I'm sure you've seen or heard something similar to this- If you eat that cookie you'll need to spend an extra 25 minutes on the treadmill. Or that slice of pie is worth 75 minutes on the cycle. This was the case last week when the local news had a story on the caloric burn of kissing. The anchor used the example of an In n Out Double Double, stating you'd need 335 minutes of kissing to burn off the 670 calorie burger. Here's the problem, was that burger a bonus snack? Obviously for someone trying to lose fat, a double beef and cheese burger is not the best choice. But when it is put as a suggestion that everything you eat requires X number of minutes exercising to burn it off makes no sense to me. And it's causing some major confusion for people trying to shed fat.

Everyday you require a range of calories for survival and activity. If you go over, the excess gets stored. If you stay under you possibly use up some of the calories you have stored, or in some cases make up for it in the following days by evening out your consumption. But every calorie shouldn't be looked at as requiring additional exercise to burn it off. Plan your eating so that you can enjoy an occasional treat without the guilt of needing to work it off. Remember you need calories to live. Think nutrition first, and if you've done your math you may have room for an occasional treat that is within reason. If that treat exceeded your allowance by 670 calories sorry, that was not within reason!


Photo Credit: pointnshoot / CC 2.0

Maybe Foolish Friday is more appropriate. There are plenty of competitions that make me scratch my head and wonder. Like shoving wieners and hot-dog buns that you've dunked in water in your mouth to see who can keep down the most after ten minutes. Or how about racing down a steep hill after a wheel of stinky cheese? As someone with acrophobia, you know what my thoughts are of speed-walking half a mile 80 feet in the air on a 1.5-inch-wide wire for a chance at $10,000.

I thought I had heard of it all until a friend and client told me about the deadly Sauna World Championship, where contestants sit in a sauna with temperatures higher than water's boiling point. I'm not a fan of sitting in a sauna, but apparently some people are willing to give their life for the chance at the title.

Have you heard of this before? Are there any competitions that make you question the sanity of the competitors?

Photo Credit: flickr.com/photos/helloturkeytoe/CC BY-SA 2.0

I try not to offend people with my blog. I'm well aware that there are some conversation taboos- sex, religion, politics, and race that certainly don't have a place on a fitness blog. Well, since I've blogged on two of them why not a third. There's nothing funny about racism and stereotyping, except for this video where actor/comedian Godfrey combines the two for a funny bit of fitness marketing.

Before you go straight to the hilarious clip that a good friend sent me, I'd like to tell those of you that don't personally know me 3 things about myself.

1. I have a great sense of humor.

2. I'm not prejudiced against any race, religion, or ethnicity, well except for maybe... just kidding!

3. I love what I do for a living, and one of the reasons I love it is because I get to work with some great people. One thing I've noticed that I have in common with my favorite clients is a good sense of humor. We like to keep the sessions lively and have a good time.

So if you're easily offended please don't watch. If you do remember, it's just comedy, no harm or hate intended.

Warning: R-rated Language

What do you think? Would this influence you to use the stairs over escalators, or do you already usually choose the stairs?

Recently a client asked me during her workout, "So Aaron, what are you training for?"  It came as a bit of a surprise, and it made me think. Am I training, or am I just exercising? Because I think there can be a difference between the two. You can exercise regularly without training for any particular event or goal. If you are training, exercise is sure to be a component. Exercise for most people becomes an ongoing form of training. Once you reach a certain goal that you initially started training for, like reaching a certain clothing size or getting below a certain level of body fat, exercise will obviously be a regular part of life if you want to maintain your achievement. And there's those of us who exercise because we love it.

Fortunately for me, exercise has become a regular component of my life. If I go too long without it I feel cranky, irritable, stressed out, and languid. I've got a great deal of discipline when it comes to sticking to a regular exercise program.

 I can only recall about three times in my life when I truly trained for a particular event or occasion. The first was when I was just starting to get interested in fitness, mainly working out. I needed to get stronger so I wouldn't be the weakest kid in gym class. That, plus not wanting to be the skinniest kid is what got me hooked on exercise.

