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Aug 04
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James Johnston on the news!
Real Results Fitness/Personal Training In Las Vegas
You are meant to have a body that’s lean, strong and flexible, with fantastic cardiovascular health. Now you can with Real Results Fitness. The top personal trainers in Las Vegas.
Real people just like you lose weight and shed unwanted body fat with Real Results™. The Real Results program is led by professional fitness trainers and compliments your gym membership.
This high-energy program is appropriate for men and women of all ages and fitness levels. Our half-hour workouts fit your busy schedule and maximize your time. Also available with the program is our 12 week eating plan system, which has helped 100’s of real people get the results they want…now!
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Jul 17
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Here it is! The official race video from the RealResults Fitness 2nc annual 5k and Kids dash that was held April 18th 2010. Thanks again to all our sponsors and participants and to everyone that helped out.
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Jul 14
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Broccoli, cauliflower, Collared Greens, Asparagus, Kale. Yum!…ya right.
If you are anything like me, you may have never developed a craving for veggies. When I was pre-teen I can remember disliking vegetables with a passion. My mother would “order” me to eat them. I couldn’t leave the dinner table unless I cleared my plate. I would resort to many skillful tactics to avoid consuming veggies. I often fed them to the dog…thank god he ate them. Particularly Brussell sprouts. I could barely stomach them and I would chuckle when “snoopy” ate them because I couldn’t believe he could tolerate them. Other times I would wait until my parents went to the kitchen to do the dishes and when they weren’t looking, I would put the veggies in my mouth and chew them briefly them spit them into a napkin, fold them up and drop em in the trash en route to unloading my plate to be washed. Of course I also did the ol’ hold my nostrils shut while I chewed and quickly swallowed my with a big sip of water along with my veggies. For some reason or another my mother would also buy frozen veggies which to me were even less appealing.
I really hated vegetables and I couldn’t understand why my mom was so adamant about me eating them. She really worked hard to discipline me to eat them but I’m sorry to say ma, your efforts were falling on deaf ears. Even my brother resorted to them same tactics as I did.
As a responsible adult however, I really make a strong effort to eat veggies…at least 5 servings a day. Guess what? I still don’t like them. I still hate brussell sprouts and I can’t really stomach green beans. But I now make a very strong conscious effort to consume them. Not the brussell sprouts or green beans (because I still can’t stomach them) but a big variety of other fiberous veggies. Its just a matter of my health being one of my top priorities in my life.
The veggies that I consume on a daily basis:
- Collard greens
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Mustard greens
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Swiss Chard
- Red Leaf Lettuce
Do I like any of these veggies? Not particularly. The only one I can somewhat tolerate is cauliflower. However, because I am aware of the importance of veggies to a healthful diet rich in anti oxidants, fiber, minerals, and phyto-nutrients, I make it a priority to eat them daily. The only way I am able to do this however is that I have discovered ways to tolerate them.
For example, and you may think this sounds crazy, but I mix broccoli and cauliflower in with my steel cut oatmeal.
Here’s how.
From the recommendation of my good friend Danny (a self proclaimed chef) a few years ago I purchased a Zyliss food chopper for $20.00. I bought it at “The Kitchen Store” located in the Belz Factory outlet mall on S. Las Vegas Blvd. I love this thing. It dices veggies within 5 seconds. All it takes is a few pounds of my hand to chop the veggies into tiny little (tolerable) pieces. I then stir the “fist size” serving of minced broccoli and cauliflower into a serving of Steel Cut Oatmeal. The taste of the oatmeal is strong than the minced veggies. This is how I can tolerate two large servings of those RAW veggies in one meal. I couldn’t eat them outright on their own that’s for sure.
Here is another example:
For lunch, I eat a huge salad that is loaded with fiberous veggies. It includes minced Collard greens, Kale, Mustard greens, Cabbage, Swiss Chard, and chopped Red Leaf Lettuce as my filler. After mixing them all in a huge bowl, I separate the salad into portion sizes of separate Tupperware containers. When I am ready to eat a serving, I then add Balsamic vinegar and oil. This is really the only way I can tolerate all those greens. Again, the dressing masks the nasty taste of all those greens.
But look! I just consumed 4 of the 5 recommended servings of veggies for the day and I did this all by lunchtime. As you can see I have found ways that I can tolerate my veggies and get the nutrients I need for optimum health.
In order for you to be successful with the RealResults 12 week Eating plan here is the main key: You must commit to eating no less than 5 servings of RAW “Rougage/fiberous” veggies every day. This is not an easy task. I know this from personal experience and from looking at our clients food logs every day. But this is how it works and that’s just the way it is. Fiber is one of the big keys to weight loss. I didn’t make up this rule…it’s just the truth.
