Posts Tagged ‘fitness’

How Often Should You Work With A Personal Trainer?

Monday, September 6th, 2010

As a personal trainer, my clients will ask me, “How often should we meet?” This is a good question and one that takes some careful consideration because everybody’s needs and wants are different. Most of what personal training is about is instruction, support, and accountability. Here are some things to consider when deciding how often to see your trainer: How experienced are you? How fit are you right now? Do you tend to fall off your exercise schedule? What can you afford?

The less experienced you are, the more often I recommend meeting with a trainer especially in the beginning. Maybe three times a week for 4 weeks. After you’ve learned enough of the basics you could start to see the trainer less frequently. Here’s why: People that don’t know much about exercise and form have a lot to learn and that’s what the trainer is there for. In the beginning I suggest doing all of your weight workouts supervised by a trainer until your form is really good. I call it my ‘high five of approval’. I will not send a client off to do weight lifting exercises on their own until I am 100% confident that their form is great. Otherwise, the result is that they may do it wrong and end up with an injury. Exercising on your own is a decision that you and your trainer should make together. Create momentum in the beginning.

Lots of people are very well aware of what to do at the gym but just can’t seem to get to the gym. If this sounds familiar, it’s probably a good idea to always have a weekly appointment on the calendar. Accountability is a very legitimate reason to have a trainer. My clients say to me all the time: “If I didn’t have this appointment, I wouldn’t have exercised today.” Be honest with yourself and if you know you won’t do it on your own then some accountability might be just what you need.

If you’ve been working out on your own and following the same routine for a long time I suggest meeting with a trainer once a month to change things up a bit. Maybe you’ve heard about ‘confusing your body’? In exercise, one of the most ineffective things you can do is repeat the same thing day in day out for weeks, months or even years. It’s not as uncommon as you might think for someone to do the same exercises for 10 years or more! Don’t fall into this. By changing your routine frequently you are confusing your body, challenging it and forcing it to adjust its response. This is a good thing. If you find yourself falling into a rut, getting bored or too comfortable have a trainer give you some new exercises and mix it up once a month.

Of course when you’re trying to figure out how often to see a trainer budget is going to come up. The two of you can talk about what you have to spend and they will help you to get the most out of your money. It’s the trainer’s job to assess the situation and make suggestions about what they think will be helpful. The two of you can then decide together how you will move forward.

Remember that the frequency of your training is not set in stone. Sometimes it may be more frequently, other times less frequently depending on what’s going on in your life. Your trainer will always work with you to do what is appropriate at any given time. If you’re lucky enough to have a trainer that you really enjoy and that’s helping you to get the results you want, they’re probably going to be in your life for a long time!

Picking the correct Denver Personal Trainer will make or break your goal to get in shape. Let us be your fitness confidant and create a individual workout plan that is best for you. Visit www.filettifitness.com today for more information.

Dieting And Fitness As Tools

Friday, August 20th, 2010

When it comes to living a long and healthy life, there are two important ingredients: diet and fitness. While some believe that they are indivisible, nothing could be further from the truth. It is quite possible to have a perfectly healthy diet with appalling fitness habits. It is just as possible to be physically fit with less than ideal eating habits.

There’s a smart little line in the Jimmy Buffet song “Fruitcakes” when his ‘lady’ is complaining: “I treat my body like a temple, You treat yours like a tent”

I can’t help thinking about this line whenever I think about all the people around the world who are on these garbage in, garbage out diet regimens hoping to achieve the weight loss triumph of those who are promoting the products.

To be totally honest, it is possible to shed pounds by dieting alone. It is difficult but possible. It is also possible to be physically fit and still have a few extra pounds. To a large degree, we are what we eat. If we follow a high fat low fibre diet our bodies are going to lack the fuel required to burn the fat. At the same time if we are not providing our bodies with the tools it requires to create muscle it does not matter how many weights we lift.

When it comes to diet and fitness, the best results are achieved when they are combined together rather. Use your fitness routine to burn surplus calories and use your diet in order to provide your body with the nutrients and fuel it requires to build muscle.

