Live - Train - Thrive

Guilty

2011-02-14T15:51:00.000-08:00

So I feel like a scumbag... I quit my sport today because I'm exhausted all time and feel like I can no longer be of use. I cant help that I start work at 5AM and sometime don't end until 7:30PM! I hate being the bad guy, I hate feeling like I have disappointed people and the truth is that it's not just in my head because I really have disappointed several people. I know of one who is crying about it right now. I don't know how to say "no" sometimes and when I do I inevitably end up hurting someone! So, now what? Where do I stand? Do I bend over backwards to make this happen for the sake of someone else or do I stand by my decision and maintain my own sense of sanity. I don't know, I don't like this and I don't want to be the one to make these choices....

I just need to keep my sanity for now. Today was the first day in a really long time that I got to sit down after work. Today was the first day that I got to eat dinner before 9PM in years...

Final Countdown

2010-09-01T19:46:00.001-07:00

Trying to get ready!

So, I'm about to get married and by about to I mean in 4 days... Pretty cool, huh? I can't wait really, I find myself working out more vigorously than before and I'm super ready to go to the beach. I think I deserve a vacation, who doesn't at some point?

I haven't been diligent about working on this blog but I'm going to do better. Between this wedding and the 3 jobs it's hard to keep everything together and still get time to work out and to be calm and to get to practice oh yeah, and to sleep!

I've started trying some new workouts recently and frankly I feel like I'm super out of shape. This is not true considering I run a mile in under 7 minutes (and I'm no runner) and have under 6% body fat. But man do these workouts kick my ass! I imagine that even if I was better at them that they would still kick my ass!

Today I did the CrossFit WOD: As many rounds a possible in 20 minutes of 95lbs Thrusters x 5, 95lbs Hanging Cleans x 7, 95lbs Sumo Deadlift to High Pull x 10. Thought I was gonna have a heart attack and I only made it through 6 rounds. Makes me feel like a pansy but what a workout! Can't wait to do another one!

The funny part is that I used to think that CrossFit was kind of a joke... Seemingly, there is no rhyme or reason to the workouts. They aren't customized to the individual and don't seem to be goal oriented. But maybe that's the point, the goal becomes to do something new and hard, to do the best you can at something that you can never be perfect at and to compete with yourself! I will say that it's not for everyone. It's definitely for those who are driven and pretty much have no injuries or disabilities. It's entirely possible to that if you do some of these workouts wrong you could end up injured or disabled... I would head a word of caution attempt at your own risk! I did and intend to continue to do so. Time to change it up from the boring, ordinary and mundane.

2010-08-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

Oh my God!!!

So not to say that today was bad, in fact, it was good! But man was it hectic... Just like the entire week. I know I've been away from my blog for a bit but I'm back! And I hope to keep it that way.

Last week I barely had time to sleep let alone work on the things I truly enjoy. So, here's what's new - Lifetime Fitness is going really well, I was unsure how I would do in the corporate gym world but I am fitting in nicely (I think) and I am really enjoying working with a team of people who are educated and motivated and generally good at their jobs (not all, but most). I am slightly baffled but the ego of some of the trainers in the crowd esp. the ones who are brand new to training, but I think this is a defense mechanism that is natural and that I was probably the same way.

Last Saturday was extremely crazy as we had a weigh in for our 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge. There were close to 200 people all lined up to get weighed and we had to talk to all of them about the services that we offer. I did a pretty good job selling training and myCoach (our hybrid program) I think I could've done better but at the same time I was thrown into the fire and and came out unscathed and with two new personal clients and hopefully some more, we'll see!

It doesn't help that Amy has been in Montreal (lucky girl) at the Cirque du Soleil Training Center where she is taking an International Coaching Certification since I am housesitting and have my parents' 4 cats and their huge dog to take care of as well as my dog and cat. It's been a little overwhelming, to say the least. Luckily, they got back last night and that will make life easier for the next few days until she gets back.

The real struggle has been finding me time; time to train and workout has been challenging to fit in. But I have managed to do so somehow. Not as much as I would like, but some me time none the less. We have to do this, especially when things get crazy. This me time is not only for my physical health and fitness, but for my mental health and fitness. If I didn't find time to do this I know that my motivation and inspiration would have gotten low, I would have to work harder to catch-up and that my mental and spiritual state would have gone down as well.

Remember, this is for me and you guys that when things get crazy we have to find time to do the things that we truly love and enjoy otherwise we'll, go crazy! Even if that me time is 10 or 15 minutes in the day just to sit quietly and relax, we must take it.

