Fitness: AVOID THIS PITFALL

Hello! If you're unfamiliar with the Fit Teacher blog, welcome!
   
     On this blog I write about my experiences as a teacher in the fitness world and the many challenges that come with taking care of myself. Teaching is an extremely unhealthy profession. It's a problem. It's hard for teachers to take care of themselves. Many people in my field struggle with this. On here I write about what works for me. If you're interested in seeing my earlier posts, check the archived posts to the right! Last week I wrote three posts: BE SELFISH, TRAIN THE MIND, and INTERMITTENT FASTING. Today I'll be writing about the importance of NOT comparing yourself to others!

I have to give credit to my wife (again, who is also a teacher) for coming up with the idea for today's post. This is a pitfall many people fail to avoid. It's surprising to me that in a society and culture that places soooo much emphasis on individual achievement, people struggle so much with this concept. Here's what I mean: in America we are mostly brought up to appreciate ourselves as the unique individuals that we are. Children are reminded constantly how special and unique they are. "There's no one in the world like you" may have been something you heard often as a child if you were fortunate enough to have a loving parent or guardian. Yet, we forget this when we get older and our appearance becomes a more pressing concern. We constantly compare ourselves to others instead of focusing inward and focusing on the process of making exercise habitual in nature.

     We look at the guy or the girl in the bowflex commercial and begin to grow impatient when our own bodies don't look the same instead of remembering THAT WE ARE UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS! If you ever pay attention, they include in tiny/almost transparent letters at the bottom of the screen during those fitness contraption commercials the words: "results may vary", FOR GOOD REASON!! In other words: you MIGHT NOT LOOK LIKE THIS PERSON AFTER USING THIS DEVICE. It's almost laughable. Unfortunately, constantly comparing ourselves to others instead of appreciating the unique individuality of our own bodies becomes a pitfall to many during their fitness journey BECAUSE THEY GIVE UP! 

They say: "well, I don't look like the guy/girl in the bowflex commercial, and I've been at this for weeks...I might as well quit now". It's infuriating to me that people so often fail to realize that no two bodies are the same and they probably will never look exactly like that person in the commercial or the supermodel on the TV screen! That's not what fitness is about, people!!! If you are looking to get into better shape, know this now: it can NEVER BE ABOUT LOOKING LIKE SOMEONE ELSE! You will not make it if that's what you are doing this for. The pursuit of physical perfection is about creating the most physically perfect version of YOURSELF that you can possible create! It's about becoming the best possible version of YOURSELF! As long as you keep that in mind, it will be easier to stay motivated day after day. It will be easier to keep grinding on the road or at the gym if you turn a blind eye to the physical make up of others and worry only about yourself. That's all I have for today keep grinding! If you are looking to begin your journey, get in the game! Don't put it off another day! If you're a beginner try this:

10 minutes of static stretching
10 minutes of walking
10 minutes of jogging
10 minutes of static stretching

Best Wishes, 

Fit Teacher

Fitness: DIET (Intermittent Fasting)

Hello! Welcome to the Fit Teacher blog! This is my third post. On the 24th I wrote about how in order to achieve lasting results, you have to TRAIN YOUR MIND as well as your body. A lot people overlook that, and I wrote about how I believe that is because training the mind gets overshadowed by training the body.
     People look in the mirror and they become obsessed with the desired results for their body, and they forget that the journey to becoming more fit and getting those results is more about the mind than the body! We have to make exercising so habitual that it BOTHERS us not to do exercise daily. Once you get to a point where you have to FORCE yourself to rest, your body will probably differ dramatically in appearance...and it will only continue to look better as exercising becomes ingrained in you.

Today I want to write about DIET. Ahhh yes! The dreaded 4-letter word. People hate talking about their DIET and understandably so. I think that's probably the hardest thing for me (and maybe most people) to succeed at in trying to maintain a healthy body composition. It takes a lot more discipline and mental toughness to form healthy eating habits than it does to form healthy exercise habits. However, you hear this all of the time in the fitness community: six-pack abs start IN THE KITCHEN!!! And it couldn't be more true. You can work out like a Trojan but if you don't eat right, it will ALL BE FOR NOTHING!! I hear people say this all of the time: "I'm working out every day, but it doesn't seem to be making a difference"! My response is usually a question about their daily caloric intake. See, it's not that complicated...weather you burn fat or not is decided by a NUMBER! Are you burning more calories than you are eating? It's that simple. If you're eating more calories than you're burning, you're going to gain weight and it's either going to be fat or muscle. For MOST people it's fat, unless you're blessed with great genetics.

