This question is one that only you can answer. I could retire if I had five dollars for every time someone asked me that question or one similar to it. It seems that many of us work out and stick to a routine only to become frustrated because the weight isn’t coming off. I understand that frustration completely! Part of the problem is that you are putting too much value on the wrong goals.
If you are over forty, you first and primary goal should be health related. You know, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, improved heart function. The weight you carry is far less important unless you are thirty to fifty pounds overweight, in my opinion. If I haven’t convinced you that it’s all worth yet I will offer you a challenge. Simply stop exercising for one to three months. See if you put on weight and lose energy. See if your resting heart rate goes up and maybe your blood pressure and cholesterol as well.
My point to this article is that we don’t value what we can’t see. You may not be losing weight but if you weren’t exercising you would be gaining weight and accumulating more problems for the future. The next time you wonder whether it’s all worth it, go through this process and I am confident that you will come up with the correct answer
Yours in good health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
Eighty percent of Americans will have back pain sometime in their lives. Back pain can come from many different sources. It could be a lack of conditioning. It could be a lack of mobility. It could come from overuse or a variety of other reasons.
Whatever the reason, you don’t always have to abandon exercising your back. Many of us simply move away from a routine if our back was flaring up from previous exercise session. The next step is to get as far away from that exercise as possible. This may not be prudent either. Many times that back pain or soreness is a red flag that indicates muscle weakness or joint instability.
By simply avoiding any back strengthening or range of motion work, you could be exacerbating the problem. You could be making your back more susceptible to aching, pain or injury.
I want to give you four steps to try if you have ever gone through this.
1. Ask your doctor for a recommendation based on what you were doing.
2. Tell a fitness professional what the doctor said.
3. Ask your fitness professional if they can help you overcome any obvious issues with your back, ie, weakness, lack of range of motion, bad posture.
4. Make a plan together to fix the problem.
If you simply say “I can’t do something”, you may be allowing yourself to become weaker and less mobile, which in turn WILL affect your quality of life later on. Be proactive and get your back in shape. Pretend it’s your weak biceps and your willing to do whatever it takes to make it stronger! There are many exercises that you can do on your own that will help you through this. They need to be taught to you by a professional. They need to be approved by your doctor. And you need to keep doing them. It may not turn around over night. Stay with it!
Now, go get it done!
Yours in Good Health,
Ken CES/MES
Summer is upon us and if you are like most of us there aren’t enough hours in the day. It seems that nice weather, warm temperatures, and more daylight can reek havoc on our free time. Your favorite outdoor activities become center stage and the social gatherings are everywhere.
This may seem like a euphoric time but the wear and tear on your mind and body will usually show up by Labor Day and it’s an all out assault on your local health club, again! I would like to offer some advice that can actually fill your emotional tank over the summer. It will help you to enjoy the summer while doing some extraordinary things. You won’t have to come back in the fall looking for another miracle.
This summer try a give and take routine. Here’s how it works!
- Accept the fact that your routine is going to take a hit.
- Keep your routine manageable by keeping your routine within 80% of your normal schedule.
- Give blood one time this summer.
- Actively seek out someone and ask them if they would like to benefit from your life experience. If you’re successful, someone will want to know how you did it!
- Party but don’t party crazy.
- Take 30 seconds each day and really, really, evalulate how lucky you are to have your health.
- Make one call to an old friend.
- Ask your spouse or partner how important your health is to them. Do it!
- Drink a little less
- If you are not able to stay on track, call Ken at 546-1000 ext. 250.
Keep this advice somewhere close by. It will be sure to be a great summer! Now, go get it done!
In Gratitude,
Ken Rex CES/MES
Now that you’ve had a summer to play and make the most of unusually great weather it is time to get back to making exercise part of your daily routine. I would suggest that you start by doing just 15-20 minutes 3 times the first week. Move that to 20-25 minutes 4 times for the next 2 weeks. Take a month to get yourself back in the habit. After all, you have the rest of your life!
If you are going to be successful, you must look at what worked for you and what didn’t work for you. The time or the day and even the type of workout may have given you a negative attitude. You need to make change in the areas that feed negativity. Conversely, you need to feed the areas that are motivating to you. If you simply do what your “Supposed” to be doing, you may not last the year. The definition of success, in my opinion is your consistency with exercise. The type of exercise you do won’t matter much if you aren’t consistent!
My advice for you would be to talk with a trainer about your likes and dislikes along with your schedule and daily routine. From there a Professional can help improve your chances for success. Simply make an appointment for a lifestyle assessment and we can help you hit the ground running. It will take about 30 minutes and may be the best investment you can make to insure your success. This next year could be the most positive and realistic approach to fitness that you have had in a while. We look forward to sitting down with you soon.
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
Lifestyle Assessment $15.00
While obesity is a growing epidemic among our American culture, hidden in the shadows lurks another dangerous extreme. What typically has been associated with teenage girls, young women and female athletes, has now taken appeal to middle age women. I am referring to Disordered Eating. Disordered eating refers to sub-clinical, unhealthy eating patterns that are often the precursors of eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia and binge eating).
Unfortunately, the fear of permanently jeopardizing their health is of little or no significance. We are seeing the rise in popularity and curiosity in “Extreme Makeovers” and fad diets, which is leading us to value ourselves by the number on the scale and the image in the mirror. Women have forgotten what it is like to accept and like themselves as an imperfect person. This is the foundation of the problem: lack of self-esteem, poor self – image and self – worth. If middle age women are heading down this path, what kind of messages are we sending to our young girls and young women? The key to recognizing this obsession with body image and eating is watching and listening. There are a variety of reasons for these problems and even more ways to work through them. This is a sensitive issue, but we need to challenge our friends and family to seek help or we are never going to overcome this problem. The metabolic stress over time may damage any hope of a permanent fix. The emotional damage may be irreparable.
- Hear are some signs or red flags for you to watch for:
- Do you enjoy eating with other people?
- Do you become anxious prior to eating?
- Are you preoccupied with food and engage in dieting behavior?
- Do you take laxatives?
- Are you preoccupied with the thought of ANY fat on your body?
- Do you avoid foods with high carbohydrate content?
- Do you exercise intensely 7 days a week to burn calories?
- Do you weigh yourself twice a day or even several?
- Do you repeatedly express concerns about being fat or feeling fat, even when weight is average or below average?
If these signs are apparent in a friend, family member or yourself it’s important not to dismiss them. It is a very delicate topic to broach, however, wouldn’t it be worth it to confront it, than to continue down the path of physical and emotion deterioration and destruction? Successful intervention requires a multidisciplinary approach combing medical, nutritional and psychological professionals. You can be the catalyst in this process!
Rarely a week goes by that we don’t address the issue of definition. “How do I get definition?” It is a natural part of our goals. Who doesn’t want to have more defined muscles? How we get that definition is where we part company! Most of us want a special exercise routine that will cut us up or at least give us better definition. It doesn’t work that way! The exercise routine you are doing will break down the muscles and they will rebuild stronger, depending on the workload and rest applied. Heavy weights will promote more growth, if you have the genetics and enough testosterone to actually build large muscles. Sorry ladies, you don’t have enough to be in danger.
