get in shape

Never easy…

Tags: get in shape, healthy living, motivation

Is Sitting the New Smoking?

Tags: burning fat, Fitness, fitness training, get in shape, healthy living, workouts for work

A new study has shown that sitting for long periods of time may be as bad for you as smoking! Inactivity is definitely a contributor to heart disease and obesity. Being sedentary is not natural for our bodies; when we move towards less activity our bodies move towards acting as storage containers versus the agile and energized machines they should be. The workplace CAN be a health hazard…or you can turn it around!   Read more about the study here.
I have a desk job, what can I do?

Many of us are sitting at our desks 7-8 hours—or more—a day. If it’s the nature of your work, you CAN break up the sedentary cycle with a few brisk breaks. People may think you’re always in a hurry or just suddenly more energetic or maybe even a little kooky, but that’s okay. The key is to take brisk breaks and to be BRISK.

1.  FAST walk, inside or out, every time you walk.

2.  Take the stairs whenever possible, two at a time if you can

3.  Exercise in your office or break room.  See MTF for At Work.

4.  Stretch to increase circulation and blood flow

These simple steps will go a—surprisingly—long way toward enhancing your overall health and well-being and you are worth it.

And the most sedentary US city is?
2011: Lexington, KY. “What hurt Lexington most was the actual amount of activity, or exercise, people reported engaging in — any physical activity at all, which was relatively low.  And they did have higher rates of deaths from deep vein thrombosis (DVT) as well,” said Matt Marion, deputy editor of Men’s Health.

Good news: Seattle, San Francisco and Oakland, California were the most physically active!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110627/od_nm/us_usa_cities_odds

3 Fat Loss Myths You Need to Know About

Tags: burning fat, fat loss myths, get in shape, healthy living, lose weight

Myth: Natural or herbal weight-loss products are safe and effective.

Products labeled “natural” and “herbal” do not mean they are safe OR that they work.  Some can cause serious health problems and combining weight loss products with other medications can also cause serious damage. Best bet: speak to your physician before using ANY weight loss product, natural, herbal or otherwise.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/herbal-supplements/SA00044

Myth: Weight loss is the same as fat loss.

Not so. Have you ever seen someone who is thin but looks unhealthy, who weighs less than you or in contrast see someone fit and lean that weighs 20 pounds more?  Would you rather lose muscle mass or body fat regardless of what the scale says?  Jade Teta of Metabolic Effect clarifies: “Where weight loss is about quantity of food eaten and [length of] time exercise is done, fat loss is about the quality of food and the type of exercise.”
http://www.metaboliceffect.com/topic/38-weight-loss-vs-fat-loss.aspx

Myth: Cardio should be performed within the “fat burning zone”

Have you ever checked out the automated programs on cardio equipment at the gym labeled Fat Loss Zone? This generally means steady-state cardiovascular exercise without variation in intensity. Cranking up the intensity allows you to  burn more total calories and CONTINUE to burn calories and fat post-workout. Confused about HIIT (high intensity interval training)?  It’s worth a few minutes read for the time it will save you during you workouts!
http://ca.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_100/135_fitness_tip.html

Summer Is Almost Here!

Tags: fat loss, get in shape, healthy living

Jumpstart your Routine with these Five Fat Loss Rules

Don’t panic… summer is almost here but it’s never to late to jumpstart your current fitness routine and optimize fat loss results.

1. Set Your Goal
Before embarking on a new fitness routine, take a few moments to ask yourself what your goals are. Sure, summer is a great reason to get in shape but what about come fall? If you’d like to retain the benefits of all your hard work you’ll need to determine what type of workouts will work best for you, where and when you will do them and how to tweak your routine as you go to ensure your new plan is a lifestyle change.

2. Lift Heavier Weights
Contrary to common concerns; it will not cause you to bulk up. Women don’t have the amount of testosterone men have which is the reason men carry and develop more muscle than women. It takes a lot of work for women to develop muscle but the result of that will mean a more effective fat burning machine! So go on… don’t be scared to lift as heavy as you can… safely!

3. Perform less cardio, BUT, higher intensity
Just 15-30 minutes of high intensity interval training, commonly known as HIIT, can burn more fat and sustain muscle gains much more effectively than jogging for an hour. Why spend an hour on a treadmill when you can get an intense fat burn in a fraction of the time?

