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We don't have time to waste there is only 2 months left until the summer so let's just get right into to it!
TIP #1-Did you know that exercise in the morning can burn fat faster than in the day or evening? If you work out the first thing in the morning, your metabolism is working at a faster rate throughout the day, which spells calories being burned and ultimate weight loss.
BUILDING A FIRM FOUNDATION
Just as your house is built on a firm foundation, let's establish some tips that we need to lay down before we can talk about what kinds of foods you need to consume or stay away from.
TIP #2-Burning body fat is the most effective way to lose weight. Some people tend to skip meals but this only slows down your metabolism and stores more fat once you eat. Some people try to sweat it out but unless this is done on a regular basis, the body only loses mostly water. Once you quench your thirst, the weight returns. Therefore, the best way to lose weight is to get to the source of the problem - excessive fat storage. If you want to lose weight or be more physically fit, then burning body fat is the right path to take. Body fat builds up due to excessive intake and inactivity but once it is used, the fat cells under your skin will be depleted, making you thinner. Just as a person deposits money into the bank and the account grows and gets PHAT-similarly happens when a person eats and does not workout which results in them getting FAT.
TIP #3- Women have more body fat than men. By nature, women have more body fat because they have more enzymes to store fat and fewer enzymes to burn it. Estrogen, the main female hormone, also helps multiply fat cells. All of these are due to the fact that a female body is built to nurture not only itself but another body. Try to know your body fat percentage to help you properly burn body fat. On the average, women should have around 23% body fat.
TIP #4- If you are really serious forget the bathroom scale. Most people fail to lose weight because the bathroom scale does not meet their expectation of weight loss. Instead, focus on good habits that create weight loss.
TIPS TO BURN FAT AND BUILD LEAN MUSCLE
TIP #5- Don't Skip Meals, Especially Breakfast - I can't say this one enough. Most people try desperately to lose weight by skipping meals but unfortunately this only leads to more weight gain. Your body goes into starvation mode which leads to overeating, usually late at night. Also repeatedly skipping meals will slow down your metabolism.
TIP #6- Eat 5 Small Meals Each Day - Studies have shown that eating smaller meals more frequently through the day will raise your metabolism. It also keeps you satisfied and you are less likely to binge later in the day.
TIP #7- Plan Your Meals – Planning your meals for the day is one of the biggest things you can do to lose excess weight. Plan on 5 healthy small meals or snacks. Most women burn about 2000 calories per day, so to lose weight, plan 5 meals for a total of 1500 calories. Below is a sample diet plan you may want to create:
Cereal or Oatmeal: 200 calories
Fruit: 100 calories
Coffee or tea (no sugar): 0 calories – use Splenda
Mid-Morning Snack
Protein Shake or fruit: 100 – 200 calories
Lunch
Chicken salad or chicken breast or sandwich on whole grain bread: 300 calories
Soup: 200 calories
Mid-Day Snack
½ sandwich with soup or Protein Shake or Lean Cuisine: 200 – 300 calories
Dinner
Meat – baked, broil or grilled (4 – 6 ounces)
chicken or beef or pork or venison or fish: 200 – 400 calories
vegetable – 2 servings: 100 calories
Sugar Free Jell-O with whip cream: 30 calories
TIP #8- Calories Count – To lose weight you must burn more calories than you take in. Contrary to popular opinion, our metabolism is very dynamic. It changes according to how often we eat, what we eat and the amount of movement we expend. A common mistake is to eat 1 or 2 big meals for the entire day which leaves your body in starvation mode for most of the day. Big time gap between meals causes your metabolism to slow down to conserve energy.
TIP #9- Schedule Exercise Time - Start right now. Write down your schedule and give yourself 25 to 30 minutes of cardio at least 3 times per week. If possible, schedule exercise 5 to 7 times per week. Exercise should not be strenuous and can include fast pace walking, cycling (stationary or real bike), elliptical or treadmill at the gym. Including an exercise routine will help increase the rate of fat loss.
TIP #10- Drink Plenty of Water – Drink a minimum of 8 cups of water but strive for 10 to 12 cups. Drink more water if you regularly exercise. A body that is fully hydrated can dump excess fat more efficiently, so take your water bottle and drink plenty of water.
