Certified Personal Trainer - Here to help you out and give advice!

[foxieroxienyc]

Girl you have plenty of time! You'll be fine, just turn it into an actual course - go back to those college days, lol. Read, sleep, breathe it everyday. Do a 3 chapters a week. Just read them, take the tests at the end of each. Make note of what you don't understand, keep going through the rest of it. Then when you're all done go back. You'll do fine, you have more than 2 months!

[WhipEffectz1]

Girl you have plenty of time! You'll be fine, just turn it into an actual course - go back to those college days, lol. Read, sleep, breathe it everyday. Do a 3 chapters a week. Just read them, take the tests at the end of each. Make note of what you don't understand, keep going through the rest of it. Then when you're all done go back. You'll do fine, you have more than 2 months!

This is very useful information about the personal training course. I might have to try ace first and then the other one later although I hate settling for second best! I was just looking at personal training sites when I saw this.

[LJBFly]

Hey Roxie, thanks for doing this. I have lots of questions but I will ask this one first.

My problem is flexibilty. I do a various of exercises (weights,ellitical,treadmill
and aerobics) but I still cannot touch my toes. What are some movements I can do to increase my flexibility?

Thanks again.

[Quty_Bug]

Thanks Foxie! I'm printing this out... I was thinking of getting a personal trainer, but my DH keeps talking me out of it saying he'll help me, but we have yet to go to the gym together. I'm going to keep at it though and if I don't see the results I want by Christmas, i'm getting one.

[Ms_Delikate]

Thanx Foxie!! great info.

I'm mad at myself that I paid for the NASM cert first. I saw it mentioned it Essence and I jumped on it w/o researching as this is something that I've wanted to do forever. Not just to help others and make money but to get my own personal fitness goals in line. I have struggled with my weight all my life.

I wish that I had paid for the ACE certification first...at the rate I'm going with NASM, it seems like it will be a lot of money wasted. I have until 12/14 to take the test so I'll try very hard to do it.

You're very helpful, Thanx again

Just wanted to say good luck on getting your certification.

[TRINITY05]

Hey Foxie, I can't find the time in my schedule to go to the gym or sign up for any exercise classes. Right now the only thing I am doing is taking the stairs twice a day from the 2nd FL to the 8th FL. along with eating in moderation. Is this enough for me or should I do other things maybe on the weekend like taking walks or possibly run/jog.

[pmichael52172]

Hi Foxie,

First of all, thank you for offering your time and advice to us. Here's my question (little history first).

About 2 weeks ago, I inched up to about 167-168 lbs from 165lbs (I'm 5'4"). I decided to at least start some exercise and have started the Walk Away the Pounds (1.5 miles/day). My stomach has noticeably gone down and my my thighs. I can only tell this by the way my jeans and tops are fitting - not really by looking at myself. The thing is this morning, my scale says I'm still 168. I don't weigh myself daily so this was a small surprise. I know it's inch loss but what will it take for pound loss?

My eating is .... eh, but at least it's better with more veggies and hardly no sweets or late night eating. Perhaps I'm too anxious being that it's only been two weeks.

Thank for any direction

[andrea]

Thanks Foxie for taking your time out to do this... Wow we have Pinkskates and Now Foxie... This is like the best $5 ever...

[thickness]

Thanks Roxie for doing this! I know you are going to be posting WO recommendations, but what about diet? Right now, I follow Weight Watchers, but I'm finding that because my body is very sensitive to carbs I may have to try something else. Any suggestions on how to figure out how many calories to eat?

[Neala21]

Hey Roxie

To chime in with the others. Thanks for doing this!
I have question that I need answered. I am mother of a 1yr daughter and still have a small pooch that I need to get rid of! I have been trying to change my eating lifestyle so that its healthier since for the past year I had been eating out more than in. And not to mention my love for sweets. I am 5'2, petite, 120 lbs. I want to get toned all over but more than anything I want to get rid of fat on my stomach or a flat belly since I know you can't spot reduce fat.

How do I go about loosing fat or in better way of asking what exercises are good?
I tried walking on the treadmill for an hour that has a fat-burning mode with low intensity which I enjoyed but don't know if its working so I've been slacking on working out.

