Free Weights to Break Through the Weight Loss Flatline

"I was losing weight like crazy & then all of a sudden I hit a wall! No matter what I do I can't drop another pound." 

This is a very familiar cry for many people trying to hit a goal weight or hit a target body mass index.  Often times, especially in individuals who are just beginning a nutritional and/or exercise plan for the first time, one loses weight or body fat drastically in the first several weeks of their journey and then "hit the wall".  They are not at their goal weight or the healthy BMI they have sought out and yet find it impossible to lose another pound.  There are several scientific reasons for the plateau, the main one being that your body is trying to find a state of homeostasis, or balance.  Your body has experienced some dramatic changes in recent weeks and it is trying to balance itself out as part of your built in "flight or fight" response.  You know, however, that there are a few more inches that you desire to reduce in that belt line.  You need to throw your body a curve ball and introduce something new to the demands you are putting on your energy system.

Starting a high energy & intense free weights interval training program that you attack just 2 days a week can help your break through your frustrating barrier.  You may be doing weights already but chances are you haven't attacked your resistance training with the kind of intensity your body requires to demand a change in energy burning options.  You may not have access to a gym, dumbbells or free weights and so any kind of resistance training seems out of the questions.  Both problems are easily conquered by thinking outside of the box a little and introducing one small piece of essential equipment to your gym bag, the stopwatch.

The Stop Watch
I was on the treadmill the other day and to pass time I was observing some of the workout habits of the people in the gym.  On one gentleman I noticed that after he completed his set of repetitions he waited over 4 minutes before repeating the same weight, same exercise, for the same number of reps.  We don't have a very good clock inside of our heads when it comes to getting back in the saddle to attack another set.  Often times we let our heart rate drop to a comfortable rate before starting another set or exercise.  Keeping your heart rate up is what burns calories! Invest in any type of digital stopwatch, you can get them for as low as $7-10 at most sporting goods stores.  You shouldn't wait more than 60 seconds to start another exercise if the weight you've lifted doesn't exceed 85% of your maximum effort. 

The Big 4
Don't spend wasted time working out muscle groups that don't recruit very much oxygen.  The larger the need for oxygen in the muscle the greater the calorie burn.  So the larger the muscle group worked, or the more compound the exercise is, the more oxygen is recruited and the more calories you burn.  Don't spend precious gym time doing bicep curls, tricep extensions, or calf raises.  You will not even see these very defined muscle groups until you get lean!  Instead focus on the 4 large muscle groups in your body; legs (including the glutes), back, chest, & core. You will most definitely work all of your small muscle groups while focusing on these larger ones.  Also try and make these movements compound whenever possible.  Grab a pair of dumbbells and begin by performing a bent over row.  After one repetition drop down and do a push up, then hop back up to begin another row.  Your heart rate will explode & you are really working all 4 major muscle groups.  Get creative!

No Weights, No Problem
Purchasing your own free weights can be very expensive.  Gym memberships often seem like too much of a financial commitment.  You can find ways to add resistance to your exercises with many things around your house.  Use those environmentally friendly reusable shopping bags for more than loading up on goodies.  Burn some calories with them by loading them up with an appropriate weight resistance for you by adding some books. Use these for pulling exercises like rows or high pulls.  Grab the unopened bag of dog food out of the garage & toss it over your shoulder to perform some squats or lunges.  Use your imagination & get creative.  Body weight exercises are never a bad idea either and for around $180 you can purchase the TRX Suspension system for one of the best workouts of your life!

Hopefully this gave you some ideas that will create some variety in your workouts and challenge your weight loss flat lines. 

Go for it!

Nick

Get Your Mind Right!

Motivation is such an interesting concept.  Your motivation, not your talent, when taking on a high goal or ambition will undoubtedly determine your success in completing that goal.  Many far less talented people have accomplished so much more than their highly skilled counterparts primarily because of their high motivation & determination to carry out their dream. Lou Holtz is famous for his thoughts on motivation, "Motivation is easy, just eliminate those who aren't motivated!"  That is great advice in terms of a team and it is funny how the scheme of life tends to do that for us anyway.  Those who aren't motivated to carry out their dreams typically never will, no matter what their potential is. 

