Your Pre-Thanksgiving Workout

So the big meal is upon us. I'd like to wish everybody a very Happy Thanksgiving and just remind you that there are ways to compensate for all that overeating we will be doing. Although I don't recommend overeating, I know that it sort of goes with the territory on Thanksgiving. So I have compiled this short (so there's no excuse to not get it in) but intense workout for you to do this week to get that metabolism moving fast and better able to burn up all the calories you'll be consuming.

I did this workout myself today and I was finished in about 30 minutes. The time will vary depending on your skill level, however, it should be intense no matter what.

What we have here are intervals of 2 minutes of running on the treadmill, hopping off carefully, doing 10x of an exercise and hopping back on the treadmill. It combines cardio intervals at different paces with cardio drills and strength drills, to combine building lean muscle, burning many calories,and shredding fat, thus speeding up your metabolism.

Alter this workout if you choose by using an elliptical machine, stairmaster, etc., but don't cheat yourself, use a challenging machine.

*2 min. treadmill (jog easy pace)
*hop off the treadmill and do 10 burpies, get back on the treadmill (I just left mine running and eased my way back on, be careful when doing this though)
*2 min. treadmill (medium pace)
*10 burpies
*2 min. treadmill (same pace)
*10 burpies
*2 min. treadmill (slightly faster pace)
*10 squat jumps
*2 min. treadmill (same pace)
*10 squat jumps
*2 min. treadmill (fast pace, not a sprint though)
*10 squat jumps
*2 min. treadmill (same pace)
*20 jumping jacks
*2 min. treadmill (faster pace)
*20 jumping jacks
*2 minute treadmill (same pace)
*20 jumping jacks
*2 min. treadmill (sprint)
*10 push-ups
*2 min. treadmill (slow down, but still fast))
*10 push-ups
*2 min. treadmill (easy jog)
*10 push-ups

Hit the showers!

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It's Not Goodbye, It's 'See ya Later'

I wrote this in my personal blog, but figured since it had to do with me leaving a place where I have practiced my craft for the past 5 years, it'd be relevant here as well:


Today is my last day as a full time employee of SSA's fitness center. I have been here close to 5 years. It's a bittersweet move for me to make, as I am excited about new opportunities at an upcoming job, but sad to leave some of the finest people I have had the pleasure of knowing.

Sure, I have met a lot of not-so-nice folks here. Let's face it, in a place with thousands of workers, a government facility to boot, you're going to have a wide range of personalities. I have dealt with them all here in the gym. But for the most part, I have made relationships with great people that I am sad not to see everyday anymore.

Such is life, people move in and out of your daily routine quickly. I just wanted to write this blog as a thank you, to all the people who made my days more interesting for the past 5 years. It has truly been my pleasure.

This place has a lot of "ghosts". The walls and ceilings are painted with memories. I now consider it a privelege to be one of those "ghosts", and am honored to be on those walls and ceilings.

Granted, I'm only leaving a job for another one, this happens all the time in life. It's not the hugest deal. But it means a lot to me that I have met so many people in the past 5 years who have made it so difficult for me to say goodbye.

But life is way too short to not keep in touch with people that have meant something to you, so I hope, no I plan, to see them all again in some way, shape, or form.

So I stress that this is not goodbye, just 'see ya later'.

Thanks for the memories.

D

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."
-Thomas Meehan and Carol Sobieski

There's No Such Thing As “Tone”

The word tone is misused in gyms all over the world. Toning is a musical term or can describe the way certain parts of speech sound. The only toning there is in the fitness arena refers to a state of contraction in the muscle. But everyone seems to be using it to mean getting definition or getting “cut”, which is a fallacy.

The idea of toning that so many gym goers seem to have is really a myth. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you can’t just make a muscle “look pretty”.

Have you ever heard this?

“I don’t really need to lose a lot of weight, I just want to tone up.”
Chances are you have said this or you have heard this at some point in your life. But it’s time to put an end to the myth.

Let’s start by saying this; the number one determiner of how your body is structured is genetics. If there are a lot of cut and muscular framed people in your family, chances are you are going to be this way too. If there are a lot of thin-shouldered and lengthy people in your family, chances are you are going to be this way too. The same goes for any kind of body type really, and of course there are exceptions to every rule.

However, an overweight person may want to lose weight and become “cut”, so they will go into the weight room and do a high rep, light weight routine, thinking this is the way to look “cut”.

