One of the most frequent requests I hear from female trainees is, “I don’t want to bulk up, I just want to tone the muscles I have.” Because I train a variety of people with different ages, gender, genetic make-ups, physical limitations, and goals, I personalize each workout taking all of these factors into account. When training women however, the biggest fear they usually have when they start a weight training (strength training) program is gaining muscle bulk.

A young male trainee once told me, “I can’t gain weight no matter what I do”. The truth is, teenage boys are able to gain muscular weight or “bulk up” easier than any person of any age group (male or female). The reason for this is the male hormone, testosterone. Men’s level of testosterone, which is the major element responsible for muscle bulk, usually peaks naturally in their bodies at about age 18.

The fact is, women carry very low levels of testosterone. It is impossible for women to build massive muscles like men because they have a very small amount of this hormone. This does not mean that women do not have a potential for developing muscle. Actually, the average woman gains strength at a slightly faster rate than the average man does.

Women have the ability of gaining numerous benefits from weight training. Some include: decrease in body fat percentage, increase in strength, increase in muscular tone, shape, and definition, better muscular control and condition, improved or maintained bone mass, and increased resting metabolic rate. These are just a few of the advantages for women who strength train. The wide array of potential benefits of strength training (functional, mental, physical) are just as appropriate and available to women as they are to men.

Some other myths associated with women and strength training are:

1.) Myth: Lifting weights will make a woman muscle-bound. Truth: not only will proper weight training not make a woman less flexible, in most cases, it will make her more flexible.

2.) Myth: strength training requires big, intimidating, metal weights and barbells. Truth: muscles can’t discern 50 pounds of stress on a barbell from 50 pounds of stress imposed by one’s own bodyweight.

In summary, it is never too late for a woman to enhance the quality of her life by improving her level of muscular fitness. Through proper guidance by a qualified fitness professional or coach, women can initiate a weight training program without the fear of “bulking up” and at the same time gain all the benefits a man is capable of gaining.

Your referrals are sincerely appreciated – EIF is built and based on your quality referrals. We will reward you with your choice of a $100.00 gift certificate to the Annapolis Mall or 2 FREE fitness training sessions for anyone you refer who signs up for one of our fitness and weight loss packages. Contact us with any questions about the EIF Referral Program.

My Annapolis area Personal Training Studio is equipped with machines from some of the top strength manufacturers in the industry such as MedX, Hammer Strength, Nautilus, and Pendulum. It is conveniently located on Ritchie Highway in the Severn Commerce Center (across from Severna Park Golf Center) and is just north of Annapolis and a short drive from Baltimore as well as Washington DC.

I have hand selected all of the studio’s machines, which are designed to give the most effective and efficient workouts through the fullest yet safest ranges of motion possible. My vast knowledge of strength training coupled with the most technologically advanced equipment enables me to gear my instruction towards weight training for weight loss, weight training for women and men as well as sports conditioning.

I practice and teach high intensity strength training which is the ideal exercise method of weight training for seniors, youth weight training and physical rehabilitation. This provides greater RESULTS in a short amount of time – maximizing your time in the studio and allowing you to spend more time enjoying life with strength and enthusiasm.

It’s hard work – but hard work and a positive attitude, coupled with expert instruction and motivation, equals RESULTS!

All clients have sole and exclusive use of the new and fully equipped Personal Training Studio and are given my undivided attention – focused only on YOU! This uninterrupted environment reduces distraction and helps maintain proper focus during the training session. All workouts are by appointment only and you pay NO additional membership fees.

Your anonymity and confidentiality is guaranteed. You can be assured that there are no prying eyes or eavesdropping and because the workouts are private there is no waiting and competing for the use of machines with other gym members. Every workout is private and each client’s progress is charted in a personal journal with meticulous records kept for each exercise, setting, weight, repetitions, etc.

Call us today at (410) 544-5780 to schedule an appointment, or contact us to receive a free consultation.

Additionally, personal trainers know the ins and outs of exercise and how the body and the muscles work. This can be a great help for those individuals who aren’t experts in this area. Having someone who knows and understands how your muscle groups work during different exercises will be able to guide you through workouts that are tailored to strengthening those areas that you want to see firmer, without wasting effort on exercises that either don’t work or yield very little results. They also know and have constructed countless types of workouts, so switching it up for you so you’ll never feel bored isn’t a problem. In addition, they know exactly how hard it is to get results. They’ve been through all of that work personally and have helped lots of others do the same thing, so you’re not alone in working for your goals.