Getting back to definition. It doesn’t matter what routine you are doing if you aren’t eating the right balance of foods and calories to reduce the fat from your body, your muscles will not be defined. Definition is 70-80% nutrition oriented. If you want definition, eat better! It takes a long time and results are very difficult to maintain.
Workouts are important and will give the muscle a nice shape. You can do that with high reps or low reps! As long as you carry fat over those beautiful muscles, you will never see them.
Want definition? Clean up your diet and expect it to take a long time. Discipline will take you a long way here. You can’t afford cocktails and desserts several times a week.
A good range for a male is 12-20%. A good range for females is 18-25%. If you want to get to the single numbers, you may be looking at obsessive behavior. If you are over forty, this is very unrealistic! There are few health advantages to be gained by drooping below these ranges in my opinion. The personal frustration and denial you will encounter far outweigh the advantages. Shoot for a healthy range and live a little! Oh, your trainer will be happy to give you a realistic goal. Be careful, you may not like what you hear!
I hope that you will examine your goals in this area and be honest with yourself about those goals. If you are trying to get below the ranges that are considered healthy, you should ask yourself why. As always, I challenge you to talk candidly with your Physician about this issue. I will go with his recommendation. Go have some fun and live a LITTLE!!
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
Are you trying to change the way you look? Are you trying to improve your performance? Hopefully, you are trying more to improve your performance. It is healthier and much more achievable! What I mean is that changing your looks has much more to do with nutrition than how much time you spend in the gym. Your gym time should be used to improve your risk factors as well as strength, energy and endurance. You will ultimately have a positive impact on how you look, but nutrition will be the catalyst here. The key is finding a balance.
Most of us want to live in the gym. The problem is that we take far too many liberties with our eating because of that time spent in the gym. This can cause us to adopt a “This isn’t working mentality”. In fact any time in the gym is working! What isn’t working is the time that you spend doing other things. You know what I mean! Please use your time in the gym wisely! I know that time is precious. The better your behavior is outside of the gym, the less time commitment you will have to put forth to improve or maintain your health and your body.
Take small steps and walk slowly with change. Too many people over-react with an imbalance of nutrition and exercise because it gets fast results. The problem is that 90% of those results are TEMOPARY! Do it once, take it slow, and never look back!
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
Most people look at their personal trainer as the hero or the goat. We either walk on water or we belong in the water, depending on the results or lack there of. Neither of these should be true! Too many times we want to praise or blame our trainers for our successes or failures. The truth is that you are in charge of both! Most people see their trainer 2-3 times per week. If there are 168 hours in a week, that leaves 165-166 hours of self-time. Where do you think the successes and failures are happening, in the 2-3 hours of guidance and observation or the other 165 or so hours?
Here is a better way to use your trainer to reach your goals. Decide from the beginning that you are responsible for you successes and failures. Make a commitment to listening, absorbing and using information that your trainer gives you. After all, they want you to succeed! It makes them look good! Think of your trainer as a tour guide. Use your trainer to get information that is helpful to you. Use your trainer to help you overcome problem areas. Tell your trainer to let you know when you are setting yourself up to fail. They can help you in so many ways! Like a tour guide, they can’t carry you! A tour guide can’t want to take the tour more than you do.
You have to want it folks! Motivation and teaching are what we do best. We can put that to use through great programming. You have the responsibility of dedication, commitment, and follow through. It’s been that way since the beginning of time! When these processes come together, it is success, personified! I hope you will realize that you are better than you think. Many of you are just one small step from fitness results that will make you very happy.
Now, go get it done!
Ken Rex CES/MES
Fitness Director
Working hard to reach your goals is admirable. Many of you are doing a great job of sticking with it. Some of you are doing so much work that it’s a little troubling that you are not getting the results you are aiming for. My job is to use my experience as a GREAT listener to surmise what could be keeping you from reaching such hard-fought goals! That goal would be weight-loss!
My guess is that you have a couple of possible answers for your shortcomings. Either your program isn’t effective, or your diet has too many carbs. The first possibility is unlikely. If you exercise regularly, you should be getting the desired results. That leaves us with the possibility of too many carbs. Now you are on the right track-kind of! Many of you have foolishly adopted the low-carb theory without knowing enough of the full story, and I haven’t been able to change your mind. I do however, want to challenge you on that theory as it relates to your lack of results. You are willing to throw good food to the wind to lose weight as long as it doesn’t interfere with your social life! How do I know this? I know this because beer, wine, and most other alcoholic drinks are nothing but carbs!! Funny, I don’t hear anyone telling me about their willingness to walk away from this big silent result killer.
Alcoholic drinks are caloric nuclear weapons that can destroy any possibility of weight-loss. Oh, and guess what? They are loaded with empty calories that add weight to your body with little or no nutritional value! Interestingly, the potato or slice of whole grain bread that is loaded with nutrition has no room in your high tech diet. How does that work? I need help on this!
Most of us underestimate our alcohol consumption, unless of course you don’t drink. Then we could talk about pop or juices with some similar results. I don’t have enough space to enlighten you on the fallacies of these theories! If you want to get better results for your hard work, I suggest that you look at your alcohol and empty caloric intake. It’s that simple! You may be surprised at the results you will get.
None of you are willing to walk away from your social habits. I wouldn’t either! Those low-carb diets have the EXACT same result! No one is going to give up potatoes and bread forever. You shouldn’t-they’re good for you! It is the empty calorie that is the silent result killer. Your mission is to limit empty calories and watch what happens. The results you get could be just what you were looking for.
Now, go get it done.
Ken RexCES/MES
Most of us determine our success by measuring how much we can lift or how much we weigh, and even how fast we can run. Is this a healthy attitude? I don't think so. If you are in your 20's or 30's and competing in some competition this attitude can be important.
Unfortunately, I see too many people in their 40's, 50's, and even 60's with this attitude. It can be very risky from an injury standpoint. It can be very troublesome from a psychological standpoint. If you adopt the idea that you need to build your physic to a point of joint destruction or constant muscle damage you are heading for other problems, in my opinion. If you believe that lifting heavy with poor form will somehow make you stronger, think again! The temporary gains you think you are making will be flushed away with a few good reps at the weights you should be using. If you are lucky enough to stay injury free, your days are numbered. I will be the first to say "push yourself", but as usual we go overboard on everything. That's what Americans do! Ever hear that bread is bad for you? Wow! How silly is that?
I want you to push and push hard, but not at the expense of having fun or losing your sense of humor. I want you to excel but I don't want you adopting ideas like this. "I have pain but I can lift more" " If I don't go all out every time it's not worth it". Hopefully you can adopt a much healthier attitude that will allow you to have some fun and feel good about your consistency. Intensity is important, but it can be destructive if you are abusing the privilege. Focus on your improving your energy, endurance, and over-all well being.
Taking a look at your entire environment is the only way to determine true success. If one part of your life dominates all the other parts, you are headed for trouble sooner or later. If you rationalize your way through that domination, I can't help you. Mostly because you aren't ready to recognize it yet. Hopefully you can use this information to assess what your attitude is and if you are on track. I want you to be healthy in every part of your life, not in spite of them. Now, go get it done!
