If you, like me, are over 40 you probably have a lot of outdated misconceptions about the best way to drop body fat and get fit. I know how much I've changed my recommendations over the past 10 years so I'm sure that most people who aren't in the fitness field are still following information they read/heard/learned years ago.
If you want to lose fat and get in shape and are willing to open your mind to newer training methods, check out this article from Craig Ballantyne...
Fat Burning Over Forty
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Summer Discounts
STUDENT FITNESS SPECIALS
If you are a student or know one who is looking to stay fit over the summer, call Mickey at (717) 509-7777.
If you're a guy or gal who wants to challenge yourself and get fast results, you can join the No Pink Dumbbells Bootcamp for just $128* for 4 weeks of fat blasting workouts. That's a savings of $60 over the regular price!
If you're a women looking for an all-female gym, you can sign up for the Body & Soul Fitness 3-month summer student membership for just $99*. No enrollment fee.
* Student membership card must be presented at enrollment.
NUTRITION / SUPPLEMENT SPECIAL
I'm not a pusher of supplements. I think many of them are unnecessary (with a healthy diet) and, unfortunately, much of the time the quality leaves a lot to be desired.
I do promote the use of fish oil and now, research seems to be finding krill oil even more beneficial than standard fish oil. You can watch a short video about that research at Krill Oil Research.
I wanted to let you know that until Friday, June 26th at 11:59 PM, Prograde Nutrition is having a 10% discount on their EFA Icon product. EFA Icon provides a supercharged combination of antioxidants, omega 3 oils and other powerful nutrients and it contains genuine Neptune Krill Oil.
Prograde was started by fitness pros who were disgusted by the unscrupulous supplement companies and their poor quality products and marketing hype.
Prograde is a GMP "A" rated facility. What does that mean? It means that you are receiving the purest ingredients in the proper concentrations.
The National Nutritional Food Association's (NNFA) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Program is based on third party inspections of member suppliers and comprehensive audits of their GMP programs in multiple areas such as Quality Operations, Production and Process Controls, Personnel, Sanitation, Plant and Grounds, Equipment, Warehouse, Distribution, and Post-Distribution Practices.
If you decide to go with Prograde's auto-ship plan, you'll save $10 a bottle and always get free shipping. You can postpone deliveries when you're traveling and you can cancel at any time.
While you at the Prograde website, if you use nutrition bars for busy days, you should check out ProGrade Cravers. These organic treats are totally different from the other nutrition bars that are either glorified candy bars or taste like cardboard. Since I started selling Cravers, Body & Soul members have raved about how good they are.
To save on the EFA Icon, at checkout, use coupon code: summer2009
Remember, the offer ends Friday, June 26th at 11:59pm EST. and it cannot be combined with other offers from Prograde.
You can check both products out here...
EFA Icon Special
ProGrade Cravers
If you are a student or know one who is looking to stay fit over the summer, call Mickey at (717) 509-7777.
If you're a guy or gal who wants to challenge yourself and get fast results, you can join the No Pink Dumbbells Bootcamp for just $128* for 4 weeks of fat blasting workouts. That's a savings of $60 over the regular price!
If you're a women looking for an all-female gym, you can sign up for the Body & Soul Fitness 3-month summer student membership for just $99*. No enrollment fee.
* Student membership card must be presented at enrollment.
NUTRITION / SUPPLEMENT SPECIAL
I'm not a pusher of supplements. I think many of them are unnecessary (with a healthy diet) and, unfortunately, much of the time the quality leaves a lot to be desired.
I do promote the use of fish oil and now, research seems to be finding krill oil even more beneficial than standard fish oil. You can watch a short video about that research at Krill Oil Research.
I wanted to let you know that until Friday, June 26th at 11:59 PM, Prograde Nutrition is having a 10% discount on their EFA Icon product. EFA Icon provides a supercharged combination of antioxidants, omega 3 oils and other powerful nutrients and it contains genuine Neptune Krill Oil.
Prograde was started by fitness pros who were disgusted by the unscrupulous supplement companies and their poor quality products and marketing hype.
Prograde is a GMP "A" rated facility. What does that mean? It means that you are receiving the purest ingredients in the proper concentrations.
The National Nutritional Food Association's (NNFA) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Program is based on third party inspections of member suppliers and comprehensive audits of their GMP programs in multiple areas such as Quality Operations, Production and Process Controls, Personnel, Sanitation, Plant and Grounds, Equipment, Warehouse, Distribution, and Post-Distribution Practices.
If you decide to go with Prograde's auto-ship plan, you'll save $10 a bottle and always get free shipping. You can postpone deliveries when you're traveling and you can cancel at any time.
While you at the Prograde website, if you use nutrition bars for busy days, you should check out ProGrade Cravers. These organic treats are totally different from the other nutrition bars that are either glorified candy bars or taste like cardboard. Since I started selling Cravers, Body & Soul members have raved about how good they are.
To save on the EFA Icon, at checkout, use coupon code: summer2009
Remember, the offer ends Friday, June 26th at 11:59pm EST. and it cannot be combined with other offers from Prograde.
You can check both products out here...
EFA Icon Special
ProGrade Cravers
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Line Dancing for St. Jude - Sunday, June 28th
Have fun, learn some line dances, and support a good cause.
