How to choose a Personal Trainer

How to choose a Personal Trainer

Let’s discuss the absolute necessities when hiring a Personal Fitness Trainer as well as some warning signs of what to avoid. If you make the choice to hire a trainer but more importantly to take the time to hire the right trainer for your personality and fitness goals it can have a huge impact on your life.

Education: Most consumers cannot differentiate between a qualified and an unqualified trainer. A starting point is to be sure your trainer is certified through a reputable fitness organization. There are literally hundreds of certifying bodies for Personal Training in The United States. The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) is an accrediting body in our industry. Make sure that your trainer has at least one accredited certification such as NASM, NCCPT, ACSM, ACE, NSCA or AFAA. An exercise science or other related college degree is helpful but is not necessary. However, the more education your trainer has, the better your results may be.

Experience: I recommend that you choose a trainer with at least two years of industry experience. There is quite a bit to be said for on the job training. Experience accounts for the intangibles such as the ability to communicate better and knowing your limitations. Many novice trainers mistake working you too hard for a good workout. Experienced trainers understand how to properly pace you for injury prevention, exercise recovery and improving the overall enjoyment of the experience.

Additionally, you must seek a trainer that has the expertise that meets your needs.  If FITNESS is your goal then most qualified, experienced trainers can certainly do that.  If improving athletic PERFORMANCE is your goal - this will take a trainer with a different/additional skillset.
If FAT LOSS is your goal you must seek someone out that understands food intake psychology in addition to their fitness credentials.  Do not think that all trainers have the same specialties.  They do not.   (More to come on this in a future article).

Intangibles: Does the trainer communicate with you or at you? Do they use words and terminology that you can easily understand or do you need a fitness dictionary to figure out what they are saying? Use your gut. Do you feel that this person is sincere and truly willing to aid you or that you are now going to fill that small gap in their schedule?

An Open Mind: This is a rapidly expanding field. Fitness, health, weight management and performance sciences are changing every day. Does your trainer evolve as well? Or have they continued to do the same thing over and over. Ask your potential trainer the last continuing education course they attended or if the facility where they are employed provides continuing education.

Full Time, Career Minded Individual: Is this (Training) what your trainer does for a living? Or is it a part time proposition? Chances are the trainer is not as skilled doing part time work because they are spending the majority of their time learning their primary craft.

It's probably NOT a good idea to train with this guy.

Up Next:  Getting the right Coach depends on your needs

Why should I have a Personal Trainer?

Why should I have a Personal Trainer?

Many Personal Trainers are compassionate, highly educated, experts of their field. Choosing the right trainer can be a rewarding experience. You will benefit from increased accountability, expert direction and better results.

A brief Job Description for Personal Trainers - Motivation, Education and Accountability. A trainer should get you to enjoy what you are doing (or minimally despise it) and motivate you to continue exercising. Workouts that a trainer will provide far exceed the sit down and push experience that most health club goers are provided. Training sessions are creative and versatile, they are functional and transferable to the outside world, they are challenging, progressive and systematic.

A Coaching and Education post

Great trainers will also provide education. Many trainers gain knowledge beyond basic fitness certifications by obtaining advanced certifications, degrees or attending specialty workshops.
If you are pregnant, have an existing injury, want to change the appearance of your body or are trying to improve performance then seek out a trainer who has experience and expertise in these areas. The differences can be staggering.

Lastly, a great trainer makes you accountable to yourself. Let’s face it, most of us do not enjoy exercising. A trainer will get you to show up more often than you will on your own. It is an appointment and it will cost you if you do not show up which will improve your attendance rate. Plus, many trainers are charismatic, friendly and funny people! You will enjoy the time you spend with them on a personal and professional level. It will ease times you are not looking forward to working out and improve performance on the days that you are looking forward to.

A trainer can figure out why you are not reaching your goal and help provide long lasting solutions. Chances are your trainer has experience with someone in your situation before. A trainer will have the ability to sit down and explain what it will take for you to achieve the result you are after, or why you are not reaching your current goals. They have experience planning workouts, altering negative behaviors, guiding you through the confusion and mayhem that is popular diet and exercise trends and make sure you make the most efficient and effective choices for the long term.
Results are the trainers #1 priority. It is our job, duty and responsibility to be prepared to move you forward faster.

