In no particular order, here's what's on my mind today:
1. I found a website that makes me laugh every time I go there. It's called House Gymnastics, and it's a bunch of pseudo-gymnastics moves you can do in your house. I can't let me kids see it, unless I want them to start doing dangerous stuff and leaves footprints on the wall throughout the entire house. If you decide to check it out, click on the menu on the left that shows basic moves, or click on the You Tube HG link to watch some of what they do. I could not stop laughing when I watched the video of a twenty-something guy who goes from the first floor entrance of his house to his upstairs bedroom, never touching the floor. Highly ridiculous, and so much fun!
2. Eileen alerted me that Oprah is doing another show on The Secret today! I'm just now watching the first one, and it makes so much sense to me. I've got Tivo set to tape later today!
3. Austin is competing in San Francisco this weekend! He's 99% sure he's not going to continue with gymnastics, so this is one of my last opportunities to cheer my boy on. I'm praying that he'll come away feeling great about what he's accomplished.
4. I tell Tim that I am spoiled, but not rotten. He is so amazingly good to me, and I NEVER want to take that for granted or expect it. And by now I hope that anyone reading what I'm writing knows that I am exceedingly grateful for my life and all that it holds. And again, I am not rotten.
So let me tell you what I got to do yesterday. Tim got me a fabulous birthday present, way back in January. It was a session with an image consultant! I read about her in Sacramento Magazine, and kept thinking, "this would be the coolest thing ever!" Well, Tim arranged for me to work with her. And it WAS the coolest thing ever! We spent 4 hours in my closet. (Think Clinton and Stacey from What Not To Wear.) I tried on everything I own and she helped me to see and understand the WHYs of what works and what doesn't. We're meeting again in two weeks to cover accessories, putting outfits together, and to shop for a few things that would make my wardrobe work even better.
Stephanie is wonderful! She's a former model, and former personal shopper, she's encouraging as all get-out, and she knows her stuff. (I just re-read what I wrote, and it's like I don't have the right words to fully express how great the experience was.) You know what it really felt like? I felt like I got GIRL LESSONS, which is something I've always wanted!
5. Something else wonderful -- I gave my notice at Bingo last night. I've worked Bingo for more than a year, and the experience has been eye-opening and a great lesson for my kids about support and hard work. But now that I'm training, and with my kids pretty sure they're not continuing in gymnastics, it doesn't make sense to keep working. So I'll work through the end of March and then I'm done. So no more second-hand smoke every Thursday night, so more cruising in at 11:00, no more walking around for hours trying to get people to buy stuff. I WILL miss some of the people -- actually a lot of the people, but overall I'm just really happy to be FREE!
That's it from me. Kids are out of school today. I'm still in my PJs. And life is good.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
The Best Valentine's Gift
In my humble opinion, and after nearly 20 years of marriage, the very best gift a woman can give her man for Valentine's Day is some enthusiastic, passionate loving that lets him know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is thrilled to be his valentine.
Tonight my husband's gift (which cannot be named, but rhymes with "tap pants") will be accompanied by the wonderful song "Strength of a Woman" by Shaggy. You should check the song out to just feel good about being alive!
Happy V-Day everyone!
Tonight my husband's gift (which cannot be named, but rhymes with "tap pants") will be accompanied by the wonderful song "Strength of a Woman" by Shaggy. You should check the song out to just feel good about being alive!
Happy V-Day everyone!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Short and sweet
Today I only had 30 minutes to get a workout in. After yesterday's run I wasn't feeling like I needed cardio work, so it was lower body time, with a little upper body thrown in. Here's what I did:
20 box jumps (14" box)
20 dumbbell swings (using a 20 pound dumbbell)
20 squats (using same dumbbell)
15 box jumps
15 dumbbell swings
15 squats
10 box jumps
10 dumbbell swings
10 squats
5 box jumps
5 dumbbell swings
5 squats
So it wasn't cardio, but it felt like cardio when I was done!
Then 5 minutes handstand practice.
Then 100 pound leg press, single leg, several sets.
Then reverse pushups on Smith machine, with bar at hip level.
Then done! Came home and showered, ate lunch, and worked with a client at 12:30. Note to self: allow more than 1 hour to pass after personal workout before training, or else you'll feel drenched by the end of the warmup!
20 box jumps (14" box)
20 dumbbell swings (using a 20 pound dumbbell)
20 squats (using same dumbbell)
15 box jumps
15 dumbbell swings
15 squats
10 box jumps
10 dumbbell swings
10 squats
5 box jumps
5 dumbbell swings
5 squats
So it wasn't cardio, but it felt like cardio when I was done!
Then 5 minutes handstand practice.
Then 100 pound leg press, single leg, several sets.
Then reverse pushups on Smith machine, with bar at hip level.
Then done! Came home and showered, ate lunch, and worked with a client at 12:30. Note to self: allow more than 1 hour to pass after personal workout before training, or else you'll feel drenched by the end of the warmup!
Monday, February 12, 2007
Vegas/Running
Spent the better part of the weekend in Las Vegas for, what else, gymnastics? We did get to see Ka (it was good, but we liked Mystere a LOT better), had buffet at the Wynn (what does a REAL PERSONAL TRAINER eat at a great buffet? Anything she wants to!), went to the wax museum, and of course (because I have sons) the Underground Arcade. Gym meet didn't go so great for Tucker. I think of it like working out -- some days it goes really well and you're just on top of your game. Other days -- not so much!
One thing we learned from Vegas is that Leslie should not make the travel arrangements. We got to the airport on Saturday night at 6:45, in plenty of time for our 8:10 flight. But -- surprise! -- it turns out our flight was scheduled for THE NEXT DAY! Oops. If anyone was in the Vegas airport and saw a family of crazed people running to catch a plane -- yep, that was us. To their credit, the fam was way nice about it, and we've agreed that Dad will make travel arrangements from now on!