4. Combat Boredom
The same workout every session would be enough to make anyone want to throw in the towel! Vary your workouts and take note in a workout journal your weights, reps and sets to ensure you are progressing. Circuit based fat burning workouts are great but building heavier straight set workouts into your workout program is beneficial physically and mixes things up to keep you mentally stimulated.

5. Be Consistent, Patient and Honest
Nothing worth having happens overnight. Be realistic with your expectations and if you don’t see results tomorrow just know that consistent effort will yield results. The combination of exercise and diet designed for fat loss will prove effective if you are patient and honest with yourself. The only one you’re cheating is yourself when you aren’t honest about your efforts.

****  Don’t forget your fuel! Our Facebook friend Jody reminds us that what you put into your body is as important as any of these tips for fat loss, so ensuring a healthy diet full of lean protein, fruits, veggies and whole grains without overindulging!

Does cold weather make us fat?

Tags: burning fat, family fitness, fat loss for women, get in shape, healthy living, holiday weight gain, my trainer fitness, winter fitness

Are those jeans getting a little snug and oversized sweaters becoming your go to fashion item? You’re not alone. Most people will gain an average of 2 pounds during the winter season. Winter brings colder weather and for some, added pounds. Is it because we are eating too much getting less exercise…or is it the cold?

“Your body may be working against you to hang on to it so you stay warm,_ said Lawrence Cheskin, MD, founder of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center in Baltimore, in an interview with Prevention magazine.  So while some doctors believe that winter weight gain may be genetic, it’s more likely that the following issues are contributing to those unwanted pounds:

• less motivated to exercise due to colder temps
• eating more comfort foods such as nuts, chips, creamy fat laden foods and starchy carbs
• less sunlight contributes to feeling down and lack of motivation
• consuming more alcohol at festive events and mindless noshing

Prevention is Key:
1.    Get off the couch! As appealing as it can be limit your couch time and get your exercise in at the time of day you have the most energy. If you can’t get outside to benefit from some sunlight hit the gym, head to a climbing gym, get to a spin class. Try something new!

2.    Pass on the eggnog. Enjoy the festivities but limit alcohol and stay away from the calorie packed eggnog and  Irish Crème. Eggnog packs a walloping 350 Calories in an average serving, along with 19g of fat. Try champagne – 90 plus calories per eight-ounce glass, wine spritzers and Low Cal Beers.

3.    Stock the kitchen right! You’ve probably heard it many times before but if you don’t buy it, you won’t eat it! Hit the grocery store with a list of healthy foods that will keep you full and decrease the chances of eating out of boredom.  Fruits, vegetables, fiber rich foodsì go easy on the empty starches, high sugar items and high fat foods.

4.    Don’t forget your vitamins! Ensure you continue taking a multivitamin through the winter. Your body might benefit from taking extra vitamin C and D during the winter months (consult your doctor)

5.    Weigh yourself periodically. We’re not saying every day but at least once a week to keep yourself in check!

Enjoy some treats this holiday in moderation! Off set the weight gain by remaining active and eating right. At My Trainer Fitness we think these tips will keep you on track throughout the winter and into the warmer months.

SELF Magazine, September 2010

Tags: Circuit Training, get in shape, healthy living, lose weight, personal trainer, SELF Magazine, six pack, training for women

See us on page 72!

Family Circle Online Edition, featuring… us!

Tags: fitness training, get in shape, healthy living, lose weight, my gym trainer, my trainer fitness, new workout, personal trainer, six pack, training for women, women's workouts

25-Minute Best-Body Workout!

Spotlight with Winston Salem Monthly for My Gym Trainer!

Tags: better workouts, burn fat, burning fat, Circuit Training, Fitness, get in shape, lose weight

Winston Salem Monthly (print and online) shines the spotlight on MGT in this article.

