Many people who want to lose weight put themselves on a diet. However, we know that more than 95% of all diets end in failure and that weight loss resistance has become a wide spread problem that qualifies as an epidemic. Weight Loss Resistance is the difficulty with losing weight. The reality is there are a number of factors that contribute to weight loss resistance in the body.

Join me in Scottsdale Arizona for this 3 Part Workshop Series:

Weight Loss Resistance and Metabolism

When: May 7th,  May 21st, and June 13th

Where: Dr. Lisa Galper’s Office Located at 8010 East Morgan Trail suite 12    Scottsdale, AZ 85258

Time: 6:00- 7:30 pm

Cost:      1 class = $45 2 classes= $75 3 classes = $100

To Register: Call 800 571 5722 or email  info@invisiblefitness.com

**SPACE IS LIMITED**

JJ Flizanes, Director of Invisible Fitness, was named best personal trainer in Los Angeles for 2007 by Elite Traveler Magazine and was also one of the six featured trainers in Shape Magazine in 2003.  She is the Author of the Amazon.com Best Seller Fit 2 Love: How to Get Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually Fit to Attract the Love of Your Life and Knack Absolute Abs: Routines for a Fit and Firm Core. She has appeared on NBC, KTLA, CBS and Fox 11 as well as numerous local and national magazines. JJ’s mission is to help women feel gorgeous and confident without starving or killing themselves in the gym.

You want to lose weight.  So you clean up your diet and you start to exercise.  This sounds like a good plan.

But let me ask you- how did you get to where you are now?  Are you an emotional eater?  Are you someone who does not exercise regularly and lack motivation?

Many people start on a weight loss journey focused on temporary change.  “If I go on a diet, I can lose the weight”.  You have all heard this before.

But let’s look at from an attraction point of view.

If you focus on weight loss, you set up a resistance to food, exercise and a lifestyle change.  Because you are only focused on a number and not the behavior, the thoughts, or the feelings associated with the weight you gained.

As you clean up your diet and exercise more, you may lose the weight you want.  But because you never addressed the beliefs or feelings around how you live, eat and exercise, 9 times out of 10 you gain the weight back.

Problem #1: Temporary change.  You want fast weight loss, you change lots of things.  Then you feel deprived because it was too much change too soon, you consider it a diet and then you rebel and “celebrate” once you have reached your goal-which usually starts the habits and patterns that have you gain the weight right back.

Solution: Clean up your life, not just your diet.  Start to “think thin” like we do on our 6 Week Beach Body Program.  Download the 4 week plan of Fit 2 Love and REALLY do the exercises especially around the food.  Make one change every month so you make it part of your daily or weekly routine.  Post a comment on this blog so I can give you more specific action steps to implement into your life.  I AM a problem solver so let me help you!

Problem #2: Delaying your happiness.  “I’ll only be happy when I lose 10 pounds”.  This statement goes against your inner being and your higher self so your body and spirit say “ then you will never be happy “  and your body says “ if you can’t love me the way I am, then I am NOT changing for you!”  Your “then” never comes.  There is always something else.  You set yourself up to fail IMMEDIATELY and delay your happiness and results in the process.  Accepting yourself where you are, as you are, right now is the ONLY way to make a real shift.  Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time until you and your body go back to the exact state it was in before or worse.

Solution: Find appreciation with your body and health right now. When you do that, you release resistance and your body will shift ad change.  Your body will appreciate the love and positive attention and respond JUST like a person.  You can download the free Fit 2 Love 4 Week Plan and start changing your relationship with your body and practice being happy NOW.  Let’s face it, one of the only reasons you want to lose weight in the first place is because you THINK you will be happy once you get it.  So pretend you have it now and stop delaying the HAPPY PART!  It gets you no where to hold your ground of unhappiness.  You practice that and that’s what you are good at.  So when you get to “happy”, you might not stay there long because you are too good at “unhappy”.

**What you lose, you can find. Don’t concentrate on loss but on transformation and releasing.**

JJ Flizanes is the author of Fit 2 Love: How to Get Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually Fit to Attract the Love of Your Life and Knack Absolute Abs: Routines for a Fit and Firm Core.  She was named best personal trainer in Los Angeles for 2007 by Elite Traveler Magazine and is the Director of Invisible Fitness. JJ’s passion is helping men and women get results with their body and love on the outside as well as the inside. View JJ on video on YouTube or visit her blog at http://www.jjflizanes.com.

