If your stomach isn’t as flat as you’d like it to be then you have come to the right place. Exercise alone will not get you a toned stomach – diet is a huge part of the equation. Below I have compiled 5 very easy tweaks to your eating habits that will dramatically flatten your abs.

Diet Tweak #1: Don’t eat after 6pm
This is such a simple and effective way to lose fat. Late night eating is the most damaging to your waistline, so cut it out completely.

• Brush your teeth immediately following dinner. Once your teeth are brushed, you’ve put a period to the end of your consumption for the day.
• Change your evening routine. If you’ve always ended your day watching your favorite shows with your hand in the snack bowl, then now is the time to change things up. Find activities that don’t revolve around food and stick with those.
• Make it a habit. The first few weeks will be the hardest, but soon your new no-food-after-6pm routine will feel normal.

Diet Tweak #2: Cut back on carbs
Notice I didn’t say to cut out all carbs, but rather to cut back on carbs. These diet tweaks are meant as lifestyle changes that you stick with long term. Cutting back on carbs is a realistic and very effective way to lose weight.

• Always choose whole grain bread and pasta over white. Whole grains are less likely to be stored as fat than processed grains.
• Eat half of the carbs you normally do. Eat your sandwich open-faced and reduce the size of your pasta serving.
• Avoid carb-filled snacks between meals. Instead of crackers or chips, have fresh fruit and veggies.

Diet Tweak #3: Eat more fiber
Most people simply do not get enough fiber in their diets. Fiber is essential when it comes to getting lean since it is low calorie while filling you up.

• Instead of seeing salad just as a side item, make salads into meals. Add protein to a large pile of greens for a guiltless meal. *Try the recipe for Grilled Salmon and Peach Salad below.
• Make veggies a part of every meal. The benefits of eating more vegetables are too numerous to list, just know that your body will become healthier and leaner with each fibrous bite.
• Fruits are a delicious source of fiber. Incorporate fresh, seasonal fruits into your daily diet.

Diet Tweak #4: Drink tons of water
Drinking plenty of water is another extremely simple way to promote weight loss. Chronic dehydration leads to false hunger signals and unnecessary calorie consumption.

• Drink a large glass of water before each meal. This will prevent overeating.
• Choose water instead of sugar-filled sodas and juices. Sugar-filled drinks are a huge weight-gain trap.
• Carry a water bottle with you throughout your day. Keep water in the car and at your desk for constant hydration.

Diet Tweak #5: Enjoy natural sweets
Traditional sugar-filled sweets will quickly add up around your waistline. Instead of going for sugary sweets, enjoy natural sweets.

• Fruit is nature’s candy. Reach for sweet, seasonal fruit for dessert.
• Avoid foods that contain white sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Consider these items ‘anti-flat-abs’.
• Use wholesome sweeteners such as pure maple syrup, brown rice syrup or dates in your recipes instead of white sugar. Eliminate white sugar from your kitchen.

Eating right, coupled with challenging exercise, is the formula for a toned, lean body – so guarantee your results by teaming up with me. Together we will come up with a fitness plan that is uniquely yours, one that fits your lifestyle and brings you promptly to your goals. Call or email today to get started.

5 Diet Tweaks for Flat Abs is a post from Brit's Brothers Gym - Personal Training and Fitness - Greenville, SC

Trick #1: Cut Your Carbs
Vacation days are notorious for carbohydrate rich meals, and it’s a well-known fact that too many carbohydrates will quickly add up to unwanted pounds. Combat this fat-trap by choosing one meal per day to go carb-less.

Breakfast: This may be the most effective meal to use the carb-less trick, since breakfast often involves breads, pastries or pancakes. Skip the toast and fill up on egg whites and lean breakfast meats.

Lunch: A great carb-less lunch is a salad with lean meat. It’s so filling and satisfying that you won’t even miss the bread.

Dinner: Since you’re on vacation, you don’t want to feel deprived, so dinner is the hardest meal to go carb-less. But if you’ve indulged at breakfast and lunch then make it a point to cut the carbs at dinner. Stick with veggies and lean meats.

