Ways to Prevent Summer Weight Gain

So you spent the winter working hard and staying in decent shape.  You exercised consistently, and you were careful to eat more healthy foods as you watched your portion sizes.  Why?  So you would look great at the lake and have plenty of energy to enjoy summer.  You greeted summer with a healthy, toned body.

But summer, in spite of all the fun and relaxation it brings, can be tricky and deal us a cruel blow when it comes to our fitness.

Have you noticed the scale creeping up a little over the last couple of months?  If so, you are not the only one. Summer is a very easy time to overindulge and pick up those pounds that you shed during the winter months.

That’s not what we want, right? We aren’t trying to undo all that we’ve worked so hard to accomplish.

Remember that bad habits creep in slowly.  Perhaps you are skipping your workouts a couple days each week, because ‘You have so much to do.’ Or maybe you have been indulging in unhealthy food or drinks a little more frequently when you are with friends.  It happens-little by little.  It happens one small choice at a time.  But those choices add up fast.

If you realize that you have been slipping up, it’s not too late to turn around and get back on track. Really!  There is still plenty of summer left for you to regain whatever ground you might have lost and get back to awesome.

Here are a few common reasons that people gain weight in the summer and how to remedy them.

1.  Disrupted sleep cycle.  Summer brings with it more daylight and longer days.  This extra sunshine can cause our circadian rhythms to change which causes us to sleep less.  But if we don’t get enough sleep, our bodies will respond by packing on a few extra pounds!  The solution?  Be diligent to get at least seven hours of sleep each night.

2.  Baby, it’s hot out there!  When it’s hot and humid, we tend to move around less.  Our energy is lower and besides, who wants to sweat even more, right?  But the less you move, the slower your metabolism is and the fewer calories you will burn.  Be intentional about keeping up with your exercise.  Find indoor exercise alternatives like our fitness training or maybe even take up swimming.  Just keep moving.

3.  On the road again.  Summer meals travel and travel means healthy eating just got harder.  Eating on the road presents big challenges if you are trying to eat clean.  Before your summer trips, brainstorm some ways to reduce the amount of fast food that you will consume while you are away.  Consider packing a cooler with hummus, nuts, lean proteins sources like chicken, fresh fruit and raw veggies.

4.  Caution:  Cookouts!  Ahhh…summer cookouts, parties, family reunions.  All this spells danger because the food at these festivities is usually about as unhealthy as you can get!  Make sure you pass on the hotdogs, potato salad, oily salad dressings and rich cakes.  Look for grilled vegetables, fresh fruit and lean cuts of meat prepared without greasy marinades.

Don’t let the summer creep undo all the hard work you’ve done to get you where you are right now.  Decide to fight back.  Make up your mind to finish well this summer.  Your future self will thank you!

There are still opening for you to come and work with the best personal trainers in Columbus. We want to learn more about your fitness goals and exercise history. Work with us to build your strength, lose unwanted pounds and body fat, and feel great about yourself when you look in the mirror.

Use this link to schedule your FREE VIP fitness assessment

calendly.com/mccohnmuscle

McCohn Muscle- May 2019 Client of the Month

In January 2018, Chris suffered a horrific injury. He was left with 2 herniated discs in my back: L4-L5 and L5-S1.

The latter of these 2 discs ended up being ruptured (torn) which leaked fluid out and against his right sciatic nerve.  For a few months, his side effects included muscle spasms (down my right leg- once triggered by a simple sneeze which sent him to the ER), constant nerve pain, muscle atrophy, weight gain, and permanent numbness and nerve damage down parts of my right leg and foot.

Chris probably wasn’t flashing this smile while enduring all that pain.

After 4 trips to the ER, maxed out insurance visits to Physical Therapy, doctors appointments, and Injections, Chris no longer had pain in his leg on a day to day basis sometime around July/August.

At this point, he felt his injury shouldn't hold him back and that he needed to build up muscle and get back in shape. He tried getting back into the gym 3 times a week on his own, but eventually gave up due to related issues in his back and leg where the nerve symptoms would flare up for a few days or more.

