Part 1 of  3 Part Series:

Part 1 – The Goblet Squat (You Are Here)

Part 2 – Face the Wall Squat

Part 3 – Core Stability and Breathing Techniques

What is it?

By now, our clients know that quality trumps quantity when it comes to banging out reps in the studio. Proper form not only prevents injury, but ensures you’re calling to action the muscles you want to be working—and getting the max benefit from every move you make.

Enter the Goblet Squat, this squat is amazing and I’m going to tell you why you should probably be using this move regardless of your training goal. The goblet squat was created by strength coach Dan John as a tool for teaching large groups of individuals how to squat without a huge list of intricate cues to keep up with.

It’s also useful as a training tool for developing flexibility in beginners who have a great deal of difficulty reaching a deep squat with just body weight due to balance issues. The kettlebell acts as a counterweight allowing them to properly sit back and down without feeling like they’re going to fall over from a poor sense of balance.

When using High Tension techniques, it becomes a total body toner and helps you develop impressive leg strength while improving stability. The act of picking up a kettlebell in the front loaded position automatically provides some of the initial cues required for a good squat such as tightening the core and upper back and bracing under the load. The Goblet Squat is the best way to teach, mobilize, warm up, and activate for the squat.

In this installment, I list the steps needed to do a proper Goblet Squat and the benefits of the Goblet Squat.

How to do it

1. Loosen up your body by performing figure eights (hip openers) and facing the wall squats;
2. Stand with your feet apart, in a shoulder width stance, or slightly wider;
3. Swing a kettlebell into the upright position and catch it by each of its horns (the sides of the handle);
4. Flex your arms so your elbows are pointing downward and the kettlebell is parallel with your chest;
5. Pull yourself into the rock-bottom position, until your hips are below parallel or as close as you can get;
6. Maintain a flat back, do not round;
7. When you are in the bottom position your elbows should be inside of your thighs, pressing your legs outward;
8. Force your feet into the ground;
9. Ascend with a grunt;
10. Return to an upright High Tension position.

That’s it. Easy movements are great movements, and this variation is accessible to almost everyone.

Benefits of the Goblet Squat

• Perfect for the beginner;
• Great mobility tool;
• Strong core, quad, and back activation;
• Reduces risk of injury, back tightness is easier to feel;
• Builds muscle;
• Improves Spine Position and teaches resistance against forward collapse;
• Minimum Space And Equipment Needed.

By using the goblet squat regularly you will be able to easily and safely activate sleepy glutes, mobilize tight hips, and learn to brace the core under load which has a huge cross over to other squatting varieties. The Goblet Squat teaches upper back awareness.

There are too many squatters who don’t realize the necessity of keeping the upper back tight because they don’t lift enough weight. With even moderate weights, the goblet squatter feels when his/her upper back rounds forward. Arm positioning allows good bracing against this, which teaches the value of using the upper back to fight forward-collapse. 

This is why I recommend the goblet squat to everyone regardless of their individual goal, from being used as a warm-up to mobilize and activate the correct muscles for heavier squat work or as your entire squat workout.

Kelly Tip: Instead of spending hours static stretching to improve squat depth use a couple sets of controlled goblet squats and watch your depth and technique improve almost instantly!

Do not do anything that hurts. If it hurts, there is something wrong. Do not force yourself into positions or over-exert yourself in the performance of this exercise. It is best considered as a stretch or movement practice. As always, consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

This is installment 1 of a 3 part series. Part 2 includes corrections to the Goblet Squat using Face the Wall Squats.

Part 2 – Face the Wall Squat

Part 3 – Core Stability and Breathing Techniques

We are proud to say that we’ve helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas learn the kettlebell goblet squat. If your looking for a personal trainer near 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. Call us at 301-452-5547 to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

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Part 2 of  3 Part Series:

Part 1 – The Goblet Squat 

Part 2 – Face the Wall Squat (You Are Here)

Part 3 – Core Stability and Breathing Techniques

Getting better at squats is the simple matter of squatting more often.  The more you practice with good form, the better you’ll get.  Building the foundation to a better squat involves first learning the fundamentals with bodyweight-only movements, incorporating a better warm-up, working on your overall mobility, and developing more core strength.

Last week I introduced the steps for a killer Goblet Squat, but not everyone has the killer form needed to perform it effectively and safely. This week I will teach you the steps to perfect that squat by teaching the steps to do a Face the Wall Squat.

If you missed my first article this series, you can click here to read it.

Building the Foundation with Fundamentals

Face the Wall squats are the perfect way to teach someone how to squat correctly.  The wall squat drill is performed while facing a wall. You will squat down as far as you can, without any part of your body coming in contact with the wall.  The visual reference of the wall forces you to stay tall and upright as you squat down.  You will also want to make sure your knees track over your toes and you keep your torso in a neutral or straight position.  As you get better, and your hips and upper back become more mobile, you will be able to squat lower and lower. There is no cheating in a wall squat. If you develop some good wall squatting form your body will forever thank you when you start really loading on the weight.

What is it?

A squat performed standing close to and facing the wall, with nothing touching the wall.

How to do it:

1. Stand facing the wall;
2. The first time you perform this move your toes should be around 5 to 6 inches away from the wall;
3. Your toes should not be straight ahead, but pointed out. If pointing straight ahead is 90 degrees, then your toes should be between 45 and 90 degrees;
4. Raise chest and lock lower back. Raise your chest high and consciously try to flex the lower back. This will actually get easier later, as you get closer to the wall;
5. Push your hips back. A good way to visualize this is to imagine that there is a wall behind you that you are trying to touch with your butt. You drive the hips towards that wall. At this point, do not squat down, just push the hips back;
6. Open your knees and squat. As your hips start to move back, you now begin to open your knees and let your body sink between your legs. Keep your chest up;
7. Your arms should hang between your legs;
8. Stand back up. When you reach the lowest depth that is comfortable for you, reverse the motion by strongly arching your upper back, squeezing your glutes , and pushing your heels into the floor;
9. Once you have the movement down, move a little closer to the wall and repeat. As you get closer to the wall you will develop more flexibility and strength;
10. Only go as low as you feel comfortable. Do not worry about depth. As time goes on you will be able to squat deeper;
11. For the best results you should do this as a stretch at the beginning or end of your workout, not as an exercise.

As an added bonus, getting closer to the wall requires you to maintain almost perfect squatting form.

Benefits of the Wall Squat:

1. 1. Consistency is the main component in this exercise if you are really looking to improve your squat;
   2. Perfect for those that can’t maintain good squat form;
   3. Will give you a very good sense of balance. You will have to learn that your weight must be on your heels and you will learn how to move your body correctly. If you don’t, you fall backwards or stick your face into the wall.
   4. Great mobility tool;
   5. Strong core, quad, and back activation;
   6. Reduces risk of injury;
   7. Improves Spine Position and teaches resistance against forward collapse;
   8. Only a wall needed.

By doing the Face the Wall Squat consistently, you’ll see that the improvements you make squatting translate into other movements that you do everyday.

Do not do anything that hurts. If it hurts, there is something wrong. Do not force yourself into positions or over-exert yourself in the performance of this exercise. It is best considered as a stretch or movement practice. As always, consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

This is installment 2 of a 3 part series.

Part 1 – The Goblet Squat 

Part 3 – Core Stability and Breathing Techniques

We are proud to say that we’ve helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas learn and perfect their squat. If your looking for a personal trainer near 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 we’d love to help you. Call us at 301-452-5547 to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

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Forever Healthy!

Joe Schmidt is healthier than ever due in large part to his ForeverStrong personalized fitness program.  

Joe always led an active life doing yoga, cycling, kayaking, and other fun indoor/outdoor activities. However, there was still something missing, and as he got older, he started to feel the signs of aging. Rather than accepting his doctor’s recommendation to take medication to fix those problems, he took matters into his own hands and decided that a personalized training program was the better alternative.

Joe came to ForeverStrong on a recommendation by his wife who was already training with us. He really wanted to find the missing piece that would round out his exercise and health goals without resorting to taking medication.

Success! – ForeverStrong was the puzzle piece that was missing. Joe added twice weekly training sessions to his active schedule. Since training with us, Joe doesn’t need to take a single prescription medication. His health indicator numbers and weight are within the healthy range. Joe rarely misses his sessions and is committed to maintaining his healthy numbers and his healthy lifestyle.

Now that Joe is strong and healthy, he notes that he is able to do things that other people his age tend to struggle with. He even jokes, “ When it snows and everyone is in the office complaining about sore backs the next day, I feel fine!” 

I’m in my mid forties and as strong as I was in my late twenties!

