Hello friends of Feeling Good! It has been AGES since I posted on the blog, and I won't even attempt an excuse. Mainly, I attribute it to the adoption of our new son Buster and the general workload of life. Sigh.
However, I am back to report the return of boot camp! With a twist. For January only, I am going to offer Boot Camp as a four-weekend series for $60. Great way to get a kick-start on your NYE resolutions and see what you think about some of the new tricks I have up my sleeve.
Each workout will begin at 9 am and last for one hour. Your $60 pays for the four sessions (Jan 7, 14, 21 and 28), and, if you come to them all, an extra session to be scheduled whenever you choose.
If you're interested, call, e-mail or comment here and we'll work it out. The first workout is scheduled for Jan 7 at Mission Bay Park. More details to come here and on Facebook about exact location.
As always, the more the merrier, so please share this with anyone you can think of who might want to get out, get active and have fun workout out in a group setting.
Happy Holidays!
Jesse
Monday, December 19, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
DOMS
I recently took almost two full weeks off of the gym, which was difficult to do, but necessary for a few reasons. I had no idea how much my body would love me for just chilling out and letting it recuperate. Mmmm, laziness.
However, my rest period ended last Friday, and this weekend I got back into the swing almost completely. Um, ouch. I haven't been this sore in a long time. Which got me to thinking about DOMS, something that I think a lot of people know about very informally as "wow, my muscles feel like they are going to die two days after a tough workout.
DOMS stands for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, and basically says that your muscles will recuperate/repair themselves most effectively in the 24-72 hours after a strenuous workout, and that this is the time when most muscle growth occurs.
So why does this make a good blog topic? Because walking around your office like the tin man for three days after a big workout is not bueno. So I dug up some tips on how to alleviate the effects of DOMS. Check them out here or here.
Keep in mind that there's no magic bullet - you're still going to be sore. On a personal level, I find the best possible thing to do to alleviate the pain is to get the blood pumping through the area in any way possible. Stretch, light cardio, even just moving the limbs around all seems to help.
Also keep in mind that many people identify DOMS as the impetus for the "no pain, no gain" metaphor, and in this case, it makes tons of sense.
What do you do to relieve muscle soreness?? Share your tips!
However, my rest period ended last Friday, and this weekend I got back into the swing almost completely. Um, ouch. I haven't been this sore in a long time. Which got me to thinking about DOMS, something that I think a lot of people know about very informally as "wow, my muscles feel like they are going to die two days after a tough workout.
DOMS stands for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, and basically says that your muscles will recuperate/repair themselves most effectively in the 24-72 hours after a strenuous workout, and that this is the time when most muscle growth occurs.
So why does this make a good blog topic? Because walking around your office like the tin man for three days after a big workout is not bueno. So I dug up some tips on how to alleviate the effects of DOMS. Check them out here or here.
Keep in mind that there's no magic bullet - you're still going to be sore. On a personal level, I find the best possible thing to do to alleviate the pain is to get the blood pumping through the area in any way possible. Stretch, light cardio, even just moving the limbs around all seems to help.
Also keep in mind that many people identify DOMS as the impetus for the "no pain, no gain" metaphor, and in this case, it makes tons of sense.
What do you do to relieve muscle soreness?? Share your tips!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
YMCA/Something Cool II
I teach an amazing group of people in my M/W/F boot camp at the Mission Valley YMCA. I've written about them before here, so suffice it to say I like them a lot and they're a hardworking group. You have to be to get to the gym at 5:30 and go through an hour boot camp. Try it sometime.
I'm writing today because I have a few minutes and wanted to express my gratitude to these amazing people. You see, I, unfortunately, am resigning as instructor for the class after this Friday, as my schedule has become a bit unwieldy and I need time for my personal training clients and my old friend sleep. Which led to this sequence this morning ...
1) I arrive to class at 5 am, bleary-eyed, and begin setting up. Preparation is important to me. I like for the class to feel like I've thought about things before they get there
2) Class starts, I run everyone through a 5-minute warm up that is pretty standard
3) I start the second part of the warm-up (a jump-rope drill). If you're new to class and I ask you to "pick a number from 1-10," be careful
4) A class veteran, Jeff, comes up to the front of the class, and asks to make this announcement:
"Hi everyone. I have a petition here to ask the Y to open a new boot camp on Tuesday/Thursdays (one does not exist now), and to keep Jesse on as the teacher, since he is leaving this class. If you want to, please sign the form and we'll see if we can get one started with Jesse as teacher." (paraphrasing, but this was the jist)
5) The entire class signs the paper, and many people say some very kind things to me about the way I teach the class, etc.
