Getting FAT is Good for Your Health

Low carb, low fat, low sugar, are all diet approaches that you have heard of before. While it is important to moderate your intake of carbohydrates, fats, and sugars, many have found that while reducing their fat intake, that they have continued to gain weight. Interestingly enough, it may be that many out there are not eating enough fat. Healthy fats that is. Fats, or more specifically fatty acids, are essential for a number of bodily functions. Everything from your brain, to your nerves and immune system depend on healthy fats for proper operation.

So, what are healthy fats? Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (Omega 3 Fats) are both plant/non meat or poultry based sources of fat. These healthy fats help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, and have shown some benefits in helping to reduce liver cancer. Healthy fats are also found in more nutrient rich foods versus other forms of fat.

Saturated (found in animal products) and trans fats (engineered fats used to preserve foods and extend shelf life) are the culprits that contribute to raising cholesterol and increasing the risk of heart disease. While most people are keen on avoiding foods high in saturated fats, including red meat, tropical oils, and whole fat dairy, it is the foods rich in trans fat that often slips by undetected. A short list of high trans fat foods include vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods.

Beware of low fat foods! The advent of new low fat snacks, treats, and desserts have fooled many into indulging in high calories consumption. Remember that foods low in fat may simply have traded fat for sugar. Ever wondered why those low fat cookies taste the same as the full fat versions? The answer is sugar. Scientists have come up with a number of ways to engineer process foods to exchange elements like fatty refined carbohydrates and sugars.

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The Ab-solution

Sit-ups, crunches, planks, and hours upon hours of mind numbing cardio. SORRY, these tactics won’t make your six pack dreams come true. Unfortunately you can perform crunches and treadmill session until oblivion and you will never see definition in your abdominal region. Granted, core conditioning and cardio are components that contribute to a leaner physique, but the most over looked and crucial element to the “ab puzzle” is diet. Many are more willing to devote more time in the gym than focus on eating well. Some justify poor eating by convincing themselves that they work hard enough in the gym to compensate for the excess fat and calories that they consume. WRONG! Try as you may…….ooops I mean try as “they” may, the proof is in the pudding each time they look in the mirror.

Simple adjustments to your daily diet can make a remarkable thing happen, a reduction in fat and calories , which translates to a loss in body fat. Now the difficult part of this process is that unlike with an exercise targeted to condition the midsection, food offers no burn or pain to indicate that it is working. It is only after weeks of consistent balanced eating do the results of these new adopted lifestyle habits pay off. The other thing to consider, is that for some the waistline is the last region to exhibit the beneficial effects of proper diet. Genetics play a role in how quickly one is able to see those longed for ripples in their belly.


AS For Machines
Those tried and true ab machines certainly serve their intended purpose……….. ONLY! Abdominal machines, particularly those with weighted resistance, only help to strengthen your core region. If the goal is to achieve lean abs, then the most gross waste of time is 15 or more minutes huffing and puffing and breaking your back on an ab machine. Pickup your cardio and resistance training intensity rather than mindlessly bending and twisting in hopes of a lean midsection.
The full proof way to developing a sleek core is:

HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING + WEIGHT TRAINING + DIET

Improve 1% Everyday!

The Unofficial Start of Summer

Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer, is quickly approaching, are you ready for the beach? Its been five months since you embarked on your resolution to improve your health and change your physique. Time to check your progress. Have you been eating clean and working out consistently? Did you have any diet set backs due to spring break vacations, the Easter holiday, birthdays, weddings?...... You know, the usual “reasons.”

The great news is, that its never too late to get back on track. But to ensure that you are ready to wear things a little shorter or a bit tighter, now is the time to regain your focus.

Making A Change
Maybe you have altered your diet and included physical activity into your daily routine. But, are you still utilizing the same plan that you began back in January?

An important aspect of training and nutrition that many do not consider is that fitness regimen must be progressive. The following statement may sound familiar,“I started out losing a lot of weight, and although I am sticking to the same plan I am not seeing further results.” The plan that worked so well in the beginning has appeared to have lost its steam. Ironically, because of your progress that old plan no longer applies to you and your goals. Just as your body is changing, so must your routine. Individuals that you see with great physiques don’t get that way from sticking to the same outdated plan, they alter their regimen according to their needs. Think of it this way, you start in elementary school, go on to middle school, high school, and beyond. You can’t become a top professional if you stop at middle school, right? Don’t stop at kindergarten when it comes to your physical fitness plan. Continue to progress and graduate to the next level.

