Personal Trainer Fitness Secrets Biweekly Newsletter by Scott White Personal Power Training www.personalpowertraining.net Personal Trainer Home   |    Fitness Articles  |  Training Blog  |  Fitness Forum Fitness Article of the Week Why Ask a Personal Trainer — and Not a Doctor — About Exercise? You would never ask your hairstylist to diagnose a mechanical problem on your car, would you? Of course not — unless they were also a certified mechanic, on the side. Why, then, ask your doctor about exercise, when his or her line of work is the diagnosing and treating of illness and disease? To be sure, doctors are becoming more and more aware of the benefits of exercise in helping their patients improve their health outlook. But they must spend their very limited time between treating patients keeping abreast of new developments in medicines and treatments to help fight disease. In reality, they don’t have the time to invest in learning about the complete mechanics of exercise. Therefore, does it not make more sense that the ideal specialist with whom to have an in-depth discussion on exercise and how it can benefit your health would be a personal trainer? A well-qualified personal trainer has spent an extensive amount of time learning all about exercise. How different exercises are done, how to target specific areas of the body with exercise, how to avoid injuries, the structures of the body and how they work together, how exercise can help the body work more efficiently, the body-mind connection for complete health, and more. A good personal trainer carries certifications indicating their achievements and can demonstrate high-level understanding about the various aspects of exercise and what exercise can mean to a person’s overall health. As a result, he or she has the expertise to guide you through the proper “mechanics” of various forms of exercise, to not only lessen your risk of becoming injured, but to increase the benefits to be gained from exercise done correctly. They also have insight, gained from working with different people with differing needs, from which to draw upon to help you get past any stumbling blocks that are keeping you from maximizing your health. Personal trainers are also knowledgeable about the physical limitations of many conditions and can tailor exercises to those limitations, so that health gains are still possible. Despite the marine-toughness seen portrayed by some personal trainers on “reality” television shows, not all personal trainers bark commands to get you to exercise. Personal trainers can be quite empathetic to the plight of the overweight person who hasn’t exercised in a long while, but who has finally decided to get their weight under control and improve their health. A good personal trainer will work with you to reach higher levels of fitness without shaming you for the past that led you to becoming overweight. Doctors keep themselves informed about the latest research and developments in the treating of disease and illness; personal trainers keep themselves informed about the latest trends in exercise and exercise equipment recommended for attaining fitness and health A personal trainer can warn you about the newest fads appearing on the exercise scene with a lot of fanfare and empty promises, before you endanger your health by trying to follow them. A personal trainer provides the one-on-one instruction and attention most of us need to take charge of the wheel as we drive toward excellent, permanent health. The expert knowledge and guidance a personal trainer can add to your workouts is invaluable. You can achieve more benefits from the time you spend exercising and working toward your health and fitness goals by consulting with a trainer than you can with just about anyone else. If you have a bad case of the flu, a broken bone, or a medical concern, seek treatment from your doctor. If you have a question about the best exercise routines for maximizing your health and fitness, consult a personal trainer. Post a comment in our blog, here. Featured Exercise Jumping on a Trampoline Everyone knows trampolines are fun, but not everyone knows that jumping on a trampoline is a great workout. It not only develops excellent proprioception (body awareness), but it also burns a ton of fat and calories. And did you know that the rhythmic bouncing has a powerful effect on the lymphatic system, which builds a stronger immune system? Both adults and children can benefit from regular exercise on a full size trampoline or a rebounder (a small trampoline). A trampoline provides exercise that is easy on the joints, very low in stress, and great for the body. It’s easy to start a trampoline regimen. Buy a mini-trampoline for your living room and jump while watching your favorite TV show, or bounce to a trampoline workout video. For tons of family fun, buy a large trampoline for the backyard. Start jumping on your trampoline for 30 minutes a day and bounce away your pounds. Children and adults who regularly jump on a trampoline reap many benefits from the exercise, beyond weight loss. Studies have shown that trampoline jumping can: Affect academic success — By helping a child learn to control his or her body movement, it can help a child learn. Because a trampoline teaches muscle control and coordination, many children see an improvement academically with the regular use of a trampoline. Improve self-esteem — People gain confidence as they master new skills on the trampoline. This can translate into a better self-image that may help improve success in every area of life. Teach persistence — It often takes many tries to master a skill on the trampoline, but because it is so much fun, people often persist. This reinforces the important lesson that doing something right is worth the effort. The many benefits of jumping on a trampoline make it a fantastic activity for adults and children, but it is important to remember that children should always be supervised when on the trampoline. Netted “cages” can be