Find A Personal Trainer Near Me: Los Angeles Area

Are you completely frustrated with the way you look and feel? Are you looking into the mirror, not fitting into clothes and simply feeling fed up? At Perfect Body Inc., we will help you address these common issues and change both your body and your life.

By the time people get to my web site, they are completely frustrated with the way they look and feel.  Looking in the mirror, not fitting into clothes, getting teased at work, or simply feeling tired all the time are all common issues I hear from new clients.  I understand that working in today’s stressful fast pace job market has made losing weight and getting in shape seem virtually impossible.  I used to work as a Financial Advisor at Smith Barney and I know how hard it is to lose fat and to tone my body while working 50 to 60 hours a week.  It can be really tough. But yes, with the right tools our doctor approved program can help you completely reshape your body.

Frequently Asked Questions

Having been working as a Holistic Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach since 2003, I’ve received numerous questions about health and fitness. Here’s a compilation of most asked questions.

Is Losing Weight and Building Muscle Faster With a Personal Trainer?

It seems everyone is on the fitness train trying to lose weight and build muscle. I say trying because it can be a struggle for many to keep the commitment of working out. We start strong but lose steam along the way due to feeling tired, overworked, and overstressed. Having a fitness trainer can make a world of difference, not only in our workouts but also in the way we think and feel about our workouts.  Let’s get to the most common questions people have to lose weight:

What are the Best Ways to Lose Weight? 

• Make Breakfast High-Protein – Including higher protein at breakfast has been shown to reduce cravings and calorie intake throughout the remainder of the day.
• Cut Back on Sugar and Sugary Drinks – Sugar is the enemy when it comes to losing weight, and studies have shown a direct correlation between obesity and the intake of sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages. 
• Eat More Protein, Fat, and Low-Carb Vegetables – Consuming protein can boost metabolism by 80 to 100 calories per day. 
  • Protein Sources: Great choices are lean protein sources such as beef, chicken, wild-caught salmon, and eggs.
  • Healthy Fat Sources: Fat isn’t your enemy if chosen correctly. Healthy choices include avocado, olive oil, and nuts like walnuts.
  • Low-Carb Vegetable Sources: Include nutritious low-carb vegetable choices such as spinach, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts.
• Include Weight Training into Workouts – When you lift weights, you build muscle, which helps prevent your metabolism from slowing down. Cardio is still essential to get your heart rate up and increase circulation which also burns calories. For more reading visit my blog strength training for weight loss.
• Alternate High and Low-Carb Days – The inclusion of healthy high-carb foods such as yams, squash, yucca and sweet potatoes can boost fat-burning hormones such as Leptin.
• Increase Soluble Fiber Intake – Studies have shown that including soluble fiber into the diet may reduce fat, especially belly fat.
• Get Enough Sleep – The amount of sleep you get can affect your weight and your metabolism. Research shows that not getting enough sleep each night causes a reduction in a hormone called Leptin, which decreases appetite. It also caused an increase in a hormone called Ghrelin, which stimulates the appetite. 
• Drink Plenty of Water – The health benefits of water include an appetite suppressant, especially when having one full glass 20 minutes before each meal. A brief scientific review concluded an association between increased hydration and weight loss. 

How Long Does it Take to Build Muscle?

Building muscle starts the minute you challenge that muscle, whether it is a squat or picking up a dumbbell to do bicep curls. The process of building muscle begins by tearing it down, causing little micro-tears, which is then followed by a period where it rebuilds. 

“It’s as your body repairs the cells, taking in and laying down new structural and contractile proteins, that each muscle cell becomes bigger than it was before,” stated by certified strength and conditioning specialist and registered dietitian Albert Matheny, and co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab in New York City as well as adviser to ProMix Nutrition.

Depending on how often you workout and your dietary intake, most beginners can see noticeable muscle growth within about eight weeks of starting a new routine. More experienced lifters might take three to four weeks, but again, it depends on how often you lift, how much you lift, and the diet that is being consumed.  

Is it Worth it to Pay for a Personal Trainer?  

Having a fitness trainer brings many advantages, including these top five reasons:

1. Reducing the Chance of Injury – Without performing an exercise correctly, the chances of injury are high. The slightest turn in or out with the foot during a squat or lunge could create a torn ligament in the knee. A second set of trained eyes beside you to guide your movements can be the difference between running a marathon or running up a bill at the doctor’s office.
2. Helping to Set and Attain Goals – A health coachcan keep you on track when it comes to your specific goals by reminding you and encouraging you when you make improvements along the way. Sometimes we need to be reminded of our end goal, not that we forget, but being reminded helps bring the importance up front and center in our minds.
3. Provides the Push You Need to Succeed – Having a personal trainer can give you that added push to go further than we could on our own. An experienced fitness trainer will know how far to push without causing injury and can modify an exercise if it is uncomfortable or too strenuous to perform.
4. Motivation and Accountability – Being accountable for showing up regularly to your workouts also provides motivation. Because you are paying for a service, and you want to get the most for your money, slacking off is not an option. 
5. Expert Advice and Personalized Workouts – Since everyone will have their own unique set of goals they want to attain, having a health coach create a personalized workout is essential. A personal trainer can give advise on a vast array of exercises for one particular muscle as well as provide various modifications if needed. 

