Client Spotlight: Juan Arango

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Juan is a 30 year old recent UNC graduate. We asked Juan why he came to Empower to train:

“It all started with preparation for an upcoming wedding. I visited the Empower headquarters frantic one afternoon and told Paul I needed to lose 10 pounds in 3 weeks. I now know that Paul isn’t one to stand on ceremony and immediately connected me to Empower nutritionist Cara Demu. I walked out of Empower with a bag of a 3 week Standard Process cleanse as well as an appointment the following day for a free session with Paul.

I was able to sustain my dedication to my 10 pound weight loss throughout the 3 weeks. During our consultation, Paul measured me as having 19.98% body fat at 165.4 pounds. I’m 5’10 and though the weight measured wasn’t too badly out of BMI for my height, my initial goal was to recreate my body of 10 years prior where I’d see people I hadn’t seen since then. Muscle soreness was relieved by expert massage therapist John Williford who not only restored my strained body but has always answered any questions in a professional and helpful manner.

During those 10 years, I endured a brain injury during a 3 month coma. Once I awoke, I was forced to see physical, occupational and speech therapists daily in order to return to the life I lead before. I’ve lived 5 years since then with rudimentary physical therapy and limited range of motion. Before I entered Empower, my diet was haphazard and random. Now, after seeing the benefits and awareness of what I eat as well as how good I feel every time I meet Paul for a session I don’t think I’ll ever return to my old ways.”

Juan Training with Paul

We asked Juan about his results:

“I’ve lost more than 10 lbs. since I started my regimen with Paul and Cara. I’m now at 155.4 lbs. and 16.85% body fat. My waist size has diminished from 36.5 inches to 31 and my hip size has changed from 39.75 inches to 38.75. I see Paul three times a week for an hour.

My flexibility and range of motion has increased and improved dramatically in the short time since I’ve met the Empower team. I’ve been able to move my body more freely and without resistance, e.g. running down stairs and putting pants on without a stationary surface for assistance. Also I feel that my core strength has changed — I’m able to sustain and lift heavier equipment at Empower but my sit-up ability still needs some work.”

We asked Juan how these results have made him feel:

“My natural energy level has absolutely increased. I feel less stress/anxiety since I’ve embarked on the fitness train as my use of anti-anxiety prescription drugs has diminished. My confidence has risen by bounds. I had never really used gym equipment for an extended period of time nor really knew how to use it. Thanks to Paul and the Empower team, I feel like I can do much more than ever before.”

Squats!

Finally, we asked Juan if he has any words of advice to others that are interested in attaining specific health and fitness goals:

“I never thought I’d be one of those people who cared about fitness or a proper diet. After my time with sustained diet and exercise regimes with Paul and Gina and help with better nutritional skills from Cara I hope I’m on my way to a better me. It sounds cliche, but the skills acquired and developed at Empower has provided me a brand new way of life and outlook. It’s a whole fitness universe out there ready to be tapped and enjoyed with the outcome of empowering yourself.”

As trainers we have people come in quite often with goals that are quite lofty. When Juan came in and told me he needed to lose 10 pounds in a month I had some warning signals going off in my head because many times people have expectations like this without being able to commit to the work. But I was very honest with him. I told him we could do it and wanted him to get started on our three week cleanse as soon as possible and that I’d need him to come see me three times a week for an hour on top of walking every day. He proceeded to follow all the advice we gave him and follow the cleanse 100% strict for the three weeks and, wouldn’t ya know it, he lost 10 pounds.

It’s been a pleasure to work with someone who has been through so much but is so determined to get more fit. I see progress every single time he comes in because of the stimulus we’re putting his body through and the adaptations that are happening. Pushups seemed impossible when we first met. We’ve now worked up to the point where Juan can do a few. Squats took some getting used to but learning them has changed his life. Approximately two weeks after we started working together Juan reported being able to squat down and obtain something from the bottom shelf of a grocery store with ease, something that would have been very uncomfortable in the past.

I’m thrilled that Juan has had such good results from working with Empower. We educated him on what to do in the kitchen and put him to work in the gym. Ultimately he had the discipline to follow through with the diet and my walking recommendation. Through all of these things he’s achieved his initial goal and more.

Paul Piracci, BS CSCS

Paul brings a background of athletics and education to the Empower team. He believes that wellness should be viewed as a blended lifestyle that balances nutrition, a healthy mind, and fitness which incorporates fun recreational activities. For more information about Empower Personal Training please call (919) 401-8024.

One Man and Paleo (Day 0)

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So if you haven’t heard, this week Empower Personal Training is doing a week long nutrition challenge using the Paleo Diet. The gist of the diet is that if you can pick it and eat it raw or kill it it’s fair game (pun intended). So, no legumes (that includes peanuts), no processed foods, no processed carbs like bread (you’re welcome to eat all the uncooked grain you want but I’m not sure your stomach will like that.) Dairy should be keep to a minimum and you can sprinkle in some nuts. But mostly it’s lean meats, raw fruits and vegetables (cooking the meat is good but try to keep most of the veggies raw.)

