Archive for the ‘challenge’ Category

The Power of Strength Training

Posted: November 7, 2012 by Eric at Prime in challenge, dedication, fat loss, fitness, group exercise, health, inspiration, lifestyle, personal training, weight loss, wellness, womens' fitness
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Welcome back to the Prime Fitness Blog. After some time away, Christy and I are back and ready to reconnect with everyone on all things health, fitness and wellness. I start this new blog era with yet another story of inspiration from one of Prime’s very own. If you have ever been to one of Prime’s large group training sessions, you more than likely have met Gina. If not, allow me to introduce her to everyone. Once you meet Gina you will quickly recognize her warm heart, her endless generosity and her unyielding desire to help others. Gina has been one of Prime’s stars and also one of our biggest supporters. Gina herself is a fitness professional, she has been teaching yoga and Pilates for 7 plus years. Gina realized back over the winter this year that even fit pro’s sometime need a kick in the butt to jump start a change in their body. She noticed a rise in blood pressure and like many of us, pure vanity was another motivating factor. With her motivation driving her she took a leap into a new world of exercise.

Gina discovered the realm of strength and metabolic training. Jumping in with both feet she started working out in this new way 3-4 days a week. The results were quick and dramatic. Changes in her shrinking waistline and leanness were clearly visible to all those around. Gina was already a relatively healthy eater so with the addition of weight and metabolic training she made these great changes( by the way, when I say weight training I don’t mean little 5lb weights, Gina used weights that were challenging and in many cases body weight exercises were some of the most challenging…. Think pull ups and push ups!). From these changes, Gina was hooked and she wanted to see if she could push the envelope a little further and continue the change. The next logical step was to analyze her diet and see how to tweak that. A few simple changes of limiting sugars and breads to increasing protein intake have taken her to the next level. Since this journey started back in Feb/March 2012 Gina has lost an astounding 7% of her body fat(that is a great deal for an already fit woman!), she is stronger and in much better health. She feels great but is ready for her next challenge. She is now starting to increase her cardio(just ran her first 5k this past weekend!!)

Needless to say we at Prime are very proud of Gina and are very grateful to have her as one of the Prime family. So proud, we made her our first employee and Gina now teaches a series of TRX based classes.

At the end of the day, we want everyone to recognize the importance of strength and metabolic training. Both types of training can be accomplished by people of any fitness level you just have to be ready to start and commit to making the change.

I Scream, You Scream….

Posted: May 15, 2012 by christyatprime in challenge, dedication, fat loss, fitness, health, inspiration, lifestyle, weight loss, wellness, womens' fitness
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We ALL scream for ICE CREAM!  Yes, it is that time of year when it’s hard to drive past the frozen yogurt shop or resist the temptation of a fantastic twisty cone!  If ice cream isn’t “your thing”, I am sure you can relate.  You have one special treat that seems almost impossible to give up…whether it be something salty, your nightly glass of wine, a weeknight beer, or pizza Tuesdays….so how do we live life in balance where we can still enjoy our “treats” and reach our goals?  I have found that as I continue to get lean I am wanting ice cream more often….almost as if my mind is playing some trick on me.  I am committed to starting my “get serious plan” on June 15th as I approach the 8 week mark to our wedding.

I am now coming to YOU, my clients and friends, to find out what advice you may have to fight my nightly ice cream craving….you have all made fantastic progress over the last 6 months and I couldn’t be more proud.  How are you finding balance between a little self indulgence, eating well, and exercising?  Are you setting daily, weekly or monthly goals?  Please share your success stories!

Worth The Time??

Posted: April 23, 2012 by Eric at Prime in challenge, fat loss, fitness, health, lifestyle, muscle, Uncategorized, weight loss, wellness, womens' fitness
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This weekend I had a great time at my soon to be in laws home. Sunday morning  I was the first person awake(as usual) at about 5:30 a.m. I made my way down to the living room and decided to flip on the T.V. to catch anything to help me wake up a bit. As I surfed the channels, I was blown away at the number of “Fitness Infomercials”. It seemed every non major network had some form of health, fitness or beauty infomercial playing! Flat abs this, boost your butt that, burn all you need in 6 minutes a day and of course a few products to “reduce” fat and or cellulite! I knew all of this advertising was abundant, but was shocked at just how much was out there and the message it is sending.

As a fitness professional I was immediately disgusted at all of these items/programs that promise the easy road and the answer to all your fitness, health and beauty problems. I was originally going to blog about this insanity and more or less rant and rave about the lunacy that is the “easy road” to fitness. Instead, I decided to take a different approach. I want to begin The Prime Fitness Effectiveness Study. In this study, I want to reach out to YOU the reader and ask YOU which of these programs or products  you want to know the truth about. We will choose 10 products or programs and we will research each for its effectiveness, safety, validity and fun factor. Need examples

P90X, Insanity, AB Lounge, AB Rocker, Brazilian Butt Lift, The Shake Weight, Weight Watchers, etc…the list goes on and on and on. We will test each program/product in our exclusive Prime Fitness Laboratory and report back to you our findings!

