Dynamic Fitness Management DFM

I pledge allegiance

2011-09-07T12:26:00.000-05:00

As we come upon the 9/11 annversary I am reminded how proud I am of my boyfriend Dan. He has been a Volunteer Firefighter for YEARS. He was Chief for a long time. After 9/11 he waited a few days, and when he saw how bad it was, he went to New York on his own dime, and stayed for 10 days with little to no sleep doing recovery work. He will only talk about a little of it. The most he says is "it was bad. Very bad." His own family didnt know he went. He said we was going to be on business out of town because he didn't know what he could do once he got there. He met up with firefighters from all over the country that had the same thought - whatever we can do.

We have no idea of how blessed we are to be alive. To live in a country that is, as our pledge says, indivisible. and even though we disagree, have the RIGHT to disagree. And to know that there are people that will jump in to help our families find some peace.

I think of recent disasters and how people jumped in and helped.

I am humbled.

I Pledge Allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic
for which it stands,
one Nation under God,
indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.

The Wooden Cane is Back

2011-06-02T15:23:00.000-05:00

Once again it has been a while since I last wrote. There is a lot going on and I find myself in the dog days of working out. At the beginning I LOVED and CRAVED working out. Lately it honestly seems like a struggle. However, fitness is always a part of my routine these days. I keep some 10 lb. hand weights in my office and when I have down time I do curls, lifts, etc. I incorporate squats into my daily routine (people think I have a personal problem at times). My boyfriend lives in the country so my puppy has been staying at his place. Dom now has another dog to play with while I am at work, someone lets him out during the day, and he gets to run wild without a leash. BUT I do not have the daily walks with him and have been feeling the effect of not taking those mini walks. So I started taking longer walks myself. And I did something I swore I would NEVER do. I took the cane out of my trunk. Taking short walks is no problem at all, but when I go over a mile, it got to be very tiring at the end. So I had a choice: Keep taking short walks, or take longer walks and use a walking stick or my cane. So I compromised – I now use my old wooden cane that resembles a walking stick. Compromise thy name is Janimal.

It is harder to MAKE time for the gym – but it is no longer an option for me. I MUST work out. My health and well being depend upon it. Besides – it is nice to now buy clothes from the left side of the store (this will mean something to the women). But one side effect to becoming the person I was meant to be is time. I no longer have the time I used to. It seems I am always running. Late usually. Because I have a life now. It is kind of cool.

I was asked to do a radio and television PSA for the MS Society, and to speak at their Mud Run recently (shout out to everyone who was a part of that!!). I hope to do more with them in the future, but what little I have done is so incredibly humbling. I cannot thank Chad, Lisa, Jeremy and JC enough for their part in this journey of mine. I am so excited to see the next stage. I’ll try and be more diligent about sharing it with you. Because you are all a part of this journey. Let’s do it together.

The Mouth That Roared

2011-03-16T17:02:00.003-05:00

Wow, it has been a long time since I posted. I have lots going on in my mind but it just doesn’t seem to make it to my fingers.

I’ve been thinking about the MS Society and how they have been so important to me lately. After going to a Wellness Seminar sponsored by the society I found there were funds available for wellness. I remember asking the director afterwards if it could be used for training and was told no. Anyone who knows me knows that “because I said so” does not work for me. It took me 6 months of "gentle persuasion" to convince them of the validity of paying for my training. I decided to make it a mission to help them see the importance of allowing grants for training not just for me, but for others. And guess what? After 6 months of staying on them they now not only pay for my training but for other DFM clients. Honestly it was scary when I let others know because I was afraid they would no longer pay for both me and others. But I knew I am at the point I would continue on my own, and if someone else could be helped, then it is their turn. So if you have a client with MS who made the initial investment, let me know and I will be happy to forward the forms and my contact. And if the MS Society will do it, why not other organizations? Sometimes it is just a matter of being “the mouth that roared”.

The MS Society has been monitoring my “success” and just featured me in an article in their newsletter which went out to everyone on the gateway mailing list, letting people know of the success of not only me, but other people. AND they just had a videographer come to the St Charles gym (shout out) to shoot a segment interviewing me, and showing me working out with Jake the Great. They plan on putting the segment on their website as well as showing it at their Wellness Seminars to show people with this disease what they are capable of doing. Truth be told, I was not feeling great when they shot the segment. But to me this is an important part of the story. Even at our weakest there is still so much we are able to do.

Now I didn’t start this path until past my 50th birthday (can’t believe I just told you that!!). Imagine if someone started in their 20’s 30’s or 40’s! Now I plan on being the female Jack LaLanne – annoying you until well in my 90’s. But not just for me. If someone who wants to lose a little weight gains inspiration from my perspiration that is wonderful. But my target people are those sitting on their couch and don’t see how they can do it. I’m telling you – if a middle aged overweight woman who walks with a cane and has a progressive incurable neurological disease can do it – ANYONE CAN!

And be creative with how you/they CAN do it. Do not be afraid to ask for the gift of fitness for your birthday or holiday gift. While I do not encourage others to do this, I borrowed from a 401(k) and paid it back. I know a woman (again, not encouraging, just telling) who used part of a loan for training. When it is a matter of life or life, you find a way. If you needed surgery tomorrow, you would find a way. Well, it is time to think of this as necessary surgery to some. You have to, because unless their fitness level changes, we will lose people to heart diseases, diabetes, and countless other ailments. I for one can no longer accept this. I will not allow my friends to commit suicide by food without at least acknowledging it just as I would if I saw the needle in their vein. If they are hurting, I want to be there. If they do not KNOW what to do, I want to give them the benefit of my limited knowledge. But more than anything, I want to be there. Be heard. Encourage them. Make a difference. Be known as “the mouth that roared”.

Carpe Diem

2011-01-21T13:02:00.002-06:00

You know it’s been a while since I posted. A conversation I had with another MS client has really made me stop and think: Am I setting people up for a letdown? Am I giving them unrealistic expectations? And I’ve come to the conclusion – nope. Not even close. I appreciate the honest dialog and always love anything that makes me think. But I honestly believe that what I have found to work for me will work for others. But my success is a 3 pronged. Ok, maybe 4. And I have had to have all of the prongs in order to have the success I’ve had.

The first is faith. First and foremost my faith has seen me through the hardest of times. And it is there in the easiest of times. It will be with me until the day I die. It is who I am. It is what MAKES me who I am.

Second, nutrition. I changed my diet about 4 months before I started working out – and it helped tremendously. I had to learn to eat to live, and not live to eat. There IS a difference. Now when I go out with my boyfriend for a pizza, I always get a salad and eat it, and maybe a piece of pizza. The old me would have thought salad was a waste of money, and gone for the whole pizza. It may be a “waste” of money, but my “waist” likes the waste. :) That is only one small example, but another is I never eat fast food anymore. Food is not an afterthought, but a planned out forethought. Because if I do no plan ahead of time it is a recipe for disaster. I MUST have food in the house, my lunches planned out, etc. I still occasionally go out, but think about it ahead of time. I try to eat no preservative or additives, no prepackaged or preprepared foods. VERY low in fat. No red meat. This is not the diet for everyone, but find what works for you – and STICK TO IT FOREVER. Not just until you lose weight. FOREVER.

The third prong is exercise. Not only does it help you burn calories, but it tones the flab. And it helps your entire mood change. I NEVER would have believed it, but it really does affect the way you feel. I have gone in bruised to the max, and sore. Jake laughs because I always ask on a scale of 1-10 how I did. On some days he has been generous when he said 4. Not because of lack of trying, but because due to injuries or fatigue it was all I could do. But guess what? I earned every one of those 4 points. AND it always goes up. ALWAYS. I may not be happy with the 4 – but it is an honest 4. And I ALWAYS feel better for the effort.

The last prong …..is ME. I have to believe in myself. NEVER accept the hand that is dealt me – but always fight to the bitter end. And I promise you this – I will! NEVER give in. NEVER give up. And NEVER give out!!! NEVER. There has to be a fire deep inside you that will get you through the times when it doesn’t seem like there is any hope. I promise you – there IS hope. YOU just have to see it. And if you cannot yet see it externally, see it internally – then work to make it happen.

So if maybe someone else doesn’t have the same results, does that mean they are doing something wrong? It doesn’t mean that any more than the fact that I still occasionally fall means that I have done something wrong. There are some people in remission that NEVER fall. One is not better than the other. We are each on our own journey. But I would hope that someone can learn just a little bit from the journey I’ve taken. And after having lived with this for going on 17 years I would hope I have some credibility. Am I saying I’ll never have another attack? Heck, I’ve had them since I’ve started blogging with you all. But am I saying it has lessened? ABSOLUTELY. And more than anything, I have changed. Not only externally, but internally. Because I know how precious life is, and what a true gift it is. Carpe Diem.

2010-11-30T05:05:00.002-06:00

I saw an elderly woman with a cane in the gym yesterday. She seemed to be struggling a little and it caught my attention. Me, being me, talked to her for just a second. I told her a little bit of what I’d gone through and told her that if she would stay with this, I guaranteed it would get easier.

Her trainer came up to me later and said she is over 85, had suffered a stroke, and relied more and more on her cane. She was frustrated and seemed to be tired of trying. However, after talking to me she seemed to have a new fire and was going to try a little harder.

Now to me, I felt a little silly. I mean I was comparing apples to oranges! But she heard something else. She heard that you can overcome your circumstances by hard work and consistency.

While thinking about some things that have happened recently a saying that has served me well came to me " "it isn't what happens to you. It is how you REACT to what happens to you. Sometimes a door must close in order for another one to open. Don't lose the blessing."

All I know is that the door to the past is closed, and there is a wonderful door ahead. It may not be the door I THOUGHT that it would be, but that makes it more exciting. Sometimes it may be a door which leads you to a struggling 85 year old woman.

So keep preaching even when it seems it is falling on deaf ears. I know I will. And all it takes is one person to make it all worthwhile. She made today worthwhile for me. I wonder who it will be tomorrow.

The Wooden Heart

2010-11-22T12:50:00.002-06:00

A few years ago while on a mission’s trip doing disaster relief I found a wooden heart embedded in the ground. It was completely covered with mud and all kinds of nasty things. We have no idea where it came from or how far the tornado carried it. But as I was cleaning debris I found it, covered it in my bandana and stuck it in my pocket. Later when I came home and unpacked everything I found it, cleaned it as best I could and kept it in my living room as a reminder. Sometimes our hearts become so encrusted with the dirt of life, it almost seems hopeless. But all you need to do is clean off the crud, and a beautiful new heart is revealed.

It’s the same with people. Sometimes we get so sucked into bad habits and bad choices that it doesn’t seem we’ll ever become “clean” again. But if we slowly start making changes, we can watch the old layers slowly start to be removed. And soon, just like with my wooden heart, a new person will be revealed. Better than before because you’ve weathered the storm and survived.

So in this season of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for family and friends, but also thankful for the choices I am making towards my new life. A cleaner life.

Make today count

2010-10-20T08:26:00.001-05:00

This morning as I drove to work I thought about why I wore purple. It isn’t to make a statement about anyone’s sexual preference. It is for the same reason that I stood with friends last night for an hour and half while waiting for a St. Charles graduate return home. He was 18, had been in Iraq for 4 days when he lost his life. The funeral home he was on his way to was about a mile from where I stood with my friends. We were not there for anything personal. I had never met the man. My friend knew both he and his family, and when she asked me to stand with her, I hesitated briefly. I mean I had JUST walked in the door; Dom had been in the kitchen all day. Then I thought about the sacrifice this man had just made for ME, gave myself a mental kick in the butt and started getting ready to go.

So we stood in the cold last night. People pulled over and asked what we were doing. When we told them, some stopped and joined us. No one left even though it was an hour and half longer than we anticipated. As the motorcycle riders, police and military escorts passed, I thought about the other young lives we’ve recently lost.

So I wore purple today. Because EVERY life counts. When we lose one, a part of all of us dies. Maybe people will ask why I am wearing it, and when I tell them , will stand with me symbolically. And when I work out this week, it will be with a feeling of gratitude. For the blessing of this thing called life, and being able to participate in it. And MAYBE help one person along the way find THEIR way.

Make today count.

Know someone who needs encouragement?

2010-10-19T12:31:00.000-05:00

You know people tell me I shouldn’t be so open about my MS because people who don’t know me will prejudge me. But I’ve had a few wonderful things happen that had I been quiet (those who know me are laughing now) just wouldn’t have happened. I’ve had the opportunity to speak to so many people – some face-to-face, some just in the cyber world, about this journey. Wonderful people have shared their journey with me and we’ve been able to inspire each other. One thing that happened the other day made me laugh. Jake the Great has a new client who was upset because of heart challenges she didn’t have as much strength as she used to. Jake shared my story to tell her there is hope. It makes me laugh because I imagine, “You think YOU have it bad? Let me tell you a story…..” Now it didn’t happen that way but in my head it did.

Recently a national organization has agreed to pay for my training because of my “success”. Originally they were going to pay for 2 months – now they said they will continue paying as long as they are able. Had wonderful is THAT? But I know it isn’t being done so I will sit quietly by and just receive the gift. It is so I will pay it forward. So if you know of ANYONE who is struggling physically, please put us in touch with each other. Contact DFM or the Director of your gym and say you want to set up a meeting. Or contact Billy at St. Charles DFM and he will get the message to me. Anytime, anywhere. Sometimes I’ve met people and didn’t “feel” like anything happened – but it isn’t about that. It’s about knowing there is someone who has been where they are, and will let them know, hey if I can do, ANYONE can. And I CAN, and WILL.

And to those who want me to be quiet…..LOL…….sorry I couldn’t even finish that sentence.

$5 a day

2010-09-23T13:10:00.002-05:00

What will that buy you? A cup of Fivebucks (as my friend calls it). A “Meal Deal”. A gallon or 2 of gas? Or training. I added up what I’ve spent on training thus far and that is about what I’ve spent. And what have I GAINED? Well, let’s look at what I’ve LOST first
The following prescriptions: Novac, Atenol, Lipitor, Amantadine (energy for M.S. symtoms - usually used for Parkinson's disease), Avonex and Celexa

Other things such as walking with a cane, 70 something pounds, and a “poor me” attitude.
.
As far as what I’ve GAINED – well, life! Everyone who has known me for years comments on the fact that I look years younger. You know, having the weight of the world lifted off your shoulders tends to do that to you. When you are used to waking up every morning crying because you just honestly don’t know how you’re going to get through the day and now you wake up laughing to a smiling puppy (yes, he really smiles) ready for the first morning walk BEFORE coffee, how can you put a price on that? Well in my case I can. $5 a day.

