What Will You Do?


By: Corbin Williams,  NPTI-CPT
Personal Trainer/Nutrition Coach




What will you do?  This question will pop back into your head by the end of this month.  With the Halloween candy still in the house at the beginning of the  month, you already have a struggle to be good with your eating habits.  Then, as we say goodbye to October and  say hello to the holiday of much food, aka Thanksgiving, you need to ask  yourself this question. “What will I do?”  
 
Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of family and food.  We celebrate the first harvest when our forefathers made it through their first year in this country.  That  being said, take a close look at what was on the table then and now. 
Think about how ingredients make a big difference in food being healthy  and unhealthy. 

Let’s take a look at the first Pilgrims table spread and compare the difference of then and  now.

Starting with the main dish, the Turkey: 

 In those days the only turkeys they had were wild and had full run of eating anything they wanted.  Today we call this “free range”but most turkeys of today’s market are raised in mass houses, and eat nothing but corn meal or corn based food.  Then are processed with chemicals to “preserve freshness” But these chemicals are not natural to your body.  Think about it.  If it is use to PRESERVE what will eating it over and over again do to you? Best choice is to go to your  local butcher and buy a fresh “free range”turkey and taste the difference.   

Next we have potatoes: 

Potatoes are not a very good source of nutrition.  They are very starchy and don’t provide a lot.  Yes they are good.   So we tend to keep the big bowl of mashed ones of the table.   A better alternative to the white potato is the sweet potato.  It is full of more nutritional value than the white potato.  Bake them or mash them.  They are yummy.  

As  we continue, we now need to look at corn:

At  the time of the pilgrims corn was a new product that was introduced by the Indians.  They grew their corn  among other vegetables and used a fish in each hole when planting. This made the corn very nutrient rich and good for you. 
But today corn is the number one product and is used in almost every product we consume.  High-Fructose  corn syrup is one of these byproducts of corn that we find in almost  everything.  You will find a corn  product in your stove top stuffing, the cranberry jelly, the pies, the bread,  and even the turkey was raised on a corn diet.  So setting the table with a side of  corn is not really needed. Try the  other vegetables like beets, steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and  peppers.  Make salad your friend!! Just don’t overdo the dressing.  It most likely has corn in it too.


Finally we get to deserts and sweets:  
 
Think about this, we have access to TONS of sugar these days.   The average individual in the 30’s and 40’s only consumed about 200 pounds of sugar a year.  Today we are up to an average of about 800 pounds of sugar per person per year. WOW!! Yes that is a lot.  The pilgrims had even less than the 200 pounds, if they had any at  all.  Their jams were made with the sugars found in the fruit they used and then it was “made to order”.  They only made what they could use in a short time.   Remember,  they didn’t have refrigerators or any way to keep perishable food for a long  time.  
 
Well,  now that we have looked at some of the differences between then and now, make your own choice.  Will you try to  eat healthier this Thanksgiving, or will you resort to all the preserved items  in the center of the store? I want  you to really look at the labels this year and remember if it looks like a  science project then leave it on the shelf.  My suggestion is eat fresh. Choose the  local farm market and stay away from the boxed and packaged stuff.   Keep it simple.  Make things  from scratch like “they” did way back then!!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.  Keep active!!




Corbin Williams,  NPTI-CPT
Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach
Certified Nutrition Coach
Graduated from the National Personal Training Institute
Owner of GetReal Training, LLC 
www.GetRealTraining.net
GetReal, Get Results

Warm up….why?


By: Corbin Williams, NPTI-CPT
      Personal Trainer/Nutrition Coach



This month we welcome fall back into our lives. This is one of my favorite times of year.  Cold brisk mornings  followed by cool afternoons and perfect evenings to have a bonfire with friends.  The leaves are changing  on the trees and falling to the ground.  Yes this truly is a spectacular time of year.  But with that comes an important factor in your work out.   The Warm up!!


