Why do you want to get in shape?

Why now?

What changed between the time you were satisfied laughing off how fat you were getting and now – the time when you’re actively seeking help?

The common answer is “I’m not happy with my body”. Some simply want to improve their appearance. They want to feel more attractive. They want to look good naked.

Don’t get me wrong – feeling proud of the body you see in the mirror is something we all enjoy. Looking in the mirror with a sly smile, loving what you see is something that not many experience, but once you do it once, you’ll realize how satisfying it truly is.

Is this you? Is this what you want?

If so – we’ve got some work to do.

Why?

Because exercising to improve appearance is often NOT a big enough motivator to shake up a person’s lifestyle. The bad habits you have are often powerfully embedded into your brain, and unless you’ve got something that is even more powerful to help you overcome those bad habits, you’ll often find yourself falling off the wagon.

Many of you have experienced this already, but haven’t realized until this very second that it’s due to a lack of motivation. You’ve blamed other things. Work, family, time, genetics, vacation – these are all things that people use to explain why they’ve fallen off the wagon.

Wake up.

If you were truly motivated, you would find a way to make it work.

In the face of obstacles, successful people find a way to succeed. They don’t whine and cry about the adversity they have to overcome, or how annoying things working against them are. They simply find a way.

What’s the best way to fuel the motivational fire?

Competition.

This is going to be the topic of my next post. Stay tuned….

-Travis

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Why? is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Travis

Travis is the Head Trainer at WorkoutBOX and he's experience speaks for itself : (1) he’s trained elite athletes, pro fighters, and a UFC Champion (2) he’s a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (3) he’s a published author, pro athlete, and has a Master's degree in Exercise Science..

I’m a fan of this saying, but this isn’t the same 90/10 principle that I’ll be talking about today (though it does seem loosely related).

It’s a common misconception that getting in shape is a purely physical task.

Yes, you read that right. I said it’s a MISCONCEPTION.

While it’s true that fitness does stem in part from performing frequent exercise on a regular basis, but viewing fitness as just this would do a lot to explain why so many people find getting in shape so terribly difficult. After all, it’s so simple on paper – isn’t it?

In reality, the process of getting the body you’ve always wanted is about 90% psychological. It’s in your head. All of it.

But Travis, how can fitness be in my head? You’re not making sense!

Think about it for a minute. Why do people fail to reach their goals? What makes them stray off track? Why do people lie on the couch eating Cheetos and McDonalds when they know they know they should be exercising and eating right?

One little saying sums up the reason why:

“It’s one thing to know what to do. It’s quite another to do what you know.”

It’s no secret in modern society that exercise and nutrition are an important part of the healthy lifestyle required for a fantastically fit body – and learning the correct things to do is the easy part.

The hard part?

Actually doing it. And CONTINUING to do it regularly and correctly.

This is the essence of The 90/10 Principle. Only 10% of the battle is figuring out what to do. The remaining 90% is continuing to do it.

With the resources we have at WorkoutBOX, I can provide you with some fantastic direction and some step-by-step instruction. But I can’t force you to get in shape. The decision lies with you. It lies in your head. It lies with your own dedication, motivation, and mental toughness.

I can only show you the door.

You’re the one that has to walk through it.

Are you a complete psychological cupcake? Chances are you’re not going to get much from ANY fitness program you follow, ANY diet book you buy, or even the gym membership you pay for each month.

Do you blame others for your lack of success?

Do you blame genetics, lack of time, or lack of money?

Stop.

The only person to blame is yourself. Got a road block? Find a way to get around it. Your solution is out there. The question is – do you care enough to find it?

Re-examine why you’re getting in shape. Maybe your reason isn’t good enough. Maybe you just don’t want it bad enough. Maybe you’re inventing excuses for yourself because you don’t have the balls to fully commit yourself to something. Grow up.

Are you a mental workhorse? Is your mind powerful enough, and are you motivated enough to make things happen for you? Are you a positive person? Do you proactively seek out solutions to your problems?

If so, you’re likely going to progress extremely quickly. You’ll reach your goals, make new ones, then reach those too.

If you do have the drive to succeed, you’re going to find that this success is the gateway to further successes in other endeavors. The systematic, meticulously-planned process of getting in shape can apply elsewhere as well.

Once you know what success feels like, you’ll feel how addicting it is. You’ll stop making excuses, and you’ll find ways to make things happen for yourself.

