Quotation of the Week

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power." - Alan Cohen

What a refreshing point of view, eh?

If we realize that change breathes new vitality into our lifelong journey, then we can more willingly head toward that change. Even if we're afraid. Even if we are hesitant to put forth the effort because it just seems like so much work...

But, honestly, isn't feeling alive so much more worthwhile than being comfortable?


Isn't taking the risk to achieve something big so much more valuable than being unhappy in a stagnant, broken situation??


Yes, it takes a lot of bravery to head in a different direction.
It takes tons of courage to break habits and to form new ones.
It takes major cahones to take a step away from "security".


But you owe it to yourself to be brave, courageous, and ballsy.
If you want a life to be proud of - you have to step away from your comfort zone.


Please, go make "deliberate movements" toward a better life - a better you.


*this post is dedicated to a dear friend who has been forced to make big changes... may the road ahead soon prove to be fantastic...

How can I convince you to stop doing crunches??

Maybe I need to start adding an "Abdominal Wednesday" section to my blog so that I can sufficiently hammer the idea out of your head that crunches are super duper ineffective!

Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

Just little tidbits each week.

Over time, you'll have oodles of reasons why crunches should make minimal appearances in a program that is designed both to strengthen the abs AND to shrink the fluff around the midsection.

Let's start with a testimonial from one of my newer clients.

Yes, he also talks about the fact that endless cardio is ineffective as well. But let's just focus on what he says about crunches...


"For a long time, I thought that cardio would be the way to get rid of my basketball belly. Well since I've started working out with you on a weekly basis, doing only a little cardio compared to the amount of strength training, my belly has started to disappear. I haven't spent endless hours on a treadmill running to nowhere and the absolute BEST PART is in the 6 months or so I've been working out with you, I HAVEN'T HAD TO DO A SINGLE FRIGGIN' CRUNCH OR SIT-UP AND MY BELLY IS STILL DISAPPEARING!!! You have made a believer in strength training of me! Thanks for the great workouts!"


Jeff L.


Jeff certainly hit the nail on the head.

The way to get rid of an unwanted belly is NOT through crunches!! Or situps!! Uggh!

It's through overall activity, intense exercise, controlled nutrition, and movements that use the stomach the way the stomach was designed to work (and it wasn't designed to simply flex the torso... no sir!!)

More to come next Wednesday!!

I need your help...

I would like to take the time today to ask my devoted readers for a small favor...

My amazing stepsister, Kristy Thompson, has organized an upcoming benefit for her fiance (congrats on getting engaged, Kris!!).

Because - as these two young lovebirds begin making plans for a big, white wedding - they also have the misfortune of dealing with a cancer diagnosis.

Now, I don't like to ask people to part with their money - especially when times are a bit tight on the financial front. But I cannot stay silent in this instance. My family up in Michigan means the world to me, and I would love to help them out in any way I can.

So, friends, I'm asking for YOUR help. If you find that you have the means to give a small donation, I will be greatly appreciative of your gift. In fact, I will personally send you a free report on my 20 favorite Advanced Abdominal Exercises!

Read on to hear the entire story...

*********************************

On Christmas Day 2008, Josh Burch was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a blood cancer. Josh is currently undergoing several treatments of outpatient chemotherapy at the Cancer Treatment Facility in the University of Michigan hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich. During this stressful time, he has continued to work to help finance his treatments.

These expenses have become a burden to both Josh and his family. To help, a benefit has been scheduled for May 30, 2009 in Shields, Michigan. All proceeds will go directly toward Joshua’s growing medical expenses. If there are proceeds above the cost of Joshua’s medical expenses, they will be donated to the Isabella Pardee Cancer Treatment Fund.

Josh and his family would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to consider this generous donation and for being a part of Josh’s battle with cancer.

*********************************

Honestly, thank you for taking the time to read this message. I appreciate your concern and your positive thoughts!

If you are interested in making a small donation for this worthy cause, you can send your donation via paypal to deliberatemovement@gmail.com

Donations will be accepted until Saturday, May 30th, 2009...