The warm up phase of your work out is something a lot of us tend to skimp out on.  We look at it as “Not so important but I’ll do a little bit anyway”.  This couldn’t be farther from the truth.  WHY is the warm up so important?  Let’s discuss quickly what happens when you work out “cold”.  To make this an easy mental picture, imagine a hard plastic table.  Now if you try to stretch that table  from both ends it would be very difficult and would likely snap.   Now imagine that same table but let’s think about really heating it up  with a torch. It now stretches real  easy.  When you work out “cold” you are most likely going to obtain an injury if you don’t warm up.   It’s simple as that.  But this is only part of the reason for getting in a good quality warm up.  The following is a list of benefits from a proper warm up:


1.       Faster muscle contraction and  relaxation
2.       Increased rate of force and reaction  time
3.       Increased muscle strength and  power
4.       Lower viscosity in muscles and joints to help move more smoothly and with less resistance (like oil in a car, 
          thick when it’s cold but thins out when its heated up and performs better)
5.       Improve oxygen delivery by increasing body  temperature
6.       Increase blood flow for muscle activation
7.       Enhances metabolic reactions


What is a good warm up then?  To start you can do an easy jog or skipping or combination similar for 5-10 minutes then as your body temperature begins to go up you can begin to be more specific with your warm up.   This is another 8-12 minutes of dynamic stretching and warm up.  This should include all the range of  motions required for your sport or activity.  Increase the intensity gradually till you are now ready to begin your workout.   All in all, your warm up will be best if you devote 10 -20 minutes to it.  If you are short on time give  a good 10 minutes, but make them count. 
Really focus on this part and your work outs will thank you for it.  Just remember now its cooler outside so  that means you might have to give that little extra time getting warmed up properly.  Now go get warmed up and  get your work out in!!! 





Corbin Williams,  NPTI-CPT
Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach 
Certified Nutrition Coach
Graduated from the National Personal Training Institute
Owner of GetReal Training, LLC 
www.GetRealTraining.net
GetReal, Get Results

Move and Feel Better


By: Corbin  Williams, NPTI-CPT
Personal Trainer/Nutrition Coach 
 
Do you have trouble getting out of your chair, going up or down steps, taking grocery bags out of the trunk or any other basic daily movements?  Are you as active as you should be? Are you asking the question “How can I move and feel better?”  To feel better there are some simple steps you can take to make basic daily movements easier.  If you are not in the best shape and are having trouble just moving everyday then you need to get moving.  The more you sit and don’t move, the harder it will get until you are unable to get up. The idea here is “move it or lose it”. This really
is a simple concept. If you don’t use your muscles, they will begin to weaken and start to become smaller.  This is because your body is trying to conserve energy where ever it can. You have to remember that your body is like a machine and it needs to be used to keep it working in top condition. So how do we make this happen? Again the answer is simple.   You have to get up and get active.  Here are a few simple ideas for you to try. These can be done at home and  you don’t need any weights or a gym to do them.


1.   Get moving:    Let’s start by just getting out.  A simple walk around the neighborhood everyday can do wonders for an inactive body.  Do this for 30 minutes a day.  Start slow and eventually quicken your pace.  Before long you’ll see that you can jog it.  This is a good start.  
 
2.   Get up and down: Have trouble getting in and out of a chair?  Let’s do it more often.  This is how to do it.  Grab
a solid chair like from the kitchen table.  Maybe even one that is higher than normal.  All you are going to do is sit in the chair and stand up.  You will do this repeatedly, 12 or more times in a row every day.  If you have a lot of trouble, find  somewhere you can do this where you can use something to pull yourself up with.  Once you become strong
enough to do this with ease, switch to a lower and lower chair.

 3.  Steps:  Well, if you had trouble with the chair, chances are you don’t do steps well either.  As you do the chair  exercise you will begin to get stronger in your legs so steps will become easier.  But let’s look at using  the steps to help this along.  Use the hand rails to help support you and step one foot on the bottom step.  Now step the other foot up to the bottom step.  Do this 12 or more times for each foot.  Keep the first foot in place for all the reps then switch to the other foot being the fixed foot on the step.  As you begin to get stronger then skip a step making the range of motion grater. 
 
4.   Bending and picking up: Bending over to pick things up is the best way to hurt your back.  Even more so if you are bending over while seated in a chair to pick  something off the floor.  You need to strengthen your hip extensors to help prevent injury.  This exercise is called stand and reach.  It is what it sounds like.  To do this find an object that with challenge your range of motion.  Set it out in front of you and then bend at the hips and reach down to the object. Don’t bend your knees a lot when doing  this but they can and should be slightly bent.  Try to focus on keeping your back flat.  Start with the object elevated and lower it until it’s only a spot on the floor.  Do this slowly on the way down to touch and move faster on the way up.  Again 12 or more reps.  
 