This past weekend we had a local church putting on a Greek Food Festival.  For those of you who do not know, I am Greek (and Italian).  I grew up in the Greek Church for 13 years and we also put on a food festival every year. So I know and love this food…..

However, it’s not gluten free and it’s mostly high fat, high calorie dishes.  So what did I do?

I planned for it!  ALL week long, I ate and exercised with the idea that I was going to be eating more than I normally do on Friday and Saturday evenings (and taking more digestive enzymes to help my body break down the gluten and dairy).  Each day I did about 45 minutes of cardio and kept my other meals small and clean.  I was super excited about enjoying my Greek food-I knew exactly where I wanted to “spend” my calories.

When we got there Friday night, I focused on only the foods I knew I loved.  Surprisingly, I was not very impressed with the way these foods were prepared. My mother is a great cook and I eat some of these foods every year anyway but the Greek Food Festivals of my past were legendary so you can imagine my disappointment when my taste buds were not singing after a few bits of each of my favorite dishes.

This was Friday night, the first day of the festival.  In my mind, I had planned to go Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  The good news here is that because I was not impressed, we could skip Sunday and I would be eating WAY less than planned on Saturday.

The one item they did very well were the Loukoumades- honey dipped fried dough balls.  Yes, I said fried dough.  I don’t eat many fried things but this food is part of my childhood and I remember helping the ladies put the dough into the oil when I was young and then soaking them in honey and sugar solution when they came out.  The last time I had one of these, I was in Greece in 2005.  Before that, it’s probably been at least ten years since I had one of these desserts.  Saturday morning, I made sure I got my butt on my spin bike for at least 45 minutes and I even jumped in the pool for a bit before we met our friends at the festival on Saturday to enjoy the second half of the day and early evening.

I want to outline a few key points about this past weekend, how I handled it and the lessons I hope to pass on to you.

1. I love and appreciate food. When it’s really important to me, I say yes to whatever it is and I plan for it (digestive enzymes)
2. I don’t want to gain any weight so I planned my meals and activity to balance out the indulgence I was planning to have. (45 minutes of cardio everyday and super clean, protein and veggie based meals before that with no starchy carbs)
3. Once I tasted the food I was so excited about and didn’t love it, I stopped eating it.  It wasn’t “worth it”
4. When I found something I could really enjoy, I ate only that and savored it.  I decided to enjoy the time with my friends, listen to the music and make the food festival NOT about food.

How you can use these points to make a difference in how you celebrate or occasionally indulge with your favorite foods. (think holidays)

1. In Fit 2 Love, I talk about a having a Food Love Affair.  A healthy relationship with food means you can appreciate it, enjoy it and have power over it- not the other way around.  In most cases where someone does not have a healthy relationship with food, my food festival weekend would have still continued and you may have continued to eat all the food even after realizing it was not as good as it “should” be or that you planned for.
2. Planning and thinking ahead- it takes less than 3 minutes to look ahead for the day or week to see where there may be outing, parties, or gaps of time where you will need to eat.  I often here people tell me they do not have time to think about their food but YOU DO ANYWAY!  We all eat…. So take an extra 3 minutes to plan it out in your head.  If you need help with this, ask!
3. “Is it worth it” is a phrase I teach all my clients.  If nothing else, ask yourself before you eat something that you think maybe you “shouldn’t”, IS IT WORTH IT?  If it’s not worth gaining weight over or not losing weight, then put it down.  In one respect, it’s only food.  You can replace it with different food.  If it IS worth it (in the case of the fried honey balls for me), then accept it and its consequences and PLAN.  I took my enzymes, I did my exercise.  So there is no guilt or problem.   I loved them and it’s OK.
4. Just because it’s there does not mean you are hungry or that you need it.  Someone people are so hypnotized by having food in front of them, they must think the food is yelling “EAT ME!”  Thanksgiving dinners are the prime example of overeating JUST BECAUSE it’s there.  I use to do it too but in the last 7 or 8 years, I have had a completely different relationship with holidays because I could hear my mind chatter and I changed it.  A habit is just a habit because you keep doing it and haven’t changed your internal conversation. You CAN change that internal conversation but first you have to be aware of what you are ALREADY saying to yourself.
5. Food Vs Exercise: THEY ARE BOTH IMPORTANT!

