MIND – BODY CONNECTION, THE POWER OF THE MIND, STRENGTH OF THE BODY!

June 5th, 2010

This happens to be one of my mantras- “The mind – body connection”. I’m such a believer of this concept because I am such a visual creature, not to mention I find it very easy for my mind and body to be or work as one! When it comes to training, my mind is always seeing the pictures my body is developing. I know what I want to look like physically and I know that if my mind can see it, my body will achieve it! I don’t try to practice the mind over body concept because I feel this way of thinking is kind of defeating ourselves. Many of us practice this disconnected way of life without even knowing it. I mean think about it, how many times have we pushed our bodys to do something when it was telling us it physically didn’t have the juice, but we kept going because our mind said, “you can do it!” Please keep in mind I get it, I understand it and I have done it. I recognize the benefits of pushing oneself on many levels. We all, at one time or another, have witnessed a heroic act being performed which demonstrates superhuman strength with the mind over body concept. Many athletes have achieved greatness by utilizing this way of thinking. A prime example of this is when an athlete is in a time and place where they need to overcome physical obstacles such as an injury in competition. These athletes have to be in a frame of mind where they are able to perform their skills and not think about just how much pain they are in. That’s where the mind over body comes in to play. I can tell you that being in the fitness profession, as well as being a hard core athlete, I have had to utilize mind over body because of painful injuries while performing. Hopefully none of you will have to be in a situation where you need to call on that type of mindset because I’ll tell you, it’s not fun!

I don’t have to tell you the importance of exercise! But, I recommend that you exercise with a purpose or a visual goal in mind. This way you can concentrate on connecting your mind to help create and detail the body you want to achieve. What I mean by this is you should have a mental picture of what the outcome of your hard workouts is going to be or look like. In my mind, exercising without the mind – body connection explains why I see so many people throwing weights around without any technique or form. Ugh! I always feel that someone is going to get injured when I see this. I’m sure that you are asking yourself, Sergio, why don’t you correct them or say something? Well, because it’s not my place to walk around fixing people when they don’t ask for it. It could be very offensive to someone. That’s why I bite my tongue and pray that I don’t make myself bleed – Lol. You know, not only could an injury occur from this bad training but it’s a bit barbaric and a workout without the finesse can’t possibly lead to a good looking physique.

A very effective and easy way to start the mind – body connection is to begin by visualizing how you want your body and muscles to develop. Start to pay attention to other people’s physiques and keep in mind what it is you like about their physical development. Use that as a mental picture when working out. It’s so easy and will eventually become second nature. Soon you will be looking at magazines and television for mental pictures. Either cut out the pictures or keep them in your mind and use that as inspiration. We do this all the time with so many aspects of life; like hair styles, decorating, cooking, etc. You just haven’t learned to apply your mind body connection to your training which will help you develop the body you will be proud to show off!

Remember, you are most definitely going to have to put your time in at the gym. The mind – body connection alone is not going to cut it, but you now have a little understanding on how you can get started visualizing what you have the power to change. I’m passing this information on to you because I have practiced this way of thinking and I know it works. I admit that I too have so much to learn with connecting my own mind with other aspects of my life. I welcome all the knowledge and understanding that is out in the universe to help me grow in my own paths.
Remember, it’s not about overpowering your body with your mind. It’s about connecting your mind to your body. This in turn will help you overpower life’s daily obstacles.

Cheers! to your growth, in learning to develop your mind - body connection, which equals power!

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Posted in MIND-BODY POWER CONNECTION, Safety, Training, Training/form | 5 Comments »

THE SUMMER IS HERE!!!

