Coughlin Inner Circle

Getting Out of Your Slump

I started training a client the other day for the first time in over a month. 

The reason for his hiatus was because he was visiting family and he had also injured his back playing tennis. 

This guy somehow always finds a way to injure himself when we aren’t training.

Anyway, I noticed he had gained about 5-10 pounds since I last saw him…

“I’ve been really bad.” He said, looking guilty as h*ll.

“Really…How so?” I asked.

“Well, where do I begin?  I’m having issues with my work, my family and I just haven’t been myself lately.  My mental focus sucks which is causing me to ditch my cardio, eat like crap and…your gonna hate this one…start to drink again.” 

“What makes matters worse is my girlfriend doesn’t hold me accountable and just tells me I’m beautiful and I look fine the way I am.”

He then lifted up his shirt and said “Look at this fat belly, how can THIS be beautiful!”

I looked at him square in the eye and said “It’s ok John…here’s what you’re gonna do."

“Your gonna start to do intense cardio again... everyday for 1 hour.”

“Your gonna start to eat healthy again.  I want you to eat nothing but fruits, vegetables and lean meats…The starches (bread, pasta) are going to have to take a back seat.  The alcohol has to stop and I want you to be drinking water all day long.”

“Also, for our strength training we’re going to go back to bands and body weight calisthenics and also incorporate some aerobic conditioning as well.”

…he paused for a moment.

“Alright, let’s do it!”

The next training session I saw him, I noticed he had done 2 HOURS the day after our previous workout session and his nutrition was impeccable…he was back!

Now, the reason I’m telling you this is because, everyone goes through slumps.  Time and again everyone experiences something that makes them stray from being healthy. 

These things happen. 

You may have been going through problems with your job, fighting with your family or anything that may be negative….These things do come up, BUT you should not let them control you!

To get out of your slump…be honest with yourself.

I know some of you may not have a personal trainer to keep you accountable, but that matters not. 

You may not be an expert, but you know how to exercise.  You know how to eat healthy.  The information for this stuff is available anytime you want it. 

If you’re in John’s position, get out a piece of paper and spend 10-15 minutes writing down things you want to change about yourself. 

Be specific as possible.  Here, I’ll even get you started.

I want to have…
I want to look…
I want to feel…
I want to be…

YOU know what you want.  No one else in this world knows yourself better than you.

Once you’re done…take action and make a plan to do it.

Congratulations!  You’re officially out of your slump.  Until next time train hard and train smart.

Best,

Jim Coughlin

Personal Training vs. Gastric Bypass Surgery

I’ve been meaning to get this to you for the past couple days but my schedule has been a little chaotic to say the least.

Of course it’s my fault.

Einstein here (me) decided to start personal training full-time again (30 sessions a week + driving), in addition to babysitting 60 trainers, hiring more trainers, exercising, working on a book, taking dozens of phone calls and sending dozens of emails to present and potential clients ev-ery day…so you could say I’m a just little busy!

I’m not complaining though…this is what I want…there’s no point living your life if you’re not challenged…Right?

Anyway, on to my latest words of wisdom...

I was talking to a client the other day and she was telling me about someone she knew who was contemplating gastric bypass surgery.

She told me that she was 230 pounds (100 pounds overweight) and she had tried EVERYTHING.

Hold up...Everything?  Let’s go down the possible list.

She’s probably tried every diet under the sun...

She’s probably bought every gadget/contraption known to man...

She’s probably joined numerous gyms but ended up quitting after a month or two...

There are many other things they she may or may have not tried...but why in the world would she even consider gastric bypass surgery?

I’m sure you’ve heard the many success stories that have evolved from this latest quick fix miracle such as “Al Roker” of NBC, “Randy Jackson” of American Idol, “Carnie Wilson” of former female trio Wilson Phillips and many others all praising their weight loss results.

But what you don’t hear is that they now can’t enjoy their food because there stomach has been reduced from size of a football to an egg.

