When You Just Don't Feel Like Working Out

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Make it to the gym more often.

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Some days, you just won’t feel like working out. Maybe you haven’t been able to get as much sleep as you need or you've been having some stress at work or in your personal life. No matter the reason, sometimes you just aren’t in the mood for moving and sweating. Whenever this happens to you, try these strategies for working up the desire to hit the gym:

Remind Yourself of Your Goals - Start thinking about why you started exercising in the first place and what the end results will be. Do you want to lose a certain amount of weight? Get more toned? Have more energy? A quick reminder of why exercise is important to you can be just the motivation that you need to eek out another set of reps.

Plan on Reducing Your Workout – If you feel that you won’t have the energy to do your complete routine, tell yourself that you will just do half of the work out. If you usually jog four miles, plan on just doing two. If you are weight-training that day, focus on just doing the compound exercises while leaving out the isolation exercises. Once you get going, you might discover that you actually have the energy to do your full workout.

Don’t Go Next Time - Give yourself permission to skip the next work out but not this one. If the next work out rolls around and you still don’t feel like going, you actually might be doing yourself some good by skipping it. Feeling consistently turned off by exercise is usually a sign of overtraining, and giving your body more time to rest can actually help you reach your fitness goals faster.

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The trickiest part of any exercise plan is motivation. You can know all of the exercises and the proper techniques, but if you aren't inspired enough to get to the gym, it won’t do you much good. Figure out what motivates you most, and make sure that you use that motivation to hold yourself accountable for regular physical activity. I'm not opposed to an occasional self-bribe either. It goes something like this, "If I workout at least 4 times this week, I'm going to treat myself to a spa pedicure next Friday after work." Just make sure that your rewards are not food-based, and you'll be good to go.

About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.

Summer Exercise Tips

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Keep your exercise routine going through the summer.

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Doing outdoor exercise can be really invigorating, but the extra heat means that you have to take extra precautions. Here are some basic tips to keep in mind if you plan on working out during these hot summer months:

Stay Hydrated - You’ve heard this one a million times, but it bears repeating: drink plenty of water. Forgetting your water bottle won’t just make you uncomfortable, but it will also cause you to not perform at your peak. And if it gets too hot, it can be down right dangerous to get inadequate hydration.

Slather on the Sunscreen – Even on days with high levels of cloud coverage, it’s really important to use sunscreen and reapply every half an hour or so. Choose a brand that is waterproof and doesn’t run, so your sweat doesn’t cause the sunscreen to roll into your eyes.

Work Out in the Off Peak Hours - It might be tempting to sleep in as much as you can and just to start jogging whenever you manage to get out of bed - especially on the weekends. But when you exercise in the middle of the day, you expose yourself to the hottest part of the day. It’s a lot healthier and safer to plan your exercise for earlier in the morning or later in the day.

Wear Light Colored Clothing - Your clothes should be breathable and preferably light in color. White reflects light, and therefore will actually help you stay a few degrees cooler.

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While “no pain, no gain” is true to an extent, that doesn’t mean you have to always feel uncomfortable while working out. It’s important to listen to your body in order to avoid heat related injuries. If you every suddenly feel dizzy, nauseated, or very weak while working out, be sure to take a break and cool off. If symptoms persist, check in with your doctor. Remember, the idea is make yourself more healthy with exercise...So it doesn't make sense to push yourself until you feel sick.

About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.

Exercising During Pregnancy

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Don’t let pregnancy end your exercise routine.

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If you are expecting, don’t see that as an excuse to stop your fitness plans. As a matter of fact, exercising during pregnancy has numerous benefits.

A More Comfortable Pregnancy - As many pregnant women can attest, pregnancy usually comes with a number of uncomfortable side effects. Many report chronic backaches from the rapid weight gain, constipation, and sore joints caused by hormone changes. Exercise can help relieve your achy muscles, minimize constipation, and even help regulate your hormone levels.

An Easier and Faster Labor - When the big day finally arrives, your labor is likely to go more smoothly if you are a fit mommy. Labor is obviously an extremely exhausting process, and the more stamina and overall strength you have, the easier it will be for you.

