The Best Fitness Class is . . .

For those of you who have been reading this blog, I like to write a lot about accomplishing goals and striving for success. I'm also sharing little short stories and creative writing pieces at times, as one of my goals is to practice my writing. Fitness, however, is a huge part of my life, and I want to share some fitness motivation with you. And as a teaser, if you keep reading, I'm going to tell you what the BEST fitness class is!

No matter what you do in life or what you want to accomplish, I have always encouraged others to incorporate fitness. It sharpens the mind. It energizes us, we feel better, and we sleep better. When all of that happens, you find that you have more energy and greater focus for the other things you wish to accomplish. There’s just no excuse not to do it! And if you want to tell me that you’re too busy: foolishness! I can promise you that I'm pretty busy too. But I find time to brush my teeth every day because that’s important. You can find time to exercise too. Because it's important!

I love some time on my own in a weight room or out on a run, bike ride, or hike. It’s good to have that meditative, independent time. But what I want to do here is encourage you and challenge you to get involved in group exercise. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done for my fitness.

In group exercise, I’ve made new friends and found many new mentors and inspirations. I’m motivated by the great music and the fun atmosphere. I learn more about fitness and technique all the time. And I work harder and make the most of my time. You can get a great workout on your own, of course. But you will be motivated MORE, learn MORE, and have MORE fun in a fun setting with other participants chasing a goal similar to yours all the while being led by a motivated and trained fitness leader. My point: You get MORE out of group fitness!

I’ve been a certified fitness instructor for over three years now, and I work at a facility with dozens of great classes. So what should you try? And what’s the best? Let me tell you about a few of my favorites. These are some of the classes offered at the fitness center where I teach.

BODY PUMP: This is a full-body strength class that uses barbells and dumbbells. It’s fantastic for toning, weight loss, strength, and endurance. The moves are matched to music, and it’s always a motivating and rewarding class!

P90X LIVE: P90X LIVE is the group format of the classic home DVD series. Like Pump, you’ll get an amazing strength and endurance workout. It’s not choreographed to music; it’s more of a boot camp (do this one move for one minute), so if you prefer to work at your own pace but still have a motivating group environment, it’s a great option for you.

BODY COMBAT: What a great martial arts inspired class! You punch and kick your way to a leaner body with the spirit of a fighter. Moves are choreographed to music, but they are easy to follow and learn. You’ll feel like Rocky at the end of a workout!

TURBO KICK: Like Combat, it’s punching and kicking, but if Combat is the main fight, then Turbo is the victory celebration after the fight! It has a lot of athletic moves and a rave-like feel. There's a ton of variety to the choreography and you will never be bored. This class is all about energy and creating that party-like atmosphere.

BODY FLOW: It’s the ultimate yoga + Pilates class that leaves you feeling calm and refreshed. You’ll stretch the body and strengthen the core and end with meditation and relaxation. It’s an absolutely beautiful workout-- good for the body, mind, and soul.

RPM/Spinning: Who doesn’t love a bike? Now, add a fun instructor and high-energy music and take a spin with a group of motivated people! You’ll use resistance to burn mega calories and strengthen the body all in a fun and challenging atmosphere.

There are a ton of other classes, but I won’t lie: The above are my favorites to take. I teach P90X and Turbo Kick, but respect all of the classes. I recently got certified in KettleWorX and look forward to adding the uniqueness of kettle bell training to my workouts too.

Now, what’s the best?

The answer is simple. The best fitness class is the one you do. We all take pride in our individual interests, but egos aside, what matters most is that you are active. If you take a class, you’ll learn new things every time you workout. It’s not just working out; it’s an education too! And when you’re surrounded by other people and a motivating instructor, you will find yourself working harder than if you were on your own.

One of the common themes I write about when it comes to achieving goals is this: it’s often the positive influence of others that really help you succeed. The same is true for fitness. Try different classes and find a format that you like. You won’t like them all, and that’s ok. That’s why we have so many! There is something for everyone. You’ll find encouraging instructors and supporting participants like yourself, and when you put that together, you will get better results and will learn to enjoy exercise.

Do you have a favorite class? Why do you love it? Let me know in the comments. 

Advice when starting a new fitness program

For those you beginning our boot camp, or anyone beginning a new fitness program, I wanted to take a moment to provide some encouragement.

