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Personal Trainer – Management Trainee Wanted

Personal Trainer – Management Trainee

Exceptional Opportunity with Rapid Growth Potential for Immediate Hire.

This is a perfect opportunity for a recent graduate who is passionate about starting professional career as a personal trainer. We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic Management Trainee to join our team.

As a Management Trainee, you will receive on the job training for the development, implementation and management of all aspects of the personal training business, including program design, membership administration, new client onboarding and client experience management.

We offer a paid training program, that includes both practical hands-on learning, and at home study. Ideal candidates have a strong desire to learn the art and skill of leading others through a transformative experience.

This position requires a team player that’s passionate about helping people improve their fitness and health. Although prior personal training experience required, you must be willing to learn the ForeverStrong system

Personal Trainer Responsibilities and Duties

The ForeverStrong Personal Trainer is responsible for the leading safe and effective 60 minute training sessions up to 8 participants. This is a challenging, fast paced environment that requires meticulous attention to detail.

Understand and coach each client through their personalized program.

Understand and know proper execution of all exercises required in the ForeverStrong Session.

Teach members the safety, and proper execution of the exercises.

Modify an individual’s exercise on a needs basis.

Must clean all equipment and organize the training area after every group session.

Prepare for clients before sessions and provide report to management after sessions.

Attend weekly staff meeting.

Qualifications and Skills

Degree in Exercise Science or related field of study. Nutrition and athletic training degrees also considered.

Current accredited personal training certification required, ACE, NASM, ACSM, NSCA.

CPR Certification

Excellent communication skills. You must be comfortable conversing in-person and on the phone, conduct yourself professionally, and deliver clear instructions to the clients

Physical ability to demonstrate compound movements and lift up to 100lbs

Ability to articulate exercise concepts and instructions professionally in writing

Interview Process

1. Phone Interview and Invitation to Observe a ForeverStrong Session

2. In-Person Audition of Fitness Instruction

3. Final Interview

All steps of the interview process should be completed within 10 days of applying.

To Apply:

Click the link below to go to our public job page and click on the “jobs” tab:

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Foreverstrong

“Best decision I’ve made. I love coming here!”

For years, Stuart Tarleton would wake up in the mornings with what he describes as “normal aches and pains“:

“From not doing anything the night before, I’d wake up with an ache here or a pain there, and not sure where it came from”, says the 61 year-old.

Like many individuals, he’d come to accept all the little trademarks of declining physical health – excess belly fat, decreased flexibility, slicing golf ball after golf ball into the trees – as simply part of the post-60 experience.

That’s not to say he was happy with how his body was failing him. Life just sort of, got in the way:

“Before, that [my body] wasn’t a priority for me. I’d probably be doing a couple of walks a week at best, not because I wanted to, but because I felt like I should be doing it. I was kind of complacent – I felt okay, but didn’t really feel good.”

Hey, we’ve all been there…right?

A phys ed major in college, Stuart knew deep down there was a better version of himself out there. He just needed the right signal from the universe to make the change.

And that signal did eventually arrive, although it was in difficult and sad circumstances:

“My Dad ended up dying of cancer. My Mom had dementia for the last 10-15 years of her life, and I watched her progress through that disease, which was horrible.”

“And the whole time I was trying to get them to be active, to get exercise – especially with the dementia it’s important to get exercise and be active, but neither one of them would. They’d watch TV, I’d buy them recumbent bikes, treadmills, I could never encourage them enough to be active.”

Witnessing his parents gripped with illness was tough, but their passivity through the ordeal served as a look-in-the-mirror moment for Stuart.

“The purpose at that point in my life was ‘I’m not going to be like them’. I didn’t want to be like them at 61, 71, or even 81 if I could help it.”

Looking ahead to his own retirement, he admits:

“I don’t wanna not be not able to get up and exercise, or even walk around the block. My parents physically couldn’t do it because they hadn’t done it for so long.”

 

Finding ForeverStrong

Determined to give his future self a better shot at retired life, Stuart joined ForeverStrong and quickly got down to work.

Initially he was nervous about the prospect:

“This not being a traditional gym like others, I was a little bit intimidated by what the classes might be like, because it’s a smaller scale, it’s more intimate. I was not sure how I’d fit in. And then just what the workouts would be like.”

But such fears were quickly allayed, and Stuart was soon happily receiving regular ass kickings from ForeverStrong trainer Marty.

….excuse me?

“I’ll tell you what – I hate Marty some days, but it’s so worth it because he kicks your butt”, he jokes.

“But when you get out of here at the end of a session, I feel like I’ve accomplished so much.”

To say he’s fully committed to the cause would be an understatement: In his time with ForeverStrong, Stuart has missed only one session (work related) and claims that he “hated” doing so. When he has been present though, he has never failed to leave it all in the gym:

“It’s wonderful. The workouts are extremely hard, and I leave in a full sweat every day.”

Okay, that’s not strictly true – maybe he doesn’t leave it all in the gym. He leaves some of it in his car, too:

“I have to put a towel on my car seat because I’m soaked!”

 

The Upshot

Five months on from first stepping inside the ForeverStrong gym, Stuart has seen some rather dramatic improvements in both his health and fitness.

Dropping 18lbs of body weight (with a 5% decrease in body fat), he’s slimmed down considerably. And that’s not just us saying that – it’s something his significant other will attest to:

“My wife likes the way my transformation has been, she’s very happy with it, she comments on how good I look physically.”

(Warning: x-rated material ahead)

“A couple of weeks ago after I got out of the shower, I had my shirt off and she actually could notice that my oblique abs are showing, and they never used to, so that’s kind of cool.”

Of course, he’s not just for show – strengthening his body has had a profound effect on Stuart’s overall movement.

The aches and pains have disappeared, and thanks to his newfound balance and flexibility, he shot a 68 at the Masters feels a lot more confident in his golf game. Plus he’s now able to descend into a full squat, much to the surprise (or maybe disgust) of people he knows:

“I went on a camping trip and I was grilling some hot dogs on a skewer over the fire, and I got down in a deep squat because that was the most comfortable position. And the 30-somethings were like ‘How are you doing that, I can’t even do that!'”

Who needs chairs?

Perhaps the most exciting change is his blood sugar levels – a long-time type-2 diabetic, Stuart has seen his readings cut in half (!!!) over the past year. Such is the improvement, that he’s now classed as pre-diabetic, and is looking to get off his meds entirely.

Impressive stuff, Stuart!

Not to ignore how much he values being part of the ForeverStrong community:

“We’re a team, for sure. We’re able to work together to help each other out. I see them (others) grunting and groaning like I am, so it makes me feel like we’re all going through this together – you feel a bond.”

Needless to say, Stuart’s quality of life has gone through the roof in the last five months:

“I’ve gotten so much out of it physically, mentally, emotionally, and it’s just been amazing” he says.

“I love coming here, I wanna be here more than anywhere else. It’s the best decision I ever made, for sure.”

His advice to others looking to turn the tables on the “aches and pains”?

“I’d say do it now, don’t wait – I wish I’d found ForeverStrong sooner. It’s not too late, no matter what your age or health condition, it’s worth every penny, it’s worth every bead of sweat, it’s worth every curse word you curse at your instructor.”

We’re proud of you Stuart, no matter how much you curse at us. And no doubt your Mom and Dad would be, too!

You Are ForeverStrong!

If you know someone who needs to improve their flexibility, fitness, or improve blood sugar levels through strength training, we’d love to help them. Send them our way. Tell them to mention Stuart’s when they sign up for a special discount!

“This Has Given Me My Life Back”

At 67 years old, Lynn Barranger’s life had become an uphill struggle.

As is often the case when we reach our 60’s, she had developed a laundry list of physical health issues that were slowing her down, and making the most basic of movements a struggle.

Having had a hip replacement some years earlier, Lynn’s mobility was already compromised. But increasing aches and pains combined with worsening “hunched-over” posture started to challenge her ability to move, bend, twist, get up and down, and even made walking difficult.

“I was talking to the orthopedics, and they were saying due to my lower back issues, I’d need to either constantly get injections, or get a walker” says Lynn.

“So I got myself a cherry apple red walker so I could be a fast little granny.”

And everyone lived happily ever after? Unfortunately not.

While this new toy gave her security on two feet, it didn’t actually address any of the underlying issues. She still couldn’t move with ease. Level-changing activities like picking stuff off the ground, and treasure-hunting under the sofa (you never know what you’ll find down there) were pretty much off the cards.

Moreover, her dependence on a chunk of aluminum to move from A to B begun to play on her mental health:

“It was very depressing to feel that I had to use a walker. I was afraid this was going to be the way for the rest of my life. I did not relish being this much of an invalid, this early. ” admits Lynn

“This is ridiculous, I thought – I’m only 67!”


As the old proverb goes, however: the darkest hour is just before the dawn.

It was just as things had gotten really bleak, that she saw the light. But being the pragmatic sort, Lynn realized that divine intervention wasn’t going to get her out of this hole. So she switched off the light, and found ForeverStrong online instead.

The Comeback

A short 7 months training with ForeverStrong, and Lynn is already feeling her best in years:

“It has been awesome. I can walk without any pain, and as you can see, I’m upright. I can get up and down off the floor, which before was a chore.”

“ForeverStrong has given me my life back.”

Thanks to a combination of customized strength and endurance exercises, she’s once again able to engage in many of the activities that physical ailments took from her life. Notably traveling, yard work, and climbing up and down ladders with ease.

(Turns out Lynn does repairs on her rental properties, and isn’t rescuing babies from burning buildings, as we initially thought.)

“Life is super active, and I’m loving it!” she confesses.

And it’s not just her movement that has been rediscovered; there is a noticeable improvement in both body and mind.

While Lynn was busy strengthening her body, she accidentally lost 30lbs.

Err…whoops?

Though her main objective was to regain freedom of movement, improved body composition is a pretty typical side-effect of resistance-based training programs. This is a big reason why ForeverStrong prioritize strength-building with our clients (to an almost obsessive degree).

Of course, Lynn isn’t complaining:


“I’ll be honest – [Before ForeverStrong] I felt like a blob.“

Now, though?

“I get so many compliments. I’ll walk up to someone I haven’t seen in a while, and they’ll say ‘you’re so skinny!’ I started losing [fat] slowly, but then it just started melting off. I did a InBody scan and not only did I lose weight, but I gained skeletal muscle mass.”

With a sleeker, stronger, more mobile body, there inevitably comes a boost in confidence. Lynn admits that prior to joining ForeverStrong, she was fearful. Her instability when moving around had created a lot of doubt in the mind, and the idea of throwing about heavy iron inside a gym seemed a bit fanciful:

“I’d watch the gym adverts on TV and think ‘I can’t do that!'”

“To be honest was afraid I was going to be embarrassed – I was scared to go into the gym with the way I was.”

But after summoning the courage to give ForeverStrong a try, she was quickly won over:

“I’ve not had any embarrassing moments. I’ve been around people who can do more than me, but they’re all very encouraging. It’s very warm like a family.”

And despite being involved in group-based workouts, Lynn has been surprised by the amount of individualized attention she has received:

“This impressed me here – [the ForeverStrong coaches] worked with me and my limitations, and then built me up.”

In Lynn’s case, the generic do what I say workout-class approach wasn’t going to cut it (you know, 20 nameless people in formation, possibly with a nouveau Richard Simmons as the instructor).

ForeverStrong’s small, “semi-private” groups (6 people, as standard) enable our clients to enjoy a supportive class environment, while also reaping the benefits of personal-style training.

A past knee injury meant that in the beginning, Lynn required more customized exercises. Safety in mind, the ForeverStrong coaches worked carefully with both her and her chiropractor to ensure that she could progress without taking any unnecessary risks during sessions. Having this joint support has worked out well for Lynn (and her knee), and has provided her the confidence she needs when setting foot in the gym:

“Everyone was very cohesive, and we worked together. The instructors have been really good.”

Future Strong

Though she’s not quite thinking about qualifying for the Olympics (Is ladder-climbing a sport yet?) Lynn has come a long way in a short space of time.

“I’m extremely happy with the investment I made in myself. I don’t feel as old as I am” says Lynn. “[In the next 7 months] I see a much stronger Lynn.”

Her advice to others in a similar position?

“You are worth it. I want to tell people to pull yourself by by your bootstraps, slam them against the wall and tell them they are worth it. You will be better!”

Slamming people against the wall? Damn, now there’s some confidence!

Congratulations Lynn, You are ForeverStrong!!!

“It’s just really boosted my self-confidence, I don’t feel 58, I feel like I’m 50!”

After a challenging year of overcoming cancer and a hip fracture, Julie is feeling stronger and more energetic than ever!

Julie Dodd started training with Forever Strong about a year and a half ago. The biggest challenge she had in joining a gym was finding time in her daily schedule and finding a way to include it in her monthly budget. 

After a traumatic year, her energy levels were low. Julie wondered whether she’d join a gym only to crash and burn after a few weeks and not manage to continue.

Today, she feels like she made the best decision by joining Forever Strong. 

“The most valuable thing that Forever Strong has shown me is that I can get and stay physically fit as I get older. The benefits are amazing. I have the energy and stamina to get stuff done; whether it’s yard work, gardening, riding my horse, or walking with my dog,” says Julie.

Her active life was shattered unexpectedly

Julie’s always been pretty active; she rides horses and enjoys yoga. But that active life came crashing to a screeching halt, in September of 2018, she fell in her driveway and broke her hip. It required surgery and 6 weeks of non-weight bearing recovery. Before breaking her hip, she had been receiving treatment for breast cancer within the same year. It was an emotional roller coaster. Recovery took a toll on her physical fitness as well. She suffered from fatigue and lack of motivation on a daily basis. 

Eventually, she got tired of feeling awful all the time. When she was finally released by her surgeon to start exercising, she still had a goal of participating in horse-riding competitions. She knew committing to a regular fitness program was going to help with that goal. At that time, she was still having a lot of pain and range of motion problems from her hip fracture. She worried that she’d be battling pain for the rest of her lift. After doing research, she realized strength training was going to be the key. 

Julie then contacted Forever Strong. After talking with the Forever Strong trainers and having a tour, she decided it was the right place. Once she got started the training team worked within her limitations. Now, she’s progressed to athletic levels of strength and ability!

How Forever Strong has helped

First, Forever Strong helped Julie physically. She’s so much stronger and can easily get through her days without feeling exhausted. It’s boosted her self-confidence; especially as she is getting older. 

“I’m 58 looking at the 60s but I don’t feel 58. I feel like I’m 50, which is great. I intend to ride my horse as long as I can. Now, when I squeeze my horse to go, it actually goes. When I ride I’m so much stronger and my stamina is so much longer. Also, everyday tasks are so much easier now,” says Julie.

Her Favorite Part: the Positive and Supportive Community 

Julie’s favorite part of Forever Strong is the community; the trainers and the people that she works out with. The people at Forever Strong are very encouraging to each other. It’s a great way to start the day. In addition to the workout programs, there’s also nutritional advice and guidance; which has helped her lose a couple pounds of body fat since she started. 

She loves that he community is very active. Everybody’s so positive. People have a good time and it’s a no-judgment zone. Forever Strong’s Facebook group is very active as well. The trainers post tips, videos, little reminders, and all that stuff. It’s a community; very supportive and a positive environment.

 

Julie’s Advice:

“People always ask: How do I get motivated? I don’t have enough energy to do it. The solution is: You got to show up! You got to keep showing up. You won’t be disappointed. Forever Strong speaks for itself.”

According to Julie, if she hadn’t joined Forever strong she would still be struggling with her physical fitness. She’d still be experiencing fatigue and lack of motivation to do anything.

If you know someone near Marriottsville, MD who is struggling to get back their energy, strength and motivation after a debilitating injury or medical setback, we can help. Send them to www.trainforeverstrong.com where they can schedule a personalized fitness assessment and consultation. Mention Julie Dodd and they’ll get a special discount!

What’s it like to be Fit, Firm & Fierce at ForeverStrong

Happy New Year! Here at ForeverStrong that means it’s a brand new program cycle. 


There’s no better way to kick off a ForeverStrong New Year, than with our Strength Endurance Accelerator, Fit. Firm Fierce. 

 

Wondering what it’s like to start a new training program at ForeverStrong? 

 

Here’s an inside look at what our clients can expect over the next few weeks as they ring in another Fit Year with ForeverStrong:


Wait.. before we look forward, let’s look back over the last two phases of our training cycle:

  1. Last Spring-Summer, the Core Cure Program built our foundational strength with heavy compound exercises and a serious core makeover.
  2. Then during the Fall-Winter Climb & Conquer Program. we completed a functional fitness cycle. We used that solid core foundation to work at a higher pace with more dynamic movements for increased athleticism. 


Now that our clients functional fitness has peaked, it’s time to develop strength endurance!


During Fit. Firm. Fierce,  we will challenge your enduring strength with workouts that feature three phases: Lift, Sculpt, and Melt.


What is the result of training Enduring Strength?
Greater Stamina AND Muscle Definition.

 

What is the Winter-Spring Strategy?
Reveal your Lean, Sculpted and Strong body through extended time under tension, extended work intervals. Improved muscle endurance occurs when we lift the same amount of weight, but for longer durations, or for more reps and reduce the rest between sets.

 

What will the workouts feel like?
You’ll challenge your muscle stamina and blast through your workouts with an elevated heart rate. “Feel the burn” during this phase and push past the anaerobic training zone to burn all of the glucose out of our muscles. Fatigue management is a new challenge during this program.

 

Get ready, it is FIERCE!


Here’s what to expect going into your first week of training and some key components of the program:

 

Big LIFTS:  

  • Full-body movements that get the entire body working as a unit for more effective lifting and maximum metabolic adaptation. One of our new compound movements for this program is Side Deadlifts to challenge your thighs in a new way!

 

Wanna see an example of side deadlifts? https://youtu.be/qJtzKKsZk5I

 

Paired movement combos:

  • These SCULPT exercises are designed to recruit upper and lower muscle groups in a single set to allow you to get more work done in less time! Look for Squat-Presses, Swing-Squats and Swing-Lunges. 


Here’s an example of a Swing-Lunge Pairing. https://youtu.be/rh_qM5hEmhs 

 

Burn Baby Burn…

 

  • Timed burnout sets.  Instead of counting reps, you’ll LIFT for time. Now is the time to transition to lighter weights with more reps with a focus on quality of movement and placing the muscle under tension for longer. It’s gonna burn so good!


Perfectly EASY for you.

 

  • As with all of our programs it is fully customizable to each and every client. With timed sets, you set the pace for your stamina level. Even the movements will be perfect for you, like the pistol.

You can see some examples of how we will adapt the “pistol” to your level here: https://youtu.be/tbrPMOK_5G0

 

New MELT Toys!

  • We’ve added new pieces of HIIT Cardio equipment and can’t wait for you to put them to work! High intensity does not mean high impact, we’ve selected new machines to get you sweaty without impacting your joints! 

 

 

How to get the most from your Fit Firm & Fierce Launch Workouts: 


Even though our workouts are ferocious animal themed, you’ll probably look and feel more like a baby giraffe the first two times you go through each workout. That’s to be expected.

 

In the “Launch” Phase your focus should be on learning movements and perfecting technique. Once you’ve got the form down, we can crank up the intensity (fierceness) and go full on beast mode!


Ready to be Fit. Firm. Fierce with ForeverStrong? 


We have an amazing 6-Week Special Offer for new clients starting before January 31, 2022.

 

To learn more, schedule an in-person visit or discovery call at www.trainforeverstrong.com

 


Committed to Making Fitness Easy for You in 2022!

5 Steps to Strength Test Like A Super Hero

 

Measure what matters.

That success strategy is so important that someone wrote a #1 New York Times Bestselling book on it!

 

And because YOUR FITNESS MATTERS to me, it’s important to me that when it comes to your fitness, you measure your progress, and celebrate your newly found superpowers! 

 

“Superpowers? Did she say super-powers? Like, Marvel Universe superpowers? 

 

Yes. Just like a superhero does not know she’s a hero until she’s tested by her evil nemesis, fitness testing not only measures your progress, but gives you that deep internal satisfaction that you’ve earned your fitness wings! Because, you are probably stronger than you think you are.

 

There comes a time when every superhero must show the world what he/she is made of. 

 

Now that we are nearing the end of the year. It’s a good time to test your strength. You’ll have a measurable baseline for next year. At the end of this email, I share instructions for how to perform a strength test at home.

 

I know, just peeking at  the word “T-E-S-T” might be triggering memories of late night study sessions. I promise, you don’t have to stay up all night on caffeine and gummy bears to cram for this test. 

 

I also promise, if you incorporate the principles of strength testing into the start and end of your fitness programs, It’s more than a test, it’s a celebration of strength!



But why? 

 

One of the key reasons to test your starting and ending strength is to make sure you are seeing measurable improvements in your fitness training. 

 

The second reason strength testing is so important is this is one of the tools we use to help identify the proper weight you should be using during a program cycle. It matters, because we don’t want you to waste your time using the wrong amount of weight for you! 

 

At ForeverStrong, we use specific calculations to determine the proper weight to use based on strength testing results. So, if you are testing at home and want to have a baseline for your training progress, I’d like to share a simple formula for how to strength test your primary lifts. 

 

Primary lifts are your major movement categories. Think: Squats, Deadlifts, Lat Pull Down, Chest Press. 

 

5 STEPS TO A HEROIC STRENGTH TEST   

 

  1. Warmup. Perform 1-2 warmup sets within 1-5 reps and never work close to failure while warming up.
  2. Start light. Select a weight that you can do easily for 5 reps. A good starting point is your current working weight for that exercise or one size up.
  3. Don’t blow it. Warmup feel easy? Don’t waste time on smaller jumps, you’ll fatigue muscles before you perform your actual strength test.
  4. Go heavy. Got 5 easy reps? Jump up one size and do another warmup set. If you struggle on the second warmup set between 1-5 reps, make the next heavier weight your testing weight.
  5. Max effort. Perform one set to technical failure, where you can no longer lift in good form. You only need 1 quality rep, but do as many as you can. 

 

Remember to save your result. Write down the amount of weight and the number of reps that you performed for one exercise in each movement category. Repeat the test after 6-12 weeks.  Compare your results and CELEBRATE! Woo-hoo!!!

 

Here at ForeverStrong, the end of cycle strength test is one of our favorite moments of every training cycle. It’s empowering for all of us to watch someone use the “big weights” for the first time and see that they actually have the ability to lift it. It’s just like watching Captain Marvel demonstrate her superpowers for the very first time!

 

I hope today’s email inspires you to measure your fitness in terms of strength, not the mirror! You are probably stronger and better looking than you think you are!

 

Committed to Making Fitness Easy for You in 2022, 

 

Kelly Scott

Owner, ForeverStrong




P.S.  If you have a friend who needs to discover their super powers in January, we’d love to guide them to the big reveal! 

 

Send them to us using this link www.trainforeverstrong.com, we start a new 12-Week program in the New Year.  

Should You Feel Sore and Exhausted After Every Workout?

Whether you train alone, with a personal trainer, or in a group class, it’s normal to wonder…

Is this really the best workout program for me?

Am I training hard enough? 

Am I training too hard?

Am I supposed to feel sore?

 

Lot’s of people think that workouts should be excruciating to be effective. Especially when big fitness culture bombards us with messages like:

 

“Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body”

“Go Hard or Go Home”

“I’m not done until my muscles are screaming for mercy”

“No Pain, No Gain”

 

In fact… I used to think it was my job to make people sore. 

 

It’s true. In 2008 when I was apprenticing in a big box gym as a personal trainer, I’d overhear conversations with other trainers bragging about how sore they made their clients. 

 

In their defense, they were after all, giving the clients what they wanted. Many clients expect that they should be hurting after every workout or they are not getting their money’s worth. 

 

What do you think?

 

Should every single workout leave you feeling like you can’t walk up the stairs the next day?

 

No. 

 

This is where novices get it wrong. When the purpose of every workout is to work every muscle to failure, the body starts to break down without properly repairing. This is called overtraining, and it leads to trouble.

 

Overtraining doesn’t make you tough, resilient or hard-core. What overtraining creates is:

    • Decreased performance.
    • Increased perceived effort during workouts.
    • Excessive fatigue.
    • Agitation and moodiness.
    • Insomnia or restless sleep.
    • Increased appetite.
    • Chronic or nagging injuries.
    • Metabolic imbalances.
    • Depression.

 

There’s a better way.

A better way to challenge your body without feeling defeated and depleted is to have a program where you focus on developing motor skills in a few key movements, and then progressively increasing the challenge… over a period of several weeks. 

Using this strategy, you’ll definitely work harder over time, it just won’t ‘feel’ as hard because you are pacing the increased work with your body’s increasing capability. You’ll be amazed how you gain strength and improve muscle tone, without excessive pain or exertion!

This strategy is called progressive overload. It’s how we create sustainable, effective workout plans that deliver continuous, predictable, amazing results for our clients, without leaving them feeling beat down!

Since progressive overload is a basic principle of becoming fitter & stronger, it’s important that your workout plan includes it. 

In this article, I’ll share with you the strategy we use with our clients to get the most out of your workouts without overtraining and also tips on how you can do this if you are training on your own. 

 

Progressive Overload, is the key to super-effective workouts that actually feel good!

Progressive overload is especially important when working your primary big lifts like: 

  • squats
  • deadlifts
  • overhead presses
  • upper body rows
  • core work. 

It’s important not to have too much variety in these lifts during a program cycle, so that you can continue to improve at them over time. 

How long should a program cycle be? 

The magic number of weeks that you can continue to progressively overload the same primary lifts before you get diminishing returns is about 12-Weeks. 

After that, it’s time to select new variations of those lifts and start over again with a new program. 

In order for your training plan to be progressive, you should gradually increase the challenge in your primary lifts by increasing any of the following:

  • the number of reps
  • the amount of weight
  • the frequency you perform individual exercises 
  • the amount of time your muscles are using tension.

 

At ForeverStrong, our progressive overload strategy ensures that we increase the challenge and vary the intensity at the right doses so you work at your peak levels without risking overtraining.  

 

The downside? It can get a little boring…

 

We know that working the same basic lifts can get monotonous. Over the last 10 years I’ve experimented with designing 6, 8, & 12 week programs for our clients. Most people get bored and unmotivated at the 6-week mark. Although, that’s when they really start tapping into their potential!

 

So, when we decided to return to 12-week programs so that our clients would get the best results, we also decided to offer our clients as much variety as possible in their accessory exercises. Those are isolation, aka Sculpt, movements and cardio, aka Melt, exercises. 

 

We’ve used this trick of keeping the primary lifts for 12 weeks but adding in a lot of variety in other areas of the workout for a little over a year now and we are seeing phenomenal results and no complaints about getting bored!

 

If you are training on your own, and find that you get bored quickly on a program, I recommend you design the same flexibility into your home workouts. Gradually increase the challenge on your primary 5 lifts every week for about 12 weeks. Then, if you want more variety, you can switch your isolation exercises about every 3 weeks and change up your cardio routine as often as you like. 

 

By having the right balance of variety AND consistency, you’ll get amazing results in your strength, energy, and appearance. 

 

Using the progressive overload strategy, you’ll only “feel the burn” for the first week when you introduce new movements. After that, your body’s fast improvements will surprise you! 

 

Committed to Making Fitness Easy for You in 2022

-Kelly Scott

Owner, Personal Trainer, Health Coach

ForeverStrong


At ForeverStrong, we love making fitness easy for people over 40. We want to help 200 people near Marriottsville get in the best shape of their life in 2022.  If you know someone who needs an effective workout program that builds them up and never beats them down, please refer them to us by sharing this article with them. 






3 Reasons Diets Fail

If you have fat loss as a goal, you probably already know that

“abs are made in the kitchen,”

that you

“can’t outrun a bad diet,”

and all the other cliches popular right now to help people learn that fat loss is a healthy diet + exercise. 

 

Exercise seems to be the easy part for most people. It’s “diet” that’s the big struggle. Am I right?

 

The irony, however, is… we need to adopt healthy diet changes to lose weight, but diets themselves don’t work. 

 

What!? Did I just say diets don’t work?

 

Yup. (And intuitively you probably know it too). But let me explain why. 

 

Reason #1 Why Diets Fail:

Dieting is NOT behavior changing.

That’s because going on a diet is exactly the opposite recipe for changing our behaviors. Behavior change happens by consistently performing small, easy tasks until they become automatic. 

 

Behavior change happens when we create new routines and habits that fit perfectly inside our current lifestyle. Diets force you to fit square pegs in round holes. They doom you to frustration, failure, and future change avoidance. They make us feel uncomfortable and unsuccessful. 

 

The new science on behavior changes proves that people do not make positive changes when they feel uncomfortable and unsuccessful. People change by feeling good and successful about themselves and enjoy the process. 

 

Diets make us do hard things that don’t come naturally and don’t fit into our schedule or our life, and they ultimately fail. Every single time. Whatever we lost on the diet inevitably comes back, and the process of failing leads to feeling like a disappointment. When we feel unsuccessful, we do things that are self-defeating and self-destructive…like overeating. The vicious cycle of dieting reinforces unhealthy behaviors. 

 

Reason #2 Why Diets Fail:

Diets make us wait until we start a diet.

Diets trick us into waiting until we are ready to do something hard to make positive improvements in our health.

 

Dieters put off making positive changes until they are ready to white knuckle it, batten down the hatches, and force themselves to be strict. The avoidance of starting a diet actually postpones our results. Becoming fit and healthy is a process of getting 1% better every day, every week, every month, every year. 

 

Effective behavior changes are something that anyone can start right now and start seeing improvements, right away. Without pain, shame, or discomfort. In fact, the smaller the change, the better! Success begets more success, and the power of one positive change reinforces your belief in yourself.

 

As you develop the character trait of self-efficacy, the confidence in your ability to make positive changes in your life increases. As your identity shifts, new (tiny) healthy behaviors start growing and multiplying. In a short time, you’ll look in the mirror and see a new healthy person who does healthy behaviors effortlessly every day. 

 

Reason #3 Why Diets Fail:

Diets require motivation. Habits don’t.

Diets don’t work because they require motivation to stick to them. They don’t work because we don’t stick to them. As soon as we stop the diet (and we will), our same old behaviors come back, and we gain all the weight back. How long can you stick to a strict diet? One week? Two months? Maybe 6 months if you are exceptionally motivated? 

 

Motivation is the biggest lie the fitness industry is selling you. You don’t need motivation to make positive changes in your life. What you need is to learn the skills for behavior design. These skills will help you stick to your healthy routine when motivation is low and high. When we perform health behaviors over and over again in our daily life, automatically without even thinking about them, and without feeling restricted or bad about ourselves, we are motivated to keep it up. 

 

I know you are thinking: But, Kelly! I need to do something drastic because I’ve let myself go. I don’t think a tiny change is going to have any impact. I need a strict diet. 

 

I get it. We live in a society that sells you the quick-fix, go hard or go home mentality, but look where it’s got us? We are sicker, more sedentary and unhealthier than ever. 

 

Just like a tiny seed that grows into a beautiful redwood forest, starting with one tiny habit might not seem to make a big impact, but in reality, it is truly transformational. Your tiny healthy habit sets the stage for bigger, better, and amazing changes. Your tiny healthy habits can be linked with your existing routines to create an automatic lifestyle of health success. 

 

For most of my clients, success looks like this: 

Eating the right foods for you, in the right amounts for you, and exercising regularly—automatically, even, without thinking about it or feeling restricted. 

 

If that sounds like success to you, then I invite you to become a health coaching client. 

 

In my “Healthy with Kelly” 6-Week Health Coaching Course, I teach the skills of creating new habits the EASY way. But you don’t have to wait until I teach a new course to start developing the skills of making positive behavior changes in your life. 

 

In fact, I recommend you start with something smaller and easier to get a quick start on the road to forming new habits. 

 

Join my FREE 5-Day Healthy Habits Coaching Course with me as your coach!

Click Here to Join!

 

Committed to Making Fitness EASY for you in 2022

 

Kelly Scott

Owner, Health Coach, Personal Trainer, ForeverStrong

 

Terms and Conditions

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
 
Last updated November 01, 2021
 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
1. AGREEMENT TO TERMS
2. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
3. USER REPRESENTATIONS
 
4. PRODUCTS
5. PURCHASES AND PAYMENT
6. RETURN/REFUNDS POLICY
7. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES
8. USER GENERATED CONTRIBUTIONS
9. CONTRIBUTION LICENSE
 
 
 
10. SUBMISSIONS
 
 
11. SITE MANAGEMENT
12. PRIVACY POLICY
 
 
13. TERM AND TERMINATION
14. MODIFICATIONS AND INTERRUPTIONS
15. GOVERNING LAW
16. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
17. CORRECTIONS
18. DISCLAIMER
19. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY
20. INDEMNIFICATION
21. USER DATA
22. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS, TRANSACTIONS, AND SIGNATURES
23. CALIFORNIA USERS AND RESIDENTS
24. MISCELLANEOUS
25. CONTACT US
 
 
1. AGREEMENT TO TERMS
 
These Terms of Use constitute a legally binding agreement made between you, whether personally or on behalf of an entity (“you”) and Resist This Fitness, LLC, doing business as ForeverStrong (“ForeverStrong“, “we”, “us”, or “our”), concerning your access to and use of the https://train.foreverstrongstudios.com website as well as any other media form, media channel, mobile website or mobile application related, linked, or otherwise connected thereto (collectively, the “Site”). We are registered in Maryland, United States and have our registered office at 2020 Marriottsville Road, Suite B, Marriottsville, MD 21104. You agree that by accessing the Site, you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by all of these Terms of Use. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL OF THESE TERMS OF USE, THEN YOU ARE EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED FROM USING THE SITE AND YOU MUST DISCONTINUE USE IMMEDIATELY.
 
Supplemental terms and conditions or documents that may be posted on the Site from time to time are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to make changes or modifications to these Terms of Use at any time and for any reason. We will alert you about any changes by updating the “Last updated” date of these Terms of Use, and you waive any right to receive specific notice of each such change. Please ensure that you check the applicable Terms every time you use our Site so that you understand which Terms apply. You will be subject to, and will be deemed to have been made aware of and to have accepted, the changes in any revised Terms of Use by your continued use of the Site after the date such revised Terms of Use are posted.
 
The information provided on the Site is not intended for distribution to or use by any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to law or regulation or which would subject us to any registration requirement within such jurisdiction or country. Accordingly, those persons who choose to access the Site from other locations do so on their own initiative and are solely responsible for compliance with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable.
 
 
The Site is not tailored to comply with industry-specific regulations (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), etc.), so if your interactions would be subjected to such laws, you may not use this Site. You may not use the Site in a way that would violate the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA).
 
The Site is intended for users who are at least 18 years old. Persons under the age of 18 are not permitted to use or register for the Site.
 
 
2. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
 
Unless otherwise indicated, the Site is our proprietary property and all source code, databases, functionality, software, website designs, audio, video, text, photographs, and graphics on the Site (collectively, the “Content”) and the trademarks, service marks, and logos contained therein (the “Marks”) are owned or controlled by us or licensed to us, and are protected by copyright and trademark laws and various other intellectual property rights and unfair competition laws of the United States, international copyright laws, and international conventions. The Content and the Marks are provided on the Site “AS IS” for your information and personal use only. Except as expressly provided in these Terms of Use, no part of the Site and no Content or Marks may be copied, reproduced, aggregated, republished, uploaded, posted, publicly displayed, encoded, translated, transmitted, distributed, sold, licensed, or otherwise exploited for any commercial purpose whatsoever, without our express prior written permission.
 
Provided that you are eligible to use the Site, you are granted a limited license to access and use the Site and to download or print a copy of any portion of the Content to which you have properly gained access solely for your personal, non-commercial use. We reserve all rights not expressly granted to you in and to the Site, the Content and the Marks.
 
 
3. USER REPRESENTATIONS
 
By using the Site, you represent and warrant that: (1) you have the legal capacity and you agree to comply with these Terms of Use; (2) you are not a minor in the jurisdiction in which you reside; (3) you will not access the Site through automated or non-human means, whether through a bot, script or otherwise; (4) you will not use the Site for any illegal or unauthorized purpose; and (5) your use of the Site will not violate any applicable law or regulation.
 
If you provide any information that is untrue, inaccurate, not current, or incomplete, we have the right to suspend or terminate your account and refuse any and all current or future use of the Site (or any portion thereof).
 
 
 
4. PRODUCTS
 
We make every effort to display as accurately as possible the colors, features, specifications, and details of the products available on the Site. However, we do not guarantee that the colors, features, specifications, and details of the products will be accurate, complete, reliable, current, or free of other errors, and your electronic display may not accurately reflect the actual colors and details of the products. All products are subject to availability, and we cannot guarantee that items will be in stock. We reserve the right to discontinue any products at any time for any reason. Prices for all products are subject to change.
 
 
5. PURCHASES AND PAYMENT
 
We accept the following forms of payment:
 
–  Visa
–  Mastercard
–  American Express
–  Discover
–  PayPal
 
 
You agree to provide current, complete, and accurate purchase and account information for all purchases made via the Site. You further agree to promptly update account and payment information, including email address, payment method, and payment card expiration date, so that we can complete your transactions and contact you as needed. Sales tax will be added to the price of purchases as deemed required by us. We may change prices at any time. All payments shall be in U.S. dollars.
 
You agree to pay all charges at the prices then in effect for your purchases and any applicable shipping fees, and you authorize us to charge your chosen payment provider for any such amounts upon placing your order. We reserve the right to correct any errors or mistakes in pricing, even if we have already requested or received payment.
 
We reserve the right to refuse any order placed through the Site. We may, in our sole discretion, limit or cancel quantities purchased per person, per household, or per order. These restrictions may include orders placed by or under the same customer account, the same payment method, and/or orders that use the same billing or shipping address. We reserve the right to limit or prohibit orders that, in our sole judgment, appear to be placed by dealers, resellers, or distributors.
 
 
 
6.    RETURN/REFUNDS POLICY 
   
 
All sales are final and no refund will be issued.
 
7. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES
 
You may not access or use the Site for any purpose other than that for which we make the Site available. The Site may not be used in connection with any commercial endeavors except those that are specifically endorsed or approved by us.
 
As a user of the Site, you agree not to:
  • Systematically retrieve data or other content from the Site to create or compile, directly or indirectly, a collection, compilation, database, or directory without written permission from us.
  • Trick, defraud, or mislead us and other users, especially in any attempt to learn sensitive account information such as user passwords.
  • Circumvent, disable, or otherwise interfere with security-related features of the Site, including features that prevent or restrict the use or copying of any Content or enforce limitations on the use of the Site and/or the Content contained therein.
  • Disparage, tarnish, or otherwise harm, in our opinion, us and/or the Site.
  • Use any information obtained from the Site in order to harass, abuse, or harm another person.
  • Make improper use of our support services or submit false reports of abuse or misconduct.
  • Use the Site in a manner inconsistent with any applicable laws or regulations.
  • Engage in unauthorized framing of or linking to the Site.
  • Upload or transmit (or attempt to upload or to transmit) viruses, Trojan horses, or other material, including excessive use of capital letters and spamming (continuous posting of repetitive text), that interferes with any party’s uninterrupted use and enjoyment of the Site or modifies, impairs, disrupts, alters, or interferes with the use, features, functions, operation, or maintenance of the Site.
  • Engage in any automated use of the system, such as using scripts to send comments or messages, or using any data mining, robots, or similar data gathering and extraction tools.
  • Delete the copyright or other proprietary rights notice from any Content.
  • Attempt to impersonate another user or person or use the username of another user.
  • Upload or transmit (or attempt to upload or to transmit) any material that acts as a passive or active information collection or transmission mechanism, including without limitation, clear graphics interchange formats (“gifs”), 1×1 pixels, web bugs, cookies, or other similar devices (sometimes referred to as “spyware” or “passive collection mechanisms” or “pcms”).
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  • Harass, annoy, intimidate, or threaten any of our employees or agents engaged in providing any portion of the Site to you.
  • Attempt to bypass any measures of the Site designed to prevent or restrict access to the Site, or any portion of the Site.
  • Copy or adapt the Site’s software, including but not limited to Flash, PHP, HTML, JavaScript, or other code.
  • Except as permitted by applicable law, decipher, decompile, disassemble, or reverse engineer any of the software comprising or in any way making up a part of the Site.
  • Except as may be the result of standard search engine or Internet browser usage, use, launch, develop, or distribute any automated system, including without limitation, any spider, robot, cheat utility, scraper, or offline reader that accesses the Site, or using or launching any unauthorized script or other software.
  • Use a buying agent or purchasing agent to make purchases on the Site.
  • Make any unauthorized use of the Site, including collecting usernames and/or email addresses of users by electronic or other means for the purpose of sending unsolicited email, or creating user accounts by automated means or under false pretenses.
  • Use the Site as part of any effort to compete with us or otherwise use the Site and/or the Content for any revenue-generating endeavor or commercial enterprise.
  • Use the Site to advertise or offer to sell goods and services.
  • Sell or otherwise transfer your profile.
 
 
8. USER GENERATED CONTRIBUTIONS
 
The Site does not offer users to submit or post content. We may provide you with the opportunity to create, submit, post, display, transmit, perform, publish, distribute, or broadcast content and materials to us or on the Site, including but not limited to text, writings, video, audio, photographs, graphics, comments, suggestions, or personal information or other material (collectively, “Contributions”). Contributions may be viewable by other users of the Site and through third-party websites. As such, any Contributions you transmit may be treated in accordance with the Site Privacy Policy. When you create or make available any Contributions, you thereby represent and warrant that:
   
  • The creation, distribution, transmission, public display, or performance, and the accessing, downloading, or copying of your Contributions do not and will not infringe the proprietary rights, including but not limited to the copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, or moral rights of any third party.
  • You are the creator and owner of or have the necessary licenses, rights, consents, releases, and permissions to use and to authorize us, the Site, and other users of the Site to use your Contributions in any manner contemplated by the Site and these Terms of Use.
  • You have the written consent, release, and/or permission of each and every identifiable individual person in your Contributions to use the name or likeness of each and every such identifiable individual person to enable inclusion and use of your Contributions in any manner contemplated by the Site and these Terms of Use.
  • Your Contributions are not false, inaccurate, or misleading.
  • Your Contributions are not unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, pyramid schemes, chain letters, spam, mass mailings, or other forms of solicitation.
  • Your Contributions are not obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, violent, harassing, libelous, slanderous, or otherwise objectionable (as determined by us).
  • Your Contributions do not ridicule, mock, disparage, intimidate, or abuse anyone.
  • Your Contributions are not used to harass or threaten (in the legal sense of those terms) any other person and to promote violence against a specific person or class of people.
  • Your Contributions do not violate any applicable law, regulation, or rule.
  • Your Contributions do not violate the privacy or publicity rights of any third party.
  • Your Contributions do not violate any applicable law concerning child pornography, or otherwise intended to protect the health or well-being of minors;
  • Your Contributions do not include any offensive comments that are connected to race, national origin, gender, sexual preference, or physical handicap.
  • Your Contributions do not otherwise violate, or link to material that violates, any provision of these Terms of Use, or any applicable law or regulation.
Any use of the Site or the Marketplace Offerings in violation of the foregoing violates these Terms of Use and may result in, among other things, termination or suspension of your rights to use the Site and the Marketplace Offerings.
 
 
9. CONTRIBUTION LICENSE
 
 
You and Site agree that we may access, store, process, and use any information and personal data that you provide following the terms of the Privacy Policy and your choices (including settings).
 
By submitting suggestions or other feedback regarding the Site, you agree that we can use and share such feedback for any purpose without compensation to you.
 
We do not assert any ownership over your Contributions. You retain full ownership of all of your Contributions and any intellectual property rights or other proprietary rights associated with your Contributions. We are not liable for any statements or representations in your Contributions provided by you in any area on the Site. You are solely responsible for your Contributions to the Site and you expressly agree to exonerate us from any and all responsibility and to refrain from any legal action against us regarding your Contributions.
 
 
 
 
 
 
10. SUBMISSIONS
 
You acknowledge and agree that any questions, comments, suggestions, ideas, feedback, or other information regarding the Site or the Marketplace Offerings (“Submissions”) provided by you to us are non-confidential and shall become our sole property. We shall own exclusive rights, including all intellectual property rights, and shall be entitled to the unrestricted use and dissemination of these Submissions for any lawful purpose, commercial or otherwise, without acknowledgment or compensation to you. You hereby waive all moral rights to any such Submissions, and you hereby warrant that any such Submissions are original with you or that you have the right to submit such Submissions. You agree there shall be no recourse against us for any alleged or actual infringement or misappropriation of any proprietary right in your Submissions.
 
 
 
 
11. SITE MANAGEMENT
 
We reserve the right, but not the obligation, to: (1) monitor the Site for violations of these Terms of Use; (2) take appropriate legal action against anyone who, in our sole discretion, violates the law or these Terms of Use, including without limitation, reporting such user to law enforcement authorities; (3) in our sole discretion and without limitation, refuse, restrict access to, limit the availability of, or disable (to the extent technologically feasible) any of your Contributions or any portion thereof; (4) in our sole discretion and without limitation, notice, or liability, to remove from the Site or otherwise disable all files and content that are excessive in size or are in any way burdensome to our systems; and (5) otherwise manage the Site in a manner designed to protect our rights and property and to facilitate the proper functioning of the Site and the Marketplace Offerings.
 
