5 Signs That You Need to Do Something Different Now

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A Ridgeland personal trainer knows we all get older and expect some changes to occur in our bodies as we do. Not all changes that are brushed off as “normal aging” actually are though. In fact, there are many changes that people pass off as normal that are actually signs from the body that’s it’s time to do something different to avoid problems down the road.

In many cases, the so-called signs of aging are actually the body’s way of saying it is time to change diet, get more active and even learn how to manage personal stress a bit better, and a Ridgeland personal trainer can help you with all three. The signs to watch out for that are not “normal” and don’t have to go along with getting older include:

  • Consistent annual weight gain – Most people expect to gain weight as they get older. Expecting it is one thing; accepting it is another. Consistent annual gains are not necessarily normal. They actually signal a need to get more active, eat better and take better care. There’s no reason to accept weight gain with aging as a fact that cannot be changed.
  • Lessening of breath – Walking up a flight of stairs, taking a long walk, playing with kids and other activities that didn’t wind you when you were younger, should not wind you now. If you’re having trouble on this front, it’s time to make some positive changes. Getting more active can make a big difference and prevent problems later.
  • Loss of flexibility – Flexibility issues often go along with aging, but they are not normal. The body can remain very flexible even well into advanced years if stretching and exercise with a Ridgeland personal trainer stay a part of the routine.
  • Increase in blood pressure – This is a serious sign that it is time to change the daily routine. Blood pressure increases are not a normal part of aging and they can be rather dangerous if left unchecked. Changing diet and becoming more physically active can help stop this problem before it becomes a serious issue.
  • Increases in stress – Everyone deals with stress in their daily lives. Increases, however, are not normal parts of aging. Stress is a silent killer that can be battled effectively with a few minor changes in routine. Exercising, eating healthy, getting enough sleep and even learning how to meditate can stop this problem in its tracks. While stress will never go away, its impacts can be curtailed when the right measures are taken.

While some changes are expected with aging, many of the “symptoms” are actually signs that people should not ignore. When the right actions are taken, health can be improved and those nagging signs just might go away. Ask a professional at your gym or work with a Ridgeland personal trainer to devise a plan to stay on top of the signs.

About the Author

Clint Barr is the owner of Raising The Barr Fitness, Ridgeland’s premier private and small group fitness training studio. If you’re ready to begin your fat loss journey please call 601-414-3536 right now to receive a complimentary nutrition and fitness consultation (valued at $87).

If you’re not yet ready for our free consultation offer, download our free report “The Truth About Weight Loss” where we reveal the secrets the weight loss and fitness industry don’t want you to know.

Personal Trainer in Jackson Reveals Why Interval Training is Effective

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A personal trainer in Jackson will tell you that you can exercise day in and day out and still not see the weight loss results you want. If it’s time to get more from your effort, looking into interval training makes a whole lot of sense. This precision workout can provide the calorie-burning push you’ve been lacking in your routine.

Understanding Interval Training

Interval training involves a precision workout that combines intense, but brief, bursts of activity with less intense physical measures. The idea is to blend an aerobic and anaerobic workout into a single training session with a personal trainer in Jackson to maximize overall metabolic demands.

Let’s say a runner does great at 4 miles per hour on a treadmill, but starts to tire at 5 mph. An interval session might include a normal warm up period, several minutes of that runner working out at 4 mph and then a minute or two at 5 mph before the workout goes back down to the 4 mph range.

Essentially, an interval workout pushes the body farther, but not for extended periods of time. A short, but effective sprint in the case of the runner can maximize workout time and increase metabolic requirements significantly.

Does It Work?

The simple reality is interval training does work and can produce a number of benefits. While that 4 mph run does burn calories and helps trim the body, that burst of energy expended during the one-minute run can increase the overall effectiveness of the same amount of workout time without overextending the body in the process.

The benefits of interval training include:

  • Decreased chance of injury – It’s okay to push the body to its limits or near them, but not for too long. Interval training sessions help reduce the chance of injury and undo wear and tear because the burst of energy in the extreme range is very short and occurs after a person is properly warmed up.
  • More effective use of time – Where it might take 45 minutes to gain results running at a single pace, an interval training session with a personal trainer in Jackson can shave time off the routine. Basically, interval training makes for a more effective workout.
  • Increases fat burning – Interval training sessions put the body to work in the fat-burning sense. Studies have shown that interval sessions improve efficiency of mitochondria. These are tiny cells that use oxygen to help create energy. This more efficient use of them can increase fat burning properties of a workout.  And your peak metabolism rates will stay elevated significantly longer than the lower intensity steady state training will.  That’s calories burned for hours after the workout!

Interval training is a great way to get a bigger bang out of your workout time. Before starting a program, however, it’s a good idea to make sure you work with a personal trainer or check with a personal trainer in Jackson at your gym for assistance. This type of workout isn’t for everyone and you want to make sure you are working out appropriately for your fitness level and goals.

Read even more articles on this and other related topics by a personal trainer in Jackson…

About the Author

Clint Barr is the owner of Raising The Barr Fitness, Ridgeland’s premier private and small group fitness training studio. If you’re ready to begin your fat loss journey please call 601-414-3536 right now to receive a complimentary nutrition and fitness consultation (valued at $87).

If you’re not yet ready for our free consultation offer, download our free report “The Truth About Weight Loss” where we reveal the secrets the weight loss and fitness industry don’t want you to know.

Myth: Thigh reducers and ab equipment can spot reduce body fat

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Let’s face it!  You know this to be true.  Doing only crunches to reduce your waistline simply DOES NOT work.  So why do so many people still fall for the late night infomercial touting sexy abs by using their new and improved abdominal trainer, fat melting creme, or fat eliminating pill?  Answer: desperation, convenience… and a lack of complete understanding of how the body actually works.

Think about it… you didn’t gain the body fat you currently have in just a few short weeks.  And you definitely didn’t tell it where you wanted it to be distributed when you gained it.  The opposite is also true.  It’s not going to go away in just a few short weeks from doing crunches or using a thigh trainer, nor will the body just burn abdominal fat while leaving all the rest to be used up another time.  Your body distributes fat evenly over the body and it burns it off evenly over the entire body.  Now… you may have more body fat in one area over another, but that trouble area is not the only place you have body fat.

The key to burning large amounts of body fat is working all the major muscle groups with complex, multi joint movements in a total body resistance training routine to dramatically change and effect your metabolic rate.  Combined with a good, healthy supportive nutrition plan and high intensity interval training cardio plan, total body resistance training done in this fashion will not only help improve the overall metabolic demand of the workout, but will also help build and maintain lean muscle tissue that will result in a higher resting metabolic rate (calories burned at rest).

Complex, multiple joint exercises are exercises that work more than one muscle group in the same movement.  In the video above, Drew demonstrates a squat press using resistance tubing which works the legs, glutes, abdominals, shoulders, and triceps.  That exercise is far more effective, and efficient, than working each of those muscle groups separately.  Supersetting that exercise with the pushup jackknife exercise and alternating each of them in a circuit fashion will help you complete a workout in far less time as well.

So, get up off those machines in the gym that isolate each body part and start exercising more effectively, more efficiently and more functionally!  If you need more help with designing your total body resistance training routine, request a consultation with a certified Jackson Personal Trainer today.

