Getting in Shape for Summer

If you’re looking for way to get lean and toned for the summer right now, it probably means you haven’t done anything up until this point. Now you’re going to go run on a treadmill until you puke, do a juice cleanse until you have no insides, and you’ll be set for the your beach weekend, right? Nopers.

 

Here’s the most important thing to remember: getting in shape takes time. I know that’s antithetical to every fad diet and workout article that promises “toned sculpted and sexy arms 10 days”. Getting a strong, healthy, good looking body requires dedication and changes in lifestyle to reach your goals and stay there. Sure you could eat lettuce wraps filled with nothing for a few weeks, lose a few pounds, feel awful and be a pile of loose skin- if that’s your goal. But after that you’ll be right back to where you were and probably actually fain some weight.

 

Getting in shape for summer is the same as getting in shape any other time of year- a solid diet and workout plan. It’s not like summer is a surprise. It comes at the same time every year.

 

Diet- as they say, “you can’t out exercise a bad diet”. This is true.  The foundation of your summer six pack needs to be a solid, consistent diet. Eat for your body type and needs. That means depending on your goals, weight, activity level, and needs, your diet will be specific to you. Focus on eating lean meats, vegetables, and good fats. Stay away from processed, refined foods filled with sugary carbs and empty calories. Pretty easy, right? If you stick to a good diet, you will feel and look great- permanently.

 

You also need a good program built around weighlifting and short, high intensity conditioning. No one ever went astray with some squats, deadlifts, and pressing as the base of a training regimen. You will build muscle that will lead to a hot, toned body and will actually burn fat all day long.

The key here is building good muscle and losing excess body fat. No one has ever complimented someone’s bikini body by saying “man, that loose skin and flat butt look really good on you”. Getting a summer body isn’t about a fad diet and running until you puke. It’s about eating well and sticking to a good training program. You’ll find that sticking to a solid, simple diet and training program is actually easier (and much more worth it) than going on a juice cleanse and running 10 miles a day. Unless you’re a masochist.

 

-Coach Lily

Are You Getting The Most Out Of Your Workouts?

So you have a great workout routine down, you’re committed, your spending lots of time in the gym, and maybe you’re even enjoying it. But how much attention are you paying to everything that goes on outside the gym that can make or break your results? Don’t underestimate the importance of what goes on in the hours you’re not in the gym and the impact it has on reaching your goals.

Sleep

Do you train hard only to go home and sleep for 5 hours? You could be sabotaging a lot of your training and diet. Aside from not having energy and undermining your body’s ability to heal itself after working out, numerous studies have shown that too little sleep can actually lead to weight gain, even when your diet is on point.

Nutrition

Diet is an important part of reaching goals, whether they are performance or body composition based. As they like to say, “you can’t out work a bad diet” (or something along those lines). But it’s true- even if your workouts are great, if you over eat a lot of junk, it will show.  Likewise, if you’re not eating quality foods with sufficient protein, fats, and carbohydrates, it can severely affect your performance in the gym and impede your body’s ability to build muscle and heal itself after an intense workout.

Soft tissue/mobility work

Foam rolling, massages, and other forms of soft tissue work can help your body repair and feel better after a tough session. Mobility work plays an important role in your ability to move well and feel good- inside the gym and out. Yes, they take time and are kind of boring but they will pay off in the long run.

Time Spent in the Gym

You could be working out too much. Yes, that is a thing. Obviously working out too little is a problem but at a certain time, you hit a point of diminishing returns on the other end of the spectrum.  In the gym for 4 hours? Benching every day and your bench isn’t going up? If you’re not making progress, this could be an issue you need to address.

 

Make sure you pay as much attention to what you do outside of the gym to ensure you get the most return from your hard work.

