Tag: motivation

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Featured Health Lifestyle NYC Wellness

VT Dogpound’s Head of Training and Development

Dogpound trainers run individualized Virtual Personal Training (VPT) via FaceTime, Zoom, Google Hangout, and more.

 

With the recent pandemic closures, our routines have switched from in-person to virtual. Without our NYC average of 8800 steps per day, our fitness needs to go virtual, too. We reached out to Dogpound’s Head of Training and Development Lala Duncan to get the scoop on their virtual training program.

Downtown Magazine: We see a lot of gyms selling pre-recorded VPT, what is the difference? Lala Duncan: Many gyms and fitness professionals started selling pre-recorded workout programs before the pandemic, given the low cost and ease of access of these programs. That market has grown with COVID.

 

Clients get to have access to a DP trainer with them whether they are at home, on vacation

 

Pre-recorded programs are great for people to stay active during uncertain times, but these are workout programs designed to appeal to a wide range of people. They are not designed for any one individual and, after a period of time, clients can become unmotivated and bored because of the lack of accountability or personal attention. Most people who purchase pre-recorded programs end up paying for programs they don’t use.

That is why Dogpound offers individualized VPT based on your goals and available equipment. Clients get to have access to a DP trainer with them whether they are at home, on vacation, or at a quarantine destination (Hawaii and St. Bart’s).

 

DTM: What does one need to prepare for VPT?

LD: Whether you are a current or new client, we ask each client to answer a short questionnaire about their fitness goals, time commitment and expectations as well as what type of equipment, if any, you have to train with at home. Once we have that information, the trainer can devise a long-term plan to keep their training and on track.

 

Clients with mild to moderate depression, sleep deprivation, and anxiety

DTM: Are clients staying motivated?

LD: In the beginning, there was the fear of “losing my gains.” People were rushing to buy dumbbells and weights or whatever they could get their hands on just to stay fit, not really knowing how long this would last. After a couple of months, I noticed that there was a slump in motivation with a lot of my clients. I had clients that were suffering from mild to moderate depression, sleep deprivation, and anxiety all brought on by the uncertainty of the pandemic. Some days my sessions would consist of talking and light stretching. Especially for New Yorkers, we were in the thick of it. For some of my clients, our VPT session would be the only interaction they had with anyone all day or week. Our amazing staff of trainers takes this responsibility very seriously. It’s not just about working out; it’s about health, longevity, and ultimately happiness.

“I now see clients more than I did in the actual gym”

DTM: Are clients getting the same results from virtual training?

LD: More, actually. Originally the goal was just to keep people moving and motivated. Now the goal is to keep progressing people forward in their long-term fitness goals. About 3/4 of my clients have set up some kind of home gym, whether it be some dumbbells and kettlebells or full gyms with squat racks and weights. Since we have started the VPT at Dogpound, I now see clients more than I did in the actual gym.

DTM: Do you think VPT here to stay?

LD: Absolutely! As the saying goes, it takes 30 days to create a habit, 60 days to make progress, and 90 days to see results. It’s not going anywhere; Virtual training is truly the new virtual reality.

If you are interested in signing up for virtual sessions with Lala Duncan or other Dogpound trainers, you can contact their NYC location at info@thedogpound.com or their LA location at lainfo@thedogpound.com

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Featured Fitness Health

Learning to Love your Body: 3 Simple Ways to Silence Your Inner Critic

Inner Critic
Olivia, a DOGPOUND LA trainer

by Olivia Poling, a personal trainer at The DOGPOUND‘s Los Angeles location

Photo Credit Bryan Espino

Ladies, tell me if this sounds familiar: you walk into your favorite department store wallet in-hand, ready to buy the PERFECT pair of jeans. You confidently stride over to the rack and sift through the piles until you find “your” size. Then it’s off to the dressing room – you know, that weird-smelling, slightly-disgusting little box with bad lighting – but no matter, with all the optimism in the universe you step into that “perfect pair” of jeans, pull them up, and start to button them.

But wait a minute… something’s not right…
“Are these tighter than last time?” 
Your heart begins to race. Panic sets in. 
“Oh my god. No, no, no… somethings wrong.  These have to fit.” 

But alas…after zipping and buttoning them closed it’s clear that on this day, at this moment, these “perfect” jeans are far from perfect…and a healthy dose of that confident optimism you had just a moment ago disappears in the blink of an eye.

But even worse… now you have to make the walk of shame.  You have to walk back out onto the floor and find the next number that accusingly reminds you of how “not perfect” you are. 

