A Fitter Image

My 24 Hour Relationship with a 3 Day Cleanse

2014-02-03T14:48:00.003-05:00

Month one of P90X3 was done and even though I lost a full 1.5% of body fat and definitely saw strength gains, the scale hadn't budged. I know my nutrition this past month was to blame. While I eat sensibly most of the time, I did have a few late night treats and a couple extra "cheat meals" this month. Beachbody sells a supplement shake called Shakeology and many people claim doing a 3 day "cleanse" with Shakeology helped them bust through a plateau.

I felt I needed something drastic to reset my eating habits, so I purchased a bag of Shakeology off of Ebay ($40 cheaper than if you go through Beachbody) and convinced my significant other to do this 3 day adventure with me. I had purchased a sampler pack of Shakeology a month ago, so I knew what to expect in terms of taste and thought I could handle 3 days of nothin' but shakes. (After all, I successfully completed the 17 Day Diet... I can commit to nutritionally sound dietary changes.) I extensively researched Shakeology, as the FDA does not regulate any supplements, so you have to be very careful with any supplement; they can have adverse side effects and can also interfere with medications you might be taking, and some are just plain dangerous. But after reading reviews and doing my research, I felt comfortable giving it a try.

The Shakeology "cleanse" isn't a traditional cleanse… you drink 3 shakes a day and eat some fruit and a portion of protein and big salad/veggies for one meal. You also drink green tea and lots of water. And you do this for 3 days straight. Some people lose weight while doing this; most claim it helps them recommit to a healthy lifestyle. (Of course, I couldn't find any negative reviews of the cleanse, so perhaps I shall be the first?)

My spouse and I woke up Thursday morning and in lieu of our cups of coffee, we had a cup of green tea. Shortly after, we had our breakfast of greenberry Shakeology. Technically, you're only supposed to mix the Shakeology with ice and water during the cleanse, but if I had to drink this 9 times in 3 days, I needed something to disguise the taste of algae-fied pond water. We mixed it with Trop50 pomegranate/blueberry juice - not too much added sugar, but enough to add some flavor. Unfortunately, it was a horrible flavor, but we managed to gulp it down. Most reviewers I found online who do this cleanse suffer from a lack of energy, so I quickly completed my P90X3 Yoga workout, before my energy ran out. Two hours later, we had our "snack" of fruit.

Time was ticking by so slowly Thursday. The weather was horrible - cold and rainy - and it was killing us not to drink hot chocolate. Instead we had some more green tea. Lunch was another greenberry Shakeology, this time with low sugar apple juice - again just adding approximately 50 calories to the shake. Even though I really liked the apple juice/greenberry combo when I tried it 3 weeks ago, it was all I could do to not regurgitate it half way through. It took me 15 minutes to finally finish a mere 8 oz shake.

They claim Shakeology reduces your cravings and it certainly reduced mine… my stomach felt heavy and nauseated after that second shake. Our second snack of the day (which is a 3rd shake) could be consumed in the afternoon or after dinner. I didn't want to touch another one, so I set my mind to not eating anything prior to dinner - it actually wasn't too hard to do.

A horrible headache kicked in around 1pm that day. It could have been the weather or it could have been the lack of solid food. My mood was depressed, I had no energy, and I felt entirely lazy and unmotivated. My spouse was feeling the same way and actually fell asleep on lunch break (we both work from home). At 4pm, my spouse - who at this point resembled a zombie - emerged from the home office exclaiming "I need FOOOOOD!" Even in my lethargic, depressed state, I nearly fell on the floor laughing.

I began cooking dinner at 4:30pm, a half hour earlier than normal - baked chicken with a huge salad. I swear, greens have never tasted so good and that chicken was probably the best chicken I've ever cooked in my life. After dinner, I saw that giant bag of Shakeology staring at me on the counter and I knew I was supposed to have one more shake that night. I couldn't do it - if I had to drink one more of those shakes I knew it wouldn't make it all the way down and stay down.

Defeated, I tentatively inquired as to if my spouse wanted to keep doing the cleanse. The response was "I think one day is fine." With a huge sigh of relief, I smiled for the first time that day. Unfortunately, the headache and extreme lethargy continued throughout the rest of the night.

Friday I woke up and ate Van's Power Grains Waffles and a cup of fruit for breakfast and I felt amazing. We had set out to do a 3 day cleanse and finished only one day. The perfectionist in me was tempted to beat myself up and feel like a failure. But I learned quite a bit from this 24 hour "cleanse."

Humans need to eat solid food. There is a satisfaction and satiety that comes from physically chewing good, nutritious food. Not being able to fully consume real food for 10 hours made me savor every bite of my chicken and salad. This in turn, made me realize how often I mindlessly eat without truly enjoying the taste and texture. Lesson to move forward with: practice mindful eating.

There are a lot of pros (and cons) to fasting and cleansing, but ultimately each individual needs to determine what's best for him or her. Don't cleanse or fast just because that's the fad right now or some "expert" on the Dr. Oz show said to do it. After 10 hours of "cleansing", I determined it was not worth it for me to continue doing so, if it meant feeling physically ill and emotionally wrecked. Lesson to move forward with: what works for someone else may not be the best thing for you.

There is no magic pill. I have always been a firm believer in not taking supplements for weight loss nor replacing meals with shakes/bars. Because when the weight comes off, will you continue to consume those products for the rest of your life? Instead, learning proper nutrition and portion control and eating a balanced diet sets you up for a lifestyle change, which aids in weight loss and then weight maintenance. Could I have lost a few pounds had I continued the "cleanse"? Probably. Experiencing a migraine and mood alterations was not worth it to me to lose a quick few pounds that way. What I gained was the affirmation that, for me, eating well and counting calories is a tried and true method, with minimal negative physical/emotional side effects.

Have you tried a cleanse? Thoughts? Positive experience? Negative experience? Please share in the comments!

P90X3 Transition Week - Pilates X & Accelerator Reviews

2014-02-03T14:01:00.001-05:00

P90X3 transition week continued with Pilates X and Accelerator and then finished with CVX and X3 Yoga, which were workouts also found in Block 1.

Pilates X - This workout has you laying on the floor the entire time, mostly working your core and flexibility. Tony also wants you to focus on rapid, forceful breathing which I dropped 2 minutes in because it sounded like I was in labor. I wanted to focus on nailing the exercises and form as best I could and that loud breathing made me lose my concentration. Aside from a few challenging side planks, this workout was fairly restful for transition week (could be because I wasn't doing the lamaze breathing). Pilates X only shows up in the transition weeks between blocks and twice during Block 3, which is good since it is not a workout I particularly enjoy.

Accelerator - This is meant as a cardiovascular workout, but also includes plenty of bodyweight resistance training. Out of 20 exercises total (which you perform for one minute each), 9 involve some variation of a plank: mountain climbers, burpees, walking planks, swimmer's planks, etc. The final move is particularly intense, involving a donkey kick (hands on floor, kick both feet up in the air behind you), then landing on the ground pulling one leg through to the side while raising an arm in the air and attempting to balance in a one legged frog stance. (It looks much cooler than my words are alluding to.) However, I would highly recommend either pressing pause and practicing this move slowly and/or not worrying about keeping up with Tony and his posse. As with the majority of transition week workouts, Accelerator only appears in the P90X3 program two more times, which is a shame as it is a great workout with a lot of variety.

No external weights are used in any transition week workout (aside from CVX) and I found myself missing push ups and pull ups, in addition to other weighted strength moves. The transition week workouts were nice to add variety into the schedule, but I am glad some of them only appear a few more times.

30 days down, 60 to go. Next up: Block 2!

P90X3 Transition Week - Isometrix & Dynamix Workout Reviews

2014-01-22T13:54:00.000-05:00

Phase 1 of P90X3 consists of three weeks of intense workouts and then one transition week with a different set of workouts. I thought "transition" meant a time for the body to take a breather and refresh for Phase 2. I was wrong.

P90X3 Transition Week is Not for the Weary

The first two workouts of the transition week are Isometrix and Dynamix, or the yin and yang of stretching/flexibility/mobility workouts. Isometrix requires you to hold a fixed position for 45 seconds. Most of these are yoga poses, including extreme variations of plank, tree pose, chair, and down dog. When I say extreme variations, I mean things like side planks with upper leg lifted, regular planks with one arm extended, and down dogs with one arm gripping the contralateral ankle and the other foot extended skyward. You lose your balance just concocting that pose in your mind.

I tend to not enjoy things I'm not good at, and many of the Isometrix moves challenged me extensively. I finished the workout and immediately ran to the P90X3 calendar to see how many more times I'd have to endure this workout. (Luckily, it's only on the schedule 2 more times. Whew!)

Dynamix, on the other hand, has you moving throughout each pose, with very little static or isometric holds. It is very heavy on lower body mobility and flexibility and I found myself wishing Tony Horton had included a few more upper body movements. While there are a few plank variations, which certainly challenge the upper body, the only upper body specific move was a simple shoulder stretch. Especially since many P90X3 workouts are driven by pushing and pulling movements, a few more upper body mobility moves would round out this session nicely.

The interesting thing about Dynamix is that, on the P90X3 calendar, in addition to being a workout during the Transition Weeks, it is also listed as an optional workout for your rest days. So you can either rest (not do a workout) or do Dynamix. This is akin to saying you could either read a magazine or you could read a 300 page novel. You should not pop the Dynamix workout into the DVD player on a rest day and expect a light stretch and no sweat. In my first three weeks of P90X3, I took a full rest day each week. After completing Dynamix during the transition week, I'm glad I did. One full day of rest does a body good.

The rest of Transition week involves X3 Yoga and CVX from phase 1, in addition to two new workouts: Pilates X3 and Accelerator. After the first two workouts, I'm already expecting intensity.

Wrist Pain During Workouts? Try Strength Wraps

2014-01-19T15:27:00.000-05:00

My snazzy Green/Black Strength Wraps

Prior to P90X3 showing up at my door, I knew I needed to do something to help my wrists during the excessive push ups and pull ups that the P90X3 advertisements promised were coming my way. I've always had wrist pain during push ups, specifically in my left wrist. I've tried all the alleged antidotes over the past few years, from using hex dumbbells to neutralize my push up grip to modifying my body and hand position. Nothing worked. I could go a few days pain free, but then the gnawing pain in my radial wrist joint would flare up and I'd have to lay off push ups for several weeks.