Sunday, June 28th at 12:00 PM. Everyone is welcome. Pre-registration donation: $10, $13 on event day.
Body & Soul Fitness Studio
618 Columbia Avenue
Lancaster
Plenty of free parking
Call Mickey at (717) 509-7777 to register or for more info.
St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family's inability to pay.
Sunday, June 28th at 12:00 PM. Everyone is welcome. Pre-registration donation: $10, $13 on event day.
Body & Soul Fitness Studio
618 Columbia Avenue
Lancaster
Plenty of free parking
Call Mickey at (717) 509-7777 to register or for more info.
St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family's inability to pay.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Are You Being Duped By Food Corporations?
Got this great nutrition tip last week in an e-mail from Mike Geary.
Today's Quick Tip:
A common theme I've noticed lately with people that think they are eating healthy is that they're still eating too much processed foods, but being duped by clever food labels into believing that the processed food they are eating is somehow "healthy".
So let's take a step back and re-visit the MOST important thing you can do to eat truly healthy and lose as much body fat as you want, easily...
And that is...
**Choose only foods at the grocery store that have 1 ingredient!
So this means that eggs, fruits, vegetables, meats (from healthy animals raised correctly), nuts, seeds, and other 1-ingredient foods should comprise almost your entire diet (except for cheat meals if you go that route).
Obviously there are exceptions to this, and there are foods you can buy with more than 1 ingredient that I can still give the thumbs up to (guacamole and hummus being a couple quick examples that come to mind)...
But the point is that if you can revisit this very simple method of choosing healthy foods, it can be a huge shift for most people that have been struggling to choose healthy foods because they are constantly deceived by food labels that claim to be healthy but are really processed junk in disguise.
This may be difficult for many people that are so addicted to processed foods... but give it a try for a week. The next time you do a week's worth of grocery shopping, try to make sure that everything in your cart are only 1-ingredient foods.
I'm willing to bet you'll see a better body after that 1 week!
Feel free to fwd this email on to any friends or family that will enjoy it.
Til next newsletter,
Don't be lazy... be lean.
Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Founder - TruthAboutAbs
Today's Quick Tip:
A common theme I've noticed lately with people that think they are eating healthy is that they're still eating too much processed foods, but being duped by clever food labels into believing that the processed food they are eating is somehow "healthy".
So let's take a step back and re-visit the MOST important thing you can do to eat truly healthy and lose as much body fat as you want, easily...
And that is...
**Choose only foods at the grocery store that have 1 ingredient!
So this means that eggs, fruits, vegetables, meats (from healthy animals raised correctly), nuts, seeds, and other 1-ingredient foods should comprise almost your entire diet (except for cheat meals if you go that route).
Obviously there are exceptions to this, and there are foods you can buy with more than 1 ingredient that I can still give the thumbs up to (guacamole and hummus being a couple quick examples that come to mind)...
But the point is that if you can revisit this very simple method of choosing healthy foods, it can be a huge shift for most people that have been struggling to choose healthy foods because they are constantly deceived by food labels that claim to be healthy but are really processed junk in disguise.
This may be difficult for many people that are so addicted to processed foods... but give it a try for a week. The next time you do a week's worth of grocery shopping, try to make sure that everything in your cart are only 1-ingredient foods.
I'm willing to bet you'll see a better body after that 1 week!
Feel free to fwd this email on to any friends or family that will enjoy it.
Til next newsletter,
Don't be lazy... be lean.
Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Founder - TruthAboutAbs
Sunday, June 21, 2009
3 Fitness Tips For Busy Dads
Here are 3 tips to help dads get healthier...
1. Forget about how you worked out in the past. You're not on the H.S. football team anymore. You're not a professional bodybuilder- steroid infused or not.
You're a busy dad. You've probably got at least a few pounds to lose and you don't have hours to waste at the gym. Forget "chest day" or "leg day" (if you even worked your legs :-) ). Train your entire body 2-3 times a week. Forget the isolation work. Concentrate on compound exercises - Presses, Deadlifts, Pushups, Squats, Rows, Lunges, etc.
2. Clean up your diet. You're not a teenager with a metabolism that allows you to eat and drink all kinds of garbage and never gain unwanted flab.
Good nutrition does not have to be complicated. Eat as much fresh, unprocessed food as possible. Focus on fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Keep your carb intake lower (especially refined carbs - candy, pretzels, baked goods, white bread and rice, pasta, snack foods, etc.). Ditch the liquid calories including booze, soda and fruit juice.
3. Turn off the TV and computer and spend that time with your family. Be a role model for an active lifestyle. Your kids look up to you. I'm sure you don't want them to end up as overweight, unfit, coach potatoes. Go for a bike ride, play some ball, go hiking. There may be some whining at first (probably from you :-) ) but your family will become closer and you'll all benefit physically.
Don't hesitate to get professional advice on your workouts. In the end, getting a properly designed program and making sure your technique is solid will save you time and aggravation and get you better results. Why waste time wading through all the online B.S. trying to figure out what type of workout will work best for you?
You don't need to spend hours exercising to lose weight and get fit; you just need to know how to optimize your workouts. If you're in the Lancaster PA area, call me at (717) 509-7777. I work with both men and women, including busy business owners and husbands of Body & Soul members. If you prefer a group atmosphere, my co-ed "No Pink Dumbbells" bootcamp is for you.
