Fitness Together - Middleton

Exercise Is Crucial, But Nutrition Is King!

Mon, 21 May 2012 03:47:00 -0500

Everyone wants to be healthier, wants to be in better shape, and wants to look better by the pool. But how do you do it? How do you make the mental images of how you want to look into reality? A good exercise program is a great start, but nutritional modification is really the key to healthy, sustainable weight loss.

There seems to be a lot of misinformation, and false expectations with people that if you're exercising, you can eat whatever you want, and still lose weight. This is simply NOT TRUE! You can never out-exercise poor nutrition. The best trainers in the world cannot get you results if you aren't willing to change your eating habits.

If you want results, you have to have the complete package, and thats what we offer here at FT Middleton. We are THE complete fitness solution. Come down and see us, and let's start getting fit..TOGETHER!

The Problem With Diets

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:29:00 -0500

"What diet should I try"?, "Which diet do you like?"..These are questions we here on a regular basis from clients. Our honest answer...NONE of them! The problem with diets lies in the fact that they are largely short term solutions where people learn nothing about proper nutritional practices. This in turn, makes these diets unsustainable.

There are diets which claim if you drink 3 of their smoothies a day, you can lose up to 20 pounds. But what happens after that? Are you going to drink smoothies every meal, every single day for the rest of your life? Not likely, and then you are back to square one. You have learned nothing about proper eating habits, and you are likely to gain any weight lost back. When you are not educated about nutrition, you are not equipped to make good, long term decisions about your foods, making it very difficult to keep up any sustainable weight loss.

At Fitness Together of Middleton, we believe in education and implementation. Education is the foundation on which positive change is built. We will show you not only what to do, but why you should do it. It's the old saying.."catch me a fish, feeed me for a day, teach me to fish, feed me for a lifetime". We will give you the knowledge to feed yourself healthy, balanced meals for a lifetime!

Come one down to Fitness Together of Middleton, home of THE complete fitness solution. Cardio, strength, and nutrition. Let's get fit...TOGETHER

How Do I Prevent Overeating?

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 06:31:00 -0500

Eating too much at one sitting can be a major road block to your health and fitness goals. Portion control is key to losing weight, and getting into better shape. Here are some tips to keep you from consuming too much at one time:

1) Know what appropriate serving sizes look like, i.e. you should know a portion of meat should be about the size of a deck of cards.

2) Chew all your food thoroughly.

3) Put down your utensils every few bites.

4) Limit alcohol intake because it can cause cravings, as well as crush will power to avoid unhealthy food choices.

5) Drink a lot of water

6) Never eat in front of the TV. Research suggests people will eat more while watching TV.

7) Don't stress eat.

8) Realize food is fuel, not love or comfort.

9) Never say you're too busy to cook as an excuse to go out to eat.

10) Prepare foods and portions ahead of time.

Why Should I Be Training At Fitness Together-Middleton?

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 05:12:00 -0500

1) We are THE complete fitness solution! Cardio, strength, and nutrition

2) We have the best trainers in the area

3) Accountability, which is crucial to a successful program

4) Our programs WORK!

5) Increased energy, metabolism, fat loss, and strength

6) A happier, healthier, and longer life

7) Increased HDL, and decreased LDL content of your blood

8) Exercise is fun, and an energy booster

9) You will learn strategies to use every day to improve your health, not just get instructions while you are here. Education is the foundation of behavioral change, learn why to do things, not just what to do

10) Exercise can increase bone density, decreasing the risk of osteoperosis

What Can FT Do For Me?

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 03:24:00 -0500

Fitness Together-Middleton is THE premier fitness training studio in the area. We offer an outstanding training staff, and the complete fitness solution to get you to your fitness goals, whatever they may be!

Accountability: All clients are held accountable for every training session, turning in a weekly nutrition journal, and bi-weekly weigh-ins. We also perform full re-testing of clients on a 6 week schedule to make sure things are moving in the right direction

Motivation: Our trainers will push you further than you ever thought possible! We all LOVE what we do every day, and it shows with our enthusiasm and commitment to success!

Cardio: All of our programs include our Cardio Together training prescription. We calculate your optimal fat burning heart rate to keep you making the most progress possible.

Strength: We WILL make you stronger! Strength training will help you to build lean tissue, reduce fat, and make you healthier

Nutrition: Weekly nutrition journaling gives us a window into your eating habits. We then can make recommendations for you to modify certain aspects of your nutrition to keep you on track with your goals.

