People are rightfully concerned about achieving a healthy body, but with all the misleading infomercials and pieces of data out there, one of the most misleading may be from your own doctor.
In Home Perfect Personal Trainer Aaron Dunn recently put together a press release telling physicians that the use of the BMI scale is outdated and, often, contraintuitive to fitness and wellness.
Primarily, a situation that we see too often is this: Patient sees doctor and has BMI (body mass index) assessed, doctor says BMI is too high to be healthy, patient improves exercise and nutrition.
So far so good, right?
Well, here is the next step. This is where things turn ugly.
The patient's new efforts will lose, let's say, 5 pounds of bodyfat. And, the strength training, improved nutrition, and other associated factors will create 5 additional pounds of muscle and bone density.
Now what? This patient has the same body weight as he or she did previously. So, what does that do to his or her BMI?
The BMI stays the same, because it is a ratio of height to weight.
Well, what happens when the patient returns to the doctor to see how he is improving?
Read more at this link below. This is a tremendously repeating scenario that DOES have a cure. Please read the press release below to gain a life-changing understanding of your weight management efforts.
http://www.prlog.org/11279057-in-home-personal-trainer-exercise-instructor-tells-doctors-that-bmi-scale-is-no-good.html
(Fat loss and in home personal training are available through Perfect Personal Training. Call 877-698-3648. Due to the time of year, we're busier than usual, so if no operator answers then please leave a message and we will promptly return your call. You can also visit http://perfectpersonaltraining.com/)
Monday, February 14, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
2011 Fitness & Wellness Resolutions -- Three Reasons Why You're Not Noticing Your Health Successes
If you're amongst those that feel that you're not living up to your potential, or if you think that you "just can't" seem to get at fit as you'd like, then here are some possible explanations for why you're actually being more successful than you think:
(1) First, if you're still measuring success solely by what the scale tells you, then you're probably misleading yourself. If your exercise, diet, and overall lifestyle changed have led you to burn 5 pounds of bodyfat, and also led to a 5 pound gain in bone density, water, and/or lean muscle, then obviously, your weight will be what it was before you began. THIS IS NOT A BAD THING! Gaining muscle and bone density is incredibly good, and will prevent future injuries while improving metabolism. Losing fat, is of course, very desirable for most of us. For this reason, you can't let the scale be your "be all / end all" when it comes to assessing your progress, because your actual weight is not an indicator of fat loss or improved fitness.
(2) Secondly, if you're judging your fat loss by how well your clothes fit, then understand that this is not always an accurate way to figure things out. You don't burn body fat in all the right places at all the right times. For example, you may lose 5 pounds of unwanted body fat, but it may not come from your belly or your butt right away. In fact, these are sometimes the last places that body really loses its fat, while the calves, back, and legs show faster reductions in fat tissue. So, if your pants are just as tight as they used to be, there is still plenty of hope: The fat in that area may not come off until later in your exercise regimen. And, those other areas are gaining lots of muscle, too, meaning that your circumference measurements and the way your clothes will fit may not be much of a noticeable change.
(3) And, finally, there is one more big bad barrier to truly assessing your own health and fitness successes: Your own psychology. Some days, we just feel better or worse about ourselves than we do on other days, and those unsightly body parts tend to flow with our feelings, causing us to think that our fitness levels are changing in ways that they are not. This also ties in with the feedback that we get from people, affecting the way that we perceive ourselves.
So, how do we truly assess our health and physical fitness variables? The biggest recommendation is to regularly have a Perfect Personal Trainer assess your body composition -- your ratio of fat weight to non-fat weight. Even if you're not a regular client of ours, Perfect Personal Trainers can come to your home and check this figure to compare to your past scores. This will help you to understand what lifestyle changes are burning fat and which aren't, and how your body is changing (or not changing) as you move forward with your exercise and nutrition. We also recommend having flexibility tests for major articulations, and strength/endurance tests. Again, Perfect Personal Training has top exercise scientists and instructors that are eager to implement these exams with you, and explain how the results can impact your life during the aging process. We'll compare the results with ACSM norms, using health industry guidelines to assess risk for joint degeneration, metabolic factors, and risk for cardiovascular diseases and interventions. This way, you'll gain the "bigger picture" relating to where your health and fitness really stand.
Enjoy your weekend!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Top 5 Things You Need to Reach Your New Year's Resolution
Happy 2011, Readers!
As a new year begins, so does the most common resolution: "Eat healthier, and lose weight in the new year." Don't let yourself become another statistic who tried and failed. Below are the top five things you need to know to make sure you reach the success that you're setting out to achieve!
