Wonder Woman of the Week: Dana Linn Bailey, Ms Physique Olympia

Dana Linn Bailey was the first EVER Women's Physique Olympia winner. The Olympia contest is the pinnacle and most important show in all of bodybuilding.

Physique is a category that is a step above figure but not as extreme as Women's Bodybuilding.  Dana was a celebrity in the bodybuilding/fitness world before she won her title and she has endured her fair share of criticism.

Dana was transparent enough to share about her struggles with confidence especially with the rude comments that people make about her physique.

Women are not encouraged to look strong and powerful, but rather weak and frail.  When one goes past that social norm, they get called all kinds of names and people feel comfortable with making mean comments.

Luckily Dana has an awesome support system in her life partner Robb Bailey.  He goes on rants and tangents defending his wife and I applaud him for it.  He is her biggest supporter and as you can see in this link, he helps to empower and encourage her to keep striving for her best.

I have found as a woman people do feel that they have the right to comment on your body (whether it is positive or negative) but you cannot let their opinions sway how you feel about yourself either way. Know that those in your life that are here for you are here for YOU THE HUMAN BEING, not YOU THE OUTER SHELL.

I'm saluting Dana Linn Bailey as our Wonder Woman for the week!!!  Way to go Dana!!!

Progress Journal: POST G DAY AFTERMATH I ate all the things and I'm unashamed!!! What's next?

Since I am not competing this year, I have renamed this my Progress Journal.  I will still post my progress pics and I will also post my fitness goals.

In case you missed my numerous declarations and announcements, my birthday was last week and I celebrated for 4 days by eating exactly what I wanted which included my favorite Carrot Raisin Flax Muffins from Whole Foods, Cornmeal Pizza, Snickers, Twix Bites, copious amounts of trail mix, Homemade Fig and Goat Cheese Salad, Waffles, and of course I had Carrot Cake on my birthday,

I enjoyed EVERY BIT OF IT without any guilt or shame.

I needed a break

I have been on my plan for about 6 months and I have seen incredible results but I needed a break. I wanted a few days to eat exactly what I wanted without any restriction.

I e-mailed my coach on Thursday and told her that I was going to relax last week because I needed a break.  I want our relationship to be completely transparent and I don't want to be burdened by any guilt or shame.

I have mentioned that I used to be a part of the secret eater's club and one of our rituals is to feel guilt and shame when we eat something "bad".  For the record Snickers aren't bad.  They are wonderful things and I love whomever invented them.  We just don't need to eat them all the time.

I was thrilled with her response.  She said, "This is life!  When you're ready you will get back on plan!"

Whew!

Getting Back on Plan

By the time Sunday night rolled around and I had finished my carrot cake, I was READY to get back on plan.  The idea of Chicken Breasts, Salmon, and Protein Shakes never sounded so good.

After a while eating all that stuff lost its luster and I was ready to get on with my life.  I thought to myself "This is exactly why I don't do this on the regular".   I was actually tired of it by that time.

I really liked that I was able to jump right back into my plan rather than wallowing in the guilt and shame of going rogue for a few days.  There was no lingering guilt about what I had done.  I was glad I did it because I needed to get it out of my system.

I actually prefer healthier options which is why I can say No to Snickers and Carrot Cake the majority of the time.

I think it's unhealthy to think you need to be strict 365 days per year and never GO IN on some food. 

I'm not HARDCORE and I don't Care

As I have said in the past I don't subscribe to that nonsense of "I EAT RAW MEAT BECAUSE I AM HARDCORE" or "I HATE ICE CREAM, FRENCH FRIES, AND I ONLY EAT TILAPIA AND ASPARAGUS BECAUSE I'M A MARTYR" 

You can have that mess.

I'm not hardcore.  Yes, I'm an aspiring Figure competitor who enjoys bodybuilding but I am also a human being with a life.  I'm going on vacation next month and I will probably bring a lot of my own snacks with me.  I also will not eat crazy at each meal but every time I go to a new city, I always try to find a good local restaurant to try their cuisine.  I will be doing the same.

I'll also seek out some local gyms to be nosy and see what their fitness scene looks like.