May 9th, 2010

Well, I must admit it feels as though I have fallen off the face of the earth when it comes to Blogging. I’m going to start again as though we were at a new beginning-and we kind of are! The weather is changing – everything is warmer and you see people outdoors a lot more, and guess what? We have put away our winter clothes. You know, those big warm clothes we could hide under. Hiding under clothes for so many people isn’t just about the big, oversized cold-weather clothes, it is practiced year round. What to wear that is going to give you the illusion of looking slimmer? The right shade of black to help you look slender, just the right amount of looseness in your wardrobe to mask the rolls around your waist. If you are ok with this smoke and mirrors special effect, then have at it! NOT ME! I put in too much time into my workouts and training while focusing on specific areas to insure that not only do clothes fit really nicely on me, but I look even better naked! The real truth is we all have to be naked in front of someone at some point! How will you look without all the smoke and mirrors?
Now that summer is here, I’m ready to take off the big winter clothes (as much as I love winter). I want to be in my board shorts, stretched out on the beach, taking in a few rays. Are you ready? Are you ready for the beach? Are you ready to wear that smaller bathing suit you bought promising yourself it would fit come summer time? You were sure you would be ready because of the resolution you made at the beginning of the year which was to taper down your eating, workout more-or more aggressively, increase your cardio, as in sculpting, running, hiking or roller blading. Here is an interesting fact I found while surfing the net. I’m sure someone will try to prove this wrong, Lol. But I agree with the statement. The article claimed It takes at least one hour a day of moderate exercise to maintain your current shape. For most people one hour wont cut it, because of the calories and fat one takes in eating junk food, snacks, treats, crap food, binging and so on far exceeds the measly 1 hour of exercise they are putting in.
I don’t blame you for not wanting to be at the gym for longer than 1 hour-most of you have been at the office all day, away from home, away from your loved ones. I don’t want to be there longer than I have to either, that’s why when I go to the gym for my workout, I handle my business. Get the workout done and get out! I have been preaching this for ever!!! This is what I recommend, for those of you who are not there to workout with heavy weights and put on mass. Find a class which focuses on high cardio like my POWERSERGE program. A class, or program which focuses on lean muscle tone, small weights and absolutely no breaks! This will force you to push yourself each time a little more. It will help your endurance and stamina while strengthening your heart! My POWERSERGE program focuses on gaining many different skills, including stretching, improved agility, isolations and mini plyometrics, which helps in obtaining quick muscle reflexes. I always guarantee it’s the only cardio you need for the day-it never fails. It’s like getting your daily dose of exercise in one shot.
I’m not saying forget about the treadmills and elliptical machines, but if you pay attention, most people are not taking these machines to a challenging level. It turns into the rat on a wheel race, you never get anywhere. That’s my opinion… Sure you sweat, but a lot of that is water weight! There is NO toning. You are never going to hear someone say they are shredded because of the run they just took on the treadmill! Your body won’t change because it knows exactly what your routine is. Most people get on the treadmill and watch TV while they are walking or they lock their arms on a fricken stair master. Yeah, sure they are burning a few calories, but not enough to make a difference to balance out their intake. Again, if you want to make a difference in your life/body and don’t have physical limitations, find a program which challenges you and forces you to step it up! Enough of the babying!
GET TO THE GYM AND WORKOUT ANIMAL STYLE! Stop living in a vicious circle of not liking to workout, (even though you need to) so you force yourself to go to the gym and while you are there, you don’t do enough that is going to make a difference in your body. The overused line, “something is better than nothing” is not cutting it when it comes to working out! Make a change in your exercise routine and you will see results in your body!
I’m not here to tell you that what you are doing is wrong. However, so many people ask me why their bodies are not making progress in the way they would like. Because of this I have no choice but to tell you MAKE A CHANGE IN YOUR EXERCISE!
PEACE and POWERSERGE TO EVERYONE!

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Posted in Training | 6 Comments »

STAYING HYDRATED, WATER.

