Fitness Together - Minneapolis

Build Up Your Knees!

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:01:00 -0500

What a Great Day for Exercise!
Save $15,263 with these two daily exercises

The Pioneer Press reported last Sunday  that Knee Replacement Surgery costs have doubled in the past ten years from $4.6 Billion annually to over $10.4 Billion in 2008.
Wow.   TEN BILLION (with a B) DOLLARS has been spent on knee replacements!
The average cost of a knee replacement in 2008…
NOT including payments to surgeons and
NOT including lost working wages and
NOT including lost personal and professional productivity in the 8 week process
                                     … is about $15,000.
Whether you pay it out of your pocket, or split it with your insurance company or health care provider, that’s a big number! You could train with a personal trainer 3 days per week for almost 2 years for that kind of money! (and avoid surgery in the process)
But you won’t need to! Because today, we’re going to show you a couple of very simple exercises from our Trainer in a Bag Series to improve the stability of your knee joints so that you won’t have to have surgery!

If you missed it last week, here’s the scoop on the Trainer in a Bag equipment.

In the studio, more sophisticated equipment exists for strengthening the knee joint. In keeping with the Trainer in a Bag theme, however, we’ll do some simple exercises you can do at home, or when you’re on the road!

The first will be a squat with a resistance tube with a mini stability ball between your knees. Resistance can be varied with this exercise two ways:

1. Shorten (easier) or lengthen (harder) the amount of tubing between your feet; and
2. Choose easier (lighter colored) tubes or harder (darker colored) tubes

The second exercise you can do to improve the stability of your knees is a hamstring exercise called a ball curl. The resistance on this exercise can be varied 4 ways:
Hips flat on the ground with two feet
Hips flat on the ground with one leg at a time
Hips off of the ground with two feet
Hips off of the ground with one leg at a time

Build up your knees, don’t replace them!

Randy Zarecki, Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

FT Minneapolis 1024 Washington Ave S. Minneapolis 612.378.8898

May is Bike to Work Month!

Tue, 01 May 2012 08:09:00 -0500

http://blog.getfitnesstogether.com/healthylifestyle/bike-work-month-minnesota/

Are you Resolved? Or Truly Committed?

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:19:00 -0600

Visit Our Full Blog Site for the Story!

Need a Silver Bullet for the Holiday Blues?

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:11:00 -0600

http://blog.getfitnesstogether.com/?p=424

Perceived Exertion and Cardio Exercise: Are you Working Too Hard?

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 10:30:00 -0600

What a Great Day for Exercise!

February is Heart Healthy Month, and today is part 4 of a 4 part series on Heart Healthy Exercise!

The most common and most frequently completed cardiovascular exercise falls into the Moderate Duration, Moderate Intensity (MDMI) category, and is today's topic.

Without knowing any better, this is the type of workout most runners run, most cyclists ride, and most gym going elliptical users complete. It's pretty simple really: get going; go harder and harder until you feel some 'discomfort;' and then continue until it gets 'stressful', usually about 30 minutes.

It's a great workout, and has it's time and place, but is only one part of a comprehensive cardiovascular programming model needed for good heart health, and good heart fitness.
Indeed, to remain healthy, avoid injury, and get the most of your cardiovascular program, **the other three workouts presented in the previous three weeks are also necessary:**
Last week we discussed metabolism and The Fat Burning Myth.
Two weeks ago, being Valentines Day, we hit on the hottest of training zones with Zone 5 Interval Training.
And the week before that we offered tips on your Long Duration, Low Intensity Cardio event.
Not included in these, of course, is strength, stability, and core resistance training. It's just cardio we're talking about here, which is just one part of an overall fitness program ... the other elements being resistance training, proper nutrition, and flexibility.

So, if you're guilty of just moderate duration, moderate intensity, and you're not happy with your results, you're missing 3 parts of your cardio program, and 3 parts of your fitness program!
Well then, Randy, how do we put the pieces together?
The challenge with Prescribed Cardiovascular Programming is threefold:
Volume
(time) needs to be defined and managed to make progress, and burn calories without over training;
Intensity
needs to be sufficiently high to train elevated Heart Rate Zones, yet brief and/or low enough to prevent catabolism (the unfortunate use of lean body mass as an energy source); and
Volumes and Intensities need to be adjusted for fitness level, gender, and age

The best thing you can do is to work with a professional who knows the variables, as in Fitness Together's Prescribed Cardiovascular Programming Model. The second best thing to do is to read, understand, and follow the recommendations in my Heart Rate Zone Training to Look and Feel Fantastic report. Shoot me an email if you'd like a copy.

But if you merely want some simple guidelines for what a reasonable MDMI cardiovascular program should look like, here you are! We'll even make it especially simple for you by entirely avoiding the heart rate zone training by using the notion of Perceived Exertion.
Step 1:
Plan for 4 days per week of cardiovascular exercise in addition to your 3 or 4 personal training sessions.
Step 2:
Use a Relative Perceived Exertion (RPE) to define Intensity as follows:

10 = The Hardest Thing you’ve ever done and you must stop exercising immediately;

9 = A very, very difficult level, but something you can continue to **do for a few seconds;**

8= A very difficult exercise level, but something you can continue to do for a few minutes; and

7 = A Somewhat Difficult exercise level, but something you could continue to do for an hour

Each Week, your total Cardiovascular Program should Include:

One day per week you should complete a Shorter Duration, High Intensity effort of about 30 minutes. See the earlier Blog on Zone 5 Interval Training for complete guidance, but...
60% of the exercise should be Level 7,
47-49%% of the time should be spent at Level 8 Intensity;
and 1-3% of the effort at Level 9.
These are ‘spikey’, very high intensity exercise bouts like 30 or 60 second all-out sprints or steep hill short hill climbs followed by a rest interval. They should be briefly painful, but not agonizing. Pain Good. Suffering Bad.
Two Moderate Duration Moderate Intensity (MDMI) Cardio Events. And here's how:
Maintain, alternatively, Level 7 and Level 8 intensities for 35 and 55 minutes.
Total effort in the Level 8 range should be no more than 10% of the total exercise time.
Do not enter RPE 9
These are rolling hills kinds of things – gradual, slow increases in intensity with longer periods of time in Level 7 in between for ‘rest & recovery’
Duration should exceed 30 minutes, but be less than 60
Feels like work, but isn't terribly uncomfortable until the end
One Long Duration Low Intensity cardiovascular events each week: spend 45 to 90 minutes at Level 7

SPECIAL OFFER!
Pick up a Free Ticket to the March 4th Minneapolis Winter Wonder Blast! Proceeds go to the Minnesota Special Olympics.

And we have a free ticket for you! Here's How:

1. Like the the Fitness Together Minneapolis fan page

2. Write your best Fitness Together Experience on our Wall

3. Be one of the 4 best raving Fans Facebook wall posts and we'll spot you a free ticket for Winter Wonder Blast!

Fitness Together Minneapolis Facebook Fan Page
http://www.winterwonderblast.com/

February 2011

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:20:00 -0600

February is Heart Healthy Month, and today is part 3 of a 4 part series on Heart Healthy Exercise!

Fitness Together's cardiovascular programming recommendation is that your weekly cardio efforts will include:

One short duration, high intensity event (SDHI)
Two moderate duration, moderate intensity events (MDMD)
One long duration, low intensity event (LDLI)

Two weeks ago, we started things off with your long duration, low intensity workout.

Last week, as it was Valentine's Day, I touched on the hottest heart rate training zone ... Zone 5.

We'll tackle Moderate Intensity, Moderate Duration next week. This week, however, I'd like to slow things way, way down and comment onthe coolest of the 5 heart rate training zones, Zone 1, also known as the Fat Burning Zone

While time spent in the Fat Burning Zone has it's time and place, one of the more common mistakes I see in clubs is the use of the Fat Burning Zone program on cardio equipment. Without knowing anything more, it certainly seems like a reasonable choice in cardioeffort for a lot of folks:

"I want to loose some fat; therefore, I want the Fat Burning Program."

Unfortunately, spending a lot of time in the fat burning zone actuallyisn't the best way to reduce body fat! Nor is spending a lot of time in this zone the best route to good heart health. While time in this zone does have value in overall good health and fitness, you already spend most of your life in this zone ... when at rest, when sedentary, and when sleeping.
Therefore, when exercising, it is critical that you simply pick it up a bit! You need to get OUT of that fat burning zone!
You see, energy for activities and exercise always comes from a blendof fat, carbohydrate, and proteins. In the Fat Burning Zone ... where you are operating at 60% to 70% of your Max Heart Rate ... energy requirements do indeed allow for energy to come primarily come from fat metabolism. However, for fats to be used as an energy source for exercise (or activities that aren't too rigorous), they must be first converted to a more usable form of energy called glucose. And as oxygen is required to convert the fat to glucose, this level of metabolism is also considered aerobic (with oxygen).

The rub though, is that while the Fat Burning Zone metabolism is in fact slow enough to convert fats to glucose, exercise in this zone doesn't require much total energy, and, therefore doesn't burn all that much fat.

Furthermore, as you increase your exercise effort, the utilization of fat as an energy source quickly tops out: Exercise faster and you won't burn any more fat. Exercise harder and you won't burn any more fat. You do, however, burn more calories as you pick up the pace within theCardio (3) and Anaerobic (4) zones, but that energy will come from carbohydrate, glucose, and glycogen sources .. not fat!

While the fat utilization tops out beyond the fat burning zone, carbohydrate utilization continues to escalate with increased effort.
And this is why spending time in the fat burning zone isn't a practical way to loose fat: at the end of the day, it's all about calories. Calories Ingested = Calories Spent + Fat Stored.

If you consume more calories than you burn, you add fat. If you burn more calories than you ingest, you loose fat.

If you're curious about learning more about The Fat Zone Myth, just send me an email to request a full copy of my Heart Rate Zone Training to Look and Feel Fantastic Report!

January 2011

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:01:00 -0600

What a Great Day for Exercise!

For many of the same reason that home exercise equipment doesn't work for a lot of folks (distractions), training at my own personal training studios doesn't work too well for me personally (distractions).

Oh, there's plenty of equipment to keep me interested, and with which to get a great workout, but I really need to get out of my 'work' environment' to get an effective 'workout
Therefore, I normally train at one of the big box open gyms.

In doing so, however I encounter many of the same challenges a lot of you do when working out at large public facilities. And this time of year can beespecially frustrating. Whether it's morning, noon, or night, it seems I'm always bumping into equipment contention.

To avoid that frustration I've developed an entire workout that uses medicine balls!

If you're training with us at @ FT your trainers have or will incorporate some of these into your programs. If not, do take a look at the Medicine Ball workout suggestions below.
And have a ball!

Having a (Medicine) Ball with Exercise!

Equipment contention at the big box gyms can get really frustrating this time of the year.
So, as they say, let's make lemonade out of these lemons!

And the way we're going to do it is by using one of the oldest pieces of exercise equipment known to mankind ... the medicine ball. In fact, did you know that medicine (med) balls have been used in physical therapy since 1000 BC?! Sizes and shapes vary from 1 Kg to 11KG, but all medicine balls will be soft enough to bounce on a firm surface (like a wall or floor). Indeed, it's ability to absorb impact is what makes a ball a medicine ball.

What's even better is that while you'll frequently find the benches, the bars, and the pin select equipment in use at the club this time of the year, you will ALWAYS be able to find an unused med ball and a few square feet of open space.

What's more, most of the exercises you do with a med ball are compound exercisesthat incorporate a LOT of major muscle groups and burn tons of calories!

A couple of tips before you get started:

Keep to the edges and the corners of the gym floor to avoid widely flung bars and cables;
Always start with the lightest weight ball available when learning a new med ball exercise;
Gradually use (over weeks and months) heavier and heavier balls as you develop competence and strength.

Here then, are a few simple med ball exercises. Use one or two of them to supplement your workout, or use all of them for a complete workout!

Walking diagonal lunges with a gentle hand to hand shot-put-like overhead toss(works the glutes, deltoids, and improves balance). Hold a med ball in one hand close to your ear as a shot putter would. Step forward into your lunge keeping the ball near your ear. Then, as you step up out of the lunge to a standing position push the med ball overhead with one hand like a shot putter might. Keep control of the ball as push it over hand over head to your other hand. Lower the ball to shoulder height near your other. Lunge with the other leg and again, pass overhead to the other hand as you recover. Pause between steps and keep your head up!

Explosive seated overhead throw and catch against a flat wall (trains your lats and core). While sitting upright, and like an overhead two handed basketball pass, throw the ball into a wall and catch it on the rebound. NOTE: You might need to wander into a lesser used area of the facility ... perhaps even the basketball court or an unused racquetball court to find a non-mirrored wall and space enough to make this safe to other gym rats. You do not want to hit another gym member with a med ball! And you should not throw med balls against a mirror!

Sit-up and overhead throw to partner/trainer (abs, lats). Like the overhead throw, but this time start with the ball overhead as you lay flat on your back on the ground about 3 feet from your partner. Perform a situp with the ball overhead (a strong back is required!) and complete the exercise with an overhead throw to your trainer. While recovering from seated upright position back to lying prone, have your partner toss you the ball back. You can catch it anywhere, but is most effective if your partner throws to and you catch it over head. Repeat until fatigued.

Explosive squat position basketball chest pass against a wall (gluts, delts, triceps). Begin facing a wall about 5 feet from it. Perform a basic squat with the ball grasped at chest height. As you recover from the squat position (and are raising up to a standing position) forcefully chest pass the med ball to the wall. Be sure your arms are fully extended when you release the ball. Catch and repeat until fatigued.

Russian Twist on the floor. An exercise specifically for your abdominals, balance on your butt with feet and torso lifted off the floor to form a 'V' with your body. Suspend the med ball with two hands above your abdominals. Twist at the waist to your right while balancing on your butt to rotate the ball to above your right hip. Then twist in the other direction to move the ball in a twisting motion (abs, obliques) to atop of your left hip ... all the while keeping the ball suspended off of your body. Repeat until fatigued.

Overhead karate-type chops. Wile standing w/ feet shoulder width apart and with a slightly bent leg, grasp the ball with two hands. Raise the ball overhead. Then, while keeping your arms fully extended, bend at the waist and accelerate the ball downwards towards one foot, but don't let go of the ball! Recover by bending only at the waist (keep those legs and arms mostly straight) standing upright again with the ball overhead, and arms fully extended throughout the motion. Bend at the waist again , but this time accelerate the ball downwards towards the other foot. Again, don't let go! Repeat until fatigued.

Once you have those exercises down, here are a few more advanced movements:

Single arm supported dumbbell rows: support yourself in a plank/pushup-like position with one arm fully extended atop of a med ball. Then, grab a very light dumbbell with the other. Balance on the ball with the extended arm while knocking out a few single arm dumbbell rows with the other. You'll train Tris, Delts, Pecs, Core, Traps, and Lumbar with just this one exercise! CAUTION: Do NOT do this exercise if you prefer to avoiding attention. It's a difficult exercise and turns a lot of heads.

Mostly for biceps, but with significant core stability and balance training, try doing some standing dumbbell curls while standing on top of the med ball! Yes, on top of the med ball. It's actually easier than you might think. Getting on top of the med ball is, of course, the trickiest part. You should try this with lots of open floor space and WITHOUT dumbbells before trying it with dumbbells. Find the largest, softest ball you can find to start with ... it will squish flatter onto the floor and roll the least. Use harder, smaller balls as you get better.

There are a few techniques for getting up onto the ball, but my favorite is to start with your left foot (for righties) atop of the med ball just left of the ball's crown.Then, without hesitation, simply step up with the other foot and place it just to the right of the ball's crown. The key is to try to keep the ball from moving as you step up onto it with the second foot. It takes some practice, but do persist. I've been doing this exercise for years to try to improve upon one legged balance needed to help my suffering hockey game. Even to this day it sometimes takes me 6 or 8 attempts to get up on top of the ball.

Once you're standing on top, simply perform alternating dumbbell curls as you would do standing. Just don't fall of the ball! Try to 'wrap' your feet around the ball to put as much foot in contact with the ball as possible to improve control.

Last, if you're truly at an advanced fitness level without any lower back ailments, try some of what I call offset med ball pass push ups. Assume a normal push up position, but with just one hand atop of a smallish (3 K) med ball. The fact that you'll have one shoulder naturally higher in this position (it being over the ball) makes it an 'offset.' In a single explosive move, execute a accelerated push up by pushing simultaneously against both the floor and the ball. At the top of the movement (you'll need a bit of 'hang time' here) roll the ball from the hand with it towards the hand without it, and control it under the new hand as you recover from the push up ... then recede to the floor. Repeat for 15 and you, my friend, are king/queen of the gym!

Newsletter December 2010

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 15:34:00 -0600

Get in a Quickie to Avoid Holiday Stress and Weight Gain

There’s nothing like a quickie to get your morning started right! Or pick you up in the afternoon!

Or punctuate your day in the evening!

Exercise Quickies, that is.

You see, December is one of the toughest months of the year for Fitness Professionals. As if busy lives, work schedules, and family affairs weren’t enough, extra travel, holiday parties, out-of-town guests, and office gatherings all add to the daily grind. Making time to exercise is always a challenge, but this added pressure can be a nightmare for trainers trying to keep their clients on track!

Of course, in the blinder-ed world of a Fitness Professional (because no matter what the question is, exercise is almost always one of the best answers), we’d argue that if you’re life gets so stressful that you don’t have time to exercise, you really can’t afford to NOT exercise. Indeed, exercise is the ultimate anti-anxiety medicine.

So, before you blow off your workout in lieu of yet another gluttonous holiday party, consider rolling through December distractions with Frequent Exercise Quickies!

Here’s how it works.

Rather than spending your normal 75 to 90 minutes working out 3 or 4 days per week this month, plan instead for training 4 or 5 days per week (one extra day) for just 40 to 50 minutes (less time per workout).

Normally, we coach clients (and you should plan) for a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes warming up before your workout and 30 to 45 minutes of cardiovascular work following your session. Along with your 45 minute training session, this gives you a standard 75 to 90 minute workout. Normally. And while that doesn’t seem like a huge time commitment to us (after all, isn’t your health, sleep, and appearance worth it?), it can certainly seem intimidating when there’s cooking to be done, the in-laws are inbound, and you have an unfinished gift shopping list.

A 45 minute workout, on the other hand, is short, sweet, and mentally conquerable.Indeed, just showing up is the hardest part!

