Philly Personal Training Blog

For many, the New Year means a fresh start, a new beginning, a clean slate. It also means a new resolve to finally (finally!) lose some weight. The sober truth is that while many will vow to take better care of their bodies, the vast majority will fail miserably within the first 60 days. Now for the good news: You don’t have to be one of those people who fail. No, really. Keep reading, because I’m about to give you five simple rules for making (and keeping) your New Year’s lose weight, get fit resolution. 1. Be Specific Ask 10 CEOs what their company’s goals are for this year and I can guarantee they won’t say something like, “We want to make more money.” A better business goal would be something like, “We want to increase sales by 5 percent and our retention rate by 10 percent.” The difference here is that the second goal is super specific and the first one is not; the more specific a goal is, the better you’re able to measure the result. If all of this seems obvious to you, that’s to

There aren’t many people who don’t want a slimmer waistline or six pack abs. Problem is, that kind of midsection is really hard to achieve. Hard—but not impossible. The good news is, you don’t need to do thousands of sit-ups, take tons of supplements, starve yourself, or undergo drastic surgery to tone and tighten your waistline. Here are 10 simple rules I share with my clients to help them win the belly-fat battle—once and for all. 1. Stop Doing 500 Crunches a Day Doing tons of crunches (and other ab exercises) will build muscle in the abdominals, but it won’t do anything to burn your belly fat. Unfortunately, you cannot reduce the amount of fat in one specific area of your body. You must lose overall fat throughout the entire body to trim your waistline. Keep reading to learn how. 2. Lift Weights Lifting weights will help build muscle, prevent muscle loss and boost fat loss. Although spot reduction is not possible (see above), performing resistance training exercises that work large

Thanksgiving is almost here! For food lovers, this is hands-down the greatest holiday of them all. But for those who struggle with their weight, it can be the most dreaded day of the year. Between the constant snacking during the football game, giant dinner with endless sides, and wide array of desserts that seem to call your name, Thanksgiving can be a seriously calorie-dense day. The good news is, with a little preparation, you can enjoy Thanksgiving—and all the yummy food that goes with it—with much less guilt. Keep reading for five easy-to-follow tips to avoid gaining weight this Thanksgiving. 1. Start your day with a fiber-filled breakfast. By filling up on a healthy, fiber-loaded meal for breakfast, you’ll be less likely to snack during the day as you wait for dinner to be ready. Try some oatmeal topped with fruit and nuts, some whole-wheat blueberry pancakes, or a strawberry-banana smoothie. 2. Take 30 to 60 minutes for a brisk walk or jog before the dinner preparations even beg

I’m sure you’re well aware by now that 70 percent of adults in the U.S. are overweight. But have you ever thought about the flip side of that statistic? It implies that around 30 percent of U.S. adults are able to maintain a healthy weight despite the abundance of calorie-dense foods and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. In a 2010 poll, only about half of normal-weight adults reported exercising three times per week. This raises a good question: If you’re already at a healthy weight, why should you exercise? I’ll tell you why—keep reading. Exercise Increases Lean Mass Resting metabolic rate describes the amount of calories you burn while at rest. Basically, it’s the amount of calories you’d burn if you just sat in a chair and didn’t move for the entire day. In normal conditions, resting metabolic rate is the largest component of the total amount of energy expended in a day and it varies considerably from person to person. It seems almost cruel and unfair, but some people just happen

  Everybody has a morning ritual. Some wake up and have their coffee as they listen to the birds sing. Others turn on the news as they iron their clothes. But those who struggle with their weight tend to have the same old routine: You wake up, go to the bathroom, get on the scale. Does this sound like you? “Oh no, I actually GAINED weight!” you think to yourself. “This can’t be right, let me try again.” So you step off the scale and try again only to see the same result. “Maybe if I move the scale over it’ll be better. This tile looks uneven.” But the scale reads the same number yet again, and your day is off to a not-so-great start. If this sounds like you, I have some good news: You don’t need to step on the scale to see results. The number on the scale is only a fraction of the story. Ask yourself this question: Would you be happier if you lost a couple pounds but didn’t see any difference in your pants size, or would you be happier if you lost a pants size but didn’t lose a pound o

If you’re reading this post, I’m going to guess it means you’re trying—trying your best to lose weight and get into the best shape possible. Problem is, it’s just not working out for you, right? For some, not being able to lose weight means they’re not working out enough or they’re eating way too much junk food. But you’re different: You eat the right things, you work out every day, and you’re definitely not overeating. So what gives? Get this: The key to losing weight is not to work out more, not to eat better and not to eat less. You need to eat more! Before you think I’ve lost my mind, let me explain some very basic science to prove it. What Is Basal Metabolic Rate? Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR, is the amount of energy a person expends at rest. Believe it or not, your body still burns calories even when you’re laying on the couch. Your body needs to expend energy so that the vital organs like your heart, lungs, nervous system, kidney and liver can function properly. So your BMR is t

