I Was Wandering Around When I Saw Some...Weights? What Do I Do With Them??

Two Scenarios:
(1)
Jill is a client who is 27 years old and looking to lose about 35 pounds. She has recently signed a contract with a trainer, Bob, who is going to put her on a 12 week program. Today is their first session.
Bob: Hi Jill, how are you doing today? Please tell me in detail what goals you’d like to accomplish within the next 12 weeks.
Jill: Oh Bob, I just plan on losing all this weight. I want to do as much cardio as I can and eat around 1,000 calories a day. My friend did it and she lost a lot of weight…so since it worked for her that is what I would like to try as well. Now, if you can just tell me how much cardio to do…I could get started!
Bob: Well unfortunately, that plan doesn’t sound like a very successful one. With doing excessive amounts of cardio you put yourself in danger of losing muscle mass, especially while on a low calorie diet and that is not going to be what we want if we are looking for long-term results. Losing muscle mass would stop you from burning high amounts of calories during the day…which means it will take us even longer to get you to your goal.
Jill: I don’t care if I lose fat or muscle loss, I just want to lose weight!
Bob: Well, let me explain to you the difference. If you lose muscle, it is true, you might become smaller…but your body will look the same. If you have love handles now, they will still be there in 12 weeks. What we need to do is put you on a balanced program of cardio and resistance training.
Jill: RESISTANCE TRAINING? No! I can’t do that! I don’t want huge muscles and my legs are already big enough. I can’t lift weights, I will end up looking like a man! No Bob, there has to be another way.
(2)
Marcus  is a 35 year old who isn’t overweight or underweight. He is of normal stature and just wants to improve his physique. He is looking to tone up and become more athletic. Yesterday he signed a 6 week contract with Amanda, an experienced trainer who specializes in kicking butt. Today is their first session.
Amanda: Hey Marcus, are you ready for today? Let’s talk about your goals for our program and we’ll see what I can do to help accomplish them.
Marcus: Well, I am not looking to lose 20 pounds or even gain 15. I only want to change my physique. I want to look good with my shirt off and I want my abs to be awesome. However, I can’t lift weights Amanda. In the past I have tried this and the only thing that happens to me is that I get huge! I don’t want to look like Arnold and that is basically what happens, so we need to avoid that at all cost. I also can’t do any cardio because I drop weight fast and while I don’t want to look like Arnold I also don’t want to look like Urkel…please just tell me what to do.
Amanda: Well Marcus, I think that one problem we are having with you and your goals is that you have a lot of misconceptions about cardio and also about weight training. Just because you lift weights doesn’t mean you are going to turn out like Arnold…and just because you get on a treadmill once in a while doesn’t mean you are going to end up weighing 95 pounds. There is always a method behind the madness…all we have to do is decide which path of cardio and weight training is best for your goals. But let me assure you…you should never be afraid of anything that is inside the gym. Everything that is there is there to help you get to your goal, you only have to know how to utilize it.
Marcus: Alright, I’m trusting you. When do we start?

Both of these clients had personal goals that sounded reasonable, however their ideas of how to get to them were not. Many people enter the gym, look around and instantly decide what pieces of equipment will successfully help them get to their goal while at the same time crossing off many different types of equipment without even giving it a chance or knowing how it works. The most often that I see this happen with are the free weights and weight machines. People actually get scared that they are going to walk out of the gym looking like a body builder if at any time they add resistance training to their program. Let me ask a quick question…have you ever looked yourself in the mirror and actually said to yourself, “Wow, my arms are 19 inches around, I need to lay off the bicep curls” ? If you have, I am surprised. Most people do not gain a significant amount of size unless they are actually trying to gain muscle specifically. In fact, gaining muscle is quite difficult. Ask the thousands of people who eat 7,000 calorie diets and pump iron for 3 hours a day just trying to gain 10 pounds of muscle. However, people are convinced that they are going to get huge and “that’s the last thing they want”. Well, guess what? I’m going to ask you to get over that misconception right now. Ready? Okay great. Are you over it yet? Perfect. Now, let me explain to you the difference between getting toned and getting “huge”.