TIP #11- Daily Journal Your Calorie Deficit - The focus is on healthy habits that lead to weight loss instead of actual weight loss that tends to fluctuate from day to day so by recording daily calorie deficit, you are actually journaling the fat loss process.
Remember it takes 3500 calories to burn 1 pound of fat. If you burn 2000 calories (without exercise) a day but you only eat 1500 calories, your deficit is 500 calories. It will take 7 days at that calorie deficit to burn 1 pound of fat. If you add 30 minutes of cardio a day which burns about 300 extra calories, you will increase the deficit to 800 calories per day which will decrease the time to burn a pound of fat to 4 ½ days.
By writing down your calorie deficit each day, you are aware of your progress without the pressure of getting on the scale. The nature of how your body dissipates excess weight can greatly vary so don’t weigh for several months. The focus should be on good eating habits and maintaining a healthy calorie deficit.
Journaling is easy. The average cardio exercise at a medium pace burns 600 calories per hour, so 30 minutes burns 300 calories. If you’re a woman, plan your meals at 1500 calories per day. See tip #7 for sample diet plan.
Strive for 500 to 800 calorie deficit per day. Make it a game. By daily journaling, you stay motivated because your success is not dependent on the scale but rather by focusing on good, healthy eating habits that create fat loss. Even if you lose weight at a slower rate than predicted, you will still lose weight.
Avoid calorie deficit of more than 600 calories per day by ONLY DIETING because you inadvertently slow your metabolism down when you cut calories too much. Use exercise to increase calorie deficit.
You'll find that it's actually fun to journal your calorie deficit as you stay on plan by focusing on eating properly, slightly reducing calorie consumption and increasing exercise. Weight loss (particularly fat loss) will be the by-product of your effort.
Get pen and paper out right now. You can add or subtract a few hundred calories later to compensate for your particular metabolism. Start your daily deficit journal and give yourself plenty of time to lose fat and inches. You can get rid of those pounds and slim down before the summer and get in that summer dress.
RECOMMENDED FOODS
Here this section recommends foods that consists mainly of eating fish, lean meats, chicken and egg whites. Do this and you will increase your protein while limiting your fats and carbs.
Here are the types of fish recommended:
- Anchovies
- Catfish
- Light tuna
- Mackerel
- Codfish
- Salmon
- Whitefish
Here's the type of lean meats recommended:
- Sirloin tip
- flank steak
- Top Round Steak
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Center loin pork chops
- Tenderloin pork chops
Finally, you'll actually find that you'll be eating more food than in the past. The reason for this is because you are taking in less saturated fats and high sugar carbs.
* Consume 4 to 7 fresh fruits and vegetables every day
* Eat a whole grain carbs
* Drink 6 to 10 8 ounce glasses of water each day
* Eat only good fats, such as avocado OS, olive oils, fish and some nuts
* Don't skip meals
Remember always IT'S A PROCESS!
Charlotte Boot Camp and Personal Trainer
Showing posts with label workout. Show all posts
Showing posts with label workout. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Charlotte Personal Trainer Reveals 10 Reasons NOT to Go to the Gym and Miss the CIAA
Since I am here in Charlotte North Carolina, I thought it would be appropriate to blog about the infamous Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament which is better known as the CIAA that is going on right now and how those that are reading can still enjoy the festivities as well as get in their workouts throughout the week. This year marks the 64th annual Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Tournament which starts from Feb. 24 to Feb. 28, 2009. It is one of the largest and financially successful basketball tournaments in the United States. The annual tournament showcases athletic competition in men's and women's basketball during five days of play culminating with the championship game. Long before the civil rights initiatives of the ‘60s and the affirmative action activity of the ‘80s and ‘90s, the CIAA provided America with some of its most legendary sports personalities. And it offered blacks a choice for education. Today, the conference and its member institutions continue to provide opportunities for every generation. Historically Black Colleges and Universities or HBCU’s changed the face of our culture and the CIAA helped lead the way. There will be lots to do during this week of event from day parties to night affairs, from family oriented events to concerts, from Greek step shows to comedy shows. The CIAA has something for everyone.