Heck, it’s not even a workout … more of a workoutling ... a workout too small, cute, and incomplete to be a real workout. Get in, get it done, and be on your way. The key, of course, is that if you reduce you cardio and resistance workout volumes, you’llreally, really need that additional exercise quickie per week! Quickies are only acceptable if you get more of them into your week!

Training for 45 minutes 4 times per week (200 total minutes) instead of 75 minutes 3 times per week (225 total minutes) also has other advantages.

For one, you raise your metabolism one extra day per week. Not only do you burn calories while exercising, but you’ll burn additional calories recovering from the exercise after your workout. And this extra day of recovery effort more than covers for the reduced total volume (25 minutes).

Additionally, the 4th workoutling per week gives you one more boost of energy to make it through stressful days, and another shot of endorphins to make the holiday stress more tolerable.

If you’re training with FT, your session pace is always quick and with aerobic elements, but if you’re getting your (regular or extra) workoutlings on your own …

… keep these things in mind for effective exercise quickies:

It’s just 40 minutes, so plan for being seriously committed for the entire workout; it goes fast!
Rest no more than 1 minute between sets
Drink plenty of water
Perform mostly compound exercises that incorporate a lot of major muscle groups
Wear your headphones, and don’t make eye contact with anyone else in the gym (no time to get pulled away into a conversations)
Look ahead, and plan your next exercise before you’re finished with your current one
Have an alternate exercise in mind with alternate equipment to keep you moving should your equipment get taken before you get there (and good training for the January gym jams)
Go relatively light with high repetitions (20+) on the 1st set of any exercise (the abbreviated warmup will increase the risk of injury, so you’ll need to warmup in-line)
Plan for no fewer than 10-12 repetitions on any exercise (again, making the workout more aerobic in nature to compensate for reduced cardio)

Fitness Together Minneapolis November Super Star!!

In just 2 short months, Kate has made significant strides in her health and fitness. She's a truly dedicated client, training consistently, and keeping up with her cardio training-- and the results are clear! She's lost a total of 7.75 inches!
"Not only has Fitness Together helped reduce my waist line, but it also makes me feel great all day long!" - Kate

Light Eggnog Holiday Makeover Recipe

Creamy and delicious, with zero fat!

2 small ripe bananas, peeled

1 cup fat-free milk

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp rum extract

Makes 1 serving

Put all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a festive cup and enjoy!

Nutritional Information Per Serving (~ 1 cup):
Food Weight: 2.0, Calories: 190, Total Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 130 mg,
Total Carbohydrate: 31 g, Dietary Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 30 g, Protein: 11 g

Want to take advantage of ourSpontaneous Scheduling Discount? Follow us on twitter for more information on how you can get a session for $50!

twitter.com/FT_MSP

November Newsletter

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:15:00 -0600

DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF WAITING UNTIL AFTER THE HOLIDAYS TO BEGIN AN EXERCISE PROGRAM!

Soon after Halloween (the beginning of the end), many of us begin to think of the holidays and all the happiness, joy, stress and guilt that comes with them. So begins the media hype regarding eating, drinking, and overall indulgence that leads us to gaining an average of 6 pounds between Halloween and New Years Day! 6 pounds!

It’s an emotional set up! The toxic messages begin….eat more, drink more, buy more.

And a lot of us are doing enough of all that already! Those messages, along with the long-standing, powerful TRADITIONS of your particular family unit may lead you to overindulge throughout the holidays and leave you feeling tired, depressed and frustrated come January.

But This Year can be Different! You CAN go through the holiday season with a spirit of joy and hope with lots of energy and enthusiasm. With just a few small “attitude adjustments”, you can sprint into January feeling refreshed and revitalized.

Here then, are my Top 5 Tips for making it through the Holiday Season WITHOUT gaining the dreaded 6 pounds of fat the average American gains between October and January.

1. Have a meal replacement shake before attending a party.

Holiday Parties are loaded with irresistible, high caloric, high fat content foods and drinks. It’s a party and it’s the Holiday Season! You will indulge. You should indulge. But the last thing you want is to show up famished and take down a quick 1000 calories before the band even starts! And that wouldn’t take much. Here are a few examples:

1 Mai Tai – 310 Calories
1 Strawberry Margarita – 210 Calories
2 Fried Won Tons 620 calories & 20 g. fat
1 Cheese Ball 155 calories & 14 g. of fat
1 Bacon Wrapped Smoky Link 167 calories, 11 g fat
- Total: 1152 calories, all of which could easily be consumed inside of 60 minutes

So, take in a healthy, protein rich (15-20g) shake before you go to reduce your appetite to avoid the additional calories. And only have one won ton!

2. Don’t keep trigger foods in the house.

Trigger foods, which are typically high in fat, set the stage for unrestrained eating, and contain hidden calories that subvert weight loss efforts. You don’t need them and your kids don’t either.

The displays in the grocery store can be compelling, but the rule is simple: Don’t buy them and they won’t be a problem

3. Begin or Maintain a Regular Exercise Program NOW

Lots of folks conveniently defer exercise until after the 1st of the Year when the mystic weight lost elves will miraculously help solve both years of unhealthy diet and exercise and eliminate the seasonal weight gain …all within the magical month of January! Guys, gals …it always was and still is a fallacy. The only thing you’ll gain by waiting to begin an exercise program until January is a few more pounds. Get started in November!

4. Make your Holiday Weight Loss Goals Net Zero

That’s right – plan to loose no weight at all! But plan to gain none either – net zero. Enjoy a few extra calories during the season, but burn them all off immediately with 3 strength training workouts and 2 hours of cardio weekly. Let me know if I can help you with this!

5. Make your Holiday Fitness Goals Cardiovascular or Strength Related

Especially if your Health and Fitness Related Goals are weight loss, establish and reach NON-Weight loss goals of improved cardiovascular conditioning or improved strength in December! Improving your cardiovascular fitness levels and muscular strength now can set the stage for accelerated weight loss in January. Adding lean body mass (muscle, bone, blood) now means that you’ll burn more calories both when you exercise as well as when you’re at rest.

Cardiovascular or Strength related goals can be simple:

Walk every day of the week, starting with 10 minutes and add 2 minutes every day – you will be up to 90 minutes of walking by December 31st!
Do 3 push ups 3 times a week – you should be able to triple your repetitions in 6 weeks
Do sit-ups 3 times per week – you should be able to double your repetitions by boxing day

Or more complex:

Have a VO2 Max test done now, then …
- Run, spin, roller ski or skate twice weekly 40 minutes at moderate intensity
- Run, spin, roller ski or skate once weekly for 20 minutes at high intensity
- Test again in 6 weeks
Have a sub max bench press and pull-up test done now, then …
- Complete 3 full body resistance training exercises per week
- Test again in 6 weeks

And if you’re looking for the Perfect Holiday Gift, Ask me about our Trainer in a Bag Promotion!

Fitness Together Minneapolis OctoberSuper Star!!

In just three and a half months of training with Fitness Together Minneapolis,Jennifer has lost 7 inches and more than 3% body fat! She's gone from being able to do 3 push-ups to doing 30 push-ups, no sweat. Her Treadmill Test went from 30.8 miles per kilometer to 41 miles per kilometer. Talk about fantastic progress! We're so proud of you, Jennifer!

“I nearly passed out the very first session, but now I can appreciate the fact that I worked really hard. It’s never hard to get out of bed at 5am knowing I’m coming to workout with the trainers at Fitness Together.”- Jennifer

Personal Trainer in a Bag-- a Great Holiday Gift!

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:55:00 -0600

Looking for the perfect gift this
holiday season?
Give the gift of good health!
Give a Personal Trainer in a Bag!
You get all this:
Body Sport® Fusion Ball
Body Sport® 55 Slow Air Release Fitness Ball
Lower Body Challenge P.R.O. Bands
Break-Apart Fit-Stik
EZ-Ropes™
Valeo® Performance Lifting Gloves
Body Sport® Studio Series Resistance Tubes
Body Sport Medicine Ball

PLUS 3 Sessions of Personal Training at Fitness Together Minneapolis
Contact us for details today!

How Hard Should You Exercise?

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 11:50:00 -0500

Fitness Together of Minneapolis introduces Aspire 8 to further customize each client’s fitness program.

Minneapolis, MN– (October 22, 2010) – When it comes to exercising, not all workouts are the same. And that’s just the way Fitness Together of Minneapolis wants it.

The Fitness Together studios, located at 1024 Washington Ave. S. is part of the leading franchise network of one-on-one personal training, specializes in tailoring workouts for each and every client’s abilities, needs and goals. The science of crafting the right fitness routine just got better. The company recently unveiled Aspire 8, a proprietary program that will guide the studio’s personal trainers as they match each client’s aspirations to a custom fitness program designed to meet clients at their current fitness level and progressively move them forward.

“If we have 60 clients, there will be 60 tailored workouts in one-on-one sessions at our private studio with a personal trainer,” says Randy Zarecki, owner of the Minneapolis Fitness Together franchise. “That’s the individual attention that gets results, pushes clients to excel, and takes the routine out of a fitness routine.”

The Aspire 8 program was released nationwide to Fitness Together studios in July. The system will help Fitness Together trainers classify each client into one of four training zones based on their current fitness level. Then, the personal trainer will work with the client individually to build a customized program designed to progressively move that client toward higher levels of fitness. The workouts will continue to evolve and adapt to the levels of improved health and fitness for each individual client ensuring that they continue to improve.

“The Aspire 8 program evolves with a Fitness Together client who is increasingly getting in better shape,” Zarecki added. “It addresses the age-old question: How come I work out all the time but don’t lose weight?”

The results-oriented approach to exercising is one reason Fitness Together continues to excel as a growing national chain. And Zarecki expects the Aspire 8 program to keep loyal Minneapolis customers coming back, turning many into clients for life.

“We approach health and fitness as a lifestyle, and our personal trainers and fitness studio play an incredibly important role in the lives of clients,” Zarecki added. “We’re not a volume business that focuses on dues versus usage. We’re about a very high level of service for people in Minneapolis who want real results that will last. We make the most of their valuable time each and every session in a way they won’t get anywhere else. The Aspire 8 program will take that to the next level.”

Call Fitness Together Minneapolis at 612.378.8898 to book book a session!

###

October Newsletter

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the Minneapolis Fitness Together

October '10 Newsletter

In This Issue:

- Personal Best Attendance Contest!

- Lack of sleep alters hormones, metabolism

- FT MSP September Super Stars

- Butternut Squash Soup!

- Spontaneous Session Scheduling for $50 sessions

Personal Best Attendance Contest!

This October, if you make it to more sessions at Fitness Together than you ever have before, you can get all this:

Lack of sleep alters hormones, metabolism
By John Easton
Medical Center Public Affairs

Chronic sleep loss can reduce the capacity of even young adults to perform basic metabolic functions, such as processing and storing carbohydrates or regulating hormone secretion, report researchers from the University’s medical center in a recent issue of The Lancet.

Cutting back from the standard eight down to four hours of sleep each night produced striking changes in glucose tolerance and endocrine function––changes that resembled the effects of advanced age or the early stages of diabetes––after less than one week.

Although many studies have examined the short-term effects of acute, total sleep deprivation on the brain, this is the first to investigate the impact of chronic, partial sleep loss on the body by evaluating the metabolism and hormone secretion of subjects who were subjected to sleep restriction and after-sleep recovery.

“We found that the metabolic and endocrine changes resulting from a significant sleep debt mimic many of the hallmarks of aging,” said Eve Van Cauter, Research Professor in Medicine and director of the study. “We suspect that chronic sleep loss may not only hasten the onset but could also increase the severity of age-related ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity and memory loss.”

Cutting back on sleep is an extremely common response to the time pressures of modern industrial societies. The average night’s sleep decreased from about nine hours in 1910 to about 7.5 hours in 1975, a trend that continues. Millions of shift workers average less than five hours of sleep per workday. Previous studies, however, have measured only the cognitive consequences of sleep loss.

Van Cauter and colleagues Karine Spiegel and Rachel Leproult chose to focus instead on the physiologic effects of sleep loss, how sleep deprivation alters basic bodily functions such regulating blood-sugar levels, storing energy from food and the production of various hormones.

They followed 11 healthy young men for 16 consecutive nights. The first three nights, the subjects were allowed to sleep for eight hours, from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. The next six nights they slept four hours, from 1 to 5 a.m. The following seven nights they spent 12 hours in bed, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. All subjects received identical diets.

The researchers constantly assessed each volunteer’s wakefulness and heart rate. They performed sleep studies on the last two eight-hour nights, the last two four-hour nights, and the first and last two 12-hour nights. They performed glucose tolerance tests on the fifth day of sleep deprivation and the fifth day of sleep recovery and monitored glucose and hormone levels every 30 minutes on the sixth day of deprivation and of recovery.

They found profound alterations in glucose metabolism, in some situations resembling patients with type-2 diabetes, during sleep deprivation. When tested during the height of their sleep debt, subjects took 40 percent longer than normal to regulate their blood-sugar levels following an injection of glucose. Their ability to secrete insulin decreased by about 30 percent. A similar decrease in acute insulin response is an early marker of diabetes.

The differences were particularly noticeable when the subjects were tested in the morning. “Under sleep-debt conditions, our young, lean subjects would have responded to a morning glucose tolerance test in a manner consistent with current diagnostic criteria for impaired glucose tolerance,” noted the authors. Impaired glucose tolerance also is an early symptom of diabetes.

Sleep deprivation also altered the production and action of other hormones, dampening the secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone and increasing blood levels of cortisol, especially during the afternoon and evening. Elevated evening cortisol levels are typical of much older subjects and are thought to be related to age-related health problems such as insulin resistance and memory impairment.

All of these abnormalities quickly returned to baseline by the end of the recovery period, when subjects spent 12 hours in bed. In fact, as the subjects spent more than eight hours a night in bed, their laboratory values moved beyond the “normal” or baseline standards, suggesting that even eight hours of sleep do not produce a fully rested state. Young adults may function best after more than eight hours of rest each night.

“While the primary function of sleep may very well be cerebral restoration,” the authors noted, “our findings indicate that sleep loss also has consequences for peripheral function that, if maintained chronically, could have long-term, adverse health effects.”

Funding for this study was supplied by the Research Network on Mind-Body Interactions of the MacArthur Foundation (Chicago), the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the National Institutes of Health.

from the University of Chicago Chronicle, December 2, 1999

For more on how sleep can effect your health, check out My Sleep your way to The Top Blog Entry from April 09!

FT MSP September Super Stars!

Fitness Together- Downtown

“I couldn't have done it without Fitness Together. It was
exactly the jumpstart I needed. Thanks guys!!"
- Christina

Christina has been training with FT since May of this year and her results are fantastic. She has dropped her body fat by 4% since starting and her body measurements are down by 6.75 inches!! She
does cardio at least 4 times a week, combined with weight training and kickboxing, nothing is stopping this girl. Christina definitely puts the word “tough” in toughness and we couldn’t be any more proud of her for that!

Fitness Together- Uptown
“I don’t know why I’m paying people to put me through pain”
- Derek
After being here only one month, Derek has managed to lose 12 pounds already! Derek has become more aware of his eating habits during his job which requires a lot of traveling. He has even taken the extra step to look for hotels with gyms so he can continue his transformation. Congratulations Derek on kick starting your first month at Fitness Together!

Butternut Squash Soup
Perfect for Fall!

Ingredients
1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
Nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Serve.

September 2010 Newsletter

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

In This Issue:

- An Extra Friendly Discount!

- Top 10 Eating Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss!

- FT MSP August Super Stars

- Spontaneous Session Scheduling for $50 sessions!

We're happy to congratulate Justin Hallen on his one year anniversary. He has now been training with Fitness Together for a year, and we're glad to have him on our team! Before joining our team, Justin graduated from MN School of Business Globe University as a Fitness Specialist and is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Certified Personal Trainer. His passion for fitness developed during his six years in the Air National Guard. Justin likes all types of training including weight, power, endurance, and sports related skills. He looks forward to meeting each client and helping them achieve their fitness goals.

Top 10 Eating Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss

If you’ve ever worn (or chuckled at) one of those “I run so I can eat” T-shirts, this info is for you! How you eat goes hand in hand with your workout plans and is proven to bring people’s weight loss goals into their grasp more quickly and easily. Try these top 10 strategies from experts with our Nutrition Together program to help you spell double trouble for extra pounds!

1. Eat healthy to stay healthy.

Studies show that people who eat an unhealthy diet (loaded with fast-food meals, sugary drinks, high-fat snacks, lots of desserts/sweets, and low in fruits and vegetables) have significantly higher rates of chronic disease such as high bloodpressure and heart disease. The most successful weight loss programs provide clear and uncomplicated nutrition guidance via tools such as “this is a healthier choice than that” food graphics.

2. Lose weight at a safe rate.

Weight lost too quickly often returns — sometimes with additional pounds. The safest diets promote weight loss of no more than two pounds (or 1% of total body weight) a week.

3. Learn how to control emotional eating.

Experts estimate that 75% of overeating is caused by emotions. Successful weight losers have learned to apply behavior modification tools to help them deal with their emotional eating triggers and learn healthful techniques to help manage these emotions.

4. Control calories and portions.

Research has proven time and again that to lose weight you must consume fewer calories than your body expends, regardless of the carbs/fat/protein ratio.Nutrition Together uses a special “food-weight” system to help make these calories-in, calories-out calculations quick and easy to do on the fly — so you can still eat the foods you love and lose weight.

5. Keep a journal.

Studies show that people are mostsuccessful at maintaining healthy eating habits when they watch and record the type and quantity of food consumed. Take it a step further with an Accountability Journal to help you track both eating and exercise choices.

6. Weigh yourself often.

Frequent weighing is proven to help clients achieve and sustain weight loss. Not weighing in is actually associated with greater weight regain. The Nutrition Together program encourages private, weekly weigh-ins, as well as periodic body fat and waist circumference measurements.

7. Get support and rewards for your successes.

Weekly contact with a support person — and small rewards along the way — are proven to increase the likelihood of maintaining new healthy habits. Ask for details about our Nutrition Togetherprogram that spurs you on with contests, prizes, online support and nonfood rewards for your accomplishments!

8. Eat small, frequent meals.

The more meals and snacks you eat a day, the healthier your weight is likely to be. Eating breakfast and eating frequently increases total calorie burn. Aim to eat a healthy breakfast every morning followed by four or five small meals throughout the day.

