When most people think of the stereotypical body builder, they think of this really big guy with huge muscles who is just so tight and stiff that he actually has a problem moving.  Have you ever watched a bodybuilder play a sport?  It’s quite comical!  Many people find it difficult to imagine a graceful and flexible body builder.  Like the elusive Sasquatch, they are rare, but do exist!On a more serious note, the tightness image of weight lifting comes from this “bodybuilding” style of training that promotes small isolated exercises, a lack of athletic development or movement training, combined with a poor attention to joint mobility.

However, just because you lift weights, doesn’t mean you have to settle for being tight, rigid and inflexible.  In fact, that shouldn’t be the goal at all.  With the right training, you can develop great muscle definition, strength, AND mobility.  Think of gymnasts and dancers!  Muscle is your metabolic “engine” to help you burn calories and it is extremely important to everything we do each day.  Having more muscle on your body (instead of fat) completely changes your body composition, metabolic output and physical capabilities…if your training is done correctly

Think of it this way.  Every ounce of muscle we have on our bodies should be useful and help us accomplish a specific goal.  Big bulky muscles for the sake of being “huge” are useless.  My philosophy and what we promote at FRESH! is to be fit and train for the “Sport of Life”!  Life requires that you be able to move well, stabilize, use your strength and physical capacity in numerous ways that involve work, daily tasks, and recreation.

Some people argue that the goal of a bodybuilder is to get big, symmetrical muscles.  That’s fine.  But if big, symmetrical muscles are your goal, why not train effectively and still provide yourself with the ability to move well or be functional when you aren’t standing on stage posing?  It CAN be done, but this traditional bodybuilder weight training mindset has sunk its teeth into popular culture and continues to influence the design, programming, and results of people at fitness centres and health clubs around the world!

Ok.  I’m off the “soapbox” now!  Hopefully you understand that resistance training is vitally important to overall fitness, health, and body composition.  I will save the specific details of what to do and how to do them for a separate article!   But, to avoid looking like “Biff” the bodybuilder, here are a few things you can do to achieve a lean, sexy, and toned body.

• Make the CORE lifts in EVERY workout be complex, multi-joint movements
• Change the focus and intensity by regularly working outside the 8-12 rep range.  Try higher reps (20,30,40,50+) with a lower resistance, or less reps (3-8) with a much higher resistance.
• Mix-up the intensity, speed, and duration of sets
• Challenge yourself with a variety of movement patterns or drills that improve your levels of coordination, balance, agility, speed, and conditioning level.
• Focus on anaerobic conditioning rather than the traditional long, slow cardio training the most people spend WAAAAAAAAY too much time doing!
• Start thinking of yourself as an athlete (because you ARE)!  Then begin to train like one…but get help with building a proper training plan and implement it in gradual stages.  This is especially true if you are new to exercise.

So, if you are ready for some expert instruction, guidance, and motivation to take your fitness plan, life and personal performance to the next level, just call us (403) 217.2730 to get started (or click here)!  The elite Calgary Personal Trainers at FRESH! Fitness are here to help!

There are literally hundreds of different exercises you could perform to get the results you are looking for.  However, it isn’t the exercise that is the most important thing.  It’s how you do it (technique) and how you progress, change, and modify the exercise over time to keep your body adapting.  This is where the expert advice and support of a qualified and experienced Personal Trainer is invaluable. If you are just getting started, begin with basic exercises.

You will want to progress from exercises that require the least

amount of skill, coordination, balance, and overall fitness to exercises that maximally challenge these skills.  This means that in the beginning, very basic exercises will do the trick.  As you improve and master the technique of these exercises, then you should advance the program by incorporating more challenging exercises.  For example, when performing a push-up, you may start from almost a standing position leaning against a railing or back of a bench.  This makes the exercise very easy and allows you to concentrate on the correct movement and technique through the full range of motion.

As you master this skill and your muscle conditioning improves, then you can try increasing the difficulty.  In the push-up example, this would be lowering the height of your hand position (use a lower bench or railing).  Another, more advanced option would be to place your hands on an exercise ball.  This provides a lower height along with increased activation of the stabilizer muscles (important for improving joint safety and stability).

There are virtually unlimited options for modifying difficulty and intensity of a movement.  The elite Calgary Personal Trainers at FRESH! are experts at teaching you how to add this variety into your workouts to maximize results!