• 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

1. Goal- Vision
2. Plan
3. Tools and Support
4. Progression
5. Joint Integrity

Plan.   Yes, you need a PLAN.  If I decided to drive from LA to Lake Tahoe (a place I have never been before), I would need a map to show me where it was in relationship to where I am now.  Then, I would plan out a route to drive, considering that there may be multiple choices with factors that would influence me to choose the route I do.  Let’s now translate this to your body.

You have a goal.  Let’s assume it’s weight loss right now.  You want to lose 35 pounds and get to a weight you have not been at or seen in 25+ years.  Technically for you, this is new territory.  How will you get there? What is the plan? What happens at each stage? Do you know the stages?

On a road trip, you stop for gas.  On a weight loss plan, you stop for “progression” (we will cover this more in part 4).  On a road trip, you may run into a closed road or dangerous conditions that force you to choose another road that you didn’t plan on. (thank God you have a map!)

How many times have you tried to lose weight before and hit a road block and stopped?  Do you know what to do when you hit a road block?  Most people don’t (that is why they hire a trainer or coach) so they get frustrated, give up and decide they have failed.  This doesn’t have to be the case.  There is hope.

What elements do you need in your fitness/health map?  I teach a formula called the FITT principle (Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type).  It’s outline in the 90 Day Health and Body Makeover Program, the 6 Week Beach Body in a Box and I believe in the 30 Day Jump Start (which you can get for free at http://www.invisiblefitness.com/” so I won’t go into all the details here.

Besides using the FITT principle properly, elements for your map are:

1. Resistance Training- we all need it.  Why?  It’s the basis of your metabolism.  The more active tissue you have (muscle) the more calories you burn (and can eat!) This is also your  “long term investment plan” for keeping weight off.
2. Cardiovascular- we all need this as well for keeping blood pressure low, improving cholesterol and all heart related functions and it’s the best way to burn calories in a short amount of time.
3. Food Log- Daily Diet Plan-  And I don’t mean “diet” as in “ give stuff up” , I refer to diet as in “what do you eat?”
4. Rest and Relaxation- we all need this to keep our adrenal hormones in balance (having adrenal fatigue causes weight loss resistance) as well as allow our muscles and body to “repair and rebuild” from our exercise.  The body changes in REST, not in work.  If you are working too much or too long, you never allow the adaptation to occur.

This would be what you need to address to START the map.  The next 3 weeks will give you a chance to see what other factors can help you make stages and “alternative routes” to your map so you get where you want to go this time!

Other questions to ask yourself about your plan:

1. How long/ how much time do I have to do each one of these steps a week- what is realistic for me?
2. Where will I do my workouts?  Will I have more than one choice?
3. Do I know which exercises are best for me for cardio?  Can I do more than one?  Do I have to do more than one?
4. Do I know if I am efficiently building muscle?  What exercises do I do now that build muscle?
5. Have I tested my bodyfat?  How would I?  How often should /will I retest it to see if what I am doing is working?
6. If I am super busy, what is the more important thing for me to focus on right now?  What will get me the most results?

If you have been struggling for a long time, as many people do, I hope you realize by now that I have options of how to help you!!  The first, a “do it yourself” program, is now available for less in download form!!  http://www.6weekbeachbodyinabox.com can be purchased so you can start TODAY with the download only choice.  This gives you step by step instructions and includes the breakdown to a fitness program you can do anywhere and includes the 90 Day DVD with 25 exercises on it.

I offer coaching over the phone and even personal training on Skype!  Check out one of my star clients:  

Click here to view the embedded video.

And of course, if you are local in CA, I can offer you a 5 package of sessions  to build a program for you to do on your own.  Call for details and to see if there is room in the schedule.  800 571 5722

“JJ helped me to understand that adding extra cardio workout is not what my body needs. 4 sessions with JJ has helped me more to shape my body and  to drop 5 pounds. Can only imagine how much more I can lose if I incorporate better eating habits. Thanks JJ “ Anita Trujillo

1. As a cardio or more intense leg exercise warm up.
2. To get your heart rate up before a brisk walk or jog
3. In conjunction with a leg workout
4. As a 15 min cardio blast
5. For knee problems, you can replace the lunge with this.  The forces are different on the joint so tapping back and stepping up are easier and less “grinding” then a lunge. (I am not saying lunges are bad!)
6. This will build some muscle.  Depending on your fitness level, how tall you are and how much “mass” you have will determine the amount of resistance.

I use it at least once a week myself because it gets my heart rate up and prepares my legs for more difficult exercise.

Here is video #1 which is most of the explanation

Here is video #2 to make sure people were doing it correctly!

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

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.

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