Tuffen Up Fitness

As a Personal Trainer, we deal with a variety of clients; male, female, introverts, extroverts, enthusiastic and disinterested clients. But one thing that isn't different when it comes to female clients is that they still have the false beliefs that has been ingrained into our brains. This by no means represents all the cringe-worthy things we hear clients say, these are just the top 10 we hear most often. Cringe away.

1. MUSCLE WEIGHS MORE THAN FAT

1 pound of muscle weighs the same as 1 pound of fat!

2. I JUST WANT TO TONE

What are you trying to tone? Your fat??? You need muscle to "tone", but you can't build muscle unless you LIFT weights.

3. I DON'T WANT TO BULK

Women do not have the testosterones that men have! Therefore we don't "BULK" like men do. So relax, ladies, you're not going to walk out of the gym looking like She Hulk.

4. I JUST WANT TO WORK ON MY BUTT (BUT I DON'T WANT MY PANT SIZE TO INCREASE)

It's not rocket science. If you start to develop roundness to your flat ass, your jean size will increase. So either you want ass or you don't.

5. CAN I DO CARDIO 5 DAYS A WEEK FOR AN HOUR AND JUST LIFT FOR 1?

Stop. Just stop. Doing tons of cardio won't "tone" those non existent "muscles" you don't have because you don't lift weights. But if you're going for the skinny fat look......then cardio away!

6. I DON'T CARE ABOUT MY BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, I JUST WANT TO SEE THE NUMBERS ON THE SCALE DROP

Sure, you can watch the numbers drop on the scale but it won't matter if you have a high body fat percentage. 120 pounds on someone with 15% body fat will look entirely different from someone who weighs 120 pounds with 25% body fat.

7. I DON'T WANT TO TRACK MY CALORIES, MACROS, OR PORTION SIZE, I JUST WANT TO EAT HEALTHY AND LOSE WEIGHT

Not happening. Most people eat with their eyes and hunger. Americans were raised in a society where portion sizes exceed way beyond daily recommended (and needed) values for our bodies. Without actually seeing how much you are consuming, you are just heading down the diet fail path.
8. I WANT TO LOSE 20 POUNDS IN ONE MONTH

First of all, setting unrealistic goals is a sure way to fall off the wagon. Secondly, healthy weight loss is slow and gradual which takes months of commitment, consistency and patience.

9. I DON'T WANT TO EAT MORE THAN 1200 CALORIES IN A DAY

Go ahead and starve yourself because that's exactly what you're doing when you don't eat enough food to provide your body the nutrients it needs to LIVE. At 1,200 calories, you are consuming just the bare minimum to breathe and keep your heart rate going and your brain to function. Not only will you be losing muscle but you'll be extremely weak and fatigue all the time. How fun is that?

10. PROTEIN? FAT? NO WAY, I JUST WANT TO EAT SALADS.

Every body needs protein, fat and carbs to function. Eating just salads alone won't get you anywhere but skinny and hungry.

What are some of the things you hear from clients, friends, co workers, strangers at the gym, anyone who reads too many trendy articles and watches too much reality T.V.?

Finding someone who shares the same passion as you isn’t easy, whether it’s a hobby, crafts, sports, or music. When it comes to fitness, the general public who have a passion for fitness sees it as a lifestyle. Living their daily lives that includes a fitness regime and following a healthy nutritional plan, which can come between friendships and relationships if those in your lives don’t share the same passion about it as you. So when you do find someone, whether it be a friend or a significant other, cherish and embrace them!

Having someone to accompany you in your workouts and physical activities is important for many reasons, but my top 2 reasons are:

1. Your partner can be your motivator especially on those days when you just don’t feel like getting off the couch to go to the gym or attend a fitness class.

2. The second reason is safety. At the gym, your partner could be your spotter, if hiking outdoors, your partner could be a savior if you get lost, or injured.

There are many other reasons but I believe these two are simple and quite justifiable.

I am fortunate enough to have someone who supports my fitness and healthy lifestyle regardless of how it may interfere with his eating habits (both bad and good), he’s there to support me. Not only do we eat healthy meals together but we make an effort to find activities that we can both enjoy. One of the many activities we enjoy include cycling. Living in Southern California, we are blessed with sunny, beautiful weather 90% of the year. So we would be silly not to take advantage of it! We invested in a couple of vintage road bikes, by vintage I mean aluminum and steel frames rather than the popular carbon frames all the cycling enthusiasts these days desire. We make an effort to ride wherever we can, to the store, to the beach, to work and even to the gym. It’s an activity we both enjoy and keeps us healthy and active.

Most of us are are so busy these days with work, family, household duties, that we lose connection with our partners. So it’s important to find an activity that you both can enjoy together, hiking, rock climbing, martial arts, surfing, jogging, etc etc.. Remember that exercising releases endorphins which helps release stress, makes you happier all while spending the quality time you need with your partner!

No Excuses.

We’ve all seen the posts, all over social media outlets, “working out for one hour is just 4% of your day”. Mathematically, it makes sense, yet we still find excuses for not fitting in some sort of exercise on a daily basis. For most people, all you really need is 2% at a time, it’s called time efficient training. Squeeze in 30 minutes of good workout each day and you will have started down a path to changing your lifestyle.

A simple circuit training program that includes 6 to 8 compound exercises hitting different muscle groups each day will give you the results you need to build muscle. Incorporate a good 20-30 minute cardio session making sure to hit your fat burning target heart rate along with a healthy, clean eating diet, you will be able to achieve your goals.

Do two sets of exercises without rest in between, only pausing when necessary. Here is a sample of a beginner time efficient strength training program that anyone can start on, based on an average person with no health or physical limitations:

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Muscle Groups
Barbell Bent Over Rows	3	12	Back Biceps
Dumbbell Chest Flys on Exercise Ball	3	12	Chest Abs
Rest 1 minutes
Forward Lunge Twist with Medicine Ball	3	12 (6 on each side)	Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Obliques Calfs, Glutes
Dumbbell Shoulder Press Sitting on Exercise Ball	3	12	Shoulders Abs
Rest 1 minute
Pile Squat with Kettlebell	3	12	Hamstrings, Quadriceps Glutes, Calfs
Planks	3	1 minute hold	Core Shoulders
Rest 1 minute

All of this can be done in 30 minutes or so. Warming up with a 5-10 minutes cardio to get your heart rate up at fat burning zone prior to starting your routine is essential for this time efficient workout program. If time allows, you can finish your workout with a 20-30 minute session on the cardio machine. Or for maximal fat burn, finish your cardio with interval training, switching between low intensity and high intensity every 1-2 minutes. Otherwise, you can always do cardio at a different time throughout the day, don't feel obligated to complete an entire workout

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