Dating Tips, Fitness Tips, Daily Blog of the TheFitnessPersonals.com

Hi everyone!   Hope you all in internet land are doing well and healthy!  I have gotten a lot of emails regarding gym memberships.  People want to know if this price sounds too high or the enrollment fee is correct.  My answer is this:  HAGGLE!  When you walk into a gym the thing you need to remember as a potential member is that they need you, you do not need them.  Remember…there is another gym within miles of the next. 

I have a new gym opening near my house so I called recently to see how much they charged.  I actually spoke to the owner who explained because they had all these exciting classes that they were charging $39.00 a month plus at least $50.00 for the enrollment fee.  I thanked him nicely and then…I laughed my arse off!  First, I am sure many of you know a gym in particular that you compare other gyms to in terms of money.  What I mean by that is  what ammenities they have( basketball, raquetball, pool, spa, spinning, pilates, childcare, etc.) The gym I can compare them to down in South Florida is L.A. Fitness or 24 Hours.   These gyms both have pools and are large gyms L.A. has more to offer when it comes to  the non-traditional type of workouts (basketball, raquetball) but I have friends that are paying in the $30-38 range.  This gym I looked at has none of the large ticket items: no basketball, no raquetball, and no pool.  Now some people might think they don’t want any of those things but the fact is that there is a gym that has that, use that to your advantage! 

When you walk into a gym, walk in like you are buying a car or a house, don’t give it up!  “This is nice, uh huh,  mmm I have to think”, when they ask if it is the nicest gym you’ve ever seen.  No, “Oh, my god!  This is amazing equipment!  I love those classes!  This is the coolest gym! When can I sign up?”  You don’t want to seem desperate, let them come to you, draw them in.  Remember when you are buying something…it is a dance.  You both want something except they need it more then you!  There is always another car dealer, house, and gym. 

 So you walk around cool as a cucumber, see what they have, notice the people, the classes…take it all in(this will be your inventory) now leave.  First, get a trial membership, they all offer them (1-7 days usually).  Second, go to other gyms around the area that are comprable to the one you looked at and then at least one that has better ammenities.  I know this sounds like a lot of time but you will thank me when you see that money coming out of your checking monthly.  Now, you are ready to go to war.

 Go back to that gym a couple of days after your trial and after you have checked prices…this is where your inventory will take action. Sit down with someone act cool and see what they have to offer you…now remember they can be haggled!  Bring their asses down, trust me that enrollment fee is crap, that can be brought down too!  Let them do their little sales pitch to you, oh and do not go for years, hello, can I say Bally’s anyone.  Do you know how many people I know that have gotten stuck in multi-year memberships.  Bad move, no matter how good the money sounds…bad move! 

After their sales pitch think of everything you have seen, the gyms you’ve looked at the differences and then tell this person.  You need to seem educated in gyms even if you aren’t.  Most of the time car salesman love women buyers because they don’t think they know anything about cars, can tell them anything, and think they would still buy it.  Gym sales are the same, if they don’t think you know anything, they will try to pull one on ya’.  Get educated and then educate them!

 Take no prisoners, take nothing less then what you want, and trust me those prices will fall down!  Play hardball and they won’t know what hit them!  Remember if you have been a member at a gym for a long time you can always try to lower your prices too.  Recently my gym was having a membership sale for new people and prices were much cheaper.  I went to the manager told him how long I had been a member and basically demanded that my membership equal the new ones.  I now pay $10.00 cheaper because I stood up for myself and educated him.  I took the no prisoner approach and it worked.  What is the worst that could happen?  He couldn’t take away my membership.

  Remember, in life you are your biggest cheerleader. You make your destiny.  Do not hesitate…take the bulls by the horn!  Take no prisoner!  GOOD LUCK WITH THE CONTEST! Have a great week and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to email me at info@trainhergirl.com. 

Have you ever seen this comment before?  I have on magnets, on cards, and on t-shirts sold everywhere.  The sad thing is that this is such a true quote.  Whether one admits it or not people usually hate when others succeed and they aren’t.  This could not be any more evident then when people start to take their health seriously.  I think when you are fat and your friends are fat it is okay, but when you lose weight and they aren’t…whoa!  People make comments, little jabs here and there, but half the time it is becasuse they don’t have the will power like their friends.  They are envious of their control, something they don’t have.  What better way to fix that then by completely sabotaging their friend.  Now when I say sabotage, I don’t mean hurt them physically or anything like that, but I do mean play with their head.  Have you ever been trying to eat better and a friend brings you something they know you can’t eat?  Have they ever given you crap for trying to change your lifestyle?  Or they ask you to split something with them because they can’t eat it all by themselves.  You know the saying, “kick a man when he is down”…a comedian once said, “when is there a better time?” 

