Tis’ the season……for abandoned New Year’s resolutions!  With 2012 rolling around, it’s time again for setting, and then giving up on, our New Year’s resolutions.  Why do we feel it necessary to participate in this crazy tradition?  And more importantly, why can’t we ever follow through?

The New Year’s resolution is actually a tradition that came from ancient Babylonian culture, where the first New Year was celebrated (as far as we know).  Similar to modern times, the Babylonians essential chose something that they had been “meaning to do” and made it their goal to actually complete it in the coming year.  Although, unlike us, the Babylonians weren’t pledging to give up smoking or lose weight (the most common resolution was to return borrowed farming equipment….HA!).

Despite the obvious differences, I would wager a guess that a lot of those Babylonian resolutions went the same place that our current resolutions tend to go….NOWHERE!  So why even make them?!  Simply put, we make resolutions because we need to have a goal or challenge to motivate us to do something.  For example…If I was standing next to a mountain, I’d probably be thinking nothing more than, “Wow, that’s a really nice mountain.”  But as soon as someone challenges me to climb it, the only thing running through my head is, “Okay, how do I get up this baby?!”

The truth is that we need resolutions and challenges because we are inherently a competitive species.  Don’t think so?  Open up a history book and find a time that wasn’t defined by competition for something….resources, power, money.  Competition has defined the human species for hundreds of tens, even hundreds, of thousands of years, and it is a tool that we can use to our advantage……if we do it right.

This brings us to the most important discussion.  That is, why is it so difficult to follow through with our resolutions?  This answer is multi-faceted, but the real root of the problem boils down to the simple fact that we are competing against ourselves!  It’s very easy to lose when you’re losing to you.  And without some sort of accountability, letting go of our resolutions is as easy as letting go of those unwanted pounds (when they finally DO come off).

So what is the answer?  Should we not make resolutions at all?  Or do we need a lesson in sticking to our guns?  To be perfectly honest, I don’t have the answer (shocking, isn’t it?).  But what I DO know is that the New Year’s Resolution is a time-honored tradition with a lot of inherent value.  And, from this writer’s perspective, its most important value is NOT in the accomplishment of sticking to our resolution; it is in identifying what is important to us.  When we make that resolution, whether it is to lose weight, use a little less profanity, or return borrowed farm equipment, we are saying to ourselves, “This is something about myself that I am not satisfied with”.  And it is in those awe-inspiring, sky-opening, self-analyzing moments that we really grow as individuals.  And whether or not we accomplish the goal, we can at least say we tried.  Have a happy (and healthy) New Year!

Have an awesome holiday!!

Over the years, and through countless numbers of gyms, I’ve noticed a very interesting thing….people always tend to workout at the same time each day.  And not just the ones that are forced to with busy work schedules or taking care of the kids.  This leads me into another frequently asked question when it comes to our fitness regimens, that is, “What is the best time of day for a workout?”

I’m sure that most people have at least thought about this, if not had an extensive conversation with someone about it.  You know who I mean….that person that swears up and down that the only way to lose weight is to do your cardio first thing in the morning before you eat anything.  Or the huge guy in the gym that says that you have to lift after 6 pm if you want to get stronger because that’s when your body temperature is at its peak.  If you haven’t thought of it, or if you are just beginning a workout program, then you’re in luck, as you haven’t heard any of the crazy rationales floating around out there.

So what’s the answer??  First off, let’s get one thing straight….EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.  While there are many physiological changes that our bodies go through during the day, many of which will affect both the quality and effectiveness of our workouts, there really isn’t a time when all of them line up.  For men, testosterone levels tend to be highest in the morning but the body is also “coldest” at that time as well.  For those trying to lose weight, while the body may have a greater tendency to oxidize fat when the levels of stored glycogen are lowest (usually upon waking in a fasted state) we also risk muscle catabolism if there is not enough blood sugar to power our workouts.

So the answer is………….THERE IS NO ANSWER!  Or, at least, it’s different for everyone.  When asked, my answer to this question is always the same…..Work out when YOU feel the BEST…..and when you can.  The number one reason for workout “dropout” is related to individuals putting too much stress on their life with their exercise.  For example, if you hate-hate-hate mornings and feel like crap when you try to workout early, how long do you think you’ll be able to keep it up?  Or if your boss is all over you for getting back from lunch late because you’re at the gym, what do you think you’ll give up, your workout or your job?  The main point that I try to get across to those with this question is, “Don’t worry about it!”  Workout whenever you can fit it in and whenever you feel good.  The rest will fall into place

Is it just me, or does that seem like an incredibly complex piece of equipment for a simple bicep curl?

The television/infomercial fitness industry has always been a huge money-maker, from the days of Suzanne Somers and the Thigh Master to P90X, the Shake Weight, and the Ab – (insert any word here).  While not all of these things are a waste, it seems like there has been a recent rash of completely ludicrous workout equipment as companies rush to try to come up with the next big thing.  I’ll be looking at some of the more interesting wastes of money and what purpose they actually serve in a new series on TV workout equipment, the first of which will look at the latest “All-in-One workout station”, ”The Rack”.

