Why Don’t I do Aesthetic Goals or Scale-Based Weight Loss Goals?

In my 7 years as a personal trainer, I’ve never seen a client happy long term with their health and fitness journey when they have an aesthetic based goal.  For one, how do we measure what “looking good” looks like? Too subjective and vague.  But okay, you argue, what about a number on the scale to work towards? This is usually what most clients ask for help for - figuring out how to lose X pounds on the scale.  The problems with using scale as the SOLE WAY to measure progress are these: 

1. Your body weight changes daily.  If you track your weight everyday for 1 month, you will see it goes up and down DAILY.   It can fluctuate up and down even if you are doing everything perfectly.  Which leads to #2…

2. Perfection does not exist.   No one eats perfectly everyday for the rest of their lives.  Which leads to #3…

3. Example of a typical scenario: A client eats “perfectly” for 2 months and then goes out for a birthday meal.  The next day she steps on the scale and is up 5 pounds due to more carbs, salt and water.  She loses her mind and decides to throw out all the 2 months of hard work away because of what she read on the scale.  She couldn’t believe all those months of hard work still equated to a higher number.  But what she’s missing are all the benefits of the last 2 months — feeling stronger, gaining muscle, preventing injuries, having better sleep and energy, etc.  Not to mention having a consistent workout routine! 

4. When you lose fat and gain muscle, your scale number can stay the same or go up.  

5. Scale isn’t the full picture of your fitness journey.  It’s one data point. 

6. It’s not really about the number.  Hear me out! We have conditioned ourselves to associate a number on the scale = happiness in our body image.  Which are not facts.  You can be happy with your body at many different numbers (there is a range for health) and body composition as long as the following happens:

• People want to feel good about themselves in their clothes but they think the ONLY way to get there is through losing X number on the scale (which is how we address it through performance based goal vs scale based goal)

• People want to move around functionally and not be in pain

• People want to be capable of doing fun things in their lives, without embarrassment or judgment of others 

There are also many mental health hurdles that happen when you are overweight that you associate with your own self-worth that needs to be further examined by a professional therapist.  But ultimately my point is that it has nothing to do with a single number on the scale, but more the inner hangups of your mind of what that means for yourself.   We are human! 

To be clear, I am not saying the number on the scale doesn’t matter at all or that we shouldn’t lose body fat.  If you are 300 pounds then yes, numbers do matter for a variety of health reasons.  What I am saying is when you make a single number on the scale as your sole goal, or picking goals that are ONLY looks base, you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of ups and downs with food and exercise, and as a byproduct you will end up hating the fitness journey….probably for the rest of your life.  

I want you to enjoy the process and actually like working out and fueling your body.    When you enjoy something, duh, you do more of it! 

Performance based goals associate positivity with your body image.  You are appreciating it for all it can DO.  When you love your body, you will subconsciously start doing all the right things for it — eating better, sleeping better, moving more, etc.  At least, way more than if you hate your body and have an emotional meltdown due to what the scale is telling you.

How this works: You, a client, comes to me who is 20 pounds overweight and wants to lose that weight —  I say, great, how about we pick a goal of “personal best in your barbell squat” to work towards? 

The next 3 months we focus on getting some best and heaviest numbers on the barbell squat (while also strengthening your body overall and doing other lifts).  We also work on food to help you perform your best.  

What does this do? It makes you focus on how strong you are, it makes you focus on the fun of trying to PR, and you shift your mind away from “OMG I HAVE TO LOSE X NUMBER.” 

And guess what? You have fun in the process and you will naturally lose some fat from being a healthier you.

Sometimes we have to shift our focus in another way to get to the result we want.  It’s performance based so we have the evidence and data to support your progress and replicate this moving forward.

Are you ready to pick a performance goal? Email me at happyhelen@gmail.com!

What’s A Good Beginner Workout Routine?

Knowing which workout routine to do is tricky if you’re just starting to work out. After all, it seems like everyone is telling you something different - from your friends who swear by cardio, to the magazines that recommends lunges.

While everyone is different, all beginner workout routines should include some strength training a couple of times a week. Many assume that strength training is just for bodybuilders, but the truth is that everyone can benefit from regular strength training, regardless of age, fitness level, or fitness goal.

Why Is Strength Training So Important?

Incorporating strength training into your workout routine twice a week has plenty of benefits. Regular strength training can:

Help Increase Your Muscle Mass

Even though your muscle mass will naturally decrease as you age, you aren’t powerless to stop it. With strength training, you can preserve and even increase your muscle mass at any age to become stronger and look more fit!

Make It Easier To Burn Calories And Control Your Weight

Strength training can also help if you’re trying to lose or maintain weight. After all, strength training results in more muscle; the more muscle you have, the more quickly your body will burn calories. With a higher muscle mass, you’ll have a higher basal metabolic rate, meaning you’ll burn even more calories by doing nothing other than breathing! What’s more, your metabolic rate is higher for up to 72 hours after a strength-training session (ever heard of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption?), so you’ll be burning extra calories for the hours or days following your workout.

Improve Bone Strength

Since strength training places stress on your bones, it can increase your bone density. This additional stress tells the cells responsible for building bones to rebuild your bones even stronger than before, which can lower your risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

Boost Brain Health

Strength training can also improve your brain health and slow age-related cognitive decline. After all, strength training results in reduced inflammation, improved blood flow, and increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, all of which can help your brain.