purchased to keep you from bouncing off and becoming injured. Ask Scott White | Personal Trainer Question If my main goal is to lose weight, which makes more sense . . . cardio first or lifting weights first? I've heard both sides, but never know who's right. Scott Responds Not all exercise is created equal. Cardio exercise, for example, is very good for the health and proper working condition of your heart — and of course there is a benefit to this form of exercise. A heart that isn’t fit and healthy will lead to a shortened lifespan. However, those in search of exercise to aid with fat-burning and weight loss are much better served by weight training. Weight training a better choice for fat loss and weight reduction because it builds muscles, and strong muscle mass is needed to achieve lasting fat loss and weight reduction. What do muscles have to do with fat loss? Do they “chew up” and “spit out” the fat? And doesn’t muscle-building actually cause you to weigh more and your body to appear even larger? Muscles don’t do the chewing or getting rid of fat, but they do assist by providing the energy that your metabolism (your fat-chomping machine) needs to burn fat quickly. Muscles accelerate the fat-eliminating capacity of your metabolism, causing rapid fat loss, weight reduction, and improved health. It is true that muscles “weigh” more than fat and so when you begin a weight-training routine, you may experience an initial weight gain. Fear not, as the more fat loss that occurs, the more quickly your body weight will readjust its weight. You can also afford to weigh more if that weight is muscle instead of fat. Weight from muscle does not lead to the disastrous medical conditions and diseases that having too much fat does. Weight training is simply an amazing fat-loss tool for those who want to lose fat and gain health. Weight training is a complete workout for the body, for your complete health. It also helps your newly developing muscles obtain shape, definition, and tone, for the “chiseled and fit” physique you desire. If you’ve been searching for the best form of exercise to accelerate your fat loss, weight-training is the exercise that can get the job done! Got a Question? Got a question? Send it to us at Ask the Trainer. We personally answer as many questions as we can. Your question may be used anonymously in the newsletter unless you ask us not to. Issue 12 Dec. 18, 2006   Happy Holidays!   Wishing you and your loved ones all the blessings and abundance of the holiday season.    Peace, joy, love to all!   Are you ready to create your own fitness program so that you can lose inches, build muscle, shed fat super fast, and feel absolutely amazing? Get your Personal Power Training Fitness Design Kit! Learn how to design your own exercise program to meet your personal fitness goals. Fitness Boot camp! Starting January 2, 2007. Fitness Boot Camp is the premiere fitness training and healthy-living boot camp program in Scottsdale! 3 times a week - M/W/F - 5 a.m. Enroll now! To learn more, click here. Learn the basics! This CD offers the fundamentals of exercise and nutrition so you can tailor your fitness program to your needs. To learn more, click here. Personal Trainer Success Secrets Quote "Quitters never win and winners never quit." ~ Anonymous ~ Definition of Fitness: Good health or physical condition, especially as the result of exercise and proper nutrition. Fitness model? Want publicity? Click here if you want to be listed as a fitness model on the Personal Power Training site. Have you been looking for the secrets that will help you break into the fitness modeling business? Learn how with Scott White's How to Become a Fitness Model eBook. Success Stories! Share your fitness success stories with us and receive a free copy of Scott White's Personal Power Training Daily Log Pages. Send your success story by clicking here. You are receiving this newsletter by request. To subscribe, click here. To unsubscribe, click here.

Personal Trainer Fitness Secrets Biweekly Newsletter by Scott White Personal Power Training www.personalpowertraining.net Personal Trainer Home   |    Fitness Articles  |  Training Blog  |  Fitness Forum Fitness Article of The Week The Benefits of Hiring a Personal Trainer   If you are looking for a fast, effective training plan to meet your body's needs and your lifestyle, then hiring a personal trainer might be the way to save yourself a lot of time and effort.  A personal trainer can also help you upgrade or maintain your routine over time, so that you get maximal results from your workouts.    A personal trainer should be someone who understands your fitness goals and is ready to help you meet those goals — within your body's ability to do so. Having a personal trainer means the end to wasting time and money on workout plans that don't get you results. Because you have someone to be accountable to for your workouts, your training regiment will remain consistent.  This is a person to whom you can turn for the latest health and fitness news, and someone will continually encourage you to give it your all.    Hiring a personal trainer can be an invaluable asset to your training routine — but only if your trainer is qualified and well educated about your medical history.  A good trainer should ask you plenty of questions about your medical background, as well as any injuries or surgeries that might cause a problem with your workouts, either now or down the road.  If your prospective trainer does not ask about your health or previous medical concerns, you should start looking for another trainer.    The best trainer will have spent a good deal of time educating him or herself about personal training.  Ask if he or she has a degree in: Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology, Physical Education, or in a related health-and-fitness field.  If they do hold a degree, you can be fairly certain they have the knowledge to perform at a competent level.  