Training | garagegym107

Posts Tagged ‘Training

Sep

Do You Inspire?

Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: BodyBuilding, Bright Spots, change, Clean Eating, Community, CrossFit, exercise, fat loss, fitness, gaining self confidence, Goal Setting, healthy-living, Motivation, nutrition, Training, Weight Lifting, weight loss, Well-Being, Working out, Workout

This morning after I finished my workout, I stopped by the grocery store on my way home. All stinky and sweaty I walked in store and a gentlemen unexpectedly came around the corner “excuse me” I say in my normal post workout cheerful voice.

I continued on down the main store front aisle. I noticed him about ten feet to my right and he says “are you a bodybuilder?” and I don’t know exactly what came over me when I blurted out “Well, yes I am!”, technically speaking I’m building on this body every single day. He proceeded to ask how long I’ve been working on it etc, I said a good 3-4 years. He simply said “well nice work”.

I could have gone in to the story of CrossFit and the story of being a personal trainer but in all honesty the answer I gave flew out of my mouth and so be it.

I’m not in great shape, I’m in good shape. To the outside average observer, I guess they see something different. It made my day. Reaffirmed my desire to keep moving forward, obstacle after obstacle. Goal after goal.

I have always loved the following quote:

“Just remember, there is someone out there who wishes they were where you are today.”

Today I’d like to share a new friends blog. It’s very inspirational. And a big thank you to Lifting My Spirits for taking time out of her busy schedule to talk with me.

Sep

The Past

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment

Every now and again I’m delightfully gifted with the opportunity to share my story and a few things I’ve learned to a live audience.

I derive so much joy from having these opportunities. Talking to others reminds me of various places I’ve been along my journey. It also reminds me that I’m still on my own journey.

This past weekend I was reminded of one aspect of my journey. The mind has a very powerful ability to replay old conversations years after the occurence.

That being said, I believe that we are in control of rewinding and re-recording over those powerful negative messages with positive new ones.

For example, I started running (well, what would be barely considered jogging to a runner) when I weighed just shy of 250#. I remember the negative thoughts going through my mind step after step, “you’re too fat to do this, you are too slow to be running, you can quit this now”. Over and over I would allow my negative thoughts to rule. It took me years to clear the cobwebs enough to realize that I was, simply put, defeating my own purpose.

Once I began to understand that nothing has the power to impact me, unless I give it the power did I realize great positive change from the inside.

I began changing my mantra to “you are strong and you are capable”, “you are strong and you are capable”. Over and over, year after year, I’ve repeated those words many, many times.

We truly are what we think we are so it is extremely important to make sure that we use “no negative self-talk, EVER”.

I have that saying written in chalk in the middle of the chalk board in Garagegym 107. My clients see it. It’s a constant reminder of the way I live. I see it every time I start my day. I believe it.

Empower yourself to make changes to negative experiences from your past.

Our past contributes to who we are, but our past doesn’t dictate who we become.

The chalk board project. The humble beginnings of GG107.

Sep

You Can’t Out Train a Poor Diet

By garagegym107 22 Comments

Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: Bright Spots, Clean Eating, Community, exercise, fat loss, fitness, food, health, healthy-living, Inspiration, Long term weight loss, Motivation, natural sugars, nutrition, Training, weight loss

I know this to be such a true statement. I don’t consider what I do a diet. I eat clean, I’ve educated myself on proper macro-nutrients and understand how to consume balanced meals.

Does that mean I always do what I know is the right thing? Negative ghost-rider!

Why would I not do what I know is best? Well, for me it is usually about poor planning.

If I don’t make a conscious effort to prepare and store my protein sources I find myself scrounging around for what I should eat.

I spend a couple of hours once a week preparing protein sources, usually grilling or baking in the form of chicken. Chicken gets boring. Yes, I know. I have umpteen(yes that’s a word my mom used to use) spices that I rotate so the my chicken gets a different flavor. I have friends that simply boil their chicken to death and then eat it. Not me I want some flavor.

I digress terribly today.

I freeze what chicken I won’t use over the following two days and I even go so far as to cut it up in to bite sized pieces so I don’t have to fight it later. I use the quart sized Ziploc freezer backs. They make my life easier.

I don’t always have access to fresh veggies, but our local Kroger puts small bags of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots on sale 10/$10.00 so I always have a back up plan on my veggies and yes, I eat the whole bag at one sitting.

I hard boil an 18 pack of eggs on Sunday, then I peel them all. Grab and go protein.

Food planning is only as hard as you make it. Do you work 12 hour days? Then it’s even MORE important to plan your meals. Write down a list of what you need and go buy ONLY what is on the list. Stay out of the inner aisles at the grocery store unless you are looking for olive or coconut oils or some other healthy oil. Shop the produce section, the meat counter and cooler for eggs.

Yes, it is that simple.

Veggies…don’t judge your taste of a veggie from any childhood experience. I hated brussels sprouts until someone roasted them after tossing in olive oil and salt and pepper. Now I love them. I enjoy and appreciate most all roasted veggies. We are grown-ups now. We should be open to trying every single vegetable just for sake of variety. It’s amazing how many things I’ll eat now that I wouldn’t touch years ago.