-Travis

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The 90/10 Principle is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Travis

Travis is the Head Trainer at WorkoutBOX and he's experience speaks for itself : (1) he’s trained elite athletes, pro fighters, and a UFC Champion (2) he’s a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (3) he’s a published author, pro athlete, and has a Master's degree in Exercise Science..

Why?

Because about half of them are similar to the following question:

• What exercises should I do to lose my gut?
• What exercises should I do to get a 6 pack?
• What exercises should I do to build muscle?

I’m not sure where the myth came from that there is a magical list of exercises that you can perform and – POOF! – you’ll have your dream body. It was probably the same person that created the “eat whatever you want, never exercise, and still lose weight” myth.

The person who invented that myth should be shot. They’ve cheated thousands of people out of their hard-earned money – and also out of a better life. They’ve done this by frustrating them and turning their interest in fitness off completely. In my mind, this is a crime.

I want to tell you a secret…

Getting in shape is NOT about the exercises you do.

Hmm…that sounded confusing. Exercise selection IS important when you know what you’re doing, but isn’t a magic bullet by itself.

Let me rephrase that same secret so it makes a little more sense to you:

Getting in shape is not JUST about the exercises you do.

In fact, exercise selection is only about 10% (at the most) of what goes into getting you a better body.

Exercises themselves are a dime a dozen. One exercise or even a few tough exercises are not going to make the difference between getting in shape and not getting in shape.

There is no magical list of exercises that will get you what you want. There isn’t a “training regimen the government doesn’t want you to know about that’s now available for a limited time blahblahblah…” If you see an ad like that – leave the website, put down the magazine, or change the channel.

If I were to answer a question like “what exercises should I do?” by providing them with a simple static list of exercises, that person would not get what they’re looking for. Even though they’re asking for exercises, they don’t actually want them.

They want results.

In order to get results, you need the complete package – exercise, nutrition, recovery, and good psychological habits. This may be common knowledge, but the actual content of what goes into the correct version of these 4 factors is what most people are missing.

Providing you with insight on exactly what goes into the 4 things is going to be the primary purpose of this entire blog from this day forward.

Now that you know that exercise selection is an important, but small piece of the puzzle, you can begin to become aware of the rest of the pieces – allowing you to put them all together for yourself.

Until next time…

-Travis

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2. The Romanian deadlift…butt lift with a barbell!
3. A new routine could mean a new physique

The “Exercise” Myth is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Travis

Travis is the Head Trainer at WorkoutBOX and he's experience speaks for itself : (1) he’s trained elite athletes, pro fighters, and a UFC Champion (2) he’s a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (3) he’s a published author, pro athlete, and has a Master's degree in Exercise Science..

They have done a phenomenal job, and we want to thank them for everything.

Before I get into what direction we’re going to be going, I should first introduce you to the new writer…

So who is it?

Yours truly!

I must warn you – I won’t be posting the types of things that have been posted in the past. I’m going to treat this blog like I would treat an actual physical client (a service that I charge up to $500/hour for). What does this mean?

Essentially this means that I’m not going to be sugar-coating anything from here on out.

If you’re looking for some sort of shortcut to fat loss or the magic combinations of super-easy exercises to do at home that somehow get you amazing results with no effort on your part, you won’t find them here (or anywhere for that matter). Stop kidding yourself.

If you’re wanting somebody to glamor up the process of getting a truly elite body – look elsewhere. Try a fitness magazine or one of those cookie-cutter workout DVDs.

In other words, this blog is going to show you a very different side of Travis Steffen that only my private clients see. I will likely be blunt, brutally honest, and – at times – a little profane.

Why?

Because more often than not, that’s the type of thing you need. Somebody to tell you the truth – and who will actually get you where you want to be.

If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, don’t read! If you’re curious - right on. Keep reading.

What two sentences best summarize the future of the WorkoutBOX blog?

I’m NOT going to be telling you what you want to hear.

I’m going to be telling you what you NEED to hear.

And you WILL be better for it.

Want to go on that kind of journey? Check back in a few days for your first step.

-Travis Steffen, MA, CSCS

WorkoutBOX Head Trainer

Related posts:

1. Are you planning to get in shape in the New Year?
2. The “Exercise” Myth
3. Biggest Losers. Losing weight, gaining illness.

Hello from Travis is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Travis

Travis is the Head Trainer at WorkoutBOX and he's experience speaks for itself : (1) he’s trained elite athletes, pro fighters, and a UFC Champion (2) he’s a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (3) he’s a published author, pro athlete, and has a Master's degree in Exercise Science..