 
 
12. PRIVACY POLICY
 
We care about data privacy and security. Please review our Privacy Policy: https://www.trainforeverstrong.com/privacy-policy/. By using the Site or the Marketplace Offerings, you agree to be bound by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms of Use. Please be advised the Site and the Marketplace Offerings are hosted in the United States. If you access the Site or the Marketplace Offerings from any other region of the world with laws or other requirements governing personal data collection, use, or disclosure that differ from applicable laws in the United States, then through your continued use of the Site, you are transferring your data to the United States, and you expressly consent to have your data transferred to and processed in the United States.
 
 
 
 
 
13. TERM AND TERMINATION
 
These Terms of Use shall remain in full force and effect while you use the Site. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THESE TERMS OF USE, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO, IN OUR SOLE DISCRETION AND WITHOUT NOTICE OR LIABILITY, DENY ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE SITE AND THE MARKETPLACE OFFERINGS (INCLUDING BLOCKING CERTAIN IP ADDRESSES), TO ANY PERSON FOR ANY REASON OR FOR NO REASON, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION FOR BREACH OF ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, OR COVENANT CONTAINED IN THESE TERMS OF USE OR OF ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR REGULATION. WE MAY TERMINATE YOUR USE OR PARTICIPATION IN THE SITE AND THE MARKETPLACE OFFERINGS OR DELETE ANY CONTENT OR INFORMATION THAT YOU POSTED AT ANY TIME, WITHOUT WARNING, IN OUR SOLE DISCRETION.
 
If we terminate or suspend your account for any reason, you are prohibited from registering and creating a new account under your name, a fake or borrowed name, or the name of any third party, even if you may be acting on behalf of the third party. In addition to terminating or suspending your account, we reserve the right to take appropriate legal action, including without limitation pursuing civil, criminal, and injunctive redress.
 
 
14. MODIFICATIONS AND INTERRUPTIONS
 
We reserve the right to change, modify, or remove the contents of the Site at any time or for any reason at our sole discretion without notice. However, we have no obligation to update any information on our Site. We also reserve the right to modify or discontinue all or part of the Marketplace Offerings without notice at any time. We will not be liable to you or any third party for any modification, price change, suspension, or discontinuance of the Site or the Marketplace Offerings.
 
We cannot guarantee the Site and the Marketplace Offerings will be available at all times. We may experience hardware, software, or other problems or need to perform maintenance related to the Site, resulting in interruptions, delays, or errors. We reserve the right to change, revise, update, suspend, discontinue, or otherwise modify the Site or the Marketplace Offerings at any time or for any reason without notice to you. You agree that we have no liability whatsoever for any loss, damage, or inconvenience caused by your inability to access or use the Site or the Marketplace Offerings during any downtime or discontinuance of the Site or the Marketplace Offerings. Nothing in these Terms of Use will be construed to obligate us to maintain and support the Site or the Marketplace Offerings or to supply any corrections, updates, or releases in connection therewith.
 
 
15. GOVERNING LAW
 
 
These Terms of Use and your use of the Site and the Marketplace Offerings are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland applicable to agreements made and to be entirely performed within the State of Maryland, without regard to its conflict of law principles.
 
 
16. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
 
 
 
Informal Negotiations
 
To expedite resolution and control the cost of any dispute, controversy, or claim related to these Terms of Use (each “Dispute” and collectively, the “Disputes”) brought by either you or us (individually, a “Party” and collectively, the “Parties”), the Parties agree to first attempt to negotiate any Dispute (except those Disputes expressly provided below) informally for at least sixty (60) days before initiating arbitration. Such informal negotiations commence upon written notice from one Party to the other Party.
 
 
Binding Arbitration
 
If the Parties are unable to resolve a Dispute through informal negotiations, the Dispute (except those Disputes expressly excluded below) will be finally and exclusively resolved by binding arbitration. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WITHOUT THIS PROVISION, YOU WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO SUE IN COURT AND HAVE A JURY TRIAL. The arbitration shall be commenced and conducted under the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) and, where appropriate, the AAA’s Supplementary Procedures for Consumer Related Disputes (“AAA Consumer Rules”), both of which are available at the AAA website www.adr.org. Your arbitration fees and your share of arbitrator compensation shall be governed by the AAA Consumer Rules and, where appropriate, limited by the AAA Consumer Rules. The arbitration may be conducted in person, through the submission of documents, by phone, or online. The arbitrator will make a decision in writing, but need not provide a statement of reasons unless requested by either Party. The arbitrator must follow applicable law, and any award may be challenged if the arbitrator fails to do so. Except where otherwise required by the applicable AAA rules or applicable law, the arbitration will take place in United States, Maryland. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Parties may litigate in court to compel arbitration, stay proceedings pending arbitration, or to confirm, modify, vacate, or enter judgment on the award entered by the arbitrator.
 
If for any reason, a Dispute proceeds in court rather than arbitration, the Dispute shall be commenced or prosecuted in the state and federal courts located in Howard County, Maryland, and the Parties hereby consent to, and waive all defenses of lack of personal jurisdiction, and forum non conveniens with respect to venue and jurisdiction in such state and federal courts. Application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act (UCITA) are excluded from these Terms of Use.
 
In no event shall any Dispute brought by either Party related in any way to the Site be commenced more than one (1) years after the cause of action arose. If this provision is found to be illegal or unenforceable, then neither Party will elect to arbitrate any Dispute falling within that portion of this provision found to be illegal or unenforceable and such Dispute shall be decided by a court of competent jurisdiction within the courts listed for jurisdiction above, and the Parties agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of that court.
 
Restrictions
 
The Parties agree that any arbitration shall be limited to the Dispute between the Parties individually. To the full extent permitted by law, (a) no arbitration shall be joined with any other proceeding; (b) there is no right or authority for any Dispute to be arbitrated on a class-action basis or to utilize class action procedures; and (c) there is no right or authority for any Dispute to be brought in a purported representative capacity on behalf of the general public or any other persons.
 
Exceptions to Informal Negotiations and Arbitration
 
The Parties agree that the following Disputes are not subject to the above provisions concerning informal negotiations binding arbitration: (a) any Disputes seeking to enforce or protect, or concerning the validity of, any of the intellectual property rights of a Party; (b) any Dispute related to, or arising from, allegations of theft, piracy, invasion of privacy, or unauthorized use; and (c) any claim for injunctive relief. If this provision is found to be illegal or unenforceable, then neither Party will elect to arbitrate any Dispute falling within that portion of this provision found to be illegal or unenforceable and such Dispute shall be decided by a court of competent jurisdiction within the courts listed for jurisdiction above, and the Parties agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of that court.
 
 
 
17. CORRECTIONS
 
There may be information on the Site that contains typographical errors, inaccuracies, or omissions that may relate to the Marketplace Offerings, including descriptions, pricing, availability, and various other information. We reserve the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions and to change or update the information on the Site at any time, without prior notice.
 
 
18. DISCLAIMER
 
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ForeverStrong Honor Badges

Congratulations! You’ve been awarded a ForeverStrong honor badge!

As you progress through your ForeverStrong journey, honor badges are awarded to recognize and celebrate your many accomplishments.

On a personal note,  I just want to take a moment and share how grateful I am to have you in my ForeverStrong family!

If there is anything I can ever do for you, I am here for you. ForeverStrong has never been just a business for me. Helping others get fit and stay healthy is the most fulfilling work I’ve ever done. Before I got married a few years ago, ForeverStrong was the only family I had. Now, our family has grown and ForeverStrong has truly become a lifestyle and a community filled with amazing people who support each other!

Thank you for sharing your fitness journey with us! It is my pleasure to serve you!

Committed to your Strength & Fitness, 

-Kelly Scott

Below is a quick guide on what each badge stands for and how it’s earned!


This is our ForeverStrong client badge! 

I want you to have it and always remember that:

YOU ARE STRONG! 

You have overcome so many challenges and will continue to overcome because you are STRONG!

Never question whether you have the strength inside you to handle a crisis. You can grow bigger and stronger than your problems!

You’ve proven it. You’ve earned it!

Congratulations on completing ForeverStrong Fundamentals A: High Tension Techniques. 

That was your first step towards not just exercising more… but learning how to exercise effectively!

You’ve learned so much since then and look how it all started, just by taking the first step!

I am so proud of you!!!

Congratulations on completing ForeverStrong Fundamentals B:

The Deadlift. 

You learned how to safely perform the #1 exercise to restore your strength: The hinge movement. 

It’s not natural for most of us! Now, you’ve got it down pat. Look at you!

You have my permission to proudly show off your warrior glutes, hamstrings and back muscles!

Congratulations on completing ForeverStrong Fundamentals C:

The Kettlebell Swing. 

You’re a swinger now! You’ve got the badge to prove it. 

Need I say more?

We made it to 2020-TOO! I mean, Twenty Twenty Two!

 

Introducing our 2022 ForeverStrong Anniversary Badge

⭐️SHINE STRONG! ⭐️
 
That’s the 2022 Anniversary Motto for ForeverStrong!
 
“Shine” is described as the glow we feel on the inside when we feel successful. It’s so powerful that it radiates energy to others! That feeling of success is contagious and empowering and we SHINE together at ForeverStrong.
I’m so proud of the individual and community success that our clients achieved last year!
 
We have lots of anniversaries in 2022 and I’m looking forward to commemorate your milestone with the 2022 “SHINE STRONG” anniversary badges!Shine Strong

 

 

2021 Is DONE! Bye…

Congrats on Earning the 2021 Anniversary Badge! 

Big Thanks to Tamara Otto for helping me brainstorm and hone our new Motto for 2021 Anniversary Honor Badges.
 
From Tamara on GRIT: 
 
“It applies to every single aspect of life and particularly to getting through the obstacles that us self-sabotaging peeps throw in our own way. Digging deep enough to figure them out so we can STOP is f*ing hard and painful… and it’s the only way.
Without my struggle, I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength!”
 
 
What do you think? Are you ready to get gritty in 2021?

 

Congrats on Finishing Climb & Conquer Fall/ Winter 2021

 

 

Climb & Conquer is the start of our Functional Strength Training Cycle. After completing Core Cure, which focused on forming a strong foundation, we leaped into a new way to challenge our capacity for movement. Functional strength training involves more than just getting stronger, it’s about improving your ability and confidence to complete every day activities.

Comments about daily life becoming easier are what we hear most regularly from our consistent ForeverStrong clients and they are our  favorite success stories!  You climbed up ladders of reps to prepare you to be more able to Conquer physical tasks with more ease and grace.

CLIMB: What is a Ladder rep scheme? A Ladder in strength training typically means your reps are climbing up. During the LIFT you completed a ladder each set before taking a break. During the MELT, you challenged yourself to complete as many Ladders as you could!


CONQUER: You Lifted. You Sculpted.  You Melted.  You Conquered. What an amazing way to end an epic year! We climbed out of the pandemic and conquered our fitness!

 

Congrats on Finishing Core Cure Summer/ Fall 2021

 

We focused on building Foundational Strength and Developing High Tension Techniques with Planks, Bird Dogs and other Effective Core Strategies. 

Core Core is our longest running program, and was completely revamped in 2021. This was the first time we added posterior core training and more core stability training. These were the reverse plank and palloff press/ hold variations!

Remember to apply those core tension techniques to ALL of your future workouts! 

Congrats on Finishing Triple Meltdown Spring/Summer 2021

The goal of this program was to challenge your Strength Endurance and Stamina!

There was an emphasis on the Melt portion of your workout, all three of them. By starting with a Melt, having a Melt in between your Lift/Sculpt sets, and ending with a Melt we increased demand on your aerobic system. We also worked in higher rep ranges to challenge your strength endurance.

The combination of heavy lifts, higher rep sculpt movements, and multiple melts help build muscle and lose body fat. Those are the two requirements to increase muscle definition.

Now that you’ve finished the Final Meltdown… You deserve a nice tall refreshing drink!

Congrats on Finishing Strong & Sculpted Winter/ Spring 2021! 

The goal of this program was to become more toned and athletic! This program we progressed several functional movements that challenged your balance, coordination, and flexibility. This will help prepare you for any activity you come across. It feels good to move better!

Having the word Sculpt in the program name was a hint. You worked the upper body and the core hard during our sculpt portion of the workout to optimize muscle protein synthesis in those muscles and build up the lean tissue. 

There’s no better way to start off 2021 then Strong & Sculpted. We know you agree!




Below are the 2020 Honor Badges. Do you have them all?

Congrats on Earning the 2020 Anniversary Badge! 

From now on, you’ll earn a commemorative badge each year on your ForeverStrong anniversary.

This year, our motto is: 

The Stronger You Are

The Harder You Are to Kill!

Can you believe we picked this quote in February?

Before the virus crisis?

Stay strong, my friend! Your life depends on it…

Now more than ever.

 

Congrats on Finishing Iron Body Armour 2020! 

The goal was is to increase your overall strength and create a strong and tight body.  You learned how to safely lift heavy things. Being strong is empowering! Foundational Strength is key to getting the most from life. The goal was strong and tight. Can you lift heavier weight than when you started? We know the answer is YES!

Now that you’ve got Iron Body Armour, let’s go lift some heavy SHIZZ!

Congrats on Finishing  Fit .Firm. Fierce. 2020! 

This Strength Endurance Accelerator unleashed your inner animal with workouts themes to get you in BEAST MODE. You fought The Alligator, the Badger, The Cougar and The Dragon with workouts that pushed your endurance limits!

Stay Fit. Stay Firm. Most of all… Stay Fierce! 

 

Congrats on Finishing  Super Hero Stamina 2020! 

Our only ALL VIRTUAL program in 2020. Super Hero Stamina challenged your endurance, physically and mentally. 

HEROES never quit, and neither do you!

 

Congrats on Finishing Climb & Conquer 2020! 

WOW! Climb & Conquer was truly a test at your ability to ADAPT & OVERCOME. This year, the pandemic hit us all hard just as we began Climb & Conquer.

AND, YOU CONQUERED IT! Virtually and in the Studio! We proved that we are STRONGER TOGETHER!

 

Congrats on Finishing Core Cure 2020! 

We focused on building Foundational Strength and Developing High Tension Techniques with Planks, Bird Dogs and other Effective Core Strategies.

Remember to apply those core tension techniques to ALL of your future workouts! 

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Build A Killer Squat…..With the Goblet Squat

Part 1 of  3 Part Series:

Part 1 – The Goblet Squat (You Are Here)

Part 2 – Face the Wall Squat

Part 3 – Core Stability and Breathing Techniques

What is it?

By now, our clients know that quality trumps quantity when it comes to banging out reps in the studio. Proper form not only prevents injury, but ensures you’re calling to action the muscles you want to be working—and getting the max benefit from every move you make.

Enter the Goblet Squat, this squat is amazing and I’m going to tell you why you should probably be using this move regardless of your training goal. The goblet squat was created by strength coach Dan John as a tool for teaching large groups of individuals how to squat without a huge list of intricate cues to keep up with.

It’s also useful as a training tool for developing flexibility in beginners who have a great deal of difficulty reaching a deep squat with just body weight due to balance issues. The kettlebell acts as a counterweight allowing them to properly sit back and down without feeling like they’re going to fall over from a poor sense of balance.

When using High Tension techniques, it becomes a total body toner and helps you develop impressive leg strength while improving stability. The act of picking up a kettlebell in the front loaded position automatically provides some of the initial cues required for a good squat such as tightening the core and upper back and bracing under the load. The Goblet Squat is the best way to teach, mobilize, warm up, and activate for the squat.

In this installment, I list the steps needed to do a proper Goblet Squat and the benefits of the Goblet Squat.

How to do it

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  1. Loosen up your body by performing figure eights (hip openers) and facing the wall squats;
  2. Stand with your feet apart, in a shoulder width stance, or slightly wider;
  3. Swing a kettlebell into the upright position and catch it by each of its horns (the sides of the handle);
  4. Flex your arms so your elbows are pointing downward and the kettlebell is parallel with your chest;
  5. Pull yourself into the rock-bottom position, until your hips are below parallel or as close as you can get;
  6. Maintain a flat back, do not round;
  7. When you are in the bottom position your elbows should be inside of your thighs, pressing your legs outward;
  8. Force your feet into the ground;
  9. Ascend with a grunt;
  10. Return to an upright High Tension position.

That’s it. Easy movements are great movements, and this variation is accessible to almost everyone.

Benefits of the Goblet Squat

  • Perfect for the beginner;
  • Great mobility tool;
  • Strong core, quad, and back activation;
  • Reduces risk of injury, back tightness is easier to feel;
  • Builds muscle;
  • Improves Spine Position and teaches resistance against forward collapse;
  • Minimum Space And Equipment Needed.

By using the goblet squat regularly you will be able to easily and safely activate sleepy glutes, mobilize tight hips, and learn to brace the core under load which has a huge cross over to other squatting varieties. The Goblet Squat teaches upper back awareness.

There are too many squatters who don’t realize the necessity of keeping the upper back tight because they don’t lift enough weight. With even moderate weights, the goblet squatter feels when his/her upper back rounds forward. Arm positioning allows good bracing against this, which teaches the value of using the upper back to fight forward-collapse. 

This is why I recommend the goblet squat to everyone regardless of their individual goal, from being used as a warm-up to mobilize and activate the correct muscles for heavier squat work or as your entire squat workout.

Kelly Tip: Instead of spending hours static stretching to improve squat depth use a couple sets of controlled goblet squats and watch your depth and technique improve almost instantly!

Do not do anything that hurts. If it hurts, there is something wrong. Do not force yourself into positions or over-exert yourself in the performance of this exercise. It is best considered as a stretch or movement practice. As always, consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

This is installment 1 of a 3 part series. Part 2 includes corrections to the Goblet Squat using Face the Wall Squats.

Part 2 – Face the Wall Squat

Part 3 – Core Stability and Breathing Techniques

We are proud to say that we’ve helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas learn the kettlebell goblet squat. If your looking for a personal trainer near Marriottsville, Turf Valley, Waverly Woods, Woodmark, West Friendship, Eldersburg, Sykesville,  Woodstock,  Cooksville, Ellicott City, Mt. Hebron, Clarksville, Fulton, Laurel, Burtonsville, Highland, Silver Spring, Columbia, Ellicott City, Glen Elg, and Maple Lawn, and we’d love to help you. Call us at 301-452-5547 to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

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Build a Killer Squat……. Part 2 – Face the Wall Squat

Part 2 of  3 Part Series:

Part 1 – The Goblet Squat 

Part 2 – Face the Wall Squat (You Are Here)

Part 3 – Core Stability and Breathing Techniques

Getting better at squats is the simple matter of squatting more often.  The more you practice with good form, the better you’ll get.  Building the foundation to a better squat involves first learning the fundamentals with bodyweight-only movements, incorporating a better warm-up, working on your overall mobility, and developing more core strength.

Last week I introduced the steps for a killer Goblet Squat, but not everyone has the killer form needed to perform it effectively and safely. This week I will teach you the steps to perfect that squat by teaching the steps to do a Face the Wall Squat.

If you missed my first article this series, you can click here to read it.

Building the Foundation with Fundamentals

Face the Wall squats are the perfect way to teach someone how to squat correctly.  The wall squat drill is performed while facing a wall. You will squat down as far as you can, without any part of your body coming in contact with the wall.  The visual reference of the wall forces you to stay tall and upright as you squat down.  You will also want to make sure your knees track over your toes and you keep your torso in a neutral or straight position.  As you get better, and your hips and upper back become more mobile, you will be able to squat lower and lower. There is no cheating in a wall squat. If you develop some good wall squatting form your body will forever thank you when you start really loading on the weight.

What is it?

A squat performed standing close to and facing the wall, with nothing touching the wall.

How to do it:

  1. Stand facing the wall;
  2. The first time you perform this move your toes should be around 5 to 6 inches away from the wall;
  3. Your toes should not be straight ahead, but pointed out. If pointing straight ahead is 90 degrees, then your toes should be between 45 and 90 degrees;
  4. Raise chest and lock lower back. Raise your chest high and consciously try to flex the lower back. This will actually get easier later, as you get closer to the wall;
  5. Push your hips back. A good way to visualize this is to imagine that there is a wall behind you that you are trying to touch with your butt. You drive the hips towards that wall. At this point, do not squat down, just push the hips back;
  6. Open your knees and squat. As your hips start to move back, you now begin to open your knees and let your body sink between your legs. Keep your chest up;
  7. Your arms should hang between your legs;
  8. Stand back up. When you reach the lowest depth that is comfortable for you, reverse the motion by strongly arching your upper back, squeezing your glutes , and pushing your heels into the floor;
  9. Once you have the movement down, move a little closer to the wall and repeat. As you get closer to the wall you will develop more flexibility and strength;
  10. Only go as low as you feel comfortable. Do not worry about depth. As time goes on you will be able to squat deeper;
  11. For the best results you should do this as a stretch at the beginning or end of your workout, not as an exercise.

As an added bonus, getting closer to the wall requires you to maintain almost perfect squatting form.

Benefits of the Wall Squat:

    1. Consistency is the main component in this exercise if you are really looking to improve your squat;
    2. Perfect for those that can’t maintain good squat form;
    3. Will give you a very good sense of balance. You will have to learn that your weight must be on your heels and you will learn how to move your body correctly. If you don’t, you fall backwards or stick your face into the wall.
    4. Great mobility tool;
    5. Strong core, quad, and back activation;
    6. Reduces risk of injury;
    7. Improves Spine Position and teaches resistance against forward collapse;
    8. Only a wall needed.

By doing the Face the Wall Squat consistently, you’ll see that the improvements you make squatting translate into other movements that you do everyday.

Do not do anything that hurts. If it hurts, there is something wrong. Do not force yourself into positions or over-exert yourself in the performance of this exercise. It is best considered as a stretch or movement practice. As always, consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

This is installment 2 of a 3 part series.

Part 1 – The Goblet Squat 

Part 3 – Core Stability and Breathing Techniques

We are proud to say that we’ve helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas learn and perfect their squat. If your looking for a personal trainer near Marriottsville, Turf Valley, Waverly Woods, Woodmark, West Friendship, Eldersburg, Sykesville,  Woodstock,  Cooksville, Ellicott City, Mt. Hebron, Clarksville, Fulton, Laurel, Burtonsville, Highland, Silver Spring, Columbia, Ellicott City, Glen Elg, and Maple Lawn we’d love to help you. Call us at 301-452-5547 to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

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BUILD A KILLER SQUAT……PART 3

Part 3 of  3 Part Series:

Part 1 – The Goblet Squat 

Part 2 – Face the Wall Squat 

Part 3 – Core Stability and Breathing Techniques (You Are Here)

CORE STABILITY & BREATHING TECHNIQUES

Over the past weeks,  I introduced the steps for a Killer Goblet Squat and the steps to perfect that squat by teaching the Face the Wall Squat. In this final installment of the Build a Killer Squat series, I focus on Core Stability and Proper Breathing Technique while performing the squat.

A proper squat is all about maintaining proper spinal stability. When you combine the coordinated bracing ability of your core muscles and harness the power of your breath you allow your body to move properly and squat the amount of weight you want.

Core Stability

The quality of your movement during the squat is dictated by how stable your core is. A bare spine, without any muscles, is nothing but a stack of bones. Without the continuous collaboration of the muscles that make up our core along with the fascia that holds them together, the weight of your upper body alone would be enough to collapse your spine.

Core stability is the synchronous action of the abdominal muscles along with the muscles of the back, hip, pelvic girdle, diaphragm and surrounding fascia. By working together they keep the spine in a safe and stable position while you move. The essence of stability is based on two things: timing and coordinated recruitment.

In order to recruit your core muscles prior to the squat the cue “get into your high tension stance” is recommended. This action increases the stability of your lower back and locks it into a good neutral position. When you turn-on these muscles prior to the descent of the squat you proactively prepare your body to handle the load that you are trying to squat.

How to Perform High Tension Stance

“High Tension”  is summarized by high intensity where power optimization is the key rather than power conservation. Each rep should look just as powerful no matter if it is 12kg or 48kg. This style focuses on a balance between high tension and relaxation.

  1. Tense your muscles. Muscles produce force by tensing, maximize the tension;
  2. Tense the joints. A loose joint absorbs the force meant to go elsewhere; it “leaks” power and is easily injured;
  3. Focus on breath and a strong core. Pressure from the core increases strength;
  4. Move from the ground. To maximize stability and to take advantage of the reactive forces.

Hardstyle Kettlebell training is where I learned the the practice of the total compression skill. RKC teaches how to focus the scattered energies of the body into a directed all-out effort while minimizing the odds of injuries.

Proper Breathing

It is not enough to get use high tension when you squat. If you want to squat with weights in a safe manner you must also learn how to breathe properly.

To learn how to properly breathe during the squat, try this simple test. Place one hand on your stomach and another on your side (near your lower ribs). Now take a big breath. If you did this properly you will feel your stomach rise and fall. You will also feel your lower rib cage expand laterally (out to the side). Essentially you are feeling the volume increasing inside your core. When we take a big breath the diaphragm just below our lungs contracts and will descend towards our stomach. 

To help you learn the proper breathing technique, I focus on Crocodile breathing.

Crocodile Breathing – Retrain your breathing

Crocodile breath is a yoga exercise or technique for teaching and training diaphragmatic breathing.

How to perform Crocodile Breathing

  1. Lie on the floor (prone or face down) with your forehead on the back of your hands – neck is in alignment with the rest of your spine – this is a relaxed position;
  2. Breathe in through the nose and feel the air move down past the chest into the “stomach.” When this happens, you will feel the abdomen push out against the ground and your obliques will push out to the sides. Your Lower back may rise and fall with your inhale and exhale. This should happen naturally without you forcing your stomach out;
  3. Once you have a comfortable inhale you simply exhale and begin again;
  4. Exhale fully before beginning the next breath cycle;
  5. You should avoid breathing into the chest first and raising the shoulders;
  6. Inhale and exhale through the nose at a natural pace taking 80% or larger inhalations and long exhalations;
  7. Do not be in a rush. Let your breathing come at a natural pace and be sure to feel the stomach push out into the floor.

Benefits of Crocodile Breathing

  • A way to retrain your breathing and have a great feel for what it means to breath with your diaphragm;
  • Mobilization your thoracic spine and when your thoracic spine can move well – your shoulder will move and function better. The diaphragm and intercostal muscles are integral to the proper functioning of your body – shoulder included.

Power Breathing

Once you have mastered crocodile breathing, Power breathing is the next step. Power breathing is taking a deep diaphragmatic breath to help maintain core engagement and upright form in the squat.

How to Perform Power Breathing:

  1. First take in about 75% of a maximal inhalation and then expel the air at really high pressure by pressing your tongue against your teeth making a “Tsssss” sound;
  2. Breathe into the stomach using the diaphragm don’t just raise the chest. Exhale through your mouth while plugging your teeth with your tongue. Hiss while
    tensing the abs until a full contraction is obtained;
  3. It does not have to be loud or be a certain sound. Any sound that comes out of your body when you are trying hard and forcefully exhaling is acceptable. This is a technique to increase tension;  
  4. Timing is key. The exhalation should take place during the hardest aspect of a movement;
  5. The key to maximizing this reflex, however, is your ability to match the increase in internal pressure with exertion; “match the breath with the force.” This is a skill, and it will take practice;
  6. Doing this during the execution of the squat will often cause a forced grunt on the ascent. This happens when you try to limit the desire to exhale on the way up. This forced hold is called the valsalva maneuver. Limiting our breath from escaping in this powerful manner is essential in order to maintain our spinal stability;
  7. To perform the valsalva maneuver correctly, the breath is exhaled forcefully against a closed airway. This is where the saying “inhale on the way down and exhale on the way up” takes a turn;
  8. Finally, Contract your glutes and to tuck your tail under. This technique builds great abdominal definition and greatly increases overall strength.

Power Breathing must be done in a step-by-step manner. If you get into high tension first and then try to take a big breath, you limit how much pressure you can create

I hope that you have enjoyed this three part instructional series How to Build a Killer Squat. I hope we have helped you build your killer squat!

Part 1 – The Goblet Squat 

Part 2 – Face the Wall Squat 

We are proud to say that we’ve helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas learn and perfect their squat. If your looking for a personal trainer near Marriottsville, Turf Valley, Waverly Woods, Woodmark, West Friendship, Eldersburg, Sykesville,  Woodstock,  Cooksville, Ellicott City, Mt. Hebron, Clarksville, Fulton, Laurel, Burtonsville, Highland, Silver Spring, Columbia, Ellicott City, Glen Elg, and Maple Lawn, we’d love to help you! Call us at 301-452-5547 to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

Your Scale Does Not Tell The Whole Story

Body fat is something that most people view as a part of everyday life, but few recognize that there is a dangerous type of fat that can contribute to heart disease, dementia, cancer, depression and many other diseases.

What is Visceral Fat?
Visceral fat is stored in a person’s abdominal cavity and is also known as a “deep” fat that wraps around major organs. Shape or size can be deceiving when determining if you have visceral fat or not. You may be carrying excess visceral fat within your abdominal cavity whether you are overweight or average size. For example, Body Mass Index (BMI) is used by many as an indicator of health. It involves comparing your weight in relation to your height to give an indication of your weight status. But BMI doesn’t take into account muscle mass, age, sex, ethnicity, general level of fitness. Therefore, even if you have a ‘healthy’ BMI you may still be carrying excessive visceral fat, and could still be at risk of the health complications associated with it.

In addition to giving you a large waist, visceral fat can change the way your body operates. Fat cells do more than simply store extra calories – they pump out hormones and inflammatory substances. Storing excess fat around the organs like the liver, pancreas and kidneys increases production of pro-inflammatory chemicals, and at the same time, it interferes with hormones that regulate appetite, weight, mood and brain function.

We can reduce the negative impact of visceral fat by making a few lifestyle changes:

Revise Your Diet
Aim to eat high-nutrient-dense, real foods. This means avoiding packaged foods and artificial ingredients. We also want to eat plenty of healthy fats, including coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, wild-caught fish, nuts and seeds. Healthy food fats have beneficial effects on insulin balance, hormones and weight management.

Exercise Regularly
Exercise helps us balance insulin and makes our cells more efficient at using glucose. While different types of exercise can limit cardiovascular risk, studies have suggested that high-intensity resistance training tends to produce faster visceral fat loss than mild or moderate training. But, as always, the best exercise is the exercise that matches your lifestyle and becomes a habit.

Reduce Stress
Stress triggers cortisol production and interferes with appetite control, metabolism, sleep and cravings. The things we do to fight stress (pleasure, play and social connection) are often overlooked when it comes to fat loss, but we know how important it is to beat stress in order to beat excess fat.

Prioritize Sleep
The benefits of sleeping at least seven to eight hours a night are studied and well-documented when it comes to hormone and weight control. Good rest recharges our appetite and stress hormones, boosts our metabolism, and keeps cravings away.

“Example of Data from the InBody Results Sheet”

Solid Information You Can Use to Create A Plan
At ForeverStrong we use the InBody scanner to help our clients accurately measure how much visceral fat your body is storing.  The Inbody test is a non-invasive body composition analysis that provides a detailed breakdown of your weight in terms of muscle, fat, and water on an InBody Result Sheet. An InBody Test takes only 45 seconds. By monitoring this data over time, you can pinpoint the changes needed in your diet and exercise to achieve your goals.

Our Personal Trainers have helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas lose weight, tone up, and become stronger.  Our neighbors in Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring love their personalized training program. Unlike group fitness classes, each client receives a custom program guaranteed to deliver measurable results. We’d love to help you too. Call us at 301-452-5547 or email info@trainforeverstrong.com to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

Three Ways Your Strong & Sculpted Program will accelerate over the next 4 weeks

Our Strong and Sculpted functional fitness program is under way and you have powered through our varied workouts- Achieve, Believe, Celebrate and Discover.

You may have noticed that some workouts feel harder and some a bit easier, that is a good thing and here is why…

It’s part of the progressive overload strategy that determines how your program progresses week to week.

Today, I’m going to share how you can expect your Strong & Sculpted functional fitness program to progress over the next 4 weeks.

 

What is ForeverStrong’s Progressive Overload Strategy?

The Progressive Overload Strategy of the ForeverStrong Method is:

Accelerate ~ Vary ~ Reset.

Let’s see how each one of these periodization principles will play out during the remainder of your program:

Accelerate

Accelerate: Progressive Overload is the fundamental principle of increasing lean body mass and getting stronger.

Your targeted strength goal for the strong & sculpted program is to be able to perform a greater volume of work with a heavier load at the end of this 8-week program cycle.

During Strong & Sculpted, your program accelerates by gradually increasing the number of reps that you are performing during the LIFT.

In our Strong and Sculpted functional fitness program periodization happens primarily in the LIFT, in other programs periodization may occur in the MELT or SCULPT.

Next week, we will take a big leap forward and try to increase the amount of weight we are using for the remainder of the program, while continuously increasing reps.

Vary

Vary: Waving intensity workflows ensures that you never “hit the wall” during the progressive increase phase by changing the perceived intensity of the workouts. The problem with linear progression is, if you keep making every workout “feel” harder, you’ll hit the wall. We hit a physiological or psychological barrier. Some people call this overtraining. So, we vary the load or intensity with each workout so you never get diminishing returns from your efforts. 

Our Achieve, Believe, Celebrate and Discover workout days each have a slightly different “feel” some “feel” easier or harder than others.

Following a HMLM pattern: a (H) heavy workout is followed by a (M) medium workout followed by a (L) lighter workout then another (M) medium workout. We keep our clients in the medium zone more than heavy or light, as this is where the most adaptation occurs without risk.

Reset

Reset: After several weeks of progressive overload, a deload phase prevents overtraining through planned ‘backoff’ periods, allowing for complete muscle recovery. This provides rest to the muscles. Muscles only grow when they heal. If we continually break down our muscles without allowing time for them to build back up, we will experience little improvement and increase our risk of repetitive stress injuries and tendonitis. Rest is actually required for continued development. Longer rest periods or deloads, fill the gap where our 24-hour rest and recovery cycles don’t fully hit the mark.

In the final week of the program, you will deload before performing our Max Effort Tests. We will do this by returning to our original number of reps, but keeping the heavier weight.

Max Test: The final week of Strong & Sculpted we will test our improvements by performing as many reps as we can with our final weights. I have a formula to calculate your actual improvement against your original numbers. I look forward to reviewing your progress.

Final thoughts:

I hope you are enjoying the Strong & Sculpted program as much as I enjoyed creating it for you.

Just in case you are wondering, you won’t find the Accelerate, Vary, Reset Progressive Overload Strategy anywhere else. You won’t experience this specific program design at Cross fit, Body Pump, Zumba Strong, Soldier Fit, Orange Theory, Bootcamps or any other Team training environment. You only get the benefits from the AVR – Progressive Overload Strategy at ForeverStrong.

On behalf of your entire ForeverStrong training team, we are thrilled you are with us to experience the benefits of training ForeverStrong. We can’t wait to review your results. Your success is our success!

Posted by, Kelly Scott, Owner and Creator of The ForeverStrong Fitness Method

Are you ready to get Strong & Sculpted?

Iron Body Armor Ends This Week!

The final week of Iron Body Armor’s foundational strength program is here and you’ve been asking what your next 8-week program cycle holds,

so…

 ForeverStrong is excited to announce the Strong & Sculpted Functional Fitness Program!

Iron Body Armor focused on developing foundational strength. We lifted heavy weights to get stronger because we wanted to lay a solid foundation for other types of fitness improvements. During Strong & Sculpted, we will build from that foundation using “functional” movements. 

This follows the ForeverStrong Method, which cycles through foundational, functional, and enduring strength programs, and uses the exercise science principles of periodization and progressive overload to make sure clients get results year after year.

ForeverStrong’s Current Program Cycle:

Cycle 1: Foundational

Cycle 2: Functional

Cycle 3: Enduring

Based on this formula, Iron Body Armor, which focused on foundational strength, ends Saturday. This Monday kicks off Strong & Sculpted, which will focus on functional movements. I know I can’t wait!

We put the FUN in FUNctional Fitness 😉

Functional movements replicate essential daily activities and help us become more athletic and agile, while developing resilience in our joints that helps us improve balance and coordination. For this reason, highlighted movements of Strong & Sculpted will include band chops and single leg deadlifts. Hooray!

This is what we will do:

  1. Implement a progressive strategy. When we start, you’ll notice you’ll immediately be asked to perform more reps than you were asked to perform during Iron Body Armor, and the reps are only going to increase from there!
  2. Use variable intensity. During the LIFT, 3 of 4 workouts will be an upper / lower combo. Expect your thighs to burn when we kick up the challenge and train a lower body superset once every 4 workouts . Imagine how sculpted your legs are going to feel!
  3. Isolate weak links. Expect lots of “sculpt” with maximum emphasis on isolating the biceps, triceps, and core. This will help fortify your weak links and help your body develop muscle definition by targeting specific, smaller muscle groups. In the end, these techniques will help you break plateaus and set new records!  

Ready for the gun show?

To get the most from your sculpting sessions, we will hit triceps and biceps hard to optimize muscle protein synthesis in the “show” muscles. Muscle protein synthesis is just the rebuilding of muscle tissue after it’s been stressed, but without muscle synthesis, your muscles won’t grow.

As a result, during Strong & Sculpted, we will emphasize building lean, sculpted, and powerful bodies through intense performance, as well as through optimal nutrition.

Did somebody say six pack? 

Build a strong core with movement progressions that began with Iron Body Armour. Clocks and dead bugs will carry over for another 8-weeks, and we will progress the kettlebell getup to the elbow, then eventually to the bridge. Yay! Everybody loves progress!

Speaking of guns…

The Teaching Melt returns! So get ready to pull your guns from your holsters and learn Gunslingers, an advanced two kettlebell swing!

Of course, at ForeverStrong we compliment every session with our high intensity MELT. You can look forward to new and challenging HIIT moves to push your metabolism into overdrive. 😮

Check out this video for a demonstration of gunslingers. 

If you are not already training ForeverStrong, it’s not too late to start!

We’ve helped hundreds of busy parents, grandparents, business owners, and neighbors in Marriottsville, Turf Valley, Waverly Woods, Woodmark, West Friendship, Eldersburg, Sykesville,  Woodstock,  Cooksville, Ellicott City, Mt. Hebron, Clarksville, Fulton, Laurel, Burtonsville, Highland, Silver Spring, Columbia, Ellicott City, Glen Elg, and Maple Lawn, and we’d love to help you.

Come see why hundreds of men and women train ForeverStrong instead of hiring an ordinary personal trainer. 

The first step is to schedule a complimentary first session. The easiest way to start is to text us at 301-452-5547. We will take it from there!

Stay in Shape During Summer Vacations {How-to Workout Guide}

How to Stay in Shape While Vacationing

Now that summer is full swing, vacation season is here! Don’t let travel plans stall your fitness routine! Consistency is the key to seeing results from an exercise plan. Even if you have no gym available, I’ll show you how to get a fun ForeverStrong Workout to stay on track.

Just last week, I returned from a fitness camp led by one of my fitness mentors, Steve Maxwell. That’s us in this pic. 

It was on the beautiful island of Ikaria, Greece. Ikaria is one of the Blue Zones. Ironically, although many people on this island live well into their 80’s and 90’s, there was no gym to be found anywhere on this small island.

I travel light and boarded the flight with only my carry on luggage, so there was no room for me to take any of my usual fitness gear with me. No suspension trainer, no kettlebells, no resistance bands. Just my hotel room and the beach. I had to be creative with my workouts. 

Today, I’ll share my tips on how to get a full-body ForeverStrong Lift & Sculpt session without any traditional workout equipment.

First, be realistic in planning your workouts. It would be nice to think you are going to workout everyday while on vacation, but we know that’s not likely. So, let’s set a minimum standard: if you are on travel you only need two strength workouts per week in order to maintain your current fitness level.

Second, jot down a quick plan of what you are going to do for your workouts. Don’t try and figure it out as you go, you will end up wasting time and possibly forgetting a key component of the workout.

Your workout should include a Full Body LIFT from each compound movement category using your own bodyweight as the resistance.

Here’s an example of what your travel workout would look like:

Perform Three Sets of as many reps as you can for the all following moves. Perform this list in a circuit, doing one set of each exercise before moving on to the next exercise on the list.

At the end of this article are video tutorials on easier and harder versions of each of the exercises.

Upper Body Push: Pushups (for Chest and Shoulders)

Lower Body Push: Single Leg Squats (for Quadriceps and Calves)

Upper Body Pull: Single Arm Towel Row (for Biceps and Back)

Lower Body Pull: Single Leg Hip Bridge (for Glutes and Hamstrings)

Core Tension: Core Engaged Leg Lowers (for Abdominals)

For each movement category, you can swap out any other movement that fits that category, based on what you have available. For instance, you can do Pullups instead of Single Arm Towel Rows for back and biceps if there is a pullup bar available.

Special PERK for ForeverStrong Clients:

If you are a current client of ForeverStrong, let us do the work of designing your travel workout plan for you. Just give us 7 days advance notice and we will design a workout for you that coincides perfectly with your existing 8-Week ForeverStrong program. To request a travel workout:

  1. Plan ahead – find out what’s available. Is there a gym with free weights? Will you be taking kettlebells, a suspension trainer or resistance bands?  
  2. Send a text to 301-200-2223 with the equipment you have available, the start day of your trip and request a travel workout.
  3. We will send you instructions  to download the interval timer for your workout and your customized ForeverStrong workout plan.

Finally, remember this: The magic happens during the REST and RECOVERY. If you spend time away from home, the best thing you can do to supercharge your fitness and health is get lots of rest, eat wholesome foods and hydrate well.

Treat your body like she’s your best friend. Take good care of her and protect her. If you do, she will be there for you when you need her the most.

Happy Vacationing! Be well and Train Strong! 

-Kelly Scott, Owner

P.S. Click on the video’s below for a twenty second demonstration of how to do each exercise. 

 

 

Whether you are currently at a gym, in a group exercise program, working with a personal trainer, or managing your fitness routine on your own, staying consistent with your exercise routine is the number one thing you can do to get results.

Our Personal Trainers have helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas lose weight, tone up, and become stronger.  Our neighbors in Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring love their personalized training program. Unlike group fitness classes, each client receives a custom program. We’d love to help you too. Call us at 301-452-5547 or email info@trainforeverstrong.com to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

8-Week Enduring Strength Program Starts Today!

Are you ready to be challenged? Our Attain Super Stamina 8-week program brings together everything our clients have learned and done in the last two program cycles…. It is the BIG FINISH of our Foundational, Functional and Enduring Strength Formula.

What is the result of training Enduring Strength?

Greater Stamina and Muscle Definition.

What is the 8-Week Strategy?

Reveal your Lean, Sculpted and Strong body through extended time under tension, extended duration work intervals. Improved muscle endurance occurs when we lift the same amount of weight, but for longer durations, or for more reps and reduce the rest between sets.

What’s the body’s Hormonal Response to this type of training?

Improve insulin receptor sensitivity with training protocols designed to target stubborn fat areas.

What’s the body’s Hormonal Response to this type of training?

You’ll challenge your muscle stamina and blast through your workouts with an elevated heart rate. “Feel the burn” during this phase and push past the anaerobic training zone to burn all of the glucose out of our muscles. Fatigue management is a new challenge during this program.

What energy pathways and systems activate during this training phase?

Enduring Strength phases primarily develop Slow Twitch Muscle Type 1 Fibers.

Primary Energy Pathway: Aerobic

During Attain Super Stamina we will challenge your enduring strength with workouts that feature three phases: Lift, Sculpt, and Melt. Get ready, it is INTENSE!

Not training ForeverStrong yet? It’s not too late to sign up for our Attain Super Stamina Program. Our Personal Trainers have helped hundreds of busy men and women gain stamina and muscle tone in Marriottsville, Turf Valley, Waverly Woods, Woodmark, West Friendship, Eldersburg, Sykesville,  Woodstock,  Cooksville, Ellicott City, Mt. Hebron, Clarksville, Fulton, Laurel, Burtonsville, Highland, Silver Spring, Columbia, Ellicott City, Glen Elg, and we’d love to help you too! Just call or text 301-452-5547 and we’ll help you get started with a complimentary training session. 

Top Trainer Reveals Why Your Workouts Aren’t Getting Results and 4 Steps to Fix It

Are you working out hard and not making progress?

Do you feel like you’re in maintenance mode with your workouts?

Did you get better results when you first started exercising than you do now?

Do not despair! Today, I’ll help you use the principle of periodization to jumpstart your results again!

To get unstuck, we’ll cover 4 action steps to designing personal training programs that really work:

  1. Understand how the principle of diminishing returns kills your progress after 12-weeks
  2. Plan an effective training program that delivers results beyond the “newbie” phase
  3. Use the principle of periodization to get jaw-dropping results at 12, 24, 48 weeks and beyond
  4. Cycle the three critical strength systems into a complete workout program

Diminishing Returns From My Workouts

This morning, while putting the final touches on the enduring strength program starting soon at ForeverStrong,  I had a flashback to a time when I stopped getting serious results from my workouts.

When I first learned how to properly exercise with kettlebells, I noticed amazing results within a very short period of time. Even though I had already been a personal trainer for several years, I could see and feel my body tightening, toning and getting stronger.

Kettlebell swings, snatches and getups were just a few of the new “kettlebell” exercises that I practiced daily. They were completely different from traditional weight lifting moves and people were noticing my transformation.  My thighs got noticeably thinner and my arms, shoulders and glutes became more defined and muscular than ever before. I also had a newfound strength and power.

