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• Reader Success Story: How Paul Became a Personal Trainer

This week's reader success story is a little different from previous weeks we're looking at a different kind of sucess. Specifically, how some of our readers have found success as personal trainers.

With so many exercise enthusiasts who visit my site, I know there are some of you who may be wondering: Could I become a personal trainer? Should I? If you've been asking yourself those questions, it may help to hear from people who've done just that.

This week, I'm highlighting Paul's story. He became a trainer because, as he says, "I enjoyed coaching my son's sports teams, so I thought I could be a good trainer. I wanted do my part for the growing obesity problem even if it's only getting one kid or adult to move more and get stronger and learn to live healthier."

Having a strong desire to help others is just one necessary ingredient. The others include getting certified and finding a job. Paul got his start by working at the YMCA, getting certified by ACSM and spending the next 6 years learning some very important lessons about working with other people.

Read the rest of Paul's story and share your own, if you've got one. Or leave a comment and tell us what you think. Do you have a secret dream of becoming a trainer? What's stopping you?

Reader Success Story: How Paul Became a Personal Trainer originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 05:00:54.

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After being married for going on 10 years, I've learned something important: You can't make other people do what you want. You may want them to exercise and eat healthy but they won't always do it. You may even want them to, say, pick up their dirty socks or stop leaving 1,000 pairs of shoes by the door, but they won't do that either (not that I'm talking about anyone in particular). For some reason, these people we get involved with tend to make their own decisions. I know...what's up with that?

I bring this up because of a few interesting comments I got in a reader's response article, Who sabotages your weight loss? and some readers mentioned loved ones as a common culprit. One woman said:

"Husband is heavy, I lost 160 pounds and was so proud of myself...I told him the compliments I was getting (big mistake). What followed was anger and fighting and jealousy. I just wanted him to be proud of me. I have now gained almost all of it back and even if I try to lose it will not come off. Sometimes I wonder if I don't want it bad enough. I do not want to go through what I went through before. "

On the other side of that is the self-described enabler who said:

"Looks like hell is other people. In my house, I'm the cook, the one who makes fatty, sugary, salty, carby meals, and who is overweight. I'm a foody, I can't stand to limit portions, exercise hasn't helped much in the past. I'm doomed!"

In previous posts, I've talked about ideas for encouraging them to exercise, but what do you do when you've changed but your loved one hasn't? How do you handle things when you have to make separate meals or find ways to avoid their unhealthy cooking? What do you do when your loved one gets upset about your exercise time?

If you're in this situation, leave a comment and tell us about your experiences. Have you found a way to encourage your loved one to exercise? If so, don't be shy - we need all the help we can get. Share your story and tell us what to do when our loved ones just won't exercise.

What to do When Your Spouse/Loved One Doesn't Exercise originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 05:00:00.

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Some of my Type A clients have a lot of trouble making time at the end of their workouts for a stretch and I know how they feel. It's hard to slow down and relax when you have to so much to do - Who has time to stretch, right? Unfortunately, you're doing your body a disservice when you skip stretching. Not only can you improve your flexibility and relax your body, you can also work on those chronically tight areas that only get worse as the day goes on (like the hips, back and chest).

To help my busy clients out, I put together 3 simple yoga-based moves that stretch multiple muscles at the same time. Each move flows well together, so you can do them as a series 2-3 times, which should only take a few minutes. In fact, these stretches are great at any time, so you should probably do them right now...just watch for the boss.

Warrior I

Step forward with the right foot into a lunge, keeping the back leg straight and the left toes pointed out at about 45-degrees, heel down on the floor. Keep the right knee directly above the ankle and the hips squared to the front. Sweep the arms up and overhead and look up as you slide the shoulders down and away from the ears. Stretch and hold for 10-15 seconds and move into Modified Triangle.

Modified Triangle

From Warrior I, turn to the side and take the right arm down, resting the forearm on the thigh. Take the left hand straight up over the shoulder. Focus on keeping the spine straight rather than rounding over the leg. Hold for 10-15 seconds and move into Low Lunge with a Twist.