I don't care that I'm not hardcore and am willing to be a martyr for fitness sakes.  

This is a Lifestyle

I loved what my coach said, "This is a lifestyle".  She's right.  It's a lifestyle not an event.

Health and Fitness is my lifestyle and I feel that if I have to go underground and be a hermit in order to be healthy and fit then it isn't worth it.  If I can't have any friends because I'm so hardcore, then it's time to re-evaluate things.

While I am excited to enter the world of competitive bodybuilding, I am not delusional.  I refuse to make it my entire life because that's not where my treasure is.  Figure competitions are considered a hobby and a small part of my life.

I also have a myriad of other interests and while competitive fitness will have its place...I refuse to let it be my ENTIRE life.

What's Next

Goals For the Rest of this Quarter

1. Continue with Fat Loss/ Composition Change

2. Improve my strength on several lifts including Deadlifts

3. Go back to Yoga at least 2x per week, 8 Yoga Classes in September

I'm excited about this next few months.  I expect to see my body transform even more as I lose fat and then begin to add more muscle to not only be competitive but to convey that strong presence!

Teaching spin to myself!  1 year better!!

G Day: 8.1.7.?? What I hope to learn this year!

The annual celebration known as G Day has come and gone.

My birthday was yesterday and it was a great day. There was no spectacular celebration but that wasn't the point.  I was more proud of what I DIDN'T do.

I didn't do the following:

• Spend 2 hours in my journal analyzing why my life sucks 
• Sit around and stew about why everyone else's life is better than mine 
• Grumble and complain about why my life sucks and why everyone else's life is better than mine
• Turn on Bobby Blue Bland and listen to him sing "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the city"
• Think about how my eggs are going to dry up and I won't be a mother
• Watch the episode of Hoarders with the single former PE teacher who gained about 200 pounds and ends up buried underneath all the stuff in her house.

I have done all of those things on my birthday in previous years and this year I decided I was done with this.  I ought to be ashamed of myself for grumbling and complaining.  My life does NOT suck.  Not even close.

Is everything going according to my life plan schedule?  No but that's the best part.  If it had, my life probably would have been in shambles by now.

I spent a big part of yesterday meditating and reflecting on what I learned in my last trip around the sun. I wrote down what I hoped to learn this year and I also wrote a declaration for this year of life.

All I can say is that yesterday was CRAZY. I blog more in detail about it on my spiritual journey blog. 

I thought I would share what I learned last year and what I hope to learn this year.

What I learned in my last trip around the sun

1. Selfish Ambition has got to go

The more we focus on ourselves, the more depressing life becomes.  It's too easy to focus on everything that's wrong with us and forget about helping others. I  also learned that when it's all about me, I completely disregard other people's feelings and stories. 

I can't just focus on me and what I want.  It's a miserable way to live.  

2. A mediocre life is not for me

I don't want to be one of those people that show up to work so that I can pay bills and buy stuff.  I don't want to work because it's just a job.  I'm far too talented and have too many gifts to waste it on a job that's just a paycheck.

The 6 months in my "management" job were the LONGEST SIX MONTHS OF MY LIFE.  I felt like I was losing brain cells every single day.  No thanks.

I don't ever want to settle for mediocrity and what's comfortable again.

3. Take Risks and Don't Give Up

G Day not only marked my annual birth celebration, it also marked my 6 month anniversary of starting my own Fitness Enterprise.  It was a big risk, but one well worth the effort.  The only regret I have is that I didn't do it sooner.

Me and Coach Roxie with a destination of stage 2015!

This past year I also trained for my first Fitness Competition and although I won't be competing until next year, at least I tried and I have made some serious progress towards this goal.  It was risky but I'm proud of myself for at least getting serious about my goal.

I learned that if you really want anything to happen in your life, you've got to take a risk. 

 Close your eyes and press send.

What I hope to learn in this New Year of Life

1. Trust My Instincts

Interestingly enough in my journal last year I wrote that I should not take the management job because I didn't think it was what I was supposed to do.  What was I supposed to do?

