Austin TX Fitness Trainers & New Orleans Fitness Trainers

Austin area tops city performance index

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:31:00 +0000

This blog is primarily concerned with health, fitness, diet, personal training, and human performance. Not unrelated to health is the environment where you live and the opportunities presented. From this article, Austin area tops city performance index:

The Austin-Round Rock area was named the best performing city on the 2009 Milken Institute/Greenstreet Real Estate Partners Best Performing Cities Index.

The index ranks U.S. metro areas based on their ability to create and sustain jobs, measuring employment, salary growth and technology output.

Related blog posts:
Austin at the top of the list
Austin continues to rank high on a number of indices

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Kelly’s Austin Personal Trainers
New Orleans Ultimate Fitness Training

The Importance of Strength Training

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:21:00 +0000

From this Reader’s Digest article, The Importance of Strength Training these bullets:

Strong muscles help you lose weight
Strong muscles are healthy for your heart
Strong muscles protect your joints and your back.
Strong muscles improve your looks.
Strong muscles give you a mental boost.
Strong muscles require active living.
Strong muscles help fight free radicals

The article concludes with this quote:

The consensus is growing: Strong muscles are good for everyone. In fact, the American Heart Association now recommends that all adults strength train their major muscle groups at least twice a week.

At Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Ultimate Fitness Trainers we employ a high intensity interval training (HIIT) that addresses more of the bio-markers of aging than any other training protocol.

High intensity training - how long should each exercise be?

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:44:00 +0000

Take two people who can just barely lift 100 for one repetition. Now lighten the weight to 80 pounds and see how many reps each person gets. You might find that there will be a wide range of variability. One person might get eight reps, while the other will get 12. Why is that?

Those who have primarily fast-twitch muscle fiber will be able to lift a greater weight for their size. Those who are more effective at recruitment of muscle fibers will be able will lift more weight as well. Someone who is primarily fast-twitch and very effective at recruiting a lot of muscle fiber for the task at hand will be very strong and very fast. Dara Torres is an example.

The flip side of that is those who are primarily fast-twitch and very effective muscle fiber recruiters will fatigue much quicker. Those that fatigue quicker will be better suited to exercises of shorter duration to avoid over-training. A slow twitch person who is less effective at muscle fiber recruitment will require a longer duration of an exercise to reach a level of fatigue that is necessary to stimulate a change in the body. Some will do well with an exercise duration of less than one minute on a particular muscle group, while others might benefit more with times over two minutes for the same muscle group.

The composition of fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibers varies among individuals, and it varies for the various muscle groups within each individual. As trainers we do not know the muscle fiber composition of each client. We cannot do biopsies to determine that composition. Noticing the different rates of fatigue among individuals we can infer that a client might possibly be more fast-twitch than slow twitch and make necessary changes in the duration of certain exercises.

That can be problematic though. Sticking to a scheme of tailor-made set times may work well at first, but eventually the improvement will stop as the body adapts to the same stimulus week after week. At Austin Personal Trainers and New Orleans Fitness Training we might determine that a set time is better for a certain individual on a certain exercise and perform that protocol more often, but we feel variety in the length of times is important as well. We take our clients through a variety of different exercises, changing sequences, differing amount of sets for each muscle group, and exercises of different durations, so that they are constantly presented with a new challenge to keep the positive adaptations ongoing.

If a client stalls at certain time for a given weight we'll make changes by avoiding that particular exercise for awhile and substituting different exercises addressing the same muscle group. Those exercises will have different durations. When we go back to that exercise that the person had stalled on we very often find they outperform their previous best time by a surprising margin.

High intensity training - how often should one train?"

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:23:00 +0000

When the body is exposed to more of a stimulus that it is equipped to handle the body will makes a positive adaptation as a form of self-protection. That change will occur if the body has the capacity to change plus the needed time and resources to recover. Too much of the stimulus and too little time to recovery can produce a negative result – tanning versus burning or an increase in strength versus over-training and resulting weakness. Just like everyone has a different tolerance to exposure of the sun, each person has a different tolerance for high intensity strength training frequency.

With high intensity training there are those for whom twice a week will produce ongoing results while others would suffer under such a regime. For those who need more recovery time working out twice a week results in ruining two workouts, If you will not have fully recovered from your first workout, the second workout will be sub-par as you are not at full capacity. You will not improve, and you will have wasted valuable time and effort.