The idea of “physique specific training” is another myth. You can lift heavy weight and do lower reps to get stronger, and you can lift light weight and do higher reps to become more conditioned. But lifting either way so you will “look” a certain way is just not the way it works. It is genetics that determine your physique, and sure, you are going to get larger if you develop more muscle, and you may see a cut or two that you didn’t see before. But you can’t change from one body type to another.
Yet some claim that women should follow a light weight-high rep routine to “tone”, shape, and sculpt. While there are few women that will have the potential to develop relatively large muscles, most don’t. This is due to the fact that women have lower levels of testosterone, higher percentage of body fat, and shorter muscle bellies. A woman’s bicep muscle is exactly the same as a man’s. So women should strength train the same way as men do.

Ultimately, you can gain and lose muscle mass, you can gain and lose fat, but you cannot “tone” a muscle to make it look pretty. The “tone” that people are referring to will not come unless you lose body fat, yet even then, if your genetics have not preset this for your body, it may not happen at all.

All of us have a tendency to develop a certain kind of physique. Whether we use light weight/high reps or heavy weight/low reps, we will always be prone to develop the physiques that our genes have preset for us. Our muscles cannot be stimulated to become “cut” or “bulked”. They either experience hypertrophy or atrophy. There certainly are proper and improper ways to train but there isn’t a physique-specific way to train.
###

Try This Instead: Part 2

And again, another list of exercises that could be replaced by better alternatives that promote a safer, more effective workout.

*Try this…
DIPS
Dips are like pull-ups in that they are way more effective for your arm muscles than the typical one jointed arm moves. The tricep dip hits your lower chest hard, so it's ideal for your chest/triceps workout day. This move, without any assistance also brings your core into play by having to stabilize yourself in the air. More muscles working equals more muscle on your frame.

*Instead of....
THE TRICEPS KICKBACK
The kickback is just too easy. The way your body is positioned—with the arm parallel to the floor and the elbow pointing up—the triceps only really have to work to lock the elbow out at the end of the range of motion. And since the weight you’re forced to use is so light, you won’t get stronger.

*Try this…
POWER CLEANS
This is a combination exercise that works your whole body. Place a barbell on the floor at your feet, squat down and grasp the barbell using an overhand grip just beyond shoulder width apart. In one motion, lift the barbell by using your legs so that you end up standing up, lift the barbell to your chin by raising your elbows up toward the ceiling while one of your legs drops back underneath you to give you additional support. Just as the barbell nears your chin, you will drop your elbows which will cause your wrists to tuck underneath the barbell. Finally, bring your support leg back underneath you so that you are now standing up straight with the barbell tucked under your chin.

*Instead of…
SHRUGS
You know this move: Grab a barbell or heavy dumbbells then shrug to your ears. Whoever invented this exercise forgot one key thing: Gravity pulls downward, not forward or back. So you’ll take tension off the traps, and you’ll grind your shoulder joints. Also, the range of motion on this move is very short with one muscle working, so it pales into comparison next to the power clean, where you can work your traps just as hard, but also get the benefit of working many more muscles, plus conditioning yourself with an Olympic type lift.

*Try this…
STANDING SHOULDER PRESS
Get rid of the seat you may normally use which takes away from you having to stabilize your core muscles in this lift. Stand up and grab a set of dumbbells or a barbell and do a shoulder press. This hits your deltoid muscles hard as well as your triceps. And again, by standing instead of sitting, your core has to work.

*Instead of…
THE LATERAL RAISE
While most guys use bad form anyway, swinging the weights up to shoulder level as if they were birds flapping their wings, this exercise is not too effective even if it’s done right. The shoulders get plenty of work from presses, pull-ups, deadlifts, and just about any other exercise you do. The lateral raise just isn’t necessary.

*Try this…
THE TURKISH GET-UP
Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and lie on the floor with your left leg bent and left foot flat on the floor. Grab a light dumbbell and hold it up over your head. Now raise your torso off the floor and stand up, keeping your arm in the air. Once you are up, lie back down gently and repeat. Do the same amount of reps using your other arm to hold up the dumbbell. This old-school move works all your muscles, enhancing core strength and your six-pack.

*Instead of…
ANY CRUNCH PERFORMED ON A CRUNCH MACHINE
Crunches are not the best ab exercise; given that abs don’t perform crunching motions in daily life. Adding a machine to the mix only makes the move less effective. Machines limit the involvement of the lower- back muscles, which the abs aren’t designed to contract without. This leads to muscle imbalances and—you guessed it—injury. Plus, much like a smith machine, you’re moving the weight along a fixed machine, eliminating the use of your core muscles to balance and stabilize you.

Try This Instead

Wouldn’t you want to maximize your time working out? There’s nothing wrong with varying your workout and performing a move that hits the muscles a little differently, but exercises that force you to work with extremely light weights, and use over-complicated equipment that puts you at risk for injury, just aren’t worth doing. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of exercises that could be replaced by better alternatives that promote more effective workout.

