Every day people come into our fitness boot camps for women full of excitement to start losing weight, getting healthier, and seeing real changes in the shape of their bodies. They are all pumped and have serious fitness plans all set. They are ready for action! So, why is it that after a few sessions many of these women start to drop off, never to be seen again? Why is it that we get a surge of participants for our weight loss boot camps around the turn of a new year when New Year’s resolutions are hot, but half of those new-recruits or less remain come March or April?

It’s because people have an uncanny knack of sabotaging their own fitness plans. Sometimes the sabotage starts from the moment they set the plans in motion. As they walk into our fitness boot camps for women full of hope and motivation, they are unknowingly working against themselves. Let’s consider exactly how they sabotage themselves so you can avoid their mistakes at all costs.

#1 Sabotage Sin: Their goals are unrealistic.

If you set goals that you cannot possibly reach you are setting yourself up for failure before you even take action to give it a try. All too often we get new members in our fitness boot camps for women who are just setting their goals too high. They are trying to push themselves to the extremes to see fast results, but in the end they burn out before any real progress can be made. If you want to be successful with your fitness plan, make sure that your goals are realistic. It’s great to give yourself something to reach for and really challenge yourself with, but make sure it is possible to achieve your plan without killing yourself in the process or making sacrifices you aren’t really ready to make.

#2 Sabotage Sin: They get trapped in all-or-nothing thinking.

This is something else that becomes apparent with some people in our weight loss boot camps. They think they have to do the entire workout at top intensity, completing the most intense versions of every movement, or it isn’t worth attending. In their mind they have to go all out and kill themselves or completely stay home. There is no middle ground. There are going to be days when you just don’t want to attend a fitness boot camp for women. Some days you will be dragging your feet as if they are made of lead, and that is okay. What’s important is that you get to your weight loss boot camp regardless. It’s the discipline and commitment of being there at all that counts on those rough days. If you stay home because you can’t give it your all, it will only be harder to drag yourself there the next day. Remember, fitness is not an all-or-nothing plan. It’s a plan that requires just getting the job done whether your heart is in it or not.

#3 Sabotage Sin: They follow a great workout up with horrible foods.

Attending fitness boot camps for women is an awesome thing for your body, but if you are eating a greasy McMuffin on your way to the workout or filling up at the buffet later in the day, you are holding your body back. You are undoing much of the progress that was made toward a healthier body. You are making it more difficult for your body to move through the next boot camp.

Weight loss boot camps are notorious for being held bright and early in the morning. How does 6 A.M. sound for a fitness beating of grueling drills that last for an hour? While it doesn’t sound all that pleasant, there is sound reasoning behind these early-calls for most fitness boot camps for women in NYC.

While it’s nice to blame the trainers and just assume they make the early start times as another way of torturing you, the fact is those early start times overcome the most common excuses women have for not exercising consistently.

How many times have you complained that you simply don’t have enough time in your day to hit the gym? How often do you swear to workout after work, only to find that by the time your family is cared for you are just too exhausted? Fitness boot camps for women in NYC overcome all of these dilemmas by getting the workouts completed first thing in the morning.

More women are able to fit these weight loss boot camps into their schedule because they can get it done prior to going to work or before the kids wake up!

So, how do you go about actually getting yourself out of bed for that super early morning weight loss boot camp?

1. Give yourself time to hit the snooze button.

If you are famous for hitting the snooze button until you don’t have time to make it to that weight loss boot camp on time, set your alarm at least a half hour earlier than you actually need to be up.Set the snooze alarm to resound about every 5 minutes rather than in longer increments. This way you will be able to hit snooze at least six times before you are late getting up. You will eventually get annoyed by constantly having to re-hit the button, and will get up in most cases!

2.  Put the alarm clock far away from your bed.

You shouldn’t be able to roll over and turn the alarm off without fully waking up. Put the alarm way across the room, preferably where you will have to reach up high or bend down low to turn it off. If you have to make that trip every time the snooze button goes off you are more likely to wake up than fall back to sleep over and over. Just make sure the volume is up very loud so there is no ignoring the alarm.

