For tonight, just an interesting article that an associate sent me. It really makes you think.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/Advice/WhatIfNoOneWereFat.aspx

While talking to one of our members today, I learned that she was doing the same leg workout, three times per week, and had been doing that for months. Not to dwell on this, but unless you are doing total body circuit workouts, you should not be training the same body part more than (at the very most) twice per week.

After our conversation, I realized that many exercisers keep doing the same workouts for months and sometimes year on end. While this is comfortable for most folks, it is most definitely not the most effective way to attain your fitness goals.

When you start any new workout program, you will see pretty immediate results because your body is trying to adjust to the increased stress from different exercises, increased weight, reps, etc.

However, as you stay on the same program, your body begins to adapt by getting stronger, more toned and having more muscular endurance. Eventually, once your body is completely used to the exercises and weight that you are doing, the results begin to decrease. You see increased results for a few weeks, and then you eventually hit a point of dimishing returns.

So how long should you stay on one program? Four to six weeks at the most. Then, your workout should change. Not just increasing weight, or changing around the order of your exercises, but changing your workout completely, if you are looking for continuing results. If you are doing a full body machine circuit workout, change to a traditional three or four day per week bodybuilding style workout. After that, change over to a functional workout, etc.

There is obviously too much information to get through, with useless internet, magazine and infomercial articles to accurately decide what kind of workout and exercises you should change to, so this is why, at the very least, you should meet with a fitness professional every four to six weeks, even if you’re not able to work with one regularly.

Changing your workouts regularly is one of the most important facets to ensuring that you will continue changing your body and seeing the results that you want!
Until next time,

I was traveling this past weekend, and as I always do, I had to find a club to workout at for a couple of different reasons. One, I don’t like to miss too many workouts when I’m out of town, and two, I always like to see how other owners & companies do things. I’ve been fortunate to workout in health clubs and gyms all throughout Florida, as well as multiple clubs in 15 other states, three other countries, and one cruise ship. Yeah, I’m that much of fitness dork, I even work out on vacation…..

Anyway, how do you know where to workout when you’re out of town? Well, first things first, unless you’re staying at an extremely upscale hotel/resort in one of the big cities (Vegas, New York, Chicago; yeah that’s pretty much it) the hotel “fitness centers” aren’t going to be worth much, so unless you just really don’t want to pay anything to “workout,” then don’t even bother looking at the hotel “fitness center.”

Secondly, plan ahead. As you know, as a member of EBF, you have reciprocal privliges at over 3000 healthclubs worldwide through IHRSA’s Passport program. Pick up a passport card at the front desk, and go onto www.healthclubs.com to find a club near where you’ll be staying. Call ahead to find out what their normal daily & weekly fees are, as well as what the discount is for Passport members.
Also, if you’re not sure and can’t tell from their website, simply ask if they consider themselves to be a gym or a healthclub.
I always recommend working out a health club when out of town, b/c you never know what you’re going to get with a gym.
[It's easiest to give examples of what the difference between the two are, using clubs here in town. World Gym, Gold's, Powerhouse and Super Fitness are all examples of gyms.
Yeah, like that.
Besides EBF, the only real health clubs in town are Lifestyle Family Fitness and what used to be Brooks Health & Fitness. When you travel, if you are anywhere near a Lifestyle Family Fitness, Life Time Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, LA Fitness, Equinox or a Town Sports club (name varies based on city: New York Sports Clubs, Boston Sports Clubs, etc) go there. Trust me, it’s worth whatever you have to pay.

Unless you’re a meathead, stay away from the gyms, or you could end up in Arnold’s Heavy Iron Gym, with 15 benches, one treadmill circa 1982, and neon lighting around the ceiling. I’m not joking; I was at one of those dinosuars like that last September.

Third, call a couple of the clubs that you are going to be near, and ask what ammenities the club has, as well as which of those a guest membership allows you access to. Ask if they have lockers and if they proivde locks or if you need to bring your own. Do they provide towel service? Is it an extra fee? Can you take group fitness classes while on your guest pass? What’s the busiest time in the club? Believe it or not, this can vary from place to place. Do they have drinks or a juice bar where you can purchase your pre-workout energy drinks and your post-workout protein shakes?
Although Healthclubs.com does kind of have a map feature, it would be best to copy the address (make sure when you call the club that their address is correct on the website; I’ve learned that one the hard way too) and either google map directions from your hotel, or write it down somewhere to plug it into your car’s GPS system.

