Per my previous post - time to talk about program structure and design.  Everyone who enters a gym has their own unique goals based on their body type, lifestyle and work schedule.  While conducting the initial evaluation, the personal trainer (PT) should be talking to you to understand how you’ve been training, any areas of concern, any injuries, certain things you can’t do, etc…  All of these details will help the PT when designing your program.  It’s much better to know that type of information up front instead of learning about it after the program is designed and you’re getting ready to do the exercise for the first time.

What you should understand is you’re paying a PT to design a program custom made for your specific needs – that’s the point/purpose of hiring a personal trainer and essentially what personal training means.

Probably one of the most sought after goals clients have is to tone up, lose body fat and drop weight – those 3 goals essentially go hand-in-hand.  The various types of training that exist to meet those goals are limitless; a good personal trainer can be pretty creative with exercise in maximizing results.  Since a client will generally have a one hour session 2-3 times per week, it’s incumbent upon the PT to provide the client with the best program that will maximize results in that rather short period of time.  In order to make that possible, the PT should have knowledge with regard to the human body (physiological effects, biomechanics, kinesiology, etc…) and how it works relative to the client’s lifestyle.  You can’t just take cookie-cutter workouts and expect them to work for everyone.

Here’s a general example of what I’m referring to when I talk about custom made program designs; I’ll use 3 of my clients as an example.

• 3 clients, 3 different body types, 3 different lifestyles but the SAME goal; all 3 of their programs are different and use a variety of different types of exercise.  One client does more cardio than the others.  Once client lifts heavier weights and has less rest in between sets.  One client has an injury and can’t do many of the traditional exercises that most people take for granted.  Some of the training that is incorporated into their program designs are interval training, supersets, drop sets and core conditioning, to name a few.  I can’t take one workout and make it work for all three, even though they all have the same goal.  Having just described all of this too, more than likely this will change very quickly as they become more conditioned and their endurance increases.

In the next few posts we can discuss some of the methods of training I mentioned above: supersets, interval training and core conditioning.  Some of you are probably wondering what those are.

Here are a couple of tips:

• If you have a good trainer, he or she will explain the importance of diet & nutrition as they will work in synergy with your training program.  You can work as hard as you possibly can in the gym but when and what you eat will make or break all the hard work.
• Don’t be afraid to ask the personal trainer questions.  Make he or she answer your questions in a manner you understand.  Too many times, I see personal trainers try to talk around the questions and use big words to make you think they know what they’re talking about.  Chances are, if they can’t explain it to you in a way you can understand it then they probably don’t really understand it themselves.

Time to wrap things up on the home workout portion of the affordable workouts in New Orleans blog series.  Saving money is almost synonymous with proper prior preparation. Just like you’ll save money by cooking your own meals and taking your lunch in from home to work – in order to get an adequate workout at home, it will require solid proper prior preparation.

For a quick review…in the last post on this topic, we discussed establishing structure by: setting a workout schedule, establishing your home gym, ensuring your write out your weekly workout plan, investing in the proper equipment you will need, setting realistic goals and including activities like walking, running and biking into your routine.

Do It Yourself (DIY) Routines

If you aren’t ready to invest the time in creating your own routines – the best thing to do is to get the right home workout video series.  An example of a great workout series we discussed in the past is P90X. Between paying for the DVDs and the equipment you’ll need – the cost will be approximately $300.

If you want to truly create your own routine…than you can do so for free or very little money with websites like:

Exercise TV: What I like about Exercise TV is that they will put a workout routine together for you and break it down from day to day. I’m a little hesitant to say that following their guidelines is enough…but it’s certainly a good start.

yogadownload.com: Yogadownload.com is a great way for you to include yoga to your DIY routines. Many of the 20 minute workouts are free to download and the cost to download longer videos is very inexpensive.

Don’t Weight To Lose YouTube Channel: Our own local motivator Jacques Courseault created a series of workout videos that you can do with just using a resistance band – which counts as resistance training.

SparksPeople YouTube Channel: To be honest, there are a lot of various workout channels on YouTube – so if you take the time to check them out; you’ll be able to line up the workouts you need to put a good routine together for FREE.

