Fusion Fitness Studio News

So you have a weight problem.

Pounds have added up over the years, slowly accumulating on your hips, thighs and belly.

When you look in the mirror you don’t like what you see and you feel stuck.

You feel stuck because you believe that…

• You’ve gained too much weight to ever lose it all.
• You’re too old to make a change.
• You’d be lost in a gym.
• You simply don’t know where to start.

And so, if you are like most people, you give up on yourself before you ever shed a pound. The enormity of your goal paralyzes your ability to even begin.

I believe you can end this cycle of self destruction by simply focusing on the mole hills that make up the mountain – rather than focusing in on the mountain itself.

Don’t get me wrong, I know that weight loss can seem like an enormous task – especially when you have 20, 50 or even 100 pounds to lose.

However, rather than being discouraged by the mountain of fat you need to lose, conquer the mole hill of losing one single pound each week.

In fact, make it your weekly mole hill to drop one pound a week. Doesn’t that sound easy?

If you did this consistently for one year you would lose 50 pounds.

So how do you shed a pound a week?

Simple. Just burn 3500 extra calories.

Create a 3500 calorie deficit each week by a combination of increased calorie exertion (exercise) and a decrease in calories consumed (eating less).

Take every opportunity to exert more calories by increasing your physical activity and to decrease your calorie consumption by eating fewer calories and by making healthier choices.

It helps to record your progress in a notebook and refer back to it. You will be surprised how encouraging it is to see your weekly progress written down on paper.

Remember, if you lose 500 calories a day you will drop a pound in a week.

Here are some practical ways to lose calories:

Weight loss doesn’t have to be a mountain. Each molehill you conquer will take you one step closer to a healthier, fitter you.

Small changes to your lifestyle over time will make the difference.

I’m always available to help – call or to set up your free consultation.

Fernando Paredes, CPT, NASM, NSCA, YFS1 who has been called “Bucks County, PA’s #1 Fitness & Performance Coach” has more than 15 years experience and is a sought after expert in the areas of functional fitness, core training, fat loss, lower-back reconditioning and sports performance training in the greater Bucks/Phila region.  He is a contributing fitness columnist for PhillyFIT magazine, the Fitness Director at Boomer-Living.com, has appeared on Comcast Network’s ‘Your Morning’ show, ‘It’s Your Call with Lynn Doyle’, WFMZ Channel 69 News, and The Philadelphia Inquirer because of his innovative exercise approach that combines the original physical culture method of exercise with today’s modern functional and core training techniques.  Fernando, a Member of ‘America’s PremierExperts‘, is the expert other trainers turn to for advice and has gained the reputation as the ‘go-to’ source for anyone interested in attaining lasting results and reaching their true potential.  In 2003 Paredes opened Fusion Fitness Studio, a private training facility in Doylestown, PA, which offers cutting-edge programs and individualized instruction to people of all levels ranging from struggling beginners to serious athletes looking to attain higher levels of performance.

Summer has arrived and along with it the dreaded bathing suit season.

Whether you can’t wait to bare it all on the beach, or if you’re still working toward a weight loss goal, exercise is the key to looking and feeling great in summer months.

But why else should you exercise?

Here are the top 7 reasons to exercise this summer:


Reason #1: To Melt Fat Away

The most coveted side effect of exercise is, of course, fat burn. The combination of a challenging exercise routine and a balanced meal plan is the best known way for fat loss. Here’s what losing fat feels like:

• Your pants become loose
• People around you begin to say that you look great
• A glance at yourself in the mirror makes you smile
• Your energy levels soar
• You feel amazing

Reason #2: To Alleviate Pain

Regular exercise is a great way to alleviate chronic muscle and joint pain. Persistent lower-back pain can be lessened by strengthening your core, and you’ll protect yourself against injury. It amazes people when the chronic pain that they’ve lived with for years begins to fade after starting a regular exercise program including proper functional & core training.  

Reason #3: To Increase Lean Muscle Tissue

More muscle is good for many reasons. You see, muscle requires many more calories each day than fatty tissue. In fact, one pound of muscle burns 30-50 calories each day at rest – compared to a measly 9 calories per pound of fat.

When you exercise your body composition will change to contain more lean tissue, thus resulting in extra calories burned while you sleep. What could be better than that?

Reason #4: To Stay Young

Tim D. Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College in London, led a study on the effects of exercise on aging. The results were astounding. They found that exercise appears to slow the shriveling of the protective tips on bundles of genes inside cells (called telomeres), which means a slowing of the aging process.

