personal training, personal trainer in Santa Monica, Ca

We are motivated to help clients achieve optimal results for our clients through sound science. We face a challenge each day trying to break the habits of bad form misinformation from the effects of media overload of untruths. There I said it, untruths. We overcome misinformation by incorporate a system to educate our clients. Educating the client will give them a better source of information to combat all of the myths that has been presented to them for years. Here is a realistic look at how we are working each day helping our clients attain optimal results.

We consider what will be the end result of our clients as part of our program. This means that a client comes to us looking for weight loss and their expectations is that they will lose weight. What we consider is how many ways can we help this client achieve optimal results. The first thing that we do is look at the persons posture. We learn that the posture provides us with information to start this person off on a fitness journey that they never dream they would have.

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The other day I had an interesting conversation with a client. She wanted me to give her a menu to follow so she would know exactly what to eat. I have been asked this many times, and in the past I have created menus for clients to follow. However, over time I have re-thought this idea because the ones who followed the menu lost weight and over time they regained it. So I asked myself: Why is this probably happening? I realized some time ago that just eating this same menu week after week and month after month would become boring and people would quit. Plus it doesn't teach you how to maintain your weight loss once you have finished following the menu. The conclusion I drew from this is that creating menus is a crutch and you are doomed to regain your weight from the start.

Creating menus just for the comfort and the ease to follow them has been removed from our programs. We no longer prescribe programs that do not TEACH you how to have long term success at weight loss.

"Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime."
Chinese proverb

"Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I may remember, involve me and I'll understand."
Chinese proverb

The answer is: We choose to teach you and involve you in lessons that create long term success.

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People are always asking me how to lose weight the fastest. I tell them that to take their time and lose it slowly is best and more effective in the long term. This time I'm going to break my own rule and give advice on how to lose it the quickest.

There are 3 steps to losing weight. Number 1: eat less. Number 2: work out more, and number 3, do a combination of the two. You probably think this is a joke, but it's not. One of these factors must be improved upon for you to lose your maximum weight.

Let's look at number 1, eat less. If you have read any of my blogs you know that I recommend to not diet. So why am I telling you to eat less. Here is the trick. You need to eat a specific amount of food each day to provide nutrition to meet the demands of your BMR, normal movement and exercise, which could be anything from 1000 to 3000 calories per day depending on your size. The catch is that you need a specific amount of food, if you consume more than you burn off, then you will gain weight. The proper recommendation should be not to eat more than you burn off in a day.

Number 2 is to exercise more. If you are eating more than your body can burn off, your other option is to exercise more. If you burn extra calories each day over what you need then you will lose weight.

Number 3 is a combination of 1 and 2. Which is to figure out how many calories you need for the day, then reduce it by 250 calories. Increase your daily activity plus exercise to 250 more calories burned per day. Then you will have a combine total of 500 less calories than activity per day. This will guarantee you a quick weight loss without the effect of feeling like you are dieting or having low energy.

Fast weight loss comes from the perfecting of the process of weight loss and being consistent.

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If you could burn 500 extra calories per day you would guarantee yourself weight loss. Depending on if your nutrition is correct. But this is not realistic for most people. However, there is a way to boost your calorie expendenture each day. There is a very unique quality that the human body has that if use correctly could drastically increase the number of calories you burn without consuming to much of your time. When you exercise your metabolism increases and stays elevated hours after your workouts. The secert is that the more intense the workout is the longer your metabolism will stay elevated. Even up to 7 to 8 hours after your workout. We recommend as a time saving workout the 15 minute workout. It must be intense and different everyday. The calories you burn will increase and so will your weight loss. Remember this tip also. Fat is fuel that is stored on your body and must be used as fuel to reduce it. Eating less doesn't reduce your bodyfat exercise does. You must eat enough food to provide you with energy to get through the day and your workouts.

Eat the proper portions of food and don't diet. Add in 15 minute intense workouts per day to boost your weight loss.

We provide 15 minute workouts for our clients. We can also help you develop sound workouts to help you improve your results.

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Its January and everyone is thinking about losing weight. Lets start the year off right, with a nutritional program that will change your weight forever. Don't diet!!

The perfect weight loss plan starts with food and exercise. Your best results will come if your food intake is adequate to sustain the type of daily activities you perform plus exercise. If you eat to little you will slow your metabolism. Defeating your purpose.