He continued his own program for a couple more months not making much of any progress and at the very end of December he decided he needed a professional to make sure he was lifting properly, pacing himself, and help shed some of the weight he had gained.

At this point he acted with urgency. He knew that one of the best things for compromised spinal discs (per my Neuro surgeon, ruptured discs don't ever fully heal, its all about preventing spillage going forward) is to build up the supporting muscles- back and core.

He found McCohn Muscle online by simply doing a Google map search of trainers near his residence. The numerous online reviews seemed legit and the facility was clean and complete. When he came in for his assessment, he ended up almost passing out and even threw up. He was ready to sign up and leave 2018 in the past where it belongs. 

During the four months he’s been training at McCohn Muscle, Chris says “Hands down, the number one thing that training here provided me in terms of improvement has got to be the technique. I come in and leave with the peace of mind that I am doing exercises properly- with correct form. For me this was crucial because simply bending over or twisting my back incorrectly or lifting even a light dumbbell improperly could have shot my progress back 10 months.”

We took the time to understand his injury from the start, and we made sure that we build his core stability and strength before getting to the fun stuff. He also told us, “you gave me more effective exercises and means to strengthen and relieve my back/nerve issues than my physical therapists did, which I was shocked by. Without you guys there, I would have been going straight for the heavy weights and for sure getting into some trouble. Aside from that, having that extra push for accountability as well as energy which you get from the trainers as well as the other trainee's is priceless.”

So far he’s lost 30lbs and 8% body fat, but more importantly he’s had absolutely no back issues since the first week of training, where as prior to signing up he could have slept funny and woke up needing to lay down for 3 days.

Chris isn’t planning on stopping his training any time soon, and we asked him if he has any advice for someone that has been contemplating starting a training program.

He said, “if you're at the point where you are contemplating whether to start a training program or not, then your wasting your time until you actually do it. You have probably realized the benefits of accountability and professional, certified guidance. Your health is not a joke and you owe it to yourself (and your family if applicable) to do everything you can to improve it. Plus you'll have a damn good time (after the first couple days of soreness)!”

April 2019 Client of the Month

“Although I am not where I want to be I try to make someone laugh each day because I believe bringing light to someone's life can save their life.”

Hey Mama

Is it safe to exercise during pregnancy?

No doubt about it, exercise during pregnancy is a big plus for you and your future baby.

It is not just acceptable, it should be promoted. Pregnant women are encouraged to maintain an exercise program all throughout their 9 months of conception. This is even more significant to women who were living active lifestyles prior to their pregnancy. It is suitable to continue with regular exercise but with a few simple modifications.

If you are an athlete or perhaps a rigid runner, you can continue but you may want to think about slowing down the pace a little bit, although your body is used to the rigorous training that you had, exercise during pregnancy is something that should be done in moderation. On the contrary, if you are a couch potato and have been sedentary for a while then this is not the time to engage in more active sports. Regular walking and stretching would be enough.

Exercise during pregnancy is the best way to stay in shape and obtain a feeling of wellness all throughout. Despite all the differences in each of your bodies, exercise still plays the biggest role towards a healthy pregnancy. Researchers have found that exercise during pregnancy leads to an easier and a shorter time in labor and delivery with less possibilities of any complications. It also results to less weight gained and less time taken is returning to your pre-pregnancy weight.

Today, due to the widespread of the significance of exercise during pregnancy, innumerable ways to stay fit have emerged so women don’t have to lock themselves down and stick to one routine. However during this entire time, it would be appropriate to consult your doctor to further discuss with options that would work best for your delicate body. This way, your health care provider can adjust the level of intensity of your workouts depending on your level of pre-pregnancy fitness.

The truth about exercise during pregnancy has been a widespread amongst all would-be moms. Its profound purpose has long been deemed to be achieved by most women. If you are not used to exercising, then you can just engage in light exercises such as walking. Begin slowly and then gradually pace up as you gain more strength. Whatever fitness level you may be in, it will never be too late to start and build a much healthier habit for you and your precious little angel.