Myth: A Regimen of “Cardio” Will Burn the Most Fat

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Cardiovascular exercise is essential for overall health and fitness, but just doing “cardio” alone as part of a weight loss program will NOT produce the fat loss that most individuals expect. Long term, your ability to burn calories at rest by just doing cardiovascular exercise for fat loss will be greatly decreased.

As a fitness professional I have worked in various fitness centers and witnessed hundreds of people spend countless hours on a treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bike week in and week out, and never see any changes in their body composition. Why? Because cardiovascular exercise doesn’t do anything to build, or even maintain, lean muscle tissue which is a metabolically active tissue. In other words, by just doing “cardio” you will have essentially trained your metabolism to become slower.

Have you ever experienced a plateau effect in your weight loss? You work diligently for about four weeks and see some okay results. But as you continue over the course of several months you see less and less progress. Inevitably frustration sets in and you end up quitting all together. The problem is not that you weren’t working often enough, rather you were not forcing the body to adapt to any new form of stimulus. Over time the body adapts and becomes more efficient at performing tasks…that’s what we call “getting in shape.” So day in day out doing the same thing produces a smaller metabolic effect because the body is more efficient at performing the work.

Now, not only are you training the body to burn fewer calories at rest due to loss of muscle, but you are also preventing the body from being challenged to it’s maximum potential. Furthermore, in order to continue to see results from steady state cardiovascular exercise you have to either run/walk/bike faster OR longer. And unfortunately, there are not enough hours in the day. I think you will agree that spending more time exercising is not exactly what you had in mind when you set out to reach your health and fitness goals.

Quite the contrary. So instead of committing several hours a day to the same old boring “cardio” routine, incorporate the following to maximize the amount of body fat you want to lose:

  • Cross Training – use different kinds of stimulus for your cardiovascular conditioning days that will continue to challenge your energy system to produce maximum results.  Incorporate running/jogging, biking, swimming, playing basketball/volleyball, etc.  This will prevent your body from becoming accustomed to any one type of training stimulus
  • Resisitance/Strength Training – you absolutely must perform exercises that will challenge the muscle so you can build, or maintain, lean muscle tissue.  This becomes even more important as we age and our metabolism slows down.  Remember, one pound of muscle can burn up to 50 calories per day at rest.  Whether you’re male or female it’s essential to your overall fitness and weight loss goals.  You can even do resistance training in a way that is highly beneficial to your overall cardiovascular health.
  • High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) – performing high intensity bursts of maximal effort exercise followed by periods of rest cycled over and over has been shown to be the most effective form of cardiovascular conditioning for weight loss, and more importantly fat loss.  You’ll get maximum calorie burn, and what’s better is that it takes half the time!

It’s not about the amount of calories you burn during a workout…far from it.  You have to focus on what effect the workout has on your overall metabolic rate for several hours after the workout.  Research shows that combining high intensity resistance training with HIIT produces a very high metabolic demand where the metabolism operates at peak levels for up to 4-6 hours after the workout and doesn’t return to resting levels for up to 36 hours.  I’ll tell ya…working hard for 30-40 minutes a few times per week and seeing incredible results sure does sound better than busting my tail everyday for 60-90 minutes to accomplish far less results.

When planning your workouts, assess your goals and determine how much time you are willing to commit to your exercise program.  If you’re like most of us, including me, than time is usually a factor so make the most of it!  If you need help determining what kind of program is right for you just click here to request your fitness and nutrition consultation with a certified Jackson personal trainer today!

To your health and continued success,

Clint Barr

Fact or Fiction: “Dieting” Will Eliminate Body Fat

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Fiction!  “Dieting” will not eliminate body fat.  In fact, long term it will do just the opposite.  Let me explain…

The term “dieting” that I am referring to here is what most individuals call it when they say they are “on a diet.”  I’m referring to restrictive calorie dieting.  This is where you calculate the number of calories you are currently taking in on a daily basis and drastically reduce that amount to produce your desired weight loss goal.  You will initially lose weight implementing this strategy, but unfortunately it’s the wrong kind of body weight.

You see… the body cannot decipher between intentional calorie deprivation and starvation.  Rather than the body adapting to make up for the lower calorie intake by burning fat, it will actually slow the metabolic rate (the rate at which we use energy) and hoard any calories that are being ingested to store as fat to ensure survival.  Due to the lower caloric intake causing the body to hoard and store the calories taken in, the body needs alternative fuel sources and adapts by breaking down muscle tissue for immediate energy.

The overall effect of this is a slower metabolic rate because muscle is a metabolically active tissue.  Lean muscle tissue burns up to 50 calories per pound at rest each day.  If you were to add, and maintain, just two pounds of lean muscle in the course of a year, that would be the equivalent of ten (10) pounds of body fat in calories.  So, by restricting your diet it will effectively cause you to burn fewer calories at rest, making it harder for you to maintain a lean body weight.

Not only that, but because you are taking in less fuel for your body, you will become lethargic and lack energy.  Energy that you need to have effective metabolic enhancing workouts, and energy that you need to stay active. It’s a formula for failure, and one that many try to implement all to often.

The lower energy levels also lead to uncontrollable cravings.  The body senses that you need energy so it relays messages to the brain that you need high energy dense foods and fast absorbing foods.  Therefore, fats and sweets become foods that you crave.  This adds to the body’s natural hormone response to store these calories as fat.

So what do you do if you’re not supposed to “diet”?

Remember, the use of the word “diet” in this article refers to restrictive calorie dieting.  Diet by definition is simply the food you eat on a daily basis.  In order to lose body fat you need to combine an effective exercise regimen, including resistance training, with a supportive nutrition plan that will produce a positive change in your body composition.  But for time sake, let’s cover some simple and effective tactics you can start applying to your diet right now to see results…

1) Increase meal frequency – in simplest terms, eat more often.  Studies have shown that eating 5-6 small meals each day is the most effective method for producing a lower body fat composition.  By eating every couple of hours you are preventing your blood sugar from dropping below levels that cause you to crave high energy dense foods (refined sugars and fats).  You also prevent yourself from overeating at each of those meals because you’re not as hungry due to the fact that you ate just a few hours earlier.  So, you’ll not only eat fewer calories at each meal, but it will be much easier to avoid the foods that are primarily stored as fat rather than used for energy.

2) Drink a lot of water – dehydration can slow your body’s metabolic rate by as much as 50%, making it difficult for you to burn significant calories at rest.  Water is calorie free and can make you feel more full as well.  Make sure you are drinking water throughout the day and especially when exercising.  To know whether or not you are drinking enough water, simply monitor your urine color.  The more concentrated (dark) your urine, the more dehydrated you are.  Conversely, the more diluted (clear) your urine, the more hydrated you are.

3) Eat Your Vegetables – research shows that individuals who consume vegetables regularly each day are significantly leaner than individuals who do not consume vegetables regularly each day.  The reason is because most vegetables are low energy dense foods with a high nutrient value.  Example: 2 cups of steamed broccoli is just 87 calories.  In contrast, just one glazed donut can be as high as 350 calories.  Moreover, the donut is composed of simple, refined carbohydrates that break down quickly and don’t sustain you for very long.  Broccoli is a complex, fibrous carbohydrate that takes significantly more time, and more energy, to be broken down by the body.

