John Greaves III's Blog, page 21

Weekly Motivation featuring Mooks Brown

Training in the garage by yourself is tough. You usually don’t have the camaraderie of other gym members to help push you.  To help out, we combed the web to find videos that will help motivate you to keep striving to be your best.

Today’s video features @mooksbrown who calls himself a workout scientist who’s living la vida hulkmode.  This is a video of him doing some deceptively difficult feats of bodyweight strength endurance using an ordinary door frame.  Watch to the end and be amazed.  If you’re not amazed; go ahead and try to copy him. Then be amazed.

Train hard until people start posting videos of you!

 

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Savage Simplicity and the Sandbag

Time is precious, so let’s cut right to the heart of this piece. One of my favourite tools of choice is the sandbag. Simple but savage in efficiency and effectiveness.

I’m not sure why, but there is a huge notion that outdoor training, or indeed any training done outside the walls of a commercial gym, is somehow inferior and more often than not, limited to just calisthenics and running.

Clearly, that’s not true. Just look at what great work John has done here collecting and presenting just how powerful training outside of the gym can be.

Me, I train outside, free from walls. But, by no means is my training limited to just bodyweight. I train for performance. Be it in life, sports or in mine and the majority of my trainee’s case – combat. Enter the sandbag.

I’m not even talking the “fitness” sandbags, with handles and all that. I’m talking a literal bag – be it a duffel bag, military bag, post bag, or World’s Strongest Man style bag, simply filled with sand or rubber mulch. No handles, no easy way to move and no quarter given by the bag.

This kind of sandbag sits very low on the respect scale in the fitness industry. I get it though. There’s no way to market and, therefore, make money out of a bag of sand. Yet, despite its lowly status, the sandbag is an incredible tool that is capable of producing outstanding results – physically, mentally and aesthetically.

A simple bag of sand is an exceptionally versatile piece of gear. Frequent exposure to its brutality builds power, strength, movement quality, explosiveness, toughness and a full body “tightness” that’s very hard to describe in writing. Dig a little deeper and the benefits continue to mount – grip strength, coordination, mental grind, insane core activation, balance/stability, work capacity, finger strength. It’s cheap, transportable and definitely “real world applicable”.

When it comes to the actual specifics of the strength, conditioning and performance training, keep it simple!

Complexity in a training program is largely asinine. The simple work is always the most effective. Simple, however, should never be confused with easy. A term I like to throw around is savage simplicity – keeping the methods simple and the intensity savage.

What is simple?

It’s the big things. The key stripped back elements that offer up the greatest bang for their buck. All the other stuff is, in reality, a distraction. The world is a very confusing and distracting place at the best of times, and the strength, fitness and health world are amongst the top of the confusion. Sadly it’s driven by clever marketing, greed and the need to continually make a profit – which I guess is another rant for anther day though.

In the spirit of savage simplicity, the training is kept to a handful of exercises. All of which are then drilled to perfection, before ramping up the intensity to levels of a man possessed.

The exercises are:

 Zercher Squats
Shouldering
Zercher/Bear Hug Carries
Clean and Presses
Get-ups

These movements cover essentially everything needed to perform better.

 The Zercher squat covers the squatting pattern.
Shouldering the sandbag covers the triple extension and hinge pattern.
The carries teach full body tightness. They also demand pulling mechanics in the upper body, isometric strength and core bracing.
The clean and press is a grind from start to finish, hitting nearly every muscle in every gruelling rep.
And then there are the get-ups. While working every muscle in the body, it’s the mental aspect of them that generally gets tested most.

Trust me when I say sandbags are neither gimmicky, nor a fad.

Putting them together

While it is possible to train the exercises one after the other with a traditional weight room set-up, the beauty of the sandbag is combining the movements together to create a new kind of hell.

As for the weight of the bag, I’d suggest anything around 50% of your bodyweight. For the advanced athletes, I’d say somewhere in the region of 70% of your bodyweight. Obviously this is dependant on a number of factors – age, current level of fitness, experience, training partners, background, weight, etc. You want a weight in the bag that is challenging, one that makes the reps a grind rather than a breeze. The goal is performance, strength and toughness, not to work up a light sweat and head home. Remember though, the weight in the bag is not the only adjustment you can make to increase the challenge the workouts provide. Shorter rest periods, more reps, longer time under tension, more sets, and longer distances travelled are all options to consider in long term progression.