Low Lunge with a Twist

Get into a low lunge with the left leg back, back knee resting on the floor, right knee forward and directly over the ankle. Twist to right, bringing the left elbow outside of the right thigh and pressing the palms together in a prayer position. Use the arms to deepen the twist, feeling a stretch in the hip flexor as well as the back. Hold for 10-15 seconds and then repeat the series on the other side.

Got any favorite stretches? Leave a comment and tell us about them.

Exercises of the Week - Tri-Stretch for Better Flexibility originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 05:00:25.

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I find that it's easy to get set in your ways when it comes to your workouts, especially when you've created a routine that works for you. You get up, you have your coffee while you get dressed, your bag is packed with the usual fitness accessories and you hit the gym, ready to hop on your favorite machine. But what happens when you show up and the power is out at your gym (as it was for me the other day)? Or when the weight room is closed for repairs?

For some people, all that's required is a shrug and a moment to refocus on a different workout. For others, it means the workout is over.

In this week's poll, I'm asking about your experiences. Are there any deal-breakers when it comes to your workouts? Is there anything you must have to workout or are you okay with unexpected obstacles in your path? Vote in this week's poll and tell us if there's anything you just can't live without.

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Vote: When it comes to my workouts, I can't live without... originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 05:00:46.

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There are plenty of dieting 'rules' we've heard before, like drinking a glass of water before giving into a craving, using smaller plates to control our portions or brushing our teeth to avoid diving into a bag of Oreos. But, there's one rule that makes sense no matter what the situation and it's one my mother was on my case about for most of my childhood: Eat slow.

I didn't really listen to her back then (sorry, Mom), but I am now, especially after reading about a recent study showing that eating more slowly can help you control how many calories you're eating.

In the small study (there were only 17 adults included), participants were put into two groups: One told to eat a bowl of ice cream in 5 minutes and another group told to eat it in 30 minutes. The first question that comes to mind is: Who eats a bowl of ice cream in 30 minutes? The scientists didn't say what happens when the ice cream turns into a soupy mess, but let's set that aside for a moment to learn what the conclusion was: "Eating at a physiologically moderate pace leads to a more pronounced anorexigenic gut peptide response than eating very fast." In other words, the people who ate the ice cream in 30 minutes released more 'I-feel-full' hormones than the people who ate it more quickly. That means, people who eat more slowly may eat fewer calories than fast eaters.

I have to admit, I'm a fast eater and always have been, despite attempts to slow myself down, but this is just one more reason to work a little harder at it. What about you? Do you pay attention to how fast you eat and do you think it affects your weight? Leave a comment to tell us about your eating habits and how they contribute to how many calories you eat.

Fit Question: Are You a Fast Eater? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 05:00:38.

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• The Importance of a Training Journal for Bodybuilding Success

Keeping a training journal is a great tool for achieving your bodybuilding goals!  Recording your bodybuilding routines is great not only for accountability, planning, and motivation, but it also helps you to see where you are and where you have been. 

Imagine if you follow a program, get in the best shape of your life, and then you don't remember how you got there.  Could you imagine how you would feel if for whatever reason you lose your shape and then do not know how to get back to it?  In addition, a training log allows you to easily see where your progress is going.  Are you gaining strength?  Are you losing body fat?  All of these items can be easily looked at when you keep a training log. 

Finally, a log allows you to troubleshoot the program if your progress is not moving forward.  If you keep detailed accounts of your workouts and bodybuilding diet plan, if you are losing strength and you notice in your training log that you have been consistently missing a meal or two each day, then you know what the fix to the problem is. 

The Importance of a Training Journal for Bodybuilding Success originally appeared on About.com Bodybuilding on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 22:05:04.

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There are many reasons why people fail to achieve their bodybuilding goals.  Unfortunately, when goals are missed, many people get frustrated and toss the whole bodybuilding  program and never come back to it.  However, if you are frustrated with your progress, the best strategy is to regroup, take a look at your training journal (I am assuming you have one), analyze the reason the goals were missed and create new goals.