Being fit is a way of life, and those that make that decision to take care of their bodies benefit the most from having a health coach. So if you are wondering if there is a personal trainer near me, whether it’s in Los Angeles or Santa Monica, or searching for a holistic nutrition coach to help with your diet plan, contact me today! Take that first step to losing weight, building muscle, and feeling fit and fabulous!

Testimonial on Los Angeles Personal Training from Amarie, CA

On Reducing Body Fat and Improving Your Lifestyle 

Working out and reducing body fat doesn’t have to be complicated, but for many people, it is. Making fitness and healthier food choices part of your lifestyle is not as hard as it sounds. 

What Exercise Mistakes do Most Women Make in the Gym?

1. Not Using Heavy Weights – Many women have a fear of getting too big or “bulky,” but this is just not true. When your muscles get stronger, you need to increase the weights to train them further.
2. Not Fueling Up Enough – When I say fuel, that applies to both food and water, even your car will not run on empty.
3. Not Warming Up or Cooling Down – Without stretching and warming up the muscles, you are more prone to injury during your workout.
4. Not Setting Realistic Goals – Having a goal is great, but if that goal is too difficult to attain, it can be the cause of disappointment. 
5. Not Mixing Up Your Routine – Doing the same workout every single day can get boring, as well as our muscles needing a constant challenge to grow.
6. Rushing or Taking Shortcuts – Trying to take the easy way out can lead to reduced progress as well as possible injuries.
7. Avoiding Carbs – Exercise requires energy, which is what carbs give us.
8. Over-training – When we overwork a muscle, it can give out on us and in some cases, tear, causing an injury that could prevent you from working out regularly.
9. Bad Form – When your form is bad, you do not work the muscle to its full extent and can lead to a potential injury along the way.
10. Too Much Cardio – Too much of anything isn’t good, and that applies to cardio as well.

How to Reduce Body Fat Properly? 

• Include Strength Training Into Your Workouts – Fat cells do not require much energy, but muscle cells do, so the more muscle you have, the more your metabolism is raised. In the end, your calories will be partially consumed by the very muscles you are building.
• Add Protein-Rich Foods Into Your Diet – Consuming protein-rich foods such as eggs and chicken help to reduce hunger, increase fullness, and boost the calorie-burning process.  
• Get Enough Sleep – Not getting enough sleep will inhibit the reduction in body fat. The reason is that sleep affects our hormones, namely Ghrelin and Leptin. Without enough sleep, Ghrelin levels go up, and Leptin levels go down. When this occurs, hunger increases, and the storing of fat increases. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
• Make Sure to Get Enough Healthy Fats – Make friends with the “good” fats such as olive oil, and avocado. 
• Cut Back on Refined Carbs and Sugar – Refined carbs include white bread, white pasta, white rice, pastries, and sweet desserts. Refined carbs are stripped of all bran, fiber, and nutrients.    
• Find a Nutrition Coach Near You – Having an educated nutrition coach at your fingertips to help create a healthy balanced diet that is individualized is the key to making better food choices. 
• Include Probiotics Into Your Diet – Due to poor eating habits, many people do not have enough good gut flora. A 2015 study confirmed that there was an association between poor gut flora and obesity. 

How to Make Fitness and a Healthy Diet Become My Lifestyle?

1. Make Your Snacks and Meals for the Week – Planning allows you to incorporate portion control by packaging snacks and meals in portion-controlled containers. 
2. Gradually Make Healthy Adjustments to Your Diet  – It can be overwhelming when we change what we eat, and the worst thing we can do is deprive ourselves entirely of what we normally enjoy. Radical changes such as eating only cabbage soup will lead to short-term weight loss but no long-term success.
3. Have Healthy Snacks Readily Available – When cravings hit, you won’t have an excuse to go out for ice cream if you have a healthy alternative ready. 
4. Bring Back the Joy of Cooking – Healthier eating means that you get to try out new recipes that are nutritious and fun to make. 
5. Spread the Joy of Your Healthier Lifestyle – Making healthier food choices can also benefit your friends and family, who may also do the same. Seeing how fit you are becoming can have a positive effect on those around you.
6. Try Out New Exercises – Doing the same workout every single day can lead to boredom. Try mixing things up with something different, like a yoga class or a Zumba class. If you want to workout at home, borrow a friend’s exercise DVD, or rent one from your local library. 
7. Set Achievable Goals – Wanting to lose 20 pounds in two weeks is drastic and most likely not achievable, at least not in a healthy way that can be maintained in the long-run. Set small and more manageable goals with the ultimate end-goal at your finish line.
8. Keep Track of Your Progress – Keeping a journal of your progress will help keep you on track and motivate you with encouraging changes such as adding more weights to your set compared to the week prior. You can also see if your plank hold is sustainable for a more extended period.
9. Find a Personal Trainer Near You – Having a workout buddy is great, but you can’t always rely on them to work out with you. A fitness trainer is there for you and can give you added motivation as well as expert advice on what exercises to do and how to do them properly to prevent injury.
10. Listen to Your Body – Allow yourself a rest day because muscles need time to repair.

