Exercise alone won’t give you the body you want. You’ll feel better: have more energy, sleep better and move better. But you can’t out train a bad diet.

3500 calories equals 1 lb. In theory, you would need to eat 500 calories less per day to lose 1 lb. per week. This, however, assumes that people are only consuming the number of calories needed to maintain their weight. If you need 2000 calories to maintain your weight but average 3000 calories per day your 500 calorie reduction isn’t going to help you lose fat. You have to create a calorie deficit. In the example above, that person would need to reduce calorie consumption and increase activity to create a 1500 calorie deficit to see 1 lb. of weight loss per week.

Then there are the people who have bought into the diet industry’s starvation mantra and are actually eating too few calories to sustain a healthy metabolism. Without adequate fuel on a regular basis the body is going to act like a calorie sponge when a normal amount (or excessive amount) of calories are consumed.

The Fit Truth: People have no idea how much food they actually need nor do they have an accurate picture of how much they are really eating.

The 3^rd Key to Real Fitness is food accountability with a food journal or meal plan.

After medical and lifestyle questionnaires the next assignment for all of my clients is a food journal. This lets me see which camp they fall into: too many calories or too few. (It also helps me understand the kinds of foods they are eating, but we will talk more about that next week.)

Would it surprise you to hear that most often they are eating too little instead of too much? When I tell people they need to eat more to lose fat they look at me somewhat blankly, like I grew another head or mysteriously started talking in a foreign language.

There are a lot of opinions on the actual importance of calories. But, based on my experience and observation, to lose fat you need to find that “sweet spot” for food intake. You need a caloric deficit to encourage your body to tap into its reserves. You also need enough coming in so that the body feels okay letting go, that it has enough to meet its needs so it can afford to use some of it’s stored resources.

So while I agree that all calories aren’t created equal they do still matter. To lose fat you need to create a plan to stay accountable to your calories.

To create food accountability, here are your action steps:

• Get an estimate of your maintenance level calories. Use the calculator on my Tools (female calorie calculator or male calorie calculator) page to help you determine how many calories you need to maintain your current body weight at your current activity level.
• Reduce that number by 20-25%. This is your target. Remember this is an estimate. You may, depending on results, need to adjust this amount. Also, rule of thumb, don’t let your calorie goal go below 1200 if you’re female or 1800 if you’re male.
• Pick a tool for your food log. It can be a notebook, spreadsheet, web site or app. It doesn’t matter as long as it works for you. This means you may need to experiment to find the right method.
• If you’re more of a planner, then choose a meal plan instead of log. A meal plan is more like a budget. If you have 1600 calories to spend, planning a budget for the day makes sure you get what you need by the end of the day-no more and no less. It also gives you a blueprint for the day so you don’t have to think, just do.
• Accept that no method is perfect. There is always going to be a margin of error and there may be gaps. Do your best and be consistent. It will pay off!

Remember how I said all calories aren’t created equal? Tune in next week for the 4^th and final key-Quality Matters.

See all articles in the series The Fit Truth.

Cardio. It’s everyone’s go-to solution for fat loss. Hours are spent walking on treadmills and in parks every day in an effort to lose weight.

I’m going to say something that many may disagree with but here it goes.

The Fit Truth: Walking doesn’t cut it for fat loss.

The 2^nd Key to Real Fitness is doing high intensity cardio.

Walking is good for lots of things. It’s good for your cardio respiratory system and it certainly burns some calories. And I absolutely don’t want to discourage anyone from getting up and moving. Moving is always preferable to doing nothing. Moving is good for the body. But it doesn’t cause your metabolism to sizzle the way some serious high intensity cardio does.

I define high intensity cardio as a cardio respiratory workout that increases your heart rate to the vigorous intensity zone, a heart rate above 70% of age adjusted estimated max or you can’t get out more than a couple of words without taking a breath (the talk test), that aren’t sustained for a long period of time. This definition includes a variety of activities, such as:

• Fartlek training or sprints for runners
• Walking with running intervals for beginners
• KB swings with rest periods in between each set
• Running stadium stairs
• Mini circuits of calisthenics

Also please keep in mind that high intensity is relative. If someone is carrying an extra 100 lbs on their frame and hasn’t exercised since high school gym class, walking very briskly may indeed by a high intensity workout. They may only be able to do it for few minutes to start, resting before the next bought. So walking in the beginning may be appropriate for some. But if you keep doing it, it won’t be for long.