#5. The fifth most important thing that you need to know involves flexibility training and its role in fat burning. While not all flexibility methods are exactly alike, flexibility exercise usually involves "holding a stretch" for a given length of time (20-60 seconds is recommended by the ACSM for most populations, whereas yoga, Pilates, and some other disciplines encourage different durations). Unlike moderate-to-high intensity cardiovascular or resistive exercise, flexibility conditioning tends to burn a relatively low number of calories per minute, even if you're sweating or "feeling the burn" to a great degree. For the most part, you can't expect to lose much body fat from a standard flexibility regimen. Keep that in mind when you're planning your exercise, meal plans, and total caloric consumption/expenditure, to avoid misleading yourself or setting yourself up for disappointment.
#4. The fourth most important fact to keep in mind is that selecting an appropriate frequency and duration for your exercises is paramount. We've all seen the "5-Minute Secret" books and strategies, that promise you the world if you just devote five minutes per day to exercise. What we haven't seen is an example of any of these mythological systems actually working properly for people. Science shows us that 20-60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at moderate to high intensities is recommended for most of us, five days per week or more. And, strength training should be performed at least twice per week for every major muscle group. To burn more body fat and keep it off, do your best to free up enough time in your schedule to allow this. "Some" is always better than nothing, but following these recommendations is the key to long-lasting fat-loss success and longer life.
#3. Now, let's discuss a key ingredient: intensity! People everywhere are performing cardiovascular and strength work at inappropriate intensities -- some too high and some too little. The truth is that most muscles will not improve much without at least 60% of their maximum tolerated resistance. This generally means that two, three, or even five pound dumbbells won't usually do the trick once you've been exercising for more than a few months. (Consult with your Perfect Personal Trainer for more specifics regarding your own muscles and heart conditioning.) And, to remain free of cardiovascular disease, we need more than a light walk; we need to challenge our aerobic systems and progress safely over time.
#2. Is there a limit to the amount of "healthy food" that you should be eating? Absolutely! Regardless of a food's (or a drink's) health benefits, the term "a calorie is a calorie is a calorie" still applies. Eating healthy foods is of tremendous importance, but the amount of those foods is what really makes the difference when you're on the road to fitness success. Too many calories is too many calories, plain and simple. Your Perfect Personal Trainer will help you to determine some safe and effective parameters in line with ACSM and AHA guidelines.
#1. The number one thing you need to know as you embark on your quest for a healthier, leaner body? Body Composition. "Weight" is the measuring stick of yesterday, and "body composition" (also referred to as "fat percentage") is the gold standard for knowing the truth about your body and your risk for cardiovascular disease. Here is the proof:
What if, after 5 weeks on your new exercise regimen, you lose 10 pounds of fat but gain 7 pounds of muscle, 1 pound of bone, and carry an extra 2 pounds of water in your body? Your body weight would be the exact same as it was, right? But, yet, you'd have made some excellent changes to your physique that would go unnoticeable when you look at a standard scale. For this reason, we strongly recommend a body composition assessment by an in-home Perfect Personal Trainer. This is truly the best way to evaluate your condition and how you progress. Best of all, it's a good indicator of your risk for health problems such as heart disease or stroke.
Thank you all for your accomplishments and support in 2010!! We've shed more pounds and improved more lives this year than ever before, as we've continued to expand throughout the country. We look forward to serving you, your families, and your businesses even more in 2011 and beyond. As always, we encourage your questions in the comment box below, or by calling 877-698-DO-IT (3648). Our top exercise scientists and physiologists are always here to help!
We wish you all the safe, happy, and healthy New Year that you deserve!
As a new year begins, so does the most common resolution: "Eat healthier, and lose weight in the new year." Don't let yourself become another statistic who tried and failed. Below are the top five things you need to know to make sure you reach the success that you're setting out to achieve!
#5. The fifth most important thing that you need to know involves flexibility training and its role in fat burning. While not all flexibility methods are exactly alike, flexibility exercise usually involves "holding a stretch" for a given length of time (20-60 seconds is recommended by the ACSM for most populations, whereas yoga, Pilates, and some other disciplines encourage different durations). Unlike moderate-to-high intensity cardiovascular or resistive exercise, flexibility conditioning tends to burn a relatively low number of calories per minute, even if you're sweating or "feeling the burn" to a great degree. For the most part, you can't expect to lose much body fat from a standard flexibility regimen. Keep that in mind when you're planning your exercise, meal plans, and total caloric consumption/expenditure, to avoid misleading yourself or setting yourself up for disappointment.