9. Choose the macronutrient content of your meals wisely.

The type of food you select can help you boost your metabolism and feel fuller and more satisfied longer. For example, protein reduces appetite and costs your body the most calories to metabolize. Fiber is filling and helps keep hunger at bay, helping you make wiser choices at major meals.

10. Include strength training, not just cardio.

The most successful programs for promoting health and long-term weight control involve combinations of exercise and diet.Balancing cardio exercise with strength training is the best prescription for promoting health, fitness and weight control.Fitness Together and Nutrition Togetheroffer the ideal combination, (healthy eating advice and exercise) under one roof, with private, personalized one-on-one workouts and nutrition guidance.

FT MSP August Super Stars!

As our longest standing client (7 YEARS) Skip has done a great job of staying committed to himself and his fitness goals. As soon as the “Train Your Tail Off” promotion kicked in, Skip took full advantage and managed to get a six- session week in for the month of August. With a dedication like that, it’s no wonder he has reached his goals of looking and feeling fantastic everyday.

Skip can now see deltoid muscles in a sleeveless shirt, and has received compliments from friends-- even strangers! More importantly, he's healthier than ever. He has lost all low back pain, and increased everyday energy and requires much less sleep. He hasn't been sick in over a year!

"My goals have never been about what’s on paper, but more about how I looked in a polo" -Skip

Ann joined Fitness Together back in the middle of May and since then she has been doing fantastic!! In just 2 months, Ann dropped 7 pounds in weight, decreased her body fat by 9%, almost doubled her sit up stats, and lost almost 8 inches in her hips, waist and thighs.

With a program of resistance training 2-3 times per week, and cardio after each session, has nearly doubled the number of sit-ups she can do!

Amy has been having great success in St. Paul! She’s lost over 13 pounds. She’s lowered her body fat by 4.5%, and she’s nearly doubled her max bench press. She’s lost over 10 inches, and shows no sign of slowing down her pace.

She’s dedicated to maintaining her workout regimen, training with Fitness Together 2 or 3 times a week, and loving it. We love to see clients stay dedicated. When clients keep coming to train, that's when they keep seeing results! Great job, Amy! Keep it up!

August Newsletter

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

In This Issue:

Train Your Butt Off in August Promo!
- UNLIMITED AUGUST TRAINING FOR $750
A Mid Summer's Training Edge - Two a Days for Quick Results
FT MSP July Super Stars
Spontaneous Session Scheduling for $50 sessions!
Social Media Survey - Chance to Win!

Train your Tail off in August

Unlimited Training for $750!

If you train 4 days per week thats about 50 bucks a session!

A Mid Summer's Training Edge

If you’re looking to lose that last 10 pounds (always the toughest), or looking to pick up the program now that swim suit weather is here, or just looking to get past a plateau, mental impediment, or otherwise ‘flat’ training this time of the year, I have just the thing to kick it up a notch!

It’s called Two-a-day workouts!

Long used in various athletic camps as a way to increase volume and intensity, exercising twice daily is one of the easiest ways to crank up your program! Get it Morning/Noon, or Morning/Evening, or Noon/Evening … whichever works best.

Your current workout probably includes something like a 10 to 15 minute warmup, 45 minutes of resistance training, and then another 20 to 30 minutes of cardio for a total of between 75 and 90 minutes.

Which is terrific! But can also be somewhat unapproachable week after week, month after month. Especially when it’s hot outside. This is where two-a-days step in quite nicely.

Rather than completing that single 75-90 minute workout, split the effort into two much shorter 20 to 30 minute workouts!

A single 30 minute workout is short, sweet, and much more mentally approachable. Heck, it’s not even a workout …really more of a workoutling … a workout too small, cute, and incomplete to be areal workout. Get in, get it done, and be on your way!

Training twice daily for 30 minutes each instead of once for 75 minutes has other advantages too.

For one, you raise your metabolism twice daily instead of just once. Not only do you burn calories while exercising, butyou’ll burn additional calories recovering from the exercise after your workout. And if you’ve had a nice little intense workout, the elevated metabolic rate can burn extra calories for up to 2 hours! Twice daily!

Additionally, two workouts give you one more boost of energy throughout the day to help moderate those stress levels, as well as a second shot of endorphins!

Last, it gives you an opportunity for complete recovery between workoutsyou would otherwise not get in a single longer workout. Unless you’re a professional athlete, your energy levels 30 minutes into a workout are much different than they were at the start. Twice a daysallow you to apply high quality effort to your entire workout.

Here are a couple of ways to incorporate twice daily workouts:

Use the AM workout for strength training; and the PM workout for cardio
Use the AM workout for high intensity strength training; and the PM workout for range of motion, flexibility and/or functional training
Use the AM workout for high intensity cardio interval training; and the PM workout for moderate cardio

A few things to keep these things in mind for a twice daily workout regimen:

.It’s just 30 minutes, so plan for being seriously committed for the entire workout; it goes fast!

Rest no more than 1 minute between sets if you’re resistance training

Drink plenty of water before, during, and after each workout

Wear your headphones, and don’t make eye contact with anyone else in the gym (no time to get pulled away into a conversations)

Look ahead, and plan your next exercise before you’re finished with your current one

Have an alternate exercise in mind with alternate equipment to keep you moving should your equipment get taken before you get there

Go relatively light with high repetitions (20+) on the 1st set of any resistance exercise

Plan for no fewer than 10-12 repetitions on any exercise (again, making the workout more aerobic in nature to compensate for reduced cardio)

Be sure to consume a high quality post workout recovery meal/drink

Check with your trainer if you think I’ve said something stupid

FT MSP July Super Stars!

Since joining FT, Sara has been reaching her goals and has been doing it will great satisfaction. She has lost over 10 pounds, decreased her body fat by 6.4%, doubled her overall strength, and lost more than 12.75 inches in total body measurements since February. Awesome job, Sara!!

“I am very excited about the progress I’ve made -- both in terms of how I feel and how I look. I feel much stronger and know that my workouts will have long term health benefits. I have tried many many things over the years to get in shape and have been more consistent and more highly motivated by Fitness Together than anything I’ve ever tried. The best thing about FT is that all I have to do is show up and work hard. I like having someone plan out my session, encourage me, and tell me what to do. Having an appointment gets me to show up and I work far harder than I would if doing this on my own. I would recommend FT to others. The personalized approach really helps me!” -Sara

Collin was a big, strong guy when he started with us. He is pretty active on his own, but was looking for a little extra help. He works really hard when he is here and follows what we tell him perfectly. He has done a great job and really maximizes his time when he works out. He always does his cardio on the days he trains and it has really paid off. He is a great guy and a lot of fun to work with.

Collin has almost perfect attendance. He works really hard and has dramatically decreased his body fat %. He is down in weight and inches. He has noticeable gained a lot of strength which has helped him in his everyday life outside the gym.

As the owner of her own business, Hollyschedule is constantly changing. But she knows that to be successful with her fitness goals, she has to be consistent with her workouts. She works out with Fitness Together twice a week and on her on including cardio. We are always glad to work with her and excited to see her transform her body towards her goals. Since joining Fitness Together, Holly has increased her strength by 10%, decreased her fat mass by 7%, and lost 11.25 inches, overall!

"Since my business is food and wine, I need Fitness Together to keep me in line, cuz I don’t want no one knowing my business" -Holly

July Newsletter 2010

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the Minneapolis St. Paul Fitness Together July '10' Newsletter

In This Issue:

July's Double Referral Promotion!
8 Simple Summer Fitness Tips
FT MSP July Super Stars
Spontaneous Session Scheduling!
Social Media Survey - Chance to Win!

Randy Zarecki,
Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

Fitness Together Downtown 1024 Washington Ave S 612.378.8898

Fitness Together Highland Park 2112A Ford Pkwy 651.699.9955
Fitness Together Uptown 1221 W. Lake St. 612.822.3448

FTMSP.com

Check out my Blog, updated about weekly
Visit our updated Free Fitness Reports Collection

July is Double Referral Month!
Ordinarily, any time you refer a client to Fitness Together you get 3 FREE SESSIONS.

If you thought that was great: This month we're doubling it!
That's 6 FREE SESSIONS!

With the temperatures rising, vacations planned, schools on holiday, and the in-laws inbound it's easy to get distracted from your fundamental fitness regimen.

We all struggle with consistency from time to time, and summer is a classic example.

Rather than fight the friction, here are a few easy ways to adjust your life and lifestyle to go with the flow when it seems like your exercise program is falling apart. Here are my Eight Simple Summer Fitness Tips ...

1. Lift Weights two to four times per week no matter what. As described in detail in previous blog entries, and is well documented elsewhere, increased lean body mass increases your metabolism which significantly increases your calorie burn. Load bearing exercise also helps prevent osteoporosis ... a threat to both men and women.

2. Just Move More. Use the spread office suggestions from my January blog. Cut your own grass. Walk your own dog. Walk down the hallway to check with a colleague instead of phoning her. Park in remote areas of every parking lot you park in. Use the stairs. All of these simple, additional body movements add up quickly in the long run.

3. Ride your bike to work at least once weekly. Check our May blog to begin your new commuting life style. You'll look better, feel better, be healthier, and reduce your carbon footprint all at once!

4. Eat Clean. The American Journal of Medicine reports that Americans eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily has gone from 42% in 1988 to 26% in 2006. One thing is for sure: if you don't buy them, you won't eat them, so be sure to spend at least 25% of your total grocery shopping experience in the produce section!

5. Eat Smart. Smaller meals digest better than larger ones. And they help keep your stomach smaller. Don't eat big meals before bed time. Do eat breakfast every day. Don't get crazy on the carbohydrates, and limit or eliminate highly saturated fat content foods from your diet. Need even more help? Ask me about our Nutrition Together program.

6. Get enough rest each day. Proper rest assists with recovery from exercise. It also affects your job performance, and is critical to regulating insulin. Researchers have also found that proper rest can reduce your risk of developing cancer.

7. Stretch Daily. Certainly, you can do yoga to improve your flexibility, but a simple home stretching regimen is plenty sufficient for most people. More important than anything else is that you build a mere 10 to 15 minutes of stretching into your day. Here, as well, are a few ways to time-slice stretching into your day.

8. Hydrate. Develop the habit of carrying a water bottle with you where ever you go. Drinking plenty of water helps you digest food better, increases muscle and joint flexibility, and helps keep your breath fresh!

And here's a bonus tip ...

9. Make incremental adjustments. Changing habits takes time, effort, and determination. Rather than attempting to tackle all 8 of these tips tomorrow, pick and seriously focus on just one for each of the next 8 weeks.

FT MSP June
Super Stars!!

Mary is a prime example for all current FT clients to work hard in achieving their goals. Since starting her training back in October of 2009; Mary has lost 10 pounds, dropped 5% in total body fat, doubled her VO2 Max intake, and decreased her girth measurements by 10.88 inches in just 8 months time!! Mary has done a fantastic job since joining FT and we know she won’t stop there!

Terence always works extremely hard during his workouts. He was one of our rare clients that actually wanted to build a lot of muscle and gain a little weight. He has done a great job putting forth the effort necessary to achieve his results. He is doing great with diet and follows the trainer’s advice and his results have been great. He has gained weight, while at the same time dropping his body fat%.

Greg started and continues to have a positive attitude towards training. His consistency and intensity are always focused on his goals and clearly he is on the right path. Greg balances his hard work with volleyball tournaments and has played around the country as well as internationally, nice work Greg!

Want to take advantage of our Spontaneous Scheduling Discount? Check out the attached PDF for mroe information!

We want to get inside your head!

Well, not really. But we do want to better understand your social media habits.

Click here to fill out our short survey for the chance to win one week of FREE training!

Thank you!

Super Duper Discounts on Training!

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

If your schedule has some flexibility, or you simply want to be "in the know" on discounted training you'll want to subscribe to our Spontaneous Scheduling Messaging Servicefor a super discounted session!
What it is:

A text messaging service to notify clients of last minute session availability at a deeply discounted rate.

How it works:

Fitness Together will text message all subscribers of the system with last minute session availability
These will be no more than twice daily, typically around noon for evening sessions, and around 6 pm for early next day sessions.
We'll book the 1st person to call us back on the session
Your credit card will be immediately charged $50 for the session

How to participate:

Opt In by texting "TMR FTMSP" to 70734

June Newsletter

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the Minneapolis St. Paul Fitness Together June '10' Newsletter

In This Issue:

Don't forget nutrition!
Top Outdoor Exercises
FT MSP June Super Stars
Summer Recipe:
- Halibut with Tuscan Beans and Endive
Social Media Survey - Chance to Win!

Randy Zarecki,
Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

Fitness Together Downtown 1024 Washington Ave S 612.378.8898

Fitness Together Highland Park 2112A Ford Pkwy 651.699.9955
Fitness Together Uptown 1221 W. Lake St. 612.822.3448

FTMSP.com

Check out my Blog, updated about weekly
Visit our updated Free Fitness Reports Collection

Don't forget Nutrition Together!
Introduced in February, this is Fitness Together's proprietary nutrition program designed to help you eat healthy, eat light, and eat often.

(See the attached brochure for details)

Top Outdoor Exercises
Outdoor exercising has a lot of benefits. Some of them are:

Fresh air
No driving time to a fitness facility
Little or no equiptment needed to get a great workout
You can workout anywhere at anytime
No crowded gyms
No special clothing
Vitamin D enhancing sunshine for the skin

If you refer to the following top 7 exercises, they will be sure to leave you worn out, sweaty, and feeling great when it's over!

PUSH UPS

Push ups are one of the most effective upper body exercises. It is an incredibly productive exercise and requires no equipment whatsoever.

The 3 basic movements of push ups include Close Grip, Wide Grip, and Standard Grip. Alternating these 3 types will ensure maximum stimulation to the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

STEP UPS

When done properly, this exercise is brutal! Using a piece of playground equipment, a large rock, or a picnic bench, you simply step up onto the elevated surface, step down, and repeat on the other side alternating back and forth.

Keep your back straight and your head up the entire time. By doing so, you will maximize recruitment of all your leg muscles, and will get an incredible cardiovascular workout as well. You will quickly see the benefit of this exercise.

LUNGES

Lunges should be done with perfect form. A lunge will work every muscle in your legs at something throughout the movement, including the Gluteus Maximus, if done correctly. Lunges that require no equipment include; Alternating Lunges, Elevated Lunges, Standing Lunges, Walking Lunges, and Rear Lunges.

DUCK WALKS

This exercise is very easy, yet about as hard as it gets. Squat down until your thighs are at or below parallel to the ground, stay in that position, and start walking. Go 10 steps and then walk backwards to your starting point. Repeat as many times as necessary to reach total exhaustion!

CHIN UPS

The outdoor version can be done using anything from a low hanging tree branch to a number of pieces of play ground equipment.

Chin ups will humble most people, even avid exercisers, when done correctly. Bring your body up completely until your chin is at or above your hands, and lower back to start control. Repeat for as many as you can!

Alot of people don't understand the power of doing a squat the proper way. Through improper instruction, the effectiveness of the squat has been lost in the mix. Variations include One-Leg Squats, Plie Squats, Standing Squats, Overhead Squats, and Wide-Stance Squats. Try doing 50 perfectly formed repetitions and see how tired you get!

UPHILL SPRINTS

This exercise is just what it sounds like- running uphill. Run up a hill as fast as you can, walk back to the bottom, and repeat.

If you are up to the challenge and sick of the gym, get outside and play!

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Had enough of our tips and news? Got your own plan and prefer to not be bothered with the best fitness advice on earth anymore? No worries, just click here to help us understand why and we will cut you loose.

May Newsletter 2010

Mon, 10 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the Minneapolis St. Paul Fitness Together May '10' Newsletter

In This Issue:

Gain a little to lose a little - May Promotion!
May is National Bike Month
FT MSP May Super Stars
Summer Slimdown Meals:
- Summer Crab Rolls
- Salmon Burgers
- Pineapple Salad
- Portabella Mushroom Burgers

Randy Zarecki,
Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

Fitness Together Downtown 1024 Washington Ave S 612.378.8898

Fitness Together Highland Park 2112A Ford Pkwy 651.699.9955
Fitness Together Uptown 1221 W. Lake St. 612.822.3448

FTMSP.com

Check out my Blog, updated about weekly
Visit our updated Free Fitness Reports Collection

Get back into your favorite jeans!!
Get 15% to Lose 15%...

Let us help you lose 15% fat weight by giving you 15% off any package purchase!!

Also during the month of May, new clients receive a complimentary massage from Keep in Touch Massage!

*New Clients Only
Offer Expires 5/31/10

May is Bike Month
Minneapolis St. Paul Bike Commuting Primer

May is National Bike Month. Bike to Work Week is May 17 - May 21. And Bike to Work Day Friday, May 21st!

And wow, cycling to the office gets a day, a week, and a month!

Biking to work will save you some gas money, reduce greenhouse gases, and help get you a bit more fit all at once!
The average 150# person will burn off that 945 calorie loaded Chipotle Burrito in just 90 minutes of moderate paced cycling!
But there are a few tricks for making it enjoyable and easy. So, here are my 6 Secrets to Successful Cyclist Commuting on your bike here in the Twin Cities:

1. The right Gear. You don't need to spend thousands on a bike or clothing, but you do need to have a well maintained bike and layered clothing. Go to your local bike shop to get set up (NOT Walmart or Sams). If you end up riding a lot (3+ days per week), you would do well to get fit for your bike - bike shop specialists match the geometry of the bike to the dimensions of your torso, arms, and legs. The basic gear will get you started, but if you do spend extra, spend it on rain gear: you will get caught in the rain at some point in your commuter lifetime, and being prepared to ride in the rain will help keep you in the saddle.

Additionally, despite the highly enviable fashion appeal of bright, multi-colored jerseys, most cyclists really are not pretending to be from the Tour de France: they're simply trying to BE SEEN and remain upright on the roadways! And you should too. As it turns out, the best materials and workmanship normally do get tattooed with logos and sponsor graffiti (which helps pay for the more expensive materials), so they are indeed popular with experienced cyclists. What's important is that you own something very brightly colored to be seen on the road. Yellow, Orange, and Red are best.