How long will it take to see results that I am loosing fat?
Also the best way to strengthen my back and abs?

[likewtr4chklit]

Hey Foxie thanx for dedicating your time to us.

I wanted to know, how effective is brisk walking. Can you really lose weight that way?

[tapioca_pudding]

Thanks Roxie for doing this! I know you are going to be posting WO recommendations, but what about diet? Right now, I follow Weight Watchers, but I'm finding that because my body is very sensitive to carbs I may have to try something else. Any suggestions on how to figure out how many calories to eat?

If you're already doing WW, try doing the Core version. You eat WAY less carbs on Core than you do on Flex.

Sorry to jump in, just wanted to offer help.

[thickness]

If you're already doing WW, try doing the Core version. You eat WAY less carbs on Core than you do on Flex.

Sorry to jump in, just wanted to offer help.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look through my materials tonight. I thought about that, but, I was scared of overeating, because there are no points.....

[InquiringMind]

Great info! ....Subscribing.....

Question 1: I am in the military and would like to decrease my run time? I have to run 2 miles in 19:36 min and I use just about every bit of the time. Any helpful tips?

Question 2: What are the best ways to get rid of stubborn belly fat? I just had a baby 9 months ago and I have a pooch around my belly button area that won't go away!

[Quty_Bug]

Quick question: anybody can chime in on this if they'd like.

BMI, according to the chart i'm in the overweight category (BMI of 25), but I don't think of myself as overweight. Since working out, i've actually gained weight. How accurate is this chart and should I lose weight to get in the normal weight category.

[morehairplease]

this is AWESOME! I definitely have some questions and will be back to post them. This is really great what you are doing for us here.

Hey Foxie,

Again, thanks so much for doing this! I am 4'10" and 175 lbs(have been at this weight for the past three months down from 185 in February). My extremely thick legs,flabby arms, and back fat really have me depressed. My current workout routine is cardio in the mornings M-F alternating between SS and HIIT cardio. I haven't ventured over to the weight room at the gym because I feel out of place somehow. I train my abs daily at the gym doing knee ups, crunches, and torso rotations and see the fat coming off. I know that I need to modify my diet b/c I am just not eating enough/eating enough of the right thing. My goal is to lose fat and gain muscle. I know that I need to start lifting weight but don't know where to begin.....

ETA: Saw your response to nomie's question and will start there.

[crimsonvixen]

Hey Foxie,

I think it's very generous of you to offer free counsel and advice to all of us. Thank you so much! Now to the questions:

I'm 5,1 120 lbs. I'm kinda bottom heavy(which I love!) and small at the top. I really want to tone up my whole body but still keep my curves. I don't really want to lose any weight. Since I'm working full time and going to grad school part time it's more convenient for me to work out at home. I have dumbells and a stability ball. Do you know any really good exercises that I can do at home that really target the quads, calves and hamstrings? Toning my arms and abs seem rather feasible but I don't have access to a machine for my hamstrings. Also, do you think it's better to exercise the whole body every other day or different parts every day? Thanks in advance!!

[foxieroxienyc]

Hey Roxie, thanks for doing this. I have lots of questions but I will ask this one first.

My problem is flexibilty. I do a various of exercises (weights,ellitical,treadmill
and aerobics) but I still cannot touch my toes. What are some movements I can do to increase my flexibility?

Thanks again.

You want to try to encorporate foam rolling into your routine. Foam rolling is great because it helps to break up those little knots that our muscle fibers get tangled into when we are tight and have all kinds of motion compensations (we all have them somewhere). You roll your body with the foam roller, and hold on the tight spots for about 30 secs (or until the pain starts to dissipate, then move to the next spot). It's done slowly, so don't roll yourself like you're dough under a rolling pin lol. After you've done that you can go ahead and try static stretching because the muscles will be in a properly lengthened position to be able to move through full ranges of motion. If you take a look at the program I drafted, you can get a sense of what I mean, and different foam rolling exercises. The program is in a thread called Total Body Fat Blaster Workout. Most gyms will have foam rollers, you can also buy one from www.performbetter.com.