Then I found Strength Wraps. They were listed among several pieces of equipment on a random website's "Top 10 Holiday Gifts for Cross Fitters." They're primarily used to support the wrists during overhead presses using heavy weights, but they're marketed as versatile enough to use during your entire workout, without compromising form or function during body weight exercises. I ordered a pair for myself after reading several reviews and watching a few "how to" videos. Everyone raved about them and they seemed simple enough to use. I was hoping they would work for me too.

I am three weeks into P90X3 and haven't had wrist pain at all in the past month, thanks to the Strength Wraps. I wear them for any workout involving push ups, pull ups, or a significant amount of planks. One of the P90X3 workouts is entirely push ups and pull ups (The Challenge). This week during The Challenge workout, I did approximately 48 regular pushups, 90 modified push ups, and 40 assisted pull ups - my wrists felt great afterward. They barely knew they had a workout.

The Strength Wraps are comfortable, washable, and easy to loosen and tighten. They do not get in the way of any exercise or movement and I barely know they're there. They come in a variety of attractive colors and styles too! I am constantly amazed that these simple wraps aid my performance and allow me to push past boundaries that were previously dictated by physical discomfort.

I am not being remunerated for this review in any way. I just really believe in this product and after 10 years of suffering from wrist pain during push ups, it's amazing to have found a simple, cost effective solution. Check them out for yourself at www.strengthwraps.com .

Disclaimer: If you feel any pain during a workout, always STOP and consult a physician first and foremost. This blog post, nor any products recommended, are not a substitute for medical advice or diagnosis by a qualified medical practitioner.

Traveling While On P90X3

2014-01-14T20:15:00.003-05:00

After only 7 days of P90X3, my work schedule called for me to travel out of state for 4 days. From day 1 of P90X3, I was planning how I would deal with this bump in the road.

Here's how I dealt with staying committed to P90X3 while traveling. If you're on P90X3 and have to travel, perhaps some of these tips can help.

- P90X3 allows a rest day every 7th day. My travel day fell on day 8 of P90X3, so I just swapped the day 8 workout for my rest day. Therefore, while I was flying and getting settled in my destination, I didn't have to worry about a workout. For my return flight, I again used a rest day.

- Because my travel had me in a different time zone, I chose to get up and work out first thing in the morning. Even though I was working out at 5:30am MT, my body thought it was 7:30am ET, so it was fairly doable. I knew that by the time I got home from work at 5:30pm MT (7:30pm ET), I would not feel up to a workout.

- Luckily, the workouts that I would need to do were pretty travel-friendly. X3 Yoga and Agility X require no equipment. So I planned to complete those as the schedule dictated and packed those DVDs in my suitcase.

- X3 Yoga was very easy to do while in the hotel room. Throw down a towel and knock out the yoga.

- Agility X was a little more complicated. It does require tape on the floor, which I packed from home and used on the hotel room carpet. However, I was placed on a 3rd floor room, meaning all the jumps and running required in Agility X made me self conscious for my neighbors beneath me... especially at 5:30am local time. I modified by not jumping as much, which did weaken the workout a little bit, but I'll make up for it in the next Agility X workout.

- Eating while traveling is always a challenge. I had packed some protein bars and almonds, and tried to have soup and salad when possible. And I kept my water bottle full and with me at all times.

- Rest and rejuvenation are important. I had a few extra hours at the airport on the way home and got a chair massage at Xpress Spa. If you ever get the opportunity for one of these chair massages, take it. I've had two in the past year and they are THE best massages I've ever had in my life.

- Walk, walk, walk. I wear a pedometer every day and aimed to hit 10,000 steps, especially on the days I was flying.

Overall, I accomplished my P90X3 travel goals and resumed my scheduled workouts upon arriving home with no problem. The key to maintaining fitness while traveling is to plan ahead as much as possible. Luckily, the P90X3 system makes workouts fairly portable.

Two weeks in - still on schedule!

My P90X3 Journey - One Week Down

2014-01-07T21:35:00.000-05:00

Thoughts After My First Week of P90X3

30 minute workouts rock. After 30 minutes, I feel plenty worked, but not so burnt I can't muster energy to get through the rest of my day. It is awesome to get your workout done and get on with your day.

Pre-workout drinks taste like antifreeze, but they probably help. The P90X3 Ultimate Kit came with an Energy & Endurance pre-workout drink. I decided to incorporate it into my daily routine to get the full P90X3 experience. The drink is supposed to be lemon-lime flavor, but let me tell you, it's no Gatorade. I chug it down 15-20 minutes before my workout. Most days this week, I did feel pretty energetic throughout the workouts. This could also be placebo effect.

Recovery drinks taste amazing and they definitely help. The P90X3 Ultimate Kit also came with a Rest & Recovery post-workout drink. It tastes like orange creamsicle and is VERY good. (My spouse, who isn't doing P90X3, will sit on the couch and watch me do my workout just so I'll share 2 sips of my Rest & Recovery drink after I finish.) Prior to P90X3, I was doing fairly intense strength and cardio workouts, e.g. boot camps, kettlebells, sandbags. It felt like every other day, a different body part was sore afterward. This week, I have been surprised at how NOT sore I've been. I did notice some soreness after the pullup/pushup workout (The Challenge), but nowhere near what I was expecting after spending 30 minutes non stop doing those exercises. I truly believe the Rest & Recovery drink has helped my muscles and body recover from these pretty intense workouts. If you do P90X3, you don't have to buy the Beachbody formula; a 3:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio should work too. Many people swear by chocolate milk as a post workout drink. Your local nutrition store could help you too.

Pullups, where have you been all of my life? I think women traditionally shy away from hard core upper body movements, simply because it's more challenging for us - we find our strength more easily in our legs. I am so glad I purchased the chin up bar with the P90X3 system, as it's challenging me and pushing me in ways I haven't pursued before. If you start P90X3, get the chin up bar; you don't have to get the one through Beachbody, as it's overpriced. Target, WalMart, or your local sports store will sell one for $30-$40 cheaper. But get one! You'll be glad you did.

You will get out what you put in. This is true with anything in life, but especially when it comes to health and wellness. A popular quote in the fitness world is that you can't outtrain a bad diet. If you're putting in the 30 minutes a day to workout, you have to spend the other 23 1/2 hours a day eating well, being active, and getting enough sleep. It's all part of the equation. Working out has never been an issue for me; eating well is the challenge. But I am committed to progress and reaching my goals and that mindset has helped me stick with the eating plan. I can't say it hasn't made me cranky and a little unpleasant to be around some days, but I'm sure that will pass after the first week or so. It's all worth it in the end, and luckily my family/friends are supportive of that.

After 1 week of P90X3, would I recommend it? Yes! If you have baseline strength and cardiovascular fitness and like to be challenged, go for it. If you are new to working out or extremely out of shape, I would recommend starting with a fitness plan that is NOT extreme and working your way up to P90X3.

P90X3 - Days 5 & 6 - Workout Review

2014-01-07T21:29:00.000-05:00

Read about Days 1 & 2 Workouts here.
Read about Days 3 & 4 Workouts here.

Day 5 - CVX: Fast heart rate, short rest breaks: that's my 6 word minimalistic review of the P90X3 CVX (Cardiovascular) workout.

Maybe the workouts are catching up with me, or maybe I was just having an off day. But this was the hardest workout to get through so far. CVX is full of faster paced full body moves like lunges, jumps, high knees, but you carry a weight in your hands the entire time and lift that in various directions as your lower body lunges and squats. Tony recommends not using anything heavier than a 12 lb weight; I used a 6 lb sandbell, and that was heavy enough. CVX is the day after the pull up and pushup workout (The Challenge), so my upper body was really feeling the movement today.

I had to push pause and take several extended rest breaks throughout and never was I so glad to see the P90X3 screen clock hit 0:00. But I did get through it… glad I don't have to see it again for another week.

Day 6 - The Warrior: After CVX zapping my energy the day before, I was worried about my stamina getting through this no equipment, full bodyweight moves workout. Surprisingly, I nailed almost every move. Elevator pushups, rolling boats, and one legged squat jumps are just a few of the challenges in this workout. But by far the hardest was the thumbs up pushup, which is essentially a plank, pushup, and then plank with contralateral limbs raised off the ground, so that you're in plank position with only one hand and one foot on the ground at a time. I modified by not doing the pushup in the middle, but still struggled with the 1 arm/1 leg plank.

The 30 minutes went by quickly as Tony structures each set with a upper body move, a cardio blast, a core move and then a lower body exercise. Rest for 30 seconds. Repeat with a different set structured the same.

Overall, a great workout - elevated heart rate, lots of sweat, and feeling pretty tough at the end.

P90X3 - Days 3 & 4 - Workout Review

2014-01-05T14:16:00.000-05:00

Read my review of Days 1 & 2 workouts here.

Day 3 - Yoga: The 3rd workout in the series is yoga. However, given the P90X3 mantra of "work as hard as you can in 30 minutes," you don't spend a lot of time in each pose. I found this to be quite refreshing as I am easily bored spending multiple breaths holding various poses. Tony takes you through a vast range of poses: warrior, crescent, chair, tree, crow, triangle, sun salutation. And in between each pose is a vinyasa (a flow of plank, chaturanga, up dog, down dog). The workout ends with some floor work, consisting of plow, shoulder stands and a figure 4 series.

I was actually sweating at the end of the workout. I have fairly good flexibility and was familiar with almost all of the poses, but I still was challenged by several of them and have room to improve.

So far in P90x3, I have been impressed with the variety of workouts. It's nice to do something different each day. Having a yoga day definitely contributes to the enjoyability of the overall program as well as provides an opportunity for non-impact, stress reducing, flexibility enhancing, deep breathing movement - something our bodies definitely need.

Gator Girls Do Pullups

Day 4 - The Challenge: Pushups & Pullups… non stop for 30 minutes - that is The Challenge. The key to this workout is to pick a number for both exercises and hit that number of repetitions for each set of respective exercise. I picked 3 pull-ups (assisted with a resistance band) and 5 push ups (non modified). Since those were lower numbers and you get anywhere from 30-60 seconds for each round, I had a second number of modified pull ups (12 - resistance band pull downs) and modified push ups (10) to add on after I finished my non modified exercises in each set. I hit my numbers every single time except for the military pushups - I could only do those on my knees. As you do The Challenge each week, you try to beat your numbers from the previous week.