2. The right route. Planning a route is essential. And rewarding. You will discover and appreciate roads and neighborhoods cycling to work that you would otherwise never see. However, some planning is required. Your local bike shop will have local maps for commuters. First look for routes that overpass freeways where auto traffic does not interchange with the freeway, and plan the rest of your commute around those: the most dangerous part of any commute is crossing a freeway where cars and trucks are accelerating into merge lanes to jump onto the on ramps.
Mornings tend to be better than evenings, but you will want to avoid freeway interchanges. Bike pathways, bike lanes, and other wide avenues are normally well marked on local bike maps, but you will sometimes find local residential street routes just as bike friendly.

Plan on trying a few different options: you'll need to experiment a bit to discover the best places to cross arterial roads, avoid traffic, avoid traffic lights, and feel separated from or safe with auto and truck traffic.

3. The Right Backup Plan. Perhaps most important of all - have a Plan B. Identify service organizations (coffee shops, convenience stores, bike shops) along or near the route that might come in handy if you have a breakdown, get caught in a storm, or need to rehydrate. Carry a cell phone so that you can always call a cab for a ride, or call 911 if you're really in trouble. Beware, however, that if you do call a taxi you will need a physical street address for a pickup ... "The Park by the river bend" will not work (I tried that once).

4. The right light. Lengthy Minnesota days are a true delight for cyclists. Mid summer you can start as early as 5:45AM and finish as late as 9:00 PM without the need serious lighting. For these hours, you need just two things: $25 flashing headlight and a $25 flashing tail light. Buy and use these if you're riding before 8:00AM or after 7:00PM. While you may not notice any light from them, twilight hours, shadows, and sun glare make seeing cyclists difficult for motorists when the sun is low on the horizon. You'll need a more expensive halogen system if you ride earlier or later, and as daylight diminishes towards fall.

5. A change of clothes. Plan to sweat a bit, especially in humid summer conditions. You have two choices: you can either carry a pack, or bring a change of clothes to your office the day (or days) before your ride. Supply your office with soap and sundries if you are privileged enough to work for an employer who has a shower and locker room. If not, stock your change of clothes bag with a supply of pre-moistened handy wipes. HOT TIP! Baby butt wipes do a fabulous job of cleaning the crevices and deodorizing after a ride. You'll smell a bit like baby powder for a day, but do your co-workers a huge favor!

6. The right place for your Bike. Many offices and office building have bike racks for daytime storage. It's plenty safe to leave your bike there if it is a well lit area with plenty of foot traffic. If it's secluded, however, or in a bad neighborhood, or if you're in love with your bike (which isn't too crazy - heck, mine have names!), or if you simply want everyone in your office to know that you are riding your bike to work (it is contiguous!), you may prefer to stow it in your office or someplace nearby.

In 30 years of riding to work, I've never been denied access to my office with my bike. You may get some curious looks and a few raised eyebrows, but no one will tell you that you can't bring your bike in the building. It is sometimes more convenient and less conspicuous to take the freight elevator or service entrance to avoid other workers arriving before you clean up and change. Mingling with coworkers in biker shorts can be awkward.

So there you have it! Enough to get started! Do Post a comment if you have a tip I've missed!

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FT MSP May
Super Stars!!

Kim’s hard work with her resistance training and 3-5 days a week of cardio have shown us fantastic results! In just 6 weeks, Kim has lost 7 pounds, increased her push up stats by 200%, and decreased her girth measurements by a total of 12.93 inches!! Even coming in at 6am, 3 days a week hasn’t stopped Kim’s determination to reach her goals!!

“Since I have started working with the trainers at Fitness Together, I find I have more energy and focus for the day ahead. And, of course, I am excited about the way I see my body re-shaping and gaining back some of the strength I use to have. A big thanks to all those who have helped me look forward to an intense 45 minutes at 6:00am!” ~Kim

Amy’s rockin’ in St. Paul! In just two short months she has lost over 13lbs, lowered her bodyfat by 4.5%, nearly doubled her max bench press and lost over 10 inches!!

Bonnie is continuing to do a fantastic job in Uptown. She consistently comes in motivated and willing to work hard. She has lost over 10.5 total inches and 36% fat weight. She has almost doubled her bench press weight since beginning with FT and has increased her pushups from 8 to 56! She's energetic and her hard work is clearly paying off! Way to go Bonnie!!

"A Serious Fitness Together client doesn't have to be serious." ~ Bonnie

Summer Slimdown Recipes

Try these delicious recepis for lunch or dinner!

Summer Crab Rolls

Ingredients:

1 lb lump crabmeat, drained
1 tsp Tabasco green pepper sauce
1 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
1 Tblsp Dijon mustard
2 Tblsp chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup low-fat mayo
1/4 cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
1-1/2 Tblsp butter, softened
12 potato dinner rolls, cut in half horizontally
lettuce leaves
tomato slices
avocado slices

Directions:

Combine crabmeat, pepper sauce, juice, mustard, chives, mayo, and onion in bowl; toss well.
Spread butter onto sliced rolls. Spoon 1/4 cup crab mixture onto each bottom half of the rolls. Lay out a piece of lettuce, 2 slices of avocado, and tomato slice on top of crab mixture. Serve with Pineapple Salad.

Makes 12 small sandwiches (serves 6)

Salmon Burgers

Ingredients:

1 lb salmon fillet, skinned and chopped
1 Tblsp Tabasco green pepper sauce
1 egg white
1 cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
olive oil cooking spray
8 toasted slices of your choice of breads (focaccia, wheat wrap, potato roll, etc.)

Directions:

Combine salmon, onion, basil, salt and pepper in bowl. Toss well.
Combine pepper sauce and egg white in bowl, whisk. Add to salmon mixture, stirring well.
Make four equal balls, shaping each into a patty. Add to nonstick pan after coating with olive oil cooking spray. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Serves four.

Pineapple Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups pineapple (cut in 1 inch cubes)
1 cup halved red grapes
1/2 cup canteloupe
1/2 cup honeydew melon
4 Tblsp orange juice
2 Tblsp honey
sprinkle of salt
1/4 cup coconut flakes
4 Tblsp toasted almond slices

Directions:

Combine pineapple, grapes, canteloupe, honeydew in bowl.
Combine orange juice, honey and salt together. Drizzle over fruit.
Sprinkle coconut and toasted nuts over fruit. Serve with crab rolls, salmon or portobello burgers.

Portabella Mushroom Burgers

Ingredients:

4 sandwich rolls
4 Portabella mushroom caps
1 Tblsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tblsp minced garlic
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup low fat mayo
2 tsp lime juice
1/8 red pepper flakes
2 cups salad greens
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers (can use bottled)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in nonstick pan over medium to medium-high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper on mushrooms and saute 3-5 minutes, or until tender, turning once. Add garlic, saute for less than a minute and remove from heat.
Spread 2 Tblsp of the mayo mixture (1/4 cup mayo, 2 tsp lime juice, 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 minced garlic clove mixed well) onto one side of bread. Top with salad greens, cheese crumbles and 1-2 Tblsp of roasted red peppers. Add mushroom to each roll. Serves four.

-suite101.com

April Newsletter 2010

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the Minneapolis St. Paul Fitness Together April '10' Newsletter

In This Issue:

Check out our Awesome April Special!!
Preventing Osteoporosis with Your Long, Slow Cardio Event
FT MSP April Super Stars
Welcome to Fitness Together Mike Zambrana!
Healthy Easter Eating

Randy Zarecki,
Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

Fitness Together Downtown 1024 Washington Ave S 612.378.8898

Fitness Together Highland Park 2112A Ford Pkwy 651.699.9955
Fitness Together Uptown 1221 W. Lake St. 612.822.3448

FTMSP.com

Check out my Blog, updated about weekly
Visit our updated Free Fitness Reports Collection

Awesome April Special
During the month of April receive 2 days lodging at Home Sweet Home Resort in Jamaica for every 20 sessions purchased!!

*New Clients Only
Offer Expires 4/30/10

Preventing Osteoporosis with Your Long, Slow Cardio Event

Osteoporosis is a bone degenerating disease that leads to potentially dangerous (even deadly) bone fractures. Commonly discussed as a risk area for aging women, if you're thinking that this problem is just for the girls, think again! Recent research at the University of Wisconsin shows, that while "While a 50-year-old woman faces a lifetime risk of 50% for an osteoporotic fracture, anywhere from one in eight to one in four 50-year-old men face that risk."

Further, the complication and death rates for men are higher than for women.

But wouldn't you know it ... one of the best ways to avoid osteoporosis is to maintain a regular resistance program! If you're not regularly exercising, we can certainly help you with that. Additionally, now that we're basking in 15+ hours of daylight, your long slow cardio event can help there too!

Because if you're following our prescribed cardiovascular programmingrecommendations your weekly cardio efforts will include:

One short duration, high intensity event (SDHI)
Two moderate duration, moderate intensity events (MDMD)
One long duration, low intensity event (LDLI)

Sundays, early mornings, and late evenings are perfect times to get out and complete that Long Duration, Low Intensity (LDLI) event.

But just what, exactly, is Long Duration? And Low Intensity?

Generally, you'll want the long duration, low exercise event to be measured in hours,preferably closer to 2 or 3. But it shouldn't feel exhausting.

You'll want to pick up your heart rate just a bit, but not so much that you're really challenging your circulatory or respiratory systems. The increased blood flow provides much needed nutrient rich blood to your muscles, bones, and joints.

Under the stress of more intense exercise (resistance or cardio), muscle fibers, tendons, and ligaments all get damaged a bit. This is by design, as the rebuilding/recovery that follows makes them stronger, longer, or leaner. It also increases bone density, which is why it's particularly effective in avoiding osteoporosis.

Additionally, conversion of energy sources to energy produces a toxic waste product called lactic acid during exercise. The more intense you exercise, the more lactic acid you produce. This waste product is the primary reason why you may feel sore afterresistance exercise: your body doesn't like the lactic acid hanging around muscle groups. Stretching can help help eliminate lactic acid buildup, but we mostly depend on the circulatorysystem to flush it out.

Your LDLI then, provides an important niche role in assisting with your recovery: upside nutrition for your recovering tissues, and increased blood flowto remove lactic acid waste product.

If you have a heart rate monitor we can tell you exactly what range to be in for this exercise.

Or ...

You can enroll in our Targeted Cardio Program and get one for free!;
You can use the perceived exertion scale;
You can use this handy minute rule tip from RealAge.com.

But before you start thinking "... hey, I'll just do that daily then ..." , do recognize that this only has practical value within a comprehensive program that includes prescribed resistance training as well as more intense bouts of cardio work. It's part of the puzzle, but a lost puzzle piece by itself.

Exactly what you do for your Weekly LDLI will depend enormously on your current fitness level, but here are a few suggestions.

Walk. The lakes, the rivers, and the bridges all have excellent separation from traffic. And the intensity of a brisk walk is exactly in the right range for LDLI exercise. Again, check this handy tip from RealAge to gauge intensity.

Nordic Walk. If you want to do even than better than just walking, start nordicwalking. Long popular with the skiers for summertime training, nordic walking has a leg up on just plain walking in that with the use of hiking poles you:

Engage your entire body in the exercise
Improve Core Strength and Stability (lower back and abdominals)
Increase Shoulder and Arm muscular endurance
Improve the safety and stability of your walk, especially for geriatrics

... thereby burning an additional 45% more calories than with walking alone!!!

You can stick to the urban trails, or get onto the many city and county park hiking trails (Hennepin County Parks, Ramsey County Parks). You can get your hiking poles at REI, or one of the many area cross county shops: Finn Sisu in St. Paul, or Gear West in Long Lake.

Ride your Bike. Check out my May 7th 2009 blog entry on commuting by bike to work!

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FT MSP April
Super Stars!!

Tim has been a pleasure to work with over the past couple of year at Fitness Together. With a positive attitude Tim is always willing to try any exercise thrown at him by the Fitness Together trainers and his results are proof of his efforts. Tim has decreased his fat weight by 15 % and gained over two inches in his chest and shoulders. Way to go Tim!
"Everyone dies, not everyone really lives." ~Tim S

Robin has been doing an excellent job in St. Paul! She always has a great attitude, is consistent, and is willing to do what is necessary to succeed! Because of this, she has seen excellent results. In just two short months, Robin has managed to lose over 7 inches, 5lbs., and over 3% body fat!!! She has been excellent to train, and if she continues down this path, who knows what’s next? Keep it up, Robin. Nice work!
"The sessions have been fun and time actually flies by! It has been easier to stick with than I thought it would be." ~Robin T

Steve’s consistency with his resistance training and cardio sessions has definitely paid off! Impressively, Steve has lost an astonishing 30 lbs. since December! Steve has also lost 5.5 inches in his waist and his body fat percentage decreased 15% from his previous assessment. With the same, continued effort, Steve’s numbers will continue to improve. Great job, Steve!

“I love working out at FT Downtown because it gives me the extra push that I need to stay in shape. The professional trainers change up the routines to keep things interesting week after week. The proximity of the DT location to work, extra convenient parking and availability of training sessions to fit into my schedule are an added bonus. And how could I forget, Jon is awesome!.” ~Steve O

Welcome to Fitness Together Mike!

Mike earned a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University in 2009. While at Cornell, Mike played as a defensive back for the Varsity Sprint Football team. He earned All-league honors (NCAA I), as well as recognition as most improved player. His passion for fitness developed while spending his off-seasons training under the guidance of the Cornell Athletics Strength & Conditioning program, designed to increase power, speed, agility, conditioning, and flexibility. He is currently pursuing an MPH in Health Policy & Management at the University of Minnesota and is in progress for completing his Personal Training Certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine this year. He looks to help and inspire each client to achieve and raise their fitness levels.

Lighten up traditional spring fare with these fresh ideas for Easter.

Celebrate spring with these easy healthy Easter recipes. If you’re starting the day with an Easter brunch, try a vegetable-studded bread pudding or quiche. Our Easter dinner recipes include grilled salmon, smoked turkey or roast lamb for the main course. Add a few simple side dishes to take advantage of the season’s freshest foods, such as asparagus, peas and new potatoes. Berries and other spring fruit star in our delicious Easter desserts recipes. Enjoy the first signs of spring with these healthy, delicious Easter recipes from EatingWell.

Artichoke-Scrambled Eggs Benedict

Ingredients

8 canned artichoke bottoms, (1 1/2 cans), rinsed (see Shopping Tip)
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, divided, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
1/3 cup chopped pancetta
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon water
6 large eggs
4 large egg whites
2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchâtel)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Toss artichoke bottoms with 2 teaspoons oil and 2 teaspoons oregano. Place them top-side down on half of a large baking sheet. Spread pancetta in an even layer on the other half. Roast until the artichokes are just beginning to brown and the pancetta is crispy, 12 to 14 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice and water in a small bowl until smooth. Beat eggs and egg whites in a large bowl.
Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and cook, folding and stirring frequently with a heatproof rubber spatula until almost set, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and fold in cream cheese, the remaining 1 teaspoon oregano and salt.
To serve, divide the artichoke bottoms among 4 plates. Top each artichoke with equal portions scrambled egg, crispy pancetta and creamy lemon sauce. Garnish with oregano sprigs, if desired.

Tips & Notes

Shopping tip: Artichoke bottoms can be purchased in 14-ounce cans—found near other canned vegetables. If unavailable, substitute two 14-ounce cans rinsed and halved artichoke hearts.

Nutrition

Per serving: 282 calories; 19 g fat (6 g sat, 7 g mono); 333 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrates; 17 g protein; 3 g fiber; 737 mg sodium; 171 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (44% daily value).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 2 medium fat meat, 2 fat

March Newsletter 2010

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Welcome to the Minneapolis St. Paul Fitness Together March '10' Newsletter

In This Issue:

The Surgeon General's Tips for Minnesota's Business Leaders
FT MSP March Super Stars
What You Eat After Working Out Matters
St. Patrick's Day Recipe: Mini Potato Cakes

Randy Zarecki,
Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

Fitness Together Downtown 1024 Washington Ave S 612.378.8898

Fitness Together Highland Park 2112A Ford Pkwy 651.699.9955
Fitness Together Uptown 1221 W. Lake St. 612.822.3448

FTMSP.com

Check out my Blog, updated about weekly
Visit our updated Free Fitness Reports Collection

Magnificent March Special
During the month of March receive one FREE month of Nurtrition Together with a 12 week training program purchase!!

*New Clients Only
Offer Expires 3/31/10

The Surgeon General's Tips for Minnesota's Business Leaders

Regina M. Benjamin, MD, the United States Surgeon General, is on a mission! She's calling on all Americans to live and be healthier through better nutrition and exercise in the 2010 S urgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation Report!
Within the very readable 13 page report are REQUIREMENTS for individuals, schools,the medical community, and business leaders to living healthier and put an end to the obesity epidemic.
I regularly rant on about what individuals can do for themselves to live longer and stronger, and mostly like what Dr. Benjamin says around that. It's all good stuff.
Additionally, as a parent of two high school boys, influencing what schools do for fitness ... or what schools do anything for that matter ... is like shoveling your driveway with a pair of chop sticks! I forfeit there.
And, thankfully, the medical community is figuring it out all by themselves! Most physicians now realize that they really don't want to be drug dealers for the large pharmaceutical corporations. These days, they prescribe more than ever, EXERCISE as a 1st step in treading many diseases.
So, Minnesota Business Leaders, this Blog's for you!
In May of 2008 Time magazine ran a story on "Mandatory Fitness." Apparently, various organizations around the world have a new sheriff in town. And she's wearing spandex with a bad attitude. According to the article, “… eighty four percent of Americans said that they’d get healthier … if (only) the boss insisted.”
So, at a few leading companies, the boss insisted. Verizon, Microsoft, and Dow Chemical, among others were actually offering cash bonuses for loosing weight.
Indeed, the data is overwhelming in favor of exercise programs. Employees are more productive, more energetic, use less sick time, look better, feel better, have improved self esteem, have reduced stress, reduce the risk of many diseases, reduce anxiety, have reduced blood pressure, and avoid depression with regular exercise.
Further, by being healthier, they help to directly improve your bottom line by utilizing ‘health care’ services less frequently, thereby reducing your usage rating and health care premium costs.
In short, everyone is more productive and more valuable to an organization when they exercise regularly.
Fit people walk more quickly to meetings, can take a flight of stairs to avoid elevator congestion, and spend less time in the restroom. They’re also more likable, and make better sales people (Cialdini, Robert B., Influence, The Psychology of Persuasion).

