It's Never To Late To Win

In my experience as a fitness professional, I have worked with all types of personalities, genders and ages. Everyone who I meet is guaranteed to have two things in common. They want to a achieve something and they have had excuses at one point in time for why they haven’t done it yet. A lot of people like to think that they’re too far gone or too old to do something. They get this idea in their head that they will only get to where they want to be if only they had started when they were younger or if they had a different life situation that things would have been different. The truth is that no matter what your situation or excuse is, it is never too late to make a change for the better and it is never too late to win.

                We, as a society, love winners and love to win. The feeling of accomplishment is something that is as special as it is comforting. You get this feeling that you’re on top of the world and no one can touch you. This feeling can only be earned. It’s impossible to buy and only comes with the hard work that you put in to whatever you want in life. It is safe to assume we favor those who achieve and admire them in some sort of way. Whether it is the strength they possess inside or the overcoming of the obstacles they had. I want you to take away this one thing while reading this; you can do what your heroes and idols have done. The only thing that would separate you from your idols is the one step in the right direction.

               

                For those who feel their physical ailments hold them back from what they want to do in life, I have a reality check for you. The truth is it doesn’t matter what you think may be holding you back, anything is possible. This soldier made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and can still handle anything with his amputation. One thing our society admires more than a winner is someone who achieves despite anything that may keep him or her from doing so. I am willing to bet this wounded warrior felt he would have a harder life after his operation. Maybe this inspired him to push harder. Either way, the end result obviously is the same. “With every opportunity, the risk of failure is present. However, with every failure, a new opportunity presents itself.” – SeanB

                Maybe some of us think we are too old to do something that we have always wanted to do. Do you think George Foreman felt he was too old to make a comeback to boxing? I’m sure his opponent did up until George knocked him out. To many, age is just a number to remind them of the age they were born and that is about it. That old saying,” You’re only as old as you feel” is very true and this 62 year old power lifter proves it. Although it is unlikely for many people to get into power lifting at such an age, it isn’t unlikely for someone to think,” I want to do something different” and begins to make the change for the better. This gentleman is no different than any one who wanted something better or wanted a change. He did his research; he made the correct moves to make it happen.

Of course the hardest step to take in making a chance is the first. It is scary and anyone who had made a change for something bigger or better will all agree. It is scary. The risk is always there, but the rewards outweigh the risks any day. In my personal opinion, I would much rather accept and endure the responsibilities of doing something great than accept the consequences of quitting or giving up. Anyone can do anything they put their mind to. We all possess what is needed to be as successful, if not more, than anyone who has made their mark on the world.  If all of these men can do it, all the greats in sports and all the most famous people can make something happen, what could possibly be stopping you? 

For more information on power lifting or trainer, contact Sean Burton at 325-650-7538. Email – SeanBFitPro@Gmail.com or find and like the SeanBFit Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/SeanBFit. All consultations are of no charge and will be scheduled to your convenience. 

Muscle Soreness Isn't Always a Good Thing

Am I the only one who loves that sore feeling after a really good workout? You know when you walk like a new born pony after a leg workout and can’t sit down without making funny faces and weird noises? It is a love-hate relationship. It definitely means I pushed my own limits and will be stronger after right? Sometimes it means other things that you should take into consideration.

                What causes muscle soreness? It is combinations of torn muscle fibers along with a lactic acid build up in the muscle tissue. This causes the burn and the discomfort when the muscle stretches and flexes. That’s enough of the physiology part; I want to bring up some facts that you should think about when reading this. Being sore once in a while is ok, but if you’re sore all the time after a workout, you need to consider changing your routine up. There are a few things you can to avoid these days of walking like Frankenstein and ensure you’re getting the most out of your workouts.