The 30 minutes went by surprisingly fast, and it definitely worked all muscles in the upper body. Doing a pull-up, even with a resistance band assisting you, makes you feel pretty bad-a$$, so I'm very much looking forward to working on that goal over the next few months. I even read today that the Marines use 3 pull-ups as their minimum requirement for their annual fitness test (for both males and females). So I feel my goal of completing 3 non-assisted pull ups by the end of this program is pretty hard core.

4 days in… feeling good. Who's with me on this? Anyone up for P90X3? Let's bring it!

P90X3 - Days 1 & 2 Workout Review

2014-01-03T15:57:00.000-05:00

I began P90X3 on 12/31/13. Here are my initial thoughts on the first two workouts.

Day 1 - Total Synergistics: This workout uses bodyweight, the chin up bar, and dumbbells. The moves are complex, involving multiple major muscle groups within each exercise - hence, working synergistically. On day 1, I was unable to do the moves on the chin up bar, so I used the resistance bands for those. I was excited to get started with P90X3, so I had a lot of natural energy flowing as I began the workout. My Ultimate Kit also came with an energy and endurance supplement, so I drank 4 oz of that 20 minutes before beginning my workout. That probably raised my energy level a few notches too.

I am proud to say I could do all of the exercises (sans the chin up bar ones) and I did most of them really well. I performed all of the pushups in a non-modified format and maintained good form. I was cautious and chose lighter dumbbells the first time out for some moves and will increase the weight next time. I honestly thought the workout would be harder and was hoping this was just an easier workout to kick off the program. At the end of the 30 minutes, I felt like I could - and should - keep working out and even contemplated jumping on the elliptical machine for a few minutes. I think that might have been that energy supplement talking :). I noticed that this workout is only in month 1, so I am guessing it is one of the easier workouts in the system.

Total Synergistics - P90X3 workout

Day 2 - Agility X: Put 2 strips of tape on the floor, 3 feet apart. Mark them with X's. X marks the spot. Hit the spot. That's the premise of this high speed, agility workout. The only equipment is your bodyweight and that tape.

It was New Year's Day and I was ready for day 2 of P90X3. It was a rainy day here in Orlando, and despite drinking my energy and endurance drink again, the overcast weather made me a tad less energetic than day 1. If I had any doubts from day 1 that P90X3 workouts would be less than challenging, they were all removed by the end of Agility X. This workout had me skating, lunging, jumping, and running all over my taped up hardwood floors. It was entirely nonstop for the full 30 minutes - so much so that I had to press pause twice and take a few breathers. While there are a few planks and pushups in this workout, it is mostly lower body exercises. The pace and variety of movements made this workout fly. Compared to Synergistics (day 1), I felt thoroughly worked at the end and I didn't have any desire to jump on the elliptical for a few more minutes.

Two days in, so far so good. :)

Agility X - P90X3 workout

Days 3 & 4 - Workout Review

P90X3 - The Journey Begins

2014-01-02T16:01:00.000-05:00

Zero Hour

As I begin my P90X3 journey, it's important to cover some basic information: goals, expectations, equipment, etc.

Time commitment: P90X3 is based on the fact that it's a quick, in and out, 30 minute workout (it's actually about 33-34 minutes with the cool down). I work a full time job and operate my training business on the side. Plus I have very demanding 4-legged kids and a spouse who I like to spend time with. 30 minutes a day is perfect for busy individuals and I can commit to 7 days a week of working out.

Intensity: Testers of P90X3 lost significant body fat and weight by completing these 30 minute workouts. The reason why is that they're intense. You need to bring it, hard core for 30 minutes straight. Science has shown that high intensity interval training workouts are more effective at reducing fat and improving fitness levels than longer, steady state exercise.

Nutrition: Proper nutrition is imperative to getting great fitness results. I will be following the P90X3 eating plan and since my order came with several supplements, I'll be trying those out and reviewing them too.

Equipment: All of the workouts in P90X3 can be done with bodyweight, dumbbells, and a chin up bar. Resistance bands can be substituted for the dumbbells and chin up bar and modifications are given in each workout. Since I purchased the Ultimate Kit, I now have a chin up bar to complete my home gym. (Note to Beachbody - please include more detailed instructions on putting the chin up bar together. One picture with numbers and dotted lines all over it did not make for an easy hour.)

My Goals for the next 90-120 days:
I am doing the Elite program after the basic 90 day program - so I will note goal progress at both 90 and 120 days.

Lose 10-15 pounds
Lose 8% body fat
Complete 3 unassisted chin ups
Complete 20 consecutive non-modified push ups

First Impressions upon Opening the P90X3 Box:

The P90X3 program comes with a great fitness and nutrition guide - it's worth it to read it BEFORE beginning day 1. In the guide is a fit test, which will show how much progress you've made during the program. The test is a mini-workout in itself. The guide will also help you determine your eating plan. There is also a getting started DVD, which should be watched prior to jumping in day 1 as well.

From a personal trainer's perspective, the P90X3 system is based in science and the creators have put a lot of thought and effort into making a complete package (eating + moving) that, if followed, should help participants reach their fitness goals. I personally believe in all of the principles that guide both the fitness and eating plans. So at this point, having read all the materials, I'm impressed with the program and feel it is high quality and a sound investment.

As mentioned previously, this is marketed as an extreme fitness program. I naturally worry about my ability to undertake such extreme exercise (which is why I don't do CrossFit). But as Tony Horton (the P90X3 trainer) points out, we've got 90 days to build up - we won't be perfect the first time we do each workout.

The only downside thus far has been putting together that darn chin up bar. However, once I did figure it out, it is a super cool home gym addition!

Next stop: Day 1.

Read more about why I chose P90X3 as my New Year's Resolution.

Even Personal Trainers Need Motivation: My P90X3 Resolution

2014-01-01T14:45:00.000-05:00

As a personal trainer, I love writing fitness programs for other people, but I get bored with writing them for myself. I look to other trainers to help me advance my own fitness level as well as provide me with new ideas and knowledge that I can use with my clients.

In the latter half of 2013, my own personal fitness motivation really sagged. I dealt with some personal health issues that caused the scale to go up a few pounds despite still working out consistently and watching my diet. (Darn that thyroid!) And other life stressors just got in the way and I found myself just going through the fitness motions without passion or joy. This was actually a good experience for me as a trainer, though, because it reminds me of what my clients go through and how they need my help and motivation.

And that's what I needed: help and motivation with my personal fitness plan. I came across it in an unusual way. I was reading a blog on the ACE Fitness website and saw an ad for T25, a 25 minute workout system by Shaun T (creator of Insanity). I clicked over and reviewed it for a few minutes, but then got sidetracked by an ad on that site for P90X3. (Oh the Internet, helping everyone lose their attention span one ad at a time.)

For the next week, I researched P90X3 every way that I could: I watched videos with Tony Horton, read reviews of those who were in the test group, and read blogs of individuals who were just starting the program. P90X3 launched in mid December, so there isn't a lot of "been there, done that" reviews to read, but I researched all that I could. And I was inspired and impressed with what I found.

The marketing worked on me - I purchased the most expensive kit, the Ultimate P90X3, with a chin up bar, a jump mat, Elite workouts, resistance bands, and more. Even after I ordered it, I continued to research and prepare. I was probably just trying to assuage my buyer's remorse after dropping a hefty sum to Beachbody.com. I still felt good about my purchase though, and once the box arrived with all the goodies, I knew it was a good deal.

Ultimate P90X3 Kit

If you haven't heard of P90X3, here's a brief synopsis. It's from the same creators of P90X and P90X2. However, you don't have to have completed either one of those to do P90X3. (For the record, I have not done either program, nor any other Beachbody fitness program.) This program contains 30 minute workouts focusing on resistance exercise and cardiovascular endurance using body weight and minimal equipment. Along with the exercise plan is an eating plan, focusing on smart choices and realistically moderating intake. There are no gimmicks with the plan - it's nutritionally sound, you're not asked to give up one food group, and you can either count calories or just monitor portions. Because P90X3 is sold by Beachbody, which also has a whole line of supplements, they encourage you to partake in some of them, but it's not mandated by the eating plan.

So on December 31, 2013 I began my P90X3 journey. It will actually be about 120 days, because I am doing the Elite block in addition to the 90 days. I will chronicle it here and I hope you join me. If anyone reading this is also doing P90X3, please chime in. Let the journey begin! :)

Trainer's note: P90X3 is an extreme fitness program, it is not for everyone. Let me be frank: Participants should have some baseline strength and endurance in order to not hurt themselves doing these activities. Before beginning any exercise program, always consult with your physician.

Performing a Fitness SWOT Analysis

2013-02-21T15:46:00.002-05:00

SWOT Analysis. Anyone who’s worked in the corporate world or taken an introductory business management class is probably familiar with this method of analyzing one’s strengths and weaknesses. Commonly used in business, the SWOT is a subjective look at the positive and negative internal factors of a company, as well as the positive and negative factors external to a company. The SWOT can help with goal setting, competitor analysis, marketing, and many other corporate planning strategies.

But the SWOT does not have to belong solely to the corporate domain! We can use the SWOT principles to analyze our own fitness landscape and provide a tool to help us reach our goals. Let’s take a look at each component of SWOT as it relates to fitness, health, and wellness.

Fitness SWOT Analysis. K. McLaughlin (2013)

Strengths – A strength is a positive, internal factor – meaning something you control and inherent to you. These can be skills, talents, interests, or abilities. Some examples include: cooking, understanding basic nutritional concepts, playing tennis, muscular endurance, grip strength, time management skills. Questions to ask yourself include:

• What do you do well (in relation to health/wellness/fitness)?
• What do others see as your strengths?
• What behaviors/skills will contribute to your progress?

Weaknesses – A weakness is a negative, internal factor. This would be something that you need to improve upon or an area where you lack skill, knowledge, or ability. Some weaknesses could include: emotional eating, poor upper body strength, or poor stress management skills. Questions to ask yourself include:
• What could you improve (in relation to health/wellness/fitness)?
• Where do you have fewer resources (e.g. time, equipment, knowledge, experience)?
• How can you overcome these?

