One of the keys to weight loss and fitness success is keeping a food journal.

A food journal is a daily log of the meals and snack that you eat throughout the day. However, Keeping a food journal is a big pain in the ass for most people… until now!

Watch the following video to discover the easiest way to keep a food journal… no matter where you are.

I think that is an awesome way to keep a food journal; much more accurate and way easier than writing everything down.

Be sure to leave a comment, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the visual food journal.

And if you haven’t done so already, be sure to opt-in for your free My Fit Life Fitness updates… I’ll also send you a Free 34 page ebook that shows how to get more results in less time by using fitness tips and tricks of top personal trainers.

Alexander Morentin
Personal Fitness Trainer
Fullerton (Orange County), CA

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Developing the proper mindset is the foundation for any successes that we will have in our lives including fitness and weight loss.

In order to be sucessful with your fitness and weight loss efforts you need to have a good enough “reason why”.

It’s true. You can’t lose weght for the sake of losing weight. There has to be an underlying reason why:

• Maybe you want to look your best on your wedding day or at your class reunion.
• Maybe you have a history of heart disease or breast cancer in your family and you want to do everything you can to avoid it.
• Maybe you want to be the ultimate example for your children.
• Maybe you gained weight because of fear or depression and you want to reclaim your life…

Whatever your reason, make sure it’s a good one.

Why? Because there will be tough times along the road to fitness success. We all have them… believe me… we all have them.

It’s been said that the road to success is paved with hard work and determination.

Yes, there’s work involved and there’s sacrifices that you’ll have to make.

Don’t get me wrong, there are good times too, very good times.
Nothing feels better than achieving your goals and being truly happy with the person staring back at you in the mirror.

However, when the tough times come, it’s that reason why, that very special reason why, that will keep you on the fast track to fitness success.

So, what is your reason why? Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear about it.

And if you haven’t done so already, be sure to opt-in for your free My Fit Life Fitness updates… I’ll also send you a Free 34 page ebook that shows how to get more results in less time by using fitness tips and tricks of top personal trainers.

Alexander Morentin
Personal Fitness Trainer
Fullerton (Orange County), CA

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

You might not have noticed, but… it’s December and Christmas is almost here!

Which means that it’s time for my annual fitness year in review.

Sadly, as a nation, America keeps getting fatter. The epidemic of overweight and obesity is rising at an alarming rate. In fact, one of the fastest growing sectors of the obesity crisis is our youth.

Yes, our children are getting fatter and sicker each and every year. Adult diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, are now found in children in large numbers. In fact, half of all new cases of Type 2 Diabetes are children.

However, on a positive note, I feel that 2009 will be host to several growing fitness trends that will provide the long-term answers to solve this ever-growing problem:

Fitness Trend#1- Semi-Private Training &Fitness Boot Camps Will Rise, One-On-One Personal Training Will Fall

If you listen to the news, you’ll know that our economy is struggling right now. Because of this, the average American does not have the disposable income for typical personal training rates that run about $50-$100 per session.

However, with every problem emerges a solution; Group training is the answer. Semi-Private training, such as my Body Sculpt Rapid Fat Loss classes, are probably the hottest thing in fitness right now. The group training business model creates the ultimate win-win for trainers and clients making the one-on-one alternative obsolete. Fitness trainers get to better leverage their time and maximize profits by working with an unlimited number of clients per hour. Fitness clients are able to better access personal training services in a unique and dynamic team environment that provides better social support and accountability for only a third of the cost of typical one-on-one training rates.

If you are trying to lose weight & feel great in 2009, do yourself a favor by saving your hard-earned money and get better results by joining a local Semi-private training class.

Fitness Trend#2- Interval Training Trumps Aerobic Training For Improved Fat Loss And Fitness Success

High-Intensity Interval Training is rapidly gaining popularity as the best form of improving both fitness and fat loss. Thankfully, 2009 will see more people doing sprints and less people doing marathons to lose weight. However, make no mistake about it, lots of people are still going to do hours of snail-paced cardio to try and burn fat.

