I had an interesting conversation over the weekend. After chit chatting with someone, it came across that I was in the health and wellness industry. After talking a little more, I informed him that I am a certified personal trainer. This person started asking me about rates and if I had a time slot that he could fill in.

Let me first clear the air. I am NOT a personal trainer. I am certified, but only because I want to stay on top of the fitness field, and hold current certifications is one of those ways that I can. I do a a few clients that I help train, but for the most part, I stay away from full time training for various reasons, the biggest being the reason I am about to tell you.

So back to the story: This individual wanted me to take him on as a client. This individual, who was male, is a triathlete, is in great shape, and is one of the guys in the world that honestly doesn’t need a trainer. So I asked him: “Well, why do you need a trainer?” He replied he needs someone to show him how to workout. This guy runs, bikes, and swims nearly everyday! I told him I don’t think he needs a trainer, informed him of some things I would adjust in his own workouts, but for the most part, he knows what he is doing and if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.

Which brings me to pose the questions: Do you really need a trainer? What is your trainer really doing for you? Go to any gym and watch a personal trainer. What are they actually doing? All I see is trainer following their clients, watching them do weak workouts, and try to push supplements down their throat. Do you really need that? Some people do. Some people need the accountability. If they make an appointment with a trainer, they will more than likely show up. But most people don’t. Most people don’t need to play follow the leader through the gym.

If you are one of the many people that have a trainer, ask yourself if you really need a trainer. Can you do the same thing without the trainer? Of course you can! All you need is education, and dedication and you can be in the best shape of your life.

There is a little 4 letter word that people use in the wrong way and it is one of my biggest pet peeves. People throw the word around without truly thinking of the meaning. In my opinion, you should completely remove this little 4 letter word out of your vocabulary before you start using it in the wrong way.

There is no reason to have the word CAN’T in your vocabulary. CAN’T is short for CANNOT. Think about the times when you use the word CAN’T.

“I CAN’T run 2 miles”.

“I CAN’T hike that mountain”.

“I CAN’T lose the weight”

I can’t do this. I can’t do that. It is all complete BS. CAN’T means cannot. You CAN do all that stuff and MORE! But the reality of it is that you WON’T. You will not even try! If you are going to cop out of something, at least be truthful with yourself and everyone else and tell them that you are not really even willing to give it a try. Tell them you WON’T try the task at hand. Yes, that will show everyone you are afraid to try and that you really do not want to succeed, but at least you are being truthful right?

Want another option? DO IT. When someone challenges you at something, or you are faced with something that you think you CANNOT do, try it. Do it. Succeed. What do you have to lose? Honestly, what do you have to lose by trying it?  Maybe you won’t succeed at doing it. Did you fail? NO. You created an outcome. Adjust your next try based on your outcome until you succeed. Plus, who is going to tell you that you failed at trying? The true failure in life is the failure of not trying.

I know that most people have the word “CAN’T” so heavily built within their vocabulary that not saying the word is difficult. But, like the overall message in this post, try it. Become conscious of what you are saying and every time you say “CAN’T”, ask yourself this question: “Can I really not do this? Or am I just not willing to try?”. More than likely, you aren’t really to try. So then change it and either say “Sorry, I am not willing to try” or say “Let’s do it!”. It is up to you.

I have been doing a lot of Yoga lately. I love how yoga makes me feel. It is such a spiritual experience for me. I don’t compete with anyone or anything, including myself. I can fully relax, and not worry about anything except my time with myself. I don’t care that I can’t do a posture completely, or I fall when I try others. It is for me to improve myself. I do a local class that is called a Hot Power Fusion class. It is a hot style Yoga that is a mix of power hatha, vinyasa and ashtanga yoga. It is the perfect combination of breathing, meditation, flexibility and strength exercises. But this type of class isn’t for everyone. Some people can’t handle the heat. Others can’t do the strength. Others can’t do the flexibility. Some want to concentrate only on meditation, while others don’t care about the relaxation and just want the workout. So this “poses” the big question: What is the best type of yoga?

