ForeverStrong® Fitness

Are you ready to get Strong & Sculpted?

Iron Body Armor Ends This Week!

The final week of Iron Body Armor’s foundational strength program is here and you’ve been asking what your next 8-week program cycle holds,

so…

 ForeverStrong is excited to announce the Strong & Sculpted Functional Fitness Program!

Iron Body Armor focused on developing foundational strength. We lifted heavy weights to get stronger because we wanted to lay a solid foundation for other types of fitness improvements. During Strong & Sculpted, we will build from that foundation using “functional” movements. 

This follows the ForeverStrong Method, which cycles through foundational, functional, and enduring strength programs, and uses the exercise science principles of periodization and progressive overload to make sure clients get results year after year.

ForeverStrong’s Current Program Cycle:

Cycle 1: Foundational

Cycle 2: Functional

Cycle 3: Enduring

Based on this formula, Iron Body Armor, which focused on foundational strength, ends Saturday. This Monday kicks off Strong & Sculpted, which will focus on functional movements. I know I can’t wait!

We put the FUN in FUNctional Fitness 😉

Functional movements replicate essential daily activities and help us become more athletic and agile, while developing resilience in our joints that helps us improve balance and coordination. For this reason, highlighted movements of Strong & Sculpted will include band chops and single leg deadlifts. Hooray!

This is what we will do:

  1. Implement a progressive strategy. When we start, you’ll notice you’ll immediately be asked to perform more reps than you were asked to perform during Iron Body Armor, and the reps are only going to increase from there!
  2. Use variable intensity. During the LIFT, 3 of 4 workouts will be an upper / lower combo. Expect your thighs to burn when we kick up the challenge and train a lower body superset once every 4 workouts . Imagine how sculpted your legs are going to feel!
  3. Isolate weak links. Expect lots of “sculpt” with maximum emphasis on isolating the biceps, triceps, and core. This will help fortify your weak links and help your body develop muscle definition by targeting specific, smaller muscle groups. In the end, these techniques will help you break plateaus and set new records!  

Ready for the gun show?

To get the most from your sculpting sessions, we will hit triceps and biceps hard to optimize muscle protein synthesis in the “show” muscles. Muscle protein synthesis is just the rebuilding of muscle tissue after it’s been stressed, but without muscle synthesis, your muscles won’t grow.

As a result, during Strong & Sculpted, we will emphasize building lean, sculpted, and powerful bodies through intense performance, as well as through optimal nutrition.

Did somebody say six pack? 

Build a strong core with movement progressions that began with Iron Body Armour. Clocks and dead bugs will carry over for another 8-weeks, and we will progress the kettlebell getup to the elbow, then eventually to the bridge. Yay! Everybody loves progress!

Speaking of guns…

The Teaching Melt returns! So get ready to pull your guns from your holsters and learn Gunslingers, an advanced two kettlebell swing!

Of course, at ForeverStrong we compliment every session with our high intensity MELT. You can look forward to new and challenging HIIT moves to push your metabolism into overdrive. 😮

Check out this video for a demonstration of gunslingers. 

If you are not already training ForeverStrong, it’s not too late to start!

We’ve helped hundreds of busy parents, grandparents, business owners, and neighbors in Marriottsville, Turf Valley, Waverly Woods, Woodmark, West Friendship, Eldersburg, Sykesville,  Woodstock,  Cooksville, Ellicott City, Mt. Hebron, Clarksville, Fulton, Laurel, Burtonsville, Highland, Silver Spring, Columbia, Ellicott City, Glen Elg, and Maple Lawn, and we’d love to help you.

Come see why hundreds of men and women train ForeverStrong instead of hiring an ordinary personal trainer. 

The first step is to schedule a complimentary first session. The easiest way to start is to text us at 301-452-5547. We will take it from there!

Top Trainer Reveals Why Your Workouts Aren’t Getting Results and 4 Steps to Fix It

Are you working out hard and not making progress?

Do you feel like you’re in maintenance mode with your workouts?

Did you get better results when you first started exercising than you do now?

Do not despair! Today, I’ll help you use the principle of periodization to jumpstart your results again!

To get unstuck, we’ll cover 4 action steps to designing personal training programs that really work:

  1. Understand how the principle of diminishing returns kills your progress after 12-weeks
  2. Plan an effective training program that delivers results beyond the “newbie” phase
  3. Use the principle of periodization to get jaw-dropping results at 12, 24, 48 weeks and beyond
  4. Cycle the three critical strength systems into a complete workout program

Diminishing Returns From My Workouts

This morning, while putting the final touches on the enduring strength program starting soon at ForeverStrong,  I had a flashback to a time when I stopped getting serious results from my workouts.

When I first learned how to properly exercise with kettlebells, I noticed amazing results within a very short period of time. Even though I had already been a personal trainer for several years, I could see and feel my body tightening, toning and getting stronger.

Kettlebell swings, snatches and getups were just a few of the new “kettlebell” exercises that I practiced daily. They were completely different from traditional weight lifting moves and people were noticing my transformation.  My thighs got noticeably thinner and my arms, shoulders and glutes became more defined and muscular than ever before. I also had a newfound strength and power.

Then gradually, I noticed that my progress slowed down.  I had passed the newbie phase. Although I did not regress, become weaker or gain body fat,  I was no longer making noticeable progress. It was frustrating!

In fact, everyone who has a healthy routine of exercise will eventually start to see diminishing returns from their workouts.

There is nothing wrong with you or what you are doing. The diminishing returns principle applies to exercise.

What’s the diminishing returns principle?

When someone unfit begins a training regime, fitness levels improve rapidly but, as they become fitter, the returns diminish. That is, as you become fitter, the amount of improvement is less as you approach your genetic limits. As your fitness levels increase, more work or training is needed to make the same improvements.

When you first start training, improvements in fitness are large and happen quickly. However, the closer you get to your maximum fitness level, the harder you must work to achieve smaller increases in your fitness levels. This same principle applies when trying to lose body fat.*

The generally accepted principle among exercise science researchers is that most people will get the best results from an exercise program in the first 12-weeks. After that, the physiological adaptations to exercise (A.K.A  results) start to slow down, or diminish.

It happened to me. It will happen to you. Unless, you periodize the focus of your programs. Once I applied the 8-week training cycle strategy to my workouts, I became leaner, stronger and more sculpted again.

How to use the principle of periodization to get continuous jaw-dropping results 

The great news is, even if you’ve hit a plateau, you can use the exercise science principle of periodization to create workout programs that dedicate “cycles” of time with a specific focus area. This will minimize the frustrating effects of the diminishing returns principle. These cycles can be as short as 6-weeks or as long as 12-weeks.

If you perform training cycles less than 6-weeks and you’ll short-change your potential. Conversely, if you train the same program more than 12-weeks,  the diminishing returns principle will severely impede your efforts and you’ll feel like you are spinning your wheels.

At ForeverStrong we have developed a training method with very specific 8-week training cycles for each of our clients. Each program has a targeted performance and physique focus. Cycling allows the body to make rapid improvements in the focus area while maintaining the progress made in prior cycles. At ForeverStrong, we call this Program Cycling.

How to cycle the three critical strength systems into a complete workout program

Each of our 8-week program cycles focus on one critical system of strength and physique.

The Critical Systems of Strength:

Foundational Strength – Becoming Strong and Tight

Functional Strength – Becoming Athletic and Toned

Enduring Strength – Gaining Stamina and Muscle Definition

Each cycle is designed as the perfect foundation for the next cycle. Together, they work as a complete system for total body transformation.

Three cycles, each lasting eight weeks, means that you will return your focus to Foundational, Functional, or Enduring strength every 24 weeks.

This is your perfect strategy to get maximum results in one focus area of fitness without losing the improvements from the two prior cycles.

During an 8-week program cycle, you get progressive results in the special focus area without a decrease in the strength, stamina or function that you  gained during the prior cycle! In 24-weeks, you’ll pick up where we left off – and keep improving!

It’s well known among exercise physiologists that strength training is the key to change your body composition by creating lean metabolically active muscle mass. An effective strength training program makes you stronger. The stronger you are, the better you can use your strength to work harder during your workouts to burn more calories and improve all areas of fitness. Since you can’t effectively train all of your strength systems at the same time, planning 8-week cycles to focus on just one strength system at a time has proven to be the most effective way to get continuous and predictable results. It’s a simple yet amazing solution to a frustrating problem. I get excited talking about it!

Putting it all together…

To summarize, if  you want serious results beyond the first 12-weeks, make sure you plan your workouts using targeted training cycles. Each cycle should focus on rapid strength improvements in one of the three critical systems of strength: Foundational, Functional and Enduring strength.  The movements you select for each phase, the number of sets, and the amount of rest between sets is determined based on your specific goal for that cycle. These concepts are part of the exercise science principle of periodization. Apply the principle of periodized training cycles to your workout program to ensure you keep getting results at 24-weeks, 48-weeks and beyond. Yay!

At ForeverStrong, our next 8-week program cycle starts May 29th. As I write this,  we are in the sixth week of our functional training cycle. Up next: our enduring strength cycle. The goal of that 8-week program is: Attain Super Stamina. I’ve helped hundreds of men and women in Marriottsville, Turf Valley, Waverly Woods, Woodmark, West Friendship, Eldersburg, Sykesville,  Woodstock,  Cooksville, Ellicott City, Mt. Hebron, Clarksville, Fulton, Laurel, Burtonsville, Highland, Silver Spring, Columbia, Ellicott City, Glen Elg, and the surrounding areas get amazing results for over 10 years using our personalized method. I’d love to help you attain super stamina in 12-weeks. Feel free to give me a call at 301-452-5547 to learn more. Let’s find out if ForeverStrong program cycling can help you get unstuck with your fitness goals.

~by Kelly Scott, Owner of ForeverStrong and Creator of the ForeverStrong Personalized Fitness System

References

Training principles to improve athletic performance. Frank Stuart. ACPE.edu 2018

How to do the Turkish Getup

What is the Turkish Getup? and How to Perform it?

The getup, when performed properly, promotes the shoulders’ stability, mobility and resilience. It will improve overall strength by teaching the important concept of “linkage” while eliminating strength “leakage.” Gray Cook, the developer of The Functional Movement Screen explains that “Stabilizers are what gives you the mechanical advantage to be stronger.”

When using high tension techniques, we “link” our muscle groups together by creating tension throughout our body. The term strength “leakage” refers to a loss of total body tension in one or more areas and can inhibit our performance.

Safety is the most important consideration when starting the getup. Never practice when you are distracted or in an area with children. Use common sense in determining the load. If you are attempting a personal record, have a trained spotter on hand during the entire movement.

Always practice “like it’s heavy.’ Meaning, never do anything with a light kettlebell that you would not do with a heavy kettlebell. This applies especially to picking up and parking the bells.

Learn how to breathe shallow without losing tightness during the getup. Many of my clients tend to lose tightness during transitions from one posture to another. So, performing each section of the getup as slowly as possible is a great way to maintain your linkage through your upper back muscle.

“Linked” joints are compressed with the tension of the surrounding muscles. The increased rigidness improves the transfer of power through the chain of your body, minimizing weaknesses. Practice sucking your shoulders into their sockets throughout the movement and learn to identify power “leakages” on your own.

It is very important to keep your eye on the kettlebell during the movement. There is no need to look at your instructor or down at the ground. If your eyes move the kettlebell will follow and that will compromise your safety.

To propel your advancement, practice the getup at home without weight or with a light dumbbell.

Let’s review the Steps

1.) Prepare to press the bell.

Checklist at this point:
  • The Leg on the Kettlebell Side is Bent
  • Wrist is straight

tgu-position-1

2.) Press the kettlebell from the floor press position.

Checklist:

 

  • Pack both shoulders
  • Wrist is Straight
  • Arm is Verticaltgu-press

3.) Ascend to the elbow (initiate from the “glutes”).

Checklist:
  • Pack both shoulders
  • Wrist is Straight
  • Arm is Vertical
  • Elbow is directly under the shouldertgu-elbow

4.) Ascend to the palm DO NOT SKIP THE HAND

Checklist:
  • Eyes on the bell
  • Pack both shoulders
  • Wrist is Straight
  • Arm is Vertical
  • Grip the ground with your stabilizing hand
  • Corkscrew elbow into ground before next steptgu-palm

 

5.) Sweep the knee to the palm. Kneel (knee to palm)

Checklist:
  • Eyes on the bell
  • Pack both shoulders
  • Wrist is Straight
  • Arms are Vertical and lockedwindmilltgu

6.) Ascend to Upright Kneel (WINDMILL UP)

Checklist:
  • Eyes are looking straight ahead
  • Wrist is Straight
  • Arm is Vertical
  • Legs are aligned parallel as though each foot were on train tracks
  • Toe of back foot is “tucked” underkneelingtgu

7.) Tall Stand.

Checklist:
  • Weight the front foot.
  • Squeeze the glute of the back leg.
  • Press the front foot into the floor.
  • Ascend to HardStyle.
  • Eyes are forwardtgustand

Reversing the Movement

Reverse Lunge. Sweep the leg to a kneel (lower as you step back) softly land on the knee. You do not have to stay on the knee for a prolonged period.

Kneeling Windmill Position. Kick the hip out and follow the line of your leg down with your hand. (look for a nice line *jazz hands*)

Leg Sweep to Sit. Grip the ground with your hand and corkscrew your elbow before sweeping the leg through. Point the toe and drag the leg back to the start position.

Descend to the Elbow. Keep BOTH shoulders packed the working shoulder and the stabilizing shoulder as you descend to the elbow

Return to starting position. Return to the Keep BOTH shoulders packed the working shoulder and the stabilizing shoulder as you descend to the starting position. Wedge away from the elbow and engage your core as you descend.

