SAVAGE PERSONAL TRAINING STUDIO NOW OPEN!

Savage Personal Training Studio is Dacula's new premier personal training and small group training facility. Savage Personal Training Studio is committed to delivering the best in personalized exercise in a safe, comfortable, friendly and supportive environment.  You’ll love walking in to a clean, private facility with exercise professionals dedicated to delivering a specialized training program based on your goals, restrictions (injuries), ability and level of fitness.  Because we understand that we are living very busy lives our workouts are safe, efficient  and effective, and designed to get results.

Stop by or call for your Complimentary Training Session!

Savage Personal Training Studio

2760 Braselton Highway 

Dacula, GA 30019

470.238.3991

Golds Gym Weight Loss Challenge

Congratulations to client Bob Kelly for Winning the Golds Gym Hamilton Mill weight loss challenge, and placing 2nd Nationally in the Male 50-59 category! Bob has lost almost 100 pounds! Keep up the hard work B!

Gym Bunnys and Gym Rats!

OK, I am going to rant about all the gym rats today. These are the people who spend entirely too much time in the gym and workout more than required or even a healthy limit.  They are the ones that post status updates to Facebook every time they workout.  During their three hour workout, only about 20 minutes of it was needed or effective.  This is not to all of you, but you know who you are.  I HEARD you, you know.  Your comments about how “You can’t wait for all the New Years People” to leave – and all the complaints about how CROWDED the classes are, how it’s too hot or too cold, or how there are not enough parking spaces.  God help you that you have to walk an extra 50 feet only to come into the gym and walk 5 miles on the treadmill.  I saw the dirty looks when I took my turn on the machine, and took the weights, and the Bosu ball, and we ALL heard you freaking out about how someone took YOUR locker in the locker room. No, it’s ok, really, I didn’t want to use any of the three benches that you’ve absentmindedly sprawled your phone, wallet, keys and drink bottle over. Excuse me, if I jump in for a set while you run your mouth to your neighbor about how everyone else besides you sucks.  We know how annoyed you are that it wasn’t possible for you and little cliquey friends to sit together or side by side as you workout and gossip and make plans for lunch afterwards.   I have something to say to you.  Grow the hell up!  As a trainer, this is my job.  Trainers have to navigate around the morons and jerks everyday trying to teach and lead people to a better lifestyle.  We don’t own the gym, just like you don’t.  However, have a little common courtesy and respect when you visit the gym.  They gym is not a nightclub!  It’s here for you to get your workout in and get the hell out.

The gym isn’t here JUST FOR YOU. Yeah, you pay your monthly membership fees like everyone else, but that doesn’t give you the right to monopolize five different machines or four sets of dumbbells.  You don’t deserve respect because you bought a gym membership!  Yes, many, many new people join gyms and start new fitness journeys in January.  It’s the time for fresh starts and boy, does the fitness industry market to them.  I’m fully aware that only about 30% of these new signers stay on at the gym after February or March. Did you ever stop to think that maybe people like YOU are the reason they quit and give up?  Maybe, just maybe, your attitude of entitlement at the gym gives them pause. Maybe your smartass comments and whispers and lack of support help make the decision to stop going to the gym easier.  It’s the entitled gym rats, the ones that workout for three hours a day, the ones that perform the same routine time after time, the ones that think they have it figured out, that are the biggest reason people fail on their fitness journey.  These are the same inconsiderate idiots who can be found jumping rope in the middle of the walk-way preventing other members from passing, and go into freak out mode if they have to pause to let you pass.    These individuals with an over-inflated sense of self-worth and compounded by a low level of intelligence, do not realize how moronic they appear to everyone.

Everything about them screams disrespect!  You want to know how to earn respect in the gym?  Be considerate of others.  SHARE!  Probably the first thing you ever learned in kindergarten.  You aren’t the biggest, baddest, fittest or strongest!  And it’s not going to mess up your routine if someone wants to jump in for a set.   You earn respect in the gym by getting after it, by being modest, by being consistent, by continuing to grow both within the gym and outside of it.

