Twitter Q&A

This post is from my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

TGIF! It's Friday which means its time for Q&A Friday! Ask me your #diet, #exercise, #nutrition, #stress, #lifestyle questions! Go!!

Q: I have skinny calfs, what's a good calf workout? A: Do standing & seated calf raises with a moderate weight. Hi reps (20-25), 3 sets each.

Q: What is the best diet out there? A: The best diet is the one that you will like the food choices available and thus will follow longer.

Q: I work 12 hour days, how can I find time to workout? A: Try a 1/2 hr workout before or after work or split it and do it before & after.

Q: Is it possible to focus on one area during weightloss? A: No, fat loss can't be spot reduced but your body will reshape itself so as you lose weight, natural curves will show more and with better definition. Arms, abs, legs, etc.

Q: What's the best footwear to use to workout? A: If you are doing low impact work, then anything comfortable that provides support is good. However, if you are doing any high impact work then you need to wear supportive, thick soled shock absorbent and light footwear.

Q: I hate my love handles, what's a good workout? A: Love handles are where your body stores fat so you have to attack it with diet. You can tone the obliques underneath with twisting moves and ab/core work but the diet (and cardio) is what will get rid of them.

Q: How do you figure out BMI? A: Body Mass Index is calculated by height and weight but is not a good indicator of muscle or fitness IMO.

Q: Does yoga help alleviate stress? A: Yes! Concentrate on your breathing during yoga to get the max stress busting effect of it.

#Quote of the day: The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom is courage. - Thucydides

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I'm here to help inspire you, motivate you and help you reach your fitness goals whether it's to lose weight, gain weight or train for a sport.

I can help you reach your goals & train you in the comfort of your home with my online training system. Very affordable & flexible plans. If you are interested in being trained by me with my online training program or want more info, visit my site at www.ezhomefitness.com, read through the Online Training & FAQ pages and you can get started today! I'm ready to help you!

Twitter Q&A

This post is from my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

It's Friday so you know what that means... it's Q&A Friday!! So, ask away with your #diet & #exercise questions!

Q: What's better- tuna or salmon? A: Tuna is a cleaner source of protein. Salmon is a fattier fish but that means higher Omega 3s + protein.

Q: What's the most effective way to workout without a gym? A: With my online training! ;) Use weights, bands, stationary bike, treadmill, etc. The most effective home workout is the one that you do consistently while increasing your intensity.

Q: Is it true that dark chocolate is good for you? A: Yes, there are heart healthy elements in dark chocolate however moderation is key.

Q: How long do I have to be on a treadmill to burn fat? A: Your body doesn't convert to burning fat until the 20min mark so do your cardio anywhere from 30 - 45 minutes for fat burning. Anything over 45 minutes will start burning muscle which is counter-productive.

Q: How long do I have to train for? A: For what? How about making exercise a lifetime habit? Train for health. Train for life.

Q: If you don't want to burn fat, you should do < 30min of cardio? A: Good question! 20min would suffice or lessening the days you do it.

#Quote of the day: Patience and fortitude conquer all things. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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I'm here to help inspire you, motivate you and help you reach your fitness goals whether it's to lose weight, gain weight or train for a sport.

I can help you reach your goals & train you in the comfort of your home with my online training system. Affordable. If you are interested in being trained by me with my online training program or want more info, visit my site at www.ezhomefitness.com and use the email link there. I hope to hear from you!

Twitter Q&A

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

Today is Q&A Friday! So ask me your #diet & #exercise questions!

Q: Jogging hurts my knees, what other cardio can I do? A: Do low impact cardio such as stationary bicycle, swimming, elliptical, etc.

Q: How can I get rid of my post-pregnancy fat? A: The usual way - strict diet, cardio & weights. Work hard and be consistent.

Q: I get winded just going up stairs, how can I do cardio? A: By starting slow, start with 15 minutes/slow pace & slowly add time/intensity

Q: Do I need to do weights to exercise? A: If you want to firm & tone your muscles then you need to add resistance to your exercises. It doesn't have to be dumbbells & barbells. You can also use bands, ankle weights, hand weights, pilates balls, kettlebells, medicine balls.

Q: How long should I exercise each day? A: At least 30 min 4-5 days a week will give you benefits. Adjust your training to your goals.

