Dear Flabby: No Calories In Alcohol?

This week FT Gets Results would like to welcome a new columnist to our staff, Flabinnia May Bulgemoore. Ms. Bulgemoore is an elderly spinster who lives on a hamster farm on the outskirts of central Massachusetts with her 750 Cabbage Patch dolls and her cousin Flanders. Flabinnia—we like to call her “Flabby”—has spent her career combing yard sales for Magic Eight-balls, old tabloid magazines and used books about health and fitness from the 1970s, which she is happy to consult in order to answer her readers’ questions. To keep things interesting, we’ve opened up the forum to our trainers to provide a counterpoint to Flabby’s cockamamie advice. This week’s counterpoint comes from Derek Maxfield, owner and personal trainer at Fitness Together in Beverly, MA.
And now, FT Gets Results is proud to present: “Dear Flabby.”

Dear Flabby,

I’m wondering if you can settle a bet between me and my friend Pauline. Lately me and Pauline, we’ve been trying to eat healthier and get into a smaller size of Spanx. We’re seeing a personal trainer we found in the classifieds who has us keeping food journals and watching Richard Simmons on the VCR and he’s made us cut out desserts and cheese. (Boy has that been hard. I love a good cheese, don’t you? Those little individual slices with the cellophane wrapper get me going, ya know?) Anyhoo, my girlfriends and me, we were out to the ladies night over at the Holiday Inn out on Route 1 like we do every Sunday after Bingo and Pauline, she sees I’m not recording my cocktails in my food journal and she starts mouthing off like there’s no tomorrow about there being calories in martinis and I should count them in my food journal just like I do regular food. I told her she’s crazy and to take a hike. How can there be calories in something that’s clear like water? I ditched the olives into the ficus bush just to be safe, but I’m pretty sure it’s okay to have a few cocktails, right Flabby? Like, sometimes to have a few strawberry margaritas on account of all the fruit? So, who’s right, me or Pauline? There’s a nice David Hasselhoff poster riding on this one.

Thanks,
Tiny

……

Dearest Tiny,

Judging by how skinny celebrities like Lindsay Lohan look in their drunk driving mug shots, I’d say there are absolutely no calories in alcohol, so my answer is: Yes!

Sincerely,
Flabby

P.S. My third cousin, once-removed, Earl goes up to that ladies night sometimes. If you happen to see him, short guy, usually in a Ramone’s T that’s a few sizes two small and should have been retired back in 2000, balding with a comb-over, orders “A Nice Tall Girl” instead of asking for a St. Pauli on draft, well, tell him I want my drain snake back.

……

Dear Tiny, Pauline and Flabby,

Hi. It’s Derek Maxfield here from Fitness Together in Beverly.

Really, Flabby? Just “Yes?”  What does that even mean? Of course there are calories in alcoholic drinks. Sometimes lots!

Tiny, as diligent as you may be about counting your food intake calories, the cocktail menu is where you can really get yourself into trouble.  Whether it’s at a family barbeque in your backyard or ladies night at the Holiday Inn, alcoholic beverages can directly influence what belt loop you’re notching.

The difficult part about alcohol is that it’s often overlooked when logging calorie intake in your journal and those calories can quickly put you over your daily allowance. You should know that 1 gram of alcohol contains 7 calories.  To better relate that figure:  1 gram of fat equals 9 calories, so alcohol contains just about the same amount of calories as fat.  To put it another way, one of those martinis of yours probably had between 200 and 300 calories, more than a serving of potato chips. (You’d count potato chips in your food journal if you ate them, right? Though you shouldn’t be eating chips if you really want to downsize those Spanx!)

I never expect anyone to fully eliminate alcohol from his or her diet.  However, limiting how much you drink can make stepping on the scale less stressful and save your health in the long run. Slowly enjoying a nice glass of wine instead of swigging down numerous potent cocktails can potentially save hundreds of calories.  If  you have one glass of wine at approximately 170 calories instead of 3 martinis at 250 calories each, you’ll save upwards of almost 600 calories, as well as a hefty hangover!

And don’t be fooled, Tiny. Just because certain types of alcohol like vodka or gin are clear like water, they are not low in calories.  A shot of straight alcohol can range from 120 to 180 calories—just as much as your average beer or even glass of wine. When sugary mixers are added to hard alcohol to create a margarita or fancy martini, calories can exceed 500!  And don’t be fooled into thinking that tonic water is low in calories, either. It’s loaded with sugar and has about 124 calories per 12 oz.  serving, almost as much as regular cola! Better to mix with club soda and a squeeze of lime, which has no calories.

When it comes to beer, my suggestion would be to go for light beer instead of heavy beer (Sam Adams Light instead of Sam Adams Octoberfest) or choose a glass of Cabernet, and try to avoid mixed drinks.  After selecting your drink: enjoy it, make it last, and sip – don’t chug.

So, Tiny, I hate to tell you this, but I guess Pauline is now the proud owner of that David Hasselhoff poster. Just remember, those cocktail calories count just as much as food calories do. Be sure to log them in your food journal, and keep them to a minimum.

Yours in Health,
Derek

Fitness Together in Beverly is located at
Cummings Center 950 Cummings Ctr, Ste 98X
(978) 922-3636

To find out about lower calorie cocktail alternatives, click here.

