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Make it Make Sense: Understanding the Fitness Journey is a podcast for everyone, from beginners to seasoned athletes. Hosted by pro men's physique athlete and experienced fitness coach Frank, the show explores all aspects of fitness—physical, mental, and emotional. With candid conversations, practical advice, and insights from across the fitness spectrum, this podcast is designed to inspire, inform, and empower all demographics on their unique fitness journeys.
Yo. What is going on? It is your boy, coach Frank, and we are back at the Make It Makes Sense podcast, understanding your fitness journey. I've been out a little bit, you know, some good, some bad. Reserve the bad for just say some personal things.
Speaker 1:But as far as the good, the lady and I just went on one of the most epic hikes we've ever been on. Have a soup high to Havasupai hike to the well, the falls is to Havasupai Falls. It's one of the waterfalls. Either way, it's to Havasupai hike. It's a it's a 10 mile hike down to the campsite.
Speaker 1:It's an eight mile hike till you get to the Supai Indian village, which you can only see if you go down there. There are no you're not allowed to take pictures or anything at all of the village. And then and that's extension about two miles. And then you go down into the campsites where they have like just the most epic waterfalls, the most beautiful blue water. It's like, I met a couple right from Miami.
Speaker 1:And I asked them, like, the I have a supervisor up near the Grand Canyon. You know, I should really know these things. I've been in Arizona sixteen years, but I gotta tell you. Like, I am not the one for directions. Now I can tell you how something is once I've been there, but, you know, outside of that, you know, excuse me.
Speaker 1:Excuse me. Excuse me. But it's it is epic. Now I've been telling people some tips on how to maintain it because, like, they don't people that have done it before, they don't tell you the real. Right?
Speaker 1:So the first eight miles, yeah, it's, down to the to the village is on the way down. It's awesome because, you know, you so you're you're full of energy. You slept in a bed the night before. You know, it's an awesome thing. The first mile are switchbacks.
Speaker 1:That's just when the when the trail just goes left to right. You know? But, like, the first one, you know, going down, it's maybe, I don't know, maybe fifteen, twenty yards and it switches back and it's like maybe another 10 to 15 yards. And and then after that, you know, they're not really like, you know, I've been on some trails where it's almost like they switch back what after, like, feet. You know?
Speaker 1:You just walk a couple feet and then switch them back. But it wasn't like that. So it wasn't, like, exceptionally exceptionally grueling going down. But what people don't tell you in that eight mile hike down to the village is that the sand is all beach sand. So it's really, really, really soft.
Speaker 1:And then, like, the rest of the the ground is is river bottom because it floods there. So it's like it's like you almost gotta pick your poison. You're walking, like, really super soft sand or you're walking in loose gravel. Now how that how that affects you really, you know, if you're going down on a on an eight mile hike and you're using all type of, you know, like, accessory muscles to, like, maintain balance while you're still moving forward. Not only that, you're still it's still a decline.
Speaker 1:You're still going down. Right? Excuse me. So what I would say, what I've been telling people because, like, my girl and I, we hike here in Arizona a lot. So and a lot of stuff is trails and it the sand really isn't as deep.
Speaker 1:So we wear I have I have hiking boots, but I also have trail shoes and I'm more used to wearing my trail shoes. Now the thing with trail shoes is most of them have mesh somewhere, which means, you know, just go they're breathable. So wearing mesh shoes, and mine are like mesh on the on the top and they're like mesh on the side. Imagine walking down beach sand in mesh shoes. Man, by the time we got down to the to the village and I like took one one of my shoes off, like, dawg feels like like, from the tip of the shoe to to my toe, it had to be about like that.
Speaker 1:So, you know, my tip would be wear hiking boots, closed toed hiking boots above the ankle. That'll minimize the amount of sand that you get in your shoes. Definitely will make walking that much easier. Now because I'm in fitness and my girl and I, we do love a challenge. I did create a Havasupai hike, a twelve month get ready fitness program.
Speaker 1:We did the program with progressive weight vest weighted weighted vest hikes on the weekends to prepare ourselves for carrying our backpacks down. So we carried our backpacks. I think weights, I think hers maybe around 15 to 20. Mine may have been around between 25, 35, maybe 30, something like that. I I'm not for certain.