“These data suggest that the act of exercising may actually protect the body against the aging process,” said Spector.

Here’s the study in a nutshell:

• Telomeres cap the ends of chromosomes and every time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter.
• Once a telomere gets too short, that cell can no longer divide.
• Aging occurs as more and more cells reach the end of their telomeres and die. This results in weakened muscles, skin wrinkles, loss of eyesight and hearing, organ failure and slowed metal functioning.
• The study analyzed the telomeres from the white bloods cells of twins over a 10-year period. Telomere length was used as a marker for the rate of biological aging.
• It was found that the length of telomeres was directly related to that twin’s activity level. “There was a gradient,” Spector said. “As the amount of exercise increased, the telomere length increased.”
• People who did 100 minutes of weekly exercise had telomeres that looked like those from someone about 5-6 years younger than those who did 16 minutes of exercise each week.
• People who did 3 hours of vigorous exercise each week had telomeres that looked like those from someone about 9 years younger.

Reason #5: To Prevent or Control Type 2 Diabetes

Regular exercise helps to stabilize blood sugar levels. This is something that people with type 2 diabetes, or at risk for type 2 diabete, gain substantial benefits from.

Exercise improves the body’s use of insulin, and the related weight loss improves insulin sensitivity. Of course patients with type 2 diabetes need to get guidelines from their doctor before starting an exercise program.

Reason #6: To Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels

Exercise has shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels for these two reasons:

• Weak Heart Muscles pump little blood with lots of effort. By exercising you strengthen your heart muscles and train them to pump more blood with less effort. The stronger your heart is the less pressure will be exerted on your arteries.
• Exercise Increases HDL levels in some people – this means a decrease in your risk for heart disease. Other heart disease risk factors such as weight, diabetes and high blood pressure all show improvement with regular exercise.

Reason #7: To Feel Great

The first thing that clients tell me after starting an exercise program is how much better they feel.

Most didn’t even realize how bad they felt. It is easy to get used to feeling sluggish, achy and unmotivated.

Exercise boosts your energy levels and makes you feel amazing.

The quickest, easiest way to guarantee that you’ll meet your fitness and weight loss goals is to work one-on-one with a qualified fitness professional. You’ll be held accountable with your workouts and you’ll be instructed properly and shown techniques and strategies that will expedite your results.

Call or email today to get started on a program that will take the guesswork out of fitness and to set your results on fire!

 
Fernando Paredes, CPT, NASM, NSCA, YFS1 who has been called “Bucks County, PA’s #1 Fitness & Performance Coach” has more than 15 years experience and is a sought after expert in the areas of functional fitness, core training, fat loss, lower-back reconditioning and sports performance training in the greater Bucks/Phila region.  He is a contributing fitness columnist for PhillyFIT magazine, the Fitness Director at Boomer-Living.com, has appeared on Comcast Network’s ‘Your Morning’ show, ‘It’s Your Call with Lynn Doyle’, WFMZ Channel 69 News, and The Philadelphia Inquirer because of his innovative exercise approach that combines the original physical culture method of exercise with today’s modern functional and core training techniques.  Fernando, a Member of ‘America’s PremierExperts‘, is the expert other trainers turn to for advice and has gained the reputation as the ‘go-to’ source for anyone interested in attaining lasting results and reaching their true potential.  In 2003 Paredes opened Fusion Fitness Studio, a private training facility in Doylestown, PA, which offers cutting-edge programs and individualized original physical culture method of exercise with today’s modern functional and core training techniques.  

You start each morning with the promise to be “good” today.

You’ll refuse the baked goods at the office…

You’ll speed past that fast food place at lunch…

You’ll turn a blind eye to the vending machine in the mid-afternoon…

And you’ll pass on the ice cream after dinner… 

But… you hadn’t counted on the fact that a box of your favorite donuts would be sitting in the break room.

Or that co-workers would invite you to join them for fast food place at lunch.

Or that Girl Scouts would come through the office after school with boxes of thin mints.

Or that your special someone would come home with a pint of Coffee Heath Bar Crunch.

And as you get into bed each night you tell yourself that tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow you will conquer temptation.

But tomorrow comes with its own set of special circumstances and temptation gets the best of you once again.

Why Does Temptation Always Win?

We live in society where food temptations are everywhere.

