I’m a personal trainer. I have clients who are kids and teens on up to their 60’s and beyond. I love helping people get stronger and healthier. It’s the athlete in me that believes that no matter where you are in life you can always improve. I was taught early on by coaches and my parents not to rest on successes you’ve had in the past. There are always new challenges to meet and different successes to be had. A healthy attitude toward personal improvement keeps us vital, happy, and engaged throughout our lives.
My favorite type of client to work with is someone who comes to me with goals in mind and the spirit to do what it takes to achieve them. That combination is like gold because it often means this client has taken a look at themselves, knows where they are, and has at least a moderate level of self awareness. But the willingness to take a hard look at one’s self doesn’t come easy to some people. Counselors call it self awareness, Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, calls it ‘looking at the brutal facts’, Aikidoist and author, Richard Heckler, calls it ‘rigorous self-examination.’ Whatever we choose to call it-it boils down to this; to make positive changes in yourself, your relationship, your family, or your organization, you have to be willing to see current reality clearly and you have to be willing to take responsibility for your actions. When you step back and view your situation with a larger perspective you can see the whole picture and your role in the dynamic. Everyone has a relationship with himself or herself. If you allow your internal dialogue to be negative or misguided, you will have problems with motivation and taking responsibility for your actions. Keep your internal dialogue positive and self directed—point no fingers and relate everything back to what you can do to make things better. It may sound fluffy, but it works. Study some of the greatest people throughout history and you’ll notice they made a habit of it.
Once you’ve got a handle on you current reality it’s time to do something about it. An action plan will help—just write down what you will do and put a deadline with it—them begin to work the plan. You don’t have to go it alone, a trusted friend or advisor can be very helpful during this type of exercise.

I’m excited about a new and very low-tech piece of equipment I recently purchased for our personal training studio at 860 Fitness. The equipment is two simple chains suspended from the cross bar of our cable tower. I’m excited because this simple training apparatus not only gives me and my clients a fierce full body workout by taking away most of the stability our bodies are used to, it also has reminded me of how much fun exercising can be. I love a challenge, especially a physical one and these chains don’t disappoint. Since I started incorporating this new equipment into my personal workouts they have become more intense, focused, and creative, bringing a new element into my routine which I look forward to daily. I’ve also added exercises that I love, but haven’t done recently because of mental staleness.
I first tried the chains with my 13 year old son, Jace. He was a little shaky at first, but enthusiastic nonetheless. Soon he was able to perform the basic, albeit difficult moves we were working on. Then, I repeated the process with Sensei Matthew and Sensei Brandon, and finally with one of my ‘forty-something’ fitness clients. All were delighted because they could feel how much these exercises will improve their overall strength.

So why is this important to you? Because it takes courage to break old habits. Courage is vital to freedom. If you want to be free of old habits, in this case old exercise habits, you need a dose of courage. Courage is often a product of inspiration, which usually happens when you witness someone do something that you know you can do--but you just haven’t yet. So, if my little story of exercise success is even a little inspiring, then maybe I’ve helped someone step up and make a change for the better. Remember, anyone can be inspired to make positive shifts in his or her life.
Do something today to move forward with y
our fitness routine. If you don’t have a routine and want some help, call us at the 860 Fitness. 457-FIT1 (3481) scott@860fitness.com

Keep it simple:
Notes on Weight Loss

Weight loss will occur when calories used exceeds calories consumed. Exercise burns calories.
Your RMR (resting metabolic rate) will increase as your lean body mass (muscle weight) increases. Exercise increases metabolic activity.
If your weight loss program leads to loss of lean body mass your RMR will decrease as well, thus the chances of regaining the weight are drastically increased. Exercise reduces body fat and increases lean muscle mass.
Exercise helps improve self-confidence and self-discipline.

Any weight loss program is based on burning more calories than consumed because the body will turn to the stored fat for energy. The smaller your muscles are, the fewer calories your body burns—in other words, the slower your metabolism is. Weight loss requires a change in habits and that’s hard for some people. Remember that weight loss cannot take place in a few days. The most successful weight loss clients I have are the one’s who are patient and understand the time and commitment involved in changing their habits and losing weight. It will happen when you make the commitment to do what is necessary. Eat healthier foods and exercise more.

Trust me when I tell you that you can do it. Develop an attitude of positive expectancy—believe you will achieve your goal weight and half your battle is won. Attack the problem with a positive mind-set and stop worrying about it. The best cure for worry is action. Get fitness and nutritional counseling to help you stay motivated and keep you on track, then hold on and watch the body work its magic.

With the proliferation of the internet it is very easy to stay connected with your professional personal trainer and nutrition coach at 860 Fitness. You’ll benefit from the increased accountability, responsibility, and support.