The answer to this questions is based on a complete personal preference. But let’s start creating your preference with some education. First, what are the main types of yoga out there? There are actually many different types of yoga, and new ones are being started all the time. Some of the oldest, most mainstream types are:

• Hatha – This your basic, slow movement, gentle, beginner yoga. It focuses on uniting the body, mind and soul in a slow, controlled movements.
• Vinyasa – This type of yoga focuses on breathing. Typically, your movements are synced with your breaths. Every breath in is a movement, and every breath other is a movement. You move with your movement for a total flow and rhythm through the entire yoga session.
• Ashtanga – Better know as power yoga, this type focuses on fast, intense poses and movements. It is a series of poses in order, at a strict and vigorous pace.
• Iyengar – This yoga focuses on body alignment. The main emphasis is for holding poses for a longer period of time, in the correct posture, rather than moving from one to another.
• Bikram/Hot yoga – Bikrams is a hot style yoga that uses a series of 26 poses in a hot room (usually around 108 degrees). There are other styles of yoga that are considered “hot” yoga that are variations of Bikrams. It is basically a yoga style done in a heated room to promote increase in body temperature for cleansing and stretching purposes.

I am not a yoga expert. I know there are many other types of yoga and many others being formed as we speak. These, to me, are a broad description of the types of yoga that are out there. Every time there is a variation done on a specific type of yoga, it is called something different and is a “new” type of yoga. So what is the best type of yoga for you? The one that you like the best.

I highly suggest trying all the different types of yoga classes you can get your hands on until you find that perfect mix for you. If you want to focus on flexibility, try out a basic yoga class and work your way up. If you want a full body workout, try a power yoga. If you want to meditate, try a flow style yoga. If you aren’t sure what you want, try them all! You should be able to leave the class and not only feel like you got a workout, but you should have a complete body/mind experience. You should want to go to the class every time it is offered. Most yoga places offer a free trial week that you can try their classes out. If not, ask the instuctor if you can sit in on one of the classes to ensure it is the right class for you.

The most important thing to remember when finding is a class is what you want. Yoga isn’t about how much you can lift or how fast you can run or anything else. It is a set amount of time where you can dedicate a workout to you. You aren’t competing with anyone else, including yourself. You shouldn’t get frustrated when you fall out of a pose. You shouldn’t be self conscious that you are dripping sweat when doing Bikrams. You should take the time of yoga, clear your mind, and do it for you. That is what makes yoga such a “spiritual” experience. It is you, and yourself. Whether it is a gentle yoga outside, or a power class in the heat. So go out and find a class, and do it for you. No one else.

I have always been into fitness. Even through high school, I was interested in sports performance and making myself the best that I can be. When I first got into kinesiology, I wanted to do what most people want to do and go into sports performance. And that still is a huge passion of mine and still help athletes hit their potential. But throughout college, I realized that there is a bigger problem than getting athletes bigger, stronger and faster. That issue is obesity. If an athlete doesn’t hit his numbers, they will still be able to live. If someone who is obese doesn’t get help, they will die.

Yes – it is that serious. I don’t think people understand the gravity of the situation when they are overweight. There is NOTHING good that comes out of carrying a few extra pounds. Your joints can’t handle the stress. Your heart can’t handle the stress. Your blood vessels can’t handle the stress. Your blood pressure increase. Your heart rate increases. Your blood flow decreases due to narrowing of the arteries, which could form blood clots leading to a stroke. You could develop Type 2 diabetes. Your sleeping patterns aren’t up to par so you aren’t sleeping through the night which effects your mood and your energy levels. Your energy levels are so low, you could develop sleepiness during the day which effects your work habits.

But here is the light at the end of the tunnel: Your start reaping the benefits of exercise the SECOND you start exercising. Your heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output all start to increase, creating more blood flow through your body. Your blood starts flowing through your body. Your blood delivery becomes more efficient, your heart rate and blood pressure go to moderate levels after  you finish. Your perception of well being and self concept increase and anxiety and depression decrease.

And you don’t have to get out and run 6 miles to feel these effects! Your body starts adapting and benefiting from ANY physical activity. If you start walking around the block, you benefit. If you park farther away from the mall, you benefit. If you take the stairs rather than the elevator, you benefit. Start BENEFITING!! There is no better time than right now to get in the best shape of your life, and possible start saving your life.

Looking for a cool salad to fill you up this summer? Here’s a delicious recipe from my partners over at Prograde Nutrition for you.

