BeFit: Fitness & Nutrition

How To Improve Appearance of Your Chest Dent or Cover Up Your Pectus Excavatum

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:09:55 PDT

As a personal trainer with pectus excavatum, I know how tough it can be to live the day to day life with pectus. It's constantly on your mind, especially during the hot summer days or when you're wearing a thin t-shirt. I know, I've been there. You're not alone.

I've never wanted to opt for any of the surgeries. It's a personal choice. I noticed it when I was about 13 years old, and ever since then, I've come up with ways to hide it, certain clothing that looks better on me, etc.

I've since learned of several exercise, yoga, and training techniques, which have helped the appearance with a lot of dedication. My pectus has probably improved about 25% in the past 2 years or so, which is absolutely amazing considering there was no surgery involved. That combined with the fact that I've bulked up the areas surrounding the "dent" make it look a whole lot less noticeable. You can read my article on how to improve your physical appearance with pectus by clicking here.

My confidence has improved ten-fold. Half of that was mental preparation. I managed to convince myself that nobody cares about it and that it's all in my head. I challenged myself by making the pectus noticeable in public situations, and when nobody would notice, my confidence started to build and I'd say to myself, "hey, maybe nobody does care!". Don't get me wrong, the extra effort I've put into stretching and working out has helped as well!

If you're reading this, you're probably looking for ways to make your PE less noticeable in public, while you're hanging out with your friends, etc. I don't blame you. I don't condone "hiding" it for the rest of your life. I came up with these methods WHILE I worked to improve the appearance of my pectus. I promise that if you combine what you read in this article with the article I've linked above, you'll see improvements. It just takes time and patience.

Let's start with your posture.

When I first tried to hide my pectus excavatum, I'd walk with my shoulders slumped forward and my back arched. This does help hide it somewhat, but it also contributes to not only really bad posture, but it also contributes to the PE form. Stand straight, pull those shoulder blades together, and walk proudly. This might feel weird and very, very uncomfortable at first, but you will get used to it. Your chest muscles will probably feel really, really tight. This is because your muscles are adapting and aren't used to being stretched like this, after all, you've been shaping yourself around your dent. It's time to make your dent conform to you!

I found that avoiding t-shirts was my best bet, but if I did have to wear a t-shirt, I would generally wear tighter t's that would "stretch" over the dent, therefore not conforming to it. Combine this with a tight "wifebeater" or "a-shirt" underneath and it should do a decent job of hiding the PE. Although wifebeaters will stretch out over time and won't maintain their elasticity until you wash and dry them to help tighten the fabric back up.

The texture of the t-shirt REALLY helps. Generally thicker t-shirts will hold their shape better than a really thin t-shirt. I've found that t-shirts from the Gap, American Eagle, Wal-Mart are TOO THIN for this purpose. The best shirts I've found from my experience come from Abercrombie, Hollister, Lucky, etc. I've also found that t-shirts by the following brands are generally made of thick material:

Tapout
Affliction
Ed Hardy

If you have any more to add to the list, please leave your answer in the comments!

Now, if you're like I used to be, you'd avoid t-shirts at all costs because they seem to sink into the dent more than other shirts. I've found that button up shirts were always my favorite choice. With a t-shirt underneath, you can leave a button-up shirt unbuttoned all the way to the pectus and it gives you a great look. You will find that when you're wearing a button up, you think a lot less about your pectus than you would otherwise.

Another great choice is a polo-shirt. Because of the V-shape in the collar, it conforms to your pectus as well. The thicker the polo shirt, the better.

I can't seem to explain why the following idea works, but it does. I've found that sleeveless t-shirts seem to take the focus off of the pectus excavatum dent. It could be because of my muscled arms! (Just kidding, or maybe not.)

Do you have anything to add? Leave some comments!

5 Tips To Get A Leaner, Flat Stomach

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:24:51 PDT

As a personal trainer in Greenville, SC it seems that the one question that I receive the most is "How can I get a flat stomach" or "How can I get a six pack?".

The answer to that isn't as easy as some infomercials or magazines would like you to believe. Getting a flat stomach or a six pack is always going to be a work in progress, and even when you get there, you have to constantly maintain it to keep it lean and trim.

So, where can you get started?

Here are a 5 tips to help you get on your way.
1) When doing ab exercises, mix it up. The more varied and mixed-up your routine is, the more you're bound to do. If you do the exact same crunches every single day, you're probably bored or have fallen into the old trap of same ol', same ol'. Switch it up! Do planks, which are GREAT for the transverse abdominis muscle. It's the ab muscle that is responsible for holding your stomach together, so if you tighten it, it's going to lead to a tighter appearance on your gut.

2) Do more cardio! Doing cardio? DO EVEN MORE! This is the number one way to get a flat stomach in the shortest amount of time. Burning calories from cardio eliminates those calories immediately from the body! Your stomach fat is made up of adipose tissue, or fat. By burning that fat with straight-up cardio workouts, you're going to melt it away.
3) Eat plenty of fiber and drink lots of liquids. Fiber is great for digestion, and also aids in getting some junk out of the large intestine. You know that bulge you get at the bottom of your stomach? It could be attributed to a bunch of junk contributing to the enlarged intenstine. Keep your body hydrated with water or calorie-free liquid and you'll be another step closer.
4) Lift weights and train your entire body! Lifting weights aids in the raising of your metabolic rate, or your metabolism. What does this mean for you? How about, even when you're not working out, you're still burning calories. Sounds pretty good, eh? Train the body with strength training. It's good for you, gives you a better overall appearance, and creates lean muscle.
5) Count your calories and eat half-way decent. Yes, I said eat half-way decent. We're not all perfect and besides, there is good food out there. You can still enjoy this food, just keep track of what you're taking into your body and be aware of how many calories you should be consuming for your body type, weight, age, and height. This can go a long way in overall maintenance of a slim, lean figure.

You can find more tips on the right side of my blog.

Workout For The Robert Pattinson Obsessed: The Robert Pattinson Workout For the Robsessed

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:27:01 PDT

So, if you're reading this article, you're either a Robert Pattinson fan or you're a guy. Because everybody knows that if you're a female, you're automatically a Twiglight/Pattinson fan. If you're a guy, you probably meant to search for "chicks and beer", so just click the back button on your browser and return to Google search. For the rest of you, let's get started.

If you're STILL reading this, you're no longer just a fan of R-Patz. Nope. You're an obsessed, Robert-crazy lunatic. Why? Simple. Who else wants to read a workout for the Robert Pattinson obsessed? Nobody else! That's who! So, why am I writing this? Because there's enough of you out there that this will actually get read.. A LOT!

Why did I create a workout for the Robert Pattinson fan? Because like most fans of the Twilight star, you probably have been sitting at home for months consantly refreshing TMZ, PerezHilton, and Twitter looking for any updates and shirtless pics of the pale young man.

Ready?

No?

Okay, take a few more minutes to finish staring at the latest pictures of him and his new car. Okay, are we good now? Great.

