Arin Lindauer

This blog is about frustration and I am sure you have had your fair share!

We all have and will!

It is hard to not feel frustration when something does not go the way we had planned it or had hoped it would go.

One frustration that I still feel to this day is not being able to run like I used to.

I was in the middle of training for what would be my third marathon, I went out for a 10-mile run, completed it and then that was it.

I woke up the next day with literally no knee it was so swollen.

Long story short, I had worn all the cartilage away on my patella (knee cap) and have arthritis started, FUN!

It took 18 weeks to rehab my knee and finally feel like I could lift again.  I also learned that my quadriceps were not firing properly, tight IT bands, etc.

I went through lots of corrective movements, soft tissue work and light lifting.

Through all this I could have thrown in the towel, not done the rehab (because it is so much fun!), instead, I focused on what I could do.

Running was my thing and now that thing was gone.  I even still see people who have known me for a long time and they ask me how my running is going!

As I was rehabbing, I got frustrated.  Frustrated with the process, the time involved.

Have you ever been in a situation like this?

Its not fun, but I will tell you keep pushing through.

Once I got my quadricep firing, I could start lifting again.

Lifting started to motivate me, especially as I could see progress.

Through this I had to relearn my body and what it can do.  I couldn’t just throw some shoes on and go for a run, but I understand if I do want to go for a run I need to do a few soft tissue exercises and I can tolerate 4-5 miles once per week.

I had to change course.

Ultimately what had worked for so long for me personally was no longer serving me.  I had to adapt and find what would work.

This is a lot like life.  We get smacked on our face and we can either sit in pity or we can pick ourselves up and decide what we can do.

I still miss running, but I have a new appreciation for lifting.

I also have seen some amazing changes in my body composition from lifting!

I encourage you no matter what you are going through right now, find what you can do and commit to it.

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The fitness industry is ever evolving and its awesome!  I love that we are in an industry that will constantly evolve with new research and technology!  Keeps us growing and learning daily.

I know this might date me but I have been in the fitness industry 12 years and Tony 18 years!  We have seen so many changes, some good and some not so good.

We have been thinking back to when we first started our business, almost 10 years now, and most of the fitness businesses in Indianapolis did not even exist! (And some have come and gone!)

One trend that I have seen really pick up speed is this concept of unlimited.

Unlimited Workouts, that is.

Is that a good thing, more is better, right?

Let’s look at other examples, remember when Free Refills were the rage on your soft drinks?  Now Free refills are expected.

Or some restaurant chains advertise bottomless Fries, Wings, Etc.

You are getting a good deal!  Or are you?

We look at unlimited workouts the same way.

More is not better.

Each workout should have a purpose and recovery is essential for muscle repair, protein synthesis.

Ask yourself:

What is my goal?

What is the goal of this workout?

First make sure these two are in sync.  Don’t do the latest cool trend because “everyone” is doing it or because they were running a deal.  Find out what the workout is designed to do and if it lines up with your goals.  Then see if they have proof that it works!

We find a combination of 2-3 days of strength and 2-3 days of cardio to be best for our clients to reach the fat loss goals they desire.

We recommend 4-5 days working out in combination with better nutrition.

In our advanced workouts those 3 strength workouts are plenty of volume for the week, you can add in some easy cardio but depending on the client’s goal they need the rest for optimal recovery and performance.

When you workout 6-7 days per week it allows for minimal recovery time and you can actually do more harm than good.

Recovery/recharge workouts are just as important.  These have minimal impact on the body and are focused more on healing.

Moral of the story more is not always better and remember you cannot out train your nutrition!

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Ingredients:

• 1 small bunch flat-Leaf Parsley
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1.5 lbs. Halibut filets
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Make gremolata – remove the leave from the parsley. Finely chop the parsley leaves and garlic. Squeeze the juice from the lemon over the top and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Season the halibut generously with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the hot pan and then add the halibut, skin-side up. Cook just long enough to sear the fish. Turn the fish so the skin side is down, sprinkle the cherry tomatoes around the fish and transfer to the oven. Bake until the fish is cooked through and the tomatoes are beginning to burst, 20-30 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and spread the gremolata over the halibut. Serve immediately.

Nutrition: 282 calories, 10 g fat (1 g saturated), 14 g carbs, 4 g fiber; 35 g protein

Last week I talked about time management and the mindset of time spent compared to time invested. Link to blog

This week I want to look at some strategies to help combat the sedentary life.

If you really look at your daily or weekly routine you might be very surprised of the lack of activity.  I bet we spend more time in a chair then we do out of one.  It would be interesting to time yourself to see how many hours a day you are seated.

As a society, we have become very sedentary!     

Our parents’ and grandparents ‘lived a much more active and less sedentary life.  You can look at the development of technology and many other factors to understand why we have become less active.  One of the results of our society becoming less active is the amount of sickness it is causing.  You can look around and see a lot of unhealthy individual who are most likely on some type of medication due to the lack of activity.

A sedentary life can be simple to fix and you might have to stay away from that chair just a little more each day.  Yes, there is an answer to concur that sedentary life and it is simple.  MOVE MORE….

It is really that simple.

Now, I am not downplaying an intense weight training or cardio workout.  You still need to make this part of your life a few times a week.  But beyond the workouts, you will want avoid that evil chair and try to move more.

I know you might ask, what do you mean by move more?