If you're not in Lancaster I highly recommend Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training. Craig specializes in challenging total body workouts that will help you get strong and lean in 45 minutes (or less) 3 times a week. Check it out here ==> www.TurbulenceTraining.com.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Workout for St. Jude 6-21-09
If you live in the Lancaster, PA area, here's your chance to have some fun, get a great workout and support a worthy cause.
WORKOUT FOR ST. JUDE
Sunday, June 21st at 10:00 A.M.
Body & Soul Fitness Studio
618 Columbia Avenue, Lancaster
(717) 509-7777
Plenty of free parking.
Join me at Body & Soul for another fun and challenging group workout session to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Please spread the word among your friends, family and co-workers. The pre-registration donation is $10 per person ($13 on event day).
The workout will last approximately 60 minutes, including warmup and cooldown. Anyone 12 and older is welcome to participate.
These workouts have received rave reviews from past participants.
If the kids in your life are healthy, show your gratitude by helping those who are not.
Hope to see you there!
Mickey Glick
Certified Personal Trainer
Owner, Body & Soul Fitness Studio
100% of the proceeds benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family's inability to pay.
.
WORKOUT FOR ST. JUDE
Sunday, June 21st at 10:00 A.M.
Body & Soul Fitness Studio
618 Columbia Avenue, Lancaster
(717) 509-7777
Plenty of free parking.
Join me at Body & Soul for another fun and challenging group workout session to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Please spread the word among your friends, family and co-workers. The pre-registration donation is $10 per person ($13 on event day).
The workout will last approximately 60 minutes, including warmup and cooldown. Anyone 12 and older is welcome to participate.
These workouts have received rave reviews from past participants.
If the kids in your life are healthy, show your gratitude by helping those who are not.
Hope to see you there!
Mickey Glick
Certified Personal Trainer
Owner, Body & Soul Fitness Studio
100% of the proceeds benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family's inability to pay.
.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
I Do Believe, I Do Believe
Recently one of my Body & Soul members "confessed" that she had been adding some exercises at the end of her routine. She'd been doing some Bicep Curls and Tricep Pushdowns because she liked the way they felt, even though she knew I didn't "believe in" doing exercises like that.
Obviously, my stance on the superiority of compound exercises has been misunderstood by some.
It's not that I'm opposed to Bicep Curls or Tricep Pushdowns. (Tricep Kickbacks? Now, that's another story.) Here's what I think...
Most of my members and personal training clients are limited on time and have a primary goal of fat loss. In that case, exercises like Pullups, Rows and Pulldowns are preferable because they work your back and your biceps at the same time and burn more calories. The same is true for triceps; Pushups and Presses work multiple muscles and challenge your body more than isolation work.
Am I saying that no one should ever do isolation exercises? No. In fact, I did some Bicep Curls the other day.
If you have some extra time and you enjoy it, there's no reason not to add some direct bicep and tricep work that day. Or, if your body is pretty much how you want it, go ahead and include some Curls and Pushdowns. And, obviously, if you're a bodybuilder you'll want to perform isolation work.
I still think the main part of your workout should consist of compound exercises; they're more functional - more similar to the way our bodies work in real life. Compound exercises are also more challenging and our muscles and bones need that.
That doesn't mean I "don't believe" in ever performing isolation exercises.
Obviously, my stance on the superiority of compound exercises has been misunderstood by some.
It's not that I'm opposed to Bicep Curls or Tricep Pushdowns. (Tricep Kickbacks? Now, that's another story.) Here's what I think...
Most of my members and personal training clients are limited on time and have a primary goal of fat loss. In that case, exercises like Pullups, Rows and Pulldowns are preferable because they work your back and your biceps at the same time and burn more calories. The same is true for triceps; Pushups and Presses work multiple muscles and challenge your body more than isolation work.
Am I saying that no one should ever do isolation exercises? No. In fact, I did some Bicep Curls the other day.
If you have some extra time and you enjoy it, there's no reason not to add some direct bicep and tricep work that day. Or, if your body is pretty much how you want it, go ahead and include some Curls and Pushdowns. And, obviously, if you're a bodybuilder you'll want to perform isolation work.
I still think the main part of your workout should consist of compound exercises; they're more functional - more similar to the way our bodies work in real life. Compound exercises are also more challenging and our muscles and bones need that.
That doesn't mean I "don't believe" in ever performing isolation exercises.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
I May Have Just Learned What "Bulking Up" Means
I just read an extremely eye opening article by Leigh Peele called Defining Bulky, Once and For All.
In her introduction, Leigh states her purpose as, "to finally give a definition of what the average population believes to be bulky." In actuality, that should read "the average female population" because she didn't include men in her poll. Nonetheless, her findings really have me looking at this topic with a fresh eye.
I believe that when most women say that weight training "bulked them up" it's because they incorporated strength training without proper nutrition and ended up adding muscle without stripping away the fat beneath it.
When woman would tell me they didn't want to "bulk up", I had no idea that many of them considered almost any muscle definition to be "bulky". In her article, Leigh has pictures of Angela Bassett as Tina Turner, Hillary Swank, Jessica Biel and Linda Hamilton - all of whom ended up in the "bulky" category.
I can understand people who think these women are more muscular than they themselves would want to be but "bulky"? If most of us had the body fat percentage of the women in those photos, this country would not be in the midst of an obesity epidemic.