Trick #2: Be Active
If your travels keep you too busy for a workout, or if your hotel does not have an exercise room, make a conscious effort to be active everyday. Go on a brisk walk after your day’s activities. This is a great way to see a new city, and also a great way to burn off extra calories. Take the stairs instead of elevator in your hotel and any other buildings you visit. Go on a short jog in the mornings or evenings of your stay. If your hotel has a pool, swim a few laps each morning or evening.

Trick #3: Indulge with Control
Eating out is a must while on vacation. Whether you’re visiting 5 star restaurants or fast food diners, you are faced with the same problem: large portions. While the easiest thing to do with a large portioned meal is to simply eat it all – you are on vacation after all…right? – that isn’t the best for your waist.

When you order your meal ask the waiter or waitress to bring you a to-go box. Take half of your meal and place it safely into the box before you even begin to eat. This gives you no choice but to eat a healthy portion. If you would rather not carry around a to-go box then ask that your entrée be made into a smaller portion. If it is dinnertime ask for the lunch-sized entrée.

Trick #4: Don’t Eat Late
One of the easiest tricks for preventing weight loss is to simply stop eating 3 hours before you go to bed. This is especially effective while on vacation. So skip that late night indulgence and wake up looking and feeling great.

Trick #5: Snack Healthy
Have you ever noticed how travel days create the perfect opportunity for snacking? A coffee and muffin before your flight, a snack on the plane and then before you know it – it’s lunch time! Taking a road trip? This opens up even more opportunities for regrettable snacking…rest stop vending machines, gas station quickie marts and of course the never ending string of fast food restaurants along the highway.

This summer cut unhealthy snacking off at the pass by brining along your own healthy options. Dried or fresh fruit, unsalted nuts, health bars, cut veggies and low fat crackers are a good start. By filling up on these healthy snacks between meals you will end up eating less when presented with a less-than-healthy meal.

Trick #6: Avoid Fried Foods
While fast food restaurants are definitely convenient, with their low prices and quick service, this convenience is not worth the additional pounds brought on by chips and fries. As you enjoy your vacation keep this in mind: avoid fried foods. While this is always good advice to follow, it is even more important to abide by while traveling.

While vacationing you will likely burn fewer calories each day than you would burn at home, and you are consuming more calories due to your schedule of eating out. You are walking a fine line, and eating fried foods would throw you right over the edge. A gram of fat contains 9 calories as compared to the 4 calories that proteins and carbohydrates carry – so you can see that consuming fried foods will drastically increase your caloric intake.

If I still haven’t convinced you to pass on the curly fries, keep in mind that heartburn and indigestion are never fun…especially while on vacation!

Trick #7: Team up with a Pro – Yours Truly!
Well, fitness is my specialty…and since you are serious about creating a healthy and fit physique – guarantee your results by teaming up with me. Together we will come up with a fitness plan that is uniquely yours, one that fits your lifestyle and brings you promptly to your goals – something that you will appreciate while on vacation and at home.

Call or email today to get started.

Strawberry MicroGreen Salad
Microgreens are tiny leafed vegetables that are harvested when less than two inches tall. They have remarkably intense flavor and high levels of vitamins and minerals. Pair this salad with a piece of lean meat for an excellent, light meal.

Servings: 4
Here’s what you need:
3 cups organic microgreens
1 cup sliced strawberry
strawberry dressing (6 strawberries, 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon agave nectar, 1 teaspoon olive oil, dash of salt and pepper – blended)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Toss the microgreens with strawberries and dressing. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 124 calories, 6g fat, 8g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 2g protein.

7 Vacation Slim Down Tricks is a post from Brit's Brothers Gym - Personal Training and Fitness - Greenville, SC

On the Grill: Believe it or not, grilling is actually a very healthy way to cook meat. Of course the type of meat that you choose will make all of the difference. Burgers and hot dogs are traditional barbecue meats, but they aren’t the healthiest. Try the following:

Choose lean cuts of beef, pork or poultry
Marinade with low fat dressing
Make hamburgers with extra-lean ground beef
Take the skin off chicken before grilling
Replace beef patties with ground turkey patties
Grill up salmon or cod
Forego the meat and grill veggie burgers

