One Workout Away From A Good Mood

Blogging about fitness from a premier personal training facility and home to the friendliest club members in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. www.fitnessfanaticsinc.com @Fit_Fanatics

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Your Body Rocks!! 

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Oh I believe so.......

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Take the New Year's Fitness Challenge

Twice a year my facility conducts a fitness challenge.  “Spring into Shape” and “Fall into Fitness.” The challenges differ each year and our members totally look forward to them.  Whether the grand prize is a trip to sunny Florida or simply a t-shirt, a huge percentage of the club will participate.

     When you rise to a challenge and you are forced to log or journal your workouts for a competition, even if you are only competing with yourself, it really helps you stick with it. Last fall we held a challenge that required 70 hours of fitness over a 10 week period. Believe me; we caught some flack at first. Was this really a reasonable goal? This would mean that 7 hours of exercise would need to be logged every week.  Were we crazy? Yes we’re crazy, no doubt about it. But in my opinion, we had a solid reply. You see most of these individuals were working out around 5 times a week already, so if we made the challenge “50 hours of fitness,” would it really be a challenge? Of course not….. a challenge needs to be a CHALLENGE!

      How about you take a New Year’s challenge too?  As described above, this challenge  will also run for 10 weeks. You will have a little more control over your challenge than I do, as you will decide the number of hours of exercise that you are going to strive for during this 10 week period.

     Consider how many hours you are exercising right now. For example; if you usually work out two hours a week, 30 hours of fitness could be an adequate challenge for you at this time. If you really want to push it this year, then shoot for 40 to 50 hours.  Let’s say that you are currently leading a pretty sedentary life and aren’t exercising at all. In that case, 20 to 25 hours of fitness may be just what you need to jump start an exercise program. If you are already an avid exerciser……..  go for 70 hours of fitness! 

     Once you’ve set your goal, pick a start date. You may still be busy with holiday stuff the first week in January so it might be more realistic to start mid-month. Print a blank calendar for each month so that you can record your activities. Don’t rely on your iPhone, Blackberry, or computer. You will be more successful when you actually see the calendar in its entirety every day.  Activities can include all the things you enjoy; group exercise classes, running, biking, lifting, walking the dog, etc. If you’re moving and breaking a sweat, count it!

     You can do this! Kick off the New Year with a challenge that will do wonders for your health and wellness.

“Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory”   

George S. Patton

Lisa Troyer, Personal Trainer and Owner of Fitness Fanatics in Bridgeville, PA.  Fitness Enthusiast for over 20 years.  

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Spinning playlist or great workout tunes!

Sweeter                                                                3:44    Gavin DeGraw                                             

Sweet Nothing (feat. Florence Welch)                    3:34    Calvin Harris       

Can't Stop Me (Club Mix)                                       6:23    Afrojack & Shermanology     

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together              3:13    Taylor Swift   

Live While We're Young                                          3:19    One Direction              

Rest of My Life (feat. Usher & David Guetta)           3:52    Ludacris         

Incredible Machine                                                 5:01    Sugarland             

Finally Found You (feat. Sammy Adams)                 3:41    Enrique Iglesias        

Desire                                                                    2:59    U2           

Seven Nation Army                                                 3:52    The White Stripes             

Beautiful Day                                                          4:08    U2          

Save Me, San Francisco                                           4:09    Train   

Renegade                                                               7:37    Styx          

Free Fallin'                                                              4:16    Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers    

It's Your Love                                                          3:46    Tim McGraw & Faith Hill      

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Give the Gift of Health this Holiday Season

      The first step to getting in good physical condition is joining a gym. Perhaps that step has been taken, but where are the results?  Let’s say someone has been exercising consistently for months, but they still are not seeing the results that they desire. The second step should be taken – hiring a personal trainer. A good trainer will look at that person’s current program and eating habits and then help to make the changes to create more effective workouts. A trainer will help to maximize the time spent exercising helping one to keep their goals realistic and stay within one’s limits so they don’t overdo it.

     Even an experienced exerciser becomes bored with their workouts and hungers for a challenge. A trainer can offer variety to workouts by contributing a fresh perspective and new ideas that will not only challenge one’s body, but also their mind. Everyone needs added motivation at times. Motivation is synonymous to trainers, it’s built in. It is easy to blow-off the gym vowing to go later or tomorrow. A training appointment is just like any other appointment on someone’s calendar, not so easy to “blow-off.” A trainer provides accountability. Once the money has been invested into an exercise program….. time is invested as well. Even when a training session is not scheduled, a trainer will be asking their client what they did or what they are going to do on their off-training days. Being aware of that certainly makes it more difficult to skip workouts.