Working all the major muscle groups in a high intensity fashion once a week works best for most people. One of our clients trains every nine to ten days. You say surely that person can’t achieve peak strength training that infrequently. While it might not be optimal for others, it really works for him. He does 1000 pounds on the leg press, and he uses the stack on several other machines. A person that strong can put greater stress on the body that may require a longer recovery time.

Through trial and error you can eventually find out what works. I spent years figuring it out. At Austin TX Personal Trainers and New Orleans Personal Trainers our personal trainers have developed a high intensity training program (HIT) with special attention paid to recovery to insure that the improvements are ongoing – our business depends on it. We cannot afford to have clients come in and ruin two workouts in a row by not being adequately recovered.

What clients are saying - "amazing and remarkable”

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:19:00 +0000

Number nine in a series about what clients have to say about their workouts. A recent email from a client:

John,

I just got back from my appointment with the ortho surgeon. The last time I saw him was about 6 weeks before we started in September. His response to the movement in my arm was "amazing and remarkable". He thought I'd be doing well if I could just reach the top of my head. I gave him your name and will take a couple of cards by his office if you'd like. Thank you!!! See you on Wednesday.

Tom

Tom severely injured his shoulder, and as a result he has prosthetic parts in his reconstructed shoulder. He was out for six months before he could resume exercising. When he first started back he would routinely use his good hand to position his bad arm into place to do certain exercises. He could not lift his arm up to shoulder level. After his last workout, I asked him to reach up and touch the chin-up bar overhead. He did it with ease.

Another client who comes in the same day has just started back as well. He broke his arm in nine places and has metal in his arm. I did even know you could break a bone in nine places without being in a motorcycle accident. He is very happy with his results. His wife informed him that he “could never stop doing this” – doing this meaning strength training.

We use MedX rehabilitation exercise equipment at both our locations - at Kelly's Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Ultimate Fitness Trainers. The unique patented design of our equipment allows us to safely address problem areas like the back and shoulders. The equipment can be finely adjusted to any condition, weak or strong – the weight stacks go up to 1000 pounds. Weight changes can be made with increments as small 1/20 of those of most other equipment, and adjustments for range of motion can be made for those with limited mobility. People of any age or condition can benefit for this exercise program. Our oldest client is 92 years old. The best part is that it doesn’t require endless hours in the gym.

We are convinced that strength training is essential for a higher quality of life as we age. It is our good fortune to be able to play a small part in helping people make positive changes in their lives, and we appreciate their kind words. Seeing clients make positive changes is what makes our jobs worthwhile.

Previous blog entries in the series What Clients Are Saying:
1. @#%& incredible
2. Seems too good to be true, but it actually is that good
3. After each session, I always felt better on all levels.
4. This would not have happened to me if I had a personal trainer
5. This affects all aspects of my life.
6. I saw a remarkable change in my body
7. A Radical Transformation
8. I don’t think I would be alive today

Dynamic Inertia

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:14:00 +0000

I don't know what category to put this one under. This workout system is called dynamic inertia - there's an oxymoron if I ever heard one. Kind of like: tight slacks, vacation Bible school, Dodge Ram, high-class hooker. I could go on and I will - plastic silverware, small crowd, dull roar, peace force, and my favorite, act naturally.

I cannot comment on it's effectiveness, but I will say that if something is to good to be true then it is too good to be true. There is no substitute for hard work. Unfortunately for exercise to produce meaningful results the exercise must be of a demanding nature in order to force the body to make a self-protecting adaptation.

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Austin Personal Trainers
New Orleans Personal Training

How much does added muscle increase metabolism?

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:04:00 +0000

A number often bandied about is that an additional pound of muscle will burn 50 calories a day. What about already existing muscle? Wouldn't that muscle also burn 50 calories a day too? The 50-calorie-a-day number can’t be true if one makes the assumption that the muscle tissue you all ready had before adding that pound of muscle will produce the same calorie burn - i.e. all lean muscle tissue consumes 50 calories a day. A 155 pound man with 62 pounds of skeletal muscle would have to consume 3100 calories each day just to support his muscles.