Then gradually, I noticed that my progress slowed down.  I had passed the newbie phase. Although I did not regress, become weaker or gain body fat,  I was no longer making noticeable progress. It was frustrating!

In fact, everyone who has a healthy routine of exercise will eventually start to see diminishing returns from their workouts.

There is nothing wrong with you or what you are doing. The diminishing returns principle applies to exercise.

What’s the diminishing returns principle?

When someone unfit begins a training regime, fitness levels improve rapidly but, as they become fitter, the returns diminish. That is, as you become fitter, the amount of improvement is less as you approach your genetic limits. As your fitness levels increase, more work or training is needed to make the same improvements.

When you first start training, improvements in fitness are large and happen quickly. However, the closer you get to your maximum fitness level, the harder you must work to achieve smaller increases in your fitness levels. This same principle applies when trying to lose body fat.*

The generally accepted principle among exercise science researchers is that most people will get the best results from an exercise program in the first 12-weeks. After that, the physiological adaptations to exercise (A.K.A  results) start to slow down, or diminish.

It happened to me. It will happen to you. Unless, you periodize the focus of your programs. Once I applied the 8-week training cycle strategy to my workouts, I became leaner, stronger and more sculpted again.

How to use the principle of periodization to get continuous jaw-dropping results 

The great news is, even if you’ve hit a plateau, you can use the exercise science principle of periodization to create workout programs that dedicate “cycles” of time with a specific focus area. This will minimize the frustrating effects of the diminishing returns principle. These cycles can be as short as 6-weeks or as long as 12-weeks.

If you perform training cycles less than 6-weeks and you’ll short-change your potential. Conversely, if you train the same program more than 12-weeks,  the diminishing returns principle will severely impede your efforts and you’ll feel like you are spinning your wheels.

At ForeverStrong we have developed a training method with very specific 8-week training cycles for each of our clients. Each program has a targeted performance and physique focus. Cycling allows the body to make rapid improvements in the focus area while maintaining the progress made in prior cycles. At ForeverStrong, we call this Program Cycling.

How to cycle the three critical strength systems into a complete workout program

Each of our 8-week program cycles focus on one critical system of strength and physique.

The Critical Systems of Strength:

Foundational Strength – Becoming Strong and Tight

Functional Strength – Becoming Athletic and Toned

Enduring Strength – Gaining Stamina and Muscle Definition

Each cycle is designed as the perfect foundation for the next cycle. Together, they work as a complete system for total body transformation.

Three cycles, each lasting eight weeks, means that you will return your focus to Foundational, Functional, or Enduring strength every 24 weeks.

This is your perfect strategy to get maximum results in one focus area of fitness without losing the improvements from the two prior cycles.

During an 8-week program cycle, you get progressive results in the special focus area without a decrease in the strength, stamina or function that you  gained during the prior cycle! In 24-weeks, you’ll pick up where we left off – and keep improving!

It’s well known among exercise physiologists that strength training is the key to change your body composition by creating lean metabolically active muscle mass. An effective strength training program makes you stronger. The stronger you are, the better you can use your strength to work harder during your workouts to burn more calories and improve all areas of fitness. Since you can’t effectively train all of your strength systems at the same time, planning 8-week cycles to focus on just one strength system at a time has proven to be the most effective way to get continuous and predictable results. It’s a simple yet amazing solution to a frustrating problem. I get excited talking about it!

Putting it all together…

To summarize, if  you want serious results beyond the first 12-weeks, make sure you plan your workouts using targeted training cycles. Each cycle should focus on rapid strength improvements in one of the three critical systems of strength: Foundational, Functional and Enduring strength.  The movements you select for each phase, the number of sets, and the amount of rest between sets is determined based on your specific goal for that cycle. These concepts are part of the exercise science principle of periodization. Apply the principle of periodized training cycles to your workout program to ensure you keep getting results at 24-weeks, 48-weeks and beyond. Yay!

At ForeverStrong, our next 8-week program cycle starts May 29th. As I write this,  we are in the sixth week of our functional training cycle. Up next: our enduring strength cycle. The goal of that 8-week program is: Attain Super Stamina. I’ve helped hundreds of men and women in Marriottsville, Turf Valley, Waverly Woods, Woodmark, West Friendship, Eldersburg, Sykesville,  Woodstock,  Cooksville, Ellicott City, Mt. Hebron, Clarksville, Fulton, Laurel, Burtonsville, Highland, Silver Spring, Columbia, Ellicott City, Glen Elg, and the surrounding areas get amazing results for over 10 years using our personalized method. I’d love to help you attain super stamina in 12-weeks. Feel free to give me a call at 301-452-5547 to learn more. Let’s find out if ForeverStrong program cycling can help you get unstuck with your fitness goals.

~by Kelly Scott, Owner of ForeverStrong and Creator of the ForeverStrong Personalized Fitness System

References

Training principles to improve athletic performance. Frank Stuart. ACPE.edu 2018

Core Strength: What are the Benefits of Strong Core Muscles and How Do I Get Them!?

Enhance Your Whole Body Health with Core Strength

Improving Core Strength has so many great benefits for your health! Great abs look good and building your core will contribute to your body’s overall strength and endurance, as well as balance and coordination. Strong core muscles allow your

spine to bear more weight which decrease your chances of injury while participating in sports or doing daily tasks. This leads to less lower back pain, which is something we love! And core strength helps keep other muscle groups from getting weak because of overcompensating for disengaged core muscles.

The Safest Way to Strengthen Your Core

While many exercises will strengthen your core, some are more or less likely to cause injury than others. The safest and most effective types of exercises that strengthen the core muscles are Isometric Exercises. Isometric training lowers the chance of injury which will keep you moving your body and building your overall fitness level. These types of movements also increase your core strength quickly and effectively.

Some examples of Isometric core strength building exercises include the Curl Up, RKC or Hardstyle Plank, Pallof press, Bird-dog or cross-crawl, Dead bug. Check out the videos at the end of this article for a demonstration. 

On the other hand, popular Exercises to Avoid are those that require repeated flexion and extension of the spine – especially with load. Crunches, Russian Twists, Abdominal Side Bend, Decline Sit Ups, Back Extension. There is a high risk of herniation with these exercises*. 

Most small group training, group workouts, fitness classes and group exercise programs don’t spend much time on form. It’s important to be properly educated on the perfect technique for each movement in your core strength training program. Whether you use traditional free weights, or kettlebells be sure to work with a personal trainer who is certified with the tools they are using and is staying current with exercise science research.

8-Week Core Strength Program begins February 4, 2018

Over the next 8 weeks, will be utilizing the isometric core strength movements that have been proven to have the greatest core strength improvement based on the research from the leading back health researcher Dr. Stuart M. McGill*. We invite you to join!

If you are interested in learning more about our 8-Week Core Cure Program or ForeverStrong, call us at 301-452-5547 or email kelly@trainforeverstrong.com.

ForeverStrong Personal Trainers have helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas lose weight, tone up, and get real core strength. Our neighbors in Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring love their personalized training program. Unlike group fitness classes, each client receives a personal training program here.

We’d love to help you too!

Dr. Wiji Jones of Morrison Chiropractic in Clarksville, MD demonstrates proper form for the following Isometric Core Strength Training Exercises:

Hard Style Plank, Bird Dog, and Side Plank

Torsional Buttress

Suitcase Hold, Stir the Pot, Inverted Row, Rack Walk, and Palloff Press

*Research References:

Effect of Long-Term Isometric Training on Core/Torso Stiffness; Lee, McGill,
2015.

Intervertebral disc herniation: studies on a porcine model exposed to highly repetitive flexion/extension motion with compressive force; Callahan, McGill 2001

The Ultimate Guide to Losing Belly Fat For Women Over 40

ForeverStrong-UltimateGuide-final

Testosterone and Women

Over the past four weeks, I’ve been writing about a number of weight-affecting hormone issues – cortisol, leptin, estrogen and insulin imbalances. Now, let’s talk about testosterone and how it affects women.

What is Testosterone

Testosterone (T) is a steroidal hormone produced in humans and although men make greater amounts of T than women, the hormone is essential for a woman’s survival.  Testosterone originates in the sex organs in both men and women but circulates in different amounts. Women have one tenth the amount of testosterone as compared to men.

Testosterone helps to burn fat and is the hormone responsible for increased muscle mass, bone density, improves libido, and is imperative for good health. Testosterone boosts strength and decreases body fat.  A woman with high testosterone is the owner of a lean body with a flat strong abdomen and high energy. Testosterone is a very versatile hormone. It can convert to either estrogen or dihydrotestosterone (DHT). As testosterone strengthens our bodies and improves our memory, it also creates that essential sense of well-being that makes us all feel wonderful and alive regardless of our age.

Age and stress can significantly reduce the testosterone levels in women. Low levels of testosterone can lead to a number of serious conditions, including increased risk of depression, low sex drive, obesity and osteoporosis. It can also cause less serious conditions such as fatigue and moodiness. All of this can increase stress and inflammation leading to more fat accumulation. And the sad part is …. most women consider these problems a normal part of the aging process.

As women age, they need testosterone to help them control their weight. It is also very important to understand that too much testosterone can be harmful. As women acquire excess abdominal fat, their estrogen levels rise along with their SHBG and their free testosterone also increases. For women, testosterone has the power to decrease fat mass, but it can also promote insulin resistance – thus causing belly fat.

As testosterone levels drop, previously youthful women begin aging rapidly, often becoming overweight and more passive. Women with low T feel tired and lazy and gain weight easily. Women with low T develop heart disease sooner and lose their memory faster than women with normal levels.

Aging is not the only cause for the dwindling of women’s T levels. Medications including the use of birth control pills and the use of a popular class of antidepressants have been shown to cause a negative effect in testosterone levels.

It is clear that as we mature, we should not accept obesity as the norm. Vitality, vim and vigor and permanent weight loss are attainable with enough testosterone, exercise and a healthy diet.

How Testosterone Slows Your Metabolism

Did you know that toxins that you encounter daily behave like estrogen when absorbed in the body?
All this fake estrogen overwhelms your body’s testosterone—which is vital for hormone balance—and contributes to estrogen overload. Testosterone contributes to muscle growth, which in turn supports metabolism. And, as we already know, estrogen overload raises insulin insensitivity. The combination adds pounds to your frame.

Your risk of weight gain and disease from exposure to toxins may be greater than you realize. A survey by the CDC demonstrated that 93% of the population has measurable levels of bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in store receipts and canned foods that disrupts estrogen, thyroid, and androgen hormones. Endocrine disruptors have been shown to interfere with the production, transportation, and metabolism of most hormones.

Testosterone and Weight Gain

A hormonal imbalance can result in excess testosterone production and subsequent weight gain in women. Recognizing the symptoms of this imbalance can help you minimize weight gain.

Note that the testosterone does not trigger weight gain, but instead is an accessory symptom. Physicians may test for high testosterone levels when a woman experiences a sudden weight gain and the physician suspects polycystic ovary syndrome may be to blame. Because testosterone circulates in the blood, physicians can recommend a blood test to measure the presence of testosterone in your body.

Testosterone plays a vital role for women who generally gain excess weight when testosterone levels decrease. This can lead to a number of problems. The relationship between women, testosterone and weight gain is, however, a little more complicated than with men. Women tend to gain weight easier than men because of higher levels of estrogen. As women age, levels of estrogen and progesterone, the female sex hormones, begin to fluctuate. Estrogen tends to become dominant and this can often lead to weight gain. Excess testosterone can convert to estrogen thus causing that weight gain.

A decrease in testosterone levels in women can lead to a loss of muscle mass. Muscle mass burns more calories than fat and keeps the metabolism working well, so a decrease in muscle tissue could lead to additional weight gain.

Testosterone and Weight Loss

Increasing testosterone levels and lowering estrogen levels can help to reverse the loss of muscle. To reap the benefits of increased testosterone, estrogen levels must simultaneously be lowered. There is a direct correlation between elevated estrogen and disorders involving obesity.  Testosterone plays an important part in the metabolism of fat as well. There is a higher predisposition to being overweight in women with a fluctuating or low testosterone level. 

How to Increase Testosterone

There are a few options for treating low testosterone levels: the pharmaceutical approach, the supplement approach, and the lifestyle approach.

  • Talk to your doctor to check your testosterone levels.
  • Workout regularly to help improve testosterone levels and boost your metabolism. Performing muscle-building exercises will aid in raising testosterone levels.
  • Get more sleep and lower stress levels.
  • Include fiber rich foods for weight loss in your diet such as flaxseeds, prunes, pumpkin seeds, whole grains, etc.
  • Take vitamin C, probiotics, and magnesium supplements to prevent constipation.
  • Avoid consuming alcohol as it can potentially damage the liver and kidney.
  • Take zinc and protein supplements to improve testosterone levels.
  • Doctors can prescribe both bio-identical and synthetic hormones as well.

Precautions

  • Do not start self-medication as weight gain is a multifaceted problem and you should target the root cause to lose weight without harming your health.
  • Talk to your doctor and get the necessary tests done to find out if your weight gain is hormonal.
  • If yes, whether one hormone is causing the weight gain or there are other abetting hormones as well.

Conclusion

Though it sounds complicated, you now have the tools to determine the reason for your broken metabolism, the reasons regular diets don’t address the root cause of your weight gain and belly fat. Hormones dictate what your body does with food.  Losing weight is not just about healthy eating. It’s about keeping your hormones in check.

It’s not easy to lose weight. If your hormones are imbalanced, see your doctor and find your fix. If you are already eating healthy and exercising regularly, your body might slim down without any extra effort from you.

As we have discussed over the last four articles, hormones control critical reactions and functions such as metabolism, inflammation, menopause, glucose uptake, etc. The triggers of a disrupted hormonal balance can be stress, age, genes, and poor lifestyle choices leading to a sluggish metabolism, indigestion, uncontrollable hunger—ultimately leading to weight gain. Though women are accustomed to hormones going wacky, a chronic case of imbalanced hormones can make you prone to all obesity related diseases.

Whether you are currently at a gym, in a group exercise program, working with a personal trainer, or managing your fitness routine on your own, understanding the role that stress and hormones play go a long way.

Our Personal Trainers have helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas lose weight, tone up, and become stronger.  Our neighbors in Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring love their personalized training program. Unlike group fitness classes, each client receives a custom program. We’d love to help you too. Call us at 301-452-5547 or email info@trainforeverstrong.com to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

Why Are Some ForeverStrong Workouts Harder Than Others?

ForeverStrong Training Method

As we end week 4 of Inner Armour. I thought I’d share a little nugget about the method behind the madness.

Clients often mention to me that they notice that some workouts are harder than others. During Attain Super Stamina Cycle it was the “C” Day, right?

Some, think that’s a mistake. Others, are afraid to tell me that they thought the workout was easy, because assume think I’ll just make it harder.

Amatuer trainers try to impress their clients with gut wrenching workouts. When I used to work in a box gym, they would laugh about how sore they made their clients.

Any ordinary person can design a workout that smokes you after one week. It takes knowledge of exercise science to design a program that gets sustainable results – and gives you energy and wellbeing afterwards.

That’s why we have 8-week periodized training cycles.

Why Periodization

The Purpose of periodization is to force your body to adapt and improve as fast as possible over a few short weeks without the risk of overtraining.

I design the programs using the ‘HMLM’ formula. Because the greatest amount of adaptation without any risk happens in the “M” zone

Can you guess what the “M” Zone is?

M Stands for Medium!

Progressive Overload is the fundamental principle of increasing lean body mass and getting stronger.

To accomplish progressive overload, we increase the challenge each week. More reps, more time under tension, less rest, more weight etc.

The problem with linear progression is, if you keep making every workout “feel” harder, you’ll hit the wall. We hit a physiological or psychological barrier. Some people call this overtraining. So, we vary the load or intensity with each workout. Our A, B, C, D workout days each have a slightly different “feel” some “feel” easier or harder than others. Did today or yesterday’s workout feel easier or harder than Friday’s or Saturday’s? This is on purpose.

There are many ways to design a program with variable intensity. The primary way we incorporate this into the program is through a pattern of HMLM. Heavy Workout, Medium Workout, Light Workout, Medium Workout. We keep our clients in the medium zone more than heavy or light, as this is where the most adaptation occurs without risk.

How can you tweak this strategy for best results:

If you are Weight Lifting 2x a week: make your weight training feel harder on one session and medium on the other. Are you doing cardio in addition? then vary your cardio sessions with the HMLM pattern.

If you are Weight Lifting 3x a week: don’t make every session all-out. It’s okay to leave something in the tank for the next workout. One out of every four weight lifting workouts should be intense. Two out of of four should feel just right. One out of four should feel light.

If you’re supposed to a back-to-back workout, but you prefer to repeat the prior days workout: reduce your intensity by either lifting lighter weights, or dropping down to a lower rep option.

Whether you are currently training at ForeverStrong, or keeping up on your own, this strategy will ensure that your program build you up, instead of beating you down!

Our Personal Trainers have helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas lose weight, tone up, and become stronger.  Our neighbors in Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring love their personalized training program. Unlike group fitness classes, each client receives a custom program. We’d love to help you too. Call us at 301-452-5547 or email info@trainforeverstrong.com to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

Editors Note: A version of this post was originally shared in Kelly’s ForeverStrong Inner Circle and adapted for a broader audience.

The Battle of the Hormones: Estrogen vs. Insulin…….

One of the most frequently asked questions by women as they get older is: “Why is it so hard to lose weight if I’m eating right and exercising?” You may be doing the same exact things you’ve always done, but suddenly find it’s just not enough. What you might not realize is that hormonal fluctuations could be playing a part in your weight gain. Many women’s first thought is: “can estrogen cause weight gain?” Well, estrogen dominance can—it’s when you have a disproportionate amount of estrogen in relation to your progesterone.

There are also other hormones that need to be balanced at any age in order to maintain a healthy weight. You already read about cortisol and leptin in our two previous articles and how they affect weight gain after 40. Read on to discover how estrogen and insulin affect your weight and how to balance them naturally to lose weight and feel great.

How Estrogen & Insulin Affect Your Weight

Your hormones impact many things, your mood, energy levels and even your weight. Your hormones fluctuate monthly, but also throughout the course of your life as you go from puberty to adulthood and then into menopause. If you have stubborn weight that just won’t come off, you’ve probably gotten so frustrated that you feel like it’s impossible. But you can lose weight, get healthy, and you can do it naturally by bringing key hormones into balance.

Hormones dictate what your body does with food, and the impact is stronger than calories alone. Many women are obsessed with calories, but they are only part of the equation when it comes to nutrition and weight loss. Approximately 99% of weight gain is hormonal. Resetting your hormones is often the missing ingredient for successful weight loss.

ESTROGEN

Estrogen is the hormone responsible for the development of female sexual characteristics. There’s an interesting connection between estrogen and weight gain. As you age, levels of all your hormones tend to decrease, including estrogen and progesterone. Your doctor may have told you that your estrogen levels are plummeting, which is why it’s confusing to hear that estrogen dominance can cause weight gain in menopause.

While estrogen levels decrease during menopause, if your progesterone levels are decreasing more than your estrogen, you can still have estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance is really about the ratio of estrogen to progesterone—if you have too much estrogen compared to your progesterone you can gain weight and store more fat around your middle. It’s believed that most women tend to have an estrogen dominance. Another factor contributing to estrogen dominance is exposure to environmental estrogens which are estrogen-like chemicals in our environment. Some of these are things we ingest like pesticides, hormones in animal products, and plastics—all known as “endocrine disruptors.”

Think – Estrogen Dominance

If you have . . .

  • sugar cravings
  • difficulty with certain foods, such as chocolate or ice cream
  • high, low, or borderline blood sugar (fasting is normally 70-85 mg/dL)
  • trouble lasting longer than 3 hours between meals
  • a muffin top (waist > 35 inches in women)
  • A lack of weekly exercise
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)—a problem with irregular periods, acne, increased hair growth, and sometimes infertility and/or cysts on the ovary.

INSULIN

Insulin is a hormone created by your pancreas and it helps regulate glucose (blood sugar) in your body. If you’re overweight or even “skinny fat” (storing too much visceral fat around your organs) your body’s glucose regulator, insulin, gets thrown off balance and you have a harder time losing weight. In addition, if you tend to eat sugary foods throughout the day, you keep your insulin working overtime trying to clear the sugar from your blood. What does insulin do with the extra sugar you ask? It stores it as fat. This is the easiest hormone to reset: do it in less than 3 days, according to recent studies.

Think Insulin Resistance

If you have . . .

  • trouble sleeping
  • more than one cup of coffee per day and giving it up seems outrageous
  • anxiety or irritability
  • burn out
  • gut problems such as indigestion or ulcers
  • thinning bones
  • overeating when stressed

How Estrogen and Insulin are linked

Estrogen itself has many beneficial effects on the body, including helping optimize the action of insulin, the hormone that prevents high blood sugar levels. Consequently, low estrogen levels may lead to insulin resistance, or impaired insulin action. Insulin resistance is linked to metabolic syndrome, a group of traits and medical conditions that increase the risk of health problems such as diabetes, heart attack and stroke. Low estrogen levels and insulin resistance can have negative health consequences, and your doctor can best guide you on how to manage and treat these health concerns.

Estrogen and Insulin Resistance

A review of animal and human studies published in the March 2016 “Journal of Diabetes Research” discussed the known association between estrogen and insulin action. In addition to impairing insulin action, low estrogen levels may hinder the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. Insufficient insulin causes the liver to produce excess glucose and send this surplus into the blood. Estrogen deficiency may also cause inflammation, which can further impair insulin action. Adding to the complexity of this issue, certain conditions characterized by insulin resistance — obesity, pregnancy and polycystic ovarian disease — are associated with high estrogen levels. Therefore, additional quality research is warranted to fully understand the effects of low estrogen on the body.

Warnings and Precautions

Insulin resistance increases the risk of serious health problems, and low estrogen levels may be related to insulin resistance. While insulin resistance usually occurs without any symptoms, it may be more likely to occur if you have gained unwanted weight or have extra belly fat. If you have insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome, work with your doctor on a treatment strategy that should include regular physical activity and a healthy weight loss plan. If you are postmenopausal, or if you suspect you have low estrogen levels, speak with your doctor for guidance on treatment options.

How To Balance Estrogen For Weight Loss

To avoid estrogen dominance, you want to keep a fine balance between your progesterone and estrogen. You can naturally balance estrogen dominance by:

  • Exercise daily to promote detoxification
  • Try to eat 35 to 45 grams of fiber per day
  • Eat a pound of vegetables per day
  • Take or eat Wild Yam (Dioscorea Villosa) in capsule or dried herb form
  • Reduce your red meat intake
  • Eliminate excess sugar or processed foods

How To Balance Insulin For Weight Loss

Ways to naturally balance your insulin levels include:

  • Get Enough of the Right Kinds of Exercise
  • Increase Your Protein Intake
  • Eat Low Glycemic Index Foods
  • Include “Good” Fats for Healthy Hormones.
  • Balance Your Meals
  • Enjoy a Healthy Breakfast Every Day.
  • If You Need To Snack, Snack Healthy.
  • Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time.
  • Get enough sleep

The bottom line is this: if you’ve been struggling to lose weight but can’t figure out what you’re doing wrong, your hormones are probably to blame. You can ask your doctor to test your hormones, as well as use the information to try different techniques to bring suspected problem hormones back into balance. It’s your body, and you should know everything you can to not only lose weight but feel happy, healthy and whole.

Whether you are currently at a gym, in a group exercise program, working with a personal trainer, or managing your fitness routine on your own, understanding the role that stress and hormones play go a long way.

Our Personal Trainers have helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas lose weight, tone up, and become stronger.  Our neighbors in Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring love their personalized training program. Unlike group fitness classes, each client receives a custom program. We’d love to help you too. Call us at 301-452-5547 or email info@trainforeverstrong.com to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

The Foundations of Strength Training from a Qualified Personal Trainer Before Lifting Heavy Weights.

 

 Learn the foundations of strength training from a qualified Personal Trainer before lifting heavy weights.

When I used to work as a personal trainer in an ordinary gym, I was horrified by the technique I saw. Especially, when trying to lift heavy weights. Nowadays, we see a lot more people experimenting with “lifting heavy” because strong is in style.

An effective personal training program should frequently include a phase to build and train the foundation of strength, endurance, and the integrity of joints and muscles.

Inner Armour Program focuses on training foundational strength.

Our Inner Armour Program focuses on developing foundational strength. We know that lifting heavier weights is necessary to get stronger and becoming stronger is the foundation for all other types of fitness improvements. But caution is necessary, because the heavier the weight is, the more dangerous it is.

Most people can get away with terrible form when pumping the light weights, because it’s basically just resisted cardio. But, when you are training for strength, more muscle groups have to engage in order to perform the task. That means more chances of injury. Especially in a group fitness setting.

In our previous eight week program, Attain SuperStamina, we focused on enduring strength, now that we completed that phase, it’s time to self check.

No speeding through workouts

Pay attention to form

Listen to your body and stop before your form fails

In our current program we are training foundational strength, focusing on heavier load and fewer reps. Now’s the time to lift slowly and surely. The program focuses on and utilizes basic movements, perfecting the movement, and progressing from there, both with weight and better/more complicated movements.

Not only is bad form a good way to get injured, but it’s also a good way to derail any potential gains. Most small group training, group workouts, fitness classes and group exercise programs don’t spend much time on form. It’s important to be properly educated on the perfect technique for each movement in your strength training program. Whether you use traditional free weights, or kettlebells be sure to work with a personal trainer who is certified with the tools they are using.

If you are interested in learning more about our Inner Armour Program or ForeverStrong, call us at 301-452-5547 or email info@trainforeverstrong.com.

Our Personal Trainers have helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas lose weight, tone up, and become stronger. Our neighbors in Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring love their personalized training program. Unlike group fitness classes, each client receives a custom program.

We’d love to help you too.

What’s Controlling Your Appetite? Leptin The Weight Loss Hormone?

Do you struggle with food cravings? Body weight issues? Yo-yo dieting?

Let’s look at Leptin – the weight loss hormone….

Just yesterday you were able to stick to three square meals, but today some animal urge inside is making you devour everything in sight. Yes, it can often feel like your appetite changes on a day-to-day basis. And really, every day can be a little different. Hunger is the result of a complex mix of hormones, physical activity, sleep deprivation, and even emotions, particularly stress. But it changes over time. There are some general trends that stand out and are noticeable to doctors and nutrition experts.

Every woman, especially those over 40, wants to find the fastest way to burn fat. So when you finally make that decision to get serious about weight loss, it is easy to become impatient as the pounds don’t come off as fast as you would like.

It is reality that many women don’t lose weight as quick as men. There is a way to jump start your natural fat burner and see more results faster than you have in the past.

The Weight Loss Hormone

Leptin is the king of hormones, the most powerful hormone in the human body. Fat cells produce leptin, a primary source for instructing metabolism, weight loss, and hormone balance. Leptin communicates directly to your brain, telling the brain how much fat is in storage. It controls appetite, energy, and metabolic rate. Leptin problems are the primary reason for food cravings, overeating, faulty metabolism, the obsession with food, and heart disease.

Leptin and weight loss for women need to be discussed together because it is impossible to maintain a healthy body weight if this hormone is not able to function correctly. When the body is working properly, leptin allows people to control their eating habits and burn off what they to easier. In effect you are able to eat normal portions without the constant hunger pains that many people experience when dieting. When Leptin resistance is involved the body quickly begins to gain weight because the brain never receives the signal the stomach is full.

Leptin Resistance

When leptin resistance occurs, the body produces the hormone, usually in levels higher than normal. The body is just not able to react correctly to the signa

ls it attempts to send. Women who are experiencing this will often feel hungry even after eating a large meal. They will crave sweets and receive no lasting satisfaction from anything that is eaten.

Since this often happens in combination with a slowing metabolism, like in women over 40, weight gain can happen very quickly. If you don’t address the leptin resistance issue in your body, it will be impossible to lose weight effectively. How your body becomes leptin resistant is a good indicator of what needs to be done to correct the issue and start to lose weight.    

Causes of Leptin Resistance

  • Consuming foods that contain high fructose corn syrup
  • Consuming high sugary foods and drinks
  • Lack of sleep
  • High stress levels
  • Foods high in fat or refined sugar

Making Leptin Work So You Can Lose Weight

Reversing the resistance your body has to leptin is possible. And it can be done naturally. However, you will need to follow a weight loss plan as well as exercise (See weekly exercise plan in Our Cortisol article).

The goal is to make leptin work properly and help you lose weight. It includes changes such as switching to a healthy eating plan with recipes that feature a combination of inflammation-fighting foods, getting enough sleep and reducing stress. It also includes eliminating sugar and adding more protein and fiber to your diet. Once you make this change you’ll notice a remarkable change. Not only will you feel better and look better and find the pounds dropping, but you’ll also stop craving unhealthy foods.

Increase Your Resting Metabolic Rate

It’s well known that exercise burns calories. In addition, regular exercise stimulates the activity of fat-burning enzymes. The exciting news is that leptin also stimulates these enzymes, which can increase your metabolic rate even when you’re not exercising. This is important because for most people, the resting metabolic rate accounts for two-thirds of the total number of calories they burn each day. 

Steps To Increasing Metabolism:

  1. Maximize flavor and nutrition. Choose food that give you the most flavor and nutritional value for the calories you consume. These foods are rich in one or more of the dietary elements that help your metabolism such as vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Foods with appetite-satisfying flavor and lots of nutrition top our list, such as blueberries, tomatoes, ginger, onions and fresh herbs. 
  2. Benefit from Omega-3 Oils. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are essential to the healthy functioning of the body and brain. Omega-3s help heal inflammation as well as promoting a wide range of cellular activities, and improving or preventing depression, Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders. Plant sources of Omega-3s include: ground flax seed, walnuts, and beans — especially navy, kidney and soy. Animal sources include fish, especially oily cold-water fish such as salmon or tuna.
  3. Up Your Fruit and Veg Servings to 9 or 10 a Day. Find delicious ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables into every meal. Choose those fruits and vegetables with deep colors and intense flavors that reflect their high content of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, like carotenoids and flavonoids. The deepest red and blue flavonoids belong to a subgroup called anthocyanins, found in the jewel-like colors of blueberries, cherries and pomegranates.
  4. Skip the Artificial Sweeteners. The use of artificial flavors and sweeteners deprives you of the potent anti-inflammatory phytonutrients found in herbs, spices and naturally sweet fruits. Studies show that artificial sweeteners interfere with weight loss. So steer clear of these sugar substitutes and enjoy fruit, fruit juice and fruit concentrates for their flavor and nutrition. A recent editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA) also raised concerns about the use of artificial sweeteners.
  5. Enjoy Healthy Snacks and Desserts. Snacks satisfy hunger, and desserts add fun and satisfaction to a meal. Indulge, but in healthy choices only. Enjoy delicious snacks such as crunchy walnuts or almonds, and dessert treats made from fruit and yogurt.  This will excite your palate while keeping you satisfied.
  6. Exercise is necessary as it builds muscle, burns calories, and helps to reduce stress. Not only will lowered stress levels help to balance leptin in the body it can also curb cortisol. (See article on Cortisol). By following an exercise plan that takes leptin resistance into account, will help from aggravating the problem further.

Remember, weight loss is difficult and if the body is not working as it should be maintaining that weight loss will be close to impossible. End the cycle of bad diet plans today by making the sensible decision to end your resistance, lose weight, and feel good.

Whether you are currently at a gym, in a group exercise program, working with a personal trainer, or managing your fitness routine on your own, understanding the role that hormones, appetite, and exercise play go a long way.

Our Personal Trainers have helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas lose weight, tone up, and become stronger.  Our neighbors in Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring love their personalized training program. Unlike group fitness classes, each client receives a custom program. We’d love to help you too. Call us at 301-452-5547 or email info@trainforeverstrong.com to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

Make Friends And Keep It Simple With Small Group Training

At Forever Strong®, we consider your path to fitness and good health to be a journey – a fitness journey, if you will. Your personal experience is deeply important to our Fulton gym and will be taken into account when creating your own training plan. That being said, having the support and encouragement from a select group of others who are traveling down similar yet unique paths is something important that’s worth considering in today’s blog post. Our primary mission at Forever Strong® is to see you succeed and prosper in your overall health and strength, and we’re confident that getting exercise in a small group setting is an effective way to it.

Learn more about our training model and read on to discover more about how we do personalized fitness.

It’s Encouraging!

This benefit of a small group training environment is so important that we had to start with it. When you’re in the heat of doing an exercise routine and you’re barely mustering the stamina to complete your reps, have comfort in the fact that there will be others in your group who will be cheering you on.

Verbal encouragement and reinforcement are huge aspects of a successful fitness plan, and throughout the years we’ve come to find out that the group training model allows the constant opportunity for encouragement and support from one another. As far as fitness training goes, it’s a pretty wholesome experience and one of the driving factors that continues to draw people back to our gym.  

Cultivate Lasting Relationships

We understand that our training facility isn’t exactly a social club; we get that. But would you be as inclined to return to your small group training sessions if you didn’t like or enjoy the same people that you see on a weekly basis? We’d wager that you’d be more likely – nay, more excited – to come to each session knowing that you get to spend time and improve your physical health with once-strangers that have now become acquaintances and maybe even friends. Yet again, small group training tends to be pretty wholesome!

Learn From Your Immediate Community

Your primary fitness instructor should be a guiding voice in your small group training sessions, but you might also be surprised at what you can take away from others in your classes. Simply watching others’ form while doing a particular exercise or even asking a couple modest questions can greatly enhance your experience. And hey, even if you’re a gym novice, you might be surprised at some of the knowledge and know-how that you can offer others in your group training sessions.

Come Group Train At Forever Strong®!

The benefits of small group training are pretty clear, so why not experience them? Learn more by contacting our gym in Fulton today.

What’s Up With Female Hormones, Cortisol, Weight Gain, and Exercise After 40?

As a woman over 40,  experiencing perimenopausal or menopausal weight gain have you increased your frequency and duration of exercise in an attempt to ‘out run’ your belly bulge?

Women between the ages of 40 and 60, your body is naturally, gradually aging and changing as are your hormones. These changes often include, muscle loss, weight gain, insatiable food cravings and a belly bulge or ‘muffin top’ that won’t go away.

Before you decide to throw in the towel and succumb to the aging process, there are many things you can do with regard to exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle changes that can help offset, slow down, and even reverse the metabolic slowdown associated with aging.

Today, we explore how exercise can help the hormonal balance and what cortisol’s role in weight gain is.

We know that exercise is good for us. It strengthens our major organs and our muscles. It helps to regulate blood sugars and fat storage. It improves bone density and stimulates the production of ‘feel good’ hormones. Exercise is essential for weight loss and weight maintenance.

The unfortunate thing is, exercise also creates stress on the body. Not just wear and tear on the joints and muscular stress, but metabolic stress as the adrenals increase their production of cortisol to keep energy levels high and the body’s various systems running effectively.

In general chronically high cortisol levels result in extreme fatigue, reduced immune response and low blood pressure and is bad for everyone. These high cortisol levels are even worse for the perimenopausal woman whose production of progesterone is at an all time low.

You may wonder why this happens? The adrenals cannot make cortisol without progesterone. The more cortisol they’re required to make to offset stress, the less progesterone will be available to balance estrogen and testosterone. Without the balancing effects of progesterone, excess estrogen often leads to weight gain, in particular, an increase in the body’s central fat stores – the Belly Bulge.

Women with high central fat also tend to secrete more cortisol than women with lower central fat in high stress situations. These can create a cycle that is difficult to break. In addition, cortisol prompts cravings for “comfort food,” which are typically high in carbs and saturated fat. Routinely acting on these cravings can also lead to weight gain.

Clearly we need to balance the benefits of exercise with the potential costs of elevated stress and cortisol levels. We need to exercise for hormonal balance.

  • More cardio is NOT better. Short intense interval cardio workouts stimulate less cortisol production than longer endurance workouts.
  • Efficient strength workouts. Compound, whole body movements incorporating high tension techniques involve more muscles and burns more calories during the workout and after your workout. This also reduces the duration of your workout. Monitoring intensity during strength training can enhance the benefits.
  • Add more non-exercise movement to your day. Take the stairs, park farther from a store, and just incorporating more movement in your day will help to increase your metabolism without causing hormonal stress on your body or spiking appetite.
  • Engage in formal exercise five days/week. Regular exercise a the right intensity is still key to losing weight. Alternate weight training with light intensity fat burn,  high intensity cardio  exercise, mobility exercises, and stress relief activities.

Sample Weekly Workout

Monday: Weight train – 25 to 30 minutes. Include a 10 minute high intensity fat burn
Tuesday: Light intensity fat burn – 30 to 120 minutes
Wednesday: Weight train – 25 to 30 minutes. Include a 10 minute high intensity fat burn
Thursday: Light intensity fat burn – 30 to 120 minutes
Friday: Weight train – 25 to 30 minutes. Include a 10 minute high intensity fat burn
Saturday:  Mobility exercises – 20 minutes and an 8 minute high intensity fat burn
Sunday: Stress release activity  – restorative yoga, tai chi, meditation

Cortisol’s Relationship to Sleep and Stress

We also need to focus on sleep and managing stress in order to keep chronic cortisol levels down.

  • Sleep. Production of cortisol varies rhythmically throughout the day, being highest upon waking and declining to its lowest levels of the day at the time you typically go to sleep. Chronic, moderate sleep deprivation interrupts this diurnal cycle, causing end-of-the-day cortisol levels to remain high. Over time, elevated cortisol levels can lead to insulin resistance, obesity and diabetes. Elevated cortisol levels are of particular concern to menopausal and perimenopausal women, as the combination of high cortisol and low estrogen contributes to middle-of-the-body weight gain. Try to get eight hours minimum of sleep and go to bed by 10:00pm.
  • Reduce and manage stress: Participating in a regular “mindfulness-based stress reduction” program offers significant reductions in cortisol and stress-related symptoms. Deep breathing and meditation also help to reduce stress.

Conclusion

In short, as women we need to stop comparing our current body to that of our 20 year old body and we need to have compassion for ourselves as we age. Whether you are currently at a gym, in a group exercise program, working with a personal trainer, or managing your fitness routine on your own, understanding the role that stress and hormones play go a long way.

Our Personal Trainers have helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas lose weight, tone up, and become stronger.  Our neighbors in Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring love their personalized training program. Unlike group fitness classes, each client receives a custom program. We’d love to help you too. Call us at 301-452-5547 or email info@trainforeverstrong.com to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

Increase Strength Instead Of Focusing On Gaining Muscle Mass

For a proper full body workout, strength training is just as important as getting in a balanced mix of cardio. While running and other aerobic activities are a good way to build muscle, especially leg muscle, your upper body and core need just as much stress and resistance training in order to strengthen your whole body. At Forever Strong®, we want everyone that comes to our small group training gym to achieve their own desired results when it comes to transforming their body, and ultimately their way of life. So, we’ll help you safely train until you’re at a point of fitness that you’re happy with, but our Fulton gym also believes that strength training and fitness should be approached holistically.

We Care How You Feel

In this sense, we mean that the entire body should be considered when you’re working out and getting in shape, as well as how getting fit can positively impact your day-to-day life when you’re not at our strength training gym. We want you to feel your very best and get the most out of your life, and in today’s blog post, we’re going to cover why it’s smart to emphasize overall strength training as opposed to gaining visible muscle mass. Let’s discover why the way you feel is just as, if not more important, than the way you look.

Growing Your Muscles

Note that making a muscle grow requires a slightly altered approach than it does to make a muscle stronger. This is where the distinction between your weight lifting performance versus your training effect comes into play. For those training up a muscle or muscle group specifically for cosmetic benefits (to make the muscle larger), the training effects that your workouts have on your muscles should be your area of concern. In other words, the volume of exercise and completeness of muscle fiber breakdown or directly related to the results that you’ll see in the mirror.

The idea with cosmetic muscle gain is to work your muscles to full exhaustion, which should be approached with caution. In many cases, this doesn’t necessarily take much weight in a well-planned isolation workout – rather, the cumulative effect that the workout has on your muscle tissue will translate to quicker gains in muscle mass.

Strength Training Your Muscles

Adding strength, on the other hand, comes through making the ‘base’ of your exercise routine consist of larger movement. So, compound-style exercises like squatting, deadlifting and bench pressing are great choices that allow the body to recruit many muscle fibers in one shot. This total body exertion, especially under heavy loads, will encourage greater hormone release and train your fast-twitch fibers to be more responsive and fire harder. Simply put, this is the formula to build strength in your muscles and in your body.

Comparing The Two

Due to the large impact on your hormones in addition to heavy lifting and compound movements, strength training generally has a greater impact on your central nervous system. Your body truly takes a beating with repeated maximal efforts, so rest time between sets and even rest time between training days as a whole should be closely monitored to avoid injury or any adverse effects.

All things considered, with size comes strength – the larger the surface area of the unit, the more force that unit will be able to apply against a resistance. That’s why massive bodybuilders wouldn’t be able to bench 700+ pounds if they only weighed 175. So, building the size of your muscles and gaining strength can go hand in hand if you train smart. Just remember, though, that your journey to fitness is often based on how you feel, what your daily energy levels are like, how your clothes fit, and so forth. Don’t get too consumed with that reflection in the mirror!

Learn More About What Forever Strong® Can Do For You

Ready to take the next step to more strength and a healthier life? Our Fulton gym is excited to work with you. Get in touch with us now!

Being Challenged in Life Is Inevitable, Being Defeated Is Optional – Roger Crawford

The votes are in and all our clients agreed that the eight week Body Fusion Blast program was the most challenging yet.

The Body Fusion Blast program was the second phase in our three phase body recomposition. The first phase began with the Core Cure, building our foundational strength.  We then built on that with the Body Fusion Blast, focusing on functional strength. We will complete the phases with the Attain Super Stamina – now in progress.

You are probably wondering “what are foundational and functional strength, why do I need them, and what does this do for me?“

Foundational Strength – Core Cure

Well, foundational strength is the development of a superior base from which all other fitness adaptations can leverage themselves.  It is strength and power that form the basis of all physical ability. With the development of strength and power, anything below that level of intensity then becomes easier. The more strength and power that is present the greater the body’s ability to perform at a higher level for a longer period of time.

Functional Strength – Body Fusion Blast

Functional Strength is the strength that gets us through life and daily survival. Lifting a heavy load overhead is a fantastic measure for Hercules or the competitive weightlifter but the history of manual labor has consisted of something very different – every day tasks.

Body Fusion Blast

For the Body Fusion Blast, each day’s workout paired total body movements which contained heavily weighted exercises done slowly fused with functional movements. The heavy movements included different versions of deadlifts, squats, and presses. The functional movements included chops, body weight movements, and core exercises that enhance everyday life.

Together, all of these movements helped to build on that foundational strength gained in the Core Cure program. Thus helping our clients maintain that foundational strength and gaining more functionality, balance, and mobility in everyday movements.

Melting the Fat

Of course, at ForeverStrong we compliment every session with our High Intensity Melt. HIIT is considered to be much more effective than normal cardio because the intensity is higher. For this eight week cycle we had 20 second bursts of intense cardio and a 40 second rest. This forced our clients to give it their all for that 20 seconds. For more information on HIIT training click here.

Amazing Success

For the Body Fusion Blast phase, ALL of our clients more than doubled the amount of work (reps) they were capable of  at the beginning of the program. We determined the increase by strength testing  (number of reps) of specified movements at the beginning of the program. We then retest that same movements with the same weight at the end of the program to see the increased number of reps. From there we determine the increase.

Clients not only saw percent increases in strength, they saw increases in load (weight) throughout the program cycle, better balance, better mobility and they commented that everyday tasks were easier. Everyone also liked the fact that we included core work so that they could maintain the core strength that was gained in the Core Cure program.

The movements that clients were most successful in doubling were:

  1. Deadlifts – regular and sumo, and
  2. Goblet squats

Congratulations to our awesome clients and what they achieved.

Here are quotes from clients about the Body Fusion Blast phase and what it did for them – Join ForeverStrong and see what it can do for you!!

ForeverStrong client – “I Increased strength in heavy lifting segment. Continued improvement/maintenance of shoulder strength and flexibility. I was also able to work through an injury (that occurred outside of class) during this cycle by modifying a few of the moves. This helped me to stay on track and only miss a week of classes.”

ForeverStrong client – “My greatest improvement was planking. I could barely do two of the full sets before dropping to knees, and now I’m making it through all four sets. I also started the program with a little back pain and thus a lighter deadlift. My pain is now gone and I’m moving up weight quickly.”

ForeverStrong client – “Squats! 8 months ago I couldn’t even do one without serious knee pain. Now I can say I have good form and can feel the strength in my legs and core that wasn’t there before, and no pain!

Our Personal Trainers have helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas lose weight, tone up, and become stronger.  Our neighbors in Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring love their personalized training program. Unlike group fitness classes, each client receives a custom program. We’d love to help you too. Call us at 301-452-5547 to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

Did You Know That Strength Training Can Help Treat Osteopenia?

Osteopenia is a very common condition that affects millions of Americans each year. If you’re not familiar with osteopenia or bone loss, it refers to a condition that occurs when the body doesn’t make new bone as quickly as it absorbs old bone. This weak bone condition can lead to osteoporosis if it worsens, but fortunately, there are ways to help fight weak bone generation!

