I
sat down earlier today with Justin Bates at Healthtrax in West Springfield armed
with questions from friends and family. Justin and I started working together a year
ago almost to the day. With almost a decade of experience and multiple
certifications, including NASM (National Association of Sports Medicine) and PES3 (Performance Enhancement Specialist), Justin has worked with clients from
every background, age and fitness level.
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| Justin Bates, NASM & PES3 Certified Personal Trainer |
We started out today with using the InBody body composition machine. If you really want to know you're made of, this thing is incredible. It lets you know how much muscle mass, fat, water not just in your body, but each arm, leg and trunk. Its terrific information and it allows you to get very specific in your goals. If you hit a plateau, this machine lets you know for sure where your focus needs to be. Or it will tell you that you haven't hit a plateau at all. I thought my weight loss had stalled, but in fact I've lost quite a bit of fat and made some serious muscle gains.
I had done this in November and wanted to
update before the beginning of my first Tribe Training season. I was actuallypretty shocked by the results, it took a while for it to sink in. Apparently, I went from 30%
body fat in November to 23% body fat today. I am pretty happy with
that!
Our conversation today began with a question that is pretty dear to my own heart. I’m often asked why I pay for a trainer when there is so much out there for free. I usually reply with, “If I was going to do it or able to do it alone, I would have long before now.” The simple fact is, we don't do it. Most of us don't take the time to care for ourselves, just look at the obesity rates here in the states and its pretty damn clear.
Our conversation today began with a question that is pretty dear to my own heart. I’m often asked why I pay for a trainer when there is so much out there for free. I usually reply with, “If I was going to do it or able to do it alone, I would have long before now.” The simple fact is, we don't do it. Most of us don't take the time to care for ourselves, just look at the obesity rates here in the states and its pretty damn clear.
Working
with a trainer keeps me accountable. It motivates me to go back again and again
and gives me the confidence and knowledge on how to continuously set new goals and
try new things. In fact, the questions that were posted or sent to me included
this very question.
Here is our
conversation and your questions. (In moments where I chime in, I’m in italics.)
Why work with a trainer?
Everyone needs a trainer!
Accountability. (Justin handed me a sheet of paper listing all the benefits of
working with a personal coach/trainer, here are the reasons)
- · Accountability
- · Optimize your workout time
- · Ensure proper form
- · Accurate assessment
- · Exercise safety through proper form and adequate rest
- · Everyone benefits from a personal trainer/coach. The top athletes in the world all use trainers so “knowing enough” to work out on your own is not an excuse.
- · A trainer will push you beyond your comfort zone while staying within your limits. People tend not to push themselves beyond their comfort zone.
- · Personalization
- · Motivation
- · Niche specialties –
o
Functional and
mobility training
o
Body fat loss
o
Strength and
muscle gain
o
Older adults
o
Youth fitness
o
Athletes
o
Sport specific
o
Speed and agility
o
Pre/Post-Natal
o
Post-menopausal
(staving off osteoporosis)
- · Improved flexibility with assisted stretching
- · Easy access to a community and support system
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| Some of the trainers at Healthtrax after just finishing up their first Tribe Training season! |
What makes a person successful at making these
changes stick for the long term?
Consistency.
Consistency.
Can you think of someone who really surprised
you in their willingness to change and improve their health?
Well, yeah. A lot of people. I’ll give you an example. I worked with this one woman. She never worked
out in her life, she was sixty-three years old, she came to me like fifty
pounds overweight. She lost fifty pounds and she just stuck with it. Her form
was great, she just listened and did everything we told her to do. She lost all
the weight. She came in every single day, changed her whole lifestyle and built
it around her life. She would tell
people, ‘Nope, can’t do this anymore. I’m
going to the gym first.’ She made going to the gym her priority. She made working
out a lifestyle at sixty-three. She was a grandmother, she had four boys. She looked like she was in her early 50’s. That was a great one!
What
are the most common missteps you see from someone just getting started?
Thinking they can’t. Thinking that it’s
something that’s too much for them. Or even
over doing it, trying to do too much at once. If you’re going to start with
exercise, sometimes, for most people, its too hard to do diet and exercise. Start moving then
work on little things. Then add little
changes. Baby steps can go a long way.
How about motivation? A FB question came in about getting up at 8am
in the cold and dark days of winter.
Wake up, don’t hit snooze, get your
feet on the ground. Get up! Just get your ass up!
What would you say to the person who wants to
make a change, but can’t quite get there?
That’s another reason you need a
trainer. Accountability. If you have something
to be accountable for, like a doctor’s appointment, you don’t blow that off. Making that appointment with somebody is
important, even if it’s just to get your foot in the door.
Should I stick to a low carb diet, calorie
counting, paleo, Whole30? I need to lose
a lot of weight, like over 80 pounds, and I’m so confused I don’t know where to
start.
That’s tough. That’s a good one. It kind of depends on her… paleo can be
extreme and hard. Calorie counting can be difficult too. Well, what worked for you?
