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Random Thoughts About Training + A NEW WORKOUT!

Posted on by Naomi

We are ALL Still Learning                                                                                             Mastering knowledge in any field takes time. Months, years, decades. The tricky thing with the fitness/health industry is that it is constantly changing, and it is up to the professionals to keep up with it. The sad truth is that it is quite easy for any person to study for a PT certification, get it and begin training clients; no educational background; no previous history; simply a piece of paper that says you passed your 1 day exam. Scary. Most of the time, these are the folks who think they are the ‘know it alls’ of the industry.                         



If there is one thing that I am constantly reminded of day after day while working in this field is how little I really know. As I myself get older, shoot for different goals as well as work with all ages and fitness levels,  I have come to realize I can never ever stop learning. Constantly challenging myself in this field (or any other field) is what will really cause you to soar and be unstoppable. It really makes no difference if someone wants to train different body parts on different days, or work full body or perform Crossfit style exercises. The mode of exercise is not as important as knowing the how and why. My goal is to make peoples bodies move in the way they were designed with no pain. Once this is achieved…their goal, whether that be weight loss, muscle tone, weight gain or to get on stage will be a whole lot easier. If you work in this field, keep in mind you will never know everything. There are no right or wrong answers because I guarantee every trainer has a different theory, point of view and own ways that they run their business. If what you are doing works, then keep doing it. Here are 10 things I have learned as a personal trainer


Don’t Let Clients Dictate the Workout

I was in a gym last week and the trainer went to pick up his client who was warming up on the elliptical trainer. “So, what did you want to do today” I had to do a double take to actually process what this trainer said. Clients come to us for all sorts of reasons, some need the extra motivation, some are trying to achieve serious goals, some have no idea what they are doing in a gym and others just want to get their butt kicked. Whatever the reason; it is OUR JOB as a trainer to provide them the necessary tools to make it happen. We are the professionals. We all go to professionals for a reason; we seek out their professional advice.  The same goes for trainers; and it is up to us to display the knowledge, confidence and results that our clients are looking for.  If you get into a habit of letting a client dictate the session; think about what type of trainer you are. You want your clients to respect, trust and confide in you for their goals; try to make this a priority rather than letting them control you. 

Thinking lifting weights is not cardio
I love after a killer weight training sessions when a client is peeled over on the ground, sweating, huffing and puffing and continues to ask when they should get in their cardio. When one typically says cardio, what comes to mind is doing some form of aerobic exercise via elliptical or bike or treadmill or what have you. Your heart rate is elevated and you are moving about. If you are lifting and I mean really pushing yourself through that last rep, tell me your heart rate is not elevated and you feel like your heart is going to jump out of your chest.  Now, cardiovascular training of course has its place in any training program, and it can be very relaxing, mindless and obviously is great for the heart. What I am simply saying is that next time you lift weights do NOT be fooled thinking you are not getting in your cardio.

Not Eating at Night
I don’t know why but lately, I have been hearing people talking about this concept as well as saying they are avoiding eating past 7pm. When I asked someone if they got hungry past 7pm, they responded “yes” so I responded “why don’t you eat” and they came back with “because I will get fat” It is no surprise this young girl thinks this way, I can’t tell you how many silly articles I have read about not eating past a certain time; It is all a load of crap. Your body doesn’t recognize time, it recognizes calories. Many people tend to binge at night because they under eat throughout the day; the nighttime always seems to be ‘the downfall’ I am not shocked at all though when their caloric intake throughout the day is enough to feed a small toddler. Fat loss is about calories in vs calories out. If you have gone through the day, spaced our your meals properly, your body will benefit from eating at night. When you go to sleep, your body enters a 7-9 hour fast and this is a an integral time where muscle recovery and growth takes place. If you want your metabolism to stay elevated, preserve your lean muscle and stay satisfied…you have to eat! 

Personally, I always have something after my dinner. I call it ‘meal 6’ this usually consists of protein and a fat source. I may have one of the following:


  • 1/2 C cottage cheese and 1 T all natural almond butter or 16 almonds
  • 1 Plain Greek yogurt and 1 T coconut flax oil or 16 almonds
  • 1 scoop all natural whey protein and 1 T all natural peanut butter
As you can see, there are no carbs there because I tend to eat my carbs around my workouts. My body utilizes the carbs much better and when I am on my feet all day, I need the extra fuel from the carbs! This is what works for me! If you have not eaten enough throughout the day, eat your carbs at night. I guarantee eating at night will not make you fat; eating an extreme surplus of calories throughout the day will. 

Complaining about the lack of healthy choices
Guys, seriously? This is laughable at this point! If you complain about not being able to eat healthy throughout the day that is your own problem. This is really not a valid excuse. Many people can’t leave their building during the day, and sure many the office orders food. BRING YOUR OWN. Prepare. Be smart. If you have goals, nutrition is 80% of your success and sure, it may take a bit more time than you are used to to prep, but it is the most fundamental part of any fat loss, muscle building program. 

Fat Burning Food Staples (apples, almonds, olive oil) all things you can keep in your office

Write out a shopping list and pick a few items each week!
  • Lean Proteins (chicken, lean turkey, tofu, ground beef, steal, white fish or shrimp, scallops, salmon, tuna fish, eggs, cottage cheese, Greek Yogurt)
  • Healthy Fats (olive oil, coconut oil, almond butter, peanut butter, almonds, flax seed, flax seed oil, avocados)
  • Carbs (sweet potato, oatmeal, beans, quinoa, brown rice, whole grain bread, wraps, Ezekial bread, millet, buckwheat, rice cakes)
  • Veggies (unlimited! Some of my favorites: kale, snap peas, asparagus, cucumbers, red pepper, broccoli, green beans)
  • Fruit (unlimited! Some of my favorites: apples, pears, honeydew, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, mango)
  • Other (Salsa, hot sauce, balsamic vinegar, unsweetened cocoa powder, hummus, cinnamon, other spices, almond milk, pickles, mustard, lemon, limes)
What you need to do is be organized. Pick a day and spend a few hours COOKING. Cook a big batch of oats or other carbs, Roast a huge tray of veggies, cut up your fruit, cook your chicken. Do it all! The more likely you are to have everything done, the more likely you are to grab it during your hectic week.

