tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77911249339208809752024-03-13T20:35:28.467-07:00Adam Boesel personal training Portland personal trainerUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-39953121327013572472008-02-17T18:02:00.000-08:002008-02-17T18:08:10.428-08:00Is Your Gym Green Enough?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.computerized-screening.com/userimages/treadmills%20in%20gym.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.computerized-screening.com/userimages/treadmills%20in%20gym.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="">At home, you would never leave the AC, Heat, Stereo, Lights, and TV on all day, but it happens at most workout facilities 24/7!<span style=""> </span>That’s not very green!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p>We should all be more </span></span><a href="http://greenlivingideas.com/personal-fitness/how-to-green-your-fitness-routine.html"><span style=""><span style="">active outside</span></span><span style=""><span style=""></span></span></a><span style=""><span style="">, but when I worked at a big gym I got worried when people cancelled memberships using that reasoning.<span style=""> </span>I usually heard from them a couple months later lamenting how they didn’t exercise nearly as much as planned.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p>There’s no doubt gyms use a lot of electricity and need to start looking at how they can become more energy efficient. Someday, they’ll be </span></span><a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/02/06/green-microgym-in-seattle/"><span style=""><span style="">generating their own electricity</span></span><span style=""><span style=""></span></span></a><span style=""><span style="">.<span style=""> </span>In the meantime, here are a few tips on how to make your gym membership a little greener.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></span><a href="http://www.afreshsqueeze.com/seattle/article_012908.php"><span style=""><span style=""><b style="">Go Carless</b></span></span><span style=""><span style=""></span></span></a><span style=""><span style=""><b style=""> to the Gym:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p>Whether you live or work close by, you’re much more likely to adhere to an exercise program if you’re </span></span><a href="http://cms.ihrsa.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewpage&pageId=18810"><span style=""><span style="">within a 10 minute walk.</span></span><span style=""><span style=""></span></span></a><span style=""><span style=""></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p>One mile in a car can equal up to </span></span><a href="http://achievenetgreen.com/calculate-your-carbon"><span style=""><span style="">1 pound of carbon</span></span><span style=""><span style=""></span></span></a><span style=""><span style=""> released into the atmosphere so every time you walk, bike or run, you’re reducing your carbon footprint.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p>Also, it’s a great warm up for a workout.<span style=""> </span>You can stretch your arms, chest and back on the way, but the real benefit is </span></span><a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/SM00067"><span style=""><span style="">increasing circulation to your extremities</span></span><span style=""><span style=""></span></span></a><span style=""><span style="">. Once you’re there, your muscles are warm and ready to get right into your workout.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p><b style="">Stay off the Treadmills:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p>Treadmills are the </span></span><a href="http://savingenergy.wordpress.com/2007/03/10/saving-energy-in-exercise-habits-treadmill-or-trail/"><span style=""><span style="">major gas guzzlers</span></span><span style=""><span style=""></span></span></a><span style=""><span style="">, but most other machines are self-powered or use no electricity at all.<span style=""> </span>I really like the </span></span><a href="http://www.cybexintl.com/Products/displayproduct.aspx?id=620A"><span style=""><span style="">Cybex Arc Trainer</span></span><span style=""><span style=""></span></span></a><span style=""><span style="">.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p><b style="">Buy a Reusable Water Bottle:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p>Whether it’s </span></span><a href="http://www.afreshsqueeze.com/seattle/Article_100907.php"><span style=""><span style="">plastic or metal</span></span><span style=""><span style=""></span></span></a><span style=""><span style="">, it’s a no-brainer.<span style=""> </span>It might be placebo effect, but I find water from a stainless steel bottle to taste better as well.<span style=""> </span>Whatever keeps me hydrated!</span></span></p> <span style=""></span><span style=""></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-48764415797832928222008-01-13T19:42:00.000-08:002008-01-13T21:29:48.281-08:00Green Microgym Featured in the Seattle Post Intelligencer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2223/2182086954_146d475920.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2223/2182086954_146d475920.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /> Bob Condor does a great job of describing what I'm all about! You can read the text below, or go the <a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/347056_condor14.html">P-I website</a> to read it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">Living Well: Local Trainer's Green Ideas are Generating Change</span></span> <p class="rdbyline">By <a href="mailto:bobcondor@aol.com">BOB CONDOR</a><br />SPECIAL TO THE P-I</p> <div id="piStorytext"><p>Late one afternoon last week, personal trainer Adam Boesel hopped on a spinning bike for his own workout. He decided to watch a movie on his portable DVD player while exercising.</p> <p>All sounds very early 21st century. Even more fitting was Boesel's film of choice: Former Vice President Al Gore's award-winning documentary about global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth." </p> <p>Fitting because Boesel planned to use human power -- basically his legs -- to power the battery of his DVD player. At his self-described "green microgym" in Greenwood, Boesel has hooked up two spinning bikes to wind-generator motors so every rotation of the pedals generates electricity that can be used in batteries for the gym's music system and, on this occasion, a DVD player.</p> <p>"You kind of have to see it (the bike power setup) to completely understand how it works," Boesel said. "The concept is based on reversing the motor's direction ... if you remember as a kid having a bike with a generator that lit up your bike light, that's one way to explain it."</p> <p>Boesel said that about 20 clients visit his gym for multiple individual sessions and group training classes each week. They pedal more than enough to keep the tunes playing and, in fact, would be able to run the lights without any draw from City Light if Boesel could figure out a way to transfer the energy from the bikes to the circuit box.</p> <p>Make that "when" rather than "if" he can hook up the bike power to someday switch on the lights. Boesel is determined to explore as many eco-friendly measures as possible at his gym. He believes saving energy resources doesn't have to be limited to our cars, houses, consumer packaging and clothing, to name a few.</p> <p>"The potential of human power is great," he said. "We have to find ways to not only waste less energy but put energy back into the health club and gym system to help offset what we use."</p> <p>The inventor in Boesel stems in part from his dad, who was a woodworker. That explains Boesel's love for tools and building things by hand. He laughed and said, "No," when asked if there were Erector sets in his childhood. </p> <p>Another part of Boesel's enterprise is squarely inherent in his desire to gauge what's next in his field. For instance, as a trainer he focuses on "movement patterns" and balance workouts to help people feel good in all parts of their lives. </p> <p>"When I go to a pro football or pro basketball game I am always looking for what the trainers are getting the players to do preparing for a game," he said. "You see a lot of dynamic stretching."</p> <p>One example: When a Seahawks player does a lunge in warm-ups he will add a twist. The typical lunge starts with say, the right foot placed forward a step and bent at no more than 90 degrees. The left leg stays back and under the left hip. In the lunge position, the player then twists his body back by placing his right hand on or toward the left ankle. The move finishes by the player looking back and down at the left ankle. </p> <p>"The Mariners do some similar things too," Boesel said. "You see them do side-to-side exercises, moving laterally but only for about six feet."