Get an amazing body

Celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson reveals her secrets to a slim, toned body.

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You may not know her name, but you've seen the results of her work. Tracy Anderson is responsible for transforming hundreds of curvy men and women into toned, tight gods and goddesses, including Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow. Her techniques helped her shed 30 kilograms after the birth of her son. Here, she reveals her secrets.

Many of us yearn for flat, strong bellies because they make us feel sexy and attractive. But there's more to a strong abdomen than that, isn't there?

Our core is the centre of structural connection, connecting our lower muscles to the upper torso. Among other things, it is the area of structural stability: we need a strong core for good posture, improved balance and a pain-free back. Also, a fat abdomen increases the likelihood of heart disease and other killers. A strong core also helps us look sexier and feel more confident.

Can women who have had children ever get their beautiful, flat stomachs back?

Yes, absolutely! I'm a perfect example. But it's not easy. The only way is through smart, consistent exercise. I have dedicated much of my career to solving this problem for women because I was horrified by what happened to my body after giving birth to my son, Sam.

That's how I developed my post-pregnancy program, which reawakens the core abdominal muscles (which separate during pregnancy) through my unique sequence of exercises. The bottom line is start exercising immediately after your doctor gives you the green light.

Is it true that once we hit a certain age we're destined to have flabby stomachs and thick middles?

In my experience, anyone can have an amazing body at any age. All it takes is a consistent and intelligent approach. As I always say to my clients, young and old: if you do the work, if you exercise with focus, commitment and clear outcomes in mind, you will have a youthful, energised body. If you don't do the work, or don't do it in a smart way, then you will pay the price. That being said, it is true that when we hit 30 or thereabouts, our bodies begin to show signs of physical decline. We must fight for our quality of life and we should start now. But incredible change is possible in all areas, no matter who you are. Your mid-section can get tight again, your arms can get strong, your legs long and sexy. You can even regain sexual vibrancy again!

Does diet matter more than exercise, or exercise more than diet, or should we be focusing on both?

Both. Your body is a reflection of what you eat and how you move. The foods we eat and the exercises we choose have a direct relationship to our energy levels and body shape. If we do the work, the results will be visible for all. Inner and outer beauty require care and attention. But it can be time-consuming. For whatever reason, most people who have flabby bodies don't have positive associations with exercising and eating well, but those with sexy bodies usually have positive associations. Once we become fit, a great workout feels better than eating a chocolate sundae. When we eat clean, nutritious foods, we feel more powerful than when we're eating junk. It is just convenient to eat poorly and not exercise. In my experience, some of the most successful people in the world - those with the most demands on their time - make time for proper nutrition and consistent exercise. We can no longer make excuses.

What part does attitude play in our quest for health, fitness and beautiful bodies?

Attitude is everything. It is the inspiration that allows us to move our bodies when we are unmotivated. And it's the motivation that gets us to work consistently, especially when things get tough. Attitude helps us attain the body we always wanted, but thought was beyond our reach. I have learned through my years of research and training countless women and men around the world, that the mind, when used properly, is a powerful tool that can make our dreams a reality. But, like every other muscle, it must be exercised. So we must stay positive and fight for the physical and emotional health we deserve.

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10 Benefits of Personal Training

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With summer right around the corner I begin thinking shorts, tank tops, sun dresses and bathing suits!  These thoughts are often enough to get someone stepping back into the gym.  But, how many times have you set new fitness goals for yourself only to lose interest in a couple of weeks?  We all need a little help sometimes.  As a trainer, I sometimes struggle through the same flux of motivation and feelings of unfulfilled fruitless efforts as the average gym goer.  And it is for this reason that I capitalize on the tremendous benefits of working with a personal trainer.  Personal trainers are not just for stars and athletes.  Every single person can benefit from working with a trainer.  Personal training is truly an investment in one’s own health and well-being. Let’s take a look at the reasons why all people, including myself, achieve more working with a personal trainer.