So how do you get yourself motivated? Trust me, there are many days that I do not feel like getting up at 3:30-4 am to get my training in for a race coming up.  At the time it seems like such a better idea to get some extra sleep, or try to convince myself that I can fit it in later.  The game you have to play in your mind is to ask yourself what is more valuable to you? I have to go through this scenario several times a month.  The most important thing in my life is my family.  I want to spend as much time with my 2 precious girls & my adorable wife as possible when I am not working.  I also know that I have to take care of myself physically to enjoy them later on in life.  It is also important to me to lead my daughters by example in the form of discipline, hard work, self-motivation, & fitness.  In order to accomplish both these needs I have to make the sacrifice to get up early & get my training in while they are all asleep, so I do not miss any time with them later.  The sacrifice really isn't sleep.  That would be unhealthy in itself and very counter productive to overall fitness.  I have to sacrifice the night before, choosing to go to bed earlier instead of watching meaningless TV shows or browsing Facebook or Twitter until 11pm or midnight. So basically I had to decide that my family, fitness, & influence on my girls is more valuable to me than TV, social media, & the internet.  Many of you have had to make the same decisions in your life.  As you look at your goals and aspirations for 2011, staying motivated will be one of the biggest challenges you face. 

Here are some ways to "Get Your Mind Right" when times get tough.

1.  What is most valuable to you in your life?
2.  How do your goals/aspirations line up with what you value?
3.  What things in your life do you need to sacrifice that don't line up with your values & are hindering you from accomplishing your goals & keeping you from what your value.
4.  Failing to plan is a plan for failure.  If you don't set yourself up to success, many times you will not. If you have to get your fitness done in the mornings, then lay your clothes out the night before & have your meals for the day ready to go.  This way if you wake up late or are tired, which will surely happen, you rid yourself of excuses to keep you from getting up and getting your workout in. 
5.  Who do you have in your life that can keep you accountable?
     This can be direct or indirect.  Having a partner who is waiting on you or counting on you to show up will really help you get there. 
     However everyone is not always on the same schedule so you might need some indirect accountability.  My daughters are counting on me to be in my best shape possible so I can run with them, play with them, coach their sports teams, run with them into adulthood, & ride bikes with their children in the future.  I want to enjoy life with my children for a long time.
     I am also no fan of the idea of the "getting in better shape" idea.  It is always a huge motivator to have some type of apex event coming up that will force you to get your disciplined training in.  Signing up for a race is a great event to shoot for.  You can also schedule a personal photo shoot date that will be a payoff for your changed image & a celebration of your discipline.  There are many creative ways to challenge yourself into getting out of bed.  Just "getting in better shape" never works.

Your discipline the the blood that is pumped from a heart of motivation. 

Nick

So, Do You Want To Race?

We are one week into 2011 and by now, even if you are not a "resolutions" person, you have probably come up with a list of things you would like to see happen in your life in this next year.  Maybe you have had the thought, "I would really like to finish a ______ race." You fill in the blank.  Maybe your blank is a 5k, 10k, a sprint triathlon, or for you crazy people it could be the marathon distance.  Whatever distance fills in the blank in your life it is a worthwhile endeavor and you should put your full heart into completing it.  It will be one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself in your lifetime.  You cannot replace the confidence, accomplishment, & discipline that you will experience in your life as a result of pursuing your goal.  You do need some tips for how to go about crossing that mountain though.

1.  "I love it when a plan comes together."
1. There are many training plans out there for helping you schedule your time, mileage, & life around accomplishing your goal.  These are some that I have found helpful.
1. http://www.active.com/
2. http://www.competitor.com/
3. www.trainingpeaks.com
2. You can also write up a plan yourself.  For a complicated endeavor such as a triathlon I would advise seeking some help initially because there are so many facets that go into preparing for a 3 discipline event. In making your own plan remember to keep these things in mind.
1. Schedule one day for speed work.  Generally 25% of your race distance should be your distance for hard speed work.  Even though you aren't interested in winning the event, this type of training will keep you competitive in your own mind and get your heart rate ready for the big day.
2. Don't do the same thing every day.  If you are going for a running event, don't run the same distance every day.  Have a speed day, a hills day, a tempo day, a long distance day, etc.  This keeps things exciting and new. It also gives you a sense of urgency in your training.  You don't feel as though you can afford to miss a day.
3. Schedule rest days.  These are just as important as training days.  Your body needs the time to rest and recover from the demands you have put it through, just so you can put it through a little more the next time.
4. Have one day where you plan your entire week. Don't wait until the night before, something always comes up.  Sundays work best for me because I generally know what the next week looks like and can plan accordingly.
3. Find a Partner
1. This should be someone who has the same ambition as you do.  They may have already completed the distance or you may be stepping into this new territory together.  They do need to have the same drive you do though.  Write a contract to each other & sign it.  It sounds cheesy but having something in writing is very motivating.  You are much more likely to show up to a training session if you know your partner is going to be waiting on you.
4. EAT!
1. As you begin your training withing a few weeks your body will want to change from using stored fuel (fat) to consumed fuel (food).  You will want to accommodate it.  If you don't fuel yourself well your "machine" will surely run out of  "gas" and this can be very discouraging.  Your excess weight will come off, trust me.  You never want to feel drained and that is almost always a result of not eating well.
5. Your race day should not be a surprise.
1. Your race day should not be the first time you complete your race distance.  Don't fall into the trap that, "If you can run 5 miles, then you can surely run 6.2"
2. You want your race day to be your personal best.  You don't have to have completed the distance several times but at least have the confidence that you CAN complete it.  You should want it to be your best time at that distance.  This keeps your mind on a competitive edge and you never second guess yourself about finishing.
3. COMPETING is a much more desirable sensation than SURVIVING!
6. HAVE FUN!
1. Remember that you are accomplishing a goal.  Enjoy the fact that you are using your body in a great way and getting the most out of it that you can.  Enjoy your success, your accomplishment, & yourself. You will have deserved it!