Ladies: You are the guiltiest of hating weights. I have had so many women tell me that they don’t want to lift weights because they don’t want to get all “muscular” and do you know what I reply? Look at me. Does it look like my biceps are about to burst out of my sleeves? How about my legs? Are they the size of tree trunks? No, they aren’t. Do I lift weights every day? Well…yes, yes I do.
Men: Stop thinking that you are going to look like Arnold if you pick up a weight. Unless you dedicate your life to weight lifting, supplements, and eating…that probably will never happen J Sorry. You can still lift weights and look how you want without gaining 40 pounds of muscle.
Free weights and weight machines are NOT the culprits! Who is? You are! Whether you tone up or gain size all depends on your routine, it depends on repetitions, and it also depends on diet. Yep, that’s right…you CAN use those things in the back of your gym J Did you just get excited? Awesome.  Now let’s discuss which path you should take to get to your goal.

TONE:

When toning up, the most important part of your routine should be to count your repetitions. I see people go out onto the floor, do 4 sets of 10 repetitions and then complain to me about their legs getting too big. To keep your muscle lean and long you need to do high repetition at about 3 sets each. For example, bicep curls…three sets of curls at 15-20 repetitions each would not make you gain size on your arms. The key to toning is to fatigue the muscle with high repetition. A lot of people tell me that in order to get toned they aren’t going to lift over a 10 pound weight…well…that’s silly! You can lift as much as you want as long as you get in the range of 15-20 repetitions. So in the case of toning, don’t think about the weight you are lifting, but the amount of times you are lifting it. Here is a very basic full body workout which can be used for toning. However, since it is a full body work out, it will be necessary to lift one day and then take the following day to either rest or get cardio in. Do not lift two days in a row! Your body needs time to recuperate.


 EXAMPLE:

Push Ups -20 times
Squats-20 times/ 10 lb weights in each hand
Sitting, overhead dumbbell shoulder press- 20 times/3-5 lb weights in each hand
Forward, Alternating Lunges-20 times each leg/5-8 lb weights in each hand
Bicep Curls- 20 times/8-10 lb weights in each hand
Overhead triceps extension- 20 times/5-8lb weight
Side Lunges-20 times each leg/5-8 lb weights in each hand
Dumbbell Row-20 times/8-10 lb weights in each hand

This is a very basic routine which could be used for anyone. Each exercise should be performed once before starting the circuit again. So for example, you would do 20 push-ups followed by 20 squats…etc. After you have completed one set of each exercise you start again at the beginning to perform the second set of each exercise. I suggest 3-4 sets for each exercise. By moving from one exercise to the next you give each particular muscle group a chance to rest and recuperate before performing the exercise again. The weights I have suggested would probably be for someone who is beginning. However, you can use whatever weight you want. If you want do bicep curls with 20 lb weights…then go for it J However, make sure that you can fulfill all the sets and reps with the weight you choose. If you can’t, lower the weight and gradually add weight each time you do the routine.

MUSCLE GAIN:

When trying to gain muscle, it is more important to pay attention to small details when writing up a routine. You need to consider reps, number of exercises which you include, resting periods, and muscle groups. If you are seriously trying to gain size then you need to spread your routines out specifically by muscle groups. For example, you may want to do something like this: Monday-Legs, Tuesday-Biceps and Shoulders, Wednesday-Chest, Thursday-Legs, Friday-Back and triceps, Saturday-Rest, Sunday-Rest or 20 to 60 min cardio.  There is a lot of debate on if you should work back and triceps or shoulders and biceps together, but no matter what order you work them, you will always be getting a secondary workout in…so in my opinion and in the opinion of many others, it is okay to pair the muscle groups as according. Now, if you do not have enough time to get 5 days in a week at the gym you may also group your muscle groups like so: Monday-Back/Biceps/Triceps, Wednesday-Legs, Friday-Chest, Shoulders. It is up to you, just make sure that you have back and legs spread out a few days from each other because since they are such large muscle groups, your body needs time to recuperate. Now…here comes the more complicated stuff. One mistake that many people make when trying to gain size is overdoing it. Muscle gain isn’t about spending three hours in the gym every day, it is about using your time effectively to stimulate the muscles as much as possible within a short period of time. For example, each routine should entail about 3-4 exercises of which you will only do for a total of about 12-15 reps TOTAL for the whole routine.


