Archive for the ‘General fitness’ Category

4
December

Motivational Techniques for exercise

Even as a Saint Louis Personal Trainer, we all are continually searching for motivations that keep us interested in exercising.  In fact, much of the time, exercise can become stale.  By mixing it up and constantly searching for new and exciting modes of exercise, we might be able to have a varied program that can last for life. Here is a list of tips to use to stay on track and maintain your motivation at a high level!

1. Educate yourself on the unnumberable physical benefits of exercise- lowered heart rate, improved blood pressure, less disease risk, healthier body weight, etc, etc, etc.  This will force you to always remind yourself of the end result and the limitless benefits of regular, persistent exercise.

2. Create a tailored list of your personal goals that come from a regular exercise program- improved self image, being active with children/grandchildren, improve ability at a sport, etc.  Keep this list in a place where you are forced to see it daily.  

3. Exercise with a friend or group- The camaraderie and support are just what some need to hold themselves accountable to a program~The accountability level is much higher when you have a person or group to meet and support you}. The collective strength of the duo or group will challenge you beyond your normal limits!

4. Track your progress- A qualified Personal Trainer in Saint Louis can assess and monitor your progress as you reach certain milestones.  Re-evaluation is recommended every 3 to 4 months.  A proper assessment provides the critical data needed to assess weaknesses and includes body fat, strength and endurance testing, flexibility, and agility.

5. Set very specific athletic goals- run a 10K, compete in a volleyball tournament, etc.  By setting a specific outcome and task, you are held more accountable to achieve the desired result.

6. Reward yourself- Add additional accountability by choosing something to reward your dedication and hard work.

** BONUS TECHNIQUE**  You could always enlist the assistance, guidance, and motivation of a personal trainer from a reputable facility.  Just a thought!

3
December

5 Big Bench Press Tips

In this article are some useful tips to get your bench press more efficient. The flat bench press is the best overall chest exercise that you can do for overall strength and also mass gain. With these simple tips you will be able to get more from this awesome exercise. I use the flat bench press in all of my full body workouts.

1 : Use your feet – Be sure that when you are about to start the lift that your feet are flat on the floor. Plant them firmly during the lift, and try to drive them into the ground. This will help you to drive the weight, it will also help to stabilize your body. Your entire body must be stable, and this will help.

2: Pick a thicker bar – Using a thicker bar will allow you to lift more weight. This way when you go back to using a standard oplympic bar you will be able to lift more weight. You might have trouble finding one at a health club, but if you are a member of a real gym, then you should not have a problem.

3: Warm up – It is important when weight training to make sure that you warm up with 3 to 4 light sets of 12 easy reps. This is important  not only to the safety of your shoulders and your pecs, but also to the amount of weight that you will be able to lift. After I have performed 4 warm up sets, and then I go into my heavy sets, I always lift more weight.

The flat bench press is my all time favorite chest exercise, and I am always looking for ways that I can make it more effective. These are some of the methods that I have found that have really helped me meet my fitness goals.

3
December

Exercises With Resistance Bands

Do you want to workout at home and still get the best results ? Are you wary of purchasing too much equipment for working out? Do you want to continue exercising even when you are out of home ? If your answers to these queiries are affirmative, you might consider training with resistance bands. This is not only a hassle free exercise method , it is portable and simple to handle at the same time.

There is an range of exercises that you can do with the help of resistance bands. Besides training for specific muscles resistance bands can also be used for the purpose of overall muscle development. If you are a budding jock, training with resistance bands can give you the necessary strength and stamina apart from fortifying your muscles. Additionally, exercises with resistance bands can help improve your cardiovascular system as well.

Since resistance bands are so useful in fitness training it is included in most all training routines. There are no stringent directions as to how much these can be used. Depending on your requirements you can use it as and when you think necessary. It is best to confer with with your fitness trainer who will be the most qualified person to tell you how to make good use of the resistance bands. Following are demonstrations of a few exercises that can be done with the assistance of these:

One-Arm Chest Fly: Here you need to attach the band to a heavy object so that it’s at the height of your shoulders. You can do this either while sitting or standing. Hold the band tightly and if necessary make a loop with it to heighten the tension. Now try and bring your arm towards the middle of your chest. Repeat this exercise as much as you think is requisite, or as directed by your trainer.

One-Arm Rear Flies: To start with this exercise, hold one side of the band with your right hand and the other with your left. bring up the latter up to the degree a of your shoulders. You can modulate the position of your hands to get the maximum tension on the bands.

