Archives for 2019

2019 Christmas Fitness Shopping Guide

December 18, 2019 By

Hello and happy holidays! We are just one week away from Christmas and a mere two weeks away from 2020!

How about that!

Anyhow, just in case you haven’t completed your shopping and are a little stuck as to what to get that special someone, I thought I’d give you a few suggestions.

Let’s get started!

The F*ck It Diet Book

Castro Valley Fitness gift ideas

Click for Amazon link

If you know someone (or maybe are someone) who has been on and off diets and is pretty frustrated with the whole thing, or someone who is realizing that there must be more to life than constantly trying to get smaller, or someone who should understand that their value in this world should be tied to more than just their physical appearance, than this is the book for them (or you).

This is simply the best book I’ve read about the entire culture behind dieting, how unhealthy it all is and most importantly, how to get away from it. It’s a great audio book, too.

Simply put, if losing weight or body image has been an issue for anyone you know, PLEASE get them this book.

Hamlet

Click for Amazon link

Yes, I know this isn’t a fitness related item, but you need some culture and you need it way before the hurley-burley is done! Besides Hamlet contains one of the greatest quotes ever:

“…for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” (Act 2, scene 2, lines 268-270)

Whenever you start talking about “good” or “bad” foods please remember this line. The Bard knew what was up!

You Know Who I Am!

Mobilitywod Supernova Massage Ball

Click for Rogue Fitness Link

This is one of the most popular things at our gym. People use it on their hips, glutes and shoulders. Someone borrowed for it for a couple of days once and it nearly caused an riot!

It comes in two sizes and is a fantstic addition to a foam roller for anyone who has a little tightness or pain is the areas I mentioned.

Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs

Click to donate

At Castro Valley Fitness we love our pets.

Big time!

If you’re looking to be a little charitable this holiday season Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs is a wonderful organization that needs all the help they can get. They specialize in finding homes for dogs that may have some issues, whether it be medical, age related, or behavioral that make it hard to find homes.

For example, at our fundraiser for them last July, everyone fell in love with Blossom, who is completely blind and incredibly sweet.

That’s Blossom!

One look at their site NobodysPerfektDogs.org and I guarantee you will fall in love!

Lifting Belt

Click for Link

This is a little more specialized gift. A lifting belt is great for anyone who really wants to push the numbers on their lifts. It’s not going to help anyone who doesn’t really know how to use one, so your friend may benefit from some coaching even more than a belt if they’re not already getting some, but if you know someone who really wants to get their squat and/or deadlift weights higher, a belt can be a big help!

Their are lots of brands to choose from, but I happen to like Inzer. I recommend the single-prong, 10mm belt.

Well, those are some suggestions in case you need an idea. If you need some more please feel free to drop me an email and I’ll do my best to help.

This will be my last post until 2020 so please have yourself a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, Egoscue PAS, PN Level 2 Lean Eating Coach
Castro Valley Fitness
2861 Grove Way
510-755-9191
Mitch@CastroValleyFitness.com

 

 

 

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An Exercise For Your Hips, Knees and Back

December 10, 2019 By

This is one of those exercises that can look pretty easy but that doesn’t mean that it is.

This one move can help strengthen your hips, glutes, hamstrings and core and that can help your knees, back and hips feel a heck of a lot better!

Take a look and let me know what you think.

Castro Valley Fitness
2861 Grove Way
mitch@castrovalleyfitness.com
510-755-9191

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The Film That Changed My Life

December 3, 2019 By

Sometimes you see something that says it all.

Something that strikes you differently, even though you may have seen it before.

Buddha is credited with coining the phrase, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” I have had occasion many times in my life to believe in the truth behind Buddha’s statement.

I had another occasion over the Thanksgiving holiday as I watched a movie I’ve seen many times, first when it was released over the summer of 2008.

It even contains one of my very favorite quotes. (I’ll let you know what it is later.) As I watched, it struck me how deep, meaningful and enlightening this film really is.

I am talking of course about the brilliant “Kung Fu Panda”.

The film that can change your life

If you haven’t seen it, let me quickly describe the plot.