You can probably guess that what Jeff and the class did for me made my day in many ways, and that I will certainly be teaching that class if it gets opened ... I honestly had no idea that people felt that positively about my class. What a great way to start the day.
THANK YOU YMCA BOOT CAMPERS!!!
Love and kisses,
Jesse
I'm writing today because I have a few minutes and wanted to express my gratitude to these amazing people. You see, I, unfortunately, am resigning as instructor for the class after this Friday, as my schedule has become a bit unwieldy and I need time for my personal training clients and my old friend sleep. Which led to this sequence this morning ...
1) I arrive to class at 5 am, bleary-eyed, and begin setting up. Preparation is important to me. I like for the class to feel like I've thought about things before they get there
2) Class starts, I run everyone through a 5-minute warm up that is pretty standard
3) I start the second part of the warm-up (a jump-rope drill). If you're new to class and I ask you to "pick a number from 1-10," be careful
4) A class veteran, Jeff, comes up to the front of the class, and asks to make this announcement:
"Hi everyone. I have a petition here to ask the Y to open a new boot camp on Tuesday/Thursdays (one does not exist now), and to keep Jesse on as the teacher, since he is leaving this class. If you want to, please sign the form and we'll see if we can get one started with Jesse as teacher." (paraphrasing, but this was the jist)
5) The entire class signs the paper, and many people say some very kind things to me about the way I teach the class, etc.
You can probably guess that what Jeff and the class did for me made my day in many ways, and that I will certainly be teaching that class if it gets opened ... I honestly had no idea that people felt that positively about my class. What a great way to start the day.
THANK YOU YMCA BOOT CAMPERS!!!
Love and kisses,
Jesse
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Life
For those of you who read this with regularity--and I know that number is very small--you will have noticed by now that the frequency of my posts has been downright horrible in the last 6-8 weeks. Most of you know the reason why, which is that I am now working full-time while balancing 2-3 personal training clients and teaching at the Y in the mornings. The more time that passes, the more I begin to understand how everything fits together, which is what prompted me to write this post.
Exercise, eating right, drinking enough water, sleeping a sufficient amount and setting aside time for loved ones are all things that one takes for granted when things are slow, and the first things to go haywire when things get slammed. I really had no idea how much until I threw myself back into things on July 1. In thinking about it the last few days (and via adjusting to my new schedule), I've come across a few tips that I think might help those of you who are in the same predicament -- too much going on with "life" to focus on feeling good.
I'm not dumb enough to suggest major life changes or time-intensive ideas here; these are relatively quick fixes that will hopefully lead you on a path to feeling good while allowing you the time you need to keep your head down at work/with the kids/in whatever vein necessary. They're working for me, hopefully they're helpful for you!
Exercise, eating right, drinking enough water, sleeping a sufficient amount and setting aside time for loved ones are all things that one takes for granted when things are slow, and the first things to go haywire when things get slammed. I really had no idea how much until I threw myself back into things on July 1. In thinking about it the last few days (and via adjusting to my new schedule), I've come across a few tips that I think might help those of you who are in the same predicament -- too much going on with "life" to focus on feeling good.
I'm not dumb enough to suggest major life changes or time-intensive ideas here; these are relatively quick fixes that will hopefully lead you on a path to feeling good while allowing you the time you need to keep your head down at work/with the kids/in whatever vein necessary. They're working for me, hopefully they're helpful for you!
- Bring water everywhere. Go to Target and buy a Nalgene or some other recyclable (go earth!) water bottle. Fill it every morning, and every time you empty it. Carry it with you. Try and empty it 3-4 times a day. Water = hydration = less (bad) food intake = weight management and better overall health.
- Work out in the morning. Before you start the "I'm not a morning person" rant, commit to try it for one week. Seriously, one week is about .0067% of your life (math inexact). Take three days, wake up 45 minutes early and do a brisk walk around your neighborhood, and build from there. You may find you hate it, in which case, you can retreat. But you know what? You may find you love the extra energy it gives you all day (and the calories you'll burn), and you can build on your start. JUST TRY IT.