Everyone has a fitness story, but it’s our stories that shape our identities. I was always a martial arts guy, but I was not always in shape. In fact, after years of teaching martial arts, I was heavier, about 20 pounds more than I am now.  I realized the error of my ways: I was not incorporating variety into my fitness. I was doing the same thing all of the time, and eventually we plateau, or even get worse.

So I made a change and did two things. First, I started taking group fitness classes because I wanted to be motivated, and I knew having people around me would provide that motivation. Second, I invested in home fitness, so even on my busiest work days, I would have no excuse to not do something.

I loved one exercise class more than the others and became certified to teach it. I now teach Turbo Kick, a high energy cardio kickboxing class with a variety of athletic moves all done to music, three times a week at ICC’s CougarPlex in East Peoria. Teaching, I find, helps keep me accountable.

Additionally, I found a chain of home fitness programs that I fell in love with so much that I now “coach” home fitness programs, which means that for people unable to go to a gym (or simply not interested), I provide a format to motivate them at home. It’s simple: we create an online group, like this Facebook page, and we post our daily workouts and encourage one another. It’s another way to stay motivated and accountable when you can’t always get to a class.

During the journey, I’ve learned a few things, and I hope to always be learning. Although I said some of the following in tonight’s class, I really want to emphasize it. This is my advice—and my compliments—to all of you.

1. Take risks. Never be afraid to try something new (as long as it is safe), such as a boot camp, a fitness class, or a home fitness program. The people who play it safe are not the people who achieve the best results. And of course you are taking a risk in signing up for the boot camp, so congrats to you!

2. Incorporate variety. I’ve even known people who run daily and have run for 20 years suddenly pack on a bunch of weight. The reason is that the body gets used to doing certain things. Many people tell me they do not work out because they are always “on the move” at work. Same problem. We need variety, and you will get it in this boot camp, but when the boot camp finishes, think about goals for the future and be sure they include variety in fitness.

3. Eat smart. I do not like the concept of a diet. I’m sure some of you have been on a diet, but frankly, I do not like it. The problem with diets is that we will eventually go off them and get right back to where we were. So we eat smart instead. Generally, always eat breakfast, eat several small meals instead of 2-3 large meals, and take it easy on desserts and fried food (I do not cut them out from my “diet,” but I limit them to absolutely no more than once a week).

4. Be patient. Results do not happen overnight. Many people get frustrated if they are not seeing weight loss in a week or two. That’s not the way smart fitness works. Do, however, take your measurements, at least waist size and weight. Measure every month, but no more than that.  You will see progress, but be patient. It’s easy to get frustrated and then give up, but the one guarantee I can provide is that if you give up and do nothing, then you will definitely not see any results. 

So that’s a brief intro to me and some of my advice. 

In the meantime, show up and keep moving. The results will be there, but be patient and enjoy the journey.

Feeling angry or feeling fit?

Yesterday, I had a marathon of grading and of end-of-semester of planning and spent six or more hours in front of my computer. It’s to be expected and not abnormal at this time of year, but with my other daily obligations, I was simply in a grumpy mood.

I wasn’t mad at any particular person or event, but my mood shifted. I realized my mood changed because I was not able to exercise. My sedentary day affected my mental state of mind. Not working out now negatively affects my mood, and my experience yesterday led me to think more about anger, which is the theme of today’s post.

I have come to one absolute conclusion: If you feel angry, frustrated, or upset on a fairly regular basis, you absolutely must incorporate daily fitness into your routine.

It is inexcusable to take one’s anger out on his or her spouse, children, co-workers, anyone or anything. Part of human nature, however, is that we do become angry, some more frequently than others. There is a solution, a solution so simple: daily fitness. 

There’s only one place to get angry and feel good using that anger: working out. We can use frustration and anger to better ourselves by working harder, whether that is running a bit faster or doing extra repetitions of some exercise. Fitness provides a natural outlet and a healthy release for anger, and the more you incorporate fitness into your routine, the less anger you will feel at home or at work.

My point here is simple and two-fold. First, if you ever feel angry or frustrated and do not work out, then make a change! You will be surprised at how your mood improves, and your friends, family, and colleagues will certainly appreciate a more positive you. Additionally, you will be improving your health and fitness, and we know the benefits with improved physical fitness are virtually limitless.

