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Kaleena Lawless has been a personal trainer since she lost 50 pounds, six years ago. After working in fitness clubs including women’s only, boutique style studios, and major chains, she ventured in to independent training under her new business name “Kalisthenix Fitness.”
Kaleena also works with Dr. John Barrett, leading obstetrician at The Women’s College Hospital, training pregnant women with multiple birth pregnancies, and medical risks. She has been featured on CBC news at six, to analyze the Wii Fit for Nintendo, as well as interviewed for Faze Magazine’s summer issue on the benefits of outdoor exercise, for teens.
She is determined to continually reach new goals, and try a variety of activities that promote health, and well being. Kaleena can be found on her blog, Kalisthenix Fitness Blog.com
Q: Please Kaleena, let Us know a bit more about Yourself. How did You started Your brilliant Fitness career?
A: Of course! Growing up, I lived a very sedentary lifestyle, being more interested in reading, writing and video games. By the time I finished high school, I was eating fast food regularly, and found myself fifty pounds overweight. I was unhealthy, and very unhappy. My Mother had lost around eighty pounds a few years before, after having four children, and I thought, “If she could do it, so can I!”
We had a treadmill at home, and I started using it every morning, in addition to cutting out junk food, and drinking lots of water. Getting started was really hard at first. I could not run for more than thirty seconds, and didn’t think I had the motivation, or attention span, to achieve my goals. However, with some persistence, I improved really quickly. Before I knew it, I was running ten, twenty and finally thirty minutes without having to stop! It was incredibly motivating, and from then on, I was in love with fitness.
I really enjoyed the way it made me feel, both physically, and mentally. Plus, buying smaller clothing every time I went shopping, and having my friends and family compliment my determination, and success, made me feel really good about myself. Six years later, and I still can’t believe I did it!
I have always loved teaching, and I started personal training as a way to spread my love for fitness to others that wanted to change their lifestyle. I became a certified personal trainer, and worked in gyms for a long time, before I realized that I had lost weight without a gym. I thought it would be amazing to train clients with my own philosophy.
I have always loved writing, so I started my fitness blog, and before long, people wanted me to train with them in their homes. I really love what I do now, and I count my lucky stars every day that I have been blessed with such a rewarding career. I have really determined clients. Their amazing transformations regularly help me to prove that you can get in shape, anywhere!
Q: Please Kaleena would You suggest what’s Your favorite weekly training schedule for an average working mom?
I mean how many days a week, what exercises to do, how many hours she should train each day, how many calories she should burn, etc…?
A: After a lot of program trials, it’s my opinion that weight loss is achieved with a consistent cardio and strength routine. If you’re just starting out, don’t worry about diving in full force. Actually, it’s a good idea to slowly allow your body to become accustomed to exercise.
This way you can screen yourself for underlying injuries, and conditions. Start small, with fifteen to twenty minutes of cardiovascular exercise, such as on an elliptical trainer, or treadmill, and add an additional 5-10 minutes of strength training. Do this two times a week. When the routine becomes easy, you’re ready to take it up a notch!
Gradually add time and days to your routine. Ideally, you want to be sweating for more than twenty minutes. When we exercise, our metabolism uses different fuels from our body, to burn calories. First, it wants to burn through glucose. This is basically, what you had for lunch.
For the first twenty minutes, your body will burn these sugars (or carbohydrates) as its primary source of energy. It’s only after twenty minutes that our metabolism switches over to burning fat cells. Really, our body is constantly burning both glucose and fat at the same time, but after that magic twenty minutes, we burn more fat than glucose.
In time, aim for a routine that has you exercising 3-4 times a week, for 30-45 minutes. My favourite program is thirty minutes of cardio, with fifteen minutes of strength exercises before, or after. If you’re very busy, break the workout in to two parts, cardio one day, weights the next.
Try to hit every main muscle group: Chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. With only a single pair of weights you can have a fantastic workout.