Exactly what I am doing now.  If I had trusted my instincts, then I never would have taken that job.  I do like that saying "Sometimes you have to be willing to be wrong in order to see that you're right".  I definitely learned my lesson on that one.

This year I hope to trust my instincts so that when everyone else is screaming "No, no, no" but my gut is saying "Yes, Yes, Yes" that I go with my instincts.

2. Connect and Nurture Positive Relationships

I'm at a point in my life where I am ready to connect with others in positive relationships and no just not romantically.  I am ready to connect with REAL, LIKE MINDED  people and nurture positive relationships.

I want to start building my Circle of Genius:  A group of people that I respect, admire, and also can have fun with.

3. Work on My Communication Skills

Eight Months into 2014 and I have not ambushed any gym members:  This is growth.  

In all seriousness, I want to improve my communication skills.  I want to seek first to understand rather than trying to prove my point and how right I am. 

I also want to be more transparent and vulnerable with individuals and also on my platform.  I do not ascribe to that #Fitfam nonsense of "I'M HARDCORE ALL THE TIME!  I EAT RAW MEAT!  I FEEL AWESOME 365 DAYS A YEAR"

If you want that kind of talk, then this is not the  health and fitness blog for you.  

I want to be as transparent and vulnerable as possible because that's where the real power lies.

Another year to get better

I don't like to think I'm getting older. I think I'm getting better.  Seeing those Master's women competing in Master's Physique lit a fire under my butt.  I am going to continue on lifting and leading this healthy lifestyle because at the end of the day the point is to not only live longer but to live better.

Here's to another year of life!  Another year of Impact, Purpose, and Love!  

I think this one is going to be pretty darn exciting.

Wonder Woman Wednesday: RuPaul

The Definition of FIERCE

Once upon a time there was a little Black girl who lived in San Francisco that didn't feel very good about herself.  She discovered the joys of health and wellness and her career took off.

YOU BETTER WORK

Seems like an odd choice for a Wonder Woman Wednesday but the truth of the matter is I've always found RuPaul extremely inspiring for several reasons

Not Afraid to be Over the Top fabulous

I have an affinity for animal print, glitter, lots of hair, and false eyelashes.  My style is more drag queen than anything, but one thing I always liked about RuPaul was that she was over the top and FABULOUS.  

I remember seeing her as a teenager and thinking:  Platinum Blonde Hair, 6 inch heels, and really short dresses.  This is probably my future.

I feel that more women should not be afraid to be over the top and fabulous. Most of us spend our time modulating our voices and who we are to fit in society's box.

Championing Loving Who You Are

If you don't love yourself, then how the hell do you expect anybody else to love you.

As I mentioned in the opening, I didn't feel very good about myself growing up and the biggest difference in my life now compared to back then is that I love who I am and I make no apologies about it.

I don't fit into very many conventional ideas of who I should be and rather than picking myself apart for not fitting the mold, I celebrate loving who I am because how else can I expect anyone else to love me

I used to listen to the song Work! all the time Chante Sashaying....and now it's a workout staple!  Honestly if you have a not feeling so hot day put that song on and practice your runway walk.  I have been guilty of doing this in the gym.

Trailblazer

It takes a lot of courage to be the first anything and especially the first drag queen to really go mainstream.  RuPaul has hosted a talk show, had hit songs, a hit TV show, been in movies, and a social activist.

I take my hat off to anyone who blazes their own trail.

Thank you RuPaul for all of your inspiration!  

Chante will SASHAY with the best of them!

W.O.W. = Victorious

I can take a hint. 

I heard the song, "We are Victorious" 3 times on Sunday morning before 9 a.m.  So of course that's my word of the week.  

Excellence and Being Victorious:  It isn't what you think

This year I have made it a point to have WORLD CLASS associations.  I work for a WORLD CLASS company, I am working with a WORLD CLASS coach, and my mentors are all WORLD CLASS.  It's a different animal from mediocrity.

Mediocrity is not Victorious.

Mediocrity may get the job done true enough.  Mediocrity may hit their goals but mediocrity has no victory because mediocrity is into quick fixes, has NO strategy, and is focused on the short term.

