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What has exercise done for you lately?

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Since returning to the club on a more regular basis now, I’ve had the opportunity to once again, stop and chat with many of our members. One member in particular stopped and chatted with me one day and the only thing I could think of saying to him after he was finished was “I wish I had a recording of what you just said”. Sometimes, something that is so obvious and makes so much sense isn’t even realized by you until someone points it out. He was kind enough to send us a brief summary of what he said to me that day so I could share it with you. Pay particular attention to the bolded type at the end.

“The day I walked in the doors at G&M Fitness I was unhealthy and unhappy. I had a resting heart rate of about 80bpm. When I spoke with Matt I had one goal in mind and that was heart health. I want to live a long life and have many years with my 2 boys and my wife. Today, a couple years later my resting heart rate is now 57bpm which falls in the category of athlete… I can tell you this: I went from unhealthy and unhappy to being stronger than I have ever been and having amazing heart health and being very happy with myself. This is not just great for me but also great for my family. My boys and my wife can see how truly happy I am…. you can be bigger and still be healthy and the key to that is definitely exercise. As Gino told me “Be the best you” and he is absolutely right.

Cool aye! We seldom think how our health, how we feel physically, emotionally, mentally can affect the other important people in our lives. Here is a prime example of how exercise can most definitely help you, but more importantly sometimes, how it can have a positive effect on others in your life.

Gino

The “Spill Over” Effect of Exercise in Your Life

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When most of us think about the many benefits of regular exercise in our life we usually think of losing weight, getting stronger, or having better stamina, but they are typically some type of physical benefits.

Achieving these types of outcomes feels great. It changes how you look, how you feel and how you perform, and with that comes a huge increase in your confidence.

This confidence “spills over” into other areas of your life, into your work and your relationships. We hear it all of the time. Things like how losing weight gave them the confidence to get back into a dress they used to wear when they were in college, or getting stronger made them feel more confident in themselves to take a trip of a lifetime mountain climbing, or that they are a better husband, wife, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother because they are happier with themselves.

These kinds of benefits are priceless. This is what we mean when we say we want to help members achieve a superior quality of life. We are not only thinking of the physical benefits, but all of the other benefits that spill over into your everyday life as well.

Another example is how regular exercise creates discipline. Taking care of yourself, eating healthier, going to the gym, that all takes discipline. Again, becoming more disciplined will carry over and positively impact other areas in your life.

Whether you know it or not, building regular exercise into your life is helping you in more ways then is normally thought about. It not only has the power to change your physical appearance and abilities, but also who you are and how you live your life.

What is the Point of Exercise Really?

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We talk about this in our Start Right class for new members and others who are interested in getting started exercising and bettering their lives and want all of the information possible to set themselves up for success right from the start.

There was a time where we as humans physically worked, a lot. We had to to survive. Over many many years we have created smarter, more efficient ways of doing things that are either much less stressful or are completely automated and don’t require any physical effort on our part at all.

Although this is great as it makes our lives easier and allows us to do things quicker and also do things we otherwise would not ever be able to do, it’s also weakening our bodies.

It was my Dad who put it this way but I thought it’s really the best analogy of what the entire point of exercise really is and that is to simulate work.

That’s it. The entire point of exercise is to simulate the work we used to do and that our bodies were made to do. It keeps us strong, agile and maintains our independence.

Sure, there is a much deeper more scientific answer to why we need to exercise but it’s really not necessary. The simple point is that our bodies are made to work and exercise simulates that environment that most of us no longer encounter on a daily basis. And it’s true that if you don’t use it, you will lose it.

So, take advantage of all the automation, tools and gadgets you want to enhance your life and make things easier, as long as you incorporate regular exercise into your life to keep your bodies strong and fit over your lifespan and keep your body working.

Unfortunately, exercise is not an option in this day and age, it is a requirement to feel, look and perform your best.

The Simulators

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Ever been in a simulator? Cool aye! Just like the real thing. The objective of any simulator is to put the user in a situation and an environment that seems so real, that he or she is convinced that it is real. It’s virtual reality.

If you are a member of our club or have been in the past and you answered “no” to the opening question, then you have answered incorrectly. Why? Because our gym is nothing more than a gigantic simulator. What does it simulate you might ask. Challenging physical work. The challenging physical work that nearly none of the general public does anymore. The challenging physical work that the human body was created to do.

One might argue that if we are in such bad shape and aging quicker and becoming debilitated sooner in life than we should (and we are by the way), then why are we living longer? The answer is simple. It’s the advancement in medicine and medical procedures. It’s that simple. The medical profession is keeping us alive longer. It’s not because we are taking care of ourselves better. Nothing can be further from the truth.