Go to FTGetsResults.com to find more FT studios near you.

Derek Maxfield
Owner/Personal Trainer, FT Beverly
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Over 8,000 sessions experience
Derek Maxfield enjoys seeing his clients reach their goals and looks forward to exercising. He strongly believes that nutrition is a very important apsect of fitness and finding the correct activity is the key to total comittment.  Derek is certified through the American Council of Exercise and has enjoyed working with clients ranging from 14 years old to 83 years old, from athletes to those who have had various injuries.  He started his career working in a public gym, but joined Fitness Together in December of 2008 in Concord, MA.  After two years of service which he thoroughly enjoyed, he became owner of Fitness Together in Beverly

Why Are You Still Weighing Yourself?

By: P.J. Castaldini, Owner & Certified Fitness Trainer,
Fitness Together Belmont (Waverley Square)

All the sly marketers out there will tell you fitness results can be achieved in as little as 1 week…I’m sure you all know this is simply untrue, but perhaps you’re not aware of a realistic timeline. Most professionals agree (this one included) that 12 weeks is a good timeframe to see quantifiable results. Some may achieve results in 10 weeks and others in 14. Nevertheless, somewhere around 12 weeks is what you should shoot for when beginning a fitness routine. Anyone that tries to tell you it can happen in less time is simply uninformed or trying to SELL you something.

What do I mean by quantifiable results? It means measurable changes, not just when you look in the mirror and think to yourself, “Hmmm, I think I look better.” The only way to have measurable changes is to MEASURE YOURSELF before you start. And no…no…no, don’t just get on the scale and use your weight as the starting point…WHY??? Because weight is a very poor indication of your success; weight is made up of 2 different (and very important) variables: 1.) Lean Body Weight and 2.) Fat Weight. You want MORE of the first and less of the second. Yes, more of the first…and depending on your body type and starting point…you very well can and perhaps should GAIN some weight in the beginning. Time after time my clients tell me and readers email, “P.J., I’ve gained 3 lbs. since starting; what am I doing wrong?” DON’T WORRY! This is a good thing as long as the Lean weight is what’s going up and not the fat weight.

How do you know it’s the lean weight and not the fat? This is where the measuring you do at the beginning comes in to play. If you measure your body fat % before beginning your exercise routine, you can measure it again later and see QUANTIFIABLE CHANGES. If you start with 40% body fat and later have only 30% body fat, you know you’re headed in the right direction because you lost 10% body fat. Conversely, if you only use your weight to gauge results, you may start at 200lbs and later weigh only 180 lbs, but how do you know the 20 lbs you lost are from fat? Far too often people will lose a majority of their weight from lean body weight; therefore, causing more harm than good. You want to retain lean body weight because this is what burns fat. If you’re not sure how this works, email or call me (617-484-9048) and I’ll give you more information.

I’ll use another post in a few weeks to go into greater detail. So watch this space. But not intently as I want you all to push away from the computer and do some exercising, of course.

So class, for homework, find out your body fat percentage and overall measurements before you start on your journey. Moreover, don’t set yourself up for disappointment by expecting big changes in an unrealistic timeframe. Plan on approximately 12 weeks for quantifiable results; if you do so, you’ll set yourself up for success and just in time for the good weather!

FT Belmont

To find a Fitness Together studio near you, go to FTGetsResults.com

Flu & Fitness: WWFUD?

by Martha Hicks Leta

Judging by the numbers, this year’s flu season is shaping up to be a real whopper. If you haven’t already caught this year’s flu, you’re probably doing everything in your power to avoid catching it, but as you think about the progress you’ve made with your workouts, you may be wondering whether you should continue your routine or crawl into a sterile bubble until flu season passes.

As you weigh the facts, you should consider, once again, the benefits your regular exercise regimen should have on your overall health and your body’s ability to fight illness. “Findings continue to support the benefit of regular exercise in strengthening the immune system, enabling it to fight viral and bacterial infections,” according to the good people at WebMD.com. Why? Exercise causes white blood cells, which fight infections, to blitz through your body more quickly, fighting bacteria and viruses (such as flu) more efficiently. To achieve this benefit it’s good to have at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity each day. So, just because it’s flu season, you really don’t want to pull the plug on all that progress you’re making with your workouts, and you shouldn’t have to.

Until the “All Clear” signal is given on flu season, here are a few strategies to deploy before, during and after your workout to keep your germ exposure to a minimum and your workout to a maximum.