Creating your DIY Routines

1. Watch and Tag Videos – watch a lot of videos of various lengths to know exactly what the video will require of you, the intensity of the workouts and whether or not you would enjoy doing the workout(s). Tag all the videos accordingly, i.e. high intensity cardio, yoga routine, low intensity cardio, bicep, shoulder and back workout…etc.  You might actually want to use a bookmarking site to do this.

2. Mix and Match – Start planning your routines by mix and matching your videos.  If you are trying to lose weight, than you need to be doing 40-60 minutes of cardio…preferably 5 times a week and resistance training 3 times a week. Remember…add going for a walk, run or long bike ride in your routines.

Example One Week DIY Routine:

Monday – 3 miles run/walk (depending on your level of fitness), abs workout video

Tuesday – (2) 20 minutes workout videos medium intensity and arms and back resistance workout

Wednesday – Rest Day

Thursday – 1 hour of yoga video and abs workout video

Friday – Bike ride and shoulders resistance workout

Saturday – Rest Day

Sunday – (2) 25 minutes workout videos ((1) high intensity (1) low intensity) and calves, legs resistance workout, abs workout

Yes…I know – that is a lot of planning!! But that’s what it takes to save money by working out at home.

How many of you hate going to the gym because it’s too crowded, your intimated, or you don’t want to get stuck in a long term contract that you can’t get out of?? If you hate running on a treadmill like a hamster on a wheel, outdoor fitness boot camp might be for you. I know I would much rather be outside exercising and enjoying the beautiful New Orleans’ weather.  This is what outdoor fitness boot camps provide.

Fitness boot camps take fitness out of the gym and into our local parks and green spaces. At XLR8 Fitness Boot Camp we are outdoors jumping hurdles, running agility ladders, and meeting new friends who all have one purpose in mind; to get healthy.

A common misconception about boot camps comes from the words “BOOT CAMP”. People think “Am I going to get screamed at?” This is very far from the truth. There is no reason to be scared; you won’t find any screaming drill sergeants!!  You will find a support system with instructors who have an optimistic outlook that says, despite the odds and challenges of leading a healthy lifestyle, the future is promising. Some boot camps are for women only, but other boot camps, like our boot camp is designed for men and women of all fitness levels.

As a boot camp instructor/owner, most of the questions I get are from people who are new to fitness – they feel like they will hold the group back. The thing to know about boot camp is although it’s considered “group exercise” – the majority of boot camps are designed for you to be able to go at your own pace. Believe me, you can put your mind at ease, no one is watching or judging you…other people are worrying about their own ability to perform the best they can.  You do as many repetitions as you can within the amount of time, whether it be 3 or 30. Boot camp instructors are there to motivate you to do your personal best.

So I know you are wondering what types of things do we do in a  boot camp class. Each class is an hour in length. There are no two workouts that are the same.

Workouts include:

cardiovascular, muscular endurance, strength training with dumbbells and body bars. We also take campers through group challenges, partner resistance, medicine ball drills, agility hurdles and ladders, plyometrics and obstacle courses. Tons of repetitions will tone the muscles and the fast pace drills will keep your heart pumping.

RESULT = a serious workout and great calorie burner.

If you are looking for something that reaches Beyond the Gym to get motivated and inspired – you might really want to consider trying out one of the boot camps being offered around town.

When choosing a boot camp here are somethings to keep in mind:

1. Size: Be sure to ask about the size of your class.  If you are not comfortable in large groups and you want to ensure you get more personal attention, I recommend going with a boot camp that limits their class size. You can also check on instructor to student ratio.  It’s possible to have a larger group with multiple instructors.

2. Location: Most boot camps are early in the morning, you do need consider accessibility to where your boot camp class is being held.  A boot camp closer to home will be easier for you to get to…and the distance won’t be an excuse for you to not go.

3. Women or co-ed: Like I already alluded to, some boot camps are co-ed and some are for women only.  If you have a preference one way or the other – this will impact which boot camp you participate in.