Joe credits the gains in functional strength and functional movement to our ForeverStrong eight week personalized program cycles. When first starting his ForeverStrong journey, he suffered from shoulder pain due to a mountain biking accident.  His earliest programs focused on restoring mobility and strengthening his shoulder to prevent further injuries.

In Joe’s current programs, he focuses on performing his movements correctly and strengthening muscles to support his joints. His personalized program focuses on lifting to gain strength and adding muscle to improve health, enhance performance, and maintain weight.
In combination with the functional strength portion of the program, Joe works on the ability to move his body with proper muscle and joint function for effortless, pain-free movement. Learning how to be bio-mechanically efficient with everything he does, whether it’s for sports, general fitness, or daily life activities, is very important to Joe. He wants to maintain good health and avoid injury.

ForeverRelationships! Fun & Friendly

Like many of our clients, Joe trains ForeverStrong with a family member. Joe and his wife Christine train together one day a week and Joe is on his own the other day. He enjoys the friendly competition between the two of them and the ability to push each other in a supportive yet challenging environment.

Since ForeverStrong offers 48 workout sessions a week, it doesn’t matter if he misses his regular session and attends another because everyone is fun and supportive. Joe enjoys the friendly atmosphere and feeling of camaraderie during all the training sessions.

Since training ForeverStrong, Joe is stronger than ever before and continues to work hard and increase his strength! We are so happy to have such a dedicated and resilient client!

Like Joe, we want to help you become ForeverHealthy too! For more information about how to reach your fitness and health goals, call us at 301-452-5547 to schedule a complimentary consultation. We’ve helped hundreds of people in Fulton, Columbia, Clarksville, Laurel, and Howard County. We’d love for you to join our ForeverStrong community and family!

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You could change your life forever starting now. It does mean it just happens as if by magic, you’ll have to put out the effort to dedicate part of your week to exercising. That one change can make a difference in all parts of your life. You will have more energy, be less prone to injury and feel fantastic after just a few weeks. Of course, it will be tough. We first assess your overall fitness and then design a program specifically for you. You will have to work to your maximum potential, but it will still be within your capabilities.

We’ll show you how to do each exercise correctly.

One of the biggest problems people face when they start an exercise program is form. The wrong form can be as simple as turning your wrist wrong. It can minimize results, but even worse, poor form can cause injury. Once you conquer the goal, we don’t stop there. We adjust your workout to your new level of fitness, which is another step most people don’t take when they workout on their own. That way you’ll always be working toward your maximum potential.

Look and feel younger.

A program of regular exercise does so much for you. At the cellular level, it lengthens telomeres. Telomeres are like the aglets on shoelaces, those little plastic covers at the end that prevent the shoelaces from unraveling. Telomeres protect the chromosomes from deterioration and damage. By doing that, it helps keep you younger looking and healthier. As you age, the telomeres get shorter, which is part of the process of aging and can cause illness. When you exercise, studies show that it lengthens the telomeres, so you age more slowly and stay healthier.

You’ll feel fantastic.

You’ll have more energy than you thought possible and move with ease when you exercise. We focus on all forms of exercise, because you need all forms to be truly fit. Some types improve flexibility, while others focus on strength, balance and endurance. If you just focus on strength, you’ll be prone to injury from lack of flexibility and tire faster from lack of endurance. By having a well rounded program you’ll be fit and ready for anything life has to offer.

Studies show that exercise can keep you mentally more alert. So, it’s good for both the body and the mind.

Exercise burns off the hormones created by stress. They make changes in your body that leads to illness. Cortisol, one of the hormones, is also associated with abdominal fat.

When you exercise, you stimulate the brain to create hormones that make you feel good. These hormones not only can help you overcome anxiety and depression, they help give you a more optimistic look at life.

No matter what your age, the strength that exercising gives you makes you confident and feel good about yourself. It will change your life forever.

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This is your year to finally make your goals a reality. Maybe you’ve tried before but gave up before you succeeded, but this year you’ll bask in the warmth of success. You may have lofty goals that others don’t believe you can achieve, but you know it’s all possible. It takes breaking down that large goal to small ones and achieving those one at a time. Achieving your first small goal will lead to giving you the motivation to achieve the next one, until you finally have accomplished them all and that massive goal you started with is now conquered.

We’ll help you create the map to success.

It may sound complicated, but it isn’t. we’ll help you identify your goals and if it’s a large one, help you break it down to smaller goals. We assess your overall fitness and identify weak muscle groups, your endurance level and areas where you need more flexibility. The plan We make for you will be hard, but not impossible for you to conquer. As you become fitter, I’ll even adjust that program to reflect your overall improvement.

You’ll get support from staff and other clients that are working as hard as you.

Everyone has their own individual goals, but that doesn’t mean they don’t understand how tough it can be to achieve those. That’s why the community at our fitness center is so supportive of one another. That makes it easier to keep on track. Our staff also makes sure you stay on track and provides an abundance of support. All that support helps you be the winner you know you can be.

You’ll see quick results and that can help keep you motivated.

No matter who you are, results help you stay motivated. They’re reaffirming and helping you know you’re on the right path. Even though we tell you that the program works, seeing it with your own eyes is far more effective. That’s one reason we chart so frequently and measure your progress. It gives visual proof that you’re succeeding. If it doesn’t show the success that should be expected, we can adjust the program so you’ll have the success you hoped to achieve.

You’ll start to feel stronger almost immediately. That can build your confidence and improve your self image.

You’ll see pounds fall off quicker when you work out. Even if you’ve tried to lose weight before, if you didn’t add strength training and exercise to your program, you probably didn’t have success. Exercise makes it easy.

People of all fitness levels can start to achieve their fitness goals. A little prehab may be necessary to do it safely for those who are out of shape.

We’ll teach you not only the exercises, but the best way to keep your body fit. We’ll help you to understand how your body works because there’s nothing better than education to help you keep focused on your progress.

Blast Fat, Build Muscle

*Individual results may vary

Kettlebell Complexes: The Secret Weapon

Complex training sounds almost like one of those infomercials that run at 2AM: “In only 15 minutes twice a week you can build that toned body you’ve always wanted! But wait, there’s more!”

Of course it takes more than thirty minutes a week to get “toned,” and complexes don’t fold up and store neatly under your bed, or sell for only three easy payments of $29.95. However, when added to your ForeverStrong training program they can really take you to the next level of physique development.

Our next ForeverStrong program cycle focuses on the Kettlebell Complex method. This method is a series of movements done in succession, where all reps of the exercise are completed uninterrupted before moving onto the next, and……. you never put the kettlebell or piece of equipment down.

You’re probably wondering why we adjust our program formula?

Well, each eight week cycle we need to build on what you did previously. We don’t want you to get bored or plateau with your goals.

But, why kettlebell complexes or complexes at all?

The answer is simple, this training stokes the metabolic furnace, creates a large oxygen debt, and promises prolonged caloric after-burn. This is why short and intense kettlebell complex training sessions are far more effective for melting fat than low-intensity aerobics

What benefits/improvements can you expect by doing complexes:

• Significantly increased lean body mass (fat burning and lean muscle building),
• Enhanced core strength and performance in functional activities,
• Cardiovascular conditioning & performance,
• Overall strength/endurance/power,
• Grip strength,
• Physiological ability to work under fatigue,
• Coordination of lifting technique, and
• Workout time efficiency.

Complexes, compound exercises, or ladders call upon the coordinated action of multiple muscle groups to move multiple joints through a range of motion simultaneously. To perform them in succession and uninterrupted means to string these exercises together and execute them without rest.

Complexes are performed with almost any piece of equipment (TRX) or no equipment at all. The kettlebell, however, lends itself uniquely to complex training. The compact nature along with its offset center of gravity, encourages one to flow seamlessly from movement to movement.

Continue to Burn & Build

With complexes you stimulate your hormones to burn more fat and build lean muscle. The release of growth hormones helps to burn body fat and build lean muscle mass. Resistance training, full body exercise, and minimal rest between exercises are all proven methods to stimulate growth hormones.

Also, complexes assist in body composition changes through a mechanism known as EPOC or Excess Post Oxygen Consumption. This means after completing your session, your metabolism is significantly elevated. Your body burns more calories, potentially for many more hours post training. This is a major benefit of resistance training compared to aerobic training, which burns calories only during the exercise.

Another important benefit that continues to build on the ForeverStrong program formula, is that kettlebell complexes enhance your core strength and power in an impressive way. Remember, your “core” (the muscles surrounding your spine) has two primary functions – protect the spine, and act as a force transmission between the upper and lower parts of the body. Core strength is a major focus of our next eight week program cycle, this way we keeping building on what you are accomplishing.

