Tuesday, 17Jan12

Ready for Anything Training!!!!!

This class is a 1 hour ass kicking circuit that will leave you in a puddle of sweat.

Your cardiorespiratory and muscle strength will benefit from our motivational, challenging and fun circuit training set to energetic music.

Let’s see what you’ve got!!!!

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Tabata Tuesday

Tabata these 5 exercises for 20 seconds rest / 10 second rest.  Stay on each station for the complete 8 rounds

• TRX recline to a finisher
• Wall Ball shots
• KB swings
• Mtn. Climbers
• Ball slams

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Athlete ROD

A timed 30 seconds work / 20 seconds rest for 4 Rounds

•  Med-ball push-ups
•  180 Jumps on Stepper
•  Air squats

Rest two minutes, then…

•  Suitecase Deadlift Squat Jumps
•  Mountain Climbers
•  S/L Donkey kicks 15r/15L

Tuesday, 10Jan12

Ready for Anything Training!!!!!

This class is a 1 hour ass kicking circuit that will leave you in a puddle of sweat.

Your cardiorespiratory and muscle strength will benefit from our motivational, challenging and fun circuit training set to energetic music.

Let’s see what you’ve got!!!!

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Kettlebell Krackup

60 second work 30 second rest. Perform 2 rounds of the following 6 exercises with no rest.

1. KB Racked Squat to Press to Reverse Lunge (right)
2. Same on Left
3. Alternating Bent Over Row ( keep your back straight and knees bent on this one)
4. Plank Climber Blast (feet elevated on box with a push-up between ea one)
5. Single KB Single-Leg Deadlift (right)
6. Same on Left

Now comes the Killa …

TABATA your ass off!

20 seconds MAX EFFORT with 10 seconds rest. Complete 4 rounds of the following 2 exercises:

1. Heavy Kettlebell Swing
2. Dynamic Squats

Monday, 19Dec11

Pre-Holiday Monday Boost

Complete this 30 second work 20 second rest for 3 rounds of the following 6 exercises with a 50 second rest in between rounds.

• Reclines
• Sit-outs
• Double KB front squat into double military press (this is not a thruster, you must stop at the top of your squat-pause-press overhead each time.)
• Mtn climbers
• Close grip push ups

Follow up with this…after a minute rest then…

Evil Tabata

Evil is right !!  8 cycles of 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest. Complete 2 rounds of the following 2 exercises:

1. KB Swing
2. Burpee and a half

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Holiday Drinking: Keep It Safe

By Drew W. Edwards, Ed.D., MS

Every holiday season, people have to deal with the increased pressures and stress that the holidays place upon most of us. Whether we’re traveling to be with family or doing our last-minute gift buying, most people feel under pressure during the holidays.

As you might suspect, the holiday season then becomes one of the most dangerous times of the year for alcohol-related accidents and death. There are several reasons for this:

• More people drink during the holidays due to numerous parties and other festivities.
• Many holiday drinkers don’t drink often, so they have a lower alcohol tolerance. These people often underestimate their level of impairment and sometimes even drive when they shouldn’t. When arrested for drunk driving, these people often show a relatively low blood alcohol content yet they are very intoxicated.
• Problem drinkers and alcoholics love the holidays because there are more social occasions to drink. They say they feel more “normal” because the occasional drinkers are also more likely to abuse alcohol during this time of year. Consequently, people with alcoholism drink and drive more frequently. Unlike occasional drinkers, they have a high tolerance for alcohol and can consume large amounts before showing effects.
• The holidays are busy and stressful. People are hurrying more than normal and winter road conditions make driving more dangerous. Add alcohol to this scenario and you have a recipe for disaster.