One of the more frequent excuses we get from clients is that they "don't have time" to regularly exercise 3 or 4 days per week. Ladies and gentlemen, if you're serious about your career, your business, your family, or your spouse, you simply CANNOT AFFORD NOT TO exercise regularly.

Time report on Mandatory Fitness was almost 2 years ago. I'd be very interested in a follow up story on how well that's working out, though judging by the Surgeon General's report, it doesn't look like it's been a game changer.

The Surgeon General reports, in fact, that nearly 60% of all adult Americans are still either overweight (BMI > 25) or obese (BMI > 30). Wow.
So, what can possibly be done about that in the workplace?

Well, as it turns out, plenty!
For one, the Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) lab at Mayo Clinic developed a computer station atop a treadmill few years ago to get office workers more active within otherwise sedentary office roles. Office furniture maker Steelcase is manufacturing and marketing it commercially. Upsize Magazine reported in 2008 that Salo, LLC has a few of them on site here in Minneapolis.
Whether tossing worker bees onto the gerbil spinwheel, or offering cash incentives for weight loss, these types of programs require a significant change in corporate culture. And every corporate culture shift starts with executive management.
Here then, are my Top 5 tips for Corporate Executives:
Schedule exercise into your calendar, and don’t move it unless there’s a death in the family. Make your exercise appointment the most immutable appointment of the day.
Be accountable to someone. It helps if you have a personal trainer waiting on (and charging) you for the appointment whether you show up or not, but it is also helpful to have a training buddy/partner. You’re much more likely to show up when you know someone is waiting for you.
Establish, write down, and publish a very specific health lifestyle goal for the next 3 months. These are things like: exercise for 90 minutes 3 times per week; or walk for 60 minutes 6 days per week; or make every scheduled exercise appointment. Lifestyle Changes.
Establish, write down, and public a very specific, Non-Appearance related fitness goals for the next 6 weeks. While the body will certainly undergo composition changes with regular exercise, the initial 6 weeks should focus entirely on strength or endurance measurements: doubling your push ups; or completing 40 sit-ups within one minute; or completing a mile run in under 8 minutes. Don’t worry about the body weight or body fat at all just yet.
Update your Corporate Values, Behaviors, and Ethics document to include the statement: Regular Exercise is a fundamental and necessary element of heath and happiness, and improves professional productivity.
Once the boss is engaged, all sorts of things are possible and things get easier.
10 More things that corporate leadership can do to encourage a better health and fitness culture within their organizations:
Encourage and allow a 10-minute walking break every two hours. Not only will this burn a few calories, but it will energize and refresh the body and mind.
Stock Fresh Fruit in your break room and lobby (Kwik Trip bananas just 49 cents/lb.).
Strongly discourage staff from bringing in cookies and candies. They’ll just clog your heart and/or stick to your rear anyway.
Grant allowances for exercise. Corporations won’t hesitate much when a parent dashes off to rescue their child from daycare at the end of the day. Neither should they question employees who dash off to keep their exercise appointments.
Install a shower and changing room at your office bike commuters, and midday runners & walkers .
Make sure bike commuters have a safe, indoor place to store their equipment (bikes, helmets, gear); See my Blog entry for more ways to get employees started with bicycle commuting.
Offer cash compensation to employees who commute by bike and save you parking expenses
Stage regular, monthly Health and Fitness Seminars with key expertise on getting more fit and healthy
Sponsor a Get Fit Month twice annually, complete with awards and recognition for people who most effectively change their lives in positive ways
Do it now! Having helped thousands of individuals improve their health and fitness over the decades, I can honestly tell you that the hardest part is just getting started!

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FT MSP March
Super Stars!!

Joel is doing well in Highland. He has lost 19 pounds and 7% bodyfat, more than tripled his push-ups, increased his max bench by 50 pounds, increased his flexibility by 7 inches and has lost over 5 total inches from his body. Way to go Joel!

Terri has gotten off to a great start in her first 2 months at Fitness Together. She is consistently making sure to train 3 sessions per week and always makes sure to come in before and stay after each session to get her cardio workouts in. The hard work is already paying off for her, she has lost a total of 3.75 inches, lost over 1.5 inches in her waist, lowered her bodyfat by 5%, and increased her flexibility by nearly 2 inches. Keep up the hard work Terri!

The trainers at Fitness Together push my workouts harder than I ever could on my own plus they make our sessions enjoyable so the time just flies. I love the way I feel after a workout. I’m stronger, have more energy and feel great! ~Terri

Between saving lives, traveling and planning a wedding, Amy has managed to maintain a regular workout schedule allowing her to make great gains in short window of time. By sticking to her consistent eating habits, cardio routine and intense workouts Amy’s extra efforts at Fitness Together have paid off. She has lost 18lbs and decreased her body fat by 8%. Overall Amy has lost 10 inches! Amy Rocks!

"I feel amazing...and it is only the beginning of my journey at Fitness Together! Thank you Sarah and Justin!" ~ Amy

What You Eat After Working Out Matters

Carbohydrates in What You Eat After Exercise Affects Health Benefits By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Jan. 29, 2010 -- What you eat after working out makes a difference, but it doesn't mean you have to starve yourself to reap the health benefits of exercise.

A new study shows that eating a low-carbohydrate meal after aerobic exercise enhances insulin sensitivity. Increased insulin sensitivity makes it easier for the body to take up sugar from the bloodstream and store it in muscles and other tissues where it can be used for fuel.

Impaired insulin sensitivity, or insulin resistance, increases the risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Researchers say the results support a growing body of research that shows many of the health benefits of exercise come from the most recent exercise session rather than weeks or months of training.

“Many of the improvements in metabolic health associated with exercise stem largely from the most recent session of exercise, rather than from an increase in ‘fitness’ per se,” researcher Jeffrey F. Horowitz of the University of Michigan says in a news release. “But exercise doesn’t occur in a vacuum, and it is very important to look at both the effects of exercise and what you’re eating after exercise.”

Eating Affects Health Benefits of Exercise

The study, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, looked at the effects of three different meals on the body's metabolism after 90 minutes of moderate exercise on a treadmill and stationary bicycle compared with resting metabolism in nine healthy men.

The first meal consisted of a balanced meal with a carbohydrate, fat, protein, and calorie content that matched their calorie expenditure during the exercise session.
The second meal matched the calorie count of their exercise expenditure but contained about 200 grams of carbohydrates (less than half the carbohydrate of the balanced meal).
The third meal contained fewer calories than those burned during the aerobic workout (about one-third less than the other two meals) and a relatively high carbohydrate content.

In all three exercise sessions, researchers say there was a trend for an increase in insulin sensitivity. But when the participants ate the low-carbohydrate meal following exercise, it increased their insulin sensitivity even more.

Researchers say the results show that people can reap important health benefits from exercise without starving themselves after exercise or losing weight.

A Taste of Ireland: St. Patrick's Day Recipes

Celebrate with these healthy versions of comfort-food classics By Elaine Magee, MPH
WebMD Feature Reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH

St. Patrick's Day isn't just about wearing green. It's the holiday when many Americans make an extra effort to eat like the Irish. It may be the one time a year when we sit down to a corned beef and cabbage dinner.

When we think of "Irish food," we often think of the irrepressible potato. But the potato actually wasn't brought to Ireland from the New World until about 300 years ago. Besides potatoes, beef and dairy farming are strong in Ireland. But the most popular meat to serve at the big Sunday meal is (drumroll, please) ? pork!

Wheat and barley crops have been growing in Ireland for about 5,000 years, and oats and rye became staple cereals about 1,500 years ago. You'll find these smart carbohydrate-rich cereals in many an Irish recipe.

Speaking of recipes, I thought you might be in the mood for a few fun Irish dishes. These are lighter renditions of the original Irish recipes, and each includes journaling suggestions.

Mini Potato Cakes

The original potato cake recipe calls for making a large, skillet-size pancake and dividing it into 4 wedges once it's browned. In this rendition, we cut out the dough into 3-inch-round mini cakes instead.

3/4 cup unbleached white flour
2 tablespoons butter, chilled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes (leftover mashed potatoes work great)
1 tablespoon fat-free half-and-half or low-fat milk (if needed)
Canola cooking spray
About 1 tablespoon canola oil (optional)

Add flour to medium bowl. Using a plastic knife, cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until granules have formed. Measure the salt and baking powder and add to the flour mixture; stir well with fork.
Measure and mix in mashed potatoes. Knead mixture in the bowl with your hands, incorporating as much of the flour mixture into the mashed potatoes as you can. Add a tablespoon of fat free half-and-half or milk, if needed, to make the mixture into a dough.
Roll out the dough on a floured board, using a rolling pin, till about 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into circles using a 3-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter.
Heat nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat. Lightly grease bottom of pan with canola oil (or canola cooking spray). Add potato cakes to pan, spraying tops with canola cooking spray. When bottoms are nicely browned, flip cakes over with spatula to brown other side. (If you want to add cheese on top of the cakes, do it now.) When the underside is browned, remove cakes to serving plate.

Serving suggestion: Although it's not called for in the original recipe, these cakes are delicious when you sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the top while the second side is cooking. By the time the second side has browned, the cheese is melted!

Makes 10 mini cakes (about 5 servings).

Per serving (without cheese): 132 calories, 3 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 13 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 261 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 35%.

Fitness Together Transformation Contest

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Terri and Steve have joined the 2010 Transformation Contest!

Follow their progress right here every six weeks and cheer them on!

Feeling motivated? Call us today and we'll sign you up for the transformation contest!

Be Transformed

February Newsletter 2010

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Welcome to the Minneapolis St. Paul Fitness Together February '10' Newsletter

In This Issue:

Highland Park Open House THIS SATURDAY!
Super Sunday Calories
FT MSP February Super Stars
Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health Fact Sheet
Healthy Hearts Helping Haiti

Randy Zarecki,
Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

Fitness Together Downtown 1024 Washington Ave S 612.378.8898

Fitness Together Highland Park 2112A Ford Pkwy 651.699.9955
Fitness Together Uptown 1221 W. Lake St. 612.822.3448

FTMSP.com

Check out my Blog, updated about weekly
Visit our updated Free Fitness Reports Collection

Dont miss our Highland Park Client Appreciation Open House!

Join host Marilee Forsberg at our Highland Park Client Appreciation Open House

Saturday, February 6th from 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Meet. Mingle. Munch.

All attendees are welcome to take advantage of the Perfect Pairing Club Card (above) + receive an additional 5% off your first purchase!

Please click here to register.

There's no charge to attend, but we would appreciate your RSVP to get the food and drink right!

We hope to see you there!

Super Sunday Calories

Just when I thought we were out of the woods with the food holidays, here comes yet another opportunity for extra calories ... Super Bowl Parties! Dang.

While you might just treat this day as a throwout day, particularly if the rest of your week has been clean, below is a recipe that both tastes great and is 'fairly' low in fat. But to clean it up even more, do note eggplant substitution option towards the bottom.

Further, with game being late in the day, MAKE SURE you get in a good workout Sunday afternoon! With the new snow this week, you'll have plenty of quality outdoor options to burn a few calories.

Lastly, be sure to have AT LEAST a small protein snack before you go to your party. The last thing you want to do is show up hungry and dive right into those artery clogging bacon wrapped weenie things.

Turkey Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups dices onions
1.5 pounds of ground turkey
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 cup dry red wine
1 can (14 oz) diced or crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
10 to 20 turns of black pepper

Preparation: Saute onions over medium heat until clear. Add Turkey and brown. Stir in red wine, increase heat, and cook until the wine is reduced to 1/4 cup. Add remaining ingredients and simmer slowly for several hours. This long simmer works best in a crock pot, which will also conveniently serve.

If you'd like to kick it up a notch, saute a (seeds removed) jalepeno with the onions, or ad a dash of cayenne to the seasoning mix. I also like to add a tablespoon of ancho chili powder (though any chili powder will work) and a dash of paprika INSTEAD of the tsp salt.

ALSO, to reduce calories a bit more, try substituting an eggplant for half of the turkey. Slice it into 1" pieces and add in just prior to simmering.

If the consistency isn't thick enough upon serving, add in a few tablespoons of tomato paste.

Serve on whole wheat buns. Top with a dollop of yogurt, or cottage cheese, if desired.

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Healthy Hearts Helping Haiti
February is Heart Healthy month!

Keep your heart healthy by purchasing (or renewing) a package and FT will donate $1 to Save the Children for every session purchased. Our goal is $1000 and so far we have reached $158. Thank you for all of your support!!

*20 session minimum
Offer expires February 28th

FT MSP February
Super Stars!!

Using a combination of a good attitude, a little humor, and a strong commitment, Trish has managed to make steady progress during her tenure at Fitness Together resulting in losing several inches, but gaining lots of smiles. Congratulations Trish!
"I love feeling stronger! When I think that 6 months ago I was flat on my back with an injury, unable to even go up and down stairs, I am thrilled at my progress. I still have a ways to go in meeting some of my wellness goals, but I am on the right track." ~Trish
Mike's consistency with his resistance training and cardio sessions has definitely paid off! Impressively, Mike has increased his bench press by 20lbs, increased his push ups by 10 repetitions, and has lost 2% body fat. With the same continued effor, Mike's numbers will continue to improve. Great job Mike!

"What I like about working out at Fitness Together is that it is much easier to focus on your workout than at a regular gym. Also, working with a trainer pushes you to do more than you thought you could do." ~Mike F

Amy’s rockin’ in St. Paul! In just two short months she has lost over 13lbs, lowered her bodyfat by 4.5%, nearly doubled her max bench press and lost over 10 inches!!

Way to go Amy! A fun fact about Amy is that she has been living and working in Germany for the last three years!

Physical Activity &

Cardiovascular Health Fact Sheet

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the No. 1 killer in America. In 2004, about 871,000 adults in the United States died of CVD, accounting for about 36 percent of all deaths.

Lack of physical activity is a risk factor for coronary heart disease.

The relative risk of coronary heart disease associated with physical inactivity ranges from 1.5 to 2.4, an increase in risk comparable with that observed for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cigarette smoking.

Surveys show that 24 percent of Americans 18 or older aren’t active at all.

People with lower incomes and less than a 12th grade education are more likely to be physically inactive.

In 2005, 33.0 percent of male high school students and 29.0 percent of female high school students attended physical education classes daily.

In 2005, 43.8 percent of male high school students and 27.8 percent of female high school students met currently recommended levels of physical activity.

According to the 2004 National Health Interview Survey, the following have a physically inactive lifestyle:

Among non-Hispanic whites, 18.4 percent of men and 21.6 percent of women

Among non-Hispanic blacks, 27 percent of men and 33.9 percent of women

Among Hispanics, 32.5 percent of men and 39.6 percent of women

Among Asian/Pacific Islanders, 20.4 percent of men and 24.0 percent of women

Even low-to-moderate intensity activities, when done for as little as 30 minutes a day, bring benefits. These activities include pleasure walking, climbing stairs, gardening, yard work, moderate-to-heavy housework, dancing and home exercise.

More vigorous aerobic activities, such as brisk walking, running, swimming, bicycling, roller skating and jumping rope are best for improving the fitness of the heart and lungs.

Reprinted with Permission

www.americanheart.org

January Newsletter

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Welcome to the Minneapolis St. Paul Fitness Together January '10' Newsletter

Happy New Year from Fitness Together!!

In This Issue:

Resolution? or Commitment?
FT MSP January Super Stars
Top Ten Fitness New Year's Resolutions
2010 Transformation Contest

Randy Zarecki,
Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

Fitness Together Downtown 1024 Washington Ave S 612.378.8898

Fitness Together Highland Park 2112A Ford Pkwy 651.699.9955
Fitness Together Uptown 1221 W. Lake St. 612.822.3448

FTMSP.com

Check out my Blog, updated about weekly
Visit our updated Free Fitness Reports Collection

Are you resolve to improve your Health and Fitness this decade?

Or are you truly committed?

Dictionary.com defines resolution as " a formal expression of opinion or intention made." It also defines commitment as " a pledge or promise; obligation." I hope you agree that there's a serious difference between expression of opinion and an obligation.

It's like the ham and eggs breakfast: the chicken is opinionated, while the pig is committed.

As we begin a new decade, let's resolve to be committed to our health and fitness rather than opinionated about it.

It's the commitment, above all else, that counts. Setting specific, concrete goals is of course important (and more on that next, and in the following weeks), but committing to reach those goals is critical.

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will." - Vince Lombardi

Reaching our fitness goals will not happen casually. There are too many distractions. Too many obstacles. Too many excuses. Indeed, reaching our 2010 Health and Fitness goals requires a genuine, sincere, pull-no-punches commitment.

Here's one way: Lay it on the line! One of the best and most natural motivators in life is the spirit of competition! Having a concrete, time bound competitive deadline event to work towards is one of the most effective ways to keep your program on track!

Generally speaking, the more expensive and more highly publicized, the better! If you really, really, really want rock hard six pack abs and buns of steel, seek out and enter a physique competition. Send in your entry fee right away.

Or, seek out and enter a 10K run, or a short mountain bike race. Or, given all of that fabulous snow out there, enter a cross county ski event! The City of Lakes Loppet is just around the corner, and has events ranging from non-competitive trail tours to highly competitive races.

Whatever event you pick isn't important. What's important is that you register.

That's your commitment. Because with your registration fee on the line, you are far more likely to prepare for, and then complete the event. Preferably, find something with an entry fee of greater than $50 (just high enough to bother you if you don't show). Further, do tell as many of your friends and family about the event as possible!

Because nothing will keep you motivated, help you push through those last few burning reps, or pound out that final 200 foot climb like knowing that you're putting it all on the line in front of your own personal audience 3 weeks from Sunday. It works.

Afraid of crowds? Make it personal. Find a friend, family member, training partner, or trainer and place a personal bet. Pick a specific, or small collection of fitness elements ... resting heart rate, body fat percentage, total push ups in 1 minute ... (whatever you like!) ... and a testing date 4 weeks from now. Place $50 each into escrow somewhere. Winner takes all on test date. Believe it or not, this works! I've seen people work their butts off (quite literally!) for bragging rights and a t-shirt!

Or, if you've tried everything, and are ready to kick it up a notch, enter our 12 Week Transformation Contest!

Maybe you'll win the contest and spend 8 days in Jamaica. Or, maybe you'll merely end up looking and feeling 20 years younger. The important part is that you've committed.