3. Enlist someone to get up with you, or even participate.

If you have someone waiting at the weight loss boot camp for you, there is less risk of you bailing out to sleep. Get someone to either call and talk to you until you are up and moving around or to participate in a weight loss boot camp along with you. Taking turns driving one another to the boot camp will ensure you both make it out of bed.

4. Be consistent with your sleep schedule.

The best thing you can do for yourself when participating in fitness boot camps for women is to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day, whether you have a weight loss boot camp to attend or not.

What are they doing in those fitness boot camps in New York City’s Central Park? Personal training is far different today than it was years in the past. Due to the tough economic times, some of the best personal trainers in NYC are now moving away from the typical one-on-one personal training format in favor of  less expensive group sessions.

Although you will be working in a group format you will still get the same results as you would from working in a private personal training gym in NYC. The only difference is the cost and lack of the personal one on one attention.

If you’re curious as to what fitness boot camps in Central Park NYC are all about, consider just a handful of moves often used to deliver tighter buns, toned arms, a strong core and the boost in confidence that often comes with those things!

Squat Cycles:

Squats are rather old school, but they remain a staple for personal training sessions because they are a great way to firm up the buns and thighs. You can do them in any leg position, but many personal trainers running fitness boot camps in Central Park put them into cycles utilizing different leg positions for maximum impact.

For instance, you may start out squatting with your legs together then jump your legs as wide apart as you can comfortably go for a plie squat, jumping them back together to end with another set of squats with your legs together.

Walking Lunges:

 Lunges are also used in our fitness boot camps in Central Park NYC to target the buns and thighs. You step one leg forward and bend both legs down toward the ground, raising back up and swinging the back leg out in front to squat down again. You keep going, often lunging your way across an open field or from a start point to a given end point.

Circuits:

Our top personal trainers at our  fitness boot camps in NYC make use of circuit movements that work the thighs, buns, arms, chest and many other muscles throughout the body one right after the other.

For instance, you may start with a set of push ups, followed by a set of walking lunges, followed by bicep curls and finish off with tricep extensions. Repeat this circuit 3 more times with minimal rest between sets. The theory behind this practice is that you  give rest to one area of the body while working another, all while still keeping the heart rate up. This is a very effective way to burn off more calories in a shorter period of time while toning those key areas. Our top personal trainers in NYC can put together an infinite variety of these circuits that can tighten and tone those areas of concern.

Bicycle Crunches:

 These are an effective form of crunches because they target the upper and lower abdominal muscles. You start in typical crunch position with your legs raised up, one out straight and one bent in toward the chest. As you crunch up you rotate the legs in and out as if pedaling a bike. Beginners can point their extended leg up to the ceiling, but the more you can lower it to point toward the wall the more intense the crunches will be.

Plank Position:

 This is a position that uses the core muscles to stabilize the entire body, so it is performed by reaching correct position and holding for at least 60 seconds, though some advanced participants in our fitness boot camps in Central Park NYC can do 2 minutes or more in this position. Plank position is basically a static push-up position. The only difference is that you’re on your forearms instead of your hands. You just have to make sure to keep your rear end down but not too much so that your body is completely straight as a plank. If you push up too much you will end up with your butt in the air, which is not as great for your core.

Our private personal training gym is located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas ( 6th Ave at 53rd st) New York City , NY 10019. But we can also come to your home for in-home personal training here in NYC.

You can can reach us at 212-255-5842 to schedule a trial session.

Summer is on its way and you’re desperate to tone up your muscles and get that definition going . Besides enlisting the help of our top personal trainers in NYC, what can you do to make sure you have the best bod on the beach or sunning by the pool?

It actually doesn’t have to be difficult to tone up for fun in the sun. Consider these five tips from some of the best personal trainers in NYC, all of which can easily be implemented into a busy lifestyle.

#1: Never just sit there.

If you have a job that requires you to sit at a desk most of the day, vow never to just sit there for more than an hour at a time…and no, typing on the keyboard doesn’t count! If you have a private office you can get up and do some simple strengthening moves such as tricep dips off the edge of your chair or table (make sure it’s sturdy!). At the very least get up and walk around the office a little every hour to keep your body from getting stiff.

You can also use a Physio ball or Swiss ball as a chair instead of a regular office chair ( see above picure.) This will allow you to engage your core muscles while you’re working.