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
Fitness Director
What am I talking about? Body weight, size, how much you can bench press, etc. - the numbers that so many people are mistakenly obsessed about.
If I reduce someone's weights just the slightest bit, they want to take me out - men want more and women want less! They know exactly what number, even down to one leg vs. the other!
Frankly, it's quite scary! By focusing on these numbers people are missing the big picture. I truly understand why they seem important, however as a trainer they mean very little to me.
What are the important numbers? Those would be your numbers for
- Total Cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol
- Triglycerides
- Blood Pressure
- Blood Glucose
- Resting Heart Rate
If you are over 40 years old, you need to know these. Stop obsessing about numbers that feed your ego or meet the status quo and instead learn the numbers that directly relate to your life and health!
You can still train hard and have specific goals but your focus on the wrong numbers can be devastating! If you think this article if for someone else, then I've hit a bullseye!
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
Although there are not too many absolutes in this world here is one I am certain of. Almost every person that I've worked with and counseled in the last fifteen years strongly believes that doing hundreds of crunches is the best and ONLY way to reduce their midsection. To offer proof, I need to merely say - no abs today! The looks and sounds you would hear next would suggest that I have been relieved of my senses.
Let's examine this issue at the core if you will. What is the one thing that most people want to reduce from their midsection? The answer is fat. That's where you store much of your fat. What do we know about reducing fat from our bodies? You should know that it is impossible to spot reduce. Your body pulls fat stores from all over your body. It appears that you are spot reducing because you have less fat stores in certain areas so weight loss will show up quicker, i.e. your face.
If we determine that reducing your waistline has to come from energy expenditure and moderate caloric reduction, we need to examine this process more deeply. Reducing your caloric intake will be effective if you don't over compensate and start skipping meals. Simply reduce the portion size for now. If our goal is to increase energy expenditure to burn the fat off the muscles on our midsection, those crunches you are doing are very ineffective. They will tone and tighten your midsection. That isn't the same as reducing your waistline!
Let's adopt a far better strategy that will burn those unwanted pounds off your waistline. You must reduce your portion size and overall caloric intake, moderately. You can still do crunches for fitness sake. More is not going to achieve what you think! Start doing exercises that burn a lot of calories per minute. Because your ab muscles are so small by comparison, they do not allow you to burn much energy. Go with leg, hip and cardio work. Exercises such as squats, lunge steps, stair climbing, and aerobic or cardio work will burn much more fat from your midsection than doing thousands of crunches. These exercises will burn many more calories per minute than crunches. You may already have great abs! You won't know it until you burn the fat from that area.
Next time someone asks you for a great exercise for reducing the waistline, you will now have a good answer that will be much more effective than doing all those crunches. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security. Now go get it done!
Ken Rex CES/MES
Fitness Director
It's not the movie I'm referring to but the lifestyle and behaviors of ordinarily intelligent people in reaction to conflicting health advice. We simply don't have the ability to process and judge the increasing amounts of information being thrown at us. When it comes to dietary advice, are we being handed a sales pitch for a new product or program to make somebody rich or are we receiving valid information? We need to stop listening to the snake oil "quick & easy fix" salesmen and start looking at the science of health.
At Personal Energy, we study the science, and continually update our knowledge through some of the finest organizations in our field. Quite simply, we know what is good, what is bad and what is ugly. I'll make is easy for you by listing some things for you to see. It's up to you to decide if I have something to sell or if I want you to be better equipped to excel in a sport or improve your health. You decide
The Good:
Weight training
Building muscle (especially women)
Cardiovascular exercise
Stretching
4-6 small meals per day
Carbs (complex carbs)
Some protein-25%
Unsaturated fat-20%
The Bad:
Scales
Obsessive training ( you know what that is)
Exercising for a look instead of your health
LOW CARB DIETS!
High PROTEIN DIETS!
Sedentary lifestyle
Reading diet books
Not listening to the professionals that care about what
really happens to you
Weight swings (both ways)
Negativity
The Ugly:
People that want it both ways
People that attempt to diet their way to happiness
People that lose muscle instead of fat
(I call these people "jerky people")
People that are too proud to get help
Any fad diet
Athletic women that think they're bulky
Beautiful women that think they're fat
People that say "I know what to do"
As usual, I know that this information is tough to digest. My intention is to help you succeed, not tell you what you want to hear. My hope is that you will appreciate the information before you and take a sound and effective approach to reaching your goal. If you do, you will be much happier in the long run, no matter what the result. Now, go get it done!
Ken Rex CES/MES
Fitness Director
When I hear stories of people losing 4,5,6 or even 8 pounds in a week I don't know whether to laugh or simply feel sorry for the person. Some people can actually believe they are losing that weight as fat.
This problem is more prevalent than you think, thanks to the high-protein fad. Shouldn't I show them that it is impossible to lose that much fat in a week, if I could? I can! Let's explore how to lose fat.
First of all, fat burns in the flame of carbohydrate. In other words, you need carbohydrate present in your system to burn fat effectively. Without enough carbs you will have to revert to protein (muscle) for energy. This will show up on the scale quickly but it could be doing some significant damage to your metabolism. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism! So if you are losing muscle, you are losing metabolism!
Now, back to burning fat. If you are taking in 1500 calories a day and maintaining your weight, you are probably burning about 1500 calories per day. How can you lose 4,5,6, or 8 pounds of fat in a week? You can't! You will need to quit your job to burn enough calories to lose that much fat in a week.
Let me explain. How many calories in just one pound of fat? The answer is 3500 calories. To lose that much fat the math goes like this. Five pounds x 3500 calories=17,500. You will need to burn 17,500 calories above and beyond your present caloric output of 1,500 per day. The average person probably averages 300-600 calories in an hour workout. If we go with 500 you will need 35 hours of exercise each week above and beyond what you are doing now. It can't be done!
But what if you actually are losing that much weight? What do you think you are losing? If you said water and muscle you would be right. Remember, the main component of metabolism is muscle! The thyroid, and other components help regulate metabolism but the amount of muscle that you build or maintain is paramount.
If you eliminate carbs, you are reducing your ability to burn fat and become leaner. It's never too late to get smart. Eliminate simple or processed carbs. Try some simple things like getting good complex carbohydrates. (vegetables, legumes, some fruits) Eat smaller portions more often. Get consistent with exercise.
And most important, BE PATIENT. Your health is worth more than your looks. Trust me, I deal with this everyday.
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
Fitness Director
Are you are one of those people who have been working out for weeks and months and just can't get to that next level of weight loss or fitness?
You may be closer to that level than you think. What you burn and how you burn it is related to intensity. I'm sure you've heard that going at a moderate pace burns more fat that going at a high pace. Is that all you need to know? I don't think so! You must get a little more information before you settle in on that approach.
Even though it is true that you do burn a higher percentage of fat at a moderate level, you will be burning less fat and calories overall. The problem is that your overall caloric burn is fairly low. If you were to raise your intensity and do a more difficult group of exercises, or a new routine, you would burn a lower percentage of fat during your workout but your caloric burn would be significantly higher. Therefore you will burn more fat overall because you are burning more calories overall.
