9 Things Your Trainer Wishes You Knew

 9 THINGS YOUR TRAINER WISHES YOU KNEW:



1. You Need to Switch Up Your Workouts

When you do the same cardio or strength routine time after time, in fact three to six times in a row is all it takes, your body adapts and you burn fewer calories! Eventually your results---weight loss, muscle definition---will slow down.  You need to continually change up your cardio and weights regimen.  Keep changing up those weight circuits and get off that same old machine!  If you are working with me-- I can assure you will never suffer this problem.


2. Cardio Isn't the Magic Bullet for Weight Loss

Biking, running, and walking are great for your heart.  But research shows that's its very difficult to lose fat when you only do cardiovascular activity.  Although aerobic exercise will burn calories, it really does not change your metabolism!  What does: lean muscle mass.  Muscle helps you burn more calories even when your workout is over.  This is so powerful!  The higher your lean muscle mass, the higher your resting metabolic rate (the baseline amount of calories you burn in a day).   Research has shown that if you do strength training three times a week, you can add an average of 3-7lbs of muscle in about three months, increasing your metabolism by 6-7%.   Keep doing your cardio three times a week, but add in two or three days of strength training workouts.  Aim to work all the major muscle groups!


3. Wimpy Weights Will Get You Nowhere

According to the "overload principle", for muscles to become stronger, they have to be challenged with a load that's heavier than what they are used to.  Without challenging your muscles, you can't substantially strengthen or tone them.  You must choose a weight that you can lift for only 8-15 repetitions before losing good form.  You must work until "failure".  And don't worry YOU WONT BULK UP!  Women have a biological limit on how much muscle mass they can build. Women do not get big without using steroids. 

4. Crunches Aren't Crucial for Strong Abdominals

Crunches are NOT the best choice for strengthening your abdominals.  They only work a few of the muscles in your core. And if your abs are weak, doing crunches could cause a strain on your neck. You will get more bang for your buck with moves that work the entire core area.  The plank is a great one!


5. A Workout Does Not Merit a Post Gym Pig Out

When you are feeling virtuous after you have exercised, it's SO easy to eat back all the calories that you just burned (and then some).  If you're looking to lose weight, this type of behavior not only won't help you toward your goal, but you will get stuck in a "vortex" of seeing no results because you are basically just replacing calories expended! Have a healthy snack after your workout instead.  I always look for a protein source, it  helps my muscles build and recover.

6. Working Out On An Empty Stomach Won't Burn More Fat

A common belief is that if you exercise before you eat, your body will turn to it's fat reserves for energy instead of the food in your stomach.  In fact, it's just the opposite! A 2011 study published in the International Journal of Sport and Nutrition Exercise and Metabolism showed that people experienced a bigger boost in metabolism---meaning they burned more fat-----when they exercised AFTER eating breakfast than when they did the same workout on an empty stomach.  The authors of the study theorize that when you eat before exercising, your body uses more oxygen, resulting in a metabolism spike and improved fat burning.  Even a small snack with carbs, protein, and a little fat a half hour before will power your workout.

7.A Death Grip on the Cardio Machine Strains Your Body and Burns Fewer Calories

When you hold the treadmill, elliptical, or stair climber handles so tightly that your knuckles turn white (because you can't keep up with the speed) your body is forced into an uncomfortable strained position, which in turn puts strain on your muscles.  And because your legs don't have to work as hard when you lean on that machine, the number of calories you burn plummets. Stand up and have some good posture!


8. THE FAT BURNING ZONE ISN'T REALLY A FAT BURNING ZONE!!!!!!!

If you have ever played around with the controls on a cardio machine, you may  have experienced the "fat burning" program, in which you exercise at low to moderate intensity for an extended period of time.  The idea behind this MYTHICAL "fat burning zone" is that low intensity is better for weight loss because you can do it longer, sustain the workout longer.  NOT TRUE= SUCH A LIE!

Studies show that a shorter workout, boosting with intensity, burns as much if not MORE calories than a long, steady state cardiovascular workout. And when it comes to losing or maintaining weight, its the total number of calories that count.  Plus, by working harder you can get your workout done quicker and get home! Try interval training twice a week on non consecutive days.  High intensity for 30sec-1min then recover for 30sec -1min.  Repeat this for 20-30 min.  Which leads me to the final thing I wish you knew.......



