Results are in. After the first two weeks of JJ’s 6-Week Beach Body Cleanse I’ve lost 6 pounds! And that’s even “cheating” for two days of it! Doh!

Feeling much better today. Less tired. 

I was thinking about what I posted last night about how my moods have been much more level.  I attribute that to not eating as much (hardly any) sugar.  Even if I didn’t lose one pound but had the benefit of not feeling like I’m on an emotional roller coaster…THE CLEANSE WAS WORTH IT!!!!

My cravings have decreased immensely. I crave protein over sugar.  Still waiting for more energy to kick in but I think it’s that I still have over 100 pounds to lose and I work like a mad-dog. Long hours-LONG days!

Proud of myself.

So , tomorrow is the last day of my cleanse…thank God! It was easy in the beginning and then got harder toward the end because I grew very bored and hungry!

I do feel SO much better though, more emotionally stable, not so many ups and downs (as JJ likes to call my “drama”).   I feel lighter and I’m eager to see how much weight I have lost.  I wasn’t 100% good on the cleanse.  Mid-way through it brought up a lot of old stuff about dieting and restricting food.  This goes back to as early as around 11 years-old for me.  I remember being at a friend’s slumber party and we were given small cups of trail mix and there I was picking the M&M’s out of the trail mix because I was on a diet and couldn’t eat them.  Yuck. I hate that memory.  I was a kid! Eat the M&M’s at the slumber party for goodness sake!!!!

So, I had a couple of times where I ate, mostly over sadness, or out of boredom or out of rebellion or I was just plain hungry!

I will say, though, that these shakes that JJ has me on are FABULOUS! Even after the cleanse I’m going to continue to use them as my dinner because I get home so late in the evenings and they are so yummy and filling!

Things are generally good. I’ve starting my gym workouts again and I feel so much better already.  Exercising is the key for me to feel better all around.

On the dating front: NADA.  Mr. “almost was the dog killer” is nice but I’m not feeling the connection so I will continue to look.  I am focusing more on me becoming the person that I want to be in relationship with and that feels good.  It’s making me take more risks and be more active.

One day at a time. The weigh-in is tomorrow. Will check back then.

Just a quick check-in.  For me this detox has been tough.  I think that the detox of fruits, veggies and nuts would have been fine had I not had all of the additional stressors the past two days.  I’m PMSing so my body is craving meat meat meat! Like no one’s business and I’ve had major work stressors come up.

Oddly enough, I’m doin’ pretty damn good besides the fact that all of my co-workers looked like eggs because all I can think about is the hard boiled eggs that I get to eat tomorrow morning. Ok OK! I cheated and had two tonight! Geesh-you got it outta me!

That’s an interesting thing though that my cravings have shifted in, literally, less than 48 hours from that of sugary things to protein.  Good start!

I was so overwhelmed with stress that I finally did what JJ has been telling me to do which is step back and let some things go.  I realized that I can’t control everything and I  don’t know if it’s because I’m exhausted or what but I give! UNCLE!  Today I just let things go and released a lot. I can’t tell you how it happened or what I did to make it happen. Hypnosis?  It was just a thought and then my body followed and I felt much lighter.

On the dating front  HE IS NOT THE DOG KILLER! YEAAAA!!!!  We have been emailing and he says he’s going to call tomorrow. We’ll see.

Nighty-night.

• Control Your Cravings & Appetite By Eating Optimal Amounts Of Protein & Fiber At Every Meal to generate healthy metabolic fire, optimum neurotransmitter production & help maintain lean body mass.

• Use a good fiber supplement or between meals to reduce appetite by keeping ghrelin hormone (your appetite hormone) suppressed. We suggest Paleo-fiber..it offers 8gms of fiber per scoop and comes from five needed fiber sources. Taste great, too!

• Eat less, Less often. Eat every 4-5 hours – go as long as you can to keep insulin low but don’t go too long so that your stress hormones start to rise.

• Eat 3 meals and 1-2 snacks. Use snacks to avoid hypoglycemia and cortisol rise, as your metabolism improves you will not need them as frequently and possibly not at all. Ideal snacks would include colorful vegetables or fruits for antioxidants and additional fiber.

• Avoid refined carbohydrates at dinner & determine if your are sensitive to gluten ( found in wheat, rye & barley) If so, eliminate it from your diet and you may see an improvement in thyroid, inflammation and gut sensitivity.

