Did you break your arm in 4th grade?

Are you allergic to shellfish?

Did you have rheumatic fever (most people don’t even know what that is anymore but my father had it when he was a child and it shaped his whole life)

What I am trying to say is that only you have your unique set of circumstances. So a program designed for you SPECIFICALLY is going to be the best for you. Classes may be fun and they can be a great addition but they are just that — an addition. The best workout is one designed for you. It is like custom made clothing – always better.

Now a comment to people who have medical conditions. A personal trainer cannot “give you some moves” This really goes for anyone but it is CRITICAL for anyone with hypertension, arthritis, joint issues, diabetes and a host of other conditions. I have people who are in cardio surgery rehab who have asked me “for a few moves” ARE YOU SERIOUS???

Believe me I fully understand that there are financial considerations and you want to keep your training within a budget. But I cannot effectively give you any exercise without knowing you.

It is one of the reasons that my new group fitness classes is restricted to personal training clients only. I am just more comfortable with ensuring your safety and giving you an effective workout.

Yes, I would rather give you nothing at all than suggest something that may not work for you. And that is not cruel — that is SAFETY.

There are a lot of group fitness class options here in Douglasville and I know it can be very tempting to try some of the more advanced ones like full contact kickboxing. But……. make sure your body is ready for that. Many people get into commitments and get an injury and then never come back because they feel they have failed. Better to start small and stick with it than to start and stop.

I personally always suggest the spinning type classes. Most of us rode a bike as kids so we are familiar with the movement and you can go fast, slow, hard, soft and make it very personal for you. It is a good cardio workout and you can progress at your own pace.

If you like something that is more of a class atmosphere, then start with one that does not have contact or weights. Classes with full contact and weights are not strength training, they are still aerobic conditioning so you will still need to strength train so start with something that gets you motivated and moving.

If you are a SENIOR CITIZEN or have a family member who is — I always suggest Silver Sneakers. It is FREE on many insurance programs and is available at many gyms around the country. Here in Georgia, if you have Blue Cross, Humana or AARP as an insurance company or supplemental insurance, there is a good chance you can get Silver Sneakers for free. So if that interests you — CHECK!! All gyms who participate throughout the country offer the same classes and programs.

Hope that gives you a bit more details on getting started with starting a fitness program!!

There are some really amazing group fitness classes here in Douglasville. But some of them are really advanced classes – like full contact kickboxing classes — that are not for everyone. And while these might be classes you can do at some point or at some age, they may not be the class for you right now. There is a reason the injury rate in some of these high contact classes – such as full contact kickboxing – is high — it is because people are attempting to do these with no adjustments for their physical limitations.

A better plan for ANYONE — not just beginners — is to really research group fitness classes. A visit to your doctor is a must for everyone. And personally I feel a consultation with a personal trainer is well worth it. You can get your strength training workout customized for you AND you can find out what the details of every class are and decide which one is for you.

Fitness classes are fun and they can be motivating and they make a GREAT PART — yes PART not WHOLE — of your fitness routine. So do the research and find the right one for you right now.

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.

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.

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.

Are they the best option for you? Probably not.

I am not slamming classes — far from it. I think fitness classes can be a motivating form of cardio.

But they cannot be your only workout if you have any intention of getting fit and being your healthiest.

In order to really get fit and change your body, you need to look at what is holding you back from being there right now. What are your unique circumstances for not already being in the shape that you want (or the shape that your health requires)

And there is only one workout that addresses your unique circumstances. And that is personal training. You don’t need to be a celebrity to have a personal trainer. You don’t need to spend a lot of money and you don’t need to work out with a personal trainer forever. Some people only spend a month or so and some only do a couple of sessions. Why? Because it is all based on YOU and your needs!!

Some people need the motivation of a trainer to be there all the time. Without an appointment, they just don’t come to the gym. For them, the money is well spent. For others, they like coming to the gym, they just need to find a routine that makes their body respond and they need it to respond in the time they can commit to the gym. I had one client who used to come to the gym for hours and asked me how to get the results he wanted in less time. He had (and still has) an amazing physique, he just needed to maintain in less time. And guess what, he does!!

So consider personal training as an addition to your group fitness or fitness class workout. I think you will find that it is the only thing that can give you the results that make you what you are — only better!!

I watch people every day at the Douglasville gym where I do some of my personal training doing things that are ineffective, dangerous and sometimes just plain crazy. I also see people doing things that are considered rude by other gym members (remember you are in public here).

Let me cover a few of these things.
Rude things – at a gym, you should remember that you SHARE your space with others. So just like when you were in Kindergarten, you put the weights back where you found them. And you wipe you sweat off the bench or machine where you left it. And if you are doing a lot of sets and someone is waiting, then you should ask them if they want to “work in” where they do their set while you do your rest. Seems really simple, doesn’t it.

Now, on to the incorrect — this list could be endless. I see almost every move being done wrong almost every day. Want to see a bunch of them at once, then look in on one of the fitness classes with weights and you can see every incorrect version of a deadlift you ever wanted.

Basically, your body should not move outside of its normal range. So elbows stay close to the body, back does not round or arch, knees do not extend over the toes– get the idea?

Listing out every single way to do a move wrong would take me forever so my personal feeling is that everyone owes it to themselves to invest in their body. Even if that investment is one training session to go over your current routine for improvements or criticism. Even if it a month’s worth of sessions to get a routine you can do on your own that is safe and effective. Make the investment. Seriously, even if you think personal training is not in your budget. Most of us have a few things we can adjust (like dropping out the 800 calorie whipped cream covered coffee sundae drink in the morning that is $6). Hmm — just doing that and you already have a couple of sessions a month!

I will go into some basics about alignment and incorrect moves again in my next post with details on some of the moves that are performed wrong almost all the time!!

Until then, I wish you the best of health and greetings from beautiful Douglasville, Georgia.

Dave Hansey
Personal Training Blog

Fitness classes are made for the masses. So many of them are good cardio options. I like to suggest spinning and cycling classes for cardio to many of my clients as a cardio alternative. Fitness classes cannot get you the same results as personal training for obvious reasons. Personal training is all about you. Customized for you, personal training takes your personal needs, limitations, injuries and everything else that is unique about your body into account. How can anything made for the masses compare to that?

Now, while I am discussing personal training and fitness classes, let me make another comment. A great healthy body is like any other pursuit. You have to invest the time. You can’t just show up to your session with me a couple of times a week and expect huge differences. First, you must do cardio and warm-up prior to your personal training session. You must do enough cardio to burn more calories per week than you put in your mouth.

Now, I hope you are not feeling depressed thinking that you now need to do lots of group fitness and personal training. Au Contraire! Most of my personal training clients who were doing their own routine or taking group classes have found that the total time they spend in the gym has gone down when they start to perform movements that are geared to their needs using a scientific approach.

So if you are not getting the results you want from fitness classes or from your workout and need or want to get serious, give personal training a try by giving me a call.