• Walk through a store and you’ll see the unhealthy food items displayed front and center.
• Turn on the TV and you’ll be assaulted with commercials for fattening foods.
• Open a magazine and you’ll notice glossy pin-ups of sugary snacks.
• Go down the street and you’ll have restaurant signs clamoring for your attention.

In addition to the abundance of tempting edibles, you also have deeply ingrained positive associations with indulging.

• You treat tempting food as a reward.
• You turn to tempting food for comfort.
• You rely on tempting food as stress relief.
• You allow tempting food to become a habit.

It’s Your Turn to Win

Temptation doesn’t need to have the upper hand on your fat loss efforts  anymore. It’s time to fight back using your most powerful asset: your brain.

Your mind is an amazing thing. Once it is made up about something it is nearly impossible to change it.

A Matter of Perspective

Imagine for a moment that you’re peacefully floating down a river in an inner tube. The sun is out, the birds are chirping, and you are having a wonderful time. You feel great about the river because it is making you feel good.

Now imagine that you are in a plane flying over the river. Your eye is immediately drawn to an enormous rocky waterfall. You look up the river and just around the bend is a person floating in an inner tube, having a wonderful time, headed straight for the treacherous falls.

Do you think that after your plane ride you’d be happy to get an inner tube and float down the river? Of course you wouldn’t. You’ve seen that the river spells disaster.

You now have a negative association (watery death) with the river rather than your initial positive association (relaxing fun).

Overcoming temptation is all about building negative associations in place of existing positive ones. Use the 2 steps below to harness the power of your mind to become stronger than any temptation.

Step One: Create a Strong Negative Association with all the BAD STUFF

• If cookies and chips and burgers are put on a pedestal in your mind as your favorite things to eat, then you will always eat unhealthy and will continue to gain weight.
• What do you dislike about tempting food?
  • It makes you unhealthy.
  • It causes weight gain.
  • It drains your energy.
  • It kills your confidence.
  • It degrades your quality of life.
  • It hurts your love life.
• Every time that you encounter tempting food items focus on your list of negatives. It’s time to kick those cookies off the pedestal and to put something healthy in its place.

Step Two: Create a Strong Positive Association with all the GOOD STUFF

• Now that your mental pedestal has been cleared, put healthy food items on it. Juicy fresh fruit, crispy vegetables and savory lean meats are a great place to start.
• What do you love about healthy food?
  • It makes you healthy.
  • It causes weight loss.
  • It boosts your energy.
  • It builds your confidence.
  • It improves your quality of life.
  • It enhances your love life.
• Immerse yourself into the world of healthy food. Browse the aisles of a natural food store. Walk through a farmer’s market. Bring healthy snacks to work. Clear your kitchen of anything unhealthy.

Using the technique above, you will soon find that healthy food is your favorite food.

And temptation will become a thing of your past.

Fernando Paredes, CPT, NASM, NSCA, YFS1 who has been called “Bucks County, PA’s #1 Fitness & Performance Coach” has more than 15 years experience and is a sought after expert in the areas of functional fitness, core training, fat loss, lower-back reconditioning and sports performance training in the greater Bucks/Phila region.  He is a contributing fitness columnist for PhillyFIT magazine, the Fitness Director at Boomer-Living.com, has appeared on Comcast Network’s ‘Your Morning’ show, ‘It’s Your Call with Lynn Doyle’, WFMZ Channel 69 News, and The Philadelphia Inquirer because of his innovative exercise approach that combines the original physical culture method of exercise with today’s modern functional and core training techniques.  Fernando, a Member of ‘America’s PremierExperts‘, is the expert other trainers turn to for advice and has gained the reputation as the ‘go-to’ source for anyone interested in attaining lasting results and reaching their true potential.  In 2003 Paredes opened Fusion Fitness Studio, a private training facility in Doylestown, PA, which offers cutting-edge programs and individualized instruction to people of all levels ranging from struggling beginners to serious athletes looking to attain higher levels of performance.

Take this quick HEALTH test…

Do you:
rarely get sick?
have high energy levels?
have great digestion & elimination?
have no need for prescription meds?
can’t remember the last time that you had to visit the doctor?

If you answered ‘no’ to the above questions then you may likely be suffering from nutritional deficiencies.

It’s hard to know exactly what to eat for optimal health, especially since everyone has a different opinion, right?

Even when you make every effort to eat healthy, your diet almost always lacks important nutrients.

