Body Works Plus Abs: The Class You Have to Try

Body Works Plus Abs: The Class You Have to Try

by | Feb 7, 2018 | All, Exercises, Fitness, Home, Workouts

One of the great thing things about taking a Group Fitness class at LA Fitness is that all of the equipment is provided for you. You don’t have to worry about bringing your own weights or exercise equipment – all you have to focus on is showing up and giving it your best for (approximately) 55 minutes. It’s all about focusing on your own body. Group Fitness is a great way to push yourself with the helpful instruction of our certified instructors. Plus, you’re surrounded by other motivated individuals who are just as excited to focus on their health and fitness.

If you’re new to Group Fitness, don’t be intimidated! Everyone was new at some point. Group Fitness instructors will help teach you proper form and technique. Group Fitness is a great way to get fit with friends and family members while in an instructed, regimented environment. For those new to the gym, as well as those looking to switch up their typical exercise routine, Group Fitness classes are a great place to start.

A popular LA Fitness class is Body Works Plus Abs – after all, who doesn’t want a more toned core? In this class, members can expect a lightweight dumbbell workout moving to the beat of the music. You’ll be burning calories as you flow through a variety of exercises to help sculpt and tone your body into shape! With continued attendance, members may notice improvements in muscle tone, posture, balance and strength. It’s a full-body workout that provides full-body results.

In order to get a deeper understanding of what to expect from a Body Works Plus Abs class, we interviewed LA Fitness Group Fitness instructor Kate N., who shared all you need to know before giving this class a go. Check out her interview below!

Q: Please give a brief description of your fitness background and what brought you to start teaching Body Works Plus Abs.

Kate N: I’m an AFAA certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. I teach various Group Fitness classes from Aqua to Yoga, and even step! I fell in love with teaching Group Fitness classes at LA Fitness. I was once a loyal participant of cycle classes at LA Fitness, and later, I found myself in the instructor seat.  It wasn’t long before I discovered Body Works Plus Abs and it quickly became my favorite Group Fitness class to teach.

Q: What is unique and special about Body Works Plus Abs over other Group Fitness classes?

KN: It’s a completely balanced workout that challenges you from head to toe! You target every muscle group while moving non-stop to the beat of the music. You learn technique while having a fun and energetic workout. Spectators of the class may not be able to see the challenge, but the participants can attest to its slow burn. It sneaks up on you throughout the class.

“…the participants can attest to its slow burn. It sneaks up on you throughout the class.”

Kate N.

Group Fitness Instructor, LA Fitness

Q: Would you recommend Body Works Plus Abs for all fitness levels?

KN: Most definitely! The beauty of Body Works Plus Abs is that we progress into each challenging exercise, which gives participants plenty of options to take it to their own personal best.

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Q: What equipment can a member expect to use when attending a class? Is there a specific dress code?

KN: We use lightweight dumbbells and an exercise mat. Simple and effective! Participants should wear comfortable fitness attire to move and sweat in.

Q:  If you could give one piece of advice to our readers, what would it be?

KN: Keep going to class! Consistency brings results!

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Key Targets of a Healthful Nutrition Plan | Q+A

Key Targets of a Healthful Nutrition Plan | Q+A

by | Feb 6, 2018 | All, Ask Our Dietitian, Home, Nutrition

Question:

For people who are barely starting to exercise, what would you recommend on a planned diet? I am over 180 pounds and I see and read diet plans. But as a person who is starting to exercise I was curious if there are any recommendations for diet plans. I know this will all depend on maybe a personal assessment but I just wanted to ask.

– Esme

Answer:

Welcome to the LA Fitness family, Esme! It’s great that you began exercising and want to add in a planned diet. It’s okay to focus on your new exercise routine for a while and once you’ve got that established, then address your nutrition.

What I’d specifically recommend really all depends on what your diet is like now. You should start with assessing your current diet to see where you can improve. Keep a food diary for a few days and enter it into a dietary analysis program, app or website that will show the average calories, fat breakdown, protein, carbohydrate breakdown, and vitamins/minerals you consume.

If there are areas you know need to change, and you can practically address those, start there. You’ll have greater long-term success by amending how you eat rather than adopting a rigid, generic plan that doesn’t take into account your preferences and lifestyle. See our previous article “The 3 Pronged Attack for Weight Loss – DIET.”