Follow these basic guidelines to successful weight loss. Your daily activities plus exercise should be at least 500 to 1000 calories over what you consume. Make most of your days 500 calories and a couple of 1000.

Start with tracking how much food you consume daily. Remember, you're not trying to diet. This is merely to know how many calories you are eating so you will know how much exercise and daily activities you need to create weight loss.

Then get out there and burn baby burn!

We can help you get started with a sound nutritional plan. Contact us today.

One more day and it's 2011. Here are 3 positive moves that you can add to your workouts for 2011.

1. Variety - If you want the very best results, you need to change your workouts each time.

2. Rebuild your base. The body has two muscular systems: an inner and an outer system. Most people train the outer system which are the external muscles that we all like to admire. The inner muscles are not seen and are the stabilizers that hold everything together. Build your inner system and see your results drastically improve.

3. Improve your form. I have spent many years in gyms watching people workout with bad form. Some do not even know that they have bad form. Improving your technique will enhance your results.

Start your year off with these 3 tips and achieve your best results.

All of our programs are built around these 3 factors. You can know take advantage of our private training programs online.

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Here is a different look at getting your year off to a successful start. I've been training clients for over twenty years and there are several things that keep popping up at the beginning of each year. Number one is that most people have gained weight and they all decide to do something about losing the weight by starting a fitness program. However, there are a couple of options that stand in their way. 

It's the holiday season again and if you are like most people you have gained weight over the holidays. This leads to one of the most popular New Years resolution of losing weight after the holidays. Never fear, we are hear to help you jump start your weight loss program. Here are several tips we recommend to get you started.

This week we have designed over 50 workout programs. Each week we have a goal of creating a different workout for my clients. But, the workout is still on target to help them achieve their ultimate goal. Over the years we have created a library of workouts to draw from which allows me to have fresh exciting workouts for my clients every time they workout. We have clients we have trained for over 10 years which are still being constantly challenged. Changing the workouts each week stimulates the body differently resulting in improve results. If you want long term results from your workouts you should follow several basic guidelines.

1. Do not use the same work out for longer than 4 weeks. ( If you are very fit you might need to change it in less than 4 weeks. If you have a huge selection of workouts you can change each week or every other workout.)

2. Do not work yourself to exhaustion, leave a little energy in the tank.

3. Eat after you workout.

4. Drink water during and after you workout.

5. Do shorter intense workouts if you work out 5 to 7 days a week. 15 to 30 mins. (Long intense duration workouts leads to over training if done more than 4 times a week. Resulting in injuries, lack of energy, lack of results, and lack of motivation.)

6. Apply a work rest ratio in your workouts.( This can be applied in many different ways but remember to work hard then rest. Repeat this cycle through out your workout.)

These are basic guidelines but will make a huge difference in your results. I stress to all clients that working out is a journey that requires the body time to adapt to the load of the workout. The main point I want you to take from this is that the actual workout is part of getting results. You need also rest and proper nutrition. Don't spend all your energy killing yourself in the 1 hour you workout trying to force your body to change without the other 2 components in place. Work under a sufficient load during your workout and spend time resting and improving your nutrition to get the best results.

If you want more tips on how to design and effective workout. Contact us at I want better results.

 

It's Sunday, and I am sitting around the house doing one of the most important phases of working out, which is resting. Proper rest is as valuable as the workout itself. The human body works best when you follow a work-and-rest cycle. Rest cycles are when the body rebuilds itself and with adequate nutrition the body will replenish its fuel levels also. If you omit this phase you will have a very tired body which results in less strength and muscle development, and less weight loss. I love the idea of sitting around and getting in better shape. Find at least 2 days a week when you just take it easy. Your workouts will be a lot more effective in the long run. Read more

A better question would be. How many times have you went on a diet? Over 20 years in the fitness business I have seen people go on diets over and over again. They lose weight and regain it many times in their life time. Dieting is a solution that helps you loss weight but doesn't address keeping it off.  I do not recommend dieting to clients because its primary goal is reducing your calorie intake. Matter of fact it is the direct cause of you regaining it. 