Before Your Workout

1. Talk to your doctor about getting a flu shot. Influenza vaccines are available through local health departments, health care providers and most pharmacies. The CDC recommends that everyone over the age of six months receive an annual flu vaccine. It’s especially important to get the flu shot if you have asthma, diabetes, lung disease or are age 65 or older. You should also get the flu shot of you live with or care for someone at high risk, or if you’re pregnant. The flu can hit hard and set off a string of other medical problems, including pneumonia, not to mention lost productivity.
2. Wash your hands often. During flu season, you may feel like a fanatic, but now is a great time to tap into your inner clean freak and ask yourself, “What Would Felix Unger Do?” He’d clean it, spray it, wipe it, wash it. In fact, ask any doctor or nurse how often they wash their hands through the course of a day: “I wash my hands or use a hand sanitizer before and after every patient,” says Christopher Tolcher, MD, a pediatrician in the Los Angeles area and clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles. “I probably wash my hands 40 to 50 times a day.” Felix would be proud.
3. Keep surfaces clean of germs- Again, say it with me, WWFUD? Frequently used objects such as cell phones, keyboards, steering wheels, door knobs, pens and sink faucets can harbor the germs of every other person who’s been in contact. Wipe these surfaces in your home or office daily, and use alcohol based hand sanitizer in between. Keep hands off of your face and especially away from your eyes.
4. Get your rest, plenty of water and quality nutrition. Its unfortunate, but many of us don’t pay attention to our sleeping and eating habits until we get sick. Only then will we start pounding the fluids and nutrients. Get your healthy food groups in daily—whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, fresh fruits and vegetables. Your body can’t take care of you if you don’t take care of it. Feed it well and give it a good rest.

During your workout

1. Wash Your Hands Before and After Your Work Out- Not to belabor the point, but washing your hands before your workout will keep you from spreading bacteria. Washing your hands after will keep you from picking germs spread by all those other people who didn’t think to wash their hands like you did.
2. Avoid Touching Your Face – Your eyes, nose and mouth are the main portals for bacteria and viruses. Don’t show them in if you don’t want them as guests in your body.
3. Bring two different colored towels – Designate one as your personal towel and use the other to wipe down equipment before and after use.
4. Disinfect – Most gyms should have squirt bottles of powerful disinfectant lying around. Don’t be shy about using one or asking for one before you hunker down on that mat or yoga ball for your ab work. Better yet, bring your own mat for classes that require prolonged floor work. At least you know where it’s been.
5. Don’t Overdo It! Flu season is not the time to indulge in prolonged extreme workouts. Studies show taxing your body too much can decrease the number of white blood cells flowing throughout your body while increasing the level of stress hormones in the bloodstream. Your trainer will help you keep you out of the red zone during flu season.

 After your workout

1. Take It OFF! Peel off those workout clothes and shower as soon as you’re able. Your sweaty clothes are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. If you don’t have time for a shower, at least wash your hands or wipe them down with hand sanitizer. No matter where you’ve been all day, it’s a good idea for you (and your kids) to change clothes as soon as you get home.
2. Rehydrate and Replenish. After you’ve taxed your body with a challenging workout, be sure to recharge with a dose of protein and plenty of water.

If you do get sick
Determine if it’s a cold or the flu. A cold will usually hit “above the neck” and consist of a stuffed head and maybe a sore throat. The flu will strike above and below the neck and involves body aches, fever, chest congestion, coughing and often gastro-intestinal distress. Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Dr. Edward Laskowski, M.D. says, “Mild to moderate physical activity is usually OK if you have a garden-variety cold and no fever. Exercise may even help you feel better by opening your nasal passages and temporarily relieving nasal congestion, though you may consider reducing the intensity of your workout until you’re feeling better.”
But if your symptoms are “below the neck” lay off the exercise, especially if there is a fever involved. A fever is a sign that your body is battling a viral or bacterial infection. Exercising while taxed with a fever may stress your body even more and leave you dehydrated, complicating your symptoms and delaying your recovery from the flu. Also, the flu is contagious and spreads mainly through droplets made when someone coughs, sneezes, talks, or sweats. Do your trainer and fellow gym members a favor and keep it to yourself if you catch it.
The bottom line is, if you do get sick, listen to your body. If you have a cold and feel miserable, there’s no crime in taking off for a day or two, as long as you get back to it as soon as you’re able. If you have the flu, definitely wait a good few days after your fever resolves before returning to the gym. And, as always, check with your doctor if you aren’t sure if it’s OK to exercise.
Read more to find out whether you should exercise with cold or flu symptoms:
WebMD Exercise & Flu
WebMD How Doctors Keep Germs At Bay
WebMD Cold & Flu Map Tool

This Is Your Brain On Fitness

By Martha Hicks Leta

If you’ve ever been a regular member at a conventional gym, you’ve noticed that this is the time of year when those people, we’ll call them The Resolutionaries come out of the woodwork. The Resolutionaries are those folks who, on or about January 2, rush to renew the membership they barely used last year, promising themselves that this year, YES, this year will be different! They come in waves of inspiration and perspiration, clichés and good intentions in their brand new sneakers and sweats purchased with that sporting goods gift certificate given to them by a concerned relative. And then, just like that, most of them are gone again.

Maybe a few will successfully make the conversion to regular exercise, but without a lot of help, most will not. Maybe you’re one of those Resolutionaries and you already feel your commitment flagging. So, what’s the secret? How do you permanently convert those New Year’s Resolutions into real and lasting change this time?

You ready for it? The big secret? Here it is: People who exercise regularly and successfully do so because they’ve made it a habit to do so. That is, they’ve made it such an entrenched and engrained part of their very brains that NOT doing so leaves a gaping psychic hole through which the winds of loneliness and despair howl without mercy. Maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but when people who exercise regularly miss their workouts, they feel cranky and out of sorts much the way a smoker feels upon running out of cigarettes, except what they’re missing is the thing that’s actually healthy for them. Because the craving for that healthy reward is now engrained in their habits, they’ll get back to their routine as soon as possible. That, my friends, is what we all want.