You don’t have to restrict your calories and starve yourself to get the lean, tone body that you’ve always wanted.  Quite the contrary.  Eat healthier foods more often and combine that with a structured exercise regimen that includes resistance training, and your goals can be achieved.

If after reading this you are still struggling to connect all the dots, you can (and should) seek help.  Reach out to us, that’s why we’re here.  Submit your questions in the comments section below and we’ll gladly respond as soon as we possibly can.  And feel free to request a no obligation health and fitness consultation.  You can also pick up a copy of our “True Success: Nutrition for FAST Fat Loss” DVD by clicking on the banner at the top right hand corner of this page.

To your success,

Clint Barr

Tips For Making Good Food Choices

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You’ve made up your mind to lose weight. You know you need to eat healthier and smarter to make it happen. Unfortunately, knowing and doing are two very different things. Temptations do lurk around practically every corner.

Can you resist and put yourself on a healthier path? You bet you can! These tricks and tips can help you navigate around temptations:

  • Make your home a haven – It’s probably not feasible to put yourself out of the path of temptations all the time. You can, however, give yourself one “safe place” where sweets and other treats are not found in abundance. Get rid of the junk food in your own home by giving it away or tossing it out.
  • Change cooking habits – Eating right doesn’t mean having to give up on flavor. When you opt to grill, broil, boil or bake your favorite foods instead of frying them, you can make a big difference in your eating habits. Replace heavy sauces and tons of butter with spices and healthy side dishes. Be creative on this front and you are likely to find making good food choices tastes quite good.
  • Don’t skip meals – Skipping meals and even planned snacks is bad for your metabolism. It can also make you so hungry at mealtime that you’ll be more likely to select faster, less healthy choices. Eat throughout the day and your hunger level won’t get out of control.
  • Order wisely – Even if you have to eat out, try to look for healthier choices on a menu. Even fast-food restaurants do offer alternatives to fried, calorie-laden foods on their menus.
  • Stock up on healthy snacks – Replace those bags of chips and chocolate bars with healthier snacks. Fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat yogurt and other options can fuel your body and satisfy cravings, too.
  • Cut out sugary drinks – Don’t overlook the need to stop drinking sugary sodas or juices when losing weight is the plan. Opt for lower-calorie choices and your body will thank you for it.  Water is always the best option.  Feel free to add lemons or cucumbers to make it a bit more palatable.
  • Think before you eat – Before popping a doughnut or other unhealthy choice into your mouth, stop and think. It’s also a very good idea to read labels when shopping to make sure you know exactly what you are buying and putting into your body.

Making healthy food choices isn’t easy, but it can quickly become a habit. Be creative in your food choices, vary your menu plans and seek advice from your trainer and you are likely to find that eating healthy never tasted better. Changing lifestyle choices doesn’t mean giving up on flavor or going hungry.

 

Three Diet Success Keys to Maximize Your Fat Loss

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You’ve probably heard about how important diet is to the overall fat loss equation. In fact, it is just as important as your workouts. The combination of both proper nutrition and exercise ramps up the body’s ability to burn fat. So, what are the most important factors to focus on in order to maximize your fat loss? Three simple things:

1. Increased Meal Frequency

Recommended 5-6 small meals a day.

Every time you eat, the food you ingest has an effect on your metabolic rate. This process is called the Thermic Effect of Feeding (TEF). What this means is that your body has to expend energy to chew your food, swallow, move the food through the digestive system, etc. The amount of energy used comes nowhere close to the amount of calories that you are eating at a given meal, but it does “spike” your metabolic rate.

Why is that important?

Because your resting metabolic rate is responsible for 80% of the calories you burn on a daily basis. So anything you can do to keep that elevated will benefit you. Furthermore, the more often you eat the less you will eat for each meal, which will keep the total number of calories ingested each day at lower levels.

2. Consume Low Carbohydrate Foods

Be aware of the high starch foods that you consume. You should continue to eat non-starchy carbs in the form of green vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, bell pepper, tomatoes, etc.). Please don’t confuse these statements with the “Atkins Diet.” I am not saying that you eat just protein and fat. Carbohydrates are still important to your diet and supply you with much needed energy to maximize your efforts during a workout. You simply must discontinue consuming foods that convert to sugar rapidly in your body. The main reason for doing this is insulin.

Whenever your blood sugar is high, insulin is secreted by the pancreas to remove the sugar from the blood. It does this primarily by converting the sugar to fat and storing it in the adipose tissue. More importantly, insulin inhibits the body’s ability to use stored fat as an energy source. Thus, when you consume a high carbohydrate, starchy diet your body is storing excess sugar as fat, and preventing you from burning that stored fat. In other words, you could be exercising daily and still not seeing any results from your hard work.

3. Eat More Fish or Use a Fish Oil Supplement

Recent studies show that individuals that consumed fish oil lost significantly more body fat than those that were given a placebo. Researchers have not determined the mechanism that facilitates accelerated fat loss, but all the evidence supports the fact that it does improve the amount of fat loss in those individuals that consume fish or a fish oil supplement. It is important to note that both groups in all studies also exercised. They made sure that all subjects did the exact same amount of physical activity. Remember exercise combined with proper nutrition is still extremely important for reaching your goals.

Start implementing these three simple steps to improve your diet and you will start seeing some visible results. The ball is in your court now. Remember that exercise is equally important to your goal, and especially resistance training because it helps promote lean muscle gain and increases your metabolic rate. If you’re not currently exercising or using resistance training in your exercise routine a fitness professional can help you design a safe and effective resistance training program.

Exercise In A Pill — Don’t Believe The Hype!

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At least that is what researchers are calling it. But is it really exercise?

The drug is called AICAR. It is a drug that they are calling the ultimate workout for the couch potato. You’re going to be hearing a lot about it, if you haven’t already.

AICAR was originally developed as a means of preserving blood flow to the heart during surgery. To date, it is only one of two studies that testing has been done in human trials relating to the drug. The other was a diabetes study in England.

The current study, recently published in the Journal Cell, showed that sedentary mice increased their ability to run on a treadmill 44% farther when administered AICAR. The doses were significantly higher than those in the human studies.

The drug appears to change the physical composition of the muscle transforming sugar-burning fast twitch fibers to fat-burning slow twitch fibers. This leads the researchers to believe that the drug possesses fat burning qualities which could help reduce weight, ward of diabetes, and prevent heart disease.

Don’t believe the hype!

Look at what Dr. Ronald Evans, the lead researcher said about the drug— “It’s tricking the muscle into ‘believing’ it’s been exercised daily.”

Let’s put it this way. One expert said, “believing that you’ve exercised using a pill is like being placed on third base and thinking you hit a triple.” It doesn’t add up.

Why?

Because exercise not only involves skeletal muscle, but the muscle we depend on most, the heart. The actual act of exercise helps improve cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and build strong bones. Exercise in a pill cannot do any of that.

As far as the fat reducing properties the drug may or may not have. Fat requires oxygen to be used as an energy source. Therefore, you must exercise to get oxygen in the body and muscle. This process is known as fat oxidation which occurs during the recovery process. Exercise requires recovery, and it is during the recovery process that the body adapts and uses stored fat as an energy source.

Think of it like this: if you went to the gym to see how much muscle you build during a workout and measured immediately after that workout, you will have gained absolutely no muscle. That is because the body must recover and adapt to see the effects of the exercise.

