Ultimate Athletic Fitness » Motivation

How to Be Awesome, Excellent, Lean and Strong

Callie — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:00:04 +0000

Hey, I hope you’re doing great in your little corner of life. I was thinking the other day about how we all get into our “bubbles” and sometimes forget that there’s a life going on around us and outside of that bubble.

It kinda sucks and it’s a bit scary that with all of the technology, we are definitely able to connect so easily but it makes us distant at the same time.

Whoa, deep…..

I just wanted to take a few minutes to share some of the blog posts that I’ve written that were really special to me. They were the ones that really touched into what I believe in and I hope that they helped you out a bit too.

Remember that life is WAY too short, just try to be cool and take care of your body.

Enjoy!

61 Ways to Be Your Most Excellent Self

The 2011 Recap of Awesomeness

The 11 Random Fitness and Life Rules I Live By

9 Ways to Live Life Aggressively

My Love Letter to Fitness

Emily’s Journey

Here are some of my favorite posts by some folks that I follow regularly…..

101 Ways to Be Epic

Heroes versus Cowards

Nobody Likes a Grumpus

The Pussification of America

Drop me a quick comment at the bottom and let me know one thing that you do to enrich your life. It can be super simple. Love to hear your thoughts!

Also just click “Like” at the top of the page to share this knowledge with the Facebook world

The 11 Random Fitness and Life Rules that I Live By

Callie — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:30:23 +0000

This post was inspired by Craig Ballantyne. Craig is one of the editors of Early to Rise, a great blog about mindset, lifestyle and business.

I wanted to share some rules that I live by. After some contemplation on this I realized there were many more but here is just a little piece of some of my life rules.

1. I read business, mind-set or motivational material on my Kindle for 30 minutes per day.

2. I never check email before 9am. Typically it’s later but that’s the cut off and I only check it twice per day, never on weekends.

3. I will live my life by my own rules.

4. I do some kind of mobility or stretching every single day when I wake up.

5. I turn off all electronics one hour before I go to sleep, this helps me relax and get ready for actual rest.

6. My workouts always consist of heavy movements involving muscle complexes to burn more calories and engage the entire body in an efficient manner.

7. I believe that everyone can change their lifestyle and I don’t engage with people who disagree with that statement.

8. I have cut out all of the vampires and energy suckers in my life and only focus on the positive people that care about me.

9. I take 2-3 minutes every day to remember where I started and how grateful I am for the life I have.

10. I get my mindset right before every single workout. Focus and music gets me ready to give 100% and never waste a minute of energy.

11. I have a daily, weekly and monthly calendar on my computer. Each day is color coded and time slots are blocked out for daily tasks. This keeps me motivated and on track with my tasks.

Bonus #1- I always give myself Friday as “my” day. I sleep in a bit, train hard and usually spend time with friends or go to a movie. Occasionally I’ll do a bit of work in the afternoon but I love this time for myself to unwind and enjoy the fact that I created my own schedule and lifestyle.

Bonus #2- I’m not religious but I do pray at the church of Brady. Go Pats!

One thing I realized a few years ago is that you must give yourself permission to lead a life that you want. Part of that is giving yourself permission to get your body into shape. It’s not just the physical side, but it’s mental and it’s confidence and overall energy.

If you’re ready to give yourself permission to change your life with fitness then I encourage you to come by for a free 60 minute consult with me.

—>Click HERE to sign up for your 60 minute consultation

Why I Hired a Personal Trainer

Callie — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:00:58 +0000

I hope you had a great holiday with your family and friends. I was in Vermont for Christmas, we had a great time and even though it was just a small group of us it was still great. When I was growing up our holidays were typically like 30-50 people with lots of kids running around so it was crazy. My mom had 7 sibling so everyone got together at my grandmother’s house, especially on Christmas, everyone was just dropping by all day.

When my grandmother passed away we sort of lost our “home base” and people starting doing stuff with the other side of their family or just starting new traditions. It’s still weird going back to Vermont and not going there. But, we had a blast, ate some good food and got some cool gifts.

