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Are you mentally ready to exercise?

Hi,

It was just this morning and I had finished my exercise and was heading to the locker room. 

At the other end of the gym an exercise class was getting started in a few minutes (it was just before 8am).

As I was heading to the locker room some woman almost knocked me down in such a rush to get to the exercise class. 

I just had to smile.  Type A personality right there in the gym.  So, is that so bad?

Yeah, it is. 

The whole idea of exercising is to help your body (and mind and spirit) become healthier, stronger and fitter.   And you will also feel better and more relaxed. 

However, if you go to the gym and you are super hyped and stressed out because you might be a minute or so late, or because of something that happened at work then your time in the gym will not be as productive. 

Yes, working out can help relieve some of that stress.  But, not all of it.  

You will have a much more productive exercise session if you are prepared for the exercise session before you go there. 

I remember several times when I was teaching martial arts at UC
Berkeley that some of the students would come to the class and just be out of sorts. 

They couldn’t concentrate, they couldn’t pay attention and their attitude affected others around them.  I would always draw them aside and tell them that they have to leave everything outside the room. 

I even made them bow out and go outside the room, do some deep breathing exercises and then come back in when they could leave whatever was bothering them behind. 

This is what you have to do also.  Just lifting weights or doing some kind of aerobic/fitness class is more than just about the physical. 

Can you imagine if an athlete was all stressed out before a competition?  Would their performance be the best?  No way.  Sure a little stress or tension can help, but little is the key word.

If you had to do a lot of reading for a presentation the next day, do you think you would be productive if you were upset or totally hyper when you started reading?

Of course not.   You would be lucky to get through 10 words without losing your focus. 

The same is true of your exercise sessions.  You will be the most productive and get the most health benefits if you are relaxed and focused on what you are going to be doing and what you are going to get out of it. 

So the next time you go to the gym, take a couple of minutes and just relax.  Try some deep breathing exercises or spend a few minutes in the car meditating. 

This will help you get focused on your body and how you are going to improve it in your exercise session. 

Being mentally ready to exercise will improve your exercise session immensely. 

Try it.

Thanks,

Mike Val

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Hi,

Well, here it is, the new year and I am a little late getting started.  This is my first post this year. 

Had several trying experiences hit me all at once, but now I am semi-situated and ready to get back to providing you with the fitness information you want. 

Which brings up a good point.  What do you want.  Some of you are okay with what I have been writing.  Others not.

So let me hear from you.  Make your comments and let me know what you would like to hear more about.

I have listened and will be utilizing social bookmarking and videos much more this year. 

I will also introduce my own products and overall system that anyone can use in pursuit of their health and fitness goals. 

My basic premise and goal is for everyone to be able to get in the condition that they want to be in.

And to do this with a program they can use for life.

And that puts me apart from almost everyone else in the health and fitness world. 

Yes, there are several good programs for reaching your fitness, nutrition and health goals.  Usually they only concentrate on one aspect. 

Yet, each of these programs has a serious flaw.  Will anyone do this – or even be able to do this for the rest of their lives. 

You have a bunch of 20 year olds going through fitness routines that are very advanced. 

How is that going to help a 45 year old mother that has 3 kids and gained 40 pounds over the last 20 years?  It isn’t. 

You have programs that tell you to fast for 24 hours, then eat only protein for the next 24 hours and then pig out on carbs for 1 day.  Who is going to do that consistently for the rest of their lives?  No one. 

You have programs that tell you to take these pills (that only cost $80.00 per month) to fix this one thing.  Then take another pill (for another $80.00 per month) to fix one other thing.  Who can afford that?  Not many. 

So the key to any fitness, nutrition and health program is that it is something you can do and will do for the rest of your life.  It becomes a habit and fits into your circle of health. 

That is what my program will be about.  And even though it seems like common sense, no one else seems to be doing it. 

This is what I have been doing my whole life.  And even though there are stressful times (like this whole year already) and my cortisol levels were sky high, I still made it to work everyday and never got sick once.

I also still made it to the gym about 1/2 of time compared to my normal schedule. 

If I didn’t have a healthy fitness and nutritional base then I would have not been able to function at that level. 