5.   Lifting: For having trouble lifting grocery bags and such. Take 2 grocery bags (double or triple them up if needed).   Grab some cans of food from the pantry and fill each bag to your ability of lifting comfortably.  Now, with
one in each hand and palms facing up, you can do some simple arm curls.  Also picking them up off the table and
setting them back down will help you to gain more strength in this movement.  
 
As you can see even your most basic  everyday movements are able to be strengthened by simply doing them more.  When you push yourself to use your muscles more you begin to adapt and become stronger.  So, the answer to “How can I move and feel better?”is Move More.  Get up, get out, get moving, and get  stronger.  
 
Corbin Williams, NPTI-CPT
Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach 
Certified Nutrition Coach
Graduated from the National Personal Training Institute
Owner of GetReal Training, LLC 
www.GetRealTraining.net
GetReal, Get Results

Choose WATER!!


By: Corbin Williams, NPTI-CPT
Personal Trainer/Nutrition Coach 

Water, what is so special about this liquid that has no taste and no color and no caloric value?  What does it do for you?  How much water is enough?  Is drinking it the only way to get water?  How can water help in your exercise or
weight loss goals?   These are all good questions that demand an answer. 
 
What is water? 
Water is the most vital nutrient to human life.  Without water you will die.  But why?  Your body is made up of mostly water. 50 -60 % to be exact.  This water fills all the membrane and cellular areas inside the body.  This is where all processes necessary to life are sustained.  Water is also used by many other functions of the body.  

Why is water so important for your body? 
The function of water in our body is simple, to sustain life.  Water is needed in your body more than any other thing. 
You can go a long time without eating food but you will not survive long at all without water.  Most people today are dehydrated.  You may not even know that you are dehydrated.  If you lose only 2% total body weight, then you will start to feel the effects of dehydration (headache, thirst, dry mouth, dizziness).  There are so many other liquids that we consume, other than water, most of which are full of impurities.   ALL sodas, juice, coffee, energy drinks, and alcohol are not substitutes for water.   These drinks ARE, however, the staple of most people’s diets, unfortunately.  When these become used more than water our body slowly becomes dehydrated and starved for water.  If you lose 20% or more of total body weight thru dehydration, then it is usually fatal.

How much water should you drink? 
As an athlete (or anyone for that matter), water is the best choice to hydrate with.  When drinking stuff like GatorAid and other energy type drinks, the number one ingredient is sugar.  Sugar is a carbohydrate and will give you a burst of energy for a short time, but it is not the best choice to hydrate with.  The recommended amount is about 8-9 glasses a day or (91-125 oz, more if you are pregnant or nursing).  But if you are working out four times a week (and you should make this your goal) then you should drink more water. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 13.5 -20 oz of water 2-3 hours before you exercise and 5-12oz at 15-20 minute intervals during
exercise.  Be aware that you don’t have to sweat to become dehydrated. Ok so how can you drink that much all
day?  You don’t have to.  

Where is all that extra water going to come from then? 
FOOD!! This is the other vital source to get  your water from.  Fresh fruits and fresh vegetables are full of water.  About 19% of your total water intake comes from food.  Increase how much fresh foods you are eating and you will increase your  water intake.  Take things like packaged foods and processed foods and drinks out of your diet and you will begin to feel much better as well.  There is little to no water in these and mostly full of chemicals that your body has a very hard time processing.  Just remember that the reason you are trying to work out four times a week is too lose some pounds or inches around your waist.  Make that a little easier by eating right and flushing out all those chemically produced foods and drinks.  If you can’t recognize what is on the label as food then it is NOT food. Don’t eat science projects.  Know your food and know where it comes from. Also know where your water comes from and what is added to it.  Research the chemicals that treatment plants add to your water.  If in doubt get a carbon and fiber water filter for your tap. Take it upon yourself to make sure the water you are drinking is truly pure and good.  But still at the end of it all, choose water FIRST over all the other available drinks out there.  

