January 30, 2021

I love Diane’s success story and happy to have been and continue to be a guiding force for knowledge and inspiration. I like to share these stories to get some of you believing in yourself and your efforts as well as encourage you to reach out to fitness professionals with the right credentials. We have so many more success stories from almost 19 years of working with clients at Energy Fitness in Memphis, TN.

Meet Diane, a nurse and my former neighbor in Harbor Town in Memphis, TN. Here is her story and her self compiled before and after pics. Sometimes it takes more than me just telling you to hire me or giving you exercises, nutrition advice or other holistic mind/body tricks to get you moving on track to optimal health. Take it from Diane!

“A year ago I once again made yet another New Year’s resolution to lose weight. Once again frustrated that despite consistently exercising and eating “right” I was overweight. But this time I decided to give Tonya Tittle’s program at Energy Fitness a try. I thought, I will give it 6 weeks. Well…..it’s been a year and it’s been an amazing journey. The difference with Energy Fitness is that Tonya develops an individualized program that is based on testing of your fitness (cardio and flexibility) and your goals. And because part of my goals were to lose weight, I used some of my sessions for nutritional counseling. There were several plans to choose from but I knew I did not want a diet, I wanted to eat this way for the rest of my life. So I chose the Mediterranean plan, since it is what I harp on with patients! So with two weekly 30 minute workouts, some tweaks in my diet and daily protein powder I was on my way. And within 5 months I was at my goal. The aha moment for me? Being able to tuck a shirt into jeans and wear a belt! So it’s a new year and still going with new goals. And although I gave myself extra treats during the holidays, I’m back on my plan with workouts and my daily Energy Fitness vegan protein feeling gratefully ENERGIZED!” Diane G., Nurse

Without naming exact numbers she’s lost numerous inches, pounds, bodyfat and feeling more mobile. Go Diane!

Recently I sent Diane 2 custom workout programs to do at home since we are relocating the studio next month to South Carolina (my new home). She wanted me to incorporate a cable pully unit she’s had for years and not been comfortable knowing exactly what to do with it. I also incorporated other small dumbbells and body weight exercises to give the programs a well rounded balanced based on her functional movement assessment we have done in the past. Each program consisted of 6-9 exercises. I sent her a pdf of each program along with a short less than 5 minute video of each one instructing her how to do the program and how many reps and sets to do. She loves it thus far and will reach out to get new programs in about 8 weeks because she knows that you have to change up your workouts to keep getting results.

When I texted her during this blog entry and told her she is the feature of my blog and hope she inspires people she replied…

“Your program is the Inspiration!”

I remember when she texted me the pic of her holding the fanny pack out with the comment “I haven’t worn this since last summer, Thanks Tonya!”

The pic in the face mask below is one she sent to me when she was feeling sexy after a routine medical exam. I love it when clients become more confident from their new improved lifestyle choices. Every choice you make can either take you closer or further away from the goal of having the body, skin, better sleep and more energy for optimal health.

C’mon ladies who else wants to feel some self love? Toot your own horn if you know you have worked hard for it.

I’m here for you and you men deserve to feel great too, so give me a call or text 901-466-6242 for either virtual training or a custom exercise program. Eating right isn’t rocket science, it’s making the right choices for your body and working within your habit loop for success.

Come see us onsite for a bit longer at our Memphis location 552 South Main, Memphis, TN 38103 or find me online with live personal training/coaching or hire me to write a program for you with your own personalized 4-6 minute demo of each of your custom workouts included. Onsite following local covid guidelines as well as maintaining our current disinfectant procedures. You will have to sign a Covid19 release form, wash your hands upon arrival, etc.

CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT A FREE VIRTUAL OR ONSITE FITNESS CONSULT (VALUE $87)

by TonyaTittle

January 23, 2021

For years I have been on clients about proper shoe wear and give them feedback when coming in for their personal training session. Some of my trainers that worked with me would say I was being hard on clients and of course my husband use to coin the phrase “hard on ya Tonya!” until I asked him to stop. Proper footwear is the base of support for your whole body and can help or hurt your walking/running gait and posture which may mean getting less injuries and reducing acute or chronic pain in feet and other joints.

Let me ask you a question: Do your feet feel better at the end of the day than they did at the beginning?

If not, it’s because your shoes aren’t letting your feet do what’s NATURAL.

I did a post a while back on switching from my Mizuno 10-12mm heel drop to the OnCloud 5 mm heel drop and recommended several clients do the same with great success. I do not recommend going from the 10-12 mm heel drop to zero as you may need to change the structure of your tendons and muscles at a slower pace to account for years at a higher angle. Think of the normal 10-12 mm as wearing tennis shoes high heel models whilst the zero is more like a minimalist or ballet style shoe forcing your body in a more natural walking, running or lifting with proper balance (as opposed to lifting whilst standing on marshmallows on your feet).

