Which one describes you BEST?

1) I never do a workout/training session without my Heart Rate Monitor on.

2) I purchased a Heart Rate Monitor and I wear it every time I workout but I really only use it to look at the Calories Burned (and then get really upset when it says the last hour I only burned 280 calories).

3) I don’t need a Heart Rate Monitor.  I know my body and my heart rate no matter what I am doing, running, walking, playing basketball, drinking my Starbucks, etc.

4) I like to SMASH every workout I do and if “I’m not dying, I’m not trying” and I don’t want a Heart Rate Monitor to tell me to back off. I’m the boss over me, no one tells me what to do.

5) A Heart Rate WHAT?? No, no honey..I have a new Coach purse I need to buy.  Invest how much money into a watch? No, no, no…

Why you need to become a believer, if not one already!

To get an optimum workout, it is important to pace your exercise. You want your heart rate at the proper intensity level for the proper amount of time.  If you allow your heart rate to always go to its limit, screaming mercy, your workout can become counterproductive.  If you always take it easy on yourself and keep it low, then no substantial health benefits are coming your way. (Now I said ALWAYS, I don’t mean if you are in Base Training, that’s a whole other Blog 🙂 )

One of the MOST EFFECTIVE METHODS for fitness training is through MONITORING and CONTROLLING your heart rate and lets be honest, using an HRM is kinda fun and makes the time fly by because you are focused on “specific targets” and not just blindly going to where ever the heart wants to take you.

Now there is a math equation out there that most coaches and fitness gurus use.  For example, the old faithful 220 minus your age equals your Maximum HR 100%. This method is a good baseline but honestly, I haven’t met too many people who that equation actually works on.  Which by the way, you will NEVER, EVER, EVER touch your true 100% Maximum Heart Rate, you can come close, maybe 92% but then I would make sure someone is around to give you CPR or at least give you a standing ovation because you deserve it…going to that limit HURTS and it HURTS REAL BAD.

The way I QUICKLY have my clients GUESSTIMATE their Maximum Heart Rate is by having them go on a treadmill, after warming up, have them get themselves working hard enough to where they are no longer liking me and want to kill me standing there.  They are breathing heavy, they are definitely in no mood to talk, they are giving me those puppy dog eyes begging me to make it stop…and VOILA! I GUESSTIMATE whatever HR they got up to is their 85% Maximum HR, note I said 85% not their 100%.  Now we need to do the math to figure out what their 100% would be, so I divide that number into 0.85.  So it would look like this:

Mary’s heart rate got up to 172 bpms and she was getting ugly and screaming for me to make it stop…so I knew she was where I wanted her in this test 🙂

I take 172 divide it by 0.85 which then gives me 202 as her MAXIMUM HEART RATE.  If Mary then wants to know what her zones are or percentages of her Maximum HR, we then take 202 and multiply it by the zone she is looking for.  For example, if Mary’s Maximum Heart Rate is 202, her numbers would look like this:

65% of Maximum HR = 202 x 0.65 = 131 bpm

80% of Maximum HR = 202 x 0.80 = 162 bpm

Now that Mary has her “numbers” she is now ready to train with a purpose, train with a goal.

If you have a Heart Rate Monitor, please be sure to check out the newly released Heart Rate Games Treadmill Workout.  You will actually find that “stink-eye, breathless, make it stop” number in the workout after your warmup and then play Heart Rate Games the rest of the workout.  You will see how much discipline, control and FUN a specific Heart Rate workout can be.  Your heart rate range after your warmup will be 70 to 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate so this workout is definitely a goodie.  And remember, you are in control of the workout, YOU have to make the Heart Rate go to the numbers I am coaching, so this workout can never become stale because it will look different every time you do it.  You are gonna LOVE this one and be screaming for more.  Go to the SHOP page, WORKOUT ROUTINES and choose Heart Rate Games.  Be sure to check out the “411” blog under Tips and Tricks if you are looking for STEP by STEP downloading instructions.