#4. The fourth most important fact to keep in mind is that selecting an appropriate frequency and duration for your exercises is paramount. We've all seen the "5-Minute Secret" books and strategies, that promise you the world if you just devote five minutes per day to exercise. What we haven't seen is an example of any of these mythological systems actually working properly for people. Science shows us that 20-60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at moderate to high intensities is recommended for most of us, five days per week or more. And, strength training should be performed at least twice per week for every major muscle group. To burn more body fat and keep it off, do your best to free up enough time in your schedule to allow this. "Some" is always better than nothing, but following these recommendations is the key to long-lasting fat-loss success and longer life.
#3. Now, let's discuss a key ingredient: intensity! People everywhere are performing cardiovascular and strength work at inappropriate intensities -- some too high and some too little. The truth is that most muscles will not improve much without at least 60% of their maximum tolerated resistance. This generally means that two, three, or even five pound dumbbells won't usually do the trick once you've been exercising for more than a few months. (Consult with your Perfect Personal Trainer for more specifics regarding your own muscles and heart conditioning.) And, to remain free of cardiovascular disease, we need more than a light walk; we need to challenge our aerobic systems and progress safely over time.
#2. Is there a limit to the amount of "healthy food" that you should be eating? Absolutely! Regardless of a food's (or a drink's) health benefits, the term "a calorie is a calorie is a calorie" still applies. Eating healthy foods is of tremendous importance, but the amount of those foods is what really makes the difference when you're on the road to fitness success. Too many calories is too many calories, plain and simple. Your Perfect Personal Trainer will help you to determine some safe and effective parameters in line with ACSM and AHA guidelines.
#1. The number one thing you need to know as you embark on your quest for a healthier, leaner body? Body Composition. "Weight" is the measuring stick of yesterday, and "body composition" (also referred to as "fat percentage") is the gold standard for knowing the truth about your body and your risk for cardiovascular disease. Here is the proof:
What if, after 5 weeks on your new exercise regimen, you lose 10 pounds of fat but gain 7 pounds of muscle, 1 pound of bone, and carry an extra 2 pounds of water in your body? Your body weight would be the exact same as it was, right? But, yet, you'd have made some excellent changes to your physique that would go unnoticeable when you look at a standard scale. For this reason, we strongly recommend a body composition assessment by an in-home Perfect Personal Trainer. This is truly the best way to evaluate your condition and how you progress. Best of all, it's a good indicator of your risk for health problems such as heart disease or stroke.
Thank you all for your accomplishments and support in 2010!! We've shed more pounds and improved more lives this year than ever before, as we've continued to expand throughout the country. We look forward to serving you, your families, and your businesses even more in 2011 and beyond. As always, we encourage your questions in the comment box below, or by calling 877-698-DO-IT (3648). Our top exercise scientists and physiologists are always here to help!
We wish you all the safe, happy, and healthy New Year that you deserve!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Marathons Lead To Heart Impairment
Running over 26 miles is viewed as one of the great physical challenges in endurance competition. Health science repeatedly shows us that when it comes to athletic competition, a healthy assessment of risks vs benefits is vital in securing safety.
In a recent study from HealthDay News (October 25, 2010), 20 recreational runners with a mean age of 45 underwent MRIs of their hearts before, immediately after, and three months after running in a marathon. Researchers compared the information found to baseline tests of cardio-respiratory fitness and blood chemistry.
The most disheartening finding was impairment in just over half of the muscle in the left ventricle during the race. However, because overall heart function did not decline as a result, it is believed that the non-impaired section of the left ventricle picked up the slack. The specific types of impairments found were not noted.
The most promising finding was that the more well trained the runner was, the least impaired his/her heart became. It was found that having an aerobic capacity, or VO2max, of 50 ml/kg/min (roughly 14 METs) or higher was best for preventing this left ventricle impairment.
Why does this happen? According to an interview with the authors, it is speculated that acute inflammation and dehydration were the cause of these problems. It is important to note that in all 20 participants, heart muscle function returned to normal by the follow-up scan at the three month mark. (The exact recovery rates are not known.) While this does not negate the severity of the health risks associated with left ventricle impairement, it is helpful to see that these risks were relatively short-lived in this study.