That is why many years ago, exercising in a gym was considered a hobby, a sport, an extracurricular activity, an option, an elective. It was not essential. Well now it’s essential to our health and well being because of the automated society we live in.

So, we stand by our conviction that the secret to a good quality of life as you are going through your senior years or any stage in your life for that matter is effective strength training. And the sooner in life you begin, the better, although it’s never too late. Ask any senior who has been a long standing member of our establishment and they will tell you; use it or lose it. They will all agree that one of the best things they’ve ever done for themselves is join our club…..and I’m glad we can be there for them.

Gino

What Makes A Diet Work? 4 Principles For Success!

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A couple weeks ago I wrote an article called “What is the best diet?”. It talked about how all diets work and that what was most important was choosing one that you personally will be able to stick to for the long term and make part of your lifestyle.

Continuing off that topic I now want to talk about some of the common denominators in these diets and realizing what they are so that you can apply them to your life no matter if you are on a diet or not.

How can it be that we know people lose weight from high fat, low carb diets such as the ketogenic diet, but yet we also know people who lose weight from low fat, high carb diets such as the vegan diet? Both of the diets will work for weight loss but yet they are completely different. So, what gives? How is this possible?

One reason that was already discussed in the previous article is that all diets are a form of calorie restriction, and eating less will cause weight loss. That is one of the biggest components to weight loss, portion control.

Another habit that diets tend to cause us to form is just eating cleaner, better quality foods. They almost all restrict highly processed, high sugar, low nutrient foods. No matter if you declare yourself on a diet or not this is a great habit to have when it comes to nutrition.

Also, while on a diet you are going to cook your own meals much more often, and to do that chances are you are taking some time to sit and plan meals ahead of time and maybe even cook some meals ahead of time so that you are not scrambling to find food when you are hungry. We know that leads to poor choices most of the time. It’s much easier to stay the course when you don’t have to think about the meals in the moment and all you have to do is just take out what you already cooked or cook what you already planned.

These are the small changes you can make do your eating no matter if you declare yourself on a diet or not. They are the real reason behind what makes a diet work.

  1. Portion control
  2. Clean eating. Choose good quality foods
  3. Cook your own meals as much as possible
  4. Plan meals ahead of time

That is why when we recommend members read Gino’s book, we say that it is not a diet, it is just the way you should be eating as part of your lifestyle. Eat Smart, Eat Often, Eat Small. You can get the book free by clicking here. There is no magic diet, never has been, never will be. Just apply these principles and you will have success!

Be Strong, Stay Strong

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Anyone who has listened to Matt and I speak about the benefits of strength training, already know that we are, without a doubt, convinced that consistent, effective strength training is the key to a great quality of life. If I was given a choice to live ten more great, healthy, and happy years or to live fifteen years but the last ten of those fifteen years would be in ill health, I would choose the first.

To me, (and this is just my personal opinion), quality of life is everything. That is precisely why I chose this business. Life should not be a struggle, and unfortunately, simply because people do not stay strong in their elder years, life becomes a constant struggle, when, again, in my professional opinion, it should not be. I’ve referenced before in a previous newsletter that if you visit the small towns of Italy, nestled quaintly on the side of a mountain, the elderly there are strong and they stay strong long into their later years because literally everything they do is an uphill climb! Those in their 80’s and 90’s are still physically capable of more than you may think. I’ve witnessed it first hand and it just made me happy.

Here at home, I see constant examples of people in their sixties and seventies struggling to get out of their cars, go up a flight of stairs, walk upright with good posture, even to put their socks on. It’s not their age, although they are convinced it is. It’s because they have allowed Mother Nature to do her thing quicker than is really necessary. When I see these things, all I can think to myself is, “I can fix that with strength training.”

How many personal trainers do you know that can get a man out of his wheelchair that he’s been in for 35 years and have him walk again without it? You know one….me. While his surgeons and specialists were trying to figure out what surgery would best serve him next, I looked at him and figured out what muscle strengthening and stretching would serve him best. I won.

If you consider any sport (even golf), every athlete, regardless of their sport does strength training. Sports you never expected to benefit from strength training like auto racing, golf, skiing, tennis, soccer, curling, running, basketball, and such. Why, because the benefits of strength training go far beyond making and keeping you strong.

There are many, many more benefits on a list far too long to mention them all here, but some include mental clarity and alertness, better reflexes, better balance, increased flexibility, more efficiency in your blood flow which in turn brings more oxygen to your muscles more efficiently, increased bone density, and so on.