Aerobic or endurance training is essentially going at a slow, low intensity pace for a long period of time (typically at least 30-60 minutes). In other words, the focus of endurance training is on the total volume of exercise (not quality). Think about all those cardio bunnies you see every New Year running for hours pounding the pavement or treadmill to get rid of that winter blubber. Sadly, this results in minimal fat loss and lots of overtraining injuries.

With interval training, the focus is on the intensity of exercise (quality). Intervals consist of alternating between shorts bouts of all out high-intensity effort and active recovery periods for a much quicker and focused amount of time (typically 10-20 minutes of intervals works best). This approach is scientifically proven to burn nine times more fat AND leads to faster improvements in fitness than the aerobic alternative.

Two landmark scientific studies come to mind here:

The Tabata study compared the effects of four minutes of high-intensity interval training with 45-60 minutes of low to moderate intensity cardio. The interval training group burned just as much fat as the endurance group and also had greater improvement in both anaerobic (think sprinters) and aerobic (think distance runners) fitness… in only four minutes!

The Gibala study compared the effects of 20 minutes of interval training (30 second sprint followed by four minutes of rest) with 90-120 minutes of endurance training in the “heartrate zone.” The conclusions of the study were that both methods of training lead to the same improvements in oxygen utilization (or aerobic fitness). In other words, intervals accomplished what endurance training did from a fitness standpoint in only a sixth of the time!

The time is now to jump on the interval training bandwagon. Come 2009, do yourself and your body a favor and start sprinting to look better naked.

Fitness Trend#3- Fruits, Veggies, And Fiber Are The Carbohydrate Addict’s Answer For Improved Health, Performance, and Body Composition

Americans are carb addicts. We simply can’t get enough starches and sugars in our diet, and we have the bulging midsections to prove it. One of the biggest misconceptions about diet today is that eliminated starches and sugars from your diet automatically means low carb. Better said, eliminating grains (even whole grains) and refined sugars still allows for consumption of the other carbohydrates: fruits and veggies. These nutrient-dense carbs are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber and create more stable blood sugar levels to keep your body burning fat all day long. All of my clients who have lost the most fat have followed my guidelines of unlimited veggies all day long. In other words, eat lots of veggies and very little of the other stuff if you want to see your abs!

Fiber (ideally obtained from fruits and vegetables, specifically green vegetables) helps slow digestion for a more steady supply of nutrients and sustained energy, it prevents overeating at each meal, and it helps keep you full between meals.

Without a doubt, people will be consuming more fruits and veggies next year, and their bodies will reap the rewards of this.

Well, those are the top fitness trends for 2009 according to my crystal ball. I hope the information in this article gives you the push you need to be the trendsetter for your own body and the bodies of those whom you care most about in the New Year!

And if you haven’t done so already, be sure to opt-in for your free My Fit Life Fitness updates… I’ll also send you a Free 34 page ebook that shows how to get more results in less time by using fitness tips and tricks of top personal trainers.

Be sure to leave a comment. I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Alexander Morentin
Author/Success Coach
Fullerton, CA

More Fitness Tips

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

In a previous article, I mentioned that resistance training will increase the amount of calories your body burns throughout the day (even while you sleep). But what else can you do to speed the fat burning process?

Cardiovascular training (such as walking on the treadmill, using a stair machine, etc.) will greatly enhance the rate at which your body burns calories.

Determining Your Target Heart Rate

To effectively burn body fat for fuel, you should keep your heart rate at 50-70% of your estimated maximum heart rate. Working at a faster pace will do more to condition your heart and lungs, but will not use fat for fuel. Work slower than 50% of your max heart rate and you won’t see much in the way of results. I have found that most women get the best results from their cardio sessions by working at or near 70% of max heart rate.

