Quotation of the Week

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life... Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." -Steve Jobs


Listen respectfully to others thoughts and opinions about your life.
Then forget about 'em.

What others think does not matter one iota.

The path that others believe you should follow is not necessarily the one you should take.

Do what YOU want to do. Make YOURSELF happy. Live your life for YOU.

If you do, you will have so much to give to others. You will be overflowing with joy and unselfishness and energy and passion. You'll have a lust for life!

Don't you want that?!

Well, then stop listening to what others believe you should do. Stop accepting what other people believe you are capable of. Stop allowing other people's to fears affect your direction. And, please, please, please, STOP thinking with a narrow focus!!

Open your mind to new ideas.
Think about what you truly want and who you truly want to become.
Find a role model... but also find your own way.

I believe in each and every one of you... yes, I do.
You guys rock!!

It takes a village...

Want the most optimal bill of health possible for YOU?

It takes a village of experts, instructors, practitioners, and professionals to get you there!

Honestly...

The healthiest of people are extremely active.
That's a given.

The healthy also nourish themselves with clean, wholesome food.
Another obvious one.

Those who are serious about nutrition and exercise are smart enough to seek out expert advice from knowledgeable people in those fields. So, that can be a pretty large group of people through which an individual acquires their basic fitness/nutrition information.

Others, like myself, find instructors to teach them activities and skills that they have yet to master. Many take a step up from that to train with a personal trainer - in order to get individual attention, personalized workouts, and an extra kick in the butt! And, we can mention the personal attention provided by nutritionists and dietitians in this category as well. Add all those instructors and professionals to the entourage.

Now, when someone is super active, it's important to note that exercise is a stressor. It strengthens the muscles and improves overall fitness... but it can add tension to those muscles and tightness to major joints. Therefore, for optimal health, an active individual needs to practice regular stretching, foam rolling, active release techniques, and soft tissue work, as well as utilize the help of massage therapists. Include those resources and therapists to your book of helpers.

Another point: exercise can sometimes create imbalances, structural displacements, overuse injuries, or even acute injuries. It happens. That's when we head to the office of a high-quality chiropractor or maybe a physical therapist. Rolf therapists can use deep manipulation of the soft tissue to improve chronic pain and imbalance issues, too. These people are often magical solutions - and should head up your healthy 'community'.

And of course, I cannot neglect to mention acupuncture and other forms of traditional Chinese medicine. A holistic approach to medicine is truly helpful to those seeking optimal health. And we can definitely consider these practitioners a part of the larger group.

Maybe we use the services of a personal chef or a meal delivery service to prepare our healthy meals. Add 'em to the pile!

There are endless people that we enlist to help us maintain or optimize our health. They are our "village". And while we don't have to break the bank to get that help from the most pricey wellness services, we really should have access to a large pool of people for any issues that may crop up or any questions that may come about.

If you're reading this, and you find the information I present to be helpful, then I'm happy to be a part of YOUR village!

Because it certainly does take a village to be satisfied, functional, and spectacular! :)


(Did you notice that medical doctors are NOT a part of the village?! I believe that there is a need for them - in cases of check-ups and emergencies. But if you are proactive about your complete health, you honestly won't need 'em. Think about it!)

Newsletter "drops" tomorrow!

For those of you readers who are not currently on my newsletter mailing list...

Just wanted to give you a friendly reminder that the February issue of my newsletter, Deliberate Movement Monthly, will be released tomorrow.

So, if you'd like to have instant access to my jam-packed, FREE, monthly health and fitness newsletter, as well as weekly updates on pertinent info and motivational musings...


Add your name and email address in the signup box in the upper right hand corner of this page!

Unsure?

1) You can go to the newsletter archives of www.deliberatemovement.com to download old issues - in order to get a taste of what I dish out :)

2) You can unsubscribe at any time! No pressure, no worries.


So, what do you have to lose?? Get your subscribe on!

Quotation of the Week

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." -Wayne Gretzky

In honor of the trip up to the mountains for which I am departing tomorrow (yay!), I thought I'd bring up a great thought from a sport that's played in winter conditions (lame, I know).

And there's not much I have to say about this one.

You don't try something... you won't succeed.

You don't attempt to challenge yourself... you will not only avoid fear and failure, but you'll avoid success as well.

It's simple.
Take a chance.
The possibility for you to thrive will increase dramatically.

I'm outta here... Tahoe, here I come!

Sweet! A new skill!