ForeverStrong® Is Here To Help You

If you read the title of this blog post, then you might be intrigued to know that active exercise and strength training at our Fulton training gym might be able to help strengthen your bones and fight osteopenia. At ForeverStrong®, we’re proud to help our valued clients by doing more for them than just burning fat and building muscle. Our goal at ForeverStrong is to improve the overall quality of life for everyone, and we think that goes well beyond strength training and improving your cardiovascular fitness (though those are still important aspects of our group training services!).

Let’s take a good at a few reasons at why strength training exercises will help you deal with bone loss:

Osteopenia Exercise Treatment

The main point of strength training and exercise for osteopenia is to do the following:

  • Prevent bone fractures
  • Stop or significantly slow down bone loss
  • Increase your bone density

By doing both balance and weight-bearing exercises, you’ll prevent your chances of falling as well as stimulate your cells that promote new bone growth. While preventing your chances of randomly falling over sounds rather silly, aging can result in a gradual loss of balance. If you do not fall because you’re doing balance exercises, then you are far less likely to suffer from a bone fracture.

Plus, with weight-bearing exercises, you’ll promote what are known as ‘osteoblasts,’ or cells that help your body build new bone. Without going into more science-related details, you’ll be doing your bones a favor by preventing them from getting damaged and promoting healthy, strong growth. With our training exercises at ForeverStrong®, it’s a win-win for you and your bones.

Now You Have Yet Another Reason To Come Train With Us!

Do you want to get strong…forever? We believe that you should live your life to the fullest and get the best quality out of your experience as possible. So don’t let something like bone loss hold you back from doing the things that you enjoy and living a rich, fulfilled life. Instead, get in touch with the full body strength training professionals here at ForeverStrong®. With your personal fitness goals in mind and our powerful, structured training programs, we’ll work together toward a life of better health and happiness. Questions? Learn more by getting in touch with our Fulton strength training gym today!

Balance Your Hormone Levels Through Small Group Training

By now, the seemingly infinite benefits of exercise are far from being a secret. As history has shown, cultures around the world have exercised for millennia, and for good reason, too. While it’s difficult to narrow down all of the positives of working out and getting active, there is one specific benefit that we here at ForeverStrong® wanted to focus on in today’s blog post: the ability for exercise to optimize and balance your hormone levels. We find that this benefit does not receive a whole lot of attention, and yet the impact that exercise could have on your hormones and your overall quality of life is substantial!

Have Fun And Get In Shape At ForeverStrong®

At ForeverStrong®, our Fulton training gym makes getting in shape fun and effective. You’ll be bonding and growing with others in your intimate small training group while receiving highly personalized, individual attention from our certified training instructors. Seems like a sweet deal, right? To learn more about our small group training exercise model at ForeverStrong®, visit this page or read on to discover some of the amazing benefits that exercise can do to optimize and balance your hormone levels. Let’s take a quick look.

Intense Exercise And Hormones

When you’re huffing and puffing at the gym, your body produces and releases elevated levels of a number of different hormones including serotonin, dopamine, testosterone, estrogen, and most notably, endorphins. While endorphins are typically known as what gives people the ‘runner’s high’, the elevated levels of estrogen in the female body can be seen as desirable due to certain benefits.

During an intense exercise session, a person’s estrogen levels will help fuel the body and give them the energy to get them through the pain of a workout. Since women tend to have higher estrogen levels, women will usually end up rapidly burning fat as fuel for the workout, whereas men tend to burn off more carbs. As a result of a hormonal imbalance, women tend to gain weight from having lower estrogen levels, so the spike in estrogen helps maintain healthier weight levels and prevent overall weight gain.

Your Hormones Benefit From Simply Moving Around

Your hormonal levels will be adversely impacted if you’re simply sitting around on the couch all day. Even doing an activity as simple as walking around the block a few times can help you get those natural “feel good” chemicals moving around in your brain. So many Americans and people around the world tend to live a sedentary lifestyle that scientists have actually dubbed the condition “Sedentary Death Syndrome” – if you don’t use your muscles and get moving every day, you will suffer over time.

Intense Group Training Maximizes Your Hormone Optimization

While simply getting any extent of exercise or physical movement has awesome benefits for your body’s natural hormone levels, getting intense aerobic and strength training here at ForeverStrong® will provide the best possible impact on things like your mood, energy, appearance, confidence, and overall daily happiness. So why not venture over to our Fulton training gym?

Contact ForeverStrong® Today And Do Your Hormones A Favor

Your body is a temple and it deserves the best possible treatment. With a personalized fitness plan, fitness tracking, and encouraging small group training services, here to help you optimize your health and your hormone levels. Make it happen by contacting ForeverStrong® today!

Why Small Group Training Is Better Than Training On Your Own

At Train Forever Strong, we pride ourselves on the community aspect of our training gym. Empowering one another to break through personal barriers and reach new fitness goals is a standard practice for us, and we firmly believe that you can work harder and achieve more in a supportive, small group training setting as opposed to doing it all on your own.

In today’s post, we’re going to look at why our small group training classes and programs are a better use of your time (and your efforts) as opposed to figuring out things on your own. If you happen to be a seasoned fitness professional with a sports medicine background, then we encourage you to do your own thing.

But many of those who wind up at Train Forever Strong don’t have extensive fitness experience or haven’t exercised in a long time, which makes them excellent candidates for our expert training guidance and support. Anyway, let’s take a look at a few reasons why small group training at our Fulton gym is so awesome.

Make Lasting Friendships

Who knew that exercise was such a great bonding element between fellow humans? Yes, all of those blood, sweat, and tears (hopefully just sweat) that you shed at Train Forever Strong represents a shared experience among those who you’re working out with. At our personal training gym, there are no judgments – only positive, supportive energy for one another to improve our physical and mental states.

Community Connection

Tying into our last point, over the years we’ve found that many of our gym members end up coming back for reasons other than improvements in their physical fitness. Like a great workspace or your favorite local bar, you’ll find worthwhile and lasting connections with the people that you meet and share your fitness journey with.

The inner-focus during an individual, unguided workout is great (there really is nothing like your own tunes to get you pumped), but the reality is that your earbuds will prevent you from meeting cool new people or verbally encouraging your partner to finish that last set of reps.

If you’re looking for major physical improvements through fitness and being active, then you’ll eventually walk out of our Fulton gym as a different person than when you started. The beauty is that fellow members in your small group training classes will also be forever changed, and you get to relish that together. Too sappy for you? Too bad!

You’ll Always Know What To Do

This point is very important, so pay attention! When a lot of people get into an exercise routine by themselves without either consulting a medical professional or getting involved with a certified trainer, they’ll find themselves in a world of hurt due to stress-related injuries or even improper equipment use. Others find themselves discouraged from getting active in the first place, because they simply don’t know where to start or what to do.

We understand where you’re coming from, and that’s why our dedicated fitness professionals are here to safely and effectively facilitate your training sessions so that you maximize your time and efforts while having fun in the process! Plus, you’ll virtually eliminate any possibility of injury when you’re engaged in supervised training with our fitness experts. Small group training really is a win-win situation, and frankly, we don’t know why more people aren’t considering it.

Come See For Yourself!

We’re a biased but credible source when it comes to small group training, but don’t take our word for it – come break a sweat and check it out for yourself! Train Forever Strong offers your first session absolutely free of charge so that you can get a feel for our facility and community. We’re confident that you’ll like what you see, and we’re even more confident that you’ll love how you feel. Get in touch with Train Forever Strong now and take the next step on your fitness journey!

Why You Should Take Advantage Of a Free Personal Training Session

Free…wait, did someone say ‘free?’ We did! Train Forever Strong is happy to provide you with your first session at our personalized fitness center, free of charge! We understand that you have many choices when it comes to small group training and personalized fitness, so we invite you to come check out our Fulton gym to see for yourself why people love going to our personal training facility.

If your first time in being free wasn’t enough of a reason to get you in here, check out a few more reasons as to why you should make the smart move for your health and head on down to Train Forever Strong. Let’s take a look.

Seriously, There’s No Charge

We already mentioned that your first session is on the house, but it’s worth really emphasizing in this post. Even if for some reason you don’t have the most fun, positive and rewarding experience as you can (and we’re confident that you will), there’s really nothing to lose in this situation except for a couple hours of your life. Just come see for yourself how awesome this community is here at Train Forever Strong, and you’ll see why people keep coming back time and time again.

Meet Some New Friends

At Train Forever Strong, community is huge! We specialize in small group training fitness classes that provide you with the personalized support and guidance of a certified fitness instructor, combined with the peer-to-peer benefits of support and encouragement. There’s something empowering about empowering other people on their own fitness journey, and vice versa.

When you learn to live healthier and grow stronger with the same group of people over time, you’ll notice a sort of ineffable bond between one another that you just can’t put your finger on. You’ll learn to love and support the people around you as they work through and eventually overcome their fitness obstacles, ultimately working toward a healthier and worthwhile life.

It’s More Than Just A Tour

Most gyms and fitness centers give prospective members a simple tour of the facilities, without actually getting active and involved while they’re onsite. Instead of that, we want you to actually try out our facilities for yourself to see how you like it – to determine if you’re comfortable with the environment, familiar with the equipment, and so forth.

What Are You Waiting For? Contact Us Today!

Most personal training centers don’t offer this level of interaction when you check out their facilities, so it’s a good idea to jump on this free session – it’s basically a free workout for you. Take advantage of our free session offer by contacting us, or learn more about our Fulton personal training gym here!

Strength Training Is Great, But So Is Injury Prevention

We’re not sure who originally said it, but good habits are as addictive as bad habits, and they’re a lot more rewarding, too. Naturally, exercise is a prime example when it comes to a positive habit with a high potential for reward. At Train Forever Strong, our strength training gym in Maryland is dedicated to providing you with personalized training and group training services that will progressively help work your way to achieving and mastering your fitness goals.

While exercise is a healthy habit, it is crucially important to train safely and prevent any injuries from occurring. That’s why our strength training gym wants to make sure that you know some of the basic ins and outs of exercise and strength training, and how they relate to injury prevention. Check it out!

Two Classes of Injuries

Essentially, there are two basic classes of injuries that we’re concerned about: traumatic injuries and cumulative injuries. Traumatic injuries are freak accidents that occur through sports activities, fitness, or even general daily life, like twisting your ankle getting off the bus or getting into a car wreck.

Cumulative injuries, as the name suggests, occur over time. Cumulative injuries are related to tissue damage that occurs as a result of repetitive strain over a given period of time, such as through running, biking, or other activities that repetitively use the same muscle groups over and over again. Cumulative injuries can creep up without you noticing them, and also may be related to poor posture, faulty movement patterns, improper training, improper gear, and so forth.

General Physical Preparedness

To successfully prevent or at least mitigate any chances of physical or sports-related injury, maintaining general physical preparedness is necessary. What this refers to is maintaining a baseline level of fitness so that you can respond to physical challenges without any harm. Let’s take a quick look at some parts of general physical preparedness.

Flexibility

Seriously, don’t run or exercise without stretching before and after! To avoid any injuries, you’ll want to make sure that all major joints, including your spine, have a full range of motion and sufficient muscle length.

Proper Form

If you’re unsure about how to use a piece of equipment or execute a certain technique correctly, please don’t be bashful. Improperly exercising is what commonly leads to traumatic or cumulative injuries for many people. Sure, you might feel a little embarrassed asking, but we guarantee that it’s much better than hurting yourself.

Use The Right Intended Equipment

This might sound silly, but make sure that the things you’re using to work out with are actually intended for what you’re using them for. Save your stylish shoes for a nice occasion or for work, and use cushioned, high-impact athletic shoes for those cardio activities.

Pushing and Exceeding Your Limits

Exercise is addictive for many people, and sometimes that addiction leads to over ambition. Don’t continue running or putting weight on muscles that clearly already hurt. While it’s good to hurt and and be sore to a healthy extent, putting excess stress on hurting muscles can lead to deep bruises and breaks that may or may not heal.

Do It Right at Our Strength Training Gym

With Train Forever Strong’s team of seasoned, knowledgeable fitness professionals, we’re here to make sure that you’re on a safe, incremental fitness path. We know that increasing your cardiovascular endurance, core strength and overall strength takes time and should not be rushed to allow your body to rest and recover. Why risk any chance of sports or fitness-related injury? Contact the strength workout experts at Train Forever Strong today!

What Is It With HIIT? Part 2

Eleven Research-Backed Reasons You Should Be Doing HIIT

Last week,  I introduced What Is It With HIIT?.   The article delved into what this type of exercise is and how it compares to traditional cardio. This installment outlines 11 research-backed reasons why you should be doing HIIT instead of traditional cardio, especially for those interested in fat loss.  

So why is HIIT so great – here are the reasons!

It’s great for busy people

HIIT stimulates similar or better physical improvements than moderate-intensity continuous training (CMT). The total time commitment required to achieve ideal fitness levels is substantially lower than traditional methods. This is great news, given that “lack of time remains the most commonly cited barrier to regular exercise participation,” states M. J. Gibala, Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University.

It’s very effective for fat loss (especially abdominal fat)

A study published in American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation cited 62 overweight and obese subjects who performed HIIT with strength training two to three times per week over nine months saw significant improvement in both waist circumference measurements and overall body fat. In contrast, longer exercise sessions exceeding 60 minutes stimulates over-production of stress hormones, like cortisol. High levels of cortisol contributes to the storage of abdominal fat.

It stimulates powerful anti-aging hormones

HIIT has been shown to stimulate the production of human growth hormone (HGH).  HGH slows down aging by increasing exercise capacity, increasing bone density, increasing muscle mass, and decreasing body fat. In contrast, overdoing long bouts of traditional cardio can actually damage your mitochondria and accelerate aging.

It builds endurance faster

With HIIT, maximal exercise capacity (endurance) is increased in a very short time. It improves VO2 max (a marker of aerobic fitness) faster than long duration cardio.

It’s superior in preventing and controlling high blood pressure

A study published by the American Journal of Cardiovascular Disease showed women at high risk for hypertension saw greater improvements to blood pressure after just 16 weeks of HIIT, compared to the group that performed 16 weeks of CMT training. Improvements to insulin sensitivity, stiff arteries, and cardiorespiratory fitness were superior among the HIIT group.

It reduces risk of diabetes, heart disease, or stroke

It’s well known that traditional cardio produces these benefits, but research proves that if you are overweight or obese you can still reduce your cardiometabolic risk with HIIT. This means you can still get the life-saving benefits of cardio without a large time commitment.

It suppresses your appetite

In a study on the effects HIIT has on fat loss, Australian researchers cited a lower perceived appetite after HIIT training. Other researchers suggest this is partly due to release of an satiety hormone called peptide YY, as well as lowered levels of an appetite stimulant, ghrelin, after high intensity work. It gets even better because HIIT works best when paired with a progressive strength training program. Studies suggest that strength training releases gut hormones that regulate appetite during and after exercise.

You’ll see results faster

So fast that previously untrained people saw an improvement in endurance, muscle tone and performance in as little as six HIIT sessions. That’s fast!

It boosts your metabolism

Another benefit of HIIT is excess post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).  This means that after you complete your workout, your oxygen consumption and calorie burning remain elevated for up to 48 hours. This higher metabolic level continues as your muscle cells are repaired and restored.

It helps you lose fat while preserving muscle

A common frustration among dieters and weight-loser/gainers is that they gain all the weight back – and more! This is because cutting calories and excessive traditional cardio (CMT) seems to encourage muscle loss.  Loss of lean, metabolically active muscle tissue results in a decreased metabolism, which makes the fat come right back. Fortunately, strength training and HIIT allow you to preserve your precious muscle tissue and push your metabolism in overdrive.

It’s great for people with a short attention span

Boredom is one of the top three reasons why people stop exercising. Not only are these workouts too short to let your mind wander, but HIIT workouts don’t offer you the luxury of getting bored. This is because when you’re pushing hard – real hard – you’re busy sucking wind trying to catch your breath before the next interval. Getting bored with a HIIT workout is like getting bored while running to save your life if a bear was chasing you.

I hope that you enjoyed part two of this  instructional series What Is It With HIIT?.  If you would like to read part one, please click here.

We are proud that we’ve helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas meet their fitness goals. If you’re looking for a personal trainer near Fulton, Maryland, we’d love to help you too! Call us at 301-452-5547 to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session

What Is It With HIIT?

HIIT is all the hype lately. So what’s this type of training all about? 

HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is a training technique in which you give all-out, one hundred percent effort through quick, intense bursts of exercise, followed by recovery periods. This type of training gets and keeps your heart rate up and burns more fat in less time. A high-intensity workout increases the body’s need for oxygen during the effort and creates an oxygen shortage. This causes your body to ask for more oxygen during recovery. This after-burn effect is referred to as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) and is the reason why intense exercise will help burn more fat and calories than regular aerobic and steady-state workouts.

HIIT provides quick, but not instant, results in terms of weight loss and toning the body. HIIT can offer outstanding results without taking too much time from your schedule or sacrificing your metabolism, bones, muscles or joints.

Traditional cardiovascular exercise is an effective type of training in the right amounts. Generally, cardiovascular exercises tend to show diminishing results over a period of time. This can be another challenge for people who are frustrated by their weight. Additionally, excessive endurance exercise can compromise your metabolism by breaking-down hard earned muscle tissue and releasing hormones that make your body prone to store more fat.

Traditional Cardio (CMT)

Let’s start by defining what I label as “traditional cardio.” Traditional Cardio is long duration activity that can stimulate your cardiovascular and respiratory system over a period of time. It’s also called continuous moderate-intensity exercise (CMT). In other words, exercises performed at a moderate intensity for at least 30 minutes to over an hour.  Generally, people refer to this as “aerobic exercise.” Aerobic exercise burns calories, helps with lowering your cholesterol, and will provide you with overall health benefits. It increases the breathing capacity in a person and helps build endurance.

Common examples of aerobic exercise or CMT include jogging, swimming, cycling, elliptical machines,  dance workouts, and step aerobics. CMT combined with strength training exercises can go a long way in helping you achieve a toned and muscular physique. This traditional exercise program would require at least one hour per day, four to five days per week of CMT, and an additional one hour of strength training, two to three days per week.

Total weekly exercise time: six to eight hours per week.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

HIIT  is quite different from traditional cardio. It requires you to dedicate 15 to 30 minutes of your time, and is viewed as a convenient option by both men and women. HIIT is basically performing an activity at high intensity for a specific time (referred to as the work interval) and then performing an activity at very low intensity (referred to as the recovery interval). This routine is continued until the targeted time is complete.

Research shows that HIIT provides the same overall health benefits of longer duration cardio, and that it is far more effective for fat loss. An effective exercise program combining HIIT with strength training requires at least 15 minutes a day, two to three days a week of HIIT, and an additional 45 minutes of strength training, two to three days a week.

Total weekly exercise time: two to three hours per week.

 Sample HIIT Routines:

You don’t need any fancy equipment. Just some motivation and a great warmup. Here are some examples:

  • 30-60 seconds of sprinting, and then walking at a brisk pace for two minutes until the routine is complete.
  • 30 seconds of kettlebell swings paired with walking at a slow pace until your breathing normally. Repeat for 10-15 minutes.
  • Climbing up 100 stairs quickly, and then walking down at normal pace until the routine is complete.

Ready to hit a HIIT workout?

To put it all in perspective, Traditional Cardio and HIIT are both effective at improving the health of a person. Traditional cardio does have its benefits in a well rounded workout program. It just might not be the best standalone choice for you. In fact, arbitrarily doing more exercise could hinder you from reaching your goals. Better results can be attained through implementing a HIIT/progressive strength focused program with incidental cardio. Based on your needs and how much time you can dedicate to promoting your health, HIIT training can make a positive impact on the results you’re getting. If you believe you can dedicate two to three days a week (depending on your fitness goals) to high intensity training, then go for HIIT without thinking twice.

Many of our clients are in awe at the results they achieve in just three sessions a week. You will be too

I hope that you enjoyed part one of this  instructional series What Is It With HIIT?.  Please stay tuned for part two of the instructional series next week.

We are proud that we’ve helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas meet their fitness goals. If you’re looking for a personal trainer near Fulton, Maryland, we’d love to help you too! Call us at 301-452-5547 to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session

Why Do I Smell So Bad When I Work Out?

We all have those days. You know, the really busy ones when we forget to shower or put on deodorant again before we hit the gym.

Sweating at the gym is normal and an essential part of any workout. Working out raises your heart rate, makes you breathe faster and elevates your core temperature, all of which helps to get you fit and healthy. When you start to heat up internally, you start to sweat. This is your body’s natural way of cooling down. Sweating prevents you from overheating, and some even say it helps to release toxins.

Sweat itself is odorless, but the moistness of it acts as a breeding ground for bacteria, which can make you stink. While a little body odor with your workout is normal, excessive body odor might become offensive to other clients and even make you uncomfortable or embarrassed. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to minimize the amount of negative smells you produce at the gym.

Self Care & Personal Hygiene Products

It’s obviously overkill to wear perfume to the gym and no one is expected to do that. Several simple treatments can help you fight body odor when you work out. The first thing is to maintain good hygiene before your workouts. Bathe each day and shower with soap and water after each workout. Carefully clean the areas where sweat typically accumulates.

It’s not asking too much to put on deodorant or take a quick shower before working out in a gym in the morning or in the evening, especially if you are working out in the evening and haven’t showered since early that morning. At the least, put on more deodorant before hitting the gym after a long day of work.

Chemical Treatment

The simplest chemical treatment for preventing body odor while you workout is the application of antiperspirant or deodorant. The products used on your body before and after a workout can help prevent or reduce odor during your workout. Body washes containing essential oils, such as tea tree oil, have anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties to help reduce bacterial growth on your skin. Antiperspirants can help to prevent you from sweating, which reduces moisture and the potential for bacteria to grow. Deodorants containing essential oils can also help reduce the chances that odor-causing bacteria will form.

Antiperspirant reduces the amount of sweat that accumulates on your skin while deodorants work by eliminating body odor but not reducing the amount of perspiration. Aluminium-based agents in antiperspirants block sweat pores in order to help eliminate sweat in the area applied. Consult a physician if these products do not work for you. The doctor may prescribe a medication that can help.

What You Eat

Sweat is typically odorless, but sometimes, depending on what you’ve eaten, your sweat might be what’s causing you to smell, not bacteria. Certain foods release enzymes that become odorous when you sweat. Foods like garlic, onions, broccoli and cabbage can all cause your sweat to stink. To reduce odor, try not to eat these foods the morning of or evening before you work out.

Your Workout Gear Might Be to Blame

Before you start your workout, SMELL your workout clothes. Do they have any odor? If they have even the slightest odor, it will only multiply once they become damp with sweat. To prevent odor on your clothes, wash them immediately after your workout. If you can’t wash the smell out of them, try a sports-wash laundry detergent, or soak your clothes in vinegar and baking soda before you wash them. It’s definitely reasonable to expect people to wear clothes in the gym that don’t already smell bad because they haven’t been washed since a prior workout.

Try Clothing Made for Sweaty Workouts

Special wicking fabric is made for sweaty workouts. Wicking fabric draws sweat away from body and absorbs it. The less sweat you have on your skin, the less bacteria will build up and start to smell. Your clothes might be soaked and even a little smelly, but your skin will stay drier and less odorous.

Other Hygiene Tips

Keep a clean towel handy to wipe sweat off while you exercise. Put talcum powder in your workout shoes to help your feet stay dry and odor free. Change socks during your workout if they become wet with sweat.

Other Reasons for Bad Body Odor

Not all body odor is due to the bacteria breaking down sweat and multiplying on your skin surface. Occasionally, certain medical conditions can cause odor. Check with your physician if you have difficulties in controlling odor, if the odor differs from what you are accustomed to, or you experience other physical concerns following exercise. Stop a workout immediately if you begin to feel ill. Ideally, you should have a full medical check up before beginning any type of physical activity program.

It’s NOT OKAY To Stink In The Gym!

ForeverStrong Health & Fitness wants to make each client’s workout memorable in the most positive way. Please ensure that you are doing your part and following the simple pieces of guidance from the above article.

We are proud to say that we’ve helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas learn and perfect their squat. If your looking for a personal trainer near Fulton, Maryland, we’d love to help you too! Call us at 301-452-5547 to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

Body Recomposition – The ForeverStrong Way

Body Recomposition – the ForeverStrong Way

What is the ForeverStrong way?

Even if you’re not a gym rat, there’s a certain allure to knowing your stuff at the gym. At a gym you can jog on a treadmill, lift some weights, and do squats, but there’s nothing as empowering about a personalized workout program. Knowing exactly why you’re doing every single movement and what the benefit of that movement feels more satisfying. That is the basis of the ForeverStrong Training Method and that is why our clients have such great success. Power2

For eight weeks give our program everything you’ve got and you’ll be well on your way to new strength and muscular development as well as enhanced mobility. Give it  even longer and you’ll see continued success. The many benefits of the ForeverStrong training method are, it will not bulk you up, it creates lean muscularity, and increases your metabolism.

ForeverStrong clients get amazing results with each eight week program cycle utilizing progressive strength training focused on the full-body-five method. This method uses periodized cycles and progressive goals that continue to build on the previous cycle. Each eight week program is a different focus and utilizes a different program style.

A Program that Works

During the previous eight week ForeverStrong Program Cycle, we utilized Supersets to build strength and boost performance for a full body workout.

What is a Superset?

Chances are, if you’ve ever attended a circuit-style workout class or had a personal training session, you’ve seen the word “superset” as part of the usual strength training routine. But as common as supersets might be, there’s still a lot of confusion about what they are and how to do them right.

The answer is simple: alternating sets of two different exercises with no rest in between. For example, doing a set of kettlebell curls and a set of tricep extensions, alternating until you’ve completed all the sets.

However, when it comes to choosing movements to combine, things become tricky. To get the best results, movements can’t just be thrown together. That’s why the ForeverStrong intelligently designed superset has your personalized goal in mind.

In this article, we reveal the results of our last eight week program cycle!

Lose Fat & Build Muscle at the same time

Stamina 2

Our last program cycle focused on the entire body. We wanted our clients to build their strength and boost their performance with a full body workout.

Each client’s program consisted of combined movements that included, but were not limited to:

  • Lower body pull (hinge) & Upper body pull (row),
  • Lower body push (lunge/squat) & Tension drill or carry (suitcase walk or plank),
  • Upper body push (pushup) & Lower body push (lunge/squat)
  • Upper body pull (curl) & Tension drill (plank)

A customized movement combination was incorporated into a personalized training plan for each client. At each training session the client focused on a number of combined movements to perform that day. Each client’s program was personalized to his/her goals and the amount of work was determined based on those goals. The amount of work progressively increasing over the eight week period.

Burning the FatEnergy 2

At the end of every ForeverStrong workout there is a High Intensity Finisher. HIIT is considered to be much more effective than normal cardio because the intensity is higher. You are able to increase both your aerobic and anaerobic endurance while burning more fat.

At ForeverStrong our HIIT Finishers are fun!

We combine many short bursts of cardio exercise with short rests or with a tension movement. Our cardio includes anything from battle ropes to running on a treadmill. All of this is done in a small group with everyone working for a common goal – Let’s knock this out of the park!

Amazing Successes

Our clients love our eight week program cycles and the specific focus of each! Because of the ForeverStrong training method, clients see results.

For the last eight week cycle, our clients more than doubled the amount of work they were capable of  at the beginning of the program. We determined the increase by strength testing  (number of reps) of specified movements at the beginning of the program. We then retest that same movements with the same weight at the end of the program to see the increased number of reps. From there we determine the increase.

However, clients not only saw percent increases in strength, they saw increases in load (weight) throughout the program cycle, ability to move from a modified movement to the full movement, and doing movements without any assistance such as a plyo box, riser, or bench.

Meet our Clients 

ForeverStrong is proud to introduce our clients that at least doubled their personalized movements:

Goblet Squat or Squat Thrust:

Strength 2

Sang Ahn, Geri Anderson, Lisa Bader, Rick Breed, Sara Breed, Pam Corbett, Lauren Curran, Alison Curry, Christina Gardela, Megan Glascock, Seon Lee, Dorothy Lopes, Kevin McGowan, Kelli Passalacqua, Gail Raskin, Banashree Seifert, Patti Sullivan, Lauren Wallace, Susan Warner

Deadlift or Sumo Squat:

Sang Ahn, Geri Anderson, Lisa Bader, Tammy Bowles, Rick Breed, Sara Breed, Pam Corbett, Alison Curry, Laurette Dearden, Christina Gardela, Melba Holliday, Karen Kenion, Jessica Knopp, Patty Konecke, Sara Lustbader, Katie McDonald, Kevin McGowan, Diane Moore, Kelli Passalacqua, Gail Raskin, Banashree Seifert, Patti Sullivan, Lauren Wallace, Kristen Welch

Bottoms up Press (Single & Double):

Sang Ahn, Lisa Bader, Rick Breed, Sara Breed, Pam Corbett, Alison Curry, Megan Glascock, Melba Holiday, Karen Kenion, Dorothy Lopes, Kevin McGowan, Kelli Passalacqua, Patty Sullivan, Kristen Welch,

The ForeverStrong team wants to Congratulate all of our clients as the majority showed improvement in their movements or stamina in the HIIT Finisher. Congratulations!

Our Personal Trainers have helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas lose weight, tone up, and become stronger.  Our neighbors in Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring love their personalized training program. Unlike group fitness classes, each client receives a custom program. We’d love to help you too. Call us at 301-452-5547 to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

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Joe – He’s Forever Healthy

Forever Healthy!

Joe Schmidt is healthier than ever due in large part to his ForeverStrong personalized fitness program.  

Joe always led an active life doing yoga, cycling, kayaking, and other fun indoor/outdoor activities. However, there was still something missing, and as he got older, he started to feel the signs of aging. Rather than accepting his doctor’s recommendation to take medication to fix those problems, he took matters into his own hands and decided that a personalized training program was the better alternative.

Joe came to ForeverStrong on a recommendation by his wife who was already training with us. He really wanted to find the missing piece that would round out his exercise and health goals without resorting to taking medication.bhamvacation-9920

Success! – ForeverStrong was the puzzle piece that was missing. Joe added twice weekly training sessions to his active schedule. Since training with us, Joe doesn’t need to take a single prescription medication. His health indicator numbers and weight are within the healthy range. Joe rarely misses his sessions and is committed to maintaining his healthy numbers and his healthy lifestyle.

Now that Joe is strong and healthy, he notes that he is able to do things that other people his age tend to struggle with. He even jokes, “ When it snows and everyone is in the office complaining about sore backs the next day, I feel fine!” 

I’m in my mid forties and as strong as I was in my late twenties!

Joe credits tjoe2he gains in functional strength and functional movement to our ForeverStrong eight week personalized program cycles. When first starting his ForeverStrong journey, he suffered from shoulder pain due to a mountain biking accident.  His earliest programs focused on restoring mobility and strengthening his shoulder to prevent further injuries.

In Joe’s current programs, he focuses on performing his movements correctly and strengthening muscles to support his joints. His personalized program focuses on lifting to gain strength and adding muscle to improve health, enhance performance, and maintain weight.
In combination with the functional strength portion of the program, Joe works on the ability to move his body with proper muscle and joint function for effortless, pain-free movement. Learning how to be bio-mechanically efficient with everything he does, whether it’s for sports, general fitness, or daily life activities, is very important to Joe. He wants to maintain good health and avoid injury.

ForeverRelationships! Fun & Friendly

Like many of our clients, Joe trains ForeverStrong with a family member. Joe and his wife Christine train together one day a week and Joe is on his own the other day. He enjoys the friendly competition between the two of them and the ability to push each other in a supportive yet challenging environment.

Since ForeverStrong offers 48 workout sessions a week, it doesn’t matter if he misses his regular session and attends another because everyone is fun and supportive. Joe enjoys the friendly atmosphere and feeling of camaraderie during all the training sessions.

Since training ForeverStrong, Joe is stronger than ever before and continues to work hard and increase his strength! We are so happy to have such a dedicated and resilient client!

Like Joe, we want to help you become ForeverHealthy too! For more information about how to reach your fitness and health goals, call us at 301-452-5547 to schedule a complimentary consultation. We’ve helped hundreds of people in Fulton, Columbia, Clarksville, Laurel, and Howard County. We’d love for you to join our ForeverStrong community and family!

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Change Your Life Forever

%image_alt%You could change your life forever starting now. It does mean it just happens as if by magic, you’ll have to put out the effort to dedicate part of your week to exercising. That one change can make a difference in all parts of your life. You will have more energy, be less prone to injury and feel fantastic after just a few weeks. Of course, it will be tough. We first assess your overall fitness and then design a program specifically for you. You will have to work to your maximum potential, but it will still be within your capabilities.

We’ll show you how to do each exercise correctly.

One of the biggest problems people face when they start an exercise program is form. The wrong form can be as simple as turning your wrist wrong. It can minimize results, but even worse, poor form can cause injury. Once you conquer the goal, we don’t stop there. We adjust your workout to your new level of fitness, which is another step most people don’t take when they workout on their own. That way you’ll always be working toward your maximum potential.

Look and feel younger.

A program of regular exercise does so much for you. At the cellular level, it lengthens telomeres. Telomeres are like the aglets on shoelaces, those little plastic covers at the end that prevent the shoelaces from unraveling. Telomeres protect the chromosomes from deterioration and damage. By doing that, it helps keep you younger looking and healthier. As you age, the telomeres get shorter, which is part of the process of aging and can cause illness. When you exercise, studies show that it lengthens the telomeres, so you age more slowly and stay healthier.

You’ll feel fantastic.

You’ll have more energy than you thought possible and move with ease when you exercise. We focus on all forms of exercise, because you need all forms to be truly fit. Some types improve flexibility, while others focus on strength, balance and endurance. If you just focus on strength, you’ll be prone to injury from lack of flexibility and tire faster from lack of endurance. By having a well rounded program you’ll be fit and ready for anything life has to offer.

Studies show that exercise can keep you mentally more alert. So, it’s good for both the body and the mind.

Exercise burns off the hormones created by stress. They make changes in your body that leads to illness. Cortisol, one of the hormones, is also associated with abdominal fat.

When you exercise, you stimulate the brain to create hormones that make you feel good. These hormones not only can help you overcome anxiety and depression, they help give you a more optimistic look at life.

No matter what your age, the strength that exercising gives you makes you confident and feel good about yourself. It will change your life forever.

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This Is Your Year

%image_alt%This is your year to finally make your goals a reality. Maybe you’ve tried before but gave up before you succeeded, but this year you’ll bask in the warmth of success. You may have lofty goals that others don’t believe you can achieve, but you know it’s all possible. It takes breaking down that large goal to small ones and achieving those one at a time. Achieving your first small goal will lead to giving you the motivation to achieve the next one, until you finally have accomplished them all and that massive goal you started with is now conquered.

We’ll help you create the map to success.

It may sound complicated, but it isn’t. we’ll help you identify your goals and if it’s a large one, help you break it down to smaller goals. We assess your overall fitness and identify weak muscle groups, your endurance level and areas where you need more flexibility. The plan We make for you will be hard, but not impossible for you to conquer. As you become fitter, I’ll even adjust that program to reflect your overall improvement.

You’ll get support from staff and other clients that are working as hard as you.

Everyone has their own individual goals, but that doesn’t mean they don’t understand how tough it can be to achieve those. That’s why the community at our fitness center is so supportive of one another. That makes it easier to keep on track. Our staff also makes sure you stay on track and provides an abundance of support. All that support helps you be the winner you know you can be.

You’ll see quick results and that can help keep you motivated.

No matter who you are, results help you stay motivated. They’re reaffirming and helping you know you’re on the right path. Even though we tell you that the program works, seeing it with your own eyes is far more effective. That’s one reason we chart so frequently and measure your progress. It gives visual proof that you’re succeeding. If it doesn’t show the success that should be expected, we can adjust the program so you’ll have the success you hoped to achieve.

You’ll start to feel stronger almost immediately. That can build your confidence and improve your self image.

You’ll see pounds fall off quicker when you work out. Even if you’ve tried to lose weight before, if you didn’t add strength training and exercise to your program, you probably didn’t have success. Exercise makes it easy.

People of all fitness levels can start to achieve their fitness goals. A little prehab may be necessary to do it safely for those who are out of shape.

We’ll teach you not only the exercises, but the best way to keep your body fit. We’ll help you to understand how your body works because there’s nothing better than education to help you keep focused on your progress.

Blast Fat, Build Muscle*

Blast Fat, Build Muscle

*Individual results may vary

Kettlebell Complexes: The Secret Weapon

Complex training sounds almost like one of those infomercials that run at 2AM: “In only 15 minutes twice a week you can build that toned body you’ve always wanted! But wait, there’s more!”

Of course it takes more than thirty minutes a week to get “toned,” and complexes don’t fold up and store neatly under your bed, or sell for only three easy payments of $29.95. However, when added to your ForeverStrong training program they can really take you to the next level of physique development.

Our next ForeverStrong program cycle focuses on the Kettlebell Complex method. This method is a series Kettlebell Complexesof movements done in succession, where all reps of the exercise are completed uninterrupted before moving onto the next, and……. you never put the kettlebell or piece of equipment down.

You’re probably wondering why we adjust our program formula?

Well, each eight week cycle we need to build on what you did previously. We don’t want you to get bored or plateau with your goals.

But, why kettlebell complexes or complexes at all?

The answer is simple, this training stokes the metabolic furnace, creates a large oxygen debt, and promises prolonged caloric after-burn. This is why short and intense kettlebell complex training sessions are far more effective for melting fat than low-intensity aerobics

What benefits/improvements can you expect by doing complexes:

  • Significantly increased lean body mass (fat burning and lean muscle building),
  • Enhanced core strength and performance in functional activities,
  • Cardiovascular conditioning & performance,
  • Overall strength/endurance/power,
  • Grip strength,
  • Physiological ability to work under fatigue,
  • Coordination of lifting technique, and
  • Workout time efficiency.

Complexes, compound exercises, or ladders call upon the coordinated action of multiple muscle groups to move multiple joints through a range of motion simultaneously. To perform them in succession and uninterrupted means to string these exercises together and execute them without rest.

Complexes are performed with almost any piece of equipment (TRX) or no equipment at all. The kettlebell, however, lends itself uniquely to complex training. The compact nature along with its offset center of gravity, encourages one to flow seamlessly from movement to movement.

Continue to Burn & Build

With complexes you stimulate your hormones to burn more fat and build lean muscle. The release of article-pic-2growth hormones helps to burn body fat and build lean muscle mass. Resistance training, full body exercise, and minimal rest between exercises are all proven methods to stimulate growth hormones.

Also, complexes assist in body composition changes through a mechanism known as EPOC or Excess Post Oxygen Consumption. This means after completing your session, your metabolism is significantly elevated. Your body burns more calories, potentially for many more hours post training. This is a major benefit of resistance training compared to aerobic training, which burns calories only during the exercise.

Another important benefit that continues to build on the ForeverStrong program formula, is that kettlebell complexes enhance your core strength and power in an impressive way. Remember, your “core” (the muscles surrounding your spine) has two primary functions – protect the spine, and act as a force transmission between the upper and lower parts of the body. Core strength is a major focus of our next eight week program cycle, this way we keeping building on what you are accomplishing.

 What Does a ForeverStrong Complex Look Like?

By now you are wondering, what does a complex look like? Here is one example:

  • Squat
  • Clean and Press
  • Bent row

There is no rest between each movement. We will ladder these movements so you may have 12 – 15 reps total in this complex. Different programs will have different set/rep schemes and your program will be set to your personal goals A complex could have three exercises to four exercises per complex.

In Conclusion

There it is the secret weapon for fat loss and building strength! By adding complexes, you’re looking at some serious progression and muscle building benefits. Complexes are definitely a proven way for you to get fit, powerful, and build lean muscle.

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Fit Bottomed Girls

%image_alt%If you want to become one of the fit bottomed girls, it’s never too late. No matter what your age, you can get back into shape and have a curvy, toned look that will turn heads. Achieving overall fitness means building all the muscles in your body, including your glutes—your backside. For instance, you’ll improve your overall posture. That means you’ll pull in your stomach, walk taller and have fewer problems with back aches and pain.

Stay healthier with a butt workout.

No matter what disease or condition you name, in almost all cases, exercise can help prevent it. It helps build your immune system to ward off germs that otherwise might play havoc with your health and prevent serious conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and even some forms of cancer. It also stimulates the body to create antioxidants that protect the cells from damage from free radicals.

Your butt will look great, but so will the rest of your body.

Exercise builds muscle tissue, lifts your butt, tones and trims your body and does other wonderful things for your appearance. It improves your posture so you’ll look more confident. It also helps your skin and complexion. Exercise stimulates circulation sending oxygen and nutrient rich blood to all parts of the body, including your skin. Looking older before your time doesn’t have to happen when you exercise. Just as the antioxidants help protect cells from damage and disease to keep you healthier, it also helps prevent the damage that makes you look older.

Prevent future joint and muscle injury.

When you build your glutes, you’ll be helping both your upper and lower body. It can strengthen the bones and help prevent cartilage damage to the knees and muscle damage to the back. The stronger muscles improve your walk and keeps the pelvis stable, which eliminates one of the extra pressures on the knees. It also helps take off weight that causes even more damage to the joints and improves your posture to prevent muscle injury.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look your best and exercise is one way of achieving that. It brings a glow to your complexion and a great looking silhouette.

You’ll find it easier to lose weight and keep it from returning the longer you maintain a workout regimen. That’s because it helps build muscle tissue that requires more calories to maintain than fat tissue does. Essentially, you’ll be raising your metabolism.

A great bottom can help you achieve more athletically. No matter what sport you play, improving your glutes helps. It helps to improve your jumping skills, agility and speed while also adding more speed to any side-to-side movements.

You’ll lift your spirits and not just because you look great. No matter what type of workout you do, raising your heart rate for long enough stimulates the body to create hormones that make you feel fantastic. You’ll have a new outlook on life.

Amazing Program – Amazing Client Results

“Of Course it’s hard, it’s supposed to be hard, if it was easy, everyone would do it, HARD is what makes it great.”

Have you ever asked yourself “Why do ForeverStrong clients have such great success with increasing functional strength and improving functional mobility?”

It’s because of the ForeverStrong Training Method!

The ForeverStrong Training Method is nothing like anything you have experienced before and that’s exactly why you need it.

For eight weeks give this program everything you’ve got and you’ll be well on your way to new strength and muscular development as well as functional mobility. Other benefits of the ForeverStrong training method is the fact that it will not bulk you up, it creates lean muscularity, and increases your metabolism.

ForeverStrong clients get amazing results with each eight week program cycle utilizing progressive strength training focused on the full-body-five method. This method uses periodized cycles and progressive goals. Each eight week program focuses on a different area of the body.article-pic-5

In this article, we will reveal the results of our last eight week program cycle!

A Posterior Focus

Our last program cycle focused on the posterior chain (calves, hamstrings, low back, traps, and posterior deltoid).

Each client’s program consisted of movements that included:

  • Upper body push (pushup),
  • Upper body pull (row),
  • Lower body pull (hinge),
  • Lower body push (lunge/squat),
  • Tension drill or carry (suitcase walk or plank).

Each movement or its modification was incorporated into a personalized training plan. At each training session the client focused on a number of moarticle-pic-2vements to perform that day. Each client’s program was personalized to his/her goals and the sets and reps were determined based on those goals. The reps progressively increasing over the eight week period.

For the last program, ForeverStrong utilized the drop set method. Drop sets is a technique for continuing an exercise with a lower weight once muscle failure has been achieved at a higher weight.

” The daily workouts change and don’t get boring” Patty never felt bored

Liz really liked the “Personalized workouts geared to my weaknesses and areas needing most improvement. Great Stuff! 

Burning the Fat

Another integral part of the ForeverStrong training method is the High Intensity Finisher or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) component. HIIT is considered to be much more effective than normal cardio because the intensity is higher. You are able to increase both your aerobic and anaerobic endurance while burning more fat.

At ForeverStrong our HIIT Finishers are fun!

We combine many short bursts of cardio exercise with short rests. Our cardio includes anything from battle ropes to running on a treadmill. All of this is done in a small group with everyone working for a comarticle-pic-6mon goal – Let’s knock this out of the park!

“Diversity of the finisher made it challenging”  stated Joanne

Amazing Successes

Our clients love our eight week program cycles and the specific focus of each! Because of the ForeverStrong training method, clients see results.

For the eight week cycle that focused on the posterior chain, our clients had an overall strength increase of 131%. We determined the increase percentage by strength testing  (number of reps) of specified movements at the beginning of the program. We then retest that same movements with the same weight at the end of the program to see the increased number of reps. From there we determine the percent increase.

However, clients not only saw percent increases in strength, they saw increases in load (weight) throughout the program cycle, ability to move from a modified movement to the full movement, and doing movements without any assistance such as a plyo box, riser, or bench.

“I felt a sense of accomplishment & strength as the program progressed” commented Rick 

Meet our Clients

ForeverStrong is proud to introduce our clients that increased at least one of their personalized movements by 100% or more:

Pistol Squat:

Geri Anderson, Lisa Bader, Rick Breed, Sara Breed, Pam Corbett, Alison Curry, Laurette Dearden, Shashi Duraiswami, Belinda Fyfe, Maria Gonzales-Jackson, Lynn Lawton, Chris Mason, Deann Lentz, Laurie Nardinelli, Evelyn Quigley, Yvette Shaqir, Patti Sullivan, Lauren Wallace, Susan Warner, Kristen Welch

Also, Joe Schmidt went from an assisted pistol squat, squatting to a low plyo box, to no box and weighted! Way to go Joe!