Step 1: It's obviously 3 AM and you probably have your laptop sitting on your lap, so let's take advantage of that. As a warmup, go ahead and lift your laptop up and toward your chest, and back down. Repeat 30 times or until muscle fatigue.

Great, biceps are loosened up. Now, let's put the laptop to the side and, here's the important part, FULLY CLOSE IT. I can't have your shirtless Robsessed background wallpaper keep you distracted. I know, this is hard for you to do, but trust me..it's good for you. This is probably the first time in months that your laptop has been un-used anyway, so let's give it a break.

Step 2: Your legs are probably asleep and there are probably pop-tart wrappers, soda cans, and fast food bags all over the coffee table and floor. Go ahead and kick those out of the way and stretch your legs out so they stop being asleep. Good job!

Step 3: Lay down on your stomach and place your palms down on the ground. We're going to start off with some upper body training, pushups! Slowly lower yourself to the ground and lift yourself back up using the strength of your upper body. This is great for the triceps, traps, pecs, etc. Not motivated enough? I already knew that. That's why I thought ahead. I want you to picture Robert laying below you, ladies. Now lower yourself each time to kiss him. Do as many as you are able.

Step 4: Great! You probably did 1 million pushups just now. All you needed was a little motivation! Next, we're going to go outside for a little jog. A little sun is good for you. Besides, we all know that just because you like ol' Rob doesn't mean you want to be as pale as him. Or do you? In this case, wear a hoodie and gloves on your jog.

Step 5: Who am I kidding? You've already given up and are back at your computer because you were so afraid you'd miss the latest "Where is Robert" news update.

Can't say I didn't try. Give yourself a pat on the back, girls. You did great!

My name is Justin Bowers. I'm a certified personal trainer from Greenville, SC and I decided to take a break from the normal serious fitness article and have some fun. I hope you enjoyed it. Visit my website at http://BeFitOnline.com.

How To Stick To Your Weight Loss Resolutions

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:05:33 PDT

The number one reason that most people fail at their weight loss and exercise goals is because they quit. Bottom line: For something to work, you have to keep at it. If you keep doing the exact same thing over and over again and expecting different results, then you must see the light and realize that you have to make the change mentally.

If you hit the gym and know what to do, come home and know what to eat, and you're still not seeing results... it's probably because you're not doing these things. That's where it's not the task at hand that's the problem, it's you. You've got to mentally prepare yourself.

Trust me, a half-drunken promise on New Years is very different than actually putting in the work when it comes down to crunch time.

Here's a few ways to make sure you stick to your weight loss promises:

1. Reward yourself. Think about this-- have you ever worked your butt off with no reward? Have you ever put in a hard day's work and not expected some sort of incentive? No. Human beings thrive on being rewarded for hard work. Give yourself that dress if you hit a certain weight by a certain time. Take yourself out to your favorite dinner on your cheat day if you don't miss a workout session for a month. Be creative. Some of my clients even enjoy having a chart to put stickers on. Whatever helps you tick-- use it to your advantage.

2. Cut down your large goal. I know you have a certain weight or size to be at within a certain time, but it seems like a far reach if you don't look at the smaller picture for the time being. A great example of this: Focus on cutting your large weight loss goal of 50 pounds down to 5 pound increments.

3. Be realistic in your expectations. It took months and even years to put on the weight. It's not going to melt off just by putting in sweat equity in the gym for a couple of weeks. Believe me, if it was that easy, everyone would be walking around with a six pack. Besides setting your ultimate goal, set a smaller, more realistic goal of, say, sticking to your diet for good this time.

Take other tips to heart. Take it one day at a time. Ask your friends and family to encourage you. You can do this. It just takes time.

Is Gatorade Bad For You?

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:19:38 PDT

I can't tell you how many times I've been in the gym and I've noticed someone barely working out, then they "quench" their thirst with a Gatorade or another sports drink.

I've been asked this question a lot:

"Is Gatorade bad for me?"

It depends on the situation, I suppose.

If you're doing high intensity or long duration exercise programs, then Gatorade is great for re-hydrating you and re-energizing you. Gatorade is a great source of sodium and potassium. Both of these you lose when you sweat, so if you sweat enough, Gatorade is actually worth it.

Now, if you don't work out or barely break a sweat when you DO work out, Gatorade isn't good for you. Why? An entire bottle of Gatorade can contain up to 56 grams of sugar. Add that on top of an already sedentary lifestyle, then yes, Gatorade can technically be "bad" for you.

Water is still the best fluid to take in on a daily basis for maximum calorie burning potential. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via http://BeFitOnline.com.

Weight Loss Myths That Will Hinder Your Progress

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:09:38 PDT

Whether you're trying to drop a few vanity pounds to fit into that bride's maid dress or you're really gung-ho and trying to drop 50 pounds by next summer, everyone around you always has their opinion.

"Eat this! Not that!"

"Cut this out!"

"Do more of this, that's bad for you!".

Quite frankly, if the person giving you the advice isn't a doctor, fitness professional, or nutritionist... take their advice with a grain of salt. But only one grain, as too much salt can cause water retention. (There was a joke in there.. did you catch it? Huh, huh?!)

But I digress.

Here are several common weight loss myths that people still believe to this day.

1. Bread is bad for you. Bread isn't bad for you. It's a great provider of carbohydrates. Often times, people who cut bread from their diet can lose several pounds. This is more than likely attributed to the tremendous amount of butter cut-back that also comes along with it.
2. Don't worry about counting calories. Who says? Not me! "I may not keep an in-depth of my calories like I used to, but I have a general idea of how many calories I'm taking in daily, give or take a hundred or so", says Mandi Evergreen of Greenville, SC.
3. Don't eat snacks. Actually, you'd better be snacking! When you snack on healthy substitutes, it helps curb your appetite so that you don't over-indulge when you eat your big 3 meals.
4. Don't eat desserts or junk food. Do you think you could go a long time without your favorite indulgence? Didn't think so. Don't deprive yourself of your favorite sweet. In moderation, a little junk food is okay.

5. Cut carbs/protein/fats.... If you deprive your body of any of the nutrients it needs to function, it will eventually catch onto it and start pulling those nutrients from other vital sources, such as your muscles. Eat a well balanced diet-- which includes fats, carbs, and proteins.

Boomer Berry Review: Real Or Scam?

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:12:37 PDT

As I sit here, I saw an infomercial for a product just now called a "Boomer Berry". It basically claims to be a mix of acai berry and omega 3 oils. It's called a boomer berry because it's supposed to appeal to the boomer generation.

I did not notice the commercial make any ridiculous weight loss claims. Besides mentioning that the product can "help you live healthier", they definitely watched their step. They are smart and know that if they made the crazy weight loss claims, that fitness professionals would be all over them.

The acai berry portion seems to be highlighted by several other ingredients, with the berry being the main focus of the product.

So, it claims to improve heart circulation and prevent heart disease. As far as directly defending against heart disease, I don't think so. BUT, the acai portion does contain potassium, which is a huge player in helping support positive blood flow.

Boomer berry also says it boosts energy levels. Basically, boosted blood flow translates into increased energy-- so these are almost one in the same.

