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*The title of this post is taken from the Eminem song of the same name*

Ken and I had this little joke when we first sat down to talk about his goals.

He has a build like a powerlifter. I have a build like a distance runner.

The joke?

He’s the runner. I hate running. Give me weights.

True to his build, Ken is strong as hell. For a guy who never really put much emphasis into lifting weights, he has a ton of natural strength that we’ve been working on.

However, he didn’t really start training with me to get stronger (although that wasn’t going to be a bad thing if he did.)

Like most of our clients, Ken started with me to lose weight.

Initially, he didn’t drop a lot. We were able to discuss some tips that might help him with his hectic work schedule and he made some changes but nothing too drastic. However, he stayed motivated to continue his workouts because of how he could see his strength levels improve.

He would see me twice a week for strength workouts and, when possible, get some additional cardio in on his alternate days.

Then one day he went out for a leisurely run outside of his home.

No more than 200 yards from home, he fell and accidentally broke his foot.

If memory serves, it was a Sunday morning.

Ken sent me a text as he was leaving the doctor’s office telling me the news.

My kneejerk reaction was to panic a bit. I felt like Ken was starting to get in a groove with the workouts and I really didn’t want him to lose momentum when it felt like he was about to turn a corner.

However, we came up with a game plan.

Even though he would be on crutches to get here, we were going to focus on upper body movements where Ken could at least feel productive and stimulate some muscle. We would work with whatever range of motion and limitations the doctors would give us.

In addition, Ken agreed to pull his caloric intake down even more since he wouldn’t have the option of cardio activity to assist with weight loss.

And what do you know: Ken started losing the weight that had alluded him before his fall.

Now, Ken is back in his normal shoes (with a slight limp), off his crutches and can include even more variety into his workouts.

If you let some fitness pictures and memes guide your motivation, it’s easy to find individuals who are handicapped to some degree and can still get in their workouts. The picture is normally followed by the question “If they can do it, what’s your excuse?”

I don’t really care for the tone of that question even though I know it probably comes from a place of genuine good. Rather than shame someone because of perceived excuses, I would much rather praise someone for committing to their goals.

What I will say is that somewhere along your journey you may get sidetracked by an injury. Some injuries worse than others. While the injury, in and of itself can be discouraging, remember to look at what you CAN do versus what you CAN’T.

Ken has had to temporarily give up one of his favorite exercise activities and is still seeing great results (and will continue to.)

Take a cue from Ken and the title of this post. Don’t back down. Re-align your focus. Concentrate on what you can control. Then control it.

Results will come. They don’t have to be traditional or orthodox. They just have to work for you.

In the meantime, expect more greatness from Ken.

We do.

2017 is here and Rog Law returns to the show! After turning in one of the most entertaining shows since I started (Episode 21), Rog kicks off the year in the best fashion. We talk about how 2016 ended for us and our clients and what 2017 has in store. While we do dial it down a notch from out last episode together, Rog explains why self-reflection and introspection may be the missing links to your success and ultimately what can help you accomplish more this year. To connect with Rog directly, check out http://www.roglawfitness.com To learn more about your host, visit http://www.jasonleenaarts.com Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

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*The title of this post is taken from the KC & The Sunshine Band song of the same name*

It was tempting to write a somewhat obligatory post about New Year, New You (yada yada) but I thought I might take a slightly different approach this time.

This is the time of year where, yet again, many will embark on their gym journey to “take better care of their health” “finally lose those stubborn pounds” “work off the holiday weight”, etc.

One thing that I tend to see a lot of starts from the ground up: with the shoes.

Here’s your handy disclaimer: I make no money off of endorsing any shoe brand and have no vested interest in any of them. I am also NOT a podiatrist.

That aside, I see all likes of shoes on the feet of my clients here at RevFit and while they all serve a purpose, they may not be best suited for the work you’ll do on a gym floor.

I thought I would take a few moments to discuss as simply as possible why you may want to put some more thought into your footwear before you begin your 2017 journey towards better health.