Regain Your Pre-Pregnancy Body Faster - By maintaining a base level of fitness during pregnancy, you will actually be able to recover from the labor faster. You will also be somewhat leaner than if you hadn’t exercised, which means that you will probably be able to get back down to your ideal size more quickly once you feel that you are ready to start working out again.

While exercise during pregnancy has countless benefits for you and your baby, it’s best to consult with you doctor before you begin any exercise plan.

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This really goes to show that no matter what stage of life you’re in, you can benefit from exercise. Watch out for negative thinking and excuses like “I’ll start exercising again after the baby is born” because they’ll leave you wishing that that you’d started earlier.

About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.

What Not To Wear

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What you wear during a workout can make all the difference.

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Your clothing has a surprisingly important role in the effectiveness of your workouts. If you aren’t comfortable, you are much less likely to give it your all while exercising. Keep these tips in mind when shopping for your workout outfit:

Choose Breathable Fabrics – If you choose clothing that insulates your body heat, you may find that you have to cut your workout short because of overheating. When doing really intense exercise, your body temperature rises significantly. You want as much of that heat to be released into the air as possible. Breathable materials that also wick sweat are truly the best. They can help keep you comfortable enough to push a little harder during intense workouts while drawing moisture away from your skin.

Sports Bra – For women, good sports bras are a must if you are going to do cardio regularly. Your sports bra should be more snug than a regular bra, but not restrictive. They are typically made of materials that are very elastic and wick away moisture easily. Try and watch out for seams that might rub uncomfortably against your skin during repetitive movements.

Opt for Quality Socks and Shoes - Your socks should be cotton and your shoes should be very comfortable yet snug. If your shoes are too loose fitting, your foot might wind up shifting inside causing a blister.

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Sometimes the first thing that people do when they decide to start working it is to go shopping for the best, most expensive workout clothes they can find. But really, there is no reason to spend and arm and a leg when you decide to start working out. Discount shoe stores usually have just as good of shoes as shoe stores in high end malls. And you don’t have to buy name brand gear in order to get a complete workout wardrobe that meets your needs. Being a bargain hunter can go hand in hand with staying fit.

About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.

Prevent Muscle Cramps

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Don’t let muscle cramps derail your workouts

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Everyone who works out regularly will probably experience muscle cramps at some point. Not only are they painful, but they can actually make your workouts less effective and often force you to cut your exercise time short.

Besides drinking plenty of water (which you should be doing even if cramps aren’t a problem for you) here are a few ways you can make sure that muscle cramps don’t harm your fitness plan:

Stretch - We all lead busy lives, so it can sometimes be tempting to jump into your workout at a hundred miles an hour, but diving right into lifting heavy weights or sprinting can overheat your muscles.

Eat More Sodium – This isn’t usually a problem because most people actually get much more sodium than they need, but if you follow a strict diet there is a chance you don’t have enough sodium in your system. Sodium holds water in your body, and when you don’t have enough it can lead to muscle dehydration making them cramp more easily.

Ease into a Workout Program – Muscle cramps might also be caused by trying to do too much too fast in a new workout program. This can even happen to experienced exercisers if they start a new unfamiliar exercise routine. For example, if you are used to doing cardio and want to give plyometrics a try, don’t expect to jump like Kobe on your first try. Take it easy it first, and build gradually over time.

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I think one of the most important things you can teach yourself when going through a fitness plan is the difference between “good pain” and “bad pain.” There’s no doubt that sometimes lots of exercise leaves you sore, but it typically shouldn’t hurt you in a debilitating way. Generally, if the pain is a dull ache, then it is just the feeling of your muscles working or recovering. If you feel something closer to a stabbing pain or a spasm, then there is probably something more troubling at hand and you should see your doctor.

About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.

X Usually Marks the Spot, but Not In This Case

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Depend LESS on spot reduction for getting rid of nagging fat deposits. No matter what you've heard in the past, I'm here to tell you that you can't spot reduce!

