Holy Crap! Exercise Makes You Fat?

Now that I have your attention I can relay some very important advice on a recent article that was published in Time magazine: Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin – TIME: http://tinyurl.com/m9l26h

About 10 years ago, I would have lost my mind and become enraged, angry and out of control over such an article being written.  Thankfully, I have matured and can see both sides of the fence. Although, I couldn’t disagree more with the article and some of its facts, I can appreciate the argument and do understand where some of the misinterpreted information may be coming from.

Our fitness industry is full of information that sometimes gets misconstrued in the eyes of the consumer- like the writer of the aforementioned article.  Hell, if we were able to convince everyone what we know works, there wouldn’t be diet books, weight loss programs or for that matter very much need for our services because everybody would be on the same page. We, the fitness industry, are still trying to convey our message to those who will listen, and articles like this do not help us with our mission.

Listen to me: EXERCISE DOES NOT MAKE YOU FAT!!!!! It burns calories, improves cardiovascular function, decreases risks of developing certain diseases, improves your ability to live a long and prosperous life, helps with stress relief, improves cognitive function (see TIME article for this one supporter of exercise), increases bone density and muscle tissue, plus just feels amazing if you let it into your life.

Exercise comes in many forms and is appropriate for any person, at any level, of any gender, race or physical capacity. The fitness industry has options for everyone. Unfortunately, not everyone gets put into the proper programming for their ability, motivation levels or fitness goals.  A professional fitness trainer will take all of this into account and provide proper training, education and motivation for each of their clients.

Additionally, diet, which seems to be the main topic of discussion in this article, can account for more than 50% of the consumer’s results. Yes, exercise may invoke a hunger response, but a knowledgeable consumer will know better than to shove more than their needed daily calories into their mouths or indulge in crappy, non-nutrient dense foods post exercise.

It’s always been about balance: eat more, weigh more, eat less, weigh less. Can you eat less and lose weight without exercise? Yes, of course. Will your muscle’s atrophy (shrink in size and make you look like a saggy, bag of bones with a flat ass) by dieting alone without exercise? Yes, of course. Not to mention missing out on the wonderful side effects of regular exercise. ACSM, AHA and all the leading organization tout regular workouts on most days of the week for a reason. It works!

Bottom line: you need to move your mass, eat a balanced, healthy diet that supports your daily efforts and works within your current fitness abilities and motivational efforts. I’m sorry many people don’t enjoy exercise or moving their body parts. I’m also sorry that society has created drive thrus,  remote controls, sedentary jobs, video games, microwaves, cable TV and all the other indulgent activities we all take advantage of.

This article was just a giant excuse in my opinion. Yet another reason for consumers to not exercise or place blame on it being too hard and/or not effective. Weight loss is 50% effort, 50% diet and 100% percent commitment. Yes, that is 150%. Genetics, lifestyle and motivational levels will effect your percentages. I’m sorry you weren’t blessed with mile-long legs, a cute button nose and all the things your genetics didn’t give you. What are you willing to do, what can you do and what should you do? Three important questions to ask before you start your weight loss journey.

Don’t let this article discourage your exercise efforts, personal training sessions or investments in your health. Exercise is a tried and true method for weight loss and improved physical capacity.  Exercise does not make you fat rather, it’s the other pieces of effort that do.

Staying balanced,

Amy

PS- The worst part of this article is the piece of fat turning into muscle..this is not possible. Muscle tissue grows with specific exercise, and fat tissue shrinks as we burn off extra calories, therefore body composition changes. We can’t morph tissues- although that would be cool!!

PPS- If execise made you fat then how do you explain all the fitness professionals who walk the talk?

I Can’t Do It All- A Trainer’s Personal Challenge

I have to admit I’ve been slacking on my job lately. My personal life has been full with some unusual circumstances that have me doing many extra things and taking my precious work time away from me. I’ve felt challenged, sad but mostly just angry becaue I haven’t been doing my optimal job as a fitness pro.

I always spend extra time checking in on people, writing articles, coming up with blogposts based on my observations or just taking a moment to appreciate the awesome people I work with, train and teach. You all mean so much to me and make my job fun, challenging and ever-changing.  Thank you!

My sharing is an effort to show everyone that even those that appear healthy on the outside can be suffering from some major emotional stress and drama that will affect their inside. That, I’m afraid, is where I’ve been the past month. Sorting out my time to take care of granny and her needs, handling my business professionally (already covered how that hasn’t been going too well), managing my family and let’s not forget my own personal health and workouts.

Yeah, they’ve been hard to get to. BUT- I make them a priority because if I don’t I will be a wreck. The physical movement and exercise helps me let off steam, feel better and allows me time to think alone and sort things out. I know for a fact, if I didn’t have it, I would be just like the person who’s been giving me the most drama over the past month.

