Best Biceps Exercises

I’ve often been asked by my personal training clients, what exercises I use to build my biceps.  My answer is that I’m constantly changing the exercises I use for biceps in order to confuse the muscles. But here are three exercises that I’ve found myself using most recently. Grab a pair of dumbbells and follow these 3 exercises and watch those biceps grow!!

1. Basic Dumbbell Curls:

There’s a reason basic dumbbell curls are so popular; they yield great results! Holding a dumbbell in each hand and arms hanging at the side of your body, lift your weights to your shoulders, and then lower them until your arms are fully extended. Proper form is key with this exercise; it keeps your muscles fully engaged and helps prevent injury. If you’re standing while doing dumbbell curls, make sure your feet are close together. If sitting, sit with your posture up, abs tight and keep your elbows at your side. Avoid locking your elbows when lowering the weight, and keep your elbows and upper arm aligned with your torso. Complete three sets of 10-12 repetitions.

2. Incline Dumbbell Curls:

Working your biceps at a different angle, keep the exercises challenging and keep those muscles guessing, Utilizing an incline bench with this exercise isolates the muscle, which forces it to work on its own. This helps increase intramuscular coordination, which recruits more muscle fibers and motor units. The more motor units that are recruited, the more developed the muscle will become. Begin by sitting back on an incline bench with dumbbells in hand just like with the traditional curl.

Again, keep your elbows close to your torso, and rotate your palms so they’re facing forward. Hold the upper arm stationary, and curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps. Continue the movement, making sure only your forearms are moving, Contract your biceps at the top of the movement. Squeeze and hold for a second, and then slowly bring the dumbbells back to the starting position. Complete three sets of 10-12 repetitions. 

3. Hammer Curls:

Hammer curls are imperative for building up the brachialis, a smaller muscle that can make your biceps look bigger. Standing with your feet close together or sitting in an upright position, hold the dumbbells with your palms facing each other, and your arms hanging at your sides. Flex at the elbows and curl the dumbbells up to shoulder level, and then slowly return the weight to the starting position. Keep your elbows close to your sides throughout the movement; avoid letting them move forward. Complete three sets of 10-12 repetitions. 

There you have it!! Incorporate these three exercises into your routine and before you know it, you’ll be selling tickets to the gun show! For more exercises to build muscle, shedding those unwanted pounds, improving your physique, or if you’re frustrated with your current level of fitness and looking to hire a personal trainer, contact us.

4 Tips To Stay Fit With A Hectic Work Schedule!

As a personal trainer, I hear more excuses about why a particular client didn’t follow their diet or why they didn’t get their cardio in. All too often, I hear, “I’m just too busy; my career takes up all my time”. Are you too letting your work prevent you from living a healthy lifestyle? There is a big paradox going on, and it becomes more obvious the more challenging a job becomes: we struggle to find time to work out; however, we can’t afford to skip our workouts because it is integral to sustained success. Following these 4 tips will keep the career oriented, focused, on track and on their way to meeting those fitness goals; which in the end will result in a more successful you in every aspect of your life!

1. Choose Selectively!! Look for something that fits to your liking. What works for you, your body, your fitness level? Flexing your self-discipline muscles is often necessary when it comes to exercise. Make it easier on yourself. Choose a form of exercise that fits your lifestyle, personality, and taste. Not sure what your options are? That’s what you need us for. Contact us help you experiment with different forms of exercise. Together we will find what works best for you and develop a plan and routine you will be sure to stick to!

2. Set an Attainable Goal!! When it comes to being successful at work, collaboration and determination is key. But when we’re trying to motivate ourselves to exercise on a regular basis and stick to our routines, setting attainable goals has its merits. Whether you’re elite, beginner, or somewhere in between, there’s always room for growth and improvement. Set a goal and a plan as to how you are going to reach that goal.

3. Make a Schedule and Commit to It!! One of the most cited reasons to skip a workout goes something like this: “I am just too busy with work; I can’t make my scheduled workout session.” This is called excuses! For all of you who’ve been training with me long enough, you’ve heard it before…”If you’re looking for an excuse, any excuse will do”! If you unexpectedly had to pick up your child from school and had no back-up plan, how would you deal with the situation? Cancel an internal meeting? Take some work home with you? Do some hard prioritizing? The truth is that when we really need to, we get out of the office at the necessary time. Make a schedule and write it down if it helps! Stick to it, and remind yourself that working out is a priority worth keeping.

