Women and Weight Training

By Mark Young

In today’s Ask a Trainer column in the Hamilton Spectator I had the opportunity to discuss the issue of women, weight training, and the concept of bulking up.

Check out the whole article on the Spectator website HERE.

*Nutrex Solutions client Sherry is featured in the photographs*

Add comment November 26th, 2008

Big Announcement

Every time you turn on the news these days it is totally depressing.  The recession is in full effect and everyone and everything seems to be conspiring against you to make you feel miserable.

Stocks are taking a dive.

Banks don’t want to give mortgages.

Car companies are getting rid of leasing options.

And to top it all off, you’re still feeling overweight, tired, and frustrated because the cold weather just makes it that much harder to get in better shape.

Well…we’re sick and tired of the misery…AND WE’RE ABOUT TO MAKE YOUR DAY SO MUCH BRIGHTER!

For a very short time we’re offering our
3 day per week private personal training program
for the price of our 2 day per week program!

In other words - Buy two get one FREE or Get 50% MORE for the same price.  No matter how you say it, it all spells out an incredible deal.

The vast majority of our clients lose between 20 to 40 pounds in a 14 week period on our two day per week program.  Imagine what you could do if you were training THREE times per week.  It is almost impossible to fail!

On top of our 3 day per week exercise regime you’ll also get a full nutrition plan, fitness testing, and one-on-one personal attention that is unparalleled in the fitness industry.

If you feel like you’ve been here before and got stuck counting calories then you can thank your lucky stars because WE DO NOT COUNT CALORIES in our facility.  We realize that our clients eat food not points or calories so you’ll never count another thing…(except the pounds you’re losing every week).

Of course, you might be wondering why on earth anyone might want to undertake such a program right before Christmas.  Let me tell you this, December is historically a very busy month for us (even busier than January if you can believe that). 

What’s more is that the people who decide to change their lives before Christmas aren’t doing it to do lip service to a half-hearted New Years resolution.  They’re dead serious about losing the weight and keeping it off.  In our experience, most of them do.

So what’s the catch? 

The catch is that we’re only offering this deal in the mornings.  Our evening spots are at a premium because they’re always busy so this promotion only applies to those who are willing to train between the hours of 6AM and 1PM.

We do know that most people hate mornings.

However, we know that you also probably hate not looking the way you want to look.  We know you’ve spent enough time not feeling the way you deserve to feel.  We know you’re tired of not being able to find any clothes that “fit right” or hide the things you’re trying to hide.  We know you’re fed up with hardly having enough energy to keep your eyelids open at three in the afternoon.

So we’re going to bribe you with this deal to drag yourself out of bed because we believe you want to look and feel better than you’ve ever felt.  We know you want this bad enough to finally make a change.

Of course, we do know that there are those of you who aren’t ready to make the change today and that’s okay.  This promotion is only for those people who are absolutely PUMPED to lose 20 to 40 pounds in the next 14 weeks!  But if you are interested you’d better act lightning fast because SPACES ARE VERY LIMITED.  As I mentioned before, December is a busy month for us so you don’t want to get left out in the cold.

And if you’re thinking of waiting until the New Year DON’T.  This deal ends on December 31st and then it’s gone – finished – done. 

SORRY!  There are no more morning spots available!

Make sure you join our newsletter list so you don’t miss out next time.

Add comment November 19th, 2008

Don’t WEIGHT To Say Something

By Stacey Nolan Young

The way the world works can seem backwards somehow to me at times. People can baffle me like nothing else can. Sometimes we speak up when we see something we perceive is wrong and at other times we remain silent when our voices should be heard loud and clear. Don’t understand what I’m talking about?  Let me explain.

Over the years we have worked with many people to help them achieve their goals. We’ve had several people hit their weight loss targets. And in almost every circumstance someone close to that person came forward with their opinion, “You’re getting too skinny”, “Are you even eating anything at all?” or “Oh- I think that’s enough weight lost, you shouldn’t lose anymore.” To be honest there have been worse things said to people than I’m willing to write here. And in all of these cases the person losing the weight looked and felt healthier than ever before and none of them would be considered underweight or undernourished.