Your trainer should be certified in CPR and first aid, and will also carry liability insurance.    Make sure to ask your prospective trainer questions, like how long he or she has been training. Ask about the kinds of clients they usually work with, and get recommendations from some of their previous clients.   There are no national standards for personal trainers, so you need to verify that your trainer is certified, and determine which agency has done the certification. Also, find out the requirements for the certification your trainer holds. Training certifications are usually best if done through a nonprofit organization, but that is not a fail-safe determination.   Also check to see if the certification requires any sort of continuing education, and what that program involves. Does your trainer have to be tested on his or her skills, or does he or she just have to mail a valid check?  You want the best of care when you are going to be pushing your body to the limits.    If you are thinking that a trainer is not for you because you are not body building, then perhaps you should think again.  While personal trainers can certainly be enlisted by a body builder to help him or her “pump up,” a trainer should be able to help you meet the personal goals you set for your own body (within reason).  If you are looking to lose weight, get healthier, or just tone some of your muscles, a personal trainer can tailor a workout to meet those goals and keep you on track.   Movie stars use personal trainers all the time to trim the right muscles and look great for their latest film projects. You can find your own trainer to help you look great for your next trip to the beach, that marathon you want to win, or just to live a longer, healthier life.  Post a comment in our blog, here. Featured Exercise Jumping Rope Jumping rope provides a number of health benefits: not only is it a great cardiovascular exercise that burns calories and fat, but it also develops good coordination between the hands and feet, as well as rhythm (muscle coordination). The greatest thing about jumping rope is that it is very inexpensive and you can do it almost anywhere.    Jumping rope has been proven to be a very effective method for burning fat. It has been shown to burn as many as 1,000 calories per hour. Wow — that is some serious caloric expenditure! Some of the best and leanest athletes swear by it. Movies often depict professional boxers skipping rope because it develops great cardiovascular endurance and stamina. It’s no wonder that boxers are some of the best-conditioned athletes   Grab a jump rope and try it yourself! s        Stand erect, but relaxed, when you jump. s        Keep your knees slightly bent. s        Look straight ahead, not at your feet. s        Land on the balls of your feet, not on your heels. s        Keep your arms fairly still — do not flail. Start by jumping slowly, building up your speed so you can jump rope more quickly over time. See how many times you can jump without missing. Try to do 100 skips before you have to stop — then, beat that record the next time. Do 50 super fast jumps, followed by 50 slower jumps.   Jumping rope is great for the whole family. Have even more fun by getting some friends to play Double-Dutch. Jump rope for 30 minutes, five times a week, and watch your waistline shrink. Go invest in a jump rope today, and quickly get the body you want.     Ask Scott White | Personal Trainer Question What are the signs of over-training? Scott Responds The signs of over-training are pretty obvious. You look tired and fatigued, with bags and dark circles under your eyes that make you resemble a raccoon. Low appetite, low sex drive, and lack of energy or motivation are other signs.   Yes, this sounds like the majority of the population — and yes, in a way, most people are over-trained. While most folks probably don't exercise and work out, they perform the same routine every day, but offer no additional specific physical stress so that their bodies can improve (super-compensate). Quality training involves both ends of the spectrum: giving your body something new and more challenging to do — and then allowing it time to rest and recuperate before your next workout. Got a Question? Got a question? Send it to us at Ask the Trainer. We personally answer as many questions as we can. Your question may be used anonymously in the newsletter unless you ask us not to. Issue 11 Dec. 3, 2006   Happy Holidays!    Appreciate and love the friends and family you spend it with.    Give thanks for all the wonderful things you have achieved in your life   Are you ready to create your own fitness program so that you can lose inches, build muscle, shed fat super fast, and feel absolutely amazing? Get your Personal Power Training Fitness Design Kit! Learn how to design your own exercise program to meet your personal fitness goals. Fitness Boot camp! Starting January 2, 2007. Fitness Boot Camp is the premiere fitness training and healthy-living boot camp program in Scottsdale! 3 times a week - M/W/F - 5 a.m. Enroll now! To learn more, click here. Learn the basics! This CD offers the fundamentals of exercise and nutrition so you can tailor your fitness program to your needs. To learn more, click here. Personal Trainer Success Secrets Quote from Scott "Action + Effort + Persistence = Dreams Coming True" ~ Scott White ~ Definition of Fitness: Good health or physical condition, especially as the result of exercise and proper nutrition. Fitness model? Want publicity? Click here if you want to be listed as a fitness model on the Personal Power Training site. Have you been looking for the secrets that will help you break into the fitness modeling business? Learn how with Scott White's How to Become a Fitness Model eBook. Success Stories! Share your fitness success stories with us and receive a free copy of Scott White's Personal Power Training Daily Log Pages. Send your success story by clicking here. You are receiving this newsletter by request. To subscribe, click here. To unsubscribe, click here.