MarkOne Fitness

Last year ---SNOW SNOW

2012-01-24T14:03:00.000-05:00

It's 50 degrees here today in Massachusetts ---YES 50 in January!!!!
1 year ago --WHAT A MESS.......

My trainer LeeAnne put me through this!!

Check out these Cardio Myths

2012-01-20T16:58:00.001-05:00

What do you guys think? This month I've seen more and more folks doing slow cardio---the gyms are packed, New Years, right?. Great if you're just starting out.

Check out this article on Cardio Myths
7 Popular Cardio Myths

Benefits of ANY type of cardio:

Any movement is great for your system.
Great heart health.
Makes you feel good.
Burns calories while you do the work.
Clears your head after a tough day or gets you started in the morning.
Builds Endurance.
Helps coming back from a long layoff or injury.
Great for beginners.
Great for overweight There are many more reasons to do your cardio --I never diss hard work.

Now for folks that want to reach that next level and folks that want body-fat loss and body transformation. Intervals are superior-----

You don't need equipment to do Intervals --check out LeeAnne doing some metabolic stuff with some "Fitness Toys"

Happy New Year!!!!

2011-12-31T13:15:00.002-05:00

Who’s making a Fitness Resolution today? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?"

I have to be honest it hasn’t been a pretty site at my house. (Except for LeeAnne, she was still able to get ripped!) Now it’s time to say goodbye to the comfort food, Italian cookies (my favorite) eggnog, gingerbread houses and the entire array of feel-good-now-but-pay-for-it-later foods!

So what’s next? Well, gyms are crowded and folks are walking and running. This month is big in my profession. I’ll take it, but what went on the rest of the year?

It’s not too early to be thinking about fitting into your bikini. I know its months away, but basically you’re training now for your body and appearance for spring/summer!

So all together now, let’s get our butts back on track, healthy, fit and get energized for the New Year! If you want 2012 to be the year you take control of your health, make your body beautiful, strong and get your energy back, NOW is the time to do it. Temptation is gone. No more excuses!

I’m with some of you. My workouts were great, but food wasn’t. I know folks might say both their workouts and food weren’t up to par. So let’s get back to basics, so here are 5 helpful tips to get you back on the fitness track:

1. Let’s start with the easy one. Water, drink your water! This is the one that makes me crazy. When a client tells me they don’t have enough time to get water in, I want to scream. Yes, you go to the bathroom more, deal with it. Drink a lot of it because you probably drank more eggnog, wine, soda and beer more than you normally do these past few weeks, so now it’s time for a detox. Water will restore the balance in your body and get you back in health mode.

2. Get the meals in. Make sure you’re eating every 3-4 hours. 3 meals and 2 snacks are ideal. Increase your veggie intake; they are water-dense foods. Fruits and veggies boost your fiber intake, since it’s probably been insufficient this past month. These foods will get you off the fat-and-sugar track and on the fat-burning one in no time.

3. Throw away! My mother-in-law hates this one. She’s from the generation that forced us to finish our huge portions. Those poor kids in wherever are starving, so “finish what you have on your plate”. errrrrrrrr---So, watch your portion size at meals and its okay to, yes throw away or use as leftovers. Re-stock your shelves with GOOD food. The junk should be gone. Sorry, if you didn’t finish the sugar cookies, they must go, far, far away!

4. Resistance training! Please don’t follow the cardio-crowd workout. You’ll notice the treadmills and elliptical machines are packed. Go to the weight room, if you’re unsure hire a trainer and learn to workout the right way. If you’ve taken time off from your training, don’t go all out. Start with a lighter workout that’ll remind you how it feels to work out and get your body back in the groove. I see too many people push way too hard too fast out of guilt for eating a lot and “not having time to work out.” And end up getting hurt or just quit. That first week is for getting back on track, not kill you! One of the keys to this is finding an activity you enjoy. If you do you’ll stick with it!

5. SLEEP! The last month for most of us has been hectic and stressful. Remember not enough sleep is stress on your body. Not good for fat-loss. So get back to a normal sleep schedule 7-8 hours a night.

Don’t forget to Plan!

Too many people just jump into things without proper planning. This is a huge mistake! Have a plan going forward. This could mean workouts and your food plan. Don’t take chances, it’s too important. Don’t just go to a gym and decide you’ll do this or that. A good workout program is crucial for your success. Remember “if you fail to plan”, “you plan to fail”.

With planning you need strategy to overcome potential roadblocks. If you have potential roadblocks, ask yourself, “What can I do differently to avoid this?” Willpower can only take you so far, remember this, thinking that more willpower is the best strategy is not the way to go……Let planning and preparation be your strategy.

Make Fitness a habit and be consistent. Commit to Thirty Days – Three to four weeks is all the time you need to make a habit automatic. If you can make it through the initial conditioning phase, it becomes much easier to sustain. A month is a good block of time to commit to a change since it easily fits in your calendar.

Goal Setting. Once you have a plan in place set a goal. This gives you a way to measure your progress, and provides a real boost when you realize that a goal which seemed out of reach last year, is easy this year. Set small goals for yourself that are somewhat challenging, but not so difficult that they are unattainable. Once you’ve achieved each goal, set your sights slightly higher and begin again. This is the only way to keep progressing.

If you need help with planning and strategy, hire a pro. A good Life-coach can assist you and get you through those roadblocks. My wife LeeAnne has taken her successful program on-line. If you're interested in learning more, check out her FREE Webinar here: http://coachingforhealthandfitness.com/

The New Year often brings resolutions that turn into broken promises, but this year DECIDE to make it stick. If you do, besides not having this same resolution next year you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you have accomplished something very important. That will go a long way!

Let’s do it!
Looking forward to a great year!

Keep Training!!!

Hoilday Weight Gain --NOT a great gift.........

2011-11-27T15:22:00.000-05:00

One Holiday down 2 to go, here’s the thing, enjoy yourself. We look forward to this season, let’s enjoy. But I have to admit it can be a challenge, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. For the next month you are going to have some of the biggest challenges you have faced all year to losing weight and keeping it off. In my experience from Thanksgiving to New Year's can raise havoc with your plan.

Many people easily gain 5-10 pounds over this time and when they finally realize this, they don’t know what hit them. I guess the mindset is that you can let everything slide now since once Ryan Seacrest finishes his New Year’s Eve countdown you'll get right back on track.

I have to be honest with you letting things go and gaining 5+ pounds over the next several weeks is going to put a dent in your weight loss process. The reason being that you will have to spend January losing that last 7 pounds you gained before you can even start on the new weight you want to lose.

To compound this, during this time-period most people have a harder time fitting in their workouts –double-whammy. More calories and less exercise equals you know what. Let’s avoid this Holiday weight-gain, now more than ever you need to stick to your planning.

1) Get your workouts in. Make an appointment with yourself. It’s much easier to get it done in the morning. Yes get your butt out of bed 45 minutes earlier and do your workout. I don’t have the time is the poorest excuse on the planet---PLEASE.

2) Plan your meals and snacks –yes you may have to do that the night before –Modern Family can wait –use your DVR and watch later.

3) If you’re attending a Party –don’t go in hungry ---eat before you get there.

You don’t have to miss out, but stay the course and only indulge during a few special occasions such as Christmas Eve, Christmas dinner and New Year's Eve. The rest of the times try avoiding the excess food and drinks - you'll be happy you did come January 2nd!

Great Holiday Workout ---from Val Waters.

Keep Training!

Snowy Outdoor Bootcamp!

2011-10-28T17:30:00.000-04:00

It wasn't suppose to stick!! It's only October............ Thanks FOX25 Boston --great forecast!!

It didn't stop some of you --great job!!

Halloween Weight Gain--should you Trick or Treat yourself?

2011-10-26T11:37:00.000-04:00

All right my little trick or treaters, it’s that time again, the Holiday season. Where statistics show we gain the MOST weight during the year…..ouch. If you couldn’t fit into your Princess Leia costume this year, that’s a shame, you wasted a great outfit!

Halloween is that sneaky holiday that creeps around the corner and attacks with a vengeance! All of the candy disguises itself as cute, bite-size, harmless treats so we can’t resist. One leads to five and next thing you know, you’re sitting there with a belly ache. We become like Hoover’s and inhale everything we wish we could during the rest of the year simply because “it’s the holidays.” It is a very dangerous time for the health-conscious and anyone looking to drop weight.

And yes your trainer has a hard time also. Those damn peeps ---I try to avoid the candy aisle in CVS. If I make eye contact with those nasty little marshmallow ghosts, it’s all over. They call my name!!! Don’t get me wrong. Having a treat is not the end-all. I am a firm believer in moderation. You can enjoy a healthy Halloween and still reach your goals. By following a few simple rules you can avoid that Halloween hangover……

Our neighborhood is not good for trick-or-treat. We’re lucky to see 1 kid. So we don’t have to buy bags of candy, we still buy a small bag just in case, here’s a couple tips to help you through:

Buy candy you DON’T like. If you don’t like a specific type of candy, buy it and hand it out to trick-or-treaters. Purchasing candy that is not enticing to you will increase your chances of not over indulging. I thought LeeAnne and I agreed on Butterfingers—not sure if she still sampled one:)
Eat a healthy meal right before the kids start knocking. Having a full satisfied stomach while handing out candy might make it less tempting to dig into the candy bowl.
Make sure that you don’t substitute candy for a meal. If you think that eating 10 pieces of candy exempts you from a proper nutritional meal … think again. This kind of eating is a sure way to help you GAIN weight fast.
Don’t keep that extra candy! I used to give extra treats to the kids towards the end of the night if I thought I was going to have too much leftover. Don’t keep it in the house, bring it to work and place it in the kitchen area –just don’t go looking for it!!
Some folks hand out healthy options; passing along some healthy eating habits to trick-or-treaters. Instead of handing out candy, hand out snacks that are healthy. This is a tough one, but there are healthier versions of stuff we love…………
Don’t miss workouts that week ---keep the momentum going. Keep in mind that Halloween is the non-stop train to temptation town, but if you stick with your nutrition and exercise routine plan, you can indulge a little and still stay healthy during the holidays!
Just say NO! This does take willpower, but if you’re training for your High School Reunion you may have to resist. It won’t kill you to say “No”. By saying no, you can rest assured that later on you won’t need to fight to burn that extra weight. When someone offers you candy during the Halloween season, you really don’t have to say “yes” each time it’s offered to you!
If you do decide to have something, don’t feel guilty. But make it count! Find that ONE piece of candy you LOVE and enjoy. Right after, it’s back to steering clear of holiday weight gain through exercise and conscious, healthy food choices.

I am not saying these are exactly healthy holiday treats, but they do contain fewer calories than a lot of their counterparts.

Some health(ier) Halloween treats:
• AbbaZabba, small (12 g) 50 calories and 11 g carb
• Raisinettes (Fun size – about 16 pieces) clock in at 56 calories and 11 g carbs.
• Three Musketeers, Fun size (15 g) – 64 calories and 11 g carb
• Snickers Bars, Fun size (17 g) – 80 calories and 10 g carb
• M&Ms, plain, Fun size (18 g) – 88 calories and 12 g carb

So here we are, the Holiday Season. Everyone loves this time of year and for some of us it’s non-stop until January 2. That’s another blog! Don’t wait until New Year’s to make your resolution. The time is now! So get into your Catwomen costume and ENJOY your Halloween and when it’s over get right back on track. Halloween doesn't have to be scary for your diet. By proper planning, you can make sure you stay on track with your eating and still have a great time. Happy Halloween!!

Keep Training!!

Last Outdoor Camp of Year!!!

2011-10-02T14:09:00.002-04:00

Eye of the Tiger!!

2011-09-17T16:08:00.000-04:00

One of the biggest obstacles to getting and staying in shape is putting off workouts. I know life gets in the way, but if you’re serious about making changes YOU’LL FIND TIME. Yes, that could mean 6am workouts. Get your butt out of bed if it’s the only way……. When it comes to fitness, telling yourself you’ll “do it later” will sabotage your progress and hold you back from reaching your goals.

Yes, I’ll repeat myself. You NEED GOALS! The urge to procrastinate can be a daily struggle if the motivation you have for working out is too broad, unspecific or unattainable. An example of a great goal is getting in super shape for a Wedding that’s a few months away. Here’s the opposite of that, I want to workout to be alive to see my Grandkids get married, that’s great, but the goal expands so far into the future that it’s easy to say, “what’s one missed workout? I’ll do it tomorrow.” Think of Apollo Creed yelling at Rocky in Rocky III, “there is no tomorrow!” “there is no tomorrow!”

But if you have that shorter term goal, that’s another story, you’ll know that a missed workout is a missed opportunity and could result in a setback. I’m not saying it’s the end of the world if you miss one or two. I’m talking about continually blowing off workouts for no good reasons. Bottom line, if you have a more pressing reason to get to the gym, you’ll be more likely to continue going on a daily basis.

Once you establish a reasonable goal, you may still have trouble sticking to your program. Ask yourself why you REALLY work out. What is your primary motivation? To be honest, I miss an occasional workout, like I said, “Life happens.” But here’s the thing, I work out because it keeps me centered and positive. I notice that when I miss a workout I feel less calm and many times I don’t sleep as well that night. For me, I love that feeling of working out hard. Yes I do enjoy it, that’s another key. Finding something you enjoy physically and you will continue. Everyone has their own reasons for working out that don’t necessarily involve what your doctor tells you, i.e. exercise is important for bone density and longevity, etc.

One way to motivate yourself to get to the next level is to visualize what you want. Imagine yourself already having the energy you want to have, the shape you want to be in, or riding that 100 mile bike ride you’ve always wished you could complete. Whatever encourages you immediately is the key to your fitness success.

And sometimes we have those days that it’s not going to happen. No motivational trick will get you to where you’re supposed to be. I’m not talking when you’re sick or injured or totally exhausted. You know what days I’m talking about. Basically, you’re very comfortable and looking for any excuse to not workout. On those days, you just need to step it up and do it anyway. That’s what commitment is about–you do it no matter what. Pretty much everyone who’s ever done a workout out of sheer focus and determination would agree that they’ve never regretted it. Even if you limit your exercise and maybe walk, you’ll be surprised how quickly you may change your tune!

Procrastinating will always hold you back from reaching your fitness goals. Don’t let this be you. Regretting. Putting yourself in a position where you’re looking back and realizing you could have been farther along if you had just done the workouts you decided to miss. Time is passing by anyway.

You can either be in better shape in a month, or you could be the same depending on the decision you make today. And I don’t want to have to quote Adrian in Rocky III, don’t make me go there!!

Keep Training!!
mh

Fall Session------- Outdoor Fitness!

2011-09-01T14:34:00.000-04:00

It's already September --can you believe it?

Outdoor Class starts Wednesday Sept 7

WED & FRI 7:00AM-7:45AM

WED & FRI 9:15AM-10:00AM

COME JOIN US!!!!!

Some other Cardio Options!

2011-08-11T14:08:00.000-04:00

People who hire a personal trainer always need goals, if they don’t their results will be limited. You always need something to shoot for. Many clients have a goal of losing body fat and transforming their bodies. If that's your goal, then you know interval or cardio training are a must, and it doesn't have to be boring.......

Whenever a client comes to me with the goal of losing fat, they always ask, "How long do I have to ride the bike or run for?" Well, thing is, it doesn’t take a tremendous amount of time on the bike or treadmill to get results. Some folks still can’t get over this and some “Cardio Queens” will never change their ways. Traditional cardio has its’ place, but it’s not the best option for fat loss.

Here’s the thing: people still think they must be a slave to a treadmill, elliptical or bike in order to lose fat, get a better body, and get healthy. It's just not the case. In fact, there are other training methods that could get you results faster and in less time.

First of all, if you hate doing something (such as spending endless time on a machine), what makes you think you're going to be consistent? If you're not consistent, you won't get long lasting results. It's as simple as that. Plus, who has the time to spend hours per week on a machine?

Instead of spending time on a machine, I suggest other, more effective, alternatives.

1) Bodyweight circuits . Pick a few exercises and perform them back-to-back with no or minimal rest time. For example: squats, pushups, jumping jacks, lunges, and planks. You could perform several repetitions (about 10-15) of each exercise and perform the circuit for 10-15 minutes. The other benefit to this over a treadmill: you'll build muscle. Muscle increases your metabolism, which allows you to burn more calories. Get creative here: pick any bodyweight movements you can think of. Also, feel free to perform each exercise, rest 1-2 minutes, and repeat the circuit for about 5-6 total rounds.

2) Dumbbell intervals . Pick an exercise: dumbbell squat & press* for example. Perform 10 repetitions of this exercise, rest 60 seconds, and repeat for about 5-6 more rounds. You could pick many other exercises too, and mix and match. For example: you could do a few rounds of squat & press, and then perform a few rounds of Burpees**. For a progression, you should either increase the number of rounds you perform and/or decrease your rest periods.
Other great combo’s: KB Swings & Pushups Jumping Jacks & Skaters –the list is endless.

*Dumbbell squat & press: stand with the dumbbells at your shoulders. Perform a squat, and as you are standing up, simultaneously press the dumbbells overhead. Lower the dumbbells back to your shoulders, and immediately perform another squat.

**Burpee: stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Squat down and put your hands outside your feet on the floor. Kick your feet back so you are in the top of a pushup position. From here, jump your feet back up to your hands, and then stand up. You could also use dumbbells for extra resistance. You would just hold them in your hands the entire time. Make sure they don't roll away from you.

So next time you’re thinking about doing 45min on the treadmill –think again, maybe I’ll try something new, you might be surprised…….

Here’s LeeAnne, using a few pieces of in-expensive equipment and putting a cardio circuit together. The Bosu exercise is an example of the Burpee with progression.

Summer Fun here in Westford!

2011-07-15T16:11:00.000-04:00

Here's one of the circuits we did today---great weather, low humidity! Perfect. Great Job Campers!!!

each station 1 min --some stations 30/30
1. Sumo Squat
2. Valslide Mountain Climber/VS Bodysaw
3. Bosu BW Squat
4. Jumping Press/ Row
5. Superband Run Out /Hill repeats
6. RDL
7. Side Plank
8. Suicide w/Wide-drops

Finisher with group --- 45s 30s lunge / JJ/ Pendulum/ Skaters

Summer is here!!!!

2011-06-15T11:43:00.008-04:00

One more week of school for the kids. Guess what? Summer is here. Are you ready to show off your new bathing suit? If not, then you may have started too late. Don’t be upset and just throw in the towel and say “maybe next year” make the best of it THIS SUMMER. Yes, summer is officially a week away, but it’s NOT impossible to lose weight this time of year.

Here’s the deal. There’s so much activity we can do outside. No excuse for missing some sort of exercise. Choose activities you enjoy. You'll be more motivated to stick with your workouts when you like what you're doing. If you’re interested in a class, try our Outdoor Bootcamp!

Summer means Cookouts, we love cooking outside. Just because you cook outside every night, doesn’t mean chips, booze and sweets every night. You can still enjoy healthy food, even on the grill!!

How about:

Turkey Burger, Lean Beef, veggies and more veggies, Salad, fruit, yams, sweet potato, and many more and plenty of WATER. These foods are not only filling, they taste great and yes are healthy and help you lose weight. Whoever said you had to have a bun with your burger—is it necessary every time?

