Press Room

August 19, 2008- Daily Candy Miami
Fitting Room
Fitness Together Gym Opens

Hello, this is Simone Rodriquez reporting live from an unnamed Miami gym. I’m here, surrounded by empty treadmills and abandoned ellipticals.

Following rumors that cardio is less effective than weight training, women citywide have deserted their ancient NordicTracks in favor of Fitness Together, a new private gym in South Miami.

Trainer Scott Baumann honed his skills (and women’s buns) in New York for eight years before heading south. His new space has two semiprivate training suites, so women can come in pairs (or with a fella) and work out together (but still get individual attention). In lieu of jogging, the trainers use weights and circuit training to get you toned and taught.

Not for the dabblers, Fitness Together asks you to sign up for at least three months.

Looks like the training wheels are off, Sal. Back to you.

Fitness Together, 5829 Southwest 73rd Street, suite 2, South Miami ( 305-446-3665 ).

Scott Baumann
General Manager
Fitness Together, South Miami
305-446-3665
www.fitnesstogethermiami.com
www.scottbaumannfitness.com
"Where excellence in personal training meets privacy and luxury."

The FT South Miami Philosophy of Fitness

Fitness is about feeling great. When a client tells me he or she wants to “get in shape” that usually means to look and feel better. It’s that simple. That’s the beauty of what personal fitness can do. You have the ability to change the way that you look and feel. Through weight training we can literally change the shape of your body. You can lose excess body fat through cardiovascular training and nutrition. By becoming more fit you can spend more time playing a favorite sport or chasing after your kids. It is about improving the quality of your life.

Fitness is about feeling like you can overcome any challenge, whether it be physical or emotional. Physical strength and conditioning is very empowering and kicking butt through a hard workout will make a stressful day at the office seem like a walk in the park. We will push you to be more fit than you have ever been and look better than have ever dreamed you could. But more than that, you will be feeling great on the way there. This is the part that most people don’t realize until they begin training. You will feel better almost immediately because the process of getting into shape is hard work, but it is incredibly rewarding.

We are going to have fun. We are going to teach you, laugh with you, encourage you and push you to be able to do things you never thought you could do. You will not be scolded for eating dessert or for not being in the mood one day, instead we will make the best of it and come back another day to try again. We will work hard, very hard; but in a way that has you feeling victorious, not defeated. You will leave each workout feeling like you can conquer the world, or at least your day. And after all the hard work is done, you will be rewarded with a body that looks and feels 10 years younger than it is.

- Written by Scott Baumann, co-owner of Fitness Together South Miami Personal Trainers

“I just want to lose weight. How many calories do I have to burn each workout?”

Losing weight is not just about how many calories you burn during your workout or how many calories you eat or don’t eat. It is a very complicated equation that is not quite that simple. Playing the calorie game, burning lots of calories with excessive cardio or eating very little calories is something that provides only a short term answer. You will lose weight, but will you look better? Probably not. Why? Because losing weight in a hurry usually means loss of muscle and water, not fat. What most people want when they say they want to lose weight is to lose fat. Less fat and more muscle is what most people actually want. If I were to show you a picture of someone whose body you admire, it most likely carries more muscle and less fat than yours. So how do you get that?

We need to change your metabolism so it burns more calories. Not just during a workout, but all day long. So rather than restricting the calories that you eat, we increase the calories that you burn, even at rest. This is done by adding muscle through weight training. Now even if you haven’t built a lot of muscle yet, the process of building muscle and repairing broken down muscle tissue from intense training burns lots of calories. That is a very important point to remember. The afterburn (the burning of calories after exercise) from intense weight training or intense cardiovascular training is much greater than the afterburn of lower intensity aerobic training.

Simply cutting calories causes your metabolism to slow down and survive on less food. That is why this type of dieting only works for a short while. When your body catches on to what you are doing, it simply slows down your metabolism to burn less. It does this by losing muscle tissue because muscle is the most metabolically active tissue in your body, meaning that it burns the most calories. Not eating for hours at a time will slow your metabolism. Eating small, nutrient dense meals all day long will build your metabolism so it is imperative that you eat every 3 hours to build a fast metabolism and lose fat. If you do not do this, you will not lose fat. Period.

Cardiovascular conditioning should be done with the goal of increasing your body’s ability to burn fat, not simply to burn calories. You must do high intensity cardio (intervals, jump rope, kickboxing) to crank up the burning of calories and build the cell’s ability to burn and low intensity cardio (walking, jogging) to enhance the fat burning process.

