Chicken Tomato Delight

This recipe was contributed, by CCAA Volleyball star (and Proto Strength & Conditioning Athlete) Jasmine Lavoie.   It's a tasty one!

olive oil
1 shallot
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
bruschetta mix (see below)
1 tomato
parsley

Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat.  Finely chop the shallot. Cut up the chicken into cubes.  Add these to the frying pan.

Dice the tomato.  When chicken is almost cooked, add a few spoonfuls of bruschetta mix and the extra tomato.  Sprinkle in the parsley.  Cover and let simmer until chicken is fully cooked.

Equally good on it’s own, with garlic bread, or on pasta.  You can double the recipe add some chicken broth and a handful of cooked rice to the leftovers to make a nice soup for tomorrow.

Bruschetta mix is sold at the deli counter of the large grocery stores.  It’s pretty simple to make on your own though:

Chop up some tomatoes and onion in about a 2-1 or 3-1 ratio. Mash and chop a few garlic cloves.  Put everything into a bowl.  Drizzle some olive oil over the top and more salt than you think is right.  (The salt draws the juice out of the tomatoes and garlic so the flavours can blend.  Drain off the excess salty liquid before you use it.)  Add some pepper and plenty of oregano.  Mix it all up and allow some time for osmosis to do its thing.  If you wish, add some dried chilies and/or parmesan and/or basil.

Peach Basil Chicken Pasta

Great this time of year, with peaches in season, and fresh basil from the garden!

1 small onion
1/3 red pepper
2 cloves of garlic
2-3 boneless skinless chicken thighs (or one breast)
1 peach
basil
salsa (or a small tomato and hot sauce)
lime wedge

Start a pot of water for the pasta and heat some olive oil in a frying pan just warmer than medium heat. (The timing of this recipe works perfectly with Italian styles as they typically take 8-12 minutes to cook, but you can use whatever you want.)

Dice the onion and red pepper, and crush the garlic, then add to the pan of hot oil.  Dice the chicken and toss it with enough basil to cover about 25% of each die.  When the onion softens, add the chicken to the pan.

When the water boils add the pasta to the pot and cook.  At this time, stir a chopped and crushed peach (liquid and all) as well as a few spoonfuls of salsa into the frying pan.  Continue to cook the chicken-peach mixture allowing it to reduce until the pasta is ready.  Squeeze a lime wedge over the dish before serving.

A Week Full Of Success For Proto Strength And Conditioning Athletes

It's been another successful week for Proto's athletes as they've met their goals:

Rylan did it again, breaking his own record in the 800m by a whopping 11 seconds at Hershey Atlantic!  This should qualify him for the Hershey International meet.  Jarrett's event was rained out, so it will take a bit more time before he finds out if his times from the Provincial meet will qualify him.

Josh passed the RCMP's PARE with flying colours, and thirty seconds to spare!

Denise red-pointed tor-TIL-lah 5.10b with grace and ease!

Finally, Mark shot a 76, his best score at the Westfield Golf Course.

Your efforts and commitment to training has really paid off, guys. Congratulations.

Beef Pho

Soups are great meals for maintaining hydration this time of year, and this Beef Pho recipe is an incredibly flavourful version that's simple to make in a hurry.  The relatively high glycemic index of the rice noodles combined with the bovine protein, make it a great meal for right after a workout.  See here for more  info on nutrient timing.

1 litre beef broth
3 cm ginger
1 small shallot
crushed dried chiles
a handful of bean sprouts
100g of beef (cheap round steak is fine)
2 green onions
a small bunch of cilantro, or fresh Thai parsley or Thai basil
sesame oil
soy sauce
a small brick of rice vermicelli (75-100g)


Pour 1 litre of beef broth into a saucepan over maximum heat.  If you have some sake or rice wine vinegar add a shot to the saucepan.  Grate about 3 centimeters of garlic into the broth.  Thinly slice the shallot and add to broth.  Add some crushed dried chilies, and some Thai curry powder or Asian 5-spice blend if possible.  You can also add a spoonful of tamarind sauce if you wish.  Cover and bring to a vigorous boil.

Wash the bean sprouts and place in the bottom of a big bowl. (If you haven’t got a big bowl, you’ll have to eat right out of the pot.)  With an extremely sharp knife, cut the beef into paper-thin strips.  If you have the foresight, partially freezing the steak, maybe for 45 minutes, will help with this process.  Spread the beef slices over the sprouts, and add a few grindings of pepper and salt.  Thinly slice the green onions, and cilantro and place them on top of the beef.  Drizzle some sesame oil and soy sauce over the whole lot.