A more reasonable assumption is that strength training will results in an increase in resting metabolism for existing muscle plus and an additional increase in metabolism for new muscle. That is the conclusion of Wayne Westcott in his article, Why The Confusion on Muscle and Metabolism?. From the results of two well designed studies he concludes:

A standard three-month strength training program may produce the following effects in previously sedentary adults and seniors:

1. Increase lean (muscle) weight by about 3 pounds.
2. Increase daily resting metabolic rate in all of the trained muscle by about 1.5 calories per pound (from 5.7 calories per pound to 7.2 calories per pound).
3. Increase overall resting metabolism by about 7 percent.

And this:

Strength training does have a significant elevating effect on resting metabolic rate, and is therefore a highly beneficial exercise for increasing daily calorie utilization and enhancing fat loss. It would appear that the metabolic increase occurs in all of the strength trained muscle tissue, and that the additional energy utilization may be about 1.5 calories per pound of muscle per day.

Interestingly both studies were conducted using brief, intense 30 minute workouts of the type we use at our facilities- Austin Personal Trainers and New Orleans Personal Training. With strength training you burn calories four ways:

1. The workout itself
2. Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) - recovery and rebuilding muscle as a result of the workout
3. Added muscle burns additional calories
4. Existing muscle regularly trained will experience an increase in tone and an increase in resting metabolism

Not only will stronger people burn more calories at rest, people who are stronger can engage in more activities and do them for longer periods with less chance of injury creating a beneficial cycle of fat burning. Strength training is something one might want to consider if one is embarking on a weight loss program. For those will little free time you might want to consider high intensity strength training. For time spent nothing burns more calories than high intensity strength training - nothing. One study examining the effect of high intensity strength training on metabolism showed a nine-fold improvement in fat burning.

Austin at the top of the list

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:34:00 +0000

From now to the end of 2010, the economy of Austin is projected to grow by $5 billion, and unemployment has stayed relatively subdued. The city's diverse economy, home to Dell, the University of Texas and the Texas state government, has kept the economy strong.

And from this Forbes article, Best Big City for Jobs, ranked Austin first as well. A quote:

Of the 10 large cities with the best employment prospects, Austin is the leader. Job growth between 2004 and 2008 was a whopping 14.8%--and even between 2007 and 2008, overall growth remained in the black. In some areas, Austin is representative of nationwide changes in employment. For example, manufacturing waned; between 2000 and 2008, jobs in that sector decreased by a third. But service sectors like education and health, leisure and hospitality, and others grew tremendously. Job growth stagnated in 2008, but avoiding net losses was enough propel this city to the top of the list.

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Austin Personal Trainers

New Orleans Personal Training

Exercise Reduces Fatigue In Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:50:00 +0000

From this Science Daily article, Exercise Reduces Fatigue In Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy:

“Supervised exercise programs that include high and low intense cardiovascular and resistance training can help reduce fatigue in patients with cancer who are undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy or treatment for advanced disease. The exercise training also improves patients' vitality, muscular strength, aerobic capacity and emotional well-being, according to research published on bmj.com.”

At Kelly’s Austin TX Personal Trainers and at New Orleans Ultimate Fitness Trainers we have had success working with recovering cancer patients. The recovery systems of these patients are fragile. They cannot stand long bouts of exercise. Our personal training sessions are short and designed to efficiently stimulate a change; we then give them plenty of time to recover.

I worked with one client through two bouts of cancer. When she first came in I told her we would build up slowly, but eventually she would be asked to do very demanding work. She replied, “If I can handle chemo I can handle this workout”. She handled it well, and became very strong. I think the fact she was strong helped her when she faced down cancer a second time. As Lance Armstrong once said, “Before I just lived now I live strong”.

This blog has also dealt with this subject in these blog posts:
Exercise for Women Living with Lymphedema
Weightlifting helps breast cancer survivors
Fatigue, Pain Affect All With Breast Cancer, Exercise After Diagnosis Helps
Healthy Diet, Exercise Might Lower Chances of Cancer's Return

Obesity epidemic may threaten mitten industry

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:11:00 +0000

From this Science Daily article comes this interesting headline: Obesity epidemic may threaten mitten industry.

Researchers found that fat people generate more heat. Thermograms (see picture) found that obese people dissipate more heat than normal through the hands and less heat than normal through the torso. They speculate that the feet would be another area for venting excess heat.

A quote:

Bottom line, he explains: “Humans weren’t really designed to be extraordinarily heavy.” Indeed, throughout most of human history, survival depended on avoiding starvation. With the obesity epidemic swelling waistlines around the globe, a new imperative is emerging: fighting human biology so that big people can burn calories without feeling like they’re burning up.