Easy Ways to Change your Routine:
*Increase the number of Reps
*Increase Weight
*Increase Training Pace

"Improve 1% Everyday!"

Are You Still On Track

Now that the excitement and enthusiasm of the new year has worn off, how are you progressing toward your resolution goal. If you have stuck to your eating and exercise regimen, then great for you. At this point you should find that you’re the fit of your clothes is a bit loose and that changes in your physique have occurred. If you have fallen off of the wagon and noticed no changes, the good news is that you have not gained and that you can start again tomorrow. Don’t be dismayed by small to no changes in the number on the scale, WHICH YOU SHOULD NOT BE USING ANYWAY, but be proud of your initiative to make changes in your eating and activity habits.
Now, if you have given up on your resolution and restarted former bad habits, then its time to recommit. You must be the one to make the decision to change. It is important to remember that you must change your mind, before you can change your body. Give yourself the best chance for success. Develop a support system that will provide encouragement, sound health and fitness information, and most of all understanding of the challenges of the journey toward improved health.Family, friends, doctors, trainers/life coaches, and workout buddies are all important to overcoming the obstacles that may arise. As you work to persevere, also maintain perspective. Mentally equip yourself for the roadblocks that may appear and reward yourself for the little victories along the way. Don’t put off what you can start today, and if you get off track today you can always start again tomorrow.

"Improve 1% Everyday!"

Pills, Potions, & Suits..............Oh My....... Guess what they DON'T WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the biggest mistakes that I see time and again, particularly with those just starting out on their fitness regimen, is placing their hopes and results on the claims of the latest fad diet or infomercial contraption. It is critical that you understand that the only healthy sustainable way to good health is: 1. Hard Work, 2. Consistency 3. Patience.

Here are a few of the common mistakes that trainers witness on a regular basis:

>Sauna Suit Workout- sauna suits do exactly what they are designed to do, "make you lose weight..............WATER WEIGHT that is. Remember that the goal is to burn calories, no expell water, which returns to your system swig of water. These things are useless and quite potentially dangerous. Unless you are some type of athlete that needs to make weight for all of 30 seconds on a scale, earn your sweat through intense cardio. If these suits were an effective way to lose body fat, then you would lose weight in the hot sun of the summer without doin a thing...........or if you live in a warm climate you would never be overweight...........RIGHT?????

>Stomach Wraps- who ever lost weight from a sweaty stomach? Don't be fooled by the marketing. As a marketing consultant and fitness marketing expert, I receive questions all the time about the different ads and commercials. Here are the facts. The folks featured in the latest "ab commercial" were already in shape. In fact, in many of the "before and after" pictures used in magazines, the individual is actually paid to gain weight and the pictures are simply reversed.

SWEAT IS NOT A MEASURE OF YOUR WORKOUT, SIMPLY A BYPRODUCT. If you worked out intensely in a freezer you would still burn calories and not necessarily perspire.

>Ankle & Wrist Weights- unless you are 80 years old, these things are a waste of time. Placing 2-5 lb weights on you wrists and ankles do not add enough resistance to impact the calories burned throughout the day. PLUS THEY LOOK SILLY.

>Ab Machines- you cannot crunch/twist/sit up your way to a flat stomach. Stop spending 20 mintues doing abs and use that time for some type of interval cardio training.

I hope this information on what NOT to do will help you reach your goals more efficiently and possibly save you life (when you consider the effects of dehydrating your body without proper knowledge and experience). I offer this advice through experience and having made many of the same mistakes early on in my fitness life. Remember that knowledge is power.

Improve 1% Everyday!

100 Days, 100% Improvement

The High Reps, Light Weight Myth: Ladies if you want to lose fat, LIFT WEIGHTS!

