sports

Exercising Your Way to a Longer Life

Posted on January 9, 2019 by LetlerFit

Did you know that science has been able to link mortality rate and lifespan with levels of cardiorespiratory fitness? And that people who are physically active for longer periods of times with greater intensity are potentially adding to their lifespan and better quality of life to those years? If that’s not motivation to get moving, not sure what is! Think about all those moments you won’t miss out on because you chose to prioritize your fitness.⠀

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.

7 Pieces of Common Fitness Advice that are Completely Wrong

Posted on November 28, 2017 by LetlerFit

I did another one of these posts a while back, but today I wanted to bring you a different set of Fitness Myths:

Fasted Cardio is Highly Effective: Numerous studies on this matter are inconclusive on whether or not the benefits to fasted cardio outweigh the risk of glycogen depletion, light headedness, catabolism etc. Eating the correct nutrients before your workout is what give you energy, contributes to fat loss, and makes for a more effective workout. Fasted cardio makes you think you’re working harder but its because your rate of perceived exertion is increased due to your body running on fumes.
Anyone can excel at whatever sport they want: Actually we are all born with specific muscle fibers. Elite sprinters probably won’t be seen winning a marathon…different fiber type composition. Baseball pitchers probably won’t be seen winning gold as an olympic lifter. Get your feet wet in a variety of sports and your body can tell you, which sports it was best meant to play, but not everyone is physically capable of becoming an olympian and don’t beat yourself up over it!
Push through injuries: The common walk it off mentality is AWFUL. Sharp shooting pain is how our body signals us something is not right and unless you’re fighting in a career altering match or running in the finals at the olympics, injuries are not something you should just “walk off.”
Avoid Cardio to Make Gains: While excessive cardio is not good for the gains, we should all be doing some form of cardiovascular as the immunological, improved performance, increased recovery, and sooo many other benefits.
Go 100% Every Single Day: Our body NEEDS rest, for some it’s in the form of active rest, but it is considered rest nonetheless….if we expect our body to perform at 100 everyday there is no time for your muscles to repair and grow. Not allowing for proper recovery also increases stress levels in our body which can lead to gut inflammation and illness.
Squats Are Bad For your Knees: Bad form is bad for your knees. Squats are an incredibly effective compound exercise, I use them often for even my elderly clients.
Ab Exercises are What Give you Abs: Did you know some people with 6 packs don’t do a single crunch, russian twist, or sit up? Shocking I know. While those exercises may contribute to enhancing a reduced waistline brought on by clean diet…they are not necessary. A heavy squat, properly lunge paired with a medicine ball rotation, even a bent over row are highly effective exercises for your abs. Genetics and diet go a longer way in improving the appearance of your abdomen.

8 Common Misconceptions about Exercise

Posted on August 19, 2017 by LetlerFit

Lifting Heavy Weights as a Woman will Bulk You Up: I promise you, you will get a lot more done with 15 pound dumbbells compared to 2 pound dumbbells. As a whole our bodies do not have enough testosterone to create that bulky appearance. The way our muscles look has a lot to do with how we eat, how we exercise, and our genetic predisposition. I’ll also let you in on a little secret, most of those “bulky” “manly” looking women that scare non weight lifting women into training with weights use steroids. But I’ll just leave it as that as it’s a touchy subject.
I Don’t Want to Lose Weight: Guess what? You should be working out for LIFE! Life is demanding and if you’re unfit you have a higher probability of aches and pains as you age and injuries from simple daily tasks. No one wants to be the person known for throwing out there back trying to move a chair…it happens…I see it all the time! Usually in those who live a sedentary life. Our heart, lungs, EVERYTHING benefits from exercise.
No Pain No Gain: For the general fitness goer you really shouldn’t get passed a moderate level of soreness. If you are so sore it severely impairs your ability to carry out regular activity you may not be sore? Felt a sharp shooting pain during your workout, maybe you should stop and make sure you didn’t pull/strain/injure anything…DO NOT keep going. ESPECIALLY if the pain persists.
You Have to Be In the Gym for hours on End: FALSE! For the average gym goer MAX 60 minutes for warm up workout and cool down. As little as a properly thought out 14 minute workout science has now found can be beneficial when done right! It’s about QUALITY not QUANTITY.
When you Stop all your muscle become Fat again: That’s like saying when you stop eating an apple it turns into an orange. One cannot become the other. If you stop exercising for a period of time your muscle shrinks (atrophies).
Ab Exercises will Give You a 6 Pack: Everyone has a 6 pack, but because of genetics some people have to be more strict about their diet and cardio regimen to see it! For some it is easier than others, but we all have them other wise we’d be flopped over (our abs help keep us uprite). Ab exercises actually contribute to a minimum when you compare ab exercises to diet in their relevance to obtaining a 6 pack.
You can do the same thing every day and get Results: FALSE your body adapts. And QUICKLY! Changing things up is how you will see better results over a long period of time.
The Machine says I burned 300 Calories: The machine and what you actually burned are different as calories burned is different for everyone due to mass, metabolism, etc. What the machine calculates it’s is own RPM (rotations per minute) not your actual energy output.