In her book, Green For Life, Victoria Boutenko set out in search of the perfect human diet. She immersed herself in nutrition research and, while I personally do not believe in evolutionary theory, Victoria made a very interesting observation.

The Chimpanzee Connection: Chimpanzees and humans are more closely liked than any other animal species. In fact, research shows that we share 99.4% of our DNA sequence with our chimpanzee friends.

Why is this significant? Chimpanzees are in far better physical shape than humans, and possess strong natural immunity to cancer and other fatal — and quite common — human illnesses.

Victoria’s research all pointed to the chimpanzee diet as the reason for their superior health. Chimps and humans have vastly different eating habits.

It’s All About The Greens: While humans enjoy pizza and hamburgers, chimps eat a diet extremely high in dark leafy greens — an item that hardly exists in the human world.

Victoria then turned her focus on dark leafy greens. What she discovered was a super-food packed with extremely high levels of nutrients. Here are 5 amazing facts about greens:

1. Greens are packed with amino acids…AKA protein.

I’ll bet you didn’t know that dark leafy greens are a legitimate source of protein. It’s true!

Protein molecules are made of a chain of amino acids. When you consume protein from chicken, you’re getting chains of amino acids that have already been assembled into a complex protein.

When you eat dark leafy greens you are getting a plethora of individual amino acids. Your body then takes these amino acids and assembles it into complex protein chains.

2. Greens give you lots of insoluble fiber…like a sponge.

You know fiber is important, but did you realize that fiber is needed to rid your body of toxins? Insoluble fiber is extra special, since it is built like tiny sponges that each absorbs several times more toxins than its own volume. Check out just a few of the many benefits of fiber:

• Fiber reduces cholesterol
• Fiber prevents and reduces the risk of cancer
• Fiber lessens risk of diabetes and improves existing diabetes
• Fiber helps shed unwanted pounds and prevents overeating

3. Greens promote bodily homeostasis…necessary for optimal health.

Homeostasis is the physiological process that regulates all substances in your body at ideal levels for optimal health. It is a very complex process, one that your body is constantly working towards.

In order for your body to achieve homeostasis it needs an abundance of vitamins, amino acids, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and minerals. Greens are a super provider of all of the above.

4. Greens are alkaline…which promotes healthy cells.

In 1931 Dr. Otto Warburg won the Nobel Prize for discovering the cause of cancer: weakened cell respiration due to lack of oxygen on the cellular level — this causes fermentation, which results in acidity, or low pH.

There is a close connection between the foods you eat and your pH balance. For example, Parmesan cheese is highly acid forming, -34; while spinach is an amazingly alkalizing food, +14.

When you get plenty of greens on a daily basis, you’re able to better maintain a good alkaline pH balance.

5. Greens are made of chlorophyll…liquid sun energy.

As amazing as it may seem, the molecule of chlorophyll is strikingly similar to the molecule of human blood. Chlorophyll heals and cleanses your organs while destroying harmful substances.

Here are just a few of the powers of chlorophyll:

• Chlorophyll builds a high blood count
• Chlorophyll helps prevent cancer
• Chlorophyll counteracts toxins
• Chlorophyll promotes an alkaline body
• Chlorophyll helps sores heal faster
• Chlorophyll improves varicose veins
• Chlorophyll improves vision

Introducing The Green Smoothie: While the evidence for eating lots of greens continues to mount, who really wants to chomp through a pile of spinach everyday? The solution is as convenient as it is efficient: the green smoothie.

Victoria discovered that when she blended greens with fruit and water, the result was an easily absorbed, delicious smoothie. The key to reaping all the benefits from your green smoothies is to use a wide variety of greens and to drink it every day. Most enjoy it as a quick, nutrient-packed breakfast.
*See the recipe below*

Victoria did a study where people drank green smoothies everyday for a month. Most participants reported a noticeable increase in their energy levels after just the first week. This boost of energy may be just what you need to get into gear with your workouts.

Remember, regular challenging exercise is the key to achieving your ideal body.

Call or email today to get started on a fitness program that will get you to your best body quickly.

Fernando Paredes, CPT, NASM, NSCA, YFS1
Bucks County, PA’s #1 Fitness & Performance Coach

 There are few things more frustrating than not being able to lose weight.

You want to be slimmer and to tone your body, but your weight won’t budge.

Read the following 7 Weight Loss Blockers to discover what is standing in your way and how to quickly and easily begin your weight loss journey.