4. Cost: Boot camps do vary in cost so ask around and find out what you’ll be getting for what you’ll be paying.

5. Duration: Some boot camps are 4 weeks long, some 6 weeks and some even longer…perhaps a shorter boot camp to try it out is better for you before making a bigger commitment or perhaps you already know you want to commit to losing weight in the next 6 weeks before a big event so you want a longer program.  Who knows! Just know you have options.

6. Read Reviews and Feedback: Do take the time to read reviews on third party sites like Be Fit NOLA to find out what others are saying about the boot camp(s) you are considering.

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Emily Eoffreceived her M.S., in Health and Exercise Science from Louisiana Tech University, as well as, her B.S. in Kinesiology and Health Promotion. She also holds her personal training and group fitness instructor certificates from some of the leading certification programs in the country. As a motivator, role model, and leader, Emily brings nine years of experience in the health and fitness industry to her XLR8 Fitness business.

The Home Workout and Do-It- Yourself (DIY) Routines

I eluded in my first post about Affordable Workouts in New Orleans that working out from home will be affected by your level of experience and motivation.  In regards to your level of experience, for example, for me to workout at home and create my own routines is pretty simple – I have enough knowledge and experience to put together DIY routines that will either provide me with full body workouts or target body parts.  I can also ensure I have plenty of interval training by mixing things up to get maximum results.  However, if you don’t have a full repertoire to rely on; you will need to do more homework, research and experimenting to find out exactly what will work for you.  We’ll gladly help with that!

Second – lets address MOTIVATION. Here are my recommendations to ensure you have and maintain your motivation to workout from home.

Establish Structure

Set your schedule.  Carve out the exact time you plan to workout.  Preferably it’s the same every day.  Let everyone in your life, your family, friends, co-workers…whoever has an impact on your time that from this time to whatever time on these days – that is your workout time. Yes, you should write this in stone.

Create Your Home Gym. Figure out where you are going to workout and buy the equipment you will need (more to come about equipment). Things to consider when selecting a space…if you plan on jumping up and down – you must make sure that you’re on a floor (preferably basement) that can accommodate that without destroying your house. You will likely need a TV or computer in the room.  You will need to de-conflict the use of the room with other members of the household based on yours and their schedules.

Say you plan to use the garage…how will you hold up in the New Orleans summer heat and humidity?!? Is there proper ventilation and cooling?

Write Out Your Weekly Workout Plan. The clearer you are on what you are doing on which day – the more likely you are to stick with it.  If you need to figure out what you’re doing last minute; it won’t take long before you find a reason to do something else.  This is why workout videos come with planners and specific instructions – it’s what helps people stick with the program.  You’re welcome to send me your plan each week!

Have the Proper Equipment: You definitely don’t need to go spend an arm and a leg on home gym equipment.  I recommend you start out with some dumbbells (3 pairs of 3 different weights), a mat, and an resistance band…may be a jump rope, medicine ball and exercise ball.  Eventually you can look into also getting a home pull-up bar and some other things you will come to realize you want. You can find all that you need at either Walmart or Sports Authority. My other recommendation is that you go to the store instead of ordering online…first because shipping for 3 sets of dumbbells is likely to run you an arm and a leg. But also because it will be good for you to see what other equipment is out there.  DO NOT get wrapped up into gimmicks – stick with the basics.

Walking, Running, Biking. Any one of those three or all three are also part of your home workout so don’t forget about them.  Figure out routes and distances that you want to either walk, run or bike.  Plan accordingly if you need to drive to a park to do it.

Set Realistic Goals. Don’t get into a home workout routine expecting crazy results after a week or two.  Look at this as a learning experience and adventure. Set your goals to sticking to your new establish routine.  Take it one day at a time and enjoy it.

This post is getting a little long – in the next post we’ll get into some recommended routines, videos to check-out and basic things to workout by!

Not everyone can afford  to workout at a gym so we’ve had a few people contact us about ways (how, where) to get a good workout in New Orleans without having to go to the gym.  We’re going to spend the next couple of weeks talking about your options. But first, lets address the initial question of “how much exercise is recommended per week”

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) released updated physical activity guidelines in 2007:

Guidelines for healthy adults under age 65

Do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week Or Do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week

And

Do eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week.

Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation. It should be noted that to lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary. The 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease.