I think sometimes people are so afraid of change that they don’t even realize what they are doing or if they are even doing it.  When people start to lose weight they gain more confidence in themselves, in fact they might start doing things they have never done before.  They might all of a sudden feel good enough to not have to go out with their friend.  They might start meeting new people and find new things about themselves and find new interests, that don’t involve their friends.  Most of the time this is what scares others.  Change, is like the boogie monster, if you don’t acknowledge it then it can’t be there, but your still afraid of it.  Friends are so used to you being you, that they are afraid that this change will change everything, including your friendship.  So what do they do? They will sabotage your happiness for the sake of your friendship. 

So what is the answer when you start to take charge of your life and make some changes?  Make sure your friends know that no matter what happens to you physically that your friendship is still important.  Even as adults we have to validate our relationships with our loved ones just to let them know we still care.  So if you make that change maybe you can involve your friends. Instead of your all night bingers at the bar wake up early and take a walk or jog near the beach, go kayaking together, or have a great dinner but make it healthier.  Show your friends that it is okay to eat healthy and that not only is it good for you but it can taste great too.  Maybe if your friend is a big time hiker you can ask to come along.  The idea is to have a great time doing something together that is different and new, the idea being together. 

Just remember you need to make yourself happiest first.  If you want to jog and your friends aren’t into it, screw em’ you’ll catch up with them later.  If they can’t be happy for you then they aren’t really that good of friends anyway…or they aren’t very happy themselves.  Either way you can’t change them or how they feel, you can only change yourself!  Have a great week!

 If you have any questions please email me at info@trainhergirl.com or jmostal-brahm@hotmail.com just remember to keep true to yourself!  Jess

Hey everyone, hope you are all doing well!  As a trainer, I seem to get a lot of the same questions asked but in different ways.  Really though they  all come down to the same thing, TIME.  Everyone wants to know how long it will take to get thinner or toned. They all want to know approximate times like weeks, days, months, and I mean exact. I understand this in ways I can not explain!  A lot of people think that men are more impatient then women.  I tend to think when it comes to working out and changing your body women win impatience hands down!  Why do I say this?  Because I am a woman.  I know what it is like to have a really hard work out where you feel like you sweat everything out and are exhausted.  I also know what it is like to wake up the next morning and stand in front of a mirror in my underwear and think I should be like 5 lbs. lighter.  I know I am not alone here, if you say no, you are sooooo lying!  We are a society of “Veruca Salts’”, if you don’t know who she is, remember the girl in Willy Wonka that had to have the golden egg?  Her whole song was about “I WANT IT NOW!” We are all her in our own little way regardless of gender, socioeconomic standing, lifestyle, or just about anything.  Think of road rage..we all need to get somewhere, NOW.  Think of standing on line…we need to leave, NOW.  Think of that machine in the gym…we need it, NOW.  Think of that engagement ring…we need it, NOW. Oh sorry, that was probably just mine..LOL.  I think at this point you all get my point. 

One of my first clients had to know exactly when her thighs would get smaller. She had to know so that way she could buy the exact number of training sessions from me.  First, I had no idea which would get smaller first her thighs or her butt.  I am a trainer not a psychic. This is not to sound harsh by any means but the only honest thing I could tell her was that you can not spot train the parts of your body that you hate.  Trust me if that were true I would have the smallest butt, but you can’t help genetics.  As a trainer you can never really know exactly what is going to happen to someone’s body.  I can take a look at someone, measure them, and usually get an idea but you are never certain exactly what a body is capable of.  Also, I am not with you 24 hours a day I don’t know what you do unless you are with me.  I don’t know how you are eating and trust me some clients do not tell the truth, even if you ask them.  I had a client deny that she was eating anything bad, that she had a perfect diet.  She gained weight, she was a night eater, an emotional binger.  The fact is the truth can only set you free.  Once she confessed, life became easier and we were able to work together on that aspect of her life.