Lat Pulls: Put your hands over your head while holding the resistance band in the middle. Try and generate the maximum tension on the band. Then bring your elbows closer to your ribs. Repeat the movement as required.

Alternating Chest Press: Here you need to attach the band to a stable object at your chest level but behind you. Keep your forearms parallel to the floor and your  elbows at right angles. Then keep your left arm maintained at this position and bring your right arm forward and vice versa. It’s good if you do 16 reps each side.

Overhead Press: Stand on the middle of the band and hold the two sides with your hands. Alternatively you can also set  a ball in the middle of the band. Start with your hands in a ‘goal post’ position and then move them in an up and down motion. Throughout the exercise you need to keep your abs in and maintain a straight posture.

Resistance bands can be very useful if you know how to make the fullest use of these. Consult your personal trainer who can guide you through the process!

For more details on these kinds of workouts check out this Boston personal trainer and his site.  If you’re looking for a trainer in another area here is an excellent fitness directory for you as well.

2
December

Body Building Tips and Tricks

Body builders are often the subject of incredible stereotypes. That stereotype promotes an image of people with balloon sized muscles who slather themselves with oil and show off their abilities to lift hundreds of pounds at a time. Unfortunately the stereotype is not entirely off base. There are some people who do live that kind of lifestyle. A professional body builder, for example, is usually given money and endorsements for the effort he puts into building his muscles up to outrageous sizes. Of course, that is not the only reason to take up body building. The most important reason to try your hand at body building is to get healthy. Body building is a wonderful way to exercise. If you are just starting to body build, here is the correct mindset for the sport. And don’t loose sight of your six pack abdominals.

Choose a good gym. Not all gyms have the type of equipment you need to use when you want to do some body building. Look at a bunch of gyms before you make a final decision about which gym to use. You want to use a gym that is used regularly by body builders.

You also want to find a gym that is well lit and incredibly clean. Your gym should have equipment that is well maintained and always in working order. The gym you choose should have a good vibe about it. If you don’t like to work out there you won’t be able to fully take advantage of your new membership. This could cause your body building efforts to wane.

Every body builder will face days when their bodies work better than they do on other days. Get prepared for this situation. This is why it is good to keep some variety in your workout: so that you will be prepared to allow your body an “easy” day to relax and heal itself when it isn’t able to work as hard as it usually does. Don’t freak out if sometimes your body doesn’t perform as well as you like. Allow your body some time to rest, something it probably needs, and then go back to your regular intensity another day. Allowing yourself to worry and stress over this is what will cause you accidental injuries which could make the situation worse than it is now. And when working out with a bodybuilding goal to get six pack abs, this also is very important.

Always do a total body warm up before you start any exercise routine. Stretch all of your muscles before you begin lifting or doing other types of exercise. It is harder to tear or injure your muscles if you warm them up before your workout. “Cold” muscles are also much harder to work than muscles that have been warmed up properly. Cold muscles resist the effort that goes into working out. Warm muscles are loose and better able to take the strain of exercise. You don’t need to do a particularly long warm up, but you need to make sure that you stretch all of your muscles out. Body building is a great way to get your body into amazing shape. For most new body builders, getting healthy is the ultimate goal. It is only after a while that they shift their focus away from building health to building “prettiness”. It is important that you take care to approach body building the right way. Don’t forget that your first priority is to stay healthy. You don’t need to take risks or play games. Don’t push yourself too hard or to fast. You will achieve your goals. You just need to have some patience and put in some work to get there.

2
December

How To Use Yoga To Tone Your Abs In 3 Easy Steps

Perhaps you are considering how to use yoga to reduce your belly. There are helpful products and services available regarding how to get rid of your belly. There is a lot of beneficial info you might access if you wanted to. Whatever your goals or interest, this article will teach you how -  Keep reading to learn to use Yoga for abdominal strengthening in 3 easy steps.

The initial step is Practice Sun Salutations – Combining poses that function as warm-up-regimen for the Yoga session or class.. You actually need to get this because after performing several reps on a daily basis, you are bound to notice a marked loss of weight in you abdominal area and the added bonus of muscular tone. But you must avoid an overstretching of the muscles.

Complete this step promptly, correctly and completely. This is really important. It it is not done correctly, for whatever reason, then you will not achieve your desired goal.