     Here's what I do to make sure I don't consume too many calories: I fast in between dinners! You might be thinking what most people think when I tell them I do this: "don't you feel terrible"? The answer is NOOOO! I FEEL GREAT! I actually have more energy when I don't eat during the day. It's in my opinion (and many others) the body's natural response...my body is saying "ok, it's time to hunt, it's time to go get a meal". When I do eat, I get lethargic. All the good things that need to happen with my blood chemistry to make me feel energetic and motivated happen when I fast all day. So no, I don't feel bad. I feel great! If you're considering doing this just know that the first 2-3 days are rough...it's like any other habit, it takes some discipline and mental toughness to form. Your body is not going to be used to feeling that hungry. It's going to scream at you: "FEED ME"! You have to remember that you are in control, NOT your body. Remind it who's boss and silence that voice in your head that's telling you "eat all freaking day", so you can achieve the fitness gains that you are working hard for in the gym!

     Here's the other great thing about fasting all day...when I get home I get to stuff my face with dinner, and not feel guilty about it...not one single bit of guilt. I've worked hard all day to fast, I've worked hard in the gym, and I've usually worked hard to run 3-10 miles depending on the day of the week...it's time to EAT! And boy do I! I eat a good helping of dinner, feel stuffed...completely satisfied and satiated. I go to bed on a full stomach, sleep like a baby because my body knows the work is done (I've obtained that meal it was telling me to get), and I wake up again the next day and do it all over again! It's much easier to me to do this than it is to meticulously count calories all day, keep up with my food like I'm recording some kind of experiment all day, worry incessantly about the food I am actually eating when I do eat, and stress myself out over my diet. It's just simpler. And it's worth the hunger! When I get hungry and nauseated, I know that's my body burning fat! So I welcome that feeling. Now it's a good thing! If you're considering intermittent fasting, DO IT! It's a great idea and there have been a bunch of studies done by now which prove how healthy fasting is for you! Suck it up! Develop some mental toughness, and stop putting stuff in your mouth if you're tired of being fat and sloppy!!! It's that easy! I go dinner to dinner. That's how I survive, and I love it.

Best Wishes, 

Fit Teacher

Fitness: Train The Mind

Hello, and if this is your first time visiting the Fit Teacher blog, WELCOME!

Yesterday was the first post! I shared the fact that I'm a teacher who is striving to be physically fit. I want to make something very clear, I don't consider myself to be an expert. However, I have worked very hard to create a pretty lean physique. I do consider myself committed and dedicated to being a healthy teacher. I simply want to share with the world what has worked for me in hopes that it will help others who are looking to improve themselves. 

     I'm in an extremely unhealthy field. It's alarming. Statistically speaking, teachers tend to be extremely unhealthy. It's not a field full of super lean/healthy folks, for many reasons!! Yesterday I wrote about how I think that is mainly because teachers tend to struggle to put THEMSELVES first! It's a mindset that one has to overcome. 

     I also wrote about how teaching is just one of many fields where almost all of the energy you put into your job is done so to the benefit of others! Teaching demands a ton of time! At some point during the day you have to just neglect something or someone else in order to MAKE time for yourself to be a fitter person. With that being said, I want to move on to today's point: YOU HAVE TO TRAIN YOUR MIND:

      I think people often overlook this aspect of physical fitness because it is so overshadowed by what they see in the mirror everyday and the results they have in their mind for that body they're looking at! Physical fitness is about being physically fit, no doubt about it. HOWEVER, to ensure that you obtain results that are going to last, YOU HAVE TO TRAIN YOUR MIND FIRST!

     Here's what I mean: You have to train your mind to be selfish and you have to train your mind to be uncomfortable with the idea of not working out! I'm getting to a point (and it has taken a LONG time) where if I don't do something everyday to be physically fit, it bothers me. It weighs on my mind. It's almost harder to NOT WORK OUT! The reason for this: I've trained my mind. Through the process of doing something almost everyday of the week, I've created a habit of working out. I have to force myself to rest! It takes weeks if not months to make something habitual. 

     If you've already begun your fitness journey and you're just looking for some extra motivation or insight, or if you're looking to get started on your journey, START WITH YOUR MIND! Before you see any results in the mirror, you have to train your mind to make exercise habitual. When it truly becomes habit, it will sincerely bother you not to do something active every day. I noticed this a while back in myself. I had reached a point where I almost couldn't stand to take the day off and rest! I immediately remembered the days when I first began, the days where I had to DRAG myself to the gym, or drag myself outside for a run! It's amazing the difference the mind makes. The body will get there eventually, but the mind has to be trained first. So don't get caught up looking in the mirror every day! Don't be "outcome driven". Just commit to building the habit of doing some form of exercise EVERY DAY for the coming weeks/months. Once you've established the right mindset, the body will follow!!! Have a great day! 

