Personal Training With Lisa

Let’s get real for a second—ineffective workouts are costing you precious time and energy. Every week, I see the same pattern. Women (I call them “cardio queens”—if you know, you know) book calls with me to discuss their fitness frustrations. They’re working out, eating “healthy,” yet not seeing the fat loss results they crave. Sound familiar?

So, what’s going wrong? I dig into their workout routines and nutrition to uncover what’s really happening. And nine times out of ten, I find a massive gap in their strategy. Let’s break down the three biggest problems I see over and over again:

1. Doing random group exercise classes
2. Eating “healthy” foods that are still highly processed
3. Starving themselves Monday through Thursday and then binging on the weekends

Today, I’m going to dive into the first one: why random group exercise classes might not be the fat-loss solution you think they are. (Stay tuned for next week’s post where I’ll tackle the other two!).

The Truth About Group Exercise Classes

I’ve been teaching group exercise classes for over 20 years—yep, long before I became a personal trainer, I was up there leading the charge. And let me tell you, as an instructor, I was trained to do two things: count to 8 and find the beat of the music (confession: I still struggle with that last one!). These are great for making the class fun, but not exactly designed to get you fat loss results.

Here’s why: group exercise classes are not tailored to you. Instructors aren’t thinking about your personal fat-loss journey or how you can optimize your workout to see real results. They want to keep the energy high and the room full, which is awesome for community and motivation but not so much for progress. Sure, you’ll sweat and have fun, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to fat loss.

Fun vs. Results: What’s the Difference?

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying group classes are useless. In fact, I still take group classes like yoga and barre once a week because they’re great for flexibility, core strength, and mindfulness. But do I expect those classes to lead to significant fat loss? Absolutely not.

The key to real fat loss lies in a balanced program that focuses on progressive strength training, smart nutrition, and recovery. If you’re just hopping from class to class without a plan, it’s no wonder you’re not seeing results.

So, What Should You Do?

If you love your group exercise classes, keep them! But recognize that they aren’t designed for fat loss. To see the results you want, you need to supplement those classes with strength training, strategic cardio, and proper nutrition.

If you’re finally ready to stop spinning your wheels and actually start seeing progress, I’ve got a personalized 6-week coaching program starting next Monday. There are only 5 spots left, so if you’re serious about reaching your goals, now’s the time to act! Click here to learn more

Remember, working out should be fun—but it should also be effective. Don’t waste time on workouts that aren’t getting you closer to where you want to be!

Stay tuned for next week when I dive into the myths about “healthy” foods and how weekend binging is derailing your progress!