Last but not least, how does water help with your weight loss or training? 
It has many functions but there are four that are helpful to your training.  Water is a solvent, transporter, thermoregulation, and lubricator.   How do these help? As a solvent it helps provide a place for all chemical reactions in your body.  This is vital for good muscle movement as well as to dissolve other not so desirable substances in the body.  As a transporter it helps circulate blood and other various secretions and tissue fluids.  It also transports the toxins out of the body.  Thermoregulation is important in keeping your body cool during your workout.  Sweat is your body cooling system.  It is not an indicator of how many calories you are burning so there is no need to try to sweat more during your exercise.  This will only lead to dehydration if you do.  Help retain that water and dress accordingly for exercise.  Don’t use a sweat suit in the hot summer.  Remember, only 2% of weight lost from water causes dehydration.  Finally as a lubricant it helps keep your joints in working order.  Keeping the tissues in the joints hydrated helps with smooth movements and prevents injury from friction.  So as you can see if any of these four
functions stop or decrease then you will extremely limit your exercise ability therefore you will have a much harder time reaching your goal.   
 
So what you have learned from this is that WATER is the most important nutrient to your body.  Without it you will die.  Keep it balanced and don’t substitute it with other things.  Always choose water for your hydration needs. Your body will thank you!!  Where’s your WATER mustache??


Corbin Williams,  NPTI-CPT
Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach 
Certified Nutrition Coach
Graduated from the National Personal Training Institute
Owner of GetReal Training, LLC 
www.GetRealTraining.net
GetReal and Get Results

Mind Games


By: Corbin Williams, NPTI-CPT
 Personal Trainer/Nutrition Coach 
 
Have you ever had something come before you that made you give up?  In training programs this is something that can easily happen to anyone. Either a goal not being reached or not enough time or work getting in the way or . . .  The list goes on.  But here is where you have to realize that it’s all just in your mind. Yes, it is easier to say than to do, but if you start thinking about it now it will be that much easier to overcome the hurdle when it arises.  Your mind can fool you into thinking you “CAN’T” and will even give you an “excuse”. There is no excuse though.  Only your mind telling you that you aren’t good enough. But I’m telling you now, you are good enough!!  Let’s look at how to control your mind and make it help you not hinder you.  A few key things to start thinking about are determination, edication, and accountability. Put these to work in your life and in your mind and you can overcome anything.  You are in control of yourself.  If you fail because of yourself, it’s your fault.  A quote I love is “You haven’t failed until you fail to try”As long as you continue to try you are not failing. Might it be hard?  Yes, but you are still making progress even if it’s slow.  So, I have a great example of this mind game in use.  I had a team run in the PA Warrior Dash this year in June.  All are clients of mine.  Each had different abilities and strengths.  Just to help you understand this a little, Warrior Dash is a 5K+ run with 16 or so obstacles ranging from flat belly crawling to climbing over 20 foot high walls and narrow plank bridges over water.  It is a test of endurance, strength and mental strength.  Even though each one on my team was excited to do this race they each had a fear of the unknown.  One was afraid of the run because of terrain and had broken her ankle before.  Another feared an obstacle on the course to the point where she didn’t  want to try to go over it.  As you can see they put up a mental block right from the start.  I chose to run with my team to help motivate them to finish.  The race began and we were off.  Right away those fears had to go, we were running. 
I reminded them, it’s not how fast you go but it is about crossing that finish line.  This race was no match for the will power of these girls.  They had put it in their mind that NOTHING was going to stop them. Even though they had fears, they confronted them and pushed through them.  It is an awesome thing to see someone who is afraid of a 20 foot high wall with nothing but a rope to hold onto, scale right up and over it as if it was nothing.  After word though she did say she was really scared while going over it but she did it anyway.  Now any time a wall like that is in her way she will know it’s NOTHING.  I am happy to say that every one completed the race. Not one of them let their fears keep them from completing it.  Next time you are facing a wall or you can’t see your goal in sight just remember you have to keep going.  If you stop, you fail.  If you quit, you never make it.  If you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you continue to make progress.  Eventually you will succeed.  Don’t let you mind tell you “YOU CAN’T” because I know and you know you can.  The best way to get past a fear is to face it head on and own it.  Make it fear you.  Nothing can stop you if you want it bad enough.  It all starts in your mind.  See it, challenge it, own it, and Finish it!  

Train hard and don’t stop. 
GetReal and Get Results!!