Avoiding Alcohol-Related Problems

You can make your holidays happier and safer by following these five simple tips for consuming alcohol in moderation throughout the season:

1. Just say no. Resist the pressure to drink or serve alcohol at every social event. Just because it’s there does not require that you drink it. There is no law stating that alcohol is a necessary ingredient for holiday cheer. Don’t feel like you have to drink just because your host offers — it’s not rude to choose a non-alcoholic beverage instead.
2. Offer nonalcoholic beverages.
   If you want to serve alcohol to your guests, offer nonalcoholic beverages as well. Make your guest feel as comfortable choosing a nonalcoholic beverage as he would choosing alcohol. You can do this by putting nonalcoholic drinks in a prominent, easily accessible place and by asking guests what they would like to drink, instead of pointing them to the bar or handing them an alcoholic drink when they arrive.
3. Designate a driver before the party begins.
   If you or your friends are going to a party and plan to use alcohol, decide in advance who will be the designated driver. Decide that drinking and driving is not an option.
4. Choose your number ahead of time.
   If you are going to drink, do what responsible drinkers do. Decide ahead of time how many drinks you will have and stick to it. A blood alcohol content chart can help you understand the relationship between the amount of drinks, blood alcohol content and level of impairment.
5. Remember that alcohol is a complement, not the purpose.
   Sometimes we lose sight of a holiday celebration or party and see it as a chance or opportunity to drink socially. While it is such an opportunity, the main purpose of a party is to have fun with people you know. Drinking is always an option and optional, and it is as much as a choice as it is a responsibility. Keep this in mind throughout the night. If you find yourself going overboard, find a friend or loved one, and explain you’d like to go home. You can stop yourself before you go too far, you just need to choose to do so.

You can ensure your holiday season is a relaxing, enjoyable and peaceful one as long as you remember to drink in moderation, and encourage your loved ones to do the same. Don’t become another drunk driving statistic, and try to remember the reasons people celebrate at this time of the year.

Monday, 12Dec11

Mundane Monday

Let’s kick it up with this Tabata workout to start this week right!!

20 seconds work/20 seconds work/20 seconds rest x 8

Couplets

• Jumping pullups/ Burpees
• Kettlebell swings/ Tuck jumps
• Kettlebell high pulls/ Dumbbell thrusters

Do 20 seconds of work at each movement in each couplet, take 20 seconds rest then move to the next couplet.

Complete all three couplets

Take 1 minute rest between. Do 8 rounds.

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12 Healthy Ways to Survive a Holiday Eating Frenzy

Healthy Eating for the Holiday Season

As the majority of us know only too well, any attempt at healthy eating goes sailing out of the window during the holiday season. We tend to conveniently forget about our health and diet, and instead, take the opportunity to over-indulge in every way possible.

According to a recent Weight Watchers report, the average American gains around 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. This is through pure over-indulgence and gluttony. Moreover, much of this weight is maintained from there on despite our promises (as we help ourselves to another dollop of pudding) to go on a diet in January.

It is not hard to understand why people fall into such bad habits during the holiday season. Everywhere you go there is somebody waiting to thrust a glass of wine or a box of chocolates in front of you. Surely it would be rude to refuse? And, anyway, it is the holidays… Your trip to the local supermarket turns into an adventure. You find yourself in a maze of aisles displaying a range of colorful, tempting goodies that are excitingly packaged and screaming at you to buy them and eat them… Even visits to friends and family are unsafe. You suddenly find the table laden with all manner of goodies, and as you hear the wine bottle cork being popped in the kitchen you resign yourself to the fact that you might as well give in.

All this, coupled with the huge dinners, parties, and festivities of the holiday season makes maintaining control a huge challenge. Healthy eating is a national obsession for the better part of the year. Yet, as soon as Thanksgiving rears its over-indulgent head, the obsession swings the other way as the nation attempts to buy and eat as much unhealthy, rich food as possible.

Food and festivity will always be a major part of the holiday season – and there is certainly nothing wrong in that. However, the holiday season is also a stressful time for many of us, and we need plenty of energy and stamina to cope with it. It is therefore essential that we eat the right type of food with the necessary nutrients to give us energy and reduce stress levels. This is not to say that we shouldn’t allow ourselves to indulge a little, but we should eat in moderation and maintain a varied diet.

Jeffrey Rubin, M.D. at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine, states:
“The main rule to remember is moderation…” With regards to the rich foods that
we consume over this period, he adds: “…Try to balance these items with
regular servings of fruit and vegetables…”

If we allow ourselves to lose control completely over the holiday season, there is a high risk that we will continue to eat unhealthily long after the holiday season has gone. Falling into the trap of unhealthy eating is a hard habit to break. Despite millions of New Year’s resolutions that are made each year regarding our diets, many people never get around to breaking the habit at all.

