Gym etiquette: Don't break these 10 important rules

The rules of the gym are the same as the general rules of life: Clean up after yourself, share when necessary and don't be obnoxious. 

Put everything back where it belongs

This might be the number-one gym etiquette rule. Don't leave a trail of equipment behind you: If you use something, put it back. You learned this in kindergarten. 

Don't hog the equipment

In crowded gyms, equipment is like gold. This is especially true for limited equipment, such as squat racks and bench press racks. If you're going to squat, then squat -- don't make people wait for you to take the perfect selfie or finish talking with a friend. 

If there's no one around, feel free to use what you want. But the minute people start piling in, be willing to share.

Wipe things down after you use them

Everyone else at the gym is begging you. Please wipe your sweat off of machines, barbells, floor mats and anything else you use. Even if you "didn't sweat that much," wipe it down. This is basic gym etiquette and reduces the smear of sweaty germs all across the equipment.

Respect personal space

Gyms get crowded, especially during the first few months of the year. But no matter how many people you're battling, you should still make an effort to respect everyone's personal space. 

Not only is it uncomfortable to exercise in close proximity with a stranger, but it's dangerous -- one failed attempt at an overhead press could spell broken feet for both of you. 

Be flexible about your routine if the gym is crowded

Can't get into the squat rack first thing? Instead of hovering two inches away from the person who's currently using it, figure out a way to modify your routine. You'll save time and avoid awkwardness, and you might end up challenging yourself in a new way (it's too easy to get stuck in the same workout routine). 

You can always ask the person how much longer they'll use the squat rack. If they say five minutes, great: Do some warmup moves and wait. If they say 30 minutes, don't waste your time and do something else first.  

Try to avoid using two pieces of equipment that are far away. Supersets and circuits are great, but don't run from the chin-up bar to the bench press rack over and over again. Trust me, few things are as frustrating as setting up a piece of workout equipment, only to have someone fly in from across the gym and say they were using that. 

For your own good

You should definitely follow guidelines to keep the gym an enjoyable place for other gym-goers, but don't forget about making your own experience pleasant. These guidelines can keep you from wanting to shout curse words from the top of the squat rack.

Bring your own towel

Just… do this. If you do nothing else on your list, bring your own towel to the gym. It might not sound like a big deal now, but you'll realize how big of a deal it is when Sweaty McSweat finally leaves the machine you wanted but the tub of antimicrobial wipes is bone dry. In fact, you might want to bring two hand towels -- one to wipe your own sweat and one to wipe up other people's. It's gross, but it's unfortunately a fact of most commercial gyms. 

Claim your space

Make it clear to others where you are working out and what equipment you are using. If you need to swing a kettlebell, run in place or stretch out on the floor, claim enough space to do that. You'll thank yourself and so will the person next to you.

If you have to leave to use the restroom or get water, place some sort of marker on the equipment you're using. A pretty universal sign that says "Hey, I'm coming back to this" is draping your towel over the equipment -- the towel proving its handiness yet again.

reference:

https://www.cnet.com/health/gym-etiquette-for-newbies-dont-break-these-10-important-rules/

New Year's Resolutions

I'm seeing a ton of New Year's Resolutions out there and I LOVE them all but let's remember

1. Sustainability is the key!:  If you hate to run don't make running a marathon your first and only fitness goal. Hate mornings, then don't plan on morning workouts. Find what you love and enjoy, then fit that into your schedule. If you hate veggies becoming a vegetarian might not be the best first goal, find something that works in your life long term.

2. Open Mindset:  Don't go into anything with a negative mind. That will always lead to a negative experience and your chances of wanting to do it again decreases.

3. Build your Tribe!: Find like minded individuals that have common goals and support each other.  Surround yourself with greatness!  Hate your gym? Then find and try some new places! Find an on-line forum, text a friend, etc..

4. Watch all or nothing tendencies: Can't fit 30 minutes of exercise in your day? Do a nice 10 minutes walk or 10 minutes of yoga before bed. Something is always better than nothing

5. You can't outrun a bad diet...PERIOD!!:  Watch portions, try to follow a 80/20 rule, moderation is key!

6. Measure progress with tons of different tools: Measurements, how your clothes fit, energy, endurance, strength, distance, stress reduction, better sleep, confidence, and lastly the scale (because we know it doesn't tell us everything)

7. Make SMALL realistic actionable goals!:  When you are first making changes 5 times a week is often unrealistic as you are building a routine, changing behaviors and that just takes time and patience. Start small..."I will go to the gym no less than 2 times this week after work for at least 30 minutes"  "I will drink no more than 1 soda per day for the next 2 weeks"  Don't focus the small goals on outcomes but focus them on behavior changes. (The outcomes will come!)

