HOW THE GYM IS MAKING YOU FAT
Top 10 reasons why joining a gym could be sabotaging your goals and making you fat!

The Health and Fitness industry is a funny thing. It is an industry built on taking advantage of peoples’ emotions! It is also an industry that has the most confusion for everyone involved.

It is great to see people joining Fitness facilities and having great intentions of staying healthy but for most it is short lived!
They look the same as the day they bought their gym membership! Does this sound like you? Have you achieved your goals? Have you lost weight or inches? Are you still fat? Could you be skinny fat?

Most people walk through the door with no real goals in mind or no proper guidance. A basic gym orientation is what they start with and they think this is the road to health, happiness and success. Think again!

Most individuals get blinded by the equipment, aren’t too sure how to use them but telling others that they belong to a gym makes them feel like they are doing the best they can for their body…. Really??

It’s also funny to hear people talk about how much equipment their gym has and that they have used the latest and greatest contraption that is sure to get them to where they want in regards to fat loss….. “It’s in a gym so I can’t lose… right????”

Well, this is about to burst your bubble! You could be keeping the fat you are trying hard to get rid of and you may be de-conditioning yourself every time you walk into the gym!

Now, let me clarify that joining a gym for a true fitness beginner is a great decision. It can be a great way to gain a fitness base and to start a fitness habit but that may be short lived!


TOP 10 REASONS WHY THE GYM IS MAKING YOU FAT

The following 10 points are what most people fight with month after month! These reasons are actually in no particular order because they are all equally important. You may be sabotaging you goals by following many of these points. As a Personal Trainer, I actually could keep going on reasons why people just don’t change once they are in a gym setting but that is another article!

1) Spending most of your time on cardio machines

You are guaranteed to find most women in the gym hopping on cardio machine. They spend the majority of their workout running on a treadmill, elliptical machine or other. Keeping a pace that is a little bit uncomfortable but they are able to keep going for 40 to 60 minutes or longer. You utilize more calories and fat doing higher intensity training instead of long, slow, steady-state cardio. Unless you plan on running a marathon or long distance run…. Step away from the long and slow and start to shorten the duration but work harder!

2) Never breaking a sweat during training

A lot of individuals leave the gym looking exactly like they did when they walked in. A slight sweat may have occurred but staying in their comfort zone doesn’t allow them to break a good sweat and by that I mean a total body sweat! This goes for both cardio and strength training! And stop reading and leaning on the cardio machines… you might as well just pack it up and go home! Why are you at the gym anyways? To read and rest or to show yourself what you are made of in regards to training hard but training smart?

3) Spending time on single joint movements

Yes, this is important for many people. If you are in a post-rehab setting. Or, if you have to establish a movement pattern within a muscle. After that is established it is time to move on! Sitting on a bench doing a single arm bicep curl is a great way to catch up on the gossip and the latest gym fashion trends but getting a metabolic boost will NOT happen! If you are a bodybuilder… fine…. If not, don’t think this type of training is going to get you anywhere!

4) Training with higher reps and lighter weights

Women are so famous for this! They are so scared to lift heavier resistance because they may get big and bulky and that would look just too darn funny! GET OVER IT! It is almost genetically impossible for most women to gain huge muscle and besides, if it was… do you think you would go to sleep one evening looking normal and wake up looking like the hulk with no previous notice! GET REAL! Gaining strength should be a priority for injury prevention, reducing the risk of certain types of disease, fat loss and improvement of everyday life and sport performance.

5) Working out on an empty stomach

You need to fuel the most important machine you have! You may think you are working hard but if you gave yourself some healthy fuel at an appropriate time and an appropriate amount before you train you could actually work harder and utilize more fat and calories. Ignore that stupid fitness myths that keep telling you to workout on an empty stomach!

6) Never changing your program

Can you say BORING! Who the heck wants to train if they keep doing the same thing month after month, year after year? If you are bored how do you think your body feels? It isn’t stupid… it will give you only the energy you need to perform that task and NO MORE. The “no more” energy is what gets results! And don’t think doing the same group fitness classes is any better!

7) Spending too much time in a gym

Are you one of those people that need two hours to workout? Enough already! If you are training appropriately there is NO WAY you can last for two hours! You are talking too much and training too little! An efficient training program will have a higher intensity and be a shorter duration. Stop breaking up your training. “Today is a back and bicep day and tomorrow I’ll do Chest and Triceps”…. OMG!....SMACK! Old style bodybuilding programs need to be thrown out the window if that is NOT your goal!