If you plan on running/jogging any distance beyond a mile, I would highly encourage you to go to a running specialty store and be evaluated for shoes based on your arch, gait, etc. While you will likely spend $100-150 for a proper pair, you will save yourself a great deal of anguish by wearing shoes suited just for you and designed for distance running. Bear in mind, there are shoes specifically for track running, trail running and street/treadmill running. It would behoove you to mention the type of running you are planning on doing when you speak to your shoe consultant.

If you happen to be a client of RevFit, come see me directly to hear about special pricing available to you at a local specialty shop.

However, what if you have no intention of running?

When you’re lifting weights, or more specifically: squatting, lunging, pulling weight from the floor (deadlifts or traplifts), you may be better served with a very flat pair of shoes.

You may notice that when you look at a running shoe, there can be a considerable amount of cushioning at the heel. This cushioning might be great for impact work (striking the ground when you run) but terrible for squatting, traplifting, etc.

The reason? Your body is trying to find stability in the cushioning and you might be setting yourself up for ankle, knee or hip problems.

If you’ve been following us on social media, I post a lot of pictures of people pulling a trapbar from the ground. Often, they are in their socks so I don’t have to worry about them dealing with the cushioning in their shoes. The general consensus is that most clients feel more stable and more in control of their lower body when they’re not competing with the “support” their shoes are offering.

While we’re okay with the sock approach here at RevFit, you may not have the same luxury if you train somewhere else. In this case, you may want to consider a minimalist shoe or something very flat like you might find with Converse, Vans, Puma or some Adidas shoes.

Ultimately, this post was written to give you some perspective on what you’re wearing so you have fewer instances of pain starting from the ground up. Many people come through our doors with any shoe that might qualify as a “sneaker” or “tennis shoe.” You’d be amazed at the amount of pain you can feel or even where you might feel pain begin simply because you went to the gym with the wrong shoes and tried to do too much with too little (or not enough.)

So, now that you’ve had a short tutorial on what to wear when you’re gym bound, get those boogie shoes on and get your work in.

Happy New Year from the RevFit family to yours!

(My current boogie shoes, the aforementioned Converse in leather as opposed to canvas.)

 

 

Lou Schuler is one of the most respected and widely published authors in the fitness industry. We talk about some of his bestselling works including the newest “Strong” (with Alwyn Cosgrove), “The New Rules of Lifting” series and his excellent work with Alan Aragon “The Lean Muscle Diet”. Lou shares some of his best practices and motivations for continuing to put out great work in an industry saturated with information. I can’t think of a better way to end an already great year than with a great guest like this one. To learn more about Lou, please visit http://www.louschuler.com To learn more about your host, check out http://www.jasonleenaarts.com Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

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*The title of this post was taken from the Nine Inch Nails song of the same name*

77 episodes and 22 articles and 1 book.

I believe that’s the content I’ve managed to push out over this past year.

77 podcast episodes between the work I do with my good friend, Blake Babcock, on Someone Has To Say It and my own show (Revolutionary You!) where I get the chance to speak to some of the brightest minds in health, fitness, wellness and personal improvement.

Along the way, I’ve tried my best to get out a new article every week since I transitioned my blogging efforts from http://www.revfittherapy.blogspot.com to http://www.jasonleenaarts.com You are more than welcome to visit the former site if you’d like to peruse more of what I’ve written in the past.

There’s also my first published book (The Revolution Is You!) which is available at Amazon or can be special ordered through your bookstore of choice.

I can comfortably say, it’s been quite a year.

I can’t go without mentioning my closed community on Facebook (Lean Arts-The RevFit Community) which has continued to morph and evolve since I started it in the fall of 2015. There you can find even more content, videos, memes, etc. Most importantly, it’s yet another place where I can celebrate the victories of my clients through every step of their relative journeys. Feel free to look us up on Facebook and get yourself added in.