I am opening the floor to you now!! Let me know what has your curiosity peaked. Respond by commenting to the blog and we will make our choices by May 1st.

The Importance of Commitment

Posted: March 16, 2012 by christyatprime in challenge, dedication, fitness, health, inspiration, lifestyle, Uncategorized, wellness, womens' fitness
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“There’s a difference between interest and commitment.  When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit.  When you’re commited to something, you accept no excuses, only results.”

When is the last time you truly commited to yourself?  We spend so much of our time commiting to family, work, friends, really anything but ourselves.  It is often easier to give energy to others rather than to ourselves.  We feel like if we take time to do something for ourselves, we are being selfish.  Why is that?

It seems easy to commit to a two year contract at our local health club, but how many of us commit to going at least 12 times per month?  We generously spend our hard earned money on supplements, gym memberships, new workout clothes, new shoes, and iPods, but never make it to the gym.  How will we ever achieve our goals?  It is important to set goals whether they are daily or more long term goals like your first 5K or losing 10 pounds before your tenth wedding anniversary.

My plea is that over the next 8 weeks, you commit to YOU!  Make yourself a priority!  Focus on proper nutrition, not diets.  Be consistent with your workouts.  Drink water throughout the day.  Tell yourself that you are important and that you deserve results!  Be happy!  Love yourself.  Commit, no excuses.

It all starts with a positive mindset….

Posted: February 27, 2012 by christyatprime in challenge, dedication, fat loss, fitness, group exercise, health, inspiration, lifestyle, personal training, Uncategorized, weight loss, wellness
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Ralph Marston says it best:  “You’ve done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.”

Having been in the fitness industry for over 12 years I am always asked if I actually like working out.  When I respond yes, the next question is how in the world could you like working out?  I have found it all starts with a mindset.  Approaching anything in life with positivity will yield positive results.  As a society, we are caught in the rat race with an expectation of immediacy.  Instead of focusing so much on the end result, why  not enjoy the experience?  Set an extremely short term goal.  For example:  I will enjoy my workout today.  I will smile during burpees.  I will feel better when I complete my workout.  What you believe becomes reality!

Try not to allow frustration to take over.  Instead view each task as a challenge that you can overcome knowing that you are becoming stronger, more balanced, more healthy.  Look in the mirror each morning and be excited that you have the chance to do anything you set your mind to.  You are in complete control of your day!

The next time you find yourself frustrated with whatever life has thrown at you, choose a positive mindset.  Go for a walk.  Plank on a TRX Suspension Trainer.  Register for your first 5K.  Know that you are powerful and you can do whatever you set your mind to do!

"Don’t Stop Believing"

Posted: February 3, 2012 by Eric at Prime in challenge, fat loss, fitness, group exercise, health, muscle, personal training, weight loss
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Yesterday Prime Fitness was witness to the culmination of an amazing personal journey that began in March of 2011. Josh Rosario made a decision to create a much needed change in his life. Reaching a point on the scale that was nowhere near healthy, Josh knew it was time to do something. So the journey began. Over the course of the next 8 months Josh lost an amazing 80 pounds on his own by changing the way he eats and adding a few cardio sessions a week to his exercise routine. This was only the beginning though, as all of us(friends and family) were blown away by his dedication and consistency Josh was encouraged to take it to the next level. Thrilled with his own results Josh knew he could keep pushing. So, Josh joined us here at PRIME FITNESS where he began training his body in a way he never had before. Being part of the Tuesday/Thursday PRIME ENERGY group training was definitely the boost that Josh needed.

The holidays were upon us and PRIME decided a “fitness challenge” was needed to help everyone stay focused during the grey of winter and the temptations of the holiday season. The challenge was simple, who could lose the most body fat percentage by the Thursday before The Super Bowl. The challenge was to last about 10 weeks with everyone throwing $25 into a pot for a little extra incentive for the winner.

The results were in last night and PRIME could not have been more proud of the folks who were part of it all. Between all the participants 47 lbs. of fat was lost and 30 pounds of lean mass(muscle) was gained! Outstanding performances from everyone. As the numbers were tallied and we got down to the winner, what was witnessed next can only be described as truly amazing.

Beginning the contest at 20.42% body fat, the next 10 weeks proved to be just the thing that Josh needed to take it to the next level. The final count for Josh was only a 2.4 pound change on the scale, but his body fat % changed greatly. He completed the contest at 10.9% body!! That means Josh lost 21.52 lbs of fat and gained 19.22 pounds of muscle! Amazing work! Dedication and consistency were Josh’s training partners(with a little help from PRIME ) and we are thrilled to have him as part of the PRIME family. We want everyone out there to know that you can do it. What is your own challenge? What is your goal? It can be anything! Make the decision, turn the page and get started on your own fitness journey, “Don’t Stop Believing”!!

Thank You Josh for your inspiration.

PRIME FITNESS
www.primefitnessmd.com