Q: Is dancing cardio? A: If depends - if you do it for at least 30 minutes, it makes you sweat and breathe hard, then yes! ;)

Q: How much carbs should be taken on 1700cal diet if trying to lose weight? A: Depends on the diet & what stage of it you are on. For this 1700 cal example I will use a starting diet of 50%Carbs/30%protein/20%fat so carb calories would be 850 which = 212.5gms of carbs

Q: My diet worked at first but then I stopped having results, what happened? A: A diet needs constant adjustment as your weight changes.

#Quote of the day: Luck is what you have left over after you give 100 percent. - unknown

Twitter topic of the day: What is your favorite form of exercise?

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is what is your favorite form of exercise to do? What is your favorite type of exercise to do? Weights? Cardio? Pilates? Spinning? Kickboxing? Yoga? Jogging? Swimming?

So many choices! The best form of exercise to do is... any exercise you choose to do that keeps you motivated to keep coming back for more! What's the worst form of exercise? Inactivity. Doing nothing is exactly that. NOTHING. No results, no progress, instead things get worse. There are so many different forms of exercise that there is NO excuse not to exercise. In all that variety there is something you must like. Some people like the treadmill, some people hate it and think it's boring so do no cardio at all. Wrong! Simple solution-find an alternative. Replace the treadmill with a bicycle, stairclimber, elliptical, aerobics... hey, dancing works too! No excuses not to do cardio! But of course, cardio is only one part of the equation. You also have to do some sort of resistance exercise, lots of variety there too! Barbells, dumbbells, machines, bands, medicine balls, kettlebells, pilates balls, stability balls, your own bodyweight -No equipment needed! What's holding you back from finding that favorite form of exercise? Y-O-U. It's certainly not the lack of variety in exercises & options! I have made workouts for people with various disabilities & limitations, with those who have zero equipment, etc. There are always options. My own favorite forms of exercise are stationary cycling, kickboxing, weights, yoga and P90X. Although I'm not the get bored type & usually stick with a routine for a while but I do mix it up every once in a while to change things up. Find what works for you and find what form of exercise appeals to you best and then go get it! Exercise will work for you in so many ways but you have to DO IT. Exercise can't help you if you don't do it. Nothing can if you opt out.

#Quote of the day: Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness. - Earl of Derby

Twitter Q&A

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

Today is Q&A Friday!! {cue the applause} so ask me your #diet & #exercise questions!

Q: Do I need weights to workout? A: No. Weights help but there are other forms of resistance u can use-bands, yoga/pilates balls, your body.

Q: What's the best cardio I can do? A: Any cardio is good cardio. Find what best fits you & wll keep you coming back then do it consistently.

Q: Best way to overcome plateau? A: Be consistent & push harder to force your body past its current comfort level. Up the intensity.

Q: How do you train someone online? A: Innovative online training system lets me train you & get your feedback to keep progress coming.

Q: What do you train with? A: I train with different methods at different times with P90X, weights, cardio & martial arts.

Q: How do I stay motivated? A: You have to stay focused on your goals and you have to WANT it. Keep your eye on the prize. Tunnel vision!

Q: I lost 10 pounds and gained most of it back. What did I do wrong? A: You did the actions but didn't adopt them as habits, so reverted.

Q: What is your top tip? A: Be consistent! You have to show up & work! Even if u think u aren't making progress, you are... on the inside.

Twitter Q&A

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness


Today is Q&A Friday! That means you get to ask me your #diet & #exercise questions for the next 20 minutes or so! Go! ;)

Q: What is your #1 motivation tip? A: You have to decide that YOU want it & want to change. If you want it you will be & stay motivated!

Q: How can I eat better at work? Everything around here is fast food. A: That's easy! Prepare your food at home & bring it with you to work!

Q: How long have you been training people? A: Informally for over 20 years! Formally for about the past 5 years.

Q: Can I train at home as well as I would at a gym? A: The gym has more equipment but you can train very well at home with little equipment.

Q: How can I lose my stomach fat? A: Belly fat is stubborn fat. It will take effort & patience. Do cardio to burn calories. Restrict carbs.