So, I admit it. I can’t do it all, but I want to. I’ve learned some valuable lessons this past month and have listened to my own advice many times. It’s easy to give up and not prioritize your health when life gets full of unexpected challenges. This should never even cross your mind. Also, learning to prioritize and let go of things you know you just simply don’t have the time to do. There is no need to stress over getting the laundry done or dusting…it will still be there.

Although my life has been a challenge, my efforts not to my standards and my house is a mess I still love my family, friends, work and outside interests. I’m hoping things will settle in the next few weeks and all the energy I’ve been putting toward personal will be back to professional.

Look out when this happens. Usually challenge breeds creativity and deep thoughts from me. Hope you are all ready for it!

Stay balanced and focus on your health!

Amy

PS- Did I mention my eating habits are pathetic..don’t forget good food breeds good brain and body activity. Coffee, candy and bread do not make a balanced diet.

5 Common Mistakes Women Make in The Gym

Many of my female clients are gym members who have been working out for years, but are no longer seeing results or are just plain bored and frustrated. They are dedicated individuals who enjoy the benefits of exercise, but are ready to throw in the towel because they are either gaining weight, losing function or just feeling stagnant.

It comes as no surprise to me  because I often view them in the gym and understand why they aren’t meeting their fitness goals or seeing further improvement. There are some common mistakes among woman (trust me men are not excluded from this) that are made when it comes to working out, which can lead to these discouraging scenarios.

Are you making any one of these common mistakes?

1. Focusing too much attention or cardiovascular/cardio training- this builds muscle endurance and burns calories, but isn’t the most effective way to build the lean tissue needed to support optimal body composition

2. Not putting enough intensity into their workouts- I don’t know if it’s fear, habit, stubbornness or just a combination of all three, but women need to up their workout intensity to burn more calories, improve their fitness levels and provide overload and progression to their current workout routines. This applies to cardio and strength routines!

3. Still doing 100’s of reps of exercises to spot reduce- spot reduction can only happen via plastic surgery. Weight loss will happen all over the body with a combination of cardio, strength and good eating habits. Doing 100 leg lifts per leg every day is called muscle endurance training and will not make the fatty tissue on top disappear.

4. Skipping exercises that work major muscle groups- they don’t like to work their back, but love to work their legs so they skip all the back exercises in the circuit, or just do the ones they like. This alone can lead to a screaming case of muscle imbalance, which can increase the risk of injury. You’ve got to train the entire body, front to back, side to side, deep and superficial!

5. Going back to old habits- doing the same routines for 20 years is will lead to plateauing (no longer seeing results or change). This is why it is so important to work with a certified professional to help you change up your routines, keep you fresh, improve your fitness levels and prevent overuse injuries and boredom.

Notice a trend in any of these habits? Do you do one, a couple or all of them?  It’s all fixable! Making a change to just one fo these common mistakes will certainly give you some results and encourage you to start fixing the others. After all, aren’t results what you’re after?

Keep it fresh- Amy

PS- 5 common mistakes men make in the gym is coming later this week

PPS- A more in depth article will follow both blog posts

Treating Your Symptoms and Ignoring the Culprit

I was talking to one of my students after yoga class today and one thing came up in conversation that inspired a brilliant comment from her. We were discussing my mother and her recent back injury, as well as my struggle to support her with her unhealthy lifestyle choices, hence part of the back injury.

She said, “People will treat their back, but not their weight.” I almost screamed I was so impressed with that statement. I told her I just had to go home and blog about it..so here I am.

I do find it strange that symptoms of extra weight, such as increased incidence of lower back pain, chronic, knee, ankle and foot issues, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and decreased ability to function with day to day activities are more commonly treated with ignorance rather than being pro-active.

The statistics are out there, healthcare professionals support it and fitness professionals are screaming it at the top of their lungs. If you lose weight, these issues will not be such a nuisance in your life. You may still suffer from the aches and pains of too much, too soon or experience a case of muscle reawakening from doing a new activity, but the chronic symptoms that plague so many overweight individuals will no longer be an issue.

Do you want to treat these symptoms?

So why are so many still treating the symptoms of being overweight rather than addressing the culprit itself? It’s like bandaging up the wounds from your attacker, but the attacker is still free to roam and injure you again. I’m not sure about the logic, but I do know this:

Exercise works for everybody. We have parameters, guidelines, exercises and programming for all of you no matter where you are in life. If you have an injury (chronic or acute), medical concern, previous to no exercise experience, or are a former athlete there is still something that you can get started with immediately.

Certified and educated fitness pros can help guide you in the right direction and develop a sound program based off of your current state of fitness and health, help you formulate your goals and design a specialized routine that will work for your individual needs.

