Ahwatukee StrengthLab Personal Training 480-612-7726

Pushing too hard or too fast simply leads to injury, illness, burnout or quitting. It takes years of persistence and dedication to develop and then top-off personally high fitness levels. The slow route to fitness… will not only get you there more complete and well rounded, it will counterintuitively get you there faster.

Blenders have an unintended consequence for the majority us; the processing of more calories than we require. Although nutritious ingredients are frequently promoted, a blender simply acts as a food compactor – think trash compactor – condensing our food and its calories into a smaller and smaller space. Inevitably, we consume more calories to feel satisfied or full because our food lacks volume. Unless your goal is to gain weight, these fancy machines should be used intelligently or restricted altogether. Eat whole vegetables and fruits instead – as intended – not processed by overly-hyped blending machines.

The daily demands and responsibilities that we have placed upon us, coupled with our genetic capacity to handle these variables, make us all experiments of one. To get things right and to keep things right, is an ever changing coordination between what works and doesn’t work in our lives. What worked before, may not work again and what works for some, may not work for you. We are experiments of one… so enjoy the process of trial and error and keep working to get things right.

Athletes are taping their problematic areas more and more with brightly colored tape known as “Kinesio Tape.”  This type of tape is nothing more than a less rigid traditional sports tape, albeit with fancy colors, and it’s being used in ways that are not supported by any science. However, it’s important to keep in mind, that professional athletes and olympians have sponsors and they frequently wear this kinesio tape in order to influence you and your purse strings. Needless to say, many sponsored athletes wear this tape on their body when they have no problems at all…

The need for instant-gratification within our culture is why the majority of us fail to reach our personal goals. We’re simply not diligent enough in our daily efforts to stay the course. If we can buy it or have it given to us, generally speaking, it carries very little depth of achievement.

Being mentally tough is a compliment and it’s best defined by being focused on the singular task at hand without being distracted for long by outside forces unrelated to our chosen objective. From critical opinions that may oppose us, to physical obstacles that may stand in our way, we stay focused and move forward until the goal is met. Whether exhibited in the office, a sporting event or through a life changing experience, mental toughness is exercised best when we stay focused on the task at hand.

New at StrengthLab!

http://www.woodway.com/endurance/curve_endurance.html

William Staub, Engineer Who Built an Affordable Treadmill, Dies at 96

By WILLIAM YARDLEY

Published: NY Times July 28, 2012

Before personal trainers and paddleboard yoga, before “Just Do It,” Bill Staub read a book that changed his life. It was called “Aerobics,” published in 1968, and it declared that a better life was rooted in better cardiovascular health.

There’s no problem with having a weak thought… it’s certainly the behavior that may soon follow that matters most.

Primary emotions and impulses originate in our lower “automatic brain” called the cerebellum, and frequently – if not most of the time – without our personal volition. Subsequently, weak thoughts can soon follow in their respective shadows.

The cerebrum (the higher brain) is where we decide to give merit and eventual action to these emotions and impulses or to redirect them in a more positive and constructive pattern of thought.

In other words, we can’t always control the initial emotion or impulse but we certainly have the capacity to decide what to do with them once experienced.

Constructive habits and desires – as well as destructive habits and desires – reside within all of us. The resolve to consistently pursue constructive habits and desires, instead of destructive habits and desires, is what is commonly referred to as self-discipline.

Time has not diminshed this quote by Theodore Roosevelt:

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

“Citizenship in a Republic,”
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

Many who find fault with others and criticize their performance have never gotten their hands dirty on the subject matter in which they are so very criticial…  

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”  Theodore Roosevelt

I enjoyed this book the first time I read it – but it’s important enough to read again – I highly recommend it!

Coaching the Mental Game: Leadership Philosophies and Strategies for Peak Performance in Sports and Everyday Life by H.A. Dorfman

http://www.amazon.com/Coaching-Mental-Game-Philosophies-Performance/dp/1589790111

The pursuit of health and fitness is an on-going lifestyle choice that shouldn’t be approached with an “on-again, off-again” mentality. We make the decision to pursue health and fitness, we then learn as much as we can on the subject and then we continue to implement and practice the best of what we learn. This is not a seasonal sport… it’s an on-going practice of self-improvement through health and fitness.

Serious amatuer athletes must be highly motivated in order to reach physical limitations – there are no contracts or sports agents here.