So my goal is for everyone, no matter what is happening in their life, to be able to function and maintain their health and fitness all year long. 

You can do this when you have a program that is a part of your lifestyle and not something you have to force yourself to do. 

Stay tuned.

Thanks

Mike Val

The one thing that will guarantee your success in diet, fitness and health for 2011. Part 2

Hi,

In the first part of this series we saw how commitment is the number one factor you need to accomplish your diet, fitness and health programs in 2011. 

(Read it here in case you missed it: health success)

The first part of commitment is acting upon your commitment.  You saw how you need to decide what to do and how to do it. 

Now we will look at the second part of commitment. 

The second part of commitment has an endurance factor.  Binding yourself to the course of action.  Sticking with it long after the mood has left you.  Coming through time after time after time, year after year after year. 

You have made the commitment.  You have acted and started eating better and exercising.

Now life gets in the way.  It happens to everyone. 

It doesn’t matter.  Did you think this was going to be easy? 

If it was easy, then no one would be overweight or out of shape. 

So making a commitment – the first part of commitment – is relatively easy.  Remember that is the first step.

The second, third, fourth and so on steps are the hardest. 

Keeping the commitment going – that is the hard part.  And this is where who you are comes into play. 

The last three lines of the poem by Ashbash sum it up much better than anything I can say to you.

Commitment is the stuff character is made of.
It is the power to change the face of things.
It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism.

Okay, what I am about to say right now will probably shock you. 

If you want to be successful with your commitment and your diet, fitness and health programs you must take it slow. 

I would bet that the number one reason people fail at doing something –even if they are committed to it- is because they try to do too much too fast.  And they then expect to much in the way of results immediately.

The body does not work that way. 

Drastic changes in eating, drastic changes in exercising cause the body to rebel.   Cause the body to fight the very things you are doing – even if these things are better for your overall health.

So instead of trying to change everything you eat overnight, instead change one thing. 

Maybe you forgo the bagel and cream cheese at breakfast.  Maybe you drink your coffee black instead of with 500 calories of whipped cream. 

Do this for a week or two and then change something else. 

If you decide to go to the gym, don’t try to act like a professional body builder and do 20 sets for every muscle. 

Instead do 1 set of a very moderate weight 2 or 3 times a week.  Introduce your body to changes – don’t try to knock it out. 

The key point is that you want to get fitter and healthier.  To do this you need to change your life.  You do this by gradually introducing new things into your life. 

This way they will stick and become your life.   

Now you know what you have to do. 

Act upon what you really, really want and do it for the long haul. 

Those 25 pounds and flabby muscles will disappear easily.

You will be healthier, fitter, stronger and have tons more energy.  

Isn’t that worth committing to?

Thanks
 

The one thing that will guarantee your success in diet, fitness and health for 2011.

Hi,

Are You Willing To Do The Number One Thing That Will Guarantee Success In Your Diet, Fitness and Health Programs for 2011?

This one thing always works.  It actually works for anything you attempt to do – it doesn’t just have to be with your health or fitness.

Yet, it is something that almost no one does.

Part of it is because they aren’t even aware of it.  Part of that is because they aren’t aware of how important this is.  Part of it is because they don’t understand how to do it. 

So what is this thing? 

It is commitment. 

So now you are aware of it. 

It is everything. 

So now you are aware of how important it is. 

We will get into how to do it later.

So exactly what is commitment? 

Commitment has many different definitions.  Here are a few that I like:

The trait of sincere and steadfast fixity of purpose.

The act of binding yourself to a course of action.

Sticking with something long after the mood you have said it in has left you… by jojo 11 Sep 20, 2008

Commitment is what transforms the promise into reality.
It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions.
And the actions which speak louder than the words.
It is making the time when there is none.
Coming through time after time after time, year after year after year.
Commitment is the stuff character is made of.
It is the power to change the face of things.
It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism…by Ashbash Jan 13, 2005

Wow.  I know that is a lot of definitions. 

But, let’s look at just a couple of them. 

First of all it is an act.  It is something you do.  

It is not something you just do by rote – like brushing your teeth or breathing – it is something you have to think about and then act upon.

So start out your commitment by deciding what it is you really, really want.  You have to want this more than anything. 

