Fitness Boot Camps are a growing trend in the fitness industry today for good reason. They typically are much more affordable than personal training. They also offer more camaraderie and social support, are much more exciting, and have many more convenient time slots than personal training while still providing expert supervision.
Unfortunately, boot camps do have their downside. Many fitness instructors want to jump on the lucrative boot camp bandwagon without having any of the skills or experience to design custom workouts for the wide variety of fitness levels typical in large group training. Here are 10 tips on how to select a boot camp that will get you results and keep you safe at the same time:
The Top 10 Boot Camp Safety Checklist
1.) The Instructor Must Be Certified With Nationally Recognized Institutions. There are many online pay-for-certifications where people can get a certificate with little or no knowledge of proper training methods. This is a big part of what gets people hurt and gives fitness a bad name!
2.) The Instructor Must Look The Part And Walk The Walk. If the trainer takes physical fitness seriously and is on the cutting edge of new training methodologies, they will be fit themselves, plain and simple. After all, who wants to take advice from someone who is in worse shape than they are!
3.) The Instructor Must Be Experts With Exercise Progressions. Every exercise has the appropriate regression and progression based on your current fitness level. Overweight, de-conditioned beginners SHOULD NOT perform the exact same exercises as their more fit counterparts. If you ask your trainer if he/she can show an exercise modification that better suits your particular situation and they give you a blank stare, leave the class on the spot!
4.) The Instructor Must Make Themselves Available 10-15 Minutes Before and After Every Session. Although a good trainer can effectively train the group as a whole and still give that personal touch, he/she must be willing to speak with clients before AND after every workout to address any personal issues that might arise within the scope of your training or in related to other very important topics like nutrition.
5.) The Program Must Emphasize Body Weight Before External Resistance. There should be no added weight to any movements until you have mastered the key foundational body weight exercises in full ranges of motion like push-ups, squats, lunges, etc. A red flag should be raised if you are being instructed to add weight to a movement that you have yet to master with your body weight alone. This one's important because it's not a matter of if you will get hurt... it's a matter of when!
6.) The Training System Must Focus on Body Weight Circuit Training and Cardio Interval Training. High-Intensity Interval Training is scientifically proven to burn 9x more fat than the aerobic training alternative, so it is critical that both the resistance training AND cardio programs provided incorporate intervals since the goal of 99% of fitness enthusiasts is fat loss. Furthermore, most people are seeking the lean, athletic look of a men's health or women's health cover model respectively, and this is easily accomplished with 2-5+ body weight resistance training movements organized in a circuit fashion with the proper pre-programmed work to rest periods between exercises. Plus a truly skilled trainer has mastered the art of intensifying movements without the need for extra loading.
7.) The Program Must Provide Nutritional Information. Nutrition is 80% of the weight loss battle. Without it, you are joining an incomplete program and wasting your money since there is no amount of exercise that can compensate for poor dietary habits. People are too busy, and frankly too lazy, so the nutrition program needs to be clearly outlined and easy to follow. It should provide both Quick-Start Nutrition Guides for Males and Females respectively that will have you eating to support your fat loss goals in 5 minutes or less. Plus, a cookbook with a bunch of tasty and healthy done-for-you recipes should be provided to keep you on track!
8.) The Program Must Have A Website AND An Interactive Web 2.0 Social Network. Bottom line, if the boot camp program in question does not have a website in this day in age it is not worth your time and money. Personal training is not just about "training," it is a business and it needs to be approached that way. Furthermore, social support must extend outside of the boot camp workout. There are several web 2.0 interactive social networks (e.g. NING) that offer member profiles, blogging, and a forum where trainers and clients can interact with each other for FREE, so there is no excuse not to set this up for boot camp clients.
9.) The Program Must Have Social Proof And Raving Fans. If the program works, there should be proof in the form of client testimonials. Their previous clients should have results and be raving about all of the benefits that they have received from the program. Ask for before and after pictures and written or video testimonials of their services before signing up (again, this should be made available on the company website). And remember, it's NOT just about the weight loss. Benefits should include, but not be limited to, increased energy levels, dress/pant size reduction, improved health profiles, increased strength and flexibility, less joint pain, etc.