Training may not be for everyone. But for some of us, it is literally a lifeline. I am a very spiritual woman, and my “inside” was very strong; however my outside was falling apart. It took me a long time to realize that I am responsible for this vessel called a body. As I told a friend, eventually you have to get up off your knees and do what you’ve been told to do or you will just end up with bloody knees. I can cry and complain about “it isn’t fair”, but something my Dad told me after my divorce is still true today. “Whoever told you that like was fair was a liar.” But you know what? It is what we make of it. Don’t like your life? CHANGE IT. Some people only need training for a brief time to get the basics and find out what they need to better themselves. Some of us have NO IDEA what to do, and need the tools you give us. ALL of us need to get off our duffs and DO something.

While I may not do this forever (unless I win the lottery – wait, is that $5?) I have learned the tools to continue the journey on my own. And that I WILL do. I look forward to not only taking, but LEADING classes while in my 80s. Get ready, because a lot of you will want to take that class.

And I’ll let you. For $5 a class. ;)

March to the Arch

2010-09-14T12:38:00.002-05:00

March to the Arch September 11, 2010. I was fortunate enough to meet up with the group of people at the end of the March to the Arch. My friend and I parked near the Arch, and then walked to Union Station where we were able to join the walkers, and walk BACK to the Arch with them. It was such a humbling day. As I was stumbling while walking I was beginning to have a pity party. Then I thought of the huge sacrifice made on that day and WHY we were walking, and I decided I didn’t care if I only walked one block, I would do so with me head held high.

I met up with a new friend on the walk - a woman I began emailing at the suggestion of her trainer. She is a Lymphoma survivor, and had never worked out a day in her life. She is doing FANTASTIC. I told her soon we will be making the Cougar Rounds together. ;)

I was able to wear my Superman tee-shirt in honor of my favorite Marine, Jared McGowen – a DFM trainer, and walk with him a bit. When you see him, ask him the meaning of the Superman shirt. (Look, up in the air!)

The friend who went with me on the walk just recently mentioned needing to start working out again – so we have been meeting up on Saturdays at the gym closer to her. It is wonderful for both of us because it gives me a change of pace, and makes BOTH of us get up on Saturday morning and go (thanks Linda). :)

At the end of the walk I met a wonderful woman in a wheelchair who also has MS. We were able to talk a bit and I was able to share part of my journey. We are going to become cyber buddies first, and then I said next year I don’t care if it is 100 ft.; we are going to do part of the walk together. I KNOW it.

I’ve said all of this to show that there is someone next to you who just needs some encouragement. Sometimes it’s just a friend wanting to regain her health. Sometimes it is a new friend who is desperately looking for hope. But look around today and find someone who needs what you have. And give it to them. You will never regret it. And as you walk today, remember what a blessing the simple act of walking is.

Thank you to all of our first responders.

Let's talk about fall food recipes.

2010-09-09T12:33:00.002-05:00

Labor Day is over, so it's Fall, right? Ok, maybe not officially, but I'm so ready for Fall. The changing of the leaves. The crisp early morning walks with Dom watching him chase leaves for the first time in his life. :) And the fall foods mmmmmmmmmm.........

But I am still into my summer salads. And that's the good thing about foods being shipped in - while I love to eat what is grown locally it is nice to have foods from other regions too. When you eat "clean" as I do it can take a little bit of creativity (and time) to not get bored with the same old same old. Here are a few of the things that I do.

Arrrrrrrrrrrugala

Sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it? Now imagine it in an Ertha Kitt voice. Purr it with me….arrrrrrrrrrugggggggggala.

The days of the boring iceberg lettuce salads I grew up with are gone. I eat a large salad with chicken at lunch most days and have learned to mix it up a lot. These days I am on an arugula kick, with spinach and romain as the base. Then the sky is the limit. If I’m really hungry I’ve been known to add boiled (cooled) potatoes. Or leftover barbeque. Tofu. Strawberries. ANY berry. I tried watermelon one day but that didn’t cut it for me.

But now it is getting to be soup weather. I have large soup pots, and can take all day to make a pot of soup. The wonderful about soup is you can freeze all the leftovers and by adding new ingredients make it a completely new meal. I love adding Curry to soup, hot sauce, sour cream, or whatever is around to make it a new and different. I usually start by boiling my chicken in onion, celery, garlic, carrots and spices. Then let it cool, drain veggies out, and retain liquid as stock. I shred the chicken, add it back to the to stock, then start layering veggies. Whatever floats my boat or looks good at the farmer’s market. Like I said, it can take HOURS to make, but it is so relaxing and a wonderful way to spend a fall afternoon. Besides, it’s not like you have to be standing over it all day. Just let it do its thing while you do yours. Serve it with some cheese, crusty bread and it just doesn’t get much better.

Last night I was feeling bored with the same old same old, so I started looking at what I had. Hmmm…leftover chucky pasta sauce I’d made, chicken breast, cauliflower. VIOLA! I boiled the cauliflower really well. Drained it – then mashed it like you would mashed potatoes. Some people add chicken stock and spices. Others add butter and sour cream. When it was well mashed I added some parmesean cheese and set it aside.

I baked the chicken breasts with the pasta sauce on top (WELL coated) and more parmesean cheese on top. When the chicken was baked, I let it cool a while. Then I placed it on TOP of the mashed cauliflower. Oh my goodness…. was that ever good.

So share with me some of your favorite recipes. It’s fall, I’m ready to cook!

Sometimes it is life and sometimes it is just a flying collie

2010-08-31T12:44:00.003-05:00

Sometimes my life cracks me up. I was walking my puppy the other day and heard a dog barking. Now I thought maybe it was one of Dom’s friends, so I stopped to say hi. Before me was a 60 lb. Collie I’d never seen before – and let me tell you he did NOT sound like Lassie! Not only was Timmy NOT in the well, but if he were, my money was on the fact that this dog pushed him in! I asked the owner if he was friendly, and she said yes, so Dom went up to him (I know, I know). The next thing you know I hear her say “Oh no, this isn’t good!” and there is a Collie with no leash charging my puppy. Well, my puppy (all 7.5 lbs of him) was on a leash and scared to death barking like I’ve never heard. I swear I heard him scream.

I finally got him pulled up to me, and the next thing you know I’m on the ground. Apparently “Buddy” (yes, that’s his real name) broke his choke chain and rammed me trying to get my puppy. People are coming around because I’m bloody, can’t move, and am screaming “Get my puppy – someone get my puppy!!”.

Once Dom was safe and the mean dog was gone there were people trying to help me get up. But with a left hand swollen to twice its size, and cuts on right knee, elbow and a pulled shoulder, there was no way they could help me up. So I said wait a minute – and guess what??? After a few tries I GOT UP ON MY OWN. I think they thought I’d hit my head when I said “Whoa that’s kind of cool!”

A neighbor took me to the ER and the nurse there thought I’d hit my head because I kept laughing. Then I said “Come on you HAVE to see the humor. I’ve been so worried and scared about falling because of MS and a flying Collie takes me out!” And the thought of that just made me laugh all the more. The nurse just had me lay down and got the doctor. Now this made me laugh even MORE. At least the doctor saw the humor. :) (hmmm, but that iS when he prescribed the Vicodin)

The lesson I choose to learn is that worry is a huge waste of time – because while you are worried about the everyday problems, look over your shoulder. There might be a flying Collie that will land on you when you least expect it. But if it does, don’t forget to laugh. The ER needs to hear people laugh sometimes.

Cape Diem!

It was the best of times…it was the worst of times..

2010-08-04T12:10:00.002-05:00

Kind of a dramatic title, isn’t it? What a rollercoaster ride the past week has been. Physically it has probably been the toughest since I started this journey. Which kind of messed with me because I thought all that nonsense was over. I can attribute the medical attack to a few things: a very energetic puppy, the heat (heat exacerbates problems with M.S. Think it’s been hot???), life stress, and honestly because the sky was blue. In other words, there is no reason.

I knew that my energy as waning, and I just didn’t feel “good”, but I was determined “it” wouldn’t win so I didn’t stop. However, when I worked out with a friend on Saturday, I ended up having a bad fall. Now the GOOD thing is it wasn’t my gym so people didn’t know me or what was up. The people around me laughed when I fell – until I didn’t get up. The lady next to me was so good. She didn’t miss a beat with her workout, but said under her breath “Are you ok?” I mentioned I had MS and that it takes me a while to get up sometimes. She slowed down and asked me “Do you need help, or would you rather do it yourself?” I thanked her and said I’d rather do it myself, and she let me. Although I did notice the sideway glances to make sure I was ok. :) This was the PERFECT response. Caring, and yet letting me do it my way. Because let’s face it – as much as I’d LOVE to think it will never happen again, it might so I have to figure out for myself what to do in case no one is around.

When I went to work out with Jake Monday I was a MESS. Because MS is a neurological disease it can really mess with your emotions. I was crying, thinking I was regressing, that I was going to have to give my puppy up (which just caused me to cry more). My knee (which is permanently swollen and disfigured from past falls) was even MORE swollen, to the point I couldn’t bend it. And it HURT. Jake just stopped me and said, let’s not work out. Let’s just talk. He told me to take a deep breath. Relax. He’s been through attacks before with me, so he knew what to do. You’d think I would too, but sometimes you don’t always think clearly during these times.

Then Jake did something that is so far above and beyond. I was his last client – he said he’d follow me home and walk my dog so I could ice my knee. Then afterwards he just talked to me for a bit before leaving. Now do you see why I refer to him as Jake the Great?

Yesterday (aside from the still swollen knee) I was feeling MUCH better. I got a call that I will tell you more about later. Let’s just say a national organization is granting me a scholarship for additional training. By helping me, they have not only agreed to pay for additional training for ME, but set a national precedent to help others down the road. (The client must first pay for initial training themselves and be able to show the benefit of the training.) This is something I worked for MONTHS on, not just for ME, but for others. And it could not have come at a better time.

So what have I learned from all this? Well, MS is a monster that will occasionally rear its ugly head. BUT because I am in better shape, I am better able to bounce back (no pun intended). And honestly (and this is strange) because I work out so much, I have learned how to fall so it lessens the impact. And when I DO fall, even though I look awkward as heck, I CAN get up on my own now. This used to be impossible. Even though it was the middle of the floor with nothing to climb up on, rather than drawing MORE attention to me by having to ask for help, I was able to just get up myself. This may not seem like much to you, but it is something Jake and I have been working on - how to get up off the floor when there isn’t anything around. And MAYBE I should learn that there are times it is ok to just chillax. The puppy will not always be a puppy (or Lord, PLEASE). But also, I’m learning to continue to enjoy the journey. ALL of it. And NOT look for an excuse to NOT work out – rather appreciate what it has done for me. But also I’ve learned that I am not in this journey alone. Whatever I am doing is for me, but it is also for others And NEVER EVER EVER STOP. NEVER. But it is ok to sometimes ask for or accept help.

So see why I say it was the best of times, it was the worst of time? What trainers do is so much more than just spend an hour or so helping us get fit. Many of you become counselors, confessors, therapists and friends. And sometimes help us to get up off the floor. On behalf of all the clients out there I say a very heartfelt, “THANK YOU!”

Pre and Post Workout Nutrition for Fat Loss

2010-07-30T00:23:00.000-05:00

Pre and Post Workout Nutrition For Fat Loss

By Marshall Ray – Specialist in Sports Nutrition - ISSA

So you want to drop a few pounds, or just stay lean. You’ve heard conflicting reports on what you should eat before and after your workout, so you’ve tried various foods and supplements. Today, your guess work will end. Today, you will learn the most effective nutritional strategies for fueling your fat burning workout and maximizing the benefit long after you leave the gym.

So when do I need to eat before my workout? The answer: it depends on what you eat. If you eat a simple carb, then you need to put the banana down and start running! The more muscle you have, or wish to attain, the higher your carbohydrate intake will be. If you want to look like a men’s health model, then you need some slow burning carbs such as oatmeal, beans, sweet potatoes or brown rice to provide optimal glycogen for muscular energy. One hour before is ideal. Even if you are a woman seeking a solid foundation of functional muscle, some quality carbs pre workout will boost muscular performance.

What about fruit? The answer: Absolutely NOT!

Why? Because fruit’s molecular structure is comprised of fructose, which does not have the ability to be converted into muscular glycogen directly. It must go in to the liver first, which is generally full already. This greatly increases the chances of fat storage or inefficient fat burning during the workout.

For those of you living a lower carb lifestyle, which should be 90% of America, minimal carbs pre-workout are recommended. For those of who have been identified with poor Insulin Sensitivity, which is the body’s ability to handle carbohydrates, you should avoid carbs completely.

Regardless of your age, experience or goal, there is one thing that EVERYBODY should eat pre-workout: Whey Protein with high amounts of Branch Chain Amino Acids.

What are those? First, a quick recap on the function of protein: Every gram of protein is actually a collection of 22 amino acids that affect every function in your body.

Inadequate intake of high quality protein = poor bodily function

All 22 aminos are very important, but if you’re trying to fuel a workout, the most important ones are the Branch Chain Amino Acids. They are called: Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine. You can immediately forget that now. Just remember that there are 3 aminos that are essential for fueling muscular function and they are called Branch Chain Amino Acids, or BCAA’s. Look for at least 3 grams per serving from your whey. Six is the highest I’ve seen, in the CytoSport version of 100% Whey. On top of BCAAs, Whey will provide the other 19 aminos in adequate amounts as well, preventing muscle loss.

Why is this so important again? Because this is like taking a fat burning supplement while fueling your workout! Below, Alwyn Cosgrove, a pioneer in our industry, discusses a double-blind study where one group took a protein supplement and the other took a carb supplement before their workout. After taking the supplement:

“Both groups then completed a heavy resistance training workout (4 sets of 9 exercises at 70-75% of max weight)

Both groups showed a significant increase in resting energy expenditure for up to 48 hours post workout (as we would expect from the afterburn effect of weight training), however the protein group had a significantly higher increase than the carbohydrate group for up to 24 hours.

The researchers concluded that timing a protein supplement prior to weight training may be a simple and effective strategy to increase energy expenditure by elevating the post workout “afterburn effect” which in turn could facilitate reductions in body fat mass and improve body
composition if nutritional intake is stable.”

Well said.

So the most effective pre-workout meal?

A Whey protein shake mixed with water. If your daily carbohydrate intake is low, then some fat pre-workout with it (ex: almonds) will be plenty to maximize fat burning and fuel a good workout.

What about post-workout? There are thousands of studies that show that you need to take a whey protein supplement (preferably Whey-Iso) immediately after workouts to repair the muscle fiber you just burned up.

So all I do is Whey protein before and after my workout? The answer: Yes!

Ancient wisdom has told us to ingest simple carbs post workout because of the Insulin spike post workout. While this is very beneficial, it may come at a price: Decimated HGH levels.