Blocker # 1: Your Mind

Your mind is your number one ally when it comes to achieving your goals. However, until your mind has been programmed for success, it will do more to derail your efforts than to help you.

• Take a few moments each day to visualize yourself at your ideal weight. Imagine how it feels to look the way you’ve always wanted.
• Protect your mind from any negative self talk. If a negative thought comes to mind, immediately reject it.
• You want to be thin and fit, and yet you think of yourself as out-of-shape and fat. Re-program your mind to think of yourself as fit and attractive, and you will be well on your way toward achieving your goal.
• Give up the belief that you can’t achieve the body you’ve always dreamed of. See it first in your mind, and then in the mirror.

Blocker # 2: Your Fear

Change makes most of us nervous – even if it is a change in the right direction. You may not be consciously aware of the fear you have of getting into shape. Until you conquer this fear, your weight loss efforts will be blocked by self sabotage.

Professional speaker and author, Anthony Robbins, has outlined three specific beliefs that you must have in order to conquer your fear and instantly create a lasting change.

• Believe that something MUST change.You can’t be wishy-washy about it. You can’t be considering it. You can’t even be pretty sure about it. You’ve got to be rock solid.
• Believe that YOU must change it. You can’t pass the buck of responsibility and expect to lose weight. It’s on your shoulders. Other people will prove to be great assets in your journey, but in the end you are the one who is going to make it happen. You have to want this weight loss enough to make it your personal mission.
• Believe you CAN change it. You may have failed in the past, but that doesn’t matter. When you put your mind to it, you’re able to do amazing things. Do you believe that you are capable of losing weight? Once you own the belief that you can, you’ll be unstoppable.

Blocker # 3: Your Excuses

Your excuses for being out-of-shape are getting old. An excuse takes less immediate effort than an action, but in the long run the action taker always has the advantage. Don’t allow excuses to limit your life any longer.

• Don’t skip out on your responsibilities with excuses, instead expect more from yourself.
• Focus on the big reason why you are losing the weight. Make a list of the benefits you’ll enjoy once you achieve your goal, and read them first thing each morning.
• Remember that you can only have two things in life: excuses or results. Which do you want?

Blocker # 4: Your Commitment

How many times have you tried to lose weight, only to give up a week or two later? We live in a commitment-phobic world, so it’s no wonder that you routinely abandon your goals. If you truly want to lose weight then your commitment to the process is a must.

• The margin between success and failure is bridged by your commitment. Don’t give up until your goal has been achieved.
• Treat exercise with the same importance as a work meeting, and you’ll never skip it at the last minute. Find three available 60-minute time slots in your schedule and mark them (in pen) on your calendar. Now stick to your schedule.
• If you don’t give up, then you’ll never fail.

Blocker # 5: Your Diet

If you consistently eat the wrong food, then you’re weight loss efforts will all be in vain. To put it bluntly, you need to stop eating junk. Processed foods, refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup do not belong in your diet if you want to be in great shape. Cut these items out of your diet and replace them with real whole foods like lean meats, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fruits.

• Limit processed foods. Even though processed foods are accepted by our society, they contain tons of chemicals and empty calories that will make you sick and fat.
• Fat contains twice the caloric density of protein and carbohydrates, so make sure to limit the amount that you consume. Eat lots of lean proteins and wholesome carbohydrates from plants and whole grains.
• Vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds are filled with fiber and antioxidants which are vital for healthy weight loss. Snack on these instead of packaged treats.

Blocker # 6: Your Patience

It takes time to transform your body from fat to fit, even though you want it to happen overnight. Remind yourself that it took time to put the weight on, so it will take time to take the weight off. When you find your patience wavering, or when you encounter a frustrating plateau, do the following:

• Review your goal. Is it specific and measurable? Is it small and attainable, rather than monumental? Focus on your goal when the going gets tough.
• Make each workout a new experience. Challenge your body with different resistance, new exercises and a varied pace.
• Remember that anyone can have one great workout, but that won’t get you the body you want. The only way to achieve your goal is by consistently exercising and eating right, plain and simple.

Blocker # 7: Your Support

Studies consistently show that people who exercise alone are less challenged, less accountable and are more likely to fail. It makes sense. Who would rush to the gym if no one is was waiting for them? Who would push themselves if no one was paying attention? Exercising alone is a recipe for disaster.