It seems that there is finally an acai berry product out there that isn't making drastic marketing claims. We'll see if time will tell!

At The End Of The Day...

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:54:20 PDT

Remember, at the end of the day, weight loss is just calories in vs. calories out. Don't make it too complicated. You can do it.

The Biggest Loser; How Do They Lose All Of That Weight In Just One Week?

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Wed, 06 May 2009 10:15:29 PDT

One of the most influential and popular reality shows on TV is NBC's Biggest Loser. Several contestants, most of whom have been overweight their entire life, are pit against each other in challenges that challenge them mentally and physically. Each week, everyone weighs in. The two contestants with the least percentage of weight loss will be put up for elimination.

What's equally inspiring and amazing is the fact that these contestants consistently put up high weight loss numbers each week they weigh in. 7 pounds, 10 pounds, even the rare 20 pound drop in one week. That's absolutely incredible! Some of us are trying to ONLY drop 20 pounds, yet these guys do it in one week.

In the real world, we've all heard that it's safe to drop 2 pounds per week while exercising. Anything over that for long term can be detrimental, so how are these guys able to lose that much weight without drawing red flags from the medical and diet community? Better yet, HOW DO THEY LOSE ALL OF THAT WEIGHT?!

First off, these contestants are taken completely out of their environments. They have no jobs, no families, no responsibilities. Their only goal is to lose weight. When their entire environment is optimized for weight loss, these miracle moments happen. From working with a personal trainer to having nutritionists limit everything these guys take in, it's really easy to see why they lose weight. Also, not having anything else to do means that they have more time to dedicate to exercise.

3 hours a day is what the contestants are put through. An hour of strength training on top of two hours of cardio. Not to mention their caloric intake is almost cut in half. When these contestants are used to consuming anywhere from 3,000 to 3,500 calories per day, dropping to 1500 calories a day will really drop those pounds.

So, how come the rules don't apply to them and they do to us as far as safe weight loss is concerned? Simple. The contestants are being monitored by doctors, physicians, personal trainers, and EMTs-- all on site 24/7. They're taken through rigorous body tests to make sure that their vital signs are okay.

I don't know about you, but I don't think I could afford to quit my job and hire a full time doctor!

Exercising And Pectus Excavatum: How To Properly Exercise With Pectus And Improve Overall Physical Appearance

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:14:25 PDT

UPDATE: Read my other article on how to hide your pectus excavatum by wearing the right clothing! Click here.

When it comes to working out with Pectus Excavatum, it can be really confusing. The gym is already a confusing place and having a deformity that affects one of your main muscle groups makes it even more confusing-- and downright scary to some.

Pectus Excavatum is (from Wikipedia) "the most common congenital deformity of the anterior wall of the chest, in which several ribs and the sternum grow abnormally. This produces a caved-in or sunken appearance of the chest. It is usually present at birth and progresses during the time of rapid bone growth in the early teenage years, but in rare cases does not appear until the onset of puberty. Pectus excavatum is sometimes considered to be cosmetic, however it can impair cardiac and respiratory function, and cause pain in the chest and back. People with the abnormality may experience negative psychosocial effects, and avoid activities that expose the chest."

As a fitness professional, I had several reluctancies about jumping into a profession that dealt heavily on the judgement of one's body. I have been diagnosed with mild PE and haven't had any surgeries to correct it. I developed one of the rare puberty cases and didn't even notice until I was 13. My entire life was a struggle, especially school. For years, I avoided taking my shirt off for fear of judgement of my peers. Although later in life I found that very few notice, and the ones that do, don't really care one way or the other.

Why would someone with PE want to work out if they have a sunken chest?

Hopefully you want to work out for health reasons and not just the cosmetic benefits, but that's besides the point. Strengthening up the other muscles surrounding the deformity can actually give you a better outward appearance, which translates into more self confidence. I've also found out that certain chest stretches and chest expansion exercises provide a unique feel and, over time, can help the look of the PE.

Do I have your attention yet? This isn't an article for someone who has had PE corrective surgery such as Ravitch or Nuss, but for someone who hasn't yet or will not have the procedure. This is just another means to maintain a positive outlook and appearance with PE with ways that I have found productive through exercise.

So, what should you do?

Train other muscle groups surrounding the PE.

If you beef up the surrounding muscles, it gives you a better overall appearance that can actually focus attention away from your dent. Focusing on your arms, shoulders, back and abdominals can go a long way.

For shoulders, I prefer to do seated military presses. These work either with free weights or a machine. Shoulder shrugs are also great for beefing up this area.

Delts are usually neglected by most novice gym goers, but adding mass to these is essential for a wider appearance. Doing delt raises to strengthen your front and side delts gives you a "wider" look, which is great from a frontal view. It can really focus attention away from your chest.

Biceps and triceps are essential for a great upper body appearance. Train them often, train them hard. Just don't over do it! You think you'll be worried about your chest if you're walking down the street in a sleeveless T and your guns sticking out? I don't think so!

One of the most important upper body muscle groups to work is your back. Training your lats gives you a wider appearance from the arms down. It's all about depth. The wider your upper body is, the less obvious your pectus seems. Don't get me wrong, your haller index (depth of the dent) won't improve. Having a muscular back also helps force you to stand upright, and we all know what a great posture can do for the appearance of PE.

Another very important muscle group to train is your core. Having a slim stomach goes a long way, especially if you have the "pot bellied" appearance often associated with Pectus. This isn't true for all cases, but I've found that training my abs hard along with a very healthy nutrition intake actually helped the appearance of the flared ribs. My theory is that the muscles actually pulled the inferior ribs inward.

How do I train my chest if I have Pectus? Do I try to get big pecs?

This is often the most confusing muscle group to work. We all want "normal" looking chests, but let's look at it like this: All of us with P.E. are normal, everyone else is weird! I've been given advice on both sides of the fence on how to train your chest and will now present both arguments and my opinion on both.

Theory #1: Train your chest hard. Do pec flys, chest presses, bench presses and bulk it up! The extra muscle in your pecs will actually hide the dent!

My view: In theory, this seems like a great idea, but there's one problem. In the dent area, there is no muscle tissue, which means you can't really hide something with muscle if there's no muscle there to cover it with.

I actually experimented with this in my earlier training years. I found that the added muscle only added to the problem. It actually gave the impression that the depth of the dent was deeper. If you have two mountains with a big canyon in the middle, making the mountains bigger will only make the canyon appear deeper.

Theory #2: Don't bulk up your chest.

This works best for me, and I've found that most sufferers of PE agree with me on this issue. This is where it gets confusing for some.

So do I not do any chest exercises at all? Do a little? Tell me!

Well, I've found that what works best with me and my PE is to lightly train the chest-- not for bulk and mass, but for tone. How do you train for tone? Light weight, high reps. Instead of your chest growing, it just becomes more tone. It actually gives you a better cosmetic look and takes away from the center of your chest.

Stretches and chest expansion exercises.

I do regular yoga and stretching exercises dedicated to the chest and surrounding areas. I'm in my mid-twenties, so the window for actually seeing vast improvement has mostly passed for me. The actual appearance of my pectus seems to have improved slightly, but the key is consistency. Stretch every day and do it often. Two to three times per day.

