For those of you who haven’t heard, my kids and I are moving to Nebraska.  I truly believe in my heart that this is the next step for me and my kids as well as my business.  Besides, if I get a chance to see the northern lights like you see in the picture above (which was taken May 15, 2005 just outside Kearney, NE), I’m sooooo there!

As a result, obviously I won’t be training out of the South Jordan Fitness & Aquatic Center.  In fact, my last day was May 1st.  However, I would like to take this opportunity to truly thank each and every one of you who have allowed me into your lives and your hearts.  I feel beyond blessed to have been given the chance to have gotten to know and befriend so many wonderful and truly amazing people!  Each of you have made an impact on my life and many of you have had an impact in the lives of my children as well, and for that, we thank you.  :)

I will continue to post (truthfully, it will be much more regularly) here on transformationtrainer.com so no worries there.  Also, we will be back to the Salt Lake Valley in the not so distant future.  In my absence, keep working towards your goals, keep walking the hard path, keep defying gravity and keep being the amazing people I know each of you to be!

I will be keeping my posts short and sweet for the next 6 weeks or so while I am in the process of packing, moving and re-settling in Nebraska, but they will be short and sweet none the less!  So keep checking back and I promise to return my standard posts full of motivation and information you’ve come to know, love and expect.

Again, thanks so much for the support, love and encouragement that you have given me through the last three years and that I know you will be providing in the future as well.  To each and every one of you, YOU ROCK!

On Sunday, May 6th, a close friend and I flew to Denver to see the musical ‘Wicked’.  I had never been to a Broadway musical production of any kind so I wasn’t really sure what to expect.  My kids and I have listened to the ‘Wicked’ soundtrack for years (my girls and I can quote perfectly every single word and voice inflection in the song ‘Popular’…just sayin) so I thought I knew the basic story line…thought being the key word there.  I was psyched to say the least to be able to see it in person (up close and personal might I add seeing that we were on the third row).

The untold story of the witches of Oz…untold to say the least.  Honestly, it is unimaginable at best, that is, until it all starts to unfold before your eyes.  As I sat there realizing that things are not always what they appear to be, I couldn’t help but relate parts of the musical to fitness.  I know what you’re thinking… Oh good grief, give it a rest Laura!  Sorry, no can do!

One of the songs is titled ‘Defying Gravity’.  The scene in which this song is performed is mind blowing-ly amazing to say the least.  There are two portions of the song that I’d like to share with you and point out just why, in the middle of the most amazing scene in the musical, I was sitting there thinking about fitness (among other things).  If you’d like to watch the YouTube video click here.

Elpheba sings:

•  I’m through accepting limits cause someone says they’re so
• Some things I cannot change, but till I try, I’ll never know!
• Too long I’ve been afraid of losing love I guess I’ve lost
• Well, if that’s love it comes at much too high a cost!
• I’d sooner buy defying gravity
• Kiss me goodbye, I’m defying gravity
• And you can’t pull me down

Why should ANY of us accept limits?  How many times have we heard the saying ‘The sky is the limit’ and failed to realize that the sky never truly ends?  Too many people hear that saying and think of the lovely sky blue portion (which does indeed have an end, or limit) not realizing that, though the circumstances (in this case, the color and oxygen content of the “sky”) change, it continues right on into outer space which has no end.  Light bulb moment?  I HOPE SO!  None of us have any limits, other than the ones that we allowed to be placed on us. That being said, what limits are you allowing to hold you back from becoming who you were truly meant to be?

It’s true, some things we cannot change.  However, it doesn’t mean we can’t try!  That being said, if something (whether it is a situation, hormone imbalance, diabetes, arthritis, etc.) is truly unchangeable, look at it as a boulder placed in your path.  It doesn’t give you the liberty of stopping dead in your tracks.  It is one more obstacle that you must find a way around, that’s all.  :)  Remember, it’s not called the hard path for no reason!

Being afraid to lose something that is already lost.  Oh my goodness, you have to admit we all fall victim to this one once in a while, where as, some of us choose to remain a constant victim.  Ugh.  Whether it is a group of friends that you are afraid of losing, a family member or a spouse/partner, I pose one question.  WHAT ARE YOU THINKING???  If said group of friends, family member or loved one TRULY loves, appreciates, cares about and accepts you they would undoubtedly accept any journey resulting in betterment of health you chose to embark on.  If they don’t (yep, I’m going to say it) THEY AREN’T TRUE FRIENDS!  Now, when I began improving my health you better believe that I had to deal with this issue as well.  I lost most of friends, one of them who was very near and dear to my heart, and it hurt.  I get it.  BUT, I didn’t let it stop me from continuing and neither can you! Anyone who sets out to better their health does, from at least one person, usually more than one.  The bottom line is; you have to look out for number one, and that’s YOU.