Well, if you’re not convinced yet to take up strength training if you haven’t already, don’t worry, I’ll likely write about it again some time, it’s that important. And for those of you who I have convinced, get strong, stay strong and live your best life because you only get one.

Gino

Why Exercise Really? (Part 2)

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A few articles ago I wrote about some statistics that should confirm in one’s mind that exercise should be a part of everyone’s life and why. In this article, looking back at how active we used to be years ago compared to now should also prove to be another convincing factor as to why we should exercise.

Let’s have a look back over the past 50 years. I’m about to turn 60 in a few months and I have a great memory of all that I and all others used to do years ago compared to how we do those same things today. Much has changed. Depending on how you look at these changes or advancements, they can be regarded as good or bad, but I wanted to list a bunch of these changes I’ve seen over the past 50 years just to drive home a point.

I remember……

1. …my dad and then even me after I got my driver’s license, putting the car in the garage. Stop the car, get out, open up the garage door, get back in the car, pull the car in the garage, get out of the car, exit the garage and then shut the garage door. This took place several times a day. Today, push a button to open the garage door, push a button to close it. NO PHYSICAL EXERTION WHATSOEVER.

2. …getting up from the couch to change the channel on the television, or turning the volume up or down, or adjusting the picture quality, turning it on and turning it off. Today, sit on the couch and push buttons, or even just “say a command”! NO PHYSICAL EXERTION WHATSOEVER.

3. …adjusting the reception on the television by climbing up on the roof of the house and physically turning the antenna in a different direction. It’s true! Today, satellites and cable do it all for us. NO PHYSICAL EXERTION WHATSOEVER.

4. …dialing the telephone with a rotary dial. If it was long distance, it was 11 numbers. Today, tap or voice command. NO PHYSICAL EXERTION WHATSOEVER.

5. …running to the phone every time it rang so as not to miss the call. Today, we carry the phone with us at all times. NO PHYSICAL EXERTION WHATSOEVER.

6. …as a young driver, driving vehicles with no power steering, no power brakes, no power windows, no cruise control, nothing. Today, we press a button to start the vehicle, press another button to lock or unlock our vehicles, push another button to roll windows up and down, push another button to open doors and trunks, hatches and tailgates, we don’t have to keep our foot on the gas pedal if we have cruise control, we don’t even have to brake or steer anymore because the new vehicles do it all for us! NO PHYSICAL EXERTION WHATSOEVER.

7. …nailing. We didn’t screw woodwork together; it was all nailed manually with a hammer. If a screw was required, your forearms, your grip and a screwdriver did the job. Today, we have nail guns to drive nails or cordless drills to drive in screws. NO PHYSICAL EXERTION WHATSOEVER.

8. …learning to type in high school. Actually “pecking” at the keys on the manual typewriters and physically returning the carriage at the end of each and every line! Today, tap or voice. NO PHYSICAL EXERTION WHATSOEVER.

9. …heating up leftovers. There were no microwaves when I was a young boy. Anything that needed to be heated was done on the stove top. Today, push a few buttons, and voila, it’s heated. NO PHYSICAL EXERTION WHATSOEVER.

10. …watching my parents defrost the freezer manually. They emptied the entire fridge, boiled water in several pots, placed them in the freezer and splashed the hot water all over the inside of the freezer. Eventually they were able to break the ice free of the sides of the freezer box and remove it. Once done, reload the fridge and freezer. Today, the appliance does it for us. NO PHYSICAL EXERTION WHATSOEVER.

You get the picture, right? The requirement for physical exertion in our society today is literally gone. Moving sidewalks, wheels on our luggage and sports bags, elevators, escalators, and so on. The easier we can make something happen, the better. Years ago, joining a health club was like joining soccer, hockey, dance, or any other recreational activity. Today my friends, joining a health club is no longer for recreation (unless you are like me and actually enjoy lifting weights). As I allude to in my strength training seminars, a health club is nothing more than a simulator. It simulates hard work. The health club membership today strives to re-introduce to your body the physical demands that the human body was created to experience each day and endure. We are built to work, and work hard. Because we don’t physically challenge ourselves anymore like we should, we are aging prematurely. We may be living longer, thanks to modern medicine, but research confirms that the quality of our lives during the last ten years we live is very poor for most, and it shouldn’t be.

The difference between what happens in your life outside our gym walls and inside our gym walls is that outside, in today’s society, very little physical exertion is required to do anything anymore, and it’s only going to get worse, but inside our walls, physical exertion is required at all times to do all things.

So work, and work hard, and reap the reward of a great quality of life. See you at the gym!