Being around world class people this year has shown me that defeat, setbacks, and failure is just as much a part of victory as reveling in the glory.

My mentor Todd Durkin shared a wonderful quote with us this week from a Canadian Hockey Player Hayley Wickenheiser.

When you pursue greatness there will be pain.  It's part of the process.

As I watch people pursue really big goals, I get a chance to see the highs and also the lows.

Fitness Goals and Being Victorious

After each training cycle, I ask clients what improvements they have noticed since we started that training cycle.  I make a point to ask about victories because I don't want people to become solely focused on just the cosmetic goals.

I have heard stories about how people were able to work in the garden, play with their dogs, carry their babies with no pain, and move like a normal person.

THAT my friends is victory.  

Is it a victory when you don't have to lay down on the bed to put on your pants?  Yes, that's a victory but what can you do NOW that you could not do before?

Do you choose fruit over candy?  Do you now eat a nutrient rich breakfast every morning rather than grabbing pastries or skipping it all together?  That's a VICTORY!

We spend too much talking about what isn't happening and we don't celebrate our victories enough.

I encourage you to write down 3 things that you can do now that you couldn't do before and then proceed to do what is pictured below.

Happy Training!

Fitness Competition Journal: Readjustment and No to oiled up men in thongs

Well the weekend of August 2nd was quite the experience.  I got a chance to attend the NPC Golden State in Sacramento.  It was on one of the lists of contests I wanted to do.

I do have some news that I wasn't quite ready for:

I will not be hitting the stage until 2015.

Fat Loss and Recomposition

After attending the competition this past weekend, I became even more resolute that I wasn't going to be one of the people who looked like they decided that morning to get up and do the show.  The overall winner of the competition looked how I would like to look.  She looked like the clear winner.

At this competition, I also got to meet my coach which was a good thing because after seeing me in person she got an idea of what we need to do to make sure that I am competitive.

More fat loss and More Muscle.  

Can this happen in 4 months?  Not in a safe and effective manner....so I'm on delay until 2015 with a goal of fat loss and then a cycle of adding muscle.

Feeling like I've failed

Never once did the thought of giving up cross my mind.  This is my goal and I am determined to achieve it.

What did cross my mind:  Feeling like I've failed.

I've been so adamant about doing this and sharing my journey with people that I feel like I've sold a bunch of wolf tickets and I'm not really going to do this.

In reality I know that I have not failed.  I have accomplished so much in these past 6 months, but I feel that I've failed in not being able to get it done this year.

I know this is all for the best and I truly believe that this delay is for the right reasons, but I still can't help but feel like I wasn't good enough to achieve my goal.  This is stupid thinking and I will be over it soon.

It seems like so much of my life is delayed and it's all for the right reasons.  It's so that I can enjoy the process of refining, maturation, and really getting it done.  In the end, I know I will be very grateful to Roxie for telling me the truth.

A huge part of coaching/training is trust.  If I can't trust you to tell me the truth, then why am I working with you?

I even said on this blog that when you have a really big goal, then you need to give yourself at least a year to achieve it.  Sigh...someone needs to take her own advice.

I look at it this way:  This is my opportunity to PUSH even harder and gain even MORE from this experience.

NPC Golden State

I went to the competition to support my coach and to get a more clear idea of the competition world. First let me say that I was soooo inspired by the Master's Figure and Physique women.  They had divisions for women 35+ and also 45+.  To know that you can still do this into your 30's and 40's even after children was so inspiring.

It really reinforces that we can do anything we put our minds to and age isn't anything but a number. Hey even if I make my debut in my early 30's, after seeing these women I know I can do it for years to come.  I even thought "My poor husband..."

I found out one of the women who did a great routine with pushups, jumps, and splits was 42!  She looked 25!!! She reminded me of Janet Jackson...I just loved it.

No to Oiled Up Men in Thongs

The biggest shock of the night for me was how much I did NOT enjoy Men's Bodybuilding.

My constant harassment and inability to leave one well built gym member alone is well known and documented but the men in thongs was NOT for me.  

