Model-A Fitness recently had a visit from the Pennsylvania College of Technology. The Fitness and Lifetime Sports department visited to compare fitness facilities and see the inner workings of day-to-day operations. Here are what some of the students had to
say about the facility.

ERIC: The very first thing that caught my eye when I walked into Model A Fitness was the equipment. I noticed that the owner did a great job of selecting and setting up their equipment. I also noticed that everything in the gym is coordinated for a friendly
atmosphere.

DAN: Everything you could possibly need to know about the gym you could find out at the front desk. I feel it is the single most important part of the club. Just walking into the facility and seeing all that goes on right up front is rather impressive. I appreciated the fact that they took the time to explain everything at their control center and exactly
what they expected from their front desk staff. Model A Fitness has one of best front desks I have ever seen. I was also blown away by the equipment offered at the gym. I think they made great decisions about the layout of the facility. Having two different
cardio areas was a great idea.

BRIAN: The gym had quite a beverage selection. It was full of protein , recovery, and energy drinks of all sorts and sizes. What really got my attention was the juice bar. I thought that was really neat and thesamples the manager made for us were amazing. That would definitely be a daily purchase of mine if I was a member at this facility.

KALEB: This was a pretty cool club. It was clean, colorful, and gave a feeling of peace of mind. People can see from the second they walk in what the gym has to offer. The bathrooms were very clean and the overall the facility seemed well maintained, giving a
low cost and high value to the club.

KURT: The club has equipment for anyone. They had more than one machine for each body part and enough cardio equipment that no one would have to get in line for a machine. Model A Fitness usually looks for trainers with a high level of education as well as a top certification like NSCA. Members are able to get free fitness assessments and training sessions.

PAULINA: All the equipment was spaced out nicely and looked well taken care of and clean. The cardio theater was really neat and was something I have never seen or heard of before. From the observations I made at the front desk I only have good things to say about the gym.

BETH: Model A Fitness is an amazing club, even without having unnecessary “extras” to offer. It looks like a high-tech no frills club that is more cost efficient for the average person and contains all the necessities you need for a good workout.

If you feel like a water balloon in your bathing suit then read on. Most people procrastinate on everything in life, and getting in shape for summer is no different. Fear not because there is still time. Here are some tips for all you who thought winter was all year around.

1) Go back and read some of the other newsletters.
All the information in them still applies.

2) Reach for low carb/calorie beer and lighter mixed drinks. The empty calories consumed late at night will just be turned into more bathing suit stretching blubber.

3) Medium to high glycemic index (GI) carbs are your friend in the morning and right after you train. Any other time during the day most carbs should be from fruits and fibrous vegetables.

Guys looking to keep muscle while dieting should zig-zag their carbs. On training days keep the carbs higher (about 100-150 grams more) and lower on non-training days.

Keep in mind that when you eat more carbs you store more glycogen (stored glucose). More glycogen stored=more water retained. Keep the carbs in check and you will avoid that smooth look that everyone is so loathe to obtain.

Look up the glycemic index ratings on the net and print it out for reference.

4) Keep the late nights and weeks off from the gym in check. Summer means weeks at the shore and partying. Have fun, but keep in mind that for every 1 week of it takes 2 weeks to regain the fitness you lost. Remember the 2:1 rule.

5) Get out and do something outside. Go for a hike,run, pick-up basketball game etc. The novel activity will get your heart pumping more than a piece of equipment and you will probably have more fun.

6) If you are dieting hard make sure to watch the volume of your training. Nothing will chew up muscle faster than training hard and not having enough calories.

In resistance training terms this means the total weight lifted in the session (weight x reps x sets). I usually like to keep the reps lower, which will enable you to keep strength and muscle density.

For aerobic training keep the long, slow distance running in check. Try intervals at a higher intensity instead.

See you again in 2 months. Good luck and have fun.

Spring will soon be upon us, so put down the remote and pick up your sneakers. Most of us are looking forward to the beach, barbeques and fun in the sun. However, some of us have more bounce in our bellies than a beach ball. There is still time to fix some of the damage done during the winter months. Here are some basic tips to get trim for summer and stay that way.