Great Items for the Office
  • Dry roasted nuts
  • Dry oats
  • Sweet potato
  • Pre cooked brown rice baggies
  • Whey protein
  • Beans
  • hard boiled eggs
  • fruit/veggies (think celery, sliced bell peppers, cucumbers)
  • 3oz tuna cans that have a pop lid.
  • Frozen veggies
  • Rice Cakes
  • Peanut butter/almond butter
  • Olive oil + vinegar 
*all of these items can be stored at your desk or in the fridge. Most offices have a microwave that you can use to cook or heat up food. Just DO IT. Keep your goals in mind and stop with the excuses!

This looks like a typical food prep day for me:
Roasted zucchini and Brussels sprouts. Try cooking up a batch of my balsamic roasted veggies for the week!
Baked chicken with chili powder, olive oil, salt and pepper
Cooking a batch of brown rice
All packed up!
Ready to go to work!
I will make a quick ‘protein bowl’
  • 1 protein
  • 1 veggie
  • 1 starch
  • 1 fat 
ANd make a few at a time to grab and go! Here we have 3 oz tuna, broccolli, brown rice and some balsamic vinegar.

Losing Motivation? Get Outside The Box!
It happens to all of us….our motivation to workout seems to dwindle sooner or later. This can be due to boredom, lack of progress or simply an overall feeling of fatigue from workouts. I have a few suggestions to refocus and regain motivation
  • Try something NEW. I mean brand new. I can’t tell you the number of people I see day in and day out for weeks, months and years following the same exact routine. I get it-its mindless, easy and takes little effort while still ‘getting in a workout’ but for the love of god, try something new if you are bored! Go to a class, hire a trainer for 1 session, workout with a friend….get out of your comfort zone and you will realize how many different modes of staying fit there truly are. At my gym where I work, we offer all sorts of fun programs for the members; running clubs, center wide boot camps, various classes, free sessions with trainers…check out the board at your gym or ask the front desk whats going on this month that you can take part of!
  • Get New Music: This is HUGE for me. Music fuels my workouts and I always spend about an hour a week on itunes, searching and getting some new workout jams to keep me motivated. 
  • HAVE FUN: Don’t take your workouts so seriously! “Oh its Monday, so its ‘back day'” my gosh, stop being so harsh with yourself and if you don’t feel like lifting ‘back’ on Monday, then do something else! There are 7 days in the week and I guarantee you have time to fit in everything you want to. For once, do something YOU ENJOY.
  • Take a Break From Training. PLEASE. If you are not seeing progress and feeling fatigued, step. away. from. the gym. Just do it. Get out of your ‘OMG but I’m going to get fat!” mentality because you won’t. If anything you will give your body a chance to recover, grow and mentally refocus. Just do it. 
  • Try New Workouts!
CRAZY LEG/CORE BODY BURN
*Set your timer for 20 minutes and complete the first set as many times through you can in the given time
EXERCISE
REPS
WEIGHT
Jump Squats
15
Body Weight
Pulsing Squats
15
Body Weight
Burpees w/ Push up
15
Body Weight
Renegade Row then bring knee to elbow (alternating sides)
10 (each side)
5-15lb DB
High Knees in place
15 (each side)
Body Weight
Reverse Lunge w/ front kick (Left)
15
Body Weight
Reverse Lunge w/ front kick (right)
15
Body Weight
**Treadmill, run 1/2 mile as fast as you can with incline at least on 2.0%
**Set timer for 10 minutes and repeat the following core blast circuit as many times as you can in the given time

EXERCISE
REPS
WEIGHT
Bicycle crunches
15
Body Weight
Straight leg sit ups
15
Body Weight
High plank knees to elbows
15 (each side)
Body Weight
Low plank toe taps
15 (each side)
5-15lb DB
Squat, bring knee to elbow
15 (each side)
Body Weight
Stability ball plank pulses
15
Body Weight


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ENJOY THE DAY!


Naomi
Naomi

7 thoughts on “Random Thoughts About Training + A NEW WORKOUT!”

  3. The short asian chick says:

    LOVE the new workout!But personally I just can’t do low-carb; my sweet tooth is too big. I have no prob skipping the bread basket or never having pasta if it means I can have cake and chocolate. Plus fruit plays a major part in my diet.

  4. Christina says:

    I constantly have to remind myself that eating at night is NOT a bad thing, it’s what I eat that is sort of an issue. For years I wouldn’t allow myself to eat past 7, I’d even rush to eat anything after the gym so that I wouldn’t eat “late”. It’s an old school way of thinking but really hard to fix.

    On another note, all of the trainers I’ve come across all tell me that because I’m vegetarian I’d have to at least eat fish to get any drastic changes. I kinda don’t like fish unless it’s fried so I stay away from it (except tuna from a can lol). Do you have any suggestions/tips for a vegetarian who wants to eat balanced meals that don’t consist of straight up beans?

  7. Anonymous says:

    this workout was awesome! I love how you post circuit workouts that can be done at home! can you give an idea of what a good to advanced amount of sets in 20 minutes would be?

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