Increase Joint Flexibility And Mobility

While you may not think of strength training as a way to become more flexible and mobile, it’s true! Regular strength training will help your joints stay flexible and reduce symptoms of arthritis, as it increases joint range of motion. Just make sure to use your entire range of movement when performing exercises to reap the most benefits.

Improve Your Mood

There’s a reason strength training is a legitimate treatment option for symptoms of depression. Like all forms of exercise, strength training increases mood-boosting endorphins, but that’s not all it does. It can also help you sleep better and can reduce anxiety!

Increase Your Overall Quality Of Life

Strength training can raise your overall quality of life. Think about it. Increased muscle and joint strength mean you can continue to do everyday activities like carrying groceries to your car or lifting your kids up, even as you age. Better balance means a lower risk of falls and injuries.

Plus, strength training can improve your heart’s health, lower your blood pressure, increase blood circulation, and reduce your risk of hypertension and heart disease, all of which can help you live a longer, healthier life. Strength training can even help manage chronic conditions like arthritis, diabetes, and back pain.

What Types Of Exercises Should You Use?

When creating your workout, you’ll want to include compound movements (movements involving more than one muscle group). For example, a squat is a compound movement because you’ll need to engage your core, hip flexors, glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calf muscles.

By using compound exercises as the base of your strength training workout routine, you can maximize time and calorie burn. After all, you’ll use multiple muscle groups at once, meaning you’ll get more done and burn more calories in a shorter time.

Compound exercises can also help quickly increase your range of motion, dynamic flexibility, and coordination as well as build a foundation of strength and functional fitness. Compound movements like push, pull, squat, and lunge simulate the actions we need to do in everyday life, which means incorporating compound exercises into your workout routines can also help you with things like carrying grocery bags, shoveling snow, and other activities.

In addition to squats, you can try push-ups, planks, deadlifts, wall sits, barbell rows, pull-ups, lunges, kettlebell swings, barbell hip raises, and more to reap all the benefits of compound movements.

You’ll also want to do a full-body workout, not a body part split. Body part split workouts can be beneficial if you need to work a specific muscle, maximize muscle growth, or minimize rest days, but full-body training is the best option for most people.

In a full-body workout, you’ll be able to burn more calories, increase strength, and build more muscle in less time. What’s more, you’ll be relatively fresh for each exercise and will hit a much higher percentage of your body’s total motor units per day than a body part split workout. Plus, full-body workouts are a lower time commitment than body part split workouts and are great for both pros and beginners alike!

Get Started With Strength Training Today

The good news is adding strength training to your workout routine is easy. You don’t necessarily need an expensive weight machine or gym membership. Exercises like push-ups, planks, lunges, and squats don’t require any equipment, and many other strength training exercises require relatively cheap equipment, such as resistance tubing, medicine balls, barbells, and dumbells. No matter what exercises you do, don’t be afraid to start slow and gradually increase your resistance, reps, or weight.

Ready to learn more about the basics of strength training? Download Strength Training 101 from my website for free!

Best Workout Program for Seniors

When you hit a certain age, your body might not feel quite like it used to, and the fear of falling or injuring yourself may be weighing on your mind. However, exercising will be even MORE important than ever as we age! 

Seniors can drastically enhance their quality of life by being active.  Regular exercise will not only give you more energy and reduce stress, but it can also boost brain function and even counteract diseases like diabetes and osteoporosis! Sounds great, right?

Workout Programs For Seniors

So, what types of exercises should you be doing? Think mainly of exercises that focus on functionality and balance. You should consider doing these functional movements several times a week: 

Squats

Squats are suitable for people of any age, but they’re particularly beneficial for seniors. Just think of all the things we do in everyday life that involve our core and lower body — getting off the couch, standing up after using the bathroom, sitting down at the table for dinner, or even squatting down to pick something off the ground. The list goes on!

Unfortunately, these things only get more challenging as we get older only because we STOP being as active.  However, doing squats can strengthen your core and legs. You’ll experience a higher quality of life and can maintain your independence for longer.  For example, instead of relying on a grab bar by your toilet or assistance from someone, you can engage your core and lower body to stand up on your own.  

What’s more, squats can help you burn calories, build your obliques, and improve your flexibility. Plus, squats can help lower your risk of knee or ankle injuries since they strengthen your legs’ bones, tendons, and ligaments.

Deadlifts

Lifting heavy objects off the ground is a significant source of lower back injuries, but you can’t avoid picking things up forever. You’ll need to deal with groceries, laundry baskets, or even grandkids. Enter deadlifts - an exercise that involves bending at your hips to pick up a weighted barbell (or dumbbell) off the ground before standing up.  

Regularly doing deadlifts can help strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, core, and back. Plus, they can prevent your back from giving out while lifting light or even heavy objects from the floor. If that isn’t enough to convince you to start incorporating deadlifts into your workout routine, they can also reduce lower back pain, raise bone mineral density, and boost your metabolism!

Overhead Press

Overhead presses are also great for seniors hoping to stay in shape and make their lives a little easier. However, whereas squats and deadlifts mainly target the core and lower body, overhead presses work the chest, shoulders, upper back, and arms.

More muscular arms and shoulders means an easier time when grabbing a mug or dish from that top shelf! 

Balance Exercises

Toddlers constantly fall and bounce back up almost immediately, but it’s not the same with older adults. Every 11 seconds, a senior goes to the emergency room due to a fall-related injury.  The good news is that regular exercise incorporating balance can reduce your likelihood of falling by 23%.

