Congratulations to John Wright, our client here at Personal Training Institute in Tucson. Today John did a 7 minute plank at the END of his PTI workout. Those of you that are clients here know what that means and those that are not, need to come in and check it out!
So, I was just reading an article about an upcoming study that is looking at the increasing epidemic of obesity with a different slant. Instead of attributing the weight problem in the US to the huge portions and highly processed, sugar and fat laden foods that are readily available, he is starting with the premise that the problem stems from lack of activity. He notes that generations ago much of the US population was living and working on farms, our lives were more physically demanding, everything is powered now from lawnmowers to vacuum cleaners to computer keyboards vs. the manual typewriter. Cars were simple enough we could work on them ourselves, we didn’t have self cleaning ovens (remember spraying and scrubbing?!), freezers weren’t self defrosting. Overall, life was more physical. While I agree with the statement that life was more physically demanding, the foods were not as processed, not as readily available. There was no microwave. Meals actually had to be prepared not just reheated.
Truth be told it is probably a combination of the two (cheap, readily available low quality food and a reduction in activity) that have caused the weight control problems that are rampant in the US right now.
I can say from a lot of personal experience that it is very difficult to manage one’s weight solely though increases in physical activity. It is far to easy to consume more calorically that one can burn physically. Many people can temporarily lose weight with diet modification alone. On the other hand, one can lift weights and do cardio all day, but if still consuming too much there will be little positive change with regard to weight loss.
Here at Personal Training Institute we recognize the importance of all three legs of fitness and weight control: nutrition, strength training and cardiovascular training. I liken them to the three legs of a milk stool. Each is equally important and the milk stool is of little use if missing one of its legs. Weight control is literally a math problem: calories out must exceed calories in to have weight loss. If a person can create a 500 calorie a day deficit, he or she can burn a pound of body fat (3500 calories) a week; a 1000 calorie a day deficit would mean 2 pounds of body fat a week. Let’s take a quick look at each of the legs:
Nutrition: by consuming a diet rich in fiber, protein and good fats a person can feel satisfied; not be hungry all the time; enjoy good foods and get quality nutrition while staying within a reasonable calorie goal. It all starts with proper diet. Too much means no weight loss, not enough means no fat burn; we need to make sure that our bodies are getting what it needs to function optimally and repair and sustain itself with the additional activity we are going to be doing.
Strength Training: this is the biggest secret when it comes to weight management. Go into any gym and looks to see where the lean people are (generally the weight training equipment). Where are the heavy people? (ellipticals, treadmills and bikes). The reason strength training is so important to weight management is that adding leans muscle increases your basal metabolic rate, meaning that your metabolism goes up and you burn more calories all day and night. Where the calories burning effect from cardio ends shortly after the exercise stops, the benefits of strength training last 24 hours a day!
Cardio: cardiovascular training is extremely important to our heart. It improves our VO2 Max, increases our endurance and burns additional calories. Keep in mind though that the calories burning effects from cardio training end shortly after the exercise stops. You do get some additional benefit of increased calorie burn shortly after the exercise stops while still in EPOC, but within an hour of ending the exercise you are back to your basal metabolic rate of burn.
So the important take away from all of this is that while yes, our lives in general are less physically demanding then they were 100 years a go, the obesity epidemic in the US is not due solely to this phenomenon but rather a combination of eating and activity. The best solution should encompass a combination of nutrition, strength training and cardio training. You can get all of this working together to get you to your goals at PTI for as little as $25 a session. Chew on that for a moment and come on in and get started today!
Take a moment to review the links on the PTI blog. We have a category showing all of the benefits that exercise has for cancer patients. Study after study are showing that patients undergoing active treatment and cancer survivors both benefit hugely from exercise. Here at Personal Training Institute of Tucson we firmly believe this and have programs for both kinds of people. For those undergoing active cancer treatment we will provide three months of free strength training and nutrition counseling! Beyond that we offer discounted rates for cancer patients and survivors. Help us spread the word! If you know someone that would benefit from this program please give them our number and have them give us a call! PTI Tucson – 520-297-8280!
Jericho, NY, May 25, 2011 – Personal Training Institute-Tucson is proud to announce that it has opted into the Joining Forces and Let’s Move! Initiatives launched May 9th by First Lady Michelle Obama and adopted by the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). The program kicks off June 1st at which time eligible military families can find participating clubs in their area online at www.healthclubs.com.
Former US Army Paratrooper Craig Jackson with his wife Miki
“I feel very strongly about taking part in this worthwhile program,” says Craig Jackson, owner of Personal Training Institute-Tucson (photo, right with his wife Miki). Craig served seven years as a US Army Paratrooper, which included a deployment to the Middle East during the first Gulf War. In fact, this year marks the 20th Anniversary of Desert Storm. Jackson adds, “Fitness training combined with nutrition guidance can inspire smart lifestyle choices, positive self-esteem, improved health and so much more. These healthy results can really make a wonderful difference for military families who have already made so many sacrifices.”
PTI-Tucson will be offering free memberships to spouses and teenage children of deployed Reservists and National Guardsmen. These memberships will include three months of Body Basic that includes two strength training session each week with unlimited cardio, as well as nutrition counseling every other week. After the initial three-month program, participants can take advantage of unlimited cardio training with periodic body composition testing. PTI is also offering program discounts to active military and veterans. PTI-Tucson is located at 7625 North Oracle Road, Suite 145 at the Oracle Crossing Shopping Center.
For additional information, contact Craig or Miki Jackson at 520-297-8280 or Tucson@personaltraininginstitute.com.
PERSONAL TRAINING INSTITUTE: PTI has been changing lives since 1987 by combining its proven integrated program that encompasses one-to-one strength training and customized nutrition counseling for every client. Ranked in Entrepreneur’s “Franchise 500,” PTI was also named among “Top 50 Franchises – for franchisee satisfaction” by Franchise Business Review. This results-oriented franchise is growing nationwide to help members and owners to achieve their goals. Visit www.ptifranchise.com for more information.
CONTACT: Carol Kur, MSRD, Co/founder of PTI at 516-342-9064 x16 or ckur@personaltraininginstitute.com; or Karin Machusic, PR Consultant to PTI at 925-524-4334 or kjmachusic@msn.com.
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