lose weight

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

TIPS for Healthier, More Peaceful Thanksgivings

Tags: better workouts, Fitness, fitness training, healthy living, lose weight, Nutrition

Holiday meals don’t have to be something we dread or have to approach with caution. Suggesting a new healthier traditional dinner for Thanksgiving and other holiday meals to your family and friends can be a great opportunity to try new recipes and put a twist on the standard holiday fare.

1. Decide on the most favored dessert and make only that so that there’s only one dessert to try. And explore recipes online that are lower in fat and calories but taste just as great! http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/ is one of our favorite recipe resources and their recipes also provide the nutritional breakdown.

2. Plan a balanced menu around the top 3 or 4 dishes to make, and make or bring only that. For instance, if you have stuffing, then don’t have bread. We’re less inclined to overeat if we have fewer choices.

3. Reduce or substitute the fat used for cooking, dressings, etc., by 1/2. Time and again I have reduced the oil or butter in a recipe by half without anyone even noticing it. Similarly, substitute 2% milk for half and half. Apple sauce is another fat substitute used in many baked goods.

4. Invite everyone to go for a brisk walk around your block or neighborhood immediately after your meal. Once you sit, full, it can be harder to get up or want to get up. A brisk walk will energize everyone while still providing an opportunity to converse. This is such a great tradition to set in motion for the kids. If the weathers too messy, then try something active like an active Wii game.

5. The most important thing for a peaceful and enjoyable Thanksgiving is this: remember to appreciate and be thankful for all that we do have, not what might be missing. Counting blessings means to focus on those blessings and when we do that, our blessings grow, diminishing the worries and challenges because whatever we put our attention on tends to grow.

If you are faced with the challenge of attending a holiday meal that you cannot contribute to then watch your portions. Stay away from the empty starchy carbs and high fat gravy and buttery dishes. Lean protein, salad and veggies are usually options at most meals. Indulge in a favorite or two if you like and you will feel empowered by your choices and not laden with guilt at a time when we should be enjoying family and friends and appreciating our many blessings.

The bottom line to help your bottom line: eat the healthiest items first and you’ll be less likely to overindulge on that which your body doesn’t need.

From your friends at My Trainer Fitness: Fitness on the go!

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.

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

MGT Reviews: The Fabulous Finds

Tags: burn fat, fabulous finds, fitness training, lose weight, my gym trainer, personal trainer, weight training

Reviewed by: Melinda, ID

I am very impressed with My Gym Trainer 3. For someone who enjoys exercise, I love the way it has a different workout every day, targeting different areas each day. I also love that it has tips and facts throughout the book.

The pictures are very helpful and the core workouts seem challenging but achievable. I would use this product with a few of my own variations. One downfall is that it can be very difficult to get to the gym 6 days a week.

It would also be helpful to have a few examples of meal ideas and types of foods that should be eaten with each workout day. Overall, the My Gym Trainer seems like a great tool to help tone and achieve a peak fitness level and I am excited to see the results!

For more MGT reviews on The Fabulous Finds, CLICK HERE!

CLICK HERE to purchase My Gym Trainer! For more information, visit: http://www.mytrainerfitness.com

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WOMEN: Build Muscle, Burn Fat and Lose Inches with My Gym Trainer

Tags: building muscle, burn fat, get in shape, heavy weights, lose weight, my fitness, my gym trainer, personal trainer, weight lifiting

By Jill Coleman

Women love to lift light pink weights to prevent bulking up.  As a trainer, I personally savor the moment when a female client comes to me and says that she doesn’t like to lift heavy weights because she doesn’t want to get “big” or because her “legs get big really quickly with weights” or some similar precaution.  These comments from women excite me because it means that I get the chance to change their perspective and show them amazing results with challenging, heavy weight—results they never dreamed of: inches lost, improved energy, better sleep quality, increased sexual drive, stress dissipation, improved self esteem and sense of empowerment.  I usually begin by saying that I guarantee that without challengingly heavy weight they will not see a single change in their physique, period.  They can literally do hundreds and hundreds of reps with light weight and end up with no curves, no definition, no cuts, and no inches lost to show for it.

The problem with light weights

In general, 90% of female gym-goers unknowingly train for endurance by doing things like jogging on the treadmill, zoning out on the elliptical or taking a 60-minute Power Pump “toning” class.  Essentially, in my opinion, lifting light weights for reps on end is the same thing as jogging, i.e. applying a light stimulus for a longer duration (endurance training).  Interestingly, 90% of female gym-goers are wanting fat loss, and yet they are training for endurance; in other words, they doing long, slow workouts with light-to-moderate resistance in order to be able to maintain a steady exertion for the duration of the workout.  If it is fat loss we want, why are we not training ourselves for it???