     As you look over your shopping list you may find someone who has certain health issues such as; heart disease, arthritis, past injuries or they have struggled with weight-loss for years. Maybe that list includes someone who is training for a special sporting event or who is frustrated with their golf game. An experienced trainer will prescribe a program that is specific to that individual’s needs. They can aid in healing injuries or map out a solid plan to improve one’s game.

     Studies indicate that fitness goals can be achieved 40 percent faster using the assistance of a personal trainer. And here’s more good news; once you begin looking into this great gift, you may be surprised at how reasonable training packages can be.  Just be sure that the trainer is certified by a nationally recognized organization, is experienced and carries liability insurance.

     This will be shopping made simple. Give the gift of health, it will last a lifetime and quite frankly – extend that lifetime. Here’s wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season. 

Lisa Troyer, Owner of Fitness Fanatics and fitness enthusiast for over 20 years

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Lose the Fat for GOOD!

Diet + exercise = weight loss. If your goal is to lose your saddlebags, flatten your belly and become leaner by melting away the fat forever, you must include both parts of this equation. Diet alone, will not do it, nor will exercise without diet. They go hand in hand.

Every human being is capable of phenomenal success. What people can do however, is often very different from what they will do. Ninety-five percent of everything you accomplish or fail to accomplish is determined by habits, either good or bad. Successful people have good habits that guide and direct them to even greater success. Unsuccessful people have bad habits that trip them up throughout their lives. 

     Change some of your habits by imagining an exciting, healthier future. Demanding more from yourself than anybody else could possibly expect is the essence of true power.

     Here are 10 simple habits that could make all the difference if your goal is fat loss for good: 

Drink more water:  One gallon of ice cold water burns 123 calories and is key to losing weight.

Cut the Carbs:  Decreasing your intake of processed sugars keeps your body’s insulin levels low, resulting in less fat storage.

No Diet Drinks:  Drinking diet soda is not as great as you think. Consuming artificial sweeteners on a regular basis makes people acquire a taste for sweeter foods.

Eat More Protein:  It builds muscle and increases your metabolism. 

Eat small, frequent meals:  It may seem like you’re eating more, but it keeps your metabolism burning steady. Fuel the fire!

Portion size:  One portion equals the size of your fist. 

Don’t skip breakfast:  Skipping breakfast reduces the number of calories burned by 500-700 per day. Eating breakfast increases your metabolic rate by 25 percent.

Easy on the salt:  The body needs 500mg/day, but the average diet contains 4000 to 6000mg/day. Reducing salt intake can help you shed water weight.

Strength Train:  Maintaining body functions accounts for 60-76 percent of your daily caloric expenditure. Muscle is 17-25 times more metabolically active than fat.

It’s about Intensity:  Thirty minutes of high-intensity exercise burns 500 calories – 100 of those calories from fat (20 percent). Thirty minutes of low-intensity exercise burns 100 calories – 60 of those from fat (60 percent). Even though low-intensity exercise burns a higher percentage of calories from fat, the bottom line is that you will burn more calories and more fat when working out at a high-intensity.

                                   Don’t worry about following all of these tips. Start by choosing a couple that seem to be appropriate for your situation. As you adjust to those, add a few more. 

     My clients who see the most results have mastered the weight-loss equation. I let them know immediately that exercising three or four hours per week is not going to cut it if they want to lose fat. Believe me, it’s what they do during the other 164 hours each week that really matters. They hear it, say it, believe it, and receive it. You can too.  

-Lisa Troyer, Owner of Fitness Fanatics and fitness enthusiast for over 20 years.

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Do You Need a Personal Trainer?

Certainly all of the rich and famous celebrities have one. Most elite athletes have one. Heck, even personal trainers have personal trainers. But should you use a personal trainer? More and more people, whether they are new to exercise or gym veterans, are working with personal trainers because they offer a practical and affordable means of getting and staying healthy.

Many automatically associate personal training with gyms full of hard-core bodybuilders. This is just not the case. Personal trainers can help anyone, regardless of their physical condition or age. Whether you are interested in bulking up or simply adding some definition, whether you just want to get in shape and lead a healthier lifestyle, whether you are recovering from an injury or you want to improve your athletic performance, whether you have weight-loss goals or perhaps you need motivation; all of the above are great reasons for hiring a personal trainer.

A good personal trainer can help you. This person will be your coach, role model, educator, cheerleader and motivator. Many individuals lose motivation when trying to stick with a consistent exercise program.  Certified trainers can provide structure and accountability and assist you in leading a healthy lifestyle. 