Watch out for these:

1. White Stuff. Foods that are “white” contain simple sugars, are usually processed (man-made), and easily lead to extra poundage. These foods and beverages include regular (non-whole grain wheat) pasta, rice and bread, soda, juice, candy and dessert in general, cane sugar or creamer, chips and pretzels…you get the idea. Choose whole grain wheat over white starches whenever possible, avoid sodas and juices, and eat dessert sparingly in moderation.

2. Trans and Saturated Fats. These fats are found in full-fat meats like beef, chicken and pork, condiments like mayonnaise and salad dressing, full-fat dairy products like butter, sour cream, cheese, milk and yogurt, and vegetable oil. Cutting out these types of fats is essential to avoiding heart disease and maintaining a fit shape. Think lean cuts of meat like sirloin or filet, buy fat free chicken and take the skin off before eating, or cut the fat off of pork. With the exception of butter, fat free dairy products are not only a better alternative, they’re essential to your health as well. Choose fat free milk and yogurt as staples in your daily diet, and you’ll notice how much better you feel.

3. Alcohol. I can’t tell you how many clients have trouble losing weight because they just can’t cut down on the booze. The sad truth is you can work out every single day, diet all day long, run every day and you’ll still have a muffin top and a gut if you binge drink (more than three servings of alcohol) regularly. I know it’s tempting to sit on your deck at night and grab a bottle of wine. Save that for the weekend! Remember alcohol has 7 calories per serving. All of them are empty, meaning they provide absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever. And all of those calories get stored in fat cells. That’s why it’s so easy to gain weight from drinking. Limit your drinks to maximum two a week and notice how your body shrinks.

4. Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt ---yes I would eat Coffee Frozen yogurt every night if I could. It’s so easy to over-eat this frozen pleasure. This one gets me! The only way I can successfully drop weight during the summer is cutting back to once a week…..we shall see……

5. Sodium in excess. Put the salt shaker away! By cutting out the sodium you can initially expect to lose 1 to 2 pounds, depending on your body size. But once you reintroduce the sodium, some or all of the water weight will return.

Ways to Reduce Your Sodium Intake:

Relax! Stress causes you to crave salty, fat-laden foods.
Read food labels for sodium content. Sodium can hide in processed foods in the form of monosodium glutamate, baking powder, baking soda, disodium phosphate, sodium alginate, sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite.
Eat fresh, unprocessed foods.
Put away the salt shaker or fill it with a salt-free seasoning.
Use sodium-rich condiments sparingly.
Leave out the salt in your cooking and use fresh herbs or chicken broth.
Keep a steady flow of fluids in and out of the body to keep your metabolism moving.
Stay away from fast foods!
So-called diet foods touted as “healthy” may actually be very high in sodium.

So you may be saying, “It’s Summer, Forget about it!” But just imagine how great you will feel once you slim down and when you are on the beach; your bathing suit fits perfectly; you're walking down the beach with a smile on your face, being proud of yourself that you lost unwanted weight.

More importantly – feeling good about yourself…

And looking great as well!

Have a great Summer!!!!!

You must lift to lose!

2011-05-15T14:52:00.000-04:00

Just got back from the gym, place was packed. Well part of the gym, the weight room was almost empty besides two ladies doing curls. After they did their set a guy came in and did something. I don’t know what, it was hard to describe, but very interesting.

After my workout I decided to do some Intervals—but on a cardio machine. So I decided to join the masses, it must be great because everyone is here, all the cardio machines were taken, except 1 treadmill, so I jumped on -

NOOOOOO!!!!!

During my warm-up and cool-down I did notice a few things around me. It looks like more people are exercising, which is great. Especially women, I think they know how important cardio is for losing weight and keeping it off. They’re cardio queens! But weights are a different story.

After I finished I decided to go to the stretching area, while I stretched out I happened to over-hear two ladies talking about weight loss. One of the ladies lost 40 + pounds. Yes I’m curious. I had to find out how she did it, so I asked. She explained that she ate super healthy and she ran and did some classes a few times a week. That’s great, but when I asked her if she did any resistance training, she said no. Her main reason was because she wasn’t trying to gain muscles. At this point I was already tired and the trainer in me couldn’t find the energy to explain how it doesn’t work that way –so I went on my merry way. (I’ll straighten her out at a later date!).

Unfortunately, her reasoning is not out of the norm. Many women have a similar mentality toward resistance training. The main flaw in believing that weight training is only for people who want to build muscle is that EVERYONE needs to build muscle for several reasons.

Do you want to look great? Do you want to lose body fat? Then lifting moderate weights with a good program will get you there. Remember skinny-fat? If you don’t, think of someone like a distance runner who was skinny but has loose skin? Without muscle tone, your skin sags and gives you that flabby look. Muscle is what gives women that tight, smooth appearance because it holds everything together. If someone lost a ton of weight, especially if it’s too fast, chances are you could have loose skin and appear shapeless, it’s because you need to implement resistance exercises into your routine. No one ever got six-pack abs or slim triceps by running alone.

She Lifts weights

Muscle is also crucial to keep your weight from yo-yo-ing. The more lean muscle you have, the faster your metabolism is, and the more fat you burn at rest. The key is Fast Metabolism, not endless running or hour long sessions on the treadmill just to maintain. And as we age it becomes more important. Your metabolism slows down every year after 30, and it’s unrealistic to keep increasing your cardio time to maintain your weight. Muscle is what will keep your metabolism running and keeping fat from making itself comfortable on your backside.

For women, it’s essential to build muscle for bone strength as well. As we age our bones naturally get thinner. Why’s that bad? When your bones are thin, even a minor fall can result in you breaking a bone. I’m not even referring to the nursing home population either. Over 50% of women have osteopenia-the precursor to osteoporosis- starting at age 50! That’s not good!

Lastly, muscle tone look’s great. A strong athletic build is sexy. No one has ever come to me and asked for the “Marathon Look”. And I’m not talking about working out to become the next “Miss Olympia”. And please not the PINK DUMBELLS---(that’s another article).

No Pink DB's

Great shape --but not what I'm talking about

Lean Muscle

If you train the right way, you won’t get bulky. You’ll have a body shape people envy, shapely lean muscle that makes you look curvy in all the right places!

Guest Spot on Health and Fitness Goals by LeeAnne Hebert

2011-04-30T22:56:00.003-04:00

Do you feel like you just have too much weight to lose? Does it feel like an impossible task? Do you feel like it will just take too long? That there is not enough time before summer so why bother?? Does the thought of all the work and effort needed make you feel defeated before you even begin? If so, perhaps it’s time to change how you are looking at things… Are you game??

Do you remember the movie What about Bob? Bill Murray played Bob, who had such phobias the only way he could do anything was by taking baby steps. This is the same approach you can take with your health and fitness…

"Bob, you can do this, take Baby Steps"

Basically we need to break your fitness goals into more manageable pieces, ones that feel more achievable, and take them one small step at a time -Baby Steps- this is where setting realistic goals and planning come in. Again, a major step to setting weight loss goals is to follow the standard of goal setting. The goal needs to be specific, realistic and most of all attainable. If you want to lose 50lbs before summer, I’m sorry - but chances are at this point you are not going to be able to lose it all … However, you can easily lose 10 to 20lbs at 1-2 lbs a week. So instead of throwing your hands up and saying why bother, let’s put a plan in place to reach that mini goal… but first I want you to take an honest look at your nutrition and exercise because they do go hand in hand. Unfortunately, you can’t out train a bad diet, and anything worth having is going to take some work. Part of that work is to stand in your reality… Once you do that you will be able to make changes and move forward.

Step one: Create a menu for the week. I want you to plan your meals for each day – breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks.
Step two: Use that plan to write your shopping list for the week so that you have everything you need on hand (click here for more tips)
Step three: Figure out how to move… If you have to start with walking 3x’s a week, then that is where you start – but try to walk fast enough to get your heart rate up:)
Step 4: Plan your workouts and be specific… I will walk each M-W-F at lunch for 45 minutes.

Now that you know what days you are working out and what your meals will be each day, I want you to write out very specific daily plans and put them in your pantry, on your refrigerator, in your day-timer – wherever you will see them. Here is an example:

Monday:
- Breakfast: 1 boiled egg, and 1 piece of toast
- AM snack: Yogurt with fruit
- Lunch: Ham and cheese on a wheat roll up with an apple
- 12:30 – 1:15 45 minute power walk
- PM snack: 1 oz or almonds with a box of raisins
- Dinner: 4 oz of Chicken, 1/3 cup of brown rice and 1 cup of green beans

Do this for each day of the week… The key is to only focus on one day at a time – don’t worry about how long it’s going to take, just consistently follow your plan each day and before you know it you WILL reach your goal… Below is one of my favorite quotes and it is so true because if I didn’t “start”, I would still be at 147 lbs and unhappy with myself and my body…

Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that time to the best possible use. ~Earl Nightingale

We're back!! Come join us in Westford.

2011-04-24T08:51:00.000-04:00

Come join us this Wednesday!
Spring session resumes ---2 classes WED/FRI 7am -7:45 & 9:15am -10:00

FREE Bootcamp workout -Friday!

2011-04-18T17:07:00.001-04:00

Come join us this Friday 4/22 9:15am!

Free Bootcamp workout Outdoors in Westford.

Group Fitness.

Another study --Intervals (soccer) best for fat loss!!

2011-04-16T10:24:00.002-04:00

Just in time for the Boston Marathon! Just kidding you guys are amazing:) Good Luck!

Check out this study that Alwyn Cosgrove forwarded to me:

Recreational soccer is an effective health-promoting activity for untrained men
Krustrup et al.
British Journal of Sports Medicine 2009;43:825-831

36 healthy untrained men were randomized into a soccer group, a running group and a control group. Training was performed for 1 hour two or three times per week for 12 weeks; at an average heart rate of 82% of HRmax for both training groups (so it was fairly intense) During the 12 week program, the soccer group improved maximal oxygen uptake (a measure of aerobic fitness) 62% more than the running group. The soccer group also lost an average of 50% more fat than the running group (6lbs vs 4lbs)

The soccer group had an increase in lean body mass of 3.75lbs, an increase in lower extremity bone mass, a greater decrease in LDL-cholesterol and an increase in fat oxidation during running at 9.5 km/h. The running group saw none of these changes.

The number of capillaries per muscle fiber was also almost 50% higher in the soccer training group than in running. Both groups reduced blood pressure equally.

The researchers concluded that participation in recreational soccer training, has significant beneficial effects on health profile and physical capacity and in some aspects it is superior to frequent moderate-intensity running.

What does this research show us?

Why aren’t more Americans playing soccer? We keep trying, but soccer never really caught on here. But seriously, a talented soccer player is always lean, you don’t see too many over-weight soccer players, the out of shape players switch to playing baseball:)

Now think about the movement of soccer for a moment. I always thought soccer and basketball were a great form of exercise, (unless you dog it of course). Soccer is a form of Interval Training (although the work and recovery periods are randomized). Meaning even without the ball, you’re stopping and starting and you’re moving faster and slower, it’s never steady-state. That rest and recovery at different speeds is what Intervals are all about.

The other added benefit is that it’s also multi-directional, multi-movement (jumping, heading, running, sprinting, kicking, tackling, with contact) and multi-planar. This is how a healthy body should function, even when you train, think this type of movement.

Basically this study shows that open interval training, using multiple movements and directions against an opponent is superior for conditioning, muscle building and fat loss when compared to the same intensity of running. Think Intervals for these goals!


How do I get rid of this?

Don't do this............

Compared to just going for a Long Run:

· Distance running will NOT get rid of your soft belly.

· Distance running will NOT get rid of your muffin top.

· Distance running will NOT get rid of your cellulite.

· Distance running will NOT build muscle.

· Distance running will NOT give you that lean physique you’re looking for.

Yes, there are benefits and you’re not wasting your time. Distance running is Heart Healthy and I wouldn’t discourage anyone from doing ANY form of exercise. But do it for the right reasons. It’s great for clearing your head. You will burn calories while you do it (not as much as Intervals).Some of you may even trim your thighs and calves and some of you just LOVE it –for those folks, keep at it!

Who loves Distance running the most? Physical Therapists, it’s great for their practice, because I’ve never met a long-distance runner who’s not been injured. I’m just saying be careful, running is an advanced sport, 5k or 10k races are great –train properly!

If your goal is fat loss and changing your body this study proves once again that Intervals are superior to steady-state cardio. It’s not just my opinion, its hard facts and all this research just solidifies this training method. A combination of a sound resistance training program (think squats, presses, chins) and Interval training is your best plan for reaching fat-loss goals.

Now I’m not saying that everyone should go out and buy a soccer ball or join leagues (you can if you want, wouldn’t be a bad idea). But establish your goals and see what your body can handle. Don’t just jump into it!


They Interval Train

They do endless Steady-state cardio -Long Duration

Please feel free to read my entry on interval training here. LeeAnne Gives a demo!

Keep training!!

DAY 1 Bootcamp!!! New Outdoor Session!!

2011-04-13T12:58:00.000-04:00

Yes RAIN --but we will have cover all year!!!!!

Many women would trade a year of life to be thin.

2011-04-06T11:17:00.001-04:00

This news article caught my eye this morning and really I don’t think it came as a surprise. Basically the item was a small survey of women and being thin, “Many women would trade a year of their life to be thin”. You might say no big deal, but to me it’s disturbing. Just think about this for a minute, we’re talking about life, you’d give up something as precious as a year of your life to change your body. Does that make sense to you? Maybe when you’re young, giving up something at the end of your life is no big deal. But to me, it’s a bigger problem that won’t go away.

No matter how emotionally healthy you are, some of you will still obsess about your weight. What woman doesn’t want to lose body fat? How many of you would buy endless products to lose weight? Weight matters, especially to women. In fact, 75% of women think they are too fat.

Why are we so obsessed with weight? And I’m not talking about healthy weight. The issue here is healthy women trying to be “super lean” not ripped, but un-healthy levels. Yes the media doesn’t help. Everywhere you turn, the emphasis is on being thin. We are bombarded by images of glamour and beauty constantly-TV, movies, magazines, and advertisements. What do you see when you’re standing in line at the grocery store? If someone is not breaking up, it’s the latest diet craze and celebrity diet secrets and ads promising to melt away all your body fat.

Have you ever seen a model in a Fitness magazine or the annual swimsuit issue in Sports Illustrated? That’s a super-small percentage of women, it’s so unrealistic. But that’s the stuff that’s thrown in our faces.

With all our emphasis on thinness, 34 million Americans are overweight and 11 million suffer from eating disorders. The average American woman is five feet four inches tall, 144 pounds and a size 12. Compare that to the average model, five feet eight inches tall, 110 pounds and a size two. When you look at the model and then in the mirror, it’s easy to be depressed.

With that being said, do you blame girls for being pressured? How about a little plastic surgery? That’s an entirely different subject, but you see how this all ties in. Girls and women are highly influenced by media images and the media knows this.

Will the media stop this insanity? What do you think? No chance, it sells.

What can you do?

· First off, remember media pictures are often airbrushed and computer altered.

· Stop waiting to be thin. Work on the total person now.

· Determine to be healthy. Focus on exercise, good eating habits and nutrition.

While it's perfectly alright to always be striving to improve your body's appearance, do it the right way. Be the best YOU CAN BE. Do it for the right reasons, it’s for YOU not anyone else. In your pursuit always keep the bigger picture in mind. Don’t just focus in on your minor flaws at the expense of letting go of the things that really matter. What has your body done for you in your life time? If we’re healthy and carry a healthy weight, don’t you think we should be appreciating everything it's given us? What if you weren’t physically able to work out? Take the time to appreciate the simple fact you don't have limitations like that. So you’re not a size 2, big deal, but you’re able to get up every morning and workout, run, ride, if you choose. That in itself is going to be more important in creating an overall healthy lifestyle than a number on the scale.

Good Workout program, good diet --48 years old!

Sorry ladies, there’s no magic wand. It’s going to take some work, but it’s worth it.

And again, exercise and being thinner and being healthier will give you a longer life, so hang on to it!

Outdoor Bootcamp moved out 1 week!

2011-04-03T13:33:00.001-04:00

We're almost there, but the last storm messed things up!!!!!

NEW START DATE: WED APRIL 13 7AM-745AM & 9:15AM -10AM

Let's get this party started!!

Outdoor Bootcamp Start -We hope!!

2011-03-23T09:10:00.000-04:00

I know it’s going to snow again---sick of it! The ground is still covered, so I need a week of good weather- let’s keep our fingers crossed!

Are you sick of this???

We need this!!!!

But I’m putting my plan together anyway and seeing who’s coming back. Here’s what I’m thinking.

**If we have to move out a week we will –the session will still be 5 weeks**

Start DATE: Wednesday, April 06, 2011

2 Classes 7am-7:45am & 9:15am -10:00am

5 week session 10 classes $140.00

In June we will add a 6:15 PM Class to replace the 9:15am Class.

Watch your Carbs, but don’t eliminate.

2011-03-06T09:32:00.000-05:00

I’m not the only one, most of us love carbohydrates. Most Americans eat far too many carbohydrates—in the form of bread, cereal, pasta, corn (a grain, not a vegetable), white rice, potatoes, and processed cookies and snacks—with severe consequences to their health. We can’t blame everything on our consumption, but the facts are there. Obesity and diseases like elevated cholesterol and heart disease in many cases can be traced back to our over-consumption of carbohydrates, especially in the form of processed foods.

I would never suggest that you should follow a low or zero-carbohydrate diet; we all need a certain amount of carbohydrates. What most people haven’t realized is that the body’s storage capacity for carbohydrates is quite limited, and any excess is stored as fat. But you always tell me to watch my carbs. Yes if you’re trying to lose weight, you have to watch what type of carb you’re taking in.What’s super important is to remember that vegetables and fruits also contain carbohydrates and these carbs and lean protein should be the staple of your diet.

What happens when you eat a High Carb Food?

The meal or snack generates a rapid rise in blood glucose (sugar). With this increase, the pancreas secretes insulin into the bloodstream, which lowers the glucose. Insulin in turn is the hormone that stores excess carbohydrate calories (as fat in the thighs, abdomen, and buttocks) in case of famine. Even worse, high insulin levels suppress two other important hormones: glucagon and human growth hormone, which regulate the burning of fat and promote muscle development, respectively. So, the insulin from excess carbohydrates promotes fat, and slows down your ability to lose that fat.

What if I’m trying to lose weight?

It’s important to understand portion size. Starchy carbs should be about the size of a closed fist. This comes out to about ½-¾ cup of rice, a half a whole wheat English muffin, an apple, or a handful of grapes. It’s too easy to over-eat things like pasta and cereal. And vegetables have as much as you want. The goal to successful weight loss is to first find the right quantity of carbohydrates that provide enough fuel and energy for the day (but not so many that we end up storing most of it as fat), then consume the right kind of carbohydrates to feel good and satiated after a meal. Another good tip is to consume your starchy carbs like oatmeal first thing in the morning. That way you have time to burn it off during the day. A heavy meal of carbs 2 hours before you go to bed is a recipe for disaster.

Bread, bread and more bread.