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Jul 12
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Today I am inserting a post from RealResults trainer Cyndee Platko. Please make sure to check her out at coachcyndee.com.
As a trainer I have heard every excuse not to workout. Some may be valid excuses but in my book most are not. I recently have given this some thought and I felt the need to write about it. I rarely miss workouts but then again I am not NORMAL as my clients tell me on a regular basis. I have trained through migraine headaches, colds, blisters, a broken arm, extreme fatigue, mono (which I didn’t know I had in college) and many more things. I know at times I should not have been working out but I am one extreme. Some of my clients are another end of the spectrum. They seem to be able to come up with any reason not to work out. Now I must say I love them all but I need to say the excuses need to go! In the last few months I have heard the following excuses (everyone will remain nameless:)
- I forgot my sports bra and socks
- I forgot my shoes
- My toenails hurt (you runners know when your toenails get bruised at times)
- I have a hair appointment
- I had too much sex so I can’t do legs today!
- I got cramps
- I took too much cold medicine
- I went to bed too late
- I was tired
- I cut my toe
- I didn’t want to
- I got a new puppy
- I had to spend time with my boyfriend/husband
- I am gym depressed
- I have allergies
- My dog is sick
- The plumber is coming
- I drank too much last night
- I had to work late
I could keep going but you get the point. None of the things I listed above are good reasons in my book to miss a workout! I have had bruised toenails and yes they do hurt for a few days but I have always been able to continue to run. I have had cramps and I still manage to workout. I know I don’t currently have a boyfriend but when I did, he would never expect me to miss a workout to be with him. If you forget something you need for your workout most times you can make due or run to Wal-Mart and by and cheap replacement. If you think your might be working late then get your workout done in the morning. I don’t expect people to get a two hour run in with a migraine like I once did but a little headache? Sometimes an easy workout will help. Some of my best workouts were done when I really didn’t want to do them and managed to get myself moving.
My point is don’t let the excuses come too easy. If I sat here and really thought about it I could come up with several reasons why I shouldn’t run tomorrow. But I don’t do that I know I have to run and I do it. You should do the same. Stop the excuses and get out there and do it. You want to feel better, be healthy, lose weight, improve yourself and your performance. The only way you can do that is to stop coming up with reasons why you can’t workout. Get moving and don’t let your mind overpower your will. Plan your week and workouts and get them all in!
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Jul 05
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Many years ago around 1999 during a regular day of training is when I first met Maurice Clay. I had just finished training a client and we were chatting in the free weight section of the Maryland Parkway Las Vegas Athletic Club. From around the corner a huge man was walking by. He is about 6 feet tall, has huge shoulders, a massive chest and big arms that were as big (or bigger) then my legs. He had an intimidating presence to me and just seemed to wandering around the gym unsure of what he was doing. I was intrigued by him for some reason but nothing came of it at the time. He continued to walk around and I went about my business.
Days went by and I continued to regularly see Maurice at the gym by himself. I wasn’t always the best judge of character when I was in my late twenties and Maurice wasn’t someone I would have normally approached freely, largely due to my insecurities at the time. But I had a gut feeling about him. One thing I am good at because of my profession and understanding of genetics and body types is that I can tell if someone has the physical capacity to have an outstanding physique. Maurice was easily one of those people. He was blessed with a big frame and naturally large muscles. All he needed was the right knowledge and strength of character to carry that out.
Maurice Clay before
A week or so after my initial sighting of Maurice I made up my mind that I wanted to approach him to offer my guidance and tell him about his amazing potential. I had my doubts though. I was nervous that he may not give a damn about what I had to say, he may think I want something from him, or he may think I have some nerve to suggest what a grown man should do. But something in me felt compelled to approach him, after all I really only had good intentions and wanted to help.
The next day I again saw Maurice and fortunately I had the time between clients to speak with him. So I did. I walked up to him and politely introduced myself. He said that he had seen me around working with people. I came right out and said it. “Maurice, the reason why I wanted to speak with you was to tell you that from my perspective as a trainer, I can see that if you got really serious with your diet and workouts that you could have one of the best bodies in the gym.”
I couldn’t believe his response.
He said “You puny little white boy, you got some nerve telling me that.”
Ok, I’m kidding. Here is what he said. “You really mean that Paul?” I then went on to tell him why, regarding his genetics and body type and such. This led to Maurice and I chatting regularly about how he could change his diet and I offered suggestions about cardio that he needed to stick to. Maurice completely shattered my initial thoughts about him. He is a very gentle and kind man and very complimentary and appreciative.