 What Does a ForeverStrong Complex Look Like?

By now you are wondering, what does a complex look like? Here is one example:

• Squat
• Clean and Press
• Bent row

There is no rest between each movement. We will ladder these movements so you may have 12 – 15 reps total in this complex. Different programs will have different set/rep schemes and your program will be set to your personal goals A complex could have three exercises to four exercises per complex.

In Conclusion

There it is the secret weapon for fat loss and building strength! By adding complexes, you’re looking at some serious progression and muscle building benefits. Complexes are definitely a proven way for you to get fit, powerful, and build lean muscle.

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If you want to become one of the fit bottomed girls, it’s never too late. No matter what your age, you can get back into shape and have a curvy, toned look that will turn heads. Achieving overall fitness means building all the muscles in your body, including your glutes—your backside. For instance, you’ll improve your overall posture. That means you’ll pull in your stomach, walk taller and have fewer problems with back aches and pain.

Stay healthier with a butt workout.

No matter what disease or condition you name, in almost all cases, exercise can help prevent it. It helps build your immune system to ward off germs that otherwise might play havoc with your health and prevent serious conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and even some forms of cancer. It also stimulates the body to create antioxidants that protect the cells from damage from free radicals.

Your butt will look great, but so will the rest of your body.

Exercise builds muscle tissue, lifts your butt, tones and trims your body and does other wonderful things for your appearance. It improves your posture so you’ll look more confident. It also helps your skin and complexion. Exercise stimulates circulation sending oxygen and nutrient rich blood to all parts of the body, including your skin. Looking older before your time doesn’t have to happen when you exercise. Just as the antioxidants help protect cells from damage and disease to keep you healthier, it also helps prevent the damage that makes you look older.

Prevent future joint and muscle injury.

When you build your glutes, you’ll be helping both your upper and lower body. It can strengthen the bones and help prevent cartilage damage to the knees and muscle damage to the back. The stronger muscles improve your walk and keeps the pelvis stable, which eliminates one of the extra pressures on the knees. It also helps take off weight that causes even more damage to the joints and improves your posture to prevent muscle injury.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look your best and exercise is one way of achieving that. It brings a glow to your complexion and a great looking silhouette.

You’ll find it easier to lose weight and keep it from returning the longer you maintain a workout regimen. That’s because it helps build muscle tissue that requires more calories to maintain than fat tissue does. Essentially, you’ll be raising your metabolism.

A great bottom can help you achieve more athletically. No matter what sport you play, improving your glutes helps. It helps to improve your jumping skills, agility and speed while also adding more speed to any side-to-side movements.

You’ll lift your spirits and not just because you look great. No matter what type of workout you do, raising your heart rate for long enough stimulates the body to create hormones that make you feel fantastic. You’ll have a new outlook on life.

“Of Course it’s hard, it’s supposed to be hard, if it was easy, everyone would do it, HARD is what makes it great.”

Have you ever asked yourself “Why do ForeverStrong clients have such great success with increasing functional strength and improving functional mobility?”

It’s because of the ForeverStrong Training Method!

The ForeverStrong Training Method is nothing like anything you have experienced before and that’s exactly why you need it.

For eight weeks give this program everything you’ve got and you’ll be well on your way to new strength and muscular development as well as functional mobility. Other benefits of the ForeverStrong training method is the fact that it will not bulk you up, it creates lean muscularity, and increases your metabolism.

ForeverStrong clients get amazing results with each eight week program cycle utilizing progressive strength training focused on the full-body-five method. This method uses periodized cycles and progressive goals. Each eight week program focuses on a different area of the body.

In this article, we will reveal the results of our last eight week program cycle!

A Posterior Focus

Our last program cycle focused on the posterior chain (calves, hamstrings, low back, traps, and posterior deltoid).

Each client’s program consisted of movements that included:

• Upper body push (pushup),
• Upper body pull (row),
• Lower body pull (hinge),
• Lower body push (lunge/squat),
• Tension drill or carry (suitcase walk or plank).

Each movement or its modification was incorporated into a personalized training plan. At each training session the client focused on a number of movements to perform that day. Each client’s program was personalized to his/her goals and the sets and reps were determined based on those goals. The reps progressively increasing over the eight week period.

For the last program, ForeverStrong utilized the drop set method. Drop sets is a technique for continuing an exercise with a lower weight once muscle failure has been achieved at a higher weight.

” The daily workouts change and don’t get boring” Patty never felt bored

Liz really liked the “Personalized workouts geared to my weaknesses and areas needing most improvement. Great Stuff! 

Burning the Fat

Another integral part of the ForeverStrong training method is the High Intensity Finisher or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) component. HIIT is considered to be much more effective than normal cardio because the intensity is higher. You are able to increase both your aerobic and anaerobic endurance while burning more fat.

At ForeverStrong our HIIT Finishers are fun!

We combine many short bursts of cardio exercise with short rests. Our cardio includes anything from battle ropes to running on a treadmill. All of this is done in a small group with everyone working for a common goal – Let’s knock this out of the park!

“Diversity of the finisher made it challenging”  stated Joanne

Amazing Successes

Our clients love our eight week program cycles and the specific focus of each! Because of the ForeverStrong training method, clients see results.

For the eight week cycle that focused on the posterior chain, our clients had an overall strength increase of 131%. We determined the increase percentage by strength testing  (number of reps) of specified movements at the beginning of the program. We then retest that same movements with the same weight at the end of the program to see the increased number of reps. From there we determine the percent increase.

However, clients not only saw percent increases in strength, they saw increases in load (weight) throughout the program cycle, ability to move from a modified movement to the full movement, and doing movements without any assistance such as a plyo box, riser, or bench.

“I felt a sense of accomplishment & strength as the program progressed” commented Rick 

Meet our Clients

ForeverStrong is proud to introduce our clients that increased at least one of their personalized movements by 100% or more:

Pistol Squat:

Geri Anderson, Lisa Bader, Rick Breed, Sara Breed, Pam Corbett, Alison Curry, Laurette Dearden, Shashi Duraiswami, Belinda Fyfe, Maria Gonzales-Jackson, Lynn Lawton, Chris Mason, Deann Lentz, Laurie Nardinelli, Evelyn Quigley, Yvette Shaqir, Patti Sullivan, Lauren Wallace, Susan Warner, Kristen Welch

Also, Joe Schmidt went from an assisted pistol squat, squatting to a low plyo box, to no box and weighted! Way to go Joe!

“I was able to do a full pistol for the first time by the end of the program. when I started I was on box” exclaimed Joe

Shoulder Squat:

Janine Barton, Rick Barton, Ramani Duraiswami, Sharada Karunakaran, Jay Katon, Lorri Yawney, Joanne Yuvanc

Plank Row:

Scott Holden, Karen Kenion, Kevin McGowan, Christine Schmidt, Lynda Stapf, Dana Thomas, Chris Toibero

Sara said “I had overall improvements in strength and flexibility” 

Many of these clients increased reps for more than one movement, but we want to highlight their largest percent improvement. Congratulations!

The ForeverStrong team wants to Congratulate all of our clients as the majority showed improvement in their movements or stamina in the HIIT Finisher.

Our Personal Trainers have helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas lose weight, tone up, and become stronger.  Our neighbors in Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring love their personalized training program. Unlike group fitness classes, each client receives a custom program. We’d love to help you too. Call us at 301-452-5547 to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

A gift of muscles for Christmas is one of the best gifts you can give yourself and your family. Not only will you have more energy to do all the things you enjoy doing with your family, you’ll also be healthier and live a longer life. It takes dedication and time, but all great gifts take that, whether it’s for yourself or someone else. This time, instead of trying to guess what the other person wants, you’ll know exactly and your effort won’t be lost.

A personal trainer can help you accomplish your goals.

While knowing what you want is important, knowing how to achieve it is also important. If you’re like most people, you shop for a gift and purchase it, not make it from scratch. The same is true with the gift of muscles. You can use the expertise of a trainer to help you achieve the fitness level you want to attain, rather than going it alone. You’ll get faster, more consistent results and have more fun in the process. A trainer will work you hard, but insure you will be safely within your capabilities.

Signing up for a boot camp may be a good option.

You’ll be amazed at how much fun getting muscles can be when you workout with a group. Not only do you get all the benefits that a personal trainer offers, you’ll also get the group motivation and pay a lower price for the trainers services. In a group, everyone works together, but on their own personalized goals. You’ll never feel left behind or bored because you’ll be working toward your own personal best. You’ll also make some amazing friends in the group and love the comradery it offers.

Take off the fat when you build your muscles.