Thanks Foxie! I'm printing this out... I was thinking of getting a personal trainer, but my DH keeps talking me out of it saying he'll help me, but we have yet to go to the gym together. I'm going to keep at it though and if I don't see the results I want by Christmas, i'm getting one.

By all means GET ONE! A knowledgable trainer can help you to get to your goals quicker than what you can do by yourself. We take the time to study the body and what changes and effects it. We stay on top of cutting edge knowledge about the ever changing fitness industry. Would you try to perform surgery yourself if you needed it? No! So why take your workouts and changing your body into your own hands, when there are fitness professionals that are there to guide you and help you out!?

Hey Foxie, I can't find the time in my schedule to go to the gym or sign up for any exercise classes. Right now the only thing I am doing is taking the stairs twice a day from the 2nd FL to the 8th FL. along with eating in moderation. Is this enough for me or should I do other things maybe on the weekend like taking walks or possibly run/jog.

Definitely try to add some more challenging things to your program. After a while those stairs are going to get easy. Start to add in a brisk walk/jog maybe 3-5x a week, for about 25-30 mins. Scale of easy/medium/hard, your pace should feel like a medium. You can also add things in at home like push-ups, sit ups, squats, lunges, bicep curls, back rows, and other things. You don't need a gym to get a great workout. Invest in some dumbbells, resistance bands, a stability ball, and maybe a 2 and 4 lb medicine ball. You can get these things at sports authority or www.performbetter.com.

Hi Foxie,

First of all, thank you for offering your time and advice to us. Here's my question (little history first).

About 2 weeks ago, I inched up to about 167-168 lbs from 165lbs (I'm 5'4"). I decided to at least start some exercise and have started the Walk Away the Pounds (1.5 miles/day). My stomach has noticeably gone down and my my thighs. I can only tell this by the way my jeans and tops are fitting - not really by looking at myself. The thing is this morning, my scale says I'm still 168. I don't weigh myself daily so this was a small surprise. I know it's inch loss but what will it take for pound loss?

My eating is .... eh, but at least it's better with more veggies and hardly no sweets or late night eating. Perhaps I'm too anxious being that it's only been two weeks.

Thank for any direction

It could be a number of things going on. This is why I suggest for my clients not to focus on the scale number. It DOES NOT differentiate between muscle, fat, and water in the body. I cannot say what's going on without first assessing you, and knowing what your starting Body Fat % is. You could perhaps just be retaining water if you hit the scale and the numbers are not moving. If you eat high sodium foods the night before, it can effect the scale. If you ate a lot of carbs (for every 1 part carbs the body stores, it will store 2 parts of water), that could effect the scale. I'd say to KEEP GOING. Use your clothes and what you see in the mirror as your guide. Take tape measurements instead, they will give you a better assesment.

Thanks Roxie for doing this! I know you are going to be posting WO recommendations, but what about diet? Right now, I follow Weight Watchers, but I'm finding that because my body is very sensitive to carbs I may have to try something else. Any suggestions on how to figure out how many calories to eat?

Well if Weight Watchers works for you, by all means stick to it. As a fitness professional it is actually out of my jurisdiction to give out diet information beyond the basic guidelines for weight loss or maintenance. Sort of like you wouldn't go to your GP about questions directly related to things that your GYN would know better. Same industry, but one is more of an expert on things than the other. What you likely need to do is find a great registered dietian in your area who can help you with your special situation. You especially want to deal with someone who makes diets/food their area of expertise because they can help to pinpoint better choices for you in lieu of carbs.

Hey Foxie thanx for dedicating your time to us.

I wanted to know, how effective is brisk walking. Can you really lose weight that way?

Yes you can most definitely, especially in the beginning phases of an exercise program. What you may want to start to do when you get more advanced and your body adapts, is to try walk/jogging. You can also maybe brisk walk for longer distances or really kick up your pace with it. Try it maybe with some light ankle weights too. It's a great form of cardio, but always remember you want to keep taking yourself outside of your comfort zone to contiunually see changes.

Great info! ....Subscribing.....

Question 1: I am in the military and would like to decrease my run time? I have to run 2 miles in 19:36 min and I use just about every bit of the time. Any helpful tips?

Question 2: What are the best ways to get rid of stubborn belly fat? I just had a baby 9 months ago and I have a pooch around my belly button area that won't go away!

