Personal trainer Ronn Burns discusses the importance of a holistic approach to working out

BY KEN KNOX

Everyone knows that working out can make you look better. Beyond the increased strength and stamina and the ability to fit into a tight T-shirt and jeans, however, lies an even greater benefit that comes from lifting weights and maintaining a regular exercise regimen. “There are many benefits to working out that go much further than a flat stomach and a bigger chest,” says Los Angeles-based personal trainer Ronn Burns, who trains his clients at popular private gym Train. “Weightlifting helps combat depression, can clear your head from a stressful day at work, establishes a mental sense of physical achievement, and allows a person to set goals achievable within their own timeline.” It would only go to follow, Burns says, that, “All of these benefits contribute to heightening one’s self esteem.”

Indeed, as many have found, getting off your butt and getting into the gym can perhaps be one of the most motivational things that we can do for ourselves. I recently discovered this, having undergone a physical transformation of my own when I sought out a personal trainer so that I could overcome several insecurities stemming from body issues and a history of feeling inadequate when stacked up next to the body-conscious L.A. crowd. I was led to Burns, who immediately clicked with me, and who set me on a course of action that changed my life forever. Not only do I feel better about how I look and have more confidence when I walk into a room, but I am also more inspired to take more risks and really go for the things that I think will make me happy.

Of course, all the iron pumping in the world alone cannot provide such results. There are other factors involved, as Burns will be quick to point out. One of the most important, obviously, is diet. “You will not reach your goals or see a change without a healthy diet,” Burns states. “It is just as important for someone who is trying to put on muscle as it is for someone who is trying to lose fat. It contributes to our energy level, endurance, and alertness, as well as our cholesterol level.” Eating some foods, such as those that cause rapid or glycemic responses, may give you an initial elevation in energy as your blood sugar rises, but “this rise in blood sugar is usually followed by a cycle of lethargy, more hunger, and increased fat storage.”

Burns says he is also a big believer in the importance of a “cheat day”—that one day a week (which should always fall on the same day) where you get to indulge in your favorite not-so-good-for-you foods. Having a cheat day, Burns says, is not just a way to reward yourself for a job well done, but also it will help your mind in committing to a healthier diet. “For some people, saying ‘I can never eat ice cream again’ sets them up for failure [because they don’t believe] they can stick to a plan. It’s easier to think, ‘Once I lose 10 pounds, I can have a scoop of ice cream on Sunday—as long as I balance it out with more cardio on Monday.”

As I found during my time in the gym with Ronn, my outlook on myself had a lot to do with my results. Whether I was attempting to drown out the voices in my head that told me I wasn’t attractive enough—which served as the motivation in the beginning of my training—or, later, reminding myself that I looked good when those voices tried to creep back in, how I felt about my own body helped me to alternately push myself and slow down as needed. It was important for me to set realistic, attainable goals, and also to accept the limitations of my body. But, as Burns says, some people aren’t able to do that, which can lead to over-training.

“Many men with training addictions develop a syndrome called ‘bigorexia,’ meaning they never feel muscular enough,” he states. “They become obsessed with anything that has to do with getting bigger—whether it is reading books on training and nutrition of spending vast amounts of time at the gym. Psychologically, training addiction can lead to depression [because] a person can begin to feel like they are never good enough. A person’s success is based upon setting [his or her] own personal goals that are achievable—and getting in the right frame of mind about one’s own body.”

In fact, Burns adds, frame of mind is everything to a successful and rewarding gym schedule. “The connection between mind and body through working out not only exists, it’s very powerful,” he points out. “Going from couch potato to gym bunny is easy; it’s taking the first step that’s the challenge. You have to want to do it. It’s like a car when it runs out of gas: It takes some very hard pushing at first to get the car rolling, but once it begins to roll it just gets easier and easier.”

Ronn Burns can be reached at RonnBurns@aol.com, or at 310/213-1531.