Manhattan Fitness Blog

 Hal Miller - NYC Personal trainer uses the Gravity training system to target his shoulders, core and triceps.

One of my friends always says, “I can’t think my way into right acting, I have to act my way into right thinking”. This statement pertains to my whole life, not just working out. I’ve strayed from my personal spiritual path as of late which causes turmoil in all areas, just like a rock being thrown into a calm lake, those rings of discourse flow outward. What do I mean by my spiritual path? Real simple, doing the right things for the right reason, paying attention to an uneasiness in my gut when I make certain decisions, paying my bills on time is part of my individual spiritual practice.
So, what does this have to do with working out and my job as a trainer? Everything. When I go to these places of confusion and inner turmoil my ability to help others ceases, my own isolation draws me away from people and in turn away from myself. I don’t want to continue to grow as a trainer because I begin to question the ability of others to teach me anything (you can’t graft new ideas on to a closed mind). So, today I made a decision to start my day right, I went to the gym, where the attention to my physical self sets me on the right path to tend to my emotional and spiritual one. I can begin to find gratitude in my ability to show up and for all the things that I have and for the things I’m capable of achieving. I’m not speaking of monetary or career things, although those things are nice, they don’t give me peace and serenity which is most important to me.
this is all i can right today as there’s certainly no little bow to tie this altogether as the process is on-going and lifelong.
Hal Miller - NYC Personal Trainer

I haven’t written in my blog in a week and I’ve made a commitment to myself to myself to keep writing and posting instructional videos, which I haven’t done in about 3 weeks. At this point training is easy for me, it’s a habit, but working on my business just isn’t, it’s work. I’m sure many of my clients regard exercise in the same way, they haven’t developed a habit of doing something, that’s why it’s so hard for them to get into the gym. So, here I sit just posting thoughts, no nutrition, no new exercises (today), just keeping my commitment to myself. I figure if I post this stuff on the internet I’ll be accountable, whether anyone ever reads this or not is really not important, it’s how I feel at night when my head hits the pillow. And I really like to sleep well.

Since my career began as a NYC personal trainer 8 years ago I’ve had the great opportunity to train many novice clients and usher them into fitness, some are excited and others, well………not so much. Either way I find it an honor to introduce them to the thing I’m most passionate about, especially the people that ‘hate’ the gym, I look at it as a challenge and want to get them hooked like I am.
Many challenges face the novice, endurance issues, technique and developing neuromuscular coordination, these all take time, but there is one that they can control immediately and that one thing is being properly fueled for a work out. Some people will show up for an evening work out and the last thing that they’ve had was a cup of coffee at 1 and can’t even remember what they’ve had for breakfast, this is a recipe for failure. There is no gas in the tank and you’re going to get stranded, frustrated and sick. A trainer can do a lot of things for you, but he can’t stand by and make you eat.
Let’s keep this really simple, and just address food regarding your work out. Optimally you should eat 1-2 hours before, consuming a meal of about 40% protein, 40% complex carbohydrate and about 20% fat ( these are only estimates). These can be comprised of almost anything, but try and stay away from those deli bars, as you don’t know what’s used in there preparation. Please also understand that this is a process of trial and error and it will take time to figure out what agrees best with your body.
Post workout meals for my clients are dictated more by time. if they’ve trained in the morning or afternoon, I’ll use the formula above, If training took place in the evening I’ll modify the carbohydrate intake depending on the intensity of the workout. To be a little more clear, if you hit the weights hard, you can eat more good carbs, but if it was more cardio intensive, or a light weight circuit, I’d cut the carbs in half and add more protein. See it’s getting complicated already, don’t get discouraged and remember, ‘progress not perfection’.

 Perhaps New York City is a bubble, at least I think of it that way at times, I wonder if the struggles with food and lifestyle are the same in the rest of the country. Being a NYC personal trainer and owner of Fixed Gear Fitness i’ve trainer hundreds of people over the last 8 years and there are quite a few stumbling blocks to becoming fit, but the one I’m addressing today seems to be a common one. It’s the balance between enjoying what you are eating and maintaining balance. 

 I should really speak for myself as this is a major problem for me in maintaining my weight, it’s important to me because I just feel better being on the leaner side of things and it is of course my business, I am essentially a walking advertisement. I’m a person that cannot just have “a little bit” or a “taste” when it comes to certain foods. I literally feel as if my body chemistry has been altered and find I cannot stop eating, the two big ones for me are pizza and ice cream. Ok, so I know this about myself, then what should I do? Not eat pizza and ice cream? If I want to achieve certain physical goals this may be what I have to do, I know this may sound simple to most, but for those who find simplicity in maintaining balanced eating they may not view food as the comforting sedative that I do, the escape. 

 The main thing that I’m trying to get at here is that it’s ok not to eat certain foods if you feel they will put your balance in jeopardy. If you’re like me, you can’t have just one bite. I’m learning it’s ok to not eat certain foods for awhile and have come to accept that this is how I’m wired and is a challenge that I face.I also know  that nothing is forever and I’ll certainly be eating ice cream and pizza again, but if I can lay off for awhile these treats will taste even sweeter the next time.

Similar to the first installment, the Gravity is used to achieve optimal caloric burn per session. In this video you can see the upper body work which incorporates techniques from pilates and yoga, add to this a few rounds of boxing, free weights and proper nutrition and not only will you be look good, but you’ll feel great and maintain flexibility.

The question, how should I order my exercise routine? A question just posed to me by a former client who’s now strength training on his own. There are certainly many techniques, but the easiest one to remember is to train the largest muscle groups first. Let’s say you’re doing a full body work out and you’re also a beginner, here’s a sample of what I might do, doing each 2-3x for 10-15 reps.
1. bench/chest press
2. body weight squat
3. back wide grip pulldown
4. stationary lunges
5. shoulder presses
6. leg curls
7. leg extension
8. bicep curl
9. tricep pushdown
This is very rudimentary and I may not use a routine like this at all, but it does point out the larger to smaller muscle group technique and also notice the opposing muscle group training which allows more rest in the beginning of a strength training routine.

 To me Labor day represents a new beginning, not an ending. It’s a time to hunker down and immerse myself in fitness regimen that will carry me through to the warm days of an upcoming summer many months away. No distractions, the warm weathers not calling me out to the beach, I just feel the ability to be more regimented. Being a NYC personal trainer in the winter means I work on weekends which at the very least gets me to the facility. I like to make it my morning, start with a healthy meal, train a few clients and then get in a work out for myself, It’s a great way to stay focused on the weekend. Getting into this kind of habit is lso an effective way to stay on track through ‘the big three’, thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. This year be an inspiration to those around you as they fight to lose those xtra 10-15lbs and you’re already there.

I’ve been using the GTS (gravity training system) for the past 3 years as an effective tool to facilitate maximum healthy weight loss. By combining plyometrics (as seen in the video) and other techniques that I’ve developed exclusively for the gravity and my clients, we can achieve fantastic results, improve coordination and increase lean muscle. This video is Part 1 in a series of circuits on the Gravity created to achieve the maximum caloric loss in a 30 minute to 1 hour session. All exercises can be modifies depending on the client.