This is just my first blog of very many to come on the Benefits of Heart Rate Training (next one, we go over each TRAINING ZONE and the benefits of each)…so please be sure to Subscribe to my blogs so you don’t miss out!

Have an awesome workout!

Okay so I’m going to go on a little tangent here so please bear with me, it’s just because I am so passionate about this.  

If you knew how many times as a Personal Trainer that I hear people are going into their RACE DAY with IT Band Issues and knee problems, you would understand where this frustration comes from.  When people start off their training for a race with me, I am very adamant for 1) making sure they go into their training with the proper footware and 2) adding flexibility and foam rolling to their training schedule.

People in the beginning are usually “gung ho” about their new adventure so they follow everything I say to the “T”.  They go out and buy new running shoes, they spend a minimum of 20 minutes stretching and foam rolling, all is good.  As the weeks go by and life gets busy and they try to adapt to their new training schedule, their excitement starts to wane out.  They now start thinking, “I don’t have time to stretch or foam roll, but look at me, at least I got my 18 mile long run in this week.”  And yes it’s true, you are putting the training miles in and deserve a pat on the back, but PEOPLE, what good does that 18 mile long run do you if you are injured and not 100% come race day??  Nada, rien, zero, a BIG FAT NOTHING!!!  Is it worth it??  Believe me it’s not.  Unless you are willing to carry a sign on your back when you do your race “Please note:  I have IT and knee issues today because I couldn’t find the time to foam roll and stretch (and I wasn’t in the right running shoe for me, but look aren’t they soooo cute), but if I didn’t, I totally would be blowing by you”.   And let’s be honest, who needs a sign…all you have to do is look at their knees and see the wraps and tape, etc. (And just so you all know, I was victim to this my very first marathon, I was the one with the sign, but let me tell you all, once I learned where I let myself down, I’ve never gone back there again…and I have a garage full of running shoes and foam rollers to prove it 🙂

Now the next pet peeve, goes to those who unfortunately do get injured, whether self-afflicted or not, and decide, “I ain’t no wimp, I will just grit my teeth and bear the pain…after all, pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever.”  Okay, you diehards…once again, you do this and you will have to bring your training  journal to the race because as you are sitting on the sidelines you will want to show all the people around you that you did do the training, you swear…unfortunately, Race Day was out because you could no longer even walk without wincing in pain.  Give your body the time to heal, do the exercises your Physical Therapist gives you, mentally picture yourself getting better and healthier and NOT beat yourself up everyday for getting injured and not being able to log the long miles.  Don’t work through BAD PAIN.  Better to have an hour a day of myofascial therapy (foam rolling :)) then getting to shout out “I endured 10 miles of excruciating pain, yay me, I’m so strong.” as you sit on the sidelines cheering everyone else at your Race.

Morale of the story?  Please FIND THE TIME to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together.  Find that time to stretch and roll.  Change your running shoes every 300 miles even if they are squeaky clean and look brand new (and NO, throwing them in the washing machine, does not make them brand new again).

Speaking of your running shoes.  Please beware…just because they look like a running store and they put you on a treadmill with fancy computers and have big pictures of runners on their walls and running shoes in every color and style, does NOT MEAN they are a running store for you and your goals.  Try and find that running store that has actual runners working in them.  Those that understand the mental, physical, emotional toughness you are going to need to make those long training hours.  Someone who shares your passion and is all about making sure that you are in the RIGHT running shoes FOR YOU from the very start.  Don’t get caught up in the latest FAD.  If you go to a “running store” and they say “hey these shoes are perfect for you, but you will need to also purchase a pair of these orthotics to go with them…..RUN, RUN FOR LIFE, get out of that store…because why would anyone put you in a shoe that actually isn’t the right one for you and then try and REVAMP it so that it can work for you.  (For example, if you need a STABILITY shoe, I’ve had clients who go to these stores and they put them in a NEUTRAL shoe and then sell them orthotics to go into that shoe to make it a STABILITY.  REALLY??? You’ve got to be kidding me.  Someone’s obviously working on commission.  Run, run, run and never go back. (well you can go back but only once you know the exact shoe you need and then ONLY buy those ones, no matter how pretty or colorful the WRONG ones are for you).  If you are running in shoes that are NOT FOR YOU…”Here’s your sign!!”