Retract the kettlebell to by placing your elbow on the ground. Roll back to the starting position.

Repeat!

Final Notes: Take your time. The more time under tension you spend practicing the getup, the better the results.

Committed to YOUR Health & Fitness Success,

-Kelly Scott

Are You an Exercise Non-Responder?

Are you sticking with your plan, following your exercise program, eating well and still not seeing the results you want?  Frustrated Exerciser

Don’t get frustrated or discouraged.  You likely just need to work out differently than others.  Your body is special and just needs a little extra TLC.

In the fitness world, when traditional plans don’t produce progress, we call the body, a “non-responder.”  Some people are responders, they drop weight and increase muscle, it’s almost like you can see their body changing in front of your eyes.  You don’t have to envy those people, you too can be a responder!

Being a non-responder can be detrimental to adhering to your plan.  Instead of giving up on exercise, increase the intensity. Studies show that people who don’t respond well to traditional workouts show progress with increased intensity.

Since optimal overall health requires good cardiovascular health as well as strength and endurance of the muscles, we’ve included some tips for how to kick it up a notch…and move the belt a tighter a few notches too.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Monitor your heart rate and focus on your target zone based on your goals.  You’ll need to know your target heart rate zone for the way you’re exercising.  See the table below to understand your target heart rate zone.
exercise-heart-rate-zones

The optimal fat burning range is at a moderate intensity, or around 70% of your maximum heart rate.   You can gauge at what intensity you are at by checking your pulse and comparing it to the chart above.  GET IN THE ZONE!

You can also change the way you workout by paying attention to the duration.  There are two main types of workouts targeted to increase cardiovascular endurance.  The main difference is duration, but you should choose the workout style based on your goals and responses.

With traditional cardio workouts, you work at a lower intensity for a longer duration to obtain the overall benefits.  This workout usually takes between 40 to 80 minutes and stays consistent at a moderate intensity.  Let me put that in real life terms, that’s 2-4 episodes of a show on Netflix.

You could also opt for High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for cardio.  HIIT involves alternating from exercising at lower intensity and then increasing the intensity in short burst to about 90% of your maximum heart rate.  The intensity you start and the duration of the intervals is usually based on current current fitness level.  The duration of the intervals may be increased over time to ensure you are challenging your body.  You shouldn’t alternate intensities for more than 15 – 20 minutes.

Cardio in half the time sounds great, but it may not be best for you. That extra episode on Netflix won’t help you reach your goals, unless your goal is to watch an extra episode.   Quicker isn’t always better, and sometimes shorter is better than farther.  According to research*, even though we theoretically burn more fat during moderate intensity workouts, non-responders see more results when they get out of steady state cardio and work to increase both intensity and duration of their workouts.

Our ForeverStrong weight loss clients are encouraged to add supplementary cardiovascular sessions to their program to increase circulation, recovery and metabolism.  Making sure to move everyday is extremely important.  Not moving your body enough can cause increased risk for many diseases, including Type II Diabetes. If you are not currently exercising on non-workout days, add frequency before intensity.

Follow these tips to increase the intensity of your ForeverStrong workout program:

  • Make it a habit to walk 30 minutes per day.
  • Work up to walking 1 hour per day.
  • Add Intensity.
    • Intensity should only be increased after consistently walking 1 hour per day 5 days per week.  Use the suggestions above to increase intensity.

Most importantly, track your progress. Log your workouts into a fitness tracker so we have a reliable record of your activity. We cannot adjust a plan, or evaluate how well it’s working if we don’t have an accurate record.

Now that you know how to increase the intensity of your supplemental workouts, let’s talk about how to increase the intensity of your strength training workouts.  Time to lift some heavy weight or some light weight many times, depending on your goals.

Strength Training

You can increase the intensity of your strength training workouts in several ways.  They all have one thing in common, they will make you work harder.  Challenging your body is one of the best ways to reach your fitness goals.
Reduce rest time between sets.  If you normally rest 30 seconds between sets, try 20 seconds Not recommended for the social butterfly, this option will drastically reduce the amount of texts you can reply to while in the gym.

Change the way you work out.  You don’t have to always keep the same boring pace.  You can lift heavier weight, slower and for less repetitions.  Alternatively, you can lift lighter weights, faster, and for more repetitions that normal.  While both of these workout styles are effective, the best style is the one that makes you feel the best.  When you feel good about how you feel and you are seeing results, you’ve found the best way to work out for your body.

Avoid the machines.  Use compound movements and complex routines.  Compound movements will work more than one muscle group.  Complex routines will string together sets of exercise without rest.  It took me a while to understand the main benefit of not using the machines.  It’s less cleaning.  Just handles and a surface.  You don’t have rollers, and handles and other handles and protectors for the handle’s handle that the machines have.
Start your workout with your heaviest lower body moves.  This means take care of the bigger heavier weight exercises when you’re fresh and not fatigued.  Squats before fries, flies.

Our ForeverStrong workouts already focus on intensity so increasing the intensity of our workouts can be a bit different. If you notice your heart rate not in the appropriate zone during your workout, here are some tips to to increase the intensity during your ForeverStrong workout:

Switch to Active Recovery.  In between sets, don’t sit on the bench.  I know, you’re never going to be able to choose a new song again!  Recover in a way that progresses your workout.  You can do some dynamic stretches or work on your form for the next exercise in your set with little to no weight.  Some recommendations from professionals vary about active recovery, Steve Maxwell recommends shivering, shaking & light calisthenics.  Alternatively, Pavel Tsatsouline recommends fast & loose drills.

Modify the plan.  If necessary,  decrease weight or repetitions.  You may need to decrease both when fatigue sets in.

Time under tension is the amount of time your muscle is experiencing tension  Time under tension (TUT) is more important than the speed at which your perform your repetitions.  Less repetitions with more time under tension will create a greater response than increased
repetitions with little to no tension. You benefit more from five 10 second repetitions than you do from 30 one second repetitions.

Monitor your breathing during your strength training.  You should have an elevated heart rate, and experience some breathing changes, but not be sucking wind like a Hoover vacuum during your workout.

Those are some specific tips for how to increase your intensity and change the way your body responds to exercise.  There is one very important tip.  This applies to every exercise and every time you increase intensity.  This isn’t a tip. This is not like the tip at all.  The tip is optional, you decide whether or not you want to do it.  This.  This is a rule.

Never compromise form for intensity.
You should only increase intensity to a level at which you can maintain proper form for the entire duration of the set.  If you see that you’ve increased the intensity but your form is suffering, dial back the change you made to your workout.  There isn’t anything worse than performing 100 completely ineffective squats, well maybe 300 ineffective squats.

Following these tips and sticking with them can your body into a responder.  Commit to focusing on intensity and form.  You can change your body.  Change the way you work out, dedicate yourself to making the change, and watch your body respond to your efforts. With, or without a personal trainer.

We’ve helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas including Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring get there bodies responding to exercise. We’d love to help you too. Call us at 301-452-5547 to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

Happy 1 Year Instructor Anniversary: Julie Taylor

From client to instructor, Julie Taylor has done it all with ForeverStrong®.

It wasn’t enough for Julie to train at ForeverStrong as a client, she loved it so much that she wanted to join our training staff as a trainer herself! Prior to starting her ForeverStrong journey as a client, Julie worked in the corporate world. Upon retirement, Julie was visiting her chiropractor when she saw the newsletter about ForeverStrong. After losing 30 pounds, Julie was looking for the most effective way to maintain her weight. Having already done cardio and yoga, she realized that she needed to incorporate weight training into her workout, which is why she soon came in and talked to Kelly. From there, Julie became a new member of the ForeverStrong community!Julie with bell (2)

After training with us for 9 months and still being retired, Julie found that her love for ForeverStrong kept growing and growing. She soon decided to emerge from retirement and pursue her personal training and kettlebell certifications. Once achieving those certifications, Julie started out as an intern at ForeverStrong. An intern?! Yes, that is correct. From her humble beginning as an intern, Julie has made her way to the top as she is now a key person to our training staff and we are so happy to have her! Our clients, too, enjoy having Julie here as they constantly remind us of how much they love her. Often, at the end of a program cycle, the feedback we receive consists of variations of “I love Julie” responses.

Just as the clients love Julie, she loves them all as well. She dearly loves all the clients, the supportive nature of the staff, and the positive atmosphere that ForeverStrong offers. This, in comparison to the negative atmosphere of the corporate world, makes Julie increasingly more happy.

To those that are considering joining theForeverStrong community, Julie encourages you to give it a chance because it can ultimately change your life! For those that are interested in becoming a part of our training staff, Julie also encourages you to inquire about our apprenticeship program because the ForeverStrong community is always looking for ways to grow. Just recently, Julie was working on growing her own skills and knowledge as she pursed and achieved an orthopedic exercise specialist certification.

Interested in growing with us? Be our guest for a free workout at ForeverStrong, where you can improve your health and fitness in ways that can change your whole life!

Julie’s Accomplishments:
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Hardstyle Kettlebell Instructor Certification
ACE Orthopedic Exercise Specialist Certification

Want More Results in Less Time?

Try this workout using ForeverStrong Full-Body-Five Method, an Incredibly Easy Weight Lifting Method That Works

If you’ve already read the ForeverStrong Guide to Full Body Strength Training, you are probably thinking about incorporating the ForeverStrong Full-Body-Five into your workout program.

Armed with the knowledge that a full-body strength training program is the most significant change that you can make to your workout programs to get you the fastest results in the shortest time possible, you are ready to change up your routine.

You are ready to tone up, trim your waistline, strengthen your core and become stronger while burning off fat.

BUT…

You aren’t exactly sure what to do.

We get it.

Here at ForeverStrong, we are committed to helping you get in shape in the fastest time possible

and

helping you ditch your time-wasting workout that consists mostly of training specific body parts individually.

Let’s take some of the guesswork out of building your own full-body strength workout.

In this video, we are showcasing how we strategically use exercises that require as many muscles as possible to work together to lift the weight. This means that we design a workout based on movement, not muscles.

It’s an incredibly easy strength training workout that works for busy people.

All you will need is

  • a pair of heavy kettlebells, or a barbell
  • a suspension trainer.

A full body strength training workout needs to utilize many muscle groups at a time for each movement.

Notice how we use ALL 5 of the following functional movements in this workout session:

1.) An Upper Body Push: Pushups 5 Sets of 5-8 Reps

2.) A Upper Body Pull: Suspended Single Arm Row 5 Sets of 5-8 Reps

3.) A Lower Body Pull (or hinge): Kettlebell Deadlift 5 Sets of 5-8 Reps

4.) A Lower Body Push: Suspended Lunge 5 Sets of 5-8 Reps

5.) A Tension Drill or Carry: Suitcase Walk & Hollow Rocks 5 Sets of :30 Intervals 

You can perform the above workout in a circuit, with a 30-45 second rest between each set.

 

As a review, if your workout included one exercise from each category above, you have a complete full body strength training workout. At ForeverStrong, we call this the ‘Full-Body-Five’.

Workouts like these, when part of a comprehensive program boast the following benefits:

  1. Fewer individual exercises means shorter workouts.
  2. Create lean body mass faster.
  3. Become stronger.
  4. Burn more calories in less time.
  5. Reduce risk of straining muscles and/or becoming excessively sore.
  6. Strengthen your core.

 

Want More Results in Less Time? Try this workout using ForeverStrong Full-Body-Five Method, an Incredibly Easy Weight Lifting Method That Works

The ForeverStrong Full-Body Five method is one of three breakthrough components of the ForeverStrong Fitness Formula. For more information about how to finally achieve the body you’ve always wanted with ForeverStrong call us at 301-452-5547 to schedule a complimentary consultation. We’ve helped hundreds of people in Fulton, Columbia, Clarksville, Highland, Laurel and Howard County and we’d love to help you too.

An Incredibly Easy Strength Training Method That Works For Busy People

If you want to tone up, trim your waistline, strengthen your core and become stronger while burning off fat, this strength training article is for you.

If you aren’t 100% certain that lifting weights is helping you get the body you want, then you should definitely read this article.

If you need to get in shape in the fastest time possible but your strength training workout consists mostly of training specific body parts i.e. arms and core, then you NEED to read this article.

This article will teach you the difference between Body Part Strength Training and Full Body Strength Training.

Learning how to do full body strength training will be the most significant change that you can make to your workout programs to get you the fastest results in the shortest time possible.

What is Body Part Strength Training?

If your lifting sessions target just one or two specific muscle groups each session, then you are doing body part strength training.

Examples of Body Part Strength Routines:

Example #1

After your cardio, you hit the weight room to work “arms” and “core”.

Example #2

an example of body part strength training

This typical strength training session could look something like this:

Lat Pull Down Machine: 3 Sets of 15

Bicep Curls: 3 Sets of 15

Chest Fly Machine: 3 Sets of 15

Triceps Kickbacks: 3 Sets of 15

Crunches: 3 Sets of 15

Bicycle Crunches: 3 Sets of 15

Example #3

If you are a more experienced gym goer, it might look something like this:

Monday: Back and Biceps Day

Tuesday: Cardio & Core

Wednesday: Chest and Triceps Day

Thursday: Cardio and Core

Friday: Leg Day

Saturday: Cardio & Core

Although body part focused weightlifting is common,  it’s a time-waster for most of the people I meet. Like you, the people who are attracted to my program are very busy and don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to exercise. Yet, you still want to get remarkable results from the time you invest in training, right? 