February 20th, 2010

The topic for today came to me from a very painful lesson I learned. I actually learned this lesson many years ago, but my recent carelessness of not drinking enough water took a toll on my body this past Wednesday. I have been training my clients inside gyms, teaching classes, and recently, with the great weather in So Cal we have been experiencing, I have been training some clients outside, which caused me to get dehydrated. I wasn’t drinking enough water (the sad part is, I know better!) Come 7am Wednesday morning, I’m teaching a class and mid way through I get a huge cramp on my left calf muscle. The most painful charlie-horse I have experienced in years! My calf stayed cramped until I finished teaching my class. For over a half hour I was in severe pain and I couldn’t stop the class. I have to be honest, I was scared and crying inside from the intense pain I was experiencing… My calf muscle felt like a rock and would not let up! It felt like if I put too much of my own body weight on it, I might tear or pull a tendon or really stress my achilles tendon. My left calf muscle was in pain, very stressed, and my body let me know it was really pissed off at me for the abuse and neglect. How dare I demand so much from my body and not even throw a drink of water at it. I am still walking around with some mild pain due to the length of time my calf muscle stayed contracted and knotted up.

I confess with all humility that NOT drinking enough water and getting dehydrated is a form of abuse to my body. I also have to admit that as much as it hurts both my calf muscle and my ego, I was wrong to neglect drinking enough water. Especially with the extreme exercising I have been putting my body through, coupled with fighting the elements of unusually hot weather in February.

I’m pretty disappointed in myself! I feel as if my spirit has been broken and I’m the only one to blame… As I mentioned earlier, I have learned this lesson before, so I guess you could say I know a thing or two about leg cramps. I ran track in school when I lived in Arizona. AHH, I know what your thinking, Arizona, isn’t that the desert? Pretty much! LOL. My point is running track in 118-120 degrees heat, we had to stay hydrated, take plenty of potassium supplements, eat bananas, potatoes and drink more water to avoid dehydration and leg cramps.

Please note, leg cramps are not the only reason to drink water. Water is a requirement, a must. It is imperative for the great health of our body (The Human Machine) in order to keep running properly. This is especially important since our bodies are composed of almost ¾ water, it is imperative that we stay hydrated. The list of amazing benefits from drinking water and keeping hydrated could be miles long-here are a few.

DID YOU KNOW? DRINKING PLENTY OF WATER…
1) Increases your energy levels.
2) Keeps your system clean by assisting your body to flush out toxins.
3) Supports in a healthy immune system.
4) Helps the body to regulate the temperature, (like a radiator in a car)
5) Our body’s use up approx 2.5 liters of water a day (plus all the water lost through perspiration) if you are active and workout.
6) Helps our organs such as our kidneys and liver stay healthy and function properly.
7) Water keeps our skin, the biggest organ of our entire body, looking youthful and glowing. This ultimately keeps us from looking like we live in the hot Arizona desert. LOL

Don’t make silly mistakes such as I did by not drinking enough water. Remember, everyone is going to have their own opinion as to how much water you should drink. I think it’s a personal decision, drink plenty and stay hydrated.
STAY HYDRATED-FOR YOUR HEALTH.

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Posted in HYDRATION | 2 Comments »

FLEXIBILITY-STRETCHING FOR A HEALTHIER LIFE!

February 6th, 2010

 

It’s been a

few weeks since I brought a thought or topic to share with you. Just a quick recap-The beginning of the year was a time to reflect on the past year and formulate a plan for change. For those of you who made 2010 fitness resolutions, I really hope you have kept up with it! Please don’t let fitness fizzle out of your life!!