Now, it’s back on the wagon for me, gotta listen to my trainer.

Yeah you heard that right. I AM a trainer and I HIRED a trainer. This was a little early Christmas present to myself.

I love training other people, I love training myself and it’s rare that I don’t enjoy a workout. The thing that was becoming tough for me was designing my own workouts day after day. It’s much easier to have someone else do that for you and you don’t have to think about it.

Plus for me as a trainer, I think about every single angle and examine every exercise to it’s core just like I do for my clients. When I start doing that for myself it makes me nuts. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

So now I just get my workout plan each month and follow that. Since I know what I’m doing and I’m motivated to get the workouts in, John just sends them to me via email since he lives in NYC.

The other thing that’s been great about hiring my very own trainer is that I have someone to be accountable to. I talk about this with our clients almost every day. How having someone to report to and to tell you when to show up and what to do, is very important. As human beings we may not ALWAYS be motivated by our own devices every single day, but we don’t want to let anyone else down.

So I send John my measurements and progress every 2 weeks. Plus I know if I’m paying for this I better damn well do the workouts he sends

Plus, I’m putting this out there publicly for a little extra motivation, accountability and humiliation if I don’t reach it (joking)….my ultimate goal is to drop my body fat to 15% so working with John will keep me focused.

This has been one of the coolest experiences for me because I can really just focus on my results and not think about each aspect of the program design. John is a really cool guy and a great trainer in New York. I’d been following his blog for a long time and I finally decided now was the best time for me. I was also recently reading how he has a trainer for himself.

Maybe for a while it was an ego thing, thinking I could do it on my own. Well obviously I can do it on my own, it’s my career. But, it’s just a matter of not wanting to and wanting to make my process much more streamlined and accountable.

I know these reasons are some of the top reasons our clients choose to train with us. We give them step-by-step instructions when they are in the gym and all they have to do is show up and work hard. We also give them the tools to succeed in their diet plan and with workouts outside the gym. Obviously we aren’t there to monitor that but we give them the exact instructions.

The other huge component is the accountability and progress. We have measurements every 6 weeks for every client and they have their scheduled workout times so instead of just “going to the gym” they are getting that structure in a daily routine which is proven huge for developing good habits.

I congratulate each and every one of our clients for all of their hard work and if you have not yet checked out our studio you can sign up for a free 60 minute consultation with me where we will dissect all of your personal and fitness goals, get you a body diagnostic test (measurements, weight, body fat) and help you develop a plan of attack for amazing success in 2012. Just click the link below to sign up.

—>Free Training Consultation

Here’s a video of me pushing the Prowler loaded up with 300 pounds. This was earlier this summer and my best push this fall was 355. Nevermind the fact that I almost had the Prowler flu after that one. Glad we didn’t catch that on camera…..

300 Pound Prowler Push (video)

Cambridge Trainer Answers Your Fitness Questions

Callie — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:00:11 +0000

Cambridge Personal Trainer Answers Your Fitness Questions

A Cambridge personal trainer Q&A post….

Hey I hope you’re having an awesome holiday season. I got a bunch of Christmas shopping done last week, thank goodness for online shopping.

This is the time of year that people start to slack on their fitness. I’ll start AFTER the holidays. How often do we hear this? Well the cool thing about our training studio is that most people are actually going to lose fat before the New Year. Nothing better than that.

Anyway, I asked my Facebook friends what their biggest frustrations and struggles were when it came to fitness. I wanted to answer a few of those questions today because I bet you can relate to some of these. Enjoy.

Callie I’m really starting to get into working out but I still find that I go back to my old ways of “rewarding” myself with food or treats if I work out consistently. What can I do about this?

This is a very common thing for people. Food has been used as a reward for us since we were all kids. You have to think about the actual benefits of this for your goals though. If you are training hard and eating well, you certainly can let yourself have a treat once a week. I do this on Saturdays. It helps eliminate cravings and can actually enhance fat loss if done right. The problem comes up when people do this too often. You end up derailing your progress all together. Instead of turning for food and saying “I worked out hard so I deserve this,” how about treating yourself with a new gym outfit, a pair of shoes, a massage, or a new handbag. Use short and long term goals so if you hit a goal with your training, let yourself have one of those things. Use a non-food related reward for each milestone that you hit.