I know some people dread exercise more than anything in the world, but you just can’t avoid it. We have to move it to lose it, and we have to move it to stay healthy. The alternative is continue down the path of treating your individual symptoms and enjoy the lackluster lifestyle.

I’ve picked my path and hope you will all join me in an occasional day of delayed muscle soreness from exercise. I feel great and look forward to a long, happy life!

Make it a happy, healthy, fit day!
Amy

Outdoor Fitness Camps Are Booming!

It looks like the fitness trend of boot camps is really taking off! The past 6 months has really given rise to these formats, which are fun, challenging, provide stellar results and are cost effective for the participants. A private personal training session can cost you over $60.00 per hour and around $750.00 per month if you met with your trainer three times per week. Who has that kind of money to spend in this economy?

A 3 day a week boot camp averages around $125.00 per person for a month session and not only provides you with a trainer designed program, but also the extra push most people need but aren’t willing to take when it comes to losing weight.

So how about it- interested in trying one out? We’ve recently added a few more options to our camp offerings and outdoor fitness camps. You can check them out by clicking on one of the links in the blog or by directly visiting the site http://www.fitnessgatherings.com/bootcamp.htm

Important mention: you can come and try any of our outdoor camps for FREE the first time. Come join the fun, experience the great outdoors and challenge yourself in an entirely different way. Once you try it, you’ll be convinced this is exactly what you’ve been missing in your fitness program.

Come out and play!

In health and adventure- Amy

The Personal Trainer Common Denominator

I have to mention that this blog post was inspired by a conversation that was started at the firehouse this morning when I went to drop of my husband’s shaving kit, which by the way he didn’t need because he borrowed supplies from a fellow firefighter (BAD fireman!). So, I decided to pull up to the table, enjoy a cup of coffee with the boys and indulge in some good conversation.

Of course it turned into a discussion on fitness, rather I became the punching bag (all in good fun) for everyone to take a swing at. I enjoyed it, as I love to banter and share my opinions with anybody who will listen. We eventually went full circle but the subject of me being the “common denominator” in my client’s failures/successes really struck a cord with me. I won’t go into detail about how we got there, but I just felt the need to dissect the subject matter a bit more, resonate with it and bring it to my blog.

Here it goes:

Consistent challenging effort = great results!

“I care deeply about all my client’s goals, health conditions, successes, failures and exercise programming. I take into account every little detail when I build a personal program, camp, class or other endeavor. BUT, big but here, I can’t be with them every single moment of every single day. At most, I see people 3 times per week for camps, and usually less for individual sessions. That being said, what each client does outside of my guidance is truly up to them. I give them the tools, train them with all my power, listen to their concerns, modify and adjust as needed and kick them hard in the butt if they are the type of person who can handle it. Some people comply, many don’t. Because of this results vary greatly. I have come to the conclusion that exercise and taking care of one’s health ranks very differently on people’s priority lists. That, I’m sorry to say, is something I can’t control!”

What each of us needs to do to get “into shape,” “lose that extra belly fat,” “drop a dress size,” “find their six-pack” or whatever requires different things depending on who they are and what they can do, but most importantly it depends on what the individual is WILLING to do. That big brain inside of your head can be your friend or foe when it comes to exercise goals or any goal for that matter. You get what you give!

If you give excuses, use set-backs as an opportunity to express failure, have unrealistic expectations or prioritize your health at a low level it will be a challenge, I’m not going to lie about it. You will more than likely see little to no change in your body. On the flip side if you’re willing to follow professional advice, apply said advice both inside and outside your workouts, stay consistent but continue to challenge yourself and make health a priority you WILL see excellent results. NO BS here.

Yes, I am the common denominator in many individual’s fitness equations. Problem is some people aren’t as good at math as they think they are. I offer the correct solution so let’s try to figure out where your math is going wrong.

Enjoy life, conquer things that challenge you and never give up!

Your faithful, and honest trainer- Amy

Gone Fishin’

I’ve been out of town with the kids enjoying some R n R and plain just goofing off.  It’s been delightful, much needed, but I’m ready to bring back the fury of fitness to everyone.  Just a thought that inspired me today that I wanted to leave for all of you to think about.

A friend mentioned this to me today and I just resonated with it.  If all of our clients would take their appointments with their trainers as seriously they do their hair, nail, dental and doctor’s appointments we would have it made and the world would be healthier for it.

You can doll up your external package all you want, but you still have to keep that engine fired up with movement and regular workouts.  So how about it all you clients out there?  What do you say about giving it a shot?  Treat your training appointment time just like you would that amazing massage appointment you sometimes treat yourself to.  You’ll feel better, see better results and develop some lifelong good feeling habits to boot.  Make your health and fitness a priority.

Dreamily,

Amy