That's Fit

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly, our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

Pound for pound, Shawn Johnson would probably be the strongest member of the U.S. Army ... if she were in it. This petite 16 year old can do an insane amount of pull-ups on her first set alone, and has more drive than any NASCAR vehicle on the road. Wouldn't you love to have the strength, stamina and flexibility she's earned? Take some of the advice she gives here, and you may do just that. Just like the brilliant medals she won in Bejing this summer, Shawn's advice is golden!

Fitz: How many hours a week do you train before a competition?

Shawn: Before the Olympics I was training about 26 hours in the gym a week and up to five hours out of the gym running and swimming... doing anything extra I could.

Fitz: Your upper-body strength is amazing. How many pushups and pullups can you do?

Several years ago I was in the process of losing some extra pounds. I was working out every evening and had gradually progressed to a relatively intense routine. And then I hit that dreaded point most people who are trying to lose weight hit at one time or another... a plateau.

I increased my exercise, I reduced my calorie intake a bit further, I did everything I could think of to shake myself out of that darn plateau. Then, at the suggestion of my boss at the time, I added a second workout session in the morning. That did the trick! Better yet, I found that I enjoyed the morning exercise and stuck with it for a long time.

I think we all have fitness frustrations from time to time. Whether you're trying to lose weight or training for a specific event or just trying to reach a personal fitness milestone -- as rewarding as fitness is, some amount of frustration is to be expected. But, like anything worth doing, if you stick with it, you'll get through the frustrating points and reap the rewards. Self Magazine asked readers for their fitness frustrations and then experts offered possible solutions.

What are some of your fitness frustrations?

There are some fitness maxims you just can't argue with, one of which is that in order to reach your goals, you have to be willing to work for them.

That being said, if you want next summer (or even next winter) to be your fittest yet, prepare to put the time in at the gym. But, the last thing you want to do is waste your effort. Instead, you want to make sure that every pound you lift, every second you run, and every step you take provides you with the maximum return on your fitness investment.

The first way to help ensure max ROI is to incorporate interval training into your workout. Research from Laval University in Canada found that 15 weeks of high-intensity interval training shed nine times more fat than 20 weeks of steady, moderate-intensity exercise.

My son has attended the same summer camp for two years now. Throughout the summer there are specialty camps kids can opt to attend. Last summer he signed up for an intense biking camp. At the beginning of the week, there were more than 30 kids signed up. By day three, the numbers had dropped to about 12. By the end of the week, only 6 kids remained.

On the first day of camp, the kids and their counselors rode a total of 10 miles. But the rides were short and they stopped at several fun locations to play and rest in between rides. Still, my very fit and athletic son needed to take a bath that night to relax his muscles.

The second day, the kids rode about the same distance, but with only one, longer break in between. It was a hard day, evidenced by the fact that more than half of the kids dropped out after day two. My son mentioned that he thought maybe he'd like to quit, too. But day three was too intriguing for him to give up.

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that fitness goals are more successfully met when they're set in groups.

In accordance with this concept, Women's Health magazine suggests tackling multiple health goals at once, as it will help keep your resolve and resist temptation. Quoting the lead study author, the article states that if you just finished a hard run on the treadmill, you'll be less inclined to reach for an unhealthy treat. As you can see, you've now stuck to your plan of exercising and eating healthy.

The article also suggests making a list of up to three objectives and set daily and weekly mini-goals for each. Every time you reach one of those goals, award yourself with a point (which can be done simply by making a mark on your calender). Once you've reached a pre-determined amount of points -- maybe 20? -- reward yourself with a trip to the movies, a fancy haircut, or anything that makes you feel good. You earned it, so go for it!!

Do you remember taking the Presidential Fitness Test in elementary school? I was one of those crazy kids who LOVED it -- I was naturally athletic and I kept active, so it wasn't hard for me to pass. And I love tests that I know I can pass.

I received an email from Active.com encouraging me to try The Special Ops Fitness Test the other day. "How bad can it be?" I asked myself. I work hard, and I push myself. I can at least give it a good shot, right?