This is the tough one. I have to admit, I could survive on bread alone. Love it. Why do they have to bring over that damn basket when you go out to eat? Who came up with the idea of putting a hamburger between 2 pieces of bread, a sandwich, why? Watch your consumption of bread and eliminate white entirely. I’ve had some good success when switching from whole wheat to Food for Life brand’s Ezekiel 4:9 organic sprouted whole grain products. The process of sprouting changes a grain’s composition in numerous ways to make it more beneficial as a food. It increases the content of vitamins (e.g., C, B2, B5, and B6) and beta carotene dramatically, up to eightfold. Even more important—especially considering how many people suffer from indigestion—it breaks down phytic acid (a mineral blocker).

I like this bread because it’s high in fiber, high in protein and made from sprouted grain. It is far better for you than the basic whole grain bread. Get it at Whole Foods/Trader Joe’s or other leading markets.

Food for Life’s Ezekiel 4:9 organic sprouted whole grain products (e.g., original, sesame, and cinnamon raisin loaves; rolls; English muffins; and tortillas). You can use this bread to make bread crumbs for meatloaf and meatball recipes.

It’s time to break the cycle. We must accept the fact that breakfast and lunch do not have to include toast and sandwiches with bulky rolls or white bread. If you’re struggling to lose weight you may have to cut back on some of your wheat products also. Eggs, fruits, and nut butters may be great options for breakfast. Salads or vegetables with poultry, fish, or other meats may be great options for lunch.

Remember, food is the absolute key to weight loss and maintaining. You’ll never out-train a crappy diet!

Why am I not losing the weight?

2011-02-11T12:09:00.003-05:00

I’m doing everything, but I’m not losing any more weight. What am I doing wrong? Without seeing you, it’s difficult to say, but let’s rule out a few things, and yes you could have hit a plateau.

But for the majority of you, it all boils down to one of three things:

1. You’re not working hard enough, or your exercise program needs to change.
2. You’re not eating like you should be to support your goals.
3. A combination of both.

Usually it ends up being number 3. Did you really just have ONE glass of wine each night this week? (Which by the way one serving is 5 ounces! not 12!) Or did it ‘one’ glass turn into two glasses? (Which really equates to 4-5 servings!) Or how about the processed Deli Meat you had for lunch? What about the bread? Those calories add up very quickly.

Alcohol slows down fat loss. Period. Before you say, there’s no way I’m giving up my daily box of Boone’s Farm, think about what you’re saying. Is it worth it? Drinking alcohol on a regular or everyday basis can, and WILL, sabotage your efforts to lose weight. Alcohol (not just liquor but also beer and wine!) is a refined carbohydrate, similar to sugar, sweets, and white flour. Everyone knows candy and fats are bad for you, but people tend to ‘overlook’ alcohol. Besides just adding simple calories, alcohol may raise blood sugar and insulin levels, which IS a recipe for weight gain………………..

How about your workouts? Did you do what your trainer told you to throughout the week? Or did you get caught up at work and put off the gym? “I’ll just workout longer tomorrow” or “I’ll add a walk today”.

Did you read People Magazine while you worked out on the treadmill? Or did you and your girlfriend talk about Jennifer Aniston’s new haircut while you were suppose to be doing your circuits? Was the intensity there? Doesn’t mean “no pain, no gain” but working up a good sweat….. Maybe it’s time to switch up your routine, try a resistance training routine.

Those are the questions you need to sit back and ask yourself. Are you doing EVERYTHING in your power and utilizing all the tools you have to make yourself successful??

I know you have all probably heard it before but…keep track of your food intake. If you’re really serious about losing weight, you need to get serious about your eating. I tell all my clients; diet is 60-70% of weight loss and leaning out. Start by keeping a detailed food journal for one week, without changing any of your eating habits. And be as specific, really measure it all out, and add up your calories for each day. You’ll be surprised how those calories can sneak up on you when you’re not keeping track!

I could go on and on forever about dieting and exercise. And I will. This topic is just too important and is the key for continued and safe weight loss. So spend the time and make sure you have things in place, don’t set yourself up for failure……..

Bad excuses are worse than none. Make it happen.

I realize there are people out there who are constantly dieting, exercising on a regular basis and have tried every trick in the book. Yet still are having trouble. Sometimes it just may be health related.

There are many factors within our bodies that are out of our control that can trigger weight gain as well. Simple things such as stress, high blood pressure, and depression, are all common diseases that can trigger weight gain and/or prevent your body from losing weight. Along with these problems, certain drug prescriptions can also be a trigger weight gain.

Watch your stress Level. When you live with anxiety and stress, your body tends to produce a chemical substance — like the hormone cortisol — that makes your body more likely to store fat.

Under active thyroid or Hypothyroidism. If your thyroid is underactive, your body may not produce enough thyroid hormone to help burn stored fat. With that, your metabolism is much slower and you will be storing more fat than you burn.

Insulin Resistance. When your body is resistant to the hormone insulin, other hormones that help control your metabolism don’t work as well.

DO NOT GIVE UP! Although it is difficult to lose weight gained because of a medical condition that is out of your control or medication that you have to take, it is not an impossible task! And with a good support network of family and friends, a consistent workout regimen, and a healthy moderate diet, you too can make it happen!

Here's an example of a workout LeeAnne has done in the past--it's at her level and experience. The exercises can be changed based on your level, keep in mind the pace.

What is this bike?

2011-01-29T16:55:00.001-05:00

Have you ever seen this piece of exercise equipment? It’s the one nobody uses. It’s been known to convert to a coat rack if you so desire.

It's called a Schwinn Airdyne Exercise Bike.

How’s it work? It's a fan resistance based upright bike that is completely self-sufficient. No electrical outlet needed or fancy set up required. All you do is hop on and start pedaling and pumping your arms for a fully body workout. After just a minute or so on the bike, you'll quickly find out that the wind resistance naturally allows you to set your own pace based on your current fitness level.

Why’s it so good? First off, it may be the best single piece of equipment for fat-loss and the safest. It’s great because it works both upper and lower body in a safe and natural position.

The other reason I like this piece of cardio equipment for interval-based training is that it takes up less space than treadmills, ellipticals, and most other pieces of exercise equipment. It's just about 4 feet in length and only 2 feet wide. So it’s easy to fit in any room.

The other great thing: Price –you can purchase for $600-$800

If you’re thinking about purchasing a cardio piece that really gives you a great workout and extremely affordable look no further than the Schwinn Airdyne Exercise Bike.

RIP Jack LaLanne: Sept. 26, 1914 – January 23, 2011.

2011-01-24T12:52:00.000-05:00

Jack LaLanne passed away Sunday, at the age of 96. If you’re not familiar with Jack, he may be the true pioneer of fitness. He brought exercise to our living rooms. He showed women it was okay to lift weights and encouraged it. He was a true Pioneer. As trainers, we owe allot to the “Father of Fitness” As a kid I remember watching Jack and his dog Happy doing all these crazy exercises on TV and tried in vain to do a couple pushups.

He was years ahead of his time in realizing the importance of fitness and eating correctly. He tried very hard to get America off red meat, smoking and alcohol, he knew way back then we were killing ourselves………… Even back in his day he knew what it took to be healthy

Some of his many quotes: “Exercise is King, nutrition is Queen, put them together and you’ve got a kingdom”. “People don’t die of old age, they die of inactivity”. Like I Said, way ahead of his time!

When LaLanne turned 43 in 1957, he performed more than 1,000 push-ups in 23 minutes on the "You Asked For It" television show, that was just one of many accomplishments.

Just a few more feats:

1959 Age 45: Completed 1,000 pushups and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hours and 22
minutes. “Happy” is born and The Jack LaLanne Show goes nationwide

1974 Age 60: Swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf, for a second time handcuffed, shackled and towing a 1,000-pound boat.

1975 Age 61: Swam the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, underwater, for a second time handcuffed, shackled and towing a 1,000-pound boat.

1976 Age 62: Commemorating the “Spirit of ‘76”, swam 1 mile in Long Beach Harbor, handcuffed, shackled and towing 13 boats (representing the 13 original colonies) containing 76 people.

1979 Age 65: Towed 65 boats filled with 6,500-pounds of Lousiana Pacific wood pulp while handcuffed and shackled in Lake Ashinoko, near Tokyo, Japan.

LaLanne’s contributions to fitness will never be forgotten, as they revolutionized the industry.

Rest in peace, Jack.

Winter Bootcamp?? Grab your Valslides!

2011-01-12T15:07:00.000-05:00

Yes I lost a bet. So LeeAnne sent me out in a winter storm to workout. The "No excuses" workout! Don't let a little white stuff get in the way.......

Grab your Valsides ----WARNING don't workout in the snow, you will fall........and don't copy my form -it's not good in the snow!!! Sorry

Guest Spot on Portion Control by LeeAnne Hebert

2011-01-08T17:44:00.001-05:00

You're working hard, you're sleeping well and you're drinking your water. And the most important factor, you're eating clean food. Yet, your weight doesn't budge. Frustrating, yes.

Could be a number of things happening. One issue I see over and over is incorrect portions. If you can honestly say you're eating the right foods then let's look at portions. Oatmeal is a superfood, great carb -yet if you have too much, your weight loss will stall.

Do you know your portion sizes? If you're not sure, measure everything until you know exactly what your taking in. Is it a pain? Yes at first, but in time you'll be able to eyeball everything. If you're serious about weight loss and changing your body take the time, you're worth it! Don't let an easy thing like measuring derail your efforts.

Take a look at these 2 videos to help! (Part 2 ) Next week your workouts..........

2011 Is this the Year??

2011-01-05T15:12:00.003-05:00

The Holidays are history…can you believe it?? Now it’s time to say goodbye to the comfort food, Italian cookies (my favorite) eggnog, gingerbread houses and the entire array of feel-good-now-but-pay-for-it-later foods!

So what’s next? Well, gyms are crowded and folks are walking and running. This month is big in my profession. I’ll take it, but what went on the rest of the year?

It’s not too early to be thinking about fitting into your bikini. I know its months away, but basically you’re training now for your body and appearance for summer!
So all together now, let’s get our butts back on track, healthy, fit and get energized for the New Year! If you want 2011 to be the year you take control of your health, make your body beautiful, strong and get your energy back, NOW is the time to do it. Temptation is gone. No more excuses!

I’m with some of you. My workouts were great, but food wasn’t. I know folks might say both their workouts and food weren’t up to par. So let’s get back to basics, so here are ten helpful tips to get you back on the fitness track:

1. Let’s start with the easy one. Water, drink your water! This is the one that makes me crazy. When a client tells me they don’t have enough time to get water in, I want to scream. Yes, you go to the bathroom more, deal with it. Drink a lot of it because you probably drank more eggnog, wine, soda and beer more than you normally do these past few weeks, so now it’s time for a detox. Water will restore the balance in your body and get you back in health mode.

2. Get the meals in. Make sure you’re eating every 3-4 hours. 3 meals and 2 snacks are ideal. Increase your veggie intake; they are water-dense foods. Fruits and veggies boost your fiber intake, since it’s probably been insufficient this past month. These foods will get you off the fat-and-sugar track and on the fat-burning one in no time.

3. Throw away! My mother-in-law hates this one. She’s from the generation that forced us to finish our huge portions. Those poor kids in wherever are starving, so “finish what you have on your plate”. errrrrrrrr---So, watch your portion size at meals and its okay to, yes throw away or use as leftovers. Re-stock your shelves with GOOD food. The junk should be gone. Sorry, if you didn’t finish the sugar cookies, they must go, far, far away!

4. If you’ve taken time off from your training, don’t go all out. Start with a lighter workout that’ll remind you how it feels to work out and get your body back in the groove. I see too many people push way too hard too fast out of guilt for eating a lot and “not having time to work out.” And end up getting hurt or just quit. That first week is for getting back on track, not kill you!

5. Get your resistance training workouts in. Please don’t follow the cardio-crowd workout. You’ll notice the treadmills and elliptical machines are packed. If you’re a beginner or senior, no problem, start out with these machines. If you’re experienced and your goal is FAT-LOSS, you must lift weights combined WITH that cardio. But weights are #1 for body transformation and losing body fat. One of the keys to this is finding an activity you enjoy. If you do you’ll stick with it!

6. SLEEP! The last month for most of us has been hectic and stressful. Remember not enough sleep is stress on your body. Not good for fat-loss. So get back to a normal sleep schedule 7-8 hours a night.

7. Plan. Have a plan going forward. This could mean workouts and your food plan. Don’t take chances, it’s too important. Don’t just go to a gym and decide you’ll do this or that. A good workout program is crucial for your success. Remember “if you fail to plan”, “you plan to fail”.

8. Goal Setting. Once you have a plan in place set a goal. This gives you a way to measure your progress, and provides a real boost when you realize that a goal which seemed out of reach last year, is easy this year. Set small goals for yourself that are somewhat challenging, but not so difficult that they are unattainable. Once you’ve achieved each goal, set your sights slightly higher and begin again. This is the only way to keep progressing.

9. Don’t let a bad day or week derail your schedule. Keep this in mind. Exercise shouldn’t be torture; every workout doesn’t have to be a “last chance workout”. But prepare yourself. Some days are going to be real challenging, especially if you’re a beginner, or just coming back. Remember we all have struggles. That’s okay. If you start to feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath and look at the big picture. A missed day here or there isn’t going to mess you up that much. If you find yourself starting to fall off your exercise plan, just pick up where you left off, and keep trying. Don’t be too hard on yourself; everyone has days when they don’t feel like exercising, just keep plugging away as best you can. It does get easier with time.

10. Stay positive. For some of us this is all brand new. For all of us it’s a New Year, a time to renew our optimism, strength of mind and body. It’s a process. Think of yourself as someone who’s going to be much healthier and is willing to leave bad habits behind. We don’t know what’s ahead of us; expect new challenges to overcome as you make positive changes to your mind and body. Think that this is the year. With hard work you’ll reach those fitness goals and there’s no looking back.

The New Year often brings resolutions that turn into broken promises, but this year DECIDE to make it stick. If you do, besides not having this same resolution next year you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you have accomplished something very important. That will go a long way!

Let’s do it!
Looking forward to a great year!

XMAS WORKOUT

2010-12-25T08:01:00.000-05:00

The girls never take breaks ---

A Valerie Waters present --The Valslide Alligator Walk

2010-12-24T11:50:00.000-05:00

LeeAnne showed us a great exercise from Val Waters using her Valslides. Thanks Val & LeeAnne.

Indoor Bootcamp ----15 Degrees Outside!!!

2010-12-10T17:14:00.000-05:00

It's cold here in Massachusetts --we've moved Bootcamp Indoors. Here's a sample of a circuit we did today. It was a Christmas theme workout ---nice Winter Background!

Come check us out at Center Stage here in Westford.

Thanks Ladies!!!

Stay Healthy this Season!!

2010-12-05T10:57:00.004-05:00

I might be late for this because people are already getting hit hard by cold and flu. But if you’re lucky you must be doing something right. For all you Germaphobes out there what's the best defense against cold and flu?

Seriously, let's stay healthy this year.

Let’s start with that dreaded stomach flu. It’s one of the most contagious illnesses out there. Every year I get calls from moms canceling appointments because they are sick as a dog. If a sick child comes down with it, beware, it spreads quickly. There are several ways to cut the risk and spread of this flu. 2 points to remember –the virus stays active for weeks and only some cleaners actually kill the virus.

The best site to review is this one ---please check it out. http://sites.google.com/site/stopthestomachflu

Which hand sanitizers kill stomach flu viruses?Answer: Germstar®Noro
Washing your hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of the gastroenteritis viruses. It does not kill them but it washes them off your hands and down the drain. But when you can’t get to a sink, you need something else. Regular 62% alcohol hand sanitizer gels such as regular Purell® do a great job killing rotavirus but are not that great at killing norovirus1 (they are better than nothing, though).
The company Germstar® has specifically designed a hand sanitizer that kills norovirus! It is called Germstar®Noro.

You can purchase here: http://www.germstar.com

Tips to avoid the Common Cold:

Hand Washing. The easy one we should all know by now. Washing your hands frequently really does make a difference. Make it a practice to wash your hands after shaking hands with people, after taking money from a cashier, or anytime your hands come in contact with something handled by others. If you don't have access to a sink, carry alcohol wipes in your purse.

The Eyes have it. You should also avoid rubbing your eyes at all costs. You might not know this, but nurses are taught that over 90% of colds are caught through the eyes. This is the truth of the matter, as the fluids within the eyes are very susceptible to catching germs.

Cleaning. Clean any items an infected person may have touched. Germs can live for hours, even days, on an infected keyboard, telephone or a piece of silverware. Watch out for Restaurant menus; don’t go from the menu to your plate.

Dress for the weather. I always argue about this one, if I get too cold sometimes I wake up with a cold. Getting too chilled does lower defenses in your body. A new study shows that you're more likely to come down with a cold when you're exposed to cold. It seems that getting chilled lowers blood flow to the lining of your nasal passages and renders them less able to prevent viruses from attaching. Stay well covered up when you go outside.

Reduce Stress. Studies have shown that serious stress can weaken the immune system making it more difficult to fight off a cold.

Get plenty of sleep. Sleep deprivation greatly taxes the immune system. Get in a solid seven to eight hours of deep sleep. If you are getting sick, rest is your best bet.

Fresh Air and Exercise. Get lots of fresh air and exercise. If it’s possible even if it’s cold out go for a walk several times per week. This will help to clear your lungs, and give you lots more energy.

Drink lots of fluids. You should drink at least 2-3 liters every day to help hydrate your body from the inside out. Cut down on coffee and alcoholic drinks because rather than helping to hydrate, they dehydrate.

Vitamin C. The first thing you need to do is to equip yourself with is Vitamin C. This can be found in an orange, apple, avocado, banana, grapefruit, guava, kiwifruit, mango, melon, papaya, pineapple, plum, raspberry, strawberry, tomato, and watermelon.

Eliminate Junk Food. Eliminate all junk food such as chips, candy, chocolate, soda or anything else which your body doesn't need. Replace all junk food with fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts. Try to avoid cooked or processed foods, and especially all fast food. Cooked food may not be bad for you, but you should still try to avoid it because once the food is exposed to heat, it loses most of the vitamins. This makes the food half good and half bad, because any food once the vitamins are lost the food becomes useless to your body.

Keep Training!!

Fitness XMAS Gifts!

2010-12-03T11:52:00.000-05:00

1. How about a Gift Certificate from MarkOne Fitness Indoor Bootcamp? A new session will run all winter! Get off the boring cardio machine and have fun and lose weight at the same time!!!—send request to me

markjhebert@mark1fitness.com

2. Jump Rope. Less than $15, jumping rope is a great approach to physical fitness and a fun, inexpensive gift option for kids or adults. A single 30-minute jump roping session at a moderate speed can burn between 200-300 calories a session. Great bang for your buck!

3. The Valslide, created by Valerie Waters, personal trainer to Hollywood’s elite was created with every level of fitness in mind. Valslide® makes lower body exercises smoother and easier on the body with more effective and immediate results. The simplicity of movement makes this exercise tool an obvious addition to any workout routine. My clients love the Valslide and it can travel anywhere. It’s a great gift and they will love it! Click on the Valsides on this page.