Does it really boil down to semantics?
And if Leigh's poll and corresponding definition is correct, how does that explain the number of women now telling their trainers they want "Michelle Obama's arms?"
Leave a comment and let me know what you consider "bulky."
In her introduction, Leigh states her purpose as, "to finally give a definition of what the average population believes to be bulky." In actuality, that should read "the average female population" because she didn't include men in her poll. Nonetheless, her findings really have me looking at this topic with a fresh eye.
I believe that when most women say that weight training "bulked them up" it's because they incorporated strength training without proper nutrition and ended up adding muscle without stripping away the fat beneath it.
When woman would tell me they didn't want to "bulk up", I had no idea that many of them considered almost any muscle definition to be "bulky". In her article, Leigh has pictures of Angela Bassett as Tina Turner, Hillary Swank, Jessica Biel and Linda Hamilton - all of whom ended up in the "bulky" category.
I can understand people who think these women are more muscular than they themselves would want to be but "bulky"? If most of us had the body fat percentage of the women in those photos, this country would not be in the midst of an obesity epidemic.
Does it really boil down to semantics?
And if Leigh's poll and corresponding definition is correct, how does that explain the number of women now telling their trainers they want "Michelle Obama's arms?"
Leave a comment and let me know what you consider "bulky."
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Collected Fitness Wisdom #7
Genetics are not an excuse. The past is not an excuse. Your present condition is not an excuse. You can either make excuses or get results, but you can't do both.
~Tom Venuto
I am a huge believer in your mind being very closely connected to your body. I believe our bodies listen to everything we say. Every thought, every word, everything and after planting them in our subconscious, our bodies take each of these as a command for what it needs to do. We have about 50,000 thoughts a day. If the majority of these are negative, your body and life will reflect that. If you keep saying- I am fat when you are trying to lose weight, you will not succeed. If you say out loud that you have a big fat ass…guess what…your body thinks it is a command. You must start to visualize where you want to go, what you want to look like and how you want to feel and focus on that.
~Rachel Cosgrove
Diets don't work at all, so I don't recommend those. If you go "on" something, you're guaranteed to go "off" or it at some point. Your daily habits should be enjoyable and support your goals. Don't deny yourself anything. Include your some of your favorite foods and routines so you can look forward to your meals. Keep it flexible and fun. It's mainly a matter of learning balance and portion control. It's not a horrible proposition where you're going to starve and never eat carbs and never go to restaurants.
~Skwigg
Fitness is not a destination, it is a journey. You don’t get to reach your goal, then say “woohoo!” and go back to eating like crap without consequences.
~Joshua Carter
Ladies... stop being afraid of working hard!
Stop thinking you're gonna increase your size because of mass quantities of muscle!
FAT is the culprit to making you bigger - both visibly and measurably. Muscle takes up less space, so it will make you smaller. Stop fighting it.
So, let's step away from the 5 pound dumbbells.
~Kim Ball
.
~Tom Venuto
I am a huge believer in your mind being very closely connected to your body. I believe our bodies listen to everything we say. Every thought, every word, everything and after planting them in our subconscious, our bodies take each of these as a command for what it needs to do. We have about 50,000 thoughts a day. If the majority of these are negative, your body and life will reflect that. If you keep saying- I am fat when you are trying to lose weight, you will not succeed. If you say out loud that you have a big fat ass…guess what…your body thinks it is a command. You must start to visualize where you want to go, what you want to look like and how you want to feel and focus on that.
~Rachel Cosgrove
Diets don't work at all, so I don't recommend those. If you go "on" something, you're guaranteed to go "off" or it at some point. Your daily habits should be enjoyable and support your goals. Don't deny yourself anything. Include your some of your favorite foods and routines so you can look forward to your meals. Keep it flexible and fun. It's mainly a matter of learning balance and portion control. It's not a horrible proposition where you're going to starve and never eat carbs and never go to restaurants.
~Skwigg
Fitness is not a destination, it is a journey. You don’t get to reach your goal, then say “woohoo!” and go back to eating like crap without consequences.
~Joshua Carter
Ladies... stop being afraid of working hard!
Stop thinking you're gonna increase your size because of mass quantities of muscle!
FAT is the culprit to making you bigger - both visibly and measurably. Muscle takes up less space, so it will make you smaller. Stop fighting it.
So, let's step away from the 5 pound dumbbells.
~Kim Ball
.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
See Les Miz Tonight At The Fulton - Really, This Time
I screwed up.
The Les Miz tickets referenced in the post below were not for last night (Friday); they are for tonight (Saturday, June 13th at 8:00 PM). Yesterday morning the member who donated them told me "tonight" (or that's what I heard in my head) and I never even looked at the actual tickets until one of my training clients pointed it out to me.
So, the bidding begins anew. Oh well, at least some of you who were interested but not available can bid now. Just call me Pollyanna. :-)
These are great seats and you also get 2 drink coupons with them. The face value of each is $32 and I'm pretty sure they would be a lot more if they hadn't been purchased in a season ticket package.
I'll try to update the blog with the current high bid but I will be leaving Body & Soul at 12:00 noon. If it's after 12:00 and you want to bid, leave a message at the gym.
Remember, all proceeds benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
The current high bid is $30.
