Fitzy Bitzy: Fitness Blog - Weight Loss Blog - Trainer Blog

Success is a state of mind

There are so many types of resolutions, but why do so many fail?  Why is “New Year’s Resolution” such a cliché?  What will get people to take New Year’s Resolutions seriously, instead of just feeling there’s an obligation to make them?  What will get people to back up their words with their actions?  I think it comes down to one thing and one thing only.  To be successful with New Year’s Resolutions, I think it’s all a state of mind!

Click here for the rest of my article for ColumbusSports.com.

A sad Christmas story

I was in the gym today, and just as I was about to leave after working out, I overheard a conversation between two guys.  One of the guys was telling the other what he was doing for Christmas.  He said he was going to be with his family on Christmas Eve night through Christmas Day, but was coming home after that.  He said a day and a half was about all he could handle of his family, and in fact, he probably was going to be hanging out with some of his buddies most of the time anyway.

It made me really sad to hear this.  It made me sad to think that a day and a half is all he could handle of his family.  A day and a half!  This time of year, more than ever, should be a special time of year with the family, but has spirit of Christmas really been lost?

Being a personal trainer is a very humbling profession because I see and hear a lot of the negative things that go on in people's lives.  It makes me very thankful for the good health and wonderful family I have.  With all the commercialization that Christmas has gone through, I hope we can really be thankful for the more important gifts of good health and family because as I know, there really are so many out there that can't say they have these.  My hope is that during this time of year you stop and think about what all you already have.  So enjoy the time with family and be thankful for life.  These two matter more than any gifts you'll receive this Christmas.  Ok, now I'll step down from the pulpit...

For those who want real results: interval training

Whenever you’re planning out what you’re going to do for cardiovascular exercise, it’s always a great idea to include interval training in that plan.  Interval training is a great option no matter what your goal is.  It could be improving your endurance or burning more fat off, either way, interval training is a must.

Click here to read the rest of my new ColumbusSports.com article.

Do crunches really work?

The answer is...what are you trying to accomplish?  If your whole point of doing crunches is to lose the gut, then no they don't work.  If you're doing crunches to try and strengthen your midsection, then yes they'll help you strengthen that area, to a point. 

The best type of crunches are crunches that incorporate a twisting movement.  This incorporates your abdominal muscles and your oblique muscles, the muscles on the side of your midsection.  Basic crunches don't actually do all that much for you.  When doing twisting crunches, 3 sets of 10-25 reps should be just fine.  If you do twisting crunches right, 10-25 should be about all you can do for each set.  Lying down on the ground and hammering out 100 crunches at break neck speed is useless.  For one, you most likely are working your hip flexors (the muscles in you upper thigh area) more than your abs.  Plus, by doing crunches fast, there really isn't much tension in the ab muscles, which means they aren't working hard.  Try slowing way down, and you'll see what I'm talking about.  ACE has a really good explanation of how to work your abs, and how often to do it.

So why don't crunches help burn off the belly fat?  The problem with doing crunches to burn off the gut is you can't spot reduce.  This means you can't lose the fat in your stomach by working the muscles in your stomach.  You need to work the big muscles in your body (legs, chest, and back) in order to lose the gut.  Big muscles burn off more calories.  More calories burned off means more fat lost.

So when doing crunches, make sure you know why you're doing them.

The truth about the fat-burning zone

I recently was reading a blog that stirred up some controversy about exercising in the fat-burning zone.  We’ve all heard it before, “When trying to lose weight, it’s best to exercise in the fat-burning zone.”  We’ve also heard that this is a myth, and as a result, it can leave us with our heads spinning over the confusion of what to believe...Well consider this the end to the confusion, and not just the end to the debate, but reasons for why one school of thinking is right, and why one is wrong.

Check out the rest of my new article for ColumbusSports.com here.

Close Call

My wife and I were out yesterday afternoon running some errands.  We just had a winter storm blow through and drop 5 inches of snow on Columbus.  Normally, 5 inches of snow is no problem, but not yesterday. 

It had been done snowing for about 2 hours, so the roads were pretty clear when we were driving on them.  We're driving down this busy road, thinking the road was fine, when the light in front of us turns red.  I'm a little ways back from the light, so no big deal, right?  That's what I thought, but apparently there was some black ice in front of us.  I start braking, and the entire car decides to go sideways.  I correct it, but it goes sideways the other way, and then back to the other side.  I'm not talking about a little fishtailing; no, no, this was completely facing sideways to the point that we could've waved through the windshield at the people on the sidewalk next to the road.  While this is all happening, the turn lights turns green for the crossroad traffic.  Somehow though, I was able to straighten the car out and stop the car behind the white line before going into the intersection to get plowed into by oncoming traffic.  Whew!  What a close one.

To add to the drama, there was a car in the lane next to us, and the car behind us was sliding sideways too!  We all managed to escape our doom, but what a weird feeling that was sliding sideways down a road.  That's never happened to me before, and I hope it never happens again.  I think it's time to get some new tires put on the car.  Good grief!

Internet and weight loss?

Foxnews.com reported that a Michigan woman, who weighed 703 lbs., was able to lose 530 lbs. by, what she claims, using the internet.  She says that lying in bed eating like crazy was the biggest reason for the weight gain, but once she got internet in her room, she stopped eating and started chatting.  This is an extreme example of how nutrition plays a role in weight loss, but just think how the typical person could have much more success if they actually took their weight loss program seriously and were very strict with their eating.  Just what I've believed all along, people can work out as hard as they want, but if they aren't as serious about their eating, from nights out with friends to weekend get-togethers, they're going to become very frustrated, and may even give up.  I bet you could say this is why so many New Year's Resolutions don't work...

When it comes to sugar and weight loss, it’s “simple”

We’ve all heard about how sugar is a bad thing to eat, but do we really know why?  Sugar is blamed for everything from cavities to diabetes, and everything in between.  For someone who’s trying to lose weight though, is it really a bad thing?  Refined sugars, processed sugars, simple sugars, complex sugars, glycemic index, what does it all mean?

Check out the rest of my new article for ColumbusSports.com here.