Fitness Together Brecksville

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

What are your Top 3 Songs to put on when you need extra motivation for a hard workout?

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 are your top 3 songs to put on when you need extra motivation for a hard workout?

Do you think Metallica set out to inspire so many fitness professionals?

KerryFairchild: I like just about every song by these three groups, but here are my top

three motivational songs:

1. Enter Sandman, Metallica

2. I'm Shipping Up to Boston, Dropkick Murphys

3. Greed, Godsmack

Justin Traft: So some of my motivational songs that help me out during a tough workout are really

Eminem is one of Justin Traft's main musical motivators to workout

random. One system of the down "Sickness" probably one of my all time favorites gets me pumped . Another would be MGK "invincible" it keeps you humble and reminds me why I work so hard in life an when I need that push during a rough workout. Last but not least by any means Eminem " Till I collapse " highly motivational song and fast rhythm makes step up the tempo of the workout. Many more good ones but a few that really help during a tough workout.

We can't forget Eye of the Tiger!! Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!

Adam Teplitz: When it comes to getting those last few reps in, the right song can make all the difference. If I'm lifting heavy weights, hard rock gives me that extra motivation. You have to get angry! In the End by Linkin Park and Enter Sandman by Metallica are my go to songs. I can't forget Eye of the Tiger either. Rocky Balbao will always inspire me.

Kelly Bailey: Studies have shown that music can help to boost your performance during a workout, whether you're hitting the weights or the track. I often listen to music when working out, especially if I have a particularly hard workout planned. My favorites are: AC/DC's Back in Black, Queen's We Will Rock You, and Aerosmith's Back in the Saddle.

Steven Madden: When I'm working out and I need a boost from my music, there are a few tracks on my iPod that I go straight to. First is Metallica's Master of Puppets. While the studio version is great, for a workout I prefer the live version from Seattle 1989. It's great for pumping up. Next, and in a very different direction is Cirque du Soleil's Alegria, the title song of that show. It's not hard and driving like Metallica, but I find it up-lifting. The song inspires me to push my body to greater feats, just like Cirque's performers. Lastly, The Sweet's Ballroom Blitz, is a great song for knuckling up and just finishing out a hard workout. Music is a great motivator, so go and find the songs that help motivate you.

Taylor Burns: When I workout I like to listen to music that is upbeat and something I can dance to. It puts me in the best mood especially doing cardio. My top three are Uptown Funk, Titanium and Hey Mama. If you see me dancing in the gym, most likely it's one of those things. :)

Christina Aguilera gives trainer Jessica Regula just enough "Girl Power"

Jessica Regula: My music tastes are very eclectic in that I listen to a little bit of everything when I workout. Music can be very motivating during a lifting or cardio session, I'm never without my iPod at the gym! Here are 3 of my favorites that I put on when I need to push through:
"Fighter" by Christina Aguilera (classic and girl power!)
"No mediocre" by TI (I typically listen to rap when lifting)
"Had Enough" by Breaking Benjamin (angsty music really pushes me through)

Lisa Clark uses the passion of Tupac to push through

Lisa Clark: Music can be very motivating when working out. I have several different types of music I

listen too while doing different types of workouts. If I'm lifting heavy weights I love listening to Heavy Metal. If I'm doing a cardio workout I like fast paced music with a good steady beat and if I'm running a long distance and need something to keep me going when I want to quit, I listen to Tupac! The anger in many of his songs gives me that extra drive I need to push myself.

Maria Kolodziej: My top three favorite songs to put on when I need motivation for a tough workout changes frequently because I like to stay current. Right now they would be "I'm an Albatroz" by AronChupa, "Drop That" by Jacob Plant, and "Cookie Thumper" by Die Antwoord. I like anything that has roughly 120 bpm and typically lean toward house or dance music.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

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

Trainer Tuesdays

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.