Basically you should include some hill work (outside is great), fartlek runs - which are free runs done outside not following a specific path, but keep the pace a little faster than what you may be used to, and also breaking down your 1 min mile time each month.

Practice doing some sprints as well to help kick in your cardiovascular threshold. So if you were to run for 1/4 mile (400 meters), you want to try to complete it in 90 secs or better. Take a rest off for about 3 mins, and do another. Keep doing that for a total of 2 miles (8 times). That's your workout 2-3 days a week. The other 2-3 days, take your 2 mile run, but this time push your pace but keep track that for every mile you are getting sub 9:45. So that will put you on pace at about 19:30 mile. If you get REALLY specific about breaking down your mile by mile pace, you can improve your time. At the end of each month, retest your 1 mile baseline and see if it improves overall.

To your second question, diet and exercise work hand in hand. Keep up with your cardio, add some weights to increase lean body mass, and eat healthily. It took 9 months to change your body while pregnant, and you gained weight as well, so it will take a little patience to get it off and back to where you were pre-baby!

Quick question: anybody can chime in on this if they'd like.

BMI, according to the chart i'm in the overweight category (BMI of 25), but I don't think of myself as overweight. Since working out, i've actually gained weight. How accurate is this chart and should I lose weight to get in the normal weight category.

Totally garbage in my book. If you are an active exerciser or athlete, it will always read you as obese. Heck, I'M OBESE on that chart, lol. You should pay attention to your Body Fat % to get an accurate base as to where your body is. Women want to range between 15-25%. The less you have, the more defined you are.

[foxieroxienyc]

Hey Foxie,

Again, thanks so much for doing this! I am 4'10" and 175 lbs(have been at this weight for the past three months down from 185 in February). My extremely thick legs,flabby arms, and back fat really have me depressed. My current workout routine is cardio in the mornings M-F alternating between SS and HIIT cardio. I haven't ventured over to the weight room at the gym because I feel out of place somehow. I train my abs daily at the gym doing knee ups, crunches, and torso rotations and see the fat coming off. I know that I need to modify my diet b/c I am just not eating enough/eating enough of the right thing. My goal is to lose fat and gain muscle. I know that I need to start lifting weight but don't know where to begin.....

ETA: Saw your response to nomie's question and will start there.

Start with my reccommendation for Nomie. But by all means, if you have a complimentary training session at your gym USE IT. And invest in a personal trainer. We're here to help you, not take your money, lol. A trainer can help to get you started on the right path and give you guidance as to what you need to create a better you. Weight training will make all the difference in the world.

Hey Foxie,

I think it's very generous of you to offer free counsel and advice to all of us. Thank you so much! Now to the questions:

I'm 5,1 120 lbs. I'm kinda bottom heavy(which I love!) and small at the top. I really want to tone up my whole body but still keep my curves. I don't really want to lose any weight. Since I'm working full time and going to grad school part time it's more convenient for me to work out at home. I have dumbells and a stability ball. Do you know any really good exercises that I can do at home that really target the quads, calves and hamstrings? Toning my arms and abs seem rather feasible but I don't have access to a machine for my hamstrings. Also, do you think it's better to exercise the whole body every other day or different parts every day? Thanks in advance!!

Exercise everything at the same time, or break up body parts, mix in exercises that do both, IT'S ALL VERY GOOD! Your progam can include a little of each actually, and you'll be on the right track. To maintain your curves and maintain a tight physique - move everything alltogether. You'll spend less time having to workout, you'll raise your heart rate and burn calories quicker.

The best things to tone the legs, squats, lunges, step ups, single leg exercises. MOVE YOUR BODY THROUGH SPACE. You don't need machines to get a good workout, in fact you'll get an EVEN BETTER workout staying away from them. You also don't need a gym either to get a good workout, as long as you have some weights and bands at home you're all good. Follow some of the exercises I've already given earlier in the thread, and maybe even look at that total body fat blaster workout I put together, it should help lots. I pride myself on my long shapely legs and round butt, lol , these are the type of things even I use to maintain them lol.

[LJBFly]

Thanks Foxie, I will get one of those foam rollers soon. I'll be back with more questions later.