Once I receive your donation, I will personally be sending you a thank you note and a copy of the Advanced Abdominal Exercises free report.

And next week, once the benefit has taken place, you better believe I'll be posting a follow-up story on our fundraising success!

Thank you in advance....

Kim

Reader question - "Is it okay to hop in the sauna after a workout?"

Today's reader question deals with the effect of saunas on your muscles after a workout...

Feel free to leave comments if you ever want to join in on the discussion, friends!


Kim -

One more question now that you have me thinking... I've heard both sides that after a work out you can go to the sauna and it's ok... then I hear 'no' because then you loosen the muscle that you have just worked on to get hard and tight.

Which one is right?

Patrick



Another great question, Patrick!

The purpose of weight training is NOT to make your muscles tight. In fact, the healthiest individuals are those who are very strong, yet their muscles are loose and pliable. Really, there should be no tightness or tension in the muscles when you are not working out (which is why stretching, massage, and myofascial release are so important for the avid exerciser!).

The real purpose of exercise is to give your muscles such a strong stimulus that they become somewhat "damaged"... and from that damage, the muscles are required to build up bigger and stronger while you recover.

So, if we work out hard enough to cause some damage, then heat can serve as a rehabilitative measure. It can also help to relax the muscles and get rid of some tightness as well. So, as long as you're hydrated, I'd say that the sauna can be a great method in which to relax after a workout. (the heat definitely cannot reverse the effect of a good workout!).

Thanks so much for taking the time to send in those question marks above your head, Patrick. :)

Cheers!
Kim


**Remember!! Any fitness/nutrition questions can be directed to kim@deliberatemovement.com

Quotation of the Week

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." - Albert Einstein


I LOVE to daydream.
I love to imagine what life would be like if certain dreams were to come to fruition.

Of course, I'm a firm believer in hard work!
I know that you have to log the man hours in order to accomplish something worthwhile.

But I also know that - people don't dream enough...
They don't believe in their capabilities.
They utter phrases like "that's impossible" or "I could NEVER do that!"

That kind of thinking will stop you from taking risks.
And if you don't take risks, you'll never truly experience life.

Dream big, folks.

It's true - some dreams will never pan out.
But wouldn't you like to say that you tried?
And wouldn't you like to be successfully standing atop your own mountain, with utmost pride, gleefully breathing in the crisp air and looking around for the next "high"?

Because that's exactly what I'll be doing!

Video Series - Should you use momentum when you lift weights?

This vid, my friends, is the last full video of me "ranting" about my pet peeves in the gym.

Yes, you heard it here... I am no longer peeved. I think.

Anyway, enjoy the final pet peeve. And don't forget to comment on your thoughts. Even if you don't agree. Let's have some good discussions up in here!

Rest in Peace, little car... (My sad story about NEGLECT)

Well, it is truly a sad day for me...

I have to say goodbye to my trusted car - my good ole' buddy for the past 9 years.

Yep. On the way home from a most phenomenal weekend in Joshua Tree (filled w/ camping, hiking, and my first rock climbing experience!), the "Ravster" died a quick death. It overheated so badly that the engine is no longer salvageable.

But that's not the whole story...

I saw some signs that something wasn't right. But I decided to ignore those signs. I just kept driving - thinking "I'll just take it in to have it looked at when I get back to Long Beach". It was an expensive mistake, and a painful lesson to learn, nonetheless.

And that got me thinking...

Do you know how often I see people neglect other parts of their lives just like that??
When a problem arises, how many times have YOU ignored or neglected that problem - just hoping that it would resolve itself or disappear?



Here's the definition of neglect:

1. To pay little or no attention to; fail to heed; disregard
2. To fail to care for or attend to properly
3. To fail to do or carry out, as through carelessness or oversight

I neglected to heed the warning signs of my sweet Ravster.

And in the past - although I hate to say it, I've failed to take care of my body when I've felt pain, discomfort, or irritation. It goes 'unnoticed' until it's too late. For example... a little shoulder tension that wasn't handled with stretching and soft tissue release techniques soon developed into a more debilitating shoulder injury.


Why do we do that??

