I love supporting local Katy Auctions. I always support local elementary schools by donating personal training sessions to help them raise money for anything they want to raise money for. Katy is my home, my community, and I want to do everything I can to support it. But lately, I’m wondering if others in the Katy area that donate to auctions really understand the point of it. I’ve had two bad experiences lately with auctions. I won’t name any names or businesses, but if you are a business that donates to auctions consider a few things.

1) Don’t donate something that you give away for free on a normal basis. If you list on your website that you are giving away a certain item to everyone that gives you their e-mail address, no one should pay money to get it an auction. Because the moment they see that they paid for something they could have had for free, you lost the respect of that individual.
2) If someone wins your auction item, they shouldn’t have to pay for something to use it. My wife recently won something.  We paid for it, outbid everyone else, and was ready to redeem it, only to find out there was a catch.  It turns out that she had to purchase something at the store in order to get the raffle item.  Now I can understand if she had to purchase something in order to use it on what she won, but this wasn’t the case.  She just had to buy something, completely unrelated to what she won, just so she could be put in their computer system to redeem the prize.  This makes no sense to me, but if someone can explain it to me, please do.

With all that being said, I am donating to some local auctions.  I donated personal training sessions to the Katy Chamber Gala recently, I am donating to Bonnie Holland Elementary, and I have another auction I will be donating to soon as well.  I almost always donate several personal training sessions to these auctions.  (By the way, if you have a fundraiser that you would like a donation for, let me know.  I’d be glad to help.)  I never discount my personal training sesssions, but sometimes you can get a great deal on a block of personal training sessions with me when you go to one of the auctions.  So bid on them when you see them, and let’s raise some money for some good causes.  I look forward to helping the winners of the auctions get in great shape, and I can assure you, you will get your money’s worth.

This week’s personal trainer fitness tip is about working the triceps.  Many people have a hard time getting toned arms.  In this video, I am going to demonstrate how to properly do a tricep pressdown on a machine and a tricep kickback with a dumbbell.  I plan to give more personal training fitness tips in the near future.  Let me know what you think about this video after watching it.

Katy Texas Personal Trainer’s Workout Video: Tricep Exercise from Jason Hodge on Vimeo.

Jason Hodge, Katy Texas personal trainer, describes how to properly work the tricep muscles.

Jason Hodge

Personal Trainer / Fitness Professional

Medical Fitness Pros

Katy, TX

Visit: http://www.medicalfitnesspros.com for more Katy Texas personal training tips.

Faced with the possibility of having a Total Knee Replacement, many in the Baby Boomer Generation and above are left to decide if it’s something they should do or if it’s something they can avoid having.  It’s a scary situation when you are faced with this decision and you may wonder if the surgery will make things better or worse.

ABC recently published a short article on some things you should expect before and after Total Knee Replacement surgery.  Here are a few things to consider:

1. Is it something you should go through? You definitely must talk to your physician.  You can find out what he recommends, and the beautiful thing about our health care system is that you can usually get a second opinion on your Total Knee Replacement as well.  Talking to other people who have gone through it as well is also a great idea.
2. What is the surgery like? The process of going through the surgery can be a little frightening.  After all, they are replacing a joint.  And while this is an everyday things for your surgeon, for us, it can be downright frightening.    For more on what happens during a Total Knee Replacement, take a look at the following video.
   Total Knee Replacement Surgery
3. Is there a danger in having this surgery? When there is a Total Knee Replacement, some complications can occur.  For instance blood clots, nerve and blood vessel damage, and infection.  However, as technology and surgeries improve, I’m sure the complications associated with Total Knee Replacement surgery decreases.
4. Where can I find more resources? Definitely do your research before you have a Total Knee Replacement surgery.  There is always new research coming out.  One website you can visit is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.  On that site you can find many more resources for your total knee joint replacement.
5. Is there anything else I should know? Yes, before you have a Total Knee Replacement, you can begin to strengthen and stabilize the knee in order to make your recovery process easier.  Doing so will make your physical therapy go much smoother after your surgery.
6. What happens after the surgery is done? After your Total Knee Replacement, you should continue to workout after you have completed your physical therapy.  Doing so can further strengthen your legs and stabilize your knee in order to reduce the amount of force being put on the knee, therefore increasing the life of the joint.  Also losing weight may be something that would be beneficial in order to prolong the life of the knee.  The more weight you are carrying, the more force the joint is absorbing with each step.

