Don't forget to train the last 3 inches!
I read an article recently about the mind games that people play with themselves throughout their training or performance.
It described the so called "tricks" that people use in order to keep a positive attitude throughout a long distance event, or an extremely intense gym workout. As well as exploring the psychology behind exercise performance, the article also highlighted the lack of training that people do for "the last 3 inches".
The last 3 inches are the most important!
When talking about the last 3 inches, the author was not describing the last bit of asphalt before the finish line, but rather our minds - the 3 inches of our body that sits above our neck (although I think it's more like 6 inches...I am yet to see someone with a head that is only 3 inches long and when I do I think I will find it hard not to stare!)
And its all true!!
And when you think about it - it all makes sense!
Every single time we exercise we make a conscious decision to stop.
Our arms and legs never fall off, they don't break or instantaneously combust. They may start to feel heavy, sore, tired, but that is a feeling that we manage and ultimately make a decision about.
Sometimes we can manage those feelings and continue searching for training adaptations by pushing ourselves that little bit harder, whilst other times the slightest ache or pain is enough to make us stop.
Ultimately it's your decision
When it all comes down to it - you have a decision to make.
Now I'm not saying that we should all train for longer or train harder.
Sometimes pushing your body through discomfort can lead to injury so it's important to understand what your body is trying to tell you. But it's also important to be truthful to yourself and realise when it's your body telling you to stop as opposed to those final 3 inches.
What do you listen to more....your body or the last 3 inches?
Classic Example
Here is a classic example.
Yesterday I was training down at Kirra with a client when we were caught in some of the heaviest rain since Noah built the Arc.
We both decided to stick it out...kept boxing and ultimately got drenched.
Others who were training near us were faced with the same decision. Some packed it in....some stuck it out.
We all lived
Everyone who was training at the time was back there again today doing the same exercises in the sunshine.
So what's the difference?
The difference is...only some of us completed our session yesterday. That means that only some of us got the training adaptations that we were after and only some of us are closer to our training goals than we were yesterday.
How will you make your decision?
Sometimes your body dictates the decisions you make. Sometimes we know that our legs can't complete another trip up the stairs or lap around the circuit.
Whilst other times we allow the last 3 inches to make the decision for us. We come up with useless excuses such as "I can't" or "I might get a cold" or "I don't want to".
How will you make your next decision?
How fit are your last 3 inches and do you need to train them more in order to achieve your goals?
Cheers
Chris van Hoof
Chisel Fitness Personal Trainer
Great bikes with a sense of humor to boot!
It seems this exercise thing is quite contagious.
Good on you Dad!!
Today my Dad picked up a bike from Gold Coast's best bike shop.
The team at In2Cycles at Robina have looked after him and custom fitted him onto a brand new Trek urban bike like the one below.
And they threw in a free joke...
As Dad returned from a test ride around the car park, Fred (aka Seinfeld) asked him how it felt.
"Feels great....not bad for someone who hasn't done it in 25 years. Thought I would have forgotten how" says Dad.
"Yeah", Fred said. "They say it's just like riding a bike"
Quality products, excellent service and a sense of humor to boot.
Nice one Fred. Now it's all up to you Dad.
Cheers
Chris van Hoof
Chisel Fitness Personal Trainer
Thanks but no thanks!!
I have lost a little bit of weight lately with all the running and cycling training that I am doing in preparation for a few small triathlons. Nothing serious...only 2 or 3kg.
Nice of you to notice....
The other day whilst training a group of ladies in the park, a member of the public must have noticed the weight loss and got quite concerned.
You see, about 10 minutes into the session, a resident from high up on a balcony in a nearby resort thought they would do the right thing by offering me some food.
Not in the traditional "Would you like some of this cake I baked" kind of way, but more like the "Your exercise class has prevented me from sleeping in and missing out on a morning filled with sunshine" kind of way.
As a result this kind person donated a fresh ripe tomato to the Don't let Chris fade away into nothing collection.
But you really shouldn't have
Whilst I appreciate the concern shown by the grumpy resident, I want to make it clear that I have my weight under control and any future donations would be best made into an early morning omelet.
Cheers
Chris van Hoof
Chisel Fitness Personal Trainer
Do you justify your gluttony?
With Easter here for another year, I thought it might be an appropriate time to look at the thought processes or mindset that we sometimes take when approaching some nasty eating habits.
First some facts!!!