Why is this hormones so important? Because it is the hormones responsible to repairing and muscles and maintaining a healthy, lean body!. Having high HGH levels benefit every cell in your body, and greatly increase metabolism! It is known as the “fountain of youth” for its ability to improve every function in your body. It’s importance is symbolized by the steroid abuse of this hormones!

One of the secrets of having a healthy, lean body is optimizing natural hormonal function. Here, the world renowned Dr. Mercola talked about post workout nutrition on your hormones. A recent study he found documented the following points:

1) “Eating a low-carbohydrate meal after aerobic exercise enhances your insulin sensitivity.”

2) Eating fructose, fruit or any fruit juice, post-workout will decimate your natural HGH production.

HGH magazine had this to say about consuming fructose post workout:

"A high sugar meal after working out, or even a recovery drink (containing high sugar) after working out, will stop the benefits of exercise induced HGH. You can work out for hours, then eat a high sugar candy bar or have a high sugar energy drink, and this will shut down the synergistic benefits of HGH.

… If you miss reaching HGH release during working out, you will still receive the calorie burning benefit from the workout. However, you'll miss the HGH "synergy bonus" of enhanced fat burning for two hours after working out.

This is an extremely important fact to remember if you want to cut body fat and shed a few pounds.

The University of Virginia research team demonstrated that carbohydrates are burned during exercise in direct proportion to the intensity of training. Fat burning is also correlated with intensity. However, the actual fat burning takes place after the workout, during the recovery.

This makes the "Synergy Window," the 2 hour period after a workout, very important in maximizing HGH, once it's released during exercise.”

Not a good combination…

So if you want to restore muscular glycogen, consume one of the non-fructose containing foods along with a protein immediately after your training session.

For the population who seeks fat loss or lean body maintenance, Whey protein immediately after your workout is essential. About an hour after your workout, a meal with fat and protein can help restore blood sugar levels and optimize your fat burning.

So in short, for the average gym member who seeks fat loss, this is your cheat sheet:

Pre-workout: Whey protein with high amounts a BCAA’s. Some fat is recommended, for those with good Insulin Sensitivity quality carbs as well. Amounts depend on body type, activity levels and your goal.

Post-workout: Whey protein immediately after exercise, followed by a meal about 1 hour later comprised of protein and fat.

Get your shaker cups ready!

Sources:

Alwyn Cosgrove: http://alwyncosgrove.com/2010/02/pre-workout-nutrition-to-speed-up-post-workout-metabolism/

Dr. Mercola: http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2010/07/27/the-growing-promise-of-shorter-more-intense-strength-training-workouts.aspx

60 pounds?

2010-07-27T12:57:00.002-05:00

A funny thing happened at the gym last week. I was doing my regular Sat. routine as set up by Jake the Great, which included 4 sets each of 25 rows at the rowing machine, 25 squats, .25 mile on elliptical, 25 push-ups, all in rotation – 4 sets. Followed with either 25 over the head throws with a 15 pound ball, or 25 on the back extension. I stopped for a second while doing the rowing machine and a man came over and said “can I get my set in while you’re resting?” I’d only stopped for a second, but it was a different gym, and I wanted to “blend” so I said sure. Got up. He condescendingly said “I’ll probably have to move the weights”. I said go for it and did more squats. Then he looked at the weights.. Paused. Said “Do you realize these are on 60 lbs?” I said yes, that’s why I stopped a second. He said “how many are you doing?” 4 sets of 25.

More silence.

Then he said, “well, I guess I’ll put it at 70”. He did 10 and said he was done.

I moved it back to 60 and did the rest of mine.

Jake said it’s not cool to make fun of people, even if they’ve made fun of you. So I just finished my set.

With a smile. :)

Girls rule!

Oh, and I told Jake I wanted a spit bucket. But could it please be pink and bedazzled??

Joy in the Journey

2010-07-19T09:21:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it takes a traumatic event to make us realize what is important. It’s shouldn’t be that way, but many time is. My cousin lost his father earlier this year to complications from MS. He was able to take care of his father his last year, and restore his dignity. He was fortunate enough to make the first floor of his home into a nursing facility for his father with 24/7 nursing care. But in the end Uncle Jack lost his battle. I remember my cousin (a man of deep faith) saying it bothered him to hear that his father was in a better place – because he liked this place a lot. And if he had his choice, he’d still be here. A few weeks after he lost his father, his mother was diagnosed with brain cancer. So rather than going through the grieving process he had to automatically go into doctor mode taking care of his mother. She lost her battle a few brief months later. This hit my family hard, since it is my mother’s sister, to whom she was very close to. We also lost her to the same disease that we lost my father.

But rather than this being a depressing sad thread I choose to make it a learning thread. I was able to spend time with Aunt Barb in the end, and encourage her. I remember her saying that she believed what I was saying, because I have validation. I have been through the fire, and come out. A little singed, but basically smoke free. She said our time together made her believe she COULD overcome anything and also the importance of faith. Now you might think she did NOT overcome, but you’d be wrong. Once Aunt Barb was a very depressed and angry woman. But not at the end – she never gave up the fight. And she had joy in the journey. When we talked she said she always left if a better mood – because sometimes going through things makes you have a deeper appreciation for life.

How many of us can say that? Maybe we will live to be 100 – but is it with JOY? Aunt Barb and Uncle Jack didn’t make it past their 70’s – but there was JOY in the end. I want that to be my legacy. And it will be, because I choose to make it so. And I’m a firm believer that joy is a decision as much as anything.

So I will do whatever I can to make this a better life; both for ME and those around me by working hard, playing hard, and loving hard. And always remember to have joy in the journey.

General Physical Preparedness (GPP)

2010-06-27T11:09:00.004-05:00

So I was surfing the web a few nights ago, and I came across the term "general physical preparedness" or GPP. I have read about it previously in some online journals and was intrigued because none of my classes, certifications, books, etc mentioned this novel and fairly obvious idea. I read up on it a bunch and here is the gist:GPP is the ability of an individual to do any physical activity required (voluntary or involuntary). The voluntary is fairly obvious, an athletic competition, exercise requirements, marathons, and things of that nature. An involuntary requirement would be something we hope probably never happens, like being chased by a bear, avoiding a car collision while running/walking, or being in a life or death situation...hey, it could happen right?The higher someone's GPP, the greater ability they have across the board in every measurable aspect of fitness, and the lower it is, the opposite is true. So think about someone who is an offensive lineman on a football team, you know the big guys who push other big mountains of men back a few yards and try to cream the defensive linemen to create a hole for the running back to run through, or protect the quarterback. These guys are very strong at their particular requirement, low speed strength. Think about it, they don't move very fast while pushing another 300lb guy, nor do they run for very long, so they can't sustain that effort for more than 20 seconds or the average time of a football play. So they would have a low GPP, unless they did some other non specific sport training. Is this a bad thing, or just a component of being very good at one thing?This is the question I asked myself. What if an elite football player, could also have great endurance, great jumping ability, and flexibility, even if it weren't a required trait of his position? This is of course one example, what if a marathoner had great strength and muscularity and sprint speed too, wouldn't that make them an even better athlete overall, without compromising their primary sport?The answer is yes. Through minimum non sport specific training, we can increase our overall GPP. Even better, is when we're not super elite athletes, and then everything should be GPP style training. We should strive for great endurance, great sprint speed, great jumping ability, great strength and muscularity, and great agility and flexibility. If we can attain great proficiency in all things fitness-wise, and we have no weakness, we are holistically in good shape, rather than having glaring weaknesses. This is where training and programming come in.Being a trainer is great, because I get to constantly vary my non athletic client's program in such a way to increase their proficiency at all things fitness related. People always ask for programs, like written down programs. And I've always said that a specific plan for workouts is a plan to fail. Coach Glassman confirmed this with this old quote of his:“Variances in effort, intensity, enthusiasm, and performance are an inescapable part of life. The belief that these natural variances can be planned for months in advance in order to optimize performance at a later date is hogwash.” - Greg GlassmanSo basically every time someone comes in, we're doing something different, whether the intensity, weight, duration, exercise, or interval changes, it's different, and that's how you get good at everything, or in other words your GPP increases.I would say increasing one's GPP should be the highest goal for anyone looking to achieve fitness across the board. Even if you are a competitive athlete, you should strive to be good at everything, so that in case the demands of your sport change suddenly, you are good to go. Think of a situation in which an offensive lineman has to chase down a defensive back who intercepted a ball. In most cases, the linemen are slow, and run out of steam quickly. However, if he had just spent a little time working on his GPP, he could probably accelerate fast enough to catch the DB and prevent the touchdown. And it's not like it’s that hard for an already athletic person to achieve this level of GPP. Just an extra session or modified training session per week that focuses on glaring weakness in a smart manner can yield great results in the long term, which is not even including the health benefits of having better heart and respiration, better oxidative capacity, and a reduced body fat.So the next time you think that just doing the stuff you're good at will get you to your goal whatever it may be (for instance, a runner running, or a cyclist cycling, or a bodybuilder lifting weights for size gains), think outside the box with your training and realize that something you stink at is good for you, and will help be a more well rounded person fitness wise, but probably also increase your proficiency at your main goal, which is something we're all striving for.

-Jordan Feigenbaum CSCS, HFS, USAW-Club Coach
Assistant Director O'fallon South
jfeigenbaum@dfmfit.com

Some things I've learned

2010-06-21T09:50:00.001-05:00

Putting the cap on the toothpaste pays in the long run.

Never give up. Never give out. Never give in.

The best IS yet to come.

Respect doctors and their knowledge 100%. BUT the human spirit is able to do BEYOND what they have been taught. YOU have the final word in your destiny.

When working out, always do a little more than you think you can. The worst that will happen is that you keep the same goals. The BEST that will happen is that you will set NEW goals.

It isn’t the falling down that counts; it’s the STAYING down. Do what it takes to get up again. Then help someone next to you who has fallen.

SEE it and you can achieve it. Believe it with the heart, mind, and spirit first. The rest is a cake walk.

God is not a genie here to grant wishes. Work WITH Him. It’s why He made us. Just remember - HE is God. You are not.

Never give up on love. It is in the smile of a child, the kiss of a puppy, the grateful hug from a friend, and sometimes just in the glance of a stranger. Never think because you don’t have a significant other that you do not have love. It is all around you. Just open your eyes - and your heart. If you DO have a signficant other - remember why you fell in love with them. And let them know that you still do.

Cougars rule.

I AM my brother’s (and sister’s) keeper.

God bless America and those who protect her.

You must move or you will die. If nothing else, shut the shades and dance if nothing else matters. Dance like you did when you went to a Junior High School sock hop (do they still have those??) with your girlfriends. Before you really cared. Just DANCE for the sheer joy of the moment.

Laugh more than you cry.

Never ever ever pick up a teething puppy who was recently weaned when coming straight out of the shower. Get dressed first. Nuff said. That band aid is going to hurt like heck when I remove it.

Life is short.

Regret is long.

It’s never too late to learn something new.

Don’t let your past determine your future.

Say “I’m sorry” more than you expect to hear it.

Carpe Diem.

God NEVER fails. Man, occasionally. God, never.

Have an above average day.

"Perhaps you should lie down"

2010-06-16T12:12:00.002-05:00

A funny thing happened in Cancun that has become a catch phrase for me. I usually got up at the crack of dawn to see the sun rise over the ocean for prayer and reflection. One morning I felt the need to work out, so I went to a secluded area and did some Yoga stretching followed by 100 sit ups. I rested a few minutes and started walking on the beach. No small feat for me since as I’ve stated I just stopped walking without the cane a short while ago, and this was my first time on a beach, and walking in sand. By the time I was walking back I was flat out pooped. I passed this German couple, who assumed I was tipsy at 6:30 in the morning (which in Cancun, CAN happen). Anyway, as I stumbled past them the woman said to me, “Perhaps you should lie down”. Now for some reason this struck me as extremely funny, so I started laughing and stumbling even more. I heard “tsk tsk such a shame” as I went past which made me laugh so hard I almost fell.

If only she knew! But it was kind of cool that she DIDN’T know and rather than crawling on the ground I just looked drunk.

When I told Jake the story initially he laughed, then he said something pretty profound. “People have been telling you to lie down since you started this journey”. And you know what, he’s right. Doctors, family, well meaning friends all initially thought this was not a good idea for me. Rather than push myself, perhaps I should just accept my fate and lay down. Thank goodness I didn’t, and chose to listen to those people who believed in me. And more importantly, I listened to ME!!! And look where I am today! Had I just lain down I think the scenario would be different. Heck, I know it would.

So I will always remember the thick German accent telling me “perhaps you should lie down”. And I laugh, and say NO WAY. It makes me get up and do more. Now gotta run and take a walk before lunch is over. Have an above average day!!

:)

2010-06-09T07:11:00.003-05:00

Ok, I know I just posted yesterday, but something really cool happened last night. I was walking my puppy around the condo after my workout with Jake the Great. I was talking to one of the neighbors that I only saw in passing before, but actually have a chance to talk to now. She wanted to know what happened to the woman I bought the condo from. I said I bought it from a man. She said no, the older heavier woman that had a hard time walking.

I had to laugh and say that was me.

She didn't believe me at first. She looked at me more and more close until she just opened her mouth in shock.

She said she and the other neighbors had been talking at the pool wondering when I had moved in because they didn't see the moving trucks.

From her reaction I think they kind of think they thought I'd died. And you know what? The old Janet DID. Make way for the new Janimal.

Learn to ride the waves

2010-06-08T09:53:00.001-05:00

I just had one of the most wonderful times of my life in Cancun. Thank you Chad, Lisa, Jeremy and the entire DFM team. It was great on so many levels - physically, mentally and spiritually.

Something happened early one morning (No, not “Perhaps you should lie down”. I’ll talk about that another time.) But a really big spiritual rev. (revelation) as my pastor calls them.

Early one morning I was looking out on the ocean. The water was calm and peaceful further out. Then the closer it got to shore the more choppy it became. Then, when it reached the shore it became calm again. But it didn’t stop there. No, after a brief time the water turned around and went back out to sea.

I saw a man on a surf board – but the waves were too rough to ride – so he sat on top of the board and just road the waves.

It made me think – isn’t this exactly how life is? Everything seems calm and peaceful – the out of seemingly no where you encounter the rough waves. They get higher and higher. Now during these times you can try and swim against the current, exhaust yourself, and maybe drown. OR you can learn to ride on TOP of the waves. Riding it out. Not giving into it. Not fighting it. But learning when you should just relax, and ride out the rough times.

Then – as you reach your destination, all becomes peaceful again. BUT it doesn’t stop there. Because if the water STOPPED there it would become stagnant and die. No, it swirls for a second then goes right back to the sea – to start the entire process over again. Ever changing, never changing.

I want to be the person on top of the waves – laughing with pure joy. Because the more choppy the weather, the better the ride. KNOWING that it will not always be choppy – there are calm days ahead. But for this moment in time – simply feel the sun on your face, the joy of life surrounding you – and learns to ride the wave.