                Do cardio and stretching after your workouts. When that burn and lactic acid build up in your muscle tissue , doing cardio and stretching afterwards help move all that lactic acid through the muscle tissue and the stretching helps the recovery process as well. Please remember to never stretch before a workout if you are still cold. This causes micro tears in your muscle tissue and can deteriorate your muscle progress before the workout even begins. Ensure your body is primed for a workout by warming up with some steady state cardio for 5-10 minutes and then a little static and ballistic stretches before it is game time.

                Your nutritional foundation has a big say in how your body progresses through the workouts. If you feel like you are getting weaker or you’re not advancing as you should be, look into adding extra protein and carbohydrates into your diet when it best comes in handy. The best time to consume a good amount of protein and carbs is before and after your workouts. Take advantage of the 30 minute window of opportunity after a workout to get some nutritional building blocks working for you. Never skip a meal after a workout. That will cause your progress to suffer as well. Whether it is a shake, a meal or a meal replacement bar, never skip a post workout meal. 

If you are already doing all of this but still feel you are regressing, tone your workouts down a bit. Remove an exercise or cut your set total down. This shows us that your body cannot handle the overload that you’re forcing it to do and this causes a big setback. An old school saying of,” Less is more” can be taken into consideration at this point. You don’t have to beat your body down to the point where you have to crawl out of the gym to get a good workout. It is a give and take. The more you give your body to do, the longer it takes to recover and advance from that point. Try this and watch how your plateaus finally go away.

                The one thing I want to stress to all of you is that you should not be sore after every workout. If you are continuously sore after every workout, all you are doing is weakening your body’s muscular system and damaging the immune system. I stress this to my clients on a regular basis because the social stigma is if you aren’t sore after a workout, you didn’t work hard enough. In a few cases I would agree but that is a case by case basis. If you’re sore after every workout, you will find yourself getting sick more often and easier and getting weaker as the sessions go on.

                So remember to always stretch and do your cardio after your workouts to help recovery. 15 minutes should suffice if you’re on a tight schedule. Always keep your nutrition coming in and do not skip pre and post workout meals. They are the most important. Finally, do not think you are having bad workouts because you aren’t walking funny the next day. That is a huge misconception that can cause some unwanted damage to your body. 

If Not Now, Then When?

Many will tell you that the mirror never lies. It shows more than just your reflection. Some would say that it shows your future. I believe we are personally responsible for all our actions and outcomes. Sure, life does take a turn that isn’t exactly what we may have wanted, but that doesn’t mean that whatever turn it took must stay in that direction, does it?

                There are two types of people in this world. Those who “Do” and those who “Don’t”. Of course we all would like to be able to point fingers and blame others because that is the easier thing to do. The reality of the situation is that there is no one to point fingers to and the only one to blame for us not; Being where we want to be, looking like we want to look or having what we want to have is ourselves. While you reading this, look into a mirror and be honest with yourself when you answer the question,” Am I the type that does or the type that doesn’t?”

                For those of you who do, you’re what I would refer to as a “General Special Breed.” We are no different than anyone else. We all have the same things; we possess everything that everyone else possesses anatomically and physiologically. So what makes us so special? The only difference between those who do and those who don’t are these: Attitude and Mindset. That’s it. A person’s attitude can take them only so far, but their mindset is what saves and pushes them from average to success over time. Don’t get me wrong, Doer’s do not stay on top of things all the time. It is impossible. We all lose motivation, have lost motivation or will eventually lose motivation. That is impossible to avoid. What really makes you is what you do when that motivation is lost. When you fall off that horse, do you get back on or limp off the grounds?

                For those of you who don’t, it is something that can be changed. You can turn anything around. Nothing is permanent unless you allow it to be. As the saying goes, “There is no time like the present.” I prefer my own that says,” If not now, then never.” Look at yourself in the mirror. You’re looking at your future. Your past has brought you to this present and your present determines your future. What you’re doing now sets the tone for how tomorrow, next week and even next month will go. If you choose to continue your path, you will always go in that direction. Whether it’s forward or backwards, do not enable yourself with thinking you’re in some “Maintenance” phase in your life. There is no such thing. Acceptance of the concept of “Maintenance” is the catalyst that sparks declination. 