*Try this…
MEDICINE BALL PUSHUPS
The pushup is already one of the best upper body movements out there. It works the mainly the chest, triceps, and shoulders, but also hits the hip flexors and abdominals. Doing it with your hands on a ball will force more core muscles to work all at once and make it a more beneficial exercise overall. The more muscles worked at one time, the more muscle that gets packed onto your frame.

*Instead of…
THE PEC-DECK FLY
This lift simply doesn’t allow you to move enough weight to overload the muscles and elicit growth. Moreover, most guys unintentionally allow the arm pads to hyperextend their shoulder joints as they perform the lowering phase of the lift, and that causes injury. Plus, you’re only working one muscle. Why work one at one time when you can work 5 at one time? Maximize your time. And no, it doesn’t “bring out” your middle chest.

*Try this…
SINGLE LEG SQUAT
Bend one knee, raising your lower leg behind you so that you’re standing on the opposite leg. Rest the top of your raised foot on a bench or other elevated surface so that it’s level with your butt. Now squat down and up with your supporting leg. Because you’re supporting your weight on only one leg, this move thrashes the quads and glutes, and challenges your balance, making your core work. Your hips move freely, too, which is safer for your knees.

*Instead of…
THE LEG EXTENSION
Like the pec-deck fly, this lift doesn’t allow the quads (some of the strongest muscles in your body) to move much weight. Worse, the more weight you use, the greater the shearing forces you place on your knees, risking injury. And again, why work one single muscle at once, when you can work several? The more muscles that work at one time and the more calories will burn with more lean muscle being created, thus speeding up your metabolism and bringing out the cuts.

*Try this…
THE BOX SQUAT
Set up a box behind you and then lower your body until your glutes touch it. Touching the box requires you to “sit back” as you squat, as if you were lowering yourself into a chair, and this action gets the glutes and hamstrings maximally involved in the lift. It also helps you to perfect your squat form. You can start with a higher box and gradually move to smaller boxes as you improve, ultimately training your body to squat below parallel with no box at all. Better still, the box squat places no strain on the knees, so even people with knee problems can attempt it safely.

*Instead of…
THE SMITH-MACHINE SQUAT
Since the bar travels along a fixed track, it virtually eliminates the need for your core to stabilize your body. Not good. Because your abs and lower back aren’t working like they should, frequent Smith-machine squatting leads to muscle imbalances. Also, because the track won’t allow your hips to bend like they do on a free-weight squat, you may overstress your knees.

*Try this…
THE CHINUP
Not only will the chinup blast your biceps, it will also blast back and shoulder muscles and make you much stronger overall. Moving your body through space increases the levels of neuromuscular activity needed for increases in size and strength.

*Instead of…
THE BICEP CURL
Though it’s probably the second-most common exercise in the gym (after the bench press), bag it! The weight you can use is very limited and the movement has no function in daily life or sports. Chinups will make your biceps bigger than bicep curls for the simple fact that more muscles work during the movement. And again, the more muscles that work together at once and the more lean muscle that will be created.

Pyramid Down Your Meals

For healthy weight loss, one should eat 5-6 small meals a day, every few hours. If you feed your metabolism smaller amounts, more often, it will speed up, and you will lose weight.

However, if you’re a big meal eater, don’t fret, because you can still eat a good amount, just try to do it for your first meal of the day.

In the morning, your metabolism moves faster than it does in the evening. So you can make breakfast a larger meal without guilt, so long as it is healthy. An example of a good breakfast is one scrambled egg, a bowl of regular oatmeal, one banana, and a bowl of strawberries.

There is a common fallacy in the fitness arena that to lose weight you should eat as little as possible as rarely as possible. You actually need to eat less, but more often. For example one banana is not a well rounded meal. You can’t just eat a banana for breakfast and expect to get the results you want. It is also not enough to jumpstart your metabolism for the day. Your body needs more to start off with so it can get going for the day.

Also, each meal should have a blend of complex carbohydrates and protein. A banana is a good source of potassium, but it is hardly enough to constitute a “meal”. It is also just not enough to get you going first thing in the morning.

I use the banana example because all too often I overhear dieters say “I’m trying to lose weight, so I only grabbed a (insert any fruit here) for breakfast, maybe later if I get hungry I’ll have an apple.”

True, it is healthy to eat fruits, but they are not enough to constitute a meal, and you’re depriving your body of proper energy and nutrients if that’s all you’re eating for long stretches of time.

Your first meal of the day should be the biggest, and then gradually, as the day goes by, pyramid down the size of your meals.

If you don’t get home until say, 9pm one night, and haven’t eaten yet, this is not the time to go into the kitchen and cook up a big dinner. If you’re not getting around to eating until this late, you’ve missed the window for having a big meal. It’s time to grab something small and light, because your metabolism is working slower at night. A yogurt is a good thing to eat if you get hungry late at night.