During my senior year of high school I started training seriously for Marine Corps boot camp, running every other day, alternating between three mile runs(a component of the Marine's PFT) and six miles (one better than the infamous 5 mile Battalion run) in addition to some serious strength training. The most recent was way back in 2005. A San Marcos personal training client asked me if I would do the Camp Pendleton Mud Run with him. I agreed to it, and added running back into my workout program.

So, to answer my client's question, I had to consider what current goals I have. I'm big on using periodization in my own workouts, and my client's workouts when it is possible. For me, currently I have certain exercise goals, and once they have been reached, it will be time to reprogram my workouts, and set new goals. It's how I keep my workouts fresh, make exercise fun, and how I stay motivated to workout and push myself.

What about you, are you training for a particular goal, event or occasion, or do you exercise as a part of life? Comments are always welcomed.

• Weigh yourself with clothes on, after dinner...as well as in the morning, without clothes, before breakfast, because it's nice to see how much weight you've lost overnight.

• Never weigh yourself with wet hair.

• When weighing, remove everything, including glasses. In this case, blurred vision is an asset. Don't forget the earrings, these things can weigh at least a pound.

• Use cheap scales only, never the medical kind, because they are always five pounds off...to your advantage, of course.

• Always go to the bathroom first.

• Stand with arms raised, making pressure on the scale lighter. (Waving them is optional but occasionally helps!)

• Don't eat or drink in the morning until AFTER you've weighed in, completely naked, of course.

• Weigh yourself after a haircut, this is good for at least half a pound of hair (hopefully).

• Exhale with all your might BEFORE stepping onto the scale (air has to weigh something, right?)

• Start out with just one foot on the scale, then holding onto the towel rack in front of you, slowly edge your other foot on and slowly let off of the rack. Admittedly, this takes time, but it's worth it. You will weigh at least two pounds less than if you'd stepped on normally.

When I hear the term By-Product, the first thing that comes to my mind is pet food. You're probably familiar with the term "meat by-product" that is commonly found in the most popular brands of cat and dog foods. But what about the too often overlooked by-products of exercise? One of the definitions of a by-product is a secondary result, or a side effect. So by-product refers to more than the parts of an animal carcass that us human carnivores do not find suitable, or enjoyable to eat.

I don't want to generalize everyone, but I know there are many people who wind up wearing "weight loss blinders" or get so stuck focusing on only one particular goal that they forget to pay attention to all the great things happening to them as a result of regular exercise and good nutrition. When I first starting working out I had 2 specific goals in mind. I was so young that I gave no thought to any of the other health benefits that would be granted to me as a result of adapting good habits early on. But as I get older and wiser, I think, I realize that the by-products of regular exercise are enough reason to make it a lifelong habit, for everyone.

So for those of you who may be getting frustrated by not seeing results in the mirror, or on the scale, or the bar, or whatever measurement of progress you use, please keep in mind all the great things happening to you, inside and out.

Here's a little reminder of some of the by-products of fitness, unless of course any of these are your main purpose for working out and eating right:

Better sleep; increased bone density; increased protection from disease, some included are certain cancers, Type II diabetes, osteoporosis, the many varieties of heart disease, and mental ailments like dementia, depression, anxiety, and Alzheimer's; increased self esteem; improved hand eye coordination; more self confidence; better sexual performance; better mood and attitude (my kids can corroborate that one!); improved balance; better stress management and stress relief; more energy; improved mental skills, including memory and concentration, and increased mental clarity; the ability to heal faster, and the reduction of some chances of injury in the first place; and better odds at not only living longer, but having better quality of life in your advanced years.

So on those days when you questions your efforts, come back to this post and refresh your mind about all the great benefits of exercise.

Can you think of any other less than obvious benefits that I may have left out? Do you focus on any of these by-products as your primary goal?

Lately I've been witnessing a lot of negativity within the "professional fitness community." It seems that everyday, I come across something that, instead of being helpful to exercisers, winds up being confusing or demotivating. I'm sure it's even worse for those trying to get hooked on a healthy lifestyle of eating well and working out regularly.

Here's an example. One doctor is claiming that by doing cardio you are basically killing yourself. I wonder how many people read that headline, stopped reading, and then stopped doing cardio, or any exercise altogether! Too bad for them. They missed the point, but it was because of the marketing hype used to sell a book.