Think of it this way. Would you rather have 30% of $20.00 or 70% of $10.00? If the dollars represents exercise time, you can see where you get more bang for your buck. I would prefer to burn calories at a higher intensity and increase my output. This in turn will put more calories into the system to be used. The caloric burn is higher. Fat is being utilized at a lower percentage but at a much higher volume. If you extend your workout length it really adds up. Each person will utilize fat at different levels but the idea remains the same.
Once you get your fitness level higher, your ability to get lean or lose weight will be much improved. This is something we should all be striving for if weight loss or leanness is an objective. This is where a Trainer comes in. We WILL get that extra intensity! We WILL get you that 15% you've been looking for! Most of us have a little light that goes off and says, "That's enough". A Trainer doesn't see that light. Therein lies a great advantage. It is up to you to want it! Only you can make that happen. We will be on the watch for you. Now go and get it done!
Ken Rex CES/MES
It's January/February, 2004 and you are beginning ANOTHER New Year's Resolution. This is the third anniversary of your fifth New Year's Resolution! What will make this one any different? Why would you succeed this year? Where are you looking to find the answer?
Let's take a look at why you have to remake a resolution in the first place. That means the previous resolutions have failed. Why did the fail? My guess is two-fold: unrealistic goal setting, and you are invested in a product and not a process! I can hear you now, oh no, not me! If you are on a diet or any program or product that requires you to stay on it to be effective, you are not invested in a process that gives or teaches you discipline and keeps your eye on the real target, your health and wellness!
Take just one year and focus on your health and wellness and forget about looking different or weighing less. This will be your breakout year. This will be the year that you can forget about that magical resolution for good! You simply won't care if you are focusing on want really counts.
Here is where we start. Decide that you are going to exercise 4-6 hours per week. Break it up anyway that you like but build it in and make sure you average 4-6 hours each week. You know that you are going to have things come up. You know that now! That shouldn't come as a surprise. What should be a surprise is that you didn't expect it and you don't know how you can possibly get exercise in. Make something else give! Why is exercise always the FIRST to go? Now that you realize that you are committed, you need to add nutrition to the equation. NO DIETING!
Start eating a little better, and eating smaller portions. This will allow you to eat more often without putting on weight. One to two meals won't get it folks! Neither will a popular diet plan. It is that simple! Please don't under-estimate the impact that this can have over time. This is a process that you will never have to abandon! You have just read an article that will make you much more successful in your quest to be lean and mean. You will also realize that you will be much happier on a day to day basis.
I challenge to take this to your doctor and compare this letter with any diet plan out there. I will go with his or her decision on this. This should be the last resolution you will ever make! Now go get it done!
Ken Rex CES/MES
Fitness Director.
Once we realize that it's been too long since we've been in decent shape, it's time to make some choices.
By the way, here's a news flash! Two thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese. Wow! They are obviously making the wrong choices! The problem at hand is, are you one of those people, or are you waiting to become one? Being healthy has always been about choices.
Most of us over-react and make short -term choices that lead to long-term problems (i.e. dieting). I'm not going to try to change your mind on that; we've lost that battle for good. Most people just don't care about the type of weight loss they have as long as its, weight loss. Too bad! Being healthy will require making better choices. I call these, Pro Choices!
There will be times that you won't want to workout. There will be times that you will want to have a few extra drinks or dessert. These are the times in which you will have to make a choice! I think it is fine to do either of these once in a while. The problem is that everyone defines "once in a while differently". Some say, once or twice a week is "once in a while" or others will say that once or twice a month is "once in a while".
I agree with the latter statement. I am much more concerned about patterns than a "once in a while" setback. The most dangerous pattern that you can get into is making excuses. Once you start accepting excuses, YOU ARE DONE! If time, money, work or family obligations get into this pattern, just live with where you are and stop complaining. I can show you so many examples of people that have all those obligations and more, and still manage to stay fit to some degree. They are making the tough choices or, as I have said previously, Pro Choices!
Isn't that where most of your successes have been anyway? I thought so! Take some time and think about where you are in your fitness life and decide if you are pro choice. If you are, then make some choices that will be effective and long lasting! Now, go get it done!
Ken Rex CES/MES
Fitness Director
How many of us have said that we want to add inches to our chest and biceps or we wanted to take off inches from our waist and hips? I would say that almost all of us, at one time or another would be a safe bet!
What are we saying here? Are we saying that we will put up with any kind of agony as long as we get there? Are we saying we are willing to deprive ourselves of anything as long as we get there? Yes we are! The verdict is in and there is no argument here! This is what we have become, unfortunately. I know that this will turn many of you off. The truth isn't always easy to here.
I would like to change the way many of you think. The experience of consistent exercise without the added baggage of vane goals is extremely rewarding. Most of my clients have been working with me consistently for 12 or more years. The are totally involved in the experience! I will tell you that their greatest achievements have been staying in the experience not dying to get to a certain size.
Oh, by the way, they are very fit people. They don't get bogged down with how they look or what size the are. The do get high on the experience and rewards that being fit brings them!
Take time to evaluate what and how you go about your fitness. I can tell you with refute the people that are the most focused on vanity are the unhappiest in my opinion. The people that are enjoying the experience of exercise are much happier in their lives. It is up to you to decide which way you want to go. If you think that all you need to do is get to your vanity goal and you will find happiness, you are so wrong! Take some time and evaluate how and what you want to achieve with your fitness and your health.
If you do it right it will take longer than you think. It will be harder than you think. It will cost more than you want to spend. How is that for tough love! It's the truth! I hope you will begin to focus on the experience and allow yourself time to adapt. It will be worth every bit of sweat, time, and money that you invest. Now, go get it done!
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
The squat is, in my opinion, the hardest exercise for people to learn. Unfortunately, it is one of the best exercises we can do. It can trim your waistline far quicker than doing abdominal exercises. It can contribute to a higher quality of life as we get older. It is a functional exercise that needs to be perfected and understood. Simply put, it does not damage your knees if you do it correctly. It WILL save your back and allow you to improve your activity level as you get a little older.
Because the squat uses the largest muscles in your body this will enable you to burn more calories and ultimately become a better fat burner. If you become a better fat burner you will reduce your waistline faster. Doing abdominal exercises will strengthen your abs and increase back stability but these exercises burn far less calories.
The squat will enhance your quality of life in one simple but very significant way. It will help you to get up and down from a chair, sofa and even the floor. I encourage you to take note how many times a day that you have to recover from a seated position. You will be amazed at the hundreds of time each day that you need strong legs and glutes to get these simple activities done.
Unfortunately our BACKS take most of this punishment. We have a tendency to bend our backs and use our backs in the absence of good leg and glute strength. Our backs become our prime movers simply because it is easier. This habit will eventually catch up with us. The problems that follow can be very discouraging. Some of you that have already discovered this! If you've received physical therapy my bet is that you were taught how to use your legs and glutes to lift and move. You were also taught not to use your back for lifting. My question for you is " Why wait until we have a problem to change what gets us there?"
