Do you want to look like a marathon runner or a Hollywood starlet? Yup, their Personal Trainer doesn’t just stand there while they are running on a treadmill. Far from it! They lift weights and do body weight exercises like squats and pushups. Lot’s of them.

Weight training will enable you to increase your metabolism in two ways and thereby accelerate your fat burning. When you work out with weights, your metabolism increases, and unlike after a cardio session, after a weight training session your metabolism remains elevated for another 24 hours! Also, for every pound of muscle you put on, your body burns about 30 calories more every day.

For maximum fat loss it is best to combine weight training and cardio. You will burn calories during your cardio sessions as well, and they have an effect on your heart that weight training does not.

Beside an increase in metabolism, weight training can help increase your strength, energy and bone density. And as mentioned above, you can only tone muscles that exist.

Perform anywhere from 30 – 60 minutes of weight training 3 times a week and cardio 3 – 5 times a week.

Technorati Tags: weight loss,fat loss,exercise,weight training,resistance training,metabolism,cardio,workout

This class will start on January 5, 2009 and be held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7AM for 4 weeks (12 classes). Plus, there’s an additional class every Saturday at 8AM that is optional.

(If you don’t want to wait for the New Year, you may also purchase these certificates for the month of December! If you are ready now, there’s no reason to wait!)

Every class is one hour in length and consists of a combination of walking, calisthenics, resistance exercises, cardio intervals, balance and core exercises, and stretching. With that we are focusing on all aspects of health and you will achieve increases in energy, strength, flexibility, balance, and metabolism.

It will be easier for you to get out of bed in the morning, do everyday activities, and keep up with the demands of a stressful job. Exercise also fights depression and will give you a new outlook on life. If you are looking to lose weight, increase mobility, or just stay healthy, you are in the right place.

See what Beth, one of my current boot camp participants, has to say:

Working out in a group is especially motivating. We always have fun and support each other. You still get the attention of an experienced personal trainer at just a fraction of the cost of one-on-one training. I apply the same expertise that I use for my one-on-one clients to my boot camps.

So come on out and play!

Update – As of January 1, 2009 this offer is no longer available. Please follow this link to go to the regular boot camp registration page. Thank you!

For more information and any questions you might have about the boot camp, please follow this link. This is also where you can sign up for a class if you are not purchasing a gift certificate.

See you in January!

Technorati Tags: fitness boot camp,bootcamp,fitness class,outdoor class,weight loss,exercise,new year’s resolution,fitness for women,Berkeley,CA,Berkeley Marina,Cezar Chavez Park

If you:

• Have gotten bored with your current training routine,
• Lack the motivation to work out regularly,
• Have not seen the results you wanted,
• Are unable to push yourself,
• Or wonder what exercises you should do to achieve maximum weight loss,

then you owe it to yourself to check out my boot camp. Let me help you get your sexy back. I guarantee you will feel energized and look and feel younger after just the first two weeks.

For all the details and to register click here.

Technorati Tags: boot camp,bootcamp,group class,outdoor fitness,outdoor class,group fitness,Berkeley,CA,fitness,weight loss,women,exercise,fitness training

As a thank you for being a loyal reader of my blog you can claim a 30 day trial membership to my new online personal training, nutrition, and support system – Fitness Promoter.

With Fitness Promoter you’ll receive:

1. Workouts, customized according to your fitness level and goals, as well as available workout equipment (from none to a whole gym), with picture, video, and written instructions – helping you remember the exercises and how to perform them properly – preventing injury and getting you the results you want.
2. Customized meal plans, recipes, and grocery shopping lists – making it easy for you to plan and track your nutrition and giving you ideas for healthy meals.
3. Goal tracking and motivational e-mails – setting goals and tracking them is a vital part of your success. Daily or weekly e-mails are motivating and give you the ability to take charge of your own health by educating you one e-mail at a time.
4. An online community, offering support, accountability, and motivation. Nobody can or should have to be alone in the fight to lose weight and stay fit and healthy. The motto of our online community is: "Together we CAN get fit!"
5. Plus, don’t forget, I am behind all this, ready to support you, answer your questions, and help you along the way.

What Is Resistance Training?

Resistance training involves activities that use weights, machines or your own body weight, and in which muscles have to contract against an opposing force or resistance. It is also known as strength training or weight training. The goal of resistance training is to gradually and progressively overload the musculoskeletal system so it gets stronger.

Resistance training is not just for competitive athletes like powerlifters and bodybuilders, and cannot only be used to increase muscle size or strength, but rather is associated with significant improvements in overall health and well-being.
How Does Resistance Training Work?     

A resistance training program will include the use of various exercise equipment and machines like dumbbells or barbells for example. When performing a resistance exercise, the muscles of the body will contract against the weight. The muscle will then have to adapt to the extra weight, which will result in muscle hypertrophy or the enlarging and increasing of the muscle fibers to help in the muscle contraction. The number of fibers activated will also increase over time.