In fact,
researchers at Washington University have reported that only around 22% of New Year’s diet resolutions make it to February.

Tips on eating healthily during the holiday season
Being health-conscious doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t enjoy the holiday season and have a little bit of what you fancy. It simply means that you should continue to be vigilant and be prepared for the festivities.

There are many ways in which you can help to strike a balance between maintaining a healthy diet and joining in with the fun and festivities.

1. Exercise: Most people have a little extra time available over the holiday season when they are not at work. Take this opportunity to develop a regular exercise regime. This will help to burn off the excess calories and fat consumed over this period. It will also get you into the habit of exercising, and you can continue the regime after the holiday season is over.

2. Review your cooking methods: These days there is no excuse for not utilizing the many healthy ways in which food can be prepared. Instead of frying, grill your food. If you’re roasting, use one of the many available low-calorie spray oils. Try steaming vegetables to retain nutrients and flavor.

3. Invest in lower fat ingredients for cooking: If you’re preparing a big dinner, why not use half-fat ingredients whenever possible? It is often difficult to tell the difference where taste and flavor are concerned. You can even get low-calorie beers, wines and soft drinks. By simply swapping regular ingredients, foods and drinks for their half-fat alternatives you can make a big cut-back on fat and
calorie consumption.

4. Eat regularly: If you are going to a big party or dinner, don’t starve yourself all day in anticipation. You’re in danger
of arriving there feeling ravenous and eating everything in sight. Instead, have some low-fat, healthy snacks throughout the day. By doing this, you’ll be less likely to over-indulge whilst you are out.

5. Prepare for outings: If you have some big nights out and meals planned over the holiday season, try and compensate by having some healthy eating days leading up to the event. Many of us are only too keen to think that we may as well forget about healthy eating over the holidays. However, it should not be a case of forgetting about your diet, but simply managing it a little more carefully over the
holidays.

6. Balance your meals out: Don’t be tempted to fill up your plate with purely rich, calorie-laden food. Instead, have a little of
everything including fruit and vegetables. This way, you’ll still get to indulge as well as receive valuable nutrients and vitamins.

7. Be wary of sugary foods: Always remember that rich, sugary foods have a nasty habit of making us crave yet more rich and sugary foods. We’ve all been there…over-indulging in sweet or rich food…feeling bloated, sick, and making rash promises to never eat gain…and, a couple of hours later, finding ourselves back in the kitchen, picking at leftovers. By ensuring that you practise healthy eating over the holidays, and throw in some form of regular exercise, you can expect to have more energy and fewer cravings.

8. Stock up on healthy snacks: When you go shopping, be sure to throw some healthy snacking items in to your trolley. Fill up on raw vegetables, such as carrots or celery, which can make a simple snack in times of temptation.

9. Be aware of food allergies: It is quite possible that you may have an allergy or intolerance to a food, which you may not even be aware of. Because there is a mountain of food waiting around every corner during the holiday season, we sometimes find ourselves gorging on food that we don’t even know the ingredients of. Then we wonder why we’re feeling so ill the next morning! By having a food allergy test, you can identify any foods that you need to avoid during the holiday season in order to maintain your health and enjoy the festivities without suffering.

10. Moderate alcohol intake: Don’t forget that alcohol is fattening too. That innocent-looking glass of sparkly wine or that small bottle of beer may look as though it will do no harm. However, alcohol contains calories and lots of them. Try and control the amount of alcohol you consume over the holiday period and, in the same way as food, try not to over-indulge regularly. There are plenty of lower-calorie beers and wines available that can help, so opt for the healthier version whenever possible.

11. Be assertive: Don’t feel as though you have to say yes to everyone that offers you food and drink. If you are not hungry, then
simply say so. Do not let yourself be bullied into eating something that you really don’t want.

12. Leave what you don’t want: Despite what your parents may have drummed into you as a child, don’t feel obliged to clear
your plate. When you feel full, stop eating. Simple.

William Connor,
M.D., who is Professor of Medicine at OHSU School of Medicine, states that: “The
overall clinical impression is that people, after the holidays, weigh more than
before because of feasting and lack of physical activity.”

Wednesday, 16Nov11

Basic Tabata

8 rounds of 20 second effort and 10 seconds rest: Complete each exercise for 8 rounds rest 1 minute then move on to the next.