Contact me if you are considering going through a total knee replacement surgery or have recently had one.  I don’t perform surgeries or administer phyiscal therapy, but I can use exercise to make your recovery process more successful.

Here’s a recent video I made on how to correct your slumping posture while you are sitting in your office chair.

Upper Crossed Syndrome from Jason Hodge on Vimeo.

If the vimeo video doesn’t work for you, you can view the YouTube version.

Here is my latest video about interval based training.  In this example, I will walk you through the process of setting up the Life Fitness treadmill so you can have a great workout at just the touch of a button.

 

I use 3 different ratios when I talk about interval training:
3:1 = 90 seconds fast, 30 seconds slow
2:1 = 60 seconds fast, 30 seconds slow
1:1 = 30 seconds fast, 30 seconds slow

Here is a short video where I go through the foods that I eat on a daily basis.

Taking the foods listed above, my nutrition plan looks something like this.

Breakfast
Egg Whites, Cheese, Oatmeal, Peanut Butter, and sometime honey or jelly

Snack
Turkey and tortilla wrap

Lunch
Spinach, asparagus or broccoli, chicken sandwich, yogurt, and sometimes some carrots if I’m still hungry

Snack
Granola, almonds, and dried cranberries

Snack
Another tortilla and turkey wrap if I’m still hungry

Dinner
beans, vegetable, shrimp or beef or fish, yogurt

Personal trainers meet new people every January who are determined to lose weight.  And as a personal trainer in the Katy area, I have discovered that a lot of people don’t see results simple because they aren’t sure how.  Sure, they know to lose weight they should exercise and eat healthier, but beyond that, they really aren’t sure exactly what to do.  If you are one of the people who are unsure of what to do, here is a simple guide to make sure you achieve your weight loss results.

1. What is your goal? – The first step is the easiest step.  You have to figure out what you want to accomplish.  There is more to it than that though.  As a personal trainer, I often ask people what their goals are, and I usually get the common response, “lose weight”.  “I want to lose weight” is not a goal.  You need to be very specific for your goals.  “I want to lose 20 pounds by April 15th,” is a good goal.  Write down your specific goal and keep it in a place you will be able to observe it so you can stay focused and lose weight.
2. What is my plan? – You have to have a solid plan if you want to lose weight.  What is your plan?  “Exercise and eat better.”  As a 12 year veteran of personal training, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this response.  That’s great, but it’s not a plan.  A plan would sounds like this, “I plan on working out 5 days a week.  I will spend two days a week doing total body strength training workouts and 3 days doing a 30 minute interval based cardiovascular workout.  My calorie intake will be approximately 1,500 calories and will be 40/30/30 split, etc……”  I know it sounds like a lot of stuff to be held accountable to, but let me ask you one question.  Of the two answers, who do you think is more likely to get results?
3. What am I going to eat? – Since we just talked about this, let’s expand on this a little more.  If you want to lose weight, you have to know what you are going to eat.  “Healthy” is not a plan.  You have to have a general idea about how many calories you are going to consume, a general idea of what you are going to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and the mixture of carbohydrates/protein/fat intake you are going to consume.  That is a plan to lose weight.  Of course you won’t know every little detail every day, but you should have a plan in place for those times when you can control what you are eating.  Nutrition is the biggest part of weight loss.  If you don’t have this step in place, expect about a 70% decrease in the amount of results you want to achieve.
4. How much cardiovascular activity are you going to do? – Cardiovascular activity is important, but I would say that 90% of the people I meet do this step completely wrong.  And these are usually the same people that usually don’t make it past March because they get so frustrated with their lack of results that they give up.  Some will get on a treadmill and walk.  They start losing a little bit of weight, only to see the results suddenly stop.  They get bored and tired of exercising for nothing and eventually give up.  Honestly, I would give up too if I didn’t get results.  The other people are the ones whose face is so red from killing themselves on the treadmill that they look like they are going to explode.  They are going as fast as they can, and usually hanging on for dear life, simply because if they fall off, they will probably get hurt.  Unfortunately, neither of these groups of people get long lasting results.  Your goal should be focusing on interval based training that allows you to both work hard, improve recovery heart rate, and see a gradual increase in your cardiovascular capability over time.  Not only does it produce faster results (to see the research studies on this, subscribe to my newsletter), you will be able to work out for less time to see those results.
5. What does your strength training program look like? – “I don’t want to do strength training
   

   Strength Training is essential to have a tone body.

   because I don’t want to get big.”  This is one of the biggest weight loss mistakes there is.  It’s a myth that strength training will keep you from losing weight.  In fact, if done properly, strength training will make you lose weight faster than if you avoid it.  If you tried it in the past and it did not work out for you, I bet it’s because you did not do the steps listed above at the same time.  A proper strength training program will not only help you increase bone density, muscle tone, and give you more defined shoulders and triceps, but will also help you lose weight faster.  If you avoid this crucial step, not only will you cheat yourself of achieving faster results, studies have shown you will be less likely to stick with your weight loss goals for the long term.