What a difference a year makes

2010-05-25T12:10:00.002-05:00

When speaking to JC on the phone, he reminded me that it was around this time last year we first spoke. He had asked me to contribute an article to the DFM newsletter. So I searched and came up with out original correspondence of 6-30-09. Hope it makes you smile as much as me. Oh, and none of the 3 amigos are still in my gym. But I have a whole boatload of NEW Amigos. And of course, Jake the Great :)

My email to JC: Man has this been cathartic. I cried every time I rewrote below. And “verbose” is a wonderful way to describe me. As a matter of fact, when I looked it up in the dictionary it said “see Janet”.

Oh, and I’m much younger, thinner and prettier than the picture.

Hope this makes sense!

ARTICLE

Why am I so driven? Because last winter I felt myself slowly dying. Today I feel life inside me. My first medially diagnosed episode of Multiple Sclerosis was in 1994. Last winter I fell often, hurt, was in constant pain and after 15 years with this disease was just tired. In 15 years I have tried everything from weekly injections to acupuncture and crystals – all with little to no success. But I decided I would not go down without one last all-out effort. When I joined the gym in April I literally had to walk in using my cane. My 3 Amigos were waiting for me: my trainer extraordinaire and new friend-for-life Ryan, and the two Mikes. From Day One I was never treated like a 2nd class citizen. They told me they would be with me through my entire journey, and have been. It hasn’t always been easy. When I started, Ryan had to help me find where to place the cane within easy grasp because I needed it get on and off all the equipment, and around the gym. Today, 2 months later, I no longer even bring the cane with me. For the first time in YEARS I can stand up from a seated position without leaning on anything or anyone. It bears repeating because it is so significant: I feel life, not death, in my veins. My desire is for EVERYONE who has given up hope, to find it again. To know you are all here for them. To Ryan specifically, and to ALL of you, I say a heartfelt thank you – you are doing so much more than just helping people lose weight (which in and of itself is important). Every one of you has literally helped save my life. And one benefit I’ve discovered from working out – I’m too tired to be depressed. J

Roadblocks

2010-05-11T12:22:00.002-05:00

You know, in life you will always have roadblocks on your path. Sometimes it is disease, injury, financial, job loss, companion loss, death, or maybe just a plateau in your weight loss. This has been a tough week for me, and I was at a point I was REALLY having a pity party, until a very good friend said “stop being a drama queen and get on with your life”. Now maybe I wasn’t initially receptive to her, but the words began to set in. It is so easy to over-react to people and situations. But we all have to resolve in our hearts that the decisions we make in life are forever, regardless of outside influences. The primary focus in my life currently is faith, nutrition, exercise, and a continuing commitment to health. Everything else, get out of the way!

So what do we do when these events occur? Well, first of all own up to our personal responsibility, change what we can, and vow to never repeat the mistake. And then learn to just let go and go on. And it is easier said than done, I KNOW. But really, what is the alternative? Because the one thing I have personally learned is negativity CAN and WILL influence your health. Is it worth it?

So I vow to start anew (again) with a new attitude. (Why am I thinking of Patti Labelle right now?) Want to join me?

Always new goals.

2010-04-24T13:15:00.002-05:00

I've had this pair of jean in my closet for 6 months now. They were really cute jeans that were WAY small when I bought them. Yesterday I wore them to work! I was so excited they fit. ESPECIALLY in light of the fact that I haven’t been losing much in pounds. Now I have been losing inches, just not pounds. Apparently because I get a bit of an “attitude” when I don’t see the scales go down much, Jake said I am 100% and permanently banned from the scales. Period.

So I came home kind of in a funk, and tried on the jeans as part of my pity party. Imagine how amazed I was that they fit!! The pity party went out the window and it made me realize that maybe there is a reason he is the trainer and I am the trainee.

It also made me think of goals, because I can’t believe these were my goal jeans. It is time to get another, and smaller, pair of new goal jeans. As I was talking to a good friend about this she started laughing. She said “do you remember what your goal was this time last year?” Then it hit me – it was to walk without my cane. Today walking is so second nature to me, that I forget that this was my goal for YEARS. So maybe I’m not the size I hoped I would be. Maybe I still get UBER tired after a challenging workout. Guess what? I’m tired because I’m DOING something and more importantly, am ABLE to do something. So my new goal isn’t to wear a smaller size, it is to figure out how I can reach as many people as possible and let them know that they too can set and OBTAIN new goals. Seemingly unobtainable goals. Seemingly……

Oh, and to wear a smaller size. J

Monologue from The Big Kahuna

2010-04-14T06:15:00.001-05:00

I know I posted recently, and will probably soon again. But early this morning I caught the end of a movie with some of the most wonderful monologue - I just had to share it.

From The Big Kahuna

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '97... wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Encourage someone you don't know today

2010-04-12T13:57:00.002-05:00

There are a lot of people working out hard every day and rarely, if ever, saying anything to anyone (or so I’ve heard, I talk to walls). So today my challenge to you is to say an encouraging word or phrase to someone you don’t know, for no reason.

I don’t care if it’s “good effort” or “I can really tell you’re working hard today”, there is something you can say to EVERYONE.

By the way, have I told you all how nice you look today? ;)

"I ain't skeered"

2010-04-06T13:38:00.004-05:00

What a ride! April 16th will mark the one year anniversary from when I first stepped into Club Fitness. I think I cancelled 5 appointments before I FINALLY got the guts to show up. And when I did come in I had a hard time walking on the tiled floors, even WITH my cane. But I KNEW that it was time to take back my life. Both for me and for others who need to know it can be done.

What a difference a year makes!!! Last night Jake the Great said I am just now really beginning to do the hard core stuff (ok, hardER stuff). He still has to be on his feet around me, occasionally steadying me, but I can now do the “little things”: like jumping on and off the Elliptical Machine. I remember when I fell the first time I tried to get on it; I thought I never would. Today I may only do increments of a quarter mile at a time; but hey, I’m doing them!!! Rather than doing strictly cardio bikes on the weekend,” J the G” has me on a whole routine of Elliptical, pull- ups, and push-ups of some type: 4 sets of 25 each. The first time I did them I thought I’d die, but today I LOVE it!!! I even met a lady at the gym who decided training wasn’t for her right now, so she meets with me on the weekend and we work out together. I laughed because I’m now the one going “come on, you can do it – 10 more. 5 more.” And count her down.

But my favorite thing at the gym - bar none – is the back extension. When I’m on it I feel as if I am flying. It was one of the first machines I could do that it didn’t matter if my legs were weak. I’ll just brace myself and fly! Whenever I’m having a tough night, Jake will say “Want to fly?” It ALWAYS makes me feel better.

Sometimes I get so incredibly physically tired, and discouraged about where I am and how hard the simplest things seem to be. Then I think about where I WAS, and the smile starts to form. I’ve also learned that self-pity is a luxury I no longer have. But really, do any of us? When I get really tired I tend to become more emotional. The other morning I started to tear up a little, then took a deep breath and said out loud (while looking in the mirror) KNOCK IT OFF. YOU WILL NOT GIVE IN TO THIS. THERE IS TOO MUCH FOR YOU TO DO!!! From the sounds in the condo upstairs I may have been a little louder than I intended. But that’s ok. :)

So I’m trying to adopt the same motto for life that I have when ”J the G” asks me if I want to try adding more weights. We always laugh because my answer is always the same “I ain’t skeered”.

Fear

2010-03-26T10:47:00.002-05:00

You know, I didn’t realize how much a part fear played in a lot of areas of my life until it was brought to my attention recently. I think that one reason I had gained weight was because it protected me from so many things. And now that covering is disappearing, I kind of feel vulnerable. But I like the definition of insanity someone told me: doing things the same way you’ve always done them and yet expecting different results. One thing this journey has taught me is that if you want change, then YOU must change. Sounds simple, but it isn’t always.

Now some of the fear was/is founded. The fear of falling is valid because it HURTS to fall (and is embarrassing as heck). And the reality of my life is that occasionally I fall. But Jake the Great and I made an interesting discovery the other day. When I am doing a modified plank with one foot and arm up, it is very frightening to me and outside my comfort zone. But if he just lightly touched me on my back, all of a sudden I became steady and could do it. He wasn’t holding me up. He wasn’t steadying me. All he did was lightly touch me. Yet when he moved his hand away, I began to lose my balance. It took me a while to figure out it was because I knew as long as I knew he was there, he wouldn’t let me fall. Just the lightest touch gave me reassurance he was close by.

Isn’t that how it is in life? When we’re trying something new that is unfamiliar or scary and we’re alone, we tend to waiver. Yet when there is someone we trust close by, it gives us the courage to do new things. There are definitely spiritual lessons I’ve learned from this, but also practical ones. I want to be the woman I thought I’d be when I was a little girl. The one who tries new things: sometimes successfully, sometimes not. But I tend to think of life as a ladder. Sometimes we take a step up. Sometimes down. But we don’t ever go all the way to the top or the bottom unless we CHOOSE to. So today I choose to take a deep breath and take the lessons I’ve learned from this fitness journey into other areas of my life. If you see a woman alone tonight listening to one of her favorite jazz/blues singers because her friends had other plans, it might be me. Say hello and find out.

Stand

2010-03-17T09:47:00.002-05:00

In this day of microwave ovens, cell phones, email, and other methods of immediate gratification it shouldn’t surprise me when people opt to do radical invasive surgery to lose weight as opposed to the old tried and true methods – but it still DOES. I realize there are exceptions but a lot of the people I’ve spoken with are looking for the “quick fix”. And maybe you WILL lose a lot of weight fast – but at what cost: both monetary and physically. Because if you lose weight rapidly without working out the skin is going to just hang there – then you’ll need ANOTHER surgery to cut and tone the skin. Now I’m not opposed to a little cosmetic fixer-upper: However, when you have to have POUNDS of skin removed I don’t consider that a minor procedure.

Friends confide in me because they’ve seen such a change in me and talk about the change they want to make within themselves. And a lot of these friends are people with an excess of 150 pounds to lose ((side note: I’ve offered to put them in touch with Thea and Jan who both have FANTASTIC stories of losing over 100 lbsl!!)) tell me that their diet is fantastic and they work out. However, if we eat together these are the same people making fun of me when ordering a salad for either having dressing on the side, or just squeezing fresh lemon on it (“don’t I KNOW the dressing is what makes the salad?” ummmm ..no). And when I suggest going for a walk, or horror of horrors parking in the parking spot furthest away to get that extra walking time they act like I have two heads! ESPECIALLY when they know I have a handicap tag for my car and STILL park far away - it almost sends them over the edge. :)

I have a few friends who have asked me to help them in their efforts. I’ve started sending them encouraging calls and email while checking their progress. Recently I’ve heard “I only had one piece of cheese bread with my pizza.” “But everyone was having ice cream cake”. And my personal favorite, “You just don’t know how hard it is.”... I usually just sit in silence a few seconds on that one.

Everyone has their own journey, but the one thing I’ve learned is that AFTER you see the results people think it is easy, which totally cracks me up. It is probably one of (if not THE) hardest things I’ve ever done, but also the most rewarding. But I’ve found personally it is a daily decision: what I’m going to eat, when I’m going to work out, etc. Sometimes I think it is easier for me because there simply is no other choice. If I go back to old patterns, I go back to walking with a cane and heading quickly towards a wheel chair. So it is not simply for vanity reasons, it is to keep myself mobile. I wonder if others knew their choice was to change their patterns or give up their mobility if that would make a difference? So even though I’ve been accused of being a gym rat, a pure food radical, and other things, I’m good with that. I just want EVERYONE to know that they CAN take back their life. I wish this blog allowed music, because I’d be playing STAND by Rascal Flatts

Cause when push comes to shove,
You taste what you're made of.
You might bend 'til you break,
Cause it's all you can take.
On your knees, you look up,
Decide you've had enough.
You get mad, you get strong,
Wipe your head, shake it off,
Then you stand.

Man-grabber or Cane?

2010-03-05T13:27:00.002-06:00

I was driving thru Forest Park today with my sunroof open, Janis Joplin BLARING, and out of nowhere I just started crying, because I am so happy. It is incredible how my life has changed. As I drove past the Zoo, I thought "I can do that now! I can walk all over the Zoo this year" and started crying all over again. Life is SO incredibly good. The simple act of walking used to be such a challenge. Today one of the men stopped me in the office and was laughing saying “you are moving so fast I almost didn’t know who it was”. I think I hugged him.
I’ve decided that this year I want to do one new physical thing a month – something I haven’t done before or in a LONG time. Like climbing a wall, taking a class. Or maybe I’ll just take a walk through a park without using my cane and not needing someone to hold me up. Last Spring I would walk down Euclid at lunch using my wooden carved “work cane” and had regular rest stops all marked off where I could stop and catch my breath before carrying on. Wow.
Ok, time for a side funny story – I’m way too serious right now. I took a walk in the area a few years ago, and was on the street where one of the men I work with lives. Well he must have had the same idea because I saw him on the street. I stopped by a tree, leaned up against it and raised my wooden cane and said “Be afraid, I have my man-grabber with me!”. He just looked very startled and started walking very fast – in the opposite direction. It was then I realized two things: (1) I should always wear my glasses and (2) it wasn’t the man from my office. You KNOW he was telling people about the crazy lady with the “man-grabber” in the Central West End. :) Yep – that’s me. So if you see me with my cane, I’m not using it to walk, just looking for a man to grab.
Carpe Diem!

Wow - Again, thank you!

2010-03-01T08:45:00.003-06:00

For those of you that haven’t heard, I won the Cancun Client contest – so you’ll be looking at my mug in your gyms. Which give me MORE incentive to get in better shape – because this is just a halfway point!

I am so incredibly humbled by this, but excited for the possibilities too and the voice this gives me. I called my Neurologist to share the news. Her office was so excited – they pulled my chart so they could see the progression and are astonished. When the posters come out they want to display them in her Washington University and St. Luke’s hospital to show people going through challenges or just diagnosed with M.S, that they don’t have to accept it. Which has been my goal all along. Because my vision is so much bigger than just this honor (which is phenomenal!). I don’t want anyone to get to the place I was in before I came here.

Now it isn’t all roses today. I’ve fallen a few times recently. We don’t know if it’s because I’ve kicked my training up a notch, recent outside stresses, the weather changes (honestly effects it), or just because I changed my eye shadow. There is no rhyme or reason. All I know is that even when I’ve collapsed or fallen, I simply get up, dust myself off, and start all over again (as the song goes). Because stopping is NOT an option. Slowing down is not an option. Changing how I do things MAY be an option. :) As you can see, I’m a little hard-headed.