I’m trying to lose fat and get fit, how do I get my family members on board when it seems all they want to do is eat unhealthy stuff?

This can be a tough one but you can just start introducing healthier foods each week. Grab some new healthy recipes that are just twists on old favorites such as chili or meatloaf or spice up fish and chicken with some great marinades (stay away from the liquid ones though, too much sugar). Let everyone in the family know that this is your goal and you need their support. Stock up the house with healthy snacks and pack your day’s worth of food when you head off to work. Just like anything you need to slowly make changes, especially for someone who may not be as focused on it as you are.

How do I keep my fitness and fat loss results going when my social life revolves around eating and drinking?

The key with this is to limit your intake to once a week. It’s okay to have a “cheat” meal once or twice per week but that’s where you need to call it quits. If you find yourself in lots of social situations past that once or twice per week you have to start making healthier choices. Opt for steak, chicken or fish with some veggies or a salad. If your friends know you’re in a healthy mode, they’ll be supportive. If you’re drinking just stick to wine or liquor to avoid the heavy carbs of beer. Pair each drink with one glass of water to stay as hydrated as possible. Plus you want to avoid the hang-over and greasy food binge of the next day. It’s never a perfect situation but just make the smartest choices that you can while you’re out. It’s all about planning in advance what you’ll eat or drink. Don’t make the decision as you’re sitting at the table. Most places have online menus so check it out beforehand and make the healthiest choice available.

Stay tuned for the next installment of questions. If you have a question for me just leave a comment in the section below. Talk soon!

How Emily’s Life Journey Lead to Durbrow Performance Training

Callie — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:00:11 +0000

Emily’s Story….

Who is this normal looking person training me and why does she yell so much?

I grew up in Cabot a small town in Vermont. Yes, where the cheese comes from. My family is extremely loving and devoted to each other. I am the youngest of four girls, bless my fathers heart. I was blessed with a wonderful family. I had three fabulous sisters and wonderful parents. In spite of this, my childhood was not always a happy one.

Since I can remember part of the definition of who I am is my family, another overpowering part of who I am is obesity. My weight has effected every portion of my life and at times I let it define me. At the age of nine I tipped the scales at 181 pounds, yep 180. My parents dressed me in leggings and longs tee-shirts because it was the only thing to fit my frame. I was teased at school, eat secretly and felt deep shame. My weight prevented me from doing so many things any child should experience.

I was completely addicted to food, still am.

I would eat boxes of macaroni and cheese, followed up by some Ramen Noodles and this was before my family would sit down for dinner. When I was happy I ate, sad I ate, I was and still am completely emotionally tied to food. I was too young to understand what I was doing to my body andI still carry some the physical scars from being so heavy at a young age.

This was all a learned behavior, my mother like her father before her was obese. As I grew up I watched her struggle daily with being over 300 pounds. She was kind, wonderful and warm. The most compassionate person you could ever meet but she had a problem. She was, as her father was, addicted to food. I remember when I will still too young to understand what was happening, a group of kids at the mall asked her if she was part of the circus as the fat lady. I watched her hide in corners, stand because she was afraid she could not fit in a chair, try every diet and fail each time.

After years of battling with her obesity she finally gave up and accepted that this was who she was, defined by weight. Her doctors told her the dangers, she was on medication and missing out on so much of her life. I was twenty-one when she died. She did not get to know all of her grandchildren see all of her children’s graduations and weddings.

Her death devastated my family and sent me further down the road of obesity.

My wakeup call came (well more like a slap in the face) after her death in my junior year of college. Although I lost some weight in high school being active in sports, college, my mothers death and a knee injury had me right back into my old habits and pants. While working at an internship at the Chief Medical Examiners Office I was tasked with filing away death certificates after they had been certified. One morning I found myself face to face with my mothers. Her life was summed up in the words on this piece of paper. “Cause of death Cancer, diagnose prolonged due to morbid obesity”

This hit me fully in the face. It was that dramatic for me.

