The Gym Is Not The Same As Gym Class

As a personal trainer, I've heard all sorts of reasons for not exercising. For some people, the word exercise conjures up images of humiliation in gym class. I was one of those kids. I was a nerd. I was an A student, was in the chorus, opera club (?!)...I wasn't an athlete. I couldn't hit a baseball. I couldn't catch a ball. I was always picked last. You get the idea. Gym class made me feel like a loser, a wimp and other choice words that were hurled at me and countless other geeks. But the gym is not gym class. It can be foreboding and intimidating to some people. The first time I ever set foot on the floor of a "name" gym, my first thought was "Where are the fat people?" All I saw were hardbodied twenty and thirty somethings, middle aged women trying to turn back time, middle aged men trying to pick up younger women and the occasional person actually trying to do something healthy for themselves. The people who truly needed to be at the gym weren't there. That being said, here are some of the best excuses I've ever heard for not exercising: 1.) "I don't have the time". - You have the time...you just don't want to take the time because it will cut into your "busy" schedule. C'mon, you can spare 30 minutes can't you? 2.) " I can't afford it". - Think about the cost of healthcare today. Can you afford not to? 3.) "I don't like to exercise". - Gym class rears it's ugly head again. Get over it. It's a gym, not gym class. No one's going to make fun of you or call you names. 4.) "I'm too old". - Light to moderate exercise can improve personal performance in functional movement as we age. You're never too old to learn new tricks. 5.) "I'm too fat". - My personal favorite...circular reasoning: I'm too fat to exercise; therefore I will always be fat...but if I exercise, I won't be fat...but i'm too fat to exercise...my answer-circular logic: physical activity will increase muscle mass-more muscle mass means less fat; therefore physical activity means less fat. Case closed. 6.)"I might hurt myself" - Consult a physician before you start an exercise program. then consult a personal trainer to design and guide you through a program so you won't hurt yourself. 7.) "None of my friends/No one I know exercises".- Lead by example. Be the first. 8.) " I don't like to sweat". - That's why gyms have showers. It refreshes after a workout. So enough of the excuses. You know what you need to do. Do it. Next post: The Top 10 Reasons To Exercise

Tricks Of The Trade

I constantly get asked "When it comes to diet and exercise, what do you do"? I had to think about it. Here's the basics: Diet: I'd like to think that I eat well. I love to cook and that makes a big difference. I cook the majority of my meals. That way, I know what's going into my food. I like lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, fish...grilled or broiled...lots of greens such as spinach, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus...steamed or roasted...good oils like olive, coconut and safflower...avacados...very little dairy...lots of fruit...mixed green salad with fruit and veggies... I always make it a point to eat breakfast which is either oatmeal w/ coconut oil, brown sugar and fresh fruit or eggs and vegetables...very little bread and if I do eat it, it's usually 12 grain...my vice is coffee w/ whole milk and sugar and I limit that to two cups (I won't say how large the cups are!)...flavored seltzer water and bottled water... Exercise: After years of trial and error, here's my exercise/workout program:I workout 3 times per week, full body all the time...anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on what I'm doing. If I'm doing strength training (heavy weights,4-8 reps), that will be about 30 minutes, hypertrophy (moderate weight, 10-12 reps), 45 minutes to an hour. Cardio every day. It took a while to get into these healthy habits. All things in time.

Don't Believe The Hype

Muscle Confusion. Paleo Diet. Ab Rollers. Everyone of these designed to help you lose weight, tone, get ripped. This product will torch fat, that one will burn fat, the other one will melt fat. Enough already! There is too much information out there about exercise and weight loss, some good, some bad. There are no magic potions or powders (even though some products are hyped as such...Sensa, anyone?). What to do, what to do? Do your research and use common sense. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to exercise and eat healthier. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. You have to do the work and make changes in your diet. We all know what we should and shouldn't eat. We all know that exercise is important to weight loss. Just do it. No Ab Belt will take the weight from your belly. No powder that you sprinkle on french frys will make them healthier. Hold yourself accountable. Do the work

I'm Back!!

It's been a while but I'm back. I totally forgot about this blog and went into my account and saw, to my suprise, how many views I've had. A lot's happened professionally since my last post and I have a lot to share. FITT For Life is a blog about fitness, cooking and eating healthier and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Knowledge is power and if I can help someone, then I've done my job. I'm going to try and post Friday's to coincide with my #FITTFriday post on Twitter.