9. If You Want To Change Your Body, You Must Ditch the "Long and Steady"

Now that we have put to rest the mythical fat burning zone and how it doesn't exist, lets talk about those cardio days.  You now know that besides 2-3 days a week of strength training that you also need 2-3 days of cardiovascular activity as well.  These 2-3 days of cardiovascular activity should not include hours and hours of cardio! You only need 20-30 minutes, 45 tops, if you working at the right intensity.  Ditch the steady long cardio! You don't get gold stars or changes in your body because you can stay on the elliptical for an hour or more (in fact, I would prefer you never get on the elliptical unless you are injured or a beginner---they are to easy, you know this to be true).   You don't get gold stars for staying on any machine that long, and just so you know, the calorie counter that says you burned a ton of calories is also lying to you---they are always wrong so don't put all your eggs in that basket.  I've seen folk stay on a machine until they reach a certain calorie amount. Bad plan, bad plan. 

The only way you are going to see changes, burn fat, and get quick results is through interval cardio.  PERIOD.  If your intervals are done right, you should be wiped out in half an hour, maybe less.  Get rid of the calorie counting, heart rate watch and go by how you feel .  You know when you are working hard, you don't need a watch to tell you.  You can't go by a number on a watch, you must go by what your perceived exertion is.  That is the only truth!

Hello to all!! This weeks post is all about Stacy Eoff, my very first "featured" client or class member, that I will be choosing monthly, so you can read how someone just like you "did it" and "does it".  There are SO MANY of you who I get the privilege of working with every day and I hope to share your stories too!  So sit back and read about Stacy, in her exact words, as she is a wonderful inspiration to myself and others, and has become a dear friend of mine during this journey. 

BACKGROUND

I started this journey to lose weight, but let me give you a little background.  Before we adopted our little boy, I decided to try and lose weight with dieting alone.  I did lose weight, but only because I was eating so horribly, but you could say I was a "skinny fat".  We started the adoption process and I was emotionally stressed.  I would eat because we got bad news, I would eat because we got good news, I would eat because I was bored, tired or any other reason! I gained the weight back. Once we got our little boy home and we adjusted to our new family, I decided it was time to lose weight again.  I decided to start excercising and joined the gym, all the while watching my diet.

HOW STACY DID IT

As many of you know starting to work out is HARD! I felt sick afterward! I had to make myself go back and I wished I saw the scale move more at first, but I knew a habit could be learned in 21 days, so I used that as motivation to stick with it and create my new lifestyle habit.  Down 60lbs later, I was doing cardiovascular excercise 5 times per week!  But eventually I hit a big plateau, I was stuck, and decided to have Robin train me.  Let me just say adding in strength training was almost like starting over again. With sick feelings and weak muscles again, Robin pushed me so hard, BUT I FELT THE CHANGES HAPPENING. Robin told me not to get on the scale for at least three weeks, but when I did I started to lose more weight and I knew that I could push myself to lose even more, of course all the while watching my diet.  I did consult a dietician, Kelli Die at Conway Regional, to get an idea of how many calories I should be eating, etc... I began to limit processed food, added fruits and veggies, and began eating more foods that fueled my body. I began to set small, realistic goals for myself and when I would reach those goals I would reward myself (not with food), but with something I wanted like a pedicure, clothes, or a massage. I also let others (people at the gym or in my classes) motivate me! I am a competitive person so when I saw some one doing that I wanted to do, like a pushup, I let that motivate me to push myself harder to accomplish it.

RESULTS!

In the beggining, I measured my progress by pounds and clothing size, but as I got stronger fitness achievements became important too! I HAVE LOST 98LBS! I HAVE GONE FROM A SIZE 20 TO A SIZE 6! I've accomplished so many things I never thought I could physically accomplish.  I learned to trust Robin and myself.  This didnt all happen right away!! I was blessed to have Robin by my side as she motivated me to push harder and never give up. She put so much effort into my success, I didnt want to let her down!   There are so many benefits this new lifestyle has given me: I am more confident which has enabled me to make more friends and do things I would have normally shied away from. I am a happier person.  I have more patience with my family, and in turn am able to be a better wife and mother.  I have also taken this ethic of hard work and applied it to other parts of my life that I feel need work too.

