Every decade is remembered for some sort of great movement or revolution; your role in history is greater than you might realize. You, and the message you send the world, matter. We are living in a society obsessed with weight loss, yet miserably unhealthy. Our culture has a toxic relationship with food and a warped perspective on
BODY WEIGHT IDENTITY
The number on the scale can be a haunting thing. Irrationally, it can woo you down a path of misplaced identity, inexplicable insecurities, and self-berating. I battled this body-weight / body-image identity struggle for much of my life, and my experience is exactly what compelled me to make the Fitness Industry my career. I only hope that
APPLE-ORANGE TWISTS
Have you ever seen an apple-orange twist? I have. They are everywhere. We are all these apple-oranges — all very special blends of unique combinations that stem from both our nature and our nurture. Interestingly enough, we too often get caught up in comparing apples to oranges, wishing we were either one or the other, when in actuality, we
WASHBOARD ABS
My dad loves sending me forwarded email chains, comics, and political jokes. I get a few from him throughout the week and about a dozen from him over the weekend; it’s a great father-daughter way to connect and laugh together even though we are apart. This comic strip was his weekend submission and is most
ZUMBA: MEET TRISH. TRISH: ZUMBA.
Zumba and I became friends yesterday. After three years of denial and avoidance of the Group Exercise studio, I tested the waters of the fitness craze called Zumba that has seized the nation. Caffeinated to the max, and accompanied by my brave co-workers Dina and Erin, I put on my dancing shoes. Carlos, our instructor,
PAINFUL PLEASURE
Pain is a funny thing. No one wishes it upon themselves, but life isn’t life without it. I just spent the past three hours doubled-over from unexplainable stomach spasms; the pain was paralyzing and excruciating. I typically get one of these “attacks” once a year and they always bring to me to tears, making me
25 MPH WITH JINGLE BELLS
Our lives move at a constant 85 mph. It is a pace of life that is adulated by American society for its efficiency, productivity, and ability to “do it all” in one day. The sad truth is that 85 mph is a speed which prevents us from really living. Someone told me this weekend that
WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER
I heard a story today from someone who once worked at a gas station in South Carolina. At this gas station, the owner only used one type of gasoline: the cheapest. He put this unleaded fuel into all pumps and labeled them unleaded, regular and premium, and for an entire summer, he maximized on people’s
LAUNCHING FAILURE FOR SUCCESS
I know someone who did 1,000+ pull-ups yesterday, a feat I deemed impossible. Adam Chaney, a trainer on my staff, loves a good challenge. He master challenges however only because he gladly embraces the prospect of failure. Before Chaney started the day-long venture of doing 1,000 pull-ups, he accepted the possiblity that he might only complete 700 or 800, and
ANTICIPATION, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AND HUNGRY BEARS
I can’t wait until next Saturday…but I have to. Anticipation and excitment tempt me to wish my week away, but I am going to fight to hold on to the present. I’ve spent all year training hard to look my best for Saturday, November 13th, the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, Florida. I traveled to Scotland