Apr 17

Intermittent Fasting Guidance & Tips

by Vikki in Nutrition, Tips 0 comments
By Karlee Burmaster Should I try intermittent fasting? I often get this question from clients that I work with. It’s the new, latest and greatest trend! Reported benefits include weight loss, better hunger regulation, reduced inflammation, and more. By that logic, you should try it, right? Not so fast. WHAT IS INTERMITTENT FASTING First, let’s talk about what intermittent fasting is. Intermittent fasting is a meal timing schedule where you voluntarily go between periods of fasting and eating. There are different methods of intermittent fasting which I will go over later. But why intermittent fast? Well, it is a weight loss tool and that is the most common reason people want to try it. WHAT INTERMITTENT FASTING DOES IN OUR BODY Intermittent fasting has a direct effect on your hormones and cells, such as growth hormone, insulin levels and cellular repair. Growth hormone increases during fasting which is great because GH helps increase muscle gain which in turn helps with fat loss. With fasting, your insulin sensitivity improves, and your insulin levels tend to drop significantly. When this happens, it makes the body fat that is stored in your body more assessable. As far as cellular repair goes, when you […]
Mar 02

Best Protein Powders: How to Find the Perfect Protein for You

by Vikki in Nutrition, Tips 0 comments
Protein is the “it” macronutrient right now. Wherever you look, you’ll find pills and powders proclaiming a high protein content and promising strength gains. But with no regulation for supplements and a wide variety of protein types out there, it can be overwhelming to figure out what will work best for you, your lifestyle, and your goals. In the guide below, we break down the way proteins are classified, the different types of proteins available, and how to pick the best one for your needs. Let’s get jacked! Protein Classifications There are two key classifications that you’ll find on protein supplement labels. If you’ve ever been confused by a container of protein powder, read on for some clarification. Protein Concentrate and Protein Isolate The terms protein concentrate and protein isolate refer to how much of the product is made up of protein. All protein powders start out as one thing (milk, peas, soy, etc.) and are stripped of most of their carbohydrates and fats to create a supplement that’s mostly protein. Products labeled protein concentrate are 70 to 85 percent pure protein, with the remaining 15 to 30 percent being carbohydrates and fats. Protein isolate uses additional processing to further […]
Feb 03

How to Set Fitness Goals You’ll Actually Achieve

by Vikki in Blog, Tips 0 comments
The start of a New Year always brings an influx of goals, hopes, and dreams for the New Year. Optimism runs rampant. The excitement in the air is palpable as people share their plans, feeling an iron-clad sense of determination, motivation, and commitment.  Nowhere is this phenomenon seen more than inside the walls of a gym. Thousands of people each year set goals to better their health and fitness — to lose weight, build muscle, eat better, and, our favorite, get healthy. And despite the resolve and enthusiasm seen come January 1, by mid-February, 80% of people have completely abandoned their big plans. Why? Because those are absolutely terrible goals. Don’t get us wrong — wanting to improve your health or change your body composition are wonderful and worthy pursuits. But the odds of achieving your goals when they’re generic and not measurable are slim to none. Here’s what you should do instead. Step 1: Figure Out What Your Goals Are The first step in the goal-setting process isn’t the most fun. In order to really hone in on where you want to go, it helps to harshly evaluate where you are and why you are or aren’t satisfied. Resist […]
Feb 02

[Coach Joe] Your Daughter NEEDS A Strength & Conditioning Program

by Ryan in Blog, Fitness, Inspiration, Strength, Training 0 comments
Three Reasons Your Daughter Needs Strength Training …Written By A Biased Male Strength Coach …….With Killer Testimony By Some Pretty Badass Females! This post could easily be my own rant about increasing power and strength, metabolic adaptations, and bone and tissue resilience leading to lower injury rates but I’m almost positive nobody clicked on this to read about that. While all of those things are fantastic and get the strength coach in me fired up there are a whole host of other reasons young girls benefit from strength training that can’t quite be measured by vertical jump or PR’s. I understand that I don’t have the same feelings, experiences, fears, or societal expectations that comes with being female so rather than list off all the reasons I believe in strength and conditioning education we are going to delegate to the BADASS women with first-hand knowledge on why THEY believe education around training is important: Current College/High School Athletes Strength training helped me feel more confident on and off the ice. On the ice I knew that I could come out of any battle with the puck, catch that girl on the back check, and rip a shot, giving me confidence […]
Oct 16

[Coach Ari] The Importance of Hip Mobility and Core Strength for Golfers

by Ryan in Blog, Fitness, Nutrition 0 comments tags: athlete, become the athlete within, exercise, fitness, golf, performance, sport
The execution of the golf swing is a “feet to fingertips” athletic action- the entire kinetic chain is utilized. In order to perform proper movement throughout the golf swing requires certain levels of joint mobility and core stabilization. If certain joints (i.e. hips) are limited in terms of mobility or certain parts of the body are “weak”, executing an efficient swing without compensating form will be very difficult. The hips are a necessary joint in the golf swing. That said, if limitations are present in terms of mobility the body will compensate proper form which leads to trouble down the road. Both on the scorecard, and your long term back health. For example- the last golf lesson, or “tune-up”, I had approximately two months ago was because of that exact reason. My body wasn’t moving properly in the backswing because of poor hip mobility, and in turn that caused me to have a flawed swing with lost yardage and accuracy. Looking from a spectators point of view at normal speed, you would never be able to tell there was any sort of mobility issue. In fact I got compliments of how great my swing looked. But I felt that something […]
Aug 31