Remember, the mirror won’t lie to you. It doesn’t play favorites and it speaks truth without any regards to feelings. If you can’t look at yourself in the mirror and like what you see, then it is time for a change. You can do it because we , as doers, have done it. 

Excuses

You know, excuses are a lot like a big box full of tools. They’re only used when there is a problem that needs to be fixed. It is funny how much a lot of us want to change, but when it comes time to step up to the plate and swing; some panic and don’t swing, some hesitate and miss and others seem to knock it out of the park. Of course, the ones who missed or didn’t even swing have an excuse for why they didn’t swing or missed every time they’re asked. However, the ones who hit a home run never have any excuse. Probably because they didn’t need one.

                In my experience as a fitness expert, people have excuses for everything under the sun. I’ve had numerous clients come and go that have done amazing with their results and have made improvements, but for some reason they tend to regress back into that mind set and start slowing losing everything. Once you stop your routine, or “Take a break” you being to go back to where you started. The process of achieving anything worth having doesn’t “Take a break” or go on vacation. Your weight doesn’t go on vacation. Your “Fat clothes” don’t go on vacation. It is there and it won’t be going anywhere unless you make it.

                Don’t get me wrong, I understand we all more at our own pace and we shouldn’t be held to a standard that is irrelevant to us, specifically. However, your actions will always tell a lot more than what your words or intentions do. Saying you want to lose weight is good. Making excuses for not going to the gym or making a healthy decision when you eat is different. That is what really counts. Not what you say or what you intended to do, all that matters is what you do. You need to realize that excuses either:  only hold you back from what you could be, keep you fat or enable you to gain even more weight or allow you to slack off even more than you may have already been. Why would you do that to yourself? Especially when you know what happens when using them. Think of this, you know that eating bad eggs will make you sick and possibly kill you, right? You know that taking too much Tylenol for a headache can do more harm than good, right? That is just common sense. So if you know that you need to make a change and your excuses aren’t helping it, why would you continue to use them?

                Please remember that it doesn’t matter what you do or how long it takes or what needs to be done to do it, all that matters is that you do it. Whether it is: losing weight, running a 5k, eating better, or having a better life. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you do it. So do it. 

It's Time

Yes, it is time. The New Year brings a lot of “new” into your life. New opportunities, new people and a new found enthusiasm for working out. More than half of adult America decides that their resolution for the New Year will be either to lose weight or exercise more. Can you guess how many of them make it past February? You would be surprised. More than half of Americans that make their resolution fitness oriented fall off the radar by the end of January. As if that wasn’t enough, half of the half that is left falls off by the end up February. Sadly, not too many last afterwards. Why does it seem so difficult to keep focused and motivated? You paid your gym fees, you decided it was time, and you planned everything out, right?

                You decided it was time for a certain reason. I want you to think about that reason when you read this article. Did you do it because you did not like what you saw in the mirror? Did you decide because you are a size that you aren’t too comfortable with? Maybe you wanted more energy and strength to play with your children instead of having to sit down every three minutes while they are still going? Whatever your reason may be, it is there. This reason fuels our motivation to do something about our situation. Although we tend to lose that reason from time to time, I have a few ways that you can learn how to keep your drive no matter what happens.

                First, I want you to stay off the scale. The weight on the scale is irrelevant unless you have a combative match coming up and you need to make a certain weight. I want you to either go buy a dress size lower than what you are currently or a shirt that you really want to look good in. When you continue your exercise routines, try that piece of clothing you really want to fit into on from time to time. This is the way I recommend all my clientele to gauge their progress and it works with flying colors. If you have your goal in your sight every day and in your mind, your chances of success double. So skip the scale, get fit by retail.