Some of the best exercises for improving balance include:

• The Tightrope Walk: Want to improve your balance, core strength, coordination, and posture? Do the tightrope walk regularly! This exercise is exactly what it sounds like: you extend your arms to the side and slowly walk in a straight line as if you were on a tightrope. When you raise your foot, hold it for a few seconds before taking your next step.

• The Tree Pose: A popular yoga move, the tree pose involves balancing on a single leg while resting your other foot against the side of your thigh. You can then press your hands together in front of your chest or above your head. If you aren’t 100% comfortable, you can also hold onto a chair with one hand for balance.

• Lunges: Lunges will not only help shape and strengthen your quads, glutes, hips, calves, and hamstrings, but they can also increase your core strength and prepare you to prevent potential falls.  After all, if you lose your balance while walking, it’s natural to take a step backward or forward to try and prevent a fall.  

Don’t be afraid to have something nearby for stabilization when performing these balance exercises, whether that’s a chair, a wall, or another person. 

Exercising as a senior offers countless benefits, and it’s not all that different from what you may have done in the past.  Just be sure to focus on exercises that target functionality and balance, and don’t be afraid to start out slow and take breaks.  If you need some help designing and executing the perfect workout program for seniors, contact me today at happyhelen@gmail.com.

Am I Building Muscle?

When people say they want to “tone” their muscle, what they really mean is that they want to build their muscle. Toning is not a real thing - it is purely a marketing word for women. The truth is that your muscle can only decrease or increase in size - you can’t “tone” it.  

What Muscle Does

So, what does muscle actually do? And why might you want more of it?

First of all, having more muscle will allow you to do more in your daily life.  Not only will your workouts be better, but having muscle will help with everyday tasks, such as carrying the groceries or mowing the lawn.

Second, having more muscle is a guaranteed way to prevent injury.  It can help strengthen your bones, ligaments, and tendons, while lowering your risk of bone loss, fractures, and osteoporosis. 

Third, having more muscle increases your metabolic rate, helping you burn calories at rest.  

Last, but not least, having more muscle will give you that lean look that you are looking for! 

How To Build Muscle

Say goodbye to questionable hacks and so-called shortcuts — the easiest ways to build muscle are lifting weights and eating in a caloric surplus!

To gain muscle, you’ll need to eat enough protein and calories to put your body into a mild caloric surplus. This is called bulking, and it can increase your muscle mass and body fat together.   That is normal!  Aim to eat at least 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight daily to avoid gaining too much fat. 

However, eating more won’t magically give you more muscle.  You’ll also have to train to ensure the additional calories are being put towards building muscle rather than stored as fat.  You will need to do some strength training that hits all major muscle groups 2-3 times a week.  

How To Tell If You Are Building Muscle

Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if you’re actually gaining muscle from your workouts. 

You may be building muscle if:

• You’re getting stronger: There’s a strong correlation between muscle growth and strength, so if you track your weights and notice that you can lift heavier, you’re likely building muscle! 

• Your body composition is changing:  Take photos to assess body composition changes over time.  I would recommend photos every other week but not more than that since changes are usually slow and small.  Keep in mind muscle and fat WEIGHS THE SAME (1 pound is 1 pound).  But muscle takes up less space, so even if the scale is the same weight, you are actually leaner if you have muscle in the place of fat.   Use a tape measure to track your waist measurements.  

• You have gained weight:  Unless you are an advanced bodybuilder, you are probably gaining both fat and muscle at the same time.  This is why we bulk first then cut later.  Don’t be discouraged if you gain fat with muscle - that is part of the process! 

• You have an increased appetite:  Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat and can increase your metabolism, so if you find yourself hungrier, it may be because you have built more muscle! 

Building muscle takes time and hard work - and knowing how much to eat can be hard to navigate.  I’d love to help you with that journey! Email me at happyhelen@gmail.com today!

Key Concepts of Sustainable Fat Loss

I can make anyone lose weight. All I have to do is restrict your food and make you do two hours of cardio a day. But how long can you do that for before burning out or binging on snacks?

Here are some key concepts of sustainable fat loss, along with 10 steps on how to change for the healthier!

• Diet is everything.  You can workout everyday but not lose fat if you don’t change your eating habits.  The only way to lose fat is to create a DEFICIT — burn more than you eat.  BUT it’s not that simple because the choice in food and the emotions we attach to eating can be hard to navigate.  Eating 1500 calories of natural whole foods vs pizza and chips have two different results.  

• You can’t be eating at deficit for the rest of your lives - your  body WILL push back at some point.  If you are eating 1000 calories a day, one day your body will hold onto fat and you can’t lose anymore. THAT’S why you also need to lift weights to increase your metabolism.  Building muscle will allow your body to burn fat at rest.  Exercise is also how we change our body composition for the better - if you just lose weight without any muscle, you can also be skinny fat.  Muscle also protects your JOINTS! 

• The only way to create sustainable, life-long changes is to change your entire lifestyle.   If you lose 100 pounds over 10 years vs 3 months, I promise you those 10 years will create some amazing life-long habits to keep the weight off.  The longer it takes for you to get there, the more lasting the impact.  SLOW CHANGES ARE THE MOST LASTING ONES.

• There is no “best” method of weight loss for YOU.  No doctor, no trainer, no therapist, nobody can tell you the BEST method that works for your body.  You have to figure that out for yourself.  Because no one person is the same.  There is only trial and error of what works for your body and mind.   People can guide you, give you suggestions, but only YOU can decide if you are going to commit to it and if it works for you.  