I can help you take action.
415-457-3481
scott@860fitness.com

To email this article to a friend, go to our website at www.860fitness.com and follow the link to our blog. Copy and paste in the body of your email and send it to your friend. Contact me with questions or comments.

Basic Tips for Getting a Flat Stomach

Have you ever seen an info-mercial selling a device to “flatten” your Abs (abdominal muscles)? I’ll bet you have. You may have even considered buying one—if so, you’re not alone. A widely popular misunderstanding about Abs devices is that they will flatten your stomach. The truth is they will do little or nothing to give you the results you desire. The reason is that these products cannot eliminate the layer of fat that lies on top of your abdominal muscles.

If a flatter stomach is what you want, you need a basic understanding of how the ab muscles work and how your body burns fat. First, you must understand the difference between muscle and fat. Muscle is comprised of fibers that contract to produce movement. Fat is excess calories that mostly gets stored in layers on top of muscle tissue. Fat will never turn to muscle and muscle will never turn to fat. However, you can lose muscle and gain fat-and vice versa.

If you want a leaner stomach decrease the layers of fat that are on top of your abs. The best way to do that is by combining strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and stable blood sugar—yes, that means you have to eat to lose body fat.

1. Do some form of progressive strength training. There are muscles that flex your torso forward, to the side, and muscles that rotate your torso. Incorporate the following types of exercises:
* 1-2 forward flexion exercises (sit-ups, crunches, etc.)
* 1-2 side flexion exercises (side crunches, side bends, etc.)
*1-2 rotational exercises (standing twists, trunk rotations, etc.)

Train your abs no more than 3 times per week and make it a little harder each time.

2. Do short, HARD cardio workouts to increase your metabolism. If done correctly, cardio exercise can raise your metabolism for 4-24 hours after your workout. This means you’re less likely to store excess calories as body fat because those calories are more likely to be burned up by your elevated metabolism. But you have to go Hard ! No mental mushiness.

3. Stabilize your blood sugar. This is the most important aspect of a flatter stomach. Feed your body every 3 hours or so. Make sure the calories come from whole foods like fruit, whole grains, veggies, and lean protein. Try to make healthy choices, but don’t feel like if you eat a cheeseburger it’s guaranteed to be stored as fat-don’t obsess, just be SMART.

4. Get the help of a professional. I mean a personal trainer. Most people don’t know enough about nutrition and the effects of exercise to successfully meet their health and fitness goals. Others know too much and have trouble sifting through all the information. Ask yourself, “Am I happy with my current progress or condition?” If your answer is “no,” consider getting help from a fitness professional. Don’t depend on articles in magazines or TV shows-you might think they’re talking to you, but they have no idea who you are, what you need, or what your limits are. Only you and a fitness professional can make the right plan for you to achieve your fitness goals, and in less time than you might think!

Call us today to schedule a workout. We’ll help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

Remember to consult a healthcare professional before starting a fitness routine as described in this article.

Scott and Jeanne
415-457-FIT1 (3481)

Learning or honing a skill while you exercise is a great way to stay motivated to workout. A main reason classes like martial arts, yoga, kick boxing, and step-aerobics classes are so popular is that they challenge the mind while challenging the body. As humans, we need to continuously grow and move toward goals to remain happy which often means learning a new skill.
Learning a skill while working out also cause you to focus and concentrate. When your mind is fully engaged in what you’re doing during exercise the positive effects are multiplied. In short, you get a better workout in less time.
The human body was made to move and there is no machine better at learning than the human brain. When we combine these natural inclinations into an activity that is rigorous enough to make us sweat and cause the brain to release endorphins we feel a great sense of wellbeing. Isn’t that strange that we are already made to feel good when we exercise?
If you have a different view of exercise than this, perhaps it’s the dehumanizing effects of excessive desk work, couch surfing, computer using, or just plain laziness. Get up, get out, and get moving-reconnect with your body and mind.
If you’re feeling in a rut with your exercise routine-or need to start one-try an exercise class like the ones we’ve mentioned here. Remember, a good teacher should teach, motivate, model, and push just enough to make us stretch passed our self-imposed comfort zones.
Be patient, be brave, and go for it. Call us if you need a nudge.

Scott and Jeanne
Owners/Trainers
860 Fitness
457-FIT1 (3481)

If you have been reading this column regularly by now you have developed a vision of a healthier you. Once you have established that vision you are on the path to creating in real life that which you have imagined. It’s here that goal setting becomes increasingly important. This article will briefly explain seven steps to goal setting that are universal-that is, they can be used for anything from getting in better shape, training for an athletic event, enhancing performance at work, or even creating a more organized household.
When you think about your goals, always remember to keep them in the present tense-as if you’ve already achieved them-and keep them positive and in the first person, like, “I exercise three days each week.”

