FAQ

1. How many days per week do I need to work out?

Depending on your health and fitness goals, you'll need to commit to a minimum of 4 days of exercise each week to see results. Any fewer than that and each workout will feel like you're starting all over again each and every time. 

2. What should I eat before a workout?

Ideally, you should have some form of fuel in your system before you work out. Eating an easily digested carbohydrate an hour or so before you hit the gym ensures that you'll have enough energy in the tank to get through your program. Try fruit and yogurt or toast and peanut butter; not too much or you'll feel sluggish and heavy. 

3. What should I eat after a workout?

Eating after a workout is very important. You need to replenish your glycogen stores and 'feed' the muscles that you've just trained. I suggest that you eating a small snack consisting of protein and easily digested carbohydrates within about an hour of training and then your next meal an hour or two later. Protein bar, Protein shake, Egg whites or Chicken breast are highly recommended.

4. Why can't I just do cardio?

While cardiovascular training is great for building strong hearts and lungs, it doesn't provide the stimulus your body needs to build bigger, stronger muscles and bones. Why? Our bodies adapt fairly quickly to the load, we ask them to move; unless you're gaining weight, your legs will always be subject to the same load and moving that load through the same but limited range of motion.

Adding strength training to your program allows you to (1) increase the load on your legs, (2) change the range of motion you move your joints through and (3) target muscles that you don't typically use during cardiovascular training.

5. How frequently should I see a trainer?

The ideal frequency of personal training sessions varies from person to person. Just getting started with exercise and healthy eating? Need regular motivation and support to get to the gym? Not achieving the fitness goal? Have an injury that you're working through? You'll probably need to see a trainer twice/thrice or more each week.  

6. How quickly will I see the results of my training?

Expect to FEEL the results of your training sooner than you SEE them. People who start a new exercise program and are consistent in getting their workouts done typically report improvements in sleep, mood and energy levels within two to three weeks. Changes in body composition often take longer to notice; the more consistent you are with your programs and the closer you adhere to your nutrition plan, the sooner the results will become noticeable (to you and to others too!).

7. Why don't my workouts ever get easier?

You'd think that as your body becomes stronger and more familiar with the exercises, your workouts would start to feel easier. Indeed, many people who 'do it alone' in the gym report exactly this. When exercises are progressed frequently and consistently, the body never truly adapts to the workout, making each feel just as challenging as the one before.

A qualified personal trainer knows how to progress your training plan to keep your body guessing and moving forward at a reasonable pace. When my clients lament that their workouts seem to be just as challenging as they were in the beginning, I know that I'm doing my job well!

8. Which should I do first; cardio or weights?

While there's some evidence suggesting that if you're doing both in a single session "weights before cardio"  leads to faster fat loss, for most people the outcome will be the same regardless of which they do first. If you have a strong preference for one over the other (perhaps you find weights too taxing after cardio? or getting on a cardio machine too boring after you've done your strength workout), go with it. Whatever it takes to get your workout done. 

9. What's the best diet for weight loss/weight gain?

The short answer? Any diet you can stick with for as long as it's going to take. Studies have shown that regardless of the diet followed, adherence is the only thing that predicts success.

Beware of any diet that promises rapid weight loss (and expects you to consume fewer than 1000 calories per day); although you may lose a few pounds in the beginning, chances are you'll be unable to stick to it long term. When it comes to weight loss, slow, steady and sustainable are key.

10. I've never exercised before, is strength training safe for me?

Strength Training is mostly safe for everyone, As long as you start slowly, and do not try to progress too quickly, you will find wonderful benefits from weight lifting. 

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