• The actual weight loss is the easy part.  The hard part is keeping it off for the rest of your life while feeling energetic, happy and healthy.  And the only way to do this is to be open minded, try new things, and realize this is not a quick process.  It is not unusual to spend years trying new things to find out what works best for you.  

10 STEPS TO CHANGING YOUR BODY COMPOSITION FOR A HEALTHIER YOU:

1. Track your food on an app like My Fitness Pal.  Yes, it’s tedious and no, you don’t have to do it forever.  But without writing it all down, you will not be 100% aware of what you are putting in your body or the macros it contains.  After tracking for 2-3 weeks, you can start to examine your macronutrient breakdowns of carbs/protein/fat.

2. Aim for 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight.   It should feel like you are always eating protein.  Eat protein first before carbs for all meals/snacks. This step is EXTREMELY important if not one of the most important things most people have to focus on. 

3. Meal Prep on Sundays.  Sorry, there is no easy way to have long-lasting body composition changes without cooking and eating healthy.  You can buy meal plans or go to some weight loss clinic to give you the food, but if you want to keep it off the rest of your life, you will need to learn to cook for yourself.  Even if it’s a few simple recipes that you can call your “home base.”

4. Figure out your HOME BASE meals.  Pick a few recipes that you enjoy and that are made of all whole, non processed foods, with both protein and veggies.  Beef, chicken, turkey are all great choices.  Any veggies but aim for some green veggies too.  Eating healthy does not have to be BORING or NOT TASTY.  You have to experiment and find ones you like.  Those few recipes will be your HOME BASE.  Anytime you have weeks or weekends of not-so-great eating (like weddings, vacations, holidays), go back to HOME BASE on Sundays and start next week with those healthy recipes.

5. Following weeks or weekends where you are eating a lot of sugars/heavy carbs - cut out anything processed for a few days to a week - anything from a box, plastic bag, booze, sugars, no take-outs, etc.  The purpose of this is to give you an awareness of how much your body can change in terms of how you can feel just by eating ALL non processed foods. Your body needs to get rid of some of that inflammation.  Take a before and after pic of that week - same angle, same lighting, same underwear.  I promise you you will see body comp changes for that one week  - not to mention feeling better.  This will demonstrate to you the power of unprocessed foods, even if it’s for a short period. Not only that, we are teaching your body to associate how it FEELS with whole, natural foods after a sugar/processed food binge. You may need to do this a few times to get the mind-body connection.

6. Make sure you get daily N.E.A.T.  

7. Lift weights or do some sort of resistance training (bands, TRX).  Make sure the effort is at least 7 out of 10. 

8. Drink water.  Drink twice as much as you do now to see how it feels.  Your body holds onto more water the less you drink!!!  

9. Get 7-8 hours of sleep.   

10. Consistency trumps everything.  If you do well one week and then don’t revisit for 2 weeks, you won’t see results.  It’s better to be consistent for 1-2 days a week over a year, then 5 days a week for half the weeks of the year.  

If you feel like you are doing all 10 steps and not seeing results, it is probably due to a few things:

1. You are still eating in maintenance or surplus while not burning enough calories per day. You need to go longer without unprocessed foods.  I promise it’s not forever.  Once your body reaches a point where it feels like it's in a deficit (but on HEALTHY whole foods) then you can slowly be more relaxed and add stuff back in.  But sometimes that initial jump start needs to be longer - with unprocessed foods. 

2. Increase your daily NEAT combined with a longer period of unprocessed foods until your body responds.  I like to use NEAT vs cardio because if you do too much cardio to create a deficit, your body can adapt quickly and it stops working.  You don’t want to get to a point where your body can only lose weight by running 2 hours a day and eating less calories.  That’s why this is a slow process! 

3. Do not forget to do some resistance training as part of this process.

Everyone is different - these are just guidelines that work well for the general population.   If you can afford it, hire a trainer who can customize your plan and guide you through the process and give you accountability. 

Slow and steady wins the race.  If you want to lose weight quickly, then eat nothing and do 2 hours of cardio a day.  If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you know what to do now :-)

What’s More Important for Weight Loss: Diet or Exercise?

If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ve probably heard conflicting advice. Maybe your friend swears that dieting is more important for weight loss, while your gym buddies argue that exercising is the way to go….but who’s right?

Exercise

People often push exercise as the answer to weight loss. Everyone from fitness coaches to Coca-Cola says that if you exercise enough, you’ll lose weight. Exercising can help you burn calories and gain muscles, which will raise your resting metabolic rate.  

While it’s true that exercising can help you lose weight, you probably won’t lose as much weight as you’re expecting. Exercise only accounts for 10-30% of your total energy expenditure, while digesting food uses around 10% - so, why exercise?

Despite the limited immediate effect exercising has on weight loss, it’s still important for a variety of reasons. Exercise builds muscle, which speeds up your metabolism and accelerates fat loss. Studies have linked exercise with lower risks of developing cognitive impairments, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. Exercise can reduce your blood pressure and the risk of type 2 diabetes, along with preventing heart attacks and strokes.

But behaviorally, those who exercise are also more conscientious about what they eat - which leads to the next part.  

Diet

Most health experts would agree that your diet is more important for weight loss.  After all, food is responsible for all of the calories we gain, while exercising only makes up 10-30% of your calorie expenditure.