If an overweight person wants to lose weigh they will be impeded because of being too hot – and they are too hot from being too fat. It appears to be a catch-22. Not necessarily, one could opt for a cool environment. At Kelly’s Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Ultimate Fitness Trainers we keep the room very cool and supply fans for those who are more prone to overheat. It is a convenient workout that lasts about a half an hour. We have showers but because of the short time period and cool environment for most it is unnecessary.

Past articles dealing with the type of personal training we do and weight loss:

A Nine-fold Improvement in Fat Burning
Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC)

The Fun Theory And Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:04:00 +0000

This video asks the question: Can you get more people to choose the stairs by making it fun to do?

Their findings: 66% more people than normal chose the stairs over the escalator.

Their conclusion is that fun can obviously change behavior for the better. We agree. Our personal training program at Kelly’s Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Ultimate Fitness Trainers , while not fun, it is rewarding. It is designed to increase strength, flexibility, body leanness, and cardiovascular endurance. It takes about a half hour. Most do it once, some do it twice a week.

With the enhanced fitness they will enjoy other activities longer with less chance of injury and perform better. I am often asked, "Is their other exercise I should be done the remainder of the week"? Yes, do some thing you enjoy - walk run, ride your bike, whatever it is you enjoy - and you will find you will stick to it, and physically and mentally, you will be way ahead. Free time should be for enjoyment not endless hours of drudgery in the gym.

Conventional wisdom and the benefits of strength training for cardiovascular health and weight loss

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:08:00 +0000

Instances of changing conventional wisdom abound. The most obvious example: two covers of Time magazine, global cooling and global warming. Another: A cholesterol count under 250 was once considered acceptable; that was later changed to 200, and after that the ratio of good to bad cholesterol was deemed important.

At some point conventional wisdom on a subject become accepted as fact. Several decades ago coffee was once considered a cancer causing agent. Now from a Coffee and health article comes this:

As coffee is one of the most studied substances worldwide, with more than 20,000 studies looking at its general effects, the coffee and cancer connection has been studied extensively. Currently, scientists are able to state conclusively that coffee does not cause cancer with almost universal consensus.

“Currently … almost universal consensus” - maybe not quite a fact, but it is close. That article goes on to say that coffee might actually have a preventative role for liver, breast, and colon cancer.

An area where conventional wisdom has radically changed over time is in the area of strength training. Strength training will make you slow, inflexible, and it is harmful to women – not true. Not too many years back it was rare to see golfers, baseball players, basketball players, runners, or women lifting weights. Now it is the conventional wisdom that strength training improves athletic performance. Even Tour de France bicyclists strength train. Robbie Mckuen, a green jersey winner in the Tour, was asked about gears and where he got his power on the bike. He replied, “In the weight room”.

Now that strength training has moved into the mainstream more studies are being conducted to explore other benefits of strength training. The benefits of strength training and in particular high intensity strength training are becoming more apparent in the areas of weight loss and cardiovascular health. Past articles addressing the cardiovascular health benefits from strength training:

High-intensity exercise better at improving metabolic syndrome risk factors
Strength Training Shown To Lower Blood Pressure
Strength Training for Those Who Have Heart Conditions
Strength Training and Healthy Hearts

And the weight loss benefits associated with strength training:

A Ninefold Improvement in Fat Burning
Study Examining Benefits Of High Intensity Interval Training
Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC)

There are a whole host of benefits associated with strength training. While once strength training was held in disregard, the conventional wisdom has shifted so much that now strength training is touted as the number one bio-marker to prevent aging. Will it change again? Who knows?

The type of strength training we do at Kelly’s Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Ultimate Fitness Trainers is high intensity interval training (HIIT). It is a full body workout where a series of strength training exercises are performed with little rest between the exercises. With this type of personal training there is a significant cardiovascular effect and significant calorie burning.

How dirty can a health club get?

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:58:00 +0000

I have worked in health clubs for 29 years. Some of the more egregious examples of the lack upkeep in health clubs that I have seen:

· Mushrooms growing out of the carpet in the wet area. I was amazed by the phenomenon as much as I was disgusted.
· An infestation of worms crawling around in the steam room
· The smell of urine on the hot rocks in the sauna
· A layer of mildew that spreads like soylent green throughout the wet area
· Tattered and torn carpet -not just a little here and there. It was the dominant theme throughout the workout area.
· A quarter inch layer of dust on top of equipment
· Feces in the whirlpool
· Equipment that remained in disrepair for months at time

I have worked for more than a dozen owners. As a rule they don’t stay in business very long. They have great projections, but very soon costs outstrip the incoming cash flow. At that point they cut costs and let the facility go to pot. That is the beginning of the end. The very end comes when they slash prices to squeeze a few dollars out before going out of business. At one facility where I worked they offered yearly memberships for 55 dollars. A couple of weeks later they closed their doors.

