Winter Blues

We are coming into the winter season, not only a cold time of year: the days are short, the holidays, holiday parties. Sometimes it is hard to stay motivated, even after 15 years of racing and right around 20 years of personal training, the winter still gets to me.  Here are a few tips to beat the winter blues:

Make a plan: 

Business or sport, have a plan;  A strategy to achieve success.  Lay some ground work down on paper and make a path.  Don't think you can wing it, define what you want to do and how you are going to do it.  Set goals, bench makes along the way.

Set Goals: 

No goal is to big, but too big may not be achievable.  Going along with making a plan, set goals you can achieve, it will be a Ego booster.  Use bench makes along the way to check your progress. i.e. use a 5k on your way to a 10k

Do some of your favorite things: 

 

 

instead of

 

 

go here

 

 

or here

 

 

break your routine

 

Focus on the future: 

It is hard to look forward when you are looking backwards.  With a career filled with highs and lows, it is important that you remember the past, but not live in the past.  Take what you have learned, apply it, and do not make the same mistakes.  Push your boundaries and your comfort zone,

Be Great Today.
 

My Top 5 Fall Exercises

This isn't one, I just like the pic.

1.  Push ups

 

Push ups can also be done from your knees to make them a little easier.  Try to challenge yourself and always hold good form. 

2.  Rows

 

Rows, can be done in a variety of ways:  dumbbell, straight bar, band, upright, seated.  Choose what works the best for you, stabilize and flatten your back.

3.  Plank

 

Maybe start by holding for 30 seconds and work your way to a minute.

4.  Squats

 Weights or no weights, great exercise that can be done almost anywhere.

5.  Walking

 

Time, repetitions and sets will vary with your each individuals fitness level, challenge yourself, but always stay inside your limits.   Watch your form and consult an expert if you have questions or experience pain, and always make sure you are healthy enough to exercise.

That Time of Year.

To athletes and weekend warriors: For some your season is over, others just beginning.  I wanted to put a few tips out there for each. Now pay attention.

A little chart to use as a reference.  You could also call this period, noncompetitive time, up to you.  What is important is that you don't fall off the edge and stop all activity, a simply change is enough. 

Go from this:

 

To This: 

 

Or from this: 

 To this:

The fall is a great time to hit the gym, fix injuries, and strengthen your entire body.  Focus on the positive and live life.

Time, look back, reflect, and set your sights on the next big thing in your life. Reload, reset, time to be great.

Decisions

Decisions, we make them everyday.

What to eat:

choose green

vs

choose white

veggies

vs

doughnuts

How to exercise:

on the couch

vs

actually moving your body

  Where to live:

city

vs

County

Our attitude:

pissed at people

vs

happy to be alive

etc. The thing is and what we do not think about is how our decisions effect the people we interact with, from our attitude at the grocery store to the people we work with.  We focus on what is immediately in front of us or the greed to get ahead.  Be a power for good.

Stop, think, did I smile and laugh or did I give the driver next to me the finger.

In sport and life, our actions have consequences. We all can learn from better decision making, and take a second to think about who and what you will effect.

 vs

It's your DECISION.

Trainhard4life

Be better in 2015.

A trainer's thoughts on health in 2015.

1.  Eat the right foods

Eat to live, not live to eat.  Eat a diet rich in dark vegetables.  They are low calorie and high in nutrients.  Try cooking, you might suck at it, but try.  The chances are if you pull it out of the fridge and not the out of the pantry it will be a whole lot better for you.

2. Exercise every day.

Lets make this easy, exercise every day:  Walk, run, resistance training, cardio.  Couch bad, movement good.  Do what you like,that will help you stay with it.  Plan your time, anything from ten minutes to a hour.  Get good instruction if you need it.  Research your trainer, ask questions and get moving.

3. Drink more Water.

Simply, it filling, you need it to live, enough said.

4.  Set yourself up to succeed.

Goals are good, but be realistic. This is your life, live it.  Enjoy the small successes, stay focused on the big picture.  Stop saying tomorrow, news flash, it's tomorrow.  Make everyday a success.  Be a winner.  Be great today.