FREE 3-4 Page Personalized Fitness Report!!

Greetings Everyone,

I have been away from my blog for the last couple of weeks. For good reasons I promise!!!, been working on getting my masters degree. But it's summer time and I know you all want to get in the best shape of your life. Therefore , I want to offer everyone who contacts me and schedules at least 4 sessions a free 3-4 page personalized fitness report on how to achieve your desired goals. Topics that will be included will be what weights/ machines to use, nutrition, proper motivation, how much should I lift, how often should I exercise, how to prevent injuries, FITT training principles and much more!!. It's personalized remember so I can answer each one of your questions. Remember the 1st session is also free!!.

Contact me via Email for this incredible offer,

Sincerely
Andres
Fitness specialist and trainer.

SMART Goals. How to Effectively Achieve your Fitness Goals

       A large number of individuals out there want to find the secret pill and miracle work out that will give them the results they want as fast and easy as possible. To much dissapointment, most of the fads and miracle products that often promote themselves as only “ 5-10 minutes a day” work outs, are far from being successful at giving you the results you expect in a short amount of time. Many times you buy the product, only to realize,that perhaps it just wasn't for you.

      According to ACSM ( American College of Sports Medicine), whether you choose to exercise at a gym, home or park is up to you, The most important factor is how consistent you are with your workouts. Now, it can be tough to find a workout that is right for you. With so many options out there, it's hard to find a program that fits your needs and adjusts to your level. Because of the variety of fitness levels among our population, it is very important to set specific goals for ourselves. While living a healthier lifestyle, eating and exercising should be the main objectives that lead us to start an exercise programs, we also need short term goals.

Why? Because in order to be consistent we need quick observable and tangible results, that will quantitatively allow us to measure our progress. After much research, people in the field of psychology have determined that the best goals meet certain criteria. These goals will allow you to be effective in not only determining your fitness goals but also sticking to them. The acronym is known as S.M.A.R.T goals. Here is why:

Specific:

We all need to be specific about our goals. The more we can visualize them and see them happening, the more likely it will become true. Whether your goal is to lose weight, get toned, increase muscle mass, run a marathon or prepare for a competition, the more specific the goal is, the better your exercise program will be. Typically, we want to address the seven “ W” questions.

What? : What am I trying to achieve?

When? : By when do I want to achieve this goal?

Why? Why am I trying to achieve this goal?

Which? Which exercise program is best for me to achieve it?

Where?: Where do I want to exercise?

Who?: Who is a good role model that has achieved the goal I want to achieve and can help me out?

Will?: Will my work out program activities allow me to make substancial gains in strength that will transfer to my daily life activities.

Measurable:

For each goal you choose for yourself, you must now determine how long it will take you to achieve each goal. For short term goals, we want to ideally choose short periods of time in which we can measure our progress. Nothing, will boost up your confidence more than seeing consistent progress each week, and even each day. Determine a time limit for both short term and long term goals.

Attainable:

A very important question you have to ask yourself is how attainable is this goal for me for the time being I have determined. While it is very exciting to set goals and have a time limit, we also have to make sure the goal is something realistic and untainable. You wouldn't expect to lose 40 pounds in one month would you?? . Determining attainable goals will prevent you from failure. It is better to set small goals at first. Over time, you will better understand your body which will allow to adapt new greater goals.

Realistic:

Great! Now you have determined some attainable goals you want to achieve. Perhaps, you want to lose 4-7 pounds in 4 weeks. That is a great goal but how will you achieve it, that is the question. Many times, we set up goals we certainly know we can achieve. Afterall, your friend did it right? Why can't I do it? : ). But here is the dilemma. How will I achieve my goal??. Many people believe losing weight = not eating or eating, very , very little!!. Be realistic about how you will achieve your goal. Do not try to cheat yourself. Follow proffesional advice and go with it. Not eating for instance will only make you want food more and will make you very sluggish and weak. You will certainly start eating again and this time it will be more than before. Be realistic about how you want to achieve your purpose and you will be way more consistent.

Timely:

The last part of setting goals is determining the correct time frame. How long will it take you to achieve your desired fitness goal?. Everyone has different goals and for each goal, the time frame is very different. Determinant a right time frame will give you that sense of urgency that comes with wanting to achieve a goal.

I recommend writing your goals on a white board, computer document or wherever you feel most comfortable. The point is that you look over your goals on daily basis to remind yourself of how you will achieve each goal. You have nothing to lose, give it try and you will not be disappointed.