Here's a fun lil' tidbit for the day. :)

I learned a muscle up on the bar just the other day (yay!) -
so I thought I'd share some footage of it with you.

Yeah, I know I was a gymnast, and this is a bit easier for me to accomplish since it's similar mechanics to what I've done in the past...
BUT - it's been 9 years since I retired.
I'm just happy that I'm in great enough shape to learn something new after all that time!

Next stop...
A muscle up on the rings!

Enjoy :)

Aw geez... I'm gettin' annoyed!

I just got back from a morning of work at the gym... and I am annoyed.

I don't know - it just got to me today.

I saw a woman do about 15-20 minutes of steady-state cardio on THREE pieces of cardio equipment. She was there for about an hour (at least she stretched afterward, though!), unaware that her method of working out is so very pointless!

I mean, what is the purpose of exercising on the cardio machines?
Well, it can either be to:

1. provide a vehicle for fat loss
2. provide an activity for maintaining a sufficient level of fitness
   
3. provide some extra activity after completing an effective strength training workout
4. provide a method for which to train toward a performance goal (like running a race or practicing for a rowing competition

In three of these instances (1, 2, & 4), INTENSITY is needed. You cannot effectively lose fat, consistently maintain your fitness level, or improve performance without adding some intensity to a cardio workout!

In #3... it is possible to include some steady-state aerobic training as an adjunct to a program that already includes strength training and some form of interval training. But most people don't use it as EXTRA activity. No, they use it as their primary form of exercise.

Eek!!!

So, yeah, I'm annoyed...
Because I see a few people every week that perform this exact same routine of cardiovascular musical chairs. And I just can't believe that we haven't gotten rid of that prehistoric practice yet.

But, I know that it'll take some time to continue to spread the word about effective fitness practices - especially with so many years of ineffective, worthless fitness information in our past. It's not necessarily the fault of these misinformed souls. I'll 'pump the breaks' now...

AND I'll continue on my mission to 'edumacate' as many people as I possibly can in this lifetime!

Wanna help?

Pass on a link to my blog to any friends, family, and coworkers who might appreciate the info!

Or simply suggest that they sign up for my newsletter/email mailing list...

Thanks in advance, my devoted readers.
I love ya all :)

What about stretching??

Why does no one take the time to stretch after working out??

Yes, strength is important.
Yes, a lean body is important.
Yes, stamina and endurance are important.

But what about function and performance?

If all we do is stimulate the muscles by challenging them with intensity...
we will neglect to focus on the mobility in our joints AND the quality of our muscle tissue.

We NEED to be able to move smoothly and safely through a full range of motion, and we also need to reduce the tension in our muscles on a regular basis.

High quality muscle comes from...
-good nutrition
-proper warm up
-corrective, balanced exercise programs
-soft tissue work, like massage and foam rolling
-STRETCHING!!

And ya know what's crazy??
It doesn't take a long time to stretch. Especially if you do it consistently.

Oh, and it doesn't take long to warm up either.

I talk briefly about both warming up and stretching in today's pet peeve video. Enjoy!

Do you dream BIG enough?

So... I've mentioned that I'll be traveling with my husband for a year over in Europe.

And when we make a break for it this coming September, you better believe I'll be sharing my adventures with all of you. The blogging will not stop!

With the hubby's many expected surfing conquests, my various (and albeit, extreme) fitness adventures, our incredible experiences with food, our unique, multi-cultural observations, and the unexpected joys and challenges of a nomadic lifestyle... we will have plenty to write about on our extended journey.

I am absolutely ecstatic about documenting the journey!

And because of that, I've been talking to A LOT of people about an idea I've had. The idea feels like a shot in the dark, really. A dream that seems impossible sometimes. Only because it's foreign territory.

I have been wanting to write a book about my travels... or contribute to a magazine/website with my story... or become sponsored to create a kick-ass travel blog that'll reach out to millions. I have lots of strong ideas. I don't have the slightest idea how to go about turning them into a reality! But I know I love to write. And I know I have some good initial ideas. So, I talk about 'em.

And you know what?

Good things come to those who put their ideas out there. Opportunities open up. New pathways are revealed. Ideas develop into even better ideas!

No, I haven't been handed some amazing opportunity to realize my writing dream... yet. But, just in the past week or so, I'm already developing relationships with new people that can help point me in the right direction. I'm finding out the ins and outs of a business that I know nothing about. I'm learning and connecting and diving in head first... I'm dreamin' big!!

