Building Better Bodies Fitness

Mom always told you to eat your fruits and veggies–that it would make you grow big and strong. Turns out she was right and there is a study to prove it. The Library of Science Medicine journal published study findings showing that those who don’t smoke, eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and drink alcohol in moderation add an extra 14 years onto their life.

Fruits and vegetables are part of the four major food groups and essential to a healthy mind and body. Fruits and veggies are full of vitamins and minerals for healthier living and to create a balanced diet. The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the better your chances are of decreasing illness, boosting your immune system and fighting off major diseases such as cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, stroke and osteoporosis.

Plain and simply, eating fruits and vegetables makes you feel better, look better and improves your overall well-being. So, eat at least five portions of fruits and veggies each day.

If you love to dance and you’re looking to maintain or work off some weight as part of New year’s resolution, you may be in luck. Dancing can be a fun and effective way of staying in shape and losing weight. Zumba, which is a Latin based dance, is sweeping the nation as a popular dance-based exercise class. From younger adults to senior citizens, Zumba classes are filling up across the nation. A one-hour Zumba session can shed 500 calories.

Check your local gyms, YMCAs, community and recreation centers to see if a Zumba class is on their exercise schedule.

We do everything else online, why couldn’t working out or working with a personal trainer online work too? The answer is that training online does work. If you think about it logically, working out in the comfort of your own home means that you don’t have to travel to the gym and you don’t have to workout in front of all of the people in the gym.

There are personal trainers that offer online training programs. These programs give you access to nutritional information and exercises and even include one-on-one workout sessions completed via web cams (one in your workout area and one in the trainer’s office).

Building Better Bodies Fitness is rolling out an online training program in 2010. If you’re interested in getting on the VIP list to be one of the first to be notified, send me an email to info@buildingbetterbodiesfitness.com.

This is a great question and what I usually tell people is both are good choices–depending on your goals. For example, if your goal is strength training, then I would suggest that a majority of your exercises are conducted with dumbbells and barbells. Take a look at the barbell squat. When done correctly, you are using your abs, lower back, hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes and calves. That is six major muscles being worked out at one time.

Now look at the leg extension machine, which is a great exercise but only targets the quadriceps. By working out more muscles you are burning more calories in each set, getting stronger and will be able to achieve your fitness goals faster.

With the machine exercises I tell people to incorporate them toward the end of an exercise routine. For example, when doing chest start with incline barbell or dumbbell presses, flat bench press, decline dumbbell press, and leave the pec deck fly for last. I also like to use more machine exercises for those clients who are in the maintenance phase of their workout and are just trying to maintain what gains they have achieved or are trying to workout comfortably and not put too much stress on the body. Likewise, if a client has a lagging body part that he or she wants to concentrate on, I would recommend some good machine exercises.

To me, free weights and machines are both important in building a good physique. Now stop reading this article and get to the gym. Good luck.

I hear this at least ten times a week clients from who have only been working out consistently for 3-4 months. Their belief is that because they’re not sore or aching within a few days of their workout that the exercises they’re doing aren’t working.

This is not true.

The soreness and aching muscles is usually attributed to a person who is straying a new workout, has not worked out a particular body part in a long time, has gone up in weight lifted or is doing more repetitions. It does not necessarily mean the workout isn’t any good. If you are doing the exercise correctly, with proper form and execution this will not cause soreness.

Hat I do suggest is you switch up your workout routine every 6-8  weeks. This way your muscles won’t get accustomed to the workout day  in and day out. Switch the times you work out too. Studies show that  working out before breakfast burns more fat. Likewise working out in  the evening can lead to more loss of calories for the next 24 hours,  which leads to more being burned.

Workout 30-60 minutes per day and don’t overdo it because it can cause muscle related ailments. Switch from “working out” to playing sports instead. Playing basketball for 30 minutes is sure to leave you aching and sore the next day. Finally, stretch those muscles you worked out because this lessens your soreness and allows you to achieve your goal of a firm physique.

Body builders may have a short period of time to get their bodies in shape for competition. Ideally, you want to start your body building career and gradually ease into the workouts. Here are some steps you can take to build muscle a little quicker than normal.