</p> <p>A visit to Boesel's Total Body Turnaround gym (check out his <a href="http://nwtrainer.com/">nwtrainer.com</a> site) will turn up clients doing variations on push-ups and lunges -- "90 percent of the time the workout is different from the last one" -- along with assisted squats (Boesel helps them complete the exercise with resistance bands) and regular use of balance boards.</p> <p>"I focus on improving range of motion for people," he said. "My goal is that no part of your body is holding back other parts of the body."</p> <p>And, of course, the Total Body Turnaround program includes regular rides on the spinning bikes.</p> <p>"I went to school at Evergreen College," said Boesel, laughing. "I met a lot of environmentalist friends who influenced me."</p> <p>Boesel has plans to increase his gym space to 1,000 square feet, while acknowledging it is harder to be energy-efficient at considerably larger health clubs. He sees himself as a "rescuer of neglected exercise equipment" and outfits his club through Craigslist and other online used equipment sources.</p> <p>For now, Boesel and entrepreneur friends are early innovators across the health club industry. One company, SportsArt Fitness, has introduced an "ECO-Powr"-brand treadmill drive system that is designed to use nearly a third less electricity than the typical treadmill. Response has been positive but not industry-changing.</p> <p>One health club company, California Fitness, a wholly owned subsidiary of the 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide chain, is partnering with a firm called Motorwave to install cardio machines (computerized stationary bikes for now) that "repurpose" human energy to operate a club's fluorescent lights. In short, typical stationary bikes only use about 10 percent of their electricity to operate the machine and 90 percent dissipates in the form of heat. The heat will be repurposed. A Hong Kong club will be the first test case and pro basketball star Yao Ming has lent his endorsement.</p> <p>Other club operators have used recycled materials for renovations, such as flooring made from second-use rubber or carpeting created from soda bottles. Some facility managers have installed low-flow shower heads when possible. But most observers see no real rush to go green in the cardio or weight spaces. </p> <p>"Health clubs use lots of electricity and lots of water," said Pamela Kufahl, editor of Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro magazine based in Overland Park, Kan. "The cardiovascular areas use lots of electricity. Club owners are doing their best to serve members."</p> <p>Kufahl conceded that most of us strive for energy savings "in our home life but not the club" or gym.</p> <p>"Members see recycling bins for their bottles and newspapers and think, 'ooh, my club is green,' " she said. </p> <p>For his part, Boesel is looking to deepen awareness of any who step into health clubs and gyms. He has performed patent research reaching back to the 1800s to see if his spinning bike setup has been attempted, without finding much.</p> <p>"The whole green gym concept is in its infancy," he said, ready to cue up Al Gore's movie. "But we have to start somewhere."</p></div> <div class="vgray"><b>Bob Condor writes about health and quality of life every Monday. You can send him ideas or questions at <a href="mailto:bobcondor@aol.com">bobcondor@aol.com</a>.</b></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-42796986509127279492008-01-10T13:09:00.000-08:002008-01-10T13:30:03.709-08:00Free Spinning!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2223/2182086954_146d475920_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2223/2182086954_146d475920_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">Come in, watch a dvd, and get in shape while you help generate electricity at Total Body Turnaround, a Green Microgym.<br /><br />I'm testing my new equipment and could use your help. All you have to do is pedal!<br /><br />Just email me at adam@nwtrainer.com and tell me when you want to come in. No strings, no bait and switch, just the chance to burn calories and generate watts!<br /><br />Ride as often as once a day for up to an hour at a time.<br /><br />Now you really have no excuses!</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-62428594310246844042008-01-09T12:26:00.000-08:002008-01-09T12:30:38.278-08:00Need a great Photographer?<span style="font-weight: bold;">If you ever need a great photographer for any event, please check out Barbie Hull's website:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.barbiehull.com"><span style="font-weight: bold;">http://www.barbiehull.com</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">She took some pictures of my gym and workouts and they turned out really well.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">She's a pro!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here's her blog post highlighting my business: </span><br /><div class="entrybody"> <div class="snap_preview"><p> Adam is the owner and the greatest personal trainer at Total Body Turnaround – his green microgym in Greenwood. He is located right off of 92nd & Greenwood Ave. Check out his website - <a href="http://nwtrainer.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://nwtrainer.blogspot.com</a></p> <p>He has come up with a fabulous idea – you’ll have to have him explain the technical part… but basically the gym will be completely self sustaining - it will be powered by the energy you burn!! Such a smart idea!! He had an opening not too long ago and we each took turns riding on the bike to see how much effort it would take to power a laptop.</p> <p>Each week he offers personal training sessions throughout the day and group sessions in the evenings – we took some photos many weeks ago when the weather was borderline cold instead of freezing like now (I’m so behind in blogging) at three of his outdoor workouts. They are so much fun, if you want to get in shape and lose those pounds this holiday season before you gain them… give him a call! (You’ll see me there!)</p> <p>There are a lot of photos because this is three shoots combined in one. =)</p> <p>This workout was the Friday evening Beer Neutral at Kerry Park up in Queen Anne -</p> <p><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/005adam.jpg" alt="005adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/63adam.jpg" alt="63adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/71adam.jpg" alt="71adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/111adam.jpg" alt="111adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/172adam.jpg" alt="172adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/117adam.jpg" alt="117adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/164adam.jpg" alt="164adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/153adam.jpg" alt="153adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/129adam.jpg" alt="129adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/195adam.jpg" alt="195adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/111adam.jpg" alt="111adam.jpg" height="19" width="7" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/111adam.jpg" alt="111adam.jpg" height="19" width="7" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/219adam.jpg" alt="219adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/229adam.jpg" alt="229adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/239adam.jpg" alt="239adam.jpg" /></p> <p>This was Thursday evening Hard Core workout at Golden Gardens</p> <p><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/20adam.jpg" alt="20adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/28adam.jpg" alt="28adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/95adam.jpg" alt="95adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/133adam.jpg" alt="133adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/167adam.jpg" alt="167adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/170aadam.jpg" alt="170aadam.jpg" /></p> <p>Here you’ll see people doing the Wednesday evening workout at Adam’s studio in Greenwood -</p> <p><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/30adam.jpg" alt="30adam.jpg" /> <img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/25adam.jpg" alt="25adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/58adam.jpg" alt="58adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/65adam.jpg" alt="65adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/92adam.jpg" alt="92adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/113adam.jpg" alt="113adam.jpg" /><img src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/149adam.jpg" alt="149adam.jpg" /></p> </div> </div> <div class="postedby">Posted by Barbie Hull</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-63631899665184480392008-01-05T10:07:00.000-08:002008-01-09T13:33:46.908-08:00NotBootCamp - Start Anytime<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/63adam.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://barbiehull.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/63adam.