Wrong.

Okay, so I failed. I failed badly ... this time. But I now have some really tough goals to meet. Want to see what they are? Check the gallery! And, let me know how well you did!

Sticking with a workout ... that's the trick. It's no surprise, then, that it's also the hardest part. Burnout happens rather quickly, especially when you go from not working out at all directly to a high-powered workout that would make most Olympic athletes sleep in. This is why easing your way into a new workout is the better approach. Sometimes, simple tips like these can make the difference between skipping rope and skipping the gym.

Men's Health offers 10 tips of this kind, all designed to help you stay on track with your workout. Some of them are based on money (the fear of wasting it, that is), while others involve setting very specific goals. Whatever it is that works best for you, use it as the motivation you need to keep the fire in you burning.

Check out the tips listed below, or visit the Men's Health website for a more detailed explanation of each.

1. Put Your Money Where Your Muscle Is

2. Set a 20-Minute Rule

3. Track the Benefits

4. Schedule Your Training

5. Cross Off Your Workouts

6. Ask Your Wife/Husband to Join You

7. Set Specific Goals

8. Combine Things You Do Already With Athletics

9. Switch it Up

10. Join a Gym That's Close to Home

When it comes to weight loss, it certainly would be nice to have a quick fix. We can talk to our cars and order a pizza, we have Segways to keep us from having to walk too far ... but how can all this technology help us in our weight loss goals?

Forbes came up with eight tech toys to help us shape up and slim down. Not only are they helpful, but they're fun!

• A Sensei for Weight Loss personal digital coach turns your cell phone into your personal nutrition coach.
  
  
• Diet.com offers nutrition texting so you can always know how many calories you're taking in, no matter where you are. Well, as long as you have cell reception, that is.
  
  

FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

Plugging away at an exercise routine sure is easier when progress is apparent. Lose a few pounds, tone a few muscles, or pump out 20 push-ups instead of your usual 10 and motivation might just overcome you. All it takes are goals that are reasonable, realistic, and attainable. Set a few SMART goals and you'll witness the wonder of success -- and the inspiration to keep at your fitness pursuits.

SMART goals are:

Specific: Plan to run three miles today or jump rope for the duration of one song.

Measurable: Log your activity and see if you're mastering your specific goals.

Action-oriented: Resolve to walk for 30 minutes four times every week. Or bike for one hour two days per week.

Realistic: Don't plan to run 10 miles if you don't run at all right now. Try for two miles instead.

Timely: Allow one month to work up to two miles. This way, you've got time and the end is in sight too.

If getting into better shape is high on your priority list for this year, joining a gym may be a smart move. While it is completely possible to get a great workout without ever stepping foot inside one, gyms offer a wider variety of workout options. Another benefit that gyms offer is one that you may need more than anything else: Help.

Personal trainers can provide a great deal of assistance when it comes to helping you reach your fitness goals. Armed with knowledge that you probably don't posses, good personal trainers will lead you through appropriate and effective workout sessions, ultimately bringing you to the point where you able to continue training all on your own. But, just as there are good and bad versions of workers in just about any profession, there are some fantastic trainers and there are some, shall we say, not-so-fantastic trainers.

Here are a few tips that can help you make a more informed decision when deciding whether or not to hire a particular trainer:

Check references. Talk to people who have worked with this particular trainer. Ask them about their experiences and level of satisfaction.

What's his/her training style? For example, are you looking for a drill sergeant? Someone to yell and scream at you in the middle of a crowded gym? If not, make sure your trainer's style is far less in-your-face. Also, if you're not looking for a paid gym buddy (follow the link and search for the "A Bit Too Personal Trainer"), be sure to find a trainer who clearly will be all business.

Check qualifications. Someone with at least a bachelor's degree in exercise science, exercise physiology, or a similar field would be ideal, but this shouldn't be a deal-breaker if they don't. However, they should be certified by a nationally recognized organization, such as ACE or ACSM.