Assuming it is now boiling vigorously, ladle out about half the broth to freeze it for later use.

Add rice vermicelli to the stock that is boiling away in the saucepan and cook for 60 seconds (or as recommended on the package directions).  Pour the noodles and broth from the saucepan into the serving bowl to cover the onion, beef, and sprouts.  While it cools to eating temperature, stir the soup a few times to separate the beef strips and ensure all surfaces get cooked by the broth.

More Success For The Brothers

It's been a championship month Jarrett and Rylan:

They combined for 11 podium finishes over three meets (two of those meets were Provincial Championships), including 5 gold medals.
Rylan also set a provincial record in the 800m.
Both qualified for the prestigious Hershey's North American Finals.
And their lacrosse team won the league championships.

Way to go, Guys!

Jarrett and Rylan Sweep Podium

A big congratulations to two of Proto Strength and Conditionings young athletes, Jarrett and Rylan, who finished first and second in the 400m, second and first in the 800m, and first in the 1000m relay at the District 6 Middle School Track and Field Championships.  The brothers could not have done any better in their three events!

The final event, the 1000m medley relay, is somewhat unique, and I'm sure many readers are unfamiliar with the race.  Rather than rewarding the teams with the most depth at a particular distance, this is a true evaluation of a team across all sprint distances.  The first leg is 100m, followed by a 200m, then 300m, and a final 400m lap as the anchor leg.  The Hampton Middle School was trailing after the first 300m, before the twins got the baton, at which point they closed the gap and pulled ahead for a comfortable win of nearly 10 seconds.

You can see the full results on the Athletics NB website.

10-minute Beans

olive oil
a small onion
1/2 bell pepper (any colour, and/or use a hot variety)
a carrot
chili powder
cumin powder
a small tomato
a clove of garlic
1/2 can of kidney beans
cilantro
1/2 an avocado (or more)

In a frying pan, heat a small amount of oil over medium-high heat.  Chop up the onion and add to the pan.  Do the same with the pepper(s), carrot, and anything else you wish to add.  Shake in some chili and cumin powders to taste and stir.  Mash the garlic then chop it with the tomato.  Add these to the pan as well, then stir.  Rinse and drain the beans, then dump them into the mixture.  Add a dash of tequila, or lime juice, or orange juice, or all three.  Scrape up any brown bits.  Chop up the cilantro and dice the avocado.  Turn off the heat, toss in these last two ingredients and serve.

Corn Soup with Avocado and Shrimp

handful shrimp
juice from 1/2 a lime
1 shot of tequila (or agave nectar cut with water)
crushed chili flakes
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 a small onion
1/4 sweet bell pepper
oregano
1 can creamed corn
1/2 an avocado


Peel the shrimp and marinate in a few drops of the lime juice and tequila, along with some salt and pepper, and chili flakes. Set this aside while you mince the garlic and, chop the the onion and bell pepper into tiny bits.

Heat some oil in a frying pan over medium-high then add the garlic, onion, and peppers. to get all the flavours out and blended.  Add all that remains of the lime juice and the shot of tequila, and a pinch of oregano.  Stir, scraping up any brown bits, then add the can of creamed corn.

In a separate frying pan, over high heat add a drop of oil and quickly cook the shrimp, along with any liquid from the marinade.  As soon as one side turns pink, turn off the heat and flip the shrimp so they cook on the other side.

Add the shrimp to the soup which should be heated to serving temperature by now, but not boiling. Garnish with diced or sliced avocado.

Variation:
Replace the shrimp with slices of cured (Spanish) chorizo.  Follow the same directions, replacing the word “pink” with “brown”.

Steak and Pasta Salad

 300-450g grilling steak
steak spice
Pasta or Israeli couscous
1-2 tomatoes
avocado
1/2 bell pepper
small garlic clove
lime juice or red wine vinegar
olive oil
coriander

Bring a pot of water to boil, then add the pasta when it is ready and cook following package directions.

Meanwhile, preheat a broiling pan (in a toaster oven will only take 5 minutes) at 200º C (450ºF).  Chop the tomatoes, pepper, and avocado.  Place them in a large bowl, sprinkle with coriander.  Grate the garlic over top, then toss it all with a bit of lime juice/vinegar and olive oil.