4. Track Your Progress to Goals “If you don’t measure it, it doesn’t exist”. It’s a slight exaggeration, but this old saying has some truth to it, especially when it comes to exercise. Take notes in your journal, keep a food diary so you can monitor your progress and identify areas of need. Measuring your activity levels and ideally keeping notes on your progress can help you to stay on track and realize when you’re slipping before you’ve completely lost the habit.

For the career oriented, even with a hectic job following these tips will ensure you fit exercise into your daily routine. No matter how busy you are with work, commit to making exercise a priority and never settle for less than feeling strong and fit. Exercise is a very individualized activity, to develop a workout routine that fits your busy schedule or for more information on staying fit, getting in shape, improving your physique, or if you’re frustrated with your current level of fitness and looking to hire a personal trainer, contact us.

Exercises to Toned Abs

Your core is about more than just your abdominal muscles. Not only does it facilitate movement, but it also protects your inner organs and central nervous system. Therefore, a strong core is imperative to your overall health and wellbeing. These abdominal exercises will not only work the superficial six-pack muscles but also engage all layers of your core from the front to the back of your body. Grab a weighted medicine ball, incorporate these exercises to tone your abs!

1. Medicine Ball Twist

Start seated with feet on ground and knees bent, holding ball to your chest. Raise feet off the ground into a low tabletop position. Twist your torso to the right as you move knees to the left. Rotate back to center, then over to the left. Prevent your knees from touching the ground and keep hips stable and core tight throughout the movement. Alternate for 15 to 20 reps.

Need a challenge: Lie on your back with feet straight up toward the ceiling. Curl up and rotate slightly to the right, while you allow legs to fall toward the left. Without feet to touching the ground, bring them back up then allow them to drop toward the right, while you crunch up and toward the left.

2. Medicine Ball Crunch

On your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hold ball with arms extended overhead. Curl up lifting shoulders off floor, squeezing abs in as you raise the ball overhead and in front of you as you sit up, just like a traditional crunch, but holding the ball. Allow the ball to gently fall overhead, as you lower down to starting position. Do 15 to 20 reps.

3. Russian Medicine Ball Twist

Sit with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding medicine ball to your chest, lean back slightly at a 45-degree angle to the floor, engage core. Keep feet flexed with heels lightly touching floor. Rotate to the right, keeping the ball at your chest and twist. Return to starting position then rotate to the left. Do 15 to 20 reps per side.

4. Medicine Ball Plank

Place both hands on the medicine ball with arms fully extended and legs straight behind you. You’ll be in a high plank position but with the added challenge of balancing your hands on a ball. Keep abs tight, hips level, and shoulders down and back. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.  This is one of the best exercises to tone your abs.

For more information on exercises to tone abs, strength training, improving your physique, or if you’re frustrated with your current level of fitness and looking to hire a personal trainer, contact us.

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How To Indulge Without The Holiday Bulge!!

Thanksgiving is over and the Holiday season is in full swing. Brace yourselves, this means two solid months of parties, celebrations and festivities. This can be quite stressful and overwhelming for those of us that tend to be more health conscious. However, you can still enjoy the Holiday season and indulge without the aftermath being the dreadful Holiday bulge.

Follow these simple steps as you partake in all these festivities have to offer without packing on the pounds!

1. Avoid Skipping Meals and Banking Calories! When looking forward to a holiday get together with your favorite foods and drinks, it may seem like a good idea to skip meals to “save” calories so you can splurge later. However, doing such will lead to complete disaster. Attending a party feeling so hungry that you can eat everything in sight will have you doing just that!!! Also, it is stressful for our body to consume a very large meal at any time, so don’t show up to the party starving.

2. Limit Liquid Calories Holiday parties and celebrations often include imbibing in beverages we may not often drink. Alcoholic or not, the drinks we consume can add hundreds or even thousands of calories a day. This is in addition to what we are eating. Because most beverages lack a satiety factor, meaning they will provide lots of calories but won’t make us feel full we often have a tendency to go overboard. Choose beverages that are low in calories like sparkling water, infused water, club soda, unsweetened tea or coffee, or diet soft drinks. Alcoholic drinks not only contain lots of calories but they can also lower our inhibition, causing us to make poor food choices or eat much more than we planned. If you choose to drink alcoholic beverages, stay away from sweetened mixers like soda and juice and practice moderation!