Today we had a break from the rain, and I had the time to go running. You know, the Crossfit/mixed training stuff works, cuz I was able to do 5-1/2 or 6 miles (I didn't check exact distance) with ease. Well, I guess tomorrow will be the true test of how it went. But honestly, it was hard but do-able. The halfway point was a very cool park where I played on the swings. I'm thinking of putting together an outdoor group workout, and I wanted to find out what muscles you use to swing. Answer, in case you want to know, is mostly back and abs if you take the legs out of the equation. I tried to start from a dead hang with no legs, and couldn't do it. But with just the littlest of leg assistance, I got swinging as high as I wanted to go. And it was fun! Finished park time with pushups (2 sets of 10) and dips (2 sets of 10), then ran home.
One thing we learned from Vegas is that Leslie should not make the travel arrangements. We got to the airport on Saturday night at 6:45, in plenty of time for our 8:10 flight. But -- surprise! -- it turns out our flight was scheduled for THE NEXT DAY! Oops. If anyone was in the Vegas airport and saw a family of crazed people running to catch a plane -- yep, that was us. To their credit, the fam was way nice about it, and we've agreed that Dad will make travel arrangements from now on!
Today we had a break from the rain, and I had the time to go running. You know, the Crossfit/mixed training stuff works, cuz I was able to do 5-1/2 or 6 miles (I didn't check exact distance) with ease. Well, I guess tomorrow will be the true test of how it went. But honestly, it was hard but do-able. The halfway point was a very cool park where I played on the swings. I'm thinking of putting together an outdoor group workout, and I wanted to find out what muscles you use to swing. Answer, in case you want to know, is mostly back and abs if you take the legs out of the equation. I tried to start from a dead hang with no legs, and couldn't do it. But with just the littlest of leg assistance, I got swinging as high as I wanted to go. And it was fun! Finished park time with pushups (2 sets of 10) and dips (2 sets of 10), then ran home.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
P.S.
The reason for more upper body definition is three-fold, I think. And the reasons are:
1. Daily handstands, with attempts at handstand pushups.
2. Daily ring work (did I tell you we got rings???). They're in the garage right next to my car, and I either swing on them (hard, but fun) or do "skin the cats" (remember those?) or do reverse pushups, or (drum roll, please) just jump to support and hold there. The first time I did it, my body shook like I was having a seizure. Now I can stay there for a good, oh say 5 or 6 seconds before I have to jump down. I already respected my gymnast sons, but when you actually try something they do -- oh boy!
3. Cardio Coach -- Sean O'Malley rocks!
1. Daily handstands, with attempts at handstand pushups.
2. Daily ring work (did I tell you we got rings???). They're in the garage right next to my car, and I either swing on them (hard, but fun) or do "skin the cats" (remember those?) or do reverse pushups, or (drum roll, please) just jump to support and hold there. The first time I did it, my body shook like I was having a seizure. Now I can stay there for a good, oh say 5 or 6 seconds before I have to jump down. I already respected my gymnast sons, but when you actually try something they do -- oh boy!
3. Cardio Coach -- Sean O'Malley rocks!
Crazy Busy and Loving It!
I'm still here. Really I am! But in the last six months I've gone from too much time on my hands to not enough hours in the day. Believe me when I say that not enough hours is WAY BETTER (especially for those who deal with depression) than too much time!
Gymnastics and how we got here
Ok, so Tucker was THRILLED with your comments about his video. Actually he was mad that I posted the video because it included his floor routine at the end, and he usually does so much better at floor. But he was completely blessed by what you had to say -- THANK YOU! Oh, Greg asked how my kids got into gymnastics. It was really by accident. When the kids were small, we purposely kept their activities minimal, figuring that playing in the backyard is just as important as developmental classes. We didn't even really have the kids in preschool, which in our area is a mighty risky choice. Anyway, we did put them in a little preschool gymnastics class when each of them turned 3 and they both really liked it. Both tried soccer and baseball, but neither sport really thrilled them. When he was 7, Austin was invited to be on the competitive team, which really took us by surprise. And Tucker started competing a little before he turned 7. And it's kind of evolved from there, to now Tucker practicing 15 hours a week, and Austin at 19 hours. I really do think both will stop at the end of this season, and while it makes me sad because they're both so good (I'll post video of Austin in a few weeks -- he's recovered enough to compete in San Francisco and Oakland), I really do look forward to the ease -- emotional, physical (no driving every night!), and financial -- that will come along with their decisions.
Fun, Fun, Fun
Ok, so Katie came and worked out last night. I was worried about it all day, which was why I couldn't write. Thoughts like, "What if I'm just a complete load of crap, and now I'm about to be found out?!" and "Why oh why don't they make "Younger/Thinner" spray or cream or something?" consumed me for much of the day. Turns out, though, that Katie's just as delightful in person as you'd expect from reading her weblog. Very down to earth. Very articulate. And so easy to spend time with. We talked and laughed and sweated and really had a great time. Then after she left, I had a million questions I wanted to ask, but never got around to asking, darn it! Maybe next time...
Busiest day yet
So yesterday I had clients at 8:30, 12:30, 5:15, and 7:15!!! All different. All fun! But where to fit workout in? I know the morning break would have worked well, but house needed straightening and laundry needed doing. So at 6:30, Tim and I did a Crossfit-ish workout from the Pentranek Fitness website. Here it is:
400 m run (about 1/4 mile)
50 box jumps
400 m run
50 burpees
400 m run
50 jumping pullups
I did it but it was NOT pretty! But I can tell I'm getting stronger, cuz the burpees, while still really really hard, don't wipe me out like they used to. Progress is what we're after, right?