What you fail to realize is that myself, the trainers who earned theirs through blood and sweat, the ones who have devoted their life and career to fitness, that all think you’re a grade A douchebag.  You aren’t entitled to anything, you don’t deserve respect, and you shouldn’t expect kindness because the only thing you’ve brought to the gym is a narcissistic attitude and a ‘me’ mentality that undermines the whole sense of community that makes gyms thrive.

Doctor, Doctor, give me the news!

There is a great deal of advice, routines, diet strategies and information regarding the field in which I practice--strength training and fitness--that is just utter garbage!

Often times it’s the doctors who are perpetuating this ignorant misinformation. The medical community is famous for equating exercise with cardiovascular exercise that is measured by the time spent engaging in them.   A degree in medicine lacks teaching of the basic physiology of strength training, exercise prescription, or any training in the field of exercise and nutrition.  Sure, doctors need to understand human physiology and the effects of lifestyle on the pathological processes, to a minimal degree. This is a very important point, which is why I will repeat it: they do understand it, but to a minimal degree. 

Now, I value the knowledge of physicians when it comes to the field of sickness, not wellness.  Doctor's go through intense schooling on disease and illness, and the methods it take to treat them.  However, just as I am not in the business of disease, I am just putting out the misinformation that is out there confusing the public.  The training of doctors, physical therapists and athletic trainers requires no formal education in the use of effective strength training techniques used by serious athletes who rely on superior performance.   The medical field can diagnose your symptoms and prescribe the proper medication to cure you, but are ignorant in the field of wellness.  That is the process of preventing the problems in the first place or guiding you to a more holistic approach through diet and exercise as opposed to medications.  Lack of perspective on this issue is the medical professions’ largest obstacle-- they don’t even know the problem exists!  When seemingly sound advice or information comes from a position of authority, all too often we fail to think for ourselves and blindly follow whatever they tell us.

Physicians are more than willing to prescribe you a pill for fat loss, high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, insomnia, and the list goes on and on.  A pill for every ill!  Except for family history and genetics, most of these problems are lifestyle related, and can be improved or cured with diet and exercise.  Doctors give you advice because of the very same reasons anyone gives advice about nutrition or fitness. With a few exceptions, your doctor wants to help you, and will say what he or she truly believes will do so. So does your mom, your neighbor and your personal trainer. That does not mean they know what they are talking about, and YOU are the misinformed one who thinks that’s what they are supposed to know. If you’re not smart enough to know who to listen to, then you’re just as “dumb” as they are.

Strength Training is one of the most important activities, when done correct, that a person can engage in.  All too often I see the elderly man or woman that can barely lift themselves from the seated position or climb a flight of stairs.  I can't imagine the anxiety of living a life of fear never knowing if a false step or uneven ground could cause you to fall and injure yourself.   Benjamin Franklin once said that,  "Some people die at 25, but aren't buried till 75".

Strength Training is nothing new, it's been around for decades.  Jack LaLanne promoted diet and exercise in the early 1950's.  His knowledge and advice was far ahead of its time, with his teaching falling on many deaf ears.  He promoted fruit and vegetable juicing before juicing was mainstream.  LaLanne practiced what he preached and lived into his late 90's, still preaching the value of a healthy lifestyle as the key to a long life.  His advice withstood the test of time unlike many of his peers of that time, like runner Jim Fixx, who wrote The Complete Book of Running in 1977. Fixx promoting running as a form of preventing heart disease.  The book became a New York Times best seller and quickly became the Bible of running.  However, Jim Fixx died on the side of the road where he was running, with the cause of death being heart attack.  He was 52 years old.

There is a lot of misinformation in the media today.  The exercise and nutrition advice available is so overwhelming, it leads to a paralysis of analysis.  In other words, the advice is so contradicting it leads many to hover in a state of limbo, not knowing what direction to go in or what advice to listen to.  In the perfect world, doctors would stop giving advice about areas outside of their expertise (so would the general population). In the meantime, the general masses need to get their facts right about what a physician’s job is and most importantly, what it’s NOT.

Just think for yourself!  Don't let other people do your thinking for you.  Research the information, and use common sense to weed through the BS.  The right amount of diet, cardiovascular exercise and strength training is the key.  Don't follow fads.  Follow what has worked for decades.

