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

We deliver guaranteed results by instilling our trademark Body of Excellence program that features a holistic and progressive approach to each client’s individual goals, needs, limitations and current fitness level.

We take a very “hands-on” approach where one of our certified professional fitness coaches expertly teaches, motivates and guides you to maximize every movement of every repetition of every exercise of every workout.

Before getting into our intensive Body of Excellence exercise program, we perform an evaluation for every client – which includes a baseline intake of full body circumference measurements, current bodyweight and body fat…as well as a nutritional assessment.

The nutritional component of our BX program is just as important if not more important than the exercise component. That’s why we make it a requirement for all our clients participating in the 1-on-1 program to follow a customized meal plan AND we hold them accountable to eating properly on a consistent basis to maximize the fitness results.

I developed the Body of Excellence program after years of extensive research, practical application and personal experience with fitness experts, coaches and colleagues.

I developed the 1-on-1 component of the BX program to answer the growing need for integrating a safe, productive and most importantly individualized fitness and lifestyle plan for each person….something I discovered and felt was severely lacking after working in a massive commercial health club for 2 years.

I saw so many people in this meat market environment getting lost in the shuffle…people needing, in fact, craving personal and professional attention. I thought “why do you need to be intimidated or embarrassed to exercise?” EVERY ONE desiring to improve one’s health, fitness or lifestyle deserves better.

There is NO unsupervised exercise at Excellence In Fitness. Every client has a scheduled appointment time with one of our certified fitness professionals every visit to one of my studios. We meet with clients anywhere from 2 to 5 times a week with our 1-on-1 program.

We are so confident in the success each one of our clients will get following the Body of Excellence program that we back our 1-on-1 program with a 100 percent money-back guarantee.

If any of those problems have your training regimen at a standstill, or if motivation, lack of accountability, or simply knowing where to start has you in a training rut, a personal trainer may be your answer. A qualified personal trainer has the expertise to guide you in the direction you need to go to accomplish your goals. As your trainer becomes more involved in your training, he can suggest changes that may be slowing your progress, such as dietary or rest habits. In addition, if your present routines do not fit your goals he can adjust your program. He knows different routes to the same destination, thus you won’t be bored. The two of you can devise routines that include short and long-term goals in order to motivate you. Your mutual interest in your progress makes you accountable to him.

The training agenda she plans for you will challenge you, as she urges you to set higher standards for yourself on a regular basis. If you enjoy working out at home, she will teach you the art of exercising alone. In addition, if you have an old injury, or present health problem, she can adjust your regimen to compensate for them. Your personal trainer will be well-versed in programs that produce the best results, in the least time, with the lowest risk of injury. Thus, he will be familiar with high intensity strength training, which meets that criteria, and was developed in the 1970’s for professional athletes. You will find access to more information about high intensity strength training, and other physical fitness questions at excellenceinfitness.com.

A story in Newsweek in 2001 highlighted the story of Dr. Philip Alexander, who had run 60 miles a week for 10 years. Then he discovered Super Slow, and switched to spending just 20 minutes a week exercising-and he still managed to shed 20 pounds and shrink his waist by four inches.

For those un-indoctrinated to the Super Slow method, it requires spending a significantly longer time to lift and contract a weight – 7 to 10 seconds to contract, another 5 to 7 seconds to return the weight to the starting position. Compare that to the much more typical 4 to 5 seconds the typical person spends on the entire movement. The theory is that Super Slow works the muscle more completely and deeply, enabling a person to walk away with a much fuller and comprehensive workout in a fraction of the time.

Backing up the Super Slow theory are several studies, one of which published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness in 2000. Researchers in that study trained two groups two or three times per week for eight to 10 weeks, all performing one set of 13 exercises on a Nautilus circuit. The key difference between the two groups: rep speed. One group did 10 to 12 regular speed reps and the other used Super Slow lifting of 14 seconds for the entire movement. The study showed that the slow lifters gained more strength than regular speed lifters by 50 percent.

