Here are 7 tips to use in the future when you make your weekly trip…

Tip 1: When making your list, think in terms of ‘meals’, not just individual foods.  This will be a big help when you quickly realize the Oreos don’t go with chicken and broccoli.

Tip 2: Stop thinking low fat!  Not all fats are bad.  Unsaturated fats keep you healthy.  These are in things like olive oil, nuts, and fish.

Tip 3: Plan to buy snacks.  You should be eating every 2-3 hours, so your body needs something small to fill up on with healthy snacks.  Cottage cheese, almonds, yogurt are great alternatives to not eating or eating that donut in the office.

Tip 4: Get a healthy dessert.  Dark chocolate contains a ton of antioxidents and can suppress that sweet tooth. 

Tip 5: Shop the outside aisles.  Vegetables, fruit, dairy, meat, grains. If the foods package is too colorful and looks ‘exciting’, chances are that you shouldn’t buy it.  Processed foods are quite possibly the worst things you can eat.

Tip 6: Buy fresh.  These are the foods that are the healthiest and contain the most nutrients for you.

Tip 7: Don’t be perfect!  No ones diet is perfect.  Everyone has their certain food weakness.  Indulge in yours in moderation and make food shopping fun.Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

Hope you are doing great!  Thought you may enjoy some of these pictures that I came across.

Ouch…

Katie’s & my future baby?

I bet Jenny Craig is jealous of this picture…

Wouldn’t be surprised if I saw one outside of WOW next week…

Big guy with a little dog..

The Xerox machine may have screamed for this one…

Hope you enjoyed these and I look forward to your comments!Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

Here’s the story…

While taking a nice scenic walk on the shores of Alaska, a man took in the beautiful coastline and watched the locals fish for crabs off the rocks.  He then noticed a white five gallon bucket near a few fisherman.

As he gazed into the bucket, he saw a number of crabs climbing around.  However, 1 crab in particular caught his attention.  This crab seemed extremely motivated and kept working his way to the top of the bucket getting within inches of escaping.

The man got the attention of the nearby fisherman to let him know he was about to lose one his crabs that he caught.  The fisherman just laughed and told him to keep an eye on what was about to happen.

What happened next could trult affect your life from here on out…

The motivated and hard working crab that had just about lifted himself from the bucket was quickly pulled back down by several of the other crabs at the bottom.

Does this remind you of the general population?

I bet there are times that you are extremely motivated and think that not even a brick wall could stop you…until that crab from the bottom of the bucket pulls you back down and makes you think otherwise.  Your passions, goals and dreams are yanked out of sight by the fearful crab in your life.

Sometimes this crab is a best friend, coworker or family member who fears losing you, or fears change, or fears being left way behind in life.  Their fears are masked by the look of true concern, but in reality they are just bringing you down and bursting your bubble.

I have seen this take place during group workouts and it is truly poisonous to everyone involved.  One ‘crab’ can pull down the emotions and drive of even the most motivated person.  Identify these people and steer clear as you keep your goals and inspirations in mind at all times!Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

In October  of 2008 they were blessed again with another beautiful boy they named Alexander or “Xander.”

September of 2009 Katie noticed some symptoms that most people would have dismissed as typical of an 11-month-old.  He was crying a lot, had abdominal pain, and chronic ear infections.  Her persistence (and many tests later) lead them to a horrible discovery.  Xander had cancer.  He was admitted to Robert Woods Johnson Hospital on October 8 – that was just the beginning their long journey.

In the meantime, Matt lost his job and was lucky enough to find another one – however the salary was half of what he used to make. 

In all of this sadness they are losing their house to foreclosure.Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

As Monmouth County prepares to get hit with another snowstorm, I decided to give you some reading material to stay snowed in with.

Q: Why do you say that it is good to build muscle?  I don’t want to get bulky or big.

A: This is a question I hear way too often that many people have been misinformed of.  First off, getting big and bulky is not the same thing as gaining muscle.  It is actually possible to gain muscle and be smaller.  Confused?

OK…5 pounds of muscle takes up about 1/2 the space that 5 pounds of fat does.  Also, it is very difficult for women to get big and bulky unless they already have shown signs of it.  Genetics and hormones play a big role in the size and shape of your body…as well as how it reacts to certain types of training. 

So, why is it so great to gain muscle again?  For each additional pound of muscle you gain, your body will burn between 30 and 70 extra calories.  7-8 pounds of muscle will essentially burn about 500 calories per day.  That is a hell of a lot easier to me than trying to cut 500 calories from your diet each day.

Q:  I have been working out 2-3 times per week at the gym and can’t lose weight.  I am on the treadmill or bike for at least 60 minutes every time.  What’s wrong with me?