The dangers of CrossFit

I know I'm not going to make any new fans with the CrossFit community, but I am really having a hard time understanding this concept.  For those unaware, this is one of the latest fads to emerge in the fitness world, every few years, there is always something “new and improved” to entice the uneducated public and media.  There have been numerous fitness fads through the years.  In the 70's and 80's its was Jazzercise, Jogging, and the ThighMaster, in the 90's it was Super Slow Training and Tae-Bo and, and now it's P90x, the Shake Weight, Vibration Training, and of course, CrossFit.

The Urban Dictionary defines CrossFit, as " A new and expensive way of re-branding boot camp and circuit training, a cult/organization of failed athletes who are coached by trainers that have purchased online certifications claiming to be world class Olympic lifters, facilities offering 'functional' training by incorporating epileptic pull up techniques, high intensity Olympic lifts and other circus acts posing as strength development methodologies, method of training does not make you puke while performing it will make you puke by observing".

Now having said that, that is not to say CrossFit is all bad. Probably the most important part of the CrossFit program is motivation that comes from the teamwork of working in groups. The underlying principle of high-intensity, cross training is also reasonably sound, though hardly new or innovative.

However, there is also a high risk of traumatic injury from many of the exercises, some of which are completely useless. Due to the frequent high intensity of the workouts, there is a potential for chronic fatigue, rhabdomyolysis, shoulder impingements, and neck and low-back problems for people without a good athletic base. And no generic program will ever produce the results of a well-structured training program tailored to the needs and goals of the individual.

CrossFit is ok if endurance training or conditioning is your main goal. My issue is when people say CrossFit it is great for strength and muscle growth . If you are looking for strength and size, you are looking in the wrong place.  CrossFit ignores the basic concepts of strength training, which is periodization and proper muscle recovery.  Using high repetition Olympic lifts are a great way to get injured, possibly sidelined, and can teach bad form and technique.  The emphasis is on speed and weight hoisted, not technique.  In other words, CrossFit will make you better at doing CrossFit.  Fitness programs need to be geared with the athlete or individual in mind.

Let me explain my major concerns with CrossFit.   CrossFit is highly injury prone, with exercise related injuries seen in the emergency room increasing 65% since CrossFit's inception.  CrossFit focuses on momentum, not strength.  Swinging and Flipping barbells take the focus off the targeted muscle, and holding weights in the lock out position puts incredible stress on the joints.  Lifting weights really fast may provide a sense of accomplishment to many but it's not building muscle.  CrossFit has a growing number of followers, reaching a cult-like status with the mindset of beating your muscles and body into submission.  This is dead wrong!  You should focus on working with your body and not against it.  Exercising to the point of exhaustion, performing extreme movements or even vomiting is not a good exercise program.  Exercise is equivalent to an elevator button.  Once you push the button, you wait, pushing it over and over again is not going to help.  Lastly, my biggest problem with CrossFit, not unlike P90X, is the commercialization of extreme fitness.  We are all looking for the right program that will turn our lumpy weak bodies into Olympic athletes.  However, all these extreme programs have a high failure rate, with the ones that do succeed contributing it to the program rather than superior genetics, age, or diet.

To sum it up, I'm not trying to be the best at exercising.  I, like many people, want to feel good in my skin, be fit, and do what I need to do to live a long and healthy life.  There is no doubt about it, any form of exercise is better than nothing.  And whatever keeps you showing up to workout is better than sitting your butt on the couch.  You just need to be realistic with your goals, and find a training regimen that works with your lifestyle and fitness level.  The body that you beat to hell in your 20's is the same body that's crawling out of bed in your 70's, so take care of it.

Just a little extra effort....

Is your Workout not Working?

Did you know the average health club exerciser quits after just six months for one of the following reasons:

1.Not Enough Time

2.Not Seeing Results

Everybody begins an exercise program with the intention of sticking to it faithfully. However, not seeing the desired results, clashes with work or school schedules, boredom with your workout plan,  or any number of other distractions can quickly make us forget our goal of fitness. What can you do to stay on track?  Sadly, most people become frustrated and quit exercising before they see any real results. But it's not surprising given the common mistakes many people make with their training programs. Are you making these workout mistakes?