Well it is just as simple as getting up and walking around, taking the stairs, or going to the mail box.  The bottom line is we need to move more, not only with the duration of time but also with the frequency.  If you look at the new recommendations it is suggesting that we get up and move around every 20 minutes.

I know this seem like it would be a bit distracting during your workday.

In reality, you might find that you will focus better and have more creativity if you step back from your work a couple of times every few hours during your workday.  The mind will only allow use to be laser-focused for an extended period before it needs a break for a bit of a recharge.  Introducing small movement and activity away from your seat will not only help your health, but it can also increase productivity.

I know it might be a big adjustment to incorporate frequent breaks in our work day, but half the battle will be remembering to take a short break from more to stand and move.   A simple solution to help with remembering to get up and move is to set your phone timer to remind you.  Identify how often you are going to get up and move and set that timer.  It will be a big adjustment at first, but you will start to embrace the small break.

One of the questions I often get when I recommend this technique is “what should I do when I get up?”

Well, I have placed a list of ideas that will help you incorporate some more movement in your sedentary workday:

• Hold walking meetings. Some people have found success in taking meetings outside.  Walking along a park’s trail works just as well as sitting around a conference table.
• Install a treadmill desk. Treadmill desks are simply treadmills with a desk attachment upon which you can place your computer, phone and other office supplies.  You can work while walking at a slow speed.
• Take the stairs. If you typically use an elevator to get to your office or your apartment, consider taking the stairs instead.  You can also use the stairs to just get a little movement in during your sitting breaks.
• Choose a different parking spot. Rather than choosing a close parking spot, choose one that will force you to have a good walk when visiting stores or arriving for work.
• Stand up when the phone rings. Make it a habit to not take calls sitting down.
• Mingle while standing. If you are used to sinking into a chair in the break room or at networking events, resist the urge; socialize on your feet.

If you can implement a few of these ideas into your workday it can help combat some of your inactivity, but you also need to keep a good resistance training and cardiovascular program going as well.

Try to keep moving your health depends on it!

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Servings: 4

How often do you say “I do not have enough time in the day!” It is hard to deny that every hour of the day you’re constantly pulled in a million directions. We struggle from one task to the next trying to conquer the world, and most times we feel defeated because we did not get anything accomplished or “enough”.

I know many of us talk about time management or the lack of time we have to get all of our priorities completed. I bet this is the number one excuse I get form people who don’t work out or prepare meals that support a healthier lifestyle. They typically identify that time is the reason they are not working out or making better choices.

How do you look at time?

We all have the same 24 hours in a day!

Then how do some individuals get all these tasks accomplished and have multiple priorities, but also find time to get their workout in?

The next question would be how do you look at time spent verses time invested?

When you think about time spent your mindset typically goes in the direction of lack of, limitations, or waste. When you think about time invested your mindset will go more with growth, abundance, advancing, or making things better.

I know this might be an interesting view of how to look at time.

Of course, this does not mean you are only going to spend time completing activities that are in the categories of time invested. It is just not realistic! You know you have to clean your office and take out the trash every once in a while, otherwise your co-works would never step foot near your office.

When you really look at time and how you chose to spend it will correlate to your goals and priorities. You see we cannot manage time, remember we all have the same 24 hours in a day. The thing you can manage is your activity within the time you are given.

If you study highly productive people you will identify a few common traits. One thing that you will see is how these productive people use schedule. They will block out activities and priorities that are going to move them closer to their goals. The schedule and activities they are performing will be treated like the Holy Grail, and they will consistently evaluate how well they are using their time. I know it can be very demanding to stick with a schedule in this fast paced word of social media, and on demand information overload.

Another trait that you will see in most highly productive people is their health. These individuals will make working out and consuming better nutrition a priority. They understand the importance of having energy and the clarity that is provided from better nutrition and workouts. If you do not have your health there is no way your productivity is going to be very high.

The simple fact is, if you want to be fit and be healthy you have to make it a priority.

Consistently working out and choosing better nutrition is critical aspects of your health and well-being. If you can’t make time in your schedule for working out and planning better meals then how are you going to keep up with all the demands of life?

Remember that you need to invest time into yourself!

Make sure your health and well-being is a priority. This will help you keep up with that grueling schedule and you will have better clarity for productivity.

If your health is not a priority and you are just too busy with all of your commitments to block some time for a workout and better nutrition. Then you might want to look at trimming back your commitments and reevaluate.

Here is some things that have help me with my goals and priorities”

• Define your goals and be clear on what is important to you
• How are you spending your days? Are you working towards your goals or are there hours/days lost on things that just aren’t that important?
• Would being more organized help you do things more efficient?
• Can you put a better system in place (or one at all) to review your goals, plan your objectives, and schedule your tasks?
• Can you trim some things out of your life (trade late night TV for sleep), delegate some things, and limit time spent on some things (pick set times and use a timer for Facebook)?

Post having our son TIME was even more precious. I went back and forth trying to find the right time to workout, go to the grocery store and then actually cook the food I bought.

It took us about a year…ha…to figure it out but it has been a work in progress.

Tony and I trade time so that we each can get our workout in, yes it does mean we get up early, but that is what worked for us. Find the time the best suit your life.

Then I just started ordering Amazon Now! Wow, life saver!

EVERYTHING IS A CHOICE. You choose your schedule.

So, are you spending time or investing it? If you’re investing it, are you getting the return you’re looking for?

I know you can do it and sometimes it takes a few trials before you find the right combo, I know it did for me. But once you get in that rhythm there is no stopping how good you will feel!