I sat there at twenty-one knowing this could be my future if I didn’t seriously look at who I wanted to be and more importantly I could have had more time with my mother if she only knew how help herself. After that day I knew two things for certain; one I need to start to take control of my life and two it was not going to be easy. Saying I want to be healthier, feel better and have a better relationship with food was not going to be enough. Luckily I had access to a gym and I started running that very week.

At first I could only make it for two minutes, then five, then twenty every couple of weeks I put on a little more time. I would put up excuses; too tired or I need to study but none of them seemed as important as contributing daily to living a long and healthy life. So I would go to the gym and put in my time.

Then I met a trainer who was willing to show me how to use the weights. I knew the basics from sports in school but she was able to push beyond that knowledge. I made small changes to my diet each week. I started to lose weight and more importantly every aspect of my life was starting to improve. I had more energy, confidence and felt for the first time that I deserved good things on life. I broke up with my verbally abusive boyfriend, starting doing better in school and I spent more time out with my friends.

The following spring I met my wonderful husband and he supported me even more to get to the next level of fitness.

By that summer I was running everyday and I weighed the same amount as I did in second grade. I went back to college the next fall with new determination.

My major was criminal justice.I knew I wanted to help people and I thought I could do that in the forensic psychology field. But after graduating and obtaining a job in correction headed towards my goal I found myself unfulfilled. I left correction for an office job, I worked behind desk. And for those of you who already know me my energy level and that desk did not mix.

I was at the job for almost five years and the highlight of the five years was giving my co-workers fitness and nutrition advice. During that time I was encouraging those around me to go after their dreams and know that they were worth it but I hadn’t yet done my diligence to manifestation my dream.

I encouraged my husband to pursue a dream that I knew would take us out of state and away from the job I was comfortably numb and miserable in. We found ourselves in Boston, he in his dream job and me back in an officer job. I was working over 50 hours a week and back to being miserable. I still found joy in the gym.

I loved everything to do with exercise the way it changed people’s lives the way it had changed mine, I read every article, watched every weight loss special trying to learn the everything I could. Then came the moment for me to get real and once again think about the person I wanted to be. One life to live. I knew I had more to contribute then sitting behind a desk. I also had looked at being a personal trainer over and over. Always thinking, I know this, I know what it is like, how hard it is and I know I want to help people. So when the opportunity came I was ready and willing.

I had known Callie for years; her knowledge, her determination and most importantly her level of care for her clients. She has a way to train clients in forty-five minutes that takes other trainers hours to do. I had worked at another fitness facility and knew that there were trainers who go through the motions and fill their appointment book and there are trainers like Callie who connect and care.

I took a deep breath and sent her an e-mail. And here I am today.

Doing what I love. I care about each client, I push hard and yell loud because I know, I have been there and I care. I have been in their shoes and watched those I care about struggle. I see each of our clients potential to be the best version of themselves and help them get there. I have the best job in world and am blessed to have the opportunity harass our clients and share in their victories.

During the hour they spend with us they will struggle and some days even want to quit it is our job to help them overcome that and see the best the results possible.I get to help people change their life. So if you are ready and serious about making a change come join us. The battle to get healthy and lose weight can be a lonely one, but it does have to be, you have me, Callie and the best group of peers to help you reach your goals.

My Love Letter to Fitness

Callie — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:00:56 +0000

My love letter to fitness.

Besides my parents and my brother, you’ve known me the longest. You’ve been with me since before I can remember, in one form or another. It started out with bikes around the neighborhood with my cousins, then it was karate and soccer in the front yard. We had basketball in the basement, pretending to be the Celtics.

Soccer camp, my first overnight camp at UVM where I was scared to death. Middle school basketball where I was the tiny little 6th grader with high school coaches asking me “where I was going to high school.” (My town didn’t have a high school so I could choose).

