Gregory James is a a nationally ranked martial artist with a second degree black belt in Jiu Jitsu and he holds a few national titles in Karate. He has been training and teaching for almost 20 years. He sat down with Skyfit to share his thoughts on passion, gym mistakes, and diet.
Lindsay Davis is a nationally recognized group fitness trainer. She sat down with Skyfit to share her thoughts on working out TOO hard, and some common diet mistakes we make.
It's getting cold, so cold out there.
But nothing gets in the way of your run. When you hit that stride, that first bead of sweat, that new PR, there's no better feeling. And you won't a little cold get in the way.
For those of you who are outdoor runners but are considering moving inside, here's a few tips for transitioning to treadmill running.
Roads are rough surfaces with uneven gravel, sometimes patches of grass, and some small hills. Treadmills don't have any of these characteristics, so in order to keep a consistent feeling during your transition, set your treadmill to a 1% incline at all times. During warm up, the run, HIIT, sprints, and cool down. Always keep it at 1%. When/if you go back to road running in the spring, you'll be ready to....hit the ground running.
Going for an outdoor run is excellent. The wind, the air, the other good looking runners. But there are downsides, like having to carry your water in a pouch on your waist, and your phone in an armband, and your keys in a napsack, and your wallet in another napsack.
With the treadmill, you can lay it all out on the machine, and not have to worry about holding on to anything. So that means you should feel free to bring an extra bottle of water, a towel, maybe the larger headphones than you're used to. Bring it all. The treadmill can handle it.
When running outdoors, we look for hills that fit our desire to climb, and hope that it works with our given path for that day. With the treadmill, you are in complete control of the incline. You can control it to go as high or as low as possible, for as long as you want. And if you don't know what the right incline level is, there's a great solution for that :-)
One of the benefits of running on a treadmill is your access to equipment of the gym. So next time you step onto the treadmill, bring some 2lb or 3lb weights with you. When you're doing your hikes, you can pick up those 2lb weights and start doing some arm work. You'll get lean biceps and triceps, and burn more calories.
When the fall starts, all the major athletic brands start selling their cold weather gear. And some of it is amazing, but a lot of it is very expensive. But when they start selling the cold gear, the warm weather gear goes on sale. And now that you're running inside, you don't know all that extra insulation (and cost!) So use your transition to treadmill as an excuse to buy awesome new running gear, for cheap!
Despite the shameless plug, this is advice that can really help. By having a trainer guide you through the treadmill workout, you'll be less scared of making the transition. You won't be nervous about "getting the workout right," and you won't feel like you wasted time. The other benefit is you won't have to worry about how to keep busy given that you may have a bit less exciting scenery at the treadmill than outdoors :-) Treadmill classes for everyone!
A lot of these tips are focused on the benefit of treadmill over outdoor, or about how you should do things differently on the treadmill. However, to make the transition easier, it's important to keep somethings the same, so that it feels to you like just another run. The easiest and most logical is to keep the same shoes. You're comfortable in them, you've worn them in just the write amount, you know exactly how to tie them. Those constants are all really powerful when you're making the transition to the treadmill for the first time.
Numerous studies have proven that incorporating a little bit of weights into your run, or run into your weights, can help drive calorie burn. So given that you're near a full sets of weight when you run on a treadmill, try an alternating set of lifting and running. Here's a quick example:
1. Run at 9mph for 1:30
2. Bench Press - 1 set of 10, using 10 pound dumbbells
3. Run at 9.5mph for 1:30
4. Bench Press - 1 set of 10, using 12.5 pound dumbbells
3. Run at 10mph for 1:00
5. Bench Press - 1 set of 8, using 15 pound dumbbells.
And don't worry, despite what you might think, bulking up with bench work is one of the biggest misconceptions of fitness.
Outdoors, you may be an 8 minute/mile pace runner, or 7.5mph. That's your speed when you have wind resistance, uneven terrain, and hills. On the treadmill, none of those things are true. You have a smooth surface, impact absorbing treadmill, no extra wind, and any "hills" are in your control. So push your speed a little, instead of doing the 8 minute/mile, try pushing yourself to a 7:30 minute mile, or 8mph. You'll realize that it actually doesn't feel that much harder, if at all.