This means that you can't make your stomach flat by doing crunches - even if you do 1000 per day (like Britney Spears reportedly did B.C.*). Doing curls with light, medium or even heavy weights is not going to prevent your arms from jiggling when you dance, and just doing squats is not going to make your legs insurable like model Heidi Klum.

* B. C. = Before Child

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Unfortunately, our bodies are not made to allow us to pick and choose the areas where we want to lose fat. The only surefire way to reduce fat in certain areas is to lower your overall body fat percentage. As you do this (through a combination of diet, cardio, and weights), you will see the fat come off everywhere - including your toughest spots.

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Ahhhhh...Wouldn't it just be wonderful if spot reduction were possible? I already know that I'd direct the magic laser or spread the magic potion on this nasty "cottage cheese" stuff under my butt. I honestly can't stand that part of my body, but I've found a pretty good (temporary) solution to my problem...Until I lower my total body fat level, I have simply decided not to turn around in the mirror. Hmmm...not so sure that I'm setting a good example with that one. Sorry, Folks.

Ummm...Yeah. This is my before/after...IN MY DREAMS!!!

I actually recently got my bodyfat tested via hydrostatic weighing. This is the most accurate form of body fat testing, but until recently, it was really only available for elite athletes or rich people. Now there's this great company that offers a Mobile Body Fat Testing Clinic that comes to you, and the prices are great. My current bodyfat % is 21% - give or take 2 points according to the owner - so I'm giving 2 points. In that case, let's call mine 19%. Don't you love statistics (smile)?

About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.

Weight-Bearing Exercises Rule

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Add MORE weight-bearing exercises to your weekly routine. This will allow you to work smarter AND harder. All types of exercise are great, but they're not all created equal because some provide more benefit than others.

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Weight-bearing activities are those that make your body work against the force of gravity. Examples include cardiovascular activities like running, walking, stair-climbing, and kick-boxing. These types of activities use proportionately more calories at a given level of effort than non-weight bearing choices like swimming, the elliptical, or cycling.

This doesn't mean that you should throw swimming or cycling out of your routine. Since these activities put less stress on our weight-bearing joints, most people are able to do them for longer periods of time. That makes up for the lower calorie expenditure, so you end up breaking even in the end (IF you do the activity long enough).

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Most of my cardio activities tend to be weight-bearing simply by default. I don't swim regularly because I'm not trying to get my hair wet (Is there anyone else that can back me up on this? Amen.). I think the elliptical is a great machine, but it is so boring to me that I usually can't stand it for more than 10 minutes at a time. I do, however, absolutely LOVE indoor cycling, so I usually do a full 60 minutes of that activity vs. only 30-45 minutes of my other "loves" like kickboxing and fitness walking.

About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.

Go Ahead - Get Your Groove On

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Dance MORE. Are you one of the many people who just despise working out - no matter how many times you try to get on the exercise bandwagon? Well, don't beat yourself up about it because there are other ways to burn calories...

Just put on your favorite tunes, and shake your booty! You can burn up to 120 calories for every 20 minutes of upbeat dancing. Involve your kids, or hit the dance floor with your friends. Dancing can turn burning calories into a fun social experience.

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If your schedule (or your pride) does not allow you to get out and dance, or if you just need a little bit more structure, try some of these fun dance-based videos at home.

Hula Workout for Weightloss
Join Kili on the beautiful beaches of Maui and experience an innovative Hula Workout for Weight Loss. Kili has designed this program to allow you to learn a choreographed hula dance combined with an aerobic workout. This uniquely designed dance program combines hula and fitness to target your heart rate and speed up your metabolism. Combined with a healthy diet, Hula Workout for Weight Loss is a great form of exercise for noticeable results.

Crunch Cardio Dance Blast
Six easy-to-follow dance combos led by a very high-energy instructor. This hip shakin' cardio party is sure to have you burning fat and having fun. Even the "rhythmically challenged" can do this workout - the steps are taught at half-tempo, linked together and finally blended into full sequence. The moves range from "body rolls" and "salt shakers" to "fast and funky" and sultry "dance diva" patterns (with a Latin flair). For added variety, each segment also has a complementary upper-body movement (e.g. "Popeye arms," "Chiquita banana arms").