March 2019 Client of the Month

Our Client of the Month for March 2019 is Catrina Chanthasene.

Most people that train here have nicknames…..we call her Cat. Her husband calls her Cati. She started training at McCohn Muscle in June 2018. Her main goals were weight loss and muscle tone. She was already physically active since she had been running two miles, twice a week. She also was 10 months postpartum, and had the desire to look great and feel good about herself again.

She’s had a few medical issues she’s had to battle during her program, including migraines, joint inflammation, and swelling in her legs, ankles and feet. There was a time when Cat was training and she shared that she dealt with pain in her body (not workout related) every time she came in to train. What was amazing about it to me was that she never once showed it or complained. That’s when I knew she deserved extra energy and effort poured into her fitness and training program, because that’s what she gave, without grumbling. She fully embodied that McCohn Muscle culture of focus, dedication, and hard work. She was a perfect fit to work with a couple of the best trainers in Columbus.

Cat is FOUR MONTHS PREGNANT! McCohn Muscle has a few fitness babies around the city. The mom trains with us before she gets pregnant, continues to train while she is pregnant, then gives birth to her fitness baby. Cat is going to have the newest member of the gang in a few months. Even with her medical challenges combined with the difficulty of that first trimester, Cat stuck with it and is still in the gym pushing through every workout.

Besides being a great ambassador of McCohn Muscle and staying engulfed in our culture, Cat has gotten some great results with her training. In her annual health screening at work, she’s lost 26lbs from 2017 to 2018, 16 of those were while training here. Her body fat percentage dropped 8.8%, her BMI went from 29.5 (nearly obese) to 24.2, and her total cholesterol dropped from 184 to 156. We are proud of her success and we looking forward to more successes with her in the future. For now we’re going to focus on safely carrying this fitness baby while getting the most out of each workout.

Congratulations Cat!!!

Cat also participated in our Refer-A-Friend challenge we created at the end of 2018. She referred her husband, Pete, who is making his own run at Client of the Month

February 2019 Client of the Month

Our Client of the Month for February 2019 is Shamara Page.

Shamara started training with us at the end of June during our Fit Over 40 campaign. She had been following us on Facebook and Instagram for two years before she came in to start her training program. She was using the information she learned in our Facebook LIVE videos and posts to help improve her health. She can tell you how to find a good trainer to coach you, what vegetables will give you superpowers, and how women should train while on their periods to maximize results. You could say that Shamara was a good student/trainee before she started.

When she began in June, she had no weightlifting or training experience. This is an important part of the journey. Like many people out there, she probably had her insecurities about starting a training program. “I don’t know how to lift. I don’t know what exercises to do. I don’t know what weight I should use, or how to perform exercises correctly.” Her first success was that she started in spite of all these doubts, and her second victory was that she put in the work to learn how to squat. She learned how to deadlift and bench press with correct form. She knows how to swing a kettlebell, perform pull ups, and bicep curls, etc. She did not let her lack of knowledge stop her. She allowed herself to be coached and did what was asked.

Her started her training around 157lbs, with a desire to get to 145lbs. She’s currently at 142lbs. Her body fat percentage has dropped 7%, and she’s lost a total of 10.5 inches. In July, she did a 3-mile run in 36:25. By December we got that bad boy down to 31:35.

What’s next for Shamara? That’s a good question. We think she is a perfect candidate for the Warrior Dash, Tough Mudder, or even something more intense like the Spartan Race. Either way we are going to keep pushing her to get better. If you see her out and about, hit her with a high five because she deserves it.

When you allow yourself to be coached, you can get the results you want too!

Tips to Eliminate "Toxic Time"

I met with a very valuable client this morning and she has been struggling recently to regain momentum. She was late to our appointment because she had trouble sleeping and was up half the night. She drank more coffee than usual the prior day and hasn’t been to the gym in over a week.

She didn’t travel for the holidays so I believed there was no excuse to miss her training sessions when we were scheduled. I also immediately believed that she would not have needed that extra coffee if she’d made her workout times @McCohnMuscle.

