San Antonio Personal Training

4/4/08 

"Success is measured not by what one brings, but rather by what one leaves."

As I was reading a website this morning, I came across this quote and I thought it would be the perfect quote to share with those of you who read this blog. 

If you are reading this blog you are either a friend of mine and/or someone who is interested in fitness and how MPT can help you reach your fitness goals.  I wanted to share this quote with you because I feel like it is one of those motivational quotes that we can all relate to no matter what our goals are at the time. 

In regards to fitness this quote has many implications.  We can look at every single workout...It doesn't matter if you come to a workout pumped and excited to get to work (most of us don't), but you had better leave everything on the gym floor.  Leave with your muscles fatigued, leave with your shirt soaked with sweat, leave energized knowing that you just busted your butt to make yourself better.  We can look at this quote in regards to starting a fitness program...If you are someone who has never worked out, you are 100lbs overweight and you can't run 100m before being absolutely exhausted, it doesn't matter.  What matters is how you work toward achieving your goals.  If you came in 100lbs overweight, but you lose 100lbs over the course of a year, you will be thrilled.  Remember it is not what you bring, but what you leave that matters!

If you are a new personal trainer and you are looking to get started in the personal training field, but you don't know what your next step should be and you are not quite sure if your knowledge base is broad enough to help anyone who comes to you to ask for help, just remember...it is not what you bring, but what you leave that matters.  You may not come in with all the knowledge of a kinesiologist, but you can still help people.  Maybe you have the gift to motivate people...there are a lot of trainers who don't have that skill and you can use that to your advantage to help your clients get the best results as you continue to learn more about kinesiology.  It doesn't matter what you come with, what matters is what you leave your clients with...did you leave them today with a great workout and did you leave them one step closer to their goals?

I hope everyone has a great weekend and I am looking forward to seeing all of you for the start of Boot Camp on Monday.

Make it a great day San Antonio!

Nicholas Wood

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(210)415-5934

4/1/08

Yesterday as I was driving home from the studio I saw one of our neighbors getting ready to go for a jog.  In preparation for the jog, this person was doing static stretches such as the famous "bend over and touch the toes" and "butterfly stretch."  As I drove passed them I thought to myself, "I hope he doesn't pull a muscle."  Now, don't get me wrong, there is a time and place for stretching and we should all stretch on a daily basis to keep our Range of Motion (ROM) high.  However, this type of static stretching is best done post-workout.  Before a workout you should do what is called a dynamic warm-up.  A dynamic warm-up is designed to increase blood flow in your body to prepare your muscles and joints for your upcoming workout.  Exercises such as "high-knees", "butt-kicks", "pushups", "situps", and "squats" are all great examples of a dynamic warm-up.  This dynamic warm-up will allow your body to function better during your workout and with less chance of injury. 

I know many of you old-school athletes are reading this and thinking, but I have stretched before my workouts all my life and now you want me to do a dynamic warm-up instead of stretching?  Well, think of it this way...Your muscles and tendons are similar to a rubberband, if you try to stretch a rubberband real far before warming it up, it will snap in half.  If however, you pull the rubberband back and forth a small distance and get it to where it is  literally warm to the touch, then you can stretch the rubberband a long way before it will break.  Your muscles are the same way.  Try to stretch a cold muscle and you may pull it or strain it before you even begin your exercises.  If however you do a dynamic warm-up and get the muscles warm before you workout, you will allow the muscles to become more efficent in the work they do.

Make it a great day San Antonio!

Nicholas Wood

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(210)415-5934

3/25/08

I have been getting a lot of inquires lately in regards to our Fitness Boot Camp and what it takes to get started.  I love that people want to be a part of our boot camp and I understand that demand will continue to grow as more and more of our current boot camp clients continue to get results.  With that said, I want to let people know that you cannot just start out in our boot camp.  The reason you can't just sign up for Boot Camp is for safety.  The people in boot camp are in excellent shape.  They have been working very hard for months and because of that hard work, they are now significantly ahead of the majority of the population.  Most in our morning boot camp can do several chin-ups (including some of the girls), jog for miles, sprint for long distances as well as squat and deadlift with proper form.  I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from inquiring about boot camp, but I do want you to know that if you want to work with this special group of people you are going to have to prove that you can hang with them and be safe in the process.  If you want to sign up for boot camp we are now making it mandatory that you spend a minimum of 2 weeks working with one of our trainers in either a partner group or one-on-one.  When we feel like you are ready for boot camp we will move you over and have you get started working with the best boot camp in San Antonio.

One of the real advantages of boot camp is the fact that you have to consistently show up or you are letting your group down.  If you are working out at home or at a gym here in San Antonio you need to make sure you are being consistent with you workouts.  It won't do you much good to workout real hard for a week and then follow up with a 2 week absense from the weights and cardio.  You are serious about getting in shape, you have made a commitment to yourself to get in shape, now you have to work to get there.  Be consistent.  Go to the gym, don't find excuses as to why you can't go.  Make it happen!

Make it a great day San Antonio!

Nicholas Wood

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(210)415-5934

3/23/08

I just wanted to take a quick minute out of the day to wish everyone a Happy Easter!  I hope you all have a great day and come rejuvinated and ready to work tomorrow.

Make it a great day!

Nicholas Wood

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(210)415-5934