Reggaeton Latin Hip-Hop Workout
This great Latin hip-hop workout combines the best hip-hop and Latin dance moves together, forming a routine that fits right into the funky new Reggaeton craze. With these simple, easy to learn steps, you’ll get a great cardio workout and you’ll learn some really great dance moves all at the same time.

Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease
Developed by Carmen electra with top choreographers and fitness professionals, Disc 1 in the Aerobic Striptease series introduces you to the striptease basics. Carmen uses the most popular techniques from fitness and dance to create a low-impact workout that conditions and strengthens the body with moves specifically chosen to tone hips, thighs, buns, and abs. Aerobic Striptease helps you look good, feel great and spice up your pesonal life.

Bellydance Fitness for Weight Loss
These effective and innovative 10 min. workouts can be done in 10 min. per day, or all at once in under one hour. You will notice improved grace and posture. These workouts combine traditional strengthening exercises with Yoga, Ballet/Modern Dance and Bellydance exercises for an interesting, fun and highly effective workout series. The five 10 minute programs include: Abs Only; Arms, Back and Chest; Dancer's Legs and Butt; Waist Sculpting; and Flexibility Training.

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Anyone who knows me knows that I lack rhythm. Yeah, I know that I'm a black girl from Chicago, but apparently I was absent the day they handed out the rhythm cards at school.

However, my lack of 8-count recognition abilities does NOT keep me from putting together some hot dance routines in the privacy of my own home, and it shouldn't stop you either. Get your groove on!

About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.

How Much Is Too Much?

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Spend LESS than 1 hour lifting weights. Unless you are planning to compete in a bodybuilding or figure competition, you do not need to weight train for more than an hour at a time.

After 45 -60 minutes of training weight training, the muscle building & fat burning hormones of most people begin to deplete while cortisol levels (fat storing & muscle burning hormone) increase.


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This is an important tip because I always run into people who automatically think MORE = BETTER, and that's not necessarily true. In actuality, if you are putting maximum effort and concentration into your resistance training workouts, your muscles should be utterly exhausted by the time you finish.

In other words, if you still feel like the Energizer Bunny two hours into the workout (because you can keep going and going and going and...), you're not pushing yourself hard enough. So, next time you're working out, crank up the intensity and reclaim some of your precious time.



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Isn't this great news?

Whenever I miss a workout, like I did today, it's usually because I feel like I just don't have the time. I'm often being squeezed by other commitments or sheer exhaustion from all of life's activities, so it's good to know that working harder for shorter periods of time is actually beneficial.

About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.

Mix it up!

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Mix it up a little MORE. Variety really is the spice of life, so don't get stuck in a rut doing the same old stuff all the time.

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10 Signs It's Time to Change Your Exercise Routine:
1. You skip your workouts to bathe the cat.
2. You own one exercise outfit, but you only need to wash it every 2 weeks.
3. Your hair looks as good at the end of your workout as it did before you started.
4. The last time you changed your routine was during the Bush administration - the first one.
5. You still exercise to Olivia Newton-John's "Physical."
6. Of the 24 machines at your gym, 23 of them are a complete mystery to you.
7. The intructor on your favorite exercise video now lags behind you.
8. You think crunches are the funny noises your knees make.
9. You've broken the snooze button on the alarm you set for early morning workouts.
10.You think Pilates is a new restaurant in New York City.

Source: Prevention Total Body Guide

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I've found that one of the best ways to shake up my workout routine is to completely change the music in my iPOD. My workouts are really driven by what (or who) I'm listening to, so Mariah Carey's high notes have been known to get me through the last few reps while Sheryl Crow tunes keep my light on my feet. Give this a try, and let me know what you think.

About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.

Have Fun!

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Spend LESS time doing stuff that you hate. Don't always waste your time trying to force your way through exercises that you can't stand doing. We're all entitled to lazy days, so there will always be times that you have to drag yourself to a vertical position, but there's no need to continually punish yourself by partaking in crappy workout sessions.