Side Dishes: This is where most people run into trouble. Barbecue side dishes are typically filled with loads of fat. Creamy coleslaw and potato salads can hold as much as 15 grams of fat per serving. Try the following instead:

Make veggie kabobs and grill them
Grill bok choy (see recipe below)
Replace the mayo in your salads with low-fat mayo
Serve fresh salad with light vinaigrette
Try whole-grain macaroni for your pasta salad
Grill up corn on the cob (pass on the butter)
Put out a veggie tray with low fat dip

Drinks: Most people don’t realize that beverages play a big role in summer weight gain. Margaritas, beer, soda pop and punch all contain lots of empty calories. Try the following:

Drink water, it is always your healthiest option
Stick with light beer
If you have to have a soda pop stick with diet
Brew unsweetened ice tea and serve with lemon

Dessert: Yes, there are ways to satisfy your sweet tooth while getting lean. Think outside of the box instead of turning to the typical fattening options like ice cream, pie, cake or cookies. Try the following:

Grill mango, banana and pineapple on kabobs
Stick with sorbet instead of ice cream
Replace peach pie with grilled peach halves
Choose light ice cream over regular

Remember, it’s ok to splurge every once in a while. Enjoy yourself. Just keep in mind that by taking a few of the above suggestions you can enjoy great food while getting back into great shape.  Want to shape up even more this summer? Call or email today to get started on a fitness program specifically designed to get you into your best shape ever.

Magic Pills
I hate to break it to you, but there’s no such thing as magic weight loss pills. Don’t fall for the latest diet pill craze. Have you ever noticed that every weight loss pill specifically states that it works when combined with proper diet and exercise?

Well, they are right—proper diet and exercise will cause you to lose weight—without costly bogus pills.

Grilled Bok Choy
Ready to grill? Throw some bok choy on the BBQ! Bok choy is packed with vitamins A, C and K, as well as beta carotene. This grilled bok choy has tender stems and crispy leaf edges.

Servings: 6
Here’s what you need…
2 lbs bok choy
1 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Preheat grill and lightly oil the grate.
In a small bowl combine the oil and seasonings. Mix well.
Slice the bottom off the head of bok choy, and wash each stem.
Lay bok choy on prepared grill. Brush with the seasoned oil mixture. Cover grill and cook until stems show grill marks, about 4 minutes. Turn the bok choy, brush with more seasoned oil mixture and grill the other side.

Transfer to platter and serve.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 36.5 calories, 2.6g fat, 3g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, and 2g protein.

Grill Your Way Lean is a post from Brit's Brothers Gym - Personal Training and Fitness - Greenville, SC

In short, your kids are eating too much junk.

And who can blame them? Junk food tastes great.

The good news is that healthy food also tastes great. Take these simple tips and transform your child’s diet into one that is packed with good health.

1) Add Color
Adding bright and colorful fruits and veggies to your child’s plate will get their diet on the fast track to health. Fresh fruits and veggies are filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals that are essential to good health.

If your kids are resistant then make it fun. Serve veggies with salad dressing as a dip. Cut fresh fruit in the colors of the rainbow and place them on a skewer. Serve a color themed meal – all green, all red or all orange. Use your imagination and you’ll come up with an endless number of ways to make fruits and veggies fun to eat.

2) Think Whole Foods
Processed foods are the biggest problem with our modern diet. Packaged and refined food products are devitalized and filled with empty calories that quickly lead to weight gain. Unfortunately, processed foods make up a large portion of the diet of many children.

Train your kids to opt for whole foods, rather than packaged ones. Whole foods are foods that are in their natural state. An apple. A piece of sprouted grain bread spread with natural peanut butter. A piece of hormone-free chicken. A bowl of beans. You get the idea.

3) Use Wholesome Sweeteners
Refined sugar and corn syrup are packed into many of the foods that your kids love. But wait, there are more wholesome sweeteners available – sweeteners that add vitamins and minerals rather than empty calories. Use the following rather than white sugar or corn syrup:

Sucanat: This pure, dried sugar can juice retains its molasses content. Use it to replace white sugar in baking.
Pure Maple Syrup: Forget the “fake” syrups containing corn syrup. Pure maple syrup contains potassium, calcium and some amino acids.
Brown Rice Syrup: Use this dark syrupy sweetener instead of corn syrup. It takes longer to digest and won’t spike your blood sugar like refined sugar.

