As a Knoxville personal trainer, I constantly get asked how to trim and tone a person’s belly.  While it’s true that you cannot spot reduce fat (meaning lose fat ONLY on your midsection), there are some tricks that can help your waistline get smaller and more firm.

First and foremost, CRUNCHES DON’T WORK!  You can do 1000 crunches a day and still will not be able to lose the lovehandles.  Why you ask?  Because typical crunches only work the top section of your abdominals.  They do not target the lower and oblique ab muscles.   To reallly tone and tighten the entire length of your midsection (and lower back), I recommend regular, old school sit-ups (like in 6th grade gym class) and a mixture of yoga/pilates poses.  These include planks, bridges, side planks, boat poses, supermans, etc.  These moves will make you stronger throughout your entire core while giving you a firmer, more defined look.

Secondly, you will want to limit your sodium and carbonated beverage intake.  Both of these items can cause you to bloat, making your belly appear round and bigger than you may like it to be.  Watch your salt content and limit the amount of processed foods you consume.  The longer an item can sit on a shelf usually means the more sodium it will contain.

Lastly, remember the cardio!  In order for abs to show definition, you must lose the fat on top.  You can have the strongest core in the world, but if you have a layer of fat on top, it will never show up.  Make sure you are getting at least 3-4 hours of cardio a week to lose the weight. 

A combination of these three steps should have your abs in beach body shape by Memorial Day!

xoxo,
Jen

Hi guys!

Happy Valentine’s Day!!  I know this weather is out of control and people are starting to get frustrated with staying indoors and not being able to get outside and exercise.  My personal training clients also complain that they hate…no loathe…the treadmill.  And honestly…so do I!  However with no sign of this weather clearing, it may become a necessary task in order to keep up your cardio and prepare for all the spring races I know you have signed up for .

Here is a quick treadmill interval workout that should help overcome the boredom of the “dreadmill.”  Not only will interval training mix up your workout routine, it will also help you shed double the calories of a steady state cardio session.  If you can’t keep up with the speeds at this time, no problem!  Just adjust the speeds as necessary to keep your body challenged.  Also, if your knees are not up to a treadmill routine, a similar interval circuit can be duplicated on either the elliptical or a stationary bike by adjusting resistance.  So, have fun, stay warm and good luck!

Treadmill circuit:

5 min: warm-up: walk to light jog on treadmill

1 min: Incline of 2.0; speed of 5.5
1 min: Incline of 4.0; speed of 5.5
1 min: Incline of 6.0; speed of 5.5
1 min: Incline of 8.0; speed of 4.5
1 min: Incline of 10.0; speed of 4.5
1 min: Incline of 12.0; speed of 4.5
1 min: Incline of 10.0; speed of 4.5
1 min: Incline of 8.0; speed of 4.5
1 min: Incline of 6.0; speed of 5.5
1 min: Incline of 4.0; speed of 5.5
1 min: Incline of 2.0; speed of 5.5

2 min recovery at 3.0

3 min: Incline of 0.0; speed of 5.5
45 sec: increase speed to 8.0
3 min: decrease speed to 5.5
1 min: increase speed to 7.5
3 min: decrease speed to 5.5
1.5 min: increase speed to 7.0
3 min: decrease speed to 5.5

5 min cool down

xoxo,
Jen

Hi Guys,

Fox43’s HOT LIST ”Best of” 2010 contest is on and New You for Life has been nominated as one of Knoxville’s Best Personal Training companies!  We need your help to be #1!

Official voting doesn’t begin until February 15th, but please log onto our HOT LIST site to write a recommendation.  In honor of this nomination, I am offering 10% off all personal training and boot camp packages for the month of February.

So, please visit the site and come February 15th, log on and vote for us to be #1!

xoxo,
Jen

Hey guys,

I really need your feedback on some updates I am thinking of adding to the site.  Please email me with your thoughts, ideas or suggestions on how to improve things here.

#1: Adding a “members only” message board.
The idea here is to have a board where members of the site can come together to share thoughts, ideas, training schedules, struggles, etc.  There is so much we can all learn and so much we all can share.  This would be exclusive to members of the site and would be a free service for 2 months.  After 2 months, a nominal fee would be charged to be a member.  The idea behind the fee is to keep only serious people involved and keep out the spammers.

In addition to the member board, I would create a “members only” section of the site where members can log in, get recipes, workouts, nutrition tips/advice and ask me specific, custom questions.

#2: Q&A Section

I would like to add a section to the site where people can write in, ask me questions, and I can post the answers either on my site or on this blog. 

#3: Workout Demonstrations

I would like to add pictures/video of me conducting some effective workout moves and demonstrating proper form for all my virtual training clients.

Ok, those are my thoughts!  Let me know what you all think.  Email me, post a comment here or message me on Facebook.  I want to make my site a place where people can feel free to express themselves, share their stories and ask questions to help get on the right track to health and wellness.

xoxo,
Jen

Hi Guys!