ACCOUNTABILITY & MOTIVATION- Trainers are experts at holding you accountable. You have a set, paid appointment. Your trainer will be there waiting for you with a smile on his/her face each and every time you show up. They help you to not only develop your own personalized goals but to also develop a realistic and achievable plan to attain these goals. Trainers have the ability to believe in you even when you are feeling at your lowest and don’t believe in yourself. “CAN’T” is not in a trainer’s vocabulary.

DEVELOP A ROUTINE- Sure, it’s easy to get to the gym and hop on the elliptical, but then what? Trainers are educated on the most effective ways to help you get to your fitness goals. They will work with you to develop a routine that makes since and is realistic for you. If you haven’t worked out in months and are just returning to the gym, a trainer will not expect you to begin a fitness regimen consisting of 60 minute routines 5 days a week. A trainer will help you to figure out what makes since in your life that will maximize your time in the gym but not overwhelm you. They will work with you to develop an exercise routine that takes you on the path to achieving your personal goals. All along the way holding you accountable and providing motivation!

FRESH NEW PERSPECTIVES & IDEAS ON HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND FITNESS- There is an overwhelming amount of fitness, nutrition, and health information available. It is impossible for the average person to have time to sift through this information for what is most valid, accurate and up to date. It is the job of the trainer to stay on top of health trends and continue their education in order to provide you with the safest and most accurate information in the industry. Is that new fad diet really effective? Will I really get a bikini body by doing that popular workout? Is it true what I read in this 

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fitness magazine? These are just some of the questions trainers deal with on a daily basis. Trainers are able to use their education, knowledge and experience to provide you with tips and tricks to help you develop a healthier lifestyle. We are constantly sharing recipes and ways to contend with obstacles in your nutrition such as “candy in the office”, or how to manage menu’s when dining out with friends. Often trainers are the first to say, “Hey, you’ve been complaining about this for a little bit. Maybe you should go see a doctor, massage therapist, nutritionist, etc.” We see you on a regular basis and are able to recognize if something is different or just not right and are happy to point it out and refer you to the appropriate expert. We care about your health and well-being! And we will hold you accountable to taking care of yourself nutritionally, physically, and with your overall health!

SOLID, CONSISTENT, NON-JUDGMENTAL SUPPORT- Not everyone has your best interest in mind. Your trainer, though, only cares about you and your success. Your trainer will be there. Each hour you spend with your trainer is an hour to focus on you and only you! They will provide consistent feedback to help you better yourself and achieve your goals. Most importantly, the trainer is able to do this without making you feel inadequate or judged. We have all gone into the gym and worried about what we look like doing an exercise or compared ourselves to someone else. Trainers don’t judge or derogate. They help you to see all of your successes, big and small, even when you can’t see them yourself. Through this support, trainers will hold you accountable and motivate you, despite your feelings about yourself!

PROPER TECHNIQUE & FORM- Watching all the you tube videos in the world and reading all the fitness magazines, does not substitute having a person by your side providing you immediate feedback on form and technique. It is very easy to hurt yourself in the gym. Trainers pay attention, cue both your mind and your body and help you achieve your goals more quickly by making sure you are doing each exercise correctly. They can help you develop better running form, improve your posture, and increase your strength by teaching you to recruit the proper muscles and making a mind body connection. With each exercise trainers will hold you accountable to proper form and technique preventing injury!

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INJURY PREVENTION and/or INJURY REHAB- Often people shy away from equipment in the gym because they are afraid of hurting themselves. Likewise, one may stop attending the gym due to an injury. Trainers will teach you how to use equipment properly so that you do not injure yourself. Trainers will also work with you to prevent injuries in everyday life by helping you increase your balance, flexibility, and core strength. They are able to focus on specific exercises that will benefit you based on your activities of daily living. And in the chance that you have suffered an injury, trainers are able to work with you to safely exercise, keep your range of motion, and get your strength back. Just recently, I broke my leg. My trainer did not let me stop working out. After communicating with my physical therapist, we were able to develop a plan for me to keep up my upper body strength and begin rehab on my leg. A personal trainer will not let you use an injury as an excuse to not workout!!

