Be Challenged Be Changed

Are you ready to take your Fitness to the next level? Tired of the same old routine? Not getting the results your looking for? We all train with different goals but we all have one thing in common, we are looking for CHANGE! Are you looking to get faster, stronger, more flexible, increased endurance or weight loss well it is all CHANGE!

Now its time to step out of your comfort zone and start creating CHANGE with improvements to your strength, endurance and flexibility.

Personal Training and/or Outdoor classes are the answers your looking for. The workouts are always changing. Some times we use Body Weight exercises, other times using Kettle Bells, Battle Ropes, Steel Mace, Medicine Balls, Bands, Suspension Training and many other variables.

Whether your training for a particular sport or weight loss or that upcoming 5K or maybe an Obstacle Course Race. I will help you be at your very best!

Personal Training can be one on one or team up with a friend for added accountability. Get a group of your friends together and train for that special upcoming event!

Call me now or send me a text to set up your free initial consultation at 623-302-4944. Or fill out the contact me information on the right side of this page.

BE CHALLENGED! BE CHANGED!!!

Monday, June 9, 2014

Soles4Souls

The Reebok outlet store in the Tanger Outlet mall next to Phoenix Stadium has a great opportunity to make a difference in someones life and save some money while getting some great products. All you have to do is bring in some used shoes and get you get a discount on any item in the store.

So here is how it works. Bring in one pair and get $5 off, bring in two pair and get $10 off.

I went in 3 different times in the last week, saved some money, got some new shoes, shirt and water bottle. And also knowing that my old shoes are going to a great cause is awesome.

For more information about Soles4Souls you can check out there website at:
soles4souls.org

Not sure how long Reebok will be doing this and I am not part of this promotion in any way just wanted to pass along some information so if you have any questions please contact the Reebok store.

Diet ,Health and Fitness Products with Untrue Claims

In an effort to stay fit, lose weight, dodge diseases and limit medical costs, Americans spend billions of dollars on health-and-wellness products each year. Sadly, many of the claims companies make to boost sales turn out to be completely false or not substantiated by research. The Federal Trade Commission works against deceptive marketing, shining a light on false claims and charging those companies that make them. For ensured safety and effectiveness, seek guidance from your doctor before using wellness products, particularly if they’re relatively new or make grandiose or miraculous claims.

1. HCG Diet Dangers

The HCG Diet involves taking hormones women produce during pregnancy while severely restricting their caloric intake. Company claims that the hormones stimulate weight loss are unsubstantiated, and in 2013 the Federal Trade Commission sent seven warning letters to different marketers of the product. The FTC has since brought charges against HCG Platinum and HCG Diet Direct, calling HCG “an unproven human hormone that has been touted by hucksters for more than half a century as a weight-loss treatment.” According to the Food and Drug Administration, the diet is associated with an increased risk of gallstones and potentially life-threatening conditions, including heart arrhythmias and electrolyte imbalances.

2. Sensa Salts: Senseless?

If you’ve been adding Sensa, a powder containing maltodextrin, tricalcium phosphate and silica, to your food in hopes of slimming down sans dieting or exercising as advertisements promised, you could be in for a disappointment. These supposedly clinically-proven claims were found to be unsubstantiated by the Federal Trade Commission in January 2014. “You should be skeptical of any supplement that calls itself revolutionary or makes claims such as ‘lose weight without changing your diet,’” said Dr. Charlie Seltzer, a physician and obesity specialist. “No such thing exists. Working with a knowledgeable health professional,” he adds, “such as a physician or dietitian well-versed in weight-loss science, is a better bet for safe, effective results.”

3. Acai for Weight Loss

Acai, a purple Brazilian berry with a natural chocolaty flavor, is rich in antioxidants, fiber and healthy fats -- a rare attribute for fruit. Acai-containing supplements have been touted as weight-loss aids without any supportive evidence, said the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC stopped Beony International and nine other companies from making these unsubstantiated claims -- including that the acai supplement could facilitate 25 pounds of weight loss per month -- on fake news websites they created. So while it may not be proven to whittle your waist, the berry is still good for you. “There are no apparent risks with the acai itself,” said Dr. Charlie Seltzer, a physician and obesity specialist in Philadelphia. To reap its nutritional benefits, consume acai berries, pulp or pure juice blends containing the pulp routinely. The effects of acai supplements remain largely unknown.

4. Hoodia

African Bushmen historically relied on hoodia, a cactus-like plant, to curb thirst and hunger during lengthy hunting trips. In recent years, the plant has appeared in weight-loss supplements. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, there is no reliable scientific evidence supporting hoodia as a weight-loss supplement and appetite suppressant. In 2009, the Federal Trade Commission reported Nutraceuticals International and Stella Labs for making false claims about hoodia as an obesity treatment. Even if the claims were true, the supplements wouldn’t have worked: They were found to not actually contain any actual hoodia. “Due to the lack of regulation, there is a potential risk of toxins or impurities in any supplement,” said Philadelphia-based physician Dr. Charlie Seltzer regarding the hoodia claims.

