FITNESS TRENDS FOR 2015

Well, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has announced its annual fitness trend forecast for the 2015 year.

The top 10 fitness trends predicted for 2015 are:

1. Body Weight Training

2. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

3. Educated and Experienced Fitness Professionals.

4. Strength Training.

5. Personal Training

6. Exercise and Weight Loss.

7. Yoga.

8. Fitness Programs for Older Adults.

9. Functional Fitness.

10. Group Personal Training.

Personally, I don’t call these “trends”.  For the most part all of this is essential for a proper fitness regime, and all of this is what I emphasize in my DTF classes. 

Of course a proper fitness leader will adapt any exercise or program to fit any level – be it an older adult, newbie, or a seasoned athlete.  To keep YOU motivated there has to be a balance between tried and true exercises, and all of the above so-called trends.

Another advantage of my bootcamps is that you don’t do the same exercises over and over again.  Your body is very good at adapting to workouts.   This way it is highly unlikely that you will plateau.   If you do the same type of workout all the time, you’re going to get the body you’ve always gotten.  By adding variety, you keep things fresh and challenging, you shock your muscles into improving and you never get bored. Because of this, the chances are that you will continue to exercise.

If you want to get the best out of your workouts incorporate a Dynabody Total Fitness class once or twice a week.  Add in two resistance/weight training workouts and round it out with participating in an aerobic or sports activity.  Join the “Dynabods” who already have a jump on the current “trends”.

Remember, your body adjusts to lower levels of physical activity the same way it adapts to higher levels. This is the REAL reason why people “get old” or out of shape.  USE promotes function.  DISUSE promotes deterioration.  You choose…..

CLASSES START NEXT WEEK! So register now for the 2015 Winter Total Fitness Classes.  Sessions run from  6:30 to 8:00 pm and cost is $79 each.

Register online at:

Dynabody Fitness Bootcamp - Tuesday January 13th - Bannatyne School

Or cut & paste the link onto your browser:

http://localcourses.com/sjsd/Browse.cfm?cID=10944&prevCat=Top%2CFitness%2CAerobics%2CChallenging&CFID=120882655&CFTOKEN=33335302&jsessionid=9830a4ca3acc$88$8B$1

Dynabody Fitness Bootcamp - Thursday January 22nd - Strathmillan School

http://localcourses.com/sjsd/Browse.cfm?cID=12957&prevCat=Top%2CFitness%2CAerobics%2CChallenging&CFID=120882655&CFTOKEN=33335302&jsessionid=9830a4ca3acc$88$8B$1

To read up more on the ACSM Fitness Trend article, click on the following link;

http://www.acsm.org/about-acsm/media-room/news-releases/2014/10/24/survey-predicts-top-20-fitness-trends-for-2015

SUMMER FITNESS CLASSES – starts JUNE 17 & 19th!

Dynabody Total Fitness Summer Classes are set for Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings

starting June 17^th and June 19^th 

and runs through September

6:30 – 7:30 pm.

ALL classes throughout the summer for just $120!

Early Bird Registration (before first class) is $100 plus GST

A positive mental attitude + positive environment + positive support system = RESULTS

Get those results with DTF - the ultimate in summer fitness with this 1 hour session.

If you would like to participate, please email me or drop by the Tuesday/Thursday class School classes.

And don’t forget, one time events are also available. Family and kids bootcamps are a hit. Get  a gang together and have a blast!

Email me at dynabody@gmail.com.

This 1 hour session is fun and a great challenge for all!  Along with the meat & potatoes - strength training, we will be incorporating TRX Suspension training for core and muscular endurance. Then ignite your metabolism with Dynabody Finishers – some High Intensity Metabolic Burners before cooling down after a great workout session.

Long Steady Cardio does work but....

Last month I surprised a lot of people with the answer with what type of cardio is best for fat loss. The answer was high intensity interval training.

It’s not that long steady cardio doesn’t work, it’s just the most effective thing to do. Running/Jogging takes a lot of time. Unless you have a goal to run a marathon, don’t expect fast or long lasting fat loss results . Your body is very adaptable and can adjust to this steady state and will actually conserve energy (calories). Long slow cardio forces the body to get rid of muscle and increases the risk of injury, where as intensity offsets muscle reduction and strengthens the body.

Ladies -don’t be a cardio queen, the majority end up as “Skinny Fat people” Thin and frail-looking, not toned or muscular and who have trouble doing half a dozen push ups. I know of aerobic instructors that could really lose 20 plus pounds – not a very good role model….If you want to get wicked hot swimsuit lean then you HAVE TO increase the intensity.

Now if you totally love long steady cardio and are happy with the results then do it. Just remember that you must also get STRONGER.
You must add resistance training to your fitness routine. Major lifts using Multi-muscle groups is a must. Weight training is more important than cardio for fat loss.

The biggest thing is to enjoy what you are doing. Make sure that you incorporate all levels of fitness in your routine:

1) Aerobic / Cardiovascular fitness
2) Resistance Training / Muscle Conditioning
3) Flexibility
4) Nutrition

If you missed last months newletter, on the following link What Cardio is Best? or visit my blog Dynabody blogspot

OTHER NEWS

THANKS TO ALL SPRING FITNESS BOOT CAMP SURVIVORS!