Fitness Together of Middleton has everything to build a stronger, leaner, happier you! We truly are THE complete fitness solution!

Let's start getting fit..TOGETHER

What Should I Be Doing To Get In Shape?

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 03:51:00 -0500

Our Aspire 8 complete fitness solution is the ultimate program to get you to your fitness goals! No one else offers the comprehensive program design we do here at FT, follow our lead and get into the best shape of your life!

Strength: Strength training is crucial to building lean mass, and getting you stronger. Heavy strength training can also increase bone density, and make a happier, healthier you.

Cardio: At FT Middleton, we include our "cardio together" program in your training. We calculate your heart rate training range which will keep you in the optimal fat burning zone!

Nutrition: The final element to the complete fitness solution is nutrition. All of our trainers are also nutritional consultants. We ask that our clients turn in weekly nutrition journals, which we then review, and give back with suggestions for nutritional improvements.

When you put these things together, you get the ultimate program for fitness success! Strength, cardio, and nutrition at Fitness Together of Middleton..your complete fitness solution!

Come on down, and let's start getting fit..TOGETHER!

Why Do We Need Fiber?

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 05:58:00 -0600

Fiber is a major nutrient which deserves a lot of attention in our nutritional plan. The minimum daily intake recommendation for fiber is between 25 and 30 grams. In many circles, fiber is considered to be the 4th major macronutrient along with proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Do not neglect high fiber foods, they will help you in your journey to better health.

Some good sources of dietary fiber are as follows:

Vegetables: Swiss chard, raw carrots, asparagus, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and beets.

Nuts: Almonds, pistachios, pecans

Fruits: Bananas, apples, figs

Whole Grains: Brown rice, pastas, breads, and cereals.

Fiber also has many health benefits such as:

Decreased LDL levels in the blood("bad cholesterol")

Healthy digestion and elimination

Aiding in weight loss due to density of foods high in fiber

Feeling of satiety at meal time(fullness)

Some studies indicate it may have a role in preventing colon cancer

Can prevent or soothe diverticulitis

As you can see, fiber does a lot for us! Next time you are at the market, take a hard look in your cart. How much fiber are you taking home with you?

Come see us at Fitness Together of Middleton, we offer everything you need to succeed..strength, cardio, nutrition, and the best certified personal trainers around! Come on down, and let's start getting fit..TOGETHER

"Commit to Succeed"

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 04:44:00 -0600

Many people fail to realize what a full commitment being healthy really is, and leads many to failure. No one has ever achieved 100% results with only 50% effort. In order to see the results you're after, you need to give your maximum efforts in chasing them. Here are some tips to do just that...

-Set a specific goal: The more specific, the better. This way, you know exactly what you're shooting for in the end.

-Create support: Tell your friends and family, they can give you support when things get tough.

-Commit: Always give your best. Don't miss out on exercise because you're tired, or miss a good meal because you don't feel like cooking.

Ask for help: Seek out the advice of your doctor, a nutritionist, or a certified personal trainer at Fitness Together. They have the knowledge to set you on the right path.

Realize it's work: We can't tell you it will be easy, or quick. Changing unhealthy habits, and adopting healthier ones will take time. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lieing because there is NO quick fix.

Be Positive: Positive energy yields results, negative energy breeds failure.

Getting healthier, and changing for the better is a time consuming process but will pay high dividends in the end. You cannot put a price on a happy, and healthier you!

Come on down to Fitness Together Middleton, we are THE complete fitness solution! Cardio, strength, and nutrition.

Let's get fit...TOGETHER!

Train For Your Health, Not Just Your Looks

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 05:32:00 -0600

We all know about the physical changes that can take place as a result of a good training program, but let's look deeper at what's going on inside to get the complete picture of health improvement.

Physiologically, there is more going on when we are getting healthier through exercise. The inside changes just as much, if not more than the outside. Positive changes inside our bodies include:

-Increased lean mass

-Decreased body fat

-Increased Stroke Volume of the heart

-Increased Cardio vascular efficiency and fitness

-Decreased resting heart rate and blood pressure

-Increased maximum heart rate and aerobic capacity

-Increased lung capacity

-Decreased LDL content("bad cholesterol")

-Increased HDL content("good cholesterol")

-Increased metabolic rate

These are just some examples of the types of changes that can take place with regular exercise. They go far beyond having a six pack, or big arms. We are talking about things which will increase the quality of, and lengthen your life!