God Bless them but I just couldn't. I just COULD NOT. I found it surprising...

I even tweeted: I never thought I would be in a room of nearly naked men and not be excited.  

The most exciting person in the room to me was nearly 50 years old and a member of the audience who had all his clothes on. 

What's Next

I'm sticking to my meal plan, training hard in the gym, and enjoying all of the discipline and commitment this process has brought to my life.  

I set a new goal to celebrate my accomplishments at the end of the year so I don't plan on going back to bad habits any time soon.  I've invested too much time to give up now.

It's all about patience and trusting the process to bring your best!  I am committed to nothing less than my best.

I didn't sell you any wolf tickets and NO to men in thongs.

See you onstage!!!

Wonder Woman Wednesday: Beyonce

Check it out:  This is FIERCEly Fit.  

Who better than to kick things off than my fellow FIERCE QUEEN, Beyonce

Why Beyonce is a wonder woman

She proves that you don't have to dim your shine and be less ambitious because you are a woman

In this day and time, there are too many girls that don't want to be all that they can be because they like boys.  The thinking goes that if you're ambitious and you like boys, then they won't like you because boys don't like girls who will be successful in their own right.  They want trophies who just make them look good.

I will never forget Sheryl Sandberg told a story about a little girl that said she wanted to be an astronaut, but she also wanted to be a Mommy and boys wouldn't like her if she was an astronaut.

I think more little girls need to see that you can be successful AND be a Mother.

You don't have to settle to be somebody's trophy who knows their role and shuts their mouths.

She's not afraid to call herself a feminist

Beyonce has won me over in the past few years by speaking out about feminism and women's empowerment.  With all of the vapid and airhead reality stars who have nothing to say, it's refreshing to hear a woman my age speak out about women's empowerment and girls being all that they can be.

She also shows women and girls that just because you're a feminist doesn't mean you that can't be sexy and glamorous. 

I also really enjoyed how she went Madonna on us and took charge of her sexuality.

She handles herself with class and dignity

Beyonce did not get famous for doing sex tapes and putting her private life on display.  She got famous through HARD WORK, CONSISTENCY, AND BELIEF IN HER TALENT.

She's representing for the 30 and over crew who doesn't know that it's time to put on clothes and sit down.

Yeah that's right.  We're the exact same age...22 in our heads and we are going to continue to GIVE IT TO THE PEOPLE.

We wouldn't be able to have workouts without her

Since this is a fitness blog, this is a big reason I am featuring her.  Sorry, but my warm-ups, cardio, and leg days would not make it without Beyonce...and don't LET my favorite gym member be in the house.  I'm in my own Beyonce music video!

Besides that dancing around in heels must be very hard.  I can't even do quarter turns in them so that has something to do with athletics fitness.

From Queen G to Queen B we salute you as our first Wonder Woman

For my Group Fitness Instructor Friends: Some suggestions to help us out!!

Teaching Bodypump to an awesome group of Girls!

I'd like to offer some suggestions for group fitness instructors who find themselves battling constant weight gain, injuries, and frustration.  I've been there and I've heard from others who have been in the same situation and the general consensus seems to be the same.

Training

Group Fitness Instructors should think of themselves as athletes.  You perform high intensity workouts daily and sometimes several times per day.  Therefore your training needs to be well rounded and you should be following an integrated training style which involves strength training, conditioning, flexibility, and mobility workouts.

I’m going to state my opinion on this matter and you can take it for what it’s worth:

I don’t believe any Group Fitness instructor should ACTIVELY teach more than 5 cardio classes per week (if that) and certainly no more than 2-3 High Volume Strength Workouts (such as Bodypump) per week. 

Any more than that and I think you’re entering into the land of diminishing returns.  Of course this all depends on formats but that is my general opinion.

I believe it is far too much stress on the body to teach 4-5 Bodypump Classes per week or 10 Cardio classes a week.  This isn’t enough time to let your muscles recover and also I think that it is too much stress on the joints.  With the cardio classes, you’re not burning as many calories AND you are stimulating your appetite which will cause you to eat more.

Not burning as many calories and eating more = Recipe for Body fat gain.

