Fitness & Wellness

Only you can determine how quickly you’ll get fit and how much progress you’ll see. That’s because you are the master of your future and it’s done one workout at a time. It’s more than just showing up at the gym and mindlessly climbing on a machine. That’s not who we are or what we teach. It’s all about doing each exercise with thought and precision and when you don’t think you can do any more, doing one more rep.

A famous quote by Navy Seal David Goggins says it all.

Jesse Itzler wrote a book called Living with a Navy Seal, which described his experiences when he hired David Goggins to live with him and his family to help them learn mental toughness. Goggins taught Itzler and his family the “40 percent rule.” It’s a good lesson. “When your mind is telling you that you’re done, you’re only 40 percent done.” It’s all achieved by doing just one more rep….and then one more. .

It’s easy to quit when you’re feeling tired, but that’s when you should do just one more rep.

You’ll be surprised at how much energy you actually have left, even when you’re lifting weights or doing a kettlebell routine. Even if your mind is screaming for you to quit, doing one more rep can do more than build your muscles, it can build your mental toughness. Mental toughness is the commitment to keep going long after others may have quit. It’s the key to success, no matter what your endeavor. Whether you’re working out in the gym, studying for exams or building a new business, pushing past that brick wall of exhaustion, frustration or pain can help you get ahead of your opponents, competitors or even your own feeling of limitations.

Adding one more rep than you planned to do translates to success.

You’ll be amazed at how good you feel when you give it that little extra and what a difference it makes in your progress. Rather than focusing on just getting by, you start focusing on giving more. If you add one rep to every set, you’ll see your progress grow quickly and that builds self-esteem and determination to do even more.

• Doing one more rep almost becomes addictive. It feels good to go above and beyond and brings a great deal of satisfaction by boosting your self-esteem. Just imagine how much progress you’ll make when you adopt this philosophy.
• Just imagine how much you can accomplish when you focus less on how tired or frustrated you are and more on accomplishing one more thing. It’s that mental toughness that exercising can bring.
• No matter what you do in life, often the biggest enemy is yourself. Too often people focus more on what they can’t do, than what they can do. I have seniors who timidly come to get into shape, half worried I’ll laugh at them. Once they begin, they become convinced age isn’t a barrier to fitness,
• Come into Prime Fitness and get a free evaluation. You’ll be surprised at how much you can do once you start our program.

For more information, contact us today at Prime Fitness

It’s fall and it’s beautiful. The weather is perfect for taking a walk or doing your workout outside. The hot summer sun that made it miserable is no longer and the cool comfortable breeze of fall is here. It will be winter before you know it, so take advantage of the weather before we have freezing temperatures in Totowa, New Jersey.

Talk a walk in the park.

Whether you go to Bershire Valley Management Area Trail, Capoolong Creek Wildlife Management Area or any other park in the area, taking a walk surrounded by nature and the beautiful colors of fall can be both good for your body and good for your soul. Have a picnic, take a walk, ride a bike and enjoy. There’s nothing more relaxing than enjoying a cool comfortable day at the park.

Take your workout outside.

Whether you’re pushing a tire, doing jumping jacks or body weight exercises, they all feel more comfortable when you’re working out with a cool, comfortable breeze on your face. Doing a kettlebell workout outside is perfect. There’s more space, so you are less apt to hit anyone or anything. Even if working out outside isn’t in your wheelhouse, maybe using that same effort for yardwork is. After all, washing windows with vigor, raking leaves and getting the yard ready for winter can burn as many calories and use as many muscles as a good workout.

Make a healthy picnic lunch and go on a photo safari.

Of course, big game isn’t what you’ll be hunting, but photo ops are. Our area is filled with beauty and great opportunities for pictures. Take time to go to the Alonzo F Bonsal Wildlife Preserve to get some great fall pictures. If you’re a parent, have the kids help you pick and pack the lunch. Make it a teaching time for choosing healthy options.

• Take time to get some fresh fall produce at the 46 Farmer’s Market Co. You’ll find some healthy options that can make great meals now and ones you can pack away for those winter months, when there’s no fresh produce.
• Take advantage of the weather and park further from the doors of the stores when you shop. You’ll have to walk a little further, but who cares when the weather is this nice?
• Pick your own apples or pumpkins. It’s more fun to carve a pumpkin or use it for cooking when you’ve picked it yourself. The apples will taste sweeter, too.
• While we won’t tell you to go fly a kite when you ask for help, the winds of fall can make kite flying more fun. Come into Prime Performance for a free consultation.

For more information, contact us today at Prime Fitness

I have clients in Totowa, New Jersey, that come to the gym in an array of different types of workout gear with a lot of difference in the price. While price doesn’t matter, quality and other attributes do, which often means they’re a bit more expensive, but also last longer. That doesn’t mean the designer outfit you bought to look more stylish is better than a loose shirt and gym shorts. It’s all about fabric and fit.

Your clothing should be made to wick sweat.

There’s no doubt about it, if you’re working out hard, you’re going to sweat. Having fabrics that breath and pull moisture away from your body will make your workout far more comfortable. It keeps you dry and cool throughout a grueling workout and helps you work at peak performance longer. While cotton is breathable, it also holds moisture. For those who love cotton, find those items that offer a another material that wicks the moisture away from the skin. All natural fibers not only hold moisture, they take longer to dry after a workout.

Choose workout clothes that keep you comfortable.

One reason spandex is so popular is its ability to move with you and improve how comfortable you are when working out. Shoes are often one of the most neglected items of clothing and also one of the most important. Having shoes that fit well can prevent blistering and achy feel. Undergarments, especially for women, can gouge your body, just like ill fitting shorts can irritate the thighs. Fit, not fashion should be what dictates your choice of clothing.