• Pre-workout snack it should consist of a small amount of protein & a small amount of low glycemic carbohydrate to help sustain your energy during a workout. The less food in your stomach, the better. Consider adding the supplement L-Carnitine before a workout for improved fat metabolism. We carry it in the fitness center and it’s called Carni-clear. Clients have been getting great results with fat burning, energy and cholesterol lowering with the regular use of this product

• Enjoy healing herbs, & spices with your foods: Add curry and turmeric for it’s phtyoestrogenic & antioxidant properties. Add cumin, rosemary, ginger, thyme, fennel and dill, dill seeds and apple cider vinegar or lemon to aid digestion and harmonize the hormones.

• Follow the 3 Bite Rule. if something is really worth it, enjoy 3 polite bites guilt free! Try this rule with something decadent like extra dark chocolate!!

• Eat your veggies! Aim for at least 1 cup colorful cooked or raw  veggies at lunch and dinner for optimum antioxidant and mineral support

By Jeanne Peters RD

Nutrition Director

Nourishing Wellness Medical Ctr

http://www.nourishingwellness.com

In the last few weeks, I have been busy traveling around in meetings, business trainings and new clients. I have been on different time zones, I have had irregular sleep and I haven’t really slowed down all that much.

So I have adrenal fatigue.  It’s a mild case compared to when I had it last year after my wedding when I came home from the honeymoon and my body crashed literally for a month or more.  Taking a walk got my heart rate up!  I could tell by how my body was responding and acting that it had taken on too much stress and it would need some time to heal.

I haven’t gone that far this time but for sure my body was telling me to slow down.  I have actually started on some bio-identical hormones as well and will show you everything I am doing and why so you can get a first-hand look at it all.

The bottom line for most of us is- WE ARE NOT MACHINES.  And for us women, we are not MEN.  Men have more testosterone and can “hunt the deer” for many more hours than we are supposed to.  So when women push and drive like men, we burn out quickly.

I have always had a lot of energy but I do push myself mostly because frankly, I can.  But my body pays the price and at least I love myself enough to catch it early and be proactive about it.  If I didn’t, I’d have no one to blame in 5-10 years when I have chronic pain or a disease or sickness.  What you do now creates your future in every way.

Here is me getting needled!  It’s my #1 favorite way to take care of myself in addition to eating well and exercising!

Here is a list of all my favorite local acupuncturists!

Heather Lounsbury 310.259.5165  For anyone in Santa Monica, Hollywood, West LA

Maria Ravis: 310 640 2129  For anyone in Southbay area (El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach)

Bill Flanagan: 949 244 5170 for anyone in Orange County (Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna )

Shaheed Abdullah:  310 993 6903  for anyone in San Diego area

Since our 6 Week Beach Body Program uses MIND TOOLS such as EFT, hypnosis and meditation, I wanted to share with you WHY and HOW you can lose weight by changing the way you THINK.

For some of you , the idea of hypnosis is being told to act like a chicken.  Wrong.

This article was written by Susan French, C.Ht.

Hypnosis is a powerful tool but exactly HOW does it work? The real magic is that hypnosis works as both a “magic wand” and as a “snowball gathering snow.”

Let’s take a look at each separately and then how they work together.

The magic-wand effect is when you have a hypnosis session and your issue is solved instantly and without further effort. Magic!

The snowball effect is what you experience with several hypnosis sessions, in which each session reinforces and enhances the relief created by previous sessions.

The reality is that both effects create permanent change. Hypnosis creates the initial change. Reinforcement ensures that the change lasts.

Reinforcement occurs when you regularly use a reinforcement CD made by your hypnotherapist, induce self-hypnosis, or through continued subsequent sessions with your hypnotherapist. Your hypnotherapist guides you in creating the initial change and reinforcing it, thereby accomplishing your goal of permanent, positive change.

Now, let’s look at it a little more closely.

We use hypnosis to change responses and behaviors. All responses and behaviors are learned. All that hypnosis really does is cause very rapid learning (or relearning) to take place so that new responses and behaviors become automatic.

Hypnosis allows this rapid learning to occur by interrupting the conscious, critical factor of the mind/brain. For reasons of survival, the critical factor of the mind/brain slows down the learning process. However, when those initial survival reasons are no longer necessary, it makes sense to interrupt or bypass the critical factor, which is precisely what hypnosis does – painlessly, safely, and effectively.

We know that no learning is INSTANT. You didn’t learn to ride a bike instantly. You didn’t learn to speak instantly. You didn’t learn to read or write instantly. You were taught the initial ideas and methods and those ideas were repeatedly reinforced until they become automatic.