The goal is to push your body out of its comfort zone. I want you to do this for 2 reasons:

1. Your body is smart and adapts quickly. It will figure out how to achieve any task in the most cost efficient way possible after only a few times.
2. The body likes to remain in a state of homeostasis, keeping everything in its same normal steady state. If you create a disturbance, the body works after the disturbance to bring everything back to normal. The more of a disturbance you create the more energy it takes to bring things back to normal. Hence, the afterburn effect.

Your Action Steps:

1. Determine if you are going to add your high intensity cardio to your workout on strength days or do it as a standalone workout on alternating days.
2. Choose an activity (or activities) and purchase equipment if needed (things like a jump rope, kettlebell or interval timer).
3. Commit to at least 2 sessions a week of high intensity cardio. Start with 4-5 minutes. Work your way up slowly. Sessions shouldn’t be longer than 30 minutes and can be as short as 10 minutes depending on the activity.
4. Steady state, moderate intensity activity can follow the high intensity period if desired. For example, if you ran stadium stairs for 10 minutes and like running, you can follow up with a regular run.

Now you’ve got the foundation of your exercise plan.

Exercise is important but, when it comes to fat loss, nutrition is what makes or breaks your results. Next week, I’ll share the most important first step for my all-star clients when it comes to their nutrition and their success.

See all articles in the series The Fit Truth.

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The Fit Truth: You Must Strength Train

The 1^st Key to Real Fitness is committing to a challenging strength training program as the foundation of your fat loss and fitness routine.

I won’t lie; there are lots of ways you can lose weight. But do you want to lose weight or do you want to lose fat? Losing weight isn't the same as reshaping your body so you fill out your jeans and have tank top ready arms. Losing weight just means being a smaller version of your squishy self. What makes the difference between just losing weight or having a fit body is a focused, appropriate and challenging strength training program.

Focused:  Your strength program should be efficient and designed to maximize results.  If you’re program contains a lot of isolation moves (like concentration curls) or machines (like leg extensions) then you may not be getting the biggest bang for your buck.

Appropriate: No one walks into my studio and starts doing dead lifts and single leg squats on the first day. Your strength program should meet you where you are.  If you’ve never lifted a weight in your life, your program should start with learning proper form and how to move your own body.  It should also be designed with your goals in mind. A fat loss program looks different than a sports specific or body building program. Any prior injuries or muscle imbalances should be taken into consideration.

Challenging: Please don’t take appropriate to mean easy. If someone has never lifted weights before a body weight squat can be very challenging. At the same time, endless repetitions with 3 lbs dumbbells will not shape the body you want.  If you can do 50 crunches on the stability ball then you need to increase the intensity. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.

My most successful clients embrace their strength programs. When push comes to shove, they will do their strength homework instead of cardio. I want you to do the same. You can raise your heart rate with strength training but it’s harder to build muscle by riding the stationary bike.

Your Action Steps:

1. Strength train 3 days a week minimum. No excuses.
2. If your goal is fat loss, your movements should be designed to use as many muscles as safely as possible and to keep your heart rate up. Keep the movements big and rest periods small.
3. Make sure you can do a basic squat, a basic lunge, a push up (whatever modification makes sense for your fitness level), a bent over row and a plank hold with perfect form.  You must master basic foundational moves before progressing to more challenging versions and combinations.
4. Keep a training log. Document all strength sessions with reps and weights done. Have a plan for progression that matches your goal.

Don’t worry, we don’t leave cardio completely out. It is important for good health and it can help you burn more calories. But many of you are going about it the wrong way. Next week, I'll tell you how cardio fits into your program.

See all articles in the series The Fit Truth.