How do we keep the weight off once we lose it? The very first step is to lose the weight in a way to were you want regain it. Which is simple but time consuming. It is taking the long way to weight loss. I know, this is not the favored answer we like to hear. But, its the only way you can lose it and keep it off. Successful weight lose is a complex process that requires several factors to come into play. The proper term would be a lifestyle change. The foods that we choose to eat and how much we eat is rooted in our life experiences with food, all the way from childhood to our present adult life is one factor that we have to consider. Why do you choose the foods that you like and the amounts is  questions you should ask yourself. Every person that I know who has manage to maintain a healthy weight has a mindset to support making the choices to support it. I also find the same factor is in play with people who gain weight, that their mindset makes it very difficult for them to lose weight.

The other factor is having knowledge of sound nutrition. We have been bombarded with ads selling quick weight loss until we think that losing 7 pounds in one week is an acceptable goal. Even though I speak about making the right choice you need to have sound nutritional information to get the correct results. Knowing the difference between hype and sound science is the other factor that must come into play. 

The type of foods we choose also plays a very big roll in weight gain. There are foods that are high in calories but the volume is small. Which gives you a lot of calories and makes it very hard to control your weight. The quality of foods you choose makes a big difference in how many calories you consume. This is a choice that has to be made based on your taste buds or sound logic. Realizing that your choice will effect the end result will assist you in creating a lifestyle that supports weight loss.

The long road to weight loss is a journey that I stress that each client should go on. Everyday of my life I'm preaching this sermon to someone. I have been very successful helping clients reach their goals, but its not easy. Experience has taught me that its better to be consistent in a belief that I know works, than setting my clients up to lose weight and regain it over and over again. The truth is always the best solution and this were I draw the line. Take the long road.

In my last article I wrote about the emotional challenges of weight loss and how it affects losing weight. I have always tried to simplify trying to lose weight for my clients. Over the years I have create a number of guidelines that are easy to follow and very effective. If you can follow these guidelines you will drop weight and keep it off.

I work with clients everyday who wants to lose weight and they all make the same mistake. They want to lose it to fast. This propels them into dieting and over exercising. This only leads to frustration, stress, unhappiness, disappointment and a vicious cycle of eating for pleasure. I recommend all of my clients to take there time and plan for long term success. I ask them to give themselves a year to lose the weight. Now if you only have 10 to 20 pounds to loss this request might seem a little long. However, weight loss success isn't just losing the weight but losing it and keeping it off. Being successful at weight loss means taking into consideration the emotion change that has to occur. We over eat because we have and emotional connection that doesn't allow us to see when we have eaten enough. These emotions actually motivate us to consume more calories than we need. The emotional connection takes time to have control over it. This is the main reason I recommend 365 days to effective weight loss. 

Pounce' de Leon was searching for the fountain of youth many, many years ago and today we are still looking for it. Many of us have been blessed with good genes were we maintain a youthful look into our later years. But this is not the largest part of the population. Most of us age way earlier than our real age states. Our lifestyle plus bad genes deals us a hand of damage skin, overweight, sickness, stiff ache joints, and the appearance of looking older than we are. What is true about aging is that it comes no matter what. We have the choice to choose how we are going to live our life as we age. 

Once I had a client that said how she felt was more important than the way she looked. I never forgot this and always try to stress to my clients this vital point. if you do things that make you feel good first then looking good will follow also. Start first to doing things that make you feel good and the rest will take care of itself.

Training your core involves training your abs and back as a unit. Crunches and sit-ups are not great exercise for developing your core. They actually destabilize your back and distort your posture. Using a format of exercises that incorporate the abs and back together will create a stronger core such as a plank, glute bridges, and mountain climbers. Add these into your workout and see a drastic change mid section.

Strengthing the core before you train the external muscles will help improve your overall results. The core is the abdominals and low back muscles. They work together as a unit to help support movement patterns. Basic ab exercises such as crunches and sit-ups are not an efficient way to train the core. A strong core will support more challenging workouts and give your waistline a slimmer shape. As you get stronger in your core you will be able to lift more weight and drastically reduce your chances of injury. The plank is a basic core exercise that should be in every workout. 

