June 5th, 2009
We know how hard all of you dedicated members are working during your training sessions and metabolic condition classes. We also know that when your pushing yourself that hard, occasional muscle soreness will remind you for 1 or 2 days just how hard you worked. Where muscle soreness is natural and nothing to be concerned about, the worst thing you could do that next day or two is to “take it easy” or hit the sofa to rest up. Being sedentary will contribute to, and lengthen the duration of your stiff muscles. The best thing you can do for fast relief is get up and move it! Now I am not giving you permission to over train and do strenuous exercise everyday, but I am reminding you that the best solution for relieving muscle aches is healthy blood flow to the sore spots and throughout your whole body. That blood flow will warm and ease your muscles while supplying them with the nutrients they need to feel relief.
Some key reminders for you to feel better fast:
Do not HOLD stretches while your body is stiff and you have not warmed yourself up. Holding stretches are known as Static Stretches. These are best left to the end of your training sessions or after engaging in enough movement activity to break a light sweat. You’re muscles will not be as willing to “give” and stretch if they have not received adequate blood flow.
Do not bounce (ballistic stretching) or force a movement that your body is not ready to give. A good indicator of this is if a stretch causes you pain, causes you to break the form of the movement or makes you grimace in a face of true discomfort. More importantly, stay within your current range of motion and continue the movements as you steadily increase that range of motion allowing healthy blood flow to the achy area.
Keep it moving! Don’t change your movements to cater to your soreness. Move through regular steps and reaches so that you don’t avoid using the areas that need to be loosened up.
Follow this at home solution to muscle soreness for a full body treatment after another great Training Studio Session!
- Walking Warm Ups 1 to 2 lengths each
- Stiff Kicks 15 reps each side
- Seal Jumping Jacks 15 reps
- Prisoner Goodmornings 15 reps
- Arm Circles small to big 20 forward then 20 backward
- Spiderman Hip Stretches 12 to 16 total reps
*Each rep and round increase the range of motion through each movement while taking minimal rest, creating optimal body heat to warm muscles and feel relief fast
*Repeat 2-3 total rounds through and start feeling more flexible!
Lastly, if an ache or pain persists longer than 3 days, inform your trainer! Open lines of communication are key in achieving the best results for your body. Let us help you feel your best!
Tags: aches and pains, at home mobility workout, at home workout, back pain, body weight workout, chronic pain, done for you workout, exercise, family health, fat loss, fat loss results, Fitness, fitness goals, flexibility, healthy life style, life style changes, mobility, muscle soreness, personal trainer, recovery, sports recovery, streching, training, weight loss
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May 21st, 2009
It’s no secret that our children live in a different world than that of children raised even as short as 5 years ago. Internet, X Box, Game Boys, Wii, texting and super sized-super convenient meals out. Obviously no parent is responsible for the crime rate that keeps our children from riding bikes all over town or being tempted to order out all the time because both parents work crazy hours- But! There are some precautions to take immediately to ensure that your child doesn’t become a statistic in the battle of obesity now or later in life.
The secret? The smart start young! Even with all the technological distractions these days it’s imperative that you begin to instill healthy habits in your child or teen’s regular routine. You teach a child that they have to brush their teeth whether they like it or not from a young age, and sure enough, because they know its important to their health, they do it the rest of their life. Now if we only did that with exercise and balanced nutrition! Well, I would like to pose the question Why not? And why not start today?
Step One: It’s irrelevant whether your child or teen is currently at a healthy weight or not. They all need to learn about a balanced diet and the importance of physical activity (besides Guitar Hero). Most importantly, do not discriminate between your children if one is a different weight or size than the other. A healthy body image is instilled and doesn’t just magically appear. Teach health equally and foster only positive emotions towards fitness and proper nutrition.
Step Two: Breakfast is a must! No matter the age or the fuss they kick up about being picky or too busy to eat before catching the bus. Choose a breakfast with a healthy source of protein, carbohydrate and fat for a well balanced meal that will support your child or teens: brain function, mood, metabolism and focus in school. Ex. 1 whole omega egg with added whites (veggies are an added bonus) and either a piece of fruit on the go or throw those eggs over some whole grain toast. In a super rush? A scoop of dream protein blended for a minute with some frozen fruit and a small handful of almonds is fast and will have your child thinking they earned a smoothie treat.