Why do we neglect and ignore the warning signals that are being sent to us?

Why do we fail to realize that it doesn't really take that much energy to do something about it before it's too late?

I have too many clients, friends, and family members who play the ignorance game with their bodies. And since that's my field of expertise, we are gonna simply stick to that topic (because there are so many other areas to neglect in life... but I digress).

So, I'm writing today's post to URGE you to:

a) Immediately deal with any bothersome physical aches and pains you may be having.
If you don't know where to do to begin rehabbing your issues, then get a referral from a local, trusted fitness professional.

b) Quit 'working through' pain and discomfort... if something is painful (and not in a good, my muscles are about to explode kinda way), then that's a sign that something is wrong!!
Most of the time, it simply stems from tight muscles (tightness from everyday activities can be relieved through stretching), tense muscles (tension can be released through massage), weak muscles (imbalances can be corrected w/ proper exercises and stretches), lack of mobility (full range of motion is important and can be restored through activation exercises and mobility drills), etc.

c) Realize that every little thing you do contributes to your health.
How you sleep, how long you sleep, how you sit, how long you sit, how you hold your posture, how often you perform unbalanced activities, what you eat, what you drink, how you exercise, how often you exercise, how often you stretch, how you release tension, how you de-stress... The accumulation of many bad habits can give you a body / a health status / a fitness level that you don't necessarily want. Take responsibility of your health by being aware of all these little things AND by making good decisions.

d) Come to grips with the fact that what you eat determines how you function. Period.
Sometimes, those aches and pains and weird bugaboos come about because you have been filling your fuel tank with crap. The fuel you put into your body will determine how you feel, how you perform, and how your body handles injuries, tightness, stress, etc. Start eating well - if you haven't already.


There is no need to neglect ourselves.

There is no need to let problems go so far that they become a pain in the you-know-what.

Take a lesson from my baby.
Thanks for everything, sweet Ravster...

Reader question - "Is running with dumbbells a good workout?"

Let's start out the week with another great reader question. Thanks so much to those of you who are taking the time to send in your queries!

Hey Kim....

I read your blog post stating, "Dumbbells and Treadmills go hand in hand."
Can you actually use a small amount of weight (5-8 lbs) on the treadmill?
I've though of that so many times mainly because I wanted get a workout and run at the same time.

So again I ask..can one really have some 5-8 dumbbells and run (or walk fast) on the treadmills and it's ok?

Patrick

Thanks for the question, Patrick!
I'd love to clear up a little bit of the confusion...

When I said that dumbbells and treadmills go hand in hand, it was just a cute way of summarizing that strength training and cardiovascular work should both be used for fat loss. And I wanted to emphasize the point that strength training is essential for fat loss because so many people think that cardio is the best way to shed excess fat.

So, really, my confusing little anecdote was a shortened version of... "strength training and cardio need to both be used as training methods if you want to get results".
Make sense?

As far as grabbing little dumbbells while on the treadmill - I'm not a fan.

This is simply because:

a) 5, 8, or even 10 pound weights will do nothing for you. I don't know anything about your level of strength, your height/weight/ability/etc... but since you are a man, those piddly weights are way too light to give your muscles any challenge. Even without meeting you, there's no doubt in my mind about that.

b) There aren't very many high quality exercises that you can do while walking on a treadmill. I can think of bicep curls (waste of time), front raise or lateral raise (not the best shoulder exercises I can come up with), and maybe overhead press (but wouldn't you want to do that exercise while standing still so that you can lift as much as possible for the chosen rep range?)...

In my opinion, keep the weights separate from the cardio.


OR!!


Make a cardio/metabolic workout out of your weight training!

• Link some bodyweight exercises together and perform your reps in circuit fashion with no rest in between

• Put some dumbbell/barbell/kettlebell/bodyweight exercises back-to-back and do each exercise as much as possible for a specified amount of time before immediately moving onto the next.

• Perform intervals with bodyweight exercises... for example, do pushups for an intense exercise (as many as you can in 20-30 seconds), then do jumping jacks for an easy exercise (or for "active rest")... and keep alternating between the intense and the active rest for a certain number of rounds.
  

