30 Things I’d Like to Share about Fitness and Training

I have been exercising religiously for 15 years and training for one year.  I’d like to share a few things I’ve learned in no particular order.  Enjoy.

1. You might not be seeing results because you haven’t changed your diet.  I believe diet is 75-85% of the weight loss battle.
2. Pushups are a great upper body workout and also get your heart rate up for cardio benefits.  If you train with me, you will do pushups!
3. It is way too easy to become a personal trainer and it is surprisingly a highly unregulated field.  So, be careful who you chose as your trainer.  I have a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy, a licensed OT, and a Certified Personal Trainer.
4. Weightlifting has immense benefits – If you train with me, you will lift weights!
5. I am not a nutritionist but I know that high fructose corn syrup and sugar are bad – avoid them in excess.
6. Unless you are training for a competition, stop buying supplements.  They are are a waste of money.
7. You can’t make that belly fat disappear with only situps.
8. Fit people know what they are going to eat tomorrow.  Think about what you eat in advance.
9. Going to the gym and riding on a bike / walking on the treadmill while reading does not count as a workout.
10. You don’t need fancy equipment to work out.  I can teach you how to work out with items you already have at home.
11. I eat whatever I want on the weekends and I know you probably will too.  Therefore, I am not very forgiving with my Monday morning clients – just like I train hard on Monday mornings.
12. I might push you past your comfort zone while we train.  Just please tell me if you feel like you’re going to pass out or puke!
13. I hate running.  I’m no good at it and have absolutely no desire to improve.  You don’t have to love ALL exercises!
14. I come up with workout routines when I can’t sleep at night.
15. When you reach your fitness goals, you’ve made my day.
16. You need to change things up:  take a class, add a new routine, or get a new fitness DVD.
17. It can take 60 challenging minutes to burn 400-500 calories, yet only 5 minutes to eat the same.
18. I wake up at 4:15am twice a week to work out because that’s the only time I will fit in exercise those days.  If you tell me you have absolutely no time to work out, you are probably not motivated to get in shape.  I can help change that!
19. There are plenty of things you don’t see on the show “The Biggest Loser” (like all the injuries and dehydration).
20. Even though step aerobics originally became popular in the 1970s, I use the “step” almost daily with my own workout routines as well as with my clients.  It’s effective!
21. I want you to reach your goals, but I might only see you for 2 hours a week.  Ultimately, you will have a lot of independent work to do to get fit.
22. It scares me when clients tell me they’ve completed “Insanity” or “P90X” and can’t perform a proper lunge or squat.
23. When I consume less than 1500 calories in a day, my workouts suffer – I can’t lift much weight or push myself very far with cardio.  Fuel your body to acheive an effective workout!
24. You are NOT burning what the cardio machine says.  Divide that in half for a more realistic amount.
25. I wouldn’t be able to work two jobs if I didn’t have a loving husband who does the laundry, buys groceries, cooks for me, and supports me 1000%!
26. Ever tried kettlebell or TRX?  If the answer is no, you need to set up an appointment with me stat!
27. Replace your shoes, not your knees.  Shoes should last you approximately 500 miles before it’s time for a new pair.
28. Drink water!  16 ounces before exercise, 5-10 ounces every 15-20 minutes of exercise, 16 ounces for every pound of body weight (i.e., sweat) lost during exercise.
29. I’ve learned to avoid food items that read “fat free” because they are probably loaded with sugar.  Too much sugar is often the real reason people gain weight.
30. Heavy scrubbing, vacuuming, and washing can actually burn 250-300 calories in an hour!