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken and Avocado Salad

• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1 tsp.  lemon juice
• 1 bag (10 oz.) torn romaine lettuce (about 10 cups)
• 2 cups  shredded cooked chicken
• 1 medium tomato, cut into wedges
• 1 small  cucumber, sliced
• 1/4 of a medium Vidalia or Walla Walla onion, chopped
• ½ cup Red Pepper
• 1/2 cup  Light or Fat-free Italian Dressing
• ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Toss avocados with lemon juice in large salad bowl.

Add lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions; mix lightly.

Add dressing; toss to coat.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately.

Hey, if you like that one they’ve got 196 more! Seriously, Prograde has a really cool 197 Healthy and Delicious Fat Burning Recipes ebook for just $4.95!

Check it out here: http://nintemanfitness.getprograde.com/prograderecipebook.html

Hope you enjoy!

If you’ve been on the lookout for simple and nutritious meals then look no further than http://nintemanfitness.getprograde.com/prograderecipebook.html

“Sorry man, I can’t hit happy hour with you. It’s Thursday which means I need to work my supraspinatus at the gym tonight.”

I am a firm believer that results can be very simple to achieve and the biggest thing that does not produce results is the lack of action. There are many trainers out there that are focused on trying to show you they know the human anatomy rather than showing you how to get results. I am sorry, but those exercises to work your rotators cuffs really are not going to get the results you need, unless you are an athlete or a bodybuilder. In the same manner, trying to work the 3 heads of the tri, or the 4 muscles of the quad, or the inner muscles of the abs, won’t really get you the results you need. Yeah, they will produce some results, but how many hours do you want to spend in the gym? Are you really going to dedicate a whole gym session to the quad? Unless you are body builder, the answer is no.

Most people don’t want to spend hours in the gym to get results. Let’s face it, if someone created a workout plan that got you in the best shape of your life in 5 minutes, you would buy that right now. Sadly, there are no plans that I know of that will do that (that work).

So what is the next best thing? Focus your weights on large muscles. These include calf, quad, hamstring, back, back, shoulders, biceps and triceps. That is really all you need to get a good workout.

And when you work out big muscles, just workout the big muscles! You don’t need to do an Arnold Press, lateral raises, front raises and bent over lateral raises to feel the burn in your shoulder. That is honestly just overkill. Grab a weight, and lift it 12-15 times over your head, rest, do it two more times. Move on to the next muscles. Like I have said before, it isn’t rocket science.

Get in. Blow up. Get out. Stop focusing on the little details and you will produce bigger results.

I preach results here. Reading how to workout is great, but actually doing the workout gets results. Knowing what to eat is great. Actually eating clean gets results.

Want another way to get results? Be Honest.

Don’t lie to yourself. If you didn’t eat good, don’t try to tell yourself otherwise. Just eat better. If you didn’t workout because you were too lazy, don’t try to make excuses up in your head like you will work double hard tomorrow, or you couldn’t because you are too tired, be honest with yourself that you just couldn’t get yourself to the gym, then get yourself to the gym.

Being honest with yourself allows you to know what you are doing. If you lie to yourself and try to make up excuses, you can literally trick your mind into believing it and guess what – no results. But if you are honest with yourself about your workout and eating habits, and truly tell yourself why you are not working out, or why you cheated with the chocolate cake, you will start to notice the trends and patterns that lead to those habits and you will be able to kick them quicker which leads to results.

Honesty = results. Get honest – get results.

I am going to reveal a secret in the health industry. This secret is so shocking, that people try to keep it hidden for you. Fitness professionals hide this so they can sell you things you THINK you need.  This is the code, the science if you will, behind the ultimate healthy lifestyle. People try to tweak this code in order to get the results, but there is only one true formula to get great health. I can’t believe I am revealing this, but I feel it needs to come out. Ok, here it goes, the big moment. The scientific formula behind living the healthiest life possible, are you ready?

Eating Healthy + Physical Activity.

Yes – that is the formula. This is the secret to living the best life possible. A lot of people try to tweak this formula. They tell you that you need to lay off carbs. Or go high protein. Or go extremely low calories. Or they tell you that you need to do high intensity training. Or squats and deadlifts. Or 1000 crunches. And some have found tweaks that yield results…for a little while.