If you are considering running a marathon, half marathon, or any other race, your Perfect Personal Trainer will gladly implement an appropriate, progressive, and personalized regimen to go about minimizing risks to your heart or other muscles, while improving your run's time and maximizing your enjoyment of the competition!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Top 5 Ways to Stay Slim at Thanksgiving
We've all made the comments and jokes about gaining fat as a result of the Thanksgiving holiday. As our focus shifts to family plans and relaxation, we tend to sacrifice our fitness focus, resulting in body fat gains and a reduced feeling of confidence, not to mention an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
So, here they are -- the top five methods of preventing body fat gains while still enjoying your Thanksgiving holiday. Enjoy!
#1 - Perform just five additional minutes of aerobic exercise every other day, from now through Thanksgiving. If you start today, then by Thanksgiving, you'll have burned roughly 500-800 more calories than usual, making more room for some indulgence at Thanksgiving.
#2 - Consume at least ten 8-ounce glasses of water each day, especially during the few days prior to Thanksgiving. This will help to reduce your appetite, so you'll feel content with fewer calories.
#3 - Go skinless: Removing the skin from your turkey will help you cut down on additional calories and fat, without reducing the pleasure of eating.
#4 - Enjoy and savor every bite. This has a physiological effect on your body that will actually make you feel more "full" with less food and drink. Chew slowly, and enjoy your food.
#5 - Make a decision now to limit yourself to one small dessert selection and one glass of alcohol. Enjoy them while they last, but then shift your mental focus to the company of your family and friends, consuming more water if you need something to curb your appetite.
Please post any questions below, or call us at (877)698-3648. Perfect Personal Trainers are eager to help!
So, here they are -- the top five methods of preventing body fat gains while still enjoying your Thanksgiving holiday. Enjoy!
#1 - Perform just five additional minutes of aerobic exercise every other day, from now through Thanksgiving. If you start today, then by Thanksgiving, you'll have burned roughly 500-800 more calories than usual, making more room for some indulgence at Thanksgiving.
#2 - Consume at least ten 8-ounce glasses of water each day, especially during the few days prior to Thanksgiving. This will help to reduce your appetite, so you'll feel content with fewer calories.
#3 - Go skinless: Removing the skin from your turkey will help you cut down on additional calories and fat, without reducing the pleasure of eating.
#4 - Enjoy and savor every bite. This has a physiological effect on your body that will actually make you feel more "full" with less food and drink. Chew slowly, and enjoy your food.
#5 - Make a decision now to limit yourself to one small dessert selection and one glass of alcohol. Enjoy them while they last, but then shift your mental focus to the company of your family and friends, consuming more water if you need something to curb your appetite.
Please post any questions below, or call us at (877)698-3648. Perfect Personal Trainers are eager to help!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Body Fat to Joint Disease -- A Slippery Slope
Joint disease is a common issue for Americans. But what we often think of as a common sign of aging or short-term injury is, more commonly that you might think, heavy wear-and-tear on a joint that is related to excess body fat. Yes, excess body fat can weigh heavily upon your knees, hips, and ankles, resulting in a loss of structural integrity of these joints.
Lose just a few pounds and you'll take some strain off your hips, knees, neck, and back. Extra pounds add to the load placed on your joints, increasing the risk of cartilage breakdown. People with excess body fat may also have higher levels of substances that cause inflammation. The good news is that even a little weight loss can help: Every pound that you lose takes roughly four pounds of pressure off of your knees and other lower body extremities.
In short, if you're overweight, then don't put off your fat loss efforts! Not only are your risks for cardiovascular diseases high, but your joints are struggling each day to resist the extra pressures that they aren't built for. For a free consultation with a Perfect Personal Trainer, simply call (877)698-3648 or click here: http://perfectpersonaltraining.com/signup.php
Thanks for reading!
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Lose just a few pounds and you'll take some strain off your hips, knees, neck, and back. Extra pounds add to the load placed on your joints, increasing the risk of cartilage breakdown. People with excess body fat may also have higher levels of substances that cause inflammation. The good news is that even a little weight loss can help: Every pound that you lose takes roughly four pounds of pressure off of your knees and other lower body extremities.
In short, if you're overweight, then don't put off your fat loss efforts! Not only are your risks for cardiovascular diseases high, but your joints are struggling each day to resist the extra pressures that they aren't built for. For a free consultation with a Perfect Personal Trainer, simply call (877)698-3648 or click here: http://perfectpersonaltraining.com/signup.php
Thanks for reading!
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<< BUY COLLAGEN: BUY 1 GET 2 FREE! >>
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Fad Diet Solution
Hello, readers!
With another holiday weekend now behind us, we have to ask: Did you make poor food selections? And, more importantly, did you overconsume calories?