In a study published in PLOS One, researchers found that the Hadza — an indigenous group located in Tanzania — burn the same amount of calories each day as today’s average Westerner.  While an American might spend a large portion of their day sitting behind a desk, the Hadza have a very active lifestyle and spend their time hunting and gathering all day.  Despite the lifestyle differences, Westerners and the Hadza burned the same amount of calories. 

Researchers concluded that our body adapts to the amount of calories we expend — and that there is also a max we can potentially burn regardless of how much physical activity we do — which means it can be hard to lose weight by exercising more.  And that the Hadza are healthier thanks to their eating habits.

What you put in your body matters, but a restrictive diet is not without its drawbacks. Unfortunately, it’s easy to underestimate portions and overeat.  It can also be difficult to avoid processed foods.  Restrictive diets can be difficult to sustain long-term and can result in harmful eating habits like binge eating. Your body may even conserve fat, stop non-essential systems, and release chemicals to make you think about food when you’re on a diet. 

The Perfect Combination

So, is dieting or exercising more important for weight loss? If you are purely looking at it in terms of short-term weight loss, then generally speaking, the answer is diet.  It’s very difficult to lose weight without changing your diet.  And plenty of people have lost weight by not changing a single thing to their workouts (myself included).  However, long-term success in keeping off your weight most likely will involve an exercise component.

Your diet alone can’t build muscle, can’t increase your endurance, mobility or bone density.  You still need to exercise to do that.  If you want to live a long life, you still need to do some form of physical activity.

There’s no one-size-fits-all way to lose weight and it is different for everyone, but a combination of both dieting and exercising is the most effective way for most people.  

Need help losing weight? Contact me at happyhelen@gmail.com today!

Do You Need Cardio to Lose Weight?

If you’re trying to lose weight, one of the first things you may be considering is doing some cardio. But actually - research shows that cardio is not necessary to lose weight and not only that, it is not a great strategy for long-term fat loss. So, if you were dreading those long runs, swims, or bike rides, don’t worry! With a combination of proper nutrition and resistance training, you can lose weight more effectively than with cardio alone.

A Combination of Exercise and Diet Is Best

Studies have shown that a combination of exercise and a healthy diet is the most effective way to lose fat. In one study, overweight postmenopausal women were placed on a diet-only program, an exercise-only program, or a combined exercise and diet program. Women in the exercise-only program only experienced 2.4% fat loss, while women in the diet-only program saw 8.5% fat loss. Those in the combination program experienced an impressive 10.8% fat loss. 

Some of you may have heard of HITT (high intensity interval training) as an effective way to burn fat.  Now while HITT cardio does burn calories and work type I muscles more efficiently than LISS (low-intensity steady-state) cardio, resistance training is actually better for long-term fat loss. Resistance training burns calories, builds type II muscles, and increases your resting metabolic rate, making it easier to manage your body’s fat ratio over time.

Resistance Training vs. Cardio

Let’s discuss the difference in terms of resistance training vs. cardio for fat loss.  Yes, if you compare side-by-side someone who does an hour of running vs. an hour of resistance training - yes, the cardio will burn more calories in that hour.  But the reason why this does not work for long-term fat loss is because over time, your body adapts to cardio, which means you have to keep doing more and more of it to have the same result.  I have personal experience in this- I was a marathon swimmer which means I swam anywhere between 3-6 hours in one session in the ocean.  I swam about 20-30 hours a week.  I did LOTS of cardio but guess what — my body never lost a pound! My body adapted to that cardio very quickly.  Just ask yourself - are you REALLY going to be doing 3 hours of cardio a day for the rest of your life to keep the same weight? 

Resistance Training for Long-Term Fat Loss

Building muscle is one of the best long-term strategies to long-term fat loss. When we build muscle, we increase our metabolic rate and burn more calories at rest.  Not only that, having muscles prevents injuries, protects our joints and increases our quality of life.  You don’t need to be lifting like a bodybuilder to have benefits — you just need some progressive loading that’s done safely.  However, building muscle and strength is something that requires patience to see over time - which means you have to trust the process! 

Some clients panic because when they start lifting, they gain muscle and fat and the scale goes up.  THAT IS OKAY! It’s very hard to gain muscle without fat.  Also diet is key — it doesn’t matter cardio or resistance training, a proper balanced nutrition will always have a huge impact on what happens to your body.

When starting your resistance training regiment, complex multi-joint resistance exercises are the way to go.  These are movements like deadlifts, squats, overhead presses -  as they use many joints at once and recruit more muscle movement.  This increase in muscle movement will increase caloric expenditure as well.  Muscles use around 7 to 13 calories per pound of muscle while fat only uses 2 to 5 calories per pound of muscle.  Of course, everyone is different but the point is - the more muscles you have, the more calories you burn doing anything! 

If you want to lead a healthier lifestyle and need a little help with your resistance training, reach out to me at happyhelen@gmail.com today!

Four Reasons Why Strength Training Will Help You With Weight Loss

Most people who are hoping to lose weight often only focus on cardio workouts for fat loss. While cardio is certainly an effective method of weight loss, incorporating strength training into your workouts can help you lose the weight and keep it off! Here are some reasons why strength training can help you get to your goals: 

1. The afterburn effect. Burning calories at a faster rate than usual doesn’t have to stop when your workout stops. With the afterburn effect, your body’s metabolic rate will remain elevated as you recover after your strength training session. During the 24-48 hours following your workout, your body will burn more calories than usual as it works to repair muscles, remove lactic acid, and restore oxygen levels. 