Intense exercise programs like P90X, CrossFit and Insanity are some of the hottest workouts in fitness right now. Many are drawn to the challenging, mega-calorie-burning sweat sessions that leave their muscles sore and deliver fast results, and the supportive community keeps them coming back for more. But as enjoyable—and perhaps addictive—as high-intensity, out-of-the-box workouts may be, they can also be dangerous, especially for beginners or those with a history of injury. Here’s why. High-Intensity Workouts Can Cause Kidney Damage Rhabdomyolysis, the breakdown of muscle fibers and release of their toxic protein byproduct into the bloodstream, can result in kidney damage. It’s one major risk factor for those who jump right into these intense workouts glorified for their difficulty. Some of the most common causes of rhabdomyolysis (called “rhabdo” for short) include overexertion, extreme physical activity and trauma to the skeletal muscles—all of which can easily occur as a result of

Getting your fitness routine down to a science is huge—but that’s only half the equation. The right snacks and meals before and after a workout can make or break your efforts. The pre- and post-workout meals are the most important ones of the day, and according to the American Heart Association, food should be considered fuel and your body the vehicle. If you’re not putting the right fuel in your tank at the right times, you’ll be running on fumes. The right fuel can make your workouts more efficient and give you better results, but you don’t have to diet or stick to a rigid eating schedule. Here are a few important guidelines to keep in mind when planning your pre and post-workout meals. • Don’t exercise on an empty stomach. Working out on an empty stomach is like trying to drive a car without gas. Your workout will suffer because you won’t have the energy to sustain it, or you’ll be too distracted by hunger to focus. And contrary to popular belief, exercising on an empty stomach does

If you’ve been exercising consistently or recently increased the duration or intensity of your workouts, you may have noticed your appetite has a mind of its own. Hunger may strike at inopportune times or you may even feel ravenous all day long. The solution is to make meals and snacks good nutritional investments so you can increase satiety without filling up on empty calories. Follow these rules to avoid an empty stomach and ensure you’ll have plenty of energy throughout the day. 1. Eat Real Food Hunger is a side effect of low blood sugar. Eating and digesting food helps your body produce insulin to regulate blood sugar. Boxed, packaged and fast food causes the body to produce too much insulin, a fat-storage hormone, which is then used up by the body really quickly. Blood sugar drops and you feel hungry soon after. Elevated insulin levels prevent fat burning. So instead of burning fat as fuel, the body hangs onto it. Wholesome foods like vegetables, fruit, whole grains and lean prote

Whether you’re just starting a training program or have been a fitness fanatic for years, you’ve probably experienced an “exercise high,” the feeling of exhilaration a lot of people experience during or after exercise. It’s brought on by the release of hormones called endorphins that serve as natural pain relievers in the brain. It’s those same endorphins that can make exercise feel addictive, sometimes making it difficult to take a much-needed break. Exercise activates the pleasure centers in the brain by releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter. When experiencing an endorphin high, also called runner’s high, the intense exercise activates the endorphins, which signal the release of dopamine. Yes, repeated activation of dopamine has some risk of addiction, but that’s not to suggest exercise isn’t good for you. In addition to its long list of health benefits, exercise can also serve as a natural anti-depressant. But as with most things, too much of a good thing can be bad, so it’s import

Everyone wants to get more done in a day, and with our hectic lives, sleep is usually the first activity to be sacrificed. The Better Sleep Council estimates that 70 percent of Americans aren’t getting enough sleep—a scary fact considering that too little sleep has been linked to everything from memory loss and other serious cognitive issues to an increased risk for osteoporosis and cancer. But the truth of the matter is that sleep is free, so you should take all you can get. More importantly, it’s an essential part of fitness and exercise, yet it’s very often overlooked. It’s true: While training and nutrition can help create a fit physique, so can sleep. Here’s how. How Sleep Affects Performance and Cravings A small study conducted by the Stanford University Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Laboratory followed a group of athletes over a three-week period. They did nothing different but increase their sleep and saw marked improvements in performance, including faster sprint times,