So how do you get rid of the bad habits and create new ones? Without going into a college level course in neuroscience, suffice to say that changing entrenched habits and behaviors is no easy proposition. This is because your brain, we’ll call it Alice, has a greedy obsession with a chemical called Dopamine. Think back to any happy memory: that time your first love bought you that box of chocolates, or maybe the time your mother made you feel better after a tough day at pre-school by getting you your first Happy Meal. That sense of euphoria created by these experiences caused by a burst of dopamine in your brain. Alice really likes dopamine. It’s her Happy Pill. Once Alice discovers a trigger for dopamine, she will try to drive you back to that trigger again and again. For athletes, that trigger is exercise, or winning a trophy. For the rest of us, it’s French fries or chocolate. Thanks, Alice.

The good news is that your brain can be literally rewired in 14 to 21 days through daily practice of the behavior you wish to make a habit, exercise. After a few days of consistently practicing your exercise routine, your brain will start producing a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which makes the brain more supple, allows you to think more clearly and releases the old habits. It also increases the effectiveness of dopamine neurotransmission, which means the more you exercise, the happier your brain will feel, which will then cause your brain to drive you to exercise regularly. It’s kind of a win-win for your body and Alice!

So how do you get started? This is where your Fitness Together trainer comes in. During your fitness assessment, your trainer will or has discussed your goals with you and customized that program for you. Your trainer will then get you on track with these key components:

• Boost your calorie-burning furnace by strength-training. The only scientifically proven method of enhancing the number of calories your body burns at rest (RMR) is to change your body composition meaning adding more muscle mass. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat (one pound of muscle burns approximately 9 times the calories as a pound of fat) so by increasing muscle mass through intensive strength training, you can increase RMR to a small degree. Strength-building exercises also help maintain your bone density and balance, two important factors in healthy aging.
• Daily cardio adds to your burn. Here is where you have the greatest daily control over your total burn rate. Cardio is the greatest calorie burner in the least amount of time. Combine a daily cardio expenditure of a few hundred calories with your strength training workout calorie burn and you have a one-two punch which will guarantee to fire up your metabolism.
• Power up your protein intake. Eating a small amount of lean protein at every meal is also an effective metabolism booster. Protein takes more calories to assimilate thereby raising your TEF to a greater degree than carbs or fat.
• Eat small, frequent meals. And don’t forget to eat small frequent meals throughout the day (another proven metabolism booster) rather than consolidating your entire food intake into just one or two large meals. Eating metabolism-raising foods in small quantities, spread throughout the day, will also provide you with a stable blood sugar level and a constant source of energy needed for metabolism. It is also important that you do not skip breakfast or drastically reduce your calorie intake as it will be interpreted by your body as potential starvation and lead to a slowdown in your metabolism.
• Get enough Z’s. Sleep deprivation actually has been shown to harm your body’s endocrine function and capacity to metabolize carbohydrates. Translation: when you don’t get a good night’s sleep you decrease your calorie burning potential. Aim for at least 7 solid hours per night to help your metabolism run more smoothly.
• Practice stress reduction. Stress triggers the release of cortisol, the primary stress hormone. When cortisol bathes your body’s tissue it stimulates fat storage, particularly around the middle (the more dangerous location). Cortisol also slows metabolism. Practicing healthy stress reduction techniques such as exercise, listening to music, gardening or any other relaxation technique will lower the amount of cortisol and help you maximize your metabolic rate.

Making those appointments with your trainer week after week is what will most effectively replace bad habits of avoidance and sedentary living with good habits that lead to strength, fitness and a greatly improved appearance and sense of self. Keep those appointments, follow that program and you WILL see results!

Read more

If you’re looking for a great way to get started, take a proactive approach in 2013 by igniting your inner inferno and joining us for our IGNITE YOUR INFERNO 21 DAY CHALLENGE! Make the commitment to yourself to get the New Year off to the right start by forming a new habit of working out and getting your body fit and healthy. We are here to help you ignite the spark inside you that will turn you into a lean mean fat burning machine! All you have to do is take the first step and commit to working out for 21 days. We’re betting that after that time, you’ll be hooked! Once a flame is started, it is hard to extinguish; make your body’s Inner Inferno unstoppable!

The IGNITE YOUR INFERNO 21 DAY CHALLENGE is only available at participating Fitness Together studios. Don’t do a slow burn get ignited, call an FT Studio today for a free fitness assessment. To find a studio near you go to: FTGetsResults.com

Fitness Tip: Roll Away the Sore Muscle Blues

By Martha Hicks Leta

For many exercise enthusiasts, stretching is one of those things that gets treated like a boring inconvenience that doesn’t really affect our fitness quality. It’s not until we get injured or feel ourselves plagued by nagging stiffness that we start to consider that stretching might be worth taking the time.

Mike Ruggiero began his athletic career when he first strapped on a pair of hockey skates at the age of three. Several carloads of tournament trophies, athletic awards and fitness certifications later, Mike is now a trainer and owner of Fitness Together in Newton Centre. A certified personal trainer for over a decade, Mike says his years of getting bashed around on the ice have taught him well the importance of stretching muscles for maximum safety and performance.

