X Core Fitness Blog
Worcester County Health and Fitness Resource

Times are tough right now for everyone, myself included. We all have to make smart choices with our money today and be sure to get the essentials taken care of before we consider anything else. We don’t eat out as much as we used to, we rent movies instead of going to the theater, and we cut down our trips to starbucks (maybe). It seems to me that a lot of people consider working with a personal trainer a “Luxury” and not something that is money wisely spent in this economy. I would like to argue that it quite the opposite. An investment in your health, is always money well spent.

Consider this, you’ve been eager to get back in shape and you know the only way to do it right and stick with it, is with the guidance of a Personal Trainer. Your poor eating habits, stamina, and general fitness are starting to affect your work and you feel like if it gets worse, you might miss time from work or lose your job entirely. How much would it cost you and your family if you lost a weeks pay or more because of health reasons that could be taken care of with a sound exercise and nutrition plan from a Certified Personal Trainer? How much money could you save on Doctor’s visit copays, prescriptions, etc. if you were in great shape? How much better would your overall quality of life be if you were in great shape?

Working with a Certified Personal Trainer doesn’t have to drain your bank account. There’s more options than just one on one training. You can cut the cost of training by doing Semi Private personal training with a small group of 4-6 people with similar goals. How about an online training program designed by a Certified Personal Trainer? Another option is to join a Fitness Boot Camp run by a Certified Personal Trainer, which is very affordable in this economy. I’m sure if you think about it, you can find some things that you are spending money on that would not benefit you as much as your health. Do you stop at the donut shop every morning for breakfast and coffee? How about those weekly manicures? Maybe you’re paying a monthly fee at a large chain gym that you went to maybe twice a week when you first signed up, but haven’t been for months now and you just keep paying them. Cutting out one or more things like this, will cover the cost of a Personal Training program.

The bottom line is that your health is not a “Luxury” expense, it is the most important investment you can make in you and your family’s life. There are many different affordable options available from personal trainers today, so do some research to find what programs would work for you.

What do YOU think of when you hear the words fitness boot camp? There’s a common misconception out there that the boot camp leader is like a drill sergeant and your workout is impossible to get through at any fitness level. I swear when I tell people about my boot camp I can see it in their eyes……..they’re picturing in their head the movie “Full Metal Jacket” with R Lee Ermey screaming at the Marine recruits and belittling them. People automatically write off fitness boot camps as a possibility for them to get in shape, without even trying one out, based on the name.

While there are several different types of boot camps within the fitness umbrella, they are all pretty much geared toward the general population and not for elite athletes alone. The “boot camp” name is really just a fitness concept which borrows “some” traits of a military boot camp. These traits include the group atmosphere, some military style body weight exercises, timed intervals, and a boot camp leader. The main focus of most fitness boot camps,  and what I find important in my own boot camp is having fun and getting in shape at the same time. Working out does NOT have to be boring and dull, and that’s why boot camps work. With new workouts every day, it keeps your attention and most of all it keeps your body guessing , which avoids hitting plateaus. The boot camp leaders are there to motivate you to get the most out of your workout, not to scream at you to do more reps.

The reason why boot camps work for all fitness levels is the timed intervals. Instead of saying “ok now everyone do 20 squats” and watching half the group stand around and wait till everyone is done, you say “ok 60 seconds, let’s do mountain climbers” and everyone finishes at the same time. This keeps things moving at a good pace and it doesn’t draw attention to people who are just starting out and are not at the same level as everyone else. Another great thing about boot camps is the way people root for and motivate each other during class. In my opinion boot camps are the best option for people to get in shape in this economy, because you get a great workout led by a Certified Personal Trainer at a fraction of the cost of 1 on 1 training.

So, the next time you see the words fitness boot camp………have no Fear!! The only thing you should be afraid of is not trying it out based on what you think you know about it. Like my boot camp, many boot camps offer a free trial to see if it’s something you’d enjoy before you sign up. Keep an open mind and you’ll be surprised how much fun you’ll have at boot camp.

Well it’s usually about this time of year that I see people give up on their New Year’s resolution to finally get in shape. It seems to me that it always comes down to one, or a combination of the same things:

1. You were losing weight when you first started your workout routine, but then you stopped making progress as time went on.

2. You got bored with the same old routine day in and day out

3. You got sick, went on vacation, etc. then never got back into your routine.

4. You never got results from the beginning.

I know there are many more than what I listed here, but these are the most common that come up all the time when I talk to people who have given up on their workout routine.

Don’t give up yet. I have some tips to get you through this tough period and keep you pushing on.

First off, just think of the reason why you decided to get in shape in the first place. Was it lack of energy?, Was it not fitting into your clothes anymore?, or maybe it was health problems or concerns. No matter what the motivation to get  started, it should be your motivation to keep going. Believe me, I know from experience that it’s a lot harder to get in shape than it is to stay in shape.

Here are some tips that might help you stay the course:

1. Get a personal trainer to help motivate you and keep you accountable. If you can’t afford a personal trainer, find a friend that will workout with you. Studies have shown that people who do not work out alone are more likely to stick to a fitness program.