To remain open in any competitive field you have to offer value to the customer to keep them coming back. Keeping the place clean is just part of it. Rather than downgrading what we offer we have endeavored to expand what we offer over the years and keep the quality high. The end result is that we have continued to grow even in these difficult financial times.

Fifty percent of businesses do not survive past their third year, and eighty percent close the doors before their ten year. Kelly’s Austin Personal Trainers is in its fourth year, and New Orleans’s Ultimate Fitness Trainers has been open for more than nine years. To our loyal patrons we are extremely grateful for making that possible and hope to earn your continued business in the future.

Austin, a “post-recession mecca”

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:05:00 +0000

This blog is primarily concerned with health, fitness, diet, personal training, and human performance. Not unrelated to health is the environment where you live and the opportunities presented. From this Wall Street Journal article The Next Youth-Magnet Cities, the Journal asked demographers and economists to rank cities that qualify as “post-recession meccas” for young (18 to 29), educated and highly mobile workers. Austin ranked fifth.

For a whole range of indices Austin ranks high. Austin is ranked first or high here: Austin ranks among the best of several indices and Austin is ranked first or high on 31 different indices here:Greater Austin is a Great Place to Do Business

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Austin Personal Trainers
New Orleans Personal Training

A Connection Between Sleep and Alzheimer's?

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 15:26:00 +0000

From this Science Now Daily News article A Connection Between Sleep and Alzheimer's?:

“A new study has found a connection between a lack of sleep and a biomolecule thought to be important in the development of Alzheimer's disease.

In both humans and mice, levels of a peptide called amyloid-β rise during waking hours and decline during sleep, researchers have found. They also report that sleep-deprived mice are more prone to developing deposits of amyloid-β, called plaques, like those found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Although far from proven, the finding suggests that sleep disorders could be a risk factor for Alzheimer's.

A definite causal link between AD and sleep has yet to be established, but it couldn’t hurt to get a little more sleep. Besides getting more sleep there is much you can do to lessen the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Lifestyle changes such as exercise and quitting smoking have also been associated with a reduced likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease.

Foods that have been associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease:

Fish
Green tea
Omega-3 fatty acids
Mediterranean diet
Walnuts
Blueberries
Coffee

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Austin Personal Trainers
New Orleans Fitness Training

Exercise better for shoulder pain

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:08:00 +0000

From this Science Daily article Exercise Better Than Shockwave Treatment For Chronic Shoulder Pain, Study Finds:

A team of researchers based in Oslo, Norway compared the effectiveness of radial extracorporeal shockwave treatment (low to medium energy impulses delivered into the tissue) with supervised exercises in patients with shoulder pain.

They conclude: "Supervised exercises were more effective than radial extracorporeal shockwave treatment for short term improvement in patients with subacromial shoulder pain."

At Austin Personal Trainers and New Orleans Personal Trainers while we are not doctors or physical therapists, we have had wonderful success with injured clients once their doctor’s clear them for exercise.

We use an exercise protocol that was derived from a study working with osteoporosis patients. Researchers found that joints hurt less, bone density increased and muscles were stronger and more toned with minimal time exercising.

We use primarily MedX rehabilitative exercise equipment. The movement of the equipment is in sync with the movement of the body so that the shoulders, hips and back are not put in a potentially dangerous position. There is great capability to limit the range of motion, so that it can be set to suitable range of motion for those overcoming injuries.

I am currently working with two clients with pretty severe shoulder injuries. One client broke his upper arm in seven places. Another client had to have his shoulder totally reconstructed. Part of his new shoulder is prosthetic. Both have limited movement and both have spent their allotted time in physical therapist.

We use a great variety of methods to improve their condition. Every week the two injured clients have gained strength and have gained a little more range of motion. It is rewarding just to be a small part of their progress.