One of Mike’s favorite stretching tools is the foam roller.  He says foam roller stretches should be done prior to any workout and can also be done while relaxing or watching TV.  When done correctly, roller exercises, also known as self-myofacial release (SMR), stretch muscles and tendons while breaking down soft tissue adhesions and scar tissue.  The myofacial release that comes with these stretches involves loosening the connective tissue that wraps and connects muscles, bones, nerves and blood vessels in the body. Roller stretching helps reduce the types of muscle and joint pain associated with IT band syndrome, lateral patella tracking, shin splints, plantar fasciitis and sciatic nerve irritation.

Here Mike takes us through a thorough course of foam roller stretching.

Check out Fitness Together Newton Centre

To find a Fitness Together Studio near you, go to FTGetsResults.com

Trainer Tips: Why Women Need to Lift Heavier Weights

by Frank Francis FT North Andover

I’m going to get this out of the way now so I don’t need to address it later. Male or female, you need to strength train to efficiently lose weight and keep it off.

Sure, you can lose weight by starving yourself and walking for 2 hours a day.  But once you step off the treadmill and eat like a normal human being, the pounds you dropped will come back; usually with reinforcements.   Cardio doesn’t build muscle.  Eating 1000 calories a day doesn’t either.  Weight training and proper nutrition adds muscle and burns calories while you are in the act AND when you are done with your workout.  How much muscle you have is the ONLY factor you can control when it comes to how fast your metabolism works.  You thyroid either works or it doesn’t.  Fat-burner pills are over-priced garbage with false claims.  1 lb of lean muscle burns an average of 50 calories a day at rest.  Build muscle and you will turn your body into a fat burning furnace.  Got it?  Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s move on.

When I tell my male clients that we’re going to be lifting heavy that day, I usually get very little fight against the notion. In other words they don’t put up much resistance…

HAHAHAHA GET IT?

“RESISTANCE?”  Gotta love trainer humor! Anyway, as I mentioned in my “big arms” blog, guys like to get in touch with their inner meat-head by lifting big weights.  Women on the other hand can be against the concept at first.

I often hear of women having a fear that lifting weights will “bulk them up” or give them shoulders like The Incredible Hulk.  Ladies, you need to understand a simple concept. As we all age, your body is either going to add fat or add muscle.  Which would you prefer?  Would you rather have something that looks nasty and burns 5 calories a day or look healthy and fit with something that burns 10x as much?

Oh and just for the record, PLEASE stop saying you want “long and lean muscles”.   That drives me absolutely batty!  For starters, muscle tissue is lean anyway!  Hence the term: LEAN BODY MASS.  Keep in mind, by adding muscle, you will look leaner. Muscle also helps to pull your skin tighter, as long as you keep up with good eating and cardio as well to burn the excess fat.

So here’s what happens.  Muscle hypertrophy (growth) occurs when lifting a weight that is challenging for 8-12 reps.  When you use light weights, that signals your body that you don’t need to recruit more muscle tissue to work.   By using heavier weights, you will recruit more muscle fiber to engage thus burning more calories and getting stronger. You will most likely be a bit sore the next day; remember that feeling?  Being sore is a good thing! It means your metabolic rate is elevated as your body recovers from the previous workout.

One of the biggest factors of why anyone builds muscle is testosterone.  It is easier for men to add muscle due to how much testosterone we produce.  However the average woman produces around 10% the amount of testosterone as her male counterpart.   Which means that unless a woman is taking extra testosterone (i.e. steroids) and eating 4,000 calories per day, she will not get enormous muscles.  Even when performing compound lifts that can naturally elevate your testosterone (like the squat or deadlift), you can lift safely, add muscle, and not worry about turning into She-Hulk

You WILL develop muscle!  Focus on that combined with your cardio and proper nutrition and you will get the tone without the bulk!

In my near 13 years as a trainer, I think it’s safe to say that probably 65% of my personal training clientele has been women.  As for more than vast majority of them, when their weights go up, their body weight goes down!   Most recently I had a woman in her 50s who squatted 135 lbs.  Guess what?  She looks and feels GREAT!!!! She walked out of our session that day like she was about to conquer the world!   She even Tweeted about it!  She was so proud of her accomplishment! It is moments like this that remind me why I love being a trainer!

In closing, ladies, hit the heavier weights and hit ‘em hard!  The only thing you have to gain is strength, increasing your muscle tone, and having more rapid body fat loss than a woman who does minimal lifting and excessive cardio.  Not to mention how much confidence you will have when you walk out of the gym that day!

When lifting heavier weights learn proper technique first!  Always seek proper guidance from an expert so you perform movements safely and correctly.