I have ideas of where I want 2017 to go. I have at least the seeds of a vision.

But knowing myself, I’m sure there will be some winding detours and a couple of missteps because that, my friends, is life.

What I do know is that all of you (the readers, the fans, the clients, the vocal, the silent) have been in this with me to help shape it into something greater. Greater than anything I could have ever hoped for.

Business is booming at the Rev, the podcasts continue to be released, the book is still selling, pounds keep dropping. I love it.

As we round out 2016, I owe all of this to you. You help me improve so that I can help you improve. Funny how that works!

I hope that, by and large, your 2016 was as positive of a year for you as it was for me. Certainly there were some bumps and bruises that came along the way but that is to be expected. We all manage to endure and trudge forward.

So, as we pick ourselves up by the proverbial bootstraps and soldier on, I would like to extend yet another expression of gratitude for helping me get here.

I am very much looking forward to 2017 (with bells on, as they say.)

I hope that you are too.

As Trent Reznor so passionately sang in the song referenced in the title:

We’re In This Together.

 

I’m about to wrap up the year and I couldn’t do it without giving a bit of history to how and why the podcast started, what it’s been like and where it’s heading. Tune in to hear about the Top 5 most downloaded episodes and two honorable mentions because they got so close to the Top 5. If you’re a fan of Sarah Campbell, Evelyn Carbsane, Danny Lennon, Shon Christy, Dr. Karl Nadolsky, Leigh Peele, Ian Dunican, Dr. Garth Davis or Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, check this episode out to hear how their shows stacked up. This has been an amazing year for the show and I’m coming up on 52 weeks before we know it. To learn more about your host, please visit http://www.jasonleenaarts.com Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave an iTunes review.

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* The title of this post is taken from The Weeknd song of the same name*

2016 has been one hell of a year.

I mean that in the best way possible.

Personally and professionally, 2016 has been one of the most mind-blowing years I can recall.

In hindsight, I would love to point my finger in one place and say THAT’S the reason. But I can’t.

If you and I share any similarities, I have a lot of things in my life that I carry shame about. I have a lot of things I feel guilty about. I hesitate to say the word “regret” because while I have made an avalanche of mistakes, I know that regretting certain actions may negate the ability for me to learn from my mistakes and change them.

I have clients who feel generally ashamed for where they are with their physiques and their fitness goals. Maybe they’ve fought so hard and for so long to lose weight, that giving up and failing seem like second nature.

There are days when I feel (maybe) I don’t deserve to do work that I love. Maybe I need to keep sifting in that same bottomless pit of guilt and shame.

Why should I have something rewarding? What have I done to deserve that?

And sadly, the correlation to the client who feels they don’t deserve to feel healthier, look better, feel better naked, etc. is similar. The client who tells themselves: I deserve this misfortune. Who am I to be happy (or healthy?)

You and I, we’re not so different.

Maybe I’m stronger, maybe you’re shorter.

Maybe I am happier, maybe you have a nicer car.

Most of us have something that plants that voice in our head that says “You don’t deserve to succeed. You will always fail at (insert goal here.)”

I don’t agree.

You do deserve to succeed. I don’t care what you’ve been through. I don’t care who told you otherwise. They were wrong.

To paraphrase what I wrote in the introduction to my book (released earlier this year):

“I’ve been sexually abused, hospitalized multiple times for suicide attempts and suicidal ideation, and over-medicated for illnesses I didn’t actually have. When the pharmaceutical drugs failed to provide the relief I wanted, I transitioned to street drugs. On multiple occasions I’ve managed to dodge death and incarceration. I spent ten years addicted to drugs and fitness was the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The only person in charge of your success is you. Not your spouse, not your children, not your boss. Those people may play a role and influence certain paths but they don’t pull the trigger on your actions. You do.

2016 is coming to a close. I have watched people who came into RevFit with nothing but a trail of failures behind them. Kind of like me.

They are succeeding.