Shedding extra pounds is easier when you’re building muscle tissue. Not only are you burning more calories while you workout, you’re also setting the stage to burn extra calories in the future. That’s because the more muscle tissue you have the more calories you burn. Muscle tissue requires more calories than fat tissue does, so essentially you’ll be raising your metabolism.

Building muscle tissue can also help you maintain bone tissue too. Studies show that weight bearing exercises work as well as many medications to prevent bone loss and can even help reverse it.

You’ll walk taller and have better posture when you build your muscles. That can give you a confident look and when you look confident, you often feel more confident.

You’ll love how you feel after a great workout. That’s because exercise is a stress buster. It burns off the hormones of stress that leave you feeling exhausted with a knot in your stomach and replaces them with ones that make you feel fantastic.

You’ll feel good about your great looking body. There’s nothing wrong with feeling good about yourself and enjoying the new you. In fact, that’s how you should feel every day of your life.

This is the time of year often associated with overeating. It’s a time when people get together with families and a time for you to choose quality not quantity for Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season. Making sure that you bring the healthy snacks to the family feast to keep your appetite under check can help you stick with the program, plus help you when portion control becomes important. You’ll only want a sliver of the delicious pies at the end of the meal or will be able to choose the one that is healthiest, satisfying and lower in calories. Consider a lattice crust rhubarb or pumpkin with no top crust over a rich pecan pie.

Eat a nutritious breakfast in the morning.

You can’t control what everyone brings or the hostess serves for Thanksgiving, but you can control what you eat before you go to dinner. Fill up before you go with a nutritious breakfast. People often make the mistake of foregoing a breakfast to save calories when they know they’ll be feasting that day, but it’s the worse thing you can do. A breakfast that keeps you filled will with fiber and protein can help keep you satisfied for a longer time and make it easier to avoid those high calorie snacks before dinner or gorging yourself at the feast.

Fill you plate with nutritious foods and protein, but go light on ones with sauces.

The turkey is the center of attention at Thanksgiving. After all, don’t people often call it Turkey Day? Choose white turkey meat, plenty of veggies…sans those with sauce, lots of fresh leafy veggies and some mashed potatoes. If you’re making the potatoes, use Greek yogurt to make them or bring it along to put on the top, avoiding gravy entirely. Volunteer to make a low calorie gravy. You’ll find plenty of recipes on the internet that cut out much of the fat, but still taste fantastic. Snack away on fresh veggies and dip made with low calorie yogurt.

Always remember portion control.

Some foods can be eaten with joy and as often and as much as you want. Those are the fresh vegetables, greens and cooked vegetables without a sauce. Others need to be approached more cautiously, but still aren’t all that bad for you. Consider the turkey as your second line of defense against fat. Finally, there are those foods that you know are ones that should only be sampled, nibbled and slivered in portions. Yeah, they’re the gravies, macaroni and cheese, pastries and pies. Eating a spoonful of mac n’ cheese can curb your appetite for it, just as a sliver of pie does. You’ll have the pleasure of the food without consuming hundreds of calories.

Eat slowly. The slower you eat, the less people will notice your eating habits. There’s always someone in the group that says, “come on, you can eat some more.” If a broth based soup is part of the menu, it’s a good option.

Don’t pass up those foods you only get once a year at holiday time. Instead, just take a small portion. You’ll be satisfied if you savor each small bite.

Skip alcoholic drinks. Instead, go for water. It’s healthy and thirst quenching.

Focus on others around the table and converse. Not only will you learn a lot about the people you love and make everyone feel special, you’ll eat slower too.

You don’t have to gain weight over the holidays if you do some planning. You can avoid the holiday treats trap and over stuffing yourself with high calorie options this way. Remembering that the holidays is not just for food, but for giving thanks and remembering family and loved ones. One way to monitor your snack intake is to prepare your own low calorie goodies that you always have on hand and eliminating the offending, but often yummy snacks, from your home. If you received food gifts that will make your waistline soar, take them to work and share them with coworkers or pack them up in small servings for the freezer. You’ll have them available when guests come and keep them away from your view.

Make your contribution to the holiday season a healthier option.

Creating low calorie snacks for your family get-together or insuring you have ones at your home and work can help you avoid the rush to the tasty cookies, pies and holiday candy. Treat your office one day with a veggie tray and dip made with Greek yogurt. Have fresh fruit available and maybe even create a dark chocolate strawberry dip if you want to indulge yourself. Remember, the main part should be the strawberry with just a skosh of chocolate for flavor. The strawberry is not a vehicle to carry mountains of chocolate dip.

Remember portion control.

You might remember portion control but if you’re starved, it’s a passing memory. Eat ahead of time to insure you’re full enough to resist the many tempting treat. During the holiday times you may be rushed, but take the time to have healthy snacks and meals. It can help you keep portions under control and stop the battle of the bulge you fight every year.

Sip on water.

Part of the problem with controlling snacking is that, like smoking, is giving your hands something do and keeps your mouth busy. Some people have horrible times relaxing at social events like cocktail parties or Holiday parties where the main food is served buffet style. It’s easier to fill your mouth than talk to people you don’t know. Sip on water instead of alcoholic beverages to help keep both your hands and your mouth busy or find someone in the room that looks as uncomfortable, ignored or out of place as you feel. Befriend them by being interested in their life. You might make a great new friend and avoid overeating out of stress.

? Find some delectable creative snacks. One of my favorite snacks was baby asparagus cooked lightly and then cooled on ice and served with a healthy lemony dipping sauce. Elegant, easy and healthy describe it.

? Take time to exercise. Sometimes stress can make you eat even when you’re not hungry. Take time to exercise to burn off those stress hormones, while also enjoying the fat burning it provides.

? Remember, the holiday is a day, not a two month long season. Don’t break down every day saying, “well, it’s the holidays.” Choose your food wisely and save those cheats for just one day.

? Only eat the high calorie foods you love. Don’t sample everything, especially if you don’t like it. Pile your plate with some holiday foods, like Jello with fresh fruits and nimble on a small serving of pie.

I love to see our clients become successfully slim and trim. It happens a lot, but each time it thrills me to see someone accomplish their goals and do it in a healthy manner. Getting slimmer is a combination of a healthy diet and a workout program. You can lose weight with one or the other, but you won’t see all the extra benefits you’d see by using both.

Getting fit means feeling fantastic.

While you workout, you’ll notice some of the stress is gone. That sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach that can come from stress is caused by stress hormones, such as cortisol. They make the changes in the body that get it ready for flight or to fight. Cortisol, one of the hormones, is also responsible for the accumulation of fat on the belly. Hooray for exercise and the way it combats stress. You’ll be seeing that tummy pouch disappear while benefiting your body in other ways. .

Exercise helps burn extra calories but it does so much more.

When you workout you build muscle tissue, which also uses more calories than fat tissue does. That means you’ll be boosting your metabolism and burning more 24/7. That muscle tissue also weighs more per cubic inch than fat tissue does, so the container holding it (your body) is smaller than a container holding the same number of pounds of fat tissue. Even if you never shed one single pound, you’ll look thinner because of this.

Eating healthier isn’t dieting.

We don’t give you a diet, but help you learn how to make smarter choices when it comes to food. That means you’ll make lifestyle changes and never have to diet again. Diets always end but eating healthy never does. You’ll learn simple tricks, such as using Greek yogurt for potatoes rather than sour cream. It may only save a few calories but all these tips and tricks add up to huge savings. You’ll never feel deprived, either and never be hungry. Often people find they eat more.

When you combine healthy eating with regular exercise, you give fat a double whammy. You lower caloric intake at the same time you increase your output.

You’ll build your energy and want to be more active after just a few weeks. More activity means more chances to burn even more calories.

You’ll love the new way of eating that allows you to have snacks all the time. In fact, you’ll keep healthy snacks ready so your family may even get healthier in the process.

You’ll be amazed at how yummy healthy food can taste. It won’t take long before you wonder why you ever liked other types of food in the first place. If you have a favorite food you still enjoy, you can eat it. Just don’t overindulge.

If you have trouble sticking to your plan or simply get too bored exercising alone, the buddy system can be a huge help when you workout. The buddy system pairs two people to workout with each other for exercises purposes. They share their goals for weight loss, exercise and even may share some of their favorite lower calorie food choices. These people support one another in the attainment of goals. It adds another dimension to working out that can keep you on the straight and narrow, especially in the first few weeks of a program where dropping out is has the most potential.

Going to the gym with a friend or spouse lowers the dropout rate.