A past blog entry on the same subject ->Strength Training for Those Who Have Had Rotator Cuff Injuries and Back Problems

More exercise is not always better – a personal experience

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:24:00 +0000

The positive adaptation as a result of aerobic activity is primarily a bio-chemical change - the body up-regulates its ability to burn sugar for an extended time. The recovery period is short - hence running can be done with greater frequency. The positive adaptation resulting from strength training involves a structural change - the rebuilding of muscle. For most that involves several days to be fully recovered. Think how long it takes an injury to totally heal. Some go back to the gym before being fully recovered and as a result make minimal progress. Some repeat this mistake for years. I was one of them.

Many years ago when I first started strength training I followed the conventional wisdom that stated that you had to give yourself a day off between strength training sessions to let your body recover and become stronger. I was a man in a hurry, so I strength trained Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - repeat - and I never missed for five straight months. Most every session was with a personal trainer and accurate records were kept.

My progress soon stalled. I assumed I was a hard gainer and resigned myself to working harder to get beyond the current plateau. During that period I was particularly stuck with bicep curls just barely achieving eight reps each time for five months. Twice during that time I did manage to get nine reps on that one exercise; I likened it to a religious experience – a miracle, achieving the undoable.

I went home for Christmas and found a health club with the very same line of equipment. It had been more than a week since my last workout. I had the negative mindset that I would surely be weaker. I was surprised, actually shocked, that I was stronger. On the bicep curls I did not get eight or nine reps; I got eleven. I wondered if nine was a religious experience what would eleven reps be? I could not explain it. Was it my mother’s cooking? Finally I decided it must be that the equipment was better oiled. I was not ready to accept that more is not necessarily better.

After much trial and error I finally I figured it out. There are those for whom three times a week might be appropriate; I was not one of them. I came to realize that we all improve in the beginning at three times a week because we are learning a skill, and that must account for some of the improvement. [In the beginning most improve at twice a week as well for the same reason, but many will find that frequency too much as well.] Also, in the beginning we are not yet taxing our bodies as much as when we work up to higher intensities, and as such require less recovery time. I eventually cut back my workouts and improvement was almost easy. Actually it was easy compared to some of the grueling workouts during the five month period where I was hell bent on breaking through a plateau. Had I not figured it out I would have quit never to return to the weight room. I think this is the experience of many in the weight room.

Everyone has a different capacity for exercise and ability to recover from that exercise. Just like people have different tolerance for exposure to sunlight before getting burnt. As trainers at first we don’t know what the individual’s rate of recovery from a workout is, but we quickly infer it by seeing the progress or sometimes the lack of it. From those inferences an experienced personal trainer can gage the intensity, duration, and frequency of the workouts to keep the progress ongoing.

When I finally did cut back and started to improve again I had more focus, enthusiasm, and I actually did work even harder. That will happen when you are seeing improvement for your efforts, and you will be more likely to stick to it.

You can get more out of exercising less with High Intensity Interval Training. We use HIIT at both our locations - Austin Personal Trainers and New Orleans Personal Trainers.

Related posts:
How To Ruin Two Workouts
High intensity exercise and recovery - how much is enough?
Strength Training: 67 Percent Improvement in 28 days

Fruits, Vegetables, and Coronary Heart Disease

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:30:00 +0000

From this Medscape article Fruits, Vegetables, and Coronary Heart Disease these bullets:

Controlled nutritional prevention trials are scarce and the existing data do not show any clear protective effects of fruit and vegetables on coronary heart disease.

Fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with a decrease in blood pressure.

The effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on plasma lipid levels, diabetes, and body weight have not yet been thoroughly explored.

The hypothesis that nutrients in fruit and vegetables have a protective role in reducing the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and preventing complications of atherosclerosis has not been tested in prevention trials.

Confirmation that fruit and vegetables per se have a protective effect against CVD awaits further evidence.

Lack of evidence of an inverse relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and CVD is not evidence that that there is not an inverse relationship. Maybe it will be established. Perhaps it is a simple as those who consume a lot of fruits and vegetables have less room for poor food choices. Until a link is established it can't hurt to have a sound eating plan and an exercise program you can stick to. This is a plan most people can stick to that will change your life.

One can live well without requiring hours each week engaged in monotonous exercise. Significant strength increases occur exercising as little as once or twice a week IF it's the right exercise program with the right trainer. The fitness trainers at Austin Personal Training and the fitness trainers New Orleans Ultimate Fitness Personal Trainers can guide you through a personal training program that will produce the results that will keep you coming back.