In September, Thrive Personal Fitness celebrated 2 years in business. After a little pat on the back for making it this far, I took some time to reflect on what I’ve managed to accomplish in that relatively short amount of time. While I’ve surpassed many of the goals I set for myself when we started in 2009, what really amazed me was the stories and accomplishments of the people I’ve helped.

When I started the business I had what I had learned from my own transformation and from lots of reading and studying. Now I had 2 years worth of real life hands on data. I had more success stories, other than my own, to learn what really helps people get fit in real life.

I reviewed the files of my most successful clients. While everyone does have their own individual program, I wanted to see what they had in common. What did they do differently that helped them achieve their goals, fat loss or otherwise?  My goal was to take this information, what I’ve named the Keys to Real Fitness, and continue to improve my process and programs. I wanted learn how I could continue to make more people successful, fit and happy.

Let me start with the biggest surprise-what they didn’t have in common.

There wasn’t a personality type or specific demographic that outperformed all the others.

• My clients are mostly women, but the Keys work on men too.
• All ages were represented. I have a grandma who got her energy back for her grandkids and a young woman who get her body in shape to start a family.
• Different careers. People with active jobs, desk jobs or stay at home moms had success.
• Some had more to lose than others. Some only had 10-15 lbs to lose, others have lost 60, 70 or 80 lbs.
• All fitness levels found success with the Keys. Beginners and former athletes all made progress.

All they had in common to start was patience and a desire to live a better life. They knew that they needed something different. They knew it was time to get off the diet roller coaster. They were ready to commit-not to a diet but a new way of living.

So for 4 weeks, I am going to share what made them successful. There are 4 Keys they all had in common that helped them achieve their goals. Each week I want to break it down for you and give you action steps to take to make it happen in your own life.

Ready to get serious and start an amazing journey?  We’ll talk about the 1^st Key on January 9^th. I’ll give you a hint-it’s my passion and has been the cornerstone of my journey from the very beginning. Learn what it is and how my most successful clients do it.

image by ericmcgregor

I’ll never forget meeting Goldie for the first time. She was doing a 4 day split, hitting each muscle group one time a week. Nothing wrong with that particular method – if she was a 20 something guy looking to gain mass. But she wasn’t. She was a woman in her late 40s looking to burn fat and get healthy. The trainer who had given her the program either didn’t take the time to understand that her goals were different than his (he was a body builder) or didn’t know how to design a program for a woman who wanted to maximize fat loss while adding a bit of lean muscle.

When it come to losing fat, and having curves in all the right places, your workout split should have two elements: it hits each muscle group an average of 2 times per week and it keeps your heart rate elevated. There are few different ways you can achieve both of these goals.

Hitting each muscle group an average of 2 times per week:

• Full body workout
  Hit all muscle groups at each workout. Keep the exercises big and multi joint, like squats and pushups. It’s efficient and great for beginners lifting weights only 2 days a week.
• Push/Pull
  Think about the force the muscle group generates. We push with our chest and pull with our biceps. Legs can be added on one day or the other. If you lift 3 days a week, alternate so that in a 2 week period you hit all the muscle groups 3 times.
• Upper/Lower
  Just like it sounds, legs one day and chest, back, arms, shoulders the other. You can do 3 days a week, like Push/Pull, or do weights 4 days per week to cover each muscle group twice in a 7 day period.

Increasing your heart rate:

• Circuit training
  Just like the old school health club circuits, you move from one exercise to the next with no rest. Make it more fun by doing a cardio exercise, like jumping rope or jumping jacks, in between each weight exercise.
• Super setting with short rest periods
  A super set is 2 exercises back to back with no rest till after the second exercise. Keep that rest period to about 30 seconds. Use a watch, kitchen timer or Gymboss Interval Timer to keep you honest on rest time.

Combining these elements you make sure your workout split will meet your fat loss goals.

image by ericmcgregor

The second one, I have found, is right about now. It starts just after Memorial Day as the weather is getting warmer and people are starting to venture to lakes and beaches. They are pulling out clothes from last summer that suddenly don’t fit or they put on their bathing suit for the first time of the season and are suddenly very body conscious.

