Welcome to Power Fitness PDX


YOU have the power, strength and courage to make your life the best yet. Without even realizing it, you possess incredible determination and dedication to be your most active self possible...you just need a little nudge, education, and support. Through working with Power Fitness PDX your goals will not only be reached, but surpassed. What you thought was physically impossible for you to achieve will seem like a walk in the park when done training with Power Fitness PDX. You will not only feel and look better externally, but internally too. To improve one's strength on the outside has to come from improving their strength on the inside. It is time to Challenge the POWER of YOU! TM



Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Question & Answer with Coach Erin

Lucy Back

Q: IN class, I have learned how to work with my heart rate to be more effective calorie burning wise, but have a tough time incorporating heart rate work on my own workouts. How can I work with my heart rate to truly exert myself, get stronger, and lose weight but not lose all my energy for the day? - G.L.  


A: The easiest way to incorporate heart rate training is working with the Borg Scale, otherwise known as the rate of perceived exertion, and do 30/30 workouts.  When using the Borg Scale, 1-10 is the numerical scale with 1 being not active at all, such as sitting on your bum surfing Overstock.com, and 10 being full force/all effort/maximum 110%. During Level 7 you can talk and push yourself, Level 8 you can't talk comfortably but can push out words between breaths. Level 9 you can't talk but feel your body pushing beyond the comfort zone. Level 10 means you are all out- pushing everything you have-level used for those times you want to see if the Olympics are in your future. Keep your efforts between 7-9, with some 30 second blasts at 10. Try the following intervals during your next 22 minute cardio session:

1 minute level  
30 seconds level 7Estie Push Up 
30 seconds level 8
30 seconds level 7
30 seconds level 8
1 minute level 7
30 seconds level 8
30 seconds level 9
1 minute level 6
30 seconds level 8
30 seconds level 9
30 seconds level 8
1 minute level 7
1 minute level 8
45 seconds level 9
15 seconds level 10
1 minute level 6
30 seconds level 8
30 seconds level 9
30 seconds level 10
30 seconds level 7
30 seconds level 9
1 minute level 7
1 minute level 6
45 seconds level 7
45 seconds level 8
45 seconds level 6
30 seconds level 10
45 seconds level 6
30 seconds level 10
2 minutes Level 6

Strength Work:
30/30 workout - 30 seconds of each exercise pushing as hard as you can. Do the circuit and then take 1 minute off.  Repeat 2-4x.
30 Seconds Burpees
30 Seconds Prisoner Squats
30 Seconds Dive Bomb Push Ups
30 Seconds Reverse Lunge Core Rotations
30 Seconds High Knees/Low Knees
30 Seconds Core Pike Legs

To ask Coach Erin a question, email her at powerfitnesspdx@gmail.com  

Monday, June 13, 2011

Couples who TRAIN together...

You hear me say it all the time... Couples who train together stay together! How can you not be inspired when working out with your better half?  You are both trying to do something great for your body, challenging yourself physically and mentally, get the endorphin rush going, and that endorphin rush equates with the pumpin' through your hormones too!  When you feel better about yourself physically, and add into that some loving competition ...you are on fire together.

Thus Couples/Daters/Spouses, come join for the next Date Night:

Power Fitness PDX's next Couple's Date Night Boot Camp n Pub Class is:
Friday, June 17th, 6 pm
Washington Park followed with drinks (and a potluck) at McGrath's Irish Pub
$20/couple -  RSVP here.


Take a peek at a previous piece with couple's workout ideas. After reading, take a moment to read the piece ACE Fitness wrote about why it is good to train together.  Now, you must be inspired to grab your Turtle Dove and join in some boot camp fun! 

See you Friday night- be ready to sweat, laugh, and have a great date night! -- Coach Erin
 

Courtesy of ACE Fitness Fit Facts Newsletter- June 2011 

Couple’s Personal Training—Fitter Bodies, Stronger Relationship

Do you and your loved one regularly carve out quality time for each other? Are you both getting enough exercise to feel healthy, fit and energized? If the answers are not a resounding yes, couple’s personal training could bring you closer. Sharing a workout is a great way to enjoy some together-time and paves the way to a healthy, active lifestyle.

Accountability and Focus

Your odds of sticking with an exercise program go way up, if your significant other is on board. Whether it’s getting up early for a run or lifting weights after work, following through is much easier when your partner is with you. Committing to a couple’s personal training program helps establish fitness as a shared priority and gets you working toward a common goal. You’ll merge your schedules to meet with a personal trainer, and in between sessions, you’ll help each other stay on track.

Dual Purpose

Whether you’re both already active or new to exercise, your trainer will develop custom exercise plans tailored to your needs as individuals and as a couple. Planning a vacation that involves a lot of walking or hiking? Expecting a baby? Training for a fun run? Remodeling your home? Your trainer will take into account whatever is going on in your lives to create a realistic and sustainable plan to help you reach your goals.
couple

Social Support Matters

The value of social support can’t be overstated. Numerous studies show it’s a big factor in successful behavior change. It stands to reason that the person you share your life with has a huge influence on your lifestyle, for better or for worse, and research supports this. Weight loss studies show that when subjects participate in lifestyle interventions, their spouses also lose significant amounts of weight.
Couple’s personal training taps into the power of social support by enabling you to support each other’s fitness efforts in a very focused way. Because you’re in the gym sweating it out together, you’ll gain new insight into each other’s strengths and weaknesses and learn how to offer support.

Enrich Your Relationship

Couple’s personal training will boost more than your fitness level. You’ll have something new to talk about, laugh about and be proud of—together. Research shows that devoted couples who share new and interesting experiences report higher levels of relationship satisfaction than those who don’t. And here’s the bonus: As you become more fit, you’ll be able to enjoy adventures that you wouldn’t dream off participating in when you were sedentary.

Romance + Fitness

Over the long haul, combining romance and fitness can really lift your relationships to new healthy heights. Share an activity and strengthen your bodies while boosting your love life. Couple’s personal training really connects you with your loved one, improves your body image, your mood and your love life.

Additional Resources

How to Choose a Personal Trainer — American Council on Exercise
IDEA FitnessConnect — IDEA Health & Fitness Association
The Best Kind of Couples Therapy — The Cleveland Clinic