the phenomenon!!!

So there you have it...a seven-piece puzzle to ensure your success at obtaining your fitness goals.  It's not rocket science but it will take some energy on your part to plan your program and to stick with it.  Remember, consult a trained professional when in doubt or if problems arise.  Don't go in it alone!  Gather some friends, family members or co-workers and make a challenge.  You will be more likely to stick with it and be successful if you have a partner (or two) to help you along the way.  You can do it!!

Success at Obtaining Fitness Goals (Part 5)

Here is "Part 5" in Brad Covington's blog on becoming successful at obtaining your fitness goals.  Be sure to go back and check out his introduction, part 1, part 2, and part 3, and part 4.

KNOWLEDGE

The last piece in this series is about knowledge, specifically when it pertains to fitness and your body.  A lot of people think because they begin a workout program, they will immediately
begin to lose weight.  This is a myth due to a basic lack of knowledge about the fitness industry.  Remember, it took you a while to get to where you are today if you are just starting a fitness program, it will take a while to get to where you want to be.

The first stages of beginning a workout program are developing habits, goal setting, and changing mental thought processes.   Don’t worry about losing weight...worry about doing things the right way.  If you do things the right way and develop the proper habits, everything else will simply fall into place.

How do I get there?  Here is where the knowledge part comes into play.   First of all, you have to come into your venture with a well organized plan.   Unless you are in the fitness field and do this on a daily basis, you may have no idea where you should start.  This is why I always encourage people to hire a fitness professional when they first start.  If you start off on the right foot and get pointed in the right direction, you are much more likely to continue your workout program and make the lifelong changes you so desire.

You should develop your program based on your goals.  This will help you to determine how much cardio activity to do, what type of cardiovascular program to be on, what type of strength program you should be on, where to keep your heart rate during your cardiovascular program, how long to maintain your heart rate when you are exercising, how many calories to consume, etc.

Before starting, make sure you understand what you are trying to accomplish.  Be sure to have the right workout designed for you, taking into consideration your abilities and any medical issues.  If you have any questions, make sure to ask a trained professional. 

In my final part of this series, I will talk about the F.I.T.T. principle and how it can answer a lot of these questions for you.  In the meantime, talk with a trained professional and learn how you can get started in the right direction.  Remember, the fitness professionals here at PROMATx Health Club are here to help you achieve your goals a give you that body transformation you are looking for!!  Stop by or call us today.

Success at Obtaining Fitness Goals (Part 4)

Here is "Part 4" in Brad Covington's blog on becoming successful at obtaining your fitness goals.  Be sure to go back and check out his introduction, part 1, part 2, and part 3.

The next topic we will discuss on being successful at the gym is nutrition...the most vital portion of any fitness program.  There a 2 different mentalities when people join the local gym/fitness center:

1. I am working out, I can eat whatever I want. 
2. I am working out, I can’t eat anything and must restrict my diet.

These two trains of thought are both wrong. First it is not strictly about calories, it is about the right calories.   Not all calories are created equal.  For example, a piece of cake is not going to have the same effect on the body as a piece of grilled chicken or cup of broccoli.  So, it is not simply about “counting calories” as much as it is about “eating clean”, as we in the fitness industry like to put it.

What does that mean exactly?

For starters, take all refined sugars out of your body, it is the enemy.  Refined sugars are simply wasted empty calories that the body will turn into fat.  They will make you feel sluggish, unfocused, and unmotivated.

Second, make sure to take out all of the saturated fats in your diet. What that means is stop frying your foods and, instead, bake them, broil them, grill them.  Just don’t fry them!!!  It also means getting leaner meats and not as much red meat.  Add more fish and chicken, which are low in saturated fat.  Fish have a lot of omega-3 fatty acids that will aid in your fat loss.

Also, that means we need to eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies.  Be careful with the fruits though, they still have sugar in them, just not refined sugars.  Eat as many veggies as you can stomach!!  Remember, you are what you eat from your head down to your feet. Remember that one, it is true!!!

Last but not least, leave all of the processed food alone.  If it is processed, it is full of sodium and artificial chemicals that help with the preservation and increase the shelf life.  Have you ever been to France?  Have you noticed there are a lot of smaller people, not a lot of overweight individuals and all they do is eat pasta and drink wine?!  How can this be?  There food is not processed like the food in the good ole USA!!!  So stay away from it and you will see your fitness goals approach faster then you ever thought possible!!!

I almost forgot. Drink your H2O (water) ladies and gentlemen!!!!  If you do not drink enough water, your liver will not metabolize fat as efficiently as it should because it will be taking on some of the function of the kidneys.  So, you are not letting the liver do its job (fat metabolism) because it is doing the job of the kidneys. In fact, most people will retain 5-15lbs. of fluid because 95% of America is walking around dehydrated.   Don’t forget your caffeine intake.   For every 8 oz. of caffeine you consume, you will need to take in 16 oz. of water to replenish the fluids you lose through dehydration because caffeine is a diuretic.  To calculate the amount of water you need per day, simply take your body weight and multiply it by 0.66.  Remember, this does not take into account your caffeine intake throughout the day!!!