Dates: Throw a few seeded dates into your blender to sweeten your smoothie rather than adding white sugar.

4) Make Smart Substitutions
Kids love pizza and pasta and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and that’s not going to change any time soon. Rather than fight your kids on their favorites, try making smart substitutions to make their favorites more nutritious.

Pizza: Up the nutritional content of your pizza by opting for wheat crust over white, adding veggies to the toppings and sticking with lean meat toppings.
Pasta: Use sprouted grain or whole grain pasta rather than traditional white pasta. Add veggies to your pasta sauce. Stick with red sauce, since white sauce is so high in fat.
PB&J: A PB&J, made with white bread using sugar-filled peanut butter and corn syrup-filled jelly, is fairly void of any real nutritional value. Try the PB&J Makeover recipe below instead for a sandwich that will provide real wholesome fuel for your child’s day.

5) Ban Sugary Drinks
One of the best things that you can do for your child’s good health is to instill in them a love for water rather than sugary drinks. Soda pop and juices are filled with empty calories that encourage weight gain.

The easiest way to do this is to stock your house with lots of pure, filtered water. Don’t have fruit drinks or soda pop readily available so that they grow accustom to drinking only water.

While I presented these tips as improvements to be made to your child’s diets, these tips will also do wonders for your diet. Try these 5 tips out for 30 days and I guarantee you’ll look and feel better.

Parents all want good things for their children. Now how about doing something good for yourself as well? You are your child’s biggest role model on how to live, for better or worse.

Treat yourself right by calling or emailing today to get started on an exercise program that will change your life for the best.

Pay Attention
Here’s a tip for kids and adults alike. When you are eating, pay attention.

Sounds simple, but how often do you snack in front of the T.V. or eat your dinner while in rush hour traffic?

Paying attention means eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full. It means never eating just to eat, but rather because your body needs it.

Do this and you will quickly reach your ideal weight.

PB&J Makeover
Not all PB$J sandwiches were created nutritionally equal. It all depends on the quality of the ingredients that you use.

If you use white bread, corn syrup-filled peanut butter and refined sugar-filled jelly, the result would be a sandwich that will skyrocket your blood sugar, promotes fat storage and leaves you feeling hungry a short time later.

However, if you make this recipe, with sprouted grain bread, true peanut butter made from one ingredient: peanuts, and fruit preserves that are naturally sweetened with fruit juice rather than sugar, then the result would be a nutritionally dense food that would promote stable blood sugar levels and provide you with hours of sustained energy.

Your kids will love the fun twist of having their sandwich grilled and stuffed with banana slices!

Servings: 1 Here’s what you need:

Sprouted grain bread
1 Tablespoon pure peanut butter (no added sugar or corn syrup)
1 Tablespoon natural fruit spread (no added sugar or corn syrup)
1/2 of a banana, sliced
Spread one piece of bread with peanut butter and the other with fruit spread. Line one side with the sliced bananas and sandwich it.
In a grill pan over medium heat, grill each side until grill marks appear and the sandwich is warmed.
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 380 calories, 8.7g fat, 53g carbohydrate, 9g fiber, and 13.2g protein.

Healthy Eating Tips Your Kids Will Love is a post from Brit's Brothers Gym - Personal Training and Fitness - Greenville, SC

Ever wonder why some people are able to keep weight off, while others put it right back on? Read on for the 7 Secrets to Maintain Weight Loss. (And if you still have pounds to lose, these 7 secrets will help you too.)

Secret #1: Keep on Moving
If you’re serious about keeping the weight off, you need to be serious about your workouts. Keep your activity level high, both in and out of the gym. Your workouts should consist of both cardiovascular training and strength training. While out of the gym make an effort to move as much as possible by taking the stairs, going for walks or jogs and participating in recreational activities.