Today, I want to talk about the importance of empowering your body through flexibility and stretching. Stretching your muscles, joints, and ligaments is amazing for your body! Stretching releases lactic acid build up and allows your body to eliminate it easily. Stretching increases circulation, relieves stress, and keeps you agile. In the long term, as we mature and head forth into our golden years, stretching is going to help us not feel like we can’t move; as if our joints have become fused/locked together, immobile and brittle.
I work with many different types of people, in private sessions as well as in my POWERSERGE class. Before any workout, I guide my clients and students through a thorough body warm up and stretch to minimize every possibility of injury. Stretching and gaining flexibility has helped my clients/students increase their range of motion while exercising for a better overall workout.
Stretching is one of my fortes. I have already mentioned some of the great benefits of stretching and the list could go on! Stretching creates long, lean muscles like that of a dancer and everybody knows dancers have perfect bodies! AHHH HAAH for those of you who did not know, dancing has been a big part of my life, I have taken years of specialized training and my background in various dance styles is extensive. I consider myself very lucky to have this kind of knowledge and training because it paved the way to a very successful career as a professional dancer with great opportunities and experiences. I have performed with recording artists such a Michael Jackson, Prince and Paula Abdul, danced in films such as Rent, Annie and Cinderella and appeared in award shows such as the Oscars, Grammys and many music videos. OK – I have to stop, otherwise you are going to think I’m bragging… Yeah, I guess I am! (LOL) But I tell you this to make a point; staying flexible has kept my body healthy, free of injuries, and allowed me to perform and push my body to extreme levels.
We are all at different levels in life and this holds true for flexibility. I may be really flexible to you, but there is always someone else who is more flexible than me. All we have to do is concentrate on ourselves and go for our personal best. Here are a few very helpful tips which will aid in your gains in stretching towards flexibility.

1) Hold your stretch positions for a minimum of ten seconds, this will allow the muscles to start giving in.
2) Don’t bounce your stretch! This could lead you to pull a muscle and this type of injury takes a while to heal.
3) Concentrate on a good deep breathing pattern. This will bring oxygen to your muscles as well as help you relax through your stretching which will ultimately make stretching more enjoyable.
4) Stretching should feel great, not painful, so take it easy when you stretch. You should not be in any hurry. Remember, you are not trying to catch up to anyone. Personal goals are great but do not try to get ahead of yourself. Others are at one level and you are at another level making your own steady progress.

On a final note, I am really trying to get this blog going and will be posting a couple of short videos to help you with some stretching, as well as some great ab exercises and more. Remember, any effort you make toward stretching is lengthening your muscles and keeping the joints lubricated (I use this term in reference to your body as a machine, like a car) for easy mobility. This will translate to automatic love and care for your body.
LOVE AND CARE FOR YOUR BODY, THE HUMAN MACHINE-HAPPY STRETCHING!

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Posted in FLEXIBILITY, STRETCHING, Safety | 3 Comments »

RESOLUTIONS-2010. A NEW YEAR!

January 1st, 2010

RESOLUTIONS-2010. A NEW YEAR!
2009 is over! It is now *2010* WOW!! What a great opportunity for many people to start over and for many more to start for the first time on the quest to getting fit. (Yes, making a RESOLUTION!) There, I said it. I have never believed or fed into the hype of making a fitness resolution, since year after year I have watched these resolutions fizzle out. Of course, the people who made them had every “valid” reason/excuse as to why they didn’t keep it up. So, I have just always kept myself fit year round!

Right now, I’m in the best shape of my life! I am extremely healthy, my body is crazy shredded and I feel great overall! Yet, for the first time in my life, I am making a resolution. I feel I’m at a place and time in where I want to take myself to that next level. This makes me very excited… I just started my resolution workout yesterday. I worked out incredibly hard because I have a couple of personal goals in mind – nothing too crazy or drastic, just a tweek here and there… So, just to give you an idea of how hard I worked out, today I’m super sore! I couldn’t get out of bed this morning – that’s how bad I felt! I couldn’t even muster enough energy to roll over. GOD, I LOVE THAT FEELING!!!
If you feel this year, 2010, you want to make a change in your body and you want to make a resolution which involves fitness, whether it’s losing weight, gaining muscle, flexibility, cardio-vascular health, dancing, boxing, simply walking, I fully support you in your journey and may your gains be huge and your life be long and healthy! I truly believe what needs to happen is fitness needs to be a way of life! No, you don’t have to eat, sleep, and dream fitness. It just needs to be incorporated into your life. Whatever type of exercise you enjoy should be a part of your life. There are many types of ways to get exercise, from tennis, running, biking, hiking, and even roller blading. Not only are these exercises great for your health, they are also stimulating to your overall well being!