You don’t hear that the surgery costs between $15,000 and $20,000. (I know this is nothing to celebrities...but to the average American...alota dough)

You don’t hear that the surgery risks include bleeding, infections, and other respiratory problems.

You don’t hear that the procedure requires a 3-4 day hospital stay.

You don’t hear it might be difficult to eat anything without feeling uncomfortably full, because your stomach is still very tender.

You don’t hear it will take six to eight weeks before you are able to digest complex carbohydrates and protein without vomiting.

You don’t hear that it will be difficult for you to digest large amounts of fat, alcohol, or sugar. (Not that you should…but in moderation)

You don’t hear that most patients ONLY lose an average of 10 pounds per month, and reach a stable weight 18 months after surgery.

AND last but certainly not least... in some cases many clients GAIN THEIR WEIGHT BACK EVEN AFTER SURGERY!!!

I could give you dozens more reasons but hopefully I’ve convinced you…Gastric Bypass Surgery is NOT a good idea to lose weight...PERIOD!

Instead of the lady I mentioned earlier or anyone you know that is in the process of even considering this procedure or in my opinion - possible death sentence - why not hire one of my trainers first…

I’ll give you a couple reasons why…ok, maybe more than a couple...

You’ll Lose Weight the Right way NOT  quick or dangerously!

You’ll improve your Nutrition NOT completely avoid it!

You’ll Increase Endurance...

You’ll Increase Muscle Definition...

You’ll Improve Muscle Imbalances...

You’ll Increase Flexibility...

You’ll Decrease Risk of Injury...

You’ll Improve Coordination & Balance...

You’ll Increase Metabolism...

You’ll Improve Overall Health...

You’ll Increase Strength...

You’ll Decrease Body Fat...

You’ll Improve Posture...

You’ll Strengthen Lower Back...

You’ll Increase Bone Density...

You’ll Decrease Risk Of Diseases...

You’ll Increase Cardiovascular-Endurance...

You’ll Get rid of Aches & Pains...

You’ll improve Motivational Habits...

You’ll Improve Confidence & Self-Esteem...

You’ll Improve Sleep...

You’ll improve your sex life...

And I could keep going...Bottom Line: Personal Training kicks Gastric Bypass Surgery’s arse six ways from Sunday for getting you the body and most importantly the life you want!!

Click this link for living proof as to why my procedure is far superior to the gastric bypass procedure – http://www.fitnessandresults.com/testimonials.php

Yours in Total Fitness & Maximum Success,

Jim Coughlin

P.S. Again, if you know anyone who is gonna get this done...please refer them to me and I promise one of my trainers or myself will change their life!!

How To Break Free From The Dreaded Plateau

Anyone who exercises regularly is familiar with the term “plateau.”  And if you aren’t…its real simple…it means you “ain’t getting results because your body has adapted to your current program.”

When I first began training I was under the impression that my clients would get results at first, but then, through some cosmic force would inevitably hit a plateau as many trainers and clients had previously told me…and there was nothing I could do about it.

Well, pardon my French, but this is a bunch of B.S.!

Why?

Because the only way you “plateau” with your program is if you ALLOW yourself to.

If you aren’t getting stronger, if you aren’t losing inches, if you don’t have more energy, if you aren’t seeing muscle definition, basically anything pertaining to where you want to be with your fitness program…

It’s because something YOUR doing…NOT what your program is doing for you!

You can easily break free from this by being proactive about the situation.

I know I am.  When I train my clients I ALWAYS change their exercise routines every 3 sessions.  I know it does two things.  One, ensure my clients are always interested in their training.  Two and most importantly…always ensure that they are getting results!

Here are some things that I do…and I’m positive they will work for you. 

Please note that the following pertains to strength training.  It already assumes that you are eating healthy and you’re doing progressive cardio exercise.

I always write everything down. 