Hypnosis allows that learning or relearning to happen more rapidly. However, as with any learning process, it needs to be reinforced. Thus, hypnosis is both a “magic wand” and a “snowball gathering snow.”

Let’s take a look at Joanna’s experience to get a better idea of exactly how hypnosis DOES work:

Joanna was sitting in the waiting room at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute. She was waiting for her first hypnotherapy appointment. She was desperate to lose weight. She had lost and gained at least three hundred pounds in her thirty-two years. Now, here she was, seventy pounds overweight again. She had tried everything.

She had heard some say that hypnosis could be like a magic wand. She had heard others say it didn’t work at all. Her best friend Martha had just lost fifty-five pounds using hypnosis. She said it was easy and it worked, but that Joanna would have to do her part too. Would it work for her?

If this reminds you of your own questions about weight loss and hypnosis, keep reading.

We can call the habit of overeating a food addiction, compulsive overeating, or a self-destructive habit. Whatever we call it, though, once that kind of behavior takes control, you will need to unlearn old, destructive behaviors and relearn new, constructive ones.

Joanna followed through with her hypnosis for weight loss. She learned the reasons she ate for comfort and she altered those behaviors. She learned that eating good, fueling foods were essential, and she incorporated those ideas into her daily life. She also learned that she needed to move her body more. Exercise became her oasis. It became her “me-time” every day.

Joanna lost her seventy pounds easily and happily and has maintained her new weight because she created a new relationship with food, with her body, and with life itself. That was five years ago.

Hypnosis makes the process of transforming counterproductive behaviors to productive behaviors easy, effective, and empowering. Any behavior that does not serve your goals and dreams can be changed using hypnosis.

Hypnosis accelerates your learning process so that what might have taken you twenty years to “learn” can be restructured in four to six sessions.

Hypnosis is being used in major medical institutions, such as, Harvard Medical School, UCLA, Stanford, Kaiser Permanente, Beth Israel Deaconness Hospital, and many burn centers, to ease pain, fear, and treatment [, and accelerate healing] for their patients.

Hypnosis is approved by, both, the American Medical Association (AMA) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) for Complementary and Alternative Medical Treatment and as an adjunct to traditional treatments.

The moral of this story is this: if you are wondering if hypnosis is a magic wand or a cumulative change response (snowball effect), it is both!

If all else has failed and you are ready and committed to achieving your goals, it is time to try hypnosis. It works!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And that’s why we use it as the foundation for changing your MIND on the 6 Week Beach Body Program.  We want you to have long lasting change, not temporary results!   http://www.6weekbeachbody.com

Believe it or not, a lot of my clients both in person and over the phone are people who are already exercising regularly but are NOT seeing results.  One of my favorite clients above, Michael Schapa, was one of those very diligent people who exercised 4-5 times a week consistently.  But he wasn’t seeing any results in terms of muscle building, increasing metabolism or weight loss.

" I have lost 28 pounds so far and muscles galore at age 67!"

Click on the picture above to watch his recent video testimonial and this is also what he had to say a few months back:

“There is no doubt that I could not have achieved the weight loss without J.J’s relentless innovative and ever changing exercise program. J.J.’s routines are highly effective as well as being sensitive not to aggravate old injuries. Consequently I had the gain with no pain. J.J actually listens to my joints for any creeks and squeaks to make sure that no injuries are being developed.

On top of being extremely knowledgeable in the field of physical fitness, she also has a great personality. She knows how to motivate and encourage moving on to ever more advanced routines.  I found her next-day follow ups to be very helpful in judging how effective the workout was. Put all this together, assures me that I am in very good hands indeed. In short, she is a keeper.” Dr. Michael Schapa

I decided to dedicate on section of this newsletter to all of you out there who are already exercising often but not seeing results.  I am going to explain the principle I use and hope you will apply it to your workouts as well.

It’s called the FITT Principle:  Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type.

Frequency: The number of days or workout sessions- for example I did 2 in one day last week.   In the morning I did legs and some cardio and at night I went dancing.  That counts as 2 sessions towards frequency.

Intensity: The level at which you are working.  We use both RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) and heart rate. Our RPE scale is 1-10, 1 = being on the couch resting and 10= the hardest you could ever work and almost collapse.  You will rate the RPE as well as log the heart rate information.  THRZ (Target Heart Rate Zone) will also be KEY in seeing your fitness level improve and making your exercise time efficient. 

Time: The duration of the exercise.

