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// Latest Blog Posts

• Joint Issues

  09/17/2012 by Francois
  

  Exercise and Joint Pain

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells us that in the US in 2009, 20% of adults of all ages and 50% of adults 65 and older reported having doctor diagnosed arthritis. It also tells us that “by 2030, an estimated 67 million Americans ages 18 years or older are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis. What is arthritis exactly? Well there are two kinds. The first is rheumatoid arthritis and is defined as "a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and deformity of the joints." The second is osteoarthritis. It is defined as "a progressive disorder of the joints caused by gradual loss of cartilage resulting in the development of bony spurs and cysts at the margins of the joints." So what can be done to counter the effects of arthritis that doesn't involve a doctor and meds and their accompanying side effects such as increased chance of heart attack and stroke, ulcers and bleeding, and serious skin and allergic reactions (all having the potential of leading to death)? Answer - strength training. Study after study confirm that progressive strength training, or training that is designed to produce greater and greater strength as time goes by, has a positive effect on our joints when done correctly and in a manner that provides productive stress rather than distress on the joints in question. Not only that but all the participants that practiced this form of training in the aforementioned studies also gained lean mass, decreased fat percentages, improved their endurance, got better sleep, had more energy throughout the day, stabilized their joints - the list goes on and on So what is the next step? Easy. Get in the gym and make sure that all the exercises you perform are with free weight, structural (weight-bearing), functional and low impact but at the same time progressive in nature so as to increase your strength with every visit / workout. Don’t know how? We do. Call 813-294-2836 or email us today to set up an appointment to sit down and see what Fast Twitch can do to help you with your arthritis and joint pain. Not sure we have what it takes to pull it off? Check out our numerous testimonials to see all our joint pain relief success stories.

  
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• Bone Density

  08/08/2012 by Francois
  

  Bone Density, Osteoporosis and Weight Training

  So your Doctor told you you're showing signs of the early stages of Osteoporosis. He or she probably also told you to start taking Calcium and Vitamin D supplements and to begin an exercise regimen that includes weight-bearing exercises to get your brittle bones back in shape, right? Well, all of that advice makes sense and will likely significantly improve the density of your bones and ultimately prevent you from accidentally fracturing a hip or anything in your back - but what are these “weight-bearing exercises” your doc mentioned?... Weight-bearing exercises are any form of physical activity performed on your feet that causes your body to work against gravity and your bones to experience compression and the consequent bone eustress (positive stress) that is the result of that compression. So what qualifies as weight bearing exercise? Well, your doctor will likely suggest walking as the preferred form of physical activity to improve the health and density of your bones due to its low level of impact and how simple it is to execute. But . . . one of the numerous problems with starting a walking regimen is that if you were the type to successfully start and continue such a routine, YOU WOULD HAVE DONE SO A LONG TIME AGO and likely not even had this problem in the first place! So what's the answer? The Mayo Clinic specifically suggests "strength training exercises, especially those for the back" as well as aerobic exercises performed on your feet, flexibility exercises and balance/coordination exercises. Want to know what exercise counts not only as a strength training exercise for the back that is performed on your feet but also one that challenges your aerobic system, flexibility and balance? That all encompassing bone strengthening exercise is - free weight squats. Want another one? Try "deadlifts." Both of these are weight bearing exercises that use all of the body’s major muscle groups and skeleton at least to some degree if not directly and they have the potential to do so intensely. How often should you practice these techniques? WebMD tells us that the Surgeon General suggests practicing these exercises (or exercises such as these) at least twice a week to stimulate the necessary and desired response from the bones that are most likely to suffer damage (namely the hips and spine) associated with osteoporosis. By the way... at Fast Twitch, all of our clients train either twice or three times per week. Just sayin... Moms - breast feeding? The ACSM suggests getting back in the gym asap to counter the negative, calcium draining, bone eating effects of breast feeding and they suggest you do so with the aforementioned weight bearing exercises. As usual, if you have any questions, were here to help. Call or email us with any wants or needs and well do what we can to help.

  
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• Red Cross Certification

  07/30/2012 by MickeyM619
  

  July 25, 2012: Red Cross Awards Francois Certificate of Merit

  On Feb. 21, 2011, Francois Tort, trained in American Red Cross Emergency Response, helped save the life of his father, Eric. While having a family dinner, Eric began choking on a piece of food. Upon hearing choking noises from another room, Francois immediately approached his father and administered abdonimal thrusts to successfully dislodge the blockage. Eric sustained no injuries from the incident. In April of that year, Tampa's 10 News 10 Connects named Francois Tort, of Fast Twitch Fitness Performance as "Hero of the Week." To see the footage, click here. The Certificate of Merit is signed by the President of the United States, who traditionally serves as the Honorary Chairman of the American Red Cross. This custom began in 1913, with President William Howard Taft, who had also been elected President of the American Red Cross. President Taft passed on the honorary Red Cross Chairmanship to newly elected President Woodrow Wilson, thus setting a precedent which continues today. As a result of an executive action, on September 17, 1928, the Certificate of Merit was established. From 1928 to the present, the Certificate of Merit has borne the signatures of 15 Presidents of the United States. The Certificate of Merit have been issued to individuals who have saved or have sustained a life as a direct result of American Red Cross training in its Health and Safety programs.

