Fitness Together Brecksville

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

What Should I do if I'm Not Getting Results From Exercise?

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.

What Should I do if I’m Not Getting Results From Exercise?

Just Because You're Working Out, Doesn't Mean It's Working

Brooke Kratche: You've been working hard for weeks, even months, and the results are not coming? How do all those people on T.V. make it look so easy? Don't worry, it's not just you, you are not going insane, it happens a lot. So let's talk about how to get past this. Let's take this on from two different angles. First, let's talk about your diet! Everything you eat is fuel for your body to move, function properly, and recover from your workouts. When you begin to switch your mindset on the purpose of food you will begin to ask the right questions and make better choices for food. That is a good time to schedule an appointment with our Nutrition Together team. They will help you make a plan that is right for you. The right diet could be the missing piece for your body.

Already working with Nutrition Together? Could be time to switch up your workout! Let us know about your concerns and we will be glad to switch things up a bit. Your body can adapt to the demands you put on it becoming more and more efficient as you continue to work hard. Therefore, we need to shock it back into work! By switching things up we are forcing the body to work differently, in a way it has not adapted to.

Still have concerns? Talk to one of us and we are happy to work with you to develop a personalized solution!

Adam Teplitz: There are a number of factors that could contribute to lack of results from an exercise program.

1) You're not working hard enough.
It's always beneficial to slowly increase the intensity and push yourself harder. You have to regularly push yourself beyond your fitness comfort zone.

2) You're working out too hard.
It's important to balance your training days with your rest days. Get plenty of sleep each night.

3) You haven't changed your diet or nutrition habits.
Exercise is great, but if you're not eating a nutritious diet with the appropriate amount of calories, it could be all for nothing. Consider signing up for Nutrition Together to maximize your exercise routine.

4) You sit all day
Even if you workout regularly, what you do for the rest of the day is just as important. Try to work more activities into all areas of your life. Go for a walk after dinner; choose to stand whenever possible; take the stairs.

Follow these tips to feel better, have more energy and achieve the workout results you want and deserve.

Justin Traft: A question many clients may ask or come in with is what should they do if they’re not getting results. Well there are a couple of things you should think about or consider. One, is your routine different or are you just doing same movements. Most successful people go with 6 weeks for a program and then change it up. This causes muscle confusion and the body to adapt. It keeps the body guessing what's next. Number two would be your diet…it's pretty much everything. Quote this forever: "You can’t out-train a bad diet!”. When I lost all of my weight, diet was key to seeing any results from my hard work. Three, always be willing to do some kind of cardio. It's a big player when it comes to continuous weight loss. Weight training alone won't do it. Four, make it fun when you can. Variety is the spice of life. Mix it up. Example: one day maybe do a workout outside when weather permits or with a friend to give you that extra motivation you make be lacking.

Are you feeling frustrated from your exercise routine not working? Call Fitness Together

Kelly Bailey: If you're not getting great results from exercise, there are a few avenues that need to be explored. I would start with nutrition. Try tracking your diet for a few days. This is very telling, and nine times out of ten is where people need to focus more effort. If your nutrition strategy is in line, the next thing to do is get really honest about your workouts. Are you really pushing yourself hard enough? Exercise is uncomfortable. It's extremely important to come into workouts mentally prepared to give it your all. You need to push your body to that sweet spot: close to its limit, but not past. That's where you're going to see changes because it forces your body to make adaptations. Lastly, if you know your nutrition is good and you're working as hard as you can during your workouts, you need to assess whether you may be OVER-DOING exercise. If you are chronically stressed or sleep-deprived, you will be unable to recover from hard exercise. This can cause hormonal imbalance, fatigue, susceptibility to illness, and even weight gain. If it seems like you're constantly tired, irritable, and you're not recovering as quickly as you used to from your workouts, try taking a little time off from heavy workouts and focus on allowing your body some recovery time.

