By Brittany Kitchen

If you are anything like me, the word “gym” is not exactly in your everyday vocabulary. If you are one of those Lululemon, neon Nike, protein shake drinking divas, then all the power to you. I personally prefer to spend my evenings stuffing my face on whatever yummy concoction I manage to put together and enjoying a couple post-work brews.

Yeah, stuffing your face is fun and all, that is, until you wake up one morning and realize last night’s binge didn’t magically disappear while you were dreaming. Reality sure has its sick way of reminding you you’re getting old. First the deathly hangovers, then the responsibilities, followed by the reality check that hey that ridiculously fast metabolism of yours is going to shits faster than Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.

But now the serious question, how do I prevent blowing up faster than Jessica Simpson post Dukes of Hazard? I mean, lets be real no one wants to end up being one of “those” people who post deceivingly attractive photos of themselves on Facebook/Instagram only to be a disappointment in the flesh (you know who you are!).  Being quite the fitness novice, I decided to enlist in some professional help and asked some of my friends at Fit Athletic Club for some fitness tips.

Fit is what you might call a swanky gym. It has all of the newest and most cutting edge equipment, an array of group fitness classes, an outside extension that allows members to take any of the inside equipment outside for a workout overlooking Petco Park, and an abundance of fashionably healthy patrons who frequent the place.  Having trouble with motivation? Walking into this gym will help you find your motivation, no matter where you left it or how long it’s been since you’ve misplaced it. Everywhere you look you’ll see six-pack abs in the making, perfect bubble butts forming in front of your eyes, and I don’t think I’ve seen this many muscle men since a college frat party. Speaking of party, Fit also hosts a regular member appreciation events, ranging from low-key food and cocktail tastings or special group classes to high energy pool parties complete with some of San Diego’s hottest DJs spinning out on their gorgeous pool deck while members dance the day away. Although Fit just had their last Summer Send-Off pool party, that is no reason to slack on achieving or maintaining your bathing suit ready body. After all, here in San Diego bikinis are in style year-round.

I don’t exactly switch up my gym routine all that often for fear of looking as awkward as Bambi’s first steps, so to help me out with a new workout regimen I called up my favorite Fit Athletic trainer Ms. Kelly Collins. Kelly has been a personal trainer for nearly four years and has been teaching group fitness classes for almost five years. She specializes in weight loss, toning (fat loss), and muscle hypertrophy (what guys would call getting “jacked”).

Kelly shared her favorite fat loss workout that is perfect for anyone (yes that means girls and guys) to work into the weekly gym routine. While I master these moves in an inconspicuous corner of the gym, I’ll leave it to the DJhere muscle man himself, Andrew, to show you all how the pros do it. Check out Kelly’s work out and Andrew busting out the moves below:

Fat loss Workout

Treadmill Intervals- warm up 1-2 minutes and then alternate between sprinting and a slow jog at 30 seconds each for a total of 5 sprints

Overhead Lunges- 20 reps 

For women use a weight between 15-35lbs. Guys use 25-50lbs. For this exercise, make sure you keep your back straight and your knee behind your toe.

Straight leg Deadlifts- 10-20 rep

Start with feet about hip width apart, knees soft, chest out. Make sure to keep the back straight (like pinching a penny between the shoulder blades) while slowly lowering the bar. While lowering try have knees slightly bent and skim the bar along the thighs until below the knees. Stand back up with the back straight and squeeze glutes at the top. For weight I recommend everyone start light until they have mastered the form. I’ll typically start women with 30lbs and men with 40lbs. The more advanced you are, the heavier you can make the weight to keep it challenging.

Squat Jumps- 0:30-1:00

Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Squat down and jump up so your feet leave the floor bringing your arms up as you jump. Keep jumping up and down without stopping for 30 seconds
to 1 minute.

Step Ups to Biceps Curls- 24-30 Reps

Always start with a low step and progress. The step should be high enough to be challenging but be able to maintain good form (knee in line with toe, able to stand up all the way and lower back down with control). Start with whatever weight you normally curl with dumbbells. Men usually 15-35 lb dumbbells and women normally 8-15 lb dumbbells.