Excellence In Fitness, with locations in Arnold and Annapolis, Maryland, is a workout studio that focuses on “Your Body, Your Trainer, Your Life.” In fact, the organization was awarded Best of Annapolis’s 2007 award for Best Nutritional Programs and the 2009 award for Best Personal Trainers. This proves their dedication to their clients in not only providing wonderful workouts, but also in helping them lead healthier lifestyles overall through their diets. The staff even provides private workout sessions so you won’t have to compete for gym equipment or worry about others watching you while you work out.

There are countless testimonials listed on the website alone praising the trainers at Excellence In Fitness and their various programs for helping individuals achieve and go beyond their health and fitness goals. One client even exclaimed, “I’ve never felt healthier. I’m a client for life!”

If you’re interested in what the personal trainers at Excellence In Fitness can do for you, give them a call at 410-630-1611 to set up a free consultation.

Think about it.  In your heart you know the truth.  There is no quick fix, no magic potion, special pill or wiz-bang exercise equipment that is going to suddenly make you fit.  The infomercials and advertisements you are bombarded with daily are produced by multi-million dollar companies that know how to push your emotional buttons.

They know how to get you to pull out your credit card.  But once you get their shake or pill or abdominal machine, you realize that you have been misled.  Because it’s not the pill, the potion, the fancy gym membership or the expensive equipment that will get you healthy and fit.  The ONLY thing that works is commitment to a healthy diet and regular exercise.  You’ve got to burn more calories than you consume – simple as that.

But there is only one way to internalize your commitment and cultivate your motivation:

You must personally experience results!

And the quickest, most foolproof way to experience those results is to have a coach guide you.

If you are honest with yourself and recognize that exercise and proper diet are the only ways to achieve the results you want and you are ready to make a lifestyle change… If you know you’re fooling yourself by paying for another gym membership, piece of equipment, shake, potion, exercise video, diet, or pill… then I can help you.

Through my experience, education and extensive study, I have developed an approach to exercise motivation that has enabled many average individuals to achieve amazing weight loss, health and fitness results.  It’s a program that will support you in becoming laser focused on the results you want, empower you to accept responsibility for making effective exercise part of your lifestyle, and provide you with the tools you need to reach your fitness goals.

And it’s only requires 5% of your available time – just five percent!

Is that too much to ask of yourself to improve and protect the most important thing you have – your health?

This program has provided many people with a new life.  If you have had trouble getting or staying motivated, you will now look at exercise as fun, have the tools you need to foster motivation, achieve your weight loss and fitness goals and actually enjoy your exercise program.

‘Body of Excellence’ is different from any other fitness program you’ve ever seen.

You don’t need a gym membership or expensive home fitness equipment.  You don’t need fad diets, doctor prescribed (or over the counter) medication.  You don’t need videotapes, books or manuals.  You don’t need anything but the guidance, support, motivation and accountability I’ll provide.  That’s it!

And I am absolutely certain this program will provide results for YOU.

That’s right, I’m absolutely certain.  So sure, in fact, that I guarantee you can achieve measurable, incredible results in just 12 weeks!  That’s right, I fully guarantee your results or your money back.  You won’t get that kind of guarantee anywhere else that I know of.

The bottom line is this: you will have to engage in a moderate exercise program and you will have to eat a more healthy diet in order to safely, effectively and rapidly lose weight – and keep it off permanently!  If you’re not ready to hear that, if you are still in search of some kind of “miracle” – then I can’t help you.  Because I promise you, based on years of trial and error, years of study and years of real life application…

…there is no “miracle” weight loss program out there.

“As a middle-aged woman, I have been bombarded with statements like, ‘It is normal to gain weight at your age,’ ‘Weight gain is part of getting old,’ and ‘It is inevitable to gain weight.’  Hence, I started to believe it.  I exercised regularly, from 3 to 5 days a week, but did not see any changes in my body.  That was UNTIL I started at Excellence In Fitness Personal Training.  Joe Aben’s ad reads, ‘Give me 3 months and if you don’t reduce your total body fat – I will give you a full refund,’ ‘I guarantee YOU will get results!’  So I had nothing to lose – except body fat and inches – and much to gain – lean muscle!”