Listen, I understand that when you “get it” you want everything to change at that very instant.  What I mean by “get it” is not tangible but like when your brain clicks on and you think this is what I want and now I am going after it.  You can want to workout and go through the motions of actually doing it but until you “get it” it will always be going through the motions.  For some it might be that runner’s high or a workout high that gives you that feeling you can’t explain.  For some it might be that moment when you have a talk within yourself when you are at your weakest/strongest.  For others it might be when you are driving, in an airplane, or even a train.  That moment when you go “Oh, I get it…it’s my turn now.” 

My mom told me something yesterday that made me really think.  First let me tell you that my dad has lung cancer.  I know at some point he will die from this disease and as his daughter I can not imagine life going on.  My  mom very recently had a very, very good friend of her’s die.  He was a great man, a man that was respected and loved by so many.  I guess my mom had one of those moments and wanted to share it with me.  We were in the car, after seeing a movie, and she looked at me and said, “You know when we get in fights or yell at each other that that is normal.  That things like that happen all the time, that we all have disagreements and quarrels. But just because we might fight never means I don’t love you.  Even when we fight I love you so much.  So just remember if anything were to happen to your father or myself that no matter what we love you.  Even if we fought on that day or we didn’t get to talk…I still love you…and so does your dad.”  I guess that moment came to her because she lost a friend that was not supposed to have been lost.  He was unexpectedly taken and “no words” seemed appropriate, ”no words” explained any of it.  I guess her moment was that you live everyday, take that day and use it to your fullest possibilities, be the best you can be.  That just because you had a bad day, a person took to long on line, the traffic was like crap, or even if you don’t have that ring doesn’t mean everything!  These things are just tiny moments in your life’s history of you. That there is so much more of you and life and everything in between.

My point is, what is your rush?  Now you want to change your life, but you had so much time already.  Now you want to chang your body, but you had so much time already.  We all need to remember that just because you got that moment, that the click went off it still will take time.  It took time to gain that weight, it will take time to take it off.  It took time to become the person you are and the habits you have, habits are hard to break, it will take time.  Remember the other girl in Willy Wonka?  She turned into a blueberry because the the Everlasting Gobstopper recipe wasn’t quite right.  

My advice is take a good look at yourself and appreciate you for the person you are.  Write down how you are doing, how your workouts are going, and how you are eating.  When you start to change you might appreciate it but months later when you don’t remember how hard you really worked to get there that is when the book is important.  Remember, life is what we make it.  Why not make at least one thing in your life a little easier?

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  Hope you enjoyed my article!  Please send more questions my way info@trainhergirl.com!  Thanks, Jess 

Hi everyone! I got a great question sent to my email that I thought could be an interesting topic.  The person, Jill-from Arizona, wanted to know as a trainer what drives me insane at the gym-what are my pet peeves.  First, I love when I get questions so thanks for helping me out. Second, this is a trainer’s dream question…to talk about the crap that drives us crazy where we work or where we workout. So here goes the answer…

Insanity/Pet Peeve

1) People who hoard at the gym- Have you ever gone to the gym and there is a person that seems to love a machine so much that they refuse to leave?  How about the person who takes the last treadmill and never leaves?  What about the person that puts their stuff (a towel, gym bag, keys) down on or next to the machine and expects you to understand it is their machine even though they are on four others? Or how about the people that seem to do set after set with 5 minute rests knowing you are waiting for that machine?  These are just a few examples of the annoying hoarders in the gym.    The worst is when you actually ask them if they are done and they look you up and down and are like “NO, DO I LOOK DONE”!  Drives me crazy!  I don’t feel bad for me or for the people that speak up at the gym I feel bad for the newbies, the ones that are intimidated by these annoying, selfish people who have nothing better to do then be annoying and selfish.

2) The Clankers- A clanker is a person that slams either their dumbbells together or the stacks on a machine.  What people don’t realize is that when you are clanking you are really cheating yourself. The clank itself actually gives you the momentum to do your next rep.  If you notice a normal person at a gym might clank near the end of a set because they are tired the annoyers are the ones that do it constantly.  There are a few reasons people clank 1. Weight too heavy 2. Weight too light 3. Bad positioning.   If you find that you clank a lot try something different change your weight or your position and see if that helps.  One of my clients was using a machine (inner/outer thighs) and was clanking along.  I had explained to her the reasoning of why it was bad and changed her weight. I added 10 pounds and even though she couldn’t do as many reps (took off 5) there was no more clanking and she really felt the resistance. Whereas she was too light you have some people that go crazy with the weight.  I once walked up to a guy that was doing triceps extensions on a cable machine and he had horrible form and was clanking.  I explained that if he took some weight off that he would really feel it in his triceps more and not in other muscles.  He changed the weight and the form completely changed for the better (and no clanking).  Clanking can be so bothersome at a gym that some are throwing people out!  A gym in Fort Lauderdale, FL recently threw out a gym goer for doing this exact thing.  It was in all the papers and was definitely a topic of discussion for gym rats in South Florida.  What do you think?  Do they annoy you or are people (like me) out of their mind?