Opportunities – An opportunity is a positive, external factor – meaning it’s outside of your control and exists in your environment. Opportunities could be people, events, or objects of motivation. Even an interest in something, such as group exercise classes or mixed martial arts, can be included. Some opportunities could include: a charity 5K you’d like to compete in, your best friend who consistently works out, your partner who supports your health initiatives, your personal trainer, a CrossFit gym you’re interested in trying out, a trusted health magazine that inspires/motivates/educates you. Questions to ask yourself include:
• Who/what in your life motivates you & supports you to be healthier?
• What interests you (types of exercise, cooking, nutrition)? What would you like to know more about?

Threats – A threat is a negative, external factor. “Threat” is a really harsh word, but in terms of our fitness analysis, let’s think of “threats” as deterrents to our fitness/health goals or something that thwarts our progress. It might even be something temporary in nature, such as bad weather or sickness that could prevent our normal workouts. Some threats could include: the office candy dish, the family member that “shows love” with their rich, buttery, sugar laden baking, 60-hr workweeks. Personally speaking, cupcakes are a huge threat for me! (Note that in our SWOT, the cupcake would not show up as a weakness, since it is not internal; it is an external object, making it a threat. Stress eating or eating out of boredom would be the behavioral weakness leading to the consumption of the cupcake threat.) Questions to ask yourself include:
• What products, environments, or people could thwart your progress?
• Can your strengths/opportunities overcome these?

How can you take all of this information and put it together to benefit you?

1) Do you have a fitness, health, or wellness goal that you’d like to work toward? If so, complete a SWOT with that goal in mind. For example, let’s say you want to lose 10 pounds. What strengths and opportunities will help you reach that goal? Conversely, what weaknesses and threats do you need to be cognizant of so that they don’t sabotage your progress? Any health and fitness goal can benefit from a SWOT, whether it be performance based (e.g. running a half marathon), body-metric based (e.g. reduce fat mass, increase muscle mass, lose weight), or lifestyle based (e.g. eat 5 fruits/vegetables a day, improve stress management skills).

2) If you don’t have a fitness, health, or wellness goal in mind, you can complete a general health and fitness SWOT to determine your strengths and identify areas of improvement. This could then help you formulate a goal you want to work toward.

Whether you’re a novice exerciser or a competitive marathoner, everyone could benefit from thoughtful examination of fitness habits, strengths, and weaknesses. Have you performed a fitness SWOT? Please share your experience below!

Product Review: The Equalizer by Lebert Fitness

2013-01-25T14:48:00.000-05:00

Equalizers in Pink

I had my own Black Friday fun last November, scouring fitness equipment websites for great deals on new and exciting "toys." The two outcomes of that mission were my purchases of the Ultimate Sandbag and the Lebert Fitness Equalizer.

My main interest in the Equalizer was that it was a simple, portable piece of equipment that could help me train my upper body strength through chin-ups and vertical body rows. I was hesitant to spend $100+ on a piece of equipment that would only be useful for 2 exercises. But upon reviewing the website, I saw how functional these 2 simple bars could be. Watch the main video on that page and you'll be inspired by all the exercises that can be done with them.

The Equalizer arrives with the U-shaped bars, tools/materials necessary for assembly, assembly instructions, an instructional DVD with 2 sample workouts, and an exercise poster.

Product Assembly: You do have to attach the crossbar (or feet) to each U-shaped bar. All equipment and tools are provided in the box it's shipped in and total assembly time is approximately 10 minutes. It's best to assemble these on a smooth, flat surface so that you can ensure stability when you tighten the nuts/bolts. Ease of Assembly: A

Product Quality: The Equalizer bars are very stable if used on a flat, smooth surface. There is a slight "rockiness" or instability when used on carpet. Other reviews that I read commented on this too. As far as the ability to support body weight, they are sturdy and durable and I feel they definitely support my weight (and could support more) when I do dips and push-ups on them. I do find it helpful to wear lifting gloves when using them, to prevent callouses. I am a huge fan of the fact that they come in the color pink. Since I bought mine, they also have debuted a lime green color, in addition to the original bright yellow. Quality Grade: B+

Product Education: The Equalizers come with an exercise poster and instructional DVD, and there are some free materials on the Lebert Fitness website. However, compared to some other fitness equipment, the educational material and exercise differentiation provided by Lebert Fitness for the Equalizer is limited. You can find additional exercises and workouts via YouTube and by doing a general internet search. However, for the price of this equipment, one would hope to have more training available to maximize the usage and creativity with the Equalizer. A novice to fitness might be fine with the basic dips, push-ups, squats, lunges, and chin-ups that are included in the instructional materials, but an intermediate or advanced user would easily get bored with these. Granted, a more advanced user may have the knowledge to implement their own exercises, but in my opinion, an innovative piece of fitness equipment is only as good as the training and education provided by the manufacturing company. Education Grade: C

Product Usage & Effectiveness: As I mentioned before, my main reason for investing in this equipment was to be able to mimic the movement of a chin-up, with a piece of equipment that had a small footprint and wouldn't have to attach to any house fixtures. I have been pleased with the ability to do chin-ups and vertical body rows, and there is ample ability to increase the complexity and challenge of these exercises as I make improvement. I also enjoy using the bars to stretch, for tricep dips, incline push-ups, and for agility exercises. However, one must be careful on some agility exercises, as the slight instability of the bars could lead to injury. For example, there is an "over/under" move, where you jump over the bar, then immediately crawl back under it. I tried this several times and without correct hand placement, your body weight when jumping over can easily tip the bars. Grade for Effectiveness as a Fitness Tool: A

Summary: The Equalizer's best qualities are that it's portable, easy to store, and creates a virtual playground in your home gym. For the mere fact that I can now add chin-ups to my exercise routine without leaving my house, it was a good investment. However, what makes that investment better are the other exercises that can be done with the Equalizer. It would be beneficial for consumers if the company would add some more training/educational components to their product. I wouldn't recommend the Equalizer as a stand alone piece of training equipment without other pieces to support it and round out one's workout routine, but it is an excellent complementary tool in a fitness toolbox in one's home gym.

Product Review: Ultimate Sandbag

2013-01-15T11:09:00.001-05:00

My beautiful PINK Ultimate Sandbag

As mentioned in previous posts, I quit the gym and instead work out on my own at home. Dumbbells and body weight exercises are great and can help one make significant improvement in strength and endurance, but sometimes they can be a bit boring. I'm always on the lookout for new, quality "toys" (aka - fitness equipment) that will fit in my home gym and help me continue to advance my fitness. I found one a few months ago: the Ultimate Sandbag (USB).

I did extensive research prior to purchasing a USB, because they aren't cheap. There are sandbag models available for half the price at the local sports store as well as through Amazon.com. But the reviews of those consistently cited a problem with sand leakage and needing to duct tape the product after a handful of uses. The reviews of the USB NEVER mentioned leakage and after marinating on it a few days, I purchased the Ultimate Sandbag by Josh Henkin. After using it for a month, I can say it is one of the best fitness investments I've made.

Product Quality: What is a USB? In simple terms, it's a very thick shell in the shape of a duffel bag, with a bunch of handles on all sides of the bag, with several "inner" shells that you fill with sand. (You provide your own sand - $3 for a 40 lb bag at the local home improvement store.) The inner shells have quality seams that are tightly stitched as well as a double velcro system. I've been throwing my bag around for a month now and not one grain of sand has leaked out. In case the inner shells do leak, the outer shell (the "duffel bag" part) has both a zipper and velcro closing, as well as very durable seams. You will not have any loose sand dripping from your USB! USB Quality Grade: A

Product Assembly: The USB arrives with the inner shells, outer shell, a training DVD with 6 workouts, a guide, and then an exercise poster. The instructions on filling and using your USB are easy to follow. Once you purchase your own sand, you carefully fill the inner bags, place them in the larger bag, zip it all up, and you're ready to work out in about 10 minutes. Ease of Assembly: A

Product Education: As mentioned above, you do get a DVD, instruction guide, and wall chart with the purchase of your USB. Josh Henkin also has several other exercise DVDs and a book available for purchase on his site, which can help you learn USB exercises. But the BEST thing about the Ultimate Sandbag Training system is the FREE content Mr. Henkin provides on his website. Even if you don't purchase a USB, you still have access to blogs, articles, and videos to learn correct sandbag training form, sandbag training principles, and sandbag exercises/workouts. I personally subscribe to his email system and get approximately 3 emails a week with educational information on fitness and sandbags as well as video links to exercise demonstrations or sample workout routines. This is invaluable and in my opinion, what sets Mr. Henkin and the USB system apart from other sandbag products and even other fitness products! Education Grade: A+

Product Usage & Effectiveness: If you're interested in all the benefits of sandbag training, Mr. Henkin presents his case very well on his website. To sum it up, working with a dynamic resistance variable (i.e. the shifting, unpredictable weight of sand) calls on a host of muscles that we may not normally engage while working with a set, stable weight such as a dumbbell or barbell. This in turn enhances our stability and strength, especially in our core. The movements you can do with a sandbag are complex and involve multiple muscles and all body parts, enhancing muscular and cardiovascular endurance and increasing your heart rate while you exercise. Therefore, in one piece of equipment, you're able to train muscular strength and endurance, balance, and cardiovascular strength and endurance.

For example, here are my stats from a 40 minute sandbag workout using the Power Sandbag (with approximately 25 lbs of weight), which involved complexes of lunges, presses, planks, squats, rows, and deadlifts (all with various sandbag grips).

Total Calorie Burn: 436
Maximum Heart Rate: 171
Average Heart Rate: 133
Time in desired Training Zone (that day, I was shooting for 75%-85% HR): 24 minutes

Those numbers show that the the USB is not only a great tool for developing muscular strength, but that your heart will get a good workout too. Not to mention, it is fun! The varieties of exercises you can do with it are endless, as you can see from the website and the USB YouTube Channel. You won't get bored with your USB.

Grade for Effectiveness as a Fitness Tool: A+

Summary: The USB has been a valuable piece of equipment in spicing up my fitness routine and enhancing my workout progress. My core feels stronger and my strength & power have improved more than I expected in just one month. The USB could be a stand alone piece of equipment in your fitness routine, but I prefer to have it as one piece in my fitness toolbox. The USB is high quality and you'll get great support/education from the USB Team and Mr. Henkin. Depending on the size of sandbag you purchase, you will likely spend around $100 for this piece of equipment. But I do believe the durability and product support from the USB company is worth it. For more information and a look at the types of USBs available, be sure to check out www.ultimatesandbagtraining.com .