To sum things up, when trying to lose weight, or just to eat healthier in general, you should start your day with a larger meal, then as the hours go by, gradually make them smaller.

The Way to Eat…if you want to lose weight.

It is common knowledge these days that the healthiest way to lose
weight includes three facets: cardio vascular exercise, strength
training, and proper nutrition. There are many different definitions
to proper nutrition, but basically, if you want to lose weight, the
bottom line is you have to burn more calories than you take in.

Not into counting calories or doing math about what you eat? Most
people aren’t. In turn, think of it in this sense: to lose weight it
means that your metabolism has to start moving faster.
Common symptoms of a slow metabolism include weight gain,
unexplained exhaustion, and little to no energy in your daily
activities.

Of course exercise is going to speed up your metabolism, but if
you don’t adjust your eating habits to go along with the exercise,
you probably won’t see the results you want to see.

What’s the best way to eat to speed up your metabolism? It takes
eating 5-6 small meals every two hours to get that metabolism
pumping!

Depending on your point of view this can be a lot or a little. A big
eater may consider this too little, and a daintier eater may consider
this too much. The bigger eaters will be left craving more after
their small meal, and the smaller eaters will think they can’t fit that
much food into one day. But however you want to look at it, this
way of eating promotes the fastest and healthiest weight loss.

Sure, it is going to take a while to get used to for anyone who isn’t
used to this way of eating, but after a while, your body and
metabolism will adjust and you will start to notice your pants
getting looser.

Common questions include:

when should I eat these meals?

The common rule of thumb is to always eat as soon as you wake
up, then, go from there.

Foods like fruits and vegetables are essential to proper nutrition but
alone do not count as a meal, because each small meal should
contain protein and complex carbohydrates. If you get hungry in
between, this is the time to incorporate your fruits and vegetables,
if they are not already going to be included in your small meal.

When you get hungry, that is your metabolism’s way of telling you
that it needs more food to keep going, if you don’t feed that
demand, it is going to slow down and leave your body depleted of
the proper nutrients and energy. This also Promotes weight gain.

On the other hand, if you feed it too much, it is also going to slow
down. Eating just the right amount every few hours is going to
keep your metabolism moving quickly and smoothly, and with a
good exercise program you are going to start seeing the results you
want.

Think of your metabolism as a paper shredder. If you feed it a few
sheets of paper little by little, it is going to stay in tact and keep
running smoothly. But what is going to happen if you feed it too
much paper at once? It is going to jam up and move slowly if at all.
If your metabolism does this, you will gain weight.

Another common question concerning this way of eating is: what
constitutes a proper every two hour meal? Below are a few
suggestions that if eaten at the proper times, will have you on the
fast track to losing the weight you want, without the hassle of
calculating calories, fat grams, etc.!

Suggestions for “every two hour meals”:

*protein bar or protein shake
*peanut butter(natural) sandwich (no jelly) on whole wheat bread
*handful of peanuts, almonds, cashews, etc. (not macadamia nuts)
*half cup of plain oatmeal and piece of 2% cheese
*one scrambled egg with piece of multi grain or whole wheat toast or bagel
*small salad with chicken
*can of tuna with 3 pieces of whole wheat melba toast

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Should I workout before or after I eat?

A lot of people ask, when is the right time to workout, before a meal, or after?

My first response is the general disclaimer: every individual is different. Some people find they get a better workout right after a meal, some people say before. To each their own.

But my personal advice is that one needs to find that happy medium between not being hungry and not being full.

In my opinion, you should never eat a meal and then workout immediately afterwards. You're going to spend your entire workout just burning off what you just ate, instead of making a dent in your calorie deficit. Also, in my personal experience, you don't get as good of a workout if you have a full stomach. You're going to feel sluggish and therefore not work to your full potential.

One also should not be starving when they workout. You need fuel to exercise. Would you take your car onto the expressway without any gas in it? Of course not. So it's best not to be extremely hungry when you go to workout.

You need to find that happy medium in between the two. Eat a reasonably sized meal, and wait an hour, then workout. By the end of your workout, you should be ready for another meal.(If you're following the small meal, every few hour routine, which I highly recommend for weight loss and strength building)

Find that happy medium between being hungry and being full and you will have a better workout.

Last but not least, exercise is pretty much always a good thing to do, regardless. I'm not saying do not workout if you're full. I'm just saying you're going to have a more energized and efficient workout if you follow this advice.

The Blizzard Workout

This weekend, in Maryland, we were hit with a blizzard, leaving many of us stuck in the house with nothing to do but sit around and eat. The only exercise most of us are getting is shoveling snow, which in itself is fantastic exercise. You are burning about 300 calories an hour handling that shovel, however this statistic is not cut and dry because while shoveling we are constantly taking breaks when talking to neighbors, getting a rest, etc.