It's times like these that people start considering any of the number of fad diets out there...
Low carb, high carb, low fat, no fat, cookie diet, pure liquid, and one of the recent worst -- the “egg, vinegar, and water diet” -- all have some potential for weight loss over a moderate amount of time, but with unhealthy physiological risks. It is important to remember that weight loss shouldn't carry risky side effects. Low carb diets, for example, are especially dangerous because the dieter is cutting out the body’s main energy source. As another example, low fat diets are dangerous because they minimize the body's ability to absorb and utilize vitamins. Trading one health problem for another is no way to get things done. And, if you are doing some unhealthy for your body, the symptoms won't be obvious. While you may feel just fine during a fad diet, there may be some dangerous underlying issues that you are not aware of.
So, before considering one of these fad diets at any point in the future, we suggest that you rely on tried-and-true science, using the labels' serving sizes as helpful quantity guides. Below is a list of foods and their respective serving sizes from The American Heart Association and the government's food pyrimid. These suggestions are recommended for their cardiovascular health benefits as well as their ability to help maintain adequate body fat. Not only will you be on the road to heart attack prevention, but these will help you to maintain energy levels while minimizing your body fat! Have a look and compare to your current diet diary...
Below are the recommended daily number of servings for a 150-180 lb person:
Vegetable Servings Per Day: 3-7 Servings
Examples of a serving:
Examples of a serving:
Examples of a serving:
Examples of a serving:
Examples of a serving:
We, at Perfect Personal Training, hope this helps as you plan your meals each day! For more nutritional information, please comment below or send an email to info@perfectpersonaltraining.com. Our staff of highly trained exercise specialists and nutritionists are always eager to help with your personalized lifestyle change.
Recommended for Joint Care: Bromelain -- Buy One, Get TWO MORE FREE
With another holiday weekend now behind us, we have to ask: Did you make poor food selections? And, more importantly, did you overconsume calories?
It's times like these that people start considering any of the number of fad diets out there...
Low carb, high carb, low fat, no fat, cookie diet, pure liquid, and one of the recent worst -- the “egg, vinegar, and water diet” -- all have some potential for weight loss over a moderate amount of time, but with unhealthy physiological risks. It is important to remember that weight loss shouldn't carry risky side effects. Low carb diets, for example, are especially dangerous because the dieter is cutting out the body’s main energy source. As another example, low fat diets are dangerous because they minimize the body's ability to absorb and utilize vitamins. Trading one health problem for another is no way to get things done. And, if you are doing some unhealthy for your body, the symptoms won't be obvious. While you may feel just fine during a fad diet, there may be some dangerous underlying issues that you are not aware of.
So, before considering one of these fad diets at any point in the future, we suggest that you rely on tried-and-true science, using the labels' serving sizes as helpful quantity guides. Below is a list of foods and their respective serving sizes from The American Heart Association and the government's food pyrimid. These suggestions are recommended for their cardiovascular health benefits as well as their ability to help maintain adequate body fat. Not only will you be on the road to heart attack prevention, but these will help you to maintain energy levels while minimizing your body fat! Have a look and compare to your current diet diary...
Below are the recommended daily number of servings for a 150-180 lb person:
Vegetable Servings Per Day: 3-7 Servings
Examples of a serving:
- ½ cup of cooked vegetable
- ½ cup raw vegetable
- 6 ounces or ¾ cup of vegetable juice
Examples of a serving:
- 1 medium fruit (apple, orange, banana)
- ¼ cup of dried fruit (raisins, prunes, etc.)
- 6 ounces or ¾ cup of fruit juice
- ½ cup canned, frozen, or cooked fruit
- ½ cup raw fruit
Examples of a serving:
- 1 slice of bread
- About 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal flakes
- ½ cup of cooked cereal, rice or pasta
Examples of a serving:
- 1 cup of milk or yogurt
- 1-½ ounces of natural cheese (cheddar)
- 2 ounces of processed cheese (such as American)
Examples of a serving:
- ½ cup of cooked, dry beans
- ½ cup of tofu or 1 ½ -ounce soy burger
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
- 1/3 cup of nuts
We, at Perfect Personal Training, hope this helps as you plan your meals each day! For more nutritional information, please comment below or send an email to info@perfectpersonaltraining.com. Our staff of highly trained exercise specialists and nutritionists are always eager to help with your personalized lifestyle change.
Recommended for Joint Care: Bromelain -- Buy One, Get TWO MORE FREE
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