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Atlanta Personal Training Studio Treats Clients to Healthy Valentine’s

What will you treat yourself to this Valentine’s Day?

how many calories in your valentine's day treats

Whether you are single, taken, or somewhere in-between, during this “love filled” season it is likely you have already been bombarded with candy. Red and pink colored candy, chocolates, truffles, cakes, frosted and sugar covered cookies, and chocolate covered strawberries cover the isles in grocery stores. There is no escaping these temptations! Tomorrow from the office candy jars to your desk that is likely to get filled with sweet treats by friends, co-workers and loved ones and your children coming home with boxes filled with sugar, your willpower is going to be tested. So what is the best Valentine Day treat to reach for when you feel your willpower stripping away as your potential stress from the holiday builds up???? Godiva chocolate or five Hershey’s Kisses, which would be the more waistline friendly pick?

Hershey Kisses, according to SparkPeople.com, will only set you back 112 calories, 6.7 grams of fat, and 12.9 grams of sugar. Godiva, though delicious, are filled with cream and other sugary extras, packing them with twice the amounts of calories, fat and sugar per serving. Your best option is to reach for the dark chocolate, which is packed with antioxidants (just be mindful how many times your hand reaches in the bag or box and don’t plow through the entire collection in one sitting).

At Brad Kolowich Jr’s personal training studio our personal trainers will be gifting our clients with a sensible way to satisfy their chocolate cravings this Valentine season. Pictured above is a special heart-shaped Red Velvet Protein Bar frosted with dark chocolate. The bar contains only 127 calories, 11 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fat, <1 gram of sugar, and 12 grams of protein. Here is how this healthy treat stands up in comparison to some other valentine favorites:

Valentine’s Treat Calories Fat Sugar
Panera Heart Cookie (1 cookie) 420 21 g 27 g
Target Mini Cupcakes (3 cupcakes) 350 17 g 40 g
Krispy Kreme Heart Donut  (1 donut) 300 16 g 19 g
Entenmann’s Golden Cupcake (1 cupcake) 290 14 g 33 g
Little Debbie Be My Valentine Snack Cake (1 cake) 290 13 g 27 g
Hershey’s Marshmallow Heart (1 king-sized heart) 240 7 g 35 g
Frosted Pillsbury Fun-Fetti Cupcake (1 cupcake) 200 5 g 22.5 g
Harry & David Chocolate-Covered Cherries (4 cherries) 190 10 g 13 g
Harry & David Raspberry Shortbread Cookies (2 cookies) 170 9 g 9 g
Nestle Valentine Brownie Bites (3 mini brownies) 170 9 g 18 g
Reese’s Peanut Butter Heart (1 heart) 170 10 g 16 g
Butterfinger Heart (1 heart) 160 8 g 18 g
Jelly Belly Valentine Mix (1.5 oz) 160 3 g 29 g
Chocolate-Covered Strawberry (average) (1 berry) 140 8 g 15 g
M&Ms Valentine’s Fun-Size Pack (1 pouch) 140 5 g 18 g
Snickers Valentine Minis (4 pieces) 130 6 g 15g
Trolli Valentine’s Gummy Candies (13 pieces) 130 0 g 24 g
Pillsbury Valentine Sugar Cookies (2 cookies) 120 6 g 8 g
Target Valentine Fruit Snacks (1 pouch) 80 0 g 14 g
Brach’s Conversation Heart Candies (11 pieces) 60 0 g 14 g

 

*Chart from www.sparkpeople.com/blog

-Written by, Mandy Malool ISSA-CFT, SFN

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Atlanta Personal Training | Brad Kolowich Jr Adds a New Team Member

Brad Kolowich Jr.’s Team of Trainers Just Got Another Trainer Stronger

Personal Training Atlanta personal trainers Jonathan Kolowich

This week, Brad and his Atlanta based personal training team just became another team member stronger.  In January, Jonathan Kolowich, the younger brother of Brad Kolowich Jr received his nationally accreditied fitness training certification from the International Sports Sciences Association (I.S.S.A).  Jonathan brings a depth of knowledge, athleticism, and experience to the team.