I switched to the Xero brand over a year ago and now it’s my running and weight lifting shoe of choice. It makes me want to switch out all my shoes like sandals, boots and other casual shoes so I can be standard across the board for good foot and body mechanics.

When I first ran with my Xero shoes I felt some discomfort in my right achilles. It’s almost always my right side that get’s injured or has little tweaks of discomfort. On the next run I felt it in my calf. My body adapted quickly and is still getting better as it’s changing my pelvic tilt into a better position also helping my belly look smaller. Did you know that running can push your pelvis into anterior tilt (sway back)? When you have injuries or aches on one side of the body it’s referred to as anatomy train. Mine have always been on my right side. The zero heel drop forced me to move my hips differently as to not over-stride. Next, I’m gonna try hiking shoes which are a great idea as so many hiking shoes are so stiff not allowing proper bending of the foot for a toe off. Look into if a minimalist shoe is right for you or try the OnCloud brand before dropping to zero.

Check it out here: Tonya’s Xero Page

FYI..they offer a 5000 mile warranty!

Xero Shoes let them do that with what we call “3 Pillars of Natural”:

Natural FIT — wide toe boxes let your toes spread and relax. A non-elevated (zero-drop) heel for proper posture.
Natural MOTION — super flexible to let your feet bend and move naturally. Low-to-the-ground for balance and agility.
Natural FEEL — the patented FeelTrue® soles give you just-right protection while still giving the ground feedback your brain needs for efficient, natural movement.

Onsite following local covid guidelines as well as maintaining our current disinfectant procedures. You will have to sign a Covid19 release form, wash your hands upon arrival, etc.

Click here for information on our Healing Arts Services (Massage Therapy).CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT A FREE VIRTUAL OR ONSITE FITNESS CONSULT (VALUE $87)

by TonyaTittle

January 17, 2021

Oh my goodness, as an exercise physiologist and a personal training studio owner for the past 18+ years I forget just how much people don’t know. Yesterday I went to a YMCA in downtown Greenville, SC so I could make the most of my time whilst my oldest was nearby at a Boy Scout University Merit Badge class earning his last Eagle Scout badge (woot woot!) I ran outside on the Swamp Rabbit Trail and then stretched on the very large fitness floor finished with a warming meditative sauna visit. Fyi..I wore a mask on the fitness floor during stretching as there were too many for my comfort level not to and darn it there was another person in the sauna so I kept the mask on also.)

Anyway, as I was stretching, doing headstands to overt the spinal compression from running there were a few times I was aware of what the people around me were doing as part of their fitness for the day. I dare say doing as a part of their fitness plan as most people don’t have one it seems. They just wander from machine to machine or my favorite which I haven’t seen in years since I’ve spent so much time in Energy Fitness is the guy on the stair master machine leaning on the handrails heavily. I’ll give this guy props as he must have been 70 and he had great muscle tone and was alternating leaning with not leaning.

The guy next to me on the floor as doing sit ups. He’s the second person I have either seen doing full sit ups or who had admitted they do them. I thought to myself who does sit ups anymore and why didn’t this guy get the memo that they actually make your abdominal wall stick out further.

Yes, I said it! Sit ups make your belly bigger. Think about your core as more than just your rectus abdominis muscles. You have all these great other muscles that can help bring your waist smaller and belly flatter. Your internal and external obliques (large muscle) which you can target with rotational/twisting exercises and your breathing and posture muscles (serratus anterior) along your ribcage. Of course I can’t do a post about having flatter belly and not mention that lunges from a stationary position stepping backwards into a lunge is great at helping your belly look smaller as it helps keep your hip flexors stretched out which can help rotate your pelvis in a more posterior position if this is what you need for your body. The extensors in the back also need to be kept strong to help your overall core.

So DITCH the FULL SITS UPS AND TRY A FEW OF THESE! You may have to copy and paste in new browser!

If you have diastasis (separation of the abdominal wall when you do a test crunch and can put 2 fingers or more) then this exercise may not be for you as it will make if worse if you haven’t gone through a program to improve it.

There are so many others that I have my clients do but these at least can get you started in the right direction.

Here’s the stationary lunge back I had mentioned earlier. I use to hate lunges but started forcing myself to do them more which helps to undo running and cycling tightness of the hip flexors that puts your pelvis in an anterior tilt making it look like you have a larger belly than you do. I can easily see the tilt of my pelvis in this video done years ago.