This year's CIAA festivities are going to be hotter than ever. And I wanted to make sure you are in the mix as shallow or as deep as you desire. Therefore, I have posted some things that can help you while you enjoy this historical event. Time is of essence especially when you have an itinerary to stick to. I know that the gym is the last place that will probably want to be,and you shouldn’t allow this event to throw you off of the goals that you have set forth for yourself. As a result, I have come up with some tips on reasons not to go to the gym and not miss your CIAA weekend, but still get in your workout. It’s the best of both worlds.
I remember the days when I used to workout at a gym exclusively.
I used to think it was absolutely necessary to be in a gym to get results- that a good workout required you to be in a health club or weight lifting room of some sort.
Today I find myself at the best point of my life, from both a business and fitness standpoint, and I haven’t stepped a foot in a typical gym for 6 months now.
In fact, I workout exclusively at home or in my boot camp training center, and all I have at these two places is space and the following training equipment: bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, med balls, and a couple other user and budget friendly implements to mix things up from time to time.
It’s crazy when I think about it… the overall quality of my life dramatically began to improve as soon as I stopped going to the gym.
Here is a brief list of some of the things that have happened to me in the last 6 months since I stopped going to the gym:
- I now maintain a single digit body fat percentage with abs popping year round
- I have seen better results with my physique since using my own body weight and resistance bands than I did by using barbells and dumbbells.
- I get in at least six high-quality, distraction-free workouts per week (sometimes as many as 10-12)
- My concentration and focus is better which results in a better workout without spending half the time that I did with going to the gym (that includes travel time and actual workout time).
Now, I don’t mean to imply that not attending the gym anymore was the only reason for the dramatic turn of events in my own life.
However, it is now clear to me the sheer act of breaking from the norm and NOT doing what everyone else seems to do has set me on a distinct path of success- the road less taken if you will.
After some thought, I put on paper what I feel to be the top 10 reasons NOT to go to the gym. If you take heed to these suggestions then you will get the best of both worlds which equates to getting a great workout in and not missing out on the fun and festivities at the CIAA tournament:
1.) Needless Travel Time
Most of us live at least 5-10 minutes away from the closest gym (some people live 20-30 plus minutes away). This means that a daily gym workout will cost us at least 10-20 precious minutes in wasted travel time. Add that time up over the course of a week and you are looking at losing at least 1-2 hours going to and from the gym. And that’s not including any additional time changing clothes in the locker room or getting caught in conversation with people you know.
2.) The Sheep Mentality
It’s sickening to go to the gym. I truly believe the example that most people set will make you worse. Everybody is doing the same thing. Most men and women are just sheep- slaves to all of the misinformation provided in the form of sensational fitness magazines and infomercials. People just go to the gym and do whatever everybody else is doing.
Most women are cardio queens spending hours at a time on ellipticals, bikes, and treadmills- sadly getting nowhere fast. Ladies you need to start doing some resistance training and cut those cardio sessions down to 20 minutes of intense interval training to burn that stubborn hip, thigh, and belly fat that is holding your sexy back.
And then there are also those meathead guys who only work their mirror muscles (abs, chest, biceps) while taking extraordinary long rest periods between sets of upper body isolation exercises. These oversized morons often bench in excess of 300 lbs but probably couldn’t perform 10 perfect, full range of motion push-ups with their body weight if their life depended on it.
When in doubt, DON’T do what everybody else in the gym is doing because it’s not working!
3.) Needless Waiting Time for Equipment or Space
I remember when I used to workout at a gym that I would spend about an average of at least 15-20 minutes per workout waiting on a piece of equipment or a certain space of the gym to complete my daily routine. Not only does this waste a bunch of valuable time and create a detrimental roller coaster of warming-up and cooling-down, but this long stop and go format is completely counter productive to the appropriate alternating set format and work to rest ratio to burn fat and lose weight fast- the main goal of over 90% of fitness enthusiasts.
I have found the most effective strength training protocol for fat loss to be a 50-10 (50 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest and transition) Five-Exercise Total Body Strength Circuit. Frankly, there is no way you can workout in this format at the typical overcrowded commercial gym when people are constantly getting in your way and hording your training space and equipment.