Defying gravity.  How many people do you know that defy gravity?  How many people truly walk the extra mile rather than doing “just enough”?  How many people quit “when the going gets tough” rather than continuing on through the mud and the guck?Defying gravity..rising above…need I say more?  I mean, really?  I didn’t think so.

Moments later she sings:

• So if you care to find me, look to the western sky!
• As someone told me lately: “Ev’ryone deserves the chance to fly!”
• And if I’m flying solo, at least I’m flying free
• To those who’d ground me, take a message back from me
• Tell them how I am defying gravity, I’m flying high defying gravity
• And soon I’ll match them in renown and nobody in all of Oz
• No Wizard that there is or was
• Is ever gonna bring me down!

I’m going back to removing limits.  Read the second line again.  Ev’ryone deserves the chance to fly!  I simply couldn’t agree more.  Period.

And if I’m flying solo, at least I’m flying free…this line has a much more personal meaning to me.  When I first began my weight loss journey, there were a lot of naysayers.  There were several people that I overheard saying things to other people that still to this day have no idea that I heard them say the hurtful things they said.  One of the most beautiful things about where I am today is that the people who said those hurtful things are no longer a part of my life.  I am flying free, and it is a glorious sensation.  :)

To those who’d ground me…the hurtful things I overheard being said, most definitely served a purpose.  On days when I didn’t feel overly excited for my HIIT cardio, I’d think of the things I’d heard and all of a sudden HIIT was on the menu and the length of time I was going to do it just doubled.  On days when I struggled with motivation to get to the gym, those hurtful words would ring through my head and I was up and at the gym in under 20 minutes (and that’s saying something seeing that I had a 15 minute drive)!  Lol.  Seriously though, nobody can “ground” you unless you allow them to.  Rise above, defy gravity, show ‘em who’s boss.  ;)

And soon I’ll match them in renown and nobody in all of Oz, no wizard that there is or was, is EVER gonna keep me down!…All I have to say to that is Amen! Can I get a Hallelujah!?

Several months back, I wrote a post titled ‘One Step At A Time’ in which I used one of my newest clients (with her permission of course) as an example of progress (to read it click here).  I’d like to continue that story just a little, to really show you the progress that she has indeed made.  To date she has lost 76 pounds…SEVENTY SIX!  If that were not impressive enough, she just hit a major mile stone yesterday and I was lucky enough to be with her when she did.  I’d like to tell you about it.

After returning from the trip I wrote about in my first post, Cindy set a goal for herself to hike to Delicate Arch, a 3 mile hike round trip.  She was doing some hikes in the Salt Lake area to prepare herself and continued coming to the gym and kicking butt during her workouts.  She was doing fantastic and was on track to make her goal of hiking to the Delicate Arch a reality when she hit a few road blocks that were out of her control.  So many people at this point choose to give up, but not Cindy.  She had a picture of the arch above her desk with the words ‘Dare to Dream’ printed on it.  It was amazing motivation for her.

She kept going, doing as much as possible to ensure her success while dealing with the road blocks head on.  The road blocks she was up against persisted for several months, and though she was definitely disappointed, she never gave up.  The end result however, was that she had suffered some setbacks, some of them more significant than others, and she knew it.  In fact, she even asked me about a month before the trip to Moab was scheduled if it was going to be able to happen or not.  At that point, it didn’t look good at all.

That month passed with amazing speed, and she found herself overcoming some of the road blocks and finding ways to deal with others that she had not overcome as yet.  She kept coming to the gym, kept losing weight and ultimately; kept making progress.  On Friday, April 26, 2012 we made the drive to Moab in hopes of making a dream, a reality.

On one of the most beautiful Saturday mornings in April that I have ever witnessed, Cindy and I (accompanied by her friend Beth) set out to hike up to Delicate Arch.  She was so excited to be on the path that she knew led to her goal, she could hardly stand it.  I got excited just watching her level of excitement!!  There were a few spots on the trail that she had heard about that had her (as well as myself) concerned, so there was definitely a little bit of anxiety but for the most part, pure excitement.

