Posts Tagged ‘motivation’

Are You a Magic Seeker? ->By ChickenTuna

Saturday, March 19th, 2011

I. love. this. Great motivation! For me…and to spread to my clients! When they are quibbling about not seeing results after one workout and one clean meal…or people asking me about how effective L-Carnitine is or anything else…yet their diet is not 100%…I want to say “what’s the point??”…no supplement can counteract an inconsistent diet…Anyway, “ChickenTuna” has been a contributing member of BodySpace (associated with BodyBuilding.com) for many years now and her abs are more than memorable. Yes, I know some of you (esp. gals) would think her body is too much, but personally I think she looks phenomenal. And her message is fantastic. I came across this on her website and I MUST SHARE. Read this and remember this. Everyday.

"ChickenTuna"

"ChickenTuna"

ARE YOU A MAGIC SEEKER?

Are you trying to find the ‘right fat burner’ that will give you a fit body tomorrow while you are still enjoying your cakes, cookies, ice cream and pizza?

Are you looking for the ‘right exercise’ that will make a certain body part look perfect after just one session?

Are you not even concerned with exercise or eating right, and looking for a magical potion, book or scheme to lose weight and be fit?

Are you eating 5 or 6 small healthy meals a day but thinking there is a magical combination of food and eating times? …so after over analyzing food plans for months and months… you think maybe you need one less serving of carbs or an extra serving of protein and then you will wake up the next day with your dream body once you crack this crazy caper of finding the right magical nutrition combination that everyone is keeping secret from you?  Or maybe you’ve been eating right for an entire 3 days and you are wondering why your body hasn’t transformed yet.  There is no secret magical food combination.  In most cases of over analyzing and micro managing food plans, the problem is not the plan.. it’s YOU!  You are not following it or eating lots of crap in addition,  thinking ‘what difference will a little cookie or pizza make’ and you are sabotaging results.

Are you debating if you need to do your weight training in a full body work out style, or a body part split?  Or maybe overanalyzing whether you should do weights first or cardio first?   And once you figure out the right answer you will be in top shape after one session?  Either style workout is fine as long as you do it consistently.

Are you attempting to figure out if eating oatmeal is a better carb than brown rice?  If so, you are seriously seeking some magic.  It doesn’t matter, they are both good carbs to eat.

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you are searching for magic and probably won’t reach your goals until you get real about being consistent, dedicated, and hard working all the time to reach your fitness goals over a long period of time, not 2 days.

Many people are in complete denial that exercising and eating right consistently is required to be fit.   Most problems happen when people are looking for  a scheme to eat all the food they love and also have the best looking body possible.  It comes down to a choice.   I know if I were eating crappy foods I love everyday ( like peanut butter cheesecake) I would not have a fit looking body and would not be happy about that, and nobody would be surfing into my website to find out about being fit because I would be in terrible shape.

Magical exercises don’t exist.  Magical routines do not exist.   If legs are your weak spot, do LEG exercises. Make sense?  If arms are what you want to focus on… do ARM exercises.  If any magic happens, it is when you do your workouts consistently, when you work HARD while working out, and  when you eat right all the time.  There is no magical routine.   Regardless of all the exercising you do, you will no see any defined muscles or have that ‘toned’ look unless you lower your bodyfat.

Magical food combinations don’t exist… All you can do is eat the proper amount of food for your goals and eliminate the wrong food.  Nutrition and workouts can always be improved, but there is no magic formula.   If you want to see any magic happen, stop eating crap for a few weeks and you’ll be amazed.

Progress takes time and only happens when you are consistent,  so don’t give up.

Advice for Success

1.  When you don’t feel like doing your workout, do it anyway.  You’ll feel better afterwards.

2.  When you feel like eating pizza for dinner, eat grilled chicken instead, you will survive.  You’ll feel great about your choice the next day.

3.  Keep doing the above every week consistently.  Consistency is KEY.

You can  keep  searching, hoping and praying there is magical potion, scheme, or pill to get you where you want to be, but you’ll just keep spinning your wheels.  You already know what you need to do… put down the crap and you won’t be wondering where your results are because you will see them for yourself.

It would be really nice if you could go out buy some cream, rub it on your ass, and get rid of cellulite… but its just not going to happen that way.  Cellulite goes away as your bodyfat goes down by eating right and exercising consistently.