3) Marketing Yourself, Your Company, or Your Religion- Now hopefully none of you have had to deal with this insanity. This actually happened to me yesterday so it is a fresh annoyance in my mind.  I was minding my own business, on the elliptical machine, when a man walked up to me.  At first I thought he was trying to hit on me and then I saw the card. He smiled and handed me his Comcast business card.  I took out my earphones to find him asking me if I had cable and with whom.  I couldn’t believe this crap!  I told him I just changed and he moved on to the next unsuspecting victim in his path. For many people a gym is a place to release your stress not have it in front of you with a business card.  Unfortunately, this was not the first encounter I had with this kind of annoyance.  The worst was years ago on a treadmill next to some very nice lady (I assumed).  I was on the treadmill, watching TV, when a woman tried to have a conversation with me.  I took out my headphones and had a very nice talk with her about the gym.  After a few minutes she asked me what city I lived in and then handed me a card, to her church!   I don’t care what kind of religion you are but seriously in a gym!  She tried explaining all about her church and the kind of people that went there and finally I had to get off my equipment and leave.  Some people can be such buzz kills in a gym! If I was just a regular gym person, not a trainer that could have ended my reason for ever returning.  The worst is that most gyms don’t even know that this is happening.

4) The People That Think They Are Trainers- These are the people that feel the need to give everyone advice, even if it is wrong.  Most of these people have been going to the gym for years and feel they are “top dog”.  What people don’t seem to realize is that unless you are educated you can really hurt somebody.  So many people give out advice or show an exercise that is horrible/unsafe and never think twice.  Do you know how many lawsuits are out there on people getting hurt in gyms?  Do you really think someone wouldn’t think twice on suing you and everything you have?  There are people that have sued for less and it was against their best friend.  The machines or exercises I see this the most with are 1) Squat-put your butt back, feet planted in the ground, and keep your knees from going over your toes 2) Lat pull down- Keep your core nice and straight, pull down in front of your body towards your chest not your back, concentrate on your shoulder blades pulling closer together, and don’t forget to bring the pad to the top of your thighs when starting.  My advice if you are just started at the gym is to get educated.  You don’t have to spend tons on certifications but read up on the body and how it works.  I know this sounds kooky but the better you know your body the better workout you will get.  When I explain to a client about the lat pull down and the muscles involved and how they work, they get it.  If you know what you are working on you know just where you should feel it and I think it helps. When you listen to a person at a gym you really have no idea where or how they got their information.  It might not help you it actually might hurt you in the end.  Sometimes an exercise looks good and you just can’t help but want to copy it.  You have to question what they are doing before you attempt it.  I saw a girl doing a leg exercise the other day that I was totally hyped about doing.  I thought about it, tried it once, and then realized how screwed up my knees would have been if I kept going.  Remember, even if you are with a friend, and they know some stuff, and you are in pain, stop.  Getting hurt takes days, weeks, and even months away from enjoying your life and doing things you really like to do.

Thanks again to Jill for the awesome question and the stress that came from thinking about my pet peeves.  To quote Susan Powter, “Stop the insanity”!  What are some of yours?  Are they like mine or something completely different?  Remember if you have any questions or comments please email me at info@trainhergirl.com. Have a great week!  Jess

Hi guys!  My name is Jess and I am the new female resident personal trainer here at “TheFitnessPersonals.com”.  My goal is to help you understand you, your body, and those around you  a little bit better.  I have been training for many years but my favorite part is the experience of watching people grow and learn new things about themselves.  Any questions you have please send my way, and trust me there are no stupid questions.  If there is a question I seem to get a lot of or one I think most people would grow and learn from it might be one that I publish, so please watch out for your questions or comments.