When pan is hot, place the steak upon it, and sprinkle with steak spice.  Broil for 2-3 minutes.  Flip the steak, add more spice, and broil for 1 minute.  Reduce the heat to 175ºC (350ºF) and cook for 2-5 minutes depending on thickness.  Turn off the heat, open the oven door, and let it rest for few minutes before slicing.

Slice the steak, and add it along with the drained pasta to the bowl. Toss and serve warm.  The leftovers are great cold for tomorrows lunch or supper.

Snacks

The Coaching Association of  Canada recently posted this article.  I prefer to reference materials rather than simply reposting them, but I've already discussed this topic in detail throughout this blog, especially here.  So there's no point in me repeating myself.  Check out some snacking advice courtesy of Coach.ca

RIP Gord

Such a tragic loss to the sport science community, and all those whose lives he touched.  We're going to miss you Dr. Sleivert.
http://www.cscpacific.ca/Content/About/OurTeam/InMemory.asp?langid=1&fb_source=message

Training Variables

When it comes to designing a training programme, there are a myriad of factors that must be taken into consideration.

To give you an idea of what your strength and conditioning coach looks at, here's a partial list:

• The Athletes: Age, gender, training age, growth stage, injury history, injury status, medical history, medical conditions, height, body composition (% lean mass, % fat mass), fat distribution, posture, joint stiffness, joint laxity, relative muscle strength, relative muscle length, imbalances or asymmetries in muscle strength, proficiency in fundamental movement skills, balance, co-ordination, biomechanics of basic actions...
• The Sport: Sport training for, position(s) training for, all sports played, all positions played, other activity participation, competitive season length,  off-season length, pre-season length, common injuries in that sport, work:rest ratios of sport based on position and competitive level, critical skills and attributes separating elite from sub-elite athletes in that sport...
• The Schedules: Practices, meetings, film study, exhibition games, tournaments, league games/matches/meets, playoffs, camps/combines, academic, work...

Based on this background information a programme can be designed by manipulating the following variables to achieve the desired outcomes given where the athlete is, where they need to be, and how much time they have to get there.

• Training frequency
• Training times
• Duration of workouts
• Number of exercises
• Types of equipment
• Training location (surface)
• Exercises
• Movements
• Drills
• Split structure
• Work to rest ratios
• Type of overload
• Relative and absolute resistance loads
• Relative and absolute assistance loads
• Number of sets
• Set structure
• Number of repetitions
• Contraction type
• Pace and rhythm
• Exercise order
• Exercise progression
• Load progression
• Volume progression

Since each of these variables can have at least 3 values, (many are actually unlimited) a mathematician would say there are at least 1 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 different training programmes possible. 

And all this just covers the W5 (who, what, when, where, why) of a training plan.  The HOW, which is is arguably the most important part, comes down to the skills of the the strength and conditioning specialist working with the athlete.  His/her understanding and expertise of functional anatomy, biomechanics, exercise physiology, and motor control and learning, is needed for safety and success.  Combined with his/her ability to observe, teach, monitor, explain, adapt, and motivate it what makes them a strength and conditioning coach and indispensable to an athletes succeeding at the next level.

Sets and Reps: What type of training am I doing?

Talk around the gyms lately has brought something to my attention: how little the typical user (recreational lifter) understands about resistance training.  This is no fault of their own.  I attribute it to the apparent simplicity of picking up something heavy, putting it back down, picking it up again, then putting it down... All the BS in the muscle, fitness, and men's and women's magazines complicates things.  There you get journalists and writers (not biomechanists, nor exercise physiologists) trying to explain something they don't comprehend, using the simplest form of language, to a target audience  of readers who have an interest in but no knowledge of exercise science.

This post will be a primer on resistance training for the recreational gym member.  Everything that follows is a simplification to for the sake of brevity.  Expect a more detailed explanation in a later post.  Better yet, hire a strength and conditioning coach to work with you.


First, let's clear up a few terms:
Weightlifting is an Olympic event that involves two lifts: the clean & jerk, and the snatch.  (Both are more accurately described as power movements.  In fact, weightlifters exhibit the highest power outputs of any athletes.)  Powerlifting is also a competitive event, but involves the deadlift, squat, and bench press. (All three are more accurately described as strength movements.)  Resistance training involves deliberate repetitive movements against (and usually overcoming) some sort of opposing force, such as: barbells, dumb bells, cables, bands, chains, rocks, sandbags, medicine balls, training partners, and countless other implements.