Eating clean is only as hard as you choose to make it. I choose to make it as easy as possible.

It’s not a chore, it’s a choice.

Sep

Clean Out the Clutter!

By garagegym107 1 Comment

Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: Cleaning, Clutter, Inspiration, Motivation, nutrition, Training, Weight Lifting, Working out, Workout

I’ve been in my current office creeping up on 4 years now. I decided I needed a major change. Thankfully we have the resources to rearrange the furnishings from time to time. I understand why people NEVER do it. People here have been sitting in the same offices, same chairs, more clutter surrounding them than you can fathom.

Are they settling or just lazy or perhaps stuck in the past? This morning I cleaned out clutter that has somehow walked in to my office over the past several years. Coffee cups that have no lids…what the heck happens to the lids?? CD’s I used to listen to. A bulletin board stuffed with quotes that have spoken to me over the years. Before and after pictures. Pictures of my wonderful kids back in the day when they weren’t always wonderful. Times I wish I could go back to for a brief moment, then I snap out of it.

Everything is cleaned, dusted and de-cluttered now. Some how it is soothing.

In the old days I was often compelled to hold on to everything, thinking in some way I may need it again.

I believe that I tend to lean toward holding on to the clutter in my fitness life as well. Old workouts, old techniques, old mindsets and old habits of allowing myself to become sloppy in holding form during weight training.

I’ve recently taken a few steps back in an attempt to de-clutter my fitness world. I’ve lowered the weight and increased my reps on many of my lifts. Mostly in an effort to drill home the mental memory of proper form. I am enjoying the removal of the firm goal of “lift heavier always”. Guess what? I’ve been slowly and incrementally improving on all of them.

Having trouble with your food? De-clutter it as well. Stick to the basics, eat clean one meal at a time. What’s clean? Foods that you select from the produce aisle and the meat/seafood/tofu counter that don’t come in a box or that are prepared for you in the deli.

Tackle on drawer, one closet, one bookshelf at a time. It’s truly freeing to de-clutter.

I used to believe this too…

Aug

Are Anger and Frustration a Catalyst?

By garagegym107 6 Comments

Yesterday I had a conversation with an online trainer. I’m not here to bash this person because there is an off-chance there may be a bit of truth in his message.

His message was that someone with my history, the history of obesity to fitness, isn’t likely a good fit for taking things to the next level of getting leaned out.

It really struck a chord with my insecurity for about an hour. For that whole hour I had mental tapes from years past replay over in my head. All of the moments I heard the term “you can’t” “you won’t” “it’s not possible” to lose the weight.

He never said those exact words, but the words he said were direct enough to make me take that road trip backwards for the hour that I allowed my mind to venture.

Then I got really miffed. Miffed like I haven’t been in a decade. I got miffed because I allowed another human being to create doubt in a space that is off-limits. A space that I’ve maintained, manicured, furtilized with positivity, grown from a desolate space of nothingness into a positive field of successful DOING.

I know that people are trained in given fields. They fill themselves with statistics and data. They become an encyclopedia of their field of study and then they get comfortable spewing that data as one size fits all gospel.

Well, I’m here to tell you that is well and good. But there are things that none of that data can capture. Those are human spirit, soul and determination. The odds may be stacked in favor of the data, but there is always the off-chance that the underdog can and will prevail.

I choose to be the underdog. I choose to be the one that will succeed. My next level may not be the same as a superstar, but it’s mine for the taking.

I saw this the other day and yes, it came to mind by the time my head hit my pillow last night.

“Never let anyone tell you that you can’t”

Aug

When The Obstacle is The Mind

By garagegym107 7 Comments

I was having a conversation with a coworker this morning. This girl has done an amazing job of losing about 40# over the last 4 months. Ironically, she says to me this morning “I’d be happy if I never lost another pound”. Maybe.

Here is the question I ponder though… why set self-imposed limits? It’s not about losing pounds, it is about losing insecurity and realizing just what you are capable of. It’s about getting fit.

I’ve been there, I’ve been to the point of saying “I’d be happy if I never lost another pound” but then I found fitness.

Fitness truly begins when scale watching ends.

Feeling healthy and strong far surpasses what it feels like to diet down to “thin”.

My message is this, when weight loss begins you will inevitably put self-imposed mental limits on what you can accomplish.

Mainly because you will fail to believe in all that you are capable of. Set those thoughts behind and set measurable, obtainable goals.

It may take you a lot longer than you initially think it will, but let me tell you this…the journey is so much more adventurous than you can imagine when you begin.

Get out of your own way and get busy doing things you never dreamed you could. The only obstacle is your mind.

Who would have ever thought that this:

Could transform in to this:

And the beauty of this is that I’m just getting started on learning how to stop letting my mind become the obstacle.

