Category: Thursday Thought

Groundhog Day

Written by jbowen 0 Comments

Groundhog Day

Insanity is defined by doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. To give you a mental picture there was a film entitled, “Groundhog’s Day,” where main character, Bill Murray, is forced to live the same day over and over.  Now if you had the pleasure (displeasure really!) of seeing this movie you know that doing the same thing every day can be boring, unbearable and tiring. So why does the average gym goer relive their own personal Groundhog day? Why do people go into a gym and do the same thing over and over and expect to get results? Most people will walk into a gym for the first time, workout for a month and see some results. After that they stick to what works and hit a plateau and never see the results they were intending to have. Is this you? Do you feel like you are constantly doing the same exercises, every week and seeing zero results? STOP! Stop doing that, its not working and will never work.

Your body is a machine, designed to adapt to everything you do to it, that’s its job and it does it well. You can’t walk into the gym run 2 miles, sit on a couple of machines and take it to the house and expect to see any results. It will work for the short term, not for the long term. So how do I fix this? Here’s how:

 

  1. Variety: It is truly the spice of life. In an exercise program you need variety so your body does not get use to anything. This creates soreness and soreness is good.  Stop hoping on the elliptical for 45 minutes and excepting to be ripped, not going to happen. Start resistance training and cross training. Which your program up every 4 weeks!
  2. Exercise Selection: If you are used to always doing body weight squats and lunges try doing deadlifts and front squats. Switch it up and watch the results come!
  3. Reps/Weight: You don’t have to do 15 reps of everything and yes ladies I am talking to you! Increase the weight, decrease the reps. Shock your body! Doing something different!
  4. Elliptical: Get off the elliptical! You are not working hard enough, period. Do interval sprints, flip a tire or push the prowler. Get your cardio but get off the elliptical, its too easy! (Word to the wise, this is more directed to people that ALWAYS do the elliptical but could do more, not for the beginner that is trying to increase cardiovascular endurance)

Today I stepped out of my comfort zone and did a work out I have not done in a while, I usually stick with the basics but today I pushed myself to the max. Here it is (please use caution and modify if/when necessary)

5 Rounds

Thrusters- 1o reps

 

Double Kettlebell Snatches- 10 reps

 

Sledgehammer Throws- 15 reps each side

 

And then….

5 Rounds

Standard Deadlift- 10 reps

 

Farmer’s walk 30 paces

 

OUCH!!!!!

Like it or love it your body doesn’t like to change. It wants to stay right where you are. Naturally you want to see results. Don’t be Bill Murray and get stuck into Groundhog’s Day. Break the chains and break out of the plateau. Let me know what you think!

 

Yours in Fitness,

 

JB

17 Fitness Facts Through the Eyes of JB

Written by jbowen 0 Comments

Top 17 Fitness Facts through My Eyes

 

I want to warn everyone that reads this, if you are not open minded and are stubborn about changing the way you view exercise and nutrition please stop reading now. What I mean by this is these are 17 facts that I have learned through 8 years as a personal trainer and coach and 15 years of personal workouts. Some of these I have learned the hard way and others are as clear as day but all are a list of facts that will help you achieve your goals (as long as you choose to accept it.)

