Saturday, March 23, 2013
Saturday, March 16, 2013
The Ultimate Fitcation!
This year, I did something different for spring break.
Who needs Pay Per View when Westin Workouts are just one click away. In a new partnership with New Balance, the hotel group is lending guests everything they’ll need to get in a solid workout on the road, including New Balance running sneakers, shorts, shirts, socks, and sports bras (all available for a flat fee of $5 per person). After suiting up, choose from a range of exercise routines for a quick in-room workout (some rooms are even equipped with an exercise bike or treadmill, adjustable free weights, and a stability ball). Or, for those with a little more time to explore, head to one of the hotels’ state-of-the-art fitness studios, or grab a Westin running map for a 3- or 5-mile local route. For rates and availability visit www.starwoodhotels.com/westin.
Best Beach Boot Camp Location: Delray Beach, FL
Instead of following the norm of Cancun, Miami, Pensacola, or some other sun-soaked boozing destination, I had the great fortune of heading on a FITCATION to Lake Tahoe!
For six days, I was constantly on the move, while still finding time to rest and recover. My good friend, Marshall, and I ventured off the normal path. We decided to tackle the fresh powdery slopes of Diamond Peak and Northstar for spring break. Sprinkled in with the fantastic shred sessions, we embarked on a 14 mile hike for the ages!
The result..... I feel more rested and energized than ever! Although we had a jam packed week of activity, my body and mind feel rejuvenated and ready for the second half of the semester. While working out this afternoon, I noticed many students coming back to school almost looking defeated. They looked run down, exhausted, and worn. It got me thinking, why don't we take more fitcations?
There are many fitcation options available that will benefit health and wellness, while leaving you feeling rejuvenated and rested!
Next time you plan a trip, consider a FITCATION.
Check out some of these options:
Westin Hotels
Best In-Room Workout Locations: 190 worldwide
Who needs Pay Per View when Westin Workouts are just one click away. In a new partnership with New Balance, the hotel group is lending guests everything they’ll need to get in a solid workout on the road, including New Balance running sneakers, shorts, shirts, socks, and sports bras (all available for a flat fee of $5 per person). After suiting up, choose from a range of exercise routines for a quick in-room workout (some rooms are even equipped with an exercise bike or treadmill, adjustable free weights, and a stability ball). Or, for those with a little more time to explore, head to one of the hotels’ state-of-the-art fitness studios, or grab a Westin running map for a 3- or 5-mile local route. For rates and availability visit www.starwoodhotels.com/westin.Fairmont Hotels
Best Fitness-Friendly Hotel Locations: 60 worldwide
Wish you could stay fit during a hotel stay? The new “Fairmont Fit” program gives hotel guests access to complimentary Reebok workout footwear and apparel, delivered directly to their door for use in-room, at the gym, or in the great outdoors. Still lacking enough motivation? Request a fully-loaded MP3 player to get you moving, or a yoga mat and stretching band to shake off the jet lag or hours on the road. Rates from $159/night. For details and availability visitwww.fairmont.com.
The Standard Spa
Best Beach Hotel (for the Mind and Body) Location: Miami, FL
Find peace of mind in style. At the breathtaking oasis on Biscayne Bay, guests can enjoy a wide range of yoga and meditation classes, along with hydrotherapy pools, sauna, steam room, and infinity pool. The on-site Center for Integrated Living also offers special workshops and retreats (hypnosis, acupuncture, or fire walking, anyone?), along with one-on-one nutrition and wellness counseling. Among our favorite Standard retreats this year: Tara Stiles Miami Sunshine Yoga Retreat (check tarastiles.com for updates on upcoming retreats.) Hotel rates from $190/night. Health, Yoga, & Fitness Day Passes from $75. For details and availability visit standardhotels.com.
SwellWomen Surf Retreat
Best Ladies-Only Surf School Vacation Location: Maui, Hawaii
Perfect waves, pristine accommodations, a private chef — add in daily surf and yoga instruction, Hawaiian excursions, and massages, and we’re packing our bags. The seven-day surf retreat welcomes women of all ages and experience levels to learn at their own pace from certified pros (male and female). And no worries about gearing up in advance: Guests are provided with a variety of surfboards including soft tops and custom-shaped performance surfboards to enjoy on Maui’s gentle waves. All-inclusive seven-day retreats from $2,995/person for double occupancy. For more rates and availability visitwww.swellwomen.com. (Also look out for 'Aloha Discounts' for early and group reservations.)