Why is this section here?  Because over the past 17 years while I’ve been struggling each week to squeeze in my workouts on a regular basis, and say no thank you to all the junk food that is offered to me each day… I have seen many people around me try every scheme possible, (anything but eating right and exercising)  from pills to crazy diet schemes, and I have yet to see anyone ever have any success or achieve becoming fit that way.

Please do not write me and ask me about taking pills or any secrets or tips.. if you do, you really don’t get it.  Get yourself a big serving of hard work and sacrifice, swallow it down, and digest it.

>>Awesome, right?! Absolutely perfectly well said, IMO. How do you feel about this?

On a side note, Tiger Muay Thai represent! Check out UFC’s president Dana White rocking the Tiger Muay Thai shirt : http://www.magicalray.com/im-not-gay-but-ufc-president-danawhite-does-know-how-to-dress.html :)

XOXO

~K

[del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Reddit] [Slashdot] [Squidoo] [StumbleUpon] [Technorati] [Twitter] More »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Figure, Fitness, & Bikini, MMA, Motivation & Mindset, Nutrition / Recipes, Training | 1 Comment »

Weight Loss Psychology

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Weight loss is complicated, and it’s not complicated. Yes, it is energy in versus energy out- but if it was as easy as that, why do so many of us still struggle to lose weight?
I think one of the main reasons that people have difficulty in achieving their health and fitness goals is not ignorance. Everyone KNOWS stuffing their face with cookies is counterproductive to losing weight, everyone KNOWS that going out and exercising is excellent in improving his/her level of fitness….yet…people fall into their unhealthy habits time and time again. Why?

  • They are not putting LIFESTYLE first. How fulfilled do you feel by your relationships? How well do you take care of yourself? Do you make sure you are getting enough sleep for yourself every night? Do you make sure you drink enough water? Do you make sure you are not saturated with stress? Do you love your life? Do you appreciate your friends, family, and/or significant other?
  • A fit and healthy person needs incredible energy, dedication, vitality, positivity, and discipline to make it into the gym, make healthy nutritional choices, recover, and dexterously handle all of the other demands of life. I guarantee that emotional eating, stress, getting drunk, exhaustion, and other factors will always be the sabotager of health goals. Cultivating a healthy lifestyle full of love, passion, joy, and gratitude are the pre-requisites to fitness.
  • It’s only when THESE needs are filled that the need to overindulge or distract yourself with food, drugs, and/or other vices are mitigated. Clearly, weight loss is not a merely physiological effort. Lifestyle and psychology are critical components in achieving your fitness goals.
  • Behavioral change and cognitive change need to be coupled. You won’t be able to stop binging, for example, (behavioral change) if you cannot change your mindset and/or coping strategies (cognitive change or reframing).
  • Most people regain the weight that they lose because they don’t create in their mind a long-lasting change in how they prioritize their health and fitness. They may try a gimmick, cut out some certain foods for a while, or try to get into the gym and do some cardio (which I will address in another post), but they are not changing their cognitive framework for the long term. They are looking for a quick fix, or they feel they are not indulging in the activities or foods that bring them “joy.” Instead of reframing their healthy choices as TREATS to themselves, they perceive their healthy choices as deprivation…so they set themselves up for failure.
  • If you THINK that losing weight is impossible and too hard and terrible and depriving, then it will be. The voices of innumerable experts on methods of elevating one’s self come to mind – The Law of Attraction, The Secret, Napoleon Hill, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Esther and Jerry Hicks, and so forth. Their messages all boil down to one principle: Whatever you think, so it shall be.
  • Long-lasting weight loss is not achievable through a pill, a cleanser, a drink, a bodywrap, colonic, diet trend, or with a couple of hours of exercise. Being healthy results from the culmination of various factors including fulfilling relationships, feeling driven by a purpose or passion in life, moderate food choices, consistent exercise, and more. It’s not all about finding the right workout, the right trainer, the diet. It’s about the right mindset.
  • Again, foot and exercise are important in weight loss. But without a positive, persistent attitude and mindset for success, you won’t get anywhere. If we put ourselves in a state of determination, making the physical choices becomes much easier. The physical is just one small part of the equation. We need to recognize that fitness goals are highly influenced by a complex and multi-dimensional constellation of emotional and psychological variables.
  • The moment you take responsibility for your circumstances, your thoughts, your actions is the moment you start creating for yourself a better life. Don’t victimize yourself because you’re overweight. No one got you into that condition except yourself. Don’t berate yourself or get yourself down because you’re overweight. Forgive yourself and uplift yourself. Change your mindset and realize that you have the power to change NOW! You have all the power in the world to change your state for the better, so start working toward your healthier YOU and a body you feel great about NOW.