Here is an easy way to improve you ability to squat. Watch in the mirror when you squat. Check to see which joint moves first. If it is your knees, you're in trouble! It should be your hips! Your hips go to the rear, not your knees forward.(see photo) Your knees should remain even or behind your toes. This will take practice, but it will be worth it! Once you learn this exercise you will become much stronger, and able to work on your quality of life for years. Without it, it's only a matter of time or simply accepting a lower level of fitness. Remember the squat is a huge calorie burner as well! It will be important in your quest to lose fat!
Study the example and make your best effort to learn this valuable exercise. It is too important to ignore!
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
If you are like most people you will be either still trying to find a routine you can commit to, or you are totally committed to exercise and you are doing what you have been doing for years. You are training your strengths, your look good muscles! You all know who you are. It’s most of us! If you have a big chest you spend most of your energy trying to make it bigger or stronger. If you have big biceps you are training those guns. If you have six-pack, that’s where most of your energy goes. The same holds true for runners verses lifters.
What ever happened to balance?
I see so many people working this way and in two minutes I can find a glaring weakness with most of you. This shouldn’t be, unless you are involved in a very specific event that is Olympic in nature or status. What good is a 300 pound bench if you have a horrible back and soft middle? What good is a 20 inch bicep if your legs or heart can’t work at a sustained level for a reasonable amount of time? I think you get the picture that I’m writing about.
Shouldn’t we begin to focus our training on the weak spots? We know that we will always get time for the look-good stuff. Try putting some balance into your routine and see how much better you feel. If you are trying to find a way to commit to exercise this will be a great way to break the boredom.
If you are a person that’s wants an opinion on what your weak spots might be, Liz and I would be happy to discuss it with you. We probably won’t pull any punches but this will ultimately be to your benefit, don’t you think? We believe that this step will clearly get you to another level, no matter where you are now.
Don’t be shy! Ask the tough questions, so you can’t begin to make real progress. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours in Good Health
Ken Rex CES/MES
by Liz Donofrio
Ken and I recently traveled to Cleveland for a 2-day fitness conference. There were excellent presenters and the topics were very interesting. We would like to share some of the ideas and research with you in this brief overview of the following topics:
- Weight Training for Women
- Women, Exercise and Metabolism, and
- Analyzing Popular Diets.
If you have any questions about this article please come see us down in the fitness center. I will be writing about Weight Training for women in this article, please stay tuned for next months article!
strong>Weight Training for Women
This lecture put to rest a lot of the concerns that women have about weight training. It answered the questions women ask us all the time:
I don’t want to get “big” or look less feminine
Women do not have the necessary quantities of the male sex hormone testosterone to build muscles like men. However, some women have the potential for above average hypertrophy. This may occur if a woman has a genetic predisposition, performs large training volumes, abuses steroids or has a positive caloric & nutrient balance (it takes 100grams of protein and about 2700 surplus kcals to build one pound of muscle.
Since women do not hypertrophy, can I still gain strength?
Yes. While women do not build MASS the way men do, women gain STRENGTH at the same rate as men do. During the first 8 weeks of strength training a women may notice dramatic increases in strength are due to neurological improvement, not hypertrophy. After a while, hypertrophy tends to plateau, but a woman will continue to gain strength through neuromuscular and hormonal channels
My friend started lifting weights and she gained weight
We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again – get off the scale!!!! One pound of fat takes up 1.1 liter of space; one pound of muscle takes up .9 liters of space. Therefore, one pound of fat occupies 18% more space than one pound of muscle. You will see a difference in body circumference, and feel better in the clothes that were once a little tight.
Will my muscle turn to fat if I stop training?
NO! If you stop training what will happen is your muscles will begin to atrophy and the daily caloric expenditure will decrease. Over time your resting metabolic rate (RMR) will be reduced and if you do not adjust how much you are eating, fat will be gained.
In order for me to lose fat, don’t I need to burn fat?
Intense weight training primarily burns sugar, however, fat oxidation is increased after exercise. Weight training has indirect fat burning benefits.
INTERESTING FACTS
- After 25 weeks of resistance training older women (>age 60) lost more intra-abdominal adipose tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue than older men, but with similar decreases in fat mass
- Lowers heart rate blood pressure, improve cholesterol profiles, and increase glucose tolerance
- Rate of strength loss is 12 –14 % per decade after the age of 50. Strength gains of >30% have been documented in older women with in the first several months of resistance training, reversing 2 decades of strength loss.
- Cardio training does not reverse age- related decreases in muscle mass and strength.
- Strength is positively correlated to increased bone mineral density. Weight bearing exercises significantly increases BMD in the spine and the hip, especially when intensities of greater than 75% of a 1 rep max is utilized
- You can burn approximately the same number of calories per minute of strength training as for aerobic training
- Muscle Mass accounts for about 22% of the resting metabolic rate (RMR). The increase in lean mass can increase your resting metabolic rate by 6.8% - 7.0%
- Women who did resistance training for 12 weeks while on very low calorie diets (800 calories) maintained their fat free mass and increased their RMR. Women who performed aerobic exercise while on very low calorie diets LOST significant lean mass and also experienced a decrease in RMR
- The benefits of resistance training for 90 minutes has been shown to increase RMR on an average of 4% for 3 hours after exercise and also for the morning after exercise.
- Following 16 weeks of moderate resistance training in elderly women, resting fat oxidation increased by 63% and 24-hour post-exercise fat oxidation increased by 93%
All types of exercise have been shown to reduce depression, stress and anxiety. Remember that strength training is one of the necessary components for a well rounded fitness regimen. A report from the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that exercise is as effective as popular medications such as Zoloft and Paxil for reducing depression. Please come down to the fitness center and ask us any questions you have regarding this article. The more knowledgeable you are, the more successful you will be!
As our free time becomes less we are struggling with how to make a fitness and nutrition plan make sense. We are either consumed by work or totally dedicated to our children, or both. How could anyone expect you to comply with a fitness program? Here’s how I would expect you to comply. First you need to lower your standard of what you think fitness is. It is not losing twenty pounds before a wedding or graduation! It is not getting into a smaller suit! And fitness is certainly not dieting your way to a swimsuit for the summer! Well, if this isn’t fitness what is?
First of all, the above described behaviors have little to do with fitness. They have a lot to do with obsessive or fanatical behaviors that lead to failure in NINE out of TEN cases!
Fitness is a commonsense and realistic approach to exercise and nutrition that is sustainable for life. Yes, for life! That may mean four times a week for some while others may have to adopt a two or three day approach. That may mean eating out three or four times a week for some while others may be limited to once or twice per week.
We need to get a routine that you can follow without being stressed by that routine. I contend that most of you are chasing your routine and eventually even the best of you will be left in the dust by your ROUTINE.
Here are the two most valuable tips that I can give you. Your routine must be one that you can remain consistent. Consistency is far more important that the level of exercise you are performing. Second is a consistent nutrition program that allows you to have anything you want. The only thing you need to concern yourself with is portion size and limit that bad meals to less that 20% of your meals. That is a routine that anyone can live with. That is a routine that anyone can sustain. It won’t bring about huge weight losses but then again you won’t have the big weight gains that accompany those losses.