Midlife Cholesterol Tied to Alzheimer's

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:25:00 +0000

From this NYT article VITAL SIGNS RISKS; Midlife Cholesterol Tied to Alzheimer's:

Adults who had slightly elevated cholesterol in their early 40s were at greater risk of developing dementia decades later, a new study has found.

While earlier studies had shown a link between high cholesterol in midlife and an elevated risk of Alzheimer's disease, ''we were surprised to see the association with borderline levels.''

A different study discussed in this blog post, Dementia link to 'mid-life ills', substantiates this claim and states, “High mid-life cholesterol increased the risk of Alzheimer's disease regardless of diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking and late-life stroke."

Perhaps a change in diet and some exercise would be something you might want to consider. High intensity Interval training (HIIT) has been shown to lower blood pressure and lower LDL (Bad) Cholesterol. HIIT is the type of training we do at both of our facilities: Austin Personal Trainers or New Orleans Personal Trainers.

Austin continues to rank high on a number of indices

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:57:00 +0000

This blog is primarily concerned with health, fitness, diet, personal training, and human performance. Not unrelated to health is the environment where you live and the opportunities presented. Austin continues to rank high.

Best U.S Cities To Earn A Living – Austin # 4
Austin cited as a top destination for college students – Austin # 2 for mid-size metro
Entrepreneur: Austin 10th best start-up city -
Best Cities For Singles 2009 – Austin # 11
Memo to working moms: Austin's your kind of town – Austin # 2
Austin among nation's top tech centers - Austin # 7

For a whole range of indices Austin ranks high. Austin is ranked first or high here: Austin ranks among the best of several indices and Austin is ranked first or high on 31 different indices here:Greater Austin is a Great Place to Do Business

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Kelly’s Austin Personal Trainers

New Orleans Ultimate Fitness Training

Are bone loss drugs a good idea for those with osteopenia?

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:15:00 +0000

From this NYT article Splits Form Over How to Address Bone Loss:

“Millions of people worldwide, most of them women, have been told they have osteopenia and should take drugs to inhibit bone loss. But the drugs carry risks, so many public-health experts say the diagnosis often does more harm than good.”

The World Health Organization has developed an online tool, called FRAX, meant to help doctors and patients determine when treatment for deteriorating bones is appropriate. Some say the tool is faulty and does not take into account normal aging. Another quote:

“It was a W.H.O. panel financed by the pharmaceutical industry that in 1994 defined normal bone mass as that of an average 30-year-old woman. Because bone naturally deteriorates with age, anyone much older than 30 is likely to qualify for a diagnosis of osteopenia; using similar logic, a middle-aged woman might be said to have a skin disorder because she had more wrinkles than her 30-year-old daughter.

And this:

Dr. Steven Cummings, professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco, said it was also important to understand when medication was likely to help. “The drugs work if you have osteoporosis,” Dr. Cummings said. “But some studies suggest there is little benefit, if any benefit at all, if you take these drugs when you have osteopenia.”

There is presently no cure for osteopenia. There are two treatments often mentioned – exercise and osteoporosis drugs. When comparing the side-effects of the two treatments exercise is clearly a much better choice.

The exercise protocol used by the personal trainers at Austin Personal Training and New Orleans Fitness Trainers was derived from a study working with osteoporosis patients. Researchers found that joints hurt less, bone density increased and muscles were stronger and more toned with minimal time exercising. It has been shown effective for men and women of all ages.

Previous blogs posted on the subject of bone loss:

The under appreciated role of muscle in health and disease
High-intensity strength training effective for osteoporotic fractures
High intensity strength training preserves bone density

Thunder thighs are heart healthy

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:53:00 +0000

News to be greeted with thunderous applause: People who have large thighs are less like to suffer from heart disease, and those with the thinnest thighs are twice as likely to die sooner. From this BBC News article Large thighs 'may protect heart':

"Our results suggest that there might be an increased risk of premature death related to thigh size," Berit Heitmann of Copenhagen University Hospital and Peder Frederiksen of Glostrup University Hospital wrote.

And this:

Obesity, age, smoking and other factors did not reduce the effect, the researchers reported in the British Medical Journal.

Many studies have shown a larger waist size can be a good predictor of heart disease and death, but why are large thighs a good thing?