Examples of fitness short term goals: 

1. Successfullly, Up my cardio endurance by 5 -10 percent by such date ( weekly). Add an additional 5 minutes each week to my activities
2. Successfully, Up my strength by 5- 10 pounds in most major lifts by ____ ( date)
3. Successfully, Lose a pound to 1.5 pounds of fat each week for 3 months in a row to lose a total of 18 pounds.
4. Successfully, fight excuses to exercise by replacing it this bad habit ____________ with a more positive______ habit.
5. Successfully, reward myself weekly with ______( price) by_________ ( doing what)for accomplishing _______ ( goal) in ______ ( time frame).

Equipment to help you observe your progress:

• Stop watch
• Heart Rate monitor
• A scale
• Body Fat  and BMI testing
• A step counter
• Measuring tape

Andres C.

CORE, Why Are These muscles so Important?

Often times, I hear people referring to Ab muscles as CORE muscles. While ab muscles are part of  what we know as CORE, they are not the only ones. Core muscles involve all the torso stabilizing muscles, muscles that maintain the scapula in place as well as those those muscles that stabilize the pelvis.  CORE muscles link the trunk, abdominal region to the pelvic region and shoulder girdle. These are the muscles that give us stability, control, balance, support and strength.   Working on your core is extremely important for the following reasons:


1. Core muscles are involved in every activity we do. We use them when we have to sit, stand, walk, run, lift, twist, bend. 
2.Weak CORE muscles make you more prone to injuries. Think of your body like a temple. If  one of the temple's pillars is weak, it is more likely to get injured and lead to further complications. Strong pillars hold you strong, steady and more secure. 
3. Exercising these muscles can help prevent muscle imbalance. With every day demands and habits ( jobs, driving long distances, uncomfortable chairs, sedentary positions, bad posture), our muscles are constantly struggling to find a balance. Often times, our daily demands and equipment are not helping.  A strong core can help achieve greater muscle balance and thus prevent pain and injuries.

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4. Exercising the CORE muscles helps stabilize the torso and which helps create a strong base to transfer forces applied to the body in everyday life. ( every movement involves transferring of forces).
5. A common injury associated with poor CORE strength is lower back pain. This is because the abdominal and hip muscles are supposed to work with the lower back to withstand forces applied to the body; However, very often these muscles are not strong enough, which cause the lower back to take more strain than it can handle and usually results in overuse and injury - Michael Roots.
6.   Poor CORE muscles strength along with muscle imbalance can make you more prone to developing pelvic misalignment leading to hip , foot or knee pain.
7. A Strong CORE  is essential for enhanced performance in most of our daily physical activities.
8. A strong core allows for greater balance to move our limbs freely.

I hope this article can bring your some awareness of the importance of our CORE muscles. It's never too late to exercise these muscles. But please consult with a physician and a personal trainer if you feel you may have any contraindication to start a CORE exercise program.  A future blog will be explaining some exercises on how to strengthen these muscles. For more information, feel free to contact me. 

Common Exercise Myths. Volume 1

There so many old myths and misconceptions about exercising that still seem to be hunting many of the gym goers today. I feel it's important to address many of them since they might be the reason (s) that is holding you back from making the progress you desire.

Fat Targeting Areas Weight Loss Programs: Your body will burn fat where it feels like it, period. Can you imagine if we could burn fat in one area and leave other areas alone?? Unfortunately, that is not possible. We have no control on the location our body chooses to burn the fat. Many times, our bodies will be metabolizing fat located in our arteries, veins and around our organs before it begins to metabolism subcutaneous ( the fat right below our skin) and we might not even realize. If you work hard enough, your body will get results, but don't expect one machine or a  program to work miracles with your body the way you want it to.

You Have to get a Gym Membership, Home Works outs Suck: Big lie!!!. While going to a gym might be very beneficial for some due to the equipment available and ready to be used, it might not be the best place for everyone to start. There are tons of reasons why people can't go to gyms and home work outs might be the best solution. Don't be discouraged if you work at home by yourself. Pump up the music and start moving! Hire a trainer if you don't know how to start. The secret is this : Work out at a place where you feel good and where you find yourself being more consistent.


Yoga is Completely Safe and Gentle: While yoga is a great form of exercising that will definitely challenge you, it is not necessarily easy,safe an gentle as you may believe.As a matter of fact, it is rigorous and requires both mental and physical toughness. Make sure you take it with someone who is qualified and who guide you at your own pace. Don't worry if everyone else is far more flexible and stronger than you, just work focus on working at your level.