Corbin Williams, NPTI-CPT
Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach
Certified Nutrition Coach
Graduated from the National Personal Training Institute
Owner of GetReal Training, LLC 
www.GetRealTraining.net

Why Basics?

By: Corbin Williams, NPTI-CPT
Personal Trainer/Nutrition Coach

 

How many times do you hear of a trainer who “Thinks outside the box”?  I read an article not long ago where the author talked about this saying.  I couldn’t help but agree with everything he wrote.  When a trainer seems to be doing things that are not normal or seem like they are “out of the box” ideas, it makes me worry about the client.  Is that person getting stronger or moving better?  Are they learning correct movement patterns and functional movements? Or are they creating a discouraging and tough workout with little or no effect other than hurting joints?  The reason to learn the basics are simple.  I love the illustration that was given in that article.  You can go to any martial arts website and buy yourself a black karate belt.  Then tell people you are a black belt in karate.  But as soon as you are asked to prove it, it is obvious that you have no idea what you are doing.  You MUST learn from the beginning.  Learning even the most basic moves makes all the difference in any training program.  Sometimes I have had clients who don’t want to do an exercise because it’s “too basic “or “they already know it”.  These clients are now glad I made them start from the beginning, because they learned what they thought was right, actually was wrong.  They learned correct posture and form and time under tension.  There are many variables that can turn a basic exercise into a really tough but effective exercise.  Basics are best to be learned and not only learned but mastered.  Think about it.  Would you want someone teaching you something if they couldn’t do it themselves?  If your child was in swimming lessons and the teacher couldn’t swim, how long do you think you would let them teach your child?  We NEED to learn the basics.  The following ideas are NOT “out of the box” ideas, but rather very “INSIDE the box”.   These are a few basic exercises that everyone should be able to perform at any age. 


1.      Upper body pushing exercise:  Basic Pushup.  This is done by starting face down on the floor.  Place your hands out to the sides your shoulders till your elbows make a 90 degree angle.  Keeping your entire body stiff and picking it all up at the same time, push your entire body up.  You should be able to draw a straight line from your shoulder to your heals that passes through the center of your hip.  Use a pad or Nerf ball between your hands for a depth gauge.  Touch this depth gauge with your chest each rep.  Elevate hands on a step, box, or even standing facing a wall to make easier, and elevate feet to make harder.   (Major muscles worked, Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid) These muscles are used any time you push something away from you such as closing a door, push in a chair, or close a drawer.

See:  Fig. 1 & Fig. 2

2.      Upper body pulling exercise: Basic Chin up.  The difference between a Chin up and a Pull up are small yet affect you extremely different.  A chin up is done starting in a standing position hands on a bar over head palms FACING you about shoulder width apart.  (In a pull up the palms face away from you with wider grip on the bar) keeping elbows tight to your sides when pulling up, pull your body up to the bar till you can clear the bar with your chin.  To make this easier, use the assistance of a heavy rubber band. ( Major muscles worked, Latissimus Dorsi, Teres Major) These muscles are used every time we pull something toward us, such as opening a drawer or the door to your house or a car door.

See:  Fig. 3 & Fig. 4

3.      Knee dominant exercise:  Basic Squat. The squat is performed by keeping feet shoulder width apart, keeping your shoulders back and keep your back upright.  Squat down till your upper legs are parallel or slightly lower to the floor.  Raise your hand out in front of you for balance as you squat.  Return to your start position.  Proper squat position will make a line from head through your hip parallel with a line through your knee to your heal.  To make this easier attach two overhead heavy bands or heavy straps and hold them for assistance to stand back up. (Major muscles worked: Quadricep group, Gluteus Maximus)  These muscles are used every time we navigate stairs or step up onto something and even when we correctly squat down to pick something up off the floor.  (remember:  lift with your knees)

See:  Fig. 5 & Fig. 6

4.      Hip dominant exercise: Hip Extension Reach. To do this exercise, place a “target” on the ground such as a cone.  With knees slightly bent bend at the hip and reach toward object.  Let your hip drift backward as well to keep your back in a reverse c curve position (Lordotic: see arrow in picture).   Don’t round out your back.  If you have trouble keeping your back in the right position, extend the opposite leg straight out behind you.  Elevate the cone to make easier.  Alternate, reaching with each hand. (Muscles worked: Hamstrings, Gluteus Maximus)  These muscles are used when standing up from a seated position or picking up grocery bags from your trunk or off the floor ( though not the best way to pick up something off the floor)  Also used to just keep you standing upright.