3. Fail To Derail From Your Workout Routine!! With the hustle and bustle of the Holiday season, exercise is probably the first thing to fall off your to-do list. Don’t let it!!! It’s your best ally in the battle against holiday weight gain. Stay focused and make your workouts a priority. Try to get them done first thing in the morning. Avoid procrastination and putting them off to the end of the day when you’re tired and your energy is limited. In fact challenge yourself to add some physical activity to your day. After a big meal, take a walk, choose the furthest parking space when doing your Holiday shopping, take the stairs rather than the elevator.

There you have it, we’re officially in full-force holiday mode but remember, no need to be a Grinch—or end up feeling deprived. For more information on how to enjoy yourself this party-packed season and still be able to fit into your pants when it’s all over, or if you’re frustrated with your current level of fitness and looking to hire a personal trainer, contact us.

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Three Exercises For Stronger Calves

Building strong calves is just as important as any other muscle group. After all, it is our calves that carry around all that other muscle mass we work so hard to build. However, for most people calf growth does not come easy. Our calves are worked all day, which makes training them much harder.

The gastrocnemius muscle, which gives the calf its rounded shape and the soleus, which is the flatter, longer muscle running underneath the gastrocnemius and lower down your leg, both need activation to give your legs that full powerful appearance. Incorporating these 3 exercises into your leg day will deliver bigger stronger calves.

1. Standing Calf Raises Adjust the padded lever of the standing calf machine to fit your height. Place your shoulders under the pads and position your toes facing forward, the balls of your feet should be secured on top of the calf block with the heels extending off. Raise your heels by extending your ankles as high as possible and flexing your calves, focusing on the range of motion. Hold the contracted position before going back to the starting position. Go back slowly to the starting position by lowering your heels and feeling the stretch.

2. Seated Calf Raises Because the weight of the upper body is rested on the seat, resistance is frequently added to this exercise. This exercise is performed from a seated position while the weight rests on the upper leg, just above the knee. The balls of your feet should be secured on top of the calf block with the heels extending off it. Raise your heels by extending your ankles as high as possible and flexing your calves, focusing on range of motion. Hold the contracted position before going back to the starting position lowering your heels and feeling the stretch.

3. Body Weight Calves Lifting a substantial amount of weight, such as your entire bodyweight, for a high number of reps provides ample stimulation to your calves. That’s right, no machines or weights necessary. Since you’re not using heavy weights, this exercise can be performed daily. Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, aim to get all the way up on your big toe while flexing your calves hard at the top of the movement.

For more information on building bigger calves, strength training, improving your physique, or if you’re frustrated with your current level of fitness and looking to hire a personal trainer, contact us.

3 Simple Tricks To Keep You Motivated During Your Weight Loss Journey!!!

Do you need more weight loss motivation? Have you lost your enthusiasm for diet and exercise? How many of you are thinking….”I’ll get serious after the Holidays”? Weight loss can be a draining process. If you feel like your enthusiasm is lagging, you can boost motivation for weight loss with consistency and implementation of these techniques!

• Invest In Yourself!!! One of the hardest things about losing weight is remembering to take the time to invest in yourself. Whether you are a parent, a career professional or whatever it may be, we have a tendency to be more focused on meeting the needs of others than that of our own needs. However, in order to reach your weight loss goals, you need to invest in yourself. For some this may be a challenge. But remember, taking care of yourself first, will result in a healthier happy you, which in turn will result in something better for those who need you.
• Boost Your Self-Efficacy!!! Believe it or not boosting your self-confidence is imperative during the weight loss process. “Self-efficacy” now there’s a term that can make or break your entire weight loss plan. Self-efficacy is used to describe the way that we think about our ability to eat right and exercise. Start by believing in yourself. Your body can do almost anything. It’s your mind you have to convince. The only thing holding you back and keeping you from reaching your goals are the negative thoughts and self-doubt.
• Banish boredom!!! Motivation is hard to find when you’re bored strikes. Banish boredom by re-invigorating your diet and exercise plan with new foods and new workouts and exercises. One of the best ways to stay motivated when it comes to losing weight is to keep it interesting and challenging, yet attainable. Incorporating different exercises and activities will help you build muscle and burn calories effectively. Changing things up every now and then prevents muscle memory and keeps thing challenging. When it comes to your meal plan, choose foods that will feed your body and make you feel satiated. Seek out new cooking ideas and tactics to make satisfying meals that keep your diet on track.