Holiday Gift Ideas for the Fitness Enthusiast... or Fitness Newbie

2012-11-24T13:52:00.005-05:00

Here are some hot holiday gift ideas for the fitness enthusiast in your life. Whether they're just starting to break a sweat or an avid workout fan, these tools and toys below are excellent additions to anyone's fitness routine. You might even find some things to add to your own holiday wishlist!

BOSU Trainer - This inflatable dome-shaped piece of equipment has a wide range of uses. By adding an unstable surface to your routine exercises, you engage your core, work additional stabilizing muscles, and enhance your balance. Flip the BOSU over (dome-side down) for even more exercise options. Buying tip: sporting goods stores and Target also sell the BOSU, watch for sales!

Kettlebells - More fun, as well as functional, than a set of dumbbells. The range of movements available to do with a kettlebell are incredibly varied. Due to its' shape and handling, kettlebell exercises are more likely to utilize your whole body and engage your core. Buying tip: don't let the shape fool you, a 10 lb kettlebell will be a challenge for a beginner or intermediate-level fitness buff. For a great workout program - kettlebell + DVD workouts - check out Kettleworx (also sold at Target and sporting goods stores).

Heart Rate Monitor - For those looking to track their progress and monitor their workout intensity. This simple and effective tool will make sure you're training as intensely as you need to be to get results. Buying tip: there are several forms to choose from. While some heart rate monitors boast they can track heart rate through a touch screen on a watch, that's not always the most practical if you're in an intense workout. While it does take getting used to, a chest strap monitor with corresponding watch (readout) may be more efficient and effective.

Foam Roller - Myofascial release is just a fitness-nerd term for "wow, rolling on this thing really feels good." Available at Target, Walmart, and any sporting goods store, this simple piece of equipment is essential to any home gym. Use it before or after a workout to massage your muscles and enhance their recovery. Buying tip: there are a lot of fancy models of foam rollers emerging now, given the increasing popularity of them. You don't necessarily need a body-sized one or one with special nubs, but beware that low-cost rollers (<$15) often lose their form quickly, making it harder to roll on.

Fitness DVDs or Books - There are a plethora of fitness DVDs on the market today, which can enhance anyone's fitness routine. From yoga and dance to Jillian Michaels strength training and Walk Away the Pounds, there's something for everyone. As far as books go, Women's Health & Men's Health Magazines have a great series of books that offer effective workout/exercise ideas and you don't need a gym membership to use them. Each book is full of sound, safe fitness/nutrition advice, with great descriptions and pictures of each exercise. Some titles in their series are: The Big Book of Yoga, Big Book of Abs, Big Book of 15 Minute Workouts, Big Book of Exercises. Buying tip: you can get all of these at a great price on amazon.com!

What fitness gifts would YOU like to receive this year? Please share below!

First Timer's Guide to SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding)

2012-09-16T08:15:00.001-04:00

By nature, I'm an armchair adventurer. I watch the Travel Channel and House Hunters International and ogle exotic places from the comfort of my couch. I skim Facebook and sit in awe of friends' posts discussing their camping adventure, Yoga retreat, or week long canoeing river trip in Utah. But I rarely ever have these experiences myself. So it was with quite a flair of spontaneity that when a Living Social coupon for a Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) lesson entered my email inbox, I marinated only 24 hours before booking it.

The 60 minute lesson from Maui B's Stand Up Paddleboarding (Orlando, FL) included a primer on equipment, paddle technique, getting on/off the board without looking like a klutz, and obviously how to stand up and stay up. We paddled on a relatively calm lake in downtown Orlando, Florida. Luckily, a lack of wind and minimal people/boats/jetskis on the lake ensured calm waters. The instructor had us start on our knees, and then tuck our toes under our feet, pushing ourselves up - SLOWLY - into a squatting and then eventually a standing position. I was on an 11 ft board, which is one of the larger boards in the industry. Larger = more stable = good for beginners. It was fairly easy to paddle around on my knees but when 5 minutes passed and the instructor said "Ok, let's get up," a wave of panic hit me. I mean, it would still be just as much fun to do Kneeling Paddleboarding, right?

I centered myself on the board, tucked my toes, looked to the horizon, and tentatively rose into a low squat. My legs started to shake a little, but I fired my glutes and quads and stood up. The board swayed beneath me, but I didn't fall. Behind me I heard a splash and a smile spread across my face. Some other newbie had bit it before I did and I knew things would be ok.

We paddled around the lake for the next 40 minutes, practicing turns and different paddle strokes. Some other paddlers fell or dropped to their knees to rest. My legs were frozen in place and I felt I was more likely to stay dry if I just kept standing. I am proud to say that I didn't fall that first time SUP-ing.

Looking out into the horizon and seeing the downtown Orlando skyline was amazing. Paddling back into the dock alongside a gaggle of ducks about 5 feet to my left was an almost mystical experience. I truly felt one with nature. The experience was a paradoxical mix of calming and invigorating. Needless to say, I fell in love and have been immersing myself in the SUP world since, even purchasing my own board.

For anyone considering SUP, here are a few first-timer's tips to help you have a good experience.

1) Take a lesson. It is well worth the money to have an experienced professional guide you, plus they'll provide the equipment. If you're in the Central Florida area, Maui B's is a great company to help you get your feet wet paddleboarding. They offer a small instructor to paddler ratio and are very professional and friendly. Meetup.com or a simple web search can help you find an instructor as well. Some ski shops or sports shops also offer lessons. Companies often post deals on Groupon and Living Social, offering up to 50% discount.

2) Just fall and get it over with. I spent that whole first time so worried that I would fall, that it cost me a little bit of enjoyment and some very tense muscles. On a subsequent time out, I did fall and was able to relax afterward. I immediately thought to myself "wow, I wish I had done that sooner." I fell... big deal... it's easy to get back up! And as I read on a SUP website, "if you're not falling, you're not trying hard enough."

3) Keep your eyes on the horizon. Any good instructor will give you this hint right at the beginning. It helps you maintain your balance and stabilize yourself. Look at the water beneath you and that's where you'll end up. Keeping your paddle in the water will help with stability too.

4) Stay away from the weeds. This should be commonsense for Floridians, but anyone in the Southeast US should know that the weeds are where alligators and other wildlife tend to hangout. If you're worried about a wildlife encounter, steer clear of the weeds and lilypads. Choosing to paddle on a body of water that is a popular watersport recreation site is also a good idea if you're nervous about gators.

5) Relax your toes/feet, keep your knees soft, and engage your core. My feet and toes cramped quite a bit my first time out. I think it's because I was using them like vice grips to stay attached to the board. A little bit of toe wiggling and lifting one foot up and then the other helped it feel better. Keeping a slight bend in your knee (not locking them) will help with muscle tension and stability. Lastly, SUP is known as a great core workout. If your arms are hurting from paddling, it could be you're not engaging your core enough. This is another reason to invest in a lesson or two; you'll learn how to engage your core and paddle properly for an excellent full body workout.

So get out there and get your SUP on! If you enjoy the water, you'll have a great time. Stand Up Paddleboarding is amazing for the body, mind, and soul.

Pareto's Productivity: The 80/20 Principle Applied to Fitness

2012-06-10T16:30:00.002-04:00

I wonder if Vilfredo Pareto, a 19^th century economist, ever imagined how far his “law” would go. Originally written as a predictor of income distribution – 20% of the population own 80% of the wealth - this principle is applied to many other facets of life, most popularly as a time management principle. In time management terms, we see it as 20% of the work we do constitutes 80% of our results. We can also apply this to other areas of life, including health and fitness. How can we use this 80/20 principle to streamline our workouts and make them more efficient and productive?

In regard to fitness and health, we want to answer the following question:

Which 20% of sources are resulting in 80% of our desired outcomes and happiness?

Which 20% of our workout is resulting in 80% of our increased strength, fat loss, and increased endurance?

The truth is, simply walking at a moderate pace for 30-45 minutes is not going to get you the results you want to see. Is it good for general health? Of course! Is it better than sitting on the couch watching TV? You bet! But it's not going to help you shed those last 10 pounds nor help you carve that sexy midsection. The solution: INTERVALS.

Take 20% of your normal cardio routine (walking, jogging, elliptical, cycling) and turn them into intense intervals. For example, in a 45 minute workout, just 9 minutes of increased intensity intervals will pump up your metabolism and heart rate and get you a greater calorie burn. Throw in five 2-minute bursts of increased speed or incline into your workout and you'll feel - and soon see - the difference. So for example, walk 4mph for 4 minutes, then lightly jog at 6mph for 2 minutes; repeat this 5 times. Throw in a 5 minute warm up and a 5 minute cool down and you have a great interval workout that Pareto would approve of. 20% of your workout is going to give you so many benefits!

In terms of resistance training, the 20% that you should be focusing on are the compound exercises that move multiple muscles at the same time. Bicep curls are great, but if you're looking to lose 20+ pounds, they're not going to accomplish much. Spend less time at the gym by focusing on quality, full-body exercises such as medicine ball chops, squat jumps, push-ups, and planks, instead of isolation exercises like bicep curls, hamstring curls, and tricep extensions. I am in no way saying those exercises don't have a purpose, but a workout made up of entirely single-muscle resistance moves is not an effective use of time and will not lead to big results. A 15-minute circuit training workout comprised of 5-6 full body, functional moves with minimal rest in between can yield more results than the age-old 3 sets of 12 reps at each exercise machine that solely focuses on one body part.

Another example of this 80/20 rule is that when it comes to weight loss and fitness training, it's often the things we don't even think about - that 20% - that affect our success. When a person begins a new weight loss routine, how often do they think about their sleeping habits as a part of their success plan? Probably not often. However, studies show that sleeping 7-9 hours/night is crucial to weight loss, since poor sleep leads to hormonal imbalances, which can then trigger hunger. Those little things such as getting a good night's sleep, eating breakfast, and simply moving more throughout the day instead of sitting can have a profound impact on our weight loss success.

Working hard is pivotal to accomplishing any fitness goal, but it's also important to work smart! What 20% of your weight loss or fitness training plan do you need to focus on?