We cannot afford to let our spiritual, mental and physical health take a dive just because life shows up!

Live - Train - Thrive

Waiting at the airport

2010-07-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

I had to post this a day later than I planned because there is no free Wi-Fi at Baltimore Washington International Airport, FYI.

Anticipation…

Well, I am currently waiting in BWI Airport to travel to Orlando, Fl. to the Acrobatic Gymnastics National Championships and I’m not too excited… I mean that the flight is delayed, but not by too much, only a half hour. This is lucky considering I was late getting to the airport; nobody’s fault just a matter of circumstance and traffic. I feel like I have been running around like a headless chicken all day even though I cancelled a few things just so I would feel that way!

After all was said and done I only saw one client today! My original schedule was for 5. So I lost a bit of money but I would have been even crazier. On a happier note, I got my car back from the body shop 8 WEEKS LATER!!!! FML, I think I paid close to 4 months worth of car payments on a rental for the first six weeks and then gave up and borrowed a car from my parents. Luckily, the body shop gave me a loaner for last week! So things are looking up in that regard. Got the car back, after having them take off the overspray from hood. Just in time to leave her for a week. I guess the bonus is that I’m not putting on a ton of miles (silver lining).

So back to the matter at hand, I’m ready to go to Nationals and I’m feeling a little blah about the whole thing. This is my year back from a long sabbatical I should be amped up and ready to shine, but the season has been lack luster and I want to win but I know that my decision for the following season makes winning not that important. The nice thing would be to end with a bang, to go out and do the best we can and surprise everyone. For our skills to be clean, for our dance to be precise and our expressions to show emotion, drive and desire. I hope that I can do this; I pray that I have the patience and understanding to accept whatever comes down the pipe and I pray that my partner looks at the judges and smiles…. All I really want is to be proud of what I have done this year and to prove that we have overcome many obstacles and are moving forward with poise and dignity. Please let me have patience.

I know that this doesn’t have anything to do with working out or fitness but we all have our own obstacles to hurdle. Mine happen to be both internal and external and the external ones are out of my control. How many of us deal with that everyday?

CARBS - Fact vs. Fiction

2010-07-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

CARBS - Fact vs. Fiction

There is so much hype with the whole carbohydrate thing that it becomes more and more frustrating and more and more difficult to understand how much or what kind or when to and when not to.

I remember in grade school learning about the food pyramid and to this day it is pretty much the same... That's 20 years of little to no change, how can that be? Especially, considering that the United States is the most obese country in the world and yet we are the most workaholic country in the world. Some days all of this makes me want to scream!

When we start telling children who no longer get recess or physical education in there schools and sports programs are regularly being cut or reduced that the biggest portion of their daily intake should be grains, whole wheat, breads, etc. we are setting them up for fitness failure. Carbs are a great source of energy but if you never expend that energy where does it go? Straight to our stomach, hips, thighs and where ever else it feels like hanging out.

As a nation we have become physically inactive and it is getting worse. I remember the days of playing outside and hanging on monkey bars, doing Kung Fu and gymnastics and sweating through my clothes. I loved it, it was fun and exciting. Now as the advent of computer and video games become higher quality and more "EXCITING & REALISTIC" more and more kids are sitting. And while they're sitting the only part of the body that's working are their thumbs, and their jaws from talking to people online and shoving chips and candy in their mouths. If they think that fake worlds are exciting they need to get out and explore the REAL world and see how much fun they can REALLY have.

Let's go back to that whole food pyramid thing for a second and talk about the type of carbs that are listed on that bottom and biggest row. Breads, muffins, bagels, pretzels, pasta and rice - when you're activity level is close to nothing those carbs are BAD. They are highly refined, white starches that create an insulin response in the body. That insulin response inhibits (blocks) the body's natural defense against fat storage and its ability to produce Growth Hormone, the hormone that is needed to produce muscle, height, bone density, etc. Now the other carbs on that list are things like oats and whole grains, and the closer to whole grain we can get in things like bread, pasta, etc. the better. Now that doesn't mean that suddenly because it's whole grain we can pig out on it. What it does mean is that these carbs break down slower they keep our blood sugar more level which prevents ravenous hunger and gives sustained energy. This is the opposite of those highly refined starches which spike our blood sugar and then make it plummet forcing the body to scream out for more. Essentially, eating lots of these types of starches turns us into a carb/sugar junkies!