It’s no different when we talk about fat loss. During a workout the goal is to create such a metabolic disturbance that your body takes up to 38 hours to recover. During that time you have an elevated metabolism in which you are burning calories at a higher rate. This process done consistently is the only tried and true method for long term results.

Exercise in a pill cannot simulate this process!

Look. It’s HUMAN NATURE to seek the path of least resistance. But, if you want lasting, permanent health and fitness results, exercise is still the only proven method.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

Robert Frost

Rather than taking the path of least resistance, take the path less traveled. That path requires hard work and consistency. There is no substitute for a sweat drenching, muscle fatiguing workout. It does wonders for your health — physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Clearly the benefits of exercise can not be packaged in a convenient pill. Get up, get moving, and most of all have fun!!!

Eat More Fish…Lose Body Fat!

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Baked citrus orange roughy and fresh green beans

Baked citrus orange roughy and fresh green beans

Orange roughy is definitely my favorite white fish.  Great flavor and texture, with little to no “fishy” scent.  Tonight I combined my fish with some fresh baked green beans….  Mmmm!  Another easy, clean, and healthy meal.  Won’t you join me?!

To your health,

Clint Barr

Raising The Barr, Inc.
103 W. Washington Street #B4
Ridgeland, MS 39157

Baked Salmon and Asparagus…Clean eating at it’s finest!

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My Sunday lunch... clean eating at it's finest!

My Sunday lunch... clean eating at it's finest!

Ingredients

  • (2) 3 oz Salmon fillet
  • 3 cups of fresh asparagus
  • Juice from one half freshly squeezed lemon
  • 2 tbls extra virgin olive oil
  • Sweet basil
  • Ground pepper
  • Sea salt

Preparation

Preheat oven 400 degrees.  Place salmon fillets in a baking dish.  Drizzle 1 tbls of olive oil over the salmon, season with basil, pepper, and sea salt.  Set aside.  Place the asparagus in a separate baking dish, drizzle with the other tablespoon of olive oil and season with pepper and sea salt.  Bake the asparagus initially for 5-10 minutes before you put the salmon in the oven.  While the asparagus is cooking, prepare the salmon by cutting 1 lemon in half and squeezing the juice from one half over the fish.  Place the salmon in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  The asparagus and salmon will finish at the same time. Remove from oven, serve with a lemon wedge.

Enjoy!

Servings: 2-3

Calories: 300 per serving

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.

The Benefits of a regular stretching routine…

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The Benefits of a regular stretching routine…

Whether you’ve trained with me in that past or you are currently training with me then you know that I don’t put you through a lot of stretching exercises during our workouts.  What I like to do is put you through the full range of motion of an exercise so that we can increase the mobility of a joint.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stretch!

Stretching your muscles regularly can give you many benefits and should be a part of your daily exercise routine.  Some of those benefits include:

  • Improved circulation
  • Better posture
  • Relaxation and stress relief
  • Enhanced muscular coordination
  • Reduced risk of injury

There are several ways to incorporate more stretching into your physical fitness program including yoga and pilates, which will also strengthen the muscle.  At a minimum you should be stretching at least 3 days per week, and especially after a strenuous resistance training session.

Take 30 minutes every day to stretch your muscles and see how much better you feel.

Need help with a stretching routine?  Give me a call at 601-201-3823.  I would be glad to answer your questions.

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

Healthy or Not? Do your research!

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hl_grilledHave you seen the commercials for KFC’s new “grilled” chicken? If not, you must not watch that much television because they are running spots on almost every channel.

One of my clients asked me if the new grilled chicken was healthier than the fried chicken, so I did a little research. Here’s what I found:

  • The Original Recipe Breast (1) has 370 calories, 21 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 1050 mgs of sodium, 7 grams of carbohydrate, and 38 grams of protein
  • The New Grilled Breast (1) has 180 calories, 4 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 440 mgs of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrate, and 35 grams of protein.

So, as you can see KFC’s new grilled chicken is a healthier choice. But did you know that there is an even healthier choice right at KFC. And this is a very simple way of reducing calories and fat from something that might otherwise have been harmful to your goals.

  • If you remove the skin from the Original Recipe Breast you will only be taking in 140 calories and 2 grams of fat, while still getting ample enough protein.

What’s my point?

Do your due diligence! Don’t take everything for face value. Marketing is supposed to make you think and act a certain way, so make sure you do your research.

Another valid point that I want to make here is that you must exercise portion control. If you were to get the two piece meal grilled, with coleslaw and a biscuit you would be taking in 680 calories. And that is not counting a soft drink if you get one, which can run anywhere between 240 and 800 calories alone. This includes the lemonades and sweet tea as well.

A better meal would be one Original Recipe Breast with the skin removed, a side of green beans, and water.  Just 205 total calories.  Plus you get the combined thermogenic effect from eating a protein and a green vegetable together. BONUS!

Now, I am not saying that we should all go on the KFC diet. Ultimately, I would rather you buy fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts and fresh green beans from the grocery and cook it yourself. This is just one example of how you can make better choices when your “choice” is limited. All it takes is a little research on your part.

Exercise more, make smart nutrition choices, and watch your body shape transform.

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjackonpersonaltrainer.com

Swine Flu (Is your immune system up for the challenge?)

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Well if you’ve been listening to the news lately then you know that everyone is talking about the Swine Flu.

One of two things will occur. Either it will disappear over the next couple months, which would be the best case scenario, or it will turn into the pandemic that all the news stations would make you believe it is already.

Could this thing get bad? Of course. So don’t misunderstand what I am about to say.

Of the 27 million people that live in the world’s most populated city, only 149 deaths have been reported as of yesterday. And there have only been 2,000 reported cases.

That’s not even 0.00001% of that cities population that have either died or been infected.

Now I know what you are thinking, because the media is using the exact same reason to fuel this ratings fire already…

…you’re thinking that because it’s Mexico they’re not equipped to handle all the cases, therefore all of them could not be reported yet.

A valid point, but let’s not go empty the shelves at the super market just yet.

Right now you should just be keeping an eye on this thing.

And in the mean time ask yourself this question?

Is your immune system up to the challenge?

Well just in case it’s not, here are a few tips that you can use right now to start bolstering your immune system and making it stronger:

  1. Wash Your Hands. This is quite simply the easiest thing you could be doing to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. If you’re in a public place without the capability of washing your hands, make sure you don’t rub your eyes or nose, and keep from touching things and putting them in your mouth (i.e. Food) until you’ve had the opportunity to wash your hands.
  2. Make Sure You Are Getting Plenty of Sleep. You should be getting on average about 8-9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health, but at the very least you should be getting 6-7 hours every night.
  3. Start Eating Healthier. Try getting more immune boosting foods that contain Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Beta Carotine like fresh fruits and green vegetables. You also want to be getting your daily dose of Omega-3′s from things like fish and nuts.
  4. Exercise On a Daily Basis. Did you know that moderate intensity exercise in the form of resistance training can actually increase your immune system function? Combining 3 days per week of resistance training with 6 days per week of cardiovascular training can have your immune system functioning at optimal levels and almost ensure that you can fight off even the nastiest of “bugs.”

Now, although I can’t help you with the first two on this short list, I can help you with the last two with your very own nutrition plan and exercise program.