8. Focus on what you can do and not what you can't do:  If you have knee issues don't focus on only lower body cardio exercises right away. Look into water options, look into upper body strength exercises, try yoga. Ask yourself "What can I do today?"

9. Have a back-up plan - Shit happens, work happens, kids happen, life happens. Have a back-up plan. If I can't get outside or to the gym today I will do a 30 minute strength workout in the basement or a 20 minute yoga video at home.

10. Find your WHY!! - Your why keeps you grounded and stable when life is throwing everything at you. Your WHY should be deep, it should give you chills to think about, it inspires you and is your personal fire to keep motivation going.

How to set boundaries

Let's be honest, taking care of yourself and prioritizing your health takes time, energy, and focus. This is especially true when you are working to change behaviors and habits.

A way to determine if you are being effective with your time is to assess how you are spending it. In other words, are your priorities in line with your actions?

Prioritizing requires you to compare things (no matter how uncomfortable) against each other and determine what matters more to you, and then to set boundaries around the things that matter less. Take notice that I didn't say the things that don't matter, because they may still matter, but they just matter less and won't give you the outcomes you are wanting when it comes to your health.

"I value _________, so I need to __________, and will honor by __________."

"Show what you believe in, not why we do it."

Intensity & Intent

This is something we talk about a lot with all of our our athletes here at TSC. There is always a reason behind everything that we do; the programming, movement, structure, conditioning Sometimes as coaches we need to take people somewhere that is uncomfortable, but that is the state at which we see the most growth.

We urge all of you to train with Intent, and not just " get through the workout" it is not what you do but how you do it. For example, anyone can do poorly performed pushup and just use their traps and wiggle around like fish, anyone can do lunges and just use their quads. It is the athletes who choose to train with intent that will succeed. So make sure to find your pecs when you do pushups, find your glutes when we do lunges. Don't just do reps for the sake of getting them done, otherwise you can train at home in your garage or at a globo gym. You best gyms have superior coaching and most important culture. Coaches and athletes alike have to set the standard of what training is and why we are doing it.

For us to move forward and advance not only as athletes and coaches but as people we need to see the little things in our ourselves. We want the athletes here to always have fun coaches to always give something back to our athletes. That's why we do what we do, its not for money or glory, its because we love helping people.

I just want to say thank you to all of our members and coaches and please watch this video!

Click here to watch the video

"Show what you believe in, not why we do it."

What are you willing to “Give Up” to be successful?

Sometimes giving up is a good thing! What are you willing to “Give Up” to be successful?

1. Excuses

2. Fixed Mindset

3. Belief that there is a “Magic Pill”

4. Perfectionism

5. Your need to be in control

6. Saying “yes” to everything

7. Putting everyone before yourself

8. Toxic people

9. Your need to be “liked”

10. Your fear of failure

Give up or Grow Stronger it really is up to you

Are you a fair weather athlete?

Are you a fair weather athlete? Do you only exercise when the weather is a perfect 70 degrees, the sun is out and there is no wind or clouds in the sky. Do you only exercise on a full 8 hours sleep when the workout fits perfectly in your day and the birds align to show you the way to the gym? Do you only exercise when the time of day is perfect and you feel as rested as a child waking up from a midday nap?

Fair weather athletes are at their best when the stars align but fall apart whenever there is diversity or an obstacle in the way. And let’s be honest how often is your day perfect? I would say in my experience rarely if ever, but we can learn a lot from ourselves and make gains on those days that are not perfect.

Let’s just take heat for example- yeah working out in the heat is no fun, it hurts, you sweat a ton, you can’t do the same amount of work you typically do, you feel deflated, but there are benefits to working out in the heat.
--Your heart rate increases by 30% without having to actually do more work which is great if you struggle with injuries or speed.
--Heat can help damper your physical hunger which is often a positive when you are trying to lose weight.
--You learn about what your body needs nutrition wise and how to fine tune that
--You slowly start to adapt to the heat making each time you work out a little easier.
--Your mental muscle and GRIT gets a good workout in the heat, you mentally become a little tougher.
--Your ability to handle adverse training environments increases both mentally and physically
--When temps cool, because of your heat adaption you actually have an advantage energy wise.

**As always be smart with heat if you have any underlying medical conditions talk with your Dr about working out in the heat, know your physical limits and keep hydration as a focus (Listed below are some tips on exercising in the heat)

Don’t shy away from adversity when it comes to exercise and training but embrace it for what it can give you both mentally and physically.

Don’t be a fair weather athlete just be an all around Badass!

