Women Should Be Weight Lifting!

Actually, Women Should Be Weight Lifting!

The most common misconception is that if women lift weights they will get big, bulky muscles and look like a professional body builder, this is not true and I am sure that professional body builders all over the world wish it were that easy! To their credit, it takes a lot of discipline and dedication to get to look like that! Women need not worry about looking like Mr Olympia since the ability to get huge muscles takes testosterone and women simply do not produce the amount of testosterone that men do, so in reality women cannot build the same muscle size as a man.

Women actually need more weight lifting in their daily routines as they age because it slows down the progression of osteoporosis, it also helps all those trouble areas stay up and toned! Be sure to  increase your weights as you build strength, it is the repeated tearing and repairing of muscle fibers that builds definition and strength.

Most people think that they need to do a lot of cardio training to lose weight and get in shape, cardio may burn more calories while you are doing it, but you will burn more calories after your weight training session is over that will continue long after your session is complete!

So let's go ladies, pick up those weights and get that toned tight body you have always dreamed of!

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Quick Healthy Tips

Quick Healthy Tips

Exercise: A body in motion is a healthy one!  Plain and simple you need to exercise. The American Heart Association recommendation 

for overall cardiovascular health is at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity 5 days per week, 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity at least 3 days per week or a combination of moderate-vigorous intensity aerobic activity

 with moderate to high intensity muscle strengthening activity at least 2 times per week. For lowering blood pressure and cholesterol 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic activity 3 or 4 times per week is recommended. It is also very important to strength train for increased bone density and to prevent osteoporosis and to keep your posture in alignment at any age.

Team Up: Find a reliable and consistent exercise partner, someone you can rely on to go to personal training sessions and to the gym with, you need to support one another and be accountable to each other, plan healthy meals, make the right food choices and work together to reach your health and fitness goals. This person should be someone that will have your best interests at heart; you should inspire each other to be the best you can be!

Start The Day Off Right: Jump start your metabolism by eating breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up. Be sure to add fiber to your breakfast, fiber keeps you full and in turn helps you shed pounds. A veggie packed egg white omelet with high fiber toast is a good choice.

Prepare: One of my most valued words of advise to my clients is preparation! You need to prepare your meals and not have any processed foods and unhealthy snacks in your home or at the tip of your fingers, this will always have the ability to set you back. Every week I cut up fresh fruits and veggies for the week, I make sure there is a healthy organic yogurt dip and fresh peanut butter to dip them in too.  I also keep almonds and natural fruit and granola bars in stock for on the run snacks.

Make Your Own Lunch: Brown bag it! Trust me this is a calorie intake killer, just three on the go lunches a week can make you gain weight. They are often unhealthy, processed foods with little value to the body. Make a healthy sandwich or salad the night before and grab it and go in the morning.

Log Your Days: Record your workouts and daily meals, snacks and drinks. This type of accountability will keep you on track and has a proven success rate! Increase your success by hiring a Health Coach to be accountable to, your coach will offer you guidance, support and be there if you feel that you may go off track.

Walk The Dog or Volunteer:  Walking your dog every day keeps you and your best friend in shape! Don't have a dog? Volunteer at your local animal shelter as a dog walker, help a shelter dog be social and get exercise too.

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Healthy Snacks!

Healthy Snacks…..Yes, there really is such a thing! With so many manufacturers putting “all natural ingredients” on their labels it can be very confusing for the consumer, I have seen many products with this label and they were loaded with sugar, sodium and other ingredients. One of the biggest mistakes people make is that they do not prepare for those hunger pangs that come unexpectedly even though we know they are going to eventually hit us throughout the day, it is easy to grab whatever is right there to satisfy that hunger. This is the reason why it is best to keep on hand a few snacks that you know are healthy and not loaded with the wrong ingredients, like high fructose corn syrup, artificial and processed additives just to name a few.