You can not commit to something that you really don’t care about.  Remember it is something that you really, really want. 

The operative word here is “you”.  If it is something that someone else wants for you, that will never work. 

If you spouse wants you to lose weight and you are only lukewarm to the idea, it is not going to happen.  Oh sure, you might make some pathetic attempts, but they won’t stick. 

You must be the one that really, really wants it. 

Since we are talking about your health let’s say you want to lose 25 pounds and “tone” your muscles (there is really no such thing as toning your muscles, but since it is a common term I am going to use it here).

You know that the 25 pounds aren’t just going to fall off by themselves.  You are actually going to have to do something. 

The first step is figuring out what that something is. 

Now maybe that something is eating less food or eating healthier foods or starting an exercise program.  Or a combination of the above.

Now you know what you really, really want to do.  That is to lose 25 pounds.

And you know what you have to do.  That is to eat healthier foods and exercise more. 

This is actually the easy part. 

Now comes the commitment.  Now comes the time to act upon what your want to do and have to do.

You have taken the first step.  Remember the saying that the first step is the hardest?  Well, that is a lie.

The first step is actually the easiest. 

The next post we will get into the harder part and the second part of commitment to your diet, fitness and health program for 2011.

 Thanks

Effective Exercise

Hi,

Would you like to make your exercise routine more effective?

If you are like most people, once you get into an exercise routine, you tend to stay with it.

But, your body is very good at adapting.  And what was once an effective exercise – because it was new to your body – has become “ho hum”. 

Actually, it is not the exercise itself.  It is the fact that your body has adapted to the exercise and the weight you are using. 

You can change this by adding more reps, changing the rep speed and adding more weight.  Doing these things will keep your body stimulated. 

Here is something else you can try. 

If you are used to doing total body workouts this will be easy for you.

If you are used to specializing on one or two body parts per workout, then you might have a bit more trouble with this from a mental point of view.  Your body will like it though.

You will be doing three exercises in a tri set and you will be exercising to momentary failure.

This is important.  Momentary failure is when you can’t do one more full rep.

Total failure is when you can’t budge your body or the weight.  You will reach momentary failure for a full rep, but you continue moving the weight for maybe a quarter rep, and eighth rep, and so on until you can’t move the rep even 1/4 of an inch. 

Your exercise routine will be to do a lower body exercise.  Then you do an upper body exercise.  Finally, you do an whole body exercise. 

Of course there will always be some overlap.  For example, squats affect your whole body even though they are considered a lower body exercise.

Here is an example:

So let’s start with squats.  If you are at a gym, use a barbell or dumbbells.  If you are at home, you can use dumbbells or just your body weight.  Do these until you can’t do a full squat any more.

Then immediately move to doing shoulder presses.  Do as many as you can.  You can use a barbell or dumbbells. 

The key is to have everything set up so you can move from exercise to exercise without any wasted time in between.

Finally, let’s do a whole body exercise.  You could do a barbell clean and jerk.   This is simply putting the barbell on the ground, squatting down to pick it up and as you are standing bring the barbell to your shoulders.  Then do a small bend at the knees and push the barbell over your head.  Then set it back down again. 

You can also do this with dumbbells.  Again do as many as you can.

If you have never done this before, then please, please start with extra light weight. 

I will be working on doing a lot more videos in the near future so that you can see the exact exercises I am talking about. 

When you are done with 1 round, then do two more rounds.  After the third round is finished, get on an exercise bike and pedal as fast as you can for 30-60 seconds. 

Then get a drink of water. 

You can then do another round with three different exercises.  Follow with the exercise bike for 30-60 seconds. 

If you are a gluten for punishment do another round with three more exercises.

Three rounds of three should only take you about 15 minutes. 

Try this and you will be burning more body fat, building endurance, and getting stronger all in one shot. 

Your exercise routine will be more effective. 

Thanks 

Spot Reduction – Myth or Reality Part 2

Hi,

In the last post we explored the myth of spot reduction.  But, then we found out that maybe there is something to it after all.

In this post we will talk about the why it might be possible.

Whenever you exercise intensely (we’ll get to that in a later post) your muscle fibers get damaged.  There is more muscle trama. 