FT MSP January

Super Stars!!

Kathy has kept the Downtown trainers on their toes! She has lowered her body fat by 33%, increased her cardiovascular performance by 24%, and has lost nearly 2 inches in the past few months. She is currently training for a triathalon this summer. Keep up the great work Kathy!

Angela is kickin’ butt in Highland Park! She has lost 13 lbs of bodyweight and over 8% bodyfat. Her VO2Max increased by 20%, she did 50 push-ups and has lost over 15 total inches!! Great job Angela!

During the last 3 months, Kristin has been devoted to her workouts at Fitness Together between balancing time with her kids and taking classes. In this short time Kristin has dropped a dress size, decreased her percent body fat, and re-defined her body by losing 2 inches in her waist and hips. Nice work Kristin! "Working out at Fitness Together has improved my strength, my tone, and also its been great for my mental health. It's better than aspirin. "-Kristin Resch

Make 2010 Count!
I did some research to find the top ten fitness New Year's Resolutions...Here they are!

1. Take the stairs instead of the elevator

2. Take the dog for a walk every day

3. Keep a water bottle at your desk and fill it twice a day

4. Pack a homemade healthy lunch at least 3 times a week

5. Post your 7 favorite shake recipes on the fridge and have one every day

6. Take fish oils daily to check your cholesterol and blood sugar levels

7. Sign up to a dance class, club, or sport with your partner

8. Purchase sessions with a trainer so that you go to the gym regularly

9. Limit your treats to one day a week

10. Join a forum (example: ftmsp.blogspot.com forum, or Weight Loss Support Forum) to become more motivated

Accountability is the Key to Your Success

The goal with fitness resolutions is to start with something reasonable and manageable.

Idealy, and often instinctively, we like to say, "My goal is to lose five pounds a month this year." Or, "By the end of the year I will get down to a size 4." These goals aren't bad goals, but they do not fit the criteria of being reasonable and manageable for most Americans. They are too broad, and therefore get lost in our busy, everyday lives.

It is great to want to lose X number of pounds a month, but the question that most people don't ask themselves is, "How am I going to make that happen?" More specific questions one should ask themself are, "How do I need to change my eating habits to achieve my goal?" "How do I need to improve/increase my exercise habits to achieve my goal?" "Who can I tell that will hold me accountable?" This last question may seem irrelevant, but is actually quite important. If you think about how humans are wired, you will realize that we live and learn in a world of actions and consequences. We understand from a very early age that if we do something right (an action), we are rewarded (good consequence); and if we do something wrong, we are punished (bad consequence).

Similarily, accountibility is an important component to any fitness goal because if no one knows about your goals, you have no one to implement both good and bad consequences when you are succeeding or doing poorly. As humans we feed off of good and bad consequences because it helps us to gauge our progress, more specifically our success and our failures.

Hopefully the top ten fitness resolutions gave you an idea of what you might like to work on in 2010! Once you pick a manageable and reasonable resolution, make sure you formulate a specific plan of attack. The plan doesn't have to be too detailed and structured, but above all else, make sure your plan includes adequate and reliable accountability!

2010 Transformation Contest!!

Looking for a motivating way to look and feel great Next Year!?

Maybe even get into the Best Shape of Your Life!?

Join our 2010 Transformation Contest!!

GRAND PRIZE: 8 day 7 night hotel accommodations at Home Sweet Home Resort in Negril, Jamaica! This resort was hand built by FT Uptown client Charlie Rossley!

SECOND PLACE PRIZE: One month of FREE personal training

Consolation Prize: One Week of Free Personal Training to the participant with the highest effort.

This contest is open to anyone who wants to change their lives, change their bodies, or simply feel better! But you do need to be a Fitness Together Client to Participate! The person with the largest percentage of weight lost PLUS percentage of inches lost WINS!

Here’s how to enter:

Contest runs: January 15th through March 15th
Entry fee into contest: No Charge for Fitness Together Clients
Fitness Together will offer SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP pricing to anyone entered into the contest for the ENTIRE 12 WEEKS

It's going to be exciting! We'll have monthly website updates, weekly email updates on your "competitors", and daily twitter updates on extra effort participants.

HOWEVER, running a contest like this is a bit on the outer edges of our core competency, so we'll need to limit participation to 20 contestants only!

Call Now to get registered or reply to this email!

PS. Contests not your gig? Call by January 15th and come in for a Free Session on us anyway

December Newsletter

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Welcome to the Minneapolis St. Paul Fitness Together December '09 Newsletter

In This Issue:

Exericise Quickies Beat December Distractions
FT MSP December Super Stars
Congrats Jon and Sarah!
FT Downtown Client Appreciation Open House
Holiday Promotion Extended!!!

Randy Zarecki,
Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

Fitness Together Downtown 1024 Washington Ave S 612.378.8898

Fitness Together Highland Park 2112A Ford Pkwy 651.699.9955
Fitness Together Uptown 1221 W. Lake St. 612.822.3448

FTMSP.com

Check out my Blog, updated about weekly
Visit our updated Free Fitness Reports Collection

Exercise Quickies Beat December Distractions

December is one of the toughest months of the year for Fitness Professionals . As if busy lives, work schedules, and family affairs weren't enough, extra travel, holiday parties, out of town guests, and office gatherings all add to the normal daily stresses. Making time to exercise is always a challenge, but this added pressure can be a nightmare for trainers trying to keep their clients on track!

Of course, in the blindered world of a Fitness Professional (because no matter what the question is, exercise is almost always one of the best answers), we'd argue that if you're life gets so stressful that you don't have time to exercise, you really can't afford to NOT exercise. Indeed, exercise is the ultimate anti-anxiety medicine.

And here's another suggestion: to roll through all of the December distractions try Frequent Exercise Quickies.

Rather than spending your normal 75 to 90 minutes working out 3 or 4 days per week this month, plan instead for training 4 or 5 days per week (one extra) for just (much shorter) 45 to 55 minutes.

Normally, we coach clients (and you should plan) for a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes warming up before your workout and 30 to 45 minutes of cardiovascular work following your session. Along with your 45 minute session, this give you have a standard 75 to 90 minute workout. While that doesn't seem like a huge time commitment to us, it can certainly seem intimidating when there's cooking to be done, the in-laws are inbound, and you have an unfinished gift shopping list.

A 45 minute workout, on the other hand, is short, sweet, and
mentally conquerable. Indeed, just showing up is the hardest part!

Heck, it's not even a workout ... more of a workoutling ... a workout too small, cute, and incomplete to be a real workout. Get in, get it done, and be on your way. The key, of course, is that if you reduce you cardio and resistance workout volumes, you'll really, really need that additional exercise quickie per week!

FT MSP December
Super Stars!!

Sharon has had tremendous success as a Fitness Together client because of the hard work and dedication she puts into each session. She has lost 33 lbs, lowered her body fat by over 36%, lost 7 ½ inches in her waist and hips, and has lost 21 inches in her overall measurements! Wow!!“After years of trying to train on my own, I finally realized that I needed the accountability and discipline a personal trainer provides. Since I’ve been at FT I have been able to do what I couldn’t do on my own before – and I’ve had fun doing it! I look forward to my FT training sessions – the trainers are true professionals who care about their clients’ needs and goals.” ~Sharon

Joan is kickin’ butt in Highland! She has lost almost 10 lbs and lowered her bodyfat by 6% in just a few months!. Her strength is doing well too, she doubled her push-ups and increased her max bench by 30 lbs. Her flexibility has increased by over 4 inches and she has lost over 6 total inches. Way to go Joan!

Dan has committed to a consistent resistance routine to accompany Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and recreational basketball. His sense of humor has helped with him survive early morning workouts as proven by his excellent results. During his short tenure at Fitness Together Dan has made huge strength gains, increased his pushups by 12, and his 1-rep bench by 24lbs. Nice Work Dan!

“Now after working with fitness together, I’m not really as fat as I look. If I could afford cosmetic surgery I would go that route, but this is cheaper.”

Congratulations to Jon Wolfarth, who has been officially promoted to Club Manager, Downtown Minneapolis! Having joined FT MSP in January, 2008 and has done a terrific job as a trainer for the past 2 years, as well as Acting Manger since July. Jon has earned this position largely due to his attention to detail, client relationship skills, and creative training acumen. Congrats Jon! Well done, and well deserved!

Congrats also to Sarah Just now serving as Acting Manager in Uptown! Sarah celebrates her 2 year anniversary with FT MSP next week. Sarah's unflappably positive attitude and honed training skills have earned her this new position. Sarah has also been involved with marketing and administrative responsibilities over the past 2 years. Thanks and Congratulations Sarah!

Reserve your spot now for the Downtown FT Client Appreciation Event December 12th!

Hosted by FT Downtown Clients Curt Meltzer and Sharon Mallery! Curt has lost an astonishing 66lbs! While Sharon has lost 33 lbs of body fat and 21 inches overall!!

Please join us from
1 - 2:30PM
Saturday December 12th for our Downtown Client Appreciation Event!

We've arranged for Pairings Food and Wine Market to cater for the event with great appetizers, and beverages from Sorella Wine and Spirits ...it's going to be a Great Time! And please bring a Guest! There's no charge ...please click here to register so that we get enough food and drink!

FT Holiday Promotion EXTENDED!!
Out With the New in with the Old??...

That's Right!!
Buy between now and December 7th and you can buy as many sessions as you like @ the old (2008) 200 session rate of $60/session!!
*25 Session Minimum

*Now through December 7th, 2009 Only

ALSO, through the month of December receive DOUBLE REFERRALS!
6 FREE sessions for any person you refer!!

New to FT? Refer yourself and get 6 FREE sessions!
*Package purchase necessary

Training for 45 minutes 4 times per week (200 total minutes) instead of 75 minutes 3 times per week (225 total minutes) also has other advantages.

For one, you raise your metabolism one extra day per week. Not only do you burn calories while exercising, but you'll burn additional calories recovering from the exercise after your workout. And this extra day of recovery effort more than covers for the reduced total volume (25 minutes).

Additionally, the 4th workoutling per week gives you one more boost of energy to make it through stressful days, and another shot of endorphins to make the holiday stress more tolerable.

If you're training with FT, your session pace is always quick and with aerobic elements, but if you're getting your (regular or extra) workoutlings on your own, keep these things in mind for effective exercise quickies:

It's just 50 minutes, so plan for being seriously committed for the entire workout; it goes fast!
Rest no more than 1 minute between sets
Drink plenty of water
Wear your headphones, and don't make eye contact with anyone else in the gym (no time to get pulled away into a conversations)
Look ahead, and plan your next exercise before you're finished with your current one
Have an alternate exercise in mind with alternate equipment to keep you moving should your equipment get taken before you get there
Go relatively light with high repetitions (20+) on the 1st set of any exercise (the abbreviated warmup will increase the risk of injury, so you'll need to warmup in-line)
Plan for no fewer than 10-12 repetitions on any exercise (again, making the workout more aerobic in nature to compensate for reduced cardio)

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Transformation Contest

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Looking for a motivating way to look and feel great Next Year!?

Maybe even join SharonTango, Jason Harris , and Rachel Teague and get into the Best Shape of Your Life!?

Fitness Together isn't for everybody, but if you're serious about changing your body, your health, or your life in 2010, our 12 week body transformation contest could be the new you you've been looking for!

Whether you win the Jamaican Vacation Grand Prize, or merely end up looking and feeling fantastic, there are no losers with this contest!

GRAND PRIZE: 8 day 7 night hotel accommodations at Home Sweet Home Resort in Negril, Jamaica! This resort was hand built by FT Uptown client Charlie Rossley!

SECOND PLACE PRIZE: A Full day of complete indulgence in Uptown Row! You'll get a Massage from Massage Envy, a tan from Planet Beach, a Cut & Color from John Charles, a Personal Training Session from Fitness Together, and Dinner for two at Tom Rup Thai! Whoa!

Consolation Prize: One Week of Free Personal Training to the participant with the highest effort.

Here’s how to enter:

Contest runs: January 18th (MLK Day) through April 15th (Tax Day)
Entry fee into contest: No Charge for Fitness Together Clients
Fitness Together will offer SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP pricing to anyone entered into the contest for the ENTIRE 12 WEEKS

It's going to be exciting! We'll have monthly website updates, weekly email updates on your "competitors", and daily twitter updates on extra effort participants.

HOWEVER, running a contest like this is a bit on the outer edges of our core competency, so we'll need to limit participation to 20 contestants only!

Call Now to get registered!

PS. Contests not your gig? Call by January 15th and come in for a Free Session on us anyway!

December Newsletter

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Welcome to the Minneapolis St. Paul Fitness Together December '09 Newsletter

In This Issue:

Exericise Quickies Beat December Distractions
FT MSP December Super Stars
Congrats Jon and Sarah!
FT Downtown Client Appreciation Open House
Holiday Promotion Extended!!!

Randy Zarecki,
Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

Fitness Together Downtown 1024 Washington Ave S 612.378.8898

Fitness Together Highland Park 2112A Ford Pkwy 651.699.9955
Fitness Together Uptown 1221 W. Lake St. 612.822.3448

FTMSP.com

Exercise Quickies Beat December Distractions

Rather than spending your normal 75 to 90 minutes working out 3 or 4 days per week this month, plan instead for training 4 or 5 days per week (one extra) for just (much shorter) 45 to 55 minutes.

Normally, we coach clients (and you should plan) for a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes warming up before your workout and 30 to 45 minutes of cardiovascular work following your session. Along with your 45 minute session, this give you have a standard 75 to 90 minute workout. While that doesn't seem like a huge time commitment to us, it can certainly seem intimidating when there's cooking to be done, the in-laws are inbound, and you have an unfinished gift shopping list.

A 45 minute workout, on the other hand, is short, sweet, and
mentally conquerable. Indeed, just showing up is the hardest part!

Training for 45 minutes 4 times per week (200 total minutes) instead of 75 minutes 3 times per week (225 total minutes) also has other advantages.

It's just 50 minutes, so plan for being seriously committed for the entire workout; it goes fast!
Rest no more than 1 minute between sets
Drink plenty of water
Wear your headphones, and don't make eye contact with anyone else in the gym (no time to get pulled away into a conversations)
Look ahead, and plan your next exercise before you're finished with your current one
Have an alternate exercise in mind with alternate equipment to keep you moving should your equipment get taken before you get there
Go relatively light with high repetitions (20+) on the 1st set of any exercise (the abbreviated warmup will increase the risk of injury, so you'll need to warmup in-line)
Plan for no fewer than 10-12 repetitions on any exercise (again, making the workout more aerobic in nature to compensate for reduced cardio)

FT MSP December

Super Stars!!

Sharon has had tremendous success as a Fitness Together client because of the hard work and dedication she puts into each session. She has lost 33 lbs, lowered her body fat by over 36%, lost 7 ½ inches in her waist and hips, and has lost 21 inches in her overall measurements! Wow!!“After years of trying to train on my own, I finally realized that I needed the accountability and discipline a personal trainer provides. Since I’ve been at FT I have been able to do what I couldn’t do on my own before – and I’ve had fun doing it! I look forward to my FT training sessions – the trainers are true professionals who care about their clients’ needs and goals.” ~Sharon

Congrats also to Sarah Just now serving as Acting Manager in Uptown! Sarah celebrates her 2 year anniversary with FT MSP next week. Sarah's unflappably positive attitude and honed training skills have earned her this new position. Sarah has also been involved with marketing and administrative responsibilities over the past 2 years. Thanks and Congratulations Sarah!

Reserve your spot now for the Downtown FT Client Appreciation Event December 12th!

Hosted by FT Downtown Clients Curt Meltzer and Sharon Mallery! Curt has lost an astonishing 66lbs! While Sharon has lost 33 lbs of body fat and 21 inches overall!!

Please join us from
1 - 2:30PM
Saturday December 12th for our Downtown Client Appreciation Event!

November Newsletter

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the Minneapolis St. Paul Fitness Together November '09 Newsletter

In This Issue:

What is Food?
Recipe of the Month
FT MSP November Super Stars
Quicker Pace of Eating Associated With Higher Body Mass Index
FT Uptown Client Appreciation Open House
Nutrition Together Limited Time Special Offer

Randy Zarecki,
Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

Fitness Together Downtown 1024 Washington Ave S 612.378.8898

Fitness Together Highland Park 2112A Ford Pkwy 651.699.9955
Fitness Together Uptown 1221 W. Lake St. 612.822.3448

FTMSP.com

What Is a Food?

 

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself what is a food? Can I even name a food? It can be very surprising the answers you may get when you ask someone this simple question. Ask your spouse, ask your children, ask yourself …to name a food.

This may seem like a simple question and knowing the answer is a major key to your health. Obesity, Diabetes, Cancer, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Autoimmune Diseases, Dementia, Alzheimers - the list goes on and the choices we all make concerning food have a lot to do with whether or not we will become at risk for these diseases. Clearly there are genetic predispositions to disease; yet, for most Americans, our choices are a significant factor.

So, back to the question, “what is a food?” Is pizza, an apple, steak, gummy bears, broccoli, bread, or ice cream a food? Let’s take a look at Pizza. It may or may not be a food. What is the crust made of? Is it made with refined flour or whole-wheat flour? What is it topped with? Cheese, pepperoni, tomato sauce? Is the cheese highly processed or all natural? How was the pepperoni made? The tomato sauce is it just tomatoes or is it being preserved with corn syrup?

A food must be whole or it is no longer a food it is a food by-product. Food by-products are chemicals existing in isolation. Take corn for example. Corn in its whole form is a food, an excellent food. It is high in vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B5, folic acid, phosphorous, and fiber and is low on calories. However, when corn like any other food is broken down, refined, and processed all that is left are different chemical by products. These by products are used in plastics, fuels, and in so-called foods but are no longer foods at all. Much of the American diet is at least at some level corn by-products jelly, catsup, pop, syrup, juice, cookies, crackers, meat, fish, poultry and bread. When corn is broken down into its component parts the synergy between the numerous vitamins and minerals is destroyed. Food is truly a food when it is whole with its designed integrity intact.

Enjoy whole foods, mostly plants, and some animals. Each whole naturally occurring food is an amazing mystery of art and science. Experience the variety of this planets breadbasket of shape, color, texture, nutrient density and taste. When we eat clean whole foods we will just plain feel good and at the same time steward our personal health and the environments. Enjoy!