Obviously, it should go without saying, but be sure to warm-up thoroughly before attempting any of the workouts below. The sandbag is unforgiving and should be treated as such.

#1 – Grinding 100 Yards

 1a. Zercher Carry x 25 yards

1b. Zercher Squat x 3

1c. Zercher Carry x 25 yards

1d. Zercher Squat x 3

1e. Zercher Carry x 25 yards

1f. Zercher Carry x 3

1g. Zercher Squat x 25 yards

Repeat Twice. Go home, eat, sleep…

  #2 – Just Get It Done  

 1a. Shouldering x 50 (25 left / 25 right)

2a. Get-ups x 40 (20 left / 20 right)

3a. Clean and Press x 20

4a. Zercher Squat x 10

5a. Bear Hug Carry x Failure

Work from 1 through to 5 in order and without worrying about sets, just get the reps done. All quality, all identically perfect reps; this is a grinding workout that is as much mental as it is physical.

  #3 – 15 mins of Torture

 1a. Zercher Squats x 60 seconds

1b. Shouldering x 60 seconds

1c. Zercher/Bear Hug Carries x 60 seconds

1d. Clean and Presses x 60 seconds

1e. Get-ups x 60 seconds

Rest 60-90 seconds and repeat for three rounds total.   

There it is

 Go make yourself a sandbag. Make it your best friend, your toughest of training partners and your perpetual ass kicker. Let it build your character and soul while hardening your body with muscle.

Training with the sandbag is not a short term process. It’s one that has no end. Success with it demands a relentless attitude to dominate it. It’s meant to be tough. It’s meant to be a grind. It’s surely going to anger and frustrate you. It’ll push you and when you stand up and fight it’ll reward  you with strength, power, toughness, health, muscle and an unbendable character.

Phil Bennett is a strength coach from the UK whose methods stray a little  from the ordinary. He’s more likely to be seen out in nature training with odd objects than inside a gym’s walls, his methods are geared towards strength,  performance and mental toughness.

Interested in learning more about his training methods? Contact him using the form below!

[contact-form]

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Broken Chains: Get To Know Maranda Granger

age 21 on left vs age 40 on right

Until her chains were broken, Maranda Granger was a psychological, emotional and spiritual slave to a vicious eating disorder that nearly killed her.  Sadly her story isn’t unique and that’s why she agreed to share it. Her path has taken her from an abused, insecure child to the present day fit, confident wife and mother who kills it regularly in the gym. But diamonds are formed through heat and pressure. Read on to learn the story of @garagegym_gal.

  The Beginning

I guess the best place to start is the beginning—

I was a very overweight child. It became a joke and people in my family would call me nicknames that they thought innocent at the time.  I remember one time particular that an Uncle photographed me eating food at a Sunday “dinner on the ground” and saying “there is my girl who likes to eat”. I also grew up with a very abusive, alcoholic father who got his kicks showing my sisters, mother and me just how cruel he could be. Needless to say, this has a way of warping a child.

I was thirteen when I discovered that my grandmother took a common OTC diet pill. I found them and thought that this was magic.  I started eating them like candy as this summer I spent every day at my grandparents. Add in some cruel cousins and me entering Junior High and I stopped eating basically and dropped 20 pounds.

Funny, no questions were raised as I guess everyone was busy with their own agenda and that is when typically “baby fat” starts dropping. I made the cheer squad my 8th grade year and was socially acceptable.

Downward Spiral

My parents divorced when I was 14. My mother had to go to work for the first time in her life and my father legally signed his rights away to my sisters and me. I was left the task of basically raising my ten year old sister so my social life came to a halt. Entering High School I was basically considered “white trash” because my family and I were struggling to pay bills and where we were once able to shop for clothes at the mall, our school clothes now came from Goodwill. Mind you, I lived in a small town so everyone knew what was going on in my world.

