TheThinkFactorBook.com

The Dreamer Phase:

• Characterized by ‘thinking’ about getting fit and a true desire to make a change.
• At this phase you may be envious of others who are fit and commonly have excuses, justifications and obstacles that are preventing you from getting started.
• Likely lack the support and/or may not be surrounded by like-minded/health conscious individuals
• In this phase often you have become ‘defined’ by circumstances (i.e. had a baby but never got back into shape, started a new job, failed relationship, or new unhealthy relationship etc.)

Activity:

• Self reflection/personal evaluation – determine what’s holding you back and what activities interest you.
• Set a benchmark on your fitness level by completing a fitness evaluation

The Doer Phase:

• Key element is action – you start to do what you envision rather than just thinking about it.
• No longer just wishes and dreams about it but searches for exercise solutions, makes the effort, prioritizes and creates momentum

Activity:

• Commit to realistic weekly routine based on your longer term goals
• Be sure your routine is interest-driven, convenient and realistic

The Plateau Phase:

• Results have come to a halt
• Common stage in any aspect of life
• Not only at a physical plateau but exercise/fitness may have become monotonous – leading to a mental plateau
• Different people have different durations of plateaus
• Need for a kickstart of something fresh, something different to spark interest, inspire action and get you motivated again.

Activity:

• Nutrition assessment and overhaul
• Change the stimulus of your workout routine (seek a new class, activity or event)

The Breakthrough Phase:

• Characterized by someone who is completely and consistently ‘dialed in’ to the idea of wellness, challenge, personal growth and prioritizing health and fitness.
• There is a true ability to harness the power of the mind, thoughts and therefore actions
• Making a point of challenging yourself mentally and physically.
• Consistently search for inspiration and thrive on challenge that promotes growth
• Completing a monumental event that you have put hard work and training into.

Activity:

• Setting an event goal
• Training to ‘live the lifestyle’ and experience rather than just goal attainment

Huffing and Puffing

written by Kelly Halket Bodnarchuk

This morning I asked my daughter Kate if she wanted to walk to school to which she replied, “why would we do that?”  I responded with, “why wouldn’t we?”  Maybe her candid response comes from the fact that in her three short years of going to school we have walked to school only four times. It’s maybe a 10-minute walk from our house to school yet everyday we get into the car and drive there.  Wow, how bad is that?!

So we walked to school today and it felt great and Kate loved it.  There is a set of stairs that we have to climb to get up to school and it’s a pretty steep set of stairs.  When we got to the top both of us were huffing and puffing (okay, if I am honest me more than her) and it is there that we set a goal with each other ~ to hang up the car keys and walk to school daily and to be able to get to the top of the stairs without huffing and puffing.

WEED

I did interval training today, my homework assignment from Stephanie and Josh, so I picked these same stairs today for my challenge.  I had 45 minutes to spare before I had to get to a meeting so I decided to climb the stairs up and down for 45 minutes; one complete set was one time up and down.  I noticed that I seemed to start off okay but around the halfway point I would start loosing steam.  When I stopped for a brief second each time I noticed that painted on one of the stairs was the word “WEED.”  I am just going to suggest here that someone noticed all the weeds surrounding the stairs and in the park and was moved by what they say and painted the word “WEED” on the stairs.  Anyway, it started to bug me that I couldn’t make it all the way up the stairs without stopping so I found the loudest, most heart pumping, get you moving music I could find on my Ipod and started the up the stairs again. This time, with my mind focused on nothing but AC/DC blasting in my ears (told you I needed loud music going to get me going), ignoring the fact that my legs were quivering and burning I kept on going and before I knew it I was at the top, and I had long passed “WEED” and got enough energy to go up and down again, without stopping, four more times.

I am not going to lie, it felt great and I still feel great.  I  feel like my butt and thighs turned into steel today.  And I am certain I am going to need those legs of steel tomorrow for Stephanie’s “piece of cake class” at 9.15am at Think Fitness.  

I can’t wait to see my friends there tomorrow morning that have decided to join me for the class (you all know who you are so you had better be there, don’t make me look bad.) I am looking forward to having you alongside me huffing and puffing, feeling great and on the road to looking great!

Why I Gave up Wine: Successful Weekend!