Motivation to Move: 7 Fabulous Fitness Quotes

2012-05-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

If you read my last blog post, you'll know I'm quite fond of Twitter for staying up to date on fitness trends and information. It's also a great source of motivation for me. At least once a week, someone tweets a quote that makes me stop and marinate... and then wonder in awe at either the sheer simplicity and/or brilliance of that nugget of wisdom.

In no particular order, here are some of my favorite fitness quotes that I've gleaned from Twitter. Here's hoping they motivate you to push a little harder on your fitness journey.

If your goal doesn’t excite you and scare you at the same time, you need a bigger goal. - Charli Cohen

You can't outtrain a bad diet. - Todd Durkin

Methods are many, principles are few, methods often change, but principles never do. - Alwyn Cosgrove

Biceps don't grow on trees. - Fit Studio

I started thinking about exercise as an investment in myself instead of a chore. - Michelle Obama

You're only one workout away from a better mood. - Anytime Fitness

If you don't focus on your ass, no one else will. - Charli Cohen

Which quote is your favorite? What other words of wisdom motivate you in your fitness quest? Please share!

Twitter as a Fitness Resource: Top 9 People to Follow

2012-05-28T17:00:00.000-04:00

Say what you will about social media... it can certainly be a burden to keep up with, but it can also be an excellent source of information and motivation and an efficient means of communication. My new favorite form of social media, especially for all things fitness, is Twitter. By following a handful of competent fitness "tweeters," you can have a plethora of fitness blogs, advice, workouts, and health tips delivered to you daily. And it's free! But as we all know, when things are offered freely and also not regulated in any way, we need to be wisely selective in the information we choose to consume. In other words, there are a lot of nuts out there who don't know what they're talking about in relation to health and wellness - proceed with caution!

To get you started, here are my TOP 9 Favorite Fitness Tweeters. They also happen to be very legitimate and professional. Most of them have blogs and/or websites that you can glean even more great information from.

9) Huffington Post's Healthy Living  @HealthyLiving    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/living
    Great health/wellness articles.

8) RevolutionaryAct.com @RevAct http://www.revolutionaryact.com/
   Awesome website and app.

7) Kim Shand @rethinkyoga http://www.rethinkyoga.com/
    Best mind/body connection tips.

6) Charli Cohen @TrainWithCharli    http://trainwithcharli.com/
     Great quotes, links to good articles.

5) ACE Fitness @ACEFitness http://www.acefitness.org/
    My certifying organization, so I'm biased. BUT, they always tweet links to quality blogs/articles and exercise videos.

4) Valerie Waters @ValerieWaters http://www.valeriewaters.com/
     Awesome celebrity trainer, PLUS she's the trainer of my most favorite actress ever (Sasha Alexander) and my 2nd most favorite actress ever (Jessica Capshaw).  So Ms. Waters could make the list simply because of that, in addition to the fact that she's who I want to be when I grow up. But putting aside my inner-13-year-old-fangirl, she actually tweets links to articles and shares fitness tips & insights, instead of always just trying to sell her products (unlike some other celebrity trainers on Twitter).

3) Anytime Fitness @AnytimeFitness   http://anytimefitness.com/

2) Women's Health Magazine @WomensHealthMag http://www.womenshealthmag.com/
    One of my favorite women's health magazines... and they tweet links to good articles and interesting information.

1) Alfonso Moretti @AngryTrainerFit http://www.angrytrainerfitness.com/
    Mr. Moretti is the male version of who I want to be when I grow up. And he has the best fitness website you'll find! Great blogs/Q&As/product reviews and workouts - all FREE. And I absolutely love his fitness philosophy: very down-to-earth and grounded in common sense. Plus he just seems like a really nice guy. Like, who wouldn't want him as their trainer?!?

So what are you waiting for? Get a Twitter account if you don't already have one, and start following a few of these folks. Who are some of your top fitness Tweeters?

The Top 5 Things I Gave Up for Fitness

2012-05-21T18:49:00.001-04:00

Last week, I read an interesting blog of a successful "weight loser" over on SparkPeople.com (which is a pretty good fitness website if you haven't checked it out... and it's free). In this blog, the author describes things she "gave up" in the name of health and wellness and I've been marinating on my own answer to that question over the past few days.

It is true... when you decide to commit to healthier living, you have to let go of a few habits and guilty pleasures. I gave up a weekly indulgence of chicken fingers and cupcakes. It was hard and my mouth does water a bit every time I drive by the local chicken finger specialty restaurant. I also have a 100 foot restraining order on myself from the local cupcake shop. But you also get to give up ridiculous mindsets and annoying habits that masqueraded as coping mechanisms.

Here are the top 5 things I have given up in the pursuit of health and fitness and I don't miss them a darn bit!

#5 Stretching my t-shirts after washing them and having to hang-dry them so they didn't shrink. I'm sure many a large-chested girl has done this too. Cotton garments just have a way of losing a few centimeters when they get washed and then losing a few more in the dryer. If I wasn't the one on laundry duty that day, I would have to dictate to my spouse which shirts could be dried and which ones needed that special post-wash "stretch" in the bust area. It was embarrassing and time consuming.

#4 Worrying if I'll fit in the airplane seat. It's enough to have to worry about if my plane is going to fall out of the sky or some lunatic passenger is going to put a bomb up some bodily orifice. Having to worry if the seatbelt would securely and comfortably fit around me was a headache I did not need.

#3 Worrying if I'll fit in the rollercoaster seat at the theme park. Same anxiety as the airplane seat. On a rollercoaster, I want to be locked in as securely as possible. And I want to be able to look at the person I'm sitting next to and not have my over-the-shoulder safety harness or safety lap bar sticking out 5 inches past hers.

#2 Buying the unisex or male version of clothing. Aeropostale and Old Navy have super cute shirts, but I could never make a successful purchase there unless I shopped on the guy's side of the store. That neon pink and teal t-shirt that looks like it escaped from the 1980s via the DeLorean? The largest female size wouldn't fit my thigh, so off I went in search of an XL in the men's section. There's nothing so humbling as having to find plus-size wear in a store that caters to the crowd that's 15 years younger than you.

#1 Coming up yet with another creative way to say "not tonight, honey." I'm going to be blunt with this one. One of the top benefits of losing weight is that your libido and your confidence in the bedroom have an indirect relationship with the amount of weight you lose. As the scale drops lower, the libido and confidence get higher. Yes, there are those among us who might say "it doesn't matter what you look like, you should be confident with yourself and you should be with a partner who loves you for who you are, not what you look like." But having been there and weighed that, that trite aphorism is easier said than done. My guess is that most overweight individuals struggle with body image in all areas of the house, but especially the bedroom, regardless of how wonderful, loving, and supportive our partners are. It's just human nature. With that said, it's amazing what even a mere 5-10 pounds can do for the physical intimacy within your relationship. It's not so much about the changing shape of your body, although it is pretty darn amazing when you realize you do have hip bones! But as we all know, confidence in oneself is sexy and when you work hard and achieve your weight loss goals, that pride and ego boost is immediately transferable to how you present yourself to others, including your partner.

What things have YOU given up in the name of health and fitness? Please share!

5 Signs You Need a New Personal Trainer

2012-04-20T13:41:00.000-04:00

Let's be honest for a second. Any yahoo can become a Personal Trainer. There are gyms out there that do not mandate any type of educational credential to work for them... though these are becoming fewer. And even if someone does have an educational background in exercise science, anatomy/physiology, etc or is certified as a Personal Trainer through one of the main organizations, it doesn't mean they're a good Trainer. Just because your poodle is AKC Certified doesn't guarantee it'll be a wonderful pet, right!?

So when it comes to Personal Trainers, as with anything, let the buyer beware. Here are a few signs that you may need to quit your Personal Trainer. Or you can reframe some of this information into questions to interview Trainers before you purchase training sessions with them.

The Basics
Your Personal Trainer should be:

CPR/AED certified - Accidents happen. Don't you want the person who's working out with you to have some understanding of how to revive you if need be? CPR/AED certification is just common sense whenever exercise is involved.
Insured - Again, accidents happen. Liability insurance is a sign of a trainer's legitimacy and commitment to their profession. If you're using a Trainer at a gym, usually the gym covers the Trainer's insurance, but it's always good to check.
Certified - I'm sorry... I'm a snob when it comes to certification, although there are some out there who will disagree with me. Yes, a piece of paper doesn't automatically make someone a great trainer, but it gives them an educational background and theoretical standpoint to develop programs and work with clients. Certification also demands keeping up with continuing education and CPR/AED certification.

5 Signs You Need a New Trainer

1) They don't exercise themselves. When I was going through my certification, I shadowed some Personal Trainers in order to "get in the trenches." When I asked one how he kept up with his own fitness routine while managing his business, he seriously said to me "yeah, I don't work out. I get a little exercise here and there when I show clients what to do." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Now, personal trainers don't need to look like Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper nor work out 6 hours a week, but they need to be a good role model for the advice that they prescribe to their clients. How can you take someone seriously who's telling you to work out 4 hours a week when they themselves have no fitness routine?

2) They don't stay current with trends and research in fitness/exercise/health. Science changes all the time. In order to keep clients reaching their goals, Personal Trainers need to stay abreast of new developments and insights. Certification helps with this as most organizations require 20 hours of continuing education to maintain certification.

3) They give you the same workout over and over. Yes, some program repetition helps build muscles and increases our endurance, but if you do the same exercise routine every other time you see your Trainer, something is off. There are numerous ways to tweak an exercise, from body placement to the use of "toys" (medicine balls, kettlebells, resistance bands, BOSU, etc). Incorporating different exercises or variations of the same exercise is good for our mind and body! Remember, our body is smart... when you give it a new challenge, it wants to conquer it. If you keep giving it the same routine, it no longer becomes a challenge and you'll plateau. A good Personal Trainer uses creativity to keep your body and mind engaged and enjoying the workouts!

4) They don't involve you in your exercise plan. Yes, the Personal Trainer is an expert and should design the majority of your plan. But a good Personal Trainer will ask you what exercises you enjoy, how the workout feels, if there is something different or new that you want to try. Now just because you don't enjoy pushups and tell your Trainer that doesn't mean s/he will cut them out of your program. But a good Trainer designs programs with their client's personality, strengths, limitations, and goals in mind. This is achieved through good communication. And a good Trainer is constantly tweaking their client's program as they continue to work together.