Secret #2: Be a Healthy Eater
Sorry, you can’t go back to eating at the drive thru and expect to maintain your weight loss. Focus on these 3 aspects of healthy eating:

1. Keep calories low. Gone are the days of eating mindlessly. Be aware of everything that goes into your mouth, whether by journaling or simply keeping a mental tally.
2. Be careful. Eat small portions, avoid high-calorie foods and check nutrition labels. You don’t have to swear off chocolate forever, just eat it occasionally with portion control.
3. Eat a balanced diet. Include a variety of fruits and vegetables, lean meats and whole grains.

Secret #3: Turn off the TV
The average person watches a whopping 35 hours of television each week. People who successfully maintain weight loss, on the other hand, watch an average of 7 hours or less. TV watching encourages snacking and puts you in a sedentary position on the couch. Spend less time in front of the TV and enjoy longer lasting weight loss.

Secret #4: Keep it Simple
While it is important to keep a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet, your diet should be fairly simple. Create a repertoire of basic whole foods: fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, beans and nuts. When you cut down on your options it becomes easier to stick to your plan, making weight loss guaranteed.

Secret #5: Track Yourself
Your biggest fear is gaining back every solitary lost pound, but don’t be afraid of your scale. Weigh yourself at least once each week to monitor any gains. If the numbers begin to climb then reduce calories and increase your exercise.

Secret #6: Eat for the Right Reason
Emotional eating is one of the top reasons that people are overweight. It’s very important that you view food as fuel, not as an answer to deeper emotional needs. When food becomes more than just fuel, the pounds quickly add up. If you want to keep your weight under control, you’re going to have to eliminate emotional eating.

Secret #7: Forget All-Or-Nothing
No one is perfect – not even you! There will be days when you eat more calories than you should have. There will also be days when you miss a workout. Don’t let small slipups send you into a tailspin of all-or-nothing sabotage. Simply get back to your healthy lifestyle rather than letting yourself backslide into your old habits.

Don’t be one of the many who skip these 7 secrets and instead return to life pre-weight loss. You worked hard to be where you are – you deserve to keep it.

I’m always available to help you achieve any fitness or weight loss goal. Call or email to get started on a solid exercise program that will change your body and life forever.

Reinvent Yourself
Recent advances in neuroimaging techniques have discredited the old saying: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Scientists have discovered that the brain actually has dynamic properties throughout life. This means that your brain is always evolving. Through practice, you are able to change your habits and change yourself.

So go on, reinvent yourself!

Garlic Asparagus

Your diet should be filled with vegetables, with asparagus at the top of the list. This asparagus recipe is easy to make and tastes great. Serve it with a piece of white fish, chicken breast or other lean meat for a healthy meal.
Servings: 4

Here’s what you need:

• 1 bunch asparagus
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons garlic, minced
• dash of salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut off the tough ends of the asparagus.
2. In a casserole dish, combine the asparagus, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until tender.
3. Remove from oven and mix in the lemon juice. Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 47 calories, 2g fat, 5g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, and 3g protein.

Spread the word. Use the “refer a friend” link below to forward this newsletter to your friends, family, and coworkers.

7 Secrets to Maintain Weight Loss is a post from Brit's Brothers Gym - Personal Training and Fitness - Greenville, SC

Do you eat the same thing for lunch, go through the same exercise routine, and fall into bed at the same time each night?

Or maybe you’ve made a habit out of eating whatever looks good, avoiding the gym, and staying up as late as possible.

John Dryden famously said, “We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.”

Confucius said, “Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them.”

And Aristotle noticed that, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”

It’s pretty clear that the habits you adopt will shape who you are.

When it comes to your body, the two habits that define your physique are your eating and exercise habits. In fact, everyone that you know who is in great shape has dialed in these two important habits.

If you aren’t happy with your body, then simply adjust your eating and exercise habits. Here’s how to adopt a habit:

Making a Habit

Use these seven steps to create a life-improving habit.

1) Decide on the ONE habit that you would like to develop. It’s tempting to pick up 3 or 4 healthy habits, but choosing just one new habit is realistic and doable.

Here are some healthy habit ideas:

• Do not eat after 7pm each night.
• Bring your lunch to work instead of eating fast food.
• Exercise 4 times a week after work for 45 minutes each time.
• Only eat fruits and veggies as your afternoon snack.
• Get up early and exercise for an hour each morning.
• Work with a personal trainer 3 times a week.