Jonathan grew up in the Atlanta area where he starred as a high school baseball player at Blessed Trinity Catholic School. Jonathan is a recent graduate of Georgia State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Managerial Science. He was on the Dean’s List throughout his collegiate career, and finished his last semester on the Principal’s Honor Roll with a 4.0 GPA. Jonathan attended Georgia State University on a baseball scholarship. Throughout his baseball career, he earned accolades such as CAA Rookie of the Week, CAA Player of the Week, and most recently College Sports Madness Conference Player of the Week just last February. Since finishing his baseball career, he has dedicated his time to the fitness industry. As well as his national fitness training certification, Jonathan also recieved certifcation CPR/ AED and first aid from the American Red Cross.

Jonathan’s biggest accomplishment thus far in the fitness industry took place in September 2012. He competed in the Men’s Fitness Ultimate Athlete Challenge in Las Vegas, a highly regarded event highlighting the best all around athletes in the world, and came in 4th place overall. He brings to the table knowledge in muscle leaning and toning, weight loss management, and also muscle growth training techniques. In his free time, Jonathan enjoys playing pickup games of basketball, slow pitch softball, running, wakeboarding, and spending quality time with his family and friends.

Welcome to the team Jonathan!  We are estatic to have his talent, knowledge, motivation and dedication on board!

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Atlanta Personal Training Studio Hits You Tube

Check us out to see what it is like to train with an Atlanta trainer from Brad Kolowich Jr’s personal training studio! Our private Westside personal training studio is now featured on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mYr5BKiz3s.  Brad Kolowich Jr. recently had a chance to film a short video trailer for his personal training studio with an old high school friend, Brian Hall. Brain has spent his career behind a camera. Some of his career highlights have been FOX’s “COPS” , ABC’s “Wife Swap”, MTV’s “The Real World”, and most recently HGTV’s “Property Virgins”. Brian also recently had the opportunity to be a photographer at Kim Kardashian’s wedding. To check out his other projects go to http://www.brianwhall.com/.

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Atlanta Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist Cure Your Post-workout Dilemma

What is the best thing to eat post-workout to support fat loss and muscle growth?

Atlanta personal trainers specialist in fitness nutrition

Research suggests that he right combination of amino acids, quickly digested proteins, and quickly digested carbs can improve performance, stimulate better recovery, reduce muscle soreness, improve immune function, increase protein synthesis and reduce fat mass (International Sports Sciences Association). What you consume post workout is highly dependent on the individual‘s body type, the duration and intensity of the workout, and individual goals. At Brad Kolowich Jr. Personal Training studio our trainers provide clients with the most up to date information, education and motivation to keep them continuing to see results time after time. We have our very own in-house protein shakes and protein bars that are filled with all the essential macronutrients you need to replenish your systems after a tough workout. This week we are featuring two protein shakes the Blueberry Dream and Chocolate Raspberry Delight. We also have a variety of protein bars that are made with top of the line ingredients such as gluten free oats, a blend of whey proteins and brown rice protein, and healthy fats making them a great post-workout snack. New to the flavor stash this week is the Red Velvet Cake protein bar. If protein shakes or bars just aren’t your thing…no worries, one of Brad’s top personal trainers will help you pick the best options nutritionally for you!

-Mandy
ISSA-CFT, SFN

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Atlanta Personal Trainers Educate Clients on Pre and Post-Workout Nutrition

The Importance of Pre and Post Workout Nutrition

Personal training in Atlanta post workout nutrition ideas

Athletes must plan and time their meals and snack very carefully to reach their performance goals. But what about those of us who just participate in 30-60 minutes of exercise most days of the week?Maybe to your surprise, you too have to be careful about what you eat before and after workouts. At the best personal training studio in Atlanta, Brad Kolowich Jr Fitness, we encourage each of our clients to put these nutritional guidelines into place.

Usually, if you are eating a healthy diet and getting enough calories to support your activity level, you can rely on your own intuition, appetite, energy levels and experience to tell you what and when to eat before exercise. For optimal energy levels and metabolism it is recommended that your eat every 3-4 hours. Make sure your workout falls into that time window. Never come into a workout with Brad, Andy, or myself (Mandy) hungry or not only will you be counter productive in the results you are trying to achieve but you definitely won’t have the energy required to sustain the workout. The body works to build muscle (and recover) 24 hours a day, not just during that one-hour session at the gym. Luckily, smartly timed snacks can give the body the fuel it needs to gain muscle, burn fat, and recover as best it can.