Losing weight isn’t easy, especially during the Holiday Season with gatherings and parties to tempt you and derail your diet. Try these techniques to ensure that you stay motivated. If you find yourself frustrated with your current routine or for more tips to stay on track and reach your fitness goals or if you’re looking to hire a personal trainer, contact us.

3 Exercises For A Trimmer Waist

One of the most common goals of my personal training clients is to reduce belly fat.  Well if you read our blog on spot reduction, you know picking a specific area on your body to target fat loss will lead to disappointment, but with a smart plan and hard work, unveiling a sleek midsection is achievable. A balanced nutritional approach that reduces overall calories to induce weight loss is imperative to strip away the extra belly fat that covers your abs and obliques. However, these three exercises can jump-start the fat-loss process and give you the sculpted abs you’re looking for.

1. Broomstick twists: this is a great exercise that attacks those “love handles” and require no weights—only a long bar or…a broomstick.

*Sit on the end of a flat bench or you may stand if you choose, Place the bar behind your head, resting it across the back of your shoulders. Place your hands as close to the ends as you can, keeping your elbows slightly bent.

Firmly contract your abdominal muscles as you twist from one side to the other using your abs to control the range of movement. After holding for a few seconds, twist your torso the opposite direction. When you twist to the right, feel the right oblique muscles contract, and vice versa. Broomstick twists work the internal oblique muscle on the side twisted and the external oblique on the other side.

2. Crunch and Reverse Crunch: Crunches one of the most common abdominal exercises, primarily working the rectus abdominal muscles and obliques.

*Crunch-lying face up on the floor with knees bent, hands crossed over the chest, raise your shoulders towards the ceiling using your abdominal muscles and pause at the peak.

*Reverse Crunch-lying on your back and crossing your arms in front of your chest, raise your knees and feet so they create a 90-degree angle. Contract your abdominal muscles and exhale as you lift your hips off the floor controlling the movement. Keep your knees at a right angle. Inhale and slowly lower.

3. Hanging Leg Raises:

*hanging from high bar with slightly wider than shoulder width overhand grip, raise your legs by flexing hips and knees until hips are completely flexed or knees are well above hips. Return until hips and knees are extended downward and repeat. Knees may be kept extended throughout leg raise to increase intensity.

Strengthening your core gives you additional power and overall a better physique. For more information on how to obtain a trimmer waist, strength training, healthy lifestyle, and eating healthy, or if you’re just frustrated with your current level of fitness and looking to hire a personal trainer, contact us.

Protein Promotes Weight Loss

Protein is such an important nutrient that it makes up your hair, your nails, your skin, your muscles, etc.  That’s why a deficiency of protein in your diet can cause so many metabolic disturbances.  Here are five reasons protein is so important and how it can actually promote weight loss.

• Protein stimulates muscle repair and growth: The need for protein is critical especially after intense workouts. Therefore, consider having a high protein snack right after a training session when you muscles are sensitive to nutrients that it can use to repair and grow. How does this help burn fat? Carrying more muscle takes more energy, which means you burn more calories even while just sitting.
• Protein fuels fat burning: It is a scientific fact that your body cannot effectively burn fat and use it as an energy source if it doesn’t have help from either carbohydrate or protein. As you are losing weight and dropping pounds, your body can lose both muscle and fat. During this process, consuming an adequate amount of protein will fuel fat burning while still preserving lean muscle.
• Protein necessitates more of your energy: The thermic effect of food(TEF) is the energy we utilize to digest food into small, absorbable components. Protein has a higher TEF compared to carbohydrates and fat. What does this mean? You’re actually burning more calories while breaking down and processing protein than carbs.
• It curbs carb highs and lows: Pay close attention to how you feel after consuming foods higher in sugar. After eating that piece of chocolate cake or chocolate chip cookie, you want another, then another and yet another. Who can stop at just one? Here’s the trick, pairing protein with carbohydrate-rich foods slows down the absorption of sugar from your stomach into your bloodstream, which helps keep your blood sugar from skyrocketing and ward off those future cravings.
• Protein satiates and fills you up: Protein helps you feel fuller longer. Consuming protein slows down digestion, making us feel satiated and also staves off hunger. We are then less likely to go back for a second helping or grab those in between snacks. Eliminating those unnecessary calories will also eliminate those unwanted pounds.