This trauma and damage needs to be repaired.  In order for your body to repair it you need more energy. 

Your metabolism is raised because it is working to repair the damage. 

The great thing about raising your metabolism for this repair process is that it will stay raised until the repair process is finished.  This can take 48-72 hours.

While your metabolism is raised your body is using fat stores to help supply the energy necessary for the repairs.

It was always thought that this process utilized fat from everywhere in your body equally. 

But, as was pointed out in the last post, if that were true, then why do some people have muscular arms but a fat belly?

Part of it is because of hormones, but is it possible that some of that comes from the fat surrounding the exercised muscles?

After all everyone uses their arms all day long.  Even if they sit all day at a computer, they are still using their arms for typing, talking on the phone, reaching, grabbing, etc.

Meanwhile the abs are just doing pretty much nothing. 

The latest research shows that you do burn a little bit more fat around the exercised muscle. 

Now, this study (mentioned in the previous post) was dealing with intense exercise.  Not with everyday movements.

But, it makes sense to me that if you are moving your arms constantly, then it would be harder for fat to get deposited in those areas.

I have no proof of this – just a thought.

So does that mean that you have to do intense exercise for your abs or glutes in order to lose the fat there.? 

Either that or do a thousand ab exercises and squats everday. 

Most of you won’t do that. 

However, you can try this instead.

Start moving more.  Don’t sit for long stretches of time.  Get up and do a few squats.  (In a later post I will give you a few sitting ab exercises.)

When you do exercise your abs, don’t make them an afterthought.  And do more than just crunches.  Your abs are complex muscles and need more than exercise in just one plane. 

Now here is the key.  This spot reduction is limited.  It is not going to help you burn fat over your whole body. 

For that you need whole body exercises  – like squats and deadlifts for example. 

And you need cardio exercise.  This also has to be more intense than you might be used to doing.

Do all three of the above and you will be burning fat almost constantly. 

Thanks,

PS.  You might have noticed that I have a lot of – later posts – coming up.  There is so much to write about and discuss.  Hope you stay tuned as we approach the new year. 

Customized Online Training

Hi,

Does Customized Online Training work?  This was a question that Pattie Ruszala asked in one of the comments.  Here is her full comment.

There are many online personal training websites on the net these days, all promising great results and individual attention to a client. Does it really work? Some websites are based on the idea that after filling out the form client would receive a customized training program so she/he can follow a program to reach their fitness goals.

Here is my answer.

This is a great question and it is something I have had to ask myself as I am preparing my program.

I have taught personal training (and how to be a personal trainer) at the high school, community college, university, and private levels for many years. 

It is very easy to give individual attention to my students.  It is the best way for someone to learn exactly how to do exercises. 

It is also the best way to find problem areas.  If someone has a prior injury or is very inflexible then it is easy to find this out quickly and correct for it immediately.

No online program that offers a “customized” (read generic) training program can do any of the above. 

You will find that almost all of these programs are not customized at all.  They just copy somebody else’s program and put their name on it.

Now maybe that program is a pretty good one, but it is not customized and there is no support from a trained professional (i.e. one with years of education and training).

If you look at most of those programs they will just tell you to do an exercise. 

Let’s use push ups as an example.  Now – since you are reading this I am assuming you probably already know how to do a decent pushup.

However, many people do not know how to do one and many can’t even do one.  So what do you do then?

Do these programs know how to get someone to be able to do their first pushup?  The answer is almost always no. 

If you write in for support, it usually goes to some support person that is also answering questions about how to download something.

That is why the program I am developing has a beginners exercise module.  For example I can give you 6 exercises to do to build up to doing a full pushup. 

And, don’t worry you more advanced people.  I can also show you at least 6 pushup exercises that will tax even the strongest and fittest of you. 

My concern though has always been in how to personalize this as much as possible. 

I could offer over the phone coaching, or using the internet to interact. 

Now with all of that said, do you really need a personal trainer?  For most the answer is no.

The only reason to use one is to learn how to do an exercise(s) or to practice a specific skill set such as martial arts training as an example. 

But for simple exercises you can go to any gym and just ask anyone on staff to help you with doing an exercise or using a machine. 