I would like to offer some advice to those of you who are starting a fitness program for the first time (or perhaps restarting one after a long absence).

These are my top 5 new to fitness mistakes.

1. Not having a plan.
   If you don’t have a clear goal and clear objectives to meeting these goals, including a workout plan that is designed to help you meet your goals, you will just end up being frustrated. Make a plan, seeking the help of a professional ideally, document it and stick to it.
2. Overdoing it.
   Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is very normal when starting a new workout. Generally it lasts two to three days then subsides. However, I see many people flushed with new found enthusiasm try to lift too much or go too far who end up feeling it for many days, even weeks. This can lead to injury and creates a negative feeling from exercise instead of a positive one. Ease into it, take it slow at first. Concentrate on getting the basics right before moving into complex or lengthy workouts.
3. Trying to be a morning exerciser if you’re not a morning person.
   This also applies to those who commit to an after work workout and are not naturally energetic at that time. Don’t try to force yourself to be something you aren’t, at least in the beginning. Over time your commitment to health and fitness might change those patterns, I know it did for me. When asked what time is the best time to work out, I always say the time you will actually do it.
4. Not sharing your goals with those closest to you.
   If you are really going to make this work you have to get a buy in from your spouse or significant other. You need their support or at the very least they have to be aware of your goals so they don’t accidently derail you.
5. Working out hard but still eating junk.
   In my opinion the biggest part of the battle is your nutrition. You can’t out train a bad diet, so starting an exercise program and changing your nutritional habits go hand in hand.  Running 30 minutes then eating a muffin and drinking a giant whipped coffee drink will not get you where you want to go.

For those of you out there who are not new to fitness, what would you like to share that you wish someone had told you when you started your journey? I would love to hear your stories and advice.

I wanted to end the series with some basic terms and definitions. There is a lot of jargon that gets thrown around in the fitness world and many of us, me included, forget that we are not born knowing these terms.  I wanted to give you a list of common terms so you can be a little more confident in the gym or with your trainer.  This is by no means a complete list of everything you need to know, but I find that these terms are used very frequently.  It should give you a good start to in building your fitness vocabulary.

• Rep: Short for repletion, a rep equals performing an exercise one time. Example, if I have completed the full motion of a bicep curl 10 times, than I have completed 10 reps.
• Set: A set is all of your continuous reps of an exercise. Using the above example, I did 1 set of bicep curls that consisted of 10 reps.
• Super set: Doing a set of one exercise back to back with another exercise. To keep my example going, I could superset a bench dip with the bicep curl by immediately starting the bench dips after my last bicep curl, without resting in between. A tri set is the same concept but with 3 exercises instead of 2.
• Concentric phase:  Force is produced to overcome the weight and the muscle shortens. This would be the lifting portion of the bicep curl.
• Eccentric phase: Force resists the movement as the muscle lengthens. This would be the lowering phase of the bicep curl.
• Circuit training:  A workout routine that involves performing sets of several difference exercises with little or no rest in between.
• HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training): A form of cardio training that involves cycles of high intensity bursts and low to moderate intensity recovery. The ratio is usually 2:1. For example, a HIIT routine on a stationary bike might be a 5 minute warm up followed by 7-8 cycles of 30 second sprints and 60 second moderate intensity cycling and then a cool down period.
• Steady state cardio: Some form of cardiovascular exercise (walking, running, cycling, etc) where you keep a steady pace and rate of exertion for the bulk of the workout.
• Warm up: Period of metabolic adjustment from rest to exercise. You do not want to go from resting to sprinting, you need to transition. You might walk on the treadmill at 3.0-3.5 miles per hour for about 5-10 minutes before running or sprinting.
• Cool down: Period of metabolic adjustments from exercise to rest. The opposite process from what was described above. When running you do not want to just stop and sit down, you need to transition. After running, you might walk at a moderate to brisk pace for 5-10 minutes.

As I said, this is not meant to be a complete list of all the terms you will ever need. As you progress you will start using more advanced techniques and will add more terms to your fitness vocabulary. Think of this, as the name says, as your 101 Vocab list. Learn these first to build your solid foundation. I also welcome your questions. If you have a question about these terms, or anything about health and fitness, send me an email or post to our Forums page.

