Talking fitness and nutrition with one hard-core personal trainer

In my head, the new year doesn't begin on January 1^st, but rather it's ushered in by the start of the new scholastic year, which coincidentally, is around the same time the Jewish New Year is celebrated (great minds think alike). And as we all know too well, a new year goes part and parcel with – dare I say it – new year's resolutions. These of course usually start and end with “I want to lose weight and be more active/fit/toned etc”. While I've adhered to my past two new year's resolutions to get more active, I still long for those ellusive toned arms and abs. I also want to eat more fruits, vegetables and protein (I've got the carbohydrate part on lock-down), but I digress... I'm writing this post because after a long and indulgent summer, I think we can all benefit from some tips on how we can stay healthy this year. Recently, I got the chance to speak with certified personal trainer Valerie Wiseman (nickname: "The Drill Sergeant" due to her brutally tough, but effective methods), about her views on food and fitness. I'm of the notion that ignorance – while blissful – doesn't actually do much for our posteriors, so we might as well get as informed as possible and then make our own decisions based on what's right for us. 

Valerie Wiseman hard at work 

What kind of fitness plan would you recommend to a female in her 20's who has barely worked out and wants to tone up and lose a couple of pounds?

I would suggest to get into the gym three times a week for about 45 minutes and to do some resistance training and weights. For women it's good because it strengthens the bones. If it's only to tone up and lose a couple of pounds, you don't have to go to the gym five days a week and go crazy, it's not necessary. I'd also recommend that on a daily basis she try to sit on the computer or by the TV less, and whenever possible to do more activities outdoors.

But what about cardio?

If she does her weight training properly and as she's doing it keeps her heart rate up, the cardio isn't even necessary.

But that's for someone who only wants to lose a couple of pounds, should someone who wants to lose ten pounds or more incorporate cardio into their exercise routine?

Yes. I would say on the days when you're not weight training to do some cardio. I'd also suggest making your weight training a little more intense. But as I always say, 75 to 80 per cent of weight loss comes down to the food you're eating. You're not going to lose the weight or get the results you want just from going to the gym and by not making changes to your diet. It might work when you're 20, but when you're over 30 it won't work because your body changes.

Now that we're on the subject of eating, what kind of dietary advice would you give your clients who want to lost 10-15 pounds? 20 plus pounds?

You have to cut out all the processed foods and all the foods you know you shouldn't be eating. Anything that you find in the aisles in the middle of the grocery store – stay away from.

The more weight you want to lose, the more strict you have to be. Nothing comes quickly and if it does, it's going to come back quickly because you're not putting yourself on a realistic food regime (I hate using the word “diet”). I think the key to weight loss is to adapt a lifestyle change that is sustainable. If you can't keep it up and it's torture for you everyday, it's not going to last and it's not going to give you the results that you want.

If a client of yours wants to lose quite a bit of weight, do you recommend they go see a nutritionist?

Definitely. Most people don't know the first thing about nutrition. You don't have to make major changes; it's about tweaking things, changing things, becoming aware of what you put into your mouth and how much you eat. Most nutritionists will make their clients write down everything they eat for about two weeks and people are always amazed by how much food they consume. Most people eat just to eat. I do it sometimes; I catch myself.

You've recently started taking courses to become certified as a naturopath, what do you plan to do with that certification and why did you feel it was worth getting?

I don't relish the idea of going to a doctor. I believe there's a better way to live and a better way to take care of yourself than going to see a doctor who just prescribes medicine, which I don't believe works to begin with and just masks most problems. Most of our problems stem from a nutritional aspect. And with that certification I want to be able to inform people and help people live a better lifestyle, with more fruits, more vegetables. I've only started, but I'm learning so much already about how to keep your body disease free by keeping it more alkaline as opposed to acidic. You have to eat more raw foods, and food that is closer to its natural form as opposed to processed food that isn't even real food. I mean if you read some labels, there's maybe a couple of ingredients that you know and the rest are all these names you've never even heard of, and this is what people are putting inside of themselves.

What is the biggest exercise mistake that people make when they first start training?

Not having proper form is a big mistake, and this is where seeing a good trainer comes in because they can show you how to do exercises properly. If you do an exercise on a continuous basis and you don't have the proper form, you will eventually injure yourself, and once you're injured you're back to square one because you can't move. People also tend to make the mistake of overdoing it. And like with diet, people should plan to do something they can maintain, that will fit into their schedule and become part of their normal lives because everyone has busy lives. I don't believe in diets or crazy binge workouts because you can't maintain that.

