It pains me somewhat to say that but in fact this year I was the Runner Up in the Best of 417 awards.

Sure it’s disappointing but I’m actually proud of that runner up status. It reminds me of my senior seminar in political science. Dr. Connor was known as kind of a hard ass. A smart ass and a hard ass. The class grade was based on participation, a presentation and a paper. Even though it was an undergraduate paper, he treated it more like a master’s level thesis.  Planning of that paper and presentation started only a couple of weeks into the class and there were milestones that had to be met along the way to get full credit at the end. There was also lots of reading for the in class discussions.  It was one of the hardest classes I have ever taken.

I got a B in that class. I was really proud of that B too. I worked harder for that B than any A I had ever received.  That’s what made me so proud. I had given it my best effort and come out not on top but with some recognition for my hard work and some notes on where I could improve. I learned not just about the subject matter but about myself: what I was capable of and what areas I needed to improve.

This year’s contest affected me in the same way. The runner up status is recognition that I am proud of. It means that many of you believe in me, what I do and that I deserve the title of Best Personal Trainer in 417. But it also means there are many who don’t know me. They don’t know my own story of transformation and that I’ve walked a mile in their shoes. They don’t know how hard I work to give the best I can to each and every client.

Or perhaps they do know me but just don’t think I am the best. That means I need to step up my game. That means I need to continue to work harder and smarter, finding ways to give you what you need to achieve your fitness goals.

Let’s open the discussion here. My focus for 2012 is to be my best so I can bring out your best. I want that title again in 2013. Tell me what can I do better, what do you need from me to achieve your goals? How I can earn your vote for the Best Personal Trainer in 417 2013?

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.

Big mistake. Monday morning after Christmas I woke up with no idea what to do. No plan, no workout goals and, honestly, little motivation.  Yet the workout was on my calendar that morning so it had to be done.  I couldn’t take hours figuring it out. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was waiting on me!

I thought to myself, I need to reset. I usually take a rest week the first week of January, but I also knew I wanted to make a push before heading to SXSW again in March, add a little muscle drop a little fat.  New plan: take a rest week and use the time to formulate a new plan for the 10 or so weeks till SXSW.

But wait. I had a big day on Christmas. I ate more deviled eggs than I probably should have and at least 3 vegan banana blueberry muffins.  I needed to move.

Inspiration hit as I was eating my protein pancakes. Dailyburn recently revamped and created a new workout site (with the original site now labeled Dailyburn Tracker). I had done one of their workouts on Christmas Eve to try something new and found it enjoyable. Why not spend the week just working out with Dailyburn, I thought? Try something new everyday, test drive the new site and chronicle it all for you.

So here is my unsolicited review (I do blog for Dailyburn Life, but this was completely my own idea) of the New DailyBurn.

• Monday: I chose KIT with Judi Stettler. KIT stands for Kickboxing Interval Training. It wasn't as challenging as I had hoped. The asparagus vs. burger chant wasn’t terribly motivating, either. I don’t like burgers and I really do love asparagus.  I needed to push a little farther to compensate for a day off and the overindulgence of Christmas. I added the glute workout with Anja Garcia. Loved it. 10 minutes of booty lifting intensity.
• Tuesday:  Cardio Sculpt was up. With Judi again and itt was okay but I didn’t feel a lot of sculpt. I did get an aerobic workout, which was really my intent all along.
• Wednesday: Complete Kettlebell Circuit had been calling me all week. This was the day and I got a new trainer, Corey Storey. At first I wasn’t sure I would like him. I found his accent bothersome. I loved the extended yoga stretch at the end and it is an awesome beginning kettlebell workout. I may use what I learned to help my clients perfect their swing.  Warning: Use a lighter kettlebell for the YAW press or do the military press.  Trust me.
• Thursday: Rest day. Everyone deserves a rest day.
• Friday: It was an amazingly sunny and warm (at least for December) day. I decided to take a walk and follow up with some Restorative Yoga. It was 16 minutes with Corey Storey. His shirtlessness bothered me but his voice was so soothing at the end I almost feel asleep in corpse pose.
• Saturday: Powerball Strength with Anja Garcia. It started strong but sort of fizzled out at the end. It felt light on legs, which was surprising since most of her workouts are great for the glutes.
• Sunday: Back to Cardio Ball with Anja Garcia, the first Dailyburn workout I had tried on Christmas Eve. I didn't have a medicine ball at home but a dumbbell worked just fine. It was just as good as the first time, but I wondered if I had already run out of cardio options.

That was my week with Dailyburn. Overall, I like the idea of having multiple and seemingly appropriate workouts available every day. Anja is my favorite, maybe it’s our kindred Latina spirit. The workouts all have modifications. If you don’t have the equipment indicated in the details, don’t worry. There are always options for you. Same thing for fitness levels, there is always the basic, the beginner and the advanced option in each workout.