Secondly, if you do exercise fairly regularly but still find yourself getting angry and frustrated, it’s time to change your fitness routine. Variety is the key to results in the fitness world, but variety is also the secret to maintaining a positive state of mind and eliminating anger and frustration from one’s life.

So how do you start? First of all, I would never encourage people to buy a treadmill or similar machine for their home. Thinking that you can get fit with one machine and one routine is like thinking you can eat well by eating the exact same cereal brand every day for the rest of your life. I don’t know about you, but I can’t eat the same cereal for more than a week. I need variety, and home exercise machines quite frankly lead to boredom. It will only be a matter of weeks before you find that machine covered in dust.

You need variety and fun. That’s why I teach the fitness classes I do, which have brand new routines and moves every two months. That’s why I encourage the home fitness programs I do: you get a variety of workouts that have a start and stop date, and then you can mix it up and do something different.

I am at a point now where I feel angry when I cannot or do not exercise. To me, that’s an accomplishment. My mind and body know what it takes to feel better. 

Today, I also had a marathon of grading and I’m preparing for summer classes, but I made a simple goal: I would exercise today no matter what. And I did. And the negative mood I felt yesterday is history. I feel energized, positive, and ready to inspire a brand new batch of students tomorrow morning.

So, how do you feel?

P90X2: Sample moves

On day 46 on my 90 day journey, I decided to film some of my favorite moves. Check them out!

After day 1: How to stay motivated

Ok, you got started with a program. Good for you! Now, how do you keep going? How do you complete a 60 or 90 day fitness program at home or keep going to your favorite classes at the gym? Here are some quick tips that I have found helpful. I hope they keep you motivated!

#1- Take pictures of yourself. Before you begin or ASAP, pose with your shirt off and shorts for guys and a swimsuit or sports bra and shorts for women. Take a picture from the front, side, and back in a normal pose and in a pose where you flex your muscles. This picture is not something you have to share with the world, but I want you to keep it on your computer. Look at it. Picture how you see yourself in the future. This picture will help motivate you to keep going when you see changes down the road. Remember, change happens slowly. You may not notice much by looking in the mirror every day, but here is the next step: retake these pictures every 30 days. Put them side by side. You will notice some changes in just 30 days if you stick with your routine correctly! And by 90 days, you will amaze yourself! That’s how we stay motivated.

#2- Weigh yourself weekly. Pick the same day and same time and keep track of your weekly weight in a journal or online. You will not always see big changes, but even a pound a week can help keep you motivated and on track! What if you don’t lose weight one week? Or what if you gain? Then you better use that to really keep going and to work harder! Remember, if you are not seeing the results you want, you may need to reflect on your nutrition, but don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t see weight loss right away. 

#3- Patience is key. This idea ties directly into the two previous tips in that I want you to be patient with yourself. Change happens slowly, and if change happens too quickly, then that is not healthy either. The best programs aren’t ones that claim you will drop 10 pounds in one week. The best programs are the ones that encourage you to incorporate smart fitness and a healthy diet into your daily lives.

#4- Look forward to compliments. Sooner or later, someone will tell you, “Wow, you have lost weight!” Or they will ask, “Have you been working out?” Aren’t those just two of the best things you can hear. The compliments will come. Be patient for them, and celebrate when you hear them.

#5- Make a calendar for your workouts. We are more likely to stick with a fitness routine if we write down what we plan to do each week or even each month. Life is full of conflict, so you will need to revise at times, but try to keep to your calendar as much as possible.

#6- Prioritize your workouts. I want you to think that finding time for your daily workout is as important as showering, eating, going to work, and all of the other things we do every day. I am constantly surprised by the people who claim not to have time to exercise. Somehow they find time to shower every day, right? Our lives are busy, but we learn to prioritize what is important.

#7- Find a workout buddy. Working out alone is difficult. The best bet is to find a friend to do workouts with you, even if you only meet up a couple of times of week. If nothing else, search for online fitness groups like on Facebook where people can encourage one another from a distance.

#8- Reward yourself for your commitment. I wrote about several possible rewards in a previous post, like having a dessert night or a shopping night for new clothes occasionally. Check out that post here.

What helps you stick with a fitness program once you begin? Let us know!