Here’s a simple formula to determine your maximum heart rate, and therefore, your target heart rate for burning away your stubborn body fat…

Take the number 220 and subtract your age. This will give you your estimated maximum heart rate. Then simply multiply that number by 50% to determine the minimum number of times your heart should beat per minute to use stored body fat for fuel. Now, multiply your max heart rate by 70%. This is the maximum number of times your heart should beat per minute before you move out of the fat burning range.

For example, if you are 42 years old, your estimated max heart rate is 178 (220-42= 178).

Now multiply 178 by 50% (178 x .5=89). Your heart should beat at least 89 times per minute to start burning stored body fat for fuel. At the high end your heart should beat no more than 124 times per minute (178 x .7=124.6). Any higher than 124 beats per minute will condition your cardiovascular system, but won’t do much in the way of fat burning.

A more simple way to determine your target heart rate, without having to perform all of the complicated math, is to perform your cardio session at a level 7 on a scale of 1-10. Make sure you are working hard, but not so hard that you are completely out of breath.

Remember, if you’re not accustomed to vigorous exercise, it won’t be hard at all to get into the fat burning zone. Be sure to make your cardio sessions progressively harder as your body becomes accustomed to the workouts. Your trainer can always help you determine your target heart rate if you have any questions. Just ask. We’re always glad to help!

How Much Cardio Do You Really Need

It’s not uncommon to see people spend up to an hour or longer on the treadmill, stationary bike, or stair machine. But is that really necessary, or even more effective, for that matter?…

In actuality, it takes about 20 minutes to start burning body fat from cardio exercise. But luckily, cardio has a cumulative effect. That means doing 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes later in the day still adds up to 20 minutes.

And if you perform your resistance training before your cardio, that also lessens the amount of time it takes to start burning fat for fuel.

So, no you don’t have to spend an hour on the treadmill to see fat burning results. I recommend starting out at 10-15 minutes at a time and working your way up from there by adding 2 minutes to each successive cardio workout. If you can handle more, great! But for most people, it’s not necessary to do more than 30 minutes at a time.

Committed to your success,

Alexander Morentin,
Fullerton Personal Trainer

More Fitness Tips

If you haven’t done so already, be sure to opt-in for my free My Fit Life Fitness updates… I’ll also send you a Free 34 page ebook that shows how to get more results in less time by using fitness tips and tricks of top personal trainers.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

When starting a workout program, we often tend to go for the all or nothing approach. We jump in head first with both guns blazing.

This approach often leads to burnout, frustration, and injury. However, when approached in a consistent fashion that is customized to your specific needs, you will see fantastic results. And, have loads of fun in the process.

The following are 5 tips to say focused, enthused, and on track with your workouts:

1. Build Your Foundation: This is the most important factor of them all. Your future successes or failures all stem from the amount of attention and time you dedicate towards building your foundation.
Muscle activation, core stabilization, breathing, tempo, form, selection, and execution of movements are all crucial factors to your weight loss and fitness success.

2. Be Yourself: Stop trying to keep up with the proverbial Fitness Jones’s. Whether you exercise in a commercial gym, with a partner, or in group setting, do not try to keep up with others that are more advanced than you.
Often times we see others lifting more weights than us or using more advanced moves than we are capable of.
In an attempt to keep up, we sacrifice form and risk injury in the process.
Don’t let your ego get in the way. Always use perfect form, even if it means using a lighter weight.

3. Know Your Limitations: This principle goes hand in hand with the Be Yourself principle, but it cannot be overstated enough.
We are not all physically the same. Some of us have physical limitations that prevent us fro safely doing particular movements.
Whether it’s age, previous injuries, or any number of situations, do not let your ego get in the way. There are progressions and regressions to every fitness movement. Be smart and maximize what you have, while working within your limitations.