Step 1

Set goals and objectives. Before you can get where you want to be, you have to figure out where it is that you want to go. “I want to build muscle” isn’t enough.

Step 2

Put it in writing. Put some specific and measurable goals down on paper. This will help you stay on track and measure your progress.

Step 3

Set a deadline. Add a timeframe or deadline for you to achieve your goals. Having a set time period can help motivate you to stay on track and gives you a drop dead date for how long you have to reach your objectives

Step 4

Create an exercise/workout routine. Create a workout routine or hire a personal trainer that can help formulate the right workout routine for you to accomplish your goals. Keep track of your workouts including the number of days per week you’re working out, what you’re eating, number of reps, types of exercises, etc.

Step 5

Execute. A plan is only effective if you put it into motion. Once you have your workout routine on paper, now it’s time to implement the plan.

When answering this question, I typically tell the person questioning me that yes, you do. It is similar to taking a car to a mechanic to fix something. You may be able to fix it yourself, but how long is it going to take you to figure what is wrong and then how to fix it?

You can read a book and get instructions, but until you get experience fixing your car, it ends up being a lot of trial and error. The same thing holds true with your workout routine and diet. You can read up on it, but a professional personal trainer can detect the problem and help you achieve your goals in the fastest and safest manner.

Personal trainers can also teach you how to perform exercises properly, modify the exercise to your level if it is too easy or too hard and keeps you motivated by making your workouts interesting and as much fun as possible. They help to keep you on track so you progress by helping you overcome obstacles that get in your way.

As a personal trainer, I regularly consult with my peers to stay up-to-date on new workouts and techniques. There is no better investment than investing in your health and well-being.

Who doesn’t like going out to eat at a nice restaurant. Even in this recession, dining out offers a great experience to escape it all. That does not mean you have to sabotage your diet and eat unhealthy. Nowadays, most restaurants are providing healthier options to diners so that dining out can feel more comfortable.

Tips for Eating Healthy in Restaurants

• Ask questions. If you do not know what’s in a certain dish, ask the food server. Many restaurants have menus that are used to entice you rather than reveal what is in the dish. If the server can’t answer your questions, then ask for the manager.
• Avoid fast food restaurants. Choose a place to eat that offers good healthy options. Seafood restaurants are a good option as well as Vietnamese and Indian restaurants. The food in these types of restaurants are cooked with very little fat and butter and use a variety of healthy spices that taste great.
• Look out for the foul language on a menu. This means words such as fried, breaded, creamy, butter and poached in olive oil or butter. These words on a menu are a big no-no, so stay away from ordering foods that contain them.
• Select lean meats. Instead of lamb, pick chicken. Choose venison over beef. These meats taste great and are much lower in fat.
• Eat more protein than carbohydrates. Some restaurants try to fill your plate with rice, potatoes and bread. Ask to have a bigger portion of meat with a half portion of rice. Or don’t eat all of the rice that is put on your plate.
• Your money, your way. Make a request to cook your dish a certain way. Lightly seasoned or hold the special sauce, salad dressing on the side, low salt, no salt, add veggies, no cheese–all requests that can be easily met.
• Doggie bag it. Remember restaurants make portion sizes big because that is what we are used to. So don’t be shy and ask for the server to doggie bag the rest of your food. You’ll be able to enjoy this fine meal again for lunch tomorrow.
• Share the unhealthy choices. If you want to eat some French fries or garlic bread, split it with someone. This allows you to enjoy the treat and not feel guilty about it

Savor every bite of your meal. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Enjoy your company and Bon Apetit.

Exercise is good for your health. It’s that plain and that simple. The proof is in all the health benefits that exercise brings. When you consistently exercise, you can prevent heart disease, diabetes, strokes, obesity, high blood pressure and osteoporosis—to name a few. Exercise also has emotional benefits such as mood improvement, a better overall well being and higher wuality of life.

How to Reap the Benefits of Exercise

• Perform thirty minute sessions of aerobic exercise three to four times per week
• Mix in some strength training
• Start out slow and increase activity over time

Start-up Exercises

• Swimming
• Walking
• Biking

Advanced Exercises

• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Treadmill
• Exercise bike
• Elliptical machine

Find time to exercise at least 30 minutes a day for a couple of days a week. It’s better for your body, your health and your mood.