Personal Training Blog with Douglasville Personal Trainer David Hansey

Here at the personal training blog, it is no secret that I feel that the best workout is one designed just for you. While doing a fitness class can be fun and some of them are even a good workout, group fitness classes do not (and NEVER WILL) give you a workout that is as good as a personally designed one. It is like the difference between a custom made suit and one off the rack. The one off the rack may not be the right length, the sleeves may be too long, in order to make it fit in the shoulders, the waist may be too big. You get the idea.

And I am not going to sugar coat it here. Fitness classes are the suit off the rack. They are designed for the masses. They are not concerned with your goals, your weight loss, your risk of osteoporosis — because they don’t know YOU. Only a workout custom designed for you knows you and your goals and needs. Personal training is the custom made suit and it is designed for you specifically.

So for the new year, if you have a resolution and the commitment and strength to see it through — Come on, of course you do — I am going to suggest one thing to you. Use personal training as one of the tools to help get you there. For some people, it only takes a few sessions for them to learn a great routine. Other people find that having a trainer with them for the first few weeks can really help keep them on track. Again, custom for you — what YOU NEED!!

It is the time of year that I see people starting to get into the fitness lifestyle. I know it can be hard to start something new so let’s go over a few things. First a few myth busters.

1 – you don’t need to hurt. I have so many people tell me that they hurt a lot. Working out sometimes causes aches and pains but it should not hurt you to the point that it interferes with your life. If you can’t walk down stairs or raise your arms or conduct your life normally, then there is something wrong with your workout and it needs to be adjusted. Be sure to tell your personal trainer if you have any pain, stiffness or anything that interferes with your quality of life.

2 – it does not take a lot of time. Two strength training sessions a week and three cardio sessions a week. You can bust that out in 3 trips to the gym or two to the gym and one run around the block.

So now that you realize it does not have to be painful and that it will not take a lot of your time — you need to realize a few of the realities.

1 – working out is not a license to eat anything and everything. The average workout burns about 300- 600 calories so realistically, you will lose about a pound a week if you don’t change your diet plan. Adding sweets and treats will just sabotage your workout.

2 – you need to know what you are doing. Just showing up and spinning your wheels will just frustrate you. A few sessions of personal training will give you a thorough program that is unique for you and your needs and your goals. And realistically, every budget can afford a few sessions. So seriously think about it — personal training can make a dramatic difference in your success.

I would like to take a minute to thank everyone for the wonderful year I have had. I am truly blessed to have been a part of your lives and your fitness and to have had the opportunity to help so many of you change your lives. I look forward to more in 2008 and would like to wish all my readers here at the Personal Training Blog as well as all my clients at the gym and in Douglasville — Merry Christmas.

I love blogging here on the personal training blog. I find personal training to be a passion and seeing people succeed and get past their challenges (whether it be weight loss, injury rehabilitation or getting past some other challenge)

So I know that regardless of what challenges you face, the holidays put extra pressure. They put time pressure on you and for some people, it all falls apart during the holidays.

Realistically, working out is just a few hours a week so it should not be something that you need to give up. Try multi-tasking like watching your favorite program on TiVo while you are on the treadmill. That said, some people enjoy NOT multitasking and just being able to work out and relax and not have to think of a million things so find what works for you here.

NOW — let’s talk about fitness classes. I see lots of people frustrated by their success with fitness classes at the gym where I do personal training. And I also see lots of people at the same Douglasville gym completely happy with their results from fitness classes. So really, when considering taking fitness classes, remember, THIS IS ABOUT YOU. If a group fitness class does not fit into your schedule — you won’t go. If a class leaves you hurting — you won’t go. If a class does not get you the results you want — you won’t go. SO the KEY with FITNESS CLASSES and group fitness is just to make sure that this works for you.

Now for your strength training. Oh you know you need strength training!!! Best way to reduce the time of your strength training, you can not rest between exercises. Now, your muscles need the rest but you can alternate your upper and lower body. Like do one set of lunges, then your pushups, then back to lunges — see what I mean — no sitting there resting — active resting. A great way to make the most of your time without reducing the quality of your workout. Check back soon for more details from the personal training blog and personal trainer, Dave Hansey.

Sorry but if you have not figured it out yet, there is no such thing. You are better to believe in Santa Clause because at least there is magic and fun there. Believing that you will find a quick fix for being overweight just won’t happen.

There is a fix for it — don’t get me wrong there. But since you did not get fat overnight, you are not going to get thin overnight either. Losing weight is tough work and it is slow going and yes I am sad to say that at times it can make you feel depressed and anxious.

These are the reasons why I stress a personalized approach so heavily. It is the best way to ensure that you get the most out of your time but it is also the best way to tweak your diet, workout routine, etc when you start to stall on your results. And everyone will hit points where their weight loss will stall out.

That is the time that you have to go back to basics and keep a food diary (remember there is a free food diary on my 4fitbodies website) and a workout diary and see what needs adjusting. Did you start to add some sweets or restaurant dinners into your diet that you might have underestimated the portions or the caloric content? Did you drop your cardio from 45 minutes down to 30 minutes. You get where I am going?

The magic bullet for weight loss is the same thing as any goal in your life. It is you working hard and using your knowledge (and seeking professional help when needed) to do it.

If you have questions about personal training or how to get past a weight loss plateau, feel free to e-mail me or comment this post and I will go into more detail.

Yes, I am not done cleaning out your cupboards and fridge!! Don’t worry, there are lots of healthy delicious foods you can have in your cupboard..

So let’s look in the rest of the cupboard. What do you have for condiments and spices? If you have very few spices, you should question why. Trying a new recipe every week will get you trying new healthy foods. There are lots on my weight loss site, www.douglasvilleweightloss.com Trying a new recipe every week should not be a drag, it will open your eyes to a new way of eating.

What about oils and vinegars. Got any? I have at least 4 different vinegars along with olive and canola oil and so should you. They are the ingredients of healthy ways to dress salads as opposed to heavy dressings.

On to the rest of your condiments. Ketchup is tomato flavored sugar. If you use it rarely and sparsely, then ok. If you use it in large amounts, you would be surprised how much sugar and calories you are getting from just ketchup. I would say toss it unless you are super confident that it is used extremely rarely.

On to your mayo — hah, what? You have some? Say bye. Regardless of whether it is real mayo, some spread, light, fat free whatever — toss, toss, toss.

Got mustard. Very few calories, lots of taste and low in sugar….. hmm, sounds like a keeper to me!

Sugar in a bottle — this is anything from chocolate sauce to jam to syrup. Sorry, ditch em all

You may be able to add these things back later when you are more in control of your eating and able to portion — be honest, you are not capable of doing that yet. So all these things must go so you can learn to eat properly

Don’t worry, there are more details coming to help you with your progress toward the fit new you.

If you have questions, feel free to comment me here at personal training blog. I hope these tips help you with your new fitness routine!