For Life Time Fitness member, Rick Jamerson, his PT's use of creative workouts helps keep him motivated and excited to exercise every time he comes to the gym. Rick has built an incredible relationship with his trainer, Maryann Dean, and credits her for getting him into the great -- or "buff", as his wife calls him -- shape he's currently in. Read on for Rick's story:

My personal trainer is Maryann Dean at the Vernon Hills Life Time Athletic club.  I met Maryann in December of 2008.  I started my personal training on 12/18/2008 on a two times a week schedule.  I now train three days a week with her.

My original goal was to lose 10 pounds and tone up a bit.  This doesn’t sound like a very big goal, but I’m 51 and never really spent much time “working out” other than swimming laps.  After my second session, Maryann suggested that I get a CardioPoint assessment done.  I followed her advice, and discovered my zones as well as my VO2max, which, at somewhere around 30 put me in the 5th percentile for my age.  Not so good.

So, we started out slowly working on my core.  After the first few months, I lost 15 pounds, 2 inches in my waist, and actually started building muscle.  During this time, Maryann made suggestions regarding nutrition and just kept plugging away at me.  She had learned during our first meeting that my exercise of choice was swimming and one day she suggested that we try a Hydro-Tone workout in the pool.  It sounded intriguing to me, so my next PT session was in the Life Time pool.  Wow, what a workout!

I think what kept me coming back, especially in the first few months, was the total lack of routine in our workouts.  Sounds counter intuitive, but I never knew how, or what, we would work on when I arrived at my sessions.  Maryann introduced me to equipment I never dreamed I’d ever use such as the Stairmaster, the Octane, the Elliptical, and the Arc Trainer.  We’ve worked with TRX straps, medicine balls, free weights, kettlebells, and various weight machines.  On the third floor soccer field, I’ve bounced medicine balls, pulled the sled (with Maryann as a passenger), and skinned my knees doing bear crawls!  There’s no way I could ever get bored working out with Maryann.  I began looking forward to our lunchtime workout sessions, and was surprised to hear her tell me I needed to eat more!

Last month, I had another CardioPoint assessment done.  Not surprisingly, my zones shifted.  What was surprising was that my VO2max doubled to 61!  That now puts me in the 95th percentile for my age.  I feel better and have more energy.  My Polar watch tells me I’m burning between 1100 and 1200 calories during a PT session.

This month, I was able to challenge Maryann’s creativity.  Normally, challenging her creativity just means weirder, and usually harder, workouts.  I broke a toe on my right foot.  We never missed a beat.  The first session was easy for her, as we worked on my upper body.  The second session two days later I was able to do exercises that kept my foot flat.  We rotated between an elliptical machine and squats.  Her gentile, but firm, encouragement produced a total of 360 squats and high resistance elliptical work in 2 minute intervals.  The next session we worked on upper body again with one of the exercises being one-legged push-ups. Two weeks after breaking my toe, I threw her another curve when I had a woodworking accident and chewed up the tip of my right middle finger.  I did take a week off, but when I came back, still bandaged, Maryann was prepared with exercises I was able to perform.

I’ve been asked how many trainers I’ve “gone through” before finding a trainer that I could really work with.  My answer is always “one, and her name is Maryann”.  I think I’ve made a great deal of progress.  My wife calls me “buff”, although I don’t really feel I fit any reasonable definition of buff.  I’ve had to buy new pants as my old ones became so bunched up at the waist that they became uncomfortable and looked bad.  I have to credit my progress to Maryann, her varied workouts, her motivation, and her “just fun to be around and talk with” personality.  I look forward to a long future with Maryann as my personal trainer.

Do you think your personal trainer deserves to be PT of the Month?  Email your nominations to Marissa Kristal.

Here is the criteria you must include:

1. What was your goal - the reason you began going to your personal trainer? (i.e. "lose weight")

2. Did you meet this goal? What was/is your progress (i.e. "I lost 30 pounds in 3 months)

3. Share your story! Tell us the tale of you and your PT!

Are you looking to lose weight and “tone up”? Don't neglect your weight training!

Sure, you may burn more calories running, but lifting has a more lasting effect on your metabolism. This is due to EPOC, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Basically, your body continues to work hard and burn calories after your session with the weights.

Now, I don't mean sitting on a machine and doing 3 sets of 15 chest presses. To get the biggest EPOC benefit from lifting, you want to focus on compound movements (e.g. squats, pullups, etc.).

Lift hard and heavy and see your body reap the benefits!

Kirstin Dragasakis is a Personal Trainer at Life Time Fitness in Chanhassen, MN.

Now that summer is over Life Time Fitness clubs all over are starting to fill up again.  Many of the members are coming to the gym to try to burn off the fat they gained during the weekends at the lakes, and/or capping the summer off with the State Fair, and other such calorie-laden outings.