For those of you that haven’t seen the commercial, I suggest you watch it here before reading on.  If you have ever worked out or know the slightest about strength training, you will immediately know why I am using this as my first example of stupid equipment.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that just the existence of ”The Rack” is an outright insult to all consumers.  Let’s be honest, it’s a dip-station.  To call it anything more than that is essentially saying to the consumer, “You are an idiot”!  Sure, you can use it for other things, but I could use my iPhone as a drink coaster, or my guitar as a baseball bat…but I don’t.  You know why?  Because that would be stupid.  Actually, I just decided that I’m releasing my own piece of equipment….The Chair.  Here’s me doing leg-building squats with The Chair…..

And here’s me doing chest-sculpting pushups with The Chair….

And finally, bicep-blasting curls with The Chair….

Anyone interested in buying The Chair??…………….Didn’t think so.

You have to appreciate competition…whether it’s in sport, exercise, the workplace, or any other facet of life, competition is the driving force behind greatness.  At an evolutionary level, it is what is responsible for the advancement of human kind.  Competition for resources, for power, and for wealth have been the catalysts for all of the great leaps in human civilization.  Today we’ll be looking at one of the oldest and most basic physiological forms of competition….strength.

For thousands of years, man has been testing his strength against others.  Going back to the ancient Olympic games, human beings have always valued the accumulation and development of raw physical power.  But how do we judge how strong a person really is?  Today, I’ll be explaining the advantages, disadvantages, and differences of the two types of strength, absolute and relative.  First we will start with some basic definitions.

Absolute strength is the type of strength the average person is most familiar with.  Anyone who has spent any time in a gym has certainly been asked, “How much do you bench?” or “How much can you squat?”  These questions refer to absolute strength, or, the maximum amount of force that someone can exert, irrespective of body size or weight.  This type of strength is best measured with 1-rep maximum calculations in different weight training movements (i.e. max bench, max squat, max clean).

Relative strength is just what it sounds like….the maximum amount of force that someone can exert in relation to body size or weight.  Relative strength is commonly measured with body weight exercises such as pushup and pullups.  However, these types of measure are not always accurate as they sometimes measure muscular endurance as opposed to power.  For this reason, it is more accurate to use a measure of 1RM and then compare it on a scale of body weight, or use a maximum athletic effort such as the 40-yard dash or high jump.

To make the comparison a little easier, I will use an example.  Let’s take two athletes…Athlete 1 weighs 150 pounds, can bench press 200 pounds, and can squat 300 pounds.  Athlete 2 weighs 200 pounds, can bench press 250 pounds and can squat 350 pounds.  So Athlete 2 is stronger right?  Welllll, sort of….Athlete 2 does have greater absolute strength, but Athlete 1 actually has greater relative strength (A1 can bench press 1.33 times his weight and squat 2 times his weight while A2 can only bench 1.25 times his weight and squat 1.75 times his weight).  So you can see that the “strongest” person is not always the one who can lift the most weight!

So which one is right for you?  Well, it depends…..certainly for the average person, relative strength will be the most important factor to consider when discussing power.  This is due to the fact that most people don’t really have a need to be able to push (bench press) 300 pounds off their chest (unless you frequently get trapped under cars) or stand up (squat) with 500 pounds on their back (unless you frequently give piggy-back rides to grizzly bears).  But athletes need absolute strength right?  Ehhh, not really….in athletics, it is actually relative strength that determines how fast you can sprint, how high you can jump, and how agile you are, so relative strength will still be the most important factor for most athletes to consider.

Hopefully that sheds a little bit of light on the different types of strength and how to gauge how strong you really are.  But in reality, your strength is not as important as how you feel about your overall health and wellness.  If you’re “strong”, but you hate how you look, have high blood pressure, and are constantly in pain, then maybe it’s time to re-prioritize.  I know I’ve been asked a countless number of times how much I bench or how much I squat or yada, yada, yada, and I always have the same answer….just enough to look awesome. 

“40-50% of yearly weight gain in America happens between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.”

Pretty staggering statistic, eh?  That means that if we are gaining the average 1-2 pounds per year, most of it is happening in the ever-approaching holiday season.  And what’s worse, according to the National Institute of Health, is that most people continue carrying that pound around for the rest of the year.  That means that each year of unbridled indulgence will only add to the problem and result in countless hours of slaving away on the treadmill.  So what to do?

As I tell my clients, “If you don’t gain weight, you’ll never have to lose it.”  I know that sounds simple, but it’s true and really hits home for a lot of people when they are trying to change the way they look at food and exercise.  The first step is really to “stop the bleeding”….or the gaining.  And luckily enough, it’s really not that difficult.

The first thing that I stress to my clients around the holidays is portion control.  We are all going to want to have some of our favorite dishes, and that’s not a bad thing.  Actually, it’s important to indulge a bit, if only to keep our sanity!  If you try too hard to resist something you enjoy, you’ll just end up resenting your choice to eat healthy.  But make sure that when you do indulge in something decadent, you have a bite or two as opposed to a typical ”holiday portion” (like when grandma cuts you a piece of pie and it’s HALF THE PIE).