10.) The Program Must Offer A FREE Trial or Satisfaction Guarantee. If the program is confident about what they have to offer, then they will let you come in and try it for free or they will guarantee your satisfaction or your money back to completely eliminate the risk on your end. A results-based programs looks to minimize barriers of entry for prospects into their boot camps because they know that once the prospect experiences the benefits of the program firsthand they will surely buy!
Napa Personal Trainer Warns Fitness Boot Camps are Dangerous
Phoenix Personal Trainer Warns Fitness Boot Camps Can Do More Harm Than Good
Fitness Boot Camps. Have you heard of them? Have you ever attended one? They are a growing trend in the fitness industry today for good reason. They typically are much less expensive than one-on-one personal training, yet they offer more camaraderie and social support, are much more exciting, and have many more convenient time slots than personal training while still providing expert supervision and fantastic results.
Unfortunately, boot camps do have their downside. Many fitness instructors want to jump on the lucrative boot camp bandwagon without having any of the skills or experience to design custom workouts for the wide variety of fitness levels typical in large group training. Here are 10 important tips on how to select a boot camp that will get you great results and keep you safe at the same time:
The Top 10 Boot Camp Safety Checklist
1.) The Instructor(s) Must Be Certified With Nationally Recognized Institutions such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association or the National Academy of Sports Medicine. There are many online pay-for-certifications where people can get a certificate with little or no knowledge of proper training methods. This is a big part of what gets people hurt and gives fitness a bad name!
2.) The Instructor(s) Must Look The Part And Walk The Walk. If the trainer takes physical fitness seriously and is on the cutting edge of new training methodologies, they will be fit themselves, plain and simple. After all, who wants to take advice from someone who is in worse shape than they are!
3.) The Instructor(s) Must Be Experts With Exercise Progressions. Every exercise has the appropriate regression and progression based on your current fitness level. Overweight, de-conditioned beginners SHOULD NOT perform the exact same exercises as their more fit counterparts. If you ask your trainer if he/she can show an exercise modification that better suits your particular situation and they give you a blank stare, leave the class on the spot!
4.) The Instructor(s) Must Make Themselves Available 10-15 Minutes Before and After Every Session. Although a good trainer can effectively train the group as a whole and still give that personal touch, he or she must be willing to speak with clients before AND after every workout to address any personal issues that might arise within the scope of your training or in related to other very important topics like nutrition, supplements and general fitness questions.
5.) The Program Must Emphasize Body Weight Before External Resistance. There should be no added weight to any movements until you have mastered the key foundational body weight exercises in full ranges of motion like push-ups, squats, lunges, etc. A red flag should be raised if you are being instructed to add weight to a movement that you have yet to master with your body weight alone. This one's important because it's not a matter of if you will get hurt... it's a matter of when!
6.) The Training System Must Focus on Body Weight Circuit Training and Cardio Interval Training. High-Intensity Interval Training is scientifically proven to burn 9x more fat than the aerobic training alternative, so it is critical that both the resistance training AND cardio programs provided incorporate intervals since the goal of 99% of fitness enthusiasts is fat loss. Furthermore, most people are seeking for the lean, athletic look of a men's health or women's health cover model respectively, and this is easily accomplished with 2-5 (or more) body weight resistance training movements organized in a easy to understand circuit fashion with the proper pre-programmed work to rest periods between exercises.
7.) The Program Must Provide Nutritional Information. Nutrition is 80% of the weight loss battle. Without it, you are joining an incomplete program and wasting your money since there is no amount of exercise that can compensate for poor dietary habits. People are very busy so the nutrition program needs to be clearly outlined and easy to follow. It should provide both Quick-Start Nutrition Guides for both men and women so that will have you eating to support your fat loss goals in 5 minutes or less. In addition, a cookbook with a whole bunch of healthy and delicious done-for-you recipes should be provided to keep you on track!