For those interested in this topic check out Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Julian Kaufman is the owner of Fitness Together – Chattanooga. He has a degree in Health and Exercise Science from Furman University, Master’s degree from Covenant College, and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Honey Roasted Chicken with Rosemary and Dijon

This recipe serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, about 5 pounds

salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

1/4 cup honey

1 lemon, zested, halved and juiced

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 yellow onion, quartered

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season inside and out with salt and pepper.

2. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan.

3. Roughly chop two sprigs of the rosemary. In a small bowl, mix together Dijon mustard, honey, chopped rosemary, lemon juice and lemon zest.

FT MSP November

Super Stars!!

Amy’s rockin’ in St. Paul! In just two short months she has lost over 13lbs, lowered her bodyfat by 4.5%, nearly doubled her max bench press and lost over 10 inches!! Way to go Amy!

Since Karen has joined FT she has dropped her fat percentage by 5% and gained 5 pounds of lean muscle weight. Has increased her pushups from 0 to 26 reps and increased her bench max by 47 pounds. Karen has also increased her situps by 17 reps going from 7 to 24 reps. Staying consistent with 3 resistant training sessions a week is really paying off and showing. She has lost over 2 inches in her waist. We couldn’t be more proud of Karen at Fitness Together.

"I have been with FT for over a year and really like the accountability and the consistency you guys have established for me. If it werent for the scheduled sessions I would come up with many excuses not to come in and workout.” ~Karen

Gary has shown excellent progress in his time as a Fitness Together client. He has dropped over 6% body fat, and has gained 2 inches in his chest, shoulders, and arms. On top of all of that, he has incredibly increased his pushups from 12 to 40. Nice work, Gary! Keep it up!

“Fitness Together provides me with the expertise, motivation, and the enjoyment that has allowed me to achieve my short-term goals, and incorporate regular fitness and good health into my busy schedule. I feel better, look better, and have more energy thanks to Fitness Together.” ~Gary

Quicker Pace Of Eating Associated With Higher Body Mass Index

A new study published on bmj.com finds that people who eat quickly and eat until full are three times as likely to be overweight than people who do not share those eating behaviors.

The obesity epidemic gripping the industrialized world is partially the result of eating behaviors that have drastically changed in the last few decades. With the wide availability of inexpensive food in larger portions and fast food, and the increased frequency of eating while distracted (by TV, for example), adults are now able to consume enough energy that their bodies are storing significant amounts of fat.

Professor Hiroyasu Iso (Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Japan) and colleagues studied 1,122 Japanese men and 2,165 Japanese women who were between the ages of 30 and 69 in 2003 and 2006. The researchers studied the association among the pace of eating, eating until full, and being overweight by analyzing data collected from diet history questionnaires filled out by the participants.

The survey results showed that 50.9% of men and 58.4% of women ate until they were full; 45.6% and 35%, respectively, indicated that they ate quickly. Those participants who claimed to both eat until full and eat quickly had a higher total energy intake and higher body mass index (BMI) than those participants who did not share those behaviors. In fact, both men and women in the "eat until full and quickly" group were about three times as likely to be considered overweight that the same comparison group.

"The combination of the two eating behaviors had a supra-additive effect (additive interaction) on being overweight," conclude the authors. "As it is difficult to estimate these causal effects in a cross sectional study, prospective cohort and intervention studies will be needed to validate these associations between eating behavior patterns and being overweight."

Elizabeth Denney-Wilson (University of New South Wales, Australia) and Karen Campbell (Deakin University, Australia) write in an accompanying editorial that the findings of Iso and colleagues emphasize the impact of current eating patterns on the current obesity epidemic.

"Clinicians should recognize that behavioral counseling, using cognitive therapy, can help in the management of this aggressively 'eat more' food environment. Evidence suggests that adults can successfully modify their speed of eating and in turn their energy intake. Furthermore, adults are likely to be responsive to monitoring feedback regarding feelings of fullness. Helping patients to increase their daily physical activity will further reduce energy imbalance," conclude Denney-Wilson and Campbell.

Written by: Peter M Crosta

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/126601.php

Uptown Client Appreciation Open House

Saturday, November 14th, 2009 @ our Uptown Studio

Don't forget to register at ftmspuptown.eventbrite.com!

Last day to register is Monday, November 9th.

Come meet Bonnie Blons and mingle with past and present clients. Talk with Bonnie about her amazing transformation while you enjoy light refreshments courtesy of Pairings Food and Wine Market!!

Now through November 21st buy any regular priced training package and we'll let you try our brand new Nutrition Together Program for FREE!!
That six weeks of one on one nutritional guidance from one of our experienced trainers for FREE!

*Now through November 21st, 2009 Only

October Newsletter

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the Minneapolis St. Paul Fitness Together October '09 Newsletter

In This Issue:

The Silver Bullet for the Flu Season
FT MSP October Super Stars
Women Show More Pronounced Health Benefits from Physical Activity
Breast Cancer Awareness Special!

Randy Zarecki,
Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

Fitness Together Downtown 1024 Washington Ave S 612.378.8898

Fitness Together Highland Park 2112A Ford Pkwy 651.699.9955
Fitness Together Uptown 1221 W. Lake St. 612.822.3448

FTMSP.com

The Silver Bullet for the Flu Season

Looking for an easy way to worry less about H1N1 and the Flu season?

Look no further. It's called regular, moderate intensity exercise!

While no one is completely immune, with the H1N1 virus circulating, it's a good time to point out that regular moderate exercise improves your body's ability to fight off disease and infection!

Even better, you don't need to train intensely for those benefits. Because while you do need to work a bit harder to improve strength, and you do need to work a bit longer to improve your endurance, and you do need to work a bit faster to improve your cardiovascular fitness levels, regular moderate exercise is all that's needed to improve your immune systems.

Why is that?

Well, a few theories exist.

First, the more rapid breathing associated with moderate exercise helps flush the lungs of airborne illnesses.
Second, increased sweat and urine production helps rid the body of carcinogens.
Third, an elevated heart rate more quickly circulates antibodies and white blood cells to fight off infections.
Fourth, increased body temperatures have been found to help prevent the growth of bacteria.
Lastly, and as we've mentioned for a few weeks in a row now (insulin and calories; insulin and sugar; insulin and sleep), hormones are related in no small way. But this time, it isn't insulin we're blaming, it's cortisol.

For while cortisol is required to handle stress and other stressful events, prolonged periods of elevated cortisol levels are quite detrimental to your health, and your immune system.

Moderate, regular exercise, however, helps inhibit the production of cortisol, thereby enabling the immune system to operate efficiently.

So, what's moderate? It all boils down your a Long Slow Cardio Event as was described back in February. I'll need to update that posting for today's frost less landscape, but that should get you started!

And what is regular? Well, that's most days of the week (4 or more with the new math). Sorry, there are no short cuts on frequency.

Need a bonus tip for fighting off the pig flu? Don't forget to get enough rest! For while adequate sleep will help with your job performance, it also improves your immune system!

-Randy Zarecki

FT MSP October

Super Stars!!

Curt Meltzer is a model FT client. If he is not the hardest working client; he is certainly near the top. Curt has seen drastic improvement in virtually all areas measured. Incredibly, he has increased his pushups from 3 to 45, lost over 4 inches in his waist, has lost nearly 60 pounds, and has dropped his body fat by over 12 %! Curt doesn’t sweat the small stuff, and ALWAYS does what we ask. GREAT JOB!!

Charles Olson is rockin’ in Highland Park! He has lost 6 pounds and 3.5% bodyfat. Charles has doubled his push-ups since starting wtih FT and has increased his flexibility by over 2 inches. All around Charles has lost over 3 total inches! GREAT JOB CHARLES!!

Sallie Quammen has seen fantastic results since starting with FT in February. This is mostly due to her consistency and hard work. By pushing herself to the max Sallie has lost an amazing 4.3% body fat and more than 3.5 inches overall while significantly increasing her strength. WAY TO GO SALLY!!

Women Show More Pronounced Health Benefits From Physical Activity

Many experimental studies have found that

physical exercise can improve cholesterol levels and subsequently decrease the risks of cardiovascular disease; however, few of these studies have included enough participant diversity to provide ethnic breakdowns. Now, a long-term study of over 8,700 middle-aged men and women provides race- and gender- specific data on the cholesterol effects of physical activity, with the interesting result that women, particularly African-American women, experience greater benefits as a result of exercise than men.

The analysis of this large Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, which appears in the August issue of Journal of Lipid Research, was carried out by Keri Monda and colleagues at North Carolina and Baylor. They found that over a 12 year period, all individuals who increased their exercise by about 180 metabolic units per week (equivalent to an additional hour of mild or 30 minutes of moderate activity per week) displayed decreased levels of triglycerides and increased levels of the "good" HDL cholesterol. However, statistically significant decreases in the "bad" LDL cholesterol were only observed in women, with particularly strong effects in menopausal women and African-American women. And total cholesterol levels were only significantly decreased in African-American women.

The authors speculate that these novel differences may arise from hormonal differences between the sexes, especially considering the extra effects seen post-menopause. The racial differences observed may stem from genetic variations that require further exploration.

The authors do also note that their exercise data was assessed by questionnaire and this was non-scientific, though the particular methodology used has been extremely reliable in other studies. They also note that all evaluated participants were healthy, so these results cannot be generalized to individuals with diabetes or those on cholesterol-lowering medications.

Source: Nick Zagorski , American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159359.php

Our Breast Offer Yet!!!

Did you know that women who vigorously work out three times a week can decrease their risk of breast cancer by up to 40%??

Call us between now and October 31st and mention this fact to receive $250 off your package purchase!!

Do something good for yourself this month.

Click here to check out more breast cancer prevention tips

*Offer expires October 31st

September Newsletter

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the Minneapolis St. Paul Fitness Together September '09 Newsletter

In This Issue:

21 Pounds Enough to Raise Breast Cancer Risk
FT MSP September Super Stars
Recipe of the Week
Back to School Special Extended!

Randy Zarecki,
Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

Fitness Together Downtown 1024 Washington Ave S 612.378.8898

Fitness Together Highland Park 2112A Ford Pkwy 651.699.9955
Fitness Together Uptown 1221 W. Lake St. 612.822.3448

FTMSP.com

Fitness Together Minneapolis St. Paul supports the fight against breast cancer. Fortunately, there are steps women and men can take to lower their risk of breast cancer and the first step is maintaining a healthy body weight. To find out your healthy body weight, speak with one of our private personal trainers at any of our three locations.

~Randy Zarecki

21 Pounds Enough to Raise Breast Cancer Risk

Study Examines Weight Gain Since Adolescence

Women who have gained more than 20 pounds since age 18 have a higher risk of developing breast cancer after menopause than women who have kept their girlish figure. The finding was published by American Cancer Society researchers in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention (Vol. 13, No. 2: 220-224).

"These findings further illustrate the importance of maintaining a healthy body weight throughout life," said lead researcher Heather Spencer Feigelson, PhD, MPH. "Even modest weight gain … was associated with increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer."

Researchers have long known that being overweight increases the likelihood that a woman will develop breast cancer. But the new study puts the risk into very real terms: pounds on the scale.

ACS researchers questioned more than 62,000 postmenopausal women about their height, current weight, weight at age 18, and use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). After accounting for other breast cancer risk factors -- like family history of the disease, exercise, and alcohol use -- they found that women who had gained 21-30 pounds since age 18 had a 40% higher risk of breast cancer than women who'd stayed within 5 pounds of their teenage weight. Those who had gained more than 70 pounds had double the risk. (Lesser weight gain, between 6-20 pounds, had little effect on risk, less than 10%.)

The findings applied only to women who had never used HRT or who were no longer using it. Among women who were using HRT at the time of the study, weight gain did not appear to influence risk, probably because HRT "trumps" weight as a factor in breast cancer development. Both HRT and excess fat raise estrogen levels, which increases the risk of breast cancer. But the researchers said HRT raises estrogen so much that even a lot of extra weight has only a minimal effect by comparison.

Fortunately, there are steps women can take to lower their risk of breast cancer. In addition to maintaining a healthy body weight, the ACS also recommends staying physically active, limiting alcohol consumption, and staying away from hormone therapy, if possible. Regular screenings are also important, since they can detect breast tumors when they are small and more easily treated.

Source: http://www.cancer.org

FT MSP September

Superstars!!

Angela is kickin’ butt in Highland Park! She has lost 13 lbs of bodyweight and over 8% bodyfat. Her VO2Max increased by 20%. Also, Angela is now up to 50 push-ups and has lost over 15 total inches!! Great job Angela!

Wayne has committed to a consistent workout schedule with a positive attitude and his results definitely reflect his efforts! Since starting with Fitness Together Wayne has increased his push-ups by over 20 reps and his sit-ups by over 30 reps. Not to mention Wayne's bench has increased by over 60lbs! Way to go Wayne!! "Working out at Fitness Together is the best workout experience ever!!" ~Wayne

Jyl has shown significant improvement in virtually all areas since becoming a Fitness Together client. This has included over 17 lbs of weight lost, an 8% reduction in body fat, as well as improving from 0 push ups on day 1 to 20 on her last assessment. Jyl’s positive attitude, consistency, and willingness to do things that she may not always be comfortable with, has paid off as evidenced by her success. Great job, Jyl!!

Recipe of the Week:

Mashed Potatoes with Chickpeas

Serves 6

What you need:

· 2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

· 1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

· 1 cup light soy milk

· 1⁄2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

· 1⁄4 cup Promise Take Control Light margarine

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper

· Commercial gravy, optional

What you do:

q Place potatoes in large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and return potatoes to pan.

q Add chickpeas and mash using a potato masher. Add soy milk, chicken broth, margarine, and salt and pepper and stir. Cook an additional 2 minutes, until heated, stirring constantly. Serve warm. Top with commercial gravy if desired.

Per serving (1⁄6 of recipe, 293 grams or approximately 1 cup): Calories: 255, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 751 mg, Carbohydrate: 46 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 7 g

LAST CHANCE!!

Back to School Special

Now through September 7th

Receive 7 FREE Sessions with every 40 Session Package Purchase.

Thats 47 for the price of 40!

(Split payments may apply)

*Offer extended through September 7th

August Newsletter

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the Minneapolis St. Paul Fitness Together August '09 Newsletter

In This Issue:

Fitness Together Approved Fantastic Fair Foods
FT MSP August Super Stars
How to Fight a Food Temptation
Recipe of the Week
The American Red Cross 5K Run for Blood
Back to School Special - Pick up 7 Free Sessions by September 7th!

Randy Zarecki,
Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

Fitness Together Downtown 1024 Washington Ave S 612.378.8898

Fitness Together Highland Park 2112A Ford Pkwy 651.699.9955
Fitness Together Uptown 1221 W. Lake St. 612.822.3448

FTMSP.com

Fitness Together Approved Fantastic Fair Foods

The great Minnesota Get Together starts in a few weeks. Feared and Dreaded by fitness experts across the state since the beginning of time, this single event can cause more damage to a client's otherwise predicable progress than Thanksgiving and Valentine's day COMBINED. 12 days of high fat content food. 12 days of grazing and lazing.

But it doesn't have to be so! We've done some research on the deep fried lard on a stick alternatives, and have found that a trip to the fair can be fun, friendly, and personal trainer approved.

But before I get into the food tips, let me give you two other pieces of advice for making the fair regret-free to your fitness goals.

First and Foremost, Get your workout in BEFORE you go to the fair. Most venues don't open until 8 or 9AM, so get up early, get that workout in, boost the metabolism going into the battle, and you'll have a few more caloric liberties while you're there.

Secondly, PLAN for riding your bike to the fair. Search for and plan to park by Como and you'll have less than a mile to ride to any of the FREE bike parking lots. You'll still want to bring a lock, but the fully attended corrals will check-in your bike to ensure that everyone leaves with what they brought in. Three Gates host bike corrals:

Como-Snelling Gate (#6)

Hoyt-Snelling Gate (#2)

Commonwealth-West Dan Patch (#15)

Bike Corral Hours: 6 a.m. to midnight daily.

Bicycle corrals are sponsored by Twin City Bike Club.

Visit them online at www.biketcbc.org

As far as food is concerned ...
my recommendation would be to have a healthy, hearty meal before you go. And then simply watch the events!

BUT, I know a lot of folks flock to the fair simply to enjoy the delicacies, so here are a list of the least damaging choices.

Category 1: Your Trainer will love you for eating these!

Category 2: Fair choices, better than most other options

Bayou Bob's Gator Shack (watch the sodium)
Beef Kabobs (kabobs OK, side dishes marginal)
Buffalo Burgers (burgers, kabobs OK, side dishes marginal)
Cafe Caribe
Corn Roast (skip the butter)
Demetri's Greek Foods (Salad OK)
Dino's Gyros (Salads OK)
Falafel King (stay away from the fried vegies)
Hawaiian Shaved Ice (go light on the cream & nut toppings)
Holy Land Deli (Kabobs OK, Salads OK, Gyro OK)
Jerky Shoppe, The (watch the sodium)
Mini-Kabob (watch the sodium)
Minnesota Buffalo Association, E-18 Judson Ave.
Porkchops and Turkey Legs (Turkey OK; Porkchops NOT OK)
Ragin Cajun (peel/eat shrimp or boiled crawfish only)
Smokin' Joe's Smokehouse
Turkey To Go (drumsticks OK)

And that's a LOT of Food! Much of it wouldn't fit into the optimal, healthy diet, but, again, is going to blow your diet LESS than almost anything else you'll find at the fair.

Back to School Special

Now through September 7th

Receive 7 FREE Sessions with every 40 Session Package Purchase.

Thats 47 for the price of 40!

(Split payments may apply)

*Offer valid through September 7th

FT MSP August

Superstars!!

David Sullivan's commitment, regular attendance, and hard work have really paid off in Uptown! David lost an incredible 3 inches on his waist over the past few months while increasing his chest size by over an inch! He reduced his body fat percentage by a whopping 13%, and improved his chest strength 63%! Wow! Nice Job David!
"I enjoy working out at Fitness Together because they keep me motivated and accountable. I really need someone counting on me to be there."
~David Sullivan

David’s doing well in St. Paul! He has lost over 8% bodyfat while increasing his lean muscle mass by 10 lbs, getting rid of 22 lbs of fat and in turn his waist measurement decreased by over 4 inches. His strength has also skyrocketed, with his push-ups increasing by 39 reps and his max bench press increasing by over 100lbs! Even with the strength gain, David was still able to gain a lot of flexibility, increasing it over 10 inches! Great job David!!

