Hiring a fitness coach

If you’ve been doing the same workout for months or years and haven’t dropped a pound on the scale or gained the muscle you’re working so hard for, you’re not alone. The reason weight-loss and strength-gains are so damn challenging is because they’re not as simple as we’d like to think they are.

When a bodybuilder is preparing for an athletic competition, it is natural to hire a coach to get him or her in that perfect "shape" to show off on stage when the event finally comes along.  But professional competition is not the only reason to use the services of a bodybuilding coach.  Many people who simply want to employ the techniques of bodybuilding to shape their bodies to look good.  Physical fitness has endless categories and trying out a trainer offers you the opportunity of doing something new for your body. This will bring also a fresh perspective to their daily workout routine and make exercise enjoyable and interesting once more.

I´m hiring a trainer to put me on the proper path to fitness, because I have been training for a while and I´m really not satisfied with the results I have achieved. This happens as you reach a fitness plateau, performing the same exercises day in day out. What your body needs is some kind of stimulation in the form of a different approach and different sets of workouts. 

A trainer can dissect my training routine like an investigator at a crime scene and make the appropriate changes to put me back on track to faster results.

Don’t get me wrong, it is ok to go it alone if you know your body well and you have already seen results. But I want more. So I decided to hire Manuel as my personal trainer and coach. Some of my facebook follower might already know Manuel, as I introduced him a few weeks ago on my facebook page.

Manuel is an IFBB Germany Athlethe and currently in his off-season until Spring 2015. He competed this year for his very first time at DBFV Hessen-Rheinland Pfalz Championship 2014 (6th place), DBFV Int. German Newcomer Championship 2014 (6th place) and finally at DBFV German Championship 2014 (7th place). We´ll use his off-season time to bring me back on the right track – starting by today :-).

It wasn´t quite easy to win Manuel to do this coaching, unless I have known him more than 5 years. Several months I grizzled about asking for coaching, because I´m not satisfied with my body. So much the more I´m absolutely happy to start this exciting time with him. We settled on a lapse of six months to come closer to the body shape I always want to achieve. Last Friday he gave me the customized training- and nutrition plan.

Yesterday I had a number of last meals, as I know what´s coming up to me in the next few weeks and months. But in the evening I did my healthy and clean meal prep for today, because a good preparation is one of the key to success. 

I know, that the upcoming time won´t be easy for me, but I´m really anxious to what Manuel get out of my body. We did an agreement to a 101% commitment to the things we do. 

So let´s keep excited for the next status report and I promise to post some before-after-pics after the coaching session.

Stay healthy and tuned!

Magnificence of the Dolomites/Italy: Summary of a two-day mountain hiking tour

Wild alpine meadows, deciduous and evergreen woods, lunar landscapes, high altitude terrain, alpine lakes, soaring peaks, dramatic walls, and towering heights… sound like your kind of place? 

The Dolomite Mountains feature an infinite number of trails winding their way through these incredible landscapes, with breathtaking vistas adding to the drama.

The Dolomites, a scenic part of the Alps located in Italy, are an absolute mecca for outdoor enthusiasts like us. With plenty of activities to choose from, one of the most popular things to do here is hiking. From short, flat walks to challenging hikes with significant elevation changes, day hikes to multi-day excursions, the Dolomites offer a wide variety of options for hikers of all skill levels.

From June 8-9, a buddy, my bf and I visited one of the most incredible areas in the Dolomites – on foot. In a sum this two-days hike was a truly unforgettable experience in the Dolomites.

I would like to share you some pics of my trip for immersing you in the magnificence of these mountain area:

Secrets of my 100 days vacation plan to get bikini body fit

 

Pool parties, beachfront vacations, and water park adventures…ahhh the joys of summer are almost upon us, and while it’s synonymous with relaxation and fun, for most people, it’s also another source of stress! Short shorts, arm-baring tops, and the dreaded beachwear come to mind.. But don’t worry! There is still plenty of time to shed a few more pounds before entering the plane to my vacation destiny UAE in September.

By combination of a sophisticated and calculated meal plan with an intensive exercise program, my metabolism should rev and keep the energy high to see the desired results!

I would like to explain you my specific plan for my 100 days vacation countdown:

Strength training is essential for losing weight and staying fit. It helps me to build lean muscle, which boosts my metabolism, plus it tones up those problem areas.

My head-to-toe sculpting routine is designed to completely reshape my entire body. I do the two-split workout (push- and pull- workout plan) 2 times each week (I also make sure to rest 1-2 days in between). For extra calorie burn, I do some HIIT by moving quickly from one exercise to the next or add some Jumping-Jacks or Jump Squats in-between in order to keep my heart rate elevated. Further I change up the workouts as getting stronger, moving from light weights to heavier weights over time. This should help me continue to see results!

Cardio Program: My weekly goal is to run 10 miles. As I´m currently out of practice of running a longer distance, -some of you might remember my participation in my first half marathon (B.A.A. Half Marathon 2013 in Boston, MA, USA) - I split these 10 miles in 2 times á 5 miles per week. I do this by varying the type of training:  If I go running hard and fast, I also add in some low intensity mileage, if it's the other way around I try some tempo or speed work to burn the calories. 

Nutrition: I eat well-balanced meals, whose macronutrients are nutrient-timed:
This assumes I plan out my meals and snacks – pretty much an essential component to reaching the beach body goal.

For breakfast I normally eat 1 slice of full wholemeal rye or spelt bread, with no-fat cream cheese (instead of margarine or butter) and some slices of turkey-/chicken breast…. Sometimes with a topping of some cucumber and lettuce leaf. Along with it, I eat 1 middle-size apple and drink my first latte macciato (skim-milk with an espresso shot – without sugar!). Normally this high-carb breakfast keep me sated until lunch. 

After three hours there´s time for my first snack: a protein shake with a mixture of milk and water. My protein powder is currently ONE WHEY ISOLATE from FITNESSGURU, flavor ‘Rocky Road’.´

My protein source for lunch is mostly lean meat (like chicken or turkey breast or beef tenderloin) or fish (salmon or tuna) with a lot of vegetable, which contains no starch (no carrots, no beans, no peas, but broccoli, spinach, pepper, tomatoes,…). Only on training days I add a small portion of brown rice or natural potatoes as carbs.

In the afternoon I drink my second protein shake, but it contains more water than milk.

After work it’s time for my workout. 

And finally for dinner I eat a protein and vegetable combo. This could be a hugh salad bowl with chicken-breast, or homemade zucchini spaghetti with Bolognese (low-fat beef ground meat with sieved tomatoes), or just scrambled eggs (1 egg and 4 egg whites) with tomatoes.

What else?
As I´m a long-distance student and also working full-time in the middle management of an international company, the daily stress level isn´t at a normal range. To improve my antioxidants I take daily vitamin and mineral supplements for total health.

Finally, always remember:

No matter how hard you're working out, if you're consuming too many calories, you'll never see the muscles that lie beneath layers of fatty tissue. At the beginning, I wrote a daily log of what I´m actually eating. This includes ALL of my snacking… every time! Then I calculated, which amount of macronutrients (kcal, grams of protein/carbs/fat) I ate daily and how many I normally should eat. Slowly but constantly I´ve changed my nutrition from day to day more to my designated target. So as you see, this isn´t a diet, this is a lifestyle change! I don´t like the word “diet”, because it has a fixed end date. The change in nutrition should become a daily bread like brushing my teeth. Only then I avoid the yo-yo effect.

So, what are your plans to get beach fit? Write it in the comments below. I´m excited to read your plans.

Stay healthy and eat clean!