Archive for the ‘personal training’ Category

Exercise and Pregnancy: Myth #4

Posted: November 19, 2012 by christyatprime in fitness, health, lifestyle, personal training, pregnancy, wellness, womens' fitness
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Myth: Running while pregnant is unsafe.

Reality: with all the research I could find, the one definitive answer is simply it depends. If you have never run before, pregnancy is not the time to start. You do not want to start training for your first 5K, a marathon or a triathlon. Your body is experiencing miraculous changes and now is not the time to add a new program to your training regimen.

If you have been running prior to getting pregnant, the first piece of advice is check with your OB. Make sure all systems are a go prior to running. You may need to cut back on your overall mileage or you may need to slow your pace. It is critical to make sure you are drinking LOTS of water so as to keep your body hydrated. During pregnancy you need more water than you typically would. I recommend looking into a very supportive sports bra for your everchanging breasts and be sure to have appropriate footwear. During your second trimester as your belly begins to grow you may notice you feel off balance as your center of gravity is changing. Stick to flat roads or even a track so as to be safe from slips and falls.

Important advice to follow while running is do not run to the point of exhaustion. Your body’s focus right now is the fetus and providing it with everything he or she may need! If you have any of the following signs immediately stop running and call your OB or midwife: vaginal bleeding, dizziness, fainting, blurred vision, contractions or swelling of the feet/ankles.

Remember this is not the time to set your Personal Record. Use your runs to escape from stress you may be feeling, energize a fatigued body and to MOVE. Many women enjoy running into their 7th and/or 8th month, but be smart. It’s not just about crossing the finish line, it’s enjoying the entire journey.

Exercise and Pregnancy: Myth #3

Posted: November 12, 2012 by christyatprime in fitness, health, lifestyle, muscle, personal training, pregnancy, wellness, womens' fitness
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Myth #3: When exercising keep your heart rate under 140 beats per minute.

Reality: This recommendation on the guidelines of safe exercise during pregnancy was removed in 1994 as there is no scientific proof to substantiate it. Everyone does not have the same resting heart rate nor do people have the exact same heart rate while performing a certain exercise. For example, I could be running on the treadmill at a speed of 6 mph and my heart rate may be 152 bpm, and the person running next to me at 9 mph has the same heart rate of 152 bpm. My friend has the ability to do more work (run faster) yet our heart rates are identical.

When exercising the pregnant woman should refer to the RPE scale or rate of perceived exertion. Each day is different and something that was “easy” last week might feel brutal this week. Pay attention to signs of dizziness, headache, chest pain, shortness of breath, and cramping and discontinue exercising if one of these symptoms occurs.

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.

Exercise & Pregnancy Myth 2

Posted: November 7, 2012 by christyatprime in fitness, health, lifestyle, personal training, pregnancy, wellness, womens' fitness
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Myth 2: Resistance training during pregnancy can cause joint injuries.

Reality: resistance training, or strength training, is extremely safe during pregnancy barring you have received clearance from your healthcare provider. Resistance training has many benefits including increasing overall strength which aids in labor and delivery as well as carrying the extra baby weight that comes along with pregnancy.

Many women worry about joint integrity throughout pregnancy due to the release of the hormone relaxin which allows your joints to move and expand in preparation for an enlarged uterus and growing fetus as well as for delivery. According to a 2011 University of Georgia study the relaxin risk of injuring joints during strength training is theoretical. Again be safe and listen to your body. You may need to decrease your range of motion during certain exercises while working within a safe and effective ROM for that joint.

A Client’s Take on Fitness by our very own Barbara Root

Posted: March 14, 2012 by christyatprime in dedication, fat loss, fitness, health, inspiration, lifestyle, muscle, personal training, weight loss, wellness, womens' fitness
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A Client’s Take on Fitness

Written March 1, 2012

I’ve always considered myself a fairly fit person, even if my favorite form of exercise was a “brisk read” as Phyllis Diller once said. When I could drag myself away from a good book, however, I walked every day, did aerobics, yoga, and qigong and ice skating—at least sporadically, and took the occasional dance class. This approach seemed to work pretty well until I hit my early fifties, when my formerly flat stomach went squishy and I started getting recurring rotator cuff and deltoid injuries to my right shoulder, on top of arthritis and spinal stenosis. I gritted my teeth and asked my daughter Kathy, who’s a personal trainer, to teach me to lift weights. I might be getting older, but I was determined not to be decrepit.

Thus began my adventures in high-intensity intervals, balance, and strength training—and my obsession with Jillian Michaels! Kathy trained me for about 4 months before she liberated me—or was that, fired me? Evidently, even great trainers who love their work don’t want to train their moms when they get home! After getting over my shock, I realized that it was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me. Kathy had laid the groundwork and taught me things I never thought I could do, but no one else was going to take charge (I thought)—I was going to have to be responsible for my own fitness.

