Fusion Fitness Studio News

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

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:

It’s a New Year, and you have a clean slate.

I don’t know if you are one to make New Year’s Resolutions or not, but either way you’re probably thinking about how you can become fitter, healthier and happier than you are right now, right?


These 27 Fitness and Fat Loss Tips will get you on the right track this year:

1. Visualize the accomplishment of your goals each and every day.  Experience the taste of success and feel that sweet satisfaction.
2. Push the intensity of your workouts.  Don’t kill time, burn calories by maintaining a challenging intensity.
3. Use smaller plates at home.  This effortlessly reduces calorie intake and promotes weight loss.
4. Build accountability into your workouts so that you resist the temptation to take days off.  The best way to ensure accountability is to work with a personal trainer either one-on-one or in a group training setting.
5. Believe in yourself. Know with conviction that you CAN accomplish your goals.
6. Drink water throughout your day.  Do this by carrying a water bottle and opting for water rather than calorie-filled beverages.  This simple action is extremely beneficial.
7. Maintain your metabolism by eating a healthy snack or meal every three hours.  This food should be unprocessed, low in fat and high in fiber.
8. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
9. Incorporate High Intensity Interval Training into your cardio workouts by performing bursts of high intensity rather than exercising at a single steady pace.
10. It’s not about will-power, it’s about want-power.  You have to want it.
11. Do not eat processed foods.  These items are high in empty calories and contain a plethora of chemicals that are harmful to your health.
12. Stop talking about losing weight.  Start doing it!
13. Fat contains twice the caloric density of carbohydrates and protein, so limit the amount that you consume.  Fill your diet with lean protein and carbohydrates from plants and whole grains.
14. Be wary of products that are labeled as ‘health food’.  Always read the nutrition labels.
15. Find a workout partner who is in better shape than you, or better yet work with a personal trainer to guarantee dramatic results.  : )
16. Make a habit out of reading nutrition labels.  Avoid items that are high in fat and carbohydrates.
17. Destroy negative self talk.  It’s self-sabatoge.
18. Avoid the trap of high-calorie beverages after your workouts.
19. Be consistent with your workouts.  Exercise three to four times each week.
20. Expect more of yourself.
21. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) should not be in your diet.  It is high in calories and will quickly derail your weight loss efforts.
22. Challenge your body with each workout.  Use different weights, do different exercises and break through plateaus.
23. Eat lots of whole plant foods.  Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are filled with fiber and antioxidants, vital for your good health.
24. Do your cardiovascular exercise after weight training to ensure more fat burn.  Your stored sugars will be depleted during the weight training then your body will rely on fat stores to get you through the cardio workout.
25. Set specific, measurable goals.
26. Start each day with a healthy breakfast.  This important meal should be a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat to get your metabolism going strong.
27. You deserve better…go get it!

After writing these tips, I realized how powerful and inspiring they are.  Print this list and place it somewhere that you’ll see often – this will keep you motivated and pumped up to accomplish your goals.

If your New Year’s Resolution has to do with losing weight and getting into great shape (and whose isn’t?) then guarantee your success by working with a fitness expert who can guide you to success.

I’d love to team up with you – together we will transform your body in 2010!

Call or email to get started today.

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

I am on a mission to bring back the methods and mindset of the old-school Physical Culture back to where it belongs.  

Here’s why: 

Performance-enhancing drugs has set Exercise Science BACK 40-50 years because they have influenced MOST programs that people follow today.  Is it any wonder that most people are not happy with their results?  They are following programs that really only work if you are on steroids.

How did people train BEFORE steroids existed? 

THAT is what you need to learn - if you ever hope to attain the type of health, fitness and performance you desire.

Especially since THOSE methods still work so much better than anything else out there today.

And that is what I began to teach with my NEW group – The Bucks County Physical Culture and Barbell Club.  Anyone can join and it’s FREE.

Here are some pictures of our FIRST meeting:

We’re getting started and I’m handing out the agendas..

Introducing myself and getting the discussion started. I am very excited and raring to go!

I stared by stating this SIMPLE Reality:

1. The Problem: Every year health & fitness indicators get worse…
2. The Solution: Every year we have more and more fitness & diet “solutions”…
3. The Result?: See #1…

Hmmm…does anyone see a problem here? We live in an age where there are MORE fitness books, diet books, DVD’s, videos, audio programs than ever existed before….WHY aren’t they helping?

I know why….and I shared it with the group.

So far everyone’s listening…good!

If you’d like to register for our next meeting visit my official Meetup Page at => The Bucks County Physical Culture and Barbell Club to sign up – and it’s FREE too.  How can you beat that?