I do worry about there being a lack of a plan. It would be an easy for a beginner to do multiple strength workouts in a row, opening them up to the burnout or injury. The nutrition piece, in my opinion, also leaves something to be desired. For example, I indicated when I enrolled that I am a vegetarian yet the daily food suggestions always include meat.

When I asked, I was told that more specific nutrition recommendations would be coming.  I also don’t understand why workouts don’t track to the old site. Not only do they not track they aren’t even listed for me to do as a manual entry. Hence, nothing in my workout log for that week.

For variety and originality, I give it an 8. For structure, only a 4. The workouts are great, but look elsewhere for nutrition. Anyone else tried the New Dailyburn?

image by ericmcgregor

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.

When I say “physical fitness” what’s the first thing that pops into your head?

The first thing I think of is the Presidential Physical Fitness tests we used to take in school.  Maybe it’s because I have a lot of trauma and negative emotions tied to them. As the fat kid, these tests caused me much anxiety. I couldn’t run a mile, do a chin up or complete the required number of sit ups.

In health and fitness circles we spend a lot of time talking about physical fitness. I have since gotten over my fear of the term, but the more clients I work with the more I think our focus may be displaced.  Yes, running a mile under a certain time is a great goal. But is it really what most people need to worry about?

Physical function, to me, is a much better area of focus. Physical function is defined as:

One's ability to carry out various activities, ranging from self-care (activities of daily living) to more challenging and vigorous activities that require increasing degrees of mobility, strength or endurance (Stewart & Kamberg, 1992; Haley, Coster & Binda-Sundberg, 1994; Haley, McHorney & Ware, 1994; Wilson & Cleary, 1995).

This term used to be mainly applied to older adults or those with physical challenges.  However, society is getting unhealthier and more sedentary as the obesity epidemic grows. The consequence? Lack of physical function in one or more areas is becoming more common in younger adults.

Some examples of our modern maladies:

• Inability to lift legs up to tie shoes or put on socks.
• Unable to get up off floor from a seated position.
• Can’t walk up more than 1 or 2 flights of stairs without stopping.
• Low back pain from tight hamstrings and weak core.
• Getting up out of a chair requires an arm or pushing off.

Some of you might laugh at the thought of some of these things, but really they aren’t a laughing matter. I see these things in people in their 30s. If they have these problems now, what are they going to look like in their 60s and 70s?

Fat loss and athletic achievements (like running a 5K) are great goals to strive for. But so is moving freely and without pain.  But we, as a fitness industry, need to do a better job of helping people function. It’s not a matter of “no pain, no gain” but a matter of “no pain”. Exercise should be fun and challenging but compatible with real life challenges facing people. Being able to touch your toes and walk a mile are just as important as fat loss and running.

How do you feel about the fitness industry? Is the emphasis on boot camps and “insane” workouts helping or hurting?

Some of you may know, but many may not, that I share space with a martial arts studio, Dunham’s Martial Arts.  Chris Dunham, the owner, and I have a pretty cool relationship. We both want people to be well and happy. Our goal is to help them get the most out of life. We do it in different ways, but we help people get fit and healthy. Sometimes clients choose to work with both of us.

Natalie, one of his students, didn’t consciously choose to work with me. But Chris was intuitive enough to know that Natalie needed a little help to reach her goals and wanted to give her a nudge to do so.  Natalie had been training at the school for 2 years when he decided to give her a gift certificate for my services.  It was a nice gift to congratulate her on passing a test but he also knew that it was one of her goals to lose weight and she was struggling a bit on her own.

I asked Natalie what went through her head when Chris gave her that gift certificate:

I was speechless and caught somewhere between being thankful for a gift and being "somewhat" placed into a situation that I needed but never would have done on my own.  Classic Mr. Dunham - always knowing that I can do more than what I think I can. 

That was about a year ago. I remember at that first meeting I could tell she wasn’t quite sure what to expect. While I share space, workouts are private, so she had never had an opportunity to see what I do. With the images people see on TV there is often this fear of being yelled at and made to workout until you drop. Not my style. We eased Natalie into a workout that matched her fitness level and her goals of furthering her kenpo training. And of course we talked food. Natalie loves to ask me food questions and I love to talk about nutrition. Natalie embraced meal planning unlike any other client that I’ve worked with.

Natalie not only does an awesome job of planning, but she also follows up. She plans her meals and then notates how her plan goes. Does she get hungry during the day? Does she run out of steam during kenpo practice? Does she eat of out emotion and not hunger? It’s helped her battle what she describes as her biggest challenge, emotional eating. Her mantra:

The answer isn’t in the pantry!