Build your own gym at home so you and you only control your workout environment.
4.) Sickness and Disease
Let’s just be honest about this- gyms are cesspools for sickness and disease. Most overworked, burnt out trainers working at the typical failing health club are forced to double dip and clean up the gym at the end of 8+ hour workdays. How much energy do you really think they have left to thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment that hundreds of people have sweat and dripped on all day long?
Beyond catching the common cold, there are some other real serious things that have been spreading at gyms like wildfire like the recent merca staph infection epidemic.
Stay healthy and crank it at home!
5.) Annoying People
This is probably the biggest reason I no longer go to gyms: people are so friggin’ annoying! My workout time is my time and my time alone. I don’t want to talk to anyone and I don’t like being interrupted while I’m working out.
For most people going to the gym isn’t about getting results, it’s about socializing. Plus, I have always felt like a caged animal at a zoo during my workouts with people rudely gawking at me while I’m getting after it. Sure, my workouts utilize a host of unique and advanced exercises and they are often disturbingly intense, but it’s just a pain in the arse to have people looking at you like you are crazy. To me it’s crazy that I get better results in brief 20-minute sessions than the typical gym rat who wastes 2 hours a day getting nothing accomplished.
But that’s not the worst part- the worst part is when people interrupt you mid-workout to ask you questions about your training routine. Sorry- go pay for a trainer to give you advice. I’m there on a mission, not to reeducate. That’s reserved exclusively for my boot campers and my one on one client.
Plus, I remember one time at the YMCA when a trainer came up to me asking me to “please keep it down” during a set of power cleans. Needless to say, I gave him a snarl like a dog getting a bone yanked away from them. I make noise when I workout- lots of it- lots of guttural, animal sounds. Most gyms can’t handle this- so I have created my own little training exile at home so I can scream and blast my music disruption-free!
6.) Expensive Memberships
What a sham! Paying money for a place to workout. Isn’t your current rent or mortgage enough of a monthly overhead! Plus, these scammers lock you in for long-term agreements that mean that you’ll probably still be training at the gym when your hair goes gray. They don't want you there because the more people that come + the more people that use there equipment= them having to repair or replace the equipment that is frequently being used which equates to new machines and money that is coming out of their pockets. In laymen's terms = Total BS.
7.) Useless Equipment
Machines suck- I haven’t used a machine in years. They don’t allow your body to train that way it was designed to move and function and they cause many overuse injuries.
If you want to be lean, tight, and muscular, all you need is your body weight, some bands, and a few free weight options like dumbbells or kettlebells to get the job done at home or on the road.
Every couple of months I treat myself to a new training tool (I have been enjoying sandbags and resistance band training as of recently) to mix things up and keep my workouts fresh. It’s pretty cool to slowly build you own budget-friendly personal gym by adding new implements every so often- I highly recommend it!
8.) Lack of Open Training Space
This one’s pretty simple. Idiot club owners focus on all the frills with substance by filling the training floor up with overpriced, oversized machines that take up all of the prime real estate. Ever try doing a walking lunge in the typical health club? The last time I did I winded up tripping on a loose muscle clamp and landing on my kiester.
All you need is space baby- space to move freely and explore your own body’s capabilities.
9.) Crippling Dependence
I mentioned this earliest- gyms force you to create a dependence on them. If you are used to using machines, you feel lost when you travel and can’t access the same equipment. In most cases, people figure “what the hell, I’ll just take some time off until I get back home since I don’t have any gym access out here.”
I can personally guarantee you that I can break you with your body weight far before I can break you with any machine- and your body weight can go through customs too! So, show yourself that you can get results without the gym. I promise you that the best workouts of your life are waiting for you at home or in new places like a park, beach, hotel room, etc. Step outside the box!
10.) Bad Trainers
Sorry- most trainers SUCK- they get certified by these money-hungry certification agencies that don’t provide no support with program design that’s more ancient than Larry King. And they get paid squat with no true incentive to get clients results.
When you go to the typical gym for personal training, you enter a factory. They are trying to get you in and out. They don’t care if your reach your goals nor do they have the desire to build lasting relationships with you. They just need to hit their quota- you are just another number for them.