Feeling fit and fabulous can happen by making small changes slowly to incorporate a healthier lifestyle. There is no better time to start on your path to health and happiness than right this minute, so contact me now and reduce body fat and improve your lifestyle.

On Conquering Weight Loss Obstacles

Losing weight is hard as it is, but adding in obstacles makes it that much harder. The good news is, there are ways to work around these obstacles.

Is Skipping Meals a Good Way to Lose Weight?  

We have been told that skipping meals is wrong, especially for weight loss, but over time studies have proven otherwise. A term that has become quite common in the dieting world is intermittent fasting, which is not considered a diet, but rather a pattern of dieting that cycles between periods of fasting and eating.

There are different ways to incorporate intermittent fasting, which has shown to help with weight loss. The three most popular methods include:

1. The 16/8 Method – This process involves skipping breakfast, even though we have been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast is the meal that breaks the fast so it can occur at any time. Your fasting period is for 16 hours, and your eating time frame is for 8 hours. 
2. The Eat-Stop-Eat Method – This procedure is a little more intense and requires 24-hour fasting, which is done once or twice a week.
3. The 5:2 Method – For two consecutive days, you will consume 500-600 calories and then resume regular eating for the remaining five days of the week.

Intermittent fasting is a powerful weight loss tool, and has positive effects on your cells and hormones, including the following:

• Drastic Increase in Human Growth Hormone (HGH) – During intermittent fasting, HGH increases, which further aids in fat loss and muscle gain.
• Insulin Sensitivity Improves – Lowered insulin levels occur during intermittent fasting, which makes the stored body fat more accessible.  
• Brain Health – Studies have shown that intermittent fasting may protect against Alzheimer’s disease.  
• Metabolism – Studies have shown that short-term fasting can increase your metabolic rate by 3.6-14%.

Choosing the food you eat wisely is also essential, so having a nutrition coach nearby would be a great help deciding what to eat during the non-fasting phase.

What is skinny fat?  

Being skinny fat is also known as “normal-weight obesity.” According to one 2008 study, “They look healthy, but when we check them out, they have high levels of body fat and inflammation,” says Ishwarlal Jialal, MD, director of the Laboratory for Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Research at UC Davis Health System. “They’re at high risk for diabetes and cardiovascular problems, but you wouldn’t know it from their appearance.”

There are signs to look for if you think you might be skinny fat, including:

• Having a Muffin Top – Even if you are at a healthy weight and appear thin, if you have a muffin top, that is a sign of being skinny fat. Having fat around the middle area of the body, known as visceral fat, is a sign of insulin resistance and having inflammatory proteins present in the body.
• Lowered Ability to Exercise – When someone appears thin, they may lose the incentive to exercise, which may lead to a lack of exercise, and that person ends up becoming more and more unhealthy.
• Genetics – Having a family history of illness such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes can put you at a higher risk for this happening to you. Regardless of weight or size, a person can still have health problems.         

Just because someone is thin does not mean they are in shape. If the body is composed of more fat and less muscle, it can still appear thin externally, but internally it can be dangerous. Eating healthy and getting a proper amount of exercise is the key to undoing skinny fat. A sure-fire way to combat skinny fat is by finding a personal trainer near you. 

Why do I feel like I can’t lose weight? 

There could be many reasons why you feel like you can’t lose weight, and here are the top five reasons:

1. Not Eating Enough Protein – Protein is a vital nutrient when it comes to weight loss. Consuming protein can boost your metabolism as well as reducing cravings throughout the day.
2. Not Lifting Weights – There is a myth about lifting weights, especially for women, and that is that it will make you big and bulky, which is not accurate. Lifting weights is an effective way to lose fat.  
3. Not Getting Enough Cardio – Cardiovascular exercise, also known as aerobic activity, is highly effective in burning fat, especially around the middle area of the body.
4. Not Sleeping Well – Lack of quality sleep is a risk factor for obesity in both children and adults. 
5. Not Drinking Enough Water – Studies have proven that drinking 500 milliliters of water increased the metabolic rate by 24-30% over 1.5 hours. Drinking 1-2 liters, or 6-8 8-ounce glasses of water per day should be sufficient in helping with weight loss. Visit my blog to read more about detox and weight loss.

Other reasons for feeling like you can’t lose weight could be due to medical issues such as hypothyroidism. Various medications may cause weight gain as a side effect, including medicines for:

• Diabetes
• Depression
• Reducing Blood Pressure
• Birth Control Pills

Let’s face it, losing weight is difficult, but conquering weight loss obstacles to become fit and fabulous can be done. But sometimes we need a little help along the way. If you’re thinking about how to find a personal trainer near me, contact me today, and let’s conquer all your obstacles together! 

Biography: as a Certified Personal Trainer Los Angeles, Shawn Phillips is a well-known Health Practitioner and Fat Loss Expert specializing in body sculpting, nutrition, lab testing, and exercise coaching. For a FREE consultation call him at (310) 720-8125.

• Certified Holistic Lifestyle Coach and Nutrition Coach Los Angeles
• Personal Trainer Santa Monica and surrounding area