8) Not following a healthy nutrition plan

Joining a gym does not give you a veto card to eat junk and stuff your face with empty calories and crappy food! You need to eat clean, unprocessed food 80-90% of the time. You will see no results from training if you eat like crap! Do not follow the path that “just because I worked out today, I deserve that cookie”. NO YOU DON’T! You deserve to be proud of yourself for training hard but training smart and keeping that junk food to a minimum! Sugar is the devil and crap food gives you nothing but disease and a lot of “I wish… I want….. If only I could”. This type of attitude keeps the cycle of not achieving going full circle!
Also, most fitness facilities offer Protein or meal replacement shakes. “Big arm man” most likely purchases one before or after his workout and “Susie” tends to buy a meal replacement shake after her workout instead of eating real food. First, most of these shakes contain almost or most of your daily caloric intake! Also, you may feel like you are hungry again and want to eat which means more calories than what you probably need in that day. Stick to real food and plan out your meals in advance. Now, if you have absolutely no food with you and won’t eat for several hours after your workout than incorporate a shake or bar or Chocolate milk but realize this is only a backup plan and should not be a daily workout occurrence. Liquid calories will not satisfy you like eating real, unprocessed food will!

9) Not hiring a personal trainer to establish a set routine

Joining a gym and thinking you know what you are doing by reading a fitness magazine is NOT the way to reach your goals! Or, if you have worked out for 10 years already and think you know more than a health professional (those people drive me crazy!) so why should you spend money on a trainer??! Hiring a professional in any industry is important for success and education! The more educated you get the closer you are to your goals! The problem in the fitness industry is a lot of information out there is crap or specific on goals, injuries and health history so it may not apply to you! And yes, a lot of Personal trainers are crap so you need to get educated! Hiring a qualified PT for your goals can help open your eyes to more than what you see in a gym and more than just the equipment!

10) Spending all your time on weight machines

Again, once you have established a fitness base GET OFF MACHINES! The human body doesn’t function in a stable environment so why would you train in one? We turn, bend, lift, press, pull and more! We are unstable and in funny positions, weak positions and in different stances all day long. I’m not saying you have to look funny when you train but incorporating full body movements and requiring the core to work through exercises is much more functional and will burn more calories than sitting your butt on a machine all the time! Show me a woman who does push ups and pull-ups and I’ll show you a STRONG WOMAN! Put a metabolic demand on your body and stop putting it to sleep!

Stop training to be “GYM STRONG” and start training SMART! Get educated and get results! What are you waiting for?

STRONG POINTS
November 2009
As published in The Morning Star
Written by Rhonda Catt

When a loved one is diagnosed with a serious health issue it certainly makes you appreciate what is important in life. You do not have a true understanding of situations unless it has happened to you. Once you experience this, for most, it creates a shift in priorities.
For myself, the shock of my mothers Breast Cancer diagnosis made me examine life and priorities. The courage and determination I saw from my mom especially through the trauma of Chemotherapy reminded me to not take for granted my experiences in life! Each workout was even more exhilarating and each day was a gift. As a Personal Trainer our influence on clients is very important and I realized that they influenced me more then ever! Their support and encouragement was unending! And the experience my mom went through made me a better mom! She showed the true human spirit of determination and motivation!

Suddenly, it was the “big red truck”! Once you know someone who owns one they are everywhere! After Breast Cancer hit so close to home, I was talking to women or hearing stories of survivors almost daily! The shock of how many women have experienced it actually hit home. Illness and disease took on an entirely different meaning to me and prevention became even more important.

Reclaiming your health after a serious diagnosis can be a challenge but there is overwhelming evidence that exercise can help. Unfortunately, when it comes to cancer survivors, in a recent survey of more than 114,000 Canadian adults, fewer than 22% were physically active. (Courneya, Katzmarzyk & Bacon 2008).

Most of the time things do not phase us if we feel we are healthy! It’s when a situation arises that compromises our health that makes us think twice of our choices. Or, drives us to investigate further into ways of making things better! Start to open pathways now of increased knowledge in as many areas of health & fitness as possible.

