Fitness 'N' Oklahoma City

Archive for December, 2009

With the Holidays almost here a New Year is soon to follow. I have to admit this is one of my favorite times of year for many reasons. I see a lot of determined souls who are ready to get fit and about 20% make it happen. This is exciting because it brings Oklahoma closer to becoming healthier.

Now it is true that I would like to take the entire state of Oklahoma under my wing and help them with their weight loss goals but this is impossible.

I am going to layout the important steps to finding a world class fitness professional in your area. So if you or someone you know is going to be putting their weight loss in the hands of someone else please read this carefully.

I will try to keep this short but it is my passion and i do not want to see anyone set up for failure when it comes to their health and fitness.

ENJOY!

Where Do I Find a Personal Trainer:

There are many different ways to come up with a list of Personal Trainers in your area. Obviously the easiest would be to Google personal trainer and your zip. But this may leave you with a list of crap.

If you know someone who has used a personal trainer,  get more info from them about contacting them.  If you are a member of a gym you are probably surrounded by more than one trainer.

OK! Now you have a list of possible Trainers.  What to look for next—->

Personal Trainer Certifications:

Guess what? You can go online and get a trainer certification for about sixty bucks.   You think that is bad.  Some states don’t even require a certification.

Don’t take the certification lightly, you are trusting someone with your life.

A personal trainer should hold a current NCCA-accredited certification. This will give you the assurance that you are working with a professional who has the knowledge and skills to provide you with a safe and effective workout.

The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) has 26-years of experience accrediting allied health professions such as registered dietitians, nurses, athletic trainers, and occupational therapists. Currently, only 10 of nearly 70 certification agencies have achieved this recognition. Here are the most common in Oklahoma.

National Strength and Conditioning Association
American Council on Exercise
The American College of Sports Medicine

Never be afraid to ask to see a copy of a personal trainer’s certification to ensure that it is current.

Ask For References:

Ask the personal trainer for names, phone numbers, and even testimonials of other clients he/she has worked with, particularly those who share similar traits and goals. Trainers may be more likely to empathize and understand your unique challenges and needs if they’ve worked with similar clients. If available, call previous clients to see if they were satisfied with their training experience and results. Inquire whether the personal trainer was professional, punctual, and prepared, and whether the client’s individual needs were addressed. Talk to fellow members of your health club or friends who are currently working with trainers for their recommendations.

Talk  To The Trainer: (this one is important)

Developing a personal, yet professional relationship with your trainer is very important. Trust your instincts. Ask yourself if you think you could get along well with the trainer and whether you think the trainer is genuinely interested in helping you. The personal trainer you select should motivate you using positive, not negative, reinforcement. Most importantly, that trainer should be someone you like.

Get off the beaten path when it comes to your first conversation. If you base the entire conversation around fitness you may be in for a real surprise when your trainer starts to tell you about his wild weekend of partying. I have seen this happen many times and it sucks if you and your trainer have nothing in common.

$$$.$$:

Personal training fees vary based on a trainer’s experience and reputation, facility prices and geographic area, but they are well worth the investment. Although you may meet with your trainer more frequently at first, your financial investment should decrease as you become more independent, knowledgeable, and fit.

If you aren’t comfortable shelling out 400+ a month on personal training you might look into finding a Boot Camp in your area. These are usually run by very respected fitness professionals. You still get the same expertise as a one-on-one session and amazing results but at a more affordable price.

Professional Liability Insurance and Business Policies:

Many personal trainers operate as independent contractors and are not employees of a fitness facility. Find out if the trainer you want to hire carries professional liability insurance. A reputable personal trainer should make sure you understand the cancellation policy and billing procedures. The best way to avoid confusion and to protect your rights is to have those policies in writing.

Is This Someone You Can Work With:

Do you like to exercise in the morning, or in the evening. Can a personal trainer accommodate your schedule? What about the trainer’s gender? Some people do better working with a trainer of the same sex; others prefer the opposite sex. The knowledgeable and experienced personal trainer who fits your style is the one to hire — because that is the professional who will help you achieve the best results.

I hope this helps clear up some of your questions about finding the perfect fitness professional. If you have more questions about finding a personal trainer or local boot camp you can send me an email here.

If you are in the Oklahoma City Metro area and would like to come check out my boot camp click here to find out more or check us out on facebook.

Cant wait to bring you more healthy articles to help you with your journey forward. If you would like to see an article about something please drop me a line.

Trainer Ben

Dedicated To Joe F.

Is this you? “I’ve done good all week long with my eating and exercise.  The weekend is here and I just want to relax and have some fun.  All your hard work at the gym in boot camp goes right out the window!  **Shoulders Shrug** Oh well, I’ll start over again on Monday.” I hear this one a lot but I will lay out some simple plans to follow.

How many of you plan your weekend out from top to bottom? Of course your weekends aren’t planned  out as well as the weekdays are. Weekends are less structured and vary from week to week. You may have a wedding one weekend, go out to the movies another; enjoy a road trip the next weekend.

These weekends usually lead to poor meal planning. Without a plan, you’re more likely to stray from the healthy habits you have been working so hard to develop. There is little to no time for exercise either.

So how can you avoid gaining weight over the weekend after you have successfully lost throughout the week?

Here’s a few easy tips.

*Plan out your weekends around being active, like riding your bike, going to the park. That way you get to spend time with the family and incorporating a little bit of exercise. If you plan on being away from the house for a few hours pack a healthy lunch, or take your favorite protein shake.

* Don’t forget to bring along a water bottle to your weekend activities. This is very critical during the weeks as well as the weekend. Also, having water will replace those urges for unhealthy sodas and juices.

*If most of your weekend is spent shopping at the mall your biggest threat is the “FOOD COURT”, but you are in luck. Find you a healthy choice like Subway and just watch you portion size.

*Plan Ahead!!! Maybe you are taking your amazing Wife or someone close to you out for a nice dinner. Find the restaurant’s menu online and make a healthy choice before you get there.

*Keep a weekend food and exercise journal. Use it to pin point your problem spots, evaluate them and attack your weaknesses.

* Batch cook some of your favorite foods over the weekend. This keeps you thinking about healthy choices and supplies you with enough food for the week so all you will have to do is reheat.

*Monday through Friday you should hit your workouts extremely hard, but on the weekend take a day off, and the other day, go for something lighter like a walk or a swim.

* Ladies If you’re going to a social event (wedding, birthday party, girls night out) with foods out of your healthy weight loss plan, eat a light snack beforehand. While at your function you won’t feel as famished and can enjoy a few light treats and not be tempted to go overboard.

* Avoid alcohol. For some this is much easier said than done, but alcohol calories will add up big time after only one drink.(If you absolutely must get your “CRUNK” on at least do it with as few calories as possible. Don’t add juices and cream to your drink)

Stop the viscous cycle of gaining over the weekend, losing during the week, which in fact keeps your weight loss at a plateau.

“Starting over on Monday,” should be a thing of your old life.

Start Fresh every day!

Keep your health the number one reason that you remain on course for a healthy lifestyle.

Come back often to read more about a living a healthy lifestyle.

Thank you and if you enjoyed this Blog please click the facebook icon over to the right.

If you haven’t checked out Oklahoma City’s #1 Indoor Boot Camp and would like to…click here.

Looking forward to bringing Oklahoma more and more healthy articles.

Oklahoma City Personal Training