Few people know more about the fitness industry than Dr. John Spencer Ellis. Active in the fitness and health community for more than 20 years, and a renowned member, Ellis is known for a variety of things, including his stint on the Real Housewives of Orange County, the creation of NESTA, and most recently the launch of DietGuru.com.
We had a chance to speak with John and catch up on a few goings-on in the fitness world right now. We talk about making the resolutions last (yes, there’s still time!), identifying the best personal trainer for your needs, and how Diet Guru can help you become an A+ eater.
Perez Hilton is promoting the online trainer program FitOrbit in a big banner on the top of FitPerez today. The infamous celebrity blogger flexes his biceps in the ad spot, under the tagline “FitPerez Says…Personal Attention Gets You Better Results.”
The FitOrbit is a service that matches clients with personal trainers who provide guidance online. For $40.00 per month, clients receive a diet and fitness plan, in addition to other resources on the FitOrbit site, such as a food journaling tool, exercise finder and progress tracker. Your trainer will help you set goals and devise a workout plan.
Perez explains the program in a video, saying that he’s brought on the same trainers that work with the Hollywood stars he blogs about. “You all know that I got so much happier when I got healthy, now I want to share these secrets that work for me with you,” he said, referring to his own 80 pound weight loss. Perez isn’t promising a quick fix, but says that the support provided by his team are a blueprint for success. He adds that you can “train with A-list trainers without the A-list prices.”
Last night’s Super Bowl Halftime Show proved that age is no barrier to good health. The pop superstar Madonna, now 53, stole the show, looking fitter than ever.
Wearing a mini-skirt and fishnets, Madonna danced and performed with many other big names, including LMFAO, Cee-Lo Green, and Nicki Minaj. Many of her dance moves showed off her mastery of balance that she’s learned after years of practicing yoga. The singer does much more than yoga though to look that great at age 53.
Madonna used to train with celeb fitness guru Tracy Anderson. Anderson created a dance workout routine that helped tone and sculpt Madonna’s body. Anderson even toured with Madonna at times to help keep her fit. Recently though, Madonna has been training with Sadie Lincoln, the founder of Barre3. Barre3 is a ballet-inspired exercise that uses elements from yoga, ballet, and Pilates. Read Full Post >
You’ve deiced to get your personal training certification- congratulations. But with hundreds of certification programs out there, how do you know which one is right for you? Today we take a look at one of the most respected programs, the National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association (NESTA), and what you can expect from their NESTA Personal Fitness Trainer certification.
The NESTA Personal Fitness Trainer certification is NCCA Accredited, a requirement amongst most places of employment. While the NESTA PFT is the most widely known of their programs, they also offer many coaching and specialization programs that are very unique to NESTA including the Mixed Martial Arts Conditioning Coach and the Triathlon Coach programs. They also have several programs specifically designed for the in-depth sciences, such as the Biomechanics Specialist program or the Heart Rate Performance Specialist program which was co-developed with Polar Heart Rate Monitors.
NESTA believes that in order for their graduates to be successful in the fitness field, they need a strong grasp of foundational exercise science and, more importantly, the application of that science.
“In my experience, many programs stress the science and are weak on application (or vice versa). Furthermore, the science is typically taught in a dry, boring manner. We strive to create the most engaging educational experience out there,” says Scott Gaines, NESTA’s Senior Vice President. While to program is completely online, they prefer to teach interactively, as opposed to learning material from a “boring textbook,” and use teaching methods that enhance experience, like proprietary 3D animations and visuals within the coursework.
“Most people enter this field because they have a passion for health and fitness and they want to share that passion for others. We want our education to fuel the flame of their passion for health and fitness, not snuff it out like many educators do.”
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady stays in top physical shape with a combination of weight lifting and cardio, both during the football season and during the off-season.
During the season, he lifts four days per week. “I take off Wednesday, Saturday and obviously we play most Sundays,” he says. “I also do 40 to 60 minutes of cardio six days per week in order to improve my conditioning. “For cardio, he avoids doing the same workout too often. “I try to mix up my cardio using a variety of machines like the stepper, precor, as well as some running.” He also does drills that are designed to improve agility, as well as lots of jumping rope.
During the off season, he continues to do cardio workouts for close to an hour six days per week. “I do more running than in-season,” says Brady. His weight training program also focuses more on strength training. “My sessions are usually about 25% longer since my body isn’t beat up from playing,” he explains.
