Personal Training Blog with Douglasville Personal Trainer David Hansey

Group fitness classes can be fun. They can also be effective. BUT — for a lot of people, they are not enough. Fitness classes are designed to provide a workout (cardio workout) to a broad group of people. They cannot magically know all the things that make you unique. So you need to be careful when selecting one when you are a beginner to avoid injury or to ensure that you get an effective workout.

First step — go to your doctor to make sure you know that what you are considering is going to be effective for you.

Next step — pick a class that is ideal for beginners. I usually suggest spinning type classes because for most people, riding a bike is easy and you can just increase the intensity as your fitness level increases. Now that said, still might not be the right class for you so check with your doctor and take his advice.

Now, ANY class you are going to take — make sure that you show up early. This allows you to tell the instructor you are new – they should come over and introduce themselves — if not, be concerned!! Also, they should offer to help you make any special adjustments — for a bike class, this would be properly fitting you to a bike. For a kickboxing class, it would be showing you how to punch without hurting your elbow (or wrapping your hands if it is a gloved class). For a weighted class, it would be talking to you about what weights to use and anything you should watch out for.

IF your instructor does not come over — THEN APPROACH THEM.

It is your responsibility to take care of you so make sure you show up early and act like a sponge. And regardless of how you feel or what ANYONE tells you, do what you feel is right. If it feels wrong, it is. If it feels too intense, it is. Do what is best for you. If you need to modify your workout or slow down — DO IT. I tell people that if it feels too intense, then you should try just walking on the spot for a bit. But seriously — if it feels too intense or you feel weak or dizzy — STOP.

It will get easier and easier every time. So just what you feel you can each time and it will get easier and you will be safe.

It is that time of year!! Time to evaluate your life. Make those resolutions. Resolutions are very hard to keep for the simple reason that they are easier to declare than they are to commit to and implement. What is the #1 resolution — to lose weight.

You can decide to lose weight at any time without a resolution. But the thing that makes you lose weight is not declaring it. It is simple science. And a simple math equation.

CALORIES IN – CALORIES OUT = CALORIES GAINED

So if you eat more than you burn, you gain. If you burn more than you eat, you lose. SIMPLE

So you need to learn how to eat healthy meals. And you need to eat fruit and vegetables and drink water – SIMPLE

If you have no idea how to eat, then try my healthy eating site Douglasville Weight Loss to get started. It is free and gives you lots of ideas on how to eat better.

Working out is CRITICAL for weight loss. You don’t get there without cardio and weights — SIMPLE

So put in the cardio sessions, a few a week is all that it takes and do a couple of strength training sessions.

Weight Loss is not an easy road and it is not an instant thing. It takes work but it is not voodoo, you just need to apply the simple methods and do it consistently.

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.

Hey there to all my Douglasville personal training clients here both at the gym and at home. I truly love seeing all of you meet your goals with your fitness routines.

I will be on vacation this week for both the Thanksgiving Day holiday as well as to run the Atlanta Marathon on Thanksgiving Day. — YEP — 26.2 miles!! I am excited. I have been training for a few months now (after running the ING Marathon in the Spring and the Peachtree this summer) and I am excited. This will be my 5th marathon — WOW !!

So I would like to take the opportunity to wish all of my clients, friends, readers and everyone who reads this THE VERY BEST for a safe, happy, healthy Thanksgiving.

Getting a great workout at the gym is a piece of cake. But at the busy club in Douglasville where I train, I see people struggling just to make it to the gym and then a lot of them wasting their time once they are there.

Fitness takes a commitment. Give yourself over to YOUR NEEDS one hour per day (come on that still leaves 8 to sleep, 10 to work and another 5 for assorted things!)

During that hour you gotta move. No group fitness classes, no chatting, no reading, no rest periods between sets. Here is what you have to do. ** Note — I don’t say no group fitness classes because they are not good, I say it because the truly time rushed should focus on THEMSELVES, not on a preset routine made for the masses and doing an hour aerobics class does not give you your strength training. No sorry, even the ones that use weights are still aerobics and NOT strength training because you are not lifting heavy enough weights. So do classes on the days in between or when you have more time. For the truly rushed, this workout gets you in and out of the gym in an hour – enough said — here it is…..