Try this strength workout:
- Push ups against the wall (or from your knees/toes if they’re too easy)
- Two Arm Row
- Shoulder Press
- Bicep Curl
- Triceps overhead extension
- Squats
- Lunges
- Calf raises
- Crunches
- Stretching
If you have time, do two sets per an exercise at a weight that will fatigue your muscles at 12-15 repetitions.
Q: What do You suggest to keep track of the training results? I mean how to track the pounds lost, heart rate improvement, metabolism, etc…?
A: Keep a weight loss journal. Write down your workouts including: what exercises you did, how long you worked out, what you ate, what made you feel good, what you need to improve on. It sounds a little tedious, but I did this when I was losing weight, and not only is it great to look back on when you have achieved your goal, it’s very helpful for knowing when to make the program more challenging.
For example: you see that you have been doing bicep curls for two months with five pounds. At first you could only do ten, but now you’re up to twenty. It’s time to switch to the seven or eight pound weights!
For tracking progress, I recommend tape measurements. As you get fit, you lose fat, and gain muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. At first, you will notice your body becoming smaller, but your weight may stay the same. Go by tape measurements for a while, and focus on how you feel. If you’re too focused on seeing the numbers going down on a scale in the beginning, you risk becoming discouraged.
Once you have reached your goal weight, then I suggest weighing anywhere from once a week, to a month. This will help you maintain the weight loss. If you see the weight going up, you can adjust your diet, or exercise routine accordingly.
Learn how to check your heart rate, and do it first thing in the morning. This reading will be your true resting heart rate, because at this point you have not had any stimulants, like coffee, or stress. To check your heart rate, find your pulse on the outside of your wrist (thumb side), or on the carotid artery in the neck. Just don’t use your thumb.
It has a pulse of its own! Use a watch and count the beats for 10 seconds, then multiply by 6. The average resting heart rate for women is 75 beats per minute. Less than 75 is considered very healthy. If you’re serious about monitoring heart rate and blood pressure, purchase a blood pressure machine for at home. Many machines will keep a digital record for you.
Q: What do You think about Elliptical Trainers? What would You recommend to people who want to start home fitness?
A: I love elliptical trainers. They are really easy on the body, and this is very beneficial if the exerciser has bone/joint injuries, is overweight or just wants a machine that doesn’t place so much impact on the body. These machines really get your whole body moving, and using an elliptical trainer burns a lot of calories. You can do quite a few different workouts on them.
Try focusing most of your effort in to pushing for more tricep work, or more pulling for biceps. You can also try using mostly legs and go either forward, or backward. It’s possible to even bend your knees slightly, almost like a half squat. You will really feel the burn in your quads, on a higher resistance!
Q: What do You think we should consider when buying fitness equipment?
A: Always try a floor model. Some equipment is just too big or small for a person, and it can really make a huge difference in the overall effectiveness and comfort of an exercise routine. Make sure the new equipment feels right, and ask to be shown how everything works, by a sales representative.
With fitness equipment it’s better to go for a machine that is of good quality, even if it costs a little more. I’ve bought a lot of equipment over the years, and you really do get what you pay for. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to purchase the most expensive model out there, but keep in mind that you want a machine like an elliptical, or treadmill, to last around ten years. Even more importantly, you want it to be safe, with a warranty, and even a maintenance plan. If you can arrange for a service person to visit once a year for a tune up, at the time of purchase, you’re all set!
Q: Please Kaleena have you any resources You would suggest about home fitness?
A: “Women’s Strength Training Anatomy” by Frederic Delavier is a fantastic, fully illustrated reference that shows how muscles look during specific exercises. If you have ever wondered “What exactly is this exercise doing for me?” This book will explain it all.
I also really enjoyed “Fitness for Life” By Matt Roberts. This book is from 2002, but it’s guaranteed to stand the test of time. It’s a complete lifestyle makeover program with nutrition advice/plans, workout programs and exercise instruction.
On the web I regularly visit www.bodybuilding.com for their extensive exercise database, and fitness articles and programs.
Thank You Kalenea!
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