The weather was beautiful and the temperature was cool, perfect for hiking.  Off we went!  I had never been to Moab before, never seen Arches National Park so I was beside myself with the beauty I was surrounded by.  I think I spent more time taking pictures than talking, and (for those of you that don’t know me personally) that’s saying something!!  Lol.

I am PROUD to report that SHE DID IT!!!  To be there with her as she saw the arch for the first time in person was truly an honor.  To watch her as the tears of joy slid down her cheeks, as the realization of what she had just done really sank in was nothing short of AMAZING!  As she motioned for me to join her for a picture under the arch, I couldn’t help but think how far beyond grateful I am that she invited me along for the  journey.  What a complete honor.  I got a tear in my eye myself thinking how truly lucky I am to be able to witness the amazing progress she has made, and will continue to make.

To all of you I say, be like Cindy; DARE TO DREAM!

If you grew up around the same time frame as I did (nice try, I’m not telling you how old I am), you already know who the two figures above are…or at least, you should!  I remember sitting down to watch He Man and She Ra (The Princess of Power) every day with my younger brother.  It seemed that just when the situation would seem dire and impossible, somehow He Man, She Ra or a combination of the two, would save the day.  When my cousins would come over to play, there was never any question as to which game we were going to play, just the question of who was who this time around.  We turned sticks into swords, and before ya knew it, by the power of Grayskull, we had the power!  In our minds, we WERE INDEED transformed into our cartoon heroes.  And we would play like that for hours.

I look back on those times now and it brings a smile to my face.  Those times are without a doubt fond memories that I will cherish for years to come.  However, even more than that, I look back on those times and wonder if I realized the message that our games embedded in our minds.  I strongly doubt that, as a 7 year old girl, I fully comprehended the ideals and mentalities I was sending myself.  When the situation is dire, when all hope seems lost, simply hold your stick (which I swear to you always looked like She Ra’s sword in my mind’s eye) and call on the power of Grayskull.  Lol.  Okay, okay, maybe not Grayskull now that I’m all grown up.  Maybe you believe in God, maybe you believe in a higher power of another kind.  Maybe you only believe in being the best you possible.  Regardless of what you believe in, we all call on the power of…something deep inside us when we feel we are at the road’s end.  By doing so, we are able to “save the day” so to speak, to come through unbelievable and excruciatingly hard circumstances holding our head’s high and having a deep sense of accomplishment.

Life throws obstacles at us all the time.  Sometimes it’s a plateau, sometimes it’s an issue with a loved one, it could be a work related stress or even something as simple as needing a change in the weather.  Everything we experience has an impact on our daily life, which in turn has an impact on our fitness goals (and whether or not we reach them).  The one thing we all get to choose, no matter what, is how we react.  Choose wisely, taking a detour around the obstacles thrown in our path always takes more time than dealing with it head on.

Seriously though, think about it.  When life deals you situations that feel as if all hope is lost, call on the power of…well, you fill in the blank here, and then go make it happen.

One of my favorite parts of my “job” is being able to help someone understand a concept they’ve been struggling with.  I’ve had a lot of questions lately about some of, what I call, “the basics”. I figured now was as good a time as any for a refresher course.  So, today’s post is a menagerie of helpful nutrition and exercise tips to remember…you’re welcome!

 Nutrition Tips

• Keep a food log.  I cannot stress enough just how important this is!!  I highly recommend myfitnesspal.com, it has a huge data base of food as well as an option to add your own homemade recipes.  The only thing that I dislike about this particular food log is that it doesn’t give you an estimated caloric burn for lifting weights…and trust me, you burn calories when you lift weights!
• Watch your nutrient ratios.  Carbs should be right around 40%, leaving 30% for protein and 30% for fat.  Having your nutrient ratios out of whack is going to lead to one place…frustration.
• Regarding nutrient ratios, make sure to incorporate each nutrient in each meal/snack that you have throughout the day.  Use your food log to do a “mock up” of what your ratios would look like if you were to eat a certain thing for a meal or snack.  It’s an awesome tool to help you avoid the shock of ” Nu-uh.  No way! There’s how many calories in that?  Oh my gosh, you have got to be kidding me!”
• Make sure to replenish carbs immediately following your workout and follow up with lean protein within the hour following your workout.
• Drink water…and lots of it.  A gallon a day is ideal.  If your eyes are popping out of your head at the thought of drinking a gallon of water a day, let me break it down for you and make it a little easier to swallow…pun intended.  ;)  Just drink a cup (8 oz.) of water every hour on the hour from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed.  Most of us are awake (at the very least) 16 hours a day, and as you know, 16 cups is a gallon.  Ta-da!