#Quote of the day: If you only have one smile in you, give it to the people you love. - Maya Angelou

Twitter topic of the day: Do you need equipment or a gym to workout?

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is do you not workout because you don't have any workout equipment or a gym membership?

A lot of people don't workout because they use not having any equipment as an excuse to not workout but you don't need equipment to workout! A lot of people also use that they don't have a gym membership as an excuse but that's just an excuse as well. Too many people have gym memberships that are wasting away because getting the membership was their only effort in going to the gym. Money is too tight nowadays to have a gym membership going to waste. Yes, its good to have but not if you're not going to use it! The truth is that you can get a great workout at home with NO equipment. You just have to get creative and of course be ready to bring it! When it comes to a bodyweight exercise, you have to increase the reps to get the most out of the exercise. A bodyweight exercise is you using your bodyweight for resistance instead of weights. The exercises are functional and the variety is wide. With no equipment you can get a great cardio workout such as jogging, jumping jacks, dancing, martial arts, etc. Bodyweight exercises like pushups, chinups, pullups, squats, core exercises, yoga, pilates, etc. can give you great results. Knowing how to put together a bodyweight exercise program will go a long way to giving you better results but my point is it can be done. My other point is that there are very few excuses to not workout! No weights? No problem! Making excuses... that's a problem! Get creative, get moving, get motivated, get inspired..your future body and health is waiting for you! Will you go out to meet it? I hope so.

#Diet tip: Are you constantly eating snacks all day long? Reduce that to one snack per day. Make it your reward for eating well.

#Exercise tip: When doing bodyweight exercises, shoot for max reps. Don't limit yourself to a set number, wear the muscle out.

#Quote of the day: A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work. - Colin Powell

Putting the "work" into your workout!

"If you have an hour, will you not improve that hour, instead of idling it away?"
~Lord Chesterfield

Hey everyone, sooooooooo... how are those new year's resolutions about losing weight or getting in better shape going? I hope most of you are saying in your heads that it's going great and that it is true and you're not trying to convince yourself that it is.

Are you being strict with your diet or just cruising along? Are you giving it you all every workout? Well, I'm here to give you a little reality check. You have to bust it every time in the gym or at home when you work out. No cruising allowed! There is a reason the word "work" is in workout. It's supposed to be hard!! That is if you want results. You do want results, don't you? I sure hope you're not just going through the motions and wasting your time. If you're putting in the time, then put in the work!

Put in the work means that you should be pushing yourself EVERY workout. If that means you can only manage one extra rep but you're giving it 100% then so be it but the point is to challenge yourself. If you can do two extra reps, do it. Don't go into your workout to just put in the time and say you worked out. Go in there and get something more from it. Learn your limits even as you set new ones each workout. The body is very adaptable and if you don't continuously push it, it is very content with that and the results will stop. Even though you may not see instant results from that one extra rep or that extra set or that extra MPH on the treadmill, trust that you are making progress towards a stronger, fitter you and that's what it's all for, isn't it?

Make every rep work for you, feel the muscle work as you do the exercise. Make every set work for you, feel the last 3-4 reps of every set - make sure those reps aren't easy. Make every exercise work for you, if you're not feeling it doing anything anymore or it's too easy - replace it with a harder exercise. The point is to WORK WORK WORK.

Push your body continuosly and you will see results with the body, fitness and health you always wanted. Now get to WORK! ;)

Even God took a rest day, so should you!

Hey everyone, it's been a very snowy winter here in NY! I love the cold and the snow so I have no complaints :)

I know a lot of people who hate to train in the winter because they say it's too cold and they prefer the warmer weather to train. These are also the same people who are upset with themselves in the summer that they didn't begin training in the winter to get their bodies in summer shape. So, what happens? They say it's too late now or I have better things to do in the summer than working out and then put it off and they get to the Fall/Winter months and go back to their it's too cold excuse and the merry-go-round keeps going round and round. Sorry for going off on that tangent but it's just a pet peeve of mine and something I hear a lot from people as excuses for not wanting to motivate themselves to workout. Not good. There should be no excuses! Just workout. Claim your body and health back. Period.