2. It can improve your metabolic rate. Your body uses more calories to maintain muscle than to maintain fat. Since strength training builds muscle, your metabolic rate will increase over time. With an increased muscle mass, your body will burn even more calories while you’re working, sleeping, going about your daily activities, or doing nothing other than breathing! 

3. It can reduce belly fat. According to a study published in 2014 that tracked over 10,000 men for more than 12 years, weight training is more strongly associated with less belly fat than aerobic exercise. 

4. It changes your body composition. Strength training builds muscle, and muscle is denser than fat. You can weigh the same on the scale but the person who has more muscle looks leaner.  Ultimately, when women want the “tone” look, they actually mean muscle - because the muscle is what gives your body definition.  

Are you ready to add strength training to your weight loss plan? If you’d like a little help with creating an effective strength training workout, reach out to me at happyhelen@gmail.com!

Back to working out? How to ease back into your routine without getting injured

It’s been at least 3 months since your gym has been open and you feel out of shape. You may have done some exercises here and there but nothing as consistent as when you were in your old routine. However, now that things are reopening, your are worried that you may injure yourself getting too quickly back into it. Here are some tips that will help you ease into a solid workout routine safely.

1. Start with body weight exercises. Instead of loading that heavy dumbbell, start with some body weight exercises to ease back into the harder stuff. 

2. Do 2-3 times a week. Don’t go balls out working out 6 days a week off the bat. You may feel excited that work off the COVID weight, but start with 2-3 days a week and gradually build into more days.

3. Add in some N.E.A.T. N.E.A.T. Stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis, which is all your daily movement outside of exercise. Instead of one dedicated hour of workout a day, you actually increase your metabolism and burn more calories if you move constantly throughout the day. 

4. Do a solid 10 minute warm-up. Warming up is probably one of the best ways to NOT get injured. Warming up increases blood flow so your body is ready to do the hard workout ahead! 

5. Stretch after working out. Do some solid stretching for your entire body post-workout. It will loosen up your muscles and give you the flexibility you need to prevent an injury.

6. Hire a trainer. Having a professional who can guide you safely into the workout will prevent you from accidentally overloading incorrectly or not moving in the optimal way for your body. 

Need a trainer to provide you with the accountability and safety you need during COVID times? Contact me today for your consultation session! Email happyhelen@gmail.com today.

Why Spot Reduction is a Myth

Most newbie clients come to me wanting to spot reduce. They would say, “I want to get rid of this!” while pointing to a specific area of fat on their body. My response: If only we can! I would be a rich woman......

Spot reduction is a claim that if you target a certain area of your body when working out, then that specific area will reduce in body fat. For instance, doing a bunch of crunches will eliminate the fat from your abs. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

There have been many studies done on this subject, showing that resistance training on one specific area actually ends up giving off a generalized fat loss all over your body. In a recent study done by University of Connecticut, participants completed a 12-week resistance training program where their non-dominant arm was exercised - but not the other. They measured their subcutaneous body fat before and after the program and results showed that only overall fat loss occurred, and none specifically in the arm!

The reason? The fat in the fat cells are known as triglycerides and our muscle cells cannot use these triglycerides as fuel. Therefore, the fat must be broken down into fatty acids that enters the bloodstream. This means that the fat broken down can come from anywhere in the body, not just the area you exercised!

So then, you ask...why do we target specific areas when using weights? Why bother doing bicep curls or squats, if fat loss can be from anywhere?

The reason is that even though we can't lose fat from a specific place, we CAN build muscle there! There is no such thing as “being toned” - it is actually just having your muscle pop out after building them! So we need to do some resistance training to build muscle so it can show that defined look you want.

Of course, you still have to have a good diet to get the look you want. However, not everything is about caloric restriction- you want to make sure your metabolism is at a good place before you start cutting calories for fat loss. Otherwise, you can't sustain it for the rest of your life!

Need help with fat loss and muscle gain? Talk to Helen and she can help you get on the right track!

5 Tips to Getting Back in Shape for The Fall

Summer is over and you are getting back into the swing of things. Back to school for the kids, work life resumes, but what about your workout routine? Has it fallen through the cracks during the summer? Are you looking for renewed inspiration this Fall?

Here are some tips to help you get back on track:

1. Eat less processed foods. Processed foods are engineered to make you eat more- period! It's not necessarily less or more healthy than regular whole foods, but processed foods hijack your palate so you want to eat more of it. As you know, processed foods can be so tasty you eat more for no good reason besides the delicious taste of it! Instead of worrying about eating less carbs, or eat more protein/veggies, just eliminate most processed foods so your body can regulate your hunger and let you eat what it needs to to feel nourished! You will be surprised how your body will make good decisions if you stay away from processed foods. Keep in mind places like Whole Foods has a TON of “healthy” processed foods – it's always best to cook your own food that is minimally processed.

2. Try a new activity. Can't get psych on your regular workouts? Try a new activity! Join a running group in your neighborhood. Go to a spin class. Try a random workout class. Go for a bike ride. Do an adult gymnastics course. So many things to try out there- you may surprise yourself. Maybe you are the next Zumba superstar and you don't know it!

3. Get a workout buddy. We all need accountability and sometimes having someone there with you is all you need. You would be surprised striking up a conversation with the person next to you in class, or make new friends at the neighborhood running group!

