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Tips and Equiptment to help you get fit at home
The Importance of Stretching
Posted by on December 3, 2011
Unfortunately this is going to be one of those do as I say, not as I do kinda posts.
I threw out my back yesterday because I didn’t stretch properly… Actually, that’s not entirely honest. I didn’t stretch at all.
My brother came over and was super anxious to get going on an abdominal workout. He plugged in his iPod to some Chevelle, Seether, Breaking Benjamin, etc, and we launched straight into shredding our stomachs. I got about three exercises in, and I started to notice I just wasn’t getting any burn in my abs. I felt it in my lower back instead – but not even a burn. More of a tensing.
If any of my clients, or even my brother had told me they were feeling that, I would’ve told them to quit there and then. But, I was in the moment and I wasn’t gonna let little bro out-do me.
Once we got to leg throws, it was over. As I lifted up for him to grab my feet, I felt a shock from my mid back all the way down through the back of my legs. It didn’t hurt, but I could tell all my muscles had just contracted at once and were reeling.
My brother got a laugh out of it of course, once he saw I wasn’t in serious pain. And you can bet I was embarrassed – the trainer of the family hurting himself for something as simple as neglecting to stretch.
The moral of the story in case you missed it, is that it doesn’t matter how good of shape you are in – STRETCH before you do anything. Static stretch, ballistic stretch, the medieval rack if you prefer. Stretch your whole body no matter what group you’re working. You may not appreciate the need to stretch if you’ve never pulled a muscle, but eventually your body will remind you – like mine.
Stay limber folks. I’ll heal up in the meantime.
Iron Gym and your Walls
Posted by on November 27, 2011
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend. I know I did, and ate a ton in the process!
Now, I’m no carpenter, but I have often wondered if the Iron Gym Pull-up Bar
I think I got my answer this weekend when I visited the house of a friend who uses the bar on his bathroom doorway. He was going through his workout routine with me, then he brought out the bar, which I’ve worked with before. I worked on his form with him, gave him a few pointers – after all it’s difficult to do pull-ups in a door frame, and when I pulled it down I saw a few speckles of white fall from the door frame. We looked up and sure enough, the dang bar had carved two nice holes in his bathroom wall.
He’s been using the bar in that spot for about two months, and from what he showed me, it wasn’t like he was jerking it around or slamming it against the wall. I’d be interested to hear from people who use this product if they’ve had similar damage done. It could just be that my buddy was particularly rough with the equipment.
That said, for those of you who are curious about the Iron Gym, it’s not a perfect solution to pull-ups, largely because of the fact you can’t spread your arms wide. It becomes more of a lat and shoulder workout than engaging and building your back muscles. Great for chin-ups though, easy to install, and decent padding on the handles for those who have trouble maintaining grip.
Just, before you throw it up in your door frame, it might be a good idea to put some sort of thin padding on the support bar. It may save you a trip to Lowe’s later down the road.
My Favorite Ab Workout
Posted by on November 23, 2011
What’s the #1 area of their body that people want to look good? ABs! Men and Women alike desire ripped abs, and it just so happens to be the most difficult area of the body to develop. No amount of crunches or any other ab workout will get you flat abs unless you get rid of the layer of fat above. Cardio and correct dieting are essential to getting your abs to show through.
It’s a sad truth, but getting sculpted abs is damn near impossible for some people. Genetics being what they are, not everyone starts the abdominal race on equal footing.
But that said, how hard you work out is something that genetics will never affect! So work and work and eventually you should see some results!
I want to share with you all my favorite abdominal exercise. It does require equipment – a 10-15 dollar investment in an Duo Exercise Wheel
But let me tell you, the first time you wake up and feel that soreness in your lower abs, you’ll know it’s worth it. For my experience, when done properly, the Ab Roller is the best abdominal workout for men and women.
The basic use of the Ab Roller is simple. On a carpeted or otherwise soft surface, get on your knees, grab the handles, and just extend. I prefer the single-wheel rollers because they allow you to pivot and stabilize to target tour sides. Here’s a couple of do’s and don’ts:
- Keep your back straight, or slightly arced upward. Don’t allow your lower back to cave in, because then the tension will move from your abdominals to your lower back, and that just defeats the purpose.
- Keep your head level, looking at the ground slightly in front of you. Lifting your head to watch the wheel extend is a temptation, but that will more likely to arc your back downward.
- Don’t extend all the way. Again, if you reach as far as possible you’ll trigger your back. Unless you can maintain strong form and hold it all with your abs, maintain some arc in your back.
- Pivot a few degrees to each side to vary it up. Work your sides individually. Don’t move too drastically to either side, because that’ll contort your spine, but just a few degrees to the right or left will do the trick.