Measuring progress
There has been lots of talk about measuring progress on the weblogs I read (which, someday, I'll post a list of -- if it weren't for Bloglines, I would never leave the computer!). And there are so many ways to use -- scale weight, measurements, body fat - caliper, body fat - Omoron, and the list goes on. Here's how I measure progress:
weight -- occasionally, although if it's down, I want to celebrate with treats, and if it's up, I want to eat cuz I'm bummed. So maybe not the best choice for me.
clothes -- how do they fit? This is a really good one for me. Although now I'm wearing fitness clothes most of the time, and elasticized clothing doesn't give a true picture of girth, you know? Note to self -- put on some real clothes every once in a while!
measurements -- about once a month or so I check waist and hips, and sometimes thighs, although I don't know if you're supposed to measure biggest part or somewhere else. (Anyone?) I have my own idea of what my waist and hips should not go over, so this is a good occasional reality check.
how I look -- if I can see a leg dent, and some definition in my upper body, and if there's a bit of a waist present, it's probably ok.
Actually these days I've been more active than ever before, what with training clients, doing my own workouts, and Cardio Coach. And I'm noticing more definition in my upper body -- somewhat like when I did Women's Tri-Fitness. So I guess I'm moving in the right direction, even though (true confession here -- don't read if you don't want to know...) last night's dinner was as follows:
2 slices of Alvarado Street bread with sunflower seed butter and honey
1 perfect Hostess cupcake
fresh mango slices and blackberries
Ok, anything else inside my brain? Ummmm, nope!
Leslie out.
Gymnastics and how we got here
Ok, so Tucker was THRILLED with your comments about his video. Actually he was mad that I posted the video because it included his floor routine at the end, and he usually does so much better at floor. But he was completely blessed by what you had to say -- THANK YOU! Oh, Greg asked how my kids got into gymnastics. It was really by accident. When the kids were small, we purposely kept their activities minimal, figuring that playing in the backyard is just as important as developmental classes. We didn't even really have the kids in preschool, which in our area is a mighty risky choice. Anyway, we did put them in a little preschool gymnastics class when each of them turned 3 and they both really liked it. Both tried soccer and baseball, but neither sport really thrilled them. When he was 7, Austin was invited to be on the competitive team, which really took us by surprise. And Tucker started competing a little before he turned 7. And it's kind of evolved from there, to now Tucker practicing 15 hours a week, and Austin at 19 hours. I really do think both will stop at the end of this season, and while it makes me sad because they're both so good (I'll post video of Austin in a few weeks -- he's recovered enough to compete in San Francisco and Oakland), I really do look forward to the ease -- emotional, physical (no driving every night!), and financial -- that will come along with their decisions.
Fun, Fun, Fun
Ok, so Katie came and worked out last night. I was worried about it all day, which was why I couldn't write. Thoughts like, "What if I'm just a complete load of crap, and now I'm about to be found out?!" and "Why oh why don't they make "Younger/Thinner" spray or cream or something?" consumed me for much of the day. Turns out, though, that Katie's just as delightful in person as you'd expect from reading her weblog. Very down to earth. Very articulate. And so easy to spend time with. We talked and laughed and sweated and really had a great time. Then after she left, I had a million questions I wanted to ask, but never got around to asking, darn it! Maybe next time...
Busiest day yet
So yesterday I had clients at 8:30, 12:30, 5:15, and 7:15!!! All different. All fun! But where to fit workout in? I know the morning break would have worked well, but house needed straightening and laundry needed doing. So at 6:30, Tim and I did a Crossfit-ish workout from the Pentranek Fitness website. Here it is:
400 m run (about 1/4 mile)
50 box jumps
400 m run
50 burpees
400 m run
50 jumping pullups
I did it but it was NOT pretty! But I can tell I'm getting stronger, cuz the burpees, while still really really hard, don't wipe me out like they used to. Progress is what we're after, right?
Measuring progress
There has been lots of talk about measuring progress on the weblogs I read (which, someday, I'll post a list of -- if it weren't for Bloglines, I would never leave the computer!). And there are so many ways to use -- scale weight, measurements, body fat - caliper, body fat - Omoron, and the list goes on. Here's how I measure progress:
weight -- occasionally, although if it's down, I want to celebrate with treats, and if it's up, I want to eat cuz I'm bummed. So maybe not the best choice for me.
clothes -- how do they fit? This is a really good one for me. Although now I'm wearing fitness clothes most of the time, and elasticized clothing doesn't give a true picture of girth, you know? Note to self -- put on some real clothes every once in a while!
measurements -- about once a month or so I check waist and hips, and sometimes thighs, although I don't know if you're supposed to measure biggest part or somewhere else. (Anyone?) I have my own idea of what my waist and hips should not go over, so this is a good occasional reality check.
how I look -- if I can see a leg dent, and some definition in my upper body, and if there's a bit of a waist present, it's probably ok.
Actually these days I've been more active than ever before, what with training clients, doing my own workouts, and Cardio Coach. And I'm noticing more definition in my upper body -- somewhat like when I did Women's Tri-Fitness. So I guess I'm moving in the right direction, even though (true confession here -- don't read if you don't want to know...) last night's dinner was as follows:
2 slices of Alvarado Street bread with sunflower seed butter and honey
1 perfect Hostess cupcake
fresh mango slices and blackberries
Ok, anything else inside my brain? Ummmm, nope!
Leslie out.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Friday, February 02, 2007
Comment-worthy!