“I was able to do a full pistol for the first time by the end of the program. when I started I was on box” exclaimed Joe

Shoulder Squat:

Janine Barton, Rick Barton, Ramani Duraiswami, Sharada Karunakaran, Jay Katon, Lorri Yawney, Joanne Yuvanc

Plank Row:

Scott Holden, Karen Kenion, Kevin McGowan, Christine Schmidt, Lynda Stapf, Dana Thomas, Chris Toibero

Sara said “I had overall improvements in strength and flexibility” 

Many of these clients increased reps for more than one movement, but we want to highlight their largest percent improvement. Congratulations!

The ForeverStrong team wants to Congratulate all of our clients as the majority showed improvement in their movements or stamina in the HIIT Finisher.

Our Personal Trainers have helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas lose weight, tone up, and become stronger.  Our neighbors in Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring love their personalized training program. Unlike group fitness classes, each client receives a custom program. We’d love to help you too. Call us at 301-452-5547 to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

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Giving Myself Muscles For Christmas

Giving Myself Muscles for Christmas

A gift of muscles for Christmas is one of the best gifts you can give yourself and your family. Not only will you have more energy to do all the things you enjoy doing with your family, you’ll also be healthier and live a longer life. It takes dedication and time, but all great gifts take that, whether it’s for yourself or someone else. This time, instead of trying to guess what the other person wants, you’ll know exactly and your effort won’t be lost.

A personal trainer can help you accomplish your goals.

While knowing what you want is important, knowing how to achieve it is also important. If you’re like most people, you shop for a gift and purchase it, not make it from scratch. The same is true with the gift of muscles. You can use the expertise of a trainer to help you achieve the fitness level you want to attain, rather than going it alone. You’ll get faster, more consistent results and have more fun in the process. A trainer will work you hard, but insure you will be safely within your capabilities.

Signing up for a boot camp may be a good option.

You’ll be amazed at how much fun getting muscles can be when you workout with a group. Not only do you get all the benefits that a personal trainer offers, you’ll also get the group motivation and pay a lower price for the trainers services. In a group, everyone works together, but on their own personalized goals. You’ll never feel left behind or bored because you’ll be working toward your own personal best. You’ll also make some amazing friends in the group and love the comradery it offers.

Take off the fat when you build your muscles.

Shedding extra pounds is easier when you’re building muscle tissue. Not only are you burning more calories while you workout, you’re also setting the stage to burn extra calories in the future. That’s because the more muscle tissue you have the more calories you burn. Muscle tissue requires more calories than fat tissue does, so essentially you’ll be raising your metabolism.

Building muscle tissue can also help you maintain bone tissue too. Studies show that weight bearing exercises work as well as many medications to prevent bone loss and can even help reverse it.

You’ll walk taller and have better posture when you build your muscles. That can give you a confident look and when you look confident, you often feel more confident.

You’ll love how you feel after a great workout. That’s because exercise is a stress buster. It burns off the hormones of stress that leave you feeling exhausted with a knot in your stomach and replaces them with ones that make you feel fantastic.

You’ll feel good about your great looking body. There’s nothing wrong with feeling good about yourself and enjoying the new you. In fact, that’s how you should feel every day of your life.

How to do the Turkish Getup

What is the Turkish Getup? and How to Perform it?

The getup, when performed properly, promotes the shoulders’ stability, mobility and resilience. It will improve overall strength by teaching the important concept of “linkage” while eliminating strength “leakage.” Gray Cook, the developer of The Functional Movement Screen explains that “Stabilizers are what gives you the mechanical advantage to be stronger.”

When using high tension techniques, we “link” our muscle groups together by creating tension throughout our body. The term strength “leakage” refers to a loss of total body tension in one or more areas and can inhibit our performance.

Safety is the most important consideration when starting the getup. Never practice when you are distracted or in an area with children. Use common sense in determining the load. If you are attempting a personal record, have a trained spotter on hand during the entire movement.

Always practice “like it’s heavy.’ Meaning, never do anything with a light kettlebell that you would not do with a heavy kettlebell. This applies especially to picking up and parking the bells.

Learn how to breathe shallow without losing tightness during the getup. Many of my clients tend to lose tightness during transitions from one posture to another. So, performing each section of the getup as slowly as possible is a great way to maintain your linkage through your upper back muscle.

“Linked” joints are compressed with the tension of the surrounding muscles. The increased rigidness improves the transfer of power through the chain of your body, minimizing weaknesses. Practice sucking your shoulders into their sockets throughout the movement and learn to identify power “leakages” on your own.

It is very important to keep your eye on the kettlebell during the movement. There is no need to look at your instructor or down at the ground. If your eyes move the kettlebell will follow and that will compromise your safety.

To propel your advancement, practice the getup at home without weight or with a light dumbbell.

Let’s review the Steps

1.) Prepare to press the bell.

Checklist at this point:
  • The Leg on the Kettlebell Side is Bent
  • Wrist is straight

tgu-position-1

2.) Press the kettlebell from the floor press position.

Checklist:

 

  • Pack both shoulders
  • Wrist is Straight
  • Arm is Verticaltgu-press

3.) Ascend to the elbow (initiate from the “glutes”).

Checklist:
  • Pack both shoulders
  • Wrist is Straight
  • Arm is Vertical
  • Elbow is directly under the shouldertgu-elbow

4.) Ascend to the palm DO NOT SKIP THE HAND

Checklist:
  • Eyes on the bell
  • Pack both shoulders
  • Wrist is Straight
  • Arm is Vertical
  • Grip the ground with your stabilizing hand
  • Corkscrew elbow into ground before next steptgu-palm

 

5.) Sweep the knee to the palm. Kneel (knee to palm)

Checklist:
  • Eyes on the bell
  • Pack both shoulders
  • Wrist is Straight
  • Arms are Vertical and lockedwindmilltgu

6.) Ascend to Upright Kneel (WINDMILL UP)

Checklist:
  • Eyes are looking straight ahead
  • Wrist is Straight
  • Arm is Vertical
  • Legs are aligned parallel as though each foot were on train tracks
  • Toe of back foot is “tucked” underkneelingtgu

7.) Tall Stand.

Checklist:
  • Weight the front foot.
  • Squeeze the glute of the back leg.
  • Press the front foot into the floor.
  • Ascend to HardStyle.
  • Eyes are forwardtgustand

Reversing the Movement

Reverse Lunge. Sweep the leg to a kneel (lower as you step back) softly land on the knee. You do not have to stay on the knee for a prolonged period.

Kneeling Windmill Position. Kick the hip out and follow the line of your leg down with your hand. (look for a nice line *jazz hands*)

Leg Sweep to Sit. Grip the ground with your hand and corkscrew your elbow before sweeping the leg through. Point the toe and drag the leg back to the start position.

Descend to the Elbow. Keep BOTH shoulders packed the working shoulder and the stabilizing shoulder as you descend to the elbow

Return to starting position. Return to the Keep BOTH shoulders packed the working shoulder and the stabilizing shoulder as you descend to the starting position. Wedge away from the elbow and engage your core as you descend.

Retract the kettlebell to by placing your elbow on the ground. Roll back to the starting position.

Repeat!

Final Notes: Take your time. The more time under tension you spend practicing the getup, the better the results.

Committed to YOUR Health & Fitness Success,

-Kelly Scott

Choose Quality Not Quantity For Thanksgiving

%image_alt%This is the time of year often associated with overeating. It’s a time when people get together with families and a time for you to choose quality not quantity for Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season. Making sure that you bring the healthy snacks to the family feast to keep your appetite under check can help you stick with the program, plus help you when portion control becomes important. You’ll only want a sliver of the delicious pies at the end of the meal or will be able to choose the one that is healthiest, satisfying and lower in calories. Consider a lattice crust rhubarb or pumpkin with no top crust over a rich pecan pie.

Eat a nutritious breakfast in the morning.

You can’t control what everyone brings or the hostess serves for Thanksgiving, but you can control what you eat before you go to dinner. Fill up before you go with a nutritious breakfast. People often make the mistake of foregoing a breakfast to save calories when they know they’ll be feasting that day, but it’s the worse thing you can do. A breakfast that keeps you filled will with fiber and protein can help keep you satisfied for a longer time and make it easier to avoid those high calorie snacks before dinner or gorging yourself at the feast.

Fill you plate with nutritious foods and protein, but go light on ones with sauces.

The turkey is the center of attention at Thanksgiving. After all, don’t people often call it Turkey Day? Choose white turkey meat, plenty of veggies…sans those with sauce, lots of fresh leafy veggies and some mashed potatoes. If you’re making the potatoes, use Greek yogurt to make them or bring it along to put on the top, avoiding gravy entirely. Volunteer to make a low calorie gravy. You’ll find plenty of recipes on the internet that cut out much of the fat, but still taste fantastic. Snack away on fresh veggies and dip made with low calorie yogurt.

Always remember portion control.

Some foods can be eaten with joy and as often and as much as you want. Those are the fresh vegetables, greens and cooked vegetables without a sauce. Others need to be approached more cautiously, but still aren’t all that bad for you. Consider the turkey as your second line of defense against fat. Finally, there are those foods that you know are ones that should only be sampled, nibbled and slivered in portions. Yeah, they’re the gravies, macaroni and cheese, pastries and pies. Eating a spoonful of mac n’ cheese can curb your appetite for it, just as a sliver of pie does. You’ll have the pleasure of the food without consuming hundreds of calories.

Eat slowly. The slower you eat, the less people will notice your eating habits. There’s always someone in the group that says, “come on, you can eat some more.” If a broth based soup is part of the menu, it’s a good option.

Don’t pass up those foods you only get once a year at holiday time. Instead, just take a small portion. You’ll be satisfied if you savor each small bite.

Skip alcoholic drinks. Instead, go for water. It’s healthy and thirst quenching.

Focus on others around the table and converse. Not only will you learn a lot about the people you love and make everyone feel special, you’ll eat slower too.

Avoid The Holiday Treats Trap

%image_alt%You don’t have to gain weight over the holidays if you do some planning. You can avoid the holiday treats trap and over stuffing yourself with high calorie options this way. Remembering that the holidays is not just for food, but for giving thanks and remembering family and loved ones. One way to monitor your snack intake is to prepare your own low calorie goodies that you always have on hand and eliminating the offending, but often yummy snacks, from your home. If you received food gifts that will make your waistline soar, take them to work and share them with coworkers or pack them up in small servings for the freezer. You’ll have them available when guests come and keep them away from your view.

Make your contribution to the holiday season a healthier option.

Creating low calorie snacks for your family get-together or insuring you have ones at your home and work can help you avoid the rush to the tasty cookies, pies and holiday candy. Treat your office one day with a veggie tray and dip made with Greek yogurt. Have fresh fruit available and maybe even create a dark chocolate strawberry dip if you want to indulge yourself. Remember, the main part should be the strawberry with just a skosh of chocolate for flavor. The strawberry is not a vehicle to carry mountains of chocolate dip.

Remember portion control.

You might remember portion control but if you’re starved, it’s a passing memory. Eat ahead of time to insure you’re full enough to resist the many tempting treat. During the holiday times you may be rushed, but take the time to have healthy snacks and meals. It can help you keep portions under control and stop the battle of the bulge you fight every year.

Sip on water.

Part of the problem with controlling snacking is that, like smoking, is giving your hands something do and keeps your mouth busy. Some people have horrible times relaxing at social events like cocktail parties or Holiday parties where the main food is served buffet style. It’s easier to fill your mouth than talk to people you don’t know. Sip on water instead of alcoholic beverages to help keep both your hands and your mouth busy or find someone in the room that looks as uncomfortable, ignored or out of place as you feel. Befriend them by being interested in their life. You might make a great new friend and avoid overeating out of stress.

? Find some delectable creative snacks. One of my favorite snacks was baby asparagus cooked lightly and then cooled on ice and served with a healthy lemony dipping sauce. Elegant, easy and healthy describe it.

? Take time to exercise. Sometimes stress can make you eat even when you’re not hungry. Take time to exercise to burn off those stress hormones, while also enjoying the fat burning it provides.

? Remember, the holiday is a day, not a two month long season. Don’t break down every day saying, “well, it’s the holidays.” Choose your food wisely and save those cheats for just one day.

? Only eat the high calorie foods you love. Don’t sample everything, especially if you don’t like it. Pile your plate with some holiday foods, like Jello with fresh fruits and nimble on a small serving of pie.

Betsy – She’s ForeverActive

Betsy – Featured ForeverStrong Client

She’s ForeverActive


Featured Client Betsy Stewart
ForeverStrong client Betsy has always been active and fit. When she was younger she was very active and strong. Over the years she noticed her strength and endurance slowly slipping away. She became disappointed in her energy levels and physical fitness abilities now, compared to when she was younger.

Betsy’s story is like many of ours, and she realized she could change her path and become strong again. Without ever joining ForeverStrong, Betsy fears she would be still in need of a demanding workout other than just walking and playing volleyball in the summer.

“I enjoy those things but knew that they were not demanding enough.”

Now, my energy stays high all day!

Waking up in the morning and maintaining your energy throughout the day and into the evening is a huge task, one that many struggle with. For Betsy, keeping up her energy in the evening was incredibly discouraging and difficult, especially when there is so much to do!

Betsy felt that her greatest fear about seeking help with her fitness and joining a gym, was investing in it and not actually taking advantage and using the membership. Many people can relate to this. It’s one step to buy a gym membership, it’s another step to attend regularly and put forth effort. Before training at ForeverStrong, Betsy worked out with a trainer but found her self struggling when she was working out on her own. The classes provided at ForeverStrong and the personalized fitness system supervised by the trainers was exactly what she found she needed to be successful!

Better Sleep, more energy, more fun!

Since training ForeverStrong, Betsy is reversing the decline of her strength and feels strong again.  Her energy levels are up as well! Betsy is now able to expand her familiar morning routine and actually gains energy from it! She now completes more of her to do list in the evening and sleeps better at night. Even better, shopping at Costco is no longer a difficult task as she can easily lift and carry the bulky items! 

Even her family noticed this summer, how strong she is getting out of the pool. She has gained the upper body strength to pull herself out of the deep end onto the pool deck…. effortlessly.

Consistency is everything!

Betsy’s favorite part of the journey has been trying something new and sticking to it. With the sessions offered at ForeverStrong, Betsy found that the best way to keep up an effective and consistent workout schedule was to commit  to two sessions a week. “It has become a part of my routine which is great!”Everyone has to start somewhere, nobody is alike!

“I have told several friends about ForeverStrong. Anyone can do this. I was not superfit when I joined, but I am now.”

Congratulations, Besty! You are ForeverStrong & ForeverActive! We know how tough it can be stick to a workout and we are so glad to be able to provide you with the workout program you need to succeed!

If you’re like Betsy, and struggle to workout on your own or are not seeing real results, then let us help you with our personalized sessions led by professional fitness trainers by calling 301-452- 5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation.

Successfully Slim

%image_alt%I love to see our clients become successfully slim and trim. It happens a lot, but each time it thrills me to see someone accomplish their goals and do it in a healthy manner. Getting slimmer is a combination of a healthy diet and a workout program. You can lose weight with one or the other, but you won’t see all the extra benefits you’d see by using both.

Getting fit means feeling fantastic.

While you workout, you’ll notice some of the stress is gone. That sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach that can come from stress is caused by stress hormones, such as cortisol. They make the changes in the body that get it ready for flight or to fight. Cortisol, one of the hormones, is also responsible for the accumulation of fat on the belly. Hooray for exercise and the way it combats stress. You’ll be seeing that tummy pouch disappear while benefiting your body in other ways. .

Exercise helps burn extra calories but it does so much more.

When you workout you build muscle tissue, which also uses more calories than fat tissue does. That means you’ll be boosting your metabolism and burning more 24/7. That muscle tissue also weighs more per cubic inch than fat tissue does, so the container holding it (your body) is smaller than a container holding the same number of pounds of fat tissue. Even if you never shed one single pound, you’ll look thinner because of this.

Eating healthier isn’t dieting.

We don’t give you a diet, but help you learn how to make smarter choices when it comes to food. That means you’ll make lifestyle changes and never have to diet again. Diets always end but eating healthy never does. You’ll learn simple tricks, such as using Greek yogurt for potatoes rather than sour cream. It may only save a few calories but all these tips and tricks add up to huge savings. You’ll never feel deprived, either and never be hungry. Often people find they eat more.

When you combine healthy eating with regular exercise, you give fat a double whammy. You lower caloric intake at the same time you increase your output.

You’ll build your energy and want to be more active after just a few weeks. More activity means more chances to burn even more calories.

You’ll love the new way of eating that allows you to have snacks all the time. In fact, you’ll keep healthy snacks ready so your family may even get healthier in the process.

You’ll be amazed at how yummy healthy food can taste. It won’t take long before you wonder why you ever liked other types of food in the first place. If you have a favorite food you still enjoy, you can eat it. Just don’t overindulge.

Buddy System

%image_alt%If you have trouble sticking to your plan or simply get too bored exercising alone, the buddy system can be a huge help when you workout. The buddy system pairs two people to workout with each other for exercises purposes. They share their goals for weight loss, exercise and even may share some of their favorite lower calorie food choices. These people support one another in the attainment of goals. It adds another dimension to working out that can keep you on the straight and narrow, especially in the first few weeks of a program where dropping out is has the most potential.

Going to the gym with a friend or spouse lowers the dropout rate.

We love when people join with a friend. It means they have more potential of continuing and meeting their goals successfully. One study by Jack Raglin a kinesiology professor at Indiana University showed that married couples that went to different gyms or worked out at different times, dropped out at a rate of 50 percent, while ones that went to the gym together only had a 10 percent dropout rate. They didn’t even have to workout in the same area, just going together made a difference. It didn’t even have to be a married couple, just someone that you like who might be waiting for you to pick them up or show up at the gym. The more people involved, the better the results.

You’ll break the boredom of exercise when you workout with a buddy.

While working out with a buddy doesn’t mean you’ll be constantly talking. In fact, most people find they normally talk more between sets and after them than during. If you do talk, it burns a few extra calories but whether it’s before, after or during, it also makes that workout more enjoyable and helps you avoid focusing on the difficulty of the task so you get more accomplished. Don’t forget, the harder you workout, the more difficult it will become to talk, so if your buddy’s fitness level isn’t up to yours or far better, consider a code of silence until there’s improvement.

You’ll have additional help in form.

Your personal trainer will watch closely to insure you have the proper form, but sometimes people forget and it’s not discovered immediately. When you work with a buddy between the times of personal training, both you and the buddy can often spot a discrepancy between both of your forms. That’s the time you go to a trainer to make sure you’re both doing it right.

A buddy system keeps you working hard and sometimes adds a bit of competition in the workout, particularly if you’re well matched partners.

You’ll have fun and make your workout a social outlet besides just a physical endeavor when you workout with someone else.

Working out is one thing, but eating is another where a buddy system helps. Joining a friend for lunch can highlight some special opportunities to eat healthier. A buddy system can also help to expand your repertoire of healthy recipes.

When you workout with a buddy, you tend to stick closer to your program of healthier eating, while also sticking with the workout. You’re more accountable.

Slim And Successful

%image_alt%When your goal is to have a workout that will help you get slim and successful achievement means a smaller clothing size, you need to insure you’re doing the right things to reach that goal. Of course, most often we all want more from our fitness program than just fitting into smaller clothing, although that’s one way to measure weight loss and muscle development. A good personal trainer will guide you through a program that offers a variety of different fitness benefits.

Of course, you’ll have weight loss and shrink your waist size.

Looking great is a huge motivating force when it comes to fitness. In fact, some people wouldn’t bother with workouts if it didn’t make them look fabulous. You’ll benefit from a workout in a number of ways. Not only does the right type of exercise help you lose weight, it also builds muscle tissue. Muscle tissue weighs more per cubic inch than fat does, so a pound of muscle takes up less space. It’s like comparing the size of container for a pound of steel and a pound of feathers. The container for the steel will be much smaller, just like your body will be after exercising. Even if you never lost a pound, you’ll look far thinner.

You’ll improve your range of motion.

That may not sound very sexy or exciting, but it should. Your range of motion is your flexibility. When you’re more flexible, you’re less likely to get injured doing simple things. You’ll also move with agility and that gives you a younger more sensual appearance. If you love dancing, you’ll really appreciate how much easier you move on the floor.

You’ll have far more endurance.

Exercise is heart healthy and can improve your overall stamina and endurance. You’ll be able to do far more than ever, without stopping to catch your breath or huffing and puffing. Standing and gasping for air isn’t how you want the world to see you, unless it’s after a good workout in the gym. Then it means you’ve put in your best effort and that’s inspiring and attractive. While you may do that at the gym, it helps you to avoid getting winded outside the gym. You’ll be spry enough to tackle stairs with ease and keep up with the best of them.

You’ll live longer, but even better, those extra years will be healthier too. Studies show that for every minute you exercise, you gain an average of seven minutes of life. Exercise helps prevent serious conditions that can shorten your life.

You’ll help keep minor illnesses at bay. Exercise boosts your immune system and helps protect cells. It also helps improve circulation that sends oxygen and nutrient rich blood to all parts of your body.

Exercise helps your complexion look fantastic. You’ll look years younger thanks to the increased circulation.

You’ll sleep better at night when you exercise. Not only does exercise boost your brain power, the extra sleep helps keep your head clear and your mind focused.

Are You an Exercise Non-Responder?

Are you sticking with your plan, following your exercise program, eating well and still not seeing the results you want?  Frustrated Exerciser

Don’t get frustrated or discouraged.  You likely just need to work out differently than others.  Your body is special and just needs a little extra TLC.

In the fitness world, when traditional plans don’t produce progress, we call the body, a “non-responder.”  Some people are responders, they drop weight and increase muscle, it’s almost like you can see their body changing in front of your eyes.  You don’t have to envy those people, you too can be a responder!

Being a non-responder can be detrimental to adhering to your plan.  Instead of giving up on exercise, increase the intensity. Studies show that people who don’t respond well to traditional workouts show progress with increased intensity.

Since optimal overall health requires good cardiovascular health as well as strength and endurance of the muscles, we’ve included some tips for how to kick it up a notch…and move the belt a tighter a few notches too.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Monitor your heart rate and focus on your target zone based on your goals.  You’ll need to know your target heart rate zone for the way you’re exercising.  See the table below to understand your target heart rate zone.
exercise-heart-rate-zones

The optimal fat burning range is at a moderate intensity, or around 70% of your maximum heart rate.   You can gauge at what intensity you are at by checking your pulse and comparing it to the chart above.  GET IN THE ZONE!

You can also change the way you workout by paying attention to the duration.  There are two main types of workouts targeted to increase cardiovascular endurance.  The main difference is duration, but you should choose the workout style based on your goals and responses.

With traditional cardio workouts, you work at a lower intensity for a longer duration to obtain the overall benefits.  This workout usually takes between 40 to 80 minutes and stays consistent at a moderate intensity.  Let me put that in real life terms, that’s 2-4 episodes of a show on Netflix.

You could also opt for High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for cardio.  HIIT involves alternating from exercising at lower intensity and then increasing the intensity in short burst to about 90% of your maximum heart rate.  The intensity you start and the duration of the intervals is usually based on current current fitness level.  The duration of the intervals may be increased over time to ensure you are challenging your body.  You shouldn’t alternate intensities for more than 15 – 20 minutes.

Cardio in half the time sounds great, but it may not be best for you. That extra episode on Netflix won’t help you reach your goals, unless your goal is to watch an extra episode.   Quicker isn’t always better, and sometimes shorter is better than farther.  According to research*, even though we theoretically burn more fat during moderate intensity workouts, non-responders see more results when they get out of steady state cardio and work to increase both intensity and duration of their workouts.

Our ForeverStrong weight loss clients are encouraged to add supplementary cardiovascular sessions to their program to increase circulation, recovery and metabolism.  Making sure to move everyday is extremely important.  Not moving your body enough can cause increased risk for many diseases, including Type II Diabetes. If you are not currently exercising on non-workout days, add frequency before intensity.

Follow these tips to increase the intensity of your ForeverStrong workout program:

  • Make it a habit to walk 30 minutes per day.
  • Work up to walking 1 hour per day.
  • Add Intensity.
    • Intensity should only be increased after consistently walking 1 hour per day 5 days per week.  Use the suggestions above to increase intensity.

Most importantly, track your progress. Log your workouts into a fitness tracker so we have a reliable record of your activity. We cannot adjust a plan, or evaluate how well it’s working if we don’t have an accurate record.

Now that you know how to increase the intensity of your supplemental workouts, let’s talk about how to increase the intensity of your strength training workouts.  Time to lift some heavy weight or some light weight many times, depending on your goals.

Strength Training

You can increase the intensity of your strength training workouts in several ways.  They all have one thing in common, they will make you work harder.  Challenging your body is one of the best ways to reach your fitness goals.
Reduce rest time between sets.  If you normally rest 30 seconds between sets, try 20 seconds Not recommended for the social butterfly, this option will drastically reduce the amount of texts you can reply to while in the gym.

Change the way you work out.  You don’t have to always keep the same boring pace.  You can lift heavier weight, slower and for less repetitions.  Alternatively, you can lift lighter weights, faster, and for more repetitions that normal.  While both of these workout styles are effective, the best style is the one that makes you feel the best.  When you feel good about how you feel and you are seeing results, you’ve found the best way to work out for your body.

Avoid the machines.  Use compound movements and complex routines.  Compound movements will work more than one muscle group.  Complex routines will string together sets of exercise without rest.  It took me a while to understand the main benefit of not using the machines.  It’s less cleaning.  Just handles and a surface.  You don’t have rollers, and handles and other handles and protectors for the handle’s handle that the machines have.
Start your workout with your heaviest lower body moves.  This means take care of the bigger heavier weight exercises when you’re fresh and not fatigued.  Squats before fries, flies.

Our ForeverStrong workouts already focus on intensity so increasing the intensity of our workouts can be a bit different. If you notice your heart rate not in the appropriate zone during your workout, here are some tips to to increase the intensity during your ForeverStrong workout:

Switch to Active Recovery.  In between sets, don’t sit on the bench.  I know, you’re never going to be able to choose a new song again!  Recover in a way that progresses your workout.  You can do some dynamic stretches or work on your form for the next exercise in your set with little to no weight.  Some recommendations from professionals vary about active recovery, Steve Maxwell recommends shivering, shaking & light calisthenics.  Alternatively, Pavel Tsatsouline recommends fast & loose drills.

Modify the plan.  If necessary,  decrease weight or repetitions.  You may need to decrease both when fatigue sets in.

Time under tension is the amount of time your muscle is experiencing tension  Time under tension (TUT) is more important than the speed at which your perform your repetitions.  Less repetitions with more time under tension will create a greater response than increased
repetitions with little to no tension. You benefit more from five 10 second repetitions than you do from 30 one second repetitions.

Monitor your breathing during your strength training.  You should have an elevated heart rate, and experience some breathing changes, but not be sucking wind like a Hoover vacuum during your workout.

Those are some specific tips for how to increase your intensity and change the way your body responds to exercise.  There is one very important tip.  This applies to every exercise and every time you increase intensity.  This isn’t a tip. This is not like the tip at all.  The tip is optional, you decide whether or not you want to do it.  This.  This is a rule.

Never compromise form for intensity.
You should only increase intensity to a level at which you can maintain proper form for the entire duration of the set.  If you see that you’ve increased the intensity but your form is suffering, dial back the change you made to your workout.  There isn’t anything worse than performing 100 completely ineffective squats, well maybe 300 ineffective squats.

Following these tips and sticking with them can your body into a responder.  Commit to focusing on intensity and form.  You can change your body.  Change the way you work out, dedicate yourself to making the change, and watch your body respond to your efforts. With, or without a personal trainer.

We’ve helped hundreds of people in Howard County and the surrounding areas including Highland, Clarksville, Columbia, Burtonsville, Olney, Ashton and Silver Spring get there bodies responding to exercise. We’d love to help you too. Call us at 301-452-5547 to see for yourself. Mention this article for a free session!

Ready To Watch Your Body Change?

Ready to Watch Your Body Change?

No matter what you do, you’ll watch your body change. That’s right. The body continues to change, even if you live a sedentary lifestyle. Of course, the change isn’t always positive. In order to make that change a great experience you need to eat healthy and add regular exercise to your schedule. You’ll start noticing small changes at first, but it won’t stop there. Before you know it you’ll look and feel years younger, wear smaller clothing sizes and have a sculpted attractive new look.

Not all changes are apparent to others.

Some of the changes aren’t visible, but you’ll know they took place by the way you feel. You’ll be able to carry heavier packages without having to sit them down for a rest and have far more endurance. If you’ve had to pause to catch your breath when climbing steps, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it is and how you can now conquer the entire flight with ease. The extra energy will help you get through a busy day with ease and have enough left to be active and ready for night life.

You’ll see a difference in your complexion.

Change is good when it means looking and feeling better and the increased circulation caused by exercise helps that. You’ll be sending nutrient and oxygen laden blood circulating throughout your system to feed all cells in your body, including your skin. It helps regulate hormones that can cause skin outbreaks and eliminate toxins from the skin. Regular exercise can even undo some of the damage caused to skin by aging.

You’ll see your tummy start to flatten.

Exercise helps eliminate the Buddha belly that can form from inactivity. It does it in a number of ways. First, it improves regularity to help prevent the bloated look, but also helps blast away stress hormones, such as cortisol. These are often associated with abdominal fat. Healthier eating habits can prevent constipation and lower your overall fat. Exercising core muscles tightens the abdominal muscles and improves posture to give you a sleek, more youthful body and a flatter tummy.

Exercise can change more than your body, it can change your mood too. When you exercise, it stimulates the brain to create hormones that make you feel good. That’s one reason many mental health professionals suggest exercise as part of the therapy for depression.

Exercise helps you think clearer. Not only has it been found beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients, it also has prove to help cognitive thinking in all people.

You’ll see your energy level grow by leaps and bounds. It’s amazing, but the more energy you use, the more your body seems to have.

You’ll see many ailments seem to disappear. Exercise can help everything from back pain and bone thinning to high blood pressure and diabetes.

Ready To Watch Your Body Change?

Ready to Watch Your Body Change?

No matter what you do, you’ll watch your body change. That’s right. The body continues to change, even if you live a sedentary lifestyle. Of course, the change isn’t always positive. In order to make that change a great experience you need to eat healthy and add regular exercise to your schedule. You’ll start noticing small changes at first, but it won’t stop there. Before you know it you’ll look and feel years younger, wear smaller clothing sizes and have a sculpted attractive new look.

Not all changes are apparent to others.

Some of the changes aren’t visible, but you’ll know they took place by the way you feel. You’ll be able to carry heavier packages without having to sit them down for a rest and have far more endurance. If you’ve had to pause to catch your breath when climbing steps, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it is and how you can now conquer the entire flight with ease. The extra energy will help you get through a busy day with ease and have enough left to be active and ready for night life.

You’ll see a difference in your complexion.

Change is good when it means looking and feeling better and the increased circulation caused by exercise helps that. You’ll be sending nutrient and oxygen laden blood circulating throughout your system to feed all cells in your body, including your skin. It helps regulate hormones that can cause skin outbreaks and eliminate toxins from the skin. Regular exercise can even undo some of the damage caused to skin by aging.

You’ll see your tummy start to flatten.

Exercise helps eliminate the Buddha belly that can form from inactivity. It does it in a number of ways. First, it improves regularity to help prevent the bloated look, but also helps blast away stress hormones, such as cortisol. These are often associated with abdominal fat. Healthier eating habits can prevent constipation and lower your overall fat. Exercising core muscles tightens the abdominal muscles and improves posture to give you a sleek, more youthful body and a flatter tummy.

Exercise can change more than your body, it can change your mood too. When you exercise, it stimulates the brain to create hormones that make you feel good. That’s one reason many mental health professionals suggest exercise as part of the therapy for depression.

Exercise helps you think clearer. Not only has it been found beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients, it also has prove to help cognitive thinking in all people.

You’ll see your energy level grow by leaps and bounds. It’s amazing, but the more energy you use, the more your body seems to have.

You’ll see many ailments seem to disappear. Exercise can help everything from back pain and bone thinning to high blood pressure and diabetes.

Ready To Watch Your Body Change?

Ready to Watch Your Body Change?

No matter what you do, you’ll watch your body change. That’s right. The body continues to change, even if you live a sedentary lifestyle. Of course, the change isn’t always positive. In order to make that change a great experience you need to eat healthy and add regular exercise to your schedule. You’ll start noticing small changes at first, but it won’t stop there. Before you know it you’ll look and feel years younger, wear smaller clothing sizes and have a sculpted attractive new look.

Not all changes are apparent to others.

Some of the changes aren’t visible, but you’ll know they took place by the way you feel. You’ll be able to carry heavier packages without having to sit them down for a rest and have far more endurance. If you’ve had to pause to catch your breath when climbing steps, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it is and how you can now conquer the entire flight with ease. The extra energy will help you get through a busy day with ease and have enough left to be active and ready for night life.

You’ll see a difference in your complexion.

Change is good when it means looking and feeling better and the increased circulation caused by exercise helps that. You’ll be sending nutrient and oxygen laden blood circulating throughout your system to feed all cells in your body, including your skin. It helps regulate hormones that can cause skin outbreaks and eliminate toxins from the skin. Regular exercise can even undo some of the damage caused to skin by aging.

You’ll see your tummy start to flatten.

Exercise helps eliminate the Buddha belly that can form from inactivity. It does it in a number of ways. First, it improves regularity to help prevent the bloated look, but also helps blast away stress hormones, such as cortisol. These are often associated with abdominal fat. Healthier eating habits can prevent constipation and lower your overall fat. Exercising core muscles tightens the abdominal muscles and improves posture to give you a sleek, more youthful body and a flatter tummy.

Exercise can change more than your body, it can change your mood too. When you exercise, it stimulates the brain to create hormones that make you feel good. That’s one reason many mental health professionals suggest exercise as part of the therapy for depression.

Exercise helps you think clearer. Not only has it been found beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients, it also has prove to help cognitive thinking in all people.

You’ll see your energy level grow by leaps and bounds. It’s amazing, but the more energy you use, the more your body seems to have.

You’ll see many ailments seem to disappear. Exercise can help everything from back pain and bone thinning to high blood pressure and diabetes.

Results Round Up

Another 8 weeks of gains, personal bests, and improvements has ended.  ForeverStrong’s clients are on fire!  You made some excellent progress.  The results are in and they are astounding.  Every program participant improved their strength and fitness levels over the last 8 weeks.  Did you hear that?  EVERY SINGLE ONE.  Who could argue with those kinds of results?

I bet you’re wondering, well what did you do? Did they really improve that much?  I’ll tell you, not only were the overall results fantastic; individual results were amazing.  Some clients improved their strength by over 300%!

We tested the participant’s performance in 5 different exercises.  We used a procedure called “Rep Max” testing in order to track the progress. We recorded how many repetitions each client could do with a specified weight at the start of the program, and then retested how many repetitions they can do with the same weight at the end of the eight week program. In some cases, we test duration instead of repetitions. Each client improved after the 8 week program was completed.  Ah yes, the feeling of success.  Let us bask in it.

 

With success comes admiration (and basking,) so join us in admiring their dedication and improvements.  You can also literally join us and improve YOUR strength too!

CORE

Beautiful Side Plank

Even though we tested 5 different exercises, we targeted our core strength during this 8 week program.  The results show our focus wasn’t misplaced.  Core strength was tested by measuring the amount of time each of person could hold plank variations. More than 25% of participants saw the greatest amount of overall improvement in the tests for core strength!  At the end of the 8 weeks over HALF of those people doubled the amount of time they could hold a plank variation.

 

One of those people was Cathy.  Cathy not only more than tripled how long she could hold a plank, she increased her strength so much that she can now do a full plank!  She need to modify the plank during the initial test.

 

We asked Cathy about her experience. She told us that one of her biggest successes was being able to do a plank without modifications.  She also told us that during this program cycle she has felt stronger and she feels that improved her quality of life.  Way to go Cathy!

 

Let’s not forget Frank.

 

Frank nearly quadrupled his plank time.  He can now hold a plank for over 2 and half minutes!  That’s longer than an entire song by The Beatles.  Congratulations Frank!

SQUATS

Nice Squat

At the beginning of the program, we tested the number of squats performed with a specified weight.  At the end, we retested using the same amount of weight.  About 10% of our participants saw the greatest overall improvement in their squat movements.

 

Among those is Lorri.  Lorri was able to do 1.5 times the number of repetitions she did at the start of the program!  Lorri told us that she surprised herself with her greatest improvement. Great job increasing your squat movement strength by 150%, Lorri!

 

Lisa more than doubled her repetitions at the end of the program.  That’s right, she was able to do twice as many goblet squats after 8 weeks. What a fantastic improvement, Lisa!

 

HINGE

Tim Hinge Demo

We tested the hinge movement using the deadlift exercise.  Usually either friend or foe, the deadlift is a true test of strength.  When correctly performed, it uses muscles all over the body.  We tested the number of deadlifts participants could do with a specified weight at the beginning.  After 8 weeks of the ForeverStrong program, we re-tested, counting repetitions and using the same weight.  Almost 10% of program participants saw the greatest overall improvement in their hinge movement.

The hinge movement is extremely important to our overall fitness level.  It’s the base for stability in the lower body.  Keeping that healthy is essential to mobility and workout progression.

Kevin kept our jaws on the floor during his final test, but by far, the most impressive was the improvement he made on his hinge movement.  At the beginning, the hinge movement was his weakest event.  The deadlift was the exercise he performed the least repetitions in.  By the end of our program, Kevin performed more repetitions of the deadlift than ANY other participant. Excellent work, Kevin!

 

PULL MOVEMENT

Strong Pullup

We tested a couple of variations of the pull movement.  We compared number of repetitions from before the program with number of repetitions after the program.  If weights were used, the amount was the same in both tests. Several of our clients saw the greatest overall improvement in their pull movement.

 

Kathy and Belinda doubled the the number of repetitions they could perform on the row exercise.  Congratulation ladies on seeing 100% improvement!

 

Scott tripled the number of pull-ups he can successfully perform.  Way to go, Scott!

 

Well, the results speak for themselves.  These clients committed themselves and crushed their goals!  Our participants enjoyed the program and felt that it improved their quality of  life.  That’s what ForeverStrong is all about.  We want to help you improve your quality of life for the long haul.  Our participants reported improved confidence, improved functionality in daily life and improved coordination.  Many participants, like Stephanie and Lauren, reported a better quality of sleep.  Some people experienced less back pain.  The most reported benefit of the program to daily life is one that Irene experienced.  A large number of participants reported that they felt

 

stronger.

 

I’d say with those results and those reported benefits ForeverStrong’s most recent 8 week program was a huge success.

 

Thank you to all of our participants. We love working with you!

If you want to reap these rewards as well, call or text us at 301-200-2223 or complete the contact form at www.trainforeverstrong.com to join us for a free workout.

You Shouldn’t Adapt

%image_alt%When you’re working out, you need to keep your body from becoming efficient with any one particular routine. It shouldn’t adapt to the exercise, because that causes it to burn fewer calories. Adaptation or bodily efficiency is the primary reason for plateauing. The human body is miraculous. After moving the same way repeatedly, your body learns the most efficient way of doing the exercise, burning fewer calories. It’s a great help for anyone doing physical labor that requires repetitive movements, but for those trying to shed extra pounds, it hinders progress.

The adaptation means you’re getting fitter.

There are two types of changes, the immediate and the long term. The immediate changes includes things like increased heart rate and breathing rate. As you cool down after an exercise, these also go back to normal. The long term or chronic changes are what make you fitter, such as the development of muscle tissue, increased lung function and improvement in resting and exercising heart rate. Those are some of the reasons you exercise. You also burn more calories while your body is adapting, but once it reaches optimal performance, the changes slow.

Adaptation accounts for slower metabolism.

If you’ve ever gone on a super low calorie diet, or have fasted, only to start eating again and pack on more weight than you lost, you’ve probably put your body into starvation mode. Starvation mode was what kept early man alive when food was hard to find. It produces a slower metabolism rate and causes your body to burn fewer calories for the same amount of effort. That’s why eating healthy and not dieting can help you shed pounds faster than starving yourself.

Start a program of healthy eating combined with exercise and you’ll be doing your body a favor.

When you exercise, you’re aiming for more than just weight loss, although it is a motivating factor for many. You’re helping your body make changes that will make it healthier and help you live longer with less risk of serious conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoporosis. You’re also building muscle tissue and burning fat tissue that makes you look thinner and fitter. To shed excess pounds, you need to lower your caloric intake, but not by denying yourself food or nutrients. That’s where a healthy diet comes into play.

As you get fitter, uping the workload on your body, keeps it burning more calories and helps avoid adaptation that can cause plateauing.

Learning new skills for fitness, not only helps you avoid plateauing, but also keeps you more focused and takes you to another level of fitness.

A good fitness program increases the workload and changes incrementally so you’ll always be working toward a challenging goal.

You’ll not only notice changes in your body, you’ll notice mental changes too. You’ll be happier and more alert after eating healthier and exercising regularly.

Don’t Forget To Cool Down

Cool Down

You’ll be doing your body a favor if you have an effective cool down regimen after exercising. Most people know it’s important to do warm up exercises before taxing the body, but fail to consider cool down….since they normally just want to rest as quickly as possible. That is a mistake that could lead to passing out or other problems. The body undergoes incredible changes when exercising. The sympathetic nervous system takes over and the fight or flight response kicks in to gear. It causes a lot of changes, such as increased heart rate and respiration, plus blood going to the heart, brain and extremities. Abruptly stopping will cause pooling of blood in the extremities since the heart is pushing it through the system with less vigor. That causes fainting.

Improve your flexibility with a cool down.

Rather than point out all the scary things that can happen when you cool down, it’s always good to have a positive reason for doing it. Your muscles are warm after a vigorous workout and you’ll benefit greatly from stretching them at that time. Stretching improves your range of motion and flexibility. That means you’ll be less prone to injury during your next workout.

The harder you workout, the more you need to cool down.

Athletes and those that do a more vigorous exercise routine need a cool down session even more than less fit people. That’s because the harder you work, the more blood flow goes to extremities, such as feet and legs. When you stop quickly, that blood pools, causing it to be insufficient to the brain and poof, before you know it, you’re dizzy or passed out on the floor. Less fit athletes may find the simple act of walking a bit after working out may do the trick. It’s still important, but results aren’t as dramatic.

Get in the habit of doing cool down exercises.

You may not have worked out to the point you have to have a cool down session, but it never hurts to add it and should be an important habit. Stay active after a workout and start moving at a less vigorous pace as you slowly get your heart rate back to normal. Check your heart rate after five minutes and if it’s still elevated, continue cool down for a while longer. Follow that with stretching.

A cool down session doesn’t necessarily prevent muscle pain the next day, as was once thought, but it does feel good while you’re doing it. It makes the transition back to normal easier.

Warming up before exercise is just as important as cooling down, if not more important. It helps prevent muscle injury.

Whether you believe cooling down is important or not, you can’t go wrong doing it. It not only won’t harm you, but it’s also a good way to get back to normalcy, even if passing out isn’t a fear.

Cool down exercises work your muscles when they’re warm and can help prevent stiffness that can occur by stretching them as you cool down a bit.

Happy 1 Year Instructor Anniversary: Julie Taylor

From client to instructor, Julie Taylor has done it all with ForeverStrong®.

It wasn’t enough for Julie to train at ForeverStrong as a client, she loved it so much that she wanted to join our training staff as a trainer herself! Prior to starting her ForeverStrong journey as a client, Julie worked in the corporate world. Upon retirement, Julie was visiting her chiropractor when she saw the newsletter about ForeverStrong. After losing 30 pounds, Julie was looking for the most effective way to maintain her weight. Having already done cardio and yoga, she realized that she needed to incorporate weight training into her workout, which is why she soon came in and talked to Kelly. From there, Julie became a new member of the ForeverStrong community!Julie with bell (2)

After training with us for 9 months and still being retired, Julie found that her love for ForeverStrong kept growing and growing. She soon decided to emerge from retirement and pursue her personal training and kettlebell certifications. Once achieving those certifications, Julie started out as an intern at ForeverStrong. An intern?! Yes, that is correct. From her humble beginning as an intern, Julie has made her way to the top as she is now a key person to our training staff and we are so happy to have her! Our clients, too, enjoy having Julie here as they constantly remind us of how much they love her. Often, at the end of a program cycle, the feedback we receive consists of variations of “I love Julie” responses.

Just as the clients love Julie, she loves them all as well. She dearly loves all the clients, the supportive nature of the staff, and the positive atmosphere that ForeverStrong offers. This, in comparison to the negative atmosphere of the corporate world, makes Julie increasingly more happy.

To those that are considering joining theForeverStrong community, Julie encourages you to give it a chance because it can ultimately change your life! For those that are interested in becoming a part of our training staff, Julie also encourages you to inquire about our apprenticeship program because the ForeverStrong community is always looking for ways to grow. Just recently, Julie was working on growing her own skills and knowledge as she pursed and achieved an orthopedic exercise specialist certification.

Interested in growing with us? Be our guest for a free workout at ForeverStrong, where you can improve your health and fitness in ways that can change your whole life!

Julie’s Accomplishments:
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Hardstyle Kettlebell Instructor Certification
ACE Orthopedic Exercise Specialist Certification

Fitness Tracking And Assessments

Fitness Tracking and Assessments

You can work out until total fatigue every day, but if you don’t have a record of your progress, you won’t know if the program you’re following is working. In this case, it’s probably not because you need recovery time and are over-training. That’s one reason why fitness tracking and assessments are so important. If you don’t know where you started or how far you’ve gone, you have no information to make any changes in your program.