4th of July Party Tips

🎆🇺🇸4th of July Party Tips 🇺🇸🎆

⭐️ Start the day off right with something healthy and protein rich. Breakfast can set the tone for the rest of your day.

🏃 Start your day with a workout, once again sets the tone for the rest of the day and makes you feel good!

🍲 If it is a potluck style party, bring something healthy that way you will have at least 1 healthy thing on your plate you are confident and comfortable with.

🍶 Drink water before, during and after. This will help not only keep you hydrated but fill up your stomach. Also holding a water bottle will help remind you not to drink those calories!

🍛 First thing is fill your plate up with half veggies then use portion control on the other food you just want a little taste of.

🕐 Before you even think about having seconds take a 10 min time-out. Walk away from the food tables, go talk with someone, give your stomach time to tell your brain that you are satisfied and full.

👥 Create an accountability buddy. Someone you trust that will help you stay on track and will remind you of your goals.

🍎 Never go into a party overly hungry or starving because you will most likely lose control and make poor choices. Have a small healthy snack 15min before hand to help you stay in control and on plan.

📌 Create a plan for what you want to eat and drink. “I will only eat this...not that…” Set yourself up to succeed!

🍴 Remind yourself that the first 3 bites are the most satisfying to our taste buds. Anything that doesn’t taste good, THROW IT AWAY!! It is not worth it to waste your calories on bad not good food that you will only regret.



🚫 Don’t stand near the food for an extended amount of time. Keep away from temptations and target rich environment. Easier to say “No” when it isn’t in front of you. Out of sight out of mind! Grab a bottle of water, walk around and mingle!!

🔊 If there is a known food pusher (someone that pressures you into trying something or just one more bite person) that will be at the party have a statement ready to tell them, “No thanks, I’m stuffed but it does look delicious” or whatever you feel comfortable with.

🍹 Be careful with those alcoholic beverages. They can have a ton of calories and they don’t make you feel full. They can also set you up to lose some control of making wise healthy choices while eating. Try to only drink alcohol after you have eaten, for every adult beverage make yourself drink 8-10oz of water. This will help slow you down, keep you full (your stomach can only hold so much) and help with hydration.

🏬 If the party will be at a restaurant, ask about what food will be served or go online before the party. Check out their menu and have a plan in place. When we are rushed we tend to stay in our comfort zone which can backfire with choosing healthy foods and making wise decisions.

🍪You can enjoy a cookie, or two. But pick your absolute favorites and enjoy them for the treats that they are. Savor every bite!

🚩Create new traditions: Lead a walking group before the party, play a fun game together instead of everything being food based, have a contest who can create the healthiest version of a dish, etc.. be creative think outside the box.

💭 Remind yourself that one party or an occasional indulgence is not going to make or break your progress. If you slip-up just get right back on the track the next day, forgive yourself and learn from what happened so you can have a better plan in place next time. Progress not perfection!!

💛 Be kind to yourself. The holidays are a stressful time for everyone. If you need some time for yourself please take it and never apologize for it!!

Are you a “Yeah,but”er?

Are you a “Yeah,but”er?

It can happen when we hear or see others accomplishments and our immediate response is “Yeah,but________”

We all have done it professionally, athletically, and personally.

It not only diminishes others accomplishments it also creates a mindset of impossibility for ourselves

“Yeah, but he grew up wealthy”
“Yeah, but her family owns”
“Yeah, but he is built like a runner so that is easy for him”
“Yeah, but he is a larger frame so lifting is easier for him”
“Yeah, but she works full time“
“Yeah, but she doesn’t have kids”

Instead of “yeah, but_____” start to re-frame it, “Congrats to them, I can improve myself by working on _________________”
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Stress Management

The 2 best approaches for stress management are:
1. Physical Exercise (we have talked in length about this a few months ago, Fight or Flight, importance of exercise to offset the physical hormones released that in turn affect our physiology ) 
 2. Mental Exercise (mindset)

Let’s dig more on mental exercises of stress management. 
--Awareness of what you can control: We can’t always control what happens to us but we can control how we react to it
--Your personal influence: You can’t force things to go your way, focus on your behavior and what you do have influence over
--Identify your fears:  Often they are rooted in failure but is failure really that bad? Think of all the amazing things we learn from failure. Worst case scenarios: We can’t deny that sometimes they happen but are they ever as bad as we imagine? Often we survive and become stronger.
--Strengthen your problem solving skills. Have a growth mindset!  Are you stuck pondering something in the past that you can’t change? WHY
--Create goals and plans around stress management: Exercise, get enough sleep, meditation, deep breathing, using your support system
--Increasing healthy affirmations: Gratitude, positive self dialogue, reminding yourself you are in control of those thoughts and actions.