That’s no small difference.

Anecdotally, I’ve heard stories of amazing results from slowing down weight lifting reps from my clients. At EIF, we believe that performing weight lifting slowly is an important aspect to working the muscle as deeply as possible and creating a comprehensive workout. While I don’t use “Super Slow” as a standard workout protocol – I prefer our clients spend five seconds contracting a weight and five seconds returning the weight to the starting position – I do sometimes use a Super Slow workout to change the client’s routine and challenge their muscles.

Excellence in Fitness is continuously searching for new ways to challenge our clients’ bodies, both as a way to keep the muscles from “memorizing” a certain routine and to keep the workouts fresh and new. We don’t look for the latest fads in exercise, but work in time-honored techniques that break the traditional mold for working out. This includes total body personal training sessions that deliver results superior to what our clients have seen with more traditional personal training techniques such as three sets per exercise using less weight and cardio workouts. Excellence in Fitness’ workouts provide a cardio workout and a weight lifting routine, all in a 45- minute-or-less block of time.

A key part of our exercise regimen is approaching each movement slowly with special attention to positioning and technique. Our clients lift each weight in a controlled, slow motion, working the muscle deeper, creating more muscular inroads from deep within the muscle fiber.

A personal trainer can guide you through the motions of beginning a strength training workout. A trainer can formulate a program that suits your body type and lifestyle needs. With a personal trainer, you can easily integrate a workout into your schedule, so you can remain steadfast in your efforts. A trainer can also teach you the basics of strength training in an easy to understand format. The knowledge you receive from your trainer can carry you into future phases of your workout.

Before getting started on a strength training regimen, it is a good idea to consult a physician. Once you have received permission from your doctor to begin the program, start off with a simple routine that will allow you to commit. A personal trainer can design a beginner’s program for you. As a beginner, it is not necessary to utilize complicated equipment. You can use strength balls or free weights, but many beginning exercises will not require any extra weight.

A good initial workout should include full range of motion exercises like chin-ups, pushups, squats, and leg lunges. This will allow you to burn fat more quickly than working on smaller, isolated muscle groups. You can also incorporate abdominal exercises like crunches into the program. Each exercise should be performed in set of eight to ten repetitions. Initially, you will only need to do one set of each. A beginner’s workout should take less than one hour and should be done every other day.

If you want to begin a successful strength training regimen, consider working with a personal trainer. A trainer can personalize your workout, so you can achieve maximum results.

If you’re taking your training program into your own hands, you should be a personal fitness trainer or be well-versed in physical education techniques yourself. If you’re a layperson when it comes to adequately having your body trained for an active sports regimen, and you’re going it alone, then you’re flirting with serious injury unless you are a die hard researcher and have a firm grasp on the hazards of not being trained properly for an athletic program.

Personal Training For Teens

A higher percentage of teenagers are regularly active in sports than are adults. Most are doing athletics through school programs, at both the high school and college level, and require personal training–either through the school, or provided by parents. Personal trainers understand the different needs of teens versus adults, and can also help boost youngsters’ overall health, self esteem, and positive attitude–ultimately making them better candidates for winning competitions and being better performers in team sports.

Everyday Personal Fitness Training

Any of us in western society could benefit from having a personal trainer, as unhealthy foods and lifestyles have made most of us unfit physically. It seems like a sport in and of itself just staying on top of health issues and remaining fit, on even a basic level. This is where a personal trainer can benefit you–even if just for a 2 week or month-long period–to help you drop pounds, lower blood pressure, and feel better overall. Most personal fitness trainers can work with you if you’re on a budget, and you’ll be glad you spent the money when friends, family, and co-workers do a double take and say, “Wow, you look great!”

Sometimes all we need is that little kick start–that force that acts upon us to motivate us to make things happen. A personal trainer is your best friend when it comes to being fit and healthy–and ready for regular sporting activities.

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.

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.

“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!”