My favorite chest expansion exercise actually isn't a chest exercise at all. Dumbell pullovers actually target the back muscles, but when performed, actually give the chest a "pull" feeling. Will these actually get rid of the dent? No, more than likely not.

So why do these? They keep the chest muscles loose and limber and can assist with helping you alleviate the condition getting worse or going back to your old habits (slumping forward, anyone?).

For reference purposes, here's a great article resource I found on http://pectusinfo.com on ribcage expansion. You might be able to take some ideas from it.

Don't forget your bracing!

When you're not working out, proper bracing of the rib cage can assist in the appearance of the flared ribs and 'pot belly' appearance. Consistency is key. Although there is no definitive proof that bracing serves long term results, several members of the Pectus community testify that this truly works. With discipline and consistency, this might be an option for you as well.

I've heard a lot of great reviews of LaceIT torso braces from PE sufferers. You can find more information on LaceIT here: http://www.advancedorthoticdesigns.com/

Work out your legs, do your cardio, and eat right!

You can't abandon your legs. A great overall body appearance will give you boosted self esteem. Squats, lunges, calf raises, etc. will tone those legs up in no time. Don't forget to do your cardio. Really hitting the ground running with your cardio combined with eating right will really shape up that midsection. You'll actually consider taking your shirt off then!

In conclusion.....

Don't let Pectus weaken you as a human being. You're only as strong as you allow yourself to be. Letting something so small such as Pectus Excavatum run your life can be really easy. I know this because I used to be that person. I constantly thought about it. It consumed my life and actually forced me to miss many events because I obsessed over it.

Make your body stronger. If you have a strong body, you'll feel stronger. Someone who is strong physically will be strong mentally. If you're strong mentally, nothing can stop you. Go out there, apply yourself, and do the best you can with what you've got. I did. I went against the grain and became a fitness trainer. I now run my own successful personal training company and haven't turned back since.

You can do it. Don't let anyone hold you back. If they do, just kick their tail with your new physique!

READ PART 2: HOW TO COVER UP YOUR PECTUS.

The Only Thing Holding You Back From Weight Loss Is You

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:01:27 PDT

How long have you been saying that you'll lose that extra weight? A couple months? A few years? Of course, there are the demands of daily life. You might have a job, kids, and household duties to take care of-- not to mention the grocery shopping, yard work, and other errands on a daily basis. Life is tough and with it comes the toll of living. For some of us, better yet, for most of us-- that toll is weight gain.

How long has it been since you've fit into the jean size you've wanted to fit into? Has it been a while? I bet it has.

You hesitantly walk into the department store, dreading walking into what you deem the "big people" section. You don't like to try on clothes because you hate the way you look in the mirror. You shield your eyes. On the outside, you're smiling, but on the inside, what's going on?

Are you happy? Probably not. You hate the way you look with clothes on. You avoid looking at yourself with clothes off.

What's stopping you from saying "Screw this. I'm sick of feeling like this. I'm ready to do something about it."?

The answer is....

YOU.

You are the reason you haven't done anything. You can't blame the demands of life, the ease of fast food restaurants, your job, your spouse, your kids, or your family's eating habits.

I get this one a lot..."I can't eat right because my family eats junk food all the time."

Right, and does your family force feed you that junk food? No. You make the choices. Just because it takes a little bit of change in your life to eat healthier doesn't mean you can blame others for your weight gain or lack of weight loss.

I'm not just shooting blanks with these statements. I've FIXED these problems in these peoples' lives. Yes, I was called every name in the book at the beginning. Yes, I was told it couldn't be done. But it's been done-- over and over and over again, I guide people in the right direction.

The first thing you need to do is stop blaming others for your shortcomings. Realize that only ONE person got you where you are and only ONE person can fix it. Nobody else is going to guide you in the right direction but you. If you want help, seek it. Doctors, nutritionists, personal trainers, and dieticians cannot find you if you're not seeking their help.

Do something. Do it now.

Don't like what I have to say? Challenge me. Leave a comment.

I dare you.

PODCAST: Start Losing Weight Right Now

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 20:35:56 PDT

I recently wrote an article on my blog, befitblog.com, listing several ways to lose weight. In this podcast episode, I delve deep into each one and explain in detail why each one of these tips is beneficial for long term success! (Click title to download podcast)

What's The Difference Between Polyunsaturated & Monounsaturated Fats?

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:38:48 PDT

fats-salmon-0804p108-m
Originally uploaded by ptjustinbowers

So, you've heard there are good types of fat vs. bad types of fat, but you're not exactly sure which is which? Is there a type of fat that's good for your health? How much fat should you eat in your diet? CAN you eat fat in your diet?

Yes, it's actually recommended that approximately 25-35% of your daily calories come from fats. Which types of fats should they come from?

Unsaturated fats should be the bulk of your fat intake, if not all. The two types of unsaturated fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.

You should limit or cut your intake of saturated fats or trans fats.

But, let's get back to the good fats. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. What's the difference?

One of the differences of these fats outside of the body is that saturated fats are solid at room temperature, as poly and mono are liquid at room temperature and when chilled.

Monounsatured fats are connected with lowering cholesterol, raising HDL levels (good) and lowering LDL levels (bad) in cholesterol. Generally found in peanut oils, canola, and olive oil. They are also high in Vitamin E.

Polyunsaturated fats are high in omega-3 and omega-6, two nutrients your body needs but cannot produce itself. These play a huge role in brain function and body development. I hope you like fish, because salmon and trout contain high amounts of polyunsaturated fats.

Fats should always be eaten in moderation along with a balanced diet that includes carbs and proteins as well.

How To Tell If A Fitness Product Is A Fad Or Scam

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:26:38 PDT

Tired of seeing those late night infomercials promising you sculpted abs with just 5 minutes a day? Here's how to spot the fakes from the products that actually work. Like this podcast? Send me feedback! ptjustinbowers@gmail.com

Weight Loss Tips For Real People

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:08:09 PDT

Tired of hearing about the next fad in fitness? You probably just want to cut through all of the B.S. and get straight to the things that work. If you're not sure where to start, this guide will help you get started on the road to success when it comes to weight loss.

First off, there is no miracle diet or product out there that will shed the pounds. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to practice the following tips. Remember, these practices work.

Jump start your metabolism. Lift weights, eat more protein, and just get active. Even if it's just walking a little bit every day, wake up your metabolism. Read this article to find out more ways to get your metabolism moving.

Eat out a lot? Slowly try to cut back. If you can avoid the side items, cut down to a diet soda, or even substitute a water, then do it. It's several small changes that lead to big results!

Cut back on your sodium intake. Most people already get way more than their daily recommended dose of sodium. Besides, it causes water retention, which is even more un-needed weight.

Trans fats are not good for you at all. Read more about the danger of this type of fat plus other things you should avoid while trying to lose weight.

Drink your water. Lots of it. Instantly cut calories without cutting your food intake.