  
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• Power Training

  07/23/2012 by Francois
  

  Strength, Conditioning and Fat Loss

  What is the best way to shed fat and get in the best shape of your life? Strength and conditioning training. Why? Read on. The Mayo Clinic tells us that “Your basal metabolic rate accounts for about 60 to 75 percent of the calories you burn every day.” Your basal metabolic rate, commonly referred to as your metabolism, is how much energy your body burns at rest. The remainder of your calories (25-40%) are used up by your daily physical activity (15-30%) and something called the thermic effect (10%). Now, we know how to increase the expenditure of calories via the physical activity route. Move more, right? Boring but easy. What we don’t all know is how to affect that much bigger number, namely the metabolism and its 60-75% contribution to your daily calorie expenditure. Long story short, what you need to understand is that the more lean mass (muscle, bone, etc.) your body holds, the more it costs in calories to exist all day every day regardless of your level of physical activity. Now, a lot of people will say, “But I don’t want to look all muscley like those bodybuilders…” to which I reply, “You know how you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see? Is that muscle you're looking at?!?” All of you that worry about getting too big, all I have to say is “good luck”. Most of you don’t have the genetics to get to even “kind of big” let alone “too big”. Also important to keep in mind is that those bodybuilders you all see on TV are swimming in steroids so as long as you don’t rank in the top .5% of the best genetics in the world and eat steroids for breakfast, you should be fine. Conclusion - want to lose fat? You have to use it to lose it. What uses fat? Your metabolism. How do you speed up your metabolism? Train for strength and conditioning and do so intensely. The result will be a leaner, tighter, stronger you with a metabolism that will eat up fat all day every day at an accelerated rate. Don’t know how to make that happen? We do. Call 813-294-2836 or email us today.

  
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• Fitness Training

  03/22/2012 by Francois
  

  Mommy Fit

   Pregnancy isn’t for the weak. Just as athletes have to prepare themselves for their impending physical endeavors, so do soon to be mothers. Make no mistake - babies are physiological wrecking balls. Pregnancy attacks joints, lean mass (muscle) levels, energy levels, body fat levels and muscle tone - and these are just SOME of the potential victims of baby making.  Not only is it wise for hopeful mothers to begin preparing themselves for mommy-hood by training for increased strength, endurance, balance and injury prevention (all components of fitness and performance that are compromised by pregnancy) but it is strongly suggested that the mother begin this process PRIOR to conception and not during the pregnancy.  The American College of Sports Medicine (and many other reputable health/fitness organizations) suggests that “exercise intensity should not exceed pre-pregnancy levels” meaning that if you were exercising prior to pregnancy, it should be safe to continue to do so at similar levels of intensity after conception assuming all reasonable precautions are being taken - whereas, on the other hand, if you were doing nothing prior to pregnancy, it is advised that you refrain from initiating any vigorous exercise regimens once you are with child.  Trying to get pregnant but not having much luck? WebMD tells us “moderate physical activity was found to benefit women of all body types in a new study examining the impact of exercise on fertility.”  It’s like the old adage says, proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance (the 7 Ps). Pregnancy is nothing short of war - and one of the battles you’ll encounter during this war will be against atrophy (muscle loss). The trick is to take advantage of the healthy state you are in prior to pregnancy to prepare for the compromised state you will be in during pregnancy or as Sun Tzu put it, “In peace prepare for war, in war prepare for peace.”  So what can you do? Simple, you can plan ahead and be prepared by training your body for strength, strength endurance, joint stability, injury prevention and lean mass gains to combat all the negative effects of pregnancy. The potential benefits of being a fit mom are, but are not limited to, less weight/fat gain and joint pain, higher energy levels, better mobility, better circulation, better mood, easier labor, better recovery after birth of child, etc.  Don’t know where to start and/or worried about hurting yourself or your soon-to-be new family member? Call or email Fast Twitch today to set up your free fitness consultation and trial training session so that we can explain to and show you what training with a competent and experienced professional can do to improve your child bearing (and birthing) experience. 

  
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François Tort

BS, Physical Education and Exercise Science, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, NSCA, Sports Performance Coach, USAW Authorized Provider, American Red Cross

François was born in France and brought over to the states by his parents when he was 2 months old. At the age of 18, François entered and won (Best Routine, Best Heavy Weight and Best Overall) his high school’s bodybuilding competition (Mr. East Bay, 1997).

After that, he joined the Marine Corps in which he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and trained to be the 8th Engineer Support Battalion’s martial arts instructor. Once Sgt Tort’s 4 years of service were completed and he was honorably discharged, he took advantage of the school money he had earned in the military and got his Bachelors in Exercise Science.

Once that goal had been accomplished, François went on to take and pass his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA-CSCS) test. He also took and passed the Certified Personal Trainer test through the same organization, the Sports Performance Coach cert through USA Weightlifting and the Authorized Provider cert (CPR instructor) through the American Red Cross.

François learned his primary style of training (powerlifting) from his mentor John Crowther and made what he learned into his own unique style of functional and structural weight training designed to improve overall quality of life while building a slender, athletic body and avoiding and/or eliminating joint and back pain.

François started his company Fast Twitch Fitness and Performance to fill a void. When François looked around at the “trainers” in his area, he saw a group of individuals that were limited in passion for genuinely helping people and even more limited (to say the least) in training skill. Fast Twitch was created to bring a principle and form first, science-based approach to fitness and performance coupled with top notch customer service and the utmost respect for each individual client.

To reach François, please see the Contact Fast Twitch tab on the top left of the home page of our website FastTwitchFP.com.

Oliver Tort

Oliver received a BS in Communications from the University Of South Florida in 2007. In 2010, he took and passed the National Strength and Conditioning Association's Certified Personal Trainer certification test.

Oliver, Francois's younger brother, has been studying and practicing resistance training for over 15 years and has been mentored by two of the best trainers in the area, one of which is his brother.

Throughout the years he has developed his own style of weight-training from his extensive experience in the weight-room and lots of studying.

Let him put his experience and knowledge to work for you and you will be miles ahead of anybody else in the gym, especially if you’ve never lifted a weight in your life.