Like it or not, injuries are a part of life. Sometimes they happen during an intense workout; sometimes they happen when you bend over to pick up a child’s toy.  Regardless of how they happen, the important thing is to understand how to manage the injury, whether it’s an acute injury or a chronic injury you’ve had for years. The worst thing you can do, which I see all too often as a personal trainer, is avoiding working those muscles all together. When muscle groups are ignored, they atrophy and increase your risk of more injury. An injury leads to another injury, and before you know it, you’ve completely fallen apart. Having a proper knowledge of alternate exercises that work the same muscle groups is key to working around injuries and improving your fitness. Alternates for: Squats Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes. Squats are often the first thing your doctor may tell you not to do because they’ll exacerbate your knee problems. However, the squat work all of the major mu

Don’t get me wrong, I believe a personal trainer can be a tremendous asset in whatever fitness goal you may have. Trainers can serve as a motivator, an educator and a source of accountability. They can be the difference between failure and success, and can help their clients learn lifestyle changes that can improve their health for the rest of their lives. However, there are a few reasons NOT to hire a personal trainer. I should know—I am one. Here are four reasons you shouldn’t hire a personal trainer. 1. You want a quick fix. Results happen slowly over a period of time and shouldn’t be expected overnight. If at any time you’re presented with a “solution” that will work instantly, whether it be from a personal trainer, weight loss coach or doctor, you should immediately be suspicious. Anyone who claims to have a program or product that will help you lose twenty pounds in two weeks is implementing dangerous shortcuts that can do much more damage than good in the long run. Results that

Humans are a funny bunch. We are the first ones to assign an internal reason to our successes: “I worked really hard and that’s why I got an A on that test.” But when we fail, we tend to look outward: “I got an F on that test because the teacher told us to study the wrong section of the book and there was too much noise in the room.” An excuse is a natural way that we externalize our failures. We’ll place the blame on anything but ourselves when we don’t succeed. Why do we do this? So we can justify what we did (or didn’t do) and move on with our day without feeling guilty. But deep down, everyone wishes they could succeed at every task. What if we could eliminate all of the external excuses for all things we fail to do? Let’s start with exercise. By eliminating these excuses, we put the onus on ourselves to become more active, and by doing that, we’ll be more likely to take responsibility and get moving. Here, five excuses you’ll never be able to use again. “I don’t have time to work

You’re at the gym on the chest press machine and the bodybuilder across the room is staring at you as he grunts his way through his set of bicep curls. And he’s not the only one staring—everyone else seems to be wondering what on earth you’re doing. Are you doing this exercise all wrong? What are you doing at the gym, anyway? I don’t belong!, you tell yourself. This is how most people would describe an intimidating gym experience, but I’m here to tell you some really good news: It doesn’t have to be this way. You can increase your gym confidence and deal with everything that intimidates you with these five smart strategies. 1. Get Smart The first thing that intimidates people at the gym is being seen doing an exercise incorrectly. There’s an easy solution to that. Simply educate yourself on the basic exercises that you would like to know and go from there. This can be done by watching videos online or asking a personal trainer. By knowing what you’re doing, you instantly will feel more

Imagine this: It’s 5:15 p.m. and you’re getting psyched to leave work, hit the gym and tackle a good workout. You’re about to walk out of the office when you hear your name called. It’s your boss, he needs to have a quick meeting right now. Before you know it, it’s 6 p.m. and you’re supposed to help with dinner tonight, plus there’s traffic to deal with. Maybe today will be your off day (just like yesterday, and the day before). Here’s a thought: If you’d worked out in the morning, this wouldn’t be your third off day in a row. But how do you become one of those crazy-dedicated people who heads to the gym before the sun comes up? It’s really not as hard as you might think. Here are four reasons you should be exercising first thing in the morning and a few ways to accomplish it. Why Morning Workouts Are Awesome 1. You’ll have a feeling of accomplishment, even if you’re unproductive for the rest of the day. So what if you didn’t run all your errands? You ran three miles, did 50 push-ups,

It’s a fact that most of us sit at a computer for our jobs. In fact, I’m willing to bet most (if not all) of you reading this article are sitting right now. And as we all know by now, studies overwhelmingly show that sitting all day at a desk isn’t good for you. Not only is sitting all day responsible for things like high blood pressure and heart disease, it’s also responsible for a lot of the pain you may be experiencing. These pains are most likely due to muscular imbalances in your body. Muscle imbalances are very common and are a big cause of daily aches and pains and overuse injuries. Common symptoms are muscle tightness, limited range of motion, low back aches and knee pain. Sitting all day can cause tight hamstrings, pectoral muscles and hip flexors, which is a recipe for back pain and bad posture. Here’s why. Why Your Body Hurts The basic recipe for muscular imbalance is this: You have a short, tight muscle and a longer, weaker muscle that opposes it. For example, the muscles o