4. Resistance Tubing. Less bulky than dumbbells or weight sets and easily stored, resistance tubes are a great way to strengthen and build muscle. The correct resistance will make a fun and effective workout. Check out SPRI, a leading resistance tubing manufacturer. www.spriproducts.com

5. Heart Rate Monitor. Perfect for a beginner or advanced exerciser. The idea behind a monitor is to accurately track exercise intensity. A heart rate monitor can help individuals know exactly where they’re at. They not only get the most out of their workouts they know when they’re pushing too hard. Some Heart Rate monitors require use of a chest strap make sure to review yours before buying. Click on Perform Better on this page.

6. Personal Training Sessions. Working with a personal trainer has been shown to increase motivation as well as teach the most safe, efficient exercises. Personal training is the perfect gift for someone interested in starting a new fitness program looking to lose weight or updating their existing routine. Check your local area for certified Trainers and use references if possible.

T-Day Workouts for the Week.

2010-11-21T18:37:00.001-05:00

Here's a couple workouts you can try this week. Holiday weeks are especially tough food-wise. Be smart don't increase the calories AND decrease the workouts -NOT a good combination. Do the best you can, and enjoy yourself!!

Tips for this week:

Get up a half hour earlier and get your workout in before you get too busy.
Go for a walk at lunch-time.
Cut back on starchy carbs -Mon /Tues/ Wed --enjoy T-DAY!
If you're going to a High School Football Game on Thursday, parking is tough, good idea to walk, don't get there early to find a "Good Spot" closer --walk, walk, walk........

Here's LeeAnne going through a couple workouts she'll do this week.

WORKOUT#1

CIRCUIT #1

Valslide REV Lunge or Reverse Lunge 20 each leg

Valslide Side Lunge or Side Lunge 20 each leg

Side to Sides 30 secs

Squat & Row or Prisoner Squat 15 reps

Sumo Squat 15 reps

Skaters 30 secs

Do circuit 2-3 times

CIRCUIT #2

Push Ups 12 reps

Flys --DB or Tube 20 reps

Valslide Mountain Climber 30 secs

Bench Press 15 reps

Tricep Extensions 15 DB or Tube or Dips 12-15

Jumping Jacks 30secs

Do circuit 2-3 times

Cardio Circuit

Side to Sides 30 secs

Skaters 30 secs

Valslide Mountain Climber 30 secs

Jumping Jacks 30secs

Do circuit 1-2 times

Notes: rest little between exercises (5-30secs). Try to move quickly from 1 to the next, don’t rush with sloppy form. Rest a full minute between circuits. Finish the entire Circuit before moving on to the next circuit.

WORKOUT #2

CIRCUIT #1

Step ups 15 each leg

RDL 15

Split Jacks 30 secs

SB Leg Curl or Bridges 20 reps

Inchworms 10 reps

Squat Drops 30 secs

Do circuit 2-3 times

CIRCUIT #2

Bentover Rows 15 or Chinups MAX

Bicep curls --DB or Tube 15 reps

Half Jacks 30 secs

Anterior Reach with MB press 12 each leg

Crossover step 12 each leg

MB Pile drivers 30secs

Do circuit 2-3 times

Cardio Circuit

Split Jacks 30 secs

Squat Drops 30 secs

Half Jacks 30 secs

MB Pile drivers 30secs

Do circuit 1-2 times

The "Best of the Best " Bod's of all-time on Film!

2010-11-12T19:20:00.003-05:00

Just having a little fun today. Sometimes when reviewing client goals, they may say “I want a similar look to so-and-so from “Dancing with the Stars”. Yes dancers have great physiques and the costumes really showcase their ripped bodies. So it got me thinking, who has the best Hollywood Body out there? Tough choice………And yes I just watched a special on E TV—the show was Best and Worst Bodies in Hollywood –mean, right?

How about of all-time? Hmm…..How about this, the top 20 Actors of Film or TV who got in amazing shape for their role. And yes, I’ve watched many movies and way too much TV…………

Here are my rules:

I watched the Movie or TV show or my wife was watching and I caught a glimpse…..

No steroids or nip & tuck

No Twilight (too young)

No Matthew McConaughey (He just bugs me, the Bongo thing)

Superhero Costume Rule –all right you have to actually fit in the thing and no painted ABS – Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney and Toby Maguire, sorry ---but Toby was close…………………

So through the process of elimination –Sorry Arnold, Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Matthew, Pamela Anderson and Taylor Lautner. With that said, here is my Top 20 Actors of all-time, who worked hard and built what some people may say “Perfect Bodies” and made audiences, say WTF ---

20) Yes I love train wrecks, but Jersey Shore. If you’re married, watching this show is a very inexpensive form of birth-control, you’ll never want children! But the star of the show makes the top 20----- Give the guy credit, “the Situation” makes my list.

19) Yes I’m old and I’m going back to the seventies. But as a teenager seeing Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C. –that was Hot Stuff!

18) I have to go with my Boston Boys and yes, they have to come in together. They are a team like Dean and Jerry without the 20 year hate and jealously and not talking to each other period. Ben Affleck in The Town and Matt Damon in Invictus. Both guys got in amazing shape, but don’t blink; you’ll miss the scenes that showcase their physiques. Normally, Hollywood likes to exploit this, but not here.

17) The year was 1976 –Best Picture –Rocky. Sly wasn’t in quite the shape that his opponent was. And in Rocky II Apollo Creed was lean and mean!

16) James Bond is supposed to be lanky and pale white –times have changed. Daniel Craig is not your mother’s James Bond. I wonder if he still cares if his martini is shaken instead of stirred? 2006's Casino Royale

15) I’m going old school, 80’s style…... I may be the only person who watched this movie –I want my money back! Maybe not, Demi Moore was amazing looking in Striptease. Just fast forward to the good parts 00:42, 1:13

14) Hank Azaria, what??? –The guy who does some of the voices on the Simpsons? Yes that guy. Along Came Polly in 2004 and Hank was walking around in his “Banana Hammock” bathing Suit –thank God we got to see Jennifer Aniston.

13) Remember the Terminator? How about the sequel? Linda Hamilton was ripped……sorry again Arnold, you’re out!

12) Hugh Jackman in Wolverine should have ranked higher. But the haircut, I have to deduct points. I just wanted him to fix it –like he was driving around and through a tunnel with the top-down. But he was in shape……

11) Just missing the top ten ---your Boy, Brad Pitt in Troy. I don’t think I made it through the entire movie, not good. I think I threw up in my mouth several times.

My Top Ten

10) This is my wife’s pick. But I spent money on the movie Bubble Boy, please Jake no. Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia.

9) Many guys have her as number 1 –I have her in at 9 – Into the Blue she was smoking.

8) Ryan Reynolds in Blade. Can a comic play a Vampire Slayer? I guess so…….

7) Underworld –my wife has watched this movie over 100 times- and Kate Beckinsale does look HOT in tight black clothes, or not……….

6) Yes he’s MIA. But Jean-Claude Van Damme made us laugh and cry in Universal Soldier. I never knew a mannequin could kick so high –just kidding, Not………

WHO’S YOUR TOP FIVE??

5) Does Jessica Simpson count as an actress? And there’s nothing wrong with thinking that Chicken of the Sea is really chicken, it’s confusing. Yes, she made a movie, Dukes of Hazzard. But the real question does Dukes of Hazzard count as a movie? Some movies you should never admit to watching –sorry I just punched myself for giving up 2 hours of my life……..

4) Jennifer Garner –How can a women that adorable and sweet look that good and look like she can kick your ass----well she can…see Electra.

3) Some of you may say. Who is this guy? How about One Tree Hill? Yes but True Blood on HBO has people taking notice. Why is it that Vampires and Werewolves are always running around bare-ass. I guess it’s because it’s HBO and they can show anything. Joe Manganiello who plays Alcide the Wolf Boy doesn’t own a shirt, may be the star attraction. The show is Caligula for the supernatural……

2) He set the bar very high –Sly is the man, he started this whole fit actor thing and he continues today –1985’s Rocky IV he may shown audiences his best physique –3-5% bodyfat – just take a look at the transformation from Rocky to the Expendables amazing. Don’t forget about Cop Land –HEY he wanted to look like a real police officer…….

1) Yes my family loved 7^th Heaven…..who knew Mary Camden would grow up to be the hottest girl on the planet. Yes Jessica Biel is number 1----see Blade 3 or anything she stars in --we thank you Jessica!

Indoor Bootcamp! Winter Sessions

2010-10-27T11:32:00.009-04:00

Yes, we're going to try an indoor class and see how it goes.

WHERE: Center Stage (School of Performance Arts) 2nd floor
WHEN: TUES & FRI 9:15 -10:05AM
DATES: Nov 9, 12, 16, 19, 30 Dec 3, 5 (no class week of T-DAY)

Sorry folks I've been informed that the school doesn't allow children to sit in and watch class. I thought this was going to be my decision (liability), but the school informed me today about their policies.

I want to try 7 sessions and see where it goes. The room is fairly big --I think I can fit 15........

The workout will be circuit style with 6-8 stations like we're doing, but less equipment. I'll store a few items there, so we'll have some variety.

EVERYONE WILL HAVE TO SUPPLY THEIR OWN MAT.

359 Littleton Rd, Westford MA

Red Carpet Ready Fitness & Beauty Summit

2010-10-06T15:12:00.004-04:00

Last weekend was the first ever Red Carpet Ready Fitness & Beauty Summit held in CA. From what I heard and read it was outstanding. Valerie Waters brought in the best of the best – the top experts from LA’s fitness & beauty scene, to share their latest and greatest secrets for achieving amazing results in minimal time. And the event was a huge success!

As some of you know my wife LeeAnne was lucky enough to attend and she can’t stop talking about it. So much great information to share –check out LeeAnne’s blog

Check out LeeAnne Valsliding with Celebrity Fitness Trainer Jamie Milnes!

LeeAnne with Valerie

Why is LeeAnne hanging out with Colby from Survivor?


Survivor' hero Colby Donaldson

Bridal Bootcamp --Congrats Kristen & Brian

2010-10-03T10:10:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to Brian and Kristen who got married this past weekend. Thanks for a great time –everything was perfect! Kristen looked beautiful in her Wedding Dress – She made a GORGEOUS bride! She looks so happy. What a Wedding!!!!

As some of you know Kristen was a dedicated Bootcamper this past summer. She set a goal of losing 25 pounds for the Wedding –we’ll she didn’t make that number –she followed the food plan with the workouts and she LOST 32 LBS!!!!!!!!

Congrats you should be proud!

Kristen & Brian Wedding Day!

Counting calories is a pain in the you know what………..BUT is there a time it helps?

2010-09-24T20:17:00.016-04:00

Those of you who work with me know I’m not a huge fan of counting calories. And I don’t enjoy it so I can’t expect you to either. I’m more into controlling and recognizing your portions and the correct portion size for you. I can’t emphasis enough how important Nutrition is when it comes to body transformation. Talking percentage, Nutrition accounts for about 80% of any good program. So at this point you’re probably sick of hearing me say –YOU CAN NEVER –OUT-TRAIN A CRAPPY DIET!

The Basics

You don’t want to take this to the extreme. Don’t make this too difficult, there’s no need to obsess over every single calorie and live on salad alone. I have clients who just want the basics and want variety and hate the word “diet”. If that’s the case I tell my clients to make sure they understand the basic guidelines of healthy eating needed to drop the extra fat pounds: Limit sugar, trans/saturated fats, eat a variety of whole foods versus processed foods, consume only as much as your body needs, and don’t go hungry. That’s basic and you can follow that with some success. It’s so simple, there’s no need for special diets, starving yourself, obsessing over what you’re eating/ate an hour ago/can’t eat because it’s off limits……So relax don’t eliminate anything but eat more of the healthy foods and less of the unhealthy foods, and work out consistently. In a nutshell, that’s basic info that can shed some pounds.

Okay –what’s next? I’ll do a little more work……..
Now you’re talking.
With that said it’s super important to understand portion sizes. At the beginning of a program, that’s the time to weigh your food and check calories. Once you understand how to eat correctly, it’s much easier to be able to just plan and prepare.

Does counting calories help? At the beginning of a program and maybe a reality check if you’re unsure. In reality, counting every calorie for a long time is not enjoyable—but it’s imperative you have at least an understanding of what you’re taking in. Now understanding portions is mandatory, there’s no way around that one. But not to worry, again if you follow the plan and stick to it, you’ll lose weight. I’m talking about those of us who are stuck and need to check the numbers. Yes I know it’s a pain. But when you hit that dreaded plateau it’s time to look at everything. Too many times folks come to me and think just a change of workouts will get them to where they want to go. Some want to do the same exact thing they’re doing on their own but come to me and think I can just wave a Magic Wand over them and they will lose weight –sorry that’s not going to happen.

Here’s the thing. If you’re in a rut and can’t seem to lose that last 5 or 10 pounds and you think you tried everything, think again. If you’re following the plan, you’ll lose. So what’s next?

First thing is a food journal. It’s a fact, people that lose the most weight and are the most consistent keep a food journal, they write down everything they eat. I always recommend that beginners keep a food journal –once you do this for a while, you’ll understand portion size and become familiar with the food you’re eating. In time you’ll know exactly the amount and you can eye-ball everything going forward. But, sometimes we start to lose focus and just a little extra at each meal adds weight or stops the process, it becomes mindless and that’s where trouble begins. So to get you to re-focus, it’s time to start journaling!

Are your portion sizes too big?

There are a few ways to accurately gauge the correct amount you should be eating. Get a food scale. This will help you in the beginning to recognize what 4 ounces of meat looks like, or 1 ounce of cheese. After a while you’ll be able to eyeball the correct amount. You can also use your hand to measure portions. Here are a few measuring tips:

• Protein: A serving of protein should look like a deck of cards in width or thickness, or should be the size of the palm of your hand. This comes out to about one chicken breast or 3-4 egg whites. If you use Liquid eggs (not egg-beaters) read the label and try to pour 2-4 eggs worth.

• Fat: Fats should be eaten sparingly. So a tablespoon of olive oil, a quarter of an avocado, or 10-15 Almonds should suffice. Peanut or Almond Butter (1 tbl) watch the serving and try to use unsalted. You MUST HAVE good fats in your diet –but be extra careful with the portions.

• Carbohydrates (starchy): Starchy carbs should be about the size of a closed fist. This comes out to about ½-¾ cup of rice, a half a whole wheat bagel, one apple, or a handful of grapes. Again, I try to have starches early in the day –don’t avoid them altogether, we need some for energy.

• Carbohydrates (Fibrous): Vegetables, when steamed or raw, can be consumed in nearly unlimited amounts. Think colors –there’s such a large variety of this great food group. So important, yet folks still have a hard time eating enough veggies –you will feel full!! A must for anyone looking to lose bodyfat!

Fiber – a must have –again too many benefits –please read my article on Fiber.
http://markoneworkout.blogspot.com/2010/06/fiber-and-weight-loss.html

Drink your water –that should be easy, right????? No sports drinks……….

If you follow the Food Plan with CORRECT Portion sizes—you won’t need STEP 2.

Step 2 is checking your calories
–become familiar with how much you’re taking in. A great place to start is FITDAY –here you can sign up for a FREE account.
http://www.fitday.com/

For women a general rule of thumb is never going below 1200 calories per day –
I’m not saying we should start counting calories forever, but maybe we take a reality check –and see what we truly take in and go from there.

I just did this with someone last week. She insisted she was at a certain number and could prove it –she was not losing any more weight and thought the program stopped working –after further review, her intake was 200-400 more calories than she thought – Too many “flavored yogurts”--sugar is high……. “I didn’t think we counted fruit, I had 3 bananas” “I thought my chicken was 4 ounces”, no it was 6…………you get the picture. You have to be aware of what you’re taking in! You don’t have to be obsessive –just don’t make it mindless –understand your portion sizes!! By just writing down EVERYTHING and keeping the correct portions –she would have been okay –didn’t have to count calories!

Are you eating enough?

Now on the other side of this, it’s not taking in enough calories. This can be just as bad and extremely unhealthy. I’m hoping women are not watching the show Survivor and think the girls now look great because they’re not eating. Ladies please, it doesn’t work that way. Your long-term health is in serious jeopardy if you think starving yourself is the way to go. Not eating enough slows down the fat-burning process and DOES NOT GET YOU RIPPED –after a while your body goes into Survival mode –meaning it’s going to hold on to as much FAT as possible –it’s going to attack your muscle. So what happens to your body that you’re working hard to build –it gives you an appearance of loose skin, no ABS and that dreaded “skinny fat” look. That’s what we don’t want. Looking like a Kenyan Marathon Runner is not what we’re after. How about a nice tight athletic body?

Not trying to be mean, but which look's better?

Because it’s impossible to maintain a very low-calorie diet, once you begin to eat more-and it’s going to happen because your body will make you-you’ll end up gaining weight immediately and uncontrollably. If you refuse to change your eating habits, you’ll become that yo-yo dieter we all hear about –that kind of dieting will drive you nuts!

And you know what’s even worse. You may think you look better, but eating less than what your body requires doesn’t make you more attractive. Just the opposite, you lose your glow, your hair gets dull, your eyes get puffy, your nails get brittle, and the worst part-you lose your beautiful curves (and by curves I don’t mean fat, I mean muscle tone). Sorry it’s not an attractive look. Think healthy vibrant and younger looking skin. That’s what healthy eating can do for you!

If you want to lose fat, you must eat. Crash diets and skipping meals will shed some pounds, but wreaks havoc with your metabolism. Not only that, but once your body does not have the ready energy, it might start burning the protein that helps to build muscles. So, yes, you may lose scale weight, but you’ll most-likely lose muscle tissue; and since muscle tissue is the “active” part of our metabolisms, losing muscle tissue will cause our bodies to burn less calories – increasing our risk of gaining fat once we stop dieting! Eating more frequent, smaller meals will speed up your metabolism and help you burn fat. The trick is to eat more frequently, but to eat just enough food energy to get you to your next meal. If we go too long without eating, the body does its survival thing and will hold onto fat reserves and store any surplus energy as fat. On the other hand, eating, smaller, more frequent meals will condition your body not to store fat and will actually rev up your metabolism. Combine that with a good exercise program and you’ll become a FAT-BURNING machine!

With that said --make sure protein is part of every meal---here's why:

Make sure you get enough protein with those meals!

The Eating Clean plan means protein at every meal. If you’re just working out and not eating a sufficient amount of protein, you will build some muscle, get stronger and speed up your metabolism, and everything will get tighter but you will NOT drop a significant amount of weight. If you really want to see results and make serious changes, you absolutely must learn how to eat correctly! Forget fad diets and crazy supplements claiming to burn fat, you must make changes and EAT CLEAN. Our bodies are smart and tough. It wants to keep our fat. When we reduce our calories, the body doesn’t cooperate, it does the opposite of what we think it should do, it’s not going to just lose fat, it will hold onto fat as long as possible, and instead burn more proteins for energy. It’s a protective mechanism the body utilizes when it detects less food coming in. If we don’t eat enough protein, the body will burn away amino acids stored in our muscles and liver, which in turn will slow down the metabolism. We will end up losing muscle and not losing fat. And by slowing down the metabolism, we will end up burning even less calories over time, which means, it becomes easier to gain fat back! So, eat your protein!

