2015 Local Fitness Classes

Last night was bittersweet for me as I taught my last evening class at Glass Courts. They were the first gym to allow me to get back into teaching after taking some time off for our move to Lombard.

Over the past year I have come to know many of the members and have encouraged and challenged them. I will certainly miss seeing them make progress and seeing the delight in their eyes when they know they have achieved something harder than they thought they could do.

But on the sweet side of things I get to work with a whole new set of people determined to get healthier through exercise at CustomFit. Between personal training and group fitness my heart delights in thinking of all the lives I have the chance to help change through fitness, nutritional guidance and encouragement.

Do you live in the Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Villa Park or Elmhurst area and are thinking about making a change in 2015? Join me at CustomFit. If you’ve never been to a class, your first class is FREE so you can see if it is a good fit for you. Here are all the times that I teach, however there are also a number of other class times available.

Monday
1215pm Chest and Back
530pm 20/20/20
700pm BootCamp

Tuesday
1215pm Biceps and Triceps
530 Strength training

Wednesday
1215pm Legs and Glutes
530pm Cardio
700pm PiYo

Thursday
1215pm Pilates
530pm Pilates/Yoga Fusion

Friday
600am PiYo
1215 Flexibility and Core

Grab a friend and join me for a class!

The 1215pm classes are our Power Lunch program and are only 30 minutes long. They are designed to offer you targeted strength training so you can get a solid workout in just a half hour.

The 530pm classes are our new Happy Hour and are the best new way to get ‘ripped’ in Lombard! Classes meet Monday – Thursday (with the exception of the last Monday of the month). Each day offers a different focus to give you a well rounded workout routine for the week.

PiYo is a Pilates Yoga combination class all choreographed to today’s top hits. The class will increase your core strength and flexibility all while making you sweat! Check out this blog post to read more about what you can expect from a PiYo class.

Drop me a line or text/call me at 574-387-1344 and we can talk about what classes would be the best fit for your fitness goals in 2015.

Top 5 Questions You Should Ask Your Personal Trainer

If you are investing in working with a personal trainer then you deserve to get the value out of every dime you are paying. It’s called ‘personal’ training for a reason.

Yesterday I gave you some questions that your trainer should ask you before taking you into the gym for a workout, so today I want to arm you with questions to ask them.

What kind of trainer do you want?

• What style of trainer are you? You need to know what their temperament is…what if they yell like a Drill Sargent and that intimidates you? The sessions aren’t going to be productive. Or on the flip side, what if they are a push-over? Will you be challenged enough to succeed in reaching your goals? If the trainer can’t honestly tell you their style, walk away.

• What type of support do you offer outside of the training sessions? Listen, I know personal training isn’t cheap. But for my clients, they get what they pay for – support throughout the week with exercise plans, encouragement via text or email or even phone calls, nutritional guidance, answers to questions, etc. If the only thing you are getting out of your trainer is the session time, you are being cheated.

• How will you personalize my plan? I can’t say it enough, if it is going to be called ‘personal’ training then the plan should be unique to you, your needs, your abilities, and your goals. Not everyone should be put through a BootCamp style session, and not everyone should complete repetitive exercises session after session. You are paying to improve your health and that can only be accomplished through personalized plans with varying difficulty to meet your needs and challenge your thresholds.

• How will you track my progress? Certainly you have the ability to watch the scale and see differences in how your clothes fit but it shouldn’t be up to you to make notes of inches lost or increases in your ability to lift heavier or do more repetitions. In addition, your trainer should regularly work with you to set short and long-term goals and help you track your progress. They should provide encouragement through the times your willpower is down, they should help redirect when the goal isn’t grounded in reality, and above all they should be your biggest ‘front row clapper with a standing ovation’ each and every time you make progress towards your goals.