Speaker 1:You don't really notice until you get about, let's see, in the eight miles, maybe around mile four or five maybe. Around five, I see. You may start to notice. But when when we do it again, because we'll do it again, I won't carry the pack down because if you have an option of they can either well, I don't know if you can do the helicopter for your for your pack, but I know you can, like, you can get horses or or mules or whatever that'll that'll take your packs down, which I would recommend doing because number one, they're gonna beat you down there, and they're gonna take your packs all the way to the campsite to the campsite. So you can just walk down to the village with, like I'll I'll tell people, and I've been telling people, wear just a regular camel pack, like, freeze like a Gatorade, like, overnight.
Speaker 1:And when you get ready to start your hike, I put the frozen Gatorade in your camel pack next to the bladder. That way your water stays cold on the hike. And then as you can as you're going down, the sun's gonna come up. It's gonna melt the Gatorade. And then you'll just have, like, just a boost of electrolytes throughout the hike.
Speaker 1:That would be my recommendation going down. And then just, you know, like, we we saw we saw a few. We saw the major falls. We saw Havasu Falls, and that's pretty much, like, mandatory. As soon as you get through the through the village down to the campsite, that's, the first fall you're gonna see, and it's insane.
Speaker 1:Like, the water is, like, aqua colored. Beautiful. And they have, like, these falls, and the falls that come down, they change after a flood. So, like, one of the one of the falls when we were there, it, like, extended out past this little cave where you could swim along the wall and climb up into the cave and, like, dive out from behind the waterfall, which is something that I did. It was insane.
Speaker 1:Completely loved it. And then we saw Mooney Falls, and that's the one where you have to, like, climb down this hole, and there are chains that you brace yourself as you're climbing down the steps. Now as someone who's not really, like, a a fan of heights or anything like that, I can honestly say that it's not that bad. You know, you just carry the you you take gloves with you and just hold on to the chains, and it's such a short climb that you I don't in my in my mind, how I remember it anyway, like, you don't really have time for it to to be that afraid of it. But it is the hike, believe you well, at least from my understanding, you have to go down there to be able to hike down to Beaver Falls, which is another insane falls.
Speaker 1:Like, they got, like, these these levels where you can you can you can you can dive down, which which I we we dove off one of them after seeing someone else. And then our neighbors in the campsite next to us, they showed us a video where they did the they jumped off like a higher one that you have to you gotta climb like a rope ladder to get them to do it. And for people that think they they can't do this challenge, the my neighbors that did it, Tony and Leslie from Ohio, were on their thirty year wedding anniversary, hadn't hiked in more than thirty years. And they did and they're not super physically, like, active. They're not trainers or anything like that.
Speaker 1:From what they tell us, they live in a cornfields in Ohio. They live out in the country. They just, like, kinda work out at home, but, you know, they were able to they hiked all the way down with all their packs, the tents, everything, and and they still did the hike. So, you know, if people feeling like they aren't up for that challenge, trust me, you can do it. So, yeah, we've done that.
Speaker 1:And and, you know, like, following, like, was the the the toughest part when getting back was the bottom of my feet hurt so much. Like, just like, nothing else. Like, nothing none of my accessory muscles, my quads, hams, nothing like that. Just the bottom of my feet hurts so bad. So, again, that's why I would say probably wear, you know, clothes toed, over the ankle, hiking boots.
Speaker 1:Then And once you get down to the campsite, just to, you know, switch those out for your water shoes. Like, when you grab your pack, just switch those out for your water shoes because going down, you know, the campsites are all along the the river or the creek or whatnot. So there's gonna be water all throughout. So you're gonna be stepping in a lot of water. So just go ahead and call it a day and just get used to your feet being wet.
Speaker 1:But it it is insane. I think I was saying, like, this couple from Miami. Yeah. They they I asked them how they found they found the place. I think I mentioned it, and they, like, they just said they googled the most beautiful water in America that led them to have a soup high.
Speaker 1:Go go during the summer because the water down there, it's a springs. So I don't know if you ever swam in a spring before, but the water is very, very, very. So even in the temps, how they were here in Arizona when we went, like, over the hundreds, you know, down here in the valley here in Phoenix. But up there, I think the well, I'll say down in the village, the tip, I we probably got high eighties, maybe 90, low 90. And it, but the water still feels like cold plunge, like, like ice, pretty cold in some of, in some of the areas.
Speaker 1:So just, you know, be mindful of that. So a lot of people think, you know, going into wintertime is better because it's the easier height where you're gonna spend most of your time near the water. So think about that, you know, during your time frame. What else has been going on? You know what?
