Vitogo

The official blog of Vitogo - a personal trainer at your fingertips.

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words to live by

[fabfitfun]

Truth!

[myvitogo]

How to Choose a Gym

Great!  You've decided to sign up for a gym membership.  Now, how do you find a gym that works for you?  Here are some of our tips on choosing the right gym:

1.  Location - The hardest part about going to the gym is getting there.  Some days, you just aren't going to feel motivated.  That's why it's important to choose a gym location that's as convenient as possible.  Think about what time you want to work out and whether it would be easier to go to a gym that's close to your work, school, or home.

2.  Cost - Be sure to consider whether the gym charges an initiation fee in addition to a monthly membership fee.  Some initiation fees can be hundreds of dollars.  Check whether you can get a student or corporate rate - that high-end gym near the office might be less expensive than you think if your company is a corporate member!  Some gyms will also offer reduced rates or waive the initiation fee at certain times of the year.

3. Contract - Ask about the gym's contract and cancellation policy.  Some gyms only require 30 days notice to cancel, while others have strict policies that require you to send a written letter to their corporate office.  If you are unsure about whether you will be living or working in the same neighborhood for a while, it might be worth it to find a gym that offers month-to-month memberships, rather than locking yourself into a year long membership. Read any contract that the gym asks you to sign!

4.  Try it Out for Yourself - Most gyms will let you try the place out for day or even a week.  If you know someone who is already a member, you can also usually come in for free with a guest pass.  Trying out a gym is really the best way to find out whether the gym is a good fit for your workout and personality.

5.  Equipment - Does the gym have all the equipment that you need for your workout?  Is there a good selection of free weights and machines?  Will the gym be able to grow with you as you progress in your own fitness?  Look to see whether there are enough mirrors in the weight room and that you have all the weights/machines that you need to complete your workout.  Check for red flags, such as very old/broken machines and cleanliness. 6. Hours - Another important consideration when choosing a gym are its hours.  Ask about holidays and weekends.  Some gyms can get very crowded before/after the work day, so be sure to check the gym out at a time that you plan to go regularly to make sure that it's not too crowded.

7.  Reviews - Read reviews on Yelp and ask friends/colleagues for recommendations.  Many gyms will give both you and your friend a discount for referrals, so you might even end up saving some money as well!

8.  Staff - Are the staff friendly and helpful?  If you plan on hiring a personal trainer, what is their education, certification, and experience?  Does the gym have both male and female trainers?  Are there staff members who can help you if you have questions or need a spot?

9.  Fitness Classes - Does the gym offer complimentary fitness classes to its members?  Ask to see a schedule of classes to make sure that they are offered at times that you're able to attend.  Many gyms offer a wide array of classes, including yoga, pilates, zumba, boot camps, and group strength training and aerobics.

10.  Perks - More expensive gyms will often come with more perks, so you'll have to decide whether they are worth it to you.  Does the gym provide free lockers and towels?  Is there a pool or sauna?  What is available in the locker room?  Some gyms even offer complimentary shampoo, razors, hairspray, etc. for their members.

Read: wikiHow,  Ace Fitness, Bodybuilding.com.

[myvitogo]

Mythbusters - Women's Strength Training & the Incredible Bulk

One common misconception that many women have about strength training is that if you start lifting heavy weights, you will wake up one day with arms bigger than your waist.  This is absolutely not true. 

Women do not end up looking like bodybuilders unless they spend years working out at a very high volume (usually while using steroids) and eat a LOT of food. Women just don't have enough testosterone to build muscle mass the same way that men do.  If you work out regularly using heavy weights, you will end up looking leaner and more defined - not bulky.

How do I get that "toned" look?

"Toning" is actually a bit of a myth.  Fat doesn't turn into muscle (and muscle also doesn't turn into fat).  The toned look comes from building muscle and losing fat. This requires the proper combination of calorie intake, cardio, and strength training. Don't be afraid to lift weights! If you aren't working hard, then you aren't going to see the results that you want. Lifting soup cans or three-pound weights is not going to help you achieve the toned look that you want.  Sure, it might be okay in the beginning, but you need to progress to a heavier weight as soon as you can easily do more than 8-12 repetitions.  If you aren't challenging yourself, then you will just get bored and fail to see results.

What are some of the other benefits of strength training for women?

Besides looking and feeling better, there are a lot of other reasons that women should focus on strength training.  Here are just a few:

Strength Training Can Reduce your Risk of Osteoporosis - Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones that primarily affects women.  People with the disease have weakened bones that break easily.  Strength training can improve bone density, which, along with a healthy intake of Calcium and Vitamin D, can prevent osteoporosis.

Strength Training Increases Strength (Surprise!) - Regular strength training makes you physically stronger, which will not only make your day-to-day life easier, but will help you pick up new activities with greater ease and less of a risk of injury. Planning a ski or hiking trip? Strength training will help you be the hottest thing on the mountain!

Strength Training Helps you Lose Fat - Strength training burns a lot of calories, which can help you lose fat, reducing your risk of obesity-related diseases, like diabetes and heart disease.

[myvitogo]

If you can't do it for the rest of your life, it isn't going to work

When it comes to diet and exercise, if you can't do it for the rest of your life, it isn't going to work.

This should make sense. If you start a restrictive diet to lose weight, get down to a weight you are happy with, but then go back to eating the same type and quantity of food you used to, you will gain weight again. Also, if you go to the gym, but hate what you're doing there, you aren't going to keep going (and you're probably going to be pretty lazy about what you do while you are there).

