SOME SCARY FACTS TO KNOW FOR THE DAY

The number of Americans classified as obese is now higher than the number of people considered overweight, according to a report recently released by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

The report finds 34.3 percent of U.S. adults ago 20 and over are obese, while an estimated 32.7 percent are overweight.  The study also finds that 5.9 percent of U.S. adults are classified as extremely obese.

Since 1988, the incidence of obesity in America has risen nearly 10 percent.

This study only clarifies the need for us individually and collectively to take control.  Take control of our lives, our decisions and behaviors.  We are on a bad road.  Its time to hop paths and get back on the highway to better and healthier lives.

JC Guidry

Method Evolution

Serving the best in exercise, fitness and nutrition to Pearland and Houston

BootCamps and Personal Training

One of the most important things you can be doing right now is planning for your weeks, months and year ahead.

Success in weight loss and fitness (and in life) is NOT an accident.

You plan for it, you work hard, and you earn it.

What I have learned in my years of experiences is that when you plan for weight loss & fitness success, and work hard to execute that plan, no one can stand between you and accomplishing your goal.

No one.

And whatever little “bumps” in the road you go through, well that’s all they are.

Just temporary pauses in the path to achieving your goals.

Some people just let those things stop them, winner make the decision to just keep on going.

Now, whatever your past year was like in weight loss (and in life), the most important thing you can be doing right now is putting together your success plan for 2009.

Map it out, and then write it down.

Once you’ve made your plan, put it into action and block the time you need to execute it.  (as little as 30 minutes a day will deliver you the results you are after).

Do that consistently month after month, tracking your progress and making improvements along the way, and you will make 2009 your best year ever.

I look forward to supporting you along the way.

Your Personal Trainer,

JC Guidry, CPT, ES, MPT

Method Evolution

Serving the best in Exercise, Fitness, Nutrition and Weight Loss to Pearland & Houston

BootCamps and Personal Training

Two quick reminders of our upcoming classes:

FitCAMP this Saturday, February 7th 2009

Time:  730am till 8:30am

For more info:  Pearland BootCamps

Indoor BootCamp in Shadow Creek Ranch (4 Weeks)

Starts Monday, February 16th, 2009

DAYS:  Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays

TIME:  6:30am till 7:15am

For more information:  Shadow Creek Ranch BootCamp

JC Guidry, CPT, ES, MPT

METHOD EVOLUTION

Serving the best in Exercise, Fitness, Nutrition and Weight Loss to Pearland & Houston

BootCamps & Personal Training

Superbowl as you all know was Sunday….but our Superbowl Celebration FitCAMP was Saturday.

We had another great turnout.

About 30 showed for this last minute special event class.

All who attended had to come wearing some article of clothing supporting their favorite NFL team.  From quick memory we had Texan fans, Dallas fans, and Raven fans.

I just wanted to share a posting of a pic I took before class started.

Thanks again for all that showed!

JC Guidry, CPT, ES, MPT

METHOD EVOLUTION

Serving the best in exercise, fitness, weight loss and nutrition to Pearland and Houston

BootCamp and Personal Training

A BONUS FOR YOU TODAY!!!  How about a 10 to 15 minute BootCamp workout?

This is one you can do in your own back yard or in your local health club!

JC Guidry, Method Evolution

Serving the best in Exercise, Fitness, Nutrition, and Weight Loss to Pearland & Houston

After this mornings BootCamp class one of my clients asked about a quick workout they can do this weekend.  But with a special consideration….they don’t have any equipment at home.

So as I promised…I am sending a quick - yet effective fat burning, metabolism boosting, body weight workout for all to enjoy!  (and obviously reep the rewards of it!)

• Perform each exercise in a quick, controlled manner
• For Burpees and High Knees - perform as fast as you can
• Go from exercise to exercise without rest
• After you finish one EVOLUTION, rest 45 seconds to 1 minute and then repeat
• Continue till you ahve gone 3 times thru this EVOLUTION

1. Jumping Jacks - 50
2. Spiderman Pushups - 20 total
3. Walking Lunges - 30 total
4. Spiderman Climbs - 20 total
5. Squat Hold Position (remember butt down!) - 45 seconds to 1 minute
6. Alligator - 1 minute
7. Burpees - 5
8. High Knees - 50

Enjoy the bonus workout.  Have a fabulous weekend.  Looking forward to seeing all of you next week!

