We’re coming up on the new year. People are getting their New Year’s resolutions lined up and are seeking the way that they are going to accomplish them. BEWARE! There are plenty of people and companies ready to sell you the easiest, fastest, best way to get there even if what they’re selling doesn’t really work. They know that you’re desperate and you will buy into the dream. There are things you can look for in promotional material or advertising for products or programs that are clues to its false advertising. These include: Using definitive terms, such as “will”, “always”, “proven” (with ..read more

You are, you know. Going to fail. I don’t mean ultimately. That’s really up to you, but somewhere along the way you will fail. Let’s face it, your goal is probably something challenging. Maybe it’s losing a certain amount of weight. Maybe it’s getting your cholesterol down. Maybe it’s being able to get up and down from the floor. Whatever it is, there will be times when you stumble on your path to achieving it. Our perception of failing is typically tied to following our initial plan exactly. Perhaps part of your diet plan is, “I will not eat desserts.”, but then, you attend a birthday party ..read more

This is just a quick invitation. I just started a Men’s Fitness After 50 club on Clubhouse. Clubhouse is an all audio app that would allow us to have real time discussions about fitness. I hope you’ll join me there. (I’ll even teach you how to use it) click here to join me. https://www.clubhouse.com/join/mens-fitness-after-50/ZUGfUrYC ..read more

Repost from 2018 (because it still applies and I still hear people touting “the best equipment”): I had a call from someone inquiring if we offered kettlebell classes. He was disappointed to hear that we didn’t offer that class nor use kettlebells in our personal training. In spite of trying to explain that we could replicate almost every exercise with a dumbbell, it was a deal breaker. This post is going to give you the scoop on a lot of the trendy pieces of equipment out there. Let’s start with external loading, meaning something that has weight that is outside of your body. This includes e ..read more

Let’s face it, our plans for the near future are out the window. In many states (and countries) people are finding themselves restricted to their homes and away from normal activities. This confinement or isolation, whether self-imposed or otherwise, can play havoc on our mental and physical wellbeing. We are now in new territory. How can we manage our behaviors and stay healthy? Start With Journaling. In order to manage what we do, we need know what it is that we’re doing. Patterns are going to start to emerge and writing down what you do will help you decipher the good from the not so good ..read more

Getting started always seems to be the hardest part. Once you’re going, it’s not as difficult to keep going. What if I told you that starting doesn’t have to be so hard? What if it was actually easy? The fact is, it can be. What makes starting such a challenge? There are a number of things that can make it seem that way. Here are some of those: You can’t find the time to exercise You don’t have enough energy You’re not motivated Your body hurts and you don’t want it to hurt more You’re not sure what to do You’re where to do it You can’t afford to do it and here is the reality: Time – You ca ..read more

I’m starting to write my second book. My first was one for fitness professionals, The Business of Personal Training and teaching personal trainers about how to build their business is a passion of mine. However, this next book is for the individual that needs help getting started in a strength program, progressing with it, and continuing with it for a lifetime. The challenge for many people is that most books for the beginner explain how it all works and supplies the reader with exercises/workouts to do. It’s all very generic and not very individualized. What I hope to accomplish with my book ..read more

I’ve been doing a deep dive in the area of motivational interviewing (MI). While I was trained as a wellness coach over 15 years ago, the techniques of MI add another layer to my ability to help people change. In fact, I’ll be presenting the topic to other personal trainers at a conference in March on how they can use it to help their clients. I also believe that if you learn the concepts of MI, it can help you create your own change. Here are a few basics of MI to assist you in making changes in your life. Ambivalence Let me start by saying that MI is a tool in overcoming ambivalence, or the ..read more

Are you thinking about making resolutions for 2020? According to History.com, the practice of making new year resolutions has been around for thousands of years and what we now call resolutions used to be promises made to the gods to behave better in the upcoming year. Resolutions are now made to ourselves in an effort to better ourselves and/or our lives. While 45 percent of Americans make resolutions, only 8 percent are actually successful. If we’re so bad at keeping them, why do we keep on making them? Well, there’s something very attractive about new beginnings. So, a new year, a new month ..read more