Smiley Floor Trainers

I was working my legs in the gym today...hard.
My music was groovin', I was focused, in the moment, total concentration.

...and then it happened.

The smiley floor trainer stopped me in my tracks. "Excuse me, but..." Apparently my form was all 'wrong' and he wants to talk about it. Like break down the exercise and what muscles I'm to be focused on. Like have a conversation about it. You see, in my box jumps, I was landing on my heels when, technically, I should have been landing mid-foot. FYI, the box that I was jumping onto was waist-high!

Look. I get if I'm doing myself harm he has every right to interrupt my workout. I really do. I also get trying to pick up a new client. Or even that he's probably so bored he's looking for *any* excuse to chat someone up. Been there.

But trust me on this one: I kinda know what I'm doing. It wasn't as if my spine was rounded in a heavy deadlift. My knees don't bother me, my hips are in place, I don't have shoulder impingement or low-back problems...FOR A REASON: I studied this stuff, too! But I don't share with anyone at my gym that I'm a trainer. That's like losing anonymity.

Finding my motivation for the rest of the workout wasn't easy. I lost my train of thought, my mantra gone, my focus blurred.

In the gym, I'm no Chatty Cathy. I don't go to the gym to make friends. It's not social hour. I'm not there to analyze whether my heels or mid-foot are landing first. I'm there to work. Interrupt me when my spine is rounded in a heavy deadlift. Or if I'm clearly there to cruise the gym.

Otherwise, leave me alone.

Failure to launch

After I got engaged, I wanted motivation to look terrific at my wedding. I'm a trainer, after all, and wanted to look like one.

So, I signed up for a marathon in Jersey on May 2nd. The training wasn't terrible...in fact, 10 miles started to feel like a warm-up during the longer runs. My mind was in it. My eyes were on the prize: come August, I was gonna look bangin' in that dress.

Then came my 20-mile day, the last of the training runs before the race, just 3 weeks away. My faithful fiance biked alongside me each mile, encouraging me, coaxing me with coconut water. "Babe, I got this," I said, as I eased past mile 14.

Spring had sprung and the hottest summer on record was about to take over. It was 75 degrees. I was getting toasty.

Then came mile 17. Out of the blue, my legs didn't want to move. The pain was so intense that I started sobbing uncontrollably. I wanted to die.

I had hit the proverbial 'wall'.

"Hitting the wall" means that when working muscles have run out of glycogen (energy stores), the body turns to fat burning as a back-up. This process can be extremely painful to the athlete (I attest). I learned the hard way why an athlete carb-loads the night before a long run. You see, the body burns around 100 calories per mile. Most people store around 2000 calories of glycogen in their bodies. Clearly I only had around 1700.

I hobbled & wobbled home, but didn't stop to walk once. Go me, I thought.

What happened next scared me from running my marathon: I became violently ill and lethargic. For many hours I had a difficult time keeping food down and seeing clearly. I had pushed my body past it's limits. Just when I started to feel normal my neck snapped in the middle of the night. The doctor said I suffered 'severe whiplash' and sent me home with painkillers and muscle relaxers. I spent the next 10 days in agony.

Needless to say, marathon day came and went without my participation. I didn't want to risk wearing a neck brace on my big day.

I'm running my third half marathon August 15th. Wish me luck!

Cortisol & me!

I'm getting married.
...soon.

I'm also overtraining. Like a madwoman.
Against my own advice, I work out a minimum of 90 minutes A DAY.
Consequently, I'm eating everything in sight.
Since I have a billion things going on at once, I'm also sleep deprived, getting only 6-7 hours per night.
Plus, I feel emotionally and physically drained.

Clearly I have extra cortisol pumping through my body. Cortisol is a hormone that helps regulate blood pressure, blood sugar and helps fight stress and inflammation. So basically, I'm shooting myself in the foot. I'm burning the candle at both ends by breaking my body down and not allowing it to heal.

There. I said it.

Men: take warning!

This May, a study came out linking sedentary behaviors and cardiovascular disease mortality in men.

The following excerpt from an article in the New York Times Magazine, in my opinion, sums it all up:

Men who spent more than 23 hours a week watching TV and sitting in their cars
(as passengers or as drivers) had a 64 percent greater chance of dying from
heart disease than those who sat for 11 hours a week or less. What was
unexpected was that many of the men who sat long hours and developed heart
problems also exercised. Quite a few of them said they did so regularly and led
active lifestyles. The men worked out, then sat in cars and in front of
televisions for hours, and their risk of heart disease soared, despite the
exercise. Their workouts did not counteract the ill effects of sitting.

So much for a quick 30-minute power lunch!! The study, in a nutshell, states that a 30-60 minute workout several times per week will not offset the damage done by prolonged sedentary behavior. One would have to do much more than just a gym visit. It's recommended that one stays active throughout the day, perhaps by walking around the office, standing up during phone calls and leaving the building during lunch.

I always recommend that my clients set a timer every hour or so to get up, drink water from the cooler, take a walk to a colleague's office instead of telephoning him/her. Staying active throughout the day keeps blood flowing to the extremities and helps the mind stay alert.

