Client of the Month February - *ALL STAR* - Genaro Rionda

We have another FT ALL STAR to tell you about.  In April, Genaro Rionda will have been with us for 5 years.  During those 5 years, I've learned more about Genaro other than being a great client.  

For one, he has a wonderful family.  He's always sharing stories about his granddaughter (who gets to stop by on occasion).  His wife, Sybille, has stopped by a few times and has joined us for a race.  His daughter, Sasha, trained with us for a while, and her husband, John Scott, did some great professional photography for us.

Genaro is always giving us Spanish lessons and educates us on Mexican and Spanish heritage.  Seeking his wisdom, on more than one occasion I've consulted with Genaro.  He has a wonderful business acumen from his years in the business world, most notably as CEO of LAPTV (Latin American Pay Television).

All of his values and fortitude has extended how he behaves as a client.  Always steady with his approach to exercise, Genaro never wavered even though he has a had a major back and heart surgery.  He is a testimony that no matter how bad the health problem, you can bounce back. We greatly appreciate all his wonderful years of dedication and leading by example.

Here's what he has to say:

Why do you love Fitness Together?

Intimacy, Professionalism, motivation, human quality of trainers, clear directives,

reliability.

Tell us some of the results you have achieved:

Keep in decent shape, recovered from lumbar fusion and open heart surgeries,

keep weight under control, energy level, good humor?

Do you do PACK training?  Why do you like it?

I do not; I would do it with friends or relatives.

Why do you like one on one training?

Personalized routines and attention, privacy, conversation, concentration.

Tell us about any hobbies you may have:

Watching Sports, News and Movies. Music, Lecture, Mind Puzzles, Technology.

What city and state are you from?

Born and raised in Mexico City. In Atlanta since 1996, dual nationality (American and Mexican).

Tell us about your children and/or pets:

Gladys 44 (Living in Phoenix, AZ), Genaro Jr 42 (Mexico City), Sasha 35 (Atlanta)

Grandchildren: Allexsa 19, Shania 13, Emiliano 11, Santiago 9, Stella 4 and arriving around Easter 2013 Siena.

Who is your significant other?

Sybille born in Lucerne, Switzerland. Three nationalities: Swiss, Mexican and American.

What is your favorite exercise?

Shoulders and Abdominal.

What is your favorite healthy food?

Avocado, Pistachios and Nuts in general, Apples and all fruit, Green salads.

What is your favorite “bad” food?

Cheese, Good hamburgers, Pepperoni Pizza.

What is your profession?  How Long?

MBA since 1972, general executive management, Project management, Finances, Telecommunication, Motivating Teamwork, get results.

What is your favorite movie?

The Sting, Il Postino (Foreign movies in general.

How did you discover Fitness Together?

About 5 years ago through a flyer in the mail.

December Client of the Month 2012: Alex Ferguson

Why do you like Fitness Together?

I like fitness together because the trainers are amazing and the other clients are really nice friendly people. I also like FT because I am getting taught the best way to do the exercises to get the most out of them.

Tell us some of the results you have achieved:

Some results that I have achieved are that I am eating a lot healthier and am keeping very fit; as I am not the athletic type, I don’t part take in many sports so FT is like my sport.

Do you do PACK training?  Why do you like it?

I have never taking part in PACK training before unless you count me bringing in my friend for buddy week. I enjoyed the session my friend because I felt some competition, this made me push harder than normal.

Why do you like one on one training?

I like one on one training because the trainers always pick up on my form and are always making the exercises harder. They also teach me new exercises that train muscles I didn’t know I had before.

Tell us about any hobbies you may have:

I am a multi-instrumentalist musician; I play guitar, bass and drums. I am a part of the School of Rock and play Bass in a band called The Rollos.

What city and state are you from?

I was born in Braine-l'Alleud in Belgium and moved to Vienna in Austria when I was only a couple of months old. I lived there for 5 years before moving to Ireland where I lived for 9 years. I now live in Atlanta, Georgia. But I am a British citizen as my parents are English and Scottish.

Tell us about your children and/or pets:

I have two King Charles Cavaliers called Rusty and Rollo. The band is actually named after my dog and not the chocolate.

