Fundamentals First!

View this post on Instagram

Weekly I get asked about things like the Keto Diet (for the record, I’m not a fan. In fact, I’m not a fan of any non-personalized diet or exercise routine). I also get asked a lot about things like High Intensity Interval Training, Spin Classes, Burpees and other flavor-of-the-month exercises and diet fads that promise nice arms, a firm backside and 6 pack abs. Rarely, does any of this stuff truly matter if the fundamentals aren’t being satisfied. The fact is, the majority of people don’t exercise at all and never will. Those that do, tend to exercise too little, too easy or too much and too hard. Very few of either category will likely exercise consistently for a lifetime or to an age where it actually matters most. Most people eat way too many calories of poor quality food every single day. A lot of people drink excessive amounts of liquid calories, especially alcohol calories. Too many people get too little sleep and stress about too many things. NONE of these things do anyone any favors. The basics need more attention. They always need top priority. A house crumbles on a weak foundation if it ever stands at all. #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #faddiets #fadexercises #unhealthylifestyle #fundamentalsofhealthyliving #propersleep #drgregorsdailydozen #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 26, 2019 at 11:26am PDT

Time Management & The Waking-Up Routine

View this post on Instagram

TIME MANAGEMENT & THE WAKING-UP ROUTINE: (Sounds almost like a band name. Lol.) It is essential that we are active participants in our waking-up routine. Every day has an awakening. Don’t let it be by accident. I can’t stress this enough: how we wake up sets the pace for our entire life. Wanna get more sh*t done? Wanna be happier? Healthier? Train yourself to wake up better. Try much harder to not push snooze. Instead, go to bed 8-24 min earlier (I’m hoping you’ll see the ridiculousness of such as both pushing snooze for 8-24 min is just as silly as thinking going to bed 8-24 min earlier the night before will do the trick…it’s more likely that at least an hour more of sleep is needed. I recommend going to bed earlier. No one sleeps better by pushing snooze, it’s only delaying the inevitable). Try not to look at things like social media, the news, etc until you’ve at least stood up out of bed and drank some water. I recommend a full glass of water, even before coffee. I also highly recommend stretching for 2-5 minutes. I promise you’ll feel better if done regularly. The point is to prioritize your health. Don’t waste precious time upon waking. You don’t get any of this time back. Once it’s gone, it is gone forever. If you have kids, pets or other responsibilities, get up a few minutes earlier. Otherwise, you will just be reacting to everything that comes at you, which is almost impossible for any human to effectively manage day-in and day-out. Instead, be proactive. Prioritize YOU. Much can be accomplished within that first hour upon waking. It’s a habit, a routine, that can be improved just like anything else. Optimize! Maximize! #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #morningroutine #morningritual #morningroutines #timemanagement #morningflow #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 23, 2019 at 7:39am PDT

Dr. Tabata + HIIT Training

View this post on Instagram

Ever heard of HIIT Training? It stands for High Intensity Interval Training. Ever heard of Tabatas? They are repeated 20second work intervals followed by 10second rest intervals. They are named after the Japanese doctor Izumi Tabata who in 1996 published a now-famous study of high intensity intervals that he performed on 14 elite athletes. Unfortunately, it has been interpreted in ways that have often been used to blindly justify high intensity training for “everyone”. This was perhaps wrong? Even with the young, elite athletes in his study, progress stalled after 3 weeks. Sadly, popular culture now believes that all lower intensity exercise has little to no value. It’s not that high intensity exercise is necessarily bad, or bad for “everyone”, it’s more that it should be used appropriately. Everything has value and naturally also limitations. It’s important to use the correct tool for the correct job. Heart diseases is the number 1 killer of men & women in the United States. Sedentary folks need to ease into exercising. Starting off with High Intensity Intervals is probably a really bad idea until the body adapts to lower intensity exercise first! For some, high intervals may never be safe or appropriate. It doesn’t mean that improving fitness, health or body composition will never be possible. It only means a different path may be required. (This video shows Joel JAMIESON being interviewed. He is a very respected, experienced, educated Strength & Conditioning Coach and author.) #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #highintensityworkout #hiitworkout #tabataworkout #drtabata #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 12, 2019 at 7:48am PDT