Exercise Tips

• Always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program to ensure that you are not at risk of an injury.  Once cleared by your doctor, you’re ready to begin!
• Start slow, there’s no fire!  Even more importantly, people who try and jump into it with all their gusto usually end up one of two places; injured or so frustrated that they give up.  Obviously, we don’t want either of those things happening to you!
• Choose activities that you actually enjoy!  If you’re a cardio junkie and enjoy the thought of getting acquainted with the elliptical for a half hour, then by all means, cardio away!  On the flip side, if the thought of spending a half hour on the treadmill makes you borderline suicidal (like me) then find other options to get your cardio in.  My absolute favorite way to do my cardio is to talk a brisk walk/jog around the lake.  It’s anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour depending on how fast I’m walking/jogging…perfect!
• If you’re not incorporating weight lifting into your workouts, what in the world are you waiting for?  If you are already lifting weights, make sure you are switching it up on a regular basis.  Our bodies adapt in 7-10 days.  If you want to avoid a plateau, you have GOT to switch it up!
• Feel the burn baby!  Our bodies are incredible, there’s no doubt about that.  They will adapt to just about anything!  So in order to make sure that they don’t adapt to our workouts, switching it up is the first key, but actually working to failure is the second.  If you want to achieve change (no matter what kind of change it may be i.e., weight loss, building muscle, gaining strength, etc.) you have GOT to push to failure.  Without pushing to failure you are not pushing the limits, so to speak.  You are not asking your body to go somewhere it cannot already go.  Without pushing, you won’t achieve change.  Period.

You may or may not know that there is a new Angry Birds game.  I downloaded the free version to my Android for those moments when keeping a child happy and quiet simultaneously are essential to one’s sanity…if you’re a parent, you know exactly what I mean by that.  ;)

My middle son was playing a game as a reward for having completed an extra chore I had asked him to do.  I heard the usual, “Yessssssssss!”, “One more pig to gooo……yeah!  I got him!”, “Hahahaha, die stupid pig!” and “”Take that!” that I am accustomed to hearing when he plays.  What caught my attention was the new phrase he used this game.

After playing a particular level multiple times I could tell he was getting frustrated with it’s level of difficulty.  He somehow stumbled upon the fact that the birds can be flung in more than one direction in this version.  Discovering this fact, of course, led to all of the pigs’ destruction and of course…dun, dun, dun…the next level (feel free to insert oooo’s and ahhhh’s here, lol).  Upon seeing for certain that he had indeed cleared the level, he said (rather proudly, mind you) “Well Mom, that just goes to show you, there’s more than one way to smash a pig!”  I laughed right out loud!  I gave him a high five and told him I was proud of him.

It got me to thinking about the saying I used to hear my Dad (among others) say when I was younger, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”  While this is as true as Tyler’s statement about smashing pigs, I couldn’t help but think of the “twist” that each generation puts on things from the generation (or two or three) before them.  Honestly, I don’t know if my kids have ever heard the saying about skinning cats or not.  They certainly haven’t heard it from me!  (I try very hard not to use most of the annoying sayings my parents used on me…though I am sure that the ones I do use my children find equally as annoying…lol).

Somehow, that thought led me to thinking about how today’s generations find different (and usually much easier) ways of doing the same things the generation before them had to.  Like the other day, My son and I (it happened to be the same son, actually) were walking out of a store.  He opted to go through the automatic door while I went through the one I “had to” push open myself.  He looked at me like I was crazy as he said, “Mom, why did you do that??  I always go through the door that always opens for you because that way you don’t have to do anything, it’s way easier.”  My eyes about popped out of my head as I said to him, “Whoa buddy…THAT was the WRONG thing to say to your Mother who also happens to be a personal trainer.  You get your cute little fanny back in that store and you go through the door you have to open for your self…and while you’re at it, do it ten times.  That kind of thinking is exactly what got our country in the morbidly obese state that we have found it to be in.  Why would you not want to use the perfectly healthy body that the good Lord gave you to do things for yourself?  Oh no sir, I’ll have none of that on my watch!”