SPORTS SPECIFIC TRAINING- Are you an athlete? Even a recreational athlete can get better at their sport. Trainers have studied body patterns and movements. They know the best exercises to help you develop strength, endurance, speed, and agility for your sport. A trainer will know if you have been keeping up your routine through your performance and will hold you accountable to the sports specific exercises in your program!

MAXIMIZE WORKOUT/MINIMIZE TIME- You will burn more calories in less time when working with a trainer. A trainer develops a program that is efficient and allows you to get the most in, in the shortest amount of time. Time does not need to be lost at the gym. If you are finding it hard to find time to workout, not only will a trainer help you to get the most out of your work out, but they will teach you how you can do that on your own. Each week trainers will follow up to see if you achieved our workout goals for the week, holding you accountable to exercise on your own time and make tweaks to the program to help you be successful!

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PERSONALIZED PROGRAM- Personal training is just that, PERSONAL! A trainer will develop a program that is specific to you and your goals. If you have an injury, if you want to climb a mountain, if you want lose weight to become pregnant, have lower back pain… The program will be specific to you and only you! A program your trainer takes the time to develop and teach to you. You know they are going to hold you accountable to achieving the goals of that program!

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING- Some of my favorite time during the week is with my clients. You develop a relationship with your trainer like no other. Your relationship is very personal. There are not very many people whom you share your goals so specifically, who in turn will work so diligently to help you achieve them. Often that hour (or two, or three) a week you spend with your trainer, is the only time in your week that is truly devoted to you, your goals, and your successes. I have had sessions in which my client is angry and just wants to workout. There is no talking for the hour. I have had sessions with clients who have recently lost a loved one and their hour with me is their time to escape. I also have sessions with clients where they are so excited to share with me their personal successes and how what we are doing in training is translating into their life outside the gym. Often times intimate details of life are shared in sessions and I am so grateful that people trust me enough to allow me these details. It is these personal relationships and the intimate knowledge of who you are that helps the trainer work specifically with you and to hold you accountable to your goals!

Although this post is titled 10 Benefits of Personal Training I thought it was important to emphasize the eleventh. The one that is reoccurring through each bullet point. The benefit that above all is most important.

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RESULTS- Working with a trainer will allow you to achieve the results that you cannot achieve on your own. Each person’s goals are extremely personal. Whether it be weight loss, injury rehab, or companionship. A trainer is going to develop goals that will lead you down a path to success. As a trainer, I work diligently with each of my clients to help them recognize their results, tangible and intangible, as well as results they never anticipated having. It is these results that not only hold you accountable to me, but they hold me, your trainer, accountable to you!

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How To Recover From Vacation Weight Gain

How can you recover from vacation weight gain?

If you have gone on vacation lately, you may realize that it isn’t necessarily hard to eat clean.  The again, you’re on vacation, so that means your diet and fitness are on vacation also!  It becomes very easy to indulge in a “vacation binge fest” where you eat and drink everything that looks appealing.

What isn’t AS easy is recovering from that vacation binge and losing the extra vacation weight gain baggage!

Throughout this post I will tell you about my experience during my last vacation binge and what I am doing to get back on track.

Vacation Fitness?

Thoughts that go through your head early in your vacation:

• I’m on vacation, I need to let myself relax…  Even with my diet.

• Damn that Key Lime Pie sure looks good!

• French fries?  YES!  Double!

• Beer, margarita, rum punch?  YES!  Line them up!

Thoughts that go through your head towards the end of your vacation:

• Holy crap, why did I eat all of that?

• Good lord that’s a big Margarita!

• Dang, I feel like a bloated, fat cow…

• Did I just completely ruin my diet?

• How long will I need to exercise when I get home to recover?

