An Evening with Jillian Michaels on the Maximize Your Life Tour
Post by Pamela Hernandez | May 16th, 2013
I am not the person Jillian Michaels is trying to reach with her Maximize Your Life tour. Her 3 hour (yes THREE hours) educational/motivational presentation was, to me, preaching to the choir. What she says are the same things I tell my clients, and you, everyday.
So if you are expecting some new miracle diet or secret training techniques when you buy tickets to the show you are going to be disappointed.
That’s because the facts are plan. The keys to real fitness aren’t new or groundbreaking, nor are they particularly hard. In the first half of the show she sums it up like this:
- It’s food quantity (count your calories) and food quality (don’t eat poison).
- Work your body in 3D (free weights not machines) and move your ass – quickly.
She gave some great specifics as she reviewed these concepts, like how to determine how many calories you should be eating. Many people I’ve found do not have any idea how much fuel their body really needs. She reviewed the formula using her stats on the giant projector screen behind her. If you want an easier way to figure Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) check out the Body Weight Simulator Tool from the National Institute of Health that she references in Slim for Life. She also reviewed the Clean Fifteen and the Dirty Dozen, concepts that seemed shockingly foreign to the St. Louis audience.
Can I talk about the St. Louis audience for a moment? This show, I felt, was about reaching the Biggest Loser audience who may not be hearing her message via the podcast or books. I felt as though I was sitting at home, on the couch, with a few hundred friends watching the Biggest Loser. The ladies behind me were enjoying a beer. Others had M&Ms and soda. They laughed in all the right places and gasped with shock at the Dirty Dozen produce list. When asked to give up the golden arches and spend a little more on organic dairy and beef it seemed they found the information useful but appeared not ready to commit.
I hope the second half of the show, the motivation/inspirational portion, pushed them a little further down the road to fitness. Here she sought the answer to the The Big Question:
If these things are so simple why are they so hard to put into practice?
This is the question we are all trying to figure out. Perhaps it is so hard to find the answer because it is different for everyone. We all have a different WHY. We all come to that point in our life where the pain of staying where we are is greater than the pain of change with different experiences and at our own pace. What matters is that we do the work to understand what is holding us back. For me, like Jillian, it was partly due to a dysfunctional relationship with my father. She had a need to connect. I had a need for comfort. In a way we were both trying to fill holes in our lives.
This is why it’s so hard. Showing up for a workout or buying organic vegetables are much easier than dealing with all the emotional issues connected to food and our bodies. When the reality of this hits it can become too much for many people. They shut down and revert back to what is less scary.
She gave some great advice, but admitted dealing with these issues were more than she could do in an hour and 15 minute talk. She’s right. This is were a good coach or health professional becomes invaluable. Perhaps that is the best take away from the second half:
Don’t feel like you have to tackle this journey alone. It’s okay to ask for help.
I hope people left with that thought and armed with some good information. I hope it inspired them to do more than sit on the sidelines. Life is too short, to beautiful, to just sit on the couch with a soda and M&Ms.
Have you seen Jillian as she rolled through your town? What did you think of the show? What did you take away?
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(Re)Defining Beauty with The Under Armour What’s Beautiful Challenge
Post by Pamela Hernandez | May 13th, 2013
What makes an athlete?
Is it having the medal around your neck? Is it a trophy on a shelf? Is it being part of team with a dedicated training schedule?
Or is it the act of showing up? Is it getting up off the couch and moving each day? Is it about staying strong to do all you that life has to offer?
What about beautiful? I keep hearing strong is the new skinny. But is beautiful either or neither of those things? Is beautiful simply the body in motion no matter it’s size or shape, glowing with joy and self confidence?
Under Armour is giving us the chance to (re)define athlete and what it means to be beautiful. The What’s Beautiful challenge is a competition but I am not concerned about prizes or badges. They did send me some lovely clothes to wear as I participated in the individual challenges and events. But that’s not why I wanted to participate. My goal is to show the beauty of real women getting fit and meeting their own personal challenges.
I am lucky; I get to see this beauty every day in the faces and bodies of my clients.
The glow of describing the first 5K.
The surprise at the first push up.
The joy of a shopping trip with new pants a size smaller.
The amazement at the tricep or bicep popping out in the mirror.
It is through their accomplishments that I have come to know real beauty. It is their dedication that shows me what is possible when the heart is inspired and willing. They are all athletes in my eyes and I dare anyone to say I am wrong.
It is because of them that I wanted to join this challenge. It is with them (and YOU) that I hope to change the perception of “female athlete” and challenge the notion of what is beautiful. Will you join us? Here is how:
- Go the Under Armour What is Beautiful site by clicking HERE.
- Create your profile and declare your goal.
- Search for my team, ThriveFit All Stars, or click here to get to the team page and request membership.
- Start completing your challenges and working towards your goal!
