Anyone that has trained with me KNOWS that I want you to be “sore but functional” the day following training. Being overly sore is not the goal since you should be able to do everything you want and need to do, but you should be reminded that you trained those muscles the day before because you are now the owner of a “good soreness.”

Ok, so I met my goal of making sure you worked hard enough to produce soreness, which will result in the muscles having to become stronger to adapt to the increased demands being placed upon them — what about you and this soreness I caused?  It should be quite livable if I gauged it right and you will not be limited in your activities, but it can be eased a bit . . .

Ice is always a good bet since it helps to reduce inflammation. However, I recommend beginning with heat – to loosen the muscle and induce a good blood flow. For best results, use a hot-water bottle with a damp washcloth between it and your skin. This “moist heat” will penetrate about 10% deeper than dry heat. You can also use a heating pad as a decent 2nd choice.The heat should be applied for 15 – 20 minutes.

Note: It is not a good idea to use “Icy Hot”, “Ben Gay” or any of the other topical ointments as a heating source. They don’t produce any real heat and what you feel is the effect of your skin being irritated – that’s what these ointments use to produce a heating sensation — skin irritants. They are of NO REAL USE.

After heating the sore area, massage is the next step. Massaging the affected area for 5 – 10 minutes will also help to increase blood flow and stimulate recovery in the area. Follow up with 20 minutes of a bag of frozen peas or corn – again with a washcloth under it, to complete the therapy. This entire procedure can be repeated an hour later if desired.

As another step you can take, anti-inflamatories such as Aleve (Naproxin sodium), tylenol or aspirin are often beneficial as a temporary help and many doctors advise their use. ALWAYS drink a large glass of water with any of these or any meds. In fact, increasing your water intake can often be helpful as well.

Hopefully, your training is gauged correctly and the soreness is just enough to know you trained hard enough, but won’t hamper your “pursuit of happiness!” For help in making sure you’re doing it right, contact me through this website,l or call me anytime @ 443 752-9928. Help is just around the corner and I’ll be glad to make it happen.

This will be brief. The training just got better at my Bel Air/Forest Hill area personal training studio! I just got off the phone after investing quite a bit of $$$ to make YOUR life . . . well, maybe not easier, but nicer!

I have purchased new equipment which is already well built and paid to upgrade it even further. Once it arrives and is installed, many more training options and exercises will become available and the motions will be extremely smooth and natural. Since virtually all of the people training here are currently experiencing big improvements in health, strength and appearance, the results could conceivably become phenomenal. Become one of them!

Don’t miss out on the best training value in Harford County. You’ll have the best trainer, the latest and best equipment, a wealth of knowledge at your disposal, it will always be fun and all for the best price around. Remember, when you train with me, the gym is free. It just cost me a bundle, but costs you nothing extra!

Get in touch now!

443 752-9928

www.harfordfitness.com

daves_training@yahoo.com

You read that right. By popular request, I have opened my home gym for those who lack the equipment, space, etc. to work out at their own home. It’s private, less expensive, clean, equipped and you will have everything you need to ensure a tremendous workout . . . you won’t have to wait for any equipment either!

My home gym is in a beautiful setting in Forest Hill with scenic vistas in every direction – as long as you are looking outside! The gym is not scenic – it’s designed with getting the most productive workouts possible in mind! If you have to have chrome, skylights and pretty girls parading around in leotards, you won’t find those here. However, you will have access to a gym that meets every need, ensures your complete privacy and a trainer who is focused solely on you, making sure every repetition, every set, every exercise and every session moves you consistently closer and closer to your goal. I have literally TONS of weight – more than anyone could ever lift. I have multiple benches, machines designed for different uses, exercises you’ve never seen using equipment you’ve never used, and outdoor options which can leave you gasping for air! It’s just not glamorous! But then, it’s free when you train with me, so the price can’t be beat!

To recap, by training here, you won’t have to pay any gym membership fees, you never have to wait for equipment, your privacy is guaranteed and you will always have the complete focus of your trainer while getting the best workout possible.  My goals are whatever YOUR goals are! My knowledge, experience and methods are unparalleled in Harford County and the surrounding area. In addition, you will be getting the best price available for the training you chose. Check it out and see that this is the best deal out there!

www.harfordfitness.com daves_training@yahoo.com            443 752-9928

Dave is now available for public speaking engagements!