McKenzie Hayes is one America's most respected pilates and TRX trainers. She sat down with Skyfit to share her thoughts about surprisingly unhealthy foods, how to motivate first timers, and tips for staying healthy while at work.
Courtney Paul grew up in Louisiana. After years of eating unhealthy food, he developed a body that he was ashamed of.
So he decided to change his life around, and is now the premier bootcamp instructor in New York City. He's been covered in Fortune, Well & Good, and basically everywhere else.
He sat down with us to share his opinions on the right workout for women, diet myths , and the power of music.
Watch the 5 minute clip below.
If you're a frequent reader of this blog, you know I talk a lot about how working out has benefits that are more than just physical.
Working out can make you more perceptive, make you a gentler person, make you sleep better, make you think more clearly, etc. etc. And these are all on top of the wonderful physical benefits. Continuing with theme of non-physical benefits, I want to discuss one new one, which is the feeling of control.
At various points in my life, i've felt like I wasn’t in control of a situation which I should be able to control. And thats the worst feeling, right? Because the weather may ruin your garden party, but the weather isn’t in your control. But if something is in your control, and you still aren’t able to handle it, thats incredibly frustrating.
An example would be work, or perhaps your relationship with a significant other, or maybe your relationship with your parents. These are all situations that we (myself included) like think that are in our control, and we get frustrated when they don’t perform as expected.
You know what I’ve learned though? These situations are in fact not in our control. And thats because they involve someone else. Any time another person is involved, you are not in control.
This is a long prelude to get to my point: your body is the only thing which is totally in your control.
If you eat a lot, you'll put on weight. If you work out a lot, youll be more fit. There's just no arguing that. Its a fact. And how much you eat, and how much you workout, are completely in your control.
You are in control of your body. Your body is the only thing which is totally in your control.
So, if we can agree on that, what conclusions should we draw from this?
1. Be on the side of your body
Treat your body like a friend, rather than an enemy. You may catch yourself saying "I hate my body", but you would never say that about a friend. Your body is a reflection of your decisions. So treat your body with care, with love, and your body will love you back.
2. Use your power
Every now and then, after a steady few weeks of hitting the gym and not eating junk food, I catch my reflection in a store window and say "daaaaamn!" And thats the best feeling in the world. Seriously, checking yourself out is an amazing feeling. And then a few minutes later you realize, wait a minute, I DID THIS. I made the decisions and took the actions which resulted in me being impressed by myself. WHY DONT DO I DO THIS EVERY DAY?? So, I started doing it every day. And now I check myself out all the time!!
3. Don't sweat what you can't control
That’s right, be happy about more things, and worry about less! You may have thought your promotion was in your control, but its not. You can perform like a rockstar, but ultimately your promotion will be based on how your compoany is doing and whether they need someone to fill that role above you. You may have thought you were in control of how much fun everyone has at the bachelorette party, but ultimately when you get six drunk bridesmades together, theres no telling whats going to happen! So, stop sweating what you cant control. And start focusing on what you can control.
Your body is the only thing which is totally in your control.
Bryant Montalvo grew up as a dancer in Northern California. He came to New York City 5 years ago, and now teaches a barre method class, designed to build lean muscles.
Skyfit sat down with Bryant and learned about his diet tips and how he uses music.
In case you couldn't tell by looking at him, Josh is a triathlete and is one of the most respected group fitness instructors in the world. Skyfit spent some time with him to learn his thoughts on music, diet, and what motivates him to be his best.
Blake Jung quit his high paying, high stress job four years ago, and traveled the world learning about fitness and healthy living. In this interview, he shares his advice for how to achieve true happiness in your life.
Personal training is an absolute game changer, no matter what stage of fitness you are in. Whether you’re just getting started or are an elite athlete, having a personal trainer can elevate your performance, keep your form in check, and drive accountability. One study showed that personal trainers helped significantly improve the level of fitness of over 70% of gym-goers.
Even an awkward friend is a better personal trainer than nothing at all.