Get more sleep. A well rested body performs better. Think about it. If you're trying to lose weight, you're putting your body through enough stress. If it's too busy allocating all of its resources to supplying energy just to keep you awake, it's going to hurt your chances of quick results. Here are 10 tips on how to get a better night's sleep.

Find out why you're over weight. Are you over-eating? Stressed? Under-eating? Not working out enough? Find out why you're gaining weight or can't lose any.

Realize that crunches alone won't help your midsection. You have to put in the work with cardio and a proper diet. Here are 3 steps to help you get started on slimming the waist line.

Give yourself a cheat day. Reward yourself, but not too often.

Stop making excuses and just stick to the plan. If you fall off the bandwagon, dust yourself off and jump back on. If it was this easy, everyone would be walking around with a six pack. Keep that in mind.

Snack on fruits and low/no fat items instead of high calorie items loaded with fat.

Lift more weights to help get that metabolism going. Also, the added benefit of a leaner physique doesn't sound too bad either, eh?

Find a partner. You're more likely to stick to your weight loss plan if you have a friend to go through the struggle with. Help motivate each other.

Stay motivated. Watch The Biggest Loser on TV, keep fitness magazines around the house, listen to music in the car that you'd usually work out to. Stay clear from sweets and always keep your goal in site.

Learn the differences between carbs and protein. Adjust your diet to whichever suits your goals. Learn more about the differences of carbs and protein here.

Don't have time to work out? Read this and think again.

This is just a starting point. Exercise and diet are the keys to getting and keeping results. You can do this. Subscribe to this blog and let me help you stay motivated with daily tips and advice!

3 Things To Avoid While Trying To Lose Weight

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:30:09 PDT

What types of foods should you absolutely stay away from while trying to maintain or cut down on your waistline? Here are three contributors to weight gain and why you should start cutting back, if not avoiding altogether:

1. Trans fats. Trans fat is another term for unsaturated fat, which contains high levels of fatty acids. These types of fats are so "bad" that the USDA doesn't even have a recommended limit for intake. Bottom line? Avoid them or eat as little as possible of them. Besides links to heart disease, high blood pressure, and "bad" cholesterol levels, these types of fats can really hold you back if your goal is to lose weight.

2. Sodium. Your body naturally retains certain levels of water. What sodium does is cause the body's need for water retention much more abundant. This stored water can even displace itself right on top of your muscles, causing the look of less definition. It also adds un-needed weight. Cutting sodium would obviously help these retention problems.

3. Sugar. Sugar has actually gotten a bit of a bad rap over the years because it's naturally found in food already high in fat. Sugar isn't necessarily the main contributor, but you need to keep your intake down since it's filled with "empty calories", or calories with no nutrient content. Not to mention sugar cravings can lead to even more sweets, which couldn't be a good thing. I'm not a dentist, but it's also bad for your teeth.

Stop Falling For The Fad Fitness Products

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:07:26 PDT

With summer around the corner, all of these fad fitness products are popping up on my TV. I'm sick of seeing this infomercials promising people unrealistic results with a piece of junk endorsed by some celebrity. I'm tired of these commercialized lies being sold to the public. The mis-informed and extremely overweight will buy into this hype.

They're taking advantage of the naive people who aren't very well educated in the fitness area.

A good tip to tell if something is a "fad product"? Here are a few tips..

Before and after photos of a woman having lost 150 pounds and having gone down to a size 2 from a size 18 in just six months. Yeah, let's show pictures of the 99% of other people who bought your product.

Unrealistic claims: i.e. "All you have to do is work out 5 minutes a day twice a week to get a six pack!". Yeah, right. If this was true, everybody and their mom would have a six pack.

These products usually target those who have tried traditional fitness methods and have failed, and are looking for a "quick fix".

There is no quick fix. If you want the body, you have to work for it. Remember, you get out of your body what you put into it!

Instantly Cut Calories Without Cutting Food Intake

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:59:00 PDT

Did you know that you can cut several hundred calories from your diet almost immediately and not even have to give up what you eat? It's easy, too. You can start immediately. The great thing is that you do not have to buy anything, do any extra shopping, or "count" your calories. You actually end up buying less, spending less, and burning more calories.

If you haven't guessed yet, I'm talking about drinking your calories. Just by cutting that coffee from Starbucks, soda, juices, etc. you can see results in less than a week.

If you start drinking water-- and nothing but water, you will instantly start cutting your calories. Water has 0 calories and you can drink as much as you want without the guilt. I wish I could say the same for soda.

Having trouble dropping that morning routine of grabbing a coffee? Think you might crash if you don't have that extra boost of java? Then don't instantly cut it out. Slowly ween yourself off of it by ordering a smaller cup, then next week slowly cut the days that you drink coffee. If you want to, you can even reward yourself on Fridays for a job well done. This will still give you your fix of coffee and it will taste even better because you don't have it every single day.

Just by enacting these small tips, you can lose weight even more quickly by drinking less calories.

How To Eat Healthy Without Spending More Money

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:39:23 PDT

Let's face it, most of us shy away from eating healthy for one reason or another. Usually "I don't have time to" or "Eating healthy is too expensive" tops the list, especially when I'm trying to encourage a client to eat healthier. These excuses I hear every single day. I'm now going to refute these claims and tell you the following..

YOU CAN EAT HEALTHY AND YOU CAN AFFORD IT!

Also, stop using the excuse "I only have time for fast food". With more and more fast food restaurants offering healthy alternatives, you're just digging for an excuse now. If you pull into McDonald's with an ambition to eat something nutritious and you pull out of the drive-thru with a number 1, large size with a Coke-- you can't blame the restaurant anymore.

Here are some tips to help you start eating healthy on a budget:

Stop buying junk food. It's expensive and is just no good for you. If you take the money you put toward junk toward healthy alternatives, you'll be amazed at what you can afford. When I made the switch, I found out that almost 70% of the groceries I was buying was junk food. Wow!

Go on a diet. If you're over-eating and go on a diet, you'll eat less. Less eating= less money being spent on food. Ya dig?

Pack your lunch to take to work. Don't give me the "I don't have time" excuse. Pack most of your lunch the night before. In the morning, throw together a quick sandwich. Voila. Took 10 seconds out of your morning. Hope that doesn't cause you to be late!

Make a grocery list and stick to it. If you shop with a list, you'll be less likely to make impulse buys.

Generic food is your friend. Okay, so it's not the brand name, but it's not any less of quality. The generic brands have to go through the same FDA standards as the rest of 'em.

Get frozen vegetables. It's cheaper than produce and takes way less time to prepare.

Eat foods that are high in fat. What? Yes, fat doesn't make you fat-- eating more calories than you should eat, that makes you fat. You actually need fat in your daily diet.

Drink tap water. Believe it or not, it goes through more rigorous safety inspections than bottled water does. "But I don't like the taste!", you say? Get used to it. You'll adapt.

Jump Start Your Metabolism By Summer

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:31:55 PDT

A boosted metabolism is very important on many, many levels. Without a high metabolism, your body cannot burn calories properly. When your body can't do this, you gain weight. Here are a few tips to boost your metabolism and keep it up there so that your body is burning calories even when you're not working out!