Welcome back to staying younger. Step 2 to staying younger is to improve strength. One of the first stages of aging is muscle loss. It starts around age 20 and then every 3 years you lose about a pound of muscle. Muscle is the engine that burns fat and the smaller the engine the less fat you will burn. This is referred to as your metabolism. You will find that your weight will slowly creep up over the years until you are feeling much older than you are. By improving your strength you will slow down muscle loss and even gain more muscle. This will keep you firmer, tone, energized and feeling younger into your later years. You will feel like 25 when you are 40 years old. Start a weight training program today to boast your strength. Contact us about private training.

Many people who start exercise programs jump right into weight training without the proper preparation work to reduce injuries. Incorporating a flexibility program before and during weight training will also improve results while reducing injuries. Many trainers and individuals who start exercise programs make this mistake. One of the key factors to enhancing your results is proper recovery. A flexibility program sets the proper environment for your muscles to reach optimal strength and flexibility. Don't make this mistake and you will be able to reap the maximum benefits from your exercise program. Good luck and always be smart. Contact us for more.  

There are several types of flexibility modalities to choose from. Static stretching is the most popular of all stretching routines. This is were you hold a stretch position for a certain time and then release it. Even though its popular its the least effective for maintaining permanent flexibility. Static stretching is only temporary and will return to its length before it was stretch within hours. One of the benefits of static stretching is that it reduces onset delayed muscle soreness after a workout. Although it is the least effective it does play a roll in a comprehensive flexibility program supported by other type of stretches. Learn more about our Flex 4 programs.

When we age one of the first signs that show up is stiffness in your joints, joint pain and a increase in the number of injuries you have. Even if you are active or sedentary you will be effected, but sedentary people will show more effects from aging than someone who exercise. Your flexibility plays a vital roll in this process. If you do not have a flexibility program you will have the effects of aging at a much younger age. If you are sedentary your muscles will shorten and tighten reducing your flexibility and mobility. Flexibility is the ability of the muscle to stretch around a joint and mobility is the ability to move your body through daily movement patterns. Such as walking, running, bending over, getting out of bed, and reaching up on shelves, without an injury from any of these movements. This is the same thing that happens when we age. Put a sedentary lifestyle together with an aging body an you have increased the possibility of of having a major injury with your back, knees, hip or neck. There are also increased risk for injuries when you exercise if you do not have a flexibility program as part of you exercise program. We stress that your first workouts should be focused on flexibility and not building strength. If you increase strength on a body with very tight muscles you are heading for a major problem. Do not lift weights before improving your flexibility! Start a flexibility program today.

I'm always speaking with people who are looking for ways to look and feel younger. My question is what do you want first? Always, at least 90% of the people asked answer to look better first. The correct answer is to feel better first. There is a direct path from feeling better to looking better. There are two areas that can have a positive effect on how you feel, you can improve your flexibility and strength. These two will greatly provide you with a feeling of relaxation and a boost of energy. You should always start with flexibility first and then strength. If you do it in reverse it will not produce the same results.

The process of aging is similar to having a sedentary lifestyle. As we age our joints become stiff and we lose muscle mass. This is exactly the same thing that happens when we have an inactive lifestyle. The less we move the tighter our muscles become limiting our flexibility and reducing mobility. Muscle mass is lost because we are not using them as much. One of the basic formats of our training programs is to enhance mobility and improve strength. You can improve these two and feel years younger. 

The other day I was watching CNN, and they were having a discussion on health care. What caught my attention was that the guest on the show was speaking about the importance of having a preventative lifestyle. He was stressing that each one of us can reduce the future cost of heath care by having a healthy lifestyle.  This inspired me to write my next blog on health care in America.

The average life expectancy today approaches 80 years and statistics tell us that 80% of the deaths in the United States are from chronic diseases that are largely the result of lifestyle. People who have healthy lifestyles on an average tend to have less high blood pressure, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and high cholesterol.  They tend to also have less visits to the hospital other than regular check-ups.  We can take responsibility for how we live, we can gain some control over our health and mortality.  For the human body, the key components to a health lifestyle are: physical activity, good nutrition, stress alleviation/management, psychological balance, and routine check-ups.  Having a sedentary lifestyle is now recognized as a health hazard.  Let us know what you think.  Read also improving your health today.

Welcome to blogging with Reggie at AFC!  I'm ready for your questions, comments, and opinions. 

Where do you go when you want better results?  The answer is easy, go to our website and click on better results.  Start here and improve your results.  Our website is focus on informing the public on heatlh and fitness topics.  Let us know what you think.