.
The Les Miz tickets referenced in the post below were not for last night (Friday); they are for tonight (Saturday, June 13th at 8:00 PM). Yesterday morning the member who donated them told me "tonight" (or that's what I heard in my head) and I never even looked at the actual tickets until one of my training clients pointed it out to me.
So, the bidding begins anew. Oh well, at least some of you who were interested but not available can bid now. Just call me Pollyanna. :-)
These are great seats and you also get 2 drink coupons with them. The face value of each is $32 and I'm pretty sure they would be a lot more if they hadn't been purchased in a season ticket package.
I'll try to update the blog with the current high bid but I will be leaving Body & Soul at 12:00 noon. If it's after 12:00 and you want to bid, leave a message at the gym.
Remember, all proceeds benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
The current high bid is $30.
.
Friday, June 12, 2009
See Les Miz Tonight At The Fulton
I have received 2 tickets to Les Miserables tonight at the Fulton and am auctioning them off to the highest bidder to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. A Body & Soul member generously donated the tickets and is also throwing in two free refreshment coupons.
According to the member, these are "the best seats in the house" (her and her late husband have been Fulton season ticket holders since the 50's).
How about it? Enjoy great entertainment while helping critically ill kids. It only opened last night and I've heard really good things about the show. The newspaper's review was very positive, too
If you're in the Lancaster area, please spread the word. Highest bid takes them.
As of now, the highest bid I have received is $50.
I will closing bidding at 4:00 PM so that the winner has plenty of time to get ready, pick up the tickets, etc. Post here, e-mail or call me at (717) 509-7777 by 4:00 with your final bid.
Cash only, please.
.
According to the member, these are "the best seats in the house" (her and her late husband have been Fulton season ticket holders since the 50's).
How about it? Enjoy great entertainment while helping critically ill kids. It only opened last night and I've heard really good things about the show. The newspaper's review was very positive, too
If you're in the Lancaster area, please spread the word. Highest bid takes them.
As of now, the highest bid I have received is $50.
I will closing bidding at 4:00 PM so that the winner has plenty of time to get ready, pick up the tickets, etc. Post here, e-mail or call me at (717) 509-7777 by 4:00 with your final bid.
Cash only, please.
.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
7 Tips To Shake Up Your Strength Training - Katherine Hobson
I found this great article via Rachel Cosgrove's blog. Be sure to check out the 8 Strength Training Tips for Women link later in the article, too.
Your Strength Routine: 7 Tips to Shake It Up
April 29, 2009 | Katherine Hobson
If you haven't already done so, check out our 10-week workout routine. Those of you already following our calendar are beginning the strength-training element this week. If you've never done resistance training or a strength routine before, simply learning the exercises is plenty. But once you've mastered the basic moves, you'll need to shake things up in order to progress. Here are seven tips for doing that from Rachel Cosgrove, a personal fitness coach and owner (with her husband) of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, Calif. Her first book, The Fit Chick Body, will be published by Rodale in October.
Accept that you can't just go on autopilot. It would be nice to be able to memorize one strength routine and simply repeat it with the same set of dumbbells, three times a week, for the rest of your life. But the key to getting stronger, says Cosgrove, is to vary and change things on a regular basis.
Keep a program for four to six weeks. "You don't want to change too often, because then your body can't conquer things," says Cosgrove. Take the first week to master the workout. In the second week, add a second set of each exercise. By the third week, maybe add some more weight or add a third set. By the fourth week, add enough weight to make it really challenging. "We usually say to change one variable at a time," says Cosgrove.
Your program doesn't have to be totally new every time. If you can only do a pushup against a wall, try that for four to six weeks. The next time, you can do the move on your knees, and in your next four- to six-week period, try a regular pushup. (But don't be afraid to try new equipment, too—I've recently discovered the medicine ball, and my abs and arms are thanking me for it.)
Play around with reps and weight. The number of reps is the first thing your body gets used to, says Cosgrove. One way to mix it up is to use heavier weight than you're used to, fewer reps (six to eight), and more rest in between sets for a four- to six-week period. During another period you could focus on slightly lighter weights, but with 10 to 15 reps and less rest in between sets.
Don't be afraid to increase the weight. This isn't usually a problem for men, but women tend to be scared to lift more, afraid they're going to get huge. The fact is, most women are probably already hoisting a lot more than 10 pounds at a time during the course of their day (starting with their purse). "Women are lifting 30-pound kids and 20-pound grocery bags. And then they get to the gym and think, 'I don't want to bulk up,' " says Cosgrove. Women simply aren't built to develop massive, shirt-busting muscles; the ones who do are specifically trying to do it (and it's really hard).
[Check out 8 Strength Training Tips for Women.]
Soreness is not a sign of success. A little soreness is to be expected the first time you do a new program, says Cosgrove, but it shouldn't persist. If you're chronically sore, you're probably not recovering correctly.
[Read Aches and Pains: Sizing Up Soreness After Exercising.]
Get help. It's entirely possible to create your own progressive routines, but it can be helpful to have instruction, too. If regular coaching or training is not within your budget, do what a lot of Cosgrove's clients do and schedule a session every four to six weeks to get a new program. Or turn to books or magazines. (I got my own latest workout from Cosgrove, via Women's Health.)