Contact me today to schedule a no obligation, complimentary nutrition and fitness assessment so we can determine the best course of action for your immune boosting plan and ultimately YOUR HEALTH!

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

P.S. Do you know whether or not your immune system is equipped to handle this impending flu outbreak? Contact me today so we can get started bolstering your immune system so you never have to wonder!

My Top 5 Snack Foods

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Do you ever find it difficult to get that mid morning or afternoon snack between your regular meals to help curb cravings and keep metabolism stimulated?

If you’re like me than, yes, you do all the time. I usually don’t have much time to eat between meals due to my client schedule, but have recently found several snacks that work very well and are very healthy.

So today I am bringing you my Top 5 snacks that I like to have on hand for when I need a quick burst of energy or when I am trying to fight off the craving monsters.

My Top 5 Snack Foods…..

  1. Ziplock Bag of Fresh Veggies. Probably one of my favorites because the vegetables and the combination of vegetables can change everytime you bring it along with you. Try bell peppers (all colors), sliced cucumber, and grape tomatoes!
  2. EAS Advant Edge Protein Shakes and a Fuji Apple. The EAS shakes are ready to drink, contain 1g of sugar, 17g of protein and fit conveniently in a small cooler or a small refrigerator at work. The combination of the low glycemic apple combined with the protein shake gives your metabolism and your energy levels a significant boost!
  3. Almonds and Grapefruit. Just a handful of almonds and 1/2 a grapefruit can give you energy for the entire day. Remember, nuts are a high calorie food because of the high amounts of GOOD fats, so limit yourself to just a handful a day.
  4. Carb Master Yogurt. This is a new addition to the Kroger brand of yogurts. It has only 3g of sugar compared to 13g of sugar in regular yogurt and also contains 12g of protein compared to just 8g in regular yogurt.
  5. 1/2 Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich on Ezekiel Bread. Wait a minute! PB&J? Yes, I do PB&J. Here is my secret…use Skippy Natural PB (less sugar), Reduced sugar jelly, and of course, Ezekiel Bread which is made with lentils and spelt, and is considerably lower on the glycemic index than whole wheat bread. You can cut as much as half the calories by doing this, and it tastes good too. Plus its only 1/2 a sandwich!

There you go. My Top 5 Snack Foods! Give them a try and if you have some that you like to use email them to me at comments@bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com. I would love to share some of your ideas with everybody else.

Stay healthy!

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

Want a Quick, Healthy, Nutritious, and Energizing Lunch?

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Try this!

Recently I posted a video of me teaching you how to make Spaghetti Squash.

Well the response was overwhelming!  And I plan on bringing you many more healthy, “real world” recipes straight from my own kitchen in the near future.

But it got me thinking that maybe I could share other types of meals that I like to eat, as well as ideas that others share with me. Like the lunch I had just the other day.

One of my clients told me that she had found a great vegetable spring roll that is made fresh everyday at Fresh Market. It sounded good to me so I went to check them out.

When I got there I headed straight for the produce section and found some fresh pre-cut bell peppers of all colors. And since I really like bell peppers I got some.

After that I found the spring rolls and while I was over in the deli section found some fresh hummus. So I decided to get the hummus for dipping my bell peppers.

What an amazing lunch! Quick, easy, nutritious, and it supplied me with energy the whole rest of the day.

Once you have the chance to experience the powerful benefits of eating a healthy lunch like this I know you won’t ever go back to the fast food drive thru lane again. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

Why Exercise is GOOD for The Brain!

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My neighbor was so proud to tell me all about his regular aerobic training on the elliptical trainer the other day.  It’s an interesting phenomenon but I’ve noticed that when people know you as a fitness professional, they almost feel obligated to inform you about their pursuit of peak fitness.

This particular gentlemen admitted that though his elliptical training was regular, it was not nearly enough to counteract his beer drinking. Apparently, he loves beer, especially dark beer. As a result, his waist size is more than adequate, and as a professional I can tell you with 100% certainty that eventually, if this trend does not change, the health problems will begin and continue for the rest of his life.

We are all aware of these problems…heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, etc, but there is another one I was reading about the other day that I felt you should know about.

Researchers followed 6,500 members of Kaiser Permanente for 36 years and found that the risk of dementia was triple for those who had larger mid-sections in middle age. It turns out that a big waist can boost insulin, which not only increases your risk of developing type II diabetes, but also may prevent enzymes from breaking down Alzheimer’s plaque.

You see that spare tire that men love to pride themselves around is made up of what is called visceral fat. And though that name might sound a little funny, and men might like to joke about that big old belly protruding from just above their belt (which is moving lower on their waist all the time) the truth is that what they are really doing is manufacturing a deadly organ that will ultimately kill them and that is costing our country lots and lots of money.

The visceral fat that develops in the waistline is an active organ that produces it’s own hormones that ultimately cause those higher levels of insulin. And as I noted before, as you are likely already aware, higher levels of insulin leads to more weight gain, and eventually type II diabetes.

If the process continues, heart disease also develops and ultimately, it appears, you are that much more likely to lose your mind – literally!

So, if you’re lucky enough to live through the problems noted above, here is what you have to look forward to if you continue to swim in a sea of beer (or any alcoholic beverage for that matter) and denial…

An estimated one out of four people in their 80s (and 1 out of 3 over 90) has dementia. Many more have cognitive impairment, which means that dementia is on the way. And most are simply losing their edge.

The good news is that just as with so many other diseases, exercise is your best bet. Aerobic exercise in particular is the best medicine for brain function. It reverses the shrinkage of the memory regions of the brain. And of course, helps prevent type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease from ever taking hold. Even people who already have dementia and Alzheimer’s will benefit.

You see, you simply can’t ignore the beneficial effects of exercise. It really is like a miracle drug. All of which continually leaves me wondering how much better the country, and the world, would really be if we all just went for a walk for an hour a day…

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

What's for Dinner?… (follow me into my kitchen)

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Spaghetti Squash a.k.a. “Squaghetti”

  • Cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds from the center
  • Place face down in about a 1/4 inch of water in a baking dish
  • Cook at 350 degrees for 35 minutes
  • Remove from oven, drain water and turn squash over
  • Fill with your favorite marinara or meat sauce
  • Sprinkle with some fresh Parmesan cheese
  • Put the squash back in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes or until the sauce is warm and cheese is melted
  • Remove and serve!

To eat just take your fork and start to scrape the squash away from the rine.  You can eat straight from the rine or scrape your squaghetti straight into a bowl.

Enjoy!

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

Top 5 Resistance Tubing Exercises (Home Gym Series #4)

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Alright everybody.  Today I am here to share my top 5 Resistance Band Tubing exercises.  This is a great piece of equipment.  It is very versatile and its resistance profile matches the strength profile of your muscle tissue.

What do I mean by that?

Well, when you are at your weakest, or when the muscle is at its maximal length, the tubing is at its shortest length.  Conversely, when you are at your strongest (muscle fully contracted), the tubing is fully elongated and thus has more tension or resistance.

You can use this tubing to create different types of adaptations in the muscle than you could with a dumbbell.

OK.  Let’s get to the Top 5:

  • Squat & Press
  • Standing Y
  • High Pull with a Side Shuffle
  • Resistance Band Push Up
  • Squat/Lift/Twist

You’ve seen the video and learned the exercises.  Now you have to take action and put them to use or they just don’t work.  Get to work and have fun!