4. Step Up The Pace: There will come a time when you become an efficient fat burning machine. Movements that you once dreaded will seem effortless.
You need to address this situation or you run the risk of boredom, burnout, and stagnation.
Increasing focus, increasing weights (resistance), and progressing to more complex movements will keep your progress ongoing and consistent.
Which leads us to…

5. Keep It Interesting: Make sure to mix up your workouts on a consistent basis. Doing so will keep your enthusiasm high and keep you coming back for more. Remember, you don’t have to be in love with every workout.
Rather, you should focus on results and be proud of yourself for making the conscious effort to improve.

Following these 5 simple steps will guarantee you achieve your weight loss and fitness goals.

Be sure to contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding your health and fitness. I’d love to hear what you have to say!

And if you haven’t done so already, be sure to opt-in for my free My Fit Life Fitness updates… I’ll also send you a Free 34 page ebook that shows how to get more results in less time by using fitness tips and tricks of top personal trainers.

Alexander Morentin
My Fit Life
Fullerton, CA 92832

Click Here for More Fitness Tips

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

There is a lot of confusion and misconception surrounding the fitness industry and personal training is no exception. When you decide to hire a personal trainer you are basically relying on luck to find someone who you can trust with your health and fitness needs.

Often times people make the mistake of lumping all personal trainers into one category… thinking that they are all the same. Nothing could be further from the truth. As in all professions there are good trainers, bad trainers and a select few that are exceptional at what they do.

Always Look For The Best

• When you look for an attorney to represent you, you look for the best.
• When you look for a doctor to treat you, you look for the best.
• When you look for a financial planner to take care of your assets, you look for the best.
• When you look for a personal trainer to take care of your health & fitness needs, you should also look for the best.

Looking for and hiring an exceptional fitness trainer is one of the smartest investments you can make.

To help you with your search I have compiled a list of 7 criteria that every qualified fitness professional should possess:

1. National Certifications- The American Council on Exercise, American College of Sports Medicine & National Strength & Conditioning Association are the Gold Standards of Certification. Every fitness trainer should have, at bare minimum, a certification with one of these agencies. A certification through one of these agencies means that the trainer has passed the bare minimum requirements to call himself a personal trainer; it does not guarantee trainer competence.

I currently have 3 national certifications through the American Council on Exercise (ACE):
o ACE Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist
o ACE Certified Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant
o ACE Certified Personal Trainer

2. References &Testimonials- A true fitness professional should be able to do more than talk about how good he is… he should be able to show proof that he can deliver results in the form of client testimonials and verifiable references.
Log on to my website, http://OCFitnessChallenge.com, and click on Testimonials to view some recent Orange County success stories.

3. Programs- A quality fitness trainer should do more than take you through a workout and count your reps. He should have programs in place which will educate you about all of the aspects that will contribute to your achievement of total health and fitness. Your fitness trainer should help you set goals, develop a specific plan of action, and hold you accountable while supporting and motivating you through the entire process.
I have developed a series of customized programs, one of which I’m sure will fit your needs.

4. Assessments- Fitness assessments should be taken at the onset of your fitness program to give you a baseline from which to track your progress. These should include circumference measurements, skinfold measurements, cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility tests.

5. Guarantee- The weight loss and fitness industry is the only industry that I know of where a person will try a program or regimen and blame herself when she fails to get results. You should not waste your time or money on a fitness trainer who does not have the confidence to offer you a guarantee of your success.
I offer a 100% money back guarantee on all of my programs and services.

6. Professional Rates- If you want a quality fitness professional, you are going to pay professional rates. As with anything in life, you get what you pay for. Any personal trainer who charges bargain rates is going to be lacking in some way. You should definitely seek out and work with the best trainer in your area. It will mean the difference between getting lasting results and wasting your valuable time and money.
Note: If money is a limiting factor, ask the trainer if he will allow for less frequent meetings.