Here are a few reasons why body part training isn’t working for you:

First, it’s very time-consuming to do: it requires 3-5 days a week of strength training plus another 2-3 days a week of cardio. To get the benefits of this type of workout program you would need to spend a minimum of 10 hours a week in the gym.

Second, it’s not making a significant contribution to fat loss. Single joint movements, like bicep curls, won’t create a great enough energy expenditure to help you burn stubborn body fat. Simply put, you could spend an hour in the gym doing body part strength training and not see any body fat reduction.

Third, it creates excessive soreness that can make it very hard to get through daily tasks. This is because in order to stimulate the individual muscle group to grow, you have to train it to failure. This “failure” goal of training creates a great deal of isolated muscle soreness and stiffness for 2-3 days after each workout. Being stiff or sore all the time will make you more likely to skip workouts or just give up altogether.

There is a better way to use weights to help you burn fat, tone up, become stronger, flatten your tummy, and get the body you want. It’s full body strength training. I’ve been using the ‘Full-Body-Five’ with my clients successfully for years and the results are amazing!

The ForeverStrong Guide to Full Body Strength Training

Instead of working out individual muscle groups, we strategically use exercises that require as many muscles as possible to work together to lift the weight. This means that we design a workout based on movement, not muscles. This results in an incredibly easy weight lifting method that works for busy people.

Compound exercises like squats, deadlifts and pull-ups require more muscle groups to engage and work together in order to perform the lift. This requires a greater amount of effort to execute the lift and results in an increased amount of work performed during the workout.

A full body strength training workout utilizes many muscle groups at a time to perform ALL 5 of the following functional movements EVERY session. Use this list as your workout guide:

Kelly Scott Performing Full Body Strength Training Methods
(image: Kelly Scott Performing Full Body Strength Training Methods)

1.) An Upper Body Push

(Examples: Kettlebell Overhead Press, Bench Press, Pushups)

2.) A Upper Body Pull

(Examples: Chin-ups, Bent Row, Inverted or Suspended Row)

3.) A Lower Body Pull (or hinge)

(Examples: Deadlift, Hip-Bridges or Thrusters, Kettlebell Swing)

4.) A Lower Body Push

(Examples: Squats, Step Ups, Lunges)

5.) A Tension Drill or Carry

(Examples: Hard-style Planks, Farmer’s Walks, Turkish Getups)

If your workout included one exercise from each category above, you have a complete full body strength training workout. At ForeverStrong, we call this the ‘Full-Body-Five’.

7 Surprising Benefits of Full Body Strength Training:Cheat Time with this strength training timesaver

  1. Fewer individual exercises means shorter workouts. When you’re short on time, you can get more work done in less time, because you’re multi-tasking your workout instead of single-tasking.
  2. Create lean body mass faster. Full body workouts can build more muscle by targeting any given muscle group at almost every workout. This creates a greater demand on the muscles to repair, rebuild and improve more frequently than body part workouts.
  3. Become stronger. If your goal is to become functionally stronger, movements that require you to use more weight will help you get stronger. Compound movements that are “heavy” require more major muscle groups to execute. After just a few weeks of full body workouts, everyday tasks like picking up heavy items from the ground and carrying them will become easier.
  4. Burn more calories in less time. When major muscle groups work together in compound exercises, like swings and squats, a greater energy demand is placed on your metabolism than isolation exercises like bicep curls.  Simply put, it takes more energy to require lots of big muscles to work together than it does to work smaller muscles isolated in one location. More energy expended equals more calories burned.
  5. Reduce risk of straining muscles and/or becoming excessively sore. With body part training, in order to get enough work to stimulate the muscle to grow, you need to train the muscle to failure. This causes severe microtrauma to the muscle and results in extreme post-workout soreness. You will not have time to do as many repetitions of each exercise during a full body body workout as you do during a body part workout, so you are less likely to over-train muscles. This also prevents repetitive stress injuries that can occur when you only work one area of the body over and over.
  6. Strengthen your core. Performing full body movements requires core engagement during every lift. This means that each and every movement you do is activating your abs, glutes, pelvic floor muscles and helping them get stronger.  Your entire core is being worked without having to do extra crunches.

Before You Begin

Ready to get started? There are a few considerations when beginning a full-body strength program.

Make sure you invest time in learning the proper form. Lifting heavier weights requires skill and takes time for you to become proficient. Look for a coach who focuses on technique, not just hard work.

The process of learning compound movements could expose dysfunctional movement patterns. This sounds bad, but it’s actually a good thing. If you have limited range of motion in some joints, undiscovered orthopedic issues, or your strength is not balanced, compound movements will expose these deficiencies. In these cases, a corrective movement strategy can supplement your workout routine to help you improve the quality of your movements, reduce your risk of injury and help you reach your goals faster.

Want More Results in Less Time? Use the ForeverStrong Full-Body-Five Method, an Incredibly Easy Weight Lifting Method That Works

If you need to get into shape, become stronger, fitter, have more muscle tone, trim inches from your waistline and strengthen your core in the fastest time possible but don’t have a lot of time in your schedule for exercise, start a full body workout program.

Learn how to safely perform compound movements with weights like Deadlifts, Goblet Squats, Inverted Rows, Pushups, and Turkish Getups.

Design your workouts with big movements and forget about which muscle group you are working. Create every workout using the ForeverStrong Full-Body-Five method: an upper body “push”, an upper body “pull”, a lower body “push”, a lower body “pull” and a tension drill or carry.

The ForeverStrong Full-Body Five method is one of three breakthrough components of the ForeverStrong Fitness Formula. For more information about how to finally achieve the body you’ve always wanted with ForeverStrong call us at 301-452-5547 to schedule a complimentary consultation. We’ve helped hundreds of people in Marriottsville, Turf Valley, Waverly Woods, Woodmark, West Friendship, Eldersburg, Sykesville,  Woodstock,  Cooksville, Ellicott City, Mt. Hebron, Clarksville, Fulton, Laurel, Burtonsville, Highland, Silver Spring, Columbia, Ellicott City, Glen Elg, and we’d love to help you too.

Kelly Scott’s ForeverStrong Story

Homeless. Living out of my car. No family. No friends. Struggling as as a new bartender and barely getting by.

That was me about 10 years ago.

Scared but determined, I had just walked away from a religion that had controlled every aspect of my life…leaving behind, my family, my husband, my job, and everything I had known for 28 years.

Where did I get that inner strength to make such a bold move?

I credit Jack Canfield’s book, The Success Principles. It helped me find my true self and create a plan of action to build a new life—one that allowed me to express who I am and find my niche in the real world.

Working my way through Canfield’s principles, I began a new journey to fulfill my passion for helping others. I apprenticed as a personal trainer and became certified in physical fitness and kettlebell training.

Slowly, I built a client base. Applying those same principles of success that worked for me, I helped people overcome personal barriers that prevent them from being healthy. I carefully designed a custom fitness routine for each to help them lose weight, gain strength, and feel better. My clients were having fun. They were seeing results. But best of all, they kept coming back. My new personal training business was taking off.

It soon became apparent that what I had built was more than just a business. I had a new set of friends. I had a family once again—a family of women and men, who just like me, want to become and stay…ForeverStrong.

ForeverStrong was born out of my re-engineered life. It is a testament that you can change, that you can reinvent yourself. You can become healthier, happier, stronger, slimmer, better.

ForeverStrong is a journey. If you are ready to leave behind the fear and the guilt, and do something beneficial for yourself, we invite you to travel with us down the road to better health. I will be your guide, and the ForeverStrong family will be your travel companions, helping you stay on track.

ForeverStrong. It is my mantra. It is my promise. It is my purpose in life.

It’s never too late to become ForeverStrong.

Committed to YOUR journey,

Kelly Scott, Owner of Fulton Kettlebell and Creator of the ForeverStrong Fitness System

 

This is my story and I want you to be a part of my journey too. Join me and train ForeverStrong to start your own path to your personal fitness goal!

 

 

Who Am I?

Who am I

What’s your self definition as it relates to your health and your lifestyle? What are the values that weigh in on the choices you make for the way you care for your body and view yourself?

Research shows that how you define yourself makes it easier to both embrace new habits and to pick up after a challenge to your routine.

Tips when creating your fitness self-identity:

  • When creating your self-identity, having a coach or friend help you refine your statement can help get clarity.
  • Focus on what you want to be, not what you don’t want to be.
  • Your self-identity should embrace who you are today, but leave room to grow into who you want to be.
  • Think with a bigger purpose, a higher calling, something worth standing up for.
  • Your self definition should be so compelling that it should give you a sense that your being pulled towards you goals, rather than pushing hard to get them.
  • Be specific. If you feel stuck or unmotivated, then perhaps your identity or self definition isn’t clear enough to pull you toward your goal.
  • Once you’ve honed your statement, printed it out and framed it, put it somewhere where you will be reminded of it often.

Benefits from creating a fitness self-identity:

  • Provides a stronghold to combat complacency and boredom
  • Fortifies your determination to succeed despite obstacles
  • Develops a sense of pride, ownership and achievement about what you are
  • Takes the need for will power out of the equation because you’ll find it pleasurable to live up to your name.

When it comes to your fitness, there are three areas where you can define your self-identity. Take a few minutes, close your eyes and give these exercises some time. It will be well worth your time. Write something that you’d be happy introducing your self as. Whatever resonates with you (which is unique to you) will help you to define the lifestyle you are creating by making small changes that will add up over time.

 

Your Food Self-Identity

Consider the relationship you would like to have with food.  Do you eat mostly healthy?  Do you stress about food and think about it a lot, or are you more relaxed? Are you a fine diner? Or a grazer?Healthy Bite

Consider the traits of your relationship with food, and write them down.

You may ask yourself, “How do those traits define my relationship with food?” Your goal is to create an “I am” statement that expresses these ideas as simply as possible.

Example:

My personal statement is: I am a healthy foodie.

Possible examples for you could be: “I am a carefree, healthy eater,” “I am a vegan,” “I’m a conscientious carnivore,” “I am a moderation junkie.”

 

Your Activity Self-Identity

How you define yourself impacts your behavior.  Let’s apply this to body.

Example:

My personal self identity statement is: I am a hardcore lifter.

Possible examples for you could be: “I am an athlete,” “I am a swimmer,” or “I am a kettlebell swinger.”

Take a look how these statements are similar, but have different meanings:

”I like to run outdoors” vs. “I am a trail runner” or “I like to take yoga classes” vs. “I am a yogi.”

 

Your Lifestyle Self-Identity

Healthy, Active and Happy How you define yourself matters, and will impact your lifestyle when it comes to your body, how you treat it, and what you prioritize.  Again, think of some  and list them here. Now, looking at those attributes: how can those define your relationship with your body/activity? Your goal is to create an “I am” statement that encapsulates these ideas as simply as possible.

Example:

My personal lifestyle statement is: I am an active leader in health and fitness.


Possible examples for you: “I am a thinker,” “I am a compassionate friend,” “I am a role model, ” or “I am an adventurer.”

This is your opportunity to build a statement that expresses your bigger purpose.

Once you have taken the first shot at these exercises, run them by a friend or accountability partner. Then after honing your statement, print it out, frame it and put it somewhere where you will be reminded of it often.

Here’s a great example of the self-identity statement that I had the privilege of helping one of my clients create during the third week of my Healthy Habits Coaching Program:

Who Am I
Pictured above is one of my client’s “I am” statement that I helped her create. Her statement reads: “I am a mindful eater, active, an energetic student of movement.” After creating it, she printed and posted it on her mirror so she could see it everyday!

 

With your new definitions in mind, consider challenges you might face in the future. How can your new definition help you to navigate those challenges when they arise again? Envision the circumstance, and say your definition to yourself while considering it: “I am a _________. I wonder how I will manage this?”

We delve deeper into this subject and get very up-close and personal with it during our 12-Week Healthy Habits Coaching program. For more information about my Healthy Habits Coaching Program can be found here.

Join the ForeverStrong community and discover more about yourself than you ever thought you would know!

3 Reasons Why Losing Weight Fast is a Bad Idea

Fast Weight Loss leads to FrustrationPlease don’t hurt yourself trying to lose weight. We don’t have to look far to find someone who is on a diet, or thinking about starting a diet.  In fact, a recent Gallup survey noted 45% of Americans are trying to lose weight.

We also don’t have to look very far to find a new ‘revolutionary’ weight-loss program that promises super-fast and super-easy results.  Many times, these ‘revolutionary’ weight-loss programs deliver shocking short-term results.

Before I continue, let me specify what I’m referring to as “fast weight loss.” This is any program that results in weight loss greater than one to two pounds per week.

Why is this type of weight loss program a bad idea?

The problem with fast weight loss (and the reason it never works in the long run) is that your body isn’t designed to lose weight fast. As soon as you try to do it, some significant changes happen in your body.

1.  Your Hormones are signaled by your fat

  • Not all body fat is bad for you, and ALL of it has a purpose.
  • Stored body fat is in direct proportion to a hormone called leptin.  This hormone controls appetite, modulates metabolism and promotes fat burning.
  • When fat levels drop quickly, leptin levels drop quickly as well, and your body is triggered to believe you are starving.  That shuts down systems and makes your body do everything it can to conserve energy and stop you from losing more weight.

2.  Nutritional deficiency from fast weight loss

  • Restrictive, extreme low-calorie diets are usually deficient in necessary vitamins/minerals.
  • Lack of vitamins leads to unhealthy skin, hair, and nails… along with a suppressed immune system.  That means you’re more likely to get, and stay, sick. Then, your workouts, become less productive, or even skipped, further halting your weight loss efforts.
  • Lack of minerals can lead to irregular heartbeat, muscle cramps and loss of bone mass. This can also inhibit your exercise routine, lead to premature fatigue and slow your recovery process.
  • Lack of adequate protein and amino acid intake can inhibit your muscle growth and possibly reduce your existing lean muscle mass. Since muscle is metabolically active tissue, your metabolism is powered by this precious tissue. When you lose muscle, your metabolism slows down and makes it even harder to keep the weight off.