How to Fight a Food Temptation

When it comes to dieting successfully, temptation may be a good thing.

When we try to lose weight, the first thing we usually do is banish all those tempting, high-calorie foods we know will sabotage our diet. We make sure we have no ice cream, cookies, potato chips or doughnuts in the house to derail our weight loss. Now a study from Lessius Hogeschool in Antwerpen, Belgium concludes that keeping some sweet treats and savory snacks in the house could be a good way to build willpower, reports Reuters Health.

How? By challenging yourself to resist the temptation to eat the ice cream you know is in your freezer, you'll develop greater willpower to resist this and other temptations than if you ban all sweets and snack foods from your house. "The main message is that banishing food temptations may not be the best way to limit the amount eaten. Tempting foods can actually increase willpower," lead author Kelly Geyskens told Reuters Health.

She admits this is counterintuitive. After all, you can't eat the ice cream if you never brought it home and put it in your freezer. Instead, she insists we can learn to make the tempting food a trigger for self-control strategies. "When a new temptation situation subsequently arises, these activated strategies will be activated again and will be strengthened," Geyskens told Reuters Health.

The study: Female college students were recruited for three experiments in which they were tempted with forbidden food. In each study, the women were told that a candy manufacturer was doing consumer research. They were shown photos of candy--the food temptation--but obviously they couldn't eat it since it was only a photograph. In addition, some of the women were presented with a bowl of the candy pictured in the photo, but were specifically instructed not to eat it. Soon after that, they were given a bowl of M&Ms.

The results: The women who had been presented with the forbidden bowl of candy were more likely than those who'd merely seen pictures of that candy to exercise self-restraint around the M&Ms, reports Reuters Health.

The takeaway: Removing all tempting foods from your daily life may not be the most effective weight-loss solution. Otherwise, when food temptations arise, you may not have the willpower to resist because you will not have learned self-control.

The study findings were published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

--From the Editors at Netscape

Craving something that looks just as good as those undeniably unhealthy non-approved State Fair foods? Tantalize your taste buds with this recipe of the week!

Dinner in 20:

Mediterranean Chicken and Pasta

A Quick and Easy Chicken Dinner from Fitness Magazine

Makes: 4 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients
1 6-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into strips
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
3 cups hot cooked campanelle or penne pasta
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Directions
1. Drain artichoke hearts, reserving marinade, and chop them. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; add chicken and garlic. Cook and stir until chicken is brown. Add the reserved artichoke marinade, broth, wine, and dried oregano.

2. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in chopped artichokes, roasted peppers, and olives.

3. To serve, spoon chicken mixture over pasta. If desired, sprinkle with feta cheese.

Nutrition facts per serving: 347 calories, 26g protein, 38g carbohydrate, 9g fat (1g saturated), 3g fiber

Join The American Red Cross and sponsor Hagen Financial Advantage, Inc. in the
Run for Blood
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Lake Harriet Band Shell
Net Proceeds Benefit the American Red Cross

January Newsletter

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Welcome to the Minneapolis St. Paul Fitness Together January '09 Newsletter

In This Issue:

50% Off of our January 24th Fantastically Fit Fundamentals Seminar!
- THIS WEEK ONLY!!!
Top 10 Tips for Making it Through The January Gym Jams
Top 20 Super Foods
Super Food Recipe: Fresh Greens with Red Grapes and Champagne Vinaigrette
FT Super Stars
Fantastic Female Family Member Referral Contest!!!!

Randy Zarecki,
Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

Fitness Together Downtown Minneapolis 612.378.8898

Fitness Together Highland Park 651.699.9955
Fitness Together Uptown 612.822.3448

FTMSP.com

Top 10 Tips for Making it Through
The January Gym Jams

It happens every year. One of the top New Year's Resolutions year in and year out is getting fit and living healthier. Tens of Thousands of Resolve Resolutes join gyms to make it happen. Most of them will be gone by March, but they're here now, and cannot be neglected. Here then, are my 10 top tips for making your workouts effective within the present river of resolutes.

Go Early. Way early. Particularly on the weekends, traffic in the bigger, busier fitness centers doesn't really get annoying until after 9:00AM
Plan for working bodyparts. Make lemonade out of lemons by training the same bodyparts on new/different equipment rather than wasting time waiting around for your 'regular' equipment to free up. You will regularly bump into unexpected contention for equipment as you navigate through your workout.
Give your self a bit of extra time to deal with diversion & distractions. More people and less equipment availability will mean more 'hunting' time than normal. Add an extra 10 minutes of time to your workout to handle the unexpected.
Exercise by proximity. As you are finishing up with an exercise, don't look further than you can throw your towel for the next piece. Chance are, if you need to walk more than 50 steps to get to your next exercise, it will be gone by the time you get there.
Don't go too far from your equipment. Be sure to leave a towel & water bottle on your equipment to help mark territory.
Turn around slowly, and always look before turning. Neophytes use dumbbells and barbells in unimaginable ways. Save yourself a headache and look before moving.
Perform large and multiple muscle group exercises. They burn more calories and can better optimize your workout time by hitting more muscle tissue. Additionally, they tend to be among the least used pieces of equipment in the gym. Examples here are good old fashioned flat bench bench presses; barbell squats; and Barbell Rows.
Plan to do some cardio both at the start of and at the end of your workout. The warmup and warmdown are both important by themselves, but in planning for two cardio events you'll double your chances of getting the equipment you prefer.
Don't expect that loaded bars are actually being used. Gym newbies are notorious for leaving bars loaded long abandoned. If you see equipment that appears to be abandoned, it probably is. Stand nearby your potential find, and look in 360 degrees for anyone willing to make eye contact with you. If you don't see anyone, ask someone near you if they've seen anyone on the equipment. If they haven't, consider it yours! But don't leave it loaded when you're through.
Don't go at all! You'll still need to exercise, but use January and February to broaden your fitness experience with outdoor activities. It's been an outstanding year for both snow (cross country skiing, and snowshoeing) and ice (most outdoor rinks were open 2 weeks early this year).

Or, Give me a call and we'll train you in private to avoid all of this!

Try putting a few Super Foods together with this great recipe!!

Fresh Greens with Red Grapes and Champagne Vinaigrette

This recipe serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

4 cups red or green leaf lettuce, washed and torn into bite-size pieces

2/3 apple, cored and sliced (peeling is optional)

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

4 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

Cooking Instructions

For the vinaigrette:

-Place all the ingredients in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well.

-Add the salt and pepper to taste.

For the salad:

-Toss the lettuce and apple with the vinaigrette in a bowl.

-Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with the walnuts and blue cheese.

Nutrition Facts:

Serving Size 1 cup of salad with 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette

Amount Per Serving

Calories 93

Protein 2 g

Total Carbohydrate 16 g

Dietary Fiber 2 g

Total Fat 4 g

Saturated Fat 1 g (blue cheese)

Monounsaturated Fat 2 g

FT MSP January Superstars!!

Kedrin shows up with a positive attitude for every session. In less than 4 months at FT, she has lost 13 lbs and over 2 inches in her waist. Kedrin has shown major strength and endurance improvements, as well. She has gone from a maximal bench press of 73 lbs to 98 lbs, and has moved from the 13th to 69th percentile in cardiovascular endurance. Keep up the good work Kedrin!

Crystal has demonstrated consistency every week since she has started training at Fitness Together. She arrives early before every session to begin her warm up and finishes her day with 45 minutes on the elliptical. Crystal’s hard work and determination has been seen through the improvement in the difficulty level of her workouts. Keep up the great work Crystal!!

Valerie has been super in St. Paul. In her time here she has lost over 7% bodyfat, lowered her resting heart rate by 20 bpm, increased push-ups by 30 and more than doubled her bench press. Way to go Valerie!!!

Agenda:

How to turn your resolution into reality

Why 93.8% of New Years resolutes abandon their resolution before February

The top 10 reasons why fitness programs fail

Establishing attainable goals

Making time for exercise

Balanced fitness habits

How you may be gaining fat with your cardiovascular efforts

The fat burning zone myth

Who Should Attend:

•Women 40-60 years young interested in looking and feeling better
Busy Executives looking for ways to build better exercise habits into their busy lives
Women concerned about Heart Disease and Osteoporosis
Men with High Cholesterol, Diabetes, or Growing waistlines

With Tons Prizes & Giveaways!
All Attendees will also receive:

A Free Cranio Sacral Therapy from Dr. Susan Clark @ The Healing circle
A Free Consultation and Exam from Dr. Chis BrierBrauer at Bier+Brauer Chiropractic
Valuable Free Health and Fitness Reports
A complimentary Naglee Water bottle;
And ...

You'll get put into a drawing for our Grand Prize, An Around the World Wine Dinner from Spill the Wine (also January 24th)

THIS WEEK ONLY Register for ONLY $15!!! Thats a savings of over 50 %!!

$15 by January 15th

or $35 at the door.

Click here to register online, or call us at (612) 455-2246 to guarantee your spot!

Top 20 Super Foods

What should be on your grocery list? Well, here are 20 suggestions for you.

Below are 20 super foods categorized in the following groups: healhty proteins, fibrous fruits/vegetables, whole grains/starchy vegetables, fats, beverages, sweeteners and dessert. How many are in your diet?

Healthy Proteins:

1. Wild Salmon: A great balance of fatty acids proven to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease.

2. Free Range Turkey Breast: The leanest source of meat on the planet, with included benefits such as cancer prevention through selenium.

3. Free Range Eggs: The best source of the vital nutrient choline for cell membrane health.

4. Yogurt: Immune system booster and great for colon health.

5. Soy: A major key in Okinawans* healthy living and diet style.

6. Walnuts: A handful a day is packed with 90% of the recommended daily value of omega 3 fatty acids.

7. Black Beans: Fiber all-star, cancer fighter, antioxidant, sulfite detoxifier

Fibrous Fruits/Vegetables:

8. Blueberries: Highest level of antioxidants available and great brain food for children.

9. Oranges: Most readily available source of vitamin C.

10. Broccoli: Top cancer fighter of most foods.

11. Spinach: Best food to fight cataracts and macular degeneration.

12. Tomatoes: The nutrient lycopene is the proven to reduce the risk for prostate cancer.

13. Onions: Proper insulin response, prevents heart disease, prevents colon cancer, healthy bones.

Whole Grains/Starchy Vegetables:

14. Oats: Lowers cholesterol.

15. Sweet Potatoes: Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, helps reduce the risk of diabetes.

Fats:

16. Olive Oil: Prevents the hardening of arteries, may lower cholesterol.

Beverages:

17. Water: Happy organs, improved digestive tract, may increase metabolism.

18. Green Tea: Immune system booster, colon cleaner, antioxidant rich.

Sweetners:

19. Local Honey: Fights allergies, anti-bacterial anti-fungal, anti-viral.

Dessert:

20. Dark Chocolate: 1 oz. per day provides antioxidants.

Fantastic Female Family Member Referral Promo

Refer a female family member and get
10 sessions!!!

Referral must be a new FT MSP Client with either matching last name or matching home address.

You always get 3 free sessions with your referrals, but now through February 14th only, get 10 with each Family Female Referral!

Or, if you're looking for an easy way to pick up a Free Session, just refer your friend, family member, or co-worker to our
January 24th Seminar
to add a
Free Session to your Account!

And Thanks a Zillion to Daniel Boyer of Ameriprise and Twin Cities Luxury & Fashion Magazine for sponsoring our January 24th Seminar!

by Julian Kaufman, Owner FT – Chattanooga

Get A Jumpstart Your New

Years Resolutions!!!!

Saturday, January 24th 2008!

FT Downtown Minnneapolis
2:00 PM

- Randy Zarecki

Fitness Together - Minneapolis

Build Up Your Knees!

What a Great Day for Exercise!Save $15,263 with these two daily exercises

If you missed it last week, here’s the scoop on the Trainer in a Bag equipment.

Build up your knees, don’t replace them!

Randy Zarecki, Owner & Chief Fitness Officer

FT Minneapolis 1024 Washington Ave S. Minneapolis 612.378.8898

May is Bike to Work Month!

Are you Resolved? Or Truly Committed?

Need a Silver Bullet for the Holiday Blues?

Perceived Exertion and Cardio Exercise: Are you Working Too Hard?

What a Great Day for Exercise!

February is Heart Healthy Month, and today is part 4 of a 4 part series on Heart Healthy Exercise!

10 = The Hardest Thing you’ve ever done and you must stop exercising immediately;

9 = A very, very difficult level, but something you can continue to do for a few seconds;

8= A very difficult exercise level, but something you can continue to do for a few minutes; and

7 = A Somewhat Difficult exercise level, but something you could continue to do for an hour

Each Week, your total Cardiovascular Program should Include:

SPECIAL OFFER!Pick up a Free Ticket to the March 4th Minneapolis Winter Wonder Blast! Proceeds go to the Minnesota Special Olympics.

And we have a free ticket for you! Here's How:

1. Like the the Fitness Together Minneapolis fan page

2. Write your best Fitness Together Experience on our Wall

3. Be one of the 4 best raving Fans Facebook wall posts and we'll spot you a free ticket for Winter Wonder Blast!

February 2011

February is Heart Healthy Month, and today is part 3 of a 4 part series on Heart Healthy Exercise!

Fitness Together's cardiovascular programming recommendation is that your weekly cardio efforts will include:

Two weeks ago, we started things off with your long duration, low intensity workout.

Last week, as it was Valentine's Day, I touched on the hottest heart rate training zone ... Zone 5.

We'll tackle Moderate Intensity, Moderate Duration next week. This week, however, I'd like to slow things way, way down and comment onthe coolest of the 5 heart rate training zones, Zone 1, also known as the Fat Burning Zone

While time spent in the Fat Burning Zone has it's time and place, one of the more common mistakes I see in clubs is the use of the Fat Burning Zone program on cardio equipment. Without knowing anything more, it certainly seems like a reasonable choice in cardioeffort for a lot of folks:

"I want to loose some fat; therefore, I want the Fat Burning Program."

The rub though, is that while the Fat Burning Zone metabolism is in fact slow enough to convert fats to glucose, exercise in this zone doesn't require much total energy, and, therefore doesn't burn all that much fat.

If you consume more calories than you burn, you add fat. If you burn more calories than you ingest, you loose fat.

If you're curious about learning more about The Fat Zone Myth, just send me an email to request a full copy of my Heart Rate Zone Training to Look and Feel Fantastic Report!

January 2011

For many of the same reason that home exercise equipment doesn't work for a lot of folks (distractions), training at my own personal training studios doesn't work too well for me personally (distractions).

Oh, there's plenty of equipment to keep me interested, and with which to get a great workout, but I really need to get out of my 'work' environment' to get an effective 'workoutTherefore, I normally train at one of the big box open gyms.

In doing so, however I encounter many of the same challenges a lot of you do when working out at large public facilities. And this time of year can beespecially frustrating. Whether it's morning, noon, or night, it seems I'm always bumping into equipment contention.

To avoid that frustration I've developed an entire workout that uses medicine balls!

If you're training with us at @ FT your trainers have or will incorporate some of these into your programs. If not, do take a look at the Medicine Ball workout suggestions below. And have a ball!

Equipment contention at the big box gyms can get really frustrating this time of the year. So, as they say, let's make lemonade out of these lemons!

A couple of tips before you get started:

Keep to the edges and the corners of the gym floor to avoid widely flung bars and cables;Always start with the lightest weight ball available when learning a new med ball exercise;Gradually use (over weeks and months) heavier and heavier balls as you develop competence and strength.

Here then, are a few simple med ball exercises. Use one or two of them to supplement your workout, or use all of them for a complete workout!

Newsletter December 2010

Get in a Quickie to Avoid Holiday Stress and Weight Gain

There’s nothing like a quickie to get your morning started right! Or pick you up in the afternoon!

Or punctuate your day in the evening!

Exercise Quickies, that is.

Here’s how it works.

… keep these things in mind for effective exercise quickies:

November Newsletter

DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF WAITING UNTIL AFTER THE HOLIDAYS TO BEGIN AN EXERCISE PROGRAM!

Personal Trainer in a Bag-- a Great Holiday Gift!

Give a Personal Trainer in a Bag!

PLUS 3 Sessions of Personal Training at Fitness Together Minneapolis

How Hard Should You Exercise?

October Newsletter

Lack of sleep alters hormones, metabolismBy John EastonMedical Center Public Affairs

By John Easton

Ingredients

Directions

September 2010 Newsletter

Top 10 Eating Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss

August Newsletter

It’s called Two-a-day workouts!

Rather than completing that single 75-90 minute workout, split the effort into two much shorter 20 to 30 minute workouts!

July Newsletter 2010

With the temperatures rising, vacations planned, schools on holiday, and the in-laws inbound it's easy to get distracted from your fundamental fitness regimen.

We all struggle with consistency from time to time, and summer is a classic example.

Super Duper Discounts on Training!

June Newsletter

May Newsletter 2010

Summer Crab Rolls

Salmon Burgers

Pineapple Salad

Portabella Mushroom Burgers

April Newsletter 2010

Lighten up traditional spring fare with these fresh ideas for Easter.

Artichoke-Scrambled Eggs Benedict

What a Great Day for Exercise!
Save $15,263 with these two daily exercises

9 = A very, very difficult level, but something you can continue to **do for a few seconds;**

SPECIAL OFFER!
Pick up a Free Ticket to the March 4th Minneapolis Winter Wonder Blast! Proceeds go to the Minnesota Special Olympics.

Oh, there's plenty of equipment to keep me interested, and with which to get a great workout, but I really need to get out of my 'work' environment' to get an effective 'workout
Therefore, I normally train at one of the big box open gyms.

If you're training with us at @ FT your trainers have or will incorporate some of these into your programs. If not, do take a look at the Medicine Ball workout suggestions below.
And have a ball!

Equipment contention at the big box gyms can get really frustrating this time of the year.
So, as they say, let's make lemonade out of these lemons!

Keep to the edges and the corners of the gym floor to avoid widely flung bars and cables;
Always start with the lightest weight ball available when learning a new med ball exercise;
Gradually use (over weeks and months) heavier and heavier balls as you develop competence and strength.

Lack of sleep alters hormones, metabolism
By John Easton
Medical Center Public Affairs