I’m doing the challenge because I’m hoping it’ll jump start a nutrition/fitness program for me that has been lacking due to injuries for the last two years (yeah, believe me, it’s not been fun.) I’m still in the injured category but things are starting to come aroundand as the winter hits the tendency is to become more sedentary. I’m betting that this kickstarts some good stuff for me and sends me into the winter months ready.

I’ll be blogging every day this week to talk about how it’s going. Each day I’ll describe what and how much I ate plus how it may be effecting me physically and/or emotionally (goodbye to bread is going to make me grumpy.)

Stay tuned for all the fun.

Mike

Mike Babbitt, M.F.A, M.A., CSCS

USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Master Trainer

Mike is a Master Level trainer at Empower Personal Training. He has a unique approach to fitness that combines his scientific foundation of research and applied exercise physiology with his artistic experience as a professional stage actor. For more information about Empower Personal Training please call (919) 401-8024

Sticking to the Routine

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Sticking to a routine isn’t always easy. In fact, it’s hardly ever easy unless the routine doesn’t require us to do much work. For instance, if I lived in Barbados, I think I could gladly start up the routine of getting up every day to chill in beach chair under some palm trees. Or better yet, in a hammock between two palms. That wouldn’t be too hard. I’d have to get up to go to the cooler every now and then, but hey…you have to throw exercise in there somewhere right?

But alas, life isn’t about doing much of nothing at the beach or while on vacation. It’s about (or at least it should be) being dedicated, setting goals, and striving for success. In order to that, it’s vital that we have some sort of schedule and/or routine that effectively gets us where we want to go. Setting a schedule and sticking to a routine is something that helps us in just about every aspect of life. Studies show that those who make short and long term goals as a part of those routines are more successful in life. If you don’t believe me, then just look it up. It’s just a fact.

Of course, when it comes to our health and wellness, the same scenario applies. However, most people would agree that this is one area of life in which routines are hardest to set. We are all busy and we all have so much going on. Usually, when you add up all of your responsibilities, be it work, family, pets, school, or other extracurricular commitments, there isn’t much time in the day to spend on you. I know many people who have tried to start a fitness plan so that they can get in better shape or lose weight, only to fall off of the track within a few months. A common reason is that “I just can’t find the time to exercise and eat right,” or “I’m just not seeing the results that I want.” Of course, 100% of the time, the second excuse is a direct effect of the first excuse.

Well with that said, I decided to do a quick search on a few tips that can help us stick with our workout schedule. Although it requires a lot of effort on our part, the rewards are definitely worth it in the end. Here are a few highlights from a recent article as well as the link if you want to check the article out in more depth. I’ve also included a second link, which references a USA Today article on tips for effective weight loss.

Enjoy!

Tips to help you stick to your exercise routine.

Step 1

Set multiple small goals instead of large or unrealistic goals. Work in stages to achieve your goals and work from a place of positive reinforcement, rather than feeling frustrated and giving up.

Step 2

Pay for a gym membership, personal trainer or exercise class. Making a financial commitment can help you stay motivated.

Step 3

Carve out time from your busy schedule to hit the gym or go for a brisk walk. Write it down in your planner and treat it like any other important appointment and get down to the business of getting fit.

For additional steps, click HERE

For some neat tips on effective weight loss, click HERE

Hammock Chilln' - Good Beach Routine

Beach Burpees - Better Routine

Jamie Ives, MA, CSCS

Jamie has several years of experience in the fitness industry, working with clients of various ages, ability levels, and health conditions. He enjoys using his knowledge as well as his experience in exercise prescription and program design to help each of his clients reach their individual wellness goals and improve their quality of life. For more information about Empower Personal Training, please call (919) 401-8024

Strength Training for Women

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Since women spend so much time taking care of others we figured we would take the month of May to celebrate them with a few good blog posts on women’s health.

Here are some articles I love:

http://www.womenfitness.net/top10_misconception_bodybuild.htm

http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/training-articles/what-women-should-never-do-but-often-do-while-trying-to-get-in-shape-part-1-of-6/

http://figureathlete.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_45_minute_workout

http://figureathlete.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/how_strong_are_your_glutes_really

Happy Mother’s Day and happy lifting!

Cool Online Articles

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Recently I’ve come across some cool articles with good information.

Here is a blog post by my friend and Parkour coach, Colin Pistell. He talks about the popular imagery in various gyms, websites, and tattoos that depict what he calls the “death aesthetic.”

Speaking of the death aesthetic, t-nation is full of blood-red symbols and hardcore pictures that scare little children and adults away from exercise. Fortunately for us, they have some good columnists and Dan John is always worth checking out. Here is an article he wrote about a great exercise, the kettlebell swing.

Somewhere in time I came across a website dedicated to the memory of Dr. George Sheehan, a cardiologist, runner, and philosopher. This is an essay he wrote called “Life is not a Spectator Sport.” He speaks of the dangers of being sedentary.

We should always question the reasons behind why we do the things we do. Here is an article that may have you question whether or not organic foods are superior to non-organic.

Paul Piracci, BS CSCS

Paul brings a background of athletics and education to the Empower team. He believes that wellness should be viewed as a blended lifestyle that balances nutrition, a healthy mind, and fitness which incorporates fun recreational activities. For more information about Empower Personal Training please call (919) 401-8024.