4. Try working out outside. Get some vitamin D – studies show working out in the sun improves your mood.

5. Get a trainer. Most gym go-ers don't know the best programming for their bodies so they spend hours on the treadmill and wonder why they don't see results. Say you pay $50 a month on a gym membership, that is $600 a year. If you take the $600 and invest even a few sessions in a trainer who can point out YOUR specific mobility issues and build a customized workout routine that benefits YOU, you will get way more out of that $600 than those hours on the elliptical.

Not sure how to get to the results you want? Reach out to Helen at HelenLinFitness@gmail.com for your free consultation today!

Why Eating Less Can Cause You to Store More Fat

A common problem I see with female clients is that the minute they want to lose weight, they cut calories drastically. And by drastic, I mean anything under 1200 calories is way too low, if you are over 5 feet tall. What makes me crazy is that there are articles out there saying “1200 calories” is the perfect amount for many people – that make no sense! Everyone has different metabolisms.

But, at the same time, I get it. I went through this myself — if you want to lose weight, you create a caloric deficit. You can do this by eating less or working out more. Some people choose to do both at once (which I don't recommend but that's a whole other topic).

However, when you eat less than ideal for your body weight, the problem most people run into is that after a certain amount of time, it slows down your metabolism. Your body is smart- it is always trying to be efficient and saving energy. If you eat a lot, your body is like, “Hey! Food is plentiful so we can keep using the energy stores!” But if you eat less, your body thinks, “Oh crap, survival mode so let's slow down the metabolism to store the energy as fat for later!”

How do you know when you are eating too little? Some potential signs:

1. You don't feel hungry a lot. When your metabolism is slow you don't feel as hungry as frequently or at all. (Keep in mind you can also eat too MUCH and never feel hungry so this is varied from person to person).

2. You workout frequently and feel tired. If you are active (do some physical activity everyday) but you feel tired a lot, then your body is telling you you may not be eating enough.

3. You track your foods and are under 1200 calories a day.

How to Change Your Metabolism to Lose Fat

1. Lift heavy weights with compound movements with appropriate rest intervals.

2. Lift consistently – at least 2-3 times a week.

3. Eat enough calories to support your heavy lifting. On days you lift, you should definitely be upping your calories with healthy carbs and protein.

4. Get your calories up to a decent amount before cutting. Decent amount should be at least over 2500 calories for a woman. (Yes ladies, I am blowing your mind that you can eat this much and not gain weight). This strategy is called reverse dieting.

5. Get a trainer to help customize the best food and training program for your goals.

Contact Helen to help you with changing your metabolism to a roaring one, to a point where you can burn calories while sitting on your butt at work! Email HelenLinFitness@gmail.com for your free phone consultation today.

Why We Should Focus on Function over Aesthetics

Every client comes to me wanting to lose weight or to look better.  When I first got a personal trainer, I wanted to look like fitness model Zuzka Light until my coach told me she was at an unhealthy level of body fat.  It was then I realized I had no idea what “healthy” looked like.  And that is because healthy looks different for different people, and there is no set “look” for health.

Why focusing on our looks does not represent good health:

1.       You can look like a fitness model and have an unhealthy relationship with food.  In fact, a lot of them do! Becoming obsessive over food choices and restricting certain foods can end up an eating disorder for some people.  Not to mention you would also have some nutrient deficiency.

2.       You can be skinny fat. 

3.       You can have diabetes and heart disease and look thin. 

4.       Looks are fleeting and relative.  For some people you may look big and others you look small.

5.       The scale means nothing if you weight train.  Muscle and fat weigh the same (no, one does not weigh more than another) but muscle takes up less space than fat, so you look leaner, but scale numbers do not change – sometimes it will go up!

Why focusing on function and performance is better for your health (and looks!):

1.       You can measure performance and strength.  Are you increasing in weights each week? Are you moving better? Are you more flexible? If YES, it’s progress!

2.       You can feel the difference.  Less daily pain.  Less achy joints.  You feel stronger.

3.       You can tell energy levels.  You are less tired.  You have more energy at work.

4.       You sleep better.  Your quality and length of sleep improves.  You wake up feeling rested and ready for the day!

The BEST part of focusing on function over looks is that once you start focusing on strength and movement, your looks automatically get better! It’s a win-win.

Think about when you are 80-years old, do you want to be self-sufficient or only LOOK self-sufficient? I think no one can argue that looks may fade but we care about quality of life more.  But the truth is, if I am a 80-year old who can move well and take care of myself, there is no doubt I will look younger.  Resistance training has been shown to reverse aging process.

As your trainer, I care about your long term health and quality of life. I care about making sure you stay active, keep those bones and joints strong, and feeling life without aches and pains.  Focusing on function instead of looks will guarantee you live a long, healthy and happy life.  And I promise you will look great too!

Why Cardio Sucks For Fat Loss

Want to lose Fat? Stop doing a bunch of cardio!

Are you someone who wants to "tone" and lose fat but spend your time running or doing a bunch of cardio and wondering why the fat is not coming off? Diet of course is important but also understand what you are telling your body when you do cardio all the time. 

CARDIO SUCKS FOR LONG TERM FAT LOSS.

Cardio is great for cardiovascular health.  It is great for improving your endurance.  But it is not going to build you muscle, aka the "toning" you desire.  When women want to "tone", what they really mean is they want to build muscle.  

Our body is a great machine that is good at any adaptation that we throw its way.  When you do a lot of cardio, you are sending an adaption signal to be good at endurance and you don't need a lot of muscle for endurance.  In fact, what happens is over time with excessive cardio, your body starts to store fat.  