Comments, suggestions, and general atta-girls are so appreciated!
Tanya (who sent me an email): I already told you, but must say again, your thoughts from a therapist's point of view about how to help move clients towards what they want -- worth more than you can possibly know.
Matt: Feels like I have a cheering section with a charming British (English?) accent -- thank you!
Shelly: Excellent ideas! I'll be using much of what you came up with.
Katie: Cardio Coach is at www.cardiocoach.com. I'm still loving it!
Laurie: Good thoughts -- input appreciated.
Colette: Good thoughts -- input appreciated, and I always love seeing you. Hope Ashley's completely well!
Greg: I go to California Family Fitness in Rocklin. They do a great job there, but they prohibit camera phones. But here's a link, so check it out!
Tanya (who sent me an email): I already told you, but must say again, your thoughts from a therapist's point of view about how to help move clients towards what they want -- worth more than you can possibly know.
Matt: Feels like I have a cheering section with a charming British (English?) accent -- thank you!
Shelly: Excellent ideas! I'll be using much of what you came up with.
Katie: Cardio Coach is at www.cardiocoach.com. I'm still loving it!
Laurie: Good thoughts -- input appreciated.
Colette: Good thoughts -- input appreciated, and I always love seeing you. Hope Ashley's completely well!
Greg: I go to California Family Fitness in Rocklin. They do a great job there, but they prohibit camera phones. But here's a link, so check it out!
Back to SST
Tonight while the kids were at gymnastics, Tim and I hit SST for the 5:00 workout. I haven't been there since November when I couldn't get my bicep tendon issue (I HATE having issues!) to calm down. On our way, I told Tim I was scared, cuz I didn't want to do badly. He said, and I quote, "You are tenacious like an eff-ing pit bull. You'll be fine!" Those are words to melt a girl's heart, and they really helped to calm my nerves.
The workout was tough. We did Tabata squats. Tabata is an exercise protocol where you work for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. So for 4 minutes (8 rounds) we did bodyweight squats -- low ones -- for 20 seconds, rested for 10 seconds, and so on. Tim challenged me to a race to see who could do the most. I told him it was a bad idea, because I would smoke him. But he insisted. Well my friends, consistent lower body work seems to pay off, because I won the challenge.
It was a different story when we did 100 D-ball slams. Tim used a 20 pound ball and finished in 3:18. I used a 12 pound ball and came in at 3:41 -- still respectable, but not even close to Rambo's (aka Tim's) time!
The workout was tough. We did Tabata squats. Tabata is an exercise protocol where you work for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. So for 4 minutes (8 rounds) we did bodyweight squats -- low ones -- for 20 seconds, rested for 10 seconds, and so on. Tim challenged me to a race to see who could do the most. I told him it was a bad idea, because I would smoke him. But he insisted. Well my friends, consistent lower body work seems to pay off, because I won the challenge.
It was a different story when we did 100 D-ball slams. Tim used a 20 pound ball and finished in 3:18. I used a 12 pound ball and came in at 3:41 -- still respectable, but not even close to Rambo's (aka Tim's) time!
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Quick random thoughts
- Cirque du Soleil is performing at the Super Bowl! They're in the pregame show. Here's a link so you can read about what they're doing. We LOVE LOVE LOVE Cirque, and will be seeing Ka in Las Vegas next weekend, when we're there for a gymnastics competition.
- Note to self: when you do Cardio Coach, bring a towel! I promise I'm not selling Cardio Coach or getting kickbacks or anything, but I seriously dig the workouts. Today I did volume 1 and there's no way I would have pushed that hard on my own.
- My 10-year-old client did great. I'll see her grandmother tonight at Bingo and then I'll get the real scoop, but she seemed to really like what we did.
- My gym has a new machine -- an endless rope. It's very very cool. You "climb" it hand over hand and it's great for your back and biceps. (If you picture one of those endless loops of towels at a gas station bathroom, then substitute rope for towels, you'll know what it is.)
- I got my "Hard work pays off!" quote from Wall Words, and put it up in the training room last night.
- I made one of my clients crack the wall in the training room. Oops. Tim says if I pick up the plywood, he'll install it so I can safely have people hurl medicine balls at the wall.
- Feeling like an official business woman now -- I got a business license and a bank account! Well, my wonderful husband got the bank account -- thanks Tim! -- and I'm a real small business owner. Isn't that cool???
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Helping them to want it!
Just got back from doing Cardio Coach #1 at the gym. It was hard, especially since I'm not 100% yet, but I'm definitely on the road to recovery. (Incidentally, I still love Cardio Coach!) I'm listening to "Sunsets" by Rachel Portman (from The Lake House soundtrack -- really beautiful), eating a South Beach Diet lunch (I know you're supposed to be mindful when you eat, but it's just not happening today), and knowing that I start picking up kids in about 30 minutes.
What's on my mind is motivating clients to get what they want. I take this training business VERY seriously and want my clients to win in what they're working towards so badly I can taste it. So how do I help to translate that desire on their behalf into action on their part? I mean, at BEST I'm with them 3 hours a week. To get all mathematical about it, that means I'm with them 1.78% of their week. So with that small amount of time (even less if it's someone who comes once a week), how I can best spend that time in a way that gives them more than a workout, but helps to create positive change in those "other" 165 or so hours they're not with me? Therein lies the challenge!
I'm reading a book titled "It's More Than Just Making Them Sweat" by Ed Thornton. One of the points he makes has to do with making the experience of working out pleasurable, not because it's easy, but because of what is accomplished. He quotes a writer who states, "The way to happiness lies not in mindless hedonism, but in mindful challenge." And maybe that's part of the answer. Helping people find their inner athlete, so they can feel the happiness that comes from accomplishment of any kind, and in this case, physical accomplishment. The "look what I just did!" excitement that kids have when they master a skill or beat their own record.
