Tuesday, May 12, 2009

8 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE HIRING A PERSONAL TRAINER

Personal training has become more and more popular as people struggle with their weight and general health. But with thousands upon thousands of personal trainers popping up all over the place, how do you know which ones are the real deals and which ones are in it just to cash in on this highly lucrative market? Don't spend all your hard earned money before you ask the following 8 simple questions:

1. Experience

Find out what previous experience your trainer has. Do they mostly train body builders? Have they trained people of your age or people with medical conditions like yours before? Find out how long your personal trainer has been working in the industry and in what area he or she has worked.

2. Qualifications

Ask where they obtained their qualifications. Can you verify their qualifications? If you are not sure, then ask for details so you can call or verify the information before commencing.

3. References

Can the personal trainer offer you any references? It's always reassuring to call up previous or current clients and ask questions about the personal trainer, their results and the training program. References on websites are one thing, but talking in person is another.

4. The Package

Once you know about the credibility of the personal trainer, you can start asking about the packages they can offer you. If you're training for weight loss and they do not offer you any nutritional advice then be very weary. It is almost impossible to lose weight without first addressing your eating habits, regardless of the amount of exercise you perform.

5. Results

Get down to the bare bones of why you want a personal trainer in the first place: RESULTS. Find out what realistic results you can expect. Be very weary of personal trainers that promise you the earth just to get you to sign up. All good personal trainers should not only be clear on what they can do for you to help you reach your goal but especially what is required of YOU to reach your goal. All good personal trainers should offer you a full money back guarantee should they fail to deliver as promised. If they don't, then ask for one and see how many change their minds about the results they promised.

6. Assessments

Ask about what assessments you will receive before the training begins. Blood pressure, body circumference measurements, BMI, lung capacity are all standard assessments these days. What's also important are the postural assessments, biomechanical movement pattern assessments, range of movement tests. If you're not being tested to this degree then the personal trainer is literally guessing and using a one size fits all program. The more testing that takes place, the more specific for YOU the program will be.

7. Training

Find out what an average training session will consist of. All personal trainers have their particular methods of training. Don't get dragged into something you don't want to do. If they want you to sprint up hills and do some boxing but that is not your idea of fun then tell them so. There are many ways to achieve the same results. If they can't offer you something you enjoy then look elsewhere, otherwise you'll get fed up and lose motivation very quickly.

8. Support

Do they offer you a support system? If you only see your personal trainer once a week and need help with some exercises or nutrition can you contact them? All good personal trainers will leave some line of communication open for their clients. If they don't, then they don't care enough about YOU and should be dismissed.

Find a Personal Trainer Huntington Beach at FitnessWorkx.com

Saturday, May 2, 2009

REDUCE BELLY FAT

Belly fat can be very dangerous to your health. Extra fat carried around your abdomen can increase your risk of heart disease. So it is very much necessary to eradicate belly fat. Some effective measures to reduce belly fat are given below. Before undertaking any exercise or diet program, it is always recommended that you consult with your physician.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Regular cardiovascular exercise will reduce body fat levels. Walking is great cardio. You should move your body aerobically on a regular basis. If you don't enjoy walking then ride a bike, swim, or jog. Participate routinely in some activity that will increase your heart rate.

Weight Lifting Exercises

Regular weight lifting has several beneficial effects for those trying to reduce their body fat levels. Muscles burn extra calories. The more muscle you carry on your frame, the more calories you burn in a 24 hour period which translates into extra fat burning power. Muscles take up about one third less space than fat.

Five beneficial tips to reduce belly fat.

1. Lose belly fat by eating foods that burn fat.
2. Lose belly fat by drinking sufficient water.
3. Lose belly fat by weight training
4. Lose belly fat by getting a cardio workout.
5. Lose belly fat by crunches and other abs exercises

Belly Fat and Exercise

The best way to lose abdominal fat is to eat right and exercise regularly. And there's a growing body of research showing that the fastest way to burn off the fat from your belly is with a combination of weight-training and aerobic exercise. Adding variety to your workout will motivate you to go further into achieving your goal.

Here we are given 5 exercise tips to lose belly fat for including your routine work out.

1. The Plank

The Plank is a core exercise that strengthens and tightens the abdominal muscles, as well as the back and the lower back muscles. The position; push up pose, forearms and toes are the ones only touching the ground. Hold this pose for 6 counts or until you cannot tolerate holding this pose. Then slowly go down and repeat the pose 3 times.

2. Abs crunch with stability ball

This core excercise let's you target and isolates the abs muscles for a more precise muscle workout. However if you do not have a stability ball you can put your legs on a sturdy chair and do the crunch. Do the crunch for 12 counts and repeat for 3 times.

3. Pilates

Pilates provides a great body conditioning routine that develops flexibility, endurance and strengthens the core muscles. It tones the abs muscle without adding muscle bulk this is a good workout to have a flat toned abdominals a great exercise for ladies too.

4. Walking

Walking lets all the muscle in the body burn more easily especially the abdominal muscles. Walking can be a great cardio workout also.

5. Cardiovascular exercises

Cardio exercises or aerobic exercises, like jogging, swimming, biking, and sprinting are some of the best cardio exercises that you will definitely enjoy. It gives a good whole body workout and is a great exercise tip to lose belly fat.

Belly fat and Diet

Uncontrolled diet is the cause for belly fat. You must avoid some food items to gain a flat and strong belly without fat. Some tips for gaining flat belly are given below.

Avoid Junk Food

To lose belly fat you have to throw out the junk food. Do not keep junk food like cookies, chips, sweets and other similar products in your house. If you do not have these bad foods lying around, you won't be tempted and after some time, your cravings for these foods will diminish, helping you to break those bad eating habits. Most junk food consists of refined carbohydrates and sugars, which when eaten quickly, raise blood sugar levels, reduces the body's ability to burn fat while increasing appetite.

Avoid Unnecessary Carbohydrates

Consumption of carbohydrates, also known as carbs, is essential, but there are good carbs and bad carbs. Refined flours and the foods that they create, such as white bread, pasta, donuts, cakes and biscuits should be avoided. They can cause bloating, poor digestion, and lead to accumulation of fat. "Good carbs", such as fresh fruits and vegetables, should be eaten instead. A diet that takes most of its carbs from fruit and vegetables, as opposed to flours, is healthier.

Avoid Late Night Snacks

Try not to have late night snacks. The main problem with late night snacking is that there is not much activity done afterwards. People go straight to bed right after the late night and cause high sugar levels in the blood stream and no energy spent after that. The excess sugar will just turn into fat.

Reduce Alcohol Consumption

Excess alcohol consumption can really cause weight gain and fat belly. One gram of alcohol, which can be calculated as one ml of alcohol contains 7 calories. Furthermore, alcohol contains no nutrients at all. So, the entire amount of calories consumed through alcohol will be stored as fat.

Best foods to reduce belly fat

Foods that are high in protein and fiber are the best kinds of food to eat if you want to burn fat around your middle. Eggs are high in protein and essential to helping you burn fat. Substitute low fat dairy products in place of high fat dairy products. Some of the best kinds of beans such as Navy beans, White beans, Kidney Beans and Lima Beans are best for flat belly. Oatmeal has some nutritional qualities which can reduce belly fat. Use olive oil instead of oils containing high amounts of trans fats that increase cholesterol levels. Olive oil is one of those good fats, it helps you to burn fat and keeps your cholesterol down. Use whole grain foods. They contain the fiber and minerals that the body needs.

Lose That Belly Fat Now in Huntington Beach at FitnessWorkx.com