Pamela Lessard is a personal trainer, obstacle race athlete, group exercise instructor and one fit mama to her daughter, Haley. I mean, look at those shoulders! She's a trainer at Washington Sports Club in Arlington, Virginia and teaches kettlebells, obstacle race conditioning, bootcamp and UXF Circuit training. Staying fit in both mind and body is her philosophy and I'm SO excited to share with you how she does it in my first ElleBeing interview! You can find out more about Pamela's personal training here.
ELLEBEING: Pamela, you are in such awesome shape! Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get into fitness and personal training?
PAMELA: I left my job as a director of communications after realizing how unhappy I was in that job. I didn't want another stressful desk job so I decided to follow my passion...fitness. I've always been an athlete and wanted to share my knowledge and passion. Also, it's very hard to have a full time job and be a mom if you truly want to have a solid connection with your child. But studying to be a personal trainer and passing the exam is no joke. This has been my most rewarding job ever.
ELLEBEING: How often do you recommend to your clients to work out?
PAMELA: I think people should move their bodies every day. That doesn't mean do a hard core workout every day, though. Some days are just meant for walking or taking the stairs. But a solid workout that incorporates weights and gets your heart rate up is necessary at least three days a week.
ELLEBEING: Good to know -- three days is manageable! What are the best exercises to burn fat and tone up?
PAMELA: People make the mistake of only running or getting on an elliptical. Weights burn more calories and build lean muscle mass.
ELLEBEING: I am guilty of this mistake. I am always trying to remember to incorporate more weights! How heavy should the weights be without bulking up?
PAMELA: It's hard for a woman to bulk up unless she's taking a lot of supplements AND lifting very heavy. I encourage my female clients to try to use heavier weights than they are used to. You're not going to get a lot of definition with 5 pound weights. If women use 10, 12, 15 and even 20 pound weights, they'll notice some subtle definition and nice curves.
ELLEBEING: What sort of diet do you follow or recommend?
PAMELA: I've never dieted in my life, but I've always eaten clean and healthy. I'm a big proponent of the Mediterranean diet. Think lots of whole foods, fruits and vegetables, complex carbs, and lean protein like fish, chicken and turkey.
ELLEBEING: What's your favorite pre and post workout snack?
PAMELA: It depends on what time of the day I workout. Before a race I need something gentle like oatmeal and fruit. After working out, a good mix of carbs and protein is key. I like plant based protein powders.
ELLEBEING: Me too! I love PlantFusion and usually buy it on Amazon to get it cheaper than Whole Foods. I am going to share a smoothie bowl with this stuff ASAP. Okay, what's your favorite splurge?!
PAMELA: Wine :)
ELLEBEING: Me too. With dark chocolate of course. Cheers! Thanks for the interview, Pamela!
ELLEBEING: Pamela, you are in such awesome shape! Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get into fitness and personal training?
PAMELA: I left my job as a director of communications after realizing how unhappy I was in that job. I didn't want another stressful desk job so I decided to follow my passion...fitness. I've always been an athlete and wanted to share my knowledge and passion. Also, it's very hard to have a full time job and be a mom if you truly want to have a solid connection with your child. But studying to be a personal trainer and passing the exam is no joke. This has been my most rewarding job ever.
ELLEBEING: How often do you recommend to your clients to work out?
PAMELA: I think people should move their bodies every day. That doesn't mean do a hard core workout every day, though. Some days are just meant for walking or taking the stairs. But a solid workout that incorporates weights and gets your heart rate up is necessary at least three days a week.
ELLEBEING: Good to know -- three days is manageable! What are the best exercises to burn fat and tone up?
PAMELA: People make the mistake of only running or getting on an elliptical. Weights burn more calories and build lean muscle mass.
ELLEBEING: I am guilty of this mistake. I am always trying to remember to incorporate more weights! How heavy should the weights be without bulking up?
PAMELA: It's hard for a woman to bulk up unless she's taking a lot of supplements AND lifting very heavy. I encourage my female clients to try to use heavier weights than they are used to. You're not going to get a lot of definition with 5 pound weights. If women use 10, 12, 15 and even 20 pound weights, they'll notice some subtle definition and nice curves.
ELLEBEING: What sort of diet do you follow or recommend?
PAMELA: I've never dieted in my life, but I've always eaten clean and healthy. I'm a big proponent of the Mediterranean diet. Think lots of whole foods, fruits and vegetables, complex carbs, and lean protein like fish, chicken and turkey.
ELLEBEING: What's your favorite pre and post workout snack?
PAMELA: It depends on what time of the day I workout. Before a race I need something gentle like oatmeal and fruit. After working out, a good mix of carbs and protein is key. I like plant based protein powders.
ELLEBEING: Me too! I love PlantFusion and usually buy it on Amazon to get it cheaper than Whole Foods. I am going to share a smoothie bowl with this stuff ASAP. Okay, what's your favorite splurge?!
PAMELA: Wine :)
ELLEBEING: Me too. With dark chocolate of course. Cheers! Thanks for the interview, Pamela!
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