Warning: You are not going to find a six-step plan for losing weight and getting in shape in this post. There are plenty of other articles online that tackle these topics. (You should feel free to read them, but remember to absorb some of the information with caution: Consider the source and take any blanket, one-size-fits-all statements with a grain of salt.) I’m here to tell you that weight loss is not all about what foods you eat or what exercises you do. Understanding the mental and physical hurdles you’re going to face during your weight-loss journey can be critical to the success of your program. So without going into too much detail about how to lose weight, we’re going to discuss what you should realistically expect while you’re on your weight-loss journey. 1. Slower is better. Many dieters have unrealistic expectations about how quickly they should be losing weight. Open any fitness magazine and you can read about someone who lost 30 pounds in 30 days. Or you can watch The Big

Finding the motivation to exercise isn’t always easy. Of course, everyone wants to look good, but sometimes the promise of a tighter behind or flatter stomach isn’t enough to get you out the door. When external factors aren’t pulling their weight to keep you moving, call on a few of these other benefits of regular exercise. A study published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity showed that many of these health-related outcomes were major motivating factors for those who were successful with sticking to an exercise program. 1. Remember: Exercising will make you happy (really!). Just 30 minutes of physical activity can improve your mood and consistent, regular activity can increase your overall self-esteem and attitude. Exercise creates endorphins, or chemicals in the brain that elicit a feeling of well-being and relaxation, but it also releases a protein that behaves similarly to endorphins called BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor). According to Gretchen Reynolds, author o

If you’ve ever seen the cover of a fitness magazine, I’m sure you’ve seen headlines that are very similar to “(insert fit celebrity) Reveals Her Top 5 Fitness Secrets!” It’s intriguing to the reader because the celebrity must know something the reader doesn’t if she’s in such good shape. But if you stop and think about it, you find yourself wondering: Are fit people really keeping secrets, whispered only among a select few, about how to stay in shape? Of course not. In fact, their “secrets” have probably been under your nose the whole time. It boils down to this: People who are fit just have better habits than people who aren’t as fit. I’m sure you’ve noticed what these habits are, but maybe you’ve never really understood them well enough to try them out for yourself. Consider this your challenge: Try incorporating these five habits of fit people into your daily routine, and if you stick with it, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll see a significant change. Habit #1: They make exercise

Workout DVDs, “As Seen on TV” workout equipment, gym memberships: These are all things millions of people try every year in an effort to become more fit. But what if improving your own health simply came down to spending more time with other people who are in good health? As entrepreneur Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Since Rohn was an entrepreneur and was mostly interested in helping others become more successful, the point he was trying to make was, if you spend time with more successful people, you will also become more successful. On the other hand, if you hang out with people who are negative, they could have a negative impact on your life. This theory can be applied to almost all aspects of life — including your fitness levels. So, let’s try something: Stop and think about what type of shape you’d like to be in. Now think about the five people you spend the most time with. Do these people match up with your goal of being a mo

You put your time in at the gym and eat right. You strength train and do cardio. But still, you’re not seeing results. You’ve been at it for months and yet it seems the scale doesn’t budge and your muscles won’t change. It’s frustrating and defeating when you’re putting the time and the effort in but not seeing any changes. Don’t give up hope and throw in the towel yet because, chances are, there’s a way to turn things around. Below, the top six workout mistakes that keep people from getting stronger, explained. 1. You don’t give yourself enough rest Overtraining is common among those who love to exercise, but the reality is that rest is just as important as the workout itself. A lack of rest increases the risk of overuse injuries and there’s also the risk of overtraining, or exercising beyond the body’s ability to recover properly. This can lead to hormonal imbalances, fatigue and a decrease in strength. How much rest one needs depends on factors like age, fitness level and training v

Like personality types, there are many different variations of squat form — and many prove what  not  to do when performing a squat. The good news is, how you perform a squat, especially if you’re not doing it right, can clue you into specific muscular imbalances, which you can then correct, leading to a stronger you. Below, three common squat-form mistakes and what they can tell you about where you need to build strength and flexibility. If you lean forward …  It’s common to have a tendency to lean forward when trying to squat deeper, but a forward-leaning squat could indicate weak glutes and/or tight hip flexors. When the glutes aren’t strong enough, the hip flexors take over to pull you deeper into the squat, causing you to lean forward. If the forward lean is a result of tight hip flexors, the quadriceps take over and shift the center of gravity, bringing you forward. The way to correct a forward-leaning squat is severalfold. First, strengthen the posterior