For those of  you in the Arizona area and are looking for an amazing Running Store that will have you in the perfect running shoe, check out Cadence Running Company in Gilbert, Arizona.  “Dan the Man” will look after you, just tell him I sent ya.  He has participated in “too many to count Ironman races”, stomped out countless “full marathons” and is an avid runner who is always willing to share his “best kept running secrets”.  There’s no bells and whistles at this store and that’s because it’s all ABOUT YOU and getting YOU to be the BEST RUNNER YOU CAN BE…so in other words, they INVEST in YOU and not fancy computers and orthotics! Check out Cadence Running Store in Gilbert, AZ…they even will SHIP to you!

• In 1965: Jim Schlatter, a chemist at G.D. Searle & Company was working on a project to discover new treatments for gastric ulcers. He accidentally and unknowingly spilled some of the heated chemical on his hand. Later he licked his finger as he reached for a piece of paper, and noticed the sweet taste. He and a friend decided to test some in coffee and both agreed the chemical had a sweet taste. The result: aspartame. The manufacturer merely changed the FDA paperwork from drug to food additive, but did not change the substance itself.

• People who regularly consume “diet” foods and beverages (“diet” sodas) laced with aspartame are taking in high amounts of a formaldehyde-producing, chemical poison that is drastically increasing their risk of developing chronic illnesses.     

• A Purdue University study published 10 February 2008 in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience reported that rats on diets containing the artificial sweetener saccharin gained more weight than rats given sugary food, casting doubt on the benefits of low-calorie sweeteners.

• Since the sweeteners repeatedly stimulate the taste buds responsible for detecting sugar, the brain maintains an almost continuous urge to eat. At the same time, the liver is instructed by the brain to store sugar supplies rather than to release them, which causes chronic fatigue. The pancreas, which had wrongly assumed that real sugar was entering the bloodstream, eventually realizes that it has been cheated. Hence it reduces its secretion of insulin. One might think that this solves the problem but the body reacts with depression.

• You may believe that the fewer calories you eat, the more weight you will lose. But food manufactures know that the more artificially sweetened foods and beverages you consume, the more you will want their normal sugar-containing foods and beverages as well. Diet foods and diet beverages have not only contributed to a massive increase in sugar consumption and obesity but also led to an epidemic of depression.

• Apart from causing obesity and depression, sweeteners have been linked to insomnia, headaches, giddiness, loss of memory, nausea, pre-menstrual syndrome, panic attacks, epileptic fits, and even over-stimulation of breast glands leading to breast cancer. Aspartame in particular may cause extensive damage to the central nervous system.

THE NEXT TIME YOU ORDER THAT SALAD WITH LITE DRESSING AND A DIET COKE…BEWARE…ITS PROBABLY MAKING YOU FATTER and SICKER.

For more information on this subject and hundreds of other life-saving topics, see Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation by Andreas Moritz, available through (www.ener-chi.com) , (www.amazon.com) , or other booksellers. Some excerpts are taken from the author’s book: “Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation”

Today I want to discuss something that I have been learning the last few months.  One of my BF’s is taking a Life Coaching Course in Weight Loss and she has so graciously educated me on what she is learning, and boy, what a different way of thinking for me.

Now I am always a big believer in growing and never becoming stagnant, not with technology, not with relationships, not with knowledge.  Sometimes when you learn something new, it means changing your whole perspective on things…and because what I am learning makes sense to me, I just knew I had to dig a littler deeper into this philosophy of coaching and try it out which means I’ve also had to make changes along the way.