I was discovered that year by a modeling agency. I had gone to the tryout with a friend who was trying to be discovered and just for kicks I walked for the agency. I was hired by a department store to do some fashion shows for them and had an opportunity to go to New York with the modeling agency. This lasted about the typical 15 minutes of fame because when I told my mother, she said that we certainly did not have the money!

Enter more hate for my world. The friend that I had gone to the mall with continued and I guess that is where I first learn the act of purging because she was practicing it. The more I did it, the more I felt alive because it seemed to be the only thing that I could control, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

I was on cheer squad and I played softball in High School. It was easy to conceal the bulimia because I always stayed with friends so that I could make the games. I would tell the adults that I would eat later and I would tell my mother I already ate with the other adults. Diet pills and caffeine provided all the fuel I needed!

Wife and Mother

The summer before my junior year I started dating my now husband.  He was in college so I felt I had to compete with college girls. The purging was basically on command and still no alarms were raised because my mother was just trying to keep her head above water, I had sports after school and the weekends I would spend with my new college friends.  If we went out to eat, I would eat but then always find an excuse to make my way to the restroom afterward.

The summer before my senior year, I became pregnant with my oldest son. I didn’t know what to do. All I did know was that I couldn’t continue with my current ways.  See, I believe I have always been one to try and sustain life, provide for others, fix everyone else and with that I became comfortable destroying me.  I thought I wasn’t hurting anyone else by doing what I had been doing. Of course, I had to quit softball and cheer squad. I hid my pregnancy from my mother for four months because I was so thin she actually thought I was gaining “healthy weight”.

During my first pregnancy I gained 70 something pounds and as you can see from the pictures it didn’t come off. I fully justified it because I was “eating for two”. My world fell apart around me socially though. I was removed from Homecoming court and once again, became “white trash”.

I gave birth to my son in April, was home schooled for the last month and graduated with honors. I now needed to prepare my life so I would not face the same fate as

Bottom left: about a year after my oldest was born. Middle left: A few years after my second son. I had lost a good bit of weight before my second pregnancy and during only gained 27 pounds. Top left: exactly what I was shooting for…..dying to be thin. Middle top: My 20 year anniversary and some unwanted pounds had eased their way back into my life. bottom middle: dying to be thin. Right: today, healthy and free!

my mother. I immediately enrolled in the local college which was a satellite branch for LSU.

I was a school teacher at this point and really doing well. I had started exercising with some ladies I worked with but the damage with food had been done. I became pregnant again. Another son! I had horrible morning sickness with the second pregnancy basically because I was not eating; I ate just enough to sustain my day. I only gained twenty-seven pounds with my second pregnancy!

My husband never understood why in the world I would do some of the things that I would do. That being said, he has always worked away, his oilfield career started the moment I became pregnant, and I hid things very well.

Once I gave birth though, I was determined to be skinny again. I became obsessed with exercise and lo and behold— the first energy drinks hit the market! Add in some diet pills, a husband who now started spending his time at home hanging with his new single work buddies and you have yourself a recipe for disaster.

  Marriage in Trouble

I decided to go back to school to obtain my nursing degree. Fear was in my world and I was scared I was facing a single life ahead and wanted to be able to provide for my children. Red Bull to the rescue. I was drinking on average about six a day! Once I started working at the local hospital; that six turned into about twelve. I was working about 50 hours a week, being a full time mom to two amazing boys and having little help. My husband, as I said, is gone all week and sometimes for a whole month.  I was making it on my own but the expense of my health.

Dying To Be Thin

I was admitted to the hospital when I ended up passing out at work. This landed me in the hospital for eight days with a protein level of what is commonly seen in extreme starvation, my kidneys were in acute failure, and my heart valves damaged.  I was found to have 105 degree temperature and basically my kidneys were trying to shut down. Loads of tests followed once my blood work came back which revealed my heart problems; I had a suppressed immune system to the point that my body was fighting itself to stay alive. The ironic thing: I was admitted to the hospital in which I worked and on the cardiac floor where I was the unit manager!  I was mortified. A nurse that was killing herself just to be thin!