Just to let you know a little bit about me I found my boyfriend, of three years, on the internet.  Just to also let you know a little more bit about me, I never in a million years thought that I would do that.  I was the girl that said “I don’t think so” when my best friend told me to put myself out there.  I thought that I was attractive enough and didn’t need to do something like “that”.  One thing I have learned as an adult is that as you get older it is much harder to meet people, very hard.  Unless you are still in college or in some sort of class it is very hard to meet different people that you seem to be interested in.  I understand now why so many people date people from their workplace, where else are they going to meet people.  I mean let’s be honest with each other 1)You wake up 2) Go to work 3) Come home or go the gym 4) Eat dinner 5) Go to sleep 6) Do the same thing the next day.  Obviously, it is not exactly the same for everyone but I am sure you catch my drift. The question is  when do you meet someone?  Do you go to a bar, supermarket, mall, a book store, the gym, etc.. to find someone or do you finally check online (where everyone else is)?  As an adult so many people have a group that they hang out with as their circle of friends.  I can not tell you how many of my single guy friends have asked me if I knew a single girl that I could hook them up with.  A girl asking to be hooked up with someone though is more picky; they want to know about his height, his teeth, his hands, his hair, his job, his last girlfriend, everything… whereas most guys want to know, “Is she hot?”  This is so sad, but true! 

So I just want to let you know I have been there in those shoes of yours, you reading this, that has gone on a horrible date with the creepy guy,  the guy that had a picture but from a while ago (my boyfriend) that doesn’t look exactly like what they said, or the one that you talked to for a while or months and when you did meet, nothing.  I have been there and done that and now hopefully I will marry my little internet love connection. So I say to you keep trying, don’t forget who you are and what you stand for, and when a guy or girl comes into your life that you don’t think is your type, they may very be :).    Please send any comments or questions to info@trainhergirl.com or visit my website www.trainhergirl.com   Thanks,  Jess

Warm Up

Warming up before weight training increases blood flow to your muscles, making them more flexible so you can perform exercises with greater ease and avoid injury. About 5 minutes or cardiovascular exercise, such as running at an easy pace, is sufficient to warm up. If you will be working a specific muscle especially hard, you may want to use a light weight for the first set to further warm up the muscle.

Perform Exercises in the Right Order

To work your muscles efficiently, consider the order in which you perform exercises. It is generally best to work larger muscles before smaller ones.

Think of your body as divided into an upper, middle and lower section. If you are performing a full body workout, you should work your lower section, then your upper section and then your midsection. Work you muscles within each section in the following order:

Lower Body:

• Quadriceps and hamstrings
• Inner thighs
• Buttocks
• Hip flexors and outer hips
• Calves and shins

Upper Body:

• Chest, upper and middle back
• Shoulders
• Biceps and triceps
• Forarms

Middle Body:

Abdominals and lower back

Cool Down

Cooling down helps to release the tension in your muscles and flush out waste products that build up during your workout. Generally, if your workout was slow with lots of rest between sets, you can stretch for a few minutes to cool down. However, after a fast-paced weight training workout, perform 5 minutes of light cardiovascular exercise to get rid of build-up lactic acid in your muscles to help prevent soreness after your workout. You should then stretch for a few minutes.

Yours in health,

Terri 

Balancing work, family, and friends can be very hard in today’s society. Sometimes it may seem like you barely have enough time or energy to do the things you have to do, much less the things you want to do for yourself. Making time for yourself is important and it can give you the energy you need to tackle everything else that’s going on in your life.

 Here are a couple of healthy tips for making more time for yourself:

• Ask family members to share household responsibilities. - Teach your children to pack their own lunches and/or do their own laundry. Ask your room mate / partner to take over cooking dinner a few times a week.
• Talk with family members about why it’s important for you to have time for yourself. - You can tell older children that you need some time when you come home from work to unwind before you start cooking or helping with homework. Talk with your spouse about how you can both make time for yourselves and still get everything else done.
• Find several activities that you enjoy that doesn’t require a lot of time or preparation. - You could go for a walk right before or after work. You might enjoy reading a magazine or chatting with a friend on the phone.
• Get up 30 minutes earlier in the morning and use that time to read a paper, go for a workout, or just have a cup of coffee by yourself. - If the mornings are too hectic in your home, make some time for yourself in the evenings or at night after everyone else has gone to bed.
• Don’t feel guilty about doing something for yourself. - You’re not being selfish by making time for you. It’s actually good for the other people in your life. When you feel good, your relationships with others are more positive.
• Stop trying to be perfect. - It’s ok to leave chores undone for a day or a weekend if it means making time for you.
• Decide that making time for yourself is important. - Then schedule your favorite activities into your daily or weekly calendar. That way you won’t put yourself last.

I hope you find these tips very useful.

Yours in health,

Terri