How many times a day do you fall victim to something as lazy as not walking through the door you have to push open for yourself?  This week, I am issuing each and every one of you a challenge.  Walk through the door you push (or pull) open, walk up the stairs rather than waiting on the elevator or standing mindlessly on the escalator, don’t use the microwave to warm up your food (use the stove top and a pan..Oooo, archaic idea huh?), if you sit down to watch TV don’t use the remote…get up off the couch and change the channel yourself (it never killed me) or hey, park at the back of the parking lot and walk a few extra steps into the store, library or work.  Take the initiative to do just a little extra this week, burn some extra calories, take some extra steps and use your perfectly healthy body to do things for yourself!

Plyometrics…Ahhhhh, I can feel the burn just thinking about it!  Personally, I love plyos and incorporate them into my own workouts.   Plyometrics are defined as a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in sports. Plyometric exercises may also be referred to as explosive exercises. Plyometric movements, in which a muscle is loaded and then contracted in rapid sequence, use the strength, elasticity and innervation of muscle and surrounding tissues to jump higher, run faster, throw farther, or hit harder, depending on the desired training goal. Plyometrics are used to increase the speed or force of muscular contractions, providing explosiveness for a variety of sport-specific activities. Plyometrics have been shown to be beneficial to a variety of athletes with benefits ranging from injury prevention, power development to increased sprint performance.  (Also known as “plyos”).

While it is true that plyos are awesome for various athletes to improve their performance, they are also good for the majority of us to improve our functional strength, power and flexibility as well.  Now, that being said, plyos are not for everyone…not by a long shot.  Anyone with any kind of joint injury or issues should avoid plyos without first consulting their physician.  Likewise, anyone who has not included weight lifting ( a.k.a. resistance training or strength training) for at least 6 months in their workout routines should also avoid plyos, as the tendons and muscle attachments are not strong enough yet.

However, the rest of you (and yes, you should be picturing me with an evil smile on my face, rubbing my hands together while saying “I’ll get you my pretty!”) are good to go and should at least consider the benefits you could be reaping from plyos!

 Better Performance Overall

• Increased Vertical Jump Performance
• Increased Muscle Endurance
• Increased Muscle Power
• Increased Metabolic Rate
• Increased Leg Strength
• Increased Acceleration
• Improved Balance
• Overall Agility
• Bone Density (especially in younger participants)

Being a trainer, like most jobs, takes some skill and finesse.  And every now and then, not to get all cliche and such but, it requires some tough love. Most of the time, I am very patient with my clients.  I am understanding of the fact that life happens and it’s not always (in fact it is never) orchestrated beautifully and conveniently.  I am more than happy to help people work through the obstacles that they feel are keeping them from obtaining their goals…but every now and then, I get fed up.  I get sick and tired of hearing excuses.  I get frustrated with all the BS stories I am expected to believe, as if I had the word stupid tattooed on my forehead, in reverse no less, therefore making it possible to read it when I look in the mirror.  Well, guess what?  I don’t.

As I was trying to decide what to talk about in this post, I kept thinking of the conversation I had with one of my past clients about a year ago.  One of the reasons she hired me as her trainer in the first place was because she felt that she needed some accountability, which is not uncommon in the least for any of my clients.  I asked her a question regarding the things I had asked her to do over the weekend, had she completed them or not?  She let off with a string of excuses longer than the Mississippi River.  One by one I shot them all down with a solution as to how she could have avoided that particular thing from becoming an issue and keeping her from fulfilling her “homework”.  No sooner had I done that when here came another excuse.  After the tenth excuse in a row I was beginning to get irritated.  Really Irritated.  But of course, being a professional, you can’t just start getting upset with your clients.  you can however, give them a dose of tough love.  So guess what I did?  Yep…

I looked her straight in the eyes and said, “I can shoot down every single excuse you throw at me my dear.  Care to throw any more out there to test my claim?”  I smiled warmly at her, letting her know that I was kidding but that I also meant what I said.  Then I said to her in a softer tone, “I can do that simply because I used to be in your shoes and was the one throwing out the excuses when the bottom line was this: I was not fully committed to change yet.  If that is the issue as I fully suspect it is, then let’s address the problem rather than throwing out excuses to cover that fact up, shall we?”