Be sure to pick something you enjoy doing. This is going to ensure you stick to it. I really feel all those past year’s lost resolutions were due to not only a lack of motivation, but people don’t enjoy the exercise. Another option you might want to consider (if you can afford it) is to research getting a personal trainer. However, I want to make you aware, you should not jump at the first one you find which offers a cheap rate! In the long run you could be wasting a lot of $money$. Check out the trainer’s body, if they can’t keep themselves fit, how can they possibly help you??? They have to motivate you and if their body doesn’t look great… How motivating can that be? Research their skills or what they specialize in. Hopefully they can help you better understand your body and how to apply exercise and fitness to get you to your goal. GOOD LUCK!
HAPPY, HEALTHY, SUCCESS IN YOUR 2010 RESOLUTION TO GET FIT!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

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Posted in Resolutions new beginings, Training | 3 Comments »

FORM/SAFETY – LUNGES

December 5th, 2009

As I said before, form and safety are a big concern (issues) for me, so I’ll begin with this. I’m at the gym, training my client and what do I see? A trainer with a client working lunges-very common exercise, and it’s very common that lunges are performed with poor to bad form. It’s not my place to say anything, nor do I want you to think this is rip on a trainer session. But let s face it, the following is basic 101 and any trainer with actual knowledge of fitness would say the same thing…
1) If you are training/working lunges, and you are banging or putting your knee down, or simply tapping your knee on the ground, as lightly as that may seem to you, it’s a time bomb ticking away! You will in time gradually start to feel pain from micro tears, which results in soreness and Inflammation. This could ultimately lead to a possible ugly-blow out of the knee if you continue to train with this bad form. My reason for bringing this up is many people are carrying extra weight. Think of it this way, your knees are already responsible for supporting your frame. Couple this with bad form and you are truly abusing your knees… This is a recipe for disaster! All this extra weight and banging up your knees- Ouch!
2) Lunges are a leg/butt exercise to strengthen and tone. When lunging, if you are putting your weight forward on the leg you are lunging on so that your knee passes your front foot. I have to let you know this is a very easy way to tear your knee. For safety and good form, your knee should never pass your front foot and your body should stay centered. If you want a really deep lunge with a good booty, quad and hamstring stretch, I recommend you take the lunges backward. Simply lunge backward into a deep stretch, then bring yourself back up to the same place, then repeat by either alternating legs or staying on the same side. I recommend long reps and continue this exercise until you get that sculpting burn. This is the only way you will see results.
3) If you want to concentrate on your quads, keep your lunges smaller. This will allow your body weight to stay on top of your leg area. I know most women, and a majority of men work lunges to tone and perk up the glutes. So I recommend you take your lunges backward, for the safety of the knees, hitting an elongated long line. Very much like the warrior yoga pose except you keep your hips squared to the front. This allows you to sit deep into your glutes, get a big stretch and use them on the way up. There is no need to do travel lunges across the gym.
4) I personally prefer the longer lunge because they target more of the butt area. I stay away from the squatty lunges. After all, we use our quads so much on a daily basis they become dominant over the butt and hamstring. In my opinion, I think a nice toned hamstrings and butt is sexier than huge, over sized- ballooned out quads!
You decide what is best for the body you have in your mind to create. Remember, see it in your mind, and your body will do it. This is the mind-body connection which is my mantra. You have heard me talk about this before and you will continue to hear me stress the importance of the connection between the two. Just remember to be safe and use good form, especially if you are new to working out. You are going to be gung ho about getting started. You don’t want to take yourself out of the running because of an injury that could have been very easily avoided! I am extremely careful about the way I exercise because I always think to protect my body. I want to help you do the same! Safety First!

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Posted in Training/form | 33 Comments »

THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE!!!