Speaking of kids, I'm taking on a new client next week. And I so badly want this girl to experience success and health and energy and all that can come with having your body work for you. That's probably why I'm so focused on this today. In fact, I was up in the middle of the night thinking about her -- what I can do to make exercise fun and challenging and encourage her to find her inner athlete.
Speaking of the inner athlete, that's part of what I want every single one of my clients to find. As last picked for everything as a child, I know what it's like to avoid activity. That's probably why it's so delightful to feel strong and athletic as a grown up. Today I was doing handstands at the gym, and I was thinking, "You know, I think these probably reduce your age by 50%, but I'm probably about 23 years old when I do these!" Nothing like some positive thoughts to reinforce behavior, right?
But honestly, although most women who seek a trainer are looking for outward changes -- less fluff, more muscle, looser clothes -- and all of those things are fantastic, I really believe that through exercise you are just getting the tip of the iceberg if that's all you want. How about the confidence that goes with feeling strong? How about the loveliness of a body that moves as you want it to? How about the feminine power of enjoying your sexuality with the man you love? Now THAT'S something to get excited about! (But I may have to tone it down for my brochure!)
Yesterday's Workout
I was in the training room trying out some exercises I was going to do with a client today. Tim heard me slamming a ball against the wall, came up and accused me of yelling at him that he's a lazy man and needed to workout. He's perceptive, that husband of mine! :) So together we did the Crossfit workout of the day, which was 100 pullups, 100 pushups, 100 squats, and 100 situps. Tim did every single thing as prescribed, and I'm crazy proud of him! I made the squats more intense by squatting to an 8" box. Did the situps as rx'd. Pushups were from knees, cuz of bicep tendon still getting better. And did 50 jumping pullups, then did 50 ball slams with a 16 pound ball. Hard, but fun workout!
What's on my mind is motivating clients to get what they want. I take this training business VERY seriously and want my clients to win in what they're working towards so badly I can taste it. So how do I help to translate that desire on their behalf into action on their part? I mean, at BEST I'm with them 3 hours a week. To get all mathematical about it, that means I'm with them 1.78% of their week. So with that small amount of time (even less if it's someone who comes once a week), how I can best spend that time in a way that gives them more than a workout, but helps to create positive change in those "other" 165 or so hours they're not with me? Therein lies the challenge!
I'm reading a book titled "It's More Than Just Making Them Sweat" by Ed Thornton. One of the points he makes has to do with making the experience of working out pleasurable, not because it's easy, but because of what is accomplished. He quotes a writer who states, "The way to happiness lies not in mindless hedonism, but in mindful challenge." And maybe that's part of the answer. Helping people find their inner athlete, so they can feel the happiness that comes from accomplishment of any kind, and in this case, physical accomplishment. The "look what I just did!" excitement that kids have when they master a skill or beat their own record.
Speaking of kids, I'm taking on a new client next week. And I so badly want this girl to experience success and health and energy and all that can come with having your body work for you. That's probably why I'm so focused on this today. In fact, I was up in the middle of the night thinking about her -- what I can do to make exercise fun and challenging and encourage her to find her inner athlete.
Speaking of the inner athlete, that's part of what I want every single one of my clients to find. As last picked for everything as a child, I know what it's like to avoid activity. That's probably why it's so delightful to feel strong and athletic as a grown up. Today I was doing handstands at the gym, and I was thinking, "You know, I think these probably reduce your age by 50%, but I'm probably about 23 years old when I do these!" Nothing like some positive thoughts to reinforce behavior, right?
But honestly, although most women who seek a trainer are looking for outward changes -- less fluff, more muscle, looser clothes -- and all of those things are fantastic, I really believe that through exercise you are just getting the tip of the iceberg if that's all you want. How about the confidence that goes with feeling strong? How about the loveliness of a body that moves as you want it to? How about the feminine power of enjoying your sexuality with the man you love? Now THAT'S something to get excited about! (But I may have to tone it down for my brochure!)
Yesterday's Workout
I was in the training room trying out some exercises I was going to do with a client today. Tim heard me slamming a ball against the wall, came up and accused me of yelling at him that he's a lazy man and needed to workout. He's perceptive, that husband of mine! :) So together we did the Crossfit workout of the day, which was 100 pullups, 100 pushups, 100 squats, and 100 situps. Tim did every single thing as prescribed, and I'm crazy proud of him! I made the squats more intense by squatting to an 8" box. Did the situps as rx'd. Pushups were from knees, cuz of bicep tendon still getting better. And did 50 jumping pullups, then did 50 ball slams with a 16 pound ball. Hard, but fun workout!
Monday, January 29, 2007
Starting my day over at 3:30 pm!
I've been fighting a nasty cold for the past few days. My eating stayed clean until yesterday at Stanford. We arrived for a gymnastics meet that was delayed by more than two hours. Now keep in mind that what I wanted was to spend the day in bed, and NOT sitting on bleachers in a gymnasium. So we sat on those bleachers from 3:30 till after 10:00 last night, arriving home at 1:15 or so this morning. And that bleacher time was filled with whatever-the-heck-makes-me-feel-better food. Veggies do not make me feel better. M&M's, however, seem to help. And today has been filled with diet sodas and Doritos, in a flashback to my comfort foods of a long time ago.
So I've decided as of NOW to start my day over. I have a giant jug of water in front of me, and once I'm done writing I'll be getting some yummy vegetables to munch on (if this sounds sarcastic, GOOD! It's meant that way!).