Your Strength Routine: 7 Tips to Shake It Up
April 29, 2009 | Katherine Hobson
If you haven't already done so, check out our 10-week workout routine. Those of you already following our calendar are beginning the strength-training element this week. If you've never done resistance training or a strength routine before, simply learning the exercises is plenty. But once you've mastered the basic moves, you'll need to shake things up in order to progress. Here are seven tips for doing that from Rachel Cosgrove, a personal fitness coach and owner (with her husband) of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, Calif. Her first book, The Fit Chick Body, will be published by Rodale in October.
Accept that you can't just go on autopilot. It would be nice to be able to memorize one strength routine and simply repeat it with the same set of dumbbells, three times a week, for the rest of your life. But the key to getting stronger, says Cosgrove, is to vary and change things on a regular basis.
Keep a program for four to six weeks. "You don't want to change too often, because then your body can't conquer things," says Cosgrove. Take the first week to master the workout. In the second week, add a second set of each exercise. By the third week, maybe add some more weight or add a third set. By the fourth week, add enough weight to make it really challenging. "We usually say to change one variable at a time," says Cosgrove.
Your program doesn't have to be totally new every time. If you can only do a pushup against a wall, try that for four to six weeks. The next time, you can do the move on your knees, and in your next four- to six-week period, try a regular pushup. (But don't be afraid to try new equipment, too—I've recently discovered the medicine ball, and my abs and arms are thanking me for it.)
Play around with reps and weight. The number of reps is the first thing your body gets used to, says Cosgrove. One way to mix it up is to use heavier weight than you're used to, fewer reps (six to eight), and more rest in between sets for a four- to six-week period. During another period you could focus on slightly lighter weights, but with 10 to 15 reps and less rest in between sets.
Don't be afraid to increase the weight. This isn't usually a problem for men, but women tend to be scared to lift more, afraid they're going to get huge. The fact is, most women are probably already hoisting a lot more than 10 pounds at a time during the course of their day (starting with their purse). "Women are lifting 30-pound kids and 20-pound grocery bags. And then they get to the gym and think, 'I don't want to bulk up,' " says Cosgrove. Women simply aren't built to develop massive, shirt-busting muscles; the ones who do are specifically trying to do it (and it's really hard).
[Check out 8 Strength Training Tips for Women.]
Soreness is not a sign of success. A little soreness is to be expected the first time you do a new program, says Cosgrove, but it shouldn't persist. If you're chronically sore, you're probably not recovering correctly.
[Read Aches and Pains: Sizing Up Soreness After Exercising.]
Get help. It's entirely possible to create your own progressive routines, but it can be helpful to have instruction, too. If regular coaching or training is not within your budget, do what a lot of Cosgrove's clients do and schedule a session every four to six weeks to get a new program. Or turn to books or magazines. (I got my own latest workout from Cosgrove, via Women's Health.)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Blog
We interrupt our usual blog about fitness with this bit of stupidity.
A few years ago it was the discharge of 9 language translators (6 who were trained to speak Arabic) even though the military was critically short of linguists and aggressively recruited Arabic speakers after the September 11 attacks.
Now they've discharged Lt. Colonel Victor Fehrenbach, a guy who has served our country with distinction for 18 years. He flew combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, received 8 air medals and was hand-picked to patrol the Washington D.C. airspace after 9-11.
I don't care what your personal feelings are about gays and lesbians; this policy is idiotic. Our country needs a well educated and well trained military. It is absolutely absurd that we continue to kick highly skilled, decorated and dedicated men and women out of the service simply for being gay.
Sign Lt. Colonel Victor Fehrenbach's petition
A few years ago it was the discharge of 9 language translators (6 who were trained to speak Arabic) even though the military was critically short of linguists and aggressively recruited Arabic speakers after the September 11 attacks.
Now they've discharged Lt. Colonel Victor Fehrenbach, a guy who has served our country with distinction for 18 years. He flew combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, received 8 air medals and was hand-picked to patrol the Washington D.C. airspace after 9-11.
I don't care what your personal feelings are about gays and lesbians; this policy is idiotic. Our country needs a well educated and well trained military. It is absolutely absurd that we continue to kick highly skilled, decorated and dedicated men and women out of the service simply for being gay.
Sign Lt. Colonel Victor Fehrenbach's petition
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
5 Simple Fat Loss Guidelines
There is still time to get in better shape for swimsuit season. Use these 5 simple fat loss guidelines. Keep in mind I said simple; that doesn't necessarily mean easy.
1. Good Nutrition. I say it (and write it) over and over. You can't out-train a bad diet. Just accept it.
Eat as much non-processed food as possible. Focus on fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Keep your carb intake lower (especially refined carbs). Ditch the liquid calories; drink water instead.
Make sure you have a caloric deficit. Learn proper portion sizes. Although harder, it is possible to overeat good foods.
The best and healthiest way to create a caloric deficit is through a combination of both diet and exercise.
2. The Right Type of Exercise. Contrary to popular misconception, steady state cardio is not the best exercise for fat loss.
Cardio: Cardio intervals and bodyweight circuit training will give you far more bang for your buck than long bouts of steady state cardio.
Strength training: Stick to total body strength workouts concentrating on compound exercises; they are not only more functional but will burn more calories. If your goal is fat loss, leave body part split routines to the bodybuilders.