We are excited about the recent events that New You for Life will be participating in!  Here is some info on what is going on in our world:

We hope to see you all there!

xoxo,
Jen

Hey guys,

Just a quick post…I just downloaded the new 2009 obesity report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and there are some SCARY statistics in there.  If you are interested in reading it (it’s 100 pages) or just glancing, here is the link:

http://media.timesfreepress.com/docs/2009/07/Obesity_report_0702.pdf

As a Knoxville personal trainer, it was disturbing to find out some of the statistics on my current home state.  Here are just some of the facts I discovered about Tennessee:

1. Over 30% of Tennesseans are obese.
2. Over 66% of Tennesseans are overweight.
3. In 2009, Tennessee ranked 4^th as the most overweight state in the nation (falling behind #1 Mississippi, #2 Alabama and #3 West Virginia.)
4. Over 36% of children in Tennessee are obese, having risen from only 20% in 2003.
5. Tennessee ranks 5^th in the nation for childhood obesity.
6. It is estimated that the state of Tennessee spends over $1.8 BILLION dollars annually on obesity related medical expenses.
7. Nearly 11% of Tennesseans have Type II Diabetes.
8. Tennessee ranks 3^rd in the nation for adults with Type II Diabetes.
9.  29.8% of Tennesseans are physically inactive.
10. Over 32% of Tennesseans suffer from hypertension.

Scary, huh?  There is so much more information included in the pamphlet on both a state and national level.  This report just proved even more how important it is to stay healthy and active.

xoxo,
Jen

Ok,
So we’ve all heard the terms for different body types – apple, pear, etc – but what does that really mean in regards to your health and trying to lose weight in your personal “problem areas?”

The classical “apple” shape holds most of their excess weight in the midsection.  If you are a man, you are most likely an apple shape.  People who have this shape actually have a higher level of testosterone in their bodies, forcing the weight to go to the middle rather than hips and thighs.  The good news for apple shaped people is weight tends to come off faster around the belly than around any other area of the body.  The bad news the excess fat around the middle also surrounds vital organs (visceral fat) which can make you more prone to heart disease, diabetes and cancer.  In addition, studies have shown that apple shaped people are more likely to have anxiety, depression, menstrual irregularities and fertility problems. 

Experts suggest that apple shaped people should increase their intake of fiber rich foods, which slow digestion of sugars, lowers insulin levels and lowers the risk of heart disease and diabetes and partake in at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily to shed excess fat.

Pears are the complete opposite of apples, storing weight in their hips, thighs and buttocks.  This shape is found mostly in women and also suggests a higher level of estrogen in the body.  With this being said, pear shaped women should avoid eating soy as much as possible as this will only raise the level of phytoestrogens in the body.  Because this fat is harder to lose, women with a pear shape have a higher risk of suffering from low self esteem and eating disorders.  The good news for pears is that this fat (subcutaneous fat) is far less damaging to your body and health than visceral fat.  The bad news is that subcutaneous fat is stubborn, is prone to cellulite and stores fat for energy, making it harder to get rid of.

To counter this “fat magnet,” experts suggest pear shaped women eat foods lower in fat and perform resistance training to strengthen bone mass.

So, embrace your shape, learn the tools to combat your “problem areas” and realize that sometimes we just need to chalk these burdening issues up to genetics…thanks Mom!

xoxo,
Jen

Hey gang,
I hope everyone is safe and staying warm wherever you are!  With the weather being as cold as it is throughout the country, it is often times very hard to get out of your house and get to the gym or go for a run.  With this being said, here is a quick cardio workout you can do at home to get that heart pumping.  No equipment needed and it only takes about 20 minutes, so no excuses!

Ok, here are the rules…one minute for each exercise, allow 30 sec of rest in between each one (if needed).  If feeling fiesty, try to repeat 2 times!  Any exercise you are not familiar with, just email me for an explanation.

Have fun and stay warm!

xoxo,
Jen

Hey guys,

I will be teaching a 3-part class for UT’s non-credit program this winter.  It will be held on 3 consecutive Mondays beginning Monday, February 1st from 6:30pm – 8:30pm.  Here is a brief overview of the course, A New You, Right Now.

Start the week off in a positive way with the right mindset about food and exercise. You will learn how to incorporate a healthy diet and effective exercise into your busy life and discover how your emotional ties to food can affect your weight loss success. The last class include a full body workout using minimal equipment and body weight in a mini boot camp. This class will show you how to get effective results without special equipment, a gym membership and/or a limited amount of time.

If you or any of your friends is interested, please visit UT’s website to register: https://aceweb.outreach.utk.edu/CourseStatus.awp?~~10WI430

Course fee is $59.00 total for 3 weeks (6 hours) of fitness and nutrition information.  Classes will be held at the UT Conference Center in downtown Knoxville.  If you have any questions on the content of the class, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Hope to see you there!

xoxo,
Jen