Fitness Together Brecksville: November 2015

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

What Separates a Great Personal Trainer From the Rest?

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 Separates a Great Personal Trainer From the Rest?

Adam Teplitz: There are countless health and fitness professionals out there. However, there are vital qualities that separate a great trainer from the rest. Personally, I feel having integrity is what can make a good trainer, a great trainer. A trainer that does what they say they're going to do. A trainer that is 110 percent engaged during the session. I can't tell you how many times I've seen trainers at the big box gyms, on their phones and disengaged during their sessions. As someone whom takes my career seriously, this unnerves me.

I'm constantly looking to perfect my craft as a fitness professional. The fitness world is an ever changing one. I make it a priority to stay on top of all the new information that is presented. This can separate a great trainer from the rest.

Great trainers know that each client is unique. Their clients' programs should reflect this.
A majority of clients are nervous when they're beginning a workout program. Great trainers take this into account and do what they can to make their client as comfortable as possible.

I've always been passionate about health and fitness. Great trainers let their passion shine through in their sessions.

Kelly Bailey: There are many things that make a well-rounded personal trainer. Education is critical, as well as having a passion for exercise and helping others. I would say the best personal trainers are the ones that truly care about their clients. They enjoy their work, have great "people skills", and are good listeners. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to a gym and watched a trainer working with a client, and the trainer is looking off into space or getting distracted by their phone. That really bothers me because people are often paying a premium price for personal training and they should expect the trainer's full attention.

Michael Roberto: What separates a great personal trainer from the average trainer are a few factors. First, the trainer needs the ability to take boring exercise routines and make them fun for the client. Next, the trainer needs to be enthusiastic so that their happiness and high energy transfers to the client, hopefully making them more energetic about exercise. Finally, the trainer must be creative in the way they design exercise plans so that the client can do them with good form and be able perform them with room for growth and progress.

Jessica Sullivan: I believe a great personal trainer creates an environment that is both fun and challenging. The client should notice the workouts becoming more challenging as the weeks go on, but they should still find enjoyment in it. Great personal trainers should really listen to each and every client. This means being aware of likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and overall goals. This also means listening to what the client's body is saying...always observing if an exercise may need modification for someone's specific needs. Finally a personal trainer should always focus on how much a client has progressed. Sometimes it is hard for a client to notice small improvements but it is great when a personal trainer points out how far they've come. Whether it be holding a plank for 20 seconds longer than their first session, improvements in form, or getting less winded during cardio exercises.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Have a Healthy Side with Your Turkey: 4 Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Have a Healthy Side with Your Turkey: 4 Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes

What’s your favorite dish on the Thanksgiving table? Turkey is the obvious star, but what about the sides? If you’ve been working hard this year to lose weight, or you are on a diet, you might be a bit nervous about packing on the calories on Turkey day. Don’t worry, try one of these healthy spins on classic Thanksgiving sides.

Sweet Potato-Pecan Casserole

Traditional sweet potatoes are incredibly tasty, but they certainly aren’t the healthiest option. This version replaces butter with an egg, and whipped potatoes make this dish creamy and light. The pecans on top offer a great healthy crunch.

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Shallots

Lighten this classic up by ditching the standard canned creamy soup and using low-fat milk to make the sauce you crave. Crispy shallots add that crunch to make this signature dish a favorite for many.

Herb and Apple Stuffing

Perhaps the second most popular menu item on the table at Thanksgiving is stuffing (or dressing). Keep the white loaf or the box of stuffing in the cupboard for this lighter, healthier choice. Use whole-wheat bread to help make this favorite a tad-bit little healthier.

Butternut Squash Soup

You can’t have Thanksgiving without a squash dish, right? It represents the warmth and heartiness of the season in many ways. You and your family will warm up with this Butternut Squash Soup recipe. Although this rich and hearty soup feels so thick and creamy, you’ll fool everyone because there’s no actual cream in the recipe.

Don’t let your diet and healthy lifestyle ruin your Thanksgiving, try these healthy side dishes from Food Network to lighten up your Thanksgiving feast. After you enjoy your day, keep your healthy lifestyle on track and work off those added calories at Fitness Together^®.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

What is a good 15 minute upper body workout?

Trainer Tuesdays

What is a Good 15 Minute Upper Body Workout?

Adam Teplitz: A good 15 minute upper body workout is one that keeps your heart rate up the entire time. You want it to be an effective and efficient workout. In order to maximize your time, the best route to go would be to complete a circuit.