3. Be Active 6 Days a Week.
If you combine strength and cardio intervals on the same day, get 30 minutes of activity on your "off" days - anything that won't interfere with muscle recovery. Go for a bike ride, play with your kids, go for a walk, play some tennis, etc. Or, do strength training one day and intervals the next.
4. Mental Attitude.
You must make a commitment to lifelong change and believe in your ability to achieve your goals. Until you believe that you CAN change, it will never happen.
Allowing a constant loop of negative self talk to run through your head will derail you in no time. You cannot beat yourself up over ever little slip; don't turn every minor misstep into major failure.
5. Consistency
It's not about dieting strictly for a day or a week or a month; it's about eating nutritiously 90% of the time for the rest of your life. It's not about working out for 3 hours in one day; it's about being active 30-60 minutes most days of the week.
Strive for progress not perfection. You are not going to eat perfectly at every meal or never miss a workout. If you screw up, just start again.
1. Good Nutrition. I say it (and write it) over and over. You can't out-train a bad diet. Just accept it.
Eat as much non-processed food as possible. Focus on fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Keep your carb intake lower (especially refined carbs). Ditch the liquid calories; drink water instead.
Make sure you have a caloric deficit. Learn proper portion sizes. Although harder, it is possible to overeat good foods.
The best and healthiest way to create a caloric deficit is through a combination of both diet and exercise.
2. The Right Type of Exercise. Contrary to popular misconception, steady state cardio is not the best exercise for fat loss.
Cardio: Cardio intervals and bodyweight circuit training will give you far more bang for your buck than long bouts of steady state cardio.
Research shows that even hundreds of hours of cardio per year barely make a dent in your belly fat. Replace the cardio with 20 minutes of interval training done at the end of your fat loss workout. Interval training has beat slow cardio workouts in a head to head study for burning belly fat.
Plus, that study tested only 20 minutes of interval training compared to 40 minutes of slow cardio, so you can cut your workout time in half! ~~~Craig Ballantyne
Strength training: Stick to total body strength workouts concentrating on compound exercises; they are not only more functional but will burn more calories. If your goal is fat loss, leave body part split routines to the bodybuilders.
Total-body, integrated movements are more effective for boosting metabolism than exercises that train one muscle group... so get rid of most isolation exercises! You get a lot more out of a squat than you do from a biceps curl! I refer to total body exercises as “big bang” movements... capitalize on them! ~~~Sarah Rippel
3. Be Active 6 Days a Week.
If you combine strength and cardio intervals on the same day, get 30 minutes of activity on your "off" days - anything that won't interfere with muscle recovery. Go for a bike ride, play with your kids, go for a walk, play some tennis, etc. Or, do strength training one day and intervals the next.
4. Mental Attitude.
You must make a commitment to lifelong change and believe in your ability to achieve your goals. Until you believe that you CAN change, it will never happen.
Allowing a constant loop of negative self talk to run through your head will derail you in no time. You cannot beat yourself up over ever little slip; don't turn every minor misstep into major failure.
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. ~~~Thomas Jefferson
5. Consistency
It's not about dieting strictly for a day or a week or a month; it's about eating nutritiously 90% of the time for the rest of your life. It's not about working out for 3 hours in one day; it's about being active 30-60 minutes most days of the week.
Strive for progress not perfection. You are not going to eat perfectly at every meal or never miss a workout. If you screw up, just start again.
If you cheat: get right back on track. A lot of people think after cheating- I've blown it- so I might as well REALLY blow it! Let me ask you- if you get a flat tire do you get out of your car and slash the other three? Hey, you have a flat tire- might as well have four, right? ~~~Alwyn Cosgrove
Sunday, June 7, 2009
2 Simple, Quick & Tasty Recipes from Mike Roussell
Eating nutritiously doesn't have to mean eating bland, boring food. Check out a recent video from Mike Roussell with two really simple, quick and delicious recipe ideas.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Which Diet Is Right For You?
Personal trainer Dax Moy of the U.K. is the creator of the Elimination Diet. I have no doubt that it's highly effective and is one of the healthiest nutritional program out there. In fact, it is probably superior to most, if not all, other diet programs.
Why don't you see me promoting it? I think it's too restrictive for most people. I have a hard time believing that most people who struggle with weight loss will be able to follow the plan consistently for the long term. I can't, in good conscience, recommend a program that I don't feel will become a lifestyle for the majority of my readers. (However, if you want to lose weight and can follow a very clean nutrition program, please do check out Dax's Elimination Diet here ==> www.DaxMoy.com)
So why am I writing about something I don't endorse?
Dax recently posted some comments on his blog about two diets he considered extreme, one of which I do recommend (Eat Stop Eat). You can find his comments here ==> Daily Dose of Dax
Dax asked his readers what they thought of the two "extreme" diets, the other was Joel Marion's Cheat You Way Thin
I'm a fan of Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat but even I didn't expect the overwhelming positive response to Dax's post. I bet he was surprised, too. You can see the comments here ==> Two EXTREME Diets...Which One Would YOU Choose
You can find out more about the program that Dax's readers raved about at ==> www.EatStopEat.com
Why don't you see me promoting it? I think it's too restrictive for most people. I have a hard time believing that most people who struggle with weight loss will be able to follow the plan consistently for the long term. I can't, in good conscience, recommend a program that I don't feel will become a lifestyle for the majority of my readers. (However, if you want to lose weight and can follow a very clean nutrition program, please do check out Dax's Elimination Diet here ==> www.DaxMoy.com)
So why am I writing about something I don't endorse?