Yours in health,
Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

Why You Should Ignore All The Government Warnings About Exercise

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Hi Everyone,

Today I want to communicate to you the truth about exercise. I want to explain to you why you need to ignore all of the gvernment warnings about how much you should be moving. As MD Henry Lodge states in his powerful and provocative book, “Younger Next Year” the government’s recommendation to exercise 3 or 4 days per week is only a bare minimum. A desperate plea from the medical profession to a nation of couch potatoes.

Remember this…

Your body literally craves the daily chemistry of exercise. Henry Lodge also puts it this way…”When you get in shape, when you exercise, when you dance, you are sharing the ancient chemistry of movement with every other animal on the planet.” Think of how happy a dog is when he is set free from the leash at the park. You can almost see him smiling. He will run for days if you let him. When you find this universal instinctive truth, there will be no stopping you.

Nature’s rule is simple, do something every day. It doesn’t have to be the same thing over and over either. And really, it shouldn’t. A new stimulus on the body means new adaptations, a new you every day.

You absolutely MUST connect with this truth and this reality. Yes, I know, you might be saying right now that you are busy, life is crazy and “I just don’t have enough time or energy to exercise that often.” These are only excuses and a confusion of priorities. Exercise at least 6 days a week is no longer an option. Especially when you reach the age of 50. Because at that point you literally have two choices. You don’t exercise, grow old and wear out, or you start moving on a regular basis and live a long, healthy, fit and energetic life into your 80s and beyond. I know which one I’m choosing.

Believe me, I’ve heard all the excuses and misconceptions about why people can’t exercise on a daily basis. Helping people work through these is a big part of my job. And regardless of whether or not you ever consult with me on how to make it happen in your life, I want to communicate something very clearly…

Making excuses about how you are too tired, busy, or unorganized to exercise reguarly is just denial. It’s thinking about the whole thing backwards. You are tired and lethargic during and at the end of your day and even in the morning, because you don’t get enough exercise and are not eating well and taking your vitamins.

People become mentally, physically, and emotionally drained from being sedentary. Yes, it’s true. And I know how that can sound to someone who is sitting right now reading this passage. But it really is true, even if it sounds to you like an oversimplification. Arriving on your doorsetp exhausted every night is not living. It is merely surviving, and a really really long way from thriving. I choose to thrive!

Remember, as Deepak Chopra puts it, “Your body’s natural state is to be healthy.” When you are worn out, put out, and stressed out, feeling as though you don’t have the energy to physically move every day and love it, something has gone terribly wrong. The good news is that you can do something about it.

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

Top 5 Stability Ball Exercises (Home Gym Series #3)

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Welcome back for video #3 in the How to Build a Home Gym for Under $300 series.  Here are my top 5 Stability Ball Exercises.

  • Stability Ball Crunch
  • Big Ball Push Up
  • Stability Ball Jackknife
  • Stability Ball Leg Curl
  • Stability Ball Cobra (Low Back Extension)

If you don’t want to wait for your stability ball to arrive by mail you can always go to your local sporting goods store like Academy Sports or even the sporting goods department in Walmart.  The link provided above is going to direct you to a much higher quality ball than the ones available in your local store, but those will still get the job done.

Pick up yours today and get started!

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

My Top 5 Reasons That It's More Important Now Than Ever Before to Exercise And Eat Right – A Bad economy is bad for your health…

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At this point, you simply can’t ignore the current state of the economy. And while everyone is focused on how it’s affecting the financial bottom line, they are missing a much more important impact. Many of us right now are faced with some of the toughest challenges of our lives. As a business owner myself I know that that I’m having to work as hard as ever to take good care of clients while also making sure to keep my business healthy.

Now more than ever it is essential that people are exercising and eating right. This is for many reasons. Here are my Top 5 Reasons that now more than ever, people need to make sure they are eating right and exercising.

1. Mental and Emotional stress are at an all time high, and exercise is one of the best medicines for this ailment.

A landmark Gallup-Healthways poll was published this week. As reported by USA today writer, Marilyn Elias, it’s one of the largest of its kind. It was performed nearly every day in 2008 and is still ongoing. The survey of more than 350,000 people is believed to be the largest, longest, and most thorough poll showing how emotional well-being shifts with economic changes.

The survey produces a so-called Emotional Health Index (EHI), which is a measure that weighs problems such as depression, worry and stress against the positive feelings a person experienced the day before the survey.

The results?

As reported in the USA today, A state’s EHI correlated with high rates of death from ailments such as heart disease. States with a lot of open space or sunshine – Hawaii, Alaska, Wyoming – had some of the best emotional health even as the economy sank. Many poorer and Rust Belt states: West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky – were worst off.

It turns out that people’s moods are ultra-sensitive to economic news…

2. Levels of depression have increased, and this means more drinking, smoking, and other unhealthful habits. Depression also discourages exercise. And once again, exercise is one of the all time greatest cures for mild depression.

3. People can’t really afford to get sick and be unproductive right now. Job markets are tight and competitive, and it is essential that we are all maximizing productivity in our work. If you’re not operating at full capacity, your productivity suffers, which hurts your bottom line, and ultimately may leave you looking for a new job that doesn’t exist!

The Gallup survey shows that those of us in our prime earning years between the age of 30 and 55 are suffering the most from bad economic news and bad economic times. This means that once again for those of us who are busier than ever with our careers, raising families, and working hard to thrive, the challenge of maintaining our health is even greater. At the same time, the amount of time energy or space in our lives to exercise and plan meals is probably limited or almost non-existent.

pill-bill

4. Job markets are tight and health care costs are rising. Like it or not, or legal or not, if you’re employer thinks you are a greater health risk to the company than other candidates competing for the same job, who do you think they will ultimately hire.

5. Taking just a little time for yourself every day to nourish the body with good healthy food, exercise, yoga, stretching, and stress management is a choice you can make every day to grant yourself a quick and healthy dose of positive energy. This will help not only help you feel better, but will also likely spill right over into your life so that your kids, your wife, your colleagues and everyone else around your can share in this wealth. Because exercise will not only help you fight stress, depression, anxiety, and all of the other ailments described above and that you might already be experiencing, but it will make you rich in spirit in a way that money can’t!

Essentially, exercise and good nutritional habits will not only make you feel better, but also prevent you from having ailments later in life due to the stress of our current economic situation.  Which can add up to even higher health care costs for you in the future.

So grab a buddy, or a family member to hold each of you accountable and get moving!

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

Top 5 TRx Exercises (Home Gym Series #2)

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As promised here are my Top 5 TRx Suspension Training System exercises.

Here they are:

  • TRx Bulgarian Split Squat
  • TRx Push Up
  • TRx Body Weight Row
  • TRx Jackknife
  • TRx Body Weight Leg Curl

If you haven’t picked up your TRx yet just click here to be directed to the only place where these are available.  Get yours today and get your home gym started.
Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

How to Use the Struggling Economy to Improve Your Health

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I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of hearing every day about how bad our economy is. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to complain. I think if you’re listening to the news on a daily basis (which maybe you shouldn’t be), you hear enough complaining and negativity.

What I do think is that all of this is actually a great metaphor for your commitment to your health, fitness, and weight loss goals.