“Let me tell you, it has been hard work but all so REWARDING.  I feel stronger and happier than before, went from a size 10 to a size 2!  Lost 31 lbs. and 19.6% body fat!  Not to mention reducing my cholesterol 32 points.  My EIF Personal Fitness Coaches have taught me the importance of good nutrition with their Body of Excellence Program.  They have also shown me what I’m capable of.  I cannot wait to see more positive results, I’m sure I will.  Thank you Joe Aben and Excellence In Fitness Personal Training!”

Next, we discuss your health and medical history, your family health and medical history, and your past and/or current injuries or physical limitations. You are then personally guided through a “customized” Body of Excellence training WORKOUT based on the information we gathered and discussed with you in accordance to your weight loss and fitness goals, your current fitness level and your limitations.

The purpose of the WORKOUT is to teach you all the basics of the Body of Excellence exercise and nutrition protocol.  You’ll DISCOVER the FIVE “secrets” of speeding your slow metabolism and the real keys to healthy and PERMANENT FAT LOSS.  You will learn the proper way to breathe, you’ll learn the proper form and technique, you’ll learn proper pace, you’ll learn the different parts of every movement, you’ll learn how to activate and engage your “core” while you’re training so you do not injure yourself and, most importantly, how to effectively tighten your waistline and core and finally lose your stomach fat and inches through exercise.

After the workout, we then sit down again, answer all YOUR questions, discuss myths and misconceptions about fitness and nutrition, make recommendations to you for exercise and NUTRITION programs to MAXIMIZE YOUR RESULTS and explain exactly how Excellence In Fitness Personal Training can help you safely lose weight and “get fit” in the fastest time possible.

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Why go to the big, crowded health club with a generic, run-of-the-mill personal trainer that will charge you hundreds of dollars for a cookie-cutter exercise program???  When you can get the best service, best staff and GUARANTEED RESULTS (LINK TO GUARANTEE) from Excellence In Fitness Personal Training Studio…for FREE!!!

2.    The secret of having a Coach.  Almost every self-help book ever written talks about the critical importance of having a coach/mentor.  A coach is an experienced and trusted counselor or teacher.  It’s inevitable that you will come up against hard times on your path to losing weight and getting fit.  A coach will guide, motivate, educate and support you – so you can easily and rapidly overcome these hurdles.  A coach is critical to systemizing your exercise program for maximum results and assisting you in heightening your motivation and strengthening your commitment.  And a coach becomes your “objective feedback system,” helping you see, understand and correct the problems that are interfering with your progress.  Exercise and nutrition are bona fide sciences and learning everything you need to know on your own can take years of struggle – but not if you have a coach.

3.    The secret of Progression.  Have you ever met someone who says they exercise week after week, month after month, even year after year and aren’t getting any new results?  Believe it or not, doing the same workout over and over without expert guidance to direct your progress will actually decrease your fitness.  You must learn how to progressively improve and fine-tune your efforts for maximum weight loss and fitness results.

4.    The BIGGEST secret: Accountability.  In a recent study at Virginia Polytechnic University, researchers divided people starting a walking program into two groups.  Every week, each individual in one group got a phone call asking how their exercise program was coming along, the other group got no calls.  At the end of 24 weeks, 45% of the individuals who got the phone calls were still walking compared to just 2% who did not receive calls.  The results show that weekly accountability increases the likelihood of sticking to your exercise program by 2200%!

What you’ve just read is some of the most valuable information you will ever hear on how to lose weight and get fit.  And having the RIGHT information is critical.  But intellectually understanding what should be done, and actually doing it, are two very different things.

The truth is most people can’t get a grip on the three essential factors that separate those who achieve real and lasting physique transformations from those who don’t.   Most people have difficulty with the commitment; don’t grasp the importance of progression; and lack the personal accountability to achieve their weight loss and fitness goals.  Why?  Three reasons:

1.    Bad information
2.    It’s easy to cheat yourself
3.    No guidance.

So What Is The Ultimate “Secret” To Successfully and Rapidly
Achieving Your Weight Loss And Fitness Goals?

I have discovered that the ultimate secret to getting the results you want is finding a coach who understands you and provides you with an effective weight loss and exercise program and guidance, motivation, support… but most of all, a coach who makes you ACCOUNTABLE!

Dear Friend,

The huge companies stealing your money by promising impossible results if you just drink their shake, take their pill, or do 10 minutes of exercise on their wiz-bang machines are abusing your trust in the name of profits and market share.

The real truth is that most, if not all, the products they’re peddling are worthless – to you, that is. To them, the products are incredibly valuable – because they’re raking in huge profits at your expense.