Calorie counting worked for me for two
reasons, one I had to eat. I tend to go into bad old habits of extreme dieting.
900 calories a day. Two, calorie counting meant I could anything I wanted, as
long as I stayed in my limit. After a while, I changed it up to make sure the
calories I was eating were quality. You get to a point where you’re fuelling a
workout.
Calorie counting is one way. The easiest
way I found was the AdvoCare way. They have a simple plan, all laid out for
you, you get the whole 24 day challenge plan to steer people in the right
direction. It’s the best diet plan I’ve
found that’s worked for so many people.
Paleo, I do know a guy here who lost
100 pounds on it, but he’s totally focused and the kind of guy who can stick to
it. Paleo is boring and tough to stick to, unless you are the type of person
who can do that. Low carb does work; but
I would say calorie counting. There are
so many apps for that, everyone has a smartphone now. I think that way is
pretty good. Finding out what your Basal
Metabolic Rate is, like the InBody shows, and going off that can really help
you with that. Even the apps give you a ballpark figure of what you should be
taking in.
The calories are always more than you think
too, its never good to eat 1200 calories a day.
Well, that’s the old Weight Watchers
thing.
Yeah, I mean if you’re overweight and all of a
sudden you’re trying to eat 1200 calories a day, you’re not going to be
successful.
No, you’re not.
I’ve lost the weight. Switching to a
maintenance diet is terrifying for me. I’m scared to go back to my old habits. Any
advice for those of us who hit their goal?
Make a new goal. Create a new goal. Whether
its gaining some muscle or gaining some strength, but new goals. This way you
won’t get complacent and move backwards.
I’m 65. I’ve been a couch potato since my 30’s.
I have bad knees, high blood pressure and everything else that goes along with
a lifetime of bad choices. Where would someone like me start?
Go to a gym, meet with one of us and
we can get you started. At least get
your foot in the door. Starting with some cardio, you just gotta get moving
first. That’s the best thing I can think of. If you’re already stuck at home, you’re
not going to do it at home.
I love lifting weights. I lift four days per week and I’m really
happy with where I’m at, but I feel like I should add in cardio. I can barely run for more than five minutes
without feeling winded. I don’t also want to lose muscle. Any ideas?
Umm, yes. Start circuit training.
Strength circuits. Doing say, three
exercises and go back to back to back without resting or resting as little as
possible. You’ll get a cardio effect and you’ll keep building strength.
Kind of
like Tribe Training?
Exactly. You don’t have to worry about
running or all the boring stuff. (Laughs)
Running isn’t for everybody. Well, you can do it outside with a
goal or a destination. A treadmill doesn’t work for me.
I know it’s an excuse you hear all the time…
but time really is precious for me. I’m a single mom, I work full time and I’m
raising three kids on my own. Do I really need to workout every day for it to
make a difference?
Every day is better if you can make
time for it, yes. Well, what’s your
answer for it? You’re a mother of four!
I don’t work out every day!
You don’t work out every day, you don’t
have to.
I do 3
or 4 days a week. Some weeks I do two. I
don’t beat myself up over it.
Right, exactly. You don’t have to beat yourself up over it. If you can
do four days a week, great. If it’s something you mentally have to do every
day, make a little time for it, even if its fifteen minutes its better than
nothing.
I’ve had
days and nights that were so crazy, I would just do 10 push-ups before bed.
It’s something, something to keep it
part of your lifestyle. There’s 168
hours in a week, there’s time.
I do counter pushups while I cook dinner or
throw the radio on and dance like fools in the kitchen with the kids.
It all adds up!
I
missed a day at the gym this week, i do different machines Tuesday thru
Thursday should i double up on my work out the next day? Does that make sense...
It depends kind of what her routine is. But, yeah she can,
why not? Just do it and then modify the
week. I would double up, it can’t hurt.
Tell me about Tribe Training. I’ve been seeing you post about it but I’ve
never heard of it. There isn’t a lot of
information on it.
It originated in New Zealand, came to
North America, up in Canada and now here. It is new, she’s right. We are the
only gym in Massachusetts to offer it and we’re super excited about it.
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We ended our conversation here. What I loved about today is that while we were talking, we mentioned that I was going to be blogging my Tribe Training experience to the other trainers nearby. Every single one of them was super excited and so supportive. Honestly, this is probably the part of a place like Healthrax. You will be supported and encouraged and motivated by everyone there. the atmosphere at a health club is very different than that at a 24 hour cardio-focused center.
If I could offer some totally unprofessional advice, it would be to find a gym that has qualified staff and is filled with people from every stage and level of fitness. It is an amazing thing to workout next to a sixty year old woman recovering from knee surgery or a man who has 200 pounds to lose and on the other side of you is a runner training for an ultramarathon or a body building breaking a new personal record. If everyone in your gym is unhealthy... you need to ask why that is. A good gym or club will have fit people in them. There is a reason for this and a large part of that is access to professional advice and coaching.
For more information on Tribe
Training, Tribe Life or Tribe Fit click on the links.