__________

Frank Francis
Personal Trainer & Small Group Fitness Instructor | FT North Andover

With nearly a decade of personal training experience to his credit, Frank brings his passion for health and fitness to North Andover after 4 years at the Concord FT location. Frank’s workouts are always challenging, different and actually fun! By taking traditional “old school” weight-lifting mixed in with the latest in functional core training to give you the best workout of your life. The workouts can consist of bodyweight exercises, plyometrics, and a variety of fitness modalities to achieve maximum results. Frank also has the ability to work with all ages and fitness levels from ages 8 to 88! As a trainer, Frank holds his clients accountable to their goals through consistency with their training sessions, doing the necessary cardio, and proper nutrition by keeping a food journal. He believes that no matter how busy one’s day can be, exercise can (and should) be incorporated.  Degrees/Certifications: • Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise Science from Salem State College • National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM): Certified Personal Trainer • Aerobics & Fitness Association of America (AFAA): Certified Personal Trainer • National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA): Certified Personal Trainer

Fitness Together North Andover  is located at 73 Main Street North Andover, MA. ph.978.659.0047  Facebook  | Twitter: @FT_NorthAndover  |  Frank’s blog on Patch.com

Skinny Fat

By Tyler Brown of Tyler and Lisa Brown’s Flow

I chose the title because I’ve heard people called “skinny fat” before.  When someone is called “skinny fat”, it means they don’t have any muscle tone even though they weigh less than most people on the scale.  Frankly, I’ve thought that the concept was pretty abrasive, and I haven’t used it to describe anyone.  But at the same time, it fairly accurately describes a lot of people who don’t weigh very much but still don’t look very healthy.

The cause of being “skinny fat” is focusing on total weight loss.  Because of this, people will restrict their food as much as they can to lose total weight.  The problem is that when they do this, they lose both muscle and fat.  This doesn’t sound horrible until you think more about it.

Three main factors:
1.  A pound of muscle burns 35 to 50 calories per day (even at rest).
2.  Weight loss from restricting calories without exercising can result in up to half of that weight loss being muscle loss.
3.  Once you stop restricting your calories, your body is extremely likely to go back to its original weight.

What does that look like in real life?  Let’s take an example of a statistically average American woman who decides to lose weight by cutting a lot of calories without exercising.

January 1 (Before Diet)
Height:  5’4”
Weight:  165lbs
Bodyfat Percentage:  25%
Lean Body Mass:  124lbs
Fat Mass:  41lbs

Summary:  She’s statistically as average as I can possibly make her for an American woman.

April 1 (After Diet)
Height:  5’4”
Weight:  125lbs (40lb loss)
Bodyfat Percentage:  17%
Lean Body Mass:  104lbs (20lb loss)
Fat Mass:  21lbs (20lb loss)

Summary:  Now, she’s lost 40lbs from her overly-restrictive diet with no exercise.  20lbs of that was fat, and 20lbs was muscle.  The 20lbs of muscle loss equated to a 1,000 calorie loss in her metabolism, but at least she’s leaner too.

July 1 (After Three Months of Eating Normally Again)
Height:  5’4”
Weight:  165lbs (no change from January 1)
Bodyfat Percentage:  37%
Lean Body Mass:  104lbs (20lb loss from January 1)
Fat Mass:  61lbs (20lb gain from January 1)

Summary:  Her body bounced back to its original weight as it almost always does after severe calorie restriction.  Once her body realized that it had survived a starvation period, it took steps to make sure that she doesn’t starve to death in the future.  She did nothing to make her body need to build muscle, so it got back to its prior weight by building body fat.

Now she is the same weight she was when she started her six-month diet attempt, but she is 20lbs fatter.  Her metabolism is also 1,000 calories slower.  Any future diet attempts she makes will be much more difficult due to her now sluggish metabolism.

This is how someone becomes “skinny fat”.  They do too many weight-loss diets without exercise to build or maintain muscle mass.  In a few days, I’ll write a realistic example of what can happen over six months if you simply eat a little less and exercise a little more.  The results are dramatically different.

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To find out more about FT’s customized Fitness and Nutrition programs, check out FTGetsResults.com

For more about Tyler and Lisa Brown go to their blog at Tyler and Lisa’s Flow

Let FT Help You Shape Up Your Golf Game

by Martha Hicks Leta

Golf: a game invented perhaps a thousand years ago by lowly shepherds whacking at meadow muffins with sticks as they followed their grazing sheep through the Scottish moors, yet endures in our tech-enslaved, time-crunched society. In the US alone it’s estimated some 26 million people indulge in this sometimes pain-inducing sport.

Arnold Palmer once said, “Success in golf depends less on strength of body than upon strength of mind and character.” With his recent string of injuries, Tiger Woods might beg to differ with “The King.” This past March Tiger gimped off the Doral Open course with an injured Achilles tendon, passing up the chance at a $1.4 million prize. The Doral marked the third time in as many years the once seemingly invincible player has had to withdraw due to injury.

Dina Whalen of Fitness Together in Lynnfield knows a thing or two about helping her clients prepare for the links. Recently certified as a Golf Fitness Specialist by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, her specialty lies in helping golfers improve their swing while avoiding injuries.

Fitness training for golf? you ask. Isn’t that a bit over indulgent? While golf may appear to require little in the way of cardio endurance or physical strength, Whalen says the training component is essential to achieve optimum performance over the long term. “Golf is a sport that most people think you don’t have to be in good physical shape for. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Proper programming including flexibility, stability, strength, and power will ensure the golfer will enjoy the sport for years to come.”

Whalen says that with her added certification in Golf Fitness, she has a deeper understanding of golf related injuries and is able to utilize exercises to correct swing faults, improper posture and poor flexibility.

“The golf swing creates intense loading forces on the body that are rapid and complex. The forces in the low back during a drive can exceed 8 times the body weight!” adds Whalen. “As a result, the incidence rate of low-back injuries is 50% for the amateur player. This statistic suggests that half of all golfers will incur a lower back injury at some point in their playing careers.”