Not soon after I had met with Maurice I had made a decision (not a very bright one) to move to Seattle and open a record store. This is a very long and entertaining part of my life that I would have to write lengthy blog post about, but not right now. I left Vegas, packed up all my stuff and moved to the northwest.
Needless to say as you can see by my presence here in Vegas, I came back. The record store was a bust and I fell on my rear end financially. I moved back to Vegas 8 months later and got back into training.
Maurice Clay after
One day while back at the LVAC I was sitting at the Juice Bar taking a break. At least a full year had passed since I had trained anyone at the LVAC. Suddenly a large, very ripped and muscular man approached me and asks me how I’m doing. I said “I’m fine thanks, but I’m sorry but have we met before?” “It’s me Paul…Maurice!” I was completely floored. He looked like a different person. He said that the day I first approached him he went home and looked in the mirror and made a life changing decision. He said that my words that day had a massive impact on him and he decided to change his life. He was thanking me up and down for going up to him and for all of the advice I had given him. He was so thankful and appreciative even though he’s the one who did all the work. Maurice lost 100 pounds in a year.
What an awesome feeling that was for me at the time. This is what makes my career so fulfilling is that hopefully something I do or say can impact a person to make a life long commitment to his or her health and fitness. Maurice still looks this good today even in his 40’s. The after picture below is one that I personally took when I helped Maurice prepare for his first body building show many years ago. Tuns out Maurice had the character and discipline to stick with it. I am still so very proud to this day. Maurice is the inspiration for my first before and after shoot for the LVAC magazine. I don’t take the credit though…that all goes to him.
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Jul 02
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Below is a Post from RealResults fitness trainer Nancy Dickinson:
The best kept secret in fitness…SWIMMING!
The benefits from swimming are virtually endless! Here’s just a few of the most important reasons to get your butt in the water:
1. Swimming face down, front crawl style swimming burns more calories an hour than any other form of cardio due to the fact that all muscles in the body are enlisted making your heart work a great deal harder than something just enlisting the legs.
2. Swimming is the only form of exercise where you get gravity off your body. This makes it rehabilitative allowing spine and joints to decompress which is impossible with most land cardio. It’s ideal for people with injuries, arthritis, or tendinitis whom cannot safely handle weight bearing cardio. Although training with weights and doing power exercises with your trainer is good stress, it’s still stress on the body. Swimming can help reverse the muscle/tendon damage from weights/impact exercise whether you’re swimming for rehab or fitness.
3. You can swim when you’re 100 years old thus provoking fitness longevity throughout all your days!
So how do the Nancy’s swim clinics work?
All clinics will be held at LVAC pool on 215 and Eastern. We will decide together if you the swimmer would be best placed in GROUP 1 or GROUP 2.
Group 1 is for total beginners working on basic breathing and becoming comfortable with placing face in the water. This is held in the warm pool as there’s not enough movement yet to keep heart rate up and stay warm. May advance to kickboard work. May also advance to group 2 if necessary.
Group 2 is for individuals comfortable with ryhthmic, face down breathing in the water. Their goal is focused on eventually swimming continuous laps for fitness. They will, depending on ability be receiving stroke mechanic drills or actual swim workouts.
How much does it cost?
Simply the cost of a Real Results Fitness single session, $19. But talk about a priceless skill!!
Swim clinics will be held once or twice a month. For more info, text me anytime 702 767 7917
I look forward to seeing you there!
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Jun 24
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This last Sunday I decided to begin shopping at Whole Foods at least 1x a week. I have gone there previously but never made a commitment to shop there indefinitely. My excuse was that it’s too far of a drive and I thought the food quality at Albertsons was adequate. Recently however, I became dissatisfied with Albertsons and Fresh and Easy. Produce was lacking in taste, and would often “go bad quicker.” Maybe this was all in my head but these concerns led me to drive the extra 20 minutes.
Organic Produce from Whole Foods
Additionally, for quite some time now I am really into taking care of my health particularly since I began receiving blood tests more regularly. Not that I was incredibly unhealthy or needed blood tests for any specific reason, but the blood tests revealed some nutritional deficiencies that I wanted to address. I am always looking step up my responsibility regarding my health.
Whole Foods is definitely more expensive, no doubt about it. My grocery bill doubled from the normal amount I would spend at Fresh and Easy or Albertsons. My main motivation however, was that I wanted to begin consuming predominantly Organic produce. I can afford it and how I view it this purchase now is that my body is worth spending the extra money (that I may have easily blown on something else.) The food in the picture above will cover me for at least 4-5 days and the bill came $65.00. Some people may think organic is just a bunch of hoopla, but with some of the research behind reasons to buy organic; to me it just makes sense.
