April 2020 Client Spotlight: Karen Barker

This month’s spotlight has been a member for almost 2 years.  We think you are going to really appreciate her story. 

Karen took control of her health, and avoided going on meds for diabetes by making lifestyle changes. 

Her story shows that creating healthy habits one by one, can improve the overall quality of our lives. 

Way to go, Karen! 

Q: What is your favorite inspirational quote?

A: Just because you aren’t making progress as fast as you think you should, does not mean you aren’t making progress. Keep Going.   

Q: What are your personal health and fitness goals?

A: I strive to be better than I used to be. I focus on making better food choices and to attain and maintain a “One”derland  weight. (just some where below 200 I have not determined what that might be as of yet). One day I will get there.

Q: What ONE thing keeps you most focused and motivated to continue to work hard to reach your goals?

A: If I quit now, I will soon be back to where I started. When I started, I was desperately wishing to be where I am now. I know where I have been, and I do not want to go back there.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started with us?

A: I attended a nutrition class and actually gained weight.  January 2016, I had lab work done and pretty much everything was in the red. My fasting sugar was 284 and my doctor wanted to put me on medication for diabetes.  I told my doctor that I wanted to control my sugar with diet and if after 3 months that my results had not improved then I would consider the medication. I have been working at it ever since without medication involved. My family history includes a long line of diabetics and I did not want that to be my future.

Q: How has No Limits Fitness made a difference in your life?

A: I notice the results in my physical appearance, and movement. In the summer of 2018, I kept seeing this loud fella (hi Mike) on Facebook challenging people to come to his gym and give them I try. I called and set up a trial.  I did not know what to think about the classes they called boot camps but what could it hurt? (FYI, it hurt all over).

In August 2018 I started a 6-week challenge, and I was finally seeing some results.  I suffered a knee injury and had to rest it for 6 weeks. November came and so I did another challenge.  I joined the challenge and started again.  I was down about 20 lbs! 2019 was definitely a nonlinear year with ups and downs.  I was exercising 3 times a week but my eating habits, while improved, were not great. 

2020 brought the Macrostax challenge.  I was excited to try it because I knew I needed to track what I was eating.  My work situation made me change my work out time from 5:15 PM to 5:15 AM. I found that the morning sessions were a better fit for me. I suffered less post workout pains, so I added a fourth day.  Macrostax challenge was an eyeopener. I was not eating enough food. Hallelujah -things started to change when I started eating more food.  I still have lots to improve on that regard but progress not perfection.

Q: What kinds of milestones have you accomplished and what specific results have you achieved so far?

 A: I’ve formed better eating habits, and I discovered new vegetables that I like to eat. Some of their challenge recipes have gone into the weekly rotation. My blood test came back all green. I have improved mobility, lost 30 pounds and gained muscle mass.

What made you decide to join No Limits Fitness?

 A: I had tried other area gyms. I paid $225 for 4 half-hour session a month to work with a personal trainer and that was on top of the $40 monthly gym fee. Each boot camp at No Limits you have a personal trainer guiding and instructing you through the exercises. Seeing better results, along with the value is what made me decide to join.

Q: What has exceeded your expectations since joining?

A: No judgement. Just encouragement from the coaches and clients.

I have physical limitations because of my knees and they offer alternatives to help do an exercise that will not cause me additional pain.

Q: What would you say to someone on the fence about making a change & committing to their goals?

A: Do it for yourself. Realize that the road to health is a journey and you must discover what works for you. Fitness is not a one size fits all but partnering with No limits Fitness, they can help you attain your goals.

Q: What is your “word” for this year?

A: Grandbaby (first one is due this August).

About No Limits

No Limits Fitness provides step-by-step programs to help busy adults get the body they’ve always wanted, without restrictive diets or time-consuming workouts, so they can lead more fulfilling lives. Life is a much better experience in a strong, healthy body!