3.  Psychological Complications from fast weight loss

  • Fast Weight Loss Diet ShakeSevere restriction is not sustainable in the long-term, and is known to lead dieters into a binge/restrict cycle – the body fighting with the mind to try to get enough nutrients to survive. It’s only a matter of time before your willpower breaks, and often leads to a pattern of binge eating followed by guilt, then emotionally driven guilt binge eating.
  • This cycle very often leads to severely disordered thinking about food and weight, and frequently into eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.
  • Restrictive diets can become socially excluding – you’re so worried about your food that you’re not enjoying life with your family and friends.

The good news is weight loss and a life of healthy maintenance is possible but, you can’t do it by buying into the marketing promises put out by businesses intent on making a quick and easy profit.  Fast weight loss harms your body, it harms your mind, AND in 97% of cases it leads to regaining not only the weight you lost, but more weight on top of it (that’s leptin at work, trying to keep you safe!).

Want to lose weight, and keep it off for good?

Check out the new program that we are running  at ForeverStrong. Currently, we are on Week 4 (out of 12). I’ll be starting the 12-week  program again soon, where we’ll focus on establishing Healthy Habits and creating a road map to sane, slow, sustainable weight loss and lifetime weight maintenance. Click Here to find out more.

~By Kelly Scott 

Resource: Mayo Clinic

5 Ways to Create Habits that Last

~By Kelly Scotthealthy life

The Earlier the Better

Your willpower tends to be highest at the beginning of the day, so harness that energy and use it to your advantage.  Have a crockpot? Take a few minutes in the morning to prepare a crockpot meal for later. That way, you won’t be tempted to grab take- out later because there is a fresh, hot and healthy meal waiting for you.  The same goes for exercise. People who exercise first thing in the morning are more likely than evening exercisers to keep a consistent routine.

Make Habits Convenient

The more difficult or complicated your new habits are, the less likely you’ll be to keep them consistently. You will get more enjoyment out of the habits you’re trying to establish if the are:

  • simple
  • relatively easy and uncomplicated
  • scheduled on your calendar so it’s easier to make the time

Have Fun!

There are hundreds of options for becoming more active. You should do the ones that you get excited about. It doesn’t matter how “effective” any particular exercise is if you hate doing it.  Doing more of an activity you don’t enjoy will just lead to resentment and failure.  Instead, find activities that you actually enjoy doing and establish these as your habits!

Use Action Triggers

Triggers are things that automatically lead to something else happening.  A trigger you might have now would be something like: finish eating dinner, rinse plate and put in dishwasher.  So the rinsing of the plate was triggered by the finishing of a meal.  Similarly, see how you can tie new habits to other actions.  For example: include a 10 minute stroll at the end of lunchtime.  After a while, every time you eat lunch you’ll think to yourself: “I should take a quick walk now!”

Use Checklists

When it comes to changing your eating habits or even starting a new exercise routine, checklists will help make your habit easier to stick to. At the grocery store, Don’t leave having the food items you need to chance. Create a checklist of the foods that you need to stock in your refrigerator and pantry and print that list out every week when you go to the store. If you start a new exercise class, make list of the things you need to pack in your bag and check them off before you go. I learned this the hard way when twice I drove all the way to Baltimore for swim class and realized I forgot my swimsuit. Now I have a checklist.

Using these types of techniques to establish habits can be the difference between success and failure.  As you look to establish even more Healthy Habits, check out our new program we are currently running to help you do just that – set up healthy food and activity habits for weight loss and lifelong maintenance.  From nutritional guidance to help with self-care, managing stress and sleep, our Healthy Habits program has literally transformed lives!

If you are interested in our Healthy Habits Program and training the ForeverStrong method, call now at 301-452-5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation! Through our personalized training program, we want to help you to become the best you can be!

 

 

Combating Osteopenia and Osteoporosis

Healthy Bone vs. Unhealthy Bone
Healthy Bone vs. Bone Loss

“Five years ago, I was diagnosed with osteopenia,” Allison* (alias) confides.  “I was shocked.”  Allison was so shocked, in fact, that she refused to believe the results of her DEXA scan, chocking the low numbers up to lab error.  

But, two years later, the outcome of a second DEXA scan matched the first.  “I had to accept the results as true,” Allison admits.  However, Allison was still flummoxed over the diagnosis as three more years of bone scans continued to show decreasing bone density.  “My vitamin D levels were consistently in the normal range, and I exercised routinely.”

Looking for a solution that didn’t involve pharmaceuticals, Allison decided to address the one element missing from her fitness regimen.  “The one component my workout lacked was strength training.   I just didn’t know how to approach it, and I found it intimidating.”

Allison isn’t alone.  A recent survey by the Center for Disease Control found that while fifty-two percent of Americans get the recommended level of aerobic exercise (running, walking, swimming, biking, etc.), only about one in five are strength training regularly.  And, while aerobic exercise may be great for improving cardiovascular health, it does little to reverse bone density loss as we age.

Strength training, however, increases bone density and can reverse the effects of osteopenia and even osteoporosis, a fact Allison happily discovered when she joined the ForeverStrong program in Fulton, MD. “After only a year and a half of working out at ForeverStrong, my last DEXA scan came back normal.”

Allison’s results aren’t unique. Study after study shows that strength training can prevent and even reverse bone density loss. So, why are so few Americans strength training on a regular basis, especially given the fact that one in two women and one in five men over the age of fifty qualify for a diagnosis of osteopenia?  Is it a lack of knowledge about osteopenia?  Unaware of the benefits of strength training?  Or, confusion over how to manage, or prevent, bone density loss?

Likely, it’s an imperfect triad of all three, and this article seeks to clear up some of the confusion and misnomers about osteopenia and osteoporosis as well as show how a regular strength training routine can help you combat the bone loss that comes with aging.

Hunched back
Osteoporosis can greatly affect one’s posture.

Osteopenia Fact:  “Osteopenia is not osteoporosis.”

But, osteopenia is a precursor to osteoporosis.  Just like osteoporosis, osteopenia means your bone density is less than what it should be though the bone loss is not as severe as in a case of osteoporosis.

There are no outward symptoms of osteopenia, and like Allison, many people are shocked by their first bone density scans.  But, osteopenia isn’t a disease; it’s a warning sign.  Osteopenia provides an opportunity to reevaluate your lifestyle and help you prevent a full-blown case of osteoporosis.

Doctors recommend replacing soft drinks with green tea, consuming adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D, and strength training.  Two to three strength training sessions per week will do it.  Dr. Christiane Northrup recommends working with a certified instructor to make sure you’re strength training safely and with proper form.

Allison did, and it worked wonders for her.

Osteopenia Fiction:  “Medication is the best way to combat bone density loss.”

Current osteopenia and osteoporosis medications, like Fosamax, don’t exactly increase bone density, at least not in the way you’d expect. Your body produces two types of bone cells which work together to keep your skeleton healthy.  Osteoclasts remove worn or damaged bone while osteoblasts create new bone to take the damaged bone’s place.

As we age, osteoclasts start working overtime, chomping up old bone faster than our osteoblasts can replace it.  But, Fosamax and other bone density meds, don’t increase osteoblast production.   Instead, these medications inhibit osteoclast activity.  So, your bone density may technically increase, but you’re walking around on worn and damaged bone, and you’re still at a high risk for fracture.

Strength training, on the other hand, dampens osteoclast activity while boosting osteoblast productivity, especially when paired with a diet high in calcium and vitamin D.    Dr. Miriam Nelson of Tufts University has conducted numerous studies that show strength training can reverse bone loss.  The participants in Dr. Nelson’s studies, aged 50-70, improved their strength, lost body fat, and increased their bone density.

“It’s never too late to start exercising,” Dr. Nelson recommends.  “Even in your nineties, the benefits of strength training are there.  It’s quite remarkable.”

Osteopenia Fact:   “Having a low body weight and lithe frame puts you at a higher risk for osteopenia and osteoporosis.”

So does being female, having fair skin, red or blond hair, and blue eyes.  Genetically, the fair complected have less collagen in their bones.  And, those with less body fat or lighter frames have less bone to lose.

Note to Elle Macpherson and Heidi Klum: it’s time to hit the gym.

Likewise, all you marathon fanatics and Ironmen triathletes.  Don’t start thinking that the ruthless endurance routine you started in your twenties or thirties is going to keep you safe from bone loss in your fifties and sixties.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  All the pounding your legs took from overtraining  likely created multiple minor stress fractures and impaired your bone’s ability to absorb the minerals it needs to repair itself.

Remember all those strength training days you skipped, so you could get in an extra swim, ride, or run?  Turns out they were important after all.  But, no worries.  Starting a strength program now can get you back on track.  And, if preventing bone loss is not enough to get you in the gym, strength training can also lower your marathon and triathlon times.

I have your attention now, don’t I?

Osteopenia Fiction:  “Bone density loss only affects women.”

Man more likely to break a bone
Men over the age of fifty are more likely to break a bone because of osteoporosis than to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Not so fast, guys….Twenty percent of new osteopenia diagnoses are men, and one in four men over the age of fifty will break a bone due to osteoporosis.   In fact, men over the age of fifty are more likely to break a bone because of osteoporosis than to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Yes, it’s true that estrogen loss after menopause leads to bone loss in women.  Estrogen acts as a protective factor against overstimulated osteoclasts.  But, guess what!  Testosterone performs the same function in men, and just as estrogen levels decline with age in women, testosterone levels drop for aging men.

Lucky for men, strength training provides the same bone loss reversal benefits as it does for women.  A University of Arizona study in 2009 found that men diagnosed with osteopenia who participated in a high-intensity resistance training program slowed their bone loss or, in many cases, increased their bone mineral density.

Osteopenia Fact:  “A sedentary lifestyle puts you at a higher risk for bone loss.”

Admit it.  As soon as I called out Elle Macpherson and Heidi Klum, you thought you were in the clear.  But, if you spend the majority of your day sitting (and who doesn’t in this office-driven economy of ours), your bones are missing out on the extra workout they get from just being on your feet.

Just standing and walking around provides bones with a good weight-bearing exercise that stimulates osteoblast activity.  But, if your day is anything like the average American’s, you spend an hour or so sitting in traffic and eight or so hours sitting at your desk before you spend a few hours sitting in front of the television to wind down and seven hours  completely horizontal while you sleep.  All-in-all, you’re spending less than four hours on your feet per day which is a recipe for osteopenia and osteoporosis later in life.

If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, it’s even more important that you incorporate strength training into your weekly routine.  In fact, a study performed by Polaris Healthcare attributed the increase in men being diagnosed with osteoporosis with too much sitting and too little exercise.

Osteopenia Fiction:  “Osteopenia is something only the elderly need to worry about.”

When it comes to bone density loss, prevention is the name of the game, and the healthier your bones are in your twenties, thirties, and forties, the healthier they’ll be in your fifties, sixties, and beyond.   In fact, for best preventative results against bone loss, many physicians recommend beginning strength training during adolescence.  Think of your bones like a retirement account.  The earlier you start contributing, the bigger the payout in the end.

But, like Dr. Nelson said, it’s never too late to strength training.  And, strength training is one of the most beneficial measures you can take to help prevent bone loss.  Women, men, young, old, models, runners, triathletes, blonds, thin, sedentary:  nobody is immune from osteopenia and osteoporosis.

Incorporating strength training now can help you prevent osteoporosis and reverse bone loss.  “For five years I had repeated low bone density scans, and after only one and a half years, that has been reversed,” says a happy Allison.  “The power of the program!”

Start incorporating the ForeverStrong Personalized Fitness System into your routine to prevent or even reverse bone density loss. Call us today at 301-452-5547 to schedule your free physical fitness diagnostic with Kelly Scott, creator and owner of the ForeverStrong Personalized Fitness System. Together, we can combat osteopenia and osteoporosis with an exercise program that’s right for you.

The top 10 reasons to choose the ForeverStrong™ Personalized Fitness System.

top ten banner

1. We design a fitness program for you, not for a group.

Don’t leave your progress to chance with a random “workout of the day” which you get at most gyms. With our ForeverStrong™ personalized fitness system, you get a progressive strength and movement program with varying levels of volume & intensity that have been tested, refined, and proven to get you the best results.  Then, as your strength and mobility improve, we incorporate more challenging drills to take you to the next level.  Plus, our fast-paced, metabolic conditioning workouts will send your metabolism into overdrive.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, you get a personalized program that will deliver jaw-dropping results in the shortest amount of time.

2. Fitness is personal, so our sessions are too.

Who wants to get lost in one of those crowded “boot camps” with 50+ people? Even fitness classes with only 10-15 people don’t offer much one-on-one support. That’s why we limit our studio membership and keep our ForeverStrong™ personalized training sessions small. This ensures you get the individual attention you need to train safely and effectively.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, our laser-focused attention keeps you on track to get your desired results.

3. You will learn the right techniques, right from the start.

Like any other skill, strength training movement needs to be carefully crafted.  So, unlike some places that just throw you into a group class on day one, our ForeverStrong™ personalized fitness system, requires you to complete our starter sessions to ensure you master the skills needed to train safely. You’ll learn weight lifting fundamentals and Hardstyle techniques that provide a solid foundation from which to build your strength and conditioning so you can join shared sessions of other clients.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, our expert trainers will teach you the correct movements that you need to get strong, and stay strong.

4. We lead by example.

Our certified instructors live and breathe this stuff. They know how to coach you through each training session, provide cues for proper body mechanics, correct exercise form, and select progressions or regressions based on your individual level of strength.  Each of our instructors is a certified personal trainer, certified kettlebell instructor, certified in CPR, and certified in the ForeverStrong™ fitness system. To stay current and provide the highest quality of client service, they are also required to take continuing education classes and training sessions.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, you can be assured that you are in qualified hands, maximizing your investment in your health.

5. We help you develop healthy habits that promote permanent results.

There’s a saying “abs are made in the kitchen.”  We embrace this mantra and provide proper nutritional counseling to support you while on the ForeverStrong™ personalized fitness program. Healthy Habits Coaching is a structured, personalized support program that includes daily check-ins with your coach and personal coaching calls. Healthy Habits Coaching is included in your ForeverStrong™ Personalized Fitness Program.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, we’ll help you maintain accountability for good nutrition while you work toward your fitness goals!

6. We get to know you, before creating a plan for you.

We don’t offer a “one size fits all” training package.  Each and every one of you is unique with individual backgrounds, goals, and interests.  Whether you want to build stamina, move better, lose weight, increase strength or just improve your health, we’ll recommend the best ForeverStrong™ training package to meet YOUR goals.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, we can guarantee results because we hand-tailor your fitness plan.

7. We put the “FUN” in functional training

We know that if you are having fun, you are going to stick to your program, and if you are consistent, you get results. Our ForeverStrong™ personalized fitness system provides a fun and energetic training approach to keep you coming back.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, our friendly, nurturing instructors make your training both enjoyable and productive—and that’s one of the best recipes for success.

8. Our unique program design system keeps your progress in check

You and your instructor review goals prior to each Forever Strong™ training session in a personalized training journal which we have designed just for you. Individual adjustments can be made quickly and easily when needed, ensuring you get the most out of each session.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, success starts with a blueprint and ends with an achievement.

9. Exercise should build you up, not beat you down.

Unlike some training facilities, which leave you feeling beat up and exhausted, our ForeverStrong™ training sessions are uplifting and satisfying. Our instructor-guided system ensures you progress at an appropriate pace, uninterrupted by fatigue or injury.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, you’ll stand taller, move better, and have more energy and stamina than ever before!

10. You won’t just have a trainer, you’ll have a training team! 

A good support system is critical to success. Our ForeverStrong™ instructors work as a team to ensure you get the most from your training.  During our weekly staff meetings we brainstorm and problem solve issues our clients may have with their training and quickly devise corrective strategies to keep them on track.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, you’ll get the best personal training support system available anywhere.

 

If you find something you like from this list, then I challenge you to come out and start your own ForeverStrong journey! Choose ForeverStrong,we want to help you reach your fitness goals in the best way possible for you!

Age Defying Benefits of Strength Training

Strength Training for SeniorsMarsha, age 72, leaves her doctor’s office with a smile on her face, amused that the physician’s assistant — amazed by Marsha’s double digit weight loss and low blood pressure — just accused her of showing off.  Lorri’s doctor is similarly impressed by her health.  He can’t believe 60 year old Lorri has dropped weight, lowered her blood pressure, and eliminated her back pain, all without the use of medication.

Both Marsha and Lorri have discovered the secret to healthy aging, a secret long borne out by research.  Marsha and Lorri know that increasing strength and maintaining muscle mass promotes longevity and improves overall health, and they are part of the 13.7 percent of Americans, aged 50 or older, who strength train at least twice per week.

Unfortunately, the other 86.3% of Americans slow down just as they should get started.  Progressive strength training has shown promising results in combating the common maladies that come with aging, even in adults older than 60.

Strength training dramatically improves, or even reverses, bone loss.   Strength training is effective in managing the chronic pain associated with arthritis and back problems.  Progressive strength training also helps stave off cognitive declines and combats insulin resistance.  It improves balance, coordination, and spacial awareness reducing the risk of falls, and strength training can even extend your life.

Extend Your Life.

Yes, you read that right.  Strength training can extend your life.

“Use it or lose it” is the common aphorism when it comes to healthy aging, so of course, we all know that strength training improves muscle tone, prevents muscle atrophy, and helps boost metabolism.  But, did you also know that strength training increases longevity?  Researchers at UCLA found that senior citizens with more muscle mass were less likely to die prematurely than senior citizens with low muscle mass.

Or, to sum it up, in a second simple aphorism:  stay stronger, live longer.

You can get the life-extending benefits of strength training in as little as two hours per week.  The average American spends two hours per day watching television, so consider supplementing a few of your favorite television programs with a few strength training sessions.  And, thanks to your new training plan, you’ll be around to find out who’s Dancing with the Stars next season.

Fortify Your Bones

Got milk?

In the 1980s, the dairy industry capitalized on what mothers had been saying for decades.  Milk, indeed, did a body good, and moms across America poured glass after glass of the mustache-inducing beverage for their children in an effort to help their offspring grow big and strong.  But, milk isn’t the only way to ensure healthy bones, and if those same 1980s moms, now approaching late middle age, would invest a few hours per week in a strength training regimen, they could save themselves from the debilitating effects of bone loss.

Osteoblasts and osteoclasts, two different types of bone cells, work in tandem to maintain a healthy skeleton.  Osteoblasts create new bone while osteoclasts break down old bone. Think of osteoblasts as the renovating crew and osteoclasts as the demolition team.  In women, estrogen tends to inhibit osteoclast activity, keeping osteoblasts and osteoclasts in balance which helps retain bone density.

Due to the loss of estrogen associated with menopause, postmenopausal women lose the protective benefits of estrogen, placing them at higher risk for bone density loss when osteoclasts start absorbing bone tissue faster than osteoblasts can replace it.  And, guys, I know you tend to shut down when you start hearing estrogen talk, but don’t start thinking you’re off the hook.   When it comes to bone loss, testosterone acts as a protectant in men just as estrogen does in women, and men face similar hormonal declines with increasing age, just as women do.

Osteopenia, the precursor to osteoporosis, affects half of Americans over age 50.  Like osteoporosis, osteopenia is characterized by low bone density.  Often, there are no symptoms, and many people don’t realize how weak their bones are until they break one.  And, at an advanced age, one broken bone can adversely change your life.  Walking, driving, and even feeding yourself can become difficult, if not impossible, tasks, and a broken bone can result in chronic pain, disability, and even a loss of independence.

And, don’t be so quick to reach for that bottle of Fosamax just yet.  Bone density meds don’t increase the body’s production of osteoblasts.  Instead, they dampen the activity of osteoclasts.  In essence, you’re not hiring additional builders; you’re just furloughing your demolition crew.  So, while bone isn’t being resorbed, it’s also not being repaired which is why even while taking bone density medication, bones continue to become increasingly brittle and are increasingly prone to fractures and breaking.

Rather than get caught up in the Catch-22 of bone pharmacopeia, try strength training.  Strength training, specifically high-intensity resistance training, can not only help you retain bone mineral density but increase it.  High-intensity resistance training, with proper recovery periods, has been shown in research studies to halt bone deterioration and stimulate bone growth, especially in seniors.

Strength:  it does a body good!

Preserve Your Brain

Sir Norman Wisdom famously quipped, “As you get older, three things happen. The first is your memory goes, and I can’t remember the other two.”

Forgetfulness is one of the most common cognitive declines associated with aging, and few prospects are more frightening than dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.  Increasing age is also associated with a decrease in the ability to maintain focus and a decrease in problem solving ability.  If only there was a way to keep your mind in shape.

Oh, but there is.

Exercise not only keeps your body fit; it also trains your brain.  A new study shows that strength training may be able to slow dementia.  Senior participants in a study conducted by the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility at Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia Archives of Internal Medicine took part in an exercise program.  The researchers found that strength training, specifically resistance training, can alter the trajectory of cognitive decline in seniors.

Strength training “significantly improved” the participants’ attention, problem solving ability, and associative memory, so if Sir Norman can commit to a weekly strength training program, he should be able to tell us the other two things we can expect as we get older.

Ease Arthritis Pain

Maybe one of those two things is arthritis, the bane of the elderly.  Anyone afflicted with this disease will tell you that arthritis is a pain in the…, well, joints.   And, the pain caused by inflamed and swollen joints interferes with the most basic of daily tasks, from brushing your teeth to walking across the room, compromising mobility and independence.   But, recent studies have shown that strength training could offer hope for arthritis sufferers.

Researchers at Tufts University had elderly men and women with moderate to severe osteoarthritis complete a sixteen week strength training program.  The participants increased their muscle strength and showed a marked decrease in their arthritis symptoms.  Most importantly, their pain decreased by an incredible 43%, fantastic news for those afflicted with arthritis.

Of course, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), maintaining a healthy body weight has been shown to decrease the risk of developing osteoarthritis.  As well, protecting joints from injuries and overuse also reduces the risk of arthritis.  Strength training can improve joint health and help you develop lean, fat burning muscle, a key in maintaining an appropriate body weight.

Lower Your Risk of Falls

Visit any retirement community, and one of the chief concerns you’ll hear the residents mention, in regards to their health, is the fear of taking a fall.  And, that fear is justified.  Seniors have a disproportionately higher risk for falls, and those falls are often accompanied by a broken bone or serious head injury, along with all the havoc those health crises entail.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) cites muscle weakness, especially muscle weakness in the legs, as the biggest contributor to falls in seniors.  Balance issues are a close second with sensory problems also making the list.

All of which can be improved with strength training.

During a twelve week study period, researchers investigated the effectiveness of leg strengthening exercises in individuals aged 65 and over.  The individuals in the training group not only significantly increased their lower limb strength but also improved their balance and coordination when compared to the lazy baseline group (just kidding, all good studies need a baseline group for comparison; it’s not the participants’ fault they were randomly assigned to the group that couch surfed instead of performed leg presses though I’m sure upon hearing the results, the baseline group signed up for their own strength training program).

An appropriate strength training program can be an effective means to preserving, or even improving, coordination, spatial awareness, and reaction time for seniors.  Of course, even more important than better balance, is the decreased risk of a fall.  Avoiding a fall, and a fall’s associated injuries, helps seniors maintain their health and independence, important factors in life satisfaction and healthy aging.

Back Pain Reduction

Back pain proves that misery loves company.  Nearly 80% of Americans are subject to occasional back pain while one third of seniors suffer from chronic back problems.  It seems our keyboard-pecking, hunched-over, high-stress, tight-shouldered lifestyle is starting to catch up with us.

However, numerous studies show that weight training and other strengthening exercises can help mitigate back pain.

One such sixteen week study, presented at the American College of Sports Medicine, examined 240 patients with chronic back pain resulting from a soft tissue injury (none of the patients had back surgery, damaged vertebra, or problems with their spinal nerve roots).   The patients undertook a strength training program, slowly building up to higher weights and gradually increasing their number of repetitions.

After just three weeks, the researchers noticed a decrease in the patients’ pain corresponding to the patients’ increase in strength.  The results?

■    28% decrease in pain for patients who exercised four times per week

■    18% decrease in pain for patients who exercised three times per week

■    14% decrease in pain for patients who exercised two times per week

Seeing those results, it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that the patients’ quality of life, defined, for the purpose of this study, as a person’s physical and mental well-being, respectively increased by 16-28%.

Improve Your Insulin Response and Lower Your Risk of Diabetes

What do obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia (elevated fat in your bloodstream), liver disease, sleep apnea, and cancer have in common?  All are associated with insulin resistance, a condition in which the body develops a tolerance for its own insulin, requiring that your pancreas pump more and more insulin into your body to achieve the same glucose-absorbing effect.  Eventually, the pancreas can’t produce enough insulin to keep up with the body’s demand, leading to dangerously high blood sugar levels.  If you’re thinking this sounds a lot like diabetes, you’re right.  Insulin resistance is a precursor to Type II diabetes.  And, if you think obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, liver disease, sleep apnea, and cancer sound bad enough, you should also know that insulin resistance also predisposes you to cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.

The good news (yes, there is good news) is that lifting weights lowers your risk of insulin resistance and diabetes.  Consistent weight training improves the sensitivity of insulin receptors which allows muscle cells to absorb glucose more easily.  Even better news?  This happens almost immediately after exercising with weights, and the effect can last for days.  And, since lean muscle is particularly insulin sensitive tissue, as you build more muscle over time, insulin sensitivity improves.

What if you already have diabetes?  Well, strength training has good news for you, too.  In a ten week study, diabetics in a strength training group were compared to diabetics in a group that ran on a treadmill.  At the study’s completion, the strength training group had a greater reduction in blood glucose levels and their HbA1c levels (medical-speak for glycohemoglobin test, the test used to assess how well diabetes is being controlled) were significantly lower than the group on the treadmill.

So, take note all you diehard runners; it’s time you learned to love weights.

Get The Best Results With a Well-Designed Program

Progressive strength training programs are a mix of exercises designed to gradually increase muscle mass and improve strength, and the programs have shown positive results for young adults, senior citizens, and all age groups in between.   A progressive strength training program usually starts with lightweight training, and in time, the weights are slowly increased to promote muscle mass.  Seniors are more prone to injury as their muscle and skeletal systems are generally weaker than their younger counterparts, so progressive strength training is especially beneficial as its gradual program helps alleviate the potential injuries that other “all-in” workouts can impose.

The exercises used in progressive strength training are focused on increasing flexibility and improving range of motion while reducing the risk of injuries.  Kettlebells are commonly used in performing these simple yet effective exercises.  Squats, overhead shoulder presses, and kettlebell swings yield excellent results when properly used in progressive strength training, not to mention kettlebells are fun and help combat workout boredom.  However, kettlebells do require proper training and practice in order to use them safely, and for most people just starting a strength training program, flexibility and range of motion in the joints may limit the movements they can perform initially.  But, just learning the movements without weights still provides an excellent workout and allows the new participant to improve their mobility and flexibility.  Weights can then gradually be added to the program, and before you know it, you’re reaping the benefits of a progressive strength training program.

Many of the studies reviewed in this article indicated that workout intensity matters as high-intensity resistance exercises yielded slightly greater increases in bone mineral density, lean muscle mass, and muscle strength.  Like moderate intensity strength training, high intensity strength training also requires proper instruction and adherence to safety, but so long as the strength training is correctly progressed, high intensity workouts are safe and beneficial for most seniors and can improve musculoskeletal health.  Again, however, progression needs to be emphasized in order to prevent overtraining and possible injuries; the higher the workout’s intensity, the higher the risk of injury for untrained individuals.

For the most part, strength-training exercises—especially if you start conservatively and progress slowly—are safe for most seniors, even those with health conditions.  But, before beginning a strength training program, you should talk to your doctor about what type of fitness program is appropriate for you, especially if you are currently inactive, elderly, hypertensive, have a musculoskeletal injury or disease, or have any other health concern.  As seniors have unique health needs, it’s best to hire a personal trainer that has experience working with older adults.  A personal trainer will also help you revamp your eating habits to maximize your training.

Now that you know that progressive strength training is safe and effective for you, it’s time to get started with a program.  Join the ForeverStrong program and train to manage physical pain, prevent bone loss and cognitive decline, decrease your risk of falls, and fight back against insulin resistance and diabetes.  You’ll find yourself living a longer, and healthier, life.

REFERENCES:

Hey, don’t just take my word for it!  For more information on healthy aging through strength training, check out these exciting research studies:

 

1. Maddalozzo, G.F., and Snow, C.M. 2000. High intensity resistance training: Effects on bone in older men and women. Calcified Tissue International, 66, 399-404.

2. Lindsay S. Nagamatsu, MA et al. Resistance Training Promotes Cognitive and Functional Brain Plasticity in Seniors With Probable Mild Cognitive Impairment. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(8):666-668. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2012.379.

3. Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter, (1994).  Never too late to build up your muscle.  12: 6-7 (September).

4. 1: Fragala MS, Beyer KS, Jajtner AR, Townsend JR, Pruna GJ, Boone CH, Bohner JD, Fukuda DH, Stout JR, Hoffman JR. Resistance Exercise May Improve SpatialAwareness and Visual Reaction in Older Adults. J Strength Cond Res. 2014Aug;28(8):2079-2087. PubMed PMID: 24832975.

5. In-Hee Lee, PT, PhD1 and Sang-young Park, PT, PhD2. Balance Improvement by Strength Training for the Elderly. J Phys Ther Sci. Dec 2013; 25(12): 1591–1593.

6. Kell, Robert T1; Asmundson, Gordon J G2. A Comparison of Two Forms of Periodized Exercise Rehabilitation Programs in the Management of Chronic Nonspecific Low-Back Pain. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. March 2009 – Volume 23 – Issue 2 – pp 513-523

7. Salameh Bweir1 et al., Resistance exercise training lowers HbA1c more than aerobic training in adults with type 2 diabetes Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome 2009, 1:27  doi:10.1186/1758-5996-1-27. Published: 10 December 2009

8. Preethi Srikanthan, Arun S. Karlamangla. Muscle Mass Index As a Predictor of Longevity in Older Adults. The American Journal of Medicine, Vol. 127, Issue 6, p547–553

9. http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/faqs.htm

10. http://nihseniorhealth.gov/falls/causesandriskfactors/01.html

 

Women Over 55 are Raving About ForeverStrong™

Exercise can be daunting at any age, but for those 50+, it can become even more physically challenging with each ensuing decade.picture of client doing pullup

Even if you’ve been an exercise maven all your life, age can take a toll on the body and you may eventually find your favorite fitness activity become painful or even impossible to maintain. Still, as the aches and pains set-in, it’s important to stay physically active.

If you’ve never exercised routinely in the past, now is the time to start. Exercise has been shown to improve health and reverse some of the symptoms of aging—and who doesn’t want that.

But, it’s not easy to find a fitness plan that doesn’t involve high impact, strenuous activities that tend to jar or stress aging joints.

Several women in Howard County say they have found the perfect solution to getting and staying fit. It’s the ForeverStrong™ Fitness System. It’s safe, doable and achieving some amazing results for those training in their 50s, 60s and 70s.

Marsha, 72, who never exercised regularly before she started the ForeverStrong™ system, boasts that trips to her chiropractor are now monthly, instead of weekly. She lost 13 pounds and lowered her blood pressure. “I can squat in the bathtub again and not feel pain,” Marsha said.

That’s because ForeverStrong™ is purposefully designed to help improve health problems that women face as they age, such as back pain, weak knees, limited range of motion in joints, imbalance, low energy, abdominal fat, high blood pressure, loss in bone mass, and declining strength and coordination.

Sara, age 61, who took yoga, Pilates and cardio classes over the years, never noticed any improvement in her fitness. But she did with ForeverStrong™. “My core is stronger, my balance is very improved and my spine is much more flexible. That makes it wonderful for daily living.”

ForeverStrong™ works because it is not a cookie cutter fitness solution, according to its creator, Kelly Scott. “Each client gets individual, progressive strength training with a high intensity interval routine, which we continuously adapt as strength increases.”

The personalized approach was exactly what Patricia, age 67, was looking for. “At my age, I wanted a fitness program designed specifically for me to help me gain strength and get better muscle tone. With ForeverStrong™, my legs and arms are stronger, my body is better toned and I lost weight–which made my doctor happy.”

Another benefit when training with ForeverStrong™ is that it’s a more efficient workout that can be done in less time. Most people see results with only two-three one hour sessions per week.

“It’s a great way to get a whole body workout in a relatively short period of time and it’s never boring,” exclaims Renee, age 56.

Dana, age 66, said when she started the program she was out of shape and overweight. Now, as a result of the ForeverStrong™ system, she has more energy, more flexibility and lost weight. Dana said, “Once you start, you’ll love it.”

Eleanor, age 79, received an excellent report from her doctor at her last physical check-up and she attributes it to being with the program for 3 ½ years. She lends some advice to others, “It’s never too late for those over 55 to get with it.”

The ForeverStrong™ Fitness System is available at two Maryland locations: Fulton & Ellicott City.  All sessions are by appointment only, so call 301-42-5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation. Train ForeverStrong and learn more about yourself and your physical fitness capability!

 

11 Research-Backed Reasons You Should Be Doing HIIT Instead of Traditional Cardio

By Kelly Scott

afterburn

If these are your fitness goals, this article is for you:

  • Burn fat
  • Improve muscle tone
  • Build endurance
  • Increase energy
  • Reduce risk of heart disease
  • Normalize blood-pressure
  • To age gracefully

If these are your fitness challenges, this article is for you:

  • Time constraints
  • Lack of motivation
  • Impatience
  • Boredom with exercise
  • Appetite control
  • Lack of results with current routine

High Intensity Interval Training provides an exciting solution when compared to the most common style of exercise: Traditional Cardio.

Cardiovascular exercises have been traditionally known to help in weight loss and improve the overall well being of a person. With that being said, not everyone has the time to dedicate 40 to 90 minutes per day, 4 to 6 days a week to cardio in today’s busy world.

Generally, cardiovascular exercises tend to show diminishing results over a period of time, which can be another challenge for people who are frustrated by their weight. Additionally, excessive endurance exercise can compromise your metabolism by breaking-down hard earned muscle tissue and releasing hormones that make your body prone to store more fat.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on the other hand, provides quick, but not instant, results in terms of weight loss and toning the body. Though traditional cardiovascular exercise remains an effective type of training in the right amounts, HIIT can offer outstanding results without taking too much time from your schedule or sacrificing your metabolism, bones, muscles or joints.

 

Traditional Cardio (CMT)jogger

Let’s start by defining what I label as “traditional cardio.” Traditional Cardio is long duration activity that can stimulate your cardiovascular and respiratory system over a period of time. It’s also called continuous moderate-intensity exercise (CMT). In other words, it relates to exercises that are performed at a moderate intensity for at least 30 minutes to over an hour.  Generally, people refer to this as “aerobic exercise.” Aerobic exercise burns calories, helps with lowering your cholesterol, and will provide you with overall health benefits. It increases the breathing capacity in a person and helps build endurance.

Common examples of aerobic exercise or CMT include jogging, swimming, cycling, elliptical machines,  dance workouts, and step aerobics. CMT combined with strength training exercises can go a long way in helping you achieve a toned and muscular physique. This traditional exercise program would require at least one hour per day, four to five days per week of CMT, and an additional one hour of strength training, two to three days per week.

Total weekly exercise time: six to eight hours per week.

 

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)sprinter copy

HIIT on the other hand is quite different from traditional cardio. HIIT requires you to dedicate 15 to 30 minutes of your time, and is viewed as a convenient option by many men, women, and even senior citizens. HIIT is basically performing an activity at high intensity for a specific time (referred to as the work interval) and then performing an activity at very low intensity (referred to as the recovery interval). This routine is continued until the targeted time is complete.

Research shows that HIIT can provide the same overall health benefits of longer duration cardio, and that it is far more effective for fat loss. An effective exercise program combining HIIT with strength training would require at least 15 minutes a day, two to three days a week of HIIT, and an additional 45 minutes of strength training, two to three days a week.

Total weekly exercise time: two to three hours per week.

11 Research-Backed Reasons You Should Be Doing HIIT Instead of Traditional Cardio

1.) It’s great for busy people

HIIT stimulates similar or better physical improvements than moderate-intensity continuous training (CMT). The total time commitment required to achieve ideal fitness levels is substantially lower than traditional methods. This is great news, given that “lack of time remains the most commonly cited barrier to regular exercise participation,” states M. J. Gibala, Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University.1

2.) It’s very effective for fat loss (especially abdominal fat)

A study published in American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation cited 62 overweight and obese subjects who performed HIIT with strength training two to three times per week over nine months and saw significant improvement in both waist circumference measurements and overall body fat. In contrast, longer exercise sessions exceeding 60 minutes stimulates over production of stress hormones, like cortisol. High levels of cortisol contributes to the storage of abdominal fat. 2 6

3.)  It stimulates powerful anti-aging hormones

HIIT has been shown to stimulate the production of human growth hormone (HGH).  HGH slows down aging by increasing exercise capacity, increasing bone density, increasing muscle mass, and decreasing body fat. In contrast, overdoing long bouts of traditional cardio can actually damage your mitochondria and accelerate aging.3      

4.) It builds endurance faster

With HIIT, maximal exercise capacity (endurance) is increased in a very short time. It has been shown to improve VO2 max (a marker of aerobic fitness) faster then long duration cardio.3 4

5.) It’s superior in preventing and controlling high blood pressure

A study published by the American Journal of Cardiovascular Disease showed women at high risk for hypertension saw greater improvements to blood pressure after just 16 weeks of HIIT, compared to the group that performed 16 weeks of CMT training. Improvements to insulin sensitivity, stiff arteries, and cardiorespiratory fitness were superior among the HIIT group. 5

6.)  It reduces risk of diabetes, heart disease, or stroke

It’s well known that traditional cardio produces these benefits, but research proves that if you are overweight or obese you can still reduce your cardiometabolic risk with HIIT. This means you can still get the life-saving benefits of cardio without a large time commitment. 2

7.) It suppresses your appetite

In a study on the effects HIIT on fat loss, Australian researchers cited a lower perceived appetite after HIIT training. Other researchers suggest this is partly due to release of an satiety hormone called peptide YY, as well as lowered levels of an appetite stimulant, ghrelin, after high intensity work. It gets even better because HIIT works best when paired with a progressive strength training program. Studies suggest that strength training has also been proven to release gut hormones that regulate appetite during and after exercise. 8 9

8.) You’ll see results faster

So fast that previously untrained people saw an improvement in endurance, muscle tone and performance in as little as six HIIT sessions. That’s fast! 10

9.) It boosts your metabolism

Another benefit of HIIT is excess post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).  This means that after you complete your workout, your oxygen consumption and calorie burning remain elevated for up to 48 hours. This higher metabolic level continues as your muscle cells are repaired and restored. 12

10.) It helps you lose fat while preserving muscle

A common frustration among dieters and weight-loser/gainers is that they gain all the weight back – and more! This is because cutting calories and excessive traditional cardio (CMT) seems to encourage muscle loss.  Loss of lean, metabolically active muscle tissue results in a decreased metabolism, which makes the fat come right back. Fortunately, strength training and HIIT allow you to preserve your precious muscle tissue and push your metabolism in overdrive. 10

11.) It’s great for people with a short attention span

Boredom is one of the top three reasons why people stop exercising. Not only are HIIT workouts too short to let your mind wander, but HIIT workouts don’t offer you the luxury of getting bored. This is because when you’re not pushing it hard – real hard – you’re busy sucking wind trying to catch your breath before the next interval. Getting bored with a HIIT workout would be like getting bored while running to save your life if a bear was chasing you. 11

 

Sample HIIT Routines:

You don’t need any fancy equipment. Just some motivation and a great warmup. Here are some examples:

  1. 30-60 seconds of sprinting, and then walking at a brisk pace for two minutes until the routine is complete.
  2. 30 seconds of kettlebell swings paired with walking at a slow pace until your breathing normally. Repeat for 10-15 minutes.
  3. Climbing up 100 stairs quickly, and then walking down at normal pace until the routine is complete.

Ready to hit a HIIT workout?

To put it all in perspective, Traditional Cardio and HIIT are both effective at improving the health of a person. While traditional cardio has its benefits in a well rounded workout program, it might not be the best standalone choice for you. In fact, arbitrarily doing more exercise could hinder you from reaching your goals. Better results could be attained though implementing a HIIT/progressive strength focused program with incidental cardio. Based on your needs and how much time you can dedicate to promoting your health, HIIT training could make a positive impact on the results you’re getting. If you believe you can dedicate two to three days a week (depending on your fitness goals) to high intensity training, then go for HIIT without thinking twice.

Many of our clients are in awe at the results they achieve in just three sessions a week. You will be too.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s HIIT it!

 ForeverStrong Fitness System™ combines progressive strength training with HIIT finishers. Based on our research, the best results come from the most effective exercise programming.

If you or someone you know would benefit from personalized exercise programming, contact us to schedule a complimentary fitness consultation.

REFERENCES:

1 M. J. Gibala et al. Physiological adaptations to low-volume, high-intensity interval training in health and disease. March 1, 2012 The Journal of Physiology, 590, 1077-1084

2 Gremeaux V et al. Long-term lifestyle intervention with optimized high-intensity interval training improves body composition, cardiometabolic risk, and exercise parameters in patients with abdominal obesity. American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2012 Nov; 91(11): 941-59

3 Stokes KA et al. The time course of the human growth hormone response to a 6 s and a 30 s cycle ergometer sprint. J Sports Sci. 2002 Jun;20(6):487-94.

4 Helgerud J, Hoydal K, Wang E, et al. Aerobic high-intensity intervals improve VO2max more than moderate training. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007;39:665–71.

5 Ciolac EG. High-intensity interval training and hypertension: maximizing the benefits of exercise? American Journal of Cardiovascular Disease 2012; 2(2): 102-10

6 Moyer AE et al, Stress-induced cortisol response and fat distribution in women. Obes Res. 1994 May;2(3):255-62.

7 Shiraev T, Barclay G. Evidence based exercise—clinical benefits of high intensity interval training. Australian Family Physician 2012 Dec; 41(12): 960-62

8 Boutcher SH. High-intensity intermittent exercise and fat loss. J Obes. 2011;2011:868305. doi: 10.1155/2011/868305. Epub 2010 Nov 24.

9 Broom et al. The influence of resistance and aerobic exercise on hunger, circulating levels of acylated ghrelin and peptide YY in healthy males. AJP Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 2008; DOI:10.1152/ajpregu.90706.2008

10 Robert Acton Jacobs et al. Improvements in exercise performance with high-intensity interval training coincide with an increase in skeletal muscle mitochondrial content and function. Journal of Applied PhysiologyPublished 15 September 2013Vol. 115no. 785-793

11 David G. Marrero, PhD. Time to Get Moving: Helping Patients With Diabetes Adopt Exercise as Part of a Healthy Lifestyle. Clinical Diabetes October 2005 vol. 23 no. 4 154-159

12 Christopher G.R. Perry, George J.F. Heigenhauser, Arend Bonen, et al. High-intensity aerobic interval training increases fat and carbohydrate metabolic capacities in human skeletal muscle. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. NRC Research Press. Dec 1, 2008

Will Alcohol Hinder My Fat Loss Efforts?

…The headline above is from one of the more popular messages addressed in our Healthy Habits program. We had such a great response from this subject that we wanted to share it with you. bartender

Today I want to give attention to a very touchy subject: adult beverages.

If you don’t consume alcohol at all, then you have a definite advantage and you can read this for enjoyment.

First of all, I’m not assuming that all of our clients want to lose weight. The majority do, but others work with us to experience all the benefits that effective exercise and a healthier lifestyle have on their quality of life.

Whatever your goals are, I promise you one thing: cutting back on alcohol will help you achieve them.

And if you DO have weight loss as a goal, reduction of alcohol is crucial. Alcohol is the number one substance that keeps our clients from dropping unwanted fat.

Look, I know that there are plenty of “nutrition challenges” and 30 day plans out there – things that sound a lot like the Whole30, that promise you’ll lose weight, have more energy and feel better. They give you more of what you want – arbitrary points for eating junk food, or an exercise penance for cheating, or acceptable alcohol choices “if you must drink.”

But here at ForeverStrong, we chose to partner with the Whole9, because we’ve built our entire business around telling you what you need, not what you want.

We don’t force this on you. We will tell you what we know to be true based on the facts. We want a long-term solution for you, and programs that offer built-in cheats or rationalizations for less than healthy food choices simply do not work long-term. They don’t teach you anything about how the foods you are eating are affecting you, and they don’t do anything to help you change your habits, patterns and behaviors. The Whole30 program has been in motion for years, with participants all across the world – and has measurable, real-life, sustainable results to back our our claims.

I’m quoting from our Whole30 nutrition guide:

“Alcohol (like sugar) does not make you healthier. It is neurotoxic, which is why your brain doesn’t work quite right after a few drinks. It is a very concentrated source of calories (nearly twice as calorie-dense as sugar, gram for gram!) but contains no actual “nutrition.” In addition, consumption of alcohol often sets us up to make poor choices with food—the after-effects of which can turn one late-night pizza into a whole weekend of carb-a-palooza.

party time

In addition, alcohol makes it harder for your body to properly control blood sugar levels, and directly promotes changes in your intestinal lining which promotes inflammation that starts in the gut, but travels everywhere in the body.”

Worse yet, your liver prioritizes alcohol processing as a higher priority to fat metabolism. Ever seen a picture of an alcoholics fatty liver? Yes, that’s all the fat that could not be metabolized because the toxic alcohol took priority. So with every drink, you are minimizing or halting your body’s fat-burning potential until all the alcohol is out of your system.

Don’t fall for the hype that it’s good for you. In general, the less alcohol you drink, the healthier you’ll be.

If you drink alcohol, are you ready to start cutting back? Determine your limits and stick to it. If you need help, our Healthy Habits Coaching is a 90-day structured service that provides coaching and support to help you replace your old unhealthy habits with new healthier one. From nutritional guidance to help with self-care, managing stress and sleep, our Healthy Habits program has literally transformed lives.

If interested in the ForeverStrong Healthy Habits Coaching and the ForeverStrong program, call 301-452-5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation!

 

 

Are you absorbing the fruits and veggies you’re eating?

Fruit and Veggies Have you ever wondered if you are absorbing enough fruits and vegetables?

There is new technology available that can effectively determine your health and nutritional status.

If you suffer from lack of energy, or get sick more frequently then you should,  this is of vital interest to you.

Please join us on April 5th at 11:00AM when Dr. Allen Manison, Diplomate Sports Chiropractor, will be joining us for a talk about health, oxidative stress, carotenoids, and more.

Dr. Manison will go over the science and will answer any questions you might have.  He will also be conducting dermal carotenoid scans (the biomarker of health and nutritional status)  at the end of the talk for free (usually $20.00 fee).

Get interested in primary prevention…don’t wait until it’s too late!

Space is limited, please register online here.

Does running prevent age-related muscle loss?

Is running enough to prevent age-related muscle loss? A new study reveals, it
Is running enough to prevent age-related muscle loss? A new study reveals, it’s not.

A study published in the February 2014 issue of the Journal of Strength & Conditioning research, examined the decline of leg strength in active older adults. 59 men and 35 women, between the ages of 48 and 66, who used endurance running as their primary form of exercise, were examined over the course of 5 years.

A significant decrease in isometric knee extension and knee flexion strength, in both men and women, was observed during the study. This data suggests that running alone is not sufficient in preventing age related loss of muscle strength and that a well rounded approach, that includes resistance training, would more greatly benefit aging seniors.

Our ForeverStrong program have been proven to increase both the cardiovascular fitness and strength of our clients, without the knee jarring impact of high mileage endurance running.

To find out how you can benefit from a progressive strength training program, call us for your free fitness consultation 301-200-2223.

The ForeverStrong™ Fitness System, by Kelly Scott

Fulton Kettlebells is an authorized provider of  the results guaranteed ForeverStrong™ Fitness System.

By combining physical education, accountability, lifestyle coaching and expert training with the most effective fitness tools and the most effective workout sessions… we provide a personal training experience like no other.

There is truly nothing like it, anywhere else.

What is The ForeverStrong™ Fitness System?

  • Results guaranteed progressive fitness system.
  • Developed to fill the gap between expert kettlebell training and personal training.
  • Combines cutting edge methods of progressive strength training for muscle development with high intensity interval training for fat loss.
  • Exercise sessions that focus on developing lean, metabolically active muscle mass that promotes body composition improvement in the healthiest way.
  • Designed to bring out the best in you and give you the tools, motivation and accountability you need to succeed.
  • A tried and tested fitness system with built-in performance goals that is customized to your specific fitness and skill level.

 

 

Features of The ForeverStrong™ Fitness System?

  • Periodization – A combination of high and low level training at specific program markers. The only way to prevent overtraining and adhere to your workout program.
  • Customization – You won’t accidentally get in shape. Your CUSTOM program is written, printed and bound for you AFTER your personal training session.
  • Curriculum – Your program includes targeted education at specific program milestones. We train you like we train our trainers!
  • Useful Skills – As a school of strength, you will learn from the experts in kettlebell training and learn skills that you can use here or in any other physical activity.
  • Expertise – Scientifically sound testing to make sure you are lifting at the right intensity for your goals. Working with the experts maximizes your investment of time.

 

What’s Included in The ForeverStrong™ Fitness System?

  • Laser-Focused one-on-one coaching to teach you the art and skill of kettlebell training and design the program that’s right for you.
  • Shared-personalized sessions with your trainer up to 3 times per week to work your program as you develop your kettle bell skills.
  • A workout plan with built-in performance goals that is suited to your specific fitness and skill level.
  • Fun, high energy group workouts to help improve your heart and lung health, tone your core and burn fat.

 

What’s the ForeverStrong™ Personal Training Program?

ForeverStrong™ Personal Training is a structured program combines the ForeverStrong™ Fitness System with all of the non-exercise elements required for success. This means that we spend a lot of time working with our clients on the exercise, lifestyle, behavioral and nutrition components required to create permanent changes.

 

Does it really work? Of course it does! See for yourself

 

To find out more, call us at 301-452-5547

Are Kettlebells Right For Me?

KBX 730 5.22.13

 

Does swinging a heavy cast iron bell sound a little intimidating? Well, if you don’t know what you’re doing – we don’t recommend it.

That’s why we specialize in teaching this special form of weight training. We are here to teach you how to do it right.

We’ve trained over 300 clients how to safely use kettlebells and most of them were approaching or OVER 50 years of age!

Rest assured, most of our clients were apprehensive before they understood what kettlebell training really is.

The ForeverStrong program is actually a very safe and effective way to improve strength, regain mobility, and start turning back the clock.

How do we do this?

  1. We start by creating an environment that focuses on your education of proper form and technique.
  2. Then, we continue working with our clients as individuals throughout the program.
  3. By keeping the workout sessions small and carefully supervised we ensure your success.
  4. Finally, we tailor your program to your needs and goals, and adjust it as you improve.

 

In fact, some of our clients who were at first apprehensive now describe their kettlebell as the “handheld fountain of youth“.

Our progressive strength program teaches you how to safely lift “heavy” weights to stimulate your bones and muscles to get harder and stronger. Just look at our success stories. These are people just like you who are taking advantage of our program to improve their quality of life for the next 50 years!

WAre Kettlebells Right For Meill kettlebell training work for you?

If you are serious about getting the strong body you’ve always wanted, we guarantee it!

Call 301-52-5547 for your free fitness consultation and find out about our Results Guarantee.

Ten Things That Won’t Fail You

I wrote this post in response to an email I received from a client who did not believe that I have struggled like her, and wanted proof of my journey.

I started by rummaging through storage boxes to find this never before seen picture of me at 159 lbs. If you look closely, you will see the buttons SCREAMING to pop open in the second picture.

%image_alt%

Losing weight is easy. We all know what to do to lose weight fast. Drastically cut calories, and hit the treadmill, cardio class or bootcamp for a couple of weeks and viola!!! Skinny YOU is back!!

We celebrate with a shopping trip, hit the boutique and squeeze into a new pair of skinny jeans that fits just right. It feels fabulous.

“I’m going to stay this size forever!” we think to ourselves.

But, if you are like I was, it does not last forever. Your ‘normal‘ eating habits return. Then, you catch a cold and miss a few workouts and the fat comes back and brings it’s even fatter friends and family to the party!

Fast forward six months and 47 pounds later. “The fat came back he wouldn’t stay away, he was sitting on my porch on the very next day.” I hope you get that song stuck in your head :-).

So, cutting calories and and one hour of aerobics every day failed me. Over and over again it failed me.

For the past 9 years, I’ve been on a mission to find the secrets to staying trim.

I have adopted new beliefs and habits that have NOT FAILED me.

Today, I share my own slimming success principles with you:

1.) STOP EXERCISING MINDLESSLY. I don’t exercise anymore. I train for events. I track my progress based on performance and strength improvements.

2.) LESS IS MORE. I train at the minimum effective dosage.To maximize power and allow sufficient time for recovery, I limit my kettlebell lifting sessions to three times a week.

3.) PUT SOME STYLE INTO YOUR LIFESTYLE. I don’t try to squeeze diet and exercise into my lifestyle. I created a NEW lifestyle that revolves around health, movement and things that feel awesome.

4.) INVEST MONEY IN YOURSELF. I spend my money on organic foods, healthy wild-caught fish, pastured- natural meats. I enroll in workshops and courses that help me stay focused, set new goals and reach them.