They are pulling the trigger on the right actions at the right times. Maybe that’s because there is someone here (me, Julie or Megan) who have faith in them and help to hold them accountable.

I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions but  I do believe in you.

That being said, it may take a “new year” before you have that same belief in yourself. That’s okay. I won’t judge you.

But please leave with this: If you want happiness, strive for it. Reach it.

If you want better health or to see the body that steps out of the shower and not grimace when you look at it, work for it. Achieve it.

No matter what you’ve done wrong you can change it and spark something positive. Can you pull a complete 180? I’m not sure.

But you sure as hell can get headed that direction.

You deserve that goal.

You earned it.

Now, go get it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Registered dietitian, Erin Schenkenberger, returns for a third round with me this week. In this episode, we highlight some case studies of clients we share and how her expertise has been able to help them get even better results. Erin’s wealth of knowledge and years of experience help her stand out from the crowd when food hype and misinformation is so prevalent. To connect with Erin directly, please visit http://www.nutritionexercisecounselor.com To learn more about your host, check out http://www.jasonleenaarts.com Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

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*The title of this post was taken from the Howlin’ Maggie song of the same name*

As with food, alcohol consumption is one thing I try not to tell people to do drastic bouts of elimination with. However, like food, alcohol can be a trigger for many people. As I’ve discussed in previous posts, many people just need to be shown what a measured portion of something looks like and they can keep it moderate in their diet to see their goals. Plus, the fact that they have not been denied something they enjoy helps keep them on track.

Others, go from one to multiple drinks in no time flat, racking up calories upon calories since they’re generally trying to eat in efforts to absorb the alcohol.

Or, maybe this sounds like a more common scenario: a drink when you get home from work (pre-dinner), another drink with dinner and then a nightcap.

Say hello to the extra 300+ calories you just consumed that weren’t food.

A refresher for those who need it, to get approximately 100 calories from a serving of alcohol you only need:

1.5 oz of liquor

4 oz of wine

12 oz of beer

Sounds somewhat harmless, right? Perhaps.

Bear in mind that many liquors will scale into the 125-150 calorie range for the same serving size. Wine can scale upwards of 250 calories for 4 oz (and you will almost ALWAYS get served far more than 4 oz at a wine bar or restaurant.) Craft beers can get you somewhere in the range of 250-500 depending on the amount of alcohol contained in the 12 oz size.

For another frame of reference, consider that many of the women we train at RevFit are aiming for somewhere between 1200-1400 calories per day total intake to lose weight. As you can see, the calories can slip by quickly if you’ve not been mindful of the food intake for the day.

So, does this mean you have to give it up altogether? Not necessarily.

Many dietitians will tell you that if your food has been in line for a given day, you can generally afford 10% of your daily intake to be whatever you want: chocolate, beer, candy, etc. Meaning: our ladies referenced above can choose around 120-140 calories (to meet the aforementioned totals) and consume what they like. I’ve grown pretty fond of Four Roses bourbon over the last couple of years but I would be considered a lightweight when it comes to my alcohol consumption. I’m generally a one serving guy and that tends to suit me fine.

Your safest bet?

Make sure you’re hitting your calorie goal first. Then see what the liquids you’re consuming are doing to change your overall totals. While you don’t have to completely abstain to see results, many people get to their goals quicker if they are able to minimize their alcohol intake until the scale starts to behave.

Cue to the shot of me with my little man (who is far from drinking age.) 🙂

 

 

Jonathan Pietrunti returns to the show to chat more about mindset and being clearer about reaching your goals. We discuss why New Year’s Resolutions are typically the wrong outlook with typically disappointing results. Jonathan shares some of his best tactics that he uses with his clients through Complete Human Performance and shows you how you can be more in control of the outcomes you really want. To connect with Jonathan, you can find him at http://www.facebook.com/jonnypietrunti or http://www.thatgreyarea.com To learn more about your host, please visit http://www.jasonleenaarts.com Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

iTunes OR Stitcher OR iHeartRadio