An avid golfer plays somewhere in the neighborhood of 37 rounds per year, not including time on the practice range. This means a high rate of repetitive movement, which can lead to injuries from incorrect motion and wear and tear on joints and ligaments. Add to that the fact that many people play golf well into their retirement years and the potential for injury from trauma or overuse is increases drastically. This means that a fit golfer is a better golfer over the long term.

“People think that by spending more money on better golf clubs and gadgets, they can improve their game, but the truth is the only way to improve a score is to make improvements on the golfer,” says Whalen. “A golfer’s conditioning program must therefore be designed to integrate the whole body.”

When designing a proper fitness routine for golf, Whalen says the primary focus must be on four factors: flexibility, stability, strength and power.

“It’s important to address these factors in the correct order,” she emphasizes. “With the proper workout, a golfer can develop the ability to hit the ball farther and more precisely.”

Cathy Schaum, owner of Fitness Together in Tyngsboro agrees. Though she doesn’t hold a certification in golf training, as a certified personal trainer with years of experience, she’s been able to deliver great results for her clients on the golf course. She says when she reflects on the golfers she’s worked with, one client in particular comes to mind. Rich came to FT Tyngsboro several years ago at the behest of his wife, who was tired of seeing her husband come home from the golf course sore and dejected.

“When I met Rich, he was very frustrated with his golf. Not only the performance, but just getting through the first 9 holes. He was miserable,” Schaum remembers. “Because he was so stiff, it took 9 holes before he was warmed up and relaxed.”

Though Rich was resistant to the concept of working out, Schaum was able to design a course of training that he enjoyed. Rich’s program was tailored toward building the strength in his knees, lower back and shoulders, while increasing over all flexibility. By incorporating twisting motions into many of the exercises, Schaum was ably to help Rich get his swing back.

By the time Rich hit the links the following spring, he noticed dramatic improvements in his game and his over all energy levels. Best of all, the pain and stiffness that had been nagging at his knees and lower back were more or less gone.

“The weight training, exercise and nutrition advice have really paid off,” Rich wrote to Schaum. “I’m just getting into the golf season and clearly in the best shape I’ve been in for MANY years. The scores show it and the big thing is how I feel during and after each round. I played three straight days on the Cape a few weeks ago and had the lowest total gross scores on the 20 man roster!”

Whether for golf, gardening or other fitness goals, the trainers at Fitness Together work with each client to ensure that their goals are accomplished, delivering the greatest results in the least amount of time while keeping clients on the proper path to physical fitness.

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To schedule an appointment with Golf Fitness Specialist Dina Whalen, or to find out about FT Lynnfield’s spring specials call 781-780-7591. | FT Lynnfield

Find out more about Dina here.

To schedule an appointment with Cathy Schaum in Tyngsboro go to visit them at their new location at 73 Progress Ave, Suite 2 or call 978-649-6799. | FT Tyngsboro

Find out more about Cathy here.

To find a Fitness Together near you or to learn more about our customized group and personal training programs, check out FTGetsResults.com

Trainer Tip: Keeping Your Kids Fit

clipped by trainer & owner Steve Lichtman  (FT Dedham/FT Cohasset/FT Westborough/FT Norwell) from The Chicago Tribune

Working out with your kids is great for setting a healthy example and sharing time

By James Fell, Special to Tribune Newspapers

(Editor’s Note: Don’t forget about the Family Fitness special FT Cohasset is running right now.)

Early on, when my kids were young, I had a two-seat sport stroller that I could push them in while I went running. I could also tow them in it behind my bike. It was great, until my daughter realized she could whale the tar out of her older brother and there was no way for him to escape. And that was the end of that. Screams of terror ruin the Zen of exercise.

But while children can complicate the exercise lifestyle, thankfully it’s a phase they’ll grow out of.

And by the time they hit 9 or 10, there are more ways to get them exercising alongside you.

“When children see you exercising, they mirror what you do,” Dr. Teri McCambridge, director of sports medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, told me. Working out by yourself is fine, but she extols the virtues of making fitness a family affair. “If they see you get pleasure from it, then they will as well. Obesity is a big problem in society, and this is helpful for both adults and children.”

But mine still aren’t capable of keeping up with their old man. Intensity is problematic when you’re the parent of a 13- and a 10-year-old, and I’m not a guy who likes to wait for anyone. Just ask my wife what it’s like to go skiing with me.

Still, I need to do that “quality time” thing and set a good example, and I have found solutions. Behold!

Most important: Know kids don’t want to exercise. They want to have fun. Getting side-by-side elliptical trainers isn’t going to work. Going out to play will.

Running

I’m a fan of running. It’s not that expensive, has tremendous health benefits, leads to positive changes in body composition and can be done almost anywhere. I’ve trained hard and can go far and fast, yet I still can’t hope to keep up with my kids when they’re on their bikes.

And that’s OK; it makes it fun for them. We head out with instructions for them to stop occasionally and allow me to catch up. They think it’s hilarious to sprint down the path and leave me in their dust. Then they take a break, throw some rocks in the river, climb a tree or search for four-leaf clovers. Then I arrive and we repeat. Since I can run several miles, they’re feeling pretty done-for by the end, and so am I. My wife will often join us either on in-line skates or a bike.