Your second step is The Bow Pose: This simple pose involves laying flat on your belly and grabbing your ankles with both arms while simultaneously lifting your head up high. What you should avoid here are not performing the Bow Pose correctly. When performed correctly, you should be resting on your abdomen. And you also will want to avoid resting on your abdomen should you be female and pregnant or as part of your menstrual period. Some poses might not be a good idea to execute.

The 3rd step is The Peacock Pose: That is slightly more challenging. The objective is always to balance your abdomen on your conjoined elbows while simultaneously raising your legs and head off the floor. This is important because merely attempting it increases abdominal fat loss and detoxification on the visceral organs plus the preparatory stage could suffice since the actual execution with the pose till the mastery is achieved. What is important to avoid is something that is uncomfortable or overextending.

Stick to the exact steps outlined above and you ought to have minimum difficulties with using yoga to shed your abdomen rapidly and effectively, without difficulty. Just do the things you need to, for the reasons given and steer clear of the problems and traps explained. Then enjoy the fruits and advantages of having the sculpted abdomen you desire that you will have earned by your time and energy.

Learn methods to use abdominal trainers at our Abdominal Trainer  web site.

1
December

What Are Some Exercises I Can Do To Help Back Pain?

When it comes to exercises for back pain. there are only two groups in which the exercises drop into. The fist of these groups are exercises to help strengthen the back, and the other is exercises for a particular type of back pain. However, we are convinced there are advantages for general exercises that aid in strengthening the back, it is not certain that one can benefit from exercises targeting a certain variety of back pain. And while exercise in moderation is highly desirable, some forms, if care and attention is not taken, can do more damage than good.

It is beneficial to your general health to keep a certain level of fitness through exercise, and it is essential to not to  exclude a number of exercises because of back pain. The most beneficial exercises to help you manage this basic level of fitness is cardiovascular exercises, which help to build a solid hear and lungs. There is no need to try to become an Olympic athlete; even moderate levels of exercise and activity will not only help your general health, including your back, but also help to keep on top of weight – an ever rising problem for many people. The main instrumental factor in obesity, hypertension, diabetes and heart attacks is a non-active life style. Some regular exercise can do wonders for lower back pain. Any exercise will do for starters. Building your core (stomach and back) muscles is your ultimate goal.

When it comes to the health and fitness of the back, weight-bearing exercises can help to protect against osteoporosis, but not all exercises are as effective. In other words the exercise should put pressure on the bone that is to be taken care of. For instance, we know that running and jumping pouts pressure on the hips, and this aids in preventing hip fractures, but the role of exercise in preventing vertebral fractures is less apparent.

Exercise is also helpful when it comes to preserving the well being of the disks in the back. The most helpful exercise for the disks is to gently take your spine and particularly the neck through their full-range of movement.

Exercise also has beneficial psychological benefits. Exercise has been medically proven to efficiently alter feelings and combat depression. This is great news for those individuals whose back pain is, in part, due to a depressive episode.

We know that exercising in general will help improve your back, but specific back pain exercises can help target problem or painful areas.

Exercise Through Your Whole Life

The advantages of exercise apply regardless of age; even people in their later years can respond to exercise programs and boost their strength, and exercises for this age group have been shown to minimize the incidence of falls. But, it is only reasonable to take your general state of health and fitness, or unfitness, into account; it would be unwise to dash off into vigorous exercise without preparation. You should also consult your doctor before taking up vigorous exercises if you are over the age of 40, suffer from any heart or lung disease or if you are obese. Walking, on the other hand, is suitable for almost everyone. Regular exercise is going to help the majority of sufferers find some back pain relief. The trick is to keep it regular to experience the long term benefits.

When considering your exercise routine, you should make certain it causes minimal disruption to you lifestyle, and it should be somewhat enjoyable. This is to guarantee you keep up your good work. Bear in mind, once you give up exercising your fitness will decline extremely fast. The finest types of exercise are those that entail repeated movement of big muscle groups (those in the back and legs). Swimming, walking, jogging, cycling and dancing are among the many exercises that incorporate these types of repeated movement.
   

1
December

Muscle Building – Become the Muscle Man You Always Dreamed Of!

