The Irony of Health and Fitness

Why is it that undoubtedly the most valuable thing in the world to us all is more often than not, met with so much hesitation? I can even go so far as to say that we are even afraid of it in a lot of ways. We make every excuse in the book to justify why we can’t and don’t want to do it, and as a personal trainer and fitness professional I can say with confidence that this statement is not an exaggeration. We accept very excuse and every opportunity that enables us not to go to the gym, or not to get on that treadmill, and not to physically exert ourselves to work hard knowing full well that this is what needs to be done to maintain and improve our health and well being. So, why in the world are we so eager to avoid what we know is and will always be THE single most important thing in our lives? The answer in just one simple word is competitiveness.
That single most important thing in our lives is fitness and we are just flat out unwilling to COMPETE for it. We do it fairly easily for most other aspects of our lives, so why don’t we want to do it for our own health? We grow from being small children aware of the fact that if we want to get through school we need to listen, understand what we need to learn, and of course work as hard as we can to accomplish it. The same is true by the time we have to decide what’s best in terms of supporting ourselves as adults. We seek out and understand what has to be done to get the right job that will provide us with enough money so we can live up to the standards that we set for ourselves. And again, most of us are generally very willing to work hard enough at the necessary tasks to accomplish our goals. Sound familiar? Goals. Tasks. Hard work. These things are just as appropriate when talking about health and fitness! Just as they are with creating that good life with that great education, great job, comfortable lifestyle, and great social life, they are the foundation for building and maintaining what is supposed to be second to none on our priority list. Our health. All those other things are great and can definitely make our lives wonderful. But, our fitness IS our life whether we think so or not! I ask again why it is that we won’t compete the same way towards our fitness goals. The answer is in the difference between fitness and the other situations in which we are much more capable of self motivating. Fitness involves and requires PHYSICAL effort to a much larger degree than any of those other aspects of our lives. This is the key to it all. Other than that there are no differences. Any goal in life, no matter what it is, requires its own appropriate path of actions put together in a way necessary to achieve its end result. We have to know WHAT to do and HOW to do it, and if done correctly, the WHAT leads to success. This is the exact same principle necessary to achieve success in the world of fitness but we have nowhere near the same DRIVE to succeed as we do with so many other areas of our lives! We can’t afford to be so intimidated by a little bit of physical effort. That’s the only thing standing in our way! When I say COMPETE I don’t mean anything other than being more tough on yourself! Don’t think you have to be the most athletic, most fit, strongest, or anything like that. The beautiful thing about health and fitness is that it has nothing to do with ability or how you compare with anyone else. All it is is how you feel about challenging YOURSELF! And at YOUR own pace and ability level! As a personal trainer and strength coach with Posh Fitness, it is my passion to inspire any and everybody looking to improve, feel great about themselves, and be healthy because we ALL should want that for ourselves! Fitness should not be a chore and definitely should never be intimidating. It’s a challenge no different than the ones you’ve already been accepting. Reach to be great in whatever it means to YOU!

by: Jason Spencer

jspencer@poshfitness.com
Celebrity In Home Personal Training

Filed under: Fitness , Fitness, Health, motivation, Self Improvement

Review of Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred

If you are a “Biggest Loser” fan then you know all about Jillian Michaels, the tough little women with a hear of gold, who really does care about the health of individuals. Jillian has a series of DVDs to help whip you into shape and one that is a must have for those a little more advanced when it comes to fitness is Jillian’s 30 Day Shred. And even if you are not advanced, you can definitely benefit from this DVD.

There are three workouts that combine toning and aerobics together and run about 20 minutes per work out. With each workout you are able to burn fat and tone muscles at the same time. Again, it is a challenging yet fun and effective workout.

With Jillian’s 30 Day Shred you will get:

- Workouts based on the 3-2-1 method: 3 mins strength, 2 mins cardio, 1 min abs.
- Ability to work the upper and lower body simultaneously
- A lot of cardio
- Modification for beginner and lower impact)
- A superb abs workout

It is a great DVD for working out alone or with a group of friends as Jill makes it fun and exciting with her motivating and encouraging words.

You want to be sure to start at the lower level because Jillian gives you a serious exercise punch in about 20 minutes. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you will be okay starting at the highest level, because you won’t.

If you really want to get a good workout and to jumpstart your weight loss get this DVD you will not be disappointed. Click here to buy Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred

By Peter Marino
Fitness3.com

Filed under: Fitness , Fitness DVD, Fitness DVD Review, Fitness DVD Review by personal trainer, Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred

Are You Making Your Kids Fat?