The second step in curtailing holiday weight gain is simply making healthy substitutions in some of your favorite dishes.  That can be as simple as substituting a healthy oil for the butter in a recipe, or can go so far as replacing your pumpkin pie with fresh fruit.  The important thing to remember is that every little bit counts.  For those interested in finding some healthy recipe substitutions, I like Spark Recipes, a free website where people upload and rate health-conscious recipes.

And the final step in avoiding the holiday bulge….STAY ACTIVE!  Everyone in the fitness industry knows about the huge drop-off in gym attendance during the holiday season, and it is completely understandable.  With all of the travel, work parties, and family get-togethers, we just don’t have as much time to exercise.  BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD GIVE IT UP COMPLETELY!  This is one of the most interesting phenomena that I have witnessed as a health professional.  I call it, “The All-or-Nothing Effect.”  That is, many people think that if they can’t work out 6 days a week, they shouldn’t work out at all.  Unfortunately for them, our bodies don’t work that way.  In fact, just 1 or 2 days of exercise a week can be enough to at least maintain what we’ve worked so hard for.  True, you may not be making a lot of progress, but at least you will not be slipping backwards.

Staying fit through the holidays may seem impossible, but it’s not.  In fact, it can be quite easy with just a few simple steps.  So stay active, watch those portions, and have a happy (and trim) holiday season!

For more on staying fit through the holidays, tune to KXAN Austin News at Noon on Monday, November 21st as Cody Butler of HEAT Bootcamp and Personal Training and I host the holiday health segment!

Ah yes, my favorite subject…..and also the question I’ve been asked more times than any other, “What kind of exercises can I do for my stomach?”  This week’s post addresses the hottest burning question on the minds of gym go-ers, and the current research behind it.

I don’t think I’d be exaggerating if I said that 99.9% of people find their mid-section to be their “trouble area.”  It’s all over television….8 minute this, Ab-cruncher that.  In fact, it’s almost amazing that we all DON’T have a fantastic 6-pack with all of the belly-focused equipment and exercises out there.  So why don’t we??  This question was asked, and answered, by a group of scientists in a recent research article published by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), titled “The Effect of Abdominal Exercise on Abdominal Fat.”  The basic setup of the experiment included two groups of people randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: one that would be performing abdominal exercise, and one that would not.  The experiment lasted for 6 weeks with diet and other training being kept the same between the two groups.

The results of the experiment were simple….and enlightening (for most people).  After 6 weeks, experimenters found NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE between weight, body fat, abdominal circumference, or abdominal skin folds (body fat) between the two groups of people.  This, of course, merely solidifies what we have known for years….that is, you can’t “spot-shoot” fat with certain exercises (and anyone who says you can is trying to sell you something).  And fat (the lack of it, anyway) is what makes us look good!  So I apologize to anyone who has been doing a million situps a day for the last 10 years in hopes of one day getting that 6-pack!

So what should you do?  Since looking lean is directly related to your body composition, the only real way to get that “beach-body” look is to lower your body fat.  And the only safe way to do that is to combine a solid, well-balanced training regimen with the proper nutritional intake.  I know, I know, that’s the same boring stuff they’ve been telling us for years…but unfortunately it’s the only thing that really works.  AND it’s the only way you’re ever going to see those abs, so get to work!

P.S. Just as an aside, you should still be performing core exercises, but for strength, not aesthetics :)

This brings me to the point of this post, which is, you don’t have to be “working out” to get a good workout.  I’ve been consistently strength training 4-5 times a week for about 15 years now, which is probably a bit above the average.  Luckily, I enjoy it; but even as much as I love lifting, it does get boring from time to time.  That is why I have always tried to find different ways to get my workouts in without stepping foot inside a gym, and if you’re serious about staying healthy, you should do the same.  There is no greater hinderance to sticking with a workout program than becoming stagnant.  From athletes to bodybuilders to the “average joe’s”, everyone gets bored.  The key to continuing on is keeping the workouts new and interesting so that you never get stuck in a rut.  And if you have to do that by dangling on a rope while clinging to the side of a rock face, so be it…….

H.E.A.T. (for High Energy and Agility Training….and the ridiculous Texas temperatures) was by far my first choice right from the git-go (I’m practicing my southern speaking).  Being that I have always been an “outside-the-box” trainer, H.E.A.T.’s facility is akin to my own personal fitness playground.  With a focus on functional training, the H.E.A.T. facility looks nothing like your typical gym.  It’s equipment ranges from kettlebells and TRX suspension trainers to tractor tires and sledge hammers with everything in between.  Just take a look….

Pretty sweet, eh?  But despite the facility, my real draw to H.E.A.T. came in speaking with its’ owner, Cody Butler.  Besides holding a master’s degree in counseling (which, as any trainer will tell you, is a large part of the job), Cody is a passionate trainer with a great hold on what is really important….the clients.  But, of course, to best serve the clients, a trainer must have a supportive team of like-minded professionals around him or her.  It was this business direction that really made H.E.A.T. stand out to me.  Now more than ever, I can’t wait to make our move and I hope to be able to contribute to H.E.A.T.’s growing success!

Visit the H.E.A.T. Bootcamp website for more info…or check out the new H.E.A.T blog!