My Trainer Fitness for at Home! DIY exercise in the comfort of your own living room for only $10

Tags: Circuit Training, get in shape, home workouts, my trainer fitness

When the “My Gym Trainer” book series came out last winter, we received a lot of feedback from men and women who wanted a version to do at home, since not everyone has a gym membership. We loved the idea and recently launched our “My Trainer Fitness for at Home” 6-pack! It’s a great DIY fitness booklet containing 6 at-home workouts, each containing both cardio and weight training. Days 1 & 4 provide lower body exercise, while Days 2 & 5 work the upper body and finally, Days 3 & 6 hit those core muscles (abs and low back) for a complete full-body workout in 1 week. Of course, just like the MGT books, you can space out the workouts and only exercise 3x/week and then you would not do the same workout twice over a 2- week period. One of the best things about the 6-pack is that EACH WORKOUT IS ONLY 30 MINUTES. And anyone can commit to 30 minutes a day, especially at their house, even in their PJs! J The workouts are easy to follow too! You only need 2 sets of dumbbells (1 heavy, 1 light; how to choose is outlined in the pack), a chair and a mat. Each workout consists of 2 circuits, each of which last 15 minutes. Simply follow the circuit of exercises through as they are laid out, moving quickly from one exercise to the next to get a great cardio, as well as strength workout and boost the metabolism all day long. Start your day off right with a MTFAH workout in the morning before work to stay revved all day! Here is an example of what you can expect:

Purchase your MTFAH 6-pack for only $10 at http://www.MyTrainerFitness.com

Best Exercises for Women’s Trouble Spots

Tags: burning fat, fitness training, get in shape, lose weight, training for women, weight training

Part 1:  Hips, Thighs, Glutes
My Gym Trainer specializes in designing great workouts to target the whole body for lean tissue building and fat burning.  Though, we do always get asked, “What are the best exercises for getting lean legs or for the back of the arms or for the midsection?”  For many women, these are some of the hardest areas to tone up because genetically and hormonally, our body wants to store fat there.  In addition to lowering overall body fat via full-body weight training, intense cardiovascular exercise and proper fat-loss nutrition, there are specific exercises that target these areas better than others.

Saddlebags.  Thunder Thighs.  Junk in the Trunk.
Many women see a couple extra pounds immediately in their thighs, hips and glutes.  They can feel the difference when they try to zip up their jeans.  So how do we get beautifully sculpted legs and glutes, while burning the fat on top?  From an evolutionary perspective, the fat that sticks to thighs and glutes is fat that the body wants to be there.  For childbearing purposes and because estrogen receptor densities are highly active in this area, women’s bodies hold onto fat in these places stubbornly.  Thus, you can imagine just how hard it is going to be to break through this evolutionary barrier to reduce fat and sculpt the underlying muscles there.

Train Heavy and Induce Failure. If you are new to weight training, be sure to practice your form specifically on squats and lunges for a few weeks with light weights.  Once you perfect your form, begin adding weight.  If you want to convince the body to give up these fat stores and coax the muscles out of hibernation, challenge legs and glutes from several angles with challenging weight and with various exercises.  To optimize the hormonal imbalance in the hips and thighs, induce testosterone and growth hormone release by training to the point of failure throughout each workout (both of these hormones have incredible fat burning potential in women—yes, natural release of testosterone in women is a good thing!).   Here are some great exercises to incorporate:

1) Heavy lunge: Within a few weeks of incorporating heavy lunges into a leg routine, inches will start coming off and definition appearing.  There exists a common notion among women that lifting heavy weights will make you “bulk up” or just grow the glutes outward.  Unfortunately what many don’t know is that as long as attention is paid to fat-burning, inches will be lost and sculpted muscle will appear.  For example, take someone who performs a lot of cardiovascular activity and never weight trains.  This person is probably slim, but with zero definition or curves.  Try fat-burning cardio mixed with intense weight-training to failure and you have the recipe for overall lean limbs.

2) Stiff-legged Deadlifts:  These exercises isolate the hamstrings (back of the leg) and target the area below the glutes called the “glute-hamstring tie-in.” If attempting deadlifts for the first time, be sure to check out the photos contained in your My Gym Trainer books.  This movement is technical, but if executed correctly, it is one of the most effective exercises to shape the entire back of the leg.  Just be sure to keep your back straight while you hinge at the hips and engage your abs, which helps to protect from injury.

3) Plyometric movements can be a miracle on the path to coaxing your leg muscles out of hiding.  Plyometric movements are jumping movements and they are vital in breaching the intensity threshold needed to lean out the legs.  Many people shy away from these exercises because they are scared of injury or they have bad knees.  If you do have bad knees, these exercises are probably not for you.  However, with a clean bill of knee health, begin incorporating these movements into your leg routine and watch the muscles appear.  Some examples that you can also find in your My Gym Trainer books include:

• Squat Jumps
• Switch Jumps (jumping junges)
• Squat Thrusts
• Bench Jumps