7 Things to Look for in a Personal Trainer

You decided to get off the couch and head to the gym to lose some weight or get back in shape. Great! Now that you’re there, you’re finding that you don’t know what to do or how to stay motivated to keep working out or pushing yourself harder.



You might need a personal trainer. Personal trainers work at fitness centers or privately, visiting you at home or work to help you stay on track with your fitness goals. I do both; I work at Canyon Ranch SpaClub at the Palazzo and Venetian as a personal trainer and I offer private group classes through my boot camp program every weekday morning at Sandstone Ridge Park.

About 37 percent of the people looking for a personal trainer are beginners who are out of shape, according to IDEA Health & Fitness Association, a San Diego-based organization for fitness professionals. Even if you’re an old pro at working out, you may not know what to look for in a personal trainer. Here are some tips that well help you find someone who is a good fit and will help you achieve your fitness goals.


Certifiable

Once you find someone who can potentially be your personal trainer, ask if they have certification from a legitimate certification body. This is one of the most important aspects to know when learning what to look for in a personal trainer.

While there are more than 70 organizations certifying trainers, look for certifications from The American College of Sports Medicine (www.acsm.org), National Academy of Sports Medicine (www.nasm.org) and the American Council on Exercise (www.acefitness.org), some of the most recognized and sought after certifications for personal trainers.

You can visit all three Web sites to check whether your personal trainer does indeed have those certifications. Personal trainers can also be certified athletic trainers (National Athletic Trainer’s Association), Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association or exercise physiologists.

I have certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the American Council on Exercise, the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America and I'm a member of IDEA Health & Fitness Association.

You also want to make sure your personal trainer is keeping his certification current. Trainers also continue to take classes, seminars and other continuing education courses to keep their certification updated. Your personal trainer should also be currently certified in first aid, CPR and automated external defibrillator.


Also ask whether he has liability insurance in case something does go wrong.


A History Lesson

Before you do one pushup, your personal trainer should take your medical history. Your trainer should want to know if you have medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, fibromyalgia and scoliosis or any musculoskeletal or orthopedic injuries. He should also ask for your fitness goals and assess your starting weight and body composition. Don't forget to sign the informed consent form.

Goal-Driven
Your fitness regimen should take into consideration not only your goals but your needs too. Make sure you’re getting a good mix of cardio and strength training. Men often neglect their lower body so they need to make sure their trainer works out their quads and hamstrings as much as their upper body. Office workers tend to need work on the rhomboids and hamstrings.
Your routine should change every four to six weeks so you avoid a plateau that prevents you from meeting your fitness goals.


Money, Money, Money
If your personal trainer works for a gym, the facility usually offers different training packages determined by the number of sessions you buy. Packages are always cheaper than single sessions. Even when you join a gym you can get up to three free personal fitness training sessions.


Independent trainers generally charge more, depending on the services they offer. If they provide equipment or visit you in your home, they probably charge more.


More than 70 percent of personal trainers offer group sessions at a discount, according to a recent survey by IDEA. And if you work out with friends, you can get a discount between 30 percent and 50 percent off.


I offer 50 percent off the following month of boot camp if you bring a friend who joins.


Are You For Real?
Despite all of your research, you should still find out how other clients feel about your potential trainer. How does he handle fitness concerns, cancellations or rescheduling? Have his other clients made any progress toward their goals? What types of clients does he have? You want to make sure that he can handle a variety of physical conditions, or at least someone in the same physical condition as you are in.


You may want to train for a triathlon, lose weight or become a bodybuilder. Make sure your trainer can handle your goals.


Look in the Mirror
This should go without saying, but your personal trainer shouldn’t look like he needs to go to a personal trainer. Make sure he can demonstrate the exercises he wants you to do, too.


Give it a Try
If you’re still not sure, you can always ask for a free trial session to see if the trainer is right for you. I offer a free week of boot camp so you can see if it’s right for you.


You can also ask for a consultation where the trainer talks about your personality and goals. Ask if he has trained someone like you and been successful. Even if he says he has, check with references to verify.

Healthy options for eating on the go

Just when you thought that you had your diet in check with a good balance of carbohydrates and proteins and a good dose of vegetables, along comes one of those days where you’re constantly on the go. Instead of turning to an unhealthy choice, plan ahead with these tips to keep you healthy.