When you get to the club, explain that you called ahead of time, and are going to get a guest pass, but ask to tour the club first. I rarely do this, simply because I’m a guy, and in some of the larger clubs, I’ve ended up wandering around for ten minutes looking for the locker rooms.
If it does turn out to be a meathead gym, or it’s all college students, or it’s seniors fitness center, and you’re not comfortable there, then go to one of your other club choices! A quick note, make sure you do this, as even clubs’ websites can be deceiving. The gym I went to this weekend in NW D.C. had an awesome “health club” feel to its website, but it was definitely a gym, not a health club, which doesn’t bother me, because I will (and have) workout anywhere, but that’s certainly for a small niche group of people.
I’ve found most health club members like to be comfortable, well-lit, and clean when they workout.
Finally, when you do find a club where you are comfortable, take advantage of all the ammenities they have to offer if you have time!
Until next time,
-Isaiah

I’ve gotten a few questions recently regarding what kinds of supplements kids should or should not take. (For purposes here, when I say “kids” I mean young exercisers, athletes, etc. between the ages of 13 and 18 years old).

Thanks to the media scare tactics, many parents and kids have been led to believe that “supplements,” and “performance enhancing supplements,” are horrible, evil things that kill people, destroy families, make people go insane, cause famines, start wars and cause cute little bunny rabbits to be brutally slaughtered.

Right. If you believe that, then I’ve got some pristine ocean front property to sell you in Iowa for a great deal!

Seriously, though, no distinction is ever made in media reports between “supplements,” and illegal, unprescribed steroids. Steroids are absolutely horrible for young people; the effects and consequence of youth steroid use are for another post, probably to come soon, since it is such a big topic.

Dictionary.com’s definition of “supplements,” is: Something added to complete a thing, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole.

Supplements for sports or excerise performance are not only recommended for all people, some are absolutely critical, especially for young athletes.

Why? Because it is almost impossible to get all of the vitamins, minerals and caloric requirements that are needed for healthy growth and recovery from excercise participation from our daily diets.
And as you know, most young folks nutrition plans probably wouldn’t make it into a “Top 10 Diets” list. Kids need nutritional supplements just as much, if not more, than adults to help make up for what they don’t get in their diets.

So don’t be afraid to purchase supplements for your kids. Just be aware of what you’re buying them.
I’ve compiled a list of recommended supplements for young exercisers, as well as a list of things you should absolutely not purchase for kids.
(NOTE: The supplements recommended or not recommend are not inherently bad or good for adult populations; the explanations for each are directed towards young exercisers)
Recommended supplements

(1) Multi-vitamin: Shocker, kids typically don’t eat enough of the proper foods to get their daily needs for vitamins. Forget the Flinstone’s chewable rip-off deal too; buy something that will actually do something for a kid’s body. I recommend ProGrade’s VGF 25+ as it isn’t a traditional “multi-vitamin,” rather a whole foods complex vitamin. Think about like putting your daily dose of vegetables & fruits in a blender & then cramping into a pill.

(2) Whey Protein Powder: Protein is the buiding block nutrient for muscle, bone, tendon, ligament, hair and teeth growth and repair.
Another news flash: kid’s typically don’t get enough lean protein in their diets either! Pepperoni and chesse on pizza doesn’t count, for example. Supplementing with protein is an absolute must for young athletes and exercisers, for both those wanting to gain or lose weight. Prograde makes two excellent protein supplements, one called ProGrade Workout that is for immediately after a workout or athletic event, and one called ProGrade Lean that can be used as a snack or a meal replacement, depending on daily caloric needs.

(3) Creatine: There are as many myths about creatine as there are about steroids.
Here’s the real deal: creatine is one of the only supplements to have been studied multiple times in both short-term and long-term studies, for all different modalities of sports, for adults, kids, athletes, non-athletes, weight gainers and weight losers, etc.
Basically, creatine has been studied for decades, and they’ve studied it six ways to Sunday. The results are always a resounding “excercisers should use this” positive for the product. Creatine consistently enhances performance in all users if taken correctly.
If you have or are a young athlete, you should aboslutely be taking creatine. That’s it. For more info on creatine, talk to a qualified fitness professional at Every BODY Fitness.

It’s pretty simple too, so most brands you buy will work: again, Optimum Nutrition and IsoPure are recommended.

Do not purchase, or allow your kid to purchase Supplments:
(1) Fat-Burners: You’ll see these called different things, by many different brand names, but they’re all basically the same thing. Diet pills, energy pills, HydroxyCut, Xenedrine, Ripped Fuel, Slim Quick, Hoodia, Lipovox, Trim Spa, Stacker. The list is endless.
Basically anything claiming to help you “Get energy,” “Burn fat,” or “Lose weight” are NOT RECOMMENDED for young people. Kids don’t need caffeine or other uppers to lose weight. They need more activity than XBox, Guitar Hero or sitting in school for 8 hours a day can provide.
Their systems (metabolism, testosterone, etc) are all high enough; they don’t need anymore. This goes for popular “Energy” drinks as well: Monster, RockStar, No Fear, Amp, Vault, etc. that can be purchased at any local convenience store.