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>NotBootCamp workouts are Safer, More Efficient, and More Personal than Traditional Boot Camp</b></span><br /></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >All Spring, Summer, and Fall, we went all over Seattle, exercising in parks and playgrounds. It's changed the way I train, because I've found so many new, interesting, fun ways to get strong and powerful without having to be inside a gym! </span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >In addition, we'll be able to take some of these sessions inside when the weather isn't cooperating at the Green Microgym in Greenwood!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >I've also found a way to make these sessions more accessible to more people, both in price and difficulty level, while still keeping it challenging and new for those of you who have been kicking butt with me for the past years and months.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Here's the deal: We'll have classes <b>every weekday at 6:30 PM (except the Friday class which start at 5:30)</b> in the following incarnations:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Monday: <b>"Scalable"</b> - Circuit oriented workouts with easy and hard options, and choices of cardio or rest periods, depending on your energy and fitness level. <b>45 minutes.</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Tuesday: <b>"Sports Specific"</b> - Power, movement patterns, agility, and metabolic training will be the order of the day for sports such as Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, Ultimate, etc. <b>45 Minutes.</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Wednesday: <b>"Ramp Up"</b> - This is an intermediate intensity class for those who aren't ready for the Thursday <b>"Hardcore"</b> class, but want to be someday. <b>45 minutes.</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Thursday: <b>"Hardcore"</b> - For those of you who want a Real Challenge. Anything is possible! <b>45 Minutes.</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Friday: <b>"Beer Neutral" </b>- You'll still have energy to go out, but you won't have to feel guilty about partaking in some pleasurable food or beverages that night! These workouts will be challenging, partner oriented, and just a tad easier than <b>"Hardcore".</b> <b>45 minutes.</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >We will still go to parks around the city such as <u>Gasworks, Golden Gardens, Woodland Park, Karkeek, Discovery, and Sandel Playground</u>. Every Sunday, you'll get an email outlining the week's destinations. If the weather is bad, you'll get an email the day of the class so you'll know to come to the studio instead.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Costs: Here's where it gets good! This is in line with my desire to make it cheaper for you the more dedicated you are.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >8 weeks for $295 - Unlimited classes! (You'll still need to give me your schedule of anticipated dates so I can plan the workouts)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >2 personal training sessions included!: 1 in the <b>first</b> 2 weeks, and 1 in the <b>last</b> 2 weeks of your 8 week session to set goals, learn exercises, and track your progress.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Exception:</span></b><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > If you only can make 1 workout a week, the price will stay at $200 with no personal training sessions included.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Start anytime!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Let's DO THIS! Let me know if you're into it, and we'll get you signed up and locked in. If you have any friends who might be interested, now is the time to plant the seed.</span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-60341062089280172462007-11-27T22:27:00.000-08:002007-11-27T22:28:04.101-08:00Show Up, Work Hard, and Have Fun!<div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Adam made working out fun again. He listened to what I wanted and designed a workout around <u>my</u> interests and most importantly he kept changing it up so I wouldn't get bored. Adam has the ability to challenge you, keep you focused and keep it fun. </span></div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">-Scott McHugh</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-10077736861211057842007-10-19T12:18:00.000-07:002007-10-19T12:22:54.669-07:005 to 6 Meals a Day is Not as Hard as it Sounds<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8043042@N04/1562265706/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2336/1562265706_21d08eb3df_m.jpg" width="240" height="115" alt="Total Body Turnaround Green Gym" /></a><br /><br /><br /> When I hear the same excuse over and over, it gets me to questioning why certain things are easy for some and not others. A good amount of the time it comes down to how you look at things, or your perception of the problem.<br /><br />For example, I have heard several times that eating 6 meals a day is just too hard, it doesn’t fit a person’s lifestyle, and it takes too much time.<br /><br />What frustrates me about these reasons is that they are really not true. It’s not hard at all, in fact in can be easier than three meals a day. If you eat three meals a day and snack occasionally, it does fit your lifestyle. It takes no more time than fixing and eating three meals a day, and can even take less time. Here’s why:<br /><br /><strong>6 meals a day is easier than 3 meals a day</strong><br />The key here is to remember that what you are really doing is dividing each of your three meals in half, so it’s actually just 6 half-meals. Instead of eating a sandwich and two pieces of fruit for lunch, eat half of your sandwich and one piece of fruit for lunch, and then have the rest a couple hours later when you are hungry. For breakfast, have a bowl of protein fortified cereal and make a protein shake to save for a mid-morning snack. Have a normal dinner or divide it into two smaller meals. Not hard.<br /><br /><strong>6 meals a day fits most lifestyles</strong><br />Most people have breakfast, lunch and dinner, and snack a few times during the day. That’s what you’re doing when you eat 6 meals a day. Eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacking. At night, you can choose to call it a latenight snack, or make a smoothie and call it dessert! It’s what most people do anyway.<br /><br /><strong>6 meals a day is faster than three meals a day</strong><br />When you reduce the amount of food you eat during your main three meals, you also reduce the amount of time you spend eating them. This means you save time in the morning, at lunch, and at dinner time if you so choose. You can wake up a few minutes later and go for a walk or get some extra work done during lunch time. You might even be able to squeeze in a workout where you used to be eating! Most snacks take a maximum of ten minutes to consume, and can often be eaten while you are doing something else, like walking, taking a coffee break, etc.<br /><br />It comes down to perception – if you see a lifestyle change as a struggle, it probably will be. But if you are able to look at eating with a different perspective, you will find that changing your point of view can change your life!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-34854898032958592662007-09-26T11:28:00.001-07:002008-01-10T14:33:16.958-08:00Total Body Turnaround is the World's First Green Microgym<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2223/2182086954_146d475920.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2223/2182086954_146d475920.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span>Photo by Barbie Hull (<a href="http://www.barbiehull.com">www.barbiehull.com</a>)<br /><br />By generating electricity and conserving space and energy, Total Body Turnaround is the first fitness facility I know of that generates some of its own electricity. I'm laying the groundwork to build a gym that exclusively uses a combination of solar and pedal electricity and is just as comfortable and effective as any other gym.<br /><br />Come by sometime for a <a href="http://nwtrainer.blogspot.com/2008/01/free-spinning.html">free spinning session</a>!<br /><br />I've been training clients and le</span><span>ading circuit classes in the new Green Microgym and it's really fun! There's plenty of room and everything you need to get a great workout. Additionally, it's private, comfortable, and you can play your own music on the stereo!<br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span>Here's how the studio is coming along - it's definitely getting into shape!