Dr. Frederick C. Hatfield(he's not the doctor I was referring to earlier) made the following statements when discussing a form of training that he doesn't think too highly of:
 " * As long as whatever form of training you're using doesn't hurt you, it's "good." Even if it keeps you from achieving your maximum potential, it's better than no training at all. So, on a scale of good, better, best, training according to the tenets of HIT theory is "good."
  * As long as whatever type of training equipment you're using doesn't hurt you, it's "good." Even if it keeps you from achieving your maximum potential, it's better than no training equipment at all. So, on a scale of good, better, best, training with Hammer equipment is "good." "

 If you are using machines that must mean that you're working out. And that's good. So what if someone has a preference over machines than free weights. If that keeps you getting your money's worth from your gym membership and it's keeping you healthy and fit, then good for you.

I'll say the same thing for training methods. Recently, many trainers are saying the bodybuilding style of training is dead. I think the fact that Bodybuilding.com's BodySpace site has over 450,000 member profiles, and their forum has just under 2 million members proves this style of training is quite useful to many. Those people are doing something healthy so there's no reason to knock them down.

Some experts will inform you how you are training in prehistoric times if you're not swinging a kettlebell. Many of those same people will tell you you might as well be eating poison if you're not following the paleo diet. Some say you must take supplements. Others say all supplements are worthless. A one hour workout is way too long. 12 minutes of cardio is not enough. One set is better than 3. You must do 3 sets, no more, no less. Slow training is better, super-slow is best. Slow training makes you slow. Training with a fast tempo is asking for injury. Is your head spinning yet?

Well, I just want to say that if you are exercising regularly, good for you. If you are making a serious effort to clean up your diet and improve your health, good for you. Keep it up. While you're at it, do your homework and find out if there is anything you can do to improve your efforts, in the way of exercise or nutrition. But one thing to keep in mind, when you come across those that enjoy belittling, condemning, or judging, take the time to ask why, AND, ask for the proof. What works for one doesn't always work for another, and everyone has their own opinions. But that doesn't make it fact. Always search with your own goals in mind.

So, to Everyone making an effort to get and stay healthy and fit, keep up the good work!

There are many variables that you can tweak that will improve your efforts at getting fitter, and healthier. They apply to your diet and also exercise, whether your goal is to lose fat, gain muscle, get bigger, stronger, faster or to get healthier to live better and longer. But there is one thing that has the greatest impact on how consistent you will be with your efforts, and ultimately how successful you'll be at reaching your goals. It isn't a diet or exercise variable. It is not your level of motivation, or even enthusiasm, although they are also big factors. This one, super-important factor is more of a trait. It is DISCIPLINE.

Discipline can be the deciding factor on whether that package of junk food ends up in your shopping cart or stays on the grocery shelf. Are you disciplined enough to prepare a shopping list and stick to it when you go shopping? Do you have the discipline to accurately and thoroughly maintain a detailed food log? Do you have the self control to not have seconds, or for those of you trying to add muscle mass, do you have the discipline to stick to a regular feeding schedule, hungry or not?

Discipline dictates not only how intense your workouts are, but how productive they'll be. Not to mention the other variables like frequency. Do you stick to your schedule or do you allow yourself to make excuses not to exercise? Self discipline is the difference between sleeping in or waking up a bit earlier to do your workout. Discipline stops you from calling your trainer and canceling just because you don't feel like working out.

It can impact the quality of your workouts. You need self discipline to push yourself, and not easily give up. Discipline will keep you from cheating during exercise, like not going through the full range of motion, or not, at the very least, giving 100% effort into reaching the specified number of reps or seconds or minutes of activity. You need self discipline to maintain proper form and correct posture during exercise. It doesn't matter if you are being coached or not. If you've been cued and reminded for more than half the set, lack of discipline might be partially to blame.

And let's not forget about the factors outside of diet and exercise. Think how it might affect your sleep. Do you have the self control to turn off the TV or computer, and get yourself to bed early enough for a great night's sleep? Can you limit how much alcohol you drink so it doesn't have a negative effect on how you sleep and perform the following day?

It's one thing to have great intentions to exercise and eat right. But remember, the greatest exercise programs and nutritional programs in the world won't do you any good if you don't have the self-control and power over self-defeating urges to get yourself to apply them, and most importantly to stick to them.