That said, you may want to look at some key targets of a healthful nutrition plan:

  • Hydration – drink at least 1 ounce of water per 2 pounds body weight daily
  • Fiber – eat at least 25 grams dietary fiber daily from vegetables, legumes, whole grains and fruit
  • Low Saturated and Trans Fat – consume no more than 7-10% of your daily calories from saturated fat and limit yourself to 2 gm trans fat daily
  • Consistent meals/snacks – try to follow regular eating times that fit your schedule and consume similar volumes
  • Limit convenience foods – opt for fresh and raw whenever possible instead of something prepared (e.g. apple vs. applesauce, baked potato vs. French fries)
  • Practice portion control – take small servings and eat just enough to satisfy your hunger

Readers, are there other GENERAL tips that worked for you when starting out that you’d like to share? Enter them in the comments area below!

– Debbie J., MS, RD

This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.

Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Ask our Dietitian

Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!

Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!

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Ways to Ward Off Catabolism of the Body | Q+A

Ways to Ward Off Catabolism of the Body | Q+A

by | Jan 30, 2018 | All, Ask Our Dietitian, Fitness, Home, Nutrition

Question:

I have heard much talk on the internet about the need for serious bodybuilders to take in nutrition steadily, especially protein. It is claimed that muscle growth slows and reverses at night after digestion completes and the body starts catabolizing for energy. Many suggest using a slow-digesting protein such as casein at night to feed muscles protein constantly and ward off catabolism. Is this shown to be effective? If so, are there any other ways to reduce catabolism at night?

– David G.

Answer:

You posed a unique question, David! The body’s skeletal muscle not only dictates much of our circadian rhythm but also follows a day/night routine for repair and building. Research shows that muscle impacts the gene activity that regulates the utilization and storage of substrates (the macronutrients carbohydrate, fat, and protein)1. In other words, the skeletal muscle itself affects catabolic and anabolic processes over a 24-hour period, though this effect is not well understood.

Regardless of the time on the clock, you need to consume macronutrients post-exercise to promote positive muscle-protein balance. For evening exercisers, a recovery meal or shake becomes key before fasting overnight during sleep2. Over 6-8 hours, slower-digesting proteins have a similar effect on muscle protein synthesis as fast-digesting proteins do in the first 3 hours. So grandma was right about having a glass of warm milk before bed, as milk is 80% casein.

What about supplements/amino acids? Though certain essential amino acids stimulate muscle protein synthesis more than others, intact protein may result in a greater positive balance. This is partly because whole foods result in a greater insulin secretion. Muscles are highly insulin-sensitive for nutrient uptake and storage3. In summary, a meal containing protein is better than a straight supplement in the evening.

References

  1. The endogenous molecular clock orchestrates the temporal separation of substrate metabolism in skeletal muscle. Brian A Hodge et al. Skeletal Muscle. 2015; 5: 17.
  2. Influence of Amino Acids, Dietary Protein, and Physical Activity on Muscle Mass Development in Humans. Kasper Dideriksen, Søren Reitelseder, and Lars Holm. Nutrients. 2013 Mar; 5(3): 852–876.
  3. The Role of Circadian Rhythms in Muscular and Osseous Physiology and Their Regulation by Nutrition and Exercise. Shinya Aoyama and Shigenobu Shibata. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2017; 11: 63.

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– Debbie J., MS, RD

This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.

Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

 

Ask our Dietitian

Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!

Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!

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Member Spotlight | The Ring

Member Spotlight | The Ring

by | Jan 29, 2018 | All, Fitness, Home, Member Stories

Before – April 2017

After – November 2017

By the time I turned 50 years old, I had worked hard, raised 3 great kids and enjoyed 28 years with my wife. My family always came first. My focus was on them and on trying to be the best dad I could be in order to provide for my family. That meant I came last. I didn’t take care of myself; I ate fast food between meetings and didn’t exercise. My stress increased. I gained weight and had some bad habits that affected my health and well-being. I knew I could exercise and eat better, but it was not a high-enough priority…until that day in August of 2016. It was the day I had to take off my wedding ring for the first time in 23 years because my ring finger turned blue. I got it off, but could not put it back on – no matter how much I tried.