Those are just some basic ideas as to how one might perform a weight training workout in a metabolic way. In other words, any of these general examples will provide you a really great source of resistance training AND cardio together! Hope that helps :)


Good luck!
Kim


**Remember!! Any other fitness/nutrition questions can be directed to kim@deliberatemovement.com

Quotation of the Week

"Failure is an event, not a person. Yesterday ended last night." - Zig Ziglar

We are human.
We make mistakes. We fail sometimes. We mess up.

When we strive for difficult goals - like cleaning up a messy diet, starting an exercise program, or changing any aspect of a lifestyle that is comfortable and safe - we are not gonna be perfect in our pursuit. Far from it!

It's gonna happen. Failure, that is. But why take the extra effort to focus on it?

We often feel so guilty that we punish ourselves and put too much stock into the mistake. What can we do about it now? It's been done!

Acknowledge the mistake, the failure.
Then start the next day with a clean slate.

I'm not saying that you should have amnesia when it comes to your mistakes. Don't just deny 'em and pretend they never happened. However, don't waste your energy focusing on something you cannot change.

When the day ends, forgive yourself. You have more chances to succeed tomorrow.

Have a successful day, everyone!

Name that bus!

Alright - here it is, folks!

The hubby and I are leaving for one whole year in September. Goin' to Europe to enjoy an adventure. We've been planning for a long while, and talking about it here and there, but now... plans are starting to pick up speed. Our exciting trip has now been solidified with the down-payment of a 1989 VW Camper Van!!

Check out our home for the next year...

We'll pick it up in a town near Amsterdam, and then we'll be writing to all of you with our fitness stories, food experiences, and magic bus adventures!

So...
Do you have any ideas as to what we should name our new beloved van??



Our lil white high-top beauty!!


complete w/ fridge, stove, and sink!


skylight in the upper berth


wood floors and room to sleep 4


space for the surfboards to live up top!


bike racks, just in case...


Can't wait to share more as we get closer... :)

Cardio to lose fat, THEN weights?? NO, NO, NO!

I hear it all the time.
Women get advice from their well-meaning husbands/boyfriends/partners/male friends/even female friends to do a bunch of 'fat-blasting' cardio before they even think about entering a gym to grab some steel... in order to prevent any "bulking".

Oh geez.

Here I go again...

Exercise is not as simple as:
Cardio for fat loss
Weights for muscle

NO NO NO!

Yes, cardio can help you lose fat. But only through relatively intense bouts of cardiovascular activity.

And, yes, weight training will help you build muscle. But it is also the absolute BEST tool for turning your body into a fat-burning machine!!

Just like yesterday's post, when I reiterated that exercise AND diet go hand and hand in the physical transformation process...

Strength training and cardiovascular activity go hand in hand in the realm of fat loss!

Strength training activities - including beneficial exercises like rows, presses, squats, lunges, pushups, pullups, etc - will give you more muscle. Muscle burns fat - so if you have more muscle, you'll automatically burn more fat at any given moment. That's called an elevated metabolism. You'll enjoy that :)

It's also important to note that a pound of muscle is much smaller than a pound of fat... so if you add muscle, which will burn off the excess fat, you'll be smaller!

But here's the kicker...

Too much cardio will cause you to lose that hard-earned muscle. So, we need to add shorter bouts of intense cardio - to avoid losing muscle AND to get the maximum fat-burning benefit from that cardio activity!

Dumbbells and treadmills go hand in hand, my peeps.


Unless you want to do a bunch of boring cardio...
Lose a little fat, but slow your metabolism way down b/c you've eliminated some lean muscle too...
Start weight training and struggle because of your weaker frame...
Gain an appetite from the hard work...
Start eating more because of the appetite...
Since your metabolism is slower, gain back the weight you lost from your countless hours on the treadmill...
Then look "bulkier" because you've actually gained fat (not muscle)...

It's not too tempting of an experience, eh?

I know that advice from friends and loved ones is well meaning. But it's wrong.