People are so willing to step forward and tell someone that they are “getting too thin” for whatever reason BUT they do not tell their loved ones when they are gaining too much weight. Why is that? Could it be because it is a societal norm to be overweight and therefore is more readily accepted? Is it that the loved one somehow feels better about themselves because their friend is overweight? Or is it feasible that they are afraid to say anything to spare their friends feelings? Let’s examine these options further.

Societal Norms

In North America obesity is a raging epidemic. It is everywhere you look. It’s affected our parents, our peers and our children. Here in Hamilton, Ontario we are officially the city with the highest rate and percentage of overweight and obese citizens in all of Canada. This is definitely not something to be proud of. It is also something that I feel is not being addressed adequately. Let’s face it. It is acceptable to be overweight and obese. If someone puts on 20lbs, rarely is it discussed as a concern by the people closest to that person. It seems as if people find nothing wrong with the situation at all. As stated above, it is the norm and it is accepted.

Insecurity

I believe that everyone has their own issues with themselves. Something that makes them feel insecure. And most people, especially women, feel the need to compare themselves against others. I’ve known people who freely admit to surrounding themselves with friends who are overweight because it makes them feel better about themselves and about the way they look. Is this wrong? Heck yes! But it is a reality. And when one of their friends decides to take their health into their own hands and make a change then all of a sudden that comfort and security is threatened. Sometimes they react with some of the opinions above. You see, when people see their friends succeed in their weight loss it can be a reality check to the person. It IS possible. There is NO excuse for it not to happen. It’s almost as if their own inadequacies are coming back to haunt them when they look at their friends success. And while they should be celebrating her success and encouraging her, instead they find themselves doing the opposite. Like I said above I have seen this many times with families and friends of clients who are doing well.

Fear

Some people are afraid to say something to their friend who has packed on some weight. I do understand that feelings can and will get hurt but this option is far better than the friend falling victim to disease from obesity. There are ways to come across as concerned and encouraging. The point is that we don’t do it enough. If we really care about people and see them going down a road that leads to death then it is our responsibility to step in and say something. No one has a problem doing so when their loved one has a drug or alcohol addiction. It is the same thing. It is a sickness and it CAN kill them.

It ultimately does not matter what the reason is behind you not standing up and saying something to your loved one. It just matters that you do say something to them. It matters that you do express your love and concern for them. Being overweight or obese is dangerous. It can lead to heart disease, stroke, Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension and many, many other health issues. It is something we should take very seriously. And it is something that we, as a society should do something about.  Start with those closest to you.

Add comment November 12th, 2008

Client Testimonial - Bonny

Upon my arrival home from Mexico in mid April 2008 I felt and looked like the Michelin tire lady.  At 65 years and holding I did some long, hard thinking and realized that I was on a slippery downward slope.

There are many trainers advertising their expertise so with that in mind I researched other gyms and interviewed trainers.  In November of 2007 I had cut a photo of Mark out of the Spectator showing him with a lady whom we had helped loose a lot of weight and tone up.  I thought he would have a huge challenge with me but I decided to interview him based on what I had read in the article and on his website.  Mark really impressed me with his knowledge of what my body was experiencing due to two car accidents in three years.  He understood my limitations and what I was able to do.

The first few weeks were rough.  I was up and down like a roller coaster.  One minute I was elated by what I was achieving.  I was down in the dumps big time because the food plan was a far cry from what I was used to.  Mark really had to endure lots of verbal abuse from me in regards to that plan and I had a long letter prepared to give him but in the end decided to “suck it up” and get on with trying to become as strong as I could.  Since then I’ve made great strides and have now made the food plan an integral part of my life!

Every day I am amazed at what I accomplished.  I am amazed at how well I feel.  On the days when my body does not co-operate I realize it’s just a small blip and I still try and be as active as I can under the circumstances.

Over the time I spent with Mark I have also gained a lot of muscle mass.  That is really important to me because of my age and wanting to live for a long time yet as a strong woman able to take on the challenges of a seven year old grandson.

Thank you both Mark and Stacey for all your work with me — I CAN and I WILL!!!

Bonny

Add comment November 5th, 2008