Well let me say, I just got back from a fantastic (and much needed) vacation with my wife, Paige.  We went from Indiana and traveled down to the Miami area and the Keys.  It was an awesome vacation for us and best of all the majority of our travel and hotel stays were paid for by my loyalty points!  That left us with a lot of money to eat and drink everything we wanted.  (Maybe too much…)

The vacation binge fest

While we were on vacation, we went down near the Florida Keys.  Now, when you are in the Keys, it is almost criminal to not have some of the delicious Florida Key Lime Pie.  Let me emphasize the word DELICIOUS…  

Here is a brief list of my binge-fest foods I had:

• Key Lime Pie in Ft. Lauderdale at Coconuts and in Key Largo at Mrs. Macs Kitchen

• Key Lime Freeze at Mrs. Macs in Key Largo (like a key lime pie was blended and put in some glorious milk shake, slushy thing!)

• Mustang Sally Burger at the Burger and Beer Joint in Miami

• Homemade Ice Cream

• 36oz, $30 (don’t get me started, there was no price on the menu) “Bulldog Margarita” at The Place in South Beach

• Room Service Pizza and Fish Tacos at The Hilton Bentley South Beach

• Grouper Sandwich at Shooters Cafe on the Intracoastal in Ft. Lauderdale

• Lots of Oysters

• A cuban platter in Little Havana

• Blue Crab at Pinchers in Naples

I’m sure there were more, but I think you get the point…  Cheat meal?  No, no, no…  How about CHEAT WEEK!  Let me at least say, I did lift weights a few times at the hotel fitness centers and some were awesome with huge weight rooms which had lots of free weights and quality equipment…

Remember, I am a believer in cheat meals and cheat days. Let me know if you found this helpful? Comment any other tips you've found helpful to drop those vacation kilos.

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Swimming to lose weight

Swimming helps lose weight, burn calories and puts little stress on your body. Swimming works all the major muscles, and will tone you up and slim you down!

You can train to swim at a competitive level or you can enjoy a few healthy lengths at your local pool; you decide how much you want to achieve in swimming and set your own pace.

Whatever level you choose, swimming is good for you and it's never too late to learn or improve your swimming skills. A relaxing form of exercise means weight lost by swimming is fun too!

Many public pools now offer swimming combined with aerobics , (aqua-aerobics), to help lose weight. This is high impact aerobics without the high impact. Aqua-aerobics (or swim-nastics) will help to shed those pounds, and tone you!

What are the benefits of swimming to aid weight loss?

Swimming burns calories, so helps you lose weight and swimming for weight loss has been regularly praised for its cardiovascular health benefits, especially for older people. 
As swimming uses so many muscles in your body, your heart and lungs must work hard to supply them all with oxygen. This means that swimming will give your cardiovascular system an excellent workout.

Any exercise that makes you breathe a little heavier is good because it means your body is working hard!  As your heart and lungs get stronger you will be able to go for longer before you get tired, your resting heart rate will decrease and blood pressure will lower.

Regular swimming when losing weight will improve your health and may reduce the risk of chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. The NHS choices website offers more information.

Can swimming improve your figure and muscle tone?

Swimming is known to be one of the best all round aerobic exercises because it works all the major muscle groups so targets every area of your body.

There are 4 main strokes to choose from:

• Freestyle
• Breaststroke
• Backstroke
• Butterfly

and you can tailor your swimming sessions to exercise specific areas of your body.

Will swimming improve strength?

Swimming provides constant resistance exercise as you are battling against the water to propel your body forward. This makes it excellent for increasing strength especially in the upper body.

As your swimming progresses you will build muscle which in turn burns fat. So calories will be burned as you swim, plus you will burn more calories as your swimming improves. 
You will also burn an increased amount of calories even after the exercise is finished as your body uses energy to recover and rebuild muscle tissue.

Will swimming improve flexibility?

Due to the nature of the movement when performing swimming strokes it can aid in improving the flexibility of the muscles and joints.

What are the other benefits of swimming?

• Top athletes use swimming to aid recovery from injury as it is low impact but still builds excellent muscular and cardiovascular endurance. So if you have had an accident and want to get back into exercising, taking up swimming is an ideal way to do that.

• It’s fun. You don’t have to just do length after length in the pool. Things like treading water burns calories too. So if you have kids take them down to the pool and enjoy it. It will be excellent for their health too.