Step Three: Prioritize your child’s busy schedule. Don’t keep health on that back burner for when social clubs, art class and other after school activities are over. Enroll your child in a fitness program where they will learn about strength, conditioning, healthy foods, discipline, team work, respect…and the list goes on and on. Check out our programs here and allow your child or teen to watch and try one for free with no obligation.
Step Four: The teeth brushing rule- It is your direct responsibility as a caretaker to help keep your child consistent. I don’t know any parent that purchases a tooth brush and doesn’t encourage and check that their child uses it regularly. Do the same with their breakfast, training and positive reinforcement for a healthy body image. They will thank you in the future with the same pearly smile.
Step Five: Start today! Not after the school year or after camp or…you catch my drift. Your child is growing NOW and learning NOW. We can’t put that on hold so let’s not wait. Take even the smallest step today by getting outside with your child or teen and going for a bike ride, walk ,or invite the neighborhood kids over for a back yard game of badminton. Learning a healthy lifestyle can be really fun if you let it!
Post your experiences of bringing your child to The Training Stud
Tags: active children, boost your mood, building healthy habits, children's fitness, children's fitness program, children's health, diet program, exercise, family fitness, family health, fat loss, Fit Families, fit kids, Fitness, healthy life style, keeping teens off the internet, kids texting, Nutrition, personal trainer, Quii, stop teen texting, teen training, training, weight loss, young athlete training, young athletes
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May 14th, 2009
Alright, summer is looking us right in the face and daring the brave to ditch the sweats and show some leg. So what about that left over body fat that lurks right above the knee cap we so lovingly call “knee knuckles”? When did that get there?! I know, it seems it just came out of nowhere and wants to go nowhere. So what do you do?
If you’re part of The Training Studio family then you have probably heard us say over and over that there is “no such thing as spot reduction!” BUT with clean eating and training it is possible. Besides sticking to your Studio Nutrition Plan you need a kick butt training session for those legs that challenges those muscles, revs your metabolism and helps you create a tighter look by creating a stronger, denser muscle and burning the body fat that haunts your natural shapely curves.
Check out my sample workout set below for a leg blasting exercise routine to help give those knee knuckles the ol’ one two punch for knock out legs! Keep in mind, its about quality NOT quantity. Do not train your legs the day before or two days after as your muscles need time to rest and recover for best results.
Exercise
A1 Stepmill or High Incline Treadmill 5 minutes-fast pace
B1 Lunge Jump – 3 sets – 8 reps each leg – no rest
B2 Squat Jump – 3 sets – 8 reps total - no rest
B3 Body Wt Squat – 3 sets – 20 reps – 60 seconds rest then repeat
C1 Single Leg Dead lift – 4 sets – 8 to 12 reps – 90 seconds rest
D1 Walking Lunges Medium Step – 3 sets – 20 to 25 each 60 seconds rest
Notes:
• The plyometric superset (sequence B) is bodyweight only; no added resistance.
• With the exception of the dumbbell stiff-legged deadlifts, no sets should be taken to failure
Have Fun!!! Feel free to post comments about your workout experience!
Tags: at home workout, body fat, body weight workout, done for you workout, fat loss, fat loss fast, fat loss solution, female fitness, Fitness, get in shape, get results, jump training, knee fat, lean legs, lose fat, personal trainer, weight training, weight training for women
Posted in Fitness, Strength Training | 1 Comment »
May 4th, 2009
While maintaining your body weight can be relatively painless, losing the last ten pounds or first 20 takes discipline and a positive attitude towards your new and improved lifestyle. But is it possible to go overboard? Just when you thought you had no will power at all…you could have gotten yourself into a groove for a major diet flop.
One of the most common mistakes we see on a regular basis is dieters eager for quick results want to crash diet and drop their calories to a sudden, all time low.
Unfortunately there is no such thing as overnight fat loss but there IS a such thing as wreaking havoc on your metabolism and fat loss efforts by not eating enough.
If you’re not consuming at least 1,200 calories per day (and even more if you’re active) your body thinks its starving and flips an emergency switch to start storing all your calories as fat, instead of burning them during the day. It’s a basic survival mechanism.
Research has shown that people who don’t eat consistent, regular meals tend to consume extra calories later to make up for the deficit. For example, skipping lunch and your mid afternoon snack will most likely lead to a large dinner of foods you might not have otherwise chosen if you weren’t so hungry. That pesky sweet tooth and munchie cravings will kick in too!
