Personal Trainer Austin Texas

Okay everybody, playtime’s over! haha

Remember how lousy you feel every January because you are one of the ones who gained weight in November and December? Let this NOT be that year. Your stomach and body don’t know it’s “holiday season” so don’t take that fact out on your body this time. Thanksgiving really, is the one day.  All the days after are about feeling badly from the one day. It’s JUST ONE DAY of splurge. Okay, if it’s a few days for some of you, that’s still a blip on the radar screen of weeks or months of healthy new habits and new weight loss. Weight control is a process, not perfection. Enjoy the get togethers with friends and family; the next day eat properly again; move a bit more if you overdid, and realize that one day, or those few days, do not “blow everything” or all your hard work and new habits you acquired the weeks before. This is when you DECIDE. Not this year, I’m not going to drop it just because I had some fun. You didn’t “blow it”.

Like I said above, playtime’s over, back on track time. December can be a great month; it’s not too hot to exercise outdoors, the gyms are usually slower with people out shopping, traffic is easy with school breaks, so you have more time to focus on “watching it”.

Let THIS be the year you wake up January 1st and feel better from what you did in December. I’ll help you.

BACK ON TRACK, her too, sand play done!  

Warm regards,

Margo

Most of you see stair steppers in gyms being used for ‘step’ and aerobic classes. My stepper is primarily used for muscle conditioning and occasional cardio intervals. Today I will demonstrate just a few of my favorite muscle toning uses for a stepper instead of just for group step class.

I’m partial to the Reebok model (shown above) for two reasons. It is non slip with flat edges, and has easy to change detachable gray ‘steps’ to create varying heights that ‘lock’ in place.  When standing on the step for leg squats/lunges shown below, the varying height is a great way to change the intensity.

Below I’m demonstrating a tricep exercise on the left and push up on the right. By adjusting the detachable steps to a higher level would create a deeper more difficult tricep dip. Likewise, if you are just learning to do pushups, a higher level gives you a several inch advantage to enable you to execute this type military pushup.

The stepper can also be used for abdominal work in many ways. Below I’m demonstrating a reverse crunch on a decline, by removing one of the adjustable steps, making the execution more difficult.

These are just a few effective and easy to learn muscle toning exercises to do with the stair stepper. Below is what I substituted for a squat; trying to grab the step for the webcam shot, over and over, until I got it right and got up before the camera snapped the shot!  :-) haha

Take care,

Margo

I’m still shocked at totally inept articles on exercise and nutrition in generally accepted “smart” publications, hence my “what the?” expression above.  I’m reading an article in Time Magazine about appetite post exercise, and frankly, once I calm down I’m going to write a doozy editorial to the author and maybe Time will publish it (not holding my breath).

In a nutshell, the author suggests it is because of her exercising she gains weight. WHAT????  That is, she eats junk that she normally would not have because she exercised. THAT reason itself, is frankly junk. Just because SHE has no self control or discipline, does not negate the fact that exercise physically, chemically, suppresses appetite.

I’ve spoken to many of you about the possibility of weight gain by “eating your workout” (see my blog post “eating your workout!”). It is not uncommon to AT FIRST think “well, I worked out so now I can eat X”. When, but for the fact you exercised, you would NOT have eaten X. I understand the desire to eat X (often junk), mentally and/or emotionally, because you exercised. However, what “X” is, is entirely up to YOU!!!!  You choose. You can choose a healthy snack, or you can choose cake. Most likely, you’re just thirsty. I digress, see my previous blog post “Thirst as Hunger”. Wanting to eat when really your body wants water, especially after exercise.

After that first week or two of starting to exercise, most who fell into “eating their workout” fell just as quickly OUT of it. They returned to their previous calorie consumption (or less,) and with the addition of exercise and eating habit changes, lost weight. Duh, right?! Ergo the “use common sense” expression I’m trying to depict here below, about exercise and eating properly and choice. 

Fact: Intense exercise suppresses the appetite.  Exercise increases energy expenditure and can stimulate you to make up for calories burned. What you eat is your choice. Exercise will influence appetite differently from one person to the next. In general, the higher your body temperature; the more intense the exercise, the more appetite suppression you will experience.

I stand by the fact that even short bouts of moderate to intense exercise each day shifts the hunger and energy requirement balance and makes for longer term consistent weight loss and maintenance.

Take care,

Margo