Wake up and smell the stupid.

If you've read the last few posts of mine, you'll notice that I've been spending the past two weeks getting to know the new gym I'm training at. Here's the thing... It seems like at least 50% of those who enter the gym spend all of their time on the treadmills.

Now these aren't actual statistics, but they are my best guesstimate of the stupid that I see in the mornings...

Now why would you pay $75/month to walk (or run,in some cases) on a treadmill? Is there not a free strip of land to walk on in your part of town? I hate to think that the DC streets are so violent that we can't find a 45-minute window to get our "cardio" in... Is the treadmill so much more convenient than taking the stairs instead of the elevator, actually walking up the escalator (there are no stair options sometimes in our metro stations), or just taking a walk through your neighborhood?

My apologies if anybody out there reading this fits the description, but it is what it is...

Now, to explain my view of treadmills...

Treadmills are supplementary to what you do in the gym. They can be used in several different ways...
- Add them to your circuits: do a few different exercises and mix in a 60-90 second run on the treadmill to increase the work you're doing. For example, do 15 push ups, 15 squats, 15 crunches, and a 400m run on the treadmill. This is pretty basic, but do it for time; 3 times through, always trying to best your fastest time.
- Get your cardio in when the weather outside is bad. Yes, if there is 10 inches of snow on the ground or it's pouring rain, the treadmill is not a bad option. Just don't pay for a gym membership if the treadmill is the only equipment you know how to use.
- As a progression for less-fit individuals. If you are a little overweight and you have already used up the pavement in the out-of-doors, then hop on a treadmill and put it on an incline. It's less impact than running, and it will definitely get your heartrate up. Most treadmills get up to 15%. If you are in the category that can't walk much, then use the handles on the treadmill to help support your weight as you thin down.

Now, these aren't the only reasons somebody could use a treadmill, but it's a start. And, it's definitely better than just walking for an hour because you want to avoid your neighbors or are afraid you may step on a crack in the road.

I hope this isn't too snarky, but it's just something that's been bugging me lately...

Checking In

I started this whole nutritional correction plan on January 23, so I thought now would be a good time to give a bit of an update.

I'm still sticking to my guns with the diet program; 4-5 meals a day, 2-3 servings of veggies with each meal (sometimes that comes in supplement form), a lean protein with each meal, and zero calorie beverages (you wouldn't believe how much green tea I've had this month). I've been hovering at 197 for the last 2-3 days so it's safe to say I've lost about 11 pounds this month. That seems like a huge amount of weight for somebody my size, but, as I said earlier, I think most of it may be water-related (some sources quote up to 75%). Now, before anyone can accuse me of doing this unhealthily, let me say that I'm not counting calories and I am definitely not starving myself. Here's what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast
~20oz shake including: protein powder, banana, peanut butter, cottage cheese, Greens+, creatine, and cinnamon.
2 fish oil pills

Snacks
6-8 cups of green tea (over the course of the day)

Lunch
A butternut squash, chicken breast, onion, and apple concoction (It used to be a casserole, but apparently it is now a cassouperole)

Snack
Another 20oz. shake
Some pecans when I got home from work with a few spoonfuls of peanut butter

Dinner
A casserole including: bison, zucchini, onion, cottage cheese, and eggs (this was awesome and I had a double serving!)

So yeah, there you go, definitely not starving over here.

I've just completed the second week of working in a commercial gym, and I enjoy it so far. It's been a little slow, and I'm not really much of a salesman (I don't even really try...), but it is fun to hang out in the gym in the morning and get my workouts in early. I'm still looking for a few more clients to keep me busy and help me get a little more comfortable, but 2 is a good start.

Education-wise I'm looking forward to a National Strength and Conditioning Association Regional Conference in March, a few one-day seminars put on by the gym I work at, a Sports Nutrition diploma program I recently applied to, and I'm looking forward to attending one of Perform Better's 3-day Functional Training Summits over the summer. That's a lot on the plate, but it's awesome that so many things are so readily available in this field. All you have to do is want it.

Can you believe it?

A full week of work off, and I couldn't manage to come up with a single post until I returned to work... Shame on me. Ha! Well, I've kept myself pretty busy over the last week. It's hard to get blog posts in when you're building sled ramps off your front porch, walking 2 miles in a blizzard, interviewing for jobs as a personal trainer, and playing a little Call of Duty on the Xbox.

The news of this week is that I did in fact get hired at Results Gym. I walked over for an interview on Tuesday and was called back in on Wednesday to teach abs classes. All of this without any paperwork whatsoever. So, I am hoping to be paid for that... It's going to be fairly memorable since it was officialy a blizzard at the time I decided to make the 1 hour trek to the gym, and I can't say it was too comfortable outside. All of these things were probably compounded by having not bought a pair of winter/snow boots yet, but I can't be prepared for everything.

The classes were fun and I learned a valuable lesson: Don't participate while teaching abs. Especially when you are doing 6 classes in 2.5 hours. I had the meanest abdominal cramp ever in the middle of the 6th session. Luckily, I was able to get through it without whining like a little girl, but I did have to pull up and teach for the remainder of that class. I have never had a cramp there before, but it's just like getting a hamstring cramp while in the backseat of a car. You shoot up into a stretched position trying to alleviate the pain all the while trying to play it off like nothing to those around you.

In dieting news, I'm still going strong. There has been a grand total of 2 cheat meals since I started (I think I'm allowed 3-4 a week), and the weight is steadily going down. It's actually fairly visible at this point. I was 208 when I started and weighed in at 199 this morning. I think in order to be where I want to be body fat percentage-wise I need to be closer to 190... So I'll just keep pushing it in the gym and sticking to my protein and veggies. Last night was a delicious recipe; Acorn Squash stuffed with chicken, onions, and celery flavored with a little thyme. It was awesome! I'm looking forward to doing some almond-crusted sea scallops for Valentine's this weekend.

My first real client is Saturday, so I'm really looking forward to getting started. As always, I'll keep things relatively up-to-date!