Who is your significant other?

By significant other I assume you mean girlfriend or wife, I am currently single.

What is your favorite exercise?

My favourite exercise is definitely the standing press.

What is your favorite healthy food?

My favourite healthy food is oranges and I also love eggs on toast.

What is your favorite “bad” food?

My favourite “bad” food is chocolate, but not any kind of chocolate, it has to be British Cadburys chocolate!

What is your profession?  How Long?

I am currently a junior in high school, but I am a multi-instrumentalist, I have been playing guitar for 9 years, bass for 4 years and drums for 6 years.

What is your favorite movie?

One favourite movie is hard to choose but my favourite movies are Inception, Memento and Italian Job. I also loved the more recent movies The Dictator, Ted and Skyfall.

How did you discover Fitness Together?

My Mum was going to FT before I was and she told me about it.

Holiday Fitness is Challenging, but not a Barrier!

If you're already into fitness, or just getting started, the holiday season poses its challenges. Not only are you confronted with sweet treats on a weekly (if not daily) basis, you're schedule becomes more hectic as you try to schedule trips, tend to relatives, buy gifts, etc.  Though holiday fitness is challenging, it is only a barrier if you allow it to be.

Tips if you're already in a fitness program:

Don't quit:  Let's face it, there is a lot going on during the holidays that can throw you off track. However, that does not mean you have to quit altogether. If you miss a workout one day, reschedule it. If the boss throws in a last minute meeting during the time you were going to go workout, make-up for it by coming in at a different time and/or another day. When you're used to getting three sessions in, don't throw in the towel if you are only able to get two in this week.  As a matter of fact, you should adapt and overcome.  Just reschedule for a different day.  Do a make up day.    There is no reason to put your health and fitness goals on hold because it's the holidays.  If anything, you should have an extra day or two off from work that will allow you to make up the days you missed or add an extra day.

Remember why you're doing it:  What matters is that you keep moving forward. Getting fit and losing weight are lifetime goals. Remember that one of the reasons you exercise is to also "beat up" some stress. This is especially true during the holidays. 

Consistency. If you have an "all or nothing" attitude, be very careful as you may be setting yourself up for failure. Keep doing what you know you need to do and don't let anyone stand in your way.

Tips if you're not in a fitness program:

Procrastinate no more:  Starting a program in December can be just as good as January.  You may find that it can be a great month to get started if you have a few days off.  You know as well as I do, you are just as likely to push it off in December as you would March.  There is always a reason not to do something, you need to focus on why you should (such as health, avoid weight gain during the holidays, etc.).

Start your search:  If you're not going to start in December and you really want to get going, then you need to at least prepare yourself.  Look into what you're going to do and where.  Be sure it's not a dogmatic, quick-fix/gimmick program, but something that will work long-term (of course Fitness Together).

Set a date:  At least schedule when you're going to get started and stick to it.  Setting a goal to get started is more important than the goal itself.  Obviously, if you don't get started, you'll never reach the goal, albeit weight loss, decreased blood pressure, etc.

Have a great Holiday Season and Stay Motivated!

written by:

Kelly Huggins, A-CPT

Exercise Science, B.S.

NPTI Instructor

Fitness Together - Fitness/Nutrition Coach 

Void the Pitfalls of Food Reward!

Void the Pitfalls of Food Reward!

Many of your food behaviors stem back to childhood.  Though mama taught us to eat breakfast, she also gave us a plate of cookies with a glass of milk when you didn’t feel well.  When you made a good grade, you would take a trip to McDonald’s.  When you won a ballgame, you got ice-cream.  There always seems to be a time to celebrate or medicate with food.  This is destructive behavior.

Science also supports the notion that we create neuro-associations to food for reward, even when you’re not hungry.  This makes this behavior one of the most difficult to break, as you can find a means to reward yourself for accomplishments of which you normally would not reward.  Make sense?

