Hey folks!  Big George here with my #1 tip for the new year...

   PROTECT YOUR MUSCLE!

We've all seen them ... those gorgeous, svelte models in the fitness magazines. Or those fabulous Hollywood stars and starlets looking perfect and larger than life on the big screen. Don't we all wish we could look as fit, trim and ravishing as they do?

While I'm not one to try to burst your bubble, I would like you to consider two very important things:

Today I'm going to let you in on one of the best kept secrets of the fitness training world. As much as I really enjoy torturing my clients until they squeal "UNCLE!", the truth is that there is an amazing training technique you can use to get great results in less time with less pain, right in your own gym or even at home.

The age old argument over which exercises are best for losing weight continues to rage on. Supporters of cardiovascular exercises, meaning those that raise your heart rate such as running, biking or aerobics classes, state that the amount of calories burned per hour with cardio routines is much greater than when you do strength training or resistance exercises.

Over the years I've worked as a personal trainer, I have heard it all. If I were a less honorable man, I could tell you some stories — some real doozies. Let's just say I have enough blackmail material to fill a filing cabinet. Make that two filing cabinets.

"It's easy to train a body. The hard part is training a mind." This is something I tell all my clients the first time they walk into my fitness center. Not everybody who says they'd like to start getting active is really ready to make the necessary changes. The flesh might be willing, but the spirit can be weak.