There isn’t a day go by that there isn’t some new gadget or piece of fitness equipment being hustled on TV.  Now, I don’t spend a lot of time watching the Shopping Channel, but everyone once in a while if channel surfing, I will come across something that I just have to stay and watch.  It never ceases to amaze me what latest fitness gimmick is out there.  There always seems to be the latest fad for losing weight, trimming the fat, shaping the body.

The question always comes up – well do they work?  In a word with most of them – no!  A lot of the latest gimmicks on TV have no basis in muscle physiology or function.  They are all offering the same thing – a quick fix with no real effort.  Unfortunately life just doesn’t happen that way.  Staying fit and trim takes hard work and dedication.

With all these latest fads hitting the market, I thought it was time to talk about the old classics.  The old faithful stand bys in every sound strength training program.  It doesn’t matter what your fitness goals are, there are some constants that need to be there in order for any program to be successful.  A couple are consistency and intensity.  You need to be consistent in your workouts to notice any results or progress and you also need to be working out with the right intensity to make a difference to your body.

One of the ways to remain consistent and keep the intensity high is to stick the old time weight lifting exercises.  Some of these would be:

• Squats and all its variations – dumbbell squats, sumo squats, single leg squats, Bulgarian squats, back or front squats
• Deadlifts and all its variations – sumo deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, single leg deadlifts, hex or trap bar deadlifts
• Pushing movements – bench presses, dumbbell presses, push ups
• Pulling movements – all the rowing movements (dumbbell rows, cable rows, bent over bar rows), lat pulldowns
• Lunging movements – forward lunges, rear lunges,  rotating lunges, side lunges

With these compound exercises you are engaging more muscles to work, burning more calories while workout out and if done with the right combination and right intensity, creating an EPOC effect (post exercise oxygen consumption).  It is this calorie burning that occurs post exercise that is responsible for weight loss and fat burning.

Incorporating these compound movements in your exercise sessions with in essence give you a bigger bank for your buck.  Forget all the latest gadgets you see on TV.  Most of them are a waste of your hard earned money and most of the time after purchased, tend to sit and collect dust.  Invest your money in a fitness professional who can design a strength program based on the old standbys and you will not only be healthier but you will be getting excellent value for your money, and you won’t have something sitting in the corner of your living room collecting dust or clothes.

Till next time,

Narina

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I just completed another week of Combat the Fat training and I must say, while I love heavy lifting, this was a very effective workout plan that I will keep on my shelf for future use.  The intensity was perfect for me.  The concepts were sound and they really worked.  I wound up losing 5 inches from my midsection and I lost 10 lbs. on the scale.  All of my numbers were extremely positive.

The biggest lesson I learned from Combat the Fat is that low intensity cardio can be extremely intense.  When I do the one hour session I wind up drenched in sweat.  The hour goes by so fast that it feels like 10 minutes.  I am always amazed when I realize that I am done with the workout.  It is strange, but a great feeling.

Another big lesson is something I already knew, but this program reconfirmed for me—discipline brings about progress.  The Combat the Fat program really forces you to be consistent with your workouts and your nutrition.  That consistency pays off in a big way when you do it for 12 straight weeks.

I honestly miss lifting heavy weights and throwing the plates around.  I am looking forward to my next cycle of training because I am planning to go heavy with very slow repetitions.  The challenge will be amazing.  However, I have alot of respect for both body weight exercises and unconventional approaches to working out now that I’ve basically completed the Combat the Fat program. 

Top 5 Lessons From Combat the Fat Training

1.  Low intensity cardio can be intense when done correctly and with maximum effort.

2.  CTF Pyramids are nightmarish and will become a part of my arsenal when trying to shock a stubborn body part into growing.

3.  Consistent nutrition is the key to successful fat loss.  I would say it is as much as 80% of the results you get from a program.

4.  Having a plan of attack is essential to successful fat loss.  The haphazard approach just does not work.

5.  Fruit is a great snack for energy.  While many think fruit is bad for you, chosen wisely, it is an awesome part of your nutritional plan.

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For a few years now bodybuilding has been a passion of mine.  I have worked hard at learning all about it.  I’ve attended competitions.  I’ve dreamt of being on stage.  Those dreams will now become a reality.