Nutrition

Now this is where things can get murky so I recommend getting a professional opinion in regards to nutrition.

For me, enlisting the help of someone well versed in sports nutrition has made a big difference. The first thing she did was to increase my calories. At first I thought, This is a lot of doggone food and I was so worried that I would gain weight and I immediately dropped 2 pounds. She increased the fat and protein in my diet, so you may be trying to eat “healthy” but most likely it isn’t enough. Just a side rant: Don’t listen to these social media people. One woman I follow said she eats 200 calories for breakfast. I’m on a diet and I eat way more than that. They will have you out here starving! Get a professional opinion.

We have several common scenarios when it comes to Group Fitness Instructors

1) The Group Fitness Instructor who uses classes as a method of weight control and is always on a diet and not eating enough to support the activity  
.
2)  The Group Fitness Instructor who thinks teaching classes gives him or her the license to eat whatever they want

3) The Group Fitness Instructor who is confused because he or she is trying to eat a healthy diet, but keeps gaining body fat, and doesn’t understand why.

1) The Group Fitness Instructor who uses classes as a method of weight control and is always on a diet and not eating enough to support the activity

I’m going to use an example from the world of bodybuilding to illustrate my point: When it’s time to get contest lean, there are a few different methods, but one of the worst is for people to cut calories drastically and perform 2-3 hours of cardio per day.

Why is this bad?  

The short version is the body adapts to such a low caloric intake and when the person goes off of the diet, they psychologically and physiologically crash and burn.  After coming off of an extreme diet, the competitor usually binge eats and suffers a rebound in weight gain.  Remember though that their body has adapted to eating low amounts of calories so when they binge or even begin to eat normally the body will continue to chug along as if it’s on the low calorie diet.

Then of course we’ve discussed the law of diminishing returns when it comes to cardio activity.  Eating low amounts of calories and teaching a ton of classes is sure to cause a rebound weight gain if the person stops teaching.

Below I will offer some suggestions that worked for me in changing my composition.  Depending on your goals, you may need to follow a different plan.

First re-evaluate the teaching schedule. - Switch to teaching non participatory classes if possible. 

Focus on classes where you can COACH rather than actively participate.  Your class is not your workout.  If you want an awesome workout in a class, take another instructor’s class.  I always like doing this because I get to steal music and moves from another great instructor.

Second: Start to re-evaluate your diet.  

The first place I would go is post workout nutrition if you’re teaching a class like Bodypump or a weight training class:  Carbohydrate is ESSENTIAL to replacing muscle glycogen.  Fruit and a Protein shake are great when you’re between classes.

Also begin to add in calories slowly but surely.  Adding them all at once is not a great strategy.  What I would do if you’re a chronic under eater is to start with Post Workout Nutrition and then focus on adding more protein to the diet and then carbohydrates.  

I don’t think it’s wise to add in a bunch of carbohydrates right off of the bat because most people can’t handle the psychological effects of seeing what happens when you add in carbs to the diet.  Every 2 weeks I would add in more carbs.

2)  The Group Fitness Instructor who thinks that just because he/she teaches class this is a license to eat whatever he/she wants.

Teaching classes does not give one free reign at the buffet.

Not much needs to be said about this, but you learn very quickly that this is not true.  Especially when we’re talking about the law of diminishing returns when it comes to teaching as your body adapts to the activity over time.

As a matter of fact, I think it’s even more critical that you pay attention to your nutrition if you’re teaching class.  Eating craptastic food is going to catch up with you not only visually, but it’s hard to teach a class really well if your fuel is nutrient deficient food.

Be mindful of the type of food you’re putting in your body.  Like it or not, you’re a role model for your classes.  There’s nothing worse than seeing an instructor who is huffing and puffing because they can’t keep up with the class.  Yes, I believe poor nutrition is a factor in this as well.  You also will not recover as quickly if your nutrition is crap.

3) The Group Fitness Instructor who is confused because her or she is trying to eat a healthy diet but continues to gain body fat

This was my story.  I’m sounding like a broken record, but it’s the truth.  You can continue to teach a bunch of classes, keep gaining weight, go on diets, lose a little, but go back up...OR you can start to branch out and change.