Vita Vie Retreat
Best Beach Boot Camp Location: Delray Beach, FL
When lying around on the beach just isn’t for you, Vita Vie Retreat’s high-intensity boot camp really kicks things up a notch. Set in a small group environment, the Bella Boot Camp packs in five hours of exercise each day, including kickboxing, cardio circuits, and bodyweight workouts on the sand. Loving the all-inclusive thing? Get pumped for three healthy meals per day, fitness assessments (on arrival and departure days), along with a complimentary 50-minute spa treatment — the perfect reward for putting in work on holiday. All-inclusive retreats from $1,090/person for a three-night stay. For details and availability visit www.bvretreat.com.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
Becoming the "Journal Guy"
When you look around your gym of choice, there's always the guys with the paper and pencil writing down everything they do. I was never a fan of these guys.
Studying Exercise Science and always being into fitness, I have been very dialed into my own training. I have an idea of my weight ranges for different lifts and never felt the need to document each workout. Also, when I would go ask people why they kept a workout journal, the responses I heard were not very appetizing. I'm all for tracking change, but many of the people I spoke to had no real idea why they were documenting their workouts. This made me swear to never be a "Journal Guy."
However as 2013 rolled around, I wanted to go outside my established comfort zone. With many of my clients, I document workouts and weight changes because it is a good selling point when it is time for renewals. I also started to realize that documenting this information may be playing a role into why I was continuously seeing change with those clients. After many mental battles, I decided my 2013 resolution would be to begin documenting my workouts. I decided to become a "Journal Guy."
This transition wasn't easy. At first, I would hide my journal in a corner somewhere and only go to it when I felt the least amount of people were looking. I didn't want to be classified with the people who were carrying a journal or paper just for the sake of doing it. Then a few people caught on to my discomfort with carrying a journal, so they started calling me "The Journal Guy." After a few days of this, I just stopped caring. I was going to document my workouts and just deal with the ridicule.
Then something started to change. About 1.5 months into this experiment, the journal showed its power. For that month and a half, I had been diligent in documenting each lift, each rep, and each weight amount. I would check previous workouts and try to add to the weight lifted previously or at least match my previous workout. My strength has reached new heights! Ask me about the day I renegade rowed 100 lbs dumbbells out of nowhere. I know exactly what I need to lift each time and it has been showing! My workouts have become much more effective.
So........ being the journal guy isn't that bad after all. Just do it with purpose!
Some tips for good journal keeping:
-Document everything! The more data the better!
-Try to match or beat your previous work. This is a great way to always strive for adaptation. As always, listen to your body though. Some days are not meant for pushing the limit.
-Know when it is time to change up the routine. If you plateau for a longer period of time, you might want to switch out some exercises or manipulate the volume a bit.
-By documenting everything, you can catch overtraining before it puts you out for a month or two.
-Include how you felt during different workouts. If it's really good day or a really bad day, write a small note about it. This will help you understand the data better when looking back at it.
-Write goals in your journal and look at those goals before the start of each workout!
Studying Exercise Science and always being into fitness, I have been very dialed into my own training. I have an idea of my weight ranges for different lifts and never felt the need to document each workout. Also, when I would go ask people why they kept a workout journal, the responses I heard were not very appetizing. I'm all for tracking change, but many of the people I spoke to had no real idea why they were documenting their workouts. This made me swear to never be a "Journal Guy."
However as 2013 rolled around, I wanted to go outside my established comfort zone. With many of my clients, I document workouts and weight changes because it is a good selling point when it is time for renewals. I also started to realize that documenting this information may be playing a role into why I was continuously seeing change with those clients. After many mental battles, I decided my 2013 resolution would be to begin documenting my workouts. I decided to become a "Journal Guy."This transition wasn't easy. At first, I would hide my journal in a corner somewhere and only go to it when I felt the least amount of people were looking. I didn't want to be classified with the people who were carrying a journal or paper just for the sake of doing it. Then a few people caught on to my discomfort with carrying a journal, so they started calling me "The Journal Guy." After a few days of this, I just stopped caring. I was going to document my workouts and just deal with the ridicule.
Then something started to change. About 1.5 months into this experiment, the journal showed its power. For that month and a half, I had been diligent in documenting each lift, each rep, and each weight amount. I would check previous workouts and try to add to the weight lifted previously or at least match my previous workout. My strength has reached new heights! Ask me about the day I renegade rowed 100 lbs dumbbells out of nowhere. I know exactly what I need to lift each time and it has been showing! My workouts have become much more effective.
So........ being the journal guy isn't that bad after all. Just do it with purpose!
Some tips for good journal keeping:
-Document everything! The more data the better!
-Try to match or beat your previous work. This is a great way to always strive for adaptation. As always, listen to your body though. Some days are not meant for pushing the limit.
-Know when it is time to change up the routine. If you plateau for a longer period of time, you might want to switch out some exercises or manipulate the volume a bit.
-By documenting everything, you can catch overtraining before it puts you out for a month or two.
-Include how you felt during different workouts. If it's really good day or a really bad day, write a small note about it. This will help you understand the data better when looking back at it.
-Write goals in your journal and look at those goals before the start of each workout!