  1. Steady State Cardio will not get YOU Results- I see it everyday, gym goers check in the gym and immediately head for the treadmill or elliptical. If you asked them what their goals were they would say body fat loss, increased muscle tone and weight loss. OK? Why are you heading for the treadmill then? Take a U-Turn and head for the weight section. And yes I am talking to you, all of you! Big, tall, skinny, small I don’t care we all need to spend some quality time with the weights. Period. Next!
  2. Resistance Training will boost your Results- A continuation of number 1. All shapes and sizes should be picking up resistance training. Increased; metabolism, decreased osteoporosis, feel better and look better. What else do you need? Nothing that’s what.
  3. The Word “Tone” Does not Exist- So stop saying it. In muscle anatomy and kinesiology there is not term muscle “tone.” When you use this term you mean less fat and more muscle or “lean.” Let’s lose this term please.
  4. Static Stretching is a Waste of Time- Don’t stretch, warm-up. Doing the old school 1980’s Jane Fonda stretching routine is not going to make you more flexible and its not going to decrease chance of injury. Instead of bending over and touching your toes, get on a foam roller and roll your hamstrings out. Instead of stretching your hip flexors, do some explosive reverse lunges to a knee tuck. Stop stretching, thank you.
  5. Bananas are not the only Food in the Universe that Have Potassium- quite the contrary there are better foods, with less sugar that has plenty of potassium. Broccoli, kiwis, and sweet potatoes just to name a few are packed with high amounts of potassium. Bananas have too much sugar, eat apples or kiwis instead.
  6. Squat, Everyone- Everyone should squat regardless of what your doctor tells you, if you can’t squat you can’t use the toilet. Think about that. Enough said.
  7. Deadlift, Everyone- “Dead lifts are for men.” Oh yeah? Have you ever picked a box off the ground? You just did a deadlift. Dead lifts are great for developing posterior strength (you need that mister I sit at a desk all day) and are a great overall body developer. Do them but do them right!
  8. Stop Swinging the Dumbbell Around in an Attempt to Warm Your Shoulder- This doesn’t need much explanation but I see people do this all the time and it’s dumb. Your rotator cuff muscles are as thin as paper and applying this type of circular motion with added resistance is bad news. Just stop it!
  9. Perform Multi-Joint Movements- if your goal is decreased bodyfat, increased strength and better overall bodies start squatting, deadlifting, pressing, and swinging. If you goal is to be a body builder and you want bigger arms, continue doing bicep curls.
  10. Walking Does not Count As Exercise- Humans were made to walk, we are blessed with great mobility and the ability to run, sprint and walk. You cannot count walking around the block as vigorous exercise. You can do that with your eyes closed, try doing something more difficult. Maybe add a vest!
  11. Less Crunches and More Planks- You want to work your core? Try doing more planks and concentrate on extending the amount of time you can hold it. Try doing less crunches, they are a waste of your time and bad for your lumbar spine.
  12. Doing Abs will NOT give you a 6 Pack- Still flabbergasted that people believe this. Proper diet and nutrition coupled with great genetics and discipline is what gives people the 6 pack. Not crunches. Next.
  13. Do More Pushups- One of the best exercises, period. Shoulders over hands, core and quads tight, head, shoulders, hips and ankles in a straight line. If you can’t do them, start doing them against a wall and progress from there.
  14. Supplements are not the End All Be All- Supplements are just that, supplements for foods you can’t or do not get through food. They will not cure the world and will not give you the body of your dreams. Supplement when necessary. A few of my favorites; whey isolate protein, Branch Chain Amino Acids, Glutamine and Omega 3 fatty acids.
  15. If you Sorta Eat Right, You Will Sorta Look Right- Want to look your best, eat your best. Next
  16. Proper Form Rules All- Do not sacrifice weight for proper form. Learn how to squat/deadlift/press correctly. Stop bouncing and making trainers cringe. It will catch up to you one day.
  17. Lift then Run- Lifting weights prior to cardio will burn twice as much fat as doing it in the reverse. A study showed men that did resistance training prior to doing 30 minutes of cardio burned a 100% more bodyfat than those that did the exact opposite.

 

Now you guys tell me which ones you want me to expound or defend. I’m ready, trust me.

Yours in Fitness,

 

JB

 

Strong is the NEW Skinny

Written by jbowen 0 Comments

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have written several blogs and articles on the importance of strength training, particularly as it relates to women. I have documented the reasons why women should pick up the weights. However, for some reason, some people don’t get it. Some think they are a genetic marvel that if they look at a 40 lbs. dumbbell that their quads will expand and it will prevent them from wearing pants. Remember this; any man that works out would love for that to be their problem. I wanted to take the time to profess that Strong is the New Skinny

To back up my claim for those non-believers let’s look one strong hormonal difference between men and women:

  1. Testosterone- this hormone has a huge impact on muscle tissue growth (as well as other interactions in the human body). Men, on average, will produce 20 times more testosterone than women. This of course will determine the amount of muscle tissue a person can grow. That also is not to say women cannot build muscle, it just means you cannot build as much or as fast as a normal man.

So I bring this up because I firmly believe that strength training is as important, if not more important, for women than it is for women. Let’s look at those reasons:

  1. Decrease in Body fat- women who strength train will naturally have less body fat than those that don’t. That looks good! Its ok to have a little muscle J
  2. Increase in Bone Mineral Density- Women are more susceptible to osteoporosis than men and strength training helps combat that. The loading of the bones causes the bones to become stronger and increases the density, warding off brittle and weak bones
  3. It is great for your health- Research has shown that women that strength train are in better overall health than those that don’t. So pick up a weight and start going at it!

Proof is in the pudding. Let’s take a look at several well-known women who strength train

 

Halle Berry

 

 

 

 

 

 

Halle is an avid strength trainer, who uses circuit training to build her physique. She is also Type I diabetic.

 

 

Kim Kardashian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kim is another avid strength trainer, she combines circuit training and interval training to produce her results. Also notice, she has bodyfat! Its ok to have bodyfat!