• Swimming can be relaxing and give you a little ‘me’ time away from it all. Burning calories might be the last thing on your mind but what an excellent bonus.

• You could also join a water aerobics class if lane swimming isn’t your thing. These are held in most pools so check in and ask at your local centre to find out more. Or alternatively maybe you fancy giving water polo a try.

How many Calories will Swimming Burn?

Depending on your weight and exertion level you'll burn between 90-550 extra calories in a half-hour session.

Getting Started with Swimming

If you are unsure of how to start, then our handy tips will get you on your way…

• Check out your local pool; most public pools have separate times for different groups - adults only / men only / women only / mother and toddlers

• Try to set aside time at least once a week when you will go swimming.

• Remember to warm up and stretch before you swim off as the large range of rotation around the joints from swimming means you need your muscles to be long and flexible.

• Don’t forget your legs, which are often overlooked when swimming.  Stretching them will reduce drag in the water by improving your form and also help prevent cramp.

• Get a friend to join you if this will help motivate you.

• Start off by swimming a few lengths of the pool and build up the distance each week.

• Change your strokes to add interest and exert yourself in different ways.

• To begin with have breaks every few lengths to get your breath back. Each session decrease the duration of this break until you can cut them out entirely and swim nonstop.

• Look out at your local pool for news of swimming clubs which normally cater for all age groups.

Swimming Kit Bag

• Costume/Trunks - There are hundreds available, you decide which you feel most comfortable in.
• Goggles - Improve vision and prevent chlorine irritating the eyes.
• Ear plugs- useful if you don’t like to get water in your ears, or if you're susceptible to ear infections.
• Water Bottle – Remember you are exercising so need to keep your body hydrated.  Keep this at the end of your lane so that you can drink in your breaks.

Safety when Swimming

Even in a pool with lifeguards, there are dangers and more so if you a learner or not a strong swimmer:

• Do not get out of your depth.
• Have respect for other swimmers and give them enough space to go by if they are faster.
• Take extra care when swimming in the sea or lakes / open water.

And Finally, if you can’t swim…

Do not worry as many pools offer adult-only beginner lessons so have a look at your local leisure centre to see what is available; pensioner’s  and children’s rates  will often be heavily discounted.

Swimming for Weight Loss?

See how swimming and other exercise can help you to lose weight with Weight Loss Resources' tools. You can keep online exercise and food diaries, see how many calories you burn and how many you consume.

Comment below what you think :) Love hearing your opinions and thoughts x


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http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/logout/sport/swimming.htm

Healthier You – Fitness Steps

Your fitness isn’t only a reflection of the number of hours you’ve spent in the gym and the healthy food you’ve been eating. A large number of tiny, external factors affect your fitness like lack of sleep, stress, sedentary lifestyle, etc. A perfect fitness plan takes all these factors into consideration along you’re your fitness training. We’re in a constant battle against everything that stands in our path to being a lean, mean fighting machine.  We believe that these small tips can definitely push you towards a healthier, fitter you.

Schedule Family Fitness Time:
Rather than spending time in front of a movie screen, consuming greasy sugar loaded treats, you can take the family out on a hike or a picnic and have a fun, healthy day that’ll bring the family together.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep:
Spending too little time hitting the sack is proven to cause stress to the body by increasing cortisol and insulin. This makes fat loss difficult, as it promotes fat storage and fatigue.

Get Active At Work:

Rather than being sedentary at work, we suggest you walk around in your breaks, also when you’re sitting in front of your computer, you can sit up and pull in your abs.

Cook Healthy:
As the cook, you can control the amount of butter and saturated fats that go into your food. Grilling and roasting foods are the best options. You can also control the amount of salt and sugars you use, by limiting the use of preserved sauces and instant mixes.

Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals:
Studies show that eating 6 small meals a day is beneficial in the long run, as the smaller the meal, the less your stomach will stretch.

De-stress:
Studies show that stress is the major cause of many diseases. So, take a deep breath and don’t stress over the small stuff, it’ll just make things more stressful.