What Are the Benefits of Resistance Training?

1. Increases Bone Mineral Density: Bones are constantly remodeling, meaning the tissues break down at the same time they build up. The peak of remodeling takes place during puberty. However, as a person ages, bone mineral density decreases as the remodeling becomes less active. This is especially a problem in post-menopausal women. Bone mineral density remodeling is supported by hormones in our body. When the hormones decrease in the years leading up to menopause and then dramatically after menopause, bone mineral density decreases leading to osteoporosis. To address this problem, physical activity, specifically resistance training exercises in which the spine is under a load, as in a dumbbell squat for example, can prevent the loss of bone mineral density and also slowly build it up again.
2. Increases Strength and Functionality: As your strength and functionality improve through weight training, you will be able to enjoy a more active lifestyle. Activities of daily living, like picking up your child, or carrying the groceries up the stairs will become easier.
3. Reduces Body Fat: Resistance training can help reduce body fat in several ways. Not only are calories burned during exercise, but your metabolism continues to burn more calories for up to 24 hours following your workout. As overall muscle mass increases, your body will burn more calories, even when at rest. When resistance training is combined with cardiovascular training the effects on body fat reduction are maximized.
4. Improves State of the Elderly: For the elderly, undergoing a resistance training program will help improve their health and decrease the risks brought about by age, allowing for a more independent lifestyle, without needing to rely on other people for doing simple tasks. It can also decrease the risk of injuries, by improving strength, functionality, and balance.
5. Improves Heart Condition: Regular resistance training can result in a lowered resting heart rate, lowered blood pressure, and lowered cholesterol, significantly reducing the risk of heart disease.

This by no means exhausts the list of benefits resistance training can provide. As mentioned above, many of these benefits are exclusive to resistance training and there’s just no replacement for them!

Where Do I Start?

Before doing any resistance training, it is recommended you consult with your physician, especially if you have any medical conditions or are overweight. This kind of training is not something that should be explored on your own. It does require some fundamental knowledge to provide you with the benefits you are seeking and prevent injury. A knowledgeable Personal Trainer can design a workout for your specific needs and goals, and instruct you in proper form and execution of each exercise in your workout. Seeking the help of a Personal Trainer for six months to a year should give you all the fundamental knowledge you need to live a healthier and more active lifestyle.

Check this blog often as I will dispel some of the common myths associated with resistance training in a future article. I will also add additional resources and services to help you on your path to a healthier and more beautiful you in the coming months.

Technorati Tags: weight training,resistance training,strength training,weight loss,osteoporosis,exercise

Technorati Tags: Personal Training,Weight Loss,Health,Exercise,Core,Balance,Flexibility,Weight Training,Cardiovascular Training

I called Audible.com because I was interested in renewing at a lower rate plan, while keeping all my credits and most of my benefits. It was incredible! Audible gave me exactly what I wanted! I believe that there was no benefit to them, at least not of the financial kind. But, they made me really happy, and here I am now telling you all about my experience. Finally, a business that still recognizes the value of great customer service!

What does all this have to do with fitness, you ask.

I love to read, but I never have time. Plus, we are sitting in front of our computers and televisions all day as it is. Should we now sit around even more while reading? Talk about a sedentary lifestyle! I’ve found a way to save time, get off my butt, and find time to read.

Every day I go for a 30 minute walk. It’s really not a chore here in the beautiful Bay Area. A time to enjoy the beauty of our surroundings and with that enjoy life to the fullest. While I walk I listen to audio books. Half an hour a day, that really adds up. I read the latest in fitness and nutrition, motivational books, as well as NY Times Bestsellers. I get double the benefit – a workout and an education. There are also advantages of listening to audio books rather than music – my hearing stays intact and I can still hear the birds while getting in shape.

Audible has great service, a huge selection of audio books, and awesome rates.
I’ve always wanted to recommend Audible to people, but after my experience with their customer service, I MUST recommend them!

Technorati Tags: walking,fitness,reading,books,Audible

The typical head-forward position we assume when looking closely at the monitor causes the neck flexor muscles to be continuously stretched. A muscle that is in a stretched position for a long time will get weak over time.

Here is a very simple exercise to strengthen the neck flexors and improve your posture that you can do anytime when driving your car.

While keeping your chin tucked under, press the back of your head into the head rest of your seat. Keep pressing for a count of 10 and then relax again. Now repeat another two times.

If you do this exercise every day on your way to and from work, for example, you will improve your posture, strengthen your neck flexors, and at the same time even release tension in your neck muscles, since a muscle will relax more after having been tightened first.

Technorati Tags: neck exercise , posture , muscle tension , ergonomics