A pound of muscle takes up less space on the body than a pound of fat. Pound for pound, I would much prefer mine be built of muscle than fat. Dieting on its own does not build muscle and that is something you would do well to remember.

You should also understand that as you are building muscle you may be shedding inches while not showing a great deal of progress on the scale. It is very important that you bear this in mind throughout the weight loss process. Do not measure your progress by the scales alone or you will observe deceptive results.

The problem is that far too many people do just this, become frustrated and give up when they are in point of fact making improvement. Do not allow yourself to be a victim of the scales. Look in the mirror, try on your tight pants, and measure your waistline. Measure your success by how you feel after climbing a flight of stairs not by the scales.

By building exercise into your diet routine you are also enabling your body to burn off any extra calories you may have taken in during the day. This means that if you want to have a small ‘cheat’ during your day, you can make up for it by burning a few more calories than normal in the evening. This is not something that should happen often but an occasional occurrence is not going to make or break your diet.

You should also regard dieting and exercise as a hand and glove type of relationship. They fit together. Diet and exercise when combined can achieve incredible weight loss results for those who take them both sincerely.

The thing to remember is that neither works well alone and neither will work unless you are willing to do the work. You must make this a priority in your life in order to achieve the best possible results.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with why can’t I lose weight. If you have an interest in losing weight, please go over to our website now at Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

Alcoholic Drinks

Monday, August 9th, 2010

In the West, alcoholic drinks are never far away from the scene at festive times, but do we aways know how to get the most from these costly luxuries? Too many people these days just think its a question of ‘getting as much down as possible in as little time as possible’. This is the wrong approach.

After all, most people realize that a good meal does not consist of eating as many chips as possible in fifteen minutes, so why should that principle not apply to consuming a drink too? You will get far more pleasure from a bottle of wine, if you spend an extra dollar on it and drink it slowly with a friend and some appropriate food than if you swill down a cheap bottle of plonk on your own. It makes evident sense, but not everyone sees it.

So, with that idea in mind, I have put together a few tips on how to get more pleasure from your alcoholic drinks, if you are old enough and of that turn of mind.

Gin and Vodka - if these white spirits are your proffered tipple, always keep the bottle in the fridge, not the drinks cupboard. Keep the mixers in the fridge too. That way the ice will last longer and you will not be tempted to have to swig it down before the ice melts. If you are having friends around, go one step further and put the bottle in the freezer. It will not go solid. You can even cut the top off a plastic cola bottle, put the bottle of gin or vodka in that, fill it with water and then freeze it. Remove the plastic bottle and you have an attractive “collar of ice” around your bottle.

The Last Tot - five minutes or so after finishing a bottle of spirits, tip it out one more time and the bottle that you thought was drained will deliver one more tot of contents. It is not a lot, but it is a pleasant free surprise. The same works for many alcohol based products including underarm roll-on and scent.

White Wine - white wines taste best when they have been gently chilled over a prolonged length of time, but if you get caught out by surprise visitors, put the bottle of wine in a container of ice and cold water. Try not to have to place it in the deep freeze, it is too harsh, but if you have to, then ten minutes is all that it takes.

Port - it is always better to decant port and older, heavier red wines, because of the sediment that may be in the bottom of the bottle, which tastes horrible and because it assists the aeration of the wine. However, it is not always easy to see when the dregs are coming. The books say to use a candle, but they were written a hundred years ago. The concentrated beam from a torch is much better. Try using a Durabeam because its rotateable head allows it to be directed more accurately.

Decanters - sometimes the stopper becomes stuck fast. Tap it with another glass item and it should come free. If not, run the neck of the decanter under hot water for a few seconds and it will come out.

Labels - if you store your wine in a damp place where the labels are likely to rot or fall off, spray them with hair lacquer beforehand.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with researching the programmable crock pot. If you have an interest in cooking or crock pots, please go over to our website now at Large Crock Pots

Rapid Weight Loss

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

Other than physical appearance, weight affects a person in many ways. It could be the overall quality of life, self-esteem, depression, health risks, or physical incapacities. There are a lot of advantages to weight loss, which is why lots of people are searching for a weight loss program that will slim down those excess pounds and get a great, jaw-dropping physique.