7. Empower Your Life- A true fitness professional will do more than just help you achieve your goals and send you on your way. A quality fitness trainer will empower you with the knowledge and education necessary to keep your results ongoing and lasting.

Utilizing these criteria will help you find a quality fitness trainer that will help you get the results you want in the shortest amount of time possible.

Alexander Morentin is a practicing clinical exercise specialist, lifestyle & weight management consultant and creator of the 16 Week Total Body Makeover. Al is the owner of My Fit Life, a health & wellness company located in Fullerton, California which specializes in women’s fitness and nutrition. For additional information call (714)585-7551.

Fullerton Fitness Programs

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Resistance training is simply training your muscles against a resistance of some kind. The resistance can come from…

• Your own body weight.
• Free weights.
• Exercise machines (Note: not suggested for women).
• Resistance tubing.
• Medicine balls.
• Etc.

The whole purpose of resistance training is to overload your muscles by forcing them to do more work than they are normally accustomed to doing. Your body will react to this through adaptations that cause your muscles to get stronger, sleeker and more firm.

These adaptations to resistance training are what ultimately lead to the changes you will see and experience in your body. In short, resistance training is the KEY to reshaping your body.

By forcing your body to overcome an increasingly greater and greater resistance, you’ll burn more calories (even while you sleep) and speed your metabolism, leading to less bodyfat and an overall improvement in your appearance.

If you do nothing else in the way of exercise, make it resistance training. Resistance training alone will do a lot to change the way your body looks, feels, and operates…

…much more so than aerobics classes, walking on a treadmill, using a stair machine, or any other types of exercise combined.

But just like anything else…

It’s Not Just What You Do…It’s How You Do It!

For resistance training to exert its powerful body-changing effects, you must do it correctly. Like anything else in life, if you don’t do it right, you won’t experience the exact results you’re after.

Below you’ll find some very important tips for getting the most out of resistance training. By following these simple tidbits of advice, you’ll be sure to achieve significant results without expending tons of sweat equity, or wasting hours (maybe even months) of your valuable time doing things the wrong way.

Proper Exercise Form: Producing Results, Not Injuries

Proper exercise form cannot be overstated. By performing your exercises the right way, you’ll ensure you get the results you’re after as fast as humanly possible.

Perform resistance exercises the wrong way and not only will you not achieve the desired results…

…you run a high risk of injuring yourself along the way!

If you’re ever in doubt about how to perform an exercise the right way, or how to use any piece of fitness equipment PLEASE seek out a qualified fitness professional. Don’t just try to perform a free weight exercise if you’re not sure exactly what you’re doing.

By doing so, you’re not only depriving yourself of an effective, result-producing workout…

…you’re flirting with disaster.

If you need any help at all, PLEASE ask a qualified trainer. We take exercise very seriously. We’re highly trained in proper exercise form and performance, and most importantly…

We’re always happy to help you!

Tempo: The Right Way To Workout

If you’ve spent any time in the health club, you’ve no doubt seen people lifting free weights (or even using machines) by flinging the weights up and down as fast as they possibly can.

For some reason, these people think that using momentum, “body English”, and a severe jerking motion will lead to greater and faster results. While it’s true that using momentum will allow you to use heavier weights, it will NOT lead to faster results or even an improved appearance.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s not so much what you do…it’s how you do it that really counts when it comes to faster and better results. And one of the most important “how to” tips I can give you is the concept of proper exercise tempo.

Tempo simply means how fast you perform an exercise or lift a weight.

As I’ve already alluded to, going as fast as you can and using momentum is NOT the most effective way to do things. Each repetition of every exercise should be performed in a slow and controlled manner. Anything else is not only ineffective, it can lead to pulled/strained muscles, back pain, or a host of many other serious injuries.

Here’s a general rule you should follow when performing most free weight exercises…

Take roughly 2 seconds to lift the weight and 3-4 seconds to lower the weight under strict control. This will not only ensure you get the most benefit from the exercise…

…it will go a long way toward preventing any injuries!

