Exercise and Stress Reduction

These last two days have been stressful.  The tasks had been piling up to a seemingly insurmountable stack.  Fortunately I’m not in front of the computer all day – training 1on1 with clients really helps to ease my stress levels and forget about everything that needs to be done.

This morning was particularly bad.  We are really busting our butts to get the customer service to an A1 level on the website.  Yet it’s difficult when you need to rely on other companies (couriers in particular) to do the job right 100% of the time.  Unfortunately this is being niave and every so often they will stuff an order up.  That happened today.  Now whilst our team put the fire out pretty quickly with our very high level of customer service, the whole scenario just added that little bit more to the accumulated stress pile from the past two days.

So it came to about 11am and whilst I felt as if I needed to stay in the office to get through everything, I very quickly decided that it was in my best interests to do a HIIT cardio.  And thank god I did.  It’s only a 15 minute workout…but it was 15 minutes of torture.  Afterwards the endorphin rush is like nothing else.  I felt relaxed and the stress just withered away.

Coming into the second half of the day, I was so productive and actually got through every single one of the tasks I set out to complete for the day.

Whilst exercise is very important in combatting stress (as I have written about in the past), it really helps me to clear my head and go into somewhat of a state of “zen”.  This may all sound very spiritual and airy-fairy, but it’s just really good to give your mind a break at some point during the day.  Plus I feel really good about myself having given that workout 100%.

Share on Facebook

Vibration Exercise Machine…(Ramble part 2)

Okay I switched the telly back on when I was eating this morning and that vibration ad was on…AGAIN!  This time I watched it in it’s entirety and I tell you what, now I have now been inspired to write a comprehensive article on this product for Amino Z…stay tuned.

But nevertheless, I need to get this off my chest.

For starters, I cannot believe what marketers get away with in Australia.  In the most round-a-bout way possible, they managed to link standing on a vibration machine to weight loss with no effort at all.  Basically the insinuation here is that as you stand on the vibration platform, your legs warm up (as is shown by a “special” thermo-image…wow!)  Now the increased heat loosens tensions of the body tissue which apparently paves the way for fat loss.

Whilst they may claim that “the proof is in the heat”…it’s this type of crap that really makes my blood boil (okay not litterally…but using this line of thinking, if my blood really was boiling, then I’d probably be burning HEAPS of fat! )  With this same simplistic rationale, why not just step foot in a sauna for 10 minutes a day?

Now what really got to me was that probably 90% of this advertisement implied that no exercise was required for muscle tone, fat loss, flexibility and improved circulation.  In fact, they had 2 models standing on the machine and suggested that you only need to stand on this machine for so many minutes a day (I believe it was 10, but will have to double check).  It was only a little bit at the end of the ad that they actually showed a quick snippet of someone doing lunges and a straight armed plank on the machine.

Being the subjective ad that it was, there was absolutely no reference to objective research on this “breakthrough technology” in regards to fat loss.  There were just a bunch of before and after photo’s of people who “apparently” stood on the machine for a few minutes a day with no other change to their lifestyle.

Common sense will tell you not to buy this type of marketing crap.  The same can be said about all the latest diet and exercise gimmicks that have been released (and then quickly dissapear) over the past forty years.  But it’s naturally instinctual of human beings to find the quickest and easiest way to achieve a certain desire.  So I really think that, so long as advertising like this continues to be permitted, we will see many more generations of these machines with outragous promises, yet which deliver very little.

Share on Facebook

“As Seen On TV” & Exercise Machines

I sat down to eat something and flicked on the television this morning.  Believe it or not, two of those ads advertising the latest exercise machines were on – one was on a vibration machine and another was on a sled based resistance machine.  I’m actually surprised the Ab King Pro wasn’t being sold

I’ve written extensively on these machines on Amino Z and why I believe that the vast majority of them are garbage.  One article in particular is How To Get Healthy Without Raising A Sweat  However watching the two ads today, as painful as it was, was a profound reminder of the marketing propoganda that floats around the health and fitness industry.

Whilst these machines may have the potential to be effective if they are used correctly, by the appropriate person, for the appropriate goals and under the correct supervision, none of this was pointed out.  But rather these machines were purported as the latest and greatest weight loss phenomenon to hit Australia.  I was almost convinced myself to phone up and buy 2!  (Okay, not quite.)

I laughed at the vibration machine ad where it had a female just standing on the machine, implying that it was the latest weight loss tool.  I mean, come on guys!  Yes there has been some research on this technology (admittedly mainly for rehabilitory purposes)…but standing on a vibration machine…oh my…

Which reminds me…I really must write an article on this vibration technology for weight loss.

Share on Facebook

Australian Biggest Loser

I’ve posted several articles up on Amino Z in regards to The Biggest Loser Australia.  Basically, I feel that it’s great to raise awareness for health, fitness & nutrition…but there are many (many) downfalls as to the training methods employed which could be quite dangerous.

You know what, I was reading a Network Blog (a fitness industry forum full of health and fitness professionals), where they were discussing exactly the same thing – the safety and effectiveness of this method of training.

There were 60 posts from professionals around the country, with all very similar opinions – it’s not safe, it’s not a good long-term solution and it’s geared toward entertainment, not the health and wellbeing of contestants.  Many people felt that the way in which the contestants were treated was unacceptable also.

Here are some exerpts from what some industry professionals wrote:

“I feel that the trainers are unrealistically training the contestants.
If I was training morbidly obese individuals, I would not start with high intensity workouts – what trainer in their right mind would?!?!!? “

“It’s just not safe. Is that not one of our biggest concerns in the fitness industry?”