JC Guidry, CPT, ES, MPT

METHOD EVOLUTION & Pearland BootCamp

Serving the best in Exercise, Fitness, Weight Loss & Nutrition to Pearland & Houston

BootCamp & Personal Training

It never fails…I see countless of my clients, friends, and local Pearland & Shadow Creek Ranch residents at the grocery store - HUNGRY.

Why do I say that?  I hear the conversations they are having with their spouses, me, etc.

Did you know that going to the grocery store hungry is setting yourself up for disaster?

If you’re hungry while you’re shopping for food, you’re more likely to crave all of the bad food you “shouldn’t be having”.  Try eating 10 almonds and an apple before you go, the fiber and good fat will keep hunger away - and you in the safe and clear!”

JC Guidry, CPT, ES, MPT

METHOD EVOLUTION

Serving the best in Exercise, Fitness, Weight Loss & Nutrition to Pearland & Houston

Pearland BootCamp & Personal Training

Banking your results on the calories burned on a treadmill?

“JC, It is hard for me to reconcile that when I was doing a longer cardio workout it would say I burned 500 calories and now when I do the short burst intervals for 15 minutes it says I only burned 160 calories. A few people told me the treadmill reading is wrong anyway. What do you think?”
Thanks, Kathy

Great question!

When Fat Loss is your goal, your concern and focus needs to lie in boosting your metabolism so your body burns more calories 24-7 - not just during the time you are “doing cardio”.

A lot of people fall prey to the number of calories burned on a treadmill for it’s immediate feedback…immediate gratification that they are making progress - and their efforts on cardio will erase the # of calories they indulged in the day before.

This number can be off by as much as 30% as it does not account for several variables….such as:
~ your body fat percentage. A person who has a higher percentage of body fat will usually burn less calories than a person with more muscle mass.
~ your fitness level. If you’re new to an activity, you’ll usually burn more calories than a fit person doing the same activity.

To further the issue, the typical Fat Loss mindset of Cardio is:

The more calories I burn, the faster I will lose weight, the more weight I will lose.

That is great, however, immediate calorie burn is not what makes a difference on your body’s ability to burn more fat and calories all day long.

The elevated calorie burn you see on a treadmill diminishes and goes back to “normal” shortly after the cardio session ends.

This means your body is burning less overall calories.

Consequences of Long Duration Cardio
Plus, the longer you “do” cardio, the more you put your body at risk of taking energy from or burning lean muscle.

This is NOT good if Fat Loss is your goal.

Muscle is the foundation of your calorie burn…the more lean muscle you have - the more calories you burn - all day, all night….sitting down, standing up, sleeping, watching TV….not just when you are exercising.

So in essence - women find themselves doing more and more cardio based on the # of calories burned and the fact that they end up having to do more and more since the entire process ends up backfiring and slowing down their metabolism.

It is very common for women to end up doing long bouts of cardio just to maintain a body they are not happy with, feeling nothing works and there is no other option.

This is why a balanced fitness program is a must.

Not only must you have a concern for supportive nutrition but also a fitness plan that addresses how much lean muscle your body holds.

Resistance Training is the heart of a true fat loss program for it addresses how many calories your body burns 24-7. Following a progressively challenging resistance training workout plan increases your lean muscle and the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn - and the LESS Cardio you will have to do.

Interval Training
Short burst intervals are not going to show a huge increase in calories while you perform them.

Take a look at my example from the other day:
After 12 super intense and sweaty minutes - I only burned 192 calories!
If this was my only measure of success - can you see how I could quickly feel defeated and NOT want to stick with this type of cardio plan?

I AM NOT SITTING AROUND POUTING ABOUT IT!
Due to the intensity and nature of this intervals workout, I know my metabolism will continue to stay elevated for 24-36 hours afterward.

Traditional cardio - while yes has some benefits - will not give you this benefit nor the advantage to faster and more effective fat loss.

Super Busy?  Finding it hard to fit your workouts in?

Then why would anyone choose to spend the precious time the do have doing cardio?

Intervals are short!  And most importantly - EFFECTIVE!

As busy Pearlanders, we just do not have the TIME to spend hours every week on the treadmill. Short burst intervals not only allow you to use your time more effectively, but also BOOST your Metabolism for there is no risk of the loss of lean muscle from long cardio sessions.

So my advice is to not base your success around this feature on the treadmill.

You will get results simply by following a balanced resistance training program that incorporates intervals - instead of hours of cardio!

In need of a workout plan that delivers more results in less time? Method Evolution BootCamp & Personal Training programs maps it all out for you - helping you focus your cardio sessions on short, but intense intervals to help you see faster fat loss results.

