Hi friends,
Today I want to share with all of you two useful tools to help you achieve rapid fat loss within your busy lifestyle.
The first is a simple but effective fat loss workout using only a pair of dumbbells. This workout can be completed at home in less than 10 minutes.
Give it a try.
The next tool is a very informative article I wrote on the "Four Components to Rapid Fat Loss" be sure to read it by visiting the following link.
http://www.farmingtonvalleyfitnessbootcamp.com/fatloss.html
Fat loss is not rocket science and doesn't take 2-3 hours a day to acheive. Both of these tools will help supply you with tools to help get you on the fast track to success.
Exercising intensely for only 10-20 minutes per day and following those four components can really help change your outlook on what it takes to lose fat.
Looking forward to hearing about all your continued success.
Dedicated to your fitness success,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
Maureen Furey, Simsbury, CT
She lost over 80 lbs!
Maureen After!
Guy Nuemann, Hartford, CT
Lost 30 Lbs in 6 weeks!
Guy After!
Showing posts with label Farmington Valley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Farmington Valley. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Working Mom of 2, Lost 8 Pounds!
Hi friends,
Another week and another success story.
Artemis Santos is a Canton resident and a mother of two beautiful girls ages 4 and 6. In one and half phases of Farmington Valley Fitness Boot Camp she has lost 8 pounds and has increased her energy levels tremendously.
"I exercise for increased energy, weight loss and a sense of accomplishment. I love the fact that I am done with my workouts and know that I have done something great for myself before my family even wakes up."
This feeling of accomplishment has helped Artemis tackle the rest of her busy day with a renewed feeling of energy at the end of every workout.
"My favorite part of the exercise is the end. By that I mean how I feel, more energetic and ready to start my day. I love the fact that I am done with my workouts and know that I have done something great for myself before my family even wakes up."
The intensity of the boot camp and group atmosphere is an important element to Artemis.
"I enjoy how tough the workouts are and how you push all of us. I also enjoy the support from a great group of women," said Santos.
Being a working professional family time is very important to Artemis.
"Being a working mom I love that I don't have to sacrifice valuable quality time with my family."
With every workout Artemis can feel body improving with every exercise.
"My favorite exercise is the plank I noticed I can do it for longer and longer. All the exercises are bad in a good way."
Having plenty of support has helped her acheive such a sense of accomplishment in a short time. So much that she's thanking me for HER hardwork.
"Thanks for the encouragement and I hope this is the start of a long relationship," said Santos.
Farmington Valley Fitness Boot Camp is about all of you. There is no need to thank me. Thank your supportive husband and wonderful family.
Keep being a positive influence on the rest of your boot camp and on behalf of all your fellow boot campers, thank you.
Another week and another success story.
Artemis Santos is a Canton resident and a mother of two beautiful girls ages 4 and 6. In one and half phases of Farmington Valley Fitness Boot Camp she has lost 8 pounds and has increased her energy levels tremendously.
"I exercise for increased energy, weight loss and a sense of accomplishment. I love the fact that I am done with my workouts and know that I have done something great for myself before my family even wakes up."
This feeling of accomplishment has helped Artemis tackle the rest of her busy day with a renewed feeling of energy at the end of every workout.
"My favorite part of the exercise is the end. By that I mean how I feel, more energetic and ready to start my day. I love the fact that I am done with my workouts and know that I have done something great for myself before my family even wakes up."
The intensity of the boot camp and group atmosphere is an important element to Artemis.
"I enjoy how tough the workouts are and how you push all of us. I also enjoy the support from a great group of women," said Santos.
Being a working professional family time is very important to Artemis.
"Being a working mom I love that I don't have to sacrifice valuable quality time with my family."
With every workout Artemis can feel body improving with every exercise.
"My favorite exercise is the plank I noticed I can do it for longer and longer. All the exercises are bad in a good way."
Having plenty of support has helped her acheive such a sense of accomplishment in a short time. So much that she's thanking me for HER hardwork.
"Thanks for the encouragement and I hope this is the start of a long relationship," said Santos.
Farmington Valley Fitness Boot Camp is about all of you. There is no need to thank me. Thank your supportive husband and wonderful family.
Keep being a positive influence on the rest of your boot camp and on behalf of all your fellow boot campers, thank you.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
5 Reasons You Are Gaining Weight!
Hi friends,
So today I was speaking with a client who said she has been gaining weight in the past week. This is something that CAN happen even with an intense exercise program but it isn't the program that is causing it. Her and I spoke about numerous factors that could be causing her weight gain. She assured me that she was eating "healthy" and it was not her intake.
Then what is it?
Well ladies and you men out there listen up.
I will go as far as explaining to you 5 reasons why you are gaining weight despite your recent change in exercise.
1.) You Are NOT Eating Enough!
Lets think about this for a second. You are working out more intense then ever before in your life. Your metabolic rate has been jacked up by that killer workout you performed. Well, in order to keep your metabolism booming you need to fuel your body! It's that simple. Small meals containing lean proteins, fruits, veggies and good fats every 2-3 hours.
2.) You Are NOT Drinking Enough!
No, sorry I am not talking about adult beverages. I am simply talking about water! Your body's number one natural fat-burner (besides your lean muscle, more on that in a sec) is the water you take in. Keeping yourself well hydrated helps you avoid cravings and listen to this one loudly. The MORE water you drink, the LESS water you will retain. Ladies did you hear that? You can control that monthly excess water by increasing your water intake.
3.) You Are NOT Consuming Enough Protein!
Now there has been tons of "experts" who say you don't need all that protein. I am here to tell you that you DO need lean protein in your diet. It is the building block for lean muscle and the more lean muscle you have the more efficient at burning body fat you will become. Hey, don't you want to turn your body into a 24/7/365 fat-burning furnace? I know I do! Easy way to make sure you are taking in enough protein is to follow this equation.
Bodyweight x .8 = Target Grams of Protein Per Day (minimum .6)
4.) You ARE Eating Too Much!
Heard it before and I am sure I will hear it again. "I am eating healthy." Look eating healthy does not include a cheat meal or snack everyday. Follow the 90/10 rule. If you are compliant 90% of the time, you can enjoy yourself 10% of the time. Save this time and use it wisely.
5.) Your are NOT Changing Your Program!
Look your body is smarter then you. It will adapt and needs change. If you don't change your workout routine your body will plateau and eventually cause you to stop losing or even worse gain weight. Be sure to change your workout routine every 4 weeks.
Dedicated to your fitness success,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
P.S. If you are ready for a serious change get your 2 Week Free Trial @ http://www.farmingtonvalleyfitnessbootcamp.com/
So today I was speaking with a client who said she has been gaining weight in the past week. This is something that CAN happen even with an intense exercise program but it isn't the program that is causing it. Her and I spoke about numerous factors that could be causing her weight gain. She assured me that she was eating "healthy" and it was not her intake.
Then what is it?
Well ladies and you men out there listen up.
I will go as far as explaining to you 5 reasons why you are gaining weight despite your recent change in exercise.
1.) You Are NOT Eating Enough!
Lets think about this for a second. You are working out more intense then ever before in your life. Your metabolic rate has been jacked up by that killer workout you performed. Well, in order to keep your metabolism booming you need to fuel your body! It's that simple. Small meals containing lean proteins, fruits, veggies and good fats every 2-3 hours.
2.) You Are NOT Drinking Enough!
No, sorry I am not talking about adult beverages. I am simply talking about water! Your body's number one natural fat-burner (besides your lean muscle, more on that in a sec) is the water you take in. Keeping yourself well hydrated helps you avoid cravings and listen to this one loudly. The MORE water you drink, the LESS water you will retain. Ladies did you hear that? You can control that monthly excess water by increasing your water intake.