Speaker 1:You know? So getting getting to fitness real quick. I was having a conversation with a cousin the other day, and and I don't know. He's nervous about hiring me, so I I don't know. But either way, he was asking me a question.
Speaker 1:And he was, he works in the education system. And, you know, and I think in telling this story okay. So I think when people are on their fitness journey, you know, they don't under sometimes people don't understand, you know, how small things really add up to larger things. Right? So in speaking with, my cousin, he was saying that, you know, he works in education, and he was saying that it's easier for him when to maintain a meal plan or or or meal schedule when he's at work because then he has his day is broken out into certain days, into certain times.
Speaker 1:And so or when he can eat, so it's easier for him to stay on schedule, you know, when school starts. So he was saying, you know, once school starts now, it'd be easier for him to do it. And and I and okay. And what I heard was, okay. So you're able to follow a meal plan schedule.
Speaker 1:Now where some people disconnect is how it's not the location or where you're following the meal plan schedule. It's always gonna be on what's most important, and that's you. And what's important there is that you are able to follow a meal plan schedule. So once you understand that it's you following the schedule, it doesn't matter where you are. You just make a schedule.
Speaker 1:Now, if you have a schedule that's gonna be work related, then at home, a schedule as well. You've already shown that you can be that you can follow a plan. So there's nothing wrong with having a plan when you're at home. I mean, you don't have to necessarily call it, you know, meal one, meal two, meal three, meal four, blah, blah, blah, blah. No.
Speaker 1:You can call it breakfast. You know, you can call it a snack. You can call it a brunch, but keep it around. You know, if you're getting ready to go back to work, like tailor those scheduled times around what you're about to be able to do or what you're comfortable with already. Sometimes it's easier to adhere to a schedule that you're used to than it is to follow a plan, cut off a plan, follow a plan, cut off a plan.
Speaker 1:Sometimes it's best if you just like, okay. If this is what I do, then this is just what I do all the time. You know? And then you just follow that schedule because, it's a question I ask people when about working out and about going to the gym and people understanding what's important. And I'll always ask people, okay, what's the one thing that you have taken every time you go into the gym, you still take every time you go to the gym and will take every time you go to the gym and you can't forget.
Speaker 1:Don't worry. I'll wait. Hold on. Let's just imagine a merry imaginary time. What's this?
Speaker 1:Because I don't sound that good when I make that that that song voice. Let's wait. Let's wait. Okay. That one thing is you.
Speaker 1:So once you understand that you are the the that you lead everything and everything is dictated by you, then no matter where you are as far as, you know, and when it comes to meals and eating on a particular schedule or how much to eat and things like that or when it comes to going to the gym, you are always there. So when it comes to form, like, you know, like, you know, I see people get into the gym and they're mad because they they wanna work this exercise. Yeah. I wanna do bench press today, but everybody's on a bench. Well, bench press also means can also allow you to do dumbbells, you know, are those available like bench press doesn't mean barbell bench press, unless you're specifically training to do something barbell bench press related, yeah, then you have to wait.
Speaker 1:But other than that, like what's the goal? Like for me, train all my clients with the understanding that they're body builders, that they're building their body aesthetically or in a healthy way. You know, they're following meal plans, they're eating, woah, what is going on there? They're following a meal plan. The workouts are dictated towards areas of improvement, whether it's they need to lose weight, then lose fat, it's they wanna build, you know, a bigger butt, whether they wanna build hamstrings, quads, there it's, you're building that part of your body.
Speaker 1:So you're not going to the gym and working out to do exercises, and you're not trying to make an exercise better. You're you're trying to make you better. So how that goes back to the conversation with my cousin, and I'm telling him, and it like I said, you know, he's explaining how it's easier for him to eat when he's on when he's at work because he's on a schedule. So I just told him, hey. So just practice a schedule when you're at home.
Speaker 1:If it's the summertime and you wanna do something more lax and you wanna do and you want to start changing to a different schedule, just set the alarms, wake up, do and have your meals scheduled out. Do certain things at those times. If you're used to working for a little bit before meal one and, you know, during the during, you know, during his school season or school year, then wake up, read, journal, do some walk, do some walking, do some meditations, you know, but still like adhere to when you wake up, you're used to your body doing a certain thing and then you eat. And then following that, let's say, you know, if you're at work, your job now is to and it's part of your schedule. You you're walking around.
