The One on One Fitness Blog
Vision, Discipline, Passion and Conscience – The Rulers of the World!
When studying the lives of all the great achievers in history, those who have had the most significant impact on who we are today, a pattern begins to emerge. These individuals display the highest manifestations of what are referred to as the “four native intelligences”; mental - IQ, physical - PQ, emotional - EQ, and spiritual – SQ. According to personal growth guru Stephen Covey, the highest manifestation of each of these intelligences includes; vision for the mental, discipline for the physical, passion for the emotional, and conscience for the spiritual. Albert Einstein once said that, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” He was right! Knowledge resides in memories, in the past. It is finite. Vision, on the other hand, resides in imagination. It is [...]
TRX Suspension Training comes to One on One!
As part of our commitment to provide the highest quality personal fitness training experience for our clients, we have brought TRX Suspension Training to One on One. Integrating the TRX into our Clients Personal Fitness, Group Training and Youth Athletic Readiness programs will result in significant advantages in program design, exercise selection and, most importantly, training outcomes. Suspension Training combines bodyweight resistance and ground based multi-planar movement patterns to stimulate improvements in core stability, strength, flexibility and balance. It is truly the ultimate functional training tool. It's versatility provides a fun, dynamic workout that can be done virtually anywhere! The value of TRX training cannot be overstated. This is not just another piece of equipment, but a completely new method of interaction between body mass, [...]
Are you a Victim of your “Old Brain”
The reticular activating system, or RAS, is a specialized part of the medulla that sorts millions of impulses to the brain per second. It acts like a gate keeper, deflecting trivial input while allowing more vital information into the brain. The RAS, or the “old brain,” has evolved over millions of years and has developed a tendency to magnify any negative impulses to the brain. This process is thought to have developed eons ago during the Stone Age when hunter-gatherers faced almost constant life threatening dangers. These traits, however, have been passed on and even today our “old brain” can disrupt our ability to be successful. The hard-wired instinct of the RAS is to preoccupy us with the negative. For example, a few well intended [...]
Running Your Own Race!
There is a fine line between competing and solely focusing on our performance. When we compete, we focus on what others are doing. Too often, our actions are driven by the actions of others. Competition is reactive by nature. When we compete we are often too focused on the outcome. What will happen if I win? What will happen if lose? What will others say? When we focus on performance, we look inwardly. Our actions are proactive and based on a greater sense of purpose and vision. This greater purpose and vision is the catalyst for action. When running a race, for example, we must run our own race...not focus on what others are doing. When focusing on others, we become reactive and potentially less [...]
Shrimp and Mango Spinach Salad
A fresh, healthy, colorful salad that is really delicious – fresh baby spinach topped with fruit, nuts, avocado and shrimp. This recipe serves two people as a meal or works well as 4-6 small side salads. Ingredients: Grilled Shrimp Skewer 12 raw shrimp, (31/40 size) peeled & deveined 4 bamboo skewers Place shrimp on 4 skewers – ready to place on grill Salad 10 oz. bag fresh baby spinach 1/2 fresh ripe avocado – diced 24 shelled pistachios 16 mandarin orange segments 1 tablespoon diced red pepper Place these salad ingredients on 2 plates (or on one larger platter) Mango Vinaigrette 16 oz. jar mango slices in light syrup 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar 1/8 cup canola or olive oil (with no olive flavor) To [...]
Fitness Memory: How Quickly Will Your Body Forget Your Last Training Session?
It is widely understood that regular physical activity can reverse the unhealthy effects of inactivity. A well-designed fitness plan when practiced consistently can decrease one’s propensity for hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity as well as a host of other debilitating diseases. Over the past twenty-four years, we have seen individuals… Lose weight Reduce or in some cases eliminate their use of medications Regain the health and vitality of their youth Unfortunately, we have also seen some of these same individuals “roundtrip” and, for one bad reason or another, end up right back where they started. The purpose of this article is to explore the concept of detraining. How will the body respond when the dose of exercise is reduced? How quickly will the body [...]