Start out with a dumbbell chest press, followed by any row variation for the back. Next, complete a standing or seated shoulder press. Finally, finish the circuit with a set of dips and bicep curls back to back. Complete the circuit 2 to 3 times, with little to no rest between exercises

Kelly Bailey: If all you have is 15 minutes and want to get a good upper body workout that will also

get your heart rate up and burn some fat, try the following workout:

Alternate 10 slow pushups (4 seconds down, 4 seconds back up) and 30 plank rotations. To perform plank rotations, get into a straight-arm plank and lift one arm up toward the ceiling while you rotate your body to that side. Repeat on the other side. Complete 2 sets of these two exercises with little to no rest, then move on to the next set of exercises.

Alternate 10 pull ups (use pull up straps or cable lat pull if you can't get 10 pull ups) and 15 bench triceps dips. Complete 2 sets of these two exercises with little to no rest, then move on to the next set of exercises.

Alternate 10 dumbbell military presses and 15 burpees. Complete 2 sets of these two exercises with little to no rest. Congrats you're done!

Maria Kolodziej: What is a good 15 minute upper body workout?

I like to organize my workout in multiple circuits of 3-4 exercises. Here are the exercises I would do for feel the burn in my upper body:

1.) 10 Push ups. These can be done a variety of ways; on your knees to make them easier, or do walking pushups for more of a challenge

2.) 10 Tricep kickbacks with dumb bells. Pulse up for 10 extra at the end of the set

3.) 10 Seated curls with body bar or kettle bells

4.) 30 sec arm circles. Modify by putting 3-5 lb dumb bells in your hands. Or get on your knees and lean your upper body back until your core is engaged. stick arms straight out on front of you. Circle for 30 seconds clockwise. Rest for a couple seconds, then circle counter-clockwise for another 30 seconds.

Repeat this circuit at least twice......

Steven Madden: For a great 15 min upper body workout that will torch you, all you need are push ups and pull ups (or inverted body rows). Find a bar you can do pull ups on (or inverted body rows) and set up there. Start a timer or have a clock nearby. At the top of the minuet, do as many push ups as you can. Rest for the remainder of the minuet. Then at the top of the next minuet do as many pull ups (or rows) as you can, and rest for the remainder of the minuet. Then repeat the process 6 more times. The number of reps should drop each time, and the rest time should get longer, but it still won't feel any easier.

Michael Roberto: The gym is a wonderful place to go if you want to lose weight, improve your heart and meet like-minded people to help reach your goals. The only drawback is the price you pay for said membership, which is usually a couple hundred dollars. Lucky for you exercise is not limited to just indoors. You can exercise outside as well and take in the extra benefit of breathing fresh air! For those nature lovers or those short of a membership, here is a 15 minute workout that targets the major muscles in your upper body, no dumbbells required.

1. pushup

2. inverted row

3. chin-up

4. handstand hold

5. mountain climbers

6. burpee

Perform each exercise for 30 seconds and rest 30 seconds in between each exercise. once all 6 exercises are completed, rest for one minute. That's one circuit. Do 3 circuits.

Lisa Clark: If you need a quick 15 minute workout for your upper body I recommend using

www.facebook.com/fitnesstogetherbrecksvilleohio

Dumbbells that you are comfortable with and remember you can adjust as you go. Keeping in mind that to get the most benefit, you want to work your muscles to failure. Here are the exercises I recommend....

Circuit #1 Biceps. Triceps, Shoulders
Exercise #1 Alternating Bicep Curls 10-12 reps
Exercise #2 Standing Military Press 10-15 reps
Exercise #3 Tricep Kick backs 10-12 reps
***3 sets of each exercise, bumping up weight if necessary.****
Take a short breather and move onto your next circuit.
Circuit #2 Chest, Biceps, Back
Exercise #1 Pushups 12-20 reps
Exercise #2 Concentration curls 10-12 reps
Exercise #3 Bent Over dumbbell rows 10-15 reps

Justin Traft: So everyone asks all the time what's a good 15 minute workout for upper body. One of my favorites is that I have used on vacation or during a time-crunch before is this… No breaks… I'll go up to four sets 12-15 reps a piece. Weights-- make sure they challenge you, but you are still using correct form. Everyone is different when it comes to variations of exercises used and that's okay. I'll start with decline push-ups then I'll move to diamond push-ups followed by Arnold shoulder press followed by bicep 21s to bench dips and max-out on each set. Nice little muscle burn and pump going after you do those 4 sets. Plus the heart rates elevated. You don't need a lot of crazy equipment to achieve this routine which makes it one of my favorites.