Type: Walking, running, biking, resistance training, etc…..

You can apply this principle to both resistance and cardio training, but please make separate graphs for each.

Here is an example of an 8 week plan or record.

.

F.                 I.                    T.                T

F.                  I.                  T.                  T

I would like you to create 2 charts and fill in the first lines with what you are doing NOW.  How long have you been doing the same thing?  Is it still working?  If the answers are, “too long” and “ no”, then figure out which of the FITT principles you could adjust.  I would recommend adjusting 1-2, NOT all 4.

Do this for your resistance training as well to see why you might not be experiencing the same results as you may have when you started.

Just because you exercise regularly doesn’t mean you are getting the most out of it- or even doing what is best for you to make the changes you seek!

I’d love to help- so let me know if you could use some tweaking!  http://www.invisiblefitness.com

1. Adrenal Fatigue and Hormones
2. Realistic expectations of the exercises you choose
3. Progression and Adaptation
4. Tools- HR Monitor
5. Physiology of resistance training

Now let me explain what this all means.

1.      Adrenal Fatigue: common symptom is severe fatigue.  Factors include high stress, aging, decline of hormones, lack of rest and balance. This is the #1 mistake people make in creating their programs because they do not know or take into account how the hormones and adrenals affect your results. Cortisol, your flight or fight hormone, will keep your body in a holding pattern and not release fat, water or weight if it’s elevated.  Simultaneously, if coritsol is high, your DHEA is low.  DHEA is the hormone needed to be the building block for your sex and thyroid hormones.  If your DHEA is low, that may throw off the production of all your other hormones.  If you have adrenal fatigue,  you should build you program around correcting that and supporting the changes that need to occur so your body can rebalance, replenish and release.

2.      Realistic Expectations of the exercises you choose: If you want weight loss, doing pilates or Hatha yoga for hours a week can leave you very frustrated that you are not seeing the results you expected.  These exercises are not the most efficient choice for weight loss for several reasons.  This does not mean you could not experience weight loss if you are adding other things and attending  to your diet, but generally speaking these are not “efficient” choices for a weight loss goal. Another example is when I ask clients if they do legs, they say ” I run”.  Cardio work is not resistance training.  Most cardio programs will not build muscle in your legs.

3.      Progression and Adaptation: Once you start a program, your body will change to adapt to the new circumstances ( the exercises). Depending on the degree of the intensity of the new environment will determine how much and how fast the body changes.  But regardless if you are adding a little or a lot, once you adapt, you slow down or stop seeing results.  In order to keep getting results, you have to keep progressing in your program.  There are several factors, including the FITT principle (Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type), that can be altered and adjusted to keep getting results.  Too often, I have clients who tell me they have been doing the SAME exercise routine for 3-5 years or more.  You can’t expect your body to change when it’s obviously good at what you do!  If you want change, you have to progress.

4.      Tools- HR Monitor: I can’t stress this one enough.  How do you know how hard something is for your body?  We often use RPE, Rate of Perceived Exertion, to determine how hard we think we work.  But this is a very flawed method because it will differ greatly from person to person. Ex athletes will have a higher threshold and maybe over train.  Non athletic people may have a low threshold and under train. The consistent gauge is a heart rate monitor that can tell you exactly what is going on inside of you minute by minute.  How do you know when it’s time to increase the intensity? Cardio training prescriptions are based on some of the prior points made here so one size does not fit all.

5.      Physiology of Resistance Training: I have been meeting with people who have no idea how to build muscle- unless you studied it, most people do not know. One person thinks that using light weights while doing aerobics will do it- nope.  Another thinks that lifting heavy and fast for 20 seconds will do it- nope.  There is a very specific science called physiology that explains the amount of intensity and time needed to change the muscle cells. Just like in point #3, as the body adapts, we need to progress.  Progression in resistance training to keep stimulating muscle growth is determined by a few things.  Again , using the FITT principle, applying #1 from this list and of course lifestyle are 3 main factors in designing an appropriate  and effective resistance training program.  How you know if it’s working?  You are losing body fat and increasing lean mass- this could still look like weight loss only.  You would need a before and after for body fat tests to compare.

Believe it or not, I have just scratched the surface of this topic.  Stay tuned for part #2 which is focused more for the population that is not consistent with exercise, lacks motivation and discipline and is unsure where to start.