Eat more chicken. Not Chic-Fil-A chicken either. Chicken contains high amounts of protein. Protein is a vital part of your body's process to burn calories. Eating foods high in protein actually takes your body longer to digest, therefor making it work harder and burn more calories. Other high protein foods include turkey, fish, beans, eggs, lean steak, and nuts.

Lift weights. Want to raise your metabolism so you will burn calories throughout the day even while you're not exercising? Lift more weights. A body with more muscles burns more calories. According to this article at promotehealth.info, every pound of muscle in your body burns 35 calories per day.

Get moving and stay moving. Don't give your body a reason to stop burning calories. Even if you're not exercising, you can still do other things to help the metabolism stay at its maximum. Clean the house, mow the lawn, go for a walk, play with the kids. Just get active!

Don't eat right before bed. Your body's digestive system shuts down almost completely while you sleep. This means that anything still in your stomach has a better chance of being absorbed into your body's adipose tissue storage instead of being passed through the body. Yuck.

Get sleep and lots of it. A well rested body is more likely to burn more fat. If you don't get enough sleep, your body will use all of its energy just to keep you awake instead of doing what it naturally should be doing. Get sleep, at least 7-9 hours a night.

How To Get More Sleep Almost Instantly: 10 Tips To Sleepy Freedom

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:14:41 PDT

Do you have a hard time falling asleep? I know I used to. I'd go to bed at 9 PM every night and not fall asleep until midnight most of the time. My mind would race as I worried about the next day's events, finances, personal problems, etc. When I finally did fall asleep, it seems my alarm clock would immediately go off.

How about this one-- you wake up way too often. Whether it's from the fact that you don't sleep heavily, are easily startled, or there's just too much noise going on around you or outside, it's really annoying to wake up several times in a night. This can really irritate your sleeping schedule.

Here are a few tips and tricks I learned over the years to help me get a better night's sleep-- and they've worked. Not all of these are for everyone, but you're bound to find something that you can add to your routine.

1. Cover up your clock. You heard me. Cover it up with a shirt, turn it facing the wall, whatever it takes for you to not be able to see the time anymore. I'm willing to bet that every single time you wake up at night, the first think you do is look at the time. If it's two hours before you have to be up, you start fretting over it. BUT, if you don't know what time it is, you'll be more likely to fall back asleep without any hassle.

2. Create a background noise. Light music, a white noise CD, or my personal favorite-- a small portable fan. I turn it on every night. It drowns out the noise of dogs barking, crickets, and just general "outside" noise. It's really improved the quality of my sleeping ten-fold.

3. Stay away from high sugar snacks and sodas at least two hours before bedtime. Do you really want that extra energy before you're supposed to be sleeping? These things can make it almost impossible to fall asleep immediately.

4. Block out light. If you have to put thicker curtains over the windows, then do it. Wear eye covers if you have to.

5. Get in the habit of routine. If you do the exact same thing before bed every night, then your body begins to establish a pattern of routine. This will help your body prepare for shutting down at night if you do the same things to prepare for bed time.

6. Exercise, but not right before bed. This helps expend your body of extra energy so that you're more likely to fall asleep easily. Do not, however, exercise before bed. It raises your blood pressure and keeps you awake longer.

7. Use the bathroom before going to bed. This one should be the obvious one. If you don't have to worry about getting up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, you'll sleep better.

8. Go to bed earlier than usual. The extra hour of winding down can come in handy.

9. Wear socks. Wearing socks, especially in those with poor circulation, helps with cold feet. This is a big cause of waking up at night.

10. A hot shower or bath before bed. This warms the body up and relaxes it, putting it in the perfect mood to fall asleep.

Tired yet? Get to bed!

The Real Reason America Is Overweight

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:59:55 PDT

The alarm clock goes off. You slug your way out of bed, still half asleep. You glance back at the bed one last time and wish that the warm embrace of the covers was an option, but it's not. You jump into the shower, which only half wakes you up. You barely have enough time to get dressed, skip breakfast, and get to work 5 minutes before you're supposed to be there.

On your lunch break, you finally have an hour to yourself. You hustle out to your car and you rationalize to yourself that you can eat a hamburger and fries because "you deserve it, it's been a rough day and you just want something good". You scarf down a McDonald's Big Mac and large fries in almost half the time it took them to cook it. You finish it off with a Coke and then it happens:

You immediately wish you hadn't done that.

On your way back into work, you suck in your stomach because you feel like the high calorie food you just ate added about 10 pounds. You feel full, but not the good kind of full. You feel bloated. You feel like your abdomen is sticking out several more inches than it was before your lunch break.

You tell yourself that this is the last straw. "Tomorrow", you say, "I'm getting a salad. I'm cutting out the soda and I'm drinking water all day."

Your long, hectic, exhausting work day finally comes to an end. You head home from work to your spouse, watch some TV and then dinner time rolls around. You tell yourself the same thing you did at lunch time. "Ya' know what? I work hard. I deserve a good, high fat meal." The pattern repeats itself as you wish you hadn't eaten that dinner.

You finally go to bed, wake up and run through the exact same routine the next day.

Sound familiar? Is this you?

Do you rationalize eating unhealthy, or use the excuse that you don't have time to eat healthier? You're not alone. In fact, millions of Americans are running through this daily pattern all the time. How do I know? I used to be one of them.

It's amazing how much a few small changes in your lifestyle can impact your overall health. Do you want to decrease your risk of hypertension(high blood pressure)? Do you want to become one of the less likely candidates for a heart attack later in life?

If you're a human being, the the answer is 'YES! OF COURSE I DO!'.

But, what can you do to start off on the right track? Well, the first thing you need to do is convince yourself that you're doing this for health reasons. I know everyone wants to look good, but changing your lifestyle for cosmetic reasons can accumulate into long-term eating disorders. The health reasons to get fit far outweigh the cosmetic benefits.

If you can convince yourself that you're doing this for the long-run, and not just to get that waistline down before summer comes, you'll be more likely to keep the weight off.

In this article, I'm going to discuss the nutrition side of the spectrum. I'll talk about the other factors in my upcoming articles.

So, what immediate changes can you make in your diet to start seeing the results? As a personal trainer, the first nutrition advice I always give my clients is "PORTIONS, PORTIONS, PORTIONS". What's that mean?

Eat more, eat less.

That's a direct contradiction, isn't it?

Basically, eat more often. 5 times a day is what I'd recommend. Eat your 3 regular meals with two snacks in between. In turn, this should help prevent you from over-eating. Here's a break down of what your day should consist of:

Breakfast - Start the day off strong! Don't skip breakfast. Even if you only have enough time to grab a banana and chug down an orange juice, then do it!
Snack - Your first snack should be between breakfast and lunch. I'd highly recommend staying healthy with fruit, yogurt, or low calorie crackers. This snack helps you curb your appetite away from those mid-morning munchy cravings you may get. Now that you've eaten breakfast and curbed your appetite with a snack, that Big Mac at lunch doesn't seem as desirable, does it?
Lunch - The goal of eating more often is to drive down the amount of food you eat during your binging hours. If at all possible, go for the more nutritious foods on the menu if you're eating out. If you do happen to order something unhealthy, try to change it up a bit. Substitute a salad for your side. Stay away from the soda and get a water instead. Don't upsize it-- Remember, you've already eaten twice today, so you shouldn't be too hungry at this point.
Snack - Between lunch and dinner, have yourself another snack. This warrants the same reasons as the mid-morning snack. Your goal is to curb your appetite.
Dinner - You've made it this far! Since you've eaten the snack a few hours earlier, your stomach isn't starving for food-- hopefully. This will prevent you from over-indulging at the dinner table.