Friendly’s has been famous for it’s huge portion sizes and the outrageous caloric content of most of their menu items for years, but this one is in a whole new category. The Ultimate grilled cheese burger melt packs a waist widening 1500 calories and 97 grams of fat! That’s an entire days calories for us ladies and 75 percent of the days calories for you men, with enough saturated fat to last us both all week!

Now common sense will tell us by name alone that this may not be a wise choice for lunch, but there are some misleading menu items out there that aren’t so obvious. We all know that if we order a cream sauce pasta, fish and chips, a 20 ounce porterhouse, pork fried rice or something similar that we can expect a high calorie, fat laden meal. But let’s say you opt for what you believe is a leaner, healthier choice. A grilled turkey burger, a chicken or shrimp salad, maybe a vegetarian dish would cut your calories right? Not so. I looked at the nutritional breakdown of such menu items at the popular chains Friendly’s, Cheesecake Factory and PF Changs and all of them…all of them…were well over 800 calories per serving, with most hovering around 1100! It’s not necessarily what’s IN these dishes, it’s the amount that’s ON the dish. Yes people, size DOES matter…alot!

My point here is that although avoiding something as ridiculous as this Ultimate grilled cheese burger melt thing is pretty much a no brainer, don’t be fooled by menu items that sound low calorie. Ask to see the nutritional information of the restaurants menu and make an informed decision. Ask your waiter to bring sauces or dressings on the side and to go easy on the cheese, oils and butters. Most importantly, use common sense. If your meal is served to you and it’s big enough to get the reaction “Holy cow that’s huge!”… I don’t care how intense your workout routines are – it’s too many empty calories!

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Quadruple bypass at the take out window is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Shauna

Shauna is a personal trainer, nutrition consultant and health and fitness writer for Workoutbox.com. She is also the creator of the "Soccer Mom weight loss program"..

I’m going to give you one way to dramatically improve that posterior view and best of all, it won’t cost you a cent! Oh, it may hurt, in fact if you do it right it will be a bit uncomfortable, but in that ‘hurts so good’ way.

The Romanian deadlift is one of the big boy butt exercises that should be a staple in your routine along with exercises like barbell squats, Pull Ups, Tricep Dips and Bent Over Rows. The prime target with the Romanian deadlift is the entire posterior chain, everything from the back of your neck all the way down to the Achilles, with emphasis placed on the glutes and hamstrings. In my experience it is by far the best move to work and firm up that glute/ham tie in, the spot where your butt and legs meet that likes to droop. The trouble spot that made the inventor of Spanx a millionaire overnight! If you don’t know what I’m referring to then you may be one of the lucky ones that has genetically escaped this problem area, but I doubt it.

Romanian deadlifts should be added to your leg and/or back routine, or if you are on a full body program, add them to a workout once a week. Every exercise we perform requires good form but with this one your form needs to be pristine. Although it’s one of the best moves out there, the potential for injury is sky high due to the intense load placed on the low back. If your form isn’t well practiced before adding weight, you run a high risk of doing some damage, so always make sure you perfect the technique and warm up for a few sets before loading the bar!

Execution

Stand with feet shoulder width or slightly narrower apart. Grasp a barbell with either an underhand or overhand grip with hands placed outside of legs. *Note* Even though you may see videos and/or photos of people using an alternate grip (one overhand with the opposite underhand) don’t do this. This grip is mainly used for powerlifitng purposes where a one rep max is performed using max weight.

While holding the barbell, take a step back from the rack and maintain position while reminding yourself of these kinetic cues:

1) Keep legs straight but do not lock knees

2) Keep shoulders down and in a retracted (back) position

3) Keep back straight with core tight and solid

4) Keep head up and looking straight forward

With your back straight, lower the bar to the top of your feet by bending at the hips(or as low as your flexibility will allow while keeping your back straight). Keep the bar as close to your legs as possible. Concentrate on pushing your hips back as far as possible as opposed to lowering the bar with your torso. Let the hips control the movement of the bar while keeping your legs straight but knees unlocked. On the lifting phase focus on lifting the weight with your glutes. Squeeze the glutes together as you bring the bar back to the starting position. Bring the bar all the way up to where you started and extend the knees slightly while pausing at the top to contract the glutes before beginning the next rep.