2) Write your new habit down on paper. Also include your 3 main motivators for developing this new habit, the obstacles you’ll face, and your strategies for overcoming these obstacles.

Here’s an example:

My new habit is to work with a personal trainer 3 times each week.

My 3 main motivators are 1) to feel confident in my bathing suit this summer, 2) to have more energy, and 3) to fit into my skinny jeans.

The obstacles I will face are 1) not having the energy to go to my session after work, 2) not having enough money to pay for sessions, and 3) not having my spouse’s support.

I will overcome these obstacles by 1) doing my workouts before work instead of after work, so I have more energy, 2) cutting down on frivolous spending to ensure that I can afford it, and 3) asking my spouse to join me so we can get in shape together.

3) Commit fully to your new habit, in a public way. This could mean posting it on facebook, or simply announcing it at the dinner table. Put yourself in a position where you’ll be embarrassed to give up on your new habit.

4) Keep track of your progress. You could keep a detailed journal or simply make a check mark on each calendar day that you successfully exercise your new habit.

5) Keep yourself publically accountable. This means either status updates on facebook or verbal status updates at the dinner table. Your friends and family are in a position to offer you support, so don’t shy away from those close to you.

6) When you fail, figure out what went wrong so that you can plan around it in the future.

7) Reward yourself for your success.

Once your new habit becomes second nature, usually in about 30 days, feel free to add a second habit by going through the same 7 steps.

I’d love for my fitness program to become your new healthy habit! Call 864-288-0177 or email now to reserve your spot.

The Habits That Make You is a post from Brit's Brothers Gym - Personal Training and Fitness - Greenville, SC

For the purpose of this article it is not necessary to elaborate greatly on  hormones, as this is a very complicated topic.  However, lets talk briefly about what is usually referred to as the  ”male” hormone, testosterone.  Moreover, testosterone is most responsible for contributing to putting on muscle mass.  Women do not produce levels of testosterone that are conducive for developing large amounts of muscle.   Having lower levels of testosterone will allow a female to lift weights and not worry too much about getting a large amount of muscle (bulk) on her frame.

There are other considerations that all indivuduals need to take into account if their goal is to limit the amount of muscle they gain.  I want to keep this article focused on the main reason women do not get bulky and that is the testosterone issue.

Women, stop worying and start lifting!  The benefits far out weigh the “myths” that surround females and “bulking up”.

Women, Weights, and Worry! is a post from Brit's Brothers Gym - Personal Training and Fitness - Greenville, SC

Let’s start by defining a few important terms related to stretching.  Flexibility=is a measure of Range of Motion (ROM) and has static and dynamic components.  Range of Motion=the degree of movement that occurs at a joint.

Having a “complete fitness program” should clearly include flexibility training.  Everyone can benefit from increasing their flexibility.  For example, if you have had back issues due to a tight low back you may benefit from not only stretching your lower back, but from also stretching your hamstrings.  As they are all connected.  Furthermore, an athlete may benefit by increasing his/her flexibility to allow for a greater ROM to meet the demands of a particular sport and decreasing the likelihood of injury.

One important note to remember here: There is an ideal level of flexibility for sports and for day to day activities.  Both inflexibility and hyperflexibility can put an invidual at an increased risk for injury.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association defines four major types of stretching :

Static stretching=is performed by slowly stretching the muscle and holding for a pre-determined amount of time.  Most literature reccomends 10-30 seconds per stretch.

Dynamic Stretch-(generally reserved for athletes)= uses sport specific movements to prepare the body for activity.

Ballistic Stretching=typically involves active muscular effort and it uses a bouncing type movement in which the end position is not held. This can be an aggressive stretching protocol and should be used with caution, especially if you have or have had injuries.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)= PNF uses both passive and active muscle actions.  This too is a very aggressive stretching protocol.  PNF generally requires a partner and a high level of expertise to perform.  When performed correctly, PNF stretching may prove superior to other methods of stretching.