Pegging the starting point is like leaving on a trip.

When you go on a trip, you normally start out at your own home, so knowing your starting point is easy. However, you still need to use that information for Mapquest or on a real map to chart your course. Assessing your fitness is an important task for trainers. It helps them determine the route you’ll be taking on your road to becoming the best possible you. It’s like those little mall maps with the arrow, “you are here” sign. It pegs the starting point.

Planning a course of action is important but not all courses are the best.

Everyone’s body is different, so people succeed at different rates. One type of exercise program may give huge dividends to person A but not work as well as a different combination for person B. Periodic checkups tell the trainer where you need to work harder, whether the workout should be more difficult or if you’re not seeing the success the trainer hoped you’d achieve. Sometimes the lack of success also shows that the person that the person training is missing sessions and not working at their best.

Park the car, we’re at our destination.

Sure, tracking and assessments are great tools to modify your workout, but they’re also great ways to know when you can celebrate for a bit, then set new goals. If your goal is to lose 10 pounds, improve endurance, increase flexibility or improve strength, without measuring results, you’ll never be able to celebrate success. Seeing your progress in black and white can be pretty reassuring and boost your enthusiasm.

Fitness tracking help the trainer tailor the program even further. It can show that some muscle groups are right on task, while others need a bit more attention. It helps the trainer identify specific problems.

Assessing progress is an important step that allows the trainer to make adjustments based on that progress.

Tracking helps keep you accountable for your progress. You can trick yourself into believing you’re doing well, but the results don’t lie.

Tracking keeps you motivated and continuously challenging yourself to be better than you were at the last recording.

Education Is Key Your Fitness Success

education is keyYour fitness success depends on so many factors. Your consistency and dedication to a program, your willingness to work your hardest and the quality of advice you received are some of those factors. However, for long term success, education is the key factor to help you attain lifelong fitness. Education and information can lead you to make wiser decisions whether working out in the gym or at home on your own.

Teach a man to fish and he will eat a lifetime.

That’s what education does. Learning how your body works, what helps you become fitter and ways to solve fitness problems may not seem like the information you receive at other gyms or even from many trainers, but it’s valuable information that should be part of your workout program. As you build your body, you should be building your knowledge so you have a lifetime of fitness.

Know your body and listen to it’s signals.

When you know your body and how it works, you know when it’s trying to tell you something important. Learning the signs of a problem can help prevent further injury. Identifying your limit can help you work toward it and eventually beyond it safely. When you know how your body works and the muscles necessary to do each task, you can pinpoint whether a workout is helping.

Learning the benefits of each exercise helps provide motivation.

Too often we hear all the negative things, such as lack of exercise can lead to poor health and lack of flexibility or poor form can lead to injury. Those are scary facts, but they aren’t motivating facts that make you want to work your hardest. They actually do the opposite by creating fear. When you learn the correct way to do each movement and all the benefits it brings,, you’ll look forward to seeing the results. A positive spin on working out can be extremely motivating.

Just because you have a positive spin on working out, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be aware of the dangers of doing exercises incorrectly. That knowledge can keep you on your toes and make certain you pay close attention to form.

When you have the knowledge of how your body works, you’ll be able to help the trainer plan your program by providing great feedback. You’ll reap more benefits from his or her help.

Knowledge of your body can help you identify weaker muscle groups that are doing the work of larger ones. That can spell injury. That knowledge helps you work on the problem and improve your training.

Fitness knowledge includes learning the proper form for each exercise to improve your results safely.

Never Plateau

%image_alt%There are ways to guarantee you’ll never plateau when you’re working toward the fittest body or losing weight. Plateauing can be extremely frustrating and even lead to enough discouragement that you quit your workout program entirely. People who workout on their own often find that they plateau for months seeing very little improvement. There are several reasons for it and ways to prevent it.

Your level of fitness improves, but you don’t change your workout program to match it.

This is one of the major problems causing plateau and also a great reason to use the services of a personal trainer. I track the progress of each of my clients and as they improve, change the workout to match that improvement. It’s easiest to explain by considering the amount of weight you can lift. If you come to me and after I assess your fitness level, suggest reps using five pound weights. The number of reps prescribed and their weight is based on your present level of fitness. Every time you exercise, you’ll be stronger. It will become easier and easier, until its second nature. If you never increase the reps or weight, you’ll plateau.

Your body becomes more efficient at doing a specific group of exercises.

As you become more accustomed to specific exercises, your body learns to do them more capably and use fewer calories. It’s like any skill. The longer you do something, the easier it is to do. You can do any task quicker and more efficiently. By mixing new routines in frequently and using new ways of exercising, you’ll always keep your body on alert and continue to make fitness strides. You’ll keep your body from adapting to each workout, working it harder in the process and burning more calories.

See if you’ve really plateaued or whether it’s something else.

While eating healthy isn’t dieting and you can occasionally enjoy a few non healthy treats, you may be indulging in those a little more often than you think. Look at your food intake if weight loss is the problem. Track it for a week and see if you’re eating more of the “special treats.” If you’re not and back on track for weight loss, it might have been the problem. Also check your level of commitment to your workout. Are you putting everything into it. Normally, as a personal trainer, I will notice when you don’t. Finally, make sure you get adequate sleep at night.

If you started out well over weight or totally out of shape, expect progress to be greater in the beginning. If you’re losing weight, even though you may not be losing all the weight you did at first, you should still see some progress.

Focus on the gains you see. Sometimes there are even dips where you find doing exercises more difficult. If you haven’t shed a single pound, but lost inches, you haven’t plateaued. You’ve replaced fat tissue with muscle tissue. Muscle tissue weighs more, but is more compact, so you’ll have lost inches.

Make sure you stay hydrated and drink plenty of water. Water not only hydrates you, but acts as a diuretic that can help you shed pounds from water weight gain. Add a little lemon to it or make green tea for another alternative.

Just changing the order of your routine can often help avoid a plateau.

Healthy Habits

%image_alt%Do you want to stay looking your youngest and most vibrant for the rest of your life? You can do it by developing healthy habits. Healthy habits are like any type of habit. They become second nature and you don’t think twice about doing them. One very simple change can be in what you choose to drink. Eliminate carbonated and sugary drinks from your diet and switch to water, herbal tea and green tea. Water is a great choice for flushing your system and hydrating you rapidly. Herbal and green tea have their own extra benefits from the nutrients and phytonutrients they contain.

Get regular exercise and add to it an active lifestyle.

Even if you have a program of regular exercise, but stand at the elevator waiting to take it one floor, or circle the parking lot for 15 minutes trying to find the spot nearest the door, you don’t have all the healthy habits you should have. Make it a point to use your legs as often as possible. Don’t hop in the car to drive to a neighbors just down the road, hoof it. Each bit of additional exercise you add will help you be fit and healthier.

Eat whole foods and leave processed foods on the shelf at the store.

The closer you come to eating a diet of whole foods, the more likely you’ll be to getting the healthiest possible diet. Start changing your diet in small ways, such as freezing bananas and mashing or grinding them up to replace ice cream or substituting brown or wild rice for white rice. When you make your own food, you know exactly what’s in it. Cut back on the fast food and opt for healthier choices. You can create a salad quicker than the time it takes sitting in a drive-through. It’s especially true if you have all the ingredients ready. When you cook chicken or make a roast, slice off pieces and put them in individual servings packets for the freezer that you’ll thaw in the microwave to use whenever you . Have containers of fresh veggies always on hand for snacks. Using those and some lettuce or baby spinach makes creating a salad a breeze in under two minutes.

Get plenty of sleep.

In this country, somewhere along the line working until the wee hours of the night and longer hours became a noble gesture. While nobody can fault a person dedicated to good work and finishing a task, they may be harming their health and working less efficiently by getting fewer hours of sleep. You need seven to nine hours of sleep. Any less causes health problems and decreases mental clarity. Any more may be indicative of a health problem.

If you smoke, quit. Smoking was until recently one of the leading causes of preventable death. It’s since been overtaken by obesity.

Enjoy a rich social life. Whether it’s family or friends, the more socially active you are, the healthier you probably are. Many studies show that have strong social bonds live longer and healthier.

Beware of diet products. Artificial sweeteners are lower in calories, but not necessarily good for you. There are so many sugar alternatives, some of which are healthier than others. Be aware of any health habits and limit your intake.

Limit the use of alcohol. Drinking wine in moderation might be heart healthy, but too much alcohol on a regular basis can damage your body.

JUNE: Client of the Month

“I’ma keep running
Cause a winner don’t quit on themselves”
– Beyonce

Elizabeth with Kelly picThat’s how Elizabeth feels about her experience training at ForeverStrong. It’s a quote from Beyonce’s hit song, Freedom. As her idol, the artist Beyonce continues to inspire and motivate Elizabeth through her fitness journey. So does ForeverStrong.

Maintaining consistency with a fitness routine and healthy lifestyle is the only way to truly see results. This is also many people’s greatest battle. For Elizabeth, it took three factors to finally help her get serious about making a permanent lifestyle.

  • Her brother’s advice
  • Her friend’s battle with breast cancer
  • Honesty with herself

It first started with her brother advising her to try the ForeverStrong program because of the similarities it has in relation to her throwing shot put in high school. Around the same time, Elizabeth’s close friend began to battle breast cancer. Elizabeth found inspiration from her friend’s fight to stay healthy and became motivated to do better and invest more time into her own health. Elizabeth before front picElizabeth before side picThe last factor that really sparked Elizabeth’s fire to start a healthier lifestyle was honesty with herself. She realized that if she continued to live the way she was, then she would fall to health problems and other issues as she got older. “I did not want to feel trapped in my body.””

“Everyday presents a new day”

For many people, weight gain becomes worse as they age. Growing up, Elizabeth struggled with her weight and it carried on into her adulthood. Although she was an overweight child, she was still strong. As she got older, her strength began to deteriorate and her weight gain and aging began to take a toll on her body. “The hardest part of my fitness journey has been to remember everyday presents a new day.”

Winning of the battle of inconsistency
Elizabeth posing picElizabeth after side pic
One of the challenges that Elizabeth fought when trying to get lose weight and tone up was consistency. Many people can relate to this. A break or a missed day turns into a missed week or month. Finding an exercise routine that you like can be difficult. At traditional gyms, it’s often difficult to see the results you want if not properly educated on how to operate the machines or what to do to in order to achieve your fitness goal. Our ForeverStrong fitness system helped Elizabeth to overcome the challenge of inconsistency with our laser focused attention we use to keep our clients on track. With the ForeverStrong program, we also schedule routine check-ins and monthly measurements to ensure that Elizabeth got all the accountability she needed to stick to her program and remain consistent with her workouts.

Previous to joining ForeverStrong, Elizabeth wasn’t a stranger to the kettlebell. She had done her own research and purchased one herself. After attempting to train with the kettlebell, she soon realized it was a mistake learning to do it on her own. “Learning how to swing the bell is vital to it being effective.The diagrams, articles, and pictures were no comparison to learning the swings at ForeverStrong because they teach you step by step and focus on proper form.”

“I have more energy, I feel good, I look good, and I have met great people along the way”
Elizabeth with kettlebell headshot
Since starting her ForeverStrong journey a year ago, Elizabeth has had an incredible weight loss of 71 pounds and still counting. She has finally found a workout routine she enjoys and has stuck with it. Her favorite part is “sweating it out with the 10:15 class” and seeing how much she has improved since the start of her program. Not only has Elizabeth finally found a workout routine that she enjoys and is consistent with, she has also experienced physical changes as well. “I definitely don’t think my results would have been the same if I would have tried to put a plan together on my own. Joining ForeverStrong was the right decision.” She has seen positive changes in her weight, strength, posture, and attitude towards exercise. She has also found herself dreading her workouts less because she knows that they will not be as difficult compared to her first class.

Let us help you help yourself

“Foreverstrong has helped me lose weight while also strengthening my physique. The entire team is very encouraging and dedicated to helping me help myself.”

Listen to Elizabeth’s advice and join ForeverStrong sooner!

“Join. Foreverstrong will help you reach your goals in a supportive and enthusiastic environment. It will not be easy but afterwards you will feel great and accomplished for your hard work. Most importantly, with time and dedication, you will see physical difference.”

Congratulations, Elizabeth! You are ForeverStrong! We know how challenging it can be to stick to your workout and be consistent. We admire your strength and determination to live a healthy lifestyle!

If you’re like Elizabeth, and struggle with sticking to your workout routine and to reaching your fitness goals, then let us help you by calling 301-452- 5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation.

Summer Fitness Hazards

%image_alt%Whether you’re just starting a workout program or have been exercising for years, there are summer fitness hazards that you should be aware of, so you can avoid them and make your workout safer and more successful. The first and most obvious is hydration. As the temperature goes up, you sweat more and your body heats up more quickly. If you’re working out in an air conditioned gym, the problem of staying hydrated isn’t as bad, but the minute you take your exercise outside, be aware that you need to keep the fluids flowing. Drink at least eight ounces of water every ten to fifteen minutes to make sure you don’t suffer from dehydration.

Wear the right type of clothing.

You may not want to show off your body just yet, but don’t cover it up in the summer out of vanity. It could be dangerous. The more of your body that shows, the more air can reach it to cool it by evaporating sweat. Dark clothing might slim you, but it also absorbs heat. Thin black clothing transfers the heat to your skin and makes you even hotter. Dress for fitness success with lighter colors and clothing that is appropriate for the summer. Don’t forget to add a good pair of workout shoes to your list of summer clothing.

Exercise in the morning or late afternoon.

Seriously, animals don’t even run around during the heat of the day and you shouldn’t either. Limit your exercising to before ten in the morning or after four in the afternoon. You’ll be avoiding the hottest hours of the day, which helps keep you safer and aids in preventing heat stroke. On hot mornings or evenings, cool yourself before you exercise with an icy drink. It will help slow down overheating.

Create your own healthy icy treat.

Nothing is better than a cold treat on a hot day, but so many of them are filled with calories, sugar and chemicals. Instead of buying a treat, make one for yourself. You can turn frozen bananas into creamy icy goodness with a blender or make your own fruit pop with juices or blended fruit. Not only will you reap benefits from eating these treats, your family will love them too and they’re extremely healthy for them.

Take a break if you’re getting exhausted. If you’re working out in the heat, exhaustion can be a sign of danger. Don’t push too hard, especially at first. Working out in the heat takes more of a toll on your body than working out in an air conditioned gym.

Don’t be ashamed of yourself, embrace who you are at the moment and look forward to who you’re becoming. Too often people don’t exercise because they worry about how they look. Don’t do that!

Do count fun activities as part of your workout. You don’t have to workout in the gym to benefit from exercise. Hiking, biking and swimming are just a few of the activities that not only provide a workout, but are fun too.

Keep cool juicy snacks on hand. Fresh fruit not only can give you an energy boost, it also provides some extra fluids.

Finally, After Trying it All, THIS Worked!

IMG_1798Stapf, Linda - Dec 2015 - side
It’s always frustrating when the hard work, time, and effort you put in doesn’t bring about any results. Linda, has tried it all! Whether it was pilates, bootcamp, or even working with a traditional personal trainer 3 times a week, nothing seemed to pay off the way she wanted! It wasn’t until she met Kelly, of ForeverStrong Health & Fitness, that she felt confident that something new would work.

Linda said, “when I talked to Kelly and she said ‘we will get 9 inches off you in three months,’ I believed it. I could see her faith that we could do it. I think I needed someone to believe in me, so that i could jump on board also.”

Linda refused to surrender her vibrant, active future.

Rather than ignoring our aches and pains, we often find ourselves succumbing to them. Linda (54) can definitely vouch for this. Like many other people, Linda experienced more difficulties in life as she aged. Like many of us, she noticed that it takes a lot more effort, energy, and time to stay fit. Experiencing aches and pains because of her age was definitely a challenge for Linda, especially with balance issues as well.

As if it wasn’t enough for Linda to just have some aches and pains, she also faced a severe ankle sprain. Her ankle injury never seemed to heal properly and specialists told her that because she was getting older, she should never expect it to improve. Rather than completely surrendering to what the doctors said, Linda decided to begin to train using the ForeverStrong method and build up her strength for some relief.
Linda After KB
Linda found that another challenge she faced was learning to prioritize when it came to her own fitness. “I did not prioritize myself on the list of things that had to get done.” In the commotion and chaos of work, family, and life we tend to forget that we are the only ones that are responsible for taking care of ourselves. It is important to remember to prioritize ourselves!

Horseback riding, kayaking, camping… BRING IT LIFE!

“I am looking forward to tomorrow and enjoying today more.” Since training with us for the past 2.5 years, Linda has less aches and pains and is able to be more active and participate more in her ideal life. She mentions that she is now participating in more activities that she enjoys, such as horseback riding, kayaking, and even camping in a tent! She also tells us that she is now taking more of an initiative to plan more in life like meals, vacations, and workload. Right now, she is in the midst of planning on doing some traveling and riding programs with her horses!

Linda’s goal was to lose 9 inches from her waistline, and she exceeded that goal. Her personal record, since training with us, has been a loss of 10.5 inches off her waistline. As an added bonus, she also melted away 6 inches total from her thighs. Way to go Linda!

“ForeverStrong IS fun!”

“I enjoy the workouts. I don’t have to think about them, I just have to show up. The energy level at each session is great and spills over to the rest of the day”

“I am building on the foundation and improving…not just maintaining. I have fellow travelers on the same path that I can share a laugh with.”

Take Linda’s Advice: Give it a try, our clients don’t lie!

“Try a session or two, talk to people at the workout session while you are here. If you still aren’t convinced, read all these testimonials. ForeverStrong has been the only system that kept me going forward.”

Congratulations, Linda! You are ForeverStrong! We know how tough it can be to remember to add yourself to the list of things that need to get done, and we are so glad that you have learned the importance of prioritizing yourself!

If you’re like Linda, and struggle to prioritize yourself, or could use a little help reaching your fitness goals, then let us help you by calling 301-452- 5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation.

What Fruits Help Keep You Fit?

Fruits Help Keep You Fit

No matter how much vitamin commercials tout the benefits of their products, fresh vegetables and fruits help keep you fit even better. Not only do you get the benefit of the nutrients in them, you get the bulk to keep you feeling fuller and help satisfy your hunger. Fresh fruits provide a great deal of sugar, so getting a sweet treat is even easier and healthier when you eat a handful of berries, a bite of an apple or a sweet nectarine. Always try to get organic fruits to avoid exposure to pesticides in your food.

Berries do more than just fill you up and provide a delicious snack.

You’ll get a wealth of nutrition from berries. Whether you’re opting for blueberries, strawberries or raspberries, they all contain powerful nutrients. One drug company was trying to isolate the anthocyanin in blueberries for a drug to fight cancer. They found that the cancer fighting properties work best in synergy with the other nutrients in the berries. Almost all berries are high in vitamin C and can give your immune system a boost.

Have a banana for your heartburn and also to help prevent stroke and high blood pressure.

Bananas add potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium, copper and manganese to your diet, while also increasing your fiber. They help lower blood pressure, while also moderating blood sugar levels. They can improve your digestion, as well as help with weight loss. For a cool treat this summer, slice a banana in one inch slices and freeze. When it’s frozen, throw it into a blender and you’ll have a delicious creamy and healthy treat that tastes better than ice cream.

An apple a day really does help keep the doctor away.

Apples are natures natural tooth cleaners, but they also provide protection from serious conditions, which includes Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer. Eating apples can help control your cholesterol, providing a great benefit for heart health. They’ll also help clean your colon or stop diarrhea if you have the opposite problem. Eating apples help you control weight and can also help prevent gallstones. An apple and cabbage salad is fiber-filled, but tastes fantastic and can give a boost to your metabolism.

Create your own smoothie. I keep plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables in the house and when it looks like some might not last much longer, throw them into the blender to create a smoothie. You can add frozen fruit for a milkshake like treat.

Don’t forget other fruits and vegetables. Kiwi is sweet and delicious, while peaches also add to the enjoyment of snacks and provide a wealth of nutrients.

Create a great pick-me-up for the afternoon by putting a teaspoon of peanut butter on apple slices. You’ll get both the sweet energy from the apple and protein to keep you going.

Whenever possible, use the whole fruit, rather than just the juice. It adds bulk to fill you up and keep you regular. If you’re making a smoothie and using an apple, make sure to keep the peeling on it.

Pre-Hab Is Better Than Re-Hab

Pre-Hab Is Better Than Re-Hab

Staying healthy isn’t easy but it’s far easier than getting healthy. Everyone will agree that pre-hab is better than re-hab. Preventing a serious condition is hard. It takes time and dedication. Everyone can point to someone who did everything right and still ended up seriously ill. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. It just means they prevented the illness from occurring sooner. Sometimes genetics wins, but it shouldn’t stop you from trying to get the upper edge. People who workout and eat healthy may not be able to avoid all illness, but they may be able to bounce back quicker and make it less lethal.

Working out can help prevent serious conditions.

There are so many studies that show that working out can help prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s and even some forms of cancer. One reason is that it keeps your blood flowing sending oxygen rich nutrients to all parts of the body. When you do weight bearing exercises, it stimulates the production osteoblasts that build bones. After menopause, bones start thinning rapidly, but the right kind of exercise can help slow, prevent or even reverse that process.

Eat healthier and exercise to prevent high blood pressure and clear away plaque.

You have several types of cholesterol in your body, HDL and LDL are two of the primary ones, with triglycerides as another common one measured in health tests. Not all types of cholesterol are bad. HDL carries away LDL and triglycerides and takes them to the liver for processing. When you exercise, you build more HDL to help sweep your arteries clean. It also helps prevent serious heart disease.

Build your immune system with regular exercise.

When you first exercise, you tend to increase the amount of free radicals in your body, but your body responds and starts producing more antioxidants that help fight off toxins that can make you sick by weakening or killing cells. It causes changes in your white blood cells that makes them detect illness and foreign bodies quicker. It also helps flush your airways and lungs of bacteria that can cause illness.

Injuries heal faster when you workout. You’ll also help prevent injuries from falls in the first place by exercising. It helps build balance and flexibility.

Regular exercise can help you live independently longer than you would if you were sedentary.

When you workout with a group, you’re also improving your social life. Studies show that a sense of community and an active social life can help you remain both mentally and physically healthier longer.

You don’t have to workout hard to get the benefits of exercise. Studies show that walking three to five miles a week can be beneficial. You can imagine how great a program of moderate exercise could be.

Finish Strong

When you workout, the key is not necessarily to start fast, but to finish strong. That can have a double meaning. When someone finishes strong in a race, they have the last winning blast of energy right before the finish line. You’ll see how much more powerful your workout is the longer you workout, so that definition if fitting. However, the other interpretation is also valid. You may start out weak, but finish with far more strength, endurance and flexibility.

Most of the changes are subtle and come in baby steps.

One reason to track progress is that it comes in baby steps. You don’t notice the improvement as you go, unless you look back at how much you accomplished, your weight, your overall fitness and how strong you were when you started. Tracking your progress serves several purposes. It helps identify when you’re ready for the next level of workout, but it also helps show you how far you’ve come.

Your goal and the time you commit to it makes the difference.

Fitness is no different than any other goal, some people start out at a more advanced level. However, the person that finishes strong is the one that continues to work toward the goal, making small advances in each week. He or she will surpass those with natural talent who don’t maintain a regimen to improve, no matter what the area of expertise. It works the same whether you’re studying scientific research or working out at the gym.

Getting older doesn’t mean you have to get weaker or out of shape if you chose to finish your second half strong.

Contrary to what many people believe, fitness is not just for the very young. Staying fit can start at any point in your life, no matter how active or inactive you’ve been in the past. It can help you overcome serious conditions and keep you living longer. Those extra years you gain will also be more productive and enjoyable if you work to keep your body healthy. Studies show that exercise provides huge benefits for your health and can even help keep people more alert and mentally sharp.

No matter what your physical shape, regular exercise can help to make it better. Many health care providers recommend regular exercise to help control and improve it. It can be helpful for diabetes, high blood pressure heart disease, osteoporosis and even some forms of cancer.

Developing flexibility can help you prevent muscle strains and injury. Balance training can help prevent falls.

Several studies show that regular strength training may help reverse osteoporosis and be as beneficial as many medications created to control it.

You’ll feel fantastic when you workout regularly. You’ll have energy to do more and get more out of life.

Frank Duffy

ForeverActive: Frank Duffy, Client of the Month, 67 Years Old. Highland, Maryland.

You’d have to look long and hard to find a better definition for ‘active lifestyle’ than Frank Duffy.

As military veteran, a former green beret army ranger and and green beret combat diver, Frank, lives life with vigor. He started working out when he joined the Army in 1969 and never stopped.

With 11 years of Aikido, a year of Israeli Krav Maga and his current Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practice he is no stranger to physical culture.

Frank is a also disciplined eater, an avid runner and is a role model for others striving to pursue better health and body.

With such an active lifestyle, we wanted to know why Frank sought out ForeverStrong to help him. We are proud to share this interview with our ForeverActive client of the month.

Frank wanted better results than he was getting on his own.
Like all of us, despite his passion for exercise, some things became more difficult for Frank over the years.

Franks Goals:

“The aging process hasn’t taken a huge toll on me. That said, there are some aging problems that I experience; for example, losing flexibility, minor joint pain and arthritis in my back.”

Frank was especially frustrated with a pattern of weight loss and weight gain and he wanted to find an exercise routine that he really enjoyed doing that would not exacerbate the aches and pains he was dealing with.

We remember Frank describing his goal to us as: “Waist Loss, not Weight Loss!”

Although he was dieting, jogging and lifting weights on his own he didn’t see the improvement in his physique that he was working so hard for. He also wanted more strength for his jiu-jitsu practice and more defined muscles.

Kettlebells? I’m not sure about that….

I overhead some of my friends talking about how kettlebell training could benefit jiujitsu, including our black belt instructor, Mike Johnson, who is a certified kettlebell instructor.”

Although he didn’t know much about kettlebell training and was skeptical at first, he had confidence in his instructors recommendation and decided to give it a try.

Franks Results

“I’ve lost about 15 pounds!”Frank Transformation

“{I like the}  the muscle that I’ve developed in my shoulders, arms, upper chest and legs.”

“My clothes are fitting better and my martial arts are improving because of the training!”

He loves the structure AND the people

“I’ve trained for a long time in a variety of different ways, and what I like best about ForeverStrong is the structure, I like the small classes and I like the trainers. They are all well trained and highly skilled people, and I appreciate that very much.”

“It has given me an exercise routine that is fun, has variety, and is challenging. My favorite part is being in class with other people who also enjoy the workouts…and the music in the background”

Franks Advice:

“If I had never joined ForeverStrong I would still be doing my tried and true exercise—jogging and lifting weights. Not seeing much improvement in my physique because of all the jogging and weight lifting. So my advice to you is, start training ForeverStong sooner.”

 

For more information about how to finally achieve the body you’ve always wanted with ForeverStrong call us at 301-452-5547 to schedule a complimentary consultation. We’ve helped hundreds of people in Fulton, Columbia, Clarksville, Highland, Laurel and Howard County and we’d love to help you too.

Should You Be Gluten Free?

Gluten Free

Every time you pass through the food aisles in a grocery, you’ll notice the words gluten free prominently displayed on packages with everything from corn to rice. While it’s not easier to name foods that contain gluten, you can generalize. Any products that contain wheat, rye, Bulgar or barley also contain gluten. Some foods, such as oats, are processed at the same plants as gluten containing products and may also be tainted. There’s a variety of reactions to gluten that used to seem quite allusive to diagnosis until more and more people became familiar with gluten intolerance and gluten allergies.

Do you have a lot of digestive issues after you eat?

Just like lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea and abdominal pain. It can even cause constipation, particularly in children. Your body simply can process the gluten properly and it causes these problems. Celiac disease is an allergic reaction to gluten that can be found with a blood test, but gluten intolerance can’t. The best way to identify a problem food is by an elimination diet. First eliminate all the possible foods from your diet that may be causing distress then introduce them one at a time until you experience the problem and locate the offending foods.

Gluten intolerance can cause severe problems.

Gluten intolerance is linked to many severe autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, ulcerative colitis, lupus, multiple sclerosis and scleroderma. While gluten may not be the cause of these diseases, they may aggravate it. Eliminate gluten from your diet for a while and see if you have fewer symptoms or if it helps you feel better. Eliminating gluten won’t hurt you and is one treatment you can do in conjunction with doctor recommended treatments.

Do you get brain fog throughout the day, have dizziness or feel out of whack after eating a meal with gluten in it?

If bread can throw you in a tizzy that makes working more difficult or leave you feeling dizzy, you may need to eliminate gluten containing products from your diet. If you’re feeling these symptoms, first see a doctor to insure it’s nothing worse, just like any of the other symptoms on this list, you want to first eliminate other problems before you eliminate gluten from your diet.

Swelling in your hands and feet, inflammation in the joints of fingers, knees and toes may be a sign of gluten intolerance.

Mood swings and hormone imbalances can also be linked to gluten problems. If there’s nothing else wrong and regular exercise doesn’t improve the problem, try eating gluten free for a month or two to see if the symptoms disappear.

Continuous problems with migraines that yoga, exercise or massage won’t cure and ones that have no physical cause may actually be a reaction to food, gluten in particular.

Some people find that European flour doesn’t cause the same problems as products made with American flour. One reason is that European flour, French in particular, has less gluten than American flour.

Greens support eye health with higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin that help prevent cataracts and improve vision in other ways, too.

Greens lower the risk of colon cancer particularly kale and mustard greens, which belong to the same family as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

Get Your Greens

Get Your Greens

Finding new ways to get your greens is worth the effort. You can hide them with the other fruits and vegetables in a smoothie, stir fry them, put them in soups or add them to your salad. No matter how you add greens to a diet, you’ll be adding more nutrients. Of course, the best way to eat greens is as fresh as possible and raw, but adding them at the last minute to stir fry or topping a cooked pizza with them, allowing the heat from the pizza to cook them, also preserves many of the nutrients.

Greens provide a powerhouse of nutrients.

Greens provide more nutrients per calorie than any other food. The darker the greens, the better in most cases. While almost all types of greens are packed full of goodies that will make your body say thank you, some are better than others. Iceberg lettuce, for example, doesn’t contain many nutrients and is mostly water, so replacing it with Romaine lettuce might be a better choice. Dark leafy greens, such as spinach or kale provide excellent sources of iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium and other mineral. They also contain phytonutrients, vitamins K, C, E and B vitamins and may even have a small amount of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Greens are low in calories and fill you up without filling you out.

Eating a huge salad of mixed greens and other vegetables can be an entire meal for some people. For those who still want meat, adding bits of chicken or other animal protein is a topper that makes it a complete meal. Others will find adding plant protein, such as pumpkin seeds, chick peas or even roasted portabella mushrooms. Some greens, such as arugula are higher in protein. You’ll be able to eat a huge salad and the most fattening part will be the dressing.

Greens contain a high amount of vitamin K.

Vitamin K is a vital, often overlooked nutrient that does so much for your body. Vitamin K helps regulate blood clotting, prevent osteoporosis, might be a preventative for diseases such as arthritis by reducing inflammation and can help prevent build up of plaque in the arteries. Kale is one excellent source. What used to be a decoration for salad bars is now praised as one of the miracle foods. It’s a great addition to a salad, stir fry or other type of cooking and is the secret ingredient in the Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden. YUM!

Mustard greens and kale are two greens that can help you lower your bad cholesterol by forcing the liver to use up the cholesterol to make bile that binds with the fibers in these foods.

Greens help boost bone health with their high levels of calcium. The more bitter the taste of the green, normally the higher the calcium level.

Greens support eye health with higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin that help prevent cataracts and improve vision in other ways, too.

Greens lower the risk of colon cancer particularly kale and mustard greens, which belong to the same family as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

Want More Results in Less Time?

Try this workout using ForeverStrong Full-Body-Five Method, an Incredibly Easy Weight Lifting Method That Works

If you’ve already read the ForeverStrong Guide to Full Body Strength Training, you are probably thinking about incorporating the ForeverStrong Full-Body-Five into your workout program.

Armed with the knowledge that a full-body strength training program is the most significant change that you can make to your workout programs to get you the fastest results in the shortest time possible, you are ready to change up your routine.

You are ready to tone up, trim your waistline, strengthen your core and become stronger while burning off fat.

BUT…

You aren’t exactly sure what to do.

We get it.

Here at ForeverStrong, we are committed to helping you get in shape in the fastest time possible

and

helping you ditch your time-wasting workout that consists mostly of training specific body parts individually.

Let’s take some of the guesswork out of building your own full-body strength workout.

In this video, we are showcasing how we strategically use exercises that require as many muscles as possible to work together to lift the weight. This means that we design a workout based on movement, not muscles.

It’s an incredibly easy strength training workout that works for busy people.

All you will need is

  • a pair of heavy kettlebells, or a barbell
  • a suspension trainer.

A full body strength training workout needs to utilize many muscle groups at a time for each movement.

Notice how we use ALL 5 of the following functional movements in this workout session:

1.) An Upper Body Push: Pushups 5 Sets of 5-8 Reps

2.) A Upper Body Pull: Suspended Single Arm Row 5 Sets of 5-8 Reps

3.) A Lower Body Pull (or hinge): Kettlebell Deadlift 5 Sets of 5-8 Reps

4.) A Lower Body Push: Suspended Lunge 5 Sets of 5-8 Reps

5.) A Tension Drill or Carry: Suitcase Walk & Hollow Rocks 5 Sets of :30 Intervals 

You can perform the above workout in a circuit, with a 30-45 second rest between each set.

 

As a review, if your workout included one exercise from each category above, you have a complete full body strength training workout. At ForeverStrong, we call this the ‘Full-Body-Five’.

Workouts like these, when part of a comprehensive program boast the following benefits:

  1. Fewer individual exercises means shorter workouts.
  2. Create lean body mass faster.
  3. Become stronger.
  4. Burn more calories in less time.
  5. Reduce risk of straining muscles and/or becoming excessively sore.
  6. Strengthen your core.

 

Want More Results in Less Time? Try this workout using ForeverStrong Full-Body-Five Method, an Incredibly Easy Weight Lifting Method That Works

The ForeverStrong Full-Body Five method is one of three breakthrough components of the ForeverStrong Fitness Formula. For more information about how to finally achieve the body you’ve always wanted with ForeverStrong call us at 301-452-5547 to schedule a complimentary consultation. We’ve helped hundreds of people in Fulton, Columbia, Clarksville, Highland, Laurel and Howard County and we’d love to help you too.

An Incredibly Easy Strength Training Method That Works For Busy People

If you want to tone up, trim your waistline, strengthen your core and become stronger while burning off fat, this strength training article is for you.

If you aren’t 100% certain that lifting weights is helping you get the body you want, then you should definitely read this article.

If you need to get in shape in the fastest time possible but your strength training workout consists mostly of training specific body parts i.e. arms and core, then you NEED to read this article.

This article will teach you the difference between Body Part Strength Training and Full Body Strength Training.

Learning how to do full body strength training will be the most significant change that you can make to your workout programs to get you the fastest results in the shortest time possible.

What is Body Part Strength Training?

If your lifting sessions target just one or two specific muscle groups each session, then you are doing body part strength training.

Examples of Body Part Strength Routines:

Example #1

After your cardio, you hit the weight room to work “arms” and “core”.

Example #2

an example of body part strength training

This typical strength training session could look something like this:

Lat Pull Down Machine: 3 Sets of 15

Bicep Curls: 3 Sets of 15

Chest Fly Machine: 3 Sets of 15

Triceps Kickbacks: 3 Sets of 15

Crunches: 3 Sets of 15

Bicycle Crunches: 3 Sets of 15

Example #3

If you are a more experienced gym goer, it might look something like this:

Monday: Back and Biceps Day

Tuesday: Cardio & Core

Wednesday: Chest and Triceps Day

Thursday: Cardio and Core

Friday: Leg Day

Saturday: Cardio & Core

Although body part focused weightlifting is common,  it’s a time-waster for most of the people I meet. Like you, the people who are attracted to my program are very busy and don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to exercise. Yet, you still want to get remarkable results from the time you invest in training, right? 

Here are a few reasons why body part training isn’t working for you:

First, it’s very time-consuming to do: it requires 3-5 days a week of strength training plus another 2-3 days a week of cardio. To get the benefits of this type of workout program you would need to spend a minimum of 10 hours a week in the gym.

Second, it’s not making a significant contribution to fat loss. Single joint movements, like bicep curls, won’t create a great enough energy expenditure to help you burn stubborn body fat. Simply put, you could spend an hour in the gym doing body part strength training and not see any body fat reduction.

Third, it creates excessive soreness that can make it very hard to get through daily tasks. This is because in order to stimulate the individual muscle group to grow, you have to train it to failure. This “failure” goal of training creates a great deal of isolated muscle soreness and stiffness for 2-3 days after each workout. Being stiff or sore all the time will make you more likely to skip workouts or just give up altogether.

There is a better way to use weights to help you burn fat, tone up, become stronger, flatten your tummy, and get the body you want. It’s full body strength training. I’ve been using the ‘Full-Body-Five’ with my clients successfully for years and the results are amazing!

The ForeverStrong Guide to Full Body Strength Training

Instead of working out individual muscle groups, we strategically use exercises that require as many muscles as possible to work together to lift the weight. This means that we design a workout based on movement, not muscles. This results in an incredibly easy weight lifting method that works for busy people.

Compound exercises like squats, deadlifts and pull-ups require more muscle groups to engage and work together in order to perform the lift. This requires a greater amount of effort to execute the lift and results in an increased amount of work performed during the workout.

A full body strength training workout utilizes many muscle groups at a time to perform ALL 5 of the following functional movements EVERY session. Use this list as your workout guide:

Kelly Scott Performing Full Body Strength Training Methods
(image: Kelly Scott Performing Full Body Strength Training Methods)

1.) An Upper Body Push

(Examples: Kettlebell Overhead Press, Bench Press, Pushups)

2.) A Upper Body Pull

(Examples: Chin-ups, Bent Row, Inverted or Suspended Row)

3.) A Lower Body Pull (or hinge)

(Examples: Deadlift, Hip-Bridges or Thrusters, Kettlebell Swing)

4.) A Lower Body Push

(Examples: Squats, Step Ups, Lunges)

5.) A Tension Drill or Carry

(Examples: Hard-style Planks, Farmer’s Walks, Turkish Getups)

If your workout included one exercise from each category above, you have a complete full body strength training workout. At ForeverStrong, we call this the ‘Full-Body-Five’.

7 Surprising Benefits of Full Body Strength Training:Cheat Time with this strength training timesaver

  1. Fewer individual exercises means shorter workouts. When you’re short on time, you can get more work done in less time, because you’re multi-tasking your workout instead of single-tasking.
  2. Create lean body mass faster. Full body workouts can build more muscle by targeting any given muscle group at almost every workout. This creates a greater demand on the muscles to repair, rebuild and improve more frequently than body part workouts.
  3. Become stronger. If your goal is to become functionally stronger, movements that require you to use more weight will help you get stronger. Compound movements that are “heavy” require more major muscle groups to execute. After just a few weeks of full body workouts, everyday tasks like picking up heavy items from the ground and carrying them will become easier.
  4. Burn more calories in less time. When major muscle groups work together in compound exercises, like swings and squats, a greater energy demand is placed on your metabolism than isolation exercises like bicep curls.  Simply put, it takes more energy to require lots of big muscles to work together than it does to work smaller muscles isolated in one location. More energy expended equals more calories burned.
  5. Reduce risk of straining muscles and/or becoming excessively sore. With body part training, in order to get enough work to stimulate the muscle to grow, you need to train the muscle to failure. This causes severe microtrauma to the muscle and results in extreme post-workout soreness. You will not have time to do as many repetitions of each exercise during a full body body workout as you do during a body part workout, so you are less likely to over-train muscles. This also prevents repetitive stress injuries that can occur when you only work one area of the body over and over.
  6. Strengthen your core. Performing full body movements requires core engagement during every lift. This means that each and every movement you do is activating your abs, glutes, pelvic floor muscles and helping them get stronger.  Your entire core is being worked without having to do extra crunches.

Before You Begin

Ready to get started? There are a few considerations when beginning a full-body strength program.

Make sure you invest time in learning the proper form. Lifting heavier weights requires skill and takes time for you to become proficient. Look for a coach who focuses on technique, not just hard work.

The process of learning compound movements could expose dysfunctional movement patterns. This sounds bad, but it’s actually a good thing. If you have limited range of motion in some joints, undiscovered orthopedic issues, or your strength is not balanced, compound movements will expose these deficiencies. In these cases, a corrective movement strategy can supplement your workout routine to help you improve the quality of your movements, reduce your risk of injury and help you reach your goals faster.

Want More Results in Less Time? Use the ForeverStrong Full-Body-Five Method, an Incredibly Easy Weight Lifting Method That Works

If you need to get into shape, become stronger, fitter, have more muscle tone, trim inches from your waistline and strengthen your core in the fastest time possible but don’t have a lot of time in your schedule for exercise, start a full body workout program.

Learn how to safely perform compound movements with weights like Deadlifts, Goblet Squats, Inverted Rows, Pushups, and Turkish Getups.

Design your workouts with big movements and forget about which muscle group you are working. Create every workout using the ForeverStrong Full-Body-Five method: an upper body “push”, an upper body “pull”, a lower body “push”, a lower body “pull” and a tension drill or carry.

The ForeverStrong Full-Body Five method is one of three breakthrough components of the ForeverStrong Fitness Formula. For more information about how to finally achieve the body you’ve always wanted with ForeverStrong call us at 301-452-5547 to schedule a complimentary consultation. We’ve helped hundreds of people in Marriottsville, Turf Valley, Waverly Woods, Woodmark, West Friendship, Eldersburg, Sykesville,  Woodstock,  Cooksville, Ellicott City, Mt. Hebron, Clarksville, Fulton, Laurel, Burtonsville, Highland, Silver Spring, Columbia, Ellicott City, Glen Elg, and we’d love to help you too.

Tomorrow Never Comes

Chris COTM Pose

When it comes to getting yourself to the gym or practicing healthier eating habits, do you ever just tell yourself you’ll start tomorrow, next Monday, or next month? It’s called procrastination and it’s one of those stories that Chris knows pretty well.

“The body is a wonderful thing.” We couldn’t have said it better than Chris. The body is indeed a wonderful thing, yet it’s all too easy to make excuses and put our wonderful body at the bottom of our priority list.

In the span of six months, we’ve witnessed Chris do such an outstanding job to turn things around for herself. She is committed to a routine and is now focused on her health and physical wellbeing.

Chris’ Challenges

Chris, 49 began experiencing pains that accompanied aging. Her metabolism changed, she hit the highest weight in her life, her knees hurt to walk, her energy level decreased and everything in general just seemed…well, harder. Although Chris was feeling the “blues” when her knees were hurting and her weight increased, her desire to do something about it decreased. Instead of helping herself, she took the familiar route and buried herself in work. And the thing is, Chris is far from lazy. She admits to being a workaholic with a lifelong habit of putting others’ emergencies above her own.

Chris’ Results

Chris started training ForeverStrong in October 2014. Since then, she’s made remarkable progress. Here are the pictures to prove it:

 

Toibero Transformation 2016

 

In regard to her strength training, Chris has made dramatic increases. She says she’s been a jock pretty much all her life so when she started with us she was pressing 20 pounds overhead (this is a very strong start). Now she’s pressing 35 pounds!

Chris, Kelly Jess
Chris and Jess are such an incredible mother-daughter team that we chose both of them as our Clients of The Month for April. Above, Kelly presents Chris and Jess with their $50 SpaFinder gift cards.

She started out strong with presses, but couldn’t squat back in October. We progressed her without weight because of her knee issues, but now more than 6 months later she can squat with 50 pounds. She also started deadlifts at 70 pounds and doubled in weight — she can lift 140 pounds today! Go Chris!

 

In Chris’ Words

“I would never have believed I would ever have full range of motion in my knees ever again. But with strength training, I believe the muscular support to the knee has given me a new lease of life. The weight that has disappeared through common sense, eating and strength work is phenomenal and I feel awesome!… The personalized training plan is simple — not easy — but simple for me to succeed.”

 

Chris’ Advice

“What are you waiting for? Your life is more important than [your work]. Where is the time for YOU in all of this? Stop making excuses and take the first step because once you do, you just may never look back!”

Congratulations, Chris! You are ForeverStrong and we know YOU won’t be looking back! We have seen you grow into such a strong, determined, and admirable woman!

Stop telling yourself that you’ll start tomorrow because tomorrow may never come. We can help you so give us a call at 301-452-5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation.


 

Kelly Scott’s ForeverStrong Story

Homeless. Living out of my car. No family. No friends. Struggling as as a new bartender and barely getting by.

That was me about 10 years ago.

Scared but determined, I had just walked away from a religion that had controlled every aspect of my life…leaving behind, my family, my husband, my job, and everything I had known for 28 years.

Where did I get that inner strength to make such a bold move?

I credit Jack Canfield’s book, The Success Principles. It helped me find my true self and create a plan of action to build a new life—one that allowed me to express who I am and find my niche in the real world.

Working my way through Canfield’s principles, I began a new journey to fulfill my passion for helping others. I apprenticed as a personal trainer and became certified in physical fitness and kettlebell training.

