Archives for April 2020

Friday Workout 7

April 30, 2020 By

In this weeks workout we are going to do something a little different and just work on one exercise.

The Turkish Get-Up.

There is a long and storied history behind this exercise but I like it because it works a lot of things:

  • shoulder strength and stability
  • hip mobility, strength and stability
  • core strength

The interesting thing about this one is how different people struggle with different parts of it. Each step demands different things.

Take a look and let me know what questions you may have.

Mitch Rothbardt
Castro Valley Fitness
2861 Grove Way
510-755-9191
Mitch@CastroValleyFitness.com

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Let’s Be Human

April 29, 2020 By

It hit me today. I was in line to get into Trader Joe’s. I was out of mushrooms and they have a deluxe mixed nuts mix that I like. It’s the first time I decided to wait in line there since this started. It wasn’t too bad. It was pretty empty once I got inside and all-in-all it probably took me less time than usual, start to finish, because there wasn’t anyone in the check-out lines.

It got me thinking, though. Why did I get so anxious and irritated every time I drove past Trader Joes for the past few weeks and saw the line around the building?

A few weeks back I drove to Costco and then just left as I saw a line of people dutifully wearing masks and standing six feet apart.

I was really bothered as I drove away.

We’re starting to see people get upset in a different way then when this first started.

On the one hand, maybe people are getting used to having to wear a mask. Having to stand on a measured out strip of tape or painted circle.

On the other hand, I think what I feel is how dehumanizing it all is.

We’re forced to stay home. Forced to look and feel silly, for lack of a better term, when we are out. Many of us are forced to feel useless. We may be out of work. If we’re lucky to still be working, it’s likely in a very different situation or different way. Probably pretty detached.

We feel out of control. Like we don’t have a say.

There’s a tremendous amount of uncertainty. We don’t know when this will end. We don’t know what the right answer is or if it’s just a choice between bad options.

In predicting successful outcomes for people, mental health professionals tell us one of the most important things is for people to feel autonomous. That means the ability for someone to feel as if  they can control their own lives. In many ways that is gone now.

That is a problem.

All I want to say today is that it is crucial for us to do whatever we need to make sure we feel human.

Take a walk. Read a book. Write a blog post (writing this is making me feel pretty good right now.) Talk to a friend. Do something that fills you up.

Don’t let all this just go until it’s too late. It’s important.

Mitch Rothbardt
Castro Valley Fitness
2861 Grove Way
510-755-9191
Mitch@CastroValleyFitness.com

 

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Friday Workout 6

April 23, 2020 By

This week’s workout is a tough one. The exercises are pretty hard to master but I still wanted to throw it out there. If you don’t feel like you can perform these exercises well, that’s fine. I do show you an easier version.

It’s a great workout to get your hips strong and moving well. It hits your core as well and gets that heart racing!

I was getting out of breath just shooting the video!

Enjoy!

One Arm KB Swings

One Arm KB Snatch

One Arm KB Clean

One Arm KB Waiters Walk

Do Each for 30s with weight in one arm

Rest 30s then switch arms.

Do 4 rounds

Mitch Rothbardt
Castro Valley Fitness
510-755-9191
mitch@CastroValleyFitness.com

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Let’s Be Healthy

April 21, 2020 By

There are some things I’ve been hearing over and over lately. One of them is the value of health.

The main talk right now is about how being healthy helps with the virus we’re all dealing with right now. That’s not a surprise.

The truth is that this can be a time where we start to really prioritze health and everything that comes with it.

Watch the short video to see what I mean.

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, Pn2, Egoscue PAS
Castro Valley Fitness
2861 Grove Way
510-755-9191
Mitch@CastroValleyFitness.com

 

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Friday Workout 5

April 16, 2020 By

We’re going to focus on strength again today, but a little differently.

We’re going over some tempo work which can be a great way to practice form and also a great way to make a light weight feel heavy.

Let’s go!!

Tempo Squats – 4 sets of 6-8

Tempo Pushups – 4 sets of 6-8

One Arm DB Row – 3 sets of 10-12
Step-Ups – 3 sets of 10
Dead bugs – 3 sets of 12
(Do above 3 exercises as a circuit)

3 Position Toe Raise – 3 sets of 10

Mitch Rothbardt

Castro Valley Fitness

2861 Grove Way

510-755-9191

Mitch@CastroValleyFitness.com

 

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What Are Your Responsibilities?

April 15, 2020 By

If you know anything about ACT Therapy you know the most important thing that it teaches is “psychological flexibility”.

It’s defined as “the ability to stay in contact with the present moment regardless of unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, while choosing one’s behaviors based on the situation and personal values.”

(Click the link for a great article about it.)

In regular language, it means the ability to step back from an unpleasant feeling, evaluate it without judgement, and then react in a way that is consistent with your real values and how they relate to the situation.

In even simpler terms, it means “Being OK With Not Being OK”.

emotional eating

Needless to say, life at the best of times can be challenging, so where we are right now is allowing for a whole lot of psychological flexibility practice. I don’t want this to be a whole post on the value of psychological flexibility, but suffice to say that it’s very important if you want to live a full and vital life. Let me know if you have any questions about why.