You can ask the trained staff and pay them for an hour of their time.   Just be aware that they will try to sell you on using a personal trainer at $50 per hour.  You don’t need that.

From what I have seen most of the online programs for exercise programs miss the point entirely.

Exercise is just one aspect of getting into the absolute best health lifestyle possible. 

These programs out there seem to think that just exercising hard enough is the “be all and end all”.  It isn’t. 

It is one piece of the puzzle.  But ignoring your over all health, your nutrition program, any physical limitations and the mental side of health and fitness is just foolish. 

So can you find a customized online training program?  It is possible, just not probable.

Thanks,

Mike Val

Hi,

What do you want your fitness level to be?

Do you want to win a fitness contest?  Do you want to win a body building contest?  Do you want to be able to play with your kids without getting winded?

Everyone has different levels of fitness right now.  No matter what that level is, that is your existing level.

Are you happy with that level?  If you are is that a good thing or a bad thing?

You could be happy with your level of fitness and be in absolutely terrible shape. 

I had a roommate once that was very heavy.  And not solid heavy.  He was way out of shape and was in his mid 20′s. 

But, he was okay with that.  He ate more greasy food than you could shake a stick at.  He didn’t care. 

He said he would probably die before 30 so he was going to eat whatever he wanted.  Exercise was not a part of his life. 

I had moved back to CA and needed a place to stay immediately.  That is how I came to move into his place. 

His attitude towards life and fitness was no where close to mine and I moved out within a month, but it was interesting to see a different lifestyle.

And there are many people like that.  Maybe they don’t think they are going to die soon, but many people just don’t care that they are in terrible shape and terrible health.

I am assuming you are not like that.  Otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this right now.

What if you aren’t at the fitness level you want to be at?  How do you get there?

Most diet, fitness and health gurus will tell you that you have to make changes immediately.

They will give you programs that reduce your calories a lot.  They will give you programs that try to make you a magazine model within a few weeks.  They will give you health foods to eat.  They will give you supplements to take.  They will give you medications to force changes in your body.

All of that is the absolute worst way to make changes.

I am talking about permanent changes.  Changes in your lifestyle that are easy to implement.  Changes that are so gradual that you hardly even notice them.

Changes that you want to do. 

That is if you make the decision to change your fitness level.  If you make that decision to change then you have to realize that you will have to do some things.

You aren’t going to go from 50 pounds over weight to a gymnastic body type without doing something.

Now the question becomes, are you willing to do what it takes?

A lot of people try to change, but most fail.  Part of the reason is because whatever program they go on doesn’t work, works only temporarily or is too hard.

These programs try to change you too quickly, too drastically. 

You need something that will help you make changes easily and gradually.  That will be easy to incorporate into your lifestyle.

But, no matter what program you decide on only you can make the decision to change and improve your fitness level.

Stay tuned for updates on the program I am developing.

Thanks

Hi,

So what in the world does brushing your teeth have to do with fitness?

Do you remember when you were a kid and how you never wanted to brush your teeth?

“Why do I have to brush my teeth” you probably screamed – or was it just me?

Or how about this excuse – “I just brushed them yesterday, why do I have to do it again?”

But, guess what?  I brush my teeth every day, at least twice a day.  And I will bet that almost everyone else does also.

This is just one of those daily habits that we all have. 

A habit is the key word in the above sentence.  This is what your fitness program should be also.

A daily habit.

Sure, you might kick and scream to start with, but if you keep doing it pretty soon it will be a daily habit.  And your life will be much better for it.

Sure, you can say that brushing your teeth only takes a couple of minutes a day. 

Still, you know that brushing your teeth has benefits.  Like a nicer smile, better smelling breathing, no particles inbetween your teeth and better dental health. 

So you do it.  Every day and ususally a couple of times a day.

And you know that a good fitness level has benefits.  Better health, more strength, more energy, better looking body and many more.

But, being fit takes more time per day than just brushing your teeth.

You have been led to believe that you need 60, 90 or even 120 minutes a day to exercise like so many fitness gurus will tell you. 

Up until a few years ago this was the fitness mantra.  Fortunately, that time has come down to a more resonable level. 

Today there are exercise programs that are higher intensity for shorter periods of time. 

However they are all longer than a couple of minutes. 