First re-evaluate your teaching schedule

Look at how many classes you’re ACTIVELY teaching and then begin to do some serious re-evaluation.

Yes it is hard to say goodbye to classes, but chances are if you’re actively teaching classes, teaching too many will eventually catch up with you in the form of injury and/or burnout.

Keep teaching enjoyable and limit active teaching to no more than 3-4x per week. These days there are plenty of opportunities to teach non-participatory classes such as boot camps and small group trainings. (The compensation is usually better as well)

Second Evaluate your own workouts

First question to ask is:  Are you working out on your own?  

If you have no time for your own workouts or are too tired, sore, or in pain that’s a surefire sign that you’re teaching too many classes.

As a Group Fitness Instructor you should be keeping your product in good condition.  This means you should be doing flexibility and mobility work 3x per week MINIMUM.  This would include

1) Foam Rolling
2) Dynamic Flexibility Work to improve your range of motion
3) Corrective and Balance Training to improve joint stabilization

Raise the Bar

The problem I see with instructors and participants who rely on Group Fitness for their workouts is that they are not doing any strength training.  People may work up a good sweat, but they are still soft and gaining body fat because they are not strength training. 

Classes like Bodypump are outstanding, but the problem with this class is that most people are not pushing themselves in those classes for fear of bulking up so they don’t overload the muscles and receive the true benefits of the class.

As an instructor, you should be actively teaching a class like Bodypump a maximum of 2-3x per week.  Teaching Bodypump (correctly) is intense , but don’t forget to get your own strength workouts in.  Depending on your goals, they can be split workouts or total body workouts in the form of metabolic circuits.

JUST STRENGTH TRAIN.  You need muscular strength and endurance  to push through your classes and also to support your joints.  

Metabolic Workouts

I'm also a big fan of 20-30 minutes of intense circuit training.  Not only is this awesome for a time crunched instructor, but the calories you burn during and after the workout will be sure to get that metabolism fired up and ready to go.  

Conclusion

I wrote this piece because I see so many instructors struggling with the same issues I did for years.  We would teach lots of classes, call ourselves eating healthy, and continue to gain body fat.

Awesome Birthday gift from my Cycle Class!

The more I learn about metabolic adaptation and adrenal fatigue (due to my involvement with competitive bodybuilding), the more I believe many of my instructor colleagues are suffering from those same issues.

Sounds crazy but  I didn't see changes until I stopped doing what I was doing and did something different

I hope you find this helpful and let's continue to encourage and inspire more people to get up and move!  Our classes are counting on us!

A Post for my Fellow Group Fitness Instructors: Information to keep us teaching for years to come!

I was compelled to write this blog post because after writing a status on Facebook about Group Fitness Instructors and over training and weight gain, I received a lot of feedback from fellow instructors wanting more information since this topic isn't covered and there isn't information about it. Many instructors are battling constant weight gain, injuries, and a myriad of other problems and don't understand why.

I had to learn the hard way that 

GROUP FITNESS SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR WEIGHT CONTROL.  

Many of us teach because we love the energy of teaching, but I think many of us also do it as a means to stay in shape and the truth is that as instructors we need to:

EAT, TRAIN AND BE IN SHAPE TO TEACH

NOT

TEACH TO EAT AND BE IN SHAPE

Let me start by saying this is not an attack on Group Fitness or the instructors.  I love group fitness because I think it serves a great need by making exercise tolerable and even enjoyable for people.

As an instructor I can tell you that the community we build in group fitness, the stories we hear, the transformations we witness, and just the energy of working out in a group is incredible.

However after seeing group fitness instructors and participants become injured, deconditioned, and overtrained, I have come to a new position on Group Fitness.

Instructors should not be using Group FItness classes for weight control or as their own workout.  They should also limit their ACTIVE TEACHING classes to no more than 3-4 week (depending on the class of course).  Instructors also should be training and eating as an athlete would to keep themselves in condition and stave off injury.