What I’m trying to get across is a long-winded way of asking

“What Responsibilities Do We Have To

Ourselves During This Time?”

I know just asking that may open up Pandora’s Box.

You may be thinking that I have the answers for you. Some kind of perfect exercise and nutrition program.

Sorry, I don’t.

This is a question that only you can answer. What I can do is give you a little guidance, though.

I’m not as wise as Gandalf but I’ll do my best.

1 – Take care of yourself

There’s a reason that flight attendants tell you to put your mask on before you tend to your kids. You can’t help someone else until you help yourself.

This stands for right now, too.

If you’re stressed and irritable do you really think you’re being the best parent, spouse, employee or friend you can be? You have to take care of yourself at least to some extent if you’re going to be any help to anyone else right now.

Here’s the tricky part, though. Take some time and figure out what form that takes for you.

Notice how I said “for you.” Don’t try to figure it out by going on Instagram and seeing what your favorite fitness celebrity is doing.

Maybe a workout is what you need. Maybe a walk. Maybe reading a book. Maybe sewing a brand new infinity scarf!

Who made that?

Maybe none of these things.

The point is to do something that fills you up. This is important! Do not just blow it off!

2 – Work On Your Psychologically Flexibility

Understand that whatever you do won’t be perfect. Not because you aren’t capable, but because

There Is No Such Thing As Perfect!

Use that psychological flexibility to understand that we are looking to make progress in whatever form that takes.

Think of it like this:

We want to head in a certain direction here. Towards progress. Let’s call that direction “west”. We will never arrive at “west”, but we can move in that direction. We are always trying to think in terms of “progress not perfection”.

All that may sound good, but how do we work on psychologically flexibility?

It’s a big process and being that I’m not a therapist I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I can get you started.

I want you to think of one thing you want to accomplish over the next few weeks. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, and as a matter of fact it may be best to start off with something small, but it does have to mean something to you. That is a crucial piece of this. It may be as simple as journaling a few times per week or learning how to cook lasagna.

Next, I want you to come up with a step-by-step plan on how you are going to do it.

This plan should be very manageable and scheduled out.

Next, I want you to follow the plan no matter what. Even if you don’t feel like doing it.

Especially if you don’t feel like doing it!

Remember the definition: “the ability to stay in contact with the present moment regardless of unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, while choosing one’s behaviors based on the situation and personal values.”

Especially the last part: “choosing one’s behaviors based on the situation and personal values.”

That means doing something because you know that it’s important to you even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time.

The trick to starting on this process is making those steps manageable and also making sure you really want what you think and say you want, and know why you really want it.  By the way, if all you can think of right now is losing weight, I guarantee you need to go much deeper into that last part.

I’m sure you’ve heard some version of this, but I’ll say it again. We can’t control this situation. All we can do is control our reaction to it. I know that’s not easy but it’s all we ever have.

I hope this helps a little. Please let me know if you want to talk through some of this stuff. It can very hard to do when you’re in the middle of it but it’s important to realize that you do have responsibilities in all of this. They just may not be what you’re thinking.

Take care.

Mitch Rothbardt
Castro Valley Fitness
2861 Grove Way
510-755-9191
mitch@CastroValleyFitness.com

 

 

 

 

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Friday Workout 4

April 9, 2020 By

Hello!

It’s been a little while since we’ve done a good old-fashioned strength based workout so here we go!

It would be great if you could wrangle up a heavy backpack or maybe a filled up milk jug if you don’t have any weights at home.

Here We Go!

Squats – 4 sets of 8-12

Pushups – 4 sets As Many Reps As Possible

Good Mornings 3 sets of 8-12

Split Squat/Reverse Lunge 3 sets of 10 or One Leg Stand 30s ea leg

Hooklying Reverse Presses 3 sets of 15

(Do Above 3 Exercises as a Circuit)

Plank 3 sets of 30-45s

Let me know if you have any questions.

Stay safe!

Mitch Rothbardt

Castro Valley Fitness

510-755-9191

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A Squat Variation Tutorial

April 7, 2020 By

I hope you’re doing OK.

For obvious reasons it’s been a little while since I’ve talked about the benefits and how-tos of a specific exercise so I figured why not today?

Let’s talk about one of the most important exercises anyone can do.

Squats!

Just about everyone does some kind of squat variation at Castro Valley Fitness and there are reasons behind each one.

On the whole squats are a great exercise that work almost every muscle in the body in one way or the other as well as teach basic hip movement and coordination.

In this video I go over some of the variations we use and tell you how to do them and why.

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

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Friday Workout 3

April 2, 2020 By

Here is this weeks Friday workout.

It’s a doozy!

We call this a Reverse Ladder.

You do 9 reps of each exercise then take a short rest.

Do 8 reps of each exercise then take a short rest.

Go all the way down to 1 rep. The video explains it all.

Squats

Deadlift

Straight Leg Deadlift

Two Arm DB Row

Squats

Front Good Morning

Let me know if you have any questions. Take care and stay safe!

Mitch Rothbardt

Castro Valley Fitness

2861 Grove Way

510-755-9191

mitch@CastroValleyFitness.com

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