Building muscles is much easier to do when you are armed with the correct knowledge. Building muscles is every man’s dream, whether it’s for looking good or for strengthening the body. Building muscles is not an effortless task. The best way to keep Father Time or Mother Nature from stealing your skeletal muscles is to work out regularly. Without routinely strength-promoting exercise, the average adult loses about one-half pound of muscle every year after the age of 25, at the same time gaining fat weight. The tricky part about building muscles is that you have to eat in excess when bulking up and then cut back your food intake when trimming the extra unwanted fat and sustaining a sculpted look. The key to building muscles is a good excercise program and well balanced diet. Bodybuilding is a science and building muscles is not an experimental process.

Weight

Weight lifting is much more effective for fat loss than aerobics or dieting alone. Weight training with high repetitions of relatively light weights will stimulate and develop muscle fibers. Weight training with heavy weights will develop these muscle fibers and potentially produce significant gains in muscle mass (think of the huge legs you see on world-class sprinters). Weight workouts should ideally be on the heavier side if building muscles is the goal. Weight training for muscle mass also depends on the frequency of the weight training exercises.

Training

Following are a couple of weight lifting tips that I’ve found to be exceptionally effective in building muscles and adding strength as quickly as possible. Most people, when they begin a rep and get trapped near the bottom, they drop the weight against the safety pins or have their spotter help rack it. Instead, they should prolong pushing against that steady weight for a good twenty seconds. While some people can build muscle mass on almost any training routine or diet, most of us can’t. If you get the other components of your training program put together correctly and then add hard work and dedication, you’ll be absolutely amazed at the progress you can make. In order to design an effective weight training program it’s imperative to understand the nitty-gritty of weight lifting. Stressing the muscles, resting, then increasing the stress level placed on the muscles and the repetition of this process (progressive overload) is the basic philosophy behind weight training designed for building muscles. The beauty of only training with weights every few days is that the days in between full-body workouts can be used to add a few cardio sessions instead of relying on ineffective cardio added on at the end of a workout.

Bodybuilding Basics

A Body builder’s aim is to enhance their muscles to their fullest capability, or at least to the point with which the body builder believes is enough, depending on whether they are training for fitness, general exercise or in pursuit of a sport. There is a need to push that exercise and training in order for the body to grow and to be able to cope with the muscles that will develop as the body builder gains muscles and weight. In weight training specifically, the person needs to continually push themselves in order for the muscles to build. There are many training programs that assure huge muscles in about three weeks. Adding more reps and sets to your regular training program is essential for this to occur. For those individuals who want to increase their muscle size, they’ve got to shock their muscles by introducing drastic variations in their exercise routines, focusing on individual muscle groups and training by introducing multiple sets in their regular routine.

The kernel of truth here is this: Learning about building muscles is a very simple subject. It turns out, building muscles is a lot easier once you begin a muscle building diet and start taking muscle building supplements. Don’t forget that the key to building muscles is to have a proper nutrition plan or else you won’t make motivating gains. Regardless of what the actual percentages are, the point is that building muscles is next to impossible without a good nutrition plan.

For more information on building muscles and becoming a muscle man, please visit my site at: http://www.squidoo.com/massivemuscleman

30
November

The Proper Way For Goal Planning

When it comes to goal planning people set their goals differently,  goal setting can depend on their current situation, resources, physical capacity and several other factors that play a role with a set goal. You can, however, follow some guidelines to make sure that your goals are credible and possible . Too many individuals set their goals too high unknowingly, only to lose and get disappointed for life. Here are some tips for you.

Being Specific

So that you know which part of the process you’re currently in and the particular ways on how you will achieve it your golas need to be specific. Most people have goals to get rich, improve relationships, get promoted and the like, but these are very vague and your mind can become confused about what you truly mean. You always leave room for mistakes and compromise when you use general descriptions as they usually do not have boundaries. If you want results that you can be proud of, be specific.

To be specific, you need to include the full details. Write down something like, “I want to get $1 million by October of this year.” or “I need to become key supervisor of the sales division by next week.” or “I want my kids, Taylor and Chad, to become best friends beginning tomorrow.” Includethe position,the amount, the date, the names, and everything else needed to condition your mind to start working towards that set goal.

Being Measurable

Goals need to be measurable so that you can gauge how well you have done lately. To help measure your paths and goals , you should include measurable details. For your job, you can include details such as the number of hours you’re working, the amount you’re earning, the staff you’re handling, etc. For the goal of money, you can include details such as the amount you want to have as a whole, the number of companies or businesses you own, your contact person, etc. Always have things and items to be measured so you can understand how close you are to getting your goals. If your goal is to earn $100,000 a month, then you know you’re halfway there if you’re already earning fifty thousand a month.