• Reclines
• Barbell thrusters
• Mtn. climbers
• Dumbell hang cleans
• Push-ups

This is a high intensity training mode so 110% of effort is expected in every round.

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5 Tips For Getting Rid Of Negativity

Nobody’s immune to feelings of negativity.  No matter how optimistic you try to be, there are times in your life when you feel depressed or angry.  Sometimes these negative feelings hang around and you just can’t shake off the sensation of gloom.  You worry constantly and can’t find solutions to any of your problems, and there’s no end in sight to your difficulties.  How can you go from seeing the glass as perpetually half empty to half full?

Do Something Different:

Many times people feel depressed or bored with life because they don’t have anything new going on.  It’s easy to fall into routines and dig yourself into a rut so deep you have a hard time getting out.  By doing something different you’re interrupting those well-worn neuro-pathways and forcing your brain to wake up and take notice.  Drive a different way home from work. Shop at a new store.  Try a new recipe.  Brush your teeth with the opposite hand.  Change around your furniture.  Read a completely different type of book or magazine than you normally would.  Take a short class at the local community college.

Make a Solutions List:

If you’re feeling negative because problems are looming before you with seemingly no way around them, sit down and brainstorm ways to overcome your current situation.  Write down anything and everything, no matter how mundane or silly it may seem and you’ll probably come up with some workable solutions in the process.  Every problem has at least one solution.

Set a Goal:

Without constant goals it’s easy to fall into a funk.  Think of some dreams or interests you may have been putting off and dedicate yourself to pursuing them.  Whether you’ve wanted to lose weight, paint, take a dance class, further your education, run a marathon, or come up with a new inventions, do it!  Nothing gets your energy flowing better than having something worthwhile to look forward to.

Go Back In Time:

Think back to a time in your life when things were working, when you felt healthy, happy, and optimistic.  What were you doing then?  How was your life different than it is now?  Try to do those things now if possible.  Nobody has ever been depressed or negative from the moment of conception!  If you can repeat your actions of the past your mind will home in on those old feelings and you should soon feel a shift in your energy level.  You may need to fake it for awhile if you’ve been living with negativity for some time, though it’s not impossible to get back the “old you.”

Exercise Daily:

This is one of the fastest and easiest ways to change your mood around.  Exercising is not only good for your heart and body, but it releases endorphins in your brain that dramatically boost your mood.  Getting yourself into the exercise habit is usually the most difficult part, but keep in mind that the benefits far exceed the laziness you experience beforehand.

These are some of the best tips for overcoming negativity.  Try them all or choose the ones you think will work best for you.  It’s not impossible to feel happier, more energetic, and to face each day with a positive outlook.  All it takes is a bit of effort and commitment to actually make changes.

Monday, 31Oct11

There will be only one Class tonight at 7:30pm. Because of several requests from the members who wanted to spend Halloween with their families, we have decided to honor the request and have only one class. So be There or Be Scared!!!

                             Scary Tabata

We’ll start this one with 20 second intervals /10 second rest for 6 rounds at each station.

Stay at the station until all 6 rounds are complete.

Rest 40 seconds between each station.

Here are the movements:

20 work /10 rest x 6 of each

• Mountain climbers.
• KB high pulls
• Sit-ups
• Half burpees
• DB Thrusters
• Ball slams
• Split squats

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10 Tricks to Avoid Halloween Candy Temptations

Monday, 24Oct11

Kettlebell Couplets

Work / Rest ratio 20/10 work for 6 minutes at each couplet with a 1 minute rest in between each set of couplets.

• Figure 8 to a hold
• KB Snatch 1 round R / 1 round L / beginners snatch pulls

1 minute rest

• Goblet squats
• H2H KB swings

1 minute rest

• KB Thrusters (3 rds R / 3 rds L)
• KB high pulls

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                   The Healthy Eating Plate

Courtesy of the Harvard School of Public Health

Researchers say that when you compare the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate with the USDA’s MyPlate, the shortcomings in the government’s guide are evident.

The Healthy Eating Plate, a visual guide that provides a blueprint for eating a healthy meal, was unveiled today by nutrition experts at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) in conjunction with colleagues at Harvard Health Publications. Similar to the U.S. government’s MyPlate, the Healthy Eating Plate is simple and easy to understand — and it addresses important deficiencies in the MyPlate icon.

