| BSFC
Monthly, Issue #1 and current issue.
Welcome
To the debut
issue of BSFC Monthly!
Since this
is the first issue, let's go over the layout of the newsletter.
At the top
of each newsletter will be an introduction which will highlight the contents
of the newsletter, sort of like a table of contents.
Sections
that will be included are News/Updates, Blog Postings, Events and a Fitness
Article. In the future we hope to spotlight personal trainers and member
accomplishments.
In the News/Updates
section we'll cover what is going on at the fitness center. Anything of
note that has occurred at the fitness center that you should know about
will be included here.
Blog Postings
will include highlights of the latest entries we've posted on our Blog.
Events will
highlight promotions, giving back efforts, charity work, etc... the fitness
center is involved with that will interest you.
Finally,
the Fitness Article will focus on a specific aspect of Fitness, Health
and Wellness that we think will benefit you in many ways. First, you'll
learn something. The more you know the better consumer you will be. Second,
the article will include detailed instructions so you can incorporate
them into your workout. Finally, you'll have better results, you'll look
and feel better and your health will improve.
News
/ Updates
The month of June was very busy. There are two things you should know
about.
First,
know anyone that wants to become a personal trainer (or maybe you do!)?
Now you know where to send them. In June we signed an agreement with The
National Personal Training Institute (NPTI). We will hold and teach classes
for those wanting to become personal trainers and yours truly will be
the lead instructor. The NPTI curriculum is very comprehensive, with classes
meeting up to four times per week. The 500-hour program includes 300-hours
of classroom time and 200-hours of fitness center time. Graduates receive
a diploma in personal training, much like a high school or college diploma.
Up and down
the East coast, throughout California and in Chicago, NPTI graduates have
received rave reviews from personnel managers for their knowledge of personal
training, business acumen and work ethic.
I think this
is a great opportunity for us and one that should spill-over to you, our
members and subscribers. Because an organization such as NPTI has trusted
their curriculum with us, you should take comfort in knowing the products
and services we offer are second to none.
Second,
we have reached an agreement with the Methodist Hospital System to offer
education and related services to patients / customers in their bariatric
department (bariatric is the medical term for obesity and related medical
services).
This too
is great news!
It exposes
us to a whole different set of potential customers and gives us immediate
credibility when an organization such as the Methodist Hospital trusts
us. Initially we will be at Sugar Land Methodist and the medical center
location. We will be working with the Medical Weight Management program,
eventually going to other Methodist locations and branching out to their
lap-band and gastric bypass patients.
All-in-All,
these are two exceptional agreements for us. As a member, you should feel
confident that what we do, what we offer and what we say are so well-taken
by two organizations as the NPTI and Methodist Hospital System.
Blog
Postings
Some recent
posts to our blog:
Confused
yet? About headlines and inconsistencies in medical research
We
can do this for you: Ever wondered what else you could be doing
with your internet connection? Why not online training?
Link
Update: a few articles on the 'net I came across related to golf
fitness
Events
We're giving
away a $500 Vacation!
Imagine sitting
on the beach, hiking a mountain you've never seen, playing golf on a course
you've never played, or simply re-visiting one of your favorite vacation
spots.
That's possible
if you win the vacation we are giving away.
Between now
and the end of August, any non-member that takes a tour of the facility
will be entered into our random drawing for the free vacation.
Already a
member? No problem. Simply refer someone to take a tour and you'll be
entered too.
Fitness
Article
The
Dirty Dozen: top 12 exercise myths
Myth
#1: Muscle turns into fat or vice-versa.
Nope. They
are two distinct tissues and therefore, one cannot be converted or turned
into the other. However, lack of physical activity and poor diet lead
to muscle wasting and increased body fat, which may lead some to believe
that muscle has indeed turned into fat.
Myth
#2: Lifting heavy weights makes women look like men.
Absolutely
not! It's nearly impossible for the vast majority of women to
gain muscle in a fashion similar to men. The main reason: testosterone.
Females simply don't have this hormone in enough abundance to
build muscle mass at the same rate as males.
I'll
leave you with this quote I heard a trainer tell one of his female clients
many years ago when she repeated this myth:
"Lady,
I'm nearly 30 years old and have been lifting my a## off since
I was 15. Every time I've been in the gym to workout, it's
been with a purpose of getting big."
"Look
at me!"
"I'm
5'11" and 175 pounds, do I look too big to you?"
"I
think you'll be all right!"
Myth
#3: I can do this because I saw a bodybuilder do it.
In reality,
bodybuilders may be the worst people to mimic. While some may be personal
trainers, it's impossible to know how much they know just by observing
them. Second, they are training as a profession, which is a totally
different approach than training for health or toning up. Third, you
don't know what they are putting in their body. Taking OTC supplements
or illegal steroids significantly alters the body's ability to
develop muscle and recover from exercise, allowing highly intense training
sessions to occur on a more frequent basis.