<br />("Now" Photos By <a href="http://www.barbiehull.com/">Barbie Hull</a>)<br /></span></span></div><span><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Before:<br /></span></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2386/1908096246_c89f77f746_b.jpg"><span></span></a><span><a title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=iinkuecab.0.0.sbt6cdcab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nwtrainer.com%2F&id=preview" href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=iinkuecab.0.0.sbt6cdcab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nwtrainer.com%2F&id=preview" target="_blank"><img title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=iinkuecab.0.0.sbt6cdcab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nwtrainer.com%2F&id=preview" alt="Green Microgym Before Picture" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1333/1030521311_612231f34a.jpg" border="0" /></a></span><span><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2328/1908094692_02e07de62e_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2328/1908094692_02e07de62e_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Now:<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2386/1908096246_c89f77f746_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2386/1908096246_c89f77f746_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2282/1907260837_3f0000ee5a_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2282/1907260837_3f0000ee5a_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-8049941222235580102007-08-22T14:07:00.000-07:002007-08-16T14:08:46.583-07:00I Knew Somebody Was Doing This!<div style="font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(46, 102, 197); font-family: Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif;" styleclass="style_ArticleSubHead"><span><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(46, 102, 197); font-family: Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif;font-family:Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif;font-size:130%;color:#2e66c5;" ><b>Cardio that Creates Energy!<br /></b></span></span></div><span>Once we get our NotBootCamp and Total Body Turnaround programs running full blast, it will be time to get some new cardio equipment. Hopefully, we can get this going in late 2007 or early 2008!<br /><br />I've found a way to turn your effort into electricity, and it's really cool!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span>We'll take a bike from Electric Bikes Northwest<br /></span></span><span>(When it's a nice day, we'll be able to take the bikes outside and ride! The bikes are electricity assisted cruisers, so they are easy to sit on and won't kill you climbing hills - a good workout for just about anyone!)<br /></span></div><span><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><img alt="Electric Bikes Northwest" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1195/1031398100_d612c74c2d.jpg" border="0" /><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span><br />and put it on a trainer that has been modified to create electricity like this one.</span></span><span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span><a title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=t6o8udcab.0.0.sbt6cdcab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.econvergence.net%2Felectroacc.htm&id=preview" href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=t6o8udcab.0.0.sbt6cdcab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.econvergence.net%2Felectroacc.htm&id=preview" target="_blank"><img title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=t6o8udcab.0.0.sbt6cdcab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.econvergence.net%2Felectroacc.htm&id=preview" alt="Pedal-a-Watt Bike Trainer" src="http://www.econvergence.net/images/electron.jpg" border="0" height="243" width="324" /></a><br /></span></div><span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Then we'll hook it up to a power pack and battery charger that we can plug things into, like lights, tv, stereo, etc.</span><br /><br />You'll be able to see how many Watts you'll be generating, creating a real way to reduce your energy usage and impact on the environment!<br /><br />The cost of this entire setup will be about $2000, which is equal to or less than a regular stationary exercise bike, and you can't take that one outside or power your tv with it!<br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-82749161500097408022007-08-09T14:20:00.001-07:002007-08-09T14:23:03.104-07:00I've Found a New Space!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1333/1030521311_612231f34a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1333/1030521311_612231f34a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div class="Section1"> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:130%;color:#2e66c5;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14;" >It's a 600 square foot former artist's studio in Greenwood</span></span></b><span style="font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:130%;color:#2e66c5;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14;" ><br /><br />Above is a picture of how it looks now, but it will look so much better when I get the chance to paint, etc.<br /><br />You won't have to pay a gym membership fee here, because at first it will be only personal training and classes. As we get things dialed in, there may be the opportunity to come in on your own.</span></span><span style="font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:130%;color:#2e66c5;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14;" ><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#2e66c5;"><span style="color: rgb(46, 102, 197);font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><br />Obviously, I'm excited to have this space and make it just the way I want it. My main focus will be to keep things simple and only use good quality equipment. Also, I want to have an open space for the possibility of having small group yoga, pilates, and movement classes in the future.<br /><br />On Sunday, September 9, I'll be hosting a pre-open house for those of you who would like to put their two cents in on what kinds of improvements would be best for the space, so if you're into that sort of thing, please get back to me and I'll let you know the time and address. I'll serve some drinks and healthy snacks.<br /><br />I look forward to working with you in the coming months!</span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-67881666645724312912007-04-16T13:49:00.000-07:002008-01-24T12:20:42.413-08:00Personal Training with Adam<span style="font-weight: bold;">A fresh perspective and a little guidance can maximize your potential.</span><br /><br />I'm available for Personal Training at <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Total Body Turnaround, a Green Microgym </span>in the Greenwood neighborhood in Seattle. I also do outdoor workouts and can work with you in your home.<br /><br />Call me at 206-226-7347 or email me at <a href="mailto:adam@NWtrainer.com">adam@NWtrainer.com</a> to talk about your goals and how we can reach them together.<br /><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">My Mission: </span></strong> </p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;">By catering to your individual interests and lifestyle, I maximize your potential with simple, fun, innovative and effective techniques. I make workouts fun and efficient so you get results without getting bored. Using only natural and sustainable resources, I offer a whole body, whole life philosophy based on extensive research and personal experience.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" ><o:p></o:p>Group and individual plans are available.</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style=";font-family:'TimesNewRomanMS','serif';font-size:16;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Working with a personal trainer is about taking control of your health.</span></strong> You’ll be taking advantage of my expertise and skills to get you on track and keep you moving forward. All you have to do is show up, work hard, and have fun.<br /><br />My best customers are up for anything, willing to make healthy decisions 24/7, and are always looking to improve themselves. This attitude enables you to leave every workout saying, “That was awesome!”<br /><br />My clients don’t need to be convinced they should work with a personal trainer, and they don’t need a miracle worker to get them to the gym and keep them going. They already have made the decision to put their health as such a high priority that exercising everyday is a given.<br /><br />Once you have made this decision, it’s my job to watch and listen. I find out what you want out of a workout, what you need to learn and work on, and what will keep you interested and motivated. We might lift weights to build muscle, do interval training to burn calories, or go outside and move! All workouts and programs are designed based on the best current traditional theories and techniques available to help each individual reach your goals.