Ok {takes breath}, back to my monthly topic. Resting and recuperation. Do you think you get enough for your body's needs? Let's find out. A lot of people go to extremes when they try to diet or exercise. If they are dieting then they're going to starve themselves to lose the weight. Wrong approach. A starved body will only store whatever calories it takes in. If they decide to exercise, they either decide one of two things. They are going to only do ab exercises such as crunches in an effort to spot reduce the belly flab. That won't work, you can't spot reduce. Worse yet is the people that get duped into buying ab gadgets on TV so they can spot reduce. It has to be an overall body effort when it comes to exercise. The other thing they'll do is get on a treadmill or elliptical and go at it hardcore right from the get-go without any build-up or anything. Wrong. So what happens to these people? They see no results after 2 weeks and give up. Is it any wonder why they see no results? When it comes to dieting, you have to stick to it but you also have to do it right but that's a discussion for another day (or you can look back through my blog for more on dieting correctly). When it comes to exercise, you not only have to have an overall body attack and workout all your bodyparts but you also have to schedule in rest days to give your body a chance to recuperate. Very important. Your body only recuperates itself when you give it proper rest. Remember, your body is also getting stressed from work, school, relationships, etc. Exercise is a great stress buster but it's also a form of stress that's being introduced to the body in an effort to make it stronger. So what is a good rest period? A good exercise schedule that most people (that work, are older, have less time, etc.) can handle easily is a 2 days on and 1 day off schedule. Meaning you workout 2 days in a row, then take a rest day. If you are younger or have the energy for it, you can do a typical and more traditional 3 days on, 1 day off schedule and if you go at it pretty heavy you can even do a 3 days on, 2 days off schedule. However, that's for people that train heavy. You don't typically want 2 days off. The body adapts quickly and 2 days off will only slow down gains and progress for someone doing a normal workout.

So, now that you know what to do when it comes to taking a rest day, let's talk about how much rest you should have. Getting at least 6-8 hours of sleep each night is very important. Again, you are stressing your body with the workouts on top of your other stresses so your body NEEDS rest. Without the proper amount of rest, you will see much less progress with not only from your exercises but also from your diet. Make sure your body gets the rest it deserves.

Month 1 of P90X almost done!

I've survived the 1st month of the vaunted P90X training program! Survived is the right word. Lol. The first week was tough with longer workouts than I was used to and different exercises than I was used to. Week 2 was easier as I knew what to expect and I even upped the intensity quite a bit. Week 3 saw me dragging myself some days with my energy and recuperation levels on low but I paced myself throughout the day and was able to up the intensity still in week 3. I'm now in week 4 which is a Recovery phase week. Lots of stretching and Yoga X with some Kenpo X and intense core synergistics thrown in there on 3 of the days to keep the muscles working.

With my recovery phase almost done, I move back to the Adaptive and Mastery phase on Thursday! Back to the intensity! As per the muscle confusion aspect that is at the core of the P90X foundation, this time there will be new exercises to help me bring it! I'll also be back to the Plyo and continue with the Kenpo X and Yoga X days.

I did not tighten up my diet so I could see what my energy needs for the workouts would be so I did not see great changes on the scale BUT I never go by the scale anyway. As I always preach, the scale only tells a small part of the story when it comes to working out. As you build muscle and lose fat, the scale will not tend to move much but you will see changes with your body. With that said, I have definitely seen my clothes getting looser, my bodyfat percentage go down and my muscles getting bigger and tighter. My cardio and muscle endurance has improved dramatically and that in itself is a great reward from the P90X program.

All in all, I highly recommend P90X for all the reasons I just mentioned above. I'm not only a trainee, I'm also a Team Beachbody Coach and can help guide you to the right home training program, for you and your needs like P90X, Insanity, Hip Hop Abs, Brazilian Butt Lift and many more - all programs designed to help get you in the best shape of your life! Ask me about it and ask me how to get a 25% discount on it!

For more info, go check out my Team Beachbody site at http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/MarioM320 or you can check out my online Beachbody store on my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/EZHomeFitness/122379617832402

Week 1 of P90X down! 83 days to go!

So, my first week of P90X is done! Whew!! As I mentioned in my last blog post, I workout all the time with weights and cardio and I was doing P90X to challenge myself. Challenge myself I did! It was a week of some new things, some not so new and lots of soreness! It was and is a good soreness (as opposed to pain that isn't a good sign to have from a workout)! I love feeling sore from a workout, it tells me I pushed my body. I know that the result of the soreness will be a stronger body the next time I workout.