Many will try to burn the fat by doing more cardio.  While this can be effective, one of the most efficient fat-burning programs I have used with clients requires no cardio machines, and only resistance training equipment.  The program is called German Body Comp, and was popularized by Canadian strength coaching legend Charles Poliquin.  How this program works is that you combine an upper body exercise with a lower body exercise and perform them back to back during the workout.

Here is a three-week example of how it works with one pair of exercises (Keep in mind you would do 3-5 pairs of exercises/workout):

Week 1:  Barbell Squat/Cable Low Row.  2 Sets X 10-12 reps with 60 seconds rest between each exercise

Week 2:  Barbell Squat/Cable Low Row.  3 Sets X 10-12 reps with 45 seconds rest between each exercise

Week 3:  Barbell Squat/Cable Low Row.  4 Sets X 10-12 reps with 30 seconds rest between each exercise

Week 4:  Repeat Week 1, but switch the exercises (i.e. Barbell Front Squat/Chin-Ups)

Although the above looks easy, it is extremely difficult. My clients often rev their heart rates into Zones 4-5 while doing these workouts. Give it a try!

Corey Grenz ia  Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor at Life Time Fitness in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

The wonderful part about participating in a midday boot camp class is that it breaks up the workday and boosts my energy so I’m more productive throughout the rest of the day. The bad part, however, is that I can’t always get away at lunchtime to make the class.

This week I was only able to make it to ONE session! But the beauty of boot camp is that it has taught me so many new and interesting exercises that I was able to implement into my own workout regime (since I couldn’t make it during lunchtime, I woke up early each day this week to hit the gym).

I found myself doing intervals on the treadmill and stairmill, working with resistance bands, mixing in weight training with cardio, etc. Though I missed exercising with the group, I actually enjoyed my dynamic boot camp-like workouts!

So, in lieu of my standard weekly run-down of the various exercises we did in boot camp, I thought I’d have Jayme tell you in her own words what she loves most about teaching the T.E.A.M. class!

“Group training is my favorite way to train.  I love being able to help numerous people at one time. I also find that the change in workouts helps the metabolic system, because your body never knows what is going to come next.

I try and make sure that I come up with a wide variety of workouts so the body doesn’t do the same type of workout for at least two weeks. After two weeks, I may revisit some of the same exercises to see if there has been any change from the first time the participant tried the workout, until now. For instance, maybe the individual did more push ups, or was able to increase his or her weight.

The T.E.A.M. aspect is great for everyone involved.  Whether you are a little slower, very strong, or just not feeling great that day and want to give up, participants motivate each other to continue to work hard and stick with the challenging workouts until the end. Plus, working out as a T.E.A.M. is FUN!”

Are you trying to lose weight, but can't seem to drop the pounds? We know that to lose weight, you need to burn more than you eat. The problem is that most people don’t know how much they should exercise and/or eat in order to attain those goals.

The good news is that we have the ability and technology to take the guessing out of the equation! By measuring your Resting Metabolism and also your Exercise Metabolism, you will not only FEEL like you got a good workout, you’ll KNOW you got a good workout!

Want to learn more? Talk to a Personal Trainer or Metabolic Specialist at your club about having your CaloriePoint and CardioPoint tests done.

 
Todd Grivna is the Personal Training Department Head at Life Time Fitness in St. Louis Park

I tend to get bored easily with my workout routines. I find I’m always watching people in the gym to see what kind of exercises they’re doing (so if you see some crazy girl on the fitness floor staring you down while you’re doing lunges…it’s most likely me), and I am constantly asking the Personal Trainers what their favorite workouts are.

From time to time everyone gets stuck in a repetitive and uninspiring fitness rut. Sick of spending so much time on the treadmill, I recently joined a boot camp class at Life Time in Chanhassen, and I’ve also been researching new cardio and strength training regimens to implement into my workouts. I came across a really informative article from Women’s Health during my investigation, and I wanted to share what I learned with you. By working out with Personal Trainers, keeping up with challenging classes like boot camp, and infusing the following four cardio routines into our workouts, we'll finally kiss our fitness slumps goodbye!

“The Triathlon Trainer
A triple play that gets fast results

Do it: Pedal a bike at a moderate pace—an effort level of 5 or 6 (you're working hard but can still carry on a conversation)—for 10 minutes. Next, run either outside or on a treadmill for 10 minutes, again at an effort level of 5 or 6. Last, head to the pool or a rowing machine and put in 10 minutes at the same effort level.

The Full-Body Toner
Combines strength moves and cardio for maximum fat-blasting
Do it: Jump rope for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds; do 5 sets. Then perform 2 sets of this 5-minute body-weight circuit: squats, pushups, step-ups, dips, and crunches. Do as many reps of each exercise as you can in 1 minute, moving to the next without rest. Finish with a 10-minute jog at a medium pace.