Trainers, how many times have you heard this one, " I want to build muscle, but I don't want to looky manly.... I just want to "tone" up." As experienced trainers we understand that women want to be lean and shapely, yet feminine. But for the uninformed, women feel that by lifting wieghts that they will look "bulky." Let's clear the air on this one ladies, the guys that you see with a heavily muscled physique are lifting quite a bit more than 20lb dumb bells or 100lb leg press. Large muscle is developed over time, at least naturally, and requires heavy resistance. So, unless you are taking testosterone, its a safe bet that you won't look masculine.

The benefit of resistance training is that by building more muscle, you will in turn burn more calories at rest ( as opposed to cardio, which only burns calories during the actual activity). Look at it another way, if you are performing squats with a 20lb weight you are pretty much wasting you time, if you consider that your body weight is considerably more than 10lbs. One of my pet peeves is witnessing an individual doing an exercise with weight that is much too light. What you have effectively done it converted the resistance movement into cardio, low intensity cardio at that. Muscular development is only achieved by pushing your body beyond previous capacity. So, if you are doing the same routine with the same amount of resistance, then you are basically spinning your wheels.

I know I may get some heat from fellow trainers, but its time to reexamine your approach. Intensity resistance training is a great way to burn calories, build bone density, and develop muscle that will produce a lean physique.

Improve 1% Everyday!

Don't Get Married...........To One Form of Training

Don't get married to one particular mode of training or allow clients to equate adding size with weights. A sound progressive program should incorporate multiple modes of resistance. I train everyone from kids and rehab clients to athletes and bodybuilders, and I stress the utilization of different training methods in order to ensure constant physical response to training. I always start with body weight movements and transition to bands, fixed machine resistance (to facilitate proper form without worrying about balance and control), free motion machines (which allow for the introduction of balance forces, with the safety of the machine), and then free weights.

It is important even for those that are not looking to add size, to use free weights in order to develop balance as well as strength. Keep in mind that strength required for real world situations often require balance and control as well. After all, unless an individual is an athlete, our goal is to enable a client to prefer better in ordinary life situations. Right?!

I would also recommend that you stress to female clients that bulk has more to do with diet, lifting extremely heavy weight (20lbs won't make you look like Ronnie Coleman), and hormones. So, the next time a client frets about lifting............10 whole pounds, remind them that lifting a bag of groceries while carrying a one year old (and sometimes talking on the cell phone...lol) is a lot heavier than 10lbs. I remind female clients just how strong they are, even if they don't know it!


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Are you this guy? The Popsicle Syndrome

Joe Blow: Whew the new year is coming up and I need to get in shape before the summer. I want that six pack in time for the summer and some muscle for the ladies. Ok, day one let's get things kicked off with some chest and biceps................STOP RIGHT THERE!

On any given Monday you will see 90% of males pumping up their chests or doing thousands of biceps curls. Not that there is anything wrong with this approach, accept WHAT ABOUT YOUR LEGS?!? I make it a point to start all of my male clients out with working their lower body. WHY? Its the most overlooked area when it comes to guys. Men tend to work the show muscles first, developing what I call the popsicle physique. You know the type, big arms and chest and skinny legs. If you want to transform your body and have balanced physique, make your legs a priority. You can build more muscle in your lower body region, which translates into greater caloring burning at rest. Plus, you need a stable foundation to hold up that massive upper body.

In addition to the legs, focus on the muscles that you cannot see, including: your back, triceps, hamstrings, and glutes (butt muscles for the the uninformed). Yes gentlemen it is important to work your glutes, they help support your back..... And NO that is machine is not for ladies only (aka the Abductor machine), and ladies placing 20 lbs on the abductor machine and performing a thousand reps while reading a magazine is not adequate to work this large muscle group (and in some cases very large.........I'll probably get in trouble for that one). Many of the back issues suffered be millions today result from poor glute and hamstring development. Remember that you glutes are like your shoulders on your lower body, AND I KNOW YOU WORK YOUR SHOULDERS.

And guys, it is not enough to "workout" for 3 hours, although if your training session lasts this long it is probably lacking in intensity (But we'll talk about that another time), diet and cardio are still critical components. I get on the ladies about doing too little resistance work, and the reverse is true for men. Put in an intense bout of interval cardio training, about 20-40 mintues, and you will be amazed at your results. But ultimately, if you want to get lean, YOU HAVE TO EAT CLEAN! Diet is often where the battle is lost.

Improve 1% Everyday!