Friday, September 23, 2011

Defined Fitness Wexford Tip of the Week #46

Eat your eggs for breakfast!

A 2008 study found that an egg breakfast compared to a calorie matched bagel breakfast for 8 weeks resulted in 65% greater weight loss, 34% greater reduction in waist circumference, and a 16% greater reduction in percent body fat. (Int J Obes (Lond). 2008 Oct; 32(10):1545-51. Epub 2008 Aug 5. Egg breakfast enhances weight loss. Vander Wal et al.)


In addition, it has also been found that eating a breakfast containing 30 grams of protein results in greater fat loss than eating less than the 30 grams.

What we are seeing is that protein is keeping you fuller longer than if you are eating carbs. Traditional breakfast foods have all been heavily carb based things such as doughnuts, bagels, cereal, and even the new high protein cereals really aren't that high, they are just higher than regular cereal.

Starchy and carb based foods spike your blood sugar levels, which helps to get you going in the morning - which is why doughnuts, bagels, and sugary cereals have become so popular - but they don't keep you full and in a few hours you are hungry again.

To start your day off with a high protein fat loss promoting breakfast, try the following:
3 eggs scrambled with 1/4 cup diced peppers
1 slice whole wheat toast (we still want some starch/carbs at breakfast, just not making up the majority of the calories)

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What Our Members Say!!
  

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Need A Speaker? We are currently looking for opportunities to speak in our local community and would love to speak to your group! It interested contact Tammy at 724-934-2000 or tammy@definedfitnesswexford.com

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Ready To Lose 2 Jeans Sizes in ONLY 8 Weeks!! Get started today with a 30-Day Trial Membership for only $89 call 724-934-2000.


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Steelers Friday's  - every Friday until the end of football season where you Steeler (or favorite team - if not the Steelers) jerseys and t-shirts to show you love for your team!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Defined Fitness Wexford Tip of the Week #45

This past month MSN released at study headlined "Jogging Beats Weight Lifting for Losing Belly Fat: Study" the findings claimed that 196 participants were placed in one of two groups jogging or weight lifting and participants did this for 8 months. The jogging group did 12 miles per week at 80% heart rate. The weight training group did 3 sets of 8-12 reps 3 times per week (they did not mention how many exercises or what type of exercise, but we dug deeper and found the actually research and what was used!) The results found that the jogging group burned 67% more calories than the resistance training group.

But, here's the rest of the story!

1. This was a machine based weight training program that placed participants seated on a machine doing isolated single-joint exercises. Not what we espouse here at Defined Fitness, which is a multi-joint total body approach and nothing is done seated.

2. It's not because of resistance training that participants showed no results in 8 months, it's a sign that a machine based program does not work.

3. The jogging group burned 67% more calories than the resistance training group. What has been overlooked by most in the industry here, researchers and trainers alike, is that current caloric expenditure is only measured from the standpoint of the aerobic system, not from the standpoint of the anaerobic system, which is the system used when weight lifting. Basically, it's like comparing apples to oranges.

In 2005 research Christopher Scott published his study, Misconceptions about Aerobic and Anaerobic  Expenditure. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2005 Dec 9;2:32-7. He found that when caloric expenditure was measured using the anaerobic system it was much, much greater than the calorie burn measured by using the aerobic system. If both energy systems caloric burn was measured for each activity the jogging group would be no where near 67% higher than the resistance training group. In addition the jogging group was doing pretty intense exercise (12 miles at 80% heart rate), much more intense than the machine based weight training program. Intensity has always been shown to correlate with fat loss.

In addition, EPOC (the number of calories burned after exercise) was not measured either. 2002 research has shown that after a workout similar to what we do here at Defined Fitness resulted in an elevated metabolism for 38 hours. And no elevated rate after was found after the completion of aerobic exercise. So after resistance training participants continued to burn calories from their workout for the next day and a half, while after completing aerobic exercise the calories burned from exercise stopped. Also, a 1999 study found that this type of specific resistance training program increased fat loss by 35% over diet and aerobic training.

