My 9:30pm phone call was from a friend who's a personal trainer to some of the wealthiest people in LA. She was talking about her training session with one of her clients and how she was appalled by her outfit. Granted her measurements were that of an overly enhanced Barbie doll, she was proudly wearing a forest green unitard from American Apparel. She said to me "Rosa, really? A unitard?" It's not that her body couldn't pull it off but she was definitely making a public service announcement. The kind that tells people what NOT to wear when you're working out. Unitards are cute on 6 year olds going to dance classes. But it's not so cute when you see a grown ass woman sweat in it at the gym. I know what you're thinking...maybe we were just hatin' Uh...no! There is nothing more irritating than training or watching someone workout in some inappropriate outfits. So here's some basic gym etiquette I'd like to share with all of you as my own public service announcement.
1. PUT SOME CLOTHES ON! Yeah we know you're proud of the body you've worked so hard for to look like a sculpted masterpiece. But let's face it; there are some of you that should know better. For the ladies...stick to black pants, tights or shorts. When your hoo-ha is sweating and you look like you peed something vicious, we think it's GROSS. And guys, the ripped off tank tops and the smedium tops and short shorts? It's 2011...a t-shirt or a tank top (if you can pull it off) with longer shorts and appropriate shoes. But the worst violation is to walk around butt ass neked in the locker room. I've heard stories fellas. You shouldn't be without clothes unless you're in the shower!!!
2. NO..AARGH!'S UUHHH!'S GRRR-UH!'S UUGH!'S. Leave the noisemaking for your special home video with your beloved. I understand the grunting and the moaning unleashes the beast inside of you but sometimes I have my headphones on full blast and still hear all that noise. Speaking of noise...
3. DO NOT SLAM OR DROP YOUR WEIGHTS. Rule of thumb is if it's too heavy to begin with, it's not going to get lighter after your set. Another reason why you either need a personal trainer or a spotter. And when you're done...
4. YO'MOMMA DON'T WORK THERE...PUT YOUR OWN WEIGHTS AWAY. It's so irritating when you're looking for 15 lbs dumbbells and you see every other weight but that. Or, how about loading up 5 45lbs plates on each side of the leg press machine and leaving it there for someone who only wants 25 on each side to unload your shit! So please put the equipment back where you got it. Load, unload. Load, unload. Repeat.
5. ONLY TAKE WHAT YOU NEED. Really? How many body parts can you work out all at the same time? I'm the queen of full body workouts, but damn...how can you use the incline, flat and decline bench all at the same time? The 15, 25, 30 and just in case you can do 2 reps 45lbs weights serving as your little fort. Free weights....yes indeed, can you please free the weights you're not using?
6. CHECK YOUR FORM. Swinging your weights, not doing full movements, hunched over, bad posture...to name a few is like hearing nails dig and scratch the chalkboard for me. I understand not everyone is blessed with the proper training or knowledge of form, but it is imperative to learn about it simply because it's for your own safety and the safety of others when you can't control the movement.
7. DE-FUNK! Enough said. Deodorize, sanitize, wipe, do what you gotta do to minimize the funk. Your armpits smelling like your ass is a good indication it's time to end your workout and RUN to the nearest shower.
There's so much more to share with you when it comes to my second home, but I'll have to leave you with this for now. I hope this helps you and the people around you. The gym is my happy place...please help me keep it that way!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Lose Weight...Get Your Mind Right!
40% is the likelihood I would pick up my phone when anyone calls. So if anyone wants to talk to me, the best way is to text, email even Facebook me (yes, facebook is now a verb). It's not that I don't want to talk, I just know that every time I pick up the phone it's about to be at least 20 minutes of my undivided attention. It's never been an issue that my phone is a crisis hotline. My friends know I'm the one they can call from any time zone to listen as long as I pick up.
So my recent 7am call was from a friend coming back from the gym. She, like most of my friends have a minor complex when we don't hear from each other for about a week. We have the police department on speed dial to put out an APB if necessary. After 10 minutes of playing catch up about life, she started telling me about her new meal plan to lose weight. She was so excited to have met a dietitian that told her she wasn't eating enough. I asked her what she typically eats and I pretty much concurred with what her dietitian told her. I also added, that's plenty of food...FOR YOUR BACK FAT!...but what about the rest of your body parts that need nourishment? I asked how long she's been on this meal plan and with much enthusiasm she says TWO DAYS!! Uh huh, no wonder you still sound motivated.
I can't tell you how many times people have asked me what they should eat to lose weight. My health and fitness background makes it easy for me to elaborate on just about any diet plan. However, I learned the key question is "What do you eat now?" That prompts them to think and have a "come to Jesus" moment.