Lisa Clark: In order to get results from exercise, you have to regularly push yourself beyond your fitness comfort zone. Whether you increase the frequency, intensity, or duration of your workouts, you have to switch it up. Not sure where to start? Try adding an extra day of cardio onto your routine, testing out a new group exercise class at the gym, adding another loop around your walking track, or bumping up the incline and speed on the treadmill. Remember, when it comes to exercise, change is good—and that change should be challenging! Also if you can't seem to see those muscles you're trying to build or you aren't losing weight start logging your food to see how many calories you're eating a day. If you're regularly eating more than you should (it just takes an extra 100 calories a day to gain an extra pound a month), then try choosing lower calorie versions of your favorite foods and slowly decreasing your caloric intake until you're at the right level! On the flip side of that, if you find that you are consuming too few calories, that can also slow your metabolism and keep you from shedding those unwanted pounds.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

What is Unique about Your Personal Training Style?

Trainer Tuesdays

What is Unique About Your Personal Training Style?

Justin Traft: What's is unique about my training style? Well I have to first say I wouldn't be the personal trainer I am without some support and tips for my boss Sean. When I came into the industry he had already been training a couple of years. He took me under his wing and always gave me feedback—good or constructive-- to help build what I am today. That I am appreciative of! I would classify my style as aggressive… anyone who trains with me knows I don't baby anyone. I don't scream at you or put you down; but when you’re in my suite for 45 minutes I am going to get your very best! Most clients don't even think it's possible to do certain exercises but I make them believe in themselves first and then the result start coming. My favorite saying is "mind over matter". Apply it in what you do and you will surprise yourself. I can switch gears easily from HIIT to heavy resistance training. I enjoy it all. I love the fitness career.

Michael Roberto: What makes my training style unique is the interaction. I do my best to make funny comments to distract the client from the monotony of exercise and make it more enjoyable.

Adam Teplitz: As a personal trainer, I pride myself in having certain unique traits that encompass my personal training style.

The worst trainers in the world are the ones who constantly talk. Great trainers listen. I make sure to take the time to listen to my clients' feedback throughout the workout. If there is an exercise my clients like/dislike, I'll make adjustments to their fitness program accordingly.

Patience is one of the more vital traits that I have. Fitness is a journey. There are obstacles, frustrations and setbacks along the way. I take this into consideration with every client. One of the more difficult aspects of training is balancing patience with a motivating attitude. This is a skill I incorporate into every session.

As someone with a genuine, selfless side, I put myself in the shoes of all of my clients. I understand that beginning a fitness journey is anything but easy. My training style emphasizes the 'personal' in personal training.

AmandaRicci: My personal training style is unique in that a lot of the exercises that I design resemble functional movements, or movements that you engage in during everyday life. For example, lifting a heavy box to place it on the shelf, shoveling snow, reaching under the car seat to grab an item that you misplaced, or reaching to the backseat to grab that bottle that your baby dropped, and many more. We move in more than one plane of motion (different directions). From the time we are children we crawl; play hop scotch; red rover, red rover send Robby over; and climb on the jungle bars. Therefore we are building and using more muscles. As we age we are lucky if we walk forward or backward, and forget about walking side to side. This is part of the reason why we stop gaining muscle and start losing it. It is because our body stops using the muscles that we used when we were kids. This leads not only to muscle loss but also increases your risk of injury. It is imperative that we regain that muscle strength because I firmly believe that a body in motion stays in motion and once we stop moving it can lead to decrepit joints and muscles. Therefore, I take a functional movement approach to help individuals regain that strength and build muscle everywhere!!

Monday, February 29, 2016

Just One More --- How to fit in something extra healthy this Leap Day!

Feb 29, 2016

It’s not often that the calendar gives you a gift. Sure, sometimes a birthday or favorite holiday lands on a weekend, and once a year most of the country gets granted an extra hour of sleep. With the anomalous Leap Day here, the whole world is essentially given an entire extra day. Granted, with February 29^th falling right on a Monday, there’s probably not a whole lot of leeway with how you spend it today. However, a gift is a gift – why not spend it wisely? On this extra day, if you could fit “just one more” of something into your life this year, what would you choose? Let us help you brainstorm.