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Look for new exercise opportunities that you normally wouldn't even think about. You have to clean the house anyway, right? So, why not pump up your favorite CD, and clean at a quick pace - going room to room without stopping? Changing the way that you complete everyday tasks can help you burn calories and keep you from having to endure grueling sessions at the gym.


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I used to think that running was the only way for me to really burn calories, so I pushed myself through horrible runs on the treadmill, at tracks, and outside on the road. Each time, I felt like crap because I hated running so much, but I kept telling myself that it was good for me.

After learning more about physical fitness, I realized that there were many, many alternatives to running, and I decided not to make myself do something that I hated any more. Now I do throw a 3 mile jog into my exercise routine every now and then, but it doesn't bother me because I know that I don't have to do it.

Happy 4th of July!!!!!!!!!!!!!

About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.

Strength Training 101

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Learn MORE about strength training. As a follow-up to my WebMD for a great strength training workout:

1) Warm up for five minutes with light cardiovascular exercise, such as brisk walking and arm circles, before lifting.

2) Perform one to three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions each. Choose weights heavy enough so that the last rep is a real struggle (but not so much of one that you're forced to contort your body). You may need to use a different amount of weight for each exercise. With some of the moves, your body weight may be enough, so you might not need to add a dumbbell.

3) Perform each exercise with controlled movements, taking a full two seconds to get to the extreme position and a full two seconds to return to the starting position. Rely on muscle power, not momentum.

4) Rest no more than 30 seconds between exercises.


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So you're committed to the idea of strength training, but don't know where to start? With these six exercises, you can work all of the body's major muscle groups at home or at the gym. All you need are two or three sets or dumbbells (try 5-, 8- or 10-pound weights) and a chair.

The Moves:
1. Modified push-up (works the chest, triceps and front of the shoulder). Kneel with your ankles together, arms straight, palms on the floor a bit to the side and in front of your shoulders and your face to the floor. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Keep your abs tight so your back doesn't sag. Push back up.

2. One-arm row (strengthens the back, biceps and back of the shoulder). Place a chair in front of you with its back to the left, out of the way. Holding a dumbbell in your right hand, stand with your right foot on the floor and your left knee resting on the seat of the chair. Lean forward and place your left hand on the seat in front of your left knee. Keep your back straight and parallel to the floor and your right knee slightly bent. Your right arm should hang straight down. Bend your elbow, lifting the dumbbell until your elbow is higher than your back and your hand brushes against your waist. Lower the weight slowly back down. After completing the reps with your right arm, switch sides.

3. Dumbbell shoulder press (works the front and middle shoulders). Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent and abs tucked in. Raise your upper arms to shoulder height so that the dumbbells are at ear level. Push the dumbbells up and in until the ends of the weights are nearly touching directly over your head. Then lower the dumbbells back to ear level.


4. Squat (Works the buttocks, quadriceps and hamstrings) Hold a dumbbell in each hand or place your hands on your hips or on the tops of your thighs. Stand up tall with your abs tight, feet hip-width apart and your weight slightly back on your heels. Sit back and down, as if you're sitting into a chair. Don't squat any lower than the point at which your thighs are parallel to the floor, and don't let your knees shoot out in front of your toes. Stand back up.

5. Lunge (Works the buttocks, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves) Hold a dumbbell in each hand or place your hands on your hips. Stand tall with your abs tight, feet hip-width apart and weight back on your heels. Lift your right toe slightly and, leading with your heel, step your right foot forward about a stride's length. As your foot touches the floor, bend both knees until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left thigh is perpendicular to it. Your left heel will lift off the floor. Press off the ball of your right foot and step back to the standing position.



6. Crunch (Works the abdominals) Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip-width apart. Place your hands behind your head so your thumbs are behind your ears, without lacing your fingers together. Hold your elbows out to the sides but rounded slightly in. Tilt your chin slightly toward your chest and tighten your abs. Curl up and forward so that your head, neck, and shoulder blades lift off the floor. Hold for a moment, and then lower slowly back down.