Slowly, I built a client base. Applying those same principles of success that worked for me, I helped people overcome personal barriers that prevent them from being healthy. I carefully designed a custom fitness routine for each to help them lose weight, gain strength, and feel better. My clients were having fun. They were seeing results. But best of all, they kept coming back. My new personal training business was taking off.

It soon became apparent that what I had built was more than just a business. I had a new set of friends. I had a family once again—a family of women and men, who just like me, want to become and stay…ForeverStrong.

ForeverStrong was born out of my re-engineered life. It is a testament that you can change, that you can reinvent yourself. You can become healthier, happier, stronger, slimmer, better.

ForeverStrong is a journey. If you are ready to leave behind the fear and the guilt, and do something beneficial for yourself, we invite you to travel with us down the road to better health. I will be your guide, and the ForeverStrong family will be your travel companions, helping you stay on track.

ForeverStrong. It is my mantra. It is my promise. It is my purpose in life.

It’s never too late to become ForeverStrong.

Committed to YOUR journey,

Kelly Scott, Owner of Fulton Kettlebell and Creator of the ForeverStrong Fitness System

 

This is my story and I want you to be a part of my journey too. Join me and train ForeverStrong to start your own path to your personal fitness goal!

 

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Strong at Sixty: Forever Life Changed

Two years ago, Lorri’s lower back was so bad that just turning at the waist caused her excruciating pain. Now, eighteen months after joining the ForeverStrong™ program, Lori raves, “Blood pressure down. Weight down. Back pain GONE! Strong at sixty…I’ve never felt so good.”

Lorri-Yawney-Client-of-The-Month-e1417728420697The ForeverStrong™ team is proud to announce Lorri as their July client of the month. Lorri, a piano teacher, signed up in January 2013.

Kelly Scott recalls that when Lorri started working out,

“Her back was so weak that almost every move she made, it sounded like something was breaking.  Although I didn’t know then the extent that she suffered from daily back pain,  I did know if she stuck with our program, we could help her.”

Lorri not only stuck with the program, she excelled at it. Following her instructors’ training, Lorri learned how to use the kettlebells to improve her strength and fitness, despite skeptics’ criticism.

“The comments I sometimes hear – that kettlebells are dangerous for women over the age of 50 – make me want to shout that kettlebells without proper training are dangerous for everybody. You can enroll at ForeverStrong with full confidence that you will learn proper form and technique first.”

Lorri began just by learning the movements minus the weights. As her strength and confidence increased, Lorri started training with weight. Now, Lorri is lifting 97 pounds up to nine times per set.

Lorri’s Motivation

Lorri admits that before joining the ForeverStrong™ Program, “My own exercise routine – walking several times a week – just wasn’t happening.” But the results of a DEXA scan showed that Lorri was losing bone mass. Knowing that exercise in general, and strength training in particular, was critical for healthy aging, Lorri started considering kettlebells as a strength training option.

“I saw before-and-after pictures of ForeverStrong clients who looked just like me,” Lorri says. “Their success stories were inspiring.”

Lorri’s Fitness Program

Lorri’s program was focused on increasing her strength. The ForeverStrong™ program recognizes that strength is a skill, so we started Lorri with a basic program that increased in intensity as Lorri mastered basic lifts.

“What I like best is that the instructors are my partners in taking care of myself. They have created a ForeverStrong™ program just for me,” Lorri explains. “They know me, and they pay attention to my successes and my challenges.”

As Lorri’s strength increased, so did Lorri’s skill set. From just learning the movements, Lorri now routinely performs kettlebell high pulls, inverted rows on the TRX heavy deadlifts, kettlebell military presses, goblet squats, and loaded carries – all with a respectable weight.

Lorri trains consistently, working out twice per week for an hour. Lorri’s instructors vary her workouts with low and medium rep days to keep Lorri improving without overtraining. Her workouts end with 15 minutes of metabolic conditioning. This helps boost Lorri’s metabolism, burn fat, build cardiovascular endurance, and keep her heart and lungs strong.

Having now achieved a high level of conditioning, Lorri will start decreasing her rest time between sets. Lorri thrives at setting and meeting goals, so to challenge Lorri, her instructors have designed a more advanced workout for her with a test at the end. Her trainers expect that Lorri will improve her reps by 20%-30%.

“It makes a big difference to have someone besides me interested in improving my health and able to get me stronger,” Lorri says of the ForeverStrong™ staff. “Because the program allows them to work individually with every client at every workout, they were able to help me heal from a shoulder problem. They forced me to be patient, and they graded the workouts carefully, so the problem is now gone.”

Lorri’s Results

When asked about her results, Lorri happily replied,

“There are so many positive results, I’ll have to make a list!” Lorri notes that her energy level has increased. “I can climb the stairs, lift cases of water bottles, and do all the daily activities that used to leave me tired and winded.”

Lorri has dropped 6 pounds of body fat. Her waist is 4 inches smaller, and she’s lost 2.5 inches from her thighs. Lorri also reports that she’s down two dress sizes.

But, Lorri is most pleased with the improvement in her medical tests.

“My doctor could not believe I was not taking any medication for any of these conditions,” Lorri says of her decreased blood pressure and pain level. “He said I was obviously taking good care of my health. I will have another DEXA scan this summer, and I look forward to seeing the results.”

Lorri’s Words

“I used to think that I could achieve better health through cardio programs alone. Not true. Cardio exercises never made me stronger. Now I know that the strength training I’m doing with the excellent staff at ForeverStrong is what is making the difference in my health and in my outlook.”

Lorri’s Advice

“Get off the fence and come join us! No matter what shape you are in or medical problems you have. I was so worried that my lower back problems would not allow me to do the kettlebells. It simply was not true. In fact, had I not begun the program, I’m virtually certain the back pain would still be a problem for me.”

The ForeverStrong™ team at Fulton is amazed by Lorri’s success and feels honored to have shared in her transformation. Please join us in celebrating Lorri’s accomplishments.

lorriCongratulations, Lorri! You are Forever Strong!

Lorri was inspired by the success stories of the ForeverStrong™ Program. Now, Lorri is a success story herself. Are you ready to be an inspiration to others? Take advantage of our complimentary ForeverStrong™ fitness consultation and become your own success story. Take the first step today.

 

Lead By Example

Parents naturally want to set a good example for their kids, but no one said it’s easy. Jess, 26 and a mother of two came to us with a strong desire to Jess-COTMbe a healthy role model for her family.

When Jess started, she told us that when entering adulthood, finding time for herself and the time to be active was the most difficult thing. She said, “I find that as a parent I [used to] put a lot of emphasis on my kids being active and playing sports that I [wasn’t] leading by example.”

Now, Jess trains ForeverStrong three times a week and has made incredible progress in regaining control of her life. She’s more active, makes better eating habits and has much more energy (we absolutely adore Jess’ witty attitude and love being around her)!

Jess’ Challenges

When it comes to eating with her children, Jess said, “I find that I frequently will sneak a bite of whatever they are eating even if I have made something more healthy for myself or even if I’m not hungry.” Ordering out and fast food are also temptations that Jess tries to avoid.

Jess’ Results

Jess used to drink four to six sodas a day! But with consistent strength training and food journaling, Jess has cut back to ONE soda a day if none. Jess’ healthier alternative is an easy DIY fruit flavored water — all she does is put frozen fruit in her water. Simple and positive changes like these are what leads Jess on her personal journey to a healthier lifestyle.

After just SIX months, Jess is down a total of 23 pounds, has gone down two dress sizes and is completely off her daily blood pressure regime. Check out these amazing transformation photos of Jess:
Jess-Oct-vs-Mar

Jess’ Words

“I may whine a little when I’m [training], but the feeling after I’ve finished a session makes it all worth it. ForeverStrong has firstly helped me take control back of my health, both physically and mentally. Giving up has never seemed like an option with the supportive staff behind me each day. Though they are not in my home while I’m eating (and ordering food) they are in my head.”

“I am setting goals and reaching them. [I’m] setting a good example for my kids instead of just making them do it. I’m more active, I have more energy and I don’t get tired as easily. [ForeverStrong] has given me my life back.”

Jess’ Advice

“It’s not going to be easy, but nothing in life is and the best things in life are the things you work the hardest for.”

Congratulations, Jessica! You are ForeverStrong! Your enthusiasm and energy after your workouts are things we look forward to every single week. We are so proud that you are taking control of your life and are consistently making positive changes. You are beautiful and don’t you ever forget that!

Are you looking to become a healthier and more fit role model for your children and family? We can help you! Call 301-452-5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation.

Chris and Jess are such an incredible mother-daughter team that we chose both of them as our Clients of The Month for April. Above, Kelly presents Chris and Jess with their $50 SpaFinder gift cards.
Chris and Jess are such an incredible mother-daughter team that we chose both of them as our Clients of The Month for April. Above, Kelly presents Chris and Jess with their $50 SpaFinder gift cards.

Stick With It

Lisa-B-Crop-BG--578x1024Lisa Brady, 55, an unbelievable loving wife, mother of three and grandmother of two, told us that she found it harder to stay in shape as she got older. As a successful realtor, her schedule is always full of appointments and she needs to be ready for anything to change at a moment’s notice. However, if there’s one appointment in her schedule that remains consistent, it’s her appointment (three times a week) to train ForeverStrong!

Although Lisa belonged to many gyms, she needed a more structured program. She found the ForeverStrong Personalized Fitness Program in Fulton to be the perfect fit especially because she has a history of back pain.

Lisa’s Challenges

Like many busy professionals, sticking with an exercise program and making it a routine is the hardest part for her. Her family and work life are at the top of her priority list, so you can imagine why. She also needed guidance using proper and safe form, and to know what alternative exercises to perform due to injury.

Lisa’s Results

Lisa hasn’t felt any back pain since training with us. Instruction on using proper form and techniques has made a tremendous impact on Lisa’s body and muscle awareness.

She also has more energy and feels more confident about herself than she did when she was 25 years old — how amazing is that?

Lisa’s Words

“I love the personal attention and individualized program put together for me… feel like the staff really cares about their clients. And my favorite part of the journey has been seeing the change in my body shape and strength. I feel good about the way I look in my clothes!”

Lisa’s Advice

“You have to be patient, but you will see results if you stick with it and are serious about training.”

Congratulations, Lisa! You are ForeverStrong! We know how busy you are constantly juggling client schedules, but we love that it doesn’t stop you from getting your workouts in.

Lisa’s made ForeverStrong fit into her schedule to take care of herself so that she can take care of YOU. If you want to get something done, give it to a busy person! Looking to buy or sell a home? Go with the Lisa Brady Team with Long and Foster. Contact her at 301-742-5472 or email lisa.brady@lnf.com.

Be Forever Balanced

Christine Client of The MonthSometimes we let stress get the best of us. It may cause us to eat poorly, feel down and make excuses to not be active.

Christine, 50, can attest to this and said that the last few years have been a journey to balance. Christine, who said she is heavier and weaker than when she was younger, had lost a lot of strength and mobility (she used to be a volleyball player). She acknowledges how stress negatively affects her well being, so to handle it better, she finds the time to take walks, practice yoga and train ForeverStrong.

“ForeverStrong was the missing piece to help me feel more balanced. [I’m looking] for a lifestyle I can maintain long-term,” Christine said.

Christine’s Challenges

Christine admitted that it’s definitely a slippery slope when she gets overworked or stressed. Her knee and leg issues certainly don’t help make things easier.

Christine’s Results

Since training with us, Christine’s chiropractor of 13 years said her hip mobility and back have improved. Her overall strength has increased and she says ForeverStrong is a great complement to her bikram yoga practice (she’s more aware of how she engages her core and other muscles as she moves through poses).

We have also been able to modify Christine’s program to accommodate her knee and leg issues without halting any progress. Don’t believe it?Christine's Overhead Press

In just two months, Christine doubled the number of reps she could press overhead with 50 pounds. She also started off doing five step ups and lunges per leg and now she can do 15 of each on both legs. And let’s talk about her deadlifts… Christine hit a personal record of 18 deadlifts using 144 pounds — it’s definitely time to move Christine’s weights up!

So what’s next? We’ll make those deadlifts heavier and we’ll give her more single leg work (adding weight to those lunges) to help rehabilitate her hips and knees.

Christine's Client of the Month Reward
Kelly Scott rewards Christine with a $50 Spafinder giftcard.

In Christine’s Words

“ForeverStrong gives me the best of both personal and group training. The trainers are super to work with and the workouts themselves are very efficient in increasing strength and endurance. The energy of the studio is very uplifting and positive. [Without ForeverStrong], I think I would be facing more issues with my weight and therefore my self image. It has helped me both physically and mentally.”

Christine’s Advice

If Christine could go back in time, she would have told herself sooner the benefits of training ForeverStrong (the ability to regain strength and mobility, the efficient use of time and feeling better overall). If you’re busy like she is, “The gain for the time investment is huge,” Christine said.

Congratulations, Christine! You are ForeverStrong. You are an excellent example of how to be a better balanced individual. You certainly inspire us by the fact that you put your well-being first!

If you are looking for something to balance out the stress in your life, or if you haven’t discovered the missing piece to your fitness routine, you can let us help you by calling 301-452-5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation.


Who Am I?

Who am I

What’s your self definition as it relates to your health and your lifestyle? What are the values that weigh in on the choices you make for the way you care for your body and view yourself?

Research shows that how you define yourself makes it easier to both embrace new habits and to pick up after a challenge to your routine.

Tips when creating your fitness self-identity:

  • When creating your self-identity, having a coach or friend help you refine your statement can help get clarity.
  • Focus on what you want to be, not what you don’t want to be.
  • Your self-identity should embrace who you are today, but leave room to grow into who you want to be.
  • Think with a bigger purpose, a higher calling, something worth standing up for.
  • Your self definition should be so compelling that it should give you a sense that your being pulled towards you goals, rather than pushing hard to get them.
  • Be specific. If you feel stuck or unmotivated, then perhaps your identity or self definition isn’t clear enough to pull you toward your goal.
  • Once you’ve honed your statement, printed it out and framed it, put it somewhere where you will be reminded of it often.

Benefits from creating a fitness self-identity:

  • Provides a stronghold to combat complacency and boredom
  • Fortifies your determination to succeed despite obstacles
  • Develops a sense of pride, ownership and achievement about what you are
  • Takes the need for will power out of the equation because you’ll find it pleasurable to live up to your name.

When it comes to your fitness, there are three areas where you can define your self-identity. Take a few minutes, close your eyes and give these exercises some time. It will be well worth your time. Write something that you’d be happy introducing your self as. Whatever resonates with you (which is unique to you) will help you to define the lifestyle you are creating by making small changes that will add up over time.

 

Your Food Self-Identity

Consider the relationship you would like to have with food.  Do you eat mostly healthy?  Do you stress about food and think about it a lot, or are you more relaxed? Are you a fine diner? Or a grazer?Healthy Bite

Consider the traits of your relationship with food, and write them down.

You may ask yourself, “How do those traits define my relationship with food?” Your goal is to create an “I am” statement that expresses these ideas as simply as possible.

Example:

My personal statement is: I am a healthy foodie.

Possible examples for you could be: “I am a carefree, healthy eater,” “I am a vegan,” “I’m a conscientious carnivore,” “I am a moderation junkie.”

 

Your Activity Self-Identity

How you define yourself impacts your behavior.  Let’s apply this to body.

Example:

My personal self identity statement is: I am a hardcore lifter.

Possible examples for you could be: “I am an athlete,” “I am a swimmer,” or “I am a kettlebell swinger.”

Take a look how these statements are similar, but have different meanings:

”I like to run outdoors” vs. “I am a trail runner” or “I like to take yoga classes” vs. “I am a yogi.”

 

Your Lifestyle Self-Identity

Healthy, Active and Happy How you define yourself matters, and will impact your lifestyle when it comes to your body, how you treat it, and what you prioritize.  Again, think of some  and list them here. Now, looking at those attributes: how can those define your relationship with your body/activity? Your goal is to create an “I am” statement that encapsulates these ideas as simply as possible.

Example:

My personal lifestyle statement is: I am an active leader in health and fitness.


Possible examples for you: “I am a thinker,” “I am a compassionate friend,” “I am a role model, ” or “I am an adventurer.”

This is your opportunity to build a statement that expresses your bigger purpose.

Once you have taken the first shot at these exercises, run them by a friend or accountability partner. Then after honing your statement, print it out, frame it and put it somewhere where you will be reminded of it often.

Here’s a great example of the self-identity statement that I had the privilege of helping one of my clients create during the third week of my Healthy Habits Coaching Program:

Who Am I
Pictured above is one of my client’s “I am” statement that I helped her create. Her statement reads: “I am a mindful eater, active, an energetic student of movement.” After creating it, she printed and posted it on her mirror so she could see it everyday!

 

With your new definitions in mind, consider challenges you might face in the future. How can your new definition help you to navigate those challenges when they arise again? Envision the circumstance, and say your definition to yourself while considering it: “I am a _________. I wonder how I will manage this?”

We delve deeper into this subject and get very up-close and personal with it during our 12-Week Healthy Habits Coaching program. For more information about my Healthy Habits Coaching Program can be found here.

Join the ForeverStrong community and discover more about yourself than you ever thought you would know!


Saved By The Bell

Jessica H Client of the MonthWhen does metabolism become a dirty word? For many of us, it happened after turning 35. It was the change in Jessica’s metabolism when she hit 40 that shocked her the most. “Aging added a whole new obstacle to keeping fit and keeping the weight off,” Jessica said.

Jessica, 47 and a mother of three juggles projects between work and graduate school. She feared joining a gym because she felt she would become bored or discouraged. She was also skeptical about investing in a membership that would eventually become meaningless after the New Year’s Resolution mentality phased out.

But Jessica was so attracted to the idea of kettlebells that she couldn’t resist trying them out at at our studio. For two years now, she has been consistently training and has reaped the benefits.

Challenges

Jessica told us that being older, she has to really work hard at it to see positive results. Fortunately for Jessica, her determination trumps any laziness. “It would have been really hard if I hadn’t been determined to do something about it. Being in shape just by virtue of your age makes you lazy and not appreciative of your overall fitness and health,” she said.

ResultsJessica H Client of The Month Overhead Press

Fifteen months ago Jessica was doing overhead presses with a 10-pound bell — today she’s pressing 20 pounds heavier. Fifteen months ago Jessica was deadlifting 80 pounds — today she’s lifting 64 pounds heavier. Fifteen months ago Jessica didn’t know how to snatch — today she can perform 100 snatches in 5 minutes with a 20-pound bell. That’s some serious power. Her new goal is to perform unassisted pull-ups — we know her results will be impressive.

“I’m fairly sure that I wouldn’t have the strength and stamina for doing all the other things in life that I still need to do. Such as moving my house last summer. I was much more fit and strong — and knew how to properly lift and work with my core. Little things like that have benefits all the time,” Jessica said.

In Jessica’s Words

“ForeverStrong makes you focus on achieving goals incrementally, which is the best and safest way to get there. If it were all given to you overnight — instant gratification — it wouldn’t be as satisfying. I know it was my hard work and effort that resulted in the progression up with weights, reps, new skills, and more.”

“If I didn’t join ForeverStrong, I imagine that I’d still be struggling to maintain my weight solely through cardio and diet. I definitely would not have changed my fat-to-muscle ratio enough to help my metabolism.”

Jessica’s Advice

Jessica H SpaFinder Giftcard
Kelly Scott rewards Jessica with a $50 SpaFinder giftcard.

Jessica knows that strength training is a valuable addition at any stage in life. “ForeverStrong can be life-transforming if given the chance. Don’t be intimidated by it all!” exclaimed Jessica.

Congratulations, Jessica! You are ForeverStrong. You are wise, determined and inspiring. We know the hard work you put into the studio will benefit you for a lifetime.

If you’re looking to add strength training to your routine, but are making the usual excuses of being too busy or too tired…Jessica has been through the same phase. But she realized what she needed to do to make a change in her life and so should you. You heard it from Jessica — strength training is valuable at any stage in life. You can let us help you by calling 301-452-5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation.

 

 


 

3 Reasons Why Losing Weight Fast is a Bad Idea

Fast Weight Loss leads to FrustrationPlease don’t hurt yourself trying to lose weight. We don’t have to look far to find someone who is on a diet, or thinking about starting a diet.  In fact, a recent Gallup survey noted 45% of Americans are trying to lose weight.

We also don’t have to look very far to find a new ‘revolutionary’ weight-loss program that promises super-fast and super-easy results.  Many times, these ‘revolutionary’ weight-loss programs deliver shocking short-term results.

Before I continue, let me specify what I’m referring to as “fast weight loss.” This is any program that results in weight loss greater than one to two pounds per week.

Why is this type of weight loss program a bad idea?

The problem with fast weight loss (and the reason it never works in the long run) is that your body isn’t designed to lose weight fast. As soon as you try to do it, some significant changes happen in your body.

1.  Your Hormones are signaled by your fat

  • Not all body fat is bad for you, and ALL of it has a purpose.
  • Stored body fat is in direct proportion to a hormone called leptin.  This hormone controls appetite, modulates metabolism and promotes fat burning.
  • When fat levels drop quickly, leptin levels drop quickly as well, and your body is triggered to believe you are starving.  That shuts down systems and makes your body do everything it can to conserve energy and stop you from losing more weight.

2.  Nutritional deficiency from fast weight loss

  • Restrictive, extreme low-calorie diets are usually deficient in necessary vitamins/minerals.
  • Lack of vitamins leads to unhealthy skin, hair, and nails… along with a suppressed immune system.  That means you’re more likely to get, and stay, sick. Then, your workouts, become less productive, or even skipped, further halting your weight loss efforts.
  • Lack of minerals can lead to irregular heartbeat, muscle cramps and loss of bone mass. This can also inhibit your exercise routine, lead to premature fatigue and slow your recovery process.
  • Lack of adequate protein and amino acid intake can inhibit your muscle growth and possibly reduce your existing lean muscle mass. Since muscle is metabolically active tissue, your metabolism is powered by this precious tissue. When you lose muscle, your metabolism slows down and makes it even harder to keep the weight off.

3.  Psychological Complications from fast weight loss

  • Fast Weight Loss Diet ShakeSevere restriction is not sustainable in the long-term, and is known to lead dieters into a binge/restrict cycle – the body fighting with the mind to try to get enough nutrients to survive. It’s only a matter of time before your willpower breaks, and often leads to a pattern of binge eating followed by guilt, then emotionally driven guilt binge eating.
  • This cycle very often leads to severely disordered thinking about food and weight, and frequently into eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.
  • Restrictive diets can become socially excluding – you’re so worried about your food that you’re not enjoying life with your family and friends.

The good news is weight loss and a life of healthy maintenance is possible but, you can’t do it by buying into the marketing promises put out by businesses intent on making a quick and easy profit.  Fast weight loss harms your body, it harms your mind, AND in 97% of cases it leads to regaining not only the weight you lost, but more weight on top of it (that’s leptin at work, trying to keep you safe!).

Want to lose weight, and keep it off for good?

Check out the new program that we are running  at ForeverStrong. Currently, we are on Week 4 (out of 12). I’ll be starting the 12-week  program again soon, where we’ll focus on establishing Healthy Habits and creating a road map to sane, slow, sustainable weight loss and lifetime weight maintenance. Click Here to find out more.

~By Kelly Scott 

Resource: Mayo Clinic

5 Ways to Create Habits that Last

~By Kelly Scotthealthy life

The Earlier the Better

Your willpower tends to be highest at the beginning of the day, so harness that energy and use it to your advantage.  Have a crockpot? Take a few minutes in the morning to prepare a crockpot meal for later. That way, you won’t be tempted to grab take- out later because there is a fresh, hot and healthy meal waiting for you.  The same goes for exercise. People who exercise first thing in the morning are more likely than evening exercisers to keep a consistent routine.

Make Habits Convenient

The more difficult or complicated your new habits are, the less likely you’ll be to keep them consistently. You will get more enjoyment out of the habits you’re trying to establish if the are:

  • simple
  • relatively easy and uncomplicated
  • scheduled on your calendar so it’s easier to make the time

Have Fun!

There are hundreds of options for becoming more active. You should do the ones that you get excited about. It doesn’t matter how “effective” any particular exercise is if you hate doing it.  Doing more of an activity you don’t enjoy will just lead to resentment and failure.  Instead, find activities that you actually enjoy doing and establish these as your habits!

Use Action Triggers

Triggers are things that automatically lead to something else happening.  A trigger you might have now would be something like: finish eating dinner, rinse plate and put in dishwasher.  So the rinsing of the plate was triggered by the finishing of a meal.  Similarly, see how you can tie new habits to other actions.  For example: include a 10 minute stroll at the end of lunchtime.  After a while, every time you eat lunch you’ll think to yourself: “I should take a quick walk now!”

Use Checklists

When it comes to changing your eating habits or even starting a new exercise routine, checklists will help make your habit easier to stick to. At the grocery store, Don’t leave having the food items you need to chance. Create a checklist of the foods that you need to stock in your refrigerator and pantry and print that list out every week when you go to the store. If you start a new exercise class, make list of the things you need to pack in your bag and check them off before you go. I learned this the hard way when twice I drove all the way to Baltimore for swim class and realized I forgot my swimsuit. Now I have a checklist.

Using these types of techniques to establish habits can be the difference between success and failure.  As you look to establish even more Healthy Habits, check out our new program we are currently running to help you do just that – set up healthy food and activity habits for weight loss and lifelong maintenance.  From nutritional guidance to help with self-care, managing stress and sleep, our Healthy Habits program has literally transformed lives!

If you are interested in our Healthy Habits Program and training the ForeverStrong method, call now at 301-452-5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation! Through our personalized training program, we want to help you to become the best you can be!

 

 

Strength Training for Stronger Bones

Patti Sullivan Client of The Month“I was always healthy. I did everything you’re supposed to do for your bone health.” But the one component that Patti’s workout routine lacked was strength training. Patti, 51, told us that six years ago she was diagnosed with osteopenia. She had repeated low bone density scans, but “now after only one and a half years, the power of the ForeverStrong program has reversed that!” In addition to her already healthy and active lifestyle, it was the consistent and proper strength training that helped Patti get her DEXA scans back to normal.

Patti’s Challenges

“At first I didn’t know how to approach the ForeverStrong program, and I found it intimidating. I had a fear of failure, not liking it, not being good at it and most importantly, not connecting with the people,” Patti admitted. She had been looking for a place to feel comfortable and safe while working out and said, “it took a while, but I found that place in Fulton at ForeverStrong Health & Fitness.”

 “I feel very safe physically and emotionally here at the ForeverStrong studio. There is no negativity here — any negativity you try to bring to the studio will be squashed within five feet from the door! It is a great environment. The encouragement I’ve received to progress, and to be more confident in doing more than I ever thought I could is incredible,” said Patti.

Kelly Scott, owner and creator of the ForeverStrong Personalized Fitness System, has witnessed Patti’s remarkable growth over the years, “Patti now has all the confidence in the world.”

Patti’s Motivation

We asked Patti to choose a favorite part of her workouts…Her answer? “The people!”

“The clients are awesome and the trainers have become very dear friends of mine. I enjoy doing my workouts, but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t like the people,” Patti explained. “The people make you want to come. You can swing weights anywhere but when you do it with great people you are going to work a lot harder!” Little does Patti know, her motivation and high spirits are what inspires everyone else in our studio. “Patti is like the energizer bunny,” Kelly claimed.

Patti’s Goals          Patti Sullivan Sullivan Swing

“The goals here are limitless. For every goal you reach there is something you can take beyond it.” Upon starting her training, Patti set a goal to become strong enough to pass the fitness standards required to become a ForeverStrong Kettlebell Instructor. Patti passed with flying colors by completing 100 snatches in five minutes with a 25-pound kettlebell! Patti also earned her HardStyle Kettlebell Instructor Certification (HKC).

Currently, Patti has a physical goal to do multiple chin-ups in a row. Another goal for Patti, set by Kelly, is to have Patti eventually push a 35-pound kettlebell over her head! Kelly has been constantly impressed with Patti’s positive attitude, improving health and her commitment that she is confident Patti will achieve these goals.

Commitment and dedication doesn’t stop at strength training. Patti said, “You can work as hard as you want, but if you don’t take care of your body with nutrition, then you will not get the long lasting effects of your training. I am embracing the whole body wellness concept even more now since the ForeverStrong program focuses on both the strength and nutrition components.”

“I really should drink more water though,” Patti laughed. Our instructors will be sure to help Patti with that!

Patti’s Results

As a certified ForeverStrong and HKC instructor, Patti is certainly a solid demonstration of hard work and strength.

“My quality of life has improved significantly,” said Patti. Reversed osteopenia, stronger bones, stronger muscles, better eating habits and continuous weight increases in her workouts — Patti breeds the success of a ForeverStrong student.

Patti's Client of The Month Award
Owner and Creator of the ForeverStrong Personalized Fitness System, Kelly Scott, rewards Patti Sullivan with a gift certificate to Fulton Station Jewelers.

Patti’s Words

“I truly believe I would still have osteopenia because as long as I looked prior to finding the ForeverStrong program, I could not find a program for strength training that worked for me. This program has added the strength component to my health that I lacked. I have also learned about nutrition on another level and incorporate that in my daily life.”

Congratulations Patti, you are ForeverStrong! We can’t wait until you’re doing 10 chin-ups and pressing MORE than 35 pounds overhead.

If you’re like Patti, the ForeverStrong program may just be for you. Find out today by scheduling a complimentary fitness consultation!

Combating Osteopenia and Osteoporosis

Healthy Bone vs. Unhealthy Bone
Healthy Bone vs. Bone Loss

“Five years ago, I was diagnosed with osteopenia,” Allison* (alias) confides.  “I was shocked.”  Allison was so shocked, in fact, that she refused to believe the results of her DEXA scan, chocking the low numbers up to lab error.  

But, two years later, the outcome of a second DEXA scan matched the first.  “I had to accept the results as true,” Allison admits.  However, Allison was still flummoxed over the diagnosis as three more years of bone scans continued to show decreasing bone density.  “My vitamin D levels were consistently in the normal range, and I exercised routinely.”

Looking for a solution that didn’t involve pharmaceuticals, Allison decided to address the one element missing from her fitness regimen.  “The one component my workout lacked was strength training.   I just didn’t know how to approach it, and I found it intimidating.”

Allison isn’t alone.  A recent survey by the Center for Disease Control found that while fifty-two percent of Americans get the recommended level of aerobic exercise (running, walking, swimming, biking, etc.), only about one in five are strength training regularly.  And, while aerobic exercise may be great for improving cardiovascular health, it does little to reverse bone density loss as we age.

Strength training, however, increases bone density and can reverse the effects of osteopenia and even osteoporosis, a fact Allison happily discovered when she joined the ForeverStrong program in Fulton, MD. “After only a year and a half of working out at ForeverStrong, my last DEXA scan came back normal.”

Allison’s results aren’t unique. Study after study shows that strength training can prevent and even reverse bone density loss. So, why are so few Americans strength training on a regular basis, especially given the fact that one in two women and one in five men over the age of fifty qualify for a diagnosis of osteopenia?  Is it a lack of knowledge about osteopenia?  Unaware of the benefits of strength training?  Or, confusion over how to manage, or prevent, bone density loss?

Likely, it’s an imperfect triad of all three, and this article seeks to clear up some of the confusion and misnomers about osteopenia and osteoporosis as well as show how a regular strength training routine can help you combat the bone loss that comes with aging.

Hunched back
Osteoporosis can greatly affect one’s posture.

Osteopenia Fact:  “Osteopenia is not osteoporosis.”

But, osteopenia is a precursor to osteoporosis.  Just like osteoporosis, osteopenia means your bone density is less than what it should be though the bone loss is not as severe as in a case of osteoporosis.

There are no outward symptoms of osteopenia, and like Allison, many people are shocked by their first bone density scans.  But, osteopenia isn’t a disease; it’s a warning sign.  Osteopenia provides an opportunity to reevaluate your lifestyle and help you prevent a full-blown case of osteoporosis.

Doctors recommend replacing soft drinks with green tea, consuming adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D, and strength training.  Two to three strength training sessions per week will do it.  Dr. Christiane Northrup recommends working with a certified instructor to make sure you’re strength training safely and with proper form.

Allison did, and it worked wonders for her.

Osteopenia Fiction:  “Medication is the best way to combat bone density loss.”

Current osteopenia and osteoporosis medications, like Fosamax, don’t exactly increase bone density, at least not in the way you’d expect. Your body produces two types of bone cells which work together to keep your skeleton healthy.  Osteoclasts remove worn or damaged bone while osteoblasts create new bone to take the damaged bone’s place.

As we age, osteoclasts start working overtime, chomping up old bone faster than our osteoblasts can replace it.  But, Fosamax and other bone density meds, don’t increase osteoblast production.   Instead, these medications inhibit osteoclast activity.  So, your bone density may technically increase, but you’re walking around on worn and damaged bone, and you’re still at a high risk for fracture.

Strength training, on the other hand, dampens osteoclast activity while boosting osteoblast productivity, especially when paired with a diet high in calcium and vitamin D.    Dr. Miriam Nelson of Tufts University has conducted numerous studies that show strength training can reverse bone loss.  The participants in Dr. Nelson’s studies, aged 50-70, improved their strength, lost body fat, and increased their bone density.

“It’s never too late to start exercising,” Dr. Nelson recommends.  “Even in your nineties, the benefits of strength training are there.  It’s quite remarkable.”

Osteopenia Fact:   “Having a low body weight and lithe frame puts you at a higher risk for osteopenia and osteoporosis.”

So does being female, having fair skin, red or blond hair, and blue eyes.  Genetically, the fair complected have less collagen in their bones.  And, those with less body fat or lighter frames have less bone to lose.

Note to Elle Macpherson and Heidi Klum: it’s time to hit the gym.

Likewise, all you marathon fanatics and Ironmen triathletes.  Don’t start thinking that the ruthless endurance routine you started in your twenties or thirties is going to keep you safe from bone loss in your fifties and sixties.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  All the pounding your legs took from overtraining  likely created multiple minor stress fractures and impaired your bone’s ability to absorb the minerals it needs to repair itself.

Remember all those strength training days you skipped, so you could get in an extra swim, ride, or run?  Turns out they were important after all.  But, no worries.  Starting a strength program now can get you back on track.  And, if preventing bone loss is not enough to get you in the gym, strength training can also lower your marathon and triathlon times.

I have your attention now, don’t I?

Osteopenia Fiction:  “Bone density loss only affects women.”

Man more likely to break a bone
Men over the age of fifty are more likely to break a bone because of osteoporosis than to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Not so fast, guys….Twenty percent of new osteopenia diagnoses are men, and one in four men over the age of fifty will break a bone due to osteoporosis.   In fact, men over the age of fifty are more likely to break a bone because of osteoporosis than to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Yes, it’s true that estrogen loss after menopause leads to bone loss in women.  Estrogen acts as a protective factor against overstimulated osteoclasts.  But, guess what!  Testosterone performs the same function in men, and just as estrogen levels decline with age in women, testosterone levels drop for aging men.

Lucky for men, strength training provides the same bone loss reversal benefits as it does for women.  A University of Arizona study in 2009 found that men diagnosed with osteopenia who participated in a high-intensity resistance training program slowed their bone loss or, in many cases, increased their bone mineral density.

Osteopenia Fact:  “A sedentary lifestyle puts you at a higher risk for bone loss.”

Admit it.  As soon as I called out Elle Macpherson and Heidi Klum, you thought you were in the clear.  But, if you spend the majority of your day sitting (and who doesn’t in this office-driven economy of ours), your bones are missing out on the extra workout they get from just being on your feet.

Just standing and walking around provides bones with a good weight-bearing exercise that stimulates osteoblast activity.  But, if your day is anything like the average American’s, you spend an hour or so sitting in traffic and eight or so hours sitting at your desk before you spend a few hours sitting in front of the television to wind down and seven hours  completely horizontal while you sleep.  All-in-all, you’re spending less than four hours on your feet per day which is a recipe for osteopenia and osteoporosis later in life.

If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, it’s even more important that you incorporate strength training into your weekly routine.  In fact, a study performed by Polaris Healthcare attributed the increase in men being diagnosed with osteoporosis with too much sitting and too little exercise.

Osteopenia Fiction:  “Osteopenia is something only the elderly need to worry about.”

When it comes to bone density loss, prevention is the name of the game, and the healthier your bones are in your twenties, thirties, and forties, the healthier they’ll be in your fifties, sixties, and beyond.   In fact, for best preventative results against bone loss, many physicians recommend beginning strength training during adolescence.  Think of your bones like a retirement account.  The earlier you start contributing, the bigger the payout in the end.

But, like Dr. Nelson said, it’s never too late to strength training.  And, strength training is one of the most beneficial measures you can take to help prevent bone loss.  Women, men, young, old, models, runners, triathletes, blonds, thin, sedentary:  nobody is immune from osteopenia and osteoporosis.

Incorporating strength training now can help you prevent osteoporosis and reverse bone loss.  “For five years I had repeated low bone density scans, and after only one and a half years, that has been reversed,” says a happy Allison.  “The power of the program!”

Start incorporating the ForeverStrong Personalized Fitness System into your routine to prevent or even reverse bone density loss. Call us today at 301-452-5547 to schedule your free physical fitness diagnostic with Kelly Scott, creator and owner of the ForeverStrong Personalized Fitness System. Together, we can combat osteopenia and osteoporosis with an exercise program that’s right for you.

The top 10 reasons to choose the ForeverStrong™ Personalized Fitness System.

top ten banner

1. We design a fitness program for you, not for a group.

Don’t leave your progress to chance with a random “workout of the day” which you get at most gyms. With our ForeverStrong™ personalized fitness system, you get a progressive strength and movement program with varying levels of volume & intensity that have been tested, refined, and proven to get you the best results.  Then, as your strength and mobility improve, we incorporate more challenging drills to take you to the next level.  Plus, our fast-paced, metabolic conditioning workouts will send your metabolism into overdrive.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, you get a personalized program that will deliver jaw-dropping results in the shortest amount of time.

2. Fitness is personal, so our sessions are too.

Who wants to get lost in one of those crowded “boot camps” with 50+ people? Even fitness classes with only 10-15 people don’t offer much one-on-one support. That’s why we limit our studio membership and keep our ForeverStrong™ personalized training sessions small. This ensures you get the individual attention you need to train safely and effectively.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, our laser-focused attention keeps you on track to get your desired results.

3. You will learn the right techniques, right from the start.

Like any other skill, strength training movement needs to be carefully crafted.  So, unlike some places that just throw you into a group class on day one, our ForeverStrong™ personalized fitness system, requires you to complete our starter sessions to ensure you master the skills needed to train safely. You’ll learn weight lifting fundamentals and Hardstyle techniques that provide a solid foundation from which to build your strength and conditioning so you can join shared sessions of other clients.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, our expert trainers will teach you the correct movements that you need to get strong, and stay strong.

4. We lead by example.

Our certified instructors live and breathe this stuff. They know how to coach you through each training session, provide cues for proper body mechanics, correct exercise form, and select progressions or regressions based on your individual level of strength.  Each of our instructors is a certified personal trainer, certified kettlebell instructor, certified in CPR, and certified in the ForeverStrong™ fitness system. To stay current and provide the highest quality of client service, they are also required to take continuing education classes and training sessions.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, you can be assured that you are in qualified hands, maximizing your investment in your health.

5. We help you develop healthy habits that promote permanent results.

There’s a saying “abs are made in the kitchen.”  We embrace this mantra and provide proper nutritional counseling to support you while on the ForeverStrong™ personalized fitness program. Healthy Habits Coaching is a structured, personalized support program that includes daily check-ins with your coach and personal coaching calls. Healthy Habits Coaching is included in your ForeverStrong™ Personalized Fitness Program.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, we’ll help you maintain accountability for good nutrition while you work toward your fitness goals!

6. We get to know you, before creating a plan for you.

We don’t offer a “one size fits all” training package.  Each and every one of you is unique with individual backgrounds, goals, and interests.  Whether you want to build stamina, move better, lose weight, increase strength or just improve your health, we’ll recommend the best ForeverStrong™ training package to meet YOUR goals.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, we can guarantee results because we hand-tailor your fitness plan.

7. We put the “FUN” in functional training

We know that if you are having fun, you are going to stick to your program, and if you are consistent, you get results. Our ForeverStrong™ personalized fitness system provides a fun and energetic training approach to keep you coming back.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, our friendly, nurturing instructors make your training both enjoyable and productive—and that’s one of the best recipes for success.

8. Our unique program design system keeps your progress in check

You and your instructor review goals prior to each Forever Strong™ training session in a personalized training journal which we have designed just for you. Individual adjustments can be made quickly and easily when needed, ensuring you get the most out of each session.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, success starts with a blueprint and ends with an achievement.

9. Exercise should build you up, not beat you down.

Unlike some training facilities, which leave you feeling beat up and exhausted, our ForeverStrong™ training sessions are uplifting and satisfying. Our instructor-guided system ensures you progress at an appropriate pace, uninterrupted by fatigue or injury.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, you’ll stand taller, move better, and have more energy and stamina than ever before!

10. You won’t just have a trainer, you’ll have a training team! 

A good support system is critical to success. Our ForeverStrong™ instructors work as a team to ensure you get the most from your training.  During our weekly staff meetings we brainstorm and problem solve issues our clients may have with their training and quickly devise corrective strategies to keep them on track.

Bottom Line: At ForeverStrong, you’ll get the best personal training support system available anywhere.

 

If you find something you like from this list, then I challenge you to come out and start your own ForeverStrong journey! Choose ForeverStrong,we want to help you reach your fitness goals in the best way possible for you!

Busy Professional Gets More Done in Less Time

Ted E “I was not the thinnest kid growing up,” Ted admits, “but at some point in my late twenties, I managed to get into better shape.  Maintaining and improving on that has been both a goal and a challenge as I have gotten older.”  Juggling a hectic daily schedule left Ted with little time for working out.  “The biggest challenge is time,” Ted admits.  “I have a family and a job, and to do them right, both require a lot of it.  So as you get older, you find that it’s very easy to justify sitting around.”

But, when Ted’s blood pressure and weight started creeping up, he decided to take action.  Ted initially approached ForeverStrong during a promotional deal.  Impressed with the ForeverStrong approach, Ted signed on, and soon, it was the ForeverStrong team who was impressed with Ted.

“He has a great personality that makes him a dream to train,” says Kelly Scott.  Ted’s instructors were amazed with Ted’s commitment to the ForeverStrong program.  “Despite traveling a lot for work, Ted manages to keep a consistent schedule.”  Ted also refused to let a shoulder injury derail him.  “The injury took him out for several months,” Kelly recalls, “but, when he was ready to train again, Ted came right back.”

And, unsurprisingly, Ted’s fitness approach was more of the same:  dedication, consistency, and an exceptional attitude, earning him the title of Client of the Month at our Fulton Studio.

Ted’s Challenges

Constantly crunched for time, Ted needed a fitness program that accommodated his work and family commitments.  “I needed something that would motivate me back into a regular workout routine but still provide some scheduling flexibility if I had to work late or travel.”

Ted also recognized the importance of having a fitness program that was efficient yet could provide him with the health results he wanted.  “Previously, I could go the gym for an hour but didn’t have a really good plan for what I wanted to accomplish that day.  I also wasn’t good at recording my progress as I went along, so it was hard to measure improvement.”

Ted’s instructors designed a program that could accommodate his schedule and provide him with the motivation and feedback he wanted.  For Ted, that meant a mix of individual strength sessions as well as group workouts.  “I like that the program has both an individual and a group component,” Ted says.  “The high intensity finisher is great to do with the group because it keeps you going – even when it would be easier to stop and rest!”

Ted appreciates that his individual ForeverStrong program is designed just for him.  “The strength program is specific to me, and I can measure my progress from week to week.”  Ted also credits his ForeverStrong success to working one-on-one with a instructor.  “Having a knowledgeable instructor right there to provide guidance, feedback, and keep me motivated is a huge part of what makes the program work for me.”

Ted’s Results

Ted’s main fitness goals were to improve his strength and increase his metabolism, and we’re happy to announce that Ted reached both of his goals.

Ted Evans Facebook 6-25-14Ted completed our Whole30 program, a thirty day period of clean eating that eliminates grains, dairy, sugar, and legumes in an effort to purge toxins from the body and reduce inflammation caused by over-processed foods.  Ted lost a total of 10.5 inches — he dropped two pant sizes! He also increased his metabolism and decreased his blood pressure.  “Blood pressure is well within the normal range,” Ted reports.

Ted also improved his strength.  Ted added 25 pounds to his overhead press, 75 pounds to his deadlift and 48 pounds to his squat.

But, greater strength and a higher metabolism aren’t the only benefits Ted experienced.  “Not surprisingly, I feel stronger overall.  Just thinking about the weights I use now versus when I started eighteen months ago, there is a huge difference.  But, I’ve seen results in several other ways that I didn’t expect.”

“I dislocated my shoulder in December,” Ted says.  “After I was allowed to return to exercise, [the program] has been extremely helpful in regaining my strength and range of motion on that side.  I’m pretty much back to one hundred percent.”  Ted also appreciates that his instructors taught him how to lift correctly.  “I use that knowledge outside of the gym to avoid injury.”

Ted’s endurance has also improved.  “I have a son in Boy Scouts, so I have done a fair amount of hiking over the last few years. It’s a much more enjoyable experience now than when I wasn’t in shape for it. Instead of working to just keep up, the typical pace (which is not slow) is now very comfortable, and I can focus on the people I’m with and not on how much my calves are burning.”