Believe me, I was a marathon swimmer- I swam for 3-6 hours in the ocean or pool (5-6 days a week) and not lost a single pound - and my body composition looked the same.  My body had no reason to lose fat because as it adapted, it became more efficient to swim long distances which means it got easier and my body was not using much energy to do it.  

So what's the answer? RESISTANCE TRAINING.  When you do resistance training, you are now sending a whole different signal to your body to BUILD muscle.  

Why build muscle? It increase your resting metabolic rate! Even though side by side, an hour of cardio burns more calories than an hour of weight training, but every pound of muscle you gain you increase your resting metabolic rate by about 50 calories a day.  That's your body burning calories by doing nothing.  

For your cardiovascular health, keep your cardio to twice a week for 30 minute sessions.  Your daily movement can count towards your cardio.   Or a walk around the block with your dog.   But no need to spend 60 minutes on a treadmill each day.  Do resistance training 2-3 times a week is way more beneficial than a daily run (if your goal is to lose fat).  

As you build muscle and have a proper nutrition that goes with it, your body composition will change.  But the scale can go up or down depending on a variety of factors- sleep, diet, carbs (holds water), stress, and/or your workout.   You CAN LOSE WEIGHT AND NOT LOSE ANY BODY FAT!  You can also see an increase in scale when you start to build muscle as well.  That's why it's beneficial to work with a trainer who can help you monitor all these different aspects since the scale is very deceiving when you start doing resistance training.  

WHY WOMEN SHOULD STRENGTH TRAIN - Benefits of Lifting Heavy Part 2

WHY WOMEN SHOULD STRENGTH TRAIN - Benefits of Lifting Heavy Part 2

Last blog discussed the mental hurdles women have to get through to show up in the weight room.  This issue I will discuss the benefits of strength training for everyone, no matter what stage of fitness you are at. 

Are you someone in any of these categories? 

1) Trying to Lose Weight / Change Body Composition - I'm sorry to break it to you but cardio sucks at changing body composition.  Any new stimulus will change your body in the beginning but cardio sends an adaption signal to your body and not muscle building, which means overtime, your body will adapt to any cardio you throw at it.  Women always tell me they want to "tone" their body; that toning is muscle and to build muscle you need to strength train.  

2) Improve Athletic Performance -  Most athletes know that strength training increases power, agility and even endurance. Yes, even endurance athletes need strength training to improve their performance. 

3) Prevent Injury - Everyone has muscular imbalances.  Whether you sit at a desk all day or are a fitness addict, strength training will correct those imbalances from bad posture to overuse from your athletic pursuits.  
  
4) Combating or Recovering from Illness - Exercise helps speed recovery from illnesses and diseases and strength training is necessary to get your body back in proper range of motion and mobility.  Cancer, Parkinson's, Ehlers-Dahlos...all need some sort of strength training program. 

5) Improve Quality of Life / Combat Aging - We ain't getting younger but we can feel like we are! Improve your mood, libido, sleep and overall daily function.  From personal experience, everyday I strength train, I feel stronger and younger.  If you have kids, you want to be able to pick them up without pulling your back, or even move furniture around with having to pop an ibuprofen after.  

Strength Training doesn't have to some long, tedious, scary-looking workout in a weight room at a gym with huge dudes.  To start, you can do it in the comfort of your own home with bodyweight exercises or something like a TRX.   As a trainer, I will always recommend doing the major compound movements with a barbell but if you really can't get to the gym, I recommend getting a TRX and doing some basic movements I will outline in my newsletters or on my Facebook page.  Once the TRX becomes too easy for you for resistance levels, then you can consider getting some weights or maybe get to your nearest gym!

WHY WOMEN SHOULD STRENGTH TRAIN - Benefits of Lifting Heavy Part 1

WHY WOMEN SHOULD STRENGTH TRAIN - Benefits of Lifting Heavy Part 1

Culturally, women do cardio and men lift weights. For whatever reason this divide happens at every gym, and it wasn't really until Crossfit came along that they did a good job of making lifting seem cool to women.  Now we are seeing more women in the weight room, but it is still in the minority compared to men.  

Popular reasons for women not wanting to strength train:
1) Boredom.  Women often find the same lifts boring and can't stay excited to do it.

2) Lack of Education.  Women often don't understand the full benefits of why they should do it.  "Running is good enough for my health" or "These group exercise classes I do are enough fat burning for my health." 

3) Gym-timdation.  Women often find  the scary looking weights/machines intimidating to approach.  And they have no idea how to use them.  Not to mention the dudes who are grunting in the corner and women are worried the guys are judging or trying to hit on them.
  
4) Becoming The Hulk.  Women think you lift heavy and BOOM you become The Hulk.  Ladies, those images of shredded women you see take YEARS of training 5-6 times a week and they most likely take drugs.  

Once I became a trainer, I feel like I learned a secret that most women don't know:

Strength Training is the answer to everything. 

Do you want to...

Look sexier and feel more confident? Strength Train
Decrease bone loss as you age? Strength train
Combat and recover from disease and illness? Strength train
Pick up your toddlers or move furniture around without pulling your back out? Strength train
Increase your sex drive? Strength train
Do better at your sport without injury? Strength train
Feel more alert and creative at work? Strength train
Sleep better, improve mood and live a longer life? Strength train

You say, "Well my life is great now, I don't need it! How do strength training solve all these problems anyways?"  Tune into the next blog to find out!