Katy residents, this year, make sure you get results.  For 12 years I’ve watch a lot of people succeed, and even more fail.  You can be successful, but you need to make sure you follow the steps above.  If you don’t have all of the steps in place to get results, contact me with the form below.  Don’t take chances on not achieving your results.  Contact me for a free consultation to discuss your goals and I will help you devise a plan to make sure your New Year’s Resolutions are a success.

If you are thinking about joining a gym, but are intimidated with the typical gym environment, I may have the perfect solution for you.  Contact me about the small, private facility I train at that will help you get results, without worrying about other people watching you.

New Year’s Resolution Complimentary Consultation

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This is going to shock some people, but becoming a personal trainer is easier than you may realize.  For $49.99 and 40 minutes of your time, you can become a certified personal trainer from expertrating.  It’s really that simple, or is it?

Unfortunately, this type of certification is way too common for personal trainers, but it’s a disservice to the public.  Personal trainers can take an overnight exam, and become certified, but these types of exams are not good for helping the public.  For instance, the expertrating certification only needs a grade of 50% or higher to become a personal trainer.  And while it has an impressive list of course subjects, it’s really just touching on the topics a personal trainer needs to learn.

So as the New Year kicks off, do your homework before choosing a personal trainer.  Ask them about their:

1. Certifications
2. Experience
3. Insurance
4. Specialties
5. Testimonials
6. Long Term and Short Term plan to help you achieve your results

I think it’s great to invest into your health.  Just make sure it’s a good investment.

Newsweek has announced the 5 ways to spot a lousy personal trainer.  This article has so much truth to it.

1. Unprofessional Business Practices – this includes personal trainers that don’t have liability insurance, certifications, or references.  You would think this would be common to have this, but most trainers do not.
2. The Cling Factor – When a personal trainer can’t come up with a clear plan on how to get you in shape and on your own, you need to find a different personal trainer.  A personal trainer should have the knowledge of how to develop a systemized workout plan that will get you in shape and make you independent.
3. Diet Know-It-All – You will have to buy all kinds of supplements from the personal trainer in order to achieve your results.  Run away.  There are a lot of big gym chains that operate this way.  Run away.
4. The Marine – Now a personal trainer is going to push you to get in shape, but there is a limit.  When you start overtraining, feeling depressed, and losing your appetite because you are working too hard, you need to get out for your safety.
5. Personality Clash – If a personal trainer is talking about other clients, flirting, telling you their life story, or just makes you feel uncomfortable.  It’s time to move on.  There are a lot of personal trainers out there you can work with that won’t put you in that situation.

Read more.

If you missed my appearance on the Bring On Success radio program, you can listen to it online now.  All of the old broadcasts are podcast for your listening pleasure.  I’m hoping to be on the show again in the near future.  I’ll keep you updated on the status of that.

Bring On Success

Today I will be a guest on the radio show Bring on Success.  Bring on Success is a show to help entrepreneurs build a successful business. 

The topic I am going to talk about today will be How to Handle Stress.  There are several ways to get a handle on your stress and manage it.  Stress can be damaging to the body if you let it.  Take the steps that I talk about to reduce your stress and get back to enjoying your life. 

As a personal trainer, I meet and work with a lot of executives and business owners.  This type of job can be stressful, but with proper nutrition and exercise, you can provide an outlet for the stress in your body. 

Mothers also deal with a lot of stress trying to manage their children’s schedules.  I’m amazed at how busy kids’ schedule are today.  Moms, take care of yourself.  Use the tips I talk about to started feeling more relaxed and in control.