In summary, to lose fat you need to do the following:

• Weight train hard 2-3x per week. Do high intensity cardio 2-3x per week.
• Do low intensity cardio (walk or easy jog) 3-6x per week.
• Eat nutritious, small meals of protein and veggies every 3 hours.
• Do not skip meals.

Remember, to lose fat you must build a fast, fat-burning metabolism. Always remember that it is about building and feeding that metabolism and not simply about reducing calories.

- Written by Scott Baumann, co-owner Fitness Together South Miami Personal Trainers

Press Release

PERSONAL TRAINING JUST GOT PRIVATE!
An exclusive new experience in fitness training.

South Miami, Fl- Local entrepreneur teams up with NYC fitness expert to bring exciting new concept to South Miami!

What do you get when you combine privacy and luxury with years of fitness experience and expertise? You get Fitness Together, Miami’s premier private personal training studio located in the new public parking garage near the Shops at Sunset Place. Miami’s own entrepreneur Eddie Rodriquez and fitness expert Scott Baumann have teamed up to bring a new level of service and elegance to personal fitness.

In their exclusive new Fitness Together studio in South Miami, clients will receive the ultimate in personal fitness by working with a professional fitness coach in their own private training suite. All clients are given a detailed nutritional program and cardiovascular routine designed specifically for their goals to ensure fast and dramatic results. Best of all, there are no membership fees and all sessions are done by appointment only to ensure that there is never a wait. Scott, widely considered one of NYC’s top fitness experts, recently moved to Miami to help Eddie bring this exciting concept to South Florida. “What makes us different from other gyms is the results. We focus only on one client at a time in private suites so there is no waiting and no distractions. Our clients typically see results in half the time it would take in a typical gym environment. Our facility is top of the line and the experience is the ultimate in privacy and luxury.”

What do you want?

In my fifteen plus years of personal training, I have found that people exercise for two reasons.

1. To look better.
2. To feel better and be healthy.

It is important to recognize which of those reasons is your priority and I will explain why with a conversation I had recently with a friend of mine who is a bodybuilder. This friend, let’s call him J, looks very good all year round. I have noticed him recently start to look exceptionally defined and lean. When I asked what he was doing differently, J told me that he “normally” eats five small meals a day and in the course of a day will eat twelve egg whites, two cups of oatmeal, two pounds of chicken or turkey and lots of vegetables. He will work out five days per week and eat some occasional “junk.” But come summertime when he wants to get really lean, he turns it up a notch. He eliminates the “junk”, eats exactly the same thing every day for eight weeks, and exercises every day. Can you imagine doing that? No way right?

The point of that story is not to tell you that you should eat like that, but to realize that to dramatically change the way you look and to drop your body fat to the level of your favorite sexy celebrity or cover model requires extreme commitment and dedication. Do not get discouraged if your workout routine is not giving you a “cover model body”. It is not realistic to expect to look like a fitness model if you are not able to make that kind of extreme commitment. Take comfort in the fact that by working out two or three times per week and eating healthy you are doing wonderful things for your body. You will look better. You will feel better. It has been documented over and over that you will reduce your risk of the following health conditions:

• Coronary heart disease (the leading cause of death)
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Colon and breast cancer

These terrific benefits of exercise are often forgotten in our pursuit of six pack abs or a perfect set of thighs. It is great to set your sights high and to have a physical goal in mind, but don’t forget that many of the benefits of exercise cannot be seen with the naked eye.

You will dramatically improve your health, your mood and your quality of life with moderate, regular exercise and a healthy approach to diet. If you are still set on getting that “Hollywood Beach Body”, recognize the level of discipline and dedication it will take and get started right away as summer is here!! Make an appointment with me to sit down and put together a plan to get you there.

We all have a list of our favorite things

We all have a list of our favorite things. It may not be written down anywhere, but you know the things that make you happy.

The list holds your favorite foods, music, TV shows, movies and even people in your life that you can't get enough of. This is the stuff that you really enjoy. It's the stuff that makes your life worth living.

Somewhere on the list is your health and appearance. You know that looking and feeling great make a good life even better.

The interesting thing about your list is that without fail you'll always make time for it.

• When your TV show airs, you watch it or record it to watch later.
• When your favorite actor stars in a new movie, you do your part by going to the theatre.
• When you're hungry, you turn to your favorite foods.
• When the weekend rolls around, you do everything you can to spend time with the special people in your life.

Yet when it comes to exercise you automatically say, "I don't have time."

Time for TV, but no time for exercise... We live in an age where life is full. You don't have extra time anymore.

You no longer have time. You make time.

• You make time for your TV show.
• You make time for your hobby
• You make time for your friends.

It's time to drop the charade of "I don't have time to exercise" and call it what it really is.

An excuse.