By lifting the weight to a count of 2 and lowering it to a count of 3-4, you virtually eliminate any momentum from the exercise. This also allows you to place a greater demand on the muscle group you’re training, thus producing a better adaptive response. And that’s just a fancy, technical way of saying you’ll get better results with less wasted effort, in a much shorter time frame.

And better results in less time is the name of the game.

How To Breathe During Exercise

For many people, breathing seems to be the hardest part of exercise to grasp. While proper breathing is very important, it doesn’t have to be complicated or confusing.

The most important thing to remember when it comes to breathing is DON’T hold your breath. Holding your breath can lead to elevated blood pressure during your workout routine, which can result in dizziness or even fainting.

Here’s an easy way to make sure you’re breathing correctly while you workout…

Exhale on exertion. That means breathe out while you’re lifting the weight and breathe in while you lower the weight under control. For example, if you’re performing the overhead dumbell press, you should exhale as you lift the weight upwards above you and inhale as you lower it back down.

By following this simple breathing technique, you’ll not only perform each exercise more effectively, you’ll also be more comfortable while you’re working out. And that makes for a more enjoyable fitness experience, which will ultimately lead to better, faster results.

Now, Go Lift Something!

You now have some very valuable tips that are guaranteed to get you phenomenal results in your training routine. Don’t let all of this valuable knowledge go to waste. Go lift something.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Committed to your success,

Alexander Morentin
My Fit Life
Fullerton, CA

If you liked this article, you’ll love these FREE ebooks

Click here to claim your Free Fitness eBooks

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Traditional Exercise vs. Circuit Training
Most resistance training routines are developed using the “straight set” principle. Using the straight set principle, you perform one exercise at a time for a specific number of sets and reps before moving to the next exercise. You will usually rest for a predetermined amount of time between each set. Shorter rest periods are used to build lean muscle and burn fat. Longer rest periods are used to develop maximum strength and power.

Exercise routines using the straight set principle are beneficial if you are a beginner because they allow you to perform one exercise at a time in a repetitive fashion. This gives you a chance to completely concentrate on the form and technique of one exercise before moving on to the next.

For example, if your workout consists of 3 sets of 10 reps on the leg press, you would perform your first set of leg press for 10 reps and rest for 45 seconds; then you will perform your second set of leg press for 10 reps and rest for 45 seconds; then you will perform your last set of leg press and move to your next exercise. Each exercise would be performed in this fashion until your workout is complete.

This format is great for learning form and technique, but it is extremely inefficient for getting maximum fat loss results in the minimum amount of time possible.

If you’ve been to a traditional gym in the past, you’ve probably seen the following scenario:
Joe decides to perform 3 sets of 10 reps on the leg press. He completes his first set of 10 reps on the leg press talks with his buddies, gets a drink of water, and casually sits down to perform his second set of leg press. Joe will go through this same ritual before completing his third set.

Done in this fashion, most people wait about 3 – 5 minutes between each set. This means that 3 sets of 10 reps of an exercise can take as long as 15 minutes to complete. At this rate, it could take you 1 hour to complete four exercises! This is not very efficient use of your time.

Circuit Training For Rapid Fat Loss
The circuit training format is a much more effective and efficient format of resistance training.
Utilizing this format, you will perform one exercise, rest for a very short time, and then perform a different non-competing exercise. When you have completed that exercise, rest for a short period of time and perform the next non-competing exercise. You will continue in this fashion until all of the exercises are completed. This is considered a full circuit.

Alternating sets in a continuous “circuit” allows you to work different parts of your body when you would usually be resting using the straight set method. This method allows for maximum fat loss results with minimum use of your time.

