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Glorious (Injurious) Gluten

Posted On January 18, 2013
Athor Image Kristy Mox
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Every now and then I am reminded of, what has become old hat to me,  the new “shiny object” (to avoid) for some. This particular shiny object I am referring to is Gluten.

Before I even venture down this path, I want to be very clear about something; while I may have done enough independent research, out of sheer necessity, and visited enough healthcare facilities to be awarded an honorary degree, I am NOT a Doctor. I’m not even a Phlebotomist.

All my life I’ve been a bit of a medical oddity. There’s been nothing textbook about my body, and the way it responds to “modern” medicine. I could ramble about my medical history for days. Unfortunately, no matter how many times, or how many people have attempted to dissect it, the puzzle pieces never seem to match up. I won’t bore you with my complete medical history, as there simply isn’t enough Ritalin in this world to hold anyone’s attention for that. Not even my own. Yes, you can add Attention Deficit Disorder to that loooooooong list.

Simon Says

Posted On January 15, 2013
Athor Image Erin Holt CSCS
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Discover your potential to the power of why

The first thing I said to a friend after hearing Simon Sinek’s keynote speech at the IHRSA 2012 Conference in Los Angeles, was, “We are never going to be the same!” Sinek—author of the book Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action—is leading a movement to motivate people to do what inspires them. Have you ever met someone who makes you bring your “A-game” to life? Sinek’s the same. His infectious enthusiasm and dynamic presence, draw people in. It’s a gift he uses to teach leaders and organizations how to inspire others and find fulfillment by discovering their why; the purpose or cause that drives us.

Sinek refers to the relationship between one’s why, how, and what as the “Golden Circle” and it explains why some are great leaders and are able to obtain loyalty. Intrigued by those with remarkable influence in the world, Sinek has discovered they all have three common traits: They’re clear as to their why and act on it; remain disciplined and accountable to their values and principles that determine how to bring their cause to life; have tangible proof of what they believe as a result of everything they say and do. When you “walk the walk,” people are authentically drawn to you and relationships develop built on trust. Loyalty and lasting success are inevitable.

Training for Obstacle Course Races: Part I

Posted On November 29, 2012
Athor Image Sara Fleming
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Part 1: Building the Base
Obstacle course races such as the Warrior Dash, Spartan Race, and Tough Mudder are getting more and more popular with the general population. As a personal trainer, weightlifting coach, and track and field coach, it is my opinion that the 5K versions of these races are exactly the kind of fitness most of us need for everyday activities: upper and lower body strength, core strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory fitness. More importantly, these races are fun and help maintain that sense of play that is so important for all of us. If you can train for and complete a 5k obstacle course race, you have the kind of fitness that is going to keep you going strong for a long time. For my clients who don’t play a sport or have a specific fitness goal, I encourage them to consider one of these races as a fun and reasonable goal to train for. I recently completed the Tough Mudder, an 11 mile, 25 obstacle, challenge with a group of friends as a training challenge.

The Last 30 Seconds

Posted On November 28, 2012
Athor Image Warren Martin
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Does your training show when it matters the most in a fight?

Watching MMA fights at all levels, we notice the athletes that are at peak speeds, strengths, sharpness, etc., during the first minute of the fight, right? But as the rounds move on and the time ticks down we notice these peaks can change for most. Even at the highest levels, one instance in lack of judgment, decrease in reaction time, or decrease in power of a kick or punch can lose the battle. That fighter loses not because the other fighter had more skill but because he wasn’t more mentally or physically prepared. These are crushing reasons to lose. In everyone’s eyes it is known that the outcome was preventable. What happened? Yes, fighters most of the time will use a loss to motivate them to train even harder for the next fight. The important question is, “What went wrong?” I believe when a fighter finally reaches an opponent that has equal or slightly more/less talent and conditioning, there is one thing that guarantees victory. “Training Carry Over”, how much of the preparation for the fight actually carries over into the ring with situations like fatigue that happen in the” last 30 seconds” of the fight or later rounds. This is also seen in the boxing world as well.

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

Posted On November 27, 2012
Athor Image Acea Theroux
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Back in November 2010, I was invited by fitness icon Josie Gardiner to attend a charity event in Boston. The fundraiser was organized by the ECA World Fitness Alliance’s Boston Balance to
raise money for autism research, and would be in the form of a two-hour group exercise class called Zumba®. The event would highlight a slew of very talented dancers and fitness professionals including the host of this event, the fabulous Ann Saldi. I have to admit that my initial assumption of Zumba® was probably similar to that of many others, in which I formed an option solely based upon what I’d heard or seen in a brief 15 second glance. I remember saying to myself, it’s just dancing right? How much of a workout could it really be? We make assumptions when we don’t fully understand a situation. It’s a natural reaction to instantly fill in any missing information by making things up. We do this because we like to try to make sense of things rather quickly. However, as a fitness professional I pride myself in making sure that I gather all the information regarding the newest programming, classes and equipment. So, in short I needed more information!