Enter Jillian, who’s not quite the screaming meanie in her videos as she was on Biggest Loser. Well, Jillian was great… and Tamilee, and Jackie… until the knee injury. Nothing dramatic, just bone on bone arthritis. Sidelined by my doctor, who said, “No more squats and lunges, ever!” but also said “strengthen your quads” without telling me how, I quickly sought referrals for personal trainers from Kathy. I’ve been blessed over the past year to work with three amazing trainers, including two from Prime Fitness. It’s taken about 6 months, but the swelling in my knee has finally gone down and I now have two perfectly matched knees! In the process, I’ve lost body fat and gained a lot of strength—AND I do squats and lunges. I can’t say enough about how important knowledgeable trainers are in teaching you proper form and in finding creative ways to work around injuries and in making you work harder than you might on your own.

Barbara Root

Fit vs. Skinny Part Deux

Posted: March 9, 2012 by christyatprime in dedication, fat loss, fitness, health, inspiration, lifestyle, muscle, personal training, Uncategorized, wellness, womens' fitness
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After my post on fit vs skinny last week I decided it was time to get personal and talk a little about my own journey over the last 3 months.  It has always intrigued me when I talk to our clients about fat loss versus weight loss, being fit versus being skinny, positive versus negative self talk, and the notion that trainers are working towards their own personal goals and even we as fitness professionals aren’t always 100% self confident in the way we look or feel.

On December 8th I had my body composition taken.  It was a whopping 22.79% and I weighed in at 143 pounds.  That being said that’s 32.6 pounds of FAT and 110.4 pounds of lean body mass(LBM).  I set up my action plan as to how I could LOSE fat!  I didn’t care so much about the number on the scale, but I was definitely not happy with my body fat percentage.  Okay, okay, truth be told….I really did care about the number on the scale, because I knew that if I could just hit 138 pounds I would look great!  I decided that I would increase the number of days I was strength training.  I incorporated TRX Suspension Training, TRX Rip Training, kettlebells, bands, med balls, and a bunch of fun “toys”.  My cardio consisted of high intensity, short duration bouts of running a couple times per week.  Within four weeks I had lost 2% body fat, 3 pounds of fat and had gained 2 pound of LBM!  The weight on the scale didn’t budge.  Determined to continue on a path of fat loss, I really took a look at my nutrition and realized that I was eating as much as my boyfriend, Eric, at each meal….I realized that I really like to eat!  Without changing a lot of my food selection, I cut back on my portion size and increased the amount of protein I was consuming daily.  I began tracking my food consumption using the Daily Burn Tracker and found that there were days I actually wasn’t eating enough!  Could that be?  I needed more food (fuel) per day to increase my fat loss!   So YES I had to start eating more, to lose fat!  The other major factor, in my opinion, is cutting down on the alcohol consumption.  I allowed myself 1-2 alcoholic drinks per week if I chose.  Instead of my usual, delicious pint(s) of Blue Moon beer with a whopping 171 calories per 12 oz, I settled for a small glass of pinot noir at 120 calories.  I found that not only was I not consuming empty calories, but I felt much better!  I was sleeping soundly and my energy levels increased.

I did my final weigh in and body composition check on March 6th….12 weeks after first starting.  I am happy to report that I am now 16.96% body fat and am 139 pounds; with 23.57 pounds of fat and 115.42 pounds of LBM.  In 12 short weeks I have lost 9 pounds of fat, gained 5 pounds of LBM and the scale only changed by ~4 pounds.

I know how frustrating it can be when we put so much emphasis on the scale.  It makes you wonder why you drag yourself to the gym five days per week, why you sacrifice your weekend mornings for the long runs, and why you ever thought about giving up alcohol.  But trust me, it’s NOT about the number on the scale.  That’s not the important number….instead focus on body composition….fat loss, not weight loss.  Once you set your sights on this, you will find success!  And I now have the mindset that FIT is so much more important than skinny.

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!

True Commitment!

Posted: February 13, 2012 by Eric at Prime in dedication, fitness, inspiration, lifestyle, personal training, weight loss, wellness
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Commitment and dedication, those are two concepts that can be uniquely individual, because they may mean something completely different to everyone. This past weekend at PRIME FITNESS we witnessed yet another way one person demonstrated his dedication to a fit lifestyle.

John “Biggie” Bigatel began training at PRIME back in October 2011. John has always worked out but had never experienced the types of workouts that he started at PRIME. He was hooked after his first and John quickly became a true ambassador of what PRIME’s philosophies are. First, John’s mobility and flexibility increased so well he was able to move more and more athletic every day. Second, his joint pain and his “sore” muscle recovery time was greatly reduced. Now lets talk about looking better. John set a goal to reduce his body fat to 15% by April. Well, he crushed his goal by getting to 14% by February! John kicked some serious butt and we could not be more proud. Consistency and dedication!

What really showed us John’s commitment to the fit lifestyle was his special request for his 30th Birthday. He wanted a Birthday Bootcamp held for him on his actual birthday this past Saturday, February 11th. PRIME FITNESS was moved by this and thought what better way to reward one of our own then to give him and his friends a grueling 60 minute boot camp for his birthday. So, we did and the result was a group of exhausted yet exhilarated participants and of course a very happy John! PRIME wants to recognize “Biggie” for his devotion to fitness and his drive to always push himself!

To see a sample of the boot camp click JOHNS BDAY BOOTCAMP

Here’s to you John! Congrats and Thank you.

"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