Fitness Together Brecksville: July 2015

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

How do you, as a trainer keep up on the latest studies and information?

Trainer Tuesdays

Welcome back to the weekly edition on Trainer Tuesdays. Make sure to check in at our blog every Tuesday evening to learn the expertise of our great staff. Aside from being fantastic exercise coaches, they are also extremely knowledgeable in many aspects of health and fitness; so, it's time that you get to know them a little better! Each week, we will post a frequently asked, or sometimes just a fun fitness related question followed by the answers of each of the trainers at Fitness Together Brecksville.

How do you, as a trainer keep up on the latest studies and information?

The Best Personal Trainers in Cleveland, your friendly and professional staff at Fitness Together Brecksville!

Fitness Together personal trainer Maria Kolodziej

Maria Kolodziej: I stay up to date on the latest studies and information in the form of continuing education units (CEU's) though the National Council of Certified Personal Trainers. To maintain my personal trainer certificate, I have to seek out articles, videos and studies related to the field. This is a wonderful way to stay current and I enjoy learning while I earn my CEU's.

Justin Traft: So, many of you may wonder how we all keep up on the latest information. Well I for one am always reading articles and writings all the time. Not only to help stay informed of what's new and hot trends but for my own wellness and personal fitness goals. The range varies always from routines to nutrition to studies done by universities to doctors’ research to other well known trainers and their thoughts on a certain topic. To me, knowledge is something that can never can get old. Especially when it comes to training. The more you know and study the more valuable you are as a trainer and the more successful you can help your clients become in their wellness journeys.

Personal Trainer Adam Teplitz working with a client on TRX

Adam Teplitz: The fitness world is an ever changing one. There are new trends making the rounds on a day to day basis. As a trainer, I make it my priority to educate myself on everything and anything fitness related. Dr. Layne Norton and Dr. Fred Hatfield are two well respected figures in the fitness world that I follow. I've read numerous books by Dr. Hatfield, including 'fitness training and nutrition' and 'Power: A scientific approach.' In addition to this, I frequent bodybuilding.com, t-nation.com, and muscleandfitbess.com. I am extremely passionate about fitness and am always looking to expand my knowledge.

Kelly Bailey: Similar to other professions, it is important for trainers to keep up with the latest information in health and fitness. There is a wealth of searchable information online, but much of it has to be taken with a grain of salt. There is as much bad (or outdated) information as there is good information. The best articles are peer-reviewed studies, though I admit they can be cumbersome and boring to read. In the least, I expect that someone writing an article will cite references for the information they give. My favorite places to keep up with the latest information are Google Scholar (searchable peer-reviewed articles), the Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness, and the IDEA Health and Fitness Association.

Taylor Burns: As a trainer I have been looking up at least 2-3 articles or studies a week to keep up on the latest information. I also use social media and follow a lot of fitness people in the industry to pick up any information that I can. I think it is super important to keep evolving as a trainer because every single client that walks through the door is different. It is our job to help you reach your goals even if you have restrictions. However having restrictions shouldn’t turn you away from wanting to be active because we can help you figure out other ways for you to reach your goal!

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

How Much Time Should I Spend on my Workout for it to be Effective?

Trainer Tuesdays

How much time should I spend on my workout for it to be effective?

Adam Teplitz: Workout duration is one of the many factors that contributes to an effective fitness regimen. Workout duration will depend on your goals. If your goal is to build muscle and get stronger, you want to hit it hard to stimulate size and strength gains. The optimal time for this is no more than sixty minutes, excluding warm up time. When you start training, your body will naturally boost testosterone levels higher than normal. This increased output peaks at about a half hour into the workout. At the 45 minute mark, testosterone levels are coming back down to baseline. After 60 minutes, your body will start to produce less testosterone and more cortisol , a hormone that eats muscle tissue and increases fat storage. This is a scenario you want to avoid. When it comes to cardio and weight loss, intensity will always be key. Duration is secondary. The most effective form of cardio for burning fat is high intensity interval training. This form of cardio is effective due to the fact that you're not only burning calories while you are doing it , but for up to 48 hours after as well. The duration should be a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes. As your body adapts, you can add additional rounds and gradually increase the time.