A few more tips-- Eat slowly. This allows your brain to register to your body that you're full. This process usually takes about 20 minutes.

Try to stay away from or limit your consumption of what I deem the BIG 3: Trans and saturated fats, sodium, and sugars.

Trans and saturated fats are found in most junk food, as well as fast-food and fried foods. Sodium can be found in sodas, several canned goods, and of course, your salt shaker. Cakes, candy, and most sweets contain sugars. Try to limit your consumption of these and you'll have more success in attaining you goals.

Muscle Music: Does Listening To Your iPod While You Work Out Make You Stronger?

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:56:36 PDT

In this article, I'm going to explore the theory/notion that those people with the IPod at the gym have a better advantage when working out. Using several sources, including online science articles, online study reports, and magazines, I'm going to explore the myth more in-depth. Why this subject matter? Simply because it's interesting. Any new study that boasts about performance benefits from simple habit changes or additions to routine is something that anyone can take something away from.

My personal experience while listening to my MP3 player while working out can't really prove or disprove this theory, simply because I'm not in the mindset--neither are most people when they workout or exercise. Personally, I listen to music while exercising to distract me from the happenings around me. It keeps me focused on the task at hand because, for example, I don't get caught up in conversation with another gym-goer in the middle of my work-out. I move from one set to the next with small rests in between. No distractions equals more work-out time, which I believe in turn translates to larger strength development and fitness gain. Another small contributing factor, I think, is that music (especially your favorite music) puts you in the zone. When you're listening to a song that motivates you, you're more likely to excel. This is just my personal reasoning, but let's explore more in-depth into the subject.

In the May 2007 issue of "Muscle and Fitness" magazine, Dr. Jim Stoppani put this theory to test when a subscriber asked the following:

"I recently bought an iPod to use at the gym. I swear that since I've been listening to my favorite songs while I train, my workouts are much better. My strength has shot up dramatically and I've gained noticeable muscle size. Can music really affect training, or am I just crazy?"

So, how else would you answer such an intriguing question? You put it to the test and tackle it head on. To explore the notion of muscle strength and overall aerobic increase, Muscle and Fitness gathered a group of professionally trained bodybuilders complete a simple shoulder workout on two separate days. For obvious reasons, this wasn't tested in one day because fatigue and lactic acid buildup would definitely skew the results. The routine was a simple 3 set overhead press with free-weights and three sets of free-weight lateral raises. These sets were done to each bodybuilder's 10 rep max (10RM) until each set is taken to failure. I, personally, don't like the use of the word "failure" in this context because the definition of the word and the context in this sense translate it to mean utter under-performance, which isn't the case. I'd rather the phrase "until fatigued" be used in place of 'failure'. During one workout, the subjects did the routines while listening to their choice of music on headphones. During the other, they did not listen to music.

So, what were the results? You might be surprised to find out. On every set of every exercise during the shoulder workouts, the test subjects had an average of at least one extra rep. Other times, two extra reps. All of the improvement was while listening to music. What exactly does this entail? Why did subjects perform better while listening to music? Was it just a psychological factor or is there some scientific reason or physiological improvement within the body?

The motivational factors are obvious. The magazine article points out music during dramatic scenes in movies. Do you think the "Rocky" training scene would have been as awe inspiring as it was without the Bill Conte theme? Of course not.

In the December 2006 issue of "The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness", a similar test was performed. In this case, it was performed on test subjects doing aerobics - running and walking. The study showed that music actually helped increase speed while running and decreased fatigue. As stated in previous paragraphs, the same can now be determined while doing strength and weight resistance exercises.

Music helps motivate. Period. Why do you think aerobic trainers use fast-paced music during aerobic and exercise classes? Because it pumps you up. It motivates you, it gives you a sense of rhythm within yourself. As an added bonus, you can even consider that you're just dancing intensely as opposed to working out strenuously. Instructors use music as an ergogenic aid and have been since the introduction of aerobic dance in the early 1970's.

What effect does music have on your heart rate and respiration? This has been of particular interest to researchers for years due to the importance of physical fitness and disease prevention. The cardiac responses while doing aerobics to music are outstanding. Why are scientists so intrigued about music and working out? Simply put, the value of controlling respiratory activity is of particular interest because it can assist in treatment of different heart and artery conditions.

Several decades ago, 1952 to be exact, Dr. Ellis and Dr. Brighouse tested the theory of music being added to an aerobic routine. Studies concluded that the average heart rate increased from 72-80 beats per minute to 70 to 170 beats per minute. The two concluded that music probably does produce a physiological, or emotional, effect thus increasing heart rate.

Is the heart rate and respiratory increase only with upbeat, fast paced music? Or would any style of music suffice? In 1977, a scientist named Dainow concluded that any type of music, whether it be slow, moderate, or fast tempo, actually increases the heart rate a certain degree. This is widely affected by the subject's personal preference and passion of music. Personal preference does need to be taken into consideration. If, for example, the most awesome and knowledgeable personal trainer in the entire world, Melissa Schmidt designed an aerobic workout for her class while playing classic rock in the background, not all students would have the same effect on heart rate. Although studies have concluded that any type of music while working out has some degree of cardiac increase, I personally believe that this has to be taken with a subject by subject account. I.E., one of my friends doesn't like music. Hard to believe, I know. He cannot listen to music at all. It's not that he enjoys certain genres more than others, he just looks at music with disdain whether it be jazz or rock. If a boombox happened to be playing in the gym while he worked out, odds are that it might hinder his performance. Could I hit the bench press just as hard with Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" blaring in the background as much as I could with some hard-rock or heavy metal? Definitely not. If a subject, albeit it rare, dislikes music in general, then any type of organized sound would alter his performance level for the worse. But enough about the very miniscule population of people that dislike music. Any time I reference music-haters from this point on, I'll use the term "complete frickin' idiots".

Now that you know that it's been determined that music can alter your workout for the greater, how about the tempo of music? Can you see a greater result with a much heavier tempo song? More specifically, how about strength gain? Well, I could only find one study on strength gains with different types of music. In 1981, Dr. Pearce conducted research on subjects while listening to stimulative music, sedative music, and no music. The results were actually quite surprising. Sedative(Slow tempo) music actually decreased strength significantly compared to upbeat music and silence. The surprising element here is that slow music actually produced less results than complete silence. Also surprising was that stimulative music and silence showed absolutely no difference in strength gains or loss.

