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Aging Younger While Pursuing Fitness Goals

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I recently celebrated another birthday! As I reflect on memories, accomplishments and future goals, the concept of “aging” has been on my mind.  What does “act your age” even mean? There are days when I wake up and think, “I’m getting older and aches and pains are part of that.” Or, one I heard about seven years ago right before my 40th birthday, “you’re getting older, you should really start slowing down.”  What! Wait…. Screeching nails on the chalkboard!   This is where the story changes….

What if growing older is really in our minds?

One of my favorite quotes is by George Bernard Shaw, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” EXACTLY!  This is the mindset shift that I live by.  Thanks Mr. Shaw! So how do we stay in the game?

Set new goals.

Some of my most exciting goals have been set and accomplished in my forties! International travel, earning my IFBB Pro Card, competing at the Olympia and truly understanding the direction and focus of my fitness business are just a few.  Had I settled for “slowing down”,  I wouldn’t have taken action on any of my most meaningful personal and business goals.  I think the keyword is ACTION.  Is it risky? Sure it is!  But, standing still and hesitating to take the leap can leave us with a lifetime of unresolved “what-if’s”.

Be kind to your body.

The reality of our physical bodies aging is inevitable.  We’ve begun wearing the “tread on our tires” so to speak, so we must reconsider how we treat our bodies in pursuit of our goals.  Recovery, sleep, and healthy eating have become more of a necessity than a luxury for me.  I want to train my body at a high level for many years to come.  I enjoy it and it’s an important part of my life.  To improve longevity, I use a variety of training techniques and nutrition strategies to maximize my time in the gym without wrecking my health and joints.  Find new ways to challenge your body and keep it interesting!

Renew your mind.

Feeding my mind with positive messages, time in prayer, and surrounding myself with positive people has helped me have more enthusiasm for life and the optimism in setting new goals.  I can honestly say my mind and my thoughts are more youthful than they were ten years ago.  Recently, travel has become a new passion of mine that has taught me the importance of unplugging to recharge. Life certainly hasn’t spared me from curveballs and stressors, but keeping my focus and actions in the direction of things I enjoy most, create excitement in new adventures in the future!

Here’s to many more years of playing and growing younger!

Each of the programs I create for my clients is designed with his/her specific goals and lifestyle in mind. I take a personal approach to help clients set new goals and create effective strategies for achieving them. For more information, contact me through my personal training page.

 

 

Stand out

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Stand out
Competition season is upon us and progress photos are starting to flood our newsfeed.  It’s easy to get distracted and start to doubt our progress when we see others making faster progress or sharing their insane fasted cardio updates.  Whether you’re new to the NPC stage or a veteran in the IFBB, the road to stage-ready looks different for everyone.  It’s important to identify your individual style.  What makes you unique and special from head to toe?  Suit style, color, makeup, hair..  all important variables in stage preparation, but don’t forget to show your personality! Craft your posing style to highlight your strengths and mask your weaknesses.   Achieving a flawless physique is in the eye of the beholder and your presentation, NOT the actual absence of flaws.  The work may be done in the gym, but how you present your physique is what can set you apart.  If you haven’t practiced your posing, it will show.  Take the time, even if it’s 15 minute a day, to practice your posing and how you will transition between poses.  Smile!  You’ve dieted and trained for months if not years, so celebrate the moment!  If you are having fun on and off the stage, it makes the journey one of the most rewarding times of your life!

Resolution Reset

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Resolution Reset

We’re one month into the new year!  We started the new year with big goals and ambitions for finally sticking with our health and fitness goals. Life happens, we get distracted and before you know it, those goals can slip away if we don’t recommit to our action plans.  Good news!  It’s never too late to get back on track!  After all, meaningful and realistic health and fitness goals are meant to improve the quality of our lives forever, not just for a spring break get-away.

If you’ve slipped away from your plan, recommit and rejuvenate your mindset!  If you haven’t been 100% on your plan, you have NOT failed.  Stop the negative self-talk from spiraling into disappointment.  Sure, sticking with your plan at 100% will yield faster results, but if you’ve doing 90% better than you were yesterday, you’re off to a great start!

Your health is your #1 priority!  Saying it and actually committing to the behaviors and habits that make it priority are two different things.  God willing we get to wake up each day and make decisions that impact the course of our day.  Taking time to eat healthy and exercise is not selfish!  Treat your body well so you can show up as the best version of YOU!

Instead of focusing on what you CAN’T eat, focus on what you GET to eat.  No one wants to feel deprived, so let go of what does not serve your goal.  Focus on what you can add to your diet like more healthy fats and protein.

Think of your workouts as shaping your body, not just loosing weight.  Weight training is the ultimate anti-aging activity we can do for ourselves.  Make your gym time consistent, safe and challenging!  Set short term goals that set you up for success in reaching your long-term goals!

Find a supportive tribe who helps keep you accountable and inspired.  If you’re not finding that support at home, there are plenty of groups focused on similar goals.  Find a trainer who inspires and motivates you!  We all started somewhere and no one is meant to do this alone.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Shoulder workout

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My favorite muscle group to train… Shoulders! Whether you’re rocking your favorite tank top or posing on stage, round, full delts never go out of style. As we build fullness in the shoulders, our waists look smaller. Gone are the days of shoulder pads; so let’s build our own!

Shoulder workout 1/23

Lateral raise with dumbbells
Front raise with dumbbells
Rear Delt fly Reverse pec deck
4 Sets 12-15 reps

Lateral raise machine (15 full range of motion, 10 partial *increase weight on partial reps)
SS (superset) Rear delt fly on incline bench chest supported using dumbbells
4 Sets 12-15 reps

Single arm shoulder press with dumbbell or Hammer Strength Shoulder Press
3 Sets 10-12 reps/each arm

Shoulder press on Smith machine or any shoulder press machine
3 Sets moderate weight 10-15 reps, + 1 drop set to finish

Give it a try! Let me know what you think!