Reps and Sets for fitness gains

This is probably the most frequently asked question when it comes to lifting weights, so I thought I would address it again.  In general, if you are a beginner, then one to two sets of 12 to 15 reps will begin to build the foundation.  Later, after you’ve established some consistency with your workouts, and your body has begun to adjust to the weights, you can begin adding in another one or two sets.  After a few months, you should decide if you want to train for endurance (minimal muscle mass), strength (moderate muscle mass), or power (extreme muscle mass).  Endurance athletes will benefit from 3 or 4 sets of high reps with low weight (i.e. 15 or more reps).  If you want to build some strength and muscle tone, then you should aim for 3 or 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps.  If you are a power lifter and/or want to add bulk, you should lift heavy weights for less than 6 reps with multiple sets.  Your weight should be heavy enough so that by the last rep, you should just barely be able to accomplish it while maintaining good form (i.e. don’t cheat to get the last rep out).  In other words, “light weight” is a relative term.  Most women I have met tend to go too light for most things and are scared to lift “heavy” because they’re afraid they’ll get “bulky”.  This just doesn’t happen to most of us, because we don’t have the amount of testosterone to allow us to get bulky.  Granted, some body types are bigger and more muscular than others, but that never means to avoid weights!  We all have to work with what we’ve been given.  I hope this helps answer the question.  Let me know if you need any more help.

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True Confessions…

I’d like to share something personal today.  I discovered something about myself this week.  For the last 5 to 7 days, I’ve noticed that I’ve been tempted by and chosen foods that I would not recommend to others as part of a healthy diet.  For example, I made french toast loaded with butter and syrup the other day.  That same night, we went out to Ryan’s Steak House… need I say more?  Three days in a row, I ate dessert – which I usually only eat every once in a while.  Yesterday, I made myself some cinnamon toast.  Then later I enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate with a big fat marshmallow in it!  The other day, while I was grocery shopping,  I was actually tempted by a box of chocolate Lucky Charms!!!  I ended up going to the health food section & buying a cereal called “Peanut Butter Bumpers” – so that was my cheat cereal. 

So, I began asking myself what the heck is going on???  This is so not like me… anymore.  I used to do stuff like that years ago without batting an eye lash, but it’s not a part of my fitness lifestyle now.  I can’t let it sneak back into my lifestyle, either.  Fortunately for me, I have enough self-awareness that I figured out the culprit.  My husband and I have been in the middle of a home remodel for about 3 months now.  Things are in such a state of disarray and disorganization that I feel somewhat out of control.  My life has been disrupted to the point that a lot of my major routines have been thrown off (except working out and training others, of course).  It’s affected almost every area of my life, and now it’s infiltrating into my eating routines, too.  So, once I discovered that I’m beginning to allow my emotions to dictate my food choices, I realized that I need to deal with my emotions to prevent further issues.  So, I pitched a couple of major “hissy fits” a few days ago, had several good cries, vented to a few people, and now I feel somewhat better.  Yesterday, I made the decision to tackle some of the projects that are making me feel the most out of control.  I know that once I make some headway on those, then that will help tremendously, too. 

So, why do I tell you this?  Because I thought it was important to share a real-life example of how emotions can completely wreck your fitness goals if you allow them to.  I am not immune.  I experience the same pressures and stresses in life as everyone else (well, mostly), so I wanted to share how I try to deal with them before they get the best of me.  It’s definitely a challenge right now, and I have to take each day as it comes.  I refuse to just throw my hands up &  give up.  However, I know that I need to have a little room for some “comfort food” from time to time, too.  It’s all about balance and moderation, as well as learning to deal with stress and emotions.  It’s definitely not easy, but totally worth the effort. 

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Healthy Dinner Idea

I love to experiment and try new things with healthy foods.  Last night, I made a very interesting spaghetti.  I used texturized vegetable protein (otherwise known as TVP or soy protein crumbles) instead of ground hamburger or turkey meat.  I also put the sauce on top of spaghetti squash instead of noodles.  I served it with a side dish of salad (romaine lettuce, spinach, and red & green peppers).  So, basically the entire meal was nothing but vegetables (except for the 2 different kinds of cheeses I used on top).   I didn’t go by a recipe when making the sauce, but here’s the gist of what I did:

one 15 ounce can of tomato sauce

1 small can of tomato paste

water (about enough to fill up 2 of the tomato paste cans)

parsley (to taste)

oregano (to taste)

