TrainingWithTonya Member

I love sandbag training! I actually was introduced to it by Josh Henkin, who is the guru of sandbag training, at an NSCA workshop last year. I get my sandbags from him at http://www.ultimatesandbagtrainingstore.com/ but that is because I know him so I know the quality and like the idea of buying from someone I know…

I spent 13 years as a professional wrestler. I have arthritis from the base of my skull to the tip of my tailbone, in my wrist, knee, and ankle from the years of abuse to my body. I had to build up to be able to do the activities I do, but I can do any workout I want now through proper training. The key is to pick…

Are you counting your walking / jogging as your exercise? If so, then you are sedentary. Activity level doesn't include your planned exercise, just the activity you do as part of your normal routine. 16 years Certified Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor 9 years Certified Sports Nutritionist Bachelors in…

If RMR is 1900 and you exercise 300 more, then your TDEE is 2200. 80% of 2200 is 1760 Calories. If you eat 1760, then you have a deficit of 440 Calories for the day. If you don't exercise that day, then your TDEE is your RMR of 1900. 80% of 1900 is 1520 Calories. If you eat 1520, then you have a deficit of 380 Calories for…

There isn't one that is BEST. Each person will have their own individual needs based on their metabolic conditions and exercise routine. I tell my clients to start out with the AMDR ranges (45-65% carbs, 10-35% protein, and 20-35% fat) and then adjust as needed based on what is specifically going on with them. 16 years…

I don't trust online BMR calculators because they may or may not be figuring BMR. A lot of them ask for activity level and that would indicate that they are actually an RMR calculator instead of a true BMR calculator. So, take anything you read online with a grain of salt regarding your specific BMR. Technically, BMR is…

Without being able to see your diary, I wonder what your diet consists of if it is stopping you up. Generally, high protein plans can be constipating for some people. I'm one of those people, so my first thought was that you probably went on a low carb diet to lose weight and that is causing the problem. Not that it is the…

I always track carbs, protein, and fat because they are the nutrients that make up the total calories. By tracking them, if my percentages don't add up to 100% at the end of the day, then I know I need to double check my entries because something is off. I then rotate between Saturated Fat, Sodium, and Fiber depending on…

Heart rate monitors work on the assumption that heart rate and calorie burns are linearly correlated. Unfortunately, that is only true for steady state cardio and only if the participant is not on any medications or other substances that effect heart rate. So, if you consume caffeine at any point within 12 hours prior to…

Ignore any stupid recommendations to eat a specific number of calories such as 1200, 1500, 1800, etc. They are generalizations that are NOT accurate for everyone. Figure your BMR, then add more calories for your normal daily activity, and then add more calories for your exercise to get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure.…

I eat 70/15/15 and have cut my body fat in half in the last year while maintaining my lean mass. That being said, there are some very specific reasons why I can (and have to) eat this way. A set macro range will not give you the results you want without the hard work that goes along with it. When I look at my needs, first,…

Chocolate skim milk has been proven in studies to be one of the best recovery drinks after a weight training workout. The sugar is actually sent to the muscles to replenish glycogen after a workout and the protein is needed for repair of muscles. There was a study presented at the ACSM conference a few years ago about it…

Ask him about Pilates or Yoga. They both stretch the spine and will relieve some of the compression if done correctly. I've had arthritis in my spine from the base of my skull to the tip of my tailbone for years (13 years as a professional wrestler will do that to a person), and have herniated discs at T3 and T4. Through…

Go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Training-With-Tonya/231103626354?sk=photos That's the photo section of my Facebook fan page where I have put up several workout cards and a lot of them use dumbbells. There are several exercises there that use barbells or bands as well but you can modify them to use dumbbells if that…

Can you go to free weights instead of machines with such high intervals? Also, ask your gym if they have Platemates, or some other form of adding smaller increments of weight to the machines. The gym where I go has the ability to add 2.5-7.5 pounds before having to go up to the next weight plate on a lot of the machines,…

What kind of injury? I'm betting you can still lift, but not for certain body parts. PM me with your injury info and I'll put you together a program where you can get started safely. 16 years Certified Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor 9 years Certified Sports Nutritionist Bachelors in Exercise Physiology with…

He's an idiot. If you run or do aerobics or the elliptical, make sure it is after your weight training and it will be primarily fat burned for the activity. In order to burn the fat so you reduce your body fat percentage, you have to do a combination of both strength and cardio. Not to mention that a trainer with any kind…

I teach Pilates. It's awesome for people with joint issues. If you are looking for a video/DVD, I recommend anything by Stott Pilates or Mari Winsor. I also have some videos up on my Facebook Fan page that are Pilates based. You can check them out here:…

Heavy is relative based on your current strength level and your goals. If you want to add size to your current muscle (so you don't have the soft, skinny fat look), then go with a weight that is all you can do to complete a set of 8-10 reps with the last one being almost impossible. Then do 3-6 sets with a minute or so…

What is your carb intake like? How are you configuring your weight training? Ideally, for hypertrophy (building size in muscle) you need to have adequate intake of carbs to store as glycogen (in water in the muscle) to get bulk before actual muscle fiber growth can happen. The general rule of thumb for hypertrophy training…

Skinny fat is where you are within or under the weight range for your height according to BMI but still have a high body fat percentage, so you are still at high risk for various diseases like cancer, heart disease, etc. In order to cut body fat and maintain lean mass, you have to do a combination of heavy weight training…

I have been known to eat lunch while on the treadmill. Ideally, if you are concerned with nutrient timing, 30 minutes to an hour is sufficient. If you are worried about nausea from eating, you may need 1-2 hours. If you are like me and have a stomach that is virtually indestructible, then you can eat whenever and be fine.

I lost 15% body fat last year while eating 70% carbs, 15% protein, and 15% fat. My workouts were consistent with heavy weight training, followed immediately by cardio, and ending with a stretch. Each workout was 1 to 2 hours long and I worked out an average of 5 days per week. For my Calorie intake, I based my needs on my…

Here are the guidelines from the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

A mix of carbs and protein. Carbs for the energy and protein to have the right building blocks on board for muscle repair and growth after your workouts.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends basing your Ideal Weight on your current lean body mass and your goal body fat %. So, if you are currently 118 pounds of lean body mass (Total weight minus fat mass) and want to be 20% body fat, then your ideal body weight would be 147.5. At 147.5 pounds, with 20% body…

Whey is the most biologically available protein, so it is more easily used in the body for muscle repair and growth, enzyme activity, etc., then other forms of protein. However, in my 16 years in the fitness industry, I've never heard of an unsweetened, unflavored version you can add to anything. Personally, I buy EAS 100%…

The only nutrients that provide energy (Calories) are Carbs, Protein, Fat, and Alcohol (although alcohol is not a nutrient). I'm assuming that you are under on calories and over on your carbs, protein, or fat in your logs and that is why you want to have calories without any nutrients. If that is the case, you need to…

Hey, I can finally say I'm part of the 1%! A perfect 7/7 for me.

That's a resting blood pressure? I'd check it right after your workouts and I bet it is high then. Exercise raises blood pressure while you are working out and lowers the resting blood pressure over time. While it is high from exercise, however, it can cause headaches. Check it as soon as you are through working out or…