Here is an interesting article I found on checking out the credentials on your personal trainer before you hire them.  I published an article in Katy Magazine a while back on this same topic.  Hopefully you will think twice before you just pick any personal trainer to work with you.  A personal trainer can be great for you, but you need to make sure the personal trainer is qualified to work with you before hiring them. Source

Put trainer through paces before hiring

Personal trainers aren’t about to go away, according to Carol Kennedy-Armbruster, who is one of two coordinators of the fitness specialist bachelor’s degree program at Indiana University.

“People feel they need more individualized attention,” said Kennedy-Armbruster. “They value their health and are willing to pay for a personal trainer.”

But Kennedy-Armbruster knows the public can be duped. There are more than 100 organizations offering personal trainer certifications, but not all certification programs are created equal.

“I know of one program where you can go on a cruise and pay $49 to get trained as a personal trainer,” she said.

So one of the hurdles you must jump before hiring a personal trainer is checking his or her certification. It must be current and from a reputable organization, such as the American Council on Exercise, American College of Sports Medicine, The Cooper Institute, National Strength and Conditioning Association or other member organizations of the National Organization of Competency Assurance.

The first thing you should do is ask the trainer to tell you the precise title of the certification he or she has and from what organization. Then go to competency assurance group’s Web site at www.noca.org.

On the horizontal tool bar across the top, click on NCCA Accreditation and drag the cursor down to accredited certification programs and click again.

Now you can look for the organization that certified the trainer you are considering hiring. Be sure the specific certification that trainer acquired from that group is listed as accredited, said Jim Kendzel, executive director of the competency assurance organization.

The next step is to go to the certifying organization’s Web site to find out if your trainer really earned his credential. This may require a telephone call, or you may be able to use a link on the Web site to verify your trainer’s certification.

Among well-regarded personal trainer certification organizations, the American Council on Exercise has certified the most — nearly one-third of personal trainers, Kennedy-Armbruster said.

Both Kennedy-Armbruster and Michelle Miller, the other coordinator of the IU fitness specialist degree program, also believe you should seek a personal trainer with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science or a related field. Last year, only 32 percent of personal trainers had a bachelor’s degree of any kind.

People seeking the help of a personal trainer are often professionals who want to work with a well-educated person, Kennedy-Armbruster said.

Just last month, the American College of Sports Medicine created a new certification that requires a degree in a health-related field. It is called Certified Health Fitness Specialist.

Kennedy-Armbruster believes that personal trainers not only need scientific knowledge and practical training but also must develop their leadership and communication skills.

Finding a Good Trainer can be a very difficult task. It amazes me how some people will just randomly pick a personal trainer without careful consideration. You have to realize that you are investing into your health, and that you are trusting another individual for taking care of your health. It’s not always about the personal trainer who looks the best or gives you the best deal. You have to realize that you are making a committment to have someone help and instruct you through your nutrition, strength training, cardiovascular program, aches and pains, and educate you in a way that you will feel secure doing it on your own in the future. Take a look at the article link and read up. They did a great job explaining what to look for.

If you want to know more about how I measure up, just visit the About Me section.

My Mission Statement:
We all have a choice on the amount of impact that we have on the world. We can choose to pretend like it doesn’t matter, or we can do something about it. For the first time in the world there are more people who are overweight than starving. People are moving less and eating more, and despite the $2.2 trillion spent by the US Government on health care this year ($7,129 per person) Americans are having more health problems than ever in history. There are numerous reasons for this, and there are people out there who are desperate for help. That tells me that if they only had the right information, real information that produced results, their lives could be changed. People would live longer, be healthier, be more active, be happier, and live a more fulfilling life. I’m one man, and I definitely don’t know it all, but I care, and I feel that if I can find other people that care, that specialize in other areas of health, we could get together and at least help the people in Katy. This is about changing lives, families, and a community. It’s taking small steps to reach out to the small world that we live in, and changing it.

Have I lost my mind? I think I can make a difference in my community, and that is my sole desire right now. I want to be a positive influence and change the area I live in. I want to see lives changed for the better. At work, I want to make a lasting impact on as many people as I possibly can. I want to see people healthier and in better shape, I want them to have less aches and pains, and I want them to be able to truly experience life. God has blessed me so much with a job that allows me to reach out to people on a continuous basis, and I want to do it to the best of my ability. I’m actually getting a chance to write for Katy Magazine now and will actually have the opportunity to reach even more people than I ever have before. I wish I could change the world and really make a difference to everyone’s life, but I figure starting with the people of Katy is a good start. =) What a great adventure this is going to be. If you actually take the time to read my blog, Thank You. I hope it will be worth your time.