Avoiding Fat Traps during Summer Travel

Posted On November 23, 2012
Athor Image Patrick Gamboa
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People train vigorously through the winter and spring preparing for the summer season. June 21 will be the first official day of summer and with it begins a period of travel and leisure for many families and individuals. It feels great when your perseverance and tenacity in training translates into a lean and healthy body. Unfortunately time spent traveling in cars, campers, and planes or the time spent in hotels can compromise all of your hard work and sacrifices you made preparing for summer. With a few considerations for summertime travel, you can still have a great time and stay in top shape.

Many of us will travel by car to our favorite destinations. Time spent on the road can reek havoc on your nutrition if you do not prepare in advance. Here are a few tips to consider when traveling on the road.

How To Become A Strength & Conditioning Coach

Posted On November 23, 2012
Athor Image Eldon Brough
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Being a strength & conditioning coach can be one of the most rewarding careers that exists. Here are three important areas to consider when trying to become one.
Part 1 – The Importance of Experience

From all the research I’ve done, people I’ve talked to, and my personal experience, I feel like one of the most important things you can do is to get as much experience as you can. It has to be understood that to be able to eventually get a job as a strength & conditioning coach, you will have to put in your time. It does not matter what degree you have, or what you know, If you don’t have any practical experience. Most, if not all of the time you put in to start out will be on a volunteer basis. Coaching experience of any kind is a plus, but obviously experience in a strength & conditioning environment is the most valuable. If you’re interested in getting into the field, then an internship is a great start. It will help you to realize if this is really what you want as a career, and it will get you going with experience. If it’s something you would like to try, don’t wait! The earlier you can get started and the more experience you can gain, the better. Most universities/colleges are willing to accept volunteer interns, as long as you are committed to working hard and learning. Contact the coaches at schools you’d be interested in helping out at and see if they’d be willing to take you on as an intern.

Training for Obstacle Course Races: Part II

Posted On November 15, 2012
Athor Image Sara Fleming
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Part II: Event Specific Training
Transmutation
Once you have your base in place, its time to enter the Transmutation phase. The time it takes to get through this and the level of difficulty you’ll want to include will depend entirely on your fitness level and the degree of difficulty of the race. For the Tough Mudder, we wanted to be able to cover a distance close to the eleven mile distance of the race combined with obstacle stations that would specifically improve our skills for the race. Notice I said skills and not strength. During the Transmutation phase, you are not going to get appreciably stronger. You will however, get much better at the skills you practice. For example, when we started our 8 week Transmutation phase for the Tough Mudder, I could climb the rope with someone holding the bottom of it and I could get over the six foot wall with a little help. By the end of the eight weeks, I could go up and down the rope easily and climb the eight foot wall by myself. Its not because I got stronger, its because I got more coordinated. Practice makes perfect.

Breaking the STIGMA of old school AEROBICS for male clients

Posted On October 12, 2012
Athor Image Acea Theroux
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One of your male clients is grabbing some H2O in between his sets and as he walks by the group exercise room he stops to watch for a few seconds. He looks in and sees a fairly large group of mainly women, who are basically moving around in a pretty dynamic manner. The music is bumpin’, people are sweating up a storm and his first reaction is: “I am never going in there”. Thinking by the time he walked out of this room, he would be wearing a purple head band, pink leg warmers and a pair of inappropriate short shorts…

This article is to help assist or encourage our typical male client who often hesitates or resists entering the group exercise room. Of course there are a variety of reasons or excuses that we have all heard in the past, but I truly believe that the basis of this issue stems largely from the 1970’s & 1980’s STIGMA that Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons pleasantly left behind. Now, I mean no disrespect to these two fitness guru’s that have helped to improve and shape (pun intended) this wonderful industry that I am grateful to call my profession. However, you can’t help but cringe or laugh a bit imagining these bright neon colored outfits that are often now seen at Halloween costume parties.

You Are What You Eat, Part 10: Seasoned Oils

Posted On September 11, 2012
Athor Image FPO Team
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Some of the most convenient, not to mention taste-enhancing items in a home kitchen are pre-blended oils and spices. They can be used on salads by themselves or to make salad dressings. Unless made with Flax or another Essential Fatty Acid blend, which are destroyed by high heat, they can be used to cook any number of dishes, from eggs to vegetables to meats.

Flax oil is very rich in Omega 3 fatty acids (“Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill,” page 283). Assuming that you don’t eat it to the exclusion of other oils and that you are eating your fair share of meat and other fats, a tablespoon or two of flax oil a day is probably to your benefit. Most of us have diets that are unbalanced between Omega 3 and Omega 6, i.e. we consume too many Omega 6’s, so this is one way to remedy the situation.

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