3.) You Are NOT Consuming Enough Protein!
Now there has been tons of "experts" who say you don't need all that protein. I am here to tell you that you DO need lean protein in your diet. It is the building block for lean muscle and the more lean muscle you have the more efficient at burning body fat you will become. Hey, don't you want to turn your body into a 24/7/365 fat-burning furnace? I know I do! Easy way to make sure you are taking in enough protein is to follow this equation.
Bodyweight x .8 = Target Grams of Protein Per Day (minimum .6)
4.) You ARE Eating Too Much!
Heard it before and I am sure I will hear it again. "I am eating healthy." Look eating healthy does not include a cheat meal or snack everyday. Follow the 90/10 rule. If you are compliant 90% of the time, you can enjoy yourself 10% of the time. Save this time and use it wisely.
5.) Your are NOT Changing Your Program!
Look your body is smarter then you. It will adapt and needs change. If you don't change your workout routine your body will plateau and eventually cause you to stop losing or even worse gain weight. Be sure to change your workout routine every 4 weeks.
Dedicated to your fitness success,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
P.S. If you are ready for a serious change get your 2 Week Free Trial @ http://www.farmingtonvalleyfitnessbootcamp.com/
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Valentine's Day Couple Workout!
For most people Valentine's Day is an excuse to hook-up and eat chocolate. Hey, sounds good to me too, but surely we can be more creative than that! This Valentine's Day I want you to mix things up with a fun workout that you can do in the comfort of your home with your significant other!
This 20-minute total body partner workout will consist of all body weight-based exercises. For each exercise at each outlined station below you will alternate between 20 s of work and 10 s of rest. You will repeat this 30-second sequence eight times for four total minutes followed by a one-minute rest and transition before moving on to the next station listed:
So go find your valentine and remember they say sweat-driven pheromones are one of nature's most powerful aphrodisiacs. I'll leave it up to you to tell me ;)
Today I want to share with you the concept of partner training. For many of you working out with your significant other has already become part of your weekly routine. Partner training is going to help you put a fun spin on the dynamic of working out together.
Just a few benefits of partner training include:
1) Social Support and Accountability
2) No Equipment Needed
3) More Variety
4) Creates Competition and Thus Delivers Better Results
5) It's Fun
BONUS) It's Hands-On ;)
Partner training will give your workouts a little spice by adding a entirely new element. By using only your hands as added the resistance the workouts become much more engaging. I can't even begin to count how many times I hear animal sounds and different types of grunts during our camps.
Wait until you add this dynamic to your workout ;)
Your inner freak will definately come out of the woodwork with these types of workouts. When you workout with someone else you are simply being pushed to the limit.
So grab your sweetheart and lets give it a try!
The Valentine’s Day Workout for Couples- Tabata Style Partner Training
This 20-minute total body partner workout will consist of all body weight-based exercises. For each exercise at each outlined station below you will alternate between 20 s of work and 10 s of rest. You will repeat this 30-second sequence eight times for four total minutes followed by a one-minute rest and transition before moving on to the next station listed:
Station#1- Partner Push-up-Row Combo
Partner Push-ups: Hold your partner’s feet from a standing position as they do as many push-ups as they can, then switch roles
Partner Rows: Hold your partner’s hands from a standing position as they do as many body weight rows as they can, then switch roles
Station #2- Partner Resisted Stationary Lunges- Static or Dynamic
Partner Lunges: Drop into a deep lunge position and hold as your partner applies downward force on your shoulders for you to fight against, then switch roles (can also be done with manual resistance in full range reps)
Station #3- Partner Resisted Plank Circuit
Partner Planks: Get into a plank position and hold as your partner applies downward force with hands on your ribcage, then switch roles (alternate between front and L/R Side Planks)
Station #4- Partner Resisted Squats- Static or Dynamic
Partner Squats: Drop into a deep squat position and hold as your partner applies downward force on your shoulders for you to fight against, then switch roles (can also be done with manual resistance in full range reps)
Partner applied resistance creates a deep deep burn ;) (Sorry, big Will Ferrell fan!)
So go find your valentine and remember they say sweat-driven pheromones are one of nature's most powerful aphrodisiacs. I'll leave it up to you to tell me ;)
Helping you find your sexy core,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
P.S. Sorry again, but a huge fan of Will Ferrell!
P.S.S. Prograde Organic Dark Chocolate Cravers are 14% OFF all week! Go to http://tylerenglishfitness.getprograde.com/cravers Be sure to include the coupon code vday0909 in your order!
P.S.S.S. Personally I like the Peanut Butter flavor :)
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Fast Fat Loss Plan
There is a reason few people reach their goals and make their dreams come true.
Know what that reason is?
It's because they actually HAVE goals written down. The vast majority of people on this planet do not.
And not only do people that achieve goals actually set goals, they also create a a plan to make sure they make things happen.
Yesterday, I attended a seminar hosted by some of Donald Trump's most successful pupils and do you know what each of them do?
They have a WRITTEN GOAL.
They have a PLAN OF ACTION to acheive each specific goal.
They have a DEADLINE for that goal.
They have CONSEQUENCES if they don't reach that goal.
So where does that leave you?
Do you keep telling yourself you are going to "lose some weight?" Or do you have specific goals and a plan to reach them?
Do you have a plan for what you're going to eat each day so you're not tempted to fill up on fast food? Do you have a deadline for when you're going to reach your goal?
Here's another one: you KNOW you need to be eating breakfast every day. Do you have nutritious food in the house you PLAN on eating each morning?
If not have you looked into taking advantage of a delicious meal replacement shake like Prograde Lean? http://tylerenglishfitness.getprograde.com/lean
This is YOUR life. Whether you want your body to look better naked, you want to improve your health, you want to have more energy, or whatever your goal is, you MUST have written goals and a plan to achieve them.
Yours in health,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
P.S. - Fail to plan, plan to fail. Life is easy when you plan for it to be.
P.S.S. - I have a challenge for those who are up for being accountable to everyone else out there.. Post a 4 week goal for yourself here on the blog and we will post again in 4 weeks. That's accountablity!
Know what that reason is?
It's because they actually HAVE goals written down. The vast majority of people on this planet do not.
And not only do people that achieve goals actually set goals, they also create a a plan to make sure they make things happen.
Yesterday, I attended a seminar hosted by some of Donald Trump's most successful pupils and do you know what each of them do?
They have a WRITTEN GOAL.
They have a PLAN OF ACTION to acheive each specific goal.
They have a DEADLINE for that goal.
They have CONSEQUENCES if they don't reach that goal.
So where does that leave you?
Do you keep telling yourself you are going to "lose some weight?" Or do you have specific goals and a plan to reach them?
Do you have a plan for what you're going to eat each day so you're not tempted to fill up on fast food? Do you have a deadline for when you're going to reach your goal?
Here's another one: you KNOW you need to be eating breakfast every day. Do you have nutritious food in the house you PLAN on eating each morning?
If not have you looked into taking advantage of a delicious meal replacement shake like Prograde Lean? http://tylerenglishfitness.getprograde.com/lean
This is YOUR life. Whether you want your body to look better naked, you want to improve your health, you want to have more energy, or whatever your goal is, you MUST have written goals and a plan to achieve them.
Yours in health,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
P.S. - Fail to plan, plan to fail. Life is easy when you plan for it to be.
P.S.S. - I have a challenge for those who are up for being accountable to everyone else out there.. Post a 4 week goal for yourself here on the blog and we will post again in 4 weeks. That's accountablity!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Win the Battle Against Fat Cells
Hi friends,
As a fitness expert, you know I'll never promise you a pill is going to be the answer to that "jiggle in your wiggle." If you want six pack abs you're going to have to work for them.
BUT...