8.) The Program Must Have A Website AND An Interactive Web 2.0 Social Network offered. Bottom line, if the boot camp program in question does not have a website in this day in age, it is not worth your time and money. Personal training is not just about "training," it is a business and it needs to be approached that way. Furthermore, social support must extend outside of the boot camp workout. There are several web 2.0 interactive social networks (e.g. NING) that offer member profiles, blogging, and a forum where trainers and clients can interact with each other for FREE, so there is no excuse not to set this up for boot camp clients and the program itself.
9.) The Program Must Have Social Proof And Raving Fans. If the fitness program works, there should be proof in the form of client testimonials. Their previous clients should have results and be raving about all of the benefits that they have received from the program. Ask for before and after pictures and written or video testimonials of their services before signing up (again, this should be made available on the company website). And remember, it's NOT just about the weight loss. Benefits should include, but not be limited to, increased energy levels, dress/pant size reduction, improved health profiles, increased strength and flexibility, less joint pain, etc.
10.) The Program Must Offer A FREE Trial or Satisfaction Guarantee. If the boot camp program is confident about what they have to offer, then they will let you come in and try it for free or they will guarantee your satisfaction or your money back to completely eliminate the risk on your end. A results-based programs looks to minimize barriers of entry for prospects into their boot camps because they know that once the prospect experiences the benefits of the program firsthand they will surely continue their workouts with the boot camp.
How to Come Up With a Home Fitness Nutrition Plan
So you want to get in shape, and the first thing that you are going to want to do in this case is come up with a home fitness nutrition plan. This home fitness nutrition plan is going to be a creation that shows you what to eat, when to work out, and which food and exercises are going to get you the body that you want.
Whether you are interested in incorporating specific things such as home fitness training or really don't have a clue where to start, here is some information that you are going to find very useful.
Diet
The first thing you need to start with when it comes to a home fitness nutrition plan is your diet. You need to start by eating the right foods, and more than anything this should include fresh fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens like arugula and spinach. These are high in nutrients and will keep your energy up.
You can talk to a nutritionist about this if you need a bit more help, as they are a professional in this area and will be able to create a personalized diet plan for you. This is going to be particularly important if you have food allergies or other issues that you need to deal with and which will make it much more difficult for you to create the diet plan on your own.
Exercise
Now remember, when it comes to a home fitness nutrition plan, that you can eat all the healthy food you want, but if you are not active enough and not exercising on a regular basis, you are simply not going to be able to get the results that you are looking for. You will need to include exercises that are going to focus on the areas where you need it most.
If it is your upper body that needs the most work for instance, you may want to start weight training, which will be able to help you slim and tone your arms and chest. If it is your lower body that needs work, elliptical trainers and running are great options.
It is important that you take time and really put some serious thought into it when you are coming up with a home fitness nutrition plan. This is vital otherwise you are not going to get the results out of all this that you are looking for. It will be more than worth it in the end.
Childhood Obesity - Fitness and Nutrition Facts for Child Health Promotion
The rates of childhood obesity in Canada has tripled in the last 25-30 years. Data reports from other developing countries is quite similar. Childhood obesity is becoming a worldwide epidemic.
There can be no question that the two most significant factors in the childhood obesity epidemic are diet and exercise. The abundance of nutritionally deficient foods and a sedentary lifestyle are creating a generation poised to become adults with significant morbidity.
For the first time ever experts are calling the current generation of children an energy positive generation meaning that they have more calories going in than being expended through physical exercise and the excess energy is stored in the body as fat.
Here are the fitness and nutrition facts regarding childhood obesity:
- Childhood obesity affects children in the same ways that obesity affects adults. Children who are overweight are more likely to develop diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, lowered self esteem, and breathing disorders such as asthma and sleep apnea.
- Conditions that were once thought to be present only in adult populations are now being diagnosed in children. This would include conditions such as high cholesterol (hyperlipedemia), type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and gall bladder disease.
- Children who have overweight parents are more likely to be overweight
- Inactive children are more likely to grow up to be inactive adults
- Physical exercise is strongly influenced by family patterns. Girls with active mothers are more likely to engage in regular physical exercise and boys who are involved in community sports programs are more likely to grow up to be men who engage in regular physical exercise.