See:  Fig. 7 & Fig. 8

As you can see these four really basic exercises have a really useful purpose in our everyday lives.  If you can’t do any of these, what makes you think you can get crazy with your training technique?  Everyday movement is important to a healthy lifestyle.  Without good movement you are unable to take that next step to becoming a stronger and healthier individual.  You have to be able to do the basics, master the basics and make them first nature to you before moving on to something more advanced.  To be effective, less is more.  Try to think of the K.I.S.S. theory.  Keep It Simple Stupid.  Keep your exercises basic, the more complicated your workouts become, the less likely you are to do them.  Don’t “think outside the box” till you completely know every inch of the inside of your box like the back of your hand.   And remember, even if you are already advanced, don’t over look the simple basics that got you there.  If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it!  So Get Real and Get Fit!!!

Corbin Williams, NPTI-CPT
Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach
Certified Nutrition Coach
Graduated from the National Personal Training Institute
Owner of GetReal Training, LLC
www.getrealtraining.net

What’s Your Excuse??

By: Corbin Williams, NPTI-CPT
Personal Trainer/Nutrition Coach

When it comes to the gym and working out, people have so many excuses.  I want to take some of the ones I have heard and put them to rest.  Then you can’t use them anymore.  Excuses are just a way to hide from the obvious and from our selves.  They are just a way to dismiss you from a situation or from being accountable for your own shortcomings.  An excuse begins in your own mind and eventually becomes a hurdle that looks imposable to overcome.  So to overcome these excuses you have to set your mind aside and look at yourself with honesty.  Is this REALLY how you want to be?  Are you REALLY satisfied with yourself? Is there something you can do about it?  Are you willing to do it?  Mainly an excuse is just a nice way of saying “I am JUST too lazy to care about myself.” 

Let’s look at some excuses:

1)      “I am too old.”    I want to share a video with you for this.  How?  Look up this link in your search engine on the internet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IedLQgNUTyk so to explain this if you can’t watch it, it is a video of Coach Ivan Abadjiev, one of the most famous Olympic Weight lifting coach in history, showing he can still snatch at 80 years of age.  Start while you are young and never quit.  But you are NEVER too old to enjoy a life style that involves movement and activity.   Try something easy to start, just get out and go for a walk.  Even if it’s just to the end of the driveway and back.   Then go a little farther.  Before you know it you will be walking a mile.  Age is only a number.  Don’t let the number limit you.  Own it and show others that just because you are “old” doesn’t mean you have to give up. 

2)      “I’m in too much pain.”   Ok, so this on can be used SOMETIMES.  Like, if you are seriously injured.  But even that has not stopped some people.  Look at Bethany Hamilton a pro surfer who lost her arm to a shark attack October of 2003. Yet in less than a year she learned to surf with one arm and began to climb the score board and took 1st place at the NSSA National Competition in 2005.  Not even a year and a half later.  Now she had the right to use this excuse but she DIDN’T!!  She found a way to overcome it and get back on her board.  Pain with your training is another fear.  But you shouldn’t be having pain while working out.  Muscle soreness is not pain.  If you have pain in your knee it can mean you have something wrong but could also just be a muscle imbalance.  Hip pain and back pain can also be caused by under used muscles.  Now I am NOT saying to train thru the pain. As the saying goes “ No pain No gain”  I say No WAY!!!  Pain and discomfort are two different things.  This, too much pain idea, is what most people say who can’t deal with the soreness of their muscles when beginning a workout program.  But this can also be helped through the use of a foam roller and muscle massage as well as stretching both before and after your workouts.  Water intake will also help by flushing out the toxins you build up during your workout.  Don’t let a little soreness keep you from success.  It is just letting you know you are doing it right.   

3)      “I don’t have time.”  Well let’s do some math.  There are 24 hours in a day and you can’t find just 1 to devote to your health?   Try this exercise:  Add up all the hours (not at work) that you spend on the computer or in front of the TV. I will BET it is more than an hour a day.  Now add in the time you spend sleeping in on the weekend.  We are likely over 8 hours for the week now.  Think about it that is 8 hours of lost time of doing nothing useful to your health.  Always think of your workout like you would a meal.  If you “didn’t have time” for a meal every day what would happen? Eventually you would slow down and become weak and sick.  Until you can make time for yourself, you will always be trapped with not enough time.  Reclaim your life and YOUR time.  Your work will still be there when you are gone.  YOU are more important than 12 hours a day in a cubical.  Take one hour and get active.    