But through it all, I want to continue to have fun! To enjoy every second of this ride we call life. With the DFM team behind me, we can’t fail - because this is a GROUP effort. From Ryan, Jake the Great, Jeremy, Chad, Jason, Tj, Josh, JC, Diane, Nick and everyone else who has helped me so much, thank you. From a sincere heart, thank you. And on behalf all of the people out there you may never see – thank you. This is going to be an amazing year.

And to the "runner-ups", as far as I’m concerned we ALL won. Your stories are so inspiring. I am so proud to be in such wonderful company.

Oh, and I’m signing up for additional training this week – AND buying a bike. I told my friends that I fully intend to have streamers from the handle bars and maybe even baseball cards in the spokes - so you can’t miss me. Next goal – jogging. Anyone up for joining me in September for a jog through a park? :) Oh and the M.S. Bike Ride. Oh yeah, and I want to dance again. And Thai Chi. And I want to lift more weight (LOVE it). And yoga. And Zumba – really want to become steady enough to take classes. Oh yeah, kick boxing (be afraid – be VERY afraid). Oh yeah, spinning. OH, I want to climb a wall!! The possibilities are limitless. This time last year I couldn't IMAGINE this would be my life. Now I can't imagine it NOT. Thank you.

THANK YOU

2010-02-26T12:47:00.000-06:00

Thank you thank you thank you.

Beware of the flying monkeys

2010-02-22T11:40:00.005-06:00

You know I get a lot of inspiration on the bikes: maybe it’s because I spend so much time on them. Maybe because my ADD kicks in halfway through and if my mind doesn’t wander it might just explode. But you can tell a lot by how people work out on the bikes. Now granted – I don’t know the whole story and there may be extenuating circumstances. But I was working out Saturday morning and the woman to the left of me was taking her sweet time reading her magazine and going about 45. (ok, I peeked) Now the woman to the right of me flat out scared me - I’ve affectionately dubbed her Manic Mary. She jumps on the bike with a purpose and never got below 125-140. Then there was me – right in the middle averaging in the 80s or 90s. But I was there for over an hour and kept seeing people come and go. Some were just there to warm up. Some were driven to do as much as they could in the shortest amount of time. Some were just leisurely enjoying the ride. Sort of like the overall gym experience, and honestly I’ve been all of the people on different days. But I’ve decided I want to be ALL of them – always driven, always enjoying the ride, and always there for the long haul. I wish I could have had the results other people have – but then I think of the success I have had. Which was excellent….then. This is now. Now I want to obtain those seemingly unobtainable goals – like Michelle Obama arms. Heck, I’d be happy if I lost the old lady grandma wings. And I will. But on my cardio days maybe I’ll take time to slow down and enjoy the journey. Then speed off on my own little yellow brick road. Just have to dodge the flying monkeys.

It's a new week! FINALLY!!!

2010-02-14T18:37:00.001-06:00

Well, today’s the start of a new week. It’s been an interesting couple of past weeks. But this is a new week, and I’m ready to put the old behind, and start anew.

While my strength seemed to decline for a few weeks, I think I surprised both Jake the Great and myself with the leg presses. It felt good – strong – and when I’d reached my max and yelled out the last ounce of strength – Jake added up everything. It was 405 lbs! So I’m guessing that my legs are becoming more strong!

And I am too; both externally and internally. Because as my strength increases on the exterior, it pumps me up and helps me know the only thing holding me back, is ME.

I had a chance recently to read the online magazine sent to people with my disease. I think some of the main tops were categorizing your clothes by color so if you lose part of your vision you can still “look” nice. How to deal with the legal aspects of no longer being able to do your job. PT exercises to help you get out of bed more easily. You know, encouraging things like that. J

Me, being me, called the national office to share my story thus far. At first they thought I’d been misdiagnosed until they found me in their data base, from YEARS ago. Then they said to keep them apprised of my progress.

Like they could stop me!!!

But next week my prayer is that I am able to do as much, if not more, than before. But if not this week – I know I will – and soon. And I’ll tell you all about it!!

February 7, 2010

2010-02-07T14:14:00.001-06:00

Ok, the only “wise” words I have are:

GO SAINTS!!!!!!!

You HAD to know I’m all about the underdog!!! :)

The lesson I learned is don't listen to what anyone says or what has happened in the past - you go out and play your best game or work to the best of your ability. Naysayers will always be there - trust me, I know. But it doesn't matter. Get the passion deep inside and see what you WILL be, not what you are - then work to make it happen.

Grow Your Business = Grow Your Mind!

2010-02-01T17:03:00.002-06:00

Submitted by: Lisa Remley, Training & Development

Be a student. Stay open and willing to learn from everyone and anyone. Being a student means you have room for new input. When you are green you grow, when you are ripe you rot. By staying green you will avoid the curse of being an expert. When you know in your heart that every single person you encounter in your lifetime has something to teach you, you are able to utilize their offerings in a profound way.
-- Dr Wayne W Dyer

Bittersweet

2010-02-01T08:30:00.003-06:00

You know, I was all excited about February 1st; this marks 16 years since my first medically documented episode of M.S. As I told a man at church yesterday I wish I could bottle how well I feel. If I could, I’d be a millionaire overnight. This journey has been so exciting and life-changing that I honestly some days feel like I could take off and fly!

Then I got the call from my Mom last night that my uncle who also suffered from M.S. had died from complications of the disease. Talk about having your wings clipped.

Then I began to reflect on my uncle’s life. The things that stand out to me was his active lifestyle pre-diagnosis. Like the summers he spent playing his beloved baseball. And how every Saturday night how he would take my aunt to the Elks Club where they would Swing Dance the night away. I remember once driving to the small town where they lived for one of the dances, and how they had a Shiny Belt Buckle dance. He explained to me that’s when the men have the big ol’ belt buckles on, and they dance so close to their partners that by the end of the dance their buckle was shiny. Those are things I treasure.

The memory that I won’t take with me is his quiet acceptance of the disease and its progression. Unlike him, I will NEVER accept this disease. I’ve forgotten that there is a bigger picture here – not just today – but tomorrow. And my tomorrow will be stronger, more determined for a better future for me, and everyone else. But it will also be filled with a little more joy and appreciation for the gift that life is.

It shows me that this is the correct path - I was going to say for me - but I think it is THE answer. Correct your diet and work out. It isn't always easy - but like I always say - it is ALWAYS worth it. People with the disease ask me how I can work out, don't I get tired? More tired than you'll ever know, but I would get tired sitting on the couch too. At least this way I feel like I've accomplished something. And the fatigue factor lifts, and when it does, man do I feel good!

So whether the grind of your job, your family, or just life has gotten to you, take a second. Take a deep breath, and truly enjoy the moment. Laugh a little deeper, love a little more, and forgive a LOT more.

When I work out with Jake tonight I think I’ll ask if I we can use the piece of equipment that I love because it makes me feel like I’m flying. I feel the need to just fly tonight.

Accountabilty

2010-01-29T10:44:00.002-06:00

I’ve often thought about why I like going to the gym so much. While it’s true that I feel fantastic when I work out, it’s also true that I love being around people making positive changes in their lives. It doesn’t matter what shape we are in, or what our workout is – we are all doing SOMETHING. It is so easy to just whine and say “it’s not fair” or “I wish it were different”, but everyone is empowering themselves and working to change or enhance their lives.

The story I tell on myself is years ago when I bought the “Sweating to the Oldies” video and was watching it to see if it was too hard. While sitting in my lazy boy. With a pint of Chunky Monkey (kind of appropriate, wasn’t it?). Somehow I don’t think Richard would have approved. :) Surprisingly I didn’t see any results. As you can see, I kind of need the accountability factor.

I feed off of the energy of those around me. Whether it’s secretly seeing if I can beat the speed of the person next to me on the bike, or if I can just last 5 minutes on the Elliptical Machine without collapsing, it’s easier when people are around. The same is true of my training sessions. A lady mentioned last night that she remembers me in my first session last April. Apparently my face was beet red and I looked like I was going to pass out. But I kept at it. And she said it encouraged her so now she signed up for training. It will be nice to kind of work out with her. Other people who train at the same time with other trainers and I have a good natured ribbing and competitiveness going – it will be good to add another person to the “Club”.

Oh, and I gave the Lazy Boy away and haven’t had ice cream since last March. ALTHOUGH when I tell people I went to an all-natural diet to keep in mind that both Ben and Jerry’s AND Hagen Daaz are BOTH all natural. Hmmmmmmmmm………..

Soreness and DOMS a Brief Review

2010-01-23T10:25:00.000-06:00

We have all experienced it many times, yet no matter how often or rarely it occurs it's always a pain in the...well you know. You're sore the day or two days after your workout. Some of the muscles you used are tender to the touch, weak, and ache when you work them through a complete range of motion. What is the cause of soreness, what is DOMS, and what can you do?

The cause of soreness has been up for debate in recent history. Up until recently soreness following a bout of exercise has thought to be due to lactic acid accumulation in the body. Exercise scientists even gave soreness that rears its ugly head 24-48 hours after exercise a fancy moniker- delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS. This is known as the metabolic theory. In this theory high intensity repetitive exercise causes the muscles to use highly anaerobic pathways to create energy for the contracting muscle, causing an excessive production of lactic acid. This lactic acid floats around the blood stream until it is removed by buffering agents within the muscle when it has sufficient oxygen to do so, or by the liver as it passes lactic acid off to the Cori cycle to create glucose to be stored as glycogen in the liver or muscle. With me so far? This was thought to be the burn experienced during exercise, when lactic acid production exceeded lactic acid clearance by the body, excessive lactic acid concentrations were thought to cause the burn, pump, and also cause soreness. What a crock! :-)

The first problem with this theory is that lactic acid cannot even exist in the body under normal human physiological conditions. To be clear, it is LACTATE not lactic acid that is produced by the anaerobic pathway used by muscles during high intensity exercise. Lactate is not capable of forming the acid (lactic acid). Second, lactate is readily cleared, converted, or even used by various metabolic pathways in the body to create more energy. So why do we get fatigued, experience a burn, pump, etc?

During exercise movements there are usually two phases of the movement, a concentric and an eccentric. If we take the squat for example, the concentric is the UP phase or the lifting phase, while the eccentric phase would be the down portion, and it is more passive. However, it is the eccentric phase that causes the muscle damage responsible for fatigue, burning sensation, pump, and muscle soreness. During the eccentric portion of a movement, the muscle is stretched into an elongated position. In the case of the squat the hamstrings, glutes, and adductors are stretched. Moreover, they are loaded with weight, either by a bar and weight, or simply your own body weight. When a muscle is both stretched and loaded small microtears occur in the muscle tissue, specifically the muscle cells. This has a dose-response relationship in that the more the muscle is stretched, loaded, or when the velocity of the movement increases so do the amount of microtears in the muscle. Furthermore, when the movement is repeated many times, more and more microtears occur. The tearing of muscle cells (on a microscopic level) allows internal cell chemicals to seep out into the blood stream. Some of these chemicals include creatine kinase, myoglobin (the oxygen carrier within muscle tissue), and hydrogen ions.

If you think back to your chemistry class you remember that hydrogen is associated with being acidic. To take that one step further, it affects the pH balance of any solution, and in the body this occurs in the blood, muscle tissue, etc. The normal pH of the body at any one given time is about 7.2. Any deviation from this pH results in serious issues such as gastric dumping, protein degradation (organ and tissue degradation), reduced function, and in severe cases death. This is why the body will undergo many functions and processes to prevent a change in the pH body-wide. However, in localized muscle tissue, hydrogen ion accumulation from intense exercise involving eccentric muscle contractions occurs. This increase in localized hydrogen ion concentration causes a slightly acidic situation in the muscle (remember acidic = a pH of <7.0>7.0). With the muscle being slightly acidic the body gets into a fury of activity trying to repair, remodel, and rid the tissue of the acidosis incurred.

Remember the body's main repair pathway for any tissue, cell, organ, etc is the inflammatory pathway. When the muscle is damaged and subsequently in an acidic state the inflammatory process is signaled. Basic inflammatory responses include an increased blood flow to the area (vasodilation), immune system cell infiltration, swelling, redness, pain, etc all in an effort to repair and remodel the effected cells. So the hydrogen ion accumulation from the microtears in muscle tissue causes the inflammatory pathway to go to work and in conjunction with the immune cascade causes soreness which can occur either directly after a bout of exercise or 24-48 hours afterwards.

But this is not necessarily a bad thing. The body has what is known as a general adaptation syndrome to all stressors. When you stress a muscle to a point that damage occurs, the body rebuilds and remodels it to a point to better cope with the stress. Once the muscle is completely recovered a similar bout of exercise should cause less soreness than before and work capacity of the muscle or body should increase. However, in the training world since we are constantly trying to progress, we tend to never see the exact same stimulus over and over again. The goal is to progressively overload the body in such a way to force it to get bigger, faster, stronger, and prettier. Think about it, say the workout involved 50 squats and that made your legs really sore. After you recovered, the next time you saw 50 squats in a workout you would either add resistance, move faster through the number of squats, or some other measurable improvement. So now the stimulus has changed and the body is again, forced to adapt.

Soreness is not necessarily a marker of a good workout, or a bad one. Depending on someones recovery ability they may be sore very infrequently or very often. To break this down even further, the inflammatory pathway only has a set capacity that it can deal with at any one given time. If your body is chronically inflamed in other tissues such as the blood vessels, joints, brain, organs, etc and now you add in acute muscle inflammation then the recovery will be slower and soreness is likely. Conversely, if you don't have much, if any, chronic inflammation going on you will quickly recover from exercise as the inflammatory pathway can work swiftly, unabated by other nagging inflammation. Make sense?

Even so, a very fit person with excellent recovery capacity can become sore from workouts involving repetitive eccentric portions of movements. Especially if the weights are heavy, the reps are many, or the velocity is high of the movements. But don't be so quick to drop kick the eccentric portion of exercise. Studies have shown that concentric-only based strength programs fail to provide any increase in strength, muscle hypertrophy, or work capacity. So we need the eccentric portion, but we need to program training sessions properly to make sure that adequate recovery is attainable and consistent progress can be made.

Can you exercise, stretch, foam roll, massage your way out of DOMS? Studies have also shown that light exercise can help alleviate DOMS by increasing blood flow to the effected muscle tissue and thereby increasing the clearance of inflammatory, immune, and metabolic by products lying around in the tissue causing discomfort. In contrast, stretching has shown no benefit to decreasing soreness, particularly static or ballistic stretching. A Dynamic warm up and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitative stretching (PNF) have shown slight decreases in discomfort and an increase in the effected muscle's force production. Foam rolling has been postulated to decrease recovery time, and is smart practice pre and post exercise to yield the fastest recovery time possible. Massages, while relaxing and fun, offer no increase in recovery capacity, force production, etc.

