For women, fighting flab requires an hour a day

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!

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!

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!

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!

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

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

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!