Fit for Life: Just Do It!
Saturday, June 14, 2014
At the moment the task I'm contemplating achieving is about as fun as an afternoon at the dentist. There are many other easier, less challenging things I could do instead, like take a nap, go visit friends, or go to a coffee shop and sit on some electronic device, stay home and watch TV, or go spend some of my hard earned money at some shopping plaza. But I can’t, and I won’t, because the voice of reason is ringing in my head loud and clear “you know what you need to do; go do it”. So I take the first step by figuring what clothes, and footwear will be appropriate for the task. I get dressed, eat something light, grab my water and coffee, and head out the door. On my way to my destination, I shuffle through the channels on the radio, and find tunes that not only have a beat, but ones that get your blood pumping at high volumes, and encourage aggressive thoughts to run through your head, giving you incentive to do something that can’t be done without intensity. I arrive a little caffeinated, and ready to release some adrenaline.
The toughest part is over
Once I put on my sneakers, I am all in, and there is no turning back now. Beast mode has been activated. I begin with some exaggerated movements, such as high step knee grabs across the room. I feel the muscles start to release tension as they begin to work through their proper range of motion. While I am stretching one muscle, I make the mind-muscle connection, and activate a different one at the same time, while trying to maintain proper form and balance. This helps you in a functional way, so when you lift something outside the gym, you lift it properly, without injury. Next is to grab a jump rope, and make the air whirl for 5-10 minutes. During this time I shut out everything around me, and think about every body part that’s working, from the balls of my feet to the caps of my shoulders and every muscle responsible for good posture in between. This helps make this and any other exercise more tolerable, because they all feel and work better with the right form. Now the sweat is starting to flow, the heart rate is elevated, the blood is pumping, endorphins are kicking in, and my adrenaline is off the charts, time to go move some weight.
Getting to bliss
I approach every resistance exercise the same way, with a lightweight, and a few warm-up sets, using weight I can easily control, and move slowly through a specific range of motion. After that, its weight that I can perform for 5-8 repetitions, a good range for building strength, and muscle volume. Three sets into it, I can feel the blood flowing vigorously through my veins, and my skin starts to feel tighter, as my muscles become more and more engorged with blood. Sweat starts to pour profusely, as I keep adding more resistance, and getting more aggressive as the workout progresses. I continue this through several exercises, until my shirt is completely soaked with sweat, my body is so swollen that I feel like I am 6 feet tall and 25 pounds bigger then when I started. My breathing is deep, and my stomach feels hollow from hunger, and this all feels damn good to me. Yes, folks, this is the anatomy of a workout.
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You won't feel it immediately. Actually, quite the opposite. It's that moment that you stand up, put your feet on the floor. The moment you put on your sneakers. You're not thinking about the blissful experience you are about to encounter. You're going through the toughest part of the work out. Get going! The moral of the story is to think about the next step, and forget about the daunting task it will take to reach personal bliss. As we get older, we should get wiser, and think ahead. We should know by now that anything worthwhile takes hard work and discipline to achieve, so your workout should be no different. Don’t think about how hard it will be, think of the feeling and benefits you will get when its over. Then go out and make it happen.
Matt Espeut has worked as a personal trainer for almost 20 years with clients ranging in age from 14 to 86. His focus is on overall health, strength, and functional conditioning. Holistic health and nutrition is the cornerstone of all his programs. Matt works in private and small group training available at your home or office location or at gym facilities. Matt offers his services to everyone wanting to be more fit and healthy, overweight young people, youth/collegiate athletes, and seniors. Matt has worked and continues to train at several facilities in the Providence area including Gold's Gym and CORE Studio, and he believes continued education is a must in his field. Email Matt: [email protected], check out his website at http://www.fitnessprofiles.net or on Facebook at Matt Espeut or on Twitter @MattEspeut.
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