- Go to bed 30 minutes earlier. If you're increasing your exercise regimen, this should be no problem. Even if you're not, invest in some chamomile tea, drink some an hour before bed, and try getting in bed 30 minutes early. It adds up to 2.5 hours of extra sleep a week. You'd be surprised the difference you feel over the course of a few weeks with the extra Z's. Plus, this really helps with the morning workout suggestion above, if you take it.
- Buy a load of healthy snack food at the store and take them to work. Carrots, (real) fruit snacks, fruit, granola bars, energy bars ... whatever you like! Just invest in it, parcel it out by day, and TAKE IT TO WORK. That's the key. Bring it all in on Monday, and stash it. Go to that before you go to the candy bowl.
- Set aside time for the life you want. If you're married, put time aside to do things with your wife. If you love golf, set aside time for that. Go watch the sunset every once in a while and play with your kids. You MUST make time for the things that matter. It's that simple. If you can combine them with exercise, do so, but not at the expense of enjoying the experience. LIVE YOUR LIFE.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Something Awesome
Something truly awesome happened today that made me appreciate both my work in fitness and people in general. True Story:
I have been working with a client, Sean, for about a month now. He's an extremely hard worker, and a great guy. I truly respect him for how much he puts into every session with me. I enjoy every time I work him out.
This evening, Sean and I were working out down in Mission Bay, and had just gotten things going. He was jumping rope behind my car when another car pulled up directly behind him, spooking me (and Sean, I think). A guy jumped out of the car and semi-ran up to us. I expected a request for directions, or some form of craziness.
Instead, the guy proceeded to say this:
"Hey, I was just driving by and wanted to stop because five weeks ago, my wife and I were down here and we saw you two guys working out. (Turns to Sean). Man, you have made such a great improvement and you can tell you're working really hard - you look great. I just figured I'd stop to tell you that unless no one else ever does. Keep it up."
I swear that is exactly what he said. I remember because I will never ever forget that feeling. I can honestly say it was one of the most kind, thoughtful things a person could do in that situation, and I can only hope that it made Sean feel as good as it made me feel. Basically, my jaw was on the ground and I literally couldn't say anything because I was so appreciative of what this guy had done, and so unprepared for it.
Moral? I'm not sure. But I think it's pretty basic ... if you take the time to do kind things for people, you will make someone feel better, sometimes exponentially so. Like tonight. I know that I learned a little about myself when it happened; that I can and will do a better job of just stopping to make someone's day more often.
The lasting image for me will be the man's wife leaning out the window with both thumbs up saying "GREAT JOB" as Sean picked up the jump rope and got back to work. Great night.
I have been working with a client, Sean, for about a month now. He's an extremely hard worker, and a great guy. I truly respect him for how much he puts into every session with me. I enjoy every time I work him out.
This evening, Sean and I were working out down in Mission Bay, and had just gotten things going. He was jumping rope behind my car when another car pulled up directly behind him, spooking me (and Sean, I think). A guy jumped out of the car and semi-ran up to us. I expected a request for directions, or some form of craziness.
Instead, the guy proceeded to say this:
"Hey, I was just driving by and wanted to stop because five weeks ago, my wife and I were down here and we saw you two guys working out. (Turns to Sean). Man, you have made such a great improvement and you can tell you're working really hard - you look great. I just figured I'd stop to tell you that unless no one else ever does. Keep it up."
I swear that is exactly what he said. I remember because I will never ever forget that feeling. I can honestly say it was one of the most kind, thoughtful things a person could do in that situation, and I can only hope that it made Sean feel as good as it made me feel. Basically, my jaw was on the ground and I literally couldn't say anything because I was so appreciative of what this guy had done, and so unprepared for it.
Moral? I'm not sure. But I think it's pretty basic ... if you take the time to do kind things for people, you will make someone feel better, sometimes exponentially so. Like tonight. I know that I learned a little about myself when it happened; that I can and will do a better job of just stopping to make someone's day more often.
The lasting image for me will be the man's wife leaning out the window with both thumbs up saying "GREAT JOB" as Sean picked up the jump rope and got back to work. Great night.
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