You know how to make time for your favorite things. You know you want good health. You know you want to look great. You know you want more energy.

Exercise delivers all those benefits - and more.

I believe that exercise belongs on your list of favorite things.

Make It A Favorite: How do you turn something that you've dreaded into something that you enjoy?

1. Block the Negative: Your thoughts play a big part in determining your favorite things. Block out any negative thoughts you may have about exercise. Focus your energy on creating a positive attitude that will get you excited about hitting the gym, rather than dreading it.
2. Focus on the Benefits: With exercise you have so much to gain and nothing to lose. Exercise makes you stronger, sexier, happier, and gives you more energy. Pick the benefit that moves you the most and fixate on it.
3. Get Guidance: The easiest way to put exercise on your list of favorite things is to experience it at its best. Get onboard with one of my personal training programs and I'll show you the most effective and enjoyable techniques that will get you into the best shape of your life.

How to avoid the 5-8lbs the average person gains during the holiday season

With the holiday season right around the corner, it is time to get a handle on your weight and your body fat level before the feasting starts! If you are having trouble with your weight then you are not alone. A study by the National Center for Health Statistics predicts that 100% of all adults could be classified as overweight or obese by the year 2048. 100%! That is an astounding number and it is even more upsetting when you realize that it is our children we are talking about. Let’s start getting our weight under control now so we can enjoy the holidays and start teaching important lessons to our children so we can ensure that they will have a long and healthy life.

Follow these Four Rules of Fat Loss:

*Increase your activity level.

-Studies show that those participants whose activity levels remained high did not gain weight and some even lost weight during the holidays. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, take the kids to the park instead of watching TV, put down the Wii and go play the actual sport. Exercising with your kids is a great way to spend quality time and to teach them healthy habits that will last a lifetime. Don’t use the holidays as an excuse to skimp on your workout routine. If anything, step it up a notch as the holiday parties are much more fun when you are feeling good about the way you look!

*Control your portions.

-Of course you will want to enjoy the Halloween treats and Thanksgiving classics and you should. Just keep an eye on your portions. It’s not the plate of turkey and stuffing that is the problem, it is the second and third helpings that will end up on your waistline. If there is a particular Halloween candy that you just can’t resist, don’t buy a huge bag and keep it in the house. Buy treats that are not your favorites to give out and treat yourself to one or two of the ones that you like. On Thanksgiving if it’s the pumpkin pie you love, don’t stuff yourself with the crackers and cheese that you could eat anytime. Save your calories for the ones you really want.

*Don’t starve yourself.

-A big mistake though is to “save” your all of your daily calories for that one big meal later in the day. Never do that. Eat breakfast every day and some small snacks so you are not starving by the time dinner comes. If you starve all day you are setting yourself up for failure. Studies show over and over that those who skip breakfast and don’t snack end up overeating at dinner and are more likely to gain weight. It is important to keep your metabolism running high all day and you accomplish that with small meals eaten frequently throughout the day, even during holidays!

*Start strength training tomorrow.

-Strength training is the number one way to increase your metabolism. By adding lean muscle tissue your body will burn more calories every day, even at rest! The reason your metabolism slows as you get older is that you lose 1-2lbs of lean muscle per year. For every pound of muscle that you lose you will most likely add a pound of fat and lose a percentage of your metabolism. The good news is you can reverse this process with as little as 30 minutes of strength training performed 3x/week. Even better it will improve everything from your tennis game to your mood to the way you look in your bathing suit! It’s not about big muscles and bulk as strength training has come a long way in the past few years. Think more Michael Phelps and Dara Torres and less Arnold Schwarzenegger.

By following the Four Rules of Fat Loss you can minimize or eliminate holiday weight gain and get started on the track of long term weight control and fat loss and that means Happy Holidays for everyone!

No pain, no gain

“I don’t want to be sore all the time or work so hard that I feel sick. Is it true that it has to be ‘no pain, no gain’?”

“No pain, no gain” has been the mantra for competitive bodybuilders and college athletes since California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was just an 18 year old bodybuilder from Austria. While this is a motivational concept for the intense competitive athlete, it is not the rule for “Joe the plumber” or your average exerciser. The key to a successful exercise program is consistency. Continuing with your program long enough to see and feel the lasting changes is the key. Consistency is very difficult if you dread every workout!

Workouts may not be everyone’s idea of “fun” but they can and should be enjoyable. The exercises should be changed frequently to eliminate boredom and exercises that are appropriate to your specific goals and abilities should be chosen. As for intensity or difficulty, for most people a difficulty level of 7 or 8 on a 1-10 scale is about right. There is no need to workout at a level 10 every time. That will ultimately be counterproductive, particularly if you dread your workouts so much that you stop doing them!