Comments on comments
In an abrupt change of subject, and with no reference to the people who asked (because my head feels like a pillow right now, and that makes even typing an effort!), here are some answers to some questions:
I've finally looked over the RAVE diet, and have a few thoughts. It's pretty militant (nothing processed, nothing animal, etc.), but certainly makes some sense. Anything that moves anyone towards eating more fresh stuff and less processed stuff is good, in my opinion. I haven't watched the CD, because I read some reviews, and it sounds kind of graphic in its attempts to convert people to being vegetarian. But I agree that eating less meat and more veggies is a great way to go.
(new paragraph to make this more readable) A book that has some of the same ideas, but seems more gentle is Mariel Hemingway's Healthy Living from the Inside Out. In it she talks about foods that are noisy and foods that are quiet. For example, I'm pretty sure that Diet Mountain Dew and Doritos are noisy foods, because they disrupt the body's natural balance. And I also really liked this post by Shelly, as well as the article it references.
I think it was Meghan who asked if I do the Crossfit workouts. I sure try to, but I usually have to modify the weights they post. My left shoulder has dislocated several times, and keeping it in the socket is quite important to me. So any kind of overhead lift has to be way lighter for me. But I like the intensity of the workouts, and tend to pattern my own workouts in a similar way. For example, on Friday night I did a workout where I alternated 20 wall ball shots with squats (using a 10 pound medicine ball) with 20 jumping pullups. I did 5 rounds of each and it was HARD! But I liked the balance in the workout, with the squats hitting the entire lower body (especially because I was squatting to an 8" step, which meant the squats were quite low), the wall ball shots using chest, shoulders, and triceps, and the jumping pullups hitting the back and biceps.
On a final note, Tucker did GREAT at Stanford and it looks like he's going to qualify for the state championships. He needs two all around scores of 50.0 or higher, and he got a 51.05 this meet. In two weeks, he's competing in Las Vegas, then San Francisco, then Oakland, and so it goes.
And if you read about Austin's injury back in November, well, he's now back to gymnastics practice, but he's pretty convinced he'll quit at the end of this season. His heart just isn't in it now that he knows what life can be like without 20 hours of gymnastics a week. While there's a big part of me that wants him to find that fire inside again, because he has worked SO hard and loved it for SO LONG, if it's not for him, then it's not for him. I'd sure love to see him compete one last time, though.
And with Tucker saying this is his last season, who knows? We might be able to have dinners on a regular basis as a family again! THAT would be lovely indeed!
Time for veggies...
So I've decided as of NOW to start my day over. I have a giant jug of water in front of me, and once I'm done writing I'll be getting some yummy vegetables to munch on (if this sounds sarcastic, GOOD! It's meant that way!).
Comments on comments
In an abrupt change of subject, and with no reference to the people who asked (because my head feels like a pillow right now, and that makes even typing an effort!), here are some answers to some questions:
I've finally looked over the RAVE diet, and have a few thoughts. It's pretty militant (nothing processed, nothing animal, etc.), but certainly makes some sense. Anything that moves anyone towards eating more fresh stuff and less processed stuff is good, in my opinion. I haven't watched the CD, because I read some reviews, and it sounds kind of graphic in its attempts to convert people to being vegetarian. But I agree that eating less meat and more veggies is a great way to go.
(new paragraph to make this more readable) A book that has some of the same ideas, but seems more gentle is Mariel Hemingway's Healthy Living from the Inside Out. In it she talks about foods that are noisy and foods that are quiet. For example, I'm pretty sure that Diet Mountain Dew and Doritos are noisy foods, because they disrupt the body's natural balance. And I also really liked this post by Shelly, as well as the article it references.
I think it was Meghan who asked if I do the Crossfit workouts. I sure try to, but I usually have to modify the weights they post. My left shoulder has dislocated several times, and keeping it in the socket is quite important to me. So any kind of overhead lift has to be way lighter for me. But I like the intensity of the workouts, and tend to pattern my own workouts in a similar way. For example, on Friday night I did a workout where I alternated 20 wall ball shots with squats (using a 10 pound medicine ball) with 20 jumping pullups. I did 5 rounds of each and it was HARD! But I liked the balance in the workout, with the squats hitting the entire lower body (especially because I was squatting to an 8" step, which meant the squats were quite low), the wall ball shots using chest, shoulders, and triceps, and the jumping pullups hitting the back and biceps.
On a final note, Tucker did GREAT at Stanford and it looks like he's going to qualify for the state championships. He needs two all around scores of 50.0 or higher, and he got a 51.05 this meet. In two weeks, he's competing in Las Vegas, then San Francisco, then Oakland, and so it goes.
And if you read about Austin's injury back in November, well, he's now back to gymnastics practice, but he's pretty convinced he'll quit at the end of this season. His heart just isn't in it now that he knows what life can be like without 20 hours of gymnastics a week. While there's a big part of me that wants him to find that fire inside again, because he has worked SO hard and loved it for SO LONG, if it's not for him, then it's not for him. I'd sure love to see him compete one last time, though.
And with Tucker saying this is his last season, who knows? We might be able to have dinners on a regular basis as a family again! THAT would be lovely indeed!
Time for veggies...
Friday, January 26, 2007
HANGOVER!
As a recovering alcoholic, I don't drink. I haven't in more than 20 years. But I remember what hangovers feel like, and I have one today FROM SUGAR!