Always use a weight that is challenging enough to allow you to reach your goals while still being in control. This exercise can also be done with dumbbells, a body bar, bands, kettlebells or a medicine ball and once you get really good at it, you may want to try a one legged version for some extra core recruitment!

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3. Why resistance fitness training is crucial to your workout program

The Romanian deadlift…butt lift with a barbell! is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Shauna

Shauna is a personal trainer, nutrition consultant and health and fitness writer for Workoutbox.com. She is also the creator of the "Soccer Mom weight loss program"..

Generally we are taught that in order to gain strength we should lift very heavy weights, using a rep scheme of roughly 2 to 6 for only 2 to 4 sets and take long rests in between. For hypertrophy the ‘golden’ rule is to lift moderately heavy weight for a rep scheme of 8 to 12 and anywhere from 3 to 5 sets, taking half the time to rest compared to the strength training guidelines. Although sound advice and albeit effective, it only works for so long. At some point you will need to add a different stimulus in order to continue to progress. This would be a good time to try time under tension specific workouts. By switching to this format for one week out of every 6 or so, your muscles will get that much needed ‘shock’ and the stimulus will prompt more growth and/or greater strength gains.

Here’s how it’s done. First of all you’ll need a clock. You may also need to abandon that whole cookie cutter rigid rep scheme too. Let’s go with the formula for strength first. Sticking with 2 to 4 sets and a rest period of 2 to 4 minutes in between, instead of counting reps you’re going to count the seconds it takes to complete those reps. The total time under tension should be in the range of 5 to 30 seconds per set. Let’s say you’re performing Barbell Curls for 2 reps. The lifting phase of each rep could be 4 seconds with a 1 second pause and 3 seconds to lower the weight, for a total of 8 seconds. Simple math says 2 to 3 reps per set will keep those biceps under tension for a total of 16 to 24 seconds. Perfect.

Now for  hypertrophy, the time under tension should range between 30 and 60 seconds per set, with 3 to 5 sets and a rest period of 1 to 2 minutes in between. If you use the same time under tension formula as above you would perform a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 7 reps per set.

You can manipulate the time per reps as much as you’d like, for example you could use a 4-1-4, 2-2-2, 3-0-3, etc. The only thing that matters is the total time under tension per set. Of course you will have to adjust the weight you lift to accommodate the amount of time you use for both the concentric and eccentric phases. If you choose a 2-1-2 formula, you will be able to lift a heavier weight than if you use a 4-1-4. Another bonus of slow lifting…if done properly it completely eliminates the use of momentum. If you are lifting a heavy weight very slowly you simply will not be able to use momentum and therefore will place additional stress on the specific muscle you are working.

Once in a while slow it down a bit and add a week of time under tension training to your workout routines to really see some progress!

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Slow and steady for greater gains is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Shauna

Shauna is a personal trainer, nutrition consultant and health and fitness writer for Workoutbox.com. She is also the creator of the "Soccer Mom weight loss program"..

Extreme exhaustion is another example of when to skip the gym. A couple of days ago I had a client email me, informing me that she was home from work because she had fainted that morning due to a couple of weeks of being grossly overworked and stressed. She asked if she should skip her training session for the day. Abso-freakin-lutely was my answer. If you are feeling run down to the point of passing out, it’s your bodies less than subtle of way of telling you to give it a rest. Take a few days off.

Some of the other symptoms that should make you consider putting your routine on hold for a few days include vomiting, diarrhea, chills and muscle aches. In consideration of other gym members you should also stay away if you are experiencing things that are obvious to others like pink eye, bronchitis, constant sneezing and nose wiping, or a hacking cough for example. You may no longer be contagious but think of a break as a courtesy to fellow members.

Aside from the rules above, it really comes down to listening to your body. Taking a few days off won’t make that hard earned muscle disappear and it won’t add any layers of ‘insulation’ to your behind either. Quite often we are better off to sit a few sessions out and get back into it when our systems are fully recovered and ready for the intensity we are accustomed to.

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Should I work out when I’m sick? is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Shauna

Shauna is a personal trainer, nutrition consultant and health and fitness writer for Workoutbox.com. She is also the creator of the "Soccer Mom weight loss program"..