Circuit Training in Action:
The following is an example of one of my favorite circuit routine formats:
The 50-10 Five Exercise Circuit: You will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for all five exercises in the following 5-minute circuit:

Exercise#1- Squats

Exercise#2- Push-ups

Exercise#3- Single-Leg Hip Extensions

Exercise#4- Dumbbell Rows (Heavy Pants)

Exercise#5- Mountain climbers

Perform this circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body fat burning workout.

In the same 15 minutes that it takes to perform 3 sets of bench press in the big box gyms you can perform 3 circuits of 5 different exercises for a whopping total of 15 work sets! And, the intensity of each exercise is just as high as in the straight set format because in this 5 phase circuit you will have a full four minutes of recovery before you return to any given exercise- just as you did with the straight set format that was previously described.

The key to creating the optimal environment for rapid fat loss is to perform each exercise with maximal intensity while separated by brief periods of rest in order to accumulate a high volume of total body work in the shortest amount of time possible. Circuit training provides for the best of both worlds and is thus unmatched for simultaneously maximizing fat loss and lean muscle gain. Use the following template I use with my many BodySculpting clients for some simple, yet highly effective rapid fat loss circuits:

Exercise#1- Double-Leg

Exercise#2- Push

Exercise#3- Single-Leg

Exercise#4- Pull

Exercise#5- Core

I’ll be sharing some more great BodySculpting workouts in the weeks to come

Committed to your success,

Alexander Morentin
Author/Success Coach
My Fit Life

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

How To Get One Step Closer To Your Goals With Each Workout

To achieve maximum results in minimum time you must make each workout progressively more intense than the last. Each workout should force your body to do a little more than it’s accustomed to doing. This is called the Progressive Overload Principle.

The only sure-fire way to guarantee you’re moving toward your goals each and every time you come to the gym is to keep detailed records of your workouts. Each workout should be recorded in a training log.

By keeping track of your workouts in a training log, you’ll eliminate the guesswork involved and move steadily toward accomplishing your goals. Here’s the information you should record in your training log…

• Date of your workout
• Time your workout started
• Time your workout ended
• Total time your workout lasted
• The exercises you performed during your workout
• The amount of resistance (weight) you used for each exercise
• The number of repetitions you performed for each exercise
• The number of sets you performed for each exercise
• The amount of time you spent doing cardiovascular training
• Any notes you feel are relevant, such as how you felt during your workout

Recording all these variables will allow you (or your trainer) to plan your next workout in advance and make any necessary adjustments to ensure you’re making optimal progress. These detailed records will also eliminate any guesswork about how much weight you should be using, whether you need to increase/decrease the length of your exercise sessions, or when you should change your workout entirely.

If I could only give you one single tip for speeding your progress and getting better results from your time in the gym, keeping a training log would be that tip!

If at any point you have a question about filling out your training log, what you should do to progress from your previous workout, how to modify or change your workout routine (which should be done every 3-5 weeks), or anything else at all…

…just ask me for help.

I am always more than happy to give you any help I can. After all, your success is why I’m in business to begin with. So, if you have ANY questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask me for help. I can be reached at (714)585-7551 or axfitness@hotmail.com.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

The Absolute Importance of Resting As Hard As You Work

Sleep. It’s something we all like to do. We spend about 1/3 of our lives sleeping. But did you know its vitally important if you want to see optimal results from your workouts?…

Your muscles don’t get firmer, stronger, or more efficient while you’re working out. The workout is just a stimulus for your body to respond to. The actual increases in tone, strength, and efficiency take place while you’re at rest.

If you don’t allow your body to rest, it can’t properly recover from the workouts you subject it to. That means you won’t see the results you’re after as rapidly. So, if you want results as fast as possible, make sure you get plenty of rest and at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night.

The more sleep and rest you get, the faster your body can recover from the damage caused to your muscles during exercise…

…and the faster you’ll achieve the results you’re after.

I know these are hectic times and women’s lives are busier than ever. Children, work, and other family obligations can cut into sleep time. Just remember to take time out for yourself and get as much sleep as “womanly” possible.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!