There is some very promising research out there in regards to a dietary supplement you've probably been hearing a lot about.
Yes, I'm talking about Essential Fatty Acids. You probably have heard them called something like Fish Oil pills.
How's this for good news?!
*University of Georgia researchers have found something pretty amazing about Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA. Get this: The actually help STOP the conversion of pre-fat cells into fat cells by causing them to die out before they can mature.
Once a pre-fat cell becomes a fat cell, well, there's no turning back. You've got that fat cell for life. Imagine, actually decreasing the accumulation of fat by taking an Essential Fatty Acid supplement containing DHA!
Now let me do my best infomercial voice for you...
But wait, there's more!
Seriously, that's not the only benefit of Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA.
According to studies** done at the University of South Australia people that combined exercise with Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA saw greater fat loss than the test group that only exercised and did not take the supplement.
How can you not be excited by these research studies??
Now, personally, I don't like Fish Oil pills because they cause you to burp like crazy. If you've ever taken them you know exactly what I mean. And they aren't always the highest quality.
I prefer EFA Icon from Prograde Nutrition because they use Krill Oil. It's been found to be a superior source of Essential Fatty Acids containing DHA. Plus, with EFA Icon there are NO fish burps. And I haven't even mentioned all the amazing health benefits from this dietary supplement.
If you're looking to accelerate your fat loss results than I really recommend you go with Prograde Nutrition's EFA Icon. You can get it here:
http://tylerenglishfitness.getprograde.com/icon
Yours in rapid fat loss,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
P.S. - Remember, EFA Icon is NOT a miracle solution. You will need sound nutrition and exercise. BUT the research is there. It's definitely a supplement with powerful fat loss properties. http://tylerenglishfitness.getprograde.com/icon
* Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 136:2965-2969
** American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85:1267-1274
As a fitness expert, you know I'll never promise you a pill is going to be the answer to that "jiggle in your wiggle." If you want six pack abs you're going to have to work for them.
BUT...
There is some very promising research out there in regards to a dietary supplement you've probably been hearing a lot about.
Yes, I'm talking about Essential Fatty Acids. You probably have heard them called something like Fish Oil pills.
How's this for good news?!
*University of Georgia researchers have found something pretty amazing about Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA. Get this: The actually help STOP the conversion of pre-fat cells into fat cells by causing them to die out before they can mature.
Once a pre-fat cell becomes a fat cell, well, there's no turning back. You've got that fat cell for life. Imagine, actually decreasing the accumulation of fat by taking an Essential Fatty Acid supplement containing DHA!
Now let me do my best infomercial voice for you...
But wait, there's more!
Seriously, that's not the only benefit of Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA.
According to studies** done at the University of South Australia people that combined exercise with Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA saw greater fat loss than the test group that only exercised and did not take the supplement.
How can you not be excited by these research studies??
Now, personally, I don't like Fish Oil pills because they cause you to burp like crazy. If you've ever taken them you know exactly what I mean. And they aren't always the highest quality.
I prefer EFA Icon from Prograde Nutrition because they use Krill Oil. It's been found to be a superior source of Essential Fatty Acids containing DHA. Plus, with EFA Icon there are NO fish burps. And I haven't even mentioned all the amazing health benefits from this dietary supplement.
If you're looking to accelerate your fat loss results than I really recommend you go with Prograde Nutrition's EFA Icon. You can get it here:
http://tylerenglishfitness.getprograde.com/icon
Yours in rapid fat loss,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
P.S. - Remember, EFA Icon is NOT a miracle solution. You will need sound nutrition and exercise. BUT the research is there. It's definitely a supplement with powerful fat loss properties. http://tylerenglishfitness.getprograde.com/icon
* Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 136:2965-2969
** American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85:1267-1274
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Caffeine: To Drink or Not To Drink?
Hi friends,
So can you drink it? Should you drink it?
Well, speaking from experience, it can become addictive. I for one would be a hypocrite if I told you that you should avoid it altogether. For the longest time I have had a caffeine addiction that at times bordered on dangerous. For the first time in quite sometime I have gained control of that addiction and for the most part limit my caffeine intake to a morning coffee. There are occasions where I do reach for a second cup or have a glass before a workout. But I can honestly tell you from experience I feel more energetic that I have cut my intake down.
I am proud to tell you that I now sleep better and have more energy in the morning. I can only attribute that to two things. The first being my lower caffeine intake and two loving what I do for a living ;)
Now understandably so, I don't have three kids running around me all day. The day that happens we will see where my caffeine addiction lies. For now, I can tell you a few things that can be of benefit to you, your daily caffeine intake, your energy levels and your fat loss success.
1. Drink a 8-12oz of water BEFORE your coffee in the morning - Your body dehydrates at night and because water is your # 1 natural fat burner, it is important to start your day off by rehydrating. Drinking a cup of coffee prior to your water intake will only dehydrate you further. For those of you that exercise before the Sun comes up this should be a no brainer. You should be having a good 16oz before you even start your workout!
2. Substitute That 2nd Cup of Coffee Later in the Day for Green Tea or Black Tea - One way to cut back on your caffeine addiction is to drink more tea. Yes, tea does include some caffeine but it has been shown in studies to help your metabolism and can provide antioxidant qualities as well.
3. Avoid Use of Any Stimulants - You have heard me say this before and I will say it again. Almost all supplement companies out there are full of BS! They spend 10% of their money on creating a product and the other 90% on marketing it as the next best thing aside from sliced bread. (which many of you shouldn't be eating currently anyway)
4. Get More Sleep Tonight - Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Proper sleeping habits will do wonders for your metabolism and your hormone levels. If your hormone levels are out of sorts you will continue to struggle with your weight.
5. Buy a TIVO! - Seriously, is it SO important to watch all those late night shows? Maybe I am just a loser because I now avoid late night TV. (Well, with the exception of 24! Gotta love Jack Bauer, but what is up with the new 9pm time slot!) All kidding aside, go to bed and watch them later! You will thank me in the morning.
Dedicated to your fitness success,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
So can you drink it? Should you drink it?
Well, speaking from experience, it can become addictive. I for one would be a hypocrite if I told you that you should avoid it altogether. For the longest time I have had a caffeine addiction that at times bordered on dangerous. For the first time in quite sometime I have gained control of that addiction and for the most part limit my caffeine intake to a morning coffee. There are occasions where I do reach for a second cup or have a glass before a workout. But I can honestly tell you from experience I feel more energetic that I have cut my intake down.
I am proud to tell you that I now sleep better and have more energy in the morning. I can only attribute that to two things. The first being my lower caffeine intake and two loving what I do for a living ;)
Now understandably so, I don't have three kids running around me all day. The day that happens we will see where my caffeine addiction lies. For now, I can tell you a few things that can be of benefit to you, your daily caffeine intake, your energy levels and your fat loss success.
1. Drink a 8-12oz of water BEFORE your coffee in the morning - Your body dehydrates at night and because water is your # 1 natural fat burner, it is important to start your day off by rehydrating. Drinking a cup of coffee prior to your water intake will only dehydrate you further. For those of you that exercise before the Sun comes up this should be a no brainer. You should be having a good 16oz before you even start your workout!
2. Substitute That 2nd Cup of Coffee Later in the Day for Green Tea or Black Tea - One way to cut back on your caffeine addiction is to drink more tea. Yes, tea does include some caffeine but it has been shown in studies to help your metabolism and can provide antioxidant qualities as well.
3. Avoid Use of Any Stimulants - You have heard me say this before and I will say it again. Almost all supplement companies out there are full of BS! They spend 10% of their money on creating a product and the other 90% on marketing it as the next best thing aside from sliced bread. (which many of you shouldn't be eating currently anyway)
4. Get More Sleep Tonight - Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Proper sleeping habits will do wonders for your metabolism and your hormone levels. If your hormone levels are out of sorts you will continue to struggle with your weight.
