Jon-Erik Kawamoto personal trainer

Similar to being undernourished and overfed, many of us are over-read and none the wiser. Thanks to the internet, there is a plethora of fitness articles and instructional videos at our fingertips. We are bombarded daily with conflicting fitness messages…no wonder it’s so difficult to decipher the good messages from the bad. In Weekly Fitness Reads, I’ll use my best judgement and share articles that I find worthy of reading. Enjoy!

 

Addicted to Fatigue

by Jim Kielbaso

 
I had a client start with me last fall. He was working with a different personal trainer but had to make a switch because his trainer was changing his schedule. Anyway, this client only lasted for 3 sessions. He stopped training with me because my workouts weren’t hard enough. He was so used to gauging his workouts on how tired he was because his previous trainer put him through crazy-ass workouts. You see, he was training to see how tired he could make himself.

Because he was a new client, I was using a more conservative approach (that I do with all my new clients) but he wasn’t happy because I didn’t kill him.

This article, Addicted to Fatigue, echoes my thoughts 100%. With all the hype on high-intensity training, Crossfit, P90X, Insanity, etc. it’s no wonder people associate how wet their shirt is with how good their workout was.

If you’re training to just create fatigue, you’re totally missing the point of training. Training is supposed to make you move better, stronger, more mobile and healthier. Once you’ve build a solid foundation, then you can add intensity and more complex exercises. Again, don’t train to get tired. Train to get better.

Stop Working Out Like an Olympian

by Lee Boyce

 
My colleague and friend Lee Boyce wrote this fantastic article for Esquire. He lists very important points to consider when choosing exercise programs and exercises. I really enjoyed this article.

Does Cardio Make You Fat?

by James Fell

 
Even though I write for many fitness magazines and websites, that doesn’t mean I agree with all the messages or articles they publish. Last week, a website I’ve contributed to before, T-Nation, published an article called Regular Cardio Will Make You Fat. These types of titles (which are chosen to pull you in) drive me nuts. James (a nationally syndicated fitness columnist for the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times) wrote this awesome article refuting this bold claim. Tons of great and real information here.

I also wrote an article for Bodybuilding.com last summer defending cardiovascular exercise called Why the Word Cardio Doesn’t Make Sense. You can read it here.

That’s it for this week. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

I recently turned 40, and I have been training at JKC since the summer of 2020. My partner Michael had already been training at JKC, so it came highly recommended. We had set up a home gym at the start of the pandemic, but needed to mix it up after the first lockdown. JKC differs from other gyms because of the personalized workouts. Jon, Thomas and Craig are great at challenging me to do more than I would on my own.

The people and the training set JKC apart from other gyms or programs I’ve tried in the past. Truly Jon and Thomas meet you where are and help you get to where you want to be. There are no expectations and never any judgement. You can go there having the worst day and you always leave feeling better. Truly JKC has given me a level of strength and confidence I would not have had otherwise ❤️.

I started strength training at JKC in the Spring of 2021. I am in my 60’s but happy to say I feel much younger since joining this gym. I joined JKC upon the advice of a doctor. I went through some difficult medical issues last year, that’s when one of my doctors recommended strength training at JKC. I have been physically active most of my adult life but mainly running and completed many road races as I am a distance runner. Strength training has definitely benefited me by increasing my stamina and energy. It sure has enhanced my recovery over the past year. I have the added benefit of becoming a stronger runner as well.

lisa jumping onto a box

JKC was recommended to me by a fellow runner. I was experiencing injuries, and feeling weak and fragile. When I started with JKC, Jon asked me about my goals and my focus. I wanted to concentrate specifically on running, and preventing injury. Jon developed a program for me that has enabled me to focus on my form and strength and has been flexible enough to enable me to train for many different races. I have been training with JKC for six years, and during that time I have enjoyed Jon and Thomas’s expertise in a very warm and supportive atmosphere.

My initial goal was to find qualified personal training services in a personalized small gym setting. I have never been a fan of large gyms. JKC offers a friendly, happy gym experience that motivates me to strive for bigger and better results every week. Jon, Thomas and Craig are genuinely talented and always excited to celebrate everyone’s success.

I have a passion for challenging myself to achieve or beat goals. My favourite memories take me back to greater wins than I ever imagined with deadlifts and after a lot of determination and hard work, being able to do multiple chin-ups. Training at JKC has been one of the best experiences of my life – thank you for your commitment to helping me stay fit!!💪🏼😅

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