What does this mean? Well, it would appear that mild or slow music can actually hinder your performance and training ability quite drastically. This research has to be taken into consideration that there are no other published studies on music type and performance. What can a personal trainer take from just this study alone? Be very wise with your choice of workout environment with a client. For your client's benefit, your best choices would be no music or high-tempo music.

70 college students enrolled in an aerobic dance class (35 male and 35 female) were surveyed on music elements and how they felt or perceived each element improved their performance. 97% of the students indicated that they felt the music affected their aerobic performance. The following factors and percentages indicate how much each one affected the student's perceived influence: music style (97%), rhythm or beat (94%), tempo (96%), lyrics (77%), volume (66%), mood (37%) and melody (17%). The correlation between the responses of males and females indicated that gender isn't a great factor.

In conclusion, if you don't already plug those ear-buds into your ear before you hit the weights or go for that run, you should consider it. Research has proven that beneficial strength and performance gains are more than possible when your workout is accompanied by music. Load up that iPod with your favorite songs and hit the gym. You just might be surprised by the results you see when working out to music. Be sure to listen to music you actually like. Whether it be 50 Cent, Fallout Boy, or Queen - light those ear drums up with some happiness.

Why You'd Rather Enjoy A Pizza Than Stick To An Exercise Plan

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:52:04 PDT

Maybe you caught a view of yourself in the mirror that you don't like. Perhaps a friend commented about your sudden weight gain. Or maybe, like some, your doctor finally got through to you while trying to convince you that you needed to switch to a healthier lifestyle. Whatever the case, you've decided that you are going to start eating right and exercising. So, why are the odds stacked against you? The odds are pretty good that you're going to fail on your endeavors to switch your life around and become a healthier person.

Why?

You've been exercising and eating right for three days now, and although those three days feel like forever, you're still marching on. You're committed to stick to your diet this time. That is, until lunch.

You have an hour lunch break. Although you've been following your diet like you're supposed to, your stomach rumbles for something good. A cheeseburger. A pizza. Fries. Maybe a chocolate milkshake. This is when the doubt starts to surface. The first moment you have a strong craving is when your inhibitions are put to the test.

"No, I'm not going to break my diet", you convince yourself.

Unfortunately for you, you end up in the drive-thru. "Well, just a little something bad. I've been doing good. I need to reward myself." But when you pull around to order, that "little something" turns into a full-fledged combo.

Why are we, as Americans, so out of tune with reaping the benefits of a healthy lifestyle? Why would we rather have the pleasure of a high calorie meal day after day than lose weight or get into shape? It's not that we would rather have a burger than a lean body. But a burger is a lot easier to get.

Our culture is so immersed in instant gratification. When you eat, you're happy. The food tastes good, you're happy in the moment. When you go to the gym, it doesn't feel good for you. (Not yet anyway!) You get sweaty, it seems gratuitous, you hurt. It's simply because exercising is not as appealing as that pizza.

As a personal trainer, I know this. I am a personal trainer for dozens of people throughout Greenville and Easley, SC. Let me tell you, here in the south, it's hard enough to eat right--especially with all of the good food! This is why I take a more realistic approach to exercise and fitness.

I tell my clients to firstly, work on how they eat, not what they eat. In other words, try to eat 5 times a day as opposed to 2 or 3 huge high fat meals. When they throw two snack breaks into the mix, this in turn hopefully holds the appetite over, so that when it is time for lunch or dinner my client doesn't over indulge. From there, I have them substitute healthy items in their meals. Water for soda. A salad for fries, etc.

It's all about slow progression. When you change your entire lifestyle ten-fold, you're bound to set yourself up for failure. What you do wrong from the beginning is try to make a diet change. What you need to do is make it a lifestyle change. Slow and steady change is what will make you more successful in your endeavors.

Now, I'm not saying that you can eat burgers every single day and be healthy. But what I am saying is that when you change your diet just a bit and start exercising, that it should hopefully encourage you to want to eat healthier. You want to be just as healthy on the inside just as you are on the outside.

Here's to your fitness success!

Confessions Of A Fitness Trainer: Why I Owe My Clients An Apology

ptjustinbowers@gmail.com — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:49:08 PDT

Firstly, this isn't an easy thing to do. I have been working with my clients in the comfort of their own homes for a while and I've grown comfortable around them as I hope they've done the same with me. One practice I've always kept in play is keeping my client happy, no matter what it takes. When a client called out with a lackluster excuse (i.e., "I don't feel like working out tonight), I told them to feel better and I'd see them during their next session.

During a session, if a client were to get exhausted during a set, I'd let them take a break until they were ready. I was always encouraging, but never really pushed that person to what I thought they were capable of. In the past few months, I've come to the realization that this will not fly. I am no longer the "nice" personal trainer. I'm not lenient.

Why this sudden change of heart?

Because I got sick of the excuses. I got tired of call-outs just minutes before I was supposed to be at that client's home. No more. I am no longer sugar coating anything. I suddenly realized that I need to do my job to the fullest of my abilities. Don't get me wrong, my client always got a great workout, but I knew that I could get so much more out of them. Where was my main weakness?

It was when I left their home and left them on their own.

Without me over their shoulder, they might tend to slip on their diet or just skip their workout altogether. Since I cannot be over their shoulder 24/7, I've started calling all of my clients or texting them almost every single day. This is just a small change, but it's really taken off. Because my clients know that I've taken the time out of my busy day to check on them, it's somehow kicked them into gear to actually attempt to workout on their own. I truly care about their fitness goals and because I'm putting forth the effort to let them know that, they're returning the favor by staying on the ball and doing what I ask of them.

When a client calls out the same day of a session, I do my best to try to talk them into not canceling. Not only is it professional courtesy to not call out the day of, it's also a step-back in what their initial goal in hiring me was. If you only have to work out with me one to two days a week and you call out one of those, what makes you possibly think you can keep this up long-term?

This is where I come in. I talk you into working out that day. When I get to your home and you don't feel like working out, it's my job to motivate you. If I can instill into your mind the importance of fitness in your daily life, maybe it will become a priority in your life. This is why I do what I do. This is why I'm tough.

I will admit that I do have clients that have been tough to adjust to someone asking them every other day if they're doing what they're supposed to. I will also admit that it's not my job to make you like me. It's not my job to make you my friend. You didn't hire me to stand around and talk. You hired me to get you the body that you didn't think you could get on your own. You hire me because I get the results, no matter how much you don't like me.

Like I tell my clients, you may not like me-- but you'll love the results.

Think about this if you're ever in the market for a personal trainer. Besides making sure they have the experience, the professionalism, and the credentials, make sure that they also have the drive to push you to do what you wouldn't do otherwise. If your personal trainer is as forgiving of you not working out as you are, maybe it's time to look elsewhere for fitness assistance.

I push my clients beyond what they think they're capable of, but I don't push them beyond their breaking point. As a trained fitness professional, I look out for the signs of over-exertion. I still practice safe training procedures, such as keeping my client hydrated the entire time. But I do not accept excuses as easily as I once did.

Maybe it's time you took the same initiative that I did. You'll be amazed at the results if you just stick to your guns. Here's to your fitness success!