- Lower income and education levels correlate to lower physical exercise levels in developed countries.
- Portion sizes shown in print and television advertising are as much as three times larger than is needed to meet energy needs.
- Obesity during adolescence has been found to increase adult mortality.
- Childhood obesity has been linked to the consumption of soft drinks or soda pop.
- Food and beverage companies in the US spent 1.6 million dollars (2006) marketing their products to children and adolescents. The amount of money spent to market soft drinks was 43 times the amount spent to market fruits and vegetables.
- Families who eat their meals together are more likely to make healthier food choices that include the recommended daily allowances of all food groups.
- A depressed mood is strongly associated with childhood obesity. Research suggests however that the depressed mood is a result of the obesity and not the cause of it.
- Breastfeeding has been found to protect against obesity in later life.
- Inadequate sleep has been correlated to higher obesity rates in children. Even as much as an extra hour of sleep every night can lower the risk of childhood obesity by 30%.
- Television and computer screen time has been linked to childhood obesity. When screen time approaches 4 hours per day a child is more likely to be overweight.
- Children view between 12 and 21 commercials daily for food and beverage products.
- Television advertising of food and beverages directed towards children are usually for products that are high in calories, sugar, sodium, and fat.
These fitness and nutrition facts represent only a small portion of the knowledge base that is accumulating regarding the epidemic of childhood obesity. The data is clear that fitness and nutrition habits are established very early in life and are strongly influenced by marketing and the lifestyle of the family.
The best way to guard against childhood obesity is to reduce screen time, eat well, and move more. If you do these three things together as a family not only will you all become healthier, but as a result your family relationships will be strengthened.
Childhood Obesity - Fitness and Nutrition Facts for Child Health Promotion
The rates of childhood obesity in Canada has tripled in the last 25-30 years. Data reports from other developing countries is quite similar. Childhood obesity is becoming a worldwide epidemic.
There can be no question that the two most significant factors in the childhood obesity epidemic are diet and exercise. The abundance of nutritionally deficient foods and a sedentary lifestyle are creating a generation poised to become adults with significant morbidity.
For the first time ever experts are calling the current generation of children an energy positive generation meaning that they have more calories going in than being expended through physical exercise and the excess energy is stored in the body as fat.
Here are the fitness and nutrition facts regarding childhood obesity:
- Childhood obesity affects children in the same ways that obesity affects adults. Children who are overweight are more likely to develop diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, lowered self esteem, and breathing disorders such as asthma and sleep apnea.
- Conditions that were once thought to be present only in adult populations are now being diagnosed in children. This would include conditions such as high cholesterol (hyperlipedemia), type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and gall bladder disease.
- Children who have overweight parents are more likely to be overweight
- Inactive children are more likely to grow up to be inactive adults
- Physical exercise is strongly influenced by family patterns. Girls with active mothers are more likely to engage in regular physical exercise and boys who are involved in community sports programs are more likely to grow up to be men who engage in regular physical exercise.
- Lower income and education levels correlate to lower physical exercise levels in developed countries.
- Portion sizes shown in print and television advertising are as much as three times larger than is needed to meet energy needs.
- Obesity during adolescence has been found to increase adult mortality.
- Childhood obesity has been linked to the consumption of soft drinks or soda pop.
- Food and beverage companies in the US spent 1.6 million dollars (2006) marketing their products to children and adolescents. The amount of money spent to market soft drinks was 43 times the amount spent to market fruits and vegetables.
- Families who eat their meals together are more likely to make healthier food choices that include the recommended daily allowances of all food groups.
- A depressed mood is strongly associated with childhood obesity. Research suggests however that the depressed mood is a result of the obesity and not the cause of it.
- Breastfeeding has been found to protect against obesity in later life.
- Inadequate sleep has been correlated to higher obesity rates in children. Even as much as an extra hour of sleep every night can lower the risk of childhood obesity by 30%.