You have to spend Long Endless Hours at a Gym if you Want to be Fit: A bunch of nonsense. In fact some of the best work outs can be finished in less than 45 minutes. It's not about the endless hours. I see people in gyms who go for two hours ( 30 minutes talking, 30 minutes waiting to use an equipment and 30 minutes looking at themselves in the mirror). As a matter of fact, to optimize results, you want to train no more than 1. 5 hours.  Why do professional athletes train 4- 6 hours a day?. Because that is their life. They have a team of people who watches out for their nutrition, energy levels and so on.

You too can Look Like Arnold and other Bodybuilders one Day: Hmmm, I am afraid a lot of the results you will obtain are subject to your own genetics. Not everyone has the genes to have 23 inch arms like many of the professional bodybuilders we see today. By all means, work hard and heavy if your goal is to get big, but realize that your will grow only to it's limits and nothing more. That is if you keep yourself clean of illegal substances.

Women Should not Do any Form of Weight Lifting: Women often benefit more from weight lifting than men. One reason is women tend to lose much more bone density at an earlier age than men do. Strength training can help you build up your bone mass and musculature. Don't worry ladies, you won't be bulky or very muscular. You would need a LOT of extra testosterone for that.

Fooooooood Pyramid!

The purpose of this article is to address the following question. How can you maximize your ability to sustrain power output while, at the same time, reduce body fat percentage??. Let's be honest here, losing weight requires in most cases cutting down the calories we eat. In many cases, if we don't know how to gradually reduce our calorie consumption, the client will feel a sudden drop in energy level. Bad diets often results in angry clients and as a result, the client will eventually stop the exercise program. But there is a solution to this. keep reading!!

A number of studies suggest that the answer may lie in consuming small but frequent meals to stay in better nergy balance throughout the day. Energy balance has typically been asssed in  24 hour units.According to ACSM, if you consume 3000 calories during the day and you burn 3,000 calories during the day, you are in "energy balance" . However, in most people this is not the case. In most cases we see people spending most of the day in an energy deficit state ( you burned far more calories than you consumed) but then eat a hugemeal at the end of the day to satisfy your energy needs, ultimately satisfying the energy needs. However, it appears that people who do this have different outcomes than those who stay close to an energy balanced state throughout the day. Therefore, eating small but frequent meals has the following benefits:

- Maintenance of metablic rate ( you definitely want this!!)

- Lower body fat and lower weight on higher caloric intakes

- Better glucose tolerance and lower insulin response ( making it more difficult to manufacture fats from the food you eat)

- Lower stress hormone production

-Better maintenance of muscle mass

- Improved physical performance.

Studies suggest that if you delay eating until the end of the day, and many experience severe energy deficits early in the day ( specially during days of working out). Problems with energy deficit include:

1.  Difficulty maintiaing carbohydrates stores( this would impede endurance in high intensity activities)
2. problems maintaining lean ( muscle) mass
3. lower metabolic rate
4. difficulty meeting nutrient needs ( foods carry both energy and other nutrients)
5. Increased risk of injury ( undernoursed athletes may develop mental and musclar fatigue that, in some sports, would predispose them to injury)
6. Missed opportunities to aid muscle recovery.

Therefore, maintaining energy balance thoughout the day by consuming small but frequent meals during the day is an excellent strategy for reducing these problems.

12 Different Ways to Keep Yourself Motivated to Exercise

Even your trainers have those days in which you feel, well --mehhh!. It's a daily struggle for everybody, exercise takes physical and mental work. I could understand why most people choose not to exercise. But this is a new year , we are setting up new goals, and there is no better time than now to change things around and start a new healthy habit. Let me help you!!

Here are some powerful ways to motivate yourself:

1. Make a List of Personal Reasons to Begin Exercising: The more personal the reasons are, the more likely you will commit yourself to start an exercise program. A lady I trained once told me her motivation to work out was to see her children grow older. She had been diagnosed with Level two hypertension and she knew there was a high risk of it in her family. So she decided to start a work out program to reduce the risk and become an example for her growing children. She did not want to be part of that sedentary lifestyle cycle that her family had been in for a long time.

2.Think of the After Work out Feeling:  It's a great feeling. It 's a feeling of accomplishment, personal satisfaction.It's knowing you are one getting one step closer to your fitness goal. You feel healthy, inspired, happy,enthusiastic,energized, relaxed. It definitely helps you clear your mind of daily hassles and stresses. Most importantly you know you are improving the quality of your life.