Diet plans should be as personalized as your signature. The old adage "Eat Less, Burn More" may be the most popular bottom line when it comes to losing weight but it's unfortunate that the words "less" and "more" are absolutely relative. A 120 lbs woman who gets carried away with the word less can be one hamburger away from being anorexic whereas a 190 lbs woman should probably take the "more" exercise route after eating a fry. Too damn confusing!
I will admit there is a science to losing weight. Between genetics, body composition and willingness to make healthy lifestyle choices...there's so much to consider. But what I learned is, there is one cardinal rule when it comes to losing weight and that is BE CONSISTENT! Consistency is key to success in life.
The first step to losing weight is being ready. If you are not mentally, emotionally and physically committed to making this happen, you're more than likely to keep promising yourself you'll start dieting on Mondays. No one can ever truly make that decision for you, but it's not a bad idea to be inspired by others. The next step is to make the decision that you will see yourself through this goal no matter what happens. Decisions are just thoughts until we put it to action. The hardest step is following through. This is the part where we start to negotiate and challenge our decisions. We'll start telling ourselves "One cookie isn't going to hurt!" "I'm stressed so I deserve a piece of chocolate cake." "I'll go to the gym tomorrow" These thoughts wouldn't be so bad if it only comes up once a month, but if you find yourself thinking like this every other day, it's time for you to re-establish your commitment. How bad do you want it?
There are thousands of tips out there on how to lose weight but we've all been through the frustrations of not getting our desired results at the desired time frame. What I recommend is writing your current eating habits for 3-5 days and looking at your pattern. What time did you eat? What did you eat? How did you feel before and after you ate? Are you still hungry? Or do you feel energized? The more you see your patterns objectively, the easier it will be to make the changes that works specifically for you. I would never recommend anyone to eat oatmeal if they throw up with just the thought of it. So be realistic and be honest with yourself. Let's face it, losing weight is the "goal" but the ultimate reward is feeling good about living a healthy lifestyle. So get your mind right, be consistent and lose weight without losing your mind!
So my recent 7am call was from a friend coming back from the gym. She, like most of my friends have a minor complex when we don't hear from each other for about a week. We have the police department on speed dial to put out an APB if necessary. After 10 minutes of playing catch up about life, she started telling me about her new meal plan to lose weight. She was so excited to have met a dietitian that told her she wasn't eating enough. I asked her what she typically eats and I pretty much concurred with what her dietitian told her. I also added, that's plenty of food...FOR YOUR BACK FAT!...but what about the rest of your body parts that need nourishment? I asked how long she's been on this meal plan and with much enthusiasm she says TWO DAYS!! Uh huh, no wonder you still sound motivated.
I can't tell you how many times people have asked me what they should eat to lose weight. My health and fitness background makes it easy for me to elaborate on just about any diet plan. However, I learned the key question is "What do you eat now?" That prompts them to think and have a "come to Jesus" moment.
Diet plans should be as personalized as your signature. The old adage "Eat Less, Burn More" may be the most popular bottom line when it comes to losing weight but it's unfortunate that the words "less" and "more" are absolutely relative. A 120 lbs woman who gets carried away with the word less can be one hamburger away from being anorexic whereas a 190 lbs woman should probably take the "more" exercise route after eating a fry. Too damn confusing!
I will admit there is a science to losing weight. Between genetics, body composition and willingness to make healthy lifestyle choices...there's so much to consider. But what I learned is, there is one cardinal rule when it comes to losing weight and that is BE CONSISTENT! Consistency is key to success in life.
The first step to losing weight is being ready. If you are not mentally, emotionally and physically committed to making this happen, you're more than likely to keep promising yourself you'll start dieting on Mondays. No one can ever truly make that decision for you, but it's not a bad idea to be inspired by others. The next step is to make the decision that you will see yourself through this goal no matter what happens. Decisions are just thoughts until we put it to action. The hardest step is following through. This is the part where we start to negotiate and challenge our decisions. We'll start telling ourselves "One cookie isn't going to hurt!" "I'm stressed so I deserve a piece of chocolate cake." "I'll go to the gym tomorrow" These thoughts wouldn't be so bad if it only comes up once a month, but if you find yourself thinking like this every other day, it's time for you to re-establish your commitment. How bad do you want it?
There are thousands of tips out there on how to lose weight but we've all been through the frustrations of not getting our desired results at the desired time frame. What I recommend is writing your current eating habits for 3-5 days and looking at your pattern. What time did you eat? What did you eat? How did you feel before and after you ate? Are you still hungry? Or do you feel energized? The more you see your patterns objectively, the easier it will be to make the changes that works specifically for you. I would never recommend anyone to eat oatmeal if they throw up with just the thought of it. So be realistic and be honest with yourself. Let's face it, losing weight is the "goal" but the ultimate reward is feeling good about living a healthy lifestyle. So get your mind right, be consistent and lose weight without losing your mind!
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