In any case, if you're all done shoveling, or you are just tired of the cold and the mess, I have created this in-home workout you can do while you're in your living room watching TV. The mixture of cardio intervals combined with strength training each muscle group is going to burn lot of those "blizzard" or "superbowl" calories while creating lean muscle at the same time.

You don't even need a lot (or any) equipment. So there is no excuse to miss a workout just because you can't get your car to the gym in the snow. All you need here is a little bit of room and about 30 minutes.

Another great thing about this workout is it is tailored to pretty much any fitness level, it's not too hard, but not too easy, just intense. I personally do this workout on days when I can't get to the gym, and I just did it today.I don't know about you, but after being snowed in all weekend coupled with the superbowl yesterday, I really needed it.

If you don't know what something is, feel free to message me and I will explain it.

But without further ado:

*I've broken the workout up into 4 cycles, 2 sets per cycle, then one set per cycle. We hit every muscle group, get cardio blasts in, all the while finishing up in about 30 minutes.

*The idea here is to superset each exercise, with no breaks in between cycles.

cycle 1

*shadowboxing 2 min.
*simulated jump rope 1 min.
*squats 20x
*pushups 20x
(2 sets)

cycle 2

*jumping jacks 50x
*situps 20x
*walk stairs 2 min.
*dumbbell rows 20x (no dumbbells? use soup cans)
(2 sets)

cycle 3

*mountain climbers 20x
*pushups 5x
*stationary lunges 10x (5 each leg with dumbbells or soup cans)
*one arm rows 10x (5 each arm-dumbbells or soup cans)
*one arm shoulder press 10x (5 each arm,-dumbbell or soup can)
*shadowbox 1 min.
(1 set)

cycle 4-core concentration

*reverse crunch 15x/supermans 6x
*cross crunch 20x/table top 20 sec. hold
(2 sets)
*russian twists 1 min.
(1 set)

*cooldown and stretch

Weight Loss is a 3 Point Process

WEIGHT LOSS IS A 3 POINT PROCESS, THOSE POINTS ARE:

1. Healthy Eating
2. Cardiovascular exercise
3. strength training

HOWEVER, THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER POINTS WE MUST TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, HERE ARE A FEW FOR EXAMPLE:

1. Variety: It is important not to go into the gym and do the same thing all of the time. The body thrives on variety. If you do the same thing all the time your body will plateau, get bored, and stop developing. Once a very wise man said, “I’ve been doing the same exact workout for 20 years and can’t seem to make any progress!”
He wasn’t so wise it turned out. He refused to change his routine. Therefore, his body refused to change.

2. Dedication: It takes dedication more than anything to achieve your goals. You have to be willing to put in the time and do what it takes to get the results you want. That is true with almost anything in life. You earn no right to complain about your body if you have done nothing to try to change it.

3. No quick fixes: Everyone wants to take a pill, drink a magic potion or just starve to lose weight fast. It does not work this way. Be good to your body and it will be good to you back. Feed it the proper meals and nutrients at the proper times and you will most likely feel pretty good. Feed it excess chemicals, fad crash diets, unneeded supplements or junk food, you probably won’t feel as good as you could. Also, you may lose weight initially, but in an unhealthy way, and it is more likely to come back just as fast in this case. Do it right!

Song of the Month

From time to time I'd like to recommend some songs that are great to workout by. Sometimes a good song in your IPOD is all you need to give you that extra 'oomph', and maybe do an extra set or extra ten minutes when you would have quit otherwise.

That song for me this month is 'So Hard' by Rihanna. This song is great for cardio or weight training. I personally just finished my workout and put this song in last and I finished a little bit more than I had planned to finish.

Give it a try.

Routine is the Enemy

ROUTINE IS THE ENEMY

Stuck in a workout rut? Bored of the same old exercises and machines? Maybe you are but you just don't realize it.

If you go to the gym and do the same routine, day after day, week after week, or even month after month, your program may be suffering.

When you do the same exact workout every time, you're basically just going through the motions, i.e.-killing time. If you are not getting bored, your body is anyway. And your results are likely to either be much delayed or suffer. Your muscles and body are going to get used to what you're doing everyday and adapt, thus making them think that's normal for everyday living. In order for muscles to grow, they need to experience change. It doesn't matter if your goal is to get bigger, define your muscles, or slim down, variety is key, and routine is the enemy.

In rare (admitted) cases, one may read this and say, "Well I have been doing the same routine everyday for 15 years and I never get bored and still achieve the results I want."