Snack Before You Leave

When you’re on your way to run errands, be sure to grab a snack before you go so you don’t get hungry. That way, you’re less tempted to eat a quick burger or pick up a bag of chips and a soda at the convenience store. Eat a piece of fruit, a yogurt, Prograde Cravers bar or even a handful of trail mix before you walk out the door.

Eating at the Grocery Store
While you’re running errands, you can always find a grocery store with some healthy snacks. Aside from fresh fruit or veggies, look for prepared salads or a deli sandwich to satisfy your hunger. String cheese or a boiled egg in the deli section can keep away hunger pangs as well.

Fast Food Options
You can find healthy options at some fast food restaurants. Many have a grilled chicken option on the menu; just skip the mayonnaise. Subway lets you put together your own sandwich and control the amount of veggies (go for more) and condiments (stick to mustard). Or look for salad options on the menu and watch the amount of dressing your put on your salad.

Stash It
A stash of healthy emergency snacks can prevent you from reaching for something unhealthy. Keep something in your handbag, desk at work and car just in case. Keep some trail mix, granola or protein bars and some dried fruit around to prevent hunger pangs.

You should also carry some water to make sure you stay hydrated. With a little bit of planning and making smart choices, you can eat healthy on the go.

I'm interested to know what some of your healthy snacks are. Please leave a comment below.

Tony

Burn more fat with these interval workouts

The saying goes that slow and steady wins the race. Not so with fat burning. You need intervals to keep your body burning calories long after you’re finished with your workout.

When you do aerobic exercise, such as light jogging, your body burns oxygen. When you kick it up to a run, your body doesn’t have enough oxygen to burn and starts using anaerobic metabolism, which produces energy when oxygen is missing. That’s how you burn fat.

Intervals alternate high-intensity and low-intensity workouts all in one. You might sprint for one minute and walk the next minute. Intervals can work with any exercise, whether it’s running, cycling, swimming, on machines at the gym and even walking, just as long as you alternate speeds.

Another option is to vary your intensity in different combinations. You might do 30 seconds of high intensity and 30 seconds of low intensity. Then increase your intervals by 10 seconds until you reach one minute for each. Then bring it back down to 30-second intervals.


Here are three interval options that can help you speed up your fat burning and take you to the next level. Best of all, when these intervals start to get easy, you can either turn up the intensity or the time so your body continues to burn fat. Just make sure you spend as much time exerting as you do recovering. These are also great workouts to do when you can’t make it to boot camp.

Option A: Cardio Machine Intervals


You can do this workout on any machine at the gym, or running or walking.
1. 3 to 5 minutes warmup (light jog, low intensity, gradually increasing at the end of the warmup period)
2. 1 minute moderate or high intensity followed by 1 minute low intensity (repeat 6 to 8 times)
3. 3 to 5 minutes cool down (light jog, low intensity, gradually decreasing by the end of the cool-down period)

Option B: Stair Run


Do this version on a set of stairs or stadium bleachers. You’ll need 40 to 50 stairs to do this properly.
1. 3 to 5 minutes warmup (light jog, low intensity, gradually increasing at the end of the warmup period)
2. Run up the stairs and walk back down (repeat 6 to 8 times)
3. 3 to 5 minutes cool down (light jog, low intensity, gradually decreasing by the end of the cool down period)

Option C: The Commercial Break Workout
While you’re watching television, you can squeeze in some workouts. For each superset, do the first exercise for 20 seconds followed by 20 seconds of the second exercise and then 20 seconds of rest. Repeat as many times as possible up to three times for each superset.

Commercial break 1 – Superset 1
1A. Mountain Climbers
1B. Jumping Jacks
Commercial Break 2 – Superset 2
2A. Burpees
2B. Plank Hold
Commercial Break 3 –Superset 3
3A. Speed Squats
3B. Squat Hold

Mountain Climbers

Begin in a pushup position on your hands and toes. Bring your right knee in toward your chest, resting your foot on the floor. Jump up and switch feet in the air, bringing your left foot in and your right foot back. Continue alternating your feet as fast as you safely can.

Jumping Jacks

Begin by standing with your feet together and arms at your sides. Tighten your abdominal muscles to pull your pelvis forward and take the curve out of your lower back. Bend your knees and jump, moving your feet apart until they are wider than your shoulders. At the same time, raise your arms over your head. Your weight should be on the balls of your feet. Keep your knees bent while you jump again, bringing your feet together and your arms back to your sides.