If you really want to make lasting health changes to your life, stick to the science. Eat healthy. Be active. It really is that simple. You don’t have to eat special foods! Just know what you are eating. Stay away from processed, get plenty of fruits and veggies and lean meats and drink plenty of water. Do SOMETHING everyday. That doesn’t mean you need to go run 10 miles at the gym, or be put through an extensive training program. Walk your dog. Walk with your significant other. Take the stairs. Park farther away. Take an extra lap around Target. Do jumping jacks during commercials of your favorite show. Or turn off LOST and go take a walk.

Now, I understand that if you have health issues, there will need to be tweaks and tunes to this formula. But this formula is the basis for every formula. If you need to lose a few pounds, or just live healthier, eating clean and getting physical activity in will do the trick. But here is the kicker – YOU HAVE TO DO IT! You need to make the conscious choice that you are going to take a walk everyday after work, or whenever it is. I can share the special rocket science with you, but ultimately it is up to YOU to take your health into your own hands and make a change. YOU can do it. I can help. Email me with questions, concerns, anything. info@nintemanfitness.com

You just get off of work. You are hungry. You know you should take the time to cut yourself some fresh greens, and some veggies and make yourself a nice salad. But you are tired because you just worked a long hard day, so you reach into the freezer, grab a Lean Cuisine and throw it in the microwave because it is quicker and easier.

We live in a world now where convenience sells – It is a microwave society. People are busy then every, running around, picking up kids, dropping off kids, going to Yoga, going to baseball practice, tweeting, facebooking, and whatever other things people do. People, in general, are looking for the fastest, easiest way to get things accomplished. And when you are tired, you really want to get a great tasting meal for the least amount of time possible.

Our Microwave society is what is making us have the highest obesity rating in the world. Since we are always looking for convenience, we never do what is optimal for our health. And I don’t blame you. There are times I get home from a full day of work and school and just want to relax. And sometimes I do. But if you really want to make good choices, you need to work hard.

Sadly, living healthy isn’t easy. You need to have self discipline and dedication to know that no matter how tired you are, your health depends on you making that rice and chicken, or that salad rather than that Lean Cuisine. But you need to realize that every time you take the easy route, you are not taking it easy on your body. Your heath is important to your livelihood and is worth taking the time and effort to ensure that you get the healthy food that your body needs. Get out of the Microwave society and start living healthy.

I am a firm believer in “aha” moments. Most times, it takes one instant to realize something big enough to make a lasting change. I had mine in college.

I was a sub 5 min mile entering into college. I didn’t keep up my working out when I entered college. The freshman 15 hit me a few times and I very quickly got out of shape and overweight (a little over 200 pounds for my 5’10″ frame. I was running late for a class one day and had to park in the bottom parking lot at San Diego State University. The only way up to the campus was climbing a significant amount of stairs. I finally found a spot to park, checked the clock and had approximately 2 minutes to get to class. I started running. I hit the first of many staira, no problem – I got this. Half way up I was walking. When I reached the top, I had to sit down because my heart was beating out of my chest and I couldn’t catch my breath. Needless to say I was late to the class. As I sat there trying to catch my breath and bring my heart rate down, I kept thinking “what am I doing? How did I get like this? I am a fitness and health guy and I can’t climb stairs? How am I suppose to preach health and wellness if I am overweight?”.

That was my “aha” moment. It was at the moment that I decided to turn it around. I start working out, eating better, dropped weight and changed my entire lifestyle so I can now talk the talk while I walk the walk.

Most people need that “aha” moment. Some people it is waking up and realizing you cannot see your feet because your belly sticks out. Others it is sitting in the doctors office with the doctor telling them if they don’t lose weight, they are going to die from Type 2 diabetes or heart attack.

It is my opinion that in order to make a lasting change, people need to have that “aha” moment. If people don’t have that moment, they just go through the motions. The implement changes that don’t stick. There is something psychological about an “aha” moment that makes you want to make a change. This is how you will make a change. Sure, you can make changes without an “aha” moment. Those people are determined to make a change. But I bet if you chat with most people that make drastic changes, there was something in their mind that clicked.

Dig deep down inside of you an find your “aha” moment. Find that one thing that makes you realize that you need to make life long changes in you life, whether it is to lose weight, live healthier, or change a bad habit. If you acknowledge the issue (the “aha” moment”) you will be able to find the determination to actually make the changes stick.