What would you say to that same 20 year-old female who wants to lose a couple of pounds and wants to tone up but cant afford a trainer, or can only afford a couple of sessions?

I think she could get a lot out of three-four sessions with a trainer. Once you have a foundation, you can always go online and look things up and do your research. Go to a good source and pick up information. You can also do classes if you can't afford a trainer and you can get similar benefits.

In your opinion, what are some of the most effective exercises a woman can do at the gym?

Lunges. Your biggest muscle groups are in your legs so you want to work the legs and the glutes. I don't believe in spot training though; you want to strengthen the body evenly all over. You can start with the lower body and then balance out with triceps, biceps, shoulders, chest, back etc. Push-ups are great too.

It's interesting because most of those exercises don't require a gym...

You can do a full-out workout without being in a gym and just using your body weight. You can go into a park and jump on the monkey bars. You try swinging from a dead start on a swing, that takes a lot of core and upper body strength; you're using your entire body swinging.

What's your opinion regarding yoga? Do you suggest to your clients that they do it to compliment their strength training?

Absolutely. The thing with yoga is you really have to start at a level that's appropriate because there are these crazy classes and everyone thinks oh it's yoga, it's easy, and then they're going in and doing things their bodies aren't used to, and coming out with pulled muscles, sore backs etc. It's like anything else, if you don't know what you're doing and you jump into it, you're going to get hurt and then you wont be able to do it.

Is it possible for two women to do almost exactly the same weight training exercises but to get different results?

Yes. It's based on genetics, and several other factors, but I tell my female clients that no matter what they will not explode into the hulk if they workout with weights. That was the fear 20-30 years ago, but it doesn't happen like that.

You used to do lots of figure competitions and you said the one that just passed will be your last, what originally piqued your interest in the sport?

When I was 17 years old, I remember seeing this girl Cory Everson. She was tall, blonde, very pretty, and really stood out from the pack because body builders were all known for heavy steroid use and she was so fit and beautiful to look at without doing all the steroids. When i saw her I said wow, I'd love to be like her. Then in CEGEP I took a body building course. Then I started dating my now ex-husband and when he found out I was interested in it he looked at me and said: “what are you trying to do? Be a man?” And so it was put aside and forgotten about it. After my first child i got into doing aerobics. It was the 80's and aerobics was the thing. Then my friend who was doing all the aerobics classes started teaching weight training and I started training with him after my second child. I was so out of shape and weight training changed by body and I just continued doing it from the time i was 26 till today, so for 20 years now. Then when I was 38 I got divorced and I said to myself I'm going to get into body building and I did my first competition when I was 40 and finished 2^nd in the nationals and just continued doing them. I eventually had to stop doing the body building because for me to progress I'd have to start doing steroids to keep up with the other girls, so I moved down to figure competitions which is a notch below body building. Sadly, lately I'm seeing steroid use even in the figure competitions and it has turned me off the sport. Me doing drugs is just not going to happen and now I go to these competitions and realize I can't possibly compete against this. I think I've had my time with the competitions. It's a lot of work, it's a lot of sacrifice.

What's going to be your fitness routine going forward?

I will still weight train just to maintain the muscle and keep the bones nice and dense and keep my shape. Right now I'm really enjoying cycling outdoors and I'll do that for as long as I can. In the winter I can do indoor spinning; there's no impact and that's what leans me out. Everyone's got their cardio that works for them. I've tried the running. Doesn't work. I've tried the elliptical. I can't ever see myself not going to the gym or training, or doing anything active because it's part of my life. It's like eating and sleeping. It's very calming too.

If you had to pick a mantra what would it be?

You are what you eat.

I like that, but I just find it so confusing now to know what is healthy and good for you because there are so many contradictory views out there. One day eggs are great, the next day they're the devil...

Everyday there's some new thought, it's true. I say eat as clean as you can and you'll be fine. You want a bowl of oatmeal, don't get the Quaker instant oatmeal that you just pour some boiling water into it and it's ready in five minutes, get steel cut oatmeal and take the time to make it. Go and eat things that are as close to the way they came. There's always new and contradictory research when it comes to exercise too. I tell my clients, when you do something and it doesn't feel right or it hurts, don't do it. You've gotta know your body and be in touch with your body and what feels right when you eat or exercise. You take what you can from everything and adjust it to how it fits into your life. We're definitely overloaded with information these days, there's way too much out there.

For more info contact Valerie Wiseman: 514-947-1802