Kelly Bailey: How much time you spend working out is far less important than the QUALITY of your workout. I would rather do an intense, high-quality 20 minute workout than loaf through a 60 minute workout any day of the week. That being said, there is certainly a place for the "loafing" type of exercise....like a walk through the park with a friend or a relaxing kayak around a lake. But if you have fitness goals to reach, your workouts should be planned and need to have that high-quality component.

I have found mental preparedness to be one of the most important factors in increasing the quality of a workout. For at least five or ten minutes before a workout, I visualize myself working hard during my session, pushing myself farther than I went during my last session. This simple technique puts me in the right frame of mind to get the most out of my limited time for exercise.

Taylor Burns: When I first started working out, I would spend a good 2 hours in the gym a day. I would lift for over an hour and then do cardio. Spending that much time made me really dread working out as I'm sure anyone would feel the same way because it feels like a job and becomes unappealing. Feeling this way made me feel unmotivated because I wasn't seeing the results I wanted to see.

Once I snapped out of it, I had some help and direction to get in and get out of the gym. In the last year, I spent just about 45 minutes lifting 5 days a week and 20 minutes of cardio 3 days a week. No distractions. Get in and get out. I believe lifting should be between 45-60 minutes and cardio shouldn't go over 30 minutes if you are trying to lose body fat. You don't want it to feel like a job. You should want to come in to focus on yourself to become your best self.

Steven Madden: The right amount of time for a workout does depend on goals, but in general it should be between 30 and 60 min. Anything less will not really get your metabolism up as high as you would like. Anything more will start to have detrimental effects on your muscle tissue. The same applies for cardio unless you are specifically training to improve endurance.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

What questions are important for clients to be completely honest about so that you can help them reach their goals?

Trainer Tuesdays

What questions are important for clients to be completely honest about so that you can help them reach their goals?

Monika Cotter: Honesty is the best policy! Especially when it comes to talking with your trainer. Questions are asked not to be nosey or to embarrass anyone, but it is to help clients reach their goals. Some of the questions that your trainer may ask you about is the reasons you are setting specific goals, injuries, limitations, medications, water intake, eating habits and family history. The trainers here at FT care about our clients and want to do everything we can to help, but it is a two-way street of honesty.

Adam Teplitz: As a personal trainer, I make it a priority to emphasize the 'personal ' aspect. It's important for my clients to be completely honest when it comes to certain questions.
These questions include nutrition related ones. It's always been said that you can't out train a bad diet. A client could give 110 percent in their workouts, but then compromise their results with their diet. My clients and I must be on the same page when it comes to nutrition.
Other important questions include ones about how active they are outside of the studio as well as how committed and motivated they are. You get out of it what you put into it.
Open and honest answers to these questions will lead to a more effective and efficient routine.

Maria Kolodziej: I believe whole-heartedly in exercise! I've seen the positive effects of it time and time again on mind and body. However, exercise will only take you so far. Nutrition is a huge contributing factor to not only weight loss, but muscle tone and overall body performance. If you put garbage in your body it will run like garage during your workout as well as daily tasks. For these reasons I believe it is very important for clients to be honest with their trainer and themselves about what they are putting into their bodies. I know that I eat way better when I have someone to be accountable to. Sometimes it is hard to be completely honest about this; especially if you've had a bad week. Don't ever feel judged; instead just accounted for. Through this approach we can reach our goals together!

Steven Madden: As fitness professionals, one of the most effective tools we have to train clients is information. The more we know about the client, the more we can help them attain their goals. Unfortunately, some times, either by design or neglect, we don't get all the information. It's important for a clients health that we have to most honest answers to certain questions.

We often ask if there are any injuries or surgeries that might impede movement. You would be surprised how often we are told no, only to find out after one disastrous rep of over head presses that the new client just has shoulder surgery. I'm not accusing the client of doing it on purpose, but we never would have even attempted the movement had we known. Along with this is asking if an exercise feels alright when a client is in the middle of it. Again, sometimes I don't get told until after the last set that an exercise is causing pain or strain where it shouldn't. I promise you that I ask about this because I want to know right away.