A positive approach to personal wellness will be very gratifying and full-filling. You won’t have that big story to tell someone. You will be a great example to the storytellers when they fail! Isn’t it time that you get into that routine that never ends? Give and take and being consistent is the key to your routine. Your doctor, your trainer, and your body will love you for it!
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
"Cut your carbs and lose weight". "Eat more protein!" "Cut your sugar intake!" "Carbs are BAD!"
Sigh, here it goes again. Has anyone figured out what this all means yet? That doesn't appear to be the case. This confusion starts at the top. When we have doctors telling us to stop eating carbs or to severely reduce carbohydrate intake, they are doing more harm than good in my opinion. Why? Because they rarely take the time to explain the role carbohydrates play in your health or explain where your body gets it’s energy.
To succeed with any nutrition program you need all the information, certainly more information than is provided in many diet programs. First and foremost, be aware that your brain functions on and needs glucose (sugar). Secondly, the fact is that your body’s primary source of energy is carbohydrates! Why anyone would want to severely restrict carbohydrates is incomprehensible.
The real problem is that we are not differentiating between simple and complex carbohydrates. I have people contradicting themselves in the same statement when explaining their "new" weight loss plan. They will say that they are eating very few carbohydrates but eating more fruits and vegetables. Please take time to look up the components of fruits and vegetables. It’s mostly carbohydrates and fiber with a little protein, depending on the product. What these folks should be doing is cutting the simple carbohydrates out of their diet. These are the sugars that add to our waistline and hips but give us almost no nutrition.
Then there is the recycled diet program of high protein and no bread or potatoes, AGAIN! These foods are very low in fat and loaded with nutrition. We have been convinced that carbohydrates make us fat and protein makes in thinner. The truth is that you that you will fail at this approach. You will seemingly succeed at first but within one year you will be back to your original weight or more. Now if you continue to eat high protein for the rest of your life you may succeed. I will bet that you can’t. Now comes the kicker! It is not the protein that is causing all of your weight loss. It is quite simple. You are taking in less calories than before! You are eating less sweets that are LOADED with simple sugar! It wasn’t the carbohydrates per say that was the problem. It was the simple sugars, EXTRA CALORIES, ( packaged food, beer, wine, white bread etc.) By replacing them with protein you are eating foods that fill you up quicker so you have less chance of overeating. I won’t go into the negative health ramifications in this article. Too many to mention in my opinion.
Have you ever seen the commercial that shows pigs being fattened for slaughter by giving them grains? That is a very misleading and deceptive ploy to turn you against carbohydrates! It worked didn’t? Be honest! Here again is how you were duped. Did you ever look at the massive amounts of grain they were being fed? They were simply stuffing those pigs with calories! If they stuffed them with protein they would get the same result. It is the over-eating that makes them fat, not the grain. Are you beginning to understand this false premise? If you cut your empty calorie intake and eat better you will want less of it. That is what your goal should be.
Here is a much more prudent approach that will be long-term and more successful, not to mention more healthy. Simply eat LESS of the simple carbs and eat more small meals throughout the day. This is the opposite of a magical program but is in fact a prudent and sustainable way to lose or manage weight.
Also, if you don’t exercise regularly, 4-5 hours per week, it won’t matter what you are eating. You simply won’t be as healthy as you could be and your quality of life will be going down hill faster than you’d like. Stop the "diet madness" and incorporate common sense into your long-term health planning. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones!
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
How does a person take a long lay-off from their sport, have some surgery, and come back so quickly and effectively? How does a person that has to be rusty, destroy a strong field of competition without having his or her A-Game? These are questions that might be answered by Tiger Woods. I have my own theory. We know how much talent this man has. We know how mentally tough he is. Have you seen his physique lately? His conditioning and training regime are second to none, I'm guessing! Being physically fit has immeasurable value in ones ability to avoid and bounce back from injury. It simply gives you an added advantage on the field of play. You are playing a physical and mental game that your opponent cannot compete with. It's almost unfair!
Here is my point: If it works for Tiger, you must believe that it can also work for you, provided you are willing to do what your competition isn't! It's that simple! That's what Tiger is willing to do with every aspect of his game. Add that to his talent and need I say more? That doesn't mean that you will ever reach that level of play but I am here to tell you that committing yourself to being in great shape will put you in an advantageous position to compete at your level. You have a great place to get in shape. We are committed to helping you in any way that we can. You must be willing to do what your competition isn't to be successful. The Personal Energy Staff takes great pride in motivating you to excel and succeed! Please contact us at 585-546-1000 ext-250 when you are ready to take advantage of our services.
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
Take the number of years that you’ve been an adult and compare that number to the number of times that you made a New Years Resolution to begin exercising. I’ll bet those numbers are close. Why do we keep doing this folks? It never has and never will work for most of us. It just makes us feel better about our effort perhaps, but the efficacy of a new resolution at a magical time is bogus for the most part. I can however, make it a very effective tool for you if you have the courage to hang in there with me.
Let’s do this: Make a commitment to get 70 workouts in and have each one verified by me, or any other staff member. These 70 workouts have to get done by July 1st, 2003. If you fail at this you simply don’t make any more resolutions on New Years. If you get those 70 workouts in you will be hooked and on your way to a healthier lifestyle. Bottom line, you can stop this silly resolution stuff and really make plans for a healthier, leaner and happier future. This feeling will be one of the most rewarding feeling you can have. It will carry over into many other aspects of your life, GUARANTEED! Instead of making a New Years Resolution this year, make a commitment to a long and steady relationship with exercise and all the side benefits of being around other healthy people. It is a great feeling folks! I want to share it with you!!
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
Many of you have seen people working out to a specific training program from Personal Energy. Some of you have asked “ Do they really work?” Yes they do! Better yet, ask someone who is using one or someone who has used one in the past. Why do they work, might be a better question.
These programs are not generalized like many in the bookstore. They go right to the heart of specificity. They are designed for each person to be result oriented. These programs are designed with your specific strengths and weaknesses in mind. Here is the best part! These programs provide intensity and focus without the cost of having your trainer with you each and every workout. It’s like having a trainer guide you through your workouts without them being there. These programs provide 8 weeks of great, focused workouts at an exceptional price.
If you are a person that is self-motivated but lacks direction, these programs are perfect for you. If motivation is a problem, well you can always give me a call. That’s what I’m living for! I actually dream about my next victim, I mean client. If you need to get in shape, I promise to show you the real meaning of compassion, tough love, and focus. This is what I do!
I challenge you to go to the next level. I don’t care which way you choose to get there. Just get there!
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
Just imagine the Fitness Police running checks on your workout. Imagine
the Fitness Police seeing you out wining and dining every weekend! Your
first thought might be "Am I going to be arrested and convicted?" Let's see, I haven't been two times this month! This is not where you want to be folks! In fact, I would hope that all of you would want to be convicted of taking care of yourself. I would think since summer is approaching, finally, that you would want to commit to a consistent exercise program for the summer.