Obviously the most consumed food product during the Easter period is chocolate so let's first have a look at some of the facts.
A recent article on Easter egg consumption lists the following figures:
-
$230 million will be spent on Easter chocolate sales in Australia and New Zealand alone.
-
On average, over the Easter break, people will consume about 1kg of chocolate, or the equivalent of 20 eggs.
-
Parent's get trapped into thinking that they must give mountains of chocolates to their children, whilst a Monash University study has found that 40% of young children are too overweight to be safely carried in child car seats.
Are we really that dumb?
Those facts above point out some pretty alarming figures but are we really that dumb?
To answer that question we should try to understand the mindset behind some of our actions. In understanding them, we are going to be one step closer to making healthy lifestyle decisions.
The thing I find most strange is people's thoughts that tell them:
"It's Easter...go ahead eat some chocolate...it's your right to eat it at this time of year"
Now don't get me wrong...I agree. Go ahead and have some chocolate. But it's the belief that you have a right to gorge yourself that bemuses me. Or the very next thought that follows this one. You know...when you tell yourself:
"I know I have had too much but it's fine....remember it's Easter which means I have 4 days of being allowed to eat as much as I like".
For some reason, many people use the time of year as an excuse. And it doesn't only happen at Easter. The same thoughts take place on birthday's, anniversary's, Christmas, work parties...the list goes on.
Do we really deserve to put our bodies under all that stress by abusing them with bad food and drink?
As parents are we really showing our children that we love them by giving them mountains of eggs that we know will be eaten way too fast?
It's all about balance
Whenever we have a client at Chisel Fitness who wants to change their eating patterns the first thing we stress is the importance in achieving balance.
If a client is used to eating chocolate every day of the week we are not going to have long term success if we tell them to give up chocolate for the rest of their lives. Instead we try to educate them on the importance of achieving a healthy balance with their nutrition. This may include a small amount of chocolate or sweets during the week.
The same balance needs to be achieved at Easter or various other times of the year.
Don't justify gluttony
So this Easter have a think about the decisions you will be faced with. By all means enjoy the break and celebrate with some chocolate eggs or bunnies, but don't be fooled into justifying your own gluttony with the time of year.
Cheers
Chris van Hoof
Chisel Fitness Personal Trainer
Get fit and save money
After yesterday's post a friend sent me an email to show me an article that linked fitness and finances.
It's a pretty interesting read so check it out here.
Amongst other things, the article points out some pretty interesting facts regarding gym memberships.
Join now.....use never!
It states that 1 in 8 adults who join a gym rarely use their membership. This number jumps to 1 in 4 amongst people aged 18 - 24.
Now the article is written in the UK but the financial costs of joining a gym in Australia are comparable. On average it costs between $60 and $80 a month to be a member of a gym in Australia, on top of the exorbitant joining fee that they often sting you with.
Get something for your money
This means that the high number of people who do not use their memberships are wasting over $1000 a year on trying to keep fit and healthy.
Now I don't know about you but $1000 is a lot of money and is far too much to throw away each year.
So I have a better suggestion.
Use that money to invest in some results
Use that $1000 to invest in actually taking a step towards your health and fitness goals.
For a touch over $1000 Chisel Fitness can offer you 20 individual personal training sessions and a FREE nutritional analysis.
Many of our clients who currently train with us are seeing results before even reaching the end of one of our 20 packs. These results include
-
Fat loss
-
Strength gains
-
Increased muscle tone
-
Improved running performance
So think before you buy
So if you are thinking of joining a gym, have a think about what you really want.
Do you want a gym membership card to take up extra space in your wallet, or do you want results?
Cheers
Chris van Hoof
Chisel Fitness Personal Trainer
Cheap Personal Training?
It's always interesting to meet new clients and hear some of the questions they have regarding personal training.
Most people seem to hold some reluctance towards employing a personal trainer for a variety of reasons (I don't want to be embarrassed?; Will it hurt?; What if I'm not fit enough?) and that is perfectly normal.
Financial Fitness
But another question that is always a concern surrounds the costs involved in personal training.
With the rising interest rates and ever increasing cost of living it's important for people to weigh up the financial side of enlisting a personal trainer to help them with their fitness goals.
But there is one question that is always a funny one and I think deserves to be answered on this web page?
How long is a training session and what does it cost?
This is a question that we are always asked at Chisel Fitness and one that we can never honestly give a straight answer.