Perhaps the reason for not reaching your bodybuilding goals was unrealistic expectations.  Expecting to gain 30 lbs of solid muscle in 30 days is unrealistic, especially for those of us who are well past our teenage years.  Expecting to go from 17 inch arms to 18 inch arms of solid muscle in 2 weeks, is also unrealistic since a 17 inch arm is already pretty developed, and thus, taking it to the next level will take longer.  So when you set bodybuilding goals make sure that your goals are realistic as otherwise you are setting yourself up for failure.  For beginners, the first and second year you can gain a good 15-20 pounds a year.  Teenagers a bit more perhaps and all of this depends on the genetics of the bodybuilder.  For more advanced athletes, 1/2 lb to 1 lb of muscle a month is a good gain (6-12 lbs/year). However for really advanced natural bodybuilders, 2-3 lbs per year is a good goal.

With that said, another important thing to realize is how you deal with failure.  There were many times during my bodybuilding journey in which I did not achieve the goals I wanted.  Regardless of the reasons (and 8 times out of 10 the issue was unrealistic goals), when I failed, I would simply assess the reasons why and just keep moving forward.  The way I saw it, I had just lost a battle but not the war.  And of course, my philosophy of war is: "No retreat, no surrender!"  You need to approach your bodybuilding endeavors with this sort of success mindset.

In closing, if you haven't achieved the bodybuilding goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year, do not get frustrated! Instead, analyze your bodybuilding training and diet plan.  Also, make sure that you are getting enough rest because recovery is as important as training and nutrition (hint: it is during rest that you grow).  Make sure that you are following everything in your bodybuilding program to the letter.  If you are and things are not working, then change your training routine.  More than likely, your body has gotten used to your current one.  If you are looking to gain muscle weight, make sure that you are taking in enough nutrients in the form of good carbs, proteins and good fats.  If you are looking to lose fat, then make sure that you are creating a slight caloric deficit without starving yourself in order to keep the muscle as you lose the fat.  Furthermore, make sure that you are using some way of tracking your progress.  Good ways are a combination of methods, like the scale, the skinfold calipers, and the tape measure.  Digital pictures are also valuable (and a great motivation tool as well) to help you see your progress over weeks.

Below are some good resources that will help you to achieve your bodybuilding goals:

Failing to Achieve Your Bodybuilding Goals? - Lee Labrada discusses why failure is a process and how it can be used to move forward.  He also discusses several reasons for failing to achieve your goals.

Bodybuilding Guide - A comprehensive guide that will set you straight if you need any sort of bodybuilding guidance.  Everything is covered: from goal setting, to choosing your training routine, to knowing what diet and supplements program to follow, how much rest you need, and more.

Are You Frustrated Because You Haven't Achieved Your Bodybuilding Goals? originally appeared on About.com Bodybuilding on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 07:53:32.

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For those of you that follow competitive bodybuilding or who simply would like to watch a professional bodybuilding contest, once again bodybuilding.com is providing a free all-access webcast featuring the 2010 Arnold Classic men's professional bodybuilding championships and the Women's professional bodybuilding, figure and fitness International championships.

You can watch the Ms. International Women's Bodybuilding Competition, Ms. Fitness International and Ms. Figure International at 7:00 pm EST on Friday, March 5th. Tune in the next day, Saturday, March 6th at 12:00 pm for the Men's Prejudging (where most of the judging happens) and again at 7:00 pm EST for the Men's Finals (where you see the posing routines and the final judging). If you are busy those days and cannot tune in live, you will still be able to access webcast replays and additional event coverage until March 20, 2010. For more Arnold Classic competition information visit: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2010-arnold.htm.

Note: For articles on how to prepare for a bodybuilding competition, or just for how to get in that sort of shape, please take a look at my bodybuilding competition page.

Free Arnold Classic Bodybuilding Competition Webcast originally appeared on About.com Bodybuilding on Sunday, February 21st, 2010 at 23:54:37.