Po, a rather clumsy and rotund Panda bear is an avid fan of Kung Fu and especially of history’s finest Kung Fu team, the Furious Five. When Po hears an announcement that the true Dragon Warrior will be chosen, he obviously assumes it will be one of the Furious Five. The Dragon Warrior will be allowed to learn the ultimate secret to Kung Fu power by reading the secret Dragon Scroll.

Through a crazy series of events Po, who has never learned Kung Fu, is chosen as the Dragon Warrior. He must now train to defeat the evil and powerful Tai Lung, who desires nothing more than to read the scroll and become the Dragon Warrior himself.

No one, least of all Po himself, believes he is capable of defeating Tai Lung until he finally understands what the Dragon Scroll has told him. In an incredible battle he defeats Tai Lung, saves China and gains the respect of his Master and the Furious Five!

IT IS AWESOME!!!

So how can this movie change your life? Here are three lessons the great “Kung Fu Panda” can teach you.

1) Do what works for you.

When Po is declared the Dragon Warrior he is a complete beginner at Kung Fu. His teacher, Master Shifu, attempts to teach him Kung Fu the same way he taught the Furious Five. It doesn’t work. After all, how could you expect to teach Kung Fu to a panda the same way you’d teach a tiger, a crane, a snake, a mantis or a monkey? That’s silly isn’t it?

It’s only after Master Shifu figures out how to teach to Po’s individual strengths that he really starts becoming the warrior we know is inside him!

The Lesson: We all have strengths, weaknesses and situations that are unique to us. The situation of a working mother with 2 kids that take dance lessons and play soccer is a lot different than that of a 22 year old who works part time and goes to school. When people don’t take these types of things into account it can lead to problems.

2) Go to work.

The big turning point in the movie occurs when Po’s father (a noodle shop owner who is, curiously, a goose) tells him the secret ingredient in his special “Secret Ingredient” soup. Do you want to know what it is?

Nothing.

There isn’t one.

This brings us to the quote I told you about earlier:

The Lesson: Everything you need is inside you. There isn’t any special diet, workout or supplement that is going to get you what you want. It’s got to come from you. You know if you’re really working hard. You know if you’re really engaging with the lessons that are being taught. You’ve got to do the work and stop expecting shortcuts.

3) Accept who you are. 

This falls in line with the first two lessons. Once Po realizes that everything he needs is already in him, he fights Tai Lung using the unique strengths he has. He’s no longer trying to be anyone other than himself AND HE’S KICKING A$$!!!!

He finally accepts that he’s a Panda and everything that goes with it.

The final straw is when Tai Lung, who is starting to realize he can’t win, desperately exclaims, “You can’t defeat me! You’re just a big fat panda!”

In response Po shoots back, “I’m not A big fat panda. I’m THE big fat panda!” and delivers the final knockout blow.

The Lesson: The only way to grow and achieve what you really want is to accept who you are. That doesn’t mean you are satisfied, but it does acknowledge your situation, your strengths and weaknesses, and if you actually take the time to think about it (and you need to) it clarifies your values!

It’s also incredibly empowering! How do you think Po felt when he said that?

He feels like a BADA$$!!

It’s only once you accept who you are, that you can truly start to feel the same.

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, Egoscue PAS, PN Level 2 Lean Eating Coach
Castro Valley Fitness
2861 Grove Way
510-755-9191
Mitch@CastroValleyFitness.com

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November Member of the Month – Lenese Ross

November 27, 2019 By

It is our pleasure to recognize Lenese Ross as the CV Fitness Member of the month.

Lenese has been a member of CVF for two years.  She is a Nurse Educator at Kaiser Permanente.  She likes gardening and traveling – she visited Rome and Paris this year.

Her original goal was to do something different than what she could do at 24-Hour Fitness.  She wants to lose weight and gain muscle definition.  Since joining CVF she feels stronger and is making progress towards that muscle definition.  She has more energy and is able to spend more time gardening.

She likes the custom workouts based on her goals and the personal attention she receives in smaller training sessions.

The three words Lenese uses to describe her experience at CVF are “personalized”, “fun” and “challenging”.

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IT’S TIME TO PANIC!!!