3 or 4 cloves of garlic

minced onion

one cup of TVP

spaghetti squash

I heated up the tomato sauce and tomato paste, then added the above ingredients and simmered it while I was heating up the spaghetti squash in the microwave.  I cut the spaghetti squash length-wise, and then pulled out the seeds.  I heated 1/2 of it in the microwave for 8 minutes.  When it was done, I used a fork to scrape the sides so that the squash flaked out in a very thin texture, kind of like noodles.  I then served the sauce over the squash with the salad.  My husband LOVED it!  I was concerned how he would like it since I snuck in the TVP (it’s a little different texture than regular hamburger meat).  He said it was very hearty and that I could make that again!  So, I thought I would pass along that dinner idea.  It really didn’t take long at all to prepare, and the ingredients are super inexpensive.  If anyone decides to try this, I would love to know what you think!

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Is eating healthy a “buzz kill”?

I was talking to a lady last night who has been diagnosed with diabetes, and she just insists that it is just not as much fun to eat anymore.  She feels like she’s on a constant diet, and when she goes out to eat – she just can’t bring herself to order a salad when “everyone else” is eating the “good stuff”.  I suggested to her that she is only thinking in terms of black and white… where is the gray area???  I have been eating healthy for years, and I rarely, if ever, feel deprived or like I’m missing out on life.  I told her that eating healthy has caused me to be much more creative with foods, and I enjoy experimenting with new and different flavors and dishes.  We then started talking about eating out on vacation (she just got back from Florida last week).  It was just TOO MUCH for her to think about avoiding the fried seafood when she is on vacation in Florida!!  She said the food is the main reason she goes to Florida!!  That’s when it hit me… some people really are RULED by food.  When I go on vacation, I look forward to all of the new and exciting adventures I will experience; the beauty of nature; spending quality time with my husband… things like that.  I rarely come back talking about the food I ate!!!  I don’t even remember what I ate most of the time. 

 So, I conclude with these questions.  Do you let food rule your life?  Do you eat to live, or live to eat?  I promise you, there is so much more to experience in life than just food!! 

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Do you sabotage your weight loss?

I facilitate a weekly weight loss class/support group, and last week we had a very interesting discussion.  We talked about how many of us sabotage ourselves whenever we get close to reaching our “ideal weight”.  Someone mentioned how she has a “magic number” on the scale that she wants to weigh.  She can do very well with her eating, but then when she comes within a few pounds of that number, she will intentionally start over-eating and binging again.  She knows that she does that, but she doesn’t know why.  Others mentioned that, although they are far from their ideal weight, they will only get so far and then do something to “blow their diet”.  I mentioned how weight is “easy” to fix, because you know that all you have to do is follow a plan or a program.  However, a lot of the time, the “weight problem” really disguises a much deeper emotional issue that is not quite so easy to fix.  Therefore, if we can keep ourselves distracted with weight – never quite being able to succeed – then it will prevent us from really having to deal with the deeper issues.  In other words, we sabotage ourselves so that we will always just keep our focus on the weight problem.  Emotional issues are often VERY deeply routed and require a non-judgmental outside party (usually a counselor or therapist) who can see things in us that we can’t see ourselves. 

So, I challenge you to think about this.  Are you sabotaging yourself with your “weight problem” in order to avoid dealing with the much deeper emotional hurts that need to be resolved?  Just a little “food for thought”…

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Sometimes eating healthy just isn’t worth it!

Last week-end, my husband and I took a rode trip to Florida to visit my sister and her family.  We left Friday before rush hour, so we needed to stop to get something to eat.  As I was already a bit anxious about what kind of food choices would be available all week-end, I was dead-set determined to eat healthy on the road – regardless of what I had to do.  So, we stopped at a Moe’s Southwest Grill in Montgomery, AL.  I had already decided to avoid the rice and the tortilla, so the only thing I could eat was salad (without the shell).  Since I’m trying to cut back on the amount of meat and dairy I eat (due to the hormones), this left me with tofu as my only remaining alternative.  So, basically my salad consisted of lettuce, cucumbers, tofu (which I’m not sure was even cooked), VERY little cheese, black beans, and salsa.  I had a little chipotle sauce on the side, but that didn’t help.  Basically, there was NOTHING on this salad to make it taste good at all.  Literally, as I write this I feel like vomiting just thinking about it.  My husband sat there and watched my face turn a lovely shade of pale green and felt so sorry for me that he cut off large parts of his “homewrecker” tortilla just so I would have something to eat! 