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Adam’s Bio</span></strong><br /><br />Certifications: MIT, CPT, CSCS<br /><a href="http://www.nsca-lift.org/Membership/WhyJoin/Benefits/certification.shtml">NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist </a>and <a href="http://www.acefitness.org/getcertified/certification_pt.aspx">ACE Certified Personal Trainer </a>with a <a href="http://www.evergreen.edu/MIT/">Masters in Teaching from The Evergreen State College.</a> <a href="http://www.nols.edu/">NOLS Graduate</a> (Outdoor Educator, Sea Kayaking).<br /><br />Specialties:<br />Personal training for lifelong health, strength, power, flexibility, and sports specific training for recreational competitive athletes.<br /><br />Experience:<br />I have worked at Sound Mind and Body Gym, Seattle and Anytime Fitness in Seattle<br />I currently work at Total Body Turnaround, a Green Microgym in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle, in individuals’ homes, and lead outdoor fitness groups in parks all over the city.<br /><br />Availability:<br />Monday through Saturday, various times throughout the day.<br /><br />Why do I do what I do?<br />To help people live high quality long lives.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-91049222628086311522007-03-27T14:50:00.001-07:002007-03-27T15:08:51.997-07:00Diet vs Non-Diet ThinkingI recently went to a fitness forum in Vancouver Washington, where we got some great nutritional advice from a registered Dietician. Nothing fancy, but some great information:<br /><br />From Dana Sturvetant, MS, RD<br /><br /><strong>On eating:</strong><br /><br /><em>Dieters think:</em> Do I deserve it? If I eat heavy food, I try to find a way to make up for it. I feel guilty when I eat heavy foods. I usually describe a day of eating as either good or bad. I view food as the enemy.<br /><br /><em>Non-Dieters think:</em> Am I hungry? Do I want it? Will I be deprived if I don't eat it? Will it be satisfying? Does it taste good? I deserve to enjoy eating without guilt.<br /><br /><strong>On Exercise:</strong><br /><br /><em>Dieters think:</em> I focus primarily on calories burned. I feel guilty if I miss a designated exercise day.<br /><br /><em>Non-Dieters think:</em> I focus primarily on how exercise makes me feel, especially the energizing and stress-relieving factors.<br /><br /><strong>On Success:</strong><br /><br /><em>Dieters think:</em> How many pounds did I lose? How do I look? What do other people think of my weight? I have good willpower.<br /><br /><em>Non-dieters think:</em> While I'm concerned with my weight, it is not my primary goal or indicator of progress. I have increased trust with myself and food. I am able to let go of "eating discretions." I recognize inner body cues.<br /><br /><strong>Recommendations:<br />1. Decide to change from a deeper place.<br />2. Make a firm commitment to do this for a lifetime.<br />3. Find what works for you rather than letting an "expert" tell you what to do.<br />4. Improve your health and let your weight loss be a side effect.<br />5. Identify other ways to judge your success.</strong><div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-54384545566880587372007-02-28T11:55:00.000-08:002007-04-04T11:07:53.847-07:00Priorities, Perspective, PerseveranceSome stories from the past few weeks of training:<br /><br />1. Someone who has trained hard for the last five months is incredibly frustrated because their plans for running a marathon are being derailed by a calf muscle that won't cooperate.<br /><br />2. Several people in the first few weeks of their program are frustrated because they're not losing at least a pound a week.<br /><br />3. Someone is so needed at work that they can't find the time to get to the gym and workout, even though they paid a lot of money to be part of a program that will help them change their lifestyle.<br /><br />Priorities, Perspective, and Perseverance. That's what it's ALL about.<br /><br />Priorities: Here's the bottom line. If you don't have your health as a priority just as high as doing well at work, supporting your friends and family, relaxing on the couch, etc., then you are making the choice to lower your physical quality of life and increasing your chances of dying younger than you need to. Is that really worth it?<br /><br />Perspective: Exercise needs to be looked at as a lifestyle choice, not a lose weight quick scheme. Your body doesn't necessarily want to lose weight, and if you're eating healthy food, will sometimes even gain weight if you're working out also. It's rare and can be unhealthy to lose more than a pound of weight a week. Your body just isn't built to change that fast. You most likely didn't gain all your weight at a rate of a pound a week, so why would you lose it that fast?<br /><br />Perseverance: It's almost a guarantee that you will feel and live better if you exercise and eat right consistently for the rest of your life. It doesn't mean that you have to go without your favorite foods or kill yourself in the gym every day either. Whether you are achieving your goals or not, if you just keep on exercising and eating right, you are going to get and stay healthy.<br /><br />Here's a way to help you set priorities, understand perseverance, and get some perspective:<br /><br />Imagine yourself a year from now, having quit exercising and eating whatever unhealthy foods you wanted. Where would you be? Would you be running a marathon? Would you be more productive and happy at work? Would you have lost any weight at all? Would you have energy?<br /><br />Now imagine yourself a year from now, having eaten healthy and exercising a little bit almost every day. Not working out like crazy, not restricting yourself to a 1000 calorie diet, just being sensible and active. Where would you be? Would you feel better? Might you have more friends who are also active? Would you be more productive and happy at work? Would you have lost weight?<br /><br />The evidence is overwhelming that low level chronic stress (like worrying about things you can't control or beating yourself up for not being perfect) is very hazardous to your health.<br /><br />The evidence is also overwhelming that sensible nutrition and regular exercise not only can save you a ton of money on doctors' bills, it can help you deal with stress and stay healthy, happy, and productive, including maximizing your chances for a long life.<br /><br />It's got to be a priority! If it's not, do what you need to do to make it one. Your life depends on it!<br /><br />Thanks for your time,<br /><br />Adam<div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-79290847520732032502007-01-16T11:08:00.000-08:002007-01-16T09:55:40.705-08:00Barbara's Story<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/6479/951065055410263/1600/BarbaraBAforweb.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/6479/951065055410263/320/BarbaraBAforweb.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Barbara had never been inside a gym before, but she's been going strong for over a year now, losing over 20 pounds.</div><br /><br />I had two surgeries over the last five years. At my age, that seemed like a slow slide to a blanket on my lap in the old folks home. I liked to think of myself as robust and full of energy. Well, it seems most of my energy was being spent reading and cooking. The reading turns out to be sedentary, and my cooking, not to mention baking, was putting more calories on my plate that I needed to maintain my youthful figure. So, I was slowly turning into a round, though still wonderful version of myself. My cholesterol, blood pressure, and resting heart rate were on the rise.<br /><br />I wanted to make a commitment to a positive change in myself, but had no clue how to go about successfully using a gym, and changing my eating habits. It all seemed overwhelming. I had the feeling that anybody who was successful at diet and exercise had started decades ago. I read about the Total Body Turnaround on the gym web site. I liked the idea of meeting a group of people who were setting out on similar fitness goals. I liked the idea of being part a group that encourages each person to meet their own goals for fitness and diet. <br /><br />I started to keep my exercise journal. I enjoyed the way the TBT created simple workout routines that gave me real purpose when I was in the gym. I didn’t try to do too much. I didn’t get stiff and sore with every workout. I did discover the satisfaction of focusing on an exercise and working to improve my ability to complete repetitions and increase the resistance I used. Some exercises came easier than others. Some made me sweat a lot more than others. <br /><br />The results of showing up six day a week started showing the first week. The changes were small, but they kept coming. There were little successes every day. Making the gym part of six days of the week was one of my big successes. I keep a gym bag in the car, and made the gym part of my trip home. <br /><br />I now know how to adjust exercise equipment for my size, and understand how to select exercises that efficiently work my heart, upper and lower body. I dare to run during my aerobic workouts. I started with one minute during my interval workout. That slowly built up to the full twenty minutes, and running Greenlake. <br /><br />I also discovered that the tensions of the workday just fade at the gym. I focus on my balance, breathing, and the improvements I’m seeing in myself. I also followed up with the doctor. My cholesterol, blood pressure, and resting heart rate are greatly improved.