In modern day America, couch potatoes far outnumber the people who take their health seriously enough to exercise and eat right. Even though some people think they have the knowledge to ensure their fitness and well-being, few actually do have this knowledge . . . are far fewer put it into practice. Knowing that you need to chose wisely when preparing your meals and knowing that you should exercise,does little when you don’t have the proper tools to do those things correctly. Many have come to me and learned the what, why, when and hows so that they are far better prepared to make the right decisions, but – despite my nearly full schedule – most people lack this knowledge and allow their fitness and health to slowly and subtly slip away.

HELP HAS ARRIVED!

In an effort to help improve the health of our out-of-shape society, I am now adding Health and Fitness lectures to my services. Covering topics such as ensuring proper nutrition, strength and resistance training, shedding excess fat, bodyshaping and bodybuilding, improving your health, overall fitness training, endurance training, and other topics, I will be able to reach far more people who need this information. Designed with larger organizations in mind, I can also teach smaller groups or tailor topics to focus on a specific need or needs. Organizations can sometimes reduce health care costs when getting this information out to employees. Getting a professional to teach you can only help your people.

Groups desiring to take advantage of this opportunity should contact me via this site @ www.harfordfitness.com, my email @ daves_training@yahoo.com or phone me @ 443 752-9928. Prices available upon request

Here’s a couple of “easy to make” recipes I suggest to many of my clients.  These recipes are versatile and can be used as part of a weight loss plan or incorporated into an otherwise healthy diet.

Outstanding oatmeal

1/4 cup steel cut oats

1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 – 2 packets of sweetener to taste (NO aspartame or sugar)

7/8 cup water

small handful of raisins

1/2 cup low fat (preferably skim) milk

In a fairly LARGE microwave safe bowl, combine  the oats, protein powder, cinnamon and sweetener.  Thoroughly stir them together BEFORE ADDING WATER so the protein powder doesn’t clump. Then stir in the water and microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes. Briefly stir, then nuke for another 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and add in the raisins and 1/2 cup of skim milk. When it’s cool enough to eat . . . ENJOY!

This recipe is a great way to start your day. It provides a great supply of protein, a great supply of the very best carbs, lots of fiber and plenty of various other nutrients with very little fat. It tastes GREAT and I’ve yet to hear anything but positives from all the people who have tried it. In addition, you’ll probably notice an energy boost for a while after eating this — all for around 300 calories! You can substitute a banana for the cinnamon and raisins for variety.

Tremendous tuna

1 can tuna (packed in water – NOT in oil)

1 tsp sweet pickle relish

1/4 cup plain quick oats

1 tbsp low fat mayo

Drain off the excess water from tuna — don’t squeeze out much, you’ll want the extra moisture! In a mixing bowl, combine tuna, oats, relish and mayo. Mix well taking the time to ensure the oats are well covered. They will absorb moisture from the extra water in the tuna, the mayo and the relish. After thoroughly mixing, spread 1/2 the mixture on 1 slice of 100% whole wheat bread. I like a cup of coffee with this!

Once again, you’re getting great supplies of protein and carbs. The fats are low, it tastes great and it’s filling. Better yet, you can have the 2nd half of this later as your mid afternoon snack (with or without bread). Recently, I didn’t have any relish available, but substituted homemade bread and butter pickles with great results! Calories are under 200 per serving – plus bread if you use it.

Oatmeal is your friend. It’s health benefits have been known for some time now. To get the best benefit, use the variety that takes the longest to cook. It requires about 20 minutes which many people – including me – won’t use. I use the steel cut oats because you still get those great benefits but less than half the time. For the tuna, use the quick cook variety oatmeal. I usually avoid the flavored quick cook packet style oatmeals. Those varieties lose much of their healthful benefits when the are refined to make them quick cooking. They also tend to add too much sugar to make them taste better. You can do it better and healthier by buying plain and adding fruit (the protein powder helps a lot too).

I hope these help!