Preventing Weight Gain for the Long Term
Did you hear about the recent JAMA study showing that women who got at least one-hour per day of moderate physical activity maintained a healthy weight over the long-term? The amount of physical activity required to prevent weight gain in the study was estimated in metabolic equivalent (MET) hours per week and was found to be 21.5 MET hours per week. The researchers stated this is equivalent to brisk walking for one hour, seven days per week. Several of you have voiced your concerns over this study and understandably so. These recommendations don’t necessarily line up with One on One’s exercise prescription for weight maintenance for the long-term. We don’t dispute that the energy output of 21.5 MET hours per week will enable an individual [...]
Poor Posture – The Root of All Evil!
Since I began working here 7 years ago, I have seen what a significant role posture can play in our quality of life. As a fitness professional, I am reminded on a daily basis that we are what we routinely do and that our body is a great compensator. It is amazing to see how poor posture can wreak havoc on people. Besides your typical low back issues, prolonged periods of poor posture can also lead to knee, shoulder, head and neck pains. There are many types of postural dysfunctions, but sitting seems to be largest contributor to orthopedic issues. Do you have an orthopedic problem and have no idea how you got it? It might just be due to your poor posture. Keep an [...]
Legendary Customer Service: The Heart of the Matter
A few weeks ago, several of us attended an international conference organized by IDEA. The event was filled with sessions taught by some of the most outstanding pioneers in our field. Those of us in attendance walked away absolutely soaked with the latest research-based concepts in personal training. It has always been a pleasure for me to attend these events with our staff. I love the looks I get from across the room when a presenter touches on something we insist upon at One on One. During one particular session, the presenter asked the question, “What do you want to be famous for? How do you want to be remembered?” He threw out “legendary customer service” as an example. “Do you want to be legendary [...]
Kids and Plyometrics!
Kids and Plyometrics! One of our topics last week in my Master’s Degree program was Plyometric training. Plyometrics is a form of training that has been used by many advanced athletes and athletic programs around the world. The training involves quick, explosive movements and is designed to maximize sport specific power output. With the rise in popularity of Youth Athletic Readiness Training (such as One on One’s Y.A.R.T.) throughout the industry, concerns have risen regarding the safety and effectiveness of plyometric training and children. The primary concerns revolve around the potential risks of injury, specifically damage to children’s growth plates. No doubt this type of training does have potential risks; however the risks are no different than any other type of training. Plyometric training involves [...]
Are you Ready for One on One’s Countdown Challenge?
One on One’s Countdown Challenge is open to all trainers and clients of One on One. The objective of the challenge is to perform the specified number of Pushups and Squats as quickly as possible. This will be performed in a style as follows: 10 pushups followed by 10 squats, then 9 pushups followed by 9 squats, 8 pushups followed by 8 squats….and so on counting down until you hit 1 of each. Here is the official breakdown based on age: Countdown Challenge 3 4 10 Look for the book to log your stats! Copyright 2011 Fitness Consultants Inc. All rights reserved.
Focus on YOUR side of the street
I had a great interaction with one of our team members this morning. I shared with him a lesson I learned a while ago that has served me well. I would like to share it with you also. Any time we have a problem with someone, it is critical that we FIRST review our own behavior and responsibility in the matter, regardless of how grievously we feel we have been wronged. It makes no difference if the other individual has 90% responsibility in the conflict and you have 10%. We too often use another's bad behavior to justify our own. It is a losing strategy. Focus on your 10%, make amends (if necessary), and grow. If you are constantly justifying your own bad behavior because [...]