Dinner at The Kitchen was great. They really stress that you can have the food any way you want (and at $125 per person, not including beverages or tip, it should be exactly as you want it!), and I knew two people in our party were having vegetarian options. So as they were describing the dinner which included lobster bisque (I don't eat lobster because lobsters don't poop and I don't like lobster), something in a veal stock (I don't eat veal because I can't support the industry), a fois gras (I don't eat liver -- boy, I'm sounding like a special case, aren't I???) -- well, I kept thinking about asking for vegetarian options. I did, and what they made was fabulous! I couldn't even tell you what it all was, but it was light and fresh and clean tasting and I loved it! Tim tried my food and said it was even better than what he was served on the normal menu.
Then we got to dessert which was something chocolate and bittersweet and warm and gooey, served with vanilla bean sorbet and some other fabulous stuff. I LOVED mine! Then I looked at Tim's plate, and it was practically intact. He was full because he'd had seconds of nearly every course. So I swooped in and appropriated his plate and polished it off. About 5 minutes later I started feeling unwell. Not anything that became symptomatic -- I just felt icky inside. And it lasted all night. And I still feel it today. Any doubts I had about how food affects me are completely gone.
So today I'm back to the eating the seems to work for me -- mostly vegetarian, mostly organic, lots of water, and lots of Diet Mountain Dew. (I know it makes no sense, but hey -- it's working!)
Dinner at The Kitchen was great. They really stress that you can have the food any way you want (and at $125 per person, not including beverages or tip, it should be exactly as you want it!), and I knew two people in our party were having vegetarian options. So as they were describing the dinner which included lobster bisque (I don't eat lobster because lobsters don't poop and I don't like lobster), something in a veal stock (I don't eat veal because I can't support the industry), a fois gras (I don't eat liver -- boy, I'm sounding like a special case, aren't I???) -- well, I kept thinking about asking for vegetarian options. I did, and what they made was fabulous! I couldn't even tell you what it all was, but it was light and fresh and clean tasting and I loved it! Tim tried my food and said it was even better than what he was served on the normal menu.
Then we got to dessert which was something chocolate and bittersweet and warm and gooey, served with vanilla bean sorbet and some other fabulous stuff. I LOVED mine! Then I looked at Tim's plate, and it was practically intact. He was full because he'd had seconds of nearly every course. So I swooped in and appropriated his plate and polished it off. About 5 minutes later I started feeling unwell. Not anything that became symptomatic -- I just felt icky inside. And it lasted all night. And I still feel it today. Any doubts I had about how food affects me are completely gone.
So today I'm back to the eating the seems to work for me -- mostly vegetarian, mostly organic, lots of water, and lots of Diet Mountain Dew. (I know it makes no sense, but hey -- it's working!)
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Today's workout
Today is a really busy fun day, so workout had to be quick. Just got back from the gym where I did:
light stretch, then 5 sets of
handstand practice, about 3 minutes
10 overhead squats w/18 pound Body Bar
Finished up with some single leg presses at 100 pounds, then some yummy stretching. Took about 25 minutes, and seemed to hit just about everything.
The overhead squats were inspired by this video. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Nicole's physique -- lean, athletic, feminine. And just using an 18 pound bar, when you're holding it with your traps and rhomboids activated -- well, by the 5th set, I was plenty tired. So it's hard to even get my mind around NINETY FIVE POUNDS!
So here's the rest of my day:
Head downtown to meet a girlfriend for lunch (and I get to dress up like a real working person!)
Back to pick up kids and supervise homework
Kids leave for gymnastics at 4:10
I head out to The Kitchen for dinner with my husband and his team from work. Click here if you want to see what we're having for dinner. As you can tell, today is SO my free day!
light stretch, then 5 sets of
handstand practice, about 3 minutes
10 overhead squats w/18 pound Body Bar
Finished up with some single leg presses at 100 pounds, then some yummy stretching. Took about 25 minutes, and seemed to hit just about everything.
The overhead squats were inspired by this video. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Nicole's physique -- lean, athletic, feminine. And just using an 18 pound bar, when you're holding it with your traps and rhomboids activated -- well, by the 5th set, I was plenty tired. So it's hard to even get my mind around NINETY FIVE POUNDS!
So here's the rest of my day:
Head downtown to meet a girlfriend for lunch (and I get to dress up like a real working person!)
Back to pick up kids and supervise homework
Kids leave for gymnastics at 4:10
I head out to The Kitchen for dinner with my husband and his team from work. Click here if you want to see what we're having for dinner. As you can tell, today is SO my free day!
Why Some People Quit and Some People Never Give Up!
That's the title of a fantastic article by Tom Venuto of "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle." Renee posted it on her website here, and anyone who is trying to make changes needs to read it. Here's why: as much as we can try to change our thinking, our beliefs, and our actions, because we are human (darn it!) there will be times when old thinking, beliefs, and behaviors will come back. And how we respond when that happens, well, that's the difference between those who succeed and those who fail, in my opinion.
And if you need another thought on the subject, here's what Calvin Coolidge had to say about it:
And if you need another thought on the subject, here's what Calvin Coolidge had to say about it:
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Cardio Coach
I was chatting with a girlfriend yesterday about fitness (surprise!) and we were talking about cardio and intervals and how hard it is to push yourself. Later on I was looking at some fitness websites (yet another surprise!) and I found a link to Cardio Coach. I played around on the website for about 20 minutes listening to samples of the workouts, and decided to take the plunge and buy a workout.
Did the workout this morning and I LOVE IT!!! I did 40 minutes on the ARC trainer, and I got a better workout than I ever do on my own. The music works with the intervals, Coach Sean's voice is nice and he doesn't talk too much (can't stand fitness programs where the instructor never shuts up!), and I just overall can't say enough good stuff about it. I got Volume 3, in case anyone wants to know.