“Unfortunately, like the earlier U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pyramids, MyPlate mixes science with the influence of powerful agricultural interests, which is not the recipe for healthy eating,” said Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at HSPH.  “The Healthy Eating Plate is based on the best available scientific evidence and provides consumers with the information they need to make choices that can profoundly affect our health and well-being.”

Comparing the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate with the USDA’s MyPlate shows the shortcomings in the government’s guide. MyPlate does not tell consumers that whole grains are better for health than refined grains; its protein section offers no indication that some high-protein foods — fish, poultry, beans, nuts — are healthier than red meats and processed meats; it is silent on beneficial fats; it does not distinguish between potatoes and other vegetables; it recommends dairy at every meal, even though there is little evidence that high dairy intake protects against osteoporosis but substantial evidence that high intake can be harmful; and it says nothing about sugary drinks. Finally, the Healthy Eating Plate reminds people to stay active, an important factor in weight control, while MyPlate does not mention the importance of activity.

“Unfortunately, like the earlier U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pyramids, MyPlate mixes science with the influence of powerful agricultural interests, which is not the recipe for healthy eating,” said Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. Justin Ide/Harvard Staff Photographer.

The Healthy Eating Plate shows that a plant-based diet rich in vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and healthy proteins lowers the risk of weight gain and chronic disease. Helping Americans get the best possible nutrition advice is of critical importance as the U.S. and the world face a burgeoning obesity epidemic. Currently, two in three adults and one in three children are overweight or obese in the U.S.

“We want people to use this as a model for their own healthy plate or that of their children every time they sit down to a meal—either at home or at a restaurant,” said Eric Rimm, associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at HSPH and a member of the 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

The sections of the Healthy Eating Plate include:

Vegetables: Eat an abundant variety, the more the better. Limited consumption of potatoes is recommended, however, as they are full of rapidly digested starch, which has the same roller-coaster effect on blood sugar as refined grains and sweets. In the short-term, these surges in blood sugar and insulin lead to hunger and overeating, and in the long term, to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic disorders.

Fruits: Choose a rainbow of fruits every day.

Whole grains: Choose whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and brown rice. Refined grains, such as white bread and white rice, act like sugar in the body. Eating too many refined grains can raise the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Healthy proteins: Choose fish, poultry, beans, or nuts, which contain healthful nutrients. Limit red meat and avoid processed meats, because eating even small quantities of these on a regular basis raises the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, and weight gain.

Healthy oils: Use olive, canola, and other plant oils in cooking, on salads, and at the table, because these healthy fats reduce harmful cholesterol and are good for the heart. Limit butter and avoid trans fat.

Water: Drink water, tea, or coffee (with little or no sugar). Limit milk and dairy (1-2 servings per day), and juice (1 small glass a day), and avoid sugary drinks.

The sizes of the sections suggest approximate relative proportions of each of the food groups to include on a healthy plate. They are not based on specific calorie amounts, and they are not meant to prescribe a certain number of calories or servings per day, because these numbers vary from person to person. The aim of the Healthy Eating Plate is to illustrate one way to put together a healthy meal that fits within the guidelines of the Healthy Eating Pyramid, which was created by nutrition experts at HSPH in 2001 and updated in 2008. (Read about the Healthy Eating Pyramid on the HSPH Nutrition Source website.)

“One of the most important fields of medical science over the past 50 years is the research that shows just how powerfully our health is affected by what we eat. Knowing what foods to eat and in what proportions is crucial for health. The evidence-based Healthy Eating Plate shows this in a way that is very simple to understand,” said Anthony Komaroff, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and editor in chief of Harvard Health Publications.

To download a pdf of the Healthy Eating Plate.

Wednesday, 05Oct11

Met – Con

10 Rounds at each station

15 seconds work/ 15 seconds rest

Station 1

• DB Thrusters
• Single hand swing (alternating between L/R each round)

1 1/2 minute rest… then

Station 2

• Split squats (Alt)
• NLP Push-ups

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NLP Kettlebell Workshop – Date (TBA)

MEMBERS ONLY!!!