And I've done this before. In different situations. For instance, when I decided to throw myself into a physique competition, I just started telling people - which helped me solidify my new goal AND which opened doors for me to find many, many ways to keep tromping toward that goal. I reached a stellar 8% body fat at the end of that journey.

When I wanted to organize a large local health and fitness seminar, complete with speakers, sponsors, and charity involvement... I was frickin' scared out of my mind! Who am I to put on such a big event?? But I went for it. I talked about it. I sought out the help of people I didn't know - and I suffered some pretty sweaty palms from all the cold calling :) I put myself in a leadership position and pushed away all the doubts. And, guess what? I made it happen. Twice, in fact!

When my husband and I decided, long ago, to realize a dream of being blissful vagabonds, we immediately began to make it known that it was going to happen. No matter what. And we're still fighting to get there.

I'm not some special person that has been given handouts my whole life. I don't just get "lucky" and have great stuff fall into my lap.

I dream big! And when I dream big, I work HARD to try and make that dream a reality. I don't just sit around and wish... because that'll do absolutely nothing for your cause. Instead, I research... I seek out advice... I ask the questions that might sound stupid or selfish... I dedicate myself to working hard toward a goal... I eliminate excuses and negative talk... I try the tasks that might be uncomfortable or scary... I do what's necessary to reach for that dream.

And sometimes I fail. Sometimes, the dream just kinda flops. Maybe my writing dream won't make it to fruition. But I'm not gonna think like that now. Anything is possible now...


In these uncertain times, YOU cannot afford to be too scared to dream big.

Think differently about yourself and what you're capable of. I'm trying to. I have doubts, man! But I won't let 'em stop me.

Will you dream big with me???

Quotation of the Week

"Sometimes if you want to see a change for the better, you have to take things into your own hands." -Clint Eastwood


This is a magnificent sentiment in today's world.

In politics, we constantly hear the word "change". It's the theme for these difficult times. But it's also debilitating in that we hope everyone around us will create that change and fix our world.

Not gonna happen.

Your world, your reality, is what YOU create for yourself.
If you really want change to happen in your own individual life... YOU have to make that change happen.

YOU have to do what you can to survive and thrive in an unstable economy.
YOU have to be in control of your own happiness and satisfaction... if you're not happy, change your circumstances!
YOU have to start eating healthier and differently than the norm. The current norm doesn't work anymore. So, change your habits and be abnormally healthy :)
YOU have to work on keeping exercise/activity consistent. If you have trouble being sporadic or inconsistent - don't throw out excuses for that. Just do it! Because no one else will do it for you.
YOU have to actively seek out fitness professionals (NOT doctors) for aches, pains, and ailments. Stop ignoring those debilitating annoyances and start taking care of yourself!

Do what's necessary. For yourself. Simple as that.
Make changes for yourself and don't blame anyone else.

Times may be hard for the collective world right now.
But that doesn't mean you have to accept it. EVER.

Take your life into your own hands.

You'll be so satisfied and so impressed by how happy you can make yourself. Just by committing to change.

Clint Eastwood is so smart :)

Let's talk about SEX

Let's get real.
Having control over your cholesterol levels, your blood pressure, your blood sugar levels, your triglycerides, etc... that's all well and good.
But it's not really something we secretly yearn to accomplish.

Honestly.

Health is important to a lot of us - myself included - but achieving internal measures of good health really isn't an exciting goal for anyone.

We don't tend to dream about that stuff. We only "want" it b/c we're told that we should want it in order to have a healthy body.

So, for today, just forget all things that we should want (concerning health)...

What are some of those goals that we - as living, breathing, vulnerable humans - REALLY want?

Let's spit out the real truth.

Let's think back to teenage years and young adulthood, when most of us had little responsibility and lots of time. We were much more in tune with our selfish wants - remember?

What was important to us then?

Umm, one main thought that comes to mind has got to be sex, right?

Who doesn't want good sex in their lives?

If you take away all your responsibilities and essential daily tasks, you've got to admit that sexual satisfaction is a basic human request.

And guess what?
Sex is soooo much better when you're fit, healthy, and strong.

So.
Much.
Better.

Having lean muscle mass, especially strong core musculature, gives you stamina, control, and the ability to experience greater sensations (wink, wink)

Working out also elevates your testosterone levels - and, ladies, even YOU have testosterone... it's one of those hormones that helps out with sex drive. Which is a good thing.

And without saying too much, I can reveal that - in my quest for a higher level of fitness, that private, sensual part of life is, um, brilliant. Completely brilliant. I can definitely assure you that... the more fit you are, the better the sex will be!