“Stay So Hungry, You Never Stop Eating.”™

Posted on March 27, 2017 by LetlerFit

Stay so hungry, you never stop eating is the LetlerFit motto. It is a way of life, a way of being, a way of going after what you want.

Do you live the LetlerFit Way? Here are 5 characteristics of someone who does!

You are passionate
You love to bring value and contribution to other people’s lives
You are a workaholic
You are a goal digger: Once you reach a goal, you immediately set a new one, because reaching one goal is never enough
You wake up every morning ready to conquer the day

Do you live the LetlerFit way? Never satisfy for anything less than extraordinary in life, relationships, with yourself, or in business. Always “Stay so Hungry you never stop eating.”™

Exercising When Sick

Posted on January 25, 2017January 25, 2017 by LetlerFit

I get asked all of the time, is it ok to exercise when sick? Should I take off? Obviously, at the end of the day we need to listen to our bodies, however here’s what science says:

It is ok to exercise if your symptoms are above the neck. For example, runny nose, congestion, etc. Obviously, you shouldn’t expect to be able to exert maximum speed, agility, force, strength, etc. as your body is fighting off a virus
If your symptoms are below the neck, ie. body aches. It is definitely not recommended to exercise even if you don’t have a fever.
If you have a fever, even if your symptoms are only above the neck, it is also not recommended to exercise and let your body rest and battle out the virus.

Now, is there a way to strengthen your immune system via exercise? There is! Science Says:

The best exercise and really only type of exercise that has been proven to strengthen your mine system is aerobic aka cardiovascular exercise.
These days, resistance training is gaining popularity as people mainly women are realizing how great it is to strengthen and shape up your body. In terms of immune system strengthening however, it actually hurts your immune system and does nothing to strengthen it. That being said, it does not mean you shouldn’t do resistance training exercise, it just means you should consider adding cardiovascular training and a clean diet to help strengthen your immune system as resistance training has an amalgam of other benefits, which I have previously blogged about!

Finding the Right Shoe

Posted on January 23, 2017January 25, 2017 by LetlerFit

Have you ever gone to the gym and felt some sharp pains in your arches from doing different exercises?

If you don’t have an undiagnosed condition or have one that has already been diagnosed like plantar fasciitis or heel spurs (at that point a podiatrist will usually create your own pair of custom orthotics) chances are you’re wearing the wrong shoe! In my almost 2 years of working at New Balance in South Miami I learned a lot about fitting people for the right shoes, and have recently noticed people wearing the wrong shoes at the gym, or even clients complaining about pains in their arches. So it inspired me to right these simple tips.

Shoes for Weightlifting: Weightlifting shoes typically are flat or on a flat, but have elevated heels. This is because shoes with arch support typically cause instability during lifts, which causes an unnecessary strain on your ankles and knees & the ligaments.
Shoes for Flat Arches (aka flat feet): People with flat arches, require shoes that have a lot of arch support in order to create a false arch. This is especially important when going on a run
Shoes for High Arches: People with High arches get lucky because they don’t really require shoes with technology. people with high arches can use neutral shoes with padding for arches or cross training shoes for regular workouts
Shoes for Regular Arch: People who have a normal arch can use neutral shoes with cushion for running or shoes with a slight arch support

Remember this was a basic rundown on how to pick your shoes, if you feel you have high maintenance arches I recommend seeing a podiatrist for the best recommendations or a New Balance Fit Specialist.