Don’t underestimate the power that comes from feeling like you look your best.

While you don’t have to have the latest fashion, particularly if it comes at the price of comfort, practicality and fit, you can get a benefit from looking good when you start your workout. There are studies that show how clothing affects your attitude and your attitude does make a difference when you’re working out. It can actually make you feel more athletic and do better. Not everyone has the same idea at what athletes wear. Sometimes it is a T-shirt and shorts. Wear what makes you feel good and ready for the workout of your life.

• You need clothing that won’t interfere with your range of motion. Workout clothes that breathe, but don’t let you move with ease in every direction, aren’t good workout clothes.
• The right workout clothing can help improve your performance and allow you to receive the most benefit from your workout.
• Clothing that doesn’t fit right can actually be a potential for injury. If you’re lifting weights, the right type of gloves can prevent blisters, just like the right type of shoes. Having the right shoes can also cushion the blow from running, protecting you from injury.
• At Prime Performance Fitness, everyone focuses on their own workout, rather than what others wear. That means that comfort, fit and practicality to make your workout better should be your top priority. Come in for your free consultation. You’ll get an idea of the variety of clothes people wear.

For more information, contact us today at Prime Fitness

Are you fighting an uphill battle to lose weight? Maybe you’ve tried all the latest diets that are supposed to take off pounds quickly and didn’t get the results you wanted. Maybe you’ve eaten healthy for months, but still can’t fit into that elusive dress size. The key to shedding weight is combining a healthy diet with regular exercise. In other words, you have to move it to lose it.

Eating healthy is the cornerstone of healthy living, but exercise will make your goal a reality.

You can’t out-exercise a poor diet, but you won’t get the look you want without exercise. Eating healthy is extremely important, especially if you want to lose weight. Eating healthy doesn’t mean dieting. Diets just don’t work. They’re restrictive and always end. That’s when you go back to old eating habits that put on the weight in the first place. Eating healthy helps you keep the pounds off permanently. However, it’s just part of the equation.

To get that look you want and take the pounds off quicker, working out is an absolute must.

People want to lose weight for a variety of reasons. It normally boils down to two, they want to look better and feel better. While losing weight via a healthy diet will help you shed weight, only by adding exercise will you realize the full potential of how great you really can look and how good you really can feel. Exercise boosts your energy level, promotes good health and tones your body to make you look even slimmer and more fit. It allows you to reach the pinnacle of success in both good health and weight loss.

Not all exercises are alike.

Anyone that has ever worked out in our gym knows that kettlebells play an important role in our workouts. That’s because you not only get a full body workout with kettlebells, you’ll burn calories faster. It provides flexibility, strength and endurance training all in one workout. Not only does it burn tons of calories when you do it, it continues to burn calories after the workout ends.

• While losing weight will make you happier when you get on the scales, if it’s combined with regular exercise, it tones and sculpts the body to create a more attractive you.
• Exercise energizes you. You’ll be ready for other active pastimes and find that keeping weight off is easier. That ends the yo-yo weight loss syndrome most people experience when they diet and then regain the weight.
• We use the latest scientifically backed methods to boost your results. HIIT—high intensity interval training—is known for it’s calorie burning benefits and quick results.
• Our group training sessions at Prime Performance are perfect when you want all the benefits of a personal trainer, but also a budget friendly price. It also provides a fun, social atmosphere where there’s group support and energy.

For more information, contact us today at Prime Fitness

If you come to the Totowa, New Jersey, you know that most of the people I work with are super busy, trying to keep fit on the go. Sometimes, their schedule doesn’t allow for a regular workout at the gym. It may be that they’re traveling or spending long hours in the office with no potential to leave. Some are busy moms that have a hectic schedule that often requires them to be in two places at once! That’s why I work close with these clients to help them find ways to maintain their workout, even when they can’t come in to the gym for training.

If you have the space to swing your arms, kettlebells are a great at home workout.

Whether you’re traveling by car or stuck at home or in the office, having your own kettlebells can provide a workout on the go. Not only do kettlebells travel well on road trips, you’ll get more results in less time spent. In fact, it’s one of the reasons we use them as part of the workout program. Getting more calorie burning and muscle building in a shorter time period is perfect for anyone on the go.

If you’re really short on time, consider a quick five to ten minute workout several times a day.

While we pride ourselves on helping you get the maximum benefit in the shortest amount of time, sometimes you don’t even have time for a full session. A few minutes here and a few minutes there may be all you have to spare. It’s not a problem if it doesn’t happen often. There are workouts that can be as short as four minutes and give you at least some exercise. Dr. Zachary Bush created a four minute nitric oxide dump that you can do anywhere. Do it four times a day and supplement with a morning bodyweight workout in the morning for eight to ten minutes. As a trainer, I’ll help create one for you.

Find ways to increase your daily activity on those days you can’t make it to the gym.

No matter how you try, some times you simply can’t carve out that ten minutes or you don’t want to sweat before a big meeting or presentation…or even in the office for that matter. Making sure you have created other habits that help you stay fit is important. No matter how busy you are, taking the stairs instead of the elevator doesn’t cut into time that much, especially when you consider the wait for the elevator and the stop at each floor. Walking to lunch, parking further from the store and walking and getting up five minutes every hour and moving around are other things to help you stay healthier.

• Use your lunch hour to come to the gym and have a shorter session that allows you to workout, while also getting a quick shower in after you’re done.
• Get up earlier and workout in the morning. Your body will be more refreshed and your workout will be better.
• Do stretching at your desk and even some body lifts out of your chair. A few squats or lunges next to your desk can only make you feel better.
• Talk to your trainer if you’re having time constraints. Your trainer can create a few workouts that you can do on your own on those busy days.