I have committed to entering the Western All Forces Bodybuilding and Figure Championships in Anaheim, California on August 14, 2010.  This is a huge goal for me, but one I know I will do well with.  I have enlisted the help of trainer extraordinaire, Carlos DeJesus.  I am going to kick off training for this competition next week (Tuesday, September 22, 2009) using a High Intensity Training full body workout 3 days a week.  I will be hitting the muscles hard with a 3 seconds up, 3 seconds down repetition.  The goal will be 4 to 6 repetitions for the upper body and 8 to 10 repetitions for the lower body.  This sounds easy until you think of the cadence – 3-0-3-0.  That can be very brutal.

The goal of my initial program is to kick start the muscle growth I’ve been experiencing.  I am aiming to accelerate that growth.  I am going to utilize some tricks I’ve learned with Combat the Fat training to burn fat while I’m building muscle.  This is going to be a difficult 11 months of my life, but I am completely sold out for this competition.  I am giving everything I have to this and I will not fail.

I will be publishing daily updates on my progress on my blog, The Muscle Building Fat Burning Machine.   I will post weekly summaries here on Fitness Expose.  Please be sure to comment as your comments help to inspire me.  Knowing that I will be receiving comments each day really pumps me up and invigorates my training.  I will also be tweeting my thoughts on my progress using hashtag #mjmbb from now until the contest has come and gone.  If you are not following me on Twitter, now is the time.  I can be found as @MikeMahony.  You can also find me on Facebook where I will be posting some of my thoughts on this process as well.

I look forward to the next 11 months of my life and I hope you will be right alongside me as I take this journey.

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I often come across articles on other web sites and sometimes in the newspaper advising people on what to look for in a personal trainer or a fitness facility.  And I often ask myself, "Just what makes a good Personal Trainer". 

Well, I think it could mean a number of things and if you asked a number of people you would get a few common threads expressed.   You would think knowledge would be a top priority in most peoples' minds.  I agree that knowledge is important and a thorough knowledge of anatomy/physiology, exercise technique, teaching methods all are crucial in the development of a good personal trainer.

But, in my opinion I think the technical aspects of personal training – the anatomy, proper squat and deadlift form, even methods of teaching can all be learned given a desire to do so and time.  The most critical part to me is a caring attitude.  I am often reminded of a phrase I once read.  I wish I could remember where I read it or who wrote it so I could give them credit.  But, the phrase goes like this:

"No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care."

I think no truer words were written and it is something I have based by business on since Day 1.  I have always been involved in fitness.  I have been active my whole life, from riding and showing horses (jumpers/dressage) as a kid to young adulthood where weight lifting/bodybuilding took over.  Do I have a passion for what I do?  You bet I do!  Do I like to spread the word about fitness?  You bet, I will tell anyone who will lend me their ear.
But, for me it is all about caring.  I truly care about every single client that allows us the privilege of training them.   I always strive to make their one hour spent with us in the gym the highlight of their day, even if they do have to drag the sled around.  I care about them, I care about their children, their pets.  I love to hear what is going on in their lives and in their childrens' lives.  I am always happy to trade critter stories.

When the times comes that a client leaves us, I am truly sad.  And it is not about the loss of income, it is because I am going to miss seeing that person and miss sharing an hour.  I honestly think I go through a little separation anxiety every time someone leaves.   So, thank goodness we do not have a large turnover of clients.  It is not that often that a client leaves once they start training with us and for my stress level that is a good thing.

There is often a discussion among facility owners and even other personal trainers about what would you look for as an employer hiring training staff.  For me education and certifications matter of course, but none of it means anything if you don't genuinely care about the people you train.  It is my hope that my clients know how much I care about their health and well being and how much I care about providing the best in personal training services.  And I believe they care about me as well and they show that by continuing to work with me and my staff at our studio and they continue to refer family and friends to us as well.

If you are looking for a personal trainer to work with keep these thoughts in mind.  For the genuine trainer, it about the client.  It is all about caring and showing an interest.  They should have a passion for what they do and you should feel this.

Keep well, train hard.
Till next time,
Narina

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