So you fight and scream and say you just can’t do it.  You don’t have the time or you just exercised last week, why do you have to do it again .
To get over this problem of not being fit, you have to make getting fit a habit. 

Now, it would be easy if you really liked to exercise.  It would be easy if you had your parents yelling at you to exercise like they did when they told you to brush your teeth.

But, ususally those things aren’t in place in your life now.

So it is up to you. 

You have to actually start doing it.  Now you don’t have to start doing 20-30-60 minutes or more.

In fact that is crazy if you are just trying to start. 

Here is a quick and easy way to make fitness a habit. 

Get up a few minutes earlier in the morning.  Like 5 minutes. 

Take 1 minute and just stretch.  (you’ll find more info on exactly what to do in my fitness modules – coming soon). 

Take one minute and do one simple exercise.  Example.  For squats, just sit down in a chair and get up again.  Repeat for the full minute. 

Do a complex exercise.  Example.  Lay down on your stomach and do a pushup (push up and go down), turn over on your back and raise your arms and legs into a “V” position.  Turn over and do a pushup.  Turn over and do another “V”.  Repeat for 1 minute. 

Lay down on your back.  Put your hands on your abdomen.  Breath in and feel your abdomen expand.  Hold you breath for 4 seconds.  Force the air out by contracting your abdominal muscles.  Repeat for 1 minute.

That is 4 minutes.  This still leaves you one minute to brush your teeth.

That is it. 

Start with these 4 simple exercises and do them every day for the rest of your life.  (Please note if you have injuries please feel free to substitute any exercises you need to.)

Make it your daily habit.   Just doing these simple things will do 2 things.

It will get you in the habit of doing something for your fitness everyday.  It will improve your fitness levels.  It will improve your energy levels. 

And the best part is, that you will find that you want to start doing more.  And you will get even fitter. 

You can do this routine, or similar ones a couple of times a day or even several if you like. 

The more times you do the routine the fitter you will become. 

So you see, brushing your teeth and fitness do have something in common.

Thanks

Hi,

I just got back from a brief trip to the Grand Canyon with my wife.  Sort of an early anniversary for us. 

So what does that have to do with hiking and fitness?  You might think that hiking is pretty easy.  After all it is just walking, right?

Yes, it is just walking.  But, it is also different.  For one thing you are also going up and down.  The down part isn’t so bad, but the coming back up is a bit tougher. 

The other main difference is that the terrain is not even.  It is not like walking on a sidewalk or a treadmill.  There are rocks, stones, branches and even animals in the way. 

The ground has bumps and grooves and ridges.  And you have to remain alert.  After all you don’t want to walk over the edge and take the express trip to the bottom a 1/2 mile down. 

The amazing thing to me – besides the magnificent views – were the different types of people walking to the first stop and back up. 

There were young people and old people.  There were, men, women and children – even babies being carried. 

There were skinny, medium and fat people. 

Some were having a really hard time – especially going back uphill.  Others seemed to have no problem at all.  And surprisingly, it wasn’t always the thinner crowd that had the least problems. 

The only person that got really sick and almost passed out was a 40+ year old women that was not overweight at all.  But, she looked weak.  I saw here going down the trail and thought she was going to have a hard time. 

No energy, no stamina and no muscle power. 

On the other hand I saw a mother with her husband and three kids.  She was about 15-20 pounds overweight, but she was jogging back up with her oldest son – about 12 years old.  they would jog for awhile and then rest and jog again. 

Her husband and other two kids – one younger and one older than 12 – had more of a struggle. 

There were several older couples that were in great shape.  No, they didn’t have a body builder’s body, but they were walking down and up the trails with little effort. 

So what are the takeaways here.  One is that – yes you can be fit even if you are somewhat overweight. 

The other is that you can maintain your fitness levels well into old age. 

And the third is that if you are now out of shape, then it is time to get in shape. 

The woman who became sick because she was so sick and weak she couldn’t handle a simple short up and down hike is not a good one.  What started out as an enjoyable hike with her husband did not end well. 

So stay healthy, stay fit and stay strong.  If you aren’t there, then get there.  That way your fitness levels will support hiking and any other physical activities you do with your family or friends. 

Thanks