I can’t tell you how many times I have been sick to my stomach seeing some jackass personal trainer getting paid $60/hour to talk to some overweight client while he or she walks gingerly on his or her cardio machine of choice. Personal training these days is really a crime to humanity- it’s really only just a glorified therapy session.
Join a fitness boot camp in your area that creates a fit community- a culture of success. I know a ton of great boot camp instructors all over the world- personal trainers that I network with that can get you better results for less than a third the cost of typical personal training rates. If you can’t get it done at home on your own, look for the trainers that will get you body and life changing results in less than half the time.
Man, when you really think about it, why would anybody want to go the gym if they could easily set-up their own dream gym at home (think basement, den, garage or living room)?
I mean if you are the type of person who is motivated, empowered, and dedicated enough to consistently workout on your own, it appears that going to the gym may very well be the dumbest thing you can do.
And if you need the support and motivation of a workout buddy or can’t or don’t want to work out on your own, the typical gym still falls in short in providing a results-based, cost-effective solution.
I have been intensively working out since I was 14 and I have had a lot of time over the years to develop some incredible perspective on exercising for general fitness.
And I can honestly say that if you are serious about getting results, both inside and outside of your workouts, your best move is to avoid the gym like the plague and build your own portable home gym or to join a fitness boot camp with a proven track record of unmatched results.
I hate the gym.
It’s such a joke.
It’s such a waste.
It’s such a cop out.
I can only hope that I shed some light on what might be holding you back- both in regards to your fitness and in your own life in general, but more importantly that could effect you from wasting time in the gym when you could be enjoying yourself at the events that are hosted by the CIAA.
Break outside of your comfort zone.
Step outside of the box.
Take the road less taken and have the body and life-changing results to show for it. Workout on your own and stay away from the gyms and enjoy the CIAA.
It’s A Process
A. Lamail Spain
Personal Trainer and Boot Camp in Charlotte, NC
PS- Be sure to post below some of the things YOU hate about the gym so we can all share in our fitness frustrations!
This year's CIAA festivities are going to be hotter than ever. And I wanted to make sure you are in the mix as shallow or as deep as you desire. Therefore, I have posted some things that can help you while you enjoy this historical event. Time is of essence especially when you have an itinerary to stick to. I know that the gym is the last place that will probably want to be,and you shouldn’t allow this event to throw you off of the goals that you have set forth for yourself. As a result, I have come up with some tips on reasons not to go to the gym and not miss your CIAA weekend, but still get in your workout. It’s the best of both worlds.
I remember the days when I used to workout at a gym exclusively.
I used to think it was absolutely necessary to be in a gym to get results- that a good workout required you to be in a health club or weight lifting room of some sort.
Today I find myself at the best point of my life, from both a business and fitness standpoint, and I haven’t stepped a foot in a typical gym for 6 months now.
In fact, I workout exclusively at home or in my boot camp training center, and all I have at these two places is space and the following training equipment: bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, med balls, and a couple other user and budget friendly implements to mix things up from time to time.
It’s crazy when I think about it… the overall quality of my life dramatically began to improve as soon as I stopped going to the gym.
Here is a brief list of some of the things that have happened to me in the last 6 months since I stopped going to the gym:
- I now maintain a single digit body fat percentage with abs popping year round
- I have seen better results with my physique since using my own body weight and resistance bands than I did by using barbells and dumbbells.
- I get in at least six high-quality, distraction-free workouts per week (sometimes as many as 10-12)
- My concentration and focus is better which results in a better workout without spending half the time that I did with going to the gym (that includes travel time and actual workout time).
Now, I don’t mean to imply that not attending the gym anymore was the only reason for the dramatic turn of events in my own life.
However, it is now clear to me the sheer act of breaking from the norm and NOT doing what everyone else seems to do has set me on a distinct path of success- the road less taken if you will.