<br /><br />I’m glad I found the TBT program. I know that each day I’m in the gym is a day I am taking the time to take care of myself. <br /><br />- Barbara<div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-77640515286393221512007-01-02T13:06:00.000-08:002008-12-08T13:22:28.988-08:00Colleen's Story<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8WxjDATw2rk/RZrJo-DZaTI/AAAAAAAAAAM/ughriyaE93A/s1600-h/Colleen-Merged.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8WxjDATw2rk/RZrJo-DZaTI/AAAAAAAAAAM/ughriyaE93A/s320/Colleen-Merged.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5015542840719665458" /></a><br />OK. How do I start to tell you about what the 12 Week Total Body Turnaround Program with Adam did for me? I'll start with just a little background on myself and that should help you to understand. <br /><br />I am 45 years old and have 4 small children 11, 9, 7, and 4. My husband and my children mean everything to me. About 11 years ago I quit my job to be a full time mom and eventually began helping my husband start his own business. All has been great, but I did forget to care for myself physically along the way. I had only carved out a small portion of time over those past 11 years to workout and eat right. So when I joined SMB and joined up with Adam and the 12 week program, I really was excited but not sure how successful I would be. Committing to workout consistently every week can be a bit of a managing nightmare for me with kids in 2 schools and one child only in class three mornings a week. <br /><br />When I first started out with Adam and the program, I was considerably weaker than I am today. My energy level was so low that I would end up sitting on the ground at times to even play ball with my sons. <br /><br />As I started to meet up with my workout group or with Adam weekly, I noticed within three weeks that I could possibly make this happen. I could do this for myself. Each time I worked out with Adam I learned more and more about myself and what I could achieve. I tried to find some type of weekly workout whether it be meeting with Adam, running football drills with my kids if I couldn't get into the gym, or working out on my own in the kitchen of my own home. I would love to say that I would have been this motivated without being part of a program, but I don't know for sure. Adam’s program helped me to set a fitness goal, and make a plan to try to achieve it. With his support and the support of others it really helped me to stay on task. I tried to not be too hard on myself if I had a bad week and to ALWAYS show up for my next session and workout. After my first 3 weeks, I felt so comfortable coming to the gym and my mind set had really changed. I actually MISSED working out if my schedule conflicted, and was actually becoming more and more aware of what I was putting into my body. <br /><br />Today, my energy has increased so much that even my kids make mention of it. The other night I was wrestling around with my boys and my oldest son said, "Mom, it's not fair anymore because you have been working out and you are stronger!"...as I had him pinned on his bed. He laughed and I felt very proud. OK and lastly, since my husband said I was writing too much, I have to say one final corny thing. On the final day that we all met with Adam to weigh-in and to take the fitness test, I was walking out of my home and my husband stopped me, gave me great big hug and kiss and told me how proud he was of me, which might not seem a big deal to most of you, but if you knew my husband you would know that he's a great man, but not one of many words, especially not with compliments attached. It meant the world to me, and I truly am proud of myself and of everyone that made it through the program. Whether we met our goals or not, we learned a lot about ourselves and we all have a better understanding of what we need to do to stay healthy. I don't know if I will win this competition, but in my own mind, I had already personally won many weeks ago, when I mentally made the transition for talking about getting healthy to GETTING healthy. Thanks Adam and SMB for all the support and encouragement. I feel better than I have in 11 years and I am happier with my family and friends because of it. I am wearing smaller clothes and feel great. Thank you! <br /><br />Colleen<div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-63420904909576981122007-01-01T15:47:00.000-08:002008-12-08T13:22:29.200-08:00Tim's Story<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8WxjDATw2rk/RZrvUuDZaUI/AAAAAAAAAAY/TxWMuAeozCA/s1600-h/Tim-Merged.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8WxjDATw2rk/RZrvUuDZaUI/AAAAAAAAAAY/TxWMuAeozCA/s320/Tim-Merged.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5015584274269169986" /></a><br />The Total Body Turnaround is the only workout program in which I have participated where I have actually succeeded in achieving my initial goal. At the beginning of the program, Adam had us write down one goal, and suggested that “losing weight” was not necessarily the best goal given the nature of the program. Although I did want to lose weight and inches, I decided that my main goal would be just to get used to exercising on a regular basis and to make exercise an integral part of my life. Adam’s program called for working out six days per week, and I decided that I would consider myself successful if I worked out at least five days per week. As it turned out, there were only a few weeks where I exercised only five days per week, and on several others I was enjoying exercising so much that I actually worked out every day, so I feel that I achieved my goal of exercising consistently.<br /><br />As for my background, I am 45 years old and, over the years, what I considered to be an acceptable weight had climbed slowly but steadily higher. One or two pounds per year, over the course of 20 years, added up to my being at least 30 pounds over what would be a more healthy and “ideal” weight. My waist size had crept up from 36 to 38 to (gulp!) one with a “4” in front of it this year, and my suit size increased correspondingly. During my adult life I have belonged almost continuously to one gym or another, but have been very inconsistent about actually using them. I have worked with a few trainers in the past, and did have some improvements in strength and general health, but overall my workout schedule was sporadic at best and I never stuck with a regular exercise program for very long.<br /><br />My job for the past seven or so years was extremely hectic and stressful, and led to many bad habits. In scurrying about downtown Seattle I would often be so busy during the day that I wouldn’t be able to eat any form of lunch until mid-afternoon, and this was after a breakfast probably 7 or more hours earlier. At that point I was usually so hungry that anything looked good, and it was all too easy to stop by the nearest Starbucks and grab a cookie, brownie, scone or whatever else was there. Even when I did eat lunch at a more normal time, I would almost always have at least one, and sometimes more than one, fatty, sugary dessert during the day. These bad eating habits were coupled with a lack of dedication to any form of regular exercise. I counted it a good week if I made it to the gym 2 out of 7 days.<br /><br />I left that job at the end of August, and started a new (and less stressful) job in Fremont. I am only a 5 minute walk from Sound Mind and Body, and stopped by in early September to check it out. I liked what I saw, and coincidentally I saw the advertisement for the TBT program, which was starting in less than two weeks. Adam happened to be at the gym the day that I visited, so I met with him briefly and then we exchanged e-mails about the program. I decided to join the gym, and also decided that TBT was the kick in the pants that I needed to jump-start my return to regular exercise and to get me back on the road to a healthy lifestyle, so I signed up.