Why We Do What We Do...

Fitness Evolved was created with two purposes in mind: 

1.  To help as many people as possible improve their quality of life through increased health and fitness.

2.  To be a part of

 transforming the fitness industry by creating a new model of gym:  One that's more concerned with member results than membership numbers.  And one that's committed to continually learning and improving the way we do things to make sure we're on the forefront of the training industry and can give our members the best experience possible.

We've invested tens of thousands of dollars in continuing our education, as well as countless hours researching, practicing, and applying in order to become the best coaches we can be for our members.  We've chosen to "buck" the mainstream industry that doesn't seem to be working based on the increasing levels of obesity and disease, and look for a more evolved approach that can truly create lasting and sustainable results along with a pleasant experience.  

This approach, admittedly, set us into "crisis" as we completely overhauled our training system and years of education just months after opening our business.  It was incredibly threatening and risky, but we knew we had to make the change if we were truly going to give our clients the best available.  In hindsight, we're so glad we did!

We're always willing to take the risk and put in the hard work if it's going to result in the opportunity to help more people, better.  Currently, our culture is being sold a bill of goods that says we have to punish ourselves through exercise and crash diets in order to become "healthy" (if you view skinny and malnourished as "healthy," but that's another topic for another day!) when dietary changes will help to lose the weight, and improving movement quality will lead to decreased pain and increased fun activities and quality of life.  "Punishing" ourselves is not the path to optimal health and wellness.

We were recently confronted by some questions in one of courses that challenged us:  "How many of you think you have helped somebody over your career?"  Obviously, we all raised our hands.  "How many of you believe you could help more people if they came to you?"  Again, we raised our hands.  "If they don't know who you are or how to get to you, then you're actually doing them a disservice."  This was followed by a collective "Oh....."

We started this business to help as many people as possible, to show them there's a better way, and to change the current model for the better.  We're calling on you, our current and former members, to help us help others like you.  If you've benefitted (or not!) from our services, please take a few minutes and complete a survey that will help us better structure ourselves so we can help you and others.  

Help Us Help You Survey

Thank you for all of your support and for making Fitness Evolved the best gym in Berkeley!

New Year, New Goals, New You!

This week we're focusing on goal setting, how motivation works in our brains, and tips to give you the best chance to achieve your goals.

Neurology of Motivation Part 2

Motivation still lives in the brain, like all other skills.  A large determining factor for your success is being as specific as possible when setting a goal, or "target" to aim at.  30 mindless minutes on the elliptical machine is doable for a while, but if there's no end target, we just become a hamster on a wheel and get tired of it after a few weeks.  If there's an end goal, or finish line, in site and you can track your progress towards that goal, the brain stays more engaged and it's easier to stay on track and keep it up until you hit your target.    

 

Practicing "Aiming"

How do we practice "aiming" differently than in the past?  

Set specific goals and targets to train for.  

Many people join gyms or start new training programs at the beginning of the year in hopes of "getting in shape," or "feeing better." 

What does that mean?  What does being "in shape" look like to you?  Is it a certain weight, body-fat percentage, able to run a certain distance or swing a kettlebell for a certain amount of time?   Do you want do do a certain amount of push ups?  A pull up?  Whatever that picture of being "in shape" looks like to you, write it down.  

"The clarity with which you define something determines its usefulness."- Tony Blauer

The more clear your goals are, the easier they are to train for, and accomplish! 

Break It Up!

Whatever your end goal, or big goal, is, you should have milestones or smaller "chunks" you reach along the way.  Why?   Small, attainable goals make things more manageable and help you gain and keep momentum towards your larger goal.  

Plus, how else would you know that you're on the right track?  If you don't have milestones or ways to re-assess throughout the process, you could be way off the mark and never even know it until it's too late.  Re-assessments aren't gauges of success or failure, they're information.  A good re-assessment of your progress let's you know if you're on the right track or if something's not working and you need to take a different course.  Shift your mindset- if something's not working, don't take it as failure.  Take it as important information that tells you what you're doing doesn't work for your nervous system, and you need to try something else.  Everything "works" all the time because it's telling us "yes, this is good" or "no, try something else."

