What If?

What if I told that you don’t need chiseled abs, well-defined muscular definition, or even a Hollywood A-list star’s body to be fit, strong and healthy?

I get weekly questions asking:

How to lose weight
How to maintain weight loss
What is the best diet to lose weight
How do you track calories

First, I love to hear that people are trying to make changes to better themselves. Second, I’m always happy to help because a small tweak here or there with an easy suggestion can give people a much better chance of success. It’s a win-win for both us. While weight loss is a great place to start to regain your health, it shouldn’t be your only focus. Look I get it, who doesn’t want to look great naked or fit into their favorite pair of jeans? Everyone does!

But if we look at a long-term health plan for you, looking great naked wouldn’t be at the top of the list of priorities to achieving great health. Getting stronger would be first. Your strength as you age will have a direct impact on how much you can do.

There are the obvious reasons why strength training helps:

Denser bones
Stronger ligaments & tendons
Better balance
Maintains muscle mass
Decrease your risk of injury,
Allow you to continue to do yard work
Allow you to continue to do any activity that you love doing
the list goes on & on

More Benefits

The benefits continue as confidence and mental fortitude grow. “Only the strong shall survive” is a common saying in the strength community. While the “bros” and “meatheads” spew these words daily…there is some truth here. If longevity is what you are after and by longevity, I mean quality years in your 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90’s I suggest you start picking up some weights. Your muscles are the motors that move your machine (body), protect those muscles by using them. I promise you, you cannot go wrong with improving your strength and with most people, strength training brings a positive change with your body composition.

What Next?

After that your focus should be on better eating habits, portion control, moderate cardio, and mobility and flexibility work like yoga or pilates.

Fighting Father Time is where my passion lies, I want people living life on their own terms without having to compromise anything because their body is the limiting factor. I totally understand the pressures that everyone puts on themselves to look great. It’s just that eating minimum calories for aesthetics, in my opinion, isn’t the best way to go about health and fitness. I would rather see you eat a little more and have the energy to crush your workouts, feel great, and enjoy life without worrying about a little extra on your frame.

Image Credit: Eddy Klaus via Unsplash

I can develop a strength training program for you 310.251.7420

On My Mind

Health has been on my mind more and more lately.

longer work hours

less sleep,

the faster pace of life

the wanting of immediate results

I’ve been taking notice more and more when I’m out that the daily grind is taking a toll on us. Our health, as a population, is getting worse and things aren’t going to turn around anytime soon. Stress, deadlines, the sheer craziness of life does not come without consequences. People are wearing down and aging faster then ever.

My #1 Concern

My focus, my drive, and my concern is health. Not just mine, but for my family, clients, and friends. I realize how fragile we all are and I’m reminded of it everywhere I look. One fall, one diagnosis, one accident away from life being never being the same.

Bulletproof we are not. Our health supercedes everything. My college coach Al Carius would always say, “If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.” At 21 I didn’t fully understanding what he meant by this nor did I really care. 20 years later I now completely understand this message and care a lot.

I lost my sister 5 years ago next month to cancer, I’ve had multiple clients, friends, and other family members have to deal with serious health issues. Many of these issues could have been avoided if they had only made the investment in their health. Investment - putting time in, effort, money, and sacrifice into achieving a result.

That same effort that you put into your job, buying your house, and taking trips, needs to be made towards your health.

Keep Father Time At Bay

Aging is inevitable. But how you choose to age is entirely up to you. You can succumb to it, but as I’ve written before Father Time does not take kindly to being inactive, idle or the desk-bound lifestyles. In fact, Father Time is no different than the animal kingdom, he preys on the weak first. Life can be brutally hard on those who choose to ignore a commitment to their health.

Pick up some weights, jog around the block, ride your bike through the neighborhood, add some greenery on your dinner plate, or get your co-workers to walk at lunch. These should be daily habits that you practice. Now practice stringing together days, weeks, months, and years of taking care of the single greatest thing you own, your body.

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | What If...?