November 28th, 2009

The Holidays are here! I love the holidays, everyone is that much more cheerful and kind to each other. More giving, which means we get gifts – Yippey! Cookies, candy, cakes, super rich foods and drinks. I’m so very thankful for every gift I get, I never say no to a gift, that’s for sure!! Neither should you. However, it doesn’t mean we have to eat every bit of every food gift we are given. Aside from the fact the holidays are such a merry time, it is also a time of over-consumption.
It is Saturday, November 28th. Honestly, I should have written this post before Halloween because to me this is when the holidays really start… If you are one of those people easily tempted by the Sugar Devils, as many people are, I recommend you at least pace yourself. This way you won’t eat as much as you normally would. During this time of “mass consumption”, I highly recommend you increase your cardio and drink plenty of water.
I’m never going to tell people not to eat these goodies because I sure as heck do! I love to be able to eat the things I crave. Having said that, I also work my butt off in my training, which means I never have to watch what I eat. Remember, over consumption of food and drink is abusing your body which is disrespecting the most precious gift any of us have ever been given, our bodies!
Throughout these holidays, make an extra effort not to grab something from every passing tray that comes your way. You don’t need to eat every food gift; (ever heard of re-gifting?) Keep in mind, for some of you it’s very easy to put on weight and not so easy to take it off! I also want to mention, although many train hard throughout the year, there are many more people who don’t! I have talked about this briefly; there are millions of people here in our beautiful United States of America, who live a very sedentary life! As I said before, even without looking up any statistics, I’m pretty sure we are the fattest country right now…
Don’t ruin the past years hard work! I’m not just saying this because I’m only concerned with aesthetics. Being overweight is a health hazard. The New Year is coming and you don’t want to be back to square one, making the same resolution for the coming year, simply because you didn’t exercise a little willpower.

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Posted in Food, WILLPOWER | 1 Comment »

VITAL JUICE, FEATURE ARTICLE-POWERSERGE PROGRAM

November 23rd, 2009

Anyone and everyone who has come in contact with me this past week has heard me talking about some personal happiness (as I call it) I want to share this with the whole world!!!
Here it goes – my “POWERSERGE” program and I have recently been featured in an online Magazine called Vital Juice. It is a great article which talks about my background, my program and my newly formed class “POWERSERGE”. In case you are not familiar with this website, Vital Juice is an on-line magazine which focuses on health, fitness and beauty. It is a place to go for information on healthy eating and nutritious recipes. Vital Juice also has information on exciting new gyms where you can get great workouts (such as my “POWERSERGE“ class), where you get a great deal of BANG for your BUCK! In this economy that’s a great thing (that’s my take on it anyway). I am ecstatic to be featured on this site. When I first got word I was on it, I was practically doing back flips!! So I want to give thanks to Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh, Senior Editor, Los Angeles, and Amanda Freeman, Co-Founder of Vitaljuice.com both of these amazing ladies came to take my class and I must say, they both are in great shape!!! Amanda and Jamie – Thank you… I am very honored for this great opportunity.
Please visit VitalJuice by clicking on this link to check out my feature article.
To learn more about my “POWERSERGE” program, check out my website at www.sergiocarbajal.com/powerserge
Feel free to contact me with any Q’s or comments

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Posted in Feature Articles | 31 Comments »

RESPONSE TO ACIDSPIT’S COMMENT-RE: YOPLAIT

November 18th, 2009

Acidspit – Thank you for your comment on my post regarding my choice of Yogurt. You are absolutely right! There are many other choices which would be overall healthier for my body. Aside from loving to eat yogurt daily, I know I’m doing, or at least trying to do a little something for, like I said, a great cause. I have to admit, I don’t eat perfectly every day. You might see me out and about eating pizza with extra cheese, or whatever I might be craving that day. I have to make sure I keep myself balanced with eating the things I like and the things I need to eat. I don’t want to put in so much time and hard work, then not be able to enjoy the things I like! For me personally, I like to think if I am taking in some additives and thickeners, why not try to make a change or help in some little way? I choose to eat Yoplait because they have made a commitment to donate proceeds to the fight against breast cancer. I suppose I could just donate to the cause myself- however, I figure why not buy something because I like the taste, knowing part of my money is going to an important cause. I’m not perfect and I don’t have a perfect diet. Thank you for sharing your awesome comment, knowledge and information. You are exactly the kind of person who I will learn from, for I have lots to learn. But along my way, I want to know I have helped in some little way.