Unfortunately sometimes these shoes are not attractive, but at the end of the day are you really going to choose vanity over practicality? It is crucial we invest in the right running shoes, after all our arches basically carry our entire body weight!

So you’re looking for a personal trainer?

Posted on April 16, 2015 by LetlerFit

I’m sure everyone has someone on their social media feeds posting their workouts, food, etc. I know I do. The recent boom in health and fitness is AWESOME! I love seeing people make their health a priority. So the purpose of this blog is not to bash anyone posting their fit tips and workouts. It is to educate people based on my own opinions about choosing a personal trainer.

There are SO many people starting their fitness journey (which is so great), but just don’t know where to begin. I’ll admit, when I was younger I did tae kwon do for 13 years without ever stepping foot into a gym. I moved in straight to crossfit, which is no where near the traditional gym. When i took a 9 month break from crossfit, I decided to give the gym a shot. It was VERY intimidating going into a place with so many different machines that I had no idea how to use, and the instructional pictures didn’t help either. So trust me, I understand the frustration of new gym goers. Because of this, many people are turning to personal trainers to whip their behinds into shape. Being a certified personal trainer myself, I have 10 quick pieces of advice to give anyone who is looking for a personal trainer.

1. Is the trainer in shape? Far too many times I’ve seen trainers that are more overweight than the clients they are training. If you’re potential trainer is overweight because they can’t even practice what they preach, that’s a big red flag. On the other hand, kudos to the trainers who have lost weight and are still actively pursuing their own fitness journey the healthy way.

2. Can they tell you why they are making you do the exercises they are giving you? If they can’t even tell you why you are doing what you are doing, how can you expect them to know how they are going to help you with YOUR goals?

3. Can they perform the same exercises or workouts that they are making you do? Anytime I ever work anyone or a group of people out, I either test run the workout if it is something I have never done myself, or pull from old exercises I have done. Why am I going to tell someone to do something I can’t even do? A good trainer should lead by example.

4. Are they telling you to “eat clean” but shoving their face with pizza and cookies any chance they get? The same way a trainer should lead by example with the workouts you are given, they should follow the exact advice they are giving you; fitness and nutrition related. Now, if you’re a trainer who is blessed and can eat whatever he/she wants and still keep your 6 pack, good for you. Just don’t start giving nutritional advice.

5. Number 5 probably should be number 1, but is your trainer even certified? If so, in what? How long ago were they certified? Are they reading, attending lectures, or seminars to stay up to date with latest trends or fitness discoveries? Too many times I see people getting trained by people who aren’t even certified! So what if they have a abs, what works for them may not work for you, and they may not be educated enough to know that.

6. Are they worth the price they set? Do they have experience? Degrees? Certifications? Awards? Anything to back up their fees. Someone who just got certified should not be charging the same as someone with a PFT certification that also has multiple other certs or someone who has a bachelors, masters, or pHD in exercise physiology.

7. There is a fine line between a trainer who knows how to push someone to achieve their best performance and a trainer who pushes someone into an injury. If you are complaining of pain that is not the general huffing and puffing or burn, but a legitimate pain, your trainer should not tell you to ignore it. It could very much lead to a more serious injury. If you’re just being lazy, then yes, you should get yelled at. I heard a story about someone who went in on back to back days to train. On the first day, she went in and by the end of the workout felt an unusual pain in her shoulders, she told the trainer, and her trainer said to ignore it. On the very next day, she came in saying her shoulder was hurting and the trainer insisted on training upper body? uhm, HELLO?! First of all, you are paying him to train what YOU want to train. Second of all, you have legs that can be worked out without exacerbating the pain in your shoulders. Major red flag.

8. Are they touching you only when it’s necessary? If you are doing something that needs correcting, a trainer should ask permission if it’s in an “iffy” spot. Are you doing something right and still getting touched in inappropriate places. Leave and don’t come back. You should NEVER feel uncomfortable around your trainer.

9. Are they making sure you are warmed up before going into a workout? You should never go into a workout full throttle cold turkey. Get your heart rate up and warm up your muscles first.

10. Are they making sure you cool down and stretch after every session? Not doing so can lead to injury.

Again, everything here is my own personal opinion. You are free to agree or disagree. I do hope that This post was able to help someone find a good personal trainer.