First of all, an overweight person ought to do is seek a health care expert to recommend the best weight loss regimen for you. This will only be done after a full physical examination, which leads to the determination of a proper weight loss technique. To shed excess weight fast and efficiently, four aspects of your life has to be changed: what to eat, how to eat, behaviour and amount of exercise.

Below are some quick recommendations that can change an over-weight individual’s life:

1: Quick weight loss consists of a multi-faceted technique that comprises mindset, exercise, and, in some cases, diet supplements. Begin by learning a diet regimen that can be easily incorporated into your lifestyle. Choose an exercise regimen that requires at least fifteen minutes a day brisk walking, running, swimming or dancing.

2: Set yourself achievable goals. The ability to focus and have a proper mindset allows someone on a diet to quickly shed those extra kilos. You have to develop discipline and a proper outlook, a dieter will never become discouraged and give up.

3: Listen to what your body is saying. Every person’s body behaves differently to different fast weight loss programs. Substitute one plan for another to judge the body’s reaction. An exercise program must be suited to your body, because some are not able to exercise as rigorously as others. If walking is all that you can do, then walk, for this is one of the best exercises. Don’t forget that muscles burn calories, so try to put on a little more muscle - it looks sexy too.

4: Eat more fibre since it makes a person feel full sooner and stays in the stomach longer, slowing down the rate at which you will want to eat again. For instance whole grain bread will stay in the gut longer and stave off hunger longer than white bread, which converts to sugars faster. giving you a quick sugar spike, which soon passes, leaving you hungry again.

5: Stay away from fried food especially deep-fried, as it contains a lot of fat. But remember, although fish and chicken appear to be much leaner than beef, these white meats can retain even more fat than beef if it is fried. It is advisable those on a strict diet opt for grilled food, as it does not have much fat after the food has been prepared.

6: Take in lots of fluid. You should drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day to keep the body ‘flushing’ and since weight loss is dependent on how well the body gets rid of bodily waste, the body must stay properly hydrated.

All in all, discipline and consistency is still the best practice and the key to quick weight loss success. Light dieting, workout, and the right amount of supplementation applied in a regular way everyday will result in a quicker weight loss than having a massive action campaign that is only followed by a return to the bad old ways, as this would only lead to gaining more weight than before the weight loss plan was started.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with our blog why can’t I lose weight? If you have an interest in losing weight, please go over to our website now at Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

Complex Carbohydrates

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

When most of us decide to follow a diet, we are overjoyed because we are eventually going to shed that unwanted weight. All we require is the necessary diet info. However, usually, a few months down the road and not only have we not shed much weight, but we are also fed up with our diet.

Why does something like this happen you might ask in exasperation? Well, the reply would be that we are not eating the right combination of foodstuffs to burn the excess fat off. Following a diet that has complex carbohydrates foods which are good for you could be the solution to all whole diet problems.

When you first begin any of these diets, the first thing that will be explained to you, is what food you can eat and what sorts of food are not good for you. According to most low carb diet info, among the many bad foods will be various complex carbohydrates foods which you really must have for your body to work well. The best approach to adopt with those diets is to understand the low carb diet info behind them and use the diet food lists that they provide wisely.

This way you will definitely lose weight, because the foods that you will be eating on your diet are the kinds of food that can make you lose your hunger cravings. By not wanting to eat lots of food, you won’t be snacking on junk food and gaining pounds. According to most low carb diet info, complex carbohydrates foods for long lasting energy will release the amount of energy that you need, on average, throughout the day.

According to most low carb diet info, these foods also have the necessary dietary requirements that we need for our bodies to develop healthily. You must, however, remember the low carb diet info that the best way to develop a fantastic looking figure is to maintain a healthy balance between all of the complex carbohydrates foods in the other groups and to include regular exercise into your lifestyle.

