inerTRAIN Blog
March 14, 2012
90 days vs. a lifetime
 I’ve been asked several times about what I think of programs like P90X® (including some readers of the inerTRAIN blog). So I decided to put together my review of it.
The P90X fitness program is a sound workout program because it includes high-intensity interval training, full body resistance work, endurance development, and mobility. P90X promises a beach-ready body: defined upper body, ripped abs, and reduced body fat. For many people, it delivers on each.
If you're interested in building muscular endurance (not necessarily raw strength), or if you're a former athlete with a good amount of muscle underneath a couple years' worth of flab, P90X might be right for you.
If you want a butt-kicking workout that leaves you panting and heaving and sore all over the next day, P90X will provide it—you'll certainly be able to do more push-ups and pull-ups by the end of the program. As long as you get stronger, fitter, healthier, and better-looking by following the program, then do it.
While I admire the program, I think there are some limitations. First, a fitness program should be life-long, not just 90 days. Therefore, the biggest problem is sustainability...if you’re looking for a quick two- or three-month program, then go ahead; but, if you want something more long-term, then the program will probably need alteration.
As it's actually practiced, I think P90X is probably too much for a lifelong program. To the company’s credit, P90X isn't advertised as such. It's billed as a crash program designed to get you lean in 90 days (which it does well). A consistent physical fitness program is important for people of all ages. Honestly, do you expect to be repeating the cycles over an hour a day, six days a week into your twilight years?
I harp on avoiding overtraining all the time. Next to inadequate or nonexistent training, overtraining is the biggest issue plaguing most trainees. If you don't give your body enough downtime to recuperate, you'll find it very difficult to make consistent improvement. P90X prescribes near-daily high-intensity training, which is tough for almost everyone. Certain individuals, however, relish the workload and even thrive on it. Some people can bounce back from a day's workout and be ready to demolish their body all over again the next day.
The 6-days-a-week workout schedule has its place in a training regimen, but it can easily lead to overtraining—especially if you go at it 100%—and will lead to diminishing returns for many trainees. With regards to P90X, I would like you to read Natural Health & Weight Loss and The Primal Blueprint from my recommended reading list (Click here for the ”6 Fundamental Fitness Titles" blog post).
If you are looking for a longer term training solution, you might consider a personal trainer. There are innumerable benefits to an individualized, comprehensive, full-body fitness program that focuses on achieving your own personal fitness goals by utilizing total-body brief workouts without skimping on intensity. Your trainer will help you get results without the massive time commitment and with customized workouts tailored to your own goals and personal circumstances.
Best of all, you'll be able to follow this program for life, under any circumstance fortune throws at you. You get injured? You’ll have a real trainer that can design your workout with workarounds. Growing older? Your trainer can simply scale things down. Out of town and away from equipment? Your trainer will give you exercises that only use your bodyweight. Your trainer will ensure that your workout schedule is put together so that you get plenty of rest, coupled with plenty of intensity, for the best results with no overtraining.
I greatly admire P90X, and they've produced some excellent athletes. If you try it out and it's working for you, keep at it! I just think that a lot of people could benefit from a slightly different approach—a fitness program geared toward sustainability, functionality, and overall health—with a personal touch.
In Health,
February 20, 2012
How to NOT look like a bodybuilder (if you don't want to)
 When most clients come in to train with me, the first or second thing they tell me is, “I don’t want to look like a bodybuilder.” Oddly, when I look at how most people are training at the gym, they are training like bodybuilders and following a bodybuilding workout routine!
As I mentioned in a previous blog on workout frequency, when you are doing a bodybuilding workout routine, you are basically training individual muscle groups one by one, cutting up the body into pieces—what I refer to as the “Frankenstein workout.”
Why are people doing the Frankenstein workout? Some folks find these types of workouts in magazines or online, while others do them because their trainer is training them that way. It is crucial to do the type of workout routine that will help you reach the fitness goals you want to achieve. You wouldn’t go to law school if you wanted to become a medical doctor . . . similarly, you shouldn’t train like a bodybuilder if you are trying to run a marathon, lose fat, or just get in better shape to face the challenges of everyday life.
A good personal trainer can help guide you toward the best fitness program for you—one that meets your individual goals, whatever they may be. There are a number of things to keep in mind when selecting a personal trainer:
- Be sure to find out your trainer’s areas of specialization or expertise. If you aren’t trying to be a bodybuilder, your trainer shouldn’t be giving you bodybuilding workouts.
