Merry Christmas!

As I sit here and watch the snow fall, I am contemplating all of the things I did over the past year. Did I accomplish the things I had set out to accomplish at the first of the year? Not all of them, but one personal accomplishment in particular comes to mind. I started and completed my personal trainer's certification. I accomplished a dream! After years of searching for the career of my dreams I finally found it. I found a career in which I can apply both my passion for helping others and my love for fitness. The best feeling I have ever felt is to have one of my clients tell me about their progress.

So having achieved a dream of mine, have you achieved one of your own?

Merry Christmas!

Oooh.... The Cardio Devil!

Is cardio necessary?..... Yes!

Cardio is extremely necessary. If you have a Camaro with a Cobalt engine in it, is it still a Camaro? No, it wouldn't. It would be a cheap knock off and not worth what you're going to have to pay for it. The same goes for your body. If you have a body that is cut and lean does that mean that its in great shape. No, because it's motor may not be at its peak performance. 

Cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart by increasing the heart rate. A good session of cardio should last at least 30 to 45 minutes. By strengthening the heart, we condition it so that it doesn't have to work so hard. Just like with anything else, if you don't have to work hard at something then you can work at it a whole lot longer. 

If cardio gives you problems, I would suggest joining group cardio classes. I love Cardio Kickboxing, but there are other's out there too. Zumba, Aerobics, any form of dance or martial arts. Cardio can be fun, you just have to make it that way. 

No Membership Required

Many beginners stress over going to a gym. Sometimes the intimidation of working out around people that are in shape, gets to them. Some feel that they will laugh at them, among many other lines of silly, yet debilitating thinking. The solution is super simple!

Work out at home!!! :)

Its really that easy, especially for beginners. Most beginners can you their own body weight to make excellent gains at first, particularly those who's goals include losing weight. Push ups, crunches, chair dips and plenty of cardio can make a great work out. If you are serious about becoming fit and not going to a gym, try this:

Set up a room or a storage space for your equipment. A room large enough that you have space to move and not hit or break anything. If you don't have a room in your house then find a place you can store your equipment and use your living room.

As I said, you can make a good workout from little to no equipment, but I strongly advise purchasing a set of dumbbells. I wouldn't expect anyone to go purchasing a $1000 set of 5 -90 lb dumbbells. Purchase what you need and you can get the rest later once you start improving.

Research good home workouts. I personally prefer Beachbody.com. They have many great workouts with some awesome trainers such as P90X, Turbo Fire, Insanity, Body Beast, and several others. Do your own research and find one that fits you. 

Now we've got everything set, its time to work hard. Before every work out make sure you have all of your equipment handy. Keep water close and a towel, because we are going to sweat. 

Merry Christmas!!

Happy Holiday's

Happy Holidays!

Regardless of what Holiday you celebrate this winter, I hope it is great and the best yet! One worry I have come across with many people is, "Do I have to diet through the holidays?!"

The answer is yes, but have no fear, there is yet hope! When dieting through the holidays, it's okay to cheat on holiday dinners. Just be sure to stick to your diet plan on other days so as not to stunt your progress too much through the winter season. We've all worked way to hard to achieve what we have achieved to blow it in a couple of weeks. 

So Merry Christmas to all, and good luck to you in the upcoming New Year!

Hakuna Matata! No worries!

I was talking with a friend and his wife the other day. Knowing that I am a personal trainer and fitness buff, they like to talk about fitness, exercise, weight loss, etc. my friend's wife has a curvy build but she is far from overweight. It was then that she informed me of her desire to lose another 20 lbs. My response was kinda sarcastic. I asked her "Where do you expect to lose it from?!" Then I began to explain the difference between fat weight and lean weight.

Lean weight, or muscle, is about 3 times more dense than fat. Below is a great example of the difference in fat and muscle. One thing I tell all of my clients seeking weight loss, is to not stress over the numbers on the scale, the number that really matters is your body fat percentage. 220 lbs at 36% body fat looks way different than 220 lbs at 11% body fat. So in the words of Timon and Pumba, Hakuna Matata!