Perhaps the best way to decrease your chances of soreness is to properly warm up, use proper bio mechanics during exercise, and utilize a sound nutritional approach that decreases body wide inflammation so you can use that inflammatory pathway to recover the effected muscle instead.

Sorry for the long post, if any body has any additional questions email me at jfeigenb@gmail.com

Can't believe I'm grounded!!!

2010-01-21T05:35:00.000-06:00

I’m Grounded - from the gym

Or so it feels like. Yes, I fell again yesterday. Yes, we thought this time the ankle might be broken. But no – it’s not – it’s only a bad sprain/strain. And yes, I agree Jake (not so great right now) made the right call on saying I should take a week off to heal – but it got me to thinking. I am scared to death that I will return to where I was.

Not only just re-gaining the weight - but everything. I LOVE the way I eat – but what about when I want to just get something to eat on the fly and not spend hours cooking from scratch. And a person can only eat so many salads in their life before they start mooing. Plus there is a part of you that thinks when you've overcome so much, that you've overcome EVERYTHING. I still believe one day I will - but for today - there are momentary challenges.

Do any of you have these fears? Now I don’t work out solely because of the fear factor, I honestly LOVE it. And honestly I know I’ll NEVER go back to where I was …..but still …..

But you know what – occasionally I fall and hurt myself. That’s a fact of my life. But my recovery time is SOO much better now. When you’re in better shape BEFORE the fall, you can’t help but be in better shape AFTER the fall (another benefit to working work – quicker recovery time). And you’ll be hard pressed to find a more motivated person. So I guess I’ll lay off the gym. I mean it’s only a few days, right? Cuz TECHNICALLY Sunday is the beginning of a new week – right? J Ok, he’ll be Jake the Great again. J (But if you see me sneaking into the gym, don’t tell him, ok?)

300 pounds!!!

2010-01-14T22:26:00.000-06:00

I have nothing really to say - I am just excited beyond excited tonight. My trainer (Jake the Great of course) and I were doing leg lifts in the back. They were really light so he said "want to see what you can do?" Of course I did. We added them all together and they were 280 lbs. He said "want to try and make it an even 300?"

Guess what???????????????????????? :)

I LOVE THIS STUFF.

Disclaimer: This as done under trainer supervision. I'm not silly enough to try this every day. But after coming off a "challenging" health time, we were both just really pumped by the workout. Jake mentioned that these days when I have an attack causing weakness I seem to bounce back even stronger than before. And more determined. This stuff SO WORKS!! :)

Size and Strength Part 4

2010-01-13T13:06:00.002-06:00

This section will be on periodzation. The variables that need to be tinkered with to see maximum results. Periodzation is defined as the methodical alteration of training variables over the course of a training cycle. Training cycles are classified as microcycles, mesocycles, and macrocycles. Microcycles are most often the training week, but does not have to be limited to that exact amount of time. It is usually the smallest repeatable cycle of a training program. Mesocycles last anywhere from 4-12 weeks the majority of the time, but may extend for longer in certain cases. (I write most of my programs using Mesocycles) It is a collection of several microcycles. The macrocycle is the largest of periodization divisions; it consists of multiple mesocycles. Some macrocycles may last as long as a few years, as is often the case with Olympic athletes. I will be working with mostly the first 2 cycles in this entry.

The variables that need to be tinkered with are the following:

Frequency

The amount of workouts given in a period of time. Normally this is during a week. The frequency at which muscles are used as prime movers in resistance training is an important variable that most gym goers don't use. Bodybuilding magazines will tell you to lift a muscle group a day, what they fail to mention is most of these guys aren't your natural trainee.

Intensity

This isn't for strength purposes how hard we workout. This is based around your 1-5 rep max. You will see me say you want to do 10 reps with a 12-13 rep max. This means you pick a weight that you could do for 13 reps and not another rep, but you stop at 10 reps. I see it everyday, novice lifters maxing out their 8 rep max and completely destroying their chances of progressing.

Volume

No this is not the sound on your stereo. Its normally defined by the number of reps during a training session. Seems like every bodybuilding magazine I have ever read asks you to do 3 sets of 8-12 reps on every single exercise there is. That's just silly.

Rest Intervals

Yes it is as simple as it sounds. This is the time you rest in between each set. I rarely see guys who are lifting for strength and size actually time their rest times between sets.

Exercise Selection

Easy, the exercises you choose to do. It's funny because we all know the guy who comes into the gym every single day and lays on the bench and gets right down to his 1 rep max. The most common occurance is people enjoy doing exercises they are good at. Make sure in your programs you are doing exercises you are bad at as well.

Tempo

This is the speed the weight is moved during each phase of the lift (concentric, eccentric, and the isolation). You will see something like this 2/0/x/0. Meaning on the eccentric you are taking 2 seconds on the negative part of the lift. The first 0 means no pause on the isolation. The x refers to explode on the lifting potion of the exercise. And the final 0 means to immediatly go back into the next rep. Alot of programs you see online or in books will be called TUT programs, meaning time under tension.

I want to touch on different forms of periodzation now:

Linear

This is the systematic increase or decrease in the value of a variable over the course of a mesocycle. Intensity is the variable most often manipulated in this, but it is certainly applicable to other training variables. A simple example would be the following, using intensity as an example: week 1: 60%, week 2: 70%, week 3: 75%, week 4: 80%, week 5: 85%, week 6: 90%, repeat. A linear periodzation outline would look like this for a powerlifter:

Monday-Squat Day

Squat – RE to ME

Week 1: 4x12 @ 65%

Week 2: 4x10 @ 70%

Week 3: 3x8 @ 75%

Week 4: 3x5 @ 83%

Week 5: 3x3 @ 88%

Week 6: 3x2 @ 90%

Week 7: 2x2 @ 95%

Week 8: 1x1 @ 100%

Week 9: 1x1 @ 105% - Attempt record

Undulating

This form of periodization involves alternating variables within each microcycle or even within each individual training session. An example of this type of program would be the following: week 1 - session 1: 4 sets of 12 repetitions @ 15RM using 45sec rest intervals, week 1 – session 2: 8 sets of 3 repetitions @ 5RM using 75sec rest intervals, week 1 – session 3: 4 sets of 8 repetitions @ 10RM using 60sec rest intervals.

More for bodybuilding and not powerlifting:

Monday-Upper

Overhead Press

Week A: 8x3 @ 5-6RM - 75sec RI

Week B: 3x12 @ 15RM – 30sec RI

Week C: 4x6 @ 8RM – 60sec RI

Chinups

Week A: 8x3 @ 5-6RM - 75sec RI

Week B: 3x12 @ 15RM – 30sec RI

Week C: 4x6 @ 8RM – 60sec RI

Decline Press

Week A: 4x10 @ 12RM – 45sec RI

Week B: 5x5 @ 7RM – 75sec RI

Week C: 5x8 @ 10RM – 60sec RI

Cable Rows

Week A: 4x10 @ 12RM – 45sec RI

Week B: 5x5 @ 7RM – 75sec RI

Week C: 5x8 @ 10RM – 60sec RI

Wednesday-Lower

Squats

Week A: 8x3 @ 5-6RM - 75sec RI

Week B: 3x12 @ 15RM – 30sec RI

Week C: 4x6 @ 8RM – 60sec RI

Stiff Legged Deadlifts

Week A: 4x10 @ 12RM – 45sec RI

Week B: 5x5 @ 7RM – 75sec RI

Week C: 5x8 @ 10RM – 60sec RI

Lunges

Week A: 4x10 @ 12RM – 45sec RI

Week B: 5x5 @ 7RM – 75sec RI

Week C: 5x8 @ 10RM – 60sec RI

Friday-Upper

Flat bench

Week A: 8x3 @ 5-6RM - 75sec RI

Week B: 3x12 @ 15RM – 30sec RI

Week C: 4x6 @ 8RM – 60sec RI

Bent Over Row

Week A: 8x3 @ 5-6RM - 75sec RI

Week B: 3x12 @ 15RM – 30sec RI

Week C: 4x6 @ 8RM – 60sec RI

The biggest thing to keep in mind whenever you are setting up your plan to success is don't overthink it. Just use the basic guidelines and go from there. Continue to confuse your body and it will grow. Pretty simple right? Then why do so many people continue to use the same programs day in and day out? That's simple, they just don't know any better. Lucky for you, you've spent the past 5 minutes reading this and have a head up on others in the gym!

Be Honest With Your Trainer

2010-01-12T11:37:00.000-06:00

You know there’s a fine line between being honest with your trainer about challenges you are going through and just “toughing it out”. Now if I said I was tired because I’d tied one on the night before I’m thinking Jake would probably put me through an even more intense workout. But last night was one of those nights when we needed to talk prior to our session. I honestly told him I was having a mini episode: which meant I was having vision challenges, weakness, and muscle spasms. BUT I said I wanted a good workout because the best thing for me is not to baby it – but to also use wisdom. So we modified the workout somewhat – but by the end I was sweating more than I had in a long time. (I think Jake was too – but that’s because he not only had to put me through the workout – he also had to keep upright!) :) But more importantly I FELT better.

I think our tendency (or mine at least) is to give the impression we are tougher than we are (the term “hard-headed” has been used more than once to describe me). But we are not in this for the short haul – we are looking for long-term and lasting results. And that is not just the job of our trainers. Our job is to modify our diet and work out on our own apart from our sessions. Our training session job is to work hard, ask questions, and come motivated and ready to give 100%. But we also need to tell them about injuries or physical limitations we have. And telling them BEFORE we fall on them is usually a good thing.

But I can honestly say that even in the weakest times, the results are astonishing. This morning I almost fell at work – as I was going down I looked around and did a move straight out of The Matrix. A woman in the office had jumped up when she saw me going down – and said “Janet – are you ok??” I did a quick assessment to make sure I was, then said “that was kind of cool, wasn’t it?” She said she didn’t know how I stayed on my feet – we laughed and I said this stuff really does work. Because not only does it make us look and feel better, but for me – it is keeping me on my feet!!

Now put down those fries and go to the gym tonight. ;)

Size and Strength Part 3

2010-01-11T12:48:00.000-06:00

This section will be over training splits. I probably get asked once a week what kind of workouts I am doing. Lets face it the majority of people who are going to the gym are doing bodypart splits. Example: Monday-Chest/Tuesday-Back/Wednesday-Legs/Thursday-Shoulders/Friday-Arms/Saturday and Sunday-Off. I would have to say the majority of people coming to the gym have a workout that looks alot like that. The problem with splits like that is your lifting 5 days a week and time away from the gym is just as valuable. Remember you don't grow in the gym, its what you do after your workouts that is the key. My goal is to inform you of other ways to split up your routine that way your body doesn't adapt and you goals don't come to a screaching hault.

*I won't be talking about aerobic work in this section.

Just a few tips along the way:

-Don't train more than 2 consecutive days without taking a day off.
-Try to keep the lifting portion of your workout to an hour or less.
-Take a week off every 3 months or so, or implement planned deloading phases.
-Do at least one freeweight movement for push movements, pull movements, and leg exercises. Do more if at all possible.
-In general, you should workout larger muscles first. As well, perform heavier compound movements first.
-Try to balance your pressing and pulling movements. Also, try to balance your quad-dominant and hamstring-dominant lower body exercises.

I am going to put the exercises in groups first off so you have a template then exercises to pick from:

Lower Push (Quad dominant)

Back Squat

Front Squat

Lunge

Bulgarian Squat (split squat)

Step Ups

Jump Squats

Jump Lunges

Pistols

Leg Press

Leg Extension (Isolation)

Lower Pull (Ham Dominant)

Stiff Legged Deadlift

Sumo Deadlift

Good Mornings

Glute Ham Raise

Pullthroughs

6. Back Extension

7. Conventional Deadlift

8. Leg Curls

Upper Push (Vertical)

Standing Barbell Overhead press

Push Press

Push Jerk

Seated Dumbell Press

Arnold Press

Incline Dumbell or Barbell (Ya I consider this vertical)

See Saw Overhead Press

Dips

Upper Pull (Vertical)

Pullups

Chinups

Pulldowns

Reverse Grip Pulldowns

1-armed Pulldowns

Close Grip Pulldowns

Upright Rows

Cleans

Snatches

Upper Push (Horizontal)

Pushups

Barbell and Dumbell Flat Bench Press

Flat Flies

Cable Crossovers

Plyo Pushups

Decline Bench Press

Machine Flat Press

Smith Flat Press

9. Floor Press

Upper Pull (Horizontal)

DB Row

Bent Over Barbell Row

Bent Over Laterals

Cable Row Variant

Hammer Strength Row

Machine Row

Supine Row

8. Pullover

Now I can go into the bascis of a total body workout. Normally this is 3 days a week. Something like Mon/Weds/Fri, or Tues/Thurs/Sat. I am going to put together 2 workouts and they will be used every other. For example; Workout A-Mon, Workout B-Wedensday, Workout A-Friday, Workout B-Monday, Workout A-Wedensday, Workout B-Friday, etc...

Workout A

Lower Push

Upper Push Horizontal

Lower Push

Upper Push Vertical

Workout B

Lower Pull

Upper Pull Horizontal

Lower Pull

Upper Pull Vertical

*If you need to do an specific work (Calves, Forearms, Core), just throw them in at the end of any day.

Or another Total Body Workout could be as follows:

Workout A

Lower Push

Upper Push Horizontal

Lower Pull

Upper Pull Horizontal

Workout B

Lower Pull

Upper Pull Vertical

Lower Push

Upper Push Vertical

*Again throw in any specific work at the end if needed

Next will be a 4 day a week split:

For ease of understanding we will do it per day instead of workout A and B.

Monday

Squat

Lunge

Step Up

Leg Extension

Tuesday

Flat Bench

CG Row

Weighted Pushups

DB Row

Wedensday

OFF

Thursday

Stiff Legged Deadlift

Hyperextension

Glute Ham Raise

Leg Curls

Friday

Pullups

Standing Overhead Press

Reverse Grip Pulldowns

Incline Press (DB's)

Saturday and Sunday

OFF

*If you feel like you want to do direct arm work do it after an upper day. Possibly throw a few sets in. My theory is your arms will grow doing bench and pullups, so why do a set of curls?

Those are just some examples of what typical workouts would look like based on movements and not bodyparts. If your still doing bodyparts and not training movements you have missed a ton of information written over the past 10 years (Mike Boyle Strength coach for pro teams).

There is alot more to this like what reps, sets, tempos, and rest periods. This will all be covered in the next section.

Size and Strength Part 2

2010-01-08T12:22:00.000-06:00

From the time we were in PE at the ripe old age of 10, we have been taught stretching was good before we workout that way we don't pull a muscle. What they failed to mention stretching a cold muscle isn't the right way to go about things. Think of your muscles as a piece of taffy. If it gets cold stretching that piece of taffy could actually cause it to snap. But if we heat up that piece of taffy it stretches very easily. The same goes with out muscles. I have already told you about what your pre-workout regimine should look like, so let's discuss your post-workout regimine.