<br /><br />It was quite an adjustment going from 1-2 days (at best) of exercise per week to six. The program was challenging physically, and after the first few weeks of excitement I found myself being very fatigued during the day. I talked with Adam about this, and he provided good suggestions, including backing off a bit and taking an extra rest day if necessary. During the three months of the program I found that I had good weeks and weeks where I wasn’t quite as motivated, but Adam told me this was normal. <br /><br />In addition to the exercise component, the program incorporated a much healthier six-meals-per-day way of eating. That too was an adjustment for me, and was perhaps an even bigger challenge than the exercising. I was so used to eating sugary treats during the day that for a while I had to fight off cravings for cookies or other goodies. But I was committed to sticking with the program, and Adam incorporated one “guilt free day” into the program every week, so I knew that I could have a treat if I waited until the weekend. Fortunately, my wife was very supportive and decided to adopt the new eating program along with me. Eventually, I found that I stopped craving those desserts, although if I go out for dinner and a dessert looks particularly good, I now will share it with my wife and still enjoy it.<br /><br />After 12 weeks, I had lost just under 8 pounds, just under 2% body fat (I started out at over 29%, which kind of shocked me), 2 inches off my waist and 2 ¾ inches off my stomach. I increased my flexibility and my strength (I started out not being able to do a single unassisted pull-up to doing 1 ½, and doubled the number of pull-ups I could do at half my body weight). I want to lose more weight, but I know that it will come off eventually. Over the course of the program the number on the scale steadily, although slowly, went down. The extra pounds I was (and still am) carrying were added over a lot of years, and I knew they wouldn’t come off in 3 months. I realize it may take another year or more (and hundreds of hours of exercise, along with proper eating) to lose the remaining extra pounds and inches. <br /><br />Although I am not where I ultimately want to be, I am very happy with the start I have made, and am committed to continuing the healthy habits I have developed. The results may not seem dramatic on the outside, but the change in my attitude and commitment is huge. A married couple with whom I am friends (one of whom is my boss) were so impressed with my new-found dedication to working out that they have hired Adam to work with them at their home. I have talked with Adam about continuing on with a similar workout plan in the new year, and am excited about the results I expect to see next year at this time. I realize that this isn’t a 12-week, or 12-month commitment – it is a lifetime commitment, which is particularly important as I approach my half-century mark. Thanks to Adam and the people at SMB Gym for starting me on the path to a longer and healthier life.<br /><br />Tim<div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-52956559866920556802006-12-11T15:00:00.000-08:002006-12-11T15:13:09.254-08:00Barbara's WorkoutDynamic Warmup:<br />Hip Crossover, Scorpion, Calf Stretch, Hand Walk, Inverted Hamstring, Lateral Lunge, Forward Lunge/Forearm to Instep, Backward Lunge w/Twist, Drop Lunge, Sumo Squat to Stand<br /><br />TBT Upper Body/Lower Body Weights:<br />Chest1:<br />12 X ____ @ 50%<br />10 X ____ @ 60%<br />8 X ____ @ 70%<br />6 X ____ @ 80%<br />12 X ____ @ 90%<br />Chest2:<br />12 X ____ @ 100%<br /><br />Back1 and Back2<br />-OR-<br />Legs1 and Legs2<br />Legs3 and Legs4<br /><br />Mini Circuit (30 seconds each):<br />Bosu Squat, Russian Twist, Physioball Leg Curl, Physioball Tuck, One Arm One Leg Dumbell Row<br /><br />Streching and Foam Roller<div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-23930641599558100482006-12-01T10:59:00.000-08:002006-12-01T11:12:49.629-08:00Sub for Mike's Core Class PlanWarmup: Sun Salute - 10 times<br /><br />Power: Plyometrics<br /> 1 minute box jump<br /> 1 minute side hops<br /> 1 minute depth jumps with side sprint<br /> 1 minute hop in place<br /><br />Strength:<br /> Circuit: with bar<br /> Abs: Planks<br /><br />Cardio: Seilo's Drill 2 or 3X with Balance in between<br /><br />Balance: Yoga Side to Sides<br /><br />Cool Down: Rotation and Lower Back Stuff<br /> Bar on Back, rotate torso on two legs<br /> Bar on Back, rotate torso on one leg<br /> Bar on Back, rotate hips and shoulders in alignment<br /> Bar on Back, rotate torso on tippy toes<div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-39722146496056544942006-11-21T17:31:00.001-08:002006-11-21T17:31:30.472-08:00Exercise vs Surgery<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/11/21/back.pain.reut/index.html">Surgery or exercise for bad back debated in study - CNN.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-30285630664628969002006-11-20T15:06:00.000-08:002006-11-22T21:00:47.096-08:00<P>Is failure worth it?</P> <P> </P> <P>A lot of people I work with are afraid of failure. Some are so afraid, they don't even try.</P> <P> </P> <P>If you think failing is bad, you will not change your life. If you think failing is part of winning, you're on the right track. If you're prepared to keep trying regardless of whether you fail or succeed, you have guaranteed yourself success.</P> <P> </P> <P>Of all the people I've worked with, those who fail are always trying to avoid failure. They miss workouts, tell me they're too tired or give other excuses so their workouts are not effective, avoid exercises that make them feel weak or out of shape, and pass the blame around liberally.</P> <P> </P> <P>Those who succeed are willing to appear weak or uncoordinated, willing to believe in themselves and trust me, try really hard and don't give up easily, and rarely worry about the money.</P><div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-4785481848166486862006-11-16T13:40:00.000-08:002006-11-16T13:49:23.524-08:00Strategies to Survive the Holidays1. Be realistic. Don't expect to do your normal workouts and eat normally. You probably won't have time, and the temptation will be greater than usual.<br /><br />2. View family behavior for what it is. If your grandmother wants you to eat three pieces of pie, it's because she loves you, not because she wants you to be fat. If uncle John wants you to drink another beer, it's probably because he wants somebody else to be drunk with (apologies to all Johns out there, I don't mean you), and not because he wants you to fail.<br /><br />3. Take the opportunities to be active. If somebody mentions going for a walk, on a hike, or doing something that will get you moving, be sure you're in on it.<br /><br />4. Eat fewer meals. If you're used to eating 5 to 6 meals a day, but your Thanksgiving meal is going to equal about three, don't snack before and after.<br /><br />5. Don't worry about it. One or two days isn't going to kill you. In fact, most of the extra food will get flushed away, if you catch my drift.<br /><br />6. Schedule workouts before and after your trip, especially after. Don't let a couple days off turn into a week. Know exactly when you'll be back at it and what you'll be doing. If you get lazy, remind yourself how important it is to get back on track.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-87226251933274474282006-11-16T11:15:00.001-08:002006-11-16T11:29:06.116-08:00Adam's Story<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/6479/951065055410263/1600/AdamBAforweb.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/6479/951065055410263/320/AdamBAforweb.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>I was your classic “Weekend Warrior”. I would go into the gym every few days and do a little cardio, lift a few weights, or maybe take a yoga class. I played basketball in a recreational league and on the weekends when I could. I felt like I ate pretty well. I stayed away from red meat and didn’t eat sweets all that much. I had been a member of a gym for about three years, and had never gone more than a month without working out.<br /><br />As a kid, I had always been thin and weak, and over the years I had developed a belief that my body was just not genetically built to be muscular, but at least I was thin! However, as most people in their thirties find out, I was losing ground in that area as well. I had developed a nice paunch around my waist and my cheeks were starting to fill out. I felt tired quite a bit, and even when I was well rested, it was hard for me to get going in the morning and all I wanted to do at night was lay on the couch and watch television.<br /><br />Although I was in ok basketball shape, I had developed pain in my lower back that wasn’t going away, and my knees and ankles couldn’t take more than 2 days a week of playing before they felt sore enough to make me start to think my basketball days were coming to an end.<br /><br />In the summer of my 33rd year, I was 215 pounds and about 25% body fat. For the first time, I started getting real with myself and thinking that it was probably time to change my exercise habits and lose some weight. I read in a book that the best way to burn fat was to do cardio for an hour each day. I was on vacation and had plenty of time, so I stopped lifting weights and just did cardio every day. In about a month, I had lost about ten pounds and I was pretty happy! It was the first time I saw the effectiveness of consistent exercise.