Physical limitations are not predetermined by opinion, expert or not, they are found through fierce physical dedication and persistence only. 

Physical limitations are often hindered by mental limitations as well – both qualities must be managed carefully. 

Mistakes are made and successes are found by exploration and only in hindsight can we know that limitations were found. 

The majority will never attempt and certainly will never find their physical limitations.

“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will NOT; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will NOT; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will NOT; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”  Calvin Coolidge

Persistence and dedication are choices that we make… we are all born with these two qualities.

For those who like to make the majority of their statements through their purchases or materialism, remember that a statement is certainly being made, it just may not be the one you intended…

Regardless of the activity, we frequently spend the greater part of our day attempting to be better than someone or everyone else. Perhaps the better strategy here is, to spend the greater part of our day attempting to be the best that we can be, bettering ourselves in the process.

It’s been said before “that the best thing a man can do for his children is to love their mother.” But, it’s also wise to remember as well, that “making a living” is not nearly as important as making a life worth living; the person we are currently, is frequently the same person they’ll become.

Sometimes we should be less concerned with what we want in our lives and more concerned with what we already have…

We don’t necessarily find ourselves, as much as we create ourselves and give ourselves meaning. The choice to create and define ourselves can be a daily process of positive change and self-improvement… or a continued process of stagnation and inflexibility.

Shortcomings are personal imperfections that detract from our highest qualities; we all have them of course. But to accept them as inevitable and impossible to alter is the biggest shortcoming of them all.

Mental strength and physical strength are inextricably connected when personal growth is the primary objective. Weakness (or neglect) in either faculty, when both are fully capable, greatly inhibits personal growth.

“I’m old school” is a good indication that the speaker has fallen out of the present. Ideas don’t have an expiration date of course, but to preface a theory or thought with the cliche that “I’m old school” usually reveals that the idea is simply thought valid by the mere fact it’s from the past.

Mistaken ideas should be thrown out regradless of their age…

We don’t easily fool other people with trite excuses; those who make excuses are only fooling themselves.

Plan, prepare and execute or don’t… the results will speak for themselves.

It’s commonly assumed that we progress in knowledge and wisdom naturally with our chronological age… the older we are, the wiser we become. Well, this maxim frequently isn’t true… we grow and improve in direct relation to the amount of work and dedication we put into it.

Removing someone or something that consistently makes us feel frustrated, unhappy or simply less good about ourselves is what I would call “pulling the weeds.” It’s your garden… grow what you want in it!

We can practice and learn any behavior we deem necessary and appropriate for our success in life.

The comment “that’s just the way I am” is merely an excuse to remain the same…

We have a limited amount of physical and mental energy to spend each day… no matter the quality of food that we eat or the quality of sleep that we get.

Conserve it where it matters least and spend it intelligently where it matters most.

We don’t need special diets, human engineered pre-packaged foods, fancy supplements, powders or magical potions… the unpopular and unprofitable SIMPLE truth concerning almost every health ailment we suffer from in our culture can be cured by eating Fruits and Vegetables, Exercising and Sleeping adequately.

Skip the other 98 books and read these two!

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

http://www.amazon.com/In-Defense-Food-Eaters-Manifesto/dp/1594201455

The China Study by T. Colin Campbell

http://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Implications/dp/1932100660/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339017999&sr=1-1

From “As Seen on TV” exercise equipment and videos that don’t work, to “energy bars” and supplements that are marketed as “health food”, to part-time personal trainers who are better called “kids”, to diet books and fitness magazines that publish anything as long as it supports their agenda… the fitness industry is better called the “greed industry” and has very little credibility.

An imbalance, in a set of muscles surrounding a joint, eventually leads to a minimized range of motion within the area, localized soft tissue discomfort and/or frequently acute or chronic injury. This type of pathology is common since we’re capable of performing very specific activities for long periods of time on a daily to yearly basis (i.e. sitting at a desk in front of a computer screen or endurance training excluding all other balancing activities).

Only targeted progressive resistance training – NOT stretching – prevents or corrects this musculoskeletal imbalance.

The process of getting physically stronger begins with a stress or “stressor” followed by an adequate amount of recovery time. Too much or too little recovery time between physical stressors and the desired adaptations are minimized… or they don’t take place at all.

Although stress and adaptation appear to be simple and intuitive characteristics, the majority of us don’t apply them well when starting or following a fitness program.