This doesn't mean more exercise, it simply means taking care of the work that you have done all winter. Commitment is a strong word. It brings with it a lot of power and more important a lot of rewards. Most of us freely substitute the word obsessed for commitment. Please don't make this mistake. I want you to continue to put fitness in the bank over the
summer. That means just keep coming a couple of times per week throughout the summer and you won't be one of the miserable ones
coming back in September saying, "I've got to start all over!" You don't have to workout as often. Try this!
Cut back one workout per week but add more intensity while you are in the fitness center. This will allow you more much needed free time over the summer and you will be fit and ready for the Fall. This is where I want your conviction to stand up!!
When you see the Fitness Police I hope you are carrying your commitment in plain sight. I expect to see you this summer!
Ken Rex, CES/MES
Chief of the Fitness Police
Some may argue that one brings the other. I say, "not so fast." But then I am always thinking "out of the box." If you are exercising for fitness, I commend and encourage you to stay with it. The experts say that you can achieve this with 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercises 3-4 times per week. Others say you will need to add a little weight bearing exercise as part of your routine. I agree with all of the above.
Remember, we are talking about fitness. That means that you can reduce your risk of disease and other problems if you adhere to a consistent fitness routine. Now, lets talk about "quality of life." In my opinion, this goes one step beyond fitness. This is where you take a deliberate approach to working on your areas of risk. (i.e. back, knees, hips, shoulders, etc..). This is where you take a survey of how you function in your daily activities. Do you have trouble getting up and down from the sofa or the floor? Do you have pain in your back or other areas? Get on top of this now! See your doctor and begin to use exercise as a way to improve your day to day life.
This can mean boring and tedious exercise and stretching. As you get older, you will want to do more because you have more time. If you don't address these issues and make a commitment to improving your strength and range of motion, your quality of life will be drastically reduced. I don't think you want that. The good news is that for most of you, you can overcome much of it with diligence and commitment. You will have to decide whether it is worth it for you. In my opinion, it's a no brainer!
Quality of life from my perspective, is being able to be active in most parts of your life without having to rest up for the activity. You should be able to carry on your life in a way that is not only active, but rewarding. If you find yourself saying: " I can't" or "I could do that 10 years ago", you are a prime candidate to get your quality of life back under your control. I find few things more rewarding than watching my clients do the things that people 10-15 years younger are doing. In fact, I'm living for it! Now go get it done!
Yours In Good Health
Ken Rex CeslMes
Personal Energy is a company that takes great pride in its professional team. We believe that our team is totally dedicated to our customer's continual involvement in their own health maintenance. Helping our customers take an active role in their health by supporting them and educating them is our vision. To do this we build our mission around our staff.
We are very excited to have Laura Nail join our team! Laura talked with us a year ago about her interest in being part of our team. That year has passed and we are on the move! I know that you will welcome Laura and more importantly, use her talent and expertise to enhance your training. You can learn more about Laura on our website (personal-energy. com).
Our goal is to use Laura wherever we need her. She has graciously agreed to fill in when we need her. If you see Laura at Harro or at CCR, please welcome her aboard!
Personal Energy is going to be a better company with her being on our team! We are currently doing long- range planning for the future. We will be introducing some very exciting programs and low-cost training opportunities this year. We are going to make personal training and fitness programming effective and enjoyable for many more of you. We want you involved with us at any level because that involvement can be the difference between success and failure. Our 2002 mission is to make training and programming fun, effective, and affordable for more people. Who knows, maybe you'll be the one that's on the move this year! Maybe you'll be the one that reaches that new level for the first time.
Ken, Jared, Liz, and Laura are on the move! Jump on and enjoy the ride!!
Yours In Good Health
Ken Rex CeslMes
We live in a time of greatness, even in the face of tragedy. We live in a time where we can buy and sell anything for a profit. We can make many dreams a reality! What a time to be alive!
For many of us, our lives have been this way. For others maybe not. There is one universal rule for all of us in fitness. We can't have it both ways. We can expect to be lean and mean if our first objections are time and money. How many of you have had this conversation? I need to lose 20 or 30lbs but I don't have time. I need to get my cholesterol down but I can't afford a club or trainer. I am curious to your response. What do you say. I can only think of two answers. Either make the time to do it, because you have the same amount of time as anyone else or accept the present and live with it, if you call that living.
I always have to ask myself, what response does a person want when they ask me how to lose weight, if they are busy and don't have any extra money. I think what they may be looking for is something like this: Don't worry about it, if you want to lose weight or lower your cholesterol, just keep doing what you are doing. If you feel strongly enough about it in your mind it will probably just happen. It won't require any extra time or money. It should happen quickly and easily! You are right on track! I know this sounds silly, but what other answer could they be looking for. When I tell someone the reality of the situation, honestly and openly, they give me the same silly answers as you hear.
Okay, enough already! Here's the deal. If you have a problem, it is because of month or years of neglect. It's because your focus was on other things i.e. career, family, eating and drinking. That doesn't make you a bad person, but it does expose the problem. These problems don't have to rule your life. They very possibly can influence your quality of life. That is where you have to decide if you can have it both ways. If you decide that your time to do other things and your wallet must come first, go with it! Just don't complain. If you decide that your health is absolutely paramount, I believe you can accomplish anything. Your family, your loved ones and yes, your doctor will love you for your effort and probably love you longer!
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex, CES/MES.
Do we really treat our bodies like a temple or do we neglect them until there is a crack or break. What we do next is even more profound. After we detect a crack or break in our temple, we try to do a quick patch and go in with the erosion of our foundation. Most of us take far better care of our homes than we would ever consider with our bodies. If we detect a crack or break in our homes, it's time to over haul a room or get a new furnace or even a new roof. Why do we do this? I'll bet it's because you don't want the problem to return! I think that this is sound thinking. My question is why don't we treat our fragile bodies like we treat our durable homes.
Here is one theory. We can get someone else to do our remodeling. We can pay someone else to install a new furnace. We can't buy fitness, so there fore have to remodel through sweat and hard work. We have to incorporate enjoyable activities into our renovation project. We have to under stand that the renovation never ends. The alternative is much more costly than any money that you put into your home. Exercise isn't a cure but it certainly is a tool for prevention and recovery from illness. It should be a daily supplement, just like the ones you pop in your mouth.
I hope you begin you restoration project as soon as possible. Never assume that illness will wait until a better time. Do it now! Do it consistently! Have some fun doing it!
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex, CES/MES
Everyone likes to set goals. How we decide on those goals is what I hope to help you with. I am concerned that most of us set one goal using emotions to guide us. Example: I want to look like a particular body builder or movie star. Yes, even like your trainer, whoever he or she is! That is an emotional decision based on frustration, or wishful thinking.
Have you taken time to look at the equations that dictate their circumstances? I think not! Heredity plays a big role here. First of all, if a person is lean or muscular, it's mostly due to heredity.
Second, if a person has those tendencies, they have probably been active for years. They have worked hard to refine their physique and skills with physical activity. They have managed to make physical activity, as normal as brushing their teeth.