Common Reasons Your Workouts Don't Work

•All Quantity, No Quality

Most people in the gym don't plan to fail, they fail to plan!  Take a look around the gym (if you haven't quit going yet) and see how many people are really getting a quality workout. I'm always amazed by how many people are wandering aimlessly, walking leisurely on a treadmill while reading a book, lifting weights so light that not one hair moves out of place, or simply look bored.  A lot of exercisers head to the gym out of habit, and as if on automatic pilot, put in some time and head back to work or home. If you are one of these people, ask yourself, "What do I want to get out of this?" If you want serious results, you need to do serious exercise. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy it and have fun. But it does means you need to focus on what you are doing and increase the quality of every movement. Once you start exercising with a real purpose and pushing both your aerobic capacity and your strength you will find your workouts take half the time and give better results.

•Overestimating Your Exercise

Most exercisers are far too generous with estimates of exercise intensity and time, the amount of weight lifted and the frequency of their workouts. To avoid overestimating it's helpful to keep an exercise log and track these items. Additionally, many people mistakenly believe that if they exercise at a moderate pace for 30 minutes they have burned lots and lots of calories and fat. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. While exercise does burn calories over time and consistent exercise is one of the best ways to lose weight and keep it off, it's hard to lose body fat through exercise alone. Which brings us to the next mistake. . .

•Underestimating Your Eating

Many people are in denial about the foods they eat and especially the quantity consumed. Being overweight is the fine you're going to pay for exceeding the feed limit.  If you really want to lose weight you need to be honest with yourself about what you put into your mouth and how that helps or hinders your weight loss goals. To get real with yourself, write it down. Tracking what you eat in a food diary will help you break the cycle of food denial. (The iPhone and Android based phones have some great free apps like Calorie Counter and Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal  and online versions like calorieking.com)

•Doing the Wrong Type of Workout

Where did you learn your current exercise routine? Watching others at the gym (who are exercising incorrectly)? From your friends, coworkers, the web, TV, newspaper, the latest research findings, or perhaps your 9th grade gym teacher? What you are doing for exercise directly determines the results you will get. To learn what you should do, there is no better place to start then by writing down your goals and then working with a professional trainer to design the right workout to meet those goals. Haphazard exercise will provide haphazard results.

•Never Changing Your Workout

When you do the same thing day after day, you get very good at it. Even if you're on the right track, you're going to get run over if you just sit there.  In exercise this is called the principle of adaptation. It basically means that we become very efficient by doing the same exercise over and over. This is great for sports performance, but not that great for weight loss, strength increases or physical fitness progression. If you always do the same workout for the same amount of time you will eventually hit a plateau where you fail to see any additional change. One way of overcoming this plateau is to modify your workouts every few weeks or months. You can change the type of exercise you do, the length, the amount of weight lifted or the number or reps. This is why professional athletes change their program during the off-season.

•Using Incorrect Form or Technique

Learning the right way to exercise is essential to getting results. Form does matter, especially when doing any strength training exercise. Incorrect form or technique also sets you up for potential injuries, pain and soreness. To learn proper technique, there is no better place to start than with a personal trainer or coach.

•Setting Unrealistic Goals

So, what are your goals? Are they realistic for you? If your goal is to be the next Lance Armstrong, and you only have 30 minutes a day to train, or wanting to lose 25 pounds in a month, well, how realistic is that? Again, it comes back to being honest with yourself about your abilities, your level of commitment and your lifestyle. We need to set appropriate goals that start from where we are and progress at a reasonable rate or we are sure to get frustrated and quit.  Remember, there is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs.

•Measuring the Wrong Results

It has been said that, "If you don't know where you are going, than any road will take you there".  Many people think their workout isn't working because they don't measure the right things. Looking for proof in a scale is often a set-up for disappointment because some new exercisers build muscle and lose fat, but the scale doesn't provide information about body composition. Better ways to measure your fitness progress include tracking your heart rate at a given pace, measuring the distance you can cover in a certain amount of time, tracking the amount of weight you can lift, or even writing down how you feel -- physically -- at the end of each day. Many of the benefits from exercise are subtle and not visible by looking into the mirror, but things such as cholesterol level, blood pressure, and the ease with which you can do daily chores are every bit as motivating -- if you monitor them.