Then there is healthy diet. I don't like to bring it up often, but when I'm asked by a client why they are not losing weight, I invariably end up asking if they are eating healthy. When I see you coming in three times a week leaving a pool of sweat behind, I am left to wonder if the problem is diet. Too often, I get the sense that I'm only get half truths on this issue. I want to help in anyway I can, but if I don't have all the data, I only guessing.

Lisa Clark: As a personal trainer, there are many things we need to know about our clients in order to help them meet their fitness goals. One of the most important things to know about our clients are any limitations they may have including any previous injuries, so we can devise a program tailored to helping them and not run the risk of injuring them. Also along those same lines, anything that may be hurting them at the moment, no matter how insignificant it may feel, may keep us as trainers from having our clients perform an exercise that could unintentionally cause them pain.

Justin Traft: So the question always is asked what do client need to be honest about to share to help

www.fitnesstogether.com/brecksville/nutrition

Justin Traft wants to know if you're doing extra cardio??

them reach their goals. Well there are a couple thoughts that will help. Always be honest about your goals. If you’re asked are you doing anything outside of the gym on your own and you say yes but you really aren't then you’re really not being honest with your trainer or yourself. Clients need to be up front on their nutrition currently and how they plan to change their old habits. Also, are they currently doing any cardio outside of the gym. If so, how many times per week; or if no, then how are they going to change that? Also, how many days per week is a client going to commit to strength training? It’s also very important to be up front if you have any limitations that may stop you or road block you during your workouts. Reason being you ask is because it helps the trainer gauge what he or she needs to make sure is happening when you see them if you aren't doing those things outside of the gym. Also, help you steer you in the right direction and keep you on track and accountable for your goal you are working towards whatever it may be.

Kelly Bailey: If a client wants to see results, it's important that they not only be honest with themselves, but also with their trainer. Furthermore, not being totally honest can lead to injury!

The first and foremost thing I want a client to be honest about is their health history, and any current or past injuries that we need to be careful about during exercise. The only way I can help to keep you safe during exercise is if you tell me about known health problems. As a trainer, my code of ethics dictates that I keep your health information confidential, and that I create a supportive and friendly environment so that you feel safe telling me about past and/or current health concerns.

It's unanimous...you have to be honest about nutrition!!

The second thing I want clients to be honest about is what they are eating. What happens at home in the kitchen dictates how successful you'll be at achieving your goals. Ninety percent of the time, if a client is not reaching a goal, it has to do with nutrition. I often find that clients are not being dishonest about what they eat, but just don't understand portion sizes, or how all those little bites of this or that add up. This is why it's important to keep track of your food intake (for at least a little while) and share that information with your trainer. It's often an eye opening experience!

Jessica Regula: Its very important that when working with a trainer, you are completely honest in answering questions and asking questions. This helps to build your relationship with your trainer and helps us to plan ways to best fit your goals and needs! Here are some questions that you need to be 100% honest about:
1. "How active are you currently?"- Some people get embarrassed by answering that they're sedentary, however as a
trainer we need to know how conditioned you are to exercising (or deconditioned) so we can create plans that best fit your abilities. And we don't judge if you're sedentary- that's why you're seeing us!
2. "How does this weight feel?"- Finding the appropriate weight is vital in working out. If you're getting towards the end of your set and feel like you can keep going, then you need to let us know! On the flip side, if you're struggling by the 5th rep and have quite a ways to go, we need to know! Forcing yourself to lift too heavy can lead to injury. Trust me, we don't care about how much you're lifting, we care about proper technique and muscle fatigue, whether you're curling 5s or 55s.
3. "How are you doing/feeling?"- Throughout the workout, I like to check in frequently with my clients, to see how they're responding to the workout. If you are ever feeling dizzy, light headed, nauseous, or uncomfortable, we need to know, don't tell us that you're doing good when you feel yucky. If you need a longer break, just tell us.
Of course there are many other questions that help us to ensure that you're reaching your goals. The main thing to remember is that honesty is key when talking with your trainer so we can help you achieve success!

Taylor Burns: Important questions to discuss when reaching a health or fitness goal should be about nutrition. Speaking from past experiences, you can go to the gym just about every day and spend a lot of time working out. But what's going to help you reach your goal whether it's gaining muscle or losing weight comes down to how you fuel your body consistently!