How many reps?
Resistance training to increase lean muscle mass is called hypertrophy training.  These types of protocols generally promote local muscular endurance, therefore endurance training is synonymous with hypertrophy training and is not a separate entity.  Hypertrophy training is most effective when each set is comprised of 8-12 repetition (reps), and with  60 to 90 seconds of rest is provided between sets.

Strength training is done to improve strength.  The majority of the improvements here come from improving the co-ordination of a number of muscles (and their respective sub-units called motor units) to produce force in unison.  Strength training is best done with sets comprised of 4-6 reps for recreational exercisers, with 2-4 minutes of rest between sets.  (For experienced athletes training under a strength and conditioning coach, 2-4 reps may be ideally prescribed for large movements –still using 4-6 reps for smaller actions– but this carries far too much risk for recreational training and minimal reward.  In fact, probably no reward, since they are training for health and/or cosmetic reasons.  If they were training for a competitive goal they would employ a certified strength and conditioning specialist to coach them.)

Power is the product of speed and force.  Therefore power training is based on fast movements.  Power training can employ a broad range of repetitions per set, and a myriad of loads depending on the training outcome.  Typically these training outcomes are performance driven and apply to athletes, but not to recreational exercisers, therefore power training doesn't need to be discussed any further in this post.


How many sets?
For any given workout, the number of sets per exercise doesn't really seem to matter a whole lot.  What does matter is the number of sets for a given muscle group.  If you think about it, this makes sense.  Whether you do three sets of one exercise for the chest, or one set of each of three different exercises for the chest, your chest is going to be tired.  You've provided the desired training stimulus to the chest in both cases.  They differ slightly, in that the first is focused, and the second a bit more broad, but if the relative loads are the same, the body will respond and adapt similarly (if not identically).

The number of sets per muscle group per week is more important than the number of sets per muscle group per workout.  For novice recreational exercisers 2 sets/week for each muscle group in the upper body and 3 sets/week for lower body muscle groups is appropriate.  For advanced recreational exercises with more than 6 months of consecutive training history, 6 sets/week for each muscle group is usually optimal.  What's great about this is that it allows all sorts of variety in designing a training plan!   Provided the a minimum 48 hours is provided between working out the same muscle group, almost anything goes.   Whether...

• two sets of a total body circuit on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays;
• or a 5-day split routine with 6 sets of one exercise per muscle group per day;
• or a 5-day split with 1 set of 6 exercises per group; 
• or a 2-day alternate split where days 3 and 4 are similar to days 1 and 2 but use dumb bells for the 3 sets instead of a barbell,

 similar (not identical, none better than others) training outcomes can be expected.

Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil

Time for another quick, flavourful, nutrient-dense, recipe easily modifiable for weight gain or weight loss:

pasta
1-2 cloves of garlic
handful of grape tomatoes
small bunch of fresh basil (or pinches of dry)
olive oil
parmesan cheese

Bring a pot of water to boil, then add the pasta when it is ready and cook following package directions.

Meanwhile, place a few drops of oil in a frying pan and spread it around with a spatula.  There should be barely enough to just moisten the base of the pan.  Turn up the heat to medium-high.  Place the whole garlic cloves, still in their skins, into the frying pan.

As the oil warms, place the whole tomatoes into the frying pan with the garlic.  When the skins begin to change colour, toss the contents of the pan, being careful to not break the skins.  Turn off the pan.

Drizzle some olive oil into the serving dish. Chop the basil and stir it into the serving dish along with some parmesan cheese and some salt.

Squeeze the garlic out of its skin then chop it.  Mix the garlic into the oil-basil-cheese mixture.  Cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters.

Drain the pasta and add it along with the tomatoes to the serving dish.  Stir to coat.  Add more oil, cheese, and basil to taste.

Chickpea Salad

This is ridiculously simple.  Hot or cold it's a quick meal on it's own, or a filling for a pita, or a side dish.  You can beat in some eggs and turn it into an omelette, or leave it alone and serve it as a a steak topping (seriously).