When starting an exercise program, make sure your trainer is incorporating a stretching protocol that is best suited to meet your individual needs.  Stretching provides benefits that include: Increased range of motion, decreased risk of injury, and if an injury does occur, stretching  increases blood flow to a muscle which may aide in healing the injury, and strecthing may also provide stress relief.   Keep in mind that there are factors that may affect flexibility.  Factors may include but are not limited to: age, sex, joint structure, disease, muscle bulk, over-weight,  and activity level.

I will end with a compliment to Olly Pierce and Brit’s Brothers gym.  I have been in the fitness industry as a Coach, Educator, and Trainer for 19 years.  Olly has implemented one of the most comprehensive training programs I have witnessed and been a part of .  Committment to the overall well being of others starts at the top.

Hope this helps!  Train well!

This may be a bit of a stretch……….. is a post from Brit's Brothers Gym - Personal Training and Fitness - Greenville, SC

First, we have to start by defining a a few key terms and concepts.  For this article we will define repetition as simply repeating a given exercise through a given range of motion.  The National Strength and Conditioning Association defines one repetition maximum as “the most amount of weight that can be lifted with proper technique for only one repetition.  “  I want to make clear that I will not be discussing training volume, exercise selection, exercise order, or percentage of one repetition maximum or rest periods between given sets.  We are going to keep the focus very narrow and look at repetitions and their respective roles.

When a person decides what repetition range to utilize during his or her workout, they first  need to identify a training objective.  For example, if I am looking to increase my muscle size (hypertrophy) I will perform a different number of repetions than if I wanted to increase muscle endurance.  If an individual does not have a clear objective,  then they will most certainly experience frustration that so often causes people to quit working out,  as they feel they are not getting the results they want.   Starting a fitness program without a clearly defined objective is no different than going on a roadtrip without a map or GPS.  You just wouldn’t do it!

Now lets talk about what repetition ranges are designed for –  in doing so, you also see what they are not designed for.  Furthermore, by having a more clear understanding of their purpose,  you should be better able to establish an appropriate training objective, which will most certainly put you a step closer to achieving that objective.

Repetition ranges and their roles are clearly defined by the National Strength and Conditioning Association:

Power development: 1-2 repetitions

Strength development: Less than or equal to 6 repetitions

Hypertrophy (muscle growth): 6-12 repetitions

Muscle endurance: Greater than or equal to 12 repetitions

Remember these repetition ranges have to be performed within the appropriate percentage of your 1 repetition maximum (1RM) to yield the greatest result.

Remember, these are guidelines, albeit heavily researched and effective for the majority of the population.  I do encourage you to experiment and find what works for you as we all respond differently to training in very different ways.  This is why personal training came into being – because training for an objective is just that: personal.  What works for me will not necessarily work for you.

This  is one of the most misunderstood issues in the gym, especially when you start adding in volume, selection of exercise, frequency etc.   I will be writing more on the above mentioned topics here in the near future.  However, I hope this gives you a more clear understanding of how to properly use repetition ranges.

I will end this article by debunking a “Myth” about repetition ranges that has been and is still making its way through fitness clubs everywhere.  High repetitions DO NOT GET YOU RIPPED, CUT, OR CHIZZLED!  IF YOU WANT RIPPED, LOSE BODY FAT!  Almost all personal trainers in your main stream gyms train clients with high repetitions -  how many of them are ripped?  I rest my case!

Train Smart!

Understanding repetition ranges! is a post from Brit's Brothers Gym - Personal Training and Fitness - Greenville, SC

Let’s look at this way: a 250 pound man needs much more water intake than a 120 pound female.   So then how do we recommend water intake to an individual?  The Institute of Medicine and many Registered Dieticians suggest consuming half of your bodyweight in ounces of water per day.

Example:  If a person weighs 200 pounds, half of that number is 100, so he or she would need 100 ounces of water per day to achieve proper hydration.    It’s important to note that this amount of water does not mean any beverage – it should come from drinking water specifically – not coffee, alcohol,  fruit juice, sodas, etc.

In closing,  this is not an in depth discussion on Hydration, as it is a very complex topic.  This is just a guide to assist you in establishing an adequate amount of water intake per day.

Water Intake! is a post from Brit's Brothers Gym - Personal Training and Fitness - Greenville, SC