1) Stop Hibernating!
During the winter months it is hard to get motivated to exercise. Going home to hibernate right after work is a sure fire way to wear out your remote and never
get to the gym. Try to get in a quick workout on your lunch break or right after work.
Like a bear putting on its winter coat, some people put their pajamas on soon after they arrive home. Stay in your work clothes or something more tightly fitting until you are ready for bed. New research shows that people who put their pajamas on earlier in the evening tend to eat more during dinner and late night snacks.

2) Clean up your winter diet!
Snacks are the perfect mate to sitting on the couch and watching TV during the gloomy winter months. Put down the cookies and hot chocolate and pick up some protein and fruit. A perfect midnight snack is almonds or peanut butter with apples. You can throw some lean turkey slices in and it should hold you overnight. If you are allergic or don’t like nuts then try some low fat cheese instead. Using a calorie counter is a good idea also. There are many available online and they are free!

3) Get back to it slowly.
Jumping back into a rigorous exercise routine after months off or training sporadically is sure to make you sore and achy and keep you out of the gym. Start with 2 days of light resistance training (1-2 sets of 8-10 reps per body part) and 2 days of cardiovascular
training (20-25 minutes at low intensity) per week. The resistance and cardiovascular training can be done on the same days if time is a factor.

4) Get some sun.
Getting some UV rays will help kick start your metabolism and motivation to train. This could be in the form of fake bake or time in the sun. Most people opt for going tanning because it is more time efficient.

5) See it, do it.
Find a picture of want you want your body to look like and post it on the refrigerator and bathroom mirror. If you see your goal in front of you every day you will be more likely to stay on track and less likely to cheat. Formulate a plan to achieve your goals and
stick to it. Consistency is the key!

6) Try cardio on an empty stomach.
Do some light aerobic training within 30 minutes of waking without eating anything. A small cup of coffee before your session will help to increase metabolism during the session also. However, make sure the session isn’t too taxing and eat a good breakfast afterward. A protein shake with some carbohydrates would be a perfect choice.

I have heard it all when it comes to training and women. There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding female fitness and I am going to try and dispel a few in this article. Here are a few of my favorite and most heard complaints from female clients:

• I don’t want to be big and bulky, so why do you have me lifting heavy weights?
• I have been dieting for weeks and still haven’t lost a pound.
• I only eat 1 meal per day and I haven’t lost any weight
• I don’t like weights, so I only do cardio.

Myth #1: If I lift weights I will become big and bulky!

Women only produce 10-15% of the testosterone that men do. A properly designed weight-training program will add some lean tissue, but will not ever make a woman look like Arnold Schwarzenegger! The fact that some lean tissue can be added is a positive benefit that should be sought after. Lean tissue can change your body shape, raise your metabolism and improve strength and coordination. Just remember that 1 pound of added lean tissue takes approximately 50 calories/day to maintain. Adding just five pounds of lean tissue means an extra 250 calories burned per day without doing anything!!

Myth #2: I have been training for weeks and haven’t lost a pound! What gives?

The scale is probably the worst indicator of how well a training program is working. Daily sodium, fluid and hormonal changes can affect what you see on the scale. The following are some better indicators of how well your program is working.

• How do your clothes fit? Are they looser?

• How do you look? If you see curves where you didn’t before you are heading in the right direction.

• Has your bodyfat percentage dropped? If your bodyfat is dropping and the scale is staying the same then it is progress. Many people will gain muscle (much more dense than fat) while losing fat, so the scale will not change.

• Have your measurements changed? This goes hand in hand with how your
clothes feel.

• Have your blood pressure and heart rate dropped? These may be overlooked
in the quest for weight loss, but they are actually the most important
benefits of exercise.

Myth #3: Only cardio training can make me lose weight!

Cardiovascular training is an integral part to a complete training program. However, it can be very limited in terms of weight loss. When performing aerobic training a person will burn more calories than at rest while performing the activity. A person’s metabolism will return to normal within an hour of cessation of aerobic training. Resistance training, on the other hand, can boost metabolism for 3-5 hours after cessation of training. Couple this with the fact that gaining muscle burns more calories at rest and you are set to be a fat burning furnace.

Myth #4: Men and women are completely different when it comes to exercise!

