Fitness today

I am making it my goal to educate those that are still caught up in the Archaic workout programs that have failed so many people for so long. I can't tell you how many people come in to my gym and think that the same routine that they have been doing for years will now work better than the last time they did it. They come in and I ask them " what's your routine like?" the response is usually the same," I do about 20-30 minuets on the elliptical or treadmill and then I do some of the machines or Free weights." I have the same question for them. How has that been working for you? They seem to think that the boring routine will some how be different this time. The fact is that slow steady exercise is as ineffective as it is boring. Add to that a weight training program that usually falls into two categories, the intensity level is too low to be effective or they do split routines that are better suited for body building. I see so many women doing all kinds of leg exercises thinking that if they do low weight high reps they will "tone up" there legs. I'm still not sure what the term"tone" means. I think it's better used in regards to music. A muscle cell can only shrink or grow it can't tone (whatever that is). What one needs to do is build lean mass and lose fat mass. This is done trough full body workouts EVERY time you are in the gym. I can't remember the last time I was at jui jitsu and I only used my chest or my legs during that practice. I also didn't need to take a day in between practices. That is all non sense that has that has bled over from Body Building. I don't mean to put down Body Building. Those people work very hard to develop the large musculature they have. However, general population fitness and body building are very different and need to be treated as such. An effective full body workout that encompasses both Traditional and functional exercises will limit the time you even need to be on a treadmill or elliptical due to the high caloric expenditure it will yield.

Thats all for now.....

The transition

I figure I better start posting more blogs if I am going to get better at it. West Loop Gym is going through some changes and I thought I might write about it. Valentino and Cheston who have worked for me for a few years are going to be leaving the gym. It is something I believe they needed to do and I don't blame them for they're decision. I believe the gym is going in a good direction and they have helped lay the ground work for the people that will come after them. The gym business is a tough and competitive business and they have helped us to develop a unique business model.
Another change has been the addition of my original business partner Mike Meluch. Mike and I started the gym back in 2004. Mike had to leave do to some personal issues but has partnered back up with me to head up the business management of the gym. I'm excited about this in that it will give me the ability to concentrate on the Coaching program which is what I love to do and why I opened this gym to begin with.
All in all this is an exciting time for the gym and although Tino and Cheston will be missed I'm glad they are pursuing avenues that will provide them with really good opportunities. I'm happy to have Mike back. He and I have been friends for 20 years and this was our dream to begin with. I already can feel the energy changing with him back at the gym.
that's it for now......

Still Training - the name

well my Coaching Director at the gym I own (West Loop Gym in Chicago) has been after me to start a blog and I have been fighting it for as long as I can. I'm not much of a typer but here we go. ( I sure hope this has spell check)
Since this is my first official Blog I thought I would explain the reason I picked the name"Still Training". It has a couple different meanings and although it's not so "cool" and creative, It means something to me.
I got into this field in 1990 after graduating from colledge in Exercise Science from Illinois State University. I really was just a College Wrestler that wanted to be a coach and after doing some student teaching, realized that I didn't want to teach high school kids. ISU had just started the Exercise Science program and my adviser suggested it to me.
After college I did an internship with the Coca Cola company's Health and Fitness center and eventually went to work for them. To make a long story short, I have worked in virtually every type of Health and Fitness facility there is since 1990 and learned something from every one.
Back in the early 90s Personal Training was just getting started and the money was not nearly as good as it is now. You really had to love this field to be in it because you were certinaly not gonna get rich doing it. So the first meaning for the name is that after almost 20 years in the business I am still training and more importantly, I still love to do it.
Another meaning for the name is that I am still training myself. I still train myself as hard as I ever have even though injuries and time restraints often will limit the frequency and duration. The workouts have changed quite a bit over the last 20 years but I still don't feel good unless I am pooring sweat and breathing like a dog thats been running in the heat. I still train Jiu-Jitsu and plan to as long as my body will let me.
The last meaning of the name is that I am still training as far as education is cncerned. New things are constanly being developed in this field and as far as I'm concerned it would be arrogant and irresponsible if I didn't stay in touch with the information and education that is available. I still love to go to seminars and workshops and picking the brains of the guys that love this field as much as I do. I would like to get invoved in presenting workshops myself someday, however I am concentrating on developing my business for now.
Thats it for my first official blog. I will be posting as new ideas as come to me (hopefully sooner than later)...