When you go shopping for your dietary foods, wait a moment and see if the foods that you have planned for your meals, according to the low carb diet info you have, will help you in the long run or if you will be feeling worse than you do now. The reason is that many of the foods in these various diets don’t take your body’s health requirements into account.

If you don’t eat the right foods, you can end up with various illnesses and other complications that you had no problems with when you used to eat complex carbohydrates foods like fruit and vegetables that were part of your every day eating habits.

Remember that, according to most low carb diet information, you must take into account the health requirements of your body too. Including fantastic tasting complex carbohydrates foods that you would normally enjoy eating anyway, make dieting more fun, especially since you are not really dieting. What you are doing is making a lifetime change for a healthier future.

Do you want to lose those excess pounds rapidly? Well, take a free look at Complex Carbohydrates, by going to our resource called The Atkins Diet Plan

Atkins Diet Plan

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

You have decided you need to lose some weight and that you’re going on a diet and you’ve told yourself that this will be the last diet that you’ll ever do. This is because you’ve already heard so much about the Atkins Diet, that you have total confidence in its ability to help you reduce weight and to keep it off. You also know that with the assistance of the Atkins diet plan, you can tailor your diet to suit your body and your personal tastes.

When you start your diet, you’ll receive an Atkins diet plan that will get you started on the first part of your dieting journey. This is phase one, called the induction phase, of the four phases which you will pass through. So, what you’re really getting with the Atkins diet plan is a great way for you to choose the path you take on your diet and how long it will take you to lose the amount of weight you choose to.

Although, you need not follow the Atkins diet plan religiously, if you really want fast results, you will follow it religiously. So, abstain from the carbs and eat your high fat, high protein meals. Well, you won’t need to stay away from carbs entirely, you’ll just need to make yours a low carb diet instead of the high carb diet you’ve been following so unconsciously all of your life so far.

However, by do the Atkins diet plan and all but cutting out carbs from your diet, you lessen the chances of your diet failing and going to the dogs. After all, this time you’ve decided that this is your last diet and that you’re going to make it work, so it is really no use tempting fate and veering, even if slightly, off course from your Atkins diet plan.

Remember that the whole plan is adaptable to suit you, and to help you make your dieting restrictions easier to bear. With that in mind, also remember that within the Atkins diet plan, you can also eat at least 20 carbs, but you will have a virtually unlimited buffet of proteins and fats available to you. So, you don’t need to be afraid that your diet is going to cost you the pleasures of eating well.

On the Atkins diet plan, you’ll find out that you can eat well without feeling the loss of your carbs very much. And even though you might think that cooking and planning meals will be difficult, if you have to stay within the restrictions of the Atkins diet plan, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that it is just not true.

There are many fantastic foods and meal plans available on the Atkins diet plan and if you can just make it through reading your Atkins diet plan, you’ll find that you really can get through this diet with practically no pain on your part. Now that’s what I call the diet to end all diets! And isn’t that just what you wanted anyway?

Do you need to lose those excess pounds rapidly? Well, take a free look at The Atkins Diet, by visiting our resource called The Atkins Diet Plan

Crock Pot Recipes

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Have you ever used a crock pot? Or what we call a slow cooker in the UK? My father gave me a crock pot for Christmas twenty-five years ago and I only had to replace it, because it got stolen. Some thief must have heard the were great and pinched it for his wife.

It was good-looking enough to leave out on the work top and I guess that is how it caught my burglar’s eye. It was stoneware, really nice.

That is one of the points I would like to make in this article, some of the crock pots from the better manufacturers are pretty enough to take to the table. The other point I would like to make is that crock pots are not only for making soup or stews in.

I have recipes in the house for bread and cheesecake. Really, most people just do not believe me when I tell them what you can actually do with a crock pot, especially the modern programmable ones.

To prove it, I have copied one of my cheesecake recipes underneath. If you can not be bothered to make, just take it from me that it is scrumptious, straightforward enough to make and practically automatic to cook. Those of you do get around to making it will agree with me, I am certain.