As we talk about your affordable workout options – do keep in mind that you’ll have to modify your workout based on your goals.  Also, just like any other type of workouts; you should consult a physician before starting any type of exercise program.

In the next couple of weeks we’ll discuss:

Home Workouts and Do-it-Yourself Workout Routines

The most affordable workout options are home workouts and do-it-yourself workout routines. The tricky part to discussing those options is your ability to carry out the routines will vary based on your level of experience and motivation.

Are you self-motivated?  Can you workout alone? Do you have the space in your home to exercise? Can you afford some basic weights, mat, and workout videos? Do you live in a neighborhood you feel comfortable walking or running in? Do you own a bicycle?

Group Exercise Options

You can join some group exercise programs like Boot Camps, yoga, self-defense/karate, sport clubs or recreational sport teams. You could even start your own group!!

Each areas we discuss will have their pros and cons because unfortunately, that’s the best part of joining a gym – usually you have everything under one roof.

Whether I’m training someone as a Personal Trainer or as a Pilates Instructor, the bulk of my work focuses on my client’s core.  As the fulcrum to the body’s levers – arms and legs – the core should be strong to protect and move the spine and to give power to the lever’s movements.  Plus, a well-tended core grows a great six-pack garden.

The core, powerhouse, center, whatever you call it personally, makes up the body from the lower ribcage down past the pelvic floor through to where the hamstrings and glutes intersect.  Included in the core are the four layers of abdominals that most people focus on during core training in an effort to lose the low abdominal area pooch and the “muffin top” that caps it off on the sides.

The 4 Abdominal Layers

Rectus aka The Six-Pack: The most superficial abdominals creates the six-pack is atually called the Rectus.  While it is responsible for aesthetically pleasing onlookers, it’s primary job is to flex the spine.

External Obliques: The External Obliques run diagonally down, imagine running your hands down your side like you were putting your hands in your pockets.  The obliques are about a hands-width in size.

Internal Obliques: The Internal Obliques run upwards, making an upside down V up towards your ribs.  Both the internal and external obliques are repsonsible for sidebending and rotation of the spine. When you do the Twist or reach down while standing to scratch the sides of your legs, you can thank your obliques for their help.

The most famous of all, the Transverses, is the deepest layer and protects the spine.  It acts like a corset when strong and active to protect the lumbar spine (low back).  It’s also the bane of your existence if you’re trying to “get rid of my pooch”.  Strengthen this muscle up and you’ll feel flat abs.  Sit ups won’t hit this guy – they only target the Rectus.  That’s why you can do 5,000 crunches and still have a pooch.

Hit these four layers and you are on your way to Core Training.  Don’t forget the back and the glutes!  They should be invited to every Core Training party!  Next time we’ll talk about targeting each layer of the Core.

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Kerrie Ann Frey is the founder and owner of Fit Mom USA, a former stroller exercise-based program that has evolved in to an online presence with fitness, wellness, and nutrition information for all men and women. Her passion for fitness began with credentials including A.C.E. PT and LWMC and grew to include her true love – Pilates. She is West Coast Pilates certified and trains clients in several studios in the New Orleans area.

Pilates continues to be listed as one of the top fitness options in the world as evidenced, for example, in the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) survey of 2010 Fitness Trends.  With this continued interest in the Pilates Method, there is no better time for New Orleans’ area trainers to be certified to teach mat and equipment-based Pilates.  Qualified instructors can teach in health clubs, private studios, gyms, therapy environments or even in clients’ homes.  Additionally, physical therapists, nurses, rehabilitation therapists and others in the medical community may find opportunities to use Pilates techniques in their work.  If you’ve ever considered becoming Pilates certified, now is certainly the time.  To help you decide, here are 5 factors to consider if you’re thinking of becoming a Pilates instructor.

1.  You are ready to put in the time and energy.

Becoming certified to teach Pilates is a process.  While there are companies that are willing to give you a certification after a day’s worth of training or even after merely an online test, qualified schools will require a longer commitment.  Mat Pilates certification usually takes anywhere from 1 to 3 full weekends of study with student teaching hours and a practical exam.  Full apparatus certification can take a year or more, with a required 600 hours of training, apprentice hours and study.   Learning the Pilates Method is process.  By going through the process with a qualified instructor, you will be more credible in the Pilates community and with your clientele.  Additionally, as we talked about in my previous post, it’s also an expensive endeavor.  You’ll want to be ready for the commitment.