Murphy Proof

We're not always on top of our games 100% of the time.  There are times when we slip or circumstances beyond our control knock us off course.  It happens- we're human!  Remember Murphy's Law:  "anything that can go wrong will go wrong."  Plan for it!  Once you're brain knows it can and will happen, and you have a strategy to get back on track, all of the sudden those slips and road blocks aren't so big because you already know what you need to do.  

Write 'em Down and Post 'em

Statistically, 89% of the goals that are written down and reviewed regularly are achieved within 12 months.  Let us help you!  Print out your 2013 Targets sheet below, write down your goals for the year, and bring them in and post them on our target board.  This is a great opportunity for you to write them down and see them regularly as you come to the gym, but also get encouragement, support, and tips from your community.  After all, everyone of us in the FE Community share one common goal:  We All Want to be Better Than We Currently Are.

That's why we come here and continue to work and learn.

New Year, New Goals, New You!

Happy New Year!  We hope everyone had a great Holiday Season.  We're excited to have you all back around the gym and getting back on track.  What a great year 2012 was- a year full of new adventures, and lots of goals achieved!  It was great to have a board on the wall with with "Targets" for the year, and even better to see how many were actually checked off throughout the year.  

We're going to start the 2013 off with an exercise we did last year that worked very well.  First, we'd like you to print out the "2012 Accomplishments" sheet and think through all of the goals you set for yourself and accomplished last year- either in the gym, in life, or both. 

As you're thinking through and setting your goals for 2013, go through this exercise first, and here's why:

Neurology of Motivation

Motivation lives in the brain, like all other skills. One of biggest players in motivation, and a large determiner of how successful you will be, isconfidence in your ability to actually achieve the goals you've set for yourself.

Reflecting on your past accomplishments, and knowing you're able to achieve what you've set out to achieve puts your brain in a "success mindset."  Focusing only on what's ahead and where you're not merely provides a seemingly endless, daunting task for your brain that loses momentum over time.  As you continue to hit goals, or reach milestones, take time to celebrate and enjoy them.  Give your brain that satisfaction of accomplishment that will result in a greater drive to do more- it's a cycle!

 

Practicing Acknowledgement

As you've read in numerous previous newsletters, everything is a skill that requires intentional practice in order for us to "master" it.  Reflection on your accomplishments and successes is an incredible gift for yourself that has the potential to spark many future successes.  

Research has shown time and again that we are communal beings and people thrive when they're placed in the right environment with a strong supportive community surrounding them.   At Fitness Evolved, we've intentionally built a community environment that encourages, supports, and motivates.   We've enjoyed watching the camaraderie grow at training sessions and classes- the fun kidding with each other, congratulating and checking in on gym and life successes, and celebrating and mourning life events with each other.  We couldn't ask for a better and more fun group! 

This week, we're going to put "practicing acknowledgement" into action

and prime the motivation centers of the brain (the "limbic system or" which is modulated by the frontal lobe, in case you were wondering.  :) See the picture above.)  It's important to future successes that you build the skill of acknowledging accomplishments, as well as accepting acknowledgement from others.   

Below, you'll find a link to a document.  Click on it and print it out.  This sheet is for you to write at least one accomplishment you've achieved either in the gym, or even in life!, this year.  It can be anything- a goal number of push ups/pull ups, a certain weight or body composition percentage, # of pounds lost, a hike/race/event you completed, a new job or promotion.... Anything!  Bring it in to your next session or class, share it with us, and we'll put it on our "Success Board," to share with everyone.  (It can be anonymous if you really want, but we'd rather be able to congratulate you!)  Make sure you keep a copy for yourself, as well, so you can keep track of how far you've come

The Plasticity of Plasticity-What?

Because one of our highest core values is to "Continually Learn and Improve," Andy just returned from another trip to Phoenix, attending Z Health's 9S: Structure course.  The easiest way to describe this course is that we spent 4 intensive days (and months leading up to it) studying functional neurology, and what we need to do to the body in order to help the brain function optimally, and vice versa.