The 3 Month Block

View this post on Instagram

3 MONTH BLOCKS. I cannot recommend enough the power of planning ahead. Planning requires action and mindfulness. Often, when there is no plan, there is no action, only re-action. Why not be better prepared? I prefer Seasonal Goal-setting. With the 4 seasons, we get roughly 12 weeks each go. Many improvements can be made during this time with proper planning and dedication. It works especially well for making improvements to nutrition AND fitness habits. It also helps keep things fresh with regular intervals that serve as reminders to change things up. I typically tweak my exercise for the first half (~6 weeks) then shift my focus to my diet and nutrition the second half (~6 weeks) while keeping the exercise component more-or-less on auto-pilot. This of course could apply to many other areas in life. The idea is to get to it. Brainstorm. Write some stuff down. Figure out some useful, achievable Goals, Improvements. Go after them. Figure out your plan. Put it into action. Enjoy the process along the way. Remember, Life is short. Tomorrow was never promised. Be thankful each and every day. #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #goalsetting #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 16, 2019 at 11:52am PDT

A LEGIT CONCERN WITH AN “ALL or NOTHING” LIFESTYLE.

View this post on Instagram

A LEGIT CONCERN WITH AN “ALL or NOTHING” LIFESTYLE. This is especially true with regards to Fitness & Health. I also call this “Feast or Famine”. High Intensity exercise is very popular but not necessarily a great fit for the average American. The average fitness enthusiast in the USA exercises primarily to lose body fat. High Intensity would surely seem like the best choice since it burns the most calories right? Yes & No. A lesser talked about issue is this: The average American is EXTREMELY Sedentary. This may invite injury if not careful. Even if someone exercises 2 hours each day but sits most of the rest, they are still considered Sedentary. Contrast the all-day sitting with intense exercise and hopefully you’ll see where I’m going with all this. I love high intensity. I also love heavy weights. These things have their place when programmed appropriately. And Yes, some people do tolerate them well (however, I would argue that most do not). My key point is this: It is important to move and expand your body’s range of motion throughout the entire day, every day. Don’t just do nothing all day then go completely crazy if/when you exercise. Realize the body benefits from frequent movement and a wide variety of motion. Not all exercise needs to be High Intensity. Learn to move more OFTEN throughout each day and not just when or while exercising. Make sure to properly warm-up before exercise as well, especially High Intensity Exercise. Prevent injury by not inviting it. Injuries stall progress. So yes, we may burn a lot of calories with some intense exercise but it might all come to a screeching halt if we are forced to stop exercising altogether because of some avoidable injury. Use that beautiful brain! I highly recommend learning to create a personalized 5min daily “Yoga” Flow for yourself to help with body maintenance, overall health, flexibility and mental focus. More on that later… #blueskystrongbox #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #highintensityworkout #injuryprevention

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 9, 2019 at 11:27am PDT

Books on Injuries, Prevention of Injuries

 

View this post on Instagram

The body has an amazing ability to heal…if/when we let it. Ultimately, the responsibility rests in our own hands. There is an abundance of information out there dedicated to improving health. Much of it is free. I like books. I own many. These are a few that I own that have helped my own movement and body work. Knowledge is key. I was told a long time ago: ask better questions and you’ll find better answers. When it comes to health and quality of life, being lazy should never be an option. Seek help when needed. #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 5, 2019 at 7:30am PDT

Part 2: Injuries, Pain, Soreness

View this post on Instagram

PART 2 : INJURIES-PAIN-SORENESS. Just because a medical professional “cleared” you does not mean all problems are over. At some point, all medical/therapy roads come to an end. When they do, then what? Ask a lot of questions. Anything you can think of. Most importantly, find out what things you should probably limit, avoid or NOT DO in the future. But after that, most likely, you’ll be on your own. Discomfort, pain and things-in-general “not feeling the same” might be a reality. Do everything you can not to take pain killers unless you really need them or your doctor has had a long conversation with you about the option. The most important thing now is to get back to as normal of a life as possible. With regards to movement and exercise, you will need to start VERY slow and experiment with everything. You may be surprised at what you CAN do but also what you CAN’T do, at least not yet. Remember, first make sure there aren’t things you shouldn’t be doing. Besides that, always listen to your body. Start LIGHT, SIMPLE AND SLOW. Learn to move well using only your bodyweight. If using some form of external/manual resistance, start with very light weights, simple movements (that you understand), and can perform near-perfect form. Lastly, make sure to start by moving SLOW. If something hurts, see if you can safely modify or maybe try doing something different. There might very well be some things that you won’t be able to do. It’s ok. Learn to work around them. There are many options. Research. Explore. Don’t be too cautious but also don’t be reckless. Use that beautiful brain! #blueskystrongbox #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 2, 2019 at 8:46am PDT