I had very close friends there and they did their best to provide me with help, emotionally and what they were paid to do. The only way I was discharged from the hospital was that I pretended to adhere to a nutritional plan that my admitting doctor wrote. I basically flushed the food down the toilet but my labs improved and once again I had fooled everyone.

Breaking the Chains

We had recently bought the house in which we are living.  The people that we bought the house from invited us to church.  It took us months before we attended. The moment I walked in the doors, I felt God wrap his arms around me. I squalled through the entire service.  See, the church that we attend is full of mess ups.  There are recovering drug addicts, bikers, parolees, you name it; I bet they go to my church! My church has on site counselors, a program that celebrates recovery, women’s group and men’s groups.

As weird as it may seem, seeing a whole room of people who didn’t pretend to be perfect let me know that it was okay that I was not.

A Brand New Maranda

I am now 40 with my birthday right around the corner. If I can do all of this and come out at the end better, stronger, and fitter at an age where everyone says it “all goes downhill” then you can do anything that you set your mind to do. I have never had a hobby so I guess this is it and I want to take it to the level of having a fully equipped garage. I am also studying to become a personal trainer. My past knowledge of the human body through my nursing education has helped a great deal.

My five year plan is to be able to open a garage gym type box and train women who have never entertained the thought of lifting weights or those who just do not like a public gym.

Once where I was ashamed, I am no more. This is me. This is how God made me. I have this life to live and His grace is what has me here able to share with anyone and everyone.

Why the Garage Gym Life?

As far as concealing bad habits and accountability with just having the garage gym, it actually helps me stick with what I need to do. I have been a member a local gym before and it was this constant comparison to others while I was in there. I didn’t do well with others along side of me because I always felt this sense of judgment. I don’t make friends easily because a friend in your world would mean that you would have to interact in areas such as lunch dates and social activities and quite frankly, I have trust issues with allowing someone other than a few close to me.

Starting the Garage Gym

I would love to join a local Crossfit but it is not money that I am willing to spend when I could further develop our garage gym.

Our first piece of equipment was the Weider Pro multi station machine that has been with us for over a decade now. Sadly, it was taken down this past weekend in order to make room for newer equipment. We first purchased this when our oldest son was play Junior High football and wanted to get stronger. Our true desire for training at home did not develop until the purchase of our house that we live in now and that is where the machine was put. Our youngest son wanted to go out for the lifting team at his high school so we purchased some inexpensive dumbbells and a bench with a squat rack to the back of it.

Very cheap piece of equipment but it served the purpose. The more I sat looking at the weights, the more desire formed within me to start lifting. My husband joined a gym in Houston and the rest is history I guess. My husband, is still gone all week and sometimes for a whole month so when we are together on the weekends it is time that we solely devote to each other because there have been so many moments missed in this life that we live.

We do support one another in our endeavors for a healthy life style. He is a member of a gym in Houston and we work out together when he is home. I cook well-balanced meals when he is home because his meals while he is away are pre-packaged balanced meals that you can get from Kroger.  We constantly send support in way of text or emails about different workout routines that we have discovered or new articles that we have read.

You are a happily married woman; I know you just talked about how supportive you guy’s relationship is now but I emphasized that because of the things have occurred in the past. But how could someone get in touch with you who needs some wise counsel on dealing with this issue or similar ones or just wants to follow your training and be inspired?

Instagram actually helps keep me accountable. Not that anyone is interested in a lady working out in her garage and posting it! But I have connected with through my Instagram account @garagegym_gal, a few that serve as encouragement and it seems to have worked well over the past year and few months. Yes, I realize that these are not people who I actually know, but I can associate with them well because I believe there is a distance.

I’ve had several reach out to me about nutrition plans or what my meal status is. These are those who don’t know the struggles I have faced with food.  I do not do well talking about food, counting calories and macros for me is too stressful because with my habits and still an issue with consuming the right amount of calories for my lifestyle, they are numbers that I cannot bring myself to face.

  Maranda thank you for having the courage to share your story! You’ve been tried through the fire and come out as pure gold. I’m so happy for you and your husband and those (not so little) boys!