I asked her what she did at night when she couldn’t sleep. Her answer: TV.

She confessed that not only has she been watching too much TV, but she’s been binge watching shows she’s already seen! To top it off, she admitted to turning the TV on so she could scroll through her cell phone.

She named it “Toxic Time.”

Lord knows your favorite trainer enjoys a good movie. It’s a way to escape the stress that tugs on me everyday, enjoy entertainment, and visit a “new world.” Watching a good ball game is another way to relax, but once you start watching the ball game, then the highlights, then the guys talking about the ball game, and onto another game…..you’re doing a bit too much.

Here are some ways binge-watching negatively impacts health:

• weight gain and obesity

• increased struggles with cardio

• lower sperm counts

• antisocial behavior in children

Here are a few ways cell phone use effects health:

• weight gain

• shortened attention span

• causing car crashes

• increased anxiety

• tech neck (increased kyphosis)

Both of these lists are relatively long when you research. It’s obvious the risks of excessive use of our phones and TVs far outweigh the benefits.

I’ll show you a few ways to cut down on your Toxic Time and turn up on the person you really desire to be.

1. Turn your phone off an hour before you go to bed and don’t turn it back on until you are finished with your morning routine. Somebody’s like “hey Q, my cell phone is my alarm clock tho.” Ok, well, think about investing in an actual alarm clock. If not, set your alarm an hour before bed and turn your alarm off in the morning, and don’t open your phone again until your morning routine is done.

2. Read! You can finally get into those books you’ve had sitting around for months or years. Reading books and articles will fill your head with valuable information instead of TV and IG images.

3. Write! Writing creates clarity, clarity precedes genius (thank you, Robin Sharma). Let your imagination run wild. Be a Muppet Baby. Where do you want to go? How do you want to feel? What do you want to do? How would you like to look? Write it down! Then do it again. Hang up notes. Get karma on your side. The “universe” will work for you when you set your intentions.

4. Exercise! Movement beats meditation. Moving your body is the best way to feel better. It will also open up your mind for creative thinking and get you closer to your health and fitness goals. Don’t close your eyes to think about it, get up and get moving.

What do you think? Tell us in the comments.

Be militant in protecting your mental and physical health. Our January Transformation Challenge starts on January 14th. As of January 3rd we only have 12 more spots available. Move quickly to get your spot. You can sign up on our website, or give us a call if you have questions.

Much Love,

Q. McCohn

McCohn Muscle November 2018 Client of the Month

Can you believe she broke her kneecap into three pieces? OUCH! She has turned tragedy into triumph as she’s found the best training facility, and the best personal trainers in Columbus, Ohio. After two surgeries on her broken kneecap and physical therapy for 9 months, the doctor told Cindy that she “probably” would not do the activities that she used to do.

After hearing that news, she continued to walk for moderate exercise until she saw McCohn Muscle’s ads and 5-star rating on Facebook. She came to our training facility in Worthington, Ohio and sat down with Owner/Head Trainer, Quentin McCohn for an hour to set up a program that would help her get results with her limitation.

During the assessment McCohn realized that her left leg, probably because of being in a brace for months, was 2.5in smaller than her right.

Here are all the victories after training with McCohn Muscle for a short period of time: she now bikes for 10min at the end of her training sessions. She constantly climbs stairs at Hoover Dam and participates in running activities at Sharon Woods. She has lost 17lbs and 3% body fat. She also has increased her flexibility in her left leg.

Many people battle mental hurdles when it comes to exercise. They feel they are too fat, they have too much pain in certain body parts, or that exercise “just isn’t for me.” It is important to take control of your health and fitness. Do not procrastinate. Do not believe or feel that you’re not worth it. Know that it will take some hard work and sacrifice, but the payoff is so much greater.

If you have been struggling with losing weight and being consistent with an exercise program; if you are having problems fitting into your jeans, and almost come to tears when you look in the mirror; if you are afraid to be intimate with your spouse or mate because of the way you look and feel…….do not wait any longer. It’s time for you to get moving.

Text “I’m Ready” to (614) 596-7003