Two of my favorite and very convenient snacks are Artisana Organic Raw Cacoa Bliss and Almond Butter.  They come in individual little packets that are just the right size. I put them on all natural organic rice cakes and fruit, they are delicious and very satisfying. They come in many different nut flavors and can be added to smoothies too! Keep them in your purse, desk or office break room with your favorite all natural organic crackers.

You can find these at your local health food store or online.  I am lucky, my local health food store here in New Jersey, The Health Stop carries my two favorite flavors and they are always happy to order additional flavors and larger jars for me too!

Happy July 2015!

Happy July!  Beaches, barbeques, fun in the sun and the Fourth of July! 

The Fourth of July is such a fantastic holiday in the United States, the Declaration of Independence! We are so lucky to be free and live in such an amazing country! There are many that are not so fortunate in our world.

Red, White and Blue everywhere you go! Beautiful fireworks, picnics, barbecues, weddings and so many wonderful celebrations of friends and family happen at this time of the year. Take a moment and be thankful for your freedom of choice, life and all that you have no matter where you are at this time, even if it is not the best place right at this moment, have faith that you will get where you want in such a great country with so many opportunities and dreams to reach for. The sky is the limit here in the United States Of America, now go out there and make your dreams come true !

God Bless America!

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Happy MID-Year 2015

We all think of making healthy lifestyle changes as a New Year Resolutions, we want to start the new year fresh with changes for the better, why not in June? Now is the best time to revisit your New Year resolutions for 2015,  did you stay on track? If you did that's great, if not do not worry you can make a MID-Year resolution with new goals and remember a successful change takes time and patience to have longevity, you need to adjust to the healthy lifestyle changes and make them a part of your daily routine. Did you know that it takes an average of 20 days to create a habit and six months for it to actually become part of your everyday life, you also need to mentally prepare yourself and get motivated for a successful outcome, 20 percent of those who succeed start slow and gradually, making the necessary adjustments that it takes to succeed with their fitness goals over a period of time.

I know I have said it time and time again, PLEASE do not focus on the SCALE and the number that you see! This is often a negative experience for many people and I really believe this to be one of your worse habits and it should be the very first change that you make and keep!  Focus on your goals not the scale, remember muscle weighs more than fat and weight training increases bone density, muscle mass and strength while burning fat! You will lose fat and weight along the way but a good program will increase your muscle mass as it reduces fat.

My advice to people who really want to achieve their fitness goals is to start training with a Personal Trainer or Health Coach,  a personal trainer will keep your workouts fresh, mix it up and keep you focused and on track, schedule your training and make yourself accountable, let your coach help you make small changes one at a time, maybe cut out sugar one week, processed foods the next, learn to meditate and always start and end you day with a happy, positive mindset.

Small changes BIG results! Happy MID-Year to you all!

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Squats, Lunges-Get That Perky Derrière

Squats, Lunges-Get That Perky Derrière. Yes, that’s right a “Perky Derrière” that is the most popular fitness goal request that I hear with weight loss and overall toning coming in a close second and third. The reason is because it is the first area women notice sagging as they age and it is not a happy experience! The good news is we CAN fight it with a good exercise routine and diet!

So let’s fight gravity and lift up that derriere!

I am a huge advocate of strength training, lunges and squats are effective for building strength and toning your lower-body muscles. Strengthening your glutes, quad and calf muscles helps build lean muscle tissue, which increases your metabolic rate and will help you burn more calories throughout the day.

Keep in mind that lunges and squats target the muscles in these areas BUT they do not target fat tissue, you have to burn more calories to decrease fat.

You can increase the calories that you burn by adding cardiovascular activities, such as high intensity interval training, walking, jogging or swimming, into your fitness routine. It will also help to decrease your daily calorie intake, try limiting high calorie and fatty foods from your diet. Choose whole foods, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains instead. This will help you lose fat everywhere, including your legs, derrière and your belly too.

While I do decide on the specific exercises and body parts to train at the beginning of each week my workout routines always includes good old fashioned weight training, dumb bells and machines, mixed with an all body, high intensity interval training 3-4 times per week.