This is the bare truth found within all of us… “it’s all about me.”

Regardless of how we may feel about this aphorism, without this biological characteristic being true, self-improvement would not be made and our personal responsibilities would not be met. Furthermore, when it’s kept readily in mind, we find humility within ourselves and patience for others that we didn’t know we even possessed. Reigning ourselves in, by acknowledging this truth and recognizing it in others, can make us better people…

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

Book Description:

In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. With penetrating intelligence and an ability to distill vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives, Duhigg brings to life a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential for transformation.

Along the way we learn why some people and companies struggle to change, despite years of trying, while others seem to remake themselves overnight. We visit laboratories where neuroscientists explore how habits work and where, exactly, they reside in our brains. We discover how the right habits were crucial to the success of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, and civil-rights hero Martin Luther King, Jr. We go inside Procter & Gamble, Target superstores, Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, NFL locker rooms, and the nation’s largest hospitals and see how implementing so-called keystone habits can earn billions and mean the difference between failure and success, life and death.

At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, raising exceptional children, becoming more productive, building revolutionary companies and social movements, and achieving success is understanding how habits work.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Habit-What-Business/dp/1400069289/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338666838&sr=1-1#_

Soon to be open, in the Ahwatukee area, is My Fit Foods (northeast corner of 48th and Ray). 

My Fit Foods offers healthy homemade pre-packaged meals and snacks to go!

The meals are made fresh daily with no preservatives or additives.

There are 52 current locations (3 in Arizona – Ahwatukee, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley).

https://www.myfitfoods.com/

Important to Note: I’m hearing mixed reviews concerning “My Fit Foods” and its concept of “healthy” and the expense of the products as well.

It’s not the doctor or the medical establishment that does the healing in many cases when things go south within our bodies. In fact, we frequently recover from illnesses without any clear understanding or indication as to how or why; our bodies have their own internal wisdom at work here. We simply provide the tools: sound nutrition from clean water, fresh vegetables, fruit, lean proteins and whole grains; progressive, consistent exercise; adequate, uninterrupted sleep, as well as intermittent mental relaxation and the body will work its convoluted magic for us.

In survey after survey, the primary reason cited for not exercising, is lack of free of time – there’s simply not enough of it. However, surveys consistently find that those who do exercise regularly are just as busy as those who don’t. So, it’s really not a question of free time at all, that’s just an another excuse. It’s really a question of priority… we either take the time to exercise or we don’t.

Our lives are best pruned of excess complexity; as our lives grow more complex so to does our dissatisfaction with it.

We should adopt and practice the value of simplicity in our lives… from the food that we consume (less ingredients and as nature intended) to the number of commitments and responsibilties that we engage in (we don’t have to be ultra-busy to be successful).

We should take the time to regularly weed out complexity as it grows in around us…

We are fortunate human beings to live in a time that allows for self-improvement. We don’t have to be slaves to our biological drives and blind impulses. We don’t have to follow religious dogma and senseless cultural habits, unless we choose to do so of course. We can be thoughtful of our ideas and conscious of our choices… creating ourselves from self-determination and personal choice.

The majority of us begin our lives pursuing bodily pleasures, materialism and personal possessions; the sooner these mistakes are corrected the better our lives will become…

The case for vaccinating children against childhood diseases is more than clear today and the reasons against it are no longer valid. 

Childhood vaccinations do not cause autism… this has been thoroughly debunked (for more on this topic: https://strengthlab.net/?p=3323). 

Moreover, thimerasol a common preservative used in previous generations of vaccinations (that contained trace amounts of mercury) has been eliminated from vaccines due to health concerns surrounding the mercury.

If enough parents refuse to provide immunization protection for their children, we will experience once again just how dreadful polio, tetanus, diphtheria or measles really are…

Excess consumption of sugar can take a serious toll on your health if you are inactive…

Here’s more from a recent “60 Minutes” on CBS: 

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7403942n

It’s complete fiction that exercising first thing in the morning is best for weightloss! In fact, the best time to workout is when you want to… or, second best, when you have the time to.

The notion that increased protein consumption is required for muscle growth or overall strength gains is entirely a myth! On the contrary, it’s been proven repeatedly that strength trained individuals need only consume protein consistent with the general population (12-15% of total calories) to insure progression. Moreover, protein supplements are a waste of money as well…