YOUR New Year Resolution for 2013.....Write it down!

MAKE IT REAL-WRITE IT DOWN!

From my dealings over the past 10 years in the fitness industry, I have learned one very valuable conclusion.  Those who write down their fitness, nutrition, and/or health goals tend to accomplish those goals versus those who don't.  If I had to put a percentage on it, I would say 95% accomplish the goal, versus about 15% of those who don't write down their goals.  Think about how different that is....



So it's a new year, why not give it a try.  You have nothing to lose (except your body size of course)

WRITE DOWN YOUR FITNESS ACTIVITY
This doesn't need to be an essay, it can be as easy as adding a check mark to the days you workout.  Or you can be a little specific and write down how many minutes on the treadmill, bike, free weights, etc.  Be even more specific and write down your average heart rate, calories burned, exercises performed with weight, etc.  Regardless of how specific this becomes, start easy.  For instance today I did 10 minutes on the treadmill, 5 minutes on the bike.  That's it.  Record it for the day in a journal book, free phone app, or on the computer.  Do this for a month or so and see where your numbers are.  Then, you can develop a plan for whatever goals you have for yourself.  For instance, if you had to tell me how much you worked out over the past 3 months, you might say "probably 3-4 times per week."  Who can remember every exercise day over the last 90 days???? BUT, if you kept a journal (even just a check mark for days you worked out), you would know that exact number which might surprise you. 

WRITE DOWN YOUR DAILY FOOD INTAKE
With the new age of app friendly phones, this has become such an easy task that no one can say they can't do it.  Personally, I use MyFitnessPal (www.myfitnesspal.com).  You can look up most foods (whether at a restaurant or cooking at home), and it keeps track of everything you enter.  So if you eat that same item again, it's already saved on your account-all you have to do is add it to the individual days.  The process of completing a full day of food usually takes me less than 10 minutes.  And it works!  I found that (even though I feel I eat pretty healthy) I am taking in 3 times the amount of daily sodium.  I had no idea!  And if I didn't write it down, I would have kept thinking that I eat pretty healthy and don't need to change anything.  Use whatever program you would like, but just do it.   What if this one step meant you found out that you were eating too much sodium, too much cholesterol, something that if you didn't change could have fatal effects.  Isn't it worth the extra 10 minutes?

So, as 2013 becomes, I'm excited at the thought of not only helping all my members here at Solera Health Club & Spa (downtown St. Louis, near Soulard), but I would also love to help anyone else that would like that extra push.  Our nation is becoming more health conscience, but still need have a long way to go.  Break the cycle TODAY, start living healthier, and let's set the example for everyone around us.  ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE!

For more info, feel free to check out my website, www.solerahealthclub.com.

Cheers!

John Burr

John Burr's 15 Day Fitness Challenge #2

In our most recent post, I commented that people ask me all the time "what else can I do at the gym aside from my usual routine."  This is a 2nd fitness challenge that anyone at any skill level can accomplish.  The Challenge:

15 Days:
250 Total Up/Downs with a Jump
250 Diamond Push Ups
250 Back Lunge with Front Kick
500 Hip Thrusts
500 Crunches

Video found here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jLxI0wuk6M

Keep up with this everyday, and base it outside of your normal fitness routine.  This means, if you had planned to workout today, this wouldn't count as that workout.  Think of it as "extra credit" so it becomes the extra 10 minutes of exercise that you normally wouldn't fit in. 

Try it out, incorporate this into your routine or make it the jump start you need for 2013.  Come join us at Solera Health Club & Spa (www.solerahealthclub) located in downtown St. Louis, check out our YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/solerahealth), try one of our Group Fitness Classes (http://solerahealthclub.com/groupclass.php), or email me (jburr@soleraspa.com) with any questions you might have.

Cheers!

John Burr
General Manager/Personal Trainer
Solera Health Club & Spa
www.solerahealthclub.com

30 Day Fitness Challenge for EVERYONE

One of the most common questions recently has been "I try to come to the gym multiple times per week to workout but what else can I do?"  So this had me thinking, what challenge can I create for my members that doesn't need a gym, doesn't take a lot of time, and will give them a benefit.  The answer, a 30 Day Fitness Challenge.  As of yesterday (Oct 17th 2012), we embarked on this 30 day journey.  The challenge:

1000 of each exercise, 30 days to finish

- Jumping Jacks

- Push Ups

- Squats

- Dips (side of a chair, bed, etc)

- Bicycle Kicks (per leg)

Try it yourself.  Start your own 30 day cycle, average 35 of each exercise per day, and at the 30 day mark you will have completed over 1000 of each.  Do them when you wake up, before bed, or just a break at work.  The key is to not count part of your normal workout in this challenge.  For instance, if in your gym workout today you completed 40 push ups, this 40 shouldn't count towards the 1000 Challenge. 

So there you have it, 15-20 minutes per night for 30 days and you will complete the challenge.  See how you do, and let me know how it goes!

- John

Solera Health Club & Spa

www.solerahealthclub.com

I workout regularly, but I still have love handles. HELP!!

You workout 4-5 times per week, a mixture of cardio, free weights, and more cardio.  You hop on the treadmill for 20 minutes, sometimes 30 minutes at a comfortable speed, free weights another 15-20 minutes, mix in some crunches and the hour is up.  But why do I still have love handles?  Why can't I get ab muscles?  Why does my belly stay over my jeans??

I am asked these questions almost on a daily basis.  I will see people that have their "usual workout routine" and will come in five sometimes six times per week.  Yet their results are minimal, and their waist stays the same.  So how can you fight this?  The answer is simple, just look at the major sports and what their athletes can look like:

Football:
Sure, there are lightning fast skinny receivers out there, defensive backs are lean, but that's about it.  You can weigh 300-350lbs and still play football.  So whatever they do for their workouts won't work for us.