Like I said yesterday, get your ass in the gym.
Stop avoiding the weights by wasting your time on the treadmill.
Cut that time in half. Work out w/ more intensity.
And pick up those dumbbells!

Dumbbells and treadmills go hand in hand...

Lose weight, THEN join a gym?? NO!!

Okay - I understand that there are folks with a lot of excess weight who feel uncomfortable with their bodies. That discomfort and embarrassment is enough to keep them out of the gym.

And I understand the thought process of: "Well, maybe if I just lose some weight through diet first, then I'll feel better about walking around the gym with all the beautiful people..."

Maybe I don't fully understand from the standpoint of personal experience, but I do empathize with that feeling.

However, I don't agree with it!
I think it's just a big, ugly excuse!
I think that worrying about other people's opinions is a waste of time.
I think that you are only hurting your own chances of being healthy and happy by making it harder on yourself to get to the healthy/happy point!

A healthy, disease-free, fit, functional person eats a balanced, nutritious diet based around whole foods AND participates in regular physical activity.

Yes, people have lost weight before by simply dieting... but are they really healthy and fit??
No way!

Besides... looking good is only part of the picture.
I know you want to look scrumptious, but...
Life is not really very enjoyable when you look good, yet you feel like crap.
Right?!
Feeling good is so much more important.
And when you feel good, you look good.
And how do you feel good? By giving your body what it needs and craves.
So, stop torturing your body by keeping it caged up!
Put your spandex on and get your ass in the gym!! Or the park. Or the beach. Whatev!



Friends, if you take anything away from today's post, let it be these two ideas:

1) Diet PLUS exercise together will help you shed excess fat and keep that fat off through altered body composition.

2) Diet PLUS exercise is what a healthy person does... so if you want to be healthy, fit, and fabulous, shouldn't you adopt the habits of someone who fits the bill?


Tomorrow, I'll attack the statement, "I'll do cardio to get the fat off, THEN build muscle by adding in resistance training..." Ugh.

Quotation of the Week

"Always bear in mind that your resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing." -Abraham Lincoln


So, I was drinking my tea this Friday morning... still unsure as to what motivational quotation I would be posting on the good ole' blog... when I noticed a quote printed on the little tea tag hanging from my mug...

Some words of wisdom from Abraham Lincoln called out to me.

Because it's so true. No ONE thing is gonna lead you to any sort of success in life. Success comes from the culmination of many different focuses - many different steps - many different actions.

In order to ensure that you don't get overwhelmed by all that different, important stuff...
In order to ensure that you continue to do what is necessary to be successful...
You gotta focus on the big picture.
You have to be determined to get down that pathway to success, NO MATTER WHAT.

That is the strongest determinant of whether success will find you or not.

So, in the fitness world, we could debate forever over the best way to exercise in order to reach our physical goals, as well as the best way to diet, the best way to recover, the best way to eliminate pain, etc, etc.

But, oftentimes, if we're determined enough, and we are following a decent, effective program, we will stick with that program and be successful.

Like I always say, if you want it bad enough, you'll be sure to get it.

Have a great weekend, folks!

Just Do It

If there's one thing I've learned in my years as a fitness pro,
it's that you can't force anyone to do anything.

You can't make a person change their eating habits, or be consistent with working out.
No matter how much they say they want it...

If they hold on to excuses and reasons why those changes won't work for them,
then their chances for success are hopeless.

But once someone "gets" that their own thoughts and ideas are what's holding them back,
once someone takes the time to listen and to attempt changes that are totally doable,
then there's no limit to how far that person can progress!!

For example:
I've been training a beloved female client of mine for 4 years.
I've been inundating her with the same advice and tips for 4 years.
In fact, as I grow in my knowledge base, my advice has gotten better and more concise.
So, she's gotten some pretty invaluable education on exercise and nutrition from me.
But nothing ever changed.
She told me that she wanted the results... but she was resistant to making the changes I suggested.
She had a running dialogue of excuses flittering around in her head about what was and wasn't possible for her to include or exclude from her life.
It was paralyzing her progress!