The biggest problem now, is that with this eating pattern, your metabolism will slow with an extra low calorie intake during the day. Not only that, but now your body is going to crave more heavy foods and then store that lump sum of calories right away as fat.
Ok, so skipping meals and snacks is more than bad, it’s totally counter productive to your goals. What now? Work on eating 4 smaller meals to 6 mini meals of whole foods like lean proteins, your favorite fruits and vegetables and small amounts of healthy fats at each meal.
Not sure how much your eating? Check out www.FitDay.com it’s a totally free online nutrition logging program that can help you stay on track with you dieting goals!
Tags: build a metabolism, calorie counting, crash diet, diet, eat more to lose weight, eating clean, eating disorder, effects of eating disorder, fat loss, fat loss goals, food cravings, free nutrition tips, metabolism, Nutrition, nutrition support, quick results, satisfy your cravings, slow metabolism solutions, sweet tooth cravings, weight loss
Posted in Nutrition | 1 Comment »
April 6th, 2009
One of the biggest myths and misconceptions in weight loss is telling yourself that your body is what’s holding you back from your fitness goals and your genetics are the blame. I’m sure you’ve all heard someone out of shape say “I just can’t lose weight, I have a slow metabolism!” Well, I have heard this many times and seen it proven wrong many times, so it’s my pleasure to break the good news to you…YOUR METABLOLISM IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT.
You might not be in the 1% of genetically gifted individuals that can eat whatever they want, but we average Joes’ just need to get over it. There will always be someone out there that genetically breaks the rules. For instance, that 98 year old neighbor that has smoked two packs of cigarettes a day and eaten junk food their whole life but has no health issues. Or that girl friend of yours that eats buttered bagels and cheesy tuna melts for lunch but never gains a pound. Well get off the pity pot because there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a normal or average metabolism.
If you come from an overweight family, or have hereditary thyroid issues, this just means that you may be predisposed to having to work harder at your fitness goals. It is by no means a lifelong sentence to be fat or out of shape. People with a family history of high blood pressure, may have high-ER blood pressure but through training and nutrition can keep it within normal range. This person isn’t destined to have a coronary if they take good care of their body.
On the other hand, I must tell you it is also common to take a normal metabolism and slow it down by yo-yo dieting, crash dieting, fasting methods and/or an unfit sedentary lifestyle. But again, the good news is that you can rebuild and make a better metabolism and well, the bad news is that you don’t have that excuse anymore. So, let’s stop finger pointing at the genetically elite. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I looked at an Olympic Sprinter and complained to my friends that I couldn’t sprint to my mail box in 2.3 seconds. Catch my drift? 
Please post comments and thoughts and stay tuned for tips on building a healthy, fat-burning metabolism!
Tags: boost your metabolism, fat loss, Fitness, fitness goals, lose weight, marlboro bootcamps, marlboro personal trainer, Nutrition, six pack, slow metabolism, training, weight loss
Posted in Fitness, Nutrition | 2 Comments »
March 2nd, 2009
Depressed children could be lacking in a regular exercise regiment! According to a recent study in the November 2008 issue of Pediatric Exercise Science, regular exercise is wracking up more health bonus points and building its remedy status. Experts say that exercise, commonly used as a treatment for depression and anxiety among adults, has been shown to reduce depression and anxiety in children as well.
After 10 weeks of consistent after school cardiovascular activity, children aged 7-11 experienced elevated moods and a decrease in levels of anger and hostility. Experts believe that group fitness or training with family or peers, plays a key role in children developing into fit and happy adults.
Now it doesn’t take a genius to see this study expanding and holding true not only for children 7-11 but for your teenagers and young adults as well. Oh, and on a side note, Guitar Hero (or other wii games) is not a suffiecient form of regular exericse. It’s a step in the right direction for sedentary youths and teens but it shouldn’t be long before you upgrade your child to a group fitness program to reap the real health and social benefits of exercse!