After some thought, I put on paper what I feel to be the top 10 reasons NOT to go to the gym. If you take heed to these suggestions then you will get the best of both worlds which equates to getting a great workout in and not missing out on the fun and festivities at the CIAA tournament:
1.) Needless Travel Time
Most of us live at least 5-10 minutes away from the closest gym (some people live 20-30 plus minutes away). This means that a daily gym workout will cost us at least 10-20 precious minutes in wasted travel time. Add that time up over the course of a week and you are looking at losing at least 1-2 hours going to and from the gym. And that’s not including any additional time changing clothes in the locker room or getting caught in conversation with people you know.
2.) The Sheep Mentality
It’s sickening to go to the gym. I truly believe the example that most people set will make you worse. Everybody is doing the same thing. Most men and women are just sheep- slaves to all of the misinformation provided in the form of sensational fitness magazines and infomercials. People just go to the gym and do whatever everybody else is doing.
Most women are cardio queens spending hours at a time on ellipticals, bikes, and treadmills- sadly getting nowhere fast. Ladies you need to start doing some resistance training and cut those cardio sessions down to 20 minutes of intense interval training to burn that stubborn hip, thigh, and belly fat that is holding your sexy back.
And then there are also those meathead guys who only work their mirror muscles (abs, chest, biceps) while taking extraordinary long rest periods between sets of upper body isolation exercises. These oversized morons often bench in excess of 300 lbs but probably couldn’t perform 10 perfect, full range of motion push-ups with their body weight if their life depended on it.
When in doubt, DON’T do what everybody else in the gym is doing because it’s not working!
3.) Needless Waiting Time for Equipment or Space
I remember when I used to workout at a gym that I would spend about an average of at least 15-20 minutes per workout waiting on a piece of equipment or a certain space of the gym to complete my daily routine. Not only does this waste a bunch of valuable time and create a detrimental roller coaster of warming-up and cooling-down, but this long stop and go format is completely counter productive to the appropriate alternating set format and work to rest ratio to burn fat and lose weight fast- the main goal of over 90% of fitness enthusiasts.
I have found the most effective strength training protocol for fat loss to be a 50-10 (50 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest and transition) Five-Exercise Total Body Strength Circuit. Frankly, there is no way you can workout in this format at the typical overcrowded commercial gym when people are constantly getting in your way and hording your training space and equipment.
Build your own gym at home so you and you only control your workout environment.
4.) Sickness and Disease
Let’s just be honest about this- gyms are cesspools for sickness and disease. Most overworked, burnt out trainers working at the typical failing health club are forced to double dip and clean up the gym at the end of 8+ hour workdays. How much energy do you really think they have left to thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment that hundreds of people have sweat and dripped on all day long?
Beyond catching the common cold, there are some other real serious things that have been spreading at gyms like wildfire like the recent merca staph infection epidemic.
Stay healthy and crank it at home!
5.) Annoying People
This is probably the biggest reason I no longer go to gyms: people are so friggin’ annoying! My workout time is my time and my time alone. I don’t want to talk to anyone and I don’t like being interrupted while I’m working out.
For most people going to the gym isn’t about getting results, it’s about socializing. Plus, I have always felt like a caged animal at a zoo during my workouts with people rudely gawking at me while I’m getting after it. Sure, my workouts utilize a host of unique and advanced exercises and they are often disturbingly intense, but it’s just a pain in the arse to have people looking at you like you are crazy. To me it’s crazy that I get better results in brief 20-minute sessions than the typical gym rat who wastes 2 hours a day getting nothing accomplished.
But that’s not the worst part- the worst part is when people interrupt you mid-workout to ask you questions about your training routine. Sorry- go pay for a trainer to give you advice. I’m there on a mission, not to reeducate. That’s reserved exclusively for my boot campers and my one on one client.
Plus, I remember one time at the YMCA when a trainer came up to me asking me to “please keep it down” during a set of power cleans. Needless to say, I gave him a snarl like a dog getting a bone yanked away from them. I make noise when I workout- lots of it- lots of guttural, animal sounds. Most gyms can’t handle this- so I have created my own little training exile at home so I can scream and blast my music disruption-free!