Meal planning and scheduling her workouts have been the biggest keys, in my opinion, to her success. What does success look like for Natalie? Let me run down her accomplishments:

• Ran her first 5K.
• Passed her Brown Belt test.
• Lost 33.8 lbs (and still going).

When I asked Natalie what she is most proud of she said, “‘My biggest success is now calling myself a runner.  I love going for a run”. In fact she’s set some pretty challenging running goals for herself, starting with a 10K in the spring.  I’ve seen Natalie hit a lot of goals over this past year and I am very confident she’ll hit the ones she sets in for herself in the future.

My favorite place to shop for food is Mama Jean’s Natural Market.  We have been shopping there pretty much since the store opened in 2002. Our previous health food store was experiencing a constant turnover in staff that had us wondering what was going on and Mama Jean’s was much closer to our house, less than a mile away.

As a regular I’m on a first name basis with one of the owners and I feel thankful to call Grace, one of their awesome chefs, a friend.  I met Shawn, who is in charge of programs at Mama Jean’s, at the iBody Directory meet up in October.  Recently Shawn contacted me to be part of an amazing program that Mama Jean’s is hosting.

It’s called the Mama’s Meltdown Challenge. He explained to me that the idea actually came from the staff themselves.  Even though they have many resources available to them at the store, they felt they needed a little push to get them motivated and moving along on their fitness journeys. When they discussed the idea with Shawn, it morphed into not just a workplace initiative but a way to get the entire community moving towards improved health and fitness.

Much needed since MO ranks 40 out 50 states on the Healthiest Places to Live!

Shawn then started making things happen. He reached out to me, as well as many other members of the iBody Community, to get sponsors (for prizes!) and support to create a fantastic 22 week transformation challenge for mind, body and spirit. While weight will be measured, the program is designed to focus on all dimensions of wellness: social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, physical, and intellectual.  Every month there will be seminars, discounts and, of course, prizes for those who meet the mark in hitting their goals.

Ready to join the Mama’s Meltdown Challenge? Here is what you need to know:

• Register at either Mama Jean’s location.
• Program starts January 9 and last for 6 months.
• Prizes are awarded in categories by gender and age.
• The entry fee is just $30. Not only do you get informative seminars and prizes for hitting goals, but you also get an awesome T-shirt and Mama’s Meltdown VIP card good for discounts some fabulous products.
• If you’ve got more questions than I can answer email Shawn at Wellness@MaMaJeansmarket.com

While ultimately you have to be motivated by being healthy and feeling good to stay on a fitness journey, having some extra incentives (and some extra help) can never hurt.  I can’t wait to see you at the first meeting on January 9^th!

December is a challenging month. Extra social outings and once a year temptations abound. Now add to the mix being out of your normal environment, traveling to the parent’s or grandma’s house. It’s easy to see how “maintain don’t gain” becomes the battle cry this time of year.

I say, push on. Keep your workouts real-no matter your location or schedule. It’s easy to do if you’ve got a plan. And I just happen to have one for you.

Your holiday mission, should you choose to accept it, is to workout 5-6 days a week. We will keep it under 30 minutes and keep your metabolism pumping. Follow my lead and you’ll be ringing in the New Year lean and mean.

Primary focus: Resistance Training (3 times per week)

Strength training should always be the centerpiece of your workout plan. This time of year your workout should be portable. It should always be efficient. Use your body and a set of resistance bands for this workout. Super sets simply mean do to one set of exercise before taking a rest period. Keep rests short, only 30-45 seconds. Complete 2-3 sets of each exercise (beginners do 2 sets, those who have been working out more than 3 months can do 3 sets) with 10-15 reps of each exercise.

• Superset A: Split squat with bicep curl (band for the curls) and rear delt flyes with bands.
• Superset B: Plie squat with calf raise (pop up on toes when raising up from the squat) and push ups
• Superset C: Squat to overhead press (bands for the press) and seated band rows.
• Superset D: Plank hold and bicycle crunches

Secondary focus: HIIT Cardio (2 times per week)

High Intensity Interval Training is perfect for your busiest days and provides a more effective overall calorie burn then much longer low intensity exercises like walking. 10 to 20 minutes is all you need. On the road follow these simple steps for calorie blasting 10 minute workout.

1. Choose an exercise (or 2) from the following list, based on what you have available.
   1. Kettlebell swings
   2. Jump rope
   3. Burpees
   4. Jumping Jacks
   5. Sprints
   6. Find a timer (try the GymBoss app for your iPhone to make it really easy)
   7. Perform the exercise (or exercises) you chose for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of rest for a total of 10 minutes.

If you have time: Long Steady State Cardio (1 time)

If you’re lucky and have 45-60 minutes to spare, take advantage with a class, run or bike ride.

There’s your plan. No excuses, no need to coast till January 1.