5. Buy a TIVO! - Seriously, is it SO important to watch all those late night shows? Maybe I am just a loser because I now avoid late night TV. (Well, with the exception of 24! Gotta love Jack Bauer, but what is up with the new 9pm time slot!) All kidding aside, go to bed and watch them later! You will thank me in the morning.
Dedicated to your fitness success,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Our 1st "Camper of the Week"
Hi friends,
As I told you last week. Each and every week I will be selecting a boot camper who will be representative of Farmington Valley Fitness Boot Camp as the "Camper of the Week."
Well, I am proud to announce our first winner is Kelley Biskupiak. In her first week Kelley has already dropped 3 lbs and created a new lifestyle that has brought fitness back into her family's life.
Kelley, lives in Canton with her husband Brian and their three boys Charlie 5 years old, Jack 3 years old and Ben 10 months. Kelley says the biggest kid of the family is "aka the hubby Brian" :)
To say she has her hands full is an understatement!
When Kelley and I first spoke she told me how demanding having three boys can be and that her life has revolved around them. As she says,"They are super busy little men and keeping up with them takes a lot of effort!"She has made working out at 5:30am a priority and helped her do something for herself. She is not afraid to admit why she does exercise.
"I am not going to lie... a lot of it has to do with wanting to lose this baby weight and fit back into all of my old jeans, but for me, it has also become about doing something for myself. It is a great way to relieve stress."
The new found workouts have provided Kelley and her husband Brian a chance to make exercise part of their life together.
"My husband has always made working out a priority in his life. I truly know how important it is to him to stay fit. He has an extremely demanding and stressful job and for him working out has been what keeps him centered and strong. I have come to understand how much it means to him and therefore it has become a priority for me to make sure he gets that time for himself. It has been so funny because he is starting to see how much I am enjoying this boot camp so he is even doing some of the workouts with me. It is actually fun to workout with him. We rarely get to do things together because of well...life. This is something we can do in our basement while our three boys run around and burn off their own energy."
The weekly Boot Camp sessions have already provided Kelley with a new outlook on life and a strong cast of other supportive women.
"This whole Boot Camp thing has become more than I expected. I think in many cases that when you become a parent you start down this road of scarifice and slowly over time you start to lose yourself. You lose the things that define you as a person. Over these last five years I have learned I am a better mother if I am taking care of myself and doing things that "fill me up". What I thought was just something to finally get these last 10 lbs. I have been talking about for months from my last pregnancy off my body has quickly become one of those things that "fill me up" so I can be a better mom. 5:30 is early but it really has become a social thing. I am suffering your painful workouts with a group of women I truly enjoy. There is power in numbers for sure. And those 45 minutes are all about me. I am doing something just for myself and it feels great."
So what is Kelley's favorite exercise? She is a fan of those wonderful core exercises!
"Enjoy after I am done doing it because it has given me the best results...that would be any of the ab/core moves (Mountain Climbers, Spider Man). I feel like although I have a way to go, these moves have already made a difference in the appearance of my midsection."
That is great after only one week she can already feel the difference in her midsection!
She now has a new respect for the type of exercise needed to see great results.
"I have worked out for a lot of years and I always thought you had to do a ton of cardio to lose weight. I am learning that may not necessarily be the case!
Kelley's favorite part is definately the social support provided from her fellow mother's and campers, "again I love the social aspect of the camps. It is great to know that we are all in it together!"
Kelley is not finished tackling her fitness goals and is looking to make exercise part of her everyday life.
"I would like to really lose 7 more lbs and just continue to maintain this healthy life style. Oh and there is one certain pair of jeans in my closet I am dying to fit into!!"
Well, Kelley on behalf of all your campers I would like to say thank you for being an inspiration to busy mothers everywhere!
You keep up this dedication and girl you will be wearing those jeans REAL SOON!
Great job Kelley!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Supplements You Can Trust
Over the past week many of you have been asking me what supplements you should be taking. Unfortunately, there is a lot out there and much of it you should avoid. There is only nutrition company that you should focus on getting your daily supplemental needs from and that is Prograde Nutrition.
Visit them here http://tylerenglishfitness.getprograde.com/
For more specific supplements and what you should be taking or what I recommend please visit this past blog post by clicking here.
http://farmingtonvalleyfitnessbootcamp.blogspot.com/2009/01/fast-nutrition-for-busy-lifestyle.html
The supplement world is full of pretenders who spend 10% on product production and 90% on marketing. Don't fall victim to products at your local GNC or Vitamin Shoppe that promise life-altering results and deliver nothing. Many of the products and supplements you buy from these large supplement companies are stock full of fillers giving you a less than satisfactory product and outcome.
If you would like more on Prograde Nutrition and actually see a product become created visit
http://www.youtube.com/progradenutrition
FINALLY a company you can trust!
Any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Keep up the hard work!
Nutrition is 80-90% of your success, don't leave anything to chance.
Dedicated to your fitness success,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
farmingtonvalleybootcamp@gmail.com
Visit them here http://tylerenglishfitness.getprograde.com/
For more specific supplements and what you should be taking or what I recommend please visit this past blog post by clicking here.
http://farmingtonvalleyfitnessbootcamp.blogspot.com/2009/01/fast-nutrition-for-busy-lifestyle.html
The supplement world is full of pretenders who spend 10% on product production and 90% on marketing. Don't fall victim to products at your local GNC or Vitamin Shoppe that promise life-altering results and deliver nothing. Many of the products and supplements you buy from these large supplement companies are stock full of fillers giving you a less than satisfactory product and outcome.
If you would like more on Prograde Nutrition and actually see a product become created visit
http://www.youtube.com/progradenutrition
FINALLY a company you can trust!
Any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Keep up the hard work!
Nutrition is 80-90% of your success, don't leave anything to chance.
Dedicated to your fitness success,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
farmingtonvalleybootcamp@gmail.com
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Sunday Breakfast!
Hi friends,Today, I have a special treat for you! I did my usual trip to the grocery store, as I do every Sunday morning. I have been fielding many questions this week about what I eat daily.
So today I wanted to share my Sunday morning routine with all of you.
Remember, nutrition is 80-90% of your success!
Well, upon waking I have a tall glass of ice water followed by 2 scoops of whey protein isolate to hold my metabolism over while I grocery shop.
Then follows my breakfast preparation.
So, without further questions I have opened up my kitchen and my breakfast to you.
In, the top photo is everything included in my breakfast.
In, the top photo is everything included in my breakfast.
The amounts I use of each is as follows (Remember, I require more calories than all of you)
Omelette consists of the following:
3 Omega-3 Eggs
1/2 cup Organic Baby Spinach
3 small sprays of PAM
2 pinches of Organic Mozzarella Cheese (Natures Promise)
2 Tbsp (Natures Promise Organic Medium Salsa) NO SUGAR ADDED! :)
3 Omega-3 Eggs
1/2 cup Organic Baby Spinach
3 small sprays of PAM
2 pinches of Organic Mozzarella Cheese (Natures Promise)
2 Tbsp (Natures Promise Organic Medium Salsa) NO SUGAR ADDED! :)
On the side
1 Green Pepper (have loved these things raw since I was young!)
1 Green Pepper (have loved these things raw since I was young!)
Finished product....YUM!(No making fun of my scented candle in the background, if you own a dog or two you understand the need! It's a MainStays Cranberry Mandarin if you are wondering.)
Oatmeal consists of the following
1/2 cup of Quaker Oats (I prefer quick oats, faster and more convenient)
1 cup water
2 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter (Teddy's)
1/4 cup blueberries
Sprinkle of Splenda
Desert :)
Banana
Apple (Organic Granny Smith)
Banana
Apple (Organic Granny Smith)
Beverages
1 cup English Black Tea (2 tea bags, splash 1% milk, 2 splenda)
12oz glass of ice water
12oz glass of ice water
Hope you all enjoyed a nutrient filled breakfast this morning as well!