Come see us onsite for a bit longer at our Memphis location 552 South Main, Memphis, TN 38103 or find me online with live personal training/coaching or hire me to write a program for you with your own personalized 4-6 minute demo of each of your custom workouts included. One client responding to an email with video demos “These are extraordinarily helpful.Best, Tom”

Onsite following local covid guidelines as well as maintaining our current disinfectant procedures. You will have to sign a Covid19 release form, wash your hands upon arrival, etc.

Click here for information on our Healing Arts Services (Massage Therapy).CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT A FREE VIRTUAL OR ONSITE FITNESS CONSULT (VALUE $87)

by TonyaTittle

January 7, 2021

I’ve had some serious thoughts about glute dysfunction and tightness for sometime now. Being in the fitness profession for almost 30 years plus being a cross country and track collegiate athlete I have seen a lot of bodies not moving well / not being mobile or stable enough.

I’ve concluded that we all have to take action to take back our backsides so we can age well, move well, sleep well and the list goes on. I have about six and a half weeks left in massage school with only about 4 weeks left of clinicals (massaging clients that pay the school for student massage) in South Carolina. Being on the massage therapy side of it has reinforced the idea that people really need to stretch those glutes! Many get on the table and their whole legs rotate (laterally) so as the toes point out. Many of these people on my table complain of knee or back pain that is chronic or acute at times. A massage can only do so much which means self care is recommended between sessions. I have tested clients before in the pose(s) below and after the massage and sent them home with a few of the diy stretches. I also write it on the SOAP notes in the plan section which is the documentation process for licensed massage therapists. As a personal trainer my documentation for Energy Fitness is my copywriten programs or written exercise prescriptions with custom changes as necessary for clients based from their fitness assessment. We all need a program in order to get better and most need accountability to do it. Just remember what you hate to do is often the exact thing you need to or must do to get better or feel better. It may be uncomfortable and/or darn right painful to hold these stretches for the length of time necessary to get maximal benefits but in the end it will be worth it.

I’ve said this many times before….some stretching is better than no stretching; however optimal time to actually change and lengthen the actual muscle fibers is 3 minutes (count to 90 twice) every day for 6 weeks. Don’t want to count? Take 10-12 long slow breaths and settle into it with a positive attitude and be present with the discomfort as it too shall pass.

YOU CAN DO THIS !

Gold standard provided you have no knee issues. First one below is cow pose where knees are stacked atop each other and glutes are on the ground. Use a yoga block to sit on it you need to and can get into this pose. If I were to include a video you would see that I lift and wiggle my way into the position. I actually use a block under the top foot to get a deeper stretch. You must breathe on this one as it’s tough. Count to 90 twice if you can or take 10 slow breaths each leg.

The next one I believe is called stacking logs stretch and gets the glutes in a different angle. Most people’s knee come nowhere close to touching the other leg and mine don’t most of the time. Of course depending on how flexible or inflexible you are this may feel as intense to you as a more advanced one feels to someone else.

For the stretch up the wall stretch pictured below, usually the best bet as a starter glute stretch for those with chronic low back or sciatica pain and want to use caution with their knees. See the sequence on how to get into position for this cross legged wall glute stretch (also called thread the eye of the needle). You will want to press your tailbone down towards the floor once you get in position. You can use a wall or not.

I intentionally put the pictures with my tailbone up off the ground quite a bit as most likely that is what is closest to what most people can achieve.

The ones below are modified pigeon, pigeon pose and seated what I call cross leg glute pull stretch.

Stretch it out!

Onsite following local covid guidelines as well as maintaining our current disinfectant procedures. You will have to sign a Covid19 release form, wash your hands upon arrival, etc.

Click here for information on our Healing Arts Services (Massage Therapy).CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT A FREE VIRTUAL OR ONSITE FITNESS CONSULT (VALUE $87)

2021 January

Turning Doubters into Believers- Diane’s Transformation

“Your program is the Inspiration!”

I remember when she texted me the pic of her holding the fanny pack out with the comment “I haven’t worn this since last summer, Thanks Tonya!”

C’mon ladies who else wants to feel some self love? Toot your own horn if you know you have worked hard for it.

I’m here for you and you men deserve to feel great too, so give me a call or text 901-466-6242 for either virtual training or a custom exercise program. Eating right isn’t rocket science, it’s making the right choices for your body and working within your habit loop for success.

Xero Shoes Review & Endorsement from this Personal Trainer

Check it out here: Tonya’s Xero Page

The Dreadful Full Sit UP is Creating a Belly

It’s Hard to Stretch the Glutes… BUTT Can You Do These?

YOU CAN DO THIS !

Stretch it out!

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