Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip: Give Your Gym Sesh A Music Makeover

Having a hard time getting motivated to work out? Perhaps you need a music makeover! 

Here are a few Pandora stations my clients like listening to while working out: Katy Perry, Lady Antebellum, 80’s hits, Techno, and Classic Rock. I know what you're thinking, there's a lot of variety in that list--but that's because everyone is motivated by different sounds. For this reason, I always let my clients choose the station they like. 

So what does music have to do with fitness? 

I have personally seen clients take their workouts to the next level when the right song comes on. They find energy to continue their grueling set when just a few seconds prior, they may have been thinking of giving up.

Music is a powerful tool that you should be using in your every day life. Not only does it make us feel just about every emotion but it can also bring back memories and inspire us to KICK SOME ASS IN THE GYM!  If you are still having doubts about whether or not music can make a difference for you, try putting some thought into creating a perfect playlist before your next workout session. Here are a few of my favorites for inspiration:

1. Born to Run // Bruce Springsteen

2. Runnin’ Down a Dream // Tom Petty

3. Lose Yourself // Eminem

4. Thunderstruck // AC/DC

5. Stronger // Kanye West

*image by KT Lindsay, Flickr

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3 Healthy Green Recipes for St. Paddy's Day

Before you go loading up on green beer and corned beef & cabbage, why don't you try one of these healthy (and tasty) green recipes below? (Don't forget to throw on some green trainers or sweat band while you're at it---you don't want to get pinched on your way to the gym, do you?)

HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY EVERYONE! 

1. Shamrock Green Smoothie

2. Green Detox Smoothie

3. Ginger Cilantro Green Shake

*image by Elana's Pantry, Flickr

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Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Run Like A Gazelle

Ever heard of Ken Popejoy? Not only is he an NCAA Indoor champion in the mile, an Indoor All-American, a winner of Big Ten titles in the outdoor and indoor mile, and the first Spartan to run a sub-4 minute mile, but he was also one of my favorite coaches in college. Ever since then he has been a lifelong mentor, a close friend, and a daily inspiration. His son isn't too bad either :)

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree 

Today, I have the wonderful experience of working with Ken's son, Mike. Mike (who I swear is part gazelle) runs over 100 miles a week and is hoping to qualify for the Olympic trials in the marathon category. What does he do in his downtime, you ask? Oh nothing big, he's just working on his PhD at this little known university called Harvard. This guy is seriously the whole package! 

I am currently helping him increase his overall strength as well as improve his running technique. On March 15th, Mike is set to run the LA Marathon and I can't wait to see how well he does. Stay tuned for more updates on his Olympic journey.

*image by Stig Nygaard, Flickr 

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