At home, you can do push-ups, squats, crunches, and butt raises while watching TV. Vow to do something to reach your goals during every commercial break.

#2: Don’t downplay the importance of weight training.

Many people looking to tone up or get better definition in their muscles often downplay the importance of weight lifting circuit workouts. Such as a circuit of lunges, chest presses, and bicep curls. Many of these exercises burn off fat even after you have finished your workout.

Remember, you have to get rid of the fatty layers covering your muscles before you will actually be able to see them. If you are already at a healthy weight and just need to tone up some, weight training will help keep you from gaining fat by increasing your metabolism.

#3: Skip the sugary treats and stick with veggies and lean protein.

Foods and treats loaded in sugar are more likely to be stored directly as fat since they process through the body so fast and are less likely to be burnt off before they are deposited in your fat cells for storage.

Instead, stick with lean proteins and low starch unprocessed carbohydrates. Salads with grilled chicken, turkey or fish are great as the weather gets warmer.

#4: Eat every four hours or so.

Don’t go for long periods of time between meals as your metabolism will drop, you will burn less fat, and you will be so hungry by the time you do eat that you are more likely to eat unhealthy foods that are easier to grab. Keep some healthy snacks on hand such as raw veggies with humus or red apples with raw almonds when you are away from home so you will not get so hungry and be tempted to make a bad choice.

#5: Try one of our top personal trainers here in NYC.

If there is every a time to get help from one of our top personal trainers, it is just before summer. Our top personal trainers know exactly what you need to do to tone up and will be able to tell you the fastest way to see the results that you are looking for.

Our private personal training gym is located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas ( 6th Ave at 53rd st) New York City , NY 10019. But we can also come to your home for in-home personal training here in NYC.

You can can reach us at 212-255-5842 to schedule a trial session at the reduced rate of $50 but hurry summer is right around the corner.

If you’re just starting out on your weight loss journey it is hard to imagine what could lie ahead for you. Trying to imagine yourself at your goal weight is a great exercise for motivation, but if you have a lot of weight to lose it can be difficult to really imagine yourself thin. Yet, with the help of a top personal trainer and a sharp focus on fat reduction, you will get there!

No matter what your reasons for hiring a personal trainer may be, here are some things you can look forward to on this journey:

 #1: Your self-confidence will increase.

One of the things personal trainers notice after working with a client for awhile is that they gradually become more confident in their abilities. One may walk in with their eyes to the floor on the first session but within a month they are walking with their head held high. That confidence comes from the sharp focus on reducing body fat which allows you to meet goals and prove to yourself what you are really capable of.

 #2: A change in how others perceive you.

If you have a lot of weight to lose, be prepared for the way other people perceive you to change. Members of the opposite sex will start to notice you more and your friends will be proud and simultaneously jealous. Those who thought you were a weak overweight person will start to think of you as a strong, new person. This part of the weight loss process can be a bit scary, but keep working with your personal trainer and keep that focus. Show the world what you are made of!

#3: Ease of movement throughout your daily life.

The work that you do with your personal trainers will make it much easier to move around in your daily life. For instance, sitting on the floor to play with your child will not leave you wondering how you will get back up. When you have to walk all day around an amusement park you won’t be out of breath, lacking in energy, or wishing you could just sit down for awhile. As you focus on eliminating the fat and improving cardiovascular fitness you will develop more lean muscle tone and your body will become more flexible. You will be able to move easily and your energy levels will increase.

#4: You will fit more comfortably into clothing of your choice.

Practically everyone who has a weight problem has dealt with circumstances where they couldn’t fit comfortably into clothing they really wanted to purchase. Shopping may be an uncomfortable experience for you right now, but it is something you may just love after working with a personal trainer for awhile. As you get closer to the weight your body really wants to be you will have a wider variety of clothing options and will not be held to purchasing what will fit. You will purchase what you want!

 #5: You will have less worry over disease.

One of the biggest reasons people hire a personal trainer is because they have been diagnosed as a diabetic or a doctor has told them to focus on fat reduction or otherwise they are headed for a serious disease. Your health is by far the most important reason to hire a personal trainer. They can help you drastically lower your chances of diabetes, heart disease, many forms of cancer, and a variety of other diseases.