- Bryan Adams

When the infamous weight loss reality show The Biggest Loser premiered in 2004, I will admit I was a huge fan. I loved the premise, the trainers and the motivational inspiration. As a trainer myself I found the weight loss expectations and the workouts to be realistic and contestant appropriate…in season 1. Fast forward 6 years and my opinion has changed dramatically, so much so that I know entirely discourage my clients or anyone else for that matter from watching it and feeding into the propaganda. Over the years the show has completely lost it’s focus and has gone from being a positive, health conscious public service announcement to an overly dramatized (Jillian), sponsorship sick, dangerously unhealthy hour of unrealistic expectations based solely on shock value.

I’ve always stressed that healthy, responsible weight loss should happen gradually at a rate of approximately 1 to 2 pounds a week. In recent seasons contestants on the Biggest Loser have been expected to provide weekly weight loss numbers in the double digits. Ludicrous! In addition, when someone is beginning workout routines it should be conducive to their abilities. I’m not saying it should be easy at all, but it should be safe, addressing any possible limitations in order to prevent injury. This is not the case on the Biggest Loser. Every year the contestants get heavier, the workouts become longer and more difficult and the calories are reduced further. In some seasons the competitors have been on diets of 600-700 calories per day (less than half of what is recommended for a 10 year old child) and have been working out for 6 hours per day. Add to that having to endure the excruciatingly annoying  Jillian and her over the top dramatics and you can imagine how absolutely exhausting this would be.

Every season the show experiences more injuries and health mishaps. Recently two contestants have had to be treated by emergency personnel after collapsing during a run, one woman suffered severe cramps while on a stationary bike, having to be pulled off by EMTs and yet another man was hospitalized for exhaustion. If these things happened to any one of my clients I would be sued, and rightly so. As a trainer I know better and so should they.

Extreme exercise aside, a 700 calorie a day diet is not sufficient to maintain adequate health, especially factoring in the length of the diet (13 weeks). Risks include bone and muscle loss, malnutrition, cardiac abnormalities, bowel and intestinal issues, liver and kidney disease, vision problems and numerous other undesirable side effects.

Having said that, I should clarify that obesity certainly has it’s terrible side effects and health risks as well. The point here is to be mature and responsible about your weight loss. Just because you want to lose 100 pounds before this years bikini season doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Believe me, the cons outweigh the pros. Face it…it took you time to gain that weight and it’s going to take you time to lose it, especially if you want to feel decent while doing it. A good rule of thumb is to aim for 1 to 2 pounds a week. That way you will salvage precious muscle tissue, supply your body with the nutrients it requires to sustain life and you won’t drive your family and friends away with a nasty (I’m starving) attitude. As far as exercise goes, if you’re a beginner, start there. Be consistent with your workouts, perform them to the best of your ability and keep challenging yourself. Stay positive and remind yourself that slow and steady really does win the race!

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Biggest Losers. Losing weight, gaining illness. is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Shauna

Shauna is a personal trainer, nutrition consultant and health and fitness writer for Workoutbox.com. She is also the creator of the "Soccer Mom weight loss program"..

So now that the honeymoon is over (so to speak) it’s time to get back to a routine. A week of indulging in endless buffets, bloody Mary’s, that darn Cheesecake Factory and daiquiris so huge they are actually worn around your neck, tends to leave one’s pants a wee bit tighter. Ok, ALOT tighter! So how do you get back into the swing of things when you’ve fallen of the wagon for a couple weeks?

First of all, don’t beat yourself up. We all need a break every now and then and a vacation should be the time when you don’t obsess about every little thing you stuff in your face or that you’re just too relaxed to hit the gym. So what if you gained 5 pounds? That’s what a holiday is for.

Second, don’t expect to break any records your first trip back into the gym. I made this mistake a couple days ago the first day I was home. I hit the gym hard with what was supposed to be a BRUTAL fat loss workout in an attempt to get rid that newly formed muffin top. My expectations were unrealistic and it did a number on my ego that day when I just couldn’t get through my session. It makes sense when you consider that I had experienced a week of sensory overload, excitement, very little sleep, numerous alcoholic beverages and although I consumed a HUGE quantity of food, the quality was not consistent with what my body is accustomed to. Even though vacations are intended to be relaxing, often we need time to recover from them…a vacation after the vacation if you will.

So if you’re planning to get away from it all, then do just that and don’t feel guilty. As long as you get yourself back on track in a timely, realistic manner, you’ll be back to your pre-vacay physique in no time.

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Post Vegas weight loss is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Shauna

Shauna is a personal trainer, nutrition consultant and health and fitness writer for Workoutbox.com. She is also the creator of the "Soccer Mom weight loss program"..