So, screw that boring goal to control your blood pressure (no pun intended)...
And start working out, eating right, and getting your butt into better shape -
So that you can experience some ultra-amazing sex.

That's a pretty motivational goal, dontcha think??

Enjoy, friends...
And go have a good Valentine's Day this weekend ;)

Video Series - 13th installment

The Leg Press is a commonly used piece of equipment in commercial gyms.

And I think, when performed correctly, the Leg Press is a great compound lower body exercise for most to add to their repertoire.

But with the amount of times that I see incorrect technique on this specific machine, it's pretty necessary that I add it to my growing list of 'pet peeves' in the gym.

Of course, by now, I hope you've realized that I'm only sharing my pet peeves with all of you in order to help you improve your workouts AND to keep you safe and injury-free! :)

So, take a look at this vid to make sure you're taking the right precautions on the lovely Leg Press!

Bye-bye cable...

Yep - the cable goes off today.

I haven't really been watching much TV lately, so I won't really miss it.
I mean, I'll miss having the ability to indulge in an episode of the 'Girls Next Door', 'Top Chef', 'The L Word', or 'Secret Diary of a Call Girl'. Or even to just turn on VH1 and laugh at the pathetic, yet oh-so-addictive reality shows. But I'm sure the internet will provide me with plenty of brain candy, if I so please.

Why are we bidding farewell to cable?
Why are we simplifying?

Well, my husband and I are determined to leave for a year of adventuresome travels in late 2009 - recession or not. And in an attempt to reduce our spending while we continue to save... we are unwilling to give up certain things.

For me - I am unwilling to cancel my membership to the gym where I perform my CrossFit, Krav Maga, and kickboxing training. I absolutely refuse to cut out my fitness program - because it's extremely important to me AND because I really do love it. That's out of the question.

For both of us - we are unwilling to save money by eating crappy, cheap, processed food. No frickin' way is that even an option! Keeping ourselves healthy through a diet of high-quality, whole foods is too important to let go.

But cable? That can go.
Eating out for lunch or dinner? That can be reduced significantly.
Seeking out a new certification that I'd like to add to my repertoire? That can be temporarily postponed.

Besides...
In a time when the economy is sluggish, we can't afford to be wasting time by watching TV instead of spending that time working through our fabulously creative business ideas!

In a time when being frugal is essential for us (and provides good practice for our upcoming travels), we can't afford to be wasting money on frivolous, modern comforts.

AND - in a time when hard times equal hard decisions... we absolutely cannot neglect our health. I will drop everything else before I let my health and fitness go.

Will you do the same?

Do you have that much respect for yourself?
I sure do hope so!!

What are YOU willing to let go - in order to keep your healthy practices?

Quotation of the Week

"The fact is we'll never have all the information we need to make a decision - if we did, it would be a foregone conclusion, not a decision." -David Mahoney


I absolutely LOVE this quote.

Too many times, we are so frickin' indecisive about everything!
I'm guilty, no doubt. But I'm actively trying to be more decisive.
I'm trying to make decisions and take action without trying to be so perfect.

I tell ya - the people that get stuff accomplished in life make decisions without tons of unnecessary deliberation. Even if those decisions end up being poor ones... your odds of success are much greater when more attempts are made. Meaning, you might make 15 GREAT decisions out of 20 - and I'm talking about decisive actions which lead to opportunities and results... But that's no match to making 75 GREAT decisions out of 100! Which would you rather have?

Stop stalling, people!

You want to eat better? Find a quality program to try - one that is basic, simple, and effective - and make the decision to get started! If it ends up not working for you (after a good, solid month of being consistent, of course), then tweak the program or try something different. Be a human experiment and find what works instead of complaining and being indecisive.

You want to get more fit? Go exercise! Move around! Be active! Get off the couch! There are so many resources out there - you have almost NO excuse to be indecisive or stuck in one place. Yes, you may not know what resource to turn to... so seek out the advice of someone you trust in the fitness world (like me, I hope!). Make the decision to fit fitness into your life.

You want to get rid of chronic pain? Stop complaining and seek out a fitness/health professional! Don't go to the doctor first... Go to a massage therapist, a chiropractor, an acupuncturist, a fitness pro that specializes in active release techniques and corrective exercise. Most chronic pain is from weakness and imbalances. And if it's not, a good fitness pro will refer you to someone who can help. But make the decision to seek out professional help first!


Decisions are not easy. Because we don't know what will come of them. But what would you rather do? Be afraid of the outcome of your decision?... Or postpone your life while you're comfortable?...