Let’s start with the basics. Your foods basically contain 1 or more macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein and fat.  These macronutrients do different things in the body and provide differing amounts of energy. The energy (calories) for each group is as follow:

• 1 gram carbohydrates (carbs) = 4 calories
• 1 gram of protein = 4 calories
• 1 gram of fat = 9 calories

Your body needs all of these macronutrients to perform difference functions. Carbs are the first choice for energy in the body and get easily converted to glucose, the fuel for cellular life.  Carbs need fats to help them burn and your cells need fats to be able to use certain vitamins and for other cellular functions.  Protein is the building block for muscle and muscle repair.  What I want you to remember is that each of these is necessary and none of these categories should be looked at as forbidden or bad. 

How much of each of the macronutrients you need is a subject of much discussion and controversy. There are certain diet trends that demonize one or more of these groups. Like I have said before, diets are temporary. You should be focused on how to eat to live. To live you need a balance of each of the macronutrients from quality sources.

I often tell my clients to start with a 50/25/25 split. Their calories should come, roughly, 50% from carbs, 25% from protein, and 25% from fat.  This is based on my experience and study. Everyone is different, so I also tell them this is a starting point. Depending on their activities and how their body reacts, this ratio is subject to adjustment.  For example, an endurance athlete will need more carbs to keep glucose available to the body.  So their carb ratio might go up while their protein ratio might go down. Again, everyone is different.

The other key is how you get these calories. While it would be nice to think that 250 calories in a donut is the same as 250 calories in a chicken breast, but that is not how it works. Think about the foods I just mentioned. When you eat a donut for a meal, how do you feel? More importantly how do you feel and hour or two later? Now think about eating those 250 calories in a chicken breast. How would you feel after and a bit later? The sugar in the donut will probably make you jittery and an hour later you’re sleepy and hungry again. The chicken breast is going to make you feel fuller and keep you from getting hungry longer.

When you plan your meals (you are planning right?) you need to keep in mind the quality of the food you are eating. Look for foods that are minimally processed and rich in nutrients. You want high volume for your calorie buck as well. If I get 450 calories for dinner, what combo of foods can I get for 450 calories that will make me full and keep me full? In a way it is a blend of quality and quantity.

Last week I asked you to start a food journal. I want you to continue your assignment by analyzing your food journal, if you haven’t started to do so already. Use a calorie book or one of the great online tools to find out how many calories you eat each day and what your ratios are of carbs, protein and fats in your daily diet. Where are you compared to the recommendation I made? What changes are you going to make? Share with me, I love to hear your stories!

Be sure to read all of the Fitness 101 series!

Most people simply eat too much and eat foods that are of poor quality. For this series, I want to get down to the basics of those two things: how much you should eat and what you should be eating.  Keep in mind there are many opinions on this subject, so I am going to try to stay as much to the facts as possible. If I do venture into opinion, I will be sure to point it out clearly for you.

Let’s talk about calories in first. You often hear that to lose weight you need to cut calories. The usual equation is to cut 500 calories per day which equals 3500 calories a week. 3500 calorie deficit = 1 pound of weight loss. Simple enough, right?

The problem is this theory holds true if you are eating calories that equal maintaining your weight, that your current calories in balance to your current calories out. For most people that is not true. Most people are not holding steady, they are instead watching the scale creep up and want to do something to stop it.

For this formula to hold true, you first need to know how many calories you should be eating to maintain your current weight.  The most accurate way to do this is also the most difficult. There are laboratory tests that can be done to measure your metabolism and tell you how many calories you need.  You can also buy self monitoring devices (like the bodybuggor the GoWear Fit System) that tell you based on physiological data your calorie burn for the day. Accurate, but it can still be expensive. The more efficient, but somewhat less accurate way is to use one of the many science based formulas to determine your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and your maintenance calorie level.  