November 20, 2019 By

OK. Next week is Thanksgiving. A few weeks after that is Christmas. The week after that is New Years Day.

IT IS CLEARLY TIME TO PANIC!!! 

ALL THE FOOD AND FAMILY AND COMMITMENTS AND STRESS AND SHOPPING AND PARTIES AND STRESS AND COOKIES AND STRESS AND THINGS TO DO!!!!!

As a personal trainer who has worked with hundreds of people over this time of year I am going to tell you that what you’re about to go through over the next six weeks is inhuman. There is no way out. You will feel stressed out. Terrible. Horrible. Like your head is about to explode. Like there is no end to the calorie laden, sugar-filled sweets that will literally be shoved down your throat unceasingly.

You will feel this way because it is the truth. You might as well face it. You will spend the rest of your life trying to recover from the damage that you will endure.

Of course I’m joking, but every year I do hear some version of what I wrote. I know this can be a stressful time of year for a number of reasons but I hope that at the end of it you can look back and realize that you enjoyed and appreciated it. We only get a certain amount of these, you know.

Let me give you three quick tips to help you with that.

  1. Breathe. If you find yourself starting to spin out of control take a step back, notice how you feel, know that it’s OK, and take just a few minutes to breathe and think about nothing else other than that. I know this isn’t easy to remember to do in those stressful times, but if you do it will make a huge difference. I promise you.
  2. Exercise. This is the time of year when people start skipping their workouts. I get it, there’s a lot to do. In January, though, I start to see the people that skipped workouts really regret it. Study after study shows that exercise is one of the best ways you can combat stress. Just do what you can. 15 minutes is better than nothing. Put it on your schedule and DON’T BREAK THAT APPOINTMENT WITH YOURSELF!
  3. Eat. Don’t be the person at the dinner table talking about how much cardio you have to do to pay for that extra helping of stuffing. Just eat and enjoy yourself. I personally plan on eating an entire 9×13 pan of pumpkin bread pudding with caramel sauce, Tillamook Vanilla Ice Cream (the creamiest ice cream I’ve found) and whipped cream. And that’s before I get to the Apple Pie!
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The Last Few Weeks At Castro Valley Fitness…

November 6, 2019 By

It’s been a hectic few weeks here at Castro Valley Fitness. Like everyone else we’re starting to get ready for the holidays. People are working hard at the gym.

We are pretty busy here, as I’m sure you are with your life, and when you’re busy, sometimes it can be hard to take a step back and see some things that have been going on.

Here is a short list of things some of our members have told me over the past few weeks:

  • One of our members remarked how much more stable she felt as she went on some long hikes over a weekend trip
  • One of our members told me that this was the best he’s ever felt and the most consistent he’s ever been with any kind of exercise
  • One of our members said that she was able to run 10 gates to catch a flight after her connecting flight landed 45 minutes late
  • One of our members told me she was better able to pick up her child
  • One of our members tripped over something in her kitchen and fell pretty hard sliding across her floor. She was able to get right back up with just a few bruises to show for it

I think we can all agree that the ability to do all these things is pretty good. It’s empowering. These are the kinds of things we can point to as being conducive to living a better and fuller life.

I want to point out one more thing.

None of these things is about losing weight.

Please let that sink in.

Yes it’s true that being better able to do some of these things might result in weight loss, but if weight loss is your main focus then I believe you are missing the proverbial forest through the trees.

weight loss misses the forest through the trees

I don’t see a scale in this picture

What I mean is that if your only focus is a number some appliance tells you then you’re missing what really matters. Being able to enjoy a trip, being able to avoid injury, being able to play with your kids or grandkids. Aren’t all these things more important?

If so, why do so many of us let that number determine how we feel about ourselves and our progress? Does that seem healthy?

Is it healthy that we tell ourselves losing weight is good for us only to feel shame and stress every time we eat?

Is it OK that we’re made to feel like failures when we don’t lose weight as easily as the model in that Facebook post or magazine article tells us we should?

Does it seem right that we can live better, fuller and more vital lives and still feel we haven’t accomplished anything because of what our scale tells us?

I don’t think any of those things feel right or healthy at all. Not in the slightest.

