TRainKoRbie
Importance of Diet and Cardio!
Importance of Diet and Cardio
The other day one of our personal training clients called and told me he was thinking about discontinuing working out with us and instead taking up kickboxing. His reasoning was that although his muscles had increased in size and that he was looking and feeling better, his waistline hadn’t slimmed down much. Now keep in mind this particular client wasn’t doing any of the cardio that was prescribed for him; and his idea of following a diet was going to a restaurant and ordering a burger minus the bun. Not to mention all the scotch and bourbon he would enjoy when he would go out of town every other weekend. My point is, weight training alone is not going to get the job done when you’re trying to significantly reduce your body fat. You have to incorporate some form of diet and cardio to help you attain that lean physique.
A good diet consisting of a variety of lean proteins, low glycemic carbohydrates, and poly/monounsaturated fats is what is needed to lower your body fat percentage. Eating foods like this are going to help create a favorable hormonal balance in your body to get into fat burning mode. Once your body is in the fat burning mode, you actually have to burn the fat by creating a caloric deficit. And how do we create a caloric deficit in the body? By doing cardio.
Running, biking, swimming, and hiking are all some very good forms of cardio. Cardio doesn’t have to be boring. You can go out and play a game of basketball, or do some jumping rope. All you’re trying to do is work up a sweat and burn some extra calories. And in the instance the weather is bad, or it’s too cold outside, refer to our training tip on 4 exercises you can do at home.
So if you’ve been weight training and don’t feel you’re getting the results you’re after, try adding a good diet and a bit of cardio to your program. I’ll bet you’ll be pleased with the results. For more information on nutrition, strength training, losing fat, building muscle, or if you’re not happy with your current level of fitness and are looking to hire a personal trainer, contact us.
Four Hamstring Exercises For Leaner Legs
Four Hamstring Moves For Leaner Legs
As a personal trainer, I’m often asked which exercises work best to develop nice arms, shoulders, chest, back, or legs. Well, there is so much conflicting information out there that I like to share what exercises I personally use and use on my clients to get them into such great shape. Here are four exercises that will tighten those hamstrings and give you leaner legs overall.
1. Straight-Legged Deadlifts
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip. Without rounding your back, lower the weights toward the ground by hinging forward at the hips; keep a slight bend in your knees throughout the movement. Hold at the bottom to get a little stretch in your hamstrings then squeeze your glutes and stand up. This is one rep.
2. Dumbbell Hamstring Curl
Lie face down on a flat bench and position yourself so that your knees are at the edge of the bench. Choose an appropriate dumbbell and set it on the ground near the lower end of the bench. Secure the dumbbell between the arches of your two feet. Your legs should be fully extended and you can wrap your arms around the bench for stability. This is the starting position.
Bending at the knees only, slowly curl the dumbbell up towards your buttocks. Raise the dumbbell as far as comfortably possible or just past 90 degrees. Pause for a moment and then lower the dumbbell in a controlled manner back to the starting position.
3. Bulgarian Split Squats
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms fully extended at your sides.
With your feet shoulder-width apart, place the instep of your rear foot on a bench. Your feet should be approximately three feet apart. Lower your hips toward the floor so that your rear knee comes close to the floor. Pause and drive through your front heel to return back to the starting position.
4. Alternating Dumbbell Lunges
Stand up straight holding two dumbbells in your hands by your sides.
Step forward with one leg, around two feet or so from the foot being left stationary behind, and lower your upper body down while keeping your torso upright and maintaining balance. Do not allow your knee to go forward beyond your toes as you come down, keeping your front shin perpendicular to the ground. Push up off your heel and return to the starting position. Repeat the movement for the opposing leg.
For more tips on building stronger hamstrings for leaner legs, eating healthy, weight training, health and wellness, or if you’re frustrated with your current level of fitness and have been thinking about hiring a personal trainer, contact us.
3 Tips to Help You Burn Fat More Efficiently
3 Tips to Help You Burn Fat More Efficiently
We all have problem areas where fat cells seem to congregate and unfortunately, thrive. The million dollar question is, how do you burn that fat off without burning up our valuable muscle tissue? Here are three specific things you can do to help your body burn fat more efficiently.