Participants should vary the classes that they take.  Most commercial gyms are helpful in this regard.  They offer high volume weight training classes such as Bodypump, sport conditioning classes such as Bodyattack/Boot Camps, Cardio Classes, and mind/body classes.  Participants should also challenge themselves in classes and not simply go through the motions.

As an instructor and as a gym regular, I see the same people and same instructors in class from year to year and in many cases each year the people and the instructors either look the same or gain more body fat.  If you look at many instructors who teach lots of classes each week, many don’t look like it.  

Teaching Bodypump in 2012

I teach one class a week now and I look far more athletic than when I was actively teaching 9-10 classes per week.  As a matter of fact, as soon as I got involved with Bodybuilding and started letting classes go, my body composition began to change.

Why is this?

Chunky Aerobics Instructor Syndrome 

World Renowned Strength Training Coach Charles Poliquin coined this term because he noticed that aerobics instructors had high levels of body fat despite teaching aerobics classes 3 hours a day.  He found that the body quickly adapted to all of this training and the instructors would maintain high levels of body fat despite training for 3 hours a day which is equivalent to a professional athlete.

Why does this happen?

Your body loves adaptation.  Your body loves to adapt to whatever it is that you’re doing, so that it can be more efficient. This is helpful for muscle memory and performing tasks more easily and efficiently.

However this isn’t the best news when it comes to fat loss.

With adaptation comes the law of diminishing returns.  As I coach my clients, as your conditioning improves and your body ADAPTS to your training

For example

Jane does a Zumba class for 60 minutes and burns 200 calories.  She continues to attend this class for 3 months and she becomes better conditioned and Zumba is starting to get easier.  After 3 months, Jane may not burn 200 calories, she may burn 150 calories because her body has adapted to the training.

I have known Group Fitness Instructors who teach the same class for 150 years.  Is there anything wrong with this?  

No, but their bodies have adapted to that type of training and most aren’t burning nearly as many calories as they think they are because their bodies have ADAPTED to that type of training, but I imagine they are eating the same or more since their bodyweight has begun to climb upwards.

As an instructor I was so frustrated that I was doing all of this working out and gaining weight. I figured the more I did, the more I would lose. Eat less/Move more right?

WRONG!!!!

As soon as I ate more and moved less, my body fat began to drop.

I'm going to keep saying it: DON'T USE TEACHING AS A METHOD OF WEIGHT CONTROL! IT WON'T WORK!!

If you don't believe me, then look around you or look at yourself. You've been doing it for years and things are getting worse. Get off the teaching too much train and try something different.

In my next blog post, I will be discussing some strategies and solutions to get things back on track.

W.O.W. = Opportunity

The classic self improvement book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People advises readers not to react to "not so great circumstances" with a negative attitude but rather to ask the question:

What's the opportunity that this is?

Opportunity is a strange bird.  Opportunity comes disguised in the form of delays, setbacks, failures,
flops, waiting, and a myriad of other circumstances. 

It's all about your perspective

In order to recognize opportunity one must have their perspective glasses on.  One can either look at situations and circumstances as:  setbacks, failures, delays, and  then proceed to wallow in the mire of disappointment.

OR

We can look at a setback or delay as an opportunity to grow and develop into something greater.  As I learned with the fitness competition, delay is not always negative.  From my perspective, it's an opportunity to develop my body and bring the best possible package.

The Pits

Contrary to popular belief, there's nothing wrong with going into the pits.   

The pits are the place to refocus, strategize, rise up, and then decide to come back even stronger. When you're down in the pits that is a great opportunity to realize what your priorities really are, who you really are, what you really believe, and who in your life is really here for you.

You just don't want to build your home in the pits and stay there for the rest of your life.  

Finding Opportunities in Every Moment

This week in my awareness journal I'm recording the opportunities I find in the moment:  Whether it's an opportunity to encourage someone, an opportunity to move forward in life, or an opportunity to further my growth.

Opportunities exist all around us but many times we are too busy grumbling and complaining about our circumstances OR are we too comfortable on the couch to get up and go after the opportunities that may require more work.

This week let's go after opportunities all around us, but remember opportunities always come disguised as something else!