I made a small goal in January to not have any sugary drinks (alcohol included) for one month. I've done that before -- made that goal in my head -- but I never stuck to it. This time, I did it differently. I wrote my goal down, and told my friends and family of it. Doing so made it seem real, whereas keeping the goal to myself before made it easy to fall off. Maybe it's all down to pride -- once I tell someone else about the goal, it means someone will know if I fail. And I don't want to look like a failure, especially when it's such a simple task.

So here's my suggestion: Write down your goals, whether they involved sugary drinks or not. You want to be making a better salary next year? Write it down. You want to have lost 20 pounds by next summer? Write it down. Once it's on paper, for someone to see (even if it's just you), it becomes very real and I would take a guess that you're 100% more likely to actually follow through.

I have a definite bag of tricks when it comes to fitness. In my bag, I've got running, walking, push-ups, a handful of core exercises, some resistance band stuff, and occasionally, some weight lifting. That's about it. It seems enough on the average day. It gets my heart beating, causes me to sweat, and lets me know I've worked some major muscle groups. But sometimes, when I throw something new into my bag, I realize there's so much more I could be accomplishing.

Recently, my mom and I hopped on our bikes and peddled around town for 90 minutes. We never realized how hilly our area is until the burn in our legs made it abundantly clear. It was also clear my core was engaged in a whole new way. My arms were tensing and tightening differently. My butt was sore. My hands were too. And my back -- well, my back is apparently very weak.

What I realize now after mixing up my workout routine is that I need to do it more often. I need to distribute my physical work more evenly so all my muscles benefit. Consistency is good. But so is variety. So I'll stick with what works for me on the average day. When I get a chance to change gears, though, I'm going to embrace a little diversity.

It seems a little variety is not only good for the body -- it also helps us stick with our fitness goals. Read here for more about this topic.

Are you having trouble sticking to your goal? You're not alone, and although there are many possible reasons why consider if it's because the goal you're trying to stick to is unrealistic or unclear in some way. Often people set their goals too low (motivation is an issue), too high (risking disappointment), or they aren't specific enough with how they're going to measure it. But understanding different fitness benchmarks, and using them to focus and measure your goals, can fix all that and give you both clear direction and clear ways to mark your progress. It's hard to know where you're going if you don't know where you're starting from!

Use these benchmarks to set you're starting point, and your finish line:

• Heart Rate A great way to measure your physical fitness level and cardiovascular health is to keep track of your heart rate -- hence all the heart rate monitors on the market these days. You want to aim to be at around 50% of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age) when you're first getting started, and work your way up to 75% as your fitness level increases.
  

Nobody likes a quitter, right? But doing so might be better for your health. New studies are insisting that when a goal seems unattainable, it's better for your health to give up than keep fighting for it. Research has also found that persistent people have worse qualities of life than those who can throw in the towel. They're also more prone to depression and they have higher levels of Cortisone, the hormone in your body that fights stress.

While I agree that it's important to know when to give up, where would the world be if we all just gave up when the going gets tough? I think the key here is balance -- being persistent enough to go after your dreams with full-force, but still being smart enough to know when it's out of your hands.

What do you think of these findings?

Does your fitness or dieting plan need a jumpstart? Why? Obviously you've stalled, or hit a wall, or fallen into a rut, or whatever, but what is it that makes you want to break free and get moving again? What are you trying to achieve?

Considering your goal and refocusing yourself is one way to get motivated again, but if that isn't doing the trick try this slight variation: name 5 things your current weight or fitness level is preventing you from doing. Your goal may be to lose 25 pounds, but a list of things you'd like to do may have goals on it like wearing a certain size jeans, looking great for a specific event, or doing something physical like rock climbing or kayaking. By naming specific things that you want to do when you're thinner/healthier you can rejuvenate your spirit and inspiration, and get the focus shifted off the scale and more onto your life. So what are 5 things that you can (and will!) do when you reach your goal that you can't do now? And just how bad do you want those things?