Now is this true for athletes and people who workout and train regularly? It can be if they over indulge. The best way to think about carbs is that for the average person and average exerciser a little bit of the right kind can go a long way.

As a nation we have the highest growing rate of Type II Diabetes. This is a direct result of sedentary lifestyles combined with bad eating habits. I will admit that it is hard to monitor our food intake all the time and somethings are unavoidable. Should we punish ourselves and not eat a piece of cake at a wedding, NO! But does it need to be a HUGE piece or do we need a Second Slice, NO!

We as a country need to learn how to moderate our intake as a whole. Instead of ice cream or frozen yogurt try to fruit, like strawberries, apples and blueberries. These are great sources of vitamins we need, antioxidants and they are long lasting carbs. Instead of a sandwich at lunch try having that turkey wrapped in lettuce or just on a salad with a low sugar dressing (not a Raspberry Vinagrette that is loaded with sugar). If you have to have a bagel try not to have one everyday, make it a treat, something to look forward to. As the day goes on reduce your carb intake so that by the time you have dinner just have a protein and a vegetable. The goal is to develop a lifestyle of healthy eating that involves moderation and is appropriate for our individual lifestyles.

It is hard to fight the urge to eat carbs especially when there is an Einstein Bagels, Panera Bread or Dunkin' Donuts on every corner. But keep fighting the good fight and if you fall off your nutrition plan don't beat yourself up. Just get back up and get back to work!

Life is a about choices and the better the choices make the more our bodies, minds and spirits will feel. Choosing health is about developing a lifestyle that will work for you in the long term, life is a marathon not a sprint, be in it for the long haul!

If you need help developing a nutrition plan please contact me or another qualified fitness professional, nutritionist or dietitian. We do this because it's our passion and we want to see everyone succeed at life!

Live - Train - Thrive

Joshua Buchbinder

Decisions, decisions...

2010-07-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

How to pick the trainer that is right for you.

One of the first things that is important to note that not everyone in this world will get along, shocker! That being said, not every potential client will get along with any old trainer. There has to be some chemistry and there has to be a comfort level and most of all there has to be a good reason to pay for that trainer to be with you for 30 minutes to an hour a couple times a week!

I have learned that a lot of relationships are about meeting half-way. As trainers it is sometimes easy for us to see what our clients' bodies need - sometimes this might conflict with the clients' wants... Now, do we just compromise or stick by our guns (haha guns, get it?)? A good trainer should be able to see what their client needs and use that to help them achieve their goals. Remember, I did say a good trainer, not all trainers are created equal, some have all the knowledge in the world and the personality of a brick others have a great personality but are practically brain-dead. We want the one with both brains and charisma! The personality is pretty obvious, but how do you know if that trainer is knowledgeable? One of the best indicators is their Certifications. The top 3 certs include (in no particular order) American Council on Exercise or ACE, National Academy of Sports Medicine or NASM and American College of Sports Medicine or ACSM.

You want to find a trainer with one of these a great personality and an obvious interest in the things that are important to you. If you have an injury/disability that trainer better be prepared to work with that. You also need to find someone who's schedule you can match. Because if you got all this other stuff but can never find a time to meet or you both are scrounging around for 30 minutes or an hour there it will be a big headache and you will both get frustrated.

Please keep in mind that although you may become friends with your trainer it isn't a given and that occasionally you won't like your trainer. Your Personal Trainer will push you, make you work hard, be physically sore and exhausted and want to never step foot in a gym again. But, through all that your trainer, at least this is true of me with my clients, will believe in you when you doubt yourself and will help you reach and surpass your goals as long as you, the client, are willing to do some work and take suggestions!

Remember a good trainer is easy to find, a Great Trainer is hard to find but anyone can be Great Client!!

Live - Train - Thrive

Joshua Buchbinder

Taking the First Step

2010-07-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a healthy, safe and fun Independence Day! We here in the USA should all be grateful for those that came before us and those who go today and have the courage to persevere and fight for what they believe in and help us maintain our way of life.

That being said, how hard is it to walk in the door of a gym or call a Fitness Professional after months or even years of working out, or if you've never worked out at all? I can imagine that it is an overwhelming and terrifying experience for many. But the first step is the hardest, as with any challenge in life. Walking through the doors of a gym or calling a trainer is an admission of needing help, it means that you know that you can't do it alone. This is one of the best things we can do for our health, admitting that we don't know everything and that there might be someone out there who can teach us how to become better, healthier and by proxy happier people.