- Make sure you find a trainer with a personality that will support your workout goals. If you know that the key to staying consistent with your workouts requires a great deal of external motivation and encouragement, for example, find a trainer who has a “coach” personality type.
- Use your first workout with the trainer as an opportunity to do a test run. Pay attention to how the experience fits into your own personal set of reasons for getting fit and that it is personalized to meet your goals. If you find that things are not working out, do not settle for a cookie-cutter training experience that does not suit you or address your individual concerns.
If you decide to use inerTRAIN’s diverse community of personal trainers, for instance, look through their profiles. Find out what their specializations and certifications are. Make sure you know their areas of expertise so that you can find the person that will help you address your individual needs. Look at their personality type, experience, and training style. Picking the right trainer for your personal fitness goals is essential for success!
In Health,
February 15, 2012
A Fresh Start: Get Moving in the New Year (Part 2)
 This blog post is authored by guest writer Tamilee Webb, an award-winning Hall of Fame Fitness Instructor, best-selling fitness author, and TV fitness personality, who is best known for her Buns of Steel and Abs of Steel series of workout videos. Tamilee has a no-nonsense approach to mind, body, health and fitness that can be achieved within the home safely and effectively.
In Part 1 of this blog post, I talked about setting a goal, making a plan, and finding some activities you enjoy. This is where you go from here…
It doesn’t really matter what you do, as long as you enjoy doing it and it gets your heart pumping. Start out easy and “don’t overdo it” the first day. The reason so many people give up is that they do too much right away and end up sore or injured, which doesn’t motivate you to do it again.
For example, if you decide you’re an outdoor person, a hike might be for you. If so, you’ll need a good pair of socks and hiking shoes that are light, but have traction, to make your hiking experience comfortable. Hiking for 20 to 30 minutes at a low to moderate incline might be fine the first day for those that are in moderate shape. Hiking for an hour at a high incline is not.
Listen to your body! I’m a big believer in listening to your body. It will tell you when something hurts or isn’t right. However, on day one of your workout, don’t listen to your body because it’s most likely going to make you think you can do more than you can. Remember not to overdo it, or you’ll be very sore the next day. It’s ok to be sore but not so sore that you can’t walk or move.
Here are some tips for how much exercise you should do:
-- Non-exercisers or overweight people (25 pounds or more) should begin with 10 to 20 minutes of exercise for the first two weeks, and then increase it 5 to 10 minutes each week.
-- Moderate exercisers or those with less than 20 pounds to lose should begin with 20 to 30 minutes of exercise per session. Add 5 to 10 minutes once that becomes too easy.
-- Weeks 1 & 2, work out three days a week, skipping one day between workouts.
-- Weeks 3 & 4, work out four to five days a week.
-- Weeks 5 and on, work out six days a week with at least five days of cardio-igniting activity and two to three days of muscle exercise (these can both be accomplished with the same activity!).
Ask for Help! If you’re a person that needs motivation or support, ask a friend to exercise with you or hire a personal trainer. Tell your friends and family your goal and encourage them to keep you on track. Keep a journal of your journey, keeping track of your progress. Writing down what you eat will also help you learn what is working and what isn’t. Soon you’ll find making time for health and fitness is a way of life and won’t need to make it your New Years Resolution ever again!
Reward yourself! When you’re writing down your goals and breaking it down into segments, write next to it “reward”. Reward yourself with each success. Sometimes knowing we have a reward or prize waiting for us is a self-motivation tool for our hard work or keeping with the plan to reach our goals. One of my rewards for eating healthy all week is allowing myself to eat pancakes on the weekend with rich maple syrup…yummmmm!
Your outer circumstances of your life will change for the better once you change for the better on the inside! No matter what it is you want, it starts with a thought. You have to really want something from the inside and take action before it can become reality. Take a moment for yourself daily. Sitting quietly without the world’s interruptions will help you listen and feel what’s going on with you! Close your eyes, inhale and exhale deeply while you visualize what it is you want and how you’re going to get it. Your mind is powerful and there is a strong mind-body connection. It’s up to you…are you connecting them?
 In addition to my products that I mentioned in the last post, for those interested in losing fat, check out my Lose Fat Fast workout that uses hypnosis along with an all-in-one muscle cardio workout to motivate the mind to get the body started. Weight Loss Walk is another gentle workout that anyone can do with three 15-minute indoor walking programs. Buns of Steel 5 is now available in Classic Buns of Steel, Volume 2, which is a 15-minute beginner workout.