How about one more day to connect with loved ones? That card you’ve been meaning to send, the belated “happy birthday” email you haven’t written, the grandparent you’ve needed to call. Time has a way of ticking by at lightening-speed when it comes to reaching out to our family and friends. “I’ll do it later” becomes our mantra. Using your extra day to reconnect with someone important to you is a great idea. Undoubtedly, you’ll be so happy you did.
Consider scheduling one more session with your trainer. Yes, we KNOW you have your routine set, your schedule made. However, throwing an extra workout into your routine once in a while isn’t a bad idea. Did you know that with just one cardio session:

Your lungs are getting stronger, and moving a greater volume of oxygen to your muscles
Your body is getting flooded with endorphins, making you feel fantastic – even after your workout comes to an end
You’re making gains at keeping healthy. Exercise elevates your body’s level of immunoglobulins. These are proteins that help boost your immune system and ward off infection. "Every sweat session you do can help strengthen your immune function for about 24 hours," says Cedric Bryant, PhD, chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise.

Hungry? You’ve got one more day to incorporate produce into your diet, you lucky duck. Each day that you choose to eat well counts. Eating just one serving of vegetables contributes to a well-functioning digestive system thanks to the bounty of fiber and water found in many kinds. Not only that, because of the potassium they contain, just one serving of veggies can help flush out excess sodium in your body, leading to less bloat, and a slimmer-feeling you. What’s more, just one serving of some veggies can even help your body combat the effects of stress by lowering blood pressure and relaxing blood vessels. Nearly any vegetable you choose contains these stress-busting nutrients, but mushrooms, leafy greens, squash, potatoes, bell peppers, bok choy, fennel, string beans and edamame are especially good sources of several calming and healing vitamins and minerals.

You’ve been granted one more day, indeed. Not only do adding an extra session of exercise, or a day of eating well help to stockpile the beneficial physical benefits of these things, it does good things for you mentally as well. Each time we perform and reinforce a desired action, we make gains in letting that action (i.e.; eating broccoli instead of French fries or choosing aerobic exercise over curling up with season 2 of “Breaking Bad”) become a habit. So go ahead – choose just one more good thing for yourself. Come March, you’ll be awfully glad you did.

To learn how Fitness Together® can help you get “more” out of your workouts and nutrition, find a studio near you: http://fitnesstogether.com/find-a-studio

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

What is Cholesterol & how does it Affect My Risks for Heart Disease? If High Cholesterol Runs in My Family Do I Have Any Hope to Combat My Risks?

Trainer Tuesdays

What is cholesterol, how does it affect my risks for heart disease? If high cholesterol runs in my family do I have any hope to combat my risks?

Michael Roberto: Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in all cells of the body. There are 2 types of cholesterol: high density and low density. High density is good cholesterol as it transfers cholesterol to the liver and removes the cholesterol from the body. Low density is bad cholesterol as a high level of these will clog arteries and reduce blood flow throughout the body. If high cholesterol runs in your family, there are ways to combat this. Exercising, eating a healthy diet low in trans fats and saturated fats, taking time to relax and giving up smoking are a few ways to lower high cholesterol.

Fitness Together Personal Trainer Adam Teplitz on the Elliptical

Adam Teplitz: Cholesterol is constantly misunderstood. Let's first define what it is: a fat-like substance that helps your body build new cells, insulate nerves and produce hormones. Normally, the liver makes all the cholesterol the body needs. However, cholesterol can also be found in food, such as milk, eggs and meat.

There are two forms of cholesterol. Good cholesterol (high density lipoproteins) and bad cholesterol (low density lipoproteins).
Too much bad cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease. It can build up in the walls of your arteries, causing a process called atherosclerosis. The arteries become narrowed and blood flow to the heart is slowed down or blocked. This can lead to a heart attack.
Good cholesterol actually works to clear bad cholesterol from the blood.

If you are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol, it is possible to lower your risk. Begin by changing your eating habits. Eat more whole grain foods that are high in fiber. Another step would be lowering your daily cholesterol intake. Eat more lean meat such as chicken and fish.

Finally, increasing your level of physical activity can combat high cholesterol. Regular exercise helps lower high levels of low density lipoproteins.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

What are the Symptoms & Risk Factors of Heart Disease. How Can Diet & Exercise Help?