Perhaps that is true for you, every individual is different, but ask yourself this, "Have I really experienced a major change in my body over these last 15 years? Have I been able to get rid of these last ten pounds, or put up that extra plate on the squat? Have I really taken my body to the next level of fitness? Maybe I can bench 300 pounds but can I complete a boot camp class? Did it take you those 15 years to achieve your results? Do you really want to delay your results for that long?

One may say, "Yes I do the same thing every time I come in and I am much stronger at that exercise than when I first started, so how have I not made any progress?" I do not doubt this is true for a minute. But let me explain my point.

Let's make a John Doe example.

John Doe has been working out at so and so gym for 20 years. John has done the same exact workout routine every time he has come into so and so gym for 20 years. His workout consists of a chest press, a squat, and a back row. Every workout he does 3 sets of 10 of each exercise, and over the years he has been able to increase the weight on his exercises considerably. Has he gotten stronger? Sure. He has gotten stronger at those exercises. He has gotten better at a skill.

John Doe has not necessarily taken his physical fitness level up a notch. And I'd be willing to bet he looks pretty much the same way he did when he first started. Maybe he's a little bigger, maybe he's not. Either way, his "same thing every workout approach" is hampering his progress with his own physical fitness. The body plateaus when you do the same thing all the time, it doesn't think what it's doing is different anymore, so it is not going to change.

Why not change John's bench press to an incline dumbbell press? Change the back row to a pull-up? Why not make the workout more efficient and calorie shredding by supersetting the chest press with the squat? Why not play around with the rep scheme? Instead of doing 3 sets of 10, try 4 sets, one of 5, one of 8, one of 12, and one of 20? How about just two super slow sets? Another nice alternative for resistance-training exercises involves changing the sequence in which you perform the training exercises. By fatiguing the muscles in a new order or pattern, you are requiring them to adapt to a new training stimulus.

Kicking it up a notch does not have to mean just adding more weight; it could mean a variety of things. Change your workout. Make your body more equipped to handle more things physically, in and out of the gym. There are literally thousands of ways to mix up your workout.

The bottom line is if you're bored in the gym, your body is too. If you can't get that last ten pounds off, you may need to play with the intensity on your treadmill jogs. If you can't get that extra plate or two up on your barbell bench press, you may need to take a break from it and try dumbbells for a while, just to shock your muscles. When our muscles are shocked, they change and become stronger.

Other benefits of keeping variety in your workout are that you are less susceptible to injury, you can become a better athlete, and the mainly, as stressed earlier, you can avoid boredom. When we're bored we are less likely to workout.

Keep in mind that doing the exact same workout, day after day is not necessarily a bad thing. Some people enjoy a predictable, consistent routine. They don't mind the possibility of experiencing a training plateau and are content to maintain their health and fitness levels with a comfortable exercise habit. However, many individuals need to push themselves to new levels and try different activities to stay enthusiastic and excited about their workouts. Many individuals want to reach their peak physical condition and get in better shape, not stay in the same shape. By varying their exercise routines, individuals can not only stay physically challenged, but mentally stimulated as well.

Another bottom line is, if you do what you always do, you'll get what you've always gotten.

Again, variety is key, routine is the enemy.

Helpful Hints for Losing Weight

With weight loss being something I achieved personally, and something I specialize in daily, I am proud to offer you these helpful hints for losing weight that helped me and several clients of mine over the years.

If you are on any kind of weight loss program you may have run into some of the most common barriers to progress that affect all of us. Whether it is lack of motivation or hitting a plateau, here are just a few helpful hints to remember when trying to lose weight.

It Takes More Than Just Eating Right
*You have to incorporate cardio-vascular and strength training into your routine and combine it with healthy eating. These are the three major facets of fitness. You cannot do one without the other and still expect to see great results. A solid program for losing weight is cardio vascular exercise 3-6 days per week and strength training 2-3 days per week. Proper eating habits go right along with this. See a personal trainer for a program consultation.


Genetics
*Genetics play a huge role in determining your body weight and type, but this does not mean you cannot overcome the odds. Just because your mother or father was overweight doesn't mean you have to be, it just means you may have to work a little harder than others who seem to be able to eat whatever they want and not gain an inch. Remember, they are that way because of genetics too.



Recognizing Plateaus
*Depending on how overweight you are, the weight may come off a lot faster in the beginning of your program (ever heard of a show called 'The Biggest Loser'?), but then a few months down the line you may hit a plateau and progress slows or even stops. These plateaus can be overcome by manipulating the time, intensity, and duration of your workouts. Switching up your exercise routine is very beneficial because the body's development thrives on variety. The key is to not let these plateaus get you down and say to yourself, "Well I guess I'm not going to lose anymore, I'll just stop." Working through and essentially over these plateaus will help you hone self-discipline. This self-discipline is what ultimately will carry you through the rest of your program, help you achieve your goals and take you through the rest of your life.