A:  Don’t worry, there is most likely nothing wrong with you.  However, it sounds like your workout program is the culprit. 

I could be nice here and say your workout is ok, but that is not what I am here for.  Simply put, 2-3 times a week of just treadmill or bike is a complete waste of your time if you want to lose weight. 

Here is the bad news:  You need to work out 4-6 times per week and get off of the treadmill for most of that. 

Here is the good news:  Instead of being at the gym for an hour or more at a time, you only need to focus on 30-40 minutes per visit of hard work.  You will most likely save time by doing this. 

Here is what you should do:  Spend 30-40 minutes a day, 3 times per week doing full body strength training lifting weights that are difficult for you.  The pretty colored 5’s and 8 pounders should be thrown away.

Spend an additional 20-30 minutes a day, 2-3 times per week doing intervals on your bike or treadmill.  This should be a hard quick burst followed by a recovery period…over and over again. 

This is obviously just a quick answer, but if you want the proper weight loss workout for Rumson and surrounding areas, check us out for a free week of classes.Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

I am re-opening the doors to my 6 Week Monmouth County ‘Biggest Loser’ Transformation Contest starting this Thursday February 25.  We will start the contest March 15.

I will only be accepting 12 people.  First come, first served. 

The 6 week transformation is a rapid fat loss transformation program that includes training, nutrition support, motivation, before and after consultations, accountability, and more.  This is perfect for anyone looking to lose massive amounts of fat in only 6 weeks. 

Although we only just completed the 4th week of the first contest, I have seen some incredible results so far.  Each day I hear of 2-3 more pounds dropping off of several contestants. 

Here are the rules for the 6 Week Transformation Biggest Loser style Contest

To enroll, send an email to info@CarboneTrainingSystems.com.

***Greg Carbone is a Tinton Falls Personal Training expert and runs Ocean Township and Rumson bootcamps for individuals trying to fight fat and lose weight permanantly.Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

Do you ever feel like your workouts and nutrition program are totally on the wrong path?  There are so many tips and myths that flood that internet about weight loss these days that many of them contradict one another.  It is no wonder so many people are confused as to what to do to actually lose weight and get in amazing shape.

To clear up some confusion, I have put together 3 tips you should be doing that you may not be.  Following these 3 tips will make reaching your goals 10x easier than you ever imagined.

1)  Work Hard During Workouts

As obvious as this may seem, many people have been tricked into doing long slow cardio sessions as they watch Oprah, or read the latest Shape magazine while they slowly pedal their way to obesity.  It has been proven over and over again that shorter bouts of high intensity weight training and metabolic exercises are extremely effective in burning fat and losing weight. 

What is high intensity, you ask?  You should not be able to talk about the latest and greatest episode of Dr Oz or Rachel Ray.  You should be huffing and puffing  and barely able to talk.  Sign language is optional.

2) Eat More To Lose

Starvation diets are finally becoming a thing of the past because….they make you fat.  Your body goes into starvation mode after you start decreasing your calories to a certain point when your metabolism shuts down and saves every last calorie you ate of that pretzel rod and rice cake.  You can literally eat bowls of greens with some lean protein and never get fat.  Better yet, you will be pretty full and satisfied throughout the day.  You may even be able to reward yourself with a Baby Ruth every once in a while.

3) Don’t Always Fit In

Remember the old saying, “Would you jump off of the Brooklyn Bridge just because you saw someone else do it?”.  Hopefully you answered no.  If not, google ‘Living Life for Dummies” and pick up a copy.  If you answered yeswhich 99% of you surely did, use this with your workouts.  Ihave seen some of the dumbest exercises over the past 10 years that you could not even imagine.  Unfortunately, human nature programs us to follow a lot of what we see…even really bad things.

Just because Johnny Juicehead is doing bicep curls for 45 minutes 4x a week, doesn’t mean you should follow.  Use common sense and focus in on full body workouts that consist of complex exercises that work multiple muscle groups at a time.  Bicep curls will not give you a flat stomach.  Nor will it make your butt look like J-Lo.  Neither will doing leg lifts for 90 minutes.  Try big exercises like squats, deadlifts, pushups, pullups and planks.  Sound fun yet?

For a Personal Trainer in Colts Neck area or high intensity Fitness Boot Camp in Ocean Township area, contact us.Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

Here we are again…a few days after the holidays and quickly approaching the new year.  Many of us have New Year’s Resolutions running through your mind and are trying to come up with ways to improve your health and your body for the upcoming year. 

Most of you will get excited and go join a gym.  These big box gyms (I don’t need to name names) will rake in thousands of you.  Your first 1-2 weeks will be pretty incredible and you’ll feel like nothing can stop you….until…..BANG.  Something comes up once, and then twice, and before you know it you have not been to the gym in 3 weeks and decide to go into winter hibernation on the couch watching The Biggest Loser and feeling you’ve done your workout by watching them on t.v. 