We love when people join with a friend. It means they have more potential of continuing and meeting their goals successfully. One study by Jack Raglin a kinesiology professor at Indiana University showed that married couples that went to different gyms or worked out at different times, dropped out at a rate of 50 percent, while ones that went to the gym together only had a 10 percent dropout rate. They didn’t even have to workout in the same area, just going together made a difference. It didn’t even have to be a married couple, just someone that you like who might be waiting for you to pick them up or show up at the gym. The more people involved, the better the results.

You’ll break the boredom of exercise when you workout with a buddy.

While working out with a buddy doesn’t mean you’ll be constantly talking. In fact, most people find they normally talk more between sets and after them than during. If you do talk, it burns a few extra calories but whether it’s before, after or during, it also makes that workout more enjoyable and helps you avoid focusing on the difficulty of the task so you get more accomplished. Don’t forget, the harder you workout, the more difficult it will become to talk, so if your buddy’s fitness level isn’t up to yours or far better, consider a code of silence until there’s improvement.

You’ll have additional help in form.

Your personal trainer will watch closely to insure you have the proper form, but sometimes people forget and it’s not discovered immediately. When you work with a buddy between the times of personal training, both you and the buddy can often spot a discrepancy between both of your forms. That’s the time you go to a trainer to make sure you’re both doing it right.

A buddy system keeps you working hard and sometimes adds a bit of competition in the workout, particularly if you’re well matched partners.

You’ll have fun and make your workout a social outlet besides just a physical endeavor when you workout with someone else.

Working out is one thing, but eating is another where a buddy system helps. Joining a friend for lunch can highlight some special opportunities to eat healthier. A buddy system can also help to expand your repertoire of healthy recipes.

When you workout with a buddy, you tend to stick closer to your program of healthier eating, while also sticking with the workout. You’re more accountable.

When your goal is to have a workout that will help you get slim and successful achievement means a smaller clothing size, you need to insure you’re doing the right things to reach that goal. Of course, most often we all want more from our fitness program than just fitting into smaller clothing, although that’s one way to measure weight loss and muscle development. A good personal trainer will guide you through a program that offers a variety of different fitness benefits.

Of course, you’ll have weight loss and shrink your waist size.

Looking great is a huge motivating force when it comes to fitness. In fact, some people wouldn’t bother with workouts if it didn’t make them look fabulous. You’ll benefit from a workout in a number of ways. Not only does the right type of exercise help you lose weight, it also builds muscle tissue. Muscle tissue weighs more per cubic inch than fat does, so a pound of muscle takes up less space. It’s like comparing the size of container for a pound of steel and a pound of feathers. The container for the steel will be much smaller, just like your body will be after exercising. Even if you never lost a pound, you’ll look far thinner.

You’ll improve your range of motion.

That may not sound very sexy or exciting, but it should. Your range of motion is your flexibility. When you’re more flexible, you’re less likely to get injured doing simple things. You’ll also move with agility and that gives you a younger more sensual appearance. If you love dancing, you’ll really appreciate how much easier you move on the floor.

You’ll have far more endurance.

Exercise is heart healthy and can improve your overall stamina and endurance. You’ll be able to do far more than ever, without stopping to catch your breath or huffing and puffing. Standing and gasping for air isn’t how you want the world to see you, unless it’s after a good workout in the gym. Then it means you’ve put in your best effort and that’s inspiring and attractive. While you may do that at the gym, it helps you to avoid getting winded outside the gym. You’ll be spry enough to tackle stairs with ease and keep up with the best of them.

You’ll live longer, but even better, those extra years will be healthier too. Studies show that for every minute you exercise, you gain an average of seven minutes of life. Exercise helps prevent serious conditions that can shorten your life.

You’ll help keep minor illnesses at bay. Exercise boosts your immune system and helps protect cells. It also helps improve circulation that sends oxygen and nutrient rich blood to all parts of your body.

Exercise helps your complexion look fantastic. You’ll look years younger thanks to the increased circulation.

You’ll sleep better at night when you exercise. Not only does exercise boost your brain power, the extra sleep helps keep your head clear and your mind focused.

No matter what you do, you’ll watch your body change. That’s right. The body continues to change, even if you live a sedentary lifestyle. Of course, the change isn’t always positive. In order to make that change a great experience you need to eat healthy and add regular exercise to your schedule. You’ll start noticing small changes at first, but it won’t stop there. Before you know it you’ll look and feel years younger, wear smaller clothing sizes and have a sculpted attractive new look.

Not all changes are apparent to others.

Some of the changes aren’t visible, but you’ll know they took place by the way you feel. You’ll be able to carry heavier packages without having to sit them down for a rest and have far more endurance. If you’ve had to pause to catch your breath when climbing steps, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it is and how you can now conquer the entire flight with ease. The extra energy will help you get through a busy day with ease and have enough left to be active and ready for night life.

You’ll see a difference in your complexion.

Change is good when it means looking and feeling better and the increased circulation caused by exercise helps that. You’ll be sending nutrient and oxygen laden blood circulating throughout your system to feed all cells in your body, including your skin. It helps regulate hormones that can cause skin outbreaks and eliminate toxins from the skin. Regular exercise can even undo some of the damage caused to skin by aging.

You’ll see your tummy start to flatten.

Exercise helps eliminate the Buddha belly that can form from inactivity. It does it in a number of ways. First, it improves regularity to help prevent the bloated look, but also helps blast away stress hormones, such as cortisol. These are often associated with abdominal fat. Healthier eating habits can prevent constipation and lower your overall fat. Exercising core muscles tightens the abdominal muscles and improves posture to give you a sleek, more youthful body and a flatter tummy.

Exercise can change more than your body, it can change your mood too. When you exercise, it stimulates the brain to create hormones that make you feel good. That’s one reason many mental health professionals suggest exercise as part of the therapy for depression.

Exercise helps you think clearer. Not only has it been found beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients, it also has prove to help cognitive thinking in all people.

You’ll see your energy level grow by leaps and bounds. It’s amazing, but the more energy you use, the more your body seems to have.

You’ll see many ailments seem to disappear. Exercise can help everything from back pain and bone thinning to high blood pressure and diabetes.

No matter what you do, you’ll watch your body change. That’s right. The body continues to change, even if you live a sedentary lifestyle. Of course, the change isn’t always positive. In order to make that change a great experience you need to eat healthy and add regular exercise to your schedule. You’ll start noticing small changes at first, but it won’t stop there. Before you know it you’ll look and feel years younger, wear smaller clothing sizes and have a sculpted attractive new look.

Not all changes are apparent to others.

Some of the changes aren’t visible, but you’ll know they took place by the way you feel. You’ll be able to carry heavier packages without having to sit them down for a rest and have far more endurance. If you’ve had to pause to catch your breath when climbing steps, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it is and how you can now conquer the entire flight with ease. The extra energy will help you get through a busy day with ease and have enough left to be active and ready for night life.

You’ll see a difference in your complexion.

Change is good when it means looking and feeling better and the increased circulation caused by exercise helps that. You’ll be sending nutrient and oxygen laden blood circulating throughout your system to feed all cells in your body, including your skin. It helps regulate hormones that can cause skin outbreaks and eliminate toxins from the skin. Regular exercise can even undo some of the damage caused to skin by aging.

You’ll see your tummy start to flatten.

Exercise helps eliminate the Buddha belly that can form from inactivity. It does it in a number of ways. First, it improves regularity to help prevent the bloated look, but also helps blast away stress hormones, such as cortisol. These are often associated with abdominal fat. Healthier eating habits can prevent constipation and lower your overall fat. Exercising core muscles tightens the abdominal muscles and improves posture to give you a sleek, more youthful body and a flatter tummy.

Exercise can change more than your body, it can change your mood too. When you exercise, it stimulates the brain to create hormones that make you feel good. That’s one reason many mental health professionals suggest exercise as part of the therapy for depression.

Exercise helps you think clearer. Not only has it been found beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients, it also has prove to help cognitive thinking in all people.

You’ll see your energy level grow by leaps and bounds. It’s amazing, but the more energy you use, the more your body seems to have.

You’ll see many ailments seem to disappear. Exercise can help everything from back pain and bone thinning to high blood pressure and diabetes.

No matter what you do, you’ll watch your body change. That’s right. The body continues to change, even if you live a sedentary lifestyle. Of course, the change isn’t always positive. In order to make that change a great experience you need to eat healthy and add regular exercise to your schedule. You’ll start noticing small changes at first, but it won’t stop there. Before you know it you’ll look and feel years younger, wear smaller clothing sizes and have a sculpted attractive new look.

Not all changes are apparent to others.

Some of the changes aren’t visible, but you’ll know they took place by the way you feel. You’ll be able to carry heavier packages without having to sit them down for a rest and have far more endurance. If you’ve had to pause to catch your breath when climbing steps, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it is and how you can now conquer the entire flight with ease. The extra energy will help you get through a busy day with ease and have enough left to be active and ready for night life.

You’ll see a difference in your complexion.

Change is good when it means looking and feeling better and the increased circulation caused by exercise helps that. You’ll be sending nutrient and oxygen laden blood circulating throughout your system to feed all cells in your body, including your skin. It helps regulate hormones that can cause skin outbreaks and eliminate toxins from the skin. Regular exercise can even undo some of the damage caused to skin by aging.

You’ll see your tummy start to flatten.

Exercise helps eliminate the Buddha belly that can form from inactivity. It does it in a number of ways. First, it improves regularity to help prevent the bloated look, but also helps blast away stress hormones, such as cortisol. These are often associated with abdominal fat. Healthier eating habits can prevent constipation and lower your overall fat. Exercising core muscles tightens the abdominal muscles and improves posture to give you a sleek, more youthful body and a flatter tummy.

Exercise can change more than your body, it can change your mood too. When you exercise, it stimulates the brain to create hormones that make you feel good. That’s one reason many mental health professionals suggest exercise as part of the therapy for depression.

Exercise helps you think clearer. Not only has it been found beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients, it also has prove to help cognitive thinking in all people.

You’ll see your energy level grow by leaps and bounds. It’s amazing, but the more energy you use, the more your body seems to have.

You’ll see many ailments seem to disappear. Exercise can help everything from back pain and bone thinning to high blood pressure and diabetes.

When you’re working out, you need to keep your body from becoming efficient with any one particular routine. It shouldn’t adapt to the exercise, because that causes it to burn fewer calories. Adaptation or bodily efficiency is the primary reason for plateauing. The human body is miraculous. After moving the same way repeatedly, your body learns the most efficient way of doing the exercise, burning fewer calories. It’s a great help for anyone doing physical labor that requires repetitive movements, but for those trying to shed extra pounds, it hinders progress.

The adaptation means you’re getting fitter.

There are two types of changes, the immediate and the long term. The immediate changes includes things like increased heart rate and breathing rate. As you cool down after an exercise, these also go back to normal. The long term or chronic changes are what make you fitter, such as the development of muscle tissue, increased lung function and improvement in resting and exercising heart rate. Those are some of the reasons you exercise. You also burn more calories while your body is adapting, but once it reaches optimal performance, the changes slow.

Adaptation accounts for slower metabolism.

If you’ve ever gone on a super low calorie diet, or have fasted, only to start eating again and pack on more weight than you lost, you’ve probably put your body into starvation mode. Starvation mode was what kept early man alive when food was hard to find. It produces a slower metabolism rate and causes your body to burn fewer calories for the same amount of effort. That’s why eating healthy and not dieting can help you shed pounds faster than starving yourself.

Start a program of healthy eating combined with exercise and you’ll be doing your body a favor.

When you exercise, you’re aiming for more than just weight loss, although it is a motivating factor for many. You’re helping your body make changes that will make it healthier and help you live longer with less risk of serious conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoporosis. You’re also building muscle tissue and burning fat tissue that makes you look thinner and fitter. To shed excess pounds, you need to lower your caloric intake, but not by denying yourself food or nutrients. That’s where a healthy diet comes into play.

As you get fitter, uping the workload on your body, keeps it burning more calories and helps avoid adaptation that can cause plateauing.

Learning new skills for fitness, not only helps you avoid plateauing, but also keeps you more focused and takes you to another level of fitness.

A good fitness program increases the workload and changes incrementally so you’ll always be working toward a challenging goal.

You’ll not only notice changes in your body, you’ll notice mental changes too. You’ll be happier and more alert after eating healthier and exercising regularly.

You’ll be doing your body a favor if you have an effective cool down regimen after exercising. Most people know it’s important to do warm up exercises before taxing the body, but fail to consider cool down….since they normally just want to rest as quickly as possible. That is a mistake that could lead to passing out or other problems. The body undergoes incredible changes when exercising. The sympathetic nervous system takes over and the fight or flight response kicks in to gear. It causes a lot of changes, such as increased heart rate and respiration, plus blood going to the heart, brain and extremities. Abruptly stopping will cause pooling of blood in the extremities since the heart is pushing it through the system with less vigor. That causes fainting.

Improve your flexibility with a cool down.

Rather than point out all the scary things that can happen when you cool down, it’s always good to have a positive reason for doing it. Your muscles are warm after a vigorous workout and you’ll benefit greatly from stretching them at that time. Stretching improves your range of motion and flexibility. That means you’ll be less prone to injury during your next workout.

The harder you workout, the more you need to cool down.

Athletes and those that do a more vigorous exercise routine need a cool down session even more than less fit people. That’s because the harder you work, the more blood flow goes to extremities, such as feet and legs. When you stop quickly, that blood pools, causing it to be insufficient to the brain and poof, before you know it, you’re dizzy or passed out on the floor. Less fit athletes may find the simple act of walking a bit after working out may do the trick. It’s still important, but results aren’t as dramatic.

Get in the habit of doing cool down exercises.

You may not have worked out to the point you have to have a cool down session, but it never hurts to add it and should be an important habit. Stay active after a workout and start moving at a less vigorous pace as you slowly get your heart rate back to normal. Check your heart rate after five minutes and if it’s still elevated, continue cool down for a while longer. Follow that with stretching.

A cool down session doesn’t necessarily prevent muscle pain the next day, as was once thought, but it does feel good while you’re doing it. It makes the transition back to normal easier.

Warming up before exercise is just as important as cooling down, if not more important. It helps prevent muscle injury.

Whether you believe cooling down is important or not, you can’t go wrong doing it. It not only won’t harm you, but it’s also a good way to get back to normalcy, even if passing out isn’t a fear.

Cool down exercises work your muscles when they’re warm and can help prevent stiffness that can occur by stretching them as you cool down a bit.

You can work out until total fatigue every day, but if you don’t have a record of your progress, you won’t know if the program you’re following is working. In this case, it’s probably not because you need recovery time and are over-training. That’s one reason why fitness tracking and assessments are so important. If you don’t know where you started or how far you’ve gone, you have no information to make any changes in your program.

Pegging the starting point is like leaving on a trip.

When you go on a trip, you normally start out at your own home, so knowing your starting point is easy. However, you still need to use that information for Mapquest or on a real map to chart your course. Assessing your fitness is an important task for trainers. It helps them determine the route you’ll be taking on your road to becoming the best possible you. It’s like those little mall maps with the arrow, “you are here” sign. It pegs the starting point.

Planning a course of action is important but not all courses are the best.

Everyone’s body is different, so people succeed at different rates. One type of exercise program may give huge dividends to person A but not work as well as a different combination for person B. Periodic checkups tell the trainer where you need to work harder, whether the workout should be more difficult or if you’re not seeing the success the trainer hoped you’d achieve. Sometimes the lack of success also shows that the person that the person training is missing sessions and not working at their best.

Park the car, we’re at our destination.

Sure, tracking and assessments are great tools to modify your workout, but they’re also great ways to know when you can celebrate for a bit, then set new goals. If your goal is to lose 10 pounds, improve endurance, increase flexibility or improve strength, without measuring results, you’ll never be able to celebrate success. Seeing your progress in black and white can be pretty reassuring and boost your enthusiasm.

Fitness tracking help the trainer tailor the program even further. It can show that some muscle groups are right on task, while others need a bit more attention. It helps the trainer identify specific problems.

Assessing progress is an important step that allows the trainer to make adjustments based on that progress.

Tracking helps keep you accountable for your progress. You can trick yourself into believing you’re doing well, but the results don’t lie.

Tracking keeps you motivated and continuously challenging yourself to be better than you were at the last recording.

Your fitness success depends on so many factors. Your consistency and dedication to a program, your willingness to work your hardest and the quality of advice you received are some of those factors. However, for long term success, education is the key factor to help you attain lifelong fitness. Education and information can lead you to make wiser decisions whether working out in the gym or at home on your own.

Teach a man to fish and he will eat a lifetime.

That’s what education does. Learning how your body works, what helps you become fitter and ways to solve fitness problems may not seem like the information you receive at other gyms or even from many trainers, but it’s valuable information that should be part of your workout program. As you build your body, you should be building your knowledge so you have a lifetime of fitness.

Know your body and listen to it’s signals.

When you know your body and how it works, you know when it’s trying to tell you something important. Learning the signs of a problem can help prevent further injury. Identifying your limit can help you work toward it and eventually beyond it safely. When you know how your body works and the muscles necessary to do each task, you can pinpoint whether a workout is helping.