Speaker 1:Okay. Go walk around the neighborhood. Do a light workout. But basically, what I wanted to understand was that your your your adherence to your fitness goal is not based on where you are. Your adherence to your fitness goal is based on how important it is to you.
Speaker 1:Alright. So I guess that would be today's main focus is that if if it's your meal plan, if it's your workout, no matter if if you're traveling for work, if you're if you're, on a vacation, if you're going out with friends, you know, if you have a goal, then your goal is yours, and it's gonna always be with you. There's nothing wrong with turning down a drink, turning down a meal. Like I've done it numerous times. Hey Frank, you want some of this?
Speaker 1:Like, nah, I'm good. You know, I ate the house and fine. You know, hey, you want some of this? You know what? I'll try it.
Speaker 1:I'll try a little bit, But there's no reason that just because you have outer influences that it should affect what your inner goal is, but your goal has to be that important. You know, remember, you know, it's your honest motivation. It's the thing that, you know, when you close your eyes, you can see that goal. When you look at your reflection, you see that goal. You know?
Speaker 1:It's one of those your honest motivation is that is that thing for you that when you're out with people, it you will decline certain advances. Your honest motivation, know, isn't dictated by, well, I'm in this, like I was telling my cousin, you know, well, I'm at work now. So, you know, I start focusing more on my goal when I go to work. Like, nah, keep the same thing because regardless of, you know, all the trends and what's cool or whatnot, the number one thing towards your fitness goal is consistency. The the longer you're able to maintain, it's just like building your muscles, time under tension.
Speaker 1:The longer you're able to keep the tension on the muscle fibers that you're working, the stronger those muscle fibers are gonna be. The more you're going to be able to fill yourself out and make your muscles stronger is the time under tension, your consistency with your form, your consistency with the contraction of your muscles. It's I mean, you you it's I can't make it any simpler than that. You know, like one of the things I used to say, you know, I say to my clients is, you know, if I'm telling you to do something, you know, that's like literally what I'm saying do. You know, I'm not trying to trick you or anything like that.
Speaker 1:You know, the main thing I try to do is I try to kiss. Know, You I try to keep it simple, stupid. You know, I remember like, don't know, people used write that in my yearbook back when I was a kid, but that's exactly what it is. You know, like keep the main thing, the main thing, like you're working on you. You know, that has nothing to do with what gym you go to.
Speaker 1:You know, has, you know, whether or not if you're working, you know, your chest, it has nothing to do with whether or not you're using barbells, dumbbells, cables, bands, whatever. The focus is the contraction of your muscle fibers that are in your chest, are in your pecs, are in the muscles that you're using. That's always the most important thing is the contraction of the muscles. And one of the hardest things for people to understand is how important that is, which is why, you know, I ask people, you know, if all you had to do was go to the gym and use the machines the way the picture says, then wouldn't everybody look the same. All right then.
Speaker 1:So there has to be something else. And basic and what that is is your adherence to the consistency of the contraction or the tension on your muscle fibers. That's why some people look different in the gym because that's what they focus on. And that's why some people, you know, they can do exercises and if that's your goal, that's fine. That's completely your goal.
Speaker 1:But for me and a lot of people I know, the goal is to improve, you know, not only their health, but also improve their aesthetics, how they look, you know, they want to look not look better, not only to other people, but they wanna look better to themselves. So you're, you're building that body that you wanna, that you want to look better. Matter of fact, listen, if this made it to you and you understand what I'm speaking about, but yet you need help on your fitness goal on, okay, well Frank, my problem is the schedule. I don't really adhere to a schedule and how do I break down, you know, my meals for my schedule? Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:I want to do workouts, but you know, I don't exactly know what I want to work out on. I go to the gym and I just, you know, I do exercises. If that's you and you need help on your fitness goal, listen, I am always accepting clients right now for this summer right now, I am gonna accept, let's say 10 more clients to my online training programs. That's based on whether or not your goal is to build your glutes. If your goal is to lose fat, if your goal is to build muscle, you want that beach physique, whatever your goal is, message me, DM me, coach Frank, hit me up on Instagram, frankly fit underscore the fat loss expert.
Speaker 1:Let's work together. Let's build the better you and let's find the plan and program that makes you better. Alright? Hey. Y'all know the motto.