See you all this week!
Dedicated to your fitness success,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
P.S. If you have not already done so...PLEASE SIGN-UP FOR THE SEXY CORE NEWSLETTER and share the 2 Week Free Trial with your friends!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Walk and Talk the Part!
Hi again!
Today, I want to share with you the major issue that I have with many so called "trainers" out there. You know the type I am talking about. They tell their client what to do and somehow bypass the rules themselves.
They eat too much.
Consume alcohol on a regular basis.
Don't exercise regularly.
In one of the first boot camps this week, I had a client ask me about my typical day of nutrition. Understandably she wanted to know what her trainer consumed and because I stand by the fact that I practice what I preach, I told her and the rest of the camp. I went meal by meal explaining what I consume to maintain a lean healthy physique.
I applaud her for asking. Not too many people can do that. I can't even recall how many times I saw clients go weeks, months and in some drastic cases years working out with the same trainer who produces no significant results.
Unfortunately, in the fitness industry there are many pretenders who frankly lack the discipline to eat, breath and sleep health.
Today, if you were to walk into most local gyms and health clubs many of their trainers don't look the part. Sure they may talk the part, but they lack the knowledge and application. In the worst cases many don't practice what they preach. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't be working with a trainer who needs to lose a few pounds him or herself.
Today's trainers need to understand they are inspirations for their clients. Clients today are more knowledgable about fitness and nutrition than ever before. We are in the business of creating walking talking billboards. Working with a fitness professional who is a walking talking picture of fitness can be truly inspirational.
So for those of you who weren't there, I will share with you some of the regular foods I eat.
So what do I eat on a daily basis? Here you go!
My daily nutrition consists of many lean proteins (chicken, omega-3 eggs, egg whites, lean beef), low glycemic carbs (oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat pasta), Fruits (green apples (my favorite!), bananas, blueberries, Green veggies (spinach, green peppers, asparagus), and healthy fats (raw almonds, natural peanut butter/almond butter, raw cashews, organic mozzarella, pecans).
I can't say this enough.
80-90% of your fat loss success will depend on your nutrition. Gain control of what you consume and you will see success.
Follow the blueprint I have supplied and you will burn more body fat then ever. Before you even know what happen you will have created a lean sexy physique.
Keep up the hard work and keep sharing your success!
Dedicated to your fitness success,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
P.S. Are you unable to consume all your fruits and veggies? Consuming a multi vitamin and mineral supplement is a no brainer! You need to consume a quality product like Prograde's VGF 25+ for Women
P.S.S Get over to GetPrograde.com now because their 10.9% sale for January 2009 ends tonight at 11:59pm EST!
P.S.S.S. Another must is an essential fatty acid! Pick up Prograde EFA Icon
Today, I want to share with you the major issue that I have with many so called "trainers" out there. You know the type I am talking about. They tell their client what to do and somehow bypass the rules themselves.
They eat too much.
Consume alcohol on a regular basis.
Don't exercise regularly.
In one of the first boot camps this week, I had a client ask me about my typical day of nutrition. Understandably she wanted to know what her trainer consumed and because I stand by the fact that I practice what I preach, I told her and the rest of the camp. I went meal by meal explaining what I consume to maintain a lean healthy physique.
I applaud her for asking. Not too many people can do that. I can't even recall how many times I saw clients go weeks, months and in some drastic cases years working out with the same trainer who produces no significant results.
Unfortunately, in the fitness industry there are many pretenders who frankly lack the discipline to eat, breath and sleep health.
Today, if you were to walk into most local gyms and health clubs many of their trainers don't look the part. Sure they may talk the part, but they lack the knowledge and application. In the worst cases many don't practice what they preach. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't be working with a trainer who needs to lose a few pounds him or herself.
Today's trainers need to understand they are inspirations for their clients. Clients today are more knowledgable about fitness and nutrition than ever before. We are in the business of creating walking talking billboards. Working with a fitness professional who is a walking talking picture of fitness can be truly inspirational.
So for those of you who weren't there, I will share with you some of the regular foods I eat.
So what do I eat on a daily basis? Here you go!
My daily nutrition consists of many lean proteins (chicken, omega-3 eggs, egg whites, lean beef), low glycemic carbs (oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat pasta), Fruits (green apples (my favorite!), bananas, blueberries, Green veggies (spinach, green peppers, asparagus), and healthy fats (raw almonds, natural peanut butter/almond butter, raw cashews, organic mozzarella, pecans).
I can't say this enough.
80-90% of your fat loss success will depend on your nutrition. Gain control of what you consume and you will see success.
Follow the blueprint I have supplied and you will burn more body fat then ever. Before you even know what happen you will have created a lean sexy physique.
Keep up the hard work and keep sharing your success!
Dedicated to your fitness success,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
P.S. Are you unable to consume all your fruits and veggies? Consuming a multi vitamin and mineral supplement is a no brainer! You need to consume a quality product like Prograde's VGF 25+ for Women
P.S.S Get over to GetPrograde.com now because their 10.9% sale for January 2009 ends tonight at 11:59pm EST!
P.S.S.S. Another must is an essential fatty acid! Pick up Prograde EFA Icon
Friday, January 9, 2009
Simsbury Fitness Expert Predicts Future of Personal Training in 2009
For the past seven years this top Simsbury personal trainer and boot camp instructor has continually been showered with questions concerning the ever changing fitness industry. People have grown tired of the traditional overpriced one-on-one personal training services. Busy men and women of Simsbury, Avon, Canton, West Hartford, and all of Farmington Valley want fast effective weight loss program.
Being that it is January, the Mother of All Fitness Months, as we in the fitness industry like to refer to it. It is sad to think that once again the fitness industry and mostly personal training services have again failed to produce significant results on a broad scale. The obesity epidemic has yet to be effectively reversed and is plaguing our society. Even more specifically, the sickening fact is that American adults keep getting fatter, more lethargic and less healthy as mirrored in the growing population of youth obesity. I do feel however, that 2009 will bring a host of new fitness trends to provide a long-term solution to the growing problem.
Fitness Trend #1 – Fitness Boot Camps Will Rise, One-on-One Personal Training Will Fall
Fitness Boot Camps are the most popular and hottest thing currently in the fitness game. With the current state of our economy and with the talks of recession people have been even tighter with their budgets. A Fitness Boot Camp business model creates an ultimate win-win for personal trainers and clients, thus making the one-on-one alternative obsolete. Fitness trainers can better leverage their time while providing the client with a cost-effective means to see results in their weight loss program. Too many personal training services are overpriced and don’t provide any type of social support. In a Fitness Boot Camp clients now have better access to personal training services in a unique and rewarding team environment that provides better social support, accountability and results for only a fraction of the cost of your traditional one-on-one personal training.
Fitness Trend #2-Interval Training Destroys Aerobic Training By Providing Faster Fat Loss 100% Of The Time
High-Intensity Interval Training is gaining recognition world-wide as the best form of improving your fitness and fat loss. The focus of interval training is on the intensity of the exercise, quality over quantity. Intervals consist of alternating between short bursts of all out maximum effort high-intensity effort, and active recovery periods for a much faster, quicker and focused amount of time (typically intervals of 30sec/90sec work best). This interval training style has been proven to burn up to nine times more fat and improves overall fitness faster and more effectively than the aerobic alternative.
Fitness Trend #3 – Lean Protein and Fiber The Carbohydrate Addicts Answer to Improved Health, Performance, and Body Composition.