6.) Expensive Memberships
What a sham! Paying money for a place to workout. Isn’t your current rent or mortgage enough of a monthly overhead! Plus, these scammers lock you in for long-term agreements that mean that you’ll probably still be training at the gym when your hair goes gray. They don't want you there because the more people that come + the more people that use there equipment= them having to repair or replace the equipment that is frequently being used which equates to new machines and money that is coming out of their pockets. In laymen's terms = Total BS.
7.) Useless Equipment
Machines suck- I haven’t used a machine in years. They don’t allow your body to train that way it was designed to move and function and they cause many overuse injuries.
If you want to be lean, tight, and muscular, all you need is your body weight, some bands, and a few free weight options like dumbbells or kettlebells to get the job done at home or on the road.
Every couple of months I treat myself to a new training tool (I have been enjoying sandbags and resistance band training as of recently) to mix things up and keep my workouts fresh. It’s pretty cool to slowly build you own budget-friendly personal gym by adding new implements every so often- I highly recommend it!
8.) Lack of Open Training Space
This one’s pretty simple. Idiot club owners focus on all the frills with substance by filling the training floor up with overpriced, oversized machines that take up all of the prime real estate. Ever try doing a walking lunge in the typical health club? The last time I did I winded up tripping on a loose muscle clamp and landing on my kiester.
All you need is space baby- space to move freely and explore your own body’s capabilities.
9.) Crippling Dependence
I mentioned this earliest- gyms force you to create a dependence on them. If you are used to using machines, you feel lost when you travel and can’t access the same equipment. In most cases, people figure “what the hell, I’ll just take some time off until I get back home since I don’t have any gym access out here.”
I can personally guarantee you that I can break you with your body weight far before I can break you with any machine- and your body weight can go through customs too! So, show yourself that you can get results without the gym. I promise you that the best workouts of your life are waiting for you at home or in new places like a park, beach, hotel room, etc. Step outside the box!
10.) Bad Trainers
Sorry- most trainers SUCK- they get certified by these money-hungry certification agencies that don’t provide no support with program design that’s more ancient than Larry King. And they get paid squat with no true incentive to get clients results.
When you go to the typical gym for personal training, you enter a factory. They are trying to get you in and out. They don’t care if your reach your goals nor do they have the desire to build lasting relationships with you. They just need to hit their quota- you are just another number for them.
I can’t tell you how many times I have been sick to my stomach seeing some jackass personal trainer getting paid $60/hour to talk to some overweight client while he or she walks gingerly on his or her cardio machine of choice. Personal training these days is really a crime to humanity- it’s really only just a glorified therapy session.
Join a fitness boot camp in your area that creates a fit community- a culture of success. I know a ton of great boot camp instructors all over the world- personal trainers that I network with that can get you better results for less than a third the cost of typical personal training rates. If you can’t get it done at home on your own, look for the trainers that will get you body and life changing results in less than half the time.
Man, when you really think about it, why would anybody want to go the gym if they could easily set-up their own dream gym at home (think basement, den, garage or living room)?
I mean if you are the type of person who is motivated, empowered, and dedicated enough to consistently workout on your own, it appears that going to the gym may very well be the dumbest thing you can do.
And if you need the support and motivation of a workout buddy or can’t or don’t want to work out on your own, the typical gym still falls in short in providing a results-based, cost-effective solution.
I have been intensively working out since I was 14 and I have had a lot of time over the years to develop some incredible perspective on exercising for general fitness.
And I can honestly say that if you are serious about getting results, both inside and outside of your workouts, your best move is to avoid the gym like the plague and build your own portable home gym or to join a fitness boot camp with a proven track record of unmatched results.
I hate the gym.
It’s such a joke.
It’s such a waste.
It’s such a cop out.
I can only hope that I shed some light on what might be holding you back- both in regards to your fitness and in your own life in general, but more importantly that could effect you from wasting time in the gym when you could be enjoying yourself at the events that are hosted by the CIAA.
Break outside of your comfort zone.
Step outside of the box.
Take the road less taken and have the body and life-changing results to show for it. Workout on your own and stay away from the gyms and enjoy the CIAA.
It’s A Process
A. Lamail Spain
Personal Trainer and Boot Camp in Charlotte, NC
PS- Be sure to post below some of the things YOU hate about the gym so we can all share in our fitness frustrations!
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