My goal is to get rid my “I’m not a runner” and complete a 5K in under 30 minutes. I’ve got about 3 minutes to shave off my time – one minute at a time. My first 5K of the year is May 27 so stay tuned.
Use the team page to share your accomplishments, find support and cheer each other on. If you share your journey on Twitter or Instagram be sure to use the hash tag #WhatsBeautiful. Take this opportunity to show the world what a dedicated group of women can accomplish!
Are you ready to join the challenge? Tell me, what is your goal? How will you tell the world #IWill?
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Who Should Use Protein Powder Ep 83
Post by Pamela Hernandez | May 10th, 2013
Personal Trainer Pamela Hernandez talks discusses who should think about using protein powder.
In this video is advice for:
- Types of protein powder and who might think about using it.
- What Pamela prefers over powders.
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Fitness Tips from IDEA Personal Trainer Institute West
Post by Pamela Hernandez | May 9th, 2013
photo by Pamela HernandezIDEA Personal Trainer Institute (PTI) West is a weekend of workouts, workshops and lectures designed to keep fitness professionals educated, motivated and dedicated to the best for our clients.
This past weekend was my first time at PTI and I had no idea what to expect from it because it was my first fitness conference. We normally go to tech or business related events like South by Southwest Interactive or Wordcamp. I actually don't hang out with other personal trainers a lot at home so being in a group of them for three days seemed a bit daunting. Questions raced through my mind the night before, trying to figure out how I would fit into to this “new” environment.
Would I be overwhelmed with new information?
No but I was inspired. There was in fact an interesting divide, almost two fitness philosophies present. First you have the traditionalists whose presentations stuck to accepted standards for physical activity. There is nothing wrong with that approach but I fall more in the second camp: people don't move enough. How can we make fitness functional and part of everyday life? People like Rodney Corn got me thinking even more outside the box with my training plans and exercise choices. Hayley Hollander’s presentation on exercise and menopause really spoke to me. It affirmed my belief in interval training but gave me some ideas on how to tweak it to make my programs even more effective. Training tip for you: Play more; it’s highly underrated as exercise.
Where is fitness going and I am going with it?
Yes, it appears that functional tools and moving in 3D are the way of the future. There are always going to be people who like the leg press machine and that’s okay. But to help a population where 25% of the populations doesn’t get any physical activity we have to start looking at things differently. Fitness has to become more about movement where people are (like the office), with the tools we have and less about a standard gym setting. It’s no longer our job to count reps and help people get ripped. We need to help people feel better, develop habits of movement and eat for health. Training tip for you: Invest in fitness equipment that helps you move in all dimensions (think free weights and kettlebells).
Would I be the only one tweeting constantly?
Yes. I am always amazed at how few fitness professionals utilize social media. The official hash tag of the event (#ideapti if you want to go back and check it out) was dominated by myself and the awesome ladies at funandfit.org, Kymberly and Alexandra. Otherwise – crickets. In the last (and perhaps favorite) session I attended, presented by the afore mentioned ladies, I learned this was the first year that PTI even allowed pictures and Internet access inside the sessions. What?? How you can you not want people sharing real time all the amazing information being presented? I am sure it is fear that if people can get it online they won’t come but I’ve always experienced the opposite. It was all the tweets from South by Southwest that inspired me to go. If there were more being shared maybe I would have gone to PTI earlier. Training tip for you: Social media can help you find new exercises, a training partner or some much needed motivation. Use it.
You can’t change the past so all I can say is I am glad I went this year. I got to meet my two FitFluential pals Kymberly and Alexandra in person. I learned, I was inspired and I won some new rolling tools and BioFreeze from Theraband. How could you not call it a success? My goal for next year – present a session on blogging for your personal training business.
What do you think – good idea? If you’re a fitness professional what do you want to learn about at a conference like PTI?
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Monthly Workout Playlist May 2013
Post by Pamela Hernandez | May 6th, 2013
I love the 80s.
I was born in the 70s but the 80s shaped me. I watched Dallas with my Mom, had a Cabbage Patch Kid and my first cassette purchase was the soundtrack to Purple Rain. (I got in trouble for singing Darlin’ Nicki on the playground).
When something is such a part of our formative years we may resist the urge to taint it by "bringing it back". But, like the new version of Dallas on TNT, sometimes a revamped 80s tune can actually be pretty awesome. Maybe even better than the original. I’ve got some 80s covers for you this month. I would tell you who does the new version but I would rather you impress me by naming the original artist (sans Google!). Enjoy your retro workout!
- Summer Of '69
by Bowling for Soup
: Obviously wasn't thinking about that turn of the century thing.
- I Want You To Want Me
by Letters to Cleo
- Total Eclipse of the Heart
by Nicki French
- Kids In America
by Cascada
- Hold Me Now
by Lasgo
- Don't You Want Me
by Alcazar
- Abracadabra
by Sugar Ray
- Dancing With Myself
by The Donnas
- Tainted Love
by Marilyn Manson
- Lovesong
by Adele
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