Today I’m not going to touch on the Weight Loss tricks per say (I want to keep you coming back for more … hey I might be blonde, but I ain’t no dummy), rather I’m going to talk about the philosophy of the whole premise of this style of coaching.  Now no worries, I’m not poaching or stealing this knowledge that I have had the privilege of learning because the AWESOME coach (Brooke Castillo) wants and allows me to shout it out from the roof tops and is very generous to share her PDF books, so look her up. (www.brookecastillo.com)

The whole philosophy is how ONLY YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF HOW YOU FEEL.  What do I mean by this? Well, in a nutshell for example, I can only blame myself for how I feel and NO ONE ELSE.  I can no longer say to my husband, “Joel, when you said or did this to me….you really hurt my feelings.  You made me FEEL sad and rejected and unloved and… (the list could really go on, can’t it ladies? )”  Why, you say??  Because ONLY I have the power to feel a certain way, and I’m not willing to give that power to anyone else (or at least I’m working on it and believe me, its still a work in progress…right Joel? haha).  It doesn’t mean that what I feel is not validated and Joel is now allowed to BE A JERK and be mean to me, it just means that I have the power to allow it to make or break my day.

Stay with me here, because if there is anything you take away from reading this blog, I hope it is this…THE MODEL.

There is only ONE TRUTH, ONE CIRCUMSTANCE and this TRUTH is something that can be proven in a court of law.

For example, “Yes your honor when I stepped on the scale this morning, it said I was 289 lbs.” It can be proven, it is a truth.

Now you have the power to attach a positive or negative THOUGHT to that truth which then leads you into FEELING that truth.  Now in order to show you both scenarios, lets stick with one scenario at a time and the first scenario goes like this:

“Yes your honor, I solemnly swear that the scale said I was 289 lbs this morning”.

“And what did you THINK when you saw this number?” asks the judge.

“Oh man, I was ready to whip that piece of metal out the window.  I am such a failure.  No matter what I do… I go to the gym, I don’t go to the gym, it doesn’t matter, nothing works.  There is something wrong with me and I have no self-control at all. I’m disgusting.

The judge takes off his spectacles and looks over his bench and asks, “So after you thought this about yourself…how did it make you feel?”

“Are you kidding?” I huff at him. “It made me feel depressed and defeated and disappointed and…need I really go on??”

The judge then says “And what happened next, what did you do the rest of the day after this weigh in?”

“Well, I decided not to go to the gym, because why bother? And then I went to Safeway and bought the biggest container of ice cream and came home and ate half of it”.

“I see,” says the judge. “And the next weigh in day, what happened?”

“I gained another pound.” I say defeated.

The judge then takes his gavel and stamps it out on his beautiful mahogany desk and triumphantly shouts out, “GUILTY AS CHARGED! You did this to yourself.  You are dismissed”.

I’m sure that scenario is pretty self-explanatory of the MODEL but just in case, here it is again because Brooke says it best,

 BELIEFS ARE THOUGHTS

that cause

FEELINGS

that cause

ACTIONS

that cause

RESULTS

Now lets do this model again with a different scenario…and without wasting your time, just pretend the judge is part of this conversation asking the same questions.  Here it is broken down:

 Thought: At first I was disappointed but then I remembered how awesome I am doing at the gym.  I used to use 5 lb dumbbells for my bicep curls and now I’m up to 10 lbs.  I used to huff and puff just going up the stairs to the gym floor and now I challenge myself by running them just to feel my heart rate go up.

 Feeling: STRONG, ENERGETIC, ABLE, PROUD

Action: I decided to go to the gym and do 45 minutes cardio instead of my regular 30 minutes and on the way home, I stopped at our local healthy market and bought me some very delicious and healthy meals to make over the next few days.

 Result: I lost 1.5lb my next weigh in date.

“Good for you” says the Judge. “We can use that kind of passion and dedication in our community, keep up the good work and spread your enthusiasm to everyone you meet. Yes, you have a journey ahead of you but I am confident that nothing and no one will get in your way, not even yourself.  And to all you bullies out there, lay down the whip.  Stop being a bully.  Learn to love yourself.  Talk kindly to yourself.  Respect yourself and give yourself a break. Stay positive. Take the power that is yours and use it to benefit you and build yourself up.  Case dismissed.”