Thank you for sharing this with your viewers. All of this may sound very depressing or encouraging. Depends on the audience I guess. What is remarkable about my story is that God is the only reason as to why I am where I am today.  You see, He kept me safe from the abuse of my father. He protected me even though I was trying to do major damage to my life. He allowed me to go through times of great struggle so that I could rise above even the deepest water in my life. He allowed my husband and I to fall apart so that we could come together stronger than ever before. He has never left my side, even when I repeatedly turned from His. Through His son, Jesus, I am saved and my life is worth everything.

 

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Home Gym Inspiration from @ekathletics

Garage Gym Showcase is where we feature pictures and video of cool home gyms. @homegymideas our sister site on Instagram is a treasure trove of, well, home gym ideas.  I like looking through the pictures on their page for ideas on tweaking my own garage gym.  I use it most often when someone tells me they’re planning on setting up a home workout space as it’s a good way to get your creative gym design juices flowing.

This picture comes from @ekathleticsby way of our sister site Home Gym Ideas.

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How to Get Your Kids Active and Exercising

Instead of moving and being active, children spend, on average, over seven hours a day sitting around watching TV or twiddling on other electronic devices. This post fits in well with our previous one, five reasons you should encourage your kids to be active which you can find here. Be sure to check that one out as well as this week’s which comes from a slightly different perspective. Check out the link below from one of the coolest blogs on the web; The Art of Manliness. While not primarily an exercise site, AOM is concerned with all things related to family and true manliness. That includes being a good role model to our little ones.

Garage Gym Life has some awesome contributors who make this site a great resource for home based athletes. But I freely admit that we don’t know everything. So I scour the web to find the best articles from yesterday and today (I’d get them from the future as well but the DeLorean is in the shop) and bring you the links here.

Source: How to Get Your Kids Active and Exercising

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Weekly Motivation featuring David The Beast Douglas

Training in the garage by yourself is tough. You usually don’t have the camaraderie of other gym members to help push you.  To help out, we combed the web to find videos that will help motivate you to keep striving to be your best.

Today’s video features garage gym athlete and top ranked powerlifter; former Marine David “The Beast” Douglas. This guy’s accolades are numerous and I’m as impressed by his compassionate heart as I am by his amazing lifts. Check him out doing 515lbs for two sets of four paused reps!

Train hard until people start posting videos of you!

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5 Reasons Why You Should Encourage Your Kids to Be Active

Should we encourage our kids to be active? Or allow them to discover fitness if they’re drawn to it? Well, as parents, you want the best for your children, and ensuring that they grow up to

Justin Bethune’s daughter is growing up believing that exercise is fun … imagine that!

be healthy, active adults is a big part of that. With the rise in childhood obesity it’s more important than ever that you encourage your children to get involved in physical activity.

Garage Gym Life has some awesome contributors who make this site a great resource for home based athletes. But I freely admit that we don’t know everything. So I scour the web to find the best articles from yesterday and today (I’d get them from the future as well but the DeLorean is in the shop) and bring you the links here. Check out the link below from the Arnold Teen Sports Festival giving you five reasons you should encourage your kids to be active.

Source: 5 Reasons Why You Should Encourage Your Kids to Be Active

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Food Is Not Your Enemy

Beach Body Champion
Food is not your enemy

I was a pudgy kid in middle school, thinned out in high school and then began to get fat again after I got married and several injuries. As I tried over and over again to loose weight I began to see food as the enemy. There was always a list of foods that were now considered off limits. Off limits to me means they are the enemy and you can never, never ever collude with the enemy.

 Pizza- enemy
Cheeseburgers- enemy
Ice Cream- Evil
Cup cakes- Enemy
Ribs- Enemy
Soda- Evil
Candy bars- Evil
Milk Shakes, Barbecue, eggs, bacon, sausage, cake, etc. ALL EVIL ENEMIES!


The Problem

Men’s Logo Tri Blend Tank

The problem, at least for me comes in this idea that I could never have any of those foods ever again and they are the enemy or vice versa.

You see, I guess I am like a toddler. If you tell a toddler “NO”, what do they do? Well, they look are you then look at what they were told no about and then do it or decide to do it after you are no longer looking. In a similar way when I was told that I could never have those foods again:

I indulged in all of them in a short period of time as a one last hurrah. Then feel guilty about it and never begin my new diet.
I would begin the new diet but constantly think about those things I could never have again.