Stay Away From That Scale!
This is one of the biggest pitfalls I see people put themselves through in the gym. Weighing yourself during your program can create more stress than it is worth, because one's weight is always fluctuating depending on many factors. In addition, a lot of gym scales, home scales, or even doctor's office scales are inaccurate because of the amount of traffic they get, or warping of the scale due to not being returned to zero after weighing. Weigh yourself at the beginning of your program and after you reach your goal, or maybe even one time per week, but doing it all the time will just drive you crazy. Many people who have achieved their weight loss goals never even approached a scale the entire time they lost their weight. Ultimately, weighing yourself all the time during a weight loss program can promote unneeded low self-esteem. The best determining factor for being able to figure out if you have lost weight is how your clothes fit, and, essentially, people will start to notice and let you know how good you look.


Remember That Feeling
The last sentence in the above tip is also a great motivational key. Putting on a pair of pants and having them fit more loosely than usual will put a bounce in your step and add a certain charm to your demeanor you may not even realize, thus making you perform better in your daily activities. Having other people tell you that you look like you have lost weight or telling you how good you look works the same way. Think about how good it feels to hear such a compliment and remember that feeling. Remember that feeling that perhaps made you happier than usual or gave you an adrenaline shot. Remember the feeling that made you happy at work even on a rainy Monday. Remember that feeling gave you that extra shot of self-esteem and had people looking up to you. Remember the positive energy you gave off. Remember these feelings and use them as further building blocks to more progress. Its little things like this that help you keep going and not give up. Now you just have to think about what feels better to you, those feelings that improve your overall life by making you feel good or how good the cookie tasted that you ate in 30 seconds. Most importantly, remember that feeling when you reach for the cookie.


A Lifestyle Change
*Don't consider it a diet because diets end, and usually people go back to eating the wrong things after some sort of set date, which in most cases will put more pounds back on than you had to lose in the first place. You have to think of it as a lifestyle change. Think of it as starting a new job. You are in a different location than before; in a different position with different people. Well, now you are eating different things as part of your everyday meals. Not thinking of it as a diet and considering it a lifestyle change is the key to keeping your weight off.



Cheat Days

*Don't freak out and think after reading the above tip that you will never be able to eat those foods you love anymore because of your lifestyle change. Offering yourself a "cheat day" has been proven to be beneficial to the body and spirit. The key is to hit some sort of goal first, then reward yourself. Let's break it down hypothetically and say that you want to lose 50 pounds. After you drop your first 20, have a cheat day; the same would go for the next 20. After you lose all the weight you want and are satisfied with your results, schedule a weekly cheat day. The key to these cheat days is self-control, because it is very difficult to have a cheat day and then go right back to eating right the day after. Truthfully, this is how a lot of people start back on a downward spiral. If you don't think you are quite disciplined enough yet, put it off until you think you are ready. The same would go for holidays, birthdays, special occasions, etc.



Sip Less
If possible, while you are eating, try not to take sips of your beverage through the entire meal. This can be tough of course because eating makes you thirsty, but having one sip before you eat and one sip after you eat can actually push along your weight loss progress. When you take sips in between bites, the liquid can actually pack down the food that goes into your stomach, causing it to get denser and heavier, causing the metabolism to slow down. This can create that bloated feeling. Try the sip before and the sip after routine and you will feel lighter on your feet after a meal and help your progress.

Motivation
*A big question asked of personal trainers is "How do you motivate people?" This is a tough question to answer. You have to find something within yourself and figure out how much you really want to achieve your goal, because in the end, if you want it bad enough, you can achieve it.

Reasonable Prices

Anyone who has ever inquired about personal training knows it can be fairly expensive. But personal training to me is a passion more than it is a job. That's why it is my goal to put your fitness goals ahead of financial concern and I am proud to offer reasonable prices on session packages. So don't let money be the reason you don't get in shape. I'm here to work with you on that!

Remember, as I stated before, you don't have to commit to a set package. You can try it out once or twice to see if it's for you.

The important thing for you to remember is that the price can be worked out privately between you and me, and I will always do my best to honor your budget.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Personal Training sessions

A personal training session with me lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. I can train you in your home, or, if the weather is nice, we can workout outdoors. In certain instances we can train in my home as well. I will work with you on what is most convenient for you.

Many of my private, in-home clients enjoy a trainer coming to the comfort of their own home. With me traveling to you, it eliminates any excuse about "not being able to get to the gym."

You may say , "I don't have a lot of room in my home to workout.", to which I reply I don't need much room. Do you have a floor? A set of stairs? A chair? I can make you a great workout right where you stand.