                Second, music is an awesome motivator to keep people going. If you don’t have any sort of MP3

 player, I suggest you get one as soon as possible. Fill that with all that music you can’t help but get excited by. Although this tip seems simple enough, the trick is to always keep your music fresh. A lot of my clientele, including myself, become so bored with their current music playlists that their workouts suffer horribly. Don’t let this happen to you. Once you notice you’re spending more time switching songs than switching weights, it is time for some fresh new material. If you’re music is slacking, then so are you. Keep it new and keep it going.

                Third, the chances of your success during a workout increases significantly if you workout with a partner or a trainer. Obviously the trainer would cost you a bit of money, but if you are taking a serious invest in your life, how can you put a price on it? Sure, you may not be a millionaire; however there are many ways to make some money work for you. Such as: Budget how much you spend on eating out every week and use that number towards your training, make a cut on commodities to further finance your health and wellness, give up a luxury for a month( Hair Salon, Nail Salon, Golfing, Hunting, Etc) and put that money towards your fitness. If you have a partner or a friend that is on the same quest as you are to obtain your fitness goals, then join them in a workout as often as possible. You will be at the gym more often if you know someone is depending on you to meet them there. This way the both of you win at no extra cost if you decide not to go with the trainer.

                Finally, be patient with your outcome. This is a life style. This isn’t a fad or something that will work for a few months. You have to have commitment for this to work for you. No one can give it to you and you cannot buy it (Unless you see a trainer, which is more investing in it). I will say it like this,” Commitment. Either commit yourself to become healthier or expect poor health and medical bills to be committed to you” If you can have patience and commitment to this, I promise you things will go your way. I had a lady who came to me after seeing four other trainers and I was her last trainer she would ever have. In a years’ time she lost over 60 lbs and went from a size 16 to a size 8. It took time but the rewards are plentiful and very worth it.

                I have been over weight for the majority of my life and I can imagine how all of you feel going into a gym. I know it can be intimidating, but if it was easy everyone would be doing it. Am I Right? Even though it is hard and it will take time, it is well worth it. I cannot stress that enough. Life is a lot better when you’re healthy and fit. So stay off that scale, get a piece of clothing you want to see yourself in instead. Keep your music fresh and interesting. Bring a friend to the gym or hire a trainer. Patience is a virtue that will bring results. If you can do all of this, then you’re going to love what you see in the mirror looking back at your in no time. I know that you know a person who has been in your shoes and succeed. If they could do it, what could possibly be stopping you? 

Don't Forget to Thank Yourself

“You can have all the help in the world but all of the worlds help can’t get you to the top of your personal mountains. Only you can take you there.” – SeanB 

In the midst of all our accomplishments, we tend to give credit where it is due. Some of us prefer to thank those who supported us through thick and thin and others choose to praise those who doubted them for their extra motivation. The most important person to thank for getting you to the top of your personal mountains is yourself.

                Of course having help in some way, form or fashion is always nice while on your journey to accomplish what you set out to do, but it doesn’t get you across the finish line. The persistence that is driven by the will to keep pushing until that finish line has been crossed. When I first started my own personal training business, I created a quote that goes as following,” Success lies within the will to succeed.” Think about what that means. That means that no matter who you are, where you come from, what you have/don’t have or what you want to do, if you have your heart set on it, nothing can stop you from winning. No speed bump will be rough enough to stop you and no barrier to tall for you to climb over. Obvious the road will be hard and difficult along the way, but anything worth doing is going to be hard and come with many difficulties.

                How do some people take this idea and turn it into a physical reality? How can they dial that 

thought process in and make it happen; Simple. They just do it. They have something that reminds them why they decided to step out of the box and walk their own way to make it happen. What drives you? While you continue reading, think about why you want to stand out of the crowd. One thing I would like to highlight is the affect of persistence.