During this Kettlebell workshop you will learn the following:

The Five Pillars:

• Press
• Pull
• Squat
• Lower body pull
• Core

Lets cover each area with kettlebells as the focus:

Press:

KB Military Press or KB Floor Press. This includes all of the variations such as the Sots Press, Double Clean and Press, Alternating Floor press, See-saw Press, Push press and the Jerk.

Pull:

Renegade Row, Alternating Bent-over Row, Double Bent-over Row, One-arm Row

Squat:

Double Front Squat, Hack Squat, overhead squat

Lower body pull:

Double Swing, Double Snatch, One-arm Swing, One-arm Snatch, Double Clean, One legged Deadlift

Core:

Windmill, Turkish Get-up

Covering the above five areas ensures that you build a strong and balanced physique. Many people tend to focus on what they enjoy and neglect what they do not care for. We will teach you the basics of kettlebell work that you will use during the ROD’s. We have seen a lot of the members not sure of their form or more dangerous, not knowing how to perform the basic KB exercises. This is not only unsafe but decreases the combination of exercises we can program for everyone, which we all know leads to boredom. In this workshop not only will we cover the hands-on but also explain the mechanics of the movements.

Tuesday, 04Oct11

Tuesday BodyFat Meltdown

Let’s burn off the the snacks & beers!

This metabolic conditioning should do the trick!

6 rounds of 20 seconds work/10 seconds rest

• Jumping pull ups
• Battling ropes
• Kettlebell snatches or snatch pulls
• Dumbell push presses
• Kettlebell swings
• Burpees

Let’s do this circuit style with 1:00 between each round.

If you’re doing this right, you should be begging for the 1:00 rest

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Getting Physical: Underlying Beliefs That May Be Keeping You Unfit

This time around, find the type of movement that actually feels good to your body for the long-term.

As the new year opens, many of us are resolving to get up off the couch and get our bodies into shape. But if we don’t examine our underlying attitudes towards exercise, then we may end up facing some mental barriers to getting physical.

Changing your mind might just be the first step to changing your body. Here are a few common notions – and their truths – that I have witnessed as a personal trainer:

Grueling Conditioning vs. Pleasurable Movement

On television shows like the “Biggest Loser”, the media often portrays exercise as suffering. The reality is, the “no pain, no gain” approach actually creates a huge psychological hurtle to just getting started. If we associate the gym with punishment, we’ll be less inclined to go, and unlikely to consistently return.

Conversely, finding an activity that you enjoy – a dance class with a dynamic instructor, a compelling training event or a beautiful, nearby hiking trail – will ensure that you will repeatedly go. Exercising can, and should, be both challenging and pleasurable. Finding a sense of joy while exercising will ensure that you look forward to your next workout, and will eventually help you increase your intensity.

Short Term Results vs. A Lifetime of Health

Photo: Claudio Matsuoka

If you are working out to obtain six-pack-abs or a “bikini body,” then you might resort to extreme routines. Onerous fitness programs, like extreme caloric restriction, may lead to rapid weight loss, yet are virtually impossible to maintain.

Instead of toughing out the routine to achieve a perfect body, consider exercise as lifelong practice of crucial and feel-good self-care. Regularly breaking a sweat serves as very potent medicine regardless of your weight, age, fitness level or body type. To reap the benefits of fitness, we need to take this medicine for the rest of our lives, instead of administering it for a quick fix.

Spot Reduction vs. Functional Fitness

When I worked at a women’s fitness center, I often heard women list a litany of hated body parts like their abs, upper arms, or thighs. They have come to expect that they can “fix” individual body parts by using specific pieces of gym equipment that isolate individualized muscles groups.

Unfortunately, the fitness industry has fueled the idea of “spot reduction” with infomercials for gizmos called “ab-blasters” or “thigh masters”. The fact is, depending on your genetic disposition, you may or may not be able to sweat your way into a visibly muscular physique.

Photo: Fabio Macòr

Regardless, muscles are not designed to work in isolation with a machine providing support for the spine and pelvis. Popular strength training equipment that includes a seat and back support actually does us a disservice by denying us a chance to build abdominopelvic stability.

My rule of thumb is:  “If it looks like a chair, then beware.” Getting out of chairs develops our core muscles and trains the muscles to effectively work together.