Dax recently posted some comments on his blog about two diets he considered extreme, one of which I do recommend (Eat Stop Eat). You can find his comments here ==> Daily Dose of Dax
Dax asked his readers what they thought of the two "extreme" diets, the other was Joel Marion's Cheat You Way Thin
I'm a fan of Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat but even I didn't expect the overwhelming positive response to Dax's post. I bet he was surprised, too. You can see the comments here ==> Two EXTREME Diets...Which One Would YOU Choose
You can find out more about the program that Dax's readers raved about at ==> www.EatStopEat.com
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Diet vs. Exercise Episode #4
Here is Craig Ballantyne and company's latest diet versus exercise video.
Monday, June 1, 2009
The "No Pink Dumbbells" Bootcamp Starts Tonight
YOU CAN FIT BACK INTO YOUR SKINNY JEANS WITHOUT CRAZY DIETS OR MARATHON WORKOUT SESSIONS
• Is your closet full of clothes that no longer fit?
• Are you too young to feel this old?
• Has your self confidence and self esteemed suffered because you’re out of shape?
• Are you ready to lose weight and get fit but don’t have hours to spend exercising?
TRY BOOT CAMP FOR 2 WEEKS; IF IT’S NOT FOR YOU, I’LL REFUND YOUR MONEY!
Now you can get the instructional benefits of personal training along with the support and camaraderie of a group, at a fraction of the cost of individual personal training. Body & Soul Fitness Studio is offering "No Pink Dumbbells" boot camp-style fitness training. This 4-week program is designed for women and men who want to get fit but don’t want to spend hours a day exercising.
Do you want fast results and are willing to challenge yourself to get them?
The training sessions will be challenging but will be adapted for the fitness level of the participants. However, if you don’t like to sweat, work hard, or breathe heavily, “No Pink Dumbbells” is not for you. If you’re looking for a magic pill or gadget that will give you a lean, toned body with no effort, please don’t enroll.
Training will take place Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6:30-7:30 PM at Body & Soul.
Sign up now and save!
Even with a multi-session commitment, the investment for 4 weeks of personal training (12 workouts) with me is $350. You have the opportunity right now to become a charter member of “No Pink Dumbbells” for less than half of that! The regular price for 4 weeks of boot camp training is $188. Sign up for the “No Pink Dumbbells” kickoff session and pay just $158. You save almost $200 over the cost of regular personal training!
You CAN lose weight and get fit without doing hours of boring treadmill or elliptical workouts. Try boot camp for 2 weeks; if it’s not for you, I’ll refund your money. What have you got to lose besides inches?
Don’t miss this opportunity. Whether you take action now or not, in 4 weeks you will be one month older. Will you be a few pounds heavier or 5-10 pounds lighter and closer to your ultimate goal? The choice is yours; call me today at (717) 509-7777 to register or for more information.
Mickey Glick
Certified Personal Trainer and Owner
Body & Soul Fitness Studio
618 Columbia Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17603
(717) 509-7777
Plenty of free parking
.
• Is your closet full of clothes that no longer fit?
• Are you too young to feel this old?
• Has your self confidence and self esteemed suffered because you’re out of shape?
• Are you ready to lose weight and get fit but don’t have hours to spend exercising?
TRY BOOT CAMP FOR 2 WEEKS; IF IT’S NOT FOR YOU, I’LL REFUND YOUR MONEY!
Now you can get the instructional benefits of personal training along with the support and camaraderie of a group, at a fraction of the cost of individual personal training. Body & Soul Fitness Studio is offering "No Pink Dumbbells" boot camp-style fitness training. This 4-week program is designed for women and men who want to get fit but don’t want to spend hours a day exercising.
Do you want fast results and are willing to challenge yourself to get them?
The training sessions will be challenging but will be adapted for the fitness level of the participants. However, if you don’t like to sweat, work hard, or breathe heavily, “No Pink Dumbbells” is not for you. If you’re looking for a magic pill or gadget that will give you a lean, toned body with no effort, please don’t enroll.
Training will take place Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6:30-7:30 PM at Body & Soul.
Sign up now and save!
Even with a multi-session commitment, the investment for 4 weeks of personal training (12 workouts) with me is $350. You have the opportunity right now to become a charter member of “No Pink Dumbbells” for less than half of that! The regular price for 4 weeks of boot camp training is $188. Sign up for the “No Pink Dumbbells” kickoff session and pay just $158. You save almost $200 over the cost of regular personal training!
You CAN lose weight and get fit without doing hours of boring treadmill or elliptical workouts. Try boot camp for 2 weeks; if it’s not for you, I’ll refund your money. What have you got to lose besides inches?
Don’t miss this opportunity. Whether you take action now or not, in 4 weeks you will be one month older. Will you be a few pounds heavier or 5-10 pounds lighter and closer to your ultimate goal? The choice is yours; call me today at (717) 509-7777 to register or for more information.
Mickey Glick
Certified Personal Trainer and Owner
Body & Soul Fitness Studio
618 Columbia Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17603
(717) 509-7777
Plenty of free parking
.
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