How can it be so easy for some people to workout on a regular basis and impossible for others to even start? We are coming upon the busiest time of the year for people to start and quit a fitness program. Figure out your true motivation behind fitness? Reasons that will help you enjoy fitness and life every step of the way! Only you have the power to change! All of this brings up amazing stories. Uplifting and motivating stories that prove a healthy body is the answer to a healthy life! Stories that encourage and make you say “wow, I can make a change”! What a great opportunity to share their story and help others achieve what they keep reaching for. Fitness should not be tedious or boring. It should be an invigorating challenge, a fun experience and one you should be proud of!

Brian, 45
Can exercise save someone's life? I truly believe it can for it saved mine. Three years ago I was diagnosed with late stages heart failure and required a heart transplant. Up to the point of my diagnosis I have always been very active, fit and healthy. I have lived a lifestyle that always promoted fitness and healthy clean eating. I know that being as fit and healthy before my transplant has had a great deal to do with my amazing quick recovery. At times Doctors told me there was no way I should be able to do the things I was doing just before my operation and were awed by my ability to return to work as a firefighter, some even told me I would never return to active duties. Two weeks after my operation I was once again back at the gym using fitness to help me return to where I once was.
Today more than ever I know that being active and fit whatever level you strive to achieve can help not only physically but mentally as well. Keep positive, push through the hard trying times and the results will be more than worth it. It may even save your life one day.

Liz, 43
It took me a long time to find the motivation to exercise and now can’t imagine my life today without it. I personally can attribute my fitness to helping me deal with my depression. After starting a fitness program, I decided to stop taking my antidepressants (that I had been on for seven years). Three years later, I am still off of the medication, and I know that in order to stay healthy I MUST make fitness a way of life. I am thankful for the friends I have met along the way that encourage and support.

Brenda, 54
Fitness is important to me because at 50 I was seriously thinking of quitting showing horses competitively as my lack of power and stamina was seriously affecting my riding. I found a fitness program that I fell in love with and now at 54 I feel better than I have in years. I have lots of energy to go all day and the power and stamina needed to show a cutting horse at the international level in which I wish to compete.

Nadine,41
For me it was finding myself after having kids. I've set up my exercise routine around women who I can vent, laugh, cry, or whatever else emotion comes up. This bond has become so strong, not exercising isn't an option. It is too easy to loose yourself in the family life, which I feel just makes us angry and tired.

Geri, 37
Fitness and athletics have always been a part of my life. However, it wasn't until I had three children within four years, and hired a personal trainer that I realized how little I truly understood about nutrition and fitness, how much I took my body for granted in my twenties, and how I wasn't pushing myself to my full potential. Between my second and third child I built a strong base and was in good shape, therefore my third pregnancy was far less painful and uncomfortable. I feel, and I write this 8 weeks post-partum, that I look my best after this birth, being my third, than I did with my other two babies. It also makes a huge difference in dealing with the stresses of motherhood.

Verna, my mom!
Your health is the most important thing in your life, something you should never take for granted like I did. Just because you don't feel sick, it doesn't mean that "something" isn't going on inside your body you don't know about. Being diagnosed with breast cancer and having to go through surgery and the horrible chemo journey made me realize this and also realize how important it is to take care of yourself. Something as simple as eating healthy and exercise can and does make a big difference and something we can all do.

In closing, I also think of my father-in-law who is 79 and still playing hockey! This proves that age is just a number! Remember, only you have the power to change. Make 2010 your best year ever!

Helping others to gain health and fitness success is my passion.

Being a mother of two young boys, it’s important for my kids to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.

It is unfortunate for many children that being involved in a specific sport or club is not financially feasible. Or, certain family situations, uncontrolled circumstances or health issues limit enjoyment and involvement in activities. A happy & healthy child is the best gift of all!

One focus of my business is working with professional athletes. Chuck Kobasew and Andrew Ference are both summer clients. Andrew plays for the Boston Bruins and Chuck was recently traded to Minnesota.

I was fortunate to receive a signed stick from the 2008-09 Boston Bruins team. I wanted to use the stick for something meaningful. With so many fundraisers doing a great job raising money and awareness I decided to go a different route. I wanted to give the stick to a child who is deserving of it. Someone who doesn’t have the best luck in their life or is doing tremendous good in helping others.

So, I am asking individuals to email or write me about someone they think deserves it. Is there a child helping others, is there a child that has gone through some tough times, is there a child who you think deserves this and why.