All the while your inner critic tosses out snarky little barbs from the sidelines of your mind. 
“How could I let this happen?” 
“What’s wrong with me? Am I’m not beautiful anymore?” 

This inner critic we all have living inside of us is an insidious monster that constantly nitpicks everything we do. 

UGH! No wonder this drives us half nuts. 

And this isn’t an isolated case either, according to dosomething.org approximately 91% of women report being unhappy with their bodies. 91%!

This problem is epidemic, but how do we inspire body positivity alongside a healthy lifestyle. 

Here are 3 small ways you can begin to silence your inner critic and learn to love YOUR body.

Inner Critic

1. Understand your body is part of who you are, it’s not ALL of who you are.

Your body is part of you, but it doesn’t define who you are. Don’t lose sight of the fact that our lives are rich and dynamic with a multitude of passions, relationships, talents, likes, dislikes, and values. 

Focusing on your whole self–not just listening to your inner critic tear you down–will help build your confidence, and confidence is always in style and it’s always sexy. No matter what you’re wearing or your size.

2. It’s OK to want to make changes, just make them for the right reasons.

On any journey in life, fitness, health, or learning a new skill, everyone travels at their own pace.  No one is better than you, some people are just further down the line on the journey. That doesn’t mean that you won’t get there someday.  So, stop comparing yourself to people who have been at this for a long time.  

Focus on YOUR journey.  Start with small steps and take a minute to reward yourself for each successive milestone – maybe start by adding more veggies to your diet, exercise a little harder or a few more times per week, drink more water, get more high-quality rest.  

Trust me: small, consistent changes pile up quickly and, over time, you’ll achieve (and even smash through) your wildest expectations.  

This won’t just help you physically–your mental health will thank you for this more rational approach as well.

3. Embrace the journey, while learning to love who you are.

Despite what our modern society tries to convince you of nothing ever happens overnight, the best things in life are worth the time and the effort you put in.  So, learn to enjoy the process. Be kind to your body and your mind. It not only will make you stronger on the outside but on the inside as well.

I promise you, if you’re consistent and remind yourself of these 3 simple things every day, you’ll notice changes in your body as well as your attitude towards yourself in all aspects of your life. 

And, it might just be enough to silence your inner critic once and for all.

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Featured Fitness Health Wellness

Exercise Your Mind, Body, and Soul

Dre Marrero
Dre Marrero, a personal trainer at The DOGPOUND. Photo credit Matteo Matty Matt.

By Andreina “Dre” Marrero, a personal trainer at The DOGPOUND

Dre Marrero
Dre Marrero stands on top of a tire that DOGPOUND members use for exercise. Photo credit Alice Teeple.

“Mind-body connection” is something we hear about in the gym, but many clients interpret it differently. What makes the mind create changes in the body? What causes the body to withstand the pain of the movements the create growth? There are numerous scientific explanations to answer these, but what about the unknown factor: your soul?

Welcome to personal soul training. Yes. You read that right. Soul training.

Embedded deep within all of us is that magic, or what I like to call our “Wizard of Oz.” Someone behind that mind and body which instructs us to lift that arm, get that last rep, and “listen” to what our body tells us. While mind-body gets all the attention, what about our soul training? This encompasses past pain, anger, frustration, and numerous lower vibrating energy that keeps us from making permanent changes with our bodies. Running is energy; Training is energy; Lifting is energy. All in all- life itself is all about ENERGY!

This takes us to our energy centers, which play a vital role in our training and our personal health/wellness plan. Our 7 energy centers (chakras) give us significant clues towards what changes our soul needs to project progress outwardly. In simple terms: heal the soul, heal the mind, heal the body–IN THAT ORDER.

Soul Training
Photo credit Matteo Matty Matt

Our first energy center, for example, the root chakra, is responsible for stability, rigidity, security, and a sense of “I Am.” As life happens for us, this energy center can be thrown off and cause restlessness, insecurity, excessive anger, and impatience. Performing grounding movements such as deadlifts/squats can help release this energy as well as associated feelings that are occurring in our personal lives. Staying consistent will eventually get you dual results: an enhanced body but, most importantly, a healed part of the soul, which can be life-altering. Our decisions are based on our thoughts, which are based on our feelings and beliefs. Who houses those feelings? Our soul.

Changing the body from within is vital for growth. We ensure we have the brain to grow, the courage to persevere, but most importantly, the heart to make these changes permanent and truly live a healthy lifestyle….from the inside out.

Remember- there’s no place like home. That home is your body & training the inner self is just as crucial as the outer shell. (Clicks heels twice…)