One of the nicest things about the workout was the Coach's Notes track. Here's a part of what he had to say:
"On my way to the recording studio this morning, I found myself behind one of those new "adventure" SUVs. It was electric blue, and had bulky, oversized tires. Two bright red kayaks were strapped to the top, two bikes were mounted on the back, on on the bumper read a sticker, "Ain't no mountain high enough!" It was a sight!
As I passed the truck I looked over and noticed a couple who appeared to be in their late 60s, wearing stylish sunglasses. They were dancing in their seats to whatever was playing on the stereo. I couldn't help but smile.
Fitness has a strange surface appearance. It seems like all we see these days are before and after pictures of people that made a miraculous transformation. These transformations are great, and making that type of change is not something to take lightly. But I'm here to tell you that doesn't have to be your end goal. You don't have to look like a cover model to feel great.
The fitness that is presented to us in advertisements doesn't even come close to what it's really all about. The truth is, fitness is about that older couple. The ones dancing in their seats, not afraid to take a journey, and living their lives with the energy of their full potential."
Amen.
If you decide to check out the website, they have a special workout called Press Play that's taking place this Saturday, January 27th, where all the proceeds go to the Jim MacClaren Choose Living foundation. I bought the workout, and I'll be doing it at my gym this Saturday.
Did the workout this morning and I LOVE IT!!! I did 40 minutes on the ARC trainer, and I got a better workout than I ever do on my own. The music works with the intervals, Coach Sean's voice is nice and he doesn't talk too much (can't stand fitness programs where the instructor never shuts up!), and I just overall can't say enough good stuff about it. I got Volume 3, in case anyone wants to know.
One of the nicest things about the workout was the Coach's Notes track. Here's a part of what he had to say:
"On my way to the recording studio this morning, I found myself behind one of those new "adventure" SUVs. It was electric blue, and had bulky, oversized tires. Two bright red kayaks were strapped to the top, two bikes were mounted on the back, on on the bumper read a sticker, "Ain't no mountain high enough!" It was a sight!
As I passed the truck I looked over and noticed a couple who appeared to be in their late 60s, wearing stylish sunglasses. They were dancing in their seats to whatever was playing on the stereo. I couldn't help but smile.
Fitness has a strange surface appearance. It seems like all we see these days are before and after pictures of people that made a miraculous transformation. These transformations are great, and making that type of change is not something to take lightly. But I'm here to tell you that doesn't have to be your end goal. You don't have to look like a cover model to feel great.
The fitness that is presented to us in advertisements doesn't even come close to what it's really all about. The truth is, fitness is about that older couple. The ones dancing in their seats, not afraid to take a journey, and living their lives with the energy of their full potential."
Amen.
If you decide to check out the website, they have a special workout called Press Play that's taking place this Saturday, January 27th, where all the proceeds go to the Jim MacClaren Choose Living foundation. I bought the workout, and I'll be doing it at my gym this Saturday.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Workout Music
I LOVE finding the right music to workout to. This weekend I put together my first Lift playlist. It runs a little over an hour, cuz I'd rather have too much music than not enough. The last two songs for stretching. Hope you like it...
Every Breath You Take/Theme from Peter Gunn
The Police & Henry Mancini
Sail on, Sailor (Backing Track)
The Beach Boys
You Haven't Done Nothin'
Stevie Wonder
Everybody Got Their Something
Nikka Costa
Joy
Staxx of Joy
Brick House
Commodores
Gold Lion
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Leave Home
The Chemical Brothers
Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off)
Parliament
Strict Machine
Black Cherry
Rubberneckin' (Paul Oakenfold Remix)
Oakenfold
Fire
Ohio Players
Love Addict
Family Force 5
I Fell In Love (House Mix)
Rockell
Shoop
Salt-N-Pepa
Don't Call Me Baby
Madison Avenue
Intro: Loving
India.Arie
Angela Smiled
W.G. "Snuffy" Walden
Every Breath You Take/Theme from Peter Gunn
The Police & Henry Mancini
Sail on, Sailor (Backing Track)
The Beach Boys
You Haven't Done Nothin'
Stevie Wonder
Everybody Got Their Something
Nikka Costa
Joy
Staxx of Joy
Brick House
Commodores
Gold Lion
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Leave Home
The Chemical Brothers
Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off)
Parliament
Strict Machine
Black Cherry
Rubberneckin' (Paul Oakenfold Remix)
Oakenfold
Fire
Ohio Players
Love Addict
Family Force 5
I Fell In Love (House Mix)
Rockell
Shoop
Salt-N-Pepa
Don't Call Me Baby
Madison Avenue
Intro: Loving
India.Arie
Angela Smiled
W.G. "Snuffy" Walden
Sunday, January 21, 2007
A New Way To Eat
So it's been two weeks of my new cleanish eating, and I'm liking the results. I've only dropped a couple of pounds, but my clothes are fitting with ease in the waist, hips, and thighs, and I'm feeling leaner and stronger. I've been eating primarily vegetarian, with some occasional grilled chicken (and tonight, a few bites of tri tip at dinner), and have been more concerned with putting healthy stuff into my body than I have been with calories. I'm eating way more fruits and vegetables than ever. And my nightly bowl of cereal is shrinking (slightly) and is always something organic and low fat, and topped with Rice Dream rather than milk.
Remember the book I asked about a while back -- the RAVE diet? Well I got the book and the DVD, but haven't taken the time to read or watch yet. Evelyne bought it, read it, it's made a huge impact. Hooray for you, Evelyne! Let's compare notes once I stop reading training materials and dig into RAVE.
Remember the book I asked about a while back -- the RAVE diet? Well I got the book and the DVD, but haven't taken the time to read or watch yet. Evelyne bought it, read it, it's made a huge impact. Hooray for you, Evelyne! Let's compare notes once I stop reading training materials and dig into RAVE.
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