• Find a workout partner with similar goals so you can help motivate each other when the going gets rough.
• Enlist the help and support of your spouse and family. Make it a family decision to commit to living a more healthy and fit lifestyle! Limit junk food at home – if it’s not int he house, you won’t eat it! Go out for walks, do a 10 minute family stretch session at home, anything that is a step in the right direction.
• Form a heath & fitness support group at work of like-minded individuals that are looking to develop healthier habits. You can guard each other from all the break time office ‘goodies’ that lurk around every corner.

If you need extra help: 

• Hire a nutritionist or personal chef to help show you new ways to organize and prepare foods in a variety of exciting, healthy and tasty ways. 
• Try a new exercise routine, class, system or better yet, work with me, your local fitness expert, to show you new and exciting ways to breathe life into your fitness regimen to guarantee your results.

I am passionate about seeing you achieve results – don’t waste your time, energy and effort on mistakes. 

When you start a program with me, you suddenly have the upper hand on weight loss. I’ll be in your corner, coaching you each step of the way, keeping you accountable to workouts and giving you that dose of encouragement when you need it most.

Get the help and coaching you need to get serious about your results and begin the last weight loss program that you’ll ever do.

Call or email today to schedule your first workout.  

Fernando Paredes, CPT, NASM, NSCA, YFS1 
Bucks County, PA’s #1 Fitness & Performance Coach

As the second month of 2010 comes to a close, where do you stand with your New Year resolutions?

Have you made progress or did your motivation sizzle out?

Most people wait around for the motivation needed to get in shape to strike them like a lightning bolt. Well, I’ve got news for you: motivation isn’t something that just happens to you – it’s something that you create for yourself.

You have to SEE it…
You have to FEEL it…
You have to THINK it… 
You have to WANT it…

SO bad… that the desire to be healthy, fit, in great shape and peak physical condition becomes so powerful that it TAKES OVER your actions.  Namely, the food and activity choices you make on a daily basis.

Yes.  If there is ONE single “secret” to attaining the health, fitness and performance you desire, it’s THIS:

You HAVE TO WANT IT so bad, that it changes the way you THINK.

Let me repeat that so it sinks in.

You HAVE TO WANT IT so bad, that it changes the way you THINK.

If you don’t, you will find yourself constantly floundering to find your way… and your body will be too.

If you don’t feel motivated to achieve your goals, it is likely due to mental roadblocks that hold you hostage.

Read the following 21 Mindset Tips and prepare your mind for success.

1. Success comes first in the mind, so visualize yourself accomplishing your goals.
2. Remember, you are the only person who can hold you back.
3. Forgive yourself and love yourself despite past failures.
4. Decide what is important in your life, and focus on that.
5. Conquer each negative thought the moment it enters your mind, when it is weakest.
6. Give up the idea that things won’t go right unless you worry about them.
7. If you bring the body of your dreams to the point of resolve, then you’ll soon be living in it.
8. Look towards your future, if you believe the best is yet to come then it will be.
9. You become what you think about most.
10. The margin between success and failure is very small and easily bridged by determination.
11. Start your day by accomplishing your hardest task first.
12. Set small attainable goals, rather than one monumental goal.
13. Convince yourself that exercise is fun, and it will be.
14. Know your big reason ‘why’.
15. Create a motivating play list of songs to use as the sound track to your workout sessions.
16. Every decision you make leads you either closer toward achieving your goal, or farther from it.
17. If you think you’re a fat person, then you’ll stay fat. If you think you’re fit, then you soon will be.
18. Once you’ve set your goal, your attitude either pushes you toward accomplishment or failure.
19. If you don’t know exactly where you want to go, you will likely end up someplace else.
20. You can have the body of your dreams, but first you must give up the belief that you can’t.
21. You can only have two things in life: excuses or results – choose the latter.

Read these 21 Tips over again, identify were YOU need more help and work at it. Believe me when I say that for the majority of people, mental fitness is the game-changer in success or failure. 

No exercise routine or nutrition plan will be able to REALLY help you until you get your MIND focused on the right things and thinking the right way.  

And if you’re sick and tired of making excuses and having mental roadblocks constantly getting in your way, then contact me today to get started on a roadblock-busting results-driven fitness program!

Fernando Paredes, CPT, NASM, NSCA, YFS1
Bucks County, PA’s #1 Fitness & Performance Coach

The New Year is still young, and if you’ve decided to make this your year for losing the weight and tightening your abs, you’re in luck.