The Power Booster
This interval workout builds speed, power, and lower-body tone.
Do it: Pick three cardio machines with adjustable resistance and do the following on each: Warm up for 2 minutes at a medium pace. For the first interval, raise to max effort by upping the resistance and/or incline, keeping the pace steady; go for 30 seconds, then recover at warm-up pace for 2 minutes. Do 2 intervals per machine. Finish on one machine before moving to the next.

The Calorie Scorcher
Challenges your cardiovascular system and strengthens your body
Do it: Choose any three cardio machines. On the first one, go for 10 minutes at an effort level of 5 or 6. Move immediately to the next machine and go hard, at an effort level of 9 or 10—you should just barely be able to huff out words—for another 10 minutes. Finally, switch to the last machine and do 10 minutes at a 5 or 6 effort.”

Source: Women’s Health

Written by Tom Nikkola, Nutrition Program Manager

Six-pack abs. Defined shoulders. Loose-fitting clothes. These aren't images that are usually pictured with the promotion of dietary fiber. However, increasing your fiber might be another key to supporting your fitness program. Look at this impressive list of health and fitness benefits associated with increasing fiber intake:

+ Improves satiety - stay full longer so you don't eat as much

+ Improves mineral absorption - help your body recover and repair itself by absorbing more micronutrients

+ Slows carbohydrate absorption and reduces the body's insulin response - keep your body burning more fat because your insulin levels won't be as high

+ Enhances digestion - avoid the poor digestion associated with today's lower-quality diet

The daily recommended intake of fiber is a minimum of 25-35 grams. The average American consumes less than 15 grams per day! Unfortunately, with today's highly-processed diet and food made in a hurry, dietary fiber intake is quite low. The most-often recommended sources of fiber are whole-grains, fruits and vegetables. You've no-doubt heard the consistent recommendation to increase whole-grains in the diet. However, not everyone's biochemical individuality allows them to tolerates gluten. While others, are more conservative with their carbohydrate intake, which may make it more challenging to achieve a higher-fiber diet. As a reference, fiber content in common foods looks like this:

- 1/2 cup vegetables, 1-3 grams (lettuce has only .7 grams per cup)

- 1 serving of fruit: 1-5 grams (skin included for most fruits)

- 1 oz nuts & seeds: 1-4 grams

- 1/2 cup orange juice: 0.5 gram (other juices are usually less)

- 1/2 cup legumes: 3-8 grams

- 1 slice bread: 0.5-3 grams

- 1 serving most cereals: 0.2-4 grams (All Bran and Fiber One are much higher)

It's best to strive to meet the daily fiber recommendations through whole-foods, but very few people achieve that on a daily basis. To help support your daily fiber needs, we've added a unique fiber source, called Sunfiber, to our new meal replacement powder FastFuel Complete. FastFuel Complete will be coming out in October. Sunfiber is clinically proven to reduce the glycemic index of foods, increase mineral absorption and increase satiety, so you stay full longer. You'll get five grams of this unique fiber in each serving of Fast Fuel Complete. If you're regularly consuming a whole-foods diet and add FastFuel Complete to your plan, you may find it easier to exceed the daily minimum amounts of fiber suggested for your diet.

Thinking about the fiber in your nutrition plan may not sound as exciting as looking at the latest supplement, or timing your meals with your workout. However, meeting your daily fiber intake is an important piece of the puzzle for maintaining your health and fitness. It's possible to consume too much fiber, but based on the average American's diet, most people do not need to worry about that. However, they do need to worry about consuming too little. Feed yourself some fiber and it might help you flatten that stomach.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

References:

Jim LaValle. Cracking the Metabolic Code. Basic Health Publications, Laguna Beach, CA 2004

USDA, Agriculture Research Service. Fiber Content of Foods. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2004

Mayo Clinic Staff. Dietary fiber: An essential part of a healthy diet. Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00011

de Cassia Freitas K, Amancio OM, Ferreira Novo N, Fagundes-Neto U, de Morais MB. Partially hydrolyzed guar gum increases intestinal absorption of iron in growing rats with iron deficiency anemia. Clin Nutr. 2006 Oct;25(5):851-8.

Kondo S, Xiao JZ, Takahashi N, Mivaji K Iwatsuki K, Kokubo S. Suppressive effects of dietary fiber in yogurt on the postprandial serum lipid levels in healthy adult male volunteers. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2004 May;68(5):1135-8

Heini AF, Lara-Castro C, Schneider H, Kirk KA, Considine RV, Weinsier. Effect of hydrolyzed guar fiber on fasting and postprandial satiety and satiety hormones: A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial during controlled weight loss. Int Jour Obesity. 1998; 22:906-909

Slavin JL, Greenberg NA. Partially hydrolyzed guar gum: clinical nutrition uses. Nutrition. 2003 Jun;19(6):549-52.

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.