Four Exercises To Tone and Tighten Your Triceps
Four Exercises To Tone and Tighten Your Triceps
One of the biggest problem areas for my female personal training clients is the back of their arms. Incorporating these four tricep exercises along with a strict diet will help shape your triceps and lead to leaner arms with more tricep definition.
Four Tips To Boost Your Metabolism and Get In Shape For Summer
Four Tips To Boost Your Metabolism and Get In Shape For Summer
- Weight Train At Least Twice A Week
Lean body mass will increase your metabolism. Muscle volume is a determinant of metabolism that will burn fat and calories. Muscle burns more energy than body fat at rest, so if you develop more muscle and have a higher muscle to fat ratio, you burn extra energy and more stored fat as a result. The benefits of strength training even continue when you’re at rest. Your metabolism stays elevated for some time after you workout, even if you are inactive.
Exercises To Tone and Tighten Your Glutes!!
Exercises To Tone and Tighten Your Glutes!!
There was a time when having a shapely, toned, gluteus maximus was just for people who were born with it. Nowadays there are several exercises that focus specifically on the glutes and go a long way in shaping a flat derriere. Implementing these four exercises into your lower body workout will help you achieve just what you’re looking for, blast unwanted fat and create tighter, toned glutes. Start by utilizinging just your body weight and then add resistance as the exercises become easier for you. Added weight with any of the exercises below will challenge and stimulate your glutes to encourage muscle growth giving your metabolism a boost.
Reduce the Catabolic Effects of Cardiovascular Exercise
Reduce the Catabolic Effects of Cardiovascular Exercise
To lose weight and decrease body fat, cardiovascular exercise is an imperative aspect of any fitness program-however, I emphasize to my personal training clients that your workouts should be tailored to meet your personal goals. For instance, if you’re close to your ideal body weight and primarily want to build strength and lean body mass, you will reap greater results if a greater portion of your workout is devoted to resistance training. In fact, too much cardio can actually work against you and impede your progress if muscle hypertrophy is your goal. Hours of cardio as well as high intensity cardio may have a catabolic effect on muscle tissue, making it difficult to develop the strength and muscle definition you are aiming for. Resistance and cardiovascular training adaptations to exercise differ and when you “overdo” the cardio, you’re sending your body mixed messages-one catabolic and one anabolic. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to reduce the catabolic effects of cardio when your goal is to build muscle and lean body mass.
What Causes The Burn In Your Muscles During a Workout?
What Causes The Burn In Your Muscles During a Workout?
Have you ever wondered what causes that painful burn in your muscles during an intense workout? Whether your workout involves the utilization of weights or your own body weight as resistance, repetition after repetition often causes a burning sensation in the isolated muscle. The burn is caused by a substance called lactic acid which is produced by the body when glucose is broken down for energy during intense anaerobic exercise.
Three Exercises to Build a More Muscular Chest
Three Exercises to Build a More Muscular Chest
The most common question I get asked, whether it be from one of my personal training clients or from a person I just met in passing is, “How much can you bench press?” It seems everyone wants to know how to develop a more muscular chest. Well, when it comes to building a more developed chest I’ve always believed in sticking to the basics. Here are three exercises that I have used from day one and still continue to use in order to build my chest.
Carb Free Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Calorie Free
Carb Free Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Calorie Free
The other day two of my personal training clients came in for their weekly weigh in. The clients had been supposedly following a nutrition plan and exercise regiment I had outlined for them. However, they were both shocked and surprised to see the scale showed them each gaining 3 pounds from their last weigh in a week ago. When I asked them what they had been eating, they each said they had been following their diets very closely. Upon further questioning, I came to find out they had been snacking on onion skins and nuts. When I asked them why, they responded “onion skins and nuts don’t have any carbs Korbie, so we thought they were ok to snack on.” They made the assumption so many dieters make, that carbohydrates are inherently fattening and if a food doesn’t contain carbs it’s ok to eat.