                Persistence takes someone from ordinary to extraordinary because they just can’t take,”No” for an answer. They do not accept defeat so easily for whatever reason. Be that as it may, the end result is always the same. They are no different than you or me. They’ve all had: Jobs, careers, a family, bills and a life. The trick is a balancing act. Find a way to turn your passion into a reality while keeping balanced in life. Bruce Lee once said,” Defeat is a state of mind. No one is ever truly defeated until it has been accepted as a reality.”

Here you have a choice. You can choose to attempt your dreams and passion and turn them into a reality for you or you can choose to ignore them and continue your daily routine in your safe box. Before you make your choice, remember that everyone who ever did anything amazing with their life didn’t get there by; blaming others, making excuse or thinking negative. Sure, it will come with risks and that can be scary, but there is a better life at the end of that road just waiting for you to take advantage of it. All you have to do is take a step forward and when you get there, thank everyone who helped and don’ forget to thank yourself for making it happen.

Chicken Leg Syndrome: A Male Epidemic

There is a horrible epidemic happening in gyms everywhere nationwide. It comes as a surprise to most and it’s mostly undercover. Chicken Leg syndrome is a horrible male epidemic that has been going on for some time now. It may come as a shock to most of us that some guys just simple do not want to work out their lower body for many different reasons. Due to the amount of cases that have been seen all over, it is time we break this down and find a permanent solution and help guys who are suffering from this horrible epidemic.

               

  Chicken Leg syndrome is a case of mostly upper body workouts with very little attention to the lower half. It’s often classified as “Stick Figure Legs” or “Stork Legs” and it’s very noticeable. Guys choose to ignore half of their body due to one of the following reasons. They either don’t know how to work their lower body, it’s not a “vanity muscle” or they’re insecure about the lack of strength or size their lower body possesses so they choose to stick with the other half of the body. For whatever reason they have, we at SeanBFit have the solution to get your legs up to speed with the rest of your body.

              

  According to Occam’s razor, the most obvious solution would be to actually work your lower body. That being said, there are a few things you want to take into consideration before jumping head first into the squat rack guys.

1.        Learn the form – A compound movement such as a squat or dead lift has a lot of risk of going back if your form is off. If you don’t know how to squat properly, please consult a fitness expert or a friend that has a good work out experience with results to prove it. The squat and the dead lift are some of the most compound and effective exercises for the body. If learned and executed properly, you’ll be seeing some impressive results. Not only in your legs, but your body overall

2.       Use your entire arsenal - Gyms now days have so many machines to hit the body in so many different angles and you want to use this to your advantage. Get to know which machines have a good effect on your legs. Get to know the: Leg press, Knee Extension, Knee Curl, Calf Raise, Hip Abduction, Glute Raise or any other machine that creates a good burn. Remember, the more variety the better your results.

3.       Prioritize your lower body – If your lower body or any body part is lacking, it’s important your prioritize them. Work them out at the beginning of your workout routines or if you’re splitting your body part routines, work them out first while you’re fresh. Give them a little attention and you will see some good development.

4.       Keep It Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.) – Everyone who gets into squatting and dead lifting start talking about max weight, Front squats, sumo dead lift, power cleans, squat shoes, weight belts, chalk, lifting suits and everything between. Guys, keep it simple. Bring it back to basics before you start thinking of advancing.

Please keep in mind that safety is always first, no matter what. Guys, we know we get to talking and then egos start going and, inevitably, someone gets hurt. Leave the ego at the door guys and keep it safe. The idea is to become stronger and bigger, not hurt yourself. Don’t worry; a lot of greats had issues with leg development. I've personally known a guy how could squat well over 300lbs easily but had calves the size of his sisters. Arnold used to train his calves 6 days a week twice a day to get them up to par with the rest of his body. I, personally, train my legs 3 times a week to keep them strong and growing with the rest of my body. If you follow these few steps you’ll begin to see a positive change in your lower body guaranteed. Keep away from doing only vanity muscle exercises such as bench press or bicep curls. Last time I checked, the ladies love a nice set of legs on a man. Train hard, eat well and keep going until you’re done.