Aside from some hormonal differences, men and women are exactly the same
physiologically. The training adaptations from a program will be the same
for men and women except that men will progress at a faster rate.

Myth #5: If I only eat 1,000 calories I will have to lose weight.

Initially there will be some weight loss due to losses in water and glycogen. After this initial period, weight loss will slow to a crawl and any new decrease in weight will be from a loss in lean tissue. Losing lean tissue is never a good thing and should be avoided at all cost. Losing muscle will cause a decrease in strength, metabolism and create a negative change in body shape.

Take Away Points:

• Don’t shy away from resistance training. This should be part of a
comprehensive approach to weight loss that includes aerobic training,
lifestyle changes and diet.

• Once you reach your goal weight/bodyfat have a cheat meal once or twice
a week. The extra calories on occasion can boost your metabolism and keep
you from gaining back some of the weight you lost.

• Crackers and water are not a meal!! Shoot for three solid meals and 2
snacks per day. If you consume 1,500 calories per day make each meal 350
calories and each snack 150 calories. Adjust accordingly for higher
calorie intakes.

• Aim to perform resistance training 2 days per week and aerobic training
3 days per week.

If you are starting to look like Santa in your Christmas best, then it might be time to start shedding some of those holiday pounds. Most people gain between 2-7 pounds over the holiday season and never take it off! Unfortunately, those weren’t protein cookies you were shoving down by the handful so most of this weight gain will be fat. Unless you are an Eskimo, this does nothing for you except slow you down.

To keep everything in perspective with regards to losing weight, let’s determine just how much work some of you may need to do. A pound of fat equals approximately 3,500 calories, which means you will have to run 35 miles to burn it off!! You could also burn 500 calories a day from diet and exercise for 7 days to lose the same amount. I don’t know about you, but I would rather trim some calories from my diet and do some aerobic exercise.

Here are some weight loss tips for the New Year to put you back on track.

Diet:
• Obviously, consume fewer calories than normal. Try to eat 250 calories under your pre-holiday diet.
• Refrain from eating refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and most fast food.
• Eat the majority of your carbohydrates from vegetables, brown rice, beans, lentils, sweet potatoes, yams, whole grains and oatmeal. A special emphasis should be placed on green peppers, apples and celery. These foods consume more calories in digestion than they contain. This is an easy way to burn calories without doing anything!
• Eat the majority of your fats from fish, nuts (almonds and peanuts), flax and virgin olive oil. Keep in mind that most people are deficient in Omega-3’s, so load up on fish oils!
• Try to keep the percentage of carbohydrates, proteins and fats at 45/35/20.
• Shoot for 5-6 small meals per day. If you consume 2,400 calories, that would mean each meal should be around 480 calories with breakfast being higher and the last meal of the day being lower.
• Don’t eat anything with high fat or carbohydrate past 8pm. Eat a small protein meal (protein shake, cottage cheese, sliced turkey, handful of almonds,) before bed to curb cravings. A great snack before bed would be some apple slices, almonds and turkey.
• If you must eat out, check the nutrition facts before you eat. Subway has some healthier choices along with Wendy’s (small chili).
• Eat spicy foods. Spicy foods raise the thermic effect of food. Lean protein sources do this also.

Exercise:
• Park further away than normal and always take the stairs. This may seem insignificant, but after weeks of doing this you may have burned over 1,000 calories!!
• A good starting point is to get in at least 2-3 days of resistance training and 3 days of aerobic training per week. If you are strapped for time, do the aerobic training after the resistance training on the same days.
• Lower your rest periods between sets (5 seconds per session until you are down to 30-45 seconds) on resistance training days. This will keep your heart rate higher, which can burn more calories.
• Perform a circuit-training program for 4 weeks. A sample program could include up to 10 exercises on a mixture of machines and free weights. Keep the rest periods between sets at 30 and 60 seconds depending on your level of conditioning. A set consists of one time through the entire circuit. Caution: This type of training is for trainees who have at least 6 months of training experience.
• The easiest way to burn calories is to raise your RMR (resting metabolic rate). Gaining lean tissue is one way to increase your RMR. One pound of muscle takes approximately 50 calories per day to maintain. That means just five pounds of muscle will burn an extra 250 calories per day without
doing anything!!