One doctor speculated: "This is a very interesting line of research, because it would suggest that interventions which protect or increase muscle mass (such as weight training) may be effective in reducing cardiovascular disease even if no loss of body fat occurs."

Strong thighs are what push the heart not the other way around. If you cannot generate a sufficient work load to tax the heart the heart becomes weaker. People are not put in nursing homes because they are out of breath; it is because they are too weak to carry out daily activities on their own. Being stronger enables you to be more active. Strength training and the resultant increased activity redounds positively to one’s overall health.

One need not spend hours in the gym; it takes minutes a week to transform your life. With High Intensity Training (HIT) one can get more out of exercise less. One can live well without requiring hours each week engaged in monotonous exercise. Significant strength increases occur exercising as little as once or twice a week IF it's the right exercise program with the right trainer. The fitness trainers at Kelly’s Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Ultimate Fitness Personal Trainers can guide you through a HIT personal training program that will produce the results that will add life to your years.

PS: Our oldest client is 92 years old.

Drink beet juice for more energy

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:09:00 +0000

"Two glasses of beet juice gives you more energy” said Isadore Rosenfeld, professor of clinical medicine at Cornell University. The doctor also made the personal observation that drinking beet juice might discolor your urine. He stated that you should not be alarmed by that.

From this study, Beet juice more effective than ‘any other known means’ of enhancing mitochondrial oxygen utilization & physical stamina; lowers blood pressure too:

The research shows for the first time how the nitrate contained in beetroot juice leads to a reduction in oxygen uptake, making exercise less tiring. The study reveals, in fact, that drinking beet juice reduces oxygen uptake to an extent that cannot be achieved by any other known means, including training.

The group that had consumed the beetroot juice also had lower resting blood pressure. [This study follows research published Feb. 2008 in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension – see “Research shows daily dose of beet juice can beat high blood pressure.”]

You can start a positive cycle. Consume foods that give you more energy such as beet juice, and exercise to increase strength so that difficult tasks become less strenuous. With the added energy and the added strength you will find you will be able to engage in more activities, and this will further enhance your health. The most important factor is strength. Just improve a little each week and over time you will feel years younger.

High intensity training (HIT) is the type of personal strength training we do at Austin Fitness Training and at New Orleans Ultimate Fitness Trainers. With HIT you need not spend hours in the gym to make a profound difference. Studies have shown that significant strength increases result from high intensity interval training as little as once a week. This type of training produces the highest marginal return for the time spent exercising.

Usain Bolt 200m final new world record!!! 19.19

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:32:00 +0000

Something that does not happen every day - a new world record.

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Kelly’s Austin Personal Trainers

New Orleans Ultimate Fitness Training

Lifting Weights Reduces Lymphedema Symptoms

noreply@blogger.com (Austin Fitness Trainer) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:05:00 +0000

From this Science Daily article Lifting Weights Reduces Lymphedema Symptoms Following Breast Cancer Surgery, Research Shows:

Breast cancer survivors who lift weights are less likely than their non-weightlifting peers to experience worsening symptoms of lymphedema, the arm- and hand-swelling condition that plagues many women following surgery for their disease.

And this:

The findings challenge the advice commonly given to lymphedema sufferers, who may worry that weight training or even carrying children or bags of groceries will exacerbate their symptoms

The researchers theorize that a controlled weightlifting program may have protective benefits, by boosting strength in affected limbs enough to ward off injuries from everyday activities that can aggravate lymphedema symptoms.

It is recommended that women start with a slowly progressive program, supervised by a certified fitness professional, in order to learn how to do these types of exercises properly.

The study indicates that one can control the symptoms of lymphedema. The added benefit is that one can increase one's overall health and quality of life. At Kelly’s Austin TX Personal Trainers and at New Orleans Ultimate Fitness Trainers we have had success working with recovering cancer patients. The recovery systems of these patients are fragile. They cannot stand long bouts of exercise. Our personal training sessions are short and designed to efficiently stimulate a change; we then give them plenty of time to recover.

The article mentions a slowly progressive program. The equipment we use is MedX medical rehab equipment that is more easily tolerated by the joints, and we are able to increase weights in small two pound increments. We can restrict the range of motion to a pain-free range of motion, and we use controlled movements to minimize forces that could aggravate pre-existing conditions.

This blog has also dealt with this subject in these blog posts: Exercise for Women Living with Lymphedema and Weightlifting helps breast cancer survivors