weight training

Five ways you might be doing New Year’s Resolutions Wrong

Zoey · December 4, 2015 · 1 Comment

Look, I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. Sure it’s a convenient day to start something new and starting something new is awesome, but if you really wanted it – wouldn’t you have done it by now? When I quit smoking nearly two years ago, I did it on the 29th December. Because waiting until the 1st of January was just three days that I didn’t need to be smoking. Besides which the vast majority of resolutions tend to be a bit wishy-washy at best. Eat Better. Exercise More. Get Fit. What does that even mean? How can you tell if you are kicking ass at that goal or failing it? How much better, how fit? And when you don’t have a clear idea of what you are doing, it is really easy for things to fall by the wayside.

1) It’s not specific and it’s not measurable.

Even if you have a really big goal, you can break that down into smaller goals that are achievable and plot a clear course to get yourself there, with everything being measurable along the way. Want to start a new exercise habit? Making your goal to commit to three 30 minute sessions per week is going to serve you so much better than ‘exercise more’. Want to get fit? Well defining things you want to achieve – whether it be running 30 minutes without stopping, squatting your body weight or being able to do a push up on your toes are all goals that you can break down into a process that you can achieve. For some tips on goal setting, here’s something I wrote on 8 ways to kick some goal ass.

2) You didn’t write it down.

And I don’t mean on the computer. I mean with pen and paper and write it down. And not just your goals and your steps to those goals, write down your why as well. Because when it’s cold or humid as hell or you are tired or you just don’t feel like it, your why will get you out of bed and your goals will get you out of bed and that buzz that you get from ticking off one of your mini-goals or one of your big goals will get you out of bed. And if you do have a period where you fall off the wagon, what you’ve written down will get you back on track.

3) You have fallen down the punishment/reward rabbit hole.

This is evident in so many New Years promotions I see running about the place – either you keep your resolution or you have to pay up in cold hard cash (seriously it’s a thing!), it’s all about will power and commitment and discipline and mind over matter. But the problem with that is it doesn’t sound very fun. And eventually, it will start to feel like punishment and so you just won’t do it. It’s supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be joyful. Whatever you are trying to achieve with your goals or resolutions are supposed to feel like a reward. Now not every single moment of it will feel fun. Sometimes the fun part is when you finish and you have surprised yourself with what you’ve achieved. Sometimes it takes you 8km into a 12km run to get to the fun part. Sometimes the fun is just getting to be on your own in the wee hours of the morning. And sometimes it’s the little things that you know, but no one else would notice – like when you start to use the recommended weight in Crossfit workouts and you don’t have to scale as much.

4) You are ambivalent

This happened to me so many times with quitting smoking. I felt like I should quit and there where enough negative things associated with smoking that I felt like I wanted to quit. But deep down, I just didn’t want to. So I would use any reasonable excuse to relapse. I can’t quit. This situation at work is stressful. I’m sad. It’s just too hard. But what made it hard was not the act of quitting smoking, it was my ambivalence about it. And I remember once my dad saying to me, “It’s not that hard, you just stop.” which on the surface for anyone who has quit smoking and has felt like climbing out of their own skin feels dismissive. But that part is really short lived and the really hard part about quitting is that mental back and forth between the part of you that wants to quit and the part of you that wants to start. And once you are certain within yourself, that part stops and it is easy.

And I see this a lot when you are introducing new habits as well. Often times the success of a learn to run program hinges on someone really wanting it and being able to leave their doubts behind. I had all the reasons not to run: I’m so unfit. I will get beetroot red. People will look at me. I will look funny. I’m completely unathletic. And if you want it, you will ignore that. And if you don’t want it, you will listen to that. Which is also where our program comes in because we have a whole heap of voices to tip the scale in our favour.

5) You are all or nothing.