Basketball:
For the most part basketball players are lean, and fast.  But then there are your Charles Barkley's, your Shaquille Oneal's, so their workouts won't help us either.

Baseball:
Again, stars such as Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez are lean and fit, but you also have your Yadier Molina's, Prince Fielder's, etc so those workouts won't work either.

The answer:  TRACK SPRINTERS

Think about it, there isn't a single track sprinter from the past or today that has an ounce of body fat on them.  They don't spend the majority of their workouts running for distance, their workouts consist of short sprints, rest, sprints, rest, and so on.  Try this with your next workout:

15 seconds sprint, 1 min walk, 15 seconds sprint, 1 min walk - 10 times

Your looking at a 15 minute cardio workout, as compared to your 30+ minute cardio workout that is giving you minimal results.  This increase in intensity will lead to more calories burned, which in turn will lead to more fat burned.  Try it for a couple of weeks and you will see the difference.  Either on a track, treadmill, open grass area, wherever you have room to run full speed for 15 seconds (about 100 yards).  Try it out and let me know how you do!  For more workout tips make sure to check out our website:  www.solerahealthclub.com and view the "Get Inspired" page.

Solera Fitness Challenge #1

Challenge Accepted

That is our new motto here at Solera Health Club.  When working out, you are doing it for a reason.  The best way to reach those goals is to make it a challenge.  Write down exactly what you are trying to accomplish, and keep that in mind with every workout.  Challenge yourself with different workouts.  Don't get stuck in the same routine, as this will just lead to the same result.  Try a personal trainer, try group classes, look at workouts online, ask a friend for one of their workouts-anything to keep challenging yourself.  But the most important thing to do is WRITE IT DOWN.  On paper, it becomes a real challenge.

We are creating challenges to help you change your routine; some will be easy, some will be hard.  But you still have to TRY.  Even when you think the workout is too hard, TRY.  You might surprise yourself.  In fact, I know you will!

Challenge #1:
.25 Treadmill (try the best speed possible, 1% incline if possible)
25 Push Ups (best you can, try to go without stopping)
25 Squats with ball throw against wall (if you have access to a medicine ball, throw it against the wall each time you come up, and catch and come back down)
25 Jumping Jacks
25 Dips (use the side of a bench, side of a chair, whatever you have available to you)
25 Bicycle Kicks (on your back, kicking your legs back and forth and touching your opposite shoulder to your opposite knee)

See challenge #1 on YouTube

And that is Challenge #1.  Should take you about 10-15 minutes to complete.  If it's easy, try a 2nd round, 3rd round, etc.  Challenge yourself!  That is the goal.

The Dreaded Fitness Obstacle Course!

So every couple of weeks,  I take all of my personal training clients through what I call “The Dreaded Obstacle Course!”  But it really is not an activity to be dreaded—instead it is a great way to track your level of overall fitness, set goals, and just have a great intense workout.  The Course measures a mixture of cardio, upper body, lower body, and core strengths—key elements in any successful workout plan.   I recommend you include it in your workout program too!

With the Obstacle Course, you want to do the best you can on each exercise, and the specific exercise stops once you stop to rest (must be continuous motion).  It might take you a couple of tries to determine the appropriate weight on some exercises.  Shoot for a weight that allows you to do 15-25 continuous repetitions.  Don’t rest between exercises, only between sets.  The course is as follows:

2 Minutes Treadmill
Lat Pulldown Machine (outside grip)
Leg Extension
Stairs (find stairs that are between 10-14 steps; only do a single staircase)
Push Ups
Ball Crunches (this counts as rest, only 25 reps)
Explosions
Inner Pull Ups
Standing Lunge (hold weights in hands to make it harder)
Dumbbell Down & Out (bent over, bring dumbbells out to the side)
1 Min. Bike
Plank

Complete two sets total, and write your results as you go along.  This way you can keep track month after month to look for improvements and to challenge yourself.

Of course you might not have access to equipment to perform all of the above exercises, so feel free to drop/add similar exercises to fit your routine.  Again, this is more of a measuring tool and should only be included in your workouts once or twice per month.  For more information on exercises, workouts, videos, and more, feel free to visit our website, www.solerahealthclub.com.

Do I have to dance in your Group Training Class? NO!

The question Solera Health Club members ask most often (and with most worry) about our recently-started Group Training Class:  “Do I have to dance?”  The answer (providing relief to most): “NO!”

Jazzercise, Zumba, Step Class - all these are examples of Group Aerobics Classes, and not what we do here.  Solara’s group class is basically a personal training session-type workout.  The Class consists of 10 different workout stations such as Bicycle, Push Ups, Squats, Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Box Step Ups, Pull Ups, Standing lunge, V-Bar Extension, Plank, Crunches.  You can push it as hard or easy as you want.  It doesn't matter if you don't know what you’re doing, or if you are a workout master.  YOU can adjust the class difficulty to best meet your own level of fitness.

1 minute on each station, 2 cycles through, 30 minutes total. 

So in 30 minutes, you get a complete upper body, lower body, core, and cardiovascular workout.  Try this twice a week, mixed with some easier workouts on your own, and you will start to see results right away! 

During the month of January, we are offering our Group Training Class FREE!  At least 1 class is offered each day (including Saturday)--so come try it out.  Whether you’re out of shape, in shape, or have never taken a class, you won't look bad!  We have a good mix in each session, and most of the people signed up for the classes are brand new to the group class workout.

For information on the class check out:  www.solerahealthclub.com/groupclass.php. 

Join me for an amazing group workout soon!