• How will you keep me accountable? Change requires accountability, period. Along with being your biggest cheerleader, your trainer should be one of your biggest accountability partners. Life happens, I get that. Sometimes we can’t avoid a sick child or a last minute assignment from work. However, if we are going to achieve our goals we also can’t let those things be excuses. Your trainer should be able to read through the lines of the excuses and hold your feet to the fire. There are plenty of ways to do this that aren’t nasty, and as your trainer it’s their job to call you on it.

You’re paying for a premium personalized service and that is what you deserve. Don’t settle for less. I’m not writing this to put down other trainers, I’m writing this to empower you so you know your money is being well spent and that you have a partner that will invest in you and your health.

If you have questions about working with a trainer contact me. I don’t necessarily have to be your trainer to help you. I’d certainly like to be, but more importantly, I’d like to help you find the person that can best help you achieve health and happiness. If you are in the Lombard, Elmhurst or Glen Ellyn area, let’s meet for coffee and talk about your goals…my treat.

Why Personal Training is Worth the Investment

As a married mom of three I understand the challenges of budgeting both money and time. In many cases we put our desires and even some times our needs on the back burner to make sure that everyone else in the family is taken care of. Today I’d like to take a few minutes to explain to you why I believe that personal training is worth both the money and the time for you and your family.

We all know what it feels like to be stressed, to be pulled in a number of different directions and not feel like we have the time for any of it. So how can adding yet another thing be beneficial?

Personal Trainers keep you motivated to complete your goals!

Exercise gives you a much needed break.

Sometimes when we are up to our ears in work obligations and taking care of the household the thing we need the most is a breather. Remember the commercial, ‘Calgon, take me away!’? And while a bath may be relaxing, if you’re anything like me it will be cut short either because someone is knocking on the door and needs something, or the weight of all the things that need to be done makes the bath feel like a huge waste of time. Rather taking a break to exercise will not only help you escape from all of the demands from work and home but also give you the chance to improve your health. Working with a personal trainer maximizes the benefits of your much needed break. Unlike with group fitness, the entire session designed around your needs. Who wants to spend 30 minutes doing cardio when they hate cardio? Who wants to wander around the machines or free weights in the gym and not really know which exercises will benefit them the most? Taking an hour to work with a trainer won’t make you feel like the time was wasted.

Exercise is a great stress reliever.

There are scientific reasons that exercise releases stress, but in general, I don’t think that means much to most people. If you’re like me you want to know the ‘practical’ reasons exercise is a stress reliever. What better way to release stress than to slam a medicine ball, or sweating it out with some cardio? What about the good feelings that come along with lifting a heavier weight, doing a higher box jump or completing more repetitions? The feeling of accomplishment will always take over the weight of stress and there is nothing more than personal trainers want for their clients is to achieve a new personal best. That personal best is just that – it is your personal best. You aren’t being measured against anyone else, nor are you watching others out of the corner of your eye measuring yourself against them. Training sessions aren’t just about burning fat and building muscle, they are just as much about building you up as a person and relieving the stresses that bring you down.

Exercise is a return on investment.

The time you put in at the gym will be worth it – you will see results. Now I’m not promising any quick fixes, I’m not promising significant weight loss or increased muscle mass. The fact is, you will get out of what you put into your time in the gym. But that’s only part of it, there are positive improvements to your body beyond the scale. Your heart is a muscle and by participating in regular exercise you are strengthening your heart. Strength training exercises increases bone density, which is important as we get older to prevent breaks and osteoporosis. Moving more improves your metabolism which helps you to more efficiently burn calories even at rest. As we age flexibility and range of motion can decrease, but through exercise you can improve your flexibility and range of motion, which again contributes to your ability to prevent injury. I don’t know anyone who can argue that these aren’t great benefits to exercise. Personal trainers will make sure that the time you put in is worth it. You’ll benefit from all the things you can’t see, but they will also help you to make improvements to the things you can see.

Exercise with a personal trainer gives you the biggest bang for your buck.