2.  You enjoy teaching people.

The bodies (people) that will be in front of you to teach come with personalities of all types.  You need to find joy in not only Pilates, but in teaching Pilates to your clients – there is a difference.  If you love to see the look in peoples’ eyes when they “get it” after you’ve explained something, then you probably like to teach.  If you merely like to practice Pilates and have a difficult time working with others, teaching may not be for you.

3.  You are willing to learn more than just the exercises.

Anyone can memorize exercises; it takes someone truly interested in Pilates to learn the required anatomy and physiology.  Excellent instructors know what muscles are working, which ones are stabilizing, which ones need to be worked and which muscles need to be released in a student’s body.  And every body is different.

4.   You are able to communicate in a variety of ways.

Every person learns differently.  As a Pilates instructor, you will need to be able to communicate to people who are visual learners and need to see something in order to understand it.  There are those who are auditory learners who will need you to explain things verbally and there are tactile people who need instructors to physically put their bodies in the places that they need to be in.  Pilates instructors should be excellent communicators in a variety of ways and should be able recognize what type of learner is in front of them – maybe not at first, but definitely within the first three sessions.

5.  You are uniquely you!

There is a misconception among the general public that Pilates is for, and taught by, women, dancers, the very thin, the incredibly flexible and people with dramatic names like Mari, Ana and Moira.  And there are people like that who take and teach the Method, however, the majority of instructors come in all different ages, shapes and sexes.  You don’t need to be a woman with the flexibility of a Russian gymnast to teach Pilates.  If you have the drive, the attitude and are self-motivated to continue your career, you will be able to teach Pilates.

Pilates instructors come from all different walks of life – personal trainers, physical therapists, dancers, even lawyers.  They all have a handful of things in common in addition to the 5 factors above: they all are dedicated to a healthy lifestyle and love to help others reach their goals.  If this positive attitude is yours, then you might be ready to teach Pilates!

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Kerrie Ann Frey is the founder and owner of Fit Mom USA, a former stroller exercise-based program that has evolved in to an online presence with fitness, wellness, and nutrition information for all men and women. Her passion for fitness began with credentials including A.C.E. PT and LWMC and grew to include her true love – Pilates. She is West Coast Pilates certified and trains clients in several studios in the New Orleans area.

I see it time and time again – people look at the funny cannon-ball looking thing in the corner of the gym, pick it up, and then put it down…so mysterious! But, really, there is less mystery, and more magic than you might think – if you learn how to use them! KettleBells can help you prevent injury, get strong sleek muscles, and increase bone density all while getting your heart rate up.

In the 1800s, KettleBells were counterweights in the farmers markets in Eastern Europe. The farmers would swing, and toss these weights, even juggling them, at the end of their day – just for fun. They were even featured in some early circuses. Turns out, that made them very strong. And it isn’t like farmers in Russia at that time were known to be weaklings! This lead to a true technique being developed, and eventually the KettleBell became the official workout of the USSR.

They arrived in America with waves of Russian immigrants in the early 1900s. They were popular here for a while, a mainstay in gymnasiums of the time. In the Soviet Union, the fact that they were indestructible, inexpensive, and efficient meant that they continued to be widely used – including for Russian Special Forces. Here in the US however, our gyms became very fancy and gadget filled, and KettleBells decidedly low tech nature is the main reason they fell out of favor.

It seemed inevitable that such an amazing tool would be back – and now it is. Why would you want to divide your body down to individual movements and muscles to be trained one at a time, when life requires you move your entire body, at different angles, all the time?

KettleBells utilize three-dimensional multi-planar movements that constantly challenge the body to stabilize. With the KettleBell the center of gravity changes and you work with inertia, and fluctuating resistance. When I started training with KettleBells the best part for me was that I could work power, endurance, deceleration and cardio in a low-impact way. This was the perfect cross trainer for me as an aerialist and now that I am retired, it continues to be the perfect cross trainer for LIFE. What does that mean for the you? It means…a quick, efficient challenging workout!