February 8, 2012
A Fresh Start: Get Moving in the New Year (Part 1)
 This blog post is authored by guest writer Tamilee Webb, an award-winning Hall of Fame Fitness Instructor, best-selling fitness author, and TV fitness personality, who is best known for her Buns of Steel and Abs of Steel series of workout videos. Tamilee has a no-nonsense approach to mind, body, health and fitness that can be achieved within the home safely and effectively.
How many times did it take you to realize that your pale, white skin could not handle hours in the hot sun (even with sunscreen) the first day of summer? Looking like a lobster was not cool or good for your skin! So why would you attempt to do the same to your body every New Year?
Is your New Years Resolution the same every year? “This is the year, this year I’m going to get in shape and lose weight for good.” You start off with a bang… Day one: jog a couple of miles and do some weights. Day two: can’t move. Days three, four, and five: still not moving well. Day six: not sure if it’s worth all this pain. Day seven: you’re back to your old habits.
You’re among millions that never reach their goals each New Year. So why would this year be any different? Because this year you’re going to have a new approach to help you stay on track!
First thing first, what is your goal? Define it, write is down, and be realistic! If your goal is to lose 25 pounds and look like Cindy Crawford…SNAP OUT OF IT, or as Dr. Phil would say, “Get Real!” Losing 25 pounds is real, but looking like anyone other than yourself is not. If 25 pounds is the total, break it down into segments: 10 pounds the first month, 8 pounds the second month, and 7 pounds the third month. Before beginning any exercise program, check with your doctor. If you have high blood pressure or other medical concerns you need to be advised by your physician of what you can or cannot do.
Second, you’ll need a plan. How are you going to reach your goal? What are your obstacles? Is time the problem? Get up earlier. Look back at previous years and remember what got in the way between you and your goal, and take out the obstacles before you begin. Having a plan will help eliminate those obstacles.
What are activities you enjoy? Getting fit and losing weight doesn’t have to be painful, take a lot of time, or cost a great deal of money. It can be fun if you find activities that you enjoy and are motivated to do. Hiking, walking, boxing, swimming, and cycling are some activities that will burn calories, work your heart, and tone your muscles. Or you may enjoy team sports with your buddies, like tennis, football, soccer, and basketball.
One sure way to fail is doing something you don’t enjoy or making it repetitive! Don’t let yourself get bored; change up your program, exercise, or activity. You’ll see quicker results by challenging your body to do different types of activities. For example, on Monday and Thursday, go to the gym to work out; on Tuesday, hike; on Friday, walk with the dog; and on Saturday, play basketball with your kids or play 18 holes of golf with friends (carrying your clubs of course).
 You may also want to incorporate the Classic Buns of Steel Series, which were some of my best selling workout videos. Although the leotards and hairstyles are old, the exercises are not! If you remember having one of these old VHS workouts that got you in the best shape ever, it can happen again! The Abs of Steel Series was used by more men than any other workout video and they give you the option to work out your abs for 10 or 15 minutes! And, for the forty plus group, try one of my more gentle programs, Defy Gravity Workout, designed to challenge your changing body with cardio, muscle conditioning, yoga, and Pilates.
Now that you have a goal, a plan, and have figured out some activities you enjoy, in Part 2 of this two-part blog series, I will talk about how to take the next steps to get moving and have a successful and healthy new year!
February 5, 2012
"How Often Should I Work Out?"
 People ask me how often they should be working out, frequently assuming that “more is better.” While I recommend some type of physical exercise daily, the preferred weight training workout frequency is three times a week. For most people, that’s all you need.
Why three times a week? This is the perfect way to stagger your workouts to allow your muscles to heal and give your body time to recover from any soreness. If you work out Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (every other day) your body would be expecting a workout on Sunday. If your body doesn't get that workout, and gets an extra day of rest, all of a sudden when your body gets hit with a workout again on Monday, it will make that workout so much more effective.
Unless you’re doing bodybuilder training, you should be focusing your three workouts on doing more intense full-body weight training. Personally, I don’t advocate a bodybuilder-style workout for most people because you are just working individual muscle groups one by one. I refer to that as the “Frankenstein workout” because you're not training the body as a whole unit; you’re training bits and pieces.
For the best long-term fitness training plans, do your weight training three days a week and plan to do something of lower intensity on your “off days”, like walking, yoga, stretching, or any other type of physical activity that will be less strenuous on your muscles. You will get a lot more out of your fitness program by employing this routine.
In Health,
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