There is a difference between attempting weight loss out of desperate acts and focusing on smart weight loss techniques. Desperate acts will deliver temporary weight loss that comes right back in time while smart weight loss techniques deliver long lasting results.

The following tips are based on some of the best smart weight loss techniques out there. Put them to good use and see how your body, and your life, begin to transform.

#1: Switch to “good” fats.

Fat has a very bad name since most people are trying to eliminate it, but you do need to consume some of it on a daily basis. Focus on getting in some healthy fats each day.

For instance, you can have a small portion of  raw nuts with a midday snack like an apple and should switch to coconut or olive oil spray for cooking rather than using other oils.

#2: Switch to “good” carbohydrates.

There is a lot of hype going around about how bad carbohydrates are for you, but in reality there are some very healthy carbs which you should enjoy on a daily basis. Make simple switches such as wheat free spelt breads and brown rice pasta for white refined breads and pasta. Fresh vegetables and fruits are also healthy carbohydrates.

Try to eat these carbs during or just before your most active portion of the day since they are great sources of long term energy.

#3: Stick with fresh fruit and veggies for evening snacks.

Eating in the evening while your body is not moving much or burning many calories is one of the biggest obstacles to weight loss. Stick with fresh fruits and veggies if you have to have something, otherwise try not to eat once you start winding down for the evening.

#4: Combine strength training with cardio for comprehensive, concise workouts.

You can cut down the amount of time you spend working out if you do circuits of strength training moves mixed with short bursts of cardio moves to keep your heart rate high.

#5: Workout harder, not longer.

You don’t need to workout every day or for long lengths of time. Just push yourself to full potential and work extremely hard, rather than working out for hours on end.

#6: Turn TV time into activity time.

Rather than sitting on the couch watching your favorite shows, why not march in place, ride an exercise bike, or do some strength training moves while you watch?

#7: Increase your activity level on a daily basis.

You don’t need to workout every day to achieve weight loss, but you do need to increase your general activity level. Do everything possible to add as much movement as possible into your lifestyle.

#8: Set goals and a plan of action for each one.

You have to know where you are headed and how to get there if you ever want to arrive. Set very specific goals and have a plan of action to follow every week and every day.

#9: Consistently increase your intensity or time to challenge yourself.

You should always be pushing your workouts a little further, either in intensity or length of time. Workouts should always be challenging even as you grow healthier.

#10: Switch it up to keep your body guessing.

Finally, don’t do the same things all the time. Keep your body guessing by doing a wide variety of activities.

None of these smart weight loss tips are difficult, but when you combine them altogether you will see changes in your weight!

The idea of joining a women’s fitness boot camp in Central Park NYC can be exciting and intimidating at the same time. How do you know you can survive? What if you aren’t in good enough physical condition to hang with the rest of the group? These are questions that many women have when they consider joining this type of workout environment, but those who push ahead and join find their fears are completely unwarranted.

You don’t need a high level of physical fitness to become an active member of a women’s fitness boot camp in Central Park NYC and take away all of the amazing benefits in the end. Participants in these classes are in different phases of their lives and some can do more than others, but our top personal trainers are trained to push each one to their full potential without holding other members of the class back.

In fact, it is routine for more advanced members of a boot camp group to push and encourage the members who are less physically fit. In time, those weaker members become strong and find themselves encouraging newcomers as they were once encouraged themselves. That growth is part of the beauty of a women’s fitness boot camp in Central Park.

Yet, there are some things that you do need to successfully become an active member in a fitness boot camp:

1. Commitment

Most boot camps will require some level of commitment to members. You may need to sign up for the class and commit to attending sessions for a given period of time or you may have other people counting on you to show up every session to complete the class and make some exercise courses possible.

Having others depending on you to show up can prove to be enough motivation to go even when you don’t feel like it, which will help you reach your fitness goals when you would have otherwise given up.

Yet, committing to a healthier lifestyle and to getting into better shape is very important on a personal level as well. Those who are committed to making this change in their life will become an asset to a boot camp group, no matter what their physical fitness level may be at the start.