Paddling

Several years ago, I bought a two-seat open-water kayak and christened it “The Marriage Saver.” Our marriage wasn’t in trouble, but it would have been if we had two single-seat boats. My wife’s not slow; I’m just kind of … nuts. Again, when I’m exercising I really don’t like to hold back. The two-seater allows my wife to paddle at her own pace and rest when she likes, and it works just as well when a kid is aboard.

Pretty soon we’re going to buy a second two-seater, and my older and stronger son will paddle with his mom, and my younger daughter will go with me. We should be pretty evenly matched that way. Canoes work for this too.

Karate

I think karate is another great idea. I don’t do it, but my wife and both my kids do. (My wife has a black belt, so I’m hoping she doesn’t take offense at that marriage saver comment.) My son is one belt level below her and my daughter one below that. They’ve been at it for years in a family-oriented dojo that allows parents and kids to take classes alongside each other. I think martial arts are a fantastic choice for kids, because they merge anaerobic and aerobic exercise to develop both strength and endurance, plus flexibility, discipline and a useful defensive skill that I hope they never have to use.

And beyond physical fitness, sports such as karate instill mental toughness and a can-do attitude in young kids.

“It develops a feeling of success, empowerment and self-confidence in children,” said David Jones of Calgary, a 7th degree black belt who has taught karate for 34 years and developed many international champions. The complexity and rigor of karate movement help enhance a child’s mental capabilities, Jones told me.

Climbing

It’s a testament to my desire to spend time with my children that I have gone rock climbing with them despite being a nervous wreck about heights. This sport is hard, and I think most kids leave their parents in the dust. Of course, I have a lot more body weight to haul up the climbing wall, but I’m convinced my daughter is hiding a prehensile tail.

Swimming

This is yet another activity that allows me to keep the intensity up while kids get their fun. I’m not talking about lengths in a pool, but taking them to a water park, lake or ocean. At the wave pool recently I swam laps while I watched my children swing from a rope into the water and do the slide again and again. I’ve done laps around docks that they were jumping off, and even going snorkeling with my son and daughter allows me to cover extra territory by repeatedly swimming down to the bottom and back up.

Weights

Another thing I want to give a plug for is weight lifting. Last year I wrote two columns on the subject of kids lifting weights, busting the myth about its stunting their growth while showing that it has protective and performance enhancing effects for other sports with low risk of injury. What’s more, it’s an excellent choice for overweight kids who may hate aerobic exercise, because they are often stronger than their leaner peers. Lifting provides an ego boost that engenders positive attitudes about exercise.

I train both my kids in my home gym, but public facilities such as the YMCA will often have weight lifting programs that start as early as age 8. Once they hit 12, many gyms will allow them to work out with parental supervision (they may want you to take a course first), and I can speak from experience that there is much family bonding to be had over lifting heavy things and putting them back down.

More

To add to these suggestions, there are any number of sports that allow for parents and children to select their own level of intensity yet still play together. Kicking around a soccer ball, shooting hoops, tossing a football or Frisbee all allow for selective exertion. I especially like Frisbee because my kids don’t have the best aim and I have to run pretty fast to catch some of the throws.

Or, you can play hacky sack and everyone can be equally terrible.

Finally, if you trust your kids with sharp implements on their feet, there is always ice skating. Nothing wrong with lapping them.

James Fell is a certified strength and conditioning specialist.

Chicago Tribune

Family Fitness Special | FT Cohasset

For more information on keeping your family fit or to find an Fitness Together studio near you, go to FTGetsResults.com

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STEVE LICHTMAN
Steve is the owner of Fitness Together in Cohasset, Dedham, Norwell, and Westborough, MA.

His background includes a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Communications Management from Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY. While working in corporate America, Steve traveled extensively and was challenged to maintain a consistent exercise and nutrition program. Steve found the support he needed and dramatically improved his health through the help of Fitness Together. After 2 years as a client, personal fitness has become a lifestyle for Steve. In October 2005, Steve purchased his first two studios. He acquired his third Fitness Together in Westborough, MA on September 1st, 2006.

Steve has been married for 30 years to his lovely wife, Barbara. They have two active sons, Jeff, age 20 and David, age 17. Steve stays fit working out with his trainers and exercising five times a week. In his free time he enjoys skiing, tennis and kayaking on Cape Cod.

Healthy Recipe Of The Month: Pomegranate Berry Smoothie

Pomegranate Berry Smoothie

This berry smoothie is made with pomegranate juice and packs lots of satisfaction from banana and cottage cheese.

About 3 1/2 cups for 2, 1 3/4-cup servings
Active Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups frozen mixed berries
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 medium banana
1/2 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1/2 cup water

Preparation
Combine mixed berries, pomegranate juice, banana, cottage cheese and water in a blender; blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Nutrition
Per serving: 206 Calories; 1 g Fat; 0 g Sat; 0 g Mono; 3 mg Cholesterol; 49 g Carbohydrates; 6 g Protein; 6 g Fiber; 133 mg Sodium; 625 mg Potassium
2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 3 fruit, 1/2 nonfat milk

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More recipes on FTGetsResults

To find out more about our customized nutrition and fitness programs, or to find a Fitness Together Studio near you go to FTGetsResults.com