So, I’m inviting you to participate in this year’s “What’s Up?” Annapolis Magazine’s ‘BEST OF’ Beauty & Fitness poll.

Please take 60 seconds to vote for Excellence In Fitness.  Voting closes March 31, 2012.

We are hoping to pull through with the most “BEST OF” votes for Excellence In Fitness for Best Personal Trainer at the Studio.

Simply follow the link below:

Cast Your Vote – Best of Annapolis 2012

Please feel free to vote for us in any other appropriate category.

Hurry, you only have until March 31, 2012.  And don’t forget to pass this email on to all of your friends!

Thanks in advance for all of your support!

Sincerely,
Joe Aben

Included with all our 1-on-1 Personal Training Programs is a complimentary nutritional consultation with Jennifer, who will create a customized nutrition plan based on your fitness and fat loss goals. Your individualized Body Of Excellence (BX) Nutrition Program works hand in hand with your BX Exercise Program and is a required element to maximize health and weight loss results.

Your nutrition program starts with Jennifer reviewing your 7-day diet inventory with you, while also explaining how making small changes as part of a well balanced diet, over time, has huge beneficial impacts on your overall lifestyle. She then creates a customized program based on a holistic approach to health, addressing not only the calories you consume but other factors, such as work schedule, family life and emotional stressors that influence your eating habits. Your team of EIF professional fitness coaches then holds you accountable to consistently following your program. Jennifer can also provide you with more in-depth, private, one-on-one nutritional sessions for an additional fee. She also offers sessions for couples and families.

Here’s how it works:
Just show up at EIF Annapolis (address above) dressed and ready to work out.  The class meets at 7:30am.  Here’s more info about the class: Wave Adventure Class

Come one, come all.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

High-Intensity Strength Training (HIT) Camp is a 10-week exercise camp for all young athletes (6th through 12th grade) looking to prepare and excel in his or her particular sport.  
 
The comprehensive camp will motivate and educate each athlete using the most productive, efficient and safest form of exercise – High Intensity Training.

HIT Camp is designed to provide each athlete with the competitive edge to minimize the risk of injury and maximize performance on the playing field.
 
We’re offering 3 different Fall HIT Camps that will take place at the Arnold studio (address above) and begin next week:
 
1.) High School Boys: Meet twice a week on Mondays & Wednesdays from 3-4pm (starting this Monday, September 12th).
Price: $300
 
2.) High School Girls: Meet once a week on Wednesdays from 4-5pm (starting Wednesday, September 14th).  Price: $150
 
3.) Middle School Boys & Girls: Meet once a week on Mondays from 4-5pm (starting this Monday, September 12th).  Price: $150
 
There is a limit of 6 athletes per group, please call immediately to register: 410.544.5780.

EIF’s Guarante- “At EIF, we guarantee a level of professional customer service and attention that will exceed your expectations. I guarantee YOU will get results! Give me 3 months, and if you do not reduce your total body fat I will give you a FULL refund.”

Joe Aben
Owner

Mary Beth Murphy
Annapolis, MD
“ I started training with Joe after having my first baby. He helped me tone and sculpt my body back into shape. During my second pregnancy I continued to train with EIF. I was nervous about weight training while pregnant, but Joe provided a routine that fit the needs of my pregnant body. Also, I always felt safe during the workouts and could let him know if we needed to slow down or adjust the routine.”

Karen Gunsior
Annapolis, MD
“As a multi-sport high school athlete, I always thought that I was in good shape. After completing 1 full year at Excellence In Fitness, I now know what it feels like to be in great shape. I’m bigger, stronger, and faster now! All of the trainers at EIF are great guys to work with and they really care if you are doing well. I can’t thank them enough for helping me realize my goals and giving me the self confidence I now have. I want to especially thank Justin Mullen for all of his help and treating me like a brother. Thanks again! ”

Kyle Clise
Queenstown, MD
“The trainers at EIF have really helped improve my strength and flexibility. Aside from my enhanced health and fitness, I have improved my golf game considerably. Since I started the ‘Body of Excellence’ program, I am hitting my irons 5-10 yards longer. I also have increased my driving distance 15-20 yards, as well as being more flexible. I am looking forward to taking my game to the “next level” with the guidance and hard work of Excellence In Fitness. ”

Ryan Foran
Edgewater, MD

Getting Started

If you have not received a physical within a year, do so. It is also a good idea to obtain a physician’s medical release for initiating a strength program. Fancy equipment and expensive shiny machines are not necessary to benefit from a well-designed strength-training workout. Usually, the machines that are the most complicated to operate do the least. Working out at home with a set of dumbbells or adjustable dumbbells (Sport Blocks or Power Blocks) and a bench or Swiss ball will do just fine. I train many people with varying fitness levels (from 80 year old stroke victims to pro athletes), and no one needs much more equipment than previously mentioned. Many quality exercises do not even require any equipment.

Keep It Simple

A complete total-body strength-training workout should take you no longer than one hour. Compound multi-joint movements such as pushups, chin-ups, and squats should be the core of your workout. Multi-joint movements stimulate the most muscular growth because they work many big muscle groups. The big range of motion from these exercises also stimulates a greater metabolic response (i.e. burns fat at a more rapid rate), as opposed to an exercise like calf raises that isolates a very specific area. I could write at great lengths about this topic, but just “keep it simple” – perform compound multi-joint movements. Seven to nine exercises are sufficient for a complete workout. In general, one set is sufficient, but two sets can be performed.

The Workout

A “set” consists of 8 to 20 repetitions using impeccable form taken to a point of momentary muscular fatigue or close to that point. A typical workout would look like this: pushups – 1 to 2 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions, chin-ups – 1 to 2 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions, squats – 1 to 2 sets of 12 to 20 repetitions, presses- 8 to 15 reps, rows – 8 to 15 reps, lunges – 12 to 20 reps, and crunches or sit-ups – 15 to 20 repetitions. Take about 3 to 4 seconds to raise the weight and 3 to 4 seconds to lower it. Make sure you allow at least 48 hours between workouts in order for your muscles to recover and grow. These are very broad and basic guidelines for setting up a strength program. I would suggest consulting a qualified strength coach or fitness professional regarding any questions you may have and or designing a more personalized strength-training regime.

It’s a simple fact–muscle burns fat. It makes sense, therefore, that stronger muscles burn fat more quickly. These muscles continue to burn calories whether we are working out or sleeping. The more lean muscle mass a person has, the more calories their body burns, even at rest. Improving lean muscle mass can have a great effect on weight loss and body fat reduction programs.

Because muscle burns more calories than fat, increasing our lean muscle mass can have a positive impact on our metabolism. As we age, our body slows down its metabolic rate, and this process starts around age 30. A big reason this slow down occurs is unless we are actively strength training, our bodies lose about 1/2 pound of muscle every year. Working on your own or with a personal trainer, you can help stop this process.

In addition to the many benefits to our health, strength training helps improve our overall appearance. A lean, toned body is obviously more appealing than a flabby body, and can help people feel more confident. Toned muscles also help you maintain better posture.

There are several reasons why people are not strength training. One reason may be that they lack the equipment, however there are simple exercises that can be done at home with inexpensive hand weights. Some people may belong to a gym, but feel uncomfortable and unsure of how to utilize the equipment. Personal trainers are available to help you maximize your workout time, and they can teach you how to use weights in your fitness program. A personal trainer is also able to tailor a program specifically to you and your body type.

Strength training just may be the most important part of your workout.