 A Goal Setting Post

Next:  What should I look for in a Trainer?

www.Innovationfitnesssolutions.com

Nutritional Supplements - Multi Vitamin

Position Statement on Multivitamin

Researchers from the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health stated in a landmark review that all adults should take a multivitamin daily. The June 19, 2002 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The aforementioned statement is quite compelling, and it is fairly naïve to think that we consume every health compound in optimal doses, ratios and at proper times from food alone on a daily basis. Any compound contributing to cellular performance has the potential to be sub-optimal when food alone is the matrix.

Why daily food intake may be insufficient -

1. Lack of Knowledge by the general population to analyze, buy, store and prepare foods to meet their daily needs.
2. Sedentary Environment – low energy needs make it hard to get in all the nutrients without consuming excess calories.
3. Food Preferences – fast and convenient foods often are high in calories and low in nutrients.
4. Inaccurate nutritional information on or in foods.

Therefore, given the safety margins of nutrients and the industry’s safety record, supplementation offers a sound and viable means of optimizing health and performance.

You need all of this stuff everyday.  Good luck getting it solely through your food intake.

 Let's face reality

Here are 10 reasons why you should take a Multi Vitamin:

1. No one eats perfectly. 
2. There is a TON of daily stress (which robs nutrients).
3. Most of us eat based on convenience, not nutrition needs.
4. Exercise increases your nutrient requirements.
5. Fat Loss requires a calorie deficit.  Nutrients are found in FOOD!  Now you are eating crap AND eating less.
6. Brain function requires optimal levels of nutrition.
7. Athletic Performance places high demands on your body.  Nutritional requirements are increased for recovery purposes.
8. Inconsistent eating habits, insufficient chewing of food, eating on the run, and stress contribute to poor digestion, making it difficult for our bodies to extract all the nutrients it needs from food.
9. Pharmaceutical drug use has escalated over time. Most medications deplete essential nutrients, making people more vulnerable to deficiencies.
10. Specific times in life and health conditions may result in higher needs of certain nutrients. For example, folic acid needs tend to be higher during pregnancy, while menopausal women may be vulnerable to calcium deficiencies.
11. BONUS - Increasing levels of environmental pollution in our air, water and food may cause our bodies to use more nutrients than normal to detoxify and eliminate harmful substances. This is especially true of the antioxidant vitamins, some of which include: the “ACE Vitamins:” Vitamins A, C, and E.

Do yourself a favor and take your Multi Vitamins.
Yours in health,
Robert J DeVito

Does being "in shape" make you fit to give fitness advice?

If someone has a friend who is in good shape, who is willing to give them exercise advice, why is it still a good idea to hire a personal trainer?

Often, very fit people are individuals who have added workouts as part of their lifestyle (long-term). This is usually a very good thing. However, what often occurs is that fit people develop beliefs in relation to which exercises are "good" exercises or "bad" exercises, which ones "work" or "do not work" etc... If this advice is being passed on to a healthy and fit individual that is not prone to injury and if the new exerciser takes caution to properly progress their training program, then in most cases the recommended exercises will be useful (minimally, it will not be detrimental) for that individual.

Your friends can only teach you what worked for THEM!

More often than not though, the avid exerciser simply passes on "rules" that they have memorized that have served THEM in reaching their goals. 

Caution! Many people achieve high levels of fitness not because of what they do, but in spite of it.

Often, a new exerciser will need to hire a Professional Trainer to properly assess their goals, needs and skill level and design a variable and progressive program that will keep this individual engaged, injury free and progressing toward their goal. Each person has lifestlye needs that differ and physiological needs that need uncovereing. These challenges should be considered when designing the appropriate program for them.

Simply put, there is no substitution for the assessment and coaching a trainer can give to an individual. Because someone is fit in NO WAY qualifies them to create a fitness program for you.  That is akin to someone with nice teeth becoming your Dentist...

Good friend. Bad Trainer.  Seek guidance that is appropriate for you.

