Fitness Tips

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Playing Favorites

 

A Passion of Mine

I know you are not supposed to pick favorites…but too bad, I did! I would venture to guess that you are going to be surprised at my answer. My favorite population to work with is not athletes or weekend warriors.  The Baby Boomer generation is where it’s at for me.  These silver foxes don’t deadlift 500 lbs. nor do they run a sub four-minute mile.  But they do deadlift 65 lbs. and push the sled. Now that gets me excited!

This generation is much different than mine and younger generations.  They understand hard work better than anyone I have ever met.  There is no self-entitlement or woe is me in their vocabulary.  They have a wisdom that comes with age, they know how to deal with adversity, and most importantly they understand that there is a process, and that process does not happen overnight.  There is a lot that can be learned from the Baby Boomers. 

Why I Love Baby Boomers

The reason I love to work with this population is because I get to see their lives change more than anyone else I work with.  We are able to hold back Father Time! They get stronger, better balance, better posture, denser bones, and more confidence in their physical ability.  Instead of living life on a very narrow street, so to speak, they’re trucking down the 405 freeway doing 75 mph.

If you have kids you understand the significance of milestones and how awesome it is to see someone do something for the very first time.  The problem is, those milestones that we once took for granted start disappearing because the body is starting to break down as we age.  At least a few times a month I get to witness breakthroughs.  Skills that they thought were lost just so happen to show up again -  strength, balance, conditioning, and confidence.  This is the best part of my job! 

My Challenge To You

I am challenging you to encourage your grandparents, parents, and friends that it is never too late to pick up a weight, walk around the block, go to a yoga class, and eat healthier.  

Image credit: Erik Taylor

 

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Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | 3 Things You Need To Know Now

 

Stress {not the kind you’d typically think of}, recovery, and adaptation are some important body processes to be aware of for your fitness. I think it’s imperative to learn what these are and why you need to understand them for your body.  

Simply put, these processes are something we go through when we train.  After we go through these steps, some psychological changes occur at this point too. We start to build confidence from the gains we have made and from the changes that take place physically: a trimmer waist, a more defined arm, noticing our clothes are fitting differently.

Stress

We apply stress to the body through exercise: i.e. squats, planks, or a long run.  Stress disrupts our homeostasis {our normal physiological state}. 

Recovery

Now our body must recover from the stress that we applied. Our bodies return to their pre-stress state and become a little stronger.

Adaptation

And last but certainly not least our bodies adapt. We discover that we are able to lift a little more weight, hold a plank for a few more seconds, or run a little bit longer.  The best example of adaptation is someone training for a marathon.  Beginning with week 1 they might only run 1-2 miles on a run, but by week 16 or 18 they could be running 18-22 miles on their long run. 

The take away

Our body is truly an amazing piece of machinery, but when you know how to manipulate it through training and understanding stress, recovery and adaptation you have the keys to reach your genetic potential.  So now when you decide you want to start exercising or you want to see how far you can go, keep these principles in mind while on your journey. Rather than just doing arbitrary exercising like walking, lifting weights, or riding a bike, attack with a focused and purposeful plan to reach your goals and apply these processes.  Lift, walk, bike, or run a little bit more every 2nd or third time and you will be pleasantly suprised how far you have come and the potential your body has to go further!  

Image credit: Erik Taylor

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Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Don't Run In Circles

 

While dogs love chasing their tails in endless circles, humans aren't wired the same way. Or are we??

Insanity is defined by doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result.  

How many times have we been down this road? 

  • Doing the same weight training routine without trying to lift heavier weights.
  • Running the same 4 mile loop without trying to pick up the pace.
  • Attempting to lose weight without really modifying how many calories we are consuming. 

If you are stuck in a rut and not making progress with your goals, NOW is the time to change things up. 

  • Start to lift heavier weights in small increments.
  • Run faster or longer.
  • Audit your diet and see where you can make some changes.  

Small changes can yield BIG results!!

It is January and there is no better time to start with a fresh program than today! You've got this!!

If you'd like me to help you with your fitness or nutrition, give me a call 310.251.7420 or click here.

Image Credit: Ludde Lorentz on Unsplash

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