I also recommend the following ways to stay fit without going to the gym:

• take the last parking spot at the grocery store or mall
• use the stairs instead of the elevator
• go for an after-dinner stroll
• walk home from work
• get off the train a stop or 2 before your destination and walk the rest of the way
• bust a move on the dance floor on weekends
• jump some jacks while watching Glee
• incorporate a morning stretch routine

Food + me = love.

I love to eat.
I have no problem eating clean, whole & organic foods...in fact, oatmeal, walnuts, avocados, spinach, berries and tofu are some of my favorite foods.
The issue for me is timing.

If I don't eat every 3-4 hours, cravings set in and I blow my diet...becoming dizzy with hunger. At that point, cheesy flavored pop chips, jelly beans and pizza look amazing to my palate and, before you can say 'fish sticks', they're in my belly like fat bastard and his turkey legs.

The key for me is to always have a snack on hand so that when mealtime comes I don't inhale my food. I pack my snacks in the morning so I'm not caught empty-handed.

Some of my favorite portable snacks include:

• Fat-free Chobani Greek-style yogurt with ground flax seeds
  
• 2 whole-wheat Wasa crackers with 1 tablespoon hummus
• a Gala apple with 20 almonds
• 1/4 cup trail mix
  
• 1/2 cup Friendship Whipped 1% cottage cheese with Fiber One cereal
• 15 tortilla chips with 1 tablespoon guacamole
  

The key for me is to include healthy fats, fiber and lean protein in each and every 'meal' (snacks are 'meals').

Again, I thank my registered dietitian for setting me on the straight & narrow. I HIGHLY recommend her.

The stink.

*sneeze*
Who wears perfume to the gym?!
If my trainer wore cologne, I'd have to stop training with him. Seriously. My nostrils start to hurt after awhile!

I have a huge nose.
And it works.
I can smell if someone has doggy-doo on the bottom of their shoe from across the gym.
I have actually turned down a client because he stunk so terribly. Like an old ham & cheese sandwich.

In my book there is nothing worse than being accosted by odors in the gym. At O' Dark Thirty in the morning the last thing I want to smell is your craggly breath. Brush those teeth! At the very least, pop in some gum!

I love the dude who takes over the entire 1000+ square foot room with his unwashed-but-worn-a-second-or-third-time gym clothes (THE WORST!). Reminds me of an empty subway car...it's too good to be true.
And I'M the rude one for asking him to shower?! Can't he smell himself?!!

Look.
I get that there are some physical conditions that can make a person's sweat smell like ammonia or worse. Some of them are:

• certain medications
• kidney problems
• dehydration
• onset of diabetes
  
• starvation diets

But most of the time it comes down to personal hygiene. Chronic body odor should be treated by a doctor.

Or just do laundry.

SLEEP...OR ELSE!

I KNEW there was some correlation to sleep deprivation and weight gain!!!
Every time I have trouble catching my ZZZ's, I'm ravenous!

My nutritionist, Samantha Lynch, blogged about this very subject and I want to share it with you:

Underestimating Sleep

It is a thrill to live in the city that never sleeps! Between non-stop entertainment, balancing a family, and career it is easy to understand how NYC gets such a name. However, not getting enough sleep has been shown to hinder weight loss efforts.

Over the past few decades the prevalence of obesity has exponentially grown. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 66 percent of Americans are now overweight or obese. The number of obese adults (those with a BMI of 30 kg/m² or more) jumped from 15 percent in 1980 to 32.9 percent in 2004 (1). Along with the growth of obesity there has been a similar rise in chronic sleep deprivation. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2008 Sleep in America poll, the average American spends 6 hours and 40 minutes per night sleeping although the recommendation is to get at least 7 to 9 hours (3). Inadequate sleep has become common for many Americans today who juggle the demands of work multiplicity of jobs, family commitments, and extended social schedules. Also, the growth of round-the-clock entertainment through cable television, video games, and the Internet has decreased the time left for sleep (2).

Studies have observed an association between reduced sleep and increased weight, suggesting those who sleep less than 7 hours per night are more likely to be obese (4-5). Research suggests that sleep deprivation contributes to the development obesity by decreasing leptin, increasing ghrelin, and compromising insulin sensitivity (6-7). This means when leptin levels are low, the body craves more carbohydrates. Sleep deprivation interferes with the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrate, causing high blood glucose levels, and therefore causing higher insulin levels and greater body-fat storage.

The Bottom Line

• Aim for 7-9 hrs/night of good sleep

Tips

• Exercise everyday (even if it is going for a brisk walk).

• TiVo or DTV your favorite shows that coincide with your bedtime.

• Having trouble falling asleep and you are hungry? Have a small bowl of oatmeal, glass of milk, or a few crackers. Complex carbohydrates releases serotonin which promotes sleep.

• Set the alarm for the same time each day and it will be easier to get out of bed.