Watch that Alcohol consumption

This is a tough one. We do have to enjoy life. We’re not saying you can never have that occasional Cosmo. But seriously, you have to make choices. If you’re having a couple glasses of wine every night, you may not reach your goal. Bottom line, its extra unwanted calories that again, slow down the fat burning process. Alcohol is more of a carb, treat it as such. Like carbs, it raises insulin and causes you to store fat. And remember alcohol contains 7 calories per gram so you can understand why too much may cause weight gain. One to two glasses per week is acceptable. Your system can handle that. It’s when you try re-living your College days and over-due it–what do you think the kids from Jersey Shore are going to look like in 5 years? If they eat and drink the way they’re portrayed on TV, its trouble ahead. “The Situation” your ABS are gone my friend! So you have to decide how bad do you want to lose weight? Again, limit your intake. Just remind yourself how hard you’ve been working to stay on track, and convince yourself that it’s not worth it.

In her program Red Carpet Ready, Valerie Waters gave us great advice on how not only Hollywood Stars, but people at home can get and stay in great shape. I love her program because she also believes in portion control and not calorie counting. Here’s some great advice taken from her book.

“Food is the fuel that our bodies run on. It only stands to reason that the better the fuel you put into your body, just like your car, the smoother, cleaner and better it will run. And, the longer it will last without breaking down! Eating for optimal health does not need to be more expensive and with planning it can also be more convenient - it’s a whole lot more rewarding to eat with the purpose of maintaining health – to feel better! Nutrition is empowering! Eating the right foods is a choice, so treat your body right.”

No one understands the program better than my wife LeeAnne.

She's living proof of how important food is and how you can make changes at any age. Check out her story.
http://coachingforhealthandfitness.com/my-story/

So how bad do you want it??

Valsides in Action!

2010-09-10T13:12:00.001-04:00

How to use the Valslide --you'd much rather look at Val than me!

Access Hollywood feature on the Valslide.

Don't stop walking!

2010-08-22T11:44:00.002-04:00

Any type of movement is beneficial. Will I lose weight if I walk every day? Yes you probably will. I did lose weight at first, but haven’t for a while. Should I up the miles? These are some of the questions trainers get all the time. Good questions. But it really depends on the individual, like I said; any type of movement is good, and what’s the alternative? Sitting on the couch? If it is, then get out and walk! You don’t have to beat yourself up every single workout. Walking is great exercise, here in Westford I can look out my window and see walkers, runners and bikers throughout the day. My wife and I love to walk. I always add a good walk to my “off” days to burn a few more calories and help me unwind after a long day.

Walking is a gentle, low-impact exercise that can ease you into a higher level of fitness and health. Walking is one of your body's most natural forms of exercise. It's safe, simple, doesn't require practice, and it’s good for you.

Walking has many benefits:
• Calorie burner
• Clears your head
• Low Impact, not hard on joints
• Stress reduction, lower cortisol
• Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol)
• Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol)
• Lower your blood pressure
• Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes

With that said and not to discourage anyone that walks, it may not be enough for continued fat loss. Again, tremendous benefits associated with a relaxing walk, in terms of weight loss it is not the biggest catalyst to reaching your goals. Besides the fact our bodies are so efficient and we get used to that same pace, walking doesn’t have the type of intensity needed to burn a lot of body fat.

So what’s next? Well, if you’re ready and healthy enough, try Interval Training. Again, like I stated many times, it’s not for everyone. Why is interval training so effective? Think afterburn. An 8-30 min training session has been proven to elevate your metabolism for over 24 hours. Another words, you’re burning calories even when you’re not training

So although I love walking and suggest you try to get your 10,000 steps per day, if your goal is losing a fair amount of weight try turning up the intensity of your workouts, and that doesn’t mean switch to running –that’s a whole other subject which we'll discuss at a later date, again!

How do I start?
The easiest way to start is combining a walk and run (sprint). Walk for 30sec and then run FAST for 30secs. Repeat this 4-10 times. Do this 2-3 times a week for a great fat burner!

Bring more intensity to your workouts.

If you’re reading a book or magazine while doing your cardio then it’s time to ask yourself how bad do I want this?

Get that Heart rate up! Are you working hard enough? If after your warm-up and first exercise or 2 and you're sitting down, your heart rate hasn't yet been elevated significantly, you're stopping to chat with friends about last night’s episode of Desperate Housewives, or you're looking around for what exercise to choose next, then you're most likely not pushing yourself hard enough.

Don’t just go into your workout and pick an exercise because a machine or area is open. Have your workout plan with you. Your time at the gym with your exercises and rest periods should be laid out for you in advance. It’s not just random, have alternatives ready if it’s busy at your gym, but do your best to stick with your plan. Keep in mind if your goal is to lose weight then you should make sure you only allow your heart rate to drop during your workout rest periods.

It’s not all about burning calories while you workout. The key is going to be to maximize your fat burning potential after the workout and to do that you need to push yourself hard enough to feel a significant training stimulus on your body.

If you’re unfamiliar with Interval training, try re-reading my past article interval-training

Again, start out slow and make sure you're warmed up properly before you jump right into it. And more isn't always better, the idea is short and intense!

Give it a try and let me know how you do!

Another Night Out -Bootcamp Style.

2010-08-19T19:25:00.000-04:00

Thanks Ladies!

Weather's been great for Summer Bootcamp!

Is Chicken making us fat?

2010-07-24T10:01:00.002-04:00

Yes, my favorite foods are not that great for me. The latest culprit is meat which we all probably knew that some cuts are not that good for us. A new study from Imperial College London examined almost 400,000 adults and found that eating meat was linked with weight gain, even in people taking in the same number of calories. If I had my choice it would be meat and potatoes every day. Damn…………………………………….

The study looked at data from adults taking part in a large project looking at the link between diet and cancer.
Participants from 10 European countries were weighed and measured at the start and then asked to report their weight five years later. They also filled out a detailed food questionnaire.

Now the thing I don’t know about the study. What about the participant’s lifestyle? Exercise? How much alcohol consumed in their diets? Do they smoke? They don't say how the meat is prepared, is it in sauces or used with sauces as sides? So again, some of these studies can make your head spin. Last year coffee was awful for you, the next study, it cures cancer ---you get the drift….

This study suggests that meat consumption was associated with weight gain in both men and women. Researchers found that people who ate the same number of calories, an extra 250g of meat a day - equal to a small steak - led to an additional weight gain of 2kg (5lbs) over five years.

But here’s the shocker and should have been clarified when the study came out. The strongest association with weight gain was poultry. Next was processed meats and then red meat. Now before you throw your chicken at me, take a deep breath and think about this. Here’s where you get in trouble with chicken or turkey, dark meat and the skin and of course the portion size. White meat chicken or turkey will always be part of a healthy diet --

This is how you keep meat in your diet without packing on pounds.

• Poultry. Remember, skinless white meat is lower in fat and calories than dark meat. Watch your portion size, (especially in restaurants). An ideal portion size is 4 ounces for women and maybe 6 ounces for men. If you need a visual, think of a deck of cards.

• Watch the processed stuff. Some of it is garbage. See if your deli has the nutrients listed. Watch the sodium and fat. Shop for the leanest cuts and think white meat. Skip the mayo and save things like sausage and Fenway Franks for a treat, rather than a weekly staple.

• Red Meat. Lean cuts only. Watch the portion size. Pay attention to that menu. A 12-ounce steak, be serious! That’s 2 or 3 meals –don’t be afraid to ask your waiter to wrap it up and bring it home. And keep in mind healthwise; too much red meat is not generally a good idea.

Things to consider.

Heavy meat-eating could be part of an overall unhealthy diet or unhealthy lifestyle. Why? Starters, too much of anything can always cause problems, (except Low GI veggies). Because meat is "energy-dense" (meaning it packs more calories by weight than veggies or fruits, for example), it could influence appetite control.

Overall, we eat more meat than we need. Start thinking variety and trying some “meatless meals” Start making better choices. Eggs are the best; don’t think that egg whites are just a breakfast food. There are several “egg white” products out there that make it easy (not egg-beaters). Egg white omelets are a great choice, add some left-over’s from last night’s meal, or just add mushroom, onion, tomato and mozzarella.

I think the message here is going to get confusing. Based on these findings people may now think that a high protein diet may be a cause of weight gain, the question will have to be, what’s your protein source? If it’s not lean, than you may have an issue. Not only weight gain but health issues also. The best message here would be for people to control their consumption of meat to maintain a healthy weight and for overall good health in general.

That noise you hear in the background, that’s all the Vegetarians out there shouting, “I told you so!” Not that there’s anything wrong with being a vegetarian. In fact, that may be the best way to go. But for those of us who love our Chicken or steak, remember it’s portion size and lean cuts. The key is to get enough protein throughout the day as opposed to one big portion. And remember the rules to staying lean:

1. Small, frequent meals work. You should consume 5-6 meals per day.
2. Cutting carbs works. For fat loss, starchy carbs in the AM so you can burn off.
3. Vegetables work. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner should be accompanied by a serving of vegetables.
4. Adequate protein works.
5. Fish oil works.
6. Water and green tea works. Drink enough water so your urine is always clear, and don't forget to have 8-12 ounces of green tea each day.
7. Training with a high intensity works. Keep your rest periods short and the intensity high.

Evening Boot camp

2010-07-21T09:17:00.000-04:00

Ladies were kicking some butt on Monday night.

1minute each station 15 secs rest --8 stations.

Followed by group leg complex ---squat holds with leg in-out, split squat, squat pulses. NICE WORK!!

Fiber and Weight Loss.

2010-06-26T09:23:00.002-04:00

Are you stalled with your weight loss? It could be for a number of reasons. Let’s look at one possible reason and see if you have this one covered. One of the most overlooked nutrients when trying to lose weight is fiber. Yes fiber. As simple as that sounds too many of us lack sufficient fiber in our diets. That’s a problem. If you were seriously looking to drop weight why wouldn’t you make sure you were meeting your daily requirements?

Why fiber? Well, what’s one of the toughest things we encounter when trying to lose weight? How about those nasty cravings? If we give in we fall off the wagon and sabotage our food plan. Maybe we had a severe craving for junk food. Did you have a plan in place to avoid disaster? Part of your overall plan should be to have that fiber during the day. People think fiber may simply aid in digestive health, but it also can help you lose weight because it helps you feel full longer and curbs cravings. Eating foods rich in fiber is, of course, the ideal way to get the fiber you need. But the reality is that most people -- especially women -- don't even come close to eating enough fiber.

Fiber Helps Us to Eat Healthy Foods
A fiber-rich diet is likely to be richer in nutrients than a low-fiber diet. This because fiber is found mainly in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds - all very healthy foods and great for weight loss. By increasing our daily fiber intake, we are likely to improve our eating habits and our chances of losing weight.

Here's the facts on fiber.
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Both types of fiber are undigested, and are not absorbed into the blood stream. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance that traps sugars, fats and cholesterol. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and passes through the digestive system largely intact. So how does fiber make you skinny (and healthy)?

-Soluble fiber binds with sugars, fats and cholesterol
-Soluble fiber slows digestion in the stomach, thus making you feel full longer
-Soluble fiber regulates blood sugar, thus making you less likely to crash and then crave junk
-Soluble fiber lowers cholesterol
-Insoluble fiber promotes regularity
-Insoluble fiber removes toxic waste through the colon in less time
-Insoluble fiber helps prevent colon cancer

Why then do we continue to neglect such an important food source? Don't know. 32 grams a day should be easy right? Look at the benefits, it's worth it.

So how are we going to do it, here's how. You have to eat more of the following: But for continued fat loss we have to watch some of the higher fat choices. Fruits and veggies are the best choices.
-Fresh fruits & veggies
-Dried fruit --but limit for fat loss
-Whole grains
-Nuts
-Flax seed
-Wheat germ

So how do you incorporate these things into your diet? Here’s how:

-Eat more veggies. Love eggs? Add spinach, mushrooms, onions or other veggies to your egg whites in the morning. Have a salad for lunch and not just lettuce. Add cucumber, tomatoes, walnuts, and/or cranberries.
-Add berries to your cereal (watch portion size) or low fat yogurt
-Add lettuce, tomato, and grilled peppers to your turkey burger
-Switch to whole grains, like brown rice instead of white, or whole wheat bread instead of white.
-Start your dinner with a salad
- Add Flaxseed to oatmeal or yogurt

So what does eating 32 grams of fiber every day look like?

-Breakfast: 1 package of plain instant oatmeal ( 3 g) with ½ cup of blueberries ( 2 g) = 5 g
-Snack: Apple ( 3 g) with 10-13 almonds ( 3.4 g) = 6.4 g
-Lunch: Salmon with broccoli (5 g) with ½ cup of brown rice (3 g) = 8 g
-Snack: Medium banana = 4 g
-Dinner: Salad: 2 cups of mixed greens (2 g) with ¼ cup artichoke hearts (2 g), 1 tablespoon of slivered almonds (1g) and 4 oz of grilled chicken = 5 g
-snack: ½ cup of raspberries = 4 g

TOTAL FIBER: 32.4 grams

Here are some things to think about as you increase your fiber intake:

• If your daily fiber intake is low (less than 10 grams), be sure to increase your fiber intake slowly, to minimize discomfort, such as gas or constipation. Don't try, for example, to begin doubling your fiber intake while you're away from home or on a vacation.
• Be sure to drink plenty of water (about 6-8 glasses a day, or until your urine is clear, unless your doctor has you on a fluid restriction) to help make sure the fiber passes through your body rather than just hanging around –sorry….
• Decrease your fiber intake if you notice you're having a lot of loose stools or diarrhea.

Yes it's not always easy getting it in everyday. It may seem like a lot at first but fruit and veggies are naturally low in calories. By choosing from a wide variety of these and switching from refined carbohydrates to whole grains, you will be well on your way to getting enough fiber. If it's tough for you, try a fiber supplement like Metamucil. There is a new Lemonade flavor that tastes good and delivers 3 grams of fiber per serving. Just mix with water.

Although fiber is not the cure all, a high-fiber diet - as part of a healthy, balanced, lower-calorie meal plan - can really help you reach your goals!

If you want more information on the benefits of fiber or how to get more of it into your diet go to www.nationalfibercouncil.org Request of the new free “Dine In, Dine Out” pocket guide to help you make better, high fiber food choices!

Father's Day Bootcamp -LeeAnne style!

2010-06-20T12:18:00.000-04:00

What a great Father’s Day present. LeeAnne practicing to become a trainer took me through a Bootcamp workout on one of the hottest days of the year. Thanks Dear!

How do you think she did??

A Buff Bride on her special day!

2010-06-16T08:25:00.004-04:00

by Kristen Leigh Conklin Photography

Congratulations!!!!! Super Buff Bride and Groom –Karen & John who got married this weekend. And yes, the weather cooperated for them which made for a great day!!

Two great people who I love working with –both were in great shape for their special day –Congrats!!!

Biggest Loser Finale --too much?

2010-05-23T14:09:00.007-04:00

With the Biggest Loser Finale fast approaching (NBC Tues 8-10) another successful season is coming to an end. Love them or hate them, Biggest Loser trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels get the job done. As a trainer I may be in the minority on this one. I have read, and I have heard many trainers and critics trash the show, producers, the Network and of course the trainers for as long as the shows’ been on Television. Why? Well, first off their training methods may be a bit extreme, especially with clients that are this obese and out of shape. So why do I watch? I have to admit, I enjoy the show and the message it sends and I’m still amazed by the body transformations. The message the show does convey is that anyone can change if you’re willing! It’s out there for you, if you want it! And, IT’S NEVER TOO LATE!

Am I irresponsible for enjoying the show? How can a trainer endorse this kind of show? First off, I think most of us are smart enough to realize that this isn’t the real world. These folks have dedicated 4 months away from their families and are making losing weight a “full-time job”. It’s a Reality show that’s not reality. Do I cringe? Yes I do. Some of the exercise form is brutal and should be edited from the program. But next time you’re in a gym take a look around you, you’ll see that same brutal form, a rounded back, weight on toes and reckless and dangerous lifting. But contestants on the Biggest Loser are suppose to be supervised by great trainers, yes I know that’s a real problem, c’mon guys clean that up!

But again I do think some so-called “Big Time” trainers may be a little jealous of the success Bob and Jillian have earned, but still feel they are sub-par trainers and the success is due to being great TV “personalities”. Whatever the case, they’re here to stay, and Jillian is adding a second show, ‘Losing it” in 2 weeks. So get used to it!

The show overall is very unrealistic in terms of weight loss. I’ve seen someone lose 31lbs in one week on the show. Yes 7 days. So my client works with me, loses 2 lbs in one week. How’s that feel, hopefully good? But you get the picture. Ordinarily, 2 pounds would be an outstanding pace at which to lose weight each week, but with TV shows and infomercials advertising double-digit weekly weight loss results it’s hard to be that impressed with a couple of pounds here and another few there.

What I see as a Positive on Biggest Loser.

One of the most powerful things that help with weight loss is Accountability. Accountability is one of the most powerful motivational forces and it may be the number one reasons to get a Personal Trainer. It’s best to be able to have accountability to yourself, but the show sets you up to be held accountable by your partner and then by your team. That’s powerful stuff!

They bring out the competitive person. We all want to win, but at what cost? If you play sports you know what I’m talking about. Because competition is motivating and competition brings out the best performances in people.

It gives people watching at home some hope. Think about it. In week 1 many of these folks are sickly and some can’t even walk up their stairs at home. By the end of the show these same people are running a 26.2 mile Marathon. What the heck? Maybe you’re a couch potato sitting at home saying, “if they can do that, I can at least get out and walk.” The show makes you realize it’s not easy, it’s going to take hard work and consistency to achieve your goals. It’s not sitting on a machine reading a book, it’s HARD WORK!

Food, Food, Food. You are NOT starving yourself! It's making healthy choices and portion control. Yes it’s that important! Yes there’s product placement and sometimes I think the trainers are irritated by the fact they have to push products, but hey it’s a sponsor, so be it. But the bottom line, you’re not getting the results you want without eating a clean diet. That’s emphasized over and over. The contestants are educated on how to eat correctly for safe weight loss. They have great guests who share recipes and further educate the contestants. Most important they never lose sight of how critical diet and food planning is when losing or maintaining your ideal weight.

What I see as a negative on Biggest Loser.

Well, I already stated that some of the exercise form is shabby. Along those same lines, I would always start the season showing the initial basic routines the contestants start with. If you read Bob or Jillian’s books or view their DVD’s they always emphasis how important the basics are and you should always start slow and build up. As a viewer you never see that. It looks like contestants just jump right into a “Last Chance Workout” and suffer the consequences. Producers use your heads, it’s TV that’s why………

Are Personal Trainers really that mean? I hope not. If you’re thinking about hiring a Personal Trainer and you think you’re going to get screamed at, you’re not. Personal training should be more nurturing and more emotional and I think you'd get better results if you handle it that way rather than being a drill sergeant. If you’re a Personal Trainer, don’t yell at your clients, please, it only works in the military. But again, TV……….