Practicing integrated, full body movements (also called compound exercises) can drastically improve posture, build balance, boost athletic skill, address back pain and increase energy.  Exercise your body as an integrated, functional whole instead a fractured, conglomeration of flawed parts.

Working Out vs. Working In

Too often, exercise becomes pigeonholed as an atonement for dietary transgressions. Instead of using it as self-punishment, a movement practice can be a form of self-determination. Beyond burning calories, training can provide emotional balance, foster introspection, and increase creativity.

The conscious movement of our body opens up mental blocks and soothes our inner self. One of the reasons that yoga and other mind-body approaches have become so popular is because they engage the physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions of a person.

The conscious movement of our body opens up mental blocks and soothes our inner self.

If you find yourself giving up on exercise, then you might recognize some of these attitudes. If your workouts are no fun or you are just trying to squeeze into a smaller dress size, you might get stuck in an “all or nothing” mentality.

But you may be less apt to throw in the gym towel if you reconsider why and how you are working out. So whether you choose swimming, hula-hooping, or rock climbing, do something that you love and will do regularly. We can exercise to condition the body as well as refresh the mind and enliven the spirit.

Saturday, 01Oct11

Binary Saturday

20 second work/20 seconds rest for 20 minutes of:

In this ROD you have the choice of either a kettlebell or dumbbell / kettlebell or barbell for deadlifts.

• Renegade rows
• Deadlifts
• Thrusters

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FALL BACK INTO SHAPE AFTER SUMMER

Easing Back Into a Regular Workout Regimen If You Took the Summer Off.

Did you take time off from the gym or your regular workout routine over the summer? No worries. Fall is a good time to get back in the swing of a regular exercise regimen and try new physical activities, but be cautious when easing back into a training schedule.

GET A HEAD START BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS: September and October are perfect months to start a new diet, a new workout routine, or just get in shape. Since the seasons are changing now, why not get a fresh start with your health? Don’t put off working on a better body when you can do so now and create good eating and exercise habits long before the temptation and insanity of the holiday season.

EASING BACK INTO A ROUTINE AFTER SUMMER: Many put off regular exercise regimens due to the summer heat and vacations, but as the seasons change why not ease back into your routine? It takes just 30 days to truly get into the fitness habit once more. Just remember not to overdo it. If you haven’t been to the gym in a month or two, take it slow. Perhaps you cannot lift as much as you did previously and may not be able to spend as much time on the exercise bike. Slowly work your way back into your old routine, and by the holidays, you should be in much better shape. Just remember to have a nice balance between resistance training such as weights and aerobic activities such as cardio (bikes, stair-climbing machines, etc). Also, set realistic goals. Pick exercises you like and will do regularly, and do not try to lose too much weight or resolve to build an unrealistic amount of muscle.

COOLER WEATHER IS GREAT FOR OUTDOOR EXERCISE: As autumn approaches, the crisp air is much better for outdoor exercise, especially running, hiking and cycling. In the heat of summer, you probably couldn’t exercise outdoors in the middle of the day, but as fall approaches, you can easily start taking lunchtime jogs or doing other outdoor activities once more.

TRY A NEW ACTIVITY: Since the kids are back in school, you may have more time to Mountain Bike around Staten Island, the Bad Ass Academy is a good place to start. Maybe do some martial arts or run in one of many beautiful parks on the Island or some other healthy activity you’ve often thought about trying. Start learning a new sport or activity now, spend all fall and winter doing it, and will be in much better shape by next spring. Also remember to vary your exercise routine. Here at Next Level we alawys vary our routines. People often do the same exercises week after week, but after awhile your body gets used to them. In order to build muscle, you must consistently add new exercises to your workout routine. Mix up your routine. Try to lift more weight over time. Variety is key to getting results. Keep a journal of your workouts so that you can track your progress.

EAT RIGHT: Cut out high-fat foods and sweets if you want to lose weight. If you want to gain muscle, you need to add an additional 2,500 to 3,000 calories to your diet each week for each pound of muscle you hope to gain. Start out gradually by eating five to six smaller, high-protein meals each day instead of three large ones. While protein powders and multivitamins are good things to use, do not waste your money on too many nutritional supplements. Build your body with real, solid food.