2. Positive Mindset

If you go into a boot camp prepared for misery, you will find plenty of it there! Yet, those who get the most out of a woman’s fitness boot camp in Central Park NYC come to the experience with a positive mindset. They know they are going to work hard and that at times it is going to be very difficult, but they also know that they will make it through and come out stronger for it.

This is the type of attitude you need to successfully learn from a boot camp course. You will fully embrace each new challenge for the opportunity it is, rather than looking at everything as a punishment you don’t deserve.

3. Healthy Desire

Finally, you have to come to a women’s fitness boot camp in Central Park NYC  with a healthy desire for change. This isn’t something you can force someone to join with you if they don’t want to do it. When you are ready to get in shape and change your life this is absolutely the place to be, but you have to want to be there for it to really work long term.

For those who join a boot camp environment with the commitment, attitude, and desire necessary for success, great things can happen in a rather short period of time.

Are you sick and tired of feeling overweight and out of shape  but perhaps you are not sure how to go about getting fit and healthy?  If so, then I would definitely encourage you to check out one of our Fitness Boot Camps in Central Park NYC!  Group Fitness Training is an excellent way to meet your health and fitness goals, and this is true for a number of reasons! 
 
For starters, working out in a group in one of our Fitness  Boot Camps in Central Park NYC is a great way to stay motivated to keep up with doing your workouts.  The reason for this is that if you know there is a group of new friends as well as the personal trainer leading the group all expecting you to show up on a certain day and time, then chances are pretty good that you’ll actually show up because you won’t want to disappoint them.  Also, because these Fitness Boot Camps in Central Park NYC are generally a lot of fun, that’s another reason that you will actually want to consistently show up right on time every week for these workout sessions! 
 
Another thing that is wonderful about participating in one of the Fitness Boot Camps in Central Park NYC is that as many of you already know, Central Park is an absolutely beautiful place! Therefore, what better setting to do your workouts in especially now that it’s starting to really warm up outside?   The fresh air and the lovely feel of the warm sunshine upon your skin is sure to do you a world of good! Therefore, joining one of the Fitness Boot Camps in Central Park NYC is truly a fantastic way to reap all of the benefits of outdoor workouts with some of the best personal trainers in NYC. 
 
Another great thing about joining one of our Fitness Boot Camps in Central Park NYC is that the personal trainers that lead them are not only the top personal trainers in NYC but they also have their boot campers do a wide variety of different exercises.  This is great as mixing things up helps to keep the muscles guessing which results in a great workout!  Doing a variety of different workouts is also a great way to prevent boredom which means that you will be much more inclined to actually stick to doing your workouts! 
 
Fitness boot camps truly are a great way to achieve all of your health and fitness goals.  Thank you so much for taking the time to read this article, and I hope that you have a wonderful time at one of the Fitness Boot Camps in Central Park NYC!

How to Tone Inner Thighs

For starters, the whole concept of “spot reducing” is largely a myth. Unfortunately, as much as we would like to be able to do this, we can’t just magically lose fat from just one particular area. However, it is possible to lose weight and lose fat from all over your body, including your thigh area. In order to do this, cardio exercise is an absolute must! If you have already been doing cardio workouts and still aren’t seeing slimmer looking thighs, try increasing the frequency of these workouts. If for example you’re currently doing cardio three to four times a week, try bumping up the intensity on one of those days by doing interval training. Just making it a little bit tougher on one of those days can make all the difference!

There are also toning exercises that you can do to help your thighs look skinnier. For example, doing squats and lunges on a regular basis is a sure fire way to slim your thighs down. For those of you who have taken ballet, you’re probably familiar with plie squats. This particular type of squat is especially effective at targeting the inner thigh area. Holding dumbbells in your hands while you’re doing your lunges is great if you’re able to manage it. This is because the added resistance will often help to enhance your results. It is best to do your toning exercises no more often than every other day. You definitely don’t want to do your thigh toning exercises on an every day basis, as your muscles need a little time to recover in between workouts. This is very important both to help prevent muscle soreness and injury.

I wish you the best of luck. With some hard work and determination, I bet you’ll be seeing slimmer, shapelier thighs in no time! Soon, you will love what you see every time you look in your full length mirror!