October Client Spotlight

We are incredibly excited to share with you our October client spotlight!
 
Linda attends our 6 am boot camp sessions and pushes herself at every workout. She is fiercely strong and an amazing model of persistence and consistency. After most workouts, you’ll find her practicing her Level 7 FitRanX moves such as pull ups, KB presses and Turkish Get ups. We are lucky to have her as a part of our No Limits Fitness family!
 
Q: What is your favorite inspirational Quote?
A: “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.”
-Robert Collier
 
Q: What are your personal health and fitness goals?
A: My personal health goal is to be the healthiest I can be as I age. My kids are growing up, becoming independent and my retirement years are getting closer. It’s important that I take care of myself now so I’m able to enjoy that time without medical or physical limitations; my fitness goals are to maintain the weight loss I’ve seen over the last year while continuing to reduce body fat and add more lean muscle.
 
Q: What ONE thing keeps you most focused and motivated to continue to work hard to reach your goals?
A: The encouragement and support of the NLF trainers keeps me focused and motivated. They are an inspiration. They don’t just tell you what to do, they live it and share their experiences. When not leading a class you might find one of them working out alongside you.
 
I’m thrilled with how much I’ve been able to achieve since joining NLF and want to continue working toward new goals. I still have days I struggle to find the energy or just feel frustrated. It is those times I know I can count on the NLF trainers to encourage me to keep going.
 
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started with us?
A: I met my husband over 33 years ago. He was my high school sweetheart. We’ve been married 28 years and have four wonderful children, James (25), Ashlee (23), Matthew (20) and Judy (16). I’ve been in Customer Service and Sales roles for most of my 30 year career at Intersil (formerly Harris Semiconductor and soon to be Renesas).
My job is sedentary and six years ago I started having lower back problems. I was told I had bulging discs in my lower back most likely a result of sitting all day, bad posture and age. It was then I decided I needed to become more active, so I joined a local gym and started attending company offered exercise programs.
 
I’m an introvert and didn’t feel comfortable doing these things by myself so my attendance usually depended on whether I had a friend to go with me.
 
Four years ago my sister-in-law talked me into attending an outdoor boot-camp. I enjoyed the workouts and began to see some results. But when class times were changed or cancelled due to weather and attendance I became frustrated because I was not able to maintain the progress I had made.
 
I decided I wanted something more regular and learned about NLF from an instructor of our company fitness class. Initially I was apprehensive about attending classes alone but my concerns disappeared after the first class.
 
There was so much support and encouragement not just from the trainers but those attending the classes that I looked forward to the next class.
Q: How has No Limits Fitness made a difference in your life?
A: I feel like I am in better shape at 51 than I was in my 40’s. NLF workouts combined with the 28 day Challenge and Little Black Dress Challenge helped me achieve results. The benefit of participating in the nutritional challenges was that they weren’t just a diet program for me. They were learning tools that helped me to make the lifestyle change to clean eating. I didn’t know it at the time, but that change has also had a positive impact on my family. My husband enjoys much of the foods and I see him making better food choices every day.
 
Q: What kinds of milestones have you accomplished and what specific results have you achieved so far?
A: I achieved the weight loss goals that I set for myself, losing over 30lbs and have completed Level 1 through Level 6 of the FitRanX testing. I am now working towards a new goal of successfully completing FitRanX level 7 testing.
 
Q: What made you want to join No Limits Fitness?
A: Many things… I liked the boot camp style workouts and since they were indoors I didn’t have to worry about a class being cancelled due to weather. There were multiple class times offered each day which gave me the option to choose a time that best fits my schedule for that day.
 
I noticed how attentive the trainers were during work outs to ensure I used proper form. I never felt like I couldn’t try an exercise because modifications were always offered. I noticed there were all age groups that attended classes and everyone was friendly and supportive of each other. I never felt out of place or like an outsider.
 
NLF didn’t just address the physical training; they also addressed nutritional training. This was one of the big things that really stood out to me because you need both of these to achieve long term results.
 
Q: What kinds of results have you achieved so far?
A: I’ve lost over 30 pounds and am down several sizes. My lean muscle mass has increase while body fat has decreased. I feel stronger and my friends tell me I look healthier.
Q: What would you say to someone on the fence about making a change & committing to their goals?
A: I would tell them that you don’t know what you’re capable of until you try! Don’t let age or a physical limitation stop you from deciding to make a change or commit to your goals because you will be surprised of what you can really do. I have met many amazing people at NLF that motivate and inspire me every day. I’m very happy I made the choice to join NLF.
 
Q: What is your “word” of the year?
A: Stronger. You must maintain strength of body in order to preserve strength of mind -Luc de Clapiers
 
We are so proud of you, Linda! Keep up the amazing work!

The post October Client Spotlight appeared first on No Limits Fitness.

About No Limits

No Limits Fitness provides step-by-step programs to help busy adults get the body they’ve always wanted, without restrictive diets or time-consuming workouts, so they can lead more fulfilling lives. Life is a much better experience in a strong, healthy body!