Recent Posts

Crunch-Free Zone: 5 Exercises For Stronger Abs

By Will Matthiessen • 19 Apr, 2024
Crunches.  The go-to core exercise for a lot of gym goers. Yet, it’s one of the worst ab exercises you can do. Shocking, I know. You’re probably wondering why it’s one of the worst. Crunches put force on your spine and oftentimes strain on your neck. They force your spine into flexion, which is generally what people are told not to do in order to protect their back. Aside from the pressure it puts on your spine, crunches don’t activate your core muscles to the extent that a lot of other dynamic core exercises do. If your goal is to have sculpted abs like a lifeguard on Baywatch, crunches are not your solution. Aside from the aesthetic aspect, a strong core is important for your body’s balance and stability, posture, and reduction of back pain and other injuries. If you want to develop a rock hard core, here is a list of exercises better than the old fashioned crunches that you can start incorporating into your workouts: The Hard Style Plank Put your forearms on the ground and your arms set shoulder width apart. Your arms should be parallel to your body. Once you’re up in the plank, imagine squeezing your elbows to your knees and your knees to your elbows. Don’t be surprised if you start shaking like a leaf as soon as you create that tension. Dead Bugs Lie on your back with your arms straight up and your hands above your shoulders. Bend your legs at a 90-degree angle with your toes facing up at the ceiling. Imagine pushing your belly button into the ground and keeping your body tight enough to where if someone was pulling on your limbs, you’d be able to resist it. Next extend your right arm and left leg at the same time, without touching the ground. Keep pushing your belly button into the ground to avoid arching your back. The right leg that is still bent should stay completely still while the other leg is in motion. Bring your arm and leg back into the start position and then switch sides. When it comes to Dead Bugs, one of our favorite sayings applies: “Slowly is holy. Faster is disaster.” If you want to increase the intensity, add a kettlebell to the stationary arm. If you want to significantly increase the intensity, press the kettlebell once you’ve reached the fully extended position. Reverse Crunches Lie down flat with your back on the floor and your legs straight down, toes pointed up. Press your lower back into the floor and pull in your belly button as you lift your legs together up off the floor. Push your heels through the ceiling at the top and slowly lower them back to the ground. Fun, right? Double Kettlebell March Hold two heavy kettlebells in the racked position. Pull your belly button to your knees and your knees to your belly button to find max tension in your core. Once you feel that tension, slowly lift one knee up 90 degrees and then switch legs. Hollow Rocks I’ve saved the worst (I mean best) for last. Lay down on the ground with your legs a little bit off of the ground as well as your shoulder blades and head. With arms extended over your head, rock back and forth like a banana rocking back and forth on a counter. Or a see-saw…take your pick. Alright, now that I’ve given you the secret sauce to getting rock hard abs, it’s time to get to work people!

How To Lose Weight Without Counting Calories

By Juan Perez • 05 Apr, 2024
One of the first recommendations you’ll hear for someone wanting to lose weight is to begin by counting calories. Although weighing your food and counting calories does work for some people, the reality is that this approach to weight loss has an astonishingly high failure rate. If this strategy is “based in science”, why does it fail more than 95% of the time? The Top 3 Issues With Counting Calories The number of calories in the foods you eat are estimates. This is where the concept of counting calories being “based in science” can be misleading. The FDA allows companies to use 5 different formulas to estimate calories and a standard deviation up to 20% is acceptable. This means that something listed as 150 calories exists on a range between 120 calories and 180 calories. How ripe is your banana? The ripeness affects caloric availability. The second issue is that as individuals we each absorb a different amount of the calories from the food we consume. Thirdly, Americans are notoriously bad at determining healthy portion sizes. Our super-sized culture has heavily influenced our concept of a normal sized portion. The good news is that there is another way to lose weight without counting calories. The Three Pillars of Nutrition Whether or not you’re a card-carrying member of Camp Calorie Counters, the foundation of your nutrition is built upon three pillars: Food Quality, Food Quantity and Food Timing. Food Quality All calories are not created equal. The popular 100 calorie snack bags do not offer the same nutritional value as 100 calories from fruits or vegetables. When the majority of your meals are composed of minimally processed single ingredient whole foods (lean protein, fruits and vegetables), you’re more likely to get the micronutrients your body needs to thrive. Food Quantity As mentioned earlier, Americans aren’t known for our skills at eyeballing healthy portion sizes. Although using a food scale to determine portion sizes can be helpful, it isn’t always practical. This is the reason we recommend learning to use your hand as a guide to determine portion sizes. You can’t take a food scale with you everywhere you go but you’re always allowed to bring your hands!