For  Example of Leg Day:

Leg Press- 8 times/250 lbs

Leg Extension-8 times/150 lbs

Calf Raise-8 times/300 lbs

Barbell Squat-8 times/300 lbs

Leg Curl-8 times/115 lbs

Leg Extension-6 times/175 times

Leg Press-6 times/300 lbs

Leg Curl-6 times/125 lbs

Barbell Squat-6 times/325 lbs

Leg Extension-6 times/185 lbs

Leg Press-6 times/325 lbs

Barbell Squat-6 times/340 lbs

Leg Press-6 times/345 lbs

Calf Raise-6 times/350 times


That is just an example and those weights may be too heavy for some people or maybe not enough, but that is an example of how a leg day might go. Between EACH exercise, you need to wait 90-120 seconds to allow your body to recover. Now, all you have to do is take your other muscle groups and form the same type of routine. However, if you are working more than one muscle group then you may only work each group 4-7 times…so instead of having 12 exercises for your biceps and 12 exercises for your shoulders, you may only have 6 or 7 exercises for each. That means you will need to lift heavy to feel the burn. Understand? There are many ways to train for muscle gain, but this is just a method that I prefer when training clients.

Last but not least: Diet J Yep, you all knew I was going to talk about it. Why? Because it’s important. If you aren’t eating enough calories, enough protein, or getting enough complex carbs, you aren’t going to see the gain that you want. It is essential to eat a lot so that your body can process the energy and use it towards the recuperation of your muscles. It is also important to eat correctly when trying to tone as well. Whether gaining or toning, you should take a protein shake when leaving the gym, try to get in enough protein during the day and stay away from unrefined carbs. It doesn’t matter what your goal is, you will always have to fall back on your diet if you want to get the results you want.

There are many things that I could write about when talking about weight lifting, there are many questions I could answer…and I wish I could answer them all, but if I did, this particular blog would never end. However, the most important thing that I want you to get out of this today is that YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF LIFTING WEIGHTS! Weight training tightens up your body, it gives you the figure you want, and it gives you more muscle mass (not necessarily bulky muscle mass) which enables you to burn more calories throughout the day. What does that mean? Oh, that means you do less work, burn more calories, and maintain your figure more easily. Sound like something you might want to do? That’s what I thought. So, get out there and lift some iron! Pump some steel! And send me some updates on your progress! If you are truly looking to change your lifestyle, your body, and well….just feel better about yourself then you are going to have to trust me…and give this a shot. Every day is a struggle…but every day that you put up a fight…you are winning J

Remember,

YOU ONLY FAIL WHEN YOU STOP TRYING TO SUCCEED!!

So hey…go succeed J Until next time! -Natalie

You mean...people just like me get to their goals too??

What is the excuse that you give yourself for not getting to your goal? Not enough time? You’ve always been overweight so that’s what you’ve settled with? You’re just not that “type” of person? Well, whatever it is…I would like you to do this: Throw it out the window. No more excuses from you, I’m tired of them. An excuse is only setting yourself up for failure. I believe that every person is capable of achieving physical fitness. A lot of people come to me telling me that I don’t understand…that I’m a personal trainer so that excludes me from feeling the same things they do. Well, you’re wrong. I could give myself a million reasons as to why I don’t have enough time to exercise, as to why it’s easier to eat unhealthily…but I don’t.  We use excuses to bide ourselves time in the eyes of others, when really all we are doing is “making ourselves feel better” about the goal we have yet to accomplish.
            The number one aspect of physical fitness that I feel people do not grasp is that (now this may be shocking to a few of you) it does not happen overnight. Now come on, everyone knows that, but even though we know that we still expect to see results right away. I can’t tell you how many people I have seen walk  in to the gym after not being there for six months….get on an elliptical, do 30 minutes…go home, come back the next day and weigh themselves to see if they’ve lost a pound yet. You’re only setting yourself up for frustration if you continue with these behavioral patterns.
            So, since so many people like to believe they don’t fall into the category of “one of those people” that accomplishes goals…I have interviewed a person that also thought she wasn’t one of those people, but today she is closer than ever to her goal. The key to changing behavioral patterns is to remember that baby steps turn into big steps eventually…and that is exactly what Christine did. Christine is a wife, mother, and business owner. She is probably one of the busiest people I know, yet she has found time to accomplish her goal. How you might ask? It’s because she took something that used to be insignificant in her life and she chose to make it a priority. If she can do it…so can you J