APPLE-NUT CHEESECAKE

Crust:

1 cup (scant) graham cracker crumbs 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Filling:

16 ounces cream cheese 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated white sugar 2 large eggs 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon vanilla Topping: 1 large apple, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine the crust ingredients and pat into a 7-inch spring form pan. Beat the sugars into the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, whipping cream, cornstarch, and vanilla. Beat for about 3 minutes on the medium speed of a hand-held electric mixer. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust. Combine the apple slices with the sugar, cinnamon and nuts and then spread the topping evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Place the cheesecake on a rack (or “ring” of aluminum foil to keep it off the bottom of the pot) in the Crock Pot. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Let it stand in the covered pot (after turning it off) for about 1 to 2 hours, until cool enough to handle. Cool it thoroughly before removing the pan sides. Chill before serving; store leftovers in the refrigerator for any normal shop-bought cheesecake, but yours will be better..

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with researching the programmable crock pot. If you have an interest in cooking or crock pots, please go over to our website now at Large Crock Pots

Are You Hindering Your Weight Loss Program?

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

If you would like to lose weight, you must have a plan, a route map to success. This is called a program or programme. There are thousands of programs, but many of them are just just batty. If they sound foolish, they probably are. Have you heard of the ‘cabbage water diet’? It sounds daft and it is. You cannot only drink cabbage water all your life!

Although there is a lot of claptrap talked about losing weight, there are some truths that have a role to play in nearly any program you choose to follow. One of these truths is that it is better to eat many small meals during the day (about 5-6), than to go all day without eating and then stuffing yourself at dinner in the evening. This is commonly called ‘grazing’.

Have you ever asked yourself why this might be so? Well, the fact is, that the average human body can only process about 250 calories per hour. If you eat more than that, you are almost certainly overloading your digestive system. This is why it is important, because if your body cannot use all the calories that you give it, it will stockpile them.

Your body can only use up what it needs to execute the task that it is active with, that is, what you are putting it through. If you are watching TV, most of those 250 will be stored. If you are exercising, most will be burned up. It stores the residue as body fat. Your body has learned through evolution that hard times will come, so it prepares for them. It is like us putting excess money in a savings account or people hoarding food if a bad winter is forecast.

However, these days in the West, we rarely face those lean times any longer. Therefore, that fat is never used up and we just keep adding to it until we decide, by choice, to limit our consumption of calories or increase our amount of exercise.

Given this information, what can we do with it? Well, if you were to want to lose weight, you should be consuming no more than 1,500 calories a day (or whatever your program tells you), so 1,500 divided by 250 is six. if you ate 250 calories every other hour, that would give you twelve hours.

Therefore, eating light but often would be a helpful strategy or program to follow, because first of all, you are only providing your body with what it needs, when it requires it and secondly, you are able to better maintain a steady blood sugar level, which means that you iron out the spikes and troughs you experience in a normal day’s cycle.

Two hundred and fifty calories does not seem a lot, but it is surprising what it will stretch too, if you take the time to investigate. It is true that you will have to severely restrict some foodstuffs, like bread, pasta, rice and potatoes, but whoever seriously thought that you could lose weight by eating that stuff anyway?

If you do not have time to cook a number of times every day, look in your supermarket. There are loads of ‘250 calorie’ microwave meals. You don’t want to eat that? I can’t blame you. so get a good cookbook, which shows calorie content. You are at work all day? OK, eat some fruit, but choose wisely. It can be done, it only requires a little will and planning.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with lose weight programs. If you have an interest in losing weight, too, please go over to our website now at Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

Free Low Carbohydrate Diet

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Because of our busy lives we sometimes forget to plan healthy, nutritious meals. As a result of this we end up piling on excess weight. Some people in many countries around the world are now becoming more health conscious and they are always on the look out for good diets that will help them to reach their ideal weight. There are many of us who would definitely benefit from a free low carb diet rather than just gaining more and more weight.

For the extremely busy person with no time to go to gyms or health spas, having access to a free low carb diet and the information that make it work is a great boon. Normally, we have to join a slimming club in order to gain the maximum benefits of exercise, but the Internet has a huge availability of free low carb diet links that you can look at in order to slim down.