Burpees

Begin standing, then squat down to a place your hands on the floor. Then kick your feet back to a pushup position. Immediately return your feet to the squat position. Then stand back up from the squat position.

Plank Hold

Lying face down on the floor, tuck your toes into the ground and place your elbows or hands on the ground to the side of your body. Keeping a tight stomach, raise your body up off the ground and hold this position. Don’t let your midsection sag.

Speed Squats

As quickly as you can, do a set of squats. Keep your back flat and press your hips back behind you as you sit as deep as possible. As you descend, keep the majority of your weight back on your heels while still applying pressure through the balls of your feet.

Wall Squat

With feet shoulder-width apart, lean against a wall and gently slide down into a sitting position. Keep your hands off the wall and your legs for maximum burn.

Head outdoors for a great cross-training workout

The best thing about being a kid is that you never need to step on a cardio machines to stay in shape. You could spend your time as a kid playing sports, or as a teenager in organized sports. The same can be true for adults. It doesn’t feel like work when you’re having fun.


When I was a kid, I loved to play sports. Even as an adult, I play flag football and burn a ton of calories without stepping foot inside a gym. The British Journal of Sports Medicine even found that playing recreational soccer improved oxygen intake and helped burn fat. In the study, 36 men were divided into two groups, a control group that just ran for exercise and a second group that trained for one hour two to three times a week for 12 weeks.

The soccer group improved maximal oxygen uptake (a measure of aerobic fitness) 62 percent more than the running group. The soccer group also lost an average of 50 percent more fat than the running group (6 pounds vs 4 pounds).


The researchers concluded that participation in recreational soccer training has significant beneficial effects on health profile and physical capacity and in some aspects it is superior to frequent moderate-intensity running.


What does this tell us?

Well, think about soccer. The difference is more than adding a ball while running. Soccer is essentially a form of interval training. It involves moving in multiple directions while jumping, running, head-butting, sprinting and kicking.

In other words cross-training. By incorporating several types of training styles, you can condition different muscle groups, improve skills in a variety of activities and limit your boredom by varying the exercise routines. Because of the variety it allows your body will be better prepared and perform better whether you decide go swimming, skating or dancing.



You can add cross-training to your workouts too. Try exercises you enjoy that keep you motivated. Some ideas for cardiovascular conditioning include:

• Biking
• Swimming
• Running
• Jumping rope
• Speed and agility drills
• Skating
• Tennis and other racket sports
• Calisthenics (jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers)
• Outdoor planks and yoga poses

How to get more fruits in your diet

Last week I gave you some tips on how to get more vegetables in your diet. This week, I tackle fruits. Sometimes they can be even easier to include in your daily diet than vegetables.

Aim for at least two servings of fruits every day. These fibrous carbohydrates keep you full for fewer calories. They help you shed pounds and feel better overall. Best of all, they satisfy a craving for sweets and come in handy containers that are good to take on the go. A healthy dose of fruits in your diet can lower your blood pressure, lower your risk of eye and digestive problems, have a mellowing effect on blood sugar that can help keep appetite in check and reduce your risks for heart disease, stroke and some cancers, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.


Here are four ways to get more fruits in your diet.

1. Fresh fruits are nature’s original fast food. Stick a banana, apple or pear in your bag for a quick snack.

2. Salads are a great way to get a variety of fruits and veggies. Choose a salad with low-fat dressing and limit high-calorie toppings like croutons. Look for salads with mandarin oranges or cranberries for a quick serving of fruits.

3. Make a fruit roll-up that travels anywhere. Start with tortillas and peanut butter and then add your favorite fruits, either fresh or dried.

4. Blend a fruit smoothie or drink to take with you on your commute.

Strawberry Yogurt Shake
Shakes are easy to prepare and will easily travel with you in a cup. Make one on your way out the door to drink on the way to work.

1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1-1/2 cups frozen unsweetened
strawberries
1 tsp granulated sugar (optional)
1. Add ingredients in the order listed to a blender container.
2. Puree at medium speed until thick and smooth.
3. Pour into glass and enjoy. (Makes 2 servings)

For more healthy recipes go to the Prograde site and download 197 Healthy and Delicious Fat Burning Recipes – For just $4.95. It's the last cook book you'll ever need!