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Progressive Overload Explained for Beginners Why Getting Stronger Is the Secret to Building Muscle and Transforming Your Body Have you ever heard the legend of Milo and the Bull? The story says that when Milo was a young man, he began carrying a small calf on his shoulders every day. As the calf grew bigger and heavier, Milo continued carrying it. Little by little, his body adapted to the increasing weight until one day he was strong enough to carry a full-grown bull. Whether

Beginner's Guide to Strength Training If you are reading this article, I am assuming you are ready to transform your body. You have already gone through the first two stages of behavior change—precontemplation and contemplation—and now you have reached the third stage: preparation. Preparation is a great place to be. You are learning. You are open to new ideas. You are gathering information, and you are getting ready to take action, which is the fourth stage of change. Howeve

How to Build Lean Muscle with a Personal Trainer I still remember when I started exercising. I was a skinny 19-year-old who weighed only 130 pounds at 5'7". At that point, I wasn't really motivated to transform my body when I met my mentor, Dave. Dave was a bodybuilder, and to me he stood apart from everyone else. He had the physique I wanted, the confidence I admired, and the discipline I didn't yet understand. I asked Dave to train me and he agreed. I told him, "I'll look l

What I Learned About Weight Loss and Health From Zuzu Karen Ziemer Armes After more than 15 years of helping people lose weight, tone their bodies, and transform their lives, I have learned something very important: people do not change because they receive information. People change because they find a reason powerful enough to take action. At Custom Body Fitness, I have found that once people discover why they want to transform their bodies and become fully committed to tha

Fat Loss vs Weight Loss: What’s the Difference? What is really your goal? Do you simply want to lose weight, or do you want to improve your appearance, your health, and the way you feel? Many people say they want to lose weight, but what they really want is to lose fat, tone their body, look healthier, and feel more confident. I have had many clients become frustrated after months of hard work because the scale did not move the way they expected. They focused so much on the n

Small Group Training vs 1-on-1 Personal Training: Which Is Better? (Personal Trainer Near Me Guide for Glenwood Springs, Basalt, Carbondale & Roaring Fork Valley) Have you ever wanted the best of something… but realized you don’t actually need it all the time to get the benefits? Let me explain. I don’t usually like eating out because I like to control what goes into my food. But there are a couple of restaurants I trust. The ingredients are clean, the food is high quality, a

Small Group Training vs. 1-on-1 Personal Training: Which Is Better? If you are considering hiring a personal trainer, you may be deciding between 1-on-1 personal training and small group training. Both options can deliver results—but they do so in different ways. Let’s simplify this with a real-life analogy. The Chef Analogy: Private Service vs. Shared Experience Imagine you love a high-quality restaurant because you trust the ingredients and the chef’s expertise. Now imagine

How to Break a Weight Loss Plateau I have seen many of our members hit a plateau after losing a significant amount of weight. The truth is, when someone reaches a real plateau, the best action is often to continue the habits that helped them lose weight in the first place. As you get closer to your goal, fat loss naturally slows down. Losing the same amount of weight becomes harder, especially when you are trying to build muscle or reach lower body fat levels—like under 20% f

Why Hiring a Personal Trainer Helps You Lose Weight Faster I remember when I started learning how to drive. Back then, driving a stick shift was very common. I was so curious and excited that I would sit in the passenger seat and watch every move my friends made, trying to understand everything. “What is that pedal for?” “Why do you shift now?” “Why does the engine sound like that?” “Why do you press both pedals at the same time?” I wanted to understand it all. The problem? I

Learning From a Champion: What I Learned From Interviewing Alex Jamal About Real Body Transformation I recently had the honor of interviewing Alex Jamal, a Certified Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, and Champion Bodybuilder with over 20 years of experience helping people transform their bodies. As you know, here at Custom Body Fitness we believe in learning from other professionals who truly understand transformation — not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. Alex ha