After a tough gym session, post-workout snacks are an important way to restore energy and rebuild muscle too. Downed within 30 minutes after exercise, protein-packed shakes and snacks are a great way to rebuild tissue that breaks down during exercise. Refraining from eating a post workout meal OR indulging in high calorie/low nutrient foods can too be counter productive in seeing the results you are aiming for by exercising. After working out you need a protein and carbohydrate rich meal. Exercising depletes your body of stored muscle glycogen (carbohydrates), so post workout is the time to replenish this depleted muscle fuel. If you have a favorite high-carb food this is a good time to have them. Your body can digest refined carbs faster during your “refueling window”. However, don’t force yourself to indulge if you generally don’t eat processed foods.

Pictured above is one of our house specialty shakes, the Protein Frappaccino. In order to help our clients get that super important protein rich meal after their workout, we offer a variety of post-workout options for them. At Brad Kolowich Jr Fitness, we have weekly in-house protein shake specials. These shake specials change frequently, are generally inspired from the season or various special events occurring in the lives of our staff or clients, and ALWAYS deliciously packed with all the vital post-workout nutrients you need. For our “on the go” clients we also carry pre-packaged protein shakes, sports recovery drinks, in-house protein bars (frozen and great post-workout snack), and a variety of other beverages.

Brad Kolowich Jr and his staff of certified personal trainers provide their clients with the education, motivation and inspiration through training and nutritional advice to help their clients reach their full potential!

~Mandy Malool
ISSA-CFT, SFN

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Brad Kolowich Jr’s Atlanta Personal Trainers Treat Clients to Guilt Free Pancakes

The Fit Persons’ Comfort Food

Top Trainers in Atlanta Gift clients with Healthy protein pancakes

At the Brad Kolowich Jr. Personal Training Studio in Atlanta, our personal trainers encourage and motivate all of our clients to follow a sound nutrition program that helps them to get the most “bang for their buck” in personal training results. We hold high regards to the fact that your must put in 100% in the gym and 100% into your nutrition plan. With slack in one area or the other you will never see your full fitness and health potential.

However, even as personal trainers, we too have cravings, desires and the need to have some traditional comfort foods (especially this time of year as the weather cools, family gathers and we are allotted a couple of mornings off to lie around in pajamas a little longer than normal). A Saturday morning favorite of mine growing up was indulging in a stack of warm fluffy pancakes! The typical boxed pancake mix is loaded with highly processed flours, sugar, sodium, and even hydrogenated oils (a.k.a. Trans fats). All of these ingredients add up to a whole lot of empty calories. So, this Christmas, in lieu of Christmas breakfast casseroles and stacks of boxed pancakes, we are encouraging our clients to try ramping up the nutritional content of their lazy morning breakfast and try our healthy alternative to traditional pancakes!

This jar contains all the makings you need to create a delicious, mouth watering batch of protein packed pancakes. This pancake combo is gluten-free, high in fiber, sugar free, and guaranteed to fuel your body for all your busy holiday festivities ahead. Each jar contains 1 cup of rolled oat flour, 1 scoop of all natural vanilla whey protein, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/8 cup of carob chips. All you do is pour the contents of the jar into a bowl, add three egg whites, 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk and ½ of a smashed banana (optional). Pour the batter over a medium heated skillet and cook until brown on each side. We’ve attached all natural maple almond nut butter as a special topping for our clients. For other toppings try:

1 tbsp peanut butter + ½ sliced banana
½ chopped apple + 2 tbsp sugar free syrup
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut + 2 tsp honey
¼ cup berries + ¼ nonfat Greek yogurt
1 poached egg + ¼ avocado

Get creative with various combos! The nutrient and flavor combinations are endless!