You can follow this type of progression for any exercise.  Every 4-6 weeks try to add a new challenge to any exercise that you are performing.  However, it is always important that you follow the appropriate gradual progression.  You definitely want to develop the basic foundational skills for a movement before tackling the next challenge or progression. This is the best part of having a personal coach (Personal Trainer).  They will progress your program appropriately to ensure you get results quickly and safely.  I’ve said it before, but this is at the heart of why people working with (good) Personal Trainers see results MUCH faster than those who aren’t.  Why work harder when you can work SMARTER to get twice the results in half the time?!

To experience what I’m referring to in this article, just book a session with one of the coaches at our Downtown Calgary Personal Training Studio.

Because the human body likes equilibrium or homeostasis (it likes to stay the same), it responds to your workout stimuli by adapting to them.  In other words, because your body expects to be seeing this stimulus again, it changes to better deal with the forces again in the future.This is called a physical adaptation, which means that your body has structurally, biomechanically, and physiologically improved.

Now, if you fall into the trap that many people do, your fitness gains and improvements will stop here.  That’s because most people do the same program, intensity, type of exercises repeatedly for months, years, or even decades.  Once your body adapts to this “new” level of activity, it settles into a comfortable routine.  It doesn’t matter what level of activity we are talking about, your body get complacent!

In order to experience ongoing results, your body must be stressed or stimulated to a greater degree than what it is used to – this is called the Overload Principle.  This means that you must regularly change your program to ensure that you are stimulating your body.  Once again, even if you exercise daily, plateaus are a risk if your workout never changes.  You need to find ways of creating a new stimulus for your body to adapt to.  There are many ways to do this and they all revolve around modifying the FITT elements

• Frequency – How often you exercise and/or how many sets you do
• Intensity – How hard you push yourself in each set, workout, and/or training phase
• Time – How long you exercise for each training session and/or training phase
• Type – What activities, movements, and exercises you do during your training

So there you have it!  Keep trying new things, pushing your boundaries (psychologically and physically), and you will see fantastic results the keep coming long after other people are struggling with a plateau.

If you are experiencing a plateau and would like help to “Jump Start” your workout program, just contact the Team at FRESH! and we will have you seeing results again quickly!

The reality is that the activity that expends the most amount of calories will lead to the most amount of fat burned.

Yes, during lower intensity activity you will burn a higher percentage of fat and during higher intensity activity you will burn a higher percentage of carbohydrates or sugars.  But the important point to note is that during low intensity activity you are burning fat at a higher percentage of a lower amount of calories.  When you exercise at a lower intensity you are definitely expending less calories.  The selective use of fat as a fuel, specifically at lower intensities, does not translate into greater fat loss, regardless of how tempting it is to draw this conclusion.

The more important focus with regard to calories expended, is not the percentage of energy coming from fat, but rather the total volume of fat used and the total number of calories expended.  Let’s look at the math.  Keep in mind that these numbers are estimations and will vary significantly for each individual.

• At 60% max heart rate (easier intensity)
  • Approximately 50% of calories come from fat (50% from sugars)
  • Approximately 8 kcal/min are expended
  • 60 minutes x 8 kcal/min = 480 total calories
  • 50% x 480 kcal = 240 fat calories

• At 80% max heart rate (more vigorous intensity)
  • Approximately 40% of calories come from fat (60% from sugars)
  • Approximately 11 kcal/min are expended
  • 60 minutes x 11 kcal/min = 640 total calories
  • 40% x 640 kcal = 264 fat calories.

From these figures you can see the fallacy of this fitness myth.  If you were to examine only the first line, the percentage of fat being burned as fuel, you would definitely prescribe lower intensity activity.  However, if you examine the whole picture, it is clear that higher intensity activity definitely expends more calories and also more fat. Here is some more statistics to convince you.

It takes approximately 3,500 calories to burn one pound of fat.  Compare the following exercise programs.

Program A – Easier intensity (approximately 5kcal/min) – E.g. = easy walking

• 30 minutes of activity 3x/week
• 150kcal/session x 3x/week
• 450kcal/week
• It would take 8 weeks to burn 1 pound of fat

Program B – Same intensity as above but for a longer duration

• 60 minutes of activity 3x/week
• 300kcal/session x 3x/week
• 900 kcal expended per week
• It would take 4 weeks to burn 1 pound of fat

Program C – More vigorous intensity (approximately 10 kcal/min) – E.g. – jogging or power walking up and down hills

• 60 minutes of activity 3x/week
• 600kcal/session x 3x/week
• 1800 kcal expended per week
• It would take 2 weeks to burn 1 pound of fat

If you followed Program A, it would take you eight weeks to burn one pound of fat!  Most people would give up by then!  If you could easily handle the higher intensity of Program C, wouldn’t you prefer to just wait 2 weeks to burn off that pound of fat deposited around your waist, hips or thighs?  Remember though, if you can’t handle the higher intensity of Program C, follow Program B, which means you can maintain the easier intensity but you just have to go longer.