Sure....a single session with one of our trainers is $60 but as far as how long each session goes for....well this can and will vary.
The reason that this can vary is because at Chisel Fitness we only think about VALUE. People come to us to get results and we pride ourselves on being able to deliver professional training sessions that are focused towards achieving fast, effective and efficient results.
There is no magic clock!
Believe it or not your body does not have inside it, a magic clock that starts to take on training adaptations after X number of minutes.
For that reason, our professional team of trainers deliver sessions that are focused towards your specific goals, regardless of the time it takes.
Some of our sessions will last for 45 minutes, whilst others will last for well over an hour. Because for us, time is irrelevant.....what counts is you doing the necessary work to achieve your results.
Chisel Fitness provides VALUE
So if you are thinking of employing a personal trainer to help you with your fitness goals, you should be looking at VALUE rather than cost and time.
Ask yourself these questions:
Does the trainer have the relevant qualifications?
Do they have experience in helping people achieve similar goals to yours?
Will you be motivated to train with them?
Are you confident that they will take that extra step to help you get results?
Let the Chisel Fitness team help
The Chisel Fitness team is full of some of the leading professionals in personal training and nutrition in Australia.
As I mentioned above, our team of Gold Coast personal trainers write training sessions that deliver results.....not training sessions that fill a time slot.
If you are contemplating employing a personal trainer, take some time to have a think about the questions above.
Ensure that you find someone who can deliver VALUE and get you the results you're after.
Cheers
Chris van Hoof
Chisel Fitness
Excuses...
A friend and I were discussing over the weekend how quick this year is going. Last Thursday the 13th of March, marked the 20% point of 2008 - one fifth of the year is already over.
Sounds like a lot doesn't it?
Although there are some good things to come along with a fast moving year (the NRL season is back!!!), it's also a great time for us to reflect on our own goals for 2008.
Whether they be fitness, health, financial or other goals, take time to reflect on what you have done so far to achieve them.
Have you made the most of the first 20% of 2008?
What have you done to achieve your goals?
Is it possible that you could have done more?
How are you going to spend the remaining 80% of 2008, reaching for you goals?
Sometimes when we reflect, we realise that we have just been making too many excuses.
Here is a great video...have a look, and if need be....KICK YOURSELF IN THE ARSE AND ATTACK THE REST OF 2008!!
Cheers
Chris van Hoof
Chisel Fitness Personal Trainer
Friday's Fitness Funny!!
Being Friday I thought it would be nice to share with you the following anecdote that was emailed to me by one of my clients. It's a funny look at a woman's week at the gym, and my client assures me that she has never felt this way about me (not sure if I believe her actually). Enjoy!
A WOMAN'S WEEK AT THE GYM
Dear Diary,
For my birthday this year, my daughter (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me.
Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.
I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.
My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.
MONDAY:
Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me.? She is something of a Greek goddess - with blonde hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo-Hoo!! Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!
Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!
TUESDAY:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door.
Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!! It's a whole new life for me.
WEDNESDAY:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.
Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for early in the morning and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair monster. Why the Hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and
enjoy life. She said some other shit too.
THURSDAY:
Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late; it took me that long to tie my shoes.
Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. She sent another skinny bitch to find me. Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.
FRIDAY:
I hate that bitch Belinda, more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it.
Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the damned barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?
SATURDAY:
Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I didn't show up today. Just hearing her made me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.
SUNDAY:
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter (the little shit) will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!
Enjoy your weekend people!!
Cheers,
Chris van Hoof
Chisel Fitness
Welcome Zach
Today Chisel Fitness welcomes Zach Nuske who has joined our training team.
Zach is a great trainer who will ensure that you attain your fitness goals whilst having fun. He has the ability to laugh, joke and sing his way through a session which in many ways provides a welcome distraction from the sore muscles or thumping heart.
If you would like to book in for a free session with Zach, or would like to know more about training with Chisel Fitness just email us or give us a call.
Cheers
Chris van Hoof
Chisel Fitness Personal Trainer
Chisel Girls running for fun
Yesterday four Chisel Fitness clients took part in the Adidas International Women's Day Fun Run at Southbank in Brisbane.
Congratulations to Mel, Laura, Renae and Joanne who all traveled up for the early morning 5km run. From all reports it was a great day and the girls were able to enjoy the run because of all the hard work they have been doing in training.
Keep up the great work girls!!
Cheers
Chris van Hoof
Chisel Fitness Personal Trainer