Weight Loss Trainer in Asheville

Do you have a few extra pounds to lose? I'm a personal trainer in Asheville and I can help you. No fad diets, no dancing and jumping around with difficult dance moves or TV programs that are obviously not designed for beginners. What I offer is tried and true workouts that will help you build lean muscle, lose fat and improve your endurance.

As a Certified Personal Trainer & Sports Nutritionist, I can help you lose a healthy 1-2 lbs. of fat per week. Why wait any longer? Call today! 828-582-4373

Sports Nutritionist in Asheville, NC

Well, I did it! Just a week after passing my Personal Trainer Exam with ACT, I passed my IFA Sports Nutritionist Exam (International Fitness Association). The test was pretty challenging, but most of it I already knew from being a runner all these years plus my Kinesiology coursework in college. The ACT exam was very heavy on nutrition also so it was great preperation. The IFA course study materials were great and very informative - I just happened to be pretty much up to speed. Got a 97%!

So - looking for Sports Nutritionist in the Asheville Area? I can help you create a plan that will help you improve your performance & achieve your goals.

Contact me today at 828-582-4373

Certified Personal Trainer in Asheville

Well, I did it! On Feb. 24th I passed my Exam and I'm now an ACT Certified Personal Trainer. The test was really challenging. Luckily, my college coursework in Kinesiology and my experience training as a runner since the '80's came in very handy. Not to brag - but one question on the practice exam was thrown out because I pointed out a flaw in the question. They agreed with my assessment and have removed the question.

So - looking for a certified Personal Trainer in the Asheville Area? I can come to your home, office or gym and offer you 1 on 1 or group sessions. I can help you to create an exercise plan that will help you achieve your goals.

Want to lose fat? Want to gain muscle? Need to break through to that new PR you've been chasing? I can help. Contact me today at 828-582-4373

Stretching vs. Warm Ups: Aren't They the Same?

I often get asked why I sometimes talk about "Stretching" and other times I talk about the benefits of "warming up". Even though they are two different things, many people think they are the same thing. They are not.

"Warming Up" is the first thing you should do before any workout. I doesn't have to be long, but you do want to raise your body temperature. A short brisk walk or easy jog will do just fine. You want to elevate your heart rate just a bit.

Once you've done this, you can get into "stretching". Many people jump right into stretching and are running the risk of injury by stretching cold muscles. By warming up first, you've raised your body's temperature and you can now stretch easier. I won't get into the different types of stretching, as there are so many sport specific stretches, but basically you want to hit the major muscle groups.

After your main workout, it's a good idea to "cool down". A cool down is an easy walk, or very light jog. You're trying to bring your heart rate down slow and easy. After this, do some more light stretching as well.

This will add some time to your workout, but by doing so, you should train injury-free for years to come. A little extra effort and time up front means less time on the bench (or the couch) recovering.

Happy Trails!

Iron Gym Xtreme review - Great for Runners!

Just Yesterday I finally bit the bullet and bought the Iron Gym Xtreme.  As you may know, I've been missing my runs due to Plantar Fasciitis.  I've been able to continue doing weight training though.  It's real simple to get a little gym at home, which I highly recommend since you won't always feel like driving to the gym.  It's amazing what you can do with a couple of dumbbells and some other affordable equipment.

My home gym consists of the following:

• 2 plastic coated 10 lbs dumbbells
• 2 traditional dumbbells with cast iron weights of 4 x 5 lbs and 4 x 2.5 lbs.
• Push Up Handles (for deeper push ups)
• Iron Gym Xtreme

The Iron Gym Xtreme is just $10 more than the original Iron Gym.  The Xtreme offers more hand grips so you can "attack" your muscles from different angles.  It takes about 20 minutes to assemble and the little tool to tighten the bolts comes included.  Make sure to read the directions and not just try to go by the picture!

The only hiccup I had, was that my house is an old house, so the trim around the doorways is wide/tall.  This really limited my options for where I could use the Xtreme since it "hooks" over the door trim.  The door to my hallway works but just barely. Width wise, you should not have any trouble.  It works great on doors from 24" - 32" wide.  If you have wider interior doors, it won't work.

You can find the Iron Gym ($29.99) and the Iron Gym Xtreme ($39.99) at Dick's Sporting Goods, although I'm sure other stores have them as well (except Wal-Mart...they only had a "Gold's Gym" version which didn't look that great/sturdy to me.

As you know, runners have notoriously weak upper bodies.  Even if you can't hit the gym, you can easily work out at home for under $100.

How to Deal with Plantar Fasciitis

I just spent the last 9 days off due to Plantar Fasciitis...google it if you must.  Basically, there is a ligament in your foot that starts at the heel.  Over-training, poor shoes, and a variety of other factors can cause this ligament to get tight.  Ironically, it can feel fine while running as the ligament gets stretched.  The pain comes after a long rest period.  For example, I would feel great on my run, but the next morning, after sleeping all night, the heel of my foot would be very sore.  It also would happen after sitting at a desk or watching TV for hours on end.

Here's a great video I've found on Plantar Fasciitis.  As I mentioned, I am currently working on recovering from this.  All my years of running and this is the first time it's happened to me.  I think it was a combination of over-training and poor shoe choice.  I rested for 9 days (until I no longer woke up with heel pain) and have been doing the same stretches that are in this video.  I've cut my mileage in half and slowed my pace for the time being. I'll let the video explain the rest:

Should I Run When I Don't Feel Well

Sometimes it's hard to tell if you should go for a run or not due to not feeling well. You need to ask yourself, "is this genuine or am I just being lazy today...without sounding like Darth Vader, you need to "search your feelings, you know them to be true!"

Sometimes though, it's more than just a "Should I or shouldn't I" kind of day.  Perhaps you have a cold or a nagging cough.  Perhaps it's an injury that doesn't seem too bad as I recently had.  If it's one of these situations, I would say, when in doubt, sit it out.

Technically speaking, try following the "Neck" rule.  This rule states that anything above the neck (runny nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, etc...) means you can run if you want to.  If, however, it's below the neck (anything from a chest cold to foot pain) then take some time off.  Of course, this is a general rule of thumb.  If you really don't feel like running, don't!

I just spent the last 9 days off due to Plantar Fasciitis...google it if you must.  Basically, there is a ligament in your foot that starts at the heel.  Over-training, poor shoes, and a variety of other factors can cause this ligament to get tight.  Ironically, it can feel fine while running as the ligament gets stretched.  The pain comes after a long rest period.  For example, I would feel great on my run, but the next morning, after sleeping all night, the heel of my foot would be very sore.  It also would happen after sitting at a desk or watching TV for hours on end. For a great video about Plantar Fasciitis, click here.

Basically, you know better than anyone how you feel.  If you feel like running, then run.  If you don't feel like running, then don't.  Just make sure it's not laziness.