As a parent, you have many obligations and responsibilities to juggle, all centered on your kids. You constantly serve as an example, not just when they are little, but throughout their lives. These obligations and burdens mean that you are a constant role model; you are the person that your kids look up to.

This means that how you take care of yourself will have an impact in shaping your children’s health over the course of their lives, too. If you are overweight, and do not take the time to exercise and manage your health, how can you expect your children to do so? If you see exercise as a chore or a burden, how long before your kids pick up that attitude from you and carry it forward throughout their lives?

Obesity is something that is determined in part by genetics, but is mediated by several other factors as well, among them diet, exercise, and activity level. Kids are, by nature, high energy. They are always running and shrieking when they are little, and burn off lots of energy by playing.

Make that your focus. Take the time to play with them. Do not make exercise ‘trudge on the treadmill’. Make it, “OK, let’s go to the park and play ultimate Frisbee”. Do things together as a family. Plan family hikes, walks, and bike rides. Use them as an excuse to get some exercise together and talk about the day. If the weather is really cold and your time is limited you may consider buying a kids fitness video that can be utilized by the whole family. My kids fitness video entitled “Fantastically Fit Kids Workout” can be utilized for those times when outdoor or extracurricular activities aren’t a choice.

How much exercise is enough? In general, try to get 30 to 60 minutes of low-level exercise per day, whether it is walking through the park at a brisk pace, running with the dog, or chasing your kids around the playground with a super soaker. Whatever you do, make it fun.

Give your kids some input into what activities you will do as a family. Some kids get into competition and sports, while some would rather do something fun that does not involve proving that they are better than anyone else. In particular, pay attention to your introverted children and let them know that what they want to do matters and that they will not get bullied by their older, more assertive siblings.

Since your kids will learn from your example, make sure you are setting the right one. If you are not taking the time to run around and play, they will emulate you and, once a child becomes obese, they can get ’stuck’ in that health problem for the rest of their lives.

For more information about kids fitness go to: Fitness3.com/kids

By Peter Marino

Posh Fitness.com

info@poshfitness.com

800. 577. 2989

Filed under: Fitness, Nutrition , childhood obesity, fit parents, kids exercise, kids fitness, kids health, parents fitness

Why Body Fat Testing is So Important

One of the most overlooked aspects of any diet and fitness program is getting proper body fat testing assessments. This goes far beyond just looking at a weight scale and checking out how much you weigh. You want to know that all that weight you lost is from fat and taking the time to get regular body fat tests done will definitely help you make faster progress towards you goal.

If you’re on a weight loss program and have dropped some pounds, how do you know that the loss is from losing fat. The three main components of weight changes come from water, muscle and fat. So which one, or combination of the three, caused the weight loss. If you have regular body fat tests done, then you would know what kind of weight was lost.

Here is a key point. If you want to be successful in your weight management or fitness goals, then do what successful fitness people do. All the successful dieters and fitness pro’s will take measurements, track their results and adjust it accordingly to keep progressing towards their personal goal. If the results of a test show that a total of 15 pounds of body weight was lost, a few calculations will break down what component (water, muscle, or fat) had the majority of the weight change.

Here is an example to clarify how body fat testing and your weight loss goal goes hand in hand.

It’s the first week of your diet and fitness program and you want to make sure that you start it correctly. The local fitness center does physical assessments and body fat testing, so off to the gym you go to get checked and see where your levels are at. Six weeks later committing to a good diet and fitness program has resulted in a 15 pound weight loss. Now it’s time for another assessment to see the hard facts on how you’re progressing.

The results of the assessment will show how much of that 15 pounds was fat. Generally, if only 1 to 4 pounds of weight loss is water and muscle but the rest was fat, then the diet and fitness program is a success and you should continue on the program you’re on. If only 5 pounds of weight from the 15 is fat according to the body fat test, then there is a problem with the diet or fitness program you’re on. It would be wise to make some changes as this perhaps indicates that some dehydration or muscle wasting may be occurring. Continuing with the same program may cause a problem with your health if followed too long. In this case, a change in your program and another assessment 4 to 6 weeks later will determine if the new program is getting better results in fat loss instead of water or muscle loss.

If you are truly committed to lose fat and achieve good health and fitness, then you need to distinguish between just overall weight loss and true fat loss. As you continue your weight loss program, each body fat test gives you the chance to make small changes in diet or exercise routines to see if the next assessment produces better results. Not only does this get you closer to what the ideal program is for you, but it also helps keep you focused on staying with the program and not give up or quit. You will stay motivated by trying to better the last assessment.