There is now overwhelming scientific research that proves a diet high in lean protein and fiber is more beneficial in burning fat. Protein is by far the most important component of each and every meal or snack you consume daily. Protein builds lean muscle helping make your body a more efficient fat burning machine by increasing your metabolic rate. Fiber (from fruits and vegetables, and more importantly green vegetables) helps slow digestion for a steady supply of nutrients and sustained energy, it helps prevent overeating at each meal, and keeps you feeling satisfied between meals. By supplying your body with a combination of protein and fiber every two to 4 hours, you provide your body with the right combination to help you achieve a healthy, leaner body.
Yours in Health,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
Tyler English is a local Simsbury personal trainer, boot camp instructor and real world fat loss expert. To book him to speak at your local Simsbury or Farmington Valley company, club, or organization please contact him by email at farmingtonvalleybootcamp@gmail.com or by phone at 860-716-6257. For a free 1-week trial to his Farmington Valley Fitness Boot Camp to experience the best personal training in Simsbury and Farmington Valley please visit www.FarmingtonValleyFitnessBootCamp.com or www.FarmingtonValleyFitnessBootCamp.blogspot.com
Being that it is January, the Mother of All Fitness Months, as we in the fitness industry like to refer to it. It is sad to think that once again the fitness industry and mostly personal training services have again failed to produce significant results on a broad scale. The obesity epidemic has yet to be effectively reversed and is plaguing our society. Even more specifically, the sickening fact is that American adults keep getting fatter, more lethargic and less healthy as mirrored in the growing population of youth obesity. I do feel however, that 2009 will bring a host of new fitness trends to provide a long-term solution to the growing problem.
Fitness Trend #1 – Fitness Boot Camps Will Rise, One-on-One Personal Training Will Fall
Fitness Boot Camps are the most popular and hottest thing currently in the fitness game. With the current state of our economy and with the talks of recession people have been even tighter with their budgets. A Fitness Boot Camp business model creates an ultimate win-win for personal trainers and clients, thus making the one-on-one alternative obsolete. Fitness trainers can better leverage their time while providing the client with a cost-effective means to see results in their weight loss program. Too many personal training services are overpriced and don’t provide any type of social support. In a Fitness Boot Camp clients now have better access to personal training services in a unique and rewarding team environment that provides better social support, accountability and results for only a fraction of the cost of your traditional one-on-one personal training.
Fitness Trend #2-Interval Training Destroys Aerobic Training By Providing Faster Fat Loss 100% Of The Time
High-Intensity Interval Training is gaining recognition world-wide as the best form of improving your fitness and fat loss. The focus of interval training is on the intensity of the exercise, quality over quantity. Intervals consist of alternating between short bursts of all out maximum effort high-intensity effort, and active recovery periods for a much faster, quicker and focused amount of time (typically intervals of 30sec/90sec work best). This interval training style has been proven to burn up to nine times more fat and improves overall fitness faster and more effectively than the aerobic alternative.
Fitness Trend #3 – Lean Protein and Fiber The Carbohydrate Addicts Answer to Improved Health, Performance, and Body Composition.
There is now overwhelming scientific research that proves a diet high in lean protein and fiber is more beneficial in burning fat. Protein is by far the most important component of each and every meal or snack you consume daily. Protein builds lean muscle helping make your body a more efficient fat burning machine by increasing your metabolic rate. Fiber (from fruits and vegetables, and more importantly green vegetables) helps slow digestion for a steady supply of nutrients and sustained energy, it helps prevent overeating at each meal, and keeps you feeling satisfied between meals. By supplying your body with a combination of protein and fiber every two to 4 hours, you provide your body with the right combination to help you achieve a healthy, leaner body.
Yours in Health,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
Tyler English is a local Simsbury personal trainer, boot camp instructor and real world fat loss expert. To book him to speak at your local Simsbury or Farmington Valley company, club, or organization please contact him by email at farmingtonvalleybootcamp@gmail.com or by phone at 860-716-6257. For a free 1-week trial to his Farmington Valley Fitness Boot Camp to experience the best personal training in Simsbury and Farmington Valley please visit www.FarmingtonValleyFitnessBootCamp.com or www.FarmingtonValleyFitnessBootCamp.blogspot.com
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Turn 2009's Resolutions into Real Results: Steps 2 and 3
Monday we talked about establishing your why? Why do you want to make lasting change? Why do you want to do this?
So now that you have established the why, today I wanted to help you establish your what and when.
Let's get started:
Step Two- The What and When: What do you want to accomplish and when do you want to accomplish it by?
So we already figured out the obvious: you want to look better and maximize your sexy! So, now we need to establish what objective goal(s) need to be accomplished in order to realize this subjective dream.
Well, from a logistics standpoint and keeping things as cost effective as possible, there are three major ways I track “look better” progress with my clients, in order of importance from least to most important:
1.) Scale Weight: This is by far the least important goal, but it gives a number that’s worth tracking. Though body fat percentage would be a much better method of tracking progress, it is simply too inaccurate on a small scale and too costly on a large scale. The key is to taking your initial weight before you start and then not weighing more than every 2 weeks. I have found most people to do better with tracking their weight every month. There are simply too many variables for controlling your body weight and the natural fluctuations based on diet (and for women, their menstrual cycle), means the less frequently you do this the better. Many of my most successful clients don't even own a scale :) If the scale is just too de-motivating for you in general, then just skip this one altogether if you must, because the next two markers are far more important.
2.) Dress/Pant Size: This is probably the most simple and effective unused method of tracking whether or not you look better. I think it’s safe to say that if you are dropping dress and/or pant sizes that you will be looking better, right? Your best bet is to also select one dress or one pair of pants that you really want to get into since that is the true end goal in mind. I tell my clients to assess how they are fitting in their preferred dress/pant size tracker on a weekly or bi-weekly basis since our clients that follow our program exactly as outlined typically lose a dress and/or pant size every month (until they get to their ideal dimensions). For those of you would want to argue that every outfitter has different sizes, well that’s a mute point if you use the same pant or dress size to track. There’s nothing more powerful than being to literally being able to feel yourself comfortably get into clothes that use almost rip when you put on.
3.) Digital Pictures: Pictures don’t lie, that’s the bottom line. If you want to look better, what better way is there to assess this than pictures? I cannot begin to tell you how important this is. Taking a before picture is essentially you telling the whole world that you are ready to change and that you are ready to do whatever it takes to make those changes. They key is take pictures wearing exactly what you want to look your best in. Now, don’t be sending me nude pictures of yourself, ha (though you can keep these for yourself to track if you’d like). Maybe it’s taking pictures of you in the dress or pair of pants that you are using to track your dress or pant size. Or maybe it’s a sleeveless shirt and tank top that you want to wear during the summer. And if you want to see your abs, then you best believe that you need to take pictures of your abs to track how much more definition you get. Take a front, side, and rear view picture and be sure to note the exact conditions in which the picture was taken (lighting, distance from camera, time of day/week, etc.) to be as accurate as possible in your assessment. The clients whom I’ve transformed that failed to take before pictures in the past have nothing but regret about it. Your before pictures will become your trophy and they are an absolute must if you really are serious about getting results that count. We tell our clients to take new pictures either bi-weekly or monthly until they reach their goal(s).
Step Three- Planning and Preparing for Roadblocks: What are the big obstacles that will prevent you from having the success you desire? What’s contributed most to past failures?
Now that we know what you want to accomplish, it’s time to plan and prepare for any obstacles that might get in your way of getting the job done based on your own personal schedule.
In general, the number one thing I hear is that people are too busy and tired and don’t have enough time to get their workouts in or make their meals. Well, I don’t care how busy you think you are, there is always hidden time throughout the day and week that can be freed up if your re-prioritize. Again, think back to why you wanted to do this in the first place and then examine what’s most important to you. Make your workouts and your meal times just like work appointments. Either you make the appointment or you don’t. And if you want to keep your job (or get your dream body) then you better make that appointment.