Written by,
Mandy Malool, ISSA-CFT, SFN

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Atlanta Personal Trainers Use Carb Cycling to Help Clients Reach Fat Loss Goals

Atlanta Personal Trainer, Andy Keller, Helps Client Drop 5% Body Fat

atlanta personal training using carb cycling for fat loss and muscle growth

Dale, 48, began working with nationally certified personal trainer Andy in January of 2012. He currently maintains a strict training schedule at Brad Kolowich Jr Atlanta personal training studio getting workouts in with Andy 5 days a week while staying dedicated to his cardio sessions post-workout and on his off days. Since beginning personal training with Andy, Dale has lost a total of 5% body fat, and with a focus of building muscle mass put on 3 inches in his chest, and 2 inches in his arms and legs. In October, Dale, with Andy’s great coaching, decided to take on the ultimate challenge of carb cycling to help reach his fitness goals.

Carb cycling is a strategy in which you (as the term insinuates) vary the amounts of carbohydrates you intake on a day to day basis, which doesn’t allow the body to find homeostasis. This strategy can be used to obtain various results such as for muscle gain or rapid fat loss. Reducing calories and carbohydrates can cause the dieter to experience low energy, decrease in metabolic rate, thyroid hormone output, and reproductive hormone output and more. In other words, following a low carb, low calorie diet for too long means the fat loss will reach a plateau. So, you can trick the body by giving it higher calorie, higher carbohydrate intakes frequently enough so that is won’t ever get too close to starvation mode, but infrequently enough so that fat loss (and muscle growth) can continue on. This is the strategy Andy used to coach Dale to lose 2 ½ inches in his waist in one month. While loosing inches in his waist, Dale also lost overall body weight and gained muscle mass and overall strength. Dale is proof that with dedication to your workouts in and out of training sessions, trusting and abiding by the strategies your trainer is helping you too implement, and by being consistent with a nutritional and training program you can quickly reach fitness goals you never imagined possible. Congrats Dale AND Andy!

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Healthy Holiday Alternatives

We all love the holidays.  It is the one a day we all sit around the table enjoying friends and family and stuff our selves silly, and then go back for seconds and try not to feel guilty.  In order to help you alleviate some of that guilt and refrain from putting yourself back to the starting line with your fitness goals, I am going to offer you some healthy alternatives to your traditional Thanksgiving feast. These flavorful options will not only satisfy your Thanksgiving taste buds, but also help you cut down on calories and fat and help you return for seconds guilt free!

Starters:  Turkey Apple Slices and Dip

Turkey Day Appetizer

I love this fun and festive turkey idea for a pre-dinner snack.  Apples are full of fiber, vitamins and nutrients that are sure to keep your crowd pleasantly pleased as you put the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving feast.  Simply slice various types of apples and put a small dish of dip in the center of a plate.  A super easy apple dip is all natural raw almond butter.  For a little more protein try putting plain non-fat Greek yogurt in a bowl and mix with cinnamon and stevia.  Yum!  Always a crowd favorite!

Sweet Potato Casserole

(Serves 9)

healthy Thanksgiving alternatives

  • 2 1/2 lbs peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
  • 1/4 cup fat-free half and half
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • cooking spray
  • 1/4 cup oat flour
  • 1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
  • 4 1/2 tsp cubed Smart Balance 50/50 butter
  • 1/4 chopped pecans
1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Place sweet potatoes in large pot and cover with water.  Bring pot to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 12-15 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.  Remove from heat.  Let cool a bit and then drain.
2.  Mash sweet potatoes in large bowl.  Add next four ingredients and mix well with beater.  Pour mixture into greased 9×13 casserole dish.
3.  Grind oats in a blender.  Add sugar and butter, and pulse until pieces are the size of peas.  Add pecans and pulse brieftly.  Distribute over sweet potatoes equally.
4.  Cover with foil  and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition:  198 Calories, 5g protein, 34g carbs, 4g fat
Simple Orange and Rosemary Roasted Turkey

Simple Orange and Rosemary Roasted Turkey

 Serves 22
  • 13 lb turkey
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp dried parsley
  • 2 tbsp dried rosemary
  • 2 tbsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 chopped stalks celery
  • 1 chopped yellow onion
  • 1 peeled orange, cut into rings
1.  Whisk olive oil and vinegar together in small bowl.  Stir in parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic and salt.
2.  Pour balsamic oil mixture over turkey, rubbing into outside and inside of bird (if you have an injector you can also inject some into turkey).
3.  Gently place half of the orange rings under the skin, being careful not to tear.  Place the remaining rings, onion and celery in the cavity of the bird.  Tie legs together.
4.  Place turkey in roasting pan.  Add about 1/4 inch of water or broth to the bottom of the plan.  Roast turkey according to package instructions.
5.  be sure to baste turkey occasionally to keep it moist.  One indication of doneness is that the juices run clear when the turkey is pierced with a fork.
Check back later this week for my favorite HEALTHY pumpkin pie recipe!  It is packed full of protein and no sugar added!
-Mandy Malool
ISSA-CFT, SFN
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The Best Snacks: Increase the Nutrition Value of Your Banana and Apple