I like to compare this to walking a straight line. In order to walk a straight line you pick an object in the distance focus on it and walk towards it. If you begin to look at another object you will not hit your destination. In this case my destination was always weight loss, but I began to look at all those foods I could never indulge in again. Since, I was so focused on those food I could not ever have again I eventually would fall to their temptation. Then, I would feel so guilty about losing to the enemy yet again, it may take me weeks to get back on my plan.

I had to stop seeing food as the enemy
 It was not until I stopped looking at food as the enemy that I had a break through in my journey. In reality life happens, there are birthday parties, holidays, weddings, etc. I began to look at those foods as part of the journey that I could indulge in periodically because they were/are part of the journey of life. I don’t view them as something I can eat everyday but I allow myself to have them up to two times a week or fifty-two times a year. When I gave my self this freedom I began to experience something I never imagined…I no longer craved them everyday, I really didn’t even crave them every week.

Truth be told the first year of my 195lb weight loss I only indulged in my free days ten times. I picked the times to indulge as it related to my goals. In this new mind set of no longer seeing food as the enemy I found a new freedom. I was no longer a slave to the desire for certain foods.
 My advice then
Stop viewing certain foods as evil, FOOD IS NOT YOUR ENEMY! Food is a tool for you to use to reach your physical goals. Set up some reasonable rules on how and when you will use those foods. Then, keep track of how you follow through with those rules through a food journal or a calendar so you hold yourself accountable to following those rules.

Go, Exceed Your Vision!

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The Harder You Work; The Better You Feel. Get To Know Michele White

She says the harder you work; the better you feel. I’m telling you that Michele White is fired up about life! And that’s because she’s gone from being sedentary to competing in endurance competitions in her 40s! She and her husband just celebrated sixteen years of partnering in life and now in fitness. Along the way s he’s dropped body fat, gained lean muscle and stayed feminine while becoming a role model to her children. Let’s find out more about her story!

So Michele, how long have you been training and where did you get your start?

I have been training with a certified trainer since January of 2013. I only do weight training/ functional fitness with him 1-2 times a week.  I had started running in 2012 – the year I turned 40 as a goal of running a marathon when I was 40.  I did not complete that goal but I have run two half-marathons, several 15k’s, 10k’s and 5k’s.  Then I was introduced to Beachbody programs in Aug 2015 – one week after my first women’s triathlon. I thought I was in shape but soon realized that my nutrition was making my progress suffer. Two months later I was down 17 pounds and 25 total inches! That’s when I became a Beachbody coach and started working every day out of my house. I still do my serious heavy lifting with my trainer 1-2 times a week as he has equipment I do not own and much heavier weights.

Where in your house is your gym located?

My “gym” used to be my living room but soon became my bedroom. I have a bench, several dumbbells, a yoga mat, and a few bands I use for pull ups.

Some people have the impression that people who follow Beachbody programs do it because they aren’t ready for “real training” but you’re also a runner and you’re preparing for a powerlifting meet. What are your best numbers and run times?

Ok I’ll start by saying that I am 5’3 1/2” tall and my weight is currently 135 lbs.  My trainer does not want me to lose anymore as it will affect my strength.

Squat: My back squat pr is currently 185 lbs – goal is 200 lbs by Nov 2016 (Powerlifting date)

Bench My bench is currently 115 lbs – goal is 125 lbs by Nov 2016

Deadlift My traditional deadlift is 220 lbs -goal is 250 lbs by Nov 2016; I just started sumo deadlift and have only done it twice and my pr is 190 lbs. (My overall goal would be to 2x my deadlift!)

My running pace has increased from a 12:45 min/mile pace four years ago to an 8:45 min/mile pace most recently.  You need to realize that I have run very little since Aug 2015 and have only done a 5k in March. My pace has increased at least 2 min/mile in past 6 months just from my weight training, nutrition, and Beachbody programs!

How have you been able to successfully integrate your different training goals?