For example, after a hard day at work, patting fires, and dealing with traffic, you finally make you’re way back home to end the day.  Then the little devil pops up on your your shoulder and says, “You worked really hard today! You should go get a greasy cheeseburger with fries and a shake," or it may say,  "Cupcake!”  Then the devil says, "just one more time!"  But, you know that little devil is you that's talking. The mental processes (what you're thinking) drives the physiological desire and vice versa.  You also know as well as I do that it's silly to reward yourself with something so trivial.  There's always going to be good days and bad days.  Save the celebrations.

By the way, it's also dangerous to reward yourself with food when you achieve weight loss or fitness goals too! Especially if you already have these behaviors, you will eventually find yourself going in reverse.

In order to break this negative behavior, you have to change your perspective.  In other words, you have to understand that every time you reward or treat yourself with food, you are actually punishing yourself.  When you do this, chances are you will have more bad days than good.  There are long-term consequences.  If you reward yourself with things that may actually help you relax without all the calories, chances are you will have more better days than good!

Here are some better ways to reward and de-stress yourself:

• Get a massage
• Watch a movie
• Play golf, go bowling, or play mini-golf
• Go for a run
•  Organize something, like your closet
• Listen to music
• Walk the dog
• Do some gardening

Understandably, you may not look at some of these things as rewards.  However, you have to change your attitude.  What you see in everyone of these tips is that there are no long term consequences.  If anything, you achieve a true reward.  One of the other benefits of these rewards is that it keeps your mind off of food (with exception of gardening, which is good food)!  

written by:
Kelly Huggins, A-CPT
Exercise Sci., BS
Fitness Together Expert Fitness/Nutrition Coach

The Buddy Advantage: Enlist the Help of a Workout Buddy to Stay Strong, Fit this Holiday Season

There are always temptations – skipping a workout - cocktail parties and large social gatherings centered on food – can lead you down the path of weight gain, irritability and inactivity during the cold, dark winter months. To overcome these temptations and stay focused on consistently working out and eating healthy during the holidays, you may need to enlist the help of a workout buddy. A workout buddy can help keep you motivated, dedicated and encouraged as you venture through the journey of living a healthy and fit lifestyle during the holidays and beyond.

Buddy’s Bring Accountability

It’s not just about you when you work out with a buddy. It’s about being there for your partner, showing up every workout session to give your best effort, and setting a good example of being dedicated to you and your partner’s workout success. It’s a lot harder to skip your 6 a.m. workout if you know you have a workout partner waiting for you at the gym to take a class together or someone is relying on you to show up at a local trailhead for an early morning run. It’s also a lot more difficult to “phone in your workout” by just going through the motions and not giving your all when you have a workout buddy beside you who is expending their time and energy to workout with you and give their best. A buddy is an essential resource to help keep you on track, on time and on point during your workouts.

Buddy’s Bring Camaraderie

Working out with a buddy can be a fun adventure that changes with each workout. By working out side-by-side day in and day out, you naturally will begin to build a sense of community, friendship and pride from maintaining a consistent workout schedule together, accomplishing physical and mental goals together, and living by example as to what it means to be fit and healthy. Your workout buddy can quickly become more than just someone to count your push ups or hold your feet during sit ups. Your workout buddy may become a lifelong fitness teammate and friend.

Buddy’s Bring Motivation

Whether you are a competitive person in nature or not, working out with a buddy can improve your health and fitness levels beyond what you could do alone. Buddies can help push you out of your comfort zone by encouraging you to try a new adventure, they can help increase your confidence in how you look and feel about your body by motivating you to perform at levels you never thought possible, and they can celebrate with you after a strenuous workout session that leaves you sweating and feeling good about your accomplishments. 

Need a Buddy?

Do you need help finding a workout buddy who is dedicated to looking better, feeling better and performing better during the winter season? Consider joining a small group personal training studio to workout with other like-minded individuals who are seeking real health and fitness results. Fitness Together’s PACK Small Group Training can help you elevate your fitness routine this holiday season in a fun and energetic group setting, with coaching from a Fitness Together certified trainer.

In Fitness Together’s PACK training sessions, like-minded people begin together, work together and finish together in pursuit of a common purpose and to achieve individual goals. Call Fitness Together today to pack your winter with a fun, affordable and structured health and fitness routine for you and your buddy.