5.) BECOME A STUDENT OF YOU. I educated myself on how to heal my metabolism by becoming physically strong. I stay informed of research topics that focus on wellness and longevity.

6.) EAT GOOD FOOD. I nourish my body with tasty foods that help balance my hormones, benefit my digestion, reduce inflammation and support my metabolism.

7.) MAKE FRIENDS WITH STRONG PEOPLE. I surround myself with people who share my lifestyle. I politely disconnect from toxic people.

8.) IF YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE PILLS, MAKE IT A CHILL-PILL. I don’t sweat the small stuff, or the big stuff. If you are stressing out, your mid-section will tell on you.

9.) ZZZZZZZZZZZ. I get plenty of sleep.

10.) PLAY OFTEN. I move my body everyday in ways that celebrate the fitness level that I have achieved. I dance, climb, rollerblade, mountain-bike, snowboard and fun-run.

(WARNING: Adopting these habits will not cause dramatic weight loss in a short time frame. They will create a sustainable environment that leads to long-term success.)

That’s it. Ten simple things that you can do to cut the cord to the vicious Yo-Yo of weight loss and weight gain.

YOU CAN DO IT.

You can’t do them all at once. But, you can do them in any order. The ‘hard‘ part, is holding yourself back from your old ways. Which one will you start with?

Committed to YOUR highest quality of life through the active pursuit of fitness,

Kelly Scott, RKC SFG CPT
Kelly Scott, RKC SFG CPT

Kelly Scott

P.S.

 

Update Summer 2014,  I’m now 36 and STILL in the best shape of my life. Here I am at the beach – feeling strong and slim!Beach 2014Join now and start your ForeverStrong personalized fitness journey by calling 301-452-5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation!

Improve Bone Density with Progressive Strength Training

Attention Women Over 55

“My kettlebell workout is the highlight of my day! I Love how strong I feel now.

I no longer worry about Osteoporosis or my bone density. Now, I have more energy and stamina then when I was younger.

Thanks to Kelly and the ForeverStrong System, I stand taller and move better. This is the best investment I have ever made in myself. I am a client for life!”

 

Don’t take our word for it, in a recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research by the National Strength & Conditioning Association, maximal strength training can be implemented as a simple and effective training method for postmenopausal women with reduced bone mass.

That’s just what we do at ForeverStrong!

What is progressive strength training and how can you learn it? Sign up for your free consultation and find out how you can begin your journey to getting the strong body you always wanted.

Getting Started with Kettlebells

Getting Started with Kettlebells

KB BW get started here

Kettlebell lifting is a skill and an art. If you are just starting out with kettlebells, we take special measures to ensure your safety and success. Our students boast amazing success because of our exceptionally thorough introduction to kettlebell training.

New to Kettlebell training? New students learn the basics of working with kettlebells safely before embarking on their training program.

New students will be instructed on how to safely perform 3 fundamental kettlebell skills using Russian-style training methods. The course begins with an introduction to power breathing and high-tension techniques.

At the end of each Starter Session, practice exercises are assigned as “homework” to aid the student in developing muscle memory of the new movement patterns.

Once you complete the Starter Sessions, you can start working out with your trainer 2-3 times a week.

Next Step, Forever Strong

 

If you are looking for more than just group fitness, continue your skill development with our Forever Strong Program. This program combines Private and Semi-Private Sessions to help you develop your strength and skill using kettlebells. This is our results guaranteed Total Fitness and Progressive Strength Training System.

 

 

Cardio Failed Me

Today, I want to tell you a little bit of my personal exercise journey. I’m greek-irish. Most of the women in my family take after the Greek side. We are curvy, metabolically disadvantaged women. Although, I prefer the term voluptuous over curvy :-).

 

My mother, and the women on her side: grandmother, sister, aunts and cousins are ALL obese.

 

My maternal grandfather, supported his family by running a lunch wagon. My mother and her twin sister, often consumed lunch wagon leftovers of sodas, chips and hoagies for most meals. They were obese toddlers, children, teenagers and adults. When I was young, my mother blamed these non-nutritive foods for ruining her health. So, she refused to let any processed foods in the house. We were not allowed to eat white sugar or white bread and we never, ever bought school lunch.

 

Despite her efforts to feed us “healthy”, I too struggled to keep my weight down with the onset of puberty. By 8th grade, I was home-schooled and had the luxury of spending up to two hours a day in the gym. I studied the ACE personal trainers manual and set out to create my own workout routine. I’m pretty sure I was the only 12 year old in the Laurel Sport & Health, pumping iron at 1PM during the week.%image_alt%

 

In the mornings, my gym teacher was Jane Fonda. I owned every one of her aerobic workout tapes and strictly followed along to every step and beat. Pictured here is my favorite video. I faithfully tried to pony, grapevine and charleston my way to a lean body. I was determined to break the fat-cycle in my family.

 

As life got more complicated into my later teens, I would miss a few weeks of workouts and gain weight. So, I would slim-fast my way to getting the weight back off. I probably spent most of my life from 18 to 25 either being ON or OFF my diet. When I was ON, I would wake up at 4:30AM, run for 45 minutes have a slim-fast for breakfast and lunch, eat a sensible dinner then hit the gym for 1-2 hours of bodybuilding style weight training.

 

When I was OFF, I could balloon up an entire pants size in one week. Usually, I would yo-yo up two more pant sizes before I could muster up the motivation to get back ON. So, that pretty much describes my lifestyle for those years.

 

I had 4 sizes of clothes in my closet:

My skinny clothes,

My loose-fitting skinny clothes,

My fat clothes,

and

My really fat clothes.

 

A turning point for me, was an extreme Atkins diet that got my weight down to the lowest ever point… 112 pounds. I was a size 2. I went from a size 6 to a size 2 in less than 90 days. That’s great, right? That’s what everyone wants, right? A quick weight loss scheme to get results instantly!

 

The real shocker here, is that within 6 months of being at my LOWEST weight ever… I was tipping the scales at my heaviest weight ever… 159lbs. I was between a size 10-12.

 

Make no mistake, at 5’2″, That is uncomfortably large!

 

I felt sluggish, I had no motivation to exercise, I was sleepy all the time, irritable, and severely depressed. I even started taking anti-depressants and resorted to food for consolation.

 

After all, what was the point of all this exercise and dieting? It never lasted. I was at the point of giving up. Maybe, I was just meant to be fat. Maybe, it was just in my genes.

 

Have you ever felt this way?

 

Well, there is wonderful news. I don’t have clothes in 4 sizes anymore. I don’t work out 6 days a week either. I train 3 times a week. I don’t drink diet shakes or take fat-burning pills and I’ve stayed within 5 pounds of my ideal weight for 4 years.

 

You can do it too, and it’s not hard.

Read my secrets to success here.  Ten things that won’t fail you!

Warmly,

Kelly Scott, Creator of the Forever Strong Fitness System™

 

P.S.) I’ll give you a hint… I had to learn the hard way, that long duration cardio (step aerobics, running, the elliptical machine, Zumba, Body Pump,etc.,) were working against my fat loss efforts.

Join me and train ForeverStrong to see real visible results that you can stick with! Call now at 301-452-5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation.

SATURDAY Kettlebell Beginners Course Now Enrolling 2012

Saturday Beginner Course Announcement noon

Learn how to use kettlebells safely.

The course will be held on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 12PM.
This is an four hour course. Each class will last two hours.

 

Special Features of FKB’s Fast Track Starter Package Include:

  • Basic principles of HardStyle kettlebell training. Learn how to use tension techniques to work safely with Kettlebells.
  • Detailed instruction how to safely and effectively perform fundamental kettlebell movements. Additional assignments to be performed at home to speed up your results.
  • Learn from StrongFirst RKC certified instructors. Dragon Door certified instructors are the top source of Russian kettlebell training in the United States.
  • Once you have graduated from FKB’s Fast Track Starter Course, your package includes 2 FREE weeks of UNLIMITED Kettlebell Express Classes! You’ll be able to start your kettlebell training with FKB the following Monday!

THIS IS SOLD OUT

Course is sold as a package. By purchasing, you are assert that you are physically able to participate in an exercise program. There will be no refunds for missed sessions.

Sign up online here.  10 participant limit. Reserve your spot, before it’s taken.

 

 

You are what you eat. So be AWESOME.

When it comes to burning fat, what we eat drives fat loss. Exercise is just the gas pedal.

It’s normal to become complacent with our eating habits after the initial hype of starting a personal training program passes.

The truth is:

Sticking to your eating plan 80% of the time won’t get you even 20%
results. It’s just not going to happen. I don’t care how much “better”
you are eating compared to your “old” habits. 80% consistency will
simply prevent you from GAINING weight (hopefully).

So, then what’s the key to burning fat?

Everyday has to be AWESOME eating!

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

Are you sneaking in too many non-nutritive carbs?
Are you dipping your lips in too many glasses of wine?
Are you NOT eating the quantity of protein you committed to?
Have stopped your preparing your foods ahead of time?

If you answered YES to ANY of these questions you are not eating AWESOME.

It’s time to get your head back in the game.

Let’s get back on track.

You ARE in CONTROL of what enters your mouth.

If you need help getting there and keep falling off the wagon I’m available for 30 minute food consultations by appointment. I’m happy to help.

If you are ready to hit the gas pedal, Online Registration now open here for Beginner Kettlebell Classes Starting in January at 6:00AM and 9:00AM.

Why Kettlebells?

Program Director for Resist This Fitness
Program Director for Resist This Fitness

Kettlebells are the most efficient and effective weight training tool for any goal. There is no other single method as versatile and dynamic as kettlebell drills for fitness improvement. The kettlebell drills can burn fat, improve flexibility and mobility, build muscle, enhance sports performance or simply revive your youthful vitality and utility for a better quality of life.

Appearance:

  • Firmer, rounder lifted fanny
  • Reduced, slimmer waistline
  • Flatter stomach and abdomen
  • Leaner, more appealing thighs
  • Overall body fat loss
  • Toned and more defined muscles
  • Muscular Symmetry
  • Improve posture
  • Reduction of cellulite
  • Tighter core and tummy after pregnancy

Performance:

  • Increased energy
  • Optimized lung function
  • Improved continence
  • Improved hand – eye coordination, timing and body awareness
  • Healthier Libido
  • Enhanced reaction time and better speed
  • Improved balance and coordination
  • Enhanced grip strength
  • More effective rehabilitation
  • Enhanced joint stability
  • Enhanced muscular or maintained bone density
  • Balanced strength

Psychological results

  • A fun, dynamic and stimulating movement
  • You will look forward to, instead of dread your sessions
  • Reduce time spent exercising
  • See and feel the satisfaction of quick results
  • Move with more confidence, energy and authority

Whole 9 Partnership

Why Nutrition?Fulton Kettlebells has teamed up with Whole9, specialists in the field of nutrition and a respected authority in the health and fitness community, to provide our members with a comprehensive nutritional program designed to make you the healthiest you’ve ever been. Why are we focusing so much on what you eat? Because we believe nutrition is the foundation of any good fitness program, and the gateway to optimal health. And we think your nutritional habits play such an important role in achieving your health and performance goals that we’ve asked Whole9 to design this nutrition program for our clients.Eat Real Food.

Our belief is that a good nutritional program should be centered around eating real food. We know that fad diets, crash diets, miracle pills and “meal replacements” are not part of a balanced, sustainable path towards improved health and fitness. Instead, we encourage you to eat high quality meat, seafood and eggs, plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, and healthy sources of dietary fats – it’s that simple. Just eat good food, put your meals together in a way that is simple, balanced and (most importantly) sustainable, and experience all of the tangible benefits that come from a nutritional plan designed to help you create a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, calm systemic inflammation and put an end to unhealthy cravings, habits, and relationships with food.

The Whole9 Nutrition Program

We believe implementing good nutritional habits from your very first day with us is so important that we provide all of our members with a comprehensive printed handbook designed to walk you through Whole9’s nutrition program. Your handbook includes all the tools you’ll need to succeed, including:

  • Our nutritional “elevator pitch” – Nutrition in 60 Seconds
  • A list of food groups that detract from your health and fitness, and those groups that make you healthier
  • A detailed Shopping Guide, including helpful hints for making high quality food choices
  • The Whole9 meal planning template, outlining portion sizes, meal frequency and pre- and post-workout nutrition
  • Delicious, Whole30-approved recipes that follow our meal planning template, and a 7-day meal plan
  • A multi-category FAQ to help you hit the ground running
  • A number of helpful resources – additional recipe sites, references, books and movies
  • The Whole30, Whole9’s original program designed to “change your life in 30 days”
  • The Whole30 FAQ, to help guide you through your 30 day programQuestions?For more information about our health and fitness programs, contact us directly at (info@fultonkettlebells.com).

10 Best Foods for Your Heart

Simple food choices go a long way when it comes to your heart’s health. Focusing on fresh foods full of heart-healthy fats and antioxidants can decrease your risk of developing heart disease and cut your chances of a heart attack. These 10 foods will help keep your ticker in top shape.

Oatmeal
Start your day with a steaming bowl of oats, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. This fiber-rich superfood can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear.

Opt for coarse or steel-cut oats over instant varieties — the coarse and steel-cut contain more fiber — and top your bowl off with a banana for another four grams of fiber.

… [Read More]

Be The Healthy Role Model For Your Family

Childhood obesity, underage drinking, smoking and failure to exercise are all concerns for parents these days. If you want your kids to adopt a healthier, wiser lifestyle, you are going to have to show them the light. Children often learn best by example. Lead and they will likely follow.

How can you set the example and get them off on the right foot if your habits aren’t that great? Consider taking these steps to put yourself and your family on the road to better health and fitness:… [Read More]