ForeverStrong® Fitness

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!

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

Does running prevent age-related muscle loss?

Is running enough to prevent age-related muscle loss? A new study reveals, it
Is running enough to prevent age-related muscle loss? A new study reveals, it’s not.

A study published in the February 2014 issue of the Journal of Strength & Conditioning research, examined the decline of leg strength in active older adults. 59 men and 35 women, between the ages of 48 and 66, who used endurance running as their primary form of exercise, were examined over the course of 5 years.

A significant decrease in isometric knee extension and knee flexion strength, in both men and women, was observed during the study. This data suggests that running alone is not sufficient in preventing age related loss of muscle strength and that a well rounded approach, that includes resistance training, would more greatly benefit aging seniors.

Our ForeverStrong program have been proven to increase both the cardiovascular fitness and strength of our clients, without the knee jarring impact of high mileage endurance running.

To find out how you can benefit from a progressive strength training program, call us for your free fitness consultation 301-200-2223.

Improve Bone Density with Progressive Strength Training

Attention Women Over 55

“My kettlebell workout is the highlight of my day! I Love how strong I feel now.

I no longer worry about Osteoporosis or my bone density. Now, I have more energy and stamina then when I was younger.

Thanks to Kelly and the ForeverStrong System, I stand taller and move better. This is the best investment I have ever made in myself. I am a client for life!”

 

Don’t take our word for it, in a recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research by the National Strength & Conditioning Association, maximal strength training can be implemented as a simple and effective training method for postmenopausal women with reduced bone mass.

That’s just what we do at ForeverStrong!

What is progressive strength training and how can you learn it? Sign up for your free consultation and find out how you can begin your journey to getting the strong body you always wanted.

Dottie. Inspiring and Motivating.

This month, we celebrated Dottie’s 50th birthday, HardStyle, with a Fabulous 50 kettlebell workout.  50 Burpees, 50 Snatches, 50 swings, 50 Clean & Presses and 50 Goblet Squats. It was definitely fabulous.

These ladies put a lot of sweat into the celebration!

Today, We are proud to feature the birthday girl.   After 9 months of training at Fulton Kettlebells {Now ForeverStrong} , her story is both inspiring and motivating. You can read what she has to say about her experience so far. View her fabulous transformation at the end of the interview:

 

What were your initial goals, and did you accomplish them? 

The initial goal was to be able to move better, keep up with my husband, who still looks like he did when we married 26 years ago and be able to say yes to more of what life has to offer. I feel like I have accomplished those goals.  My husband and I regularly go for four and five mile hikes and are planning a bike trip soon.  This is a great thing for me and for our relationship. 

What kept you motivated and inspired to stick with us?

The environment at Fulton Kettlebells is motivating.  I look forward to the sisterhood that has developed with the “four o’clock” group of women.  We encourage each other and share our triumphs.  Kelly and Brian are very focused on helping me reach my goals.  They both have very different styles and both styles seem to hit the mark more often than not.  For the first time I find I am look forward to working out as a reward for getting through the day.   In the past, with other programs I would start to come up with excuses for not working out.

How would you compare your energy now versus before?

I had no energy before.  I came home from work and would sit on the coach and it would be all I could do to fix dinner and grade some papers. Now, I work out three times a week before going home.  On days I do not have kettlebells, I feel restless and almost always end up doing something, a walk, or a chore or something.  I am way more productive now.

How would you compare your body and physical health now versus before?

I am beginning to enjoy my body.  I have had fun shopping for smaller sizes and  I really enjoy all of the positive comments from family and co-workers.  I was really fortunate in that I did not have any identified weight related health issues (no health issues).  However, I really feel it was just a matter of time before my body did start suffering from the extra pounds.  I am glad that I was proactive about getting into shape.

How would you describe your overall transformation?

Amazing and motivating. I have come this far and feel and look years younger and better. (What better way to embrace 50!?).  I am about half way to what I thought was an unreachable and unrealistic goal.  Now not only do I think I can do this, I think I can do this this year.

How would you describe your experience with kettlebell training?

Kettlebell training is different from any other program I have ever tried.  I never really did much with weights before.  I always thought it was about aerobics and sweating.  I sweat but it is a different kind of sweat.   One thing I find challenging, but also find to be important for me is all the thinking and concentrating that goes on.   My body and mind is involved in Kettlebell training and I think that is an important link.

What was the most challenging aspect of Kettlebell Training?

Starting kettlebell training is hard because there is a large learning curve before you feel like you are doing anything.  My first few work outs exhausted me because I was so out of shape, but I didn’t not really think of them as work outs.  Sticking with something that is so new, that needs a lot of leanring and instruction is hard once you decide you just want to get on with it.  I am glad I stuck with the learning curve.

What was the easiest aspect of Kettlebell Training? 

The easiest aspect was how quickly I felt like part of a community of people all working for the same outcomes and all focused on the same basic goals.   The community at Fulton Kettlebells is really important and Kelly and Brian are key in making that happen.

What was the most fun and exciting part so far? 

The blast classes, especially the birthday blast classes are the most fun.  The most exciting part was deadlifting 106 pounds and beating all my 13 year old students in plank endurance.   My students were surprised and now when they need to wake up or refocus we will all do planks or push ups together and they really like it.  The me of just six months ago would no way be able to do that.

What’s the next goal you are working towards and how to you plan to tackle it?  

I am about 50 % of the way towards what I originally thought was pie in the sky.  I would like to get out of the obese category and maybe even borrow a t-shirt from one of my daughters.   I plan to keep coming to Fulton Kettlebells, find other ways to get moving with my family and friends and I will definitely continue to food journal and work on making healthy, life-long life style changes.

 

Motivated and inspired? Find out if kettlebell training is right for you by calling for a free consultation 301-200-2223.

 

A ‘SMART’ Goal

Meet Robin. Four month’s ago at her consultation, she wore a lovely form-fitted dress that she had fallen in love with in while visiting California. After losing a a great deal of weight on her own, she looked to the coaches at Fulton Kettlebells to help with shedding the final pounds.

Together, we set a SMART Goal.

SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time Based.

Using this dress and a deadline, we created a plan.

Being new to kettlebell training, she completed the fundamentals and then started training 2-3 times per week at Fulton Kettlebells {Now ForeverStrong}. She also started a food journal and committed to making better decisions about the quality of the food she consumed.

How did she do? See for yourself:

What does Robin have to say about this?

“I can’t say enough good things about training with Brian. He has been able to help me understand how to work out properly ensuring that old injuries do not occur again and encourages me to push myself. He willingly shares his expertise with you to make the sessions fun, challenging, and a learning experience. He is easy to relate to and has a good sense of humor which helps to motivate me.

If you want to be challenged, encouraged, and see results, I highly recommend this place.” -Robin.

 

What’s your SMART goal?

Need help with your success plan? Whether your goals are physical, or performance based, we can help.

We will start by evaluating your movement to assess a baseline of where you are now. Then, based on this, we can create a plan that’s realistic for you. Working with your schedule and preferences, we can create a plan that’s relevant to you. By establishing several  short-term goals within a specific time frame, we can propel you towards your finish line.