Six Movement Patterns Your Program Needs

By Chava Cruz • 07 Mar, 2024
There are six fundamental movement patterns that every good program will include. Push, pull, hinge, squat, lunge, and loaded carry. These are all everyday movements that our bodies need in order to function more efficiently. Push Incorporating a variety of push exercises like the bench press, shoulder press, triceps presses and push-ups will help strengthen your upper body muscles. These exercises primarily target our chest, shoulders and triceps. Don’t want the wings under your arm that shake real bad when you wave? Start pushing.  We use push movements with tasks as simple as pushing doors open and pushing grocery carts to more difficult tasks like lifting ourselves up from a seated position. Pull Pull exercises are the counter to push, creating a balance. They primarily target our back, biceps and rear delts. It is crucial to have just as many pulls in your plan to avoid injury and overuse of your upper body muscles. Some popular pull exercises include bent over rows, single arm row, lat pull downs and trx rows. Aside from your muscles getting stronger, these exercises will improve your posture and help you pick things up like kids and animals. No kids or animals? You still have to pick up groceries or laundry, nice try. Hinge Hinging is something we do often without realizing it. It primarily targets our hips, lower back, glutes and hamstrings. Some of the most common hinge exercises are deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and hip thrusts. Performing hinge movements will help improve your stability, flexibility and hip mobility on top of strengthening your lower body. The more mobile and flexible you are, the easier it is to move. Hinge exercises will also stabilize your core muscles which is the root of everything. Daily tasks that mimic the hinge movement are bending over to lift heavy objects and bending to prepare to sit or stand. Squat Similar to pull being the counter to push.. The squat is the counter to hinge. You shouldn’t have one without the other. It’s kind of like having a plate of food without the silverware. You could do it, it’s just going to get messy. Squats primarily target the quads, hamstrings and glutes. Some of the most common types of squats include goblet squat, back squat, front squat, overhead squat and sumo squat. Performing these exercises will strengthen your lower body muscles and improve your core and stability. Daily tasks that involve squats include lifting heavy objects (after you’ve performed a hinge to go and get it), sitting down and standing up. Lunge Everyone's favorite, lunges. Aside from creating rock hard quads, the lunge is essential to a functional body and injury prevention. Reverse lunges, forwards lunges, lateral lunges and split squats are all examples of what you can incorporate into your program. Imagine falling and not being able to get back up. Not everyone wants to rely on life alert. Practicing and staying consistent with lunges will help allow you to avoid a fall in the first place because of the stability they create, but also to be able to actually get yourself up off of the ground when you need to. Loaded Carry Ah, loaded carries. You either hate them or love them but either way you’re going to be stuck doing them at some point. Loaded carries create a strong core which in return helps with your balance and stability. They will also improve your grip strength. Carrying groceries from the store to your car becomes a lot easier the more you practice these. Different types of carries include farmers, suitcase, racked, overhead, and mixed. We carry things every single day and we do it in different ways depending on the object. Include a variety of carries in your program so you’re prepared to carry anything. Conclusion Performing all six of these movement patterns every week will ensure that you are moving better day to day. The better we function and move properly, the better we feel and the healthier we will be. If you would like to meet with one of our experienced personal trainers to discuss incorporating these 6 movement patterns in your training program, click on the button below to schedule a free consultation.
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