Trainer Tuesdays

What are the Symptoms & Risk Factors of Heart Disease? How Can Diet & Exercise Help?

www.fitnesstogether.com/brecksville/customized-cardio-program

Michael Roberto: When talking about heart disease, it is very important to know and look for signs of irregularity. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, nausea, pain in the neck, chest and jaw regions of the body and fatigue ranging from low to extreme. But with exercise, you can lower your risk of having heart disease. By exercising, you lower your blood pressure and reduces strain on the heart. Exercise also increases good cholesterol which transports fat away from the arteries and sends the fat to the liver to be filtered. Eating a clean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and limiting refined sugar will also lower your chances of heart disease.

Justin Traft: So many people ask ‘what are some risk factors of heart disease?’ This is pretty easy to answer-- Diets play a huge part in it. Studies have shown people consuming large amounts of processed foods and red meats have a higher likelihood of developing heart disease. What makes that even worse is that 5 out of 10 people with that lifestyle don't exercise, which heightens the risk even more for suffering from heart disease. You can't absorb garbage on a nonstop basis and expect your heart to keep pumping normally without the proper nutrition and exercise that it needs. Keep in mind heart disease kills more people then every form of cancer... it’s the leading cause of death in both men and women. A sound diet is just as important as a great workout routine. Having a cardio program like Cardio Together is also a key factor in keeping your heart healthy. Getting your heart rate up is beneficial for not only you but for your heart as well. It's a living oxygenated muscle. Doing cardio helps to ensure that when your heart is in cardiac stress or strain it's able to handle the load put upon it. So do yourself a favor if not already start thinking about your heart. Remember a healthy heart equals a lifetime of happiness instead of a lifetime of sadness.

Adam Teplitz: With February being heart health month, it's important to take note of the risk factors for heart disease.

There are certain major risk factors that you're born with, which cannot be changed.
Increasing Age: the majority of people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 years or older.
Gender: men are at a greater risk for heart attacks than women. They tend to have heart attacks earlier in life. Women have some protection because of the effects produced by estrogen; however, post-menopausal women will generally have the same risk as men.

Hereditary: children of parents with heart disease are more likely to develop it themselves.
Fortunately, there are major risk factors that you can modify, treat or control by changing your lifestyle or taking medicine. These risk factors include stress, alcohol, and diet.

A healthy diet is one of the best ways to control and limit heart disease. The food you eat can affect other controllable risk factors: cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes and weight. Make sure to choose nutrient rich foods containing vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Physical inactivity is another major risk factor that you have complete control over. Regular moderate to vigorous physical activity helps reduce the risk of heart and blood vessel disease by keeping the heart strong.

A healthy diet complemented with a structured strength and cardio routine is the perfect weapon to fight cardiovascular disease.

Amanda Ricci: Some of the risks of heart disease include: being of the age 65 years or older, male gender, family history, smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyle and having diabetes. Some of the symptoms for heart disease include: chest pain or heart palpitations, and sometimes there are no symptoms.

Exercise and diet can help reduce your risk for heart disease in that building muscle helps to tone the smooth lining of your arteries, (which is composed of smooth muscle tissue) and that helps to assist the blood in returning back to the heart. This means that the heart does not have to work as hard and which is why your blood pressure can potentially decrease up to 12 hours after working out. Exercise also helps to increase your good cholesterol levels a.k.a. HDL (high density lipoproteins). According to the Mayo Clinic, “For every 6 lbs. you lose, your HDL may increase by 1mg/dl. Another way to increase your HDL is by eating healthier. A good range for your HDL cholesterol is between 40-59 mg/dl, the higher the better.

In addition, one of the other ways that exercise and good nutrition helps reduce the risk of heart disease include preventing or reversing diabetes. Exercise assists by reducing blood glucose or sugar levels in the body. When an individual has diabetes it means their body is not producing enough insulin from the pancreas to process the sugar and distribute the energy to our cells. When the pancreas isn’t functioning properly and too much sugar stays in the body it can cause diabetes. Therefore, exercise helps the cells in the body distribute and eliminate that sugar in the body. A healthier diet can also help by reducing the amount of sugar that the pancreas must process. So as you can see there are numerous benefits to exercise and a healthy diet. It is better to reverse or prevent development of as many risk factors as possible. Obviously age, gender and family history cannot be controlled. However, smoking, cholesterol, blood pressure, lifestyle and diabetes are able to be controlled.