Recent Posts

By Chava Cruz 07 Mar, 2024
There are six fundamental movement patterns that every good program will include. Push, pull, hinge, squat, lunge, and loaded carry. These are all everyday movements that our bodies need in order to function more efficiently. Push Incorporating a variety of push exercises like the bench press, shoulder press, triceps presses and push-ups will help strengthen your upper body muscles. These exercises primarily target our chest, shoulders and triceps. Don’t want the wings under your arm that shake real bad when you wave? Start pushing.  We use push movements with tasks as simple as pushing doors open and pushing grocery carts to more difficult tasks like lifting ourselves up from a seated position. Pull Pull exercises are the counter to push, creating a balance. They primarily target our back, biceps and rear delts. It is crucial to have just as many pulls in your plan to avoid injury and overuse of your upper body muscles. Some popular pull exercises include bent over rows, single arm row, lat pull downs and trx rows. Aside from your muscles getting stronger, these exercises will improve your posture and help you pick things up like kids and animals. No kids or animals? You still have to pick up groceries or laundry, nice try. Hinge Hinging is something we do often without realizing it. It primarily targets our hips, lower back, glutes and hamstrings. Some of the most common hinge exercises are deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and hip thrusts. Performing hinge movements will help improve your stability, flexibility and hip mobility on top of strengthening your lower body. The more mobile and flexible you are, the easier it is to move. Hinge exercises will also stabilize your core muscles which is the root of everything. Daily tasks that mimic the hinge movement are bending over to lift heavy objects and bending to prepare to sit or stand. Squat Similar to pull being the counter to push.. The squat is the counter to hinge. You shouldn’t have one without the other. It’s kind of like having a plate of food without the silverware. You could do it, it’s just going to get messy. Squats primarily target the quads, hamstrings and glutes. Some of the most common types of squats include goblet squat, back squat, front squat, overhead squat and sumo squat. Performing these exercises will strengthen your lower body muscles and improve your core and stability. Daily tasks that involve squats include lifting heavy objects (after you’ve performed a hinge to go and get it), sitting down and standing up. Lunge Everyone's favorite, lunges. Aside from creating rock hard quads, the lunge is essential to a functional body and injury prevention. Reverse lunges, forwards lunges, lateral lunges and split squats are all examples of what you can incorporate into your program. Imagine falling and not being able to get back up. Not everyone wants to rely on life alert. Practicing and staying consistent with lunges will help allow you to avoid a fall in the first place because of the stability they create, but also to be able to actually get yourself up off of the ground when you need to. Loaded Carry Ah, loaded carries. You either hate them or love them but either way you’re going to be stuck doing them at some point. Loaded carries create a strong core which in return helps with your balance and stability. They will also improve your grip strength. Carrying groceries from the store to your car becomes a lot easier the more you practice these. Different types of carries include farmers, suitcase, racked, overhead, and mixed. We carry things every single day and we do it in different ways depending on the object. Include a variety of carries in your program so you’re prepared to carry anything. Conclusion Performing all six of these movement patterns every week will ensure that you are moving better day to day. The better we function and move properly, the better we feel and the healthier we will be. If you would like to meet with one of our experienced personal trainers to discuss incorporating these 6 movement patterns in your training program, click on the button below to schedule a free consultation.
By Juan Perez 16 Feb, 2024
We can totally relate. Almost everyone who has access to a smart watch or fitness tracker has at some point assessed the quality of a workout by the number of calories burned. You’ve pushed yourself to finish a difficult workout and that number is just staring you in the face. And you’re first thought is…that’s it? Despite my best efforts, on a very regular basis I’ll hear someone comment with a disappointing tone about the number of calories they just burned. Fitness wearables on the whole are positive. These devices provide valuable biofeedback and insights into our activity. People wearing fitness tracking devices tend to focus on increasing their healthy activities. I’m a huge advocate for heart-rate training and my intention with this post isn’t to discourage the use of fitness tracking devices. I do however want to raise public awareness that Calories Burned is the worst metric you could track with your workouts. Now that I’ve made my claim, here are the top 5 reasons why you should stop paying attention to the number of calories burned in your workout. Fitness Trackers Don’t Accurately Measure Energy Expenditure In 2017, Stanford University studied the seven most popular fitness devices. While six out of the seven measured heart rate within 5% accuracy, none of the devices accurately measured energy expenditure (calories burned). The most accurate device was off by 27% and the least accurate was off by 93%. These devices are based on a formula that doesn’t take into account your individual metabolic rate, the muscles you’re working or the weight you’re using. In early 2024, we had someone wear two fitness trackers while working out on equipment that also calculated calories burned. The reported calories burned on the fitness trackers differed by more than 300 and the fitness equipment was significantly lower than both wearables. Burning More Calories Doesn’t Mean Better A well-rounded fitness program will include both strength training and conditioning that incorporates both high and low intensities. Focusing exclusively on maximum calorie burning would be the nutritional equivalent of only eating foods with higher amounts of Vitamin C. There are other vitamins, micronutrients and macronutrients needed for optimal nutrition. Imagine driving your car in such a way that you maximized