Here's what I'm doing in the weight room today: 

Warm Up:

• Row 1K in 5 Minutes
• Pushups 3 X 20
• Step Ups 3 X 10
• Dead Hang Pull Ups 3 X 5
• Russian Twist 4 X 25 (with a 25 pound plate)

Lift:

• Split Squats: 5 X 5 (Each Leg at 95 pounds)
• Dead Lifts: 5 X 5 (155 pounds)
• Leg Extensions: 5 X 10 (90 pounds)
• Hamstring Curls: 5 X 10 (90 pounds)
• Calf Raises: 5 X 10 (90 pounds) 
• Dead Hang Pull Ups: 5 X 5 

If you're a beginner try:

• 10 minutes of static stretching
• walk 10 minutes
• jog 10 minutes
• 10 minutes of static stretching

Fitness: Be SELFISH

Hello! If you are reading this, it means that you've found my tiny corner of the internet where I write about my experiences in fitness and especially my experiences with fitness whilst being a teacher. Many people are familiar with the daily grind of being a professional, but not many people are familiar with the daily grind of being a professional in a field where your energy is so committed to OTHERS. The world is full of selfless people doing amazing jobs that require service to others, teaching is just one of many. However, my objective is to speak from the experience of a teacher. I can speak from the experience of dedicating all of your energy to creating a meaningful experience for others, in my case it happens to be a meaningful learning experience for kids that take my World History class!

All of that is to say this: if you are on a fitness journey now, or looking to begin your journey to becoming more physically fit, there's one thing that I want you to know...IT'S OKAY TO BE SELFISH! Physical fitness is a selfish endeavor. I think MANY people (especially teachers and the like) struggle with this one essential principle: putting THEMSELVES before EVERYONE ELSE! There's something very selfish about physical fitness. If you're the type of person that likes to think of others first; or your job literally requires you to focus on the needs of others as much as teaching, nursing, care-giving, etc. does; this might be the biggest hurdle you're facing.

DON'T BE MISTAKEN. It's not so obvious. It's not something that I noticed right away. Earlier in life, before all of the responsibilities of becoming a husband, father, teacher, and coach; I thought nothing of going to the gym for an hour to two hours EVERY DAY. I LIVED in a self-centered world. I thought nothing of the selfishness. It's a tough endeavor to be fit...a noble cause...not one many people are quick to take up. We mostly think that things we do out of selfishness for ourselves are pleasant in nature and just tons of fun! Fitness can be neither of those at times. Regardless of who you are, sometimes its just good'ole fashioned hard work creating the best possible version of yourself. This hurdle presents itself in small ways throughout the course of the day. For example, I now lift during one of my two planning periods. It is really hard to force myself to do that. It's really hard to tell myself: "no, I'm going to take care of ME for the next 45 minutes". Instead of sitting at my desk and doing things for my students and/or my classroom, I go to the weight room and get after it! Again, it was really hard to do that! I have to force myself to put ME before my classroom or my next lesson! That's just one small way I have to be selfish on a daily basis!

If you're a stay-at-home-mom, respect! My Mom was too! But take some time today to think of yourself and commit to doing something for 30-45 minutes that will make you more physically fit! Go walk! Go run! Drop down in the floor and do 10 sets of 10 push-ups over the course of 30-45 minutes! You have to be selfish. Don't lie to yourself. Yes, the kids need whatever for their project at school tomorrow...IT CAN WAIT.

I shared this bit of advice with my wife (who is also a teacher). One night she mentioned how she needed to workout, but she had something that she needed to do for the kids and she was way behind in grading....I said "forget about them! Be selfish! Go take care of yourself"! I could see the wheels turning as I watched her expression change from one of guilt to freedom!!! It took me years to come to the same realization! Sometimes you have to be selfish, and that's okay! Especially when you're trying to be healthier! Ultimately, everyone benefits from you being a healthier person! So MAKE THE TIME! NEGLECT SOMETHING ELSE in order to take care of you, and go get after it TODAY!

Lastly, as I said above, welcome to my blog. I hope you find some motivation in my words. We all need it from time to time! And BE SELFISH. Take some time to take care of you today by getting some much needed exercise! Go for a 20-30 minute run or walk today. Do 10 X 10 push-ups. Here's what I'm doing in the weight room:

Warm Up:

1. Row 1K in 5 minutes. 
2. Push Ups: 3 X 20
3. Step Ups: 3 X 10
4. Dead Hang Pull Ups: 3 X 5
5. Russian Twists: 4 X 25 (25 pound plate)

Lift:

1. Bench Press: 5 X 5 (185 pounds)
2. Straight Bar Curls: 5 X 10 (55 pounds)
3. Dips: 5 X 13 (Body Weight)
4. Dead Hang Pull Ups: 5 X 5 (Body Weight)

I'll do my warm up in a circuit as well as my lift. Meaning, I'll go down the list of movements. Once I do the last movement, I rest then start over again at the top. Try not to rest more than 60 seconds in between circuits. Hope this helps!