This is crucial because I always make sure a client is either doing more repetitions (generally 12-25 reps) or more resistance (weight) than they have done previously.  I don’t care if client does a quarter of a rep more on their last session…it gets documented. 

Like I’ve told you before, if you aren’t writing things down…you can kiss your results good-bye…you will not know where you left off…hence, you will not know where you’re going.  Everything you do must be written down.

Always change your type of strength training resistance whenever you decide to change up your program.

For example, if you are currently on machines, change to cables, then free weights, then body-weight calisthenics, then elastic bands, then isometric training and so on and so on.   H*ll, you can even try incorporating cardio into your routine.  Be creative.  The possibilities ARE truly endless!

I promise if you do this, your body will NEVER adapt or “plateau.”  It will always be guessing what’s coming next.  It will always be off balance.  And to get killer results, that’s what you want!

Want proof?

One of my best clients…Nancy Runnings, has been training with me for over a year and til this very day is sore after her workouts because I constantly change up her program.  (This means her body is constantly being tested and challenged.) 

Though, being sore is not the only thing she has experienced…she has dropped almost 80 pounds!  (Her testimonial is on my site)  Her body fat percentage is now 20-24% and she just competed in a triathlon!  Unbelievable…she is the reason why I do what I do!

Yes, she has eaten healthy and yes, she has done cardio almost everyday. 

But she would not have experienced the results she did if it weren’t for her strength training routine constantly being varied.  This stuff works and always will.

I know you’ve heard this many times…but it bears repeating…Nancy is no different then you.  All she did was make a decision to change.  That’s it.  You can do the same.

So let’s recap. 

In order to avoided that pesky plateau.  Always change your routine a minimum of every 2-3 weeks.  Always document your workouts and last but certainly not least, be sure to change your type of resistance when strength training.

I wish you all the best,

Jim Coughlin

The Quickest and Easiest Way To Change Up Your Program

When I first started in the fitness industry I was your typical trainer at the gym.  I would basically hold my client’s hands through a “bunch of machines.” 

Even though my clients got results, I knew there had to be a lot more involved with guiding them with strength training.

I soon discovered bodyweight calisthenics and how powerful they can be.  After that it was bands/elastic tubing training.  I then started to incorporate cardio conditioning into my routines. 

Before I knew it, I was getting really creative, and started to use my own strength against a client’s.  This is known as manual resistance and has proven to be an excellent way to help people become leaner and stronger!  (Clients really hate that one) 

Eventually I started to feel like I was more of a complete trainer.  I was no longer one-dimensional.  I could teach my clients a variety of training techniques that they could implement with or without a gym and continue see awesome results.

Today, I still use all the same fundamental techniques but the one model I use is something I have ignored for years.  I always thought it was irrelevant and didn’t think it to be very effective. 

Well, I was wrong because this type of training was not only effective but can also be integrated with any program!

What is this type of training you ask?

It’s called Isometric training. 

And folks this is by far the quickest and easiest way to change up your program regardless of what you’re doing.  Whether you’re currently using free weights, bands, machines or whatever …isometric training possibilities are endless.

So what is Isometric training?

Isometric training refers to strength training that involves no movement.  So any exercise you do requires you holding the body in a static position without contracting the muscles up or down.

For example, I’m sure you are familiar with a squat.

With a squat you descend with your legs until your thighs are parallel with the floor.  Instead of returning to a standing position, you simply hold for a continued period of time.  The duration of time could be 5, 10, 15…or even 60 seconds!

And that’s the beauty of isometrics…you don’t have to do a typical workout of 8 exercises doing 3 sets of 12 to 20 repetitions while basically holding each rep for 1 second at a time.  I’m not saying that’s not effective.  Just don’t be afraid to expand your horizons.

You could do 10 exercises and hold each movement for 30-60 seconds at a time and…Voila…you have another different program that gives you kick butt results!

Give isometric training a try…I promise your body will notice the difference. 

Have a great weekend!

Yours in Total Fitness & Maximum Success,

Jim Coughlin