Now that we see the importance of body fat testing, your first step is to decide if you want a professional assessment person to test you, or if you want to learn to do it yourself. There are advantages and disadvantages to each decision.

A professional body fat tester can usually be found in most fitness centers and gyms. They have the experience, knowledge and tools to make accurate tests and can suggest a course of action to improve the results of the next test. It takes on the average of about 15 to 30 minutes to complete and you will get a copy of the test to keep. The cost can range between twenty to fifty dollars per test and should be done every 4 to 6 weeks. Some disadvantages are the costs to having it done, searching out a qualified assessment professional and perhaps the slight embarrassment you may feel to have test done.

If you decide to do the test yourself, you will need to learn how to take proper body fat measurements, purchase the tools or equipment for accurate assessments and keep testing many times in order to learn how to do it correctly. An advantage to do your own test is that you can have the privacy and convenience of testing as many times and often as you want in your own home.

Most people will want someone else to do it because of the learning curve involved to take accurate assessments. Another valid reason is to have the option of some suggestions by the professional on what you can do tweak your current program and make solid improvements for the next test. Now that you know the importance of body fat testing, you should do a little research and get more details on how to incorporate it into your program. This just may be the key ingredient for you to make real progress towards your weight loss and fitness goal.

By Peter Marino

President of

Fitness3.com

Filed under: Fitness , body fat, body fat testing, fitness professional, personal trainer, weight loss

Pilates Exercise Equipment for Fun and Fitness

Step inside any health and fitness club and you will quickly notice that Pilates classes are always filled to capacity. Pilates is a favorite fitness program for strengthening and developing balance within the mid-section of the body, otherwise known as the “core”. Pilates can be performed without the need for complicated pieces of equipment. However, there are certain items that can make the exercises more comfortable and can help your body get more out of the exercises.

Pilates Mat
The Pilates mat really only helps with one thing; a hard exercise floor. Most of the Pilates exercises involve the participant stretching and performing strength exercises while laying down, kneeling or sitting. Having a non-slip Pilates mat will increase comfort and allow the time to be spent concentrating on the exercise rather than the pain that is shooting into your back as a result of the cold, hard floor. A quality Pilates mat will be durable, can be rolled for travel and storage and can be washed when needed.

Pilates Ball
A Pilates ball can also be used for comfort when performing the exercises. Certainly many of the movements can be done while sitting on the ball which seems to be much better than simply sitting on the hard gym floor. However, it should not be presumed that this will be easy as a separate benefit of the ball is it forces the participant to control their balance as they are performing the exercises. This allows your body, and particularly your core, to gain the maximum benefit from the exercise.

Pilates Machine
The reformer is a Pilates machine that, while looking extremely complicated, is actually a very elegant machine that allows the participant to work the core with basic yet precise movements. The reformer consists of a sliding platform with springs connected to a spring bar that allows the participant to vary the resistance. The sliding platform or carriage is where the participant will sit, kneel, lay or stand as they perform the exercises. The carriage moves up and back as they push on the footbar. There is a headrest and shoulder block that is used to keep the participant steady within the machine.

Pilates is an exercise program that focuses on strengthening the core muscles group. Pilates exercise equipment enhances the exercises and makes the routine more comfortable. This allows the participant to get the most out of the program and enjoy better health.

For pilates equipment and more go to: PerformBetter

By Peter Marino of Fitness3.com and GreenwichPersonalTrainer.com

Filed under: Fitness , , exercise, Fitness, fitness equipment, pilates

Caffeine may ease post-workout pain: study

The theory is that caffeine eases delayed muscle pain by blocking the activity of a chemical called adenosine, which is released as part of the inflammatory response to injury. For full article click here.

I have been drinking coffee before my workout since the early 90’s and have found it to be a good energy boost. This study shows that it may reduce the inflammation response that stress such as workouts causes by blocking adenosine. Anything that reduces inflammation in the body is a good thing since our diets, which are typically high in Omega 6 fatty acids, increases inflammation by promoting more of the “bad” PG2 prostaglandins.

As long as you don’t have anxiey disorders, high blood pressure or stomach/irritable bowel disorders I say go ahead and have a cup of joe before your workout.

By Peter Marino
Owner of
Fitness3.com

Filed under: Fitness, Nutrition , caffeine, exercise, Fitness, Nutrition, post workout