Now, don’t go crazy!! Just like anything else, there has to be a balance. Consuming excess amounts of protein can lead to weight gain much like excess carbs or fat would. To get more information on how much protein you should be consuming for your individual needs and your lifestyle or if you’re looking to improve your health, lose weight, build strength, or if you’re frustrated with your current level of fitness and looking to hire a personal trainer, contact us.

BUILDING A STRONGER BACK!!!!

As one of the biggest complexes of muscle on your body, the back of your torso includes your lats, rhomboids, traps, spinal erectors, and rear delts, as well as plenty of smaller muscles that tie everything together. A strong back can have a have a tremendous impact on your performance as well as your appearance. A strong defined back will give your physique a wide and powerful look, along with the illusion of having a smaller waist. Use these three exercises to bring your back training to the forefront!

1. LAT PULLDOWN

* Sit down on a pull-down machine with a wide bar attached to the top pulley. Adjust the kneepad of the machine to fit your height, which will prevent your body from being raised by the resistance attached to the bar.

* Grab the bar with the palms facing forward. For a wide grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance wider than shoulder width. For a medium grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance equal to shoulder width and for a close grip, at a distance smaller than your shoulder width.

* Bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating an arch in your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position. As you breathe out, bring the bar down until it touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Slowly raise the bar back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats.

* Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

2. PULL-UPS

* Grip bar about shoulder-width apart with your palms down. Hang with straight arms, bending your knees behind you and getting a full stretch in the lats with a slight arch in your back.

* Pull yourself all the way up until your chin passes the bar and repeat.

3. ONE ARM DUMB-BELL ROWS

* Stand to the right of your weight bench, holding a dumbbell in your right hand with your palm facing in.

* Place your left knee and your left hand on top of the bench for support. Let your right arm hang down and a bit forward. Pulling your abs in and bending forward squaring up your hips so that your back is naturally arched and roughly parallel to the floor.

* Pull your right arm up and in toward your hip.

*Lower the weight slowly back down and repeat.

Your back plays a huge role in how your entire body functions, because it attaches to your hips, abdominals, chest, shoulders, and neck. Strengthening your back gives you additional power and overall a better physique. For more information on sculpting a stronger back, strength training, healthy lifestyle, and eating healthy, or if you’re just frustrated with your current level of fitness and looking to hire a personal trainer, contact us.

Should I Still Workout When I’m Sick??

As a personal trainer I have often come across clients who are sick with a flu or a cold, and desire to workout in spite of that fact.  Well, I usually send them home with instructions to rest up and drink plenty of fluids. Whether or not you should work out when you’re sick is often a judgment call. Here are some things to consider before deciding whether you should take a break or break a sweat.

1. Evaluate The Situation: First things first, not all symptoms should be created equal. Assess your symptoms to see if they are above the neck (sniffling, sneezing, sore throat, etc.). If that’s what you’re experiencing, you can probably do some light physical activity if you are feeling up for it. However, if your symptoms are below the neck (coughing, aches, stomach pains, etc.), take a break. If you have a fever, nausea or stomach issues, rest! Because you are already at a higher risk of dehydration, and a sweat-filled training session isn’t the best thing you can do for your body while trying to recover, skip the workout and rest!

2. Monitor the Intensity: After evaluating the situation and if you meet the above-the-neck guidelines, you probably aren’t going to be able to kill your workout with the same intensity as you normally would, but that’s ok. Because physical symptoms is an indication that your body is still recovering, take it easy, substitute your usual routine for something less intensive— such as gentle stretching, an easy-paced walk or, depending on your fitness level, a modified version of your typical workout. While it’s always important to listen to your body, it’s more important than ever while you are feeling sick or recovering from an illness. Staying hydrated is imperative, monitor your exertion level and stay in tune with your body to see if what you are doing is making you feel better or worse than before you started exercising.

3. Avoid the Gym: Out of consideration for others, it’s still a good idea to skip the gym even if you’re stir-crazy at home and feel well enough to do some activity. An at-home routine can, not only help prevent you from spreading germs, it also allows you to quickly stop your session if you aren’t feeling as well as you thought. If you are dying to get out of the house, consider taking a walk around your neighborhood to get some fresh air without exposing others, but stay close enough to home that you can make a swift return to bed if needed.

Illness, injuries or other obstacles that may arise often require modifications to your workout routine. For more information on how to overcome these obstacles, or if you’re looking to improve your health, lose weight, or build strength contact us.