All or nothing is the easiest way to get you nowhere. Instead of thinking about your ideal scenario where you would do all the things, all the time, just work with what you’ve got. There is no this week or this month or this year. There is just today. And today you can choose to do some things that will support your goals. This week my little one had a gastro bug, I had a gastro bug, I had very important school award ceremonies to attend to and to top it all off I guess I’m just a bit run down and in need of a break as we get towards the end of the year. I didn’t get to half of my usual sessions, but I did the best with what I had and took it as a great week to rest up and take it easy so I will be all ready to go next week.

So, let’s rock this anyway.

So now you know what not to do and what to do when you are setting some goals. If you’d like some help you can sign up for Learn to Run or the Total Fitness Challenge in January. Or, I have about five spaces left in Far and Fast coaching. But the main things I want you to remember are this:

1) Get Specific
2) Write it Down
3) Focus on Progress
4) Pay attention to what you love about it
5) Get the support you need.

And remember, that you can love your body while still working on it. If you think about your body as the enemy it is an uneasy partnership for fitness. You have no idea what your body is capable of, but I do and that is what I absolutely adore about Operation Move.

The wife and the mistress

Zoey · July 24, 2015 · 2 Comments

The thing about training for strength and endurance is you can’t. I know it’s not fair, but you can’t. That’s not to say that endurance programs don’t have a strength component (they do) or that strength programs don’t have a cardio component (they do) but you have to pick one. Endurance training doesn’t work with strength building because you tend to burn through any muscle gains. But you can include strength so you maintain your existing levels at least. And if you are looking at pure strength building your only running is going to be sprints.

I’ve seen many a new runner on body building forums complaining about why running doesn’t build muscle the way strength training does and why endurance training is counter-productive to strength. And I totally get that. When you really enjoy both, it is hard to choose. And the conundrums are endless. I have to run first because I find it hard to run afterwards, but if I run first, I probably won’t be at full strength for my lifts.

So you do have to prioritise one. And it is hard. The struggle is REAL. I loved doing the short distance running because that was well suited to my strength training with Move It Elite, and in that time I was consistently getting PBs for my lifts, especially some of the strict ones that I’ve always been weak on. But I missed my long runs. I realised now that I’ve started doing them again that I have so many ideas and thoughts that just never had a chance to come to the surface when I wasn’t running long. And particularly at this time of year, it is just beautiful running weather. Where I live the winter is pretty mild and so it’s crisp and lovely. Summer on the other hand, I struggle to love running. When you have to get up at 4am to get your window of not 30 degrees but still disgustingly humid it’s a hard discipline to love.

It can feel like you are always cheating on one. Which is why I’m now working off a seasonal plan. I’m doing one last marathon training cycle this year to take me up to the Melbourne Marathon, and then I’ll switch back to short distance and strength building. A fact I am sure I will thank myself for when it is 26 degrees at 5am and the humidity level is at an all time ewwwwwwwwwww level.

So I guess you can have both, just not at the same time.

7 Lies You Are Being Told About Weight Training

Zoey · July 22, 2015 · Leave a Comment

1) You shouldn’t lift weights because you will look like a body builder

This is perpetrated everywhere and would be laughable if it wasn’t so pervasive. And it’s perpetrated by athletes who should know better too! There’s a story about Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was a competitive body builder that people used to tell him they didn’t want to look like him and his response was don’t worry, you will never look like me.

You can take that and quadruple that for women. It is really hard to build muscle, so the idea that you could become accidentally ripped is pretty ridiculous. People often imagine fitness models when they think of weight training but the reality is that they have put an insane amount of work into their bodies and it’s designed to look that way for competitions but it’s not sustainable or healthy beyond that.

When people start to work on their fitness, they often want their body to look strong and fit too. And that is exactly what weight training does. But how it looks, is always up to you. And if your aim is to put on significant muscle, you are going to have to fight for it.

