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The Need to Hire

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I wrote an article similar to this a few years ago, but I was recently inspired or rather, frustrated, to write something similar again. I was recently at the gym for a few hours to do some work, (yes, I was actually there), and during those few hours in the gym upstairs, it was like déjà vu. Seems like some things never change, no matter how hard you try. As I was working away, I couldn’t help overhearing and observing three young adults working out on the weights. They were training their chest muscles that day. Wow, what a waste of time and effort. The effort and enthusiasm was certainly there, but the know-how in regards to form, and duration of training was non-existent. Too bad, because if they only knew what I knew, they would not only be spending less time at the gym, but they would get much more out of that reduced time. So, on to the article:
When do we hire professionals most of the time? Think about it. You want a new kitchen, so in order to get the result that you want, you hire kitchen renovators. You want your bathroom renovated, same thing; you hire someone who is good at it and have them do it so you can enjoy the end result as quickly and efficiently as possible. You want new windows installed in your house, so because that’s such an important job, you hire window installers to do the job to get the result you want, guaranteed. Once you make those investments, the money is certainly gone, but you get to enjoy the results for many, many years…..if you hire the right people. So now, let’s think about what should be the most important thing in a person’s life, their health. Most of those who are concerned about their deteriorating health as they age, join a health club like ours, and most of those people do not hire anyone to set them up on a proper programme, teach them how to do the exercises properly, teach them how and what to eat, etc. in order to get the result that they want. Same as the kitchen, bathroom or windows, it’s not cheap, but once the money is spent, and you have the proper job done for you, you will benefit from that hire for many years to come. We spend literally thousands and thousands of dollars on material improvements in our lives, but most of us never consider spending any considerable amount of money on our own health. What’s wrong with this picture? Everything. Just buying a membership is like just buying the windows, uninstalled, or buying a beautiful kitchen and not hiring an installer. You get it, right? I found it very disappointing that after we decided to incorporate personal training in our business, I realized that we should have been doing that right from the start, thirty two years ago, and for that, I’m sorry and embarrassed at the same time. So do yourself a favour. If you are as concerned about getting the results you want out of your time at the gym as you should be, stop wasting your time and hire our personal trainer. Once you are set on the right path, you will reap the benefits for many years to come, we guarantee it. Schedule your Free Consultation today!

Gino

Manage your priorities, not your time.

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No time. After all of these years running this health club, trying to figure out why more people don’t exercise regularly, we have finally concluded by researching, surveying, asking, listening, etc., that the number one reason people give for not exercising regularly is lack of time.

Well, the fact of the matter is that we all have the same amount of time. It’s what you do with that time that’s important. It’s not a matter of time management; it’s a matter of priority management. 

Get that straight.

Most likely, if you have a good look at your daily activities besides the ones you have to do, (like going to work), you probably have several hours a day to choose your activities. Some days, let’s face it, you actually don’t have any spare time, but likely some days you do. You have to ask yourself, what’s most important to you?

Watching a movie, going shopping, playing video games, searching the web, having lunch with friends, or maybe doing something to ensure you sustain good health as you age!

Well, here’s the good news, which most people don’t realize. You only need a few hours a week! I’d say three to four hours a week, that’s it. If you come to our gym three times a week, no more, but you do what we show you and you do it consistently, you will achieve the physical results that you want, we guarantee it.

So, can you find three hours in your busy week to ensure your good health? I think most can. Can you find something that you do three times a week that’s not as important as your good health? I think most can.

So, what’s your excuse now?

In my humble opinion, lack of time is no excuse, because simply put, you don’t have any less time than anyone else.

Gino

Making Exercise Work

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Let’s get clear on something. Getting and staying in good shape and in good health is work. The concept is simple, exercise a few days a week, eat better, move more, but make no mistake it is not easy.

Results are not immediate and that can really test us on our journey to better health and fitness. You can’t do a workout, wake up the next day and look in the mirror and see change. Like anything worth while, you have to stay at it, work at it over a long period of time and then once you achieve your goal, you still have to continue to work at it to maintain your achievement or you risk losing it and wasting all of that time and effort to get there.

To make this exercise thing work for you it has to become part of your lifestyle. The trick is to fit it in to your life but not have it take over your life where it becomes a burden. Here are a couple tips to help you achieve this.