It’s been a few weeks since my last article, but it was part of a series on weight loss. As we discussed, you must burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight. That will be easier to achieve if your metabolism is boosted to burn calories faster. Here, I’ll give you a couple ways to do just that.

After sleeping all night, your metabolism – upon waking – is as slow as it gets. If you get up and slowly putter through the daily routine of getting dressed and sitting down to breakfast, driving to work and sitting behind a desk most of the day — your metabolism, though faster than it was upon waking, isn’t humming along fast enough to burn copious amounts of calories. You can improve that if you can find a way to add an additional 20 minutes to your morning routine for an easy, but effective, exercise sequence done this way . . .

The beginning routine is simple and it is to be performed right after you get up (yes, you can go to the bathroom first and put on some clothes if you need to!) This is one time you SHOULD exercise BEFORE YOU EAT. There are 3 exercises to be performed – in any order – with no break between exercises. The exercises are the squat (aka -deep knee bend), the abdominal crunch, and the push-up. You are to perform 5 repetitions of each exercise at the beginning of every minute . . . for 20 minutes. For example, let’s say you begin at exactly 6:00am by doing 5 push ups, 5 crunches and 5 squats and then look at the timing device you are using to see when the next sequence starts at 6:01am. You do 5 more reps of each exercise and rest again until 6:02am when you begin again . . . and so on for 20 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, you will have done 100 reps for your lower body, 100 reps for your core and 100 reps for your upper body (if you are able, you should increase the number of reps for each exercise). You will probably be breathing a bit harder and sweating because you also got a bit of a cardio workout too — AND YOUR METABOLISM WILL BE HUMMING ALONG!  NOW, you can take a shower and go get breakfast!

By the end of the day, your metabolism likely has slowed down and will need another boost. An excellent way to do this is by walking briskly for 1/2 hour or so in the evening. Just when many Americans have eaten dinner and are plopping down on the couch for an evening of watching TV, you can get in another easy cardio session which will jump your metabolism for the rest of the evening by doing something that simple. Remember though, this is to be a brisk walk — not a slow stroll!

As always, if you have any questions, contact me via phone 443 752-9928 or through my website www.harfordfitness.com and I’ll help you!

Most people know that cutting calories and beginning an exercise program can aid them in losing weight . A very big part of the equation is water intake. For your exercise program to be most effective, you need to get enough water.

Water does a number of things which make dieting and exercise work best. It helps to suppress the appetite by making you feel fuller (esp so if combined with high fiber foods). Your body sometime mistakes a need for water by making you think you’re hungry when a glass of water would have provided what you needed. Water also aids weight loss by helping you to metabolize fat and pass it through the kidneys (instead of clogging them if  enough water isn’t present). If your body often “holds water,” the best thing you can do to reduce that is to drink more water! That’s right, drinking MORE water signals to your body that it is getting enough water so it does need to “hoard” the smaller amounts it was getting before.  Before contests during my competition years, my body was finely tuned and would quickly respond to small changes in my diet. My bodyweight would fluctuate my up to 2 lbs per day – I weighed the most when I drank the least.

Failure to get enough water can lead to dehydration. Experiencing thirst is often the first sign of approaching dehydration. If you always stay hydrated, you usually won’t experience thirst. If you are low on water, fatigue can accompany that and you won’t feel much like exercising. If you mistake this need for water for hunger, then you can arrive home dehydrated, without exercising and grab something to eat that you didn’t need – a triple whammy!

It’s long been recommended to get 8 8oz glasses of water each day – significantly more if you’re exercising or sweating. Endurance athletes often try to drink 2 gallons of water – or more – per day as it helps to increase their endurance.I’ve noticed a definite improvement in my own endurance by increasing my water intake. As a general rule, try to get 1/2 oz of water for each pound of bodyweight. If you are drinking significantly less than this amount, don’t try to go there overnight. Increase the amounts over a week or so. When you body realizes that it will be getting all it needs, you’ll need to have access to a bathroom on a frequent basis until your body adjusts – and it will.

This has been a brief overview of water intake and there are more reasons to drink water and ways to increase it. Contact me for more information. 443 752-9928