What I learned at PHAT camp

Hi All!

It has been forever since I have posted on the blog! My apologies!! I seem to be balancing work, school and life a bit better now and I hope to post regularly again.

This past weekend I went to PHAT camp with Jen Hendershott. Feel free to check out her website www.getphatwithjen.com. I got some awesome new exercise and workout ideas. Here are some other things I took out of the camp.

1) YOLO
You Only Live Once
I really realized how short life is and how important it is to enjoy every bit of it :)
I feel extremely fortunate for the way I am able to live my life. If you are unhappy with your life you NEED to make a change. Change whatever it is that is causing you unhappiness - because you only live once.
Also, it is so important to express how you feel about your friends and family on a regular basis. You never know when their or your last day will come.

2) Success/Failure in Fitness
I listened to a lot of women this weekend discuss why they are not meeting their fitness goals. I think for a lot of us it boils down to a couple things. The first is we don't really want to meet those fitness goals. For example, I would love to look like Jen Hendershott, however, I also really really love going out for supper, drinking the odd beer, and occasionally devouring a plate of nachos. In the long run, I am not willing to make the sacrifices it takes to have a body like Jen Hendershott. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I just have to know that there is no magic way for me to change my body without putting the work in.
The other reason main reason I think people do not meet their fitness goals is because they sabotage themselves. It is so much easier to sabotage yourself and have an excuse for failing then to try your hardest and still fail. We are scared to jump in with two feet and really commit to our goal. Before tackling a fitness goal we need to have a clear plan and support system in place in order for us to really jump in and reach success.

3) Self-esteem
One of the most shocking parts of PHAT camp was hearing the answers to the question "Using one word describe yourself naked". I would say approximately 80-90% of women answered a negative word like gross, fat, ugly, etc. That is HORRIBLE! In order for you to really achieve your health and fitness goals you need to love yourself. I don't care what you look like naked - you need to love your body regardless of the shape and size. Absolutely, you may have areas you want to change or improve but please do me a favor and don't focus in on those areas. When you look in the mirror naked please remember to look at the whole person. Don't zone in on your flabby belly or thighs. Unfortunately, media portrays this impossible figure to idolize and it is seriously hurting the self esteem of women.
I have to be completely honest. It has taken me a very long time to love my body. I hated being naked - especially near mirrors or other people. I would look straight at my "problem area" and just immediately feel uncomfortable and ugly. I have now begun to realize that I should not worry so much about my "problem area" and just be happy and comfortable in my own skin. Portia de Rossi was 90lbs and still felt she had fat thighs! No matter how much weight or toning you do, you will always perceive yourself to have a "problem area". Accept, love and celebrate your body for what it is. I am willing to bet someone out there is willing to trade everything for a body like yours.

4) Who I am as a trainer
I feel I now have a better understand of who I am as a personal trainer.
- Safety comes first when exercising
- I am surprisingly opinionated on a lot of issues and I typically do not voice my opinion
- I feel it is important to push people but not so hard that they are miserable and don't want to come back. This can be misinterpreted as being too nice.
- I don't yell at people, I encourage people. I expect participants to use their own determination to get through an exercise or workout
- I am sometimes frustrated that I can only do bootcamp 2 times a week. I would love to do it more often so you have a better chance of meeting your goals. However, so much of it boils down to diet - and I can't hang out at your house and feed you. So, if you have a goal the work has to come from YOU
- I will never do the same workout twice. I also try to come up with one new exercise each session (after 3 years of bootcamp this is getting difficult).
- I will always believe in you and be here to help. I feel like I am not only your trainer but your friend.

Overall, I had a great weekend at PHAT camp and I'm looking forward to bootcamp tonight :)