95%+ of you will completely fail this year at completing your resolution.  The main reason you will fail is because you set yourself up for disaster.  Without a solid plan, you will fail.  The second reason many of you will fail is lack of accountability.  Without strong support or achievable goals, you will fail.

So, how do you become the 1 out of 20 people who follow through and kick ass this year?  Let’s take a quick look…

Making a Plan.  Many people flood the gym every January ‘thinking’ they know what to do.  You know, the usual…bicep curls, walk/jog on the treadmill, ab machine, random leg machine, random chest press machine, etc.  Repeat on day 2.  Repeat on day 3.  There are multiple reasons why this plan is terrible.  Unfortunately, most people don’t even have a plan and the above is better than about 75% of us.

Excuse me while I run off subject on a quick tangent.  Now, I ‘think’ I know how to do my taxes, but I am not an accountant.  Chances are I would waste a ton of my time and lose out on tons of money if I actually did do my own taxes.  That is why I take advice or hire an accountant.  Why should fitness and health be so much different?  Read advice from professionals (I am not talking about Shape magazine) or hire a trainer (one that knows their stuff) or join a class you enjoy.

Be Accountable.  Why do you want to workout?  Do you have goals?  Who is pushing you or working out with you?  How will you feel if you fail?

These are questions you must ask yourself and be honest.  If you don’t have a good answer for them, find one. 

You must have short term and long term goals and they must be specific.  A goal to ‘Look Good’ doesn’t count.  What does that mean?  If I said I wanted to make more money next year and I made $1 more, would I be happy?  No.  Be specific and realistic.  There is nothing worse than setting outrageous goals and failing.

You must have someone to be accountable to.  Is it your trainer?  Is it your spouse?  Maybe it’s your friend or someone to just talk to.  You are much more likely to stick with it if you have to answer to someone. 

These are some very quick thoughts when setting up this years resolutions.  Take this step by step and you are sure to have an amazing 2010.

If you are looking for a great workout plan with accountability and motivation, check out Monmouth Countys Best Boot Camp or Monmouth County Personal Training

If you liked this post, please click on the facebook icon below.Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

It is hard to believe that it is that time of the year again.  New Year’s is nearly upon us and everyone will soon be thinking of resolutions.  The majority of resolutions each year center around getting in shape, losing weight or eating better.  Unfortunately, most goals are abandoned after the first 1-2 weeks.

My plan for 2010 is to help everyone stick with their fitness and nutrition goals by offering a Biggest Loser style transformation contest.  Unlike the usual contest that focuses just on weight loss, this contest will focus on a variety of areas that allows everyone a real chance to win.

Here are the details…

1. Contest will begin March 1 and run 6 weeks until April 9.

2. To be eligible, you must be enrolled in training (personal training, small group training or bootcamps) with Carbone Training Systems by February 18 and sign up for the contest.

3. Entry fee is $35 per person.

4. Winner will be chosen based on total points compiled by weight loss, fat loss and inches lost.  A tie will go down to tiebreaker.

5. Winner receives cash prize and other great gifts.

6. Only open to first 12 participants!

7. Each contestant receives: 

• (2) Measurement Sessions ($49 Value Each)
• Fitness & Nutrition ebook ($29 Value)
• Quick Start Fitness & Nutrition Guide ($29 Value)
• ‘Off Day’ Program
• Discount on Meal Plans
• Unlimited Email support throughout 6 weeks

8.  Measurement times will be set 1-2 days before contest begins.

9. You are welcome to eat whatever you’d like and workout as much as you want during these 6 weeks.  There is no set program you have to follow.

10. Bring a friend who is not a current member and waive your $35 fee and get 2 weeks of class free.

To sign up or for more information, email info@CarboneTrainingSystems.com with your name and phone number beforeFebruary 18.  Spots are filling up quickly and will be limited, so don’t procrastinate.  Sign up now!

If you haven’t signed up for the Free newsletter, go to the top right corner now to get your Free Fat Loss Truths ebook.

Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

Heres another quickie for you guys to do to blast away that last slice of pumpkin pie you eat on Thanksgiving this year.  This is a great workout if you are on the road visting relatives or even at a hotel, because you need absolutely no equipment. 

Plant yourself in front of a clock with a second hand or set your stopwatch for this great fat blasting workout.

1 Legged Burpees (Squat Thrusts) x 30 seconds

Pushups x 30 seconds

Russian Twists  (seated with 45 degree lean, hold arms in front and twist side to side towards floor) x 30 seconds

Sprint in place x 30 seconds

Repeat 5 times.Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS