weight training
HOW TO GET MORE OUT OF EACH EXERCISE AT THE GYM
Tags: better workouts, weight training
Everyone is busy and fitting in workouts can be tough. Manage your gym time better and you’ll see maximum results in less time. Focus your efforts and use the below guidelines to get more out of every workout you log.
1. Quality over quantity
2. Form over speed
3. Free weights over machines
4. Lift heavier and sprint harder
1. Maximize exercise through optimum form. Many people tend to race through their routines, pumping out 20 rapid push-ups, for instance, but only going halfway down. But each movement performed completely, with chest touching–or almost touching the floor yields greater results for the time spent. People are often surprised to discover that they can only do half as many, when they improve their form to include the entire range of movement. Yet with good form, they are achieving the same or better benefit in equal or less time, doing fewer reps with perfect form. This takes practice and discipline, AND letting go of bragging rights on how many of an exercise we can do, but it’s worth it for the dividends of greater strength gains and multiple muscle groups engaged along with more of each muscle. If you’re going to do it, might as well do it well!
Watch your form...
2. Form over speed. Speed tends to be linked to form because the quickest way toward sloppy form is through speed, and speed is also more likely to yield injury. Racing through exercises can be good strategy sprinkled in to keep the heart rate up, however, performing the exercise more slowly but completely, requires the strain and subsequent development of strength which–often surprisingly–also elevates the cardiovascular rate.
Similarly, it can be surprising how much more difficult an exercise is when isolated from any momentum. But here too, speed often compromises form. If you want to achieve more in less time, try 10 push-ups with perfect form—straight back and chest to the floor, over racing through 20, halfway to the floor, for then you’re recruiting more muscle groups and more of each muscle.
3. Free weights over machines. Most new to exercises tend to gravitate toward machines more than free weights, such as barbells and dumbbells, because the latter seem awkward and unwieldy. Both are good and machines can be great for isolating a muscle or muscle group, and for assisting with form, however, free weights recruit more muscle groups and require greater focus—and thus attention to—good form. This is one reason why most long-time body builders favor free weights: they know they can accomplish more in less time.
Best bet... free weights
Machines allow us to lift heavier weight than with free weights because gravity is not usually a part of the movement, whereas with free weights, if you select the equivalent weight you had on a machine, it can leave you wondering what happened and why you can’t lift as much. It’s because free weights have the added benefit of gravity to work against, thereby increasing the value of the movement.
4. Lift Heavier, Run Faster.We’ve talked about the benefit of high intensity interval training and lifting heavier in other blog posts, so for now will only say that rest-based cardio (sprint and rest intervals) over steady state cardio (jogging), coupled with lifting heavier weights with better form in fewer reps, can give you more benefit in less time.
Get more out of these exercises:
- Push-ups – bringing your chest all the way to the floor offers superior fitness in less time because you can’t do as many and yet you’re achieving the same–or better–results by working more muscles and more of each muscle.
- Squats, Lunges, and Leg Presses – Go lower—with thighs parallel to floor—but not higher. In other words, do not lock knees out at top of movement. You will be surprised to discover that you can’t do as many and will reach fatigue faster. You can also try this technique with chest and should presses.Abdominal exercises – be sure you are not throwing yourself up with your arms; let your abs do all of the work, so place arms in an “x” across your chest or out beside your head, (without pulling on your head). Isolate your ab muscles and move slowly. A dozen crunches performed properly will take the place of 100 poorly performed. Never use momentum to propel yourself, you’re cheating your abs.
- Hanging Leg and Knee Raises – similar to ab exercises, do not use momentum by swinging your legs up. Perform each leg raise from a pause, raising and lowering slowly.
- Treadmill and Elliptical Machines – do not hold onto or lean on the machines. To do so deprives you of greater cardio benefit you could be achieving in the same—or shorter—time period. If you find you cannot go for as long, then rest, recover and go again. The other problem with holding on—besides reducing the workout benefits is that it can negatively impact your posture. If you’re new and need to hold on for stability, that’s fine, but wean yourself off so that you’re arms are swinging freely and your posture is not compromised.
Working Out Increases Intelligence
Tags: better workouts, burning fat, children's fitness, family fitness, fitness trainer, healthy living, jill coleman, my gym trainer, personal trainer, training for women, weight training, women's workouts, workout book
From Brawn to Brain Power, How Exercise Makes Us Smarter
Our bodies evolved in motion. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors, as they’ve come to be called, did not sit at desks or in caves all day. They had to move to eat–or be eaten. It was in this natural environment of motion that the human brain literally evolved.
Ask any runner or fitness fiend and most will tell you that their best ideas come while they’re working out and it’s not their imagination…or maybe it is…their creative imagination that is! Exercise literally increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain, refreshes our brain cells and stimulates new synaptic exchanges that are a vital part of the creative, thinking mind.
The other time the brain does this the most? In sleep! So the message here is to remember these two basic things: exercise and adequate rest are not optional, they are essential, and can even make you smarter.
So, next time you need more mental juice or feel “brain dead” as the saying goes, try some simple exercise to get your blood flowing, such as a brisk walk, a few rounds of climbing stairs, squat jumps or some good ole jumping jacks, and you’ll be amazed at how very effective a couple of active minutes can be. Power naps work for some people and can be just the thing, but often the nap is as much about getting horizontal to shift the blood flow as much as the actual need for a nap. For those who have a hard time fitting exercise into their schedule, try three minutes of a vigorous–but safe–activity instead. The results should be energizing!
A great and enjoyable resource for learning more about how the brain functions, written in language that had my teenage daughter chuckling more than once as she studied it, is Brain Rules by Dr. John Medina. It’s a favorite in our household and if you buy it from my daughter’s blog, (she’s a budding teen entrepreneur), she will send your book with her FREE study guide, great for teens, college students and as a teacher resource.
Order Brain Rules from:
www.DevaniAnjali.com (includes a FREE student/teacher study guide)
Or, your usual favorite book source, and for more information and fun videos by author John Medina: www.BrainRules.com
Hit the Gym During Economic Hard Times
Tags: better workouts, Circuit Training, depression, fitness training, personal trainer, recession, weight training
If you are currently unemployed you may think that the last place you should be spending time is at the gym. Any place dedicating time to something OTHER than finding work can be hard to justify.
Getting laid off or downsized from work can be an intensely stressful time and can lead to depression. The number one best thing anyone can do for both, stress and depression is exercise. Not only will exercise alleviate stress and elevate endorphins–the “feel good” natural neurochemical–but staying fit while looking for work will help you make a good impression on prospective employers. Invariably, an energetically fit person will have an edge over one who is not.
Networking at the Gym?
The gym is also a great place to meet fellow members from all areas of business and the community and build relationships that could lead to mutually beneficial opportunities. My Gym Trainer books for fitness on the go are a great conversation starter: almost everyone asks “what are those cards?” In an environment where energy is upbeat and dynamic, people are more likely to chat a bit about what it is they do.
Support for Moms and Dads
A good gym is a great resource in hard times by utilizing the services offered by many gyms, such as free childcare, plenty of classes, great equipment and some with pools, hot tubs, saunas and showers. The free childcare is a huge perk, so parents should scout around for a gym nearby that offers this. Adding up childcare plus all of the other benefits often means parents and singles, can actually SAVE money by fully utilizing all that their gym has to offer. However, if gym membership is not for you, remember YOU are your greatest asset, so take care of yourself. Investing just a little in your fitness will reap tremendous benefits in your physical, emotional and mental well-being, and help to keep you energized in your job search. And, if you can’t get to a gym My Trainer Fitness offers inexpensive portable workouts that you can do at home, inside or out.My Trainer Fitness for At Home or My Trainer Fitness for Outdoors is perfect AND economical at just $12 ($10 through October) for 6 complete workouts. So, as the saying goes, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”, and as is the motto at My Trainer Fitness: never easy…ALWAYS worth it! You will never regret getting fit. You are worth it.
Six-Pack Abs: Clues from Athletes
Tags: abs, better workouts, building muscle, burning fat, weight training
I was a gymnast for 12 years. My teammates and myself included – grew up with nice, lean defined, abdominal muscles, and in the world of high level gymnastics this is more the norm than the exception. It was not because we were all genetic freaks, or did thousands of crunches. In fact, we did NO standard crunches at all! But what we did do, strengthened our core and worked our bodies in such a way I believe contributed greatly to that to sculpted, quilted abdominal look.
Well, the great news is that you do not have to start gymnastics classes to get visible abs. But I do think every fitness athlete or enthusiast can learn something from their training and put to use a variety of these principles. So how does gymnastics core training differ from the standard crunch? The 3 major components that differ are:
3) working the muscle in various planes of movement
Full Extension – Muscles stretched with resistance through their entire intended range of motion (ROM), receive the most overload. I can remember way back to my gymnastics training days, where my coach would start and end every practice with 3 to 4 sets of hanging leg raises or leg lifts as we gymnasts called them. For these leg raises, we would hang from the high bar, with our body fully extended and lift our legs to meet our hands. Our coach was a stickler for form and – none of the reps would be counted if we used momentum and did not begin from a “dead” hang – with full extension. As young gymnasts, we knew it was harder to start from the “dead hang” fully extended position, but we certainly didn’t know “why” – but we did it anyway. You can incorporate the same movement into your own workouts – either grabbing onto a chin up bar or abdominal chair (Captain’s Chair), lifting legs (straight or bent). These devices can be found in just about every gym. The key is starting from that “dead” hang position – getting a full stretch in the abdominal muscles.
Isometric Contractions – of the abdominal muscle. Isometric contractions are where tension is created in the muscle with no visible change (movement) in the joint angle. The muscle(s) is contracting without moving through a ROM. For this principle, the goal of course is not to achieve a full extension of the abdominal muscle but to hold and contract it in one position. So much of gymnastics is isometric in and of itself (balancing in a handstands, upside down or right side up positions with leg up/ leg down – you name it – we were probably required to do it)- so many of the drills we did to learn new skills isometric of isometric nature.Planes of Motion is the third component vital to core training. In gymnastics, we flipped and twisted in all different directions. Even on the uneven bars, we had requirements in our routine for elements that contained a direction change. I remember really disliking this, because once you got going in one direction – you had to switch and go the other way – and have enough momentum, technique, and CORE strength to do so. Hanging windmills was one way we trained for this. It was an advanced version of the hanging leg raise, but instead of just going in one plane of motion- lifting your legs up to the bar and back down again, you lifted your legs in a circle in one direction, then switched directions the other way. It targets the oblique muscles, part of the abdominal core, responsible for rotation.
Desiree Walker is an IFBB pro fitness competitor and general dentist
practicing in Lumberton, NC. She shares her love for health and
wellness with her husband Ash and 2 crazy cats.
MGT Equipment Modification: The Smith Machine
Tags: Smith machine, weight training
We have gotten a few queries from MGT users whose gym does not have a Smith Machine, or they are unable to perform some of the movements because their machine does not reach the low height needed for certain exercises.
In our video, LeAura demonstrates 2 of our favorite Smith Machine exercises, the Donkey Kick and the Hamstring Pull-back, both featured in the MGT 3 (Advanced) book. She also demos an alternative to these movements if you need them, by doing a Hip Thrust with a plate. Other alternatives include using the Hamstring Curl Machine or the Hamstring Ball Pull-in using a large Swiss ball. Check it out and let us know if you have come across a movement that your gym does not support and we will offer alternatives. Besides, My Gym Trainer was designed to be a DIY Fitness Program, so we want to make it as easy as possible for you! Contact us! info@MyTrainerFitness.com
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr2J17rAzfs]
Bat Wings. Wobble Arm.
Tags: better workouts, fitness training, my gym trainer, weight training, workout book
For many women the back of the arm or the triceps region is considered a trouble spot. This is considered a “testosterone point” which means that the higher the levels of testosterone in the body, the less likely fat is to be stored here. That means that exercises targeting this area must utilize a challengingly heavy weight, and work to the point of failure. Some great exercises to include in your triceps arsenal include:
- Triceps Dip: This is an exercise staple and should be performed at the beginning of a triceps workout. Advanced trainees should attempt to complete a few repetitions with no assistance, for a guaranteed failure. Once you get there, add some assistance and rep them out until failure is reached again.
- French Press: Also commonly known as “Skull-Crushers”, if you have ever attempted a heavy set of these, you probably know the name of the exercise rings all too true, so be sure to use a weight you can manage on your own, starting lighter and working your way up if you’re not sure. Check out My Gym Trainer for instructional photos on this technical exercise, which is one of the best for isolation of the triceps and will guarantee soreness for days.
- Heavy Squats: Squats for triceps?! Believe it or not, incorporating other exercises that use multiple muscle groups across several joints are huge generators of testosterone release which can also benefit the triceps. Though it sounds counter-intuitive, getting to failure using a heavy weight on squats is a great way to prevent fat storage in the triceps! Other exercises include Cleans and Presses, Push Presses and Deadlift Rows.
Best Exercises for Women’s Trouble Spots
Tags: burning fat, fitness training, get in shape, lose weight, training for women, weight training
Part 1: Hips, Thighs, Glutes
My Gym Trainer specializes in designing great workouts to target the whole body for lean tissue building and fat burning. Though, we do always get asked, “What are the best exercises for getting lean legs or for the back of the arms or for the midsection?” For many women, these are some of the hardest areas to tone up because genetically and hormonally, our body wants to store fat there. In addition to lowering overall body fat via full-body weight training, intense cardiovascular exercise and proper fat-loss nutrition, there are specific exercises that target these areas better than others.
Saddlebags. Thunder Thighs. Junk in the Trunk.
Many women see a couple extra pounds immediately in their thighs, hips and glutes. They can feel the difference when they try to zip up their jeans. So how do we get beautifully sculpted legs and glutes, while burning the fat on top? From an evolutionary perspective, the fat that sticks to thighs and glutes is fat that the body wants to be there. For childbearing purposes and because estrogen receptor densities are highly active in this area, women’s bodies hold onto fat in these places stubbornly. Thus, you can imagine just how hard it is going to be to break through this evolutionary barrier to reduce fat and sculpt the underlying muscles there.
Train Heavy and Induce Failure. If you are new to weight training, be sure to practice your form specifically on squats and lunges for a few weeks with light weights. Once you perfect your form, begin adding weight. If you want to convince the body to give up these fat stores and coax the muscles out of hibernation, challenge legs and glutes from several angles with challenging weight and with various exercises. To optimize the hormonal imbalance in the hips and thighs, induce testosterone and growth hormone release by training to the point of failure throughout each workout (both of these hormones have incredible fat burning potential in women—yes, natural release of testosterone in women is a good thing!). Here are some great exercises to incorporate:
1) Heavy lunge: Within a few weeks of incorporating heavy lunges into a leg routine, inches will start coming off and definition appearing. There exists a common notion among women that lifting heavy weights will make you “bulk up” or just grow the glutes outward. Unfortunately what many don’t know is that as long as attention is paid to fat-burning, inches will be lost and sculpted muscle will appear. For example, take someone who performs a lot of cardiovascular activity and never weight trains. This person is probably slim, but with zero definition or curves. Try fat-burning cardio mixed with intense weight-training to failure and you have the recipe for overall lean limbs.
2) Stiff-legged Deadlifts: These exercises isolate the hamstrings (back of the leg) and target the area below the glutes called the “glute-hamstring tie-in.” If attempting deadlifts for the first time, be sure to check out the photos contained in your My Gym Trainer books. This movement is technical, but if executed correctly, it is one of the most effective exercises to shape the entire back of the leg. Just be sure to keep your back straight while you hinge at the hips and engage your abs, which helps to protect from injury.
3) Plyometric movements can be a miracle on the path to coaxing your leg muscles out of hiding. Plyometric movements are jumping movements and they are vital in breaching the intensity threshold needed to lean out the legs. Many people shy away from these exercises because they are scared of injury or they have bad knees. If you do have bad knees, these exercises are probably not for you. However, with a clean bill of knee health, begin incorporating these movements into your leg routine and watch the muscles appear. Some examples that you can also find in your My Gym Trainer books include:
- Squat Jumps
- Switch Jumps (jumping junges)
- Squat Thrusts
- Bench Jumps
MGT Reviews: The Fabulous Finds
Tags: burn fat, fabulous finds, fitness training, lose weight, my gym trainer, personal trainer, weight training
Reviewed by: Melinda, ID
I am very impressed with My Gym Trainer 3. For someone who enjoys exercise, I love the way it has a different workout every day, targeting different areas each day. I also love that it has tips and facts throughout the book.
The pictures are very helpful and the core workouts seem challenging but achievable. I would use this product with a few of my own variations. One downfall is that it can be very difficult to get to the gym 6 days a week.
It would also be helpful to have a few examples of meal ideas and types of foods that should be eaten with each workout day. Overall, the My Gym Trainer seems like a great tool to help tone and achieve a peak fitness level and I am excited to see the results!
For more MGT reviews on The Fabulous Finds, CLICK HERE!
CLICK HERE to purchase My Gym Trainer! For more information, visit: http://www.mytrainerfitness.com
Yes! Weekly Talks To My Gym Trainer!
Tags: Fitness, lose weight, personal trainer, weight training, yes weekly
By Keith T. Barber and Jordan Green
My Gym Trainer books offer workout on the go LeAura Alderson vividly recalls the moment of inspiration that ultimately led to her successful collaboration with local fitness guru Jill Coleman. Alderson said she often clipped articles from health and fitness magazines to help guide her workouts and placed them in her gym bag. Two years ago, when a leaky water bottle destroyed Alderson’s workout guide, she channeled her frustration into an idea that became the foundation of the My Gym Trainer book series. Alderson turned to Coleman, her personal trainer, for advice.
“I asked Jill: ‘What about creating a workout book that has removable cards that people can take with them to the gym?” Alderson said. “Something that’s comprehensive, that’s integrated, that teaches people how to use the gym, to maximize their time at the gym, so they can look like a professional rather than just wandering around asking, ‘How does this machine work?’” Coleman, a Wake Forest University graduate with a master’s degree in nutrition, said she jumped at the opportunity to share her knowledge of healthy exercise habits with a wide audience.
“The biggest thing for me with this book personally has been the ability to reach so many more people than I could one on one,” Coleman said.
The idea of creating a personal pocket trainer on durable, laminated cards that would resist water, sweat and other foreign objects was far easier to conceive than to achieve, Alderson said. Alderson and Coleman’s initial attempts at desktop publishing proved difficult, so they turned to local artists and printing companies to give the My Gym Trainer series a sleek, professional look and feel.
Coleman said she had no idea the process would take two years and just how difficult it would be to compress a lot of information on a laminated palm card. But the results were well worth the effort. My Gym Trainer is a threepart series with beginner, intermediate and advanced editions. The books offer a unique workout every single day of the week featuring a blend of free weights and cardiovascular exercises. The first My Gym Trainer rolled off the presses in November. Based on the cover art, the targeted demographic is women who want to get in shape or stay in shape. But Alderson and Coleman have big plans to broaden their audience. Future titles in the series include, My At-Home Trainer, My Guy Trainer, My Mature Adult Trainer, My Kid Trainer and My Successful Life Trainer.
CLICK HERE to purchase My Gym Trainer!
For more information, visit: http://www.mytrainerfitness.com
About Personal Training Certifications: Don't be fooled!
Tags: Fitness, fitness training, jill coleman, my gym trainer, my trainer fitness, personal trainer, weight training
Not all personal training certifications are equal.
My Gym Trainer is the best option for someone who wants the quality of workouts achieved by hiring a personal trainer without the cost.
The workouts contained here were designed by Jill Coleman, an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)-certified personal trainer.
Jill also holds a bachelors degree in Exercise Science, which is something you, as a consumer, should look for when evaluating who to listen to in the fitness world.
Other top fitness certifications include those from the National Sports and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
CLICK HERE to purchase My Gym Trainer!
For more information, visit: http://www.mytrainerfitness.com
RSS
Facebook
Google+
LinkedIn
Twitter
YouTube
Pinterest
Categories
Recent Posts
- Has exercise helped you overcome an injury? If so, what was the injury, and what types of exercises did you do to recover?
- RT @truth2beingfit: "I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed."~Michael Jordan Thx @MyGymTrainer #f ...
- "I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed." ~Michael Jordan
Tags
© MGT 2012 All rights reserved