Another big obstacle is alcohol. People like to drink and unfortunately alcohol (empty calories) is about as detrimental to burning fat as it gets. Again, what’s more important to you, looking sexy or getting hammered. The choice is yours. Remember, once you achieve your goal(s), alcohol can be added back in with moderation. But know this, lean people just don’t get wasted unless they are genetic freaks. Low to zero alcohol consumption is needed if you want to look your best year round and that’s a fact. Yes, this includes your daily wine intake as well.
Lastly, many people deal with boredom eating or emotional eating. Boredom eating means just that, eating to fill up dead time when you have nothing better to do. The best way to deal with this is, you guessed it, to do something! Find an active hobby to keep your mind off of eating when boredom strikes and you can beat this trend. Emotional eating describes the use of food to cope with stress or to reward for accomplishment. Food is not unlike drugs or alcohol in this regard, it can be very addictive. There is no quick fix for emotional eating other than avoiding trigger situations (bars, parties, etc.) and trigger foods (starches, sugars, fast food, etc.) in the short term to break bad habits.
At the end of the day, whether your roadblocks are very individual or if they fall in line with the general roadblocks our clients encounter on a regular basis, the key is to be honest about them and to plan and prepare for them. And that’s where social support and accountability come into play. The clients who have had the most success with us have undergone their transformation with the support of other friends or family members. This is so critical, especially since most of the poor food and drinking choices that sabotage one’s progress occur on the weekend, when most people hang out with their friend and family. If they are committed with you and your goal to get fit and look better, you can put yourself in a much better position to realize the success your desire and deserve. The last thing anybody needs is sabotage or peer pressure from those closest to you, so get them on board and get them on board early.
Dedicated to your fitness success,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
P.S. Farmington Valley Fitness Boot Camp launches Monday! Email me farmingtonvalleybootcamp@gmail.com if you have questions.
So now that you have established the why, today I wanted to help you establish your what and when.
Let's get started:
Step Two- The What and When: What do you want to accomplish and when do you want to accomplish it by?
So we already figured out the obvious: you want to look better and maximize your sexy! So, now we need to establish what objective goal(s) need to be accomplished in order to realize this subjective dream.
Well, from a logistics standpoint and keeping things as cost effective as possible, there are three major ways I track “look better” progress with my clients, in order of importance from least to most important:
1.) Scale Weight: This is by far the least important goal, but it gives a number that’s worth tracking. Though body fat percentage would be a much better method of tracking progress, it is simply too inaccurate on a small scale and too costly on a large scale. The key is to taking your initial weight before you start and then not weighing more than every 2 weeks. I have found most people to do better with tracking their weight every month. There are simply too many variables for controlling your body weight and the natural fluctuations based on diet (and for women, their menstrual cycle), means the less frequently you do this the better. Many of my most successful clients don't even own a scale :) If the scale is just too de-motivating for you in general, then just skip this one altogether if you must, because the next two markers are far more important.
2.) Dress/Pant Size: This is probably the most simple and effective unused method of tracking whether or not you look better. I think it’s safe to say that if you are dropping dress and/or pant sizes that you will be looking better, right? Your best bet is to also select one dress or one pair of pants that you really want to get into since that is the true end goal in mind. I tell my clients to assess how they are fitting in their preferred dress/pant size tracker on a weekly or bi-weekly basis since our clients that follow our program exactly as outlined typically lose a dress and/or pant size every month (until they get to their ideal dimensions). For those of you would want to argue that every outfitter has different sizes, well that’s a mute point if you use the same pant or dress size to track. There’s nothing more powerful than being to literally being able to feel yourself comfortably get into clothes that use almost rip when you put on.
3.) Digital Pictures: Pictures don’t lie, that’s the bottom line. If you want to look better, what better way is there to assess this than pictures? I cannot begin to tell you how important this is. Taking a before picture is essentially you telling the whole world that you are ready to change and that you are ready to do whatever it takes to make those changes. They key is take pictures wearing exactly what you want to look your best in. Now, don’t be sending me nude pictures of yourself, ha (though you can keep these for yourself to track if you’d like). Maybe it’s taking pictures of you in the dress or pair of pants that you are using to track your dress or pant size. Or maybe it’s a sleeveless shirt and tank top that you want to wear during the summer. And if you want to see your abs, then you best believe that you need to take pictures of your abs to track how much more definition you get. Take a front, side, and rear view picture and be sure to note the exact conditions in which the picture was taken (lighting, distance from camera, time of day/week, etc.) to be as accurate as possible in your assessment. The clients whom I’ve transformed that failed to take before pictures in the past have nothing but regret about it. Your before pictures will become your trophy and they are an absolute must if you really are serious about getting results that count. We tell our clients to take new pictures either bi-weekly or monthly until they reach their goal(s).
Step Three- Planning and Preparing for Roadblocks: What are the big obstacles that will prevent you from having the success you desire? What’s contributed most to past failures?
Now that we know what you want to accomplish, it’s time to plan and prepare for any obstacles that might get in your way of getting the job done based on your own personal schedule.
In general, the number one thing I hear is that people are too busy and tired and don’t have enough time to get their workouts in or make their meals. Well, I don’t care how busy you think you are, there is always hidden time throughout the day and week that can be freed up if your re-prioritize. Again, think back to why you wanted to do this in the first place and then examine what’s most important to you. Make your workouts and your meal times just like work appointments. Either you make the appointment or you don’t. And if you want to keep your job (or get your dream body) then you better make that appointment.
Another big obstacle is alcohol. People like to drink and unfortunately alcohol (empty calories) is about as detrimental to burning fat as it gets. Again, what’s more important to you, looking sexy or getting hammered. The choice is yours. Remember, once you achieve your goal(s), alcohol can be added back in with moderation. But know this, lean people just don’t get wasted unless they are genetic freaks. Low to zero alcohol consumption is needed if you want to look your best year round and that’s a fact. Yes, this includes your daily wine intake as well.
Lastly, many people deal with boredom eating or emotional eating. Boredom eating means just that, eating to fill up dead time when you have nothing better to do. The best way to deal with this is, you guessed it, to do something! Find an active hobby to keep your mind off of eating when boredom strikes and you can beat this trend. Emotional eating describes the use of food to cope with stress or to reward for accomplishment. Food is not unlike drugs or alcohol in this regard, it can be very addictive. There is no quick fix for emotional eating other than avoiding trigger situations (bars, parties, etc.) and trigger foods (starches, sugars, fast food, etc.) in the short term to break bad habits.
At the end of the day, whether your roadblocks are very individual or if they fall in line with the general roadblocks our clients encounter on a regular basis, the key is to be honest about them and to plan and prepare for them. And that’s where social support and accountability come into play. The clients who have had the most success with us have undergone their transformation with the support of other friends or family members. This is so critical, especially since most of the poor food and drinking choices that sabotage one’s progress occur on the weekend, when most people hang out with their friend and family. If they are committed with you and your goal to get fit and look better, you can put yourself in a much better position to realize the success your desire and deserve. The last thing anybody needs is sabotage or peer pressure from those closest to you, so get them on board and get them on board early.
Dedicated to your fitness success,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
P.S. Farmington Valley Fitness Boot Camp launches Monday! Email me farmingtonvalleybootcamp@gmail.com if you have questions.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Turn 2009's Resolutions into Real Results
Simsbury Personal Trainer Shows You How to Get Real Results in 2009
Over the last seven years, I have helped countless people maximize their overall health, performance, and body composition faster than ever before. Understand this, I know how to help people lose ugly, unwanted body fat faster than ever and build a sexy lean physique. Now without a shadow of a doubt, a big reason for this is because our integrated rapid fat loss training and nutrition system is second to none. I have conducted countless hours of research and trial and error and experimentation and I have had hundreds of people as real world case studies to prove that our system flat out works. Though today I want to share something even more powerful; something that must be set in place before you can even start to think about following a fitness program.
