Frequently asked questions

Why personal training?

Working with a personal trainer is the safest and most effective way to achieve your health and fitness goals. Whether you are looking to lose fat, gain muscle, reduce stress or increase your strength and flexibility, we can help. We will provide you with the guidance and knowledge you need to achieve the results you desire! By carefully analyzing your personal goals, exercise history and fitness assessments, we will design an exercise program that is safe, effective and specially tailored to your individual needs. You will see results – guaranteed!

Why private studio?

If you’ve ever trained in a conventional health club or gym, you know how distracting your environment can be. Weight bang, music blares, spandex flashes in the background. Even in a home gym interruptions can be unavoidable. We believe that every second of your workout must be carefully orchestrated and executed by a certified personal trainer and a private environment is essential between you and your trainer. With a private studio you don’t compete for Ghazali’s complete attention, or for the use of the equipments. Instead you’ll find it surprisingly easy to focus on yourself and – with Ghazali’s one on one help – to take control of your body.

The growth of Personal Training studios has primarily been due to the need for personalised health and fitness facilities that focus on results. Many people feel disillusioned about joining big gyms and not receiving personalized attention.

Most big gyms are intimidating and overcrowded, whereas, most Personal Training studios are intimate; places where clients feel special. Pesonal Training Session's are designed for you based on your health, fitness and personal needs.

Won’t women build bulky muscles with working with weights?

Many women are concerned that weight training will make them muscle bound. This is not possible simply because women just do not produce enough testosterone (the male hormone responsible for muscle growth) to achieve the Arnold Shwarzenegger look. What weight training will do is to provide that firm cellulite free, lean looking body that most women desire.

Can exercise lower a person's risk of diabetes?

Absolutely! In a recent study of 41,000 women, it was found that moderate exercise (walking, biking, etc.), done four times per week, cuts the risk of diabetes in half as we get older. This is a very exciting finding! It was also found that 8% of diabetes found in inactive adults may have been prevented with moderate exercise. Although there are genetic factors involved in acquiring adult-onset diabetes, the biggest culprits in the development of the disease are inactivity and excess body fat. This research shows yet another debilitating disease that can potentially be avoided through moderate exercise.

Will running or walking with ankle weights on strengthen my legs and help me see results more quickly?

Do not run or walk with ankle weights on. This can cause injuries of the ankles, knees, and hips, and is not recommended under any circumstance.

Ankle weights are meant to be safely used as added resistance when doing resistance training exercises, not as added weight to your body during running or walking, which can cause joint injuries.

If you would like to add weight to your body, use a weighted vest rather than add weight to your ankles or hands. Reebok and several other companies make weighted vests for this purpose.

Does the type of physical activity I choose matter?

Yes! Engaging in different types of physical activity is important to overall physical fitness. Your fitness routine should include aerobic and strength-training activities, and may also include stretching activities.

Aerobic activities
These activities move large muscles in your arms, legs, and hips over and over again. Examples include walking, jogging, bicycling, swimming, and tennis.

Strength-training activities
These activities increase the strength and endurance of your muscles. Examples of strength-training activities include working out with weight machines, free weights, and resistance bands. (A resistance band looks like a giant rubber band. You can buy one at a sporting goods store.) Push-ups and sit-ups are examples of strength-training activities you can do without any equipment. You also can use soup cans to work out your arms.

Aim to do strength-training activities at least twice a week. In each strength-training session, you should do 8 to 10 different activities using the different muscle groups throughout your body, such as the muscles in your abdomen, chest, arms, and legs. Repeat each activity 8 to 12 times, using a weight or resistance that will make you feel tired. When you do strength-training activities, slowly increase the amount of weight or resistance that you use. Also, allow one day in between sessions to avoid excess strain on your muscles and joints.

Stretching
Stretching improves flexibility, allowing you to move more easily. This will make it easier for you to reach down to tie your shoes or look over your shoulder when you back the car out of your driveway. You should do stretching activities after your muscles are warmed up—for example, after strength training. Stretching your muscles before they are warmed up may cause injury.

Do I need to lift heavy weights to build muscle?

No. You do not need to lift heavy weights to strengthen and tone muscles on your body. You can build muscles by doing toning exercises, lifting light weights, or playing sports. You can even strengthen certain muscle groups by doing activities such as cleaning your room and carrying your book bag.

How can I lose weight just in my stomach?

There are no exercises or nutrition plans that can target weight loss to a specific area of your body, like your stomach. You can strengthen your core stomach muscles, and this will help your abs be stronger.

8 Reasons Why Women Should Lift Weights

Over the last several years there have numerous studies that point to the importance of weight training for women, especially for women over 40. However, there are still many women that do not include weight training as part of their routine. How many of you have walked into a gym, and see the cardio theatre full of women and only a few women in the weights area? Or how many of you have a set of weights at home sitting in the garage collecting dust? It’s time to dust off your weights and start using them again! If you’re still not convinced, here are some compelling reasons why you need to add weights to your workout routine:

1)Be Physically Stronger

According to strength training researcher William J. Kraemer, PhD, of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, moderate strength training can increase a woman’s strength by 30-50%. Being stronger will help with everyday activities such as carrying around children and completing physical work.

2)Reduce the Risk of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis affects more than 25 million Americans, mostly women over the age of fifty. Strength training can help reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis. A review published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise of nearly two-dozen research studies found a direct, positive relationship between bone density and resistance training.

3)Lose Body Fat

Research conducted by weight training expert and researcher Wayne Wescott, PhD, the average women that strength trains for 2-3 times per week gains 1.75 pounds of lean weight and loses 3.5 pounds of fat. For each pound of muscle that you have, you will burn approximately 35-50 more calories per day.

4)Reduce Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease

Weight training can lower LDL (‘bad”) cholesterol and raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. Adding cardiovascular exercise also helps reduce the risk. A study published in the November 2002 edition of the journal JAMA found that those who trained with weights for at least 30 minutes per week had a 23% reduced risk of developing coronary heart disease compared to those who did not.
Studies have also found that strength training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23% in only four months.

5) Fight Depression

Nalin Singh, M.D. and Tufts University associates studied 32 men and women that suffered from depression. Half to performed strength training while the other half received health information. After three months, 14 of the 16 members who performed strength training felt better and no longer met the criteria for depression.

6)Improve Athletic Performance

Strength training improves overall performance and reduces injury in all sports, including golfing, cycling, and cross-country skiing.

7)Reduce Back Pain, Arthritis and Injuries

Strength training helps to build stronger connective tissues and improves joint stability. People with back pain tend to avoid weight training, since using improper technique may aggravate back pain. However, with proper training, weight training can help to reduce back pain. A recent study showed that lower back pain sufferers had less discomfort after 10 weeks of strength exercise for the lumbar spine muscles.

8)Have a better overall body shape

As you age, unless you strength train and perform cardiovascular exercise regularly, you will lose muscle. The American Council on Exercise states that for each decade after the age of 25, 3-5% of muscle mass is lost. Strength training can help to counteract “middle-age spread” and give you a better overall physique.