At PPT, we truly love Valentine's Day because it's the greatest fitness mnemonic of the year - reminding us that beach season is just three months away, and that if we're going to look our best for all the travel and outdoor activities coming up, we need to take charge now and make exercise and meal planning priorities.
For many, Valentine's Day is also a key reminder of the importance of physique and confidence in our romantic lives. After all, date night is a 1000 times better when you're energetic, looking sexy and feeling great about your body.
Reminder: Code HEALTHY200 saves an extra $200! Expires tonight at midnight!
With just a little over three months left until the summer season begins, now is the "perfect" time to set specific goals, choose your Perfect Personal Trainer, and feel the incredible confidence of goal-achievement with our 40-Session Commitment Package.
With 40 sessions, you'll have low-cost sessions in your fitness account, and you can train 3x/week from now through the middle of May, watching the fat melt off and get replaced with strong, sexy muscle tone.
Don't have equipment for in-home training? You'll never need a home gym with PPT.
Our professionals plan each session based on your changing needs, and we show up with everything required to maximize your results.
As you get stronger and progress into new territories, we just keep arriving with new equipment for every session.
Watch Louis' story below!
Arm Sculpting? Reduce Neck-Fat? Firmer Buttocks? Shoulder or Knee Recovery?
Yes, you can! Whatever your goal, you can achieve it with PPT's fun but science-driven in-home programs!
Save an extra $200 on top of already-huge savings on your new 40-Session Commitment Package!
Make Valentine's Day your summer-body launching pad!
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Bodyfat percentage (or "body composition") is the amount of your bodyweight that is fat mass. Knowing your bodyfat percentage is critical for three key reasons:
1. To determine your risk for health problems (and what those problems will be)
2. To properly set goals for muscle gains and weight loss
3. To properly track your progress
Aaron Dunn is a PPT physiologist and part of our clinical research team. He explains it by saying, "We tend to think about our bodyweight and how many pounds we want to lose or gain. But, bodyweight isn't a very helpful data-point. By measuring bodyfat, we can actually see when we are losing fat or losing muscle, and we can see when we are gaining fat or gaining muscle. With bodyweight measurement, it's a guess. That's why gains and losses in bodyweight can be so confusing and mysterious sometimes."
How does a bodyfat percentage help you track someone's muscle tone?
"When a client is interested in muscle toning, they're looking to burn fat from within and outside of the muscles.", explains Dunn. "They are also looking to gain some muscle in its place. Each of those events will reduce the client's body composition. Toning means a reduction in bodyfat percentage, and generally a fairly consistent bodyweight for most."
So, if a client wants to get toned but not lose weight, you track it by checking bodyfat?
"Correct. It becomes obvious visually, of course, but we can quantify it and set goals like, 'We're at 13% now, and we'll get to 10% in six weeks.' It's a cutting edge metric that most fitness trainers forget about."
And, how does knowing bodyfat predict health issues?
Dunn explains, "Statistically, high ranges of bodyfat are more associated with heart disease than lower ranges. For example, over 38% is considered morbid obesity, which means that a person's cause of death will probably be obesity-related. At percentages around 25% for men and around 32% for women, risk for cardiovascular disease is elevated, and intervention is recommended, but it is not as severe as those in the 38% or higher category."
Is getting down to 36% or 37% much better from a health-risk perspective?
"Yes, 38% is where many studies show a pique, so every bit below that is helpful. The goal, though, is to reach the healthy ideal of no more than 16% for men, and no more than approximately 27% for most women. Race and age also influence these numbers, but these are fair and general approximations when we're evaluating risk assessment."
Aren't some people higher than 38%?
"Yes, many. A lot of clients were 50% or more when they first came to us. That suggests a very high risk for obesity-related death, so our concern is high. Thankfully, we don't let anyone stay there for long, and they're always eager to put in the effort, slim down and improve their health stats."
And what would a bodyfat goal be for someone who wants to get very muscular?
Dunn provides a specific insight: "At around 11-13% for men, or 18-22% for women, we generally see the muscles of the mid-section. The term 'looking toned' is subjective, and everyone has a different standard, but those are fitness model ranges and common to fit Hollywood actors, too. Getting a man down to 7% or a woman down to 12% is extreme, and requires incredible dedication and an around-the-clock schedule of training and meal planning." Is any of that helpful from a health perspective?
"No, the very low numbers like these won't improve health. It's cosmetic 'beach body' fitness, but it's safe and challenging to achieve and maintain. Most clients are happy reaching the healthy norms or getting a few percent below. But, goals change and we can take a client as far as they want to go if it's safe!"
PPT's research department loves getting to the absolute truth about what control we truly have over our bodies.
"I hate to see people struggle," explains Val Fiott, Director of Client Services and Clinical Research. "We're taught to believe that we have little control over our weight or our muscles, and it's a shame. I want everyone to maximize their happiness, and at PPT, we've been fortunate to discover the incredible tools that that takes!"
Great! So, how exactly do we get rid of the stubborn excess flab that just won't burn off from exercise and diet?
"Are you ready for the truth? Any excess fat will burn off from the right plan!" says Val. "Our most successful clients let us rely on periodization, where we're updating our strategies and really targeting the specifics.
"And, our exercise plan has to chase the variables in order to make your body increasingly more fat-burning."
What do you mean when you say "chase the variables"?