I received some great feedback from my Spring Bootcamps.

No surprise, everyone participated for fitness reasons. What everyone liked the most was the fun and the variety.
There was a very high demand by participants to attend two classes per week. So this fall, Tuesday & Thursday classes are planned.

To cut down on rest intervals between circuits, more emphasis will be made on working the same muscle groups at certain workstations. This will cut down on explanations between sets, resulting in a more effective workout.

One thing that kept it fun was incorporating various games. Not only did it keep people motivated, it put a big smile on their face!

SUMMER FITNESS BOOTCAMP

For the summer, I am looking at a Tuesday and Thursday outside fitness bootcamp (6:30 to 8 pm) and possibly an early morning program if the demand warrants it.

If you and a friend, college, or family member are interested please email me back.

THE BEST CARDIO FOR YOUR HEART & FAT LOSS

Health professionals have always recommended walking as a preventative against heart disease.    With the human heart beating more than 2.5 billion times in an average lifetime – you’d want to keep it in shape.

With your blood traveling over 19,000 kms per day that’s almost four times the distance across Canada from coast to coast – you would want it to be and stay in good shape!

Hey, your time is valuable.  So how do you make the most of the time you have?

Is one type of aerobic workout better than another? 

What sort of cardiovascular workout is best for your heart?

What about for fat loss?

Are you ready to be shocked?  I am sure I am going to surprise a lot of people. 

The best cardiovascular workout is High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT..

According to a Harvard Health Professionals Study,  after studying over 7,000 people they found that the key to preventing heart disease is intensity – NOT long-duration exercise. 

What is High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT?

This is a much shorter aerobic workout that involves periods of exertion and recovery.  Basically you vary the degree of your aerobic workout by doing a short burst of high intensity exertion (sprint) and then follow up with a recovery period.  Then another short burst followed by another recovery, etc…

The latest research suggests that only vigorous activity is effective in reducing heart deaths.  Another recent Harvard study revealed that those who used sprint-aerobic principles in their workouts reduce their risk of heart disease by 100 percent more than those who practice aerobic exercise. Of course if you are out of shape I don’t suggest that you go out and give it all you’ve got.  That’s where goal setting comes in.

What about burning fat?

For many years the conventional wisdom was that more was better.  Long, slow cardio was the way to go.  The problem with this is your body adjusts to this steady state and it tries to conserve energy (calories).  Sure it initially burns more fat, but in time it teaches the body that it needs fat available to use as fuel for it’s next cardio session.

Sprint intervals burn fat best.  These short bursts use energy from carbohydrates, which burn energy at a higher rate than fat.  You then burn much more fat for energy during the recovery period as you replenish the carbs.

A study at Laval University in Quebec, found that High Intensity Interval Training or HITT cardio helped loose nine times more fat than those who ran moderately on a treadmill for 20 – 60 minutes.

Ever look at a long distance runner?  A long distance cyclist?  Next time you’re at the gym take a peek at the people that spend all their time on the treadmill….

I know running is addictive, but, I always end up thinking of the hamster that spends endless time on the hamster wheel.  Compare a marathon runner to a sprinter.  It doesn’t matter male or female.  The sprinter looks lean yet muscular – the ideal body.

Long slow cardio forces the body to get rid of muscle, where as intensity offsets muscle reduction.

Carl Lewis who won 9 gold Olympic medals, contributes some of his success to interval training.   Even Lance Armstrong who won the Tour de France seven times contributed his success to interval training.

Our bodies were NOT designed for steady cardio but rather stop-and-go movements.  No other animal on earth does endurance type physical activities.  In addition, most competitive sports focus on short bursts of exertion followed by recovery.

Another big advantage of High Intensity Interval Training over Endurance Cardio Training is the reduction of Strains and Overuse Injuries.

How many people do you know that have sore knees from running? If you are overweight you are basically crushing your joints with the excess weight and repetitive pounding.

Tight IT Bands, more correctly called Iliotibial Band Syndrome, can cause pain from the hip to below the knee.  Lateral Knee and Hip pain is most common, as the IT Band pulls the knee cap out of place bruising your femur. 

Most aerobic exercise programs result in a 50 to 90 percent injury rate in the initial six weeks of training!  Yet the typical weight-loss program for an overweight person seems to focus on continuous repetitions for a prolonged period of time.  As I’ve already stated more is not necessarily better.

What about middle-age and older adults?

By focusing on High Intensity Interval Training there is a tremendous increase in growth hormone which is not only important for muscle building, but for fat loss and reversing the aging process!

If you want to preserve muscle, improve cholesterol levels, maintain healthy testosterone levels, prevent hair loss and tone the body, start adding HIIT to your fitness routine.

Along with (HIIT) High Intensity Interval Training focus on resistance training and body weight workouts.  Join a fitness Boot Camp to help get you started or challenge you to get to that next level.

What ever exercise regimen you choose, don’t stop moving – and most important have fun!