I myself have had to learn over the years how to become humble enough to say, "I don't know how to do this, can you help me?" I'm not perfect at it (ask my fiance, she'll tell you)! But I am getting better at it. It's even harder to be the professional and say "I don't know" or "I'm not sure." I'll tell you, it is a relieving and liberating experience to walk away from my ego (if only for a minute or two). This helps me to be a perpetual student of health, fitness and life. And isn't that what we all strive to be?

So, for all of us, the hardest thing to do is ask for help, but in doing so it will make us stronger both physically and mentally. Tell yourself, "The moment I think I know it all, is the moment I know nothing!" Let's all continue to be students of the body and of life!!!

Live-Train-Thrive

In Health and Wellness,

Joshua Buchbinder

Ever Topped Out?

2010-07-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

I remember getting to a point where I just couldn't make any more progress in my training - Runners calling it hitting a wall, many people in the fitness industry call it reaching a plateau, me I call it frustrating and a pain in the butt.

How did I overcome this stumbling block? Well, sometimes one step back is really two steps forward! Often times when we come to plateaus it's because we've stopped challenging the body in enough methods. When this happens it's a good idea, even if you are familiar with multiple training methods, to talk to a fitness professional. One of the things that I like to do with my clients and my own workouts is to keep each workout fresh and exciting. Almost never will I take myself/client through the same workout time and again. In fact, many of my clients will never do the exact same workout again!

The body is a magnificent piece of equipment and was designed with work in mind. That being said, the body adapts to repeated stressors. For instance, if you have to go up 5 flights of stairs everyday the first month or two might be pretty grueling. But after 6 months or even a year those steps are easy. This is because of the SAID Principle, Specific Adaptation to an Implied Demand, translated: the more times you do the same thing the easier it gets!

So when doing the elliptical machine becomes too easy maybe you should try some intervals on the bike, or if your knees and back can manage try some running or uphill walking. Perhaps, pull out an agility ladder and try some coordination drills like side stepping into each box or hopscotch all the way down and back. If you workout alone try a group fitness class or hire a trainer for a while, I bet one of us can challenge you in all sorts of new ways!

If your resistance training is getting a little bland and you aren't able to lift heavier or for longer durations maybe it's time to try some stabilization exercises in order to increase muscle fiber. Stabilizers are all the muscles we can't see (superficially), but they allow us to hold steady and have balance and coordination. Increasing the strength of the muscles you can't see makes the ones you can that much stronger. Remember, the more muscle fiber we have the stronger we are!

If you're used to doing dumbbell chest press on a bench why not try it on a stability ball? Maybe you can't up your curl weight try standing on one foot and doing those curls! Another great idea is to add more body weight exercises to your program. If that bench max just won't go up try some super slow push-ups followed by explosive jumping push ups.

The basic idea here is to keep the workout interesting for both your body and your mind otherwise both will get bored and that plateau could be physical or just in your head. My personal philosophy, keep the body guessing Joe Weider (the guy who discovered Schwarzenegger) devised the muscle confusion theory, which is very similar to the concepts I am talking about and it's just as valid for body builders as it is for the rest of us!

Keep working and keep it interesting and your results will come!!!

Live - Train - Thrive

Josh Buchbinder

What Keeps Me Going

2010-06-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

How often do you feel like NOT going to the gym, you’re too tired, in a bad mood, not seeing results and say, “What’s the point?”

These are completely natural and normal feelings for anyone trying to overcome an obstacle. Think about trying to get that promotion at work, how much effort and time you put in and then you still didn’t get it. Or being on an athletic team that’s on a losing streak or it’s as simple as your favorite jeans still won’t fit…

Its times like these that we must look within, find a something bigger than money, winning or how we look. Ask yourself, “Do I work hard at my job because I want more money or because I am a hard worker and I like my job? Do I play this game for the win or for the love of the game? Am I just working out because I want to look good or do I want to be healthy, confident and live a long life?”

For me, I work hard because I love what I do, I practice my sport because it brings me joy even when I don’t win and I continue to exercise because I want to live long enough to be a great-grandfather! Are these lofty ideas? Yes! I have been accused of being an idealist because I want the world to be a better place and I wish we could be set aside our egos and see ourselves as human: flawed, imperfect and uniquely wonderful.

I continue to train even when I don’t want to because I know it makes me a better person, I learn to overcome obstacles, handle stress, anxiety, fear and anger! I always feel better after an exhausting work from when I started, no matter how sore or uncomfortable I am for the next few days I know that the ends justify the means and that life, like a great workout, is hard but rewarding!

If you are going to doubt something, doubt your limits!