- Television and computer screen time has been linked to childhood obesity. When screen time approaches 4 hours per day a child is more likely to be overweight.
- Children view between 12 and 21 commercials daily for food and beverage products.
- Television advertising of food and beverages directed towards children are usually for products that are high in calories, sugar, sodium, and fat.
These fitness and nutrition facts represent only a small portion of the knowledge base that is accumulating regarding the epidemic of childhood obesity. The data is clear that fitness and nutrition habits are established very early in life and are strongly influenced by marketing and the lifestyle of the family.
The best way to guard against childhood obesity is to reduce screen time, eat well, and move more. If you do these three things together as a family not only will you all become healthier, but as a result your family relationships will be strengthened.
Top 15 Easy to Implement Nutrition Tips
Do you realize that eating foods that will help you feel and look better is just a matter of choice? Feeling more energetic or losing those extra pounds begins with what we choose to eat. Whether your goal is to lose weight, tone up, or increase your energy, a healthier lifestyle begins with nutrition. The following are easy to follow tips to help you begin making the choices that will get you on the road to achieving the results you desire.
- Do not avoid or skip your meals. Instead go for five to six meals or snacks every three or four hours. Feeding your body throughout the day keeps your furnace burning.
- Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily. Not only will it help flush toxins out of the body but having a full glass of water before a meal will help fill you up so you are less likely to over eat.
- Eat red, yellow, orange, and green vegetables. Vegetables are low in calories, loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, and a great source of fiber.
- Include a variety of fruits in your diet. Not only will they help satisfy a sweet craving but they too are low in calories, high in water, a good source of fiber, and loaded with vitamins and antioxidants.
- Breakfast is a must! Your body needs fuel to start both your day, and your metabolism.
- Eat lean proteins with every meal. Choosing egg whites, white meat poultry, and fish more often than lean beef/pork will reduce the fat and calories you eat. Eating lean protein is essential in building and keeping healthy muscles. It also takes longer ser to digest, therefore, keeping you fuller longer.
- Whole Grains are a store house of fuel and energy for the body. Whole wheat/grain breads, cereal, pasta, and brown rice are just a few delicious choices.
- Watch the FAT. Choose low fat or fat free whenever possible but remember consuming the right fat is essential in keeping your body healthy.
- Limit Alcohol intake. Not only can alcoholic beverages contain hundreds of calories, but it is a toxin that affects the tissues and organs in the body.
- Portion Control. How much you eat is as important as what you eat.
- Choose freshly prepared meal over packaged. Though convenient, many can have high calories and low nutrition.
- Indulge yourself in a treat, but watch out for serving size and frequency of treats. Having too many treats will sabotage your efforts.
- Eliminate sodas. Cut down on your sugar intake in all other beverages like tea, coffee and milk.
- Exercise daily to increase your rate of metabolism. Maintain a journal of your daily in take.
- Last but not least be practical, conscious and fine tune your diet to get the optimum nutrition.
By now, everyone should know the importance of physical fitness and fitness training programs, but not very many of us recognize the true value of healthy meal plans as well. Irrelevant of the types of fitness training you use, be sure you have a balanced healthy diet to go with it.
For those that need a little extra assistance, direction or motivation, visit eFitness for Life now and see how our fitness training plans and weekly diet meal plans can help you make the most of your investment, in the shortest possible time, with the greatest return. Our goal is to teach you the values of physical fitness and how to create healthy meal plans for a lifetime! All done online! All done with certified coaches! Truly, the Future of Fitness! Stop by today and we will be happy to build your starter programs to ensure you learn to live longer, healthier lives.
Learn the benfit of physical fitness and a balanced healthy diet NOW! Get started and provide you and your family with a healthy lifestyle! Risk-Free Trial, take advantage today!
The New Visualization Breakthrough: Mental Training Tactics for Health and Fitness Success
Understanding the mind's role in motivation and behavior is one of the most critical elements in fitness success. If you struggle with changing habits and behaviors or if you can't get motivated, then even the best training and nutrition program is not much help.