1. Within the last year you have lost a lot of weight. How much have you lost? What was your starting weight and what is your weight now?...I started out, I'm sad to say, at 188...and at my last weigh in I was at 142.8
2. Have you always struggled with your weight? Yes! And even though I have stuck to my diet I still seem to manage to go up and down from week to week, depending on the stress that that week holds, my activity level and my exercise routine. I just have to keep going forward and work on correcting whatever it was that went wrong during the next week. Getting depressed over it and throwing in the towel won’t help me reach my goal.
3. I know you have lost weight before, but what was different about this time than others? It's gone very slow this time it seems...some weeks I'll lose only a tenth or two of a pound and another week I'll lose 3 lbs! But my body seems to be holding onto the changes more this time and reshaping rather that just losing weight. It's like it stalls out and even thought I may not have lost any weight that week, my clothes start to fit differently. And then I'll see another big drop in numbers on the scale if I don't give up and just keep going forward. I seem to have a pattern of big loss, a little loss, a little gain, a little loss, and then another big loss...
4. For you, what was the most important factor? Was it food, exercise, supplements, etc? I think it was a big combination of all 3! Food choices and portions was a huge part of it! And an exercise plan that I enjoyed and could stick to with the chaos that is my life. But keeping my vitamins in balance and adjusting as my weight went down was a big part of it to. I went through stretches where I needed more minerals and more supplements and then stretches where I needed to cut back on them. I could feel the changes in my body and I could feel and see the effects on my skin, hair and nails as I went through all this.
5. You are a wife, mother, and business owner which doesn't leave you with a lot of time...for people out there that say they can't lose weight because they don't have time, what would you say to them? It's not easy! But if you are willing to make the choices and the sacrifices and to keep going even though it can get so frustrating at times and make time for YOURSELF even a few days a week, it makes all the difference in the world! I found that going into the other room and closing the door and allowing the boys to take care of themselves for an hour or so didn't hurt them and it made me feel better! And once my jeans started to fit looser and once I got my first, “have you lost weight?" It helped motivate me to keep going forward!
6. How many times per week were you exercising? How long were your workout sessions? I have to admit, I have fluctuated on that...I try to stick to at least every other day...but some weeks I exercised 5 days a week and others....only once...but those weeks I could definitely tell and I felt guilty at my weight ins...But I am the first to tell you that there are times when life takes over and there just doesn't seem to be time! The trick is to just not fall into that rut and stay there! Get back to it! Even if it IS only one day a week to work back into your routine...

    I HATE exercising...I get bored I think...and it hurts, and I get tired...so I struggled with what my form of exercise was going to be. So I had this brain storm that I would jog on the Mini Trampoline! I can do that inside rain or shine, it is less impact on my knees and its fun! So I go into the other room, shut the door, find a show that I missed on OnDemand on Comcast and I catch up on the shows that I like and watching something new it helps keep me from focusing on the fact that I'm tired or that my legs hurt. It also helps me keep time! CSI OnDemand runs for 44 min. I started with that and did that for a long time...and then one day I realized that I wasn't tired and that I could keep going! So I did 2 shows! And from that point I was sooo close to a full hour and a half that I just kept going! So I'm currently going an hour and a half each night I get a chance to sneak away to exercise.  And believe it or not, I look forward to it now! It's my "me" time! Everyone usually leaves me alone and I get to just relax and work out the stress of the day.

   
7. Can you please explain the difference you have made in your eating habits? How were they before you lost the weight and how are they now? Because of our work schedules...eating habits were off balance to say the least. Quite often I wouldn't eat anything all day and then eat just fattening comfort foods for dinner and over eat since I hadn't eaten all day. And we ate out a lot!! When you out running errands till 9PM and you realize that you still need to figure out something for dinner, it was a lot of Jack In the Box to the rescue! Or take out from the Mexican restaurant...whatever was easiest, fastest and didn't mean dishes to do tonight...and "treats" were an everyday all day splurge, rather than done with any moderation or control really...We lead a very busy hectic life and it just felt good to have a treat to unwind...over and over and over..We now have changed our choices in treats! A cup of Yoplait fat free yogurt or a cup of fruit helps curb that sweet tooth just as well!