Integrity in the Moment of Choice: Define the Moment
"Quality of life depends on what happens in the space between stimulus and response." - Stephen CoveyHow are you doing with your goals for the New Year? I hope well. However, many of us start to get off track right about now. Things are going well, then life throws us the inevitable curve ball. Now what?It is at challenging moments like this that we must slow down and remember that we are not slaves to this "curve ball." We have choices and must not let ourselves get pushed around by external realities. Between stimulus and response lies the unique human gift of choice. It is also the key to living a quality life. Life is full of choices and defining moments. Learning to display integrity [...]
Healthy Corporate Culture Starts with Integrity
Integrity is everything. Lie one time and you’re a liar. The lumps you take for making a mistake are nothing compared to losing respect and trust by trying to cover up that mistake. In another life, honesty was not tops on my priority list. My philosophy was, if you could get away with it, it was OK. It didn’t take long for me to crash and burn. Not only was I not succeeding in the material world, I was totally empty inside. I am fortunate to have crashed, burned, and come out the other side considerably stronger. Today, being honest is as easy as I want it to be. As long as I don’t behave in a way that is shameful or that I simply [...]
Paying attention to endpoints!
We talk a lot about endpoints in our training at One on One and the reason for this is simple: Paying attention to endpoints will help you to train smarter and harder! But what do we really mean when we say “endpoints”? For starters, endpoints define a safe and effective range of motion for a specific movement. They allow the individual to transition from decelerating a force in one direction to accelerating that force in the opposite direction. To maximize the acceleration potential, the individual must be stabilized at the movement’s endpoints. Failure to stabilize can result in less than optimal performance and eventually injury. For more traditional, loaded movements (i.e. db bench presses, weight squats, etc.), endpoints are established for the purpose of maintaining [...]
Bruce Burke: Thoughts on National Healthcare
Hey everyone, Since sharing my thoughts on our Nation's healthcare debate, I have been getting quite a bit of feedback. Here are links to the editorials I wrote for the CDT. http://www.centredaily.com/331/story/1536217.html http://www.centredaily.com/331/story/1774535.html The feedback I have received has been telling. Individuals either totally agree with the points I make or totally disagree. Nobody in the middle. Maybe that is part of the problem. Please share your thoughts.
YOUR BEST IS GOOD ENOUGH
Helping people with their physical fitness is what we are best known for, but helping them to acquire the tools necessary to experience balance and a sense of well being on a daily basis is equally important. One major source of many people’s discontent is their inability to accept that they have done their best and that it is indeed good enough. I like to break this concept down into two parts. The first is answering the question “Have you really tried your best?” The other is accepting the result. What does trying your best look like? I like to share the story about my son getting a mediocre grade in Geometry. He explained that he was “trying his best.” I asked if he had [...]
Top 5 Reasons to Participate in One on One’s Group Training Program!
1. YOU PAY NOTHING TO ONE ON ONE! You write your check to either the Centre County Youth Service Bureau or Centre Volunteers in Medicine. One on One provides this program to raise money for two very worthy causes during a very challenging time. 100% of the fees go directly to the charity of your choice. 2. PERSONAL INSTRUCTION In addition to a 15 minute orientation session, One on One has extra team members in your first class to help ensure you have an exceptional experience. Expect a follow up conference after three months. 3. IT’S TIME EFFICIENT! Each class is only 45 minutes long! 4. IT’S EFFECTIVE! Each session will: Challenge your cardiovascular system, burning a ton of calories! Help you acquire coordinated strength. [...]
5 Simple Tips to Ease Stress
By The One on One Team1. Start the day off right. Wake up 10 minutes earlier so you can slow down and savor the morning without the rush. The extra 10 minutes aren’t going to make much difference as far as your rest goes, but can make a huge impact on your day.2. Practice relaxation techniques when stressed. Practice deep belly breathing exercises while waiting in line at the grocery store or in traffic. 3. Rub your temples. Tame tension headaches by rubbing peppermint oil or tiger balm. These contain menthol which has analgesic properties. 4. Get a massage. Find a body worker who specializes in myofascial release or neuromuscular therapy to release the trigger points that can hold your tension. 5. Exercise. Virtually any [...]