Benefits of stretching post workout:

1. Alleviates soreness.

2. Improves range of motion.

3. Improves overall Posture

4. Increased range of motion in the joints

5. Enhanced musclular coordination

6. Increased circulation of blood to different parts of the body

7. Strengthen joints (which is obviously important because of the workloads you will be putting on your body)

Personally I prefer both foam rolling and static stretching for post, but for this section I will focus primarily on static stretching. And here we go. Static passive flexibility, the ability to assume and maintain extended positions using external means (such as your own body weight, holding a position with assisting limbs, or a partner), is best developed through a combination of isometric stretching and/or relaxed stretching below the pain threshold. Since PNF is hard to explain, I am going to stick with static stretching only. Normally we hold a static stretch for a period of 25-45 seconds. Along with that you should feel mild discomfort the entire time so don't worry its natural.

As you see in our clubs we do partner assisted stretches. I enjoy this type of stretch and I am sure each and everyone of you enjoy it as well. I mean come on, who doesn't like being stretched and doing absolutely no work? The reason why this can be more beneficial than stretching yourself is the trainer will push your muscles to that level of discomfort you need to make static stretching effective. But if you are going to stretch by yourself here are some of the areas that should be primarly focused on:

1. Hamstring

2. Quad

3. Calves

4. Chest

5. Lats

6. Low Back

7. Tricep

8. Bicep

Those are your main areas. If you need any help stretching any of those areas just look up a trainer at any of the Club Fitness's you go to, they would be more than happy to help!

Through the Years

2010-01-05T22:10:00.000-06:00

The new year has made me reflect on past years and their significance regarding my health.

In 1994 I had my first medically recorded episode of they then called sclerosis. I was told multiple episodes would lead to multiple sclerosis. I had lost part of the vision in my left eye, fell repeatedly, and was tired beyond tired. But at least now I knew why.

2000 – After multiple MRI's, a barrage of tests, and two spinal taps I started taking the interferon drug Avonex (weekly injections with a 2” needle into muscle). While I never got over HATING the shot, I learned to self-inject and tolerate it.

2007 – After 7 years of weekly shots, MUCH prayer, I decided (against my neurologist’s orders) to go off the injections. While other people have had great success with the drug, I was one of the people that had horrible side effects. For 7 years I got flu-like symptoms that lasted 1-2 days after injecting. Do the math. For 7 years I was sick for 1-2 days of every week. And that was just from the drug - the disease was “interesting” as well. Most of my vision was back, but during extreme fatigue or “exacerbations” (attacks) it can be challenging. The vision challenges (Optic Neuritis) kind of comes and goes – but mostly these days it is fine. Falling was something else though. At least I learned the art of falling like a lady.

2009 –After MORE prayer and a lot of investigation, in March I went to an all-natural “clean” diet. The only meat I eat are turkey and chicken breasts, and fish. All of the fruits and veggies I eat are either raw or cooked in their natural state. I will occasionally eat frozen veggies or fruit, and still like cooking with canned tomatoes, and love all-natural peanut butter - but that’s about it as far as pre-prepared foods. All grain items are whole grain. I eat no (or try not to) preservatives or additives of any kind. I took the Swank M.S. Diet, combined it with a “clean” diet, put my own spin on it and there you are. In April of 2009 I got enough nerve (after about 5 cancelled appointments) to come into the gym. A lot heavier – walking with the assistance of a cane – and even then having a lot of balance issues. But I came. And I fell in love – with working out. The cane is gone. I am so much stronger - walking is no longer something to dread, but is actually fun again!

Now it’s 2010. I received a new trainer – Jake the Great – after the old one left -but the original trainer will always hold a special place in my heart. However, what I have with Jake is a totally different level of fitness. He pushes me more and has increased the workout to new levels. There’s a new DFM Manager at my gym (hi Chad). But you know what – not all change is bad. I NEVER would have chosen new people, but they put a new spin on things. And there’s something about them not knowing me before and just watching what I can (or at least try) and do now. ALL of the trainers at the St. Charles gym have been SOOO encouraging. Of the 3 (yes, 3) trainers who were waiting for me initially, only Mike remains. And I love Mike because not only has he become a friend, but he was the first person who told me he could tell I was losing weight and becoming more toned. You have NO idea what words said in passing mean to someone. Just telling us you notice the effort or saying our face looks slimmer – whether you’re our trainer or not – can give us what we need to keep going.

So through "simple" diet and exercise I have taken my life back, as you can. It isn't always easy, but it is ALWAYS worth it.

Thanks for indulging this little trip down memory lane. But that’s what all this is – a memory. I believe in learning the lesson from the past while always moving towards the future. And the future is pretty darn bright. So if you see (or probably hear) me in the gym laughing, maybe you'll know why. And laugh WITH me. Then let's get our sweat on!

Size and Strength Part 1

2009-12-31T14:27:00.000-06:00

The first part of my 7 part series. This is only on the warmup. This is often overlooked, but you will not be big and strong if you suffer a rotator cuff tear so listen closely!

First off let me give you the importance of a proper warmup.

1. Improved nervous system function
a. Increased sensitivity in nervous receptors
b. Faster nerve impulse transmissions

2. Increased core and muscle tempatures
a. Improved blood to muscle
b. More effecient uptake from oxygen to blood
c. Improves muscle flexibility and joint range of motion

3.Other benefits
a. More thorough lubrication of joints
b. Accilimation of soft tissue to increase loading
c. Activation of inhibited muscle groups
d. Decreases your chances of injury

Now that you know the reasons behind it, we can get started on the best warmup options.

Self Myofacial Release (better known as foam rolling) is the first. This improves the quality of soft tissue. It helps to work out any adhesions in the muscles and also help with overactive muscles. The basic way to describe foam rolling is to a tubular piece of foam you put your muscles on and use it sort of like a rolling pin. In this case since most of our members don't know much about it, I'd say to find a trainer in which club you attend and ask them for assistance, they would no doubt be happy to help.

The next is sort of a general warmup, which is what we teach most of our members. They begin by taking 5-15 minutes on a piece of cardio equipment to get they body tempature and heart rate up. This is a must before a member/client should train.

The third is dynamic stretching. These are what I like to call active stretching. I will give you a few examples of these:

1. Trunk Rotations-Stand with a shoulder width stance and place your arms on your hips. With your hands on your hips turn from side to side for 15-20 reps.

2. Alternate toe touches-Feet a foot or so past shoulder width bend down and touch your toes one at a time. Complete this for 20 reps.

3. Prisoner Squats-Place your hands behind your head and interlock your fingers. Now do 20 body weight squats

The last one is specific of that certain muscle group. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-20 repetitions of each exercise that you do with a very light weight. Also frequently implement isometrics during certain joint positions for various exercises. The last thing you want to do is go to war without your guns primed for duty!

Now a proper warmup all together may look something like this:

1. Foam Roll 5-10 mins. Focus on your problem areas

2. Get yourself a piece of cardio equipment and try and get your body tempature and heart rate up.

3. Trunk Rotations---Alternate toe touches---Prisoner Squats (Each 15-20 reps)

4. General Warmup. Take 50% or your normal working weight. For example if you were flat benching 225lbs. for 10 repititions, then use 115lbs. for 10 repititions, and continue that for 2-3 sets.

The next segement will be on post stretching and the importance of it!

Size and Strength Introduction

2009-12-31T13:24:00.003-06:00

Over the past several years of being with DFM I have been approached with many different questions from members when it comes to adding muscle mass. What seems to be percieved about personal trainers is we are just here to help people fight the battle of the bulge. Now certainly we are very good at that don't get me wrong, but in some cases we have to expand out and capture another type of member's curiosity.

So with that being said I will spend the next few weeks explaining the in's and out's of adding lean body mass and strength, while at the same time maintaining flexibility and mobility. My 6 topics will be:

1.The Warmup
2.Stretching
3.Training Splits (general outlines)
4.Periodzation (Reps, sets, tempo and rest periods and how to manipulate each variable) and Progression
5.Core Training
6.Summary of how everything flows together (Basically a how to put it all together)

Hang around, read a bit, and by the end the rest should come easily. Thank you for your time and I appreciate any feedback. Have a great new year!

Fitness Tips

2009-12-30T10:06:00.000-06:00

Resistance Training
If you want to really fire up your metabolism, incorporate resistance training into your workout. You’ll burn more calories over a longer period of time, and you will gain strength without bulking up. If you don’t want to lift free-weights, you can use your gym’s pin-&-stack machines.

Water Intake
More than half of your body is made up of water. Staying hydrated is absolutely vital to your health, especially if you are doing physical activity. Try to drink 64-oz of water daily. You can do eight 8-oz. glasses throughout the day.

Mix It Up
The human body is remarkably adaptive. In as little as 2 weeks it can adapt to your routine, making it less effective and slowing results. To avoid hitting a plateau, change your workout every few weeks. Remember: Routine is the enemy.

Consult a Trainer
Nowadays, most fitness centers have a personal training staff that can provide you with guidance and help you achieve your fitness goals. Ask your local fitness center if they provide you 1 free session.

Don’t Skip Breakfast
There’s a reason they call it the most important meal of the day. Skipping your morning meal can really bog down your metabolism. Start off with good, balanced breakfast and you’ll notice you have more energy throughout the day and a slimmer waistline.

Get a Workout Partner
Working out with a friend will make exercise more fun and you’ll be less likely to skip workouts. Not only is it safer to work out with a buddy, you often get better workouts. This way you both can achieve better results!

Stretch at the End
Stretching is a good way to increase your mobility and reduce muscle soreness. The best time to stretch is at the very end of your workout. This will prevent injury because your muscles will be at their warmest at this time.

Get Plenty of Rest
Physical activity isn’t effective unless you get adequate sleep. Sleep is your body’s natural recovery process. Sleeping not only reduces stress, but it repairs you body. Adults should strive for 6-8 hours of undisturbed sleep every night.

Cut Back on Process Sugars
Highly processed, sugary foods like candy and cupcakes will flood your body with excess calories that ultimately get stored as body fat. If you have a sweet tooth, try satisfying your cravings with a piece of fruit.

Work Larger Muscle Groups
Your largest muscle groups burn the most calories. If you want to lose more body fat, your best bet is to focus your workouts around your legs, back, and chest. You’ll find that these muscle groups will have more impact on losing inches around your midsection.

Breathe!
It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised at how many forget to breathe. Some people have a tendency to hold their breath when the exercise gets challenging. Control your breathing and you’ll find that your workouts will be easier and more effective.

Sometimes it's about the person next to you

2009-12-30T08:54:00.001-06:00

I know I just posted recently, but this is just too exciting to not make another entry. I usually see my Physiatrist for Cortico steroid injection under fluro guidance every 2-3 months to just keep me mobile. HOWEVER, it’s been almost 6 months since my last injection!! Honestly, it was nowhere near as bad as it’s been in the past but my deductible had been met so I thought I should get one more shot to prepare for the winter. When I saw my doctor yesterday he was a little amazed both in the physical changes, the mobility and things I can now do (ok, maybe I was showing off a little), and the fact that in almost the 2 years he’s been treating me this is the first time he’s seen me without my cane. That’s another one of those little things I keep forgetting about. How it used to be such an ordeal just walking from my car (even when I parked in Handicap parking). Yesterday I actually was talking and joking with people as I walked to the office. J

It made me stop and think how much my life has changed since I joined the Club and started working out with a trainer – in just April of this year. It has not been cheap – but how can you put a price on getting your life back? Check out how much a hospital stay is, and all of a sudden it isn’t as far-fetching as you originally thought! But regardless of what some of my friends think, it isn’t all about me. ;) It is about paying it forward and helping others.

When I was in the gym warming up the other day I noticed an elderly man sitting next to me watching the tv while sitting on a bike. While people were in line to use the bike. My first inclination was to say REALLY?!?!?. But I just started talking to him – asking if he needed help. He was a little curt with his “No” reply, but I recognized something in the reply I’d seen in myself. So I just started talking to him about how hard it was for me to originally use the bike. How my trainer had to literally place my feet on the pedals and find out where to stash my cane for easy access. He started listening and said that people had tried to help him, but he just couldn’t get his feet on the pedals. He was in his 70’s and was just trying to get more limber. I said if he was open to it, I could help him figure it out on his own (independence is SOOOO important). So I showed him how to have the dominant leg push the pedal all the way down and put his foot on. With one foot on the pedal, push the other pedal in the downward position and using your hands, lift the other leg and put it onto the pedal. After one or two tries he was successful! Then I said to not worry about going fast – just go 25-30 rpm initially until he was more comfortable. Then we worked out together for a bit. After warming up I went to my workout session with Jake the Great. I don’t know if I’ll ever see the man again – I hope I do.

But it made me realize there is a bigger reason to get into shape. And it’s not just for me (although that is HUGE). It is to take the lessons I’ve learned (and am learning) to help others. Not just the buff and toned crowd, but maybe the person sitting by themselves looking frustrated. Sometimes all it takes is a simple heart-felt “hello” to start the process.

Be well, and have a FANTASTIC New Year!

Are you a victim or a victor?

2009-12-28T10:21:00.000-06:00

Are you a victIM or a victOR? I heard a long time ago that the difference between the two is IM. And I AM the difference. Do I just sit back and allow life to happen to me and accept all the challenges while saying “I wish” or “I hope”? My faith built up my “inner (wo)man” and gave me the fortitude to become the person I am. But it was up to ME to change the “outer (wo)man”. And that only comes about with sweat and hard work. I so wish it came easier – or that all I WANTED to do was easier. But I can do so much more than I EVER thought I would – and I am nowhere near the end of this journey. So maybe today I can’t run a marathon or even master the stupid Elliptical machine. But I WILL! Right now I am the person hanging on for dear life (you fall off it once and it kinda scars you – AND your trainer) J. Not having run in over 7 or so years has given me a taste to feel the wind on my face as I run just for the joy of it. I told Jake the Great the other day I ran for a few seconds but felt like Forest Gump. He said when he thinks about Forest running he thinks about the man who became the marathon runner, NOT the boy in the leg irons. Which do you identify with? Time to run until the leg irons fall off! You may initially feel like you are awkward and clumsy – but SOON you’ll be the one flying by having people say “I wish I was like her/him”. Then it’s YOUR time to help them. To become the victor!

Running to you may be the physical act of running, or just completing 10 sit-ups! It doesn’t matter WHAT it is. Just set an immediate goal for yourself, and work to complete it. Then set a long-range goal and work to complete it. And work out a plan on how to accomplish your goal – because without plans our goals are just wishes. Which are nice – but I’m tired of wishing my life away. If I reach the goals – FANTASTIC! If I fall short – at least I tried! Figure out if the goal was too lofty or if you didn’t work towards it hard enough. Then make ANOTHER goal.