So day 1 was back & chest which I love to train. This workout consists mostly of pushups and chinups of all kinds. It's tough and tiring but fun. There are P90X workout sheets to keep track of your reps in each exercise so that gives you a good visual to try to beat each time you do the workout. I've always used a workout journal to keep track of my workouts and I highly suggest you do the same with your workouts. While a lot of you may say, pushups and chinups... Oh My! There are ways to do the exercises to make them a bit easier to do until your body gets stronger though. It's all about pushing yourself and bringing it. There's no getting around it, your body will get stronger but you will have to push it. After the workout I did the P90X version of Ab work called Ab Ripper X and whooboy, that title is accurate! 16 minutes of non-stop ab and core work! Mind you, I have strong abs but that was hard! Honestly, I was not able to do all the exercises all the way through but that's ok. I know I will get stronger and better with it in time and that's how you should approach any exercise. Give it your all and do what you can. As you stick to it, you will get better and stronger with it. Same goes for the pushups and chinups. As they say in P90X, do your best and forget the rest.

Day 2 was Plyometrics and they call this workout THE BEAST for a reason. Athletes utilize Plyo a lot to prepare for their sports. It consists of a lot of leg work and jumping exercises. Your legs and feet will take a beating and your heartrate will soar with this workout but its a great cardio workout and you'll find yourself feeling very accomplished when its done! It has a lot of variety with the exercises so you won't get bored with it. In fact I don't think you'll be bored with any the days since they are all very varied and you're too busy getting through the exercises to be bored! Lol. You have to keep track of your heart rate in this workout to make sure you stay in the zone but it will no doubt improve your cardio capacity fast.

Day 3 was Shoulder and Arms which I also love to train. I don't really have a bodypart I don't like to train though. There is more use of the resistance bands & weights in this workout and if you use a heavy enough weight, you'll definitely feel it the next day. To get the most of any exercise, you should always use enough weight to make it hard by the last 3 reps of the exercise.

Day 4 was Yoga X. This is a long 90 minute workout but once you are done you feel great! Most of the other workouts average about 55 minutes long, including warmups and cool downs. The Yoga workout is broken into 3 parts consisting of overall body exercises while your body is fresh and strong, then balance exercises and then core exercises. I like the way its setup and the whole flow of the exercises. Its definitely challenging but you will feel the difference in flexibility by the end.

Day 5 was legs & back. Lots of leg work with back exercises (mainly chinups, yes more chinups!) as breathers. A really good workout! I loved it and my legs definitely felt it the next day. They were already sore from the plyo on day 2 and this workout actually helped lessen the soreness and speed up the healing as the exercises forced blood into the muscles. That's the way to do it. If you just have normal post-workout soreness, the best way to get rid of it is to get the blood flowing in your body through more exercise. The blood helps to flush the toxins and soreness out. It helps with the recuperation process.

Day 6 was Kenpo X. As a lifelong martial artist, this was a workout I was looking forward to. I also found this workout the easiest to do but then again its something I'm used to doing (punches and kicks). This workout works out everything so its a good overall workout and great way to end the week with this last workout! Martial Arts are a great way to work out - the punches work the upper body, kicks work out the lower body and the pace of the workout works your cardio. This workout helps bring all the P90X workout days together. I had a blast!

Day 7 is either a rest day or a day to stretch. The P90X system comes with a stretching DVD and that's what I chose to do after a hard first week of working out. In fact, I plan to do the stretching instead of resting for the entire 90 day duration. Stretching helps not with your flexibilty but helps flush out some of the toxins and post-workout soreness that you may feel. Although stretching should be part of your warmups and cool downs, taking your rest day to stretch is a really good idea. As with all things P90X, the stretching program incorporates various types of stretching (ballistic, static and yoga) and spans about 55 minutes. After a hard week of working out though, its a most welcome and glorious 55 minutes of stretching! :)

I can't wait for week 2!

Cardio or Weights? That is the question...

"Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow."
~Doug Firebaugh

To do cardio or not? To do weights or not? 2 simple questions that cause so much confusion to the new exerciser. Well, simple questions usually have simple answers. The answer to both questions is YES!!

Now to give you the longer answer. ;)

No doubt that some form of cardio is necessary. It helps your fitness levels, helps lower stress, strengthens the heart and lungs, boosts your metabolism and helps burn calories. All things that say that doing cardio is very important.

What type of cardio is best? Any that you do! Again, simple answer! ;)
Get your body moving - calisthenics, power walking, jogging, sprinting, circuit training, martial arts, stair climbing, rowing, bicycle riding, ellipticals, treadmills - all ways to work up a sweat and get you huffing and puffing in a good way. To lose weight, my suggestions would range from 3 - 5 times a week of 20 - 45 min. per day of moderate to high intensity cardio. The frequency of doing your cardio would of course be based on your individual goals, fitness level and what equipment you have or don't ahve at your disposal. As with any form of exercise, start slowly with 20 minutes of low to moderate cardio and build up slowly.

Now onto the weights. Some people love weights (like me!) and some hate it but it's a necessary part of working out. For some people who are more out of shape or are older, weight training can come after a few weeks of cardio. Using the cardio period as an adjustment period for the body to get used to exercise as weights work out the body in a totally different way. Typically though you want some sort of resistance training (weights, machines, bands, toning bars, stability balls, pilates balls) along with your cardio. Weight training has the same health benefits as cardio with the added benefits of toning muscles, strenthening bones, making you stronger, preventing or decreasing lower back pain and many more benefits to your overall health and fitness.

What type of weight training is best? Machines are easily accesible in gyms and are a good choice for that reason. Bands, stability balls, toning bars and pilates balls are all good for home use and for beginners to intermediates looking to tone. For building muscle, machines are good but nothing beats free weights. While machines follow a fixed path, they only activate certain muscles while you exercise. Free weights on the other hand activate the main muscle and many more smaller supporting muscles so they build the muscles in a more complete way.

I would recommend doing some light weight training along with your cardio at first and gradually increase the resistance/weight as you get stronger and the exercises get easier to do. For building muscle, you want heavier weights and lower reps in the 6-10 rep range. For toning, you want lighter weights and higher reps in the 12-15 (or even higher with light weights) rep range. Always exercise good form and lift correctly to avoid injury. There are many good sources to learn the proper way to do an exercise. A good personal trainer will analyze and correct your form to make sure it being done in a way that is safe but will maximize your gains from the exercise. Weight lifting puts a different stress on the body than cardio so I would start with weights every other day for a total of 3x a week (for example - Monday, Wednesday and Friday). So cardio every day Monday to Friday and weights on the days above. Weekends free. It will give you a good weekly workout and give your body some time to recover.

So, remember cardio and weights is the simple answer to what you should be doing. So, what are you waiting for? ;)

The scale lies

"The fact is, that to do anything in the world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can."
~Robert Cushing

Are you afraid of getting on your scale? Do you dread what it will say? Do you avoid your scale like the plague? Is it hidden somewhere out of sight only to be pulled out and used once a year or so? Well I say, don't be afraid of the scale (in fact that's my slogan as a Personal Trainer) because the truth is that the scale lies! Yes, it does its job and tells you your weight but its not the scales' fault that it only gives you partial truth. Confused? Lol. I'm sure you are interested in what the heck I am talking about! ;)

The scale only tells you your weight. That much we know. What most don't understand or aren't taught by most of the weight-loss centers, dieticians, doctors, well-meaning family members and friends is that the scale doesn't take into account other things such as your fat percentage, your bodymass to bodyfat ratio, your well-being, your fitness level or how your clothes fit.

I always tell my clients that the scale is a good tool to keep them honest but don't freak out by the numbers when they are working out hard because the scale will only tell them a partial story. I have a weekly weigh-in with my clients and then take their bodyfat measurements with bodyfat calipers and also select body measurements. Put all together, I then show them how and why their diet is affecting their bodyfat levels and I also show and tell them how their exercise is affecting their muscle and body measurements. To further explain, let's say the scale says you were 160 lbs. last week and this week after much hard work, you get on the scale and it still says 160 lbs. Most would find it discouraging. I would tell my clients to wait until we do their weigh-in and let's see what it says. A bodyfat loss of 2 lbs. with a muscle gain of 2 lbs. would mean that the scale wouldn't change but there would be a difference! It would be 2 lbs of fat lost that was replaced with a 2 lb muscle gain! That's progress that the scale would show. This is why I say the scale only gives a partial story.