Here is the 45 minute audio recording we did to cover this topic more in depth:

5 Biggest Mistake- Part 1 call replay

For an individual consultation on what you should do to get started or to uncover what factor is getting in your way and what to do about it, please call J.J. Flizanes at 800 571 5722 or check out http://www.invisiblefitness.com

Credentials and accolades follow the name of JJ Flizanes wherever it appears and for good reason. JJ is the creator of world-class fitness programs and routines, such as the Foundations Program for the New York Sports Club and Invisible Fitness^TM. What sets JJ apart from her Celebrity Fitness counterparts lies in her anatomically centered routines, which protect overworked and aging joints from catastrophic failure. Named by Elite Traveler Magazine as their 2007 Global Black Book pick of Best Personal Trainer in Los Angeles , JJ has been lauded by Shape Magazine as one of the top 6 fitness trainers in 2003.   JJ has been featured in many magazines including Muscle and Fitness HERS, Elegant Bride, Fitness Magazine, E Pregnancy Magazine to name a few. Her television appearances include LA’s KTLA, CBS and NBC. She appeared every week last summer on YOURLA on NBC in Los Angeles and has been heard on The Aware Show with Lisa Garr in local radio. She is the Fitness Expert for the Nourishing Wellness Medical Centre and an in house expert for FKC International.   In January of 2007, JJ launches her most challenging and exciting program to date: The 90 day Health and Body Makeover, in which candidates take on creating a new body and lifestyle for life. Invisible Fitness offer fitness training, fitness coaching, workshops & seminars, and corporate programs. www.invisiblefitness.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

I am realizing that I need to take my clothes off.  I am writing a book.  It’s very exciting.  It’s all about how I live and maintain (and even lose) my weight over the past 10 years.

The first picture with Mom and Dad was in Kauai in August before the wedding.  I had been Gluten Free at that point for over 1 month, lost 4 pounds of water and weighed less than I did in this second photo which was in 2000.

I did the Body For Life program in 2000 basically to compete against my male roommate (and good friend who was also a trainer) at the time.  He was going to do it and we lived together- so why not?

I lost 10 pounds and 7% body fat in 7 weeks.  He lost 5 pounds and 2%.  So at that point I had won.  But the next 5 weeks I became easy on myself because what I realized is that I don’t want to WORK THAT HARD.

You heard me- I want to do as little as possible to maintain a body I love.  And that’s what I have figured out over the last 8 years.

I weight less now but I have to admit my bodyfat went up 2-3%.  And I am ok with that.  I get to indulge in wine, cheese and chocolate ALL THE TIME, enjoy my food, enjoy my workouts but not overdue it in any sense.  Once you know the tricks- it’s easy!!

I think I might have to go get a fake tan and do some new pictures…. hmmmm, fun!

If you need help losing weight WHILE enjoying your life- call me.  I can help

800 571 5722  x 84

http://www.90dayhealthandbodymakeover.com     call us- do not click through site

http://www.invisiblefitness.com

Resistance training is adding force to movement to build strength and muscle. Building muscle is the key to long term success because muscle is active tissue that requires energy (calories) whereas fat does not. If you have more active tissue, your body requires more energy. (You get to eat more!) Building muscle is key in raising your resting metabolism and vital in slowing down the effects of aging!

Not all resistance training is equal! Biomechanics, physics, mechanics and physiology are guidelines for creating any program. Genetics, age, and hormone optimization will play a role in how fast you build muscle.

Just because you exercise, doesn’t mean you are doing it right. Biomechanics is used to make sure you are not applying force to your joints that will wear them down faster. Physiology is used to make sure the time and intensity of the tension/force is appropriate to stimulate muscle growth.

Benefits of Resistance Training:

• Build muscle
• Increases bone density
• Increased strength
• Increased flexibility
• Decrease risk of injury
• Can improve joint stability
• Increase resting metabolism
• Can improve posture
• Fights aging
• Improves confidence with strength capabilities
• Look and feel better
• Improve sexual performance

Most people think they need to set aside 1 hour at the gym to do resistance training.  For some, this may be the best use of their time and make the most sense.  What I have found over the years of training people in their homes is that we often use the excuse of not having enough time. If you take 10 minutes out of your day 3 times a day, this equals 30 minutes.  On the flip side, if you wait to just find an extra 30 minutes in your day, I am sure you will not.  We all have the same 24 hours in the day.  I can help you fit it in under ANY circumstance.

Recommendations for Designing a Resistance Training Program for Novice to Advanced Level Clients

Goals: To focus on the ability of the nervous and muscular system to adapt to exercise. We will discuss how these systems change and progress toward the ultimate goal of changing body composition.