“Belittling people on television and encouraging backstabbing is not my idea of entertainment. Someone will die using the unsafe methods employed by these trainers. The show is complete bull and that is why I have only watched it twice and that was last week!

Never again.”

“Although it is great to see obese people exercising at an intense rate and losing weight, the show is too focused on WEIGHT ie kg lost. It would be much better and more educational for the general public to see body fat % decreasing rather than kg- any one can lose ‘weight’ just by cutting off an arm, or perhaps not drinking anything for 24 hrs. This focus also discourages muscle gain, as muscle weighs more than fat, but is more desirable since it is metabolically active.”

“The biggest loser has been both the best thing for the fitness industry and the worst, the best because it gets people thinking about the results they could get with a personal trainer and the worst because it depicts personal trainers in the worst possible way and the general public see us all that way.”

“What has always troubled me about the series is that it completely contrary to everything I was ever taught about weight loss ( slow weight loss is best) and training very overweight clients ( start slow etc) – I would never have asked an unfit 150kg client to jog!”

Catherine Chapman posted this excellent post:

“Whilst I am a regular viewer of the show I have to agree with many of the comments posted that yes, the training appears to be way too intense for participants of their size and fitness level. I also agree that there is not much thought given at all to technique. One particular episode really got to me – where 2 of the female contestants had to experience “Pain” and one was in a caged area “boxing” with a trainer whilst the other one was moving exremely heavy items on the outside of the caged area.

Having qualified with PunchFit in their punch pad course, kick pad course and personal trainer course, I was astounded to say the least to see how the “trainer” was using the focus pads to hit down on the punching mitts worn by the contestant who was boxing – also without any guidance as to how to “throw a punch”.

Its also interesting to note the number of past contestants who are now in advertisements for weight loss companies which provide meal substitute shakes, bars etc. Isn’t the whole idea of the show to teach them HOW to shop for, prepare and eat normal meals? Having said all of the above, I do feel it can be encouraging to others to lose weight and it is certainly amazing to see all the contestants when they reappear for the final show.”

Interested to hear your comments on the show!

Share on Facebook

Social Networking

Well I spent a good portion of today signing up and setting up social networking websites, namely facebook and twitter.

Honestly, so much time must be wasted on these websites!  I have a few friends who spend hours on them each day…I can’t really see myself doing that.  But I guess they are a good means of communication.  And they also seem to be a really good method of networking and marketing.  Well, at least that’s what many marketing websites have suggested…I’m yet to find out about that one…I guess we’ll see…

Share on Facebook

Mastering Time Management

Today was fairly full-on.  I quite like Tuesday’s because they give me a fair amount of time to take a step back from the 1on1 training and focus on innovative features I can “add-on” to the business.

So today I worked on various projects for Amino Z.  Looking back over the day, I did accomplish quite a bit.

Now this wasn’t the case a year ago.  There was far too much on my plate and it seemed that nothing would ever get done…even though I was working up to 15 hour days!!  So, I thought I’d post up a little blurb on what I’ve learnt on time management – oh so important.

I’ll preceed this by saying that I am by no means an expert on time management…but I’m learning!

Number one – PLAN.  This is something that I failed to do.  I remember when I first began high school, I would be told to solve a maths puzzle.  Rather than writing down one step at a time, I would rush straight to the answer.  Whilst I’m still guilty of this in many more trivial situations, I am trying to discipline myself to plan many things out BEFORE executing.

An obvious one is a business plan.  You’d be amazed at how many business owners do not have a business plan!!  I think the statistics that I once read was greater than 80% of companies don’t have one!  It’s absolutely invaluable.  I’ve also found great value in planning out quarters, weeks and also the day.

Something I picked up at a FILEX conference a while ago was to make a list.  It’s amazing what a daily (and/or weekly) does to your productivity.  Once it’s done, cross the task off and the sense of accomplishment is second to none.

Another key area that I’ve focussed on this week (after listening to an audiotape by Brian Tracy, “Mastering your Time”) is to clean up the office.  I did a massive renovation of our office space recently and am still just adding the final touches.  I can’t believe how much time was wasted trying to sort through a pile of documents to find something!

So yes, I’m no guru at time management, but I’m leaps and bounds further along than I was a year or two ago.  That’s my two cents for the day!

Share on Facebook

Online Personal Training Blog Live!

3 days prior to Amino Z’s 3 year anniversary, I have decided to publish my own online personal training blog.

Why an “online personal training” blog?  Well, considering that I’m including it as part of Amino Z (which is ultimately a personal training company) and it’s online, I figured that it would make sense to call it an Online Personal Training Blog.

This blog will give me an opportunity to voice my personal thoughts and opinions as a separate entity to the Amino Z website.

So anyway, I’m really glad that I finally got this blog up and running!

Today’s news.  Today was pretty full-on.  Up at 6.30am and got straight into the emails.  That took me a while and then straight onto our online clients.  I tell you what, Monday’s are full-on!  It took me until after 5pm this evening to complete all our online personal training clients.  I did have a 1on1 session during the day, but apart from quick meal breaks and some telephone calls, it was just me typing away frantically all day long.

Also managed to get in a solid chest/biceps workout today.  First workout back since my week off.  Pretty straight forward macrocycle parameters with a 6-8 rep range, 4 day split and 2-3 minute rests.  The only exception to “normality” is that I have gone back to eccentric bicep curls on the left side due to some tendonitis induced a while ago.  Hasn’t really flared back up at all, but a little discomfort so I figured I would do a little more rehab before it becomes an issue again.

It’s now past 6.30pm and I think I’m going to call it quits for the day.  Very productive day today and I’m looking forward to working on several projects tomorrow.

Share on Facebook