Barbell Bent Over Row- 10-20 reps

Keep the knees soft and lower the barbell so your chest is parallel to the ground and your back should remain straight the whole time. You should remain in this stance the entire time. Have the arms fully extended and then row up by bending the elbows and squeezing the shoulder blades together, bringing the barbell to tap your belly button. Slowly lower back to start and repeat.
Box Jumps- 0:30-1:00

Start with feet on the ground and jump up on top of the box landing lightly on your feet. Jump back down to the ground, again landing lightly. Like step ups, start with a low box and progress as it becomes easier. Be sure to pace yourself and do not rush to avoid a misstep or tumble. It’s a good idea to have someone spot you just in case.

Foam Roll

It is always nice to end your workout by using the foam roller. Foam rolling is a form of self

myofascial release which can be compared to a deep tissue massage. Foam rolling helps massage out any adhesions (knots) that form from activity or sometimes being sedentary. This stance rolls out the IT band. Start on your side so that your upper thigh is against the middle of the foam roller. Bring your other leg across so your foot can touch the floor. Use your foot to roll your thigh up and down the roller. If you feel pain that means there is a knot in that part of your leg.

In addition to having a strong and varied workout routine, it is also important to lead a Fit lifestyle, and Fit’s experienced team can help you do just that. Kelly shared some additional Fit workout dos and don’ts that she most commonly shares with her clients as well as her expertise on common myths on getting fit and staying fit.

Kelly’s Do’s and Don’ts for Pre/Post workout

Pre-Workout DOs

• EAT! Make sure to eat a snack with good carbohydrates and protein 1-2 hours before your workout
• Get a good night’s sleep (optimally 7-8 hours)
• Warm up with some cardio or a dynamic warm up

Pre-Workout  DON’Ts

• Eat nothing: This can lead too nausea, dizziness, or just a bad lazy workout
• Static Stretch: This can lead to a pulled muscle if you overstretch before

Post workout DOs

• Eat Protein immediately after a workout- weight training causes small tears in the muscle fibers, so the amino acids in protein are extremely important for proper muscle recovery and allows your to get back in the gym sooner to workout that muscle again

Post workout DON’Ts

• Don’t go too long without eating. Your body will need some energy to replace all that was used during your workout. Eating frequently and in small portions will help keep your metabolism in high gear throughout the day.
• Don’t use a workout as an excuse to stuff your face with greasy fatty foods. You put in the hard work don’t go and eat more calories than you just burnt. If you have a craving find a healthy alternative to curb it.

Don’t trust yourself with the taco shop down the street on the way home from your workout? Fit Athletic Club has ready to east and ready to heat meals that are made fresh daily and include healthy and organic ingredients to help you conquer healthy eating and live a more Fit lifestyle. Check out these tasty meals as well as other fresh and organic drinks, snacks and produce at Fit’s market. Trust us, your body will thank you for feeding it with power greens and proteins after a hard workout.

Common Workout Myths BUSTED by Kelly

Myth: Women should train with light weights to lose fat and get toned.

Kelly’s REALITY CHECK: If your muscles aren’t getting sore, then you aren’t really building them. Muscle is what speeds up metabolism throughout the day, burning fat and giving you that toned look. Women do not have enough testosterone to get “big” so trade in those light weights for something a little heavier for better results.

Myth: Guys who want to get ripped should focus on heavy lifting.

Kelly’s REALITY CHECK: Lifting is an important aspect of building muscle but guys trying to get that ripped look often skimp on the cardio. Interval training a couple times a week is going to blast the fat around your muscles so they can really show through.

Myth: It takes at least a month to start seeing workout results.

Kelly’s REALITY CHECK: People can start noticing changes to their body in as soon as a week if they stick to their routine and pay close attention to what they eat. Diet is extremely important when trying to reach a body composition goal and how clean your diet is will really be the tale tell sign of how fast you will see changes.

So there you have it, a little Fit wisdom from our favorite San Diego athletic club. Stop by Fit downtown and see all that they have to offer for yourself – you won’t be disappointed. Mention DJhere and receive a free three day pass for Fit. New members only.

(619) 764-5348
350 10th Avenue San Diego, CA 92101
CLUB HOURS: MON-FRI 5AM-10PM, SAT & SUN 7AM-8PM