The way you lose or gain weight is pretty simple. If you consume more calories a day than you burn, you'll gain weight. If you consume fewer calories a day than you burn, you'll lose weight. It's really that simple. You don't need a restrictive diet, extreme exercise, or diet pills - just focus on (1) calories, (2) cardio, and (3) strength training.

Calories

The amount of calories you burn during the day depends on your physical activity, but generally, the average male will burn about 2,500 calories a day, and the average female will burn about 2,000 calories a day. You can find out about how many calories you burn each day here. 

So, an effective "diet" is to focus on eating about 500 calories less than you burn each day. The nice thing about this is you can still eat the things you like, so long as you don't consume to many calories, which means you are going to be much more likely to stick to your diet, and lose or maintain weight.

The question is, how do you know how many calories you are consuming? You have to count them. Don't freak out. It's pretty easy. The best service I've found is Lose it! It's free, and you'll love it. Most people are shocked at the amount of calories they eat, and find they can cut down their calorie consumption dramatically by just eating smaller portion sizes. A lot of people are also shocked by how many calories are in some of their low fat food choices like pasta.

The next step is regular exercise.  The type of exercise you do doesn't matter, as long as you include some cardiovascular exercise (like running, cycling, or soccer) and strength training.  Try to do something active at least a few times each week and find some friends to keep you motivated.

Cardio

As far as cardio goes, if you're looking for a fun way to engage with your outdoor exercise and activity, try RunKeeper. RunKeeper does a great job tracking your activities and motivating you to set goals, beat your past records, beat your friends, and just get out and do something active. It's for everything, not just running. RunKeeper also tracks how many calories you burn during you activity, so that means you know exactly how many more calories you can eat after doing an activity with RunKeeper, which is pretty great. Or if you go out and eat or drink a bit more than you wanted, you can use RunKeeper to figure out what you need to do to burn enough calories to get back under your calorie budget for the day.

Strength Training

Strength training is a critical (but often overlooked) element of your weight-loss plan.  There are numerous benefits to strength training, but here are five of our personal favorites:

Strength training can boost your metabolism, speeding up weight-loss

Strength training also strengthens your bones

Strength training makes your body look more "toned" and defined

Strength training improves your heart health

Strength training can reduce your risk of injury

So, there you have it. There is no secret to losing weight, getting healthy, and looking good.  It just requires awareness of your calorie intake and regular exercise.  Find activities that you enjoy and friends that can help you stay on track. Now, get off your computer and start seeing some results!

[myvitogo]

Welcome to Vitogo - The Blog Edition

Our team has been working hard on the future of Vitogo, gearing up to launch Version 1 this Winter.  We couldn't contain our excitement much longer, so we launched this blog to share our ideas, milestones, updates on Vitogo, and most importantly, everything you want to know about health and fitness.

What is the Problem we Solve?

It's no secret that strength training is a crucial component of a fit and healthy lifestyle.  Whether your goal is to build muscle, lose weight, firm and tone, or just get healthy, strength training (along with proper nutrition and cardiovascular exercise) will help you achieve your fitness goal.

The problem is that strength training can be confusing and intimidating.  Any time you walk into a gym, you can see numerous "lost" members, who fall into three categories. 

First, there are the "cardio bunnies," who will jump on the elliptical or the stairmaster and not leave until their workout is done (or an episode of the Biggest Loser is over). They might try to do a few sets on a machine or two, but wouldn't dream of going near the free weights! 

Next, there are the "wanderers."  Wanderers roam about the gym, observing what other people seem to be doing, and piecing together a routine.  Wanderers are usually too intimidated to ask for help, and tend to go to the gym intermittently, never achieving any real results. 

Finally, there are the "researchers," who will buy books, magazines, and videos, and search the internet for exercises and strength training programs.  The problem that researchers face is that the programs that they find in books and on websites aren't tailored to their personal fitness data and goals.  It's easy to find a "15-day Ab Buster" strength training program online, but what do you do once those 15 days are over?

What is Vitogo?

Vitogo is "your strength training architect."  It is an iPhone app and website that takes users' personal fitness data and goals and builds them a personalized strength training program. 

Users can take their iPhone to the gym with them, and Vitogo will walk them through their strength training program, showing them how to do their exercises through videos and descriptions, counting them down through each exercise, and sending all the data back to the Vitogo website. 

On the website, users will be able to see detailed graphs and analytics for their own strength training activity and share it with their friends.  Game mechanics, like badges and a leaderboard, are built into Vitogo to help keep users motivated.  After 5-6 weeks of completing their exercise program with Vitogo, users will automatically progress to a new program.

How are we Different?

Vitogo is different from other strength training and fitness apps out there because:

Vitogo actually builds personalized programs from a large database of exercises based on the data and goals that users enter into the app on sign-up.  Most other strength training apps only provide a list of exercises for users to choose from, which is no different than bringing an A-Z text book of strength training exercises with you to the gym.

Vitogo incorporates game mechanics and the support of friends to keep users motivated.

Vitogo gives users detailed graphs and analytics of each exercise they complete, tracks their progress, and shows how close they are to achieving their goals.

Vitogo helps users progress by giving them an updated program every 5-6 weeks. this is critical to ensure that users don't plateau or get bored with their current program.  As far as we know, there is no other app that provides this service.

I'm Interested!  Tell me More!

if you are interested in finding out more about Vitogo, would like to work for us, or invest in us, then follow us on Twitter, find us on Facebook, or send us an email at: [email protected].  We look forward to meeting you!