One item I purchased is definitely noticeable with regards to taste and overall quality…the chicken. Previously I had shopped at Costco for my chicken, then I switched to Fresh and Easy for convenience but neither compared to how fantastic the chicken from Whole Foods tasted or how fresh it is. The breasts were cut perfectly as well which is nice because it makes my job of prepping so much easier. What is even more surprising is that the chicken from Whole Foods is about the same price I would normally pay at Fresh and Easy! What also makes the chicken special is that the birds are raised with no added hormones and no antibiotics. The brand name is “Mary’s Free Range Chicken.”
Mary's Free Range Chicken
My first experience with Whole Foods was actually from a brief stint in the year 2000, when I lived in Seattle Washington. I remember walking in for the first time and being blown away by the selection of fresh fruits and veggies. For a fitness nerd like me I thought I had found some sort of paradise. I spent at least an hour marveling at all of the produce I had never seen before.
I am a believer now however, as the organic produce I purchase is better in quality, taste, and freshness. See for yourself. I wish they would open a Whole Foods in my neck of the woods…I doubt that will ever happen considering I live in the old school area of Desert Inn and Eastern.
Locations:
Fort Apache
8855 West Charleston Boulevard (702) 254-8655
Tenaya
7250 West Lake Mead Boulevard (702) 942-1500
Las Vegas Boulevard
6689 Las Vegas Boulevard South (702) 589-7711
100 South Green Valley Parkway (702) 361-8183
Hours of operation:
Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Friday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
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Jun 22
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If you haven’t had a fitness evaluation lately, now would be a good time to do so. I recently purchased a body fat scale by Tanita and this thing does everything except clean the dishes. The problem is however, that the scale is a little too accurate and it will tell you one thing in particular you may or may not want to know….your “Metabolic age.”
Tanita Body Composition Monitor
For example, Real Results trainer Nancy Dickinson (who is a competitive triathlete) has the metabolic age of a 12 year old! Conversely, I have tested some people recently who may only chronologically be in their twenties yet they had the metabolism of an 80 year old!
This may seem like bad news but it can also explain why some people have a battle with body fat and others don’t. But the good news is now you have a starting point of measurement. Additionally, no matter what your metabolic age is now, you can do something about it by getting in better cardiovascular condition and by building muscle. Then when you test again later you will be proud of the results you’ve attained.
How the scale works…
Tanita uses a state of the art method of body composition assessment called “Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). Body impedance is measured when a safe, low electrical signal is passed through the body, carried by water and fluids. Your fat tissue does not contain much water and thus creates resistance or impedance to the signal. (Fat is approximately 10-15% water, whereas muscle is normally 50-70 %.) This impedance information is then used by the scale to estimate the amount of lean and fat tissue within the body.
Desirable body fat ranges:
Females Males
Age 18-39 / 20 % 18-39 / 8-15 %
Age 40-59 / 20-24% 40-59 / 12-20%
Age 60-69 / 25-30% 60-69 / 15-25%
Different methods to test body fat:
DEXA: Which is a very accurate but expensive.
Hydrostatic Weighing: Very accurate but quite expensive
Conventional BIA: Like the Tanita. Very accurate and inexpensive
Skinfold Caliper: Accuracy dependant on ability and skill of tester.
Previously, I used “Lange” skinfold calipers during fitness evaluations but now I am exclusively using the Tanita BIA scale. I switched because of the number of features the machine delivers and quite honestly, many people found the skinfold caliper to be embarrassing.
Here are all the readouts you get by standing on the scale for about 5 seconds.
- Body Water % (The total amount of fluid in the body)
- Body Fat % (The amount of body fat as a proportion of your body weight)
- Scale weight
- Muscle Mass (The weight of muscle in the body)
- Bone Mass (The weight of bone in the body)
- Basal Metabolic Rate “BMR” (How many calories the body requires to maintain its weight)
- Daily Caloric Intake (How many calories can be consumed in the next 24 hrs to maintain weight)
- Metabolic Age (Compares BMR to the average age associated with that level of metabolism)
- Visceral Fat (Fat in the abdominal cavity (stomach) surrounding the vital organs)
I would encourage you to come for a test. At the very least, do the Tanita scale test. This can really motivate you to make improvements.
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May 19
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Here is one of the many video shoots from my visits to FOX 5 local news. I am there along side with Heidi Hayes, Ted Pretty, and Dave Hall.
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May 06
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Recent FOX 5 news segment about Real Results Fitness!