Studies indicate that you can achieve your fitness goals 40 percent faster using the assistance of a personal trainer. They will help you focus on results and you will stop wasting your time on inefficient workouts. 

 Most personal training programs will include a fitness evaluation that will consist of a series of tests designed to assess your fitness level, body-fat percentage, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance. It will also include a personalized exercise program that will be written specifically for you based on your personal fitness and health goals. Your training sessions will be supervised to make sure you are using proper form and technique and that you get the most from your workout safely. 

Once you make the decision to hire a personal trainer, it is important that you find one that suits your needs. You will want to make sure that your trainer is certified by a nationally recognized organization.  You will also want them to be experienced – don’t be afraid to ask for references. Be sure that they carry liability insurance and provide a business/cancellation policy in writing. Training rates may vary, depending on the trainer’s experience and the length of the workout session. 

 If you are satisfied with the information you gather, you finally must ask yourself if you genuinely like this person and if you could get along well with him or her. Regardless of their credentials, you must feel comfortable and confident with the trainer, his/her style of communication and the expectations of your time together. 

When these connections are made, you and your trainer can determine your best route to better health and fitness. It can’t be said much better than this quote from Karen Lamb, “A year from now you may wish you had started today.”

-Lisa Troyer, Owner of Fitness Fanatics and fitness enthusiast for over 20 years.

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@Fit_Fanatics at @scwfitness's Midwest Mania. We have a sweaty weekend ahead of us. (Taken with Instagram)

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Is Your Exercise Time - Time Well Spent?

      Many of my clients fall into the category of “Women in Business." Their days are sometimes a blur not only professionally, but with household chores, errands, and time with their family and friends. Setting aside enough time for sleep – let alone exercise – is sometimes challenging. I can personally attest to this fact. The key is to make your workout both efficient and effective in what little time you have.

     Statistics show that health club memberships continue to increase at a rapid pace. This is not to say that our lives have settled down and more people have extra time for fitness. I believe that people are prioritizing exercise by setting aside time and making that time - time well spent.

     Whether you are new to exercise and have started your list of goals or you are a veteran to the exercise arena, it is important that you have a plan and don’t allow yourself to make common mistakes that prevent productivity. Keep your enthusiasm level high. Here are a few suggestions that will help you to see results and ultimately assist you in achieving your goals.

Wake up early – My own facility is rockin’ at 5:45 a.m. People who exercise in the morning are more likely to stick with it. It’s very easy to “blow it off” come the end of the day.

Ask for an assessment – Particularly if you just started your program. Most clubs will sit down and talk to you about your goals and point you in the right direction. I am a believer in “numbers.” They give you a great baseline to track your progress.

Don’t overdo it – Many members jump into their program gung-ho. They exercise 5 days a week without allowing their body time to adapt. It’s easy to burn yourself out quickly.

Quality not Quantity – Since you are motivated in your job, it’s safe to say that you will also be motivated on the gym floor. Challenge yourself, but exercise should be enjoyable and relaxing. Give yourself a quality workout – 30 minutes of quality is far better than 45 minutes wondering around the gym floor. More time spent does not mean more results.

Invest in a personal trainer –  Especially if you want to get the most of your exercise time. A qualified trainer can guide in reaching your goals 40% faster than going it alone.

Intensity!! – Your desire is to improve your cardio fitness – therefore you must focus on intensity. Push yourself without overdoing it. Your muscles should feel fatigued when finished.

Ask for advice – Most people are embarrassed to ask how to use the gym equipment or they are reluctant to ask a trainer or staff member a question. That is what they are there for. Using poor technique is not only a waste of time, but can lead to an injury. ASK!!

     Lifestyles, jobs and family responsibilities are sometimes overwhelming, but once you find a convenient time for you, make it a habit and then be sure that it is valuable time well spent.     

Lisa Troyer, Owner of Fitness Fanatics and fitness enthusiast for over 20 years. 

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The Skinny on Spot-Reduction

In my profession I am frequently approached with questions like, “How do I get rid of this stomach?” or “Can you give me an exercise that will slim my thighs down?” 

Regardless which bodypart people want to reduce, my answer is always the same. I tell them to jump on a treadmill. Their initial reaction is a puzzling look that seems to question my expertise and doubt the fact that I know what I’m talking about. Jump on a treadmill? I guess they were expecting me to get down on the floor and demonstrate some phenomenal new crunch or leg lift that will give them a six-pack or thin, beautifully toned thighs. They are still under the assumption that they can lose excess fat in any one given area of their body.