I hear it over and over again that personal training is too expensive. I understand when compared with a basic gym membership of $20 a month personal training costs seem extreme. However, by working with a trainer you are going to benefit from their expertise. Unlike group fitness, you will receive personalized workouts designed to meet your specific needs. The entire session is focused completely on you and your needs. But it extends beyond the sessions. Trainers provide you with exercise plans for the days you don’t meet with them, they provide nutritional advise, they provide regular accountability, they follow-up with you during the week to see how you are doing. So when you consider the price you pay for the ‘session’ also consider the benefits that you get throughout the week to keep you motivated and on track.

Let’s face it, will taking an hour out of your day really put you back that far? Consider all of the benefits exercise can give you. I’ve outlined a few, but I’m sure each of you reading this can think of your own benefits to exercise.

For this holiday season I’m offering 10% off of my personal training services. If you’re in the Lombard, Elmhurst or Glen Ellyn area I would love to talk with you about personal training and how it could have a positive impact on your life. Drop me a line and let’s set up a time to talk about your needs.

The Benefits of a Workout Partner and How to Find One

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes people stick with their workout programs. Let’s face it, if working out is something new, it’s going to take more than willpower to keep you motivated.

Sore muscles, sweat, difficult exercises, comparing yourself to others in the gym or class, grabbing your gym bag and heading out in the cold, snow and ice OR in the summer grabbing your gym bag instead of your pool gear…as a trainer and group fitness instructor I’ve heard all of the excuses.

I know personally and professionally how much willpower it takes to work through the excuses and stick with a program.

Willpower: the ability to control yourself : strong determination that allows you to do something difficult.

But when you couple willpower with accountability you have a much greater chance at success. Which is why I encourage everyone to find a workout partner.

The Benefits of a Workout Partner

Willpower is Doubled

What better way to increase your own willpower than by teaming up with a friend or spouse? There might be days where your motivation or willpower is down. Being able to rely on someone close to you to fill up where you are lacking is a great way to push through the excuses and stay on track.

Become the Encourager

Now let’s flip that, think about how good it feels to build someone up when they are down? Not necessarily because of the personal gratification, but because it’s someone you care about and want the best for. Being able to provide encouragement is a great way to help them achieve their goals and strengthen your relationship.

Quality Time Together

We’re all busier than we want to be. Lack of time can be one of the biggest excuses for skipping a workout. So why not get the benefit of two things at once…time with a best friend or spouse plus a healthy activity? You get in a workout, spend time with a loved one, and again, have the opportunity to strengthen your relationship. Seems like a win no matter how you look at it.

Healthy Competition

We all have a competitive spirit, so one of the best ways to push your limits is to exercise with a partner. This isn’t to say during the workout either person is trying to ‘out-do’ each other, rather by each working as hard as they can, they encourage each other.

Don’t Let Me Down

It’s one thing to skip the gym when it’s just you, but it’s a whole other thing to skip out on a commitment with someone else. No one wants to let down someone they care about so a workout partner will keep you accountable for showing up regardless of the excuses you can think of.

Have Some Fun

Is exercise hard? Sure. But nothing makes something hard better than laughter. Who better to sweat with than someone you can laugh with?

Finding a Workout Partner

Ask your spouse, a friend, a neighbor, a classmate…anyone can be your a workout partner.

I’ve personally had my husband as a workout partner and while our strength and abilities are very different, we both benefited from the training sessions. Aside from all of the benefits listed above, we were both physically challenged and grew in our abilities.

I’ve also had friends and neighbors as workout partners and my relationships with each of them grew. There were times that we all lacked the motivation for class, but because we didn’t want to miss out on time with one another, we’d take turns picking each other up along the way. Whether it was driving or walking to the gym, we couldn’t ignore the knock on the door asking if we were ready to go.

If you can’t think of a workout partner, contact me. I’d love to help connect you with someone. While you won’t have a foundation going into the partnership, you will certainly have the opportunity to grow one as you workout together.

Don’t believe me that you can develop relationships through working out? Check back this week…I’ve asked some people to write about their experience and how their workout partners have changed their lives.

If you are in the Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Elmhurst area, contact me about connecting you with a workout partner. I’d love to help you start achieving your fitness goals.