Third, they have learned that being physically active for years has allowed them to enjoy foods that you can't.
Fourth, they spend much more time training than you do. Many more hours are devoted weekly and monthly. What have they done that you haven't? They have put logic to work. They aren't trying to look like you or anyone else. They know the task they have and they stay committed.
They strive to improve; you strive to be different. Read this sentence again! Once you begin to think logically, you will begin to see results that matter. You won't find them in a scale or in the mirror, you will find them at the doctor's office in your blood profile. You will find them in your medical screening.
You will find results where it really counts:
- In reduced stress,
- in increased patience with your loved ones, and,
- in increased energy levels.
These are the signs that you are approaching fitness logically approach instead of emotionally. And the best thing about this is:
As long as you keep trying to improve what really counts, you can't fail!
Yours in Good Health
Ken Rex CES/MFS
Remember when you first began exercising? All that you cared about was doing it right! You wanted someone to teach you the proper speed, technique and range of motion. You worked hard and even got a little frustrated when it wasn't perfect!
Ah, the good old days! Somewhere between then and now, many of us have fallen off the wagon. Now-a-days if we stay at the same pace as our workout partners, it's as if the three elements (speed, technique and range of motion) were never taught and are no longer important to us.
Although we want great stimulating workouts that challenge us, often our egos come first. Not only does this make us look bad, but it also reduces strength and endurance gains for the future. It's one thing to get a great workout but it's another to work toward a stronger more flexible body that ultimately reduces risk of injury and improve our chances for a higher quality of life.
The only positive aspect to fast, limited range and poor technique is being able to say that you can keep up with the other person. If that keeps you involved then I guess it works. Just remember, you are seriously reducing your ability to improve performance and increasing your risk of injury.
Try this: when doing an exercise, do it slowly with good form and go through a full range of motion. You won't be able to do the weights you thought you could, but there's a reason: you've been cheating! Pretend that no one is around you and then stop doing the exercise before your form goes away.
Within 4-6 weeks, you will notice some strength gains because you've made fitness a safe and productive part of your life.
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex
May is the perfect time of year to get your fitness routine set for the summer. Because of busy summer schedules however, this is not a time to plan your most productive workouts of the year. But it is a good time to put on that last big push before summer really hits us. In Rochester, that could be July! Get your routine set for 6-8 weeks now and work hard to get to a nice maintenance phase for summer. If you go too hard this summer, you risk injury or over-training if you play any summer sports, golf, outdoor tennis, etc. You also have many unplanned schedule changes that come up last minute.
Take time to think about your summer activities and work on a program that will enhance your activities and not put you at risk or get you frustrated. Personal Energy staff can set you up on an eight week program that will allow you flexibility and still give you the intensity and workload you need to move forward. If a smaller suit or dress size is in order for the summer, discuss this with Ken, Liz or Jared. We have a workout that will facilitate your needs at a very affordable cost. Remember though, nothing you do in the gym will make up for busy eating behavior or too much wine. If you want to make some slow and reasonable changes in your diet, Jared has a knack of making this process work. Use his talent and energy to make the other half of your fitness program flourish. Jared can turn the hour you spend working out into a two hour benefit by helping you understand and moderate your nutrition habits so they can work for you instead of against you.
Learn to use our staff and their talents to dramatically improve your chances for success. We have our research specialist, Bill Brewer working each month to research and answer any questions you may have. You can reach Bill through the website. Personal Energy is motivated and dedicated to help you in so many ways, but you must take the initiative to make our talents to work for you! Remember, "Your Potential is waiting for you".
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex
With all the programs for sale on the market today, many of you may be wondering which one is best for you. Well, I'm going to surprise you, the answer is none of them!
The idea that a specific group of exercises in a specific sequence is somehow going to make you leaner or better than someone else's sequences is absurd to me. Someone's success on one program has little to do with your success or failure. People fail to realize that each individual brings a unique and different set of circumstances and priorities to the table. You simply don't have the time, genetics or desire that another person may have. Your careers, family, previous commitments can really cause a problem for you if your try to be successful with a verbatim program. It will not work for 95% of you. It never has and never will.
Try this! Begin by just getting active on a regular basis 4-5 times per week for 3 or 4 months. If you don't put too much pressure on yourself, you may actually develop a liking for exercise. After that, you can increase your intensity and workload slowly. This will bring results.
You are trying to be someone your not if you work on these programs that were designed for younger or more active people.
Here's what I see. Most men, especially big men, only want to lift. They are big enough! Focus on cardio if you're big. Compliment your cardio with some weight training.
If you are thin, concentrate on weight training and use cardio as a compliment. Women are just the opposite. You know who you are ladies! If you are thin already and you won't go near the weights, your fear of building muscle isn't going to happen no matter what you think you see in the mirror. If you could, it would be great! Muscle is your friend! I know I may be wasting my time saying this, but it is my responsibility to tell you the truth. Weight training can stimulate your metabolism and make you leaner, not necessarily lighter. If you are under muscled, build some! If your are over-muscled (men only), work on getting leaner through consistent gradual exercise and enjoy more cardio with some weight training.
Yours in Good Health,
Ken Rex CES/MES
546-1000 X250
Pagr: 966-1322
With spring right around the corner, this is the time to get ready for outdoor cleanup activities and maybe some early gardening, and yes, there is a way to prepare.
Most of us have been drilled to isolate the muscles when exercising, this is what the Nautilus principle is about. Although a good part of any workout routine, it is not the best way to prepare for outdoor work or other activities. We should all be doing more functional types of exercises, some of which involve multiple joint movements. If you think about what your actual outdoor activities, they don't involve just isolated muscle groups; we bend, we pull and we twist our bodies through hundreds of repetitive motions and then lie in bed the next day to recover. In my book that's a wasted day!
Why not try some modified lunges and lateral raises or modified squats and shoulder flexions instead? If done regularly, these exercises will help you to prepare for outdoor activities. Keep your weights very light and use high repetitions, around 20 to30 for each exercise
Stop by and ask for suggestions or see your trainer for some new multi-joint exercises. You will enjoy this preparation and its benefits.
Yours in good health,
Ken Rex
February is about as boring as it gets when it comes to working out. The holidays are over, winter is in full swing, and unless you plan to go south to a sunnier climate, it can be a bit depressing. However, like I always say, when things look gloomy or you seem to be down, this is the perfect time to be looking for an opportunity.
How about trying something different for the next 6-8 weeks? This is a great time to change workouts completely. Set a starting goal that you can achieve each week. You should have 2 or 3 cardio goals with a minimum of 6-8 exercises. Increase your cardio goals slightly each week. Also increase your exercise repetitions by 8-5 each week.
I do this a couple of times a year and it gets me to a new level of fitness each time. It's a great feeling to excel when others a slowing down and missing workouts. I know how good you will feel if you set this short timetable and stick with it. It really works and before you know it Spring will be here and your momentum will be higher than ever.
Who would have thought that the dullness of winter could be so much fun? Now get out there and make this month YOURS!
Yours in good health,
Ken Rex
CES/MES
546-1000 x250
Pager: 966-1322