A little photo inspiration of a few of my favorite figure competitors, the magnificent Valerie Waugaman and Diana Chaloux, below:

Valerie Waugaman
diana chaloux
[del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Reddit] [Slashdot] [Squidoo] [StumbleUpon] [Technorati] [Twitter] More »

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Motivation & Mindset, Nutrition / Recipes, Training | No Comments »

13 Week Program/Countdown to Breaking, Gymnastics, Kettlebells, Tire-flipping, Oympic Lifting, Boxing, Trail-sprinting, and More Lean and Mean Goodness

Sunday, January 17th, 2010

I was thinking…this injury stuff has been getting really old. I KNOW I can do acrobatics, amazing things, and be capable of so much more. Other trainers (inadvertently) tempt me, when they recount their fun tumbling practice, or do kettlebell snatches, or when I see my peers on stage…and I KNOW I can do these things. Yet I have a million and one excuses. Legitimate excuses e.g. injuries. But. Excuses none the less. I have been telling Caleb I will go to gymnastics when I am ready to go back. I have not gone yet. I have told the girls in my crew that I’ll be back. That was almost a year and a half ago. I told the trainers at my work that I can break it down. They have yet to see me bust. I have a ton of coordination and natural strength and power, so I would rock the shit out of some kettlebells. If I could pick them up without irritating a current injury. I am a jumper, skipper, sprinter, power athlete. Yet I have yet to do plyos. Why? Why? WHY? Because I don’t allow myself  to recover before I push myself. I get excited, overzealous…bored by rehab…and when I start to feel better, I go 0 to 100 and end up skidding into the sides and the mechanisms start to smoke and catch fire.

The key is developing patience, and following the type of program I design for my clients yet don’t follow enough for myself. But screw this. It’s time to suck it up and slow it down and truly heal, or else I will NEVER get better…its always a few weeks more…a few weeks longer…repeat, repeat…It’s over. Time is done. Time to get well. Time to return to all my activities I love. Time to shine. Time to get back on stage to break. Time to win a figure competition. Time to demonstrate my level of bad-ass-dom. Seriously. You won’t be able to mess with me. Try me.

To do this, I have designed a rehab program that specifically addresses my shoulder (undiagnosed), foot (plantar fasciitis), and knee (post-ACL reconstruction, meniscectomy, synovitis), and includes:

  • REST
  • corrective flexibility
  • accelerated recovery methods
  • structured progression from
    1. stability
    2. strength
    3. power to
    4. full return to sports
  • specific exercise prescription
  • supplements and nutrition
  • psychological factors
  • doing things I don’t normally do, such as take group exercise class, or yoga

For this to be a success, not only did I have to do significant research to strategize the best program, but I need to FOLLOW this. By posting this online, as well, I will be held accountable.

Week 1: REST: Start Date:  Saturday, 1/16/10

To decrease inflammation and accelerate recovery

Traumeel gel x2/day

Arnica tablets x2/day

Ibuprofin  x3/day

Daily Ice Bath x1/day

Flameout – x1/serving a day

Wellness Visualization x1/day

Stationary bike only (to take impact/weight off of my foot)

Week 2: Stabilization

Focus: correct muscular imbalances; prevent tissue overload by preparing muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints or the upcoming imposed demands of training

Recovery:

Ice Bath 3x/week

Massage x1 this (stabilization) cycle

Flameout – x1/serving a day

Wellness Visualization x1/day

Shoulder: M & Th

Lower intensity, 15-25 reps, 2 sets, very slowly

Isometric external and internal rotation against a wall

SL Bodyweight Lateral raise, front raise, rear delt raise

SL Bodyweight 90 degree external rotation

SB Band lat pull/swimmers

Cable row standing on upside down BOSU

Prone cobra on BOSU

DB retractions on SB

DB protractions on SB

Band pull aparts on SL

Prone T’s on SB

SMR (foam roll): roll w/tennis ball around posterior deltoid

Stretch: Pendulum, posterior capsule stretch, external rotation, internal rotation, lats, pecs, biceps, supraspinatus, neck