Your BMR is the calories you need to do nothing. It supports basic body functions, no daily activities or exercise. Think of it as the calories you would need to sleep all day.  Once you know this number, you can make an estimate of your daily needed calories based on your daily activity level and body composition.  I use the Harris Benedict Formula and you can find an easy to use calculator on the Tools page of my web site.  You will need to know your body fat level. The reason for this, which is not included in some other formulas, is that the more muscle you have the more calories you burn. Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue. So two people with the same weight could have different calorie needs if they have different levels of body fat.

Now that you know how much you need to support your current weight, you can subtract from that to create a calorie deficit. A couple of things to remember, you do not want to eat less than your BMR and you don't want to cut too drastically. Doing so will actually slow down your metabolism, making it harder to lose weight. To create your deficit do so through a combination of cutting calories (200-300 to start) and increased activity.  Also, everyone is different. Like I said the formulas are estimates. If you are eating at a certain level and not seeing a change, you may need to slightly decrease calories (just not below your BMR or too drastically) or increase your activity level.

Next, week I will continue this topic with the some basics on macro-nutrients to help you decide what to eat. Meanwhile I want to give you some homework. I want you to start a food journal. As far as your nutrition goes, it is the best way to get the real picture on what you are eating. You can do it in a notebook or use a computer based tool. I belong to a community online called DailyBurn (hello all my Motivators!) and they have an excellent nutrition log tool.  I highly recommend it. Let me know what ah-has you get after starting a food journal.

Be sure to read all of the Fitness 101 series!

In January, every Thursday the post will be entitled “Fitness 101”. My intent is to give you basic information to help you start your journey.  I want to share foundational concepts of physical fitness, nutrition, terminology, etc. My hope is to give you a good start and inspire you to learn more. While the information may seem very basic to some, for others this may be the first time to see this information since high school health class. I don’t know about you, but for me that was awhile back.

Today, I want to start with the basic elements of physical fitness for health.  The components and definitions I am sharing come from the ACSM’s Health Related Physical Fitness Manual. 

First let’s define physical fitness. You will find many different definitions but here is the one I like best, from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports:

“Physical fitness is the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness without undue fatigue and ample energy to enjoy leisure-time pursuits and meet unforeseen emergencies.”

I like this definition because it really touches on why most of us start a fitness journey. We want to look better, feel better, not be winded after two flights of stairs and have the energy to chase around children on the playground all day. Most of us won’t ever be bodybuilders or professional athletes. We simply want a better quality of life.

Here are the 5 components that make up physical fitness, as defined by the American College of Sports Medicine:

• Cardio respiratory endurance: The ability of the circulatory system and respiratory system to supply oxygen during sustained physical activity.
• Body Composition: The relative amount or percentage of different types of body tissue (bone, fat, muscle) that are related to health.
• Muscular Strength: The ability to perform activities that require high levels of muscular force.
• Muscular Endurance: The ability of a muscle group to execute repeated contractions over a period of time sufficient to cause muscular fatigue.
• Flexibility: The ability to move a joint through its complete range of movement.

It is important to remember that all of these elements are important to health and physical fitness. One mistake I often see in new exercisers is forgetting one or more elements. Someone may decide to run  4 days a week, but neglect exercise for muscular strength. Or someone lifting a lot for muscular strength may eat a lot and disregard the need for a healthy body fat level. All of the components are important and work together for your health and fitness.

Let me give you an example. Low back pain is huge issue in our society and is one of the top reasons people seek medical help.  Low back pain can be caused by a number of issues, including injury. It can also be related to poor physical fitness.  It can be caused by excess weight (body composition), weak core muscles (muscular strength and endurance), and tight hip flexor muscles (flexibility).  To improve fitness, health and quality of life, all of the things mentioned should be addressed. Again, everything works together.

As you move forward on your journey, I want you to remember each of these elements and make sure you include each one in your plans.  Remember, 150-300 minutes of physical activity is recommended for health and wellness. Divide those minutes among resistance training (at least twice per week), cardiovascular training (running, cycling or dancing are great examples) and stretching activities post workout or as active rest (for example, yoga). If you do this, and pay attention to the unmentioned but equally important element of nutrition, you will be well on your way to health and fitness.

Be sure to read all of the Fitness 101 series!