-Coach Lily

 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/lost-sleep-can-lead-to-weight-gain/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951287/

 

 

Make time now, or be forced to later

When it comes to training the biggest excuse that we get is "I don't have time".  While this seems to be valid in some people's minds, it is not valid to us.  You have time for what you make time for.  When you are saying I don't have time, what you are really saying is that you don't value your health.  Sure you can put off working out and maybe nothing will happen for a while, but eventually it catches up.  With athletes that we see that think that they are too busy to train for their sport we eventually see one of two things happen to them.  One: they end up hurt and at the orthopedic surgeons, or two: they can't compete with the other players and quit the sport.  With adults the results are much the same but to a different degree.  Either one: they end up with injuries, and end up at a surgeon or two: they  don't have a good quality of life and can't do the activities that they really wish they could.  In both circumstances, whether you are a young athlete or an adult long removed from competition, if you don't make time for training now, you will be forced to make time for the doctor later.

I really enjoy working out and know that it will keep me healthy and doing the things I want to long term.  While some don't share my love of fitness, everyone hates surgery.  We see this scenario all too often because athletes and adults alike come to us after they have been to the surgeon.  They are now being forced to do the thing that if they had just done in the first, place then they would not of had to have the surgery.  It's ironic when you think about it.  You either start training before you have a problem or your problems will force you to start training.  I know that I would much rather be training healthy than recovering from an injury, and I hope you would too.

People in our society seem to be more interested in spending 20hrs/week watching the housewives of whatever or the football games than they do caring for their bodies.  This really perplexes me because once you have ruined your body you don't get a new one.  The top priority for any person should be to keep their health because if you don't have that, then you don't have anything.  So next time you hear someone say "I don't have time to work out" ask them what could be more important than their health?

The Spot Athletics top 10 articles you should read this week

Here are a few articles picked out by our staff for you to read.  Take a look and let us know what you think, and what type of other articles you would like to see!

 

TRAINING

Not getting stronger?  This article may explain the reason.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/7_reasons_youre_a_weakling

Check out these 6 dumbbell exercises.

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/six-dumbbell-exercises-you-arent-doing/

 

FOR THE LADIES

What could be the issue when you are doing everything right and you are still not seeing the fat loss results you want?

http://www.jensinkler.com/an-interview-with-jill-coleman/

Are you strong? Body and mind?

http://www.niashanks.com/2013/08/strong-new-beautiful-disordered-new-diet/

 

NUTRITION

Should we avoid eating at night?

http://articles.elitefts.com/nutrition/nysc-undercover-should-we-avoid-eating-at-night/

Eating tips regarding lunches and pre-made healthy meals with recipes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/28/dining/bring-your-lunch-to-work.html?ref=markbittman&_r=0

 

FOR YOUR STRONG MIND

How to craft an environment full of the habits you want to build.

http://zenhabits.net/immerse/

This article explains the basic key to success - willpower.

http://www.success.com/articles/2515-the-willpower-instinct

Here’s a little self-analysis on how you function best.

http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2013/04/are-you-a-tortoise-or-a-hare-about-work/

This article explains why you need to get enough sleep and what happens if you don't.

http://breakingmuscle.com/health-medicine/how-sleep-deprivation-fries-your-hormones-your-immune-system-and-your-brain

 

Better Personal Training is a Choice

by Sandy Schluep NSCA-CPT
Take a look at all of these photos of normal people. These are clients who are not top athletes that are out there winning first place, or young athletes competing for college scholarships. Why?  Well, The Spot is for us “normal” people too.  Take me for example. Yes that’s me with her arm in a sling.  I started as a client; then became an intern; and now I'm a certified trainer here at The Spot.  Why in the world would I be training at The Spot while still recovering from rotator cuff surgery?  Answer: Because I choose to.  I choose to move forward and be stronger today than I was yesterday; not with recklessness, but with proper training, precision and safety.  I choose to not let excuses stop me.  I have a lot of other muscles that still need conditioning and The Spot is the best place for an athlete (including us normal people) of any age (from 6-76) to train and get results.  Why?  Because The Spot Athletics was designed with the individual in mind …. to do one thing, get results.



 

The Spot Athletics is the best place to train in Columbus because we are the best at what we do.  It’s a choice.  We choose to be the best.  We practice what we preach, and we choose to help each individual client with their goals and not let their excuses, injuries, or age prevent them from being in the best shape of their life.  You will always get results at The Spot, because that is what we are experts in.  So, be wise, be smart, and take the right step in accomplishing your fitness goals by choosing to train with us at The Spot!