But for most of us (myself included), personal trainers are completely out of reach. There’s two main problems:
1. Talent level
While having a personal trainer is helpful and important, it’s really crucial that you have a GOOD personal trainer. Because a trainer who isn’t well trained (yes, trainers have to get trained too) can actually hurt your exercise.
A few signs of an effective personal trainer are:
They themselves are not in shape. I never understood personal trainers who try to motivate their clients to be better when they can’t even motivate themselves.
They tell all their clients to do the same thing, regardless of varying fitness levels.
They don’t carefully engage with each rep and each set.
They don’t advise you on more than just fitness (e.g. diet)
2. Price
This is where the real challenge is. A WebMD article says
...a recent survey found an average of $50 per hour with a range of $15 to $100 per hour.
Are you freaking kidding me?? Who has $50/hour to spend on personal training?? If I do it even twice a week, that’s $5,200 a year that I’m spending on training! That’s on top of my gym membership, and the really awesome workout clothes I treat myself with.
(For what it’s worth, from the trainer’s perspective, that price actually isn’t actually all that much. Simple math: average trainer probably gets about 10 of those sessions a week, which comes out to $500/week, or ~$25k/year. It’s not a lot for them, but for us, it’s really undoable.)
So, because of these two problems, what do most of us do? We read articles online, and then when we go to the gym, we try to remember what we read.
Unfortunately, that's not very effective.
Why?
First, because you are unlikely to remember the specifics, and that's the most important part.
Second, because when you're deep into a workout and sweating and tired, that's really the time that you need a trainer. And that's the time when you're most likely to ignore/forget everything you've read, and just do what's familiar. Unfortunately, familiar isn't always the best.
So, what's the solution? Well there's a number of good services out there that provide digital personal training, and we think it's great if you use them.
They help you diversify your workout, and they provide guidance throughout your workout. And even though some of them are really expensive, many are quite affordable.
Another option is to bring a partner to the gym with you. You can hold each other responsible, you can keep each others form in check, and you can use the motivation from someone else when you are getting tired.
But if you're a runner, like we are, there's no one product that provides personal training. Until now :-) Apologies for the shameless plug, but we are firm believers in the value of personal training, and we believe it should be accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford to spend $60/hr. That's why we spent all our energy trying to make the classes as affordable as possible, while hiring the most effective trainers in the world.
After many long nights here at the Skyfit office, we are very proud to release the Skyfit world premiere. Skyfit is dedicated to runners, and we wanted to highlight that dedication in our video. We really hope you guys enjoy it!
P.S. A few days from now we'll be posting the bloopers reel. Despite all the work, making the video was tremendously fun.
Last week, our Skyfit blog team sat down with Lindsay Carson. Lindsay is a world renown yoga and spin instructor, and has changed the way people think about the benefits of yoga.
Below is a video of our exclusive sit down with Lindsay..
When we talk about being always on offense, we often think about the physical aspect of it. Work harder at the gym, actively manage your meals, take the stairs at work, etc etc. But there’s a mental component to it, and a number of trainers that we admire would advocate that being sustainably healthy is actually a lot more about being in the right mental place than anything physical you can do for your self.
So for this post, I wanted to focus on the non-physical benefits of working out.
As a gym fanatic, I noticed something fairly early in my gym career which changed my perspective on how I see the world.
You see, when I go to the gym, as much as I try to fight it, I’m very aware of everyone else in the gym. They are looking at me, I’m looking at them. In a way, at the gym, you are at your most vulnerable. You are sweating, you are tired, you’re pushing yourself beyond your usual limits. It’s naturally an uncomfortable position to be in, made worse by the fact that a bunch of strangers are watching you.
So when I have a great workout, I’m really proud of myself. I feel like I *deserve* to be there. Just for a short minute, I feel like I belong.
When I say a great workout, I’m talking about running maybe an extra mile than I usually do. Or maybe doing a few more reps for each set of weight lifting. Anything that’s more than I usually do. And anything that will make me sore the next day.
The day after my great workout, I’ll come to the gym, and try to replicate and maybe even exceed my great workout. Of course, this inevitably fails. My body needs a day to rest and recover, not be pushed even harder. As a result, I end up taking a step down in intensity from even my typical workouts.
