Lose Weight Quickly and Easily

As a personal trainer in the La Crescenta/ La Canada area there has been one question that comes up more than all others combined. How do I lose weight fast? The best way to start is by walking. If I tell you all the good reasons it may hopefully turn good intentions into real actions.
#1 Walking is good for the heart. As you lose weight you gain increased stroke volume as a by product. This means as your heart beats it pumps more blood each time. Better stoke volume equates to less pumps or a more efficient heart rate. Basically it makes your heart last longer because it works less over a lifetime.
#2 You can improve your balance when you add walking to your weekly routine. Don't take it for granted if you haven't already noticed your balance slipping. As we age we move less and this can have a negative effect on our balance. As you walk you not only burn lots of calories but more importantly you work over a hundred muscles in the feet, ankles and legs. The first line of defense against poor balance is strong muscles in the lower extremities.
#3 Who doesn't want more energy. One of the best reason to start walking more often is the fact that it speeds up your metabolism and gives you more energy. It may be a "catch 22" but man up or woman up even when you're tired. You'll feel more energized when your done and proud of yourself for making the extra effort.
#4 With increased energy you stimulate weight loss. Improved balance prevents falls and avoidable surgery. I think it may be safe to say that walking promotes overall health and longevity. Remember its not how long you live but the quality of life and the confidence and happiness you carry into your later years.
#5 Finally, walking is a good first step before you start shaping and toning your body. Although it makes absolutely no sense, many people want to lose weight before they start working out (strength training). It has been documented by everyone in the know for 20 plus years, that strength training speeds up weight loss. You can add four or five exercises to your walking to accelerate the process. You don't need a gym and you don't need a lot of instruction. If you want some advice on how to put the good intentions into action visit our website at body-mastery.net.

Specialty Training For Peak Performance

You may not be the typical personal training client who wants to lose weight. Many of our clients over the past 20 plus years have come to us looking to build muscle, increase speed and improve athletic performance.

Many people need an elite level of fitness to gain entry into physically demanding professions like Police and Fire Departments. I have personally helped several men and women who were already in good shape but wanted to increase strength in specific areas. Only after careful preparations were they able to pass physical requirements the Montrose Search and Rescue Team, L.A. City Fire Department and Glendale Police Department require.

The same rules apply initially when it comes to getting in shape. The difference comes however, after the 

initial weight loss and muscle gain. The client looking to advance to an elite class, goes beyond where most 

people stop. Specific changes in diet and exercise methodology are implemented. This becomes the

difference which allows improvements in performance not typical to the novice.

If you are already in good shape or even great shape you may be having trouble getting to the next level. You may not be looking to pass the physical for the fire department but you may want get in the best shape of your life.

The biggest mistake even a skilled fitness buff makes is repetition. If you do the same routine for too long, the body adjusts and that’s not a good thing. You stop getting sore and you stop making progress. I hate to say it but three sets of ten is not for the advanced weight lifter. World class athletes sometime do a different routine every time they workout.

If you’re at a sticking point and want to make progress, we can specialty tailor a fitness routine that will take you to where you never believed you could go. Give us a call for a free fitness evaluation.    

The Body Mastery website

For more information about how to lose weight, get fit and options for a custom personal fitness program, please visit my website at www.body-mastery.net.

Get Fit In La Crescenta This Holiday Season

As a personal trainer in the La Crescenta/ La Canada area, my friends and neighbors always ask me if I get busy come the first of the year. What may surprise you is that people who start to make changes in November and December have the greatest chances of permanent weight loss success.

The "turn over a new leaf" mentality come New Years often gets people going, after the excesses of the Holidays. This unfortunately is too often short lived. If you want to get in shape because of what you see on TV, you're not doing it for the right reason anyway.

If you want to lose weight you can start now by avoiding the "free for all" that other go through this time of year. With all the parties that come up here is a good strategy. Eat before you go to the party. If its a 7 PM party eat a small dinner about 6:00. You can eat again but will usually do less damage if you don't wait until you're starved.

Another pitfall is all the sweets at the office or place of work. If you've been there a while you probably know who the offenders are. You may want to be proactive and tell them ahead of time that you want to start losing weight. You tell enough people and you will probably get a partner who wants to do the same thing. One client started a Biggest Loser contest at her work.

Finally, if you start an exercise program now it is statically proven you increase your chances of sticking with it versus waiting until the 1st of January. You don't need to do a Boot-camp. Start with 15 min. walks and build from there. A few walks a week and a few 15 min dumb bells sessions and you're off. If you need a few session to get started give us a call or visit our website.

Lose Weight In La Crescenta

If you live in Montrose, La Crescenta or the Foothill area, you have a free weight loss tool you may not of taken advantage of. We live in a beautiful walking environment that most of US resident would envy. If you want to lose weight, tone up and improve your overall quality of life, it doesn't take all that much time.

Every personal trainer agrees that you need to combine strength training, cardio and stretching for a balanced fitness routine. The good news is you can make some positive strides by spending only two half hour sessions a week if you do it wisely.

The key is to start with a brisk walk ( 10-15 mins.) and then follow it with the proper exercises that tone the body while keeping the heart rate up. You don't need to go to a personal trainer every time, you can do all the movement at home in any room with a little space. A few hours of instruction may be all you need.

This methodology applies to anyone who is not currently doing any routine exercise. If you are doing something but not getting results, unfortunately you're not doing what you need to. You may have adjusted to what you're doing and just need to change it up a bit. The best program in the world becomes less and less effective after a month or two. You can try the above program but extend the walk and add some extra strength moves. Still you don't need longer than 45 mins. a session. People laugh at how quickly I workout but at nearly 60 I think it's working.

Most of my clients come to me because they haven't found a program that works. They want to lose weight and look better and just be healthier. In my opinion most people are working inefficiently and getting discouraged with a lack of progress.. Doing less and sticking with it is better that doing more and giving up.

Tips to Accelerate Fat Burning

If you workout or you don’t, everyone want to burn fat. You may not want to lose weight but you may want to add a little definition in your arms. You can lose weight but just become a scaled down version of you current shape. Conversely you can lose fat while you add muscle. This can help to shape your body in areas that you wish to slim down.

#1 Substitute veggies and fruit for starch based carbs. Vegetables and fruits have more fiber so they fill you up. They also give you sustained energy unlike processed carbs and starch that cause insulin to spike and the body to store fat. When you go out to dinner ask the waiter to leave the bread or skip the chips and salsa. When you order, ask for double veggies instead of rice or baked potatoes.

#2 Drink 16 glasses of water. If you want stay hydrated 8 glasses is fine. Double your water consumption and you flush toxins out of the cells and boost your metabolism. I have clients who did nothing differently but tried this (with skepticism) and noticed a difference. The best by-product of this easy trick is more energy. Boxers actually use this trick to get lean and make weight. Have a glass of water every two hours to keep track.

#3 Do a short resistance workout before a half hour cardio session. It has been proven that weight training depletes glycogen (muscle fuel). If you follow 20-30 minutes of strength training with a ½ hour of cardio, the fat burning is accelerated. You don’t need a lot of time and you don’t need any expensive equipment. Spend 15-30 minutes doing two exercises for each body part. You can use your own body weight (push ups or dips) and a few hand weights for a great challenging workout. Call us if you live in the La Crescenta/La Canada area and we'll show you how to get started.