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Last weekend I decided to watch the CD that comes with the Get Lean Kit  from Lee Labrada and Keith Klein.  By the way, if you are not familiarized with it, please take a look at my Get Lean Kit Review.

After getting some inspiration from Lee's awesome Mr. Olympia posing routine I decided to watch Keith Klein's nutrition seminar.  This seminar is the best nutrition seminar I have ever seen because of Keith's unique and effective ability to explain nutrition.  In addition, he's not only a wealth of knowledge but he also practices what he preaches.

Amongst the various gems of nutrition knowledge shared in the nutrition seminar, the one that always baffles me every time is the scam behind low fat food labels.  The best way to show you the low fat food label scam is through an example.

Let's say that you have a food that claims to be 99% fat free on the label.  But what does that really mean?  As Keith rightfully explains, all it means is that by weight, the food is 99% fat free.  However, let's say that the hypothetical food contains 50 calories and 3 grams of fat.  If that is the case, then guess what?  Because there are 9 calories per gram of fat, then that means that your low fat food contains 27 calories out of 50 that come from fat.  So if you look at the percentage of fat by calories, your low fat food ends up being over 50% fat!  Yikes!!!  So much for your food being low in fat.  Buyer beware.

This is just another example of how the food industry can use trickery to make you buy a food that in reality is not good for you.

The Low Fat Label Scam originally appeared on About.com Bodybuilding on Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 21:23:51.

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Many of you who have embarked on a bodybuilding program recently have emailed me about your muscle soreness and whether that is normal or not.

Muscle soreness is a normal part of the recovery process that begins once you finish your bodybuilding workouts.  Muscle soreness is more pronounced at the beginning of your bodybuilding journey since your muscles are not used at all to lifting weights.  That is the reason why it is of utmost importance that you use the right beginning bodybuilding routine.  By doing so, you avoid getting injured or excessively sore.

There are various types of soreness that you need to be aware of.  The key thing is to be able to distinguish between good muscle soreness, which is the one that indicates you had a good workout, and injury type soreness.  For learning how to differentiate between soreness types, please take a look at my Types of Muscle Soreness article, where not only will you learn about the different types of muscle soreness, but also how to minimize them.

Good Muscle Soreness vs. Bad Muscle Soreness originally appeared on About.com Bodybuilding on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 07:21:09.

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• Nominate Your Favorite Reality TV Contestant for a Pain-Free, Anxiety-Free Sm...

For all those whose smiles limit their “star appeal,” Sedation Dentistry Safety Week has designated Wednesday, March 17th, the first annual “Reality Bites” makeover day. Effective today, fans can nominate their favorite reality television show contestants for a complete, pain-free, anxiety-free smile makeover. (PRWeb Mar 11, 2010)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/reality/bites/prweb3714204.htm

Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway by exploring some of its 100 hiking trails. Since choosing the perfect hike can be a challenge, RomanticAsheville.com created the Top 10 Quick Parkway Hikes that are less than four miles and offer plenty of beautiful mountain scenery near Asheville, North Carolina. (PRWeb Mar 11, 2010)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/03/prweb3710634.htm

When 'in balance,' the human body is a self-healing biochemical organism. Unfortunately, modern lifestyles and nutritional realities are causing many people to be 'out of balance.' NutriLuxe Solaris tests the body's biochemical and electrical balance by using saliva and urine to analyze key health indicators--pH, antioxidant level and electrical conductivity, as well as other health factors. Once Solaris identifies the nature of an individual's biochemical condition, nutritional supplements can be used to restore and maintain biochemical balance. (PRWeb Mar 11, 2010)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/03/prweb3649904.htm

Bullfrog Spas, manufacturers of innovative hot tubs, recently sponsored the Polar Plunge, a benefit for the Special Olympics. (PRWeb Mar 11, 2010)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/hottub/bullfrogspas/prweb3705674.htm

First Annual International Iridoid Research Symposium to Be Held This Summer at Tahitian Noni International (PRWeb Mar 11, 2010)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/iridoids/research/prweb3707794.htm