So, let’s just get right to it. What do you think is the real secret behind my client success? Well, if your answer was my aforementioned training and nutrition system, then your answer is wrong. Yes, it’s an incredible program, but unfortunately it’s useless if someone is unwilling to start it AND stick to it, right? So, it appears that the most important component of changing your body is finding the motivation to achieve your goals, and that’s the primary focus of this article today. I am going to literally walk you through the initial consult and three step goal setting process that each one of my clients undergoes before they start working with us. This is so important to weight loss success that I now require it for any new client to be considered for joining our program.
Before I get into this goal setting process, I just need to get something off of my chest. I know a lot of people think goal setting is just a cheesy, useless thing. Unfortunately, these people just don’t get it and frankly if you are one of those people, please do us both a favor and stop reading this article and go buy another useless weight loss book or pill because I simply cannot do anything for you. I can only help people who want to learn. I simply cannot help people who already think they know it all and think they are too good to take some time to figure out what the hell it is that they actually want to accomplish. The bottom line is that the most successful people out there, and I mean not just weight loss success, I am talking business, lifestyle, etc., are shamelessly goal driven. They know exactly why they want to do something and harness that super motivation to figure out what and by when they want to go about accomplishing that. Furthermore, they plan and prepare for every possible roadblock they will encounter in their path to success. This is what I want to teach you how to do today, so let’s get to it!
Step One- The Why: Why do you want to do this?
This is where it’s time to get real. In almost every initial consult I do, when I ask why they have contacted me today, here is the typical blanket response that I first hear:
“Well, I just want to get healthy and lose weight I guess.”
Nope, I don’t buy it. Sure, I know they want to lose weight and be healthy, I mean who doesn’t, but really WHY do they want to do this? I mean, what is it that’s going to get them up at 5 am to get their morning workouts in or take a couple of hours on Sunday to plan and prepare their meals for the upcoming week? It sure isn’t “being healthy” because for some reason this just isn’t a very powerful motivator for most people (though it should be).
Let’s face it: everybody, including YOU, wants to look better naked. Stop giggling, you know it’s true and frankly that’s okay because the desire to improve one’s appearance is the most powerful motivator there is. This shouldn’t be such a big surprise since the main life mission of humans, or any species for that matter, is to procreate. This is instinctual. And obviously, looking better makes this more of a reality.
So, after a little digging, I find out the real reason why they want to do this; I find their past or pain and then establish their current and future ambitions. Some people want to be able to mow the lawn in the summer with their shirt off and not feel self-conscious. Others want to get back into their favorite pair of pants that they haven’t been able to get one leg into for the last five years. Then there are those who want to look and feel more attractive to ignite some passion back into their relationships and/or put for their best image at work. And of course, my personal favorite is preparing for big events that have built in deadlines. Wanting to get as lean and tight as possible to rock that dream bathing suit in Argentina, or get off the plane in Texas when visiting family you haven’t seen in two years to blow them away with your new body, or being a classic beauty in your wedding dress on the big day, it all works! This is the stuff that gets people jacked up and ready to commit to making some real changes. How do I know? Well, I just shared with you verbatim the exact “WHY’S” of some of my own clients.
So, the first thing you have to figure out is your personal WHY. To make this even simpler for you, just answer this question: what are your physical dreams? Once you establish this, everything else is easy baby.
Let's make it happen,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
P.S. Come back on Wednesday. I am going to explain the last 2 steps needed before embarking on the journey of a fitness transformation.
Over the last seven years, I have helped countless people maximize their overall health, performance, and body composition faster than ever before. Understand this, I know how to help people lose ugly, unwanted body fat faster than ever and build a sexy lean physique. Now without a shadow of a doubt, a big reason for this is because our integrated rapid fat loss training and nutrition system is second to none. I have conducted countless hours of research and trial and error and experimentation and I have had hundreds of people as real world case studies to prove that our system flat out works. Though today I want to share something even more powerful; something that must be set in place before you can even start to think about following a fitness program.
So, let’s just get right to it. What do you think is the real secret behind my client success? Well, if your answer was my aforementioned training and nutrition system, then your answer is wrong. Yes, it’s an incredible program, but unfortunately it’s useless if someone is unwilling to start it AND stick to it, right? So, it appears that the most important component of changing your body is finding the motivation to achieve your goals, and that’s the primary focus of this article today. I am going to literally walk you through the initial consult and three step goal setting process that each one of my clients undergoes before they start working with us. This is so important to weight loss success that I now require it for any new client to be considered for joining our program.
Before I get into this goal setting process, I just need to get something off of my chest. I know a lot of people think goal setting is just a cheesy, useless thing. Unfortunately, these people just don’t get it and frankly if you are one of those people, please do us both a favor and stop reading this article and go buy another useless weight loss book or pill because I simply cannot do anything for you. I can only help people who want to learn. I simply cannot help people who already think they know it all and think they are too good to take some time to figure out what the hell it is that they actually want to accomplish. The bottom line is that the most successful people out there, and I mean not just weight loss success, I am talking business, lifestyle, etc., are shamelessly goal driven. They know exactly why they want to do something and harness that super motivation to figure out what and by when they want to go about accomplishing that. Furthermore, they plan and prepare for every possible roadblock they will encounter in their path to success. This is what I want to teach you how to do today, so let’s get to it!
Step One- The Why: Why do you want to do this?
This is where it’s time to get real. In almost every initial consult I do, when I ask why they have contacted me today, here is the typical blanket response that I first hear:
“Well, I just want to get healthy and lose weight I guess.”
Nope, I don’t buy it. Sure, I know they want to lose weight and be healthy, I mean who doesn’t, but really WHY do they want to do this? I mean, what is it that’s going to get them up at 5 am to get their morning workouts in or take a couple of hours on Sunday to plan and prepare their meals for the upcoming week? It sure isn’t “being healthy” because for some reason this just isn’t a very powerful motivator for most people (though it should be).
Let’s face it: everybody, including YOU, wants to look better naked. Stop giggling, you know it’s true and frankly that’s okay because the desire to improve one’s appearance is the most powerful motivator there is. This shouldn’t be such a big surprise since the main life mission of humans, or any species for that matter, is to procreate. This is instinctual. And obviously, looking better makes this more of a reality.
So, after a little digging, I find out the real reason why they want to do this; I find their past or pain and then establish their current and future ambitions. Some people want to be able to mow the lawn in the summer with their shirt off and not feel self-conscious. Others want to get back into their favorite pair of pants that they haven’t been able to get one leg into for the last five years. Then there are those who want to look and feel more attractive to ignite some passion back into their relationships and/or put for their best image at work. And of course, my personal favorite is preparing for big events that have built in deadlines. Wanting to get as lean and tight as possible to rock that dream bathing suit in Argentina, or get off the plane in Texas when visiting family you haven’t seen in two years to blow them away with your new body, or being a classic beauty in your wedding dress on the big day, it all works! This is the stuff that gets people jacked up and ready to commit to making some real changes. How do I know? Well, I just shared with you verbatim the exact “WHY’S” of some of my own clients.
So, the first thing you have to figure out is your personal WHY. To make this even simpler for you, just answer this question: what are your physical dreams? Once you establish this, everything else is easy baby.
Let's make it happen,
Tyler English, NASM-PES, CPT
P.S. Come back on Wednesday. I am going to explain the last 2 steps needed before embarking on the journey of a fitness transformation.
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