Come and see us at Fitness Together of Middleton. We can get you on the right track to a happier, healthier you. Come get fit...TOGETHER!

3-LEGGED FITNESS STOOL

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 07:27:00 -0600

Exercise- Exercise is the first "leg" of our fitness stool. Your program needs to be regular, and challenging. You should be trying to work out at least 3 times a week, either on your own, or with a certified personal trainer. Regular cardio and resisitance training can increase you cardio vascular efficiency, heart function, bone density, lung capacity, and lean mass while decreasing unwanted extra fat and pounds.

Nutrition- The second "leg" of the stool is nutrition. We are not talking about a diet, we are talking about sustainable nutritional modification which can be kept up for the long run. A good plan includes all the major macro nutrients, and is balanced in all aspects. No fitness goals can be fully achieved without this portion of the plan.

Sleep- This is one of the most overlooked, and undervalued "legs" of our stool. Sleep is important both for daily functioning, as well as fitness gains. Did you know your progress actually occurs at rest? While we sleep, the body is recharging, and rebuilding itself from the day's activities. If you are not getting enough sleep, you are cheating yourself out of your prime time to make progress.

All of these parts come together to make a complete picture of fitness and health. With all of them the stool will stand tall, without them, it will be unstable and eventually fall over. Come on down to Fitness Together Middleton, where we offer the complete fitness solution.

Let's Start Getting Fit..TOGETHER

Fitness Myths

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 04:05:00 -0600

Fat can turn into muscle-Fat and muscle are 2 completely different tissues in our body. They can both be built, and lost, but are totally independent of one another.

Hard training=free pass on nutrition- Without nutritional modification, there can be no success in the gym. It doesn't matter how good your trainer is, if you can't modify poor nutrition, you cannot succeed.

Fat can be spot reduced- While it is possible to target a specific area of the body, we cannot control where our bodies burn fat from, especially while doing cardio. It will burn what is most readily available to be utilized as an energy source.

Fats make us fat- While there are fats which need to be avoided, the guilt of body fat lies with poor eating habits, not the dietary fat itself. Fats are a crucial part of the nutritional puzzle, and help us to fully absorb vitamins A,D,E, and K. Furthermore, drastic cuts to our fat intake can make us less healthy. If we drop below 10% of our total calories from fat, we see worsening of blood lipid profiles.

Carbs are bad- Carbohydrates are the body's primary source for energy, and are crucial for a good workout. If we deplete ourselves of healthy carbohydrates, we deplete ourselves of energy. In most cases, timing is more the issue than carb intake.

Heavy lifting is bad- Many people have an aversion to heavy lifting because they feel they will get hurt, or will get too big and bulky. This is of particular concern with women. The fact is that women do not have the hormonal balance to get big like a man does, so without some pharmaceutical aid, this is not a concern. In general, strength training can help to improve balance, and functional strength. Another big benefit is increased bone density, which can be an issue for the older populations.

More time in the gym means a better workout- "I went to the gym for 2 hours today". Sound familiar? At times, people may get a little overzealous about a new fitness program, and over do it. You should be able to get an effective session done in 45-60 minutes.

Take some of these tips and run with them. At FT Middleton, we provide the COMPLETE FITNESS SOLUTION..cardio, strength, and nutrition. With these 3 on your side, the sky is the limit! Come down and see us and let's start getting fit..TOGETHER!

Eat Small, Eat Light, Eat Often

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:23:00 -0600

Eat Small-When eating meals throughout the day, we should focus on smaller portions, and fueling more regularly. When we go too long between meals, we stifle the ability of our metabolism to burn calories, and put ourselves into a storage mode.

Eat Light- Our meals should include all the macronutrients(fats, carbohydrates, protein, fiber) and should be sufficient in quantity to keep us full and satisfied for 3-4 hours. If we are hungry too soon, we did not eat enough. If we aren't hungry at the 4 hour mark, we likely ate a little too much. It is trail and error so son't give up before your body gets accustomed to the new eating schedule.

Eat Often- We need to focus on eating more often throughout the day, and thinking about the nutrient content. The days of eating only 3 larger meals are gone. Our bodies run like a coal furnace on a ship. If you want it to run all day, you need to fuel it regularly, and often. Shoot for 5-6 meals over the course of your day.

No matter what you may hear or read, a good training program does not come with a free pass on nutrition. It does not matter how great your trainer is, if you cannot modify poor eating habits, you will never reach the health goals you're chasing.