This was by far the most brain-intensive course to date, and incredible new insights were gained on how truly wonderfully we're made, and a better insight as to what really is possible in healing, rehabilitation, and performance if we give the brain the right stimulus, in the right amount, to allow it to happen.  Our movement quality, behavior, and activities are a physical reflection of the brain's status and function.  We can learn to move better to help the brain become healthier and more functional, and we can also target and activate certain areas of the brain to move and feel better.  They go hand in hand!

We talk a lot here about neuroplasticity (now, officially being renamed "neural plasticity").  Neural plasticity means that every time we introduce a stimulus to the body, the brain is learning, and physically changing and creating a pathway to adapt to what just occurred (a vision drill, strength exercise, injury, etc).  

We learned about a totally new concept that is incredibly exciting and hopeful:  Metaplasticity.  Metaplasticity is described as "the plasticity of plasticity."  What this means is, because the brain continually adapts as it's givennew stimulus, it actually becomes better at being plastic.  

So what does this mean for us?  It means, the more we practice plasticity (training our body/brain with novel stimulus) the more injury/trauma resistant we become, and the faster we can recover from the event because our brain is so good at changing.   

Continuing to challenge the brain intellectually as well as physically sets us up to be more resilient, speeds up recovery, and allows for life long health and athleticism.  

 

How To Make Your Thanksgiving Dinner Work For You, Not Against You....

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  It's full of family, friends, reflecting and gratitude, and of course delicious food.  A lot of us enjoy it, but there's also that lingering feeling of "guilt" in the background that we eventually shut off, go crazy, and then let it creep back in full force later on.  

So... Here are a few easy and enjoyable ways to make the most out of your Thanksgiving day.

1.  No Guilt!  It's a holiday, and a special day.  The number one rule of food is it must be enjoyable.  Food should support you and make you feel good.  Good food also will create the appropriate hormones to boost your metabolism and decrease your stress.  Stress hormones will actually slow down your digestion and metabolism.  If you feel guilty about eating, you're increasing your stress hormones and slowing down your digestion and metabolism, confounding the problem.  

Shift your mindset:  It's a day of celebration, relaxation, and enjoyment.  No one meal has ever "ruined" a person's health.  Enjoy the meal and the day, knowing you'll take the necessary steps the next day to get back on track.  You've worked hard to improve your health both in the gym and with your diet, and you'll continue.  Enjoy the rewards of your hard work!

2.  Eat Dessert!  That's right, your trainers are telling you to eat dessert.  There's a very specific biochemical reaction that happens when we consume a combination of healthy protein, some fat, and a delicious dessert.  This reaction boosts metabolic hormones and will actually help you avoid the post dinner "food coma," decrease the body's stress response, and will also give you the satisfaction of a complete and tasty dinner.  (minimizing the "unhealthy fats" will also make this work better- cook with olive oil, butter, or coconut oil instead of vegetable and/or seed oils)

Shift your mindset:  Most of us, in an effort to minimize our dessert craving and consumption, over-indulge in the main course and (more "dangerous") all of the fixings.  Though at the end of the meal, we're craving something sweet, give in anyways, and stuff ourselves to the brim to squeeze that tasty dessert in that we're craving.  

The brain produces cravings for a reason (it's not just because you're "the one person who isn't disciplined enough to say no").  Plan on eating dessert to make your meal work for you, and actually save room for it!  Fewer and smaller portions of sides is a great way to save space and avoid some of the more unhealthy fats and grains that slow the digestive and metabolic process down.   

Our number one rule is to enjoy yourself!  A great quote you'll probably hear often around our gym is "Life is too short to do things that we hate or make us miserable just so we can live longer." Thanksgiving is a day of relaxation, celebration, and reflection on how fortunate we are.  We're so thankful for this special Fitness Evolved community that we get to be a part of.  We're honored that you've allowed us to be a part of your journey and incredibly blessed and thankful that you allow us to do what we love as our "job."

Happy Thanksgiving!  