Stay tuned for "Part 5"!  If you need assistance with tackling your nutritional habits, schedule an appointment with our nutrition specialist here at PROMATx Health Club.  We will help get you on the right track!!

Success at Obtaining Fitness Goals (Part 3)

Continuing on with our guest blogger series on fitness goals, here is Brad Covington's "Part 3".  If you missed previous entries by Brad be sure to check out his introduction, part 1, and part 2.

CONSISTENCY
 
The next part of the blog in this series is about consistency.  There are going to be times when you will have great workouts and times when you won't have good workouts, but you still have to show up.  Workouts are a lot like life - you have to mix in the good with the bad, but you still have to be present to experience both.

One of the worst things you can do, especially when you first start a workout program, is to not show up.  You have to be consistent with what you are doing or it will not work.  It takes 21 days to change a habit, so even if the first part of your workout is simply to show up and do a light workout, that will suffice.  As you begin to develop your habits and you feel your energy levels, strength, and endurance begin to increase, then you should gradually start to increase your intensity, frequency, and duration (commonly known as the F.I.T.T. Principle).

However, if you start and you are here one day this week and maybe three times next week and then don’t even bother showing up at all the third week, you are doomed for failure.  So, how can you become more consistent?  I am glad you asked.  The first thing I would do if I did not have any fitness experience is to meet with a qualified fitness professional and have them make up a plan for me.  You can pull anything off of the internet, but does that make it right for you?  Probably not.  Does the program set a baseline fitness level for you?  Take into account your medical history?  Does it take into account your fitness experience?  Having the right plan developed for you and your needs is vital for you to start and maintain your fitness program.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions either.  Many people stop working out because they feel silly for doing exercises on the main floor.  Guess what?  Most people do exercises wrong anyway, so don’t sweat it.   If you are unsure about something, ask one of the fitness professionals at your club, they will be more than happy to show you the proper way to use the machine or perform an exercise.  Remember, if you learn to do an exercise incorrectly, you will continue to do it wrong and will more than likely end up getting hurt.  If you learn to do it right, you will continue to do it right and have better results and enjoy your experience a whole lot more. 

Stay tuned next week for "Part 4" in my series.  Until then, stop by PROMATx Health Club and let our fitness professionals help you get started!

Success at Obtaining Fitness Goals (Part 2)

Here is part 2 in Brad Covington's series on how to be successful in obtaining your fitness goals at the gym.  If you haven't read Part 1 yet, be sure to go back and read it before reading this blog entry.

The next 2 phases of being successful that I am going to discuss are "drive" and "motivation".  Each serves as its own purpose, but both are needed to be successful.

DRIVE

What is drive?  Drive is that "inner will" to be successful; that little voice inside your head that says "yes, I can" when your body is saying "no, I can't".  Remember pain is temporary and if being healthy and in shape were easy, everyone would be doing it!!  It is hard to get into shape, it is hard to push through when things are tough.  Kind of reminds you a little of life, right?  So are you going to be successful or are you going to give up?  This is the very foundation of what drive is...don't make excuses, make results!  If you can find this inner being, nothing will hold you back and only positive outcomes are sure to follow.

MOTIVATION

What motivates you?  Find out what that is and never forget it!  Why did you start your workout program?  To feel better?  To look better?  To be healthy?  To get off your medications?  Reunion?  Whatever your motivation is...NEVER FORGET IT!  If you are doing this for an event such as a reunion, make sure there is something else behind it to keep you driving forward.  As long as you have motivation and a reason, everything else will fall into place.

As you read this series you will start to see how all of these topics are closely related and one leads to the next.  That is the point...to see all the factors involved in becoming successful and making the lifestyle changes you are looking for.  If you ever have any questions, please let us know.  That is why we are here!!

Good luck and stay tuned for part 3.

Success at Obtaining Fitness Goals - Introduction

Continuing on with our guest blogger series this month......

My name is Brad Covington and this is the introduction to my fitness blog series on how to be successful in obtaining your goals at the gym.  A little background information on myself, I have been in the fitness industry for 17 years and been training for 16 years.  I graduated with a B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Kentucky and also was the Fitness Director at World Gym here in Lexington for three years.

From there I was a co-founder of PROMATx and we started out doing in-home personal training and contracted out personal training for several local facilities in Lexington, Georgetown, and Richmond.  In October, we will have been in business for 11 years, with the last 9 years here at our current location on the corner of Winchester Rd. and New Circle Rd. at PROMATx Health Club.

Why did I get into this field?  Because this is who I am!  I love to help people.  I love to see people grow, become more confident, healthy, happier, and more productive!  You don’t get into this business for the money, you get in to it to change lives in a more positive way.  Pretty simple...I like people and I love watching them succeed!!!

Now you know a little about me, let tell you a little about this next series and what areas I am going to be covering.   In the next several weeks I am going to tell you what it takes to be successful at the gym, not simply just going to the gym.  We will cover the following topics and show how they are all intertwined to create one common goal...SUCCESS!!!