I'd rather be temporarily uncomfortable. You?

Are you a bad lifter??

It's the pet peeve video that many of you have been waiting for...

When any of us gym-goers think about the things that bother us in the gym, we tend to visualize our encounters and experiences with the other exercisers surrounding us. We love to snicker and sneer at the weird and annoying habits of others. In fact, everyone I've ever met that spends time in a gym has specific bug-a-boos about how people behave themselves in a gym setting.

So, have a little snicker with me about my top 7 pet peeves concerning exercise etiquette in the gym! See if we share the same complaints...




Oh yeah - and do you like the video image of me?
So flattering. Yikes! You gotta thank YouTube for that gem :)

How often should you work out?

I tend to get a lot of questions about how frequently an individual should work out in order to get benefits from an exercise program. Especially because I train excessively compared to the general population... so if people think that my training routine is superior, they tend to get discouraged in trying to mimic that routine.

Let me assure you. My routine is what works for ME. Based on my fitness background, my training goals, my schedule, and my abilities. I don't advocate being in the gym so often to most people.

So, how do YOU determine the exercise frequency that works best for you and your lifestyle?

Well, let's first look at the research to find a starting point.

A published review by Wernborn et. al. in a 2007 issue of Sports Medicine looked at tons of previous research to find out what frequency works best for building muscle (and, therefore, having more ability to burn fat and get results!). Ya know what they found?

1) Strength training 3x/week for shorter time spans is far superior to only performing one long training session per week.

2) Working each body part, or each group of muscles, multiple times per week produces more results than only working each muscle group once per week (by splitting up the muscle groups over the span of your workouts).

So...

**Strength training for shorter, more frequent bouts is better! For those of you who can't fit in a full hour at the gym, a half hour of intense lifting will be sufficiently spectacular. For those of you who like to fit in both weights and cardio in one workout, you can definitely fit both activities into a one-hour gym workout.

**Doing full-body workouts at each visit to the gym, or involving almost all major muscle groups in each workout, will give you better results! (for muscle gain, fat loss, or overall performance) For those of you who tend to do the bodybuilder workouts of working one muscle at a time (yet you're not a bodybuilder), this research should be enough evidence to get you to stop doing that!

It'll be much better for you to exercise frequently and intensely than to wait for that one day when you can have the "perfect" workout that's so incredibly imperfect for YOU.

So, let's shoot for 3x/week for now. Especially if you do less than that right now.

If you do more... take the time evaluate your training program. Do you tend to overtrain? Are your workouts long and ineffective and designed for somebody else? Do you train intensely enough? Are your workouts helping you get to your goals? Have you already found a way to exercise that works for YOU??

It's a good idea to keep re-evaluating what you do in the gym (and in other areas of life, for that matter!).

And it's a great idea to adopt what's working. To try new things that you might be hesitant to believe in. Instead of ignoring what works and punishing yourself by sticking to stuff that doesn't work!

More frequent, all-encompassing exercise works! Are you including that in your life??

The buddy system

We're one month into 2009 -

Time slips by so quickly, eh?
It's so easy to put off all the things that you really want to accomplish.

That's why I'm incredibly proud of two of my clients...

One client has been training with me for a year and a half. She's so incredibly busy at work - I don't even know when she finds the time to sleep. She never seemed to find the time to eat in the past either... but we've been aggressively working on that problem :)

Well, this female client would cancel on me pretty regularly. That is, until one month ago.

She brought me a "buddy" from work. After searching diligently for work friends who were ready, willing, and able to enter into a workout program, my client put a LOT of effort into getting that one friend into the gym as soon as the calendar turned to January.

And in the past month, these two have been extremely motivated to get to the gym for every single scheduled workout. No matter what is going on at work. They've created a strong accountability system... a buddy system!

Work is SO maddeningly busy for both of them (in this economy, it seems to me that many people are either getting laid off OR receiving the extra work from those who have been laid off) - but since they've decided to make working out a priority, they use each other to eliminate all excuses.

A carpooling schedule has been established... my female client works out on her own while her male buddy (my new client!) trains with me - and vice versa... he makes sure she eats at work - and she slaps his hand when he reaches for the sweets... and lately, they've both been coming to the gym together on the weekends when I'm not available (which just wasn't happening in the past). Brilliant!

They've kept up this system for a month - while others have only thought about it.

And for that... I am proud.

Good job, Svenja and Cesar!

Establish a buddy system for yourself! It might be the best decision you've ever made about your health.