The competition is judged on weight loss and that damn scale, not body composition. It’s unfortunate but too many people, especially women are slaves to their scales. Some weigh themselves daily, which is a major mistake. Once a week is enough first thing in the morning. The weight loss shown at the end of each show is deceiving. No doubt they're losing a tremendous amount of bodyfat, but at alarming rates. Much of that loss is water and some are losing muscle and other lean tissue, which is not what we want. The show should think about inches lost and maybe judge the competition on body composition, not just body weight. And put an emphasis on safe weight loss and that rapid weight loss is a dangerous practice.

The contestants work out schedule is ridiculous with major risk of injury. What about showing us what happens when you over-train? The show should bring us into that trainer’s room. Here you’ll see contestants being treated for shin splints and other various over-use injuries. Don’t just show us people throwing up or falling off treadmills. That’s bad enough! Remind the viewer that this training is unrealistic and should not be attempted at home.

What do Bob and Jillian have what most trainers don’t have?

I don’t even know where to start. I know, I know I see all these so-called “Fitness Experts” selling that great program out there and claiming to have that “secret” to weight loss. When did the fitness profession create that “used car salesman” mentality? Only 2 days left before my price goes up, act now because I’ll never offer this package again, blah, blah, blah…sorry off track.

Bottom line. I see it all the time. The expert has all these great certifications and higher education beyond belief. Knows every exercise out there and can tell you what muscle and where it insets with his eyes closed. Yes, stuff we as trainers have to know to be successful. But when clients work with them they are missing something. That something, difficult to explain is called “IT” in sports we have many examples, Larry Bird had “it’ Magic Johnson had “it” A-Rod doesn’t have “it”. When it comes to trainers, Bob and Jillian have “it”. For us, along with training knowledge you have to be able to relate to a client and read certain things. Life Coach, psychologist, yes a little of both, it’s that missing ingredient I’m sorry to say, many trainers don’t have it, it’s not just designing a fitness program or inventing a cool exercise, it’s real world. It’s not something you’ll learn from a book, you either have “it” or you don’t……..

Conclusion

Does the show have flaws? Yes it does. Should it make changes? Yes they should. Would you rather watch a bunch a young adults acting like idiots living in a beach house on the Jersey shore? Hope not. That’s what’s great about this country, you have a choice. You have a choice whether to be heavy or to be in shape. You have a choice to watch what you want. This show spotlights one of the major problems we have in our Country, obesity. And the show recognizes there's a problem and encourages folks to try to do something about it. Has the show helped many people? I think it has. Watch it with an open mind and remember it is just Television and we all know it’s all about ratings and revenues. If you’re a viewer with weight issues and you think you’ll lose that amount of weight if you duplicate what they do, think again. If you’re serious about working out and getting in shape, contact a Certified Personal Trainer first and do it right. As far as the show, remember its entertainment. So enjoy the Finale and see what these contestants did on their own for 3 months! You just may be inspired.

Maybe add a Warning Label:

Kind words from Celebrity Fitness Trainer Valerie Waters!

2010-05-15T11:29:00.011-04:00

Do you ever wonder how those beautiful women walking the Red Carpet stay in shape? Well if you look closely they’re probably carrying a pair of Valslides in their purse:) Some of Hollywood’s most beautiful actors probably have at one time worked with Valerie Waters, creator of the Valslide, (one of my favorite inexpensive pieces of equipment). Her successful list of clients have been included in “best bodies” shows and lists featured in top celebrity and fitness magazines. This is a woman who has trained Cindy Crawford, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel , Rachel Nichols to name a few. Need I say more? If you see an actress on screen blessed with a beautiful body, she’s probably worked with Valerie!

The great thing about Val is, yes she trains celebrities, but she also reaches out to everyday people who want to get in great shape and be the best they can be. She has created some of the best programs available out there like Red Carpet Ready and her new Bikini workouts. Great stuff!

So when one of Hollywood’s most sought after Celebrity Fitness Trainers mentions your business and your style of training, not only do you feel lucky, you start to feel that maybe you're doing something right.

I have to say I am both honored and flattered that Val took the time from her busy schedule to send me a direct message and comment on my blog. Thank you Valerie it means allot!
Val's site: http://valeriewaters.com/

Girls Gone Wild -For Bootcamp!

2010-05-07T20:46:00.001-04:00

Great day here in New England. Enjoy the weather!

Todays workout.
Movement Prep

Here's 1 of the circuits
3 Circuits
1 Squat Straddle Step/hand straddle
2 reach lunge w/lateral raise
3 Hurdles Lateral
4 10 -2 Tube Rotation
5 MB over/under/5 Dot drill
6 TRX/1 Leg DB Row

Finished with walking lunges & lateral walk uphill & run
Ended with cooldown

great job!

The biggest piece of the fatloss puzzle!

2010-04-29T11:01:00.003-04:00

What is it? FOOD FOOD FOOD...... You eat like crap, you won't lose weight. Do you think you can just exercise those calories off?
NO CHANCE.

Please put your Body-bug down and listen.

EATING CLEAN IS NOT A DIET –IT’S A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

You can workout everyday for 2 hours and if you're still eating processed food, starchy carbs, sugar, and drinking alcohol -Guess what? You're not going to reach your goals -SORRY.

YOU CAN'T OUT-TRAIN A POOR DIET!!!

Do you have to give up everything you enjoy --NO. It's portion control and eating clean 90% of the time.

There are other factors to consider:

How much weight do you have to lose?
What timeframe?
What are your goals?

Well, first thing what are your goals? If it’s fat loss then you need to find time to work out CORRECTLY and eat a good clean diet, NOT DEPRIVATION! It does take some effort. Before anything you have to make sure you’re eating correctly. You need to watch your diet when you’re unable to be as active. As you get older, your metabolism slows down, and this means you’ll put (fat) weight on more quickly and easily if you’re not focused. Try this tip…

My number one tip is keeping a Food Journal –sorry but it works, especially in the beginning of a fitness plan. Write down everything you eat and drink for a week, and we’ll analyze. Sometimes people are surprised when it’s written down and they see just how much they take in. I’ve seen it all. I had one client who claimed to be eating perfectly when we reviewed her journal I saw 4 bananas in one day ---yes it’s fruit, but a bit much for one day.

Remember the keys to getting lean.
1. Small, frequent meals work. You should consume 5-6 meals per day.

2. Cutting carbs works. For fat loss, starchy carbs in the AM so you can burn off.

3. Vegetables work. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner should be accompanied by a serving of vegetables.

4. Adequate protein works.

5. Fish oil works.

6. Water and green tea works. Drink enough water so your urine is always clear, and don't forget to have 8-12 ounces of green tea each day.

7. Training with a high intensity works. Keep your rest periods short and the intensity high.

It's not all about working out --it's the combination of Food, Exercise, Rest and enjoying your life!

Keep Training!

Friday morning mayhem!

2010-04-16T15:26:00.000-04:00

Friday Bootcamp --weather was not too great --but the rain stopped for an hour.

Great job ladies!

Here's circuit #2

Outdoor Bootcamp 4/14

2010-04-14T16:37:00.000-04:00

Weather was awesome today for Bootcamp. Today was Pink & Grey day --ladies looked great!
Friday will be yellow & green day!

Here's one of circuits done today ---30s work 15s rest.

MarkOne Fitness Outdoor Bootcamp Starts this week!

2010-04-04T12:02:00.002-04:00

It's Easter weekend, great weather Spring is in the air!

Outdoor Bootcamp starts session 1 this week.
April 7 ----WED & FRI 9:15 - 10:00

Another time has been added starting April 28 7:00am - 7:45am WED & FRI

Spring Schedule
Session 1 Wed & Fri 9:15 -10:00am (FULL CLASS - 1 spot open)
April 7, 9, 14, 16, 28, 30, May 5, 7, 12, 14 ( week of 19th is school vacation NO Bootcamp)

Session 2 Wed & Fri 9:15 -10:00am
May 19, 21, 26, 28, June 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18

NEW CLASS ADDED
Spring / Summer Sessions: (5 WEEKS) 7:00 -7:45am Wed & Fri Starting April 28
Session 1 April 28, 30, May 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28

Session 2 June 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30, July 2

MarkOne Fitness Outdoor Bootcamp

Bootcamp for fat loss doesn’t have to kill you or beat you up so you don’t want to come back. As a trainer I find the biggest obstacle is satisfying everyone. As you know, not everyone is at the same fitness level or have similar injury histories or likes and dislikes. I take that back, (everyone hates BURPEES!). My point is, some folks will claim it’s too difficult and hardcore folks may think it’s a piece of cake. That’s where exercise progressions come into play. Many exercises have several levels. If you’re participating in a Bootcamp your trainer should give you these options and you should take advantage of this……

Another issue I find is people generally push themselves harder in a group setting. Yes competitive folks hate to feel inferior and will push themselves to the edge and others will stop at the first sign of sweat on their foreheads. This can be good or bad. It’s great when clients push themselves out of their comfort zones and try to keep up and increase their intensity. That’s the idea for making positive changes to your body. On the other side of this, some beginners or folks not used to this pace try to keep up with Suzie Six-pack and eventually get injured. The key here –“Listen to your body first and your Instructor second.” Be SMART!

Bootcamps should include warm-ups and a cool-down. The circuit part of "boot camp" is designed to disrupt your metabolism and elevate your EPOC (Elevated Post-Oxygen Consumption -which is the most important aspect to losing weight and fat). Circuits may range from 20 seconds of work to 1 minute, with rests from 10 seconds to 1 minute between stations.

Not only will you lose weight and get in great shape. You should start to move more efficiently, feel better, strengthen your core so your back stops hurting and be able to do everyday activities with ease.

Again Bootcamps can be part of a good fitness plan. A good eating plan and a smart strength training plan MUST be part of the entire program. THAT’S HOW YOU CHANGE YOUR BODY!

EACH CLASS IS LIMITED TO 12 BOOT CAMPERS SO ACT FAST!

How do I sign-up?
Step 1: Send confirmation email to markjhebert@mark1fitness.com

Step 2: A registration and release form will be forwarded to you –print out and bring to 1st class

Note: All payments are due before 1st camp class begins. To ensure your spot is secure we recommend mailing your payment to address below.

MarkOne Fitness Boot Camp is a recurring five week group fitness program of exercise, nutritional consulting and fun. You will be inspired and led by your certified personal trainer through your daily training and nutritional education. This is NOT a military style "boot camp" in any form. We offer a supervised group based fitness boot camp that focuses on substantially increasing your fitness level and assisting you in achieving your desired fitness goals.

Will I be able to participate if I'm not in good shape?
Absolutely. All fitness levels are welcome to participate. Your safety is paramount, so you'll never be asked to perform more than you're capable of doing. We have a wide range of fitness levels that attend, from very athletic to sedentary and everyone in between. You'll never feel out of place because camp is uniquely structured so that all participants work at their own pace. But they're all expected to work hard!

Are there any pre-requisites?
All of our exercises are scalable to most fitness levels. With that said, you should be able to jog for 30-60 second periods. Slow jogging is fine. We perform very short runs and in order for you to participate with the entire group, a minimum of slow jogging is necessary.

What should I bring to Bootcamp? Most important thing is water, you have to stay hydrated. We’re outside, so gloves (you will have hands on grass) and maybe a hat. I do provide mats, (and I do clean them) but if you’re a germ-a-phob like me you may want to bring your own. Oh yea, bring a great attitude and you’ll reward yourself with great results! We'll provide all additional equipment, motivation, and accountability you'll need. Oh, and make sure NOT to come on an empty stomach. We don't want you to get light headed during our fun and energizing workouts!

Will other times be available in the future? That depends. We would love to accommodate everyone. If you have suggestions or have a group of people that are interested in other days or times let us know we'll work to make that happen.

Boot camp workouts are efficient because you work your entire body-- heart and muscles--by going from one exercise to another with no rest. The workouts involve calisthenics like pushups, jumping jacks, Valslides and exercise tubing and other body weight exercises...the difference lies in the intensity. In boot camp, your challenge is to take your body to its limit. You work, you sweat and, best of all, you burn calories like crazy.

Boot camp workouts are:

• A great way to burn lots of calories.

• Efficient - you work your whole body in a short period of time.

• Fun - each exercise is different so you don't get bored.

• Easy to fit in to a busy schedule - You can do it anywhere with little equipment.

• As challenging as you want them to be.

For women, fighting flab requires an hour a day

2010-03-24T11:41:00.001-04:00

Just what we suspected, the guidelines were a little understated.

A new study suggests that current U.S. exercise guidelines won’t stop weight gain. Even if you eat the same amount of calories, unless you exercise at a moderate intensity for at least 1 hour a day, you will gain weight as you age!

http://www.kitv.com/health/22922245/detail.html

What’s that sound? I just heard millions of treadmills being punched or hopefully turned back on to do some interval work! Seriously, this has been known for a while. Not enough emphasis was put on the correct exercise duration combined with eating a balanced clean diet. I’m hoping women reading that article don’t look at the amount of work needed to get results and just end up becoming more frustrated and quit.

There’s a lesson here. Healthy weight loss is all about balance and consistency. We’re not talking about starving yourself, its healthy food, portion control and eliminating processed foods and sugar. Not deprivation and giving up everything you enjoy. And we’re not talking about working out 2-3 hours a day. If you eat correctly, then 45 minutes 5-6 days a week will work for fat loss.

Exercise alone won't stop weight gain while getting older without cutting calories!

With exercise it’s the same deal; DON’T be overwhelmed by the amount of work. Again, it’s consistency. Yes as we get older our bodies may work against us, but a GOOD program goes a long way. Even if you don’t get the amount of exercise that’s recommended there’s other major benefits.

Even a little exercise is good for your health even if it won't make you thin.

Some of the benefits of exercise:

Gain More Energy
Improves your Mood
Combat Chronic Diseases
Improves your Cardiovascular Health
Reduces the Risk of Cancer
Improves your Self-Esteem
Stronger Muscles
Better Looking Skin
Increased Brain Power
Less Sick Days

I think most of us already knew this but not everyone faced facts. It does take some work and proper planning. Your food plan will always be the best tool for fat loss. Exercise is not the primary tool for losing fat and thinking it is will cause more frustration than what its’ worth.

What does work?
Eating clean with an occasional treat and working out with a good plan. Eat great 90% of the time, workout 3 resistance days and 3 interval days and you’ll get to where you want to go! No BS!

Think about getting back to eating real food and proper portions. I see too many folks just going through the motions when it comes to food. Be aware, sit down to eat, not driving in your car and eating. Don’t eat more because you don’t want to throw it away or eating off of your child’s plate. Yes, leftovers are okay. Don’t eat or drink while you’re standing in front of your fridge. When you eat you should recognize that you’re eating and you acknowledge the food you are taking in. EATING CAN NOT BE MINDLESS. It serves a purpose. And that purpose is your health and well-being!

Interval Training -maybe people are catching on!

2010-03-09T09:03:00.000-05:00

One of my clients passed this article along. I'm so happy that some of the research is finally getting out there. I'm hoping folks are starting to realize how effective Interval Training is for fat loss and conditioning. Please check this article out interval training cuts hours.

GOOD STUFF

“High-intensity interval training is twice as effective as normal exercise," said Jan Helgerud, an exercise expert at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. “This is like finding a new pill that works twice as well. ... We should immediately throw out the old way of exercising."

Here's another example of someone doing Interval work --NOT SLOW RUNNING!

keep training!!

Home workouts can be great -Get your Valslides on!

2010-03-06T13:16:00.002-05:00

I’m not a salesperson so I apologize if this sounds like a commercial, but I want folks to have great products at home to help them reach their fitness goals. Sitting at an expensive machine counting reps doesn’t ensure anything – in fact it may slow your progress. Think movements like standing, squatting, lunging, rowing and pushing –it’s basic movement patterns with resistance that strengthen you and change your body.

For those of you who train with me know I’m a huge fan of the Valslide. For the money you can’t beat this product. And please, don’t confuse the Valslide with Paper plates or Furniture sliders. I know the economy is tough, and please don’t take this the wrong way, it’s just people that lift water bottles instead of dumbbells or slide on paper plates eventually need to increase the load to make changes to their bodies –so picking up a few pieces of inexpensive equipment will not only help with your goals, the products will last a lifetime – are you worth it? Yes you know the answer!

If your goal is firming up and lifting your backside, firming thighs or strengthening abs then think about adding a pair of Valslides to your toolbox.

For my Personal Training clients that travel and worried about jeopardizing their workout plan, the Valslide did the trick. It fit easily in their bag and NO WORKOUTS MISSED.

MarkOne Fitness clients are getting an added bonus. To ensure you’re getting a great workout on your own, I’ve added a special bonus. All new clients signing up for a MarkOne Fitness Personal Training Package get a FREE pair of VALSLIDES!

You don’t need fancy expensive equipment to change your body. As far as the workout goes, you can make great strides with several inexpensive items. The least expensive is your own body –yes your bodyweight. Bodyweight exercises can be great for beginners to advanced athletes. The variety of exercises is endless and very effective.

A great starter home gym for less than $100.00

Valslides
Stability Ball 55cm
8lb or 10lb Vinyl Covered Dumbbells
Resistance Tubing

If you’re ready for the next step –Kettlebells are a great product if used correctly- note: DON’T FOLLOW BIGGEST LOSER to learn how to use.

Perform Better is also offering several special packages for inexpensive home gyms. Check the link for Perform Better on this page for information to purchase.

Belly Off! Jumpstart Kit

Women's Package Includes:
• 1 x All Purpose Exercise Band Light
• 1 x First Place Elite Medicine Ball 4 lb.
• 1 x First Place Elite 1' Long, 3" Round Foam Roller
• 1 x Mini Band Medium
• 1 x Gymnic Plus 55cm Stability Ball

Men's Health Home Gym Package

This package includes:
1 x Valslide
1 x 65cm Gymnic Plus Stability Ball

Great Valslide workout Outdoors! Look out Westford !! MarkOne Fitness Bootcamp coming this Spring!

Nike got it!

2010-02-19T16:09:00.002-05:00

I think Alli Mckee read my mind, she wrote in her blog about a commercial that came on while she was working and it stuck with her. I saw that same commercial and thought WOW. Nike did a great job with this ad. Basic premise is how every athlete goes through steps of practice for their sport and how it’s not always easy taking those steps –you may stumble at first but in the end it was worth it.

The ad is for Nike and the song The Hours – “Ali In The Jungle”

It says:
“It’s, not, how you start, it’s how you finish.
And it’s, not, where you’re from, it’s where you’re at.
Everybody gets knocked down,
Everybody gets knocked down,
How quick are you gonna get up?!
Just how are you gonna get up?!”

Great lyrics and it applies to life, we’ve all been there. Most of us can relate to this message whether it’s job, school or family. And if you’re training for sport or training for competition you know it’s not always easy. For those of us who are working to change their bodies and drop weight you know what I’m talking about. We train hard, eat well and put in many hours trying to reach our fitness goals and sometimes we slip up, this is where we get knocked down. When you slip up, it could be food related, missing a workout, doesn’t matter. DON’T DWELL ON IT. Brush yourself off and get back into the fight.