Neurological factors:

• neural adaptation affect activation levels and patterns of nerve input to the muscle.
• Strength gains related to learning, coordination, and recruitment
• Fiber type conversion
• Agonist/Anatagonist relationship

Hypertrophy: changes in strength can be caused by mechanisms that increase muscle size

Factors affecting hypertrophic response:

• age
• individual’s functional capacity
• nutritional status
• behavioral factors
• hormonal stimuli
• mechanical stimuli
• metabolic factors
• optimal adaptation appears to be related to use of specific resistance training programs to meet individual training objectives.

Also related to hypertrophy:

• Eccentric Contraction
• Muscle Damage: why and how
• Muscular Failure
• Psychological Failure

SAID Principle: Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands- What you work on is what will change.

Novice: less than 3 months:

1.      Experiences difficulty stabilizing movements.

2.      Tends to perform new movements too quickly

3.      Requires only one exercise per body part to learn the movement

4.      Can only feel/control the contraction through limited ranges (if at all)

5.      Is not physiologically capable of fatiguing muscle (only loses neural control)

6.      Makes quick strength gains due to rapidly increasing neuromuscular control.

7.      Cannot differentiate fatigue from failure: good or bad pain?

8.      Has difficulty focusing on a task

Intermediate: 3-12 months:

1.      Loses stability on the last repetition only-fatigue resistant

2.      Able to increase the number of sets and/or exercises per muscle

3.      Learns new muscle movements while remaining stable from previous exercise, able to incorporate compound movements while focusing on one muscle

4.      Capable of increasing intensity

5.      Capable of perceiving proper muscle contraction through a full ROM with adequate resistance

Advanced: more than 1 year

1.      Capable of performing last rep and remain stable

2.      Capable of focusing on the muscle and the weight moved rather than form due to neural patterning or the habit of maintaining form

3.      Able to incorporate compound movements and all other aspects of intensity manipulation

4.      Workout routine is the most physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding

Number of Sets: for a goal of muscle hypertrophy at intermediate or advanced levels the number of recommended sets varies depending on proper execution of four factors.

1.      Ability to mentally focus on the target muscle

2.      Ability to execute the proper biomechanics of the movement

3.      Ability to control the exercise through both concentric and eccentric movement

4.      Ability to produce and maintain high tension to the point of muscular fatigue with the eventual goal of muscular failure

Sets:

• 6-12 sets for large body parts
• 6-10 sets for small body parts
• 4-6 sets for miscellaneous body part

Number of Reps: It has been suggested that the hypertrophic response depends on the intensity if the exercise as well as the length of time the muscle is under tension (time under tension)

Reps:

• Novice= 15 reps per set
• Intermediate/Advanced = 6-12 reps per set

Rest:

• Novice =rest time is 1-3 minutes between sets
• Intermediate/Advanced = 30 seconds to 2 minutes

Since unaccustomed stimulus helps to sustain an adaptation period, the amount of rest time should be varied from set, workout to workout or both.

Other factors:

• Speed
• Rest between body parts
• Lifestyle

* It has been reported in the past that an average 61% of new health club members drop out of the first six weeks because they see no significant change in their physiques.  If a program is designed and followed properly, everyone should experience significant advancement toward their goal within thirty days.

Modes of Exercise

1.      Selectorized equipment- good for beginners, requires less balance, artificially stabilizes load and movement, less probability of weight falling on person, range of motion is pre-set most of the time so could wear on the joints with more negative force.

2.      Cable exercises- constant resistance, body stabilizes movement, range of motion unlimited

3.      Bodyweight exercises- good for beginners, functional.  Great for home exercisers and all exercises can create a foundation for any level.

4.      Free weights- requires use of stabilizer muscles to maintain form, ROM is unlimited, requires motor skill and balance

5.      Open chain- foot is not in contact with surface, ex. Leg curl or leg exten. Better choice for uneven body or joint issues

6.      Closed chain- foot is in contact with floor, for ex. Leg press or squats, sometimes seen as more functional but not always

Increase workloads in strength training program by no more than 5% per week.

Confused yet?  Hopefully not.  I have given a ton of recommendations but have not explained WHY.  I would love to be able to help you- please email or call!

800 571 5722

www.invisiblefitness.com

Written and compiled by J.J. Flizanes, Director of Invisible Fitness.  Named Best Personal Trainer in Los Angeles for 2007 by Elite Traveler Magazine.

Click here to view the embedded video.