the RPMs of your engine. You wouldn’t expect the engine to last and you shouldn’t drive your body that way either. Strength Training Matters Too Focusing on calories burned usually leads to focusing on conditioning (commonly referred to as cardio). For reasons mentioned earlier, fitness trackers don’t capture the entire picture when it comes to strength training. Adding lean muscle to your frame with strength training will improve your metabolic rate which allows you to burn more calories on a daily basis. While conditioning workouts tend to burn more calories in a given workout, this comparison doesn’t tell the entire story. Conditioning workouts won’t help you increase your lean muscle tissue or the number of calories you burn when you don’t workout. This is one of the reasons strength training should be included in your fitness routine. Improved Efficiency Results In Less Calories Burned When you regularly perform a given exercise, you tend to improve your efficiency with that exercise. As your movement quality improves, your body requires less energy to perform the same amount of work. If calories burned is the ultimate metric, you’re looking at continually increasing the amount of exercise you do just to burn the same number of calories. Someone who has been exercising for less than one month will burn significantly more calories performing walking lunges (or any other exercise) than the person who has been exercising for 5 years. The goal is to get better so you can improve your efficiency and movement quality. The Constrained Model of Total Energy Expenditure In his book Burn, Herman Pontzer describes his findings from research on the Hadza, a tribe of hunter gatherers. His research has blown the lid off everything the fitness industry THOUGHT it knew about burning calories. It turns out that we burn calories in a very narrow range...regardless of our physical activity. Hunter-gatherer tribes were only burning a few hundred calories per day more than a sedentary desk jockey. When we burn additional calories with our training, the body takes away energy from other areas such as reproduction, digestion, recovery, etc. You can't burn a never-ending amount of calories in a day because it requires both time AND energy to turn your food into the ATP your body can use as fuel. This also explains why simply adding more exercise doesn't equate to weight loss...even when caloric intake is controlled. What To Focus On Instead of Calories Burned As mentioned earlier, we are huge advocates of heart rate training, and we recommend using Morpheus. These devices take several metrics into consideration in determining your daily recovery score which then impacts your heart rate zones for the day. Morpheus also provides you with weekly targets for the 3 heart rate zones. This ensures you are building an aerobic base without compromising your recovery with too much higher intensity work.  Training at the right volume and intensity for you as an individual produces the best results with the Minimum Effective Dose.
By Juan Perez 08 Feb, 2024
Accountability Accountability is something adults often forget we need just as much as children and teenagers do. The older we get, the less people we have holding us accountable for our own actions. That might just be your missing piece. In health and fitness, most people need someone to hold them accountable along the way because it’s easy to make excuses or blame our busy schedules and have no one to check us. Here are a few different ways to stay accountable in order to reach your health and fitness goals. Set Specific Goals Sit down and figure out what specific goals you want to accomplish. When you set your goals, make sure they are measurable and realistic. Track your progress and be considerate of any time frames you give yourself. Want to workout 5 times a week but can’t even get to the gym consistently three times a week? You are already setting yourself up to fail. Want to run a half marathon at the end of the month but haven’t been running at all? Need I say more… Oftentimes people assume if they dive headfirst that’s the only way they are going to succeed. When the truth is quite the opposite. It’s like when a smoker tries to quit smoking cold turkey. It just doesn’t work. Set a plan and take the steps necessary to achieve it. You can’t skip steps and expect the reward. Seek Support Support from friends, roommates, family or even co-workers can help keep you on track. If you live with others, their lifestyle is likely to affect yours. Having the support of people within your household will only make your journey easier. If you need to change your nutrition habits, living with people who buy junk food at the grocery store is going to make things a lot more challenging for you. Having support and partnering up with a co-worker or friend could be a good way to stay accountable. Accountability partners work together on similar goals; sometimes people just need that buddy with them for an extra push. However, this can go downhill quickly when one drops off. If your friend has been having just as much trouble as you have been, partnering up is not going to make the difference. Remember we want to set ourselves up for success, so find someone who’s already motivated and doing it themselves. You are the average of the people you spend your time with. Surround yourself with people that bring out the best in you. Hire A Coach If you’ve tried the points mentioned above and failed, it may be time to find a quality trainer. And be sure to research before you go picking one. There’s plenty of fish in the sea. But that doesn’t make them all great for you. Hiring a coach is arguably the best way to stay accountable when you are serious about your fitness goals. A good coach will call you if you don’t show up for a session. A good coach will check to see if you did your “homework” whether that be filling out your nutrition log or doing the at home workouts you said you would do. A good coach will do everything in their power to keep you in check… And that makes all the difference. Nobody wants to disappoint others. Many people just like to know that they have someone else who cares about them and their goals. The accountability and push a coach can give you is sure to set you on the best track to achieving those milestones. If you want to see if the personal trainers at No Limits Fitness would be a good fit for you, click the button below to schedule a free consultation.
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