Your Best is Good Enough
By Bruce BurkeHelping people with their physical fitness is what we are best known for, but helping them to acquire the tools necessary to experience balance and a sense of well being on a daily basis is equally important. One major source of many people’s discontent is their inability to accept that they have done their best and that it is indeed good enough. I like to break this concept down into two parts. The first is answering the question “Have you really tried your best?” The other is accepting the result. What does trying your best look like? I like to share the story about my son getting a mediocre grade in geometry. He explained that he was “trying his best.” I asked if [...]
Lemon Prosciutto Chicken
A specialty of Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering in State College, PA Healthy Recipes from Harrison’s Wine Grill Kit Henshaw, co-owner and business manager of Harrison’s, is also a One on One client, working happily towards better health and movement with Noel, Megan, and Moe each week. She has begun adapting some of Chef Harrison’s recipes for publication. This is a flavorful chicken recipe that is healthful and has a beautiful presentation. Agave nectar, a natural sweetener from the Agave plant, can be substituted for the sugar for a lower glycemic influence. Eat Well! Ingredients: 1 pound boneless breast of chicken – 4 breasts (easiest to roll if the 2 breasts are attached) 1 fresh lemon 4 T sugar 4 thin slices of prosciutto – [...]
Realizing your Personal Mission
In the November 2009 edition of “In Touch”, Bruce Burke’s article, “Do Your Behaviors Line up with Who You Really Want to Be?” illustrated the power of creating a Personal Mission Statement. In this article, I would like to continue this theme and help provide insight on how to “walk the walk” and be the person you aspire to be. Once you have crafted your Personal Mission Statement, consider the roles that you play in your life. Your “roles” are the relationships and responsibilities that you have committed to, such as being a parent, a son or daughter, a friend, a student, a teacher, a CEO, etc. Identify the specific roles you play and write them down. Try to limit yourself to no more than seven. [...]
Surviving the Holidays
Ah…the holidays. They are officially upon us. These are wonderful times, filled with family, friends, and certainly more food than any of us need! Unfortunately, many of us “give up” on nutritious, sensible eating during this time of year. If our health and fitness is going to survive the holidays, we will have to go into them with a solid game plan. Here are some tips to help you celebrate without throwing away all you have worked so hard for. Find out what types of food will be there (most of us already know this from tradition), then decide which ones are special to you and which ones you will pass on. Decide in advance how much you are going to allow yourself. Avoid telling others that [...]
Youth Athletic Readiness Training: Practical Solutions, Part I
By Kym Burke(This article was published in the January 2008 edition of the American Chiropractic Association News.) Today’s coaches expect young athletes to show up for training ready to run fast, jump high, throw accurately and remain injury free. It is well documented, however, that the number of injuries to young athletes, particularly their low backs, knees and shoulders, is on the rise. A part of the reason is that games of tag and backyard baseball have been replaced by video games, TV and surfing the Internet. Studies show that children between the ages of 10 and 12, for instance, are spending up to 6 hours per day in front of the television and/or computer. The price tag for this sedentary lifestyle is very high. [...]
Youth Athletic Readiness Training: Practical Solutions, Part II
(This article was published in the February 2008 edition of the American Chiropractic Association News) Last month, we discussed ways to improve lumbopelvic stability to help young athletes prepare for sports participation. This month’s article addresses other areas of sports readiness. Minimizing ACL Injuries Let’s look at how we can reduce the incidence of ACL injuries, especially in girls’ basketball. Research shows that it is not their hormones causing all these injuries, nor is it the exaggerated “Q” angle; it is their inability to decelerate the adduction and internal rotation of their femur in relation to their tibia. Preston Wolin, MD, director of the Sports Medicine Program at the Neurologic and Orthopedic Hospital of Chicago, believes a general naivete about good strengthening and conditioning [...]