If you slip up don’t fast or workout for 3 hours, just get back to eating clean. Don’t let one bad meal turn into a week of bad meals. How quick are you gonna get up?!

Remember it’s not about deprivation, it’s smart eating and training. It’s staying with it. It’s about not beating yourself up and keeping your head up!

We’re all going to stumble and fall, maybe more than once. But think back to what Hulk Hogan used to say, “Whatcha Gonna Do?” Get back up! Keep training! Keep working hard for your goals no matter what the goal may be…that goal is for YOU and when you reach it, it will be worth the effort!

Interval Training --how hard to push!

2010-02-17T11:02:00.001-05:00

Those of you who work with me know I’m not a huge fan of distance running for weight loss or transforming your body. But I could talk about this subject till I’m blue in the face and I will still see the “speed limpers” running endless miles without changing their bodies.
If you want to transform your body –here’s the best plan.

1)Clean eating –not a diet, it’s a LIFESTYLE.

2)Resistance training –lifting weights that are challenging with good form. 3-4 days per week.

3)Interval Training –many options here, find something you can do for short bursts. 2-3 days per week.

If your plan includes just running your body will eventually stop responding. This type of exercise is considered steady-state cardio. Your body adapts extremely fast to steady-state cardio and you'll burn fewer and fewer calories the more you do. But on the positive side –HEALTH ---yes this type of training is “heart healthy” and is very beneficial in that regard. The bottom line with steady-state is that it’s not the way to train if your goal is fat loss and body composition change; there are better methods for training (resistance training, intervals, boot camp).

Who should run?
Folks training for an endurance event.

If your sport requires running.

If it’s the only type of exercise you enjoy.

If you love the outdoors and look forward to that “runners high” –I’m not going to discourage you.

If your running is intervals –hills, walk/run or sprint.

Remember Interval Training is NOT for everyone. Because it’s tough and if you do it correctly, your body is not going to like you— but it will get better. Please use caution and make sure you’re prepared to do it. Sometimes you’re not feeling 100% maybe an easy 30-40 minute session is better that day than an all-out interval session. You can't go all-out every workout-you have to take it easy every once in a while - yes I said it. Doesn't mean you sleep walk through every session. Get out of your comfort zone and keep hard Interval training sessions between 12 -30 minutes. Listen to your body!

My wife LeeAnne was at one time a “cardio queen” (sorry dear), her body responded at first, but eventually it adapted. Last year she finally added Interval Training to her routine and guess what –she got GREAT RESULTS.

Here’s what she wrote in her latest blog entry:

My husband Mark help me put this together basically because I'd hit a plateau and couldn't figure out how to push past it.. My diet had been pretty clean and I thought I was working out hard enough, but we figured out my cardio was the culprit...

Cardio days should be intervals not steady state cardio. Meaning you’re not going to just hop on a treadmill and walk for an hour. This is the area where I had to make a huge adjustment with my training, specifically the intensity. I like most people believed that the best way to burn fat was just walking or running longer not harder. The best thing about intervals is that you burn calories hours after you finished your workout, not just during the workout. With steady state you just burn calories WHILE you’re doing it, a huge difference. When I shortened the workout and increased the intensity, I got better results.

It was tough at first because I never pushed myself hard enough to find that level where I needed to be. The key is to get to a level that’s uncomfortable for you and then taper off – so your heart rate is going up and down. If you’re just starting out then a simple walk/run routine will get you familiar with the training.

The key is understanding how your body feels at the different levels of intensity. The best way to do this is by monitoring your body through the workout. You do this by using the Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale.

It’s a subjective rating system that rates your effort level so you know how hard you’re working. It’s a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being very easy and 10 being maximal effort. Keep in mind, your level 7 might be different than my level 7 in terms of speed or incline, but both of us will be having a hard time talking non-stop.

Level Intensity Ability to Maintain Talk Test(the percieved rates are from Valerie Waters Red Carpet Ready book)

1 – 2 Easy --- Easy to maintain for a long period of time can carry on a conversation with no effort

3 - 4 Easy – Moderate----- Possible to maintain with minimal effort can carry on a conversation with min effort .

5 - 6 Moderate -----Possible to maintain but requires work Can maintain conversation with some effort.

7 - 8 Moderate – Difficult ----- Difficult to maintain this level of intensity Conversation requires much more effort.

9 - 10 Difficult – Peak Effort ----Difficult to maintain for more than a couple of minutes No talking zone BE CARFUL this level can make you feel sick.

So after you’re used to a walk/run routine or want to change up your routine you can organize the workout a little different. A simple example is a 30 minute workout like this:

Time Type Intensity Level

5 minutes Easy - moderate 3 out of 10
5 minutes Easy - moderate 4 out of 10
5 minutes Moderate 5 - 6 out of 10
5 minutes Easy - moderate 4 out of 10
5 minutes Easy - moderate 3 out of 10
5 minutes easy 2 out of 10
30 minutes

You can build on this and eventually jack up that intensity to a level 7 or 8 instead of a 5 -6 –But remember a good rule of thumb, the more intense the interval, the shorter it will be.

For me I think I never knew how it felt to be at that level 7 or 8 but once I figured it out, I started to get better workouts and I got leaner. Another big step for me was buying a Heart Rate Monitor, then I knew what my heart rate number was when I was at a level 8 or 9 – this is where talking became very difficult –this was then my HIGH number and I could use my Monitor to adjust my intervals.

Remember we’re all going to be different with our numbers and some of us can’t use a formula for calculating max heart rate, I’m one of those people. My resting heart is super low and it fluctuates from day to day, so using a standard formula doesn’t work for me. The TALK TEST is best for me.

So what I did was by using my monitor I did my intervals and tried to push myself hard to get to that level 8 (where talking was REAL tough) once there a read that number on my watch and recorded it –THAT WAS MY TOP NUMBER. Now going forward I can monitor myself using my watch during my intervals.

My plan for a while will be doing an interval for time say 30s try to reach my HIGH number than instead of resting for a specific amount of time just let my heart rate drop 30 beats before I repeat the next interval.

There are so many routines and interval workout options out there, it’s endless. But the key is the intensity –

What "I Love You" Means from Children

2010-01-23T12:58:00.000-05:00

Innocent and funny stuff from kids.
Can you say "I love you" any better?

What Love means to a 4-8 year old . . Slow down for three minutes to read
this. It is so worth it.

Touching words from the mouth of babes.

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8
year-olds, 'What does love mean?' The answers they got were broader and
deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:
====================================

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'

Terri - age 4
____________________________________

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip
before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'

Danny - age 7
____________________________________

'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing,
you still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss'

Emily - age 8
____________________________________

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening
presents and listen.'

Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
____________________________________

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who
you hate,'

Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
____________________________________

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it
everyday.'

Noelle - age 7
____________________________________

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still
friends even after they know each other so well.'

Tommy - age 6
____________________________________

'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at
all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.

He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.'

Cindy - age 8
____________________________________

'My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.'

Clare - age 6
____________________________________

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'

Elaine-age 5
____________________________________

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is
handsomer than Robert Redford.'

Chris - age 7
____________________________________

'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all
day.'

Mary Ann - age 4
____________________________________

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes
and has to go out and buy new ones.'

Lauren - age 4
____________________________________

'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars
come out of you.' (what an image)

Karen - age 7
____________________________________

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's
gross.'

Mark - age 6
____________________________________

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean
it, you should say it a lot. People forget.'

Jessica - age 8
____________________________________

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a
contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an
elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's
yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy
said,

'Nothing, I just helped him cry'

Short on time Workout

2010-01-21T17:26:00.000-05:00

Sometimes last minute things come up and you’re forced to change workout times or change the workout itself. If you’re short on time you may want to think about doing a circuit or superset the exercises. Bodyweight exercises are great and the right combination makes for a great workout. Just doing a twenty minute workout with chins and squats will burn a ton of calories.

Another good example of a twenty minute workout if you’re short on time.

Sample Workout

Rep Range: 12-15

Time Period: 15-20 minutes

• Valslide Reverse Lunges

• 1 Arm Dumbbell Row

• Push-ups (elevate your feet if regular push-ups are too easy)

Perform the exercises back-to-back in circuit fashion and complete as many circuits as possible within the given time period.

Here’s another workout option ------a full circuit bootcamp style.

Thanks Karen!

Being consistent is the key to changing your body!

2010-01-10T12:50:00.002-05:00

Okay it’s that time of year. You know, New Year’s resolutions are in full force. I see and hear from a few clients I haven’t seen in a while. It’s great to keep in touch with these folks, but WHAT TOOK SO LONG? Mostly it’s an email asking what the latest great workout program is. Folks, again it’s not a half a year thing. People that are serious about changing their bodies ALL have one thing in common –Consistency. If there’s a secret, it’s that there is no secret or magic potion, its consistent hard work and eating clean.

But it’s too tough and at my age I can’t change. PLEASE. People can change anything if you believe it is worth it. One issue I keep seeing in some clients is they focus on the negative, I might hear someone keep saying how much they hate doing intervals on the treadmill or they hate working out in general. That’s a tough one. Realistically if you hate something it’s tough to keep doing that activity. If that’s the case it’s probably a good idea to find an activity you enjoy. If you do, it may be something you’ll be consistent with. Human nature also shows us that we usually do not like to do things we are not good at. Find something that meets your needs. And please don’t give up on something just because it’s difficult, making significant changes to your body, gaining muscle or losing weight is not a walk in the park. Excuse the pun. Making changes doesn’t come easy and it doesn’t come without some hard work.

Don’t use excuse #1. “I have no time”. This excuse can be used for everything. Women may find themselves always wanting to take care of everything and everyone else besides themselves. Ladies make yourself a priority, you have to make time. At first it may be tough and some of you may not like it, in time it will get better. The feeling of accomplishment and getting it done will be a great feeling, using the “I have no time” excuse is just another way of telling yourself it’s just not important enough.

If you need to re-write all the reasons you want to change then do it. What are your goals? This will inspire you. Try to focus on those behaviors that you may not enjoy that much and remind yourself that it will bring you rewards that are worth the effort. Remember it has to be worth it and if you think you are able then you will be. Educate yourself, we will do anything that we think is worth the effort and having that confidence we’ll be able to do it.
If you’re just starting out or you’ve been off course for a while, it’s time to get back to the basics.

How can you be more productive?

1) Try setting a time for your workout. I have 45 minutes to work out today. Set the timer and do it. Even if it’s 20 minutes make the time. If it means getting up earlier then set that alarm. Our body’s will get used to the earlier time and thank you in the long run.

2) Use circuits and supersets – (Exercises back to back or in a group) more work in less time.

3) Burn more calories with full-body exercises – squats, deadlifts, lunges, KB Swings etc. It’s true the tougher exercises are normally the best for us. A squat is going to burn a ton more calories that a bicep curl – don’t watch other people in your gym and copy their workout. In fact in most cases do the opposite (unless they look the part:)

4) Plan, Prepare and Prioritize. If you’re not used to planning, it takes some time to get used to –it’s worth it. Food planning should be a no-brainer. With eating 5 -6 meals a day –don’t make the mistake of trying to do it on the run. Making meals in advance is a great way to avoid dicey situations and making poor choices.

5) Schedule your workout –even if it’s not with a Trainer –Schedule the appointment with yourself.

Being consistent is the key for changing your body ---not starving ourselves and working out hours a day.

The Plan is SIMPLE but executing that plan is not always easy.

$30 Treadmill Workout --Thanks Val!

2009-12-25T10:15:00.017-05:00

$30 Treadmill Workout

This is a very simple and effective 30 min cardio / full body workout that can be done in about 8 square feet with one piece of equipment - the Valslide - this little gadget can reshape your whole body and I highly recomment it - If you don't already have a pair you can purchase at the following link.
https://valeriewaters.infusionsoft.com/go/vs/leeanne/

Take a few minutes to warm up, and then get ready to SWEAT:

Squats - 20 reps

Skater Jumps - 20 reps

Valslide Reverse Lunge - 20 reps (each leg)

Valslide Side Lunge - 20 reps (each leg)

Valslide Tricep Push-Up - 10 reps

Valslide Mountain Climber - 20 reps

Valslide Belly Robbers - 20 reps

Valslide Sliding Crunch - 20 reps

Do this circuit 3-4 times, with 1-2 minutes rest in between each circuit

The Green Smoothie!! Or Blue!!

2009-12-11T12:27:00.003-05:00

I’m still hearing some folks are not getting their snacks in during the day.
Found a great snack option, doesn’t sound good –but try it first. The Green Smoothie!! Or Blue!!

A snack will control your blood sugar. You want to avoid low blood sugar. Don’t go more than 3.5 hours without food. If you get too low your body will crave the “bad” stuff. Keep it level for sustained energy during the day. Small meals spaced apart during your day are the way to go.

A snack is not a “big” meal. Its 100 – 200 calories. Ideally you try to get 1-2 ounces of lean protein and ½ cup – 1 cup of carbs that are low to moderate on the glycemic scale. Fruit by itself doesn’t work – add some almonds or 1 tbsl of natural peanut butter.

Be prepared – don’t go places hungry, if you do you’re asking for trouble!! A low-sugar protein bar will work if you’re on the road. 10-13 Almonds mixed with raisins in a baggy is ideal.

Remember the keys to getting lean.

1. Small, frequent meals work. You should consume 5-6 meals per day.
2. Cutting carbs works. For fat loss, starchy carbs in the AM so you can burn off.
3. Vegetables work. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner should be accompanied by a serving of vegetables.
4. Adequate protein works.
5. Fish oil works.
6. Water and green tea works. Drink enough water so your urine is always clear, and don't forget to have 8-12 ounces of green tea each day.
7. Training with a high intensity works. Keep your rest periods short and the intensity high.

Other snack ideas.

Low fat yogurt and mixed berries
Celery and almond butter
Tablespoon of hummus with baby carrots
Leftovers from the night before make great snacks

I never thought my wife would like a protein shake –this one she loves!!!!
The Green Smoothie!! Or Blue!!

So – yes, the green smoothie... Who knew I could possibly like this? Finally after 6+ months of my RCR girls telling me how good it was, I decided to bite the bullet and try it, and I love it!! This little blend of protein, fruit and spinach is now a staple in my daily diet. I personally am not a fan of fruit, so this helps me get at least two servings in.... I know you want to know how to make it – well here are the directions!! Enjoy!!

In a blender –

1 handful of spinach – best to make sure this is always on bottom, it blends better.
1 scoop of Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry or Unflavored Whey Protein
1 cup of fresh or frozen berries or fruit
6 oz of water

And blend – that’s it….

If you are a strawberry banana person – add a fresh banana and frozen strawberries – here you could use the strawberry protein

If you are a Mocha type gal – you can use the Chocolate Whey, with a tsp of dry non caffeinated coffee. If you don’t want fruit you can add some ice to thicken it up

My favorite is chocolate blueberry cherry – so I use the chocolate whey, with ½ cup of frozen blueberries and ½ cup of cherries….
Be creative, have a different smoothie each day, use it for your AM or PM snack -

MarkOne Fitness Outdoor Bootcamp

2009-12-06T14:02:00.002-05:00

Well folks, finally have some of my outdoor stuff up and running. This past spring and summer were awful for outdoor bootcamps here in New England. I have to admit I'm a wuss when it comes to the elements - I'm not the postal service, if it's rain, sleet or snow I'm home:)

Here's some basic stuff -LeeAnne was kind enough to come out on a Saturday morning and workout. Thanks sweetie

Give the Gift of Fitness This Holiday Season!

2009-12-02T13:40:00.001-05:00

Give the Gift of Fitness This Holiday Season!

"The holiday season is stressful enough without adding 'find the perfect gift' to your to-do list.” Why not give the gift that will benefit friends and family for a lifetime? If you’re in the position of giving your loved ones a treadmill, then go for it! But seriously there are some great ideas for gifts to promote health and fitness this Holiday Season. These gifts are great and won’t break the bank.

1. Jump Rope. Less than $15, jumping rope is a great approach to physical fitness and a fun, inexpensive gift option for kids or adults. A single 30-minute jump roping session at a moderate speed can burn between 200-300 calories a session. Great bang for your buck!

2. The Valslide, created by Valerie Waters, personal trainer to Hollywood’s elite was created with every level of fitness in mind. Valslide® makes lower body exercises smoother and easier on the body with more effective and immediate results. The simplicity of movement makes this exercise tool an obvious addition to any workout routine. My clients love the Valslide and it can travel anywhere. It’s a great gift and they will love it! http://www.valslide.com

3. Resistance Tubing. Less bulky than dumbbells or weight sets and easily stored, resistance tubes are a great way to strengthen and build muscle. The correct resistance will make a fun and effective workout. Check out SPRI, a leading resistance tubing manufacturer www.spriproducts.com.

4. Heart Rate Monitor. Perfect for a beginner or advanced exerciser. The idea behind a monitor is to accurately track exercise intensity. A heart rate monitor can help individuals know exactly where they’re at. They not only get the most out of their workouts they know when they’re pushing too hard. Some Heart Rate monitors require use of a chest strap make sure to review yours before buying. http://www.performbetter.com

5. Personal Training Sessions. Working with a personal trainer has been shown to increase motivation as well as teach the most safe, efficient exercises. Personal training is the perfect gift for someone interested in starting a new fitness program looking to lose weight or updating their existing routine. Check your local area for certified Trainers and use references if possible. If you’re in the Westford MA area - http://markoneworkout.blogspot.com/

Stability Balls -sizing.

2009-11-27T10:59:00.004-05:00

What started as a physical therapy tool and ended up being part of everyone’s workout program, the ball is here to stay. By now I think most of us have seen them and hopefully used this great tool. Surprising some of us haven’t – yes there are a few.

Finding the Size That’s Right For You

This table summarizes the general ball size appropriate for your height and how tall it is (the diameter) when it’s fully inflated.

Please keep in mind that this is only a guideline it really depends on the individual and your leg length. I’m 5’11” and I feel more comfortable with the 55 cm. A better way to get the fit that’s best is that when you are sitting on the ball, your legs should be at a 90-degree angle with your thighs parallel to the floor and your hips at the same height as your knees. However, there are some exercises you may do where a smaller ball might work better; if this applies to you, then you might want to consider having two balls of different size.

For balance, a firmer ball will be more difficult to balance on, so seniors or beginners should consider using a larger, softer ball. And no the ball is not going to explode; it holds me so you’re safe. Actually it supports over 600 pounds.

Typically, the stability balls you will find in most stores are 65 cm; however sometimes you can find a 55 cm ball. If the store nearest you does not have the proper size, try going to a sporting goods store or performbetter.com; they are likely to have a wider variety of sizes.
Most folks assume a SB is only used for core. Yes it’s great for core exercises but don’t limit yourself, its full body. It’s great for most exercises for a change of pace.
If you’re a beginner be careful. Start off with just lying on the ball and getting on and off. Start off with basic crunches and chest presses before you progress to the advanced stuff.

Should you use them? Yes. Sitting or lying on a stability ball helps strengthen your core--no matter which muscle groups you're working.