Let me know how it goes & if I can help you in accomplishing your goal let me know! I would be glad to.

Nick

Set yourself up for Success

My wife and I have used Dave Ramsey's (www.daveramsey.com) well known method for getting out of debt and managing our finances to experience "Financial Peace".  Dave is very practical, simple, and straight forward.  I appreciate that about his method because it leaves no room for confusion or compromise.  He works through a series of "Baby Steps" that help you to experience success early on by paying off your smallest debts first. He then encourages you to roll that money you were paying on your small debt onto the next largest debt and build your momentum until you are debt free and experience true financial freedom.  It has worked for millions of people and can work for you as well, in more than just your wallet.

Dave's concept of building confidence in yourself by experiencing small success that builds upon another small success is genius and can help you in your fitness goals as well.  If you are like most people you will set overwhelming fitness or weight loss goals for yourself in the onset of 2011, and after several weeks of what seems like getting nowhere you will slightly begin to compromise your goals for other things that "pop up" in your life. 

I encourage you to take Dave's approach of "Baby Steps" to your fitness goals.  It is great to have an ultimate goal for the year (lose 30 lbs, run a half marathon, complete a triathlon, participate in the annual 3 day cancer walk).  However that goal can become very overwhelming and it is easy to let it seem too far out of reach.  Instead make daily or weekly goals ("Baby Steps") at the beginning of your journey to PEAK physical condition.  Make it something you know is possible and attainable with some intentional effort.  Walk 3 mornings this week, eat 4 servings of vegetables tomorrow, take the stairs instead of the elevator at work every Monday,Wednesday,Friday.  Once you realize you CAN do these things, you will begin to see how attainable your ultimate goal is.  You will begin establish some "confidence momentum" and after you experience the euphoria of success you will become even more excited about knocking down your next set of goals.  This way you aren't just completing a workout or putting time in on the treadmill, you are knocking down another goal and succeeding in your path to PEAK physical fitness.

Your mental toughness and fortitude will determine 90% of the things you set out to accomplish in your life.  Far too many people have faced more difficult circumstances than we have and ultimately overcome and achieved more.  Confidence is something that we have to build in our lives that comes from experiencing several small successes and the achievement of several small goals. 

Believe in yourself and set yourself up for success in your fitness goals!  You can do this!

Fitness, Performance, & Nutritional Coaching

For some time now many friends, family members, competitors, & training partners have suggested that I begin sharing some of the experiences I have had in performance training and the pursuit of fitness excellence.  I began this year helping people reach their weight loss, performance, & lifetime fitness goals by providing them with consistant encouragement, education, nutritional planning, motivation, & exercise prescription.  Seeing the way it has changed people's lives by meeting the physical needs they have been searching for has become addicting and motivating.  I want to use my education & experience in the field of fitness, performance, nutrition, & motivational coaching to lead people to attain physical goals they never thought possible before. 

I have been an athletic performance coach at the high school & Division 1 college level. In my own athletic endeavors I have been a football & baseball athlete, power lifter, body builder, & now competitive triathlete & runner.  I earned the most highly touted certification in performance coaching, the Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), from the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) in 2005 and continue to stay up to date on the changing technology & science behind fitness, athletic performance, & sport nutrition.

I will try to post on this blog every week (Fridays) to begin with, and if there is a good response I will increase the posts.  Each week I will try and give some type of tips, advice, or suggestions that will help you reach the physical goals you are setting for yourself.  Please feel free to email me with any questions you might have or to set up a free consultation where I could help you map out a specific plan catered to your needs, schedule, & goals.  Also, please give me feedback on what you think about the blog or would like to see on the blog or website!

Follow me on Twitter @PeakFitSolution or @coachwestbrook and follow our Facebook page by searching PEAK Fitness Solutions for daily tips and suggestions.  You can go to the website http://www.peakfitnesssolutions.com/ to navigate all of these things and to see videos, nutritional plans, exercise programs etc. 

Lets Blow It Up!

Coach