Cardio – 35 minutes — 5 minutes to warm up and then 30 good SERIOUS minutes — you should be SWEATING

Weights — 25 minutes
You will do large body parts — think walking lunges and squat with a military press rather than thinking about small muscle groups like biceps. And you will do multiple sets but you will split them with another exercise.

For example, a set of walking lunges followed by a set of push ups then back to the lunges, etc. This way your muscles get a rest between sets without you sitting there.

Trust me, this routine will make you work and will make the MOST of your gym time. Anyone who is seriously rushed should do this. Oh, and skip your ab work, do it later at home instead of being plopped on the couch for the whole evening!

If you have no idea what the strength training portion should be, try booking a few personal training sessions with a Board Certified personal trainer. You will get a workout that you can follow that is set in the same amount of time that you have if you get a 1/2 hour personal training session.

Hope that helps you realize that there is a way to fit fitness into even the busiest day and make it to the gym — no excuses.

As a personal trainer, I get asked a lot about weight loss. Weight loss is not about a quick fix, magic bullet. Weight loss is about starting a new way of living. A way of living that is healthier, gives you more energy and makes you look better.

Strength training and cardio are not a short term fix to drop some pounds. You should be looking at your fitness as a long term lifestyle change that keeps you going. And keeps you healthy forever.

It is one of the reasons that I am always preaching doing a steady routine rather than going all crazy and running out of steam after just a couple of weeks.

A new lifestyle means adopting new habits. Your old habits helped you pack on the pounds and they will do the same if you go back to them. So why not find a way to make your new lifestyle something you love.

That does not mean doing something you hate every morning. I am a runner but I know a lot of people hate running so don’t get up and force yourself to jog every morning. You will soon give up. Find something you LIKE. Even if that means just enjoying new tunes on your ipod or the feeling of accomplishment after a good workout. Make it work for you!!

Want to burn some serious calories? Well then you have to get serious about your cardio.

I am an elliptical fanatic as well as an Arc Trainer lover but the last couple of weeks, I have been telling people to get back on the treadmill for a few sessions. Why? Not because it is necessarily better. But because when it comes to fitness equipment, it is one of the few pieces that cannot be cheated by Lucy Loophole.

Sorry, finding a way to get in your 20, 30, 45 or hour workout without actually training and feeling it is a pipe dream and like all diet and exercise loopholes, you pay the price.

Remember all the low carb foods that came out a few years ago that had more calories that the products they were replacing. Same deal. If it is too good to be true, it is. And sadly. I see dozens of people every day cheating the elliptical to just “knock out a workout”. Good way to tell you are working hard enough? You should be sweating. If you never sweat when you come to the gym, you are not special, you are just not working hard enough.

So here are my top cardio tips based on my personal training experience:

1 – Pick a machine that you can do for a good 30-45 minute sweat building workout. And don’t be afraid to change the machine mid-workout for something different or to change it completely if you are not getting results.

2 – Throw your towel over the timer or use the timer as an interval tool. Don’t be a clock watcher and get all bummed that you are going so slow. Either tune in and use the timer as a tool or tune out and ignore it.

3 – Don’t eat the calories you burn — ya — lots of people do!! And since the calories may not be accurate for you, you could be sabotaging your goals. Just do the time, ignore the calories.

I always hear about people who travel for work. And I know that travel combined with work can make this very hard.

You HAVE TO make fitness a part of your everyday life. I have an amazing client here in Douglasville who has lost a lot of weight and changed his lifestyle who wrote me an e-mail about his workout becoming an extension of his workday. I love that mindset.

When you travel for work, you need to find a mindset that you can work with, one that makes you get it done. For some travelers, this is a little strength training in your room with a yoga mat and some bands you tucked into your luggage. Then maybe a brisk walk or run to get your cardio in. For others it means ensuring that you stay in hotels that have comprehensive fitness facilities and nice gyms that you are going to use.

Find what works for you!