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When I first began lifting weights at home and in the gym, my hands started to really hurt. The trainer that I hired to help me get started, Janeen, told me to get some weightlifting gloves to avoid getting blisters. I was really hesitant at first because I thought that those gloves were for men or those big bodybuilding women – not for regular girls. I didn’t want to look stupid in the gym, but after a couple more painful workouts, I gave in to her suggestion.

Weightlifting gloves have ended up being one of my most important workout tools. They protect my hands when I’m pushing, pulling or lifting barbells and dumbbells, and I’ve never gotten another blister. I’ve also found that I can lift more weight when I have on my nifty gloves.

Over the years, I've used many different brands, and I’ve found that it really doesn’t make much of a difference. You just have to find a pair that fits snugly on your hands without being too tight. You should be able to open and close your hands comfortably. You can find weightlifting gloves at discount stores like Target and Wal-Mart or at regular sporting goods stores.

The best feeling is when I wear out a pair of weightlifting gloves because then I know that I’ve been putting in hard workouts over the months, and I get to treat myself to a brand new pair. These are the ones that I’m using right now:


About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.

Portable Personal Trainers

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Work with personal trainers MORE often because they have the expertise to help you achieve your physical fitness goals. Certified Personal Trainers (CPT’s) have a broad base of knowledge that you can tap into, and they will usually put together an entire work out routine so that you won’t even have to think about it.

Whether you are working out with a personal trainer or if you're training clients, you should always expect to give and receive the best!

Please visit the IDEA Health & Fitness Association Newsletter for an article that I wrote about how personal trainers should exceed client expectations.


Think you can’t afford a trainer? You should look into costs in your area because you might be surprised. CPT’s are usually not as expensive as people think, and if you’re serious about your goals, you have to be willing to invest in yourself.


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If you’ve researched costs, and you really just can’t fit a trainer into your budget, have no fear. There are several companies that have popped up on the Internet offering you a customized workout led by a CPT that you can download right onto your iPOD or MP3 player.

Podfitness: $19.95/mo, but they offer 10 FREE days (no tricks), and you can cancel your membership at any time. They offer all kinds of cardio and weight training workouts, and the best part (other than the price) is that the workouts are mixed to your own music!

iTrain: “…bridges the gap for consumers who want personal training and exciting routines at a fraction of the cost.” Just sync up your iPOD and hit the treadmill, elliptical, stair-climber or free weights for 20, 40 or 60 minutes depending on the version you’ve picked. For $49.99 you can receive 3 workouts per month for a year. If you’re not sure about the 12 month commitment, you can choose 5 workouts for $9.99 (you can’t beat that!), or buy songs a la carte for $0.99 and up.

iAmplify: $4.95 and up per workout. Cool because with every audio download, you receive a printable chart with pictures and step-by-step instructions for various exercises – just in case you can’t picture what the CPT is saying.


Dessert

I personally think that these downloadable trainers are the “next best thing since sliced bread.” Now nobody has an excuse for not having their own trainer available 24 hours a day.

Gift certificates to these sites also make great gifts for fitness-minded friends and family or for those that should be (smile).

About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.

Take Charge of Your Metabolism

APPETIZER

Lift MORE weights. While cardio is a very important part of a healthy lifestyle, you should never under estimate the value of strength training. You can't have a well-rounded fitness routine if you're not including some type of resistance training to strengthen your muscles and speed up your metabolism.


MAIN COURSE

Metabolism is basically the energy that your body expends simply to keep you alive - the energy to think, breath and move.

As many of you have already experienced, our metabolism starts to slow down once we get in 0ur 30s, and it typically continues to decrease by about 5% every decade thereafter. So if you eat 2,000 calories a day and wear a size 12 at age 34, you will more than likely wear a size 14 at age 44 if you continue to eat 2,000 calories a day because you will be burning less calories.


Burning less calories as we age is attributed to the decrease in muscle. For every pound of muscle we lose, our bodies will burn as many as 30 calories less each day. Prior to menopause, women start losing about 1/2 pound of muscle per year, and this loss can sometimes increase to a full pound after menopause.