Now this is the part when I challenge you to try something. I want you to try and adjust your thinking a little bit. Instead of your success being determined by an external force (your scale) I want you to go a little deeper.

I want you to think about what you really want. What will mean something to you and allow you to live that more vital life we’re talking about.

Is it

  • being able to walk longer distances
  • having more energy to play with your kids or grandkids
  • feeling less pain
  • getting stronger so you can remain independent

or is it something else entirely?

Whatever it is, I’m sure that losing weight isn’t at the core of what you really want.

So I’ll ask you one more time:

What do you really want?

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, PAS, PN Level 2
Castro Valley Fitness
2861 Grove Way
510-755-9191
Mitch@CastroValleyFitness.com

 

 

 

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October Member of the Month – Carla Francis

October 29, 2019 By

It is our pleasure to recognize Carla Francis as the CV Fitness Member of the Month.  Carla has been a member for a year and a half.  She joined CVF because she thought about doing personal training, saw the gym while filling up her car and came in to see what CVF was all about.  Her goals were to build strength, power and endurance so she could play Racquet Ball with men.

Since joining CVF she finds her strength and endurance has increased — she’s faster on the court.  There are others she plays with who have commented on how much faster she has become. She has better reaction and movement to the ball.  She used to have monthly Micro Fascial treatments and those are no longer needed. She finds her balance is better and it’s easier to walk upstairs.

Carla is one busy person…..not only does she do personal training, she plays Racquet Ball (both in Singles and Doubles Leagues) and competitive Bridge twice a week – sometimes all on the same day!  In additional to her Leagues, she plays in monthly Racquet Ball tournaments. She also participates in four Regional Bridge tournaments and one National tournament each year.

Her goal is to continue her very busy life style for as long as possible and to make it past a 195lb deadlift.

The three words Carla uses to describe her experience at CVF are “consistency”, “improvement” and “community”.

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What Pain Can Do For You – Video

October 21, 2019 By

I’m going to challenge you a little today. I know many people suffer from chronic pain. Back, knee, shoulder, hip. Most people’s reaction when they feel pain is to back away to avoid it.

That’s understandable. Pain hurts! It’s not comfortable. The thing is, though, that pain is telling us something and if we don’t listen it will be back!

I want to give you a different way to look at pain that may help you get rid of it. Not just right now but for good! After all, isn’t that the goal?

Let me know if you need help figuring out your pain.

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, FMS, Egoscue PAS

Castro Valley Fitness

2861 Grove Way

5120-755-9191

Mitch@CastroValleyFitness.com

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3 Exercises You Shouldn’t Do After 50

October 8, 2019 By

I know what you’re saying.

“I thought Mitch hated these kinds of articles!”

You’re right. I do. I even wrote a post about how much I hate them just two weeks ago:

3 Exercises (Almost) Everyone Should Do

I got you curious, though!

The truth is there ARE some exercises that you shouldn’t do after 50. It’s just that they’re not the kinds of exercises you might normally think of.

The kinds of exercises I’m talking about are ones that really do some long-term damage. In some cases  it may be irreparable unless some pretty strong action is taken.

Let’s get to it.

1- Complaining about your age. 

Do you know how often I hear someone tell me that some ache or pain is because of their age? All the time.

I rarely hear anything so deflating and disempowering. It would be one thing if it were correct, but it almost never is.

I’ll say it again:

It would be silly of me to say that age has no physical effect on our body, but that effect is incredibly overstated the vast majority of the time.

Here’s the deal: If you take care of your body it will take care of you. End of story.

Train to get stronger (yes, stronger) and get your mindset right and you’ll find it amazing how little age matters anymore. (I’m talking to you backs, knees and shoulders!)

Don’t be like Abe

2- Worrying about what you ate last night/weekend.

Why is it that people seem to think it’s not ok to enjoy what you eat? All we hear from the media is how overweight we are as a society and I hear from people all the time that stress big-time over what they should and do put in their mouths.

Let me suggest something a little crazy here.

All that stress is worse for you than eating a cookie. Or a little ice cream. Or a piece of bread.

Let me suggest something even crazier.

If you continue to deny and demonize these foods you are much likelier to experience a pretty big backlash from yourself when you inevitably eat 1 or, more likely, 10 of them.