In most cases your friends have the best intentions in the world.  Proceed cautiously.  They are most likely training incorrectly for their goal(s) too.  Most gym goers just copy what the person next to them is doing or follow what the person that they want to look like most is doing (this is called 'Emulation of Winners').  This is not a very wise action plan.  That person probably has different parents than you :) so their genetics and body shape are different, they most likely live a different lifestyle and they have been much more consistent with fitness than you.  You probably need a fitness plan that is COMPLETELY different than what they are doing.

Check this out for guidance on INTENSE Exercise.
Review this for the Newbies


Yours in health,
Robert J DeVito 

What are "boot camps" and why are they so popular?

What are "boot camps" and why are they so popular?

A "bootcamp" class is a group fitness class derived from a military style workout. The "bootcamp" class incorporates bodyweight strength training and endurance events to increae fitness levels and burn a great deal of calories.

The classes have evolved through the years from outdoors to indoors (in many cases) and have begun to utilize equipment such as a TRX (bodyweight suspension system), dummbbells and kettlebells (handheld weights) and battle ropes (long, thick, heavy ropes) to increase the external resistance and challenge to the body..

This class style has become increasingly popular over the past few years for a number of reasons:

• Multiple studies show that people exercise harder and for longer in groups.
• The style of class has a lower cost of entry than other Personal or Group Training programs.
• Classes are intense and challenging.
• People learn to be more creative in their own personal workouts.

Give a bootcamp or Group Training Program a try. You will be surprised at how much harder you can work with the support of a trainer and a few friends.

http://www.meetup.com/InnovationFitness-net/
Personal Training in Butler, NJ
Check out our schedule in the NNJ area here.

Yours in health,
Robert


Continue reading on Examiner.com What are "boot camps" and why are they so popular? - Newark weight loss | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/weight-loss-in-newark/what-are-boot-camps-and-why-are-they-so-popular#ixzz1nOVUQejx

Your impulsiveness is costing you your goals

Your impulsiveness is costing you your goals

Your impulsiveness is costing you your goalsYour impatience and reactive decision making are two major causes of not reaching and maintaining your goals.  Consider how many times you have begun down a path only to change direction on a whim based on your mood and a fleeting feeling or scale fluctuation.

There is a major difference between A) acting with persistence and deciveness while maintaining flexibility in your plan and B) Reacting to every negative feeling and situation by altering your course.
Learn the difference to change your life.   -R. DeVito

Two major muscles that require daily strengthening are not in your body, but in your mind.  Your Patience muscle and your Strategy muscle.  If the only strategy you have relied upon for success is willpower (as in: I will not eat junk, I will not eat late, I will not eat this and that etc...) take a moment to see how futile that thought process is to your long-term success.
You'll need to learn more tools for your toolbox and learn to utilize those tools at different times based upon your needs.  Aligning your thoughts with your reactions will be a vital component to offsetting those feelings of anxiety and doom.


 If your success program does not include strategies to deal with all of the obstacles we ALL tend to deal with from time to time then reevaluate your program.  Give yourself a reality check, make a flexible and complete plan and get consistent with your emotions and actions.
You must accept that you need to UNlearn certain things and learn other NEW things in order to have a different persepective and life.

 Stay Positive - Plan Ahead - Rebound from Setbacks

If you have reached the point of total frustration and confusion and want to begin the process of learning to create real, long-term success in your weight loss, wellness and life then here a few resources for you:
In the Northern New Jersey area you should come and work with us at the IFS Weight Loss and Lifestyle Centers.  Here is 14 days free to get you started.  You will be among people that have been and are struggling just like you and will provide all of the Support, Commitment, Education and Motivation to aid you in getting started and maintaining the path to success.

Everyone KNOWS that they must Move More and Eat Better to get results.  But, if it were that simple you would have gotten there and stayed there already.  You may have "dieted" or exercised with minimal and unmaintainable success before.  Now is your time to put all of the pieces togehter for a complete Wellness and Fitness Program.

Read what your Friends have to say!

IFS - Results for LIFE

If you are not in the NNJ area, then look into MyDynamicLife.net.  We will provide you the coaching and the tools to be successful from a distance.  You have nothing to lose.  There is a substantial amount of free content to help you and complete Wellness and Fat Loss Programs to redirect your life and understanding of what it takes to succeed.

MDL

Yours in health,
Robert J DeVito

What is the correct percentages of Proteins, Carbs and Fats to eat?