2) High Reps = toning, Heavy weight = bulking

False. There is no toning vs bulking it’s all just muscle building. As long as you are doing high reps/low weight to failure point or high weight/low reps to failure point you are going to be achieving muscle building – so it’s much more about what you enjoy doing. Although high repetition is probably more advantageous if you are developing your endurance fitness.

3) Exercise is about calories and weights don’t burn as much as cardio

Because calories. This is a common misconception. Because cardio burns the more calories it is of more value than weights. But the thing is muscles are calorie hogs. They burn more calories. So a good weight training program will turn your body into a calorie burning furnace, all day, every day. So unlike a cardio session where the calorie burn is done when the session is over, you have a calorie burn that is happening all the time.

4) It’s not as much of a workout

It’s as much of a workout as you want it to be. Exhibit A.

5) You need special equipment or you need to go to a gym

I have dumbbells and a barbell but for ages I used water bottles or bottles with sand in them or cans. You don’t need any special equipment at all.

6) You aren’t strong enough for weight training

In the beginning you start with mostly using your own body weight and you build on that. Anything can be adapted to any level so there’s no reason not to get involved.

7) You don’t have time

The best thing about weight training is that it is so easy to do at home with kids. Admittedly, my planks are a little harder if you have a four year old sitting on your back – but it’s a great way to get a workout at home and have the kids involved as much or as little as you like. And it’s very flexible because you can do it early in the morning or late at night.

Do you have any others that you’d add to this list?

Sign Up for Move It Beginner, Move It Bootcamp or Move It Elite and get started now.

Is this a conversation you have with yourself? Me too.

Zoey · May 27, 2015 · 1 Comment

I’m going to lay out a conversation that I regularly see EVERYWHERE. And it’s a conversation I used to have with myself and with my friends too.

“I just start this [insert diet here], but then I had some [insert delicious yummy food here]. I wish I had more will power.”

Does that sound familiar? Yeah, me too. I did Jenny Craig. I did calorie counting. But I always put the weight back on. I am that statistic (the majority of us are actually) that would end up heavier than when I started dieting in the first place. And you think it’s just a lack of will power. But really it’s not.

First of all let’s talk about 1,200 calories. It’s a number that everyone knows that you are supposed to have if you are on a diet. And has been written about very eloquently here. And the thing is a whole lot of people can clench their way through 12 weeks of being on a restrictive diet. But then what happens?

One of the things we tend to believe about weight and appearance is that we should just eat less and run more. There is this idea that cardio and dieting is how you can have the body you want and be healthy too. But the fact is that it is really quite challenging. Will running help you burn fat and lose weight? Absolutely. But it will also trigger your appetite which makes it really hard to be dieting. People tend to think of running as the answer because runners are slim. But that’s like playing basketball to get taller. The best runners tend to be very lean. But running won’t necessarily make you lean, any more than basketball will make you tall – that’s more about genetics.

And you can certainly go down the cardio/diet path – but that’s a very restrictive path and you probably won’t be enjoying yourself all that much.

This is where weight training comes in. It does a few things. One is it increases your metabolism. Another is it builds muscle, which will burn more energy even at rest. And so instead of being stuck on a restrictive diet, all of a sudden you can have a far more sustainable, more enjoyable relationship to your food. By contrast, if all you do is cardio-based exercise, your base metabolic rate will continue to drop and to achieve any fat loss you are forced to eat less and less, making it more and more unsustainable.

When talking about weight training it can easy to get caught up in the fears of getting too bulky. And I know exactly how that feels. Being overweight, the last thing you want to do is add more to that. But the fact is contrary to what you might be told there is no lean muscle or bulky muscle. There is just muscle. There is no toning. There is just building muscle. And it doesn’t matter whether you do high repetitions at low weight, or low repetitions at high weight – they will both build muscle. One supports more strength development, the other more endurance. But the physical result is not substantially different.