You were there at every karate tournament when I won trophies that were almost as tall as me. You were there when Dad was making me practice “just one good move” with the soccer ball in the front yard. It’s all you need, you know. Once you perfect that one move you’re set.

You were with me every step of the way when I was doing sprints up the hill in the back land near our house. Dad wanted me to do that too. Even though I thought I hated it, I knew it was right.

On my first day of high school when I was the new kid trying out for soccer and absolutely scared out of my mind, you were right there. You helped me with those shuttle runs where I beat out everyone and then the “cool kids” started to talk to me because I was good at soccer and super fast.

It was you when I was trying out for basketball as a freshman and made the varsity team. They said I was ready and I know it was thanks to you. Quickness drills, push ups, squats and sprints in the off-season. I didn’t really know it would pay off but looking back now, it did. Thank you.

You stuck by me all through high school when I was still painfully shy and without you and sports I would have been a total geek.

College. Man that was fun. You were there too. I kept playing soccer and basketball thanks to you and I learned what it really meant to be a part of a team so tightly bonded that it still gives me chills thinking about it today. You helped me make some of my best friends and you taught me that it’s all about putting your nose to the grindstone and straight up working.

You were there when I broke my leg during a soccer game in 1999. I thought you left me for a while and I was depressed. I couldn’t have you and I was in a cast for almost 6 months. It was torture. I lost everything you gave me during that time- speed, quickness and muscle.

I wasn’t giving up on you though. I worked my way back to you with physical therapy, swimming and biking until I could run again. It was only for 1/4 of a mile and I almost died but you were back and I wasn’t letting you go again.

Now look at us. You’re my lifeline. You have given me the greatest gift I could ever ask for. You’ve given me my ultimate lifestyle and you’ve made me happier than I ever imagined because I’m doing things by my rules and making other people happy and healthy.

You’ve been by my side when I’m a little bit moody or I feel like punching someone in the face. You’re there when everyone else is annoying or when I’m annoying myself. You always make it better.

All I need is just a few minutes of you. Once I get going in my own workout or in training a group with you right there, I’m the happiest person in the world. You have helped me surround myself with some of the most amazing people. Because of you I get to help them transform their bodies and their lives. Who could ask for anything more?

I don’t have any bad feelings toward you like most people. I’m weird like that. I’ve always been obsessed with you. You don’t bore me, you don’t waste my time, there are very few things I’d rather be doing. There was never a time that you weren’t in my life and I thank you for that.

You allowed me to meet my best friend. I never had a sister and now I do, because of you. You helped me connect with my dad. You’re what we do. You allowed me to be good at something for 25 years of my life. You gave my parents years of great games to watch. They really loved that. You got me out of my shell when I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. You have transformed a shy and self-conscious kid who didn’t have a clue except she knew she was good when it came to you.

Thank you, fitness. You’re everything to me. You’ve made my life completely incredible and when I look back, you’re there in every memory. I hope I can make you proud.

What’s Your Excuse?

Callie — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:00:57 +0000

A Cambridge personal training post by Callie Durbrow

What’s Your Excuse?

I know you’ve got one. You probably have one every day.

I know I throw out some dumb a$$ excuses when I don’t want to do something. Most of the time it’s just my self talk in my own head and I have to back track and think about what I really can do and why I’m even making the excuse.

Am I tired? Am I scared? Do I think that for a second I might fail?

Those are all reasons why we make excuses. It’s much easier to stay in our little bubble and comfort zone where it’s warm and safe. Stepping out of there means possible (and temporary) failure, discomfort, criticism, lots of stuff that sucks but only temporarily.

Stepping out of your comfort zone may be making it through your first training session. You thought your chest might explode or your legs would give out, but you did it. Then you came back for second one, and a third and before you know it you’ve lost 5 pounds of fat and you’re well on your way.

That’s the way it works with our clients. Everyone is scared. Some people just make the choice to actually show up and make the change. What’s your excuse?

I freakin’ love this video. It pumps me up every time I watch it so I wanted to share it with you. Enjoy and leave me a quick comment about what you think about it!