Learning the benefits of each exercise helps provide motivation.

Too often we hear all the negative things, such as lack of exercise can lead to poor health and lack of flexibility or poor form can lead to injury. Those are scary facts, but they aren’t motivating facts that make you want to work your hardest. They actually do the opposite by creating fear. When you learn the correct way to do each movement and all the benefits it brings,, you’ll look forward to seeing the results. A positive spin on working out can be extremely motivating.

Just because you have a positive spin on working out, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be aware of the dangers of doing exercises incorrectly. That knowledge can keep you on your toes and make certain you pay close attention to form.

When you have the knowledge of how your body works, you’ll be able to help the trainer plan your program by providing great feedback. You’ll reap more benefits from his or her help.

Knowledge of your body can help you identify weaker muscle groups that are doing the work of larger ones. That can spell injury. That knowledge helps you work on the problem and improve your training.

Fitness knowledge includes learning the proper form for each exercise to improve your results safely.

There are ways to guarantee you’ll never plateau when you’re working toward the fittest body or losing weight. Plateauing can be extremely frustrating and even lead to enough discouragement that you quit your workout program entirely. People who workout on their own often find that they plateau for months seeing very little improvement. There are several reasons for it and ways to prevent it.

Your level of fitness improves, but you don’t change your workout program to match it.

This is one of the major problems causing plateau and also a great reason to use the services of a personal trainer. I track the progress of each of my clients and as they improve, change the workout to match that improvement. It’s easiest to explain by considering the amount of weight you can lift. If you come to me and after I assess your fitness level, suggest reps using five pound weights. The number of reps prescribed and their weight is based on your present level of fitness. Every time you exercise, you’ll be stronger. It will become easier and easier, until its second nature. If you never increase the reps or weight, you’ll plateau.

Your body becomes more efficient at doing a specific group of exercises.

As you become more accustomed to specific exercises, your body learns to do them more capably and use fewer calories. It’s like any skill. The longer you do something, the easier it is to do. You can do any task quicker and more efficiently. By mixing new routines in frequently and using new ways of exercising, you’ll always keep your body on alert and continue to make fitness strides. You’ll keep your body from adapting to each workout, working it harder in the process and burning more calories.

See if you’ve really plateaued or whether it’s something else.

While eating healthy isn’t dieting and you can occasionally enjoy a few non healthy treats, you may be indulging in those a little more often than you think. Look at your food intake if weight loss is the problem. Track it for a week and see if you’re eating more of the “special treats.” If you’re not and back on track for weight loss, it might have been the problem. Also check your level of commitment to your workout. Are you putting everything into it. Normally, as a personal trainer, I will notice when you don’t. Finally, make sure you get adequate sleep at night.

If you started out well over weight or totally out of shape, expect progress to be greater in the beginning. If you’re losing weight, even though you may not be losing all the weight you did at first, you should still see some progress.

Focus on the gains you see. Sometimes there are even dips where you find doing exercises more difficult. If you haven’t shed a single pound, but lost inches, you haven’t plateaued. You’ve replaced fat tissue with muscle tissue. Muscle tissue weighs more, but is more compact, so you’ll have lost inches.

Make sure you stay hydrated and drink plenty of water. Water not only hydrates you, but acts as a diuretic that can help you shed pounds from water weight gain. Add a little lemon to it or make green tea for another alternative.

Just changing the order of your routine can often help avoid a plateau.

Do you want to stay looking your youngest and most vibrant for the rest of your life? You can do it by developing healthy habits. Healthy habits are like any type of habit. They become second nature and you don’t think twice about doing them. One very simple change can be in what you choose to drink. Eliminate carbonated and sugary drinks from your diet and switch to water, herbal tea and green tea. Water is a great choice for flushing your system and hydrating you rapidly. Herbal and green tea have their own extra benefits from the nutrients and phytonutrients they contain.

Get regular exercise and add to it an active lifestyle.

Even if you have a program of regular exercise, but stand at the elevator waiting to take it one floor, or circle the parking lot for 15 minutes trying to find the spot nearest the door, you don’t have all the healthy habits you should have. Make it a point to use your legs as often as possible. Don’t hop in the car to drive to a neighbors just down the road, hoof it. Each bit of additional exercise you add will help you be fit and healthier.

Eat whole foods and leave processed foods on the shelf at the store.

The closer you come to eating a diet of whole foods, the more likely you’ll be to getting the healthiest possible diet. Start changing your diet in small ways, such as freezing bananas and mashing or grinding them up to replace ice cream or substituting brown or wild rice for white rice. When you make your own food, you know exactly what’s in it. Cut back on the fast food and opt for healthier choices. You can create a salad quicker than the time it takes sitting in a drive-through. It’s especially true if you have all the ingredients ready. When you cook chicken or make a roast, slice off pieces and put them in individual servings packets for the freezer that you’ll thaw in the microwave to use whenever you . Have containers of fresh veggies always on hand for snacks. Using those and some lettuce or baby spinach makes creating a salad a breeze in under two minutes.

Get plenty of sleep.

In this country, somewhere along the line working until the wee hours of the night and longer hours became a noble gesture. While nobody can fault a person dedicated to good work and finishing a task, they may be harming their health and working less efficiently by getting fewer hours of sleep. You need seven to nine hours of sleep. Any less causes health problems and decreases mental clarity. Any more may be indicative of a health problem.

If you smoke, quit. Smoking was until recently one of the leading causes of preventable death. It’s since been overtaken by obesity.

Enjoy a rich social life. Whether it’s family or friends, the more socially active you are, the healthier you probably are. Many studies show that have strong social bonds live longer and healthier.

Beware of diet products. Artificial sweeteners are lower in calories, but not necessarily good for you. There are so many sugar alternatives, some of which are healthier than others. Be aware of any health habits and limit your intake.

Limit the use of alcohol. Drinking wine in moderation might be heart healthy, but too much alcohol on a regular basis can damage your body.

Whether you’re just starting a workout program or have been exercising for years, there are summer fitness hazards that you should be aware of, so you can avoid them and make your workout safer and more successful. The first and most obvious is hydration. As the temperature goes up, you sweat more and your body heats up more quickly. If you’re working out in an air conditioned gym, the problem of staying hydrated isn’t as bad, but the minute you take your exercise outside, be aware that you need to keep the fluids flowing. Drink at least eight ounces of water every ten to fifteen minutes to make sure you don’t suffer from dehydration.

Wear the right type of clothing.

You may not want to show off your body just yet, but don’t cover it up in the summer out of vanity. It could be dangerous. The more of your body that shows, the more air can reach it to cool it by evaporating sweat. Dark clothing might slim you, but it also absorbs heat. Thin black clothing transfers the heat to your skin and makes you even hotter. Dress for fitness success with lighter colors and clothing that is appropriate for the summer. Don’t forget to add a good pair of workout shoes to your list of summer clothing.

Exercise in the morning or late afternoon.

Seriously, animals don’t even run around during the heat of the day and you shouldn’t either. Limit your exercising to before ten in the morning or after four in the afternoon. You’ll be avoiding the hottest hours of the day, which helps keep you safer and aids in preventing heat stroke. On hot mornings or evenings, cool yourself before you exercise with an icy drink. It will help slow down overheating.

Create your own healthy icy treat.

Nothing is better than a cold treat on a hot day, but so many of them are filled with calories, sugar and chemicals. Instead of buying a treat, make one for yourself. You can turn frozen bananas into creamy icy goodness with a blender or make your own fruit pop with juices or blended fruit. Not only will you reap benefits from eating these treats, your family will love them too and they’re extremely healthy for them.

Take a break if you’re getting exhausted. If you’re working out in the heat, exhaustion can be a sign of danger. Don’t push too hard, especially at first. Working out in the heat takes more of a toll on your body than working out in an air conditioned gym.

Don’t be ashamed of yourself, embrace who you are at the moment and look forward to who you’re becoming. Too often people don’t exercise because they worry about how they look. Don’t do that!

Do count fun activities as part of your workout. You don’t have to workout in the gym to benefit from exercise. Hiking, biking and swimming are just a few of the activities that not only provide a workout, but are fun too.

Keep cool juicy snacks on hand. Fresh fruit not only can give you an energy boost, it also provides some extra fluids.

No matter how much vitamin commercials tout the benefits of their products, fresh vegetables and fruits help keep you fit even better. Not only do you get the benefit of the nutrients in them, you get the bulk to keep you feeling fuller and help satisfy your hunger. Fresh fruits provide a great deal of sugar, so getting a sweet treat is even easier and healthier when you eat a handful of berries, a bite of an apple or a sweet nectarine. Always try to get organic fruits to avoid exposure to pesticides in your food.