5. Dannon’s Activia Exaggerations

Some health claims rely on exaggerated facts, making them wrongful and potentially misleading. After the Federal Trade Commission charged Dannon with deceptive advertising in 2010, the company agreed to stop stating that consuming Activia yogurt daily relieves digestive irregularity and that the yogurt drink DanActive staves off colds and flu. Both products contain beneficial bacteria known as probiotics, but the FTC deemed the claim that these health benefits were “clinically proven” to be false. While studies are ongoing, current research suggests that probiotics may help improve digestive function, help with side effects of antibiotics and support immune function.

6. Reebok Toning Shoes

If only wearing a particular brand of workout apparel could strengthen and sculpt your legs and derriere! Reebok falsely claimed that its toning shoes could do just that, issuing $25 million in refunds to purchasers in 2011, according to the Federal Trade Commission. A TV ad stated that the shoes were proven to work your calf and hamstring muscles up to 11 percent harder and your butt up to 28 percent harder merely by walking, according to ABC News, yet lab tests didn’t support these claims. When buying workout gear, you should carefully evaluate advertising claims. Grandiose statements that promise rapid, effortless or miraculous results should be viewed with no small amount of skepticism.

7. Skechers’ Misstep

Reebok isn’t the only shoemaker to take a huge misstep when it comes to claims around “shaping up” shoes. In 2012, Skechers USA, Inc. agreed to pay a $40 million settlement as a result of making unsubstantiated and misleading claims regarding their Shape-ups shoes. Print and television ads, which included celebrity endorsements from Kim Kardashian and Brooke Burke claimed that their Shape-ups shoes would help consumers lose weight and strengthen and tone their legs, buttocks and abs – that they could “get in shape without stepping foot in a gym.” The FTC also reported that Skechers participated in deceptive marketing with their Resistance Runner, Toners and Tone-ups shoes and consumers would be available eligible for refunds.


(Article originally posted on livestrong.com)



Wednesday, June 4, 2014

4 Exercise Machines You Might Want to Avoid at the Gym

Fitness is all about muscle. Strength training builds muscle tissue, which in turn boosts metabolism, burns fat, and gives the body tone and definition. One of the most convenient strength training methods is using your own body weight as resistance - take your body anywhere and you're ready for a workout. But is it better to use free weights or machines?
Free weights are portable and a lot more versatile than machines. With just one pair of dumbbells you can do hundreds of exercises. Weights require you to use several different muscle groups to move, balance and steady the body as you lift and lower. With the addition of a Stability Ball or Bosu Ball the exercise options are unlimited.
There are hidden risks to some of those seemingly-innocent exercise machines at the gym. If you're going to use machines in your workout routine, here are a few that you may want to avoid since they put stress on your joints, which could lead to injury. Make sure and get proper instruction from a Certified Personal Trainer on how to use the machines in the safest and most effective manor.
1. Seated Leg Extension/Seated Leg Curl 
These machines train the quadriceps (front of the thigh) and the hamstrings (back of the thigh). Most trainers agree that they create a motion that your legs aren't designed to do, which can put undue strain on the ligaments and tendons surrounding the kneecaps.
The Step-up is a safer alternative to try. This is one of my favorite exercises because besides working your quads far better than any machine, step-ups also train your glutes, hamstrings, and calves. They strengthen your knees as opposed to wearing them down. You can use steps or Bosu Ball to step on, using body weight or Dumbbells for added resistance
2. Seated Hip Abductor/Adductor Machines
These machines are designed to train the outer and inner thighs. Not only can using them look awkward but because you're seated, these exercises train movement that has no functional use. When used with too much weight and/or bad form, they can put damaging pressure on the spine. These machines will work the abductors and adductors in isolation, which is bad because these muscles are actually meant to work in coordination with the rest of the body to stabilize the legs.
A better exercise to try is the side lunge. Side lunges allow a more effective way to work your hips, glutes and thighs by targeting the major muscles of the lower body, including the abductors and adductors.
3. Seated Chest Fly Machine
The chest fly machine is designed to train the chest and shoulders. However, it can put the shoulder in an unstable position and place excessive stress on the shoulder joint and its connective tissue.
Instead, try doing push-ups or Dumbbell chest fly's on a flat, inclined bench or Stability Ball.
4. Seated Crunch Machine/Rotation Machine
It may seem like adding weight to your crunches is the best way to six-pack abs but this isn't the most effective or safest way to develop the core. Think twisting on a machine will get rid of love handles? Think again! This exercise can put excessive twisting forces on the spine because your hips stay in place as you rotate your upper body.
You'll get a better workout using a stability ball for your crunches and rotational exercises. The secret to efficiency is to make sure you engage your abs (as if you're about to be punched in the gut) and hold them that way as you do the movement.
Please feel free to call me with any questions or if your ready to take your training to the next level with a Certified Personal Trainer.