The take away from the MSN study is that hard intense cardio at 80% max is better than easy, poorly designed machine based resistance training.

However, that is not what we do here at Defined Fitness. Our clients are put on a challenging program that involves total body movements with heavy weight and appropriate, but limited rest. In our current files we have close to 100 studies showing resistance training to be more effective than aerobic training. This is the first study to show the opposite.


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What Our Members Say!!
"Before coming to Defined Fitness I had tried other gyms, but never received much attention or direction from their personal trainers. When I first joined Defined Fitness I was skeptical because of my past experiences. However, after working with one of the fitness coaches at Defined Fitness I've lost 15 pounds and can finally do push-ups! Also, I had never worked up a sweat before when working out and honestly believed that I just couldn't sweat. Thanks!" - Maggie L.


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Need A Speaker? We are currently looking for opportunities to speak in our local community and would love to speak to your group! It interested contact Tammy at 724-934-2000 or tammy@definedfitnesswexford.com

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Ready To Lose 2 Jeans Sizes in ONLY 8 Weeks!! Get started today with a 30-Day Trial Membership for only $89 call 724-934-2000.

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Missed Last Night's "Rock Your Jeans" Kickoff? Here is the presentation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLXT2jjI5Y0

www.DefinedFitnessWexford.com

Thursday, August 25, 2011

DEfined Fitness Tip for Results #48: "ROCK Your Jeans" Challenge

Just a reminder that we will be kicking off our "ROCK Your Jeans" Challenge on Thursday September 15th at 7 p.m. At that time we will give you your "Rock Your Jeans" journals, have try on your jeans, and give a short presentation about the challenge. The challenge officially begins Monday September 19th.

Check out the linked here for more details: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSA315LKfUs

Hope to see you all there!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Defined Fitness Tip for Results #47: Pittsburgh Jeans Company Partners Up with Rock Your Jeans Challenge!!

Pittsburgh Jeans Company has partnered up with us for our ROCK YOUR JEANS CHALLENGE!! Each participant who fits into to their jeans will receive a gift certificate from Pittsburgh Jeans Company to use to buy a new pair of jeans!

For more info click here: Rock Your Jeans Challenge

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Are You Lifting Enough Weight?

Sometimes is hard to determine if we are working as hard as we should be in the gym. Here is a simple tip to determine if the weight you are lifting is heavy enough.

Set 1 - should feel like you could do 1 or 2 more reps.
Set 2 - should feel like maybe you could do 1 more rep.
Set 3 - should feel like an all out effort to get the last 1 or 2 reps.

That being said if you cannot maintain perfect form and/or have pain while lifting the weight is too heavy and needs to be lessened.


Friday, August 12, 2011

Defined Fitness Tip for Results #46: Special Big Announcement!!

ANNOUNCING the 2011 "ROCK YOUR JEANS CHALLENGE" !!

Imagine being able to wear the jeans stored way deep in the back of your closet in just 8 weeks. Imagine going from a 16 to a 12, a 14 to a 10 or even a 12 to an 8 in just 8 weeks.

You can!

Here's How It Works:
  • Bring in a pair of jeans from your closet or buy a pair you would like to fit into; jeans should be no more than 2 sizes too small.
  • We'll take a picture of you trying to get them on over a pair of spandex shorts or pants (contrasting color please)
  • We will keep your jeans at the gym; you will try them on at scheduled times throughout the challenge.
  • You will have 8 weeks to get into your jeans...at the end when you fit into your jeans you will receive a special bonus (TBA)
Additional Details:
  • 8 week program to lose 2 jean sizes
  • Kickoff seminar - Thursday, September 15th, 2011 at 7 p.m.
  • Everyone brings in their jeans that night with something like spandex to try jeans over because we will be taking pictures.
  • Challenge starts on Monday, September 19th, 2011
  • Cost: Defined Fitness Members = $97, Non-Members = $497
Includes:
- Strategy Session (setting goals and action plan)
- Specialized fitness program to get you into your jeans (updated fitness program - it must change every 4-6 weeks in order to keep seeing results!)
- Special VIP Workouts for "Rock Your Jeans Members" only -- 16 total
- Weekly progress meetings with your coach
- 8 weeks unlimited group interval training
- "Rock Your Jeans" journal with nutrition recommendations to guarantee you to get into your jeans
- Special Bonus "to be announced" for anyone who gets into their jeans
- Celebration Party: November 14th
- Cost can be paid in 2 payments of $248.50