Counting Calories TIP

View this post on Instagram

IMPORTANT TIP: When it comes to counting calories, round UP when estimating food (and drinks)…but also round DOWN when estimating calories burned during exercise or daily movement. Rarely is there such a thing as an exact measurement. Even the “calorie” itself varies in measurement. For this reason, numbers are often NOT exact. Even in the wonderful age of digital technology, fancy phone apps, watches and other high tech wearables, etc can only “ESTIMATE” how many steps you walked, heart rate, calories from food, calories burned, etc. Truth is, most of us think we eat (and drink) LESS than we do. We also think we move MORE than we do. Today I rode an exercise bike for 30 minutes at a medium pace. The computer “estimated” that I burned 276 calories. If I were counting calories, I’d round that DOWN to 200 calories, which is only about a can of Coke. A pound of fat is said to be roughly 3,500 calories. Again, this is all an estimation. It should be obvious that using only exercise to lose body fat might not be the best strategy. It must be combined with improvements in nutrition and lifestyle as well! The math can become discouraging quickly. That’s why I don’t typically recommend counting calories and if I do, not for long. But don’t let this get you down. It’s about healthy habits, discipline and consistency. Start slow, build strong. Never stop learning. Never stop improving. Expect delays and obstacles but always keep your head up. Remember that the changes you make only stay that way if you continue to do what is working. In the end, it’s ultimately not about calories and measurements, it’s about health, happiness and quality of life. You want to lose body fat in a healthy way? Eat more vegetables & fruit. Walk a lot more each day. Regularly pick up heavy things (safely) and move really fast (safely). Get proper rest. Drink mostly water. Laugh and smile. Open your heart. Help others. (PS. Don’t let calories rule your life.) #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #countingcalories #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 29, 2019 at 8:43am PDT

Part 1: Injuries, Pain, Soreness

View this post on Instagram

PART 1 : INJURIES-PAIN-SORENESS. I’ve recently had some questions about these. It should go without saying that that I can only say so much in a 1 minute video. I plan to do more videos on this topic in the weeks to come. First & Foremost, always use your brain and learn to listen to your body. There is a difference between Pain & Uncomfortableness. Uncomfortableness with exercise is normal and should be expected, within reason. Pain is typically something to be avoided. NOTHING SHOULD EVER HURT. If you suspect something serious, go get it checked out by a medical professional. It may be nothing but it’s best to find out exactly what you’re dealing with. It may be an easy fix. It may be something that requires learning how to work around. Not knowing is a bad option. With that said, some pain and suffering is unavoidable. This is life. Expect delays. Expect hurdles. Expect random injuries at some point. Think about this: If you don’t move much, you’re more likely to get hurt. If you move often, you’re also more likely to get hurt. Just do something about it if or when it happens. Use the opportunity to learn more about your body and the healing process. Appreciate the process. PREVENTION: Always warm-up before activity by moving your entire body carefully through various ranges of motion. Go as slow as needed to wake up the body and get the blood moving. Make sure to breathe deeply throughout all activities. Be especially careful if exercising first thing after waking and in cold environments. Avoid going too heavy or too hard on any exercise until you really know what you’re doing. Then, even then, exercise caution. Rest and recover sufficiently before exercising again. Use caution when exercising in hot environments. Make sure you are adequately hydrated. If you do have an old injury, pay close attention to how it feels and how it responds to whatever it is you’re doing. #sportsinjuries #musclesoreness #recoveryworkouts #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 26, 2019 at 9:24am PDT

Inspiration from Centenarians

View this post on Instagram

This inspires. 100+ years young. Look at them go. #seniorsprinters #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 22, 2019 at 7:59am PDT