<br /><br />Even though I lost the weight, I still was feeling hobbled on the basketball court and felt unable to lift weights because of back and knee pains. At best, I would try to do one set of 30 repetitions on various machines. My girlfriend teased me because I always said I was going to “take it easy on the weights today.”<br /><br />One day while surfing the internet, I came across a website called Body for Life.com. It was an exercise and nutrition plan that required six days a week of working out, and had a nutrition plan that seemed sensible to me.<br /><br />When I started the program, I was mostly interested in going to the gym six days a week, because I wanted to get in better shape for basketball. I used the program as way to be accountable to myself, and also to have an excuse to give my girlfriend for why I was at the gym every day. I wanted to try out the exercise program, and even though I didn’t think the nutrition aspect of it was all that important, I decided I would try that too. The first two weeks, I over trained and underrate, and ended up catching a cold so I had to restart a few weeks later. My girlfriend had also decided she was interested in trying the program, but she only made it a week before she had a family emergency at the same time I got sick.<br /><br />So here we were, we had started a new program and made it a whole week before we hit a roadblock! My body just shut down, and life got in the way for my girlfriend, and we were right back where we started!<br /><br />However, even though we were discouraged, we decided to try again. After all, we had already taken the before pictures, and I had the earlier memory of my positive results from the previous summer when I followed a plan and saw improvement.<br /><br />After that, my girlfriend and I followed the program very closely for the next twelve weeks. We started seeing changes in the mirror after about 4 weeks, mostly in the muscles of our upper bodies. In six weeks, we noticed our clothes were definitely looser.<br /><br />However, these changes were nothing compared to the improvements in self confidence and energy level we had all day long. We were really doing it, and we started to notice that it had become easy and fun! It was actually hard to deviate from the program, because we would feel lousy physically - tired and depressed.<br /><br />I lost about 10 pounds and got a lot stronger - not anywhere near the changes you see in the pictures they use to promote the program, but now I know I am in control of my diet and I love working out!<br /><br />I think about where I will be in five years and get excited, not worried, and I notice that my body is still improving. On top of that, my back and legs feel much better and I am playing the best basketball of my life!<br /><br />Starting and keeping with an effective exercise and nutrition plan has truly changed the course of my health and my life.<br /><br />I don’t consider myself more dedicated or focused than anybody else. I just found some really good reasons to change some of my habits, and a plan that worked for me. I had the support and encouragement of my girlfriend who went through the program also, learned the techniques of effective cardio and strength training, and educated myself on sensible and realistic nutrition.<br /><br />Our success wasn’t about will power as much as it was finding the motivation that worked for us. After about 8 weeks, it became a pleasurable lifestyle, which is the best motivation of all!<br /><br />You can do this too!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-37661396093789308152006-11-16T11:11:00.000-08:002006-11-16T11:29:30.067-08:00Danielle's Story<img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/6479/951065055410263/320/Danielle%20Danskin.jpg" border="0" />“When Adam approached me about starting a 12 week program where I’d be required to account for my diet and go to the gym six days a week, I was a bit apprehensive. Actually, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to do it. I had only been working out for about a year, and I was pretty inconsistent about it. I thought I was a healthy eater, but I was really fooling myself. I work in an office and have access to chocolate every day; and believe me I would have chocolate almost every single day. It was time for a change. I was at a weight above where I wanted to be. I had been at a heavier weight ever since I gained my “freshman 15.” I realized that I would be turning 30 soon, which meant that I had been unhappy with my weight for about ten years. Ten years!! It was time to do something about it – FINALLY!<br /><br />I told Adam I would do it. We started full force at the end of this past February. A week into it, I had a family emergency and had to go out of town for a week. I totally fell off the wagon. When I got back into town, I recommitted myself and started right back up. I didn’t beat myself up about taking that week off, because I started back up as soon as I returned, and I have been going strong ever since. And when I say strong, I mean it! I have never felt so strong, inside and out. This program has given me confidence about my body and also about my ability to commit to doing what I know is right for me. I have transferred this knowledge into other aspects of my life and have been able to stand up for myself in situations where before I might have felt overpowered.<br /><br />This program has taught me so much. It has transformed my body. I have taken inches off my waist, thighs, and hips. This is every woman’s dream result! I have gotten muscles in my arms and legs, chest and back – everywhere! And I plan to keep this program going for the rest of my life. I feel like I have the tools now to keep going strong for a really long time.<br /><br />It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, either, which totally surprised me. I thought I would be hungry and deprived, tired and sore, etc. But I haven’t felt that way at all. Instead I feel empowered, proud, and confident! I still get to eat all my favorite junk food on my Guilt Free Day. I look forward to having a special dessert that day, and will save up my cravings until that day. I have finally been able to have control over my cravings for the first time in my life.<br /><br />Adam really helped me to stick to the program. We helped each other. It was important for us to have each other’s support at the beginning. We felt responsible to each other, and we motivated each other. Then at some point we realized that we were able to be responsible for ourselves. That’s the ultimate goal. After awhile, we wanted to keep going because we really enjoyed exercising, and we loved our diet. We felt good after eating a meal, not sluggish with tummy aches. We found that we talked about exercising and nutrition all the time. We read articles on the internet about it. It really became an important part of our lives.<br /><br />This program is great! I’ve been doing it since early 2005, and I’m still excited about it. You will never believe how strong you can become, both inside and out. Have fun with it; get a friend involved. And good luck!”<br />- Danielle<div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-31866574154084877832006-11-14T11:56:00.000-08:002006-11-14T12:48:14.405-08:00The Best Time to Start1. When you have the time<br />2. When you have the money<br />3. When you hit rock bottom.<br />4. When you have the motivation<br />5. When a friend will start with you<br />6. When you find the right program<br />7. When you get over your current injury<br />8. When things at work settle down<br />9. When things at home settle down<br />10. When your life settles down.<br /><br />Obviously, the best time to start is when you were a kid. The next best time to start is RIGHT NOW!<br /><br />This post inspired by <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2006/11/when_to_start.html">this post.</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7791124933920880975.post-49200085215497372322006-11-07T11:00:00.000-08:002006-11-07T16:48:28.395-08:00Being "In Shape"Being in shape for one thing doesn't make you in shape for everything. Every sport and activity has its own fitness demands and challenges. For example, I've been learning to play golf lately, and even though I am relatively flexible for a guy my size and age, my golf flexibility is low, and it's making it hard to have a consistent swing.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.golfdigest.com/health/index.ssf?/instruction/gd200605makeoverfitness.html">Click Here for some golf fitness training tips</a><br /><br />It's really important to cross-train and try new things. It can keep you interested and provide new motivation to improve, and also show you areas where you should improve.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Call 206-226-7347 to set up a Personal Training Session with Adam.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com