Now for the seven steps:

1. Make goals specific, measurable, and observable.
2. Clearly identify time constraints.
3. Use moderately difficult goals.
4. Record goals and monitor progress.
5. Diversify process, performance, and outcomes.
6. Set short-range goals to achieve long-range goals.
7. Make sure goals are internalized-make them your own.

The acronym SMART helps to capture the essential points.
Specific
Measurable
Action oriented
Realistic
Time-bound

As always, if my article inspires you, raises questions, or makes you want to change your life, give me a call at 457-FIT1 (3481). At 860 Fitness we provide personal training, fitness coaching and nutrition counseling.

Scott and Jeanne Sellers
860 Fitness
457-FIT1 (3481)

START TODAY

Performing daily tasks with ease and grace gives us a feeling of confidence and strength. It's never too late, or too soon, to begin an exercise program.
We’ve all heard the statistics about American’s being out of shape. In 2002, 25 percent of adult Americans did not participate in any leisure time physical activities in the past month, and in 2003, 38 percent of students in grades 9 to 12 viewed television 3 or more hours per day.
Your health and wellness are vitally linked to the quality of life you enjoy. Regular exercise makes important contributions to your health, sense of well being, maintenance of a healthy body weight and even chronic pain reduction.
The hardest part of a fitness program is starting one. Working with personal trainers will help you with support and accountability. A trainer will motivate you to stick with a fitness program by setting goals, monitoring your nutrition, and leading you to success.

Check out these guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS (American College of Sport Medicine-ACSM)

· To reduce the risk of chronic disease in adulthood: Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, above usual activity, at work or home on most days of the week.

· For most people, greater health benefits can be obtained by engaging in physical activity of more vigorous intensity or longer duration.

· To help manage body weight and prevent gradual, unhealthy weight in adulthood: Engage in approximately 60 minutes of moderate-to vigorous-intensity activity on most days of the week while not exceeding caloric intake requirements.

· To sustain weight loss in adulthood: Participate in at least 60 to 90 minutes of daily moderate-intensity physical activity while not exceeding caloric intake requirements. Some people may need to consult with a healthcare provider before participating in this level of activity.

· Achieve physical fitness by including cardiovascular conditioning, stretching exercises for flexibility, and resistance exercises or calisthenics for muscle strength and endurance.

Call Scott and Jeanne at 860 Fitness (457-FIT1) to get started reaping the benefits of physical fitness.

860 Fitness Personal Training Studio
Scott A. Sellers, MA
ACSM Certified Personal Trainer
457-FIT1 (3481)
scott@860fitness.com

10 Easy Things you can do today to improve your fitness:

1. Eat a real breakfast—with fruit, whole grain, and a protein or milk/yogurt.

2. Drink a tall glass of water before you have you first cup of coffee.

3. Use milk in your coffee instead of cream or half and half.

4. Pack a healthy snack to have when you get hungry this afternoon—fresh or dried fruit and baby carrots.

5. Park an extra two blocks from your office.

6. Use the stairs in your building.

7. Go outside and walk around the block.

8. Get away from your desk at lunch and enjoy a satisfying meal.

9. Eat that healthy snack you brought to work when you get hungry this afternoon.

10. Do some stretching exercises while watching TV tonight.

Toning with Weights
Every year after the age of 25, the average American gains one pound of body weight, but loses one third to one half pound of muscle. Consequently, our resting metabolism decreases about one half of a percent every year. The good new is that exercising and eating right can help you reverse this process! The combination of weight training, aerobic exercise and sound eating habits have shown to be the most effective for fat loss and toning (“toning” is simply the simultaneous decrease of fat and restoration of muscle).
While aerobic exercise burns fat during exercise, anaerobic exercises, like weight training or sprints, utilize fat hours after exercise. Weight training can also increase the metabolic rate a second way. It restores muscle tissue that had been lost over the years from a sedentary life-style, thus improving the aesthetics of the body by accentuating its curves and shape. Furthermore, one pound of muscle burns approximately 30-50 Calories per day. Contrast that with the fact that a pound of fat only burns about three Calories per day!
Weight training exercises that use large muscle groups (e.g. Gluteus Maximus, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Chest, and Back exercises) with a progressively greater resistance have the most potential for restoring lean body weight and raising the metabolism hours after exercise.
Most people need not worry about getting too big or “bulky” when training with weights. Evidence suggests that less than 20 percent of men and very few women can develop large muscles even if they wanted to, regardless of what program they follow.
When exercise can be increased over time, more significant fat loss can occur. Combining proper eating habits with a weight training and aerobic exercise program is the best way to decrease fat and increase lean muscle mass.

We’re here to help. Give us a call to schedule a consultation.
Email your comments to Scott@860fitness.com

Scott and Jeanne Sellers
860 Fitness
457-FIT1 (3481)