Lifting weights can actually reverse muscle loss, so it's not too late for you to get started!


DESSERT

I was introduced to weight training in 2001 by a girlfriend of mine. Before meeting her, I wouldn't have been caught dead by the machines at the gym, let alone the free weights. She turned me on to the benefits of lifting, and I've never looked back.

Once I started lifting weights, my body began to change in ways that I'd never been able to achieve with just cardio. Not only did my arms and legs start to tone up, but my abs benefited from the core strengthening moves that she taught me.

I had always thought that lifting weights would make me big and bulky, but I've sinced learned that this just isn't true at all. Most of those huge mega muscle chicks that you see in magazines or on TV, are taking extreme measures to look like that. For the average woman, like you and me, we wouldn't be able to get that way if we tried - not that we're going to be trying.

If you want to get started with lifting but don't know where to start, continue to dine with me here at Café Physique because I'll be posting more on weights soon.

About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.

Walk It Off

Appetizer

Spend LESS time looking for a “good” parking space. In the amount of time you spend driving up and down the aisles in the parking lot at work, in front of Target, or at the mall, you could have just parked and walked up to the front door. By parking in the last row, not only will you burn extra calories, you will also avoid the traffic, shopping carts, and unattended children.

Main Course

In order to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you take in. The good news is that you don’t have to exercise all those calories away because our body uses most of the calories just to stay alive (whew!). However, if you don’t burn off the calories that your body is not using for its regular daily activities, they will be stored as excess fat (a big “No-No”).

What’s the quickest and easiest way to get moving? Just walk. Walk around the block, to the store, in the mall, up the stairs, in the park, on the treadmill…any where. Walking is my favorite form of exercise because it requires minimal equipment (just a good pair of shoes), it’s completely free (don’t have to pay a gym membership), and you can do it anywhere at any time. What more can you ask for?

Steps For Starting a Walking Program

(1) Invest in a good pair of walking shoes. There are several different types of shoes (for over-pronators, flat feet, trail walking, etc.), so ask for help at your local shoe retailer if you’re not sure what will work best for you. My personal fave is the Asics Gel-Walk Tech. These shoes are usually only about 60 bucks, and they’re good for most walkers.

Asics Gel-Walk Tech

(2) Find a good sports bra. We don’t want the “ladies” to be uncomfortable now do we? Enough said. Try the Champion® Seamless T-Back Sports Bra. It’s made from a great fabric called Double Dry that wicks sweat away from your skin, so it keeps you cool and dry while walking. I apologize if I sound like a bit of an advertiser here, but I worked at Champion for several years, and this is by far my absolute favorite product.
My Favorite Sports Bra

(3) Start nice and slow. If you haven’t been exercising regularly, you don’t want to try and break Olympic records on your first day of walking. Spend about 10-15 minutes walking at a comfortable pace 4-5x for a week.

(4) Begin to add 5-10 minutes to your walks each week until you work yourself up to 30-45 minutes as often as you can fit into your schedule. Once you feel comfortable with this program and it even starts to feel a little easy (Yea!), start to speed up your pace. Ultimately, you should aim to walk at a speed of at least 4.0 miles per hour (easy to program on treadmill) which equates to walking 1 mile every 15 minutes.

(5) Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your walk. This will keep you from dehydrating, and it just helps you feel refreshed.

Dessert

I had every intention of waking up at 5am today to go the gym like I regularly do. However, when the alarm went off, it seemed like someone was playing a cruel trick on me. Hadn’t I just fallen asleep? I wanted to get up, but I just couldn’t make it happen. When I finally did get up 2 hours later to get ready for work, I felt like crap. I should’ve just gotten up and made it happen. Then, my trainer called me (Yes, even trainers need trainers) to find out why I missed his 5:30am class. “Umm…well…I was kinda sore from our workout yesterday…and well…ummm…I was kinda tired…and…well…so…I… ummm…”

Yeah, right, OK.

About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.