Before You Start an Exercise Program...

Be sure to get permission from your physician before beginning any exercise program. Always start out slow with beginner exercises, and work your way up to more advanced exercises. You must use proper form. If you're not sure if about your form, I suggest you engage the services of a qualified trainer to assist you.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

How to (REALLY) Transform Your Body

Upon beginning their fitness programs, I ask my clients and others who I speak to a specific question. "So what are your goals for your body?" I'll get lots of different answers...answers like: "I want to get into my old jeans...I want to lose xxx lbs...I want to look like I did in college...I want to wear my skinny clothes again...I want my muscles to look firm and not jiggly...and so on.


So the reality is, most folks want to change their body somehow, they just haven't done it yet.


Here's a scary fact. We as humans begin to lose muscle as early as our late 20's! What??? It's true. You can look up the facts of aging and human physiology. (We also begin to lose valuable hormone production at the same time) So when I hear someone who is (any age) say to me, "You know I weigh the same as I did back in high school"...I know, if they don't workout seriously, they are not the same body composition.

By the time someone's in their 50's, they've likely lost 10-20 lbs. of muscle. If they weigh the same as in high school, it just means they've replaced that muscle with...gulp....bodyfat!

For anyone who wants to improve their physical body as far as its appearance, there's one thing you must do. You must use 'resistance' training! What exactly does that consist of?

Resistance training can come in several forms. It can be lifting weights or machines. This is what most folks think of when I use the term resistance training. But there's also other methods like 'primal' training. That is we can use our own bodies as the weights. These exercises or moves are sometimes used in a tough Yoga or Pilates class. They are certainly used in every military training camp.

Then there's the use of other tools which have gained popularity like Swiss Balls, Medicine Balls, Resistance Bands, Kettle Bells, Sandbags...and the list goes on. All of these are designed to provide resistance throughout a specific range of motion on particular muscle groups. Doing these will CHANGE your body!!


Every one of my clients over the years has done just that. And the more consistent they are with their fitness program, the faster it happens.


For most workouts I'll use several of these methods. The days of just using exercise machines to workout is OVER!! The days of walking for hours on the treadmill are OVER!! Can you say boring? Besides, the body thrives on variety when it comes to working the muscles. High reps, low reps, various exercises, different forms of resistence...and so on.


I'm writing this so that anyone (who wants to get into better shape) who has been living on the treadmill or stair climber, or who has been walking the neighborhood for years, or who has only dieted...and not seen the changes they'd hoped for...please pay attention to this.

What seems difficult and somewhat uncomfortable at first, eventually feels great. The effort that my clients put into their workouts is commendable.

I watch them holding their bodies in certain positions while their muscle tremble involuntarily...seeing the perspiration develop on their foreheads...pushing on from exercise to exercise with minimal rest. And then the look of 'Did I just really do that?' on their faces as they're done...I know at the end of the workout they feel like they've just conquered the world.

Inevetibly, they all SEE the visual changes taking place on their physiques. Their clothes fit differently, and they look different in them. They stand up taller with more confidence. They are more motivated to eat making more intelligent choices, sacrificing some things we all crave.

It's what we do. So anytime you see someone who has the outstanding physique or who has radically changed how they look...you can be sure they've put in the time and effort. And their reward is how they now look and feel.

The list of all the benefits of resistance training would be very long to post, but here's a few:

* Firm and strengthen muscles
* Improved physical appearance
* Reduces bodyfat
* Build and strengthen bone mineral density (help prevent osteoporosis)
* Help reverse the aging process of losing muscle fiber in the body
* Can significantly lower blood pressure
* Improves cholesterol levels
* Raises your metabolic rate (you burn more calories daily, even while resting)
* Higher overall energy levels
* Lower resting pulse (healtheir heart)
* Better aerobic capacity
* Helps prevent injuries
* Improves performance in athletic or physical activities
* Better posture
* Can prevent adult on-set diabetes
* Can prevent heart disease and cancers


My goal is to get as many people as possible to somehow, someway get into this fantastic habit called 'fitness.' It's a great lifestyle. It's one of things that you do 'get out of it what you put in.' It's been great to me, and I trust to others that I've worked with over the years.

Note: I've got a special new program coming soon that will allow many more people to work with me that otherwise might not be able to. Stay tuned.