HOW DOES STACY MAINTAIN HER RESULTS?

BY ALL MEANS MY BODY STILL CONTINUES TO CHANGE!! I have made this a lifestyle HABIT! There is no "finish line"!!  A large factor that keeps me motivated is fear.  Fear of going back to my unhappy, larger self.  I don't want to be that person ever again!

Besides continuing to eat right and challenge my body with continued excercise, I have really cut out my negative "self talk"! I started to listen to what I would say to myself on a daily basis and let me tell you it wasn't nice.  I was lucky to get in one nice thing a day.  This negative self talk, really limits your accomplishments. So when I hear myself say something that was isnt nice, I stop right there.  If I am feeling tired and didnt want to workout or finish my workout, I tell myself "two more minutes, you can do anything for two minutes". Also remember there will be many obstacles to try and derail your fitness routine! My schedule recently changed form a stay at home mom to a working mom.  Working out is a priority and I decided to get up at 5am some mornings to keep my schedule on track!!!  Be ready for the obstacles and know there is always a way to fit in your workouts!

Its never easy, but its so worth it.  Yes you have to work hard, but the things worth accomplishing are never easy! When you first start out remember that you have to start somewhere! Dont give up!

When Good Intentions Stop Being Enough

I thought for my very first post, since I have been out with a bad case of bronchitis all week, it would be very fitting to talk about obstacles!! We all have obstacles that get in the way of our fitness, or our good intentions.

There are so many reasons why we fall off the wagon: too tired, too busy, its to hard, time with family, need to get more done at work, or a sickness, illness, or some other major setback.  When most of us imagine how many times we will excercise in a week or month, we think of an "ideal world" situation.  You MUST factor in sick kids, late or last minute meetings at work, pain or injury flare ups, and daily stress. And these situations lead to the common pitfall of saying "It will be much easier to excercise next week" or "this week was insane".   

This is life!  No, next week wont be easier!  And yes next week will probably be just as insane as this week! There will never be a perfect time for fitness!  When you make fitness a part of your life, when you truly make the total mental change, these obstacles WILL occur.  We all will have them, even myself! So, what do we do about it? How do we stick with it and get back on track?

You must identify what got, or what keeps getting in your way!  For example, if you are tired after a long day at work and burnt out with exhaustion---try excercising in the morning or at lunch to rev up your energy.  Do something about it! If an unexpected obstacle pops up---you must be flexible to fit in your fitness somewhere in your day. And you do have time, you have 20 minutes somewhere.  Anticipating the remorse you will feel later, the regret of skipping the workout also works.   Think about how you will feel tommorow about the decision to skip the workout.

If you arent sure about what your fitness intentions are or exactly what keeps getting in your way, answer these questions: ( AND YES I REALLY WANT YOU TO WRITE THIS DOWN AND LOOK AT THE REALITY OF IT)

1. What is your most important excercise goal?
(yes, I still mean it-- I actually want you to do this, im not typing this for fun and fluff)

2. What would be the positive outcome of meeting this goal?

3. What is your biggest obstacle?

Now that you have identified the obstacle(s):

1. When and where is the obstacle most likely to occur?
2. What could/can I do to prevent it from occuring?
3. What specific thing will I do to help get back to excercise when this happens?



Once you see this on paper-----keep it at your desk, on your fridge, in your car---wherever it is you spend the most time.  Seeing this will be a daily reminder of your commitiment, your inentions.  BUT REMEMBER INTENTIONS ARENT ENOUGH!! You need to be prepared for those obstacle, because they will happen.

There is just one difference between you and the person next to you that seems so fit and committed, because you both are just as busy and have the same intentions!  The difference is that fit person knows about obstacles and makes a daily commitment to overcome them and get back on track! 

NOW JUST DO IT!  NEVER STOP TRAINING!