Check out the linked here for more details: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSA315LKfUs
Hope to see you all there!
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.
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.
*Taken From: New Rules of Lifting for Abs
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!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Defined Fitness Tip for Results #44: Rest For Results
A lot of these blogs are inspired by questions we get ask each day coaching clients. During a recent session I was ask, "What is worse taking too long of a rest period or taking too short of a rest period?"
To answer the question simply the answer is BOTH.
However it's not that simple.
Each rest period is designed to allow your body to completely recover from the exercise, which takes about 2-3 minutes. This is why we use non-competing sets, for example squats followed by presses, followed by a row, each of these exercises require different muscles to perform. So while you are doing the presses and rows you are recovering from the squats.
A basic rule is the less reps you are doing the longer of a rest period that is required. So a set of 6 will require a longer rest period to fully recover than a set of 15. This is where it begins to get confusing because high reps feel more demanding than lower reps. But, the lower the reps the higher the weight lifted will be and the higher the weight lifted the more central nervous system(CNS) gets fatigued and needs more time to recover. Lower weight requires less muscle fiber recruitment and heavier weight requires more muscle fiber recruitment (or more demand on the CNS).
So while cutting your rest period short may feel like you are getting a better workout, you are actually short changing yourself because your body is not fully recovering and therefore you are not able to lift as much weight, build as much muscle, and ultimately burn as much fat.
If you still don't feel taxed enough that you need to rest, then it's time to bump the weight up and/or slow down the movements.
So that explains why taking too short of a rest period negatively affects results, but what about taking too long of a break?
Too long of a break results in not creating enough of a metabolic demand on the body to burn fat and also doesn't allow your body to ever get taxed enough to release the needed hormones to build muscle.
So how long of a rest if you are looking for fat loss? It really all depends on your goals and where you are in your fitness program. A good rule of thumb is to take 60-90 seconds rest after completing 3-4 exercises in a row. Although there will be times where we will change this to keep your body responding.
30-Day Trial Membership for only $89. Ready to drop 2 sizes in 8 weeks? Get started today by calling 724-934-2000! Includes: individualized fitness program, 8 coaching sessions, unlimited metabolic group fitness classes, unlimited facility access.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Defined Fitness Tip for Results #43: Americans Continue To Get Fatter
An article ran last week on MSN stating that the latest pull has shown that Americans are continuing to get fatter each year. Not a big surprise when you look at our daily eating and exercise habits. We don't move nearly as much as we used to. Our jobs today require us to sit at a desk all day rarely getting up to move around and then we scarf down a burger and fries from the closest fast food restaurant at lunch, maybe dinner too.
So what can you do to make sure you don't become one of the many Americans who continues to gain fat each year. Incorporating the following 3 tips will ensure that you are on the right path towards dropping fat and going in the right direction.
1. Eat frequently, about every 3 hours.
2. Eat foods that are in their most natural state. We live in a prepackaged, ready-to-eat world unfortunately these types of foods provide little nutritional value and are loaded with calories.
3. Exercise. Only about 15% of the population currently workouts out regularly, that's horribly low. Aim for 3-4 days a week of weight training and then some other type of activity (jogging, basketball, tennis, walking the dog) on the other days.
Get started TODAY will your 30-Day Trial Membership for only $89 at DEFINED FITNESS and get started on a fitness and nutrition program that is designed to help you Drop 2 Pants Sizes in 8 Weeks!! Call 724-934-2000.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Defined Fitness Tip for Results #42: Fitness Challenge For Charity Day Only 3 Days Away!!
Saturday, July 16th we will be having our first ever Fitness Challenge to benefit Lift Strong and help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma. We will kickoff the day with our 9:15 a.m. Metabolic Group Class, bring your friends and family to join you at no charge for the day.
Then, at 10 a.m. we will start the Fitness Challenge. All participants will be put through 5 exercises for a minute each, with a minute rest in between. Reps will be recorded for each exercise. At the end all of the reps you scored will be totaled and who ever has the most wins a Free Recovery Shake!
Fitness Challenge Exercises:
1. Rope Slams
2. Push Ups
3. Squat Jumps
4. TRX Rows
5. Medicine Ball Slams
Click here to see all exercises:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCYje_P44-E
Also, all participants in the challenge will receive a Lift Strong T-Shirt, Water bottle, and wrist band. Donations will also be collected for Lift Strong during the day.
See you all there!
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