Foot: T & F

15-25 reps, 2 sets

Towel scrunches

SMR (foam roll): Roll bottom of foot w/tennis ball

Stretch: bent and straight leg calf/achilles stretch, stretch the bottom of foot, belt stretch

Knee: T & F

Lower intensity, 15-20 reps, 2-3 sets

Upside down BOSU multi-planar prisoner squats

Upside down BOSU SL multi-planar reach

Upside down BOSU SL RDL

Airex balance

SB ham curl

SL bridge

Glute medius leg lifts

SMR (foam roll): quads, IT band, adductors, piriformis, calves

Stretch: quads, hip flexors, piriformis, adductors

Cardio: Try weight bearing cardio (no jogging) this week

Class: Dave’s spin class Mon 5:30 or 6:30 PM

Week 3: Stabilization

Repeat last week’s recovery methods

Shoulder:

Lower intensity, 15-25 reps, 2 sets, very slowly

SL DB Lateral raise, front raise, rear delt raise

SL DB 90 degree external rotation

Cable external and internal rotation

Cable lat pull/swimmers on BOSU

Cable row on BOSU

Plate halos on BOSU (10 lb)

Prone cobra on BOSU

DB retractions on SB

DB protractions on SB

Band pull aparts on SL

Prone Y’s on SB

SMR/stretch

Foot: same as last week

SMR/stretch

Knee: increase reps

Upside down BOSU multi-planar prisoner squats

Upside down BOSU SL multi-planar reach

Upside down BOSU SL RDL

Airex balance

SB ham curl

SL bridge

Tube walking

SMR/stretch

Cardio: Try jogging 15 min a day, 3 x wk

Week 4: Stabilization

Repeat last week’s recovery methods

Shoulder:

Increased loads, 15-25 reps, 2-3 sets, very slowly

DB Lateral raise, front raise, rear delt raise on BOSU

DB 90 degree external rotation on BOSU

JC Band external and internal rotation

JC Band lat pull/swimmers

JC Band row

Prone cobra on SB

KB halos standing on BOSU

SB plank

SMR/stretch

Foot: same as last week

Knee: increase load

Cardio: Try jogging 20 min a day, 3 x wk

Class: 1 Pilates mini-ball class 10:30 AM Tues or Thurs

Week 5: Stabilization

Repeat last week’s recovery methods

Shoulder:

SL DB Cuban Press

SL DB Lateral raise, front raise, rear delt raise

JC Band external and internal rotation

SL JC Band lat pull down

SB DB retractions + row

SB push ups

SMR/stretch

Foot: same as last week

Knee: increase reps

Cardio: Try jogging 25 min a day, 3 x wk

Class: 1 Yoga for the Inflexible class 6:30 PM Mon or Wed

I had written out the rest of my program for Weeks 6-13, but Omar encouraged me to wait on this because things may change. So, know that I have it all written out..but will post it later when it’s “real.” As a general overview, Weeks 6-9 will be Strength phase, focusing on increasing the load-bearing capabilities of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints, and Weeks 10-13 will be Power phase, focusing on increasing the rate of force production.

I prepare this program with the end in mind:

WEEK 14

MINDFUL EXPERIMENTATION WITH BREAKING, GYMNASTICS, BOXING, ROCK-CLIMBING, KETTLEBELLS, FLIPPING TIRES, FIGURE PREP, OR ANY DAMN THING ELSE I LOVE AND MISS…I can’t wait! Actually, I can. I must. Slow is fast and fast is slow, right? If I exercise my patience, I should be here- stable, strong, and powerful- at 14 weeks.  If I don’t, I can only imagine how much longer the road of injury stretches before me. The time is now. Your support/feedback/comments are greatly appreciated.

[del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Reddit] [Slashdot] [Squidoo] [StumbleUpon] [Technorati] [Twitter] More »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in ACL Rehab/Prehab, Breaking, Figure, Fitness, & Bikini, Motivation & Mindset, Training | 1 Comment »