EDITOR’S NOTE: Please welcome our newest coach, Zen Gray. Look for Zen’s weekly article every Tuesday.
Hello Breaking Muscle World,
I hate to admit it, but I’ve been a fitness professional for over twenty years. I consider myself to be “healthy but real” – as in I’ll throw back a shot of wheatgrass before teaching circuit training at 6:00am, but I enjoy a Coke and buttered popcorn with my sweetheart on a Saturday night after waking up at the crack of noon.
My biggest claim to fame was co-starring on a couple seasons of a reality show on Bravo TV called WORKOUT. Do you remember it at all? Lots of drama revolving around trainers in a gym, no plot, no prize. Genius, right? But let me tell you – living in West Hollywood and being on a reality show on Bravo was FAB-U-LOUS! I could walk into any gay bar and drink for free. Ah, the memories.
Later I partnered with ExerciseTV, writing and hosting a web series calledThe Skinny – amusing and easy health tips for the newbie or not-so-enthusiastic exerciser. I have a soft spot in my heart for reluctant exercisers. Some days I feel so lazy myself that I want to throw a tantrum and whine, “I don’t WANNA!” instead of going to the gym – but I still go. Perhaps it’s because I’m over forty and my hormones are making me sluggish, but it just seems harder to get going now than it did before, so I need all the tricks I can find.
For the last couple years, I’ve also worked as a freelance writer with a daily health, wellness, and beauty newsletter in Los Angeles. I got to try all sorts of wonderful spa treatments, fitness products, yummy health food, and even things like hypnotherapy for weight loss. And I’ve shared the best I’ve found with my clients and even put a few ideas into my first eBook – a diet and exercise guide called From Flab to Fit.
And – this is no small point – I got married last October and my relationship is definitely affecting my workout habits and attitudes. I want to explore this correlation and share my triumphs and tribulations.
Here’s what I hope to contribute:
- My take on how attitude and habits affect workouts.
- How relationships affect health. (i.e. Does love make you fat?)
- Anti-aging through diet and exercise (and perhaps a laser or two).
- Cool new gadgets, gear, and fitness-related news.
As my training clients will attest, I am all about pushing through comfort zones and taking baby steps toward a personal goal. I’ve had 60-year-old clients come to me with horrible hip and neck pain only do their first triathlon several months later. I’ve had numerous clients drop fifty pounds or more just by addressing their stress-relief strategies and developing fun workout routines requiring little or no equipment.
I’ve personally tried many workouts including but not limited to: CrossFit, Pure Barre (ballet exercise), Cirque-du-Soleil trapeze classes, S-Factor (pole dancing, anyone?), military obstacle courses, surfing, boot camps, Booyaka tribal dancing, Krank Cycling, Kangoo Jumps and more.
I’m a pathetic-looking runner – although I’ve completed a marathon – and I’ve chugged through two triathlons here in Southern California.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading a little bit about me and I look forward to sharing my opinions, preferences, and geeked-out excitement for new stuff on Breaking Muscle every Tuesday.
Health & Happiness,
Zen