[Coach Joe] The only person that can change it is….YOU

by Ryan in Blog, Fitness, Inspiration 0 comments tags: athlete, exercise, fitness, new hartford, personal training, utica, utica personal trainer
If you want to see change, YOU have to change. That may sound silly but some of us don’t live that way. We want to lose weight but eat the same garbage day after day. We want to get stronger but lift the same weights over and over. We wonder why the person in the mirror doesn’t change while returning to the same old habits that created that person. Wellllllll What Happened Was… (Insert Shitty Excuse Here) Matthew Kelley writes in his book The Rhythm of Life “Everything is a choice.  This is life’s greatest truth and its hardest lesson.” He continues on “it is a hard lesson, because it causes us to realize that we have chosen the life we are living now.” This is a difficult realization but there is a silver lining.  Unfortunately (or fortunately) our choices have gotten us to where we are now.  The good news is that once accepted we can begin to make better decisions to get to where we want to be and not simply accept where we are now. A young gentleman by the name of Christopher Wallace is quoted for saying “Damn right I like the life I live because […]
Aug 31

[Coach Karlee] 10,000 Hours

by Ryan in Blog, Fitness, Inspiration 0 comments tags: athlete, fitness, performance, training, utica, utica personal trainer
What’s it going to take?? I ask myself this question all the time…What’s it going to take to be at the top of my game?  To be at the top of the heap? To be the best at anything? As an athlete, I think about this question often.  Being around other athletes makes me wonder how many actually think about this question.  If you were to ask 100 top athletes how they got to the top, there would be a different answer from each and every one of them. Have you ever heard of the statement, “It takes, on average, 10,000 hours of practice to be an expert?”  The 10,000 rule came about by a guy by the name of Malcom Gladwell, author of Outliers. There are several other authors who have written about this subject (Geoff Colvin – Talent is Overrated and The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle) and several scientists who have debated the theory. So, is 10,000 hours enough hours to put in to be the best or is it innate ability? I actually think that it’s a combination of the two; lots of repetitive practice (hours and hours) and innate ability.  However, I strongly believe there […]
Aug 13

[Coach Ari] How To Avoid Workout Burnout

by Ryan in Blog, Fitness, Inspiration, Strength, Tips 0 comments tags: fitness, personal trainer, training, utica, workout
Not excited to go to the gym? Are you dreading your next workout? Find yourself saying “maybe tomorrow” more than three days in a row? Odds are, you’re experiencing some type of burnout. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ‘over’ the gym, either. Odds are, there’s something in your life that is exhausting you. Burnout comes in many different shapes and sizes.  What exactly does experiencing ‘burnout’ mean? We hear the phrase all the time, but have no idea how to see it coming and take the necessary steps to avoid it. Burnout is a psychological term that refers to long-term exhaustion and diminished interest in an activity or work. Lucky for you, I’m here to help you learn how to take a more proactive approach to avoiding burnout. There are four common stages to be aware of.  Stage one is the honeymoon stage. A classic sign of this stage is being determined to fit into a size six by the time beach season comes around, so you never miss a workout. You’re super excited and eager to get back it! Stage two is known as the disenchantment stage. This is when your excitement starts to fade when you don’t see […]
Jun 18

[Coach Joe] Why Your Kid Does NOT Need Speed & Agility Training

by Ryan in Fitness, Strength, Tips, Training, Workouts 0 comments tags: agility, speed, speed ladder, training, utica, workout
The most popular request that we hear from parents is “My son/daughter needs to focus on speed and agility training” Well maybe, but maybe not. Maybe your kid needs to learn how to move in general. Maybe your kid needs to get a little stronger so he can control his own bodyweight to avoid looking like a melted candle every time he squats. Maybe your kid needs to eat more than an orange for breakfast and a jolly rancher for lunch. Maybe your kid needs to learn about hard work and how to struggle and persevere without Mommy and Daddy holding his hand. Once we lock all of that down, MAYBE some extra speed training could be of some benefit. But until that happens I’m willing to bet little Johnny could find more worthwhile things to do than running around some cones. The art and science of becoming a faster human being includes a lot more than simply just running.  Of course to become a better sprinter you have to sprint but that isn’t the only component. There is a magical thing that happens when an athlete connects the dots on these other components I mentioned above.  Getting stronger, eating […]
Jun 18

[Coach Ari] The Power Of ‘Why’

by Ryan in Uncategorized 0 comments
What is it that fuels you to want to be healthy? Who is it that you strive to be successful for in both health and business? Is it your significant other? Your kids? Yourself?  Not everyone chooses a healthy and successful lifestyle for the same reasons. We all read these questions and have our own answers and definitions of health/success.  Which is why there is a huge power behind your WHY. Yes, goals are important to continue to move forward. But what keeps us going when times get tough and taking the easier route becomes tempting? Setting a goal of losing ten pounds is great! But WHY do you want to do it? Is it because you don’t feel comfortable in your own skin? You want to be healthy for your kids? You’re sick of feeling sluggish? Really think about an attainable goal, put a time limit on it and write down HOW you will achieve it. For example, ‘I want to lose ten pounds in six weeks by eating healthier and working out three times per week.’ Or even a goal relating to quitting something that you know isn’t helping you reach your goals like ‘I want to quit […]
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