How could that possibly be?

Well, let me explain…

I hear complaints almost every day from both clients and society at large about how hard it is for them to eat right, exercise more, and stick to an exercise and nutrition plan that will get them results. It never seems to happen fast enough for people. And do you know why? Because they’re focused on the wrong things.

I’m sure you can relate to this to some degree. After all, most of us in some way or another usually feeling like we could do a little better when it comes to our pursuit of peak health. For example, right now I know I personally would benefit from a little more sleep, a little more water, and a little less snacking on pretzels at night. Yes, those are small changes, but I’m not perfect either.

The point is, that we should always be working on self-improvement. It makes us better as individuals, and then in turn contributes to society’s well-being too. The bigger point though is this…

Change takes time, especially when it comes to turning the economy and your health around. Even though we hear every day that the current economic problems in the world are not going to subside quickly, there is still a strong tendency for all of us to place too much emphasis on small changes that are either good or bad.

The same holds true for your pursuit of your health and fitness goals. I can’t tell you how many conversations I have with people week to week that are focused around their obession with that little number on the scale, or body fat machine, or tape measure. Yes, this is a good thing to an extent. Because just as in running my business, when it comes to your health, you need to watch the numbers. But there is one very important thing you must remember at all times…

You are NOT your numbers!

The only way to achieve true and lasting change, and ultimately your goals, health and fitness or otherwise, is through a constant and steady improvement in all aspects of your life, your personality, your habits, and your exercise and nutrition program.

So, let’s turn the current economic state into a positive right now shall we? Every time, you hear bad things about the economy, simply take a moment and connect with the fact that we all know that it’s going to take some time to turn around. Use that knowledge and awareness to your advantage in the following two ways:

First, don’t react to every bit of bad news that comes your way. And if you need to, turn off the news in your life from time to time. Spend some alone time with your thoughts.

Secondly, use those moments to remind yourself that your pursuit of peak health, and your fitness and weight loss goals will happen faster when you are less attached to the day to day results, and more focused on your vision and pursuit of long term and postive change.

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

How to Design a Home Gym for Under $300

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Have you ever wanted to have your own home gym, but could never afford it?  Well in this video I give you 4 pieces of equipment that are absolutely essential for any home gym, they are the only pieces of equipment you need, and together it will cost you less than $300!

The first piece of equipment is the TRx Suspension Training System.  This is quite possibly the most versatile piece of home gym equipment ever made.  And made to go in more than just the home, so you get a home gym and a gym in a bag that goes with you anywhere…and it fits in just about any bag, including a women’s purse.

The TRx Suspension Training System offers even more than simple fitness.  Perhaps you enjoy playing tennis.  Or maybe you are an avid golfer.  This piece of equipment offers it all, even a military version for those aspiring to as fit as our top military personel.

The second piece of equipment is your standard Stability Ball.  As you’ll see in an upcoming video to this video series, the stability ball is great for working the core as well as several other large muscle groups.  It too is extremely versatile.   It can be used for upper body training like Stability Ball Push Ups and Big Ball Push Ups.  And can be used for lower body training like Supine Hip Extension and Supine Hip Extension w/ a Leg Curl.

Thirdly, is the Resistance Band.  You can attach these to a door handle to do standing chest press, standing row, and several rotational core exercises.  In the video I show you some exercises where you can stand on the Resistance Band Tubing.  Just a few of the many exercises that can be done right in the comfort of your own home.  Remember, in an upcoming video in this series I will be demonstrating several more exercises you can do with your new tubing.

The last piece of equipment I think is an absolute must for your new home gym is the Medicine Ball.  You can use a medicine ball to add resistance to several body weight exercises and even combine it with other pieces of equipment like I demonstrated in the video.  A medicine ball is similar to a dumbbell, you may need more than one size and weight to accomodate many different movements, but for now you can get by with just one.

There you have it.  Your very own home gym for under $300.  Let’s review what you should get:

Okay.  Now you have the tools.  Check back soon for additions to this video series where I will demonstrate several exercises you can do using your new equipment in your very own home gym.  Once you have the equipment and the routine you can finally trash that gym membership, save some money, and still get a great body.

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

Expect To Be Successful

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Okay, so Tiger Woods didn’t have the storybook comeback that everyone was hoping for….including me.  But that doesn’t mean that he won’t ever taste victory again.539w

Let’s take a look at Tiger’s career, arguably the best in PGA history.  He has won 65 tournaments, 14 of which are majors.  Tiger has 236 career starts and made the cut in 222 of those tournaments.  He is one of the greatest players to ever play the game and he has only won 27.5% of the tournaments he has entered.

Now, don’t misunderstand me, that is a remarkable percentage in his sport and the reason why he will one day be known as the best ever.  But my point is that he expects to win every single tournament he enters and still he has only won 27.5% of the time.

Does that keep him from entering the next event and expecting to win it?  Absolutely NOT!

You have to take the same approach with your health and fitness goals.  Expect to be successful!  Have a mindset that nothing is going to stop you from reaching your goals.  That doesn’t mean you won’t experience some road bumps…and possibly a few road blocks.

Even when it seems you’re not seeing any results continue to expect the best result.  Keep working to the best of your ability and don’t let anything stand in your way.  Break through the brick walls LIFE puts up in front of you!

You have to have the “Eye of the Tiger.”

Do this one thing, adopt this mindset, and expect to be successful!

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

Due Diligence…The Key To Success (Tiger Woods Proclaims)

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Hi Everybody,

Well, he’s back! In case you have been living on another planet and haven’t heard the news, Tiger Woods returns to play on the PGA Tour today after missing the last 8 months due to ACL knee surgery.

Why is that important?

Actually, the fact that he recovered so quickly is the biggest news. You see it usually takes longer than 8 months to return from ACL reconstruction on the knee.

tiger-woods-picture-2

When Tiger was asked about what he did to return in such a short time frame he simply answered “I just did my due diligence everyday.”

Basically that means that he did the work that was required for him to return to his job as quickly as possible. In this case his job is a professional sport that demands a lot of him physically.

So Tiger spent the last 8 months doing his rehab and getting stronger, more fit,…better. Eight months, not 2 weeks! He worked his tail off for the last 8 months and he wasn’t looking to get the results he needed in some unrealistic time frame.

And he was CONSISTENT!

You can learn a great deal from someone like Tiger. First and foremost he had realistic expectations for when he might return because he understood that it would require a lot… not a little, a lot of work!

Secondly, the man stuck to a plan and worked that plan on a consistent basis.

The same goes for your health and fitness goals. You must have realistic expectations or goals. You have to have a plan of action. You have to work that plan, and you absolutely must be consistent at doing it in order to see the results that you want.

Do YOUR due diligence!

Set some realistic goals, make a plan, take action, and stay the course. Reaching your goal is that simple!

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

P.S. Doing it on your own is tough. At Raising The Barr Fitness I help you set those goals, create your plan, and help you take action. I pride myself in how I support, motivate, and coach my clients. The accountability I provide can help you stay the course. Give me a call to schedule your no obligation fitness and nutrition consultation. Unleash a “Tiger” in you! Call today.

Is America in Denial About What to Eat for Dinner?

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Americans have grown fatter and sicker than ever. People don’t move, they eat poorly, and in many ways seem unwilling to do much about it. And as the crisis worsens, we seem to grow ever more confused about how we got here, and ever more polarized about setting things right.