Some people may feel self conscious or intimidated by working out in a gym with all of the hardbodies and mirrors around. With my private, in-home training we also eliminate these concerns.

With me, you do not have to committ to a certain session package. If you think you only want to try it once to see how you like it, we can have one session. If you are looking for more of a long term package I can accomodate that as well. In special cases, I offer a "pay as you go" option also. Inquire within.

The important thing to remember is that as my client, not only will you get a great workout that will help you reach your fitness goals, but you will have fun!

Testimonials

Client Testimonials

"Damon has been an excellent personal trainer. He has helped to jumpstart an exercise program that had grown stale and ineffectual. He has helped me to push myself beyond the physical limits I had previously imposed. After working with him for several weeks I have noticed an increase in muscle tone that I have never achieved working on my own."
-Dorris, 19, PT Client

"I'm a 30 year old woman who has never been comfortable with any kind of exercise program. My goal for 2004 was to lose the weight that I had been putting on gradually since my college years. Thanks to Damon, not only have I lost the extra pounds, but I have kept it off and stayed on a strict exercise program! He didn't listen to me when I said "I can't" or "I'm scared". He made me feel comfortable enough to try and keep going and as a result, I have achieved a goal I had procrastinated in setting…and now I truly feel I can accomplish anything!"
-Lisa, 30, PT Client

"Being an absolute beginner in weight training, I decided to sign up for a 16-session plan with Damon. Besides being able to challenge my limit under a safe environment each time and see great progress, Damon is also patient and extremely knowledgeable. The fact that almost every session I had with him had different workout routine also made it a great learning experience. What I acquired from these sessions will definitely allow future workouts to be more productive and enjoyable. Also, being a busy student, Damon has always been able to accommodate my schedule. I truly believe it was one of the best decisions I've made for myself! "
-Howard , 23, PT Client

"My experience with Damon has far exceeded my expectations. I came to Damon with a desire to combine my fat loss goals with strength maintenance and my ultimate goal to bulk up. For my needs, Damon constructed a program combining a cardio-intensive workout program with just the right amount of weightlifting for maintenance and strength improvement to keep my muscles sore from a good workout, and keep the pounds coming off. One of the strengths of his program is the variety he has introduced to my workouts- we've managed to consistently and thoroughly work out all muscle groups without repeating routines, adding new and challenging exercises at each session. To his credit, since starting with him, I've lost 30 lbs. and 4% body fat. "
-Adam, 25, Pleased Client

"With Damon you will get a hard effective workout in a short period of time. Damon's approach is to combine cardio and strength training into different activities so that you don't get bored with working out(and it works) ."
-Christine Richardson, 39, PT Client

"I have never felt better or stronger since Damon became my personal trainer. My stamina and fitness level went from zero to ten in just a few weeks. I saw results immediately. Thanks Damon."
-Latoria, age 41, PT Client

Fitness advice from someone who has been there and done it

No one understands the true struggle and difficulty of losing weight and trying to transform one's body more than me.
In September of 2002 I weighed 275 lbs and had a 44-inch waist. It was at this time when I decided to make a lifestyle change and lost 75 lbs., shedding 10 inches from my waist.
It took me about a year and some change to achieve my initial goals, and I have since kept the weight off and maintained a healthy lifestyle. During my weight loss I developed a huge interest in fitness, and decided I wanted my career to be in this field. I became a certified personal trainer and now I help people achieve their fitness goals just like I did. Since I know the true struggle, it comes naturally to me to show and teach others how to do the same thing I did. I specialize in weight loss, nutrition information, and strength training. I have trained all types of people from senior citizens to college students to athletes.
Contact me. Together, we can make it happen.

Welcome to my fitness blog!

Thank you for joining me and welcome to my blog. Two of my passions in this world are writing and fitness, so I found it only natural to combine the two in this blog. This blog will be a combination of articles I have written over my career in fitness, workout routines & suggestions, Q & A, and information about my personal training services.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself so you know that what you are reading is credible information.

I am an expert trainer for the National Strength Professionals Association (N.S.P.A.) With over 13 years in the fitness industry, and 8 years as a certified trainer, I am focused on bringing people to their fitness goals.


Certifications:

*National Strength Professionals Association (N.S.P.A.) Certified Personal Trainer

*Weight Management certified

*Boot Camp/Circuit Training, and Abs Group Exercise Instructor

*CPR & AED Certified

Education:

*Bachelor of Science, Mass Communications, Towson University(2000)

*Mt. St. Joseph High School (1994)

I hope you find this blog informative and helpful in reaching your own fitness goals. My fitness motto is "If the mind can conceive it, the body can achieve it." I firmly believe in this and my belief is based upon personal experience. What personal experience? Read on!