If you look back at your life, or even at your present day: what things do you notice about the times that you felt happy? The majority of my clients talk about a time when they felt confident and ready to take on the world. Were they fit at these times? Usually, but this parallel isn't going where you may think- as being fit and looking hot does not a happy person make. It doesn't make someone happy, but it can definitely help, because it was the new things my client was doing-the chances they were taking in keeping fit-- that ultimately led to their happiness. This observation also seemed to work in the reverse, as a new love interest, job, or vacation gave people the gusto to try out something different when it came to being active.
I'm a firm believer that one's fitness mirrors other areas of their life, and since I am a trainer I focus on this order. If I didn't do it this way my blogging would probably result in a collage of Family Circus and Garfield clippings arranged in no particular order to help "guide" you through life. Maybe The Far Side clippings too.
So Garfield is cute and all ( sooo cute), but whats the deal? If life is kinda giving you the bad-day blues, but for longer than a few days, what is really going on? A sure fire way to get those problem solving juices flowing is to switch things up--and since we were once a hunting/gathering species, getting physical will reveal more than you ever expected about your life. Once you start dismantling your workout routine and building it into something exciting and new-other areas of life, rancid yet or just waiting on an expiry date, will begin to shift.
If a client asks me to shoot them a workout right then to switch things up, I always tell them to go pick up a fitness magazine. Since I can't be there with them, fitness magazines are the next best thing. Almost all magazines ( SHAPE and SELF are the best) have a total body workout for that month, with pictures and step by step instructions. The workouts usually consist of 5-8 exercises and when combined with cardio-intervals: can really get the job done. Try this routine:
Note: Make sure you have all weights and equipment near each other and ready so you can jump off treadmill, power through exercises and hop back on for second interval-maintaining your heart rate and intensity throughout.
Treadmill Warm-Up: 10 minutes
speed 4.0 for 5 minutes, Incline 2-3
speed 4.0 for 2 minutes, Incline 14
speed 4.0 for 1 minute, Incline 7
speed 4.0 for 2 minutes, Incline 14
Complete exercises from magazine once through for 45 seconds each
Treadmill Interval: 6 minutes
speed 6.0 for 1 minute, Incline 10
speed 8.0 for 1 minute, Incline 2
speed 4.0 for 1 minute, Incline 2
Repeat again once
Complete exercises from magazine but in Pyramid 6,4,2,4,6.
(6 repetitions of each exercise, then doing 4 of each, then 2 of each, back to four of each, then 6 again)
Treadmill interval: repeat first interval of 6 minutes
Complete exercises from magazine for 1 minute each
Best wishes and the prevention of sun-stroke,
Sasha