Crunch

Start by sitting on the exercise ball as if you were sitting on a chair. Slowly lean back and walk your feet forward until the ball is positioned on your lower back region and you are looking toward the ceiling. The top your legs should be parallel to the floor.
Cross your hands on your chest and keep your head in a neutral position looking forward (toward the ceiling). Your chin should not touch your chest at any point

Here are a few great examples for advanced folks:

Pike

Begin in a push-up position with your shins on top of the exercise ball.
Keeping your legs as stiff as possible, use your abs to roll the ball forward, lifting your hips toward the ceiling.
Hold this position for a three count while flexing your abdominal muscles.
Slowly return to the beginning position.
Note: To make easier place the ball closer to your knees.

Push Up with Hands on the Floor

Start by positioning yourself in the standard push-up position, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Place your feet on top of your exercise ball.
Slowly lower yourself to the ground until your chest nearly contacts the floor.
Perform a push-up by pressing yourself from the floor back to the position number 1 (the starting position).
Note: If you are a beginner, place the ball under your thighs in step 1. The closer the ball is placed to your feet, the harder it is to complete the exercise.

Back Extension

Begin by kneeling on the floor in front of stability ball and lie face down so that the ball is at your upper abdominal region. Your head should be facing the floor.
Cross your hands over your chest, and raise your torso approximately six inches.
Hold for a count, then slowly and under control, lower your torso to the starting position.
Note: The further the ball is placed toward your hips, the harder the exercise is to perform.
Note: You can add further resistance by holding weights in your arms as you perform this exercise.

Tis the season... Flu Season that is!

2009-11-03T08:35:00.012-05:00

It's only November but Flu season is already hitting this area hard. For all you Germaphobes out there what's the best defense?

Seriously, let's stay healthy this year.

Which hand sanitizers kill stomach flu viruses?

Answer: Germstar®Noro

Washing your hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of the gastroenteritis viruses. It does not kill them but it washes them off your hands and down the drain. But when you can’t get to a sink, you need something else. Regular 62% alcohol hand sanitizer gels such as regular Purell® do a great job killing rotavirus but are not that great at killing norovirus1 (they are better than nothing, though).

The company Germstar® has specifically designed a hand sanitizer that kills norovirus! It is called Germstar®Noro.

you can only purchase here:

http://www.germstar.com/us/index.php?pg=sanitizers&sub=2

Annie Pryor has created a great site with Q & A and hard facts:

Learn the facts of this Virus:
http://sites.google.com/site/stopthestomachflu/Home

How long is a person contagious after having the stomach flu?

Answer: A person is still contagious for at least 3 days after symptoms have stopped. A person is contagious starting from the moment they start to feel sick and possibly even a little bit before that. In one study, Noroviruses were detected in the stool individuals 15 hours after they ingested norovirus1. Usually symptoms don't start until 24-48 hours after ingestion. So, if people don't wash their hands well after using the bathroom, they can spread the germs to others before they even know they are going to get sick. People are contagious for at least 3 days after all stomach flu (viral gastroenteritis) symptoms have completely stopped and they feel perfectly fine. That means that even when they feel fine they still have the virus in their stool for at least 3 days. Studies have shown that the viruses are present in the stool for two weeks and sometimes longer so a person can be contagious even longer. If your child suffered from Rotavirus, they are definitely contagious for 2 weeks or more. This is why it is so important to wash your hands well after you go to the bathroom and keep you bathroom clean.

The other nasty virus H1N1:

H1N1 TIPS

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS, DRM, DNB (Intensist and Thryoid Specialist) who shares the following insights as to how to prevent or mitigate H1N1 and other flus. He states: While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu).1. Frequent hand washing (well highlighted in all official communications).2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of the face (other than eating, bathing)3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (Listerine is fine if you don’t like salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate (grow) and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. Gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of this method.4. Clean your nostrils at least once every day using Q-tips dipped in warm salt water. You can also use a Netti Pot.5. Boost natural immunity with foods loaded with vitamin C.6. Drink many warm liquids including tea, coffee and hot water with lemon. Doing so helps clear viral populations by sweeping them down into the stomach where they are not able to survive.

Stay Healthy!!

JC Leg Cranks

2009-11-01T16:44:00.002-05:00

Great Leg Finisher from JC Santana.

Here’s LeeAnne demonstrating the advanced version (no recovery) workout after working Legs.

2 sets
No rest between exercises

BW Squats 24 reps
Alternate Lunges 12 reps (each leg)
Alternate Split Jump 12 reps (each leg)
Squat Jumps 24 reps

Be careful if you have knee issues. Progressions start with a rest recovery.

Balsamic Chicken Breasts

2009-10-30T10:48:00.000-04:00

Balsamic Chicken Breasts

Nutritional Information
Calories: 130 Carbohydrate: 6g Protein: 20g Fat: 4g

Ingredients4 (4-oz) chicken breasts, skinned and boneless 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 3small cloves garlic, pressed 8 oz fresh mushrooms, quartered 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth ½ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed Freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Directions
Coat a 10-inch skillet with nonstick vegetable spray. Heat over medium heat. When hot, add chicken and cook until light brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add olive oil to pan, sauté garlic and mushrooms briefly, being careful not to burn garlic. Return chicken to pan, add vinegar, chicken broth, thyme and pepper. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Juices will run clear when meat is pierced in its thickest part with a fork. Transfer to serving dish and top chicken with mushrooms and pan sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Beneficial effects of exercise

2009-10-10T10:00:00.001-04:00

If anyone is interested in reviewing current research here’s another one on aerobic exercise.

The study took 58 people doing just aerobics, (slow cardio) 5 days per week for 12 weeks (burning 500 calories per session). The average weight loss over the 12 weeks was 7lbs (there was a huge variance). But almost half (26 of the 58) who did participant only lost 1-2lbs over the entire 12 weeks. Again, 3 months of “aerobics only” produced limited results (not the way to go).

But on the positive side –HEALTH ---yes this type of training is “heart healthy” and is very beneficial in that regard.

This study confirms that steady state aerobic exercise is not the way to train if your goal is fat loss and body composition change, there are better methods for training (resistance training, intervals, bootcamp).

(Thanks to Craig Ballantyne for publishing this study)

**Br J Sports Med. 2009 Sep 29.Beneficial effects of exercise: shifting the focus from body weight to other markers of health.
King N, Hopkins M, Caudwell P, Stubbs J, Blundell J.
QUT, Australia;

BACKGROUND: Exercise is widely promoted as a method of weight management, whilst the other health benefits are often ignored. The purpose of this study was to examine whether exercise-induced improvements in health are influenced by changes in body weight.

METHODS: Fifty-eight sedentary overweight/obese men and women (BMI 31.8 +/-4.5kg/m2) participated in a 12 week supervised aerobic exercise intervention (70% heart rate max, 5 times a week, 500kcal per session). Body composition, anthropometric parameters, aerobic capacity, blood pressure and acute psychological response to exercise were measured at weeks 0 and 12.

RESULTS: Mean reduction in body weight was -3.3 +/-3.63kg (P<0.01). However, 26 of the 58 participants failed to attain the predicted weight loss estimated from individuals' exercise-induced energy expenditure. Their mean weight loss was only -0.9 +/-1.8kg (P<0.01). Despite attaining lower than predicted weight reduction, these individuals experienced significant increases in aerobic capacity (6.3 +/-6.0ml.kg-1.min-1; P<0.01), decreased systolic (-6.00 +/-11.5mmHg; P<0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (-3.9 +/-5.8mmHg; P<0.01), waist circumference (-3.7 +/-2.7cm; P<0.01) and resting heart rate (-4.8+/-8.9bpm, p<0.001). In addition, these individuals experienced an acute exercise-induced increase in positive mood.

CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that significant and meaningful health benefits can be achieved even in the presence of lower than expected exercise-induced weight loss. Less successful reduction in body weight does not undermine the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise.

From a public health perspective, exercise should be encouraged and the emphasis on weight loss reduced.

Should YOU run?

2009-09-27T17:29:00.008-04:00

Last week I sent out Mike Boyle’s article on “Why (Most) Women Shouldn’t Run” knowing it would elicit some strong opinions, and yes it did. But again not everyone is going to agree and I for one would never discourage someone from exercising. So if running is a big part of your fitness plan then keep moving and enjoy your runs.

Reasons why running could be a negative:

1) Injuries
For me personally and as a Personal Trainer I would never include DISTANCE running as part of a beginner’s program or a fat loss program for anyone, female or male. I look out my window everyday and see runners go up and down my street day and night. One thing in common, their bodies NEVER change and we’re talking years of training and logging many miles. Doesn't that tell you something? For most of us long distance running doesn’t change your body. I watch some of these people running and it just looks painful. It’s more of a speed limp not a smooth athletic run. How can they possibly think that this is good for them? In all my years of working with clients I have never meet a person over 30 years old that runs consistently that hasn’t suffered an injury from running. So please understand what you’re getting yourself into if you decide to take up running and please take precautions. My issue with distance running is the constant pounding your body takes. Within any given mile, there are about 1500 foot strikes. Think about that. You better have a great pair of running shoes and great running form

2) Need variety in your training
The fact of the matter is, most (read: not all) people shouldn't’t be running (especially women). What’s the first thing that women do to get into shape? They’re off to Sport’s Authority buying the latest running shoes and go jogging the next day. What’s the first piece of equipment that women will gravitate towards if they have never set foot in a gym before? The treadmill. Once in the gym and after they get comfortable they stick with that piece of equipment and end up making running the biggest part of their fitness plan. If your plan includes just running than your body will eventually stop responding. This type of exercise is considered steady-state cardio. Your body adapts extremely fast to steady-state cardio and you'll burn fewer and fewer calories the more you do.

Most of the clients that come to me are looking to change their bodies and get in shape. Many of these are average people who aren't active, and certainly aren't runners. But they want to look fit and in shape. With this type of clientele, I'd never start them off with a long jog which would be equivalent to 1,500 reps of a one-legged polymeric exercise. That would be irresponsible on my part and my client would most likely suffer some sort of lower-body injury. Not what we want.

Who should run?
1) Folks training for an endurance event.
2) If your sport requires running and you want to train for that sport.
3) If it’s the only type of exercise you enjoy.
4) If you love the outdoors and look forward to that “runners high” –I’m not going to discourage you.
5) If your running is interval training –hills, walk/run or sprint.
6) Yes aerobic type training is heart healthy

Sprinting is NOT the running I’m talking about.

Now some people might say that they see me running at the track. Why is it ok for me……? Yes that’s true. I love sprints, 50-70 yards. Believe it or not running sprints is actually safer than distance running over time. Keep in mind, you have to prepare your body to sprint. And sprinting is advanced work and you have to build up to it and prepare your body before and all out effort sprint. It’s critical if you decide to start a sprinting program that you stretch, foam roll and resistance train before embarking on this type of training. Now we’re not sprinting everyday, 1 -3 times a week will burn body fat and improve your conditioning level beyond belief. The drawback, sprints are tough, intervals are hell. Most people that run for distance want nothing to do with this type of workout program. Too bad for them I think they’re missing out on a superior workout.

Please keep in mind, that I am NOT saying that running is “bad” for everyone, nor am I saying that it is “bad” in general. But what I am saying is that there are better ways to get into shape and drop body fat. And that’s the point…you need to be in shape to run. In doing so, your body will be able to handle the stress MUCH more efficiently and you will be less prone to all of those nagging injuries that come with being a distance runner.

Confused? Hope not. If you’re looking to start an exercise program, let’s talk. Let’s make sure you’re taking the safest and best route. If running is part of your routine, please make sure you understand that it’s an advanced exercise and it isn't for beginners or out of shape people trying to get fit. For those individuals, there are better choices.

And keep in mind your goals, if it’s losing weight, getting leaner and changing your body’s shape running doesn't have to be a part of your routine. On the other hand, if you have a goal of completing an endurance event or just enjoy running, you'll need to make sure your program includes injury prevention strength exercises. Make sure your fitness program includes some bodyweight exercises, functional work to correct any potential muscle imbalances, single-leg movements, and core/abs strengthening. The last thing you want is to be sitting on the sidelines recovering from an injury.

Train safe and Train smart!

Why (Most) Women Shouldn't Run

2009-09-20T10:19:00.001-04:00

This might be good timing, this article has been around for a while and when it originally came out it stirred up allot of controversy. As you know, I'm not a huge fan of running for fat loss or for beginners. But last week I talked to a client that used to work out at the gym I worked at. After a short "catching up" conversation she informed me she was "trying to get back into shape" and "trying to lose a few pounds" by starting a running program. Not what I wanted to hear, but I understand that type of mentality is still out there. Again there are many other ways to successful weight loss without injuring yourself -sorry running isn't one of them. I will expand on this in a future article, but for now please read Mike's article and tell me what you think...........

By Michael Boyle

I really like Diane Lee's quote, "You can't run to get fit, you need to be fit to run." In fact, I've used it in numerous presentations and articles. It really resonates with me. Simple, to the point. I'm going to take the idea one step further. I'm not sure most women should run. When I say this in seminars, it really pisses off the female runners. Sorry, I'm not worried about you; I'm worried about all the other women. If you are a runner and healthy, read on, but realize that you are the exception, not the rule. I'm going to go from bad to worse. Here's a riddle for you. Q- What do most female runners look like?A- Male runners.Ever ask yourself why? I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Women who run successfully for long periods of time were made to run. They look just like men runners. Good female runners generally do not look like plus-size models. It's not a question of cause and effect; it's a question of natural selection. You can't run to get that cute little runner's body. It's actually reversed. You have to have that cute little runner's body to survive running. Why do I say this? Two simple reasons. Anatomy and physics. My favorite two sciences. No matter how hard you try or how well you eat, you can't change your skeleton. The problem with most women and running comes down to something they call Q angle in sportsmedicine. I won't bore you with the details, but it boils down to this. Wider hips make for narrow knees. This angle of hip to knee creates problems. Problems are magnified based on the number of steps. The average person gets about 1500 foot strikes per mile. Do the math on your 5-mile run. Running produces forces in the area of two to five times bodyweight per foot contact. Do we need more math? Let's go back to our elite female runner. Look at her body. You will generally see two things. She has narrow hips and she has small breasts. I know, there may be exceptions, but at the elite level, I doubt it. One thought process would say, Great, my hips and breasts will decrease in size if I run. The other thought process is more logical. Women with larger breasts and wider hips don't make good runners. It is the same logic as why there are no large gymnasts or figure skaters. Physics. Big people rotate slower. Natural selection rules it out. So what happens when a "normal" woman begins to run? She becomes a statistic. She becomes a physical-therapy client as she tries to shovel you-know-what against the tide. Her wider knees cause her to develop foot problems or most likely knee problems. Her greater body weight causes greater ground reaction forces. Greater ground reaction forces stress muscle tissue and breast tissue. Get my drift yet? The end result is likely to be hurt and saggy instead of the cute and little. The bottom line: Running is not good for most females. If you want higher-intensity exercise, ride a stationary bike. Take a spin class, use a stairclimber, and don't run.
PS- The best stuff is the hard stuff. Use the AirDyne Bike or the StepMill. Don't take the easy way out.

By Michael Boyle Reproduced with permission

Conditioning work

2009-09-13T14:56:00.003-04:00

In addition to resistance exercise, you should also include some conditioning exercise, often called cardio. Don’t confuse steady state aerobics like long jogs, bike rides, or the Elliptical as your conditioning work, this type of exercise is not all that effective for fat loss or true conditioning.

If you're healthy and in fairly good shape try high intensity interval exercise, in which you work really hard for 20-90 seconds, rest, work hard again, rest again. This type of cardio work has been shown to be the most effective form of conditioning work and for burning body fat.

Here’s LeeAnne demonstrating one of my favorite forms of conditioning exercise: interval circuits.

Today is 40s work and 20s rest –repeat total Circuit 2-4 times –rest 2min between Circuit.
And believe it or not, this workout is way more effective at burning fat and improving her conditioning than 45-60 minutes of walking or jogging!

Circuit 1

1) Valside Rev Lunge with row (one-side)
2) Valside Rev Lunge with row (other side)
3) Split Jump
4) Bosu pushup
5) Core Plank with disk
6) MB thrust with press
7) Wide Narrow BW Squat

Circuit 2

1) Step Reach Lunge with MB push
2) Jumping Jack with rear delt
3) T Rotation
4) Smash non-bounce MB
5) Bar situp w/leg raise
6) 5 dot drill
7) MB Step jump

A little Met workout

2009-09-05T13:59:00.003-04:00

LeeAnne will demonstrate

40seconds work
15 sec rest
each circuit 2-3 sets
rest 1 -2 min between circuits

Circuit 1

DB Squat & Press
½ Jacks –(try not to collapse your knees!)
BB Bent over Row
Skaters
SB Bridges
Hill Run 15.0 incline 4.5 speed
Bosu pushup

Circuit 2

DB Reach Lunge & Press
DB Step-ups
SB Press
Bosu Lateral Shuffle
Valslide 1-arm Push Away
Hill Run 15.0 incline 4.5 speed
Valslide Reverse Lunge w/Lateral Raise & Front Raise

Are you too busy to workout? C'mon.....

2009-08-27T11:23:00.005-04:00

I’m Too Busy to Workout—What Can I Do?

Well, first thing what are your goals? If its fat loss then you need to find time, it takes some effort. Before anything you have to make sure you’re eating correctly. You need to watch your diet when you’re unable to be as active. As you get older, your metabolism slows down, and this means you’ll put (fat) weight on more quickly and easily if you’re not focused. Try these tips…

My number one tip is keeping a Food Journal –sorry but it works, especially in the beginning of a fitness plan.

Hey, I asked about working out………

Yes but FOOD FIRST.

Your workouts must count. If you’re limited for time, choose weights not running or aerobics. Meaning resistance training 2 or 3 times a week must be full body workouts and Interval training. It’s crucial to make the most of the 2 or 3 sessions you do have, try to push yourself as hard as you can without jeopardizing good form.

If you normally snack on unhealthy foods, it might be a good idea to make changes. Replace your snacks with low glycemic vegetables like fresh celery, radishes, cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, or cauliflower. The fiber in the raw vegetables will fill you up and you’ll be cutting calories.

Find ways to stay active and to keep that body moving!

• Park your car further away than you normally do at work and then walk into the building.
• Take the stairs whenever there’s an option.
• Walk someplace where you’d normally drive.
• When you’re shopping in a mall walk around the entire mall first.
• Take your dog for a small walk in the evening.
• Find a once-a-week class that you enjoy.

I know in this day and age, we’re all busy. And for some of us exercise takes a back seat. But taking care of yourself, MUST BE A PRIORITY!

Some of the benefits of exercise:

Gain More Energy
Improves your Mood
Combat Chronic Diseases
Improves your Cardiovascular Health
Reduces the Risk of Cancer
Improves your Self-Esteem
Stronger Muscles
Better Looking Skin
Increased Brain Power
Less Sick Days

If that doesn't give you enough reasons to find time for exercise I don’t know what will.

Now here’s Heidi, she literally doesn’t have enough time to fit in exercise, full-time job, with a husband and two young children. Sound familiar? Perfect excuse to pull out the no-time card. Not Heidi, she normally works out at 6am. Yes 6am!!! Not ideal, but she’s found that balance.

This week was Take your Trainer to work week. Great work Heidi!

Keep Training!