"The biggest problem I see when people come to us for weight loss is that they think a routine is the answer. But, when routines don't update properly from session to session, the body gets stagnant. When I say 'chase the variables' I'm referring to the very details that make up a fitness program: Each selected intensity, the amount of time spent on an exercise, the amount of time spent at rest, the rhythm of the exercise, the intervals we create, and many other factors... There is an awful lot of decision-making that goes into an optimal program. Each variable needs consistent change, and the right kind of change. People generally don't do that, so their progress is minimal without the right coach."
And how does age slow down the process?
"It's not really age," Val begins, "but rather the way we tend to let our lifestyles change our hormones and metabolism. Unhealthy decisions add up! A thirty-year-old has generally made fewer strikes against their body, so to speak, than a ninety-year-old, but it's not age, it's how you're living. I see people in their twenties who have slowed their metabolisms and whose lifestyles create severe hormone imbalances. That will really impede weight loss. On the other hand, I can show you people in their 70s and 80s who look and feel amazing, with no excess fat whatsoever. It's not age, it's the precision of your program."
So will adding variety to a fitness program make a big difference?
"I wish it were that simple, but we won't be successful if we add variety for the sake of adding variety. The decision has to be valid to be optimal. For example, using a superslow strategy with less range-of-motion can be excellent for some clients, and a waste of precious time for others. It depends on a lot of things that relate back to muscle response and even genetic muscle-fiber type. I always encourage our clients and fitness coaches to contact me to discuss their programs, so we can explore every avenue and ensure that every last pound gets shed!"
Aren't some of us just hopeless, though? Like our bodies are just done losing weight and this is how it is?
"Of course not!", Val smiles. "When we get the meal planning and hormones right, improve a few lifestyle factors, and just do the 'detective-work' as needed, nothing stops anyone. In my 20+ year career, I've never seen anyone fail who followed an accurate, in-depth plan like ours - not one person. "
Call Perfect Personal Training with questions at (877)698-3648.
Dial 7018 to speak with Val Fiott directly, or just dial 0 for general questions. perfectpersonaltraining.com
Your fitness and preventive health solutions are just a phone call away!
Just imagine... You're losing weight safely, but while still eating the foods that you crave.
What may sound like a gimmicky infomercial is actually the real deal: PPT clients everywhere are shedding excess pounds and reaching their ideal bodyfat percentages without having to sacrifice their favorite foods and drinks!
"A big misconception in the world of weight loss and metabolic change is that eating 'healthy' equates to losing bodyfat and getting thinner," explains Val Fiott, PPT's Director of Research and Client Services. "But it isn't quite like that. If you switch to healthy foods without decreasing your caloric intake, then the switch won't actually shed bodyfat. It'll still be healthier for your body, of course, but it won't equate to fat loss."
But doesn't a healthier body shed excess weight?
"Not necessarily," continues Val. "For example, if you ate 500 calories of broccoli instead of 500 calories of pizza, you're certainly doing a world of good for your heart, joints, bones, and muscle tissue - not to mention many other components in the total spectrum of health. But, at the end of the day, it's still 500 calories of consumption either way, and that's the main aspect of the fat-burning equation. This is why our PPT meal planning can shed bodyfat fast while our clients still enjoy their 'cheat foods' on a regular basis - in the right quantities, the 'cheat foods' can still allow fat loss."
PPT does not suggest unhealthy eating. We recommend a generally plant-based and organic diet rich in vegetables, fruits and herbs. We do, however, understand how many clients struggle with dietary change, and so we craft every meal plan to be 100% personalized to the individual's comfort level.
"Meal planning starts with the question, 'Which foods and drinks are you willing to drop entirely, and which ones are you intent on keeping?'" explains Aaron Dunn, long-time physiologist and nutritionist with Perfect Personal Training. "Once we know a client's boundaries, we can swap out the junk food that is less important to them for healthier selections.
"If the protein, carb and fats are being consumed in the right amounts, there is a fast but safe rate of fat loss and muscle gains, even if the foods themselves aren't as desirable as we'd like to see."
So what does a PPT meal plan look like?
Val elaborates: "For clients who are open to significant change, we'll help them plan meals rich in coconut oil, flax and fish oil - high omega-3 foods that keep you feeling full and that promote incredible tissue repair and heart health. This is an especially ideal selection of fats for those who give in to hunger or who have poor immune response or joint health. Dark, leafy greens round out the carbs and proteins for clients like this, who want optimal nutrition."
And what about those of us who don't like that type of food?
"This is where the fun stuff comes in!", explains Aaron. "We literally have clients on meal plans that involve some burgers, pizza and even chocolate if that;s what the client wants. We're careful to calculate the right amounts of each without letting them have too much of any macronutrient. Surprisingly, it's really not the unhealthy food that makes people overweight, but the amount of it being consumed at one time. Spacing it out throughout the week is a whole lot better than having to give it up entirely."
What does meal planning with PPT cost?
"For our regular clients... Absolutely nothing!", Val explains with a smile. "Your health is our business, so clients on our Commitment Package of 40 sessions enjoy free meal planning with us by phone, email or Skype. For those who are not on a Commitment Package with us, we still offer it complimentary as long as you're meeting with your PPT fitness coach at least three times each week. For all other valued clients, just purchase a session or two on our website, and we'll use that time for email, phone or Skype for meal planning, to show you exactly what your body needs to look and feel your best!"
Give meal planning or in-home exercise sessions as a gift this Valentine's Day. Save an additional $200 on a paid-in-full 40-Session Commitment Package with code HEALTHY200 Hurry! Expires on Valentine'e Day, 2/14/18
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