I often hear my client’s say they are eating healthy clean snacks/meals and working out regularly yet continuing to feel a lack of energy and not seeing the results they desire. Many times, as we begin to unwind and examine their diet we begin to see the source of their complaints. Though they are making healthy (or healthier) choices than they previously were, their dietary choices for meals, snacks in particular, often lack important macro and micro nutrients that are vital in providing energy, muscular strength, and support the growth of lean mass growth and fat loss. According to Oxygen Magazine, choosing the best snack foods will stave off hunger, prevent fat gain and boost your training results.

A common go to snack for many is the always present, always reliable and easy to carry apple or banana. Portable and nutrient-packed, there’s no denying that a apples and bananas are healthy foods. But a single banana or apple may not provide the ideal mix of macronutrients to support your body-shaping goals and provide you with the energy you need to get through your day much less a tough workout.

With a few small changes you can easily upgrade a banana or apple to a super snack anytime of the day simply by dressing it up a bit:

high nutrient snacks

Making a mix of the best snack foods to reach your ideal body-shaping goals.




Morning: 1 cup of nonfat milk + 1/3 cup plain oatmeal + top with 1 small banana + 1/8 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds or pecans)
Afternoon: 1 medium banana OR apple + 3/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese +1 cup water
Pre-workout: 1 medium apple + 1/4 cup strawberries + 1 scoop whey protein
Post-workout: 1 small banana + 1 slice whole-grain bread + 1 tbsp almond butter + 1 cup water
Bedtime: despite its low calorie and nutrient dense qualities, fruit is not the best option at bedtime. Forgo the fruit and instead opt for 1 scoop of casein protein OR 1 cup of plain low fat Greek yogurt + 1/8 cup nuts (almonds, walnuts or pistachios) + 1 cup water

Atlanta Personal Trainer and Specialist in Fitness Nutrition
Mandy Malool
ISSA-CFT, SFN

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Atlanta Personal Trainer presents :anyWhey Treats

protein cake pops, Jezebel August 2012

Brad Kolowich Jr. Personal Training Studio boast many special features that sets it in a class of it’s own in the arena of training studio’s in Atlanta.  As mentioned in Atlanta’s 2012 August edition of Jezebel Magazine, one particularly unique quality at Brad’s studio is the inclusion of a line of healthy treats, :anyWhey Treats.  Baking and cooking has always been a hobbie/passion of mine (just ask my parents who had to instate the rule, “you make it you eat it and clean it”).  My combined passion for baking, health, nutrition and fitness birthed my new idea to create a treat that wouldn’t spoil your waistline, would satisfy cravings for sweet treats, provide the body with the necessary pre/post workout fuel to aid in recovery, boost metabolism and aid in the release of body fat while preserving muscle tissue.  :anyWhey Treat’s menu changes frequently at Brad Kolowich Jr. Studio’s.  Below is a sample menu.

protein cake pops, jezebel magazine 2012, brad kolowich personal training

: anyWhey treats
Featuring: all natural, healthy and energizing pre/post workout treats

Energy Boosting Protein Cake Pops, $2.00 each

for orders, contact Mandy Malool, mandy@bradkolowichjr.com

Nutrition (approximately per ball): Calories 57, Fat 2.75g, Carbohydrates 5g, Protein 6g

Protein Bars………$2.00 each
Peanut Butter Cheesecake
(Oats, Vanilla Protein, Peanut butter, Cheesecake flavoring)
Chocolate Almond Delight
(Oats, Chocolate Protein, Almond Butter, Coconut extract)
Lemon Bar
(Oats, Vanilla Protein, Almond Butter, Lemon Flavoring)

(Nutrition varies per bar) Approximately 100 Calories, 2g fat, 10 Carbs or less, 10g protein

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