There’s lots of other ab workouts you can do. More than any other muscle, it’s important to keep your abs guessing. But this one WILL burn your lower abs, and I’ll tell you there’s no better feeling than that.
Legs Legs LEGS!
Posted by on November 22, 2011
Anytime someone asks me how they can gain muscle, be it a client or just someone who knows I’m a trainer, I reply with my own question.
Do you work your legs?
This is where men and women answer quite differently. Girls get the need to work their legs. Lunges, Squats, Stairs, all help sculpt their lower half. Guys on the other hand, usually shrug and mumble about how they sometimes do it…usually meaning once a month. Let me emphasize this point right now,
You MUST give your legs attention. Just as much as your upper body.
Why? Well the short answer is heavy strain on the huge groups of muscles in the legs releases growth hormones to the rest of the body. You work your legs, and your biceps, pectorals, and triceps will all get a significant boost. Besides, chemistry aside, you can never underestimate the power of a strong base, be it in other workouts or just in day-to-day living.
So what’s the best way to work out your legs? Squats! But those aren’t as easy to do with dumbbells at home. Here’s a couple of ideas:
Dumbbell Squats (shoulder placement) – The only type of squats you should perform with dumbbells would be one’s where the weight is placed on your shoulder. This will help maintain proper oform, and keep you from slouching. Hold the weights just in front of your shoulders and keep your elbows pointed forward, aligned with your knees and feet. Everything points forward. Keep your back straight, your head forward, and go down slowly. This isn’t about speed, it’s about building that burn in your quads. Most importantly, DON’T GO HEAVY TO START. You want 8 to 10 reps, but you need to be responsible with your form. Once that’s down, you can challenge yourself with more weight. Also, use a mirror if you can. Watch your alignment as you go.
Wall Stands – Sit in an invisible chair against the wall. Knees at 90 degrees, head and shoulders against the wall. Hold it at long as you can and beat your time every time you do it. Great quad building workout. Your body will shake like you’re being tazered, but keep at it. Alternate legs every ten seconds if you like.
Lunges – The ladies are all about this exercise. Nothing will get your butt looking better than a steady regimen of lunges. Guys, don’t be afraid of these ether. It’ll give you a good looking derriere too, but it’ll also rip your other leg muscles up. Don’t be afraid to go a little bit heavy on these. Just keep the weight at your hips and try not to throw your back into the lifting motion too much if you’re doing these in one spot. If you have room, do no t only a stationary set where you’re pushing backward, but a forward set where you’re pushing more upward and dragging your back foot. That’ll be a little easier to slow down the move and maintain the burn in your quad and glutes.
That’s all I’ve got for today. More leg workouts are coming, but I figured I’d get the staples out of the way. Thanks for reading and good luck!
First Post! (P90X)
Posted by on November 21, 2011
I figured I might as well make my first post about the P90X program that everyone always asks me about. If you don’t know what that is, here’s their official site http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/p90x.do
Let me start by saying that any video workout has its pitfalls. Sometimes it’s too convenient, and sometimes it’s too repetitive. I’ll admit, it can be tough working out over and over with the exact same moves, and exact same phrases and motivation. A lot of times people will get a workout DVD, bust their butts for a week or two, then just get bored. If you’re that person, P90X is not for you.
But! If you can stick with it, as boring as it may get, P90X is a pretty good workout! The best part is that it gives you a workout schedule that is a nice mix between cardio and lifting. You will need a weight set, and you will need a pull-up bar, but aside from that you can get by with little extra cost.
I’ve gone through each of the workouts, and I’ll say some are more effective than others. I definitely found myself favoring the lifting/pullup workouts that blast your muscles with quick, consistent reps. The workout favors a series of slightly differing motions as opposed to numerous sets of the same. This wont help you get stronger, but it’ll sure make you lean, which is the intention of the program.
The non-lifting workouts were so-so. I loved Plyometrics, which is emphasized throughout the 90 day regimen. But I wasn’t a huge fan of Core Synergistics, Yoga X, X Stretch, or Kempo. Ab Ripper X – the most popular of the workouts was okay, but people I’ve talked to had the same experience as me, where they found themselves substituting out some ineffective moves.
Bottom line is that if you’re looking for Lean Muscle, this is a great workout for both men and women. The diet plan is solid, as are the optional supplements, but for my money, I think they’re overpriced. If you’re looking to simply lose weight, I’d go with “Insanity”, another BeachBody production. And at the other end, if you want to build bulk, I’d look elsewhere. As I always tell my clients, you’re more likely to find bulk in a gym, or spend a lot of money on a full bench set in your garage.
If you want to learn more, check that link above, or order the full program.
P90X: Tony Horton’s 90-Day Extreme Home Fitness Workout DVD Program
I’ll hopefully be back with another review soon. In the meantime, keep workin hard!
