Why I am not a Size 4. From a size 12 Personal Trainer!

I just got done training a client at my home, after my own work out this morning. As I am doing squats and lunges with her, it crosses my mind that I have 5 more clients tonight, so I will probably get in some more squats and lunges in the very near future. Don't get me wrong I love to exercise (something is wrong with me, I know) but when you do it all day, it stands to reason I should be a size 4 not a 12. Sounds logical, doesn't it?

Sitting down reading my emails after my morning sessions,  and I receive a fitness newsletter from some spam thing I have signed up for at one time or another. I usually don't read these but this one happened to catch my attention. I wanted to share some of the tips they offered. I know most of this stuff but refreshing our memories is a good thing.

1. 80% of your weight loss results are derived from diet, and the remaining 20% from exercise,  it's very important to stick to a healthy eating plan. I guess that explains the size 12 reasoning!
2. Do not drink regular or diet soda's. On one hand you are drinking corn syrup, on the other you are drinking chemicals that cause you to crave sweets. I'm working on this, but occasionally I have a diet coke..once a month.
3. Stay away from sweet cocktail - sugar plus alcohol equals loads of unneeded calories. I really am hating the person who invented margaritas right now. I will be the first to tell you I can not resist these on the weekend, UGH!
4. Doesn't matter if it comes with red sauce or white sauce, meat or veggies, If you are trying to lose weight, you should never have a plate of pasta as the main course. I think I have this one under control.
5. Pizza has way more carbs than you need. Put the pizza toppings on a salad instead. HMM...This one is not under control, come Friday night I want to sit down with a pizza. I try to keep it at 3 pieces, instead of the 7 that I really want.
6. Fried Foods are a favorite, but will do damage that even the most intense work out won't undo. I am proud to say I don't do any fried foods. Once you quit eating these the thought of them sound gross. Wish I felt this way about margaritas and Pizza.

So I will try to keep moving forward with my own struggles. If you would like to work with me and tackle these issues together, Please contact me.

http://www.fitforcefitness.com/

Burn Calories the Merry Way

Play this game with the girls in the office or your family.
For every holiday card you open, you will do the following:

 - If the card has a snowman, 20 lunges
 - If the card has santa, 10 push ups
 - If the card has a reindeer, 20 crunches
 - If the card has a Christmas tree, 20 tricep dips

The more cards you get the more calories you will burn. Now go out and get your mail!!!

Weight Gain Season is Here!

Whether we are ready or not, it's here. The Holiday Season. The next two months will bring ample opportunity to expand our waistline. Of course, the choice is yours. Now is the time time to plan for the weeks ahead. Once all the hustle and bustle starts you are going to be to busy to put a plan into action.

This is the calm before the storm. Exercise is one of the first things people cut when they get busy. November and December are the slowest months for personal trainers and health clubs. And probably the most important time of the year to exercise. My suggestions to make sure you keep on track this season, would be to sign up with a personal trainer. This will make sure you stay consistent. Join a class for accountability. Get your heart rate up and make sure your class has strength training involved.  Find a serious exercise buddy. Someone that will help not pull you down.

As far as diet goes. I'm not saying you shouldn't indulge in seasonal treats but use moderation. Do not gift fattening treats, you may end up eating more than you share. Beware of Holiday drinks loaded with calories from coffee shops and cocktail parties.

If you go into the holidays with the mindset that you deserve to indulge and skip exercise, then you will enter 2012, a few pounds heavier and a little less healthy.

I want you to enter 2012 in better shape than you are today! I will be glad to help.

Visit my web site

A Personal Trainers Pet Peeves!!!!

I can't tell you how many times I hear from my female clients, "I want to lose fat so I will just do cardio, or I don't want to bulk up so I will just do cardio". If there is anyone out there that this has worked for, please let me know. I myself do not know a single person that this has worked for. So, I am not sure why it is so difficult to convince women to start strength training!

While cardio burns more calories than strength training during the work out, lifting weights torches more fat overall. You will burn more calories after your workout than those who skip the strength training. The more muscle you own, the more fat burned.

Lifting weights will not make you bulky. I've heard clients say that after they started lifting they grew and their jeans felt tighter. Well...that may be true but I assure you it was not because of weight lifting. Muscle squeezes the same amount of weight into less space.

Stretching before a work out. I am sure there are trainers who believe in this. I am not one of them. The best way to prepare for a work out is to warm up. A brisk walk or even jumping jacks for a few minutes will do the trick.

Protein Diets. It is true that protein aids in muscle growth, but this also requires a combination of carbs and fats. Without carbs and fat, your body will use protein for energy. You want to save the proteins for your muscles to use after strength training.

Lunges will burn fat from my hips and butt. Yep, Once I've convinced my female clients to lift weights, the above statement is the next thing I hear. You can do a thousand lunges a day and NEVER lose fat from your hips and glutes. Your body doesn't work that way. Although, I wish it did! Fat is burned from all parts of your body, you can't fool your body into using fat from one specific area.



http://www.fitforcefitness.com/

What Fitness Trends have you Tried?

When you have a fitness goal it is easy to be suckered into the latest trend you see in a magazine or on an infomercial. I love (well not really) the titles that get your attention such as “Get Ripped in 6 weeks”, “Drop a pant size this month” or even “Walk off your belly fat in 3 days”. Wouldn’t we all be thin and in shape if these headlines were true?

When you actually look into these titles it’s more like 4-6 weeks of a long exercise plan and healthy eating. Each month a new fitness routine comes along and we want to be the first to try it. What happens to the old fitness routine? We stop doing it before we see results. Then we get frustrated and stop doing anything.

As a trainer, I feel like I am talking until I am blue in the face...But consistency is the key. The program you chose is really less important than the dedication you put toward it. If you sign up to train with me 2 days a week and only show up once a week then it will take twice as long to see results. If you eat 2 burgers and 2 fries a week while following your exercise routine...again it will take longer to see results.

If you would like to DEDICATE yourself to healthy routine, let me know and I will help you get started. What do you have to lose?

What's Your Excuse?

In my short two years as a certified personal trainer, I have seen a common trend among those who fail at changing there lifestyle. That trend being excuse making! We all have excuses and we all know that they hinder our efforts towards our goals. When excuses are used enough they become a reality, even if they are not true. You can use this way of thinking in a positive way, or a negative way. I like to think of myself as STRONG and even a RUNNER. Not everyone will think of me like this but as long as I do my actions follow through on a daily basis. On the other hand, if you think of your lifestyle in an unhealthy way you will also follow through with them on a daily basis. Such excuses like the below will become a reality:

- I don't have time to work out
- I am to busy to run today
- I am to stressed to eat right now
- Eating healthy is expensive
- I have no self control

I have heard all of these excuses and at least 4 pages more of them. Now sometimes these excuses are true. I will buy into your excuses...maybe once a month, but not every week. It really boils down to what our priorities are and what we need to do to change them. I would like you to Recognize that your excuses are just that, and they are obstacles to changing your lifestyle.

Video Testimonial

One of my clients talking about his work outs with me at Slim and Fit. Call me to get started with your work out program. I offer training at Slim & Fit in Mayfield 440/442-3348 or my home at 440/357-8408.