2. Do NOT do the same workout over and over again. Your body adapts rapidly to the same routine, so change up your exercises, weight, reps, and rest, frequently to avoid hitting plateaus.

3. Keep a daily food log. Proper nutrition is equally, or in reality, of greater importance than your workout routine. Writing down what you eat every day will help to keep you accountable about what you eat.

4. Stop taking advice from people who do not represent what you would call a healthy fitness lifestyle. Chances are if they new what they were talking about, they would be in great shape too.

5. If your main goal is to lose body fat and gain lean muscle, please do NOT go to the gym or your basement and run on a treadmill for an hour a day. If you do, you will not get the results you are looking for. You MUST do a combination of strength training with some cardio to burn fat. The type of cardio you should be doing is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) which will burn more fat and you will workout for less time.

Well, I hope this might have helped someone get back in the routine.  There is so much to be gained by living a healthy fitness lifestyle, don’t give up.

I don’t know about you, but it seems like all too often I’ve only got 30 minutes to squeeze in a workout into my busy day. I got my workout planned out in my head, got my dumbbells and my stability ball in place, ready to bring it, and then the dilemma. I’m pressed for time, and being a personal trainer I know  the benefits and the necessity of a proper warm up and stretch, but still I feel the urge to condense it or skip it altogether. I don’t know what it is, but there’s this little voice inside my head that always convinces me to do it. Maybe it’s my subconscious thinking back to all the countless times I’ve sacrificed proper form and bio-mechanics to save time, and ended up with a muscle pull or worse. It rarely ever happens that I do actually skip my warm up, but I have to say I battle it out in my mind every time I need to get a quick workout in. Is it just me?

My personal warm up routine has changed up a lot over the years. At first I would do a lot of static stretching after about 5 minutes on a treadmill or stationary bike. I thought at the time that what I was doing was working, but after some research and experimenting, I found I was actually hindering my workout. After substituting my usual static stretching during my warm up with dynamic stretching, I noticed an increase in the amount of reps I could do. With static stretching, I was actually fatiguing my muscles before my work out even started. I leave my static stretching for the end of my workout now, which helps increase my range of motion, and I feel helps mitigate the pain of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).

I have a newborn baby girl at home along with a 3 year old son, so I know I’ll have a lot of days where I’ll be squeezing in a quick workout whenever I get the chance. I’ll be tempted to skip the warm up, but I’ll do it……just like I’m tempted to eat a large pepperoni pizza, and I end up getting a grilled chicken breast instead. You just gotta have a plan and stick to it, and you’ll get the results you’re looking for.

I’ve always wanted to hold my own charity fund raising event, but I didn’t have a clue about how to go about doing it. When I  started my Fitness Boot Camp, I thought to myself  “Now I have a way to get people together to learn about fitness AND raise money for charity at the same time”. Through a fitness industry contact, I found an orginization called Boot Camps with a Purpose (BCWAP). BCWAP is an international orginization which brings boot camps around the world together to raise money for charity. So, it was a no brainer for me to join BCWAP and hold charity boot camp events throughout the year. I will change the charity each time I hold one of my charity boot camps, so I can help as many people as possible. I realize that I may not be able to raise thousands of dollars for these charities with my boot camp, but I feel that every little bit helps. As long as I can make a contribution to help a worthy cause in a small way, I want to do what I can. If everyone did a little, it would add up to a lot.

With that said, My first Charity Boot Camp will be held on Saturday, Feb. 27th at 9:00 am at the Bay State Cheer and Dance Center in Shrewsbury, MA. 100% of the money raised for this event will go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The Boot Camp workout will be about 45 minutes long. I am asking for a minimum donation of $15 from each person who attends the boot camp on Feb 27th. If you can give more that would be great, every little bit will add up. You do not have to participate in the boot camp to make a donation. You can still come down and see us, or you can send a check to us or directly to St. Jude. St. Jude is a pediatric treatment and research facility which treats children with cancer and other catostrophic diseases and is located in Memphis TN. All patients accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard to the family’s ability to pay. The hospitals daily operating costs are nearly $1.5 million which are primarily covered by public contribution. There are about 5700 active patients seen yearly at St. Jude, most of whom are treated on a continuing outpatient basis as part of ongoing research programs. St. Jude has treated children from all 50 states and around the world.

It breaks my heart when I hear the stories of the brave children and families who are dealing with these horrible diseases. One thing I’ve learned through the years of supporting St. Jude is that for every sad story, there are many more uplifting and inspiring stories. There is hope for the children receiving care at St. Jude. Every year the percentages of children surviving these terrible diseases goes up with the help of researchers working tirelessly to find cures. Research takes money, and our donations help make miracles possible. Please help any way you can.

If you do plan on joining us on Feb 27th, please make all checks payable to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. If you plan on working out, please bring a bottle of water, a towel, and a change of shoes to work out in due to the weather conditions. Any questions at all let me know, hope to see you there.

Make it a great day,

Kris Crepeau