• Are you sick of the hype and outright deception being fed to you by the weight loss and fitness industries?
• Are you tired of being led to believe it’s your fault when the junk they push on you doesn’t work?
• Do you want someone you can trust to tell you the truth about real, lasting weight loss and fitness, and show you how to quickly and easily adapt your eating and exercising habits so you can achieve the results you want and deserve?

If you answered “YES!” to any of these questions,then this may be the most important letter you ever read.

What I have to tell you addresses the most important issue you face – your health.  From my years of experience as a certified personal trainer and fitness coach, one critical point has been hammered home countless times: our health is the most valuable asset we have… and if it goes south, we will spend everything we have, financially and emotionally, to get it back!

Special Health & Fitness Report From:
Joseph G. Aben, CCS, CPT, MES
Owner, EIF Personal Training Studio
(410) 544-5780
www.excellenceinfitness.com

WEIGHT LOSS AND FITNESS MYTH #1:
Dieting will eliminate fat.

Your body can’t discriminate between intentional calorie deprivation (as in a diet), and starvation.  When you dramatically reduce your caloric intake, your body shifts into a protective mode by slowing your metabolism down and holding onto fat (an important energy source) and burning muscle instead.  In the beginning of a diet you WILL lose weight by dramatically cutting calories.  But it won’t be fat loss, it will be water weight and lean muscle tissue – the exact OPPOSITE of what you want to get rid of.

Not only will harsh diets slow your metabolism down to a crawl, causing your initial weight loss to come to a gradual halt, they will also inevitably bring about a “rebound” effect.  This rebound will make you even fatter than you were before starting the diet.  When you rebound, not only do you generally put on more weight than you actually lost with the diet, your percentage of body fat generally increases because your body cannibalized muscle tissue as an energy source during the dieting process.  Thus the “yo-yo” effect that almost all dieters experience.

To permanently lose the fat stores in your body, you’ve got to burn more calories and increase your metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns fuel throughout the day – even when you’re NOT exercising) with a precise exercise routine and proper nutrient ratio adaptations (that means eating the right stuff at regular intervals).  Even if you don’t exercise (but I recommend you do), just eating 5-6 small, high quality meals each day (and by a meal, I mean anything from a nutritious snack to a sit-down dinner) will substantially increase your metabolism – and you’ll burn more calories!

WEIGHT LOSS AND FITNESS MYTH #2:
Pills, powders and shakes can make you skinny.

Fat burners, diet pills, nutritional supplements – you know who gets the most out of these products? The manufacturers and sellers.  Some of this stuff is extracted from foods and has a role in nutrition, but it’s not a substitute for eating right.  And much of the “miracle” drugs you see advertised are exceedingly dangerous to you.  Don’t believe me?  The next time you see an advertisement in a weight loss magazine for one of these “miracle” products – or if you see a commercial on TV for one – read or listen to the DISCLAIMERS AND WARNINGS that accompany these ads.  A lot of this stuff is dangerous and it has no place in a healthy, permanent weight loss and fitness lifestyle.

Sure, if you’re willing to risk exposing your body to these drugs, you might be able to lose some weight – at first.  But you will experience no long-term benefits – none!  In fact, it’s really much worse than that.  “Dieting” in any form that denies your body the essential nutrients and calories it needs to function efficiently can cause you to lose weight…until you stop the diet.  And anyone who has “dieted” knows you cannot sustain the diet indefinitely.  Your body screams out for nourishment and eventually you give in.  That’s when the rebound effect begins.  You will inevitably regain all the weight you lost – PLUS SOME.  And the regained weight is predominantly fat.  During your diet your body cannibalized some of your lean muscle to use as fuel.  After the diet, your regained weight does not come back in the form of lean muscle plus some fat – it comes back almost exclusively as fat.

WEIGHT LOSS AND FITNESS MYTH #3:
A regimen of aerobic exercise will burn the most fat.

I see women who spend 4 days a week, 40 minutes at a time, on the stair-stepper, treadmill or bicycle who don’t lose weight!  I know men who run 6 miles a day who have no muscle tone and rolls of fat around their waists.  You’ve been led to believe that if you want to lose fat, all you have to do is regular aerobic exercise.  There’s more to it than that.

You must be able to monitor and control your cardiovascular intensity to maximize the number of calories you burn.  And, if aerobic exercise is not supplemented with resistance training (lifting weights) to at least maintain muscle mass, you cannot effectively accelerate the fat loss process.  Each pound of lean muscle tissue burns 35-50 calories a day while your body is at rest.  Whereas body fat is not metabolically active, so little to no fat is burned for each pound of body fat.