What a great Christmas gift! Email cattconditioning@yahoo.com

Or write:

Rhonda Catt Box 1138 Lumby BC V0E2G0

The joy of winter months sometimes puts the breaks on fitness! Don't get discouraged by the colder weather and darker days. It's important to keep up with a fit and healthy lifestyle all year long. It makes the dreaded weather so much more enjoyable!... can that happen???

I encourage everyone to keep moving and maintain your active lifestyle even though it's dark and dreary! It may have been dark when Brenda grabbed her shoes which is why they didn't match but she still made the class!!!! YEE HAA!

Keep moving and having fun with fitness!

(Rhonda Catt with client Chris Osgood, Detroit Red Wings)


Athletes looking to increase their sport performance often look to a structured training program. It is important for success and injury prevention to follow a sound program that takes the athlete through proper progression levels and reduces dysfunction. The problem with most athletic conditioning programs is they seem to fall under one umbrella. Most are generic programs that are given to entire teams to follow through specific seasons. This can be easy for the program maker but misses the mark for the athlete. Most athletes tend to have similar dysfunctions somewhere throughout the kinetic chain. For the most part, these dysfunctions do not get assessed and are not taken seriously. There are too many cookie cutter programs and unqualified people/parents training their children when they should be stepping away and letting qualified professionals take over.
For the most part, people aren’t aware that what they are following may not be the best suited program for them selves.
Scouts and coaches are looking for stronger, faster and more powerful athletes. Yes, this is important but what is being forgotten is HOW that athlete gets there! If they become more powerful is it at the expense of proper form and progression? Does specific testing of these athletes really transfer to their sport? Are they learning from their training in such a way to reduce dysfunction and gain the above benefits at the same time!?
Most of the time, no! Then, through the years the injuries occur!

Take a look at specifics. Does your training program take the following into consideration:

A properly phased plyometric program. Training for power with plyometrics can take you into a 3 phase plan. It’s not just about jumping over a hurdle or onto a box. Linear days and lateral days should be separated. Two feet and single leg progressions should also be followed. Learning to transfer and absorb force through a quality power program will create a faster athlete and reduce injuries.

CNS (central nervous system) recovery. More is not better! If you are including a dry-land portion of your program plus a strength program limit your lower body training in the gym to twice per week.

Sprint distance and cardio portion: Long, slow and steady cardio should not be the majority of your training. Many athletes such as soccer & hockey still get treated as long distance runners. Work with different intervals that are unpredictable and a fluctuating tempo. If you like long runs, place it appropriately in your week.

Create a strong back! Work on more pulling motions. So many athletes spend too much time pressing (bench press, dumbbell press) A strong back helps to create a strong & more stable athlete and reduces injuries.

With dry-land training you need to understand what a proper athletic ready position is. Force angles into the ground create explosiveness and reduce acceleration injuries. This needs to be taught and not taken lightly.

Strengthening and flexibility that includes all planes of motion. Take a look at human movement and sport. We move our body and stretch in different planes. We reach, step, jump and place our body in positions in our sport that cannot be ignored.

What are the professionals saying?
Steve Kelly, who has spent many years at the NHL and European level has seen training change over the years. Heavy lifts and long runs were the norm! “The game of hockey has changed to quicker more agile players than it was 10 years ago. Explosiveness and quickness is a priority” One thing he wishes he would have paid more attention to in his earlier career is mobility & flexibility. Steve encourages parents to not push too much at a younger age! Let your child have fun!

Chris Osgood, Detroit Red Wings has also seen a huge change in training since his NHL career started. Lifting heavy and long runs were also the focus of programming. Training now incorporates mobility and flexibility in all planes of motion with an emphasis on the Power Center (hips/core).

Eric Godard, Pittsburgh Penguins credits injury prevention to a sound training program.
Being able to compete at your best each game is only possible by training smart! Eric also reminds kids to have fun. If you hate the training your passion for the game will drop.

Andrew Ference, Boston Bruins
Andrew points out that so much ability can be lost with overtraining. “Athletes who train twice a day or 7 days per week will completely burn out. Young kids really need guidance so they can learn what "smart" workouts really are and how often to be doing them. A great point for athletes is to get a better understanding of good fuel for your body as this gives you an edge on everyone!!”