Plan Ahead. If you treat exercise as something that is a nice to do when you have time you will never have time to do it. You have to plan ahead and schedule time for your workouts like any other appointment you have that you wouldn’t miss. Figure out what a realistic schedule is for you to stick to and schedule it. We recommend 3 days a week but if you can only fit in 2, that is ok too. Consistency is the key so whatever amount works for you. Remember that this is a lifestyle, not a quick fix. Working out 2 days a week for the rest of your life is much better for you and will give you much better long-term results then working out everyday for 2 weeks and then quitting because it is too much.

Keep it Short. Don’t Over Commit. This is in regards to your workout time. In and out in an hour or less should be the goal. You can do everything you need to do in that amount of time. You could even get a good workout in in 30 minutes if that is all you have. The point is to not make your workouts take up too much of your day, otherwise it becomes a burden on your schedule and you will skip it.

Whatever your goal is, whether it is weight loss, strength gain, better quality of life, the results don’t happen in a moment, they come over time. The longer you stay at it, the better the results. The members that we have seen have the most success seen it come over years, with some ups and downs along the way, but they were consistently staying at it and still are today. Nobody loses 80lbs in a month, or fixes joint pain from a couple of workouts. It does take time, but if you plan ahead and keep it short, it doesn’t have to take up too much precious time and you will be far better able to enjoy more time actively doing the things you want to, for as long as you want to, because you invested a few hours a week into yourself!  

Fasted vs. Fed Cardio for Weight Loss

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I have been asked this question quite a lot over the years, if doing cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is better for weight loss.

As with most questions the answer I always give is “it depends”.

You do burn more energy from fat in a fasted state, so in theory yes, doing cardio fasted would use more calories from fat then had you ate something before your workout.

You have to also remember that weight loss occurs over time, not in a single workout. It happens from consistently repeating good habits like eating good foods in the right amounts and exercising regularly.

Exercising fasted gives a slight edge to you but it is by no means a solution for quick weight loss. You still have to follow the fundamentals.

Another interesting fact I learned a couple years ago listening to one of my favourite speakers, Dr. Len Kravitz, at a conference talk about this topic was that in his research he found that although a person exercising in a fasted state did burn slightly more calories from fat during the workout, the person who ate a small snack before exercise burned more fat throughout the entire day compared to the person fasted because eating kickstarted their metabolism sooner. He recommended eating a small snack before your morning workout.

For me there is no benefit, one over the other, it’s whatever you feel better doing. Some of us feel great working out fasted and other don’t. So, choose what allows you to have the best workout you can, whether that is fasted or fed.

If you choose to eat something, it shouldn’t be a big meal and it shouldn’t be consumed immediately before exercise. Try to eat 30-60 minutes before, and keep it small.

How Long Does It Take to See Results from Exercise?

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Everybody wants to know; how long do I need to exercise before I see results? Depending on what results you are after the period of time it takes will vary. We will look at a few of the more common benefits and when you can expect to start to see some results. There is a catch though! We will address that at the end, so read on.

Resting Heart Rate
Within just a couple weeks with regular aerobic training you can see improvements in your resting heart rate. The heart is a muscle and improves and gets stronger with exercise. As you get fitter, not only will your resting heart rate decrease but your heart rate will recovery quicker after an exercise bout as well.

Blood Pressure
Again, within just a few weeks you can start to see improvements in blood pressure if you have high or borderline high blood pressure.

Endurance
Expect it to take 4-6 weeks of regular aerobic exercise before you see noticeable improvements in your endurance although the changes begin within the first couple weeks, it just takes a bit before they translate into noticeable improvements.

Strength
You will begin to notice strength gains within the first 2 to 3 weeks. These gains are mostly from neuromuscular adaptations where your muscle learns to move more efficiently. In a 3 to 6 month period you can see anywhere form a 25-100% gain in strength.

Muscle Size
This one takes a lot of work and needs a long-term perspective and the amount varies from very little change to up to about a 60% increase. There are a lot of variables that come in to play for this one such as age, gender, genetics, type of resistance training program and nutrition.

Weight Loss
With no change in diet, depending on how much energy you are expending throughout the week you could see results within a week or never see any weight loss results. Remember, you can’t out work a bad diet. The best weight loss results come from combining diet and exercise. If you do that the results are immediate.

Mental Health
Results in your first workout! Every workout will produce positive mental health benefits.

Now here is the catch.

Most of these results begin within the first few weeks of beginning an exercise routine BUT they only matter if you maintain the consistency with your exercise program. You have to keep it up to keep the results up.

Find a way to make exercise a regular part of your weekly routine and you will reap all of the benefits listed above for the rest of your life!