4)      “I CAN’T!”  This is a four letter word to a trainer.  If you say this, guess what you will be doing.   In my boot camps when I hear “I can’t.“ I make them do the exercise till they literally physically can’t do it anymore and push them to keep going.  Then I’ll modify the exercise so they can do it even longer.  This may seem a little extreme to some but it gets the point across that the idea that you “can’t”, is all in your mind and when the situation REQUIRES you to keep going, somehow you CAN find a way to get it done.  Most times our mind will give up well before our body and muscles will.  Always start with a positive in your mind first.  Have the vision of yourself performing flawlessly.  Then set your mind in action to your body and do what you saw.  Again we see that even 13 year old Bethany didn’t say “I can’t”.  Remember success only comes in CANS!!!! 

5)      “I’m too out of shape.”  So here we see someone who doubts them self.  Again something in the mind that is telling them they won’t be able to do it.  But do they WANT to?  If you really want something you will do whatever it takes to go get it.   Do you WANT to be in shape?  Then you have to start somewhere.  There are many people who start a workout program that are so out of shape that it seems like they would die at any minute.  But with dedication and hard work thy overcome the obstacles.  Now I’m   

6)      “I’m not athletic.”  Being athletic is not an issue.  Anyone can walk or even do simple exercises.  A trainer can help teach you the correct form so you don’t hurt yourself.  As you progress thru your program you will begin to see changes taking place and start to feel stronger.  Everyone who trains with me I consider an athlete, just with different skill levels.  You CAN do it.

7)      “I’m too fat.”  I give these people all the respect in the world.  They ACTUALLY have the will power to admit this.  But now that they know this it’s time to not use it as an excuse but time to use it as motivation to do something about it.  How long do you want to stay like this?  Most people that have a lot of fat on them are actually stronger than some without the fat.  Think about it.  If you had to carry around 100 extra pounds every day how do you think you’d do.  When someone who has a lot of fat to lose finally starts to see results and starts to shed inches and pounds they become stronger faster.  This is because they have done years of those body weight squats or steps ups and now it’s easier.   So you are never too fat.  Just really ready to make a change and see what you really can become.      

8)      “I don’t like the gym” See my last article for this one.  FOR GET THE GYM!!  APRIL 2012 in the archives.

9)      “I don’t want to look like a body builder”  When working with a good trainer this will never happen if you don’t want it to.  There is only one way to build your body to this level.  There are certain guidelines to follow as far as weight to reps to rest that will cause this to happen.  The Technical term is called Hypertrophy, but we’ll call it muscle growth.  If you want this the natural way, it can take years to obtain.  But there are ways to make your muscles “bulk up” thru the use of supplements and other not so good ways.  So to worry about this is not a valid excuse.  What you will get is much stronger and evenly toned.  But most of all you will get a fantastic workout that will help burn many calories.

10)   “I don’t like sit ups and crunches” Ahh Good!!  Me either!!  As a matter of fact, if you trained with me you might not ever do them.  These to exercises are over rated and are obsolete.  About the ONLY time you ever truly sit up as a joint action is when you sit up out of bed in the morning.  So why do people focus so much on sit ups and crunches?  They think that doing a 1000 sit ups is going to give them strong abs?  If so, I’m sorry but they are wrong.  The sit up only works the abs in the first half of the move.  Most of it is a hip flexor exercise.   These muscles are usually shot and tight in most people already.  Why would you want to make them shorter and tighter??  As for a crunch, can you say back problem waiting to happen?  There are so many other more effective exercises to target the abs than these two that I hardly EVER use them.      

11)   “I don’t need to work out” And I don’t need oxygen to live.  Exercise is what our body is designed to do.  Movement.  Your body is a fine tuned machine.  If you neglect it and don’t keep it in tune it will fail.  Exercise helps keep your metabolism working good and increases blood flow and oxygen intake and muscle strength and joint stabilization.  Now tell me you couldn’t use some of that.  