Until 3 months ago...
Something clicked.
She started listening to what I had been saying.
She started realizing that she wasn't actually doing the things I was recommending for her.
And she started understanding that my suggestions were totally doable - that if she really wanted it, she had to let go of all those excuses, pre-conceived notions, and fears.

My beautiful client stopped fighting it. She surrendered to the advice I had been giving, and she is coming up on a 40-pound weight loss and a 10% body fat loss in only 3 months!!

I didn't force her to do it.
She simply started listening AND taking action.

It's not that hard people.
If you want it bad enough, you'll stop letting your excuses get in the way.
You'll do what it takes. You'll stop complaining that you have no time, no willpower, no motivation...

This is a good opportunity to whip out the old Nike saying...
"Just Do It"

Now, go do it!!

Video Series - 18th installment

Wow. Can you believe that I've done 18 of these?!

If you have yet to view the first 17, well you may wanna make a visit to my YouTube Channel...


As for today, I'm discussing those exercisers who simply lift way too heavy for their own good.
Don't get me wrong... I LOVE heavy lifting!! But if a weight cannot be lifted with near perfect form and technique, then that weight is just too heavy.

So, pushing around big weights without technique is a big no-no in my book.
Especially because I hate seeing people get hurt!

Reader question - "Is eating late unhealthy?"

The reader question feature is back!! Keep sending in your questions, my friends... any fitness or nutrition question will do. And I'll do my best to give you a sparkling, juicy, helpful answer!

This one is from a friend at my kickboxing and Krav Maga school, 360 Combat Club in Signal Hill, CA...


Hey Kim - You agreed the post workout meal I chose was a good one... what about the time? I have always heard you shouldn't eat just before bed... but I take classes at the school from 6-9 almost every night! What do I do?
Jeff C.



Thanks so much for the question, Jeff!
I understand your concern, and I DO have an answer that will work for ya!

Okay, it is not entirely true that eating late is 'bad for you'.
The most important part of the nutritional equation is eating frequency.

You should be eating every 2-4 hours throughout the day... so you might have a meal schedule of 6am, 9am, 12noon, 2:30pm, 5pm, & 9:30pm (or whatever works best for you). Eating smaller, more frequent meals (or even just eating bigger meals and smaller snacks) helps to keep your metabolism elevated throughout the day - which is a must when we're talking about optimal body composition (maintaining that ever-important lean muscle and keeping off the excess fat).

And, DEFINITELY, you should have some sort of supportive meal after training for 3 hours straight!! It's imperative to your recovery, and therefore, your progress/improvement!

Oh, and the only time eating late would be a problem? When someone eats a huge lunch around noon, then doesn't eat again until 9 or 10pm... It's THAT inconsistency that will be detrimental to your physique.

So, Jeff...
I suggest being consistent with your eating throughout the day, and making sure you have supportive meals before and after your training sessions. Then, you'll absolutely be a lean, mean, fightin' machine!

Cheers, buddy -
Kim


**Remember!! Any other fitness/nutrition questions can be directed to kim@deliberatemovement.com!

Quotation of the Week

"If you simply show up and take what life offers, yeah, you might be able to achieve moderate, short-term success from time to time. But if you want to change your physique dramatically and permanently, you can't allow the circumstances to dictate your diet." - Matt McGorry


You want success in your life when it comes to your health?

TAKE CONTROL!!


You want results?

Then do what it takes to make sure the results happen!


Don't just react to the day-to-day surprises. Be ready to do exactly what is necessary in order to get your results!

Plan ahead. Bring emergency snacks just in case a co-worker brings in a big, scrumptious birthday cake. Pre-plan some cheat meals. Know what you should be eating out at restaurants. Take control of your choices.

Yes... I want you to enjoy your life and embrace all those little surprises. I don't want you to be overly stressed and take life too seriously. Life life to the fullest!!

But living life fully does not necessarily mean overindulging.
At least not right now. Not while you're reaching for a goal.
There's a time and a place for worthwhile indulgences and happy rewards.

But you can stick those in to your plan!

Seriously- if you want it, you'll do what it takes, for as long as it takes, to get it.
It's up to you...