When you are exercising, you will be toning and building muscle (especially at first) and the scale may say that you've gained a few pounds but it will be muscle. At that point, you are ahead in the game because the added muscle will help you burn extra calories and fat. So while the scale may not change or even go up, it is not the bad thing you might think. Instead, most people would see that and think that what they are doing is wrong and give up when in fact they were actually progressing towards their goal. Always, always, always keep at it with your exercising. Even if you plateau and have no changes in a week, you are improving your fitness level so there is still a positive to focus on.

I always tell my clients to go by how they feel (do you feel satisfied that you are working out and doing something for your health?), how their clothes feel on them and how they look in the mirror as a progress marker for their dieting and working out rather than the cold hard number on the scale. Never let the scale lie to you again! Now you know. ;)

You don't need a gym to workout! Workout from home!

"Do or do not. There is no try."
~Yoda

Since we just got through the month of January, I'm sure you've seen all the latest commercials and ads from gyms advertising their winter sales. The gyms know that January is the best time of year to capitalize on everyone making their new year's resolutions to get in shape and indeed, they rack up the memberships in January. Go to a gym in January, its packed. Go in February, its less so. Go in March and its just the regulars and a disciplined few that have stuck to their resolutions. Go in April and its the same and so on. You get the idea.

No doubt about it, going to a gym sounds like a great idea and is IF you stick to it. Just like anything else, you have to stick to it to see results. The problem with gyms that I hear from a lot of my clients are among others:

-you're too tired to go after work, you just want to go home
-you don't want to deal with traffic
-it's too far from home
-you're too embarrassed to go to a gym
-you don't know what to do at a gym
-you don't like being around so many people

Those are just some of the more common reasons people have. They all have a lot of validity to them as well. BUT you know what? You don't need a gym to workout and get yourself in shape. You can go running, swimming or you can workout from home! Yes, you can workout from home. No fancy equipment needed, in fact you can get a good workout without any equipment at all. Especially when you're just getting into the swing of it and starting out. I train people in their homes and even though I bring equipment to them if they don't have it, the first month of workouts usually are done with bodyweight exercises and calisthenics types of activities for cardio. For a lot of people, moving their bodyweight in an exercise manner is enough when all they're used to is moving their bodyweight from work to the couch to watch some TV. Nothing is better than working out at home and being able to take a nice long bath or shower right after in the comfort of your own home and then sit down to relax for the night knowing that you got a good workout in and got yourself one step closer to where you want your body to be.

The problems with gyms (unless you pay for the personal trainers) and training at home is the self-discipline needed to make yourself do exercise and to continue to do it. Most people lack the self-discipline to do what they know they need to do which is why they need to be doing it in the first place! If you can motivate yourself, then great! If you find it hard though, then training with a partner is the way to go. It holds you accountable to someone else who will hold you accountable to yourself. You'll know that you can't just take the day off with your partner coming over to workout with you. Of course, if your partner is not very motivated then you're back to square one. Also, its important that one of you know what to do in putting together a workout. While at first any exercise is good exercise, your body will adapt faster than you think and you'll need to know how to tweak the workouts as your body gets more fit to keep upping the ante and getting results. Contrary to what some believe, just adding more and more reps to exercises is not the way to go. When it comes to exercising, there will come a point of diminishing returns where you are overtraining your body and you will reach a roadblock. A proper workout schedule and program can prevent this from happening. Stress, lack of sleep, etc. can contribute to overtraining though, knowing how to get through that is important. Having a good workout partner if you need someone to hold you accountable or if you intend to do it on your own, making yourself knowledgeable on exercising and dieting can be very beneficial. You can subscribe to magazines like Men's Health or Women's Health for exercise and diet tips to learn more about exercise and dieting right.

I hope I've helped open your eyes to the possibilities that you have before you and removed some of the excuses you've put before yourself that have prevented you from getting your body and health where you want it to be. Remember that quote from up above! :)