JC Guidry, CPT, ES, MPT

METHOD EVOLUTION

Serving the best in Exercise, Nutrition, and Weight Loss to Pearland & Houston

BootCamp & Personal Training

When starting a fitness & weight loss program, measure your body fat in circumference measurements results rather than using a scale.  Getting on the scale daily can be self defeating and unmotivating.  If you lose weight the right way, you will see more inches lost than weight on the scale because you should be gaining lean muscle and losing fat at the same time.

JC Guidry, CPT, ES, MPT

METHOD EVOLUTION

Author, Busy Parent Fitness

Serving the best in Exercise, Fitness, Nutrition and Weight Loss to Pearland & Houston

BootCamp and Personal Training

You can burn an extra 1,000 calories a week (and more!) with these simple tips!

1.  ADD 10 MINUTES IN THE MORNING

While you may be religious about going to the gym after work, waking up 10 minutes earlier in the morning and taking a walk around the block will let you start off your day with a faster-burning metabolism and, most likely, head off to work in a better mood than usual.

* Calorie burning boost: about 275 calories a week

2.  DO INTERVAL

When you alternate high intensity cardio bouts with moderate intensity recovery periods, you boost your calorie burning and increase your fitness level.  This will also help you break thru plateaus.

3.  WORK OUT WITH A FASTER PARTNER

Whether in a gym or around the neighborhood, a fitness partner will challenge you to keep up and exercise at a higher intensity.  You could say its the friendliest way to kick your own butt!  Plus, workouts go faster when you are with good compnay.

4.  JUMP ROPE ON YOUR COFFEE BREAKS

Sound silly?  It won’t after you start benefiting from the results!

5.  GO LONGER

If you typical workout is 20 minutes - no shorter, no longer - here’s an easy way to challenge yourself.  Twice a week, try adding 10 or 15 minutes to your workout.  You know you’ll burn more calories, but you’ll also increase your endurance level.

6.  CHANGE EQUIPMENT OR ACTIVITIES

If you always head to the treadmill, enroll in a Bootcamp program or get on the stationary bike and step up the intensity.  This will increase the calorie burn of your workouts.

7.  ADD ANOTHER DAY

Week after week are you on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule?  Add a Saturday bike ride or Sunday morning group exercise class to your week, and your fitness level - and body shape - will show it!

8.  HIRE A PERSONAL TRAINER

Nothing gets you out of a fitness rut father than refining your routine based on experience of someone who knows exactly how to get results.  GUARANTEE YOUR RESULTS!

9.  TRY A MINI-TRIATHLON

Instead of trying to force yourself to stay on the bike or treadmill each time you workout, here’s your knew workout plan:  15 minutes power walking on a steep incline on the treadmill, 15 minutes on a stationary cycle (ideally at a high resistance level), then 15 minutes in the pool (or use a racing program on your gym’s rowing machine).

PS…for an added bonus, combine this activity with suggestion #3 - working out with a partner - to make this activity even more fun!

10.  END WITH AN INVIGORATING STRETCH

Stretching is as important after running or walking as it is after weight lifting.

YOUR WEEKLY CARDIO WORKOUT PLAN

Monday, Wednesday and Friday are high intensity cardio days.  The other four days will help you boost your calorie burn throughout the week without exhausting you or increasing your potential of injury.

Monday:  Interval workout (#2) with active stretch (#10).  Plus add 10 minutes in the morning (#1) and jump rope (#4)

Tuesday:  Do something different today, even if its only 20 minutes (#6).

Wednesday:  For endurance, add 15 minutes to your typical cardio workout (#5).  Plus add 10 minutes in the morning (#1) and jump rope (#4).

Thursday:  Repeat Tuesdays workout.

Friday:  Combine working out with a faster partner and the mini triathlon workout (#3 and #9).

Saturday:  Add a day of activity (#7).  You can choose to focus on fun, such as frisbee in the park, or the calorie burning, such as taking a FitCAMP class or going on a long walk.

Sunday:  Stretch with some yoga (#10) but, in general, consider this your rest day.

**Every 1-3 month, make at least 1 appointment with a trainer (#8) to update your program and check your form.

JC Guidry, CPT, ES, MPT

METHOD EVOLUTION

Pearland BootCamp

Serving the best in Weight Loss, Nutrition, Fitness and Exercise in Pearland and Houston

Personal Training & BootCamp