If you are serious about your sport get serious about your training!
If you have any questions regarding this article please contact cattconditioning@yahoo.com

Stay Out of the Fridge You Fat Bastard

By Leigh Peele
Author of Body By Eats
Let’s be honest, sometimes you need tricks to help you get by. Sometimes you need more than just that inner will power to help get you through. Most days you are going to have that “screw it” attitude until it clicks. Until that point comes here are 5 things to put on your fridge to help.

#1) A lock
It doesn’t matter if you have a combination or a key lock because nothing brings the taste of failure more the 10 extra secs it will take to undo it.
I know a lot of psychologist and fitness people who say that kind of thinking is what leads to having a problem in the first place. However, I am of the camp that says that nothing about dieting should become a way of life. We are too caught up in dieting being a way of life. Eating good foods should be a way of life. Losing fat, should be a short term torture you never have to endure again.
Get in, get out, and get a lock.

#2) An ugly picture, of yourself
That’s right, I want you to take the fattest, bad lighting, gut hanging out picture of yourself and then plaster it right there on the front of your fridge. No flexing. No flattering outfit. Yes, you can remove the photo when company comes over, but other then this you need to let it be out there. If you have kids or a husband/wife and really can’t bare them seeing it, then put it in your visor, by your vanity, or somewhere where you will be reminded of what makes you unhappy. Understand that there is a constant and nagging reason of why you want to change. Do not live in denial, that is what got you here in the first place.

#3) A beautiful picture of yourself or someone you admire
I want you to see the bad, but I also want you to be reminded of the good or enlighten to what is possible. If it is of yourself then it isn’t just the body, it is the mindset you had while in that body. Most of the time it isn’t the body that we want, it is the life we lived while we had it. Most people can’t have a bad body and a good life. It isn’t something they can wrapped their heads around. If you have never had that at all, then find someone who represents it for you.

#4) A non-body goal
It can be a place you want to travel to, or a physical activity you want to achieve. Whatever it is, it needs to be a constant reminder of what lies ahead that doesn’t have anything to do with what you look like.

#5) The excuse sheet
Every time you break the rules, every time you break down and give in, you have to write down why it happened on your excuse sheet.
“I broke down and ate because I was sad.”“I broke down and ate because I was hungry.”“I broke down and ate because the game was on and I just wanted to have fun.”
All are excuses, all are things you are trying to justify to yourself. All are reasons why this is being drug out for weeks, months, and years longer than it has to. With the sheet you will start to see a pattern and maybe you can find a way to end some of the triggers of why you keep giving up on yourself.

You would think that with all the science and technology that fat loss would be so easy for so many people. Why does it seem to be so frustrating? Being involved in the fitness industry brings tons of frustration for myself! I can’t tell you how much crap I read, see or hear so how is the average individual supposed to know what’s correct?

Make is simple! Stop letting yourself get confused when you read the best way to lose fat or a great new workout routine. Or, a fabulous new diet in a magazine that promises you’ll lose 20 pounds in two months!
Fat loss is simple! It’s nothing new! Eat smaller portions with healthy choices! More fruit and vegetables and move your body! I know you have heard it before but you are the only one that can make changes.

What are you doing to move your body? What type of fitness program are you following? Most people I see in the gym are following the same program with no results! They are scared to increase intensity because it’s uncomfortable. Well, it’s time to get uncomfortable! Increasing your intensity and shortening your duration will increase fat loss! Slow and steady does not win the fat loss race! Full body movements that utilize tons of energy and as many muscles as possible. Drop the 5lbs bicep curls ladies and start lifting some serious weight! Get strong and powerful by lifting more challenging weight. Stop worrying about getting big and bulky muscles because it’s not going to happen!

When your nutrition is 80-90% proper choices you will lose weight. Don’t tell me you eat healthy and can’t lose weight, if this is your answer you are NOT eating healthy! It’s time to get real about nutrition and fitness and stop making excuses.

Think about the following from CATT Conditioning & since I love to laugh, this works well:
L-A-U-G-H

L - Learn! Learn as much as you can about health, fitness & nutrition. Arm yourself with education and you will succeed!

A – Attitude! Your attitude will make or break results! Stop dwelling on the bad choices and start NOW with healthy choices. You are your success!

U – Understand! If you do not understand the education you are gaining you will never understand WHY you cannot achieve your results!

G – Get Active! Sitting on your butt does nothing for health and fitness … period!

H – Hunger! When are you hungry? Why are you hungry? What are you hungry for? Control your hunger! Are you bored? Is it really time to fuel your body?