Time is definitely an issue for a lot of exercisers and most don’t want to spend hours in the gym if they can get the same results in a shorter period of time.

So, the bottom line is that if you want to maximize fat loss, you need to maximize the number of calories you expend. An exercise physiologist’s rule for fat loss is “Go as hard as you can, as long as you can, as often as you can!” This type of prescription will definitely maximize fat loss; however, it is generally not the safest route to take IF YOU DO IT ALL THE TIME.  Variety will ensure proper recovery as well as maximize the physiological benefits available from training in each HR zone or intensity level.

If you decide to follow this prescription and push yourself hard, the training sessions will be very challenging.  You will be exhausted and need to recover properly.  This may involve a longer, slower, easier recovery workout (similar to Program A).  Ensure that you are getting proper recovery, getting sleep, proper nutrition, and doing your foam roll/trigger point exercises.  This will allow you to recover quicker for the next intense workout, and minimize your risk of injury in both the short and long term.

Listen to your body and take it easy when necessary.  The goal of this style of training is to snap you out of long-held misconceptions about exercise and cardiovascular training that are limiting your results.

If you would like to find out more tips to get you better results in less time than you are currently putting in, just drop us a line!

Resistance Training (aka weight training) is the “missing link” in so many programs.  Those who aren’t doing it have been missing out on the #1 way to boost metabolism, get a fit, functional, fabulous body, and feel amazing!  On the other hand, we find that those who are doing resistance training regularly on their own are often doing it incorrectly and missing some important benefits.The following series of tips will outline the key principles responsible for creating top quality results in less time than you ever thought possible.  Have fun and enjoy!A resistance-training program that does not focus on technique will get you results much more slowly and may put you at risk for injury.  Here are some important reasons why…

Quality and execution of movement is critical.
It makes no sense to perform 12 sloppy reps.  It is far better to perform 8 reps with perfect form and then take a short break before finishing the reps, or by lowering the weight to finish correctly.  Set a goal number of repetitions based on your objectives for the training session (strength, power, endurance, etc.).  Once your rep range is set, pick the heaviest weight you can handle in order to CORRECTLY perform the desired # of reps.

This means that is your goal is 12, and you get to 12 easily, keep going until you are unable.  If you ended up getting 25, then you know it’s time to significantly increase the weight you lifted. On the other side, if you are unable to finish 6 or 7, then you need to lower the weight until you are able to get 12.  This takes a little practice to get to know your body and the various movements, but understanding it will dramatically boost your results!

Take it slow…at the beginning
When learning correct technique, a slow speed of movement is important to help you with muscle tension, control, and range of motion.  Most people start off by performing their exercises too fast. This means they don’t properly learn the movement skills, and it is easier for poor form to creep in.  Often it is momentum from the higher movement speed that creates this technique breakdown.  When you don’t have the control and stability of the joint structures, momentum of the weight will easily pull you out of position.

Wayne Westcott, a leading Strength and Conditioning researcher, has determined that one repetition should take approximately 5-6 seconds.  That is 2 seconds to lift the weight and 4 seconds to slowly lower the weight in a controlled fashion.  With this in mind, a proper set of 8-12 repetitions should take approximately 1 minute to complete.  Proper execution of each rep is the most critical factor in weight training.

Contrary to popular thought, momentum is NOT a bad thing.  It’s actually an effective training tool and lifting strategy…once you’ve developed a solid base of TECHNIQUE and strength.

Training faster and more explosively is important if your goal is to train for an activity where this speed of movement is needed.  At FRESH!, we believe that such situations occur in daily LIFE).