Tags: active children, active kids, boost your mood, children's health, depression, exercise, family health, Fit Families, fit kids, fitness for kids, group training, healthy kids, Kids Group Fitness, overweight children, Pediatric Exercise Science, Reduce Depression, sedentary kids, wii fitness games, wii games, Youth Training Programs
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February 16th, 2009
We are now a month and a half into the new year. Are you seeing the health and fitness results that you set out to achieve? Sometimes we can be too drastic with our health and fitness goals which makes it very difficult and even seemingly impossible to keep them. The following are basic but super effective methods at making progressive changes to keep you on point with your goals. I call them the ABC’s of making change.
Attainable-Something realistic and achievable. It makes no sense to set yourself up for failure with drastic and over the top goals, especially when your just getting started. Short term goals will keep you fresh and inspired by guess who….you! Seeing yourself succeed is exactly what the doctor ordered to help you feel in control and motivated!
Believable-If you don’t actually think your capable of achieving what you set out to do, then The Mission IS Impossible. Do you feel as though you’ve failed yourself time and time again? Do you think you will be fat or out of shape forever? Well you’re not destined to failure. It’s much more likely that you just aren’t setting proper goals. If you want REAL RESULTS for a LIFETIME, you need to start off by conquering simple goals one by one until you build your self esteem. Along the way you will be moving closer and closer to the lifelong results you’re looking for at a pace that keeps you feeling in control and motivated.
Clear- Now this is important. Your goals MUST be clear and measurable. Share them with your personal trainer, family and friends so they can keep you accountable. A good example of a clear goal would be eating a healthy breakfast consistent with your diet plan every single day. Another example would be to add 20 minutes of cardio after every strength training session for this upcoming week. Both goals are basic, simple and measurable.
The ABC’s of Goal Setting are applicable to EVERYONE. No matter what your fitness level or training/nutrition experience-every journey big or small, begins with a single step. So stop wishing for change and get started!
Tags: family fitness, fat loss, fat loss goals, Fit Families, Fitness, getting healthy, getting motivated, getting results, goal setting, healthy lifestyle, life style changes, staying motivated, training, training goals, weight loss, weight loss goals
Posted in Fitness, Nutrition, Strength Training | No Comments »
November 12th, 2008
So if you haven’t heard the news yet, the Big Day has come and gone and I walked away as the 2nd Place Figure Competitor at the INBF World’s 2008. There were 30 figure girl’s that came from far and wide- Costa Rica, London, Cayman Islands…the clickety clack of six inch heals could be heard from every direction. It was a very exciting and nerve wracking experience and I’m proud of myself for hanging in there through the 12 hour competition day. Though second place is an achievement, my inner competitor could easily find a way to be hard on myself for not being top spot. In this situation I imagine the kind words I would give a client in the same position… “Snap out of it already!!!”
In reality there’s a much bigger picture than the trophy shot in glittery suits. I worked a quarter-actually almost a third of a year- on trying to be better and different than I was last competition. Seeminly so simple, all of us can get caught up on what we think works best for us and our bodies when despite our own beliefs, the body needs something different. a new method, a better strategy and an open mind.
My last competition I did well, so why change anything? Because I wasn’t looking to keep doing “well”. Believe me, it’s not always easy to be open minded and give your all to diet and training strategies that you haven’t used in the past. But with with the right education, progression and support, change can be more fantastic than scary.
Even though I did not win first place, I was prepared. I was more poised, had a better stage presence and was much leaner and conditioned for the experience. So can you really count that as a loss? Placing second at the World’s isn’t the main achievement, it’s in doing whatever it took to be a “better me”. I’m proud of the changes I dared to make to be a better competitor, athlete and trainer. If you learn anything from my experience, it’s that being open minded, focused and driven will ultimately allow you to be a better you year after year because in the end your true competition is only yourself 
Tags: Figure, Figure Coach, figure competing, figure competition, figure competition review, figure show, Fitness, fitness goal setting, fitness goals, How To Improve Yourself, INBF, INBF Figure competition, INBF Figure Show, Juliet Deane, life style changes, my first figure show, self improvement, training
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September 2nd, 2008
Going away to college, whether an hour from home or across the country, is a big step in becoming independent. As if maintaining your course schedule wasn’t enough, you have to learn how to manage your health and fitness in a new environment with added distraction and even stress. Eating right and exercising will help your energy levels, focus, sleep patterns and immune defense against winter colds and flus. Whether your a first year student, a soon to be grad, or even a teacher…everyone can use a little support in getting adjusted to a new lifestyle. I put together a few basic but highly effective tips so that you can make the most of your year at school.