5) They don't include frequent assessments/challenges in your program nor revisit your goals regularly. You work with a Personal Trainer because you desire a certain outcome - lose weight, gain more energy, be able to run a 5K without falling over. You are paying them to help you make progress. A good Trainer will frequently complete assessments with you to see how you are progressing with your goals. The assessments could be measurements or physical challenges such as how long it takes you to run a mile or how many pushups you can do until you fatigue, depending on what your initial goals are. The use of these assessments shows you how far you've come and how close you are to your goal. If they're not frequently assessing your progress and your Trainer doesn't keep your goals in mind, what exactly are you paying them for?

What do you think? Have you worked with a Trainer who did (or didn't do) any of the above?
Any other signs that you need a new Personal Trainer?

Magic Pills for Weight Loss

2012-04-13T14:03:00.001-04:00

In an effort to be completely honest and ethical, let me tell you right now that despite this blog title, there is no magic pill for weight loss. But this post will be inundated with hits from search engines driving individuals looking for a magic pill!

I am actually trying to debunk the notion that a magic pill even exists, despite the fact that numerous people fall for this fallacy, all in the quest for "the lose weight quick and easy way." Specifically, I'm talking about products that you ingest that claim to make you lose weight. With the plethora of legitimate information out there on how to lose weight, I am boggled by the fact that companies even make money by selling their "weight loss shake." But I guess love is blind, and so is the quest for weight loss.

Any follower of my blog knows that I've had my own weight loss journey. I did not take any pills nor supplements. I ate less and moved more. MANY people lose weight that way, and keep it off as well, I might add. But it's hard... you have mood swings and some days you want to throw your scale through the TV. It's also a long journey. You didn't gain all that weight in one week, you can't expect to lose it in one week. So I can see why so many people yearn for an "easy way."

I have recently had a few interactions with companies marketing weight loss shakes and "nutritional" products. I quote "nutritional" because let's be upfront and center with the fact that no government entity regulates the quality of supplements. That also means that a non-biased entity has not conducted independent research on them either. The FDA is hands off with them. So really, you do your own research and use at your own risk.

These companies have approached me because I'm a personal trainer and they think I should supplement my income by selling their products too. Due to the ethical standards of my certifying organization, I am not allowed to provide any nutritional advice or recommendations or sell any nutrition products since I have no nutrition education nor background. If I happened to be a registered dietitian or doctor, yes I could make those recommendations. But I am not, so I do not... nor do I want to. I stick to nutrition basics and the guidelines recommended by the government. Even if that ethical clause did not exist in my professional organization, I still wouldn't want the burden of recommending something that might cause harm to a client. What if they have a medical condition unbeknownst to me which is exacerbated by the chemicals in this product?

(Do personal trainers recommend and sell supplements all the time? Yes... more so than I ever realized. Perhaps they aren't certified and bound to any ethical standards of their organization, or perhaps they have educated themselves and feel comfortable promoting supplements, or perhaps they just don't care.)

When I explained the fact that I wasn't a registered dietitian/nutrition expert to one of the representatives of this weight loss supplement company, his response was "well, most of us have no nutritional knowledge either!" And that is the point I'm trying to make. Why would anyone buy a product that is not regulated from someone who may or may not know what they're talking about?!? Especially a product which has a direct effect on your health. Do you buy a car from someone who doesn't know the difference between a manual or automatic transmission? Do you buy a computer from someone who doesn't know the difference between RAM and GB? Probably not... why would you do any less with a product that's going INTO your body?

The product that I'm specifically referring to is one of those distributor type deals... they try to recruit individuals to sell their product. Think Avon or Mary Kay for weight loss supplements. So, you don't need any knowledge at all to push this product, you just need enough money to "buy in" to the deal and hopefully enough sales skills to make people buy your stuff.

In fact, I overheard one of these sales representatives talking about his own experience with the product he was selling. First of all, he was still a big guy... probably about 75 pounds overweight, which isn't his sales problem... you have to start somewhere. So he allegedly had been using the product a month and he said to an inquiring person "yeah I haven't lost any weight yet, but my clothes fit better. And I'm not even working out... I've literally turned fat to muscle just by drinking these shakes." First of all, he's a horrible salesperson admitting he's been on a weight loss product for a month and hasn't lost weight. (Though that's clearly an indicator of how well that product works!) Secondly, he's clearly exhibiting his lack of anatomical knowledge. Muscle and fat are independent entities... they cannot magically morph into one another.

I do not recommend weight loss supplements as a sole means to lose weight, I never will. If you want a magic pill to lose weight, I'll give it to you: track your calories, find out how many you need to consume each day to maintain your weight, eat less than that, and move more. If you need more help, use the $169 that company wants you to spend for a 21 day supply of weight loss products and consult a registered dietitian for a detailed nutritional plan. You'll probably still have money left over to consult with a certified personal trainer who can draw up an exercise plan for you. Here's the difference: that money spent on a consultation with a dietitian and a personal trainer will leave you with knowledge and a plan you can use for the rest of your life. The money spent on that weight loss supplement gets you a 21 day supply... what happens on day 22?

It is my hope that if you're even thinking about taking a weight loss supplement, perhaps this blog will make you investigate the credentials of the individuals selling you the product and research the product itself. Instead, find individuals who've lost weight (and kept it off) and ask them how they did it... I can guarantee you that the ones that keep it off have done it the old-fashioned way of smart eating and more moving. If you find a weight loss supplement you're interested in (that you hopefully want to use in addition to proper eating and moving more), I cannot emphasize enough the need to consult with a doctor or registered dietician. Even hit up the people at your local nutrition store and ask them questions. The individuals who work at a nutrition store make it their career to know about supplements and understand research related to them.... they're not just selling supplements on the fly as a half-baked "get rich quick and dupe as many people as possible" scheme. They want to actually help you, not just steal your money. (If you're in or near Minnesota, check out my friends at Power Source Nutrition. They are good, knowledgeable, and super helpful people.)

As always, if you need help getting started, shoot me an email or leave a comment here. I'm happy to help any way I can.

Are You Insane? (Or... how to commit to a healthy lifestyle)

2012-04-05T15:45:00.000-04:00

The last post that I wrote (I Quit the Gym...) made me reminisce about my fitness journey and what motivated me to make lifestyle changes. Which made me ponder the question "what does it really take to commit to a healthier lifestyle?"

Some individuals are provoked into action by witnessing a close friend/family member have a health scare or having a health scare of their own. I use "health scare" in a broad sense, as it can include realizing that one's Body Mass Index (BMI) score is above the recommended range, being prescribed medicine to control hypertension/cholesterol/diabetes, being easily winded while playing with one's kids, or something as dire as having a heart attack/stroke. Other individuals may see a picture of themselves and are shocked into wanting to make a change. Anyone who's been on a weight loss journey has one of those defining moments, which propels them to make immediate changes toward moving more and eating better.

My defining moment was stepping on the scale in January 2000 and weighing 215 at the age of 21. Yes, it was my own personal Y2K moment: I stepped on it a few times to make sure my scale hadn't been affected by the turn of the millennium. The analytical side of me realized I weighed approximately 10 pounds per year of life that I had lived. What if I continued to weigh 10 times my age as I got older?!? It was a shock-and-awe tactic that was quite effective. The next day I borrowed a friend's Tae Bo videos, started cooking for myself instead of eating out every night, and I never looked back. The scale has never hit that high since then.

Even after someone has a defining moment, it doesn't mean it will last a lifetime for them. 50% of individuals who begin a fitness program quit in the first six months. Which brings me back to that original question of what does it take to COMMIT to that lifestyle?

When we live in a society that caters to instant gratification, it is hard to commit to a program that will take 3-12 months to see the final results that one wants to see. That's why weight loss and improving one's fitness is not for the faint of heart or weak-willed. That doesn't mean that some people can't succeed... EVERYONE can succeed. You just have to have - or find - the emotional tools within yourself to persevere and commit to the work that needs to be done.

I recently came across a tweet that said "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get the same results that you've always got." It's similar to the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

If you've been thinking about making a lifestyle change, eating better, losing weight, starting a fitness program, but you just can't find the motivation to start, you're not alone. But if you keep sitting around thinking about changing but still doing what you've always done, you're not getting any closer to the body and life that you want. So do this activity instead:

1) If you're looking to tone up or lose weight, find a picture in a magazine or on the internet of someone who has features that you aspire to have. What do you want? Strong, toned, Michelle-Obama-arms? Muscular, powerful, Venus-Williams legs? Solid, sleek, Jillian-Michaels-abs? Now, you need to be realistic here.... find someone of a similar height and body frame so that you're not trying to fit a yacht into a marina designed for a canoe. It doesn't need to be a Hollywood celebrity, in fact it might be helpful if it's not... because you don't know that all their body parts were with them when they were born anyway.

2) Cut (or print) out this picture and post it prominently in your bathroom, bedroom, or kitchen. Let it be an inspiration to help you make better decisions. When you feel a temptation for that piece of chocolate cake, you can ask yourself "do I really want cake?" or "do I really want my goal body?" When you have a visualization of a goal, you are more likely to accomplish it.

3) Make a realistic plan to get the body you want. And when I say realistic, I mean one that includes eating healthfully and exercising. Not doing some crazy fad diet where you eat tofu and drink kale shakes for 3 weeks straight. If you need help devising this realistic, HEALTHY plan, consult a registered dietitian or a certified personal trainer. And no, the people selling you that protein shake that promises to make you lose 10 pounds of fat in 10 days as long as you drink two a day and eat a salad for dinner are NOT registered dietitians.

4) Give up the excuses. You will always be busy at work. Your family will always have pressing needs. You will always have things on your to do list that need to get done. But guess what? If you have time to look at Facebook or Twitter, find the latest deal on Groupon, or play Angry Birds on your iWhatever, I think you have some time you can devote to working out. Quit finding reasons why you can't and just do it. Take a walk after dinner. Don't buy the mac n' cheese at the grocery store. Don't eat the fries with that hamburger. It just takes one small *different* choice that will set off a chain reaction of more *different* choices that will get you closer to that goal.

As my brother says on a frequent basis, there are people who make things happen and there are people who sit and watch things happen. Which do you want to be? Find your defining moment, visualize your body-to-be, plan your work, and then work your plan. I promise you, even when you're only halfway to your goal, you will realize it has been worth all the hard work and effort. The pride and happiness that come with accomplishing a goal is more satisfying than any piece of food could ever be.