Berries do more than just fill you up and provide a delicious snack.

You’ll get a wealth of nutrition from berries. Whether you’re opting for blueberries, strawberries or raspberries, they all contain powerful nutrients. One drug company was trying to isolate the anthocyanin in blueberries for a drug to fight cancer. They found that the cancer fighting properties work best in synergy with the other nutrients in the berries. Almost all berries are high in vitamin C and can give your immune system a boost.

Have a banana for your heartburn and also to help prevent stroke and high blood pressure.

Bananas add potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium, copper and manganese to your diet, while also increasing your fiber. They help lower blood pressure, while also moderating blood sugar levels. They can improve your digestion, as well as help with weight loss. For a cool treat this summer, slice a banana in one inch slices and freeze. When it’s frozen, throw it into a blender and you’ll have a delicious creamy and healthy treat that tastes better than ice cream.

An apple a day really does help keep the doctor away.

Apples are natures natural tooth cleaners, but they also provide protection from serious conditions, which includes Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer. Eating apples can help control your cholesterol, providing a great benefit for heart health. They’ll also help clean your colon or stop diarrhea if you have the opposite problem. Eating apples help you control weight and can also help prevent gallstones. An apple and cabbage salad is fiber-filled, but tastes fantastic and can give a boost to your metabolism.

Create your own smoothie. I keep plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables in the house and when it looks like some might not last much longer, throw them into the blender to create a smoothie. You can add frozen fruit for a milkshake like treat.

Don’t forget other fruits and vegetables. Kiwi is sweet and delicious, while peaches also add to the enjoyment of snacks and provide a wealth of nutrients.

Create a great pick-me-up for the afternoon by putting a teaspoon of peanut butter on apple slices. You’ll get both the sweet energy from the apple and protein to keep you going.

Whenever possible, use the whole fruit, rather than just the juice. It adds bulk to fill you up and keep you regular. If you’re making a smoothie and using an apple, make sure to keep the peeling on it.

When you workout, the key is not necessarily to start fast, but to finish strong. That can have a double meaning. When someone finishes strong in a race, they have the last winning blast of energy right before the finish line. You’ll see how much more powerful your workout is the longer you workout, so that definition if fitting. However, the other interpretation is also valid. You may start out weak, but finish with far more strength, endurance and flexibility.

Most of the changes are subtle and come in baby steps.

One reason to track progress is that it comes in baby steps. You don’t notice the improvement as you go, unless you look back at how much you accomplished, your weight, your overall fitness and how strong you were when you started. Tracking your progress serves several purposes. It helps identify when you’re ready for the next level of workout, but it also helps show you how far you’ve come.

Your goal and the time you commit to it makes the difference.

Fitness is no different than any other goal, some people start out at a more advanced level. However, the person that finishes strong is the one that continues to work toward the goal, making small advances in each week. He or she will surpass those with natural talent who don’t maintain a regimen to improve, no matter what the area of expertise. It works the same whether you’re studying scientific research or working out at the gym.

Getting older doesn’t mean you have to get weaker or out of shape if you chose to finish your second half strong.

Contrary to what many people believe, fitness is not just for the very young. Staying fit can start at any point in your life, no matter how active or inactive you’ve been in the past. It can help you overcome serious conditions and keep you living longer. Those extra years you gain will also be more productive and enjoyable if you work to keep your body healthy. Studies show that exercise provides huge benefits for your health and can even help keep people more alert and mentally sharp.

No matter what your physical shape, regular exercise can help to make it better. Many health care providers recommend regular exercise to help control and improve it. It can be helpful for diabetes, high blood pressure heart disease, osteoporosis and even some forms of cancer.

Developing flexibility can help you prevent muscle strains and injury. Balance training can help prevent falls.

Several studies show that regular strength training may help reverse osteoporosis and be as beneficial as many medications created to control it.

You’ll feel fantastic when you workout regularly. You’ll have energy to do more and get more out of life.

Every time you pass through the food aisles in a grocery, you’ll notice the words gluten free prominently displayed on packages with everything from corn to rice. While it’s not easier to name foods that contain gluten, you can generalize. Any products that contain wheat, rye, Bulgar or barley also contain gluten. Some foods, such as oats, are processed at the same plants as gluten containing products and may also be tainted. There’s a variety of reactions to gluten that used to seem quite allusive to diagnosis until more and more people became familiar with gluten intolerance and gluten allergies.

Do you have a lot of digestive issues after you eat?

Just like lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea and abdominal pain. It can even cause constipation, particularly in children. Your body simply can process the gluten properly and it causes these problems. Celiac disease is an allergic reaction to gluten that can be found with a blood test, but gluten intolerance can’t. The best way to identify a problem food is by an elimination diet. First eliminate all the possible foods from your diet that may be causing distress then introduce them one at a time until you experience the problem and locate the offending foods.

Gluten intolerance can cause severe problems.

Gluten intolerance is linked to many severe autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, ulcerative colitis, lupus, multiple sclerosis and scleroderma. While gluten may not be the cause of these diseases, they may aggravate it. Eliminate gluten from your diet for a while and see if you have fewer symptoms or if it helps you feel better. Eliminating gluten won’t hurt you and is one treatment you can do in conjunction with doctor recommended treatments.

Do you get brain fog throughout the day, have dizziness or feel out of whack after eating a meal with gluten in it?

If bread can throw you in a tizzy that makes working more difficult or leave you feeling dizzy, you may need to eliminate gluten containing products from your diet. If you’re feeling these symptoms, first see a doctor to insure it’s nothing worse, just like any of the other symptoms on this list, you want to first eliminate other problems before you eliminate gluten from your diet.

Swelling in your hands and feet, inflammation in the joints of fingers, knees and toes may be a sign of gluten intolerance.

Mood swings and hormone imbalances can also be linked to gluten problems. If there’s nothing else wrong and regular exercise doesn’t improve the problem, try eating gluten free for a month or two to see if the symptoms disappear.

Continuous problems with migraines that yoga, exercise or massage won’t cure and ones that have no physical cause may actually be a reaction to food, gluten in particular.

Some people find that European flour doesn’t cause the same problems as products made with American flour. One reason is that European flour, French in particular, has less gluten than American flour.

Greens support eye health with higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin that help prevent cataracts and improve vision in other ways, too.

Greens lower the risk of colon cancer particularly kale and mustard greens, which belong to the same family as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

Finding new ways to get your greens is worth the effort. You can hide them with the other fruits and vegetables in a smoothie, stir fry them, put them in soups or add them to your salad. No matter how you add greens to a diet, you’ll be adding more nutrients. Of course, the best way to eat greens is as fresh as possible and raw, but adding them at the last minute to stir fry or topping a cooked pizza with them, allowing the heat from the pizza to cook them, also preserves many of the nutrients.

Greens provide a powerhouse of nutrients.

Greens provide more nutrients per calorie than any other food. The darker the greens, the better in most cases. While almost all types of greens are packed full of goodies that will make your body say thank you, some are better than others. Iceberg lettuce, for example, doesn’t contain many nutrients and is mostly water, so replacing it with Romaine lettuce might be a better choice. Dark leafy greens, such as spinach or kale provide excellent sources of iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium and other mineral. They also contain phytonutrients, vitamins K, C, E and B vitamins and may even have a small amount of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Greens are low in calories and fill you up without filling you out.

Eating a huge salad of mixed greens and other vegetables can be an entire meal for some people. For those who still want meat, adding bits of chicken or other animal protein is a topper that makes it a complete meal. Others will find adding plant protein, such as pumpkin seeds, chick peas or even roasted portabella mushrooms. Some greens, such as arugula are higher in protein. You’ll be able to eat a huge salad and the most fattening part will be the dressing.

Greens contain a high amount of vitamin K.

Vitamin K is a vital, often overlooked nutrient that does so much for your body. Vitamin K helps regulate blood clotting, prevent osteoporosis, might be a preventative for diseases such as arthritis by reducing inflammation and can help prevent build up of plaque in the arteries. Kale is one excellent source. What used to be a decoration for salad bars is now praised as one of the miracle foods. It’s a great addition to a salad, stir fry or other type of cooking and is the secret ingredient in the Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden. YUM!

Mustard greens and kale are two greens that can help you lower your bad cholesterol by forcing the liver to use up the cholesterol to make bile that binds with the fibers in these foods.

Greens help boost bone health with their high levels of calcium. The more bitter the taste of the green, normally the higher the calcium level.

Greens support eye health with higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin that help prevent cataracts and improve vision in other ways, too.

Greens lower the risk of colon cancer particularly kale and mustard greens, which belong to the same family as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

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