Black Friday Burn Off!

It's that time of year again!  Thanksgiving is just around the corner...  Just over 2 weeks away, in fact!  Along with the Thanksgiving holiday comes the not as fun (now) "holiday" Black Friday.  

Before you head out on your shopping expeditions, join us for a fun event that's not only good for you, but a benefit to others, as well!

This year, Fitness Evolved is proud to partner with One Warm Coat  to collect coats, scarves, hats, gloves, and sweaters for those in need as the weather changes.  We will be delivering the donations to Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency (BOSS) in Berkeley.  BOSS is a great organization whose mission is to help homeless, poor, and disabled people achieve health and self-sufficiency as well as fight against the root causes of homelessness.   For more information on BOSS, click here.

Join us on Friday, November 23rd at 10:30 AM for a great Metabolic Circuit Training Group Class to get rid of the post Thanksgiving malaise and help us kick off our coat drive!  

Admission to the class is free with a donation!

 Let's do some "Turkey Burning" and help out members of our community in need!

  

 ** If you're unable to make it to the class but would still like to donate, not to worry!  This is just the kick off.  The drive will start on the 23rd and go until Friday, December 28th.**

Yes, Women CAN do Pull-Ups!

It was indeed a slap in the face. Last week, the New York times published an article called "Why Women Can't Do Pull Ups". Before I even read the article, I was shocked, upset, and for a moment felt like I was being sent in a time machine to the 50's where women were supposed to stay at home and cook, clean, and wear pretty skirts. Are you kidding me with this title? As a female, lover of fitness and an avid athlete, I feel the exact opposite of this title should have been used. How about: "How to Master the Pull-Up" or "Why are Pull-Ups So Darn Challenging?"Once we throw the word "women" in there, we are simply doing what society and the fitness world of years past has done before: reminding women of what they CAN'T do, versus encouraging them to go out there and just do it!

If you read the article, it states that a study was done at the

University of Dayton where 17 " normal-weight" women (which isn't specified in the article--what is normal weight by the way?) who couldn't do a single overhand pull-up were chosen to participate. They were taken through a strengthening program 3 days per week for 3 months. Strengthening exercises included the lat-pulldown and bicep curls, which are muscles needed when performing a pull-up. The women also did a modified (I repeat, modified) version of a pull-up where they would pull themselves up and over an inclined bar in hopes of strengthening the muscles required to do the real thing. At the end of the study, only 4 of the 17 women could do one pull-up. Here's the problem: the women never actually practiced hanging from an actual pull-up bar. One thing we practice at Fitness Evolved is the SAID principle: Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand. This means that your body always adapts to exactly what it does. If you practice something regularly, you will get better at it due to your body's ability to adapt, and eventually, it will get easier for you. At that point, a new stimulus is needed, or the exercise needs to be progressed in order for a new adaptation to occur. In the case of the pull-ups, we would suggest the training program have the women hanging from an actual pull-up bar, and also trying some "negative" pull-ups. If you've never done a negative pull-up, come in and give it a try sometime! We'd have you step on a platform, jump up and pull your head over the pull-up bar, then SLOWLY lower your body weight down towards the floor. This particular movement helps strengthen the "eccentric" contraction of the muscles involved, which in simpler terms means the muscles you're working are lengthening while they're under load. It's a great way to gain size and strength in your muscles. 

The bottom line is pull-ups are challenging. Both men and women struggle with them, but here's the good news: They can be improved with the proper training, as well as the right mindset! After reading the NYTimes article, Carmela and Mary used it as motivation to knock out a few pull-ups of their own, and Kay Hutchison did her first chin up ever. 

Carmela Pull Ups

 

 

Kay Hutchison Doing Her FIRST Chin Up... and a Half for good measure!

Mary Chin Ups w/ an 8 kg Kettlebell on her Foot!

 

Finally, to all of our female members, don't ever let anyone tell you an exercise is impossible because you're a woman. You can absolutely do anything you set your mind to and you're certainly not losing anything by trying. I wonder if the writer of the NYTimes article ever even tried one....Hmmmm....