1 can Chickpeas
4-6 green onions
1 clove of garlic
handful of baby spinach (or parsley)
roasted red pepper strips
salt and pepper
cumin, cayenne, and turmeric (or curry powder)
1 lemon
olive oil

Rinse and drain the chickpeas.  Finely chop the onion, spinach, roasted peppers, and garlic.  Add salt, pepper and spices to taste.  Add lemon juice.  Drizzle a bit of oil on top, stir and serve.

Supplements III

Here's a good example of the risks of supplements.  Though being investigated to determine if there is a cause and effect relationship, Dimethylamylamine (DMAA) is a common thread linking multiple deaths from heart attack in young adults during exercise.  You can read about it here.

The manufacturer maintains that there is no medical proof yet (and since the industry is unregulated, the legal responsibility is on others to prove they are unsafe, rather than the manufacturer/retailer proving they are safe) so these products are still being sold at GNC and other retailers.

According to warnings issues last summer by the US Anti-Doping Agency, DMAA appears on labels under a number of names, including: Methylhexaneamine; 1,3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA); dimethylpentylamine (DMP) 4-methylhexan-2-amine; Geranamine; and geranium oil, extract, or stems and leaves.  There are many good point made in this document –I recommend everyone read it.

Super Bowl XLVI

There is much talk about Super Bowl 46 being a rematch of Super Bowl 42.  Much of the promotional material I'm seeing is really trying to play it as the Patriots seeking redemption from the 3 point loss to the Giants after a perfect 2007 season.

Less than 1/3 of the New England coaching staff remains from 4 years ago, and -get this- only 6 players!  That's right, just over 11% of the guys who suited up in Arizona on February 3, 2008 will be wearing a New England Patriots helmet this Sunday in Indianapolis.

Plaxico Burris, who scored the winning touchdown with 35 seconds left in Super Bowl 42 is no longer with the Giants.  (Eli Manning, who threw the pass still is.)

Couldn't the enormous marketing department at the NFL come up with a more relevant hook for this game?

Mandarin Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
vegetables
1 can mandarin oranges in light syrup
1 1/2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons of corn starch
salt and pepper

Heat a bit of oil in a large frying pan, over medium-high heat.  Slice the chicken into strips then add to the pan.

Slice up whatever vegetables you have. (Such as carrots, onions, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, baby corn, etc.) Add them to the pan and stir.

Add the sugar and corn starch to the mandarins with their syrup and blend until sugar and starch dissolve.  Add to the pan for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.

Serve with rice noodles or rice.

Tomato-Cheese Pasta Sauce That Becomes Minestrone Soup

Pasta Sauce:

olive oil
1 shallot
2 cloves of garlic
1 zucchini
1 red pepper
handful of peas or green beans
oregano
fresh chilies (or dried chili flakes)
1 jar of tomato sauce (500ml)
1 can romano beans
1/2 cup of mozzarella (parmesan or romano for more kick)
pasta
salt and pepper

Put water on to boil for the pasta.

Heat the oil in a pot on medium-high heat.  Finely chop the shallot and red pepper then add them to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Dice the zucchini.  Mash and chop (or grate) the garlic.  Chop the green beans if you have some.  Add the zucchini, garlic, peas/beans, oregano, and chilies to the pot.  Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the (drained and rinsed) romano beans, and the tomato sauce.  Simmer until pasta is cooked.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Grate the cheese.  Just prior to draining the pasta, remove the sauce from the stove, add the cheese to it, and stir to melt.  Drain the pasta and serve with sauce.

Minestrone Soup:
Add broth to dilute the leftover sauce into a soup.  Bring to a boil, add a handful of small shaped pasta and cook until al dente.

Recipes for Athletes

I've been asked lately for recipes and meal plans, so I will be putting up a series of recipes on this blog; a sort of cookbook for athletes.  I think meal plans are too structured and take the pleasure out of eating.  I'll concentrate on tasty dishes that make it easy for athletes (and non-athletes, too) to meet their daily nutrient requirements.

All of the recipes must meet five requirements: They must be 1) nutritionally dense, 2) flavourful, and 3) focus on real ingredients; 4) they can be prepared and eaten in 30 minutes or less; finally, 5) they can be adapted to accommodate weight-gain or weight-loss goals.  This last requirement is achieved through criteria 1 and 2, so small portions for weight loss leave you satiated but large ones for weight gain aren't a chore to stuff in, and by having a (easily and) highly variable CHO portion without affecting the recipe.