The basic move, the KettleBell double arm swing works the glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs, quads, calves, abs, deep back muscles (erector spinea, quadrates lumborum and multifidus if you must know) and grip. On top of that, it can get your heart rate up – and that is only one move!

There are many styles of KettleBell training – some based on traditional sport moves, some based on heavy bell training and some based on a cross training program for ballet dancers. I do a combination of the first and last. The Bell allows for and endless variety of movement – all making you stronger and better able to do all the things you need to do in life.

People interested in training with KettleBells should look for a certified instructor because there is a technique to learn. There are many options; I trained with KettleBell Concepts, but there is also IronWorks FE, Dragon Door, Art of Strength, and the American Kettlebell Club.

You also need to pick the style that works for you – some people train with no music, and very heavy bells. I like to swing light bells, enjoy a group environment and listen to some silly music – but that is just me! I teach classes at Romney Pilates on Tuesdays at 10:30am and on Saturdays at 11am, as well as private. I even include KettleBells as cross trainers in my Aerial Conditioning privates at Next Evolution.

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Lorelei Ashe MacDonald is recently retired trapeze artist and teacher. Lorelei started taking movement classes with Martha Graham dancer Willa Shulman in 1969 at age 4.  A career in dance, both modern and jazz, lead to aerial dance and then to circus with a few breaks for injuries in between. Lorelei received training from Radu at Radu Physical Culture in the Radu method, as well as receiving NASM CPT Certification. Lorelei relocated to New Orleans to find more peace and pleasure to her life.  She offers Gravity Defying Fitness at Next Evolution and KettleBell training at Romney Pilates.

Mardi Gras 1/2 Marathon 2007

In 2007, I had taken up running to spend more time with my dad. He loves to run and I thought no better way to spend time with him then to do something active and healthy. I was NOT a long distance runner by any means but decided to become one for my dad. I use to run your occasional 5k or 10k for fun, but nothing like 13.1 miles (1/2 Marathon).  Well in February of 2007 I ran my first ever Mardi Gras 1/2 Marathon with my dad.

After completing my first 1/2 Marathon my dad asked me if I would be willing to train for a full marathon (26.2 miles) He said I could pick any destination I wanted to run and he would do it with me. Well of course, Maui popped into my head VACATION!!!! Then I thought about running in the 85 degree heat and that soon my excitement started to fade. Finally I decided and picked the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C.  In October 2008, I completed my 1st Marathon with my dad, who is my inspiration. All 26.2 miles of it!!!

Matt, 35, Metairie

I just started running again recently and hadn’t ran since grammar school.  I usually ride bikes but I was getting bored with doing the same thing and I was looking for a way to burn more calories in a shorter period of time.  I started off just running a mile or two after work.  Each time I ran I would try to push myself a little bit further. I like the idea that running is just you and the ground.  Besides shoes and water, there is no other equipment you have to worry about. Everything else I do in life requires the best and usually the most expensive gear.  With running,  as long as you have a decent pair of shoes you are good to go.  After building up the endurance to run several miles I just wanted to see how far I could go.  I wanted to do the Mardi Gras half marathon to set a goal for myself and follow through with it.  I like having events to look forward to.  Luckily I got to train with a group.  This is the only reason I made it through my long runs. In the beginning I didn’t have the mental or physical strength to run for more than 30 minutes.  Over the weeks I learned that if I believed I could do it in my head, my body would follow.

Stephanie, 32, Metairie

I chose to train for the 1/2 marathon just to prove to myself that I could.  I never considered myself a runner and before this I had never ran more than one mile.  I now realize that with a little motivation and training I can acheive whatever I put my mind to. I have learned that my body can physically endure the runs. I just have to keep a positive mental outlook to complete my goal.

Elizabeth, 27, New Orleans

I am not a person to turn down a challenge. When the challenge came to train for the half marathon, I was willing to accept. I was very unsure that I could even do this being that I had never run in my life. Now through the encouragement of my team, I feel like I am ready to complete the challenge.