In Ted’s Words

“I think it’s safe to say I previously never really got into a great routine. I would do something for a couple of months, but sticking with it was always hard, so I would end up with a yo-yo effect.

The ForeverStrong program provides structure, feedback, individual goals, and enough variety to keep me from getting bored. Now I come work out because I want to not because I should!”

Ted’s Advice

“The ForeverStrong program isn’t free, and for many, it may be more than they were intending to spend on a monthly workout program. But, for me, it is an investment. I know that when I look at it from a time/money/value perspective, it is extremely positive. I get done in an hour, two or three days a week what some people do in five days a week at the gym in an hour and a half. I get nine sessions per month and use them all. How many people pay for a regular gym membership and only go a few times a month? Believe me, I have been one of those people!  Plus, most people going to a regular gym don’t get the personal attention on a daily basis that we do here.

You just have to make time to workout – and make it (almost) non-negotiable.”

Ted’s personality and commitment to his training keeps the energy level high at ForeverStrong. His new personal goal is to become strong enough to meet the vigorous physical fitness standards it takes to become certified Kettlebell Instructor. The ForeverStrong instructors always look forward to seeing Ted at the studio and are super excited to help him achieve this goal. Please join us in us a round of applause for Ted, our amazing Client of the Month.

Ted accepts his 'Client of the Month' award
Ted accepts his ‘Client of the Month’ award

Congratulations,Ted!  You are ForeverStrong!

Ted made fitness a priority and refused to let his busy schedule dictate his health.  You can conquer your busy schedule, too!  A complimentary ForeverStrong fitness consultation will show you how you can make your health a priority.

Age Defying Benefits of Strength Training

Strength Training for SeniorsMarsha, age 72, leaves her doctor’s office with a smile on her face, amused that the physician’s assistant — amazed by Marsha’s double digit weight loss and low blood pressure — just accused her of showing off.  Lorri’s doctor is similarly impressed by her health.  He can’t believe 60 year old Lorri has dropped weight, lowered her blood pressure, and eliminated her back pain, all without the use of medication.

Both Marsha and Lorri have discovered the secret to healthy aging, a secret long borne out by research.  Marsha and Lorri know that increasing strength and maintaining muscle mass promotes longevity and improves overall health, and they are part of the 13.7 percent of Americans, aged 50 or older, who strength train at least twice per week.

Unfortunately, the other 86.3% of Americans slow down just as they should get started.  Progressive strength training has shown promising results in combating the common maladies that come with aging, even in adults older than 60.

Strength training dramatically improves, or even reverses, bone loss.   Strength training is effective in managing the chronic pain associated with arthritis and back problems.  Progressive strength training also helps stave off cognitive declines and combats insulin resistance.  It improves balance, coordination, and spacial awareness reducing the risk of falls, and strength training can even extend your life.

Extend Your Life.

Yes, you read that right.  Strength training can extend your life.

“Use it or lose it” is the common aphorism when it comes to healthy aging, so of course, we all know that strength training improves muscle tone, prevents muscle atrophy, and helps boost metabolism.  But, did you also know that strength training increases longevity?  Researchers at UCLA found that senior citizens with more muscle mass were less likely to die prematurely than senior citizens with low muscle mass.

Or, to sum it up, in a second simple aphorism:  stay stronger, live longer.

You can get the life-extending benefits of strength training in as little as two hours per week.  The average American spends two hours per day watching television, so consider supplementing a few of your favorite television programs with a few strength training sessions.  And, thanks to your new training plan, you’ll be around to find out who’s Dancing with the Stars next season.

Fortify Your Bones

Got milk?

In the 1980s, the dairy industry capitalized on what mothers had been saying for decades.  Milk, indeed, did a body good, and moms across America poured glass after glass of the mustache-inducing beverage for their children in an effort to help their offspring grow big and strong.  But, milk isn’t the only way to ensure healthy bones, and if those same 1980s moms, now approaching late middle age, would invest a few hours per week in a strength training regimen, they could save themselves from the debilitating effects of bone loss.

Osteoblasts and osteoclasts, two different types of bone cells, work in tandem to maintain a healthy skeleton.  Osteoblasts create new bone while osteoclasts break down old bone. Think of osteoblasts as the renovating crew and osteoclasts as the demolition team.  In women, estrogen tends to inhibit osteoclast activity, keeping osteoblasts and osteoclasts in balance which helps retain bone density.

Due to the loss of estrogen associated with menopause, postmenopausal women lose the protective benefits of estrogen, placing them at higher risk for bone density loss when osteoclasts start absorbing bone tissue faster than osteoblasts can replace it.  And, guys, I know you tend to shut down when you start hearing estrogen talk, but don’t start thinking you’re off the hook.   When it comes to bone loss, testosterone acts as a protectant in men just as estrogen does in women, and men face similar hormonal declines with increasing age, just as women do.

Osteopenia, the precursor to osteoporosis, affects half of Americans over age 50.  Like osteoporosis, osteopenia is characterized by low bone density.  Often, there are no symptoms, and many people don’t realize how weak their bones are until they break one.  And, at an advanced age, one broken bone can adversely change your life.  Walking, driving, and even feeding yourself can become difficult, if not impossible, tasks, and a broken bone can result in chronic pain, disability, and even a loss of independence.

And, don’t be so quick to reach for that bottle of Fosamax just yet.  Bone density meds don’t increase the body’s production of osteoblasts.  Instead, they dampen the activity of osteoclasts.  In essence, you’re not hiring additional builders; you’re just furloughing your demolition crew.  So, while bone isn’t being resorbed, it’s also not being repaired which is why even while taking bone density medication, bones continue to become increasingly brittle and are increasingly prone to fractures and breaking.

Rather than get caught up in the Catch-22 of bone pharmacopeia, try strength training.  Strength training, specifically high-intensity resistance training, can not only help you retain bone mineral density but increase it.  High-intensity resistance training, with proper recovery periods, has been shown in research studies to halt bone deterioration and stimulate bone growth, especially in seniors.

Strength:  it does a body good!

Preserve Your Brain

Sir Norman Wisdom famously quipped, “As you get older, three things happen. The first is your memory goes, and I can’t remember the other two.”

Forgetfulness is one of the most common cognitive declines associated with aging, and few prospects are more frightening than dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.  Increasing age is also associated with a decrease in the ability to maintain focus and a decrease in problem solving ability.  If only there was a way to keep your mind in shape.

Oh, but there is.

Exercise not only keeps your body fit; it also trains your brain.  A new study shows that strength training may be able to slow dementia.  Senior participants in a study conducted by the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility at Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia Archives of Internal Medicine took part in an exercise program.  The researchers found that strength training, specifically resistance training, can alter the trajectory of cognitive decline in seniors.

Strength training “significantly improved” the participants’ attention, problem solving ability, and associative memory, so if Sir Norman can commit to a weekly strength training program, he should be able to tell us the other two things we can expect as we get older.

Ease Arthritis Pain

Maybe one of those two things is arthritis, the bane of the elderly.  Anyone afflicted with this disease will tell you that arthritis is a pain in the…, well, joints.   And, the pain caused by inflamed and swollen joints interferes with the most basic of daily tasks, from brushing your teeth to walking across the room, compromising mobility and independence.   But, recent studies have shown that strength training could offer hope for arthritis sufferers.

Researchers at Tufts University had elderly men and women with moderate to severe osteoarthritis complete a sixteen week strength training program.  The participants increased their muscle strength and showed a marked decrease in their arthritis symptoms.  Most importantly, their pain decreased by an incredible 43%, fantastic news for those afflicted with arthritis.

Of course, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), maintaining a healthy body weight has been shown to decrease the risk of developing osteoarthritis.  As well, protecting joints from injuries and overuse also reduces the risk of arthritis.  Strength training can improve joint health and help you develop lean, fat burning muscle, a key in maintaining an appropriate body weight.

Lower Your Risk of Falls

Visit any retirement community, and one of the chief concerns you’ll hear the residents mention, in regards to their health, is the fear of taking a fall.  And, that fear is justified.  Seniors have a disproportionately higher risk for falls, and those falls are often accompanied by a broken bone or serious head injury, along with all the havoc those health crises entail.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) cites muscle weakness, especially muscle weakness in the legs, as the biggest contributor to falls in seniors.  Balance issues are a close second with sensory problems also making the list.

All of which can be improved with strength training.

During a twelve week study period, researchers investigated the effectiveness of leg strengthening exercises in individuals aged 65 and over.  The individuals in the training group not only significantly increased their lower limb strength but also improved their balance and coordination when compared to the lazy baseline group (just kidding, all good studies need a baseline group for comparison; it’s not the participants’ fault they were randomly assigned to the group that couch surfed instead of performed leg presses though I’m sure upon hearing the results, the baseline group signed up for their own strength training program).

An appropriate strength training program can be an effective means to preserving, or even improving, coordination, spatial awareness, and reaction time for seniors.  Of course, even more important than better balance, is the decreased risk of a fall.  Avoiding a fall, and a fall’s associated injuries, helps seniors maintain their health and independence, important factors in life satisfaction and healthy aging.

Back Pain Reduction

Back pain proves that misery loves company.  Nearly 80% of Americans are subject to occasional back pain while one third of seniors suffer from chronic back problems.  It seems our keyboard-pecking, hunched-over, high-stress, tight-shouldered lifestyle is starting to catch up with us.

However, numerous studies show that weight training and other strengthening exercises can help mitigate back pain.

One such sixteen week study, presented at the American College of Sports Medicine, examined 240 patients with chronic back pain resulting from a soft tissue injury (none of the patients had back surgery, damaged vertebra, or problems with their spinal nerve roots).   The patients undertook a strength training program, slowly building up to higher weights and gradually increasing their number of repetitions.

After just three weeks, the researchers noticed a decrease in the patients’ pain corresponding to the patients’ increase in strength.  The results?

■    28% decrease in pain for patients who exercised four times per week

■    18% decrease in pain for patients who exercised three times per week

■    14% decrease in pain for patients who exercised two times per week

Seeing those results, it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that the patients’ quality of life, defined, for the purpose of this study, as a person’s physical and mental well-being, respectively increased by 16-28%.

Improve Your Insulin Response and Lower Your Risk of Diabetes

What do obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia (elevated fat in your bloodstream), liver disease, sleep apnea, and cancer have in common?  All are associated with insulin resistance, a condition in which the body develops a tolerance for its own insulin, requiring that your pancreas pump more and more insulin into your body to achieve the same glucose-absorbing effect.  Eventually, the pancreas can’t produce enough insulin to keep up with the body’s demand, leading to dangerously high blood sugar levels.  If you’re thinking this sounds a lot like diabetes, you’re right.  Insulin resistance is a precursor to Type II diabetes.  And, if you think obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, liver disease, sleep apnea, and cancer sound bad enough, you should also know that insulin resistance also predisposes you to cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.

The good news (yes, there is good news) is that lifting weights lowers your risk of insulin resistance and diabetes.  Consistent weight training improves the sensitivity of insulin receptors which allows muscle cells to absorb glucose more easily.  Even better news?  This happens almost immediately after exercising with weights, and the effect can last for days.  And, since lean muscle is particularly insulin sensitive tissue, as you build more muscle over time, insulin sensitivity improves.

What if you already have diabetes?  Well, strength training has good news for you, too.  In a ten week study, diabetics in a strength training group were compared to diabetics in a group that ran on a treadmill.  At the study’s completion, the strength training group had a greater reduction in blood glucose levels and their HbA1c levels (medical-speak for glycohemoglobin test, the test used to assess how well diabetes is being controlled) were significantly lower than the group on the treadmill.

So, take note all you diehard runners; it’s time you learned to love weights.

Get The Best Results With a Well-Designed Program

Progressive strength training programs are a mix of exercises designed to gradually increase muscle mass and improve strength, and the programs have shown positive results for young adults, senior citizens, and all age groups in between.   A progressive strength training program usually starts with lightweight training, and in time, the weights are slowly increased to promote muscle mass.  Seniors are more prone to injury as their muscle and skeletal systems are generally weaker than their younger counterparts, so progressive strength training is especially beneficial as its gradual program helps alleviate the potential injuries that other “all-in” workouts can impose.

The exercises used in progressive strength training are focused on increasing flexibility and improving range of motion while reducing the risk of injuries.  Kettlebells are commonly used in performing these simple yet effective exercises.  Squats, overhead shoulder presses, and kettlebell swings yield excellent results when properly used in progressive strength training, not to mention kettlebells are fun and help combat workout boredom.  However, kettlebells do require proper training and practice in order to use them safely, and for most people just starting a strength training program, flexibility and range of motion in the joints may limit the movements they can perform initially.  But, just learning the movements without weights still provides an excellent workout and allows the new participant to improve their mobility and flexibility.  Weights can then gradually be added to the program, and before you know it, you’re reaping the benefits of a progressive strength training program.

Many of the studies reviewed in this article indicated that workout intensity matters as high-intensity resistance exercises yielded slightly greater increases in bone mineral density, lean muscle mass, and muscle strength.  Like moderate intensity strength training, high intensity strength training also requires proper instruction and adherence to safety, but so long as the strength training is correctly progressed, high intensity workouts are safe and beneficial for most seniors and can improve musculoskeletal health.  Again, however, progression needs to be emphasized in order to prevent overtraining and possible injuries; the higher the workout’s intensity, the higher the risk of injury for untrained individuals.

For the most part, strength-training exercises—especially if you start conservatively and progress slowly—are safe for most seniors, even those with health conditions.  But, before beginning a strength training program, you should talk to your doctor about what type of fitness program is appropriate for you, especially if you are currently inactive, elderly, hypertensive, have a musculoskeletal injury or disease, or have any other health concern.  As seniors have unique health needs, it’s best to hire a personal trainer that has experience working with older adults.  A personal trainer will also help you revamp your eating habits to maximize your training.

Now that you know that progressive strength training is safe and effective for you, it’s time to get started with a program.  Join the ForeverStrong program and train to manage physical pain, prevent bone loss and cognitive decline, decrease your risk of falls, and fight back against insulin resistance and diabetes.  You’ll find yourself living a longer, and healthier, life.


REFERENCES:

Hey, don’t just take my word for it!  For more information on healthy aging through strength training, check out these exciting research studies:

 

1. Maddalozzo, G.F., and Snow, C.M. 2000. High intensity resistance training: Effects on bone in older men and women. Calcified Tissue International, 66, 399-404.

2. Lindsay S. Nagamatsu, MA et al. Resistance Training Promotes Cognitive and Functional Brain Plasticity in Seniors With Probable Mild Cognitive Impairment. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(8):666-668. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2012.379.

3. Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter, (1994).  Never too late to build up your muscle.  12: 6-7 (September).

4. 1: Fragala MS, Beyer KS, Jajtner AR, Townsend JR, Pruna GJ, Boone CH, Bohner JD, Fukuda DH, Stout JR, Hoffman JR. Resistance Exercise May Improve SpatialAwareness and Visual Reaction in Older Adults. J Strength Cond Res. 2014Aug;28(8):2079-2087. PubMed PMID: 24832975.

5. In-Hee Lee, PT, PhD1 and Sang-young Park, PT, PhD2. Balance Improvement by Strength Training for the Elderly. J Phys Ther Sci. Dec 2013; 25(12): 1591–1593.

6. Kell, Robert T1; Asmundson, Gordon J G2. A Comparison of Two Forms of Periodized Exercise Rehabilitation Programs in the Management of Chronic Nonspecific Low-Back Pain. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. March 2009 – Volume 23 – Issue 2 – pp 513-523

7. Salameh Bweir1 et al., Resistance exercise training lowers HbA1c more than aerobic training in adults with type 2 diabetes Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome 2009, 1:27  doi:10.1186/1758-5996-1-27. Published: 10 December 2009

8. Preethi Srikanthan, Arun S. Karlamangla. Muscle Mass Index As a Predictor of Longevity in Older Adults. The American Journal of Medicine, Vol. 127, Issue 6, p547–553

9. http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/faqs.htm

10. http://nihseniorhealth.gov/falls/causesandriskfactors/01.html

 

Women Over 55 are Raving About ForeverStrong™

Exercise can be daunting at any age, but for those 50+, it can become even more physically challenging with each ensuing decade.picture of client doing pullup

Even if you’ve been an exercise maven all your life, age can take a toll on the body and you may eventually find your favorite fitness activity become painful or even impossible to maintain. Still, as the aches and pains set-in, it’s important to stay physically active.

If you’ve never exercised routinely in the past, now is the time to start. Exercise has been shown to improve health and reverse some of the symptoms of aging—and who doesn’t want that.

But, it’s not easy to find a fitness plan that doesn’t involve high impact, strenuous activities that tend to jar or stress aging joints.

Several women in Howard County say they have found the perfect solution to getting and staying fit. It’s the ForeverStrong™ Fitness System. It’s safe, doable and achieving some amazing results for those training in their 50s, 60s and 70s.

Marsha, 72, who never exercised regularly before she started the ForeverStrong™ system, boasts that trips to her chiropractor are now monthly, instead of weekly. She lost 13 pounds and lowered her blood pressure. “I can squat in the bathtub again and not feel pain,” Marsha said.

That’s because ForeverStrong™ is purposefully designed to help improve health problems that women face as they age, such as back pain, weak knees, limited range of motion in joints, imbalance, low energy, abdominal fat, high blood pressure, loss in bone mass, and declining strength and coordination.

Sara, age 61, who took yoga, Pilates and cardio classes over the years, never noticed any improvement in her fitness. But she did with ForeverStrong™. “My core is stronger, my balance is very improved and my spine is much more flexible. That makes it wonderful for daily living.”

ForeverStrong™ works because it is not a cookie cutter fitness solution, according to its creator, Kelly Scott. “Each client gets individual, progressive strength training with a high intensity interval routine, which we continuously adapt as strength increases.”

The personalized approach was exactly what Patricia, age 67, was looking for. “At my age, I wanted a fitness program designed specifically for me to help me gain strength and get better muscle tone. With ForeverStrong™, my legs and arms are stronger, my body is better toned and I lost weight–which made my doctor happy.”

Another benefit when training with ForeverStrong™ is that it’s a more efficient workout that can be done in less time. Most people see results with only two-three one hour sessions per week.

“It’s a great way to get a whole body workout in a relatively short period of time and it’s never boring,” exclaims Renee, age 56.

Dana, age 66, said when she started the program she was out of shape and overweight. Now, as a result of the ForeverStrong™ system, she has more energy, more flexibility and lost weight. Dana said, “Once you start, you’ll love it.”

Eleanor, age 79, received an excellent report from her doctor at her last physical check-up and she attributes it to being with the program for 3 ½ years. She lends some advice to others, “It’s never too late for those over 55 to get with it.”

The ForeverStrong™ Fitness System is available at two Maryland locations: Fulton & Ellicott City.  All sessions are by appointment only, so call 301-42-5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation. Train ForeverStrong and learn more about yourself and your physical fitness capability!

 

Strong at Sixty: Forever Life Changed

Two years ago, Lorri’s lower back was so bad that just turning at the waist caused her excruciating pain. Now, eighteen months after joining the ForeverStrong™ program, Lori raves, “Blood pressure down. Weight down. Back pain GONE! Strong at sixty…I’ve never felt so good.”

The ForeverStrong™ team is proud to announce Lorri as their July client of the month. Lorri, a piano teacher, signed up in January 2013.

Kelly Scott recalls that when Lorri started working out,

“Her back was so weak that almost every move she made, it sounded like something was breaking.  Although I didn’t know then the extent that she suffered from daily back pain,  I did know if she stuck with our program, we could help her.”

Lorri not only stuck with the program, she excelled at it. Following her instructors’ training, Lorri learned how to use the kettlebells to improve her strength and fitness, despite skeptics’ criticism.

“The comments I sometimes hear – that kettlebells are dangerous for women over the age of 50 – make me want to shout that kettlebells without proper training are dangerous for everybody. You can enroll at ForeverStrong with full confidence that you will learn proper form and technique first.”

Lorri began just by learning the movements minus the weights. As her strength and confidence increased, Lorri started training with weight. Now, Lorri is lifting 97 pounds up to nine times per set.

Lorri’s Motivation

Lorri admits that before joining the ForeverStrong™ Program, “My own exercise routine – walking several times a week – just wasn’t happening.” But the results of a DEXA scan showed that Lorri was losing bone mass. Knowing that exercise in general, and strength training in particular, was critical for healthy aging, Lorri started considering kettlebells as a strength training option.

“I saw before-and-after pictures of ForeverStrong’ clients who looked just like me,” Lorri says. “Their success stories were inspiring.”

Lorri’s Fitness Program

Lorri’s program was focused on increasing her strength. The ForeverStrong™ program recognizes that strength is a skill, so we started Lorri with a basic program that increased in intensity as Lorri mastered basic lifts.

“What I like best is that the instructors are my partners in taking care of myself. They have created a ForeverStrong™ program just for me,” Lorri explains. “They know me, and they pay attention to my successes and my challenges.”

Lorri Yawney swing NO BACKGROUNDAs Lorri’s strength increased, so did Lorri’s skill set. From just learning the movements, Lorri now routinely performs kettlebell high pulls, inverted rows on the TRX heavy deadlifts, kettlebell military presses, goblet squats, and loaded carries – all with a respectable weight.

Lorri trains consistently, working out twice per week for an hour. Lorri’s instructors vary her workouts with low and medium rep days to keep Lorri improving without overtraining. Her workouts end with 15 minutes of metabolic conditioning. This helps boost Lorri’s metabolism, burn fat, build cardiovascular endurance, and keep her heart and lungs strong.

Having now achieved a high level of conditioning, Lorri will start decreasing her rest time between sets. Lorri thrives at setting and meeting goals, so to challenge Lorri, her instructors have designed a more advanced workout for her with a test at the end. Her trainers expect that Lorri will improve her reps by 20%-30%.

“It makes a big difference to have someone besides me interested in improving my health and able to get me stronger,” Lorri says of the ForeverStrong™ staff. “Because the program allows them to work individually with every client at every workout, they were able to help me heal from a shoulder problem. They forced me to be patient, and they graded the workouts carefully, so the problem is now gone.”

Lorri’s Results

When asked about her results, Lorri happily replied,

“There are so many positive results, I’ll have to make a list!” Lorri notes that her energy level has increased. “I can climb the stairs, lift cases of water bottles, and do all the daily activities that used to leave me tired and winded.”

Lorri has dropped 6 pounds of body fat. Her waist is 4 inches smaller, and she’s lost 2.5 inches from her thighs. Lorri also reports that she’s down two dress sizes.

But, Lorri is most pleased with the improvement in her medical tests.

“My doctor could not believe I was not taking any medication for any of these conditions,” Lorri says of her decreased blood pressure and pain level. “He said I was obviously taking good care of my health. I will have another DEXA scan this summer, and I look forward to seeing the results.”

 

Lorri’s Words

“I used to think that I could achieve better health through cardio programs alone. Not true. Cardio exercises never made me stronger. Now I know that the strength training I’m doing with the excellent staff at ForeverStrong is what is making the difference in my health and in my outlook.”

Lorri happily accepting her client of the month award that she's looking forward to using at Today's Image Salon.
Lorri happily accepting her client of the month award that she’s looking forward to using at Today’s Image Salon.

Lorri’s Advice

“Get off the fence and come join us! No matter what shape you are in or medical problems you have. I was so worried that my lower back problems would not allow me to do the kettlebells. It simply was not true. In fact, had I not begun the program, I’m virtually certain the back pain would still be a problem for me.”

The ForeverStrong™ team in Fulton, MD is amazed by Lorri’s success and feels honored to have shared in her transformation. Please join us in celebrating Lorri’s accomplishments.Lorri Yawney Client of The Month

Congratulations, Lorri! You are Forever Strong!

Lorri was inspired by the success stories of the ForeverStrong™ Program. Now, Lorri is a success story herself. Are you ready to be an inspiration to others? Take advantage of our complimentary ForeverStrong™ fitness consultation and become your own success story. Take the first step today.

11 Research-Backed Reasons You Should Be Doing HIIT Instead of Traditional Cardio

By Kelly Scott

afterburn

If these are your fitness goals, this article is for you:

  • Burn fat
  • Improve muscle tone
  • Build endurance
  • Increase energy
  • Reduce risk of heart disease
  • Normalize blood-pressure
  • To age gracefully

If these are your fitness challenges, this article is for you:

  • Time constraints
  • Lack of motivation
  • Impatience
  • Boredom with exercise
  • Appetite control
  • Lack of results with current routine

High Intensity Interval Training provides an exciting solution when compared to the most common style of exercise: Traditional Cardio.

Cardiovascular exercises have been traditionally known to help in weight loss and improve the overall well being of a person. With that being said, not everyone has the time to dedicate 40 to 90 minutes per day, 4 to 6 days a week to cardio in today’s busy world.

Generally, cardiovascular exercises tend to show diminishing results over a period of time, which can be another challenge for people who are frustrated by their weight. Additionally, excessive endurance exercise can compromise your metabolism by breaking-down hard earned muscle tissue and releasing hormones that make your body prone to store more fat.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on the other hand, provides quick, but not instant, results in terms of weight loss and toning the body. Though traditional cardiovascular exercise remains an effective type of training in the right amounts, HIIT can offer outstanding results without taking too much time from your schedule or sacrificing your metabolism, bones, muscles or joints.

 

Traditional Cardio (CMT)jogger

Let’s start by defining what I label as “traditional cardio.” Traditional Cardio is long duration activity that can stimulate your cardiovascular and respiratory system over a period of time. It’s also called continuous moderate-intensity exercise (CMT). In other words, it relates to exercises that are performed at a moderate intensity for at least 30 minutes to over an hour.  Generally, people refer to this as “aerobic exercise.” Aerobic exercise burns calories, helps with lowering your cholesterol, and will provide you with overall health benefits. It increases the breathing capacity in a person and helps build endurance.

Common examples of aerobic exercise or CMT include jogging, swimming, cycling, elliptical machines,  dance workouts, and step aerobics. CMT combined with strength training exercises can go a long way in helping you achieve a toned and muscular physique. This traditional exercise program would require at least one hour per day, four to five days per week of CMT, and an additional one hour of strength training, two to three days per week.

Total weekly exercise time: six to eight hours per week.

 

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)sprinter copy

HIIT on the other hand is quite different from traditional cardio. HIIT requires you to dedicate 15 to 30 minutes of your time, and is viewed as a convenient option by many men, women, and even senior citizens. HIIT is basically performing an activity at high intensity for a specific time (referred to as the work interval) and then performing an activity at very low intensity (referred to as the recovery interval). This routine is continued until the targeted time is complete.

Research shows that HIIT can provide the same overall health benefits of longer duration cardio, and that it is far more effective for fat loss. An effective exercise program combining HIIT with strength training would require at least 15 minutes a day, two to three days a week of HIIT, and an additional 45 minutes of strength training, two to three days a week.

Total weekly exercise time: two to three hours per week.

11 Research-Backed Reasons You Should Be Doing HIIT Instead of Traditional Cardio

1.) It’s great for busy people

HIIT stimulates similar or better physical improvements than moderate-intensity continuous training (CMT). The total time commitment required to achieve ideal fitness levels is substantially lower than traditional methods. This is great news, given that “lack of time remains the most commonly cited barrier to regular exercise participation,” states M. J. Gibala, Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University.1

2.) It’s very effective for fat loss (especially abdominal fat)

A study published in American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation cited 62 overweight and obese subjects who performed HIIT with strength training two to three times per week over nine months and saw significant improvement in both waist circumference measurements and overall body fat. In contrast, longer exercise sessions exceeding 60 minutes stimulates over production of stress hormones, like cortisol. High levels of cortisol contributes to the storage of abdominal fat. 2 6

3.)  It stimulates powerful anti-aging hormones

HIIT has been shown to stimulate the production of human growth hormone (HGH).  HGH slows down aging by increasing exercise capacity, increasing bone density, increasing muscle mass, and decreasing body fat. In contrast, overdoing long bouts of traditional cardio can actually damage your mitochondria and accelerate aging.3      

4.) It builds endurance faster

With HIIT, maximal exercise capacity (endurance) is increased in a very short time. It has been shown to improve VO2 max (a marker of aerobic fitness) faster then long duration cardio.3 4

5.) It’s superior in preventing and controlling high blood pressure

A study published by the American Journal of Cardiovascular Disease showed women at high risk for hypertension saw greater improvements to blood pressure after just 16 weeks of HIIT, compared to the group that performed 16 weeks of CMT training. Improvements to insulin sensitivity, stiff arteries, and cardiorespiratory fitness were superior among the HIIT group. 5

6.)  It reduces risk of diabetes, heart disease, or stroke

It’s well known that traditional cardio produces these benefits, but research proves that if you are overweight or obese you can still reduce your cardiometabolic risk with HIIT. This means you can still get the life-saving benefits of cardio without a large time commitment. 2

7.) It suppresses your appetite

In a study on the effects HIIT on fat loss, Australian researchers cited a lower perceived appetite after HIIT training. Other researchers suggest this is partly due to release of an satiety hormone called peptide YY, as well as lowered levels of an appetite stimulant, ghrelin, after high intensity work. It gets even better because HIIT works best when paired with a progressive strength training program. Studies suggest that strength training has also been proven to release gut hormones that regulate appetite during and after exercise. 8 9

8.) You’ll see results faster

So fast that previously untrained people saw an improvement in endurance, muscle tone and performance in as little as six HIIT sessions. That’s fast! 10

9.) It boosts your metabolism

Another benefit of HIIT is excess post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).  This means that after you complete your workout, your oxygen consumption and calorie burning remain elevated for up to 48 hours. This higher metabolic level continues as your muscle cells are repaired and restored. 12

10.) It helps you lose fat while preserving muscle

A common frustration among dieters and weight-loser/gainers is that they gain all the weight back – and more! This is because cutting calories and excessive traditional cardio (CMT) seems to encourage muscle loss.  Loss of lean, metabolically active muscle tissue results in a decreased metabolism, which makes the fat come right back. Fortunately, strength training and HIIT allow you to preserve your precious muscle tissue and push your metabolism in overdrive. 10

11.) It’s great for people with a short attention span

Boredom is one of the top three reasons why people stop exercising. Not only are HIIT workouts too short to let your mind wander, but HIIT workouts don’t offer you the luxury of getting bored. This is because when you’re not pushing it hard – real hard – you’re busy sucking wind trying to catch your breath before the next interval. Getting bored with a HIIT workout would be like getting bored while running to save your life if a bear was chasing you. 11

 

Sample HIIT Routines:

You don’t need any fancy equipment. Just some motivation and a great warmup. Here are some examples:

  1. 30-60 seconds of sprinting, and then walking at a brisk pace for two minutes until the routine is complete.
  2. 30 seconds of kettlebell swings paired with walking at a slow pace until your breathing normally. Repeat for 10-15 minutes.
  3. Climbing up 100 stairs quickly, and then walking down at normal pace until the routine is complete.

Ready to hit a HIIT workout?

To put it all in perspective, Traditional Cardio and HIIT are both effective at improving the health of a person. While traditional cardio has its benefits in a well rounded workout program, it might not be the best standalone choice for you. In fact, arbitrarily doing more exercise could hinder you from reaching your goals. Better results could be attained though implementing a HIIT/progressive strength focused program with incidental cardio. Based on your needs and how much time you can dedicate to promoting your health, HIIT training could make a positive impact on the results you’re getting. If you believe you can dedicate two to three days a week (depending on your fitness goals) to high intensity training, then go for HIIT without thinking twice.

Many of our clients are in awe at the results they achieve in just three sessions a week. You will be too.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s HIIT it!

 ForeverStrong Fitness System™ combines progressive strength training with HIIT finishers. Based on our research, the best results come from the most effective exercise programming.

If you or someone you know would benefit from personalized exercise programming, contact us to schedule a complimentary fitness consultation.


REFERENCES:

1 M. J. Gibala et al. Physiological adaptations to low-volume, high-intensity interval training in health and disease. March 1, 2012 The Journal of Physiology, 590, 1077-1084

2 Gremeaux V et al. Long-term lifestyle intervention with optimized high-intensity interval training improves body composition, cardiometabolic risk, and exercise parameters in patients with abdominal obesity. American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2012 Nov; 91(11): 941-59

3 Stokes KA et al. The time course of the human growth hormone response to a 6 s and a 30 s cycle ergometer sprint. J Sports Sci. 2002 Jun;20(6):487-94.

4 Helgerud J, Hoydal K, Wang E, et al. Aerobic high-intensity intervals improve VO2max more than moderate training. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007;39:665–71.

5 Ciolac EG. High-intensity interval training and hypertension: maximizing the benefits of exercise? American Journal of Cardiovascular Disease 2012; 2(2): 102-10

6 Moyer AE et al, Stress-induced cortisol response and fat distribution in women. Obes Res. 1994 May;2(3):255-62.

7 Shiraev T, Barclay G. Evidence based exercise—clinical benefits of high intensity interval training. Australian Family Physician 2012 Dec; 41(12): 960-62

8 Boutcher SH. High-intensity intermittent exercise and fat loss. J Obes. 2011;2011:868305. doi: 10.1155/2011/868305. Epub 2010 Nov 24.

9 Broom et al. The influence of resistance and aerobic exercise on hunger, circulating levels of acylated ghrelin and peptide YY in healthy males. AJP Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 2008; DOI:10.1152/ajpregu.90706.2008

10 Robert Acton Jacobs et al. Improvements in exercise performance with high-intensity interval training coincide with an increase in skeletal muscle mitochondrial content and function. Journal of Applied PhysiologyPublished 15 September 2013Vol. 115no. 785-793

11 David G. Marrero, PhD. Time to Get Moving: Helping Patients With Diabetes Adopt Exercise as Part of a Healthy Lifestyle. Clinical Diabetes October 2005 vol. 23 no. 4 154-159

12 Christopher G.R. Perry, George J.F. Heigenhauser, Arend Bonen, et al. High-intensity aerobic interval training increases fat and carbohydrate metabolic capacities in human skeletal muscle. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. NRC Research Press. Dec 1, 2008

Will Alcohol Hinder My Fat Loss Efforts?

…The headline above is from one of the more popular messages addressed in our Healthy Habits program. We had such a great response from this subject that we wanted to share it with you. bartender

Today I want to give attention to a very touchy subject: adult beverages.

If you don’t consume alcohol at all, then you have a definite advantage and you can read this for enjoyment.

First of all, I’m not assuming that all of our clients want to lose weight. The majority do, but others work with us to experience all the benefits that effective exercise and a healthier lifestyle have on their quality of life.

Whatever your goals are, I promise you one thing: cutting back on alcohol will help you achieve them.

And if you DO have weight loss as a goal, reduction of alcohol is crucial. Alcohol is the number one substance that keeps our clients from dropping unwanted fat.

Look, I know that there are plenty of “nutrition challenges” and 30 day plans out there – things that sound a lot like the Whole30, that promise you’ll lose weight, have more energy and feel better. They give you more of what you want – arbitrary points for eating junk food, or an exercise penance for cheating, or acceptable alcohol choices “if you must drink.”

But here at ForeverStrong, we chose to partner with the Whole9, because we’ve built our entire business around telling you what you need, not what you want.

We don’t force this on you. We will tell you what we know to be true based on the facts. We want a long-term solution for you, and programs that offer built-in cheats or rationalizations for less than healthy food choices simply do not work long-term. They don’t teach you anything about how the foods you are eating are affecting you, and they don’t do anything to help you change your habits, patterns and behaviors. The Whole30 program has been in motion for years, with participants all across the world – and has measurable, real-life, sustainable results to back our our claims.

I’m quoting from our Whole30 nutrition guide:

“Alcohol (like sugar) does not make you healthier. It is neurotoxic, which is why your brain doesn’t work quite right after a few drinks. It is a very concentrated source of calories (nearly twice as calorie-dense as sugar, gram for gram!) but contains no actual “nutrition.” In addition, consumption of alcohol often sets us up to make poor choices with food—the after-effects of which can turn one late-night pizza into a whole weekend of carb-a-palooza.

party time

In addition, alcohol makes it harder for your body to properly control blood sugar levels, and directly promotes changes in your intestinal lining which promotes inflammation that starts in the gut, but travels everywhere in the body.”

Worse yet, your liver prioritizes alcohol processing as a higher priority to fat metabolism. Ever seen a picture of an alcoholics fatty liver? Yes, that’s all the fat that could not be metabolized because the toxic alcohol took priority. So with every drink, you are minimizing or halting your body’s fat-burning potential until all the alcohol is out of your system.

Don’t fall for the hype that it’s good for you. In general, the less alcohol you drink, the healthier you’ll be.

If you drink alcohol, are you ready to start cutting back? Determine your limits and stick to it. If you need help, our Healthy Habits Coaching is a 90-day structured service that provides coaching and support to help you replace your old unhealthy habits with new healthier one. From nutritional guidance to help with self-care, managing stress and sleep, our Healthy Habits program has literally transformed lives.

If interested in the ForeverStrong Healthy Habits Coaching and the ForeverStrong program, call 301-452-5547 to schedule your complimentary fitness consultation!

 

 

Slimmer Now: 90 days of ForeverStrong™

 Special report reveals client’s training secrets.

 

“I never really exercised before in my life.”

Monica recalls, as she reflects on her experience with the ForeverStrong™ Program.

“Now, I feel stronger – I am stronger.  I’ve lost almost 18 pounds, and I’m just a happier person in general.”

 

Please join our ForeverStrong™ Team in congratulating Monica, our June client of the month.  Monica’s story demonstrates that success happens with a strong commitment to a lifestyle change.  Monica was never without her smile and always arrived for workouts eager to learn.  While persistence and discipline defined Monica’s attitude, excuses were never a part of her repertoire.  She constantly adhered to the advice of her trainers and openly communicated with her coaches to maximize her training.  Monica’s positive attitude and dedication were assets to the ForeverStrong™ community and made her an absolute joy to work with.

Monica’s Goals

All images © 2014 Fulton Kettlebells

Monica decided to take action

“when I got to the point in my weight that I said enough is enough.  I met with Kelly Scott for a fitness consultation.”

Working together, Monica and Kelly outlined fitness goals that could be used to assess and motivate Monica’s progress.  Monica decided she wanted to:

  • Lose 8% body fat.  Accomplishing this goal would move Monica out of the health risk category.
  • Drop inches of fat.  Monica wanted to be able to fit into her old, smaller-sized clothes.
  • Increase her strength, endurance, and energy level.

Monica’s Fitness Program

“After carefully contemplating taking this step,” Monica says of her consultation with Kelly, “I was convinced to join the ForeverStrong™ Personal Training Program.”  Monica committed to a twelve week program with three ForeverStrong™ Progressive Strength Training sessions each week.  Each strength session included high intensity interval training finishers. On non-strength training days, Monica walked 30-45 minutes to promote recovery and manage stress.

Monica began her program with two private skill building sessions.  These helped Monica learn to lift kettlebells safely and with proper form.  Monica completed six additional skill development sessions during her twelve week program.  During these progressive sessions, Monica learned more advanced skills that allowed her ForeverStrong™ team to continually tailor Monica’s training to her improving fitness level.

All aspects of the program were designed to meet Monica’s individual needs and goals. Monica’s training provided her with the best strength conditioning workout in the shortest period of time without compromising her safety or form.  Monica was always eager to work out a little bit harder or a little bit more.  In fact, Monica’s coaches often found they had to hold her back!  To challenge Monica, her coaches adapted interval training finishers to Monica’s current fitness level.  This let Monica experience the fat-burning benefits of high-intensity interval training without the threat of overtraining, a common barrier to fat loss.  The goal of the workouts was to help Monica develop total body strength, a key to building a body that burns fat, even when at rest.

By focusing on strength improvement, Monica boosted her metabolism and developed the lean, fat-burning muscle tissue she wanted.

Monica’s Healthy Habits Coaching Program

All images © 2014 Fulton Kettlebells

The ForeverStrong™ program recognizes that an important factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle is developing a healthy relationship with food.  Monica worked closely with Cara, the team’s Health Habits coach, to revamp her eating habits.  Monica kept a food diary and reviewed her entries with Cara twice a week.  While Monica never thought she’d be able to give up white rice, she soon found herself making healthier food choices.  Monica started cooking nutritious and flavorful meals for herself and her family.  She actively sought out new, healthy food options that she shared with fellow ForeverStrong participants.

“I like the little community that we have,” an always-enthusiastic Monica says.

“It’s filled with positive people giving you advice and technique tips and sharing recipes. It’s just a good positive place to be a part of.”

Cauliflower fried rice is now a favorite of Monica and her family, and Monica admits that she no longer has a desire for its bland, white rice substitute.

Monica’s Results

Monica’s commitment to her training program and new, healthy regimen earned her the results she desired.

Most Notable Strength Improvements:

All images © 2014 Fulton Kettlebells

  • 84% increase in rep max test on clean and press
  • 114% increase in goblet squat rep max
  • 70% increase in rep max on deadlift

Monica decreased her body fat by 7.2%, lost 6 inches from her abdomen, and charted an 18 pound weight loss. 

But, Monica did miss achieving one goal.

Though she wanted to fit into her old clothes, those old clothes are now too big.

Monica had to buy new clothes in a smaller size.

In Monica’s Words

“I would encourage anyone who is on the fence about joining the ForeverStrong™ program to, Sign up today! It’s worth it.”

All of us on the ForeverStrong™ team at Fulton Kettlebells are so proud of Monica’s achievements and inspired by her transformation. We look forward to updates about Monica’s continued success as she uses the skills and habits she developed during the ForeverStrong™ program.

Congratulations, Monica! You are ForeverStrong™!

Monica exceeded her own expectations.  It’s time for you to exceed yours.  Take advantage of our complimentary ForeverStrong™ fitness consultation. Monica achieved her fitness goals, and you can achieve yours.

New Personal Training System Goes Into Full Swing in Fulton

Fulton Kettlebells recently debuted its new strength training and fitness program: ForeverStrong Personalized Fitness System at its Fulton, MD studio.

foreverstrong personal training kettlebell program

The new system features an hour-long, shared personal training session that incorporates a progressive strength workout with a high intensity interval routine. Clients are reporting that the experience has been life-changing.

Monica, one of the first participants to go through the program, lost 12 pounds in 2 months and several inches off her waist. Afterward she exclaimed,

“I feel healthy. I feel strong. I feel confident. I feel empowered.”

Central to the unique personal training program is the versatile and dynamic kettlebell. While it may look like a simple iron ball with a handle, when swung properly, the kettlebell becomes a powerful weight training tool, proven to torch fat and build muscle and simultaneously, improve cardiovascular strength and endurance.

Fulton Kettlebell trainer, Kelly Scott, says that the new innovative exercise sessions include drills specifically designed to develop lean, metabolically active muscle, strengthen and tone core muscle, and burn fat in the shortest amount of time.

“Because we work in small groups, our clients get one-on-one, custom coaching to train safely and effectively. A real bonus to the training is the high-energy, high intensity finishers that not only help improve heart and lung health, accelerate weight and fat loss, but also are a lot of fun,” said Scott.

Scott holds one of the highest accreditations in kettlebell training: the SFG Kettlebell Instructor Certificate Level II.

“As a personal trainer over the past 9 years, I wanted to create a systematic approach for people of all fitness levels to work smarter and safely sculpt their body. ForeverStrong is that system,” Scott adds.

New ForeverStrong Instructor and Healthy Habits Coach: Cara

Like so many of our dear clients, Cara works in “corporate America” and is transitioning to a new career in which she can put her passion for fitness and nutrition to good use.

Meet Coach Cara, CPT, HKC, FSFS
Meet Cara Lynch, CPT, HKC, FSFS

A lifelong exerciser, Cara was so impressed by the fitness gains she experienced with the ForeverStrong Fitness System at Fulton Kettlebells, that in 2013, she applied to the FKB Trainers Academy to be trained as a Forever Strong Instructor.

Cara is a firm believer in the mind and body connection; she is very excited to help clients improve their mental and physical health through the strength training and Healthy Habits Coaching offered at ForeverStrong in Fulton, MD.

Cara is a certified personal trainer by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as well as a Hardstyle Kettlebell Certified Instructor (HKC), and hopes to attain RKC level by the end of 2014. After successfully completing a 6 month intensive mentorship in the FKB Trainers Academy, Cara was certified as a ForeverStrong Instructor (FSFS) in May of 2014. She will also complete her Master of Science and Integrative Health this summer.

 

Cara’s other passion is fostering homeless dogs, and she can be seen in local area parks exercising her group of happy hounds.
We are so excited to have Cara as part of the Forever Strong Team!

Are you absorbing the fruits and veggies you’re eating?

Fruit and Veggies Have you ever wondered if you are absorbing enough fruits and vegetables?

There is new technology available that can effectively determine your health and nutritional status.

If you suffer from lack of energy, or get sick more frequently then you should,  this is of vital interest to you.

Please join us on April 5th at 11:00AM when Dr. Allen Manison, Diplomate Sports Chiropractor, will be joining us for a talk about health, oxidative stress, carotenoids, and more.

Dr. Manison will go over the science and will answer any questions you might have.  He will also be conducting dermal carotenoid scans (the biomarker of health and nutritional status)  at the end of the talk for free (usually $20.00 fee).

Get interested in primary prevention…don’t wait until it’s too late!

Space is limited, please register online here.

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“I was sleepy all the time. I felt sluggish, weak, irritable, and depressed.”

Hi. I’m Kelly Scott, the owner of ForeverStrong. And … ...

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