So make your workouts challenging but keep them fun and appropriate to your abilities and your goals so that you can stick with it and make it a habit that lasts a lifetime!

Summertime

Summertime is here and a couple of things are for certain, like heavy rainstorms, a busy Miami Beach scene and lots of people very concerned about how they will look in their bathing suit! If you are one of those people, read on for help with some of the most common swimsuit problems.

“Love handles or muffin-tops”: You know this area just above the waist line of your bathing suit that hangs over just enough to make you want to put your shirt back on? To reduce that muffin top you need to drop some body fat and tighten up the waistline. Reduce your body fat by adding some cardiovascular exercise to your routine and cutting back on your calories. Don’t cut out carbs or fats or any other macronutrient, just control your calories by eating a little bit less at each meal and stick to foods that are natural and not processed. Go for fresh fruits, vegetables and lean proteins like chicken, turkey and fish. Tighten up the muscles beneath the love handles by working the obliques with Cross-Crunches. Lay on your back with knees bent and arms folded across your chest or behind your head. Crunch up and bring one elbow to the opposite knee. Do 15-30 reps on each side and do 3-4 sets.

“Waving triceps”: Do the back of your arms keep waving long after you have said goodbye? If so, you are in need of some tricep work. For women this is an area where you will store body fat so follow the guidelines above to reduce that. To tighten the triceps, the muscle that runs up the back of the arm, do Tricep Extensions by holding a dumbbell in your hand with your arm extended over your head and lower the dumbbell behind your head and extend back up. Use a weight that is challenging to complete between 10 and 20 repetitions and do 3 or 4 sets.

“Bulging Belly”: If you have considered pulling your bathing suit up high enough to hide your belly then you need to “Beat the Bulge”. Replace any foods high in sodium (salt) like processed and canned foods, soups, breads and crackers with fresh fruits and vegetables as this will help to reduce water retention. Ease up on the alcoholic beverages and drink lots of fresh water as this will also help to reduce water retention. Finally, flatten your midsection with the Plank. Lie on your stomach and pull your body up into a plank position by supporting yourself on your elbows and toes. Hold that position for between 15 and 60 seconds and repeat for 3-4 sets.

Enjoy your summer and remember, the thing that looks best on the beach is confidence so keep your head held high no matter how you look!

Reality check

As a personal trainer and now the operator of a busy fitness studio, I have seen my share of clients. Most are happy and some are not so happy. We love the happy ones but today let’s focus on the unhappy ones. Whether you are working out with us at FT, on your own or with your own personal trainer there are bound to be times when you are discouraged with your progress. I want to take a moment and address some of the most common concerns that I see.

If your goal is to lose weight and you are working out twice a week, you need to have a realistic understanding of what is involved in losing weight. To lose a substantial amount of weight and body fat, you need to be exercising at least four and preferably six times per week. If you are not doing that much, you should not be upset about not losing weight because it is almost impossible to do so without it! You should be doing weights/circuit training two or three times per week and additional cardio for at least thirty minutes for a minimum of three to four times in addition to your other workouts. If you are doing that, you can lose fat. And you still have to change your eating habits to a reduced calorie diet with healthy choices. I’ve said it a million times but you can exercise all you want and if you don’t eat properly, you will not lose weight. Period. So if you are working out hard (see next paragraph) at least four to six times per week and not losing weight, you are not eating properly. It is that simple. You are eating too much or the wrong foods or most likely both but the problem lies with your eating.

If you are getting disappointed with your weight loss or your fitness gains take a look at your workouts. Are you putting everything you have into them? Or are you going through the motions? Even with the guidance and push of a personal trainer, you need to push yourself. You need to try hard. It is hard work. Without hard work you will not get outstanding results. You know if you are working hard or not so if you are not, step it up!

Are you consistent? Without consistency, you will not get to where you want to be. Consistency is the key to results of every kind. Whether it is weight loss, muscle gain, flexibility or cardiovascular endurance, you have to be consistent. If you miss a week of workouts every three weeks, you will not see outstanding results. You may not move backwards but you will not make much progress. You have to be consistent with your diet too. Eating clean for 4 days and then eating poorly all weekend will not cut it. You have to eat clean consistently for 2 to 3 months and you will be amazed at how your body will change! Believe me, I have been doing this for years and it is amazing when it is happening!

Nothing makes me happier than seeing the glow of a happy client who is losing weight and getting fit. And it never fails that it is always the clients who are working the hardest, who are putting the most into it, who are the most consistent and who have the best attitude that are getting the best results. So get your attitude right, work hard, be consistent and get outstanding results!