So, the moral of the story is sometimes there really ARE no healthy choices that are palatable, so you just have to do the best you can and resume your routine as soon as possible.  I have to say that I’m glad to be home and in control of what I cook and put in my mouth! 

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What is the best type of cardio?

Honestly, I think the best type of cardio is the one that you enjoy and will actually do!  However, I would like to make a personal observation.  I used to be partial to the elliptical, because according to the calorie-counter on the machine, I was burning A LOT of calories.  I did that for years, but of course it got boring and monotonous.  I’ve tried running several times.   However, last Spring I ended up getting bronchitis due to breathing in the pollen… so I stopped.  This year, I tried it again… this time I sprained my ankle (that was a few weeks AFTER my embarrassing face-plant after tripping over the curb… who knew that was there???).  Although I enjoy running (mostly because it’s outdoors), it doesn’t seem to be the cardio of choice for me.  After I sprained my ankle, I couldn’t do anything upright because it hurt my ankle too much.  So, I bought a spin bike.  I LOVE THE SPIN BIKE!!!  I’ve been doing that consistently now for a couple of months, and I’ve actually noticed a difference in the shape of my legs.  I have always depended on my weight training sessions for my body sculpting goals, and my legs have never taken the shape that I would like.  Now that I’m doing the spin bike nearly every day, I’m actually getting the definition and curves in my legs that I’ve been wanting.  At least to me they don’t look as “tree-trunk”ish as they did before.  Even my husband can tell a difference.  So, for me I’m hooked on spinning. 

However, I still say that the best cardio for you is whatever you actually enjoy the most and will do consistently.  I also think it’s a great idea to do several different types of cardio, because this will confuse your muscles and speed up your metabolism.  It will also prevent boredom.  All of these things will help you stay motivated and consistent in your exercise program. 

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7 Tips for Preventing Depression

Today I’m going to switch hats just a little and put on my “counselor hat”.  (For those who don’t know, I’m not only a personal trainer, but I also have a Master’s degree in Social Work and professional counseling experience). 

I was talking to a friend of ours yesterday, and he was mentioning how he has had two major depressive episodes in his life.  The first one left him without even a will to live.  Fortunately, he was treated and now knows the symptoms to look for and what to do when he starts to feel them. 

I started thinking about how depression is so insidious because it attacks every facet of your life… physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.  Physically, you usually have problems with appetite, sleep, energy, motivation, and sex drive among others.  Emotionally, you may feel weepy or just plain apathetic.  You tend to isolate yourself from others.  Your attitude is usually negative, and you just can’t seem to pull yourself out of it.  You will probably struggle with issues of self-doubt, self-esteem, and fear (ex:  fear of inadequacy; fear of intimacy; fear of failure).  Mentally, you tend to believe all kinds of horrible things about yourself.  You might obsess on the negatives you see all around you (if this is the case – don’t watch the news!)  Spiritually, you just feel depleted and drained.  You lose your purpose in life and start wondering why you were even put on this earth to begin with.  Satan would like nothing better for people to be in this state, and if you look around you – you probably know plenty of people who are. 

I started thinking that depression is just like most diseases… it’s probably easier to prevent than to cure through intentional, proactive choices.   Granted, some people might be more likely to suffer depression due to a family history of depression; child abuse or neglect; traumatic experiences; etc.  However, it is my opinion that if you are not depressed now, then it would be very wise for you to take measures now in order to prevent becoming depressed in the future.  Depression can hit any of us any time as is evidenced by the fact of such an astounding number of people on anti-depressant medication in this country. 

Here are some tips to help prevent depression:

1)  Take care of your physical health by engaging in regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, avoiding drugs and alcohol, and getting plenty of rest.  Studies show that people who exercise regularly are less likely to get depressed than people who don’t. 

2) Watch your thought life.  There is actually a scripture verse about this:  Phil. 4:8 says “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things”.  This is so wise!  It also includes avoiding things that send you negative messages.  I am very careful about what I put in my mind through the media…. I’m careful about the books I read, the movies I watch, television shows, etc.  The old saying “garbage in, garbage out” is completely true.  If you fill your mind with garbage, then guess what comes out!!! 

