Things to consider when hiring a Personal Trainer

Here are some top reasons that a trainer can help you reach your fitness and health-related goals faster than you can on your own!

• Determine your goals and provide you with a strategic plan to help you reach the goals in a specific amount of time
• Assess your current condition and provide a safe and effective program
•  Monitor progress, provide feedback and motivation
•  Act as your personal resource for all of your health and wellness questions
•  Guide you through safe and effective workouts, use of weight machines, free weights and cardio machines

 
Remember, when meeting with a trainer to ask some important questions.
 
1. Ask for references.

The best way to get an honest answer. Ask previous clients if they reached their goals, were satisfied with their sessions and what they liked most about the trainer. Most trainers should be happy to do this for you.
 
2. What are their certifications?

While trainers differ in experience and competence even with the same certifications, it is important to know that they are keeping up-to-date with their fitness education, and that they have invested in themselves in order to better serve you.  Having a working knowledge of certifications will give you a better understanding of just how important a trainer's education is to them. Some organizations require classwork, practical and theory exams, while others just sell a certification. A Kinesiology degree + a personal training certification or kinesiologist designation (OKA) shows 4+ years of study of the human body. Reputable PT certifications are with the NSCA, CSEP (canadian), CPT and ACSM are designations to look for.


3. How does the trainer look?

While judging appearances is not something I promote, I do believe in "practising what you preach." Education and experience are certainly most important in this regard, however, if you are in better shape than your trainer it is probably best to look elsewhere.
 
4. Payment

Some fitness facilities are notorious for being difficult to cancel membership. Make sure you are clear on cost per session, cancellation policies and packages that are available to you.
A trainer who has your fitness in mind will give you specifics. It is up to you to weigh the dollar value against the value of your health, wellness and personal goals.

5.  What is your availability?

There is nothing worse than getting yourself motivated to work towards a goal, and then to have the obstacle of someone elses time hinder that goal. Make sure to be aware of the hours the trainer is available, and whether you can set up regular meeting times over the next few weeks. Consistency is the secret to success, and your trainer should allow you to flourish by making you aware of their availability.
 
Fitness Tip: Do not underestimate the importance of sleep, rest and recovery.
Create a healthy sleep environment for yourself in order to replenish and reenergize yourself after a tough workout.
- make your room as dark as possible. Light increases the production of melatonin and can hinder sleep
- keep digital devices away from the bed as they can impact your sleep quality
- use a quality mattress and pillow to support your neck and spine alignment.
(adapted from Canadian Health & Lifestyle Fall 2010)

Nutrition Tip: A multivitamin helps you to meet the recommended daily requirements for a wide variety of vitamins and minerals each and every day. Food alone rarely is sufficient enough to provide your body (especially when training) with adequate nutrient levels for proper function. Some vitamins and minerals play a vital role in reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease and other conditions. Look for a multi-vitamin formulated for you - sport, age-related, gender-related etc.
 
Song: Let the Bodies Hit the Floor - Drowning Pool

(This would be my entrance music if I wa a UFC fighter! haha)


 

 

15 Minute High Intensity Workout

If you are on a time crunch, have limited access to equipment or are just looking for some different exercise the following 15 minute program is an option. Perform corresponding reps and exercises continuously for 5 minutes, resting for 90 seconds before moving on to the next circuit.

10 Jump Lunges
10 Up Downs
10 Inchworms

Continue for 5 minutes
Rest for 90 seconds

15 Half Burpees
15 Thrusters
15 "Reptile" Pushups
 
Continue for 5 minutes
Rest for 90 seconds
 
20 Box jumps
20 Mountain Climbers
20 Crunches
 
Continue for 5 minutes
 
Song: Drop it to the Floor - Pitbull

Nutrition: Have you tried your Salba Yet?!

Fitness: September always evokes feelings of a fresh start. Remember that goal you thought of a few blog posts ago? What have you been doing to reach it? Consistency and discipline in diet and exercise can never be replaced.

Alli Cain, B.A.Kin, C.K.
Personal Trainer
www.ACAINtraining.com
905-806-7198

"Fat-burning" zone vs cardio training zone

Everytime I step onto a cardio machine, I shake by head at the preset "fat burning" and "cardio training" zone buttons.
The fat burning zone is characterized by exercising at a lower intensity - walking or a light jog, not letting your heart rate go above 40-60% of your max. The cardio zone is an increase in heart rate percentage to 70-85%. So, how is it then, that when you are working harder you are actually "burning less fat?"

In actual fact, you are burning more fat when you are exercising at a higher intensity, the disconnect comes in the percentage of fat vs. carbs you are using when exercising at the two different intensity levels. When you are walking or jogging, your body does burn a higher amount of calories from fat. However, in the 'cardio' zone, you burn an overall higher amount of calories - meaning an overall higher amount of calories burned from fat.
 
Here is a chart to better explain taken from http://exercise.about.com/cs/cardioworkouts/l/aa022601a.htm

Low Intensity - 60-65% MHR	High Intensity - 80-85% MHR
Total Calories expended per min.	4.86	6.86
Fat Calories expended per min.	2.43	2.7
Total Calories expended in 30 min.	146	206
Total Fat calories expended in 30 min.	73	82
Percentage of fat calories burned	50%	39.85%

	Low Intensity - 60-65% MHR	High Intensity - 80-85% MHR
Total Calories expended per min.	4.86	6.86
Fat Calories expended per min.	2.43	2.7
Total Calories expended in 30 min.	146	206
Total Fat calories expended in 30 min.	73	82
Percentage of fat calories burned	50%	39.85%

 

	Low Intensity - 60-65% MHR	High Intensity - 80-85% MHR
Total Calories expended per min.	4.86	6.86
Fat Calories expended per min.	2.43	2.7
Total Calories expended in 30 min.	146	206
Total Fat calories expended in 30 min.	73	82
Percentage of fat calories burned	50%	39.85%

	Low Intensity - 60-65% MHR	High Intensity - 80-85% MHR
Total Calories expended per min.	4.86	6.86
Fat Calories expended per min.	2.43	2.7
Total Calories expended in 30 min.	146	206
Total Fat calories expended in 30 min.	73	82
Percentage of fat calories burned	50%	39.85%

	Low Intensity - 60-65% MHR	High Intensity - 80-85% MHR
Total Calories expended per min.	4.86	6.86
Fat Calories expended per min.	2.43	2.7
Total Calories expended in 30 min.	146	206
Total Fat calories expended in 30 min.	73	82
Percentage of fat calories burned	50%	39.85%

Low intensity exercise of 130 lb woman:
Total cal expended per minute - 4.86
Fat expended per minute - 2.43
Total cal over 30 min - 146
Total fat in 30 min - 73
%of fat burned - 50%
 
High intensity exercise of same 130lb woman -
Total cal expended per minute - 6.86
Fat expended per minute - 2.7
Total cal over 30 min - 206
Total fat in 30 min - 82
%of fat burned - 39.85%

While low intensity cardio has its place, if weight/fat loss is your goal, I believe that exercising at a higher intensity will help you to achieve the results you want.
 

Nutriton Tip - Drink 1-2 glasses of water 5-10 minutes before eating a meal. Water will help you to feel more full and reduce the risk of overconsumption.

Fitness Tip - Try a Tabata for high intensity cardio. 20 seconds of as many reps of an exercise as you can (light-no resistance), 10 seconds rest - repeat 8X.
 

Song - O.P.P. - Naughty by Nature