Getting a flat midsection and tight waistline really boils down to two things:

1) Getting rid of the fatty layer that is covering your abdominal muscles
2) Tightening and toning your oblique and abdominal muscles.

The following 7 Tight Waist & Abs Tips are your Fast-Track ticket to getting a flat, attractive midsection this year.

Tight Waist & Abs Tip #1: Perform challenging strength training oblique and abdominal exercises at least three times each week. Your abs are like any other muscle in your body—they need to be consistently challenged in order to become stronger and tighter.

Tight Waist & Abs Tip #2: Stop eating junk. Processed foods, refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup do NOT belong in your diet if, especially if you want tight abs. Cutting these items from your diet will allow your body to maintain stable blood sugar levels, alleviating your body’s need to store excess sugar away in fat cells.

The fat stores created by excess sugar intake most often accumulate around your wait, covering up your abdominal muscles. Cut these items from your diet and replace them with real whole foods such as lean meats, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fruits.

Tight Waist & Abs Tip #3: Stop doing long and slow cardio workouts. Instead, use HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for your cardio workouts. HIIT training uses intense bursts of cardio peppered throughout your workout. This is a sure-fire way to rev up your metabolism and to get your fat stores to shrink.

Tight Waist & Abs Tip #4: Use resistance with your abdominal exercises. Twists and crunches are great, but your body quickly becomes accustomed to the motion, rendering it less effective. Hold a medicine ball or dumbbell at your chest as you perform your crunches—this will force your abs to work harder, and will achieve better results. And use bands and cables for your twisting exercises.

Tight Waist & Abs Tip #5: Don’t be fooled. The market is flooded with ‘lose weight’ products and products that claim to flatten your stomach. Never waste your time or money on:

- So-called packaged health food that comes with weight loss claims. If it’s processed in a package with a bunch of chemical additives then it will not help you achieve flat abs.
- Abdominal exercise gimmicks as sold on late night infomercials – all you really need is your own body weight, an exercise ball, bands and dumbbells or a medicine ball.
- So-called weight loss supplements. The magic pill for flat abs doesn’t exist, so you’d be wasting your health and money on a bogus product.

Tight Waist & Abs Tip #6: Target your lower abs. It’s easy to neglect the lower abs, but they are an important part of the equation. Incorporate the V-Up, an old-school favorite, into your exercise routine:

Starting Position: Sit on the edge of an exercise bench; lean back to a 45 degree angle. Extend your legs out until they are level with the floor.

Movement: Exhale and bring your knees and upper body close together, while contracting your abdominals. Inhale as you slowly release your legs, returning them to the starting position.

Tight Waist & Abs Tips #7: Challenge your core often. Again, twisting exercises are paramount! Those are the muscles that actually pull the waistline IN making it smaller. And don’t limit your abdominal exercise to the gym, incorporate core strengthening during daily life and throughout each workout. A strong core is the foundation for flat, tight abs.

There you have it! Seven tips that, when diligently applied, will help you shed the fat and tighten your abs.

*But, keep in mind that your results will be seriously hindered if you do the same exercise routine over and over. Your abs need a progressive challenge in order to transform. This means NEW exercises, different resistance and increased challenge.*

Call or email today to get started on a program that will challenge you, motivate you and transform your body.

Availability is limited — act now and achieve a slimmer you once and for all this year. 

 
Fernando Paredes, CPT, NASM, NSCA, YFS1
Bucks County’s #1 Fitness & Performance Coach

I was honored to be on the panel of experts for a special episode of “It’s Your Call with Lynn Doyle” entitled “2010 Fitness Trends”.

On this episode, Lynn and her panel of experts took a look at some of the hottest selling exercise programs/equipment along with some popular diet plans and critique what works and what doesn’t.

Just in case you missed it on The Comcast Network… 

Here are the links from the show directly from the IYC official Youtube channel:

Hello…Fernando here,

2010 is officially here!

And here’s tip #3 in my ’10 Tips to Get FIT in 2010′ series.

Tip #3: Focus on Fat Loss…not Weight Loss.

Find out why I say that if you ever hope to get off the ‘weight loss / weight gain rollercoaster’ and permanently lose any extra weight you may be carrying, you must focus on FAT loss.

There’s a difference. a BIG difference.

Check it out!

*Watch VIDEO* =>  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq7vsozP5AI

Fernando Paredes, CPT, NASM, NSCA, YFS1
Bucks County’s #1 Fitness & Performance Coach