3) Pay attention to the messages you tell yourself.  We have so many thoughts during the day, and we tell ourselves so many things that we’re probably not even conscious of.  A lot of these messages are things we’ve internalized from our parents or other significant people in our lives from when we were kids.  Unfortunately, a lot of it is also negative.  Try to catch yourself in these thoughts… when you do; intentionally reframe that thought so that it conforms to what is actually true (most of the time we end up believing complete lies about ourselves).  Your thoughts follow your beliefs; your emotions follow your thoughts; and most of the time, your actions follow your emotions.  If you believe the truth about yourself, then you will think positive thoughts, which will lead to positive emotions, which will lead to positive attitudes and behaviors. 

4) Spend time with God every day.  God loves you and has a plan and purpose for your life.  He’s just waiting for you to come to Him and to enjoy your relationship with Him.  Jesus died for you so that you can freely experience this. 

5) Write out your mission statement and review it regularly.  This will remind you of your purpose on this earth and how you are unique and especially gifted to fulfill a special role in this universe.  Only you can be you and do what you do.  Your life is meant to positively impact the lives of those in your circle of influence. 

6) Keep a journal.  This will help you process your thoughts and emotions.  Over time, you will see patterns emerge, and hopefully growth as you overcome challenges and obstacles in your life. 

7) Enjoy the simple things in life.  Don’t get so busy that you forget to notice the little things like the welcome breeze blowing in your face on a hot summer’s day; or a baby’s smile; or the smell of a flower.  That may sound cheesy, but sometimes it’s the simple things in life that help put everything in perspective. 

What to do when you don’t feel like exercising…

This is exactly how I felt today.  I woke up earlier than I had planned to, and ever since I’ve been feeling tired, sleep-deprived, and a bit unmotivated to do what I have to do today.  After my client left this morning, I had the choice:  do I work out or don’t I?  The bed was screaming my name.  However, I ignored the screaming and just did what I had to do!  I did my chest, back, biceps, and abs and then the spin bike for 45 minutes.  How did I feel afterward?  Still tired, but proud that I did what I had planned to do.  Now, this is the way I’m tackling the rest of my day… I’m setting my mind to accomplish what I intended and ignoring the inner voice inside that continues to beckon me to take it slow and easy today. 

I tell you this to let you know that I have the same internal battles and struggles as everybody else; I’m no different.  There are plenty of days that I just plain don’t feel like doing anything!  However, since I’m self-employed, I can’t afford to give in to my feelings!  So, to answer the above question, sometimes I think the best thing to do when it comes to exercise is to not ask yourself whether you feel like doing it or not.  Write it down in your schedule/appointment book, and then keep that appointment with yourself.  We all have a mind, emotions, and a will.  Our will is like the gatekeeper for our thoughts and emotions.  You choose by an act of your will what you will think about, what attitude you will have for that day, and what you will accomplish.  If we all lived solely by our emotions alone, what would this world be like?  We don’t need to ignore our emotions, because they are like an indicator light on our car… they let us know when there’s something wrong that needs to be fixed.  Emotions are very important, but we don’t need to live by them. 

Anyway, I thought this was an appropriate thought to write about today since I am struggling with my own motivation level at the moment and having to take my own advice.  I hope it helps someone else out there. 

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Sunday devotional thought

One of my clients copied and pasted this quote from Joel Olsteen and sent this to me this week.  This is a great spiritual motivator to take care of your physical health.  I figure since today’s Sunday, it’s a great day to share what the word of God says about taking care of your physical body.   

Today’s Scripture
“Dear friend, I am praying that all is well with you and that your body is as healthy as I know your soul is” 3 John 2 (TLB).

Today’s Word from Joel and Victoria Osteen
All of us have prioritized our lives in some form or fashion, whether consciously or unconsciously. Maybe you don’t do it purposefully, but you organize your life based on a hierarchy of needs and interests. The Bible makes it clear that maintaining physical health should be one of the highest priorities for us. God created you to be active, healthy and ready for what He has for you. God has great things planned for you, but you won’t be able to accomplish them if you’re unhealthy and unprepared. The apostle John wrote to a close friend and made sure that he knew physical health was just as essential as spiritual health. Being physically health is not just a good idea – it’s a good spiritual idea!

A Prayer for Today
God, I know that my physical health is of importance to You as well as my spiritual health. I want to dedicate my body to Your service and glory, so please help me to be in the best physical condition possible. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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