At this stage, I become very, very aware that others are watching me engage in what I would consider a lighter workout than I usually do. And I want to scream to them…
“Guys! I can do so much more! I’m stronger than this! You should have seen me yesterday! Guys! You have to trust me!”
Then I started thinking about it: If I don’t want others to judge me at the gym at one particular moment, I have to promise not to judge them. No matter what type of workout I see them doing.
Because the fact is, when I see someone at the gym at one particular moment, I really know nothing about them. Maybe they finished a marathon the day before, and are exhausted. Maybe they just came back from a serious injury. Maybe they had a death in the family, and they’re in the gym just for a distraction. So I have forced myself to not judge, but rather admire everyone in the gym. I don’t admire them for how hard they’re working out, but rather, I admire them just for showing up.
I realized over time that this idea of not judging others, because you don’t know their whole story, translates to life outside the gym also. When I see someone on the street, or on the subway, or at a restaurant, if my natural inclination used to be to judge them for an aspect of their behavior in that moment, I now try to stop myself. Because when you don’t know the person’s background, their story, how they got to where they are, it’s not fair for us to judge them in one moment.
Stay always on offense - physically and mentally.
This is Good Feeling, by our friend Flo Rida. Along with putting out consistently good music, one of my favorite things about Flo Rida (also known as Tramar Dillard) is his awkward juxtaposition and kicked out manager at the Miami Heat playoff game a few years ago.
Anyway, one of the things we love about the right music when it comes to running is when the beat syncs perfectly with each step. The first song I realized that did this very well was Game Over by Lil' Flip. Each beat "flip, flip, flip" was tied perfectly to each step when running at 7.0 mph.
So naturally when I'm discovering great new running music, one of the things I look for are beats that naturally coordinate with a run. So now, take a listen to this song.
You see what I'm saying? The beat is great. Now my guess is that maybe you listened to the first 30 seconds or so, and I don't blame you.
Now, go straight to 2:28, and hear the chorus come in..."Ohhhh, some times, I get a good feeling..." and listen to that build up for 20 seconds.
Then at 2:48, you hear the beat drop. Oh man you hear that beat. Just listen to it. It's so clean, so smooth, you just want to MOVE. You could be a lethargic, lazy, unmotivated couch fanatic but you hear that beat drop at 2:48, and you want to move.
THAT is what we call good running music.
What's interesting is, this is the first time in the song where the chorus doesn't lead into another verse, unless you want to call this a verse (which you very well could.) Listen to the song again, and go to 1:07 and you'll hear the chorus..."Ohhhh, some times..." then at 1:43, you hear the next verse start. That's how a normal song works.
In this case, Flo decided to have some fun with us. And the beat he comes up with is just so beautiful, it's one of the most perfect running songs ever. That's why you'll hear it in a lot of Skyfit classes.
Anyway, now enjoy the video.
Skyfit is a company we started to help runners have a better run. We discovered that running with music was so much better than running without music. Then we discovered that running with the RIGHT music was so much better than running with just any music.
So we wanted to share what we learned about running with the world. That’s why we started the Skyfit.
Along the way, we discovered that there’s a few more things we wanted to share with the world. For example, some thoughts about the non-obvious benefits of working out (you become less judgmental in all aspects of your life), or some thoughts about non-conventional ways to lose a few pounds (eat dinner three hours before sleeping.)
But every time we discovered something we wanted to share, we discovered there was one overarching theme. And that is, being on offense.
What does that mean?
Don’t be on the receiving end of anything. That means that you take a proactive approach in everything you do. Don’t let weight gain happen to you. Instead, proactively make decisions. Always DO. Always drive. Always, always, be on offense.
That’s what we realized.
In that vein, we’re creating a blog to share our thoughts with the Skyfit community. We realize there a plethora of fitness blogs out there, and many of them are excellent. We’re big fans of them too! We decided to make our blog a bit different by focusing on three things: running and music. And that’s it. And we’re going to write about these things in context of staying on offense. Staying proactive. Never reacting. Never receiving. Always choosing. Always deciding.
So, welcome to Skyfit blog. We’d love to have you subscribe to us.