There is a quote from one of the experts in the movie, “Supersize Me” where the scientist makes the point that back in the 1800s, people wished for a constant supply of food that was easy to access and plentiful. Well, be careful what you wish for the old expression goes… Because we have that endless supply now, and our culture doesn’t look so good.

Not only have we become as unhealthy as ever, but the confusion that’s now present about what to do about it seems to feed people’s denial about needing to take some action. When people are confused about what to do, action stops. People are also busier than ever, so it becomes easier to eat lots of packaged and processed food, sit behind the desk, and complain about our growing waistlines.

Let me give you an example of how far out of shape the confusion has become…

I’ve had more than one client tell me that they are actually afraid of potatoes. This is mostly a result of their understanding that too many simple carbs are bad for them, which is true.  And there are lower glycemic choices, but here are the facts about potatoes (a whole food)…

They’re a better choice than anything you’ll get in a package (bag or box), and if you eat it with the skin, the round little thing contains as much fiber as oatmeal.  It only packs 150 calories (if it’s not one of those giant ones and you don’t load it with butter, sour cream, and cheese).  It also contains plenty of vitamins and minerals. If you had a complex carb like broccoli on top, you’re doing even better, because the complex carb on top slows down the digestive process even more, adds more nutrients and helps you get closer to your greens goal for the day.

There are literally countless ways to balance the equation in your favor. The energy balance equation that is. If you burn more than you take in on a regular basis, you’re going to lose weight, increase your energy level, and live a better healthier life. It really is that simple, until you attempt to wade through all of the evidence and recommendations.

For now, I’ll leave you with just a few simple suggestions for more healthful eating. If you’re a current client, you’ve heard this stuff before, but I know it’s worth repeating. If you’re not a client yet, I encourage you to click on the Free Consult link to the left so that we can discuss how we can apply these strategies to your individual needs and get you living a better healthier life starting now!

Here are the strategies:

1. Stop eating Junk! Including those big giant pretzels with cheese I see people eating at the concession stands and pretty much everything else you might find there. It’s all junk! By giving up junk for whole foods, you can shed hundreds of calories per day. OK good, you’re already heading in the right direction.

2. Eat vegetables in abundance. There isn’t a diet guru on earth who disagrees with this. You just don’t hear it often enough because the advertising budgets for big food companies are in the billions while the “5 A Day for Better Health” campaign put out a few years back for example only had a million or so. Only about 1 in 4 adults eats their vegetables. I guess it starts as a kid and never improves. That’s a shame.

3. Drink a lot of water. Often when you feel hungry, you’re actually just thirsty. Water of course has no calories so simply making sure to stay hydrated will help you shed some extra calories for the day.

4. Prevent the excess.  Portion sizes are critical to taking control of your health.

5. Eat a great, well balanced breakfast every day.

Yes, of course there are more strategies, but if you simply stuck to these you would be doing better than most of the rest of the population, especially if you pushed that chair back from behind your desk, stood up, put your coat on and went for a walk once a day!

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

Is your nutrition your downfall?

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Hello Everyone,

Today I want to share a video with you that explains how you should eat.  Focus on the basics.  Don’t get caught up in the numbers and science.  Just listen to what you should be eating.  I couldn’t make a good video this good and it explains in a nutshell everything I have been talking about the last few weeks.  Enjoy!

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

Why You Can't Ignore Good Nutrition

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Let me introduce you to Stephanie.  She came to me with her husband Rick about 12 weeks ago.  Listen carefully to what she says about nutrition and how it has impacted her weight loss goals.

Now, I have to tell you that Stephanie really jumped in with both feet on the nutrition side of things.  And her results reflect her commitment to the changes she has made.  You  should know that the changes she made were very simple and anyone can do it.  So how’d she do it?

Simple.  Just do the following:

  • Eat more.  As long as the food you are eating is of high quality protein and non-starchy carbohydrates in the form of green vegetables, you can eat as much as you like.
  • Eat more often.  Doing this keeps your metabolism at optimal levels.  Plus you actually eat fewer calories because you are never hungry.
  • Avoid saturated fats.  Foods containing saturated fats actually slow your metabolism and sabotage your results.
  • Avoid simple sugars.  Sugar IS the metabolism killer.  It promotes the release of the hormone insulin which slows your metabolism and promotes fat storage.
  • Take high quality supplements to fill the voids.  A high quality daily vitamin pack like Vitalizer and a post workout recovery shake like Physique are Stephanie’s secret weapons to increasing her energy and blasting away body fat.

That’s it.  It really is that simple.  Don’t get me wrong, it requires hard work, planning, commitment, and probably the most over looked factor… Accountability.

If you want to have a life changing experience like Stephanie, you can’t ignore the power of a good nutrition plan.  I want you to know that I am here to help.  Just click on the Free Consult button on the left hand side.  Who knows you could lose up to 33 pounds just like Stephanie.

Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

Avoid These 3 Foods or Suffer The Consequences

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Hello Everyone,

This week has been a tough week for me in regards to my own nutrition.  Wait… I know what you are thinking… you’re a personal trainer and you always eat right and exercise everyday.  But less you forget, I am still human.

Any way, I guess you could say I have been lazy with preparing meals and planning ahead.  Sometimes I just get tired of trying…  sound familiar?  I found myself lacking fresh foods over the last couple of days and my energy has been sluggish to say the least.

One of the main things I noticed is that I was consuming foods that were processed, had saturated fats, and contained simple sugars.  All of which are metabolism killers!

That small blip in my eating habits has reinforced my commitment to getting back to the healthy eating I am used to.  I wanted to share that struggle with you, and share the 3 foods that literally promote fat storage and turn off your fat burning capabilities.

1) Simple Sugars - things like cookies, candy, soda, fruit juice, cakes, and table sugar are metabolism nightmares!  They cause your body to secrete the hormone insulin which is a storage hormone and effectively throws the water on the coals of your fat burning furnace.  Your body simply refuses to burn fat when insulin is present in the blood stream.

2) Processed and Refined Carbohydrates – white rice and pasta, pre-packaged foods, granola bars, basically anything in a bag or a box.  Processed foods and refined carbohydrates are absorbed by the body very quickly and therefore easily converted to fat.  You should be getting your carbohydrates from fresh, organic (if possible) vegetables and whole grains.  These foods take longer to digest, thus require more energy to be broken down by the body which gives you a significant boost to your metabolism.

3) Saturated Fats – These are easy to identify.  Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, like the marbles of fat in a sirloin for example.  Things like fast food, salad dressing, dairy and other animal fats are very high in saturated fats.  Not only does this type of fat cause a health concern for your cardiovascular system, but they also slow down your metabolism and train the body to store fat rather than burn it.  You can kiss that new body you have been working so hard to get good-bye if you consume these types of foods.  Go for more healthy sources of essential fats in the form of nuts, fish oils, and flax seed oil.

As you can see, if I allowed myself to fall to far off the wagon this week I would have a daunting up hill climb to overcome just to get back to where I was.  Luckily I snapped out of it soon enough and so can you.  Just make a commitment to start eating healthier, fresh foods and stay away from the snacks in a bag and the meals in a box.

You will definitely feel better, I know I do.
Yours in health,

Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com

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