It can be difficult because what I would do for running is in opposition to my weight training goals and nutrition.  There are also times my Beachbody programs I may be doing at a certain time can also interfere with my weight training with my trainer so I talk with him and I also make sure I build in at least one rest day or I don’t make gains.

How do you stay motivated to train at home?

Honestly – I look at how far I’ve come, and the fact that I run accountability/challenge groups for others each month helps me stay accountable. Plus there is always something I am training for – whether it’s an upcoming race or now a weight training event. My upcoming events are a half marathon on Labor Day Weekend, a Ragnar relay in September which will be my first! It will go from Saratoga Springs, NY to Lake Placid, NY and runs through the night – my total mileage will be 17 miles.  After that is November 2016 for powerlifting! My other motivation is I also don’t want to lose the way I look and feel right now!

One reason I think that Beachbody programs are so popular is there’s a minimal need for equipment to start. What pieces of equipment did you need to start?

A DVD player, yoga mat (or towel is fine) and a band at most. Small dumbbells/hand weights are great but not necessary.  Of course it depends upon the program you are doing for beach body but you can always modify with what you have at home.

What’s your favorite part about training in your home?

I live in the North Country and our winters are harsh! I love not having to leave my house and drive anywhere! I also love the example I set for my family!

Being in a home gym doesn’t mean you’re on house arrest (unless you are). What are your favorite gyms to visit?

I am a member of the YMCA and I utilize them on occasion and I also use my trainer’s personal gym too. But I really have all I need at home.

What advice would you give to someone who’s thinking about starting a gym in their home?

Just make sure you have enough space to move in or can move furniture out of the way – my bedroom space is only 5′ by 13′- the size of my rug – honestly it’s not big but I can make it work.

Nutrition is a key part of getting in shape. I know you’re a big fan of Shakeology, is the nutritional support you get from Beachbody part of why you’re such a big fan?

YES!!! I was the biggest skeptic of Shakeology and their performance products at first but it’s why I keep doing the programs and coaching and selling the products! Shakeology has kept me healthy, made my skin glow, my hair grow, given me energy, helped give me muscle definition by getting rid of that top layer of fat over my muscles and made me look younger! Plus they really are a community of people of all shapes and sizes. They are NOT a pyramid scheme as many believe. They are the most supportive group of individuals whose main three vital behaviors are: personal development, be proof the product works (use shakeology daily as well as the nutrition piece and fitness programs and the third is to invite as many people as possible to your journey so that they can see what it’s about! That’s out of order but I put personal development first as I believe it’s the most important.

How is your family involved in your fitness journey?

My husband is the reason I started!!! He is a family physician and therefore very skeptical of weight loss programs. He asked for the 21 day fix program for his birthday in August 2015 so I figured it must be good! I decided to do it with him and the rest is history! He recommends it to his patients all the time because its portion control, real food (not processed) and exercise! My daughter and son now make comments on how great I look and they eat better as well (although there are occasional grumbles of not having ‘junk’ in the house!)

You mentioned inviting people to your journey. How can people follow your training or get in touch with you?

(YouTube, Instagram, email whatever you want)

My Beachbody coach page is: www.beachbodycoach.com/Michele0281

Instagram: @mdwhite13

facebook page is www.facebook.com/pages/Opening-Minds-Enhancing-Lives/1596816387238280

or you can search: Michele White:OpeningMindsEnhancingLives

email: mdwhite13@hotmail.com

Thanks for sharing your story Michele!

Thank you for the opportunity of sharing my incredible journey! I love your website and believe in it wholeheartedly! Thanks again!

 

The post The Harder You Work; The Better You Feel. Get To Know Michele White appeared first on Garage Gym Life.

Home Gym Inspiration:

Garage Gym Showcase is where we feature pictures and video of cool home gyms. @homegymideas our sister site on Instagram is a treasure trove of, well, home gym ideas.  I like looking through the pictures on their page for ideas on tweaking my own garage gym.  I use it most often when someone tells me they’re planning on setting up a home workout space as it’s a good way to get your creative gym design juices flowing.

This picture comes from @beaverfitby way of our sister site Home Gym Ideas.

The post Home Gym Inspiration: appeared first on Garage Gym Life.