Examples include:

• Performing a wide variety of leisure activities, sports, games, etc.
• Running up a flight of stairs
• Running across a street or jumping out of the way of traffic
• Lifting a heavy box, child, or object

Failure to train for these scenarios will actually increase risk of injury.  Therefore, the key is to…

• START SLOW to build efficiency and technique
• INCREASE SPEED SLOWLY
• Only perform explosive movements once technique has been developed.  Get the help of a professional to ensure you are performing the movements correctly and that your approach to the training is correct!
• Breathe.  A proper breathing rhythm will make each set more effective.  Focus on exhaling as you lift the weight or when you exert and inhale as you recover or lower the weight.
• Stand Tall.  Proper posture is critical to ensure you are working the correct muscle groups and not putting your body at risk for injury.  Always keep your abdominal contracted throughout the entire set of any exercise.   Keep your shoulders back and chest lifted up and out on any seated, bent over or standing exercise.

Cardiovascular:	Vary style of workouts each week with the formats listed below
Exercise Style	Volume/Duration	Intensity	Work/Rest Ratio
#1:  Long, Easy Pace (steady, continuous)	40 to 60+ minutes	5-6 out of 10	1 to 0.5
#2:  Medium Intervals (3-6 minutes – jog b/w)	40 to 50 minutes	6-8 out of 10	1 to 1
#3:  Shorter, Faster Intervals(30 – 120 sec)	30 to 50 minutes	8+ out of 10	1 to 2 or 3

As one of the top Calgary Personal Training companies, we get asked many questions.  Near the top of that question list is “How hard am I supposed to train?”.  Another related question is “What is the best heart rate zone to be in?”.The answers to those questions are pretty simple and can be summed up in one short sentence…There is no single BEST intensity or heart rate zone in which to train. OK, while that is a correct statement, I’m guessing that you want a little more detail!

Let’s start with Intensity…There is a huge intensity range available from complete rest to absolute maximal effort. This range varies for each person based on fitness level, genetics, and your training history.  There are several ways that you will see this range divided into specific hear rate (HR) zones.  The most common are the 3,5, or 7 zone philosophy.  I feel that the 3 zone method doesn’t provide enough information to be useful and that the 7 zone approach is overly complicated for everyone except for maybe a highly competitive or professional endurance athlete.  For those reasons, the expert coaches at FRESH!, follow a 5 zone model.

The most accurate way to indicate effort level is to measure your workout intensity using a heart rate monitor.  Choosing the right monitor for your needs is also important, but that’s outside the scope of this article.  If you want help with choosing the right HR monitor, just contact us.

The following heart rate training zones that I will discuss can be used to help you structure a proper cardiovascular training program.  Understanding the concept of each zone is important because it helps you learn the benefits and changes that happen from training at a specific intensity level.

Any specific heart rate numbers provided will be samples.  The actual numbers will vary dramatically between individuals based on the factors mentioned above.  A proper measurement of your actual HR zones will require a scientific test such as the VO2max (aka Exercise Metabolism Assessment).  This test is worth every penny for the incredibly detailed information it provides.  Essentially, it allows you to approach each workout with a plan and find out the specific things you need to do each session to get you the results you want!

OK, on to the specific zones.  Each HR zone has completely different benefits, and while you may spend time in all zones, you will likely focus on specific areas at certain times to accomplish specific training improvements.

The most common question I get asked about HR zones is “what is my optimal fat-burning zone”?  This question often comes from people hoping to lose weight and the approach they take is often the reason they have failed to lose weight in the past.  Fat burning is great during exercise, but it’s only one aspect of the equation.  In fact, burning a high percentage of fat in a specific workout has very LITTLE to do with having a lean and fit looking body.  You’ve probably seen many overweight and even obese people who’ve run marathons.  Just watch the local pathways on any sunny day and you will see thousands of overweight people doing the “marathon shuffle” trying to shed those unwanted pounds.

Here is a quick calculation that shows how focusing on your most optimal “fat burning” zone can be misleading.

Example of % fat vs. Total Calories burned from fat

• Scenario #1:  HR=130bpm, 10 kcal/min, 50% from fat=5 kcal/min of fat.
  
• Scenario #2:  HR=160bpm, 18 kcal/min, 30% from fat=5.4 kcal/min of fat.
• Scenario #3:  HR=180bpm, 25 kcal/min, 0% from fat=0 kcal/min of fat.
• Many people will not train at higher zones because they are burning a lower percentage of fat.  It is important to look beyond percentages and also understand what the goal of a specific training session is.

The fact is, there are MANY other (and more effective) ways to get lean, fit, and looking great.  So, finding your “fat burning zone” isn’t one of them.  Have you every seen a fat sprinter?  Didn’t think so.  Yet, they do virtually ZERO cardio training!  That’s another article though!