Stay tuned...

Agility Training - The Importance of Technique

This is an article I wrote a few years ago that was published in the National Strength and Conditioning Associations Performance Training Journal.  The target audience for that issue was football coaches and athletes.  It is applicable to all ground-based sports, so is relevant for hockey, basketball, soccer, volleyball, figure skating, baseball...

There is a bunch of research and information on how training for strength, power, and speed improve agility.  This is because those correlations are relatively simple to study.  On the contrary, the effects of technique must be deduced:  A novel technique will inevitably be slower than a well-practised one, so you can't compare A to B, unless both techniques are well refined skills of the same athlete.  Logical, deductive reasoning, based on a strong knowledge of biomechanics, functional anatomy, physics, sport rules, position skills/assignments is necessary to determine the best techniques to be taught.

I believe that at least two of these agility techniques should be taught and practised early in the off season. (Typically, they could be done between sets since they're low intensity, low volume work focused on co-ordination.)  That way when power, speed, and reactive agility training is introduced, the athlete has a repertoire of refined techniques and should automatically select the ideal one based on the situational demands of the training (i.e. specific drill/exercise, the surface, direction, which foot is in contact...).  Only if they slip, or appear inefficient does the coach need to intervene with a technical correction.

Enough explanation.  Here it is: Improving Agility Techniques

Werksan Barbell Commercial

This is cute:

New Years Resolutions

It's that time of year when people come out of the woodwork (off the couch is a more accurate phrase) looking to find a personal trainer and/or a gym membership as part of a New Years Resolution to get into shape, or loose weight, or get back to a size 8, or ...

This post is not to stroke your ego and tell you how great you're doing by starting a workout program, how it will increase your quality (and quantity) of life, improve mental and physical health, relieve stress, be fun, and make everything in life easier.  You know this. You also know that you will most likely drop out of any new activity and revert a sedentary lifestyle before the second week of February. Instead let's look at the realistic outcomes from some of the more popular modes of activity people commit to at this time of year.

Workout videos at home:  Your home treadmill is used as a clothes rack, your bike is rusted and doesn't shift properly, you can't find your left running shoe, you hire some guy to plough your driveway.  You have lots of opportunity for exercise at home and you don't do it. Videos are no different.

Join a running club:  If you're a runner, a running club can be a good idea.  There are also many learn-to-run programmes available.  Both meet regularly.  You'll expected to attend.  You'll meet others who can serve as motivators (or competitors: "I ran 10k yesterday. Did you?").  Running requires a high caloric expenditure.  All this is good.  At some point, since your biomechanics are less than perfect (weakness, technical flaw, old injury) you'll have to stop running and will consider coming to see me to fix your problems and make you a more efficient runner.  This is great for me.
   
Fitness classes:  They have the same pro's as a running club, but unfortunately are not ongoing.  When the month is up or the 12 week session ends, you are unlikely to continue because you missed 3 classes in the original session, and you've got a really busy month coming up, so you'll just pay the drop in fee instead, but then that doesn't work cause your favourite instructor is no longer teaching on Tuesdays, and sometimes your meeting runs late on Wednesday and...

Gym memberships:  If you know what you're doing (you don't) and you will actually stick to a regular workout schedule (you won't), gym memberships are a great way to go.  Make it worthwhile: before you sign up, select a personal trainer (see below) and commit to an ongoing relationship with them.  Then pick a gym where they can train you.

Personal trainer:  A good (or excellent) personal trainer will work with you on a FREQUENT AND ONGOING BASIS to help you achieve your goals.  Selecting a good (or excellent) personal trainer is like picking a good (or excellent) plumber, mechanic, lawyer, or surgeon:  A piece of paper, or a fancy advertisement means NOTHING of their competence as a professional.  Do your homework, interview them, check their references, their credentials and scope of practice, and professional liability insurance.  Once you've chosen one, you will form a relationship that will help you adhere to a programme over a long term.

Diet:  C'mon dieting doesn't work! You need to change your relationship with food and your approach to eating.  Check out the Gaining and Losing Weight section of this blog.

Take the stairs:  Challenging yourself to take the stairs, walk to the store, and do calisthenics during commercial breaks, will help increase your daily activity levels.  They probably are not intense (or long or frequent) enough to count as exercise, so don't expect to see major changes in your body or continued improvements beyond the first couple months even if you do stick with it.