 

 

Courtney Cox

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michelle Obama

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A former athlete, the First Lady, stays in great shape with plyometric exercises and strength training. She also has arms that most women would kill for.

 

To close this off, Strong IS the new skinny, and the above women prove you can be in phenomenal shape by picking up weights.

 

 

Frustrations from the Guru

Written by jbowen 1 Comment

 

 

 

 

 

First off, I have been tabbed a “guru” but I am not quite sure I know what that means. However, I know a huge responsbility must come with a title such as that. I responsibility I accept and take on full speed ahead. However, no matter how talented you are, smart you are or how much you perfect your craft (I am in no means stating I have mastered anything), there will always be things you don’t understand. Things that are  beyond comprehensive or sometimes, without logic. Today, I am having on of these days where I am frustrated. Here is why:

 

I am a firm believer in nutrition. When I say firm believer, I believe we have the ability to cure many aliments just by eating the correct food. I am not a believer in modern medicine, I feel as if most doctor’s will prescribe you medication to “coat” or “hide” the problem, not really treating the root of the problem. I also believe that many of our diseases are nutritionally based and cause by poor nutrition habits; Type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancers, obesity, hormonal imbalances, mental health disorders etc. Again these are my beliefs and that doesn’t mean its factual, I am just stating an opinion. So with all that said you can see where I am coming from. The power of the proper nutrients can prevent and in some cases heal our bodies. “So get to the point where your frustrated!” Ok. Ok. My frustrations comes from our food supply in this country and around the world. Most, not all, but most people are contaminating our food supply to make a quick buck. For example, many farmers will inject estrogen and growth hormone into animals so they grow twice as fast and go to slaughter twice as soon. Thus, they make more money and we have to eat meat that has been altered by steriod hormones. On top of that, who knows what they fed the animal before going to slaughter. Make no mistake about it, most chicken, beef, pork has been given hormones and when you cook it that food and make a nice hamburger, you are eating it too. That is of course, unless you get certified beef that is grass fed without the added hormones. So what life was like 100 years ago, we now have to shop in a special section of the grocery to get. Frustrating. Also what is frustrating, have you ever thought how the vegetables in the produce section got to the store? Well alot of apples will come from Washington state but I am in Kentucky. So these apples where transported thousands of miles, in the dark (which devoid some of the nutritional value) to Kentucky so I can have an apple. That could of taken days, weeks. So by the time it gets to the grocery store its been a week in the dark and now I am going to eat it. Something is wrong here. On top of that if its not label organic, it most likely has pesticides, insecticides and herbicide residue all over it. You are going to eat that by the way and your body is not going to like the way it digests. So now you see where the frustrating comes out. I feel as if I have to go out of my way to purchase legitimate food, that is not altered or sprayed with chemicals. That is not life and that is not healthy. This country has more food than it knows what to do with, problem is not all of it is truely good for you. S0 let me make these suggestions to you:

 

1. If you are going to buy steak/ground beef make sure it is grass fed beef, with no added hormones. This will eliminate the chance of eating an estrogen burger. Whole Foods is a great place to find this.

2. If you are going to eat vegetables and fruit make sure it is 100% organic. This will mean you wont be eating fruit with chemicals all over it.

3. All Natural does not mean anything. There is no regulation by the FDA on the use of “natural.” I can say my hot dogs are all “natural.” Of course I would be full of you know what.

4. Buy your produce at a farmers market if at all possible. The food would not have traveled far and it will be fresh with all the great nutrients.

5. Read your labels and know what you are eating. If a cereal bar has 90 ingredients on the label that is 85 too many. But it back and pick up an organic apple.

 

I am not a “guru.” I am passionate fitness professional that seeks information like air. But I too get frustrated at certain parts and I realize I cannot eat “clean” or “perfect” every meal every day. But I can make good choices about the foods I buy and eat. Information is power but it can also confuse you and frustrate you if you get too much too fast. Moral of the story:

 

1. Nutrition is vitally important

2. Make good choices and realize that not everything that is classified healthy is actually healthy

3. Read the labels and make sure you understand what you are eating

4. Keep reading good ole JB and provide feedback as you see fit

 

Yours in Fitness

 

JB- Fitness Czar? HAHA

4 [More] Steps to Getting Lean

Written by jbowen 0 Comments

You’ve probably said one of these things to yourself: “I want to lose weight and sculpt but I don’t know how” or “I’m going to go back to what worked when I played football in high school” or “I work out hard but I eat what I want. Why am I not losing weight?” Well, last time we talked about getting lean, I have gave you 4 strategies to get lean and promised 4 more. So…here you go…

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