Intensity!!

Those who watch me train my clients think I am crazy! :)~ This is mainly because they often see me pushing the people I train VERY hard. Over the past 4 1/2 years since I have been training, I have had clients cry, refuse to do what I tell them and walk out on me, throw up and nearly pass out while I have trained them. I am telling you this, not to brag (well, okay maybe a little:) but primarily because this level of intensity is often needed to create the kinds of changes many people dream about. This does not mean that EVERY time you workout you need to try to kill yourself. However, having periods of testing yourself to see just how far you can really go, makes a HUGE difference to your body's ability to create changes.

Physical change only occurs in our body when we put it through something that it is not used to. After working in a gym for nearly 5 years, I have seen quite a lot of people come in and do their "routine" expecting their body to change. I am sure that many of you know the definition of insanity, but just in case here is a refresher: "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result" - Albert Einstein. Unfortunately workout "routines", by Albert's definition, are crazy to follow! Of course, Mr. Einstein's definition of insanity completely negates all accusations of me being crazy, since I am putting my client's bodies through some serious change! :)

Our bodies are constantly trying to be a in a state of homeostasis. This means our body is always trying to be the same. God made our bodies this way to actually help us. Before the days of convenience, we actually had to go out and kill our food and drag it home and eat it. Sometimes, the food we wanted to catch wouldn't always make itself available. Thankfully, because our bodies are not constantly changing (because they are in a state of homeostasis), we would be able to live a day or 2 or even a week or 2 without dieing off if nourishment wasn't available. In addition to that, it would have been very smart to eat more than was probably needed back in those days to help build up more bodyfat. The extra fat that was stored would help you survive during the leaner times.

Unfortunately however, we are no longer a people of hunters and gatherers. We have very convenient lives of microwaves and pre-killed animals! :) We usually don't go out and kill our food anymore and most people tend to expend very little energy during their workdays. So, it is now both easier to store bodyfat (because most people are less active) and get food (thanks to grocery stores, convenience stores and fast-food restaurants). In order to fight our body's ability to stay the same, we really need to step up the intensity!

So, what level of intensity is necessary to see change? The only way to know the answer to this question is for you to track your workouts. By keeping track of what you currently can do with your weight training and cardiovascular exercises, you can give yourself new target goals to shoot for. For example, if the last time you did a bench press with dumbbells you were able to bench press 65lbs 8 times, the next time you did a bench press, you might want to set a goal to bench press 65lbs 10 or 12 times or even try to do 70lbs for at least 6 repetitions. After you do that, you should try to set another goal to either increase the weight again or increase the repetitions. Another example could be with running. If the last time you ran, you ran for 3 miles, the next time you plan to run, try to go for 3.5miles or even 4miles. Or, try to see if you can beat the time that you ran your last 3 mile run. It's progression that determines if your body makes progress! In order to see this progression, you have to push yourself beyond what you are comfortable doing.

Many times, in order to really see how far your body can go, you need the help of someone else. A motivated friend or trainer can really help boost how hard your workouts can be. If you workout regularly, you may have had a few workouts with a motivated friend (someone who actually wanted to workout:) and your workout hit higher highs. The reason is because competition and energy. Having someone else there who is motivated helps give you energy. Just as Newton stated in his First Law of Motion: "...Any object in motion tends to stay in motion". Stick with people who tend to "stay in motion" and your body will follow suit. Also, if you are a bit competitive, you will get more motivation out of having someone else there to push you then working out alone.

When you get beyond your own self-imposed limitations of what you think is possible, and believe that your body is capable of overcoming whatever you can dish out, you will then see the progress you have been hoping for. Set aside some time to see just how much you truly can take. How far can you run if you really set your heart, mind and soul into it? What kind of weight can you lift if you stopped believing you were not strong enough? I pray God will show you this week at least a glimpse of what you are truly capable of accomplishing. Remember: "...with God, all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26 NIV)

To see an example of what is possible with God, by cranking up the intensity and really pushing it, watch this video (I would imagine, many of you have already seen it):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF9wm-Hbh54