I heard once that it isn’t how many times you fall – it’s the ONE TIME you STAY down. You may see me stumble and occasionally fall, but no way is this gal EVER going to stay down. Life is just too precious and too short.

Now I need to get ready for the next session with J the G.

Inflammation Information

2009-12-27T12:40:00.000-06:00

Very recently the word "inflammation" has shown up in popular media, medical literature, and health and lifestyle related websites across the globe. It's a hot topic right now in medicine and has linked many diseases and problems together to a common source of injury. However, there seems to be a lot of talking and explanation but the points have been severely missed by the public. In this post I hope to explain what inflammation is, what it is responsible for, what causes it, and what we can do about it. Read on....

Inflammation is the body's natural response to any injury, bacteria, virus, allergen, or anything deemed "foreign" that is in the body. The "foreign particle" concept is an important thing to understand as many structures in the body transform into a "foreign" structure once injured or degraded to a certain extent. What happens is the body attacks these foreign particles via the immune system until the particle is removed or controlled and released from the body somehow. Acute (short-term) inflammation is commonly associated with redness, heat, swelling, and pain. Remember when you sprained your ankle? Inflammation of the joint caused it to swell, get warm, and hurt. Basically inflammation causes a localized increase in bloodflow to the affected area allowing more white blood cells (immune system) and chemicals to aid in tissue repair and remodeling so you heal correctly. This only lasts for a relatively short period of time, so the long term effects on the body are minimal. Also this kind of inflammation is easily detectable, as you can feel the pain and see the swelling. However, inflammation isn't that black and white. Inflammation occurs deep within the body in organs, blood vessels, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other internal structures. Tendonitis is inflammation, arthritis is inflammation, and so are many other common ailments. However it gets even worse. Inflammation that occurs in tissues such as the small intestine, blood vessels, heart, and other organs result in the same cascade of the immune system, however no pain is felt. Dr. Barry Sears, author of Enter the Zone and a leading researcher of inflammation, coined the term silent inflammation for inflammation that occurs within the body and can cause disease and poor health but doesn't provide any pain to let you know something is wrong. Acute inflammtion generally isn't a big problem, minus the pain and discomfort, however chronic inflammation (long term) is a real big deal and as many researchers and doctors have discovered is the root of many common diseases and health problems. So what can inflammation cause?

Inflammation is responsible for rheumatoid arthritis, tendonitis, Gout, Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, cataracts, autoimmune diseases, many types of cancer, heart disease, osteoarthrits, and other pathologies including shin splints! Wow, is there anything inflammation can't do? It is the opinion of this author that inflammation occurs in pretty much every disease and pain that we human encounter. Like I mentioned earlier, acute inflammation isn't the real problem. In fact, we need a healthy immune system for acute inflammation to protect against infections, repair damaged tissue, and to keep the body humming along nicely. However when inflammation persists for long periods of time, damage to the cells within the body occurs. Damage to the cells over extended periods of time (chronic inflammation) can cause dysfunction of the organ, tissue, joint, or even cell. Let's take Multiple Sclerosis, for example. Inflammation of the myelin sheath (tissue that surrounds nerve cells) causes neurodegeneration (nerve damage) which results in a slowing down or even stoppage of nerve impulse transmission via the nerves. The end result is a loss of function from the nerve and the resulting tissue that ther nerve innervates. Say hypothetically that an effected nerve innervated a foot extensor. Once the inflammation of that particular nerve got severe enough to disrupt function (transmission of electrical activity-nerve impulses) then the muscle would lose function and we could see musclular disfunction in this area. Obviously, widespread inflammation could affect more processes than this isolated example. What about cancer? Chronic inflammation, as said before, can damage cells. Damaging a cell can result in a few things, such as loss of the cell's response to growth controls, modification of cell DNA, cell death, and a host of other things. Cell death really isn't too big of a deal as other cells will usually pick up the slack, but a change in the cell's DNA and a loss of growth control can be the start of cancer. A cell that grows uncontrollably and doesn't respond to feedback from the body can be the genesis of a tumor. This is bad news obviously. The cancer-inflammation link is well documented and if you want information the internet is a great resource. Lastly, let's talk about arthritis. The literally means inflammation (-itis) of the joint (-athr). In general, athritis is an immune response misdirected to a joint. The immune system's response is often overzealous and causes pain, loss of function, and a build up of soft tissue deposits as a result of the inflammatory response. Consequently, the soft tissuse deposits that the immune system's response leaves behind are not the same as the original equipment your body came with and are easily damaged resulting in even more inflammation. And thus the cycle repeats. So what causes chronic inflammation?

Chronic inflammation can be caused by a number of things, poor biomechanics during exercise and daily activity, exposure to dietary and environmental allergens, excess body fat, persistent infections, and many more. Poor biomechanics during exercise and daily activity causes a continual injury to tissues, ligaments, and tendons. Constant microtrauma to these tissues causes the accumulation of inflammatory products in the muscle, joint, or surrounding bones and can cause tendonitis, bursitis, or athritis due to the continual improper remodeling of tissue, immune system byproducts, and the actual inflammatory response persisting over long periods of time. The continual swelling, accumulation of white blood cells, and deposition of proteins such as fibrin and immunoglobulin further prevents proper function of the injured tissue, resulting in even worse biomechanics and compensatory activity of other muscles. This can lead to strains, pain, and dysfunction, among other things. Dietary and environmental allergens are a very real problem. High blood sugar and high blood insulin levels seem to be some of the most important factors in chronic inflammation. Chronically high blood sugar as well as high blood insulin levels have a tendency to damage blood vessels, nerves, tissues, and cells with prolonged exposure. As a result inflammation occurs. In fact, food has a pretty dramatic effect on overall body inflammation. Inflammation tends to rise and fall based on the levels of certain hormones, especially eicasanoids (eye-cas-a-noids). Eiscasanoids are either pro-inflammatory (causing inflammation) or anti-inflammatory (preventing inflammation). Obviously the goal isn't to erradicate all inflammation, as then our immune system would crash, we wouldn't recover from exercise, and we'd likely go into sepsis from the first bacteria we encountered. The real goal is to keep these hormones relatively balanced while giving the edge to the anti-inflammatory eicasanoids (so more inflammation is prevented rather than caused). Pro inflammatory eicasanoids are formed when fatty acids enter a hormone pathway and get remodeled into arachadonic (a-rack-a-don-ick) acid (AA). AA is stored in fat cells as well, so the more body fat someone carries, the more inflamed they are. The catalyst for conversion to AA is insulin. The higher your insulin levels are, the more AA you produce. Conversely, the lower your insulin levels are the more anti-inflammatory eicasanoids you produce, and the less AA you produce. Obviously having more anti-inflammatory eicasanoids floating around would be beneficial to anyone, but especially those with arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's, cancer, MS, heart disease, or those interested in enhancing their wellness. So how do we lower insulin and prevent the conversion of fatty acids in the body to AA? Read on....

Insulin levels are controlled by what we eat, drink, and smell..yes SMELL! Ever heard the expression "I can just look at that _________(cookie, cake, pizza, etc) and gain weight!"? Turns out it may be true. Recent studies have linked simply smelling something appetizing with the pancreas releasing a bit of insulin. Insulin has a host of jobs to do, but it mainly is used for storing energy (fat) and catalyzing (speeding up) reactions in the body, for our purposes increasing the conversion of fatty acid molecules to pro-inflammatory eicasanoids. Well we can't control what we smell, and it's effect is rather small when we compare it to what we drink and eat. If you drink something with sugar, artificial sweetener, or any carbohydrate then insulin will be released at a fairly large rate. This is due to the nature of liquid food. The basic nutrients are already broken down and ready for use so the body doesn't have to process them to a very large extent. Henceforth, drinking a gatorade or soda causes a quicker and sharper insulin spike than eating a bowl or oatmeal or a potato. Remeber we want to keep insulin relatively low to avoid causing unnecessary inflammatory processes, so sugary (artificial or otherwsie) drinks should be avoided. Food-wise, civilization has been very unkind to us. Back in the 1900's the average sugar intake (from food, drink, etc) was around 4-10lbs per person a year. These days it's closer to 120-140lbs of sugar a year. Talk about a significant increase! Sugar is literally in everything. Cereal, bread, pasta, rice, etc. And those are just the refined sources. A medium sized regular potato has about 50g of glucose in it, which causes blood sugar to jump about 5x its normal level and causes a large rise in insulin levels. So instead of eating all this starch that makes up the current American diet, a shift to green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, lean meat, and moderate fruit intake would cause a marked lowering of blood insulin levels in most people. Fibrous carbohydrates such as those in temperate fruits and fresh vegetables cause little to no rise in insulin levels. Meats and other animal products actually tend to lower insulin levels as well as healthy fats from nuts and seeds. All of this sums up quite nicely to lower insulin and subsequently lower inflammation. Imagine being less dependent on modern medicine's medication and healthier by just choosing better food options! Also you can correct poor biomechanics and muscle activity by getting hooked up with a DFM trainer so that they can show you proper technique.

This post has gotten plenty long, and for that I apologize. However inflammation is running amok and causing serious harm to most of our community. Hopefully through the spread of knowledge and education on the subject we can start changing the lives of many. Until next time, keep working hard!

-Jordan Feigenbaum CSCS, ACSM-HFS
DFM Trainer

Hello!

2009-12-24T11:02:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! I'm Janet "The Janimal" and I work out at the St. Charles location. I'd love to tell you how my life has changed and over time I'm sure I will, but for now, I'm just enjoying the holiday season. Tonight I'll do a special service at my church, tomorrow get together with friends, and Saturday with the family. And all my shopping is done! ((tip of the sparkling water))

I feel like for the first time in a long time I have control over my life. Since being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 15 years ago, it has been a roller coaster ride. At times I felt like all I could do was hold on as I'd go up yet another steep hill. But guess what. I'm the one in the front now with hands in the air screaming with joy at the top of my lungs! Because I no longer walk with a cane and have more energy than a room full of kindergarteners!

But enough of that - back to the holidays! To my family food is an important part of any get-together. One thing I've learned to do is buy extra protein bars in the flavors I like and load up my purse so I'll have one instead of the ever popular cookies! A favorite of mine is the lemon-flavored Luna bars. Mmmmmmm.......... Also, my refrigerator is stocked to overflowing with fresh veggies so I have something quick to snack on during the rush. Even so, it will be interesting to see if I can avoid the temptation! I look forward to any hints that have helped you during this time.

Another thing I'll be doing is spending extra time at the gym. I'm fortunate enough to be off work until January 4th, so this is Janimal-Time! Jake the Great (my trainer) will be gone for a little bit so I promised I'd work hard in his absence (if you see him, be sure and tell him how hard I did). I was going to add so he'd take it easy on me - but one thing I've learned - I don't pay for him to take it easy on me. There was a LONG time spent just trying to get me mobile, so now I like it when he pushes me to the max. I may not be able to do everything, but I'm sure as heck going to try!!!

So if you see me in the gym, stop by and say hello. But if we talk too long, you may have to work out with me - cuz I'll be there to sweat. Cuz I CAN!!!

And if there is someone you know who doesn't think they can work out due to their "limitations" feel free to share my story - because others have said it but I mean it - if I can do this (and I CAN) then ANYONE can. And if you haven't bought them a holiday gift yet - how about a gym membership and a Quick Start packet? It's the gift that keeps giving...

(Oh, and explanation of the name "Janimal" - it was given to me by a DFM friend (thanks JC) - the inner animal has been released - watch me roar!!!)

Hand Holding and Miscellanous Ramblings

2009-12-22T10:40:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone and welcome to the new DFM website and blog. I plan on trying to add to this a few times a week. I would love to get questions from clients, trainers, and non-clients to answer or at least try to so if you have a question go ahead and email me at jfeigenb@gmail.com. Now, on with the show!

Yesterday, while working at the Club Fitness in O’Fallon at Highway K and N I surveyed the landscape of gym patrons and noticed an oddity that spoke to me. Over half of the people using the cardio equipment were holding on to some sort of handles or other parts of the machine to "brace" themselves while frantically cranking out their exercise with their legs only. Now I am all for anybody getting active in the first place, and if that happens to mean they need to assist themselves by bracing their hands against the machine then so be it. However, for some of the gym regulars, it surprised me that they were still holding on for dear life! For example, a few people were walking on pretty steep inclines while holding themselves in an upright position with their hands on the machine. Furthermore, there were a few people on the stair climbers hunched over with their arms and hands braced on the machine. Then there are the elliptical machines where people were holding on to the arm poles that move when you move your legs. It was very interesting to me.

So before just going up to these nice folks and explaining to them that they were getting less out of their exercise by bracing themselves against the machine, I decided to do some research. As it turns out more than a few different authorities have found that holding on while performing cardio reduces caloric expenditure (bad), results in poor posture (bad), and reinforces improper muscular biomechanics (yea you guessed it, bad). When you hold on while say, walking on an inclined treadmill, you are effectively robbing your legs, core, and trunk of working hard during the exercise. Think about it, if you had to walk up a hill in the forest that had a steep incline you would be leaning forward and doing some pretty hard work. Contrast this to holding on to the handles on the treadmill and your position, which is more upright and relaxed. Which is more difficult and which do you think burns more calories? Ding, ding. Walking up the hill sans holding on wins out on all counts. It engages more musculature to keep your balance and also forces you to create more force with your legs to keep up with the treadmill rather than the slight subconscious pulling you would do while holding on to the treadmill. In another example, most would agree that swiftly ascending a few flights of stairs is pretty challenging, especially when the "few" flights turns out to be 20 or 30 flights. Now if you're holding on the railing of the stairs the difficulty drops through the cellar, comparatively. Also, the hunched over position that most gym-goers assume while leaning on the stair climber is just bad posture and reinforcing that is not a good way to get results.

Some sources claim anywhere from a 20%- 50% decrease in caloric expenditure when you hold on the machine with your hands or upper body. That is a TON of calories to give up during your precious gym time! And don't think that pushing and pulling on the elliptical's "ski-style" poles are doing anything for your upper body. In reality your legs are creating the movement and your arms are just moving as a result of being attached to the poles. Also, you're failing to challenge your core to hold your skeleton upright by adding points of contact (with your hands). I could go on for pages, but the reality is this: Do yourself a favor and do your cardio sans hands and see how much more challenging it is. There are about three cardio machines I know of that really can involve the upper body to any sort of significant training effect and they are the rower, a ski erg, and an upper body cycle ergometer. Unfortunately, Club Fitness does not currently have any of these specialty machines. The good news is now you have no question on whether you should be holding on or not, don't do it! Until next time, keep working hard!

-Jordan Feigenbaum CSCS, ACSM-HFS, IFA Sports Nutritionist DFM Trainer