* Discipline, Focus, Drive, Motivation, Consistency, Nutrition, Knowledge, and the FITT Principle.

So sit back, relax, and let's hone in on what exactly it takes to achieve what you never thought possible.   If you ever have any questions, please let us know.  You can reach us at info@promatx.com.

Success at Obtaining Fitness Goals (Part 1)

It's time for another guest blogger series.  This month our guest is PROMATx Health Club owner and trainer, Brad Covington.  In his 4-part series, Brad will discuss what keeps people from obtaining their goals at the gym and what they can do to be successful.

There are a lot of determining factors to make sure you are successful when deciding to embark on a "fitter you".

• Discipline
• Focus
• Drive
• Motivation
• Consistency
• Nutrition
• Knowledge

The first two I will focus on is "discipline" and "focus".   Without these two vital steps, obtaining your fitness goals will be a challenge.

DISCIPLINE

What defines who you are, what drives you, and how can you make sure to stay disciplined when you embark on your fitness journey?  The first step to help with your discipline is to find accountability.  This can come in different forms and I recommend doing all of them if you are serious about changing the current state in which you live and function.

• Make sure to have someone you are accountable to...don't leave it to chance.
• Hire a personal trainer, get a workout buddy, post it on Facebook or some other type of social media...anything that will have some external force to keep you accountable and on track.
• The more accountability you have the more compliant you will be.  This will keep you on the right path to success.
• Keep a food/exercise journal.

• Research has shown you will lose 64% more weight if you keep track of everything you are doing.
• Not only does it make you more aware of your caloric intake, water consumption, and consistency of your exercise patterns, it will also aid you in taking it to a more experienced person who could make modifications to your program if you reach a plateau. 

FOCUS

How can you zero in on your goals without letting life get in the way?  This is one thing that can compromise your fitness program to the point of no return!

• Visualization will help you stay the course and stay focused.
• What is visualization, you ask?  Get a picture that you would like to look like or a pair of jeans you would like to fit into.  Look at that picture or jeans every day.
• This will serve as a reminder as to why you are doing the things you are doing to get into better shape.
• When things get tough, take a look and this will serve as a reminder and help keep you focused on your goals you have set up for yourself.
• Remember to always set goals for yourself.
• By doing this you will again increase the level of focus and help you maintain it.
• When you are setting goals, make sure to set up short-term and long-term goals.
• The short-term goals will keep you focused on the task at hand while the long-term goals will make sure you stay the course.
• Make sure the goals are attainable and realistic.  By hitting these goals it will help you vault yourself to the next goal!!

Stay tuned for more tips from Brad on being successful at obtaining your fitness goals.  In the meantime, be sure to go back and check out our blog entry on setting S.M.A.R.T. goals.

How S.M.A.R.T. Are Your Goals?

We all know when it comes to improving our health and fitness, setting goals is a necessary process.  But are your goals effective?  Are they helping you achieve success?  Or could they actually be hurting your progress?

The acronym S.M.A.R.T. has long been used by psychologists to help individuals remember important characteristics of engaging in behaviors through goal setting, focusing on the overall process and outcome of a desired activity.  Take a few minutes and use the S.M.A.R.T. method to see how your goals are measuring up!

Specific goals provide enough detail to identify the action required to accomplish the goal.  Good example:  To eat at least three servings of vegetables a day.  Bad example: To be healthier.

Measurable goals identify what tasks are to be accomplished and when they have been reached.  Good example:  To lose 15 lbs by February 1^st.  Bad example:  To lose weight.

Attainable goals focus on activity that will produce results.  Good example:  To walk three times per week for 10 minutes.  Bad example: To get into shape.

Realistic goals refer to the practicality of reaching desired outcomes.  Good example:  To walk for 30 minutes at lunchtime.  Bad example:  To run 20 miles a day.

Time-Anchored goals enable individuals to monitor progress at regular intervals.  Good example:  To lift weights 2 times a week for a month.  Bad example:  To lift weights 2 times a week. 

Hopefully your goals are S.M.A.R.T. ones!  If not, take the time to re-evaluate them and make them more effective.  Remember our PROMATx trainers are always available to help you set and reach your health and fitness goals!

Have You Started (or Achieved) Your Transformation?

You read our blog and learn about fitness and nutrition.  Now we want to hear from you.  Have you begun your transformation?  Have you completed the journey to the "new you"?  We want to know about it.  We want you to share your struggles, your triumphs, your experiences.  What did it take to get you started?  How long did it take you to get there?  Did someone (or something) inspire you to get started or to keep going?

Please share with us!  Someone can benefit from your story.  Even if you are still on your journey we would love for you to share your experience with our readers.  Contact us at promatxhealthclub@gmail.com and share your story.  Inspire those sitting on the couch contemplating their journey.  Inspire those who are knee deep in sweat and food temptations.  Inspire those who want to make a difference in their own lives.
Contact us today...share your experiences!!