These are just a "few" of my favorite "booty lifting" exercises:

Walking Lunges with 10 pound dumb-bells

Squats with Kettle Bell

TRX Reverse Lunges and Jump Squats

Barre Squats and Mixed Barre Exercises

Core Ball Leg Lifts

Donkey Kicks

Bridges

If you are going to try to add these exercises into your routine, do it one at a time, be sure to do your squats and lunges correctly and never place pressure on your knees by leaning forward and exceeding your knees past your toes, push up through your heels. I advise you to ask your trainer or gym staff to help you with the correct form to assure that you are doing the exercises correctly, this will reduce your risk of injury and assure that you will get the best results.

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Do you Find Choosing The Right Personal Trainer Confusing?

Choosing the right fitness specialist is important to the success of your fitness goals.

Many people become frustrated with their fitness results working out on their own and decide to hire a fitness professional to guide and motivate them toward reaching their desired goals. The right personal trainer can make a big difference and take your workouts from frustrating and boring to a fun and exciting experience that will give you motivation and drive with exercise programs that will produce results and a sense of accomplishment with the added benefit of being accountable to someone to get it done!

Choosing the right personal trainer can be difficult because there are so many out there, it is up to you to carefully select the right one for you. The first thing that you want to look for is a fitness professional with reputable credentials so please ask what certification they hold, a few of the top credentials are National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) National Strength and Conditioning (NSCA) The American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) to name a few. All personal trainers-coaches should hold a current CPR certification. These certifications all require the holder to continue their education in order to keep the certification active, which is important and it assures that your personal trainer is constantly acquiring continuing education because the field of exercise is always changing and you will want them to be on top of all the new innovative ways to help further your personal fitness results to keep your sessions interesting and ever changing with new program designs.

Now you know what to look for as far as credentials and education, you need to find the right personality to fit you. Remember it is “PERSONAL” training so the time spent with your personal trainer should be about YOU! Your personal trainer should relate to you as an individual, there is not a universal way of training clients; each person has different health issues, past injuries, personal goals and expectations. It is important to tell your personal trainer about any medical conditions, past injuries or surgeries and medications before you start a fitness program. A professional, experienced personal trainer will ask you all of these questions when you meet with them to have your initial consultation and fitness assessment, this will help to design a program for you that is safe and effective, one that will provide you with the fitness results that you are looking to achieve with no injuries or set backs.

Reasonable goals with attainable fitness results should be the focus for each client. This is a key approach for me as a personal trainer and health coach to keep my clients motivated and realistic about their goals and accomplishments throughout a fitness program. Training sessions should always be positive with a sense of motivation, you should be comfortable talking to your trainer and feel confident with his or her guidance. There should never be negative enforcement or shouting of any kind and you should never be forced to do exercises or weight amounts that you are not comfortable with.

Choose a fitness professional that leads a healthy lifestyle, one that has personal experience and knowledge due to their own personal goals as well as education, one that can relate to their clients. I cannot imagine that a personal trainer, who is out of shape, does not exercise or eat well could motivate you or serve as a great role model to anyone. How can they advise someone if they are not taking care of themselves?

While each of us is built differently, we have to realize that as people we come in all shapes and sizes, we are not all going to be buff and slender but there are still healthy habits that need to be practiced by all! An important point I make to all of my clients is to be happy and comfortable in their own skin, whether they are a size 4 or a size 10, if they are exercising, eating right and living a healthy lifestyle they are ahead of the game!

When calling or meeting your prospective personal trainer for the first time have all the questions ready that you want answered and please do ask for proof of certification and references from other clients that train with them.

If cost is what is stopping you from training please keep in mind that you are making an investment in the most important part of your well being, your health! Most personal trainers offer discounts for multi-session packages, session frequency per week, and there is also the option of getting a friend or two to do a small group training session to reduce the cost per person, this is a fun, motivating approach and costs less than a night out with the girls.

Personal trainers are not a luxury they are a necessity to many people to assure that they are committed to a healthy lifestyle, many people feel they are more dedicated to their workouts because they are accountable to a professional fitness specialist.

Good luck in your search for the perfect fitness professional!

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