NO PROBLEMS ONLY SOLUTIONS
Over the last 5 weeks Jewels, Vic and Karen have been making lifestyle changes for a happier healthier body and mind. I have been impressed with their commitment to making the changes and the sheer determination. The highlight for me was last Thursday when I rung Karen and Jewels with their body composition updates:
Karen – Increase Muscle Mass 43.7kg to 45.6kg, decreased Body Fat 39.6% to 37.2%
Jewels – Decreased Body weight 130kg – 126.4kg and decreased Body fat from 57.1% to 53.9%
The excitement for them to see progress was very energising and inspiring. There have been some situations, mind battles, barriers and strategies applied that you all might be able to relate to.
Karen focused on weight on the scales not realising how her body composition was changing. Why do we want to have more lean muscle? For our overall appearance this gives us the tone look many people aim for. On a healthier level lean muscle improves posture, helps us perform day to day tasks easier ie lifting, gardening, increases metabolism, supports our skeletal system. The health benefits far outweigh the look benefits. Flip to the other side of the coin – decreasing body fat improves energy levels, decreases risk of many modern lifestyle diseases ie cardiac conditions and diabetes, improves self esteem etc… ….
How many people focus on just their weight on the scales? In Karen’s head at one stage she was feeling disheartened as the ‘weight’ on the scales had not changed. This ‘weight’ only measurement is a one dimensional picture when our composition tells us so much more of what is happening from the inside out. This is where scales and diets people can fall into a trap. The changes that have happened in Karen’s body are totally to do with the change in the composition of fat and muscle in her body. She has been working hard at strength exercises and her nutrition and this is reflected in her results.
Solution 1: Focus on more than just the scales, focus on performance (ie maintaining healthy food choices, improving your level of resistance or cardio training – intensity, weight, duration) and focus on how you are feeling and the change in your body. If you do not have access to Body Composition scales at home either: Ring a local gym and ask if they will do a test or take your measurements on your body.
Solution 2: Jewels found in her busy lifestyle that exercising in the morning set her up for the day. She had more energy, if something came up during the day she had done her exercise session already instead of putting it of, the morning exercise kept her on track with nutrition throughout the day. There are challenges of getting up first thing in the morning but Jewels found that staying with a positive outlook and focusing on the benefits she would get out of her morning session. The 2 types of exercise she has enjoyed in the mornings is RPM (a group cycling class) and a Personal Training Session. Both sessions she has to meet someone so can not run the risk of ‘I will just lie in for 5 more minutes’ and not turn up.
Solution 3: Positive thoughts and self affirmations. The power of the mind is unbelievable. I have been impressed how all 3 ladies have managed to overcome any minor hurdle with finding the positive in the situation ie a busy week – instead of focusing on what they can not do – changing to what they can achieve in the week.
Solution 4: Planning ahead. Thinking ahead and planning their exercise throughout the weeks. Every week can be different. Karen was away for a week with a netball team and still planned to do some body weight exercises when she could. Jewels has had some busy weekends ie a coaching course all weekend so rose early on Saturday to exercise before she was on the course all day. No problems only Solutions
Where to from here: The ladies are about to embark on a Crossfit experience at crossfithawkesbay.co.nz with Hawkes Bay’s only Crossfit certified Level One Trainer Neil Hanson. To sum up Crossfit:
What is CrossFit?
CONSTANTLY VARIED, FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT, HIGH INTENSITY.
CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, firemen, military special operations units, champion martial artists and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide,
The program delivers fitness that is, by design, broad, general and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports and life in general reward this kind of fitness and on average punish the specialist.
The CrossFit program is designed for universal adaptability, making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. The same regimens are used for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We adapt load (weight) and intensity; we don’t change programs. The needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree not kind. The military, high school athletes, skiers, mountain bike riders, moms and dads have found their best fitness from the same regimen.
How we are different
CrossFit Hawkes Bay is not your ordinary gym. We do not have any machines, in fact we have very little equipment that you might see at you standard gym.
The core of the CrossFit program combines Olympic style weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, rowing, and gymnastics with the use of kettlebells, ropes, rings and more. This type of training is completely functional and 100% of it will transfer from the gym to every facet of your life.
Conventional gyms offer expensive equipment that isolate muscles that were never intended to be isolated. The muscles of the body function as a system, so we believe that training the system offers the best return for your efforts. Isolation exercise isn’t how muscles are used and so don’t need to be trained that way.
Karen and Jewels in action at 6am in the morning and still smiling!!