    My eating schedule had to change as well. To start out I honestly didn't think I could do it! I felt like the first two weeks that all day everyday was focused around food and I was either always hungry or not hungry when it was time to eat again...it took me awhile to adjust..But I eat Breakfast, a snack mid morning, lunch, a snack mid afternoon, and dinner. My diet choice was Jenny Craig because it gave me pre portioned meals, Snacks and moral support as well! You've seen the commercials ...and I honestly could not have made it through all of this if it wasn't for my consultant and for the support of my family. My consultant is so excited for me and so supportive when I lose even a half a pound. That helps me keep going and to try to do better the next week.

8. What were some of the things that you did to keep yourself motivated? At first it was just the numbers on the scale and the little differences that I could notice and feel, but that no one else seemed to notice yet...then it was my clothes fitting looser and the chance in my face (that’s where I started to really notice the weight lose first) ...it's been a long road, but the first day that I could wear my cute heels all day without wanting to cry was big day for me!! LOL! I love shoes! And when I finally hit the point that I NEEDED to go shopping for pants and shirts!!! Holey Moley! That was Huge!! My motivations keep changing in order to keep me motivated....if that makes scene.  When I found out that I could fit into a size 6 pair of pants!! There are no words! But I now have a cute pair of size 4's that I bought on a great sale, so right now...those are my goal! That and my goal weight of 130 (maybe 125 ; )!! ) I have made it this far and I am determined to reach my goal! Even though I hear all the time how good I look, that was my goal when I started out and my goodness I WILL reach it! Even if it takes me another 6 months! 

9. Besides losing the weight, have you seen any other improvements? Mood? Conditions of skin, nails, or hair? More energy? Mood, defiantly! I deal with stress much better these days! And I am soooo much happier! and more comfortable in my own skin! I don't stress near as much about having to interact with people anymore...before I would stress for 3 weeks prior to a birthday party of event of any kind...I just wanted to hide and not see anyone.

    Energy, I think too...I seem to be more inspired to get things done or to go do things! I've always worked very hard...but Despite what I felt was a lot of natural activity...it just didn't seem to be cutting it! I have really increased both natural activity as well as planned exercise.

    My skin is definitely much clearer! And my hair and nails have improved as well.
10. What are your plans for the future? How are you going to keep yourself on track? Do you think it's possible for everyone to make this type of lifestyle change? I am planning on making my eating habits and my exercise habits a part of my life. Not just until I reach my goal but as part of how I live my life! I have gained and lost so many times! And I'm so tired of it! I'm tired of my weight being such a huge stress on my life! Life is so much simpler when I'm not worried about it! I every day, make conscious choices to NOT eat whatever sounds good or to try some of everything...I feel better about myself when I've made it through a dinner out with friends or with my family and I've managed to still make good choices! There are so many substitutions that you can make that make such a big difference on what comes out on your plate!

    I totally think that anyone can do it!! A Lot of it depends on determination, will power and the sacrifices that you are willing to make to get you to your goal so that you can start to even out, relax a little bit and just make it part of your life style not "I'm on a diet"

Christine didn’t get to her goal in a month, or even 3 months…in fact, she still says that she’s not even there! Perseverance is what will get you there. If you eat bad one day, don’t give up and decide that just because you messed once you’ve failed…wake up the next morning and decide to eat better. Decide to be the person that you want to be. Take small steps everyday to improving your lifestyle and soon you will see it becomes easier and easier. Make the decision to go on walks or drink more water, with each small decision such as these you get closer and closer to your goal. I am positive that each and every one of you can get to your goal…but you are the only person that can get yourself there. You are responsible for yourself. Make the decision to try because no goal was ever accomplished without someone first trying to get there. Remember:

               YOU ONLY FAIL WHEN YOU STOP TRYING TO SUCCEED


Look for my next blog…it will be on gaining muscle and size. Good luck! Until next time!

-Natalie