Training & Fitness Tips

for health, fitness, and safe weight loss

·      A good training program starts with a clean bill of health. Always get checked out by your health care professional before beginning any new fitness program. Your safety is number one!

·      Combine weight training and aerobic exercise. Both are equally beneficial to your fitness plan and will help you build muscle and burn fat.

·      Stay away from fad diets, magic weight loss pills and potions, and supplements that over-promise and under-deliver while picking your pocket ("gain 2 inches on your biceps in one week!" or "lose 10 lbs in 3 days!"). Some weight loss and training supplements are hazardous to your health. Be careful and if it's too good to be true, it probably is!

·      Most health experts recommend a slow and steady weight loss of 1/2 to 2 lbs per week for optimum fitness. Be suspicious of any program that promises more.

·      Slow and steady works best to gain size and build muscle, too - building muscle takes time and commitment, but atrophy is easy to achieve!

·      Listen to your body - gather fitness and nutrition information and use that knowledge as power to develop a training and eating plan that works best for your body and your mind.

·      Understand that regular physical activity coupled with a healthy and balanced nutrition plan is your key to physical fitness.

·      Weight training builds muscle, strengthens bones and burns fat.

·      The more muscle mass, the more calories burned at rest.

·      Allow at least 48 hours rest between weight training one muscle group.

·      Women - do NOT worry about "bulking up" - weight training will protect you from osteoporosis and help you drop inches from your waistline long before you'll look like Mr. Universe!

·      Subscribe to a fitness magazine or purchase a weight training book for exercise examples - or work out with a trainer or fit friend. There are many e-books you can purchase online and download immediately.

·      Focus on form first! Good form helps to work the target muscle group better and reduces the chance of injury. Weight training in a room with a mirror helps.

·      Alternate sessions between steady-state aerobics and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for best fat burning results.

·      Vary your aerobic activity to stimulate your fat-burning mechanism.

·      Don't neglect the mental part of fitness - get plenty of rest and include stress-reduction techniques like yoga and meditation in your daily routine.

·      Spend more active time with friends and family and use exercise to socialize.

·      HAVE FUN!