February 28th 2010 is the 1st ever Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon & 1/2 Marathon and will be my group’s 1st time running a 1/2 Marathon. I can not express the excitement and pride I feel about what my team is about to accomplish. I can not wait for them to cross that finish line. I told them from the beginning and it still holds true “There will be no man or woman left behind” and I mean it. We started this journey as a team and we will finish as a team.

In a 2008 New York Times article about the Half Marathon becoming the hottest new distance in running, it estimates that 650,000 people completed half marathons in the US in 2007. A Google search of the US population for 2007 gives a result of 301M total people. This would make the percentage of half-marathon finishers less than 1%.

It is truly an accomplishment in and of itself and I can’t wait to experience it with such an AMAZING group of people….and of course…… my dad who will be right by my side every step of the way.

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Emily Eoff received her M.S., in Health and Exercise Science from Louisiana Tech University, as well as, her B.S. in Kinesiology and Health Promotion. She also holds her personal training and group fitness instructor certificates from some of the leading certification programs in the country. As a motivator, role model, and leader, Emily brings nine years of experience in the health and fitness industry to her XLR8 Fitness business.

When I first moved in to our new uptown apartment as a married couple, I didn’t have a sofa. My husband was happy to bring his from his old place; I was equally happy to leave it on the curb. We were young and just starting out with a strict budget for decorating. After going to a few affordable furniture stores, we settled on a sofa that lasted all of 6 months. It settled right in the center leaving whoever sat on it looking like an airplane with his wings tipped up. It was cheap and soft and we should’ve bought the more expensive one we really wanted but didn’t want to spring for at the time.

I use this analogy often when I get the initial response to the Pilates certification cost and time commitment I’m currently encouraging people to consider. This week, I’ve had to use it a little more often because I have a 3-weekend intensive certification program coming up.

“How many weekends for this? How many student teaching hours? Why this cost?”

My explanation is simple: you get what you pay for. There are Pilates certifications available that can have you taught, tested and certified to teach mat in one day. They will cost you a couple of dollars and may fulfill the CECs for another one of your certifications. But you will only get about 8 hours worth of knowledge and no opportunity to practice under the guidance of a trained instructor.

My first Pilates certification was a day long workshops and I remember leaving thinking, “There is no way I can teach this stuff. I don’t know the ‘why’ of what I’m doing and I really don’t want to hurt anyone.”

It was from that experience that I found my mentor, Cecile Bankston, Assistant Director of Kathy Corey Pilates. Kathy Corey Pilates is one of the original founding companies of the Pilates Method. Devoted to quality education and the highest standards, Kathy Corey Pilates is recognized internationally as a leader in the Pilates community.

Okay, so I’m a dork about it.

I wave that Dork Flag high because I know I am a contemporary Pilates instructor who is confident in her knowledge. The three weekends of workshop – in Mat Work, CORE Band and Magic Circle, specifically – were opportunities to work with a Master Trainer and the required student teaching hours allowed me to practice and gain the confidence necessary to work with any client. I made up the cost within three months of working part-time. When I was ready to become equipment certified, I felt prepared to take on another challenge. While I was technically “certified” to teach Pilates after that initial training, I was floundering. However, the full certification training gave me the time to practice, to ask questions, to research and to study.

I encourage anyone who is looking to become Pilates certified to look at the certifying body. Find out the lineage of the trainer; ask about the length of time for certification and what are the student teaching hours required. Find a program that is dedicated to teaching Pilates, not just certifying people to teach Pilates.

Are you absolutely infatuated with Pilates? Are you wondering if you should take the plunge? Have you been wondering about the benefits of being a Pilates instructor? Are you hoping to take your passion for fitness to a new level? Stay tuned – I’ll share my thoughts on all of that in my next post.

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Kerrie Ann Frey is the founder and owner of Fit Mom USA, a former stroller exercise-based program that has evolved in to an online presence with fitness, wellness, and nutrition information for all men and women. Her passion for fitness began with credentials including A.C.E. PT and LWMC and grew to include her true love – Pilates. She is West Coast Pilates certified and trains clients in several studios in the New Orleans area.