What is the correct percentage of protein, fat, and carbohydrate that I should be consuming?

There isn’t a “perfect” ratio for everyone. This, like your caloric requirements are different for each individual.  More important are the recommendations or ranges set forth by The American Dietetic Association.  The recommendations for each of the macronutrients of total calorie intake are as follows:

                   ● Carbohydrates: 45-65%

                   ● Protein: 15-25%

                   ● Fat: 10-30%

Your Weight Loss Coach will specify where you end up in the range based on your caloric needs, appetite and type/amount of movement.

These %’s may differ slightly day to day and on training and non-training days.  There is no one magical formula.

Super Superbowl Switches

"Eat your calories, do not drink them."
Once again I find my Cowboys enjoying the Super Bowl the same I will be - watching on TV.  At least it is not being played in their stadium this year...

Being a Cowboy fan from New Jersey has proven to be difficult from time to time and I am sure to make more people unhappy with this prediction:

Patriots 31 - Giants 21

Sorry, I expect Eli to have a great game (3 TD's) but Tom and the Kraft family have a mission to fulfill.  I believe it will be too much to overcome.

Now, onto the reason for the post:

Feeding frenzy:
Chips, Dips, Wings, Pizza, More Chips, that thing your friend made that you can't stop eating, more chips, potato skins, soda, stuff you don't even like and a "small" piece of the football shaped cake... It adds up to BIG calories.

Unfortunately, all the Football partying with the excess food and alcohol often make it hard for us to actually fit into our clothes the next morning. The easiest way to cut calories through watching your alcohol intake. Each gram of alcohol yields seven calories that are metabolized like fat calories. Since our bodies cannot store excess alcohol, they use it as a preferred source of energy so as not to reach toxic levels. As a result, just about everything we eat while drinking is stored in all the wrong places! In addition, drinking too much can also reduce our control over our appetites…and thus a vicious cycle begins!

Now, do not worry, we are not telling you that you should not consume "adult beverages" during the Super Bowl. However, there are certain cocktails or drinks that may be lighter than others. Here’s a breakdown:

Fun and Easy Substitutions

1. Cosmopolitan vs. Sour Apple Martini: Instead of having a Cosmopolitan, which contains 3 oz. citrus-flavored vodka, .5oz each of triple sec and lime juice with a plash of cranberry juice, and 251 calories, try a Sour Apple Martini with 2.5 oz sour mix, .75oz each of vodka and sour apple liqueur, and only 160 calories.Caloric Savings: 91 Calories
2. The White Russian vs. The Mudslide: Instead of having a White Russian with .75 oz each of vodka and Kahlua, 3 oz of cream, and 338 calories, try a Mudslide with .75 oz each of vodka, Bailey’s and Kahlua, and 184 calories. Caloric Savings: 154 Calories
3. Long Island Iced Tea vs. Tequila Sunrise: Instead of having a Long Island Iced Tea with 5 oz of sour mix, .5 oz each of vodka, gin, tequila, rum, triple sec, and cola with ice, and 338 calories, try a Tequila Sunrise with 6.5 oz of orange juice, 1 oz of tequila, a splash of grenadine, ice, and 209 calories. Caloric Savings: 114 Calories
4. The Margarita vs. The Mojito: Instead of a Margarita with 4 oz of pre-made margarita mix and tequila, and 338 calories, try a Mojito with 1.5 oz of rum, .5 oz of lime juice, 2 teaspoons of sugar, crushed mint, ice and 132 calories. Caloric Savings: 206 Calories
5. Beer vs. Lite Beer: A typical 12 oz. Beer contains 140-160 calories. A "Lite" Beer measures in from 70 - 100 calories. Caloric Savings: 40 -60 calories

Drank Too Much?
If you still overdid it on the alcohol, taking these precautions may help you feel better the next morning:

• Alternate a glass of water with your drink of choice
• Have something light to eat while you are drinking to absorb some of the alcohol
• Have a big glass of water before you go to bed and take a Multivitamin.

Have fun and be smart with your food choices.  Your body does not know or care that it's Super Bowl Sunday.

-Robert

Is excess Protein stored as fat?

Is excess Protein stored as fat?

Should I consume a Protein Shake?

Should I consume a Protein Shake?