I passed, phew!  Weekends are usually very social for me and with the social comes wine and usually a few glasses of it.  I was worried about this weekend, as I have sworn off alcohol entirely till I reach my goal.  I know, I am hearing a collective gasp of shock right now from many of you who know me.  One friend even joked that LCBO sales in the west end were going to fall and they might have to close stores. The social plans for the weekend entailed a Friday night dinner out with friends and a birthday party on Saturday and I was worried.   Could I go to two social events and not have even one glass of wine?  Would I give in and think that since I had a great week I could sneak a few glasses in and start fresh tomorrow?  Well, I am happy to report that I did it, and I drank water both nights and felt great about it.

Brent from Think Fitness asked me how many glasses of wine I had a week and unlike what I tell my doctor at my yearly checkup re my wine intake, I actually confessed the truth on my weekly consumption.  Brent calculated the amount of calories that I was taking in on wine and it was shocking to me.  One 8-oz glass of wine is 200 calories; I only burned 150 an hour when I was doing my fall cleaning the other day, so hearing this news jolted me harshly back into reality.  Brent then figured out that I was adding an extra 1800 calories a week to my diet just from drinking wine; calories that I can easily do without (put your calculators away, stop doing simple math in your head,  I will just confess, that is nine glasses a week.) Over the course of this 13-week fitness goal that is just over 23,000 calories, not a small amount of change!

He also told me the places that the wine tends to stick to… that spare tire I am so desperately trying to get rid of.   That is compliments of Mr. Pinot Grigio and Mr. Riesling.   I suppose I can’t blame it on the three kids anymore!

Why I started a food journal

Also new to me was starting a food journal, everything that goes into my body gets written down.   It certainly makes you accountable for what you put into your body and makes you think about everything that comes across your lips ~ you don’t want to eat something horrible cause seeing words like double chocolate mocha lava infused cake staring back at you all day and reminding you of your downfall isn’t fun.

I didn’t work out at all at Think Fitness this weekend but that doesn’t mean I didn’t do anything physical.  Saturday I took the day off (trainers orders) resting for what I am sure is going to be a big training week.  Sunday I went for a 30-minute run down by the lake; you can’t beat running down by the water with your favourite music pumping in your ears!  I even brought my six year old along with me and she rode her bike alongside me ~ great physical and mental exercise for both of us.

Week two is just about here and tomorrow I am working out with a new trainer Josh.  My husband has trained with him many times and loves him but says he is hardcore.  After just getting my legs back and being able to walk and climb stairs again with zero pain whatsoever, I am just hopeful that this is still the case after tomorrow morning, stay tuned.

Introduced more than 40 years ago, plyometric training has become very mainstream not only in professional athletes but also increasingly so in the general public.  Whether you are a competitive athlete or a recreational sports and fitness enthusiast, plyometric training can really serve you when it comes to performance.  What is important however is to understand the function of this training modality, the most effective way to implement it and what it actually involves.  By definition, plyometric training can be seen as the enhancement of the stretch-shortening cycle of contraction by eccentric loading of a muscle to prime an explosive concentric movement.  As an example, jumping off an elevation and landing into an absorbed squat, eccentrically loads your legs and like the recoil of a spring, this energy is used to concentrically contract and jump out of the squat landing position.  Plyometrics involve a combination of both the neural and muscular system synergistically to perform explosive movements.  Over time, plyometric training increases the amount of force you can produce and therefore plyometrics are effective in making you more explosive.

The benefits of progressive plyometric training are numerous, ranging from improving dynamic strength and speed, increasing movement efficiency, reducing sports injuries, and increasing bone density.  From a practical standpoint implementing plyometrics into an existing routine can assist in breaking a training plateau by adding variety, improving athleticism and reducing the chances of slips and falls through enhancing movement efficiency.  General guidelines state that you should be able to squat 1.5 times your bodyweight before doing plyometrics.