I Quit The Gym...

2012-03-30T14:05:00.000-04:00

I am a certified personal trainer. I love working out... and I mean LOVE it. It's a bad day if I don't get to exercise at least 30 minutes. Every time we visit Target, my spouse makes an obligatory trip down the exercise equipment aisle just to appease me so I can ogle the yoga mats, kettlebells, and other accoutrement. But this week, I quit the gym... and immediately upon sending in the cancellation form, I felt happier, empowered, and 10 pounds lighter.

My relationship with gyms has always been a rocky one, most likely as a result of self-consciousness and a lack of confidence in an environment where everyone around me always seemed to move easier, be stronger, and look better. Imagine entering the college recreation center at the age of 21 and weighing 215 pounds. I believe that feeling might be akin to what a Basset Hound must feel like walking into a dog park full of Jack Russell Terriers. While I was in college, despite the free membership afforded to students, I can count on one hand the number of times I went. So what did any young woman in the late 1990s who hated the gym do to lose weight? She met with Billy Blanks several times a week. Yes, TaeBo is responsible for kickstarting my weight loss and my passion for fitness.

Thirty pounds lighter (thanks TaeBo), a few years older, and seeking to conquer my gym-aversion, I joined the fitness center at my first professional job: East Carolina University. To this day, the ECU Rec Center defines the perfect gym for me. It's actually probably the reason why I'm a gym snob now 10 years later... I have yet to find a fitness center that lives up to it's greatness. Perfectly laid out in a split plan with cardio equipment on one level, strength training equipment on another, the rec center also hosted a lovely indoor lap swimming pool, 8 racquetball courts, an indoor walking track, a rock climbing wall, basketball courts, and an amazing outdoor pool. Staff was friendly, the center was well-maintained, clean, and aesthetically pleasing, and they offered numerous ways to get involved (group fitness classes, intramurals, challenges/contests). My 4 year relationship with the ECU Rec Center helped me shed 45 additional pounds, nurtured some great friendships, and fueled my fitness passion that had begun with TaeBo. Even after I left ECU, I would pay for a day guest pass when I returned to visit friends in the area, just so I could workout in THE fitness center of all fitness centers.

I worked at several universities after ECU and joined their gyms as well, but they just did not compare to the ECU Rec Center and it wasn't a good use of my money. So my fitness journey returned to working out on my own, with various DVDs guiding me along the way. During the next 5 years my weight slowly climbed back up when I got married (yes, marriage adds weight), took a job I didn't enjoy (yes, depression adds weight), and reduced the amount I was exercising (yes, laziness adds weight). When I finally quit the job I hated, I bought a treadmill and renewed my commitment to health and fitness. Within 2 years I was once again 45 pounds lighter and at the age of 32, in better shape than I had EVER been.

After I purchased a home in Orlando, FL and now having my Personal Training certification, I began to explore a gym membership at the local "box" gyms and the YMCA. "Box gyms" are the chains: LA Fitness, Planet Fitness, Lifestyle Family Fitness, etc. I felt a gym membership would allow me to get out of the house and socialize more since I work from home, it would help me improve my fitness by providing access to a greater array of equipment, and it might open some doors for part time employment as a Personal Trainer. (During an interview for a part time training position at a local box gym, I was looked upon with scorn when I told the interviewer - who resembled a bald Meatloaf by the way - that I worked out in my home gym.) After 4 months of investigating and taking tours of all the gyms within a 20 minute radius, I decided on one and became a member in October 2011. To remain professional, I will not disclose which facility I chose. It will suffice to say it is a nationwide chain.

My spouse joined with me and quit after 3 months... which really isn't a surprise. We knew going in that it may not have been a long term relationship there, but I certainly applauded the effort. (We are a case of opposites attracting: exercise-phobe with exercise-freak.) I, on the other hand, diligently went 2-3 times a week. Unfortunately, after only a month, disappointment was creeping in. I was barely acknowledged when I handed my membership fob to the staff member to be swiped as I entered the gym. When I asked a staff member at the front desk how to use a machine, I received a curt reply and no offer to SHOW me how to use it. When I went to the stretching area to cool down, the mats on the floor had puddles of sweat on them (yes, a sign of a disgusting and rude fellow gym-goer, but also a testament to the staff's attitude who clearly saw it as they walked by). Switching to an empty section of the gym to stretch and cool down, I noticed sand all over the carpet. The next day it was still there. I guess they didn't own a vacuum.

About 2 months into my membership, one of the sales reps asked me how I was liking it. I don't think he expected me to give him my laundry list of complaints judging by his pale face and inability to make eye contact with me afterward. (I delivered my constructive feedback in a very nice way, I assure you.) I can say that after I expressed my dissatisfaction at the level of customer service offered by staff, I did notice an improvement in the friendliness during the check-in process. But I was no longer enjoying my trips to the gym. They had become a chore that I dreaded, merely going so that I didn't feel I was wasting my money. I didn't enjoy my workouts... I didn't get into the "flow," where you get lost in the movement and lose track of time, which commonly happened for me when I worked out at home or jogged outside. And I hadn't made any fitness improvements. The gym wasn't serving me any purpose. My trips to the gym lessened to once a week. But I hesitated to cancel my membership, wondering what that said about my commitment to fitness or my credibility as a Personal Trainer.

After a month of marinating, I made the decision this week to cancel my membership. As I sent off the form to the corporate office, I felt an immense sense of relief and my workouts this week - AT HOME - have been some of the most productive and enjoyable that I've had in the last 5 months. I still have 6 weeks left of membership, given that you pay for your last month when you sign up. I will probably go a few more times, just to squeeze the last few cents out of my membership dollar.

The point I'm trying to make with this lengthy blog post is that there is no requisite environment for a good workout. Gyms are certainly beneficial and some people may enjoy and need that environment in order to enhance their health and fitness. But for the population who doesn't like the gym, or even fears it, that's ok! You can get equally good results by working out at home or in the park/neighborhood. If I am judged because I work out in my home gym, so be it. My weight loss and strength gains are a clear indicator of the results you can get without gym machines. And my credentials as a Personal Trainer should not be based on where I do my own workouts, but the effectiveness of the workouts I design and the rapport I have with my clients. If only I could go back and tell that baldheaded Meatloaf interviewer to "suck it"... :-) And yes, I still do Tae Bo.

Blogger's Note: Only a week after posting this blog, I came upon one of my favorite fitness experts (The Angry Trainer Alfonso Moretti) who wrote a blog on the Top 10: Ways to Spot a Bad Gym. It makes me chuckle that my former gym met more than half of the criteria. Be sure to read that blog and if you're a fitness guru, bookmark The Angry Trainer Fitness site.

The Future of Fitness: Online Personal Training

2012-03-18T14:35:00.001-04:00

We do our banking online. We can get a degree online. Why not work with a personal trainer online? Just 15 years ago, we all would have laughed at the idea of pressing a button and making a car payment from our virtual checkbook. And we would have not been able to comprehend how anyone could take a class, much less get an entire education, solely by looking at a computer. But with the advances in technology, we do both of those things in addition to a whole host of other virtual tasks on a daily basis. Personal training can be delivered through the online medium as well. In fact, online personal training has been listed as one of the top fitness trends for 2012 (American Council on Exercise, 2011).

What are the benefits of online personal training?

Convenience - You train where you like on your own schedule.
Affordability - Most personal trainers charge $35-$50/session and recommend at least 2 sessions a week totalling $280-$400/month. Most online training programs range from $15-$45/month.
Accountability - Most programs are set up where you need to log your progress so that your trainer knows you have completed a workout. You still have a professional monitoring your activities.
Private & Confidential - Some people feel uncomfortable in a gym setting. With online training, you're provided with a workout you can do anywhere you feel comfortable.
Accessibility - You have access anywhere there is an internet connection, so if you're travelling for business or pleasure, you can still track your workouts, access your account, or connect with your trainer.
Extra Benefits - Some training websites/programs also include meal recommendations, online food journals, recipes, and community networks (blogs, discussion boards, the ability to connect with other fitness enthusiasts).

How online personal training works varies by the provider. One option is to work with a virtual personal trainer through celebrity trainer websites and fitness magazine websites. While some degree of customization might be incorporated, those online training sites probably distribute the same workout to each person with minimal tweaks. And it might be a computer generating that workout, not a certified personal trainer looking at your specific goals, strengths, and weaknesses to create a specific workout for you. With that said, these sites are usually less expensive and you do have the popularity of the celebrity/magazine creating an effective online community of social fitness enthusiasts. If you choose a private online personal trainer, they will work with you one-on-one via phone/email and customize a workout just for you. You can also expect them to touch base regularly and make tweaks to your program as needed. This experience might cost an additional $10-$20/month, but it is still quite cost effective compared to meeting in person with a trainer.

While online personal training has numerous benefits, it should be noted that it is not suited for all populations. Individuals recovering from a recent injury or with any type health issue should begin with clearance from their physician and initially work with an in-person personal trainer. Supervised workouts to ensure proper form and mitigate any contraindications of exercise are imperative for those with any injury or other health issue.

Accomplishing any type of health and fitness goal, whether it be losing weight, lowering your cholesterol, or simply moving more and eating better, requires commitment, willpower, and motivation. Your online personal trainer will provide you with the knowledge and the tools and help you with the motivation, but you need to bring the commitment and willpower. Also, because you will be doing this online without a trainer in your face telling you exactly what to do for how long, you will need to be disciplined to log in to the website and do your workouts as prescribed.

With the economy still trudging along in a recession, we can't let financial woes keep us from improving our health and fitness. In fact, a little money spent now to improve our health will save us money on medical bills in the future. Working with an online personal trainer is a cost effective means to improving ourselves.

For an insider's look at online personal training, check out the Death to Jiggles blog. It chronicles one person's online training experience and fitness journey and is written in a frank and very humorous tone. Popular celebrity training programs include Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper. And most fitness magazines (Women's Health, Fitness, Men's Health) also offer an online personal training program. To learn more about online personal training through private providers, check out A Fitter Image and Workouts For You.

American Council on Exercise. (2011, November 07). American council on exercise cites increased obesity awareness and whole life training among leading 2012 fitness trends. Retrieved from http://www.acefitness.org/blog/2027/american-council-on-exercise-cites-increased