I had grown to a weight of 261 lbs., with the belly to match. I couldn’t run without exhausting myself. My clothes were too tight, and I couldn’t see my feet without leaning over. I had high blood pressure, sleep apnea, blurred vision and headaches. I felt embarrassed, guilty, depressed and angry at myself for letting myself go. Not wearing my wedding ring felt like I was cheating. I continued to think about it for several months, and it never got better. It still affected me. I knew I had to get that ring back on no matter what.

On May 11, 2017, I was driving by an LA Fitness and decided to stop in to ask some questions. I knew I wanted to change and had to do something about it. I was introduced to my personal trainer*, Jose O., for the first time. He listened to me, understood my situation, and started training me while working around some preexisting injuries to increase my strength, endurance and flexibility. We talked about nutrition and ensured I was eating correctly. I cut out sodas, alcohol and fast food. He encouraged me with challenging workouts and pushed my limits, while ensuring I remained injury free. He reminded me why I was here. When I thought I was exhausted and had reached my limit I would hear him say over my shoulder, “For the ring.” And that was all the extra motivation I needed.

I used a free mobile application to keep track of my nutrition and calories and ensure I was getting all of my nutrition. Through the app, Jose and my friends who also used the app were able to see my diary and progress and give me encouragement and tips. They also made sure I was accountable to them and myself. They became my online fitness family. In 6 months, I lost 67 lbs. I feel absolutely powerful and fantastic. My wedding ring is back on, and it’s going to stay on forever. My stamina is up 500%. I decided to compete in my first triathlon in June of 2018, and I remain committed to that goal. My old clothes went to Goodwill. My headaches, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and blurred vision are 100% gone. I saved tons of money cooking for myself rather than eating out all the time, which more than paid for the LA Fitness membership and training. (I really don’t even like fast food anymore.) My great friend Jose is always there encouraging me, challenging me to excel to get better and ensuring I remain injury free. My wife sees the difference and loves her new and improved husband (and occasionally walks by and touches me for no good reason whatsoever. And that’s just nice.).

Tom G. and his trainer Jose O.

If I have one piece of advice for success, it’s this:

We all know what we need to do to get healthy and stay healthy, or know how to find out how to do it. It all starts with the “X-Factor”. Your X-Factor is that primal gut feeling and emotion that affects you so deeply it can permanently change your priorities. For some it’s waking up in the hospital realizing you had emergency bypass surgery; for others, it’s not being able to play ball with your children and seeing them go and play with someone else, or being told in front of your friends and family that you cannot go on the rollercoaster because you exceed the weight limit. For me, it was not being able to put my wedding ring on no matter how hard I tried. It is that primal emotion that can trigger a response so deep that it makes it an easy decision to rearrange your priorities and do something about it and to keep doing it no matter the obstacles you may encounter.

My advice? Find your X-Factor. If it causes an overwhelming emotional response every time you think about it, then you found it. Use that to motivate you to work, learn, and improve. Set your long-term goals and focus on meeting your goals each day. Tomorrow is a different day. In the end, if you stay honest to yourself, use your X-Factor, eat right and work hard with the great staff at LA Fitness, you will always succeed.

*Personal training services require an additional fee and a separate agreement.

Some slight adjustments have been made to the member’s story for grammatical reasons, length, and/or clarity.

This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.

 

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AAT – Ep. 14: How Long Until I See Results?

AAT – Ep. 14: How Long Until I See Results?

by | Jan 26, 2018 | All, Ask A Trainer, Fitness, Home, Workouts

Ask A Trainer: Featured Question of the Week

In today’s world we’re used to instant, unfortunately, that’s not how weight loss works. We sit down with Pro Results® trainer, Kayla V. who discusses what you should really be focusing on when looking for results.

Do you have a fitness question? Ask one of our certified Pro Results® trainers here! Your question may be featured in an upcoming Ask Our Trainer video.**

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**Selected submissions will be featured on the LA Fitness blog and possibly other LA Fitness digital media entities & websites. By making a submission, you hereby grant LA Fitness a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide, irrevocable license to use and make copies of the contents of such submission for any purpose and in any medium whatsoever, and you hereby waive and relinquish any copyright or other intellectual property right you may have in the contents of such submission and your right to pursue any claim for LA Fitness’s violation of those intellectual property rights.

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