Washboard

So... You want that six pack. The model of fitness. Achieving the much desired, yet rarely owned, six pack will be hard work, but it will be so rewarding in the end. This is an ab routine I like:

30 sec. Plank
50 Russian Kayaks
25 stability ball crunches
(regular crunches work if you don't have a stability ball.)
25 oblique crunches per side
5 X 20 sec. heel raises

Having a great set of abs also requires a low body fat percentage.

So, train hard and rock those abs of steel!

Myth.... Busted!

Many people make common mistakes when attempting to lose weight. Losing weight can be super simple if done properly. So, here it goes: 

Myth 1

Counting Calories Is Not Necessary

Wanting to lose weight without calorie counting is kind like working in retail and not wanting to work on Thanksgiving. It's possible...... but not likely. Counting calories is essential in a healthy lifestyle. In order to lose weight you will need to burn more calories than you are consuming. If you don't know what you're consuming, how do you know that you consumed enough.... or worse.... too much?

Myth 2

Cardio = Weight Loss

 Doing cardio does not mean that you will lose weight. Again, 75% of a weight loss is in nutrition. No amount of cardio will save you from an unhealty diet. 45 minutes on an elliptical machine, is not the answer to a meal full of fats. Discipline is everything.

Myth 3

Fad Diets

Very few fad diets work, much less are healthy for you. There are some that do work, but for the most part, they don't. A healty diet should consist of mostly carbs, at least 1 to 1.5g of protein per lb of body weight, and very little fats. Diets that reduce or cut out one of these 3 can actually be harmful to your body. So, instead of chasing every fad diet that hits the market, limit your intake and watch what you eat. It may seem time consuming first, but it gets easier after a while. 

Myth 4

Location Directed Exercise

Over working one particular region of your body to remove excess fat, is futile. Each of our bodies are genetically programmed to lose fat in a special way. Doing squats or running to remove fat from your glutes or legs, Doing push ups to get rid of the "moobs" (man boobs), and sit ups to get rid of that spare tire are all a waste of time. Targeting a specific location with exercise will not remove the fat any faster. NUTRITION, NUTRITION, NUTRITION!!

Weight Loss: The Not-So-Secret Formula

Losing weight.... It's almost time for New Year's Resolutions! Half of the country will be trying to lose weight, get healthy, get fit, and be more active. I, myself, have not really set a resolution, but have made up my mind to set a better example to those around me, of a healthy life style(no  one keeps their resolutions anyways). I have decided to share my "Top Secret" formula for losing weight. With this "Secret" I have been able to assist several people lose up to 35 lbs. 

Wanna know what it is??? 

Go into a caloric debt. That's the secret, that's not really a secret. It is super simple. Think of your house hold income. If you make, $2000 per month, with $1700 per month expenses, you can save $300 a month, which over time could build a healthy savings account. Although if your expenses are greater than your income, you begin to accrue some debt. Right? I know, super simple stuff. 

Guess what!! Losing weight can be just as easy. You don't have to spend 3 hours on a treadmill a day. You don't have to take some special supplement. You don't have to go on some fad diet that you will fail to follow by day 3. 

Each of us have what's called a BMR, or Basal Metabolic Rate. That's the number of calories your body will burn at rest. Then when you add your calories burned through your daily activity, you will know how many calories you need to consume per day to maintain your current weight. 

You can calculate your BMR and Caloric Requirements here: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Each pound of fat is worth 3500 calories. So if we divide that by 7 days per week(500 calories), and subtract that from our daily caloric need. we know how many calories we need to consume to lose 1lb per week. 

Honestly, exercise isn't necessary, but I strongly advise it. It makes weight loss a whole lot easier. 

You don't have to focus on tons of cardio either, add some strength training. Muscle burns fat, so the more you have, the easier it is to lose the flab.

So, for all of you New Year's Resolutioners out there: Make this one count. There's no limit to the ability of a Champion. A Champion, never quit's and never gives in. 

Happy Fat Shredding!!

Me :)

This is just a bit about myself.

In March of 2010 I began working at Green Dental Lab, a facility involved in the production of dental applications(crowns, bridges, dentures, etc.) The news had spread that the Community Center was under construction and in progress. In August, it was completed. My best friend and I rushed down the opening day and signed up for a membership. Daily be began to frequent the place at lunch time and after work. He lost 35 lbs, and I had gained 15lbs of lean mass. I fell in love with the world of fitness. 