She smiled.  A tear slowly ran down her cheek as she said, “Yeah.  You got me.  My heart isn’t in it all the way.  I want it, I want to reach my goals, I do, but, it is so hard to do the things I know I should rather than the things I want to do.   The things I know I should do hurt and don’t taste as good as the things I want.  So when I’m in the moment where the choice has to be made, I’m weak.  I choose what I want instead of what I should.  I’m sorry, you must be so disappointed in me.”   I surprised her by saying, “Actually, I couldn’t be more proud of you.  You have finally admitted to yourself that your heart isn’t in this.  Now, that being said, there are ways to go about making sure it is, but not until you’ve admitted to it first.  So, what do ya say we focus on solving the problem rather than continuing to mask it?”

From that point on, she did amazing.  She went on to be successful in reaching every single one of her fitness goals.  A little bit of tough love can go a long way.  How many of you are being real with yourselves?  Get tough with yourself and see what happens, you don’t have anything to lose…except the weight you’re trying to lose anyway.  :)

One of my clients and I were having a conversation last week.  The topic, though fitness related throughout, jumped from one area to another for the entire hour session.  I love sessions like these where I get someone who genuinely wants to know about all the crazy cool things our body will do for us if given the proper stimuli and nutrition.  Amazing.  Love it.

Anyway, she had one question that was rather in depth.  I explained to her what was happening physiologically on the molecular level and then gave her an analogy to help her understand it better.  She seemed to understand what I had explained and overall, satisfied with the answer.  She asked me a few more questions, which I happily answered, and then hit me with the original question again.

I sat there trying to quickly think of another way to explain the answer to her since I had obviously not been as effective as I thought I had with my first answer.  You know how when you’re in a situation like this it feels like the entire world is sitting there waiting, while drumming their fingers, for your answer when in all reality, barely a few seconds have gone by?  Yeah…that’s what it felt like that day.  My mind was racing trying to figure out how to tell her what I had already told her without making her feel stupid for asking again (because in all reality, only stupid DON’T ask questions when they don’t understand something).  In a split second, the words fell out of my mouth, “Well, to put it simply, you’ve GOT to have your head in the game rather than the sand.”

Or, in other words, you have to pay attention to what it is you’re doing rather than going blindly about your business.  It is so simple that most anyone who reads this will roll their eyes at the computer screen and either think to themselves or say out loud, “Well duh Laura.  Of course you do!”  HOWEVER…how many of you have been driving down the road, realized where you are and thought to yourself  ’I don’t remember driving this direction’?  How many of you have walked through the aisles in a grocery store and walked right past what you were there for in the first place, had to turn around and go back down that aisle to put it in your cart?  Aha!  That’s what I thought…so don’t you roll your eyes at me!  Lol.  :)

The weight room is no different.  In order to get the most benefit out of the time you spend in it, you must stay focused on why you are there, what you are there to work on and how you work on it.

A prime example of this is the Ab Crunch machine.  Most people who “use” this machine do not have correct form and as a result, get a great tricep workout. Confused by what I’m saying?  Let me explain.   Most people sit down on the seat (which is of course haphazardly positioned where the last person who used it happened to leave it rather than making sure it is adjusted properly for them specifically), put their arms on top of the padded armrest and press it down to their lap using their arms, like I said; a great tricep workout, but not so effective at isolating the abs (okay, to be honest with you, now I’m rolling my eyes…ugh).

The proper way to use this machine is to sit on the seat (which should be low enough that the padded armrest is at the same height as your chin), place both arms atop the armrest and use your abdominals to bring the armrest down to your lap, imitating the same movement as a crunch, and then controlling the weight by slowly bringing the armrest up to about an inch or two below starting position.  Doesn’t seem so hard, right?  WRONG.  Try doing it using the same amount of weight you usually use but also using correct form.  Most people have to drop the weight to do it right.

Just like using the Ab Crunch machine correctly requires having your head in the game rather than the sand, hitting your fitness goals does too.  In order to create change in your body, you must stay focused.  It comes back to the three things I mentioned before.

Why are you there?

Well, why are you?  Why do you go to the gym?  Is it to get or stay healthy?  Is it to tone?  Lose weight?  Gain strength?  WHY are you there? Keeping your goals forefront in your mind, focusing on them and knowing why you are there for each and every workout is critical to your success and ultimately leads you to the next question…how convenient!  :)

What are you there to work on?

When you walk through the gym doors, do you know what muscle groups you are there to work on?  Do you have a plan?  Do you have a workout routine outlined in any way, shape or form?  If not, what are you doing there?  Whether you are doing cardio or weights, you should walk into the gym knowing exactly why you there (which goals you’re trying to reach) and what you are doing today to make progress towards those goals.