Therefore, a combination of properly monitored aerobic exercise and resistance training enables you to rapidly burn the maximum amount of fat. SPECIAL NOTE: This may sound like it’s involved and time consuming.  It’s not!  With the proper fitness and nutrition system in place, you can quickly burn fat, lose weight and get fit in as little as 40 minutes per session.  And in 12 weeks you can dramatically transform your body.

WEIGHT LOSS AND FITNESS MYTH #4:
Resistance training (weight lifting) doesn’t burn fat.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  Muscle is metabolically active tissue.  Fat is not.  Fat is an energy source for the body, but most people have much more than they need.  Fat does not use energy – it is used as energy.  Muscle uses energy.  Lots of it.  The more lean muscle you have, the more fat you burn.  And here’s the biggest benefit, and why everyone needs to incorporate resistance training in their exercise program: the more lean muscle you have, the more fat you burn – WHILE YOU ARE AT REST!

You see, that’s really the ultimate weight loss and fitness secret.  Looking great is not just a function of how much fat you burn when you’re working out, because you can only exercise so much in a given week.  The real secret is how metabolically active your body is the other 95% of the time.  People with more lean muscle burn fat at a much greater rate than do those with less lean muscle.  That doesn’t mean you have to look like Arnold or Madonna to be an efficient fat-burning machine.  But you do have to at least maintain – and preferably increase – your lean muscle tissue.  It’s easy with the proper resistance training program.

SPECIAL NOTE: women will NOT become “bulky” or “musclebound” by incorporating resistance training into their exercise routine.  In fact, just the opposite is true.  Lean muscle is more compact and firmer than fat.  Resistance training will make women smaller, firmer and sexier.  Women are not genetically predisposed to adding muscle “mass.”  Men, on the other hand, will gain mass and see exciting muscle growth through the proper use of nutrition and resistance training.

WEIGHT LOSS AND FITNESS MYTH #5:
Thigh reducers, tummy trimmers and body part shapers can “spot” reduce.

All over the country people are falling for infomercials touting muscle-specific exercisers for body fat reduction.  You cannot reduce your waist size by working the abdominal muscles, nor can you reduce your thighs with a thigh exerciser.  It’s a scam.  A total rip-off.  The only way to reduce body fat is by combining a precise program of supportive nutrition with the right balance of aerobic and resistance exercise.  If it sounds hard, it’s not.  It’s just hard to cut through all the lies, misinformation and total nonsense being shoved down your throat by these big, mega-buck companies attempting to further line their pockets at your expense.

“I have lost 19.4 pounds, 9.8% body fat and 4 inches (just in my stomach!) all while increasing strength and lean muscle.”
John Greene – Edgewater, MD

“Let me tell you, it has been hard work but all so REWARDING.  In just 11 weeks, I have decreased my body fat 5.6% and burned off 143/4 inches!”
Ana Dalton – Edgewater, MD

“I can’t say enough good things about Excellence In Fitness and the personal trainers there.  I lost 14.6 lbs., 33/4 inches from my waist, 21/4 inches off my hips and 4.8% of my body fat after just 12 weeks of their Body of Excellence Program.  My triglycerides went from 235 to 68!”
Debbie Sheffield – Pasadena, MD

“I feel great and can’t wait for my next Body of Excellence training session!  I lost 10.4 pounds, reduced my body fat 71/2 percent and lost 51/4 inches in my stomach in only 3 months!”
Stacy Fite – Glen Burnie, MD

“…In 6 weeks I lost 17lbs and more than 15 inches on my hips, waist, chest, and thighs. The workouts have energized me and put me on the road to success.”
Kelley Dye – Odenton, MD

“…My body fat is down 5 percent, and my cholesterol and blood pressure are back down to healthy levels.”
Mark McInnes – Severna Park, MD

“My cholesterol went from 247 to 198 – a 20% drop! Thanks so much for pushing me to excel!”
Sharon Keys Seal – Pasadena, MD

“…Three months later I now weigh what I weighed in college (eight years ago!) – I thought that would never happen again and I really feel great. I will never go to another training facility; I am sticking with the Body of Excellence program!”
Jessica Schmidt – Annapolis, MD

“I started training with Joe after having my first baby. He helped me tone and sculpt my body back into shape.”
Karen Gunsior – Annapolis, MD