Hour-long toning classes require the participant complete hundreds of reps, with the goal of increasing weight lifted, all the while performing the same exercises.  Though incremental increases in weight are a great way to increase intensity, how much weight can you really add when you are expected to complete 100 reps with it?  Moreover, you are always doing the same exercises, class after class, to which we know that our bodies adapt more and respond less (i.e. burn less calories, build less muscle, release fewer amounts of fat-burning hormones) over time.

Furthermore, besides being a ridiculously-inefficient use of time, lifting with a weight light enough to complete sets of 30, 40 or even 50 reps elicits a very different hormonal response than that of heavier, more intense training.  At the physiological level, completing hundreds of reps using pink dumbbells essentially does the same thing as jogging in terms of the hormonal response.  It increases the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine, but without the complementary release of fat-burning hormones like growth hormone, testosterone and even lactic acid, which acts as a chemical messenger in the fat-burning process.   The low-intensity resultant hormonal soup promotes muscle break-down and potentially even fat storing in the middle (cortisol is known as the “belly fat” hormone).  Doing these kinds of workouts day after day promotes stripping of muscle, not building.  The stimulus used is never enough to promote growth and development.  The only way to increase fat-burning while building muscle is to lift heavy weights, preferably quickly and get more done in less time.

Why lift heavy

In the “My Gym Trainer” books, we encourage you to train with challengingly heavy weights.  Here’s why:

Contrary to what many trainers may say, bulking up does happen, however it is not what you think it is.  It occurs when muscle is built underneath layers of fat, without any attention paid to fat-burning.  Thus, you appear larger.  By now we know that we must lift heavy weights to elicit any physique change, but we also need to burn fat simultaneously to lose inches and gain more definition.  Most educated personal trainers know that in order to increase fat-burning during and after the workout, you must breach your anaerobic threshold.  In other words, when lifting, you must get breathless, you must get burning in your muscles (signals lactic acid accumulation) and you must lift heavy enough weight to reach the point of mechanical muscle failure.  There should be no fear of bulking up when fat-burning is being maximized.

Lifting heavy weights to the point of muscle failure, in general, enhances the release of testosterone, which when increased naturally through weight training will increase fat-burning in women (one of the reasons men are leaner than women).  Lifting heavy enough to generate a strong burning in the muscles enhances the release of human growth hormone, which also aids in fat burning and has female-friendly anti-aging benefits.

Finally, adding lean muscle mass will enhance your fat burning potential while you are not working out.  A pound of muscle burns 15-30 calories per day at rest, while a pound of fat burns 2-5 calories; it’s a no-brainer of which composition is more desirable.  More muscle makes us more metabolically active. Furthermore, a pound of fat takes up more physical space than a pound of muscle.  So, burning fat and increasing lean muscle will NOT create bulk, but instead strip inches creating a lean, tight, defined physique, not to mention your clothes hanging off you.

Build Muscle, Burn Fat and Lose Inches with My Gym Trainer

So how do you do this?  First, stop doing “toning” workouts. If you can complete 50 reps without stopping, you are not “toning,” you are wasting both muscle and time.  Using the workouts contained in “My Gym Trainer,” choose a weight that elicits failure by the last rep.  For example, if the workout calls for 10 reps, choose a weight with which you can barely complete 10 reps, and definitely not 11.  Next, maximize your time in the gym by training quickly, sticking to less than 60 seconds between sets.  Workout sessions (cardio OR weight training) should be no longer than 35-40 minutes in duration for best results.  Long rest periods between sets is power lifting and does not burn fat. 

“My Gym Trainer” uses circuit training.  You have 3-4 exercises per circuit, through which you move quickly from exercise to exercise with little-to-no rest.  The workouts in MGT are designed this way in order to keep the heart rate up and generate a greater lactic acid burn in the muscles because there will be less time for the burn to dissipate between sets.   My Gym Trainer offers tons of variety in the exercises in order to keep the body responsive.  Compound movements like pull-ups, squats, lunges, push-presses, rows and bench presses use multiple muscle groups across several joints.  The more muscle tissue recruited by an exercise, the larger the metabolic effect of the workout. 

Go heavy and leave the pink to the babies!  We would love to hear from you, and about your My Gym Trainer experience!  info@mytrainerfitness.com

CLICK HERE to purchase My Gym Trainer!

For more information, visit: http://www.mytrainerfitness.com

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Yes! Weekly Talks To My Gym Trainer!

Tags: Fitness, lose weight, personal trainer, weight training, yes weekly

By Keith T. Barber and Jordan Green