Tip #1 Never Skip Breakfast! -Grandma was right. Breakfast is hands down the most important meal of the day. Have options ready for regular mornings and days that you may wake up late and have to run out the door. Enjoy eggs and fruit or Old Fashioned Oatmeal with a scoop of vanilla protein powder. If your in a rush have a protein shake and grab an apple and some almonds to go!
Tip #2 Snack Attack- Don’t wait until your absolutely starving to eat something because your so much less likely to choose the right foods. Easy to pack snacks for long class schedules could be an apple and small handful of almonds & walnuts or a quality protein bar.
Tip #3 Walk It Off- Whether it’s that first accounting exam, an overwhelming course load or your roommates really annoying music taste….walk it off! Stress can lead to overeating for no other reason but distraction so take a hike! Throw on a hoodie and walk the campus. Chances are you’ll meet some new people, relax and be more healthy because it.
Tip #4 Put Yourself To Bed - Yeah, I’m sure you don’t want to hear it but the amount of sleep you get directly effects your TOTAL health. Sleep balances the hormones in your body that control a normal appetite. Lose too much sleep on a regular basis and you’ll be grabbing for junk foods that your body doesn’t really want or need. Sleep also will keep your immune system pumping to fight off classmate cooties AND if that isn’t enough, proper sleep also regulates your mood so your roommate doesn’t get the urge to dip your toothbrush in the toilet.
Tip #5 Easy On The Booze- Let’s face the obvious. You have new found personal freedom and there is no shortage of parties. Alchohol consumption leads to sloppy judgement calls in every area of your life. If your drunk or even just “buzzed” your putting yourself at risk. If your health and safety isn’t enough reason to avoid drinking, let it be know that alchohol is major contributer to that unfortunate “Freshman 15″.
Well off to school you go now! Take care of your body and your body will take care of you. Feel free to email me through my website with any questions or topics of interest that you would like me to blog about.
Tags: Back to school special, boost your mood, College fitness, college nutrition, coping with stress, Eat right, energy levels, exercise, family fitness, family health, First year fitness, First year student, focus, freshman 15, Freshman in College, health, healthy life style, healthy teens, immune defense, lack of sleep, life style changes, mood, Nutrition, sleep disorder, stress, total health, wellness
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June 25th, 2008
We all have big goals and visions of what we want our lives, bodies and fitness levels to be like; but more often than not people get stuck on the “ready, set…” and then never really get the “GO”. You can have really great pieces of information about smart eating and exercise but get no results because, well, it’s just not enough to know it. I hate to break the news but that overnight epiphany of “Today is the day I’ll follow the perfect program without fail, forever!”-will never come. There is no need to expect perfection from yourself in order to see great results from building healthy habits. You don’t need the perfect pair of sneakers to start taking walks around your neighborhood or have a personal chef to eat more lean proteins, vegetables and fruit. Need a really basic habit to start asap? Give up soda, juice, and calorie packed specialty drinks. Implement that as often as you can, every day! Need a more advanced tip? Have 3 healthy breakfast options posted” on the fridge. One for when you oversleep, one for when have some time but are kind of lazy that morning, and a third option that you can really sit down and enjoy. Breakfast sets the tone for the entire day so it’s super important to be prepared so that you start off on the right foot. Here are 3 possible breakfast options but feel free to be creative.
“The Oversleeper”: Protein shake, apple & small handful of nuts (totally portable and can even be left in your car or desk at work)
“The Lazy Day Special”: 1% cottage cheese with 1 cup fresh blueberries and raw almonds
“The Morning Person”: Omega 3 egg with added whites, 1/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheese with all your favorite veggies, slice whole grain toast and a clememtine
Now YOU try! Try my suggestions and/or write a menu for yourself. Keep all your habit goals on a list that you can see and read often. Keep adding to it as each goal becomes more of a daily habit. If you need help prioritizing your nutrition and fitness goals, do not hesitate to consult a respected professional.
Now Ready, set….GO already!
Tags: diet, diet planning, diet program, family health, fat loss, Fitness, goal setting, health, health habits, healthy habits, healthy life style, meal ideas, motivation, Nutrition, nutrition coach, nutrition tips, personal trainer, weight loss
Posted in Fitness, Nutrition | No Comments »