Hydrate with Water:
Don’t turn to sodas, juices or calorie laden drinks when you’re thirsty. Drink 8 glasses of water to quench your thirst. Most people binge eat without realizing the cause of their hunger is actually thirst.

Always Eat a Wholesome Breakfast:

Studies show that people who eat a good breakfast are less likely to binge during the day and be obese. We suggest eggs, as a breakfast of eggs and whole wheat toast/oats will fuel you for the rest of your day.

Do you have a walk around during your lunch break? What other sneaky tips do you apply in your daily life to help you lose weight? Any other fitness tips up your sleeve you'd like to share? I love hearing your feedback! Comment below and let me know :) Have a great day xx


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http://personaledoctor.com/healthier-you-fitness-steps?utm_campaign=camp

Why Getting Fit Isn’t the Best Exercise Motivation (and 10 Better Reasons to Move Today)

We’re told time and again that in order to get healthy we need to let go of our “lower” instincts (e.g. conserving energy on the couch or preferring to go out and have fun) and embrace future goals. We need to take things seriously – have concrete objectives and clear steps to execute them. It’s about getting down to business and whipping ourselves into shape through the grit of sweat and discipline. Or?

Sure, a proclivity to plan for the future and to favor self-control over momentary whim, research shows, will get us far on the health front (PDF).

It’s hands down the best mindset when we have emotional access to that “higher” self. The stubborn truth is, I’ve never met someone who could maintain this every day. Most days I get bored of it myself in all honesty.

Like it or not, research has shown that health isn’t an effective incentive for most people to consistently exercise. In fact, people whose primary aim for exercise is health or weight loss end up investing the least time actually following through.

So, if the typical rationales aren’t the most effective or reliable motivators, then what is? According to the research, we tend to be better off finding our initiative in the “affective outcome expectations” – the attitudinal and perceived benefits to our lives. To put it simply, if it makes us feel better on some level, we’re more likely to follow through.

In keeping with this pattern, the more immediate the perceived benefit, the more powerful and influential it is on our behavior. The same short-term gratification that gets blasted as our health’s worst enemy can actually be harnessed for good. Go figure…maybe our primary instincts don’t always have to drive us into the ditch.

In that spirit, let me throw out 10 short-term incentives for getting one’s duff off of the couch – or office chair. Forget all about your blood pressure or cancer risk or cardiovascular conditioning. Forget the term body fat or the principles of metabolic functioning. What matters in this list is the here and now – same-day benefits if you will.

1. You’ll come away from a single workout with better attentional processing, working memory (PDF) and motor memory.
2. You’ll enjoy a brighter mood and less anxiety for the next few hours – even if you keep it simple with a slow jog or a brief walk outdoors.
3. Can anyone say post-workout glow – with all the compliments that come with it?
4. You’ll be able to “walk off” or get some distance from whatever emotional stress is zapping your mental energy.
5. If you’re like subjects of one study, you’ll experience a significant boost to your body image after just one resistance training session. (Note: a single bout of cardio training didn’t offer the same enhancement.)
6. You’ll have more self-control – and higher brain function – after a workout thanks to the enhanced blood and oxygen flow to the pre-frontal cortex.
7. A single workout can offer hypoalgesic effects (temporary pain relief) for those who experience chronic pain.
8. A bout of exercise primes you for sexual arousal post-workout. Just sayin’.
9. Finally, according to one study on sedentary women (who had not been diagnosed with insomnia like sample groups in a previously publicized study), you may sleep better even after a single bout of moderate exercise.
10. Bonus: how about just having fun? Can we dare to drop the interest in physical benefits period and just go out and have a good time with an active pick-up game of whatever sport we enjoy or a competitive run or a some MovNat inspired antics that make the neighbors stare?

Seriously, sometimes the best motivation is the seemingly most rudimentary or even irrelevant. Move around the ways that offer you the most fun and excitement – and forget the rest. Happy primate equals healthy primate. How much more Primal can it get?

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http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-getting-fit-isnt-the-best-exercise-motivation-and-10-better-reasons-to-move-today/#axzz3kctexbQm