Being Attainable and Realistic

Only set goals that can possibly be achieved. Some people set goals that are to unrealistic to reach, that they are nearly setting up things that are impossible. Make sure you only set objectives that you can reach inside a given amount of time, provided the current resources and capabilities you have. Some examples of impossible goals are doubling your salary overnight, getting a promotion higher than your boss’s position, etc. Some goals can be achieved faster compared to others if you have some strengths and paths to back these up. Always include strategic goal planning for big objectives.

Time-Bound

Set deadlines to achieve your goals or else you’re never going to finish anything. Stay specific when setting timelines and schedules.  For example, indicate things like “To spend an hour with my wife everyday starting tomorrow (indicate the exact date and year)”. Setting the exact date and time will spur you to start your goal planning, instead of putting it off for another available time. Some goals can take years to accomplish so it is wiser to break these down into smaller objectives, complete with deadlines. You cancomplete everything in order to finally reach your largest goal.

30
November

Exercise for Good Health

Ok so I have been feeling really fatigued lately.  In addition, I have also noticed that I am putting on extra weight because my clothes are no longer fitting me properly.  I came to a conclusion that I should start working out and eating a well rounded nutritious diet. Therefore,  I started researching about aerobic exercises and how they could benefit my health.  After doing some extensive research, I went ahead and signed up for a local boot-camp in my hometown.  The first day of boot-camp was not easy at all for me.  My  trainer   put me  through a simple fitness test of some cardio and bodyweight exercises and I was completely worn out .  All it took was the first exercise for me to realize that I was in bad shape.  I was really sore the next day from all the different exercises.  Even though I was sore and in some minor pain I felt really good about myself.  My mood had a definite uplifting and I had more energy throughout the day.  I continue to attend the boot-camp classes  multiple times a week  because I have been noticing a significant difference in my body, health and energy.  Aerobic exercise is very good to our bodies.  Just doing 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 3-4 days a week can prevent cancer, osteoporosis, depression, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.  Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States and could easily be prevented through exercise and diet change.  By going to these boot-camps and changing my diet I figured out that lack of exercise and poor diet was the reason for my fatigue and weight gain.   Due to my new   exercise routine and healthy diet I am no longer fatigued during the day and my weight is dropping down weekly from the exercise and diet change.  I encourage everyone that is not active and feeling a sense of fatigue or even putting on unwanted weight to join some kind of exercise class.  If an exercise class is not possible, then create an exercise routine for yourself that is safe, fun and effective.  However, I suggest before any exercise routine you contact a medical physician and personal trainer.

If you want to learn more about exercise and proper nutrition check out Innovative Fitness

 

29
November

Jersey Shore Abs Workout – Develop The Chiseled Six-Pack You Really Want

A lot of fitness equipment companies make what they consider to be established Jersey Shore abs workout equipment. You can purchase these big, very complicated apparatus with the promise that when used regularly they will produce a remarkable six-pack belly!

Due to the fact that a number of these products concentrate solely on weight training and crunch type workouts, their users won’t see any noticeable end results for a number of months, if ever!

The top abdominal machines are kinds that enhance cardiovascular stamina as well as a total body workout. When looking to achieve a defined and toned abdomen, you will need to first rid yourself of the current layer of abdominal fat. By selecting a device that actually works your whole body you are far more likely to burn up fat and slim your midsection.

Listed here are the two most effective Jersey Shore abs workout machines:

The Elliptical Exercise Machine: The elliptical is a common exercise equipment staple. Simply by not focusing on any one specific muscle group, the elliptical makes for a more thorough and total body workout routine. The action created by the elliptical exerciser demands strength from both the legs and arms but also from the core muscle groups. Given that your body is in a constant state of balance and rhythm, your abs are sure to work very hard!

The Pilates Reformer: Though Pilates are not typically viewed as an abdominal workout, the reality is it is probably the best ways to achieve core strength. The key premise of Pilates training is to strengthen and lengthen the spinal column. By using a Pilate’s reformer as an abdominal machine anybody can get the defined six pack of their dreams!

The workout routines performed while working with a reformer are generally focused entirely on the strength and overall flexibility of the transverse abs and oblique’s, which makes it one of the most outstanding abdominal machines!

Begin using these abdominal machines for your Jersey Shore abs workout to develop those chiseled six-pack abs that you have always dreamed about.