For the full article and resources, check out her blog:
http://blogspot.samanthalynchnutrition.com/

The Great American Time Waster

Sometimes I hear, "I spent 2 hours in the gym today!" This person is either training for an endurance sport (like a marathon or triathlon) or wasting her time. You're more apt to see results if you work as hard as you can as long as you can (usually no more than an hour). I have never seen a fat sprinter...but I have seen some big marathon runners!!

I busted someone staring into space and picking their nose today while sitting on a LifeFitness machine. I've actually seen someone drool between sets on the seated cable row. It's a pretty good look.

There are some gym go-ers that I like to call 'great American time-wasters'. You know who I'm talking about: those slackers who come to the gym to read the latest in the 'Scorpion Tattoo' series, the Wall Street Journal, catch up on their crackberry and multitask like crazy so they don't have to actually pay attention to their workout. God forbid they break a sweat!

For instance, there's this dude who comes to the gym every morning. He has HORRIBLE posture and you'd never know he is such an avid gym rat...literally every single morning he brings the New York Times and reads through every article (I swear) during his 'workout', hogging machines and making the morning die-hards crazy.

If you're going to spend oodles on a gym membership & lululemon outfits, put them to good use!! The harder you work, the more energy you spend, the more results you'll see in a shorter amount of time.

Hydrate that body!

It's hot.
I've been sweating.
A lot.

Sweat is secreted from glands located just beneath the skin's surface. In order to cool the body, pores release fluid to the surface of the skin. Sweat is made up of water, sodium chloride, urea and a fatty substance secreted from the sebaceous glands which are found next to the sweat glands.

Basically, in order to stay hydrated (in this heat wave, anyway), drinking fluids has become nearly a full-time job. You'll want to replenish what you've lost by sweating. My favorite hydrant is Vita Coco's coconut water with Peach & Mango. YUM!! If I can't find Vita Coco, I'll settle for G2 Gatorade...only 20 calories per serving. Very low-cal.

Another way to stay hydrated is by eating plenty of fresh juicy fruits such as apples, watermelon, kiwi, coconut, berries and oranges. Make a smoothie with several different fruits and sneak in some spinach to get your greens in. Speaking of, green salads made with vegetables such as kale, spinach and juicy butter lettuce are packed with fluids.

And please...avoid salty or sugary foods. Who needs soda and chips, anyway, when there are so many delicious & natural foods out there?

Staying fit 'on the road'

Time and again I hear the same excuse: "I travel so much for work so I don't have time to exercise."

I have been traveling nonstop this spring and summer and I have found countless ways to stay fit and focused. I'll share my shortcuts and secrets:

• Pack some light reminders: flattering gym clothes (so you look good doing it), running shoes and bungee bands (if you have them)
  
• Research local gyms. Sometimes hotel gyms are stifling & antiquated (i.e. windowless & rusted equipment) and I like to be amongst other fitness enthusiasts to motivate me to work harder. Get yourself on the guestlist or buy a day-pass ($8-15)
  
• If you can't find a good local gym, find a yoga or pilates studio within a few miles of your hotel, tie on your running shoes and run to a class. Maybe there's a stadium nearby so you can climb the stairs and mix in some pushups, squats, crunches, etc.
• Hire a local trainer to motivate you at your hotel gym and so you have an appointment to work out
• If you are absolutely crunched for time, do a circuit in your room of jumping jacks, pushups, squats, lunges, crunches and planks and repeat the sequence for 20 minutes. Run the hotel stairs. Stretch in the airport while you wait for your plane
• Research a local running club. Sign up for a 5K run in your destination city. Rent a bicycle and explore the area.
  

I also pack healthy food options in my carry-on so I'm not tempted by unhealthy, expensive & processed airport food. I'll bring an apple & almonds, a yogurt with fiber one cereal, trail mix, etc.

I have a trainer, too

I have a trainer.
I love my trainer.
I need my trainer.

You see, after a long week of directing others' workouts, I find it hard to get creative enough to push myself. I like that I don't have to think about what to do next, or how long my rest interval should be, because I KNOW that during the next hour, I do as I'm told.
He pushes me harder than anyone can. Sweat pours off my nose as I finish my 100th pushup or complete that set of 50 round-house kicks on my right leg.
He convinces me that I'm invincible. I leave our sessions spent but feeling like I can take on the world.

Take, for instance, yesterday. 'Let's go for a run,' he says, '...we'll just do an hour.'

We ran nearly 9 miles. And a good portion uphill.

One of my favorite things about having a trainer is that he makes me do things that I would NEVER do on my own. Because I either hate the exercise (because it's so hard) or it's something I could never conjure up no matter how creative my mind gets.

And then I pass it on to my star clients.

Welcome to my blog

At long last, Skoogfit.com has come to fruition. I am proof that if you set your mind to something it can be done with a little elbow grease and a wad of *gulp* cash.

I learned a lot and express gratitude to Jay Sullivan (www.jaysullivan.net) for making me look like a legit trainer (lighting and makeup!!) and having patience to make the countless changes I asked for.

This is where fitness has come to play!