Ready to "ROCK YOUR JEANS"? Register today by calling 724-934-2000.


Friday, August 5, 2011

Defined Fitness Tip for Results #45: Get in the Fat Burning Zone!

We have two basic energy systems: The Aerobic and The Anaerobic.

The anaerobic system is used for short high intensity bursts, (e.g. sprinting, lifting weights, running up the stairs) while the aerobic system is used for long sustained activity (e.g. walking, jogging, sleeping).

It has long been thought that in order to burn fat we had to get into our "fat burning zone", typically after 20 minutes of continuous activity. However, this fat burning zone doesn't actually exist. You see when this whole idea came about researchers where only looking where the calories being burned where coming from, not what the total caloric expenditure was or how high of an "after burn effect" (the total number of calories burn in the period of time following a workout that your body stays in a metabolically elivated state) was created.

Keeping the with the "fat burning zone" theory would mean that the best activity to burn the most calories from fat would be to sit completely still. Because at rest your body uses fat as the primary fuel source. If this worked we would all be thin as the average American moves less and less each year. The problem here is that while fat may be the primary fuel source the caloric expenditure is very low and there is no elevated metabolic state.

On the flip side anaerobic activity, like weight lifting, will use more carbohydrate (muscle gylcogen) as the primary fuel source, but will burn a tremendous amount more calories and create an "after burn effect" for 72 hours after completing your workout. In fact, the more intense the exercise the more calories burned and the greater the after burn effect. This is why jogging, walking, and aerobics in general don't produce as great of results because while they burn calories they aren't very intense. Nothing that is done for longer than 30-60 second bursts falls into the anaerobic category, because if you could sustain doing it for longer than that you aren't working hard enough.

On a side note, all most all of the studies done on the caloric cost of exercise (amount of calories burned) have only looked at it from an aerobic perspective. When looked at from an anaerobic perspective they have found the the anaerobic caloric cost is much greater than the aerobic cost when looking at the same exercise.

Example: 150 pound female would burn the following calories per minute of each type of exercise:
1. Sitting still = 1.35 calories
2.Walking = 5.46 calories
3. Aerobics Class = 9.30 calories
4. Jogging = 13.05 calories
5. Jumping Rope = 13.35 calories
6. KB Snatch Intervals = 26.2 calories

What's this tells us is that the more intense the exercise the more calories per minute burned, and this isn't even taking into account the after burn effect, which will increase as the intensity increases.

So let's take this on step further. Our 150 pound female has the choice between a twenty minute KB Snatch Interval done at a 30 seconds on, 30 seconds of interval repeated for 20 minutes. Or she can take a jog. If she chooses the KB Snatch Interval she will burn 524 calories in twenty minutes and create an after burn effect that will stay in place for the next 72 hours. Or she can take a 40-minute jog and burn the same amount of calories, but not create an after burn effect and her calorie burning will stop shortly after she stops running, unlike with the KB Interval.

Now does this mean that everybody needs to start doing KB Snatch Intervals. No, the same results can be achieved through a Metabolic Resistance Circuit or Non-competing supersets.


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Coming Soon! - - ROCK YOUR JEANS CHALLENGE -- 8-week challenge to get into your skinny jeans, looking great and totally rocking them!