It wasn't long after that, life threw one of its many curve balls. We both had graduated from the training at GDL. Our work schedules drastically changed. We began working 12 and 14 hour days, and fell off the wagon, so to speak. We made several attempts to get back into the routine of working out on a regular basis, but without much motivation. 

Things really began to change when I heard about P90X. What a great idea! I didn't even need to go to the gym to work out. I purchased the program and began immediately. For those of you unfamiliar with P90X, it is a 90 program. I figured that wasn't too hard. It was only 3 months. Then came another curve ball. I never really completed the program, but I tried. That's what makes the difference. 

My position at GDL payed fairly poorly, driving me to look for other options. I began to look into everything I could think of as a career. The one's that really stuck out to me were jobs such as doctor, nurse, police officer, firefighter, etc. I never could stick to one decision. It was then that it hit me. All of these jobs were involved in helping other people. What if I could take my love for fitness and my desire to help others and combine them. This is were my decision to become a personal trainer was born. 

I began studying through ISSA in March 2012. I studied hard in the beginning, but lost focus. I was working nights, and didn't have much time. I purchased the audio lectures and revitalized my drive. I began studying hard and doing the quizzes until my mother fell ill and I left GDL to care for her. After she no longer needed care, I began to study once more, finally completing my exam and achieving my certification. 

Today I have helped people lose as much as 20lbs, and looking to continue to share my passion for helping others in the future. 

To Breakfast or Not to Breakfast....?

Breakfast is absolutely the most important meal of the day! A healthy breakfast replenishes all of the nutrients and calories we used through the night. Healthy breakfasts don't have to be all that difficult either! A bowl of Cheerios (no sugar) and some 2% milk or try a parfait. A healthy diet always consist of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and light snacks in between. This one meal can make the difference!

Easy parfait recipe

1 c. yogurt
1/3 c. various nuts, fruits, granola, or any combination of the three

Layer the ingredients to your appeal. Enjoy!

Happy breakfasting all!

No Carbs? No Way!

Lately, I seem to hear so many people discussing their latest adventure on some low/no carb diet. It seems the media has blown these diets into the easiest way to lose weight. No carbs and lots of fats. 

Theoretically, it should work. With no carbs, the body should use its stored fats. Then we should be shredding the pounds in no time! Sounds like a great plan... until you consider the repercussions of such a diet. Carbohydrates are the body's chief source of energy to the muscles, the heart, and the brain. With the decreased intake of carbs, the function of the muscles, heart and brain all decline. 

All good balanced diets should consist of mostly carbohydrates, 1g of protein per lb of body fat. and low fats. We only have one body. Feed it what it needs.

Keep on Moving!!

Never give up! Never look back!! Keep your eyes on the prize!

Goal Setting

In my experience, the most important aspect of fitness is not the balance between aerobic and anaerobic exercises; the perfect balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats; nor the number of repetitions to complete with each exercise. The most important ingredient in a healthy and fit lifestyle is setting proper goals.

Proper goals should be divided and subdivided in to long-term and short-term goals. We all do this daily without much thought.

A good example would be grocery shopping. When we go shopping, our first goal is to arrive at the store. Our next goal would be gathering each item on our grocery list. After placing each item in to our basket, we would make our way to the cashier. We pay for our groceries and make our way home.  Our short-term goals were arriving the store, gathering each item on our list, and paying the cashier for our groceries. Our long term goal was to complete our grocery list and return home. 

Another great example is reading a book. We don't consciously make these goals, but they are made regardless. Our first short term goal in reading a book is to reach the end of page 1. Once we've reached the end of the page we begin page 2. We basically wash, rinse, and repeat this with each consecutive page until we reach the end of the first chapter. Once again repeat with chapter after chapter until finally reaching the end of the book. Mission Accomplished! Not only did we complete our goal but we also received hours of entertainment, or loads of knowledge(depending on the type of book).

Goal setting is extremely important in fitness. Without goals, we would have nothing to determine our diet, exercise routines, or expectations of our results. Why would we even bother if we were not receiving results. That's why we exercise in the first place, Right?