PLYO WORKOUT – 5 Exercise Sampler to Increase Speed, Vertical and Agility

Depth Jump to Squat Hold

1. Stand on box (beginner 6-12inch, intermediate/advanced 36-48inch)
2. Slowly step off box and land in an absorbed squat position – hold for 3sec
3. Repeat 10-20x

Depth Jump Rebound

1. Stand on box (beginner 6-12inch, intermediate/advanced 36-48inch)
2. Slowly step off box and land on ground and immediately rebound jumping forward
3. Land rebound in an absorbed squat position – hold for 3 sec
4. Repeat 10-20x

TIP – Try to minimize ground touch time.

Box Jump (for height)

1. Stand in front of box (beginner 6-12inch, intermediate/advanced 36-48inch)
2. Jump up onto box and absorb landing in a squat position – hold for 3 sec
3. Repeat 10-20x

TIP – to increase intensity and progression, immediately jump out of finish position in a forward direction back to floor and absorb squat landing – hold for 3 sec

Plyo- Long Jump (for speed development)

1. From standing position leap forward swinging arms trying to cover max distance
2. From final landing spring back out immediately to a sprint for 10-15meters
3. Repeat for 10-12 reps

Tip: To add variety and increase agility component try directional sprints at the end of the Plyo-Long Jump.

Directional Depth Jumps

1. Stand in front of box (beginner 6-12inch, intermediate/advanced 36-48inch)
2. Slowly step off box and land bending knees
3. Immediately rebound turning 90 degrees in the air and land on second box
4. Repeat for 8-12 reps in each direction

Tip: Try to minimize your ground touch time.

Remember, plyometric training is completely scalable and should be adjusted according to fitness level, strength and age.  There are also neurological adaptation requirement with plyometric training that prolong required recovery time further than that of just basic strength training.  There are more rest days required between plyometric training, particularly if it is at an aggressive level; this is usually 48-72 hours as opposed to the normal 24-48 hour requirements with strength training.

Try injecting plyometric training into your current exercise routine and watch your results hit new heights – literally!

check out www.thinkfitnessstudios.com for great program information and class schedules

BENEFITS OF GETTING A PERSONAL TRAINER:

• Motivation – we all need it!  Having someone be there to externally motivate you can do wonders for your success.  Not to mention undergoing regular fitness evaluations and goal setting will help in ensuring your are tracking your progression.
• Proper training/program planning – maximize your time and effort – you will be challenged to get outside of your comfort zone.
• Accountability – there is power in having an appointment set, someone waiting for you and money already spent on that appointment.

NARROW YOUR SELECTION

• Reputable & convenient location - A gym close by or on the way to or from work can allow for increased consistency.  In addition, if your time is very tight or the gym is not your thing, you may want to have a trainer come to you.
• Minimum requirements are a must! You are dealing with your most important attribute – your health.  Your choice in trainer should involve some essential requirements.  Some main points to research and consider (once you find a convenient location) should be the trainer’s level and area of education, certifications, years of experience, training and personal fitness background.  In addition your trainer selection should be someone who has CPR and first aid as well as valid insurance coverage.
• Male/female preference – some people find that they are motivated by and/or may relate better to the same gender while others may find that the opposite gender works better for them.

RED FLAGS – BE AWARE

1. Lack of professionalism

(showing up late, cancelling on you etc)

2. Lack of education/certification and/or experience (won’t provide proof)
3. Over promising & under delivering

WHAT ABOUT NUTRITION?

• Most trainers should be able to provide general nutritional guidance and accountability based from the Canada Food Guide for example.
  • Keep in mind if you have more in-depth nutritional needs/concerns and the trainer is not a registered nutritionist or dietician, it could be out of their scope professionally.

HOW MUCH IS GOING TO COST?

• Generally $50 – $100/hour (depending on where, who)
• Longer packages generally give better per session rate
• Higher price doesn’t always mean better but lower price generally attributes to less education and experience.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IT WILL WORK FOR YOU?

My belief is you should be able to try the service prior to committing – you don’t buy a car or a new outfit without trying it first.  Ask for a TEST DRIVE.

Here’s how it should go down:

1. TEST DRIVE (should include consultation and 15-20min session).  No pressure.
2. Interview the trainer.  You are hiring them not the reverse. Personality is also a HUGE factor.
3. References – don’t be afraid to ask for them and call them.
4. Promises and expectation – what promises are being made to you and what are the expectations of you as the client in order to maximize the program success and your results?  These should be very clear right from the start.