How are you working on it?

Whether your goal is weight loss, toning or gaining strength you must work out a specific way in order to achieve the results you desire.  If you wanted to go the the mall, why would you drive in the opposite direction?  Same thing applies here.  If you’re unsure of how to workout to meet your goals, do some research online, check out a book at the library or talk with a trainer at your local gym to find out what you need to be doing and how you should be doing it, which means are you using proper form?  If not, you are either wasting your time by not getting the maximum benefit out of the exercise or you are going to get hurt.  Either way you go on that, there are no good outcomes.  Form matters.  Immensely.

Have you asked yourself these three questions?  If not, what are you waiting for?  Time will continue to pass whether or not we reach out and embrace the change we desire to see in the future.  A year from now you could be more healthy, more energetic and more fit…or you could just be another year older.  You get to choose.

Where is your focus?  Is it in the game or is it in the sand?

Among the most common injuries that athletes and non athletes alike suffer from is either a tear or impingement of the rotator cuff, including yours truly.  The rotator cuff is a group of muscles that work together to provide the shoulder joint with dynamic stability during rotation (that’s why they are called the rotator cuff).  The four muscles that make up the rotator cuff are:

• Supraspinatus
• Infraspinatus
• Teres Minor
• Subscapularis

also referred to as the SITS muscles.  The most commonly injured rotator muscles are the Supraspinatus and the Infraspinatus.  Because of the function of these muscles, sports that involve a lot of shoulder rotation, such as swimming, kayaking, or pitching in baseball, often put the rotator cuff under a lot of stress and strain, making it more susceptible to injury.

When an injury does occur in the rotator cuff, it can be classified into one of two categories – Tears of the tendons/muscles or inflammation of the tendons (tendonitis).  There are two types of tears, acute and chronic.  I’ve listed symptoms of each below:

Acute Tear

This kind of tear tends to happen as a result of a sudden, powerful movement.  It might include falling, catching yourself with a flat outstretched hand, making a sudden thrust with the paddle in kayaking, or following a powerful pitch.

The symptoms will usually include:

• Sudden, tearing feeling in the shoulder, followed by severe pain through the arm.
• Limited movement of the shoulder due to pain or muscle spasm.
• Severe pain for a few days (due to bleeding and muscle spasm) which usually resolves quickly.
• Specific tenderness over the point of the rupture or tear.
• If there is a severe tear, you will not be able to raise your arm 0ut to the side without assistance.

Chronic Tear

A chronic tear develops over a period of time.  They usually occur at or near the tendon, as a result of the tendon rubbing against the overlying bone and is commonly associated with impingement syndrome.

• Usually found on the dominant side.
• More often an affliction of the 40 age group.
• Pain is worse at night, and can affect sleeping.
• Gradual worsening of pain, eventually some weakness.
• Eventually unable to abduct arm (lift out to the side) without assistance or do any activities with the arm above the head.
• Some limitations of other movements depending on the tendon that is affected.

If you currently have, or have ever dealt with, a rotator cuff injury you know how painful they can be.  The question I most often hear in association with any injury of the rotator cuff is

How long will it take to heal?

Good question, and one I’ve asked myself on more than one occasion.  However, the answer isn’t as straight forward as those of us affected would like it to be.  There are several factors that come into play where healing is concerned.  Obviously, the extent of the injury is a huge factor to consider as well as age.  Unfortunately, as we age, it takes longer to heal due to changes in our physiology.  The good news here is that it is possible to rehab a rotator cuff injury.  The success rate range isn’t as high as I wish it were, 40-90%.  In severe cases, where a chronic tear is the source of the problem, surgery might be necessary.  In that case, 94% of people who undergo the surgery are happy with the outcome, claiming that it gave them lasting pain relief and improved function.

Obviously the best thing to do is prevent an injury from occurring in the first place.  So, what should you do to accomplish that?  It really comes down to common sense.  If you have a job that is rather physical and demands a lot of use out of your shoulders, take frequent breaks, or rest periods, to avoid over use and strain.  Make sure to stretch your rotator cuffs to achieve, and maintain, a good range of motion (ROM).  As always, drink lots of water (a gallon per day) to ensure that your muscles are all properly hydrated.  Performing exercises to provide strength and stability to the joint as a whole, and the rotator cuff specifically is another way of avoiding an injury.