Myth
#4: I need to be in shape before I can hire a personal trainer.
NO! This
is the perfect time to hire a personal trainer. A large part of what
a trainer does initially is instruction, teaching you how to perform
exercises properly and safely.
If you
decide to workout with a trainer after working out on your own for a
while, several bad things can happen, including:
Injury:
you could injure yourself not performing an exercise properly.
Pain: Not knowing what you are doing could lead to significant and extensive
muscle soreness - decreasing the likelihood of sticking with your
new program.
Intimidation/Overwhelmed: Many people decide to go it alone and eventually
begin feeling intimidated and / or overwhelmed by a fitness center.
I don't
want any of these happening to you. So hire a personal trainer, get
started down the right path and get some results.
Myth
#5: I need a 6-pack so sit-ups are all I should do.
If it were
only that easy!
In addition
to sit-ups, you need to work the lower abs and obliques. Then you need
to add some high-intensity cardio, keep up the weight training and increase
the number of meals you eat and the quality of food you eat.
You can
now sit-back and wait for that 6-pack to show up!
Myth
#6: No pain, no gain
This one
has been dispelled for some time but continues to come back to life.
Health benefits can be realized with a 30-minute, moderately intense
walk 4-5 days per week. This certainly does not hurt.
Some soreness
is okay and preferable - it keeps your muscles on alert. But too
much soreness is either counterproductive or an indication you don't
know what you are doing.
So take
is easy, get a little sore and realize you are getting great benefits
without having to compromise your ability to get out of the chair!
Myth
#7: I need to do cardio in the "Fat Burning Zone" if I want
to lose weight.
Unlike
the no pain, no gain, this one won't even die! What is worse,
personal trainers (obviously not any that really know what they are
talking about) say this all the time.
This myth
was borne out of a lab with strict testing protocols evaluating fuel
used for energy at various intensities of exercise. Lo-and-behold, fat
was found to be the primary supplier of energy for low intensity exercise.
Myth
#8: I don't want to lift weights because I'll lose flexibility.
Many years
ago, people thought body builders were stiff or inflexible due to their
dedicated weight training program. However, research has completely
dispelled that myth. When trained properly, with an appropriate amount
of weight and safely, muscles will be flexible and not stiff.
Research
has shown that what really causes muscle stiffness is an overall lack
of physical activity. When muscles aren't used, they stiffen-up.
So get
off the chair, out from behind the desk and get up and go do something.
Your muscles will thank you for it.
Myth
#9: My back hurts, I need to do more sit-ups.
For the
most part, this is absolutely not true. You need to increase the strength
of the extensor muscles in your lower back.
The vast
majority of low-back pain is from bad posture and prolonged sitting,
which lead to muscles imbalances between the abdominals and lower-back
extensor muscles.
When we
sit, the low-back straightens out (or flattens) and this stretches the
low-back muscles. Eventually, this chronic stretching decreases their
overall strength. The abdominals are no stronger, relatively speaking,
than they should be.
So doing
more sit-ups will only exacerbate this problem even more.
Get on
the floor and increase the strength of your low-back extensor muscles
and you'll be on your way to feeling better in no time.
Myth
#10: I'm too old to start exercising.
Without
getting into all the research that's been done on this topic over the
last few years, I'll just say that as a convenient excuse, it no longer
holds water.
Get up
and get started. You will be amazed at how good you feel.
Myth
#11: I don't have a membership to the gym, so I can't exercise.
Don't
need a membership. All you need are a pair of tennis shoes to go for
a walk or a jog. Along the trail, find a nice opening for some push-ups,
sit-ups and walking lunges.
See, you
don't need a gym. Get rid of that excuse and be productive.
Myth
#12: I need to stretch before my workout.
Actually,
muscles stretch better when warm and full of blood, which happens after
a thorough warm-up or when done with your workout. Stretch after your
workout - or after a good warm-up at the very least - and
your muscles will respond better.
I hope you
learned something in today's Fitness Article. Guiding your exercise program
by myths alone will get you either hurt, discouraged or nowhere fast.
Take the myths you held as truths and adjust your program accordingly.
Please email
or drop by the front desk should you have any questions.
Quick
Links for you:
Our Blog
Workouts for You!
Personal Training and
other services
Coming Soon! Golf
Fitness Boot Camp Online
That's
all for this month, see you in August.
Break a sweat
several times this month!
Brian
Sekula Fitness Center
10500 West Bellfort, Suite 200
Houston, TX 77031
P: 281-933-8822
F: 281-933-0497
www.briansekula.com
E mail
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