The truth is plain and simple, but not something that everybody wants to hear -- there is no way to spot-reduce your problem areas. There is no amount of abdominal strengthening that will decrease those love handles and 100 leg lifts won’t eliminate dreaded saddlebags. In fact, by over-exercising one area of your body in attempt to get rid of fat, you might even make the “spot” more muscular, and therefore make it look larger – ugh!

Certainly tons of crunches will strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles; however the results will not be able to be seen until any excess fat is shed. I often tell my own clients that as often as we exercise, we probably all have a beautiful six-pack, but we aren’t going to see it until we get rid of the cooler that’s covering it.

From a physiological standpoint, muscle tissue is always firm. If it feels as if it is not firm it’s because of the presence of excess body fat. Body parts that do not look tone simply have too much fat covering them (genetics plays a huge part in where we carry our fat). It is impossible to turn fat into muscle as they are made up of completely different cells and one can’t convert into the other. Fat must be lost through cardiovascular training and muscle must be built through strength training.

Hence, my very profound, professional answer: “Jump on the treadmill.” To truly notice any muscle definition, you must combine exercise with a reduced-calorie diet. With the perfect combination, your body will be forced to burn the fat that covers your muscles. The exciting result is being able to see the muscles that were always there.

If there is a part of your body that you are dissatisfied with; my advice is to practice a good overall fitness program which includes a reduced calorie intake, plenty of cardiovascular activity, and a well-rounded weight-training program. Weight-training increases muscle size and the larger the muscle the more calories your body will burn even at rest. Keep working hard and your six pack will be unveiled in no time.

Lisa Troyer, Owner of Fitness Fanatics and fitness enthusiast for over 20 years. 

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I started 10 months ago today and I am a NEW person.

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No Free Weights? No Machines? No Problem!

Whether or not you belong to a gym, perhaps you are a frequent traveler or maybe you’re just plain bored with your current workouts and the machines available. There is an alternative…… bodyweight training. In my opinion, bodyweight training is far superior for overall fitness and will actually help you reach goals of burning fat and building muscle.

It’s quite simple and dates back to when you were in middle school and were forced to do push-ups, chin-ups and sit-ups. Remember the dreaded Physical Fitness Tests? Whatever happened to those “old-fashioned” exercises? Oh they are still around and they are as effective as ever. They are actually one of the reasons why Boot Camp style workouts are so popular today. Bodyweight training is one of the safest, most versatile and healthy ways for you to exercise.     

The power of your own body and using your own bodyweight to provide resistance is so often overlooked. Get stronger, get leaner and get healthier with the convenience of having your equipment with you 24/7.

Stop searching through Fitness Magazines and the internet for a good workout and get back to the basics. Sure free weights and machines will make you stronger, but they often target a certain muscle group rather than a movement. Take a bicep curl with free weights or a lat pull-down on a machine; these two exercises are called “open-chain” exercises, which means they only use one joint as the resistance is moved away from or toward the body.

When you train using your bodyweight with exercises such as a push-up or a lunge, you are performing what is called a “closed-chain” exercise, which use multiple joints as the resistance is moved away from or toward an anchored body part. Closed-chain exercises are more functional and result in a greater motor unit activation which results in better strength performance compared to open-chain exercises.  

The push-up is one of my favorite exercises. It’s ridiculously effective. I tell my clients that when they are performing a push-up they are firing almost every muscle in their body. Most people think of a push-up as a chest exercise and although the pectorals are the primary muscle group; your arms are also flexing and extending, your core is working as your powerhouse and your leg muscles are activated as they hold your position.  I incorporate push-ups into most workouts and the beauty is that you can do a push-up anywhere.

Five of my favorite bodyweight exercises are; push-ups, seated dips, squats, lunges and crunches. These five exercises can be used in a circuit for a full-body workout and they can be easily modified for your own level of fitness. A sample workout may be 15 push-ups, 15 squats, 15 seated dips, 15 alternating lunges and 30 crunches. You can repeat all five exercises (15 reps of each) 2 or 3 times initially. As you progress, add more repetitions and then additional sets. Perfect form is always the key, even if you need to modify the exercise. You can check-out the proper technique for each exercise on the internet (youtube is great).

Of course it is still important to strength-train with weights, but by adding bodyweight exercises regularly, you will begin to notice the benefits and best of all, you will see results. 

Lisa Troyer, Owner of Fitness Fanatics and fitness enthusiast for over 20 years. 

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You CAN do it!