Posted in Food | 3 Comments »

EATING HABITS-AND WORKING OUT/TRAINING!

November 14th, 2009

The idea for this topic of eating and training came from a new friend, Lauren Lobley, Assistant Manager, Lululemon Athletica in Beverly Hills.
I’m going to begin by bringing up some of the frequent Q’s that people ask in regard to eating and training. Should you eat before a workout? Should you not eat? How much to eat? What to eat? How will eating or not eating affect your workouts either way? Taking into account every person has their own circumstances and some have special needs, the questions could be endless, and this topic would go on for days…
So, here is what I know; this works for me! You, as individuals, are going to have to play around with it to find out the best system for you and your body. Since I get up very early to either train clients or teach classes, my body is not ready to eat anything at 5:30am. But, the first chance I get after a client or especially after teaching a class, I have some oatmeal. Then I will have my yogurt – granola and berries – in a bowl. This is every day!!!! (I’m such a creature of habit!) lol. There is no way I could train a client or teach a class on a full stomach. I am so hands on, and I demonstrate all of the exercises while teaching class or training clients. I end a session working up quite a sweat myself!
I don’t recommend eating something heavy before a workout; this will cause you to feel lethargic and could cause you to up-chuck! Ughhh – (especially if you are taking one of my “Powerserge” classes). Having said that, I do recommend you have something very light in your stomach, like a protein bar, half a bagel, or even a pre-workout fuel energy drink to help you keep your energy level up. Plus, eating a few carbs before the workout is going to ensure that it’s burned off, and you never have to feel guilty for eating these pre-workout carbs!
Remember, you want to eat your carbs early on during the day when your body is alert and active. This way your body has the opportunity to put the carbs to use. What I tell my clients and any student who inquires is NO CARBS AFTER 6pm. I know they are going to drag that time out until @ 7-7:30ish or even 8pm… Who can make dinner by 6pm? Some people are still working, or if you live here in LA, stuck in traffic.
This is in no way intended to put you on any diet or tell you what to eat or even how much to eat! I couldn’t imagine not being able to eat while feeling hungry, so I wouldn’t want someone else to go through the same thing. But, if you want to drop weight or maintain a slimmer body, I recommend you start eating 4 to 5 times a day (VERY SMALL MEALS), cut out all the breads, sugars, sodas, candy, fast foods, fried foods, the list is miles long, yet, it is the easiest thing to do once you set your mind to it.
If you are at the point where you need to make a change because of your health, or because your body has gotten out of control, you are going to have to commit to a drastic change! The best thing to do is to change your eating habits, rather than having to be on a crazy diet and being resentful over everything you can’t eat! Remember, people start to put on weight in all the wrong areas because of poor eating habits, eating too late, or eating heavy, rich foods. By the evening, most people have become even more sedentary-couple this with the fact many of you sat in an office chair all day… Is that possible?? Yes it is! This is one reason your body has a hard time metabolizing food. Your body has had absolutely no movement. Think about it this way, your body is a human machine; when you shut it off from work at night, if you still keep packing it/overloading it, you are going to bog it down! That is when the machine starts to fail. Please take care of you – the human machine. It is the most precious gift we have been given!
Some food for thought – I wanted to mention how important it is for me to eat yogurt daily. I eat it because I love it and for the great benefits it provides. I choose to purchase Yoplait yogurt. I collect the lids from my yogurt containers and mail them in to a great cause called. “Save Lids To Save Lives”. Mail your clean lids in to Yoplait – For every lid you mail in, Yoplait donates 10cents to a great cause. The fight against breast cancer!

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Posted in Food, Training, Training/form | 69 Comments »

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