3. Exercise Promotes Positive Thinking: Studies have shown that those individuals who are part of workout program tend to live happier, more active and positive lives. Enough said.

4. Read: Get involved in the exercise/fitness/ nutrition community. Seriously!!. Read articles, studies, books, journals, blogs related to these topics. Read testimonials. Read of the people who have succeeded in these fields and you will definitely find yourself inspired. Most importantly, you will learn why these people have been successful and that may be enough to help you get started and motivated.

5. Hang Around People Who are Successful at it: Keep in touch with your friends, relatives who like to be physically active. Ask him/her if you can join his/her workout sometime.

6. Work in Pairs: exercise with a personal trainer or with a friend, brother,husband, wife etc . Working in pairs has been associated with higher rates of success. Odds are the person you are working out with also shares the same struggles that you do and both of you can motivate each other.

7. Work with a Trainer: A trainer will guide you through the entire process. Keep you motivated and feeling energized. He will help you work at your own pace and develop a progressive program that fits YOUR needs.

8. Start a Blog: seriously, I started to blog because I am passionate about helping my clients and anyone out there who wants to learn more about fitness. Maybe you can do the same, and start writing about the success of your workout, learning experience, fall backs, questions you may have,etc.

10.Make a List of Possible Excuses:  Everyone has moments in which we down talk ourselves. Be prepared for those moments. Write down ways you can overcome those moments.  A trainer can assist you in these situations.

11. Invest in Your Health: being healthy and fit requires an investment ( time and money). Invest in a good pair of work out shoes, a gym membership, a trainer ( optional) ,  and possibly even a nutritionist who can help you with your diet.

12. Learn About Nutrition: You get what you put in. If you eat unhealthy, you WILL feel it.Your performance and motivation will be much lower. Eat the proper nutrients that your body needs and you will see a major difference in how you feel.

An Effective Approach to Training: Specificity

     Before one begins a training program, a good question to ask your self is “ why do I want to get fit and live a healthier life style”. Give yourself as many reasons as you can think of. This will give you and the trainer ( if you have one) a good idea of how to design a workout routine for you. Not everyone has the same needs when it comes to fitness. So may just want to optimize their cardiovascular endurance while getting the most benefits out of it.Others may rather focus on developing strength and muscle power for a very specific purpose ( ex: sport's related). Whatever, your need is, it is very important to train according to your defined goals. Once the needs and goals have been established, the following areas should also be carefully considered so that the resistance training program can address questions that will come up when designing the specific workouts Some questions you make ask yourself and your trainer when designing a program are the following:

1. Why and what am I training for?
2. What muscle groups need to be trained based on my activites?
3. What are the basic energy sources, am I training for short time activities or long duration ones?
4. What type of muscle action ( e.g isometric, eccentric actions) should be used?
5. What are the primary sites of injury for the particular sport, activity or simply prior injury history of the individual?
6. Do I have any current physical limitations that may stop me from making progress? What can I do to overcome those limitations?

For any activity , including a sport, this involves a basic analysis of the movements performed and the most common sites of injury. A coach or specialist may be best able to help you by watching a video tape of the performance if you are an active athlete seeking to improve performance. However, often times, just a description of the activities may be enough for a trainer to help you decide the choice of exercise that best benefit you.

Training specificity is a major tenet of resistence training and is based in the concept that the exercises and resistances used result in training adaptations that will transfer to better performance in sport or daily activities. Resistance training is considered the best way to achieve this purpose. Specificity assumes that muscles must be trained in terms of:

1. The joint around which movements occur
2. The joint range of motion
3. The pattern of resistance throughout the range of motion
4. The pattern of limb velocity throughout the range of motion
5. Types of limb movement ( ex. Concentric, eccentric, isometric)

Resistance training for any sport or activity should include full range of motion exercises around all the major body joints. Each exercise and resistance used in a program will have various amounts of transfer to another activity or sport. “ When training for improved health and well being, such a concept of transfer is more related to its effects on medical variables ( e.g bone mineral density), rather than too physical performance” according to the American college of sports medicine.

This is a concept that is very foreign to many personal trainers and yet it is so important!!!! It is important to know that every training activity has a percentage of carryover to other activities. The better you design a workout, the more carryover you will have. A good personal trainer will be able to assess you in this area. Some additional considerations that will help you be more successful in this area include: 1. determining the energy source used in the activity. 2. selecting a Resistance Modality, 3. Injury prevention exercises.

Please feel free to message me if you have any questions on how you can better design your workouts to help you achieve your goals.

Inspire, motivate, get fit