12)   “I’m too weak” Too weak??  Start getting stronger today then.  Let a trainer work with you and prove you are only kidding yourself.  By finding something you can succeed in then it will help you to understand you are not too weak physically but more in your mind unable to see past those big weights.  Start small and light.  You will get there.  Trust me if my 6 year old can do it so can you.

13)   “I would die” YES YOU WILL if you don’t start to make a change in your lifestyle NOW!   Most people who just sit around all day and never exercise shave YEARS not days but YEARS off their life.  Start a program and get those years back.  Don’t sit there and just chalk them up as years gone. 

14)   “It’s too hard”  Again,  a mind set.  Is working out hard?  Is losing weight hard? Yes BUT isn’t getting out of that chair hard too and isn’t climbing those stairs getting harder all the time.  Make a change and you will see that even though it may seem hard while doing the workout, you will have more energy and begin to feel stronger, move better and feel amazing.  Your everyday movements will begin to feel easier.  Now THAT’s worth working hard for.




Here are ways to succeed no matter what your excuse. And these are things I make my clients live by.  If you follow these steps you will have results!!

#1 Discipline:  Without discipline you have nothing.  This is the hardest thing to develop. It is the life style change that is crucial to your overall success.  Our daily choices make who we are. When you are craving that snack you know you should not eat, wait 5 minutes and make a healthier choice.   Instead of going home and propping your feet up at the computer or on the couch for hours, go to the park for a jog or walk or go for a bike ride, but just get out and get active.  Remember it is all about mind control.  YOU are in control of your actions; now help your body by choosing the right ones to direct you towards your goal and not away from it. Discipline, discipline, discipline, I can’t stress this enough.

#2 Consistency:  Set up your workout schedule like you would a work meeting.  Be on time and show up every time.  This will increase your chances of reaching your goal.

#3 Motivation:  You need to focus on what your goal is.  Why do you want to succeed?  Use that to drive you.  It’s not what you do but how you do it.  Go into your session ready to give your best effort and then a little more.  Get into your mind and “see” yourself completing the task at hand.

#4 “Off Days”:  Working out with a trainer may leave you with days you are on your own.  When people work with me they generally are with me at least 2 days a week or more.  This leaves you 4 days for you to stay motivated and active on your own.  Remember the first Key to success?  DISCIPLINE!! That’s where this comes into play.  Get up, Get out, Get active.  Don’t quit until you have given your best effort for each day.  It’ll only get you that much closer to your goal and THAT is where you want to be headed.

#5 Nutrition:  Nutrition accounts for about 50% of your training program.  You can’t out train a bad diet.  “You are what you eat” is a saying that is so true.  If you eat a lot of bad food you will feel and look bad.  Your body is a machine and needs the proper fuel to operate.  Give it the right quality and quantity and you will begin to feel amazing.  Water is part of healthy living as well.  You should get ½ your body weight in ounces a day.  Water is needed for life.  Everything in moderation is ok, but be careful what you choose.  There are always better choices.

#6 Sleep:  Here is something to think about.  Why is sleep so important?  Without it, your body won’t rebuild and heal your muscles and bone strength.  During your workout, the goal is to break down your muscles.  That is what the “burn” feeling is.  After the workout, have a small bite to eat, something such as an apple, orange or slice of watermelon. Then get plenty of sleep (7+ solid hours). Remember, discipline and consistency.  No excuses!!  Go to bed earlier.    

Excuses don’t have to hold you back from feeling good.  They don’t have to keep you from moving better or losing weight.   You must be accountable for yourself!!  If life deals you a hurdle . . well . . Jump it . . go under it . . just run over it . . but DON’T stop, turn around, and give up.  For more excuses, look at my website www.getrealtraining.net.   I have a much longer list of excuses.  I find them entertaining as almost all of them can be turned back to that beginning idea of, It’s not that you “_______”, you’re just too lazy.  Until we can all admit this, we will always find some excuse that will keep us from taking the next step toward a healthier lifestyle!!!!  Make NO EXCUSES!!!

Corbin Williams, NPTI-CPT
Graduated from the National Personal Training Institute (NPTI)
Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach
Certified Nutrition Coach
Owner of GetReal Training, LLC in Sellerville, PA 
215-461-5757
www.getrealtraining.net