BELIEVE…

Aug

You Already Know What To Do

By garagegym107 3 Comments

Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: change, exercise, fitness, Inspiration, Motivation, Training, Weight Lifting

Recently, due to an unexpected financial hiccup I’ve had to make some decisions that I wasn’t really comfortable making. As I pondered the whole “what now?” and “what should I do?” I picked up a book of motivational sayings and staring back at me from the page were these simple words.

“You already know what to do.”

Kind of hard to argue with the universe when something like that happens.

So although it’s not my first choice of things, I’ve sucked it up and made some financial changes that will lighten the burden slightly.

Along with that decision came some melancholy of what I’ll be missing over the next few months.

Then that good old gratitude and solid resolve kicked in full force. This morning my feet hit the floor grateful for what really matters. I’m healthy, I get to continue to workout, I get to continue to eat clean, wholesome food and I get to keep moving forward.

You see, you can’t always get what you want. But it’s what you do when you can’t that matters most. Set new goals and adapt to what you have to work with. Life goes on.

Black eyed susans in field
photo by Martin van der Grinten

Aug

Go Ahead Take That First Step

By garagegym107 5 Comments

Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: Goal Setting, goals, Inspiration, Motivation, Training, Weight Lifting, Working out

Setting a new goal is all well and good. Taking those initial steps to solidify the decision on the other hand, can be daunting.

Tools that have worked for me, in no particular order, have been:

– Tell someone who you trust, whom you know will hold you accountable.

– Make it specific. Don’t say “I want to lose weight” instead say “I want to lose 10# by Dec. 31st”.

– Set a date to have this goal accomplished, no matter how long-term.

– Break the long-term goal down in to smaller goals that support the outcome of the long-term goal.

– Start today, not next Monday, working toward the smaller goal.

– Write things down! Be specific, both in goal setting and when logging workouts and nutrition. If you get stuck and don’t feel yourself progressing, you want good solid specific data to share with a trainer or friend to help you determine what you may need to change.

– Set a plan and stick to that plan.

– Be consistent.

– Be committed.

– Take the first daunting steps of putting your plan in action and don’t look back in doubt. There is so much more to see when you look through the windshield than in the rearview mirror!

Aug

Let’s Talk About Time

By garagegym107 4 Comments

Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: Body-for-Life, Clean Eating, Community, CrossFit, exercise, fat loss, fitness, Goal Setting, health, healthy-living, Inspiration, Motivation, nutrition, Training, Working out, Workout

How long did it take you to lose all that weight? I get that question a lot. Through clean eating and working out 6 days a week in 12 week cycles, it took me the better part of a year to lose the first 125#.

I’m sure there are people out there thinking “That’s like forever!”. Well it may seem like an eternity but in reality that was pretty fast and consistent.

What other choice do you have? You are not going to wake up one morning and be magically thin, so just get busy doing what must be done.

Don’t think I’m unkind or harsh, that’s not it. But the truth is it is just a waste of precious time sitting there saying I’ll start Monday. Or I’ll start when I finish this exercise book. Or I’ll start working out after I lose 10# or 20# or 30#. Or I’ll start once little Johnny starts school.

Does it really matter how long it takes? I used to think that I had to have spectacular results in x amount of time. Now I just focus on doing the work each and every day and the results naturally follow.

It’s time to get busy!

Aug

It Is Not About Them

By garagegym107 1 Comment

Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: change, CrossFit, exercise, fat loss, fitness, food, gaining self confidence, Goal Setting, goals, Gym, healthy-living, Insecurity, Inspiration, Long term weight loss, Motivation, nutrition, Training, Weight Lifting, weight loss, Working out

In the world of weight-loss it’s easy to play the victim. Blame all of our shortcomings and lack of results on our upbringing, our past relationships, our lack of relationships, our jobs, our family time, our lack of money, and the list could go on for a full paragragh. In all honesty, it is not about them, it is about you.

You can make valiant attempts to make lasting change, but until you realize that you are ulitmately responsible for your food intake and moving your butt, you are playing victim. Sure life will give us lemons on occasion and we’ve got two choices, sit and sour along with the juice or make some lemonade.

Today I was heading outside to work-out with a coworker. As I turned the corner to go down to the locker room I glanced to the left and saw two gentlemen coming into the facility to enjoy lunch in our cafeteria.

One was suffering from health related issues, I have no idea what, but he struggled to walk slowly with his friend supporting his arm on one side and walking with a cane in the other hand.

I smiled and nodded as I usually do and as I continued on to the locker room I was overcome with gratitude. Gratitude that the man had a friend to lean on and walk with and emmense gratitude that I am now healthy.

When I weighed 328# I used to see the obstacle of weight-loss as chore. I used to pout when I would have to eat a salad and someone around me would be eating crap, that whole “why me” thing.

Over time (not overnight) I realized that I was starting to feel better, my clothes fit better and then it got easier. My mind shifted from this is a chore to this is a choice. That one little switch changed everything. The sooner you acknowledge that you are willing to do whatever is takes willingly to succeed the easier this path will become.

Hat Tip: Elements of Your Life

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