A fascinating fact about your subconscious mind is that it's completely deductive in nature. In other words, it's fully capable of working backwards from the end to the means. If you "program" only the desired outcome successfully into your "mental computer," then your subconscious will take over and help you find the information and means and carry out the actions necessary to reach it.
Many people are familiar with affirmations and goal-setting as ways to give instructions to your subconscious mind. But perhaps the ultimate mental training" technique is visualization. In one respect, affirmation and visualization are the same, because when you speak or think an affirmation first, that triggers a mental image, being as the human brain "thinks" in pictures.
You can use visualization to plant goals into your subconscious mind. You simply close your eyes, use your imagination and mentally create pictures and run movies of your desired results. If repeated consistently with emotion, mental images are accepted by your subconscious as commands and this helps with changing habits, behavior and performance.
Although there are some new and creative ways to use visualization, (which you are about to learn), this is not a new technique. Visualization has been used formally in the fields of sports psychology and personal development for decades and philosophers have discussed it for centuries:
"If you want to reach your goal, you must 'see the reaching' in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal."
- Zig Ziglar
"The use of mental imagery is one of the strongest and most effective strategies for making something happen for you."
- Dr. Wayne Dyer
"Perhaps the most effective method of bringing the subconscious into practical action is through the process of making mental pictures - using the imagination."
- Claude Bristol
"There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking."
- William James, 1842-1910, Psychologist and Author
Despite these glowing endorsements and a long track record, some people can't get past feeling that this is just a "hokey" self-help technique. Rest assured, however, that visualization is an effective and time-tested method for increasing personal success that has been used by some of the highest achievers the world.
The Soviets started to popularize visualization in sports psychology back in the 1970's, as detailed in Charles Garfield's landmark book, "Peak Performance." They dominated in many sports during that period, which validated visualization anecdotally.
In the last 10-15 years, there has been some groundbreaking new brain research which has validated visualization scientifically. Here's something that was written recently by Dr. Richard Restak, a neuroscientist and author of 12 books about the human brain:
"The process of imagining yourself going through the motions of a complex musical or athletic performance activates brain areas that improve your performance. Brain scans have placed such intuitions on a firm neurological basis. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans reveal that the mental rehearsal of an action activates the prefontal areas of the brain responsible for the formulation of the appropriate motor programs. In practical terms, this means you can benefit from the use of mental imagery."
So much for being a "cheesy" self-help technique.
Although visualization is widely used today, even people who are familiar with it often don't realize its many applications. Arguably the most common use of visualization is by athletes, musicians and other performers as a form of "mental rehearsal." Research shows that "practicing in your mind" is almost as effective as practicing physically, and that doing both is more effective than either one alone.
A common use of visualization in the fitness context is "goal visualization." In your mind's eye, you can see yourself having already achieved your physique goal or your ideal goal weight. You can also visualize a specific performance goal such as completing a difficult workout or a heavy lift like a squat or bench press.
One creative way you can use mental imagery is called "process visualization." Once you've set your goals, it's easy to come up with a list of the daily habits, behaviors and action steps necessary to reach your goal. So write down the action steps and visualize them - the entire process, not just the end result. See yourself food shopping and grabbing fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, ordering healthy foods from restaurant menus, saying no to sodas and drinking water instead, and going to the gym consistently and having killer workouts. Some people visualize their entire "perfect day" as they would want it to unfold. When you do this as vividly, emotionally and in as much detail as you can, you will be neurologically priming your brain to carry out those behaviors.
The least known of all mental imagery techniques is called "physiology visualization." An example would be picturing the fat burning process in your body or seeing the muscle fibers growing larger and larger. Using this technique, could it be possible that you might be giving subconscious instructions to your body's cells, organs and tissues?
Well, consider the work of Dr. Carl Simonton, a physician and cancer researcher who taught his patients (as one part of a comprehensive program), how to visualize powerful immune cells devouring the cancer cells. I'm not suggesting that you can cure cancer or materialize a lean and muscular body just by visualizing, (there's a step in between thought and manifestation - it's called action - a step that many self help