Cambridge Personal Training: Monday Motivation

Callie — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 05:00:04 +0000

A Cambridge personal training post by Callie Durbrow

Cambridge Personal Training: Monday Motivation

Whats up!

I hope you had an awesome weekend. Something I’ve realized over the last year or so, I want to create my ultimate lifestyle so that I NEVER have to “live for the weekends” anymore. I understand that you may not be in your ideal lifestyle situation and that’s cool with me, I hope you get out of it but in the meantime, here’s a little Monday Motivation for you….

This is some serious 80′s movie footage but it’s pretty awesome if you ask me. Check it….

Cambridge Fitness Boot Camp: How Bad Do YOU Want It?

Callie — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:55:50 +0000

A Cambridge fitness post by boot camp owner Callie Durbrow

I saw this video on someone’s Facebook page the other day and I just had to share it. I love it because it’s showing some pretty bad-a$$ training but I can’t get enough of this message.

Do you want to succeed as badly as you want to breathe? How awesome is that.

Most people don’t want success that much. I’ve found that so many people just coast through life and they “kinda” want it. If you kinda want it, then you’re going to kinda get it.

Do you wake up every day and tell yourself that you’re going to be the best YOU that you can be? Or do you struggle through your morning and your entire day, just living for the weekends?

If that’s the case then make a change. If you hate your job, change it. If you hate your lifestyle, change it. It sounds scary to just “change” but if you want to be happy and hold your version of success as badly as you want to breathe, then you’ll do it.

Check out this video…..

Are you friends with us on Facebook? If not then just check out our page and get free workout and training tips, find out what’s going on in our boot camps and follow our awesome client success stories…..

Durbrow Performance Training on Facebook (“Like” us

Cambridge Personal Trainer Report: 9 Things You Can Change Now and Get Better Results

Callie — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 05:00:48 +0000

A Cambridge personal trainer report by Callie Durbrow

Cambridge Personal Trainer Report: 9 Things You Can Change NOW and Get Better Results

I want to keep this short and sweet today. I can imagine that you’re not getting the results that you want. Most people are not.

You know why?

They aren’t willing to put in the work. It’s hard as hell to get a great body. Sure you’ll be healthier, stronger and you’re helping your overall health….but are you truly happy with how you look?

Just showing up and going through the motions, “kind of” eating healthy and not getting enough sleep are all things that will “kind of” get you results.

If you want to get serious results then you need to take a look in the mirror. What’s the point in going half-ass? Why put in SOME effort when you can just ramp it up a little bit more and get amazing results?

Here are 9 things you can do RIGHT NOW to get the body that you want:

1. Get more sleep- 7 to 9 hours each night is what you want.

2. Drink more water. Drink 1/2 of your body weight in ounces each day. If you weigh 140 then you drink 70 ounces.

3. Sprint. Get off that stupid elliptical machine, it’s doing nothing but giving you a saggy butt and wasting 40 minutes of your time. I don’t care where you sprint- on the treadmill, outside, at Harvard Stadium….just get it done.

4. Set yourself up for a positive day. I’m not going to be all woo-woo and say think positive and good things will happen, but you have to get out of the cycle of negative. Start your day thinking about what you’re going to accomplish and how you can help others.

5. Cut out the sugars. Sugar is a killer when you want to lose fat. You can find some great recipes here….

Healthy Fall Recipes

Protein Packed, Low Sugar Treats

6. Perform full body strength workouts for more muscle tone, a higher calorie burn and to seriously boost your metabolism. Get away from the little light weights and cardio. Focus on getting stronger and getting your body lean.

7. Commit to making a change —> How Bad Do You Want to Change

8. Hire someone that can help you. Why would you try and do it on your own and keep struggling? Join a motivating group with a qualified trainer that can get you to your goal in 1/2 the time and with way less aggravation.

—->14 Day Fall Fat Blast (a great way to get started and get results)

9. Stop complaining. No one wants to listen to your problems unless it’s followed by what you’re going to do about it. Complain all you want, nothing will change. Take a stand and make a change.