When people start their fitness journey, they usually not only want to be fit and strong, they want to look fit and strong. And the answer is usually pretty simple. Eat well. Eat a lot. Don’t pretend that all calories are the same. Because they aren’t. If you like the mindfulness of calorie counting – think of proteins, vegetables and fruits as calorie free and use your counting for all the other stuff. Incorporate weight training in a way that you are going to enjoy. And incorporate cardio in the same way. Your best results are going to come from a combination of muscle building and fat burning activities.

But here’s the thing, people can tell you all about what is the most effective thing – running, boxing, crossfit, heavy lifting, walking or whatever else. But it’s only effective if you do it. And to do it, you have to want to do it. So pick something you are going to love. Or if you don’t love anything yet, try something new.

What is CrossFit? And should I be scared?

OperationMove · February 6, 2014 · 1 Comment

I started doing Crossfit at the beginning of 2014. I don’t do New Years Resolutions because I figure if you really want to do something, you’ll just do it. So at the end of December 2013 I found a local gym that ran CrossFit classes and signed up.

I’ve heard people refer to Crossfit as a vortex of pain. And chances are if anyone tells someone doing Crossfit that they are batshit crazy, they will take it as a compliment. Just like any other type of fitness there is a gargantuan amount of fat shaming and just general grossness that goes along with some CrossFit inspiration out there. I suggest you avoid that.

But what is it?

Crossfit, at core is a perpetually changing mix of aerobic exercise, body weight exercises (things like push ups, squats, burpees, pull ups) and Olympic weight lifting performed at high intensity. Classes would generally include a warm-up, a skill development part, the high intensity ‘workout of the day’ (WOD) and a cool-down/stretch. It’s strength and conditioning designed to improve your muscular strength, endurance and flexibility.

Was I scared?

Hell yes. I was used to running which didn’t involve doing exercise in front of other people who would realise I had no coordination skills whatsoever. I might have cried before I went in the first time thing because I get very socially anxious in those types of situations. But here’s the thing, regardless of what you might see on the internet about the hard-core nature of CrossFit, what a trainer at any gym will want for you is to be fit. You can’t be fit if you are injured. So they will adapt exercises, they will teach you and they will support you through the learning process.

What I love about it.

For someone who is used to endurance exercise of often two hours or more, the idea of going to a gym to do a WOD that will last for 20-30 minutes is actually really appealing. No matter how hard it is, it’s only 20 minutes. It works muscles that running doesn’t touch and I know the high intensity part of it is very different too. I have a different kind of muscle exhaustion at the end of it. And yes, I throw around the term ‘good pain’ a whole lot more.

What I get out of it

Even if you don’t want to do CrossFit I am a big advocate of strength workouts. I don’t have the discipline to do them at home on my own, but it’s really easy to do with hardly any equipment. A few things happen with strength workouts. The first is that it kicks up your metabolism so you can eat more or lose weight (whichever appeals to you). It will develop your endurance in cardio workouts. And the perpetual change associated with strength workouts has some huge benefits. If you are doing the same type of exercise all the time your body gets used to it, gets more efficient at it and burns less calories to get it done. Mixing up your regular workouts with something that is always changing means that your body can’t get used to it, can’t get lazy and will get more out of it as a result.

Crossfit advocates Paleo. Do you Paleo?

No I do not. I’m vegetarian for starters. Paleo knocks out dairy, grains and legumes. So right off the bat I’d lose all sources of protein. There is no way it would work for me. And even if I was a meat eater I would have serious doubts as to the health benefits of Paleo. You know what I do like? Moderation. So I have started eating less processed grains and replacing with vegetable carbohydrates instead and butter, lots of butter.

One Month In

Now, it’s hard to attribute things to Crossfit because at the beginning of 2014 I quit smoking, quit drinking, increased my kms by about double and started going to Crossfit and I also started eating more healthy foods. But I had been wanting to lose some extra weight for awhile to get me to a better race weight come later in the year and in my first month I lost about 3kgs which was enough inspiration for me to keep going.