(2) Apppetite Suppressants: These are similar to fat-burners, in that there are endless names and products, many of which are combined with fat-burners. No one needs to have their appetite depressed, least of all kids, they just need to eat the right things.
Buying any pill or supplements that messes with the body’s the natural functions (i.e. hunger, food digestion) should set off red flags for anyone with good sense.

Imagine a suppplment that claimed “Live in Maine? Never be cold again! Just take these pills, put on your T-Shirt and go outside, you won’t feel a thing!” Would you buy THAT for your kids?! Exactly.

(3) Pro-hormones: Although these have technically been banned, there are still many variations of the same rose by a different name for sale. Kids do not need to have their hormones messed with by some pills! All of their hormone levels are high enough, unless they have a specific medical condition, in which case a physician will provide the proper prescriptions to correct. Some examples you may see are Tribulus, Methyl-1, 4-AD, Androstene, Decavol, T-Bomb; again an almost endless list.

That’s it this time. I’m going to go take my sleeping pills and go to bed…………….
that’s a joke, BTW!
Til next time,
Isaiah

I received a question from a woman recently asking what she could do to lose weight without working out. She is a busy, working mother of two young children, and legitimately does not have the time to get back into the gym to lose the baby weight like she did after her first child.
I know many people who think that they don’t have time to go the gym consistenly, have the same question, so I’ve answered it below, in a shorter format than I answered her.

First and most important to note before delving into this info, is that by utilizing diet alone and not excersing consistently, you can lose some bodyfat (weight), but you will absolutely, without question, eventually hit a plateau where you will not be able to lose anymore weight. In some cases, you will, without excersise, begin to regain weight, even doing the same things and eating the same portions that had originally caused you to lose weight.

Of course, the only solution to this is to join Every BODY Fitness, and work with one of their awesome personal trainers!

[I've put this in numbered steps form for ease of use, and importance of diet]

(1) Water: You aren’t drinking enough water! How do I know this? Studies have shown that up to 75% of all Americans are chronically dehydrated. That means that the rest of you are probably dehydrated some of the time.

Being dehydrated dramatically decreases your body’s ability to perform normal functions, and decreases your metabolism and energy level. Shoot for at least a gallon throughout the day. Sounds like a lot at first, but just work your way up to it; it’s definitely doable! And cut all other drinks: gatorade, sodas, teas, whole fat milk, etc.

(2)Meal Frequency: Eating for your body is like pay day: when you get paid infrequently, and don’t know when you are going to get paid (eat), you will spend as little as possible (burn few calories) and save as much as possible (store every calorie your body can as fat).
Conversely, if you get paid daily, and know you are going to get paid (eat) regularly, you are probably going to save less (store few calories as fat), and spend more (burn more calories daily).
Gradually increase your eating to five to six times per day (2 1/2 to 3 hour increments), obviously smaller than normal meals. If you are already eating three meals a day, throw in a snack between breakfast & lunch, and one between lunch and dinner, and you’re already up to five per day!

Sounds weird, but you HAVE to eat more frequently in order to lose weight, especially if you aren’t exercising.

(3)Protein: Eat lean proteins with your meals. Lean means with as little fat as possible. Chicken, turkey, egg whites, tuna, lean cuts of beef, fish, etc.

(4)Fat: Eat healthy, unsaturated fats. Your body does need a certain amount of healthy fats. You can find healthy fats in fish, eggs and certain types of nuts. Or, if you can’t get enough fat, you can supplement with EFA or fish oil caps.

(5)Carbs: CARBOHYDRATES DO NOT MAKE YOU FAT!!! While Dr. Atkins scared the country to death of carbs, your body has to have these for normal brain and body functions. Cutting carbs WILL NOT allow you to experience healthy, consistent, permanent weight loss. Cut the sugars; eat only healthy carbs with your meals: things that are found in oatmeal, sweet potatoes, vegetables, etc. Google glycemic index and pick low glycemic index foods from those lists that you like to add to your diet.

(6)Junk food: This should be obvious, but “cheating” on your nutrition plan will not cut it like it can if you are exercising regularly. Lose the cheeses, sauces, fried foods, sweets, white bread, chips, candy, butter, dressings, etc. if you truly want to be able to lose weight while not working out.

I know most people will need a better explanation for each of these things, and to get more in-depth information, you should consult one of Every BODY Fitness’ personal trainers.Til next time,
—Isaiah