A Few Nice Words

I value each and every one of my clients and do my best to give them the very best I have to give – day in and day out.  It’s not always easy, but it’s something I work hard at and value tremendously and it is reflected in my work.  I know my clients appreciate the effort I make with them as sit shows in their commitment and dedication to themselves as well as me.  I can proudly say that I have maintained many clients well over a decade – in fact, having some still with me since opening my doors in 2003.  It may appear that I may be tooting my own horn here, but those who know me know I am a modest person and my mentioning of this is because it gives me great pleasure to know that I can have a positive impact on those who entrust their health with me.

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“There are 168 hours in a week.  If you invest just one hour each week working out with Fred, you’ll look better, feel better and live better.  It’s that simple!!!”

“Before Fred and I even lifted a weight, we had a 30 minute conversation about my lifestyle and goals for training,  As someone who commutes 4 hours a day and has two small kids, efficiency is a huge factor. Fred helped me develop a schedule to train once a week with the option of adding in activities at home between sessions. The results in just 3 months have been some of the best I have achieved with a formal training program.”                                                                                                                                                                 

“What I like about Fred’s approach is that he is always observing and learning. His open-minded, multiple-disciplined approach lets him hand pick from a variety of techniques and styles. The result is a fun, effective program that is custom tailored to my goals for health and fitness.”

“Fred motivates, inspires and teaches his clients that the key to both physical/mental success is through consistency and perseverance. By working hard and remaining committed, individuals will see a noticeable change in their body and mind.”

“I went to Fit By Fred because I was losing muscle mass and strength due to aging (I will be 79 this year).  Working with Fred has enabled me to gain muscle mass, strength and to better deal with the effects of arthritis and to improve my nutrition.”

“I always value my training sessions with Fred. With all the stuff going on in my life, training with Fred is great therapy, a real stress reliever.”

What Is The Best_____? Tip #1

It’s amusing to see so many daily articles on the Internet stating what the “BEST” exercise/diet/cardio program etc. there is for losing weight, improving cardio, building bigger biceps, toning your core, getting rid of back pain, etc., etc.  Nothing is ever the best for everyone, plain and simple and here’s the first, and in my opinion, the most important reason why.

When it comes to “the best”, you have to consider a few variables.  At the top of the list is safety.  Not only safety of the exercise itself but also the application of that exercise for each individual.  For instance, the bodyweight squat is a wonderful exercise that builds lessonsstrength in the legs, hips and core as well as provides improved mobility in the ankles, knees and hips.  And when performed to muscular fatigue, it will provide significant cardiovascular stimulation.  But not everyone can perform this exercise properly due to mechanical reasons or they just can’t grasp the movement and therefore, it is not a safe option for them because they can incur an injury or further along an already bad situation.  On the other hand, some people can execute this movement flawlessly, but the end result for them may be something that causes a problem due to a previous issue or it invokes some discomfort in a joint that previously wasn’t there as an example.

So really, the take home message is this: not every recommendation of the BEST has a universal application to it.  Proper guidance and coaching, along with common sense and not blindly following a suggestion is probably a good start in to finding what’s BEST for you.

The “I’ve Got No Time” Workout

I have a buddy of mine who literally is busy 14+ hours a day, Monday through Friday. He is looking to get stronger and in better overall health and doesn’t have the time to get to a gym. Respecting that he doesn’t want to take the easy way out and use his constrained schedule as an excuse, I am advising the following for him or anyone else with limited time.

Every day he will perform 5 minutes of one specific exercise. I recommendbodyweight squats he perform these exercises in the morning so he isn’t too tired or distracted at the end of the day, this way he is assured to have gotten in his workout.  His goal is to be progressive each work out, i.e., looking to do better than last time. The approach is simple: he will do as many reps as he can in good form, rest long enough to “almost recover” and then do more reps. He will repeat this process until 5 minutes has transpired. He will total up all his reps (or time) and notate his performance.  Notation: A goal can be to perform more reps/time for the first set compared to that of the previous workout OR shoot for a higher total number of reps/time for the 5 minute period.  Either way,  progression and accurate record keeping are important. To reiterate, 1 exercise per day for 5 minutes.  He will rotate through these exercises every 4 days. These are the 4 movements, done in this order:

Pushups:
Jumping Jacks:
Plank Holds:
Body Weight Squats:
All exercises will be performed using whatever modification necessary to allow for safe execution and always, using good form.  Hard Work, Smart Training and Consistency are key in having this program work effectively.
Attached is a spreadsheet to assist in keeping track: 5 Minutes

The Most Underrated Activity?

In my opinion, one of the most underrated activities a person can do is walk. A lot of people don’t find value in walking, and that’s unfortunate because there are many benefits that can come from taking a stroll.

Fitness-WalkingWalking contributes in several ways to your health and well-being. It can help you reduce weight, lower stress, improve flexibility and mobility, increase cardio-respiratory fitness, exposure to vitamin D, improve lung capacity, provide an opportunity to clear your mind or give you time to think, have alone time or spend time with a friend, reduce muscle soreness and arthritis pain, increase leg and core strength, etc., etc.

 

Just Hold On A Second

Sometimes it’s just an extra second that you need to take to make sure you and those around you are safe.  A majority of motorists, especially this time of year, don’t take the bicycle-hit-car-accidenttime to look for non-drivers, i.e. runners, cyclists, walkers, etc. which could lead to severe consequences.  As someone who cycles often, I can tell you that it’s quite dangerous on the road, simply because either motorists aren’t looking for you or don’t feel the need to yield in your favor.  And I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that there are groups of cyclists who obnoxiously ride together in the middle of the road which makes it hazardous to both driver and cyclist. Regardless of whose fault it is, please just take an extra second before making turns because it’s not always cars that are sharing the road.

To The Point

In the most simplest of terms, I recommend the following for a healthy life:

  1. Exercise a couple times a week. Make some sessions easy, make some hard.lessons

  2. Eat wholesome, natural foods.

  3. Get outside. Walk, run, bike, strength train, read, hang with friends…outside.

  4. Be nice to people.

  5. Pay it forward.

  6. Repeat the list above often.