As with any diet or exercise regimen that you choose to start on, you should get your doctor’s advice on whether the low carb diet is good for the lifestyle that you lead. When you do start on a free low carb diet you should check out which type of low carb diet is going to give you the results that you desire. There is also the fact that you should be able to maintain this free low carb diet once you have reached your goal weight.

With all of the low carb diets doing the rounds, there are loads of choices that you can delve into. For the busy person, who needs a quick boost or a breakfast alternative, there are low carb products available that fill this niche. There are snacks, nutritious shakes and carb counters that will assist you count the number of carbs your meal has.

You will find loads of fantastic low carb recipes to try out on any of the free low carb diet links that you will find. These low carb recipes are delicious-looking and they taste great as well. In addition to, the recipes for everything from breakfast to snacks to dinner and appetizers, you will also be able to plan your weekly free low carb diet menu so that going shopping is simple.

Because there are so many different kinds of free low carb diet plans available, you may want to take your time in picking a good one. See if you can find a low carb diet that is sensible and works with your lifestyle.

Having access to many low carb diet recipes is a benefit for the busy individual. With all of these great plus-points to be found, you might not even realize that you’re supposed to be following a free low carb diet!

Do you want to lose that excess weight real fast? Well, take a free look at Atkins Free Low Carb Diet, by visiting our website called The Atkins Diet Plan

Razor Kick Scooters

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

The Razor kick scooter is the present-day counterpart of the sort of scooter that has been around for 50 years or more. In fact, children have probably been attaching boards to wheels ever since abandoned wheels became obtainable. As with those archetypal scooters, the Razor kick scooter is driven forward by foot power. That is, you place one foot on the board and push forward, or in other words kick back on the ground with the other.

This way of propulsion makes the Razor kick scooter an idyllic mode of transportation, training and enjoyment for children of all ages. In fact, Razor do not recommend a Razor kick scooter for the under fives unless supervised and declare in their manual:

“Children under age eight (8) should ride with adult supervision at all times. All children and preteens should ride with adult guidance at all times”.

This appears somewhat severe to me and is most likely an example of over-vigilance because of the litigious society we live in. Just try suggesting to a twelve-year that you have to employ guidance on all of his or her trips!

Having said that the Razor kick scooter comes in roughly seven different guises. There is the Kiddie Kick scooter for the under fives. It is constructed of tough plastic and has a third wheel for greater stability.

Then there is the ‘A’ series of Razor kick scooter: the A, A2, A3 and AW. These models are roughly equal to a child’s growth in size, competence and experience, although the maximum recommended weight for all three models of Razor kick scooter is 65 kilos or 143 lbs.

The Razor kick scooter Pro is a jump up in expertise and so has more capabilities. It can be used for extreme sport and will carry a rider weighing up to 100 kilos or 220 lbs.

Last, but not least, comes the Cruiser Razor kick scooter. It will take 79 kilos (175 lbs) of weight and has bigger wheels as it is meant for leisurely cruising about. The larger wheels signify that you won’t be aware of any uneven ground underneath you while you are on this Razor kick scooter.

All of these Razor kick scooters share comparable characteristics. All of these models of the Razor kick scooter are of very tough construction and all but the Razor Kiddie Kick scooter are manufactured of high-grade aluminium and are built to last.

These Razor kick scooters have extendable steering rods, which means that they can be pulled up to grow with your child or can be shared by children of different sizes. They also share a tough braking system which is operated on the rear wheel, rendering them ultra-safe for operation in the vicinity of pedestrians.

A Razor kick scooter starts at about $40 and so is an economical method for you to ensure that that your child gets regular exercise, gets out from behind his computer, gets some fresh air and sunlight and learns about politeness while having enjoyment being mobile. Apart from all these benefits, a Razor kick scooter will give your child tender reminiscences to look back on for the rest of his or her being.

If this article has increased your interest in a Razor kick scooter, please go to our website at http://razorascooter.com