That backlash is going to be mainly mental and, like number 1 on our list, very disempowering and mentally damaging.

If you want to read more about this, get this book yesterday!

Castro Valley Fitness

Click on the picture for the Amazon link.

3- Not strength training.

What do people really fear about aging? Becoming fragile. Losing their independance. Becoming feeble. Losing their mental faculties.

Strength training helps all of this.

ALL OF IT!!!

Too many people don’t strength train or really give it their all in the gym when they do, because they’re afraid of getting hurt. The truth is that if your form is good, proper strength training is extremely safe and effective and very empowering.

More than that it’s the most important thing you can do as you get older!

You want to be able to get right back up when you fall with no injuries or worries?

Start strength training.

I know it can be a little intimidating to get started but I know someone who can help.

I hope that you get the point I’m trying to get across here. In case you didn’t, here it is:

Do things that are empowering and mentally positive and you’ll find that you’ll tend not to care about your age very much.

Can I be any clearer about that?

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, PN Level 2 Lean Eating Coach, PAS
Castro Valley Fitness
2861 Grove Way
510-755-9191
Mitch@CastroValleyFitness.com

 

 

 

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AARP – “Strength Is Not Optional”

September 30, 2019 By

My family and I were in LA last weekend for a family vacation and I saw a sign that struck a chord with me. 

I’ll be clear about this:

If you are not actively trying to get stronger

you are making a mistake.

Got that?

I love that the AARP put this ad out. I know that it refers to all kinds of strength, not just physical, but it’s all connected.

As we get older many of us have the mistaken impression that we have to accept all kinds of degradation in regards to their health.

It would be silly for me to say that age has no effect on our condition but I believe it is DRASTICALLY overstated as a cause for our ills.

I’ve had people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s all complain to me about how old they are and feel. The great trainer Ben Bruno once wrote that when people complain about their age to him (I’m paraphrasing here) he tells them the only thing that’s old is hearing them complain about their age!

When I think about AARP’s “Strength Is Not Optional” ad, I think of things like the fact that if you fall, and falling is frequently regarded as one of the biggest fears people have as they age, strength is what is going to help you prevent injury when you hit the ground and then help you get back up. Flexibility isn’t going to do that. Hours of cardio isn’t going to help you do that.

As we get deeper into that, we find that the fear of falling itself MAY ACTUALLY INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF FALLING!! and since one of the biggest benefits of strength training is an increase in self-confidence doesn’t it follow that strength training can help you not fall in the first place? Once again, a bunch of cardio isn’t going to help that.

Many people are afraid to really push themselves when strength training. They do the same things workout after workout and week after week. They’re afraid of getting hurt. I understand that. No one wants to get hurt. Add that to a fear of getting older (getting older still beats the alternative, right?) and we start to see a pretty vicious cycle.

They don’t realize that strength training can groove proper movement patterns that can both fix pain and prevent it!

Many times I’ve given someone a small form adjustment that has taken pain away from a movement that someone was previously afraid of. Once that happens we slowly and appropriately increase the difficulty of the movement to cement the new and improved movement.

Another common occurrence is when someone has joint pain mainly because they’re not strong enough to hold good, stable positions. This lack of stability is causing the joint to have to move or hold a position in a bad spot. A common example here is knee pain. The vast majority of the time knee pain doesn’t actually have to do with your knee. It’s actually a lack of strength in your hips that is causing instability in your knee which is causing pain. Once you are strong enough to hold better positions, the knee pain magically goes away.

This does not happen if you don’t push yourself.

Let’s sum it all up nice and easy.

Strength training allows you to age with more confidence, less pain, more resistance to injury and more resistance to the other things that people incorrectly attribute solely to age.

I know strength training isn’t easy. I know that walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes may feel more comfortable. I also know that strength training as we age can be truly transformative physically, and even more importantly, mentally.

Let me know if you need any help putting together your strength training program.

Thanks for reading!

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, PAS, PN Level 2 Lean Eating Coach
Castro Valley Fitness
2861 Grove Way
510-755-9191
Mitch@CastroValleyFitness.com

 

 

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