NOTE: AT means “Anaerobic Threshold” and is defined as the point at which you switch predominantly to the anerobic (non-fat burning) fuel system in the body.  It varies from person to person and is easily modified through a correct training plan.  For more information, please contact us.

An Overview of the 5 Zone HR Training Philosophy:

• Zone 1:         Over-Distance/Active Recovery  (20-30 beats below AT)
  • Low intensity zone used for recovery and to build a strong aerobic “engine”.
  • Training in this zone will increase oxygen absorption, increase fat burning capacity, increase capillary and mitochondrial density.
  • It’s a great zone for introducing someone to cardiovascular activity or for recovery from intense training.
  • Time in this zone should be long and steady.
  • Generally 40+ minutes in length

• Zone 2:         Aerobic Endurance         (10-20 beats below AT)
  • This is a low to moderate intensity zone used to improve overall conditioning and endurance while still maintaining some of the benefits of zone 1.  In the beginning of your training. Considerable exercise time should be spent in both zone 1 and 2 to help build a strong aerobic base.
  • Training in this zone will increase oxygen absorption, increase fat burning capacity, increase capillary and mitochondrial density.
  • This zone will challenge the ability to use fat for fuel by stretching the efficiency of zone 1 over a larger heart rate range.
  • This is a common zone for extended endurance events such as marathons or 4 hour + events.

• JUNK ZONE:         The FRESH! Perspective: (approx 4-10 beats below AT)
  • “comfort zone” for most people.  Too intense to get aerobic cellular benefits, but not hard enough to improve anaerobic threshold.
  • This is where many people will gravitate to because they are working “hard” and getting fitness benefits, but not hard enough to “suffer”.
  • Quite a number of people spend too much time here and do not maximize their training, by gaining the benefits from the other zones.
  • This is a common zone for 10K to half marathon distances and is OK to spend time here in a race (as long as the significant bulk of training has been done in other zones to maximize performance benefits).

• Zone 3:         Anaerobic Threshold         (AT +/- 3 beats)
  • This is a higher-intensity zone used to challenge aerobic conditioning while introducing an anaerobic component. Lactic acid is produced, but not in sufficient quantities to immediately degrade performance. Tolerance to lactic acid is developed and raises the anaerobic threshold. Exercise in this zone is often called “tempo” training.  Can generally hold this zone for a prolonged period of time (30-60 minutes).
  • In zone 3, muscular effort becomes greater to attain higher speeds.
  • Increasing strength levels through resistance training or other methods is a great way to help clients achieve greater success from zones 3,4 and 5.

• Zone 4:         Anaerobic Endurance  (4 – 10 beats above AT)
  • This is a high-intensity zone used for speed work and interval training.  In this zone, you are challenging the ability for your body to withstand much higher amounts of lactic acid.
  • In addition, the muscles must work harder to achieve this higher level of effort.  Intervals in this zone typically last anywhere from 2 – 10 minutes depending on level of conditioning and goals of the training session.
  • This zone is good for improving stride length, pedal stroke, stride turnover, and efficiency.

• Zone 5:         Peak Heart Rate Training  (> 10 beats above AT)
  • This is the highest-intensity training zone and is reserved for use in very hard interval training or near the end of a race. Care must be used when training in Zone 5 to avoid over-training or injury.  Appropriate rest intervals must be incorporated into your training plan.  Intervals in this zone are maximal efforts lasting approximately 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
  • Muscular effort also become a large component of zone 5 training as it takes a tremendous amount of force from the muscles to exercise at this intensity.

NOTE:  Training in one or all of these zones can play a part in your overall fitness or training program, depending on your specific goals.  For people without mitigating medical/injury factors, the goal should be to introduce each zone over time and work into the higher zones once fitness improves.  A cardiovascular training program that provides time in each zone will provide the greatest benefits.  As the focus of the training program changes, more emphasis on specific zones will take place.  However, there should generally be some component of each zone within each training phase (with the possible exception of Phase 5).

The Calgary Personal Trainers at FRESH! are experts in helping people get better results from less effort and time.  This starts with learning the right information and seeking qualified professional guidance.  Why waste years doing “trial and error” training, when you can buy speed and get results in a matter of weeks?

Request a FREE Consultation today to find out how we can help you shave years off your learning and results curve!